Breaking Point

Ch. 1

"So, how was your day, Zoe?" My aunt, Libby, asked as we ate a dinner of spaghetti bolognaise. I was 18, and had lived with her since my parent's disappearance nine years ago, just before my tenth birthday. I had to think about my answer. Was I meant to say that I had nearly beaten someone to death? I knew how my parents disappeared. They were 'agents' for MI2. They were in the process of recruiting me. That was why I nearly beat someone to death. They ended up with a full on broken bone. Screw the UK Marines; just have a fight with me.

"It was good, yeah." I smiled comfortingly, lying through my teeth.

"Why are your arms bruised?" Mia, my nine-year-old cousin asked me. I quickly pulled my sleeves down.

"Karate." I lied, well, some of them could be from there. My parents had ensured as soon as I was allowed I was being educated in how to defend myself. Libby had refused to stop me going despite the fact her husband, my uncle Lucas, had wanted me to stop. I was allowed on the condition that I took Kieran, their oldest son, with me when he was old enough. Of course, I agreed.

"How was school?" I asked my sort-of siblings, getting off the topic of how bruised I was. I would be far worse in the morning.

"Cr..." Lara started before changing her choice of words. "Pants." She decided on instead. Swearing was banned in this household.

"Why?" I asked. She was year 8; the forgotten year, as was her twin brother, Kieran, only he thought the level of work, pretty much nothing, was glorious.

"We never do anything." Lara groaned.

"Wait until year 10 and above; you'll have so much to do you'll hate it." Lucas comforted his daughter. She was so bright it was almost painful to see her suffer in year 8.

"You're lucky you've finished, Zoe." Kieran complained. He was the total opposite of his sister; he hated school sometimes.

"And she has a free ride to university. I am very proud of you, Zo." Libby spoke so highly of me. To her I wasn't her orphaned niece; I was her oldest daughter.

"Yeah, well, unconditional's don't come often." I said as I picked at my spaghetti. I had an unconditional offer from Imperial College London to study Biotechnology. Or that was the façade that we had going anyway. I probably was going to study biotech at MI2, and living in halls near those for ICL, but I was really working for the Secret Service, being picked up by the undergraduate program, which, from what I'd heard, was mainly full of MI2 'agents' kids, or orphans, or those in care. I was one of the few with a family that didn't know the truth. I had already signed the Official Secrets Act. I had done that on my eighteenth birthday.

"You alright, Zo?" Lucas asked quietly. I looked up and him and nodded.

"I'm just tired." I explained. I was utterly exhausted. The second my family had gone out I had been straight into my car to drive to Bristol, had the physical interview for my future, and driven home. The interview, well, fight, was just to see how much training I would need to be 'standard' for recruit. I was already above the fully qualified standard.

"Eat up, you'll feel better." Lucas was too kind to me. He would hate me if he knew the truth about me, or even my parents. I decided to shut my mind up and ate quietly, barely saying a word. I loaded the dishwasher and disappeared into my little box room. My choice, when I was nine, had been either you can have the box room or you share with your four- and one-year-old cousins. Like any sane kid I chose the box room. It gave me the space I needed. I had enough room for a wardrobe, a desk, and my bed. That was all I needed realistically. I would easily fit into my new digs when I moved in just over a week. I was both dreading and over excited about leaving.

Libby came in and sat on the end of my bed as I sat staring at the ceiling. She was too caring sometimes. I wished I could tell her everything, I just couldn't. I would be literally shot for it.

"You've very quiet recently. Scared about going?" She whispered.

"Yeah." I sighed. I didn't know if I would ever really see her or her children again. That scared me.

"We're always here if you need us, you know, Zoe." She stroked my wisps from my face. I sighed. I wished I could tell her. But I couldn't.

"I know. I'm gonna miss this place."

"We're gonna miss you." She chuckled.

"All the kids can remember is me being here."

"Especially Nathan."

"You were pregnant with him when I was dumped on you. You suddenly went from having three normal kids to one on the way and one that wanted to beat everything to a pulp."

"I really think you would have if I hadn't let you go back to karate." We both laughed.

"I think so to."

"Look, university is going to be big and scary, but you'll love the freedom." Libby comforted.

"Yeah, not having four younger kids running rings around my ankles." I giggled. Libby nodded and smiled.

"Exactly."