"Ladies and gentlemen, the ham." Constance presented, holding the dish as she approached the table where her three remaining children sat along with her boyfriend.

"Ah, wow." Larry admired.

"It looks lovely." Tate said, smiling at his mother.

Parker weakly raised her head, staring at the dish of meat before back down at the table. The girl had been bed ridden for quite sometime, it was easy to say she was feeling overwhelmed.

Especially, considering her only human contact or reminder of life had been her older brother coming in to check on her and give her small meals to eat.

Tate took it upon himself to look after his sister when her depression had hit worse and her body felt weak and fragile, finding it helped her more when it was him rather then the others.

Parker didn't like being around so many people when she had managed to coax herself out of her room, especially when there was so much sound, noise and generally anything that tipped off her senses.

The dish was placed upon the table.

"Now, who wants to say grace?" Constance asked.

"Oh, mother, may I?" Tate questioned, after his eyes had scanned over his sister.

Parker had her head down, eyes covered by the palms of her hands as she tried to slowly get used to everything around her. It was a common occurrence amongst the residence of the Langdon family, watching Parker come out of her depressive episodes and work her way back to her normal self. 

"Oh, of course, son." Larry answered. "I was hoping you would choose to become a part of this family."

Tate smiled at Larry before take his hand, amongst his younger sisters.

Parker took her brothers hand and her mother's, allowing herself to look up as she adjusted to the light. She smiled at Addy before allowing for the usual routine ( a routine of which Parker was rarely involved in due isolating herself to make life easier for her family and her inability to leave her bed on many days ) to carry on.

"Dear God, thank you for this salty pig meat we are about to eat, along with the rest of the indigestible swill. And thank you for our new charade of a family. My father ran away when I was only six. If I'd have known any better, I would have joined him."

Parker flinched back upon her mother reaching around and slapping her brothers arm.

"And, also, because she's been trying to get back into this house ever since she lost it, Lord, a big thank you for blinding the cocksucker that's doing my mother, so that he can't see what everybody knows. She doesn't really love him."

No one had their eyes closed by the end of it looking amongst one another.

"Amen." Parker and Adelaide said, looking at each other with bright smiles.

Larry awkwardly clasped his hands, his elbows on the table.

Parker stared at his elbows with great annoyance. She wasn't particularly about table manners, until it came to Larry, who she dearly hated.

"Now, Tate, I know you've had a hard time making the adjustment, with all the recent changes — moving back in here after the, the tragedy that my own family went through—"

"You mean when you burnt them alive?" Parker asked, her voice sounding sore from a lack of use. "Wait, I'm sorry, they burned themselves, correct? Because you were having an affair with my darling mother, no?"

"It was . . . that was nobody's fault—"

"Except yours." Parker spoke up again, tilting her head as she stared past her brother and over at the man.

"Passion driver her to it." Larry said, trying to hold back from snapping at the fifteen year old. He especially held back his anger upon noticing Tate stare daggers at him.

"That does not correlate at all. You caused her to kill her self, her blood is on your hands and that of my mother's. Do not ignore your sins, it's pathetic."

Tate loved his family — or rather his siblings — and despite it all, his mentally ill sister ( Parker ) was shown to be his favourite. Not on purpose, but she was the baby of the family. Ever since he was two and she was born, Tate had an unnecessary need to protect Parker from anything that could possibly cause harm to her.

"One day, you'll understand."

"How does one passionately kill themself and their children? It seems like a lot of effort with out a push. Spoilers, your affair and willingness to give mother this hellhole was her push. I don't blame her for killing herself, I would too do so if I had to spend time with my cheating lover in this house of all places. Or maybe I'd just kill myself, passionately because I'm ill. What do we mean by passi—"

"Parker!" Constance warned lowly.

Parker looked at her mother, before snapping her head back to Larry. "Was she strumming herself silly as she died? Or was it a work of art?"

Larry took in a very deep breath. Parker really knew how to push his buttons and it especially didn't help when Tate was the person she most looked up to. Nor did it help that Tate was practically her guardian angel who refused to allow harm upon his sister.

Tate had practically helped raise Parker — after a certain age — and for that the siblings were especially protective for one another.

"There are sacrifices you have to make in the name in love. On a lighter note, I have reserved tickets for everybody, for Saturday, at our community theatre, for the opening night of Brigadoon. I'm delighted to be debuting in the chorus."

Parker's eyes widened. A room, full of people, with noise and people. She didn't want to go, she was fully prepared to cause great bodily harm to not go.

"Well, I, for one, shall be there with bells on." Constance said, holding up her glass.

"Thank you, darling, for being so supportive and encouraging. You have allowed me to explore another facet of myself."

"Yay, I love the theatre!" Addy smiled.

Tate slammed his hand onto his plate, smashing it in the process. "Don't, Addie!" He shouted, ignoring the way everyone flinched and Parker press her hands over her ears. "You're a smart girl. You know he killed our brother."

Parker slowly took her hands from her ears, her head tilted down to the table.

"Stop it! Beau died in his slumber, of natural causes. Now, you know he had a respiratory ailment. Your brothers in a better place. He suffered with every breath that he took."

"He only suffered because of you."

Constance dryly chuckled. "You know, Tate, unlike your siblings, you were graced with so many gifts. How is it that you can't bring yourself to use them?" Constance demanded, trying to keep her voice steady. "Just a smile, or a kind word, could open the gates to heaven."

Tate looked at his mother, wiping some of the tears from his face. "No matter how much you want it, I will never be your perfect son." And with that Tate left the table.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

Valerie walked down the stairs of her house. She mostly planned to find someone — anyone — to hang out with. Violet had asked to be alone, and the older sister had happily obliged.

A hand wrapped around her mouth as her foot hit the floor. Panic washed over her as she tried to claw it away from her. She was pulled from the corridor and when her back hit the wall the hand was revealed to Tate's.

"Shh, shh! Just listen to me." Despite him trying to calm her, Valerie was still in a vast amount of panic. Her chest raised quickly and water formed in her eyes. "Listen. Don't be mad." Valerie was shaking as she tried to steady her fear. "I love you." He told her, as she steadied her breath — or steadied it enough. He took his hand from her mouth. "Spend the day with me. We can play scrabble, I'll let you win."

Valerie looked at him blankly, pressing herself further back into the wall. "Has anyone ever told you, I don't know . . . not to frighten your girlfriend? She doesn't appreciate it." She asked of him. "And I can't, I said I'd go meet the others for a bit then help Violet get back ready for school. Dad wants her to go in, and I need to let her know that she physically can't. And once I tell her that, she's gonna need me."

"Just tell her to bunk off one more day, they won't notice."

"They'll arrest my dad, that's not fair on him. Once I tell Vi, we're gonna have to talk to dad. And so I have to reveal myself, which then I'm gonna have to make sure dad doesn't loose his way or whatever, or blame himself."

Tate looked at her for a small while, trying to see if she'd cave — she wasn't. He pressed his lips to hers. "Come on, Valerie." He smiled brightly at her.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

Valerie and Violet sat in the attic with Parker. There was originally four of them, but Tate had left for a short moment.

Parker knocked down one of Violet's pieces, smirking at her girlfriends look of offence.

"You said you'd let me win."

"You did, last round, darling."

Violet shivered at the way 'darling' was said by Parker, making for the girl's smirk to grow.

"Valerie, help me." Violet said, tugging on her sisters arm.

Valerie chuckled, sliding over to be on her sister's side. She looked down at the chess board, looking at a few possible movements and deducting which would be best.

Tate climbed up into the attic, looking at the three girls getting along.

"Where've you been?" Valerie asked, moving their king away from Parker. "I think your sister is cheating, she's won every game of chess I've seen her play — ever."

Parker chuckled lightly, moving her queen. "Chess is the only board game I'm actually half decent at."

Tate didn't join the three's joy as he fully entered the attic, looking down at the floor.

"What's wrong?" Parker questioned, turning her head to look at her older brother.

"He wants to send Violet away."

Valerie stopped, a chess piece in hand as she looked at her sister. Violet caught her eyes for a brief moment. Valerie didn't want to process what he was saying as she sat still, t he only movement being her blinking.

"What are you talking about?"

"I just heard him talking on the phone with a boarding school, asking about financial packages."

Violet scoffed, poking her statue like sister. Valerie didn't react. "Makes sense, he went mom away. I don't know why I thought I was safe. I just assumed I was his little girl. What a fantasy."

Parker looked at Valerie, it seemed she had stopped reacting as she tried to process everything and think of ways to work herself up to telling her sister about her own fatal fall or maybe she was numb to it all.

"I'm so stupid and naive sometimes."

Valerie turned, grabbing her sisters face and forcing her to look at her. The two stared at one another as Valerie shook her head. "Do not call yourself stupid or naive, Violet. It's this house, Vi, it fucks with people. It fucked with mom, it fucked with me, with everyone who's lived her. You are not stupid. Dad is scared, ok? Your missing school and meals and he's worried your going to be the next dead teenager that this place doesn't really need. He's just being a prick about how he is going around it." Valerie said, rubbing away her sisters tears. She brought Violet closer, pressing a kiss to her head before wrapping her arms around her.

"I don't want to go." Violet whispered.

"I know." Valerie whispered, placing her head on top of her sister's.

"Please, please don't let him." She begged.

"I'll try, Vi, I'll try."

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

Parker and Valerie continued their game in the attic whilst Violet had gone down to her room — claiming she needed to be alone.

Tate entered the younger Harmon's room, finding Violet sat on her bed staring at nothing.

"What did you do to him?" Violet asked her sisters boyfriend, sitting up slightly.

"I just convinced him to leave us alone for an hour or so."

"Tate. What did you do to him?!" She demanded, getting off the bed with her arms crossed.

"I didn't do anything bad!" He snapped at her as he began to circle the younger girl.

Violet didn't understand what Valerie saw in him. The younger one felt like mere pray as she was circled. She was convinced Valerie didn't like Tate all that much, but had rather convinced herself that she did.

"Just scared him a little. He'll be fine." He then stopped in front of Violet. "But we're running out of time."

Violet looked up at him, making eye contact. "You're being weird. Time for what?"

"I figured out how to keep them from sending you away."

"Can we run away?"

"Kind of. Yeah. Valerie loves you Violet, more then anyone. For her to be happy you need to be happy. And I want you to be happy and free." Tate said before holding up something. "If we take these, we can stay here." Violet looked down at the drugs in his hand. "You and Valerie can be happy. And you and Parker. We can all play games, and with Beauregard, and we can watch videos. You and Parker can be together, forever."

Violet looked back at him, fear glistening in her eyes. She doubted Valerie would approve of what her boyfriend was coaxing her into. "You want us to commit suicide?"

Tate nodded at her. "Yeah. And I don't think there's enough in her to really, you know." He said, pulling blades out of his pockets. "So I think if we use these—"

"Where did you get those pills?"

"Your dad has lots of samples."

"Did you hurt my dad?"

"No!" He shouted at the girl, causing her to start crying. "I told you, I just knocked him out so I could buy us some time!" He began to circle her again. "Listen to me, Violet, we can't get all chicken shit about this. We're running out of options."

"Yeah. Okay, I get it." She whispered out. "It's the only way we can all be together."

Tate breathed out a sigh of relief. He wasn't to sure how his girlfriend was going to react to how he had spoke to her sister — or what he was making her do, but at the end of the day, this was for her. All for her.

"I know how to do it so that it won't hurt."

"Can we do it in the bathtub?"

"Why?" He questioned.

"'Cause it's warm and nice and I can light some candles." She bargained, searching his face to find the perfect change to run.

"Okay. But we have to go now."

Tate didn't like the idea of re-enacting a bathtub suicide, especially considering that was part of the way Parker had killed herself. It was all too familiar.

"I'll, I'll go run the bath."

"Okay."

Violet walked past Tate, allowing him to let out a breath of relief.

The second she was slight away from the corridor, Violet began to scream and shout, pleading for anyone to help her. She called for her dad, her sister and her lover. She screamed about Tate trying to kill her.

Tate chased the girl.

After running outside (and back in) a few times, Violet ran into Valerie. Valerie stabled her sister, holding her at arms length as Parker appeared at her side. "Hey, hey. Breath for me." She whispered, brushing her sister's hair out the way. "I need to show you something, okay? It's not pretty and I don't even know where it is, so Parker is gonna lead the way, okay?"

"Why can't I leave the house?"

"Why can't I leave the house, Vi?"

Violet shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Please, Valerie, I don't want to die."

"I'm so sorry." Valerie whispered, pulling her sister into her chest. She rubbed her back. "I didn't know what you were doing. If I knew I would of stopped you before it was too late." She promised, feeling her sister holder her tighter as she sobbed. Valerie wrapped her arms around her even tighter. "Parker tried, she did, she tried to save you, but it was too late by then."

"I don't want to be dead."

"I know, I know you don't." She ran her hands through Violet's hair. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Violet let out through her sobs.

"Forever?" Valerie asked, holding her pinkie out.

"Forever." Violet wrapped her trembling pinkie around her sisters.

"Do you want me to show you?" She asked. "You don't have to see, if you don't want to." Valerie said softly.

Violet nodded against her chest.

"It's not a pretty sight. Then again, no dead body really is." Parker pointed out.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

Parker lead the girls down to the basement, after them all agreeing that Tate should stay away after scaring the young girl the way he had.

Violet's and Parker's hands were interlocked whilst Valerie walked behind them.

"I feel weird." Violet said as Parker opened a wooden latch door. "Like I'm loosing it."

The two didn't say anything as they shared looks. Parker grabbed a torch, holding it with her mouth before climbing up, holding her hand out to get Valerie and Violet to follow.

The three crawled across the concrete floor — the torch now in Parker's cold hands.

Soon enough the got to a part where they could stand up. Parker jumped down, offering her hand out to Violet. The Harmon sisters joined the Langdon girl on the floor.

Parker stopped her girlfriend. "Do you trust us?" She asked. She received a nod. "It's not a pretty sight, ok, I don't know how bad, but dead bodies are not to be pretty. Death is not beauty, you understand that, right?"

Violet nodded.

"Everything will be okay." She promised. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Violet whispered back.

The three went back to walking, until they came upon the ditch with Violet's body.

Violet wailed upon seeing it. Sobbing as she ran her hand through her hair. "No." She let out.

Valerie looked at the body, gagging.

"I tried to save you. I really did. I tried to make you throw the pills up, you did, but not enough of them. You took so many, Violet." Parker said, taking the light away from the body as she turned to her crying girlfriend, tears running down each of their faces. "You died in my arms, I kept you safe, just not safe enough." She whispered.

"I hardly feel anything." Violet said, stepping far back from the edge until her back hit the wall.

"I didn't want you to find out like this, I-I was going to tell you once everything calmed down." Valerie whispered.

Violet leaned towards her sister, allowing for her to comfort her. Valerie held her tight, whispering sweet nothings to her. 

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

"All this time, I thought I was protecting you, Val and Tate. But in the end, you guys were protecting me."

"I'll always protect you, Vi."

Violet took a seat next to Parker on the floor as she shuffled the cards. "So why'd you keep it a secret?"

"Oh, hey, Violet. You're dead, let's hook up." Parker said, turning her head to her lover. "No? Didn't think so."

"I still don't remember dying." Violet said, leaning her head on Parker's shoulder. "Do you?"

"No. I know how I died but I don't remember the act, I believe it's common amongst the dead to not remember. Your sister, she remembers it if you want to talk to someone about that sort of memory. Moria, Chad and Patrick remember, too."

"What happens now?"

"We play cards, because I've been shuffling them for like ten minutes and my hand is starting to hurt."

Violet laughed, placing a kiss to Parker's bare shoulder. "No, I mean, like how's it going to be?"

"One step at a time, Vi." Parker said. "The future is uncertain, so we'll try and make it work. Everything happens for a reason, and hopefully one day we'll find out the reason."