My happiness

Trouble trouble...

*3 days earlier*

Natasha's pov

I wake up by the sound of one of the girls crying.
I open my eyes and look over to Steve. He's sound asleep.
The crying isn't that loud. But it's audible.
And it's noticeable that the one crying is Alanna and not Bella.
I get out of bed and try not to wake anyone up by tip toeing to Alanna's room. She's probably just crying because of the school stress.
I'll just slowly go in, calm her down a little and go back to bed.
So I enter the room.
And the lights are off. She's laying in her bed, her eyes closed.
She's sleeping.
Oh no, not another nightmare...
I quickly walk toward her bed.
She really is crying hysterically. "Alanna...", I whisper.
"Shh, calm down..", I keep shaking her body, waiting for her to wake up.
She doesn't. It just gets worse.
"No...", she mumbles. "Stop..."
I take a look around. Who is she talking to?
"Shh, calm down Al..."
"No!", Alanna suddenly yells. "Please stop!"
I step back. What is she seeing that's making her act like this?
"Alanna."
I shake her harder. All of a sudden I feel her hands around my neck.
She's choking me?
How doesn't she notice it?!
"Hey, hey!"
"Alanna stop!"
Her eyes shoot wide open.
She's sweaty and full of disbelief. "Morning mom.", she says wiping her tears away and getting up only to realize it isn't her time to wake up.
I turn around to face her.
"Alanna, come here."
"Wait, I just need to go to the toilet."
"No. Come here."
She turns around. Her eyes are red and partially there're still tears rolling down her cheeks.
I try to inhale and exhale. Patience Natasha. Patience.
Otherwise she won't trust me and I need to know what's going on with her to help her.
"What is it mom?", she asks standing in front of me.
"Tell me what's going on with you.", I sternly tell her.
"Nothing mom, it was just another nightmare... really."
I shake my head.
"No that wasn't nothing. It wasn't just a nightmare. You were choking me Alanna, so don't tell me everything's okay. It obviously isn't."
"I'm sorry about that mom, really... but I'm okay."
She tries to smile. She always does that when  she's lying. I'm trying to help her here. She's making it difficult.
I stand up and look her right into her eyes. "Stop lying.", I tell her in a serious tone. She has to understand I'm serious. And she does cause she's silent. "What was your nightmare about?", I ask her. Her face turns pale. "It doesn't matter.", she quietly says. It's almost like a whisper.
Her start getting watery again.
I hit a weak spot...
"It does matter."
She shakes her head stepping back. "I'm okay.", she repeats.
"No you're not, god just tell me, Alanna, I'm trying to help you here!"
I grab her arm and she flinches back. "Stop mom..."
Alanna sobs.
I took it too far.
"Hey, shh calm down..", I try to hug her.  But she pushes me back. Like she forgot I'm her mother. "Stop saying that!",she yells.
"Just stop!", she growls. She's never sounded so mad. She's never even talked to me like that.
But it takes me even more by surprise that after yelling at me and pushing me back she just walks into her bathroom and slams the door shut.
I sigh. I don't get it. I'm pretty sure I'd understand it if she told me. But I can't force her to. 
"Mama, why are you yelling?", Bella asks me, standing at the doorframe.
She rubs her eyes as I stand up. "That was nothing my love", I assure her and grab her hand. "Come on let's go back to sleep.", I say closing the door behind us.
Disappointment rushing through my veins.
I wish she could trust me enough.
Maybe then she'd be doing better...

***

"There's nothing going on with me.", Alanna sternly tells us.
I look at Steve in concern. She really doesn't stop lying.
"Really, believe me. You know I sometimes exaggerate. It's not that serious.", sits down on her bed and Steve and I get nearer. "Then what's going on. What are you carrying with you that won't leave you alone when you're asleep or awake? What's that thing you fear so much?"
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. I know I'm getting on her nerves. That's what I'm trying to reach. Sometimes when I do so she gives up and tells me the truth. But right now she's being so stubborn. She's sticking to that one answer.
"Nothing."
Nothing.
I might throw up from hearing that word so many times.
She could also be telling the truth. But it's not the truth. I know when she lies she starts breathing differently. Slower, to calm herself down. And her hands always get sweaty. But only when she lies to me cause she knows I'd eventually find out and then she'd be in a lot of trouble.
"Look Alanna.", now Steve firmly speaks up. He sounds so serious even I get intimidated. Alanna looks up at him, listening carefully. "I know right now it seems like we just want to get on your nerves, but we're actually trying to help you here and you're not collaborating at all. So either you tell us what's going on or I guess we're staying here until you decide to listen."
Alanna wipes her hands on her sweat pants. "Well, I guess then we'll have to stay here. You're always welcome to sit on my bed and in my drawers are some snacks, just in case you get hungry..."
Inhale and exhale Natasha.
"Alanna.", I warn her. She shrugs.
She shrugs.
I look at Steve. His face is burning red.
"Alanna!", he shouts.
"What?", Alanna shouts back. "Seriously what do you guys want from me? Can't you just let it be?"
Oh.
So now they're just yelling at each other?
"Calm down.", I tell them.
"Alanna, if you don't start taking this seriously you'll be grounded for 2 weeks."
"Great, it's not like I haven't been grounded before."
"Four weeks."
"Aww, look now I'm crying.", Alanna responds getting up.
"It's a month now"
I keep looking back and forth between them now.
Are they seriously gonna keep going with this? I shake my head.
"Make it two.", she provokes him. Steve hates it when she does that. Alanna always does it when she knows she can't get out of all the trouble she's in. She can't. Steve's way too mad right now. And Alanna isn't behaving like herself.
"Stop! Can you both stop?"
"Ugh!", is the only thing Alanna says before stepping out her room. "Where are you going Alanna?", I ask her.
"I have to tutor Daniel.", she dryly reminds me. "You're still grounded!", Steve yells.
"What do you want me to do tell him no after agreeing to help him at school?"
I sigh. These both are gonna give me a heart attack someday. They're constantly fighting now that Alanna's more closed up. We've been trying to talk to her for the past three weeks, after arriving from that mission. It's the nearest we've come to an solution.
"Go Alanna, we'll have a talk after you come home."
She looks at me rolling her eyes and leaves.
"You handled that well..", I roll my eyes at him. And copy Alanna's move.