Speechless.

The group waited, hesitating within the shadows as they all waited for Amelia to guide them. But Amelia was still having an internal battle with herself, the main topic being the pros and cons of having John right here in this moment; unfortunately for him the cons outweighed the pros.

But it was too late to send him away [not that he would willingly go], so Amelia took a shaky breath and prayed to God that they would all make it out unscathed with Mickey in their possession.

“Alright, I’m going in first--alone.” She eyed each of the men knowing that they would not be happy with her choice. “I’ll give you a signal to come in when I’m ready.” This time she turned to Metallica. “Keep them back, Alli.”

“I can handle them.” Metallica smirked as she spun her knife in her hand like a circus act. Amelia knew the underlying threat was a joke, Metallica would never use the weapon on any of them—of course that didn’t mean Metallica wouldn’t do everything in her power to keep them back.

“Mia,” John was beside her, his voice low. “You’re shaking.” He took one of her trembling hands within his and pressed her cool hand to his lips. “You don’t have to do this, not this way.”

“I do John, there isn’t another way.” She pulled her hand away from his grasp and bawled up her fists in attempt to stop the tremors.

“Be careful,” He stepped away from her reluctantly and Amelia could only smile weakly in response.

There was nothing else to be said, nothing else could change the situation they were in now. Amelia was going to leave this place with Mickey beside her or she wasn’t going to leave at all. Amelia knew that these next moments would define the rest of her life. If Amelia ran, if she didn’t get Mickey back, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life. She knew that if she didn’t get Mickey today, Matt would come for his sister. He would see the dangerous nature of what Amelia was doing and he would send her away. Matt would choose to take legal actions and the results, Amelia knew, would not be good.

Amelia closed her eyes and turned away from the group, feeling the eyes of her allies behind her as she took the small steps to Viper’s door.

Amelia didn’t bother with such pleasantries as to knock on the abused old wood door, instead she turned the tarnished knob and let herself into her own nightmare.

The first thing Amelia noticed was that nothing within the apartment had changed. There were still questionable stains on the grey-carpeted floor, the small TV was still cracked and somehow still working, chunks of fluffing was perturbing out of the couch and pillow, and the window was still boarded up.

But these things were miniscule and only a small portion of her mind registered these things, the majority of Amelia’s mind was filled with thoughts of Mickey. The small girl was sitting at the table decorated in graffiti twisted in her seat to face the intruder. A wide smile spread across the five year olds face showing off her perfectly square milk white teeth.

“Mia!” She cried happily but the child made no move to greet the woman because in the next moment both pairs of eyes were on the man standing in the corner of the room.

“Viper,” Amelia stated coldly. She was all too aware of every movement this man made. Her brown eyes flickered to both his hands before her eyes scanned the area surrounding him, in search of weapons.

“I coulda sworn I killed you,” He stated emotionlessly. “Yet here you are, very much alive. I won’t make that mistake again.”

He advanced on her and if Amelia strained her ears she could hear the sounds of shuffling feet just outside the door. Amelia hoped that Metallica really could hold back the lot of men itching to get in.

In five strides Viper was upon her but Amelia darted out of his grasp and moved a step closer to Mickey.

“Don’t you want to know why I’m here?” Amelia wondered taking a hesitant step back. She was stalling for time but Viper wasn’t hard to bait.

“You’re still as stupid as you ever were.” Viper stated easily and Amelia bristled. “Yet here you are, back where you started.”

Flashes of suppressed memories shot through Amelia’s mind but she tried desperately to shake off the sting each memory brought forth.

Amelia stared at this man before her and wondered how she had gotten so mixed up with him. His bald head was shining with a thin layer of sweat, his muscles rippling under the skin of his arms. Amelia had feared this man once, not because of the physical harm he could do to her but because of the mental abuse he had put her through.

“I’m here for Mickey.” Amelia snapped, taking another conscious step back.

“Oh you are, are you?” Viper questioned smiling. “Did you figure we would play some twisted game of House? If you did then you really are still the same weak pathetic girl you were when we met.”

“You and I, we’d never be able to play house. I mean, of course Metallica would have to be involved but she always attracted the kind of company you hated.”

It was silent for a moment and it was probably the longest 10 seconds of Amelia’s life. Before Viper could even get out a retort Metallica burst through the door with Shadows, Synyster, Vengeance, and John spilling into the room.

Amelia turned with catlike reflexes and grabbed Mickey from the chair.

“Metallica,” Viper snarled his voice filled with black anger. “I should have killed you when I had the chance. Should of laid you out in those tunnels beside Jag.”

“Could of, should of, would of,” Metallica shrugged smirking wildly. “Did you really think Amelia would come alone?”

“Did you really think I’d be here alone?” Viper countered now mirroring Metallica’s smirk.

The blonde girl paled and fear struck Amelia to the core but it was too late or that. It was then that Candice and one of Viper’s men appeared from the kitchen.

“You really want it to be like this?” Shadows questioned.

“I don’t who the fuck you are but this is the way it is. You’re on my grounds now.”

“I don’t really care whose grounds these are,” Sysynster shrugged. “we’ll kick your ass all the same.”

As if someone said go, suddenly Synyster rushed Viper while Vengeance and Shadow’s bolted after the man at his side. The men collided in with a thud and grunts filled the air as they fought. John rushed to Amelia’s side checking to be sure she was uninjured. Amelia’s eyes were locked with Candy’s who were filled with a black hate.

“John,” She stated distantly. She grappled for Mickey’s arm and placed it in John’s hand, her eyes still glued with Candy’s. “Take Mickey and go,”

“I’m not leaving you here,” He argued vehemently.

“John,” her eyes were wild when she suddenly turned to face him. Her pupils were dilated and John wondered distantly if she was even breathing. “Take Mickey.” She picked up the girl and shoved her at John, forcing him to grab her. “Now GO!” She barked.

“Mia!” The small girl cried.

“Its okay Mickey, it’s going to be okay.” She kissed the girls forehead hastily before she pushed John away. “It’s going to be okay,” She whispered her eyes locking with his before she turned to face Candice just as the woman descended upon her. Amelia hoped that John had listened to her but whether he had or not, she could not worry about now.

The wild blonde tackled Amelia to the floor, causing her head to connect with chair’s edge. Lights exploded behind Amelia’s eyes as she lifted her head heavily just as Candice’s fist collided with it.

“I won’t let you take her from me!” Candice screeched. Amelia turned her head just as the woman’s hand collided with her cheek. Amelia tried to concentrate on hooking her leg under with woman’s so she could flip the two over and Amelia would have the advantage. “She’s mine Mia! Just because you lost yours doesn’t mean you can take mine.”

That was all Amelia needed to hear before energy and determination flooded her and she flipped the two over, causing her to straddle Candice.

“If you really are McKenna Belle’s mother then you would want what is best for her. She’s better off with me, Candy, you and I both know that.” She pinned Candice’s hands above her head when she tried to scratch at Amelia’s eyes. “Or are you too selfish to see what is best?”

Candice gave a wild scream of frustration and anger as she tried to free herself from Amelia with no avail.

“Go to hell!” She screamed as Amelia’s eyes caught sight of something shining.

“Go to sleep,” Amelia muttered as she reached for the plate upon the table and cracked it over Candice’s head.

The blonde fell limp beneath Amelia, her chest moving up and down slowly and Amelia panted to catch her breath as she fell to the floor beside her. It was then that Amelia remembered the scene going on just several feet away. Viper’s guy was down, knocked out unconscious with a busted cheek. Metallica’s lip was bleeding and she was leaning against Vengeance who wasn’t in any greater condition with busted knuckles, a bruised eye, and blood trickling down his mouth where his lip ring had once been.

Shadows was sporting a black eye and Synsyster had blood dripping from his nose, yet both were gripping Viper hard; not sure what to do with the man in their grasp.

Amelia struggled to get to her feet, her head spinning; she suddenly felt lightheaded as she stumbled foreword and closed her eyes. When she opened them again the world had stilled and she stepped closer to Viper. Amelia stood face to face unafraid of the man who had plagued her mind for so long.

“I am many things Viper,” She said slowly, playing with the knife in her hands, the one that had been hidden away in the depths of her pockets—the one that had belonged to Cougar. “But I am not weak and I am not pathetic, you made sure of that.”

“I taught you how to survive.” He spat blood at her feet but Amelia didn’t care. It was over, she had Mickey, and no one was dead.

Her eyes, filled with a black hate, flashed to his amused ones. “You taught me how to be dead inside!” Amelia screamed as she waved the knife in front of his eyes. “You showed me how to use this, you showed me how to steal, how to turn off all my emotions so that I couldn’t feel.”

“You turned off your own emotions, Mi Mia.” Viper sneered. “You were so full of guilt you did it to yourself. Or are you forgetting that?” He cocked his head to the side as he studied her. “Poor, poor Mia,” He murmured softly, his face twisting in mock sympathy. “Such pain, such heartache.”

“Shut up,” Tears pooled in Amelia’s eyes but Metallica signaled the others not to move when they began to get restless.

“You did it to yourself,” he snapped back., the act gone. His eyes were serious, no amusement, no joking. “I had no hand in it, I just did what you wanted of me.” He watched the fluorescent light shine off the knife that Amelia still toyed with now. “What’re you gonna do? Kill me? I don’t think so.” He stated confidently with a shake of his head.

“I want the truth.” Amelia stated weakly, until now her eyes had remained on the knife within her hands but now her eyes were locked with the nearly black orbs.

“The truth about what?” he questioned innocently, grinning at her like a Cheshire cat. He was enjoying this, watching the cracks in her perfect shield grow wider, spidering everywhere until she broke like the vulnerable child she had been when he first met her.

Her hand struck out lighting fast and she backhanded the man.

Viper gritted his teeth before he spat blood again. “I’ve forgotten your reflex,” His eyes glittered like polished onyx when he smiled evilly at her. “Fast as a cats, like a Jaguar.”

“Tell me the truth Viper.” She grabbed his face with her hands. “Say something worth listening to before I cut out that tongue from you’re lying lips.”

“I don’t thin-“ Amelia was done with being baited and toyed with. She held the point of the knife beneath his chin. “Don’t forget Viper, you broke me, you made me this way.” Viper considered that before one word left his lips that changed Amelia’s world forever.

“Yes. The answer is yes.”