The Life of Being a Foster Kid//5sos **ON HOLD**

Chapter 37: Baby Adelaide

CALUM
We picked up the pizza and Liv isn't kidding when she says she knows EVERYONE. We were driving back to the house when she finally spoke up about the song. "Th-that song was about my best friend who I fell in love with, but he liked another girl. H-his name was Chase a-and we loved each other at the time and everyone could tell except for him. He's one of the many reason's I never wanted to come back Cal. He was abusive and I'm scared." "I'll protect you Liv. Remember you are in a car with Macho Man." I said flexing. She giggled and touched my arm. "Don't make yourself flex out Cal. Oh shit!" She said as she pulled the emergency brake and as a baby cried in the middle of the street. We both got out of the car and Liv grabbed the baby. "Holy shit I didn't even see her." I said covering my mouth. Liv looked at the baby and me. "Calum, tell me honestly, is it just me or is this baby wearing a collar?" She said her eyes tearing me up. I grabbed the crying child and calmed it down. I took one look at it and knew it had a collar. "Oh my god. Come on we'll go to the police station and they'll find the mother!" I said getting in. "Calum! Obviously if this baby has a collar on and is left in the middle of the street that mother is pretty unfit!" She screamed at me. I was taken back from her tone. Did she just yell at me?

LIV
"I'm sorry it's just... I don't understand who would do this to such a child...." I said crying. "Olivia give me the keys." Cal said putting his hand out. "Why?" I said giving them to him. "Because you take this baby, we are going to go down to the police station and file a report! The only thing is I know you want to keep it-" "her. I want to keep her. She deserves a better mother than she probably had." I interrupted him. "We'll fight for her Liv don't worry." He said handing her over. "Let's get this off you girlfriend." I said taking the collar off. We started driving and soon made it. Calum grabbed my hand as I rested on his shoulder while walking in. "I wonder how long she was out there for." I said smiling down at the child in my arms. "Does it matter now that you saved her?" He said as we got to the counter. He's smiled at me and put his hand on my back. "We'd like to file a report of 1. Child abuse and 2. Endangerment of others." Calum said as I rubbed the babies back.
*10 minutes later*
"Miss. Clifford and Mr. Hood." The officer called us back. "Please have a seat!" He said as we got into his office. "So you mean to tell me you found this child in the street with this collar on?" He said pushing an evidence bag towards us. I nodded and said "yes". The baby started to squirm. "Mr. Lanjin the nurse is here to check out the baby." Another officer came in and said. "Miss. Clifford please give her the child." I nodded and handed her to her. "Okay we will definitely look into and find the mother so she can go back!" He said placing the file neatly in a stack. "Excuse me, but if that nurse finds any signs of negligence on that baby I am taking her home with me until I can adopt her!" I said pointing at the door and standing up. "Liv please sit down. It's not going to help fighting an officer about sitting down." Calum said grabbing my waist. "Fine." I said sitting down and apologizing. "Obviously who's ever baby this is can not be a child, but just because you found her does not mean you can raise her! That is why I will be doing a background check on all of you, including your friends." He said typing at his computer. "I'm assuming you are the boyfriend?" He asked Calum.

CALUM
I sat straight up as Liv chuckled. "No I'm just a friend." He looked at me puzzled and I mouthed 'not for long' to him and he nodded. "Okay you are fine miss Olivia, but I need your friends names then I'll do Mr. Hood's last." Liv looked at me and I gave her a shy smile and she returned it. "Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Ashton Irwin and Angelina Clifford." She said smiling at him. He kept typing and then nodding. "Okay so I see that you were a foster child and-" I cut him off. "Don't say the a word sir it's a trigger." He nodded his head and said. "And you have slight depression, anxiety, and asthma?" She nodded as he continued. "Now tell me, when was the last time you had to take your medication?" He asked leaning back. She looked at me thinking and I thought about it too. "A couple weeks ago?" She said kind of unsure. I nodded and he nodded too. "That's a good progression. I'm no doctor or therapist, but I would say your depression is getting better and if needed you are applicable to be the baby's guardian." He said smiled a fake smile at her that we both knew all too well. "You're nervous." Liv said leaning on his desk. He pulled at the collar of his shirt and said nope. "Yes you are. You are sweating, you're shaking, and you are jittery and cautious." He sighed in defeat and leaned towards her. "You want to know the truth?" He said looking at both of us. We nodded and he continued. "The child's mother is another officer here who is known for violence on duty, but we didn't know off-duty she abused her kids and now I had to open an investigation about her. She can see it too." He said nervously chuckling. Our eyes were wide and we heard the nurse knock, then walk in. "Signs of abuse-" Liv started to cringe and I grabbed her hand. She squeezed it and nodded for the nurse to continue, "negligence, burns, and severe diaper rash. Other than that we have gotten you a baby seat to use until you can get another and we suggest you go to the store immediately and buy stuff for her." She said handing me the carriage and walking away. "What's her name?" I asked the officer. "Adelaide." He said handing me her file.

CALUM
Maybe one day she'll be Adelaide Hood.