Valerie's POV

"Daddy?" I said, sitting up. "Reed? James? Alex?" 

I wasn't at home. I wasn't at Reed's house. I wasn't anywhere familiar. 

I was in a hospital. Alone.

The tears reached me first. I started sobbing, wondering why my entire family abandoned me. Reed abandoned me. 

The last thing I remember was Penelope. Was everyone I know on her side too? Did they betray me like Luna did? 

I grabbed my phone, hoping someone would answer my calls. I called everyone in my contacts. 

No answer. 

I started crying even harder. They all ignored me. Did George and the others not love me anymore? Did Reed want to break up with me?

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Reed's POV

"I know it's hard, sweetie, but you have to go to-" James started to say. I cut him off and started going on a rant.

"NO! My girlfriend, the love of my life, died two days ago! Two! Whole! Days! That's not a lot of time to process everything, okay? Please? Can I please stay home one more day?" I begged. 

"Imagine how Valerie's family feels right now, Reed." Alex said. 

"SHE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A FAMILY IN THE FIRST PLACE!" I screamed. I regretted saying it the minute it left my mouth. Val did have a family. I started sobbing, I didn't mean to hurt Val like that. Despite her being no longer alive.

"REBEKAH!" My dads said at the same time. They were mad. And they rarely got mad. 

"Okay? I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I accused Valerie of not having a family! She does! You happy?" I asked. 

My phone started vibrating right at that moment. I picked it up and gasped when I saw the name on the screen.

"Valerie Salazar-Roland is calling me?" I asked, feeling a bit hopeful. The hope dropped when I realized, her dad probably had her phone. 

"Hello?" I said, putting the phone to my ear.

"Reed?" I heard, letting Valerie's thick accent pour through the phone. I let out a happy sob. She was alive. 

"Val...please tell me that's you..." I said through a blur of tears.

"Yeah. It's me. Listen, I'm so-" I cut her off. 

"I'm the one who has to apologize. To you and to your entire family. I texted your dad in a panic when I was told to say goodbye. I thought this was the end, that you were gone." I said. 

Val sighed. "I thought they all abandoned me..." she said.

"They probably think you're...dead." I said. Val hung up and I sighed, knowing I had upset her.

"We have to tell her dad. It's the right thing to do." I said to James. My dads nodded and we headed off to Valerie's apartment.

________

James knocked on the door of George's apartment, which I had been to about twenty times since Val and I started dating. George opened the door and was shocked to see us. 

"Hi." I said.

"Reed, I am so sorry, I can't imagine how you're feel-" George said. I cut him off and said, "Val called me. She's alive."

"What?" Val's other dad, Will said. 

"Yeah. She called me, she's at the hospital. I'm sorry, this is my fault. I texted George in a panic when they told me to say goodbye to Val and right after I said goodbye, I left. I couldn't handle it." I said. 

Val's entire family stared me dead in the eye. It was useless, I knew they didn't believe me. 

"But-" George started. He was holding Val's stuffed frog in his arms. 

"Val's gonna need this. I'm going to see her. If you guys don't believe me, fine." I said, yanking the frog away. My own dads followed me out the door and slammed it shut behind them.

"Why didn't they believe me?" I asked. I felt hurt. Why didn't they trust that Val was alive?

"Sweetie, you're Val's eleven year old girlfriend. You're young, and they probably think you're in denial about this whole thing. And Val...even if Val's alive now...who knows what will happen with her heart and such?" Alex said.

I sighed. Alex was right. James, Alex, and I got in the car and we were heading to the hospital where Val was. I prayed that someone in her family was there. Maybe George will believe an adult rather than a kid. Me. 

We pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and we all got out of the car. 

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Valerie's POV

"Via?" I heard. It was Lauren. She threw her arms around me and said, "Your dad sent me to pick up your stuff...he thinks you're dead. Reed came over and tried to say you were alive, but no one believed her. Myself included."

"I called Reed a few hours ago. She was sobbing over the phone, I feel so bad for her." I said. Lauren sighed and then the door opened.

"Reed?" I asked. I smiled as my girlfriend started crying happy tears. "I was right! Val's alive!"

"Heck yeah I am." I said. The room erupted in laughter, and I sighed. "What's going on with Penelope? Is she arrested?"

"Yeah. It was all over the news. Valerie, you're famous!" James, one of Reed's dads, said. "Penelope's gone for good. You're safe now.

Those words echoed in my head. I'm safe. I'm safe. 

I'm so glad I ran away from that awful woman. I'm home now, I have a family. And a girlfriend. 

I'm finally home.

AN: To all the other writers who told me they would do something evil if Val wasn't alive, you don't have to be evil now. Okay? Are we good? Good. Hope you enjoyed! Catch ya later!