"I'm sorry, you have to deal with me." Lara whispered from her spot inbetween Travis and Vic, they were either side of the blonde, hugging. 

"It's okay, you're our friend. We'll always be here for you, you call me if you need me, even if it's at 3am in the morning." He replied smiling and squeezing Lara a little bit tighter out of support. 

"Vic, I lied to you. I'm a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault from the hands of my husband. That's why I left Texas, moved to Chicago to get away, he found me, almost killed me for telling my family and then I moved here. He got away with it, no warning, no record, nothing. I'm too scared to actually speak out about what he did to me, you and Travis are the first people outside of my family that I've admitted this to." Lara rushed her words together, all in one breath, Vic just sat there staring at her new friend.

"It's okay, I uh- I get why you lied. You didn't want to seem weak or feel threatened again, so you lied for a sense of security. Just talk to me next time, like Trav said, call me any time, day or night. I'll be there." Vic told the blonde, squeezing her hand tightly and wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a side hug.

"I need to tell them, the team, or they'll keep asking questions." Lara whispered, realizing she couldn't keep running away from her past that she needed to embrace it to move on and get any form of closure. 

"What are your siblings called?" Travis asked her trying to distract her mind from everything else that was going on in her life.

"My oldest sibling is Chase, he's 28, my sister Niko, Is 28, they're twins, my sister Shay is 27 and my sister Asher is 26 and I'm 25. The youngest child." Lara explained, her friends could see she was exhausted, her eyelids drooped and she stifled a yawn, trying to stay awake.

"It's okay, go to sleep, we'll be here when you wake up." Vic promised as she ran her hand through Lara's hair to send her to sleep.

Sleep welcomed the twenty five year old, opening its warm arms as she embraced it, shutting her heavy eyes. But the joy was short-lived, she had a dream that turned into a nightmare about Cameron, he was back, he had found her and he wasn't happy about it. The dream felt so real to her, as if he was right there, that she could feel his breath on her neck as he sliced the knife across her stomach.

 I got changed into my clothes to go home as shift was about to end when I felt their eyes on my stomach.

"Oh yeah..." I sighed trying to laugh. "About that..." I tried to start but I couldn't, their features contorted with rage and anger something I hadn't seen in Travis before. "I will kill this fucking bitch." Vic declared hugging me. "I... I was pregnant with our son, I was going to name him Luke Jay Dean, but I had been out with Cameron when he said I was flirting. He hit me." I cried.

"We got home and he grabbed a knife and sliced it across my shoulders, back and stomach, I was rushed into hospital and delivered my baby boy at 26 weeks, he died on arrival. It was his fault but he blamed me. Saying that I couldn't keep him safe inside of me, where I'm meant to protect him." I broke down sobbing as Travis pulled me into his arms again.

Pulling my shirt and hoodie on, We walked out and I got into my car and drove home after saying goodbye to everyone. I saw someone standing on my doorstep and then they ran away, leaving a note saying. 'You can run but you can't hide.' I gasped and ran inside, locking the door and shutting all the windows. 

I felt an attack coming on, I thought to ring Travis, don't bother him, you pathetic cow, picking up my phone I clicked his contact. He picked up on the first ring, "Lara? What's wrong?" He asked sounding concerned, I panted "S-someone was on my doorstep, he d-dropped a n-note, I c-can't breathe, I'm s-sorry." I cried into the phone.

"We're on our way, me and Vic, okay stay inside with the doors locked, we'll knock okay, breathe, deep breathes." He told me hanging up. I coughed, and heard laughter and banging on my door, I screamed, crying my eyes out. "Lara! It's me Trav and Vic. It's just stupid kids banging on your door, they're gone now, come out." Travis called.

I opened the door sat on the floor sobbing and they ran in shutting it behind them, I showed them the note and they tried to comfort me, saying he couldn't have found me. "I think you should tell the station, they'll be there for you. Just like us." Vic told me and I nodded, "Next shift." I told them, I dreaded sitting in the beanery with them all looking at me.

"They'll think I'm damaged goods." I cried as they comforted me. "No, they'll think that you're strong." Vic told me. "I haven't left him yet, he'll track me down if I file for divorce. He'll kill me." I sobbed, the breaths catching in my lungs. I coughed and sobbed. "We'll protect you, we love you." Travis whispered as I fell to sleep in his arms as Vic held me close.

I woke up hours later on the couch with my head in Vic's lap and Travis somewhere in the kitchen. "Hey, you okay? We didn't want to leave you alone. We may have raided your fridge, you okay?" Vic asked me and I nodded. "How long was I asleep?" I questioned, "A few hours, hows your head?" She asked me and I smiled. " A bit better."