It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing
Chapter 13
"Mom, can Elena and I talk to you for a second?" Damon asked as he grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Sure. What's going on?" Lillian asked setting down her pen and halting progress on the paper she was working on.
"Elena's in trouble."
"What happened? Please tell me she's not pregnant Damon. I've taught you about safe sex hundreds of times."
"No mom nothing like that, but it is something you should take as seriously. It's the reason why Elena has been staying here as much as she has."
"What's wrong than? You guys can tell me anything. You know that."
"As I was trying to say, Elena is in danger. I think I'll let her tell you the rest."
Taking a deep breath, Elena took a seat next to Lilian as Damon sat by her taking her hand for emotional support, so she knew no matter what that she was not alone.
"When I was a baby, my birth mother left me in a trashcan to starve to death, so she didn't have to raise me. A cop saw me sooner or later and took me to the hospital. I almost died of starvation and dehydration, but they managed to save me. Sometimes I even wished I hadn't. It might of saved me from the hell I'm living in now."
"What makes you say that? Is your foster mother abusing you or the system to get collateral from them?"
"In a way both, you see my foster mother only agreed to become a foster parent for the cash it would bring her. It helped her with her drug habit and her- well her business."
"What business are we talking about?"
"Prostitution."
"Has she ever forced you to have sex with one of her clients."
"Yes." Elena answered barely able to get the word out but somehow managing to.
Lillian sighed resting her hands in her head before she took a deep breath and walked off leaving Damon and Elena confused.
When she came back, she had a few papers in her hand and her cellphone in another making Elena concerned.
"I'm going to call one of my colleagues and we're going to get this all sorted out."
"What's going to happen?"
"Well you're going to have to talk to them first and they'll asses what needs to happen next, but for now you're allowed to stay here for as long as you like. I don't want you having any contact with your foster mother right now. And if she tries to contact you. Tell me ass soon as possible. I'm not a lawyer, but my friend is, and she could help you get away from your mother."
"How? I- I don't understand."
"Have you ever heard of emancipation?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with me?"
"Do you want to do something about your situation with your mother? Emancipation may be the answer because of how old you are. It would be a shame if they placed you in the system yet again. And I believe we can get you easily emancipated because she's only your foster mother."
"What if it doesn't work? What if she comes after me because of this?"
"I promise to try my best to not let that happen. Until than you can stay here for as long as you like."
"Thank you, Ms. Salvatore."
"We'll stop her Elena. I promise. Until than get some food in you before you two go to school." Lilian assured her squeezing her arm as Elena finally let her tears fall. She hoped Lilian was right, because God help her if she wasn't.