"Have fun," Janet said with a smirk as Ellie headed out the front door. "And don't stay out too-"

"Bye!" Ellie said with a smug smirk, before closing the door behind her. "Don't wait up!"

"-Late," Janet sighed, before allowing herself a quiet chuckle. "Kids..."

It had been almost two months since Ellie's birthday, and in that time, it seemed to Janet that the seventeen year old girl had been somehow rejuvenated. Despite Janet's failure in reconnecting Ellie with her parents, she was more vibrant, had more energy, and smiled a lot more than she did when she originally moved into the small flat. And, more notably, she spent a lot more time out with her friends, especially at weekends- such as at the party that she, Kacey and Monique were attending that very evening.

Janet couldn't blame the young woman for wanting to enjoy her youth- when she'd been seventeen, she'd enjoyed a similar social life with her friends. The only difference was that when Janet went out, she wore jeans and a checked shirt, and when Ellie left the flat, she was wearing a tight top, a short skirt and high heeled shoes, not to mention what looked like a ton of make-up. Janet was happy for Ellie, and yet she couldn't help but feel envious of her, and not just because the teenage girl was going out just as she'd returned from her 'night out' with her friends.

However, Janet easily put such negative thoughts to the back of her mind, where they belonged. Ellie had the opportunities that she hadn't had as a teenager, and that was the way it should be. Janet's only hopes were that Ellie was having fun, and (like a good mother) that she was being responsible enough not to have TOO much fun.

----------

"Whose house are we going to again?" Kacey asked as she, Monique and Ellie walked along the empty street.

"Dane Fox's," Ellie replied with a smug grin.

"He fit?" Monique asked.

"With a name like that, he'd better be!" Ellie replied, before giggling. "Nah, he's on my course. Pretty nice looking, maybe a bit skinny but I'd have him and not regret it after."

"So... His birthday or summat?" Kacey asked.

"His parents' birthday," Ellie explained. "Which they're spending in Italy. Meaning that Mr. Foxy has the whole house to himself..." Ellie smiled as her friends giggled excitedly at the news that their party would be a REAL party- even though she knew that her friends would've been happy even if had just been a smaller, quiet one, because it would've been the three of them attending together.

Ever since her birthday, Ellie had grown closer to Kacey and Monique as friends. Her 'pep talk' from Stephanie and Nikki- along with regular 'check-ins' from both women- had given her confidence a much-needed boost. Ellie was more outgoing, more willing to open up to her friends and more willing to make new friends, such as the young man whose house she'd be spending the evening at. She'd even regained the courage to spend time at Kacey's house- even if her welcome had evaporated when Ellie told Kacey's father that, in no uncertain terms, he was entitled to precisely none of the credit for her newfound resolve.

Six people, however, could claim credit for turning Ellie's life around. Kacey and Monique were two of them, as were Stephanie and Nikki. Ellie had prided herself on being independent, able to handle her own life, and when she'd reached out to Stephanie for help when she found herself homeless, she saw it as a sign of weakness, a personal failure. However, she'd come to learn that nothing could be further from the truth. The old saying that a friend in need was a friend indeed was one Ellie had found to be true. Needing the help of other people didn't make you weak, or a failure, it made you human, and in Ellie's case, part of a family, one not connected by blood but by spirit.

And the 'mother' of said 'family' was the person Ellie gave the most credit for her life improving. Janet had proven herself to be a kind, generous and fair person, equal parts friend, mentor and surrogate parent to Ellie. While Ellie still felt that her actions in trying to contact her parents caused more harm than good, she acknowledged that it was an action born solely out of care for Ellie's well-being- just like everything else Janet had done over the previous few months.

The most unexpected source of Ellie's improved mood, however, was the one blood relative that Ellie still had contact with. Ever since the message just after her birthday, Ellie and her brother had exchanged dozens of messages, each one bringing with it a spark of hope that maybe all was not lost with Ellie's biological family. Even though Ellie could only send messages at certain times of the day, when she knew that their mother wouldn't intercept them, she still saw it as an improvement over the nothing she'd had before- and in many ways, an improvement over the relationship she'd had previously.

As brother, 'Liam' and Jack hadn't been particularly close. Their father's domineering personality had meant that there had very rarely been any chance for the two to grow close unless it was under his supervision, usually at a traditionally male activity such as a football game. Neither Ellie nor Jack had enjoyed these occasions, and as such, the 'bond' between them had never had the chance to properly form. However, the bond between brother and sister seemed to grow stronger with every message they exchanged- and Ellie secretly held out the hope that they wouldn't be restricted to communicating electronically for much longer.

However, Ellie was not willing to put her life on hold while she waited for her family to accept her. She was a seventeen year old girl, and she intended to enjoy every second of her teenage years. In her own opinion, she had a lot of lost time to make up.

"Hey you three!" Dane- the party's host- said with a confident smirk as he opened the door to let Ellie and her friends into the already-heaving party. "Glad you could come!"

"Ah, we weren't gonna miss this!" Monique giggled as she and her friends were each handed a bottle of bright blue WKD.

"Got many people coming?" Ellie asked.

"Depends on who shows up, really," Dane shrugged as he and Ellie exchanged a nervous giggle.

"What Ellie means," Kacey said as she wrapped an unwelcome arm around the blonde girl's waist, "is how many BOYS are gonna be here?"

"...Take your pick!" Dane chuckled as he gestured to the mass of bodies in the living room. Ellie didn't need to be told twice, and had a wide grin on her face as she joined the crowd, intending to enjoy every second of the party- just as she intended to do for her life as a whole.

----------

"Thanks for coming out tonight," Janet said as she and her friends sat down at their usual table in their local pub. "Didn't really fancy being alone again, heh."

"Oh, that's okay," Meredith replied. "It's not like I had anything better to do, heh! Not that I don't enjoy hanging out with you, I mean, I had a few things to do tonight, but this seemed like the most fun- I mean, obviously it WILL be the most fun, and-"

"You're welcome," Shannon said with a giggle, silencing her friend and widening the smile on Janet's face. "Where is Ellie today anyway, at a friend's?"

"Yep," Janet replied. "Think it's the sixth different one in as many weeks... But it's good she's making friends. Good that she's even being accepted at college."

"Is she eighteen yet?" Meredith asked.

"Not for another ten months," Janet replied.

"Well THAT will be something to look forward to," Meredith said. "I remember when I turned eighteen- well, bits of it, hehe! 'Cause, you know, I was spending every weekend in every club I could find, I was always going out with my mates, driving my mother mad, especially as my sister was always the one taking me to the clubs, but now she's a mother too, her niece went to her first school disco a few months ago and Alice was SO panicky and- umm..." Meredith bit her lip as she saw Janet's emotions begin to wobble- undoubtedly due to the fact that in addition to Ellie, Janet had two other children she'd not had contact with in over a year.

"No, it's okay, go on," Janet said softly. "I guess I'm just feeling a bit extra emotional about Ethan and Lindsay... Ethan was 18 last month, Lindsay was 16 just last week... I'm never going to forgive myself for not being there for that."

"You have nothing to feel guilty about," Shannon said softly. "If your children found out what a kind and generous person you've been the last few months, the way you've helped Ellie, I'm sure-"

"Thanks, but neither of you are parents yourselves," Janet said firmly, before letting out a long, pained sigh. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, but- ugh. Topic change, please?"

"Sure," Shannon said quietly.

"I think Shannon was only trying to help," Meredith said, biting her lip as Janet frowned.

"I know," the older woman sighed. "And I'm sorry, I am, but- it's kind an old wound I don't need reopening right now. This time last year was also, kinda... Another thing I don't want to remember." Meredith and Shannon both frowned and tried to avoid eye contact with the transwoman- they both knew about her stay in a psychiatric hospital, and the reason for her stay there.

"...Then we'll just have to make new memories," Meredith said. "Happy memories, memories you'll actually, you know, want to remember? Something like that, anyway..."

"That'd be nice," Janet said, the smile returning to her face as she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the company of her best friends. However, she couldn't help but wonder what her children were doing that night- all three of them...

----------

"Mmph," Ellie moaned as she opened her eyes and was greeted by a sharp pain in her forehead.

"Wondered when you'd wake up," Janet said with a smirk, startling the teenaged girl.

"Who- wha- where am I?" Ellie blurted as she focussed her eyes to see Janet leaning against her door frame.

"In your own bed, and alone, thankfully," Janet said with a smile. "Well, alone apart from the several gallons of booze you no doubt drank last night."

"...Sorry," Ellie mumbled into her pillow.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Janet chuckled. "You wouldn't be a teenager if you didn't rebel once a while. And underage drinking might be against the law but there's rarely any real harm done."

"Doesn't feel like it," Ellie moaned as she rubbed her throbbing forehead.

"Doesn't it?" Janet asked in an overly-loud voice, giggling as Ellie retreated back into her bed sheets with a pained moan. "You also wouldn't be a teenager if you didn't immediately regret 'rebelling', heh. Here, I've bought you some aspirin and a glass of water, get it down you, it'll help."

"Thanks," Ellie whispered, taking the tablet and swallowing it with a gulp of the water.

"Of course, if you get a part-time job..." Janet teased.

"Yes, yes, I know," Ellie moaned. "And I'm still looking, honest."

"No rush," Janet shrugged. "And obviously, no rush to do anything today, hehe! You take your time and try to clear your head. Are Kacey and Monique coming round today?"

"If they're not as smashed as I am," Ellie moaned, rolling over and checking her phone for any messages, only to smile when she saw that she had received a message from an unexpected source twenty minutes earlier.

"I'll leave you to text in peace," Janet chuckled. "Speaking of which, a text to let me know when you'll be coming home in future wouldn't go amiss. And I'd DEFINITELY appreciate one if you won't be coming home."

"I'm not THAT kind of girl, as I've said many times in the past," Ellie sighed. "Do you see anyone else in bed with me?"

"Okay, maybe not," Janet conceded. "It's just- Ellie, I don't mind you getting a boyfriend- A boyfriend- but- just- be careful, okay?"

"I will," Ellie replied, smiling at Janet as the older woman left the room. Ellie took a deep breath before reading her message again, which almost seemed to clear her hangover by itself- though the content of the message was, as always, far less important than the identity of the person who sent it.

'Hey sis,' Jack's message read. 'Can't chat long, mum and dad have gone to the supermarket, will be back around 11 so please don't message after then. What you up to today?'

'Not much,' Ellie replied. 'Still in bed, got a minging hangover from last night.'

'Poor you,' Jack typed with a 'stuck out tongue' emoji, making Ellie roll her eyes. 'Reckon you're gonna get out bed today?'

'Not sure yet,' Ellie replied. 'Janet'll probably moan at me if I don't. Wish I could come over to see you, or you could come to see me.'

'Mum'll never go for that,' Jack replied, and Ellie could almost feel the sigh through her phone- she knew from their conversations that Jack missed her just as much as she missed him.

'She doesn't need to know,' Ellie typed.

'That won't stop her from asking,' Jack replied. 'Think they're back early, gotta go now and delete these messages. Talk soon sis!'

'Bye!' Ellie replied with a smiling emoji, though as she put her phone back on her nightstand, Ellie felt a solitary tear trickle down her cheek. Her life with her friends was fun, and Janet was as understanding a parental figure as Ellie could've hoped for, but there were still many occasions on which she yearned to be back in her own home with her real family...

The weekend quickly came and went, and Ellie let out her customary moan of pain and frustration as her alarm clock woke her at 7am on the Monday morning for another week of college.

"Come on, get up," Janet- who was already fully dressed in her work clothes- yelled through Ellie's bedroom door. "Life isn't all parties, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Ellie sighed as she swung her hairless legs out of bed, wrapped her fluffy pink dressing gown around her body and padded through to the flat's tiny kitchen area. However, her mind was already on the upcoming weekend, and the inevitable party it would bring.

As Ellie got on her regular college bus, she could tell from the expressions on her friends' faces that she wasn't the only one already looking forward to the weekend.

"Hey Ellie!" Monique said with a grin as Ellie squeezed into her regular seat. "Good weekend? Still smashed from Friday?"

"Nah, think I shifted the hangover at about eleven last night," Ellie replied, making her friends giggle. "What we got planned for this weekend?"

"Steady on, need to get the week done first!" Kacey said with a snort of laughter.

"Ugh, do we have to?" Ellie asked, making her friends giggle again.

"Desperate to see the foxy Mr. Fox again?" Monique asked. "I thought I saw the two of you sneaking off on Friday night..."

"Well, you saw wrong," Ellie sighed. "Sadly. Didn't do ANY 'sneaking' on Friday night."

"And that is what regret sounds like!" Kacey giggled.

"No," Ellie retorted. "Maybe. But- ugh, this is gonna sound SO stupid..."

"All the more reason to spit it out!" Monique teased.

"I'm just, you know..." Ellie mumbled. "Having fun hanging out with the two of you. Like, just the three of us, as girls?"

"Well, duh!" Kacey chuckled. "What else would we be hanging out as?"

"Well- you know..." Ellie mumbled.

"Yeah, I know what the 'wrong answer' would be," Kacey said with a warm grin.

"So you're, like, making up for lost time?" Monique asked.

"Something like that, yeah," Ellie chuckled. "Sixteen years of it!"

"So you're not looking for a boyfriend, then?" Kacey teased, making the blonde girl blush.

"...I wouldn't say no if the right guy came along," Ellie replied with a smug grin. "But I'm not, you know, gonna jump in bed with ANY guy. THEY can come to ME!"

"And they probably will!" Kacey said, making Ellie roll her eyes as the bus headed toward college and another week of hard work.

The week passed slowly for Ellie, despite her and her friends' attempts to have fun. However, their gossip sessions- both face to face and over Facebook- and their regular lunches and meet-ups at Ellie and Janet's flat didn't hold the same level of excitement for Ellie that they used to- not when compared to the promise of the fun that was to come on the Friday evening.

By the time Friday rolled around again, all three girls were tired after a long week of work, but excited by the prospect of the night of fun that laid ahead of them- none more than Ellie, who practically skipped out of college in her eagerness to go home and change for her night out.

"Calm down, god's sake!" Kacey admonished the blonde girl. "Night ain't gonna get here any faster just 'cause you're sprinting toward it..."

"I know," Ellie shrugged. "But we've earned this weekend, haven't we?"

"Damn right we have!" Monique giggled. "So... Where we going tonight?"

"...Kace?" Ellie asked her brown-haired friend, who rolled her eyes and laughed in response.

"Girl called Sonia, who's on my course," Kacey replied. "Was her eighteenth on Tuesday, her parents are letting her have a party tonight... That's basically it, heh."

"Though just 'cause it's a girl's party, it doesn't mean there won't be boys there!" Ellie teased, making her friends giggle.

"Good to know you've thought this through!" Monique laughed. "Pick you up about seven, okay?"

"Works for me!" Ellie giggled, waving goodbye to her friends as she headed back to her flat- though not before smiling as she soaked in the stares of many of the boys at her college. While many of the boys refused to even look at her, there were a few who were open-minded enough to look past Ellie's transgendered status- and that number seemed to be growing every day. Ellie had no intention of jumping into bed with just anyone, but the reminders that she was seen by many as the attractive young woman she wanted to be were enough to put a smile on her face.

Ellie's smile widened as she arrived at the house party and immediately drew the attention of virtually all of the boys toward her svelte body in its tight top and scandalously short miniskirt.

"Jackpot," Ellie whispered to Kacey and Monique as she looked around the packed house and drank in the sight of all of the attractive young men present. Before too long, Ellie had a drink in her hand and was dancing the evening away with any boy who was willing to dance with her- which was virtually every boy present at the party.

After a while, though, Ellie's feet began to ache from dancing in her high-heeled shoes, so she retreated to the house's posh kitchen to sit down, where she was soon joined by the party's host.

"Hey, it's Ellie, isn't it?" Sonia asked as she sat down next to the 17 year old girl.

"Hi, yep!" Ellie replied with a giggle. "GREAT party, hehe!"

"Thanks!" Sonia replied with a giggle, before biting her lip and looking awkwardly at Ellie, who let out a gentle sigh- it was a look she was all too familiar with, and she knew immediately what the birthday girl wanted to ask her.

"...Yes, I'm transgendered," Ellie said with a sigh. "I hope that's not a problem?"

"Oh- no, not at all!" Sonia replied. "I love the Angels, so if you say you're a girl, that's all I need to know, heh. And, like, it's not like, you know, there's 'evidence to the contrary' or anything."

"Thanks," Ellie said with a smirk.

"If anything," Sonia said, "I'm just glad I have a boyfriend, like, 'cause you are getting a LOT of attention tonight and I don't need the competition, hehe!"

"Thanks again!" Ellie said with a wider grin. "Guess guys just like blonde, hehe!" Ellie shared a genuine giggle with the also-blonde birthday girl.

"Did I hear that you, like, know the Angels?" Sonia asked. "Or one of them, like?"

"I'm friends with Steph from Out of Heaven," Ellie replied. "Not actually met any of the 'proper' Angels yet. Not even any of the new ones."

"Oh, okay," Sonia replied, biting her lip with disappointment. "Would probably have been too much to ask to, you know, see if you could get one to drop around..."

"Bit short notice," Ellie said with a grimace.

"Meh, I'll know for next time," Sonia said with a smirk, which turned into a full-blown grin as her boyfriend entered the kitchen, accompanied by two of his friends- one of whom immediately caught Ellie's attention.

"Hey babe," Sonia's boyfriend said with a grin as he gave the birthday girl a kiss. "Got any more snacks in here?"

"Usual cupboard," Sonia said with a snort of laughter. "And just grab food and be rude to the other girl in the room, then?"

"You know you're the only girl I want," Sonia's boyfriend replied, giving the girl another kiss before extending his hand to Ellie. "But hi, I'm Jimmy, these are my friends Scott and Ethan."

"E- Ethan?" Ellie asked, making the young man blush as his two friends slapped him on the back.

"Ah, well done mate!" Scott teased. "Didn't even have to say a single word!"

"Piss off," Ethan replied, before turning back to Ellie. "S- sorry about him. I'm- I'm Ethan, Ethan Cole, nice to meet you."

"Ellie Blake," the blonde girl replied as her mind began racing. She knew the name 'Ethan Cole', and she knew exactly where from. As she quickly studied the young man's face, she became more and more convinced that her suspicions were correct- that the young man stood in front of her was none other than Janet's son.

"Think you two might want a little privacy!" Sonia giggled, leading her boyfriend and his friend out into the hustle and bustle of the party as Ethan sat down next to Ellie, a half-empty beer bottle in his hand.

"Umm... Hi!" Ellie giggled demurely.

"Hi!" Ethan replied. An awkward silence filled the kitchen as Ellie racked her brains, trying desperately to think of what to say to the young man. Should she come straight out and tell him about Janet? Should she tell him about her living arrangements? Should she even tell him about herself first? Ethan was, after all, a good-looking young man, and despite the inevitable awkwardness it would bring, Ellie couldn't help but be attracted to him...

"So, umm-" Ellie and Ethan said simultaneously, before both giggling at the increased awkwardness.

"You go first," Ethan said with a smile that clearly showed to Ellie that he was interested in her.

"Heh," Ellie chuckled nervously. "So, umm... I don't- don't think I've seen you at college before?"

"Do you go to the same college as Sonia?" Ethan asked, smiling as the blonde girl nodded. "Heh, I go- I go to Newham." So you don't live too far away from Janet, Ellie thought to herself. Or me, more to the point...

"I go to the one in Redbridge," Ellie said. "So- so not too far away, you know, about an hour on the tube..."

"Yeah," Ethan said, licking his lips as he took another swig of his beer. "What- what do you study?"

"Music," Ellie replied. "You?"

"Business studies," Ethan replied with a smile. "So, umm, do- do you have, umm, do you- live at home still?" Ellie smirked at the young man's awkward question- she knew that what he had really wanted to ask was 'do you have a boyfriend', but obviously couldn't quite muster up the courage.

"Nah, had a- had a falling out with my parents," Ellie sighed. "Living with- a, umm, a friend..." Ellie bit her lip as she tried to wonder how to explain the incredible coincidence to Ethan, before deciding to take it one step at a time- after all, she wasn't 100% sure yet that he was that interested in her... "You- umm, do you still live at home?"

"Just with my mum and my younger sister," Ethan shrugged. "Dad- my, umm, my dad walked out on us last year..." No he didn't, Ellie incredulously thought to herself, before mentally restraining herself. After all, Ethan could only comment on events the way he saw them. Ellie wondered briefly whether or not Jack ever felt that way about her...

"That's awful," Ellie forced herself to say as she gently squeezed Ethan's hand.

"Thanks," Ethan said as a sly grin creeped across his face. "So, umm, do- do you have a boyfriend?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Ellie said with a grin of her own as she leaned in for a kiss, which Ethan was only too happy to give her.

Mere minutes later, the two teenagers were in one of the house's bedrooms, passionately kissing on the bed as Ethan slid his hand higher up Ellie's nylon-covered thigh, reaching under her skirt and sending tingles of desire through her body. However, as Ethan's hand got closer to its 'intended target, Ellie got more and more anxious- after all, he certainly wasn't going to find what he was expecting to find, but if Ellie told the truth, it might touch a nerve with the young man- especially after what he said about Janet. And yet, Ellie found herself facing a dilemma as she gave in more and more to the kiss as Ethan got more 'adventurous'...

"Wait," Ellie said, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"What?" Ethan asked, clearly disappointed by Ellie's sudden reluctance. "If- if it's protection, I've got-"

"It's not that," Ellie said, her hands shaking with nerves as she tried and failed to think of an excuse to tell the young man. "I- umm, I need to tell you something before we- before we do this. If we do this."

"Why wouldn't I want to do this?" Ethan asked.

"I- umm," Ellie said, before smiling. "I, umm, I'm- I'm transgendered..." Ellie smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as Ethan simply nodded stoically at her revelation. "I mean, it's not fair for you to be, you know, 'surprised' or anything, and if we're going to-"

The last thing Ellie remembered before she collapsed unconscious to the floor of the room was a sharp pain in the back of her head, the sound of breaking glass and an angry yell from the young man she had been kissing mere moments earlier.

----------

"Thanks for the lift," Janet said, gulping and taking several deep breaths to calm her shredded nerves as Meredith's car pulled into the hospital car park.

"Oh- seriously, there is NO need to thank me," the younger woman- who seemed almost as anxious as Janet- replied. "I mean, if there's anything I can do, because, you know, you'd do this for me if the roles were reversed, and- sorry..."

"It's okay," Janet whispered hoarsely. "Really, it's okay." Inside, however, Janet felt far from okay. The phone call she'd received from Monique twenty minutes earlier was still ringing in her ears, and telling her one simple message: that she'd failed as Ellie's carer, and subsequently, failed in her duties as a parent.

All throughout her estrangement from her family, Janet was able to console herself with one piece of knowledge: that she'd never let down her children. Ethan and Lindsay had turned their backs on her, but she would never do the same to them, or allow any harm to come to them if it was within her power to stop it. However, harm HAD come to Ellie, harm that Janet could have prevented by simply laying down stricter ground rules for the girl. She'd tried too hard to be Ellie's friend, and as a result, not been able to steer her away from the tragedy that had happened.

Little did Janet know that her feelings of failure were about to get infinitely worse.

"H- hi," Janet said as she approached the reception desk of the hospital's busy A&E department. "I'm Janet Cole, I'm the legal guardian of Ellie Blake?"

"Just let me look her up," the tired-sounding receptionist said as she turned to her computer. "She's in triage now. Her case isn't being treated as life-threatening. If you take a seat, a doctor will be out to see you shortly. As you can see though, we are busy tonight."

"'Cause it's Friday night, I know," Janet said, gulping and taking a deep breath before sitting down on one of the reception area's hard metal chairs. She barely had the chance to marshal her thoughts, however, before she was interrupted by a loud voice from opposite her.

"Oy!" The loud, intoxicated man, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, yelled at Janet. "Oy, you! Yeah, you! Are you a tranny?" Rather than respond, Janet took a deep breath to calm herself, before taking her phone out of her handbag and directing all of her attention toward it.

"OY!" The drunk man yelled in a louder voice, banging against his chair to attract Janet's attention. "I'm talking to you! Are you a poof in a dress?" Janet tried again to ignore the loud man, but realised that he would continue to harass her until she provided him with an answer. Janet took a deep breath and looked the sneering man directly in the eye.

"...None of your damn business," Janet spat, before turning her attention back to her phone.

"Hey!" The drunk man growled. "Don't you fucking talk to me like that you fucking queer! I wanna know if you're a fucking poof in a dress!"

"...And what if I was?" Janet asked.

"I'd kick your fucking teeth down your throat, that's what!" The drunk man yelled. "All people like you should be rounded up and have your fucking throats slashed!"

"Why?" Janet asked.

"What you fucking mean 'why?" The man snarled. "'Cause you fucking deserve it, that's why!"

"Why do we deserve it?" Janet asked, growing increasingly enraged by the man's attitude.

"'Cause you're a fucking poof, that's why!" The man spat.

"Oh, shut up you obnoxious prick!" A young man in his twenties, who was sat two seats away from Janet, groaned, instantly attracting the drunk man's ire.

"What, are you his fucking boyfriend or something?" The drunk man snarled, standing up and, on wobbly feet, aggressively squaring up to the younger man, who immediately stood up in response.

"I'm someone who doesn't like obnoxious bullies like you!" The young man spat.

"Things like that deserve to be bullied!" The drunk man yelled.

"Try telling that to the young girl who's in a hospital bed right now getting glass picked out of her skull!" Janet screeched, standing up despite her best efforts to control her emotions. "All because some lowlife scum like you is so insecure that he can't accept people being different!"

"You little cunt!" The drunk man yelled, drawing his fist back. Janet took a deep breath and braced herself for the pain that was to come, but before the obnoxious man could throw his punch, his hand was caught by a police officer who suddenly appeared in the reception area.

"Okay, that's enough," the policeman said firmly. "Sit your arse down and shut up."

"But that fucking-" the drunk man protested, only to be roughly shoved back into his seat by the policeman, which earned a round of applause from everyone in the reception area- not least Janet.

"Sit your arse down and shut your damn mouth or I'm nicking you for breach of the peace!" the policeman snapped. "I heard some of what you said. And it's people like you that make me sick. So keep your mouth shut." The policeman took a long, deep breath to calm himself down before turning to Janet with a sympathetic look on his face. "...Sorry about that."

"You're not the one who should apologise," Janet growled, before shaking her head and taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "...Sorry. Can- can I help you?"

"Are you Janet Cole?" The policeman asked.

"Yes..." Janet replied. "Is- is this about Ellie?" Janet frowned as the policeman nodded.

"There's a room nearby where we can talk in private," the policeman said, leading Janet out of the reception area through a sea of sympathetic smiles and nods.

"I shouldn't have risen to that guy's bait," Janet sighed once she and the policeman were alone in the room. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," the police office replied. "If it was me I'd have kicked his teeth in. But that's off the record."

"Understood," Janet said with a nod and a quiet chuckle. "What- what's happened to Ellie? I heard from one of her friends that she was assaulted, that someone hit her with a bottle-"

"I will give you all the details that I know so far if you want them," the policeman replied. "But first things first, let me introduce myself properly, my name's PC Martin Roberts, this is just an informal chat so I can get a bit of information about what's happening. From what I understand, Ellie's been living with you for the past few months, right?"

"Yeah," Janet replied. "Around six months-ish. We were- we were introduced by a mutual friend, Ellie was kicked out by her parents after she came out as transgendered and I had a spare room, so... Yeah. We're not doing anything, you know, improper or anyt-"

"I never said you were," PC Roberts replied. "You're not the one in any trouble here, if anything, it's good that Ellie had someone to fall back on. Though I'd like to know who this 'mutual friend' is, whether or not they can give me any more background on the situation?"

"I doubt it," Janet said, taking a deep breath before smirking. "She- she's Steph Abbott, Stephanie Abbott, from the band 'Out of Heaven'. Dunno if you've heard of them?"

"...Actually, my stepdaughter's a huge fan," PC Roberts chuckled. "She's been pestering me for tickets to see them for ages. Small world, heh. So for the last six months, you've been Ellie's legal guardian?"

"Yep," Janet sighed. "We- we kinda have an 'informal' relationship that way, we both see it more as living with a friend than any proper 'parental' relationship, but- it- it's kinda complicated."

"Okay," PC Roberts shrugged. "Well that's all the information I really need if it's that straightforward. My colleague's going to be taking a preliminary statement from Ellie once she's up to it, and if she's not, it can wait until she's out of hospital. Once that's done, I'll take you to see her."

"Thanks," Janet whispered. "Do- do you know yet who did this to her?"

"We've had a couple of positive IDs from other people at the party," PC Roberts said, solemnly nodding his head. "But it's Ellie we really need to talk to, we need her to be the one to press charges."

"I'll make sure she does," Janet said firmly. "This sort of thing can't be tolerated."

"I'll let the two of you talk about that," PC Roberts said softly, before smiling as another police officer, a woman in her mid-twenties, poked her head around the door.

"She's in recovery," the policewoman said. "We can take you to her now." Janet didn't need to be told twice and immediately sprang to her feet, following the young woman to the busy hospital ward, where Janet immediately spotted Ellie laid in bed with a thick, blood-stained bandage covering the back of her head.

"J- Janet?" Ellie asked in a quiet, timid voice, before bursting into tears as the older woman gave her a gentle, tender hug.

"Oh god, Ellie..." Janet sighed, barely suppressing tears of her own. "Who did this to you? Do you know who it was? Whoever it is, they NEED to be punished to the fullest extent of the law." Janet bit her lip as the colour suddenly drained from Ellie's face. "What- what is it?"

"I- I know who it was," Ellie mumbled, desperately trying to avoid Janet's gaze.

"...Well who was it?" Janet asked.

"It- it was Ethan," Ellie whispered. "It was your son."