. >> reporter: a mother's helper and sister emilee's best friend. with halee, she says, she felt safe. >> she was always definitely what you pictured an older sister being like. like, the big protective, "don't mess with my sisters or i'll come at you" type sister. >> reporter: that protective streak continued all through school, even extended to friends. carley sollars and ansley bowles. >> she kind of just acted like everyone's mom because she was so caring. >> she was tall. and everybody, all of our friends are so short. and so it was always, like, she stuck out and we would go places and she would tower over all of us. it made it funny. >> the mom and all her kids. >> yeah. and so people always like, she was the first one that they noticed. >> reporter: the world was kind of like her catwalk? >> yeah. >> yeah, pretty much. >> reporter: beautiful girl? >> yeah. i love when i get told that i look like her. it makes me really happy. >> reporter: aww, that's awfully sweet. but halee's beauty was more than skin-deep. tattoos, like this one on her bac