It's Code For You (Parallel NurseryVerse Series)

Chapter 23- Little House

(PSA! This chapter will make NO SENSE to you if you HAVEN'T read The Visit in my one shot book!!! PLEASE GO READ IT NOW!)

"You found her, and you didn't think to tell me? I've been spoon feeding her for four days now, she hasn't spoken a word. She just cries!" Vivian whisper shouted at Marjorie and Autumn from the kitchen of her flat.

"Believe me I tried." Autumn mumbled, earning a jab to her stomach from her fiance.

"WE felt it was best to see if Siobhan would come around on her own before we made the choice to bring back her deepest repressed memory through the front door." Marjorie crossed her arms tightly, looking out at the chair by the window. Siobhan sat still, looking out of it with a distant glint in her eyes.

"I don't think we have a choice, Marjorie. She clearly can feel something. Claire may be our only chance to get her back now." Vivian sighed, shoving the breakfast dishes into her dishwasher. "I can't keep asking Mia and Char to watch her while I work, eventually they're going to have lives to get back to."

"We all do, Viv. But we are here to help you."

"Where did you find her?" Vivian set her hands on her hips, looking past Marjorie and straight to Autumn. Her eyes widened uncomfortably. She hadn't told anyone but Marjorie where she had gone that day.

"I.. erm-" Vivian cocked her head to the side.

"You don't stutter, Autumn. Fess up." Autumn twisted her lips in annoyance, throwing her head back.

"Redemption Village."

"SHE'S IN REHAB!?" Vivian shouted. Marjorie quickly whipped her head around to make sure the volume hadn't set off Siobhan. The blonde had turned her head to face the trio, a bit of confusion covered her face. It was somehow comforting to see- the little emotion Siobhan could show now. Earlier in the week, there was nothing. Marjorie liked to think they were making progress. She turned back to Vivian slowly.

"She's in AA, Viv." Vivian nodded slowly, mulling over the idea in her head.

"Wait-" Viv's head popped up, her voice raising to her normal volume. Autumn felt her chest tighten. "Why were you at Shady Acres?" Vivian smirked at her own joke.

"Christ- I went to see Winter, okay? I went to get an apology, which I am damn well owed." Autumn crossed her arms with a huff.

"Well." Vivian looked her over. "Did ya get one?" Autumn scowled. Marjorie quickly threw her hands up between the two, stopping the potential black cat fight about to ensue.

"Okay! Not important right now!" Marjorie rested her hands on Autumn's shoulders, backing her away from Vivian. "The important thing is we know where to find her. My love-" Marjorie looked into her lover's eyes. "Can you handle seeing Winter again..?" Autumn chewed at the inside of her cheek, nervously contemplating the idea of seeing him again. A part of her heart still loved Winter, albeit nowhere near the way she once had. The same part of her heart that held that love also held resentment and a sense of regret. The man that Winter was when Autumn met him was not the man that sat in that facility now, was he better? She couldn't tell. Either way- she would have to put it all aside to help Siobhan.

"Yes." Autumn turned to face Siobhan, her arms tightly crossed across her chest. "I can.."

**

Winter sealed off the top of the envelope in his hand with a peaceful sigh. He flipped it around and wrote a name across the top, adding it to a stack on his desk. He ran his fingers over each and every one of them, silently repeating the names in his head to ensure he had all of them covered.
'Autumn, Marjorie, Charlotte, Mia, Reece-' Winter paused on Reece's envelope, taking into consideration how thick it was in comparison to the others, hell- even to Autumn's. He wasn't sure why, but the idea of disappointing Reece made him feel like much more of a disappointment than he already was. He had slammed the door in Reece's face at the offer of help, both metaphorically and physically. Winter ran his fingers over Reece's name again.