Conform or Suffer: A Romance: Long Chapter Edition.

Chapter 8 Squad

One Week Later, 5:30 a.m. Inside Quig's Apartment:

Dot yawned and stretched as she walked out of Betsy's room. "Those ghosts are quieter than whatever loser is knocking at this hour." Grew-Ella wore Quig's spare wedding suit and opened the door. She spoke to Quig's brother-in-law. "Betsy is still sleeping."

The man slammed the door shut and took a swig from a near-empty bottle of vodka. He shouted at Quig. "You're supposed to be watching my daughter, and you're playing house with Grew-Ella!"

"Did you drive here drunk in a snowstorm?" Grew-Ella asked.

"I'm not drunk." He belched and tossed the bottle in the trash. "Quig you have no right to keep women at your place."

"Grew-Ella was caught in the ground blizzard, and my sister is here," Quig said. "Besides, you of all people shouldn't judge me."

"I'm only here to claim custody early; the court will side with me anyway," the man snapped.

Quig spoke. "No, you can't pick her up without my sister."

"Ida disappeared; how am I going to bring her with me?" the man snapped.

"Not taking your calls is not the same thing as vanishing," Quig returned.

"Grew-Ella is going to drop her off with Mom Avery because Ida called her and told her not to let you near her. She told us the reason we're moving Betsy around."

"Avery isn't your real mom. At least Karen publicly adopted Grew-Ella," Quig's brother-in-law said. "The former queen only used you to fool people into thinking she isn't evil."

"Don't badmouth Mom Avery. She was more of a parent than you are," Quig snapped.

Grew-Ella coughed and spoke. "Nothing happened, and even if I kissed Quig, which I did not, you've seen Betsy five times in almost seven years." She reached for her buzzing phone. "Avery texted me. Zoreon is still lurking around, and Betsy and I need to stay longer."

Betsy rushed out of the bedroom and spoke to her birth father. "Auntie Grew-Ella threw Poppa Quig a birthday party, and I drew abstract art-style birthday cards." She pointed at her scribbled artwork taped to the wall. "My dad deserves all the birthday cards."

"Wow, Karen loves to teach those big art terms." Quig hugged Betsy.

"You still think he's your dad; how cute," Quig's brother-in-law snapped. "He's not your real dad; that honor goes to me."

"Quig is her dad in the eyes of God," Dot said.

Rapid knocking startled them, and Quig stared through the door's glass peephole. He grabbed Betsy and left her in the bedroom.

"I obtained a court order," Rodrick said.

Quig unlatched the locks and fumbled for the doorknob.

Squad members stood in the hall, and they entered.

Dot checked her phone. "I'll be back later. Chase is going to pick me up. He's doing deliveries for me this week. His Camper has snow tires and none of the other drivers can help."

"When did you become buddies with Chase?" Quig asked.

"Now is not the time." Dot slammed the door behind her.

Windows rattled with a female squad member's booming voice. "Quig, you took pity on Grew-Ella so she wouldn't freeze to death. You're so precious."

"Behave yourselves, or you'll be expelled from the campus," Rodrick said. His broad shoulders and muscular arms rippled underneath his black suit and fur cloak, and his overly sculpted face and jagged elf ears were not much to look at, but most stared at his body with envy or desire.

"Why are you here?" Quig asked.

"This is about Ida." Rodrick's lips stretched into a distorted frown because of his hard and inflated lips.

Squad members around him broke into laughter and made faces behind Rodrick's back.

A squad member stepped closer to Quig and poked his arm. "Your sister is deformed, but hides it well enough with cosmetics. We let her go and removed two of her badges because we need her visions. They're no longer a joke."

"Ida signed divorce papers after you pulled your little kidnapping stunt," Rodrick said to Quig's brother-in-law. "Your friend Zoreon tried to kill Ida, and she sent paperwork to the judge you're unsafe around Betsy."

"She has no, right," the man yelled.

A squad male member snorted and pinched Grew-Ella. "I almost didn't recognize you without the girdle. Why is Zoreon interested in you? You're autistic, a little chubby, struggle with egg production, and have wonky toes."

"Moth kingdom laws don't apply here," Quig said. "You wouldn't have known that if you hadn't illegally... gone through her medical records."

"A family member gave it to us." Another squad member jiggled Grew-Ella's belly. "Look how you're dressed, and you're lumpy from your weight loss."

"Touch her again, and I'll fire you. Quig is correct. You'll have to behave differently on any property purchased by another planet," Rodrick said.

Grew-Ella covered her tummy with her fingers in an attempt to cover her loose skin under the suit. "The suit is an acceptable color, but my zipped corset and clothes are in the dryer. I'll change."

Betsy rushed from the bedroom and hugged her Poppa Quig. "I was wrong about mommy and..." She stopped mid-sentence and stared at the squad members. "Ida visited me through the mirror and told me she didn't sign."

"She only signed he couldn't visit her without her and a guard; he added the cancelation of the adoption afterword."

Quig's brother-in-law bowed his head for a moment. "That is why Ida forced you all to move Betsy to different places, at least until January. It's not even personal. Ida wrongly thinks Zoreon needs more factory workers for the Christmas rush, and Ida's original idea was to trap him, and I became friends with him. It was her idea."

"They're only children," Quig said with disgust.

Quig's brother-in-law spoke. "You were one of 800 people who had their custody agreements challenged, and your legal last name is Hayworth. The Prime Minister's AI secretary wouldn't check."

Rodrick lowered his voice. "Leave saving the kingdom to competent people. Your little trick is what placed Lana's life in jeopardy. You used her ID to place your plan in motion."

"Stay away from my daughter," Quig said.

Quig's brother-in-law started to yell. "You're a hypocrite and keep secrets, too! What is wrong with you? Why would you let the kingdom fall for a child?"

Quig spoke. "Because she is my child, and your plan didn't work. It's easy to play hero when it's with other people's lives and not your own. I might be a secretive hypocrite, but you're a coward."

"I wish you loved me enough that you didn't try to sell me off as a maid," Betsy said to Quig's brother-in-law.

Betsy's ex father screamed at her. "You ruined my life! I thought you'd make it better, but all you are is a brat! Why should I ever visit you? Zoreon will send you to the workhouse because no one loves you, and you should be worth a couple of bucks."

Betsy started to cry, and Quig hugged her.

"Keep crying, you ugly little monster. The prime minister will give me custody back in January. You're never going to see your Poppa Quig again, and I can do whatever I want, including throw you in the workhouse."

Grew-Ella took Betsy to another room.

"Wow, even I wouldn't say that to a little kid," the squad member said. "What kind of pathetic drunk are you?" She grabbed him. "Rodrick, sir, do I have permission to hold him until he's sober?"

"Sure." Rodrick grinned. "But I can't sign off on it because I've been called as a custody witness."

"Don't worry, I can sign the arrest warrant myself," she said.