ZK POV
I follow eric out of the cage area and out to his truck. We move in silence but I feel comfortable around the man and knew I'd be safe in his house. I slid in the shotgun seat as he throws his backpack into the back. The lieutenant commander turns of some soft country music as his truck pulls out into the cold January night, almost similar to a year ago as I sat in his wife jeep. Same hurt child, same weather and yet another blackburn coming to my rescue . Nothing is said as we pull in front of the house but this time we don't pull into the garage as we walk up the front steps. Just like last year, gracie blackburn runs out of the house. Her hair in braids, identical to mine and she's sports a toothless smile. She's slightly taller than last time but wearing similar clothes as the last time I saw her. They include a NAVY academy baseball long sleeve and green plaid pajama pants this time instead of pink. Her dad easily picks her up before her toes touch the soon to be icy front walk of the house. "Gracie you remember Zoë, right ? She's one of momma's kids and is gonna be spending the night tonight." The young girl curiously looks me up and down before the information sets in "Does she need booboo bear again." I smile softly at that memory, especially after everything that happened that night. Even out of her uncles coming and the impromptu medical care that was preformed on me the young girl held on to the idea that her booboo bear could cure anything. Her juvenile belief was something that I could only long for, but unlike before her dad manages to stop her before she runs off again. "Your Uncle Trent helped her last night so no booboo bear, but do you wanna hold Zoe's hand while I clean her stitches up?" The girl seemed content that she could still help, and that holding my hand would make her feel important in the process. We were brought out of both the conversation and outdoors as Hannah appears at the door wearing a flowery apron and smile "Gracie go run upstairs to clean up for dinner. You will have plenty of time with Poppa and Zoë later." The young girl slithered our of her dads arms and scampered inside as I followed the commander inside, quietly shutting the door behind me. The house exuded warmth as a faint fire was going in the fire place and the smell of a home cooked meal filled the kitchen area. "I made chicken alfredo for dinner, and there's some rolls in the oven. There's some salad too." The smell of the food was incredible and my stomach growled but deep inside such rich food would make me vomit. I wasn't going to say anything to Hannah though as she worked so hard to make this dinner and I'd rather suffer a sick stomach later than make her upset or for that matter embarrass myself. I throw my backpack onto a chair and sit once again on the couch as I think back to that incident less almost a year ago.
Flashback
The couch was comfortable as I sink into it, still holding my hand to my bloody head. The crimson color slowly yet surely stained my hand as hannah came over with some paper towels. I gladly took them and held them up to my head wound which wasn't deep enough to hurt me last night but now the shocks worn off and the beanie surprisingly acted as a bandage for it to stem the bleeding. I thank hannah softly without saying anything and she gently rubs my back. Shortly her husband comes back carrying a large camo backpack which he seemed to grab from the garage. He digs through it eventually pulling out a smaller backpack from inside that had a Red Cross on it. I see him wispher to hannah as I softly closed my eyes trying to avoid the fear that plagued my mind.
I'm pulled from my thoughts as a bouncy six year old scampers down the stairs and throws herself on the couch smiling as she does. She tries to take the tv remote but hannahs voice rings out "Gracie Nadine you know the rules. No tv before dinner." The young girl crosses her arms before looking at me intensely. Before she can speak the commander comes down changed into even more causal clothes of jeans and a red university of Wisconsin sweatshirt that no doubtly, Hannah a two time alum of the school got him. He looks at his youngest child "can you help your mom set the table?" She scampers off leaving me alone with the lieutenant commander who was now sipping a glass of wine. His ease and the light attitude around me somehow made me uncomfortable, like I was apart of people playing house. It felt weird but maybe it was because I wasn't used to be at home, or feeling safe for that matter. No matter how uncomfortable or weird I felt, I always felt safe at the Blackburn's house and that's the most important thing to me. I've been in to many dangerous situations in my life to care about many things but if I could be safe than I could get close to people. That's why I was never close to anyone before, besides Kansas or Charity. I never felt safe around anyone but them before. The commander looked at me for a moment before speaking "you okay, Zoë Kai?" I realized I had dazed off cornering him as I stared into space. I smile softly "yeah I'm good, does Hannah need help." He smiles softly back at me "with Gracie she'll be okay. After dinner, Hannah and I need to discuss with you some of the more tedious points of your bravo team agreement. Before bed I'll replace your butterfly stitches on your face and clean your arm wounds." I nod my head not having much say in anything at this point letting silence consume us the rest of the time before Gracie scampered into the room announcing dinner. I follow the young girl into the kitchen to the less formal sitting area where four place setting were. mine was between the commander and Gracie, which would make for a rather interesting dinner. Unlike the others my plate didn't have fettuccine, which instantly shocked me. instead it had plain butter noodles with small chicken pieces separate and a tiny salad with no dressing, hannah made me a whole separate dinner. my checks grow red in embarrassment since she went to all this effort for me. Hannah must have sensed my discomfort before she gently grabbed my hand "don't worry about it, Zo. I cook the noddles and chicken separate before adding both into the sauce so I just saved some for you to eat." With Gracie right there she didn't deleve into why I wasn't eating their dinner but provided a good enough explanation to me leaving only a small amount of guilt inside.
The food settled easily in my stomach as I helped clean up the table. I didn't have all the food on my plate but it was something and the bland food wouldn't cause me further pain tonight. As I helped clear the table, the lieutenant commander helped Gracie set up an age appropriate video game for her on the xbox which ended up being Minecraft. This seemed to solidify that I would be having a conversation with the two adults in the room. Blackburn came back motioning to me to grab a seat at the now clean table as Hannah pulled up her laptop. It felt as though I was in trouble and my parents were trying to understand what happened. I slowly sip the hot tea that Hannah grabbed as she starts to talk. "There are some finer details of your agreement that we need to go over. Nothing scary just some clarifications." I nod my head scared because even if it wasn't deemed scary by Hannah anything uncertain brought aniexty to me. Hannah goes on the explain how the members of bravo technically had custody over me when I was with them which meant that they could make medical decisions as well as over ones for me. She continued on saying that when I wasn't on a mission nor with bravo my custody was with the state. That meant I'd be bouncing between foster homes but these foster homes would be with people who understood my agreement. I'd be going to a new foster home tomorrow with the Rhodes ; Jared a former SEAL now firefighter, Meredith a middle school science teacher and their two kids; an eleven year old son Tyler Carson and a four year old daughter Joey. They had previous foster kids before and were extremely vetted. Another detail of my agreement was that I'd still go to school. As I was a year ahead in school since fourth grade, I would be allowed to continue that in addition to keeping up my language skills with some advanced classes with the navy. There was also a small stipulation that I was unaware that gave me more comfort that I ever expected. "If you are ever in a situation where you feel unsafe, you are to call bravo immediately. Apart of your custody agreement is an emergency clause, which applies to anywhere, anytime. If your use the code word they will come and get you, and take over your custody until you are safe." I softly smile at hannah confirming that statement. Her effort to include that and to tell me provided me more safety than she would ever know. The two adults stand up leaving me to go to send their own daughter to be reiterating that while I was considered family, I would never be family.
I take the young girls spot on the couch and pick up her Minecraft game for her. She was on creative so it wasn't anything hard but I decided to help her with her house she was building. Eventually the two adults come back down this time blackburn sporting his camo bag.
Flashback
I open my eyes to the sound of fabric on the rug, as if someone was kneeling on it. The commander was now settled on his knees in front of me as he pulls on medical gloves from his bag. "Zoë I'm just gonna put pressure on your head." I look at him suspiciously and unsurely. He looks back reassuringly "I'm a NAVY Seal, I'm trained in advanced first aid with them. Until we get more help here will you let me help you?" The bleeding was getting more on my hands and soon it would cover the palm of one of them. He was my only option so I nodded my head softly "sure."
Blackburn takes a seat in front of me on the table he pulled across the carpet. He pulls out the smaller bag of medical supplies that Trent gave him earlier. "I'm just gonna unwrap your arm wounds, clean them and rewrap. Everything else is fine besides the butterfly stiches that need to be changed too. I'll be really gently and fast, Zoë. Do you trust me?" With that I nodded once again, once again signaling the slow trust building inside of me. It was a painful process but the commander said my wounds weren't infected and he didn't expect them to be with Trent fixing them. Eventually he finished the work and took off the medical gloves throwing them away in the kitchen garbage "your gonna sleep in one of the bunk beds in TK rooms. It might be best for you take the lower bunk." I smile at the commander "thank you, for everything." He leans down resting his elbows on his couch "you don't have to keep thanking of because we are family, and family doesn't have to do that." With that he went back into the kitchen to help clean up. The commander was wrong though, I wasn't family and neither was he. I so longed for that sentiment to be true that, and I think back to my earlier thoughts if I keep my head down and do my job than maybe the guys can trust me. I sneak out to the commanders truck outside through a side door and try to grab my computer but no joy it's not in the truck. Blackburn most have put it in his office which just happened to be next to the bedroom I was staying in. Grateful the couple was still in the kitchen, so I sneak upstairs into the office. On the walls were graduation diplomas and pictures along with SEAL memorabilia, and of course a flag that I had seen in the bravo cage area. I didn't know what it meant but it had a dog type logo on it. His work backpack was on his desk open, and my laptop sticking out along with my headphones still attached. I grab both and retreat back to TK room undetected. The nineteen year olds room hadn't changed since I was there last, still displaying the two bunk beds, baseball trophies everywhere and an American flag on the wall. I slide onto the lowest bunk bed and get to work on these translations for mandy. Eventually falling asleep as the sounds of Arabic fill my years.
Eric and Hannah Blackburn call watching news quits after eleven pm as the stories seem to only repeat itself now. Hannah shut off the lights as Eric now pajama pant and t shirt clad moved to the hall to make sure the secuirty system was on. Hannah joined him as he looked at the cameras "you okay ?" He nodded standing up kissing his wife on the head "yup, just worry when Zoë stays here." Hannah nodded understanding completely where he her husband is coming from. "Come upstairs, we are fine here. The cameras are on, your a phone call away from the team." Eric nodded walking away running a hand through his hair "I'm just gonna check on Zoë make sure she's okay." He opened the door to his sons room surprised to see Zoë passed out her computer open on her lap, the headphones hanging off the side of the bed. Hannah follows him into the tool grabbing the computer from the young girls lap shutting it in the process. Without second thought the commander picks up the young girl and throws back the covers allowing her to lay under them. He gently strokes her hair before standing up and shutting off the light. "She was working wasn't she?" The commander nods his head "she's gonna burn out if she keeps doing this. The partying, the drugs, the drinking and then working for hours on hours. She's gonna crash but thank god the teams there." Hannah smiled grabbing his hand "and us. We may not be her parents but we can keep her safe. I've heard nothing but great things about the Rhodes, and I'm sure she'll be great with them." With that the couple retreat to bed completely unaware of the issue that would plague them hours on advance.
Former Ambassador Beau Myers weaved through the parking lot in his Range Rover, alcohol reeking from his breath. He pulled to a un graceful stop besides an old red pickup truck, the windows unrolled. "Ashland Spenser, thank you for calling. You have information on my daughter." The former SEAL smiled evilly "of course sir. she's with a new foster family tomorrow, the Rhodes. Here's their address." The disgraced political smirked "I've had her taken away from me once by terrorists, and once by our own seal team. Now she's back with them, I can't let leave again. It's time she comes home." The men exchange no more words and leave in separate directions. The plan was now in motion, the ambassador was going to get his daughter back forcing the young girl to face her past, and the ghosts and skeletons that plague it.
ZK POV
I wake up to the fresh smell of coffee and bacon slowly alerting me to my surroundings. I'm surprised I'm under the covers but I most have slipped under them shortly before falling asleep, as well as closed my laptop which now sat on the bedside table. I roll out of bed, my pajama pants touching the floor as they swim on my tiny body's frame. Today was the day I'd be going to my new foster home, and part of that excited me, the other made me afraid. I brought my demons wherever I went and the more I move the more people get exposed. Throwing on a sweatshirt from the closet I go downstairs, causing Hannah to smile. Completely unaware that I had grabbed a university of Wisconsin sweatshirt to wear almost identical to the one the commander was wearing last night. "I got everyone them for Christmas a few years, hence why TK has one." I smile at her comment grabbing a stool next to the six year old at the breakfast bar. Gracie was in her little uniform for school, and slowly she eat the oatmeal in front of her. The commander comes downstairs in his camo uniform, meaning he'd most likely be have morning meetings. Surprisingly he grabs a hair brush and comes behind his daughter whom he kisses on the head. Slowly yet surly he braids her hair, almost identical to the ones that I have in mine. So, he was the one who fixed my hair for me when I was all bloody. It was a cute moment, and felt totally private between the two of them so I tried to sneak into the living room, but Hannah stopped me by shoving a mug of coffee across the island. "Don't worry about it. Eric does Gracies hair almost every morning when he's here. He grow up with five younger sisters so he can French braid and do pig tails a lot better than me. My three older brothers on our Wisconsin game taught me more about cows and horses than hair, so I let him do it. I'm pretty sure the PTA moms at Gracies school think I'm some hair master but in honesty, I'm just trying to win brownie points with them so I don't tell them it's my husband who does it." I laugh at her comments, thinking about how Hannah definitely was no PTA mom and was the complete opposite definition of the private school ideas of a mum. That being a not stay at home mum with four kids and a Range Rover. No, Hannah was and is a total badass in my opinion. After the short lived laughter we went our separate ways as I got changed to met the Rhodes and Blackburn drove Gracie and school and than to base.
It was a long drive to the largish farm house on the outskirts of Virginia Beach where the hills were rolling and horses roomed. We get out of Hannahs Jeep and walk up to the barn area. Besides that was a house where a man stood, a little girl on his hip. "So sorry Hannah, Meredith had to get to school early and took TC with her. She'll call you tonight though." Hannah smiled "it's all good Jared. I know she's a busy mom. This is Zoë Kai, but she goes by ZK or Zo." I smile softly at the young girl who was waving to Hannah and I. "Joey's looking so big now." I look at hannah confused before Jared spoke up "We adopted TC and Joey were as babies from Hannah. When she called about you, it seemed like we were definitely needed again." We move inside the old yet renovated farm house as Hannah pulls Jared aside talking to him, most likely about me. Joey walked over to me and sat down next to me on the couch with two Barbie dolls in her hands. I instantly got what she was saying and began to play with her, maybe this was what was needed for me to break out of my shell. Not being solider Barbie but playing them, like a kid should actually be doing.
Hannah Blackburn smiled as she saw the young girl play with one of her success stories. Jared Rhodes former SEAL medic smiled as well "She'll be safe her, Hannah. We've got security in all the barns and house and the first gun safe is locked in the garage. The second is locked in the closet in the master bedroom." Hannah nodded "I wouldn't have brought her here otherwise. Eric changed her dressings last night and reapplies the butterfly bandages to the best of his ability, but quite frankly my husbands first aid training is almost a decade old." The former medic, now paramedic firefighter laughed "I'll check them over tonight, my kits in my office. Joeys home from school with an ear infection so it's a light day of doll playing and movies, think Zoë will mind?" Hannah smiled "I think it's exactly what she needs."