As soon as Aria saw Lena she ran up to her. "Momma" She said as she latched on her as if her life depended on it.

"Are you okay?" Lena asked returning the hug.

"Come on, lets get home so we can talk" Stef said softly as she hugged her wife and daughter.

The three got into the car, Aria quiet for the entire ride, all of them lost in their own thoughts.

"Aria, love, momma and I need to talk for a minute, why don't you go in the kitchen and get something to eat, yes?" Stef said smiling softly at her daughter while sharing a look with her wife.

"Do I have to eat?" Aria asked really not in the mood for food.

Stef just gave her daughter a warning look, there was a lot going on already, Stef didn't want to start a fight already.

"Fine." Aria huffed stalking off to the kitchen leaving the two moms in the living room.

"Love," Lena said, she was scared that something was going on with Aria, Aria never acted the way she had been lately, "What did the two of you talk about on the beach?" She asked Stef while taking her hand, trying to soothe her upset wife.

"Nothing really, that's what's so irritating." Stef sighed leaning back against the couch, "She won't talk to me." Stef closed her eyes and took a breath, Stef didn't easily get emotional in front of people, but she was really upset that her baby girl wouldn't trust her enough to talk to her.

"Give it time," Lena said, "You can't get these kids to trust you with every problem they have instantly, every time they have a new problem you have to get them to trust you again, especially when it comes to Aria."

"Did you know Aria and her friend, Bell? Lived in the same house before." Stef asked trying to get Lena to stop worrying about her.

"Bell?" Callie asked hearing the name as she entered the room, she remembered it was the only time she had let Aria make a friend while they were in a foster home. "As in Bell Maclay?"

"Yeah," Stef answered cautiously "I guess? Lena what's her last name?"

Lena nodded, "Yeah, that Bell. Why love, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Callie muttered, she turned to go and find Aria.

"Aria." Callie practically yelled, "Bell?! Really!"

"What's wrong with Bell?" Aria asked as she was slowly eating an apple trying to get something in her stomach so her moms wouldn't get pissed at her for that.

"Do you not remember that we lived there? And what happened there." Callie was screaming now, pissed that her little sister could be so stupid.

"Just because her parents are fucking assholes doesn't mean that she is" Aria yelled back not caring that Lena could hear her swear.

"She didn't do anything to help either!" Callie shouted in her sister's face, "She's just as bad as they are!"

"She was fucking scared!" Aria yelled back.

"Whatever." Callie rolled her eyes, "I'm done protecting you for you to act like an idiot, if you want to let them back in your life just to get hit again, go ahead. I'm not. She's just as bad as her parents, she's raised to be like them."

"You really think that Bell would fucking hit me?" Aria asked. "I know you promised mom that you would protect me, and you did but I think I can handle picking my own friends." Aria said a bit more quietly, before she continued "This is why we kept the friendship a secret".

"Do what you want. We have a family now, throw it away if you want, I'm not going to." Callie muttered before storming out of the kitchen and slamming the front door.

Aria just got up to through her apple away when she started remember the day that Aria was talking about. Suddenly she couldn't breathe, everything was dizzy and she felt like she was going to die. She slowly lowered herself to the ground and leaned against the table as she pulled her knees up to her chest and just starting rocking herself back and forth. Once she felt a tiny bit more in control she put on her music to the one instrumental song that she had for times like these, before everything got worse and the shaking was worse.

"Aria!" Stef whispered rushing into the kitchen after she had heard Callie slam the door, Stef saw her youngest daughter sitting on ground, "Love, look at me." Stef tried getting her daughter to make eye contact so she could calm her down, "Love, it's okay, you're okay now." Stef knew this wasn't going to help so she sat next to her shaking daughter and held her while softly whispering to her and rubbing small circles in her back.

Aria could only make out the sound of Stef's voice, not entirely hearing what she was saying but the combination of that, Stef's hand on her back and the beat of the music her breathing slowly slowed down and soon she was breathing normally. She was still shaking but she wasn't in a full-blown panic attack like she was just in. She slowly took out one earbud, making sure that she could still hear the beat of the music as well as hear her moms voice. "I'm sorry" Aria whispered.

"For what?" Lena asked as she came and joined them on the floor"

"For swearing, everything" Aria answered.

"Oh love," Lena chuckled, "You don't have to worry about swearing right now, we heard everything, even I understand losing your temper."

"Did Bell's parents really hurt you?" Stef asked getting straight into the tough conversations.

"Not that bad" Aria replied, lying. She was afraid if she said yes then they wouldn't let her be friends with her.

"Why was Callie so upset about you being friends with her?" Stef tried.

"It's complicated" Aria said before she continued, "And it's really not up to me if I tell, I haven't asked Bell and it concerns her as well" Aria said as she nibbled on her apple that she just realized that she still had.

"Well, they other kids are out with friends, or doing something. So maybe we should invite Bell over here, and the two of you can talk to us." Lena suggested there was no other way for her and Stef to hear the truth about everything.

"Ummmm, even though I am most likely gonna be grounded for life after skipping and everything, could she sleepover and we could bring her to school tomorrow?" Aria asked thinking that it might be easier for her friend if she knew that if they told she could get away from them for at least the night. "It's fine if you say no" Aria quickly added.

Lena and Stef shared a quick look, "Fine. But you need to tell us everything we ask, or she goes home." Stef caved.

"Okay" Aria agreed as she got up to call her friend. A few minutes later she said that she would be there in like 10 minutes. Her parents were gonna drop her off. "She did agree, and thank you" Aria said hugging her moms. She knew that this wouldn't be easy but she figured it was time for them to share.

Ten minutes later the bell rang and Aria got the door.

"Thank you so much for doing this with me Bell" Aria said giving her friend a hug before they went to the living room and sat across from Stef and Lena on the couch.

"H-hi." Bell whispered quietly looking at the ground instead of Aria's parents. She was waiting for someone else to start.

"Hi Bell." Lena started trying to get the girl to calm down and become more comfortable. "We were talking to Aria and she didn't want to tell us something you wouldn't want us to know, so we're glad you came over."

"Okay," Bell nodded at Lena and then looked to Aria, "I already told your mom some of it." She whispered embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed, I just didn't want to share something that you wanted to keep private" Aria whispered to her friend. "What would you guys like to know?" Aria directed the question to Stef.

"Why don't you start with what happened when you and your sister lived with Bell and her family." Stef stated, she started to become a hardass again.

"The house was really nice at first, and then I began to get really depressed and stopped doing my work, and when the school called the first time Bell's parents got really pissed at me, they ended up shoving me down the staircase. Callie didn't know about that, and neither did Bill. We kept it a secret because we really wanted to become sisters" Aria explained and she felt Bell grab her hand in a comforting way, know that going back to the memory of her house was going to be hard for her friend.

"I can tell, if you want." Bell offered so Aria didn't start freaking out.

"Alright" Aria agreed.

"My parents, they got angry about everything, and no matter what it was, it was one of us kids faults. And Aria was their target. She didn't really even have to do just seemed to have an issue with her. It happened every couple of days, somehow they were smart enough to only do something when Callie wasn't around. But one day, they were really bad, I don't even remember what it had been about, I just know Callie was home and they still had hit her, Callie tried to step in once they had hit Aria. I was sitting on the stairs, I should have done something but I didn't. So Callie went to make them stop, my parents had bought her a guitar, and Callie grabbed it and swung at my father. And he swung right back, I think it barely missed her, she seemed fine until he called her a whore and kicked her. After he hit Aria a few more times Callie got up to fight him again. I ran upstairs, Callie had a cell phone hidden, with Bill's number in it, I called him. I didn't know how else to help, and Callie or my parents never found out it was me who called him. I called the cops soon after to get my dad to stop. The next day Aria and Callie were gone."

"You called Bill?" Stef asked astonished, "And told him about your own parents?"

"Yeah, I had to." Bell sounded more like she was trying to convince herself more than Stef, "They were hurting Callie and Aria, I didn't know what else to do."

"You did the right thing sweetheart" Lena said.

"Why didn't you two call Bill before hand?" Stef asked the two.

"I thought that my depression was going to get better, and we really wanted to be sisters" Aria explained now realizing that it was a really stupid reason.

"You're the one who called Bill?" Callie whispered looking at Bell, Callie had come back in the house and heard her moms talking so she went to go see who was there when Bell was explaining what had happened in the past. "You did it? I thought Aria did when he let her go and she ran upstairs."

"She did try and help" Aria replied, still a bit pissed at her from earlier.

"Do I have to remind you..." Callie started before she was interrupted.

"Callie girl, got upstairs I'll be up to talk to you later tonight, okay love?" Stef said to stop a fight, she knew what Callie was going to say, "Do I have to remind you it was her parents that we needed help getting away from."

"I'm sorry, Callie and I were never close, and I'm sure that her last night in my house didn't make her think of me fondly." Bell laughed bitterly looking at the ground.

"Is that all you need?" Aria asked hopefully, "I mean look at the time, I haven't had a full meal since breakfast two days ago, I'm sure hunger" Aria added trying to get her moms onto a new topic, knowing full well that she was going to get lectured about eating, but in her mind if it helped her friend get the attention directed onto someone else it was worth it.

"You haven't?" Bell wondered out loud without meaning too. She was worried about her friend and didn't realize how long Aria had been going without food. Seeing everyone look at her, Bell looked back to the ground, "Oh. Sorry."

"I did have an apple, and I would have like a peice of bread, so its not like I went two days without eating a thing" Aria tried to defend wishing that she just kept her mouth shut.

"Stef," Lena stepped in before her wife could say anything, "Let's go find something to cook for dinner." Lena led Stef out of the living room holding her wife's hand.

"Sorry." Bell whispered pulling at her sleeves, "I'm just worried. I didn't mean to say that in front of your moms."

"Eh, its fine. They would have realized anyways" Aria said. "I mean, it did get them to leave us alone for a bit right?" Aria asked.

"Yeah," Bell couldn't help but grin, "Guess so." She looked down and noticed she was still holding Aria's hand and slowly pulled her hand away, "Sorry we had to tell about all that. And that your sister hates me."

"It's fine, And she will get over it" Aria replied grabbing Bell's hand again still wanting that comfort.

"Your moms seem nice at least," Bell said trying not to stare at her hand, "Though I can't tell what they think of me."

"I think they might be worried about your safety, But also grateful that you called when you did" Aria said trying to figure her moms out.

"I'm alright." Bell lied, hoping Aria couldn't tell, "It's just my dad and I now. But they have no reason to be worried."

"Alright" Aria said not quite believing her but was going to let it drop for now at least.

"Have you really not eaten in two days?" Bell asked, she tried not to think about it but her mind kept wandering back to the idea that she missed a warning sign.

"I have had a bread roll here and there, I did have something at least once a day" Aria said, clearly not know that, that was bad.

"Hey guys, I hate to interrupt your little pow-wow here but dinner is ready and a certain someone definitely has to eat EVERYTHING on her plate" Stef said said giving Aria a look.

"Yeah Bell, you have to eat EVERYTHING" Aria said just because it would annoy the hell out of Stef.

Bell tried to hide the snicker but failed at doing so and glared at Aria for making her laugh.

"I was talking to you smart-ass" Stef said as they made it into the kitchen.

"Really Stef?" Lena asked glaring at her wife for her choice or words.

"Yeah Stef, Don't swear" Aria said

"Please, thats nothing compared to you earlier" Stf said as Lena starting glaring at the pair of them.

"Im sorry that my wife can be childish sometimes" Lena apologized to Bell.

"Hey!" Stef said playfully as she kissed Lena.

"CHILD WITH FRIEND IN THE ROOM! I AM NOW SCARED FOR LIFE! YOU CAN NOT UNSEE THINGS" Aria started to yell laughing.

"Aw come on, your moms are cute." Bell teased her friend.

"Shut up!" Aria said as she sat down and began to eat her pasta.

Bell pushed the food around on her plate, taking a bite every once and a while but mostly watching her friend to make sure she was eating.

"If I have to eat then so do you!" Aria said noticing what her friend was doing.

"Are you not hungry, love?" Lena asked glaring at her daughter.

"I am." Bell glared at her friend in return, gently kicking her under the table for drawing her moms attention onto the two.

"The eat! you don't have to worry about me not eating this meal, I have my moms right across from me making sure I eat" Aria said, returning the kick but a bit harder.

Bell said nothing in reply but didn't take her gaze away from Aria as she finished her plate until she realized Lena and Stef had been watching the whole situation between her and their daughter. Then she realized how awkward it had been and look down at her lap.

"You want a picture? It last longer" Aria said when she noticed her friend still staring at her.

"Whatever." Bell rolled her eyes and got up, "Sorry if you could excuse me for a minute," She said looking at Stef and Lena and not looking at Aria before she left the room and went out to their front porch.

"I'll go make sure she is okay" Aria said getting up glad to have an excuse to only eat a quarter of what was on her plate.

"No you sit, and finish your food. Im pretty sure that mama can talk just as well as you can" Stef said.

"I guess you're right" Aria said as she sat back down to finish her dinner.

"Hey love," Lena said as she pulled her sleeves over her hands in an attempt to keep warm. "Are you okay?"

"Your daughter is a snarky pain in the ass." Bell muttered and then looked at Lena slowly turning her arm over and trying to hide it from view, "Sorry, she's starting to rub off on me I guess. I don't normally swear." Bell grinned thinking of the first time Aria swore in front of her.

"I know," Lena chuckled, "To both those things. When Stef and I first started dating I noticed I was doing the same thing. But yeah, my daughter is a pain, she learned a lot from her mother I guess."

"But," Bell sighed defeated, "I just want to watch out for her, I care and I want her to eat. And she goes and makes stupid comments like that."

Lena nodded, "She didn't mean it. I still don't think that Aria is entirely comfortable with the idea of people, besides Callie, caring too much. She doesn't know it, but she's always going to feel guilty about you calling Bill to protect her."

Bell went numb and quickly pulled her jacket back on, "It's no big deal."

Lean sighed, placing her hand on Bell's arm, "It is though. Aria will be grateful for a really long time. Even though she has a weird way of showing it sometimes."

"Please stop." Bell whispered, she didn't want to talk about it, "I told Aria earlier. I am fine."

"She didn't mean to snap at you," Lena said, giving the girl a quick hug, "I'm glad you're watching out for her, and I'm glad you decided to come over tonight to talk to us. Aria will be out in a moment, okay love?"

Bell couldn't help but nod, this family was so sweet and she couldn't help but think as she sat on the front porch and watched the sunset waiting for Aria to join her that she would love to be in the same situation, a beautiful sunset after a big family dinner, waiting for Aria to come talk many more times.

"Good job." Stef said sarcastically to her daughter.

"She was making me really uncomfortable and self conscious about eating, so I dealt with it in the only way I know how, sarcasm" Aria tried to explain.

"She really cares about you, if you opened your eyes you could see the way she looks at you. She was worried and now she's out on the porch feeling like shit about it." Stef sighed knowing she was being too hard on her daughter, "She's a lot like your mamma, that's all. And I've stepped on the same rake a dozen times."

"I'm sorry, I just really don't like people staring or looking at me when I eat" Aria apologized.

"I know love," Stef said trying not to watch her daughter, "I'm just saying, she was just worrying because she cares so much. Think about what she did, calling Bill for you back then, and now probably having to deal with her parents abuse because of it. Or coming to your mom and I and getting you out of trouble. She's putting her neck out for you, I'm just saying, try and see it from her side."

"Why does she care? I mean why do any of you care about how much I eat anyways? and I know, I will make it up to her" Aria said.

"Because we all love you," Stef sighed, she knew explaining why wasn't going to make her daughter suddenly eat. "Because you not eating, could cause problems in the future and we want you to be here.

"What if I don't want to be here in the future though?" Aria asked as s he tried to get up to go to her's and Mariana's room. Fortunately for her Stef stopped her before she could get in trouble for walking again.

"What?" Aria replied defensively.

"Go outside, I just heard Lena come in which means your friend is out there alone." Stef knew she wasn't going to win this fight and the only person who had a chance was outside upset.

Bell didn't even look over her shoulder when Aria came and joined her outside. "Don't talk." Bell pleaded, "I know, I shouldn't have been watching you eat. I'm just worried." She quickly glanced at Aria,'Just lay on the porch and watch the sunset with me, we can fight about you being a pain in the ass later."

Aria just smiled and Bell couldn't help but smile too as she sat on the front porch enjoying the sun, sitting next to her best friend.