Chapter 16: Haunted Walls

Sky's Point of View

Seth sat in the back seat with Nina and Sky the whole drive home from the hospital. He tentatively flipped his hand over, asking without words if Sky wanted that small comfort.

She still felt too raw from all she had experienced at the hospital. So she leaned a head on his shoulder but kept her arms wrapped firmly around herself. He understood and pressed his cheek to the top of her head, keeping his hands firmly to himself. A small part of her noticed the way his body seemed to be vibrating.

When they got home, Mom went to the kitchen to start dinner, explaining that Emily was on her way to help. Leah brought Nina into the living room to show her some more things she had gone out and gotten for the young girl. Sky stood for a moment, not sure how she fit into this place anymore. The walls, suffocating her as they reminded her she was not the girl she was when she left. When she was taken. She stared out the back window for a minute. Remembering all too well the feeling of her father's hand on her as he dragged her away from this place she had called home. The feeling was overbearing. Wanting to be here, grateful she was, but terrified all the same.

Sky grabbed Seth's hand before she drowned in the overwhelming feelings beginning to suffocate her, and dragged him out to the front porch. They settled in 2 rocking chairs, Seth keeping his distance, sensing that she needed the space likely after the rough day she had endured.

As they were sitting there, Emily arrived. She offered Seth and Sky a warm, tender smile before heading into the house. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she spoke. "I am having a hard time."

Seth's hand tighter on his chair's arm rest. "I know. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She took a deep breath. "I... I don't think I can stay here, in this house. In my home. I know that you and Lee Lee and mom will do everything to keep me and Nina safe, but you can't protect me from myself. I don't have it in me right now to focus on the good, like I used to. Instead, I keep reliving the bad moments. And they bring me back to the worst, my time away. And being so close to my childhood house, I feel like I can't breathe. I thought I'd be stronger, but I'm not. I'm not strong enough to live inside these walls, so close to where my horrors started. The doctor said I might need Professional help to process everything, and I really think he might be right."

Seth was silent for a moment. He brought his head to his hands, elbows resting on his knees. It was clear he was warring with himself. "I understand. I can't protect you from the horrors coming at you from inside." He looked up at her, eyes so full of love, and hurt. "But I swear I will protect you with everything I have. From everything I can. I won't lose you again. We will get you the help you need. Whatever that might look like. You will never be alone again."

Sky reached out and gave his hand a quick squeeze before pulling it back in towards herself. "I don't know what to do. I just need to get better, I need to be stronger. I need-"

"Don't." Seth's voice was stern, but not angry. "Don't you dare insinuate that you aren't the strongest person alive. You were dealt the worst hand imaginable, and you didn't back down. You came up with a plan, and you did whatever you had to so that you could save yourself and that sweet little girl in there. So you don't get to say you're not strong. But you don't have to do it all on your own anymore. You have the pac-tribe backing you up. You have me and Leah and everyone else in your corner. Do you trust me?"

Her answer was immediate and unwavering, even as she remained curled up in a ball on her chair. "With my life."

"Then I know what we can do, how we can help you. The choice is yours. But I think this will be good alternative. And still keeps you close by. But not too close to here. And safe, very safe." He nodded his head towards the house. "Want to go in and talk about it with everyone?"

Hesitantly, she nodded. As they stood up, Sam and Will arrived. Seth gave Sam a nod, and reached over to shake Will's hand. "Hey man, thank you so much for coming over. We are so appreciate of what you did. Come on in."

The group headed into the house and made their way to the dining room where Emily and Sue were starting to bring food out to the table. "Mom, do you need any help? Sam and Will just got here."

There was movement from the living room before Leah popped around the corner, cheeks turning pink as she spotted Will, Nina tucked behind her. "Hi."

To Sky's surprise, Will's cheeks also turned pink. "Hi!"

Leah's cheeks got redder, "Hi."

Sam smiled to himself and walked over to Emily, pressing a kiss to her scarred cheek.

"Please everyone, let's sit and enjoy this meal. Will, so glad you were able to make it. If you plan on sticking around, we would love to make this a recurring event." Sue took on the role as dutiful entertainer to her guests.

Sky stared long and hard at the seat that Dad should have been sitting in. There was only one reason he wouldn't be here. That he wouldn't have found her and welcomed her home. Still, even knowing in her heart the truth, she couldn't bear to have the words said out loud. So she didn't ask. Again. Feeling like a coward.

She looked over to Nina and saw the young girl smiling as Leah and Sue loaded her plate with food, encouraging her to eat.

She looked down at her own plate, and didn't think she could stomach a single thing. Surprisingly, she saw that Seth's plate remained empty as well. He waited a few minutes for everyone to settle into their seats before he spoke. "I think that Sky and Nina should live with Sam and Emily. If everyone agrees to it." Sky could tell the words were like cement leaving his body. He did not want the words to be true, but he knew they were. She was only very momentarily surprised he chose Sam. She knew she missed a lot while she was away, but it made sense in a way. She had always looked at Sam like a protective older brother.

A pin drop could have been heard with how silent the group was. Leah stood up from the table, her whole body vibrating. She leveled Seth with a hard look, the two of them communicating in the way they always could, before she turned to look at Sky with eyes full of hurt and understanding. Sky could tell she wanted to protest, but didn't for her sake. Leah tried to offer her a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Sky watched her avoid Sam and Emily all together as she turned towards the back door. Leah gave Nina's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right back." Sky could see unshed tears as her Lee Lee began walking away.

She felt her heart clench as she watched her sister's retreating form, hoping she could forgive her.

Will's Point of View

Maybe a minute passed before Will stood up from his chair. The room was still silent from Leah's retreat. "I'm going to go check on her."

He wasn't sure why he received small smiles from nearly the whole group. Why this family seemed so willing for basically a stranger to go and be with the vulnerable woman he saw get up from the table. But he knew he had to follow her. Like a magnet was pulling him from his chair.

When he got into the backyard, he shook his head frustrated with himself for acting so rashly. She probably wanted time, alone. Not with some stranger following her about.

He saw her sitting on the edge of a chair, taking calming breaths, the shaking from earlier already subsiding. "Leah?"

The beautiful girl jumped a little, opening her eyes as she turned to face him. He saw a fire in her eyes, an anger so intense, but fueled by something he couldn't quite place his finger on. The broken look on her face had him doing something he had no business doing.

Will rushed to her side, kneeling in front of her and pulled her into a hug so fierce he worried momentarily that he would hurt her. She tensed for a brief moment before melting into his arms and wrapping her arms back just as tightly. She gasped for air as sobs she had been trying to keep in shook her whole frame.

They stayed that way for a while, and Will had the strangest feeling that she didn't allow many people to see her like this.

He had to strain to hear the whispered confession that left her lips. "I couldn't save her the last time. This is where her biological father ripped her from us, from me. He strangled her in front of me, before dragging her back to their house." She gestured to the house next door. "I was too young, too weak to stop it then. I made sure I wouldn't be when she returned. But I'm losing her again. I'm not enough, again."

He didn't know what to say, listening to her quiet admission. Noting that the thing he saw in her eyes was guilt over what Sky had gone through, blaming herself for the girl being taken. "I think you're more than enough. I don't think this is about your strength, but hers. I know I have no idea what's going on, but that child in there is haunted by some crazy demons. I don't know if I would be able to stomach being that close to the bad memories you're telling me about. No matter how much I loved the people I was next to. And man, can I tell how much that girl loves your family. She just got home, give her some time to adjust. To get through all that she experienced."

She sniffled but offered him a small smile. "For someone who has no clue what's going on, that was very insightful."

He let out a laugh of surprise. "I have my moments. You'll have to spend some more time with me so I can show you." It fell from his lips before he thought about it, and his cheeks blazed red. "Sorry that was presumptuous. I just believe that the universe has a plan and I think it's plan for me is to stay around for a while-" Maybe forever, he added mentally, "-and I was hoping to convince you that maybe you could show me around. And maybe I could help you see how enough you are. And oh my goodness please stop this verbal diarrhea before I further embarrass myself. It's too late, I think I need to leave and never show my face again."

He went to stand up from where he was still kneeling and very close to her, and she grabbed for his hands forcing him to stay eye level with her. "I would like that very much. The spending time together part. The staying around for a while part."

He laughed and warned her. "Okay but just so you are aware, I have no filter and when I get going on a topic sometimes I can't stop talking until I remember to breathe."

She let out a laugh. The sound giving him butterflies. He couldn't help wondering if he was a middle school boy again. But he decided then and there, it would be his life's mission to hear that sound as often as he possibly could.

Author's note: Thank you all for the reviews! I am trying to be more consistent with getting new chapters out, so they might be around this length moving forward.

Ealasaid Una, love the idea of Rosalie being able to help Sky. We just might see that!