The week had dragged on for Maya and Carina. Every day was filled with calls to lawyers, consultations about custody, and an overwhelming sense of urgency to get Mia back.
After many calls, Maya finally found a lawyer willing to take their case. However, the lawyer often reminded her that, due to Lane being Mia's biological father, it was likely that the case wouldn't work in their favour without concrete evidence of the abuse Mia was experiencing. They knew they had to gather any evidence they could find to strengthen their case, working fast to document all their concerns, knowing that time was of the essence. The fight was definitely not easy, but they had gathered some grounds to lean on, with Maya using her own experience as a teenager in her parents' household to illustrate that it was an abusive environment.
As the days went on frustration over the custody battle started to turn into arguments between the Maya and Carina. They would lash out at each other, the stress manifesting in sharp words and heated exchanges. But luckily those moments didn't last long and were always followed by heartfelt apologies and the understanding that they were both suffering with all of this in their own ways.
"Maya, I'm sorry for snapping earlier. I'm just so mad at these people, these people that don't even seem to care about Mia" Carina would say.
"I know, I'm sorry too. I just... I can't stop thinking about her," Maya would reply, her eyes filled with worry. "I can't shake the image of her running to us and breaking down. I hate that it is taking this long to get her back and... and what if we can't win this.... What if she has to stay with him"
Maya would try not to feel defeated but the feeling would keep arising and she felt like her father was beating her once again. Negative thoughts of being a failure threatening to leak into her mind. She tried her best to push these back away, using strategies she had learnt from her therapist Diane to do so.
Throughout the week, their Station 19 family rallied around them, offering support. They all wanted Mia back just as much as Maya and Carina did. When they found they were needing written references to improve their case, Vic and Andy jumped at the chance to help, writing heartfelt letters that highlighted Maya and Carinas dedication to being Mia's guardians and the genuine love they felt for the teenager.
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Across town, Mia felt as though she were trapped in a never-ending nightmare. Each day had blended into the next, a relentless cycle of training that consumed her entire being. Lane didn't take her to school anymore; instead, he dragged her to the track every single day, forcing her to push her body beyond its limits. He was still punishing her for running away and at this rate Mia didn't think it would ever end.
As the sun rose on who knows what day, Mia found herself standing at the starting line of the track again. Lane hovered nearby, holding his stopwatch, his shouts echoing in her ears. "You need to be faster! That's not how you're going to win!" he barked, each command making Mia feel not good enough, leaving her feeling more and more hollow as he piled the negativity onto her.
Mia had little to no fight left in her. When she first returned to her parents, she would argue and resist, but that only made her situation worse. Every ounce of defiance had been drained from her, leaving her a shell of her former self.
One heated argument led to Lane pushing Mia against the wall, the impact causing her to smack her head on the surface behind her. She experienced blurred vision and felt an instant wave of nausea, but she kept it to herself, knowing all too well that revealing her symptoms would only fuel her father's anger. In that moment, Mia felt her fight diminish; she was officially scared of her father. This was the most physical he had ever been with her, and the fear of provoking him into something worse was now more present then ever.
Over the following day, Mia endured a throbbing headache, and each time she stood up, dizziness threatened to make her fall. Despite her efforts to hide her suffering, Lane quickly picked up on her weakened state. But instead of concern, he felt a twisted excitement at her vulnerability, relishing the opportunity to push her further. He once again forced Mia to the track that day, making her run lap after lap, and she was shocked that her body didn't fail on her as she barely managed to keep going. By nightfall, she was over the toilet, emptying her stomach until there was nothing left.
As the next few days passed, her head began to feel better, though she still experienced minor headaches, particularly after training. Yet, she never returned to the state she had been in after that first day and her nausea was now completely gone which meant she was finally keeping small amounts of food down.
Lane was ensuring that Mia's meal proportions were severely limited, and because of this, she could feel herself losing weight. Despite the grueling training sessions, she was growing weaker, which made her struggle even more during workouts. Each time she stepped onto the track, she felt the weight of her fatigue dragging her down, and her times slipped further from her best. Every personal record seemed out of reach, and the feeling of impossibility grew more with each attempt she made.
The relentless cycle of training without proper nourishment took its toll on Mia's body and mind. She felt as though she was running on empty, each lap a reminder of her dwindling strength. With every failure to meet Lane's expectations, the anger and frustration he directed at her grew more volatile, she was sure Lane was purposely trying to make her fail just so he could get a kick out of punishing her. It was as if her struggles were feeding his rage, and Mia found herself trapped in a vicious cycle of hopelessness and fear. The grip of her father's control felt tighter than ever, the worst he had ever been.
During the rare moments when she was allowed to stop for short breaks, Mia would sit on the sidelines, her mind drifting to thoughts of Maya and Carina. Even though she had only been with them for a brief time, she missed them immensely. She tried not to think about them, knowing it would only make her sad and lead her to fear that she might never return to them.
Mia's body ached, and her mind was clouded with exhaustion. Each night, as she lay in her room, she struggled to find any glimmer of hope and dreaded the thought of waking up to face another grueling day. She felt isolated and trapped, longing for parents who would love her for who she was, rather than viewing her worth solely through the lens of her performance on the track.
As the days passed, Mia continued to withdraw deeper into her own world, speaking less and retreating into silence. She only interacted with her parents when they initiated conversation, which rarely led to anything positive. Katherine, her mother, had distanced herself, ceasing to encourage Mia to eat or show any signs of maternal affection. Each time Mia caught her mother avoiding eye contact or staying out of the same room, it hurt.
One morning, however, a brief moment of eye contact led Mia to believe she saw a flicker of guilt on Katherine's face. It was a fleeting glimpse, but the expression hinted that maybe her mother was recognising the pain Mia was enduring. However, as quickly as it appeared, the look vanished leaving Mia with more questions than answers.
Later that evening, Mia overheard a muffled conversation between her parents. She thought she caught her mother saying that Lane needed to stop what he was doing and that Maya was right. The words were distorted and unclear, which made her quickly second guess what she heard, convincing herself that she must have been imagining things; after all, Katherine had never been one to stand up for her children. Why would she start now?
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Back at the apartment, Maya's thoughts were consumed by Mia. She couldn't stop worrying about what her sister was enduring during this time. All she wanted was to go to her, to check in, to call Katherine and insist she put Mia on the phone, but she knew that wouldn't go over well.
At the start of their custody process the lawyers had insisted that they must have no contact with Lane, Katherine, or Mia, stating that they couldn't give Lane any indication that they were fighting for guardianship over Mia, as he might take steps to prevent it. Based on the information Maya and Carina had provided, the lawyers were feeling slightly more hopeful in them gaining custody however they were still hesitant in saying it was leaning more towards them.
Maya had always struggled with sleep, but the current situation had made her insomnia even worse. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind replayed the image of Mia in the Bishop household—exhausted, frightened, and trapped. The thought of her suffering under Lane's control made Maya's skin crawl. She had experienced Lane's punishments firsthand, and the idea of Mia enduring the same torment made her feel physically ill. Carina, could see all the signs of Maya struggling, the exhaustion weighing heavily on her wife, the toll of worry and anxiety evident in the dark circles under her eyes.
As Maya lay in bed each night, her mind was plagued with worries that Mia might think they had forgotten about her, that they weren't doing everything possible to bring her back. She feared that Mia would harbor feelings of abandonment and would not forgive them for the length of time it was taking to get her back. The thought of Mia returning, carrying the burden of added trauma, made Maya's heart race and panic begin to creep into her body.
But Carina was always there, a calming presence amidst the storm of Maya's thoughts. Whenever the panic threatened to overwhelm her, Carina would gently remind her to breathe. "Just breathe, bambina," she would whisper softly, her fingers weaving through Maya's hair in a soothing rhythm. "You can sleep now."
With Carina's comforting words and tender touch, Maya could feel the tension gradually release from her body. She focused on the warmth of her wife's hand and the rhythmic motion of her hands in her hair. Eventually, Maya would drift off to sleep, relief washing over Carina as she heard the soft snores coming from her wife.
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After twelve long days, Maya and Carina received the news they had been desperately waiting for: the legal letter stating that Mia could return to their care. The lawyers had called them that morning, explaining that their case got pushed forward due to communication from Katherine Bishop. Apparently, she had reached out to the law firm, claiming to be Mia's mother and stating that the home wasn't safe, insisting Mia would be better off with Maya.
Though Maya still felt feelings of resentment toward Katherine and was perplexed about how she knew of their custody plans, she couldn't help but feel grateful for her unexpected role in bringing Mia home. Without wasting a moment, they quickly got themselves ready and made their way to the Bishop household.
When they arrived, Maya's heart sank momentarily as she noticed Lane's car was not in the driveway. Wondering if he was out with Mia, she pushed that fear aside as they knocked on the door. Katherine answered, and Maya wasted no time showing her the legal papers.
"Mia is coming home with us," Maya stated. Katherine looked at the papers, her expression showing instant relief but also some sadness. "I'm glad. Your father has gone too far this time. I'm sorry I didn't stop it sooner."
Maya looked at her mother, anxiety creeping in. "What do you mean he has gone too far? Is Mia okay?"
Katherine's eyes were filled with sorrow. "No, she needs you, Maya. She deserves to be away from him, and you can give her that."
Maya and Carina exchanged worried glances, apprehensive about what Katherine meant by Lane going too far.
"They're at the track," Katherine continued, her voice low. "You need to go and get her." She looked down, almost embarrassed to admit she hadn't done anything to stop Lane.
Maya and Carina turned to leave, but Maya suddenly pivoted and asked her mom one last thing. "How did you know? How did you know we were going for custody?"
Katherine replied, "I called your work. I didn't want to call you directly because I wasn't sure if you would even answer. I talked to someone named Jack who, after a lot of persuading, told me you were fighting for Mia. I told him I could help, and he gave me your lawyer's details. I asked him not to tell you just in case I couldn't go through with it. So please don't be mad at him."
Maya nodded at Katherine, still processing the shock that Jack had shared those details over the phone with her mother. Despite her initial surprise, she couldn't help but feel a swell of gratitude for her friend, who had played a crucial role in bringing Mia back to them. It was a complicated mix of emotions, but in that moment, all that mattered was getting to Mia and ensuring her safety.
"Well... thank you," Maya said, then turned to leave but paused to add, "Oh, and Mom, you deserve to be away from him too." With that, she turned away and raced back to the car.
Maya and Carina sped towards the track, their hearts pounding with anxiety over what might be unfolding there. When they arrived, the scene before them was shocking and heart-wrenching.
Lane was screaming at Mia, who was desperately running around the track. Maya's stomach twisted in knots as she took in Mia's appearance—she looked gaunt and frail. She had visibly lost weight, Maya's heart broke for her younger sister.
"Lane!" Maya shouted, her voice cutting across the open environment, she sprinted towards Lane. "You need to stop this! I have custody papers right here!" She shoved the legal documents in Lanes face, determined to put an end to this.
Lane's face contorted with anger, but as he read the papers, his expression shifted to one of begrudging acceptance. "You have really outdone yourself this time Maya, once again ripping this family apart" he spat, frustration seething in his voice.
Mia, hearing loud voices, had stopped running but remained where she was, watching the interaction unfold from a distance. She looked at Carina confused at what was happening between Maya and Lane. "Bella! It's okay now. We did it! You can come home again" Carina called out, her voice filled with warmth and reassurance.
Mia could hear Carina and she felt relief wash over her, she instantly wanted to run to Maya and Carina but she didn't have the energy to do so. The quick stoppage of her movement had caused her to feel dizzy and faint, the world around her started spinning. She felt herself struggling to stay upright but all she wanted to do was get closer to Maya and Carina, as she tried to take a step closer to them, the ground beneath her felt unstable. Suddenly, her vision blurred, and she felt her body falling towards the track and that was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.