Fan to Family.

Phone Drop.

~Liz~
AJ practically runs at Lily, pulling her into a tight hug. "I missed you," He mumbles into her shoulder. After they pull apart, AJ gives me a hug and then Tom. We introduce him to Tyler and Josh, and then Tom brings us back to the car. We drive into town, wondering around. Tom hangs back with Tyler and Josh, while AJ, Lily and I wonder a few feet ahead.

"So, Elizabeth," AJ smiles at me, knowing how much I hate that name.

"August," I smirk back. He playfully shoves me for that.

"Liz, come on," he smiles, "Did you take care of my baby sister?" He slings his arm around Lily's shoulders.

I smile back, "That's more of a Tom question."

He shakes his head, "I know she moved here recently, I meant at school."

I nod, and we continue walking.

"August," I say, stoping and turning towards him. He stops as well.

"What?"

"Who is the guardian you are staying with?"

Lily turns toward him, now very interested. He clears his throat, "He's our dads second cousin once removed or something like that. I don't know. But, apparently he had declined taking us a long time ago, and now that he said he would, they don't think he's a fit guardian."

I nod, and we begin walking again.

"Honestly, I kind of really hate him," AJ mumbles.

"Well, we'll find a way to get you out."

"Yes, please do. I can't live like that much longer. He's so suffocating and just, ugh."

Lily pats her brothers back, and we keep walking.

After a while of aimlessly wondering, Tom walks up to us.

"Yes, Tom, can we help you?" I ask.

"I just got off the phone with AJ's case manager, and AJ, while they are conducting the review they want you to stay somewhere else, so we are going to go back and get some of your stuff and you can stay with Lily and I," Tom says. He then turns to me, "Oh, and Liz this morning Lily asked if you could spend the night since it is the weekend, so if it's okay with Tyler and Josh, we'd like to have you over."

I look at Tyler and Josh, who nod.

"Don't do anything stupid," Tyler tells me in his stern dad voice.

"Yes father," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Oh come on, Tyler. Nothing is going to happen," Lily chuckles.

With that, we drive back to the house that we picked AJ up from. Lily and I follow him to his small room where he grabs a bag and throws clothes and other things into it, without any care or organization with is very unlike him. I wonder a little, looking at his walls. I see a poster, which is partially falling. I go to fix the tape, and I feel a hand catch my wrist in a firm grip.

"Please, no," AJ says softly, carefully redirecting my attention, "I'm sorry if I hurt you," He whispers. He looks out the door for a moment, and then steps forward and removes the tape and poster, showing an indent in the wall the size of AJ's head. He puts the poster back, and shoves a few last things into the bag and then takes my hand and Lily's, and I see a dusting of bluish-purple around his arm when his sleeve raises slightly.

He quickly, quietly, and carefully leads us from his room and down the hall, swearing under his breath when the floorboard creaks.

A boy a bit older then AJ steps into the hall and smirks, heading for AJ. AJ steps forward, trying to protect us, but when the boy raises his fist, I drop AJ's hand and move him behind me.

"You won't touch him," I say firmly. He chuckles. I see Tyler, Josh, Tom and the case manager out of the corner of my eye.

"You don't scare me, little girl," The boy says.

"Liz, let me handle this," AJ says. I shake my head.

"If you want AJ you'll have to go through me," I say firmly.

He lifts his hand, but I catch it before it hits me. When he tries to shove me, I shove right back.

"You. Will. Not. Hurt. Them." I say through clenched teeth. He shoves me harder, pushing me into AJ and Lily, making me knock my head on AJ's shoulder so hard I can hear the crack.

"Are you okay?" AJ asks, as I move forward again. I nod.

"Like I said, I'm not scared of you," the boy says.

"But you should be scared of me," Josh says, stepping in front of the boy. The boy backs down, and we walk past him.

"Why'd you do that?" AJ asks once we are outside.

"What was all of that?" I ask, speaking for both Lily and I.

"I asked first," AJ retorts, "Why'd you step in front of someone bigger then you like that?"

"My ex-girlfriend was highly abusive and much bigger then me, I know what I'm doing," I explain, and then narrow my eyes, "What is with the head indent," I grab his arm, pushing up his sleeve to show bruising, "and what is this?"

AJ is caught between worry for me, and not knowing what to say about himself.

"August," Lily waves her hand in front of her brothers face.

"If they find out you know, they'll go after you too," AJ says quietly.

"Um, that dude kind of already went after me, so spill."

As we get into the car, he vaguely explains how the other foster boy and the guardian haven't been treating him the best.

We soon drop off Tyler and Josh at home, and I grab a few things and then we get to Tom's.

A little after settling into pajamas and the three of us laying on Lily's bed watching a movie, my phone buses. I answer it, seeing Tyler's name.

"Hello," I ask. Tyler takes a deep breath, and I sit up. AJ and Lily look at me in concern. His voice shakes as he speaks, and I end up dropping my phone.

"Liz, what's wrong?" They both ask, worry filling their voices and eyes. AJ rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Dylan is back, and they want to try our case, but until then everything else is expunged."