Our Saving Grace

Solo Mission - Sang

------------------------------------------------- Five years later  ---------------------------------------------------------

I ran the straightening iron through my hair for the hundredth time and wrinkled my nose at the musky, almost burning smell that emanated from the hot iron. I didn't like straightening my hair, preferring to let it air dry and leaving it to it's natural waves, but I was preparing for a job and needed to give off a polished air. Hence the dead straight hair, the layer of foundation that was plastered on my face, and the mini skirt and collared pale pink shirt that I was wearing. If I am being honest, I was being extra picky about getting every little strand of my hair perfect because I was stalling. I didn't particularly want to do this job. 

None of my brothers, or even Kayli, were coming with me, making this the first solo job that I have pulled since things went sour with the Kates. I refocused on the mirror and allowed the shadows from my past to swim within my green eyes for a few moments before taking a deep breath and pushing all of the pain, betrayal, and fear back down far enough that none of my brothers would be able to see it. My gaze flicked to the upper right hand corner of my mirror where I had a photo our family wedged in the corner, and felt myself relax farther. 

We had returned to the aquarium just for a day of fun and Marc had insisted on a photo. I am standing in the middle with a t-shirt stating that I am an anime princess in Japanese with a huge, happy, and carefree smile on my face. Axel has his arm around me and is looking down at me with warmth while the twins, Corey and Brandon, stand side-by-side to the left of us. Corey has an easy smile on his face while Brandon had let his mask fall revealing his sorrowful and serious face that he reverts to when no one is watching. Marc is to my right and is making a face at the camera with his tongue sticking out and his eyes wide, highlighting that one of his eyes is blue while the other is green. Behind all of us is the towering figure of Raven and he is scowling at the camera, not understanding the need to it. 

This had been the first time we went to the aquarium as a family, but we had so much fun that we made it a tradition to do every time that I came home from the private boarding school the Academy had gotten me into. For three years we went there almost every month and I now consider it a home away from home. 

Feeling better now that I have allowed thoughts of my chosen family to chase away all of my misgivings, I open the door only to find Marc sprawled out on my bed. He had his hands behind his head and raised a single eyebrow at me, silently asking me if I was okay. I wasn't the only one that didn't like that I was going into this one solo. But really, we were all overreacting because of what happened with the Kates. I was going undercover within a college sorority, not some nefarious criminal organization. Thousands of girls way less cable to taking care of themselves rushed every year and for the most part they are perfectly fine. 

It was for the few that weren't okay at the College of Charleston that the Academy was sending me in. 

For the last three years there has been a trend of young women being hospitalized after going through the rush process, and each of them were too terrified to reveal what happened to them. Academy doctors and police officers are concerned and want to put a stop to it. Women within the Academy are rare. And apparently I was the only one of the right age not currently working on something else. Lucky me. 

"I am going to drive you over," Marc told me hesitantly. I knew that he didn't want to step on my toes, but I wasn't offended by his offer. Instead I was relieved. 

I smiled at him before saying, "I would like that." 

On our drive over to the university Marc and I chatted about any and everything. I told him how excited I was to start my hours at the Academy hospital next week because I had finally finished all the of prerequisite undergraduate courses that Dr. Roberts insisted I took before starting med school classes and working at the Academy hospital. I knew that other Academy members had been allowed to start med school classes at a younger age and had hounded Dr. Roberts on multiple occasions on this, but he insisted that I take a wide range of classes before deciding on medicine. I think he knew that one big reason I want to become a doctor is because our team doesn't have one and Dr. Roberts is still hung up on me finding a different team to work with.