Still I Rise - BTS/OT7

12 - History Repeats Itself

The house members couldn't do much to help, so they sat back, anxiously watching the two youngest members and hoping that things would sort themselves out. They silently observed the pair as they would come home late, typically heading straight to Charlie's room for the night. They noticed how the two became inseparable yet again, just like the first few months they had joined. It felt like they were slowly starting to build up those walls again, the ones that made it feel like it was them against the rest of the world. Sure, the guys all knew that their old foster family had new kids, hell, they were just as worried about the kids as Jungkook and Charlie were, but with both of their behavior lately, it felt as if there was more to the story than the two let on.

Yoongi still insisted that they keep training, so they made sure to utilize the free time they had when both the kids were in school. Jungkook liked the change in his day as he continued to work with Hoseok on difficult shots and getting his reaction time to improve while Charlie continued to work on combat. Jimin told Yoongi that he needed to help Charlie with some new techniques he had read about it, but in reality, he just wanted the chance to talk to her.

"Toe pointed," Jimin said as Charlie held her kick in the air. Jimin walked closer to her and pressed on her stomach. "Abs tight." He then tried to push her leg down and she faltered. "Leg strong. Again," he insisted, noticing the frustration on her face. He could tell she wasn't in it, but didn't say anything as he took a step back and watched her spin around and kick. He shook his head when he noticed her make the same mistake.

"Charlie, you did it again," he said as Charlie gave him a blank look. "Come on." Jimin motioned for her to follow him, causing her to huff before complying. He walked back upstairs and grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge, handing one to her before proceeding to walk outside.

The house had a nice sized backyard with a couple chairs on their pavement patio, a space they rarely used since they were always busy either training or out on missions. Jimin sat down in one of the chairs with Charlie doing the same.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" Jimin asked as he took a drink of water. Charlie stared at the bottle in her own hands, not knowing exactly what to say. "I know that both you and Jungkook have been occupied with other things lately, but I feel like there is something more bothering you," he added, causing Charlie to finally meet his gaze.

"We're just really worried about them, the kids," she admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. "They are a lot younger than Jungkook and I were." She fiddled with the water bottle in her hand as she could feel herself start to shake again. She tightly held onto the plastic, desperately trying to stop the tremors. Everytime she thought about it, she started to feel sick to her stomach. She had debated several times running into that house and taking the kids away herself, but Jungkook always brought her back to reality. He reminded her that their own lifestyle was no place for kids either, and currently, they weren't even sure if the same shit was happening. They needed actual proof, not just assumptions and speculations.

"How old were you when it started?" Jimin asked quietly. He was too nervous to ask, but he really wanted to understand Charlie better so that he could help her. Charlie took a deep breath as she thought back to when she was first placed in the home, and when everything started.

"I was placed there when I was about 10... and everything started around the time I was 13," she said, keeping her gaze on the small cracks that had started to form on the concrete. She instinctively reached up and started grabbing her ear, but with no earring in, she settled for pulling on her earlobe instead.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to you and Kook. No kid should be treated like that." Jimin reached towards Charlie and placed his hand on hers. She looked up and gave him a sad smile, squeezing his hand to let him know she appreciated his kindness.