Noah parks the car in Sophia's driveway and gets out immediately. It is beginning to get dark and he should really be heading home soon. They both have school tomorrow.

Sophia on the other hand, is reluctant to get out of the car when she see a strange car parked in her driveway. She knows that car should not be there.

She gets out of the car when she sees her little brother dragging his bag of toys towards the front door.

"Bobby!" She shouts, hoping to stop him from going inside.

Noah follows the little boy. Sophia runs to the porch and stops Noah before he can go inside with the boy.

"Bobby no!" Sophia shouts, reaching for her brother. But it is too late. Bobby is already inside with the owner of the strange car.

Noah immediately turns defensive. He wants to protect Sophia and Bobby from whatever it is she is so terrified of. "No! You can't come inside. Please." Sophia pushes Noah back to his car. "Please." She fights tears in her eyes as she tries to get rid of Noah.

"What is happening Sophia?" Noah asks. He is worried. He has no idea what is going on.

"I just- you need to go. Please." She continues pushing him away. Both of their heads turn when a loud bang can be heard from inside the house. "Please." Sophia begs him as she runs inside.

Noah stands by his car, torn between listening to Sophia and listening to his morals. He knows he should go inside and help her but that is the exact opposite of what she wants.

He decides to compromise. He will stand out here until she texts him or comes outside to say that everything is okay. He won't leave just in case she needs him.

Sophia stands in the kitchen, staring at the broken pile of dishes on the floor. Her mother dropped them earlier when she turned around and saw the intruder of her home.

Sophia turns to see him, holding Bobby in his arms like a baby. It makes her sick to her stomach to see it. The man smiles and walks to Sophia, planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Hi princess."

Sophia bites her lower lip to refrain from bursting out into tears. She grabs Bobby from the man and holds him close to her to shield him from the man.

"Your mom stopped by a friend's house for the night. She didn't want to be here for the reunion apparently." The man explains the absence of Sophia's mom.

"I can't imagine why." Sophia mumbles under her breath as she carries Bobby towards the stairs to get him settled for bed. Sophia is deeply disturbed by this whole situation.

"Hey now, is that any way to talk to your father?" He asks with a smile. Sophia glares over the railing at him as she walks up the stairs with her little brother in her arms.

She sets him down in his bed and smiles, trying to mask the fear radiating through her body. She presses the lock on his door knob, preparing to lock him inside for the night. He isn't safe as long as their father is out of jail.

"You don't open this for anyone except me, okay?" Sophia asks, making sure he remembers how this works. Bobby nods. He remembers this from the last time. "You remember how to open it right? You just turn it in the morning when I say so." She continues. Bobby nods again.

Sophia is probably being way too protective but she knows this way, Bobby can't get hurt again. She is just protecting him from what happened last time. She doesn't want anything like that to happen to him again.

"Okay," she smiles. "Goodnight Bob." She pulls the door closed behind her, hearing the lock click. She knows he is safe in there until the morning comes.

Sophia turns around and gasps, slamming against the door as her father stands inches from her face, watching her. "Why did you lock him in?" He asks, a slight smirk forming on his face.

"You know why." Sophia pushes past him to get into her room. She plans on calling the police in the morning and getting this whole situation taken care of. She is almost positive that her mom ordered a restraining order against him.

She locks her door, just in case he tries anything. Sophia doesn't trust him. She wishes she could. He can say that he is better or healed but Sophia will never believe him.

Once a monster, always a monster.

She sits down in her bed and takes a deep breath to reflect on everything that just happened. She feels bad for how she treated Noah. He didn't know what was going on. She knows she shouldn't have been so hard on him.

Sophia:
I'm really sorry for shoving you. I just get really emotional about this whole situation.

Within the minute, Noah replies. He is still sitting in her driveway, waiting for her to tell him that she is okay.

Noah:
Are you okay?
What situation?

Sophia:
My dad is out of jail. He's on bail I guess.

Typing the words and actually seeing her dad in her house makes it even more real than just seeing a text from her mom. She didn't believe it until she saw him. She didn't realize what is happening until she said it.

Noah:
Are you guys okay? I'm worried. Do you need help? A place to stay???
I'll sit outside your room all night if you want me to.

Sophia laughs through the tears she didn't even know she was crying. She replies, telling him that he doesn't need to do that because she is locked inside her room and Bobby is safe too. She thanks him for the offer and turns her light off to go to sleep.

Noah sees a light shut off upstairs and he adjusts his position on the seat of his car. He knows she just said she doesn't need him but he has this sinking feeling that she does.

He is going to sit here, parked in her driveway, all night until he is positive that she is safe.

AN: thoughts? As promised, things will keep getting more and more intense as this story progresses!!