When Love Takes You In (Jennifer Lawrence)

Tori

(NOTE: This chapter is probably gonna be longer than normal.)

*12 Hours Earlier*

Jen's POV

Stella had been begging me to let her little friend Tori from school come over.  I figured that since Genesis would be in Nashville with Miranda, it would be fine.  "Yes, she can come over.  When I drop you off at school, I'll tell her parents." I told Stella that morning.  "YAY!  Thank you mommy!" Stella squealed as she finally started getting ready for school.  I put the milk in her cereal as she went and got into her school clothes.

Stella came down wearing her leopard print long sleeved shirt, black leggings, and tan UGG boots.  "You look cute Stella!  Looking with Mommy on Pinterest for clothing ideas was a job well done." I told her.  It was true.  Me and the girls were addicted to being on Pinterest to look at clothes, DIYs, or other fun stuff and ideas.   I waited for Stella to finish eating and then I took her to school.  The drive there we jammed out to today's top hits.  "This girl is on fire!" Stella and I sang together.

When I pulled up to the drop off area, I noticed Tori's curly red head.  "Oh, hey!  Mrs. Grace?" I asked to get the mother's attention.  I could tell she really wanted to go back home and not talk to me.  "What?" she grumbled.  "I was wondering if Tori would like to come over tonight and play with Stella." I said as nice as possible, and not make a stink face from the obvious smell of smoke and alcohol that infested her clothes and body.

"Doesn't matter to me.  You pick her up from here and then I'll get her whenever." she said and left.  Didn't day goodbye to Tori or anything.  Just left.  "I get to come over?!" Tori said excitedly as she hugged Stella.  "Yep, I'll see you guys after school.  Bye Stella!  Bye Tori!" I said.  "Bye Mommy!" Stella said as she hugged my leg.  I got back in the car and drove home.  I figured I better clean the house if I'm gonna have two little girls running around today.

"Hey babe." I said as I called Josh.  "Morning beautiful." he said, making me smile.  "What's up?" I asked him.  "Nothing much, just watching the news with Conner.  I'm back home for the week." he said.  "Oh, yeah.  I forgot.  I was gonna see if you wanted to hang out before Stella had her friend come over today." I said.  "Yeah, that'd be a little hard to do." he said and I heard him chuckle.  "Alright well I gotta get some stuff done.  I'll talk to you later." I told him.  "Alright, love you Jen." he said.  "I love you too." I said as we hung up.

*End of School Day*

I went back to the school at 2:30 to get the girls.  I had cleaned up the house and had even put all the cooking skills I had to use, and made cookies for the girls.  These were luckily not burnt.  I swung by the school and saw the teacher standing outside with the kids in a line.  I knew the procedure as I had done it every afternoon.  I showed my ID and signed out Stella and Tori.  I put them in the car and completely forgot to ask for Tori's car seat.  She was only four, it wasn't like she couldn't use one!  "Tori, will you be very careful and sit without your car seat?" I asked.  "Yeah, I don't use one anyways.  Mommy said I don't need it." She said matter of factly.  This kid didn't have a car seat?!

I took them home, driving a little slower than normal since Tori was without a car seat.  I took them into the house and said, "I made cookies for you guys and I have juice in the fridge."  That put smiles on their little faces.  They sat down at the table and ate while I looked if they had any homework.  They did, but it was just a color by number turkey since Thanksgiving was approaching.  "Okay guys, homework." I said after they were done.  I put the crayon bucket in front of them and handed them the papers.  They both rolled up their sleeves and went to work since it was getting a little warm.

I was looking over their shoulders to make sure they did it right.  I looked down at Tori's paper and caught a glimpse of her arm.  After she had rolled up her long sleeved olive green shirt, it revealed a large black and blue bruise on her arm.  In the shape as if someone had grabbed her.  A shiver went down my spine.  No, no, no.  Not Tori.  I suddenly got very afraid.  Was Tori being abused at home?  I decided to smoothly go over to the other side of the table to see if she had other bruises or cuts.  I went over to the other side to 'check' Stella's paper.

There were more.  I saw a little cut above her eyebrow and red marks on her shoulders.  I saw her shoulders because the shirt she was wearing was obviously too big for her.  And it had to be old too.  It had holes and tears in it and was stretched a lot.  "I'm done." Tori said as she held up her paper.  She lifted it over her head and the shirt revealed her stomach a bit.  I could see large purple bruises on her stomach.  I almost threw up right there.  But I put a smile on my face.  "Good job Tor!" I said.  I then looked at Stella who had also just finished.

"Let's play a game Mommy!" Stella said.  "Alright, do you guys know any good games?" I asked, still trying to be smooth.  Inside I was freaking out.  "My daddy plays the 'Big Girl Game' with me." I heard Tori mumble.  "What's that?" I asked her.  "The 'Big Girl Game'.  I don't wanna play that again." Tori said.  "Stella, sweetie why don't you go get some of your Barbies out and we can play with them." I told her.  "Okay!" she said and ran upstairs to her room.  

"Tori.  Do your mommy and daddy hurt you?" I asked her carefully.  "Sometimes.  Only when I'm bad.  But they say I'm always bad." Tori whimpered."Tori, what they are doing is not okay.  Do they scare you?" I asked.  She nodded her head and her lip quivered.  "Tori, I won't make you go back to them.  Can we go to the hospital and see if they can help you not hurt anymore?" I asked her.  "Yeah, cause it hurts bad." Tori said.  "Okay.  Tori, I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore." I told her and carefully let her hug me.  

"Thank you Jen." Tori whispered.  "Mommy, I got the Barbies!" Stella said as she came down stairs.  "Hey Stella.  We are gonna go somewhere instead." I told her.  "Where?" Stella asked.  "The hospital." I told her.  "The doctors are gonna make the hurt stop." Tori told her.  "Oh, the hurt your mommy and daddy give you?" Stella asked.  I was in shock!  Stella knew?!  "Come on girls, let's go." I told them.  "How about you guys take the Barbies with so you can play when we get the time?" I suggested.  I wanted Tori to feel safe with me.

I got them in the car and was practically speeding to the hospital.  When I got there I went up to the reception desk with the two of them following behind me.  "Excuse me, I called on the way here.  Jennifer Lawrence?  The child abuse case?" I asked.  "Oh yes, I'll call the doctor in." the lady said and picked up her phone.  I stood there and waited with the girls.  I could feel both of them lean their heads on my legs.  I rubbed Stella's head and held Tori's shoulder.  "Miss Lawrence with Tori Grace?" a man asked.  I nodded and took the girls to the back room with him.

I was terrified as he looked over Tori.  At one point he asked her to take her shirt off and she cried, afraid he was going to play 'The Big Girl Game' with her.  I promised that he wouldn't her.  Tori was sitting there in a tank top and her underwear.  I saw the bruises and nearly cried.  I had to have a nurse take Stella away so she wouldn't be afraid.  I knew I would have to ask her question soon.  But right now, I wanted to help Tori.  I stayed there with her and held her trembling hand.  Then I thought up the only thing I hadn't thought of.  

Mr and Mrs. Grace.  

I made a call to the police and reported them.  They said that there had been multiple files against them, but they never had any evidence.  But now we did, Tori.  I comforted her and said that the police were getting her mom and dad and she would never have to see them again.  But, what about Tori?  What would happen to her?  Then I thought up a crazy thought.  "Tori, would it be okay with you, that since you aren't going to back to those mean people, if you let me adopt you?" I asked her.  She gave a sad smile and nodded.  "Thank you Miss Jen." she said as she hugged me.  "You know Tori, if you want, you can call me Mommy." I told her smiling.  Her grip around me tightened.

"I love you Mommy.  Thank you for rescuing me."