"Still nothing," I said out loud with a sigh as I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I had been hoping that Opal would text me some pictures during the day, but this morning she seemed so tired that I didn't want to force her to take pictures if she didn't want to.

I pushed the vacuum over the carpet absently as I thought back to how closed off Opal had seemed this morning. My heart ached for her last night when Aaron pulled a complete douche move and tried to tell me that she should go back to him if I couldn't raise her properly. Anger had rushed through me and I had actually been a little surprised at how defensive I was during our argument. I knew that Opal was Aaron's daughter... but for the past eight months that she had lived here I had watched her blossom into a confident and caring young woman. The thought of her being snatched away from me caused me physical pain.

A crashing knock ripped me from my train of thought and I turned toward the door with a frown. The knock didn't let up though so I quickly made my way over and opened it. Shock and confusion washed over me as Castiel practically fell into the apartment. His breathing was labored as if he had just run here, and when he looked up his steel grey eyes looked panicked.

"Is Opal here?" he gasped out. 

A strange sensation of the floor being ripped out from under my feet gripped me and I shook my head, trying to reorient myself and remain calm.

"N-no, she's not. I thought she was with you..." I said, and I could hear the shake in my voice. Castiel straightened and I was shocked when his gaze turned hard as he glared down at me.

"Did you know?" he snarled angrily and I blinked in confusion.

"Know...?" I repeated. 

His eyes softened slightly and then hardened again. He took a step closer to me and even though he cut an intimidating figure I couldn't help but feel like if I reached out and touched him he would shatter.

"Did you know that Opal's dad hit her?"

Time seemed to stop. Castiel's question repeated over and over in my mind and the feeling of the floor dropping out from under me intensified.

"Aaron? Hit Opal? That's absurd. No father could..."

My voice sounded far away as my mind traveled back to the first time I met my precious niece. I had noticed a bruise on her arm and when I hugged her she flinched away from me like she had never been hugged before and didn't know what to do. Then my mind jumped to when she had called and asked if she could live with me.

I can't live with one without the other. I can't... She hadn't said she didn't want to choose. She had said she COULDN'T live without...

"Did... did Opal say..." 

My voice was shaking like crazy as I tried to process everything that had ever seemed a little off about Opal. Castiel shook his head and a brief moment of relief flooded through me until his expression darkened.

"I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend, but she said she couldn't date anyone," Castiel explained with a growl in his voice and I blinked in shock. "I kept bugging her and asking why she wouldn't date anyone and she said it was because 'he' would hurt me."

Castiel met my eyes steadily with his dark ones and my throat clenched painfully, cutting off any attempt I could have made to speak. Silence stretched between us and a cold breeze blew in from the semi-opened door behind Castiel.

"Unless you know of another 'he' in Opal's life, I can only assume that it's her dad. And if she was so convinced that his threat was serious that she would run away from me instead of telling me what she is hiding, then it seems obvious that she has first-hand experience of being hurt by him."

My knees buckled and I dropped to the ground, breathing hard as scenes flashed through my mind of when I had gone to visit Opal over so many summers. I missed you so much, Auntie! Thank you for loving me, Auntie. I just fell down the stairs, Auntie. The words of a little girl; an innocent little girl. My mind flashed to when I had taken her to the doctor's after falling off the boulder and the list of injuries the doctor read off... injuries from karate. But Opal never participated in competitive karate...

A strangled cry pushed through my closed-off throat and I placed a hand to my mouth. Castiel slowly knelt to the ground and I felt him place one of his large hands gently on my shoulder as I desperately tried to pull myself together.

"Y-you... She ran away?" I finally managed to ask.

Guilt and fear raced across Castiel's strong features and he bowed his head in silent agreement. Swallowing painfully I reached out and wrapped my arms firmly around Castiel's shoulders. He stiffened at my unexpected embrace but after a second he relaxed and briefly returned my hug, leaning his forehead against my shoulder.

"Thank you..." I choked out of my tight throat. Castiel nodded once against my shoulder before pulling back.

"I'm going to go look for her again," he stated with a small hitch in his voice. I grabbed his arm, keeping him from leaving just yet.

"One second, I want to check something." 

Castiel nodded silently before rising and closing the door so no more cold air would seep in. I pulled out my cellphone. Without even looking, I went to my speed dial list and hit one of the numbers before bringing the phone up to my ear and waiting impatiently.

"Opal is always happiest when she is dancing..." I told myself to keep myself from panicking. 

A small click in my ear made me lean forward and I was surprised at the relief that washed through me when Shin Woo's strong voice answered the phone.

"What's up, Yuki-chan?" Shin Woo asked with his characteristic cheerfulness.

"Is Opal at the studio, Shin-kun?" I asked without preamble and then blinked in surprise. I hadn't called Shin Woo 'Shin-kun' since I quit being his studio's costume designer. It shocked me that the old nickname slipped out so naturally. Castiel looked down at me and I realized that I still had not stood up from my kneeling position on the ground.

"Opal-chan? No, she doesn't have any lessons on Sunday. Why do you ask?" 

My shoulders slumped as a feeling of defeat and anxiety ripped through me, but I quickly shook my head and tried to pull my frazzled emotions together.

"She's missing, Shin-kun. If... if she shows up will you call me right away?" I asked, wincing as the tension and fear that I was trying to hold back made my voice shake.

"Missing? What do you mean missing?" Shin Woo asked in confusion. I shook my head briefly before realizing that he couldn't see me.

"I'll explain later. Just, please keep an eye out for her," I requested before hanging up the phone.

I knew if I talked to him much longer I was just going to end up crying and I needed to hold myself together right now. My phone vibrated in my hand and I saw that Shin Woo was trying to call me back but I ignored it.

"You should wait here in case she comes home, Miss Sato," Castiel suggested when I ended the incoming call from Shin Woo. I glared up at him and promptly stood up.

"No way. I'll go insane with worry if I stay here. I'll call Alexy to come over. Where did you last see her?" I asked as I flipped through my phone and selected Alexy's number.

"Over by the dog park off of Cherry Street. You can follow me and we can split up to look for her," Castiel said with a determined expression.

"You don't think she's still outside, do you?" I asked with worry as I looked out the blinds to see the heavy snowfall. Castiel shook his head uncertainly and my heart clenched in fear.

Oh, Opal, why didn't you tell me sooner! I cried in my mind.

"Yo, Yuki!" Alexy's peppy voice answered the phone and I gripped the phone to my ear.

"Alexy, Opal hasn't gone over to see you today, has she?" I asked desperately.

"Opal? No, I haven't seen her since she left for the basketball tournament," Alexy responded and I sighed heavily.

"Alexy, I know it's snowing but I need you to do me a favor," I said with urgency and I could hear Alexy's frown in his voice.

"Anything for you, Yuki."

"I need you to come over to the apartment and stay here in case she comes home," I explained as I opened the coat closet and began pulling out my winter clothes.

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Alexy asked in confusion. I tucked the phone between my shoulder and cheek as I shoved my feet into my winter boots.

"I don't have time to explain, Alexy. I'll leave the door unlocked, please come over as soon as you can."

"Is Opal missing? You're scaring me, Yuki," Alexy said in a shaky voice and I felt guilt wash through me.

"I'm sorry, dear. I'm probably overreacting, but I need to go out and look for Opal. Will you please come watch the apartment and call me if she comes home?" I asked, willing my voice to remain calm and even.

"I got it. I'll be there in five minutes," Alexy said in a firm voice. I thanked him profusely and then hung up. 

Castiel waited for me as I pulled on my thickest winter trench coat. I didn't even bother pulling my gloves and hat on before ushering Castiel out the door and following him down to the parking lot. He jumped into his red convertible and I slid into my Civic.

It only took a few minutes to get to the park Castiel had mentioned and I followed him as he passed the park, circling around the other side of the block and turning off his car. He and his massive dog both got out of the convertible and he looked over at me. I exited my car as well and ran over to him, smashing my hat onto my head.

"This was as far as I could follow her footprints," Castiel admitted with a guilty frown. "I tried looking for her down that way but I didn't see anything, so I am going to try going right," Castiel explained while pointing.

"I'll go the other way then," I said as my teeth began to chatter but I wasn't sure if it was the cold or the fear causing them to jitter.

"I'm going to go on foot until I get to town and if I don't find her I'll circle back. Can I get your number?" 

I swiftly removed my phone from my pocket and we exchanged numbers. He gave me a small nod before turning and jogging down the street, his dog right on his heels.

Deciding that I might have better luck with my head beams on, I got back in my car and drove slowly down the street that wound through neighborhood after neighborhood. As I searched for any sign of my precious niece my fear was only rivaled by my absolute loathing for the man I used to call brother. Gritting my teeth I pulled out my phone after ten minutes had passed of fruitless searching. Before I could think better of it I dialed Aaron's phone number and connected it to my car's Bluetooth so I could keep driving.

"I'm busy."

Rage coursed through me as Aaron's voice filled with dismissal came over the speakers. I was a little surprised when a feral growl ripped up my throat.

"Tell me it isn't true," I demanded, keeping my eyes focused on the snow-covered houses on either side of me.

"What are you talking about, Yuki?" Aaron asked in a gruff scoff. I gripped my fingers around my steering wheel so hard they began to shake.

"Tell me you didn't hit her!" I yelled. 

Silence met my demand and I glanced down furiously at my phone to make sure he hadn't hung up. After another moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I gasped at the dangerous edge to his voice and whatever had been keeping my heart together loosened and fell apart.

"How could you!" I yelled in shock and revulsion.

"Yuki, I have no idea what that girl told you, but..."

"You hit her! You've been hurting her for all of these years and I had no idea! How could you?" I screamed, feeling near to hysterics.

"Calm down and listen to me, Yuki," Aaron snapped in his gravelly voice. I had never wanted to punch someone so badly in my life.

"No, you listen to me, Onii-san," I spat out, wrenching the car's wheel and skidding slightly on the slushy road as I took the turn a little too sharply. "Your daughter is missing. She finally broke and is now wandering around in a snowstorm. When I find her if she has so much of a scratch on her I will take you to court for child abuse! Don't you ever come near her again, do you hear me? I want nothing more to do with you!"

"You'd believe the word of a worthless girl over your own brother?" Aaron yelled over the speakerphone and I gasped.

"What did you just call her?" I asked in shock.

"She's a worthless mistake! I knew I shouldn't have sent her to you," Aaron growled angrily over the speaker and tears began to flood my eyes.

"How dare you call yourself a father," I spat at my phone before ending the call. Revulsion and anger flooded me as I desperately looked through the falling snow.

Why did she hide this from me for so long? I thought painfully. Oh, Opal. Please be all right!

The houses were beginning to thin and I blinked when I saw a large open park with a pond at the end of the street. My car's headlights seemed to scan the empty expanse of snow-covered lawn and I slammed on the breaks when they lit up a bench near the water. A hunched figure was sitting on the bench. Putting the car in park I sprang from the driver's seat and ran through the snow, not even thinking to shut the door.

"Opal!" I cried out in a gasp.

The hunched figure straightened and I recognized the white hat with a small puffball on top. Relief flooded me and I continued to run through the snow but I slowed down as Opal turned to look at me then jumped up, backing away from my approach. I slowed down to a walk and tried to keep my emotions at bay as I approached her. To my shock, I could see panic and a look of pure anguish go across her beautiful features which were illuminated by my car's headbeams.

"Opal... Sweetheart, are you hurt?" I asked, trying to make my voice soothing as I continued to crunch through the fresh snow towards her. 

Opal backed up a few paces and I stopped, slowly stretching my arms out invitingly towards her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? You can talk to me," I squeezed out of my tightening throat. 

Opal took a step towards me but then stumbled back three as she shook her head.

"Auntie... Auntie, I am so sorry." Her voice sounded rough and it cracked as she spoke. In the dim light of the cloudy twilight, I could see tears streaming down her cheeks and it felt like someone was squeezing my heart as I looked at my sweet girl.

"You have nothing you need to apologize for," I replied, my voice wavering with pent-up emotion. 

Opal shook her head violently and she wrapped her arms around her stomach as if she were feeling sick. "I lied to you, Auntie. I've been lying to you for years. You don't know... you don't know what I am," Opal gasped out between sobs.

The sound of her sobs blinded me and I rushed toward her. She threw her bare hands up and a whimper escaped me when I saw how red her slender fingers were. It took all of my willpower to not run toward her. I had never seen such raw pain in a human being before and I was afraid that if I tried to touch her she would just run away again.

"Opal, I know who you are," I said in a warbling voice, trying desperately to stay strong for Opal as she fell apart in front of my eyes. "You are the smartest, kindest, most caring young woman I have ever had the pleasure to know. And you are the person that I love more than anything else in this entire world."

Tears were slipping down my own cheeks now as Opal slowly moved her shaking hands towards her ears and shook her head, sobbing even louder. I took a hesitant step forward but felt myself freeze as Opal looked up and met my eyes with her emerald green ones.

"Auntie... I'm a mistake." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper and if my sad excuse of a brother hadn't called her a mistake not two minutes ago I wouldn't have understood what she said.

My heart cracked as I inwardly cursed him for causing his daughter so much pain. He broke my parent's hearts when he ran away from home, and now it seemed that he had broken his daughter. I shook my head vehemently, yelling at myself to get a grip and be strong for Opal. I took another tentative step closer to Opal. She flinched but I nearly sighed in relief when she didn't move further away from me.

"Opal. You are NOT a mistake," I stated firmly. 

Tears dripped even faster down Opal's cheeks, mingling with the snowflakes falling all around us.

"I am, Auntie," she squeaked out. "Father wanted a boy to take over his karate school. He... he begged Mother to try again to have a baby. But Mother lost her contract as a swimsuit model because of me. I ruined Father's life by being born a girl. I ruined Mother's life by being a hard pregnancy for her and making her agency terminate her contract. All because of me." 

My throat clenched from the raw emotion flooding through me as Opal's shuddering voice expelled what she must have been bottling up inside of her for her entire life.

How could anyone blame an innocent child for ruining their lives? What kind of people are they? I could hardly believe that Aaron and his beautiful wife, who had always been so gracious and kind when I came to visit, could have hidden such monstrous acts in their home. Why didn't I see it? I thought as guilt and shame threatened to overwhelm me.

"I didn't want to tell you because I thought you would hate me. Please don't hate me, Auntie. I know I deserve it but... but please don't hate me." 

It felt like a sledgehammer was striking me right in the chest as the sweet niece that I adored more than anything in the world cried tears of pure anguish in front of me. Slowly she fell to her knees onto the snow and I rushed forward, wrapping her into a fierce hug as I pulled her against me. 

"I don't hate you! I could never hate you!" I gasped into her hair as she cried into my shoulder. Her hands gripped my coat but she didn't return my hug as she cried.

"I tried to be helpful. I cooked and I cleaned and I got good grades... But I wasn't good enough in karate. And I ruined my mother's career. They both hated me. So I thought... I thought you would too, so I never told you about being a mistake. I lied to you over and over again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Opal's breath was coming out in uneven gasps and I rocked her back and forth as she let it all out.

Tears streamed down my face as I held her fiercely to me and wondered how she could have lived in a home so filled with hate and yet she had nothing bad to say about her parents. She completely took the blame on her own shoulders and as I held onto them I could feel them shaking as if she were supporting an entire mountain by herself.

"It's not your fault, Opal," I gasped out as my throat tightened from emotion. "You have nothing to apologize for. I..."

"You're wrong!" Opal pushed me away and I looked down at her, startled by the sudden strength in her voice. "If it wasn't for me you would never have fought with Father," she yelled with guilt and shame gleaming in her eyes. 

My mouth dropped open and I placed my hands on her cheeks, shocked at how cold they were.

"Sweetheart, you feel bad about lying to me, right?" I asked with a shaky voice. Opal nodded quickly and I could feel her tears splash onto my fingers. "Then tell me the truth now. Did your father... did that man hurt you?"

Opal's eyes widened and the fear that took over her expression just about broke my heart. Slowly she lowered her eyes away from my probing gaze and that was all I needed to know. My tears flowed even harder and I crunched forward in the snow, hugging her to me tightly once again.

"I'm sorry, Opal. This is all my fault. I should have known. I should have seen..." Opal pulled away and sadness shone in her eyes as she leaned her frigid hands against my knees.

"Why are you apologizing? He wouldn't have done it if I had just been better at karate. It was my fault, Auntie..."

"Stop saying that!" I yelped and Opal jerked back. Instantly I felt terrible and I reached out and gently stroked her cheeks as I tried to get my emotions under control. "Opal. There is absolutely no reason that any parent should ever hurt their child," I said, my fury bubbling up through me as Opal's eyes crinkled in confusion and disbelief.

"But I..."

"Just listen to me. Please," I whispered and Opal fell silent. 

Taking a steadying breath I continued to stroke Opal's cheeks as I tried to find the words that she needed to hear.

"Opal. I want you to forget about whatever your parents told you and listen to me now." Opal blinked silently and I met her tear-filled gaze head-on. "Just because you were born a girl does not make you a mistake," I said fiercely. Opal opened her mouth to retort and I shook my head stiffly. "Let me finish. It was their decision to have a baby, and it was also their decision to abuse you."

"But I deserved it..."

"NO!" I yelled and Opal flinched in shock. 

In my mind's eye, I pictured all of the things I would like to do to that scoundrel that I used to call my brother but I shook my head, trying to remain focused. Once again I tried to be gentle.

"No one deserves to go through what you went through. Sweetheart, I... I'm so sorry." I had reached my limit. I had reached my limit and there was nothing I could do to reign in my emotions as tears streamed from my eyes and I looked into Opal's anguished face. "All the signs were there but I couldn't see them and because of that... because of that, you lived in fear with people who neglected and hurt you... I'm so sorry!"

"No. No, Auntie, don't apologize. Please, this isn't your fault. You are the only thing that kept me going. Please don't cry," Opal begged, reaching out and holding onto my wrists as I held her cheeks in my hands.

I felt my eyes widen and wondered how I couldn't have seen the pain that she had been going through this whole time. And I am adding to that pain right now so buck up and be the strength that she needs, Yuki! I ordered myself in a mental pep talk. Slowly I let out a shaky breath and blinked rapidly to try and stem my tears.

"How about we make a deal?" I asked through a watery smile. Opal, with equally watery eyes, gave me a puzzled look. "I'll stop apologizing if you promise to stop saying you're a mistake. Because, Opal, when you're with me, you aren't a mistake." 

My words caught on a half-formed sob as I spoke from my heart and Opal's eyes widened. She stared at me and it looked like she just caught a glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel she had been walking through her whole life.

"When I'm with you... I'm not a mistake..." Opal repeated, her voice sounding slightly dubious. The urge to cry hit me with so much force I had to blink like crazy to keep them at bay.

How much pain has this sweet child gone through? How could her parents have warped her brain so completely that she has never accepted anything but their word as the truth? 

Opal still was looking at me like she couldn't even comprehend that what I had said could be true, so I took another steadying breath and pushed away those thoughts for another day.

"It's true. When you're with me you are my beautiful, resourceful, talented, kind niece that I love dearly," I said gently. 

Opal's eyes darted to the side and back to look at me several times as if she were waiting for something to appear to prove this was a dream. After another moment she slowly slid her eyes back to mine and some of the pain in them began to be replaced with a twinkling of desperate hope.

"Really?" she asked with disbelief and I nodded firmly.

"Really." 

Opal's lips lifted at the corners as if she were about to smile, but then she blinked and sadness crept into her eyes again.

"But what if I cause trouble for other people?" she asked in a shaky voice. I furrowed my brow in confusion and stroked her cheek.

"You won't. I promise. In fact, I'm pretty sure you'll make other people's lives better. You've made mine better," I said with a sincere smile.

The sadness in Opal's face didn't fade though. She tucked her lips in between her teeth briefly as she shook her head gently.

"I made Castiel miss seeing his mom today," she admitted with a hitch in her voice. 

I blinked in confusion, moving my hands away from her cheeks and holding her horribly cold fingers in between my palms.

"Castiel is the one who came and told me you were missing," I said gently. Opal's eyes widened in shock and I tried to smile soothingly at her. "He was so worried about you, Opal. Even if something happened between him and his mom, he doesn't blame you at all. He's out there right now looking for you with his dog."

"Demon?" Opal asked in a quiet, innocent voice. I couldn't help but laugh as I pulled her close and rested my forehead against hers.

"Opal, you have nothing to be scared of. You won't cause trouble for anyone here because you are not a mistake. I love you more than anything in the world," I whispered gently to her. 

Opal's shoulders began to shake and suddenly she flung herself forward, holding onto me in a tight hug. I returned her hug fiercely and a sob escaped me as I held her to me.

No matter what happened I would never let anything else hurt this girl. From this day on, she was no longer my niece. She was my daughter.

Suddenly Opal went limp in my arms. Looking down my heart clenched in fright as I realized that her eyes were closed and her head had lolled to the side.

"Opal? Opal!" I cried, shaking her shoulders. She didn't respond and I desperately fished into my pocket for my phone. I ignored the dozens of texts from Shin Woo and Alexy and I called Castiel's number.

"Yuki, did you find her?" His voice was coming out in short gasps like he was running and tears slipped down my cheeks.

"I did, but she fainted!" I cried as I held Opal's unconscious form against me.

"Where are you?" Castiel demanded. 

I explained where I was and within two minutes his car came screeching around the corner and stopped inches away from the back of my still running Civic.

He leaped out of his car, closing the door before his dog could get out, and came running over to us. Opal was still not responding to me and Castiel only took one look at her before bending down and picking her up easily in his arms. He carried her over to my car and gently placed her in the passenger seat. I got in the driver's seat and reached out one hand to hold onto her freezing fingers. She mumbled slightly but her eyes remained closed.

"Don't you leave me, sweetheart," I said shakily as I smashed my foot on the gas pedal and made my way to the nearest hospital.

A/N Yikes, I actually cried while I was writing this. Although I am one of the most emotional people you will ever meet so that's not really saying much ':P