Chapter Two
Alex

There is a CIA black-site in Nigeria that we've brought all the kids too. Here where we can track down their family's and get them back home. Most of the kids remember their family's and homes, but the ones that don't have agents searching through all the databases the CIA has access to in order to find that answer out.

There were twenty two children we rescued, and we know the names and homes of all of them, except the girl I found. We aren't having any success figuring out who she is. When an Agent named O'Neal told me she couldn't find any trace of the girl, I had Sharon and John both double check, but they still came back with nothing. There is no information at all about her name, her parents, where she was born, how old she really is. There's nothing.

The girl is waiting with Soroya right now while I talk to Sharon and John, who I made check a third time to see if there anything on her. Still nothing.

"Usually this isn't possible," Sharon whispers, her eyes darting between me and the girl. "I've never seen someone with no trace on them at all. It's like she just appeared out of nowhere."

"So you're saying there's no hope at finding out who she is?"

"Alex, we have the greatest database in the world, if we can't find out who she is, then I don't think anyone can." John says in defeat.

I glance over my shoulder at the girl, who has a wide smile on her face as she talks with Soroya, looking relaxed and filled with joy, which she probably hasn't felt in a long time, maybe forever.

"What will happen to her?" I dare to ask.

"In a normal circumstance I would say she would go into the foster system, but since she has powers I think Ross will take her."

My stomach drops as Sharon finishes that sentence. The idea of Ross taking the girl away, locking her up or worse...I can't fathom it. Without another word I walk over to Soroya, who has the girl giggling about something. When I reach them, the girl's smile stays, and she waves up at me happily. Soroya's expression falters slightly as she sees my expression, and without me having to ask, she tells the girl she'll be right back and then steps aside with me, waiting for me to talk.

"They can't find anything on her, they've checked several times and there's nothing. Sharon thinks that she'll either go into the foster system or that Ross will take her."

Soroya's smile dies completely and her eyes grow dark, her tone serious as she says: "I don't even want to think about what he could do to her. There has to be another option."

"I don't think there is one."

Soroya is silent for a moment as she thinks. After a few moments, her smile returns, and her voice drops to a whisper as she suggests: "You could take her."

"What?"

"You and Khari could adopt her. You two have been looking to adopt for years and you haven't had any luck, maybe this is your chance," she says excitedly, reaching forward and gripping onto my hands. "What she needs is a family that will love her and accept her for who she is, and that's what you and Khari could give her. Ross will never allow that to happen."

No he won't. Soroya's right, the girl needs an environment that will celebrate her for her powers and love her for them, not fear them. Ross will never give her that, he'll never give her the life she deserves. She's spent probably her whole life in that cage, told that her worth is defined by a bottom line of a check, what she needs is to be safe and cared for. When Soroya and I were taken by HYDRA, I would have given anything to be back with my parents, in my home, in a place where I felt loved and protected. I know what it's like to be caged like an animal and treated like you're worth nothing, and if I have the chance to make sure that this girl doesn't grow up feeling the same way, then I have to take it.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and bring it up to my ear, waiting impatiently for it to pick up. When the dial tone ends and I hear Khari's voice on the other end asking me if I'm okay, I tell him: "You need to come to the CIA black-site here. There's someone I want you to meet."

-

Khari gets here about twenty minutes later. He had been in a meeting with M'Baku when I called, and when I told him about the girl, he left immediately. I meet him outside the building, and as he descends the ship he borrowed, I can see the look of excitement in his face. No matter how much time passes, the light in his eyes never dies. Khari just turned forty seven, but his profession and the advanced health benefits of Wakanda have caused him to age excellently. There's only specks of grey in his hair and in the beard he's grown the past year, around his eyes and his forehead there are some wrinkles, but he looks just as handsome as he did the day I met him. Soroya is the same age Khari is, but she looks like she's a decade younger, as do I. Bucky of course looks a century younger than he actually is.

Even though I saw him a few hours ago, I fling my arms around his neck and hug my husband tightly, feeling him do the same around my waist.

"Where is she?" He mumbles in my shoulder.

I pull back from him just enough to see his face, keeping my arms around his neck. "She's inside with Soroya...are you sure about this?"

Khari nods, bringing one hand up to cup my check, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone. "We've been trying to adopt a child for nine years with no luck, I think maybe we have struggled so much because Hanuman had another plan in mind. I think this was meant to be."

"That's what Soroya said," I say with a sigh. "I really want this, and I want this with you, but I'm worried about messing up. She's already been through so much, what if I'm not good enough for her?"

"Impossible," Khari assures me. "You the greatest man I know, and you will be an incredible father. It will be a change and it will be difficult, but we will get through it together."

Khari as always puts me at ease, my fears floating to the back of my mind and my excitement rising. "You ready to meet her?"

Khari nods adamantly, linking his fingers with mine. Together we walk into the black-site, finding the girl next to Soroya in the break room. The girl is eating a bag of gold fish and is listening to Soroya talk about some of the books she's been reading to her kids lately, one of which is of course Harry Potter, which the girl seems fascinated by. When Khari and I enter the room, Soroya's smile grows, and she tells the girl that she needs to go for right now. Before leaving the room, she gives me a nod, silently telling me that everything will be alright. I sure hope so.

Khari and I bend down in front of the girl, my smile infectious as I tell her: "This is my husband, Khari. I brought him here because he really wanted to meet you."

Khari smiles at the girl and says hello, to which she replies: "Why would you want to meet me?"

"Because he and I wanted to ask if you want to come and live with us," I say, tightening my grip on Khari's hand. "We live in a place called Wakanda. It's a place that is filled with the best people, people who have powers just like you and me. We have a really nice house, with a room that can be yours to decorate however you want. You can have friends, you can go to school, I'll teach you to control your powers. We want to make you apart of our family."

The girl sets aside her goldfish and looks between the two of us, her eyes welling up with tears. "Really?"

Khari nods, his own eyes growing misty. "Yes, really, but only if you want that too."

Without a moment's hesitation, she bursts into tears, holding her arms out towards both of us. We both lean forward and hold onto her, rubbing her back soothingly as she cries. I glance at Khari and see that tears are slowly falling down his cheeks, and as we pull back from her, I feel my throat grow tight, my heart too filled with joy to contain itself.

"Now all that's left to do is pick a name for you," I say, rubbing at my eyes. "Is there a name you have in mind?"

She shakes her head, prompting me to say: "Do you want me to pick one for you?"

She nods, grabbing onto her gold fish again. I've thought about what names I would want to give my future child many times, and Khari and I have bounced ideas off each other several times. But as I look at this girl eating her gold fish, I feel that none of the names I previously thought of fit her, but I know of two that do.

"My parents were the two greatest people I knew, and sadly they both died. How about we name you after them?"

The girl seems to like this idea. "What were their names?"

"Joseph and Anika, though I don't think Anika is a good first name for you...how about we turn Joseph into Josephine and make Anika your middle name? Do you like that?"

The girl thinks about this for a moment before nodding, her joy and excitement clear as day. "What's your last name?"

"Our last name is Roberts-Chikere, so from now on, your name will be Josephine Anika Roberts-Chikere, but I think I'll call you 'Jo' for short. How does that sound?"

Jo completely forgets about the goldfish in her hand and jumps in her seat excitedly, flinging the goldfish out of the bag and into the air, raining down on all of us. Khari and I both chuckle, picking crumbs out of her hair.

"I think it's time for us to go," Khari says, holding out his hand to Jo. "You ready to go to your new home?"

Jo nods, gripping onto Khari's hand as she gets down from her seat, reaching her free hand out for me. I grip onto her tiny hand, and together the three of us walk out the door and towards the ship, each of us with unfaltering smiles spread on our faces. Although my worries and insecurities about being a parent are still prominent, I won't let it ruin how excited and happy I am to have Jo in my life, in our family. I'll have to deal with a lot when we get back to Wakanda, but on the trip there, I just want to be with my husband and our new daughter.