Chapter 2

"Jessa, you need to calm down. I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, I intend to keep that promise, but you have to tell me why your birth parents would want to kill your Mom and Dad." Steve said.

I paced back in forth in my room not really paying attention to him, "They're going to take me for good this time. No one can stop them. You'll find my body in a ditch probably."

He gently grabbed my arm and stopped my pacing, "Why would you say that?"

I looked at him, "No one can protect me. You can't protect me. I'm going to die."

"Look at me, Jessa. I won't let you die. Ok? You have everyone protecting you. Kono is going to come and stay in your room with you. Danny is going to sleep in my room. Chin will be in the room across the hall and I will stand outside your door all night long. I promise no one is ever going to hurt you. Now tell me why you're so afraid." Steve sat me down on my bed and he sat next to me.

I took a deep breath and began, "My birth parents Laura and Bill Wright are not the greatest people to raise a kid. Honestly they shouldn't have been allowed to even have a kid. From a very young age I knew I was a mistake. They told me so every chance they got. I was a failed abortion. I knew at the age of three that they didn't want me, but I didn't know any better. I thought it was normal. My birth father, he was an alcoholic. He hated kids and if I made any noise at all he would beat me."

"It took 5 years of therapy for me to be able to even let someone touch me again. Anyways, I didn't know what a normal childhood looked like. I didn't have the frilly princess room, I had a cold dark basement. I didn't have a bed, I had cement. One day my father went off. He walked downstairs and just beat me. I was probably nine. I was crying and screaming. Trying to get away from him but it was no use. Apparently our neighbors called the police. We went to court and my birth parents were ruled as unfit. So I was put into social services. I bounced around from home to home. I was too much to handle or maybe it was not enough. I never came out of my room. I refused to eat or do anything. I was probably 70 pounds at the age of 10." I paused in the story.

Finally, after regrouping my thoughts, I began again, "That's when my parents decided to adopt me. They literally walked into my foster home and said welcome to the family. They saved my life and for that I can never thank them enough for. They were the best parents I could have ever dreamed of. And when we had to move from West Virginia to Hawaii because of me, they did it. By the time I was 12 my birth parents realized that without me they couldn't get their money. So they tried to find us and kill my parents. We had to move halfway around the world to escape them. My mom and dad still did it though, I told them I didn't want them to get hurt and that they would try to find us, but my dad promised they wouldn't be able to. He was wrong." I finished.

Steve sat there in shock, "What? Failed abortion? They beat you?"

I shrugged, "If you need proof, here..." I lifted my sweatshirt just enough to reveal the bruises and scars from the past. I think Steve stopped breathing.

"Jessa, I promise you this, I'm going to find these people and when I do they will never touch or see you again!" He growled. I nodded my head just as my phone rang, I checked to see who it was. Jake, a sigh escaped my mouth. "Boyfriend?"

I shook my head, "Best friend."

"Answer it or they'll worry." Steve smiled. He gave my shoulder a light squeeze and walked out of my room.

I swiped over and took a deep breath, faking my happiness, "Hello?"

"Oh thank God! Jessa, is everything all right? I texted and called you a bunch of times but you haven't replied. What's going on?" Jake's voice dripped with worry.

"Nothing, Jake! Have you ever thought that maybe I just was surfing? Or maybe I just didn't want to hear about your perfect girlfriend anymore." I joked.

"Well, if you can still Attack my girlfriend, everything must be alright." I could hear the smile on his voice.

I shook my head because that couldn't have been farther from the truth, "So you called because?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang today? Go see a movie or something." Jake questioned.

"I'll have to check with Dad. Hold on." I put him on mute and walked to Steve's closed bedroom door. I knocked a few times before he answered.

"Is everything alright?" He searched my face for any signs of distress.

"I need you to act like my dad, ok? I need you just to answer no. Please? I can't face them. Not now." I whispered. Steve smiled and nodded. I took Jake off mute and asked, "Hey Dad, Jake wants me to go hang out tonight, can I?"

"Sorry Jes, but you and I have a date with the ocean tonight!" Steve shrugged and shook his head.

I smiled and mouthed my thanks, "Yeah sorry, Jake. My dad and I are going to hang tonight."

"Oh, come on, Jessa! You and have barely hung out!" Jake exclaimed.

"Yeah, well you have Marissa."

He let out a groan, "She hates doing the things I like to do."

"Well you should have thought of that before you started dating her!" I hung up.

"Woah! Who is this guy?" Steve laughed.

"How much time do you have?" I grinned. Steve and I sat on the couch, I talked and he listened. It was just like what I used to do with my dad. I told him about how Jake and I had been inseparable since we were 12 and how he had started dating my ex best friend. I left out the part where I fell in love with Jake.

Around ten pm, Steve put on a movie. I didn't even make it through ten minutes of it before I fell asleep. My head landed in his lap and I felt him wrap an arm around me protectively. The only other person who made me feel safe was my dad. Steve was slowly starting to worm his way into my heart.

What I didn't know was that I already had him wrapped around my finger.

I heard the front door open and I woke up. Jessa had fallen asleep in my lap while watching the movie and there was no way I was going to move her. I shot a glance at my intruder only to find it be Danny.

"Hey." He said. He noticed the sleeping girl in my lap and smiled, "Looks like Steve has met his match. I have never seen a girl who acted just like you."

"Danny, what did you need?" I said rolling my eyes.

Danny sat down in the chair across from me and leaned forward, "You know, I could give you some pointers on raising a daughter."

I looked down at Jessa, "I'm not raising her."

"Have you figured out what you're going to do when we catch her parents?" He asked.

I shook my head, "She doesn't have any family..."

"You don't have any family." Danny interrupted.

"I have my sister." I glared at Danny.

"You do, but your sister has a family of her own. All that I'm saying is maybe it'd be a good idea to become Jessa's legal guardian. I'm not so sure she'll ever be able to have a family again if you don't." He shrugged.

"Danny what kind of family would she have? She won't have a mom, a dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. She deserves that." I moved a strand of her hair away from her face.

"She won't have a father?" Danny snickered, "I think you've got that role down bud! And who's to say she won't have any siblings?"

I rolled my eyes, "I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I don't have a girlfriend, let alone a wife!"

"Steve, um Catherine isn't dead, she's just on the Naval vessel. You're not thinking straight. I have Grace. They'll love each other trust me! They'll be like sisters. And she's going to have plenty of aunts and uncles! She has me, Chin and Malia, and Kono! She's going to have the best family ever." He smiled, "It won't be a normal one, but at least she'll be loved."

I nodded my head, "So why are you here?"

"We got a lead. Her parents are staying in a Kailua Motel. Wake her up and let's go! She can stay with Rachel and Grace until we bring these psychos in." Danny stated.

He walked out to the car and left me to wake up Jessa. "Hey, Jessa." I felt her stir and she bolted up out of my lap. "It's ok. Nothing's wrong. We have to go though. I have to go to work."

She nodded her head and ran upstairs quickly to change. Five minutes later I was waiting by the door for her. I heard her light footsteps on the wooden staircase and she stopped at the bottom. Lacing up her white converse. "So where am I going?" Jessa asked.

"You're going to stay with Danny's ex-wife and daughter." I stated.

She nodded, not wanting to contradict what I was saying. I led her to Danny's silver Camaro and she slid into the backseat. The ride to Rachel's was quiet and dull. Jessa was on edge and nervous as we walked up the front steps. She fidgeted with her hands and refused to meet anyone's eyes.

Danny rang the doorbell and Jessa jumped out of her skin. I gave her a quick glance and squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. A soft clicking of heels was heard before the door swung open.

"Daniel, is everything alright? Oh, Steve! How lovely to see you again." Rachel smiled, "And who might this be?"

We waited for Jessa to introduce herself, but no introduction was made. "This is Jessa." I said.

Rachel nodded ushering us in. "Rach, can I talk to you for a minute?" Danny asked.

She nodded and led Danny away from the rest of us. An awkward silence fell over the room and Jessa shifted nervously. A few minutes passed and she finally spoke. "Do I have to stay here? Can't I just go with you?"

Her eyes met mine and the tears I found broke my heart, "Jessa, I know it's hard to trust in people right now, but you trust me right?" She nodded her head, "Ok, if you trust me then you know that I would never leave you with someone I didn't trust."

"I know!" Jessa said frustrated, "I just hate feeling like I'm a nuisance to everyone! I hate feeling like I'm being babysat!"

"You're not a nuisance and I promise I'm only making you stay here for your safety. Rachel is a great person, she'll look after you and you can hang out with Danny's daughter."

She nodded her head slowly as Danny and Rachel came back in. "Well, Jessa, it looks like we are going to be having a bit of a girls' day today!" Rachel smiled.

Jessa returned it, but I could tell she didn't want to be here. "We should probably go." Danny said.

I nodded, "I'll be back by seven pm for you, ok? I promise." I turned to follow Danny out to the car. I had made it to the door when a small hand captured my wrist. I spun around and before I could comprehend what was happening, two tanned arms wrapped around me.

"Thank you Steve." Jessa whispered.

"For what?" I asked.

"Everything. Please be careful." The concern was evident in her eyes.

I bent down and kissed the top of her head, I don't know where it came from. Maybe instinct, but it felt right. "I promise I'll be back for you." She let go and I got into the car.