m'lady [Mingus Reedus // Chandler Riggs FanFic]

facing the music

We gathered in the parking lot.

"I'll take Skye," Norman said. "Everyone else just stay close." Norman, Mingus and I jumped into Norman's Land Rover. He drove along the Atlanta backroads freely until we reached the main part of it, then he slowed down.

"Just a left here," I said, as we came closer and closer to the apartments. We parked up and waited for Melissa, David and Andrew. The came round the corner a few minutes later.

"Ming, wait here okay?" Norman said.

"Shall we just go up and collect her stuff?" David suggested, hands on his hips. He still had the crusty blooded shirt on.

"I want to go up too, just to make sure you get everything," I quietly said. Melissa and Norman looked at each other.

"C'mon then Badass," Norman said. "Fuzz are up there anyway." He pointed to the police car that was at the studio earlier today. We walked up the sets of stairs. My body was visibly shaking.

"Stop a second," Melissa said. She knelt down next to me and held my hands as they shook. She came close to me and whispered. "Don't worry yourself sweetheart, none of us will stand for shit." I laughed, it was the first time I heard her cuss. Andrew knocked on the door and a policeman opened on the door.

"We're here to collect Skye's things," Andrew said.

"No problem sir, where's um, Mr Reedus and Ms McBride?"

Norman and Melissa stepped forward.

"Mr & Mrs Monroe need to speak to you two and Skye," he continued. I ran down to my room with, Andrew and David, and threw everything on the bed.

"Can you pack these away for me?" I asked.

"Sure thing," David said. "Off you go to the lounge, we'll take it down to the car."

I walked down the hallway and seen Norman and Melissa being spoken to by the policeman. Norman walked over to me and held me by the back of the head. Melissa hugged me from behind.

"Let's go in," the man said. He opened the door and mom and dad sat on the couch. There were two seats sat close together. Norman pulled me onto his lap and Melissa took the other. I could see mom staring at me, like I had done something wrong.

"I understand that both of you are requesting shared custody of Skye Monroe, yes?" one of the policemen said. He was pretty small and had a crooked nose.

"Yes sir," Melissa replied.

"And Skye agrees to this?" Dad said. Every set of eyes pierced through me as I nodded yes.

"Well since neither of you, Mr & Mrs Monroe, are in a fit state to be taking care of her and the two of them are the only offer, we will be going through the court case as of Monday," the other policeman said. "Until then, stay away from Skye, do not make contact with her and do not purposely or intentionally be in the same place as her, though these things can happen."

"I can't believe two strangers are taking my baby away from me," mom said.

"Two strangers who'll treat her a hundred times better than you ever did," Norman said, standing up and pulling a pair of sunglasses on. Dad came up to him and punched him. The glasses made contact with his face and made him draw blood. Next thing I knew, dad was on the ground.

"Self defence," Norman said, pulling his leather jacket to sit properly. He cracked his knuckles and Melissa turned my face away from the policemen cuffing my father.

"You've torn our family apart you mistake!" Mom yelled as Norman slammed the door. Those words punctured my heart. I stayed silent the whole walk down to the car. I hopped into the bag of Norman's car. I'd stay with him most of the time, it was decided, but I would occasionally spend nights with Melissa. Sort of like a restbite or when I was feeling down.

"What's wrong?" Mingus asked. I lay my face in my hands and cried. He unbuckled his belt and slid over to me. His arm lay lightly on my back as he rubbed it. He put my head underneath his chin and kissed the back of my head softly. "It's okay, I promise, everything's going to be alright. I swear."