Saved (Adopted by Brendon Urie)

#54

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Pete's POV

It was about 4am and I was tossing and turning in the guest bedroom. I was worried about Anna, I hadn't heard any noise from her room but I knew that she was prone to nightmares. So I get up to check on her and I find out why she wasn't having a nightmare or anything.
"Hey." I say softly.
"Oh hi Pete." She looks up from her iPad and pulls out her earphones.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep. I slept for a few hours but yeah."
"Nightmare?"
"Yeah."
"Whatcha watching?"
"Dan and Phil."
"Nice. Can I join?"
"Sure." She moves over and I sit next to her. She plays the video and halfway through the video, out of the corner of my eye, I see Anna smiling which makes me smile.
"They make you really happy, don't they?" I say, nodding towards the two, pale, British YouTubers.
"Yeah. I started watching them in the orphanage and whenever I felt like cutting or something I would either play their videos or listen to your guys' music."

We watch more videos for a few hours and I look over at Anna, who had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I turn her iPad off and tuck her in. Shutting the door, I smile. It was clear that the two tall British YouTubers had a huge impact on her. I go and sit on the couch downstairs and I pull out my phone, find twitter, find Dan's account and decide to send him a DM.

From @/petewentz:
Hey Dan, just wanted to say thank you for making your videos, Phil too. Anna has been struggling a bit and I just watched her smiling so much watching your videos at 4 am.

From @/danielhowell
Hi Pete. I'm so glad that Anna enjoys our videos, Phil is too.

"Pete?"
I look up to see Patrick.
"Hey."
"Are you alright? I know your trying to hold it together, but I don't know."
"Me neither. I'm so worried about her 'trick. She was getting better mentally and now her father wants to take her back and I'm scared that she's going to give up. I barely saw her smile today until just now, she was watching Dan and Phil."
Patrick gives me a warm hug while I tear up. I feel my heart rate increase and my breathing get heavy. I think Patrick noticed because he started rubbing my back.
"Pete, it's going to be ok breathe slowly ok?"
"I-I can't."
"Where's your medication? Is it in the guest bedroom?"
I nod my head.
"Are you ok if I leave you for a second?"
I nod my head again and he gets up as I place my head in my hands, trying to steady my breathing.
"Pete? Here."
He passes me my anxiety medication and a glass of water. I take the medication and after another 5 or so minutes I can breathe normally.
"Thank you Patrick."
"Of course. You need to have a break dude, that attack proves that you are too worked up about everything."
"I know. I am going to have a rest."
"Alright. Have a good sleep."

I go back to the guest bedroom and lay down on the bed. It doesn't take long before I fall asleep.

———

I wake up very confused on where I was but after a minute or two I remembered everything that happened.
Anna freaking and blacking out
He tutor being her father
Her father wanting her back
Anna not eating
My panic attack

I groan because I wished none of that happened.
"Pete? You awake?" I hear Patrick's voice outside the door.
"Yeah."
He comes in with a cup of tea and places it on the bedside table.
"Thanks 'trick."
"You're welcome are you feeling better?"
"Yeah sorry and thank you for earlier."
"Pete, it's all good. It's been a while since I've seen you like that. It's going to be ok."
"I hope." I get up and hug him.
"How's Anna?"
"Still asleep I think."
I check the time, it was 9:30.
"And Brendon is downstairs, I don't think he slept very well."
I take my tea downstairs and sit next to Brendon and Tyler was also there.
"Today's a new day," I say, "we'll sort everything out."
"And hopefully she'll eat." Tyler mumbles.
"Yeah that's a thing too."

"Morning."
"Hey Dallon."
"Hi and thanks Brendon for letting me use your studio."
"No problem Josh."

"STOP IT!"
We hear a shout from upstairs and we all stare at each other wide-eyed before Brendon and I rush upstairs. Turns out Gerard got there before us and he was holding Anna and rocking her back and forth.
"It's ok A." He whispers in her ear. Brendon and I step out of the room and go back downstairs so she wouldn't feel crowded. Everyone just looked at us like "is she ok?"
"I think she ok, Gerard's with her." Brendon says and everyone looks less worried.
Gerard comes down 10 minutes later.
"Is Anna ok?"
"She's having a shower."

Brendon's POV

My phone dings notifying me of an email.

Hello Mr and Mrs Urie,

Unfortunately there is not much we can do unless Anna is willing to give a statement to the judge and talks about her past with her parents. I know you spoke to me about her anxiety and her fear of speaking but this is the only way we will have a chance of keeping her with you. 

Kind regards,
Johnathon Sine

"Fuck." I say a little too loud.
"Language." Both Dallon and Patrick tell me.
"Bren? What's wrong?" Sarah says, coming downstairs.
"The lawyer just emailed me saying we don't have much of a chance of winning this case unless Anna speaks in front of the judge about her past."
"Oh no," Josh says, "but her anxiety?"
"I know," I sigh, "but I think it's our only chance."
"But won't talking about it trigger her?" Pete asks concerned. "Remember what happened when we went to Perth?"
"I know, I know."
"Do you want me to tell her?" Gerard offers.
"No it's ok I will. Thanks though."

I wait 15 minutes before going up.
"Anna? Can I come in?"
She opens the door, her eyes bloodshot.
"I'm sorry dad."
"Why?"
"I messed up."
Fuck. I really hoped she didn't do what I was thinking she did.
"Can you show me your arms?" I ask with caution, remembering what happened last time she was asked that. She starts crying and I pull her into a hug.
"It's too much dad. I can't do it."
"Yes you can I know it's hard but you've got so many people to help you. Can I see you arms though?"
"I rather you didn't."
"Anna," I sigh, "please I need to make sure they aren't too bad."
She hesitantly pulls up her sleeve to reveal about 10 new cuts. I draw in a quick, quiet breath.
"Anna, you can't do this."
"I know, I know but..." she say sadly.
"But it's too much." I finish.
"Yeah."

I clean up her cuts, they were pretty deep but I don't think she needed to go to hospital.
"They'll just send me to therapy."
I go to say something about how she should consider therapy but I decide against it, we can deal with that after the trial.
"Is everything ok?" Gerard says outside the door.
"He can come in." She whispers.
I get up and open the door.
"What-." He stops when he notices Anna's arm, "Anna, kid, why?"
"I'm sorry."
I bandage her cuts and Gerard hugs her.
"You can't give up."
He turns and looks at me
"Does she know?"
"Know what?" She says.
"Uhh, the lawyer emailed me and told us that we don't have much of a chance unless you speak about your past in front of the judge on trial day."
She takes a deep breath in and nods, "I'll do it."
"Are you sure?" Gerard asks.
"Yep. I have to."
"But what about you getting triggered or something."
"I don't know. Let's just hope it doesn't happen and if it does we'll deal with it."
"That's not healthy A." I say.
"Yeah I know. But if it means I can stay with you I'll work through it." She shrugs.
"Ok I'll let the lawyer know. Come on let's go have breakfast. And yes, you are eating."

We sit down at the kitchen table.
"Everything ok?" I hear Pete whisper to Anna who shakes her head and fiddles with her sleeve.
He looks up at me and his eyes dart to her wrist and then back to me. I nod hoping he gets what I'm saying. I think he did because he sighs quietly and pulls her into a side hug. We eat our breakfast which Breezy so kindly made for us. Anna hadn't put anything on her plate so I place a slice of toast on it in attempt to get her to eat. None of us wanted a repeat of Perth where she didn't eat or speak. She picks at it, eating a few bites but mainly just staring at it.
"Anna," Tyler says breaking the silence, "Can you please just eat the piece of toast."
She sighs and picks it up again.
"Fine. Only because I know I have to."