4. Afternoon

AN: some of you contacted me about some details in this story. This is a sequel to another story! The first story is called Don't Get In A Stranger's Car. Go check it out and then come back!

*Ellie's POV*

"How would you feel if I signed you out for lunch?" I read the text under my desk in my honors biology class.

Excitedly, I text back, "um duh?!" to Amanda.

"Here's the catch: your mom will be there. You have to tell her about the perps. I'm telling her about the pregnancy."

Damn it. "Are you saying I have no choice?"

"She's gonna find out anyways, Babydoll. Either you tell her or I will."

"Fine. Sounds fun. Sort of."

I await the phone call in my next class with both excitement of getting out of reading Tale of Two Cities out loud in class and terror.

When the phone does ring, I jump, and continue staring down at my book.

"Ellie, you're being signed out," my teacher tells me.

Quickly, I shove my highlighter and book in my bag, then get up and head out to the front office. Just like the last time I got taken out of school, Amanda comes over to me and takes my bag as we walk out.

I throw my bag in the back seat and am about to close the door when I see Mom's in the passenger seat.

I shoot Amanda an "are you serious?" look, not sure if she'll get what I'm bent about. I knew she would be talking to us, but I was hoping Amanda would talk to me privately first.

We go to a diner and order burgers and fries. Amanda usually doesn't eat a whole lot, but today she does. I get why, but I hope Mom doesn't notice.

"So," Mom says, "what did we pull El out of school for?"

She's sitting across from me and Amanda, so I can't blatantly give Amanda messages through facial expressions.

"Two things," Amanda says. "Wanna go first, Babydoll?"

I open my mouth to say, "no," but then I realize it'll probably be a short conversation if Amanda tells her about being pregnant. Them two could go on forever about that.

"Does the rest of the squad know yet?" I ask Amanda.

"They do," she replies.

"They do what?" Mom asks.

"A couple days ago, me and Jordyn were walking home and someone ran between us. It was one of the five guys who tried to attack me." I avoid Mom's stare and look at my food. "When I watched him run, another one of the guys met up and ran with him."

In a loud whisper, I hear Mom say, "why the hell didn't you tell me?!"

"I-I didn't want you to worry, Mom. I know I should've-"

"You know how stupid that was, El? We may have found the perps by now! They could've taken you! For real this time! They-"

"I know, Mom! I just didn't want you to get all upset again. I wanted to tell you-"

"You should have told me right away!"

"Liv, it wasn't easy for her to tell me either," Amanda back me up. She's lying; it was so easy to tell her, but I know she's doing it to save my ass.

"Why would it be hard, Ellie? You want these people caught, right?" Mom asks me.

"Well yeah, but-"

"Let's finish up and get back to the precinct so we can find these bastards," Mom interrupts.

"Liv, there's still one more thing," Amanda says. "And, Babydoll, for you sake I held off on the termination."

Relief floods my chest. But I know she still could abort the baby.

"Terminate what?"

Amanda looks down. "I'm...about...6 or so weeks pregnant."

I didn't get why it was so bad to tell Mom this, but Amanda looks relieved when Mom excitedly says, "really?!"

"Uh huh."

"Who's the father?!" Mom asks.

"Mark..."

Mom was never too fond of him. Maybe that's why she's nervous.

"You let Mark knock you up?"

We all get really quiet. Amanda nods and start to eat her burger again. "It was an accident," she whispers, as if her mother is yelling at her and she's a little kid.

Mom leans back, taking in the information.

"And there's one more thing," Amanda says.

Me and Mom both look up at her. "What?" we say simultaneously.

"I'm having twins."

Mom looks over at me and she knows that I didn't even know this.

Amanda keeps looking anywhere but us and says, "I'm gonna have more kids than you, Liv. I can't do it."

"I thought the same thing," Mom says gently. "I had an appointment for abortion a week after I found out. Then I realized even my mother kept a pregnancy."

"But why are you defending her? She beat you..."

"I realized I was stronger than her. I got through it all. I wanted to prove I could raise a kid right, on top of everything good or bad she ever stood for."

Amanda nods. "I don't think I can abort them. But I don't know if I can keep them."

"There's always adoption, Amanda," my mom says, reaching for her hand.

"I know. I just need to think for awhile."

Mom nods. "Let's finish up and head home," she says.

We do so and get in the car. "Do you wanna be alone?" Mom asks Amanda.

"It's alright. She can stay."

"I'm saying just for the night. If you want some time alone."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amanda look back at me. In order to ignore her, I just shift and look out the window.

"Just one night. If she gets all out of whack again I blame you," Amanda tells Mom.

We drop Amanda off at home. When she gets out, I get out too so I can get in the passenger seat. Before I do, though, I give her a tight hug.

Reluctantly, I draw back, say bye, and get back in the car. We start to drive.

"What did you do that for?!" I ask mom. "She shouldn't be alone!"

"She needs her space, El."

"That's not what I mean. I could give her all the space in the world and stay in her guest room but it's better for me to be there just in case!"

"She'll be fine," Mom says.

*Olivia's POV*

I head home, knowing Amanda should be alone. I need to interrogate Elliot.

As soon as I get home, I slam doors and make noise so Elliot knows I'm upset. Ellie disappears into her room, where I want her.

"What's up with you?" Elliot asks.

I'm at the counter so I slam my hands down and face him.

"How much did you know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you know about Amanda being pregnant? Or that the perps that tried to kidnap my daughter were on the streets the other day?!"

He looks away. "I didn't know Amanda was pregnant."

"But you knew about the perps?!" I'm so pissed.

"Eliana told me when we brought her home from the hospital," he says calmly. "I told her you have to know but I wasn't gonna let someone tell you for her. At least you know now."

All of a sudden, he feels too close to me. I push his chest so he steps back a bit. Then I walk away.

"Don't be mad, Liv."

"I am gonna be mad! Does everyone think I can't handle things like this?! Do I have to be protected?!"

"No, Liv. You have to remember teenagers tell their parents absolutely nothing. It's just a thing they do. You can't take it to heart," he explains.

"What about Amanda? She's having twins in November and I didn't know about it!"

Elliot leans against the back of the couch, completely oblivious to how angry I am.

"When did you tell me you were pregnant?"

I know what he's doing. "You confronted me about it," I say. He asked me if someone was wrong and I said no. He told me he's seen it 5 times before, the moodiness and the weird eating habits. So I cried into his shirt and told him what happened. The squad knew I was raped but I didn't tell them about the pregnancy.

"See? It's not an easy thing to tell someone, even if you trust them the most."

I nod, my anger fading. Just slightly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure moving.

"Where are you going?" I ask my daughter.

"Anywhere but here," she says simply, walking towards the front door.

"Oh, no you're not," is my response.

"Well I'm not gonna sit here and listen to your rage."

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"Then don't drag me home and then argue with him! I'm going to Logan's, if you care," she retorts.

Logan's? "Hell no," I say.

"Oh this should be good," she mumbles. "Why not?" she asks louder.

"Because. It's late and you're not going over there."

"Mom, its 2:25. And his parents are home if that lessens your irrational thoughts."

"Talking to me like that is not the way to get what you want," I tell her firmly.

"Holding me hostage is not a way to keep me from being pissed."

Just as I'm about to respond, Elliot takes my shoulders. "Be home by 8, alright?" he asks.

She smiles and slips out the door before I can react. I turn around. "What the hell, Elliot?!"

"Be pissed at me, not your daughter. She didn't do anything."

"Do you know how many times she's lied to me when it involves that boy? She went to his party and her best friend ended up getting raped! I know Amanda-"

"Liv, you're acting like an overly protective father. I've had all of my daughters go through enough boyfriends. My daughters are smart. Your daughter is extremely smart. She wouldn't hang out with anyone she didn't feel comfortable with."

"I don't trust him!"

"Do you even know his last name?" he asks skeptically.

"Becker."

"It's Beckman."

"No it isn't," I insist, knowing he's probably right.

"Yes it is," he says, grabbing Ellie's laptop from the coffee table. I was using it earlier. He wakes it up and opens her Skype. The first name under "recents" is Logan Beckman. "See?"

"Whatever," I retort, throwing my hands up.

"Liv, look at me."

"What?" I ask, annoyed.

"What's really going on? You're always upset now. I don't like it."

"I don't even know, El," I admit. "I don't like how fast she's growing up. She's the only family I have. She doesn't...need me anymore." Suddenly, I start crying.