When Emily didn't accompany the guys to the studio for rehearsals, they assumed she went in early for work.

When Emily wasn't at the studio when they arrived, that's when they knew something was wrong.

She never missed rehearsals. And she was their best friend. She was his girlfriend. They lived a floor apart. How did they not know where she was? Much less why she was missing.

Gustavo and Kelly didn't mention anything. No one said a word. No, "Moore is sick today," or "she's working on a song," or any form of explanation. They didn't ask the guys where she was when they walked into the studio. They had to know where she was.

"Great, guys, take five," Kelly said through the mic, distracted. The guys took off their headphones, one by one exiting the booth to huddle up in the lobby.

"Okay, is anyone else freaked out?" Logan asked, joining the circle. The guys nodded intensely.

"Did something happen?" Kendall wondered, looking to his friends, hoping one of them had an answer.

"James, you were with her last night," Carlos pointed out. Attention shifted to the silent boy, nervously tapping his foot.

James shrugged, frantically shaking his head, "I don't know. She was quiet all day yesterday!"

"Well, did you have a fight?" Logan hesitantly questioned. James shook his head, mindlessly pondering over what was happening.

Carlos gasped suddenly, the others jumping at his dramatic outburst as he desperately clung to Logan. "What if..." he whispered in horror, "the aliens are here?"

Logan shoved Carlos off, a weight dropping from their chests. Carlos made it seem like something realistic actually happened. Kendall hummed, holding up a finger.

"We do know that Kelly and Gustavo know something," he pointed out, his friends nodding in agreement.

"What makes you think they're going to tell us? They've been just as silent all day," James sighed.

Kendall smirked, "Because Kelly can't keep a secret."

Just then, the woman popped out, "Guys, let's go," she said, waving for them to get back to work. The boys nodded at each other, turning to Kelly, firmly staying put in the lobby.

"Kelly, would you happen to know where Emily is?" Logan asked.

The woman's eyes went wide, gaping speechlessly. She turned her head back, looking for Gustavo to shut this down before she said something she shouldn't.

"Kelly, please, answer the question," Carlos politely stated.

"I can't say," she squeaked out.

"Why not?" They inquired, all leaning forward.

"Because," Gustavo boomed, walking out of the studio booth into the lobby, "it's not our place to say."

Logan winced, "Yeah, but each time something like this has come up, she keeps it a secret until she blows up and has a major breakdown..."

"Let's skip all that," Kendall urged, nodding for Gustavo to tell them.

"Did Hawk get released?" Carlos wondered.

Gustavo shook his head, "No, it's not Hawk."

"Then what?" James snapped, becoming frustrated no one would tell him what was wrong with his girlfriend.

Kelly and Gustavo exchanged a nervous glance, sighing. Gustavo turned back to the boys, struggling to speak. He took a deep breath, letting it out.

"It's her dad."

***

Emily hadn't seen or heard from her father in years. Her memories of him were dim, but significant enough to know what happened to him.

She grew up without a mother. Not even an answer to why, she just knew she wasn't there. Her father, however, was there. For a while anyway.

Growing up, Emily's father, an alcoholic, fell into drug rings. He'd spend all their money on crack, or pass out in the small living room after shooting up, leaving the young girl to fend for herself. Unaware of the substances, Emily always felt something about it was wrong. The way it made her dad act and sleep all the time, and how strange, scary men would show up at the house.

Involved in messes of illegal activity, her dad kept to himself, including Emily. She was "homeschooled," meaning at the age of six, Emily found reading the books herself and completing the practice tests on her own were a better use of her time than letting her dad distract himself and create chaos in the house over an addition problem.

She learned from TV. The mini television was always at her disposal, especially when her father was passed out. Documentaries, kids educational programs, the news kept her stimulated. And her desire to be like the kids on TV in happy families and homes kept her working to act like them.

The older she got, the farther her dad got in the ring. By nine years old, she started leaving the house during the day, and through the night. Emily would explore around the neighborhood, which was never lively. She never encountered anyone, especially no one of authority. She'd day-dream about running away, spending her time at an abandoned piano in the junkyard. Then she went home every night, once it was dark, knowing her father would be sleep or unconscious and no one would stopped by, she'd rest, and go back about her life.

The night a gun was shot in her home was the night she began considered the option of going to the police. A man barged in, waking Emily up. From the back room, she heard shouting, fighting. And a single gunshot went off. The man left, she checked to make sure no one was murdered in her house. Her dad was alive. The TV was shot.

Despite being absent and neglectful, he was always kind to her when they did interact on rare occasions. That's the only thing that kept her from running off to find help for her. Not only would she hurt her dad, but she'd be whisked around in a random place. He wasn't much, but he was still her dad.

The last time she saw him, she was 11. It was the night he got arrested.

The blonde girl strode into the studio later that afternoon, dressed in professional attire: a blazer, pencil skirt, and had her hair pulled back.

The distant sounds of dance rehearsal in the main studio rang in her ears. The large doors opened, Kendall slipping out to get water. His eyes bugged seeing the girl there. "Emily?" He gasped.

From inside, the other guys heard him. They abandoned rehearsal, bustling out the doors to see Kendall gawking at her, unsure what to say. They speechlessly struggled to find the words as she waited for them to say something, growing impatient. For someone who was quiet in the previous days and ran off that very morning, she seemed normal.

James broke first, stepping towards her, "Where were you?" He asked in a low voice. Emily raised her eyebrows, hearing how upset he was.

"I had something to do," she shrugged.

James scoffed in disbelief, "You had something to do?" He repeated. "Emily, I didn't know what happened to you."

The girl took a deep breath, unsure what to say to him, especially with their friends in the same room, hearing them arguing. Thankfully, Kelly appeared.

"Guys, we need to get back to work," she told them, holding the door open for them to file back into the studio. The guys hesitantly went back in, taking a last glance at Emily in confusion. James shook his head, silently walking back in, putting his anger aside for the rehearsal.

Emily sighed, looking at Kelly, mouthing, "Thank you," as the guys' backs were turned. Kelly silently nodded back. She let the door close after James went in, turning to Emily.

"How'd it go?" She asked. Emily shook her head.

"I only met with the lawyers today. I don't testify until tomorrow," she told her, her eyes blinking from mental exhaustion. Kelly sadly watched her.

"Are you going to tell the guys?"

Emily let out a small whimper, having lost sleep over that question that wouldn't leave her alone. "I don't know, Kelly. They already see me as some wounded deer with the Hawk thing, and Christmas, and then that with Lucy's ex..." Emily sighed, tugged the ponytail out of her hair, running her fingers through it. "I don't think I have enough in me to go through this with them."

"Not even James?"

She wanted to tell James so badly. When she found out, all she wanted to do was call James so he could hold her while she broke down and promised it was going to be okay and he would be there. But he did that so many other times, and too recently. If it's one thing Emily refused to be, it was dependent on her boyfriend for strength.

Emily shook her head, putting all thoughts of what her boyfriend would say in the back of her mind, "I just want to get through court and forget about it."

Emily walked past Kelly into the studio, the guys warily watching her cross in, kicking her heels off in the corner. Gustavo slightly acknowledged her, muttering, "Moore, can you grab me some extra sheet music?"

Emily, without a word of conformation, spun around leaving as quickly as she came in, not wondering for a minute why Gustavo needed sheet music for dance rehearsal.

As the doors shut with the girl gone, the boys immediately starting shouting out questions and statements of wonder in their best whispers. Gustavo, blocking them out, turned to Kelly, stepping close to her to talk without the boys hearing.

"Hey!" Kendall snapped. The room when quiet, Kelly and Gustavo turning to him in surprise. "Does anyone want to tell us what's going on?"

Kelly sighed, shaking her head at Gustavo. They had talked every now and then about the ongoing question concerning their place in the relationship between Emily and the boys. She could be close-off and grim, and they knew the boys came from a good place. The two also knew it was none of their business and Emily would kill them if she knew they told.

"Look, dogs," the man sighed, double checking to make sure the girl hadn't walked back in. "Moore had a very difficult childhood and she hates talking about it."

"It's all happening really fast, and you'll understand when she tells you–" Kelly assured them, James cutting her off.

"Which is never," he grumbled. The boy saw the room focused on him from his small comment. He defensively sighed, "Oh, c'mon. She would have a better chance at reacting normally to coffee than opening up to people."

His friends sighed, mumbling to their friend in Emily's defense. They didn't disagree with James, but felt the girl deserved more credit. "James, that's not fair–" Kendall began to tell him when the doors opened, Emily walking back in.

The atmosphere shifted, everyone acting like they weren't just talking about her and Emily appeared to have no idea either. Except she wasn't stupid and she heard James' outburst through the doors that weren't sound proof. But confronting the room only meant drawing attention to herself and focusing on her problem at hand.

Handing over the sheet music, "Here you go," the girl muttered, placing the papers in his hands, crossing around him to the boombox, standing by for rehearsal to start.

***

After an awkward and quick rehearsal with zero messing around from Emily and the guys, they packed up to head back to the Palm Woods for the evening when Gustavo, Kelly, and Emily all went into the office, shutting the door without a word to them.

The guys exchanged a small glance before they booked it to the office door, pressing their ears against the wood to listen in.

Inside, no one sat down. The three stood across from each other. "Did the lawyer explain everything?" Kelly asked.

If there were two people Emily would talk to without a fight, it was Gustavo and Kelly. For legal reasons, considering her testimony, Gustavo knows everything. After the girl crossed paths with Hawk and started down that road, she was given food and shelter and made some money. When she met Gustavo, the man was smart enough to actually take legal action: he signed on as her legal guardian, so no one was able to put her in a foster system, provided food, shelter, a job, and solely dealt with any remaining ties between her and her father.

Since Gustavo took it upon himself to work everything out for her, Emily never had to worry about being independent, especially now that she was 17 she didn't. And before, she never had to worry about if they forced her back to her dad, not after he got arrested.

"Yeah, they just need me to provide a quick statement about what it was like living with him."

"I'm still confused," Gustavo admitted. "Is this for the indictment or is he getting parole?"

Emily tiredly shook her head, "No, he's been in prison for six years for the possession, dealing to minors, and the robbery. Now that the ringleader, that Max guy, has finally been arrested, they're able to prosecute him and my dad for everything else. They want me to testify to prove he wasn't innocently a part of it and should be tried with Max."

The two nodded, attempting not to make a big deal out of the situation even though they wanted to talk it out and offer alternatives, but as soon as Emily told them she'd be out for two days for the trial, they knew it was best not to pick a fight.

Hesitantly, "And will he be there?" Kelly wondered. A small glimpse of emotion crossed the girl's face.

"I really don't know," Emily shook her head. She knew.

"Do you –I don't know– need someone there to drive you? Or..." Gustavo stuttered. Emily immediately brushed him off. They had this conversation when she first told him about it and insisted she go alone.

"The lawyer is picking me up."

Sadly, Kelly frowned, wanting to hug the girl, "Are you sure you're okay with testifying to keep your father in prison?"

"I'm fine," Emily shrugged. Gustavo and Kelly both awkwardly glanced around the office, silence filling the space. The girl groaned, "Okay, we don't need to do this," she said, grabbing her things. "I'm going home. I have to be up early."

As soon as she opened the door to the office, Big Time Rush stumbled forward, catching themselves from the wall they let their weight fall on break down. The boys stepped back, speechlessly staring in guilt. Kelly and Gustavo sighed, seeing them eavesdrop.

Emily blankly stared at them, refusing to look at James. Like she'd been doing all day, she immediately blinked the impending tears away, and felt her emotions die down. Wordlessly, she walked past them, ignoring her friends, leaving the studio.

The guys felt a chill run down their spines, looking at each other, realizing they messed up. "That's not good," Kendall muttered, the four guys turning after her, from a distance walking out to the car.

The ride back to the Palm Woods was dead silent. James didn't attempt to sit by his girlfriend, and the guys were too scared to say anything, much less try to apologize.

The car pulled up to the front. Emily got out first and didn't bother shutting the door on the guys out of anger.

Carlos and Kendall nudged Logan forward first, following her into the lobby. "Em?" The boy croaked out. The girl turned over her shoulder. "We're sorry."

"Okay," she nodded, in a surprisingly normal tone, turning back towards the elevators.

"Really, we're sorry," Carlos told her.

"I heard you," Emily said, nodding again.

Kendall inhaled a steep breath, "Em, you're scaring us."

This made the girl fully turn around, stopping in front of the elevators. "Why? Because I'm not screaming at you?"

Shrinking back, "Yeah," Carlos squeaked out.

"My dad is not something I talk about and for good reason," she said. The guys listened intently, preparing for her to snap at any moment, aside from James. "This isn't something you guys are going to pry out of me where I breakdown crying, admitting everything I've been through. So, let me save all of us the energy:" she told them, "No, I have not seen my father since he was arrested. No, I will not tell you about it. No, I do not want you there tomorrow in court. And do not ever bring it up again."

Without raising her voice at all, the girl said her piece, terrifying the life out of her friends. Emily gave up on the elevator, turning, giving them a nod of "goodnight," and took to the stairs to get to the third floor.

The guys waited for the elevator in silence, unsure how to process how they were feeling.

"I wish she yelled at us," Carlos admitted.

"Me too," Kendall gasped, letting go of the breath he had been holding when she talked. Logan shook his head, piecing together what they heard.

"So, her dad was an addict who also sold drugs on the side? He gets arrested for that and robbery all while committing a bigger crime with that other guy and that's what she's testifying for?" Logan asked out loud inside the elevator.

James shook his head, leaning against the wall, "Gustavo sounded nervous," he observed. His friends nodded in agreement, getting out on their floor, leaving Kendall inside by himself. "You coming?"

Kendall shook his head, hitting the button for floor three, "I'm gonna go see Jo," he told them. The guys nodded, leaving Kendall in the elevator. Stepping out onto the third floor, Kendall took a deep breath walking down to Jo's door. He faced the other side, preparing to knock on the apartment door across from Jo's place, 3J.

A sharp cry stopped his fist. Kendall turned his head, putting his ear to the door, hearing a high pitched cry, followed by muffled sobs. Despite his heart breaking, the boy stepped back, knowing he'd be dead if he knocked on that door. He turned, running back to the second floor to the crib, considering their options.

***

Shriveled, weak, tired, gray... that's how Emily imagined her father looking after all these years. He'd sit there in an orange jumpsuit, probably dirty, and hopefully unrecognizable.

The entire morning Emily had been prepped numerous times by different people from all rankings about what would happen, how she needs to act, what to say, when to say it, etc... The lawyers went over all the outcomes depending on how she did on the stand and how the jury and judge would take each reaction she gave the court.

Entering the court, sounds were muffled and she solely focused on where she was walking, following the lawyer in to sit at the front bench behind the table. Hearing the gavel ring out, she stood for the judge, her heart beating at the thought of looking over and seeing her dad.

Muffled sounds flooded through her thoughts going unnoticed. It was just a few minutes. She could do this and never think about it again. Her eyes shot up feeling a pressure against her arm. All eyes were on her. She'd been called so soon and didn't even realize it.

Sitting behind the large wooden wall, incase in a box, the girl locked intense eye contact with the woman swearing her in. She stood, blocking all view from near objects and figures in the room, blocking her dad.

As Emily repeated her affirmation, four figures in the back of the room slipped in as observants, sitting in the back row, leaning forward to peak through the people sitting in front of them.

The ginger woman sitting there turned, hearing the commotion. "Oh, would you like us to move over?" She asked, seeing the boys peering around her.

"No, that's alright," Kendall whispered, begging her not to move, leaving them in the open in. The only thing worse than Emily finding out they were there, was finding out while on the stand.

"She looks fine," Carlos muttered. "Are you sure you heard crying last night?"

After his brief encounter with Emily's door the previous night, Kendall told all the guys what he heard and insisted they needed to be there in court for her whether she said so or not. The first on board was James. It didn't just kill him to know she was crying, but to know she was crying and had no one there to hold her...

The lawyer crossed up to the front, standing in front of Emily, nodding to the judge to continue with the trial. "Ms. Moore, can you confirm for the jury the man sitting there is indeed William Moore, your biological father?"

Emily bit down hard on her tongue as her burning eyes lifted up, making eye contact with the man being pointed out. He wore a suit and tie. No facial hair. His hair clean and brushed back with minimal gray hairs and some new wrinkles. A clean copy of the man she remembered.

He stared back at her with guilty eyes filled with tears, sitting up straight, looking away.

"Yes," Emily nodded.

"Ms. Moore," he started, "what was your educated like living with the defendant?"

"Homeschooled."

"Your father taught you?"

"I taught myself."

The lawyer hummed, crossing back and forth, "Can you explain what your father could have been doing instead of taking time to teach you?"

She took a deep breath, "He was either passed out, not home, or using."

The lawyer stepped back, gesturing helplessly to the jury, putting on a show. "Ms. Moore, can you tell the jury what life was like after you gave up and ran away the night your father was arrested?"

Emily turned, making staggered eye contact with members of the jury sitting along benches against the wall to the side, most staring at her with sympathy. "I slept where I could find sustainable shelter in alleys mostly, and salvaged what I could. I don't remember much."

"At any point during that time, did your father make an effort to get in contact with you or explain to the authorities he had a daughter left behind?"

"Not to my knowledge."

He scoffed, "What kind of a man commits petty crimes in his own home, neglects his child, then pretends she didn't exist when he's caught?" Turning back to Emily, "Ms. Moore, can you recall any violent outbursts in your home as a child?"

"Not towards me."

"But there was violence? Towards who?"

Recalling into the back of her memory, "Men I didn't recognize would show up every now and then, I would hide, and there would be shouting and fighting in our living room."

"Was a weapon of any kind every presented or used during those confrontations that you know of?"

"A gun was fired once, yes, but I don't know by who," Emily admitted.

In the back, the four boys intently watched and listened, hearing all the truths come out little by little, hurting inside at the new information and the clear absent emotion in her voice.

"A gun?" Carlos gasped, turning to his friends.

Walking through basic questions as she recounted her childhood experiences, Emily never once made eye contact with her father again. Her sight was reserved for the judge, jury, and lawyer. As he nodded, thanking the judge, assuring there were no further questions, a weight lifted off her chest as she prepared to jump off the stand and get out of that building.

"I have a few questions, your honor," another man said. Emily looked up, seeing the lawyer representing her father stand, asking to approach. If she was prepped for this, she definitely wasn't listening. Emily flashed her eyes for help towards the legal team she'd met with. They gave her a firm nod, saying it was allowed, and expected. "Ms. Moore, you said you ran away from home the night your father was arrested?"

"Yes," Emily confirmed.

"So, despite your father's situation, you could say he had no part in your decision to leave home?"

The girl sharply let go of the hold her teeth had on the inside of her lip. "No, sir, my father did not encourage me to sleep on the streets and fend for myself," Emily retorted, feeling a bit of her old self come back from pure annoyance and impatience.

A small chuckled came from members of the jury and court, including a surprised one from the man in front of her. Even a brief mutter of "that's my girl," was uttered in the back.

"Oh, quick witted," the lawyer observed. "I'll say, I feel I can speak for the room when I say how impressed I am with how you turned out considering your upbringing." Pacing back, Emily waited for a real question. "You're even a production assistant for a band aren't you?" He asked, exhibiting her accomplishments to the impressed members of the jury. "How did you get into that industry, may I ask?"

"Objection: relevance?" Her lawyer stood up.

"I have a point," the man assured the judge.

The judge stared down in thought. "Overruled. Make it quick, Patten."

Patten smiled graciously, turning back to Emily. "A music producer heard me messing around on an abandoned piano one day. Long story short, he provided food and shelter in return for assisted labor in the office."

Patten nodded, following along. "But that man wasn't your current employer Gustavo Rocque, correct? You're referring to a Mr. Hawk, yes?"

"Yes," Emily agreed, feeling uneasy with the personal questions she wasn't prepared to dive into on the record.

"You pressed charges against him recently, didn't you?"

"Uh, oh," Logan mumbled going white.

"What? What does that mean?" Kendall spat out, urgently looking to the smart one of his friends to explain how this wasn't good.

"I did," Emily nodded, looking down.

"Those charges were accusations of sexual and physical assault. Those are serious accusations," Patten gushed. Emily took deep breaths, holding her tongue despite the sick feeling in her stomach. "Did you father ever assault you the same way?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained."

Patten paced back, seemingly unsurprised or affected by the retraction of his question. "Does Hawk remind you of your father?"

"No," Emily answered, unsure of where this road of questions was going.

Patten nodded in thought, "Then is it safe to assume your father, in your eyes, is a better man than your former employer?"

"To some degree, yes," Emily admitted, her head beginning to pound.

He nodded, turning to the room, "The point I'm making your honor is Ms. Moore's testimony only benefits the defendant considering her lack of good judgement." Emily's jaw slowly fell, looking to the other side for assistance to shut the man up. "She tells us how her father, who she left, is still a better man than the one who she ran off to, the man who assaulted her. She chose that man over her own father. What does that say about her character? Her judgement? The integrity behind her testimony? Can her struggles and hardships truly be blamed on Mr. Moore, or has this girl brought it upon herself when she chose to run away and leave a good father?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained!"

"I'm going to kill him," James deciding, pushing himself out. Kendall and Carlos, gripped his shoulders, pushing him back down as the judge banged on the gavel, the jury gasping at his harsh words, the lawyer shouted at the man Patten... all while Emily was silently led off the stand out the side door, while her father tried to apologize through the chatter.

A recess was taken following the outburst. Not only did the judge and the lawyer Emily had been conversing with snap at Patten for irrelevant and cheap shots, but so did her father. Emily's testimony was wiped from the trial, officially making the whole experience a waste of her time.

The legal team profusely apologized and thanked her for all her corporation and assured her over and over the judge threw out the testimony. Explanations as to why that man attacked her as a shot to defend her father went through one ear and out the other. "It's easier to blame you," "It's unprofessional, bad practice," "it makes your word look unreliable."

She nodded through it all, keeping the tears in until she was behind the secure closed door of her room. The lawyer led her out into the halls, escorting her to the car, continuing to apologize.

Around the corner, Big Time Rush stood in a circle, pacing alongside the outside of the courtroom, waiting for something to happen, or for their friend to show up again. Despite his friends insisting it's better that they pretend they weren't here and leave, James refused to walk out without making sure Emily was okay.

"James, it was obviously a lot worse than we expected–" Logan tried to reason.

"That's why we need to stay!"

Carlos gasped, nudging his friends, pointing to the opposite side of the room, "Guys, there's her dad."

The boys watched as the man identified as Emily's father paced outside with an officer standing by, the man tugging at his tie out of stress.

"Oh, no," Kendall muttered. He pointed to the hallway besides the wall her father was leaning against, spotting Emily being led out that way.

"Emily!" A gasp rang out. Emily looked over to see her own father by her side, pleading with her. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry for everything–"

"You're not allowed to talk to me," Emily gasped, tears forming too quickly in her eyes for her to push them away. "The case is ongoing, you can't–"

"–I wish I could do it all again–"

His apologies were shouted as the lawyer calmly told him this was not allowed, and the officer intervened, forcing her father down the hallway she came from, quickly putting out their interaction.

Emily held onto shaky breaths, holding her chest out of fear if she breathed the tears would fall. Unheard words by the lawyer were spoken. She looked away, turning from the man. Emily took a few steps forward to have a moment in her own space when her burning, glossy eyes locked on four recognizable boys.

Seeing they were caught, the boys froze, desperately watching their friend fight back tears after all she endured. They refrained from approaching her or apologizing or running away, fearful she would really kill them this time.

Emily took a step forward towards them, tears falling one after the other as she silently got closer to them. The closer she got, the more her shoulders fell, and more tears escaped. The girl walked straight into them, colliding her body into James, who instantly had his arms around her, holding her close into his chest as her frame shook. Her friends stayed quiet, crushed as they were forced to watch her in the state.

James tightly enclosed his arms around his girlfriend, failing to ignoring the pain in his chest every time he heard her cry. People stared as they passed by, especially those who were in the court room and saw what led up to this breakdown.

"Ms. Moore," the lawyer called. The girl choked on a sob, pushing away from James revealing her bloodshot eyes. Logan put a hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her back into James as she began pulling away.

"I got it," he softly said. Logan walked over, introducing himself to the man for his friend. Emily sniffled, her breathing shaky. She nervously looked over to Carlos and Kendall who brokenly watched her.

"Thanks for being here," she said, stepping out of James' circle, putting her arms around Kendall and Carlos. The two boys returned her embrace, exchanging surprised glances at her vulnerability and lack of shouting.

"Hey," Logan said, walking back over, timid. Emily let go of the boys, looking over her shoulder. "Um, he says the judge is allowing a brief, supervised conversation between you and your dad, if that's something you want."

A bitter, upset laugh came from Emily. She took a deep breath, brushing the stray hairs out of her face. Just seeing her dad, much less hearing his voice, already sent her spiraling. If she actually had a back and forth discussion with him... he'd apologize, she'd sit quietly, he might ask about her life, she'd give answers he already knew. What was the point? But if she didn't, would she regret it?

She shook her head, so small you almost wouldn't know she moved at all. "No," Emily mumbled.

Logan sighed, giving her a hopeful shrug, "Then you're done. Can we take you home?" The girl nodded, firmly, holding her arms around herself. Logan nodded, looking behind her at the guys, turning to lead them out.

James wrapped his arm around her shoulders, walking her out, neither of them saying another word.

***

"Can you stay?"

Emily asked James after arriving back in her apartment. Logan, Carlos, and Kendall waited back at the crib for James to text them or walk through the door. James nodded at her, "Yeah."

Emily closed herself in her room, stripping off the muted, expensive clothing she'd been trapped in all morning. She tugged the clips out of her hair, stepped into her sweatpants, tugged a t-shirt over her head and didn't waste a second to step back into her living room. James sat, waiting for her as promised, on the couch. Emily hesitantly walked over to him. Seeing his soft expression and not annoyed as he was the day before, the girl let herself crumble beside him on the couch.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Emily muttered.

"I'm sorry you went through that," James told her. Emily stiffly sat beside him, nodding down. "We don't have to talk about it."

She finally turned to meet his eyes, "Thank you," she cried, falling into his shoulder. His arm looped over her, holding her close, tracing up and down her arm.

Within minutes, Emily was fast asleep. James sat there, texting with a single hand, telling the guys a floor below him he wouldn't be back for a while. Kendall responded telling James to ease her onto a pillow instead, leave a note, and get back as soon as possible. He had an idea.

Just shy of two hours later, Emily finally woke up. A soothing loop of music played from her phone waking her up. On top of her phone was a tiny note from James, saying he set an alarm so she wouldn't sleep for too long. She hated doing that. Emily stared up at her ceiling, fiddling with her thoughts before she remembered there was a person in her apartment before she passed out who wasn't anymore.

Emily sat up, rubbing her swollen eyes. Reaching for her phone, a small encouraging message from James popped up, sent not long after she assumed she fell asleep. There was a second message from Kelly, apologizing, but insisting she get to the studio within an hour.

A sigh escaped her lips. The only thing she felt she could expect was some intervention. By now the boys had more than enough time to spread the word to Gustavo and Kelly, who no doubt filled in the gaps of information they picked up over the two days solely from eavesdropping.

Mentally drained, the girl got herself up. She rinsed her face with cool water, cleaning the melted makeup off her face, leaving nothing but dried eyes. She slipped on her shoes, grabbed her eyes, and mindlessly left for whatever confrontation was waiting for her.

***

Walking into the studio, in the long hallway from the elevator stood Gustavo and Kelly, alone.

"What's the emergency?" Emily asked, cutting right to the point.

"BTR's new song," Gustavo told her. "We want you to hear it."

Her eyes twitched in confusion, carefully watching the two for the signature tells of lying. "You want me to hear a song?"

Kelly nodded, a smile on her face, slightly excited. She motioned for Emily to follow her into the lobby, where a speaker sat. Receiving a small nod, Kelly pressed the play button.

"Bet you didn't notice," Kendall's voice sang from the speakers, soft, following a gentle guitar melody. "First time your heart was broken you called me up and we talked till the morning." Emily listened, giving unconvincing nods as the song went on. "And the time that you were stranded, I was there before you landed. He was a no show, I made sure you got home."

"I've been right there for every minute. This time, it's no different. Whatever happens you should know," Logan sang. Emily ran a hand through her hair, contemplating what was really going on. There wasn't a new song. Gustavo mentioned nothing.

The beat picked up, a loud chorus of the guys voices crying out, "'Cause you're not alone, girl. Look over your shoulder. You don't have to wonder 'cause you know, you know, you know," Emily sighed, tilting her head towards Kelly.

"It's good. Is that all?" She asked. Kelly scrunched her face, shushing her as she talked over the music.

"All the days that you were stressed out. Feeling like pulling your hair out. They were all missing, but I was here listening," Kendall's voice sang again. "You gotta believe in me even if you can't see me there. I'll catch you when you fall."

"'Cause I'll be right there for every minute. This time, it's no different. Whatever happens you should know," James sang out, leading Emily back into the chorus she heard once before.

"If something else is happening, which there obviously is, can we skip all this?" Emily stated, turning around to face Gustavo and Kelly, who weren't there anymore. "Guys? Really?"

A brief screeched rang out from the overhead speakers through the studio, the music playing brighter now. This time, as Carlos sang, Emily threw her arms down in defeat, looking for a single human to tell her what all the dramatics were for.

"Kelly, I'm not in the mood for games!" Emily called, her voice echoing. "Kelly!"

The door to the studio booth burst open, Kelly popping her head out, shushing her again, "Just go in there," Kelly demanded, pointing to the large doors into the main studio space. Unsure, Emily raised her eyebrows at Kelly, who only pointed harshly for her to go.

"As long as I am breathing you won't have to worry no more," Carlos sang. Emily opened the door, stepping in to see all four guys standing there, softly smiling as they held microphones. She froze in the doorway, nervously watching them.

"You're not alone, girl. Look over your shoulder. You don't have to wonder 'cause you know. You know," Kendall sang alone, a quiet humming from the music before the bass picked up again, the guys giving her waves of their hands to let go of the door and get in the room.

"You're not alone, girl. Look over your shoulder. You don't have to wonder 'cause you know. You know, you know," they sang, Carlos holding out a hand, leading her into the middle of the room. Her eyes softened, stinging with tears.

"You're not alone, girl. I'll be there to hold you. I'll stay till it's over," they continued. She stopped in front of them, watching her friends sing to her, a song do doubt they whipped up. Her head fell forward, falling into her hand her chin rested on. "That you're not alone. That you're not alone. You're not alone."

The guys let the microphones fall as the music carried out. "Before you tell us how ridiculous and sappy all this is," Kendall warned her, "we realized sneaking around wasn't a great way to show you that we're in this with you."

"We're really sorry about everything that's happened," Carlos told her.

"But we all love you and we're here," Logan assured her.

James shrugged, pulling out a small cup of coffee, "And I thought you could use this," he said, seeing her tired eyes perk up.

Emily stiffed a short laugh, "You're all so excessive," she told them. The guys shrugged at each other, unable to disagree with her. "Thank you," she told them, wrapping her arms around Logan, then Kendall, then Carlos.

She merrily accepted her small coffee from James, who hung his arm over her shoulders loosely. Kendall hopped back and forth, having something on his chest.

"Okay," he blurted out. "I know we shouldn't talk about it, but can we please recognize that Emily taught herself everything." The girl choked sipping her coffee, surprised at Kendall.

Emily shrugged, giving a knowingly side eye to Logan as she turned to Kendall, "I probably don't even need med school. They'd have me go straight to surgery."

Logan mockingly laughed along with everyone, "Haha. Funny, yeah, that's a good one."

"Logan, how does it feel to be stupid?" Carlos teased.

"You would know," Logan fired back, swatting his hand towards Carlos. The two proceeded to break out into a mini fight, calling each other stupid back and forth.

Speaking up, "Can we get ice cream?" Emily asked.

Kendall nodded, pointing at the idea, "That is a great idea," he smirked, him and Emily leading the way out, walking past a fighting Logan and Carlos. "Guys."

"Hey, guys?" Emily tried.

"Hey, ice cream! You in?" James called. The two froze, Carlos slapping his helmet as he bounced with energy.

"Yes!" Carlos cheered.

Logan sluggishly got up, chasing after his friends. "Who's buying?" Emily asked, turning to them as she walked down the studio hallway. The boys slowed down, gaping at each other, waiting for someone to offer. "I just saw my criminal father for the first time in six years and I have to pay for myself?"

"James," Logan blurted out, nodding to the boyfriend.

James shook his head, "I spent all my money on the cab fair to the courthouse," he told them, looking for one of the other guys to pay for her.

"That you snuck into," Emily commented, giving them a knowingly nod.

Kendall hummed. "I really thought we didn't have to worry about that." He quickly turned to Logan, already knowing Carlos only carried money from board games. "Logan, you're always saving."

The boy rolled his eyes, "I thought I was stupid," he reminded them, still annoyed by their comments.

Emily heavily rolled her eyes, turning to Logan, "Will you pay for me if I tell you when I took my first placement test for the School of Rocque I placed into second grade at 15 years old?"

Logan let out a triumphant laugh of shock, "Of course, I will," he nodded, pleased with his returned title of the smart one in the group.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Emily turned her head, seeing the other guys giving her a silent questioning look to confirm if that was actually true. She whipped her head around to see Logan was skipping down the hall before whispering the truth.

"I aced the test but minor details."

***

OKay............

So I know a few people expected this to be a chapter on the bloopers episode, but I have go rogue and composed a 100% original chapter.

This took several days and hours and long periods of backspacing and I just really hope you like it and share all your thoughts and feelings in the comments.

This entire chapter was essentially inspired by You're Not Alone bc such an underrated BTR song and it wasn't in the tv show so I used it.

See you in the next season...