Aphmau's POV

*Play Song*

"I WILL LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT!" I exclaim, throwing my arms in the air to dramatize my point.

"Haha.....no you won't, plus it's fun...." Aaron chuckles, paying at the cash register.

"Actually, Aaron yes she will.....she will look like America's Next Top Idiot, well at least second to Travis over here...." Katelyn remarks, shoving her thumb in the direction of Travis.

"Touché" He responds nonchalantly, clicking on his ice skates.

This was their idea of relaxing!?

Ice skating!?

"I've never skated before Aaron...WHAT IF I FALL!?" I grasp my hair tight with my fingers.

"The point is that you will fall, everyone will fall, even Zane......" Travis informs.

"Hey! Who said I was gonna fall?!" Zane defends, crossing his arms shooting the ice stricken boy a menacing look, although he wasn't looking so tough in bright pink ice skates.

"Well, you aren't exactly "graceful" per say......" I say, a cheeky smile tugging at my lips.

"Hey!"

Everyone breaks out laughing, the warm feeling filling the cold locker room of the ice skating rink.

It's been a while since we've laughed this much together.....

Especially for Aaron and I....

We step onto the ice, the couples spreading out throughout the ice-covered floor.

Lucinda and Laurence were smoothly skating, holding hands.

Garroth slipped when he got only a few inches onto the ice, almost bringing Cadenza down with him.

Zane clung to the side of the ice skating rink for dear life, Kawaii-chan moving slowly behind him.

Travis and Katelyn engaged in a never-ending battle to try and push each other down.....Katelyn winning every single time.....

Then it was Aaron and I's turn.......

He went on first, looking back expectantly.

I was a bit reluctant, looking deep into the man-made ice before me that had the glint of this-is-very-slippery-don't-step-on-me.

I study the ice, looking down until I see the tips of familiar fingers at the edge of my vision.

Aaron holds his hand out to me, gesturing for me to take it.

I reach out my hand, accepting his just as something unexpected happened.

He thrusts me out onto the ice, my skates skidding across the cool surface.

"AAAAHH" I scream fearfully, doing everything humanly to not fall, but Aaron acts as a lifeguard last minute, chuckling at my actions.

"You potato......."

I can't help but giggle too, feeling safe pressed against his body.

Then we skate, Aaron holding my hand as I, more shuffle then skate, slowly starting to get the hang of it.

"I'm doing it!....Oh my irene, I'm doing it!" I exclaim, a wide smile growing on my face.

"Yes you are Aph.....you're doing amazing...." He smiles back, letting go of my arms.

"Wait....wait no don't let me go! I'm not ready!"

"Yes you are, just try skating......just like you just practiced....."

"No....." I cross my arms, putting on my signature stingy face.

He laughs blissfully, grabbing me by the waist.

"Fine then....you leave me no choice...." He chuckles, smiling.

I freeze, my smile melting into a frown, my eyes widening with fright as my mind is sent back to the memories.

What......did he just say....

"Fine then.....you leave me no choice....."

"Aph? Are you okay?" Aaron asks, concerned about my current expression.

"Stay away.....stop...." I silently whisper, my whole body reliving my horrific mid-life crisis.

My breaths were now short and ghost-like, a pounding feeling residing in my gut.

I grasp my abdomen, protecting it against him.

"Aph...."

"Stay back!" I suddenly shout, pushing him off me.

Everyone looks at us, well not everyone in the rink, but the gang did look at us, worried.

"Aph.....look at me, hey...." Aaron hooks my chin, making me look at him.

"I'm here.....you're okay, you're safe..." He reassures, his eyes warm and caring, bringing me back to the present.

I stop breathing quickly now, getting lost in his dreamy galaxy eyes.

How there were hints of white specks throughout it......works of art.....not those of a murderer.

"Aaron......" I whisper, horrified by what I just did in public.

"C'mon..... let's go home...." He gently wraps his arm around me, guiding me out of the skating rink.

*******************

The world passes by quietly as we zoom on the freeway. Aaron was driving and I was silent in the passenger seat.

Is he gonna ask about it?.....

Of course he's gonna ask about it.......

It's Aaron....after all....

"Hey Aph.....if you don't mind me asking, what caused you in there to...."

I stop him, my voice as close to silent as I could make it.

If he should know......he should know it all....

I began to say the words that have been ringing in my head......haunting me....

Tormenting me.....

Killing me....

"What do you want Aphmau..." I whisper.

"What do you want Aphmau!"

"Aph?...." Aaron questions but I continue.

"No.....I'm not okay Aphmau...it's not like you care..."

"No I'm not okay Aphmau! It's not like you care!"

"Aph what are you...." He tries but then I start crying.

"Well...maybe....this is just me..." I say between sobs.

"Well, maybe this is just me!"

He doesn't interrupt this time, now just listening intently to the words of killer.

"What....."

"What....."

"You.....will get an abortion.....and tell no one of this...." I say with worsening sobbing.

"You.....will get an abortion.....and tell no one of this...."

"Aphmau....."

"Fine then....you leave me.....no choice..." I then curl up into a ball on the car seat, bawling into my knees.

"Fine then.....you leave me no choice....."

"Then.....that's when....he started....attacking me..." I manage out just barely, finding major difficulty in articulating my words.

I sense Aaron pulling the car to the side of the road to stop it, his hand reaching over to me, grabbing mine.

"Those were the words he said to you.....weren't they?" Aaron questions, guilt in his voice.

I nod slowly, my face still buried into my knees.

"So when I said.....'you leave me no choice'......."

I nod again, sniffling, my tears soaking my navy-blue jeans.

"I'm sorry Aph.....I'm so sorry......"

"I have 6 scars from the incident....the exact amount as the sentences Gene said....."

"Will I ever get over this Aaron? Will the pain ever leave?" I whimper, so done with my suffering.

"You will, over time.....all you need is time........"

"I'm gonna take my intern exam soon Aaron.......I don't have time....."

"Don't think about that......just relax.....wait...I have an idea.." Aaron then pulls the car away from the side of the road, towards home.

What........

What could possibly help me?

(DONT EVEN THINK IT CRYSTALS I KNOW HOW YOUR DIRTY MINDS ARE LIKE.....is that just me....welp sorry)

**********

We arrive home, Aaron getting out of the car to open the door for me, he takes me inside, setting me down on the couch.

Disclaimer: This would not work with real PTSD patients so please note this isn't a factual way of getting rid of PTSD. BTW PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"You keep thinking of your memories with Gene....memories of the incident..."

"So why don't you remind yourself whenever thinking of that memory, to another memory, a happier memory..."

"Huh? Like what?" I inquire, taking off my coat.

"Close your eyes"

I do as he says.

"What would you like Aphmau?"

Previously = "What do you want Aphmau!?"

"What would you like Aphmau?" Aaron says, gesturing to the birthday cakes.

"Hmm let me think....what do you suggest?" I ask him, tapping my chin repetitively.

"I personally.....suggest this one...." He points to a small frosted cake in the corner, the frosting in small little swirls around the edges, it's label reading something familiar.

"A potato cake? Who even orders a potato cake?" I say blankly, smiling.

"Oh I don't know......heh," Aaron says sarcastically, chuckling.

"Excuse me, can I have a slice of that cake please?" I ask the clerk kindly, pressing my finger on the area of the glass where the potato cake was.

He hands me a slice on a paper plate.

The second he hands it to me, I fling it upwards towards Aaron's face.

It gets stuck there, the paper plate slowly threatening to fall.

I had to hold my stomach I was laughing so hard.

"Hehe...." I giggle a bit, the sides of my lips tugging toward the sides of my face.

Then the area around my throat starts glowing, one of the scars lighting up with white energy.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the scar disappears.

I gasp, looking at Aaron with disbelief.

"Can you.....remember it?" He asks.

"Yes.....but there is not that much sadness around it....what did you do?" I ask, rubbing my neck where the scar used to be.

"You took a sad memory and associated it with a happy one.....so a memory where something similar was said...."

"Keep going...." I quickly scan the rest of my scars.

"You would care....."

Previously = "No I'm not okay Aphmau! It's not like you care!"

"You would care...." Aaron observes, chuckling.

"Hmph I would not care, it's just a game......" I start but he interrupts me.

"....a game that you lose at every single time I might add...." He grins.

"Ugh! Fine, we'll play another time, and this time....I'll win!"

"I never did win....." I smile, one of the scars on my chest lighting up, then seconds later disappearing.

We did this for every single one, till the last scar on my abdomen, lights up and fades away.

All the pain....close to gone.....a once raging forest fire....now a dwindling flame....

"They're all gone.....you took them away...." I whisper in awe, looking from my belly to Aaron, who was smiling.

"Thank you!" I leap off the couch, wrapping my arms around him.

"I'm just glad to see you smile....." He replies, wrapping his arms around my small body, tight.

Sometimes the solution to a problem....

Is what contributed to the problem in the first place...

Thank you, Aaron Lycan......

For relieving me of mine....

Have a nice day my crystals!