Disclaimer: I, Aly, do not own any of the following below, except the original characters, and the plotline. Hasbro has all the rights to their Transformers franchise.

"Who's the guy?" Anna whispered to me as I packed everyone's lunches. I glanced up at the one night stand from last night, who smiled and waved as I made eye contact.

"Ask him," I answered back as I gave her the lunch bag. "Can you give this to Liz when you see her?" I kissed her forehead and watched her walk outside, Nick closing the door behind them like always.

"Forget my name already?" I looked up when Brooks leaned against the counter, a lazy smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes and moved past him, picking up the dirty dishes. "Let me help." He stepped in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you think I actually wanted a boyfriend out of this? Listen, I have 4 kids to take care of, I barely make money as is and we use money from the fucking swear jar to pay for our food." I told him. "This isn't some rich neighborhood; you know that right? This is the ghetto." I moved to the sink and started the dishes as Brooks stood behind me in silence.

"I'm being a decent person, Nova." He told me as he leaned against the counter, looking down at me. "I know this is the ghetto. I know people here aren't rich, I know they have to fend for themselves." He ran a hand through his hair. "Give me a week trial run. If my help isn't up to your standards, you won't see me again." He told me.

I scoffed. "What's in it for you?"

"I get to see your beautiful face every day." He smirked at me, frowning when the someone opened the door.

"No!" I turned around to see Nick with wide eyes. "Liz is in jail."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Isighed, and then grabbed my shoes. "Well, your trail starts now. Let's go."

How'd you get the car?" Nick sat next to Brooks as I talked to the officer. I ignored them, and turned back to the cop.

"Well? What happened? Where's Lizzie?" I raised an eyebrow, watching the cop file through papers.

"Full name?"

"Elizabeth Lucy Madsen." I answered, "Redhead, 15." I told him, as he finally nodded.

"Have a seat, miss, I'll go check what's happening." He gave me a tight smile, and then walked in the back as I sat down, next to Nick, as my knee bounced.

I nodded as Nick handed me a smoke, "You need it more than I do." He told me, as I took a deep drag, looking at the cops and the other people who were judging us. Nick glanced at brooks. "You know, man you stick out like a sore thumb."

"What's that mean?" Brooks raised an eyebrow.

I scoffed, but kept my mouth shut, listening to Nick's explanation. "You look rich, man. No one on the South Side looks like you do. You should've been jumped by now." He chuckled.

"No, look." I focused on Anna's words, and then looked up when the buzzer went off and Lizzie walked through the door. She looked ashamed of herself.

"There you go." The officer nodded to us, as I walked up to him. "The bail's been paid for." He told me, "Have a nice day." He gave me a smile. I watched him leave, and then turned to Lizzie, who wouldn't make eye contact with me.

"Nova, you don't hate me do you?" Lizzie whispered when we got outside. I turned to her and watched her for a couple of moments.

"No, but you're staying home for a few weeks. Yes, that means you're grounded." I told her. "What the fuck were you doing that got you arrested?"

She stayed quiet for a couple of moments. "Selling drugs." She whispered.

"Selling…" I shook my head, "Elizabeth, don't be your parents. They're pieces of shit, and I know that I raised you for the past two years, but you know I busted my ass for you guys. I've kept food on the table, clothes clean, made sure you have things to do on the weekend, and you sell drugs?! Where the hell's the money?" I asked.

Now, back home, we all sat at the table while Brooks helped Jack with something in the living room, knowing he wasn't a part of the conversation. Lizzie sighed, and grabbed her purse, simply handing it to me. "I'm not sure how much is in there but it should be enough for winter. I told the people I was working with that once I got caught I'm done, and I am." She whispered.

I checked the money, and handed it to Anna, knowing she'd count it and write down everything that we needed to know.

"Who was working with you? Who were you working for?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow, "Did they hurt you?"

"Nick." I shut him up, as I looked back to Lizzie, waiting for her to give us answer.

"The Sokolov's." She answered. "No, they didn't ever touch me. They told me to go around clubs and sell it for a high price, telling that I could keep tips and 85% of what everyone made together."

"The ex-KGB family?" I ran a hand through my hair, "Jesus Christ, Liz." I let out a long sigh. "You're done. If you want to help this family, get a fucking job." I ended the conversation.

I stood up, "Brooks, Jack you're good to come back." I called as I finished doing the dishes. After I was done, I looked at Brooks, letting out a sigh, "Thank you for dinner."

"It was McDonald's." He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, your point? It's better than canned chicken." I sighed, "I need to put Jack to bed, I'll be right back." I handed him my smoke, and walked up to the boy's room, "Everyone decent?"

"Yeah, you're good." Nick opened the door, "I can put Jack to bed if you're busy…" He winked at me.

"Thank you. Come downstairs when you're done, yeah?" I smiled when he nodded and turned back around and went back to the kitchen, seeing Brooks coughing over the sink.

"How do you do that?" He nodded to the cig as he kept coughing.

"What, smoke?" I laughed, "Blame Nick, he got me hooked." I shrugged. "Everyone does it, I'm surprised that Anna hasn't tried yet, to be honest." I sat on the counter, and smiled when Brooks moved in between my knees, lightly kissing me.

"Yo, you wanted to talk to me?" Brooks quickly moved away, and looked out the window, as I nodded at Nick.

"What drugs was she selling, do you know?"

"Coke, but it was laced with some new drug. That's what made it so expensive." He sighed, taking the smoke that was in between my fingers. "She's a lot like Sarah." He whispered.

"I know, it scares me." I sighed, resting my head against his shoulder, as he hugged me with one arm. "What are we going to do, Nick?"

He sighed, taking a long drag, "I don't know. I gotta go study, test tomorrow." He patted me on the shoulder, and then headed back up the stairs.

"Who's Sarah?" Brooks asked, sitting next to me on the counter.

"Their mother. Both her and Jack bailed two years ago. I was visiting them, because I was best friends with Nick when I was younger, but the next morning they weren't here at all. Just bailed on the family. No note, nothing. Took all the money too." I shrugged. "Nick helped me a lot in the beginning, until I got myself on my feet and met Kenna, who helped me get a job and some money in the back for the bills that the deadbeats refuse to pay." I explained. "I'm their cousin. My parents stopped calling in May, when I turned 20, they wanted me to come back home but then the kids would be taken away and I couldn't do that. I explained to my parents what was happening, and they told me I was on my own, and now, here I am. Lizzie has always been the troublemaker, got into fights, B & E, small shit that everyone does, but selling drugs for the Russians that live here? That's a low that I never expected her to hit, but she did. At least she made money for us." I shrugged.

"Jesus, how old is everyone?"

"I'm 20, Nick is 17, Liz is 15, Anna is 12 and Jack is 8," I told him, letting out a sigh. "I've been here since I was 17." I finished my story. "Now, how about," I turned to him, "We go up to my bedroom and see how quiet we can be?"

Brooks smirked at me, and lifted me around his waist, "What room?" He whispered, biting my ear.