Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

The public knows

Chapter: The Public Knows

The next morning brought a strange sense of calm in the hospital room. Billie was still holding Y/N, who had finally managed to sleep through the night without waking up from the nightmares that had plagued her for weeks. Finneas had come back early, along with their parents. Maggie sat beside the bed, her face soft but tired, while Patrick stood by the window, his arms crossed, as if he was guarding them from something unseen.

Finneas leaned against the doorframe, watching over Y/N with concern in his eyes. He hadn’t spoken much since the night before, but the weight of the past few weeks hung over him like a dark cloud. No one knew quite what to say, and for a moment, it seemed like they might get through the morning without more bad news.

But that fragile peace didn’t last.

Y/N stirred in Billie’s arms, blinking sleepily as the world came back into focus. She glanced around the room, her eyes still dull with exhaustion, but there was a hint of something else—something more alert. It wasn’t long before she reached for her phone, the device that had been tucked away on the small bedside table.

“No, Y/N…” Billie started to say, her voice gentle but firm. She knew how much pain the online world could bring, especially after everything that had happened.

But Y/N was already unlocking the screen, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the notifications. Billie’s heart sank as she saw the headlines flash across Y/N’s face—photos, articles, and endless speculation about her kidnapping. It had all gone public.

Y/N’s face paled, her eyes widening as she read the headlines: “Pop Star’s Sister Found After Brutal Kidnapping.” There were pictures of her being wheeled into the hospital, her face hidden beneath a blanket, but the world knew it was her. Everyone knew.

“No…” Y/N whispered, her voice cracking as she read more of the headlines, her heart pounding. “They’re talking about me.”

Finneas immediately moved toward her, his heart sinking at the sight of his little sister’s panic. “Y/N, stop. Don’t read that,” he said, gently trying to take the phone from her hands.

But Y/N couldn’t stop. Her eyes scanned the articles faster, her breathing becoming more erratic with every passing second. “They… they know everything,” she whispered, her voice hollow. “Everyone knows.”

Maggie stood up, her face stricken with worry. “Y/N, honey, put the phone down,” she urged, her voice soft but firm.

But Y/N was frozen, staring at the screen as if it held her captive all over again. She scrolled through the comments, seeing the worst parts of human nature on full display—people speculating, criticizing, even making light of her trauma. Some were supportive, but the cruel ones cut deep.

“They’re making jokes about it,” Y/N said, her voice trembling. “They’re saying I’m lying. That I—”

“Enough,” Patrick said, stepping forward, his voice more forceful than anyone expected. He gently but firmly took the phone from Y/N’s hands, turning it off before setting it aside. “You don’t need to read that. None of it matters. They don’t know what happened to you.”

Y/N’s eyes filled with tears, her face crumpling as the weight of everything settled on her chest. “But everyone knows now. They’re all looking at me like I’m… I’m just this story. Not a person.”

Billie tightened her hold around Y/N, pulling her closer. “No one can take away who you are. You’re still you, Y/N. What they say doesn’t matter.”

But Y/N shook her head, the tears streaming down her face. “It does matter. They’re never going to stop talking about it. I’m never going to be… normal again. Not after this.”

Finneas crouched down beside the bed, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and sadness. “Y/N, none of those people know what you’ve been through. They don’t get to decide who you are or what your life is like. You’re still our sister, still the same girl who makes music and who loves us. This doesn’t define you.”

Maggie sat down beside Y/N, stroking her hair gently. “We know it’s overwhelming, sweetheart. But you’re not alone in this. We’ll protect you from it as much as we can. You don’t have to face it alone.”

Patrick, who had been standing silently for a moment, finally spoke again, his voice softer this time. “We’ll make sure they stop talking about it. We’ll talk to the lawyers, the press—whatever it takes to get them to back off.”

Y/N sniffled, her hands trembling as she wiped her tears away. “I don’t want to be… famous like this. I never wanted this.”

Billie leaned her head against Y/N’s, her voice soft but fierce. “You didn’t ask for this. And you don’t have to deal with it alone. We’ve got your back. Always.”

Y/N closed her eyes, the overwhelming feeling of exposure sinking in deeper. It felt like there was no escape from it—no way to undo what had happened, no way to go back to the way things were before. But as she sat there, surrounded by her family, she felt a small flicker of safety. It wasn’t enough to make her feel whole again, but it was something.

And for now, that was all she could hold onto.

Finneas stood up, glancing at their parents. “We need to handle this,” he said quietly. “The press can’t keep digging into this. It’s not fair to Y/N.”

Patrick nodded. “I’ll make some calls. We’ll do everything we can to get them to back off.”

As he left the room, Finneas leaned down and kissed Y/N’s forehead, his voice filled with determination. “We’re going to get through this. One step at a time.”

Y/N nodded weakly, but her mind was still racing. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to face the world now. The weight of everything—her trauma, the public’s gaze, the pressure to heal—felt suffocating. But as Billie tightened her embrace, and as Finneas promised her safety, she knew she wasn’t entirely alone.

And maybe, just maybe, that was the first step toward healing.