Chapter 12: Officer Gale

                                    

                                          
(Quinn's POV)

                          
Kaden and his Mommy have been sleeping at our house for two weeks now. Kaden's Mommy works a lot so Sam is looking after Kaden when he's at home. When Sam is at work and Austin can't look after us, we go to Meriwether's house. 

                          
Kaden is watching cartoons with me now and Sam is making food. He's making spaghetti and that makes me happy. Sam says it's because spaghetti is a 'happy food'. When said that, I told him that pancakes are a 'happy food' too. 

                          
Kaden takes the remote from the couch and presses the buttons to change the channels. "Why did you do that?" I ask him. 

                          
"I don't want to watch Sofia the First. Pokemon is better," He tells me. I don't like Pokemon, but I don't take the remote, because Sam said I'm not allowed to change the channels on my own just in case I turn something scary on. I stand up and go into the kitchen. 

                          
"Sam," I grab his attention. He turns around and squats down so I don't have to look up.
                          
"What is it, Princess?" He asks. I smile at his endement. Enderment. En-dear-ment. Ha. I got it right.
                          
"Kaden put Pokemon on. I don't like Pokemon." I tell him. Sam sighs. He won't turn Pokemon off, because he doesn't want Kaden to be sad. Kaden is sad a lot now because his Mommy is. 

                          
"Let him watch it. Here, you can play on my phone," He tells me as he gives me his phone. Sam has fun games on his phone and I like it very much. I sit on the table and play the game until he calls Kaden into the kitchen and puts spaghetti on our plates. He stretches his arm towards me and I give him the phone.
                          
I sit on the chair and eat the pasta. I finish it all and Sam gives me some candy as a reward. Kaden gets a reward too because he ate two plates. I take Kaden's hand and take him to my room to play. 

                          
(Sam's POV)
                          
When Quinn and Kaden go upstairs to play, I clean up the table and kitchen. Once I'm done, I sit on the couch and open my laptop, starting my work. I was sent a new book to edit called 'The Boy Next Window', so I open these files. 

                          
An hour in, I get a phone call from Officer Gale. "Hello?" I speak into the speaker.
                          
"Hello Mr. Parker, we moved forward in your case regarding little Quinn-"
                          
"Did you find her... mother?" The last word comes out very struggled, since the thought of that woman being called a mother is simply making me sick.
                          
"Well, based on what you were able to learn from Quinn, we pin-pointed a few areas. We gathered all the suspected but we would need Quinn to tell us which one is the right one. We also gathered a few men that could be the ones she refers to as 'He' " He tells me. I recall talking to Quinn a few weeks ago about where she came from, it took a while, since she kept breaking down and sobbing. I hate to see her this way, but I knew I had to get the information. 

                          
"If she sees them, she'll freak out, I can't have her being scared. She trusts me enough to know that I would never bring her to these people." I explain. Officer Gale has his own children, so there is no doubt he understands what I'm talking about.
                          
"I'm fully aware of that, but if you bring her to the police station, all she will have to look at are the photos we took of them during their hearings." He tells me. I sigh.
                          
"Okay, when?" I ask him. 

                          
"As soon as you can, the faster we have the answer, the faster we can make them responsible for their actions." 

                          
"Okay, well I'm looking after my friend's son right now, but as soon as she comes, I'll bring Quinn." I tell him. After he agrees, we hang up. I sigh and try to figure out how to tell Quinn about what she has to do.
                          
Flashback
                          
"Quinn! Quinn!" I call my Princess down after Officer Gale hangs up. She runs down the stairs and towards me, jumping up and down.
                          
"Are you done talking with Mr. Police Man?" She asks excitedly. I nod and her smile grows, "Yay! Now we can play!" I give her a sad smile and pick her up.
                          
"Not yet. We need to talk." I tell her as I walk towards the couch. She gives me a worried look.
                          
"Did I do something bad?" She asks, probably judging by my face. I shake my head as I sit down. She plays with the hem of my T-shirt, pulling on it.
                          
"Quinnie, don't do that please," I tell her. She obeys and looks at me expectantly. "Mr. Police Man is trying to find... people who hurt you. Can you tell me where the house that you ran away from is?" I explain. Her eyes go wide and fill with tears.
                          
"No! No! No! You promised! You can't give me back! No Sam! No!" She screams, not letting me speak and calm her down. Once she starts sobbing into my T-Shirt, I wrap my arms around her.
                          
"I won't give you back, not now, not ever. Mr. Police Man and I just need to know where they are so that they can get punished. They'll be in jail. Just tell me-"
                          
"No! You'll give me back! I won't tell you!" She sobs. She sits up and punches my chest to prove her point. I stare at her in disbelief before she scurries off my lap and runs upstairs. I go after her and find her under her bed.
                          
"Come out, Quinn," I tell her.
                          
"No! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" She screams. 

                          
"Princess, come out, now. I won't hurt you, you know I won't. Trust me." I coo. She doesn't say anything and I'm guessing she's contemplating her options.
                          
She eventually comes out from under the bed and I pick her up before she can run off again. I stroke her hair and kiss her temple. "It's alright. I love you," I whisper in her ear. She wraps her arms around my neck and holds on, as if scared of letting go. "Please don't hit me again," I tell her. She looks at me for a second and nods, before resuming her head to its position on my chest.
                          
"Quinn, look at me," She does. I walk towards her rule poster, "What's rule number two?" I ask, whilst pointing to the second rule.
                          
"Always do as you say," She answers.
                          
"Because..." I say in a tone that encourages her to continue.
                          
"Because you want what's best," She tells me. I smile and kiss her forehead. 

                          
"Good girl. So, are you going to tell you where that house is?" I ask her.
                          
She looks down and nods, "Behind the forest," She tells me, I stare at her blankly.
                          
"Do you know where exactly?" I ask her. She shakes her head. I sigh. Well, it's better than nothing.