Caged [BNHA]

Chapter Fifteen

~All Might's POV~

I had trouble falling asleep on my much too small sofa as my mind conjured up the worst possible scenarios that Enya could have faced, while I'd been here in the US. I'd always thought her obsessive brother would take care of her, but that didn't seem to be the case. Though the case was closed on an official capacity, I knew there was more to it. Those men clearly worked for someone and the fact that the bodies had been of people Enya knew and she was in their possession was no mere coincidence, but with signed confessions admitting they acted on their own and now dead perpetrators, the case would be sealed away.

There was a noise in the hall, pulling me from my racing thoughts. I got up and headed to the door. It sounded like someone had dropped something in the hall and was scrambling to pick it up. I opened the door and spotted one of my neighbors, Jaclyn, a woman in her forties with wild auburn curls and warm green eyes struggling with her groceries, she was a nurse and worked some of the craziest hours. I helped her pick up her things.

"Thanks, All Might." She smiled as I managed to gather her fallen groceries and help her get them into her apartment, across the hall from mine. I spotted a photo on the wall of her and her daughter, Rachel, who'd recently left for university before thinking of Enya. As adorable as she had looked drowning in my clothes, I had a feeling she'd feel comfortable in clothes that fit her a little better.

"Anytime...uh...could I ask you for a weird favor?" I asked nervously.

She turned to me curiously as she set the rest of her groceries on the counter, "we've been neighbors for years, you've never asked anything of me and have helped me out a lot, I'd say you can ask for several." She chuckled, "what do you need?"

"I've got a teenage girl staying with me for a bit but I'm afraid I don't have any clothes that fit her, you don't happen to have anything of Rachel's she could borrow or that she was planning on getting rid of?"

She looked at me for a long moment, "you know...if that had come from anyone else, I'd be very concerned." She laughed before heading to Rachel's old bedroom. She returned with a few garments, "I take it this girl is in some kind of trouble?" She asked with a frown.

"Unfortunately." I felt my heart tighten in my chest.

"Well, if it's the sort of trouble that keeps her from being able to go out and find suitable clothing for herself, have her write down her sizes for me and I can pick her up some proper clothes and undergarments later today. I was going to meet up with Rach and take her shopping anyway." She smiled.

"That would be most appreciated, thanks Jaclyn." I accepted the bundle of clothes she gave me.

"Anytime." She smiled.

I took my leave, feeling a little better about harboring a missing teenage girl in my home as I had at least one of the items on my list of things to be concerned about checked off. I set the bundle of clothes on the counter next to Enya's bag and chanced a glance at the open door of my bedroom. Enya was sound asleep snuggling a bear plush wearing a costume that looked very much like mine from a few years ago. Thinking of all the horrible things she'd endured in my absence made me feel sick with guilt. What if I'd never left? Could I have saved her sooner?

Deciding not to dwell on things I couldn't change now, I retreated back to the sofa and tried to get comfortable. Not long after I'd managed to find a spot that was comfortable enough, I thought I might be able to sleep, I heard Enya cry out from the master bedroom and nearly fell off the couch.