Rae listened while Beth told the social worker and the police officer who had joined them what had happened and how it had happened. Luke had some of his information mixed up when he first told Raelyn what had happened. Rick hadn't shown up at the school, he had shown up at the house, just moments before the twins had rounded the corner. Lizzy was always willing to give their father another chance, despite the harsh reality of his actions, she was just that kind of person. She chose to see the good in people, even when there wasn't any good to be seen.

Rae knew that Lukas and the younger two, Alanna and Jayson, were never home before five – Luke often brought them to the playground after school, so they could run off some of their pent up energy. Even though the playground was far from safe, Rae knew Luke always had eyes on the pair so she didn't stress it.

Lizzy and Beth always got home just after three, especially if they carpooled with some of the kids a few blocks over, something Rae wasn't fond of, but learned to accept. They were in high school, after all, she had to trust they had good enough sense not to get into cars with people they shouldn't.

Rae paced as Beth went on, stating how Lizzy insisted on staying outside to talk to Rick while Beth went in to put the chicken in the oven for dinner. Beth insisted she was only gone for a half hour, having decided to pull out the ingredients needed to make soup, since they had to stretch what they had until the following week. Rae tensed. A lot can happen in a half hour. Raelyn of all people knew that.

Beth said she heard a commotion outside, so she naturally ran out to investigate. That was when she saw Rick pull Lizzy into the back of a car, all while Lizzy was screaming, begging for him to stop. The car pulled away before Beth could do anything to stop them.

"How did you find them?" The officer asked patiently.

Beth looked at Rae with tear-filled eyes.

"I didn't. Rae's friend pulled up to drop off the van and we followed the car instead," she said carefully. Rae gave her a strict nod. They could not, under any circumstances, give out the Milkovich's names.
"Who was fixing your van today?" the social worker asked impatiently.
"Something Smith," Rae shrugged, lying smoothly. "I didn't bother getting a name. I needed the piece of shit running again, he cut me a deal, so I told him to drop it off when it was done."
"You got in the car with a stranger?" she directed her question to Beth.
"My sister was in danger," Beth said sternly. "I'm not an idiot, I knew I was safe."

Beth continued on with what happened next. It didn't take them long to find Lizzy. Rick had dumped her at the side of the road, under one of the underpasses known for drive-bys and drugs. When they reached her, her face was beaten to a pulp, her arms riddled with bruises, her jeans around her knees.

Rae felt her heart shatter. The hallway suddenly felt far too small. Sucking in a deep, panicked breath, she listened as Beth continued.

Beth and the other person got Lizzy in the car and drove to the hospital as fast as they could, only stopping long enough to pick up the youngest three at the park on their way. Mitch, thankfully, had a job close to the hospital, so when Beth called him to tell him what happened, he met them at the entrance to the hospital. Once Lizzy was checked in and they were told to wait, Mitch made the decision to pick up Rae. The rest, Rae already knew.

"If you can think of anything else, please let me know," the officer said as he nodded his goodbye. The social worker, on the other hand, was not as gentle.

"I'll be in touch, Raelyn. You already know the hoops I had to jump through to reward you guardianship of these children, I am beginning to wonder if I have made a mistake," she said sternly. "I understand this is a difficult time for you, but this is inexcusable."

Rae stared at her in disbelief. How was any of this her fault? Beth and Liz were nearly sixteen, they were old enough to make rational decisions. This was just one of those unfortunate situations that happened to people like them.

"Are we gonna get taken away again?" Al asked, hugging Rae's leg. Rae looked down at her and shook her head quickly.
"Not over my dead body," she murmured. Once the social worker was gone, Mitch made his way over to the nurses station to get an update while Rae ushered the younger siblings over to a group of chairs. Jayson and Nikki were still teary-eyed messes, while Luke held onto Al's hand, his face showing no emotion. Beth sat down heavily, her thin frame shaking with silent tears. Rae needed air, she couldn't wrap her head around what she had just listened to.

"They won't let us see her," Mitch said as he approached them. "They said she needs surgery, something about a brain bleed." He sat down heavily, his face pale. Rae let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding, her hands shaking as she nodded slowly.

"Bethany, who brought the van back?" Rae asked softly, kneeling in front of her sister.
"Mandy and Mickey," she said with a broken, defeated voice. "Mandy said to call her later."
"Yeah, I guessed," Rae nodded. Rae was grateful, yet again, that her friendship with Mandy proved to save the day. "I-I need to get some air," she said finally. Mitch looked up at her, giving her a quizzical look. Rae was the martyr of the family – she would always put her family first. It worried him that she needed to step away. Rae rarely ever stepped away in chaos. She embraced it in a way only she could. "I'll be right outside."

Rae left her siblings for all of ten minutes, long enough to smoke a cigarette and collect her thoughts. Rick was a monster, having molested and raped all of the older girls, short of Nikki. Rae had made it clear after Al that Rick was to never step foot under their roof again. She didn't care what she had to do to make that possible. In the end, her and Mitch had collectively refinanced the run-down three bedroom home and gotten the mortgage under their names. It had taken them months to finalize everything, but the day Rae turned eighteen, the house was put under her and Mitch's names.

She made it back to the waiting area in time to see their sister's doctors approaching, grim expressions on their faces.

"For Elizabeth Quinn?" the smaller, female doctor called. The seven siblings rose to their feet. Nikki was in Beth's arms, Jayson clung to Luke, his eyes red from crying, Mitch stood slumped, his hands buried deep in his pockets with Al standing close beside him. Rae moved to the front of the pack, her arms crossed in front of her. "Please, have a seat," she said softly, motioning for the large group to sit down.

"Can we speak to her parent or guardian?" the male doctor asked, his tone stern. Rae shuddered. For once, she wished Mitch could take the lead. Rae stepped forward, her heart in her throat.

"I'm her sister," she said cautiously. "Raelyn."
"Follow us," the male doctor motioned.
"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of all of us," Rae said softly, her tone stern, like a mother making her point known.
"We did everything we could," the female doctor blurted out, her eyes welling with tears. "We did everything we could…"

The male doctor shot her a disgusted look before turning back to the family in front of him. In silence, he watched as seven lives were changed forever. As seven worlds were turned upside down.

Mitch's sob broke the silence first. His normally strong, stern expression crumbled, his shoulders sagging in a way Raelyn never saw before. Beth let out a desperate moan, Nikki slipping out of her grip as the pair sank to the floor, sobs rippling through them. Luke hugged Jayson and Alanna tightly, his normally cold eyes showing nothing but anguish.

Raelyn stared blankly ahead, her heart seeming to skip a beat, as if what she just heard wasn't real. She blinked, unable to find words to comfort her broken siblings. The room suddenly started spinning. She felt like she was drunk and stoned and insanely sick all at the same time. She took a step towards the wall, forcing her legs to steady themselves. Slowly, she sank to the floor, her eyes staring vacantly ahead.

The doctors waited patiently, allowing the news to sink in. Several painfully long minutes passed before Rae looked up at them, wondering why they were still there.

The male doctor coughed before nodding his head. "You may see her…say your goodbyes, if you'd like…"

One by one, the siblings forced themselves to rise to their feet. All except Raelyn, who refused to get up even when Mitch begged her to. She shook her head, motioning for them to go without her.

"Rae, c'mon," Luke pleaded. "You have to say goodbye to Lizzy," his voice hitched.
"I…" Rae looked up at her brother, her heart shattering as she read his expression. Luke was too young to remember the last time Rae had to say goodbye to someone she loved. It was Beth who reminded them why Rae wouldn't move.
"Rae can't," Beth said softly, her tone solemn. "Katrina, remember?"

Mitch cursed under his breath. He had forgotten about Katrina and how her death effected his younger sister. Katrina, Mandy and Raelyn had been friends since they were Jayson's age. They grew up together, looked out for each other, and did just about everything together. Until Katrina was killed in a car accident the girl's freshman year of high school. Rae shut down for a long time after that. She never truly got over seeing her best friend, pale and dead in a hospital bed. He suddenly found himself worrying about where Rae's head was at, despite the fact he knew he was in no shape to comfort her.

"Call Mandy," Mitch instructed halfheartedly. If anyone could help her, it was Mandy Milkovich. "I'll deal with…yeah, call Mandy." Mitch couldn't get his words out straight.

"I…" Rae stood up suddenly, all of it too much for her. She bolted, tears threatening to choke what little air was left in her lungs out. She ran, despite her brother's frantic cries for her to wait.

"Let her go," Beth said softly, her voice barely audible. "She…this…no one saw this coming."
"But I…" Mitch wanted to argue but it fell on deaf ears. The younger siblings had already turned to follow the doctors down the white walled hallway, sniffling as they cried the entire way. Mitch cursed and hurried after them, unsure of what was to come next. How do you comfort three kids under ten who are facing death for the first time? How do you comfort an already troubled teenage boy? How do you comfort the twin sister? How do you keep yourself sane when the rock of the family just up and disappeared? This wasn't Mitch's role. He was the provider. Rae was the mother hen. He couldn't do what she did to make everyone feel safe and loved and heard. He suddenly found himself hating Raelyn for leaving, even though deep down, he knew she needed a moment to accept everything. Raelyn was an amazing sister, a better mother to those kids than their mother ever was. He knew Rae wouldn't be gone for long. She couldn't abandon them when they needed her most, could she? All these thoughts and more kept Mitch from losing his composure when he entered the quiet, dimly lit hospital room. One by one, he watched as his younger siblings hugged Lizzy's pale body, their fingers lacing into hers' one last time. He waited until they all backed away, each lost in their own grief. He approached the bed slowly, his eyes tracing her features. His eyes lingering on the scar above her right eye, the first of many scars their father would inflict on her. A scar he should have been able to protect her from. He felt a lump form in his throat as he kissed her forehead, wishing, praying, she'd just open her eyes and tell them she was alright. But she never did.

After several long, painful moments, the doctor gently ushered them out of the room, her face sharing the heartbroken expression the Quinn kids wore. Mitch gently nudged all of them in the general direction of the exit, not a word exchanged between any of them as they made their way to the parking lot.

The ride home was equally silent. Once there, the six of them piled into the living room, none wanting to talk, but none wanting to be alone. It wasn't until Nikki broke the silence that any of them so much as looked up.

"Where's momma?" Nikki asked, looking around the room.
"You mean Rae?" Jayson asked, his voice raspy. Nikki nodded her blonde head.
"Where she go?" she asked. Everyone turned to look at Mitch, who was rubbing his hands over his face with frustration.
"She'll be back soon," he said softly. "I promise." She better fucking be, he thought tiredly. He couldn't do this without her.

He picked up his phone and shot her an urgent text.

Rae – the fuck did you go? Call me.

Raelyn stood at the edge of the bridge, her heart hammering in her chest as she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She spared a glance at the text message. It was from Mitch. She hesitated, wondering if she should reply, but decided against it. Why bother?

The wind rushed around her, reminding her of how dangerously close to the edge she was standing. She wanted to let go of the railing, let the icy water below carry her off until she couldn't fight the current any longer. But she wouldn't jump. Suicide was for cowards and despite everything Raelyn was feeling, she was no coward. She was simply waiting for her ride. She was letting the adrenaline wash over her, keeping her mind from focusing on the tragedy, keeping her mind from wandering to a darker, scarier place.

After nearly an hour, she heard the familiar hum of the car Mickey often drove. She looked up, her body swaying slightly with the wind.

"Jesus fucking Christ Quinn, death wish?" he grumbled as he pulled up beside the railing, his eyes locking on hers.
"No," she said, sliding back to the safe side of the railing with ease. "Took long enough."
"The fuck you expect? You woke me up," he shrugged. Rae rolled her eyes before slipping into the passenger seat. "Why'd you call me anyway?" he asked, his tongue in his cheek. The pair was never close. She grew up with Mandy and he saw a lot of her back then, but they never got close. They'd fucked a few times and she knew he had her back if she ever really needed it, but that was about as far as the friendship went.
"Just drive," Rae said coarsely. Mickey studied her for a moment, trying to piece together what led to her calling him of all people. "Holy shit, is that sister of yours okay?" he asked suddenly, remembering what happened earlier. Why didn't she call Mandy? He thought.
"She's dead," Rae said, her tone straight, emotionless. "She's fucking dead."

Mickey thumbed at his lip, unsure as to what to say. He finally understood why Rae had called him. Mickey didn't do feelings, he didn't do comforting. She knew that. She knew if she called him, he wouldn't try to make her feel better.

"Where to?" he asked carefully. Quite frankly, he wasn't sure he was comfortable driving with her sitting next to him looking like a damn zombie.
"Alibi. I need to forget today ever fucking happened," she said, her expression still blank. Mickey had to admit, he wasn't used to Rae being like this. Rae was one of the rare gems left in the world. She was a badass who could carry her own, but she was kind and caring in a way he rarely saw anymore. She was one of a kind and if it wasn't for the fact that he was insane about Ian, he probably would have tried to get in her pants more often. She could make you feel great about yourself, even if you were the world's biggest asshole.

Mickey said nothing as he turned down the next street he saw, making his way towards the Alibi Room. He wasn't entirely sure if taking Rae to a bar was a good idea, but hell, it beat her standing on the edge of a damn bridge. He made a mental note to call Mandy as soon as he got her to the bar. Mandy was better at dealing with Rae's emotions than he was. He knew from experience that her mood could change on a dime, especially after she's had a few drinks.

Rae looked at her phone as it buzzed again. This time it was Lukas begging her to come home. As it buzzed again, Rae cursed under her breath and ripped the battery out of the back of it. She couldn't be their hero. She had to get her head back right before she could go back to being the damn mother of children she didn't birth.

Suddenly, Rae wished she could take all of her frustration out of her mother, the whore who kept abandoning her kids just to pop out more. Rae hated her mother almost as much as she hated Rick. Rae's expression changed as they neared the bar. She knew she couldn't hold onto that hate. Hate led to risky decisions. Rae knew that.

"Thanks for the ride," she muttered as she shoved the door open before Mickey could even completely stop the car.
"Uh, sure," Mickey deadpanned. He knew he wasn't leaving yet. He didn't need her doing something stupid on his conscious. Instead, he parked the car and cursed under his breath as he followed her into the dimly lit bar, once more wondering how he kept getting mixed up in everyone else's problems. He sat down a few stools down from where Rae sat, hoping she wouldn't notice how he casually followed her. She didn't. She ordered several shots, downing them one after another until Kev told her to breathe. Mickey watched as she shook her head and unloaded everything she had been bottling up to Kev and V, who listened with sympathetic expressions. Good, maybe I won't need to babysit much longer, Mickey thought to himself. He had enough to worry about, he didn't need this too.

A few blocks away, Mitch was tucking the youngest siblings in for the night, kissing each of them on the forehead before turning off the lights. Beth was sitting on the couch downstairs still, her face and eyes red and puffy from crying.

"All tucked in," Mitch said emotionlessly. "You should get some sleep."
"Not till Rae comes home," Beth said stubbornly. If she was being honest, she just needed to know everyone was under one roof, safe and together.
"Rae'll be home, you'll see," Mitch said softly. "Wake me up if you need me," Mitch said, stifling a yawn. He knew he wouldn't get much sleep, especially with Rae not answering their calls or texts, but he knew he needed to get some rest. They were in for a long couple of weeks, and he knew he had to be prepared for the fallout. "I love you Bethany," he called over his shoulder.

"You too, Mitch," she replied, though her tone held no emotion. Beth was a strong, bright girl. Mitch knew this was killing her, just as it was killing the rest of them, but Beth was going to be okay. They all were. They were all going to get through this tragedy. Eventually. They had to, that was what Quinn's did. They coped. They adapted. They recovered. They survived.