heart like yours (jennifer jareau)

3. fourteen

AN: hey guys!

so on thursday it's the one year anniversary of me publishing this book so there will be an update on thursday too! as a celebration! why not, hey?

an old face will also be returning next chapter too! which is exciting!

i don't think there's any TW's for this chapter? except delilah herself because she's a walking ball of spicy deja vu? but that's it!

i hope you guys enjoy <3

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"why is love intensified by a sense?" - audrey niffenegger 

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Delilah sat in the car she'd rented, stuck at a traffic light as she waited to turn right. Her fingers tapped against the wheel relentlessly, the radio turned up loud to try and drown out her thoughts.

It wasn't working.

She'd read the report Evan had filed about the fostering being cut off. There were little details to be known except that Ziggy was emotional but sound enough to make this decision and the judge agreed to sign off on it.

There was no reason listed as to why he wanted it to be ended, just that he did.

The police report on his disappearance was just as disappointing. There was little to no investigation being done.

And, yes, Delilah knew the likelihood that Ziggy would just turn up, but she also knew that he was a low risk child for serial killers and abusers to take advantage of.

The light turned green and Delilah pulled around the corner, driving down the block before pulling up outside the address of Ziggy's last foster home. She turned the engine off, getting out of the car and locking it behind her.

There were several children playing in the front yard, though they all seemed off in their movements. It wasn't too noticeable, but it was giving Delilah a weird feeling.

She made a mental note to add this place to the list of things to be investigated once she'd done her basic assessment of Ziggy's disappearance.

She also made a mental note to buy a phone charger in the next few hours, because she'd forgotten hers and she needed to charge Ziggy's phone, too. There might be something on there that clued her into why he'd ran away.

Delilah leaned against the car, running her hand through her hair as she pulled her own phone out, wincing at the low battery warning.

Phone charger bumped up to the top of her list, then the police station.

"You got a light?"

Delilah turned her head, seeing a teenage boy stood beside her, a joint between his lips. Delilah raised her eyebrows at him.

"How old are you?" Delilah asked.

"What are you, the feds?" the boy snorted.

"Yeah, actually," Delilah smirked, handing him her lighter before showing him her badge. "BAU."

"Shit, you're... You're the kid's aunt, right? The little one, with the curly hair? Always covered in bruises? Name starts with a Z... Not a zebra, no, though I did think it was Zebra for weeks," the boy said, lighting up his joint anyway.

Delilah blinked.

"Ziggy?" she asked, choosing to move past the drugs because, honestly, she didn't give a fuck when her nephew was missing.