SOS

Twenty-One

"Excuse me, I wasn't done talking to you." She cringes when Amy's voice comes from behind her as she heads for the crosswalk, needing to cross to reach the hotel they are staying at.

"You really need to find your voice, it's freaky that you don't talk ever." Amy grabs her arm from behind, a flash of something passing Elodie's mind's eye so fast it wouldn't have made sense to anyone else, but for Elodie it is a switch that is flipped, triggering her instantly into a past she has worked so hard to leave behind.

Taking a deep breath she turns around, Amy stumbling backwards in surprise, "I have a voice, but I spent too many years using it to fight a bitch like you and only ever hurting myself in the process. Leave me the hell alone, whatever Luke does with or without you is none of my business, and if he can't seem to realize that he is worth so much more than you, that is not my business or my problem either. I've hurt myself fighting for too many people that weren't me, and I am not going to do it for anyone else. Now, leave me the hell alone."

The shock of Elodie speaking seems to have worked, Amy staying on the sidewalk as Elodie steps into the street once it is safe to, crossing quickly and hurrying into the hotel. Hiding her panic as best as possible until she's in the elevator, leaning against the wall as she lets out a very shaky breath, grateful when the the small ding rings through the space, stepping out into the hallway of the ninth floor, heading for the room she and Peter are sharing for the night and quietly letting herself through the door.

"On the roof again for a secret date with the lead singer?" She jumps hard as Peter's voice rings through the room, having expected that he would be asleep. "What's wrong?" His tone changes suddenly as she steps into the light of the tv he has on. He quickly turns on the lamp, stepping out of his bed and hugging her tightly to his chest as soon as he is close enough.

"Just, I got triggered." She whispers, hugging him tightly.

"In Seattle? In the middle of the night?" Peter frowns.

"Ya..." She sighs, pulling away to set her bag down, kicking off her shoes as well.

"Do you want or need to talk about anything?"

"I wasn't with Luke. I haven't talked to him since Mexico. I actually don't plan on talking to him again honestly." She sighs, pacing the small space as she talks. "Just after we got back to LA, I went out to get a smoothie, and I saw him at a coffee shop with Amy... He had told me he was done with her, we had sort of bonded over living through abuse, not that he knows any of my traumas, he just knows I have lived through some. It was like a slap in the face to see him sitting with her at that cafe, and I didn't know what to do, so I just turned and walked away. But then I let it fester in me, and now I don't even know how to talk to him. I can't put myself in a place like that again, Pete, I can't be hurting myself to fight for someone else again."

"Hey, hey!" Peter stops her pacing by grabbing her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Is that what has been causing your bad mood?" She simply nods, a tear leaking from her eye as she does. "What happened tonight?"

"Amy found me. I was at the 24-hour diner across the road and then suddenly she was there, and she was calling me names, and she was yelling at me and degrading me, and– and she followed me out of the diner when it occurred to me that I could just leave. She grabbed my arm when she caught up to me, I just snapped at that point. I yelled at her, and luckily it surprised her enough that she didn't follow me the rest of the way. But, but, when she grabbed my arm, it was like I was eight again, or twelve, or fifteen, or anywhere in between. When she grabbed me my mind pictured someone I have worked so hard to push away and keep out, and I panicked." Tears are running heavily down her face at this point.

"Hey," Peter pulls her close again, rubbing his hands over her back trying to comfort her, "Amy and Carly are not here anymore, El. You're safe here, El. Shhh." He coos.

"Can I tech for Michael for a few shows? I don't think I can be Luke's tech for a bit after this?" She asks quietly into his chest.

"Do you feel up to it? Teching for him is a lot bigger responsibility than Luke's."

"Please?" She nearly begs.

"Okay. Starting at the next show you'll tech for Michael, until you tell me you want to switch back. I'll always be here to take care of you, Elodie, I promise."

"Thank you, Pete. I'm going to take a shower and then try to sleep."

"I think that's a great plan." Peter brushes his thumbs under her eyes, cleaning the tears from them before more bead from her lower lashes, "I love you, sis." He adds, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you too, and thank you for literally everything."

"It's no problem at all."

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~M =)