"Isn't it great the Aria has someone as great as Bell in her life?" Lena asked as she watched the two teens sitting outside peacefully talking quietly. "Hey, Stef?" She asked after a few more minutes of silence.

"Hmmm?" Stef asked as she moved closer to her wife and pulled her into a side hug, her too enjoying seeing their daughter so happy and peaceful for once.

"I know Aria is really sarcastic, but do you think something was wrong at dinner? I mean do you know why she snapped at Bell?" Lena asked clearly concerned.

"I asked her about it and she said that eating in front of people makes her really self-conscious and really awkward when people are staring at her, or watching her when she eats" Stef responded.

"Did you ask her why?" Lena asked

"No, I didn't. I thought I would talk about it with you for tonight and then if her eating doesn't get better we bring it up to her later" Stef responded.

"I feel like if we let this go on for much longer than it will just get worse. She has had an emotional day today, and she has a friend over so I say we bring it up tomorrow or the day after at the latest. We really need to figure out why she isn't eating. I mean how much she is eating is really not healthy , It's a wonder she hasn't already collapsed from low blood sugar already" Lena said seeing where her wife was coming from but also knew that they needed to address the issue before it got even more out of hand.

"I think Bell will be a help too, I mean tonight proved she cares." Stef whispered still watching the two, she didn't want to put the pressure on the young girl but knew that Aria would listen to her.

"So should we address it tonight?" Lena asked her wife.

Stef pondered the thought for a moment, "Let's wait until the get inside, look at them out there."

"It's truly amazing" Lena said as she took out her phone and snapped a few photos of the two and she and Stef made their way to the couch.

"So we let them have their moment, maybe have one of our own." Stef grinned at her wife, "And deal with everything later tonight."

"It's beautiful out here." Bell whispered not wanting to break the moment, she and Aria hadn't said much, the two had just been sitting watching the colors in the sky change the later it got.

"It really is" Aria had to agree, the temperature was just right and the sky was a beautiful color of light orangy-red. After a few minutes more of silence Aria decided to speak again. "Hey, Bell, Listen, I am really sorry about being an ass to you in the kitchen. I was just really stressed out and tired of people bugging me about eating"

"It's fine," Bell tried to blow it off, she didn't want to start fighting, "And I'm sorry. I just, I want you to be okay." Bell rolled her eyes at how she sounded, "Sorry, it's dumb. I deserved it."

"No you don't, I was the one who is always being an ass to people who try and show that they care about me. You were just my latest victim and you didn't deserve that" Aria tried to reason with her friend. Trying to show her that it was not her fault.

"Okay." Bell sighed, she didn't know what to say, and what she wanted to say, Aria would get upset about.

"Spit out whatever you are trying to spit out, I won't get mad. I promise" Aria said as she could tell that there was something that her friend wanted to say to her.

"I just want to make sure you eat, at least a meal or two a day. And I don't know how to help," Bell finally admitted, "That's all."

"I promise I will try" Aris said knowing that, that was the best that she could promise at the moment.

"Thank you." Bell smiled softly at her friend, shivering slightly.

"Come on, lets get you inside, I'm sure that I can convince Lena to let us have some hot cocco" Aria said, slightly shivering herself as well.

"But your moms are in there, probably wanting us to talk more." Bell said, "And I don't know, I don't mind this, especially when the alternative is being questioned."

"True" Aria agreed. She too would rather stay outside forever then go back inside and be questioned more.

"You know," Bell started as she moved a little closer to Aria, "There's really no reason for you to skip meals, look how tiny and beautiful you are already." She whispered wrapping her arms around her friend in a hug, and then realized she had probably made a mistake and went to move away.

"No, don't move away" Aria said as she waited for her friend to move closer to her again before she continued "You see that I am tiney, I don't" Aria said as she leaned closer into her friend waiting for her response.

Bell didn't say anything, afraid she was going to ruin the moment, and she was completely content with the situation. "Ya know, I could watch this sunset a hundred more times from this very porch for years. It's amazing."

"Yeah, I mean have you seen anything more bold looking, but yet so fragile at the same time?" Aria Asked clearly mesmerised by the colors.

Yes, Bell wanted to answer but decided it would be better not to, she didn't say anything and just lay next to her friend.

Stef cleared her throat ruining the moment, "Uhm, girls. You want to come inside now?"

"Do we have to?" Aria asked

"Momma and I would like to talk to you two again," Stef explained, "Besides it is a school night." She couldn't help but smile at her daughter and her friend, "Fine. Five minutes and then be inside."

"Thank you Stef" Aria said, as she went back to the sun and enjoying the peace and quiet she was getting.

After Stef went back inside Bell sat another moment before talking, "Come on, let's go get this over with."

"Yeah, I mean I won't be able to enjoy it knowing that we still have to talk" Aria said as she slowly got up from her spot.

"Hi girls," Lena greeted them as they came into the house, trying to make it seem like she hadn't been watching the whole time. "You wanna sit so we can talk?"

"Sure" Aria whispered as she and Bell took their places on the couch. "What do you wanna ask us now?"

"How can we help you Aria?" Lena asked looking at her daughter, "How can we get you to eat regularly, what you're doing isn't healthy, love."

"Im fine, Like I said before I am just not hungry" Aria lied not wanting to admit the real reason to her moms.

"Aria." Bell whispered softly, "Maybe you should talk to them about it?"

"About what?" Aria whispered back before she said the next part to Stef and Lena "There is nothing going on with me. So what if I don't feel like eating. Is that really that bad?" Aria asked.

"There's no reason why you don't want to eat?" Stef asked, "Or why you keep snapping at people lately?"

"Nope" Aria lied.

"Well what about what you said the other day." Stef tried again, Aria had mentioned depression just a few days ago.

"What about the other day?" Aria asked. "If its about the depression, well its getting better" She lied.

Bell slowly reached for Aria's hand and gave it a squeeze, she could tell Aria was lying, and didn't know what she could say to get her friend to talk to her moms, "Depression's kinda tough to talk about, any more specific questions about it?" She was trying to help both her friend and Stef and Lena, hoping it wouldn't get Aria mad at her again.

Aria just looked at her friend in grateful way. "I'm really sorry. It's just hard for me to get use to people actually caring about why I don't eat and not just yelling at me because it is for attention" Aria explained trying to open up to her moms but finding it extremely difficult to do.

"Well, we understand it's not." Lena said trying to find a way to make her daughter more comfortable, "Maybe, you could tell us what you do when your feeling this way? That would be a good place to start."

"when I am feeling depressed or don't wanna eat?" Aria asked glad to have her friend there to support her.

"I'm sure your moms will be happy with either one." Bell said looking at Stef and Lena. She was hoping that Aria wouldn't talk to much about depression because Bell was always awkward during those conversations hoping the adults wouldn't look at her long sleeves.

"Well when I am depressed I just listen to the songs 'Just one yesterday' by fall out boy, 'f-you' by Lily Allen, or 'A place in this world' by Taylor swift. Mostly I just tend to listen to Just one yesterday by fall out boy though" Aria replied.

"And that helps?" Stef asked, wondering out loud.

"Nope, it just takes my mind off things by getting into the beat of the music" Aria replied.

"Okay." Stef said not completely understanding or believing.

"It's a real thing," Bell said trying to help, "Music really does help when people are feeling depressed."

"We don't doubt it's a real thing." Lena assured Bell, curious how Bell knew all about depression and what helped when someone was in a rough patch.

"Keep going" Bell whispered, still holding Aria's hand, "You're doing amazing love." She then stopped realizing that she had called Aria love, this family had already been rubbing off on her, and she loved it.

"If I get really depressed then I will start swearing my ass off and be really sarcastic" Aria continued. "That how you know it is bad, that and if you can hear my music when you are standing right next to me"

Bell and Lena both cringed a little when Aria swore, almost causing Stef to laugh if it hadn't been such a serious conversation. "At least, we'll know what to look out for now." Stef said, sounding slightly relieved.

"Yeah..." Aria responded.

"It's okay," Bell reassured her friend, "It's gonna help, I promise, them knowing is gonna make this easier." She leaned over and whispered in her friends ear.

"We are here for you love, You can come to us anytime. Even if it is the middle of the night" Lena said as she came to sit on the other side of her daugher and wrapped her into a hug.

"Is there anything else you would like to ask me?" Aria asked gladly accepting the hug.

"Is there anyway we can help some right now, I know you said that it was getting better but.." Stef trailed off, she didn't want to accuse her daughter of lying about it.

"I might of lied about that one, I just thought that if I thought that if I said I was getting better you would leave me alone for a bit" Aria admitted as Lena went back to her spot next to stef after she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Okay." Stef said trying not to push too hard.

"Why don't we try and tell the truth about it all, so that they can help." Bell tried suggesting, she didn't want to make her friend mad, but she knew this would go a lot quicker by telling the truth, which means Bell and Aria would get some more time alone.

"Okay" Aria said agreeing with her friend "If there is anything that you would like to ask me, I promise I will tell the truth"

"How bad is it." Bell asked before the moms could ask Aria anymore questions, "Honestly."

"Ummmmm, I have suicidal and self-harm thoughts everyday more than 90% of the day" Aria answered worried about her moms reactions.

Bell quickly let go of Aria's hand and put her hand on her own arm before slipping her hand back into Aria's and squeezing it again trying to comfort her. Bell could feel Lena watching the whole thing and she was beating herself up for reacting that way.

"Have you..." Stef's voice broke off before she could finish the question, "done anything about those thoughts?"

"Not the suicidal thoughts, no" Aria responded, suddenly glad to realize that her friend was trying to comfort her. she squeezed her friends hand back.

"But," Stef tried to ask again, "What about the self-harm thoughts."

"And love," Lena finally was able to talk again, "No matter what you say we're gonna help."

Bell tensed up, not sure she wanted to hear the answer either way, what if Aria had hurt herself? Bell would never forgive herself for not seeing it sooner, and if she hadn't then Aria might be disgusted by people who have. Either way, Bell was terrified to hear the answer.

"Umm, I have..." Aria responded scares to see how her moms and friend would react.

"Oh." Was all that Lena could reply, she had been expecting that to be the answer but secretly wished it wouldn't be.

Stef just nodded, "Okay, well. Do you want to talk about that?"

Bell didn't say a word and tried not to move any, she would talk with Aria about it later, not in front the the two moms.

"Do I have to?" Aria asked hoping that she wouldn't, but knowing her moms she might have to.

"Yes love" Lena said, she knew that her daughter needed to talk now or she would never tell her moms the full truth about it.

"Okay, so what do you want me to say?" Aria looked at her moms.

"Um" Stef mumbled, this was new territory for her, "How long have you been doing this?"

"Close to two years now" Aria responded.

"Where?" Bell whispered, she hadn't meant to and hoped that Aria was the only one who had heard her, looking at Stef and Lena they were too lost in thought to be paying attention to the two girls.

"I do the scratch marks on my side and when I tried to cut myself I did that on my wrist" Aria replied loudly enough for her mom's to hear, clearly not getting that Bella wanted this to be a somewhat private conversation.

"Okay," Stef said after looking a moment at her daughter and then to her wife, "Momma and I need to talk, and it's getting late. Will you be okay down here for the night?"Stef wanted to stay and make sure her daughter wouldn't hurt herself but figured Aria would find a way if she was being smothered to get away for a moment if she really wanted to.

"Yeah" Aria replied. "Thank you. Can I just ask one question?"

"Of course, love." Lena had finally recovered from her daze.

"Can you please not tell Callie or anyone else about this?" Aria asked.

"It's okay love, just between us." Stef promised.

"Thank you" Aria responded as she got up to hug them as they made their way up the stairs.

"Aria?" Bell said softly after the two moms had gone upstairs, "Can I ask something strange?"

"Yeah, of course" Aria responded.

"Can I see them?" Bell asked sitting down on the floor, knowing it was a strange request, "I'll explain after?"

"Sure" Aria reluctantly agreed pulling up her shirt a bit. On her right side there were around eight marks that looked a bit brown and scared over.

Bell could tell from her tone of voice Aria didn't want to do this. Bell looked them over, checking each one carefully, then slowly tracing her fingers over them.

After a few minutes Aria put her shirt down. "There" She said.

"Thank you. I know you didn't want to." Bell said gratefully. "I just wanted to check that they weren't too bad."

"They really arnt. They are way worse the first few months. After a while they just become a stupid memory in the past"

"How long ago was it?" Bell asked without realizing how many questions she had been asking.

"Ummmmm, Like two weeks ago" Aria responded.

"Oh." Bell whispered, "I'm sorry for not noticing, and ya know, helping..."

"Dude, if I wanted you to notice and help me then I would have made you sure saw them" Aria responded. "I just wanted to deal it by myself"

"You don't have to." Bell sighed, "I want to help you." After a slight pause, Bell continued, "If you'd let me."

"I don't need any help" Aria denied

Stef and Lena hadn't made it all the way up the stairs before they heard the two girls talking to each other, not meaning to eavesdrop but curious what had been going on with their daughter, and not only her but her friend who they could tell would be an important part of Aria's and their lives for a long time.