A/N: Hey, again! Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. Typing stuff you've already written on paper isn't so much fun – bleh! I have about 1 ½ chapters of this left to type, so I'll try to get it out asap. Thanks for reading!

Kelsey Stokes sat in a stall in the girls' restroom at lunchtime, feeling alone and abandoned. She'd had an awful morning, and wanted nothing more than to get out of her uniform. She didn't wish to go back to her old school though, because she hated it there too. Kelsey just wished she didn't have to go to any school. Maybe she could be home schooled. But not by either of her parents. That would suck. Perhaps a private tutor.

The fifteen year old reached into the front pocket of her backpack and retrieved her trusted razor blade. She brought it in case she got the urge to cut herself (which she'd never resorted to at school), but also on the hopeful chance that a teacher or student might find it, turn it in, and then she'd get kicked out.

Kelsey managed to expose her scarred shoulder. She'd have to be careful since she was wearing a white blouse, and only had ten more minutes. Making a shallow cut, the blood crept out and she let the stinging, wondrous pain sooth her body and mind. She breathed in and out deeply, calming herself and started to cry softly. Was she the only one who felt this awful and lost, and hated herself? Kelsey sure didn't see anyone else in the bathroom at lunch all alone making themselves bleed.

After a few minutes, she composed herself, cleaned up, and headed back to the lunch room to join the other uniformed girls and try to get through the rest of her day.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Nick and Sara had told their daughter to take the bus to the CSI headquarters after school so they could talk about her first day and also keep an eye on her. When Kelsey arrived, Nick was interrogating a suspect, and Sara was in a meeting with Ecklie, so she just crashed in her father's office.

Kelsey was slouched on the couch, trying not to think about school tomorrow, when Warrick passed by. Seeing the girl looking visibly distraught, he knocked on the open door and walked in.

"K-dog! What's up?" He sounded warm and inviting, unlike her parents. "How was your first day?"

"Alright." She lied, moving her legs so he could sit next to her. The look he gave her told Kelsey he wasn't buying it, just like she expected.

"I hate school. All schools."

"You're fifteen. You're allowed, but you still have to do your work."

"You sound like my dad." Kelsey complained, looking ahead at her father's desk shelves. It was filled with family pictures and shots of her and Chloe. He really did love her, but for some reason, it was so hard to accept her parents' love.

"Is that so bad?" HE looked at her seriously, his green eyes asking her to be forgiving and understanding.

Kelsey looked at him for a few moments, but didn't answer.

"Kels, I don't want to overstep my bounds, but you don't seem alright. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Warrick." She answered reflexively. No one, especially adults, would understand what she was feeling. Kelsey knew he meant well, but didn't want to talk.

"You know, a few years ago I was working a case. A sixteen year old girl. Got in with a bad group of people."

"Are you implying I am, in some way, like this girl?"

Warrick continued with his story, ignoring her comment.

"Scared Catherine half to death cause that's when Lindsey was getting really out of hand. That's when we sent her to Butterfield."

Kelsey was silent for a few moments. She knew her parents saw awful things, but that didn't mean anything would happen to her.

"Did my parents have a hard case?"

"Well, almost all cases are hard. But being a parent, that makes it harder, because you can't help but imagine and worry about what might happen to your own kid." He patiently explained.

Kelsey took a moment to open up, something she rarely did any more with adults.

"Sometimes, when they come home, they just hug Chloe and me, and won't let me go for minutes."

Warrick nodded, having felt and done similar things with Lindsey.

"Do me a favor and make sure you just…talk to them sometimes, okay? Because they worry about you. Can you do that?"

"I don't know." Kelsey said honestly. "I don't like talking to them much about things."

"I know, Kels, but they need it. They need to hear you're okay."

If only it were that easy, Kelsey thought. It would be a lie; a total lie.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Kelsey had seemed so down the first few days of school, that her parents decided to wait, at least until the weekend, to confront her. She slept in to eleven o'clock.

They chose a time when she seemed to be docile. Kelsey still looked solemn and unhappy, but at least she was angry and upset. She'd barely spoken to them since they sent her to Butterfield.

Chloe was at a friend's house and Kelsey was watching TV, still in her Soffe shorts and t-shirt from sleeping. Sara turned off MTV and they both sat next to her, looking serious. Kelsey knew she was in for a big talk, and she was always afraid of what it would be about. She'd snuck out of her room last night; her attitude was generally frowned upon; she didn't care about her grades, and she mutilated herself. What could it be? Sara started.

"Sweetheart, your father and I would like to talk to you about something. We know you haven't been in the mood to talk lately, so we'll just talk first, and you tell us what you're feeling, okay?"

Kelsey's arms were crossed, and she didn't answer. Her parents were used to this. At least she seemed indifferent, and hadn't stormed off yet.

"We know you've been having trouble the last few years, really. You haven't really been the same since you hit eighth grade. We've tried clamping down on you and being strict, but it seems like you're getting angrier and less responsive. Baby, we're worried about you. Will you talk to us and let us help you?" Sara finished hopefully, trying to make eye contact. From behind her, Nick supportively rubbed her upper arms.

When Kelsey didn't say anything, Nick tried also.

"Kelsey, please talk to us. We know you're upset." Nick added quietly. After more painful silence, she finally spoke.

"I just want to be left alone. I hate school. I hate my life. I just want to get it over with and move out."

Well, that was blunt, but nothing they didn't think she'd felt before. But it still hurt and worried them.

"Why do you think you're so unhappy?" Nick asked his daughter.

"Hell if I know!"

"How do you deal with it, honey?" Sara asked, knowing it was time to confront her.

"I stay in my room and away from you. I told you, I just want to be alone." She repeated, a little irritated. Kelsey was very close to just storming off. Sara looked at Nick and he went on.

"Baby, like we said, we've been worried about you. We know you really won't like what we're going to say, but we need to say it."

Kelsey glared at her parents, inwardly curling up at their worried, guilty expressions.

"We decided to search your bedroom, sweetheart. Because you won't talk to us and we're worried about you."

Kelsey immediately looked intruded and violated.

"We didn't want to, but we had no choice. Kelsey, we found a lot of bloody tissues hidden in your desk. Why were you hiding them?"

"You were in my room without my permission?" Kelsey was immediately stuck on the intrusion, and would let them know she wasn't happy. "Was it while I was at that stupid damn school you sent me to?" She suddenly turned very angry. She didn't tolerate any type of intrusion.

"Kelsey, calm down." Sara put her hand on her daughter's knee, but she quickly pushed it away.

"No! Why were you in my room? You have no right!"

"Kelsey, we most certainly have a right. This is our house, and you're our daughter." Nick spoke firmly.

"I'm not your daughter!" She yelled at him. Nick looked away.

"Kelsey, he's your father and you know it. Don't start with that."

"You shouldn't have been in there either!"

"Why do you have so many bloody tissues?" Sara got back to the point.

"I have nose bleeds."

"Kelsey, you don't have nose bleeds that bad. You never have."

"I tested them for mucus traces." Nick spoke up again. He hadn't told Sara he'd done this, so it was news to her. "There wasn't any. It didn't come from your nose."

Kelsey seemed stuck. Why did they have to have access to all these devices? Any normal parents wouldn't be doing this, and she began hating them more by the second.

"What's next, a lie detector?"

"Kelsey, we're just trying to find out what's going on so we can help you." Sara explained.

"Well, I don't need any help! Just stay the hell out of my room and leave me alone!"

Kelsey started to storm up the stairs and her mother called after her.

"Kelsey, come back here now!"

"Screw you, bitch!" She shouted, and slammed her bedroom door. Nick hated when she disrespected him, but especially when she was rude to Sara. Before she could stop him, Nick was storming after her, and Sara trailed, telling him to calm down.

Nick pushed the door open roughly to find Kelsey sitting on her bed pouting and angry-faced.

"Get up!" He ordered her.

"Get out of my room!"

Nick grabbed his daughter by the upper arm and roughly pulled her to face Sara.

"You apologize to your mother right now."

"Bite me!"

He shook her arm firmly again.

"Kelsey, don't test me!" He warned harshly.

"Why not? What are you going to do? Ground me for another week? Send me away for someone else to deal with?"

"Kelsey, cool it." Her mother warned calmly. Her eyes told Nick to drop it for now, and he reluctantly did. Everyone took a few moments to take a deep breath.

"Are you cutting yourself, sweetheart?" Sara asked soothingly.

"No! That's sick!" She answered immediately, crossing her arms, and Nick finally let her go.

"Your tank tops." She said simply. "Why don't you wear them anymore?"

"I don't like them. I can't change my wardrobe?" Her sarcastic shield ever-present.

"You never wear a swimsuit without a shirt." Nick added, trying to get her to admit what they suspected.

"So?"

Kelsey knew her lies were slowly melting away. They were seeing through her but she would fight them to the very end.

"Baby, then why were you hiding the tissues?"

"Would you leave me alone?" She said harshly and went to turn on her stereo. Nick grabbed her wrist and brought her back. "Let me go!"

"No, Kelsey. We're going to help you. Will you show us your shoulders?"

Kelsey looked between them like they'd just asked to see her naked.

"No!" Nick still had a grip on her, and she moved to get away again, but he wouldn't let her.

"Kelsey, let us see your shoulders." Sara said gently, moving closer to her daughter.

"Baby, we don't want to force you, but we will. I'll ask you one more time. Show us your shoulders." Nick requested firmly.

Kelsey felt very trapped and felt judged. As she glanced back between them, Kelsey saw they were still dead serious, and they weren't just going to shrug this off like they had for years. The young girl panicked, and she suddenly snapped her imprisoned hand to the side, effectively freeing herself, and bolted for the door. She was almost through the frame when she felt two strong hands gripping her arms again, and pulling her back.

Kelsey started yelling and cussing up a storm, trying to free herself. The familiar arms soon enveloped her in a strong embrace from behind as Nick shushed her protests, and started walking backwards towards her bed. Kelsey could hear her mother offer soothing words, but it was all a blur. They were going to see what she'd managed to hide for three years.

Nick sat back on the bed and continued to hold his daughter close until she stopped fighting, as Sara stroked her hair.

"It's okay, baby. We're going to help." Sara whispered as devious tears streamed down the teenager's face. Kelsey tried, but she couldn't stop them from coming. Her parents hadn't seen her cry in years, and it was a strange relief to them to see her weep. Kelsey felt surprisingly calm now, like this was finally the end to a horrible dream, and her parents were gently coaxing her awake.

Sara rubbed Kelsey's arm, slowly moving it up farther so she knew what her mother was doing.

"Momma." She sobbed, when she got to the sleeve, and Nick squeezed her a little tighter.

"Ssshhh, it's okay." Sara didn't take her eyes off Kelsey's arm as she slowly pushed the sleeve up. It gradually revealed a heart-breaking array of linear scars. From her upper arm, and the tops of her shoulder was a multitude of self-inflicted wounds, both old and new. Kelsey turned her head the other way when her mother gently ran her comforting, but sorry fingers over the cuts.

"Oh, Kelsey." She whispered tearfully. "I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, Kelsey felt horrible as she looked at her mother's face. She knew her mother felt horrible, and blamed herself for what she'd done. All this time, Kelsey thought her mother was part of the problem but her expression stirred up feelings of guilt and regret. She couldn't see her father's face, and wasn't sure if he would be angry or like her mother.

"I'm sorry, momma, I'm sorry….sorry…" She faded shamefully.

Nick hugged her tight again, and she knew he wasn't angry with her. She felt his hand go to her right upper arm and gently push her shirt sleeve up. It revealed the same – an angry red and white collection of marks that had been inflicted amongst pain and self-hate. He quickly straightened the sleeve and then kissed the side of her head.

"Baby, how long have you been doing this?" He asked sadly. Nick was sickened to think Kelsey had been suffering all alone like this without them knowing.

"A few years." She whispered shamefully, a fresh tear wandering down her cheek.

"Why didn't you come to us?"

It was the question Kelsey had been fearing the most because she didn't know the answer. A few years ago, she did trust her parents. But for some reason, she'd rather hide than seek their advice. Thinking now, Kelsey didn't know why she'd done this. Perhaps she thought they'd be disgusted with her. Maybe she even trusted them now, but was too stubborn to give in.

Her familiar anger returned and she angrily got up from her bed, and her parents let her.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know why!" Her posture showed her discomfort and self-consciousness. Sara's heart ached at the thought of Kelsey searching for something to wear to cover her scars; all the times she sat out swimming; and cursed herself for not noticing.

Kelsey quickly covered her shoulders and hastily got up from her bed and ran out the room – she didn't know where yet, somewhere away from the judgment and disappointed eyes. She felt like cutting herself again, but the shame overtook her senses now, as her eyes became a water blur and she reached the haven of outdoors.