So sorry for the delay. Water damage to my laptop on the flight to Vienna definitely didn't help then finals rolled around then planning for my study abroad in Italy that I leave for in 10 days also didn't. Hope you enjoy the update!

Chapter XLIV

"I was born on May 17, 1995 in Bucharest." Ana began and Emily snapped her fingers.

"Romanian!" she announced triumphantly. "I can't believe I didn't figure that out!"

"You're familiar?" Ana raised an eyebrow in question. Emily nodded.

"My third language was Russian."

"Third?" Ana chuckled. "How many do you speak?"

"Fluently?" Emily asked and the girl nodded. "About five."

"Wow. And I thought being bilingual was special." The two smiled before Ana continued. "My family was…special in Romania."

"What do you mean by special?"

"My parents were considered modern-day royalty." She said distastefully.

"Were?"

"Yes. When I was about 10 years old, there was coupe." Ana saw Emily's eyes widen. "It wasn't violent but we couldn't stay there. A month later we moved to 'middle of nowhere' Illinois and Alexia was born thirteen months later." Ana adjusted her legs underneath her before sighing. "The only problem was that my parents were still under the impression that they were royal."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"Once Alexia was born and she started growing up, they realized just how…inadequate I was as a daughter."

"Ana, I'm sure that's not-"

"It is true. You weren't there." Ana's head snapped up, black hair swishing back. She ran a hand through it before continuing. "She was sweeter, she was smarter and most importantly, she handled their bullshit better than I could ever hope to."

"They love you just as much as they love her." Emily said stubbornly.

"Besides the point." Ana waved her hand dismissively. "I had more of a rebellious stage than most other teenagers and when I turned fourteen, it took a turn for the worst. I was hanging out with the wrong kind of people and got mixed up in things a fourteen year old should never be involved in."

"What do you mean?" Emily had a feeling that she already knew where this story was headed; in fact, she could probably recite it. Ana lowered her gaze and began to pick at her nails in silence. Several seconds passed before the girl sighed heavily and explained- her eyes still downcast.

"When I met Adrian, I wasn't exactly as…inexperienced as he thought." Ana's cheeks reddened further as she saw that Emily wasn't at all surprised. Great. Now she really thinks I'm a slut.

"What happened?"

"I…I don't want to talk about this anymore." Ana moved to get up but was stopped as Emily's hand grasped her forearm.

"Ana," Emily drew the girl's gaze to hers. "I know what you're thinking but you're wrong. I'm not judging you nor do I think any less of you than I did five minutes ago. You said you trusted me. Let me show that you can."

"I've never…I've never told anyone." Ana reluctantly sat back down and tucked her hands into her lap. Emily copied her position and leaned forward.

She stared down at the object in her hand and leaned against the bathroom sink for support. No, this couldn't be happening. It was just one time! She held back tears and glanced at herself in the mirror before tossing the stick into the garbage can. Frantically, she covered it up with toilet paper and an almost empty tube of toothpaste before a knock came at the door. Ana jumped at the sound and smacked her hand directly on the corner of the sink.

"Ana, we must be leaving!" her mother's voice cried. "Your sister will be late for school." Of course, no one ever cared if she was the one who was late. Wordlessly, she opened the door and brushed past her mother quickly. Packing her things for the day, Ana slid into the car and waited for Alexia to be buckled in before they sped off to make the first bell.

Hours later, while Ana sat on her bed and contemplated whether or not it was too early to tell Eric. Eric, the seventeen year old hockey player that she had a crush on for the past year. Eric, the jock who got high every weekend and invited her to party last Saturday. Eric, the possible father of her child.

"Ana?" a small voice drew her out of her thoughts and she looked up to find her sister, arms full of books. "Help?" Ana couldn't help but smile at the four-year old. She was so advanced for her age but still, reading some of these was too difficult and it wasn't rare for her to ask for help. Ana tapped on the spot beside her and Alexia happily climbed up. After the thirteenth chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was finished, Alexia started dozing off.

"Time for bed." Ana nudged the girl slightly, trying to wake her up.

"Why you sad?" Alexia's sleepy voice asked, her eyes still only half open.

"I'm not sad." Ana lied poorly and Alexia snuggled closer to her sister's side.

"You can tell me." She held up a pinkie. "Won't tell." Her wide, jade eyes pleaded with her and Ana couldn't resist. She told.

"Let me guess?" Emily asked. "She told." Ana sat straighter and frowned.

"She didn't meant to." She defended her sister. "She was four! I should've never-"

"Ana, it's ok. It's not her fault but it's not yours either." Emily took the girl's hand and squeezed. "I take it your parents didn't take it well?" Ana scoffed.

"You can say that." She shook her head as if she still couldn't believe what had happened. "They acted as if they expected it; told me that if I was going to stay in their house I needed to 'take care of it'. I couldn't. I couldn't do that." It was Emily's turn to lower her gaze. "When I found out the test was wrong, they still told me that I was a disgrace, that I wasn't allowed anywhere near Alexia so I wouldn't turn her into me."

"And then?" Emily asked, grateful to have the conversation steered away from that topic.

"They handed me a stack of brochures for boarding schools and told me that if I didn't pick one, they would. I left the next night."

"Ana," Emily took both the girl's hands in hers. "I'm so sorry that that happened to you. You didn't deserve that and I know for a fact that they regret their decision now." She shrugged in return.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like I'm actually going to have a life now." Tears brimmed on the corners of Ana's eyes and Emily shifted to draw the girl closer.

"That's not true." Emily rocked her shaking form as Ana cried silently into her shirt. "I promise, we're going to do everything in our power to make this right." She felt Ana nod against her and continue to tremble in her arms. Emily couldn't remember feeling such distain towards two people before in her life. Even her own parents hadn't gone to the extent Ana's had- although hers had never learned of what had transpired in Italy. An overwhelming sense of determination sprouted in Emily's chest. She would fix this even if it meant ruining her own career. She would make this right for Ana. It was the least she could do.