Drawn Together - A Lams Fanfiction (Collab With E_musician)

Chapter 9

TW: mention of suicide and murder

I go back to the living room puzzled. “You hear it too right? And it’s not pip”, I say. John nods and gets up. “Maybe a kid got lost outside?”, he suggests before going to open the door.

To my surprise, there is a kid outside in the hall. A little girl, probably around Susans age. She's hugging a stuffed bear and crying. "Hey kiddo, what's wrong?" John asks quietly and crouches down to her level. 

She clings to John almost immediately and stutters out, “m-my momma and dada are gone.” ”Can you tell us what happened to them?”, John asks quietly. She shakes her head. 

I slowly move closer. Maybe this girl and I have something in common. Slowly and cautiously, I sit on the floor next to John and the girl. "What's your name, sweetheart?" I ask gently. She looks at me and stutters, "F-Frances E-E-Eleanor K-Kinloch…" John tenses up.

 His ex. Very toxic man actually. I put my arm around him and whisper, “he’s gone according to Frances here but we can help her and make things right ok?” He gives a slow nod clearly having a small panic attack.

"Frances, do you want to come inside?" I ask, cringing at how kidnapper-ish that sounds. She nods and continues to cling to John. I carefully help her and John up before trying everything to make her comfortable in our small apartment. 

 I bring both John and Frances a cup of water. Maybe she just wandered off from her parents is what she meant by they were gone? “Do you know your parents phone number kiddo? We could call them so they can come get you”, I say.

"Um.. mommas is xxx-xxx-xxxx." She says more calmly. That's an improvement. John nods and calls the number while I stay and talk to Frances. "Do you live in this building?" I ask. She nods. "1 floor down…" she whispers.

 “Why’d you run off-?”, I ask. “Didn’t run police took”, she says. So that explains the sirens from earlier. “What’d they take-?”, I ask hoping she’s not just been put into foster care without an explanation.

"Police took dada away… momma not waking up.." Frances whimpers and burrows herself in my chest. Aww- wait no. That's horrible. "There's no answer." John says when he comes back to the livingroom. 

 “We might have to go to the station”, I suggest. “That sounds like the best plan of action”, he agrees. I go get pip then head back out. “Let’s get going”, I say. He nods and we all walk to the station.

There are a couple of officers near the front desk. One looks at John and nearly gasps. "Are you John Laurens?" He asks. John nods hesitantly before the man continues, "my daughter is a huge fan of your channel, could I get an autograph for her?" John looks uncomfortable.

 “Uhm officer we sort of have a dilemma currently”, I interrupt. “This little girl showed up at John and I’s apartment after saying her father was taken away and her mother wouldn’t respond. Do you have any information?”

"Name?" He asked and logged into a computer. "Frances Eleanor Kinloch." I tell him. He nods and searches it in the system. "Her father, Francis Kinloch, arrested for abuse and child endangerment. His girlfriend was pronounced dead at the scene. Apparent suicide but the detective is looking further into the matter, suspecting murder." 

 “So she’s in foster care then”, I respond, “correct”, the officer says, “We can take her off your hands if you’d like.” “Uh I’ll discuss things over with my boyfriend real quick before I give a response”, I say completely forgetting about the fact his daughter is a fan of John’s.

"Boyfriend? Bailey hasn't said anything about you two being boyfriends yet. Or having kids." The officer said. John and I turned red with embarrassment. This wasn't supposed to happen. "Sir, please don't tell anyone. Even your daughter." John says quickly. 

 “We’re not quite ready to tell anyone”, I add on. “Ok ok I won’t, go ahead and have your conversation”, the officer says. “So what should we do about Frances”, I whisper to John.

"Well I was hoping we would adopt another kid when Pip is older but she needs us. She probably came to us for a reason." He whispers. I nod in agreement. "So we adopt her?" "We adopt her." He smiles and tells the officer to make the necessary arrangements.

 The officer gives us the necessary paperwork and lets us go home to fill it out. It’s been an eventful afternoon that’s for sure. Which has me thinking “love- when should we tell your followers about us”, I ask