All Those Missing Pieces; Niam & Larry *Completed*

Chapter 14 PT. 1

CHAPTER 14

  “What I think we should do is get her in for a checkup. We need to check for bruising, or infection and wounds to be on the safe side.” Louis Tomlinson looks at the very stern looking CPS officer, perched in a blue backed chair behind a very thick wooden desk. Her lips are nothing but a pink slash across her face, and her eyes are crinkled with crow’s feet. The hair spackling her temples are gray. Her eyes are an icy shade of deep, royal blue.

“After that? Do I take her?” Louis asks, sitting down low in his chair and running his fingers down his face. He rubs vigorously at his face, trying to get blood flowing and get his mind into it.

“No,” The woman says, sounding confused, “Why would you take her?” Splaying his fingers wide Louis tries to get his point across. He ends up opening and closing his mouth several times in unison.

“Because she needs someone.” He ends up saying, sounding slightly lame.

“And she’ll be put in a home until we clear charges against her father,” Louis sighs dejectedly.

“I wish I could just take her. When I put my application in, how long till I get cleared?” Louis asks his head practically in the lap of his chair, thinking about Zayn out there talking to another guard. Thinking about Liam, being interrogated by another officer. A thick feeling of determination settles on his shoulders like a quilt.

“Depends on how long you want her.” She says, waving her hand dismissively. Lou has a sick feeling in his stomach, swelling up from his gut and consuming him.  It sounded like the officer was asking how long she wanted to rent a messed up pre-teen.

“I guess, forever, I mean…” He asks tiredly, scrambling for words in his befuddled brain, “I’d like to have her as my own daughter as soon as possible. Her mother is in prison and her father is headed there, and I think she needs stability.” His voice, previously shaking, is now stable and firm. No one would know how scared he was by the way he sounded. “A home is not what she needs, she’ll hurt herself again.”

“I mean-“ The officer begins, pulling her salty brown locks back into a fit chignon. He can see by the blotchiness in her cheeks that she’s aggravated.

“She needs attention. Who else can give her attention than five rich guys?” Louis demands, placing his hands, palm down on the table and trying to sound manly.

“Someone with a stable calendar and a steady home-life.” Unable to resist Louis puts his hands on his hips and stands up, the chair teetering dangerously behind him.

“She needs a home! Don’t be dumb! Sometimes you can’t play by the rules!” The officer stood quickly, listening to the boys’ ragged breaths.

“Mr. Tomlinson! Calm down! Now, we’ll go to the offices and handle things,” Her voice turns softer as she looks at him gently, “I will try to get them to understand how she needs you, okay? I’ll do my best.” In then she stands, using her hands to smooth her pin striped suite, “and now let’s go.” She says, putting a hand on the small of Louis’ back and pressing firmly. She leads him out of the room and down a few hallways, pushing past a set of tin double doors they take a flight of steps down. In then they open another set of doors and Louis finds himself in an oval shaped room, blue and gold flecked chairs pressed against the walls. Zayn and Liam are situated in two of the chairs, the girl munching stoically on a chocolate bar while Zayn smiles smoothly at her. It looks like her face is swollen from crying.

“Liam!” Louis’ shouts and the girl shoots up like a weed, barreling into his chest and wrapping her skinny, leather jacket coated arms around his torso. She presses her left ear to the area around his heart, her shoulders shaking.