The House in the Woods

Sara Who?

Sara's POV

I am surprised when I receive a phone call from Owen asking if the boys could come and stay with me for a week. While Owen and I still talk on the phone often, it has been a year since he and the boys have visited me. They are busy with their Academy training and have been on a long term assignment since August. I actually laughed out loud when Owen told me that Sean was going to be teaching Japanese classes to high school students. It has been a while since I graduated from high school, but I can tell you that classes would have been more interesting if I had a hot nineteen year old teacher to ogle.

I live in a small town in the mountains of North Georgia. I joke about my palatial estate in the woods, but it is really just a traditional six bedroom house on twenty five acres. It is on a dirt road at the top of a small mountain. The house was built in the middle of the property and is surrounded by trees. Looking up my house address on the popular sites, like Mapquest or Google Maps, one would not be able to get directions. Someone screwed up years ago and mislabeled the roads, so while my address is 154 Oak Tree Way, Google decided that my address is 857 Orchard Place. I tried updating Google's system once, but half an hour after I did it, it changed back. It is well known and accepted that Google is never wrong, so I am not sure if the mistake will ever be corrected. There are advantages and disadvantages to this problem. A big disadvantage is that I can never have anything delivered. UPS, FedEx and even Domino's Pizza say that my address does not exist. Thank goodness that we have a UPS store in town, and they can sign for any of my packages. An advantage is that I am hidden in plain sight, so my house is a safe haven for Owen and his boys if they ever need an escape.

I met Owen a little over five years ago. I was in the middle of a horrible experience, and I don't think that I am exaggerating when I say that Owen and Sean saved my life. Owen was only fourteen years old, but he rescued me and we formed a bond. He is the child that I will never have, and I try to give him the guidance that I think his mother would if she were still alive. I know that his life revolves around the Academy, and he explained that he and Sean "adopted" me as an honorary family member; if I ever had any problems that I could not work out on my own, he would help to get them resolved. He did insist on putting in a state-of-the-art security system in my house, complete with cameras that he can monitor from South Carolina. I was not sure how I felt about that at the time, but he said that it would give him peace of mind, so I put aside my reservations.

Over time I have also met Kota, Nathan, Victor, Silas, North, Luke and Gabriel. I have watched them grow over the years and while my relationships with them are not as strong as mine and Owens, I am their honorary Cool Aunt. If they need advice on anything, they know they can give me a call day or night. They have all shared their backgrounds, so I know that they have all suffered from traumatic family issues. Their home lives are manageable right now, but there is a girl named Sang that is turning all of them upside down. I tried to be discreet, but had to call Owen after I received phone calls from North, Gabriel and Victor all asking the best way to woo an emerald eyed, blond hair beauty that they had met.

Owen tried to downplay his own interest, but I could tell by the inflection in his voice that he too was charmed by the newest addition to their family. While he would not betray her trust by giving me specifics, he shared that she was going through a difficult time at home, and that the boys had agreed to a closed Academy adoption for Sang. Her status is different from mine because she is being looked at to actually join their team as a member. I know about the Academy, and occasionally consult for them, but I am not and will never be a member. I am looking forward to the boys visit because Sang will be coming with them. I want to meet this young lady and find out more about the person that has stolen the hearts of my family.

Owen POV

I disconnect the phone call from Sara and cannot help smile when I think about being able to spend the week with her. School is out next week, and when I looked over our responsibilities, there is only one assignment that is pressing which Victor can do remotely. We will also be able to do additional research on Volto's paper without fear of being detected. Sara is only four and half hours from home, and Victor has kept the security around her home updated. She has always thought that it was overkill to make her house such a fortress, but says that she will tolerate "my whims" because she knows that it gives me peace of mind.

Sara leads a secluded life in her mountain home. While I would like for her to get out more, and maybe meet someone to share her life with, I know that it will probably never happen. The Academy helped to find her a job that she can work remotely from her home. She does outsourced accounting for several small companies. They either scan all of their documents and send them through secure servers, or package everything and send it to her UPS. She Skypes with clients if they need face-to-face contact.

I look up when Sean enters the room. "I just got off the phone with Sara," I say, "and told her that we should be at her house by ten thirty tonight. I need to send a text to the boys that we will leave in about two hours, and that Gabriel needs to make sure to remember extra socks for everyone."

Sean laughs and raises his hands to make air quotes, reciting, "Rule number one... no shoes in the house."

I put my hands up and say, "Well you have to admit that it took North and Silas almost two hours on their hands and knees, scrubbing to get the Georgia red clay boot tracks out of her carpet."

Sean smiles. "I am glad you thought of this. It will get Sang away from danger, Sara's house is a fortress, and I think it will do you good to spend some time with Sara. I know that you have been worried about her."

I run my hand through my hair before responding, "She has just seemed distracted and rushed the last few times that we have talked."

Sean grins at me. "Well, she won't be able to do that face to face. You have a way of getting things out of people, even when they don't want to tell you," he says.

"I just hope that it is not something that is taking her back to that place. She has been doing so well the past couple of years. I wonder if the nightmares have come back," I say while I am typing the text message about the trip.

Sean's smile fades. "North would have said something if she had called him," he says. "Maybe she is just going through a rough time at work. You know how hectic it gets for her clients during this time of the year."

"I hope that you're right, but I will feel better when I can sit her down and talk about it. We both better leave and go pack. Don't forget to bring a bathing suit. She said that a new year-round waterpark opened a few miles from her house and that we needed to plan on spending a day there."

"Hot damn, Pookie in a bathing suit. I have missed that since the weather turned colder," Sean says, a mischievous smile forming on his face.