Hanna tried to take some deep breaths as she walked towards her family's home. She was starting to think Maya was right. That maybe her family just wouldn't accept her after she took her brother's side. But she had to try one last time. She reached her house and hesitated to look in the window, but did so anyways. She bravely stood there for a few moments and just as she was about to turn away, her older sister looked towards her, giving her such a look of hatred that she couldn't stand there anymore. She ran. She ran blindly through the night, not knowing where she was even going.

After ten minutes she stopped, fighting to catch her breath. She hadn't even realized she was crying until she touched her face and felt wetness. And then she saw them. She was surrounded by a bunch of Roman soldiers. The very people she was scared of. She had run into Roman territory and now she was paralyzed in fear, not being able to move another step. Her eyes darted around for a moment and there was nobody she recognized. But just as she thought she was done for, she heard a familiar, comforting voice call out her name.

"Hanna?"

She whirled around to face the one man she trusted, looking shocked that she was even there. "Gaius!" she managed to sob out as she ran to him. He met her midway, lifting her into his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh darling" he murmured into her ear. "What happened?"

"I w..went to my parents home tonight and...Gaius they'll never accept me or Matthew again!" She cried into his neck as he held her tightly.

It broke his heart to hear that this sweet girl had been rejected by her parents once more. "Come with me" he murmured as he set her down gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he led her away, leaving a whole bunch of Roman soldiers in shock.

Hanna took a couple minutes to look around. The Roman compound looked different than any other place in the city. Much more decorated and rich than the streets of Capernaum. Gaius looked down at her as she examined her surroundings. She had been sixteen when he met her. A teenager full of fear and sadness. So much sadness that he had wanted to take all that pain and make it disappear.

"Anything wrong Primi?" A voice behind them asked. Hanna knew that voice and it gave her goosebumps just thinking about it.

Gaius turned around slowly as the girl turned around with him.

"Hanna?" Quintus asked, walking closer to her.

The girl had been on his mind since the night before. "Are you okay?" he asked, wanting to reach out and wipe the tears from her eyes. Those beautiful dark brown eyes.

"My parents..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down.

Quintus felt another surge of anger go through him. Hanna did not deserve to be treated this way. She was too special.

"Oh Hanna..." was all he could get out now as he looked into her sad eyes.

Gaius was shocked. Why was the Praetor acting so out of character around Hanna? "Hanna and I have much to discuss Praetor. Perhaps we can continue this tomorrow?" he asked, knowing that Quintus was one of the ones to handle adoptions.

"Of course" Quintus said before reaching out to take Hanna's hand, making her look up at him once more. "If you need anything I am here."

And then he walked away leaving Hanna feeling tingly inside, but she wouldn't admit that. Not just yet. Gaius kissed her head and led her to his home, opening the door and letting her walk in first.

A woman and a boy walked in curious as to what all the commotion was about. "Gaius? What is going on. Who is this?" she asked, giving Hanna a warm smile.

"Livia this is Hanna. The girl I told you about" Gaius said as he stroked Hanna's back comfortingly.

"Oh Hanna! It's so nice to finally meet you!" she said gently hugging her and to Hanna's surprise she hugged back. Livia was so warm and kind and it was infectious.

"I'm Marius!" The boy exclaimed happily. "Are you my new sister?"

"What?" Hanna looked over at Gaius who rubbed his neck a little.

"Marius I was supposed to talk to her first" he said, looking over at Hanna, who gazed at Gaius with tears in her eyes. Happy tears.

"Uh Livia why don't you take Marius for a walk. I need to talk to Hanna about all this" he said as he took the girl's hand.

"Of course!" the older woman said smiling, taking Hanna's hands in her's. "You make yourself at home Hanna. You are welcome here."

Hanna smiled happily. "Thank you..."

"Oh you can call me mom" Livia said, surprising Hanna even more.

"Okay mom" she said. The term came easier to her than she thought it would.

Once the two were gone, Hanna turned to Gaius again and couldn't help but jump into his arms once more, laughing as he spun her around.

"I was going to make it a little more special than that" he said as he set her down and led her upstairs to a room, which Hanna guessed would be her's.

Gaius sat her down on the bed before sitting down next to her, taking her hands gently. He wasn't as nervous as he thought he would be as he looked at his new daughter. His little girl. She wasn't that little anymore but that's how he thought of her from the moment he had met her.

"Hanna. Would you...this is going to sound like a wedding proposal." he said laughing as Hanna smiled and squeezed his hands gently.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my daughter? Officially?"

The girl smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes...Dad."

Gaius smiled at the word and hugged her tight, kissing her cheek, nose and forehead. "I meant to do this years ago, please forgive me."

Hanna kissed his cheek and hugged him tighter, hiding her face in his shoulder. When Livia and Marius returned that evening, they found father and daughter snuggled up on her new bed. The woman smiled and covered them both with a blanket, kissing them both before leading Marius to bed.


"You want to adopt Hanna?" Quintus asked Gaius seriously just as Matthew had walked out the door.

Gaius thought that Hanna should be the one to tell Matthew that he and his family were adopting her. Better to find it out from his own sister than from him.

"Yes Praetor. I've been meaning to do it for awhile now. As you know her family is not caring and kicked her out of the house along with Matthew just because he became a tax collector."

Quintus rolled his eyes now, a little more irritated than he had been earlier that morning. He was starting to care about Hanna and the idea that her family had rejected her made him angry. She was special and she was different than all the other girls.

"I'll get the paperwork processed today" he said as he sighed, motioning for Gaius to sit down.

"While we're talking about Hanna and now that she will be you're daughter officially, I want to make my intentions clear about her. Gaius I mean you're daughter no harm. I see how protective you are of her and I know what my reputation is." He paused for a moment and looked Gaius right in the eye.

"She's different and I have to admit I am starting to care about her."

Gaius took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Look Praetor. She's been through alot and she needs someone who will be there for her when she's having a hard time. Will you do that?"

Quintus nodded and looked Gaius dead in the eye. "I will protect her just as much as you do" he said honestly.

Gaius nodded and sighed. "Okay then. But take it slow with her."

"I'll give her all the time she needs" Quintus said with a genuine smile.


"You cannot be serious!" Maya exclaimed as she sat down on Hanna's bed as she packed. "Gaius is adopting you?"

"Yeah Maya. I've said it twice already" Hanna said laughing as she grabbed some dresses and some jewelry.

Maya was stunned. She couldn't believe that Hanna was leaving and was going to be living in Roman territory. She was worried, but she was still going to be happy for her friend. "Well what is his family like?" she asked supportively.

"They're all really nice" she said happily. "I have a new little brother. Matthew of course will still be my brother, but you know that. I could never abandon him."

"And what about Quintus?" Maya asked Hanna, a smile forming on her face. "I may have been out of it that night he escorted us home, but I saw the way he looked at you."

Hanna blushed a little. "I honestly don't know yet" she said as she sat down next to Maya. "I've only known him a few days and he's only said a few words to me. I should be asking about Matthew!"

It was Maya's turn to blush as she looked away. "Is it that obvious?"

"It's very obvious!" Hanna exclaimed, nudging her best friend. "He's a completely different person around you."

Maya grinned now and looked down at her hands. "Okay I guess you can say we're a thing."

Hanna grinned and hugged Maya happily. "I'm happy for you. You deserve something good after..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the saddened look on Maya's face.

Maya was still struggling with the loss of her mother and it showed. Even though she had Matthew, she was withdrawn and sad most of the time. There were moments when she was happy, but most of the time she was completely sad.

She shook her head of her sadness and turned back to Hanna. "Have you told Matthew yet?"

"Told me what?" Matthew asked as he stood in the doorway, looking at Hanna curiously, Gaius coming to stand behind him.

"Matthew" Hanna said standing up, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "Gaius is adopting me and I'm moving in with him and his family."

Matthew's eyes widened. "You what?"

"You're still my brother!" she exclaimed, seeing the hurt look on his face.

Maya stood up and went to take Matthew's hand in an attempt to keep him calm.

"So you're abandoning me" Matthew said, clearly misunderstanding the situation, tears forming in his eyes.

"Matthew no!"

Tears formed in Hanna's eyes, causing Gaius to come to her side, wrapping an arm around her. "No Matthew. You're still my brother and I can visit you whenever I want!"

Matthew scoffed and shook his head. "You know...I've seen the way Quintus looks at you. He'll just hurt you like our parents did. And you're abandoning me for a new family and a man who will just kick you to the wayside like all the other women he's been with?"

"Matthew this is not about Quintus!" Hanna exclaimed tearfully.

"Matthew I think you need some time to calm down" Gaius said, pulling Hanna towards him after grabbing her bag. "She is still you're sister and she loves you!"

Maya looked at Matthew before moving to her best friend's side, hugging her. "We will always be best friends Hanna" she whispered sadly. "We can still get together and catch up. You know this."

Hanna nodded and hugged her back tightly. "Friends always" she said before walking out the door with Gaius.

Maya turned back to Matthew once they were gone and sat down next to him on Hanna's old bed, pulling him to her chest as he cried. It was her turn to be there for him.

"I'm here Matthew" she said carding her fingers through his dark hair.

After a few moments he calmed down, pulling back to look into Maya's eyes. "I...I have to do something tonight. Will you come with me? I no longer want to be alone."

"Yes I will come with you" she said kissing his forehead gently.

That night would change her entire life.