stood by you

Michael sat in the Sawyer household, peering around a bit. He hadn’t been here as often as Luke had, having only really come here in the past when Cherry wanted to visit or when the girls wanted to have a day here. The same went for everybody else’s homes, besides the Ines household - the Ines’ home was the only one he was really familiar with and comfortable in. When he’d been younger, it’d been like a second home to him, especially when he’d spent time with Cherry. The thought of the girl caused a slight tightening in his chest, because he could remember the last time he saw her, when she was still a kid and 5 Seconds of Summer was hitting off to the point that they were finally getting to go on a real tour. The realization hit hard, how long it had been since he’d seen her and how much of that had been his fault, and all he wanted was to see her again, but she was nowhere in sight. “Think the girls are on their way?” he asked quietly, looking to Calum, wondering if maybe he’d expected too much to think that Cherry would even want to see him again.

Calum tried to get comfortable on the couch, but he could feel himself growing antsy. The more time that passed without Amelia showing her face, the more he was beginning to wonder if she’d show up at all - and the more doubtful he was beginning to grow about it, because why would she want to see him when he’d all but abandoned her? He knew how badly he’d screwed up, and he hadn’t really tried to fix it, and he hated himself for that, but now that he was back and able to relax for a bit, he’d taken this opportunity to come to the party in hopes of reaching out, of offering up an olive branch to rekindle their friendship. Amelia had meant so much to him when they were younger, when he was teaching her how to play bass and they were practically attached at the hip, and he knew he’d screwed up and that she deserved a better friend than him, but he wanted to try to remedy that. Looking to Michael when he heard his friend’s words, he shrugged. “If they decide to show up at all,” he muttered quietly, wondering idly how much Amelia had changed over the years.

Kensley sat in the back of Charlie’s police car, frowning deeply to herself as Charlie drove her and her friends to her parents’ house - which was the last place she personally wanted to be right now. She knew Luke would be there, all of their parents having worked together, conspired together, to throw this Welcome Back party that Kensley didn’t even want to be a part of. “Charlie, can’t you just take us to your house?” she asked, “It’d be far less mortifying.” And, then, she wouldn’t have to see Luke after all these years, she wouldn’t have to pretend to be happy he was back. “It’s not even like we did anything that bad.” Just a little vandalism - they could have done way worse. And, she was sure they probably would have done way worse if they hadn’t been caught, especially with their other friends cheering them on, encouraging them.

Elisa huffed quietly, wiggling her hands a bit uncomfortably under the handcuffs, peering out of the window to stare at Kensley’s house as they were approaching. “I’m with Kensley,” she quickly piped up, feeling a slight panic build in her, because she didn’t think she could face Ashton now, not after all the time that had passed. She didn’t want to see him, not now, not ever. “Besides, you’d be able to keep a closer eye on us at your place, make sure we don’t get into any more trouble for the night. If you leave us here, we’ll just sneak out and go stir things up all over again - you don’t really wanna deal with us going all out on troublemaking all night, do you?” And, she knew she sounded desperate, but dammit, she couldn’t bring herself to have any hope when it came to seeing Ashton again, all she wanted was to stay as far away from him as possible.

Louis climbed the flight of stairs meant to lead him to Queenie’s apartment, having gotten the address from her parents when he’d stopped by to see her, only to hear that she’d moved out and was living on her own. He supposed it wasn’t too surprising - he’d been disconnected from her and her life for so long, there really was no telling how much he had missed over the years, and he wasn’t sure any of it should surprise him. The thought that she was living alone worried him a bit, but he hoped that she was safe and happy, and he thought now was the best time to try to fix everything that had gone wrong between them when he hit it big. He wondered how she must have felt through it all, how forgotten she must have thought she was, and he hoped he could assure her that she was never out of his mind, that not a single day went by without him thinking about her; he wasn’t sure how assuring that would be, though. Pausing when he got to the apartment that was meant to be Queenie’s, he hesitated for a moment, nervous, before knocking lightly at the door.

Sine laid on her sofa, flipping through channels on the TV to try to decide on something to watch, though a part of her was debating on just popping in a DVD because it didn’t seem like anything good was on TV - and, at this point, she was almost desperate enough to toy with her dusted-over instruments, but that would defeat the purpose of what she was doing: trying to distract herself from one Harry Styles. She’d heard from her parents that he was back in town, and he was the last person she wanted to see. There’d been a time when Harry had meant more to her than she could describe, when all she wanted was to see him, because she looked up to him in so many ways, but that time had been years ago, and now she just wanted to pretend it never happened. After all, Harry had moved on with his life - and she didn’t blame him for it, she really didn’t, because he’d chased his dream, but it still left a pang in her heart and a bitter taste in his mouth - and he seemed happy to forget about her, so it was only fair she do the same, in her opinion.

Luke nodded in thanks to Mr Sawyer as he accepted the drink the older man offered, and he couldn't help but mentally note that the house that had once been a second home to him felt so strange now, so foreign. He could still map out each room from memory, and yet, his sense of belonging just wasn't there anymore, and he knew that was his karma for what he did to Kensley. Before 5 Seconds of Summer became global superstars, Luke would practice in front of the girl he saw as a sister, someone he needed to protect, and even though he swore he always would, he let her down by abandoning her to follow his own dreams. It had been too long since he'd seen Kensley, and he wondered just how much she'd grown. She was fourteen when he left, still a child, and Luke felt as though he'd missed out on so much - and that was his own damn fault. Sipping his drink with the thought, Luke sat beside Michael, just in time to hear him speak. "I hope so," Luke interrupted the conversation between Calum and Michael. "I want to see Kensley, tell her I've missed her." And Luke thought for a brief moment that maybe, Kensley didn't want to see him.

Ashton ran a hand through his hair anxiously, his knee bouncing impatiently as he drowned out the conversation Michael and Calum were having beside him. He didn't even want to think about the possibility that Elisa didn't want to see him, because he was certain it would break his heart. He'd known Elisa once, but that once was long ago, and there was no doubt that she would of grown up since then and become a version of herself that he wasn't familiar with. He wondered if she still played drums, or if her thoughts ever dwelled on him every so often. He'd abandoned her, and he was an idiot for it. He'd only agreed to come to this party with the chance of seeing Elisa, and the fact she wasn't there yet made him antsy. Sipping his Coke, Ashton looked out of the window, and once more, his thoughts drifted to Elisa. The thought that she would refuse to see him, God, Ashton couldn't even bear the thought. He knew he'd probably hurt Elisa, but surely she knew that he'd come back eventually. "Don't say that," Ashton scolded with a frown.

Cherry sat in the back of Charlie's cruiser, in between Elisa and Kensley, wiggling her hands under the restraint of the handcuffs as Charlie maneuvered the car expertly to the neighbourhood where the Sawyer's lived. "I gotta say, Charlie," Cherry hummed out with ease. The fact that they'd been caught wasn't the worst part; in fact, that part was quite fun. It was the fact that they had to be paraded in front of the guests that had no doubt arrived to the party by now, Michael fucking Clifford included. "I agree with these bone-heads. You can keep a good eye on us, make sure we do no wrong!" Leaning forward, Cherry's red hair fell to her face. "Hell, I'll pay you a hundred bucks to keep me away from this place." And it wasn't as though they'd murdered anyone. It was only a bit of graffiti with their other group of friends, much older than them, and much more of a bad influence. "And when tomorrow morning comes along, you can let us go and pretend this ever happened, I say that's a sweet deal."

Amelia stayed silent in the front seat of the cruiser as her best friends tried to bribe their way out of the worst situation any of them could ever find themselves in. The handcuffs felt like weights around her, and if that was really the case, Amelia would of gone to find the nearest lake - it would be a lot easier than facing Calum Hood. Just the thought of the man made Amelia frown, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. He was the last person she wanted to see, and she'd be happy if he just stayed away from her for the rest of his miserable existence. "Charlie," Amelia frowned. "Please? Just drop us off here and let us go to the mall, or something. We promise we'll be good." And although her own silly bribe wasn't going to be anymore successful than her friends, Amelia thought that giving it a try wouldn't hurt. Not at all. "I'll make it two hundred packs and a six pack of beer."

Charlie couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he drove to the Sawyer household. "Sorry girls, but no dice." He glanced into the rearview mirror. "What's got you so afraid of coming home, anyway?" He asked - he'd brought these four troublemakers home many times, but none of them had reacted so strongly before. Parking outside the Sawyer house, Charlie offered a small smile. Getting out of the cruiser, Charlie opened the back door, before going to the passenger door for Amelia. "Out."

Queenie tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she hummed to some tune she'd probably heard on the radio. She never paid much attention to the music playing anymore, because there was a time where all she heard on the radio was Louis' band, and his voice seemed to follow her wherever she went. It was infuriating, but goodness, it hurt more than she could admit. Exhaling with the thought, Queenie sat on the couch in her pyjamas - or, what she deemed pyjama worthy. Leggings and an oversized sweater, because the autumn wind seemed to become so much more harsh by the year. Louis crossed her mind again, and she wondered what he was up to now - if fame had changed him in anyway. Did he still play football? Being pulled from her thoughts with a soft knock at the door, Queenie frowned, looking to the clock. Who would be knocking at 9pm? "Coming!" Queenie called, reaching her front door and pulling it open quickly, coming face to face with the very man who occupied her dreams - Louis. Blinking in surprise, Queenie frowned. "What're you doing here?" She frowned.

Harry shifted from foot to foot as the elevator ascended, and he wondered for a brief moment if Sine would be happy to see him. He hadn't seen her in years, regrettably, and it was entirely his own fault. He'd become too preoccupied with fame, and he'd pushed her to the back of his mind, always telling himself he'd drop her a text when he could. That text had never been sent, and Harry knew he was an idiot to let someone as wonderful as Sine down. Harry had always promised Sine he'd be there for him, and he had gone back on that promise, and he regretted it, the thought having been something that plagued him his whole career. When Harry returned to Holmes Chapel, the first thing on his mind was Sine, and he when he tried to seek her out, he'd found out through her parents that she had her own apartment. It didn't surprise Harry at all, Sine had always been so wonderfully independent, and when they'd given him her address after his rambling speech about wanting to apologise for being so foolish, Harry turned on his heel and hailed down the first available taxi, leading him right to this moment. The elevator doors opened with a polite ding, and exiting the cramped space, Harry took a deep breath, walking to find the door that owned the number 276. Finding it easily, Harry took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for what could happen next. Knocking the door, Harry buried his hands in his pockets, nervous and yet so excited. It was late, he understood - but he had to do this.

Michael looked over when he heard Luke’s words, but he nodded in understanding, because it was the same thing he wanted - to see Cherry, to talk to her, to tell her he missed her, to fix things. But, he knew he’d screwed up bad, and he was certain he’d hurt Cherry in ways she simply didn’t deserve, so he wasn’t sure he deserved to see her again, especially after all this time. This was his chance to fix everything, though, to make up for everything he ever put her through, and he planned to follow through with it - and, if she ended up wanting nothing to do with him afterwards, he was sure he had no choice but to accept it, but he had to try, dammit, Cherry deserved that much. “I know what you mean,” he agreed quietly, “It’s been forever.” And, the reminder made him feel worse, because he knew it was his own fault. Hearing Ashton, he looked over, about to respond, wanting to question his friend on his scolding, but he paused when he saw flashing lights outside, his heart sinking when he realized it was a police officer. Had something happened to Cherry? Was she okay? Standing quickly, he felt his heart constricting with panic and concern - what was going on?

Calum listened quietly to his friends, but his mind easily became occupied by Amelia again, and everything he’d ever done wrong. He knew Amelia deserved a much better friend than him, and he knew he had no right to be here, intruding on a Christmas party that was meant to be for the girls and all of their families - the guys had gotten invited simply because their parents had let everybody else know they were coming home, and it had turned into a last minute Welcome Back party, too, - but he was also certain this might be his one chance to make it all up to Amelia, to make things right between them again. “It has,” he agreed quietly with Michael, offering a small nod, a small frown forming on his features, “Time flies. I guess we just forget all the important stuff in the process.” And, he hated himself for that, because Amelia had been so important to him, and there was no telling how many times he’d let her down, or how many times she’d needed him and he wasn’t there for her. Looking over at Ashton, he arched a brow. “Just being realistic, mate. Would you want to see us after everything?” Almost as soon as the words had left his lips, he saw the lights, too, and he felt a panic well up inside, causing him to stand to his feet quickly, going to the window to peer out - maybe the car was stopping at a different house and they were just seeing remnants of that, - but once he was at the door, it was obvious the car was there at the Sawyer house. He couldn’t make out much, the lights blinding any attempt, but he could feel panic racing through him, mixed with concern for Amelia’s safety, wondering if something had happened to her and that was why she wasn’t at the party yet.

“You wouldn’t want to be here, either, if you knew what beasts are behind that door,” Kensley huffed quietly, scoffing as she rolled her eyes, climbing out of the car, wishing she could be anywhere else in the world rather than home, aware of what waited for them inside. She’d survived this long without Luke, she didn’t need him popping back up now and ruining everything. “Isn’t it your job to not put citizens in dangerous positions? Because, if I walk through that door, I’m probably gonna kick somebody’s ass.” And, in all fairness, Luke absolutely deserved it. Nobody had ever been able to hurt Kensley as much as Luke had - and she’d never put as much trust in anybody than she had in Luke. It was a valuable lesson, and she wasn’t about to make the mistake of trusting him again. She hadn’t let anybody as close as Luke, and the tactic had worked so far, protecting her from facing that kind of hurt again, but she was worried that facing him now would make all of that effort crash down around her.

Elisa ducked her head slightly, wondering if maybe there was a chance that she could make a break for it and put as much distance between herself and the Sawyer house as possible. Her fingers curled into her palms, her jaw clenching, because this was completely unfair. Who did Ashton Irwin think he was to show up at their families’ Christmas party, anyway? He hadn’t been around in so long, why did he have to show up now? A part of her debated calling one of their friends to see if she could crash at their place, because anything would be better than walking into the house and seeing Ashton’s stupid face. “I’d rather be locked in a cell,” she muttered quietly but she eventually climbed out of the car, figuring she had no choice but to face her fears at this point. Lifting her gaze, she stared at the house for a long moment, her heart sinking with the knowledge of what waited behind the door, and her heart clenched painfully. “Let’s just get this over with, Charlie.”

Louis could feel the anxiety bubbling up in him as time passed, wondering if maybe she’d realized that it was him, maybe her parents had tipped her off, and maybe she wasn’t going to answer. Or maybe she wasn’t home and every apology line he’d rehearsed in his head would just be lost, because maybe she didn’t want anything to do with him at all - could he blame her? But as the thoughts passed through his mind, he saw the door open, and he paused with surprise when his gaze fell on Queenie, stunned into silence. It’d been so long since he’d last seen her, and he certainly hadn’t expected her to look so mature and gorgeous, the sight of her knocking him silent, causing him to struggle to find words. He was speechless in all the best ways, and he realized that probably made things worse; surely, she didn’t want him just standing there, being silent, especially when she realized who he was, and he could see the frown on her features. “Queenie,” he greeted eventually, managing to speak again, and he cleared his throat, shifting a bit, offering a weak smile. “Sorry, I know this is probably… Crazy, but I, uh… I wanted to see you. To apologize for everything. If you’d give me the opportunity to do so, that is…”

Sine paused in her channel-surfing when she thought she heard a knock at her door. Her brows furrowed slightly in confusion - she wasn’t planning on having company and she hadn’t ordered in, so she couldn’t imagine why somebody would be knocking at her door at this time. “Just a moment,” she called out, muting the TV before she stood up to go to the door, curious but cautious. Opening the door, she only opened it a crack for a moment but, when she spotted Harry there, she felt her heart drop. What the hell was he doing here? She felt herself tense as she watched him, but even after all this time, she could acknowledge that he was as handsome as ever, and the thought made her hate him all the more. Deciding not to give him the upper hand, she decided to play ignorant, arching a brow as she took him in. “Can I help you?” she asked, feigning as though she didn’t recognize him, as if she didn’t have a clue as to who he was - it was the least he deserved after everything, but she was fully aware that there was no way in the world she could ever forget him, no matter how much of an asshole he was.

Luke had been sitting silently as he listened to his friends speak amongst themselves, and he couldn't help but silently agree: after everything he'd put Kensley through, he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't want to see him at all. But he wanted to see her, he ached for it, in fact, because she had been the most important thing to him before everything - and she still held a great priority in his heart, despite the time and distance between them. When the blue and red lights began to shine outside, Luke frowned, bringing his thoughts back to the present as he stood to his feet, trying to get a look outside. "What's happening?" He asked quietly, and as the cruiser stopped right outside Mr and Mrs Sawyer's house, Luke felt his heart drop, and he wondered if anything awful had happened to Kensley. He couldn't bear the thought, coming home to make things right, only to have missed the opportunity by some accident. Swallowing his fear, Luke stood straight once more, just in time for a police officer to open the front door, leading in four young women, but he could spot Kensley nearly instantly. She was unmistakable, dark hair and eyes that Luke could get lost in, in the most incredible way. "Kensley..." He murmured, wanting nothing more than to step forward, to hold her as she was freed from the shackles of the handcuffs, and he wanted to ask what the hell had happened for her to be brought home in the back of a police car. The realisation had hit him though; he missed all the most incredible things, and he no longer knew the beauty in front of him.

Ashton listened to Calum's words, sighing heavily and watching the lights on the Christmas tree twinkle sweetly. "No, I wouldn't want to see us." He murmured with a sort of bitterness, scrubbing a hand over his face. He was selfish, he knew that, but god, all he wanted was to pick things up where he and Elisa left off; he wanted to tell her every good and bad thing that had happened to him, knowing that no one understood him the way she did, no one could even try. Being pulled from his thoughts by the sight of red and blue flashing lights from outside, Ashton sat forward, eyebrows furrowed in concern as he noticed the cop had parked right outside. Feeling himself tense, Ashton's heart began to beat much faster with nothing but fear: had something happened to Elisa? "Oh god," Ashton breathed, rushing to stand to his feet, and as the front door opened, he looked to the police officer, leading in four young ladies, none of which he could recognise... until his hazel eyes fell onto a face so familiar, his heart recognised her before he did - Elisa. She looked just as she did, but she had grown into her beauty, and she suited it. Why would she be involved with the police? It was unlike the Elisa he remembered, but Calum was right - time flies. He wondered just how much had changed, because it seemed not much else had.

Charlie watched the girls almost sympathetically. He'd known all four of them since they were toddlers, having grown up with his own daughter, but something within them strayed along the way. They had the potential to be good, if only they could see it within themselves. "Sorry, girls." He offered a smile, leading them down the path that led to the Sawyer's front door. Knocking, Charlie pushed open the front door. It was nearly Christmas, he imagined the last thing the Sawyer's wanted was this. "Mr and Mrs Sawyer?" He called. "It's Charlie. I got the four same delinquents." Unlocking the handcuffs one by one, Charlie smiled at the party. "Sorry to ruin the fun."

Cherry stayed close to her friends as she followed Charlie down the garden path, the flowers in the garden in bloom. Cherry had always found Australia's summertime winter as confusing as the rest of the world did. Taking a deep breath, Cherry prepared herself, told herself repeatedly not to cry, because within moments, she'd be coming face to face with Michael Clifford, the man she loved who only considered her a friend, who had quickly broken her heart and become a stranger to her. Listening to Charlie's apology, Cherry rolled her eyes. "I'm not sorry." She murmured, holding out her arms for her handcuffs, which were digging into her skin uncomfortably, to be removed. Feeling her freedom, Cherry rubbed at her wrists, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear. Sticking even closer to her friends, Cherry looked anywhere but in Michael's direction, folding her arms across her chest defensively as she glared at the angel on top of the tree.

Amelia followed Charlie down the path of the luxurious garden that Mrs Sawyer was always so careful to maintain, and just the thought of crossing that threshold was filling the pit of her stomach with dread, because the last thing she wanted to see was Calum Hood and his stupid face. Feeling her fists clench with the thought, Amelia followed Charlie into the house, standing close to her friends for the mutual support, each girl knowing the other's pain. The lights from the Christmas tree couldn't even calm Amelia's nerves, mixed with the anger that surged through her veins, because from the corner of her eye, she could see the man that she once adored. All she could notice that seemed to be different in a way that stood out was his blue hair, now a buzzcut. It suited him. Ducking her head, Amelia rubbed at her wrists as Charlie removed her handcuffs. "Fuck," she murmured. "Those were tight this time, Charlie."

Queenie leaned against the door frame as she waited for Louis Tomlinson, of all people, to answer her. She raised her eyebrows as she watched him struggle to find his words, and even though Queenie knew it was petty, watching him struggle was a joy. Watching him shift, Queenie rolled her eyes, and was about to move to shut her apartment door right in his face, until the asshole started to speak. He wanted to apologise? Queenie frowned, shaking her head. "You've had years to apologise, Louis." Queenie spoke softly, although she was angry, although her heart stupidly swelled with the sight of him, she couldn't bring herself to be cruel with the man she'd cared for the most. "God, imagine the headlines if I was seen with you. One Direction's Louis Tomlinson is seen with mystery woman!" Queenie frowned then, her voice getting louder. "Give me one bloody good reason why I should open this door and let you into my life once more, only for me to be hurt again in a few years, like a fool." Queenie could feel the tears burning in the back of her eyes, and she exhaled. "One good reason, Louis. One."

Harry waited with almost baited breath for Sine to open the door, and he even entertained the idea of leaving; but he knew that would make him nothing but a bigger coward than what he already was. If she wasn't home, Harry decided he would sleep against the door to her apartment if he had to, even at the risk of someone recognising him, because Sine was more important to him than any point of fame. But when he heard a voice - her voice - call from within, Harry stood a little straighter, running a hand through his hair to tidy his appearance, and when the door opened, Harry exhaled the nervous breath he'd been holding. There she stood, still as beautiful as ever, still so incredibly herself. Distance and time hadn't changed her, and Harry was grateful for that fact alone. Seeing her tense, Harry opened his mouth to speak, but soon closed it again when she spoke, pretending as though she didn't know him, after everything they'd been through together. "Hi," Harry greeted with a small smile. "I'm the asshole that disappeared a long time ago, but I'm here to make things right, Sine. If you'll let me..." Harry pursed his lips together as he studied her, and how grown she'd become, how gorgeous she truly was, and just how much he'd missed out on. "I'd love to try again."

Michael watched with growing concern and surprise as a police officer came in with four girls, though it didn’t take him too long to spot Cherry among them. She’d matured much more than he’d expected, and she was beautiful in ways that he couldn’t even describe. He was nearly speechless, his gaze locked on her, and he couldn’t pull his gaze away even if he wanted to - and, right now, he didn’t really want to, although he knew that he should, because staring at her certainly wouldn’t make things any easier for either of them, and he was sure that he really shouldn’t stare at her and think the things he was thinking. “Wait,” he said with surprise, looking to Charlie, his brows pulling together. “Same four delinquents? So Cherry’s been getting in trouble a lot lately?” That worried him. Why was she getting in so much trouble? Was something going on? His gaze went to Cherry for a moment, his concern growing.

The last thing Calum expected when he’d seen the flashing red and blue lights outside was for Amelia to be brought inside in handcuffs, along with her friends. What had she done to be handcuffed? To be arrested? How many times had this happened, if Charlie was making it obvious that this had happened before? Why would she do anything at all to get into any sort of trouble? This wasn’t the Amelia he’d known - and not just because of the trouble she’d gotten into, but also because she had changed physically as well. She had grown into herself and she was far more beautiful than he had really expected. A part of him had almost expected to find signs of the little girl he’d left behind, but no. She’d matured, grown more beautiful, and looked overall amazing in general. “Amelia?” he questioned gently, watching her, not wanting to look away, afraid she would disappear, worried that she’d be taken away. “What’s going on?”

Mrs. Sawyer frowned slightly in surprise, watching the girls, though her gaze was mostly on her daughter, her disappointment clear and obvious. “What did they do this time?” she asked eventually, looking over at Charlie, “I’m sorry they put you through so much trouble again, Charlie.”

Kensley huffed quietly, looking away from her mother when she saw the disappointment on her mother’s features, the disappointment clearly aimed at her, but she didn’t care, she wouldn’t care. If her mother had just listened to her and not bothered to invite Luke to this party, everything would have been fine. She would have come and put on a nice act, pretended that she was a good daughter, but no, her mother had insisted on this stupid Christmas party with Luke Hemmings, his bandmates, and the parents of each band member invited to join them. “Maybe Charlie should apologize for putting us through so much trouble,” she said easily, “After all, he dragged us here against our wishes when he could have just taken us to jail. I’d much rather be there than here, anyway.” And, if her mother’s disappointment wasn’t bad enough, she could feel Luke’s attention on her, causing her to scowl in annoyance. How dare he?

Elisa, as they were led inside, didn’t dare look towards Ashton, or any of the boys for that matter. She didn’t want to see him, she didn’t want to talk to him, she didn’t even want to fucking be here, where he was. Her jaw clenching, she kept her gaze settled ahead, not really looking at anything or anybody, and once the handcuffs were off her, she rubbed her wrists carefully. She didn’t want to talk, though, she didn’t want to do anything but run out of there and go home, to put as much distance between herself and Ashton fucking Irwin as humanly possible. Swallowing with the thought, she listened to the others quietly, her eyes going to the door for a moment. She could probably make a run for it the moment Charlie left, get out of there, away from there, and pretend she hadn’t been dragged here in the first place. She just needed to take the opportunity when it presented itself…

Louis paused when he heard Queenie’s voice and, for a few moments, he watched her, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to put what he wanted to say into words. How could he ever apologize enough for everything that he had put her through? She deserved so much more, so much better, than the friendship between them, because he’d been a shit friend and he was well aware of it, in so many ways, but he wanted to fix it. He’d come all the way here to fix it, and that had to count for something, didn’t it? He had to hope it did. He watched her for a few moments, unsure, but eventually nodded slightly. “I know I have,” he said quietly, “And I’m so sorry that it took me so long to come here to apologize to you, you deserve so much better than that.” She did, in so many ways, and he hated that he’d let her down this badly. “I’m sorry, Queenie, really, truly.” He watched her, taking her in. “I want to make it up to you, in whatever way I can. I want to be better, for you.”

Sine couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she watched Harry, listening to him, though she didn’t want to listen to him, she didn’t want to hear him talk, she didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t want anything to do with him at all and she didn’t see why he couldn’t just take a hint and leave her alone. “And why on earth would I let you ‘make things right’ when you and I both know your attempts will fail and you’ll go running off again, disappearing from my life again, and hurting me again?” she asked, frowning deeply as she watched him, arching a brow. “I think going through that once was enough, and I have no interest in letting my hopes get up only for you to destroy them. I’d much rather pretend that I never met you, which is exactly what I intend to do and to keep doing.” Straightening, she reached for her door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got shows to watch. So, unless you have something more to say, you can be on your way.”

Cherry flicked her red hair over her shoulder as she stuck closely to her friends, and she was certain, for one weak moment, she wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up and hide her away from Michael. She could feel his eyes on her, and she shifted uncertainly, looking to her girls for an excuse to get out of the situation. Although, when Michael spoke, Cherry scoffed, shaking her head. How dare he saunter back like nothing had happened, like he hadn't pretended she didn't exist; and then pretend to care that she had been involved countless times with Charlie and his force? "Oh, fuck this." Cherry rolled her eyes. "Charlie, I'd rather be taken to cells. I'll bunk up with Kensley."

Luke listened to Charlie's explanation of the girls antics, and his frown only deepened as he looked to Kensley, hoping that she still held the same sense of responsibility she had when she was younger, waiting for an explanation that, deep down, he knew wouldn't fall from her lips. Seeing how she huffed quietly, Luke wondered what had happened to cause the girl to fall from grace, and he wondered if he had any role to play. Pursing his lips into a thin line with the thought, Luke looked among the shocked parents, crossing his arms as he sat on the arm of the sofa, waiting for anyone to speak, and the first one to do so was Kensley herself. Even her voice had changed, but it was still so melodic, like music to Luke's ears; and he could admit to himself that he'd listen to her talk all day, even if she did say that she would rather be in a cold, dark cell than in the welcoming warmth of her parents' house, surrounded by people who loved her. "Kensley, c'mon..." Luke spoke up, knowing that she'd just ignore him. "That's not fair."

Charlie offered a sympathetic smile to Mrs. Sawyer, wanting to tread carefully for the girls' sake. "They threatened a girl in the park for kicking away the bottle of wine they'd shoplifted." He'd almost found it amusing. "I'm sorry for this, ma'am. They're not bad girls, they're just misguided. With the wrong crowd." Looking to the girls then, Charlie laughed. "I'm gonna let you stay home this time, ladies. Just... try to behave."

Ashton noticed straight away how Elisa just seemed to avoid looking at him, or even in his direction, and he wondered if he'd hurt her that badly. He knew he'd done wrong; god, he wished he could take it all back, the times where he didn't answer her calls, to the days he breathed a sigh of relief when they'd stopped coming; because he'd been too busy to focus his attention on her. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ashton watched as Charlie - the police officer - uncuffed the beauty, and as she rubbed her wrists, Ashton wished he could take away all of her pain, mental and physical. "Elisa," Ashton frowned a little, brows furrowing as his hazel eyes softened. "What happened?" Charlie had already explained, but he wanted to hear Elisa's side of the story, perhaps the girl in question had started it all, and Elisa and her friends had acted in self defense. Ducking his head when he saw the tense expression on Elisa's face; Ashton knew in his heart that this was his damage to undo, and he'd do anything to help Elisa, if only she'd let him. "Sweetheart, talk to me." Ashton stepped forward cautiously.

Amelia shifted as she listened to Charlie explaining to the shocked adults what had happened, but she felt no shame. That bitch deserved it, and she was nothing but a coward for calling the police. Tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, she listened to her friends beg to be taken back to the cells, and silently, she agreed with them. She'd do anything to avoid Calum Hood's gaze, stuck directly on her, and she was certain that she couldn't take anymore. This was the boy who broke her heart, ignored her calls and pretended as if she hadn't existed for as long as he could, and he didn't deserve to be within six feet of her, he didn't deserve to pretend as though he cared, but when her name fell from his lips, Amelia did all she could to ignore him. "Fuck you, Hood." She warned quietly, voice dangerously low. "We don't fucking have to put up with this." She told her friends, turning on her heel to head up to Kensley's room.

Harry could feel his heart snap within his chest as Sine spoke, and he exhaled, shifting nervously. "Because I want to make sure that I never make the same mistake again." He promised, his voice soft as cotton, because Sine had every right to be angry. She had every right to hate him for what he'd done. "But Sine, you don't have to get your hopes up - let me prove myself, prove that I'm not going to hurt you again." He was desperate now. "Just... tell me what I can do to make it up to you. I'd stay out here all night if I had to, Sine, and you know I would." Harry's voice broke then. "It was hectic. We released an album every year, we were never off tour... I'm so bloody tired, Sine, and all I want is to make things up to you." And Harry knew there were tears slipping down his cheeks, but he was certain Sine had seen him in worst states than this.

Queenie ducked her head as she felt the tears beginning to fall, and she cursed herself for being so fucking weak whenever it came to Louis. He'd always had her wrapped around his finger; and Queenie wished that she could undo all of that in the click of her fingers. "Just go, Louis." Queenie begged. "Please." She straightened then, sniffling, trying to put on a brave face. "You showed me everything when you left to chase after world wide fame. Your Mum," she paused then - losing Johannah had been just as difficult for Queenie as it had been for Louis. She'd been at the funeral and had successfully avoided bumping into Louis then. "God bless her, was there for me more than you ever could be." Queenie wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her oversized sweatshirt. "Just go. There's nothing you can do but prove yourself."

Michael paused, surprised to hear Charlie’s explanation over what had happened that made him arrest Cherry and the others, unable to quite wrap his head around it at all. Had Cherry really done such a thing? Why? It didn’t make any sense, and he wondered how much could have been different if he’d just… Been here to help her through everything, if she hadn’t felt so alone and abandoned, if that was what she felt. “Cherry, you can’t mean that,” he said gently as he watched her, surprised, because that didn’t really make much sense. Why would she prefer to be in jail than to be there, with them, with her family, surrounded by people who cared about and loved her? It didn’t make any sense at all. Chewing on his lip, he watched her before he shifted closer to her. “Cherry, come on… How about we go talk somewhere, talk about all of this?

Kensley looked to Luke when she heard him talk, and she felt her jaw clench. “Not fair? Not fair?” she asked, furious that he had the audacity to say something like that. “I’ll tell you what’s not fair, Luke - you and your buddies abandoned us, dropped us from your lives the moment you became famous, ignored us, forgot about us, left us here to pick up the pieces you left behind. So don’t you dare tell me what’s not fair.” She scowled and quickly moved, blocking Ashton and Michael from the other two. “Stay the hell away from us. All of you.” She looked to Cherry and Elisa then. “Go up to my room, follow Amelia.” She moved to the two girls, turning them away and pushing them along gently, walking with them, wanting to get away from Luke and the pain his presence brought her.

Elisa frowned to herself, because did Ashton really expect her to tell him anything? Did he think he deserved that much, after everything? When he took a step forward, she instinctively took a step back, needing the distance, needing to stay away from him, almost as if she was afraid he would hurt her, but she knew it wasn’t physical pain she was worried about. “Don’t,” she quickly told him, avoiding looking at him, “Just… Leave me alone… Please…” And, God, she hated sounding so desperate, so vulnerable, but she couldn’t go through all of that pain all over again. With Kensley’s ushering, she quickly turned, heading upstairs, following Amelia as quickly as she could, just wanting to get away from Ashton.

Calum listened to Charlie, almost in shock with the news. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around how the sweet Amelia he’d known was capable of causing that kind of trouble - it was a far cry from the Amelia that was always the kindest soul he’d ever known. Still, he looked over to Amelia, watching her for a long moment. “Amelia… There has to be more to the story than that, right?” he asked gently, though he blinked at her sudden outburst, surprised, and he found himself watching her leave, in a shock that he wasn’t quite familiar with. Had she changed this much all because of him? Was he the cause of all of this? His heart broke with the thought, because the last thing he had ever wanted to do was to hurt Amelia in any way, and he hated himself for having this kind of effect on her. “Amelia…” he tried, but frowned, concerned, because she was already heading up to Kensley’s room.

Sine felt her fists clench at her side, desperate to just get this pain to end, and she found herself watching Harry for a few long moments, a lump forming in her throat as she listened to Harry go on and on, explaining himself. “That’s not fair,” she muttered quietly, because shouldn’t it be her who was crying? Swallowing hard, she shook her head and wiped at her eyes to get rid of the tears that were beginning to form there. “Fine, whatever. Did you bring ice cream or not? I’m not letting you in here without ice cream.” She hoped he hadn’t, because at least that would give her a few minutes to prepare herself, to steel herself, to get through having to be around him after all this time, after all this heartache.

Louis felt his heart breaking as he listened to Queenie, and he chewed hard on his lip, ducking his head a bit as he tried to reign in his thoughts and tried not to break down, because he hated that he’d caused Queenie this much pain, and he hated that there was nothing he could do to fix it. “Please, Queenie, just… Just let me try,” he said gently, his voice breaking, but he cleared his throat and lifted his gaze to watch her, taking her in, hoping he could get her to give him even an ounce of trust, even a moment of belief, a single chance. That was all he needed, and he wished he could convey that much to Queenie. “Just give me one chance to fix it, to prove that I mean what I say, that I’m not going to fuck up again. Please…” He watched her for a few long moments, chewing on his lip. “I just need one chance, that’s all I need, I swear… Please…”