Maybe this is where I belong...

Chapter 22.

The rest of the weekend was terrible. The three of them spent the two days planning on where they were going to take me once I was out of Stef and Lena's house for good.
"Amelia? Amelia, Jesus christ are you listening?!" Daniel snapped at me. I was zoning out, as usual. I couldn't make sense of what was actually happening. I was only doing this to protect them. They don't deserve to have their lives ruined because of me.
"S-Sorry.. What did you want me to do?" I asked, rubbing my head for I had a pounding headache.
Veronica sighed, "Dad and I are going to drive you back to the house, we're going to have a little meeting with Stef and Lena, and you are going to tell them that you want to live with us. Got it?"
I cleared my throat and nodded my head, "Got it."
The three continued to talk as I was in and out of the conversation. From what I heard we were moving to Arizona so Stef and Lena could not find me. I was scared and terrified. I just wanted to go home. It was Saturday night and my phone buzzed and it was a call from Lena.
"Hi, my love! You're on speaker. Stef and I are here." She said once I had said hello.
"Hi guys." I replied, the tone of my voice was giving away the fact that I was miserable here. I needed to work on my lying skills.
"You, you okay?" Stef asked. Seconds of silence passed and I quickly replied.
"Oh, yeah. One hundred percent. It's a lot of fun here."
"What have you been doing?" Stef asked again. I could tell her cop questioning was in action.
"Ohh, um we.. We went out to dinner and s-saw a movie. My-my birth dad is here too." I hesitated.
"That's awesome sweets." Lena began, "Well make sure to let us know if anything is wrong, okay baby?"
"Okay, bye." I hung up the phone quickly and deeply sighed. It broke my heart into a million pieces knowing I had to lie to them.
I quickly put my phone away when Daniel and Veronica came back into the apartment with Patrick, they were cackling and laughing. They also had brown paper bags filled with something. I didn't know what it was and I did not want to know. They opened the bags and one was filled with booze and another with too many different drugs to count. I was shocked and scared that they were going to make me participate.
"Want some? Hmm?" Patrick was ready to pass me a bottle of vodka.
I shook my head and wiped the tear rolling down my cheek.
"Oh come on, one sip.." I shook my head again, and he slapped me for doing so.
"Hey! Easy! That's my daughter." Daniel yelled, he was already drunk. He came over to me and put his arm around me and continually kissed my cheek.
"I'm so glad you're home princess." Tears continued to roll down my cheeks because all I wanted to do is be home with the people who care about me.

Sunday afternoon came and we were on our way back to Stef and Lena's house and Veronica turned around to meet my eyes.
"You know what you're going to say, right?"
I nodded my head.
"Good girl." She smiled.

"Hi Amelia!" Lena walked over and hugged me and Stef soon joined in the hug. Veronica and Daniel cleared their throats.
"Oh. You know Veronica, and-and this is Daniel, my birth dad." I introduced them to Stef and Lena and the four of them exchanged greetings.
"C-can we sit? I have something to tell you guys." I looked to the women and they said of course. We all sat in the living room.
I took deep breaths and started to rehearse what I needed to say.
"I-I want to live with Daniel and Veronica." I finally confessed. Stef and Lena's faces were shocked and heartbroken, and Veronica and Daniel nodded their heads to my confession.
"Is, is this really what you want, love?" Stef asked and forced me to make eye contact with her. I had a numb expression across my face and I nodded my head to her question.
It was now Lena's turn to grill me, "Amelia. This is a big decision. Are you positive about this?"
I gave her the same response as I gave Stef.
"Okay! Well Amelia why don't you pack your things and we'll get going." Daniel patted my back and I nodded my head, again, refusing to talk.

I grabbed my duffle bag and began to pack my things as my foster siblings walked in.
"Why are you packing?" Jesus asked.
"I-I'm moving in with my birth parents." I told my siblings. The looks on their faces continued to make my heart ache more and more.
"Wh-what? W-why? Isn't that a little fast?" Mariana asked with a confused planted on her face.
"Yeah..Amelia you just saw them after eight years." Brandon added.
"I-I'm sorry, guys. They're my parents. It's an easy decision." I shrugged my shoulders as I continued to pack, remaining emotionless. It was not an easy decision at all. No part of me wanted to live with them. I couldn't bare them for another second.

STEF'S POV:
"So are you guys planning on keeping Amelia at Anchor Beach? Where she goes to school?" Lena asked Ami's birth parents who were confused by her question.
"Maybe. We're not sure yet." Veronica answered.
I became suspicious of the whole situation when Ami said that she wanted to live with them. I knew my daughter very well and this could not be what she wants. The four of us sat in silence as Amelia came down the stairs with her duffle bag.
"All set?" Veronica asked. Amelia nodded her head, continuing not to talk.
Lena and I got up from our seats and walked towards the small, beautiful, brunette beauty and we hugged her. Harder than I have ever before. I never wanted to let go and as did Lena. We both wiped the tears from our eyes as I placed my hands on Ami's cheeks.
"We're always here for you. You know that, yes?" And she nodded her head as the tears streamed down her face. Something in her eyes told me that she was miserable and upset with this decision.
"I love you, Amelia. More than you'll ever know." Lena hugged her as she kissed her forehead.

The three of them left and Lena and I had to explain in further detail what happened to the rest of our children.
"This is so stupid.. I don't believe for a minute that this was her idea. It's actually bullshit." Brandon scoffed and laughed in anger.
"I know, I know. But language please. Watch it." Lena replied as she sighed.
"Well.. What are we going to do to get her back?!" Mariana asked with her eyes bugged out.
"Miss Thing, we can't do anything. She doesn't want to live here." I responded to my daughter's angry question.
"Oh mom. You can't possibly believe this is what she wants." Jesus met my gaze.
"I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt, okay?" I started, "But... something tells me that she doesn't want this. But if she needs us, we are here for her, yes?" I looked around as they all nodded.

The kids went to their rooms and Lena and I were sitting in our bed. So many thoughts were running through my mind as I thought of Amelia. Was she okay? Was she safe? Is she truly happy? Lena could tell I was anxious as she laid her head on my chest.
"I miss her too, it's okay." Just then, tears started to stream from my face harder and faster than they ever had before.
"Shh.. Love it's okay, it's okay." Lena rubbed my arm with her hand in an effort to calm me down.
"They took our baby from us Lena. They took her and I don't think we're ever going to see her again."