Chapter 14: The Truth Will Set You Free

Sky's Point of view

When Sky blinked her eyes open with the morning light, her heart skipped frantically as she took in the room she was in. Herself and Nina were wrapped up under the covers in her bed at the Clearwaters' house. Her room. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, sore from so much crying. Not believing this was real, she reached one hand over to the other she pinched as hard as she could. Ouch. Okay definitely real.

Untangling herself from Nina, she shushed Nina back to sleep and crept to her dresser. It was full of clothes from previous years, and she was pretty certain they would probably still fit. She grabbed an outfit, and made her way down the hall to the bathroom.

Opening her door, she spotted a sleeping Seth and Leah, leaned up on either side of the door, her own personal guards. She stared for a few minutes, still not sure this was all real and wanting to capture every detail in her mind if it wasn't, before she crept past them to her destination. She longed for a few minutes alone under some scalding water to try and wash away all of the bad things she had done. She didn't think she could bare to see her family until then.

About half an hour later, she started creeping back down the hall to her room. She saw that her guards were no longer in their place. As she passed Seth's door, she noticed it was cracked open. She pushed the door open a little more so she could slip inside.

"Hi."

Seth sniffled and rubbed his eyes before turning around to face her. He took a step forward and opened his arms to her, letting her approach as he had in her dreams.

She closed the distance quickly, grateful for the absence of her normal fear. Finding herself sobbing into his shoulder, she asked, "Is this real? Is it over?"

Seth pulled back slightly and put a hand on her face. "I will give my life before you ever endure another pain so long as I can help it. I will do everything in my power to protect and keep you safe. And Nina, all of this applies to her too."

"You've gotten very dramatic," Sky tried to lighten the mood. The look on his face, reminded her of a knight swearing an oath to a queen. And she was no queen.

It was at that moment that they heard Sue call upstairs, "I know someone's awake! Come and get breakfast."

They grinned at each other before heading out the door. Sky did not let go of Seth's hand until she poked her head inside her room to get Nina. Having her hands full of people she cared for, she nodded to Seth to lead the way downstairs.

When they rounded the corner to the kitchen, Sue dropped the plate she was holding and it shattered onto the floor. Sky and Nina clutched each other and dropped into a crouch, trying to become as small a target as possible.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. Girls, you're safe, you're home." She took a shuttering breath. "I was just afraid last night was a dream. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"I-I can clean it up," Sky offered quickly, used to cleaning messes meaning less injuries. Even knowing Sue would never hurt her. Hands shaking as she let Nina towards the broom closet.

Sue waved a hand, dismissing her. "You will do no such thing. It was my fault completely." She cleared her throat and ushered all the kids to the table, with an extra squeeze of Sky's hand before she returned to the mess to clean.

Sitting at the table, Sky looked around at the plate settings as Sue finished prepping the table. She counted once, twice, three times before she glanced at Seth and Sue. Confusion set in as she realized that there was one place setting too few for the whole family plus Sky and Nina. She opened her mouth to ask, before deciding she wasn't ready for the answer. Just in case.

They ate their breakfast quietly, Seth sitting close enough that their knees were touching. And her and Nina not letting go of one another's hands.

"My sweet child, after breakfast we need to bring you both to the hospital. To check you over. To report everything that happened. I called Chief Swan last night after you went to bed and he thinks that will be the easiest way. He will meet us there." Sky's eyes darted to her mother figure.

"A-are you trying to get rid of us?"

Sue gasped, "Oh spirits no! The council will be requesting temporary guardianship of you, both of you, to protect you from your monstrous parents. To make sure they can't try to take you back."

Sky put her spoon down, no longer hungry. "Okay. We can go now."

Nina gripped Sky's hand even tighter.

"Oh sweetheart, nothing is coming out right. I'm so sorry. I love you and am trying to do right by you." Sue sighed. "The tribe will protect you both at all times. You will not be alone there. I promise."

"Okay, can we go now?" Sky knew she would not be able to calm her beating heart until this was over. Heck, she wasn't sure she would ever be able to stop looking over her shoulder.

Leah came barreling through the front door with a small bag in hand. Both young girls whipped their heads around to assess danger, and both visibly relaxed when they saw Leah.

"Sorry, glad I caught you before you left. I have some clothes for Nina. I just ran out and got them. I wasn't sure what you liked, and honestly I didn't have a lot to choose from. Figured you might want to change before we take care of business."

Nina lit up like the sun. "New clothes? For me? I don't think I've ever had them before."

Leah's face fell slightly before she smiled and waved Nina over. Looking up to Sky to make sure it was alright, she was greeted by a small nod and a shooing gesture.

"I'm just going to go let Charlie know we are heading that way soon." Sue excused herself and started gathering the plates.

Seth offered his hand to Sky and grabbed grabbed it when she offered it to lead her to the living room.

Sitting in the couch, he asked for the other one. "What's going on in that head of yours, Sky?"

She sniffled, trying to hold herself together. "I thought mom and dad were my parents. But she called them my parents. Does she not want me anymore?"

"Chesire. Look at me this instant." He paused waiting for her to lock eye contact, when she did, he continued. "She spent 855 days doing everything in her power to find you. They called agency after agency, day after day, hunting down every lead Charlie could find to bring you back to us. She's scared she is going to lose you again. This is where you belong, here, with us. I won't ever let you go again."

She wiped her nose with her sleeve. "I don't want to be a burden."

"Never, now come on let's get this sorted so we can breathe a little easier."

Nina came running down the stairs, giggling, with Leah on her tail. "Sky, look! Look at this brand new outfit!"

Sky grabbed her hands and squeezed, "It's perfect."

With everyone ready to go, they made their way to Forks Hospital, a place Sky was already very familiar with from all the trips she had taken for injuries caused by her parents. Injuries that she covered up to protect her true family. What could have been different if she hadn't lied that last time?

The hospital was quick to get them brought back to a room, a single room for both the girls. It was crowded with Seth, Leah and Sue in the room with them.

When the nurse first came in she politely asked that 2 of them wait out in the waiting room to give more room and privacy for Sky and Nina. As the girls were both underage, Sue was the only one who would be given permission to stay back there so long as the girls were alright with it.

Before any testing or exams were started, they waited for Chief Swan to be brought back.

"Hello Sue, girls." He cleared his throat. "To get started, why don't you tell Doc and I what you two have gone through. So we know how to assist and who to contact to continue this investigation." He motioned at the door and a young blonde doctor came in. He had the palest skin, but the most beautiful smile. Sky didn't know why, but she knew she could trust these two men. And she knew she had a lot of explaining to do.

"Hello, I am Doctor Cullen. I owe your tribe a great deal and am honored to begin to build that bridge, starting here. I am at your services to help in every way I can."

Sky looked between the two men, before glancing at her and Nina's entwined hands.

"Baby girl, you are going to go with Sue to another room so I can tell these men about what happened, okay?" Nina's eyes grew with fear of being abandoned by Sky.

Sky looked to Sue, who responded, "I will protect her as if she is my fourth child." This seemed to pacify both Sky and Nina as the younger child scampered off the bed.

A nurse came in and guided them to another room.

Sky turned back to the two men, positioned against the far wall. "Sorry, I just couldn't bear to have any of them hear this. I don't want them to think of me differently. I guess I should start at the beginning. Do you have my medical records from this hospital?"

Doctor Cullen excused himself and came back minutes later with the records. Sky spent the next several hours going over every detail of everything she could remember that she endured in her short life. Explaining what really happened to bring her to the hospital on each and every trip. Retelling her story got harder and harder the closer they got to current day.

She told them every gruesome detail of what had been done to her, and what she had done. She explained how she was able to escape and how they made it back here. Her tears got stronger. They ebbed and flowed. They offered her break after break, telling her she didn't need to do this all at once, but she knew she couldn't stop until someone knew the truth.

They gave her a few moments to compose herself when all was said and done. She straightened her shoulders and looked at Chief Swan. "Will I go to jail?"

The man was speechless, devastated for everything this young girl, just a few years younger than his own daughter, had experienced. Shattered that she still thought doing everything she had to to escape her captors would lead her to doing time.

Doctor Cullen spoke before the officer could. "You will not. And if anyone tries anything to counter that, you have my best lawyers to defend you. No cost to you. Once we are done here, they will begin working on permanent custody arrangements for you and Nina. You will not endure another hardship like the ones in your past so long as my family has anything to say about it."

Sky gripped her hands together tightly. "Why? You don't know me."

"I know your tribe, I know your family, and this is the very least I could offer."

Charlie tried to clear the emotions from his throat before he added, "When I got Sue's call last night, I started in with the courts. I got a judge to sign off on the tribal council having temporary guardianship of yourself and Nina until final arrangements are agreed upon between the tribe and the courts."

Sky's face brightened, "Really? I can stay at home?"

The chief smiled. "I am happy to be able to say yes to that."

"Sky, there are some screenings and examinations I would like to have completed from a medical perspective. I also am going to recommend you see a therapist at least weekly. No human should have to endure what you have and not be given the resources on how to survive afterwards." He poked his head out the door and called in the nurse from before.

"Cheryl will help with the examinations, so you feel a little more comfortable. I know it will be hard, but gathering all evidence we can, will help us build the strongest case to protect you."

Sky trembled, no longer wanting to be alone. "Can... would Leah be able to come back in for this part? Would she have to know what it's for?"

Cheryl smiled sadly. "We can absolutely have her come back, and we don't have to tell her a word of what each test is for. Let me go get her."

She was back within 5 minutes. Leah came over to the side of the bed, and held Sky's hand. She held it firmly, never asking a single question, turning her head when needed to give Sky privacy. If this was a comfort Leah could provide her baby sister, then she would do it gladly for the rest of her life.