A/N: WARNING**: mention of abuse
I didn't know what direct to join with this section, and who knows maybe I will right some one-shots on different ways it could go. Another note, some on commented on the age between Jason and Emily so, people have a chance of getting pregnant again roughly three weeks after having a baby, yet it's generally not recommended to have sex until six weeks. Plus, I am planning on Emily being born at around 33 weeks instead of the normal 39-40 weeks which makes her a preemie.
"What's your earliest memory away from us?" asked Elizabeth.
"It's when I woke up in the hospital after the hikers found out in the woods", Stella stated.
"Okay, so you don't remember anything on how you got to the woods or how you got taken?" asked her dad.
Stella said, "No, I already told you I don't remember any of that. I just remember waking up being surrounded by police, nurses, and a person from CPS".
Stella was starting to get agitated with these questions.
Her mom stated, "I can see you don't like what we are talking about but we have to contact your caseworker and the detective from your case. You're still filed as a missing person and your investigation needs to be updated. I know you don't want to talk about it and that it seems overwhelming, but we will be with you every step of the way, Okay?".
Stella started to fidget and look like she was trying to not cry. Henry pulls her into his arms, hugging in a rocking motion, trying to help her feel better. Elizabeth looks so torn between what needs to be done, and protecting her daughter and family.
Stella sits up after calming down. She gets up to sit on the table across from them.
"I really want to leave that conversation for another day. I promise you, it will be soon, but it's too much with being reconnected with you guys, and I haven't even seen my siblings yet. Do they know about me?" Stella asks.
They both agreed to talk about what happened later. Elizabeth explained that they sat them down last night, and they can't wait to meet her and for her to be a part of the family again.
Henry asked, "Where do you live now, in the dorms, with a foster or adopted family"?
"I have had three foster families, I have been with this one since High School", Stella stated.
She continued, "my first family was great, they lived on a farm with all kinds of animals. Some of the chores weren't fun, but I loved riding the horses, feeding the chickens, and butchering our own meat. While with my second foster family, I was placed with them because they were the only ones close enough to a High School I needed to go to and it was about an hour and a half drive from my other family. But, they only lasted about 3 months because they were abusive… So, Mrs. Garcia, my social worker, was able to have me foster with my current foster family in North Cambridge, MA. I finished High School with them and now I'm a freshman at Harvard."
"You were abused?", they asked at the same time.
"Yeah, just food and water restrictions, and being locked in the shed whenever they get tired of us or we were bad. But, I wasn't there for that long, other kids had been with them a lot longer", Stella rushed.
She could tell what emotions her parents were emitting and they kept giving each other looks. She doesn't know if she should mention Rebecca and Jeffrey, especially if they reacted this way to something that happened a while ago.
Henry cleared his throat and said, "well it's almost time for the kids to be, and I need to get started on dinner. Would you like to stay for dinner, Emily… I mean Stella".
Stella whispered, " I would love too and you can call me either Emily or Stella. I think we're just going to have to figure this out together as a family".
Elizabeth stands to grab her and pulls her into the best hug that she could remember. She is holding on to her for dear life as she inhales her mom's smell. She could feel her mom running her fingers through her hair. Henry is standing by the kitchen watching them, feeling like jumping into the hug, but he can't help praying a thank you to God that their baby is back in his beautiful wife's arms.
Stella takes a deep and shaky breath, "I have missed you so much, mama".
Elizabeth pulls back slightly to look at her, "oh baby, I have missed you too".
She smooths Stella's hair back and kisses her forehead. She nudges her, Stella moves to the kitchen and wraps her dad in a hug from behind as he gets dinner started. They stood there in a embrace the whole 30 minutes it took for him to finish dinner. As she pulls back she hears the front door opening and closing, and voices coming closer, her siblings are home.
