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ALEX'S POV

I was working on a drawing that I started a couple of days ago.

"What are you working on, baby girl?" Mom asked out of nowhere.

"Holy shit! Do you know how to knock?!" I held my hand over my chest and paused the music with my other hand.

"I tried knocking, but you didn't answer." She explained.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, the music was blaring, wasn't it?" I asked. She nodded and laughed.

"You never answered my question. What are you working on?" She asked as she sat next to me on my bed.

"This." I showed her the drawing I was working on. It was a little girl afraid of monsters.

She looked me into the eyes, and all I saw was the look of concern in them.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I faked a smile. The truth is, the monsters won't shut up.

'You're not good enough'

'Cut whore'

'No one loves you'

'You killed your father'

"Shut up!" I screamed as I grabbed and pulled my hair.

"Baby!" Mom exclaimed as she grabbed my hands.

- TRIGGER WARNING -

I attempted to get out of Mom's grip but it wasn't working.

"Let go!" I cried out.

"No! Look at me, baby girl." She spoke calmly. I bit her hand so she would let go. The next stuff that happened was a blur.

DEMI'S POV

"Alex!" I shouted as she got out of my grip and ran. I followed in pursuit after her.

"D-Don't come near me!" She shouted as she held a knife near her neck. I paused in my tracks as I saw my baby girl, she was not looking like herself. It was her, but you can see in her eyes that she wasn't really there.

"Put the knife down, baby girl." I spoke gently.

"I-If you step one step closer, I'll stab myself. I-It will kill me if I do it, right?" She choked out.

"You don't want to do that. Think about everyone that loves you. Me, Max, Kenzie, Grandma, Grandpa, Maddie, Dallas, Sirah, Matthew, Maxipad. Please, put the knife down." I attempted to move closer but she moved the knife closer to her neck. Max opened the door to the kitchen, which is behind Alex. I secretly signaled for him to be quiet.

"I-It will kill me, right? If I stab it right into my neck, it'll kill me?" She asked again. Max understood and slowly went up to Alex from behind. He quickly grabbed her and she dropped the knife. "L-Let me go!"

"Shh, shh.." Max started comforting her. I grabbed the knife off of the floor and put it out of her reach.

- TRIGGER WARNING OVER -

"I-I was so close!" She cried out.

Now I'm a warrior

Now I've got thicker skin

I'm a warrior

I'm stronger than I've ever been

And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in

I'm a warrior

And you can never hurt me again

I started singing as I gently took her from Max's embrace.

"I-I'm sorry!" She choked out. I rubbed circles on her back, trying to comfort her. "M-Make them shut up, M-Mama."

"You're safe. I've got you, baby. Focus on me, focus on the touch of my hands on your face," I said as I gently held her face, so she was making eye contact with me. "Focus on the sound of my voice, the smell of my perfume. Let these things ground you, baby girl." I instructed her to focus on things she can feel, smell, and hear. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and she breathed out as she let out a strangled sob.

"It's okay. I've got you. You're safe with Max and I." I cooed as I held her in my embrace. Batman and Ella came running upstairs with Max and they both immediately ran to Alex and I.

"B-Batman.. Ella.." Alex spoke quietly as she picked up Ella and held Ella in her arms. Ella doesn't like cuddling, but she does it always with Alex.

"Are you okay, baby girl?" I asked gently as her breathing slowly returned to normal as she continued to hold Ella.

"Y-Yeah." She replied. Maybe we should try and get Ella certified to be a service/emotional support dog and get her the training.

"You know we'll have to talk about this eventually, right?" I asked.

"Mhm.. not know though. I'm tired." She said as she laid down in Ella's dog bed with Ella right next to her. Batman got jealous and joined in.

"You can't sleep there, baby girl." I told her as I kneeled down and rubbed circles on her back again and put a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm too tired to walk upstairs.. and I want to stay with Ella." She pouted.

"Ella can stay with you upstairs for a bit. Okay?" I replied. She smiled and held her arms out to Max. My baby girl. I thought to myself.

"Carry me." She stated simply. We stifled a laugh as she tried to sound serious. Max picked her up and placed her on his hip. It concerns me how tiny she is still..

"Come on, Ella. Let's go to sissy's room!" I exclaimed and I picked Ella up. She yapped excitedly, as if she knew what's happening. I put Ella up on Alex's bed and Ella got comfortable, snuggled up next to Alex.

"Try to get some rest before dinner, okay?" I said as I kissed her forehead. When I mentioned dinner, I noticed a panicked look on her face. I'll have to talk about that with her later. Max looked for any sharp objects just in case.

Max and I walked downstairs, leaving Ella and Alex in her room. Batman was playing with a squeaky toy.

"Should we continue watching the Harry Potter movies before dinner?" I asked Max.

"Harry Potter and chill?" He smirked.

"No! I don't need another child! I'm happy with the three I have!" I playfully smacked him.

"Three?" He asked, obviously confused.

"Alex, Batman, and Ella. Duh." I laughed.

"Come on! I'll use protection." He fake whined.

"Maybe when Alex goes have a sleepover with Maddie sometime." I teased. "Now let's watch some Harry Potter!" We sat on the couch and all I can say is.. thanks a lot Alex for getting us hooked on Harry Potter.

A/N: If you have any ideas, feel free to share.

Stay Strong