To Be Loved

TWELVE

When the call from the police comes, Zayn immediately assumes it's to do with Harry and the social media posts. He knows that last week, the teen had spoken to a couple of officers during school time about the online hate and motions have been put into place to get them all taken down, the posters rightfully given a stern talking to about their actions.

However, it's one of the officers who was assigned to Niall's case - to Keith - whom he speaks to. The woman tells him, briefly, that they have Keith in custody, and that they aim to have him charged with child neglect, endangerment and abuse for his treatment of his son, as well as the charges against him for dealing drugs, possession, and forcing a minor to run drugs for him. In the meantime, he'll be held without bail seeing as he is a flight risk.

Zayn thanks the officer and hangs up, before he heads towards the boys' bedroom where he knows Niall and Louis are playing on this dreary Sunday morning.

He stands in the doorway for a moment, smiling at the scene in front of him - Louis is jumping on his bed, wearing an Iron Man costume, whilst Niall is in a Spider-Man mask, running around on the floor, the two of them caught up in their imaginary game.

He knocks his knuckles against the doorframe and grin when they both stop, Louis hopping off the bed with wide eyes.

"I wasn't doing anything!" He hurries to say, and Zayn laughs.

"I saw nothing," he says, holding his hands up in surrender. Louis grins back at him. "Hey, Lou, I need to have a little chat with Ni. You wanna go help your Dad make lunch?" He asks.

Louis hesitates, glancing at Niall as the younger boy takes off the Spider-Man mask, his hair sticking up in blond tufts.

"Is he in trouble?" Louis asks, eyes wide.

Niall's head shoots up, looking afraid, and Zayn is quick to shake his head.

"No, no, not at all," he says quickly. "Just a chat."

Louis nods. "Okay," he looks at Niall and grins. "We'll carry on our game after lunch, Ni!"

With that said, he runs of out the room, and Zayn moves over to sit on the side of the bed, patting the spot beside him.

Niall stares at him for a moment before he moves to sit beside him, eyes wide and nervous, the costume mask still gripped in his hands, twisting nervously between his fingers.

"Hey, you're not in any trouble, I swear. You're a little angel," he says, earning a small smile out of the boy. "But I do have to chat to you about something very important."

The seven year old looks up at him for a moment before he gives a small nod. "Okay."

Zayn smiles, turning to face the boy a little more and reaching down to untangle his fingers from the mask. "I got a phone call earlier, about Keith."

Niall visibly tenses at the name, sitting up straight and rigid, his blue eyes wide and afraid as he looks at Zayn.

"The police have found him, and they've arrested him. He's going to be in jail whilst he waits for a trial, and after the trial, he'll either be in jail, or somewhere far away with a restraining order - that means he won't be able to come anywhere near you without getting arrested again."

The little boy stares at him, his brows furrowing and his mouth opening and closing a few times before he finally speaks in a quiet, uncertain voice. "So...he's really gone forever? He really can't come get me and I really never ever have to see him ever again?" He asks.

Zayn smiles sadly at the boy. He nods. "Never ever, sweetheart. You'd only ever have to see him if you chose to, and if you never want to see him again then you never have to. He can't hurt you anymore, never again."