Maybe this is where I belong...

Chapter 25.

hi guys! im SO sorry this is so late updating, i took a little break from writing but i hope you guys enjoy this!

MARIANA'S POV:
It has been two weeks after moms rescued Ami from her birth parents and Patrick and things were finally starting to turn around for the better. Ami was getting flown to the nearby hospital in San Diego because of her long recovery so that meant Stef and Lena would be home too. My brothers and I have been dealing with this situation as well as we can, but all we want is for our family to be home and in one house together.

"Thank you, have a great night!" Callie said to the pizza delivery man. She shut the door and brought the pizza to the family room where me, Brandon, Jesus, Jude, and Emma were.
"Get it while it's hot!" Callie said as she opened the box. The boys scrambled to get a slice.
"Mari, you gonna eat?" Emma asked.
I shook my head, "Not really hungry." Jesus came to sit next to me and rested his arm around me.
"You gotta relax. Moms will be here tomorrow to pick us up to see Ami. This is good news!"
My response was dull and stale, while it was good news that Ami would finally be home, I couldn't help but think about the terror she endured. Moms didn't go deep into telling us what exactly happened, but I imagined it was horrible. We all ate pizza in silence together in the living room. Nobody knew what to talk about. How were we supposed to go on knowing that Amelia was going to be recovering from this for a very long time?
Callie and Emma went home and we all trudged upstairs to try and get some sleep.
I settled comfortably in bed and my eyes quickly drifted off to sleep.

AMELIA'S POV:
Everything hurts. Pain piercing throughout my entire body. I had been cut open time after time, and then hospital has been my home for too long. I guess the damage that Patrick did to me really took a toll on my body just as much my mind. I slept most of the day. Trying to eat and regain strength. We finally touched at the hospital close to my family and that meant I could see Jesus, Mariana and Brandon soon. I was wheeled into my new hospital room, Stef and Lena followed behind.
"M-mom?" I spoke, it was hard to form words after all the trauma my body endured.
"Hi, baby, hi. What's wrong love? You in pain?" Stef took my hand and kissed it as she stroked my hair.
"W-when can we go h-home?" And just as I said that, the doctor walked in.
"Hi guys." She said as she looked to me with saddened eyes.
"Hi Dr. Grey." Lena said.
Dr. Grey went over to me and took my vitals and gave me an exam.
"How are you feeling today Amelia?" She asked me.
"Like I want to go home." I responded.
She chuckled and put her stethoscope around her neck, "Well everything looks okay. I'm going to say a couple more nights here- just to observe you. The surgery didn't have any complications but I want to keep an eye on you just in case." I groaned at her response. All I wanted was to be in my own bed and be home with my family. Dr. Grey excused herself out of my room and shut the door behind her.
"Ami baby this is good news! A couple nights isn't that much. Before you know it you are going to be home with us." Lena said as she kissed me on the cheek. I was drifting in and out of sleep, but could still hear Stef and Lena whispering from across the room.
"I, uh just got a text. I have to go to the station. They found Daniel and Veronica. Th-they want me to be there, i'm not sure why but I-I have to go." Stef whispered.
"Go, go. It's okay. We're fine." Lena responded in a similar hushed tone. Stef gave Lena a quick peck on the lips before moving to me.
"I'll be right back baby girl, okay?" She whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek a dozen times, "I love you my girl." And with that, Stef left.

STEF'S POV:
"So why did you want me here?" I asked Mike as we walked into the station together. I was drained. Emotionally and physically. I wanted no part of speaking to the people who hurt my daughter.
"They want to sign over their rights." Mike responded.
I scoffed, "You're kidding. I thought we would have had to battle in court for that. Why are they signing over so easily?"
"Who knows. Maybe they actually realized they are shitty parents." Mike said as he opened the door to the interrogation room for me. There they were. The people who abused, abandoned,  and made my daughter's life a living hell. I sat down across from them while Beth, the social worker who brought Ami to us, drew up the papers.
"Stef if you want to sign right here." She said. I took the paper and scribbled mine and Lena's name and flew the paper across the table for them to sign.
"Daniel, right here. And Veronica, right under there." They obeyed and scribbled their names. Beth took the pieces of paper and collected them and walked out.
"Stef," Mike started, "Come on we have to get back to the hospital."
"S-She's in t-the hospital?" Veronica muttered out over her tears. It was clear she was crying.
I looked her straight in her cold, heartless eyes. "Yes. And do you know why?" Veronica shook her head.
I scoffed and shook mine as well, "She had so much internal bleeding and damage to her organs from the constant physical and sexual abuse she endured, that you let happen. That's why shes in the hospital. Because the both of you were too fucking busy getting drunk and high to care for your thirteen year old daughter who was getting beaten and raped in the next room!" I screamed and Mike had to hold me back from beating the absolute shit out of the both of them.
"Okay Stef, okay. It's okay. Let's go." Mike grabbed me and held me by the arm as we walked out of the room.

I walked back into the hospital room to find Amelia sleeping soundly in her bed and Lena curled up in the chair next to her.
I slowly made my way over to Lena, gently rubbing her arm and kissing her cheek, "Lena, baby. It's me."
She slowly opened her eyes to meet mine.
"Oh. Hi," She cleared her throat and yawned, "W-What did they want, at the police station?"
I sat down on the arm of the chair, "Daniel and Veronica— they signed over their rights."
Her eyes immediately widened, "Are you kidding? W-Well that's good right?"
I nodded my head and looked to Ami, "How's my baby doing?"
"She's doing okay. She had a temperature so Dr. Grey put her on some medicine to get it down but that's it. Do you think we should bring the kids to see her tomorrow?"
"I think it'll do all of them good. She probably misses the kids," I replied, "Hey, why don't you head home— surprise the kids? It's late too, baby. You need some sleep."
Lena looked at me with worried eyes, "I don't want to leave her. S-She might get sicker."
"I'll be here, don't worry love. I got her." I kissed Lena on the forehead and she nodded her head.
"I'll call and bring the kids in the morning, I love you so much." Lena said, pulling me into a passionate hug.
"I love you too baby."

LENA'S POV:
I turned the key into the front door of my house which I haven't stepped foot in in weeks. With Ami in the hospital I had to take a leave of absence at work. It was late so I assumed the kids were sound asleep in their beds but all three of them were still awake in the living room.
"Mama!!" Mariana shouted, rushing over to hug me, almost knocking me over.
"Hi, Miss Thing!" I hugged her back, "Get over here my baby boys!" Jesus and B walked over to join in on the hug.
"Where's mom?" Brandon asked.
"She decided to stay with Amelia tonight." I replied.
Mariana looked to me with concerned, worried eyes and as did her brothers. "How.. Is Amelia?"
"Why don't we all sit down, okay?" I said. We all sat down in the living room with Mariana next to me, and the boys sitting on the floor in front of me.
"I know Mom let you guys know what happened in Arizona with Amelia's birth parents and Patrick. But she suffered a lot of internal damage and had to undergo a couple of surgeries. She is doing okay right now and is going to come home in a couple of days. I need you guys to be a stable support system for when she comes home, yes?"
"Yes, of course." My kids all said in unison.
I patted my legs and nodded, "Okay, thank you babies so much," I stood up and said, "We need to be up early tomorrow, you've got school! We are going to visit Ame tomorrow afternoon so get all your homework done before hand." Mariana, Jesus, and B all stood up and came over to hug me.
"Night Mama." Jesus and B said and made their way upstairs.
"Goodnight Mama. Love you." Mariana hugged me tight, a little longer than she usually does.
"Oh, I love you too, my love." I returned the hug and up she went to bed.

AMELIA'S POV:
The nightmares in the hospital were the worst. Every single night I would play that horrible night over and over. The worst part is that it wasn't a dream. It was a memory, and I was living it again and again. Sometimes I feel like giving up and just ending it all right here but I fought for this. I fought to be reunited with my moms.
I felt hands on my shoulders, shaking me to wake up.
"Ami, love are you okay?!" Stef said to me with her voice trembling.
"Y-Yeah? I'm fine mom." I was confused why she woke me up, it was around four in the morning.
"Sweetheart you were shaking and sweating in your sleep." She put her hand on my cheek and rubbed it with her thumb.
"Oh.." I didn't know what else to say. I felt horrible that I woke her up. Stef was doing so much for me, staying at the hospital every night. The least I could do is give her a full nights sleep.
"Baby are you okay? Like really, really okay?" She asked me, not breaking eye contact for a second. Tears welled up in my eyes and soon they were pouring out like a faucet. She pulled me close to her and I sat on her lap and sobbed into her shoulder.
"I-I had a bad dream. Except it wasn't a dream. I-It was a memory. I ca-can't get that night out of my head mom. It's burned into my brain and I can't stop reliving it." I sobbed.
"Oh, my baby. I am so sorry that this happened. I am so sorry you had to go through this. But look at me," Stef shifted my head to meet my eyes, "You never have to go through this alone, yes? I will always be here, and Mama will always be here. Mariana, Jesus, B - they're all here for you, forever and ever. You are our baby and that will never change." Stef wrapped her arms around me tight and pulled me closer into her embrace.