octavia was released from the hospital the next day, immediately requesting mcdonalds. everyone groaned as chris reluctantly pulled into the drive-through and got her chicken nuggets and fries. chris, from the front seat passed the food back to her. she gave him her award winning smile as she took it from his hand.

"thank you." she said as chris smiled back at her. she sent a glare to tom who stole a fry, them automatically stole a kiss on the cheek, leaving octavia's cheeks crimson red all the way back.

octavia and sebastian walked into their room as she immediately grabbed a pair of clothes and a towel. she was very eager for a shower but isn't able to get her hair wet. she had sebastian carefully put a hair cap on that held her carmel hair dry. she let the hot water come out of the shower head, onto her body, then down drain. she reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. she dressed in one of sebastian's oversized t shirts and her underwear. because of their huge height difference of him being a whole 7 inches taller, the faded AC/DC shirt reached right above her knees like a dress.

she removed the colored hair cap as her mid back length hair fell. she looked at herself in the mirror, her hazel eyes piercing her own. she continued to stare at herself, her mentally naming off her flaws, insecurities and fears till she made her eyes fill with tears. she almost let one fall until a comforting voice called out to her from the other side of the door.

"avi, you okay?" she took a deep breathe as she stepped out of the bathroom, her locking eyes with her half-brother. she gave a lopsided grin as she sat on the bed next to sebastian. he tossed her the cellphone that she left on the nightstand, knowing she would want it. she took the phone from his hands as the famous 90s show, FRIENDS was playing softly in the background.

a 'fan account' posted a old photo of octavia and robby. a fan had saw them and asked for a photo. what the fan didn't know is that octavia and robby were in a fight. he didn't know his yelling was setting off her anxiety. just looking at the photo caused her to shudder and her heart rate to quicken. she was getting the sadly very familiar feeling of her throat quickly closed up as she dropped her phone, not caring if it had cracked or not. sebastian looked up at his struggling sister and grabbed her hand. her watery eyes looked into his concerned ones. the only four words that her brain could conjure as her thoughts were racing a million miles per hour came out of her mouth.

"i c-can't breathe sebby."

"babygirl, i want you to take a deep breath for me please." sebastian pleaded as octavia sat in his lap, gripping onto his shirt. he softly rubbed her back as her chocked sobs and small whimpers were tearing sebastian's heart into two. the 5 year old was still so small and she was already dealing with anxiety.

"i c-can't breathe sebby." she whispered. her father wasn't an abusive father, but when he freaked out over the simplest things or yelled, it would set off her anxiety. from the day he found out her fathers yelling caused her this pain, he promised her he would protect her. the one time he wasn't here, her father goes ballistic; a way she's never seen before. his screaming, yelling, breaking and their mother unable to stop him. he usually was a kind, loving father but people can't always control their temper, even if it means they were hurting the people they loved the most.

sebastian walked into the house earlier that day after an audition on her father yelling at octavia, something about how she broke the vase. it wasn't her, it was sebastian who never got around to admitting. he slammed the door shut, getting everyone's attention. sebastian's eyes soften as he walked to octavia and picked her up, placing her on his hip. she buried her tiny head into his shoulder.

"you pinky promised me." she whispered, her voice cracking as her sobs become muffled by his body. he physically heard his heart crack, now thinking his parents could have possibly heard it.

"i know baby, i'm sorry." he whispered back. sebastian's blue eyes darken as he looked up to her father.

"octavia didn't break the vase. it was me. you have no idea what your yelling and screaming does her. you're causing her to have anxiety attacks jack! you are hurting your baby. you don't know how after you scream in her face how she runs upstairs to me, saying she can't breathe. how her chest feels tight and her throat feels like it's closing up on her and she doesn't know how to fix it. she told me once she thought she was dying. can you even FATHOM what that did to me? her cries for help went unanswered until she told me the first time it happened. you don't UNDERSTAND the PAIN you are causing this precious 5 year old. you're should be the one yelling at me, the one who's supposed to bicker with their younger sibling, accidentally making them cry. then you come in and yell at me, for making her cry. but here we are; the brother yelling at the step father for making their daughter cry. well done jack, your 5 year old daughter has anxiety. this screaming and yelling is going to traumatize her. she's just a KID." said sebastian, his voice raising with every word he spoke. he stomped his foot on the ground, making his point. octavia jumped in his arms at his sudden action, causing him to hold onto her shaking figure tighter.

he was beyond furious. he could physically feel the steam coming out of his ears like a cartoon character when they get mad. sebastian looked at his mother with sympathy in his blue eyes as he sent glares to his speechless stepfather.

"i got you baby, i got you, everything's going to be okay." sebastian softly said as he walked up the stairs to his room, kicking the door closed with his foot. he sat on the bed as he cradled her in his arms like she was a newborn. the two met eachothers eyes, her hazel ones were bloodshot as her choked sobs filled his room. he rocked her back and forth as her small hands griped his t-shirt.

her cries soon softened as they slowly ended. he continued to hold her like a newborn as he let out a sigh. octavia looked at him as her breathing calmed down. she stuck her hands out as she placed her hands on his face and tried to push his frown into a smile. the 21 year old gave dry chuckle as he placed her on his lap, her facing him.

"you promised me, you said you'd protect me." she whispered as sebastian kept one hand on her back so she wouldn't fall backwards. she grabbed his free hand and played with his fingers, intertwining their fingers.

"i know babygirl, i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. please forgive me avi." he said as he trailed off, looking down at the small child in his arms. the little girl he vowed to protect from the horrors her father would cause and he failed her. this was the only girl he's ever loved, besides his mother, and she's currently broken.

"i love you octavia ray." her mouth curved upwards as she pulled his face down to kiss him, putting a smile on his face.

"i love you more sebby boo bear. i'm not mad at you, don't think i am, no matter what sebby, you'll always come to the rescue, like you always have."

sebastian faced octavia as he cupped her cheeks, softly forcing her to look him in the eyes. she let out a gasp as she felt like the air was leaving her lungs. she reached out, to grab something- anything. she grabbed his shirt collar fiercely as her breathing became rapid, tears falling down her face as they always did.

"deep breathes love, count to ten with me." said sebastian calmly as his eyes never left hers. that was trick he learned as she slowly got older, counting to ten would help her breathing calm down. as they counted, he had been meaning to ask her if she'd been taking her anxiety medicine.

i'll ask her later.

they counted to ten as her choppy breathes became deep ones. he released his hands from her face as he had his legs open, for octavia to sit in between. she leaned toward and rested her head on his chest. he sighed as he rubbed her back.

"what happened avi? what triggered it?"

"memories. everything reminds me of robby, dad, that day in march. make it go away seb, please help me. please." she begged, balling his shirt up in her hands like she used to when she was little. sebastian sighed as his head rested on her's. he placed a subtle kiss on her head as he played with her hair. being in his arms was her only sense of comfort; safeness while growing up.

"i know babygirl." he let out a sigh. "i know, but i got you and i'm never letting you go. i promise. i've got you avi." she trembled in his arms as he held onto her tighter.

"you're safe now."

😭