It is a relief having Mia under the same roof as my brothers and I. After her sister and Carter left we got used to our new living situation and fell into a routine. Mia has made it to all of her classes with one of us making sure she gets there and back. We can still walk thanks to this house being very close to the edge of campus. We have started cooking more since we have a full kitchen and it is so nice to sit down at a table with my family every night.

After the first two weeks Bash and I requested different shifts at work so at least two of us could be home for dinner each night with Mia and on the weekends we are all home together. It feels very domestic and it gives me a glimpse into what our future could be.

Mia seems tired and distant. She drags herself out of bed each morning and then falls into each night. We think the emotional distress from her ordeal with Drew is weighing on her more then she lets on. She has had a handful of nightmares since that night, but she refuses to tell us what they are about.

She allows one of us to sleep with her each night and often times another joins sometime in the early morning so she's sandwiched. She grips us in our sleep like she's worried we will leave her unprotected for the boogie man. She has been very affectionate. She initiates cuddling and crawls into our laps easily, but she rarely kisses us. Her needs seem safety conscious, like she's clinging to us so no one can reach her to hurt her again.

We have been letting her lead like we always do, but we've decided we might have to start pushing a little harder to get her to open up. We've coddled her and allowed her to remain silent, but she seems to be withdrawing into herself further each day. I think she needs justice. I think she needs to know that Drew won't be able to touch her again. So I call Carter and we make a plan.

A week later Drew's court date comes. Carter and Cassidy are here, as well as my dad. Mia is refusing to come out of her room to attend, even though we have all decided she needs to go. I don't know if this is the right thing to do. I don't want to cause her anymore pain by having to see him again, but she will be flanked with people who love her and he will never touch her again. I want her to hear the verdict he's given.

"I'm not going. It's not up for discussion!" Mia screams at Bash who's trying to coax her into a dress he picked out. Cassidy is sitting on the couch hiding her smile and Carter is leaning on the kitchen table not even trying to hide his. We've definitely coddled her, as we should, but I think we may have created a monster... a beautiful little monster.

"Lover. We've decided it's best you come with us. We want you to see his sentence, to hear it for yourself and watch him be put in cuffs. Please babe let me help you get dressed."

I don't hear her reply, but seconds later Bash comes racing out of her room. He shuts the door just in time before a thump hits the backside of it.

"Tag your it."

He slaps my shoulder and sits on the couch next to Trevor who's putting on a new shirt since he went into Mia's room first and came out with three buttons ripped off. My dad mouths "good luck," and leans back to watch the show.

I sigh and crack open the door to see if the wild banshee has another weapon in her grasp. She's sitting on the floor with her back against the bed. I drop to my knees and crawl to her like I'm approaching a predator in the wild. She makes eye contact with me and I freeze, worried she'll attack.

"I'm not going Liam. You don't get to decide what's best for me. You don't know what I'm feeling and you'll never have any idea." She sounds defeated, like the anger deflated. She looks back down to her hands and I feel it's safe to continue my approach. I manage to sit next to her with my thigh pressed against hers. I pet her head like I would a lion's mane.. cautiously, so as not to lose any fingers.

"We will never know what you're feeling unless you tell us angel. We are here and we are begging you to open up to us. Let us help you."

She looks to me with big tears in her eyes and my soul aches in response. I wish I could have protected her better so this never happened. So my angel never felt any pain...The pain we caused her and now the pain caused by this fucker. She crawls into my lap and I breathe a sigh of relief. She worked her anger out on my brothers and now I get the sad little lion. I would have preferred the one with claws, the emotional pain hurts more.

"You are coming with us Mia. I'm sorry. I love you and I'm sorry, but you are coming with us and when we get home you are going to sit with us and tell us what's in that beautiful head of yours. You can still be mad at us, but you can't keep living like this. Sometimes we have to rely on people who love us to make these hard decisions for us and we made this hard decision for you out of love."

I wait for the bite, or the scratch to my unprotected eye.. but I get a head nod a sniffle. I stand up slowly taking her with me. I set her on her feet and then help her get dressed. She sits on her bed while I head to retrieve Cassidy to do her hair, but not before she gives me a sweet peck on the lips. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest with that touch of her lips to mine. I stalk out of her room with all the confidence of a man who just survived being thrown into a den of lions wearing a meat suit.

"Cassidy can you braid her hair?" Cassidy has wide eyes, but nods and hurries into Mia's room.

"Damnit!" Carter curses. He comes over to stand in front of me. He grabs each of arms and turns them over then looks closely at my face and neck.

"No blood?" He asks, but his tone sounds disappointed.

"Uhh no? No blood." I respond.

My dad laughs and Carter stalks over to him and slaps $20 into his hand.