Chapter Six

Once school began, the days began to pass in a blink of an eye. Already it was mid-September, the fall weather replacing summer. While most people complained about that, Harlyn rejoiced. The cooler, the better. And although time went by quickly, life remained the same. Aubrey, along with the Mitchells, still hugged Harlyn every chance they got and she still yelled at them for it. Her and Piper also continued to hang out, the older brunette still threatening to stab Jakes eye out with a fork every time he bothered the younger girl. And, unfortunately for Harlyn, that happened two to three times a week, Piper always trying to pull her out of the negative mindset after it happened. Some days it worked, some days it didn't. Regardless, dealing with Jake made things tough for her. She was already confused half the time because she wasn't sure what to believe in. You would think that with all the love and support that she got, figuring out who to believe would be easy, but it just wasn't. Even though a huge part of her was falling for the new life around her, she just couldn't get into it yet. To her, it was still too good to be true.

"No dad, I really can't drive over there today. That's like a three hour drive both ways, and I have already made plans."

It was nearing 10:30am on a cool Saturday morning, and Aubrey, unfortunately, found herself in a slightly heated conversation with the one person she least wanted to talk to: her father. He was just too much, their relationship almost non-existent due to his constant years of demanded perfection and constant pushing with zero love to spare.

"Well cancel your plans. I'm for father for cripes sake."

"No, I will not cancel my plans." She replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I have things to do."

"I don't see why you would have anything to do period with you taking a year off from your so called job."

"What? Are you kidding me?" she scoffed in disbelief. "I took a year off for Harlyn and you know that."

"Yes, you are slacking on responsibilities for a child that isn't even yours."

"I am not slacking on anything and you know very well that I would like to make her mine."

"Which is something I find silly. You need to find a husband and have a child of your own."

"I don't need a husband at this very moment and just because I didn't give birth to her doesn't mean she wouldn't be mine."

"But why would you take in some stray girl? You don't know her birth parents. They could have been psychos or drug users or-"

"You know what? No…just no. I need to go."

"But-"

"Bye, dad."

And without a second thought, she hung up her cell phone and threw it on the bed.

"Why does he have to be such a…"

She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples as she tried to push him from her mind. He always had a way of ruining her mood without even being there.

"But don't let it ruin today…" she thought, now standing up and leaving her room. Today was a special day, at least to her it was, and to celebrate it, she had plans to spend it with a certain little girl.

"Harrrrlyn."

"Peeking into the child's room, she found her fast sleep.

"Keeping her company?" she asked Bella, scratching the cat's head as she passed by the end of the bed. The girl always claimed that she hated the cat, but would allow her to sleep with her almost every night.

"Harlyn…" she called again gently, sitting down on the edge of the bed and reaching out to scratch the girls back, which was facing her. If only she knew that back scratches worked like a charm on the ten year old. If she were awake, she would have been a pile of mush in mere seconds. In fact, as she slowly started to reach consciousness, her body went right into instant flop mode. The scratches felt good on her skin, though, due to her half asleep stage, she failed to comprehend what it really was. Her subconscious just knew it felt good.

"Hey little girl. It's time to wake up."

Stretching and letting out a little squeak, the tired body rolled over, sleepy gaze meeting the warm on. Seeing her eyes open, Aubrey reached out and brushed away some of Harlyn's brown locks.

"Hey you, d-"

Yeah, no. Not happening. She was going to say something, but was barely able to get a few words out. Why? Well, as soon as she reached out to brush away the hair, the girl in turn reached out and grabbed the woman's hand, slipping her own fingers into Aubrey's. She then held it close to her chest, releasing a sigh of content before falling back asleep again. This was not, in any way shape or form, something the woman was expecting, Aubrey's heart literally melting when it happened. From watching Chloe and Beca with their kids, she knew an act like this meant that the child felt comforted and safe in her presence. What she wasn't counting on was just how touched she would be from the little girl's actions.

"Harlyn…"

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke her name. She didn't have the heart to wake her up now, so she let her sleep a little longer, now caressing the child's hair.

"You act like you hate this all, but your subconscious knows exactly what you want." She whispered teasingly. Harlyn still went around and ranted every time she got hugged and kissed, Aubrey finding it amusing when it happened. That never stopped her though. She was going to love on that girl whether she liked it or not. Lately, however, she was doing it more than usual.

"She's been off for a while now…" she thought, her free hand still stroking the locks. Ever since school started, Harlyn would come home and look bothered. She'd ask if she had anything to talk about, but Harlyn always said no. That didn't mean, however, that Aubrey didn't know what was going on. Oh no, she was very aware. On her first day of school, Aubrey had gotten a phone call that night from Chloe. She was told that, according to Piper, a bully named Jake had picked on her and made fun of the fact that she was a foster child, saying things like no one wanted or loved her when that wasn't true at all. She was outraged when she heard this, but didn't want to make Harlyn talk about something she didn't want to. She would just be there for her when she was ready to talk about it and continue to shower her with love as her quiet way of proving that the boy was very very wrong.

After another ten minutes had passed, she reluctantly decided to wake her up, her hand now reaching in to lightly scratch her cheek.

"Wake up my little sleepy head."

At first, Harlyn just grumbled, furrowing her brows. After, her eyes opened once again and met with the woman's in front of her.

"Aubrey…"

She then took notice to the fact that she was holding something warm.

"Is this…Aubrey's hand?"

Because of her sleepiness, it took her a few to realize just what was going on, but when her mind finally clicked onto the fact that Aubrey wasn't a figment of her imagination and that she really was holding her hand that close…

"Holy jeeze!"

She shot right the hell up and pulled a nearby pillow to her, almost using it like a mini shield.

"What….what even happened…" she asked herself.

"Well good morning you." Aubrey greeted with an amused smile.

"You…you…what were you doing!?"

"I was just trying to wake you up." She answered innocently.

"L-liar!"

"No, I was! Honest! I came in and planned to wake you up right away, but then you got all sleep fluffy cute and grabbed my hand in your sleep."

"Wh-what? I did not! I would never!"

"But you did, cutie! You wrapped your hands around mine and snuggle it right up!"

Harlyn was at a loss of words. It didn't make sense because it was unlike her to do those kinds of things, but yet, at the same time…

"I…I had a dream about her…didn't I?" Her face…I saw it…"

What Harlyn thought was a mere dream was actually real, the split second moment being when she first opened her eyes prior to grabbing the hand.

"I saw her…and I felt warm…like always…even in dreams, she knows how to make me feel warm…"

She then remembered that she woke to find the woman's hand tucked close in a way that Aubrey couldn't have done herself. She had held it like a child would hold a stuffed animal, and since she knew for a fact that there was no possible way Aubrey made Harlyn hold her hand like that…

"Oh my god…I really did…I…I…"

She instantly felt the heat rise to her face.

"You…gah!"

She then took the pillow she had in her hand and smacked Aubrey with it, hitting her on the side of the arm before hiding her own face into it. Aubrey, who couldn't hold it back anymore, burst out into laugher.

"It's not funny!"

"Honey, honey, it's ok! Don't be upset. I thought it was so sweet!"

"Shut up!" she said, peeking out again. "I don't know what you're talking about…just…get out!"

"But I can't cutie! I woke you up for a reason!"

"Stop calling me that! What the hell do you want!?"

"Well, I need to run to the mall soon, and you my dear are coming with me."

"Hell no!"

"But I need you. I have to pick out some curtains for the kitchen a-"

"You don't need me for that!"

"And…we need to pick up a new backpack for you anyways, remember?"

Harlyn looked over at the bag that she had owned forever, the strap on it now broken. She had forgotten about that…

"Also…I'm taking you out because there is something to celebrate. Today is a special day."

Hearing this took her out of her slight panic mode for a moment, her mind now searching for what today was supposed to be.

"Special day? What are you talking about?"

"It's your two month silly! You've been here two whole months and I wanted to celebrate!"

Harlyn could feel the blush coming back to her cheeks, a mixture of shocked and touched feelings swimming around in her chest, Did Aubrey really enjoy her presence so much that little things like being there two months was worth celebrating?

"Two months…it's not that big of a deal…"

"It is to me." Aubrey replied warmly, her gaze soft. "I really love having you here. It means a lot."

Harlyn shifted in place slightly, her eyes falling to her blankets. The warmth had definitely taken over and she knew there was nothing she could do to push it back.

"So will you come?"

"I guess…"

"Good! It will be fun, I promise."

After giving her arm a little squeeze, she got up and headed to the door.

"I was planning on leaving around noon, so take your time getting ready. Did you want me to make you something to eat?"

"No…"

"All right then. I'll see you when you come downstairs. And Harlyn?"

The girl looked up at the smiling female.

"I'm glad you will be coming. I love spending time with you."

And with that, she left the room.

Once she was alone, she leaned back against the head board and let out a sigh.

"What is going on with me…" she mumbled softly. The reply to that question came in the form of a meow, Bella now crawling up and curling on the girl's lap. Normally Harlyn would push her away, but today she just…didn't. Instead, she pet her, her mind falling into her own confusing thoughts.

"I don't understand anything anymore…"

If she wasn't aware of the changes going on inside her before due to constant denial, she was well aware of them now , and boy were they confusing. For example, yes, she always snapped at Aubrey whenever the woman got affectionate. She always said it drove her nuts. However, at the same time, she loved getting it, too, which was something she never even dreamed she thought she would feel again. The warmth the woman offered helped keep her dark feelings at bay, her affectionate ways like a breath of fresh air to the stuffy and resilient soul of the ten year old. Yes, she would still push away Aubrey's attempts, but because of these growing feelings, she would also stay near her to increase her chances for affection. She knew it didn't make sense, but that's what would happen. Why not just give into the hugs and such if she really wanted them so much? It would be simple enough, right? There were questions she often found herself asking as of late, the answer always the same in the end.

Attachment.

Attachment was something she very much feared, life teaching her to never get close too anyone or anything. The idea of a loving family was just so foreign to her that even if the perfect one was standing right in front of her, much like Aubrey, she wouldn't see it, negative thoughts and old experiences blinding her from it all. Her biggest source of negativity? Jake. His taunts stuck to her like glue as his words voiced her deepest fears, and hearing them made them come alive. Almost every other day he would called her unwanted or unloved and never failed to remind her that she had no family…that Aubrey didn't really care.

"But this morning…"

This morning threw her for a real loop.

"She wanted to celebrate the fact that I have been here two months? No family has ever done that before…and then the whole waking up thing and the hand thing…"

She had barely been awake ten minutes and her day was already all over the place. However, regardless of it being crazy and of her fifty worries, it kind of felt nice. She was able to wake up feeling warm, and even though she freaked out about it, it felt nice holding Aubrey's hand like that. It was almost like she was her…

"Wait…no."

Right there she stopped herself. There was no way she was even going to finish that thought. Doing so would be treading on waters she wasn't ready to handle, So, to keep herself from thinking even more, she shuffled from under the covers and climbed out of bed.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go. Let's just…go."

After that odd yet secretly welcoming incident that morning, Harlyn cleaned herself up and headed downstairs, and by noon time they were on the road.

"Do you really, really need me for this?"

"I do."

"But you're just picking up curtains."

"And your bag."

"Well yeah, but even so…"

"…And I may or may not need to pick something else up."

Harlyn eyed the woman questioningly.

"What?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you picking up?"

"What am I picking up?"

"Yes! You just said that you had to pick something else up!"

"I did?"

"What…but…you…"

Yeah, it wasn't working. Aubrey was clearly trying to hide something and she was not going to find out, which meant Harlyn was going to be confused all day.

"How wonderful…"

"Here we are!"

Not even ten minutes later they were at the local mall, and not long after that, there were looking for some light colored curtains to go with the kitchen. Once those were found, they headed to the next store to get Harlyn's bag. She wasn't really liking the idea too much as it meant Aubrey would have to buy her something, (a practice she didn't like the woman doing) but in the end, she was ok with it, coming out with a brand new bag she actually really loved. It was an all-black messenger style bag with music notes in white etched on the front.

"Well if that doesn't say Harlyn all over it, I don't know what does."

"Yeah…" she said softly, her hand running over the fabric. "Um…thanks for this…"

You're welcome lovebug, I'm glad you like it."

And she did. She really did.

"And um…before we do anything else, I need to run to the bathroom."

"Oh! Go ahead. I'll wait for you right here." Aubrey told her, nodding over to a nearby wooden bench. "Here, I'll hold onto your bag."

"Ok…I'll be right back."

"Take your time," she said as the girl turned away, and as she walked off, she slowly made her way to the bench. However, when the girl was out of sight, she turned and jetted in the complete opposite direction.

"Got to hurry, got to hurry…"

She wasn't lying when she said she needed to pick something up, but she had been waiting for the right moment to do so, and with Harlyn using the restroom, the time was perfect.

After a few moments, she reached her destination, stopping at a glass counter.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked.

"Yes! I'm here to pick something up."

"Name?"

"Aubrey Posen."

"Ah, yes Ms. Posen. We have your order right here."

The woman reached over to another counter to grab a small box.

"And it says you paid for it already, so you're good!"

"Thank you!"

She then turned, wasting no time in running back. However, half way there, her phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Aubrey, we need to speak again."

Aubrey stopped in her tracks and let out a sigh. This is what she got for not checking the caller id first.

"I can't right now. I'm a little busy."

"Well make time. Are you sure you can't come by today?"

"I told you I can't."

"But there is a gentleman at my firm I want you to meet."

"What? Dad, seriously? No. I don't need to meet anyone."

"But he is a good man and-"

"No dad. We're not having this conversation."

"Just li-"

"I said no! Bye!"

-Click -

"What is his issue?" she thought as she proceeded to continue racing back to the bench. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to call her for that. If her dad wasn't nagging about her life or her job, it was always about a husband. "I so can't handle him right now."

Once she was where she needed to be, she waited for the girl to return, which happened a few moments after she sat down.

"I'm actually kind of enjoying myself." Harlyn thought as she left the public restrooms. It was nice being out with Aubrey, even if they were only shopping. It made her feel included.

"Well hello again." Aubrey said as Harlyn plopped down beside her. "You enjoying your day so far?"

Harlyn looked down and fiddled with the strings of her blue sweatshirt.

"It's all right…" she replied, her voice playing it off as if she weren't interested.

"Wonderful! I really enjoy being out with you."

"All we did was buy curtains and a bag…"

"So, the fact that you're with me makes this trip even better."

Harlyn had to turn her face away in fear of blushing. She didn't want to get all worked up in public.

"Yeah…anyways, don't you have something to pick up?"

"Not now. I already got it."

Now Harlyn looked back with a questioning look on her face.

"You did?"

"Mhm."

"When?"

"While you were in the bathroom."

"Well jeeze…weirdo…what was it?"

"Hmm…I don't know if I should tell you."

Harlyn's face dropped.

"Really…"

"I'm kidding goober." Aubrey giggled. "This is what I needed."

She pulled out a small, purple square box.

"You needed a box?"

"It's in the box silly!"

"What's in it?"

"You tell me. It's yours."

Harlyn froze.

"What do you mean it's mine?"

"I got it for you. Happy two month beautiful!"

Harlyn's heard did a little jump as she glanced at the box, still not entirely sure if she heard right.

"Really…for me?"

"Yes my dear." She replied, holding it out to her. "Just for you.

Aubrey had already gotten her a new bag. Now she wanted to give her something else, too? What was with all the warmth and affection she kept giving? It was hitting her hard, slowly killing her ability to fight it each day.

"Go on." Aubrey said warmly. "Open it."

Gulping a little, she reached out and took the box, holding it in her hand for a moment before finally pulling off the top. When she saw what was inside, her eyes grew wide.

"Here."

Aubrey scooted closer and grabbed the item. Sitting behind the girl, she slipped her hands under Harlyn's locks, adjusting the gift a little before finally clipping the ends together.

"There we go. Pretty as a present. What do you think?"

Glancing down, she eyed the newly given gift. It was a necklace, a silver one, with a silver heart locket as a pendant. On the front of it was the letter "H" engraved in cursive. It was definitely the most beautiful thing she had ever seen or owned, and now, her heart was dancing all over the place, her toughness suddenly forgotten.

"Do you like it?"

Harlyn more than liked it, she loved it! And as her fingers trailed over the item gently, her love for it showed in the form of a small and happy smile, one in which, for once, she did not try to hide.

"I wanted to get you something special. You have made these last two months amazing and I look forward to more time with you."

"Harlyn finally looked up, the smile still on her face. She was way too happy to be stubborn at this point.

"Thank you…really…I love it."

"Aww…" Aubrey said, her heart melting all over again. "You're welcome baby."

"Hey guys!"

Being so lost in the moment, she didn't even see the three figures approaching them until they were practically in front of her, these figures being Beca, Chloe, and Piper.

"Well look who it is." Aubrey said with a smile. "Hey you three. What brings you here?"

"Just looking around." Beca replied. "Thought we would treat little nerd here while her sister was on a play date."

"Hey, Harlyn." Piper said, sitting next to her.

"Hey…"

"What about you?" Beca asked. "What are you two up to?"

"I just had some shopping to do. I needed some curtains for the kitchen and Harlyn needed a new bag."

"And I like it!" Chloe said, looking down at it. "Very nice. Oh, what's that you have there?"

Harlyn, who still had the locket in hand, looked down at it with a shy smile.

"Um…it's a locket Aubrey just gave me because I have been here two months."

"May I see it?" the red head asked. Harlyn nodded her head and the woman leaned in to get a closer look. "Aww, that's beautiful. You like it?"

"Yeah…"

"It's very pretty." Beca added.

"Wow, two months already." Chloe said. "Time is going by fast. You know, I think this is something to celebrate. I know we love having you here."

"That's what I was saying." Aubrey replied, ruffling Harlyn's hair lightly. "It's been a happy two months for me with her around."

"I agree." Chloe said back. "You know, we were just about to grab some lunch at the food court. Why don't you guys join us? We'll take care of it."

"Sure!" Aubrey said. "Harlyn?"

The girl nodded in reply, and with that, they all headed to the food court to eat, the adults at one table and Piper and Harlyn at another.

"That really is a nice locket." Piper said as the two ate. "That was sweet of her."

"Yeah…"

"You seem really happy today, too. It isn't too often I see you freely smile.

Harlyn, who was picking at her sandwich, gave a slight shrug, not looking up.

"Hey…" Piper said gently, lightly poking the girls arm until she looked up again. "It's ok to be happy, you know that, right?"

Their gazes locked for a good minute, Harlyn searching for the right words to say, but nothing could be found, so she merely just ignored the comment all together and went back to eating. Not wanting to push the girl, Piper continued eat as well, changing the subject.

"So, your birthday is coming up, correct? Next month?"

"Yeah."

"The twenty third?"

"Mhm."

"You know we are having a party for you, right?"

Harlyn grumbled at the thought.

"Apparently. Aubrey isn't giving me a choice."

"Aww, don't be like that. It will be fun. And besides, it's only going to be the small group of us. You won't have to deal with strange people."

"Even so, it's nothing to really celebrate."

"Yes it is! It's your birthday."

"So? It's just another regular day really."

"You are such a punk, you know that?" Piper told her, playfully punching her in the arm.

"Better a punk than a weirdo."

"Hey, I take pride in being a weirdo thank you very much."

"Clearly. Like I said, to me, it's nothing to celebrate. But anyways, I am going to throw this away. Try not to rub your weirdness off on innocent people passing by."

"Can't make any promises."

"Uh huh." She mumbled, standing up. Walking away, she went to a trashcan by one of the walls and dumped her food out. As she did, she let her mind wander on to the day's events. She had some early morning loving, got some time with Aubrey, got a special gift, and now she was hanging out with three other people who gave her warm feelings, too. It felt a little odd to her, but at the same time…

"I like it. I like it a lot."

For the first time in her life, she felt truly wanted and cared for. She felt happy. She even had small urges to freely hug Aubrey and the others herself, though she couldn't bring herself to do it yet.

"But…I want to. I'm scared of getting attached, but maybe…maybe letting her in more wouldn't be so bad. Maybe the hugs…maybe those are all good. Maybe trusting her would be ok."

A smile crept on her face, her chest warming by the second.

"I could…be happy. I think I'll be safe here. Maybe I should just let her hug me the next time she tries…the next time any of them try. I think I could-"

"Well look what we have here."

Harlyn was suddenly pulled from her happy thoughts by another familiar voice, but the person was someone Aishu didn't want to see.

"Jake?"

The thirteen year old boy leaned back against the wall, arms over his chest.

"Hey loser. I see you're hanging out with your fake family today."

"Oh shut it. I don't have time to deal with you."

"What? I was just saying. Oh, what's that?"

He pointed to the locket around her neck.

"Did your so called foster parent get you a little gift?"

"Yeah, so what of it?"

"Oh nothing. Though, I'm curious, you know why she got that for you, right?"

"Uh, yeah. She said it was because I have been with her for two months."

"And you believed that?"

"She wouldn't lie to me…"

Jake simply scoffed at the comment.

"Wow. And here I thought you were smarter than that."

Harlyn was a little confused at his words.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…come on…she got you that because you have been here two months? Who does that? It not like that's a big deal. I think she just got you that as an attempt to gain your trust, and right when she has you, she's gonna dump you and leave you hanging."

"What?" Harlyn asked, shifting uncomfortably. "That's not true."

"Isn't it? Have any other foster families celebrated keeping you two months?"

"Well…no."

"Did any of them buy you gifts for any special day in your life?"

"No…"

"Exactly. So it's normal for you not to get things and it's normal to not celebrate a two month stay. Did you really actually think it was?"

"I…I…"

Jake smirked.

"That's what I thought. So think about it. If no one ever celebrated something like this before, why would someone do it now?"

"I…I don't know."

"Well I do. See, it's like I said. I think she just did it to gain your trust and then when you least expect it, she's gonna dump you."

"No…no, she wouldn't do that."

"Come on now. You know she would. Did any other family want you?"

"No…"

"Then why would she? If you are already ten years old and no one has wanted you yet, why would anyone want you period?"

His words were actually making sense. She didn't understand why Aubrey would celebrate such a little thing in the first place, but then she actually thought that maybe being here that long was special. Clearly she was wrong. No one celebrated it before. No one loved on her like Aubrey did. So why was she different? Why wasn't she like the others? She knew she wasn't anything special, so Aubrey had no reason to love on her…unless it was for the reasons Jake was saying.

"I…I…"

Jake smirked again. He knew he was getting to her.

"Stupid orphan…"

"But…she's…

"No one wants you. No one ever did and no one ever will. You-"

"Jake!"

Both of the kids jumped at the sudden voice, the stern tone belonging to Pieper, who now stood in front of her younger friend.

"Oh look, it's loser number two."

"What are you doing here?"

"What everyone else is. Just looking around. Hey, it's a free country. I can hang where I want."

"Neither of us are interested in dealing with you. Go away."

"What? No way. I-"

"I said go!"

Her voice was raised, the brunette taking a step closer with clenched fists. A few people passing by even stared as Piper honed in on him.

"Well jeeze…so touchy…"

They could tell he was getting nervous, the boy now stepping away in attempts to play it cool.

"Whatever. I don't feel like wasting my time with you failures anyways. I'm out."

Once he left, Piper turned and rounded on Harlyn.

"What did he say to you?"

Harlyn, who was still in a little shock from it all, stuttered out a few words before speaking clearly.

"I…H-he was…nothing. He said nothing."

"I know he said something. I can tell by the look on your face."

Harlyn started back at the other, her heart now all over the place. The warm feelings she once had were now all sorts of confused, her negative mind set kicking back in.

"Was he right? Is Aubrey just like everyone else? No…she couldn't be, but then, no one else made a two month stay a big deal, so why would she? Maybe she really is just happy I am here? Maybe she meant what she said? I just…I don't know…"

"Harlyn?"

Piper had a soft but firm gaze upon her, the girl legitimately worried.

"I…I'm fine. I'm fine."

"No you're not, I can tell…what did he say to you?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you lie to me."

"I'm not."

"Tell me."

Harlyn eyed the other for a moment, her brows furrowed slightly.

"What's it to you?"

"It's a lot to me. I know what he says gets to you."

"Well just forget about it. I don't want to-"

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"Move out of the way. I-"

"Tell me Harlyn!"

There was a snap in Piper's voice that Harlyn wasn't expecting and it took her off guard.

"I…"

"Tell me…" she said, a little more softly this time. Piper knew her all too well. If she didn't talk about it, she would fall into her negative habits and start thinking bad and untrue thoughts.

"Please?"

Harlyn let out a sigh. Her friend did this every time Jake bugged her and even though it drove her nuts, it was helpful.

"I just…he saw my locket and said that Aubrey didn't get it for me because she wanted to celebrate me being here two months. He said no one would celebrate that. He then said she only did it to gain my trust so she can dump me later on."

"That's not true, and you know that."

"I…I mean…"

"No. You know Aubrey cares about you a lot. She wants you there. And she didn't buy you that necklace for any other reason except that she wanted to. She wanted to give you something special because you deserve it and you are special to her."

"I just…"

"No. She cares. Say it."

"Piper…"

"Say it Harlyn."

The girl let out another sigh.

"Aubrey…cares."

Piper then eased up a bit. She didn't mean to be so hard, but she cared for Harlyn too and didn't want to see her fall.

"I'm sorry, Harlyn. I just don't want you thinking that you are not cared about when you are."

Deep inside, Harlyn knew that, but her worries and fears were all jumbled up with her good thoughts and she didn't know what to do.

"It's fine…" she said softly, unexpected tears forming in her eyes. "Look, can we just not talk about this right now?"

Upon seeing the glazed gaze, she backed off, not wanting to push her any more.

"Ok, but Harlyn?"

Before the girl had a chance to react, Piper wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight.

"I care about you…and my parents, too…and Aubrey…she really, really cares. Trust me. You mean the world to her."

Although she didn't hug back, she listened to the words, her mind fluttering with fifty different thoughts.

"I know she's telling the truth, but at the same time, can I actually believe that something good is going to happen? Aubrey caring…Aubrey happy to have me around…it's just too good to be true…too good…isn't it?"

Later that night…

The day had gone quite wonderful, but when they returned home, Aubrey noticed a change in the little girl. She seemed to shut herself out and pushed to spend time alone. She was confused at first for she seemed to really be enjoying the day, but a phone call from Chloe made it all clear up. According to Piper, that boy Jake had bothered her again while they were at the mall, telling her things that weren't true. Harlyn had to know she was loved and wanted. In fact, she was going to go check on the girl, who had insisted on staying in her room, to give her some extra loving, but before she could, she got yet another phone call, and this one she wished she really never picked up.

"Dad…why are you calling me again?"

"Because we never finished our conversation. You really must meet this man."

"I don't want to! Please stop trying to do that to me!"

"Well you need someone Aubrey."

"I have someone, and her name is Harlyn."

"I'm talking about a husband."

"I don't want one right now. I'm really happy taking care of a little girl."

"She's not even yours."

"I want her to be!"

Her dad sighed on the phone, clearly annoyed at hearing that comment again.

"Aubrey, you need to have real children, and in order to do that you need a husband."

"She is a real child! Don't you say a word against her!"

"Look at you Aubrey! You have a crappy job, you're not married, and you're taking care of a kid that's not even your own. You-"

"My job is not crappy!" she snapped. "I love it. And I don't need to be married at this very moment. And for your information, she is more my child than you are my father."

"You disappoint me Aubrey. You have so much potential and you are wasting it away."

"Well you disappoint me too, dad. Please don't call me back."

"Aubrey, listen to-"

-Click -

She let out a sigh, her hands covering her face as tears began to slip from her eyes. She spent all of her life trying to please that man, and it wasn't until college did she realize that the only person she needed to please was herself. She had great friends, an amazing job, and now she had a little girl.

"I can't stand him. Why can't he just be happy with…me?"

She didn't understand.

"Whatever." She mumbled, her hand now wiping her eyes. For now, she just wanted to forget about it and check on Harlyn. "Damn tears…she doesn't need to see me cry."

"Little did she know…

After the trip, Harlyn spent the rest of the day in her room. She didn't even go down to eat dinner, her mind too full of thoughts and fears.

"I know Aubrey cares about me, but I just don't know why. I'm nothing special." She thought as she curled up on the bed, her hand wrapped around her locket. "But then what Jake said makes perfect sense…and from past experience I know that this is way too good to be true. I mean, come on. No adult has ever been happy with me. And yet, she always seems happy. Maybe she does enjoy having me around….I don't know…"

This was literally what her last few hours were like. She was so torn between her thoughts and feelings and had no idea how to handle the,.

"They're making my head hurt…"

At one point thought, she managed to muster up enough courage to actually go out and talk to Aubrey. Well, it was more like she wanted to be near her.

"I'm tired of feeling like this…I usually feel better when I'm around her. She makes me feel good, but is seeing her ok? Would I be a bother?"

Questions and worries, questions and worries. That's all she as full of, but for once, she fought through them enough to go find the woman.

"I can do this…I can…right?"

As she entered the hallway, she figured the woman would be downstairs, but when she passed by her room, she saw her sitting on the bed through the crack in the door.

"Aubrey…"

Moving closer, she peeked inside. She had every intention of going in, but she saw something that stopped her…something unexpected.

"Is she…crying?"

She heard the woman sniffle and watched her wipe her tears away. Oh yes, she was definitely crying, but why?

"Oh no…is that my fault?"

She turned away and leaned against the wall.

"Did I ruin the day by staying hidden in my room? I know she wanted to spend more time with me but I said no…so I must be the reason. I made Aubrey cry…"

Now guilt filled her system as well. She didn't mean to do it. Her thoughts were just so jumbled that she needed alone time.

"She mentioned wanting to curl up with a movie and I said no. I turned down dinner with her, too…"

Peeking back in, she saw the woman again, her eyes much dryer.

"Oh man…I ruined her day. Good going Harlyn. Maybe I shouldn't talk to her then. Maybe I should leave her be. She probably doesn't want to see me right now. Maybe it's better I go."

Yeah, that seemed like a good idea. If she made Aubrey cry, then she was the last person Aubrey wanted to see. So, with that in mind, she went to walk away. However, as she moved back, she accidentally bumped the door with her arm and caused it to creak. This is turn caused Aubrey to look up and see her.

"Harlyn?"

"Oh crap."

She had been caught.

"What do I do? Do I run?"

"Hey you." The woman said with a smile. "You can come in."

Although her mind told her to turn away, her body had other plans, and Harlyn soon found herself opening the door and stepping inside.

"I was just about to go check on you little girl. You okay?"

The brunette continued walking until she reached the bed. There, she took a seat beside the other.

"Uh, yeah…"

"You sure?" she asked, tucking some of the girl's hair behind her ear.

"Yeah…I just…"

"Hmm?"

She took a deep breath before speaking.

"You…you were crying."

Aubrey's face fell a little.

"Oh no…you saw that?"

Harlyn nodded. She wasn't sure what in her made her talk. All her fears told her to run, but that one part that craved the woman's motherly presence made her stay. Was that feeling really getting to hard to fight?

"I'm…I'm…I'm sorry."

Aubrey looked a little confused.

"For what?"

"Well…for making you cry."

"Wait, what?"

"I made you cry, right? Because you wanted to spend more time with me and I stayed in my room."

"Harlyn…no sweetie, that's not the reason. Is that what you thought?"

Harlyn's own sad gaze gave the answer.

"Oh honey. No. No, no, it wasn't you at all. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Didn't I?"

"Not at all! I promise!"

"But then…why were you crying?"

Aubrey paused for a moment before answering, flashing a small, sad half smile.

"Well…I was crying because of my dad."

"…Did something bad happen to him?"

"No. We had an argument."

"You did?"

"Yeah…see, my dad…he's…he's not a very nice person."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that he demanded perfection of me all my life. Mistakes were not allowed, and if I failed at something, I was a disgrace. He gave nothing but criticism and zero love. To be honest, I don't even think love is in his vocabulary."

"Oh…"

She wasn't expecting that. With how loving Aubrey was, she assumed she came from a loving family.

"So he doesn't love you for you?"

"Well, yeah…he doesn't."

"What about your mom?"

"She died when I was a baby. My dad raised me. Well, more so my nanny, but…yeah."

She had no mother either? That didn't make sense. Aubrey was such an affectionate and caring woman. One would never be able to tell she had a rough childhood.

"Wait…so your mom died and your dad was demanding and unloving?"

"Pretty much."

"So…so you don't know what it's like to be loved by a mom or a dad?"

Aubrey wasn't expecting that question.

"Um…well, yes. I guess you could say that. I don't know what that's like."

Harlyn's eyes fell to the ground, a new feeling running through her. She wasn't expecting a story like that from the loving Aubrey.

"Harlyn, you ok?"

The girl looked back up, and before she could stop herself, the words on her mind came spilling out.

"You're not so different from me…are you…"

Aubrey's heart literally snapped in two when she heard this. Aubrey at least had good friends and found family with Beca and Chloe, but Harlyn…Harlyn had no idea what family was at all.

"Baby…"

Reaching out, she gently cupped Harlyn's cheeks.

"You listen to me…and listen good. Don't you think for even one second that you are unloved or unwanted. If you make a mistake, it's ok. Mistakes happen. You don't have to be perfect, no one is. You just have to be you because that is what I love, and honey, you are loved more than you know."

"Wait…loved?"

"Chloe loves you, Beca loves you, both Piper and Riley love you, and I…I love you. I love you so much Harlyn."

Harlyn's heart gave a strong flutter…the scariest one she had ever felt in her life.

"Did she just say she…loved me?"

Nobody loved her…ever.

"You are an amazing girl and I am so lucky to have you in my life. Other people have treated you badly, but it was because they weren't nice people. It was never because of you. You are a beautiful, smart, and loving little girl and I will always love you just as you are."

The more Aubrey said that world the more her heart trembled. It was getting so bad that tears had even formed in her eyes. Aubrey saw this and immediately pulled her into a hug.

"It's ok, baby…I promise you…you have nothing to be afraid of here."

Suddenly, the warm was stronger than she had ever felt before. It was so strong that she even began to sink into the hug, her arms wanting to come up and hug her back.

"I'm loved…she says I'm loved…"

Could it be true? Were all her bad thought about family wrong?

"She really does care…maybe I can let her in after all."

It would be nice. She yearned so much for that motherly loved the woman offered.

"But it's…"

Her heart suddenly froze.

"It's too good to be true."

That thought hit her mind again. There was no way this could be possible. Good things never happened to her.

"No…no…it can't…I can't…"

Life wasn't supposed to be this perfect.

"I promise you Harlyn, I-"

"No!"

She suddenly pushed herself away and stood up.

""Harlyn-"

"I need to go."

"What?"

"I mean…I'm tired…"

"Harlyn…"

"Please…I just want to sleep."

Aubrey knew the girl had wanted to hug her back. She could feel it when she was in her arms and she could see it in her face right now, but she wasn't letting herself have it.

"My Harlyn…"

She wanted to keep hugging her and comforting her, but she thought better of it. If Harlyn wanted her space, she would give it. So instead, she stood up and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Ok my love. You sleep well then, ok? And if you need anything, let me know. I'll be right here."

And before anything else could be said, Harlyn ran from the room and into her own, shutting the door behind her and falling back onto it, sliding down to the floor moments after.

"What's going on? I can't do this…"

There was way too much going on in her head and her heart and it was overwhelming. She couldn't handle all of these thoughts and emotions.

"Did she really say that she loved me….me?"

She was completely confused. Her mother needing self that had been dormant was full on awake now, but fear kept it from fully getting free.

"I can't take this…I can't, but…I want it, too. I want to hug her…I want to be near her…I wanna snuggle and just…"

She pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face in her arms.

"I…I don't know. I don't know what to believe…what do I do?"