AN: Ana Is pronounced like Anna
Aubrey was sitting at her desk, waiting on a new patient. Her name was Ana, and she was severely traumatized and prone to panic attacks. It was okay, her wife was the same way. She was leaned over after dropping her pen when she heard the door open. She jumped up and knocked her head on her desk. "Are you okay?" an older woman asked. "Yeah." Aubrey breathed. "Well I'm Alex, her social worker, and this is little miss Ana." the woman said. "Hi Ana." Aubrey said softly. "Ana, is it okay if I leave?" Alex asked. The small girl nodded. "So, you're twelve right?" Aubrey asked. Ana nodded. "Do you like talking?" Aubrey asked.
Flashback
"Little girls should be seen and not heard!" a drunk Mr. Perry yelled. He slapped her over and over, and punched her too. She screamed and begged for him to stop, but it only seemed to spur him on.
End Flashback
Aubrey noticed the little girl's breathing get faster and she held her stomach. Aubrey was familiar with that, and she knew exactly what to do. She grabbed the wastebasket and put it in front of Ana, and then she started to try and calm her down. "Deep breaths. 4 in, 7 out." Aubrey said. Ana's breath rate started to go back to normal. "My tummy felt bad but you made it all better!" Ana said. "Did I?" Aubrey asked. Ana nodded. Their session was almost over, so Aubrey and Ana played Uno. When Alex came back, Ana was smiling. Aubrey drove home, but couldn't stop thinking about Ana. She got back and hugged Chloe, and sat on the couch. She just kept thinking of Ana. When they ate dinner, Chloe asked what was up. So Aubrey told her about Ana. "Well what about her intrigues you?" Chloe asked. "I don't know. I guess she kind of reminds me of myself." Aubrey said. She finished her dinner and her and Chloe fell asleep on the couch watching Disney. Over the next few weeks they had good sessions and bad ones. Ana would open up, and some days she would be shut down. One day she even threw up. But she walked in that door every day, and Aubrey was proud of her strength. One day, Alex came in with her. "She's very fragile today, a home sent her back today and she has bruises all over her." Alex said. "Okay." Aubrey said. They had their best session yet. Ana was really open about her last home. Aubrey was horrified to find out that they beat her, and had once cracked her rib. When the session was over, she told Alex what she had found out and left. When she went home, her and Chloe fell asleep, they had both had a long day. Chloe woke up to Aubrey screaming and thrashing. "NO! NOT ME! DON'T DO THAT!" she screamed. She was clearly reliving her trauma. Chloe sat up next to her and gently shook her awake. "Brey-Brey! It's just me! Don't worry!" Chloe said. Aubrey woke up and started crying hard. "Honeybear, stop crying. You're going to make yourself sick!" Chloe said. Aubrey eventually stopped crying. So they cuddled, Chloe keeping Aubrey extra close for the comfort of it. When Chloe woke, she was hot, and kicked off the covers, making Aubrey whimper. Then Chloe realized why she was hot. Aubrey was radiating heat. She felt her forehead and noted Aubrey had a fever. Chloe stood up and went to get medicine and a thermometer. When she came back, she found Aubrey getting ready for work. "No, you're not going to work." Chloe said. Aubrey looked like she was going to protest, but instead she laid back down. "I wanted to talk to Ana." Aubrey said, pouting. "I want Dino nuggets." Aubrey said. "Okay, I'll make them." Chloe said. When she got the Dino nuggets, she went to give them to Aubrey, but Aubrey wasn't in the room. She looked outside and saw Aubrey climbing in the car. She was still wearing her fuzzy pajamas, and she had shoved her feet into her favorite purple high tops. Chloe shot downstairs but was too late. Aubrey was leaving. So Chloe called her work. "Umm hi." Chloe said. "Hi. How may I help you?" asked the front desk lady."Umm, Aubrey Posen is going to come in wearing pajamas. She has a fever and is delusional. Can you please wait until I get there?" Chloe asked. "Okay. Bye." the desk lady said, sure it was a prank call. But soon enough, Aubrey walked in, in her pajamas, saying she was ready to work. Then Chloe walked in and took Aubrey home. Later, the fever had gone away, and Aubrey and Chloe went on a walk through the park. Meanwhile, Ana had run from the group home. She was on a bench. She was laying there, and she pulled out the one thing she considered her friend. It flashed in the dying light. She pressed it against her skin, and saw the red beads appear. Chloe had gone over to throw away her lemonade bottle, when she noticed a girl on a bench by herself. "Hey." Chloe said, walking up to the girl. She didn't see or hear Chloe approach, and she continued doing what she was doing. "Oh my god!" Chloe yelled. "Chlo?!" Aubrey asked. Chloe held the girl's wrists as she furiously struggled against Chloe. "Brey-Brey! Come here!" Chloe yelled. Aubrey rushed over in a panic. When she got there, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Ana?!" Aubrey asked, shocked.