Autistic Innocence

Chapter Twenty Three

Justin's  P.O.V

"I'll be right back sweetheart." I whisper to a sleeping Avalanna who probably couldn't even hear me because of how tired and knocked out she was. I place a gentle kiss to her head before slowly getting up reluctantly because I didn't want to leave her side.

I had to make this right though.

I then make my way out of the room just to see the doctors and receptionists all at their desks or going in and out of other patients' rooms. "Keep an eye on my daughter." I send a pointed look at one of the nurses before quickly walking out of the section Avalanna was in and jogging towards the waiting room where I last saw Cameron and Lilly. The waiting room however was completely empty when I got there and there were no trace of the kids around. I ran up to the playground and cafeteria and gift shop and again, I didn't see anything that could give me any hints as to where they could have gone. I let out a groan and run my hands through my hair in frustration. I bang on a widow that just so happen to be next to me and jog up to the front desk. When I get there, the lady is giving me a worried look. "Aye, have you seen two kids leave? One about sixteen the other is three? About this tall and has brown hair and brown eyes?" I plead pathetically. She shakes her head. "No I'm sorry sir, I just got on to this shift fifteen minutes ago." She gives me sympathetic eyes. "Damnit!" I hit the desk, making her jump. I give her a hard a stare.

"Call the cops right now."

Cameron's P.O.V

"I wanna sleep in a bed again bubba!" Lilly whines as I lean against a bench in the park/downtown area and let her lay her head in my lap, covering her with my jacket. "I know Lils, but this is where we have to sleep at tonight, just like before." I sighed as I reminded her of our life before Justin. She whimpered and I look down at her, right into her eyes. "Hey, it's okay, I'm still here and that's all we need, remember? This is how it all was before. Nothing new." I tell her. She just tore her gaze away from mine and I let out a deep breath. "Is God really dead?" She sniffles. "What? No Lilly, don't listen to what Justin said, okay? God is real and he's great." I whisper. "God is good all the time, and all the time?" I trail off, a small smile on my face as I look down at my baby sister. "God is good." She giggles as I tickle her sides lightly. "I d-don't want to go n-night night outside anymore bubba." Her lip wobbles. I instantly feel my heart break a little. "I know sweetheart, I know." I whisper. "I don't either." I say before gently shoving her body under my arm protectively as I watch her slowly fall asleep while I stayed awake and watched for any potential danger...

********

My eyes were heavy but I refused to let them fall, it's our first night back on the streets and I needed to keep both Lilly and myself safe.

Just like old times.

I felt myself drifting off but right when I knew I was about to lose myself and let my sleep take over me, I start hearing sirens in the distance. I don't think anything of it as I pull Lilly closer to my body and make sure she's staying warm. However, the sirens seem to be getting even louder and sound like more than one vehicle. I furrow my eyebrows as they come zooming up to the park bench we were at. The headlights almost blind me from the brightness as I squint at them. Officers come rushing out and towards us and I immediately jump up with my sister. "Aye, chill. We'll go somewhere else, we don't need any trouble. We're just waiting for my parents while they go get the tickets for the subway." I recite the lie that I've practiced my whole life. "Are you Cameron and Lilly?" The officer ignored me and my rand. "Why?" I ask him cautiously. "Are you Cameron and is that little girl Lilly Dallas?" He asks me again. "Who's asking?" I question. He rolled his eyes. "An officer who has the right to put you in the system and arrest you for trespassing and breaking and entering and take that little girl straight to child services, so I highly recommend you cut the tough guy act and actually cooperate with me son." He says. I take in a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm Cameron and this is my little sister Lilly, what do you want from us? What do you need? And why?" I ask him all these questions as they race though my mind. "Just get in the car, there's someone looking for you." Was all he said before motioning to all the other cop cars and officers surrounding us.

********

"And then bubba said I was too small." Lilly pouts at the officer in the front seat through the bars that keep the police from the prisoners as we ate the burgers from McDonald's that officer Collin stopped to get us. "Aw well maybe when you get bigger you can ride all the roller coasters!" Officer Collin acts like he's really interested in what Lilly had to say. I nudge Lilly and motion for her to eat her apples that were still unopened and came with her happy meal. She groaned but I gave her a warning look as I opened them and take one out, eating it myself and showing her it was good. She giggled as I made silly faces at her and got her to eat them finally. When I feel the car slow down, me and Lilly both look up to see we're back at the hospital. And the person with tears in their eyes with dried tear stains on their cheeks, talking to other police officers and screaming to 'get his kids back and bring them back to him safely or he'd sue the whole department' was in fact someone I probably thought wanted nothing to do with us.

That person was Justin.