What to do now. *book two*

The ending and the beginning

The whole thing ended up going to court.

The parents where arrested for child abuse and negligence.

And I then legally adopted Katie.

Joe and Mason run up to me after the trial.

"Hey!" Mason says, "so, we might actually just ask the boss if you can have some sort of place in the force. Like an undercover cop or detective or something."
"Okay."
"And also, me and Joe are kinda looking for a place cause we currently live in this apartment that ain't so good. So! We were wondering, if maybe we could stay with you guys whilst we look for a place to stay!"
"Sure. The more in my house, the merrier."
"Awesome! Thanks Ma'am!"
"No problem."

We all go home...

I make some lasagna for Katie and she eats it hungrily.

I chuckle lightly.

She looks at me, her mouth full, and her cheeks messy.

She chews and swallows. I grab a napkin and wipe her cheeks.

"Gods, Katie, when was the last time you had food?"
"Um... Well... I was out on the streets for a while. Few months maybe."
"Hades sake, you're a stick!"

She looks at the table.

"Hey hey hey, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

I sit next to her and hug her, "I am going to try and be the best for you, okay?"
"Okay..."...

Eventually, she got to a more normal and safe weight.

Soon, she starts hormone therapy.

Sam came to LA with his kids, and was staying in a hotel nearby.

He and his kids moved in too.

So I was happy that I wasn't alone anymore...

I'm sat in the living room and Sam walks in, back from work.

Fluffy flaps his wings.

"How was work?" I ask.
"Eh..."
"You tired?"

He nods and flops down on the sofa next to me, "god... I need to start going to the gym..."
"Maybe we could go together sometime."
"That would be nice..."

He looks at a mirror on the wall, "god, I look so old... you'd think, for stopping physically ageing at thirty, I'd look around thirty but I look almost fifty."
"You Look Fine, Sam."

He grumbles, "I look like my life is slowly withering away. I'm only two hundred and sixty seven. That's young for a night blood! I'm going to die... looking old... my glass is always half empty."
"My glass isn't even half empty, it's only got a few drops in it."
"Now See, you make Sense. Everyone at work is always, be optimistic! It's half full, not half empty! You gotta be more positive! Blah blah blah. How can I be more positive when everything in my life has been negative? I was in a crappy adoptive family since I was a baby! I always seem to pick the wrong people to date! They either leave me, die, cheat on me, hurt me, or all of them except the dying part. You get what I mean?"
"Actually, yes."
"Yeah. And... and... I just want to die but everyone is always like, you aren't depressed, Sam, calm down."
"I know exactly how you feel."
"It's nice that someone finally does..."
"Yeah... it is..."

I look at him and he's fallen asleep against me.

Martha, one of Sams kids, walks in, "what's going on?"

"Your father is sleeping." I begin, "so I suggest you be quiet."
"Well who's gonna make food?"
"Joe and Mason are cooking dinner tonight."
"Oh. Is there something going on between you two?"
"We have a lot in common, that's all I know."
"Like what?"
"Shitty relationships, always picking the wrong people to be in a relationship with, we've both gotten divorced, we're both over the age of two hundred and fifty. I actually am two hundred and fifty three. We're both pessimistic and want to die."
"Uh huh. Tell me something I don't know."

She leaves the room.

Sam wakes up, "what's happening?"
"Martha says hi."
"Oh... hi Martha..."

He nods off again, leaning his head on my shoulder...

"How you holding up Sam?"
"Well, I'm finally at the gym after a few years of not bothering to come and my trainer guy got me this new fitness plan that's like half an hour long. What about you?"
"My fitness plan is an hour and a half."
"Why that long?"
"Because my fitness coach likes to push me. He rarely speaks to me, but he likes to push me to be the best."
"Right, okay. Well, I'm going..."

He looks at his sheet of paper, "to the treadmills for five minutes. Bye!"
"Bye."

He wanders off.

Where are all of the weights today?

I usually only use the heaviest, because my coach likes to push me like I said, but it's handy to know where the other weights are.

I start lifting the weights, some might say, with ease.

I hear cheering and look to where it's coming from.

Several other members are surrounding this one member who eventually managed to lift the second heaviest weights.

"Wanna go for the heaviest?" Someone asks.
"Sure, why not?"

One of the surrounding members walks over to the rack, "where..."

And then turns and sees me, "holy shit! Bro, you're lifting those with ease!"
"Thanks?"
"And they're the heaviest too!"

More people start surrounding me and I put the weights down and sit up, "I didn't realise lifting weights was a spectator sport."

Someone pushes through and looks me up and down, "you my new opponent?"
"Opponent?"
"Yeah."
"What?"
"No one has ever beaten me in a fight."
"Right, okay."
"And I have a feeling you won't either."

I stand up. I'm at least two feet taller than him.

"I would love to hear about your far fetched dreams all day, but I do not have the time. Now excuse me, I need a drink."

I walk past and he says, "you chicken, Soldier boy?"

I turn around, "no. But you aren't worth it."
"Yeah, you're chicken."

I point to the weights I was using, "heaviest weights there. Lift them."

He frowns.

"Or are you too much of chicken?"
"I'm not a chicken, you're a chicken for not wanting to fight me!"
"There is a lot of heavy equipment in the gym. If we knock it over whilst you try to fight me, it will hurt someone."

He goes to the weights and eventually he lifts them.

"Not bad. Now I will show off and humiliate you."

I pick up the weights with one hand and place them on the rack, carefully.

He glares at me.

I laugh, "it is alright, don't worry. I think it is safe to assume who would win in a fight between me and you."

He punches my chest.

I grab him by the shoulders and turn him around and shove him, "the door is over there. Do not bother me again."

He grumbles something.

"I do not wish to create a feud between us, but when you assume that I would want to waste my time fighting some random man I do not know, then I will not hesitate to show you the door. Anything to say?"

He turns around, "you sure got guts, kid."
"I'm two hundred and fifty three years old. I'm not a kid."
"Right, okay. Have a nice day or whatever, bitch."
"You too."
"Oh yeah, by the way. I'm not trying to make enemies, just buddies to fight with. Bye."

He walks out. A very interesting character, that man. I wonder if I should happen to cross him again...