Rescuing Atticus

First time for everything...I guess

Song: Lost within- Fivefolds

Two years later we get a call. I see his reaction to it and the look on his face at that very moment was daunting. I knew whoever it was and whatever they needed cleaning for it was not good. I noticed right away that this was going to be bad. All the way over to the house, he is thumping his fingers on his leg and his leg is jerking. He almost looks like he is going to be sick turning very pale and he keeps avoiding making any sort of eye contact. I have never seen him in this state. A part of me is worried more about him that what we are about to walk into. I can handle just about anything now...Zane on the other hand is another story.

We pull up to the house and all the lights are out. The back door is wide open and that is where we enter. The placed seemed really dark until we got farther into the house and there is one light downstairs that keeps flickering from where a lamp had fallen over and the bulb is not tightened all the way. Ashton walks over and adjusts it right away and then we start to look around at the damage. Furniture and scattered objects are tipped and tossed this way and that all over the floor. We see the guy lying in the living room floor in a pool of blood face down.

Zane walks over and bends down to look at the guy. He slowly turns him over and just shakes his head. "You stupid son of a bitch," he mouths "all you had to do was pay...and know look what you caused." He stands back up and looks around frantically and then that is when he sees another body in the hallway...her body.

I watch as he swiftly walks over to her and leans down towards her. He picks up her head so cautiously like she is so fragile and going to break like a little porcelain doll. He searches for a pulse frantically and by his expression he didn't find one. I watch as he slowly looks down at her and it's like the life went out of him. I know how that feeling feels...I had it a few years ago when I lost Sara. It's a loss that no can actually feel until you are put in that position...one that I never want to be in again.

He just holds her and I can't hear what he is saying but it almost sounded as if he was either praying for her or asking her maybe for forgiveness...I'm not sure which. Then he leans into her again and kisses her on the forehead before slowly resting her head back on the floor. When he stands up he turns slowly and looks up at me. "Can you please start cleaning this up?" He says with a rough voice. I was shocked by the way he asked because he never says please to anything. He always barks orders but over the years I have learned to do it before he can even get the words out of his mouth except for tonight...I nod as he turns to walk back to her and bends down to pick her up letting her body rest close to his.

 I watch him as he buries his head in her hair as if he is trying to remember that last scent of her. I wonder if she smelled like my Sarah or does she have her own scent. I watch as he carries her upstairs the whole way just dived into her hair. I figured he was taking her to the bathroom to the tub as I hear one of the doors open and I don't dare go upstairs. I let him do what he has to do. I stay and do as I am told. I start the clean up.There is so much blood smeared on the floor and I have to drain out the bucket of water twice.

A little while later I am cleaning and look over and see this little girl with a mop in her hand. She is in a white gown and has long reddish curls halfway down her back. What bothers me is that she is cleaning up the damn freaking pool of blood and she is so quite however I hear a little whimper come from inside of her. I was about to walk over to her when I see him standing on the stairs looking down at me. He motions for me to leave her alone and so I turn back around to work on the area where the guys body was.

The body was Nathan's for the past two fucking years the guy has gotten by, by using Zane. I thought he was going to take care of this a long time ago but over the years he stood back and just watched Nathan dig himself farther into the deep hole that he created. I keep looking over at the little girl. I try not to go near her but when she turns I see who she is. What the fuck? Why is he doing this to her?

I leave the room all together because I can't figure out why in the hell he would have her do this and there is nothing that I can really say about it. That little girl should be taken out of here...not making her clean this putrid smell of blood...her mother's blood at that. Even if I complained to him he would come right back at me and I was done being punished by him. I learned a long time ago to keep my mouth shut and just do what I am told to do.

When I come back she is nowhere to be seen. Shit...where the hell did she go. I start looking around for her and then I hear something upstairs. Oh shit...she doesn't need to see what is really happening up there.  Even I had a difficult time watching the first few times. Watching a body slowly being eaten away by acid is not ideal for anyone...for sure not a like girl her age. I should have been watching her more closely. I take the stairs two at a time all the way up. I see a light on in one of the bedrooms and walk in.

She is standing in the doorway that leads to the bathroom. I know she sees him but she just stands there in shock with her hands draped to her sides and I can see her little fingers tapping against her legs. I can only imagine what he facial expression looks like to see what this strange man is doing to her mother. I walk up behind her and look into the bathroom. He is there sitting against the bathtub. He is holding her head and moving her hair from her blood stained face.

Zane is inches from her face and I hear him tell her, "I will keep her safe...I will never let anything happen to her." I believe I saw him even wipe a stray tear away before he pushes her far into the tub and starts to pour the acid all over her.

The little girl barely exhales and Zane quickly looks over at her and then up towards me. I see the look in his eyes and I know I fucked up yet again. He motions for me to get her and I wrap my arms around her fragile little body and carry her down the stairs and out to the car. I wasn't sure at the time what he wanted me to do with her so I sit in the back of the car with her and let her cry herself to sleep against my chest. I can't imagine what she is going through right now...no little girl should see her parents die like that and for sure not see what he did afterwards with her remains. I just know she will have nightmares about this night for the rest of her life.

When he comes out of the house he climbs in the back and looks at me with this look like he is just freaking lost for words. He looks down at the little girl in my lap and shakes his head before looking the other direction. I wait till halfway home before even saying anything because I'm not sure exactly what to say. "I know you hate when I ask questions...but sir...what the hell are we doing?" I look down at the little girl who still feels like she is shaking even though she is sound asleep.

"We are taking her home with us?" He says flatly.

"But sir..." I wanted to say we have no clue what to do with a little girl. I for sure have no clue and more than likely he doesn't either so what the hell are we doing but he stops me in mid sentence.

He looks over at me with this look that I better just keep my fucking mouth shut. "She is my daughter...we are taking her home...and that is final."

I just nod back. I mean if that is what he really wants then alright. I rub her back and just shake my head. I feel that he is getting way over his head on this but I don't argue back. He would have done anything in his power to take care of her. When we pull up to the house he gets out first. He then reaches in and takes her from me. I watch as he holds her close to him letting her arms and legs wrap around him. I bet she has no clue right now who is holding her. He holds her close to him as he walks into the house.

I follow behind him with Ashton. We both watch as he takes her upstairs one step at time to one of the rooms that neither of us has been too.

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Author's Note: Sorry guys for skipping a few years. It's just I wanted you to see what happens and how The Cleaner takes Scarlett in. Only a couple of chapters left....

If you like it please vote by just clicking that little star at the end of chapter...If you love it please share it.

So question??? If you love this series...who would you like to read about next. The Cleaner, The Adler's...or Violet?

If you haven't read The Cleaner's Daughter part 3 you will not know who Violet is. She is a character that came in that book. So if you love Rescuing Atticus I would for sure suggest reading all of The Cleaner's Daughter Series...book 1, 2 and 3.