Who Would I Be Without You? //Ben Cook fanfic// *FINISHED*

Twenty-Three: Emergency Rooms and Pudding Cups

A/N: I got the idea for this chapter from the finale episode of the second series of 'One Day at a Time' which is a great show on Netflix, highly recommend watching! So because of that, the chapter will be in several peoples points of view throughout and spoilers from said episode of ODAAT...hope you enjoy!

Ben's POV

I pace around the room, every part of me shaking and jittering as I listen to the endless dial tone and ringing of the phone pressed to my ear. Then I hear the all too familiar sound of the the personalised voicemail;

Hey, it's Olivia, you know what to do. Holler back when I get the chance.

My grip tightens on the phone, my voice shaking. "Liv, please call me back, I'm worried sick, please just give me a sign as to where you are? ...please." I plead, hesitantly hanging up the phone.

I feel a hand on my arm and look up to see Emma, the look on her face sullen and concerning. "She'll be okay Ben...she's just angry and needs time to cool off." She reassures, gently guiding me to the couch and making me sit down.

I shake my head. "I've never seen her that mad before Em," I rake my fingers through my hair, swallowing the dry lump in my throat. "She's out there somewhere...in this huge ass city, probably lost, hurt or who knows what and it's my fault she's there!"

The other side of the couch lowers with the weight of another person and a pair of arms wraps themselves around me. "It is not your fault Benjamin," I hear Mom say, her grip firm yet warm and comforting. "Olivia's stubborn and just needs time to cool off, then she'll see she was just being silly--" she continued, but I cut her off, pulling away from her embrace and stand up.

"No Mom!" I snap, turning to face her. "Olivia may be stubborn and hard to reason with, but she's not always the one at fault!"

Mom just stared at me, shocked at my sudden outburst. "Honey, listen to me--" She begins, standing up but I cut her off once more.

"Mom, I'm not perfect," I exclaim, raising my arms and huffing out a long sigh. "Neither is Emma, or Nick, or Kate, yet you treat us all so differently from Via, at least now I know why..." I say, mumbling the last part with as much spite as I can, seeing the look of hurt flash in Mom's eyes.

"Olivia is my daughter. She is your sister. Always has...always will-"

"That doesn't excuse the fact you've been lying to not only us but her our whole lives!" I snapped. "Now she's out there, probably dead in a ditch, sick and tired of all the hurt and pain we've caused her." The tears come before I can stop them and I'm on the ground, crumple under all the guilt and heartache I caused my baby sister...who I thought was my baby sister...

Mom and Emma had gone silent had, the only sound was the of my relentless choked sobbing bounced off the walls of the apartment.

Mom sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around my shoulder, "I'm sorry...I'm so so sorry..." she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks and falling onto my sweatshirt. I wrap my arms around her tightly, letting out all my anger, hurt and despair out, practically screaming it all out into my Mom's shoulder.

Emma had now joined us not only in tears but in our little huddle, sharing her own despair with the both of us. Dad then walked in, holding a tray full of steaming mugs and placed them on the coffee table, helping us all up off the ground and joining the huddle also.

We all sit down on the couch and arm chairs, holding our own individual mugs of hot chocolate and just talked things out for the next 15 minutes, talking through everything we were feeling it felt almost like a family therapy session, just without the condescending therapist in the room.