I was trying to figure out a way to make his chapter longer, but I really think it's just right the way it is. I hope you enjoy it. Leave me a lil' review, it would really make me happy. And happy Fourth of July to all my American friends, tomorrow! Enjoy the fireworks, and don't party too hard!

Released had been nothing like she had imagined. She wasn't even discharged to freedom. Everett was being discharged to a halfway house, where she would need to live for at least four months, conditions of her probation. She had to be in every night at five, and she could not have contact with anyone being a felon. Not even her dad. The one person she needed the most. She needed to find herself a real, legit job, and she would need to see her PO every three days for drug testing. That was the most ridiculous condition, according to Maddie. Everett didn't even smoke weed, let alone pop pills, she could do all that crap stone cold sober. Just like their dad.

Everett couldn't love Maddie more than when her little sister showed up at the halfway house and took control of the situation. She had probably been sent by their mother, but Everett didn't care. She could hug her sister, just stand there and hug her for as long as she needed. "You look terrible!" had been Maddie's chirpy comment. There wasn't anything she should have decoded about that, so she guessed she just did look pretty shitty. Still, her sister's ever-so-raw honesty was enough, just enough just at the right moment to put a smile on Everett's face.

-I needed that.

-I know.

The halfway house was visited, and Everett saw herself in a real mirror. She had lost about twenty pounds. Mostly muscle mass, she wasn't big to start with, but with that lost weight, she had her father's angular face. These creases he always had on his cheeks, she now had as well. She did look like complete and utter shit. Especially in the clothes she had been released in, a beige, over-sized and scratchy sweater and some ill fitting jeans, and the white soles shoes that had been hers for the past year. Her clothes had been kept as evidence.

Her sister's presence had been a blessing. Maddie wasn't allowed in the rooming portion of the house, but she had some clothes for Everett, real clothes, her own clothes. One of her favorite pairs of skinnies, her black socks, riding boots, a band t-shirt, no bra or panties, but her leather jacket. The one Randy had bought her for her birthday. To have real clothes was a first step in the right direction. And when she met her sister in the common area, Maddie was warming up a Tupperware in the microwave. It smelled like Angelo Pizzeria's pizza. The microwave beeped, Maddie removed the container, and handed it to her big sister.

-Mom slaved two days over that one.

Just that would have been enough to make Everett start to cry again, but she held on to her tears the best she could, hugging her sister again. Her own clothes. Hugs. Food her mom had slaved over. It almost made up for not being able to have access to her father. Almost, but not quite.

-How's dad?

-Dappy? He's good, mom finally talked him into cortisone for his elbows. Screamo-Dad has been helping him trying to find a way around the no seeing felons thing.

-I thought Screamo-dad was in Germany. Netherlands? Russia?

-Hm, he's been in England for the past few months, right now he's crashing at mom's, until his band decides if they write more or tour further. Dappy is pretty glad to have some male company, with King gone for college.

-Hm.

-Momma fired her accountant.

-Why?

-To give you a job, stupid. It's a requirement for you staying out of jail. And le mom knows you better than you know yourself. Nine to five ain't your thing. Eat, before it gets too cold.

But eating, even if it did smell delicious, was the last thing on Everett's mind. Everything she wanted the most, she could not have. Maddie sat down, Everett followed the movement, almost brainwashed by prison routine, she had a heavy sigh, detailing the room around her. It was so bland and impersonal. Even more than prison had been. At least prison was never quiet like this. Not even at night. Her boots felt so strange at her feet. She pulled her leather jacket closed and zipped it, looking at her now twenty-two years old sister. Madison was wearing a skinny-mini with some knee high boots and a jean jacket, no makeup and her long auburn hair was curling down to her waist. She was holding and drinking a coffee from McDonalds, she had her nails done recently. She was chatting about her last boyfriend, not that Everett was really listening.

-... and he was totally trying to do that. To LE ME! Can you imagine that? I just broke his nose, he's never gonna try to do that to any girls, ever again.

-Who buried Randy, Mad?

A pause. Maddie had opened her mouth to say something, had closed it back right away, taken a short breath to compose herself. All this talk about fashion and boyfriends and nose breaking had been to keep Everett distracted from the grim reality, at least that's how it appeared to be. But even six years younger, Madison knew she couldn't escaped the imminent conversation. She licked her pink lips, leaned forward to put her coffee on the table.

-Germany. I'm sorry. Mom and dad and Law tried their best, but Randy's mom would not have it. She refused to tell anyone, family or club-wise, even in what city they lived, so we could go and pay him homage. She said you killed him. Seventy different people telling her you never would or could have, she still is convinced you did it. I mean! It was a sloppy investigation, but there was zero evidence against you! All they had was that stupid phone call.

-Stop talking.

Better have asked Maddie for the moon, it would have been easier, but the younger woman managed, she looked about to cry. Not something Everett wanted, but her head was spinning and buzzing and doing everything it could do to hurt her. An intense headache had been building up, these past few days, apprehension of this false freedom she was just given. At least their mom was trying to facilitate for Everett as much as she could, going as far as taking her accountant out of the picture. She'd have an address for her in four months, that was a certainty.

-It's gonna be the longest four months of my life, Mad.

-I know. That's ok. I'm an adult now, Evie. Le adult.

-I'll slap you.

-I'll fight your fights for you until you're back on your feet, kay?

-No. Don't do that to mom. She's already losing me to the life, and no doubt she'll lose King to it, too. Don't do that to her, it would kill her. My fights can go "unfought" for another four months. Let Joker fight for my name until then, ok?

-Ok. I missed you. And I hate you for not allowing me to visit you.

-I was a mess.

-Still are.

-Where do you want me to punch you first?

Maddie had a short giggle, as someone came into the room, asked aloud which of them was Everett Lowman. Everett raised her hand, and the woman asked dryly for Madison to leave, they put no fight for it, Maddie got up and hugged her sister tightly, whispered promises to stop by the Pirate headquarters the next day to do something about her hair and her nails. It hadn't been said to be vain, it was just opening a door for some time together, to do something that would make Everett feel a bit better.

-I love you, k?

-I love you, too. I'll tell mom you're ok.

-Don't. I'll tell her myself tomorrow when I go to work.

-Ok.

-And tell the dads I love them.

-I sure will. Flo wanted to know if she could visit you here.

-Hell no. I'll see her soon.

Maddie left with a nod after pushing her coffee towards her sister, the woman was her PO, who came to verify that she would be getting a job, and her conditions and whatnot. Everett was getting pangs in her stomach of talking to her. She had needed more time with her sister's oh-so-familiar face. She had needed more time to tame this strange freedom. Maybe go hide and cry a bit about it, before harnessing her pain and suffering. She wasn't over prison. She wasn't over the bullshit. And she certainly wasn't over Randy. At this particular point, she didn't think she ever could be.

-You're really not going to allow me to see my father, are you?

-Has he ever been convicted of a felony?

-Twice.

-Nope.

-Really, my dad? He's sixty-eight years old and on his last leg, and he's put that life behind him years ago.

Two years ago. For his daughter. For his Stars.

But no. Nothing could make the woman bend and give her permission to even call her father on the phone to tell him she was OK. And if he was a regular around her mother's offices, Everett would have to find herself a different job. That could have normally made Everett smile, she did not think her dad even knew if Sailor had offices for her business, let alone would he know where they were.

That was Everett's life, now. Alone, and cut off from everything that always meant something to her.