[thank you sm for giving my fanfic a read, and HI to all of you new readers. enjoy the chap!]

Under the next few days, Lin got more & more overprotective. He never let me out of his sight, or Sebastian either, for that matter.
Again, my trouble percent had accelerated with 23%.
I'd taken my meds everyday. Lin or Vanessa watched me take them - like I was under monitoring all the time.
On the sixth day we'd gone down to the beach, I was quite calm, for a day outside my comfort zone as I stepped into the sun after Lin always kept an eye on our surroundings, looking out for the guy. I looked down as he did that, tapping my thigh.

After he accepted that the coast was clear, Lin sat down and I kept on tapping my thigh.
Otherwise Sebastian will die, Rue.
That's when the sunstroke thought hit me again, like it had done every other day.
Put on 4 coats of sunscreen. If you don't, you'll get sunstroke & you'll be sick & maybe you'll make everyone else sick?
I was digging in my bag after the sunscreen, hiding in the shadows of a sunshade. Lin had sat down in a chair, and was completely emerged by the book I'd given him a few days ago.
As I started with my feet, not missing a spot as I glanced over at Sebastian, holding a tiny space and carrying a bucket looking extremely adorable. Vanessa was sitting cross legged, taking a picture, Sebastian facing away - of course - looking at the waves, and suddenly making a dash for the water.
Being just five meters from the blue sea, and apparently a 14 month old could sprint, wobbling just like the toddler he was, without tripping over in the blink of an eye.
Vanessa was up just a second after, running after Sebastian.
His little feet touched the water, and as I started to put sunscreen on my thighs, he fell. Front faced.
As it happened in a matter of seconds, Lin only catches up by now, seeing me staring at the scene in a panicky way as I started to count my breaths, tapping my thigh again.
Was this my fault? It must be... did I miss a routine this morning?

Vanessa scooped him up in a millisecond, worriedly looking at him after some scratches.

There was none. As a matter of fact, Sebastian was laughing, trying to get away from his mum - to start splashing water around himself.
I could notice the flare of relief on her face, nodding towards Lin. They didn't seem too worried. Not me worried.
I tapped my thigh for four minutes.
Just to fix what's been.
Lin laughed.
"Great timing to trip, amirite, bud?", Vanessa giggled as she put Sebastian down, who bluntly ran back to the sea, drenched & laughing - making V rolling her eyes, and Lin chuckle.
I quickly put on the first coat. Precisely.

When I was done, Seb was on his fourth sprint to splash. I grabbed the spade & bucket.
"Sebbo, wanna make a sandcastle?", I high-pitched & happily asked him. His little face lit up.
"Sandcastle! Sandcastle!", he answered as I'd thought, his habit of repeating things was rather cute. And it made Lin shut up sometimes. Especially when he randomly would notice himself in the middle of the act of rapping for example the ending of The Adams Administration. Or, Vanessa for that matter. The Addams family. And me. Waitress.
But, I was also positive that Seb was completely clueless about what a sandcastle was.
Wait for 5 minutes before applying the next coat. Count.
Vanessa happily joined us.
I filled the bucket with sand, tipping it over and creating the first tower of the castle. A castle in the sky.
Sebastian smashed, ever so happy. I couldn't care less, he was my baby brother by heart. How could I blame him?
So, I blinked instead.

When I did my fourth, and final, round of sunscreen, Lin raised an eyebrow at me.
"Rue?", he asked.
I sighed.
You missed a spot. That area again.
I'm helpless.
"I don't only look out for the bad guys, I look out for your quirks too", Lin calmly said to me, like an arrow hitting its target - in a kind way.
"I know, I know, it's just...", I was rambling on, as I looked up. He'd taken the bottle of my solution, of my security of fixing things for the moment.
"Please? It's just one coat left", I begged. Lin shook his head. I put on my pleading eyes.
"Do you really need it?", a real question-question, as he stood up. I nodded. He looked at me with disbelief. "Really?"
I nodded again. And again, just to make sure.
You need it, you need it, you need it.
"Like, what if I get sunstroke or, or, I don't know, skin cancer?", I blabbered like there was no tomorrow. Lin placed his hands on my shoulders, bending down to look me in the eyes.
Tell them all your secrets, but disguise them.
Yeah, you can get cancer too. You need it.
"Niñita, calm down. You won't get sunstroke. Or skin cancer, for that matter. I'm not gonna let you fall asleep in the sun. Do you trust me?", he said, straight to the point - somewhat calming me down. I nodded. I always believed him & Vanessa.
"Look at Sebastian, how he laughed when the danger hit him. How he laughed away the fear. You don't notice the difference in you, but I do. Your routines have diminished so much for the past pair of weeks. Be proud over yourself, instead of denying the fact. 'Kay?", his little speech, that I almost suspected he'd written in his head for days, making me feel so out in the blue. So bare for the world to see.
Blink 23 times.
It felt like such a cliché pep talk.
You need the sunscreen.
To be honest, my whole life was a cliché. Part of the foster system, gets fostered by a lovely family which just so happens to include the current king of broadway.
Just like it was taking out of the musical of Annie.
"Okay. Can I finish my coat, and then I'll tell you two next time I get worried and you'll distract me?", I questioned, not just Lin, but also myself.
Here comes the sun, and it's alright.
I set a goal for myself. For the first time in forever.
But, I was also questioning myself if I could manage to do it.
Lin beamed at me. Like the sun.
"Pride isn't the word I'm looking for", he confirmed in the cheesy Hamilton-way by doing what every writer of a musical always does, quoting their own musical.

That evening, Vanessa & Lin was planning to go on a date.
I was watching Lin, running around in the hotel room while trying to collect all the things he apparently.
I giggled, as the Chuggington theme was playing in the background - which lead to Lin harmonizing with it.
Vanessa was taking it easy, usual her, while excited Puerto-Rican-Lin was all over the place.
"Rue!", Lin shouted. I turned my head to him. "Look at my hair", he'd just let it out of the messy hair bun he'd decided to wear all day.
He literally looked like one of those troll dolls, which made me laugh.
Blink.
"Help me", he mouthed. I grinned, walking over to him, making sure I that didn't step on a crack between the wooden planks. He handed me a hair brush, and, to my surprise it wasn't that tangled.
I was giggling through it all, biting my lip from time to time, as Lin was complaining.
"I just don't know what to do with it? It's just there? A blob on my head?"

When I considered myself done, Sebastian had joined to brush Lin's hair too - so he was sitting on the ground, closing his eyes every time Seb was so close to hit him in the eye ball.
"Y'know, I could braid your hair", I jokingly said.
Vanessa's eyes lit up from the bathroom, as her head peaked out from the door opening.
The puppy begging eyes.
"Yes! Do that!", she cheered, making Lin sigh.
"Hah, you thought that you could get out of this, Lin-Manuel", Vanessa added, genuinely petty.
So, as I was parting the hair, I began braiding - to Vanessa's satisfaction.
Lin put up a finger, like he had one demand first.
"And I'm taking it out right after you get your picture, V!", he winked at his wife. I laughed at them, as Vanessa put her tongue out just to be annoying.

A photo of Lin in a braid might've appeared on Vanessa's Twitter.

When they left, it was already quite late. Both me & Seb had already eaten dinner, so my job of looking after my little brother was rather easy.

It didn't mean that I couldn't panic a little.

So, I kept my eyes on him as I started to pack for the trip back home.

I let myself take a brief break when I helped him get ready for bed.

Rearrange the order of your things in you suitcase, or he'll die. On your watch.

Soon, I could hear his little breaths from the other side of the room as I'd brought my suitcase in there - to put next to everyone else's - reorganizing. A typical sister probably wouldn't be that caring over her little brother, but I could never seem to take a break from everything. Everything was my responsibility.
While doing my mind's panicky chores, one thought occured a lot more than others.
When did my life become this?
Six months ago, I'd been living in an abusive foster home while having a mental disorder I thought was normal, that I still couldn't admit to myself was abnormal.
There wasn't much of a difference, but she used to be mine.

Lin's POV
When getting off that plane, the somewhat cold NYC air hit us. Rue hadn't slept through the flight at all.
I was humming Empire State of Mind, shouting for a taxi. Everyone was rather tired, like zombies dragging their bodies through the city.
I looked at Vanessa, nodding.
First vacation with the whole family, with Rue. Check.

It was almost 4 pm when we arrived at our apartment, and we were drenched from the kind weather that decided to rain on us.
My Dad had come by to drop of Tobi & get the apartment going about, so the dog was all overwhelmed from seeing us - licking our faces, barking.

Later that night, after a take out from Taco Bell & chatting about things while playing Playstation in the background, everyone was approximately exhausted, still playing video games on the sofa.
Rue had had her eyes glued on her phone through the day. Every 23 seconds she looked at it, to be precise. Suddenly she looked up.
"Can I go back to school?"
The question came out of nowhere. She hadn't given any hints - or mentioned it before.
"I mean, I know how I am...", I smiled with my eyes, but gave her a worried look.
"Are you sure you want to?", Vanessa asked warmhearted, sitting next to me.
Rue nodded.
That's what she'd been thinking about all day. She'd put a goal for herself.
"Let's wait until Friday. Alright?", I asked her, completely positive to her decision. I just wanted to have her there for a day, just to make sure she got there and managed one day - and I knew that's what Vanessa wanted too, and she approved by high-fiving my hand under the blanket in a discrete way.
"Sure", Rue grinned, and suddenly giving me & V a quick hug. "Thank you!", she excitedly added. I chuckled.
"No need to thank us, go tell Via then!", Vanessa said, waving her away.
Rue nodded, skipping to her room.
Nothing could quite beat the happiness of when you see someone you love happy.
"Great minds think alike, husband", Vanessa whispered to me.
Isn't it amazing what comes our way?

@Lin_Manuel:
Back in the US, people!🛬
Face your fears.
Laugh them away.
You can do it.
Goodnight.

-----
Hiya 👋
Look at me updating, just for you!

A special thanks to the ones who always comment & to a certain one who told me that another chapter was desperately needed. Y'all always make me write💓

Finishing off this chapter with a Lin tweet, wrapping up their holiday - like Lin usually does. It felt appropriated😌

I finally have summer break, and there's so hot in Sweden - like uGHH🙌
(Don't get me wrong - it's nice. Just a bit too hot🌻)
So, I've been writing this while sunbathing & listening to Dodie & musicals🎶 ...a lot of references. especially waitress. and dodie(especially intertwined??)
...I'm so sunburnt, you don't even know...

So, 8th grade has been great. I fought for my grades, and reached my goals. I started writing this, and it helped me relax from the stress. Thanks for the continued support 💕

Question for y'all:
Would you enjoy a livestream where y'all can ask questions about Rue?🌺
(Or the fanfic in general)
(on Instagram/YouNow?)
Me? I'd love to🌊

Hopefully you liked this chapter, and if you did - don't forget to vote & comment🌻

Have a gr8 day,
Sincerely,
C

Published: 19th of June, 2017