Age of Atticus

Chapter 24: Everly Atticus Dean

"Dean it's been almost twenty four hours I'm calling the police." I sobbed to Dean who was beyond pissed that Mavis has left the house and isn't answering us.

"Tell then I'm helping look for her."

"I am too."

I called the police to report that she was missing and made a public post saying if anyone has seen her to contact us but I'm beyond worried that something happened to her because she hasn't answered us and hasn't opened our texts and all calls go straight to voicemail with no ring.

Seth walked in the house and took me in his arms before the police had showed up to our house to get information. I couldn't talk without sobbing as the girl I treated like she was my own was missing. She pretty much was my own but to her I was just a piece of shit.

I packed a bag of clothes for her so she could change out of the clothes she's in because I know how she hates dirty clothes.

Dean and I took the kids in one car while Seth and Mack drove with us as well. Searching everywhere we could. Steven's parents helping us out anyway they could.

We spent twelve hours checking all the places she could've gone and Carter and Maverick were getting exhausted so we took Steven and sent them home with his parents.

••••

"Dean what if something awful happened to her? I can't even track her phone because it's dead I just don't know what to do." I said sobbing at a stop light.

"Atty you have to have faith that she's okay."

"I don't know if I can. It's been almost two days since she's been gone and we've heard nothing from her and no one has seen her. We've been all over the goddamn state."

"Holy shit Atty we never checked the place we rented in Iowa. That's probably where she is."

I nodded and Dean headed off to the house we stayed in for Christmas. "Atticus?"

"Yeah Steven?"

"I think I might know who she's with. Its just a thought that popped in my mind."

"Alright buddy."

"I think she's with this guy named Louis Jameson. He used to go to our school until he graduated last year. He was a friend of ours. She's recently gotten in touch with him again and she's been with him more than she has been with me. I think she's with him in the all senses." Stevens voice cracked and I turned my head and took his hand.

"Steven, if she is doing this then I am so sorry and I will forever live in regret that we let her go out at night with this Mindy person."

"Mindy? She's been going out with Louis not Mindy."

"She's been out with a fucking guy. That's why she's been past curfew goddammit I'm so sorry Steven." Dean said hitting the wheel.

I rubbed his arm slowly as I still held Steven's. "Steven we won't let her off easy at all. Your practically our son and if she treated you like this than I don't know what I'll do but you are not leaving our lives that easily."

"Yeah Jesus maybe you can get with Carter in the future that girl knows right from wrong more than I do and I'm in my thirties." Dean said and I smiled.

"If she's smart she knows to be with you only and maybe he's got control of her."

"No she's willingly gone with him. I lied to you guys she made me cover for her."

"Steven it's okay we're not mad at you." I said to the sobbing boy, squeezing his hand tighter to show him everything is okay. "We love you Steven."

"I love you guys too."

Dean was starting to fall asleep while driving so I had him pull over and I took over while he fell asleep. I even had Steven move up front so he could keep me awake in case I started to fall asleep. "So how did you and Dean get together?"

"Oh mean and that shithead? It's not that interesting. Why do you want to know?"

"I've just always been curious."

"Well we grew up together because him and Seth were always friends. So at a New Years party held by one of our friends we got some alone time and he kissed me."

"So Dean can be romantic?"

"No not really." Steven chuckled at my remark. "What about you? You and Mavis never tell me what actually got you guys together."

"I asked Mavis out in English in front of everyone with one of the projects we did. The teacher gave me an F because it was suppose to be about the book we read but I used that as an excuse to ask Mavy out. I saw that deserves an A+."

"Alright now you're getting as cheesy as this bastard."

We shared a laugh when Dean's quiet little snores came through. "Where did you come up with the names Carter and Maverick?"

"Dean and I didn't want generic names for the kids and we didn't want anything that would be gender specified either so we chose Carter and Maverick because they sounded nice with Ambrose."

"Well I love it."

"You and Mavy ever talk about names for kids? I don't want to be a step grandma yet but I'm just curious."

"Well we did one time and we came up with the name Everly Atticus Dean because you two are the most important in our lives and Mavis said she loves the name Everly."

I smiled at how included in Steven and Mavis's lives Dean and I were. It's a good feeling. Means we're doing something right clearly.