Worthless (Camren)

"May I sit here with you?"

"Erm... you can put on your pajamas again, if you want, it's a little cold in here," Lauren said and Camila immediately did as she told her, looking relieved to be allowed to cover herself again. Lauren looked down at the girl's bare feet. "Sit down on a chair when you're done, I'll be right back." SHe told Camila.

A minute later she returned with a thick pair of socks she hoped would fit the other girl. As she had been told, Camila was sitting on one of the kitchen chair's waiting for Lauren.

"Are your feet cold?" Lauren asked her. Camila looked up at her carefully as if trying to assess whether this was a trick question. Lauren held out the socks for her, smiling when Camila took them from her. Her smile faded when Camila winced as she bent down to place them on her bare feet.

"Whoa whoa whoa, careful!" Camila shot back up to a sitting position, startled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think", Lauren crouched down to the floor in front of Camila's chair "that has to hurt your back, here give me the socks."

SHe could have slapped herself for her phrasing when she saw the sad, longing look Camila gave the socks before handing them back over to Lauren.

"Oh no, I'm not taking them... they're for you, I just ... here let me help you okay? Can I put them on for you?" Lauren scolded herself inside, she needed to think more carefully about what she said and she had to calm down, otherwise she'd just make the other girl more nervous with her confused rambling. Camila certainly looked unsure. Lauren reached out a careful hand for Camila's left foot where she had slung it around one of the chair's legs when Lauren had startled her. SHe took a loose hold of it and Camila allowed her to guide it out from under the chair and watched Lauren as she pulled the first sock gently onto her foot. To Lauren's delight Camila held out her other foot for her without Lauren's beckoning.

Lauren smiled up at Camila brightly when her feet were sock-clad. "Very well done, thank you."

"Thank you, Mis-Lauren", Camila whispered, her face twitching at her slip up.

"It's okay, don't worry", Lauren cut her off before she could apologize. "You've been calling people Mistress for a long time, I won't be mad if you can't shake the habit that fast. I promise I won't hurt you, if you slip up and call me master, I just want you to know that you can call me by my name."

Camila nodded eagerly. Lauren smiled.

"Alright, Chris and Clara will be home soon, they are my  mom and  brother I also have a sister but you will not see her around. They are really nice, but they don't know you're here yet, so don't be scared if they want to shake your hand or something, okay?" Camila nodded. "Also Chris is really tall and intimidating, but he's just a big teddy bear, they're not gonna hurt you. In fact, no one will hurt you here, try to remember that, okay?" Camila nodded once more, it wasn't as convincing as it had been before, but Lauren was satisfied for now.

"I'll start making dinner, would you like to sit here while I do or are you tired?" Lauren asked.

Camila seemed uncertain for a moment but then looked up at Lauren "May I sit here with you?"

"Of course", Lauren smiled at her and got to work.

Dinner was almost done when she heard Her mom's car pull up in the driveway. Camila had offered to help her with the cooking, but Lauren was worried she might fall over from exhaustion and burn herself on the stove, so she had asked Camila to remain on her chair.

The front door was slammed shut, making Camila jump and Lauren made a mental note to have another talk about the proper handling of doors with Chris at some point, but for now there were more important things to deal with.

SHe could hear his father talking urgently to Clara and Chris by the door interrupted by Clara's low voice.

Lauren sighed in relief that she wouldn't have to explain the situation yet again when the kitchen door was pushed open so hard it slammed into the door stopper with a bang.

"What the hell, sis?!" Chris snapped "You go out and get yourself a sex toy when Dad refuses to even get a house slave? I thought you didn't even like slaves, why would you-"

"Stop yelling, Chris!" Lauren snapped before lowering her voice "Can't you see you're scaring her?"

Chris took a proper look at the slave girl sitting in their kitchen for the first time, the anger vanishing from his face instantly. Mike and Clara had followed Chris into the kitchen, watching the scene in front of them with worried looks on their faces.

Lauren was glad they didn't come into the kitchen, Camila was shaking in her seat, eyes lowered to the floor in front of her, crowding her wouldn't make it better.

"It's alright, Camila," Lauren said gently "Chris didn't mean it. Did he?" SHe directed the last part to Chris, glaring at her brother.

"I'm... I'm sorry," He looked back at their mom and Dad. "What's going on?"

"Honey if you'd just listen...", Clara sighed shaking her head.

"Let's sit down on the couch, okay?" Mike suggested, leading both Jauregui's out of the kitchen. He looked back at Lauren apologetically and closed the door, leaving Lauren and Camila alone in the kitchen once more.

"I'm so sorry", Lauren whispered so she wouldn't startle the other girl. "Chris didn't know why you're here, he just overreacted. I know that was scary, but dad's explaining it to him right now and it won't happen again, okay?"

"Please, Lauren,what..." Camila's breath hitched, she looked up and Lauren could see her lower lip quivering "What will you do with me?"

Lauren  frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I-... He sa- ... Your brother said you didn't like slaves, what will you...", Camila lowered her gaze again, not daring to finish her sentence, or maybe she was afraid of Lauren's answer. Lauren bit her lip silently cursing Chris for his ignorance, while trying to think of something to say that would put Camila at ease again.

"Please don't send me away." Camila whispered so quietly that Lauren wouldn't have heard her if it hadn't been completely silent in the kitchen.

Lauren's heart sank.

"Oh no, Camila, no, look at me", Lauren cringed inwardly at how fast Camila's head snapped up to look at her. "I'm not sending you away, ever. Unless you want to leave, you can stay here, okay?" SHe paused for a moment not sure how to phrase this in a way that couldn't be misunderstood. Camila was looking at the floor again, shaking.

"If you ever decide you want to leave, please talk to me first okay, right now I am willing to beg for you to stay." She dropped to her knees in front of Camila effectively forcing the other boy to meet her eyes. "You're so hurt and I can tell you're scared. I just want you to get better. I want to know that you're safe here, with us." Lauren felt tears well up in her own eyes. "I know you don't know me and I understand that you can't trust me yet, I do, but I promise I just want to take care of you. Nothing more. Please, will you try to believe me?"

Camila was shaking harder still. Her eyes were wide and fixed on the girl at her knees.

Lauren tentatively reached for Camila's hand and held it between both of her own. Camila looked at their joined hands, doubt still obvious in her features. SHe searched Lauren's face intently and waited for the other shoe to drop.

But Lauren just kept holding onto her gently, running her thumbs over Camila's callous hand and waiting patiently.

After what seemed like an eternity Camila nodded.

"Thank you." Lauren whispered, smiling up at Camila.