Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Newsies, not LOVE. NOTHING!

Title: Violence Recovery

Author: Buttons

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13 (subject to change)

A/n: Welcome Chapter 3! Everyone make Aurora feel special, since this is her namesake chapter. Don't worry all you OCs, she won't be the only one. Oops, I've said too much.

You may have created my past and destroyed my present, but you have no control over my future. –Anonymous

Chapter 3—Aurora

The days have passed, the October air chilling and freezing steadily into November. I have gotten a nickname, 'Spot', being the smallest and the boldest. 'Like a spot on the damage,' someone said.

It is a week until Thanksgiving, when we will take a trip.

"We go every year," Jack tells me over breakfast, pouring syrup onto his waffles.

"Where?" I ask through a mouthful of pancake and banana.

"It's a cottage resort up North," he says. "It's called Sunshine Falls."

"Oh." I swallow.

The table is full. Everyone is in their matching pyjamas, and talking in soft voices. My picture hangs over Jack's head. The colours are full and warm. The faces still and unwavering, paused in mid-conversation, unknowing of me, the silent shooter. We were eating pizza for dinner. They scatter the table. Denton is saying something to Crutchy, whose eyes are wide. Charley is peeling the pepperonis off of her slice and Ele is reaching for a pitcher of juice.

Family. It is scrawled on the wall beneath the picture.

Sapphy sees me looking at it. She smiles.

0o0o0

The house is warm. Our room is crowded and cozy. The windows are frosted and, at the doors, our bags are packed for Sunshine Falls tomorrow. The halls are quiet. There is no music, just the occasional footstep or rustle of movement. Feet hit the steps repeatedly and quickly.

"Spot, Blink," it's Skittery at out door, "come down, there's a new girl."

Blink and I follow Skittery to the steps where he pauses. In the foyer we see two men and a girl. Her head is down and the men are speaking to Denton. One of them has very blonde hair and the other is wearing a funny hat. The girl is wrapped in a blanket, when it falls her shoulder is bare.

Denton sees us at the steps. "Come along boys," he says clearly. We jump up and follow.

He leads the men and the girl into the kitchen, much like he had me.

Skittery, Blink and I crane our necks to better see the girl. She is medium height and is very skinny. Her brown hair hangs to her collarbone and her bare hands are pale. Her lips are bluish and her eyes quaver restlessly, as of she is dreaming.

"This is Dutchy and Specs," says Denton, indicating the men. "They used to stay here. Over two years ago." They smile.

Skittery appears to know them. He talks to Specs for a while as Dutchy tells Denton about the girl.

Meanwhile she has taken a seat at the table. Blink and I sit beside her.

"I'm Blink," says Blink, "and this is Spot.

I wave lamely. "Hi."

She doesn't look up. "I'm Aurora," she says, "and this is Jules."

She gestures to the air beside her. Blink and I exchange looks.

Aurora wipes her nose on her sleeve. Her eyes dart up and back down again, just a flicker. "Danny came back," she tells us, though we have no idea who Danny is, "but he was older and he hurt me."

Blink and I exchange looks again, only this time concerned ones.

Outside the snow has begun to fall. The lights are on and the kitchen is filling with the smell of soup. I can hear the TV in the next room.

No one says anything. Blink claws on the skin around his cuticle, Aurora wraps a strand from the blanket around her finger and I watch the steady flow of snowflakes. It is almost tranquil, unless I stopped to wonder the reason for Aurora being here.

Denton places a bowl of soup in front of Aurora. She stares into it, raising her head a little so I can see a fresh cut under her left eye. Her lip is swollen and chapped, bleeding slightly. Her cheek is purpling slowly, growing a bruise.

"Spot, Blink, could you boys go up to the girls' rooms and get Andra and Autumn please."

We leave Aurora alone at the table with her soup and 'Jules'.

I have never been to the girls' hall before. The hall is painted navy blue and the doorframes are fuchsia. There are swirls and design on the walls in blues, barely noticeable in the dark like this. The boys' hall is plain white, as well as our doorframes.

Blink and I stop at the first door and knock.

Charley opens the door. She is wearing a thick, hooded ACDC sweater and her pyjama bottoms. The room behind her looks like ours, the central window, two beds, two dressers. Ele is lying on one of the beds reading. However, the room is much different than ours. The window creates a centre of a yellow sunflower, whose petals stretch widely, onto the ceiling and invading the walls. Instead of being rounded, the tips of the petals are tattered, turning slowly to grey and becoming angry black clouds.

Charley looks from Blink to me. "What's going on?" she asks.

"There's a new girl," I say.

"We need Andra and Autumn," says Blink.

"Down the hall," Charley points, "second door on the left." And she shut the door.

I realize now that I have not been many places in the building. The basement, bathroom, rec room, kitchen, my room and Denton's office. That's about it.

We knock on Andra and Autumn's door, which has a large chalkboard nailed onto it. I hear a scuffling, a loud thumping and Andra cursing before she opens the door. Autumn is sitting on the windowsill, right where the jagged line of paint meets. One side is fire and the other is water. They clash viciously down the middle of the room in blasts of reds and blues.

"Denton wants you two, there's a new girl," Blink is saying as I admire the reds, oranges, crimsons, whites, blues, greens and sea-foams.

Autumn stands up slowly, pulling her baggy sleeves over her wristbands, she brushes past us, following Andra out the door.

Aurora is still at the kitchen table, staring into her soup, when we arrive. Denton has taken a seat at the table and is trying to talk to her. Her hair covers her face.

Andra, Autumn, Blink and I wait until he is done. When he is, he clears his throat and turns to us.

"Andra, you will be rooming by yourself from now on," he tells her calmly and firmly. Andra nods. "And Autumn, you'll be sharing your room with Aurora here. Please take her up and tell her the rules. Maybe lend her a change of clothes as well."

Aurora looks at them for a while before miming taking someone's hand. "Let's go Jules," she says softly, following Andra and Autumn to the stairs. The whole thing makes me shiver.

0o0o0

"Think that we won't go up to Sunshine Falls?" asks Blink sleepily after the lights have gone off.

I shift under my covers. "I don't know," I say, "I've never been before."

Blink rolls onto his back. "You'll like it. It's cozy. You'll like Lyra and Ethan too, they're nice." A yawn escapes his lips and he struggles to restrain it. "Sorry," he murmurs.

"Do you think Denton and Medda'll cancel?" I ask. "Because of Aurora?"

Blink sighs. "I don't know. She's not to stable, is she. They might want to make sure that she's OK. But going to Sunshine Falls is a VRCT tradition. It's a time off school and it's when we get to relax and act like regular kids."

Regular kids.

"We're not that irregular."

Blink's breathing is steady. "Don't kid yourself Spot, we're not normal. We never will be either."

I swallow. "G'night Blink."

"Goodnight Spot, see you tomorrow."

End Chapter

((What's up everyone? Ready for Sunshine Falls? Good, I already have lots written for it. Please review!))

Shoutouts: (for chapters one and two)

C.M. Higgins—(Chapter 1) I don't know what Autumn did. She's a cutter, so she probably was doing that. I was thinking of something, but I forget what it was now. Thanks for all the happy words! Yay! (Chapter 2) Wouldn't it be awesome to work for National Geographic? They have the best pictures. I read one of their books on photography. It's very interesting!

Sapphy—(Chapter 1) If I need to, I'm sure you wouldn't mind having a relationship with Race, right? Just in case I need to do something later. (Chapter 2) Maybe I should put something in about you. being a stalker. Yeah, that sounds good. Nah, just kidding, but your review made me smile.

Erin Go Bragh—(Chapter 1) As you can see, your character is still going to make it in. I was thinking about adding in some slash, but it will be light and not related to Spot. I hope your competition was good, even if it was a while ago. (Chapter 2) Thanks. I try to make each chapter signifigant, like a mini-story, so endings are very important. I do own a camera, and I love it. It's very professional (a Canon 2000 Rebel). I know what you mean with the Ocs, but hopefully I'll be able to really define them soon.

Utopia Today—(Chapter 1) I'm going to be adding Ethan in at Sunshine Falls, I hope that's OK. He'll be around twenty. If there's any problems, just send me an email or review.

Shooter O'Brien—(Chapter 1) There used to be girls at my old school who called themselves the girlie girls or Barbies. It was scary. (Chapter 2) Look! It's Aurora! Yay! My friend got a digital camera for Christmas last year and she's always sneaking pictures of me. The bum. The thing about you taking pictures of the sky is interesting. Can I use that for Aurora? I have a friend named Aurora. Uh. Yeah.

Inquisitive—(Chapter 1) I'm very happy I'm getting Autumn well. Just tell me if something's off! Thanks! (Chapter 2) Your reviews are so sweet! Short and sweet, they make me feel happy.

Coin—(Chapter 1) Yay! Angst! (Chapter 2) To be honest, I hadn't even thought of the Denton thing. I just like photography. I tried to join a course, but I wasn't old enough. That sucks. I feel it's important to add the polka-dot thing for you because it adds character.

Nakaia Aidan-Sun—(Chapter 1) You had to wait for more. It took me a while to update. Sorry. (Chapter 2) No, I don't mind. what exactly did you do though? I'm curious. And honoured! Keep me updated on your novel or I'll get...angry. Uh, yeah. 'Angry.'

Dreamer110—(Chapter 1) Aw! Thanks! I always think I rush people into the story. Like I'm just trying to shove them on and get it over with. (Chapter 2) It never matters what decade it is, Race has to have his clothes. It's just not right if he doesn't. Think about it. I love the camera thing too, I love photos!

Kid Blink's Dreamer—(Chapter 2) You're speechless? Aw! Yay! (does a happy dance)

Attention !!! The more info everyone puts into their reviews, the better idea I get of their character. Don't be afraid to tell me little things that you like or dislike. It's like my research! The more I know, the more I can write.