Flynn's POV

She didn't even touch the food... She played with it, and now it got cold. She thought she will be let gone off easily...but she still doesn't know what's coming. After all of us finished our dinner and Rhian placed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, I brought some files on the table and placed a chair opposite to where I was to sit.

'Daddy, can we stay up and watch Tom and Jerry?' Walter asked, while I heated up Sera's dinner.

'No Walter... You need to go get ready for bed...' I smiled as I went down to my youngest. 'Don't worry, I will record it for you and you'll watch it later... What do you think?'

'Ok... But only if I have a piece of chocolate...' he negotiated.

'Didn't you just have dessert?'

'Don't tell Derek that I told you... but he took mine...' he whispered.

'Derek?' I asked while he came forward. 'Is it true that you took Walter's chocolate?' I asked while he smiled cunningly.

'Well... I didn't quite take it... Walter left it there, and I ate it...'

'Derek you should never take things from your brother.' I explained. 'Apologize to your brother...'

'...Sorry Walter… You can have the biggest piece tomorrow…' He said while he hugged Walter.

'There you go… All better Walter?' I asked

'Mhmm..' he smiled while he yawned.

'Let's get ready for bed...' Rhian said while both obeyed, until they ran towards me again giving me their good night kiss.

'Mummy, are you coming?' Walter asked.

'In a minute big guy...' she replied. 'I need to speak to your father...'

We waited till we heard the bathroom door open, until she started to speak.

'What are you going to do?' she asked.

'She's going to eat... And I will stay here observing her.' I continued as I sat everything in place.

'I'll leave you to it then...' she smiled as she came forward to kiss me... 'I'll be with the kids... They want me to read them that damn book you gave them for Christmas...'

I made sure to see that I had everything in place. A clear transparent glass, water, one napkin, cutlery... I made my way to her room, and she was there lost in writing her notes...

'Sera... Can you come down please?' I called her gently. 'I need help with something.'

She came immediately without any hesitation and followed me quietly. I moved forward to the kitchen and she remained at the kitchen entrance.

'Sit Sera...' I ordered while I saw that she realized what I was doing.

'What is this?' she asked while I held the chair out for her to take it.

'Sera, you didn't have any breakfast and I bet you skipped lunch too. You went running and had swimming lesson today... And you think I'm allowing you to skip dinner?'

'I'm not hungry...'

'I didn't ask if you are hungry or not Sera... You still have to eat your dinner.' she knew I meant business. There was no way in hell that she was going to escape this one. 'Sera... Please... The longer you take the longer we'll be here.' Finally she moved forward hesitantly. She remained enclosed and her body language made me realize that it wasn't going to be easy.

Her long curly hair rested gracefully on her shoulders. It made her look smaller. She had quite thick hair...but due to lack of nutrients, it looked dull, and her curls were losing its shape, making her face look smaller than it already was.

'Sera, please tie your hair back, roll up your sleeves, and place both of your hands on the table, and hand me your shoes please.' I ordered. I knew all the tricks anorexics have. They would even hide their food in their hair... Up their sleeves... Even in shoes... They make it seem like they dropped something, but in reality they're just hiding their food.

I placed her portion in front of her. It was smaller than what Walter had... But we had to break the cycle slowly. I could see her getting nervous, and started scratching and playing with her fingers. I grew more concerned. She resorted to self-harm unconsciously.

'Start eating please...' I ordered as I sat down in front of her.

'You can go... If you want...' she suggested.

'No... Sera I'm staying here till I see that plate empty.' I replied again. 'You have all the time you want... No rush... Take your time... I have plenty of paper work to catch up on.' I smiled while I handed her the fork.

She thought about it before she took it in her hand. I rested my back to the chair, and wore my glasses. I started writing trying to give her some space in getting herself to eat... But it was to no avail. She remained there still playing with the food. She took few sips of water here and there, but she still didn't touch anything. It's been almost half an hour, and yet she resorted to hold on to her control... I took of my glasses and stared at her. I realized there was a hint of tears in her eyes... Her legs were shaking uncontrollably as a sign of nervousness. I closed off my file and turned my full attention to her. Her hand was to her head, and she was rubbing her temples.

'Sera, please stop fidgeting...'

'Why are you doing this? Are you enjoying seeing me like this?'

'No... I am not doing this to entertain myself Sera. You need to eat... And avoiding food won't help...'

'Please... I promise I'll eat tomorrow... Not today...'

'No Sera... There are no offers on the table... You have to eat... And we're not moving from here until you finish.' I replied again. 'You say you are fine and that you can do this on your own Sera... Prove to me that you can... Eat...' I said again as I moved forward to her.

'Fine... I can't do it... I can't eat... Are you happy now?'

'No...That doesn't make me happy... It makes me concerned... And worried but not happy...'

'...and why should you be? I'm not your daughter and you are not my father.' she threw back.

'I may not be your father... But you are my responsibility now... I love you as if you were my own...'

'No... No...' she said as she stood up moving away from everything. I followed her and stopped her.

'No what sera?...' I turned her facing me, waiting for her response.

'No ... You cannot love me... I'm nothing to you or anybody... I'm just worthless... You are...'

'Sera your grandparents raised me as if I was their own after my parents died... I was alone and I wanted to remain confined to my own loneliness... But it doesn't work... You need to let people in Sera... You need to let me help you...'

'...and why should I do that John? I've tried that... And it doesn't work... Have you looked at my parents lately? All they do is shout and slap... They only think about themselves making everything about them... Everyone leaves in the end... And it would all be to nothing...'

'How does that make you feel Sera?' I asked gently as I caught one of her tears...

'I don't want to talk about that...' she retreated back as she tried freeing herself.

'No... You're not going anywhere until you eat... '

'Please...'

'No sera... You have to eat...' I insisted again as I dragged her back to her seat. I sat beside her, and rubbed her back gently... 'Take a small bite...just one bite…' she looked at me pleadingly... But it doesn't work that way. If she were in an eating disorders unit they would have put her straight on a feeding tube... I took the fork from her hand gently. She was like a 4 year old still learning how to eat. I put some of her pasta on the fork.

'You're going to feed me?'

'You need to eat Sera... One way or another...' I replied again as I held the fork in front of her. 'Open your mouth.' I said again, while she shook her head in disagreement. 'Sera it won't work with me... We'll stay the whole night if the need be... Until you eat...' she thought about it, and finally she took the fork in her hand. She looked at it, and finally it was brought to her lips. She closed her eyes tightly and chewed slowly. I felt her shaking with sobs, but at least we arrived somewhere...

'Keep going Sera...' I encouraged. She remained quiet, only for few sobs that shook her body every now and then. The 50g of pasta were decreasing little by little. She kept rubbing her temple and her foot kept nervously shaking. I had taken her control away... There was nothing she could do... Only to comply.

'Come on... You're doing great kiddo...' I smiled while I squeezed her shoulder in encouragement. It was already 8pm, and it had been almost 2 hours that we had been struggling to eat. She grabbed her napkin, and I knew what she was about to do. I stopped her immediately. 'No, first swallow... Then use the napkin...' I instructed. There was no way she could trick me.

After few more bites, her plate was almost finished, she left about a fork. Anorexics tend to never finish their meal... It's how it all starts... First not finishing a meal... Then cut out snacks and junk food altogether, then decrease their portions by half, then by quarter and then by eight... Until finally they hold on to starving themselves until someone stops them...

'Can I be excused?'

'No... You are going to stay here, and you are going to keep what you ate down...'

'Please I really need to go to the bathroom...' she begged.

'No Sera... Your bulimic tendencies want you to...' I replied again. 'We are going to move to the couch and we are going to talk...'

'I really need to use the bathroom' she insisted again.

'Ok then...' I replied as I stood up and waited for her.

'You're coming with me?'

'Yes... And I'm going to remain outside the door... Any heave I hear and I'm in...'

'Don't you trust me?'

'I do trust you... It's your anorexia that I don't trust...' I said again. 'Come...'

Sera's POV

It was going to be harder... Him outside the door... How was I to cover the sounds? What have I gotten myself into? It's already hard enough as it is... Having to eat that... Let alone keeping it down... There were no compromises with him... I wasn't able to trick him... I couldn't do anything...

'You have 10 minutes...' he instructed.

I entered the bathroom, and closed the door. He removed the key so that I won't lock myself in there. I needed to get rid of everything... But how? I had managed to make the process faster by time... But... Could I risk it or not?

Before I knew it, I was already on my knees. I flushed the toilet to drown the sounds and soon my fingers were deep in my throat. All it took was one tickle at the back of my throat, and I could see some of the pasta floating on top of the water. I looked at the door and realized that he didn't hear anything...'maybe he wasn't so sharp after all...' I smiled to myself. My head was already throbbing... And I could feel all my sinuses congested. I went in for the second time, and a reasonable amount came up. Only this time, there was a hand stopping me from doing it again.

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