05.

Sam's POV.

Saturday, February 21st, 2009 - 2:30pm (Emily's back porch)

- Recap of last chapter -

"Are you okay Sam?" Was the first thing he was asked as he sat next to her on the porch steps. He looked at her a bit startled by the sudden question, but took a deep breath to start explaining his feelings...

- Recap finished -

I took a deep breath and looked into the woods trying to organize my thoughts.

After a few minutes of trying to collect myself I finally looked over at Zoey. She was still staring at me with a concerned expression. "I don't know how I'm feeling honestly." I looked down at my hands that where resting on my lap frustratingly and sighed.

I felt a warm, soft touch with sparks, rest on top of my hand and looked at it to see her hand holding mine. I looked up into her gorgeous deep brown eyes and smiled weakly. I intertwined our hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Just I was thinking about something that one of the elders Harry Clearwater told me before, about you, and it really concernes me if it's a true fact." I looked into her eyes trying to detect a certain emotion other than worry, fear appeared in her eyes at my statement and immediately furrowed my brows in further suspicion that the stories of her family dynamic may be true.

Her grip on my hand tightened and she stuttered "W-what do you mean?" She asked, her eyes flickering to meet anywhere else besides my own. I turned myself so I was now sitting on the steps facing her. "What I mean is..." I gently lifted up her chin to look me in the eyes.

"He told me about your father, and how your mother supposedly treats you. I guess I was just hoping it isn't true." She sighed and attempted to look away but I had her trapped in my gaze.

I was almost pleading with her to tell me that it's a lie, but with the way she is reacting it's most definitely true and that scared me, more than I wanted to admit. It was quiet for a good couple beats, us just having what seemed like an inner battle with our eyes. She seemed to be debating with herself whether or not to tell me and I was trying to convince her to tell me without really forcing her.

She ended up giving up and sighing halfway through our stare down and mumbled "I don't know what you heard but yes it's true." She looked out into the woods with a far off stare, I stayed silent, allowing her to continue.

"My dad passed away in Afghanistan, while he was fighting for the military when I was 9. He was the parent I was closest to, I was never afraid to get dirty in the mud and my mom hated that." Her grip on my hand that was loosened during our stare down was tightened. I squeezed her hand slightly to show her I am here for her.

She took a shaky breath and looked over at me as if looking for a certain reaction. I just gave her a small smile of reassurance and stayed silent until she was done speaking.

Third Person POV.

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Friday July 6th, 2002 - 11:00am (Arizona,Pheonix - at Stevens family old house)

- Flashback to 9 years old -

Back in Arizona, a 9 year old little girl with Red hair that was tied into two side braids, was playing in her backyard with her 8 year old best friend Isabella Swan in the dirt, when all of a sudden a women in her mid twenties that looks similar came out to the back yard in tears. "Zoey! Bella! Come here please!" She cried out to her daughter in a distraught manner, she was heartbroken.

9 year old Zoey rushed over to her mom with Bella and she looked worried, "Mommy, what's wrong?" The adult in question just broke down and knelt on the ground in tears, sobbing into her knees.

Young Zoey brought her Mother into a hug with her little arms trying to squeeze as hard as she could. "D-Daddy's g-gone Baby." Zoey looked at her Mother with confused eyes, not really understanding what she meant by "Gone", as he has been away this whole time being a Military Soldier.

"Of course Daddy's gone, he's been away this whole time being a superhero!" The young redhead exclaimed happily. That was always how she saw her father as, "a superhero" always saving the world from bad guys.

Quinn Stevens shook her head rapidly, "N-No Baby, I m-mean I just got a telegraph note from a Military Officer and..." she took a deep breath before looking into her daughter's eyes sadly. "He's gone to Heaven, Sweetheart and he's not coming back." She cried more as she finished her statement, silent tears rolling down her face.

Zoey looked at her Mom in shock, not wanting to believe that the one person who treated her like a Princess was gone, ripped away from her life. She shook her head back and forth and her eyes watered. "N-No that's not true! Daddy wouldn't leave me, he promised!"

The young girl's hands started to shake in disbelief and sadness, Young Bella who was observing the scene with a heartbroken look on her face, immediately went to her best friend's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to help comfort her.

Quinn looked at her daughter and told her with a shaky voice "I-I'm sorry Baby, it's true he's not coming back." Zoey was still in shock and disbelief and when she heard her Mother say that she freaked out.

"NO YOU'RE LYING, DADDY WOULD NEVER LEAVE US. HOW DARE YOU SAY HE DID." Then Zoey burst back into the house as the tears started to well up uncontrollably and ran to her bedroom to cry. Isabella gave her second mother figure a hug and ran after her best friend to make sure she wasn't going to do anything stupid.

After the news of her fathers passing, young Zoey was put into the most depressive state. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and she barely talked unless she was spoken too. This went on for two years until she realised it was hurting her best friend seeing her like this, so she snapped out of it and found other ways to cope. Like reading, and school.

Although, she was able to distract her self through books, and learning, she still was bullied for being so suddenly quiet and shy. Kids who found out about her father would bring it up and tease her about it, and they would also make fun for her being a so called "Nerd" and liking school.

The only friend she had that would actually talk to her and stand up for her was Bella and if it weren't for her, Zoey doesn't think she would have been alive.

- End of Flashback -

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