Crossing Boundaries

How they met...

On the way back home, Sang got the impression that they had gotten nothing accomplished. When Mr. Blackbourne had revealed the reason they were going to the animal shelter, she had assumed they would be doing some sleuthing and breaking and entering. Instead they had interacted with the dogs and cleaned the cages. And arranged to adopt a dog. When Sang had brought this up with Mr. Blackbourne, he had assured her that everything was going according to plan.

"Miss Sorenson, the next step of the plan will be in motion very soon. You did fine today. The main important thing is to act natural, which you succeeded in," Mr. Blackbourne spoke with his eyes on the road.

Sang brought her fingers to her lips in disbelief and uncertainty. Surely this couldn't have been all.

"Miss Sorenson, I know what you're thinking. Did you know that when Kota joined the Academy, all he did was surveillance and paperwork? It takes time to work your way up."

"Does that mean that I'm a part of the Academy now?" Sang asked, looking up with hopeful eyes. Being a member of the Academy will mean that she won't get left behind anymore, and she can feel useful instead of being a burden.

"You are a part of our family, which means more, Miss Sorenson. Everything else will fall in place."

They fell into a companionable silence after that. Mr. Blackbourne fixed his gaze on the road and didn't say anything more. Sang let her mind reflect on the day and how it felt to be spending it with Mr. Blackbourne. It was official now, she couldn't deny it anymore; Sang had deep affection for Mr. Blackbourne. She knew this could get her into a heap of trouble; this was a taboo for sure.

Sang looked at Mr. Blackbourne from the corner of her eyes. What was he thinking? Did he think about the hug and kiss she gave him after he had announced that he was getting her a dog? She felt mortified afterwards. Only after, when the shock had worn off did she realize what she had done. Mr. Blackbourne had returned the hug though and it was a peaceful moment they had shared. But Sang couldn't shake of the feeling that it was an inappropriate thing to do.

Sang fidgeted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the nearness of him and the silence felt stretched and awkward. She tried to keep her eyes on the window, pretending to watch the scenery, but in actual fact she was highly aware of his closeness and the air between them felt almost charged with electricity. Sang shook herself mentally a few times, and tried to diffuse the energy.

"What are you thinking, Miss Sorenson," Mr. Blackbourne suddenly asked.

"Huh," Sang said, startled. She jerked out of her thoughts, blushing wildly.

"I could tell you have something on your mind." Mr. Blackbourne chanced her a glance then. He quirked his eyebrows as if to challenge her.

"It's nothing, just...nothing."

"Miss Sorenson, we talked about this. If you have anything on your mind, anything, I'm here for you."

"It's nothing important," she stopped then and went on, "today, I had a really good time. I still can't thank you enough for getting me a dog. It's the most anyone has ever done for me. I don't know how to express fully how I feel."

"I understand, Miss Sorenson. It must have been a surprise for you."

"It was more than that, Mr. Blackbourne, I think. I guess I'm not very good at explaining these things."

Mr. Blackbourne thought for a bit; he took a deep breath and started, "Miss Sorenson, did anyone ever tell you the story of how I came to work with Dr. Green?"

Sang looked up at this, her heart thundering, "No."

"It was a couple of years after I joined the Academy. As you know, I came from a difficult background. At the time when I joined the Academy, I had very little control of my life. I vowed to myself that everything I do from then on will be done precisely so."

Mr. Blackbourne paused for a moment, finding the right words and went on, "at first, I was placed with different teams. The Academy tries to find the perfect team for you so they will try out several. I had a hard time fitting in with the teams. Most of the time, they grew tired of me, at other times I became impatient with the lack of structure. Soon I became a solo member. Needless to say, it became lonely after a while."

"The way I met Dr. Green is something I'll never forget. He had just started his studies and spent all his time at the hospital. Sean was going through a rebellious stage at that time. His parents pushed him to pursue a doctorate, and Sean was being difficult about it every step of the way.

"Anyway, it was late at night and I had just come from a job sporting a few injuries. They made me sit and wait at the reception area. I got fed up with it and tried finding a doctor on my own. I chanced upon Dr. Green hiding away in one of the supply rooms, pouring over a medical book. I commanded him to check my injuries and treat them. He kept insisting he wasn't a real doctor. We had a good argue about it until he agreed to help me."

Mr. Blackbourne took another deep breath, reminiscing about the past. With a soft smile on his lips, he continued, "we had quite an adventure that night. He tried his best, but I kept reprimanding him and putting him down. Nevertheless, Dr. Green had a determination to him that I hadn't seen with any of the other Academy members I'd worked with. He took every insult I gave him and threw it right back at me. It was infuriating but made me feel...alive at the same time."

"In the end, I stormed out cursing him. But I couldn't stop thinking about him. Dr. Green was everything I hated and admired in a person. He was witty, clever, hard-working and exasperating. He had no respect for authority and clearly needed someone to put him in his place. Soon, I started coming up with excuses to go to the hospital, to see him again, to talk to him and learn more about him. When he saw me, his exact words were "you again?" He wasn't pleased to see me. But somehow, somewhere, we struck up an unlikely friendship. I helped him through his studies because I was able to push him, to make him believe in himself that he could do it. When the time came for Dr. Green to join the Academy, it was inevitable that he would join forces with me."

"I know that this story might seem like it has nothing to do with your predicament, Miss Sorenson. I just needed to let you know that friendships and a sense of family can come from anywhere. If I hadn't put that faith in Dr. Green, I would not be where I am now. Trust in the people close to you and believe that they will do anything for you."

Sang's eyes misted over after Mr. Blackbourne had finished. She stared at him in silent awe. That was the most beautiful story she had ever heard.

"Thank you for telling me," she said after a while.

"Thank you for listening, Miss Sorenson. I'm glad I was able to share this with you. One of these days, Dr. Green can tell you his own version."

"Won't he mind? I mean, you telling his story?"

"Oh, he's wanted to for a while now. Dr. Green likes to talk about himself if you haven't noticed. But I thought it best to wait till you're more comfortable with us."

"Well, it was a beautiful story."

"Maybe, next time I can tell you about the time I met Kota and his friends," Mr. Blackbourne volunteered. The previous tension in the car had gone down considerably. It was peaceful and calm now.

"I think I already know a bit about that. Derrick told me."

Mr. Blackbourne looked at her then, "Oh? Yes, Derrick was always observant at school."

"He said that Kota, Nathan, Luke, Gabriel and Victor used to steal things from the principle's office and you caught them."

Mr. Blackbourne's lips quirked up at this, "yes, that is one way to look at it."

"Oh? Then how did it happen?"

"That, Miss Sorenson, is another story for another day." Mr. Blackbourne smiled at Sang then, a genuine smile and focused his eyes back on the road.

Sang was almost giddy with the feeling of acceptance and camaraderie with Mr. Blackbourne. She hoped that she could experience many more of this.