Chapter 4:
New Start Try Again
Steve sighed as he walked up to the door, the dark skinned girl in hand. He took a deep breath then opened the door and called for his wife,
"Mira!" As she ran around the corner and towards them, almost crashing, she stopped in front of the girl,
"Oh my God you poor girl," The blonde and black haired woman hugged the skinny girl, almost squeezing the life out of her. "I dreamt of you. Are you ok? You need food, a bath. You'll need some of Kai's clothes!" She took the girl's hand and walked her into the dining room. The dark girl stumbled as she tried to keep up with the older woman's pace. She looked desperately at Steve for something, anything at all.
"Ma'am please..." They could tell she was American, and southern at that. That proved she was Alex's daughter.
"Hmm? What is it? Oh, sorry." She looked down at the floor, "I scared you didn't I?" She looked down at her, now bending down to her knees. "I really didn't mean to scare you. Steve maybe you should take care of her, she seems to like you a lot." She turned around and walked off, leaving the girl dumbfounded. A moment passed before the girl decided to run after her, down the hallway, calling to her to apologize.
"Ma'am! I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" She stopped dead upon entering the room behind Mira, catching eye contact with three children around her age, all of them staring at her intencely. The girl stepped back and bumped into something hard. Turning around, she came face to face with Steve.
"Yeah, I know. They look scary, but they won'' hurt you." He paused. "That girl over there is Kai, her twin brother Cid, and the young man, Cloud, standing by my wife." She turned to look at each of them as he named them. Kai walked up to her,
"So you're that girl my mom kept talking about." She looked her up and down. "Are you my sister?" The other girl's green eyes widened and cocked an eyebrow, 'Random....' The girl thought. Steve and Mira exchanged looks, both lost at what to say.
"No, Kai. She's not, but be nice eh?" Mira walked back towards the soaking wet girl as Steve replied to his daughter.
"You don't have to apologize, I probably scared you," Mira looked at her, as Cid said his two cents worth after his mother spoke,
"Yeah, my mom is scary when she gets out of bed." Mira bonked the boy's head lightly, "Oww... That hurt."
"Anyway, I didn't mean to so, I'm sorry. Would you tell me your name? So, that I won't have to call you 'girl' or 'child'? But you don't have to, I can wait," She finished quickly, trying not to put any pressure on the frail girl. She turned to Steve, "Honey, could you get a bath ready for this girl?"
"Sure." Running water could be heard from the bathroom moments later.
"Come, you must be hungry. You can eat as much as you feel like eating ok?" The green-eyed girl followed the woman into the kitchen, still feeling a bit uneasy. She tried to comfort her self by watching and looking for any details about the family. Mira smiled, knowing that the girl would be safe here from her father. "You know, your father won't hurt you. He has to get through me first and believe me, he can't." Mira turned and smiled at her. The girl felt a little at ease though something in the woman's eyes told her she was not of this world. The green-eyed child knew the woman was good. She could tell, so she smiled, the only smile that wasn't fragile, like the one she wore when Steve brought her home. "Well, take a bath, and I'll come in later to bring you some clothes. You can eat after ok?" Mira still smiled, she loved the child and wanted to protect her deeply.
"Hey you two have'n a tea party? The water is coolin' down." Steve poked his head through the doorway and grinned at the two before getting a wet towel in his face. "What did I do?" His face so innocent.
"Being you of course." She grinned and kissed his lips before heading down the hall to tuck Kai and Cid in bed.
"I guess I'll take care of the lil' jackal eh?" Steve headed over to the girl, "How 'bout I show you were the bath's at huh? Come on." The ten year old followed him loosely for a few steps then took his hand, quickly. She tried not to look up at him, fearing she would be hit exactly like her punishment from her father if she tried that on him. "Hey, you ok?" he stopped and bent down to be eye level with her. "I won'' hurt you I know its tough to be here and you know no one, but I hope you can live with yourself in this little home of mine, well as long as you wan' to stay." After a while he stopped. "We're here. I'll let you to your business." He opened the door and closed it behind her. She had opened her mouth to speak but closed it. The British boxer was quite the talkative speaker. She took in the sight of the clean bathroom. It was nice. They were nice. She felt like smiling, but a rock seemed to form in her stomach. Fear rose in her heart. They mustn't know her family. The girl snapped out of her thoughts and peeled off the clothing. The bath was warm. She had almost forgotten the feeling of warmth.
After washing, she climbed out, had made sure she cleaned up neatly, and wrapped a towel around herself. The skinny girl was nothing but skin and bones and she stood out darkly in the bright beige and white toned bathroom. Mira knocked on the door after a while and opened it slowly.
"Here are some clothes. I hope they fit." She handed them to her and frowned. "Child when was the last time you ate?" She took the girls arms and closed her eyes. The girl didn't know what she was doing, but Mira was finding out what made her turn out this way. She pulled back, "I'll get you a plate fixed with some good food you'll be alright." She lifted her head as if she herd something, her hair that covered her ears where shoved to the side by her right hand and her pointed ears were visible. "And hurry or it will get cold soon." she smiled again. Once again she opened her mouth to speak but decided not to. After putting on the other girl, Kai's, clothing, she followed Mira into the kitchen again. Even Steve's tiny daughter's clothes were baggy and loose on the thin girl. She stopped walking upon seeing the oldest son sitting at the table. The girl averted her green eyes to the floor when he looked at her.
"This is Cloud, the oldest of my kids." She went to the other end, got out a plate and filled it with the freshly made dinner.
"Mother, Dad said he needs to go to practice early tomorrow. He's in the gym right now. He also said, that he needs to talk to you." He put his plate into the dishwasher and looked at his mom who paused in mid-air of putting food on the plate. She finally awoke from her daydream and turned to the girl.
"Here you go."
"Hey watch out my mother might poison you." He smiled widely, as the rude joke came from his lips.
"Cloud! I'm trying to get this girl to eat something. You keep your mouth shut. There is no poison in there. Tell your father I need to see him now, I have a bad feeling."
"Uh ok." Passing the girl he whispered into her ear, "Don't eat it. There is poison. I know I live on it every day."
"Get out of here." Mira stomped on the ground making the boy run out of the room. The girl wanted to smile but the look in Mira's eyes behind that smile wiped it clean from ever touching the girl's face. What if they knew? What would they do? Were they going to give her back to him? She must not. She can not go back. The girl slowly ate the food, still thinking of the boy's mitch-matched eyes and how they actually seemed perfect for him. On the inside, she was just trying to stay calm.
"Honey I have to practice, or Alex will beat me tomorrow you know how I am about that fight." Steve put his hands on Mira's shoulders.
"I know but...It is exactly about Alex."
They still stood in the kitchen the girl still sitting above her plate.
"I felt his presence earlier. He wants his daughter. He somehow found out were she is. Please don't let him take her." She looked at the girl worried, "Let me take care of her, she needs a home, she needs someone who can help her deal with her past. Please Steve."
"I...maybe you just imagined that." The girl sat silently until,
"My name is Kyksae." Her sweet voice was almost saddening. She sounded as if she was about to cry, yet the girl's clear green eyes were dry. Mira looked at her and walked over taking a seat beside her. Mira hugged her,
"Poor child. He was wrong with what he did, both with you and her.... He deserves to die...But if I do so I might loose my family. One day I'll show you with what I mean." She smiles still holding the girl. Steve couldn't hear anything that they said but when the bell rang he moved, but Mira stopped him. "I'll talk with him." She turned and faced the girl. "Steve will show you your room, rest have a good nights sleep." With that she headed down the hall. The girl stood up abruptly thereafter.