A/N- Hey everyone, welcome back! There's a bit of a time skip in this chapter just so you know. Also, I don't know how many of you read these notes, and if you don't, I urge you to read this one. It's very important.
As you know, or maybe you don't, I also have this story and my Natasha Romanoff one shots book posted on Wattpad. Well, there is a website called that has been posting the stories of Wattpad users WITHOUT their permission. I looked up my username and saw both this and my Natasha Romanoff story on the website. I was and still am very upset and angry because they never contacted me and I never gave them permission to post MY stories on their website.
The point of all this is that there is a petition to shut the website down, and I'm asking you all to please sign it and share it, because many other authors on Wattpad also have not given their permission for this website to post their stories. So please, please, please, sign this petition. It would mean so much to me as well as the other Wattpad users. Thank you all, and here is the link: http/chng.it/xTT5bcC67q
I apologize for the very long note, but I thought this was very important. Enjoy chapter 32
5 months later
"Well Emma, congrats. You've finished your PT," David said, giving me a proud but sad smile.
I smiled brightly at him. "Thanks David, for everything. I don't know if I would've survived this without you," I said jokingly.
He chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement. "I really don't know how I've survived these sessions with you."
I playfully glared at him, smiling softly when Mary Margaret came over to me and gave me a very tight hug, almost squeezing the life out of me. I returned it, though not as fiercely.
"Relax M, I'm not going to ghost you guys," I said, giving the brunette a reassuring smile when she finally pulled away.
She nodded, her eyes slightly glossy as she pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "I know Ems, I'm just so proud of you. You've come a long way from that snappy and walled off teen I met all those months ago."
David came over and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, giving me a smile. "She's right Emma. And just know, if you ever need anything, we're a phone call away."
"I know, and you don't know how appreciative I am of that, of both of you. You've become my surrogate parents."
They chuckled at that before David pulled me in for a hug. I clung to him, feeling safe and comforted by his muscular embrace. I meant what I said. Mary Margaret and David had basically become my second parents while I was staying at the hospital and when I was going through my PT. When I wasn't doing that, M would be tutoring me since I was so behind on school. I was a little ashamed that I would have to repeat the year I was in, but I knew it couldn't be helped.
"We're gonna miss you Emma," Mary Margaret said as she joined the hug.
"I'll miss you too, but this isn't the last time I'll see you guys."
"We know," David said, but he made no move to end the hug.
I finally broke it off by patting David's arm and gently pulling away.
"Good luck with getting the rest of your memories back, Ems," Mary Margaret said.
"Thanks M," I replied. I had gotten almost all of my memories back, many of them not very pleasant. The only ones that eluded me were the ones where I was staying with the Fosters, which was quite ironic, considering they were my current foster family. I'd get flashes, but never anything concrete like the one I'd had of reuniting with Neal at the house.
"Hey Emma, ready to go?" Brandon asked as he approached us.
"Yeah, I am," I said.
Brandon greeted Mary Margaret and David, shaking David's hand and being pulled into a hug by Mary Margaret. He thanked them for helping me and told them Lena and Stef would be in contact, for dinner and getting together in general. They nodded and Brandon then slung an arm over my shoulders, congratulating me for finishing physical therapy. As he led us to the exit, I shot one last thankful smile over my shoulder at the couple before exiting the hospital for what would hopefully be the last time.
Adams-Foster house
"Just so you know, Mama baked you a cake," Brandon said after he parked the car.
I shook my head in amusement as we got out of the car. "I'm not surprised."
Brandon chuckled. "I didn't think you would be, I just thought you ought to know."
"Well thanks for the heads up."
"Anytime. After you," he said, bowing dramatically while holding the door open.
I rolled my eyes and entered the foyer, shucking off my shoes. Brandon closed the door behind himself while I made my way over to the kitchen. I groaned, embarrassed, when I saw the large CONGRATULATIONS sign my foster siblings and Neal were holding. Lena immediately rushed over and brought me in for a hug. I reciprocated it as my face flushed pink at her telling me how proud she was. I managed to escape it only to be ambushed by Stef.
"Congratulations sweets. How are you feeling?"
"I'll miss hanging out with David and M , but I'm so glad to be done with everything. Now all I need to focus on is catching up on school and remembering you guys."
Stef nodded and pulled away. "Lena made your favorite."
"Grilled cheese and onion rings?" I asked, practically jumping up and down with joy when Stef confirmed it.
"Come on everyone, sit down and let's eat," Lena said.
They all put the sign on the counter and followed Lena's instructions. Neal plopped down right next to me and gave me a large smile. I smiled back before ruffling his hair, laughing at his pout and his attempt to fix it. We all dug in and chatted amicably, and I once again marvelled at how lucky I was to be with a family this loving.
"Mom?" Neal asked.
"Yes sweetheart?"
"Now that Emma's done with physical therapy, can I get adopted?"
Everyone froze. Once it had processed everyone broke into large grins and looked at Stef and Lena expectantly.
"Of course we can honey," Lena finally replied.
"Absolutely sweets," Stef added.
He smiled brightly at them both before continuing to eat his food, and gradually the conversation picked back up.
"Emma?"
"Yeah kiddo?"
"You're ok with this, right?"
I looked down at my brother, tilting my head in confusion. "Ok with what? You being adopted?"
Neal nodded his head, fiddling with his fingers and staring at the table to avoid eye contact.
"Neal, please look at me."
He slowly dragged his eyes from the table with me, fear and hope flickering through those ocean eyes. "Of course I'm ok with it. I couldn't be more happy for you."
Neal smiled briefly before it fell. "But I wanted to do it with you."
I sighed, looking at him. "I know little man, but I can't do it if I don't remember who they are."
"You don't need to remember. You've gotten to know them, and that's no different from who they were in your forgotten memories."
I gave him a small smile. "You've got a point Neal, I'll give you that. But I don't feel comfortable adding another piece to the puzzle until all the other pieces fall into place."
He nodded sadly. "Ok."
I nudged his shoulder. "Hey, turn that frown upside down. You're being adopted by some of the greatest people on the planet. You should be celebrating the fact that you found people so great who want you to be a part of their family."
"Thanks Emma," he said, smiling brightly.
"Anytime kiddo, anytime."
After dinner, I helped Lena and Callie clear the table. I told Lena I wanted time to myself and that I would be in my room if they needed me. I then made my way upstairs, flopping down onto the air mattress. I felt the urge to play some music, so I plugged my earbuds into my new phone and played a random playlist. I closed my eyes and let the lyrics wash over me.
And they are inside your head
You got a voice that says
You won't get past this one
You won't win your freedom
It's like a constant war
And you want to settle that score
But you're bruised and beaten
And you feel defeated
This goes out to the heaviest heart
Oh, to everyone who's hit their limit
It's not over yet
It's not over yet
And even when you think you're finished
It's not over yet
It's not over yet
Keep on fighting
Out of the dark
Into the light
It's not over
Hope is rising
Never give in
Never give up
It's not over
Yet, woah
Yet, woah
Oh, game set match
It's time to put it in your past, oh
Feel the winter leavin'
It's redemption season
Long live the young at heart (here we are)
Cheers to a brand new start (here we are)
We're revived and breathing
To live a life of freedom
Oh, to everyone who's hit their limit
It's not over yet
It's not over yet
And even when you think you're finished
It's not over yet
It's not over yet
Keep on fighting
Out of the dark
Into the light
It's not over
Hope is rising
Never give in
Never give up
It's not over
Yet, woah
Yet, woah
And life is a race we run
So run till the race is won
Don't you ever give up (here we are)
Oh no never give up (here we are)
Life is a race we run
So run till the race is won
Don't you ever give up (here we are)
We will never give up (here we are)
And oh, to everyone who's hit their limit
And even when you think you're finished
It's not over yet
Oh, to everyone who's hit their limit
It's not over yet
It's not over yet
And even when you think you're finished
It's not over yet
It's not over yet
Keep on fighting
Out of the dark
Into the light
It's not over
Hope is rising
Never give in
Never give up
It's not over
Yet, woah
Yet, woah
Yet, woah
Yet, woah
By the time the song was over, I was drifting off. Physical therapy always did that to me. It was gruelling, exhausting, and I was so glad to be done with it after today. I fell asleep to the calming sound of Kelly Clarkson's voice since one of her songs was next.
Downstairs
"Where's Emma?" Neal asked his mama as she and Callie entered the living room. There was no sign of his sister.
"She went up to her room. I think she just needs some time to herself," Lena said once she got settled next to Stef on the couch.
"Ok," he said, his attention returning to the movie that was playing on the tv, Minions, while he munched on popcorn and goldfish from the bowl he and Brandon were sharing.
"Callie?" Jude asked quietly.
"Yeah baby?"
"Do you think Emma will ever get her memories of us back?"
Callie looked at her brother. He looked worried and slightly scared of what her answer would be. "I don't know Jude. I'm not a doctor but she's remembered everything else. I can only hope that with a little more time she will, but I'm really not sure."
Jude nodded his head thoughtfully. "I hope she does," he said before his attention was grabbed by the Minions arriving in the city.
"Me too baby, me too," Callie muttered.
By the time they finished the movie, it was almost nine PM.
"Alright kiddos, bedtime. You've got school tomorrow," Lena announced.
Each and every one of them grumbled but nonetheless got up from their seats and headed up the stairs, though not without giving hugs and kisses to their mothers and wishing them a goodnight. Once they were all upstairs, they got ready for bed quietly so as not to disturb Emma. When they were done, they said goodnight to each other and went to bed.
Emma
I looked around, confused as to where I was. I was in what appeared to be an ice cream shop. I was talking to Stef, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Marian, and Ingrid. I don't remember any of them either, but they came to visit me when I was in the hospital. "Come on, I'll get you your ice cream," said Ingrid. I assumed we were getting ready to leave but I still had no clue as to what was going on, and I didn't have much of a choice but to obey what my body was doing. So we ended up following Ingrid to the counter and watched as she got behind it before speaking.
"Now, I know Stef wants Rocky Road, but what do you want, Emma?" Ingrid asked kindly.
"I get to pick?" I heard myself ask.
They all looked at me with sadness and astonishment in their eyes. Anna was the first to talk. "What do you mean? Of course you get to pick. Everyone gets to pick what flavor they want."
"Not according to other foster parents," I muttered darkly.
"Well sweetheart, we're not like other foster parents," Stef said gently.
"Alright, what do you recommend?" I asked.
"You also seem like a Rocky Road kind of girl," said Ingrid.
"Rocky Road?"
"It's my favorite," said Stef.
"Can I try some?"
"Of course," said Ingrid. She got a sample cup and scooped out a bit of the ice cream. She placed it on the glass counter with a plastic spoon. I took it from the counter, scooped some onto the spoon, and took a bite. I could feel myself brighten immediately at the taste and I took another bite, and another until the sample was gone.
"So I'm assuming you liked it?" asked Elsa.
"That was the best ice cream I've ever tasted in my life!" And that's saying something, considering ice cream is a very very rare treat when you're a foster kid.
"Rocky Road it is," Ingrid said.
"Can I have it in a bowl? I don't like cones that much," I explained.
"Stef, are you sure she isn't your long lost daughter?" Ingrid asked teasingly as she was getting our ice creams.
"Honestly no," Stef said just as amused.
"Why do you say that?" I asked, feeling curious again.
"Aunt Stef doesn't like her ice cream in a cone either! She also has a very pretty singing voice, and she is just as stubborn as you seem to be!" Anna proclaimed.
I ignored Anna's comment about being stubborn and looked at Stef with a raised brow, and she blushed. "You can sing?"
"Yes," Elsa, Anna, and Ingrid said at the same time.
Stef avoided everyone's gaze while she still looked flustered.
"I want to hear this," I said, inwardly laughing at Stef's embarrassment. She never got embarrassed in front of us kids, so it was pretty hilarious. I made a mental note to bring this up to her after I figure out what's happening in this...dream? memory? I have no clue
"Not right now. We need to get going if we want to get there at the right time," said Stef, taking charge.
"Hold on, before you go," said Elsa. She ran to the back, where I assumed the office was, and came back with a folded piece of paper. "Here," she said, handing it to me. I unfolded it to see a bunch of names and numbers. "It has all of our numbers on it. Mine, Marian's, Ingrid's, Anna's, and Kristoff's," Elsa explained.
"Thanks," I whispered, feeling choked up. I hadn't even known these people for an hour, but here they were, making me feel like a part of their family.
"It's no problem. We've also got a group chat with all us kids, so we'll make sure to add you," Elsa said kindly.
"No really, thank you. You've got no clue how much this means to me," I said.
"I can't wait to hangout again!" exclaimed Anna, rushing from behind the counter to give me a hug. I froze for a second before returning it full heartedly.
Elsa and Ingrid just smiled from behind the counter. "It was nice meeting you Emma. I hope you come back soon," Ingrid said, Elsa nodding her agreement.
"I will," I said, looking to Stef for confirmation. She nodded, and said her goodbyes as I grabbed my ice cream and started eating it. I also savored it since I didn't know when I would get it again. Anna hugged Stef while I said bye to Marian and Kristoff as I was walking out, getting a goodbye from Marian and a wave from Kristoff. Stef grabbed her ice cream and followed me. She gave one last wave to everyone before heading to the car with me right on her heels, the little bell above the door signaling our departure. We were crossing the parking lot and talking when I saw a car that didn't appear to be slowing down because the driver was looking at his phone. Stef didn't see it either and it was heading right towards her. On impulse, I felt myself heading to Stef and shoving her.
The man in the driver's seat locked eyes with me, but it was too late. Horror shined through his eyes and I felt nothing but panic and fear as I went flying through the air, barreling over the car and across the parking lot, feeling a few bones crack and a fierce ache in my head, blacking out seconds after hearing Stef shout my name.
I shot up off my bed, gasping for air. My hand went to my rapidly beating heart and I could feel the sweat soaking my forehead and my shirt. I looked at Mariana, then Callie to see if I had woken them, but luckily they were both still asleep. I extracted myself from the sweat soaked sheets and crept to the door, then down the hall. I quietly headed down the stairs, being careful to avoid the steps I knew would creak. When I reached the kitchen, I went to the cabinet and grabbed a glass. I turned the sink on and waited for the glass to fill. Once it had, I gulped down almost half of it. I wiped away the water that was dribbling from my mouth with the back of my hand, feeling a lot calmer than when I had woken up. I couldn't shake it out of my head though. The look the driver and I shared, the sharp snapping of my bones, and the intense hurt in my head before everything went black.
"Emma? Why are you awake at…" Stef's voice trailed off as she looked at the time. "Two AM?"
I looked at her for a second then looked away, anxiously chewing on my lips.
"Sweets? Did you have a nightmare?"
I was forced to look at her after that, her sympathetic and understanding tone breaking down my walls, as it always does. "Not exactly."
She hummed in response while she was pattering around the kitchen. I watched her, curious as to what she was doing. As if reading my thoughts, she spoke. "Hot chocolate. It always helps the kids calm down after a bad dream."
"Memory," I mumbled, but the kitchen was so eerily quiet it easily reached my foster mom's ears.
"Oh? And what memory was this?" she asked while placing two mugs of milk in the microwave and setting the timer to heat them up.
I shrugged and wrapped my hands around myself, as if it could protect me from her questions.
"Ok, you don't have to tell me."
I was now the one tilting my head.
"Just know I'll be here if you want to."
I nodded, and we sat in silence as we waited for the milk to finish heating up. When it got down to one second, Stef opened the microwave so its beeping wouldn't disturb anyone. She lifted the mugs out and set them on the counter, pouring the hot chocolate mixture in. I silently opened the silverware drawer beside me and handed her two spoons so she could mix our drinks. She nodded her head in thanks, and when she was done, she slid one over to me.
"Thanks," I said, blowing on it for a second to help it cool down.
"You're welcome," Stef replied, and we fell into another comfortable silence. The only things to be heard was the occasional sip of hot chocolate and the shifting of our feet on the hardwood floor. It was kind of nice if I was being honest.
I was about halfway done with my drink when I quietly told Stef about my memory. "We were at an ice cream shop, I think it was owned by Ingrid but Elsa and Anna were there with Kristoff and Marian. When we were leaving, I pushed you out of the way of a speeding car in the parking lot. I flew over the car and landed hard on the pavement, blacking out after my bones broke and your shout of my name."
I watched a myriad of emotions play across Stef's face at my explanation. Surprise, sadness, anger, guilt, all of them flickered through her hazel eyes. "Is that how all of this happened?"
Stef blew out a breath and nodded.
"Oh," I said, and it fell quiet once more. "I'd do it again."
Her head shot up at that, and green eyes met brown. "What?"
"If that were to happen again, nothing would change. I'd do it over and over and over again," I admitted, my voice cracking with the raw emotion and honesty.
Stef swallowed harshly, and I continued. "I mean, you guys are the best foster family I've ever stayed with. You guys are kind, loving, caring, goofy, fun, annoying, and forgiving. You let me stay with you even though I can't remember any of you, which has got to be absolute hell for you all. You took care of me through an extremely difficult and painful recovery, no matter how much I snapped at you or how actively I'd try to piss you off. You gave me space when I needed it and gave me a shove in the right direction when I got off track. So yeah, I'd do it all over again, because you all love me even when I don't know how to love you back."
Stef and I both had tears running down our faces. She stepped closer to me and brought me in for a hug. I snuggled into her, her strong arms and scent making me feel safe, cozy, and right at home. She placed a kiss on the top of my head and stroked my back in a comforting way. She didn't say anything else and neither did I, because this was enough.
A/N- Thoughts? Also, the song is "It's Not Over Yet" by for KING & COUNTRY