*Crickets* Hello? Anyone still there? I. Am. So. Sorry. I have had the hardest time trying to process what I want with this story, and where I want it to go. I've become a bit lazy, and then I went on vacation. So I'm sorry. There is really no excuse for my actions. Anyway, that's why I'm going to give you a super long chapter! Whoop! Let's just get to it.

I probably should say this more often.. *I do not own anything, besides my OC. Everything else goes to E L James.

XXX

Madeline sank into the dark red velvet couch. She absentmindedly moved her fingers over the fabric in a pattern that calmed her nerves. This was only her second meeting with Flynn, and though he was a kind man, she felt uncomfortable knowing that he had so many secrets and confessions under his belt. Secrets she told him, secrets her father told him, and on rare occasions, secrets her mother told him. If she had so many secrets looming around her head all the time, she was sure she would explode. But she knew her secrets were safe with him (no matter how hard her father might try to get her secrets out of Flynn). She sat on the couch Indian style, trying to become more relaxed, or appear more at ease. A steaming cup of tea was on the small glass table in front of her. Flynn sat in his desk opposite of her, almost like he was a teacher and she was the student, having a one-on-one lesson. Madeline's Brain 101, the girl smirked at her thought as Flynn was writing things down and set up his recorder. He recorded every session to go back and listen to, and Maddie didn't know whether to be flattered by his enthusiasm toward every patient, or be weirded out that he will listen to her unsettling comments over and over again. She jumped slightly when the shrink cleared his throat.

"So, Madeline, I heard that you had some sort of melt down, correct?"

Maddie lowered her head. "Yeah. Dad and I got in a fight. I was out late, talking with Emilie, Eric's sister and Teddy's fiancée. And I kind of yelled back at him, which wasn't smart. I said he was acting like Jen."

"What made you make that comparison?" Flynn pushed his glasses up his thin nose.

"I don't know, really. It kind of slipped. Maybe the over protectiveness that both of them had. Well Jen was just paranoid that she would be caught, and Dad is just trying to look out for me."

"Do you think your father is being too over protective?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. He has the best intentions, of course, but it's hard to go from one cage to another." Maddie winced at her choice of words. Well, it's true. She ignored her subconscious and continued. "I guess I just need a little leeway, some space. But yet, not too much, because I have missed my parents so much and they're trying to understand why I am so reserved. Maybe what I really need is their trust."

Flynn's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Do you not trust your parents?"

"I do! I trust them with my-." She stopped. I trust them with my life, she was about to say. But her life was thrown into a whirlwind of change, and from the countless times Jennifer told her that her parents didn't want her, she lost her faith in them. They were slowly earning her trust day by day since she returned home. Her life at home had only just begun. They saved you, Maddie. Push away everything Jen has ever said. What would've happened to you if you stayed missing for a few more years? Would you even be alive? She gulped. "I trust them with my life. I really do."

"So you want them to trust you." Flynn offered.

"Exactly. I want my parents to trust that I know what I'm doing." Maddie closed her eyes. I have no idea what I really want to say. Recognition flickered in her eyes. "I want them to be honest with me."

Flynn nodded, scribbling words down. "Do you think they are hiding something from you?"

Maddie nodded, a frown tracing her features, her whole body becoming something quite dark. "I've had things hidden from me since the day I was born. When so many things are forced out of your mind by someone, you start to pick up another sense. Jennifer used to twist and manipulate the truth constantly, and I believed her. But never once did I ever think that she wasn't hiding anything from me. Jen hid the biggest secret of my life from me, and I knew that it was being hidden the whole time. So now, you just can tell. Something's not right, something's missing, and something's being kept in the dark again. And just when I thought everything was all right, I could sense the truth being hidden, not only from me, but even from my mother. I think… I think my dad has something he's hiding. Something big." Maddie snapped out of her dark moment and gazed at Flynn.

He sat there for a moment. His face gave nothing away, though inside, he was slightly panicking. She was smart. She could connect everything if she had the right piece of information in her hands. "Have you tried asking him about it?"

"Yes. He just brushed it off, acting like I didn't even ask."

Flynn nodded, and moved on. "So was your trip the Colorado good?"

Maddie relaxed a little bit. "Yes. It was just what I needed."

"Did you come to any conclusions?"

Maddie frowned again. "I think so. I'm still having a hard time remembering that the things Jennifer used to say were wrong. It's the main thing I'm trying to get over."

"Jennifer lied to you multiple times, Madeline, and hopefully I can help you sort out these feelings."

Maddie only replied with a smile.

The session was over, and the two stood and made their way to the door. Flynn let Maddie exit. Christian stood up at the sound of the door.

"Hi. How did it go?" Christian hid his concern behind his smile.

"Great." Maddie half smiled, putting her purse strap across her body.

"Christian, might I have a word?" Flynn interrupted.

"Of course." Christian sent his daughter a quick glance then entered the shrink's office.

Maddie sat down in a chair in the waiting area. Shit. He's gonna tell him.

"What is it, John?" Christian became worried. Is she getting worse? Is he thinking of sending her away?

"Christian, you have to be careful with her. You and Madeline may be a lot alike, but she does hold a trait or two from her mother. You remember how Ana was, telling you she felt suffocated. Well, your daughter has these same feelings. You have to be extra sensitive to her, you just got her back. She said something that bothered me, 'it's hard to go from one cage to another'. Give her some freedom. Not space, necessarily, but freedom."

Christian nodded, feeling drained. He didn't want to push her away. He worked so hard to learn to let Ana have some space and trust her, and he could give that to his daughter as well. "Christian, please. You're being so suffocating." He remembered how Ana felt back then.

"One more thing. You need to tell her, Christian. About you and Jen."

Christian inhaled sharply. "Hell no. I won't."

"Christian, she knows your hiding something. She said things were hidden from her for years. Tell her. If you don't, she'll drift farther and farther away."

Christian shook his head. "I'll think about it. Thanks again, John." Christian brushed off his dark mood and walked back towards his daughter. "Ready to go?"

XXX

It was the perfect moment. Her mother was gone. Her father was gone. Mrs. Taylor had just left to go to the store. She twisted the door knob and sighed with relief when she found it was unlocked. She looked through file after file, finally finding the one she wanted: Richards, Jennifer. It was the only Jennifer file. Luckily when she opened it, it stated Jennifer Jones, Richards being her maiden name. Ignoring the urge to look through the file completely (her father would know if she did), she looked for the one thing she needed. She quickly wrote the address on a piece of paper, shut the file, and left the room. After shutting the door, she texted him, saying, I need your help. In matter of seconds she got a reply, on my way. She went to her room to get a jacket, shoving the piece of paper with the words King County Jail deep in her pocket.

XXX

"Why are we going there?" Zac asked after Maddie told him the address.

"Can you not ask questions that I can't tell the answer to?" She looked at him for a moment then sighed. "Jennifer and Eric are there. I need to talk to them."

"Jennifer and Eric? As in those assholes who took you? No way, I'm not taking you."

"Zac! You promised you would help! What's the big deal?" Maddie reached out and took his arm, trying to change his mind with a soft touch.

"It's too dangerous."

"There will be a thick wall of glass between us. I only want to talk to Eric. Please Zac. You can come in there, too. There'll be an officer as well." Maddie looked at him with pleading eyes.

Zac looked deep into her eyes for a long time, then sighed. "Fine, let's go." He led her out to the front of the Grey house, and tossed her a helmet. "You'll need this."

"A motorcycle?! Isn't this dangerous?" Dad is going to kill me.

"Coming from the girl who is willing to go talk to the guy who took her from her family. Just get on."

After begrudgingly climbing onto the motorcycle, they drove off and made their way to the jail within thirty minutes. They both passed through security easily and were sent to a small room with a window in between. Everything was white. There was a telephone on each side of the window. An officer stood in the far right corner of the room on one side of the glass, while Zac stood on the other, both men's arms were crossed tightly across their chest. Maddie sat in the chair, waiting for their meeting to start.

Suddenly a thin man wearing an orange jump suit was ushered in, his handcuffs were removed, and he rubbed his wrists, then he bald head. He sat down slowly, grabbed the phone, and then finally looked at the young girl across from him. He stopped breathing. For a moment, they both just stared at each other, the phones pressed to their ears. Finally, Eric spoke. "Madeline?"

"Hello, Eric," she said quietly, looking down.

"What are you doing here?" He asked astonished.

"I need answers."

Eric ignored her tone. "I hear you met my sister."

"Emilie is great. She and my brother will be happy."

"She deserves the best."

Maddie shook her head. "Eric, as much as it hurts to admit it, you know I loved you."

Eric inhaled sharply. "I loved you like my own daughter."

Maddie smiled at him sadly. "Then I need you to tell me the truth. Why did you do this to me?"

Eric rubbed his forehead with frustration. "I'm so sorry. I had never been in love with anyone before, and I used to think Jennifer was the only one who could ever love me. She was full of so much hatred; she said this was the only way. I didn't want to lose her."

"What is the connection between Jen and my real dad?"

"Maddie, I don't know. Honestly. Jen never told me why, just that she had dirt with him."

"You went along with it anyway?!" Maddie's voice rose with anger.

"I tried to protect you from so much, from her, when I should've been protecting you from myself. I should've brought you back home. I'm so sorry. We knew something was wrong with you when your episode's started happening-"

Maddie stopped him with her hand. "What do you mean episodes?"

Eric's face turned ashen. "You were so sick. I was so scared for you. We didn't know what to do. You were in the hospital for at least a year. On top of your disease, you were always getting pneumonia."

Maddie's mouth turned dry. "Disease?"

"You've gotten better over the years, but they were coming back as you got older. We couldn't pay for your regular prescription, so we used an alternative solution." The officer started pulling Eric away. "Maddie! I'm so sorry! Forgive me!" And the officer dragged him away, the door closing.

Maddie hung the phone back on its rack and stood slowly. She turned to Zac. "He said I have a disease."

Zac's eyebrows furrowed. "Don't listen to him."

"No, it explains why my hands lock up sometimes. I don't know."

Zac ushered her out. "Let's go."

As they exited the building, Maddie felt that common sensation fill her stomach. Her body began to tremble. She dropped her phone and purse on the ground, her finger unable to grasp anything. Zac turned to her in panic. "Maddie? Shit!"

Maddie's eyes closed and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

XXX

Okay yay! I finished this chapter! I am going to set a goal for you guys…. 10 REVIEWS! At least! I know you can do it. Just review, telling me about how much you like the story or how much you hate me for being a slacker. Whatever… Doesn't matter to me! Have a lovely week. Hopefully I will update once more this week.