Immaculate

Spoils of war

Part 106

Sang's POV

I was sitting cross legged on the floor of Mr Blackbourne's office. His printer was working overtime as he sat at his desk and printed off the pictures that I had requested.

I had just spent a very enjoyable hour sitting on his lap as he gone right through the entire folder on his laptop that held all his pictures. At first I had been reluctant to print too many, but he had put forth his own suggestions and told me that it was not a problem no many how I chose.

The first picture I had chosen was the one when they were all about ten. It was before North and Silas had come over. But the next picture had them all in it when they were about thirteen. I loved looking at the younger versions of them, even Mr Blackbourne and Dr Green were in a few.

Once I had chosen all of the pictures, I had kissed him, slid from his lap and made a start on my scrapbook. He had offered me his desk, but I knew that I would spread right out once my glue, paper and glitter pens came out, and I knew he had work to do. I had told him I was fine on the floor and I was.

Dr Green had been called into the hospital and none of the others were around. Nathan and Silas were helping another team with something. Kota was with his family, Gabriel was at home and so was Victor. North and Luke were working at the Diner, but I was happy sitting in silence with Mr Blackbourne.

"Miss Sorenson," Mr Blackbourne caught my attention and I looked up from where I was busy cutting a surround for the picture from one of the papers that came with the kit.

"I have given this much thought and it doesn't sit well with me," he pushed his chair back from his desk and spun it to face me.

"What?" I asked, concern rippling through me.

"Every New Year the Academy holds a ball. I have been debating back and forth as to whether we should take you. Part of me wants you beside us, but the other part of me realises that it is unnecessary exposure for you. We have to attend, if we don't, questions will be asked."

"When is it?" I asked, sitting up straighter.

"This is another annoying factor about it. It falls right on Kota's birthday. The 3rd of January."

"Kota? I didn't know he had a birthday coming up," I said in surprise.

"Yes and the end of the month is Victor, the 29th. We do the same thing every year with Kota and this year is no different."

"What do we do for him?"

"Kota always spends the actual day with his family, but the following day we just have a meal together in a restaurant of his choice. If there's a film at the cinema that he wants to watch, we all go, if not we'll head back here and rent one from Netflick."

"Doesn't he like to do anything else?"

"Kota is a creature of habit and he enjoys just being with us," he said. "Because of the Ball though, it means that he will spend the following day with his family and we would have got together on the 5th of January instead. Which is the day that the removers are coming to shift the furniture from your house. We've decided to celebrate his birthday on the 2nd this year, which falls on a Friday. That's not the problem though, the Ball is."

"Why?" I asked, I was a bit disappointed to miss an opportunity to spend some time with them dancing, but at the same time I knew that he was right that it was too risky.

"Because it means we will have to leave you alone for the better part of the afternoon and most of the night. They don't generally finish until the early hours of the morning, although we won't stay that long."