"What're you doing?" Marcy asked, watching as Ella took down a large picture of…well, what it was Marcy wasn't entirely sure of…Kira had a kind of morbid fascination with abstract art.

Ella smiled, glad to see her sister taking an interest in something other than ceiling and lighting fixtures. "Redecorating."

The brunette wrapped her thin arms around herself, tiredly leaning against the door frame. "Is Kira aware of your plans?"

"Psh. No." Ella grinned as Marcy let out a weak chuckle. "I might be young but I'm not a complete idiot."

"Hmm, well that's debatable."

The little one glared at her, which only caused to laugh a little more. Her eyes dropped to the woman's chest. "Is that my shirt?"

Marcy looked down, "yeah." She cleared her throat. ", none of my old clothes seem to fit me. Sorry."

"It's okay." Ella whispered, noticing how even her clothes seemed to hang on the taller woman, even if only slightly. Snapping out of it, she held up a box marked my shit. "Wanna help?"

Marcy looked at the box. "Hey! That's my shit! I put it in storage how'd-"

"Harper's my home girl. Hooked me up with the keys." Ella jingled them, "Come on."

Marcy took a seat next to her on the floor, hiding a wince as she crossed her legs. Her thighs were still to be tightly bandaged for the next couple days, as were her ribs. A majority of her injuries were welts, shallow cuts, things along those lines. But most of the worst damage was internal.

Marcy pulled out a couple picture frames still wrapped in newspaper. Ella shot her a glance as her bruised fingers carefully undid the casing. A grin stretch over her features; straining the split on her lower lip, as well as the deep laceration on her right cheek.

"What?" Ella asked, finding herself beaming as Marcy licked her now splitting lip.

"Uh, nothing, just Cara's really…green, in this picture."

"What?" She took the picture that was past to her. "Why is she green?"

"'Cause I'm stupid." Marcy shook her head, a small smile still playing on her lips.

Neither noticed the door opening.

"Of course you're stupid." A new voice said, and the two spun from their spots on the floor, "You're both stupid."

"You son of a bitch." Ella growled, standing now. Marcy on the other hand, stayed seated, trying not to panic as her little brother entered.

"What?" Nikki asked, dumbfounded.

Ella glared at him, "you know better than to scare her like that!"

He shrugged, dropping next to the calmer sister. "Hey, what're we doin'?"

Marcy gave him a small smile, but still didn't meet his eyes. "Redecorating."

"Oh, shit, let's paint the walls pink or-why is she green?" Nikki plucked the frame from the floor, grinning at it.

"Hey!" The siblings looked at the younger, "I'm not done scolding you!"

The two smiled, and Ella went back to the group. "You bitches."

-

Although Marcy was still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of a man in her home-well, Kira's home- she had to admit she found her brother's eccentric aura calming. Besides, she tended to fair better with his constant need for noise than the neighbor's pleads for silence.

"Hey." Nikki nudged her foot. "Baby Ci."

Marcy glanced at him, not bothering to move from her position on Kira's fashionable, but uncomfortable, couch. "Yeah?"

"I hear you totally flipped on this dude at his work."

"Starbucks?" She asked cocking a brow watching as he scrambled closer to her.

"No! What happened at Starbucks?!" He shouted, grinning, as he came to rest at her feet. Yes…Nikki's inner child was a slow one.

"Nothing." She stated. He pouted, but didn't push the subject further.

"Fuck!" He yelled, giving the glass coffee table a swift boot. The sound of glass shattering elected a harsh cry from the woman, who bolted up.

"What the hell're you doing?!" Marcy screamed, backing away from him as he stared at the remnants of the glass.

"I-" He looked up at her horrified face and cringed, "I didn't mean to."

Raking her hands roughly over her face, she closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. "I-it's…it's okay, Nik."

"I didn't mean to scare ya, Marce." He replied weakly as Ella came in the room. Rubbing her eyes tiredly she looked around.

"What's goin' on?"

"Nothing, I-I'm just gonna head to bed." Marcy turned, and left her brother to pick up the fragments.

-

The next day, Nikki was slightly on edge. He didn't want another episode like the night before. He could see what Ella meant now. He could see how Marcy could be viewed as fragile. But it didn't seem to fit her. He'd have to find a better word.

His grey eyes flickered over to her prone form. She didn't seem the least bit bothered by what had taken place the previous night. In fact she seemed completely obvious to it.

"Marcy?"

"Mmhm?"

Nikki glanced up at the pictures now lining the wall, one in particular stood out, "where's Adam?"

She said nothing a moment, before looking over in his direction, "probably at work, why?"

He shrugged, "just wondering why he hasn't stopped by is all."

-

Adam sighed as he took his eyes off the screen.

"Hey, how're you holding up?"

He glanced at the blonde woman, "Fine, I guess."

"And Marcy?" Kendall's brown eyes never strayed from his worn features as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Not good, according to Ella."

She lifted a brow, "well, didn't you see for yourself?"

"No. She, uh, she was asleep." He answered, looking up at his friend's sad smile.

"Well," Kendall said, "maybe you should check for yourself."

He shook his head. "She doesn't wanna see me."

"Of course she does!" The blonde grinned, "I hear she loves you."

"If she loves me then why'd she tell Ella to say she was sleeping?!" He snapped.

Her brow crinkled, "what'd you mean?"

"She was out on the balcony the whole damn time!" Adam crossed his arms, "she just didn't wanna see me."

Kendall placed her hand over his, "I'm sorry, Adam."

"Yeah," He groaned, tightening his hold on her hand, "me too."

-

Marcy stared at herself in the mirror. She'd never had any type of body issue before. Slowly she raised her hand and dragged her finger along the pink ridges left behind by the switchblade. Most of them had healed without infection, but a few, such as the split on her lip and a long cut that ran from just above her right temple and trailed down to the curve of her jaw, were proving difficult.

Sighing, she pulled open the medicine cabinet, and dropped her shorts to the floor as she began to remove the bandages from her inner thighs.

Best she try to fix the worst wounds first.

-

Ella continued to pack her bag as Nikki continued to open and close Kira's drawers rhythmically. He had been going through them…but after an experience with an underwear drawer disturbed him…he stopped.

"Yo, Tella-Ella."

She rolled her eyes, "what?"

"What's up with this Adam bloke anyway?" Nikki drawled, shutting the drawer.

"He loves her."

"He just doesn't like being there for her when she needs him?" He quirked a brow sarcastically, "nice guy."

"Oh, shut up Nikki, you don't know anything!" Ella replied angrily.

"I know he's not here."

She ignored him, but couldn't shake the quiet dislike of the Ross man she'd grown into having.