© Copyright 2012
All work is property of Leah Crichton, any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal.

AN: Wanted to say thank you to everyone for the votes and the comments. I'm having a hard time these days finding time to write let alone repsond to all comments but please know that I read each and every one and love to get them. Hope you all have a great week.

Alexa’s hands shook so badly, steadying her finger enough to push the redial button on her phone required immense effort. She’d been trying to get through to him for the last five minutes.

Lindy paced back and forth, adding to the frantic energy which already clung in the air. “Hurry up!”

Alexa had neither time nor patience to be bossed around. “What do you think I’m doing?”

“Obviously nothing,” Lindy waved her hand. “So do nothing faster!”

“Shut up and let me think for half a second.” Who else should she call? Gabby popped into her mind but that was not a good idea. She'd freak out about Alexa's little outing and probably drag Sadie back kicking and screaming or drugged into oblivion.

Her eyes fluttered to Sadie. She was crouched in the corner of the cafe. Her hands covered her ears the same way she'd been with the rainstorm and she mumbled incoherent rants about the poor counter guy, whom she was utterly convinced was going to try to kill her.

It all happened so fast. One minute they were ordering their sandwiches, the next Sadie exploded into a screaming fit when the man at the counter pulled out a knife with a large, serrated blade to cut a baguette. Her shrieking shocked him so badly, he dropped the knife and threw his hands up as if he was being robbed.

Sadie shook and began uttering words that made no sense, despite both Alexa and Lindy’s efforts to convince her everything was fine.

C’mon Sawyer, she thought, pick up the damned phone!

It felt like time had stopped. As the phone continued to ring on her umpteenth attempt to reach Sawyer, he answered the phone with a nasty, “What?”

She didn't have time to over-think why he was in such a bad mood. Her words tumbled out without a breath in between. “I know you’re at band practice and I’m sorry but you have to come. It’s Sadie.”

The venom in his voice faded, “What about Sadie?”

Alexa sucked in a breath. “I made a big mistake.”

“She locked herself in her closet again?” Sawyer guessed.

Oh but this was so much worse. Alexa shook her head, knowing Sawyer couldn't see her. “No. We aren’t at Paper Planes.”

“What? Where are you?”

“At ‘A Real Slice’, you know that deli on the corner of ninth and sixth?”

“You took Sadie out of Paper Planes?”

“I wasn’t thinking right,” Alexa admitted. “I’m sorry. I messed up.” She fought tears that stung her eyes. “Oh Sawyer, I'm so sorry.”

It was difficult to determine if he was more pissed off or worried. “Don’t take your eyes off my sister. I’m on my way.”

The end of the line went dead.

Alexa pocketed her phone and crouched in front of Sadie, remembering to keep a safe distance. Sawyer was the only one permitted in Sadie’s safe zone. To invade that space as an uninvited guest would only make things worse.

“Is he coming?” Lindy asked.

“Yes,” Alexa nodded. “Sadie,” she said.

Sadie didn’t hear her. She was sure of it. Her eyes were directed to the ceiling and to the left like she was looking at something. A dark shadow, or the monsters she was convinced lived outside the walls of her bedroom.

“Sadie,” Alexa tried again, this time more firmly. “Sawyer is coming, okay?”

Once again, Sadie failed to acknowledge that Alexa was even speaking.

“Miss,” said the voice of the counter guy, the man at which Sadie’s initial outburst had been directed at. “I am going to call 9-1-1.”

Alexa held her hand out, palm forward. “No,” she pleaded. “Please don’t.”

“Miss, this is creating a scene and making guests uncomfortable."

She'd never in her life felt so inclined to hit someone. "Making guests uncomfortable! what about her?” she nodded to where Sadie sat, “how do you think she feels?"

The clerk wasn't sure how to respond. Alexa felt bad. Guy probably didn't make much more than minimum wage and she was bitching him out. She softened. "Listen, we'll be gone soon. Please don't call.”

He too, seemed to soften from his initial stance, "Can I get her a water?"

Alexa shook her head, "I don't think it will help, really. But thank you," she added. Her eyes moved from the window to the door, to where Sadie was in a painful cycle that she kept repeating. Oh Sawyer, where are you?

Sawyer stormed back inside the studio, grabbing Sebastian. "I need you," he said.

Seb pulled away, "you just told me to fuck off, not once, but twice and now you need me."

Yup. Figures he'd bring that shit up. "I can't explain right now, please," Sawyer uncharacteristically begged, "It's an emergency."

"Everything okay?" Lane asked.

Screw him. Sawyer pointed a finger rather than make another fist. "If by everything, you mean you and I then no, it's not okay. If you mean everything else, it isn't okay either."

"Ouch," Robbie said, "harsh."

“Shut up!” Sawyer fired. “I'm fixin' to hurt someone. Stay off that list.”

Sawyer turned his attention back to Sebastian. "Please," he asked again trying to keep it together, "I need your help."

Sebastian's resolve to stay angry diminished, "okay." He turned to Robbie and Lane. "Meet back here in the morning. We'll have to work twice as hard to be ready for the show." It wasn't a question but an order.

Sawyer marched in front of Sebastian. "We need to take your car."

"Where exactly are we taking my car?"

"A Little Slice, that deli downtown."

Sebastian stopped walking, the keys dangling on his fingertip. "Why exactly are we going to A Little Slice?"

Sawyer debated giving the answer because I said do but decided against it. "Get in the car, please, I'll explain on the way there."

Seb eyed him quizzically, before pushing the button in the key fob and sliding in to the drivers seat.

Sawyer took a moment to collect himself, trying to catch a single thought as they all raced through his mind at the same time. None of this was a good idea. Least of all sending Sebastian into this kind of situation blind but he needed someone for back up and Lane was out of the question.

He was normally cool and collected during emergencies, but Lane's crap had thrown him off and he couldn't seem to control his damned mind.

Sebastian drove. “What is so important that I had to miss the rehearsal you stormed out of 'cause you're a prick?”

Sawyer wanted to rip him a new one but circumstances being what they were, he found himself at Sebastian's mercy. A situation he swore would be limited to a one time only deal.

“I don't talk about my past much,” Sawyer said.

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied.

“But there's somethin' I probably should have told you guys a while ago.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Okay. Go. Spill it.”

“Well there isn't really any way to say it other than to just say it. I have a sister.”

Sebastian lost focus on the road for a moment and the car swerved. “You what?”

The secret was out so no need to sugar coat anything. “I have a baby sister,” Sawyer said. “Same age as Dev. She's a paranoid schizophrenic,” he said. “She's a real fuckin' handful, yeah, that's why I've never said anything before.”

“Okay, well so are you so it seems a bit asinine that you wouldn't say anything.”

“I didn't ask for your unprofessional opinion.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Where is your sister?”

“Here. Currently at A Real Slice.”

“She lives here?”

“She lives at Paper Planes.”

“Of course she does, this keeps getting better and better. Are you kidding me?”

“Nope,” Sawyer said.

“What's her name?”

“Sadie.”

“Why is this an emergency?”

“Because Alexa took her out in public.”

“She can't go out in public?”

“Not easily. I need you for back up.”

Sebastian turned the car onto the street where the deli was, quickly maneuvering it into a parking stall. “Why me?”

“'Cause I can't ask Lane and Sadie kind of has a thing for you.”

“A thing?”

Sawyer shrugged his shoulders. “You know a fangirl thing. Figure if anyone was going to be able to bring her back down to earth, you might have a fighting chance.”

“I don't know anything about schizophrenia.”

“Not much to it,” Sawyer said. “You just need to know that her brain don't work like yours does. She thinks people are out to get her. Needs constant reassurance. Oh, and don't touch her, she'll flip.”

Sebastian nodded. “You're kind of freaking me out.”

“Which is why I didn't tell you,” Sawyer said. “People are afraid of what they don't know.”

Seb grimaced. “I can't believe you didn't ever say you had a sister.”

“Believe it. I didn't. Please just help me.”

“I still don't know what you want me to do.”

“Your thing man, do your thing. Be the guy she hopes you are, like all those other little girlies that dream about you.”

“I'll do my best,” Sebastian said.

Sawyer was already out the door. “That's all I can ask for.”

Alexa looked beyond relieved to see him. She rushed him as soon as he got to the door. “I'm so sorry.”

He couldn't be bothered to talk to her about it, even though she had nothing to be sorry for. She didn't plan the outing with malicious intent. She was just trying to do something nice for his sister. He'd worry about it later.

He approached Sadie and gave her the warmest smile he could muster. She didn't look half as bad as he expected, Alexa had made it sound like the world was coming down around her... like the night of the rainstorm. He'd definitely seen her worse. It appeared Sadie was just having a moment, now he wondered if he should have brought Sebastian in the first place. “What's up M and M?”

The bell to the deli rang, probably Seb following behind him.

“That guy's trying to kill me,” Sadie replied, nodding to an innocent looking man wearing a golf shirt.

“I don't think so,” Sawyer said. “I think he was tryin' to make you a sandwich.”

“You don't know anything.”

Sawyer wrapped his fingers around Sadie's wrists, pulling them down from the side of her head. “He isn't gonna hurt you,” he said. “I won't let him.”

“He had a knife. They said he was going to kill me.”

They were the voices. “They're lying bastards,” Sawyer tried to reason. “You should know that by now. Come with me M and M, I'll take you home.”

“What if he tries something?”

Sawyer winked. “It's okay. I'm a ninja.”

“You have a t-shirt that says that, doesn't make it true.”

“Trust me,” he said. “It's true.”

Sadie laughed.

That was a good sign. He'd been expecting far more of a challenge in diffusing the situation but to his surprise, she nodded and held her hand out for him to help her up. Just like that.

Thank God.

“You alright?”

“I don't think I'll ever be alright but you're a good brother.”

He wanted to keep her in a good mood. “All the girls tell me that. I'm about to be an even better brother,” Sawyer stepped to the side, making sure Sebastian was in Sadie's full view. “I promised you I'd have him with me when I saw you next.”

Sadie's entire demeanor changed. She stood taller and smoothed her hands over her hair. It was a miracle really to see her switch so fast. “Do I look okay?”

“You're gorgeous, M and M. If you doubt what I say, look at me and marvel at the only awesome thing we got from our parents. Beauty.”

Sebastian took a casual step forward but before he could reach her Sadie vaulted across the cafe and threw her arms around his neck.

Sawyer blinked. He'd never in his entire life seen Sadie touch another human being except for him. Despite the episode that brought Sebastian to Sadie, this had to be some kind of progress. It had to be. One, they were in public and she wasn't totally manic, two, she'd actually touched someone.

Sebastian was stunned and looked to Sawyer for help no doubt because less than five minutes ago, he'd just warned Seb not to lay a hand on her.

The look on Sawyer's face must have been something else. A cross between amazement, awe, and a particular brand of desperation and in one single moment, Seb seemed to understand.

His front man smile plastered across his face as he circled his arms around her. “Hi Sadie,” he said.

What happened next made Sawyer's throat constrict and his eyes burn. He'd never seen Sadie smile like that. As if all the crap she'd been through, everything she knew she faced in the future, would all be okay now that she'd met him. Sawyer would never understand it.

“You are amazing,” she proclaimed.

Sebastian grinned impishly. He'd had a great deal of practice getting accustomed to surreal amounts of adoration. Sawyer found himself giving thanks that his sister loved Seabass and not Robbie. He wasn't sure if Robbie would handle it as well as Seb. “Thanks,” he said. “You've been a fan for a while?”

“Since the first time I heard you.”

Sawyer continued to stare. “Holy crap.”

It wasn't until her response that he realized Alexa was beside him. “I didn't see that coming. It was really bad when I called, I swear.”

“Can that happen? I mean to go from a break with reality to,” he nodded to Sadie and Seb were, “well, that?”

Alexa grabbed his hand. “I don't know. I mean I suppose just as she might have triggers to cause a break, she may have triggers to snap...whatever...back into the place. It's better to ask my aunt.”

Sawyer shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah,” he said. “I'll have to do that.”