Danny plopped herself down on her bed and smiled. Thoughts of Johnathan swam through her head. It was their first time. 'Well it was MY first time' she thought with clumsy happiness written all over her face. 'and i'm glad it was with him'

~About 3 weeks later~

Danny flung her backpack onto her bed and rifled through it. "Jess I can't find it" she said, dumping her backpack onto her bed. The contents spilled everywhere and Danny saw it drop onto the floor. She picked up the box and stared wide eyed at it. "I can't." she said softly. Jess walked over and sat next to her. "You're going to want to know either way Danny. If you're not pregnant...that's awesome. You can stop worrying. But if you are, you're going to want to know right away, especially if you're going to keep it." her friend said softly. Danny nodded and picked up the box again. She walked into the bathroom and just sat down on the toilet lid for a moment staring at the box. After a few minutes of just staring she opened it up quickly and took the test. She laid the stick on the window sill and opened the bathroom door. Jess came into the bathroom and sat down on the ledge of the bath tub. Danny couldn't sit anymore. It could possibly have been the longest 5 minutes of her life. When she knew the time was up she ran over to it and just stared at the tiny pink plus that seemed to be glaring off the pregnancy test. Jess came over, and without looking at the test, gave Danny a hug. Tears started spilling out of Danny's eyes and down her face. "What am I going to do?" she paused "HOW AM I GOING TO TELL JOHNATHAN?!" she panicked.


Indiana clocked himself in at the front desk and headed to the recreation room. "Kate! How are you doing today?" He asked. The girl looked back at him with a sad attempt at a smile and responded "Better than yesterday, but that isn't saying much" Kate was going through meth withdrawal and had extreme symptoms the night before. "Well, one step at a time. But hey...if you can get through this you can get through anything. This part of the withdrawal symptoms is the worst, and you're doing pretty well." Kate started to shake as her symptoms started increasing again. She yelled at him. "How the HELL do you know? How does a pretty boy like you know ANYTHING about what withdrawal feels like?" she was about to strike him when he caught her wrist. "I don't. I've never been through withdrawal but I have had some life experiences. I DO know that this is difficult but I also know that it will help you in the long run. I know that and you know that. That's why you're here. That's why you checked yourself in" he said softly. When she seemed calmer he let go of her wrist. She sat back down in the armchair and said nothing else to him.

Another staff member approached him with a smile. "Nice work James, we haven't been able to say a word to her all day without her acting out in violence." Indiana smiled but kept a look on his face that said 'what did you need?' "Oh, right. I came to tell you that i've given you a new resident. She's newly enrolled and fresh out of the hospital. We're giving her to you as your first solo case. She WILL still have to attend group therapy but other than that she's yours to council with. She should be coming in today anytime now. We don't know much about her as of yet so be on your guard." Indiana nodded and smiled. "Yes sir." he took he girl's file from him and looked through it. He shook his head in surprise 'Same orphanage as me huh?' he thought.

[[I'll post as Lucas after Princessboy posts. Their scene starts out with Emerick's brother's friends picking on him.]]

((Sorry if it's a lil' short, but I'm just gettin' started so...yeah))

((Oh, & 24/7 Comedy is hilarious, I'm listenin' to it on IHeartRaio right now & it's hiLARIous with a capital Lari. HAHA))

It was a strange feeling, driving in this a car and looking at the rain outside. If it was because of the fact that she had just been in the hospital and her brain and body weren't quite working at a hundred percent yet, she didn't know. All Anna knew was, that everything was weird right now. She already hated this place she was going to, having hoped that she could slip out of the hospital relatively unnoticed after they'd treated her. All she wanted to do was get back out on the street and continue ruining her life. Little did she know that there was something very different waiting for her at this rehabilitation clinic. Anna Rae Hayden stepped outside in the rain and taken just inside the doors of the clinic, her bags being carried to somewhere unknown. She looked frail and scared at first, but shrugged it off and threw her usual face on - like she didn't really care. Jesus, I already hate this place. A lot of people were walking around, some of the patients and some of them staff members. One guy was standing at the end of the hall she was in, with some papers in his hands. He looked young. Around her own age. Anna wondered what a guy like him was doing here as a staff member took her by the arm gently and led her towards the young man.

"Anna?" A voice said though she didn't seem to hear it. He tried again and made the girl look up at him. Jim, the staff members was used to working with girls like her and knew how to handle them. "Everything is going to be fine, just relax and let us help you." Jim said and smiled at her.

Go to hell. Anna looked at him angrily as they stopped in front of the young man she had looked at when she arrived. She didn't say anything so far, and just looked at the two men to see what was going to happen next. A lot of things she hated were probably in store for her. Things like talking to other people. About herself. Therapy. "Counsellor?" She said, barely audible. Anna sighed at that, thinking that she didn't want to talk to anyone at all. She just wanted to be left alone, but apparently this young man was going to be the one she would talk to when she stayed there. Everything that had happened and everything that was happening, made her a little confused. It was so much to take in all at the same time. Plus, a drug overdose isn't something you just recover from with a snap of your fingers. Anna's eyes drifted to a nearby window and were fixed on the sky out there. It's darkening. Her mind went, thinking that it looked like thunder. Anna hated thunder. She would never admit it though it was obvious, but she was scared of it. She sighed again and looked at the young man as the other staff member left them, waiting for him to say something.

Danny wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm going to be smart about this" she said softly "I'm going to be smart and i'm going to remain calm." she stood up and paced her room, staring at the pink plus. Suddenly she heard a car pull into the driveway and a knock at the door. "Hey, Danny! It's me, John!" tears sprang back into her eyes and a look of panic spread across her face. "I'll get the door. You go into the bathroom, get rid of that" Jess said pointing to the pregnancy test "and splash some cold water on your face." Danny nodded and ran into her bathroom.

Jess walked swiftly down the stairs and opened the door. "Hey Johnathan. Danny's just in the bathroom, come on up" she said with a smile. She ran up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey Dan? I let Johnathan in." she said, making it sound like Danny had no idea he was there. Danny didn't want to wait. She had to tell him now while she still had the courage. She leaned her forehead against the bathroom door and said "You're going to want to sit down Johnathan." she closed her eyes and opened the door.



'Anna Hayden' Indiana thought as he flipped through the pages of her file. Only a few moments later the girl in the picture was brought directly to him. He didn't think that he'd be seeing her THIS soon. He started becoming nervous but he quickly brushed it off. He couldn't show the girl that he was nervous. She'd think he was incompetent or uncomfortable with working with her. "Yeah I am your counselor." he said softly "My name is James Carver." Indiana nodded to the other male staff member to signal that he was okay to go. "I am going to show you to your room. It's not all that big, but the beds are pretty comfortable." he smiled softly and walked next to her. He wanted her to feel equal. As they walked up to her door he unlocked it and pushed it open. The blankets were folded nicely at the end of the bed, the closet was open and empty, and there was a radio in the corner on a small table. "I understand that it is your first day here but I have to let you know right now that the symptoms of withdrawal are going to be almost unbearable. I only tell you this so you're prepared. The drugs you were given in the hospital are going to wear off and you're going to start feeling the effects of withdrawal. I can almost guarantee that you're going to hate me throughout that process. This is going to be hard, but if you can endure it you WILL be a stronger person because of it." he paused letting her soak it all in. "Your stay lasts 30 days, and after you are discharged you will be monitored closely, and you will still have connections with me. I know it's a lot to take in right now, but just nod if you heard a word of anything I just said"

Anna Rae Hayden

Finally he said something. Finally something happened instead of the two of them just looking at each other. Although she already felt a little alienated and weird because she'd been in the hospital and because she was in this place now, it was nice that Anna had been allowed to use her own clothes for wear. No handshake or pat on the shoulder, much to Anna's relief. I've slept in places you'd never dream of. She thought and looked at James once, thinking that the bed she was now looking at looked very comfortable. It was very attractive to just lie down and sleep for as long as possible. Anna didn't really care how big the rooms were, as long as there was a bed. Suddenly James started talking. Anna heard it but didn't seem to understand it although it did sink in somewhere in the back of her mind. She knew all of the things he said but it felt comforting to know that they people around her were aware of it. It's all too much. She felt on the verge to snap right there. The fact that she was going to go threw withdrawal and deal with the fact that she was actually in rehab, seemed unfathomable. Anna nodded in the end and looked at James, wondering what was going to happen after all this. She brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her eyes and looked at James. Anna looked beautiful although it was obvious that she had been through a lot. She looked frail although she did her best not to show it. "What's going to happen now?" Anna looked him straight in the eyes. "I mean... After this." She gestured towards the room, indicating that she wanted to know what was going to happen after he'd shown her where she was to stay. Would he want to talk to her right away or were they going to do something else. Would they leave her alone? Probably not. A frown appeared on her face as she realised that it was highly unlikely for them to leave her alone when she had just come there. A part of this ruined girl wanted to hug James and just let herself fall, the other part wanted to push him away and out of the door, and afterwards crawl under the covers and sleep for the rest of her life. Her facial expression remained the same serious one, though in her eyes there was a flicker of emotion. Something that looked confused and scared.

Emery knew he was being manipulated. Ever since that conversation with his brother, his life was never the same. He was proud to be homosexual, but no one could know about it. He wasn't ready to be out on the streets with nothing in his name and broke. Sometimes he found himself curling up at night and crying himself to sleep, hoping to wash away all his worries and fears, but no hope has came. He felt like this was going to the rest of his life, hiding behind his brother's shadow and lying to his parents about his sexuality. He was being eaten up from the inside. Some tears were starting to gather in his striking blue eyes, but he simply brushed them away as he made his way to the bookstore.

Sighing and just forgetting about everything, he passed a dark alleyway by the bookstore. Though, it was short lived. Three guys came out of the alleyway, three guys he knew all too well. "Well, well, well. Look who's here? Everest's little brother." Emerick gulped and backed away from the guys. "Hey, hey. Not so fast." They grabbed him and shoved him into the alleyway. He could of gotten away, but they were stronger than him. They were always stronger then him. Always. "Good thing Everest told us you would be here. Now we can talk to you like the buddies we are." Em's lips quivered as he hit the brick wall behind him. There was no way to run now. "P-please don't hurt me...I'll do anything, just don't tell mum or dad." The guy snickered and laughed at him. He could feel tears gathering and falling down his now reddened cheeks. "Look at this fag! So weak! Haha!" Then, as soon as it started, he was struck on his cheek and in the stomach. He fell to his knees, sobbing even louder and clutching his stomach. "P-please! S-stop!" But they didn't listen. They just started to kick while he was down. "Look! Now the little queer is whining! How pathetic!" This was worst than the last time they picked on him. Usually they would hit his stomach and then leave him be, but this time he was getting the full treatment. "STOP IT! HELP ME!" He screeched at the top of his lungs, hoping for someone to save him, but he knew know one would rescue him. He just wished he never told his brother about his sexuality in the first place... "Now the faggot is crying for help? Haha, like that would ever happen!"

"Hey Luke, would you run to the gas station and buy a half gallon of milk? We're out and I need some for dinner tonight." his mom called from the kitchen. "Yeah mom. I'll be back soon" he went into the kitchen, kissed his mom on the cheek, and grabbed the keys off the counter. He hopped into his car and drove to the gas station. When he pulled up and got out he could hear something faintly. It sounded like a cry for help but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. He listened for a moment and he heard it again. He started moving toward the sound and practically stumbled upon three guys beating the crap out of another. He heard a homophobic slur and before he realized what he was doing he ran in, full tilt, and hit the first guy square in the nose. He heard a sickening crunch but he didn't stop. He threw the guy against the wall and proceeded to throw punches at the other two. Two of the guys immediately backed off but the leader seemed bent on making this boy's life a living hell. "Trainor?" the guy laughed with blood running down his face "Isn't this nice. One faggot sticking up for another! What? Are you two lovers or something? Please, don't let me get in the way."

Luke moved over to Emerick's side and asked him if he was okay. He threw him his keys and told him what his car looked like and told him to get in. He helped him up and told him to go. Then he turned back to the jackass. "Why are you so threatened by him? Afraid his gay is contagious? Or do you just like picking on guys who are gay that are smaller than you?" he said moving so he was inches away from the guy's face. "Get the hell away from me fag." he said, with a tinge of fear in his voice. Luke laughed softly. "Thats what I thought." He punched the guy in the face again and shoved him up against the wall, making sure his arm was cutting off his air. "Now you listen and you listen good. If I see you or hear of you physically, mentally, or verbally hurting that kid again, HELL if you even THINK of hurting that kid again I WILL hurt you but I will be sure to break MORE than your nose." Luke released the guy and started to walk away, but he knew he couldn't threaten the guy without him retaliating. The douche bag's friends charged up behind Luke. One of their punches successfully landed on his eye, and one caught him in the mouth but that was all the damage he would let them do. He swung 2 more punches one to the temple and one to the stomach. The 2nd boy fell. Then he moved to the third. He kneed him in the groin and pulled his arms behind his back with one arm. He kicked him hard, square in the back. All three guys laid in the alleyway groaning and Luke just shook his head.

He wiped his bloody lip with his shirt, walked into the gas station, grabbed the half gallon of milk, and slapped some money on the counter before walking out again. The clerk didn't say anything he just looked shocked at the state Luke's face was in. Luke got in the car and looked at Emerick. He was pretty beat up too.

It all happened so fast for Emerick. He wasn't actually thinking someone was going to save him, but someone did save him. When the kicking stopped, he looked up and saw a guy punch the leader in the nose. He continued to watch the fight with his big blue eyes in slight fear and curiosity. When Luke came over to him and asked him if he was okay, he nodded meekly before he was giving the keys to Luke's car. He nodded once again before standing, with the help of Luke, on wobbly legs and ran out of the alleyway. Anywhere away from that alleyway was okay for Emery. His tears kept coming down as looked for Luke's car. Once he found it, he hurried up and got into the car. He bit his lip and cried some more as he hugged himself. Why did he help me? No one helps me...what will happen if Everest hears about this? His whole body shivered at the thought. He just shook those thoughts away from his mind and brought his legs to his chest, in a semi-fetal position. A smile was brought to his face as he was glad he was saved. He rested his head on the cold window, waiting for Luke to return.

Once Luke was in the car, he flinched and looked over at his face. It was even worse than his face. Which reminded him that his cheek was throbbing in pain. His hand immediately covered it, trying to get the pain to settle, but he knew it wouldn't soon. He even realized that his tears had stopped. He gulped once again, trying to find his voice, but failing pretty bad. "I-I...u-m, uh...T-t-thank y-you...for s-saving me..." He found himself crying again. Maybe it was the fact that someone actually saved him for once. Whatever it was, it felt really good to actually cry in front of someone and not just by himself. He hoped Luke wouldn't think he was weak, he just needed something to comfort him.

Indiana waited for a few moments to see how she would react, mentally taking note of her body language and facial expressions; though they were limited. "What's going to happen now? I mean... after this?" she asked rather quietly. "Well. I'm going to give you two choices. One, you can stay here and sleep. Most residents choose this option because of the long hospital stay they had. Or two, you can come with me to the rec room and watch tv, draw, or do things of the like." He always gave the residents the second option because he knew that night and the next day would be one of the hardest throughout their stay. Withdrawal would be a nasty thing and he wanted to let them relax or have a little bit of fun before the process started. "The choice is completely up to you. I'm not going to try to sway you either way." he smiled softly and stood casually as he waited patiently for her to make her decision.



Luke sat silently in the car for a few minutes. He didn't look at Emerick and he didn't say anything. "I-I...u-m, uh...T-t-thank y-you...for s-saving me..." he heard the boy sputter beside him. "Assholes like him get a thrill out of picking on someone different than him, but from my perspective...you have the upper hand. He's afraid of you. He's afraid of what you symbolize for him, and the fact that he can beat you down makes him feel better...makes him feel less scared. You don't deserve that. You sure as HELL don't deserve that." Luke started the car and drove off. He didn't ask Emerick where he lived nor did he care. He wanted to show the boy a safe place to be...his home. He flung the front door open and put the milk on the counter. "Hey mom. One more for dinner." he said softly. His mom was about to say something when she turned around and saw the state of his face. "Oh God Luke. What happened?" then she saw Emerick and a twinkle lit her eye. She pulled a couple ice packs out of the freezer and wet down a couple rags. "Clean yourselves up and ice your wounds. Lucas...Keep that ice pack on your eye." she said, watching Luke remove the ice pack from his eye a few times.

She sat down at the table and said, "Now tell me what happened." without missing a beat Luke started talking. He had no idea that it was unusual or could be uncomfortable for Emerick. "I found Cromwell in the streets kicking the crap out of him" he said gesturing toward Emerick. "Are you gay sweetie?" she asked Emerick casually. It was as if she had asked the question a hundred times.

Two choices? Anna thought and tilted her head at him, looking confused. When he explained what the two choices were about, she had to weigh them against each other to figure out which one was the most attractive. Sleep sounded so good to her right now, but she knew that if she chose that, she would dream. Anna would have nightmares and not sleep anyway, and outside it looked like thunder was coming. If it did and she was alone, she would be terrified and haunted by memories. She would rather come with him and just watch TV or something. If she was asked, Anna would say that she just wanted to be left alone, but that was a lie. She hated being alone. James smiled again as he left it up to her to decide, and Anna closed her eyes in thought for a moment. She didn't want him to see the inner conflict that was going on in her head right now. "TV sounds good." She finally said and looked back at him, brushing a lock of blonde hair out of her face. I have to admit, he is pretty nice. She thought and looked at him, glad that she hadn't been welcomed by some angry old woman or something like that. If that happened she would have just lost hope and gone to sleep. Anna turned and looked at the door, waiting for him to lead the way. "Are there a lot of other people in the rec room?" If that was the case, she'd rather find a corner in which she could sit down and just not talk to anyone besides James. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

Emery didn't know what to say after Luke's words, the words that he wishes to say, but he was too weak, a coward, to say those words. Though, he wished to tell him that the reason they were beating on him was because of his brother. thinking of his brother, he went back to his dark thoughts. What if Everest tells his parents? He would have no home to go to. So lost in his thoughts of his brother, he didn't notice Luke starting the car and driving off. He bit his own bruised lips, not caring for the pain, only worrying for the worst. He finally noticed that the car moved when the car stopped at a place he hadn't been to before. He automatically filed out of the car and followed the other male into the house, sort of scared to do anything else. He sure didn't want to go home, somehow...being near Lucas he felt sort of safe.

Seeing Luke's mother with the ice packs, he then felt all the pain he was in. Not just from the punch to the cheek, but the kicks to his stomach. He softly groaned in pain as he held his stomach, trying to sooth the pain. He listened when Luke telling his mother what happened. Though, he didn't know half of the story. He almost started to cry again until a certain question was asked. "Are you gay sweetie?" Emerick was flabbergasted. He blushed very noticeably as he tried to cover his face. "I-I...y-y-yes." It felt good to answer that question. He was able to fully tell someone about himself. Even if it wasn't confident, at least he was able to say yes for once. "A-and...and y-you don't know the full s-story...of w-why they were...b-b-beating me." He smiled nervously and then held his stomach again. He wondered what his stomach looked like about now. With his pale skin, probably all purple with some slight bleeding. He was sure of it. Well, this shirt was ruined.

Indiana could tell she was surprised that he had given her two choices. He watched as she closed her eyes as though it was the toughest decision of her life. "TV sounds good" she said finally. Indiana nodded and was about to head out with her when she spoke again "Are there a lot of other people in the rec room? I don't want to talk to anyone" Indiana nodded slowly. "There ARE going to be other people in the rec room, but believe me...they're not going to want to talk to anyone either, so I wouldn't want to worry about that." he smiled softly as if to tell her that she'd be safe with him either way. "What about talking to others bothers you?" he asked softly. He started walking toward the rec room next to her and made sure they took a leisurely pace, he didn't want her to feel rushed. He was starting to realize having his own resident wasn't going to be as terrifying as he thought. But he knew not all the residents were as calm as she was. 'Besides...Withdrawal won't start for a few more hours...we'll see how she is then...' he thought.



Luke's mother watched as Emerick clutched his stomach and her face twisted in frustration and sympathy. She also realized that her question startled him, like it was the first time he'd been asked. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable hon. There's no judgement here." she said softly with a smile. Luke smiled as well. "Can I take a look at your stomach? I want to make sure you don't have signs of internal bleeding" she asked. Sincerity in her eyes. "You may as well let her or she'll give you that look until you give in" Luke laughed lightly "She was a nurse for awhile." he added.

"A-and...and y-you don't know the full s-story...of w-why they were...b-b-beating me" Both Luke and his mother were paying full attention now. "Then tell us the full story" Luke said softly, mimicking his mother's careful tone.

Emerick saw the look in the woman's eyes and just decided to give in. Though, he was thoroughly embarrassed of showing his body even if it was to help him with wounds. He lifted up the dirtied shirt, showing off his badly bruised skin. It may have not been bad, could of made it look that way because of how pale he was, but he was pretty sure they were bad. And as he thought, he was bleeding a little in some places. He groaned at the sight of his wounds and bit his lip. It was making him a bit queasy, just a little. "It's not that I'm u-uncomfortable...I've n-never been asked that q-question before..." He gulped as the pain was a little bit unbearable, but he knew that Luke's mother would fix him.

"Well...it started when I was f-fifteen...,"Emery was nervous, like if Everest was actually listening on their conversation. But he needed to stop worrying about Everest and about himself. "I c-couldn't tell my parents t-that I...I-I was g-gay...So I told my b-brother..." Tears were welling in his eyes as he was remembering that awful memory. "He blackmails me...If I d-don't do what he says, then he t-threatens to tell mum and dad about me being g-gay..." He was pretty sure he had tears going down his cheeks, the sting that came from the tears hitting the bruise on his one cheek. "A-and...I forgot to mention that my...m-my family is extremely c-catholic..." He brought his hands up to his face. He has never told anyone about his life, never. Anybody he deemed close to telling were automatically 'not' his friend anymore, thanks to Everest. "A-and they w-will kick me out if I-I am g-gay..." He couldn't say no more. If he did, he would be a sobbing mess. At this point, he was letting all his emotions fly out the window.

Anna Rae Hayden

Anna nodded, sighing and looking at James briefly with her tired eyes. She was exhausted and couldn't quite wrap her head around what was going to happen later. Sleep probably wasn't going to come and relieve her of the torment that was withdrawal. Although she'd tried it before when she had been to broke to buy coke or another kind of drug, she would go through the first stages of withdrawal, getting to the point where she would do anything for it.
Anna could only imagine how it was going to be when she wasn't allowed to have any drugs. Of course, they would probably give her small doses of something so she would actually survive. At least she hoped so. When James spoke again, she turned her head and looked briefly into his eyes although she quickly averted her gaze. She'd never liked looking people in the eyes, and James' were a little special. A shade of grey Anna had never noticed in a person's eyes before, which made her feel like he could tell if she was lying or not. "They ask questions." She replied, shrugging slightly. She didn't like questions very much since people always asked strange ones that were either awkward, inappropriate or just too personal. A lightning struck somewhere off in the distance outside, making Anna flinch and furrow her brows. I hate thunderstorms. Her mind told her, but that was a lie. You don't hate them... You're scared of them. That was the truth. It brought back memories of her life in the streets and she didn't want to be reminded of them. As they reached the room James had been talking about, she peered inside and deemed it safe enough. She stepped in and stopped dead in her tracks, grateful for the fact that there weren't very many people in there. "Somewhere quiet." Her eyes met his for a moment, Anna looking almost like she was begging him. Instinctively, she moved closer to him and grabbed hold of the edge of his shirt and tried to calm herself down a little. "I'm hungry, James." She said in a low voice, looking down and feeling like she was more trouble than she was worth. "S-Sorry. I don't want to be any trouble."

Luke's mother examined Emerick's abdomen and shook her head. "Well your abdomen is still soft and I don't feel any signs of internal bleeding but you have a bruise the size of a grapefruit, and it's going to hurt like hell for awhile." She said softly. "I would recommend taking typical pain killers, drinking plenty of water, and sleeping more than you do right now. The body heals faster with proper hydration and sleep." Luke rolled his eyes. "You don't need to give the speech anymore mom." he laughed. She smiled lightly and got up to finish dinner.

"Well...it started when I was f-fifteen...I c-couldn't tell my parents t-that I...I-I was g-gay...So I told my b-brother..He blackmails me...If I d-don't do what he says, then he t-threatens to tell mum and dad about me being g-gay..." that was enough to make Luke mad again. Luke's mother shook her head in disappointment. "You're welcome to stay with us anytime sweetheart. This is a nonjudgmental house." she smiled brightly. Luke nodded in agreement. "A-and...I forgot to mention that my...m-my family is extremely c-catholic.." This time it was Luke who shook his head. 'What happened to love thy neighbor like yourself?' he thought. "A-and they w-will kick me out if I-I am g-gay.." Luke saw that coming. He assumed thats why he told his brother. He had to tell SOMEONE. Luke's mother put down her spoon and wrapped Emerick in a hug. "I'm serious. If you ever need a place to stay we have a guest bedroom that would fit you perfectly" she smiled and kissed him on the top of the head. "Now, do you eat ham and scalloped potatoes Emerick?" she asked simply



"They ask questions" she replied simply. Indiana nodded. He definitely understood that. When he had to go through therapy he never wanted to talk. The therapist always asked questions that were too hard to answer or too personal. He watched as she flinched when she saw the lightning. "Thunderstorms bother you huh?" he said "We'll go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat. It doesn't have many windows in it and not many people sit and eat in it because food is typically brought to the rooms...." 'Because the symptoms of withdrawal are so severe that most people can't make it to the cafeteria.' he added mentally. "It's not any trouble. I'd tell you if you hit your limit, but i'm pretty hard to upset." he smiled lightly.

Emery nodded at Luke's mother about his injuries. He did need more sleep. His brother would always make him wake up to early, either to make him lunch or to bother him. Sleeping sounded so good right now though he was too hungry (and in too much pain) to sleep at the moment. He giggled cutely at Lucas telling his mom not to tell that speech. It was cute how they had such a good relationship together. Now, only if he was that close to his own parents. His eyes went sad for a slight moment before shaking it off. He needed to stop being depressed about the whole subject and move on.

"You're welcome to stay with us anytime sweetheart. This is a nonjudgmental house." Emerick smiled sadly and shook his head. "I don't want to intrude. I-I can handle it..." He kept his sad smile as the tears started to flow down his cheeks. He felt so embarrassed crying like this, but he needed to let it all out. He needed to talk about everything. He can't keep it in all the time as it was slowing tearing him apart. He decided to just cry it out when Luke's mother embraced him. Not even his own mother had held him like this. It felt so warm and safe. Safe is what he wanted. "I'm serious. If you ever need a place to stay we have a guest bedroom that would fit you perfectly." Em stopped his crying and sucked up his tears. "I-I would like that...a lot...," he practically whispered. He felt his heart ached just a tiny bit being away from his home, but he couldn't call it home anymore. If he felt scared and threatened at home, he shouldn't being living there. He was tired of living in fear of everything he does. He blushed at the thought of staying at someone else's house, never even been to a sleepover before (even though this wasn't even close to a sleepover). "Now, do you eat ham and scalloped potatoes Emerick?" Emery felt like this was his new home or a safe place already. "Actually, that sounds very delicious right now. Yes." He smiled innocently and giggled again as his stomach growled a little in hunger.

He isn't like all those other pricks... The few times people had tried to help Anna, they'd always bombarded her with questions. Questions she didn't like and didn't feel safe answering. James was easy-going and didn't rush her to do anything she didn't want to. At the moment she just went along with him though, thinking that all she wanted to really do was sleep. But Anna knew that she'd have to go through withdrawal, and when it was at it's worst, she wouldn't be able to just get her fix or snort some coke. She would have to endure and go through it. Her only hope was that she wouldn't have to do it all alone. She was torn away from those thoughts when James asked her a question, a slight frown appearing on her face. He'd noticed. "Yes." She replied simply, not really knowing how to explain or if she felt secure enough to tell him why. Anna had never met anyone in her life that had treated her with the kindness that James was at the moment, which made her feel very confused but a little happy as well. But that was something she was always careful with. Happiness. It was dangerous. Something made her stop though, tears stinging her eyes. A part of her wanted to break down and cry and tell him everything, but another part - which was burried deep within her - was stronger and made her not do it. Anna knew that life was bad and happiness was but an illusion. That was how she saw it, until someone would come along and change that point of view. Say it. Anna said to herself, trying to force herself to thank him, but all she did was nod. She followed him into the cafeteria and looked around. It was deserted and not a single person was in there or were on their way there. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at James with her blue eyes, her messy blonde hair hanging loose around her face. Confusion and frustration was clearly there behind her eyes, but that was only normal. When you had gone through the things Anna had, and suddenly had to get used to something very different, very quickly, you were bound to be confused. "If I can just have something... I don't care what it is. Toast." She finally agreed with herself and looked up at James and his grey eyes. Anna sat down at a table, glad to rest her feet and relax a little. "So are you the one who's going to take care of me?"

"You would not be intruding dear, It's an open invitation. I'm not just being nice" his mother said with a smile. "It's true. One of my friends lived with us for 2 years because she had abusive parents. Our house is always open" Lucas added. His mother shook her head softly and handed Emerick a few napkins to wipe his tears. 'Kid probably doesn't get hugged much' Lucas thought. The look of anger on his mother's face was apparent. He could tell she was angry about Emericks situation and he agreed with her. Nobody should have to go through what he was going through. "You've got to tell your parents sometime. If you want to stay tonight and call your parents tomorrow you can do that but I don't want to worry them, no matter how much I disagree with their values" she said softly. "Or if you want me to go with you to get some of your things from your house i'll do that too...then you can tell them." Lucas could tell that part of Emerick wanted to go home and he understood that. It was his family after all...no matter how horrible they made him feel.

Lucas' mother scooped a large helping into a bowl and set it in front of Emerick with a spoon. "I'm not sure how much you eat, but Lucas here can eat his body weight in food." she laughed and Lucas rolled his eyes. "Football does that to a guy" he replied shaking his head.



Indiana observed as her facial expressions went from confused to frustrated to conflicting and back. He wondered what she was thinking about but knew it couldn't be anything good. "Yes" she said simply. Indiana just nodded his head. He understood that everyone had their fears. 'How does someone so incredibly beautiful end up on the streets?' he wondered, then he shook his head at his own ridiculous thought. 'Beauty doesn't determine homelessness. Besides you're not allowed to think of her that way. She's here for treatment for a serious problem' he thought. But part of him couldn't help but admire her strikingly blue eyes. He could see the pain flash into her eyes. The pain of a long hard life. He knew that look. Many of the pictures the orphanage orderlies took of him looked like that. He understood the feeling, but he didn't say anything about it... He didn't feel it was his place to discuss his life..nor did he want to.

"If I can just have something...I don't care what it is. Toast" Indiana shook his head. "I can do you one better" he smiled and walked into the kitchen. He scooped beef stew into a bowl and brought it out to her. "Beef stew. I recommend you eat it now...Withdrawal is going to happen soon and you're not going to want to eat" he said bluntly, but he knew she understood. "So are you the one who's going to take care of me?" she asked. "Yeah. I was assigned to your case." he said simply