Sisters In Distress

Don't Blame Yourself

Danny and Jesse helped Stephanie inside while Joey held the door open. They were going to set her up on the couch, but Stephanie asked to be in her own room and they couldn't argue.

Michelle kept asking questions about her older sister all the way up the stairs then when they got to their room she offered to room with DJ for a while.

"That's a good idea, munchkin, Steph needs her rest." Jesse said. He gave Stephanie a gentle hug then he led Michelle out of the room and into DJ's room.

Danny leaned over and kissed his daughter on the head. "You get some rest, sweetie. If you need anything, anything at all, we'll be right downstairs. Okay?"

Stephanie nodded and snuggled under her covers for the night.

She didn't have her eyes closed very long when DJ came in.

"Steph? Steph, we need to talk." DJ said closing the door and walking over to the girl in bed.

"Sleeping. Go away." She muttered from her pillow.

"You can't be asleep already. You just got home." Stephanie didn't move so DJ sighed and pulled up a chair to sit next to her. "Steph, please talk to me. Why are you-"

"Leave me alone. Don't you get that? I want to be left alone."

"Steph, I can't just-"

"Yes! You can! You do any other time! You go off with Kimmy or Steve and you leave me alone so why is now any different?! Go live your perfect life and just leave me alone!" She yelled moving her head off the pillow.

DJ was shocked, but before she could respond the door opened.

"What's going on in here?" A voice asked sounding more curious than anything.

"I want to sleep, but DJ won't leave me alone." Stephanie whined in a very Michelle way.

"Deej? Stephanie needs her rest. You can talk to her tomorrow."

DJ just sighed and stood up to leave the room. "If there's a tomorrow." She whispered to herself as she walked out.

"Thanks, Aunt Becky."

Becky was watching DJ leave, buf she heard Stephanie so she turned back around. "Okay. Get some sleep, Stephanie. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Love you." She said before she left.

She walked over to DJ's room and saw DJ at her desk while Michelle and Jesse were setting up a make-shift bed for her, Michelle whined about being on the floor until Jesse said the older sister will sleep on the floor, which she wasn't happy about, but she had more important things on her mind.

"Jesse, can you take Michelle downstairs to say Goodnight to Danny." Becky asked.

"I'm sure Danny will come up to say-" He turned and saw the look on his wife's face. "-or I could just take her down. Come on, munchkin. Let's go say goodnight to your Daddy." He said taking her hand and leading her out of the room to go downstairs.

Becky closed the door and walked over to DJ. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

DJ furrowed her eyebrows.

"I heard both your little under your breath comments about Stephanie. Something you want to talk about, Deej?" Becky asked sitting down on her bed and facing her at her desk.

DJ sighed. "The doctor was right."

Becky's eyes widened. "About-"

DJ nodded. "Yeah. Steph won't talk about it so I asked Gia and she told me everything." DJ saw a look cross her Aunt's face. "She said she would have told us right away, but she didn't think that we would believe her." DJ sighed.

Becky sighed too. "Why would sh-"

"I don't know and she won't talk about it, but from what Gia said and what Steph has said she has low self-esteem and it doesn't help to have a-" DJ swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "-a perfect older sister with a perfect life." She choked out trying not to cry, but she couldn't hold it in.

Becky sighed and shook her head then she took DJ's hand and gave it a tug so the girl would move from her chair to the bed.

When DJ sat down Becky wrapped her arms around her trembling niece to comfort her.

"No, Deej. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for this." She whispered as DJ cried in her arms. "Don't blame yourself."

Jesse knocked on the door and saw Becky holding DJ while she cried her eyes out. "Safe to come back upstairs?" He asked.

Becky nodded, but motioned for him to be quiet about it.

He sighed and nodded then he opened the door further to let Michelle come into the room.

"What's wrong with DJ?"

Jesse shushed her. "She's still upset about Steph. Just go to bed, sweetheart." He whispered.