It occurred to me the other day that when I worked out who Volto was for this story, it's because that's who I think he is in the books. (I'm probably wrong) But I totally forgot that there are a lot of people who don't read the Scarab Beetle stories and so it wouldn't make much sense. SB is another team and they have a "bird" who is called Kayli Winchester, and she's not Academy. Axel Toma is their liaison to the Academy, like Mr Blackbourne is for Kota's team. Blake Coaltar is the protagonist (?) for some of the stories, and he has a clever techie friend called Doyle (Doyle helped him kidnap her in the car accident and he's who Blake used to track the pig's blood) Sorry if that was a clear as mud. I should have added that sooner.
Also, I'm so sorry this has taken so long to get up. I sweated over this one, it was really hard to get through this.
I'm also bummed that I've run out of time as I was trying to get the next part up as well as they fit together. It will be up tomorrow night I promise. Hope you enjoy this one.... tomorrow's was more fun to write though. ;) ;)
Sang's POV
"Please inform me why you were outside the house earlier this morning?" I read it with a frown and looked sideways at Dr Green in doubt.
"She can't send that," he snorted, and I was glad he agreed with me.
"Why not?" demanded Mr Blackbourne.
"Because, Owen, it sounds like you, not her," Dr Green said with exasperation. He looked at me and inclined his head. "Write what you would put and then read it out loud to us."
I erased Mr Blackbourne's words, aware of the snort that left Mr Blackbourne's nose, but I didn't look at him.
Sang: Why were you outside my house?
"Hmmm," was all Mr Blackbourne said before nodding at me to send it.
I hit sent, the atmosphere in the room was still thick with tension and I knew we were a long way from being ok. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even Gabriel and Luke were quiet as they all gathered around us. I held the phone in my lay, my finger tightly curled around it, my stomach was wound so tight it was aching. My eyes glued to the screen waiting to see if he would reply; I was on tenterhooks, my heart beating so fast I was sure everyone could hear it.
My phone flashed, vibrated and I jumped sky high, nearly losing my grip on the phone. I swiped the screen with a shaky finger.
Most of them could see the screen but Dr Green read it out anyway for Mr Blackbourne who still sitting opposite me.
Unknown Caller: ? C'mon, Sang, you know my opinion of anything Academy related. They couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. Someone cut your trampoline. Remember?
"Fucking asshole!" Gabriel snorted right in my ear and I winced, but it was lost in the cacophony of noise from the others.
"Who the fuck does he think he is?" boomed North. I looked up into the steel grey eyes of Mr Blackbourne; he was just watching me, but I could see the calculating going on in his brain.
"That doesn't really answer the question," Kota was saying to Dr Green. "Ok, so he doesn't like the Academy, but why watch out for Sang? He wants her, doesn't he? He wants to take her away from us again."
"Find out how long he's been watching you and if he saw the car behind you," Mr Blackbourne said and I nodded, swallowing. I could hear the fear in Kota's voice but I heard Dr Green murmuring something to him. I needed to talk to Kota when it was just the two of us.
Sang: How long were you watching me for? Did you see the car behind us?
His reply came quickly and I read it outloud.
Unknown Caller: Car? What car? If you mean the kid who threw the MC's, they came through the backwoods, not by car.
I didn't wait for Mr Blackbourne this time I just replied and sent it without even looking up.
Sang: Coming back home we had a car behind us that got too close, overtook and then did it again. Just after New Year, Victor was driven off the road by the same tactics.
"Sang, what did you text him?" Kota demanded and leant over Victor to see. I heard his intake of breath.
"You can't just tell him everything!" Kota snapped and North rumbled that he agreed.
Unknown Caller: Why do you think he didn't drive you off?
Sang: There was a police car further back behind us. ?
Unknown Caller: Yes, that would do it. What else has happened recently?
I looked up at Mr Blackbourne, his face was completely blank and I was unable to read what he really thought.
"Ask again how long he had been watching you," he said
Sang: How long were you watching me for?
Unknown Caller: I was driving past just to make sure you were alright when I saw the goon squad leaving. They left you alone, I stayed around.
I was whispering by the time I finished reading it out loud but they all heard me. Once again they started to object but I didn't wait for Mr Blackbourne to tell me what to say.
Sang: NO, they did NOT leave me alone. They are not the good squad! Dr Green was on the sofa downstairs. Kota, Nathan, North and Luke were just down the road.
I was shaking again, not in fear, but in anger at his words.
Unknown Caller: Perspective, Sang. They live dangerous lives, they know what they're getting you into and they leave you with the least effective member of the team.
I was furious now and not paying any attention to what the others were doing or saying. I punched the phone button and put it to my ear. He answered me straight away, chuckling.
"He is not the least effective member!" I shot out. "He's just as effective as the rest of them"
"Maybe," he chuckled and my temper spiked.
"They have been looking after me! At least they don't send me down to fend against a boy who would rape me!"
He went silent and I breathed out, I had made my point.
"I told that kid where you were. I underestimated that other punk though; I'm sorry, for what it's worth."
"You apologies are worth nothing and Yes, you did underestimate him. And you're underestimating Dr Green!" My voice cracked and I swallowed convulsively.
"Ok, I apologise again. Let me help you now, please," he said quietly.
"I didn't contact you for your help, I was merely eliminating you," I told him firmly, but my stupid voice betrayed me and cracked slightly again.
"Ouch! I guess I deserved that," he muttered. "Sang, I know that you don't trust me, that they don't trust me, but I mean no harm to you."
"We have everything under control. They are all I need," I told him clearly, a hand touched my shoulder and when I looked up, Nathan was looking down at me.
"I hear you," he said and sighed heavily. "They're going to get you to delete my number from your phone. Axel Toma can reach me though, or Kayli Winchester, don't hesitate if you need anything. Don't let them get you hurt because of blind trust, Sang."
I recognised Axel's name, but the Kayli girl was a mystery to me, but I was not going to ask him who she was.
"Take care, Sang," he murmured and then he was disconnecting and I was left staring at the phone in my hand. Long, slim fingers reach out and plucked it from my hand.
"Miss Sorenson?" Mr Blackbourne held my phone loosely between his fingers. "Would you care to inform us of what he said to you?"
"He said that he doesn't mean me any harm, that he knows we don't trust him. That you'll get me to delete his number and that if I need him to contact him through Axel Toma or some girl called Kayli Winchester."
"Yeah, like that's going to happen," North snorted and Nathan grunted in agreement.
"We heard what Sang said to him, but do we think he got the message about leaving her alone?" Kota spoke up.
"I don't think we need to worry about him," Mr Blackbourne said, twirling the phone between his fingers, his eyes on me still.
"Well, we can delete his number, not that it'll stop him from contacting her," Nathan said and I realised with a sinking feeling that they didn't trust me not to phone him again. That hurt, but at the same time I could understand, but yet I didn't at the same time.
"No, no need to delete his number," Mr Blackbourne held the phone out to me, saying no more. It made my throat close over as I realised that he was saying to me that he trusted me, he had done the same last night. It might be just him though.
I took the phone from his hand and bit my lip as I stared down at the screen. I pushed my finger over the screen and then deleted all my caller logs, his number disappearing from my phone.
"I know you don't trust me," I said quietly.
"Of course we trust you," North insisted loudly.
"No, you don't," I said, looking over at Luke quickly before looking away again. "You don't trust me because I texted him without telling you."
"I was panicking when I said that," Luke spoke up. "It scared me, Sang, still does. He had the power to tear us apart, to rip you away from us and you texted him as if he was just some random person. I couldn't believe how you could be so complacent about getting into contact with him."
"Oh, I can answer that one," Dr Green spoke up. "It's something only time will cure."
I looked at him in confusion, not sure what he was on about.
"I asked Sang how she couldn't know how much it had affected us because we love her, and her reply was, "I hear you say it, but this is me we're talking about"," he said quietly, making air quotes with his fingers, but I was still confused.
Victor sighed heavily and slid his hand over my head.
"It didn't sink in for Sang just how much it affected us because her own lack of self worth prevented it. It's not a matter of trust, it's a matter of time," Dr Green murmured. I tried to remember saying that, but I couldn't.
"I get that," Gabriel spoke up and crouched at my side. "We're in the middle of a group of fucking fabulous guys who can do anything, look like they stepped off the pages of a fucking magazine, and they say they love us. But you don't see what we see, Trouble. You are fucking amazing, you've had a shit life, no one telling you how amazing you are, so you're gonna have a fucked up way of looking at yourself. If you can't trust us in anything else at least trust us when we say you are fucking gorgeous, inside and out."
"You need to take your own advice, Gabe," Luke said. "But he's right, cupcake. And let's face it, looks aren't everything, in fact they aren't anything. Jade William is considered pretty, but fucking hell, she's a complete bitch. We got lucky with you, you're beautiful inside and out. But even if you weren't physically perfect, we'd still think you were because we love who you are, so you would be physically perfect even if you weren't."
"What the fuck, Luke?" Nathan peered at him. "What the fuck was that?"
"He means, that even if there were some physical imperfection that we would not see it, because who Miss Sorenson is would shine through. Luke is perfectly correct, it's how true love works and will see us all into our old age."
"Oh, I get it, looks fade," North boomed. "When we're all seventy odd and gravity has fucked us up, we'll still adore you, worship the ground you fucking walk on, Sang baby, because it's you we love not how you look. Although you are fucking gorgeous."
"Gravity may fuck you up, my friend, I will just age handsomely," Silas said with a waggle of his eyebrows.
"Like fuck you will, I've seen your dad!" North chuckled and Silas shrugged.
"Take after my mother for looks."
"You mean you admit you look like a girl?" Nathan inquired, ducking out of the way of Silas' boot. I giggled and covered my mouth.
Dr Green slung his arm around my shoulders and rocked me slightly.
"I think," Mr Blackbourne spoke up and placed his hands on my knees. "That you need to give us what you asked Mr Taylor for, time. Give us time to show you that we can be trusted."
"I do trust you," I said quickly looking around at them. "You think I don't, but I do. My problem is that I won't be able to promise that I wouldn't do something like that again," I heard the quick intake of breath and realised that I had worded it wrong again.
"No, no, I don't mean texting Blake. I will never do that again. I mean think and then act without telling you first. I can't second guess myself, I can't become so dependant on you that I can't think for myself."
"It doesn't mean that," Victor spoke up. Mr Blackbourne tightened his grip on my knees slightly but stayed silent.
"North doesn't check in on everything he does," Nathan added. "None of us do, it doesn't mean that. It means like when things go wrong, or we're on a job that we trust each other enough to know we have each other's back."
"It means that as a family until we're solid," Luke chipped in. "That no matter what, we will be here for each other."
"It also means we don't keep secrets, we don't involve outside people, we keep it in the family," Kota said tightly and I knew he was thinking of what he had told me after I had got caught in the sawdust pile.
I sighed heavily and nodded. I really needed to talk to Kota.
"I understand that," I told him. "Sean explained it to me last night, this morning," I frowned, completely unsettled with where I was time wise. "Whatever... he told me that I should have waited and that you would have helped me make it safer to contact him..." I stopped as it hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Miss Sorenson....?"
"I texted him then because I knew that if I waited, I'd lose my nerve, but I also knew that if I told you you'd stop me and so I texted him anyway." I stopped, swallowed, waiting for the anger in his eye, but he merely chuckled.
"You know us quite well," he said. "First reaction would have been to stop you. Then if you had insisted, we would have worked out a way, like Sean told you. Miss Sorenson, we are all learning here as we go along, all of us."
"You just need to communicate..." North said and then looked faintly guilty. "And so do we. Honestly, Sang, first instinct is to protect you at any cost, but I will try hard to not keep things from you."
"Thing is..." Victor caught my attention. "You are a girl."
"Jesus fucking Christ, Victor, have you just worked that out?" Gabriel snorted and I giggled slightly, the tension starting to unknot in my stomach as we talked.
"And by that I mean..." Victor glared at Gabriel before looking back at me. "It's our job to take care of you. Not even a job, it's what we want to do."
"We're not saying that you're inferior to us," Dr Green added quickly. "Maybe it is a caveman thing, but we're bigger, stronger and harder than you. You're this tiny, cute as a button girl, and that just gets all the "club in hand, ward off all predator" instincts going."
"Mentally, Miss Sorenson, we are fully aware that you are more than capable of keeping up with us and, in fact, surpass us in some things," Mr Blackbourne said softly. "But the desire to protect you is strong. We will try hard to include you in things that we can. Unfortunately, that doesn't include Academy business not related to the school."
I nodded, I knew that thing about the Academy were secrets that I would not be able to know unless I joined fully. Victor put his hands on my shoulders and kneaded them firmly, making me sigh.
Mr Blackbourne shifted slightly and he drew his phone from his pocket and answered it.
"Blackbourne."
I watched his face, but he was looking at Dr Green and I saw that silent conversation going on even though he was listening to whoever was on the other end.
"Yes, of course, I'll be right down," he said and pocketed his phone. "Ok, Luke, Nathan, get on with checking up on those kids."
"Victor, start checking on Sasha Bennetts records, I know we looked at them, but go deeper this time."
Victor nodded and got up to cross to where Nathan had his laptop.
"Kota..."
"I need to get back to see if Mom needs me to babysit Jess," he muttered and Mr Blackbourne frowned and then nodded. Kota turned away and walked out without a backwards glance. I heard the front door slam and it made me jump, my stomach sinking slightly. I knew that Kota still had a problem and nothing except talking was going to solve it.
"We need to get to the Diner," North spoke up and looked at Silas. "Silas was taking Luke's shift because it was supposed to be their date today."
Mr Blackbourne made a noise in the back of his throat, lifting his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up.
"We can't take the chance," he said to me and then looked at Luke, nudging his glasses back into place.
"Before the fire we were talking about that," Dr Green spoke up. "We wondered if just for the time being, dates are movies at home while the rest of us make ourselves scarce. It's not ideal but just until we get whoever this is out of the way."
"Yeah, but whose home?" snorted Luke.
"Ours for the time being," Mr Blackbourne spoke up. "If we need to go anywhere for any reason, two or more."
I was happy with that, I could see the necessity of keeping everyone safe and taking needless risks was not a good idea.
"Ok, agreed. Nathan, Luke you get going, you too, North, Silas. The rest of us will go down to the house and see what can be salvaged and what is to clear up. Gabriel come down with us and then come back with Victor after, ok? We will meet up together at our place when we all finish"
I would go with them to the house and then I would go and see Kota. There was no way I could leave it like this, he was hurting and I had to try and make it better.
——————-
"Oh fucking hell," Gabriel breathed out. He reached for my hand and I gripped his, needing to feel him. I took in the state of my bed, or what was left of it. Black smoke had darkened the walls, but the vast majority of damage in here was water damage from the fire trucks. My clothes were ruined, my books, everything. The acrid smell of smoke was still strong in the air, the carpet was soaking at my feet. I could see Dr Green crawling into the attic space to see what damage had been done there, but my attention was on my bed.
"Shit, if you'd been in there you'd have been burnt..." Gabriel faded out and took out his phone and started taking pictures. Mr Blackbourne was downstairs talking to some guys who Gabriel had told me where from the Academy. It had not taken them long to roll in and take over. The building was structurally sound, no major damage done at all. It was mostly cosmetic and replacing items.
I stared down at the bed, the window had broken and the bed had been right in the way. If I had been in there I would have been burnt badly and very quickly.
"Shit," Gabriel caught me to him, pulling me into him tightly enough to hurt, but I said nothing, I needed to feel him just as much, it had been a close call for both myself and Dr Green. If Dr Green had got hurt....
"There's no real damage...." Dr Green stopped when he saw us. He stepped forwards and slid his arms around me to hold onto Gabriel as well.
"You weren't hurt, no one was hurt," Dr Green murmured to us, "It was a close call, but it's over, you're safe, Marie is safe and so am I."
I nodded, squidged between them completely.
"And look on the bright side," Gabriel managed, "I get to take you shopping again."
I half snorted, half sobbed and he chuckled. I felt fingers move through my hair, I knew it wasn't either of them and then a calm voice spoke.
"Miss Sorenson, everything can be replaced. The good news is that we can make a start fairly soon. I just need you to make a list for insurance purposes, no need to go into details, just quantities of books, clothing, jewellery that sort of thing."
They stepped back from me and I wiped at my face, aware of a few tears that had fallen.
"I can do most of that," Gabriel said and I shrugged.
"Most of my things were in the attic," I said and looked at Dr Green.
"That's mostly kept dry and smoke free, just a bit around the entrance," he said.
"Good," Mr Blackbourne rubbed at his eyebrow. "Mr Toma's team are coming over to board up the windows for the time being. I think we need to get you back down to Nathan's for that."
"If it's all the same I think I ought to talk to Kota," I said quietly, trying to do that silent thing to let Mr blackbourne know that I really, really needed to talk to Kota. It must have worked because he nodded.
"Yes, of course, go on down to Kota and get him to take you to Nathan's when you're ready."
"I'll take her down and then come back," Gabriel said and taking my hand he pulled me from the room. I was glad to leave the burnt, watery mess that had been my room. I hadn't seen what the rest of the house was like, but if it was the same it was heartbreaking.
"All the work wasted, all that money just ruined," I muttered as Gabriel walked me down towards Kota's.
"It's just things, Trouble," Gabriel said quietly. "We need to catch who this is before someone gets really hurt."
I knew he was right, the thought that whoever had done this was too out there put a chill in my heart. I would worry about all of them until whoever it was, was caught.