Always.

Part 5: Too-smart

Zack's POV

"It's you and I know, little one." I smile, Tatum giggled and ran to start playing. I went to clean up her breakfast bowl, then change the music playing on the house speakers. Brendon always likes music playing, no matter what. Tatum likes it, B took one of the speakers down so she could lean against it. It's pretty adorable. I have pulled away from the counter when Penny and Bogart started barking from the backyard wanting in.

"I'm coming I'm coming..." I mumbled walking over and unlocked then opened the glass sliding door. Both dogs came running in and to there water bowls. I made sure to lock the back door, something we've all grown accustomed to. Making sure we close and lock the door behind us so Tatum doesn't wander out. In the beginning, she used to go out to Brendon's studio and scare Sarah.

"Hey Tat," I called turning around. She was sitting next to the speaker with her head against it. I walked over and got down to her hight, then lightly tapping her shoulder. This was something Sarah had come up with, a mutual thing, if we wanted Tatum's attention we come over and get to her level then tap her shoulder. If she wants our she either taps us or puts her hand over our hand and waits till we give her our full attention. It's an amazing thing to see, especially between her and Sarah. They have this bond to communicate, Brendon try's his hardest but since we are away on tour he misses out in that chance. But he really tried his hardest, I do too.

"Candy?" I signed, she smirked and nodded. She quickly got up and followed me. I went into the kitchen cabinet and grabbed a chocolate bar and held it up to her.

"This?" I asked then did a thumbs up, thumbs down. She gave me the thumbs up and nodded. I then put it in front of her. She opened it up and broke it in half, she pushed half to me keeping the other half. That's kinda our relationship I'm the one who gives her snacks when Bren and Sarah aren't home, I play louder heavier music than they played, she likes the music I play. Plus I kinda just let her run amuck, and I think she likes the cameras I bring around. She especially likes Polaroid or Fuji cameras, cameras that print out physical pictures. Sarah uses Polaroid pictures a lot with Tatum. She writes names and she uses them when talking to T. Like she has a picture of Penny and a picture of Bogart, Brendon, me, Dan, Nicole, or Mike. A lot of pictures. But crazy enough it works pretty well because Tatum will take the picture and use them to communicate. Tatum giggled as we ate our candy, I always wonder what she thinks about. How she thinks too, is it in words? Signs? Pictures?

"What are you giggling about little miss?" I laughed looking at her. I was pulled away when Penny and Bogart started barking in the other room, I got up to see what they got into.

"Stay here girly." I smiled looking at her.

"Okay Okay, I'm coming..." I muttered, walking to find that somehow the two of them had gotten stuck in the bathroom.

"How did you two do that?" I chuckled opening the door Penny ran out.

"Where's Bogart? Huh, where is he?" I walked into the bathroom to see him stuck in the bathtub.

"Now how did you do that?" I asked picking him up and helping him out. He ran off too. I closed the bathroom door behind me as I walked back, Sarah and B tend to leave most of the doors closed but normally the bathroom and Tatum's doors stay open. She's in and out of her room all day. As I reentered the kitchen I saw that Tatum wasn't sitting at the counter anymore. I looked over to the speaker, she wasn't sat there. Then I looked over at her toy corner and she wasn't there either.

"Tatum?" I called, then I saw it. The Backdoor wide open, I ran outside. Tatum was already at the last step of the pool stairs by the time I got out there, up to her jaw in water.

"Tatum." I yelled running down two steps of the pool stairs and grabbing her under her arms pulling her up.

"What are you doing?" I asked hugging her to me. I sighed catching my breath.

"You scared me, you know that? Let's get you a towel." I wrapped her up in a towel and kept her in my arms.

"Hmmm—ah" She whined pointing at the pool.

"How am I gonna explain this to your parents? Your gonna get me in trouble with your mama." I said looking at her, she giggled.

"Oh, that's funny? You know what's funnier?" I asked starting to tickle her, she burst into laughter. I tickled her for a little while till the front door open.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Brendon called, I could hear the grocery bags he was carrying.

"We are here and a first has happened." I chuckled.

"What happened?" B asked putting his bags down, Sarah came over and took Tatum from me.

"Why are you wet? Why are you in a towel?" Sarah asked confused and turned to me.

"Well someone learned how to open the back door." I started, we all sighed together.

"Penny and Bogart had gotten stuck in the bathroom and were barking so I went to let them out and when I got back she wasn't in the house. Then I realized the back door was opened and I immediately knew where she went. She was up to her neck, at the bottom of the steps." I finished.

"What are we gonna do? If she can open the back door, she can get out whenever. It's not safe." Sarah sighed pulling Tatum close to her. She's a mama bear.

"I think the alarm system has a door chime thing, you know so if she opens it we will know. I'll look for a lock or something for it." Brendon suggested.

"You gotta stop growing up, and out-smarting us T.." Sarah mumbled softly hugging her. She then went to get Tatum all cleaned up and out of her wet close.

"She was out of my sight for a minute B. That could have ended so badly." I sighed softly running my hands over my face. If I was a minute or two later she could have drowned.

"Hey, it's okay. She's okay. She's getting bigger and she's gonna keep getting bigger. Smarter too. I can't believe she got the door open. It's heavy and a lot taller than her. She can barely reach the lock." Brendon gets astonished by things like this, more than Sarah does. I don't want to say that he doesn't expect her to be able to do things but I think he forgets she can do things. Maybe it's because Sarah sees it more than he does. I don't know. All I really know is that there is a kid in there that are trapped in a silent prison, we all see it.