Hey umm I'm dearly sorry if this chapter is shitty but I haven't been feeling very well so my mind is just blank. I've been throwing up and coughing like a mad man for the past day and a half but the Christmas holidays come on Thursdays so that's great ig.

Toxic (cover) - 2WEI

This song makes me feel powerful and that I run the world. If you like Brittany then you'll love it. And if you want to feel like a god/ goddess then you should listen to it.

Love you.

On with the chapter 🫂...

**********

✨Emilia POV

They wouldn't let me go. Trapped like bird in a cage would be a great comparison to how I felt right now. It's been a weeks and still, they wouldn't allow me to go back home with Felix.

They claimed I was 'too weak' well take my two middle finger and suck the sarcasm out of them because I don't care. I'm stronger than all of them combined considering what I've been through in my life.

You know? I've always wanted one of those cliche lives I see in movies where the girl grows up in a happy family with a mum and dad and goes to college to find her long awaited soul mate for eternity.

But instead: I've survived Shawn, I've survived his cruelty and abuse, I've survived his friends, I moved into a house filled with arrogant assholes and I survived their abuse, finally, I survived a kidnapping from Marco and a stabbing (twice) from Shawn.

Ask me how life is? I'll say I'm fucking fantastic how about you, you piece of shit?

I missed Felix ever so much and his family. Rain too. I missed them all and it saddens me how my brothers get to control who sees me.

Currently, Felix was sat at the head of my bed whilst we were watching all of the twilight movies. I've watched them so many times that I could probably quote it.

You should've seen him when he saw me, he engulfed me in a huge hug and planted kisses all over my face but he started crying when I groaned from his elbow pressing into my stomach.

It wasn't his fault, my body was just very sensitive and tweaked in pain at the slightest touch. It's fine though... I guess so.

Rain wasn't allowed to see me. Her parents made out like I was some kind of disease that Rain needed protecting from. When I was on call to her, I heard her parents in the background scoffing at her when she asked to see me.

That's too bad to be honest, we don't get to hang out enough and now this just over tops anything. But I can't blame her parents entirely, I just blame society for their protectiveness.

In fact, my brothers were extremely overprotective of me but they knew their boundaries (some of the time) and sometimes let me do what I like on my own free will. They were still cautious though.

"I swear, Bella is so dumb it hurts my brain," Felix says throwing a piece of popcorn at the television. I couldn't do anything but agree with him.

Main characters of books and films are always so dumb like, it's not hard to be smart. Either that or they're so naive. Sometimes I'm naive but Bella is just a different breed.

"Roslyn is my fave out of them all, she's so cute and badass," he says admiring her on the screen from a few moments ago.

"Nah, Jasper is my fave. He's just... superior. I'd let him kill me ya know? I'd thank him too. Who needs Edward or Jacob or whose team you're in when you have Jasper?!" I throw my hand up pointing to the television.

We were at the part in Eclipse where they were practicing their elite fighting and combat skills. I'd love to have a fight with Jasper just as an excuse to touch his hands.

What can I say? He's fabulous and mysterious in every way. Don't hurt me, I actually wanted him to kill Bella if I'm honest. Bella just annoys me too much.

"Jasper? Ugh," he rolls his eyes in annoyance and crossed his arms in a huffed tone. What's his deal?

"Meh, I've had a crush on Jasper since I was like seven, and I still love him," I say in response whilst keeping my eyes trailed on the very attractive man in the screen who was fighting with Edward.

Jasper. I love you.

"A crush? Pfft," he rolls his eyes and throws multiple pieces of popcorn at the television when the camera turns to Jasper. He was still scowling at him with a deadly glare.

We remain in silence as we watch til the end of the movie and switch on the next one. I thank Netflix for bringing twilight onto it.

"Can I ask you something?" He breaks the silence as the introduction of the movie breaks through. I nod telling him to proceed.

"Who stabbed you?" I freeze on spot.

Do I tell him? He's told me much more about his past than what he's told about me. It's to the point where I don't really care who knows because so many people know already.

"My dad."

"But... didn't he die? Sorry, I'll be quiet now," he shakes his hands and looks at the television again.

"My stepdad I mean. He was the one who stabbed me," I shrug it off like nothing. Felix just stares at me in awe with popcorn hanging off of the edge of his lip. Blinking a few times, he rubs his eyes and stares at me again.

"Why- what- huh? You had a stepdad?" He questions in a shocked tone. I didn't realise how much I hadn't told him about myself until now. It's not fair of me to not tell him anything now.

"Yeah. I did. He married my mum ya know?" I shrug, again, and shove my mouth with M&Ms and swallow some of them whole.

"Yeah I get that, so what happened?"

"Well... my mum had breast cancer and she died," I take a deep breath. I hadn't spoken about the cancer in a long while. The saddest part of it was when she died whilst I waited to see her in visiting times.

You don't know what you have until it's gone. I had a family. But now it's gone. If I had a chance to be with mama again I'd take it in less than a heart beat.

"I'm sorry," he frowns to himself and takes my hands in his and plants a gentle kiss on top of them. It felt nice to know someone else cared because apparently my brothers think of my mum as a dead ghoul. Nothing more.

I can completely understand that my mama wasn't there for them whilst growing up, but it's no excuse to disrespect the dead at all. Disgusting.

"Thanks. Well, long story short, Shawn turned into a major dick alcoholic druggy and... and... yeah he wasn't the nicest guy," I huff mumbling the last part.

Should I just be open about it to him? Friends share things. Best friends share everything.

"What do you mean? Did he hurt you? That's just crazy. Why would someone like to hurt you?" It's the same question I've been asking myself for a while.

"Precisely. He would... hit me. And touch me. Exactly like his friends used to as well. I was basically a rag doll to them," I grumble feeling a little better to get that off of my chest.

"B-but why?! How on earth do people go out of their way, just to physically and mentally hurt someone? What were their names?" He questions, squeezing my hand extra tight with rage.

"Michael and Tate. Haven't seen them a long while, but still..."

"That's just sick in the head. Are you okay now? That's a stupid question of course you're not okay when you almost died-" he gasps. "Sorry. That's insensitive of me to say."

"No it's fine. It's all facts anyways. I just wish life wasn't the way it was ya know?" I retract my attention back to the television at the wedding scene.

"Yeah I get that. But a selfish part of me is glad that you're here now with me," he pouts at me with a cheeky smile and nudges his shoulder with mine slightly. It didn't hurt because I was happy for once in my life. I really do love him.

"That's not exactly selfish," I roll my eyes playfully. I wouldn't consider it selfish that he's glad I'm here with him. I'm glad I'm here too, just remove all of the drama and we're cool.

"It is. I'm basically saying I'm glad you went through all of that chaos just so you could be here with me. Sorry," he shakes his head in shame. I get it. I really do.

"It's cool. If being here means going through all of that I'm glad I went through it," I lied kinda. No body wants to go through the things I've been through and what so other people have been through too.

"Besides, at least I get a friend that I love so much out of it," I giggle trying to find the brightness in the situation. There was nothing bright about being stabbed.

It was partly awkward when axel had to help me before the bath, he wrapped cling film partially tightly around my wound but then he cleaned it separately afterwards with an antiseptic liquid with stunk. Then he put fresh bandages and gauzes with a cotton pad over my two wounds.

Getting in the bath made me feel dirty and even more grim than I felt before. You're bathing in your own dirt then you have to get a shower straight afterwards to wash off the muck from your body.

"I know now." All I had to say for him to understand. After spending a few moments in silence, our depressing conversation dropped like apples from a bloomed tree.

"Oh. About the uh... thing?" He adds an emphasis on 'things' to suggest to me something we both know.

"Yeah. It's funny how they think they're royalty when really they're only heartless bîtches who sell drugs and steal for a living," I scoff in an unladylike manner.

A few knocks bang harshly against Tony door pushing it open. Alessandro stands in the midst of my eye shot leaving me even more furious than I was before.

He was glaring at Felix and I in a dangerous manner; we'd stopped talking and stared Alessandro up and down in a disgusted mood.

"Can we help you?" Felix stammers rudely.

"Umm yeah I wanted to make sure your door is open by at least two feet. Don't shut it okay? Oh and we're gonna try and take you downstairs for dinner tonight. Felix you're welcome to stay but don't piss me off, kid. Behave," He points in between us and we roll our eye.

I hope we were having something cold for dinner. Hot dinners didn't tickle my toes anymore so all I wanted was a cold slice of pizza maybe.

"Really dude? Chill out bruv," I reach behind myself and pull a pillow from my back and launch it at him. A small striking pain shoots through my side and I groan clutching it.

Easily, he caught it and practically leaped over in three steps with the length of his legs to place the softness back behind my back. He calls me stupid and weird then stands back up straight.

"And it's 'sir' for the both of you. Learn your manners please, I'll come get you when dinner is done," he glared at us and looks around the room then to the popcorn that was scattered across the floor below the television.

Slowly, he bends down and carefully places them into the opposite palm, throwing them in the bin besides my desk that still had my artwork in from Christmas.

Damn, that was six months ago the last time I slept in this room. Six long, agonising months of freedom that unfortunately came to an end with Shawn.

Fuck Shawn. Fuck men. Fuck the male species apart from Felix, Klaus and Jasper. We can save them when I burn down the universe getting rid of all men.

I like men I guess, but I like mature men. I hate the immature men which I should actually refer to as boys in this context.

Hate boys, love mature men.

"Pfft! I will call you 'sir' when you receive a knighthood from the queen. Until then, you're called 'dick' until I say," I shoo him away with a sassy hand and so he leaves, leaving the door open approximately two feet wide.

"I HATE YOU!" I kindly remind him. "LOVE YOU TOO!" He shouts in response. Responses like that always irritated me despite using them myself. Hypocritical I know.

Silence took over again and just I was beginning to fall asleep, a dark figure pops in front of the television and caress their voice.

My head didn't voluntarily move from Felix's shoulder but I couldn't be bothered arguing so I did it anyways. Elijah stands there as the light from the movie behind him emits his figure to the shadows of the now dark room.

"Yeah?" Felix asks him.

"Dinner," he takes his way over to me and removes the covers and pulls me up harshly by my arms.

It wasn't too cold, today was actually a warm day but it was approaching night time so it was a little more nippy on my arms and legs that were rough with goosebumps.

My black shorts were partly bunched around the top of my legs and the sleeves to my white shirt were bulked at the elbows.

"Ow," I hiss lowly when Elijah accidentally knocked an elbow into my stomach. He turns to face me with a sympathetic smile with his shoulders less tensed and brooded.

"Sorry, bambina," he rubs his hands softly over my tummy and takes my hand in his as we walk downstairs with Felix shortly behind.

"Please don't call me that," I mumble to him feeling irked by the dead nickname. That nickname is like poison to me now.

"What would you like me to call you? Princess? I can call you that if you like?" He whispers in a hopeful tone which contrasted my scowling face.

"I don't care. Can we walk a little slower?" I say taking a big breath and pausing just as we were almost in the dining room. Never understood why they walk so fast all the time, it's annoying.

"Sure, Princess," he palms my dismissing a slouchy Felix into the dining room. He was rolling his eyes the entire time.

The name is going to get cringed over time. It just screams rotten to me.

**************

"How is it?" Alessandro asks me as I push the pork around the plate away from the mashed potatoes.

"Umm nice," I stab the slice of pork and inspect it up close to my face but scrunch my nose up and swing it off my plate. Pork just isn't for me.

Shaking it a little more, it launches onto the floor where Neon was sniffing and pawing at the large slice of meat.

"Oopsie," I place and hand over my mouth and giggle as I watch Neon scoff the meat in one bite despite chocking a little.

He's gotten so much taller, it's scary to think he has much more time to grow into a massive beast.

"What's wrong with it?" Grumbles Alessandro who was staring at the dog with a mouth open.

"I just don't like pig. They're cute but they don't taste nice." Felix stares at me in confusion. Almost like he couldn't believe me.

Getting ready to stand up, I tut for Neon to follow leaving everyone behind but I'm stopped at the door.

"You need to eat something," Axel shakes his head and using his finger to kill me closer.

"I'm cool."

"It wasn't an option," Axel gives me a pointed look.

"Oh because we're a democracy right? I don't have to listen to you, Axel. Don't you have my social worker to suck up to just to get free game?" I question with a slight tint of dry humour.

Nothing was really funny except my pathetic story of how two of my brothers are smashing my social workers. Cool right?

Even Cordelia who was rubbing her tummy was scowling at me with a cup of coffee in her hand. I knew it was coffee just from the smell and the large coffee pot that was on the table.

That's suspicious.

"Aren't you pregnant?" I hobble over to her and snatch the mug from her hand and lift it to my nose. My nose hairs fried off it was that spicy. Coffee wasn't spicy, it more of a strong, pungent stench that did smell nice for afar but not up close.

"Yeah I am. Your point?" She reaches up for the mug but I snatch it back away from her.

"Axel, prove me wrong, but you're not supposed to drink coffee whilst pregnant right?" My eye turn into slits to squint at him. Blade who finally speaks up for the night coughs with a shocked hand pressed to his chest.

"Today alone she's drank I dunno how many cups. Axel?" Blade asks him with a gleeful tone in hopes of exposing her.

Of what exactly? Was she really pregnant? Or am I just a paranoid bîtch?

"Well, you can have a small amount of two hundred milligrams a day which is roughly around two cups," he pauses to watch Cordelia.

"You realise that drinking too much caffeinated coffee can make huge health risks for your child in the future and it causes a serious low birth-weight. You good? Or you just dumb?"

Felix couldn't contain his excitement, he was using with laughter in the floor as Neon continued to lick his cheeks and bit his ears.

"Please tell me Cordelia," he pauses and leans over the table pressing his hands into the rich, auburn oak wood. "How many of those have you had today?" He lift the coffee pot in he air creating a murky whirlpool in the glass pot.

"Four. She's had four of those today I think," Diego points out with a knife pointing her way as he looks her once over.

"Oh really?" Axel says with an astounded texture to his raspy voice. Licking his lips he begins, "you wouldn't uhhh... mind showing us your bump then would you?" He trials his fingers across it. Roughly, she smacks his face leaving a blood stricken mark that rashes over his stubble.

"Bîtch!" He shouts hammering a fist to the table then lifts it up and touched it with his tips then inspects the thin substance.

"I won't show you anything!" She gasps in a gross matter whilst preparing to push her chair back. Alessandro the entire time just kept the same expression that was painted harshly on his face.

Brows furrowed, eyes squinted and bottom lip curled outwards. Almost like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

As she walks to the exit with a seat to her hips, I build up the strength to chase after her and slam the door shut in her face just as she pulled the door open.

"Move." She demands. I shake my head as everyone stares deeply being intrigued. Axel comes by my side and separates the distance between us.

"I said: move." She repeats and I shake my head again.

"Move or be moved," she yanks Axel's hand away and loves closer to me, almost nose to nose since did grown to her similar height now.

"No."

She pushes me aside ensuring to jut her elbow into my abdominals hard on purpose which opened my stitches again. It didn't stop me, as much as I was screaming as the blood was seeping through my shirt, I race up to her with a slouched posture and rip the material covering her bump.

The once sky blue, floral blouse was now shredded in pieces in my hands. Eyes scanning her bump, she tries her best to cover the silicone bump.

We all gasp in shock at the horror we just witnessed, Felix still not being able to contain his gaseous chants of amusement.

Still, eyes not straight, I scrunch my shirt in my right hand and pull up the cotton fabric which was now deluged in my cardinal, maroon blood.

Alessandro stands up, knocking his chair over, and charges over to Cordelia ripping off the jelly-like plastic to reveal a plain, pale stomach. Just an average tummy.

While I was falling in and out of reality, Felix didn't take a second to be by my side and now he wasn't laughing. He was keeping me steady like a post

"Em!" He shouts shaking me awake. I watch as Alessandro grabs Cordelia roughly by the hair and up the stairs in a hurry just before screaming and shouting with shallow crashes echoed through the house.

As I stumble over, oxygen is whipped from my lungs in a flash as Axel is straight by my side.

"Shit! Blade! Lijah!" I hear Axel shout but it soon fades away.