"Anna Elizabeth, I just checked your grades online on Active Parent. You mind telling me why all of them have dropped the last month?" Emma scolded her daughter one evening.

"So, what? You're making a big deal because my grades aren't perfect?" Anna Elizabeth retorted.

"Kid, you know that isn't what this is about," Emma began more softly.

"Then what's it about?" the teenage girl asked.

"I know that you're not giving your best effort. You're doing what you can to scrape by – that isn't like you," Emma told her.

"It isn't a big deal, Mom," Anna Elizabeth replied.

Emma sighed before she began, "Help me understand, kid. Ever since you became friends with Gia…"

Anna Elizabeth cut her off. "Why do you always blame Gia?" she practically yelled.

"Because it's true, Anna Elizabeth. You're not using your better judgment when it comes to her. She's a bad influence on you – your grades are just the beginning," Emma yelled back.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Anna Elizabeth shouted before stalking to her room.

Killian had just come back from the garage and heard the tail end of the conversation. He put his hands on his wife's shoulders and began to massage.

"You're so tense, love," he observed.

"Can you blame me?" Emma exasperatedly pointed out.

"Oh, believe me, Swan, if you were to massage my shoulders, they'd be just as tense," Killian told her.

Emma then turned to face him as she said, "I just wish we could make her see."

"I do as well, love," Killian agreed.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Killian answered it and was met with Liam running into his arms.

"Daddy! I had so much fun with Colette and Matthew!"

"I'm glad that you had a good time, lad," Killian told him as he ruffled his hair.

The dark-haired boy smiled brightly before he turned to hug Belle goodbye.

"I had the best time, Aunt Belle!"

"I'm glad that you did, Liam," Belle told her nephew. He smiled brightly up at her before he made his way into the living room to watch TV.

The brunette then observed to her brother and sister-in-law, "You both seem stressed."

"You'd be stressed too if you were dealing with an ornery teenager," Emma told her.

"Ah. Is this about Gia?" Belle asked.

"Aye. Anna Elizabeth is too stubborn to see that the lass isn't a good influence," Killian answered.

"I'm sure she'll come around," Belle reassured them.

"I hope so," Emma lamented.

Belle then said her goodbyes before she went on her way.

Just then, Anna Elizabeth came out of her room and into the kitchen, keys in hand.

"Where are you going, Anna Elizabeth?" Killian asked.

"To hang out with, uh, Nathan," Anna Elizabeth responded.

"So, you two are talking again?" Emma asked.

"Totally," Anna Elizabeth answered.

"That's rather interesting. I just saw Nathan drive by when I was working on Emma's car. He always waves, but he didn't so much as look this way," Killian told her.

"Did I say Nathan? I meant Evie," Anna Elizabeth covered.

"They aren't back from touring colleges," Emma pointed out with crossed arms.

Anna Elizabeth stiffened for a moment before she opened her mouth to begin again but was stopped by Killian.

"How about the truth this time, love?"

The teenager huffed as she stated, "Fine. I'm going to hang out with Gia."

"Actually, you're not. You're staying right here," Emma told her daughter.

"What? That's totally unfair!" Anna Elizabeth refuted.

"Actually, love, it's quite fair considering your behavior lately," Killian defended with crossed arms.

"Ughh!" Anna Elizabeth loudly grumbled before stalking off to her room.

Both Emma and Killian ran a hand through their hair and sighed.

They then saw Liam's head pop up over the couch as he asked, "Is Anna Elizabeth in trouble?"

Emma considered what she should say before she simply answered, "Yes, she is, Liam."

Luckily, the dark-haired boy didn't ask any more questions and turned his attention back to the TV.

CSCSCSCSCSCS

The next afternoon, Gia stopped Anna Elizabeth right before they came to chemistry class.

"I can't believe your parents wouldn't let you hang out with me last night," the dark-haired girl complained.

"I know. It's so unfair," Anna Elizabeth agreed.

Gia then got an idea: "You know, we could hang out, now."

"We have class," Anna Elizabeth pointed out.

"And we have a substitute today – she's not going to know that anything is amiss," Gia told her.

Anna Elizabeth furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose in thought for a moment. She then agreed, "We'll probably just be doing worksheets anyway."

Gia nodded before she told her friend, "You know my car is messed up, so…"

Anna Elizabeth cut her off and asked, "We're going somewhere?"

"Well, duh. That's the point of skipping school, Anna Elizabeth," Gia pointed out.

"And just where do you suggest we go? My mom and my uncle are both the sheriff. They're probably on patrol. They'll recognize my car," Anna Elizabeth reminded her.

Gia bit her lip in concentration as she thought. She then suggested, "We'll just have to be extra sneaky then."

Anna Elizabeth took a deep breath and sighed before she nodded in agreement. They made their way to the office, where Gia forged two notes ahead of time so they could sign out. Soon enough, they were on their way.

They arrived at Gia's house via backstreets. The brunette unlocked the door and went into the kitchen. She grabbed two sodas from the refrigerator.

As they made their way into the living room, Anna Elizabeth asked, "What time will your dad get home from work?"

"Most of the time it's after I'm asleep. He works a lot of overtime," Gia answered.

"Oh," Anna Elizabeth simply replied. She knew it was best to leave it at that.

They plopped down the sofa, and Gia turned on the TV,

"Sweet, they're doing a Friends marathon."

"What's Friends?" Anna Elizabeth asked.

Gia turned toward her friend with wide eyes and questioned, "Seriously? Do you live under a rock – you've never even heard of it?" Gia asked.

Anna Elizabeth shrugged as she defended, "That's sort of what you get when your brother is in elementary school."

"Well, it's hilarious. You'll totally love it," Gia told her as she turned up the volume.

Three hours later, Anna Elizabeth came through the front door.

Just as she shut it behind her, she heard someone clear their throat. When she turned around, her eyes widened when she saw her parents. They did not look happy.

"Why are guys home from work early?" the teenager asked.

"I think a better question is why you weren't here," Emma pointed out.

"And don't you dare try to lie to us," Killian sternly added.

Anna Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair as she admitted, "Fine. Gia and I skipped chemistry and hung out at her house."

"Let me take a guess on whose idea that was," Emma scoffed.

"You guys wouldn't let me see her last night, and we wanted to hang out," Anna Elizabeth argued.

"And while you two were hanging out, it never crossed your mind that you were forgetting something?"

"What are you…" Anna Elizabeth trailed off as the answer came to her.

"I forgot Liam," the teenager said quietly.

"I was in the middle of reading someone their rights when I get a phone call from the school. They wanted to know why Liam hadn't been picked up. Do you have any idea what that made me look like? And even worse is how your little brother feels – he thinks you don't care about him because you left him. It is your responsibility, Anna Elizabeth," Emma scolded.

"Look, I'm sorry," Anna Elizabeth apologized.

"You're only sorry because you got caught. This is only the latest in a string of irresponsible behavior, Anna Elizabeth," Killian told her.

"It was an accident!" Anna Elizabeth defended.

"You mean like neglecting your schoolwork, lying repeatedly, and undermining our authority every chance you get? Is that an accident too?" Emma rhetorically asked.

"Whatever," Anna Elizabeth muttered.

Both Emma and Killian took a deep breath before they said something that they would regret.

Emma then began, "We've tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. We were hoping you would come to your senses. But that obviously isn't enough."

"What are you saying?" Anna Elizabeth asked.

"You're grounded for a month," Emma stated.

"Seriously? You can't do this!" Anna Elizabeth argued.

"We can and we will. The only place you'll be going is to and from school. And since we can no longer trust you to be responsible, you'll be going to Belle and August's house after school," Emma continued.

"A babysitter? I'm almost 17 – I don't need a babysitter."

"You should have thought about that before. Even when you are watching him, I come home to find you in your room on your phone, leaving Liam to fend for himself," Emma told her.

"He's done fine so far," Anna Elizabeth replied.

"Bloody hell, Anna Elizabeth. He's a child – he could easily get into anything. You know this," Killian pointed out.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter since he's not my responsibility anymore. The only thing I'll be doing is driving us to Aunt Belle and Uncle August's," Anna Elizabeth said, the disdain clear in her voice.

"Actually, you'll be riding the bus there," Killian told her.

"What? You're taking my car away?"

"And your cell phone. There will also be no TV, music, books, or entertainment of any kind. The only thing you'll be doing is schoolwork. Maybe the free time will bring up your grades," Killian told his daughter.

"I can't believe you guys! This is so unfair!" Anna Elizabeth yelled.

"It's your own doing, Anna Elizabeth. Today was the tip of the iceberg," Emma reminded her.

The teenager was about to stalk off to her room when Killian stopped her, "Hand over your keys and your phone."

Anna Elizabeth crossed her arms and huffed. At Killian's stern look, she complied.

"Thank you. Now, go sit at the table and do your homework," he told her.

The teenager huffed again as she made her way to the table. She just sat there with her arms crossed until Killian scolded, "Do your homework. Now."

After a few minutes, Anna Elizabeth finally got her books out.

Killian and Emma then both let out a long breath. As their eyes met, they both knew that they were thinking the same thing: this was going to be a long month.

CSCSCSCSCSCSCS

Just as predicted, the month passed by slowly, especially for Anna Elizabeth.

However, her punishment had the desired effect. Since she wasn't allowed to be around Gia, even going as far as separating them in class, the blonde was able to really consider her behavior.

She realized that the lying, disobeying her parents, and neglecting her responsibilities had been wrong.

However, Anna Elizabeth was still at a crossroads.

While she now saw that perhaps Gia wasn't the best influence, Anna Elizabeth still cared about her. She didn't want to lose the brunette's friendship. She didn't know what to do.

The blonde then decided to do what she should have done a long time ago – talk to her parents.

After dinner, Liam went to go play fetch with Penny. Once the dishes were done, Anna Elizabeth asked Emma and Killian, "Can I talk to you guys?"

Emma and Killian exchanged a look before she replied, "Sure, kid."

They all sat down at the table, and Anna Elizabeth began, "I'm really sorry for everything. I know I shouldn't have let my grades drop, ignored my responsibilities, or disobeyed you guys. I know it was wrong."

Emma and Killian knew their daughter was sincere, so he told her, "We appreciate that Anna Elizabeth. We're glad you learned your lesson."

Anna Elizabeth nodded before she surmised, "I guess I just wanted to chill and not have any worries like Gia."

"Look, kid, we do know you have pressure on you, but some of it is unnecessary. We want you to do your best, but not to the point where it's too overwhelming. You put too much stress on yourself - you always have," Emma told her.

"We want you to enjoy yourself, love. Your mother and I were both your age once - we know what it feels like to want to just hang out and have fun with your friends. We want that for you. But it has to be in a way that doesn't involve breaking rules or being irresponsible," Killian added.

Anna Elizabeth took a few minutes to take in her parents' words before she took a deep breath and spoke, "I understand you guys. I won't do it again."

Killian and Emma nodded before he spoke, "We're holding you to that, Anna Elizabeth."

"I know," Anna Elizabeth simply responded.

Emma then spoke, "You're still grounded until Friday. We're glad that the punishment served its purpose, but you understand that your dad and I made a decision on how long it should last. We're going to stick by it."

"I understand, Mom," Anna Elizabeth told her.

"But on Friday afternoon, you and your brother will ride the bus here. You've shown that we can trust you again. You'll get your phone and keys back when your mother gets home from work," Killian explained.

"Thank you, Dad!" Anna Elizabeth squealed with a wide grin.

"Of course, love," Killian replied.

"Well, everything is almost settled. We still have Gia to talk about - we know that her friendship is important to you," Emma began.

"It really is - I'm just not sure what to do about it," Anna Elizabeth admitted.

"Well, Anna Elizabeth, I think the best thing is to talk to her and make her see your point of view. I'm sure she'll understand," Killian suggested.

"You really think so?" the teenager asked.

"If she cares about you as much as you do her, I know that she will," Emma assured her daughter.

Anna Elizabeth smiled brightly at her parents because she got up and pulled them in for a hug.

When they pulled away, she said, "I've got a chemistry test to study for."

She then made her way to her room.

Killian then took Emma's hand in his and kissed her knuckles.

"I think we have our Anna Elizabeth back, love."

Emma smiled at him as she nodded. She then surmised, "I really think that she'll take our advice."

"Aye, love. Perhaps it was a good thing for her," Killian added.

"Yeah, it was," Emma told him.

He then closed the distance between them for a sweet kiss.

As they pulled away, Liam came sprinting back into the house.

He ran up to Killian and rested his arms on his father's knees. He then asked, "Daddy, will you and Mommy play baseball with me?"

Killian smiled down at his son as he replied, "We'd love to, lad."

As Emma reached to ruffle his hair, he asked her, "Can Anna Elizabeth play?"

The blonde sighed before she gently answered, "She's still in trouble, Liam."

"Oh," the dark-haired boy disappointedly said, as he looked down.

When he looked back up, he questioned, "Is she sorry that she wasn't nice?"

"Aye, lad. She is sorry, but your mother and I agreed that she would be grounded until Friday. When you tell someone that you're going to do something, you keep that promise, even if it's hard. Do you understand?" Killian explained.

Liam looked back and forth between his parents with a curious expression.

He then said, "I understand." The boy then proceeded to take both of his parents' hands to drag them outside.

CSCSCSCSCSCSCS

That Friday, just after Anna Elizabeth and Liam got home from school, she was bandaging up his skinned knee. He had tripped walking up the concrete driveway leading up to the door.

When she was finished, she lifted him from the counter and placed him down.

She then told him, "Alright, Liam, let's go start our homework."

He nodded before he went to go sit at the table, with Anna Elizabeth.

As soon as she sat down, there was a knock at the door.

The blonde frowned for a moment before she got up and answered it.

She didn't even have time to react before Gia said, "I know you're still grounded, and I don't want you to..."

The brunette was cut off when she turned to the bush beside the door and threw up.

Anna Elizabeth automatically placed her hand on her friend's forehead and gasped, "Gia, you're burning up!"

"Coming here was my first thought," Gia admitted.

"What about your dad?" Anna Elizabeth asked confused.

"He doesn't want to be bothered at work," Gia told her before throwing up again.

Anna Elizabeth felt a moment of pity before she quickly rushed her sick friend inside.

"Um, it might be best if you go to the bathroom," the blonde observed.

Gia nodded before Anna Elizabeth pointed it out to her. A moment later, the brunette rushed in there.

Liam had been watching the exchange with widened blue eyes.

He quickly went to her sister's side and asked, "Is Gia sick?"

"Yes, Liam, she is."

He then innocently questioned, "Is her mommy and daddy going to take her to the doctor?"

Anna Elizabeth considered her words for a moment before she answered, "No. We are."

Before Liam could ask anything else, Gia came trudging into the kitchen.

Liam went up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He then said, "You'll feel better, Gia. We're going to the doctor."

Gia returned the little boy's hug before she pulled away. She gave her blonde friend a strange look as she questioned, "We are?"

"You're sick. You need to go," Anna Elizabeth firmly told her.

She then asked, "Did you drive here?"

"Somehow, I managed," Gia replied.

"Let's go, then," Anna Elizabeth stated. She then headed toward the door.

As soon as they reached the car, Anna Elizabeth opened the passenger side and told her brother to get in while Gia laid down in the backseat.

"The front seat, Anna Elizabeth?" Liam questioned, as he looked back and forth between the open door and his sister.

"Gia is really sick. Please just get in, Liam," Anna Elizabeth told him.

He finally nodded and got in.

When Anna Elizabeth, Gia, and Liam walked into the waiting room, the blonde yelled for Dr. Whale.

He soon appeared and approached them. He told Anna Elizabeth, "There's no need to shout."

He then asked, "Is one of you sick?"

His question was answered when Gia hurled into a nearby trash can.

"Can you just tell me why I keep puking?" Gia asked.

Instead of replying to her question, he asked, "How old are you?"

"17. Why?"

"Just as I thought. You're still a minor. I'd like to help, but I legally can't treat you without your guardian's permission," Dr. Whale explained.

"Good luck with that," Gia scoffed.

While Anna Elizabeth knew that he was right, she was about to argue with him when they all heard, "Gia?!"

"Uncle Mark? What you doing here?" the dark-haired questioned, the surprise obvious in her voice.

"A neighbor called me. Said she saw you throwing up before you drove off," he answered.

"Yeah, well, that's true," Gia responded.

"Are they going to take care of you? I have to get back to work," Mark pointed out.

"I'll answer that. Mark, is it?" Whale began.

"Yeah?" Mark said.

"In order to check out your niece, I need you to fill out some paperwork. She's never been here before, and she's a minor," Dr. Whale explained.

"How long will that take?" Mark questioned agitatedly.

Before Whale could answer, a nurse was calling for him.

He then told Gia and Mark, "I'll leave you to sort this out."

The dark haired teenager then told him, "Look, I know my own medical information. I can fill it out - just sign your name. We've done it before."

Mark nodded before he went to grab the papers. He did what he needed to before he was on his way.

Gia quickly filled in the rest of the information and handed to the nurse.

When Gia sat back down, Anna Elizabeth carefully observed, "So, um, you live with your uncle?"

The dark-haired girl sighed before she admitted, "Yeah."

She then apologized, "My parents are dead. I'm sorry I lied about it. But I didn't want you feeling sorry for me - or anyone really."

"I get it," Anna Elizabeth told her.

Gia nodded before her name was called.

She offered her friend a small smile before walking toward the nurse.

Liam then asked, "Is Dr. Whale going to give Gia some medicine?"

"He probably will, Liam," Anna Elizabeth told him.

The little boy nodded in response.

20 minutes had passed, and Liam was getting angsty. As Anna Elizabeth walked with him over to the children's section, a thought crossed her mind and her eyes widened. Her parents.

She left Liam with a book. Aurora was there for Grace's checkup, so Anna Elizabeth asked her to keep an eye on him. The blonde then went over to the receptionists' desk.

The brunette, Susan, told her, "I'm sorry about your friend, Anna Elizabeth. She seems so sick - it was so sweet of you to bring her here."

Anna Elizabeth nodded before she asked, "Can you put me in touch with the sheriff station? I need to let my mom know what's going on."

"Of course," Susan replied. She then quickly dialed the number and handed over the phone.

"Hello? Sheriff Emma Jones speaking."

As soon as Anna Elizabeth heard her mom's voice, she went into apologetic mode.

"Mom, it's Anna Elizabeth. I'm at the hospital. Liam and I both fine. But she's sick and she threw up and Liam had to sit in the front and there's no emergency lights and her dad is her uncle and he's awful and Liam is angsty but I have to be here and I should have called and I'm sorry," the blonde said all in one breath, her eyes welling up.

"Slow down, Anna Elizabeth. You're barely making any sense. Who is sick?" Emma told her daughter.

"Gia," Anna Elizabeth replied once she took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm going to call your dad and we're coming out there. You can explain everything then," Emma began.

She took a breath and continued, "And relax. You're not in trouble."

"Alright, Mom," Anna Elizabeth replied before hanging up the phone.

About 10 minutes later, Emma and Killian arrived in the waiting room.

Liam was still reading and didn't notice when Anna Elizabeth went over to them.

She wrapped them both in a hug. Grace was being called back, and Aurora waved over Killian. He kissed his daughter's forehead before going over to his son.

As Emma and Anna Elizabeth pulled away, they sat down in a couple of chairs.

Emma stroked Anna Elizabeth's curls as she gently told her, "Okay, kid, I need you to explain what happened and why you're here."

Anna Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath before she began, "Liam and I had just got home from school. We were just about to start our homework when there was a knock at the door. It was Gia. She was really sick - throwing up and stuff. She said that she didn't want me to get in any more trouble, but her first thought was to come to me. Now I know why - her uncle is straight up mean."

Emma then asked, "Yeah, you said something about her dad actually being her uncle?"

"Her parents are dead. That's all she told me though. She knows she shouldn't have lied, but she didn't want anyone's pity," Anna Elizabeth explained.

Emma took in her daughter's words before she asked, "So, how did you find this out?"

"Gia's uncle came by here. Their neighbor saw that she was sick and called him. He did come here, but he was more concerned about missing work than his niece. He simply signed his name so Dr. Whale could treat Gia before he left. He never even asked how she was," Anna Elizabeth told her mother, and Emma could hear the concern in her voice.

"I do know the feeling of being unloved, but now she has you... and us," Emma replied.

Anna Elizabeth smiled in response as Gia came out of the waiting room.

Anna Elizabeth immediately sprinted over to her friend and asked, "What do you have?"

"The flu. It totally sucks," Gia told her.

"Oh, that is bad. But you'll be over it soon," Anna Elizabeth assured her.

Gia nodded before she told her, "Thanks for driving me here."

"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for," Anna Elizabeth told her.

Gia smiled before she heard, "Miss Townsend? I have the school excuse you'll need for next week."

The brunette then went over to the nurse while Anna Elizabeth went back over to Emma, who had been joined by Killian and Liam.

"So, what does Gia have, love?" Killian asked.

"The flu," Anna Elizabeth answered.

"Poor kid," Emma lamented. She then surmised, "It's a good thing that we all had our flu shot."

Anna Elizabeth nodded in response.

Liam then told his mother and sister, "You have to come see what Daddy and I made with Legos!" before dragging them over to the children's section.

Killian glanced over to where Gia was sitting by herself. He made his way over to her and sat down in the seat next to her. The dark-haired girl instantly scoffed, "I know you don't like me, so you can just leave."

"Despite what you think, love, it isn't my wish for you to be sick. I wanted to see that you were okay," Killian replied.

Gia heard the sincerity in his voice and turned to look at him. With a hint of surprise in her voice, she replied, "Oh, um, thank you, Mr. Jones."

"You can just call me Killian," he replied.

Gia nodded in response.

Killian then asked, "Are your parents coming to get you, Gia?"

"No. My…uh…dad is working and doesn't like to be bothered. I'll just walk home," she answered.

Killian looked at the teenage girl curiously for a moment. He may not have Emma's uncanny ability to tell when someone was lying, but he was still pretty good at it.

He then saw her gaze drift over to Emma, Anna Elizabeth, and Liam. They were all laughing, and Emma was ruffling the boy's hair.

Killian then recognized that longing look in Gia's eyes. The same one he saw so many times in the mirror looking back at him when he was a teenager.

He considered his words carefully before he asked, "How long has it been since your parents died, love?"

Gia turned to look him in shock. He expected some sarcastic remark or avoidance of his question, but instead she vulnerably asked, "How…how do you know that?"

"Because I was few years younger than you when my parents were killed. They had to take the bus to work that morning, and the driver of an 18-wheeler lost control and slammed into the side of the bus. There were no survivors – my parents were killed instantly," Killian explained, somehow managing to keep control of his emotions.

Gia's eyes welled up as she responded, "Mine were killed in a motorcycle crash. Some idiot who decided to drive while she was drunk ran a red light. She hit my parents while they were coming across. They were both rushed to the hospital where they tried to do surgery but it was too late. That was two years ago."

"I'm truly sorry, love. I truly do understand what you're going through – for the first couple years, I gave my brother hell. I still don't know how he put up with me," Killian admitted.

"Your brother took care of you?" Gia asked.

"Aye. Myself and our younger sister, Belle. Liam was as stubborn as they come – I suppose that's why he did such a good job with us," Killian told her, a slight smile on his face.

Gia thought about her words before she surmised, "You two must have been close. You named your kid after him."

Killian couldn't help but chuckle at her words before he became reflective and continued, "We were close. He was the best brother I could have hoped for. I miss him so much, but I have Anna Elizabeth. It's uncanny how much she takes after him."

Gia then observed, "So he's her real dad." She then quickly added, "No offense."

"It's alright, love. Emma and I know we'll never really take the place of Liam and Elsa. But we love her like she is ours, and she is loved and taken care of – that's truly all that matters."

"That must be nice. My uncle is a workaholic who is also a bachelor. He's the only relative I have, so he was put in charge of me. He didn't want to be, but he also didn't want me in foster care," Gia admitted.

"This probably won't mean much, but I am sorry, love. I can imagine that would be difficult. Have you tried talking to him?" Killian told her.

"No. It's not like he'd listen anyway," Gia told him. Killian could tell that despite how much she had opened up to him, she still wanted to seem strong.

Killian then took a deep breath before he genuinely said, "Well, love, I think you should at least try to make him listen. Although your attitude seems carefree and nonchalant, I know that there's more to the story. Holding everything in will only hurt you in the end."

Gia thought over his words before she sighed and told him, "I guess it's not a terrible idea. I could give it a shot."

"Glad to hear it, Gia," Killian began. He then took a deep breath and told her, "And if you need anything, Emma and I will be here for you."

"Really? I thought you guys didn't want me around Anna Elizabeth and thought I was bad influence and all that stuff. You've made it pretty clear that you don't like me," Gia pointed out.

Killian took a breath as he admitted, "I can speak for both Emma and I when I say that we truly are sorry. But I think it may help if you knew where we were coming from."

At Gia's nod, he continued, "Emma and I both know that Anna Elizabeth puts a lot of stress on herself. The pressures of school, cheerleading, and her other responsibilities had gotten to her, and she needed to take a break. That's why it was so easy for her to just let everything go, especially since you seemed to not have any cares in the world. Anna Elizabeth wanted that.

We're not opposed to her having fun, but there still needs to be boundaries so it won't get out of control again. We make rules to teach her right from wrong and to teach her discipline. When we punished her, it was to show her that actions have consequences. I think she now understands that we only wanted what was best for her.

We really do believe that you can help Anna Elizabeth when she becomes overwhelmed, but it has to be in the right way. The way that doesn't involve neglecting school, lying, and forgoing her responsibilities. Surely, you two can come up with a compromise."

Gia smiled as she responded, "I can totally work with that."

Killian smiled back at her in response.

Emma, Anna Elizabeth, and Liam then came over to them. Emma then suggested, "We're going to grab some pizza for dinner. You're welcome to join us. I know food is probably the last thing you want, but I think I have some saltine crackers and ginger ale."

"I'd love to come," Gia responded, her smile growing. The five of them then made their way to the vehicles.

When they arrived at the house and sat down, they all began laughing and talking. For the first time since her parents died, Gia knew what it meant to be a part of a family.

As Killian and Emma truly got to know the dark-haired teenage, they both thought that maybe, just maybe, all she needed was someone who really cared.

A/N: The next one-shot (which you'll have to wait a week for) will be in Captain Swan One-Shots. :)