A/N: Hope everyone had a happy holiday season, and I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 45
With Becky
"What's your name?"
"Rebecca"
"Okay, Rebecca...are your parents home?"
"They're not home right now." Becky said quickly to the two men from social services that now sat on the couch drinking coffee that she proved for them.
Becky didn't know what she was supposed to do in this situation. Her parents never prepped her on what to do is social services came and asked questions. Of course she knew they were watching and looking into her family so to actually have them here made her anxiety shoot up through the roof. The redhead didn't refuse them when they asked to come in, they had showed her their badges, and Becky didn't really know if she could legally deny them entrance. Becky actually didn't know anything about social service.
Should she have told them that her parents weren't home? Did that make them look bad? Should she have not let them in the house in the first place? Well, it was too late for that now, they were already here ad sitting comfortably on her family's couch.
"Do you know when they'll be back?" Bret asked as Becky sat timidly on the armrest of the sofa diagonal from the two men"
Becky shrugged causing Jim to look at his partner before asking, "Do your parents usually leave you at home for long periods of time?"
Becky raised an eyebrow at the man, she could tell they were trying to fully figure out her family's situation. Even so, her parents weren't abusive or mean. Unreasonable at times yes, but they were never overly harsh or hurtful, and yes they left them alone sometimes but it wasn't like she was a little kid, "I'm not a child, I can handle being alone for a couple of hours"
"I didn't say you were" Jim said with a small smile, "It's just that we heard about your accident and recent visit to the hospital. We would think that your parents would keep an eye on you after all that happened"
"I'm fine. The doctors just said I need to rest so I can't really keep going out on errands with my family" Becky said simply, trying to avoid explaining too much.
"What kind of errands do you run on the day after Christmas?" Bret asked confused
Becky didn't answer, she just stared at the two men causing Jim to clear his throat before he moved on and looked around the house, "This is a nice house. Have you lived here all your life?"
"Since I was adopted, yes" Becky responded
"From Ireland correct?" Jim asked with a warm smile
"Yes"
"Do you like it here?"
"Yes, America's nice. I barely remember what Ireland was like anymore, just a few things here and there and a few people. Not much else."
"Do you like it here with your adopted family?" Bret asked with a straight face
"I love it" Becky answered quickly, practically snapping at the man for even suggesting she would say something different.
"And it's you and your three sisters?"
"Yes"
"Do you have your own room?"
"No I share with my older sister Sasha"
"How much older is she than you?"
"Not much older" Becky said with a shrug
"With a bunch of siblings I'm sure you all argue?" Becky shrugged causing Jim to continue talking, "What happens when you all get in trouble?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do your parents..uh punish you guys?"
Becky squinted her eyes at the man, "Hunter and Stephanie don't abuse us!"
Jim put his hands up defensively, "I never suggested that they did. I'm just asking a few questions"
"Why exactly are you here?" Becky asked causing Jim and Bret to look at each other
"We're here to ask you a few questions. We are currently investigating your family and we are required to talk to everyone in your household." Bret answered seriously
"Why are you investigating us?"
"Recent situations have gained the attention of CPS and we-"
"Recent situations? You mean my fight?!" Becky asked roughly, her voice raising a little as she grew angry and frustrated at these men being here and at herself for getting in trouble.
"We didn't-"
"Yes" Bret said, cutting Jim off causing his partner to glare at him, "Among other things"
"My fight has nothing to do with my family or my home life. My parents have been nothing but kind and nice to me. I got into a fight because those girls were jerks and they attacked me first!" Becky yelled as she quickly stood from her seat
Jim sighed, "Alright. That's fine. We aren't suggesting anything we are just asking the general questions...but maybe it would be best to continue our conversation another time."
Becky took a step back as Jim stood and Bret soon followed. Jim smiled at Becky and stuck his hand out for the girl to shake but Becky just crossed her arms over her chest causing Jim to slowly put his hand down and move to leave. Once the two were out the door Jim reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a card before turning and handing it to Becky, "This is our card, please tell your parents to call us as soon as possible. If they don't call within 48 hours we will have to take more drastic measures."
Becky slowly took the card and read it over before watching as the men got in their car and left.
The redhead slowly closed the door and fingered the card in her hand as her brain went a mile a minute. She slowly walked to the couch and sat down, placing the card on the table before her head fell forward into her hands and she released a sigh, "Fuck me."
Two Hours Later
Becky jumped slightly when her door burst open but she calmed down slightly when she realized it was only Sasha. The girl didn't make eye contact with her, instead she just went to her side of the room and began to rummage through her dressed. Becky was sitting on her bed with a book in her lap and the business card of the social services people in her hand, so Sasha's back was to her but the redhead could tell something was off.
Becky squinted her eyes at the girl and moved slightly to try and look at the girl's face but Sasha noticed and turned her body some more so Becky couldn't see her face, "Sasha? Are you alright?"
"Fine! I'm...fine" Sasha snapped before she closed one of the dresser drawers and bent down to look at the one just below it.
Becky swung her legs over the edge of her bed and set her book down along with the card before she pushed herself up to a standing position and moved closer to her sister, "Are you sure?"
"What do you care!?" Sasha yelled, as she grabbed a change of clothes and rushed out of the room but as she turned Becky could see a bruise on the side of the girl's cheek causing her eyes to widen before she followed after the girl.
Sasha quickly slammed the door of the bathroom in Becky's face and locked it just as the girl reached the door causing Becky to bang on it before saying, "Open the door!"
"Go away"
"Sasha I'm serious open the door!" Becky yelled as she pulled on the handle of the door
"Leave me alone!" Sasha shouted back
"I saw your face, open the door now!" Becky said in a sharp tone and walked the line of yelling and whispering
"You didn't see shit!"
"Girls, Girls, what is going on?" Shane asked as he walked down the hall to where Becky was standing, "What's with the yelling?"
"Becky's being crazy!"
"Sasha won't open the door!"
Shane put his hands up before saying, "It's like the day after Christmas...why are you two fighting? Don't you wanna end the year off on a good note?"
Becky looked at her uncle with complete disinterest while Sasha rolled her eyes in the bathroom causing Shane to scratch the back of his neck before he said, "I guess not. Look, you two need to work this out. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that serious. Becky, Sasha was in there first, you can wait for her to be done...and Sasha, hurry up in there"
Becky nodded and Shane looked at his watch before saying, "I have to go back out and pick up your grandparents. I don't know what is going on with my father or why he thinks I'm his chauffeur but he told me to drop him off and pick him up at 5 so I'll be back. You girls don't kill each other, or your mother will kill me, alright?"
"Yep, we'll be on our best behavior Uncle Shane" Becky said causing Shane to nod and kiss the girl's forehead before he quickly said
"I don't believe that for a second but...I gotta go. Just don't destroy the house" He said as he headed downstairs and put his shoes on to leave.
After maybe five minutes, once Shane was pulling off in his car, the bathroom door opened and Becky was splash roughly with cold water causing her to yell, "WHAT THE FUCK!"
Becky quickly wiped at her eyes that now burned from the sting of the water while Sasha closed and relocked the bathroom door, "Go away!"
"You're a fucking bitch you know that right?" Becky said as she rubbed her eyes, "Jesus...I was just trying to check on ya but fuck me I guess."
"Go away Becky!" Sasha shouted once more as she softly poked at the bruise forming under her left eye on her cheek.
"I've already seen the bruises Sasha!" Becky said in a calm voice, "If Seth did that to you I-"
"He didn't" Sasha said cutting her off but Becky just rolled her eyes before she sighed, she had been trying to get it through Sasha's head for years that Seth was a bad guy and nothing she did or he did seemed to show her the truth.
Becky rested her forehead against the door of the bathroom before saying, "Sasha, Seth doesn't love you...if he did he would never lay his hands on you. Especially not when your pregnant with his child. Sasha you are my sister...I want what's best for you and I-"
"Jesus Becky save the speech." Sasha snapped, cutting her sister off, "I don't need you or anyone else in my business. I can handle myself. So just...fuck off"
Becky leaned away from the door and stared at it before biting her lip and saying, "What happens when he hurts you again? What happens when something happens to you or your babies? Are you willing to put your life and their lives in danger for him? I mean seriously...why are you putting yourself through all this shit for that asshole?"
"Because I deserve it!" Sasha snapped as she yanked open the door to reveal the blackish-purple bruise to her sister causing Becky's eyes to widen slightly in shock and slightly in fear. Sasha swallowed harshly before lowering her voice, "I deserve it...okay"
"Who the hell told you that? Sasha...you're a human being, no one deserves to be treated like shit. Nobody deserves to be raped, gaslighted and then beaten!" Becky said slightly confused at Sasha's outbursts.
"Oh please you think I'm an asshole" Sasha said as she rolled her eyes
"You are!" Becky yelled with a smile, "But you are still my sister and you do not deserve any of this"
"I'm not a good person Becky! I've been awful to you, to losers at schools-"
"And you think THAT makes you worthy of being treated like crap?"
"Well obviously something is wrong with me!" Sasha yelled, "Pe-people wouldn't...treat me like this if there wasn't. My mom, Seth...my dad"
Becky shook her head confused, Sasha had never mentioned her birth father, ever. Becky had heard the stories about all of her sister's birth families but there was never a story about her father, the older girl had only once mentioned that her father left her mother, that was it. As Becky thought about this tears began to well up in Sasha's eyes causing her to squeeze them shut and rub them viciously causing Becky to quickly take the girl's hand and move them away from her face.
"Sasha stop please" Becky said once she lowered the girl's hands. Becky looked around before she carefully grabbed the girl by her head and pulled her forward so she was looking at her, "Whatever happened to you was on them...those people are terrible people who hurt good people to make themselves feel better. But you don't deserve that. No matter what Seth or anyone else has convinced you to think about yourself, it doesn't mean you deserve anything."
"I-I just want someone to love me." Sasha sobbed as she quickly wrapped her arms around Becky's neck causing the redhead to hug the girl back, practically supporting both of their weights as Sasha's legs slightly gave out, "I try so hard and I thought...I thought he loved me. I-I wan-wanted him to love me"
"Sasha, I love you. All of us in this house love you and there are plenty of other people out there who will love. Plenty of people who aren't dicks like Seth." Becky said as she slowly moved them both so they were sitting against the wall beside the bathroom, "Love is not whatever Seth and you have going on. It's manipulation and quite frankly it's dangerous...to you and to your kids."
"I know" Sasha said sadly, "A part of me...a sick and twisted part of me wanted him...wants him to beat me...so I wouldn't...so they would just...God I can't even say it, it's so terrible"
Becky wrapped her arm around her sister as she realized what the girl meant. Sasha wanted a way out, out of being pregnant, out of being responsible, and Seth was that way out. Becky sighed before saying, "I'm definetely not judging...I mean I was the one that suggested abortion in the first place"
"I know, and I was so adamant about keeping them, now I just feel bad that these thoughts are in my head." Sasha sighed as she wiped the last of her tears before leaving the two in silence.
"He punched you?" Becky asked after a while, just for clarification and slightly because she wanted Sasha to say it for herself.
"Yes"
"You need to go to the police." Becky said after a while
"I can't"
"Just tell them everything that happened. From the party to him hitting you"
"I can't" Sasha said again
"Why?" Becky asked confused
"I don't want to be that girl. If I go to the cops everyone will know."
"So?" Becky asked, "Everyone is going to find out you're pregnant either way I mean your stomach isn't getting any smaller"
"I don't care about that. Everyone would know that I was…"
"Raped?"
"Yeah" Sasha said as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, "I don't want everyone to see me like that"
"Like what?"
"Weak" Sasha sighed
"Sasha this doesn't make you weak. It's makes Seth and asshole and a rapist" Becky snapped before calming herself, "Sorry. I don't mean to snap I just...I've been trying to warn you about Seth for years and you never listen to me"
Sasha let out a sarcastic laugh, "I never wanted to"
"What?" Becky asked genuinely confused
"You have this picture perfect relationship with Dean. I mean he came over for Christmas and bought us all these gifts, he's been so sweet with you and so loving...and I had...Seth." Sasha said bitterly, "I didn't want to hear about my messed up love life from the picture of perfect herself. That's why I was so mean to you. I was jealous of you."
"No one's ever jealous of me" Becky joked but Sasha just rolled her eyes
"I was...seriously. I was jealous of you...I still am. I'm jealous of Charlotte. Even though she went drug crazy she is still seen as more responsible than me. Mom sent Shane to watch me today and she always trusted Charlotte over any of us before. I'm jealous of Bayley because she's mom and dad's favorite and I'm jealous of you because even when mom and dad didn't give you that much attention Dean was always there to love you and I have no one and nothing, I have no respect, no favoritism and no love."
Becky frowned, she didn't know how to respond to that. She had never heard Sashsa complain about any of this before, actually, she had never even thought about anything of this stuff before, "Sasha I'm sorry."
"I figured it was just me...that I was the problem." Sasha said in a low tone
"You're not the problem" Becky said seriously
Sasha smiled sadly at her sister before saying, "I talked to Dean...He told me that you went to him and cried...about me about how much I made you hate living with us. About how mean I was to you."
Becky frowned, "Sasha I-"
"You don't have to explain"
"I wasn't going to explain, I was going to say that you were an asshole to me and you befriended out childhood bullies just to spite me." Becky said causing Sasha to look at her, "But. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else in the world. You are not a problem, you're a pain in my ass yes, but I still love, you we all still love you. Nothing will change that. Mom and Dad love all of us, in different ways. I mean you should see dad's face whenever we mention your babies. He absolutely adores you and your pregnancy.I mean he hates that you got pregnant this early but...I'm more than sure he's excited for these babies"
Sasha laughed and nodded, "Yeah..he's a dork"
Becky laughed and agreed, leaving the two in a content moment of silence before Becky and Sasha spoke at the same time and both said, "I'm sorry"
Becky laughed and gave a smile before she thought about the card that now sat on the bedside table in her room before shaking her head and saying, "We're a fucking mess"
"Yeah...yeah we are" Sasha agreed before looking over at her sister with a smile, "And I wouldn't trade that for the world"
With Charlotte
Charlotte sat looked out the window at the trees passing as her mother drove them quietly to go pick up Bayley from the homeless shelter she was volunteering at. It was on the other side of town, so the ride was pretty long and the silence was pretty awkward. The blonde haven't said a word since she left her appointment and even though Stephanie haven't pushed the subject so far, there was only so much longer her mother could hold her silence on the matter.
Tori had told Stephanie about the prescription and about what she thinks is wrong with Charlotte and the two went and got everything filled out before they drove out to get Bayley. So it wasn't like Stephanie didn't know what happened, well she didn't know the full play by play only the outcome, and it wasn't like there was much to tell anyway. Charlotte talked and Tori gave her a diagnosis. It was only something small to start her off with so Tori could see if her hunch, accompanied by Charlotte's genetics, was right.
"So…" Stephanie started and Charlotte knew her silence and slight peace was about to be disrupted by the only conversation she didn't want to have at the moment, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No...not really" Charlotte answered honestly
"Alright...that's fine...that's fine" Stephanie said awkwardly as she dragged out her words and trailed off as her fingers drummed on the steering wheel.
Charlotte squinted her eyes at her mother's awkwardness out of the corner of her eyes, she had never seen her mother act like this before. It was...unnerving, "Why are you being so weird?"
"I'm not being weird. I just...I don't want to...I don't know upset you or push you" Stephanie said with a shrug
Charlotte's eyes widened for only one second before she glared at her mother, "Push me? I'm not unstable. I'm not going to break!"
"I didn't say you were, and this isn't because of what Ms. Wilson said. This is because I'm trying to respect your boundaries. I get that you don't want to talk about this so...we don't have to...yet"
Charlotte rolled her eyes but sighed none the less and said, "I don't know how to feel about it. I was angry..I-I still am angry but...I don't know"
"Why are you angry?" Stephanie asked seriously
"BECAUSE!" Charlotte yelled before calming down, "Because...I tried so hard...I really did. I tried so hard to not be like him, but in the end I'm just like him. I just tricked myself into thinking that I could be like you or Hunter because you both raised me...bu-but I can't outrun him no matter how hard I try...I never could."
"Oh Charlotte. You are nothing like that man" Stephanie said seriously, "You are a lovely girl, you're kind, sweet, smart an-"
"And Bipolar...just like him" Charlotte said in a sad tone, cutting her mother off, "It's in my blood. I can't avoid that. No matter how hard I try to get away he will always hold his blood over me"
"He's only holding it over you if you let him. Just because you are his blood does not mean you aren't me or your father's daughter. I would like to think that we have raised you to be a respectable young woman with a bright future and a good heart. Nothing will change that unless you let it." Stephanie said, not taking her eyes off the road as she drove.
"I don't know how to not let this affect me." Charlotte said as she looked down at her own hands which slightly shook with the anxious bubbles that she felt rising in her stomach, "This is my life. I thought I could put him behind me. I thought If I was perfect...if everything was perfect, I would never have to think about him again, that I would never turn out like him, but in the end it just pushed me to be more like him."
"Charlotte you are perfect. You are just the way you are supposed to be and we love you because you are perfect just by being who you are. This doesn't change that." Stephanie said in a soft tone as they slowly pulled into the parking lot of the homeless shelter which had a line out the door. Once Stephanie parked she turned off the car and sat there for a while before saying, "Charlotte your father and I love you. No matter what. I hope that you see how much we love you and I hope that one day you love yourself the same way we do."
Charlotte sat there for a second looking down at her hands before she clenched her fists and nodded, "I will...eventually"
With Bayley
"Rockin' around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rockin' around the Christmas tree
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
And we'll do some caroling"
Kids gathered around Bayley as she sang and strummed her newly owned guitar. She had performed two acoustic versions of Frosty the Snowman and The Jingle Bell Rock and all the kids and parents loved it. The shelter was full tonight and the line to get food was wrapped around the room as homeless parents and kids lined up to get something warm to eat, while those who had been lucky enough to already get their food gathered close to the front of the large room to listen to Bayley's singing. Bayley's birth mother had introduced her to Dakota's father who eagerly hugged Bayley and thanked her for coming to sing before he began telling her about how dreary this place tended to be around the holidays.
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices singing, let's be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Rockin' around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancin' merrily
In the new old-fashioned way
Bayley smiled as she finished the song causing people to clap before she quickly thanked them into the mic and walked over to where Pamela was standing against the wall. The woman had been watching her perform with a smile and she held her arms out happily when Bayley came straight over to her once she was done. Bayley laughed and hugged the woman before pulling back and looking around the room, "This was fun. Thank you for letting me come. I don't usually perform in front of people"
"Well you're a natural, honestly...and I'm more than sure these kids loved hearing you sing, I know I did" Pamela said with a bright smile
"Thanks" Bayley blushed before she felt someone tug on her hand causing her to look down and see Dakota, "Hey little one"
"That's was so good!" Dakota said with a bright smile as she held her arms up causing Bayley to laugh and pick her up into a hug, "You have to come back and sing every year!"
Bayley laughed before saying, "I'll see what I can do"
Bayley set Dakota back down on the ground before the young girl looked up to her mother and asked, "Can I show Bayley off to my friends. She's the coolest big sister ever!"
Bayley and Pamela laughed at this before their mother said, "Your friends here have already seen Bayley, and it's not right for you to show her off..she's not a toy"
"I know she's not a toy mom...and I meant my friends at school" Dakota explained with a wide smile, "She could come visit me at school, OH, she could come to lunch with me, they let special guest come and you get to sit at a special table in front of all the other kids. Oh! She could come to show and tell!"
"Woah bug, slow down." Pamela said carefully, "Let Bayley breathe a little."
Bayley just smiled, she had never had someone adore her in a way like this before. It made her feel good, almost like she was a superhero. She had to admit being with her birth mother and her younger sister for the day was...nice. She never felt this calm and at peace when she was with her family. There was always something to do, always something going wrong. They never just had time to be together and do something like this. Going and volunteering at a homeless shelter was never on her family's list of things to do so just being here like this now and giving back and being able to sing for people was an incredible opportunity.
"Sorry mommy" Dakota said with a pout, "I just wanna hang out with Bayley more"
"I would love to hang out with you more" Bayley said with a smile, "I've probably had the most fun today with you guys than I've had in months. It was nice to be out of the house and away from my family, it's like being in my own little world."
Pamela frowned, "Is something wrong at home?"
"No" Bayley said after a minute, "My family is fine and I love them but sometimes they are a bit much. It was nice to just be here...in the moment...with no outside drama or problems. I mean...my family hasn't had a day like this where we all just hang out and volunteer in years. It was...good"
Pamela frowned at this but Dakota just smiled brightly before saying, "Then you should come stay with us. We can have sleepovers and movie nights, and we can go back to the arcade!"
"I would love to do all those things with you." Bayley laughed, "We'll work something out so I can hang out with you more"
"Promise?"
"Promise" Bayley smiled before she turned and notice her mother and Charlotte walking in the door both with boxes of food, "Oh, there's my mom and older sister."
"I didn't know they were bringing food" Pamela said with a sad smile
"Oh yeah, my sister is into this whole cooking thing right now. She's really good." Bayley said looking at her birth mother before she looked down at Dakota and said, "Come on, I'll introduce you."
Bayley took her younger sister's hand and guided her over to her family, with Pamela following slowly behind them. Stephanie smiled at her youngest once they reached each other before saying, "Hey Bayley, who's this little one?"
"Mom this is Dakota, my half sister. Dakota this is my mom and my oldest sister Charlotte" Bayley said as she pointed them out to the small girl
"Hi" She said brightly causing Charlotte to wave at the girl while Stephanie turned her attention to Pamela.
"Hello Pamela"
"Hi Stephanie" The shorter woman responded with a tight lipped smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her
"I hope it's okay that we brought some food. We had much more than we needed thanks to this one" Stephanie said with a smile as she nodded her head towards Charlotte, "I don't know the regulations about bringing in cooked food or anything"
"It's fine. I mean they do have rules but It's the day after Christmas and the shelter is packed. I'm sure they could use all the food they can get. Come on, I'll help you take this stuff to the kitchen, my husband should be back there now" Pamela said as she took the food from Charlotte and guided Stephanie to the kitchen, leaving the girls to themselves,
"So you're Bayley's sister?" Dakota asked the tall blonde
Charlotte nodded and gave a small smile before she said, "yeah"
"So you get to live with Bayley all the time?"
Charlotte laughed but nodded, "Yeah, I get to live with her"
"That must be so cool. I wish I got to live with Bayley, she's the coolest big sister ever." Dakota said as she tugged on Bayley's hand causing the older girl to blush while Charlotte looked at her sister with a smile
"Well you don't have to deal with her 24/7" Charlotte joked, "You'd be sick of her after a day or two"
"Never" Dakota said seriously, "I love having her as my sister. She sings really good and she won me all these stuffed animals at the arcade earlier!"
"It's not that big a deal." Bayley said with a smile as she scratched the back of her neck with her free hand, "I'm not that good a singer and I just showed you a few tricks to win those games"
"But it was fun" Dakota laughed with a bright smile as she looked up at Bayley with big eyes causing Charlotte to look between the two with a sad smile.
"Yeah it was" Bayley agreed
Before the girls could say anything else Stephanie and Pamela came back, "You girls ready to go. I wanna get home before your father get back from work"
"Alright mom" Charlotte said before looking down to Dakota, "Dakota it was nice to meet you"
"You too" Dakota said with a smile
"I'll see you later alright?" Bayley said as she hugged her younger sister goodbye before hugging her mother as well, "Bye."
"Bye Bayley" Pamela and Dakota said before Bayley followed her sister off
"It was nice to meet you Dakota, and it was nice seeing you again Pamela, we'll schedule something for the girls to hang out again, I mean...I haven't seen Bayley this happy in a while. I think this was good for her" Stephanie said with a smile before leaving the smaller family standing in the middle of the shelter.
Dakota frowned as Bayley left before looking up to her mother with a pout, "I wish Bayley could stay with forever"
Pamela looked at the shelter door where her daughter had just left with a sad smile before saying, "Me too bug, me too."
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed, if you have anything you wanna see in the story leave a comment, and make sure to follow, favorite and all that good stuff so you can be updated when the next chapter is up.