I Understand. An AU/punk story.

The rest of the night went by weird.

Harry left the apartment for a little bit. It wasn't fair for him to be upset with me. I was just as upset Rhonda disappeared with out me. After trying to get more answers from Audrey I stopped when she fell asleep in the middle of her sentence.

I'm not sure shes sick.. more exhausted and stressed. Maybe hungry too, but that needed to wait for morning.

I give her the half pill and make her drink half of the water before letting her go back to bed.

I wait on the couch for Harry but he doesn't come back and I start falling asleep so I go to the bedroom and sleep there with Audrey at my side....

Harry stumbles in around four in the morning, I can't tell if hes drunk or tired because he stumbles and passes out on my couch in the living. Fantastic.

The next morning Audrey doesn't wake me up like I suspected, I wake up around eleven and shes still asleep. Harry is telling Rae and Perri the story in the kitchen. He doesn't meet my eyes as I make my way to him. I'm not mad though... he's just upset and nervous about this.

"Well where do you think she is? Are you going to the police?" Perri asks.

"I don't know and yeah we are.'' Harry concludes. Snapping my head up to him I glare.

"Aren't you going to confer with me before you decide?" I snap. He glares down at me with just as much authority.

"Um, no. What else do you think we're going to do!?"

"Not hand her over to strangers, she needs us!"

"Lilian, do you think this is that simple? Her dead beat mother left her here with us with no explanation, my bet is she needed ot leave town from her crazy ass, woman beating, boyfriend. We could go to jail too. This is child endangerment and I'm not going to let a child weigh me down!" he yells, tugging at his own hair in frustration.

"If we go to the police, social services will take her! I'm not putting her through that! I don't care about Rhonda or where she went. You don't know anything! What if she comes back tomorrow and her daughter has been claimed by the sate? She'll be devastated!" I yell back, my hands ball at their side, anger rolling off me from his stubbornness.

"I hop she comes back tomorrow and her daughter's been taken! She doesn't deserve one if this is how she's going to act! This whole thing is bullshit!" He yells just as loud.

"Harreh?" Audrey's voice rings through the kitchen. We snap our heads to the side at the red eyed, now crying toddler.


"Hey, kid!" Harry tries to instantly make up for his screaming by going to her but she takes a step back. Afraid of him.

"Didy!" She sobs, looking to me for help. Harry stops moving, frozen between me and the crying girl.

"Way to go." I hiss, walking past him, knocking my shoulder on him. I scoop her up in my arms and retreat to the bedroom, closing the door behind me. After I finally get her to calm down, no one has come in to my room so I get her dressed in a little pink dress and little white cardigan and black ballet flats, making her drink the rest of the water and take the other half of the Advil. She looks a lot better, still a little pale. "You hungry?" I coo and she nods her head quickly. "Lets brush your hair and we can go eat." I retrieve my brush and comb it out for her, it's soft and thin and I let it stay down.

Picking her up and getting myself ready while she watches TV

http://www.polyvore.com/this_is_start/set?id=108736988#fans

Dressing cozy, I make my way to the living room. Perri and Rae are cooking and Harry is sulking on the couch.

"Where are you going?" He barks, Audrey hides in my hair.

"To get something to eat. We'll be back later. Not that you care." I snap and leave before he can speak. I know I shouldn't be upset with him but I am. He was trying to give Audrey up to strangers and I'm not sure that's whats best for her. Shes so emotional and flimsy. I don't trust anyone with her.... I know that's a little selfish to keep her with me but I don't care.

I dial Louis on the way down.

"Hello?"

"Can you come pick me up? Something happened..." I'm mad about the party and his harsh words but this is more important. He agrees and arrives about ten minutes later.

"Wheres Rhonda?" Lou asks me as I buckle Audrey in the back seat, eyeing his cousins daughter who chatters to him happily.

"I don't know." I say grimly. "Shes hungry so lets go eat somewhere." He nods and drives off to somewhere.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know... Harry wants to call the police but I don't think that's a good idea..." I trail off, turning to look at Aubs who's singing along to something on a popular radio station.

"That's because hes weird with kids.... I agree with you. You need to wait for Rhonda to come back from where ever shes ran off to." He says softly, pulling in to the parking lot of AppleBee's


We all get out of the car and make our way inside and are seated right away at a table where Audrey is brought a high chair.

"Why does he have such a kid problem? And when will she be back? We all called her but her phone is off..." I ask him, glancing over the menu.

"You should ask him that..... It's a long story. And I really have no idea, shes never done this. She snot this kind of lady, or mom." He frowns, running a hand through his hair. I sigh and turn to the girl.

"What do you want to drink?" She yawns and takes the crayons I hand her.

"Chocolate milk, please." She sniffles, starting to draw. The waitress comes around and takes our drink orders.

"I'm sorry about the party, L." He says sadly, leaning across the table to look in to my eyes. I frown at him and look down at my lap. The sadness I felt coming back.

"That was just mean, Louis." I tell him, keeping my tone soft so Audrey doesn't get upset.

"I know and I'm sorry! I am! I swear, I was just so pissed at Harry! He's such an idiot." He takes my hands in his and leans forward father, trying to convince me. I look down at our hands,something turns in me. Looking up in to his eyes it turns even more...

"I figured that... it's not a very good excuse though." I tell him with a frown. He sighs and nods, agreeing with me. "I forgive you I guess..." I say and his beautiful smile emerges. I keep my hands in his for a second, enjoying the soft touch and the warmth.

"Good. It won't happen again, I promise." He beams when the waitress comes back with our drinks we order our food and enjoy the rest of our day.

Audrey really loves him and I can tell she loves him too. Once the bill comes back I try to pay but Louis rips it from my grasp.

"Don't be silly." He scolds, pulling his debit card out. I roll my eyes and he laughs, on the way back to the car I buckle her in and join him in the front.

"Do you know where Rhonda lives? I'm going to get another bag for her stuff."

"Yeah, we can go there now." he smiles and starts the car before speeding off.

We drive to the other side of town and arrive at a really nice duplex building. Carrying Audrey in my arms protectively, Louis walks right behind me, a hand on the small of my back. I freeze when I reach the door, realizing it's already open....

Notes