Derek's POV

'So you're not going to be here today?' I asked her sadly.

'I'm spending my day with my parents Derek…' She smiled back while she hugged me. She felt strange… she used to be more cuddly and soft… now she's cold as ice and hard as a rock. I rarely saw her smile… rarely saw the Sera I used to know. She's always sad. Mummy and daddy said that someone hurt her very bad, and that she still doesn't want to talk about it. I can't understand… Can't she talk about it with me and Walter? We always told her everything…

'Sera, can I ask you something?' Will asked as he stood up on the couch while he pulled slowly at the pipe from her nose.

'Sure honey…' She replied again while she removed his hand from it. '…be gently with that…'

'Does it hurt?'

'What hurts? She asked.

'The pipe…' I continued.

'Not really… it's uncomfortable… and makes me want to keep sneezing…' She replied back. '…but on the whole it's ok. You feel the pain when it is inserted and taken out.'

'I'm going to miss you Sera!' I hugged her tight.

'Honey, I'll soon be back…' She replied back. 'Listen… what do you say if I call you sometime? And I'll take plenty of pictures of the beach and countryside… and I'll show you how my day was?'

'Will you bring me candy?' Walter jumped up and down.

'I'll have to ask your parents about that Walter!' She replied back while mum joined us.

Sera's POV

'Ask me what Sera?' Rhian asked while she entered and took Walter into her arms while dropping a kiss on his forehead and putting him on his feet.

'He asked me for some candy. Is it ok if I bring both some please?' I asked her gently while she came to take my temperature.

'Still low…' She replied again as she took a note on a chart she was carrying. '... of course you can honey!' She smiled. '…but you two know that you shouldn't be greedy!'

'Sorry…' They apologized.

'It's ok… really…' I smiled while we heard the doorbell ring.

John's POV

I kept thinking about what she told me in the morning. If I never expected one thing from her was that she would never mess up with drugs. She had to be really miserable to put herself in that much danger. She knows all of the dangers of drugs. The only positive thing I saw was that she was sensible enough to stop it… I couldn't help but think… /'What if she continued doing them? And what will keep her from starting over again? I've… we've all just taken her control… She's attached to her friend at the hip… what if she puts her in danger… I had to tell Christian about this whether… he could talk to Taylor…'/. Soon the doorbell took me out of my deep trance.

'I'll get it…' I said as I went to get the door. 'Hey… Come in…' I greeted to both Ana and Christian.

'Thanks for today…' Ana started.

'We needed this…' Christian continued.

'I know… however I would like to speak to you Christian before you all head out.' I replied while we all moved to the kitchen.

'Is everything ok?'

'Yeah… we need to discuss how you're handling the feeding tube for the day… and there is another matter at hand that I'd like to straighten out…' I said again while Rhian joined us in the kitchen. 'Where are the kids Rhian?'

'Still with Sera… Her temperature is still very low…' She replied back.

'Come with me Christian…' I replied while I let the women to themselves. I saw him stop in the middle of stairs. He held onto the railings looking towards the couch were the three kids were playing and talking. I saw her genuine smile back. She was actually having fun with both Walter and Derek. I missed that smile, and I could see Christian's eyes glistening.

'She hasn't smiled like that in years!' He noted.

'Kids bring out the best from all of us Christian…' I replied again as I squeezed his shoulder.

'I still don't understand… how did this happen?'

'We'll talk in my study Christian…' I replied again as we made our way.

'Christian, I wanted to talk to you for various reasons.' I started as I took my seat and Christian took his seat in front of me. 'Let us start with the feeding tube… Christian do you think you or Ana can handle with doing the procedure yourself?'

'Do you think it's a good idea?'

'That's why I'm asking. I've already administered a bag myself this morning. If you're not ready to take the responsibility of something like this, I'd suggest that you administer something that is high calorific like a juice or smoothie… still from the feeding tube. You'll have to use a syringe.'

'I can handle that. What kind of drink should I give her? Anything specific?'

'Christian I'm leaving that in your hands. She is your daughter and will always remain yours.'

'I feel like I've abandoned her… I watched the whole DVD…'

'…and how do you feel about it Christian?'

'I brought it with me… take a look at it…' He replied as he handed me the CD copy he never gave me. 'I thought things couldn't be worse… that just proved me otherwise…I lost my daughter… I read her journals…'

'Christian… I'm sure you realise that sometimes as a family you've both let anger get the best of you… and Sera was always in the middle.'

'You know… while watching that… I remembered… remembered when I spanked her… I spanked her so hard that I left marks on her… marks on my daughter… my own flesh and blood…' He replied desperately. 'She was afraid of me touching her… or even hugging her… her physical contact got colder and colder by time…'

'What do you mean Christian?'

'You know how I am with control John… I lost it… and for the first time she had stood up to me… I saw red… and in a split second… I… I found myself belting her…' He admitted. '…the worst is… that it was relieving… I never spanked her to hurt her… but that time… it was relief…'

'Christian is that why you weren't talking to her when she was raped?'

'Yes… I was afraid I could hurt her again… she wouldn't handle it… and the little she was trying to talk to me would literally fade away to nothing, and she wouldn't want me to be a father to her…'

'Have you talked to her about this?'

'No… she always tries to avoid talks about everything… She told me about her rape… but she ended up with a panic attack… I was glad she finally started to talk… opening up to me… but at what cost John?'

'There's something else I'd like to talk to you about Christian.' I replied again while I rested my back to the chair. '…I know this will probably make you see red…'

'What is it?'

'I don't know if you've ever realised this… but… I think you should have a talk with Taylor about his daughter…'

'Why?'

'Well… both messed up with drugs…'

'What do you mean 'messed up with drugs' John?' He sternly replied as he pursed his lips in a tight line.

'I mean they've experimented with drugs. Sera was sensible enough to stop… Natalie… well… she worries me in another way… I've seen her… and I've talked to her…' I reasoned with him. 'Christian, do not blame yourself… you need to realise Sera was unhappy and she was starting to experiment with things. She found that starving and cutting would be a better control than drugs…'

'…and how can I not John?' He replied as he stood up and paced around. 'Fuck! I have all that security… all those tracking devices… a 24/7 body guard on her tail… and she managed to do drugs? What kind of father am I to not having noticed the effects?' He reasoned. 'How do you know she did drugs?'

'A statement she told me got me wondering…'

'…and what did she do?'

'Weed, and happy pill…'

'…great… Not only she's fucking on self-destruction mode… but she's also putting herself in a dangerously amount of danger…'

'Christian… stop this… she doesn't do drugs anymore… and if I don't trust her in anything were it comes to food and her feelings, I trust her blindly in this...' I scolded. 'Christian you need to be there for her right now… She needs a strong father who she can lean on. I am trying to be a figure for her… are you going to be a father to her Christian? A father who she can lean on when she needs?'

'Of course I want to be… She's my only daughter…' He reasoned. 'I love her…'

'Good… then today don't mention this to her… and instead be a family like you all were once… She needs to see that she can rely on you all…' I replied. 'Not to mention, she's already frustrated that she cannot stand on her feet for that long. I should let you know that at times you may have to carry her…'

'How did she become this weak?'

'Christian… anorexia tends to go unnoticed. People with eating disorders learn how to hide things… learn how to hold on to the pain and push themselves to the limit… Sera did the same… but now things are catching up to her, and her physical body isn't keeping up with the emotional and control. She used to control anorexia… but the illness keeps getting stronger and stronger… until Sera is left helpless and weak… she still doesn't see it… and that is exactly why I've taken all the control away. Christian you and Ana gave up on her… whether you realise it or not… you've given up and haven't fought it with her…' I explained. 'Sera saw you lenient and easily deceived… you both didn't push her enough and sit with her… before I decided that this was the best option I used to spend more than 5 hours on the table waiting for her to make a move, and when she didn't manage, I had to feed her like a baby… sometimes even having to calm her down because it was overwhelming to her… and when she finally managed to eat something I had to literally keep her… almost restraining her from going to throw it all up again. I used to sit with her for almost an hour on the couch… talking or even helping her studying… or even just simply her laying down with her head on my chest while we watched some TV. She needs you to both be there as parents… and I promise you, she will beg you not to give her anything not even water… but you both have to be strong… you both have to take the control away, because once it's given the littlest chance, it will rise up stronger and stronger…'

'What if she hates me?'

'Christian do you honestly believe that? If anything you're going to show her that you want her… she believes that she deserves to die slowly and painfully… she believes that she deserves to starve… make her believe otherwise… she loves you both very much… but you need to fight for her…' I replied again while I opened the drawer and handed him a bag with an extra set of sterilized syringe for him to be able to administer everything. 'You have everything here... Just pull the plunger to get the liquids in the syringe and then push it into the tube.' I instructed.

'When should I give it to her?'

'You have to administer 4 in the least of 250ml each… It's really your choice how you want to go. I can assure you she will try to negotiate, and tell you that she doesn't need it… but you both have to be stern Christian. Rhian is advising Ana about certain things as well, which is why we decided to talk to you separately.' I replied again while we both stood up. 'I've taken too much time from your day already…'

'Thanks John…' He said.

'For what?' I asked confused.

'For taking care of my daughter when Ana and I couldn't… We've left her… and you've been there for her to give her something to hold on to…'

'Christian… I've told you… I love her… we all do… I count her as a Flynn…' I stated. 'If things in your family are going to remain the same… I will be fighting you over her full custody Christian… I'm not threatening you or anything… but she deserves more than what she had to go through… I'm raising two kids with Rhian… Sera would be a great addition to this family Christian.'

'You would do that? Take my daughter from me… from us?'

'If the need be Christian, yes I will… you can bring the best lawyers in the world. You know I will win… her health condition and everything we have as proof would give me her full custody…' I challenged. 'Christian… you and Ana are no longer a couple where you can have sex and make love or fuck… you have a daughter for God's sake… she needs to be a priority in both your lives.'

'She is John!'

'Then prove it… make her feel like one!' I finished.

Christian's POV

She had to hold on to me to walk, else she would have tripped. I couldn't believe that what I had in my arms was my daughter. She was very sick… She was very weak… and yet they had to put her again on the frikkin' tube. It was stuck to her cheek with a piece of adhesive skin tape and the tube was fully inserted into her nostril to her stomach.

I kept checking over her in the rear view mirror. She didn't say a word in the whole drive. She kept listening but never making a stand. Ana also took a look from the mirror and gave me a look. I looked where she was staring and there I saw her… she was trying to pull scabs from her arm, while pulling skin from beside her nails.

'Sera… can you please stop picking at your skin peanut?' I asked her gently while I saw her face turn to surprise. I had never told her to do anything. She quickly placed her hands under her legs.

'Where are we going? We've been driving for 20 minutes for sure…' She asked in a very tiny voice.

'We're going to were you learned how to swim honey…' Ana replied smiling as she reached to squeeze our daughter's leg.

'I remember…' She smiled. 'Mum… do you remember when I tripped on the BBQ while dad was about to get some barrel with sea water for support?'

'Of course I do… I also recall your first discovery of starfishes. You caught in your hands imagining it some kind of toy, and when it moved in your hands you dropped it and started crying…'

'I got scared mum…' She replied.

'I remember I came to you and you were afraid to go swimming again.' I joked.

'I'm still afraid of starfishes…' She admitted.

'I'll tell you what peanut…' I suggested as I took the next turn and parked the car. 'We'll catch some crabs, like when you were younger, and then if we find a star fish, we'll admire it…' I encouraged. 'What do you say peanut?'

'Um… ok… sounds fun…' She smiled as she took her seat-belt off and opened the door the gently. I moved to the luggage boot and took out two large bags that we had prepared. I removed my suit jacket and quickly changed my black Armani shoes to a more comfortable pair. I looked over my daughter while I was closing and locking the doors. She was staring far ahead… lost into her own thoughts with Ana by her side fearing that she would collapse on us any second. She gave me a look that meant thousand words.

'Come on…' I smiled as we started walking down the stairs only to find the rocks in our way. At first it was easy to all of us, but soon felt two tiny hands on my back. I dropped the bags immediately and held my daughter before falling down. 'Honey… are you ok?' I asked concerned.

'Mhmm…' She replied while she tried making another pace, but her legs failed her. 'Dammit…'

'Sera, don't get discouraged…' Ana encouraged as she picked up the two bags while Ana gave me a look. I already had the idea she suggested with her eyes.

'Jump…' I said I gave her my back, and put her on my back. 'I'll give you a piggy back ride peanut…' I smiled while she rested her head on my shoulder. She was so light… lighter than she was younger… or to put it better… since I had last given her the piggy back ride. We soon arrived to our favourite spot. I placed my daughter gently back to her feet, and held her from her back for support while Ana placed the three towels on the almost flat ground. I helped Sera to sit on her favourite blue towel. Gail had given it to her, knowing that we all shared a love for the beach, so on her first swimming lesson, Gail had given her the towel for good luck. We all joined her. I pulled her close to me. I missed having her in my arms. I missed having to smell her coconut hair. I missed having my daughter… we both did. Ana soon came to join us. I could feel her flinching… but she soon relaxed into our embrace.

'We missed you honey!' Ana started.

'I did too mum…' She replied.

'You know…' I continued as I gave her some space to breath. '…you still have to take my wrought today blondey!' I teased.

'Oh… are you still holding on to that!' She mockingly replied.

'Well… I haven't seen my daughter in weeks… I missed her…'

'You could have visited…'

'We thought it would be best for you if you got some space honey…' Ana replied.

'What about you mum?'

'What about me?'

'Come on mum… how was… you know… rehab? Did you stop for real?'

'This time yes… I've acknowledged my problems and am working to fix them…' she replied.

'… and what about you two?'

'What do you mean?' I asked her gently.

'… are you still going to fight and argue all the time?'

'We're working on it honey…' We both replied in unison.

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