Hiraeth / J.V

Chapter 13|The Questioning Begins

Third Person P.O.V.

Jerome walked into the police station alongside his fellow circus cast, his daughter was asleep in the stroller that he was pushing. As he entered he looked around slightly shocked at how big the police station was and how many police officers were there, he made his way over to a bench that was slightly away from the police desks.

Jerome had managed to keep up his good boy act, even with his fellow circus member. The young boy had received several condolences from people, even those who didn't like him. He sat staring at the group of police officers and entertainers, he fidgeted with his hands slightly cold. He at one point actually started to fall asleep until he heard his daughter start to fuss, he quickly turned the stroller towards him so she could fully see him.

She calmed down slightly at the sight of her father, but she still seemed fussy so Jerome just assumed that she was hungry. He reached into the back of the stroller and pulled out a container of cheerios for her to eat, he poured some of them out on her strollers little table for her to eat. Finn immediately started eating them giving her father a big smile of thanks while doing so, Jerome admired his daughter as she ate observing the way that her hands moved from the table to her mouth with much struggle.

"Jerome?" a female cop called out to him as she came to a stop in front of him, he looked up at her his act still remaining strong. "Yes?" his voice cracked as he spoke, "you are needed in the questioning room," the cop told him with pity. "Can I bring my daughter in?" I don't want to leave her" Jerome spoke his voice wavering, "of course you can, you just need to leave the stroller out here," she told him kindly with a nod.

Jerome stood up and took the small table off of the stroller and poured the rest of the cheerios back into the container, before removing his daughter from the stroller itself. He placed her on his hip moving the stroller against the wall and turned back towards the cop in a way that said lead the way, the two of them made their ways up a set of stairs and into a semi-secluded room. "wait here Detective Gordon will be in here soon," she told him as she left the room closing the door on her way out, Jerome sat at the table farthest from the door. He placed his daughter in his lap slightly bouncing her on his legs, he placed the container of cheerios onto the table opening it up and taking some of the cheerios into his hand offering it to Finn. She reached her hand out a grabbed one bringing it to her mouth and biting down letting out a loud crunch, "da-da!" the little girl exclaimed turning around to her dad with a cheerio in her hand placing it at his mouth offering it to her father.

Jerome opened his mouth and Finn placed the small bit of food into his mouth, "yum-yum?" Finn asked him not conveying much emotion. "Yes baby it's yummy" Jerome confirmed which caused his daughter to erupt into laughter, but stopped after seeing Jerome not respond. Finn turned back towards the table, clapping and slamming her hands on the table.

As Finn was in the middle of her musical masterpiece the door opened revealing Detective James Gordon, "hello Jerome" he commented as he entered the room closing the door behind him. "Hello detective Gordon" Jerome answered solemnly his head lowering slightly, Jim pulled out the seat across from the father-daughter duo. "Tell me about you mother Jerome," he said while taking a seat his voice low and sleepiness was evident in it, "she's my mother, what can I say I love her, she's perfect" Jerome replied tears welling up in his eyes. Jim seemed to have some doubt in him and Jerome could sense it, "not a very good cook, except for that" Jerome said letting out a small laugh which made Jim smile.

"Did she have any enemies? someone with a grudge?" Jim Gordon questioned not sure if he truly bought Jerome's act, "no" Jerome replied looking down for a second and then back up. "Boyfriends?" Jim asked

"no" Jerome replied in a weird tone.

"No?" Jim questioned pulling a weird face in a confused kind of way

"She had lovers, sex partners really but not boyfriends," Jerome said which caused Jim to nod, 

"she didn't want the commitment" Jerome finished his hands now making their way to his daughter's stomach. 

"Alphonse Grayson?" Jim asked him,

"yes he was one of them" Jerome responded

"Owen Lloyd?" Jim gave another name

"yes"

"any others?" Jim asked raising his eyebrow slightly

"Uh not that I could put a name too," Jerome told the detective as he slightly squeezed his daughter, "how did you feel about your mother's love life?" Jim asked leaning forwards closer to Jerome, who looked at him confused for a second before answering "I feel fine about it" Jerome said slightly offended. "If not for my mother's love life, I wouldn't be here right now would I?" he continued, "sex is a healthy human activity," he said covering his daughters' ears. Jim looked extremely uncomfortable to of having had a 17-year-old just say that to him.

"yes, it is" Jim confirmed,

"do you have any other family?" Jim asked

"Besides Finn, the circus is my family," Jerome said

"What about your daughter's mother?" Jim inquired looking down at the little girl who was falling asleep, "Finn's mother and I are estranged" Jerome told Jim as he readjusted Finn. "May I ask why?" Jim said intrigued, "her mother lied about being pregnant and then one day out of the blue Finn showed up outside my trailer, her mom took off but came back recently where we got into a fight," Jerome said giving a brief overview of what had happened, "well we can't let you sleep in your trailer because it is a crime scene, so we will get you a hotel room and send someone to get some things for you," Jim said standing up motioning for Jerome to do so as well.

The three made their way out of the room, Jim left Jerome in the care of the female officer from before who worked on getting a hotel room for the young boy and his daughter. After about an hour the hotel was booked and Jerome had received some of his and Finn's stuff, they got to the hotel Jerome gave Finn a small bath before putting her to bed and he climbed into his bed.

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Word Count: 1114