I Can't

Never again

While Lindsey remained seated on the bed, trying to somehow process whatever the hell just happened, Stevie managed to get up and on her feet, only thinking about getting to Anna. Sara wasn't seeing straight, she wasn't listening, therefore there was no need to try and go after her.

She met Daryl in the hallway, looking utterly lost and confused. "Mom?"

"What?" Stevie stopped, facing her son.

"What on earth just happened? Sara... Sara's not our sister or?"

"She is your sister, Daryl. I carried her, just that... your biological father isn't hers too. She find out about it, she wasn't meant to and she's very upset with me."

Daryl nodded and said... "She'll come around, she just needs time I guess."

"I hope so, I really do."

"You know I love you." He added, approaching her, opening his arms. 

"And I love you." Stevie smiled a little, hugging Daryl. "I need to go see your other sister now."

"How about Dad? Should I..."

"Sure. You can go and try to maybe talk to him." 

Now standing by Anna's door, Stevie hesitated knocking. Maybe she should let her be for a while. But no... No, she had to find out what was going on.

"Baby, it's me. Can I come in?"

She got no answer, but after a moment, the lock clicked and the door opened slightly. Taking that as an invitation, Stevie pressed her hand against the door and pushed it to walk in, seeing Anna already back in bed, curled up in a ball, under her favorite blanket from when she was little.

"Do you care to talk?" Stevie asked softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed on the side where Anna was facing. Receiving a shake of head, she said. "Okay. But I'm here and I'll be here with you until you are ready to talk." Bringing her hand up, she stroked Anna's long hair, as they both were silent.

Stevie didn't know for how long they stayed the same, before Anna grasped her hand, lifting her eyes up. "I'm sorry."

"Well... I'm not really sure what you're sorry for, honey. How about you tell me what happened? And if you do, you tell me everything."

"I want to." She cried. "But I hate disappointing you and Dad, and I know you both will be."

"I can't say we won't be for sure or that we won't be angry, but you cannot keep whatever it is from us any longer. We know something's up, sweetheart. Do you think we'll just let it go?" 

"Probably not."

"Definitely not." Stevie assured, standing up to walk around the bed, as she lay down on the empty side and showed Anna to snuggle up by her side, knowing very well that her daughter would open up only if she was made to feel secure.

"It started some time ago, not that long though." Anna started, laying her head on her mother's chest. "Um... Everyone at school is dating and talking about their boyfriends and I'm... I'm just by myself all the time. Guys only ever tease me, not that I know why, they always find something to pick on. But... Then I started noticing him. I thought he was good looking and one time he caught me staring his way, he came up to me and... he started saying all these things to me, touching me..." It wasn't easy to listen to this, but Stevie would try and stay calm. "I felt uncomfortable, yet at the same time, I felt as if someone finally wanted something to do with me. On your birthday, he had called me earlier that day, asking me out and when every one of your guests had arrived, I knew you would be busy and you would let me go easily, so I lied I was going to Tara's for the night, while actually, he came to pick me up some fifteen minutes later after you and I talked. I changed my clothes in his car, I put on makeup and we drove to a club. I was seeing every possible red flag... I'm underage and he got me into a club, he bought me alcohol, he said the most inappropriate things to me and then he talked me into going to his place. He had been drinking and I still got into his car. When we got to his flat... It was so dirty and disgusting, yet I chose to stay. We drank some more and then he started putting his hands on me, I... I then agreed to... to have sex with him. I didn't sleep a minute the whole night, thinking about you and Dad, that you did not raise me to be this girl." Anna then looked up, seeing Stevie's face wet from tears, it breaking her heart. "I'm so sorry..." She repeated again and again. 

"Was that the only time you saw him?" Stevie asked after a moment, finally having composed herself some.

"I thought it was going to be the only time, I told him to stay away and not ever approach me again, but he just didn't care. He kept... harassing me in away and I felt so week and so worthless after what happened, that I just... I gave in. I went to see him."

"Oh God..." Stevie gasped, giving up on wiping her tears away. "Why?" She asked weakly. 

"I don't know, I really don't. I'm stupid, just so stupid. I don't know what I was trying to prove and to whom. I'm not like that, it's not me!"

"Exactly, Anna. It isn't. Everything you've just told me... I can't believe it's you talking about yourself."

"All I can really say to you is that I'm sorry I did that." Anna shrugged her shoulders, feeling an absolute failure.

"Who is he?" Stevie asked at last. 

"Mom-"

"Answer me. I need to know who this lowlife is, this criminal."

"I'm scared to tell you."

"I bet you are, but you have to."

"I don't want to harm the baby, because I know you won't be able to take it well, when I tell you."

"The baby is just fine, Anna. You can't use them as an excuse."

"Dad will kill him."

"I wouldn't put that off either, but nevertheless."

Prolonging the pause as long as she could, she spoke at last. "It's Mike."

"Mike?" Stevie frowned. "Wait... Our gardener Mike?!"

"Yes..." She nodded a little.

"I just might help your father kill him." Now truly mad, Stevie got out of bed a lot faster than she was able to recently, pointing a finger at Anna. "You listen to me. You do not appear in your father's eyesight. You stay here and I'll tell him you're just very upset and you'll come out when you're ready. I will tell him everything else as well, doing my best to try and make it look to him that you're too young and too naive, that you did not know what you were doing." Anna only nodded, haven't seen her mother this angry in a very long time. "As for Mike, I'll make sure you will never see him again, nor will he ever be near this house. Do you understand me?"

"I do." Anna replied in a small voice.

"Good." Stevie said, taking a deep breath before she walked out, trying to appear as if things where just fine, while her mind was already working on how to even begin telling this to Lindsey.