I woke up to feel light stinging pain on my forehead, I opened my eyes to see Nick, sitting on my bed, dabbing a cloth with hydrogen peroxide on it, on my forehead.

"Hi Princess." He smiled at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"My dad, uh, he threw a bottle at your head, it's bleeding." He said, pulling the cloth away, "I'm sorry." He said softly, grabbing gauze.

"No, Nick, don't be sorry, thank you so much, no ones really cared enough to help before." I admitted.

"Really?" He asked, pressing the gauze against my head. "I'm sorry Princess." He said, grabbing medical tape.

"I'm sorry for asking, but, uh, is your dad always like that?" I asked nervously.

"Only when he's drunk." Nick sighed, taping the gauze to my forehead.

"Does he do it to you too?" I asked, to which Nick sighed and rolled his sleeve up to show a green-ish bruise on his upper arm. "Nick," I breathed, "I'm sorry." I sat up in bed, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thanks Abigail." His fingers played with the ends of my hair. "Does it hurt anywhere else?" He asked, to which I nodded. "Okay Princess, where?" I took a deep breath and lifted my shirt a bit, only a couple inches. "Oh gosh, you need ice." He said, his fingers brushing the bruising. "Follow me Princess." He stood up and took my hand, pulling me out of bed. He walked me downstairs and into the kitchen. He opened the freezer and pulled out an ice pack.

"I don't need that, you do." I said, as he lifted my shirt and pressed the ice pack wrap to my stomach.

"Trust me Princess, I can take care of myself." He said, wrapping the pack around my torso, reaching around me to velcro it in the back. When he finished, he let my shirt fall over the bulky wrap.

"You shouldn't have to." I said, then he smirked, a strange glint in his eye, which to be honest scared me. "Uh, you okay?" I asked, moving away from him a bit.

"Oh, uh, yeah, can you do me a favor?" He asked to which I nodded. "Hope up on the counter." He said, that same smirk plastered on his face.

"Okay." I said, putting my hands behind me on the counter and pushing myself up onto it.

"You picked a great day to wear a skirt Princess." He referred to the pink skater skirt the came about halfway down my thigh. My heart rate quickened as I felt his hands slip up my legs, and eventually up my skirt, he rubbed my thigh the tiniest bit, then I slapped him.

"What are you doing?" I asked, fear in my voice. "I'm sorry I shouldn't've hit you." I nervously wrapped my arms around myself.

"Yeah, you shouldn't've." He gripped my upper arm, and yanked me off the counter, I painfully collided with the floor.

"Nick." I started, my voice cracking in fear.

"Shut. Up." He growled, and punched me, as he did I let out a scream. "I said shut up." I disregarded that and screamed a second time, he clasped his hand over my mouth, and kneed me harshly. Without the ability to scream, I whimpered through his hand.

"Mija, Mija, you're dreaming, please sweetheart, stop screaming, please, baby, wake up." I opened my eyes to see Lin holding my shoulders shaking me.

"I'm sorry Lin." I said, embarrassed, and upset with myself.

"It's fine, it's fine." He ran his hand through his hair, "get up. We need to talk." He took my hand and pulled me up.

"Lin, no, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, I really, I'm sorry. I know it's obnoxious, I wish I could stop it, if I could I swear I would. I'm so sorry." I was rambling until he cut me off.

"Niñita, shh, we just need to talk, I'm not upset with you." He sighed and walked into the living room, I followed, hanging my head and holding Cookie in front of me. He sat down on the couch and opened his arms, "come here." He said, and I came over and sat next to him. He wrapped both of his arms around me. "Okay, what did you dream about?"

"Nothing." I mumbled, kind of ashamed that Nick and his family still haunted me.

"Yeah, that's a load of crap." He started to rub my arm, "what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I grumbled.

"Well, I can't make you talk to me about it, I really can't, but, you're not gonna get up from this couch until you do."

"Okay," I sighed, "it was Nick." I murmured, "now can I go back to bed?" I asked.

"No Niñita, I'm not saying you need to spell out your dream word for word for me, just, I don't know." He scooted away from me on the couch, and sat facing me.

"I'm sorry."

"Mija," he put his hand on my knee, "I'm just..." He trailed off, and clenched his fist angrily.

"Lin, uh," I wrung my hands nervously.

"What?" You could hear the tension in his voice, his fist still clenched. He raised his fist, and my heart almost stopped.

"Please don't." I squeaked and held my hands in front of my face.

"Sweetie," all tension and anger was gone from his voice, "hon, I would never hit you. I swear, I would never ever hit you." He leaned over and tucked my hair behind my ear. "I love you, I'm never going to hurt you."

"Can I sleep out here?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Of course." He leaned over and grabbed a blanket from the side of the couch, "lay down." He said, and I laid down, my legs curled and my head on his lap, he pulled the blanket over me "I'll stay here."

"You don't need to." I whispered.

"I'm gonna stay with you, now go to sleep." He said, brushing my hair down.

"Okay." I whispered, letting my heavy eyes close finally.

•••

"Good morning you two." My eyes opened to see Vanessa standing in front of the couch, bouncing Sebastian on her hip.

"Morning V." Lin said, and I started to sit up. "Nu uh Niñita." He said, and I stopped trying to get up.

"Mija, are you okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said.

"Can you take Seb?" She asked, "I need to get ready for work."

"Yeah honey, give me my son." Lin reached out and took Sebastian.

"Thanks." She smiled, and left to get ready for work.

"Does my child want to watch Chuggington?" Lin asked, reaching for the remote, "I think he does."

"Chugga chugga chugga chugga." Seb was bouncing up and down.

"Calm down mijo." Lin laughed a little. 

About 20 minutes later Vanessa came back into the room her hair was down, wearing an orange blouse tucked into a black high waisted shirt, she had coffee in a travel mug.

"Honey, join us for the last five minutes." Lin smiled at his wife.

"Alright, Mija, I'm gonna get on the couch." Vanessa lifted my legs up, and snuggled up next to her husband, with her legs under my waist.

"You look great Nessa." Lin said, kissing Vanesa on the cheek.

"Thanks hon." She said.

After the episode finished, Vanessa and Sebastian left.

"Okay Abi, time for us to go to work too." I sat up on the couch, and he got up.

"Dad," I said, and he turned around to look at me, his eyes were soft, and a bit of a smile played on his lips.

"Yeah."

"Thanks for staying with me last night." I said.

"Of course Mija. What are parents for?"

•••

Well. I'm a failure.

So sorry.

Thanks for reading

- Abi