Chapter Text
"Poppy! Poppy!"
Jim Ellison turned from his conversation with Makeba Parmour and watch his excited six-year-old son, Jake, and his best friend, Cherry, run across the playground toward him. "Hey, whelp," he said as they drew closer. "Is something wrong?"
"Cherry says if I find something I can keep it. Is that right?"
"Well, it depends on what it is, sport."
"If I bring it to you, will you tell me if I can keep it or not?"
"Sure thing."
"'kay." With that Jake and Cherry ran back across the playground. Jim chuckled affectionately then turned back to Makeba to finish their conversation.
* * * * * * * * *
"Don't laugh. It's true." Makeba chuckled herself, but the merriment died on her lips. "Um... Jim. We seem to have a problem."
Jim turned, following his friend's gaze, and instantly spotted his son, who was struggling to carry a small child in his arms. Cherry was gamely trying to keep up as she dragged a medium-size suitcase behind her.
Moving slowly, so as not to startle the children, Jim closed the distance between them; Cherry's mother a step behind. Seeing his father approach, Jake set the little girl down in front of him, but never took his arms from away from her shoulders.
"Soo? Can I keep her?"
If the situation wasn't so serious, Jim would have laughed. He knelt down beside the children. The little girl moved even closer to Jake and whimpered. Jim watched as Jake looked down in confusion, then looked up at him with a fierce, protective look filling his features.
Jim reached out slowly and brushed the child's long, straight, black hair away from her dirt-smudged face. "Shhhh, precious. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Jake's daddy." Gray-blue eyes blinked back at him. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Her name's Jessica. She's been living here since her mommy dropped her off. She came with a note." Jake pulled a piece of paper from the child's jacket and handed it to his father.
Please take care of my precious daughter. Her father is dead. All of my family is dead. When my boyfriend catches me, I will be dead. You may think me heartless, but leaving her is the only way I can save her. When she is old enough to understand, please tell her that I loved her. Her name is Jessica AnnaMarie. She is four and a half years old. Her birthday is on October second.
Jim swallowed hard as the small face turned trustingly toward him.
"I told her we'd take care of her."
Jim looked at his son, wondering how he was going to explain Child Services to him.
"I need a sister." Jake hugged the little girl tighter to him as if sensing Jim's reluctance.
"What...what about Cherry?" Jim smiled, trying to break the increasing tension.
"I'm gonna marry Cherry, silly. You don't marry your sister."
Jessica slowly, tentatively, reached her tiny hand out to touch Jim's cheek, trust shining through her beautiful blue eyes. Jim's heart melted. So this, he mused, was how Blair felt all those many months ago. Jim knew how the system worked, but couldn't deny the ferocious roar that swelled within his breast at the thought of putting this child into the cold, heartless, bureaucratic system.
"So?" Jake demanded.
Jim took the tiny hand in his and tenderly drew the child to him. "We'll see what we can do, Jake. We'll see what we can do."