Custody Granted (Scömìche)

Seven

Scott's POV (Dont forget they've ordered pizza!!!) 

I sat in my spot on the couch, totally and completley speechless. Neither Mitch or I said a word as Alex ran straight out of the room. I listened as she slammed her bedroom door shut and cried from her room. Her sobs were loud and harrowing as they echoed throughout the apartment. Mitch leaned his head on my shoulder and sighed.

"How could anyone do that to their own child," he whispered. I could tell he was crying too by the way he was breathing. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled him into my chest.

"I don't know," I whispered back.

"She's never gonna trust us, is she?" Mitch said. I sighed and shut my eyes.

"She will. She just needs some time".

We sat there on the couch, crying over our little girl.

Yes, our little girl. Because that's what she was. She's only been here for a day, but she already felt like she was our daughter. Listening to her story made me want to find Alex's father and beat him harder than he ever beat her. I wanted to make sure he never touched her or any other girl like that again in his life. Even more, I wanted to end his life.

While we sat there, trying to figure out what to say to Alex when we saw her again, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," I said. I got up went to the front door, wiping my eyes on the way there. It was the pizza boy.

"Hey," I said.

"Hi, here's your pizza. That'll be $25.32," he said.

"Hold on, let me get my wallet," I said. I shut the door and went to get my wallet from the kitchen counter. "Mitch will you see if Alex is hungry," I said on my way to the front door. He nodded and walked to her room as I re opened the door. I handed the pizza guy his money and he gave me the pizzas.

"Have a nice night," he said.

"You too," I replied. I shut the door and brought the pizza into the kitchen. Just as I set it down on the counter I heard Mitch scream.

"SCOTT!" he frantically burst into the kitchen, his eyes red and puffy.

"Alex is gone,".   

My body froze. My brain couldn't comprehend what Mitch was saying. 

"Gone! What do you mean she's gone!!" I exclaimed. 

"Her window is open. She must've gone down the fire escape," Mitch explained. 

I didn't believe him. I had to see for myself. I rushed out of the kitchen and into Alex's bedroom. Sure enough, the window was wide open. The white curtains blew in the breeze as the chilly night air blew into the apartment. I ran to the window and climbed out onto the fire escape. 

"Scott what are you doing!" Mitch yelled from behind me. 

"ALEX!!!!" I shouted. "ALEX!!" I cupped my hands so the sound would travel better, but it was no use. She was gone and we had no idea where she could be. 

That didn't mean I wasn't going to look for her. 

"Grab your jacket, we're going to look for her," I said as I climbed back through the window. I went into my room and grabbed my jacket of the wall and headed out the front door. Mitch was a few seconds behind me, frantically pressing some buttons on his phone. 

"I'm calling Kirstie, Avi and Kevin. We'll never find her if it's just us looking for her," he explained. 

"Good idea," I said. I held the door open for Mitch as he talked to Kirstie on the phone, then followed right behind him into the elevator and on to the streets of LA. 

*******************************************************************************

We walked around LA for 2 hours and we'd seen no sign of Alex. Kirstie and Avi were looking for her on the east side of town, Mitch and I were looking on our side of town, the west. Kevin was looping around the city in his car. Each of us had our phones ready in case somebody called with news. Good or bad. 

I could tell by his heavy breathing that Mitch was beginning to panick.

"Scott, what if something bad happened to her. What if somebody took her off the street and is doing terrible things to her". 

"Calm down Mitch we're going to find her," I said trying to keep my cool. One of us had to stay calm and sane in this situation or else we were never going to find Alex. "Just breathe OK? She's has to be in the city somewhere. There's no way she could've gotten out on foot in two hours," I said. Mitch took a deep breath and nodded his head. 

"You're right. Let's keep looking," he said taking my hand in his. I nodded in agreement and we continued the search for our little girl.

It was about 15 minutes later that I felt my phone buzzing frantically inside my pocket. I let go of Mitch's hand and quickly grabbed my phone out of my pocket and put it up to my ear.

"Hello?" I said not bothering to check the caller I.D.

"Scott?" a deep young voice said. I didn't recognize for a few moments, but then I realized it was our doorman Anthony. 

"Anthony, I'm kind of busy right now. What do you need?" I said impatiently. I wasn't in the mood for causal conversation, I needed to be looking for Alex. 

"I just wanted to let you know that I just let that girl you were with earlier upstairs. She looked upset and kinda dirty too," he said. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. Alex was safe. She was safe at home and not kidnapped by some crazy rapist like her father. She was in the apartment, safe and waiting for Mitch and I. 

She was in so much trouble. 

"Oh thank God! Anthony, listen to me. Don't let her leave the apartment OK? Go up and make sure she gets inside then make sure she doesn't leave. Mitch and I are on our way home," 

"Right, man. I'll make sure she doesn't leave," 

"Thank you so much. We're on our way," then I hung up and stuck my phone quickly in my pocket. " Alex is OK. She's back at the apartment," I said. Mitch squealed with joy, quickly wrapping his arms around my waist. I did the same to him. 

"She's OK. Thank God she's OK," he whispered. 

"I know. We have to get home quickly though," I said. 

"Kevin just texted me saying he's five minutes away from us. I'll tell him to pick us up," 

"Good," I said. I rubbed my hands across my face as I tried to finally relax. I'd never been this stressed out before in my life and it wasn't over yet. It wouldn't be able to relax until my arms were wrapped tightly around her, ready to never let her go again. 

Kevin pulled up to the curb and Mitch and I quickly hopped in the back seat. 

"Hit it Kevin," Mitch commanded. Kevin slammed his foot down on the gas, speeding as quickly as he could toward the apartment. On the way there I called Kirstie to let her know Alex was back home at home and that she and Avi could go home too. 

When Kevin pulled up to our building Mitch and I quickly thanked him and got out of the car, racing as fast as we could to the front doors. I swung open the door, my eyes bolting to Anthony, with his flip flops and long surfer hair, at the front desk as soon as we got in. 

"Is she up there?" I asked as I rapidly approached his desk. 

"As far as I know yes. I've been watching the cameras and I haven't any weird activity on your floor inside or out," he said. 

"Thanks man," 

"No problemo dude," he replied. I turned away from him, rolling my eyes when he couldn't see and met Mitch at the elevator. It couldn't go fast enough as Mitch and I anxiously awaited the doors to open on our floor. When they finally did open, we burst through them and bolted down the hallway to our apartment. Mitch already had the key out and had unlocked the door within three seconds of our arrival. He turned the knob and pushed the door open and ran inside, me following closely behind after shutting and re locking the door. We got to the end of the hallway and there she was on the couch. Our little girl. 

Covered from head to toe in bruises and blood.