Immaculate

She's a minor!

Dr Robert's POV

I rubbed a hand over my eyes and shook my head.

"Owen, I can't." I told him, looking between him and Sean.

"Phil, if you inform the Academy you will be doing more harm than good," Sean said and moved to sit on the edge of the chair. They had spent the last twenty minutes going through everything that happened, from the Halloween Dance to the car being run off the road and it was enough to send chills down my spine.

"Sean, I have to! She's an underage minor being looked after by nine boys all under twenty. I know you're doing a good job of it but it's not appropriate and in all good conscience I can't keep this from the Academy."

"If you take this to the Academy, all they will see is her ghost status, they will destroy her," Owen told me coolly and I knew he was right in one way, but wrong in another.

"They will not harm her, Owen, you know that. She'll be put with a family who will be able to nurture her, she needs an older female figure that she can rely on..."

"She will not thrive, she will die. She has avoidant personality disorder, you know this! Not to mention her father walks, scott free, because they won't want her to lose that status." Sean spat and got up to pace behind Owen's chair.

They were both too involved with this, it had got personal for them. I could understand it to a certain extent, but Owen and Sean should have known better, kept their distance. I tried to think which of the boys she was dating and couldn't remember. They all hovered over her and protected her as if she was their queen and they her humble servants. If it wasn't for the situation I would have found it amusing, it reminded me of Lily and her boys at the start, but this was.... oh no. Oh no.

I groaned aloud, burying my head into my hands, before looking up at them.

"Why does it really bother you if she's removed from you?" I asked them and looked at Sean, I knew he would give a reaction that Owen would be able to blank off. Sean thrust a hand into his hair and his distress was clear to see.

"You all care for her, don't you," I said.

"Of course we care for her, Dr Roberts, she is a good friend..."

"Don't Bullshit me, Owen, you're all trying to follow the Anderson team, aren't you!" I snapped and saw the truth in Sean's face, Owen just looked furious.

"And if we are?" he inquired and his voice had gone icy cold.

"Then you're all morons," I told them both. "There is nine of you! Nine! And one little girl who has enough issues to sink a battleship!! You've taken her from an abusive situation. How on earth can you be sure that it's not hero worship on her part! For that matter, how can you think that all of you will still be in the same place mentally in ten years as you are now."

"I'm not here to discuss our relationship with Miss Sorenson, I am here to discuss whether taking this to the Academy is beneficial or not," Owen intoned and sat forward, his eyes were sharp pieces of ice cold stone and I watched him closely.

"Owen, the two are entwined..."

"No, they aren't," he said and no emotion showed in him anywhere. "The issue is whether you will destroy Miss Sorenson more than her father already has. If you have the Academy step in they will take her and that is detrimental to her well being and emotional health."

"Is it really?" I shot back. "Or is it detrimental to you? Are you just worried that she might forge a new life which doesn't include you? Is there a chance that maybe, if she's exposed to a different group of people that she will learn to live independently from you?"