It's way too early, Jade thinks. She looks at the digital clock beside her. One of Cat's weird ways is having a clock in every room. Even the bathroom. It's 3.20am. Jade blinks in the soft glow of the dimmed light. Cat must have turned it down for her. No one really knows, but Jade never sleeps in total darkness. Jade scratches her head and walks to Cat's room. She's sitting up with Olivia. Cat smiles as Jade sits next to them.

"Why are you up so early, Livvy?" Jade smiles at Olivia. She squeezes her chubby cheeks. Olivia starts to cry. Jade looks panicked. "Why is she crying?" Cat frowns.

"She's probably just sleepy and hungry. Do you want to sort her out? I'll go to sleep." Jade nods. She picks up Olivia carefully and rocks her. "Night-night."

"Night." Jade says quietly. She grabs Olivia's Moses basket and takes her to the next room. "You're okay, Livvy. Promise, I'm your mommy." Jade rocks her while she sighs gently, falling asleep. "I'm so sorry I left you. Auntie Cat has given you the best start. You won't remember this though, darling."

Olivia is soon asleep, tucked up and cosy now. Jade pads back to her room, her soft breaths the only sound. She won't be able to sleep now. She gets up and makes coffee, stretching quietly. Jade takes this as her chance to see what's been going on in the world. She switches the TV to the news and sits down. The low hum of the electricity in the room comforts her.

"Abandoned baby girl freezes to death as temperatures drop to minus." The TV is switched off then, and Jade lies back, gripping her mug tightly. She doesn't move when the coffee is cold, and she doesn't move when there's a high pitched cracking sound, and pieces of cute kitties are scattered over her legs. Cat yawns as she tiptoes downstairs, calling quietly for Jade at 6am.

"Are you okay?" Cat says. Her eyes soften when they see Jade, and she rushes over, taking the broken pieces of China out of Jade's bloody hands. She dabs at Jade's hands with a tissue, while Jade squeezes her eyes shut.

"I didn't mean to." Cat nods, grimacing at all the blood. "I just…"

"I know." Cat sighs at her best friend, trembling and needing to be taken care of. Cat bites her lip. "You…you just broke the mug didn't you?" Jade nods. "Okay." Cat sprays some antiseptic on her wound and is spooked when she doesn't even flinch. When Cat sprayed it on herself a few months back when she'd broken her mirror, it hurt. A lot. "I don't think you'll need stitches."

Cat smiles brightly when Jade is all bandaged up. "So! It's Wednesday today and I thought we could go out." She hauls Jade up and gets her into her room. "Tori's old clothes are here. They may be a little snug," Cat says, but she's not sure. Jade is so thin now. Tori's old clothes hung off of her skeletal frame. Cat chewed the inside of her cheek. "We'll get you some new clothes today."

Cat let Jade dress Olivia, thinking it would be fun for her. Jade slipped her into the dinky dress, going through the motions. She didn't smile once. She did look up gratefully at Cat though, saying a quick thank you.

…..

Shopping was very tiring for everyone. Jade kept bursting into tears and so Olivia was unsettled. Cat wanted to take her pain away so badly. She couldn't stand seeing the person who meant the most to her in her life shattering like glass in front of her. Cat's voice shook as she tried to comfort Jade.

"It's okay. You're fine. I'm so sorry." Cat rubbed Jade's back, cringing when she could feel every curve in her spine. "We'll make you better, I promise. You'll be okay again, really." Jade mops at her face viciously with a tissue. Cat slowly pulls her hand from her face. "Don't hurt yourself."

Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Cat is at the end of her tether. Jade is still crying; she can hear her at night. It's getting worse. Cat hates seeing people upset. She fusses over Jade a lot. But one day, much later, Cat went to the store. She took Olivia with her but left Jade at home, sleeping.

Cat was happy for a while. Jade was okay at home, Olivia was sleeping in the shopping cart chair, and she was okay. That was what Cat thought until she got home. She heard screaming like someone was being murdered. Cat's so scared she leaves the baby in the car. She runs in and stops at the scene in front of her. Jade is standing on the couch, poised to attack with a lamp in her hand. It might have been funny on TV. But this wasn't TV. Cat slowly walked up to her. That's when she notices Beck staring up at her. "GET HIM OUT!" Jade screams at Cat, terror flashing on her face. Her usually pale cheeks are scarlet and she looks even skinnier than yesterday.

"Okay. Calm down, Jadey, calm down." Jade looked down upon hearing her old nickname. She lets Cat take the lamp. She slumps back on the couch. Her eyes snap shut. She hears hushed whispers.

"Get out." Then she feels a pair of hands grabbing her by the wrist. She struggles and screams. Her eyes are open again. Her eyes soften. His face is unshaven and dirty. Then she sees it; the pink lipstick stain on his neck. Coral blush. Her favourite.

"You didn't?" Jade whispers. "Not..?" Beck nods. "How could you?" She mutters the name under her breath. Alyssa Vaughn. She starts to hit him pounding him with her bony knuckles. Cat tries to pry her off of him. "Tell me why!" Jade starts to wreck everything. Hitting everyone, injuring herself. Cat can't look at her.

"Call 911!" Cat says, going to get the baby. She cradles her and contemplates taking her to Jade, but knows, regardless of her feelings, that she's not well enough. Cat cries when they take her away kicking and screaming. She picks up pebbles and throws them at Beck, blaming him for everything.

"You shouldn't be here! Why are you here?! Do you want to hurt her? They took her away!" She screams, throwing the contents of her makeup bag at him. A nail polish bottle hits him and he throws it back half-heartedly. He doesn't want to hurt her. He encases her in a hug and she lets him. She's still hitting him, slowly with her fists. "What am I going to do?" She asks him. He shakes his head. She walks back inside, locking the car and leaving him out in the rain.

Cat sighs. She's left holding the baby once again.

A/N:

Sorry I haven't updated. But I'm back! I hope you all had lovely holidays! oxox