chapter 6

A loud crash and clap of thunder was what woke up Amber early that morning as she bolted upright, her eyes wide with panic and fear as she looks around the still slightly darken room, only to sigh with some relief when she realized that she was now home and in her own familiar bed, safe and sound.

Leaning back on her many pillows, she recalls all that has happen these last few weeks.

3 weeks earlier at the St. Luck Hospital...

When the doctor came to examine them all that morning, she was happy to declare that tomorrow they would all be going home, James, Amber and Sofia cheered, but Ryan and Michael just looked sad, which didn't go unnoticed by Amber.

"Why so glum boys?" She asked.

Michael looks at Amber and says, "We don't have a home to go too." The bluntness of the answer made Amber, along with James and Sofia wince in sympathy.

"I am sorry, I forgot." Amber said Michael just waves off the apology, "It not your fault, you are excited to go home and that is fine, Ry and I will be okay, we have been through worse, but at least we will have each other, unless we get separated." Ryan just clings tighter to his older brother while Amber just frowns at hearing that knowing that it was unfortunate that the foster care system sometimes separated siblings, but then she had an idea.

"Wait I think I might have just the solution to keep you together." Amber said as she carefully gets out of bed ignoring the questioning looks as she leaves the room, only to return with Roland and Miranda.

"Amber just told us about what you said and we decided that we were going to surprise you before we left." Roland said with a gentle smile at the two boys.

"What is it?" Ryan asked curious.

"Well both Roland and I talked and since we don't know if you have any immediate family right now and the foster system is not always good about keeping track of their cases, we decided to have you two stay with us, that is if you want too?" Miranda said trying to keep the hope out of her voice as she waited for their answer.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Ryan shouts happily hugging them both while Michaels smiles at his youngest brother and nods when both adults look at him and they just smile at him as he too joins in the group hug along with Amber, James and Sofia.

Amber blinks out of her thoughts when a knock was heard at her door.

"Come in." Amber said curious as to who would be up this early as Baileywick would be due for another 2 hours.

When the door opens, she saw that is both Michael and Ryan.

"What are you two doing up?" Amber asked when they came in and sat down beside her.

"Couldn't sleep." Michael said simply, which had Amber looking at both them with understanding.

"Nightmares?" Amber guessed both boys nodding, only to receive another knock to her door, she rolls her eyes and said "James and Sofia get in here." They did and so they were all basically dog pile into Amber's bed sleeping soundly, while the thunderstorm raged on outside.

When Baileywick came later that morning to start the children up he saw the cute sight and decided to let them sleep in a little longer explaining both Roland and Miranda why the children weren't up yet and they decided to go see for themselves, when they saw it, they quickly took pictures and then left them to rest.

About an hour later Sofia stirs and when she looks out the window of her big sister's room, she saw that it was raining heavily still, but she wonders what woke her up, when a loud rumble was heard from her stomach, looking at the her brothers and sister, she carefully slips out of the pile and leaves to go find some food, as she was walking down the halls she remembers when they all came home from the hospital, they were still thin as sticks and still wary of sudden moves or loud sounds.

3 weeks earlier, the day they came home from the hospital, it had a surreal experience for them all as they were gathering in the carriage and soon they were all on their way home.

When they all sat down that evening for their first real dinner in weeks, or Ryan and Michael case in years, their parents watched as Michael and Ryan carefully filled their plates with a little of everything.

"We learned that because we have been starved for long that our bodies can't eat large portions of foods and we have eat slowly or risk getting sick, hopefully over time we will fill out, but we can't fully eat like normal teens not a while at least." Michael explained while Ryan carefully eats his food putting an arm around the plate as to guard it from being taken.

At hearing that James, Amber and Sofia all followed their example with eating and soon they were full barely eating only a quarter of the food on their plates, Baileywick clears away the plates, but as he stacks up the plates, he lost his grip on one of the plates, sending it crashing to the floor, the sound had all them running and hiding under the large table, pleading or begging for mercy as they all piled under the table with Michael basically guard them, when the adult tried to get them out.

"Children, it alright I just dropped a plate, nothing bad happen, please come out of there." Baileywick pleaded gently trying to touch one of kids, only to pull away when they flinched and trembled more, it broke his heart to see them so scared of him.

Sitting back on his heels, he watches while Miranda gently talks with the children, trying to get them to come out on their own with reassuring them that they were safe and sound at home.

Roland sits beside the older man, "Don't take it too badly Baileywick, Dr. Ash told us that this type reaction is be expected with victims of abuse or sever trauma, let's just get this mess cleaned up, while Miranda calms them down, you can visit with them tomorrow morning."

Baileywick nods as Roland gets up offering his hand, which he took as they quickly clean the mess and retreat to the kitchens.

Meanwhile Miranda finally gets them all to calm down enough to crawl from under the table, they were a little embarrassed by their reaction, but Miranda was quick to reassure them that she wasn't upset and neither was Baileywick or Roland.

"I think tonight is going to an early night, my children, come on I will tuck you all in and Michael, Ryan I will show you were your rooms are."

After tucking in James, Sofia and Amber into their beds, giving them kisses and hugs, she leaves them to sleep while she shows Michael and Ryan their new room, which they made sure can't be locked at all and they each had their own large beds with a large window that overlooked the lake that surrounded their castle.

Seeing they were too tired from everything that has happened she pulls back the blankets of their beds and had them remove their shoes and trouser, crawling under the covers, they were tucked in and given each a kiss, hug and told that they were loved and treasured while they fell asleep.

When Sofia was told how this was first time since their father's disappearance that they had ever received affection or positive attention, it broke her heart hearing that so she held them extra close as they all snuggled into Amber's bed.

As she carefully walks down the stairs to the main floor, she had to take a deep breath to calm the raging anxiety as she quickly makes her way down the steps, relieved when she was finally down at the bottom.

Sitting down she leans her head between her knees as she tried to calm the anxiety attack that was try to take a hold of her as she breathed in and out deeply for a few moments, before she felt like she could move without fear of getting dizzy or passing out, getting up slowly she walks towards the dinning and was greeted by her parents.

"Good morning, Sofia, did you sleep well?" Roland asked when he saw his youngest child standing in the doorway, when Miranda gestures for Sofia to sit down the child was still unconsciously acting hesitant as she makes her way to her seat and sits down carefully in the chair, really to bolt at the slights sighs of hostility or anger.

"I slept well, so what's for breakfast?" Sofia acting like her usually cheerful self, but both Roland and Miranda weren't so easily fooled as they saw the fear in her bright blue eyes and the careful movements as she fiddled with the table cloth.

"Pancakes with Goldenberry syrup, with a cup fresh milk and orange juice." Baileywick answers as he carefully pushes the cart into the dinning room, looking Sofia with caution in his eyes as he puts the food on the table.

"It wasn't your fault Baileywick, we all know that you didn't mean to scare us, it was an accident." Sofia said softly watching the steward look at her stunned, before regaining his composer and nodding, leaving them to wait for the rest of the children to come down, which they did a few moments later.

First came Michael followed by Ryan, James and then lastly Amber, they all had a wary look in their eyes, but the smiles from both the parents and Sofia reassured them as they all sat down and started to eat their breakfast, chatting, laughing, joking around happily.

Unaware that their lives with change once again forever...

The End

Sequel: The Royal Takeover