Hold a Smile (Demi Lovato) COMPLETE

Twenty-Nine: Queens Witches and Princesses

Demi's POV

"Does that mean you're my momma?"

I was speechless, just staring into her beautiful eyes that were waiting for my reply. I pulled her in close for a hug as tears started to fill my eyes. "Yes, baby, if that's what you want me to be."

I felt her nod. "I do," she said in a weak voice. She nuzzled her face into me. We sat for a while as tears fell out of my eyes.

She pulled away and had a look of guilt. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," she said quietly.

I put on a smile. "Happy tears, baby."

She reached up and wiped my tears from my cheeks, making me smile even more. "Happy tears?"

I nodded. "When you're so happy, you can't help but cry. It's a good thing."

She smiled. "I'm happy, too."

She wrapped her arms around my neck again, and I held her tightly. I love this girl so much.

After dinner, Avery took her medicine without a problem.

As I tucked her into bed, she asked, "Can you tell me a story?"

"Of course," I responded. I sat down on the bed. "I know the perfect one. Once upon a time, the was a little princess named Avery." At that, Avery smiled. "She lived with a wicked witch, but no one knew. Until one day, she met a good queen. This queen helped little Avery. Then, one afternoon when the wicked witch had gone too far, the little princess ran to the queen, her savior. The wicked witch was banished from the kingdom, and the the queen and princess grew closer and closer, until they were like mother and daughter. And they lived happily ever after."

"You're a queen," she said with a giggle.

"You better believe it." I kissed her forehead. "Good night, princess."

I was just about to turn off the light when Avery sat up. "Momma?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too," I responded with a huge smile on my face. My little princess is perfect.

Avery's POV

"I love you, too," Momma said. I just wanted to hear that. It made me feel all warm inside. I hadn't been told that in so long. I'm finally in a place that I feel safe. I know I can go to sleep now without any worry. I love this place. I don't ever want to leave.

"Avery, get your ass in here!" I heard her call. I ran to the kitchen where she stood with a box of cereal. "Did you eat out of this?"

"I was hungry," I pleaded.

"You just ate!"

"But that was two days ago." I felt a stinging on my face, and I knew her hand had just hit my cheek really hard.

"Do not argue with me, do you understand?" I nodded as tears sprung to my eyes. "Listen, we don't have enough here for you to be eating all of the time," she explained.

"It was just a little." I was able to get that out right before she slapped me again. This time I fell.

"I just told you not to argue with me. Kids never listen these days." She kicked my stomach, making me scream and curl up in pain. "Get up!" She yelled at me. I tried, but I fell. She kicked me again. I tried and tried and tried to get up, but failed. With every fail came another kick. On the last one, she missed my stomach and kicked my head. I yelled out in pain as I held my head. She tried to kick my stomach again, but my arm was in the way. I big crack was heard. "Shit," she cursed. "Let me see that." She bent down and took my arm, making me shriek. "I think it's broken. Listen, when we get to the hospital, say you fell down the steps at your friends house. That's where you got your bruise on your head from, too." We were just about to leave the house. "Child, if you ever tell the truth about this, I will kill you."

I woke up in a sweat with her last words rotating in my head. I couldn't help but cry from the memories.

"Avery?" I heard a voice say.

"Momma," I cried as I held my arms out to her.

"I heard crying. Baby, what's wrong?" She asked as she made her way over to me.

"The wicked witch."

"Was it a memory?" I nodded. "What happened?"

I hesitated. "She said if I told anyone, she'd kill me."

"But I'm the good queen. Good queens beat the wicked witches. Everyone knows that."

I couldn't help but grin at that. "It was when I got in trouble for eating so much. She accidentally broke my arm."

"Accidentally?"

I nodded. "She was aiming for my stomach. I remember late that night I got in trouble when we got home because the doctor bill was going to cost money."

"It's okay, it won't happen again. The wicked witch was removed from the kingdom, remember?" I smiled and nodded. "Let's try to go back to sleep now." I laid back down and Momma tucked me in. I fell asleep almost immediately. That's how safe I feel now.

To explain what the emergency room at the A/N of last chapter was about, yes I'm okay. I had a bad cooking accident. As I was dicing potatoes, and got distracted by my brother. I thought I had enough room between my hand and the knife, so I looked to see what my brother was trying to show me. Needless to say, I did not have enough room. The tip of my finger is now gone. I had to go to the emergency room because I wouldn't stop bleeding, and they needed to check for nerve damage. I was not able to get stitches because there isn't enough skin around my finger to stitch together. So I just had to keep it covered until the bleeding stopped. A couple days later at school when I didn't have a bandage on, it opened back up. The school sent me to the ER again because they didn't know how to deal with so much bleeding. All the ER did was wrap it again. So yes, I'm fine, I just don't have that finger tip anymore, and I do have nerve damage, which means I just won't be able to feel with the end on that finger anymore.

So I guess it sounded worse last chapter because all I said was emergency room. I appreciate your caring :)