Chapter 15.

At Three Ponies Ranch, Maxine was sitting on her bed, watching her husband as he paced, processing everything she had just told him.

"Lucas." She said softly, trying to calm him.

Luke stopped pacing, looking at her with a sigh as she sat there, waiting ever so patiently.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say." Luke admitted, leaning with his back against a dresser. He couldn't believe she had been right about her gut feeling, he should have trusted her more but the story behind Joanna being taken made his blood run cold.

"Me and Charlotte have talked through a good plan and we are both confident that it will work but I'm not doing anything without you. You are my husband and are head of this household, I've gotten involved because Jo needs someone to fight for her."

"The only thing stopping you is me?" He asked her, she never spoke but the look on her face spoke just as loud. "I'll have to prove she shares my DNA."

"Yes but only to the appropriate parties. Unless you feel ready to tell Joanna the truth." She said seriously.

"Max…"

"Lucas, we are all she's got." She reached out to hold his hand while the other tilted his face towards hers.

"How would we do this without Joanna knowing?"

"Charlotte pointed out that she is a minor and wouldn't be told much. She said that she could convince everyone to tell Joanna that this is an adoption process which technically it would be. Joanna is a Hanshaw by law, we still have to go through the adoption process but we can win this."

"Call Charlotte. We are doing this for Joanna's sake."

"Thank you." Maxine breathed a sigh of relief as she kissed him.

"I made a vow to support and honor you. We do this together because we can't do this apart from each other."

The next week everyone hit the ground running.

Maxine called Charlotte, giving the all clear to go ahead. Her and Luke re talked to the boys over dinner, telling them what was going on and they continued to be amazed at how open they were for such a big change.

Sure enough, not one but two lawyers got in touch with Maxine and Luke. The Hanshaws said if they were going to fight for Joanna, they were going to fight strong and with everything they had.

"Joanna?" Joanna's foster mother knocked on the bathroom door.

"Go away!" Joanna shouted, tears flowing down her face as she sat with her back against the door.

"Joanna, Miss Walker is here to talk to you." The woman said but was met with silence.

"Is this a normal thing?" Farrin Walker asked.

"Yes. She will stay there until we unlock the door from the outside." Joanna heard her foster mother say, clearly annoyed with Joanna's actions.

"How long does she stay there and why not her room?"

"She will be in there for hours, she shares her room with three other girls and their room has no lock on the door so she shacks up here until we intervene." The woman said.

"I see." Farrin said. "Would you mind letting me try?"

"Go for it. Good luck and don't be disappointed if she stays there." The woman replied, walking away leaving just Farrin at the door.

"Joanna?" Farrin softly said as she knocked on the door.

"I don't want to talk to the person responsible for taking me away from my home!" Joanna spat, knowing full well she was being rude but was past the point of caring.

"Joanna, I need to talk to you." Farrin said, unfazed by the time of voice the young girl was using.

"I'm not interested!"

Farrin took a moment to think, carefully choosing her words in an attempt to get through to the young girl.

"It's about the Ely's." She said in a hushed tone.

There was a pause as Joanna's heart caught in her throat, getting up off the floor she unlocked the door with a shaking hand.

"What happened? Is everything okay?" Joanna said, dread stirring in her gut as she thought the worst. Farrin did not miss the look of horror that fell over the girls face.

"Nothing bad has happened but I do need to talk to you."

Joanna popped her head out into the hallway, taking note of her foster siblings in their rooms or in the hallway.

"Can you come in?" She asked the woman.

"Yes I can." Farrin said, stepping in at the girls request.

"So no one is hurt but you have come all this way to talk about the Ely's?" Joanna said, the moment she closed the door.

"That is correct." Farrin said, carefully studying Joanna's face. Feeling a bit concerned at the dark circle under the girls eyes from a clear lack of sleep and she obviously was not eating much from how thin she was looking. Farrin knew Joanna's current foster home had a good reputation and they were trying their hardest but like the past few homes, Joanna was unhappy and was shutting people out. Even worse was Joanna had gotten into the habit of running away and because of that she was always watched.

"So what is it? I'm sorry for the direct question but I'm kinda freaking out." Joanna said, politely apologising and Farrin could see a genuine change in her attitude.

"The Ely's have been approved to adopt you. I'm here to talk things through with you before this goes ahead because it is your turn to decide." Farrin said seriously, noticing the way Joanna's eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, yes I do. I want to be with the Ely's." Joanna frantically nodded her head.

"Hold on, things will be about different and I'm here to run these past you."

"What are they?" Joanna asked, eagerly listening.

"Mr and Mrs Ely want to take you in under their own roof. Mrs Ely feels she could play a bigger mothering role in your life if you were under the same roof as her. You obviously will have your own room but I've heard you will have to share a bathroom with a few of the boys, I personally don't think it is a good idea as you should have your own space." Farrin said,

"I don't really care as long as I'm back on Three Ponies. I'm guessing they will have asked Seth and Jake to share a bathroom with me because me and Seth became very close and I know that he would respect my space. Jake is also respectful of me and I can see it working out alright with the three of us sharing a bathroom, that would leave Adam, Nate, Bryan and Quinn to share and that's fine."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this? This is a very big decision for anyone to be making but as a young girl…"

"I don't know how to show you just how sure I truly am but I am." Joanna stood tall as her voice was level and unwavering.

Joanna would be lying if she said she wasn't scared about everything that was about to happen and she was feeling uncertain about what her future held but she knew who she wanted to be a part of it.

Authors note...

Sorry for the short chapter but I thought it best to leave it where it is. Stay posted for another chapter :)