Whoops. First of all, sorry for not updating sooner. My summer has been crazy. I am also moving back on campus later this week, so I am having to get everything ready for college. But the good news is, I have already finished the next chapter! So I will update this chapter, then later this week I will be able to(hopefully) upload the other one!
Thank you all for the comments you guys have left. As of now this story has over two hundred reviews, and I have read everything single one. It's awesome reading what you all think! I could never address everyone on here personally, but you guys really do inspire me to do better. As I see your reactions to the story, it lets me know whether I am going the right direction with this.
Starlight Moon Midnight; You were so close! Not exactly the plot, but honestly your idea was so good that I am kinda jealous that I didn't think of it first.
Midnight Luna; I hope you're feeling better. I know there are days that things can get tough. But hang in there.
Nesina Yei; Stories like that drive me nuts. Don't worry, I don't see myself writing anything like that anytime soon.
Boots clip-clopped on the white tile floor as Ahsoka walked down the hallway. She was still dressed in her police uniform, a clipboard in hand. She didn't bother to stop at the front desk, as earlier Kanan had texted her the room number.
The door to the room was wide open. Before she had even reached it Ahsoka could hear the laughter floating out into the hallway, something rarely heard in a hospital. She felt the corners of her lip twitch upward at the sound. She stopped just on the inside of the doorframe. She didn't bother to announce her arrival. Instead she watched the scene in front of her.
Ezra's bed had been raised to a partially upright position. As of that moment the boy was wide awake, and chuckling at something Zeb had said. Kanan was sitting in a chair pulled up at the bedside. Hera stood behind her husband, arms thrown around his shoulders Sabine was perched on the edge of the bed, a messenger bag hanging from her grasp, and was rolling her eyes at her older brother's comment.
Just then Kanan looked up to see the officer standing in the door frame. His smile dimmed slightly, but his gaze was still friendly and open.
"Hello Ahsoka. Come on in."
All eyes in the room turned toward her as she took up Kanan's invitation. She gave them each a friendly grin and a nod in greeting. She stopped by the bed. She met the gaze of the boy occupying it. Already he looked much better than he had earlier. Color had returned to his complexion and his hair had been brushed into a somewhat semblance of order.
"Hello Ezra. How're you feeling?"
"Better." He eyed her suspiciously. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ahsoka. I was one of the officers assigned to your case. I am sorry we had to meet in such circumstances. Hera has told me so much about you." She chuckled at his suspicious look. "Don't worry, it was all good things."
She held up her clipboard and stopped her sigh before it escaped her lips. No matter how many times she had to do this, it never got easier. The fact that she also knew this family also made it more difficult.
"I am here to get your statement if you're feeling up to it."
"Now wait a moment," Kanan started to rise. His wife pushed him back down into his seat. Still, she couldn't stop him from talking.
"Isn't it too early for this? Couldn't we wait until later?"
Ahsoka glanced at him. "It's better for us to get this done was soon as possible. The sooner we get Ezra's story, the sooner we can get to work gathering evidence and prosecuting Solomon for his crimes." She turned back to Ezra. Her voice was gentle was she addressed him.
"But no, we don't have to do this now. I cannot force you to do this. It's up to you Ezra. If you don't want to, just say the word and I'll leave."
Ezra stared up at Ahsoka for several long moments, blue orbs wide. He nodded, albeit hesitantly.
"Good boy. If you want, they all can stay while we talk, alright?"
Ezra's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. "Yes please," He said, voice a little bit stronger.
"Okay then." Ahsoka adjusted her clipboard. She pulled a pen out of her breast pocket. Kanan leaned forward in his seat, while Hera went to sit beside Ezra on the thin mattress. When Ezra's tired and nervous gaze met her own,she smiled assuredly. She laid her hand over his own in a small gesture of comfort.
"Just start when you want to. I won't force you." Ahsoka promised. She tried to keep her voice friendly, doing her best to keep the boy at ease.
"Okay…um," Ezra struggled to find a way to begin.
"That night, when he, you know….I had went downstairs to get something to drink. Everybody else was in bed, so I was the only one up. I heard scratching at the kitchen door. I thought that it was Chopper, since sometimes when Zeb gets mad he'll lock him out…"
Hera raised an eyebrow at the guilty male, who shrugged helplessly. "….But when I opened it, it was Solomon trying to break into the house.
"I think I surprised him. We sorta just stood there staring at each other for a bit. Then I tried to call for Kanan, but he knocked me out. When I woke up I was tied up in the back of a car.
"When he stopped, Solomon dragged me out and into his house. He first tried to lock me in a bedroom upstairs, but when I tried to escape through the window he decided it wasn't secure enough and put me in the basement." He stopped talking. The tightening of the skin around his eyes and the clutching of the sheets in his white-knuckled grip showed his discomfort.
Hera was reaching to hold and comfort him when he seemed to shake himself and continue, with only the slightest tremor in his voice giving him away.
"He left me down there all the time. But he would bring me food a couple of times a day, so he wasn't too bad. Or at least, not at first.
"But then one day he came down with fresh clothes, said that we were going somewhere and that I needed to get cleaned up. I told him no, that I wouldn't go unless he was taking me back home. He then said that I was home. When I fought him he kicked me. Said that I was just as bad as my father, and that I would listen if I knew what was good for me. After that he left me alone.
"Things just got worse after that. He tried threatening me into doing whatever he wanted me to do. He actually tried starving me a few times. When neither one of those worked he tried using other tactics. He hit me a few times…."
Ezra continued to tell of his experiences, from his call to Kanan to finding his escape through the vents. Throughout this whole time, his family reacted to each experience, from anger to horror. Kanan was frowning, but inwardly he was proud of Ezra. The boy had refused to give in to his captor, despite the threats and the fear he must have felt. There were adults twice his age who wouldn't have had the courage to do what he had done.
Ahsoka was taking notes as the boy continued his tale. Occasionally a dark look crossed her face at some of what the boy said. But almost instantly she would wipe the expression from her features, smiling encouragingly at the youth when he faltered or stumbled over his words.
Once they were done Ahsoka moved closer. She ruffled the boy's hair gently, being careful of the slight bump from his impact with the ground.
"Thank you, Ezra. I know that it's not easy to talk about it."
He ducked out of her hand, his face flushed from being the center of attention.
"It's not a big deal. The sooner we're done the sooner it's over the sooner we get it over with, right?" He tried to flash her one of his infamous grins, but it was clearly forced. His fingers twitched nervously against the white sheets.
She patted his shoulder. "Well, you're in luck then. We're done for now. You can focus on getting better, alright?" She smiled at his almost imperceptible nod. She then looked up at Kanan and Hera.
"Is it alright if I speak to you both outside?"
"Of course." Kanan stood. "Zeb, you and Sabine stay here with Ezra, okay?" If he could take a guess, this was something that Ahsoka would prefer to speak to them alone about. He might be wrong, but it wouldn't hurt leaving all the kids in here, just in case. Besides, Ezra needed the companionship.
"Alright." Sabine slid into the bed beside the younger boy. "I brought some of my art pens and my notebook." She held up her bag. " And I have some new ideas for a painting. Wanna look at some of the sketches for it?"
"Sure." And just like that, his sullenness faded away and his nerves seemed to settle, with only contentment being left behind.
Once they were out of the room Ahsoka turned to them both. She pulled another sheet of paper from her clipboard.
"So my team spent this morning investigating and…we may have found the reason behind Ezra's kidnapping." She took a brief moment to rub at her face. Looking at her, Kanan realized that she had not had hardly any rest since this had all started. Her drawn gaze and sluggish movements gave her away. He couldn't help the gratefulness of having such a faithful friend, along with guilt that she had worked through her own personal exhaustion to bring this about.
"We were doing research on this 'grandmother' that your Ezra had spoken about," Ahsoka continued. "Apparently, Solomon had lied about her; she passed away almost two months ago."
"But why?" Hera asked. Her face reflected the surprise in Kanan's own. "What does that have to do with Ezra's kidnapping?"
Ahsoka crossed her arms. "Well, she seemed to have a change of heart. Just a few weeks before her death she had legally recreated her will. As of right now, Ezra has an inheritance of over half a million dollars.
Kanan was sure his jaw hit the floor. He at first thought that she was surely joking, but one look at her solemn face and he realized that she was serious.
"And that's not all. Solomon has also been involved in more than one case of human trafficking." The officer's eyes flashed in anger.
"From what we can figure, Solomon was going to use Ezra to claim the money, then pawn him off to the highest bidder. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."
Kanan clenched his jaw in anger. Hot fiery anger burned in his chest. That little…He had almost torn apart their family and was willing to destroy the life of his own nephew. Solomon truly had no limits. He didn't realize that his hands were clasped into fists until Hera gripped his wrists. It was then he noticed the pain in his palms, from where his nails were starting to break skin. He forced himself to relax and breathe deeply, trying to ease the tight muscles in his chest.
Ahsoka waited patiently for Kanan to compose himself. Once he had managed to do so she continued.
"That's what that paper you're holding is. Since Ezra is not of legal age, as his guardians you are the holders of his inheritance.
"It's up to you what happens to the money."
Kanan glanced beside him at Hera. She smiled as she met his eyes. She seemed to read what he was thinking and nodded. She was the one who addressed Ahsoka.
"We'll create a bank account. We'll put the money away for Ezra until he is older. Then we'll let him decide what he wishes to do with it."
Ahsoka's face softened, ever so slightly. "Ezra is lucky to have you." She said. Then she glanced at her wristwatch.
"I need to go finish the paperwork and file Ezra's statement. Once we have everything together, we will contact you about pressing charges on Solomon. With everything that he has done, along with all the evidence we have collected, you can rest assure that he will be put away for a very long time."
Once they had said their goodbyes and Ahsoka had left, Hera turned to her husband, something akin to a smirk gracing her face.
"Well, shall we head back into the lion's den?"
In answer, Kanan stepped back. He gave a half bow and gestured toward the door. "After you, Milady."
With a laugh, Hera entered the room, her head raised high. He followed her inside to find Ezra laughing as Zeb held a pencil bag over his head, with Sabine vainly trying to reclaim it. A stern look from Hera forced him to give it back. With a huff, Sabine sat back down with Ezra, and the both of them went back to sketching. The banter continued to flow between the trio.
("Your hair looks like a rat's nest." "Shut it, kid, yours isn't much better.")
As Kanan sat down on his other side, Ezra looked up at him with a smile. He returned it, draping an arm over the slender frame of the younger. The man looked around at his family, now whole with their youngest finally back. A family that wasn't forged by blood, but instead created by choice. They were each dysfunctional, each one from a life of suffering and loneliness. But yet they had still chosen to love each other, struggling to give all they got into their little piece of love. Broken, yet whole. Hurt, yet blessed.
And at the moment, Kanan couldn't imagine anything more perfect.
