Thanks to Fran for beta'ing. Thanks to Gabby1017 for helping me with this chapter and twenty-three this past week. The woman is an angel.

Chapter 22

Carlisle was glaring daggers at his two sons, quickly darting his head between them, seeing which would talk first. His stern expression didn't last long. Edward's question went unanswered while Esme helped Garrett to the kitchen, searching for towels and water to tend to his face. Edward stood, using the back of his hand to stop the gentle flow of blood.

Bella stood behind him, eyes wide, her breathing uneven. She didn't say anything to him as he tried to search her face for the words that were running through her mind. He let his emotions get the better of him. He didn't care what his parents thought, there was a reason he wanted to get away from all of them. But he did care what Bella thought. Would she think he was crazy? An idiot? Would she not want to see him anymore because of his actions? Would she let him see Charlotte? His chest tightened at the thought—he'd become just as attached to Bella's mini-me than he had to Bella. Would there be consequences for the part of him he unleashed here today?

Bella surprised him. Her hand gently raised to touch his cheek, looking where Garrett managed to hit him. She snuck to the kitchen, returning with a piece of paper towel, crumpling into her, tucked into her palm. Moving away from the reddening skin, she pressed it gently to his nose. She lightly applied pressure as his hand lifted to cover hers. Edward looked into her eyes, again trying to find something to douse his burning thoughts. She smiled softly at him, and he visibly calmed.

She understood.

Of course, she would.

Bella loved Peter almost as much as Edward did.

She moved her hand, letting go of his nose once she knew he had a decent enough grip to stop the bleeding. She brushed the tip of her finger over his cheek once more.

"I'm…going to help your mom," Bella said calmly, looking between him and a still seething Carlisle.

Edward nodded, understanding her need. Out of the two of them, Garrett definitely took the brunt of the beating.

"Dad, we should go into the kitchen. Obviously, there are things you need to know. I lost my temper, but it's important you understand why." Edward said, clenching the towel to his nose.

Carlisle glared.

"Understand why you decided to beat your brother to a pulp? What is going on? Garrett is…doing better. He's been attending meetings at the church down the road. He's not like what he was before. Does this have to do with anything from before? The anger trouble? Carlisle said, shaking his head, questioning.

"No, of course, it's not that. Why would you even bring that up? You guys don't know the whole story. I'm not sure how up to speed you are with Garrett and Kate's habits. " Edward said, clenching his fist.

"Yes, we do know about it. He's…a different person now, Edward. You've missed a lot. He's been trying to recover so he would be better in case there was a miracle, and his son would be coming home. Doesn't he have enough to deal with?" Carlisle interrupted sternly.

"It's a lot worse than you think it is, Dad. If we could just talk, you need to hear me out. I don't want to make Peter have to explain this himself. He's already been through so much." Edward answered.

"I'm sure he has…Garrett came to get him, to take him back—" Carlisle started.

"He came to get him?" Edward laughed, causing another repulsive expression from his father.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Edward." Carlisle gasped, looking towards the kitchen door.

"Where did Peter go? I need to see him." Garrett said, holding a makeshift icepack to his face. Bella moved to Edward's side, placing a small hand on his arm. Esme and Alice flanked Garrett.

Edward started forward again, "No. You're not going anywhere near him."

"Edward! Stop this nonsense! The things you were saying…no more, please!" Esme said, gasping in horror at her son's words.

This didn't sit right with the middle sibling. She scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. What words did he say? She'd been in the living room when the fight was going on, not running into it until Peter thought it was his duty to break it up. She figured it was something stupid; growing up, it always was, but the words that came out of Peter's mouth—what she thought she heard, "He's not worth it, Uncle Edward."

Seeing Edward fight left a large lump in the center of her throat. She pushed back the resentment she felt towards her brother as her mind tried to take her back to the fateful day almost fifteen years ago that was the cause of her anger.

This wasn't about Edward, though. It was about Peter. It doesn't matter what it was, her bitterness towards her brother melted away when she thought about the little boy.

"Wait, what's going on?" Alice asked sharply. She knew her brother, and something wasn't making sense. The youngest Cullen sibling had always been nutty, neurotic, and angry, but he wasn't letting his guard down with this, "first the fight and now—"

"Seriously, Alice? He threw the first punch…in my own house," Edward started to say, raising his fingers.

"No, that's not what I'm referring to. It doesn't matter…what was it about? You keep alluding to something, damn it, just say it. Clearly…" Alice said, her head swimming. She needed more to make sense of the situation.

Bella turned her head in confusion at Edward's choice of words. What was he referring to? Had something gone down between the Cullen siblings that would explain why she was so temperamental towards her younger brother?

"Where did Peter go?" Jasper interrupted, suddenly looking around for his nephew.

"He went upstairs…I told him to…I wasn't sure what was going on and didn't want him in the middle of it. I grabbed him after he tried to stop you, Edward. After he was yelling that…" Alice trailed off. Her voice slipped into the background as her eyes narrowed, and she spoke her thoughts aloud. She looked around as if she was trying to remember something.

Edward stared at her hard for a moment before shifting his hot eyes to Garrett.

"What I'm alluding too is the fact that Peter ran away from Garrett and Kate with good reason." Edward spat, glaring hard at his older brother.

Garrett returned the glare, but the hardness didn't reach his eyes. The man was about to crack, "Edward, I need to get my son." He said uneasily.

"What do you mean, Edward?" Carlisle said, his brow furrowing at his youngest son's accusation. The tension flooded into the room like a storm. As his question floated into the air, the sound of Peter's squeaky tennis shoes coming down the stairs garnered everyone's attention.

"Garrett?" Carlisle asked, breaking the silence as he turned his head around.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Peter said, getting to the bottom step, turning to look at Garrett. His glare was cold—a shiver ran down Edward's spine as he watched.

"Peter…" Carlisle said his name with a burst of joy, taking in his grandson for the first time in months. A light smile crossed his face as he realized he looked fairly healthy dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. For a moment, he visibly calmed glancing at his neat haircut before taking in the exasperated expression on Peter's face shaking his head "what's going on?"

"Uncle Edward's telling the truth. He's not doing anything wrong. He's protecting me because I asked him to…I ran away from those two so I could be here with him." Peter said, breathing heavily as he looked at his grandfather.

"You…ran away to be here? With Edward? How did you even…? He put off coming here because you…" Carlisle's eyes widened, and he pressed a hand to his chest in shock.

"I ran away because I had to! I was scared of them…they were being awful to me! Abusive! First, it was just locking me in the closet to get me out of the way when they would do stuff, but it got worse. A lot worse. I remember being so hungry. So, I tried to find Uncle Edward when he left. He moved away to get away from the city and I wanted to go with him. I figured I would just meet him wherever he was going." Peter cried, explaining the truth.

Edward clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to relive the conversation.

"What did you say, Peter?" Esme said, a malicious tone coming over her voice.

"Them … those two … my mother and father, they…" Peter said. He met his father's somber eyes before letting out a cry. He turned and threw both arms around his uncle's torso, burying his face into his shirt. Bella's brought her arm up to gently run her fingers through his hair. He sobbed quietly.

This wasn't something Peter had ever done before. He was never one to throw fits or tantrums, not even as a small child.

"This. This is why." Edward said, curling his mouth into a sneer, "this is why he is not going anywhere, especially with him." He threw a sharp finger in his older brother's direction.

Garrett was saucer-eyed, staring at Peter's back. He'd been frozen since his son's outburst. His breathing became labored and shallowed. His hands came up to fidget with his hair tie. He tried to swallow but couldn't seem to catch his breath.

"G…Garrett? What…is he talking about? This can't be true..." Esme asked the malicious tone back. She gasped out the question. Her hand lifted gently to her chest.

Garrett didn't respond. He dropped his face into his hands, catching the tips of his hair around his fingers. His wheezing became muffled through his gruff digits. The noises softly turned into sobs. He shook as they wracked through his body.

"God, please tell me…this isn't…Garrett? You need to speak…now." Carlisle said, putting a hand on Esme's shoulder.

He sobbed quietly into his hands, ignoring his father's question. The cold, tough demeanor he walked in with cracked and melted away with each tear that ran down his face.

'Garrett," Edward said coldly. He tugged Peter closer to him, attempting to shield him from whatever was going to come out in the next few moments.

"Y…y..." Garrett muttered through his sobs. He couldn't get the words out but nodded softly into his hands.

"I…don't. I can't…Garrett, what do you mean? You…did this?" Esme said, raising her hand to cover her mouth. Tears started to fall down her face. She stared at him, making no effort to let her tears be hidden. She looked back to Peter, huddled tightly against her other son, causing her to choke on a sob in her throat.

"H…how bad?" Carlisle said, looking down. He focused on loose strands of his wife's hair to maintain his composure.

"How bad? That's what you're going to ask? We'll get into details…but Dad, it's bad. Bad enough that Peter left home, running across the country, and only God knows how, by himself, to find me. There are marks all over his body. I've seen them, I've treated them, I…It doesn't even matter how bad it is. I was a fucking idiot and missed it while I was still there …it was literally right under my nose…it's bad. Very bad." Edward said, his voice broke near the end of his sentence. He bent his knees to drop a soft kiss on the top of Peter's head.

"I didn't…. I didn't lay a hand on him." Garrett whispered through his sobs.

"No, maybe not. But your wife did. And your friends. And you did nothing to stop it. Absolutely nothing You just fucking stood there while they put out their cigarettes on him, while they tried to force him to do…God knows what, while you locked him in a closet because you were too much of a pussy to stand up to your wife or too much of an addict to be competent of what was going on. And that makes you just as guilty as the rest of them. I can't even say everything without getting physically sick. And I work in an ER, Garrett, I've seen some shit. That's saying something. Peter shouldn't witness the look on his grandparent's faces when they find out everything you guys did." Edward said, his voice hard.

"I…didn't even know what was going on most of the time!" Garrett yelled, finally looking up. His hands were shaking, his eyes bloodshot.

"Don't even try to pull that bullshit with me. You didn't know your kid was being used as an ashtray? You even wanted to make money off him by doing …" Edward spat back, seething.

"I was…out of it. All the time. I was on all kinds of shit. All kinds of shit you don't even know about! God, I can't even remember those days, clearly." Garrett responded.

"What?" Esme questioned, her teeth still chattering at the unfolding events, "I thought you said it was just…pills. That's what you're in rehab for."

"It was only pills, at first. Kate started getting into some other shit and…I don't know, I needed it. Addiction controls you—pills weren't strong enough, and then we tried all kinds of other stuff..."

"And you gave it to Peter?" Carlisle swallowed, clenching his fists, "you gave it to your son? Your goddamn son, your…"

"I didn't…Kate and some of her friends thought it would be…they said they would give her…us…more drugs if they got him to do it. Kid never did anything. He used to throw them in the corner of the closet…I never said anything about it."

"You're a fucking saint, aren't you?" Edward snapped. "You probably saved it for yourself."

"Edward…stop. Peter…you need to go upstairs. You don't need to hear any of this. Go play your game or something. We will talk when we get everything sorted out." Carlisle said, looking at his grandson. He assumed his son would have some sort of set up for Peter's entertainment in the house.

Peter jumped back around Edward's arms, turning to face his grandfather. If anything could make Carlisle Cullen stagger, it was the sight of his grandson's bloodshot eyes, red cheeks, and snotty nose staring back at him in fear.

"Peter, please," Carlisle asked again, his voice visibly shaking.

"No! I'm not going back. I can't go back, Grandpa. Grandma, please believe me. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here. Uncle E…please." Peter cried.

Edward shoved his towel into his back pocket. The bleeding had stopped a few moments ago.

"Come upstairs with me, Pete," Edward said, moving towards the stairs.

Peter shot a glance at his grandparents, then his father. He scowled and wiped his tears. On the way past, he felt Bella brush his shoulder. She gave him a small smile. And through the tears, he smiled back.

He followed Edward up the stairs, away from everyone. He wished deeply that Charlotte could be with him. She would know how to handle this situation—she was smart. She would yell at them until they let him stay with his uncle. He came to a stop in one of the bathrooms on the far side of the hallway, across from the guest room Peter nonchalantly claimed as his own when they had been at the house last week.

He watched as Edward tossed the bloody tissue into the toilet and flushed it. He kept his eyes trained on him as he washed his hands thoroughly. After he dried his hands, Edward knelt to retrieve a small face cloth from under the sink, wet it, and held it out to Peter.

"Here, it will feel good on your face. Just dab it around your eyes and nose." Edward instructed carefully. Peter continued to stare at the cloth, frozen solid in bewilderment of what to say. His uncle sighed and knelt down, gently rubbing the cloth over the reddened areas of his cheeks.

"You can talk to me, Pete. I…I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't mean to lose my temper like that. Listen to me when I say that violence isn't the answer. I made a mistake." Edward said, urging Peter to take the cloth.

He sighed and reached up to take it, continuing to dab at the raw skin.

"You didn't scare me…I wish you'd hit him harder. I'm just mad at him for hitting you. He made you bleed!" Peter said through teary eyes.

"It's all right, kid. I'd do it a hundred times over for you. Plus, maybe it'll give me some edge. Bella mentioned she thought Ben Affleck was better as Batman, so now I've got him to compete with." Edward said, laughing at the end.

The corner of Peter's lips upturned slightly, a smile brewing. He sniffled as he used the cloth to wipe the debris from his nose.

"Uncle E, I don't want to go back with them. I can't. I want to stay here…with you. And Bella. And Charlotte." Peter said quietly, looking up to meet his uncle's eyes.

"Peter…"

"I will miss Grandma and Grandpa, sure. And Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice, but I can't stay in Illinois. I'll…run away again. I'll keep coming back." Peter said hurriedly, cutting off whatever Edward was going to say. He was scared it was going to be something from a nightmare.

"Peter, calm down. I am telling you right now, I am going to fight tooth and nail to keep you here. So is Bella. Do you really think either one of us wants to tell Charlotte you have to leave?" Edward smiled lightly, putting an arm around Peter's shoulders, "you're not going anywhere, kid. Especially not with him. It's not going to be easy…a lot of tough stuff might come up. It's going to take some time and a lot of work, but if you're willing to put in the effort and the time, then so am I. I want you to stay here with us."

"That's what I want. I'll tell it to anyone—Grandpa, Grandma, her, anyone. You're more of a dad to me than he's ever been." Peter nodded, again hugging his uncle.

Edward's words got caught in his throat at his nephew's proclamation. And he knew then, he would do anything for this little boy. He'd get into a million fights just so Peter wouldn't hurt, he would fight hard to make it possible so he could stay with him, with them. He would make it so they could be a family together. Memories from the past ten years flashed through Edward's mind—teaching Peter how to ski, going to see every superhero movie that came out, endless debates about Lord of the Rings over junk food from the local hot spot diner.

"All right, then that's just how it's going to have to be."


After Peter got settled, opting to play a video game instead of trying to get some sleep, Edward went down the steps quickly. He came back into the living room absolutely sure of his decision. He knew that Bella would be supportive and not expect anything less. He was in a decent position to do this—financially stable and Peter was happy here. He couldn't find another option that he could live with and he certainly couldn't even imagine sending him back to live with Carlisle and Esme. That would be much too close to Garrett, too close to Kate.

"Everything okay?" Bella asked, seeing him step off the last stair. Edward had a new light in his eyes; Bella could see determination. He nodded softly, taking her hand.

"He's playing a game upstairs," Edward answered quickly.

He noticed the room was now empty.

"Where did everyone go?"

"They're sitting at the dining table. Your brother kind of broke down and started to tell them everything. I guess…seeing Peter like that broke him down. He was a mess. Your mom needed to sit down, your sister wasn't having a good time with it either," Bella said, frowning, "I wanted to wait for you. I didn't think it was right to be sitting there without you."

Edward sighed, stepping closer to Bella. He wrapped his arms carefully around her before kissing her lightly on the nose.

"We can join then in a second. I've heard it all, I don't need to hear it again," Edward said.

She nodded softly in understanding.

"I need to apologize to you. I'm sorry, Bella. That was…not one of my finest moments. I should have…controlled myself better…I just…" Edward trailed off, sighing. He flexed his jaw to stretch out the area where Garrett had managed to hit him.

"Edward, you don't have to apologize. I would have done the same thing. I'm honestly amazed you kept it together as long as you did." Bella answered, honestly.

"I do, and especially with the hints Alice was throwing. Bringing things up that were from a long time ago…There's some stuff you don't know—stuff that's obviously not important to my life now whatsoever, but you deserve to hear it."

"I wondered about that…it seemed like she had a double meaning, but she caught herself. What was it about…if you don't mind me asking…" Bella said quietly?

"It was a long time ago. My family is very obviously not picture perfect like they portray themselves to be."

"I try to do 'the family thing' with them as much as I can. Garrett had his drug problem, Alice is just a piece of work, and I had the anger issues. It led to some challenges when I was a kid. God, I'm surprised she didn't tear into me like she usually does. Alice usually makes it sound like I went and attacked someone on the street. She must be really…concerned about Peter. She…uh…always is. Anyway, it was a stupid situation really—I was fifteen, and some guy, Royce King, was trying to mess with my girlfriend at the time, Heidi. I was a stupid kid with an anger problem, so, of course, I was going to jump in.

We got into a fight, and I shoved him, and he flew back into some bikes. He broke his wrist. It was an accident, albeit a dumb one. My dad freaked out, not wanting to deal with the consequences if anyone found out. They didn't even press charges. My dad bailed me out of the situation though, and told me I had to straighten out—take classes, journal, talk to a counselor, whatever it took. And I did manage to work through it." He shook his head, chuckling without humor.

Edward told her the story, undecidedly flickering his eyes between the floor and her face. He wanted to try to measure her reaction, but it was difficult.

"Does she always try to get under your skin like that? I mean…it was a long time ago…" Bella asked, confused.

"That's just Alice, I guess. She's always been moody…she's dealt with a lot. We fought all the time growing up. But she holds on to that in particular because Royce was a friend of hers…an ex-boyfriend or something. They stopped talking, and being whatever, they were…She tries to throw it in my face whenever she can." Edward sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"She's held on to Garrett through everything, simply because he's older. I'm not even sure she knows everything about his drug habits. It's never more than words though. And her words don't bother me so much. She's not a terrible person, just…I don't know. She's really good with Peter though…She won't side with Garrett…she can't."

"And Jasper? Did they meet in school?" Bella asked, flashing her eyes down the hallway.

"Uh, no, they actually met…when Alice was in the hospital. She was there recovering, he was visiting a friend. Caught sight of each other in the hallway. Very Hallmark. He's a good guy…he helps her a lot. It used to be a lot worse." Edward smiled. His eyes flickered down the hallway.

He was done talking about Alice.

"We should really…" Edward started, beginning to move towards the dining room.

"Yeah," Bella agreed, following him.

Peter's fate awaited.


Bella was right—Garrett was a mess. He told Carlisle and Esme through bawls everything he could remember about the past few years—dark, horrible things that made Carlisle look like he wanted to drag his son out into the street. Though he remained calm and collected, taking notes on his cell phone, Esme had to leave the room at one point when they got to discussing what ultimately led to Peter's decision to escape Chicago once and for all.

Alice remained silent, clinging to her husband's arm with a blank stare. Perhaps, something had finally gotten through to her. She listened grimly, trying to look anywhere but at either one of her sibling's eyes.

At the end of Garrett's recollection, the tension had risen to a level where Edward could tear it apart with his hands. He wasn't sure what was going through his brother's mind. It was decided that his brother needed help, indefinitely. He needed to turn himself into the police. He needed to turn Kate in as well.

"Meadowview might have a place for you. I…might be able to pull some strings. Perhaps, someone you know may have the ability also, Edward?" Carlisle asked, turning to his youngest son.

Meadowview was a mental rehabilitation clinic and correctional center near their hometown. While it wasn't jail, Carlisle was confident he could work it out with their lawyer to get Garrett a spot there instead.

"Maybe. I will have to see if anyone at Northwestern can. I've got some numbers." Edward said hesitantly.

"But wait, what happens to Peter?" Garrett said. At that moment, he actually seemed to be concerned about the wellbeing of his son. Perhaps it was the night of raw emotion, "I know he can't stay with me, especially if I have to go away. He's…been through so much shit already because of Kate and I. Dad? Would you and Mom consider…"

"Of course, we would take Peter in the blink of an eye. He is our grandson. However, after what we saw, I'm not sure we're the best place for him." Carlisle said sincerely. He looked at Esme, who nodded through tear-filled vision. He turned to look at Edward and beckoned his head towards him. Edward nodded.

"Garrett, what would you say about Peter…staying here? With me. In Forks." Edward said, staring at his brother from across the table.

Garrett started to open his mouth to argue, but Edward continued.

"He likes it here, Garrett. I can more than financially take care of him. Forks isn't as big as Chicago or Evanston, and growing up away from the city given all he's been through might be good for him. He can play sports, we're closer to the slopes, he loves to ski." Edward said calmly. He was trying his hardest without having to get legal.

Garrett sighed, another round of tears sliding down his face.

"What would that entail?" He asked openly after a moment.

"Well, son, it would probably mean you would have to terminate your paternal rights to Edward. Kate would likely do the same. Our lawyer, Aro Volturi, would probably be able to help us expedite the process…to get a temporary custody order. He would know everything we would officially need to do. But you doing so willingly would better increase your chances for a slot at Meadowview, even with our connections."

"Would I ever get to see him again? That's asking…"

"Going on the fact that he doesn't want to involve himself with you or Kate, I'd say no, not it the near future. That was extremely clear from everything that went on tonight. But in time and with recovery on both ends, he may be open to it one day. Edward, Peter will need to prepare to tell that to a court."

"He understands that." Edward cut in meekly.

Garrett stared at his father, processing everything he just told him. He flashed his eyes to his brother.

"You'll promise to take care of him? Give him a life we couldn't? I…we…owe him that." He asked somberly. Regret filled his tone. His heart ached, but he was convinced it was the right thing to do. He owed his son that; a happy life.

"With my life, Garrett, he will be happy," Edward vowed, nodding firmly.

"Then—"

"Wait, what if we took Peter?" Alice cut in loudly, bug-eyed.

"Alice—what?" Jasper exclaimed, shocked by his wife's outburst. He turned but stopped short when he saw the look on her face. Alice's eyes were bright and eager.

"Think about it—we could take him. We could…finally have our family. Garrett, you could see him; we could all be happy in Chicago. Peter would love to stay with us. We could do it. The shops are doing all right, I've got my trust fund, we could use some of his if he has to." Alice said, smiling wildly.

"He doesn't want that, Alice. Besides, his trust fund is for college and afterward. Peter wants to stay here. I know you want…but Chicago is not that far…we can visit, you can vi—" Edward said, narrowing his eyes at his sister.

"Everything is changing! Garrett will be gone, Lord knows where Kate is, even you're gone, Edward. Peter staying in Chicago will be…better. It'll make all of us happy, it'll make me happy." Alice said, looking at her brother. She stared deep into his eyes, as if she was telling him something in his head.

She had an opportunity, and she was going to fight to take it. She would love to take Peter and help raise him. It was always her wish to become a mom—an opportunity that had been taken from her at a young age. Her mind took her back, years ago—a hospital visit and a test that determined her fate on her dream.

"I know, Alice. I do. But you have to think about Peter? He doesn't want to see Garrett, let alone Kate. He's seen some shit in the city, it may be triggering for him, bad. He's young, it will be difficult enough. He's already adjusted to being here. With me, he wouldn't have to worry about using a trust fund or anything. I know what you want…but just think about his happiness." Edward said, softening his glare.

Alice stared at him, pure fury in her eyes. He would bet she never hated him more than she had at that moment. But Peter's life was bigger than Alice's yearns and desires.

"Alice, he's right. Peter's going to be a lot happier here. He needs to heal away from Illinois. Edward is right, it's not that far of a flight. We can visit…" Jasper said, looking at his wife.

She glared at him, her lip curling into a sneer. It was quiet for a few moments while the gears deliberated in her head.

The room was silent.

Until a huff of laughter came from the upstairs hallway. It was loud enough to be radiating down the steps.

Garrett's eyes widened as he shot a look in the direction of the hallway. It had been quite some time since he heard that sound.

Peter's laugh.

"What is he doing?" Jasper asked, a faint smile ghosted on his face from hearing it.

"Playing some video game. He's been going on about Mario Kart every day since we got it for the Switch." Edward answered, taking his eyes away from Alice. He smiled, thinking back to Peter's antics earlier in the day as he raced against Charlotte. For the first time in a long time, he made memories as a child.

"Alice?" Edward asked, turning his head to look at his sister.

Her eyes were watery, but excitement sparkled through. She was staring up at the ceiling. A stray tear found its way down her cheek as she sniffled, and nodded.

AN: We are out of the woods...right? ;)

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Stay safe during this time!

Sarah