Chapter IX:

So Close

I cannot stay where I don't belong

Nothing lasts forever, not the night and certainly not Blaine's cigarette. Of course, Blaine's cigarette was done for long before the night was. She flicked the cigarette butt away and hopped out of the tree gracefully. Blaine dragged her feet slowly as she trudged back to her lavish home, as if she were apart of a funeral march. She somehow managed to climb back up into her second story window that she had left open. Stumbling into her room, she was shocked to see Lara waiting for her.

" I guess you're not too mad at me then. " Blaine scoffed.

" I'm surprised you even came back... " Lara said. Half relieved, half bitter.

" It's just a pit stop. "

" A pit stop? " Lara asked, the relief disappearing and now totally bitter. She noticed that Blaine had gone to her closet and had begun dragging out her big suitcase. Blaine threw the open suitcase onto the bed and started throwing clothes into it, " What are you doing?!"

" Packing. " Blaine answered simply.

" B-But where will you go? " Lara asked, following Blaine around the room.

" Anywhere but here. "

" You can't go by yourself! "

" Well, the invitation is extended, " Blaine said, looking directly at Lara, " You with me or not? "

" No! " Lara shouted, taken aback by her sister's remarks, " I can't leave! I can't leave dad, and neither can you! You have no place to go, Blaine! "

" The military. " Blaine said, keeping the specific organization to herself, " I want to become an official member. I've had enough training to pass the exams to gain entrance. "

" You're just a kid! You can't join the military! They'll never accept you! " Lara said, trying to reason with her sister. Blaine slammed the suitcase shut and slipped into her coat. She grabbed the suitcase, pushed Lara aside and stormed out the door, " You'll freeze to death! " Lara added, from the top of the staircase as Blaine slammed the front door shut. Lara's eyes welled with tears again, realizing she had let her sister go to her death. Whether it be by some wild animal or the cold December weather, there was no way Blaine would survive on her own. She had to tell her father now.


As Blaine trudged along, a stormy breeze began to pick up. Blaine shivered as cold air blasted her from all sides. Snow and ice was soon falling from the sky, only making the journey worse. Her frozen feet carried her far, far enough that she couldn't see her house anymore if she turned back. The harsh weather took it's toll on the young girl. With a substantial amount of snow on the ground, she collapsed. Snow quickly began to layer over her – this storm was severe.

" Mother... " Blaine said, as she slipped out of the waking world. As she drifted off, a shadowy figure loomed over her.


Lara waited up all night until morning for her father to awaken. She had practiced over and over again on how to tell him what had happened while sitting outside his room. Lara heard a creak from inside the room and the door swing open.

" Dad! " Lara wailed, " Blaine... s-she's gone! "

" W-What? " Frank asked sleepily.

" Last night, she packed up her things and ran off! " Lara continued, despairingly, " I couldn't say anything to make her stay... "

" Where did she say she was going? " Frank demanded, his attention fully grabbed.

" She just said she was joining the military... " Lara sniffed.

" Alright... " Frank said, then pulling his daughter into a tight embrace to calm her down, " I'll make a few calls. We'll find her, don't worry. "


I feel... warm... Blaine thought, her wits returning to her as she came back into consciousness. Her eyes opened and she blinked a few times before she focused.

" Where am I? " She asked.

" This is your new home. " A man answered. Blaine sat up. She was in a lightly furnished bunk-style room with four beds in it. Above the doorway there was a strange logo with a fox on it.

" My new home... "

" FOXHOUND's main base of operations. " The man said, who revealed himself from the shadows. His hair was as white as the snow outside and his right eye was covered by an eye patch, " I'm Big Boss. "

" This is FOXHOUND? " Blaine asked in amazement, " This is... exactly where I wanted to be! How did... you know?"

" Sometimes we take in runaways. " Big Boss explained, curiously avoiding eye contact with Blaine, " While you were unconscious, we took DNA and ran your records. You've had some impressive training, so I declared that you stay. "

" Talk about luck... " Blaine laughed.

" You say that now. " Big Boss smirked, " Your exams begin tomorrow. Physical is first. I hope I'm right about you. "