The car slowly slid up to the front of the house. Libia stared at the sun that was still low in the sky, dreading what awaited her arrival. Had they discovered her gone? Would they be waiting? Was she dead?

She looked over at Damon, who was staring over at her already, and then she let out a laugh.

"I stayed out all night."

He let a slow grin overtake his face, and chuckled. "Yes you did."

"I actually sneaked out of the house."

He leaned his head back against the rest with a breathy laugh, "Yep."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"Not if they don't know," He murmured, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

She grinned. "I had fun, Damon."

Laughing, he lifted his head and leaned over the console, grasping her face in his hand and pressing his lips to hers. 

"Me too, Babe."

"Hey, what happened to 'Baby'?" She protested, her voice soft.

"If I called you that now you'd blush and make that face and then I wouldn't be able to let you go." She blushed anyway, and glared at him.

"I do not make a face."

He groaned and pressed his lips to hers once again, "Did I ever tell you that you look really sexy when you're angry?"

With a roll of her eyes she pressed one more kiss to his lips. "I have to go."

With a pout, he fell back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Fine. Leave me. I see how it is."

She stuck her tongue out at him and opened the door. "I love you, you big baby."

He grinned and said, "I love you too, my little rebel."

She stepped out of the car, and then before shutting the door, shot him one more smile, but this time it was sort of an excited nervousness. She almost wanted to get back in the car with him and take a more permanent road trip.

"Bye, Babe," He murmured, his eyes softening.

"Bye, Damon," She said, and then she shut the door softly as not to alert anyone inside the house.

He waited in the car until she reached the porch, and then slowly drove off. This time, she was too nervous to turn and see him off. She got the door open, and peered in, wondering if someone would be there to 'welcome' her, as they always did.

But no one was there. She began to feel excited - had she really accomplished this? Had she really, successfully sneaked out of the house and back in again unnoticed?

She tip toed into the kitchen, hand over her mouth so she didn't squeal in excitement. She was just about to go into the hallway when a voice made her jump out of her skin.

"Did you have fun?"

She let out a yelp and whirled. She had been so delirious with excitement that she hadn't noticed someone sitting at the far corner of the table, slightly hidden in darkness. It was her brother.

"Ben," She said, eyes wide.

"You know, last night," He began, voice low and angry.

"Ben, please just let me-,"

"I thought that maybe I could trust him," He continued despite her plea. "I thought that, even though he seemed a little rebellious, I just didn't know him too well. But after taking off with you, and leaving for the entire night...I think I was right about him," Ben's voice was getting angrier and angrier with each sentence he spat out, and Libia tried again to speak,

"Ben, please listen to me-,"

"I think I was on point!" Suddenly his hand slammed down on the table, cutting Libia off and making her jump in fright. 

"Ben, if you'd just-,"

"What's going on here?" They both looked up as their mom entered the kitchen, looking tired from her night shift as she hurried to tie her robe. She'd obviously just been woken up.

"It's nothing Mom, just-,"

"Libia just came home from her little rendezvous with Damon."

She blinked as she tried to comprihend what her son just said in her tired daze. "What? What are you talking about, Ben?"

"I'm telling you that Libia sneaked out last night and stayed out until now, with Damon."

She blinked again, but this time swung her gaze to a mortified Libia. She didn't want this to happen. She was embarrassed and afraid of what her mother was going to say to her. How many times before had her mother voiced something she dissaproved Libia doing, and how many times had Libia ceased all participation because of it? Anxiety wavered the determination in her heart. Would she leave Damon if told to? Would he let her?

"Libia...is that true?" Their mother's eyes became sharper as she began to wake up, and Libia knew she was in for it.

But as tears welled in her eyes, she was suddenly furious. Furious at her brother, and for some reason, at her mother. Her hands bawled into fists, and she looked away, saying nothing.

"And, the night that she went out with that guy - Jason or whatever - she came home on a motorcycle. Damon's motorcycle."

Libia lifted her gaze to her brother's, who stared back at her with a leveled, and serious gaze. I'm doing this for you. This gaze said. The betrayal and utter disbelieving anger she felt as she stared at him was overwhelming.

For me? Her mind screamed at him. You're doing this for me? What part of this makes me happy? What part of this helps me in any way? 

"I...I was unnaware that Damon...owned a motorcycle," Libia flitted her stare back to her mother with her lip trembling as she tried to hold in the tears that she refused to let go. She turned her stare back to the ground. "And you...snuck out with him last night," She was oddly calm about this, but Libia knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Did you...do anything?"

Libia whipped her head up, frowning. "No!"

"Then what did you do, Libia?" Ben spat, clearly not believing her.

"Believe me or not," She said in a slow, calculated voice, "I don't think everyone in the world has to have sex to have fun, Ben."

He stood up at that, angry, and her mother clapped her hands together once. "Libia, that is enough."

She sealed her lips, and the room fell in a tense silence, before their mother spoke.

"You're grounded. No cellphone, no computer, and no television. The only place you're going every day is school. Got that? You come straight home, and you go straight there. If I find out you skipped or stayed out later than necessary you're staying home from the reunion. Got that?" Libia didn't respond, but she was satisfied that she got the message.

"And another thing," She said, "You're not to see Damon. I understand that school is a given, but I want you to cut ties with him. This isn't you, Libia," The words that Libia dreaded hearing caused her to flinch. "He may have saved your life, but he's changing you for the worst."

Libia looked up with the last bit of fight she had in her, eyes incredulous. "You can't just-,"

"I can, and I will," She snapped, cutting Libia off.

Libia felt herself retreat back into her hole. It was a familiar feeling that she'd experienced many times before. She could see the dissaproval in her mother's gaze. The look that she didn't know her anymore. She was thinking that this wasn't her Libia. She could feel that look pull up the insecurities that were so familiar. She was close with her family, but at these times, she realized just how little they really knew her. 

Or did they? Was this really the Libia they knew? She couldn't help but feel doubt. Did she make a mistake? Was Libia the mature, sweet girl she grew up to be, or was she the confident, slightly immature girl that Damon had brought out of her? Her mind spun with the doubt that clouded it. The doubt that nothing but her mother's words could bring out of her.

And suddenly she was back to the beginning. She was brought back to square one, where logic ruled and spontaneity was supressed. She was just normal Libia once again.

She lowered her head, murmured a soft, "Sorry," and then made her way past them.

Ben couldn't believe it. He'd seen the change happen right before his eyes, like an illusion brought into the light. The fire faded, the eyes became rounder and more vulnerable, she even looked smaller. When had she begun to look taller? When had that fire lit? When had she gone from his shy little sister to this confident, boisterous person that he couldn't reach? It was like a weight that he'd never noticed was there until it was gone. And suddenly it was so apparent that he wondered how he never noticed it before.

He could feel himself wanting to speak, but what would he say? Would he try to defend her? What words would come out of his mouth if he opened it at that moment? He didn't know, which was why he kept his lips sealed, and simply watched her leave the room.

When they were left alone, Ben looked at his mother, and he knew she'd seen it too. But what shocked him was, that as she stared at the ground, the look she held was not surprise, but guilt.

"I know how free she is," She whispered, and her eyes turned up to him. "I know how free she can be. I made a mistake though, letting her test that freedom. She's more strongwilled than you and I put together - if I let it get any farther, we'll lose her. Just like I lost your father."

Ben watched with wide eyes as she turned and left the room, listening to her footsteps, and finally the door shutting behind her. What had he done? Slowly, he let himself down onto the chair behind him, eyes staring at nothing in particular as they were stuck in their wide-set gaze.

For a long time, he sat staring at the wall, repeating the conversation he'd just heard in his head. He felt as if he'd heard those words many times before, but he couldn't pinpoint where. He tried to remember, but it must have been when he was young, because his memory was fuzzy - it was like trying to pull a file that wasn't there from an empty cabinet.

Finally, he gave up, and pulled out his phone. He dialed the one number he dreaded ever using - his father's.

For a minute, all he heard was the monotonous ring as he waited for someone to pick up, and finally, there was a click.

"Hello."

"Ah...hey dad."

"Ben!" He said, obviously surprised, his voice fading off at the last syllable as he checked the caller ID, "Why are you calling so early, is something wrong?"

"Does Mom have...manipulative tendencies?" He cringed at the word, but it was the only thing he could describe it as.

There was nothing but silence on the other line, before six, flat and blatant words were spoken.

"What did she say to her?"