A.N. Hey guys this is my new story Protecting Ziva and is set beforeall the current Finding Sky books including Misty Falls. I am temporarily leaving Saving Jenna alone but if you want me to after the end of this story or maybe before I will finish it for you. Ziva is Zed's twin sister and I hope you enjoy. R&R!
Robyn x
I sat on the kitchen counter watching my mum make pasta bake. Mum always got really stressed at this time of the day as dad would be coming home soon and as he had a really stressful job he could be really angry when he got home. He always had to have dinner on the table as soon as he got home or he could get angry and hit us. At that moment my slightly older brother walked in and asked if he could go to his friend's house.
'Sorry not now darling you need to be here. Why don't you help Ziva lay the table and make sure it's all in the exact right place?' Mum said kindly to him looking a little sad that he couldn't go over to Liam's, as he was his best friend.
I sighed as I hopped off the counter to help my brother Ben lay the table. At the exact moment a few minutes later as Mum put the bake on the table Dad walked in.
'Ah that looks amazing Mariam.' Dad said kindly and looked as if it was meant honestly. It scared me most when he was like this as it would remind me of all those Sunday afternoons when Ben and mum were at sports practice at the school. Dad would always lead me over to the sofa and position me on his lap so I straddling him with my hands on his chest. Then he would tell me what a beautiful girl I was. I had nightmares about those afternoons.
We all sat down at the table and began to eat when there was a knock at the door and Dad's expression went stone cold as he stalked over to the door. None of the rest of us were allowed to answer the door if he was home. There was a sharp intake of breath as Dad saw who it was he then looked directly at me
'Get in your room now.' I nodded scared and ran off down the corridor. We had a nice house with four bedrooms all on one floor as Dad had a good job but I still wish he had his old job as then he wouldn't hit us when he was angry.
But right now I was more worried when he told me to go to my room but not Ben I locked my bedroom door and press my ear up against it so I could hear what they were saying but I had no luck. At that moment there was a scratching at the window I spun round to find a boy that could have almost been my twin. He honestly looked like a male version of me. Running over to the window I yanked it up and hissed at the boy. 'What are you doing here?!'
'Saving you. Come on!' he whispered back motioning for me to climb out the window. I shot a glance at the door. None of them really loved me. I grabbed my favourite teddy bear, Cuddles, and jumped out the window following the boy to what looked like his family.
The person who looked like the mother ran over to me and engulfed me in a huge hug as she guided me into a vehicle. In the back there was two seats next to each other with pillows and blankets. The woman pointed at the one next to the window and I willing obliged curling up in a ball; seeing this the woman eased out the blanket from behind me and wrapped it around me.
'Welcome home dear.' She smiled warmly at me as slowly one by one everyone else piled on in the car, the boy from the window in the seat next to me in the other seat with the pillow and blanket. My mind was buzzing with thoughts but I promised myself I would only say one at a time.
'It's nice you saving me and everything but would you mind telling who you actually are?' I said in a small voice. Dad used to hit me if I said anything unless I was spoken to and I just hoped these guys weren't the same.
The man in the front laughed 'It's okay dear to speak and we are your actual family.' My actual family? What? 'I'm Saul your father this is my wife Karla who's your mum and this lot are your brothers.' He said pointing at everyone else. Then the oldest boy spoke up.
'I'm Trace and I'm the oldest.'
Then the boy next to him spoke 'I'm Uriel, second oldest.'
'Victor, third oldest.'
'Will, forth oldest'
'Xavier but preferably Xav and third youngest.'
'Yves, second youngest.'
'And I'm Zed your twin so joint youngest with you.' The boy next me smiled. So I was right then he was my twin.
'So that makes me Ziva your much better and more attractive sibling!' I joked and everyone laughed even Karla and Saul joined in with the laughter. We continued chatting as they wanted to get to know me as much I wanted to know them which was a lot. At some point in the convocation I and Zed fell asleep.
'Mum can we start the pancakes.' A voice called down the stairs followed by pounding footsteps.
'XAV!' Zed and I both moaned at the same time as if we read each other's minds as we slowly woke up from our awkward positions on the sofa.
'What?!' He replied copying our exact tones.
'We were sleeping.' Zed moaned
As Zed and I slowly woke up I realised it was almost our 8th birthday in a few weeks. Damn. At least me and Karla or should I say mum will get some bonding time.
As it turned out it looked none of my new brothers could actually cook apart from Yves so I helped him with the mixture which I made from scratch in 30 seconds as my savant gift is super speed which makes a day's homework about 7 minutes work and it also means I can think really quickly which is useful in arguments instead of stuttering I could say comebacks with ease. Then I realised the looks I was getting off my new family.
'Sorry my gift is super speed. Kinda of helpful when it comes to chores or homework.' I smirked as the rest of boys moaned how it was unfair.
'Helpful as I can eat whatever I want as well with my super-speedy metabolism.' More groans from the rest of them as I just smirked and cooked all the pancakes in 2 minutes for everyone as I just used my gift.
'Well thanks for this Ziva.' Will said half way through breakfast 'these are amazing.' He had signs of agreement from around the table.
'Why thank you kind sir.' I replied with laughter from everyone else.
'I like you. You're funny.' Zed smiled at me
'Thanks.'
After breakfast it was bugging me why Miriam, Steven and Ben weren't my actual family. Why was I with them as if I was family if they weren't and my real family 'saved' me from them? I decided to ask them about it.
'Mum?' Karla turned around 'Why did last night need to happen?' Silence engulfed the room
'Well dear…' Mum trailed off tears filled her eyes and I instantly felt guilty. Something had obviously happened when I was little, too young to remember anything. I walked over to her in an instant and wrapped my arms around her as Saul spoke quietly.
'We need a family pow-wow.' I followed my new family into the living room as cushioned were floated out from the furniture into a circle everyone sat on one. Zed sat on my left and Trace on my right as we all held hands. Closing my eyes I immediately felt everyone's presence in a mental landscape that they had created a while ago but somehow still had room for me in.
We're going to show you a memory Ziva but don't worry it's not scary or anything. Saul spoke into the mental space telepathically
Okay
Memory:
Mum screamed in agony as she gave birth as she crushed Dad's hand. Screaming cut into the air but this time it wasn't Mum's it was a baby's. Zed. Then they passed him over to another nurse standing by to clean him up as Mum Screamed again as I started to want to come out suddenly there was a crack form Dad's hand but he showed no reaction apart from a small flinch. Suddenly I came out after a couple more hours but instead of handing me to a nurse the midwife clutched me to her chest grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around me.
'Unless you want the rest of your sons to die you let me have her.' The midwife said in a cold face as Mum and Dad went to object but the Midwife vanished with me to another place
End of memory. Back to reality:
I accidently got this memory of Dad a while ago as my gift is to see others' memories.
Oh. My walls came crumbling down as memories from my mind flooded the mental space. Memories from those Sundays, memories of beatings, of standing up for my brother and of me crying myself to sleep every night. I couldn't take it anymore I slammed up my shields and added extra reinforcements beyond that so NO ONE could get in and I ran outside and into the woods behind their house. Or should I say mansion; our house was huge. I just kept running angrily blinking back tears that were threatening to fall. I heard them calling my name and orders to split up to try and find me but it was too late they wouldn't find me now. I felt Zed battering on my shields as I just climbed a tree so they couldn't find me then I let him take a sneak peak of the view I had from the top of the tree and oh my gosh it was amazing.
I'll find you Zivs Zed's voice cut into my head as I let the tears fall soaking my top.
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