Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Girl at the Bus Stop by alan14 Copyright(C) 2021 by alan14 Chapter 16 We were up early in the morning as we had a busy day, Poppy was up even earlier, as I opened the bedroom door to go down to make coffee, she was carrying a tray of waffles and orange juice to her room. -Katie lost her virginity last night, her emotions are all messed up today, her favourite breakfast will help. - -Katie -(TM)s lucky to have such a caring girlfriend. - -I wish I had someone to care for me after I lost my virginity, I cried for a day, I don -(TM)t want Katie to feel that way. Mind you, I didn -(TM)t lose it to someone as nice as you, mine was snatched away, still, at least I -(TM)ve learnt from my past and know what not to do. - -Every single day you amaze me Poppy, you -(TM)re so strong and level headed. - -If I wasn -(TM)t I -(TM)d be one of those unidentified bodies that Jenny talked about. We -(TM)ll be ready in an hour, is that ok? - -That -(TM)ll be fine, remind me to give you an extra hard cuddle later. - -I definitely will. - Downstairs I put coffee on and tidied away Poppy -(TM)s cooking things, she -(TM)d made waffles from scratch before 7am on a Saturday, she really is an angel. No such luck for Jenny and myself, we just had toast and marmalade. -I popped my head into their room, - Jenny said as she joined me in the kitchen, -Katie is very much enjoying the attention this morning, she says she -(TM)s a little sore downstairs, but otherwise she -(TM)s ok. - -I -(TM)ve never taken a girl -(TM)s virginity before, - I said, -Poppy says it can affect a girl emotionally. - -Oh gosh, it really does, you -(TM)re all -~i -(TM)m a woman now -(TM) inside, but outside nothing has changed, you also become hugely attached to the guy, so if that guy is a complete cunt, and I don -(TM)t apologise for that word, like the guy who took mine, well, you end up a complete fucking mess, some people never recover. - -That -(TM)s much the same as Poppy said, did you have someone to help you? - -My mum hugged me for most of the next day before she took me to the police station. - -You were raped? Oh fuck Jenny, that -(TM)s awful. Did they arrest him? - -They did, he never went to court, another reason I joined the police was to try to help girls in my position. He lost his job though, we had a new English teacher the next week. - -He was a teacher? How old were you? - -I was 15, not the best way to succeed in your GCSE year, being raped by your favourite teacher. I did ok though. - -What happened? Oh, sorry, are you ok talking about it, ignore me if I -(TM)m prying into something you -(TM)re uncomfortable talking about. - -I should be fine talking about it. My mum was so great helping me cope. So, basically, Mr Marshall was my favourite teacher, he was tall, he was good looking, he was funny, he wore Calvin Klein Obsession. He helped me come to terms with Molly -(TM)s death, he was very kind. One day he kissed me, he apologised, I said it was ok, which was a huge, huge mistake, but he was my favourite teacher, what was I going to do? -So, the next day he called me to his room to go over some work I was struggling with, he kissed me again, and as I tried to pull away, he held onto me, I couldn -(TM)t escape, he slapped me and pushed me over his desk, he raped me twice, front and back, I was crying so much, it was horrible. - I held Jenny as she cried, Poppy came in then and saw us, she stopped dead when she heard Jenny sobbing. -What -(TM)s the matter? - she cried, -is it about last night, did we do something wrong? - Jenny looked up, -oh Poppy, come here, it -(TM)s nothing you did, just bad memories. - -You too? - Poppy said quietly as she hugged her new mother, -who was it, your dad? - -Oh no, not that bad, a teacher. - Jenny looked at me, -I -(TM)m ok now Alex, you go and get dressed, let me have a chat with Poppy. See how Katie is, I bet she -(TM)ll be glad to see you this morning. - I knocked on Katie -(TM)s door. -Come in, - Katie answered. She was sitting up on the bed, her phone resting on her legs as she checked her social media, she patted the bed and I sat next to her, Katie looked at me seriously, -I was worried you wouldn -(TM)t like me today, - she said, her voice sounded sad. -Why ever not? - I asked, shocked at the idea. -So many girls have told me stories about being ghosted by their boyfriends after they -(TM)ve slept with them, like the boy only wanted sex then dumped them afterwards, then no other boys are interested in her, because she -(TM)s suddenly a slut for sleeping with someone, so I -(TM)ve been really worried, even though Poppy said you -(TM)d be fine, and I know you -(TM)re a nice guy and everything, but my mind has been in a whirl since I woke up. I was really hoping you -(TM)d come to talk to me while Poppy was downstairs, she -(TM)s such an angel by the way, she -(TM)s been so nice to me this morning, and then you come in and I feel happy now. - She paused for breath, her face so open and honest, I could see the worry in her eyes. -Do you really still like me? - There -(TM)s nothing I could say but the truth, -I love you as much today as I did yesterday. - Katie put her phone down and straddled my legs so she could kiss me, -thank you, thank you, I feel so much better now. - -If I -(TM)d known you were so worried, I -(TM)d have come in sooner. - -How would you know, besides if you -(TM)d come in much sooner, you -(TM)d have caught me and Poppy doing stuff, and that would have been awkward. - -True, that -(TM)s why I knocked. - -But Poppy -(TM)s downstairs, you know that. - -You might have been, well, you know... - -Ohhh, yes, because I will be doing that more often now I know what I -(TM)ve been missing out on. Do you do it? - -Not so much anymore, - I said, wishing I hadn -(TM)t started this conversation. -But did you, before we invaded your house, Poppy said you were on your own for years, or were you always sleeping with Helen? - -I was alone for five years, I didn -(TM)t sleep with Helen until after Poppy arrived, she used to stay here regularly, the next bedroom is hers actually, but we never did anything until a few weeks back. I still can -(TM)t really understand what got into us, or why it just feels right. - -Helen is so, so sexy, do you think I -(TM)ll be able to have sex with her? - -Join the queue, Jenny -(TM)s first. Our Saturday sessions can get a little wild though, and anything goes, so I -(TM)m sure you -(TM)ll get your chance. - -Poppy -(TM)s got this countdown timer app on her phone, it -(TM)s counting down to when she -(TM)s safe to have sex again, which is next Sunday apparently, so maybe next Sunday, if Jenny -(TM)s ok with it, you could do us both, like, a foursome, you and Poppy, me and Jenny, then we swap over at half time. Could we do that please? - Katie looked so sincere, so earnest as she asked it, I couldn -(TM)t say no, even if I wanted to, which I didn -(TM)t, because that sounded like a perfect way to spend a Sunday. I kissed Katie again then lifted her off my lap, -we need to get dressed, we -(TM)ve got a busy day today. - -I want to tell my birth parents I -(TM)m sleeping with Poppy, do you think I should? - -If that -(TM)s what you want to do, I -(TM)ll support you 100%, and so will Jenny and Helen. - -Oh yes, Helen -(TM)s coming isn -(TM)t she, then I -(TM)m definitely telling them. How much money do you want them to pay you for looking after me? - -I don -(TM)t want a penny for looking after you, but they should pay something, so I want them to write you a cheque, just a one-off cheque for however much you think they owe you for the heartache they -(TM)ve caused. You said they -(TM)re paying for Ashley -(TM)s boarding, so maybe they could pay you the same amount. - -That seems fair, three years boarding fees, until he finishes his A-levels. - -Four years, he -(TM)s only Year 10. - -A very good point, then I can put the cheque in my bank and use it for expensive things that you shouldn -(TM)t have to buy me, like my next phone and laptop. - Poppy returned as I was leaving their bedroom, -is everything OK? - I asked her. -Yes, mum -(TM)s fine now, what a totally shitty thing for that man to do, I hope he rots in hell. - -Thanks for talking to her, - I said, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. -No problem, it looks like we -(TM)re all a bit messed up doesn -(TM)t it, we -(TM)re a big family therapy session. - -Helen has offered to help us by holding a therapy session on Saturdays before dinner. - -Really? That would be so useful, tell her I definitely think it -(TM)s a good idea. - Helen arrived a little before 9am, Katie ran up to her and they hugged, -thanks for coming today, to help me with my parents. - -I -(TM)m totally ready to give that woman a piece of my mind. - -I -(TM)ve decided I -(TM)m going to tell her, tell her I -(TM)m gay, and that I -(TM)m sleeping with Poppy. I want her to know that my life is infinitely better now. - -That -(TM)s great news Katie, you know we -(TM)ll completely support you if she gives you any shit. - Helen gave Katie another hug, -did you have fun last night? - -Err, yes, I did. How did you know? - -Girl, you -(TM)re glowing, and you -(TM)re walking funny. - -Oh shit, I -(TM)m a little sore, does it show that much? - -If you know what to look for, but I knew because Poppy messaged me this morning, she -(TM)s so proud of you. - Helen turned to me, -where -(TM)s Jenny? Poppy said I should have a quick word with her. - -She -(TM)s in the bedroom, - I replied, Helen ran up to see Jenny. Poppy held Katie -(TM)s hand, -I am proud of you, - she said, -and not just because you took all of Alex -(TM)s cock like a proper trooper, but because you -(TM)ve decided to tell your mum. - -I -(TM)ve a good mind to really fuck her up by telling her about Ashley, but it -(TM)s not fair on him, he -(TM)s still not completely sure, he -(TM)s not as strong willed as I am, and he still thinks being gay is a sin against God. - -Does he know you -(TM)re gay? - -Yes, and he thinks I -(TM)m going to hell. - -Oh honey, I think we should go and see him one day. - -I really want to Poppy, I love him so much, it breaks my heart to think mum has fucked with his head. - -Is he allowed off school grounds, we could get the train across to him after school one day. - -I -(TM)ll message him, now he -(TM)s boarding he -(TM)ll have different rules, but I -(TM)m sure it -(TM)ll be ok for him to meet us in the park for an hour. - -Dad, is it ok if we take the train to see Ashley one evening after school? - -Of course it is, I imagine you -(TM)ve a lot to talk about Katie. - Ten minutes later Helen and Jenny came down the stairs, Jenny looked a lot better than she had before, she was smiling now. Helen gave me a hug, -I -(TM)m so sorry brother, I didn -(TM)t hug you when I arrived. - -Not a problem, you had other priorities. - -Ok, - Jenny said, -who -(TM)s ready to kick some ass? - -Me! - we all cried. What got the greeting we expected, hostile. -What do you want, we -(TM)re very busy, - Vicky said as soon as she saw us at the door. -You said Katie could collect the rest of her stuff, - Jenny said, -and while she and Poppy pack her things we need a word. - -Like I said, we -(TM)re very busy. - Jenny pulled out her badge, -we can talk here or down at the station, the choice is yours Mrs Jackson. - Vicky went very pale and staggered backwards into the hallway, we followed and I steered her into the lounge. Whilst Helen, Jenny and I sat with Vicky in the lounge Katie ran upstairs with Poppy to box up everything she wanted to keep. -Is everything ok? - Vicky -(TM)s husband asked as he entered the room carrying a box. -Ahh, Malcolm there you are, why don -(TM)t you put the kettle on. - -I -(TM)d rather you didn -(TM)t, - Jenny said, showing him her badge then popping it back in her pocket. -What -(TM)s going on? - he asked. -Take a seat Mr Jackson and we -(TM)ll have a little chat about you abandoning Katie, and failing to tell her school. You told Ashley -(TM)s school, why haven -(TM)t you told Katie -(TM)s school you -(TM)re leaving the country and you -(TM)ve left her in the care of friends? - -I thought you -(TM)d do that. - -I did, - Jenny answered, -and the head mistress was very curious as to why you -(TM)d not told her. She -(TM)s spoken to Ashley -(TM)s school, they -(TM)re now puzzled about why you visited them but not Katie -(TM)s school. - -Well... - -Then there -(TM)s the small matter of leaving Katie with someone you don -(TM)t know, you -(TM)ve not visited the house to see how well she -(TM)s getting on, if she -(TM)s being cared for. You know nothing about Alex or Poppy, she could be in real danger. - -Alex is famous, of course she -(TM)s ok. - -Jimmy Saville was famous, look what horrors he got up to, - Jenny said coldly. Vicky went very, very pale; Malcolm went green. -As it happens, Katie is very well looked after, I -(TM)m living with them now and I can say she -(TM)s positively thriving in a loving household, she -(TM)s getting all the care and attention she craved from you but was denied. - The Jacksons were silent, dumbstruck by what they -(TM)d heard. -So, here -(TM)s what we -(TM)re going to do, you -(TM)re going to sign Katie over to us, we -(TM)ll be her parents from now on... - -What do you mean? - -I mean Alex and I are going to adopt her, I have all the paperwork, you will no longer have any parental responsibility for Katie, which considering your previous lack of interest in her shouldn -(TM)t be too much of a change for you. - -But, you can -(TM)t do this! - -I can, I already have papers signed by a judge, but I -(TM)m willing to give you two choices, you can either let me take Katie home where she is happy with her best friend Poppy, or I can press charges on you for abandonment, maybe the charges won -(TM)t stick, but I -(TM)m fairly sure your new employer won -(TM)t be terribly happy about the negative coverage in Monday -(TM)s newspapers. - -Look Mrs Jackson, - Helen added, -you clearly have no interest in Katie, I don -(TM)t know why that is, and right now I don -(TM)t care, but Alex and Jenny love her, they want to care for her, and Katie is currently thriving in their house. She -(TM)s happy, she laughs, she smiles, and she -(TM)s doing her homework, and more to the point, she -(TM)s enjoying helping Poppy with her homework. Through no fault of her own Poppy has missed three years of school, and has been through traumas you can -(TM)t even imagine, but with Katie by her side she -(TM)s healing, and she -(TM)s gradually catching up on her studies. Did you just see them, how happy they are? - Jenny put a hand on Helen -(TM)s arm, -before you say another word let Katie finish what you were saying. - -Yes, thank you, I nearly went too far. - -I -(TM)ll go get them, - I said, -I know where her room is. - A couple of minutes later Katie and Poppy were sitting opposite the Jacksons. -Vicky, Malcolm, I -(TM)ve got something to tell you, - Katie said calmly, -as of now, you are no longer my parents. You always loved Ashley more than me, I have no idea what I ever did to disappoint you, but whatever it was, I no longer care. Jenny and Alex are my parents now. - She let that sink in before she spoke again, -and one more thing, - she turned to Poppy and kissed her, a deep, passionate kiss. I watched the Jacksons, Vicky turned red, but she couldn -(TM)t tear her eyes away from what she was seeing, Malcolm looked calm though, I think Katie said he knew about her being gay. -What on earth are you doing child? - Vicky raged. -She -(TM)s expressing her love for another human, - Helen said calmly, -Katie loves Poppy, Poppy loves Katie. - -The bible says that homosexuality is a sin! - -The bible also says a man should not touch a woman who is on her period, and forbids eating anything that swims that doesn -(TM)t have fins or scales, have you ever eaten prawns Mrs Jackson? - -Well ... err... - -I see you have a cross on your wrist Mrs Jackson, Leviticus 19:28 -~do not mark your skin with tattoos -(TM). There -(TM)s nothing so hypocritical as a person who only chooses to follow part of the bible. Either obey all the laws or none of them. Now if you -(TM)d just sign DC Wilde -(TM)s papers we can stop humiliating you and get on with the next order of business. - -Which is? - Vicky asked defensively. -Financial restitution, - Helen answered, -you abandoned Katie, imagine the hurt she felt knowing you didn -(TM)t even care enough to come round and see her new bedroom, to tell her school you were moving. - -So what do you want? - -So, I -(TM)m thinking, - Helen answered, -you -(TM)re paying boarding fees on top of Ashley -(TM)s school fees, that -(TM)s what £20k a year on top of tuition at that school, for the next 4 years until he finishes his A-levels, so that -(TM)s £80,000 extra you -(TM)re lavishing on Ashley when his older sister gets nothing. So we thought we could disappear, never to bother you again, for a similar sum of money. - -That -(TM)s outrageous! What you -(TM)re suggesting is nothing short of blackmail! - -Like I said earlier, we could always take this down to the station where you can explain to some of my colleagues why you abandoned your daughter, - Jenny said. -Can we discuss this without Katie please. - -Of course, - Jenny said, -have you finished packing your stuff? - -Almost, there -(TM)s more than I thought though, it -(TM)s a lot to carry. - -No problem, bring it all down and I -(TM)ll phone Ernie, he can come round in his van. - Katie and Poppy left the room, Helen moved seats so she was directly opposite Vicky, she leaned forwards, giving Vicky the full weight of her gaze, I had a feeling this wouldn -(TM)t take long. -We -(TM)re reasonable people Mrs Jackson, all we want out of this is for Katie to feel valued as a person, if you just cast her off, she will still feel like you -(TM)ve abandoned her, but if you pay what we -(TM)re asking she will definitely feel like you -(TM)ve invested in her future, that money will help to pay for university, she -(TM)ll be able to buy a new laptop, her current one is a few years old now. We don -(TM)t want anything for ourselves, Alex has already told you he -(TM)s happy to cover her bed and board, and even her pocket money, but long term, we really think you need to contribute. - Helen sounded so reasonable, investing in their daughter -(TM)s future, I could never have thought of that. -Go and get your cheque book, - Vicky told her husband. While we waited for Malcolm to return Jenny walked out into the hallway to phone Ernie, she gave him the address and he said he -(TM)d be round in 30 minutes. When Malcolm returned we moved over to the dining table and Jenny unfolded the adoption papers, Vicky and Malcolm both read them through before they signed. -Who should I make the cheque out to? - Malcolm asked. -Katie Marie Jackson, obviously, - I replied. -You don -(TM)t want to take charge of the money? - -Weren -(TM)t you listening? - Helen replied scornfully, -this money is for Katie, she -(TM)s hardly going to feel valued if it looks like you -(TM)re paying Alex to take her off your hands, like some kind of dowry. No, the money is for Katie, she gets the cheque to pay into her bank account. - -A young girl shouldn -(TM)t have access to this kind of money. - Vicky said. -Why the fuck not! - Helen raged, -why a young woman, would a young man be ok to have this money? When I was 18 I had over £250k in the bank, money I earned, I didn -(TM)t go mad and spend it all, I rented a flat for myself, I bought some nice clothes because I had to dress well for my job, but most of that money was saved or invested. - -You were a whore! - Vicky sneered. -Not really, I showed my tits in magazines, but I was never a prostitute, - Helen replied quietly, calmly. -I earned that money, and I spent it wisely, which was the point I was making, whether I earned it from fucking old men or playing the piano is not important. So once again, before I get impatient and slap you both, make the cheque out to Katie. - Malcolm signed the cheque, Helen took it, -if this bounces you will definitely feel my wrath, - she snarled through clenched teeth. Jenny opened the door and both girls fell into the room, -we weren -(TM)t listening, - Poppy said quickly as she picked herself up. Helen helped Katie up and handed her the cheque, -is this real? - -It had better be real, or someone will be in deep shit. If we -(TM)re quick we can get to your bank before it closes. - Jenny was all business now, she put her hand out to Vicky, -thank you for your time. Providing that cheque clears we will never be in contact again. Of course, if you want to see Katie at some point in the future, we -(TM)d be happy to accommodate you. - Vicky shook Jenny -(TM)s hand then sat down heavily, Malcolm walked us to the door. When we were outside, with the sitting room door firmly closed, he turned to us, -I -(TM)m genuinely sorry it came to this, but I -(TM)ve been warning Vicky she needed to pay more attention to you, Katie. This will, I hope, be a lesson to her, a very expensive lesson. - -Why does she hate me dad? - Katie asked, tears running down her cheeks. -She hates you because she always suspected you were gay, for me that -(TM)s really not a problem, I -(TM)ve always known, and about Ashley. Vicky doesn -(TM)t know about Ashley, and I -(TM)d like to keep it that way, at least let Ashley come out of his own accord. - -I was so angry yesterday dad that I really considered outing Ashley, but I realised that would be cruel. I wish we could have parted on better terms, but she -(TM)s made it impossible. - Katie reached out and hugged Malcolm, -I love you dad. - -And I love you too Katie. We can keep in touch, - he looked at Jenny, -that would be ok wouldn -(TM)t it, if I keep in touch with Katie by email? - -Of course it is, I just said you won -(TM)t hear from us ever again, unless you make the first move. Between you and Katie, that -(TM)s fine. - -Thank you, and despite everything, I think you -(TM)ve been very reasonable about this, Vicky is a very difficult person to live with, I -(TM)m used to her, but to strangers, well, if I was in your shoes I -(TM)d probably kill her. - -I don -(TM)t know if you -(TM)ve been following the news Mr Jackson, - Poppy said coldly, -but right now I -(TM)ve had enough of death. - -Oh gosh, you -(TM)re the girl off the news, the one whose friends were murdered, - he turned to Jenny, -and you -(TM)re the detective. Oh my god, I am so sorry if I mis-spoke. Poppy isn -(TM)t it? - Poppy nodded, -that -(TM)s a wonderful name, I thank you for taking Katie in and loving her in a way we couldn -(TM)t, all of you, I feel at peace leaving Katie in your care, and together I hope you grow as a family, living in love and peace. - -Thank you, - Helen said, sincerely, -and I hope that someday your wife finds some peace herself, because right now she -(TM)s destroying herself with hatred. - -That -(TM)s very true, - Malcolm looked up as we heard a vehicle pull up outside, -ahh, is this your van? - Jenny looked round, -yes, that -(TM)s Ernie. - -Let me help you carry this stuff out, - he said as he picked up a couple of bags. Once we -(TM)d loaded the van Malcolm hugged Katie one last time, -goodbye Katie. - -Goodbye dad. - Malcolm turned to me, -give me ten minutes and I -(TM)ll transfer money into that account. - -Thanks, I feel bad for asking, but we all felt you should fund some of Katie -(TM)s expenses. - -Think nothing of it, really. Ashley -(TM)s been at a private school since he was nine, Katie has had virtually nothing spent on her in comparison, you could have asked for twice as much and I -(TM)d have happily signed the cheque, in fact give me a second, - Malcolm pulled out his cheque book, -Poppy, what -(TM)s your full name please? - -Err, Poppy Francheska Harrison, that -(TM)s F R A N C H E S K A. - He quickly wrote and signed a cheque and tore it from the book, handing it to Poppy. -There you go, a little gift for giving Katie the love Vicky refused to give. - Poppy looked at the cheque, it was the same £80,000 he -(TM)d written over to Katie, -shit, I don -(TM)t know what to say Mr Jackson, thank you, but I really don -(TM)t deserve this. - -If you -(TM)ve been through the kind of horrors I suspect you have and come out the other side and are still able to love and care for Katie, then yes, you deserve all that and more. - Poppy stepped forward and hugged Malcolm, -thank you, I -(TM)m setting up a charity to help street girls, I -(TM)ll use some of this money to help girls who are less fortunate than me. - -A charity, that -(TM)s very interesting. When it -(TM)s up and running please send me the details, I think Vicky -(TM)s penance will be a regular donation through record sales. - -Oh wow, that would be great. I feel really bad for hating you yesterday. - -Hahaha, yesterday you didn -(TM)t know me, so you just associated me with Vicky, I get that a lot, now you -(TM)d better go or your van will be getting a parking ticket. - Helen took Poppy -(TM)s place, -thank you, I -(TM)ve never met anyone with the kind of dignity you -(TM)ve shown after I yelled at you like I did. - -There was no need for me to inflame the situation, especially as I was on your side all along, besides, I -(TM)ve seen your posters on Katie -(TM)s wall, I know what you meant to her. You were the perfect role model to her, beautiful, strong willed and intelligent. I hope you don -(TM)t mind me saying I enjoyed those posters myself. - -Hahaha, I don -(TM)t mind that at all, - she laughed as she gave Malcolm the best hug he -(TM)d ever experienced. We piled into Ernie -(TM)s van and he drove away from the kerb just as a traffic warden approached. Katie waved at Malcolm until he was just a dot in the distance, as far as I can tell Vicky didn -(TM)t make an appearance to see her daughter off. -Where to, ladies? - Ernie shouted back over the engine noise. Katie told him where her bank was, it was very close to mine, so we should be able to deposit both cheques this morning. -With this money I don -(TM)t need you to get me a card on Poppy -(TM)s account for pocket money, - Katie said, still wiping tears from her cheeks, leaving her dad had been a terrible wrench. -That money is for savings, - I said, -like we said to Vicky and Malcolm, and I know full well you were listening, this money is for your future, same for the money he gave you Poppy, it will help with university, if you want to go, or to buy a car, or for myriad other future expenses. For weekly expenses like clothes and treats, you can use the pocket money I -(TM)ll provide, and you can earn that pocket money with chores, just like we -(TM)re a normal family. - -You tell them gov, - Ernie called back, -make them wash the pots and do your ironing, that -(TM)s what I did with my kids, they need to know money doesn -(TM)t grow on trees. - -That -(TM)s so true, - Jenny said, -I had to wash my dad -(TM)s car for pocket money, and he used to drive it through fields to make me really earn the money. - Ernie dropped us at the bank and Jenny handed me Katie -(TM)s adoption papers, -why don -(TM)t you spend the rest of the day with the girls, take them shopping or to the cinema, Helen and I will move my stuff. - -Are you sure? - -Absolutely, with the five of us it -(TM)s too many people to move my stuff and all fit back in the van, you go have some fun, come back about 6 o -(TM)clock and we -(TM)ll have dinner ready. - Katie and Poppy scrambled out of the back of Ernie -(TM)s van and we waved goodbye as he drove off towards Jenny -(TM)s flat. We visited Katie -(TM)s bank first, I asked to see an account manager and we were ushered into a small cubicle. Katie took the cheque out of her coat pocket and smoothed it out on the tabletop. -How did you know my middle name? - she asked. -I can -(TM)t remember, I think Poppy must have told me. - -I did, when I first realised I liked you a lot, I asked you so many questions and you told me your full name, - Poppy said. -Do you think the cheque will work? - Katie asked. -I hope so for Vicky and Malcolm -(TM)s sake, Helen will be so angry with them, there will be violence. - -Oh shit, with red hair like that, I can imagine she gets really angry, - Katie said, -maybe if it was just Vicky, but she -(TM)ll take it out on Malcolm as well. - -Oh don -(TM)t worry, I -(TM)m sure it will be fine, - I said, giving Katie -(TM)s hand a reassuring squeeze. A few moments later the account manager arrived, a young, slim woman around Jenny -(TM)s age, wearing a black skirt suit and blouse. -Good morning, my name is Mandy, you wanted to speak to an account manager, how can I help? - -Good morning Mandy, I -(TM)m Alex, and these are my daughter -(TM)s Katie and Poppy. I -(TM)m afraid we have a complicated tale to tell, but I -(TM)m hoping it -(TM)ll be simple to sort out. - -I like complicated tales, lay it on me and I -(TM)ll see what we can do, - she answered brightly, -is this a story that will need coffee? - -Coffee for Alex, do you have Dr Pepper? - Katie asked. -If we haven -(TM)t, I -(TM)m sure Tesco do, I -(TM)ll send someone out for it. - A couple of minutes later I had coffee and the girls had Dr Pepper. I took a sip of the coffee, it was from a pod machine but it was a decent strong brew, -thank you for the coffee, so, onto the tale. Katie has an account here, her parents have left the country on business long term, so because she is very good friends with my daughter Poppy, and she wanted to continue her studies here rather than on a cruise ship, I -(TM)ve adopted her with my partner, - I spread the papers out for Mandy. -Ok, this is easily handled, I can just change the parental details on Katie -(TM)s student account. Are you changing your surname honey? - -Oh, - Katie replied, -I -(TM)d not thought of that, - she looked at Poppy, -should I? Do you want me to have your surname? - -It might look odd at school, if you -(TM)re ok keeping your name I would for now, then it won -(TM)t seem quite so odd when I marry you in a few years. - -Awww, you want to marry me! - -Of course I do, but not right now obviously, after we -(TM)ve finished school. - -You -(TM)re making me cry, after the awful time this morning it really is too wonderful. - Mandy opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a box of tissues, -do you need me to give you all a moment? - -It -(TM)s been an emotional few weeks for both girls, - I replied, -maybe you could see whether this cheque will clear while Katie composes herself. - I slid the cheque out from under Katie -(TM)s elbow and passed it across the desk, Mandy looked at it, -I -(TM)ll phone the issuing bank, they can tell me if there -(TM)s funds to cover it. - Poppy pulled out her cheque, -could you see if this one works as well, please? - Mandy raised her eyebrows, -have you both won the lottery or something? - -We -(TM)ll explain later, - I said as Mandy left the cubicle to use a phone somewhere more private. Katie wiped her eyes and blew her nose in the tissue, -I -(TM)m sorry for being such a mess, but after the heartbreak earlier, this just tipped me over. No matter how nice you -(TM)ve all been with me, you saying you wanted to marry me someday, it all didn -(TM)t seem real until then. You -(TM)re serious, you -(TM)d like to marry me? - -Of course, I -(TM)d marry you now, right this minute if it was legal. I -(TM)ve never met anyone who fits me as completely as you do. Like, I love Alex, and Jenny, and Helen, and Belle, oh my god I love Belle so much, but I love none of them in the same way I love you, I can -(TM)t explain it, it -(TM)s like you make my whole body smile when I see you, does that make sense? - -Oh god, yes, that -(TM)s how I feel when I -(TM)m with you, is this what true love is? - -Don -(TM)t look at me, - I said, -I -(TM)m just a passenger in this bus, I -(TM)m not driving it. - I was saved further trauma by Mandy -(TM)s return, she put the cheques down in front of Katie and Poppy. -Well, the good news is the money arrived in the account while I was on the phone to the issuing bank. - Katie turned to Poppy, -he did it, Malcolm was true to his word. - -Ok, so this money is a parting gift from Katie -(TM)s parents, does she have a savings account here? - Mandy tapped a few keys on her computer, -so, Katie has two accounts here, one is an instant access account with a little over £100, the other is a savings account with just under £1,000, £989.78 to be exact. - -Is the savings account one she has to give a week -(TM)s notice for withdrawal. - -No, it -(TM)s just a standard same day account, but there -(TM)s no card, she has to come into the branch with an account book. - -I -(TM)d rather this money be placed in a notice account, would that be OK Katie. - -Oh yes, that -(TM)s sensible, I can be a little rash at times, I -(TM)d rather not have instant access to all this money. - -And the instant access account, do you want me to put your pocket money in that account? - I asked her. Katie thought for a moment, then shook her head, -no, I -(TM)d like to share Poppy -(TM)s account, would that be ok? - Poppy answered by hugging Katie and smiling. -OK, so I -(TM)ll close that account, - Mandy said, -do you want to withdraw that money or put it into the savings account? - Katie thought again for a moment, -I -(TM)d like to withdraw that money please, I -(TM)ll use it to treat Alex and Poppy to a nice lunch in Harrods. - Mandy smiled at that as she tapped a few more keys, -so, our best account at the moment is a 30 day account, you have to give 30 days notice for withdrawal or you lose a month -(TM)s worth of interest on the amount you withdraw. - -I think that will be fine, - I said, -if there -(TM)s anything you need urgently I can lend you the cash, then you pay me back a month later. - With Katie -(TM)s bank sorted we crossed the road to mine and Poppy -(TM)s bank, -why didn -(TM)t we move Katie -(TM)s account to this bank? - Poppy asked me as I opened the door. -Because it -(TM)s never a good idea to keep all your eggs in one basket, I have an account in that bank, my money from the adult fiction goes into that bank, the money from the young adult books comes here. - -Oh, why -(TM)s that? - -Well, a while back there was a major financial crash and some banks were very close to collapsing, a couple of smaller banks only survived because they were bought by bigger banks, one major bank only survived because the Government bought nearly all the shares. Since then I -(TM)ve spread my money around so I won -(TM)t lose it all if one bank goes under. - -Shit, makes me feel better about having no money for most of my life, means I had nothing to lose. - Not needing to change any of Poppy -(TM)s bank details we just joined the queue and paid the cheque straight into her savings account, and with that done we dashed to the station to grab the next train into the city. I phoned Jenny while we were still above ground to check how they were getting on. -My flat is empty of my stuff, just got to find somewhere to put everything, shouldn -(TM)t be too much of a problem, all Katie -(TM)s stuff is upstairs outside their room. How did they get on in the bank? - -It all went smoothly, Malcolm transferred the money while we were in Katie -(TM)s bank, so all good. The more important news is Poppy basically proposed to Katie. - -What! Oh that -(TM)s fantastic, but she cannot get married before we do, I -(TM)m not allowing that. - -Does that mean you want to marry me? - -Of course I do, and one day I -(TM)ll ask you properly, some time when you least expect it. - -I look forward to it, you -(TM)ll find out my answer when you ask me. - -Oh, while I remember, we -(TM)re going to postpone our festivities tonight, Nita is a bit poorly, Helen -(TM)s gone home to take care of her. - -Oh dear, I hope it -(TM)s nothing too serious. - -She -(TM)s just under the weather I think. - -Ok, I hope she gets well soon. Ahh, we -(TM)re about to go underground, see you later Jenny, I love you loads. - -Love you too Alex, have fun with the girls. - We changed trains at Earls Court, jumping on the next Piccadilly Line train to Knightsbridge. Poppy marvelled at the huge Harrods store, -I -(TM)ve never been in here before, we often joked about doing a quick dash through, stealing anything we could grab, but there was always too much security around, we -(TM)d never have been able to step foot in there looking the way we did. - -So we -(TM)re safe going in, - I said with a smile. -Yes daddy, we won -(TM)t get arrested here. - -Am I missing something? - Katie asked. -I had a massive panic attack when I first went shopping with Alex, we were on Oxford Street and I was paranoid because I -(TM)d been caught shoplifting in almost every shop at some point. - -Oh, are you ok shopping now? - -Yes sweetie, I -(TM)m fine now, I -(TM)ve even walked past security and police who I know have arrested me in the past and they didn -(TM)t recognise me with nice clothes and my new hair colour. - Katie had heard that Gordon Ramsey had opened a burger bar in Harrods and she wanted to try one, so we took the lift up to the fourth floor. We looked at the menu and Katie blanched, -fuck, £29 for a burger, that -(TM)s insane. - -You really want to try it though, - Poppy said. -I really do, Carly, you know the really gorgeous girl in Year 12? - -The girl with the silver hair and the nose ring? - -Yes, her, she came here with her boyfriend and she said the burger was so nice, it was like sex on a bun she said. - -Oh gosh, I -(TM)ve got to have some of that. Look, this is going to go way over the money you got from the bank, why don -(TM)t we split the bill, pay half each, that way we can both treat Alex for being so nice to us. - -That sounds fair, definitely. I -(TM)ll put my £102.56 from the bank on the table, you can pay the rest. - -Ok, bagsie having the farm burger with the egg, - Poppy said, -it sounds unbelievably messy. - Decision made, Poppy had the Farm burger, Katie had the American burger and I had the Hell -(TM)s Kitchen burger with jalapenos. We also ordered a couple of portions of fries and onion rings. Katie had a chocolate milkshake, Poppy had the banana shake, I had a bottle of Harrods lager. All I -(TM)m going to say is, it was the most amazing burger I have ever eaten. Poppy and Katie both sent photos of our food to Jenny and Helen, posting them on their Instagram as well. After we -(TM)d finished Poppy excused herself to visit the toilet, Katie leaned forwards, -can I ask you something? - -Of course, ask me anything, - I replied. -Have you seen Belle? Is she really pretty. - -Well, I -(TM)ve seen a photo from her missing person -(TM)s file, and I saw her begging at Kings Cross once. - -Is she really pretty? - -Well, the photo I saw she was in her school uniform, and she was very dirty when I saw her at Kings Cross, so it was hard to tell. - -But, did she look like she -(TM)d be pretty after a good wash. - -Potentially, yes, why are you asking? - -I -(TM)m just winding myself up, because Poppy is always saying how much she loves Belle, and I -(TM)m worried she -(TM)ll dump me if she ever finds her. - -Oh, don -(TM)t be silly, she loves you so much, didn -(TM)t she just say you made her feel complete. - -I guess, oh I am being silly aren -(TM)t I. Look at me, I -(TM)m in a loving relationship in a loving family and my brain is trying to sabotage everything. - -Our brains can do that. - Poppy bounced back to the table, -what are you two looking all serious about? - -Ahh, I was just saying to Katie that Nita isn -(TM)t feeling so well, so Helen -(TM)s going home to look after her. - -Yeah, so annoying, I was hoping for some Helen action, - Katie added, not missing a beat at my complete shift in our conversation, -I hope Nita -(TM)s ok though. - -Jenny said she thought she was just a bit under the weather, - I said. -That does mean you and I can celebrate our -~sort of -(TM) engagement, and mum and dad get some alone time. - -Yayyy, I like that idea, - Katie said, her face glowing with love. -Shall we go shopping? - I said. -Here? - Katie asked. Poppy thought for a bit, then shook her head, -nahh, let -(TM)s go somewhere fun. - Katie put her hand on top of Poppy -(TM)s, -no, I want to see your old life. - -What do you mean? - -I want to see the streets where you lived, meet some of your friends. You -(TM)ve told me so much about your old life, but I think I need to see the streets so I can understand them better. - -Are you sure? - -Absolutely, maybe we can find Belle, I -(TM)d like to meet her. - Poppy looked at me, -shall we? - -Not my decision, we can go wherever you want to go. - -Ok, let -(TM)s pay the bill, - I said. -Ahh, I think I -(TM)d like to use this cash to give to people we meet, - Katie said, -can you lend me the money for the bill? - -It -(TM)s ok, - Poppy said, pulling her debit card out, -this is our money anyway. - Poppy waved for the bill then kissed Katie, -thank you, it means so much that you want to see where I came from. - Chapter 17 We left Harrods and headed for the tube station, -I think we -(TM)ll go to Camden, there -(TM)s a few squats round there I used, and some back alleys I slept in, we could stop at Kings Cross on the way, we might see Belle and Flower as they live somewhere in the station. - -They live in the station? - Katie asked, incredulous at the idea. -Yeah, apparently they live in an old office off one of the platforms, Jeremy says I -(TM)m not allowed to look for it because it will look suspicious and I might attract people who will find them. - -Do they ever leave the station? How do they get in and out without an Oyster Card? - -Ahh, if you know what to do there -(TM)s plenty of ways in and out of a station, it -(TM)s amazing what most people don -(TM)t see, come on I -(TM)ll show you how to get onto Knightsbridge station platform without using your card. - Poppy grabbed Katie -(TM)s hand, they ran up Knightsbridge towards Harvey Nichols, I caught up with them at the top of the steps down to the station. -See, these are the steps we used when we left the station earlier, and there -(TM)s another set over the road there, then if we spin around, behind all the scaffolding is the main entrance with the lifts and stuff. - -Ahh yes, I think I -(TM)ve been in that way with dad. - -Great, let -(TM)s cross over and I -(TM)ll show you what you need to look for, this is the way in and out of pretty much every station. - We waited for the traffic lights to change then ran across the road, on the other side Poppy took us down a narrow passage. -What you need to do is find a member of staff on a cigarette break, somewhere nearby is a door standing open. There you go, - she said after a moment, -see that guy there with the e-cig? - -Oh yes, he -(TM)s in the tube uniform, - Katie replied, getting excited now. -And see just behind him, that -(TM)s the door we -(TM)d use, one of us would distract him, maybe knock over a bin or shout something, then we -(TM)d all sneak in when he isn -(TM)t looking. - -What about at the other end? How do you get out? - -That -(TM)s sometimes a bit more awkward, as the doors from the station to the staff areas generally have locks, staff either have a special card, or there -(TM)s a number pad. If it -(TM)s a number pad then we can often figure them out. Some staff have rubbish memories, so they write them on the wall near the door, that -(TM)s how we found out the code for this station. Where they have card locks we -(TM)d just have to hang around until someone goes through the door, then one of us would run up and grab it before it shuts, then it -(TM)s a matter of finding the way out, which in somewhere like Kings Cross is easier said than done, that station is huge. - Katie just looked at Poppy, her mouth agape in amazement. -Wow, - she said eventually, -you really are amazing, I -(TM)d never be brave enough to do that. - -I wasn -(TM)t at first, but you soon get used to it. Most of the time the staff are fine, there -(TM)s a few stations where we knew a couple of the staff and they -(TM)d make us a hot drink and give us biscuits. It -(TM)s the public you have to be careful with. We -(TM)d often find some busybody phoning the police on us because we looked funny. Usually the police would just escort us out of the station and send us on our way. The rule Max, oh Max, - Poppy bowed her head, as if in prayer, -poor, poor Max, I wonder how she -(TM)s doing? - She shook her head and was silent for a moment, -anyway, - she continued, -the rule Max instilled in us was to never, ever antagonise anyone, if the Police come, remain calm, let them clap us in chains or whatever, just go with the flow. They would almost never arrest us if we kept quiet, they -(TM)d just let us go once we were outside. The Transport Police could be awkward, but again, simple trespass, it was too much paperwork if they arrested us. If we were being dickheads and causing trouble, or stealing off passengers, then yeah, they -(TM)d arrest us. Hence Max -(TM)s rule. - We walked back around to the front of the station, swiped in with our Oyster cards and took the escalator down to the platform. -We need the Piccadilly line, - Poppy said without needing to look at the map, -it -(TM)s this way. Oh, come here a sec, - she said, pulling Katie with her, -look on the wall there, see, that -(TM)s the code for that door over there. - -I would never have seen that, - Katie marvelled. -Like I said, there -(TM)s so much stuff around that people never see because they -(TM)re too busy dashing from one place to the next. When you -(TM)re homeless you have nothing to run to, so we -(TM)d just sit around and look at our surroundings. - As we walked to the platform I watched Katie, she was moving her head constantly, taking everything in. We had a few minutes to wait for the next train, so Poppy walked Katie all the way to the top of the platform where she leaned against the wall next to a door. -See this door, it takes you to the passages between the tunnels, then you can go through another door straight out into the tunnels. Obviously, you don -(TM)t want to be doing that when the trains are running, but it -(TM)s fun to do it in the middle of the night, we walked from Tottenham Court Road to Chalk Farm one night. - -How did you see where you -(TM)re going? - Katie asked. -There -(TM)s maintenance crews working at night, so they have some lights in the tunnels, but we had torches for the dark stretches. - -Aren -(TM)t there loads of rats and stuff in the tunnels. - -Yeah, but we don -(TM)t bother about them, they -(TM)re everywhere. - Poppy stepped closer to the edge of the platform and scanned up and down the track before pointing, -there you go, a couple of rats, oh, and a phone, and a purse. - She caught the eye of one of the station staff and told him about the phone and purse. -Thanks miss, I -(TM)ll get someone to fetch them later. Hang on a sec, - he said as Poppy turned away, -I recognise you, aren -(TM)t you one of Max -(TM)s girls? Poppy? - -Ahh, yes, that -(TM)s me, sorry, I don -(TM)t recognise you. - -Not to worry honey, I -(TM)m Trevor, I -(TM)m usually in Covent Garden station. - -Oh wow, Trevor, you always have Jaffa Cakes, how did you recognise me now I -(TM)m in civilian clothes? - -Your eyes, and the polite way you spoke to me, people down here aren -(TM)t often so polite. - -That -(TM)s such a shame, no one is ever so busy they can -(TM)t say please and thank you. - -So you -(TM)re off the streets now. - -Yes, I got very lucky and Alex saved me, and then I met Katie, she -(TM)s my girlfriend. - -That -(TM)s great news, it always upsets me when I see you girls around, you all look too nice to be living on the streets. - -Sometimes life shits on you, then sometimes it smiles and you get a chance to leave. You just have to roll with the blows or you end up in a worse mess. - -I guess you do, ahh, here comes your train, see you soon Poppy, - he shouted over the approaching train. - -Thanks Trevor, for being so nice to us. - Poppy shouted back. -My pleasure, - was all we heard before he stepped out of the way of the crowds leaving the train. The train was still crowded even after all the Knightsbridge shoppers had left, we huddled into a space near the door and rode the six stops to Kings Cross mostly in silence as the train was too noisy and crowded for conversation. We left the train gratefully at Kings Cross and stepped clear of the crowds so Poppy could think without being buffeted by passing throngs. She checked her watch then made a decision, -I think we grab the Northern Line train up to Camden, when we come back we could get off at Euston, then walk here and have a look around for Belle and Flower, does that sound ok? - -This is your world, - I said, -you -(TM)re in charge, we can -(TM)t be relied on to make decisions. - Poppy walked us through the maze of passageways and escalators, her eyes peeled, looking at each person sitting in passageways to see if she knew them. -Oh, that -(TM)s Jewel, - Poppy cried out suddenly, -remember, we saw her on Wardour Street. - We slipped free of the crowd and approached Jewel, Poppy crouched down next to her, -hey Jewel, how are you doing? - Jewel looked up slowly, it took a little while for her to focus, then she brightened a little, -oh, hey Poppy, - she said slowly, before her whole body was wracked by a terrifying coughing fit. Poppy looked up at me, -can you find some water please, I really should have brought a couple of bottles with me, remind me to buy some next time. - I had to leave the underground station and dash up to the big WH Smith store in the mainline station above ground, I bought a few bottles and a couple of chocolate bars, as I left I spotted the bakers opposite, so I dashed over and bought a couple of their vegan sausage rolls, they weren -(TM)t too hot, perfect. Katie grabbed a bottle off me as soon as I arrived, she broke the seal and handed it to Poppy, who was kneeling next to Jewel, talking to her quietly, she held the bottle to Jewel -(TM)s lips and carefully poured a small amount into her mouth, Jewel coughed again before she took a bit more of the water. -Thank you, - she croaked, -I -(TM)ve not had a drink since yesterday. - -When did you last eat? - Poppy asked. -I don -(TM)t know, it wasn -(TM)t yesterday. - I passed Poppy the food, -they -(TM)re vegan sausage rolls, I wasn -(TM)t sure about meat, - I told her. -You -(TM)re an angel Alex, these are just right, she wouldn -(TM)t be able to eat them if they were too hot, - she replied as she slipped one of the pastries out of the bag and helped Jewel eat, she had a sip of water between each bite. -There -(TM)s another one here, - Poppy said after Jewel had finished the first sausage roll, and a couple of Snickers, the peanuts and sugar will do you good, and two more bottles of water. Katie took her money out and handed Poppy two £10 notes, Poppy shook her head, -it -(TM)s your money, you give it to her, - she said as she stepped out of the way. Katie knelt beside Jewel, she slipped the money into Jewel -(TM)s finger, -take care Jewel, - she whispered, -I -(TM)ll try to come back and see you someday, in the meantime, I hope this helps. - She kissed the tips of her fingers and touched them to Jewel -(TM)s lips before rising, Poppy helped her up and hugged her, -that was a lovely gesture, thank you. - We said our goodbyes and set off towards the Northern Line, before we -(TM)d taken more than a couple of steps Poppy dashed back, she leaned over and touched her fingers to Jewel -(TM)s lips. -That -(TM)s such a nice way to kiss my friends, thank you for showing me that, - she said as she pulled a pack of wet wipes from her coat pocket, handing one to Katie. -Were you like that, - Katie asked quietly. -I never got that low, - Poppy replied, then she thought for a moment and corrected herself, -well yes I did actually. I guess that -(TM)s what I was like when Jeremy found me. Jewel has been smoking crystal meth I think, and that really fucks you up. - -You did drugs for a bit though... - -Yes, I did, and I got lucky, because Jeremy found me, I think I was nearly dead, he -(TM)s never told me how bad I was, but thinking back, I was really messed up, he had to carry me to the hostel, he gave me drugs for a few days, and fed me, and when I was well enough he locked me in a room for a week, slipping food and water through a flap. I screamed, I pulled my hair out, I scratched myself until my arms were bloody and raw, but by the end of the week I didn -(TM)t need drugs anymore. - Katie stopped walking, she pulled Poppy close, -oh my god, - she said in an awed whisper, -you say all that like it was nothing, but you could have died, I -(TM)ve heard coming off drugs is the hardest thing for anyone to do, you -(TM)re so strong. What you just did for Jewel, thousands of people must have walked past her today, but nobody has stopped, there was no money in her cup, she may as well be invisible. You -(TM)re amazing Poppy, I hope you realise that. - -I -(TM)m not amazing, I -(TM)m just lucky to be alive, and I -(TM)m trying to pay back my good fortune is all. - We got off the Northern Line at Camden Town, -we need to get more water and food, - Katie said, -in case we meet anyone. - -We do, thanks for the reminder, - Poppy said, -there -(TM)s a supermarket on the way, we -(TM)ll pop in and get some stuff. - Poppy bought bottles of water, a few multi-packs of chocolate bars and a selection of sandwiches, then we set off through a maze of back streets until she stopped dead. -Ahh, it -(TM)s gone, - she said, pointing over the road, -that pile of rubble was the first squat I lived in, it was a bit run down at the time, but at least it had a roof back then. - She pulled the security fence out of its footing and clambered through the gap, we followed behind and joined her standing on the pile of bricks. -I lived here with Lottie, Sarah, Louise and Steve. They were brother and sister, Steve and Louise, he was a big guy, handy to have around, I was here for about three weeks I think, maybe longer, I -(TM)d been on the streets for a few days after running away, I was starving and felt so low, Sarah found me and invited me inside. Once I -(TM)d warmed up and eaten some soup I felt human again. We spent that first night chatting by candle light, I think Sarah was probably my first crush, she was about 20 I -(TM)d guess, wore dungarees and a pretty flower print t-shirt, she had dreadlocks. They were all shocked by my story, Steve wanted to go and give Nikki a piece of his mind, maybe I should have let him. - Poppy looked around, almost like she was lost, -this is a piece of my history gone, - she said sadly, as we carefully made our way back to the street, I put the fence back into its footing and Poppy walked us down the road, she crossed over and took us down a back street. -After a few weeks, I honestly don -(TM)t know how long, maybe three weeks, maybe a little more, the four grown-ups moved on, and I was alone in the squat, and I was scared, so I left the next day and I slept here. It -(TM)s dirty, and there -(TM)s rats, but if you look up you -(TM)ll see why people sleep down here. - We looked up and saw a mess of aluminium ducts. -That building is a commercial laundry, they -(TM)re working in there 24/7 doing the bedding for hotels, although not today it seems, maybe it -(TM)s closed down, anyway, back then those pipes were belching out warm, scented air all night, so this was a nice place to sleep. - We walked on a little way before Poppy stopped and crouched down behind a bin, -hey Lia, how -(TM)s it going? - -What, oh, hello, - the voice replied, confused that someone was taking the time to talk to her. -It -(TM)s me Lia, Poppy. - -Oh my god, seriously! Shit Poppy, I heard you were dead. - -I get that a lot, I nearly was, but I escaped, and Alex here rescued me, - Poppy replied as she started digging through her bag, -do you want cheese and onion or egg sandwich, ohh I -(TM)ve got a corned beef and pickle as well. - -Oh man, that corned beef sounds fun. - -Here you go, Mars Bar or Snickers. - -Shit, I don -(TM)t remember when I got a choice of food beyond white bread or brown bread with my soup, I -(TM)ll have the Mars bar please. - -Here you go, and a couple of bottles of water. - Lia took a bite of her sandwich, -oh, this is nice, thank you, - she took a sip of her water, -I -(TM)ve been hearing some really weird shit about Max, I heard she killed people, is that right? - -Oh fuck, yeah, she went a bit mental after everybody thought Kenzie killed me, and she went round and killed Kenzie and his mates, annoyingly she also attacked my mum, Nikki. Jeremy managed to track her down and he -(TM)s spirited her away, it wouldn -(TM)t have been fair to set the police on her, even though my new mum is a detective. - -New mum? - Lia asked. -Yeah, Alex -(TM)s girlfriend is a detective, and she -(TM)s decided to adopt me and my girlfriend, bollocks, I -(TM)m so, so sorry Katie, I -(TM)ve not introduced you. Lia, this is Katie, my girlfriend. Katie, this is Lia, she lived with us in Max -(TM)s squat for a while. - Katie stepped forwards and crouched next to Poppy, -do you sleep here? - Katie asked. -At the moment, yeah, I -(TM)m waiting for a bed in the shelter, I -(TM)m on the waiting list. You can stay there two weeks, use it as an address to apply for jobs, they have showers and clothes, but it -(TM)s strictly two weeks max, you really have to get a job in the first week so you can use your first week -(TM)s wage to pay for a room somewhere more permanent. - Katie pulled out another £20 and slipped it into Lia -(TM)s hands, -I hope you find something soon Lia, - she said, before kissing her fingers and touching them to Lia -(TM)s lips. As we were about to leave Katie turned back to Lia, -can I ask you something else? - Lia touched her lips, -you just kissed me, of course you can. - -Why are you round here, why aren -(TM)t you on the street, you know, collecting money or whatever? - -Ahh, it -(TM)s too busy round there at the moment, if I -(TM)m out there when the pavements are full, people trip over me, I -(TM)d get moved on soon enough, I was there up until 10:30, I -(TM)ll go back at 3ish. - -How will you know when it -(TM)s 3 o -(TM)clock? - -Harry starts work in the kebab shop at 3, and his first job of the day is to empty last night -(TM)s bins into that one there. - -Ahh, I see. Thank you Lia, I hope you find a way out soon. - After we -(TM)d said goodbye to Lia again, Poppy walked us back to the main road. -That -(TM)s the hostel, - she said, pointing at an old red brick building that looked like it used to be a school back in the last century, -I never managed to get a place there, they only have 15 beds and they -(TM)re pretty strict about who they let in, I was far, far too young, and by the time I found out about it I was pretty messed up, they don -(TM)t allow drugs, and sometimes they -(TM)ll throw you out for being a bit drunk. Lia -(TM)s straight though, I don -(TM)t think I ever saw her doing drugs. - -Is this the sort of place you -(TM)d help with your charity? - -Yeah, but not there specifically, they -(TM)re pretty well funded already, the 15 bed limit is because that -(TM)s all the room they have. - -Where now? - I asked. Poppy looked around, getting her bearings, -there, - she said, pointing diagonally across the road to a cafe on the corner. We crossed the road and stepped inside, it was a typical greasy spoon place, the menu above the counter covered the usual range, from Full English breakfast to burgers and pizza, Poppy ordered three mugs of tea and we took them to a table by the window. -This is a bittersweet place for me, - she said, -it -(TM)s open all night, literally, they never close. They won -(TM)t let anyone sleep in here, but you can sit with a mug of hot water all night as far as the owner is concerned, the staff will keep swapping it for a fresh mug of hot water when it cools down. As long as you don -(TM)t stink, or cause a fuss they won -(TM)t disturb you. I spent a lot of nights here. - She took a long drink of her tea before she continued. -The bitter part is this is where I met Joanie, who was a lovely girl, so sweet, but so messed up. She joined me one night, she sat just there, where you -(TM)re sitting Katie, she bought me a hot chocolate and a burger, she had a lot of money in her purse. She told me about these parties, where men paid for sex. -That night the last part of old Melanie vanished, any innocence I -(TM)d retained after being forced to watch my own mother having sex with endless streams of men, all gone after that night. This is where Poppy was born, though I only got that name after Jeremy rescued me a few months later when I was so utterly fucked up I couldn -(TM)t even remember my own name. - Katie grabbed some napkins from the counter and sat up close to Poppy and together they cried. -Is everything ok, - the counter man asked as he wiped the next table. -I -(TM)m fine Jerry, just reliving my past. - Jerry looked over, and slowly it dawned on him who she was, -I recognise the voice, is that you Mel? Oh gosh, I -(TM)ve not seen you in a while. Here let me refill your mugs. - He took the empty mugs away and brought three fresh ones and a jug of milk. -What -(TM)re you doing round here, I thought you -(TM)d moved over to Walthamstow. - -I did, I was there for a while, then I moved around some, then I got straight, with the help of Alex and Katie. - -Straight, properly straight? - -Yes, and no, straight in that I -(TM)m off everything, living properly in a nice house, but not straight because Katie -(TM)s my girlfriend. - -Hahaha, that -(TM)s great news, because you know, you had me worried for a while, you weren -(TM)t doing so well at all. - -Yeah Jerry, I got pretty fucked up, but I wanted to come back here because you and Matty, you were always nice to us, we were always welcome here even when we had no money. - -Well, you know, we have to keep the lights and heating on all the time, it -(TM)s not like you cost us anything extra. - -That -(TM)s the same with all the all-night cafes, you were the only one where we didn -(TM)t have to pay to stay, one way or another. - Jerry blushed at that, -well, you know, as pretty as you were, I wouldn -(TM)t presume to ask you for anything just to sit in the warmth. - -I know Jerry, and that -(TM)s why I liked coming here. Listen, I bought some sandwiches and stuff for people I ran into today, but I -(TM)ve only seen Lia. If any girls come in tonight and can -(TM)t afford food, can you give them something from this bag? - -Of course I will Mel. - -I -(TM)m called Poppy now, - she said kindly. -Of course you are, I knew that, but you were Mel when you came in here, and that -(TM)s the name I -(TM)ll always know you by. - Poppy stood and hugged him, -you -(TM)re one of the good guys Jerry, I -(TM)ll let you call me Mel. - Poppy and Katie slipped the bottled water into their coat pockets and we left the bag of food with Jerry. -How do you know he -(TM)ll give the food to the people who need it? - Katie asked as we walked back to the station. -He just will, he can -(TM)t do anything else, you heard him, he won -(TM)t even take advantage of girls who offer themselves, and to my shame I know that to be true, - Poppy replied, her head bowed. -I -(TM)m so sorry if I -(TM)ve brought back such bad memories this afternoon, I shouldn -(TM)t have asked to see these places, - Katie said. -You absolutely should have asked, you need to see where I came from, because I can -(TM)t swear I -(TM)ll be as happy as I seem all the time. One day I -(TM)m sure I -(TM)ll wake up screaming after a nightmare, and you need to be ready for when reality hits me. - -I am ready, you -(TM)re so strong for everyone else, the least I can do is be strong for you. - -I have no doubt you -(TM)ll be there to pick me up when I fall. Now you know how far I fell before, it -(TM)ll give you a bit of perspective, life might seem bad while we -(TM)re crying and screaming, but we -(TM)ll have a roof over our heads, clean clothes and food in our bellies. - Katie pulled Poppy into a tight hug, people tutted as they had to step into the road to pass by, the girls didn -(TM)t notice, lost in their own world for a moment. After a few minutes they separated and we walked back to the station, just inside the entrance we saw Lia again, -hey, it -(TM)s Lia, - Katie said. Lia smiled at Katie, -I -(TM)ve been here about 5 minutes I reckon, what time is it? - She pulled out her phone and checked the time, -7 minutes past 3, great timing. - -I don -(TM)t need a fancy phone to tell me what time it is, - she laughed. Katie knelt down and reached forwards and gave Lia a hug, -you -(TM)ll get your clothes dirty, - Lia protested. -I -(TM)ve been kneeling down all over the place today, everything -(TM)s going to need a good wash, I just wanted you to know that you seem so much more at peace with the world than my mother who lives in a £2 million house and has just secured a contract to play in an orchestra on the world -(TM)s biggest cruise ship. This afternoon has opened my eyes to the fucked up nature of our lives, and I want to thank you. - -Thank you for being so kind, - Lia said, -ahh, that -(TM)s the train, you -(TM)d better dash if you want to catch it. - Katie kissed her fingers and touched them to Lia -(TM)s lips, -goodbye Lia, I -(TM)m glad we met. - -So am I. - Katie leant forwards suddenly and kissed Lia on the lips, -please, let me know how you get on with the hostel, if we can help with anything. - -How will I get in touch? - Lia asked, blinking at the shock of Katie -(TM)s kiss. -Jeremy has our numbers, - Poppy said as she followed Katie -(TM)s example and kissed Lia properly. We ended up missing that train, the next one was a few minutes away, we sat on the bench to wait. -Why did you kiss Lia? - Poppy asked, -it was a lovely gesture, but a bit risky, kissing a homeless person. - -I don -(TM)t know, I got carried away, she -(TM)s so lovely, and pretty, and she wasn -(TM)t dirty. You -(TM)re not angry are you, because I kissed another girl. - -I -(TM)m not angry at all, I -(TM)m glad you did, so many people seem to be almost afraid of homeless people, like they -(TM)ll catch some nasty disease just standing near them, - Poppy replied, -and you may have noticed I kissed her as well. - Poppy passed Katie a bottle of water and a tissue, -despite that, you might want to wipe your mouth with a wet tissue. - -Thanks, - Katie said after she -(TM)d wiped her mouth, -I was thinking, you know when you start your charity, you -(TM)re going to want some people you trust working on the front line, and you -(TM)ll want to pay them something. - -Hmmm, yes, I -(TM)ve been thinking that. I guess it depends how much money we can raise, Alex -(TM)s publisher has promised me some start-up cash, and they -(TM)re going to put me in touch with some companies who can help, if we get a few grand I -(TM)ll be able to pay people for a few hours work a week. - -Lia seems really bright and keen, she -(TM)d be good. - -She would, and I was thinking the same. I -(TM)m so glad we did this today, yeah, it -(TM)s triggered some pretty bad memories, but I -(TM)d kind of forgotten about Lia, and it was really nice to meet Jerry again. - The train swept in and we managed to get seats for the few stops back to Kings Cross. -Are we ok having a wander round to look for Belle? - Poppy asked me. -Of course, Jenny said to be back for around 6, so we -(TM)ve got plenty of time. - We stepped to one side while Poppy made a plan, working out the best ways through the complex series of tunnels and passages that make up the vast Kings Cross St Pancras underground station, which services 6 tube lines and is used by around ¼ million people a day. With eleven entrances and four separate ticket halls it was impossible to cover the whole station in a couple of hours, so Poppy decided to concentrate on the highest traffic areas, namely the Piccadilly, Victoria and Northern Line platforms. In the week the Metropolitan and Circle lines would also be busy, so we had a little bit of a break today. Poppy brought out her phone, she flipped through her camera roll and showed it to Katie, -this is the picture from her missing persons file, it -(TM)s a couple of years old, but it gives you an idea, she -(TM)s about 5 feet 2 inches, really black hair, a round face with the nicest green eyes. - -She really is pretty isn -(TM)t she, I hope we can find her. - -So do I, - Poppy said quietly, -she doesn -(TM)t belong out here, and the longer she stays the worse it -(TM)s going to get. - The first plan was to sweep the various passages around the Northern Line, then onto the Piccadilly Line, which we decided were the most likely areas, as that -(TM)s where we -(TM)d seen her before with Flower. Poppy was getting more and more frustrated as we finished sweeping all the corridors around the Piccadilly line, we were about to head across to the Victoria Line when Katie cried out. -Here Poppy, I think I -(TM)ve found her! - We ran towards Katie, she was standing by a door that was propped open, looking at someone sleeping between the door and the wall. Poppy dropped to her knees beside Katie and held the person -(TM)s head up, -it -(TM)s Belle Alex, it -(TM)s Belle! - she cried in a mixture of excitement and fear, -I think she -(TM)s unconscious though. - Katie pushed the button on the mechanism holding the door open so we could get to Belle, I poured water onto a wad of tissues and passed it to Poppy, she wiped Belle -(TM)s forehead and her eyes flew open. -What -(TM)s happening! - Belle said. -Oh shit, it -(TM)s me Belle, I thought you were unconscious or something. - -Poppy, oh wow, it -(TM)s you. What are you doing here? - -We came to find you, to see how you are. - -Ahh, you know, I -(TM)m alive, that -(TM)s always a good sign. - -Come on, let -(TM)s get you a cup of tea and some food. - I reached down and helped Belle to her feet, she had a scabby blanket over her knees and a McDonalds coffee cup with a few coppers. She emptied the cup into her palm and put the money in her pocket, folded her blanket and tucked it under her arm. -You remember Alex? - Poppy asked. -Yes, he -(TM)s your Lancelot or something. - -He -(TM)s my dad now, - Poppy said, pride in her voice as she said it, -and this is Katie, my girlfriend. - -Hey Katie, - Belle said, -pleased to meet you. - -I -(TM)m so happy to meet you, - Katie said, and she really sounded happy, -Poppy has told me so much about you, she said you were the most beautiful girl in the world, and she wasn -(TM)t lying. - -How can you tell, I -(TM)m fucking filthy, I look like Stig of the Dump. - -I can see through the dirt, you have a wonderful face, and your eyes are lovely. - -Stop it, you need to go to an optician. - We were walking towards the ticket barriers, -ahh, we can -(TM)t get out that way, come with me, - Poppy said, -now you get your adventure of finding your way out of the station without using the barrier. - -Come this way, - Belle said as she walked us across the ticket hall and behind one of the big dry wipe service status signs, which are now used for daily quotes, this one said A word to the wise isn -(TM)t necessary, it -(TM)s the stupid people who need advice -(TM) -Ok Katie, - Poppy said, -now -(TM)s your chance, find the door code. - Katie scanned the wall for a few moments until she found it, a small pencil marking two tiles away from the door, -648391! - -Yayy, well done, - Belle said, -now to work our way through this maze to the outside world. - Belle walked us through the dimly lit passages, and soon we were outside on Pancras Road. -There -(TM)s a cafe up there where they won -(TM)t kick me out, - Belle said, -they do really nice cheese on toast, that money you gave me has meant I -(TM)ve been able to eat properly these last few weeks. - -I -(TM)m so glad to hear that, - Poppy replied. -I -(TM)ve not been greedy though, I -(TM)ve passed some on to other girls when they -(TM)ve been really desperate, bought them hot food and drinks. - -I knew you would, that -(TM)s why I gave it to you. - Katie bought us all mugs of tea and Belle a big plate of cheese and beans on toast, which she devoured with a huge smile on her face. -Where -(TM)s Flower? - Poppy asked as she wiped the bean sauce away from Belle -(TM)s mouth with a napkin. -She left a few days ago, she -(TM)s gone to live with a couple of girls she -(TM)s been talking to, Alicia and Luna, do you know them? - -Oh shit, really, I know Luna, tall, redhead? - -Yeah, that -(TM)s her, Alicia is a small girl with big tits. - -Oh fuck Belle, Luna -(TM)s a hooker, I know I did that, but not professionally, she -(TM)s got her mobile number in phone boxes. - -I know, and I told Flower, but she wouldn -(TM)t listen, she said she needed to get some money together, there -(TM)s nothing I could do. - -So you -(TM)re on your own now? - -Yeah, but I -(TM)m safe, I -(TM)ve still not been disturbed in my secret room, - Belle replied as she excused herself to use the toilet. Poppy and Katie looked at me. Poppy spoke first, -dad, can we take her home, please! - -We -(TM)ll take care of her, - Katie added. -She -(TM)s not a puppy, - I replied, -You can -(TM)t just take her home. - -We have to, she can -(TM)t stay out here much longer, it won -(TM)t cost you anything, - Poppy said. -We -(TM)ll share our pocket money, you won -(TM)t have to pay any extra, we -(TM)ll buy her clothes and things. - -Have you been planning this? - I asked. -Honestly, we haven -(TM)t, but we -(TM)ve both decided she can -(TM)t live out here any longer, it -(TM)s not safe, - Katie said. -Especially now she -(TM)s alone, pleaseeeee! - Poppy begged. -I -(TM)ll phone Jenny, see if she -(TM)s ok, look, she -(TM)s coming back, say nothing, I -(TM)ll call your mum from outside. - They were both beaming as I left the cafe, absolutely certain Jenny would agree, and to be honest I couldn -(TM)t see her refusing either. Jenny answered on the third ring, -hey Alex, how -(TM)s it going with the girls? - -I should be used to this by now, but today really hasn -(TM)t gone the way I expected. - -So no shopping then? - -It started well, with horrendously expensive burgers in Harrods... - -Ohhh, the Gordon Ramsey place? How were they? - -Amazing, never had better, then Katie asked to see the streets where Poppy lived. - -Ahh, and how -(TM)s that going? - -Good and bad, Katie -(TM)s really got a feel for how Poppy lived, we -(TM)ve had tears and smiles... - -And... - -And we found Belle, and they want to bring her home. - -Oh really! That -(TM)s great news, we -(TM)ve got room. It -(TM)s your house, what do you think? - -I think she really needs a home, but I don -(TM)t want this to become a habit, I don -(TM)t want to open a hostel. - -I get that, do we know her real name? Has she got a home to go back to? - -If I remember rightly, her real name is Amelia Dean, she -(TM)s from York I think and her parents died in a car crash, her uncle reported her missing. - -Ahh yes, I remember, Poppy kept her photo. I -(TM)ll pop back to the station and run a few checks, give me an hour at least before you come home. - -So you -(TM)re ok with me bringing her home? - -Of course, she -(TM)s Poppy -(TM)s best friend from the streets, we need to take her in, even if it -(TM)s just until we can get her home. - -I think they -(TM)ll be pleased to hear that, Katie -(TM)s equally keen. - -Is she as pretty as Poppy says? - -Well, she -(TM)s as dirty as you -(TM)d expect from someone living in a tunnel under Kings Cross, but I -(TM)d say yes, she -(TM)s pretty. - -Do we have clothes her size? - -No, she -(TM)s shorter than Poppy, and slimmer than Katie. - -I guess we -(TM)re going shopping tomorrow. - -I guess we are, how delightful! - -Can we afford three girls Alex? - -Yeah, we -(TM)re ok, I -(TM)m comfortable at the moment, and if Tara does her stuff and sells my new book to Netflix we -(TM)ll be very comfortable. - -Great, and I -(TM)ve got extra money from my promotion, and no rent to pay, so that will help. - -See you in an hour or so, I love you Jenny. - -Love you too Alex. - The girls had their faces in huge mugs of hot chocolate when I sat back at the table, I smiled at Poppy and her eyes lit up, she put her mug down and wiped her mouth on a napkin. -Belle, I can -(TM)t let you live out here anymore, it breaks my heart thinking of you out here all alone when I -(TM)ve got a family and a warm house to sleep in. - -But I can -(TM)t go home! - Belle cried, -I just can -(TM)t, not back to him, I -(TM)d rather die! - Poppy took hold of Belle -(TM)s hands, -I -(TM)m not suggesting you go back home, - she said quietly, calmly, -you can come back to our house, there -(TM)s plenty of room, and you -(TM)ll love our new mum Jenny, and Alex -(TM)s sister Helen, oh my god she -(TM)s gorgeous, and so funny. - -You -(TM)ll be safe and warm with us, and we can get you into school, - Katie added, -that is if you want to go to school. - -But most of all, you -(TM)ll be safe, and loved, and really that -(TM)s the most important thing, being loved. - Belle looked at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, -is that true, you -(TM)ll take me in, this isn -(TM)t a trick? - -You know Poppy, do you trust her, would she play a trick like this on you? - -I trust Poppy with my life, and I trust Jeremy, and I trust Max. I don -(TM)t trust anyone else at the moment. - -Well, it -(TM)s lucky it -(TM)s me asking then isn -(TM)t it, - Poppy said brightly, -and it -(TM)s lucky Jeremy trusts Alex, and our new mum Jenny is the police lady who found Gemma and Meghan -(TM)s bodies and is working with Jeremy to make sure Max doesn -(TM)t get identified as Kenzie and Parker -(TM)s killer. - -I don -(TM)t know what to say, this is kind of a shock, you were always so kind to me Poppy, you never let anyone hurt me. Since you escaped, I -(TM)ve been having dreams that one day you -(TM)d come down and take me away from all this, then when you gave me all that money, which was amazing, and I can never thank you enough for that kindness, but something broke in me, you -(TM)d come to me, yet I was still living rough in a big cupboard in Kings Cross, I was so disappointed and cried so much. -Then you sent us those clothes, and the phone so I could talk to you, and I felt better, you -(TM)d not forgotten about me, but I was still living in the cupboard. Then you turn up today, and I thought, it -(TM)s today, you -(TM)ve come for me, but you didn -(TM)t say anything, then just when I -(TM)m ready to go back to my life, you spring it on me, after all these weeks waiting, you -(TM)ve asked me, and I don -(TM)t believe it -(TM)s real. - Poppy stood, she took hold of Belle -(TM)s and Katie -(TM)s hand, -come on, let -(TM)s get you home, you can have a hot bath and some nice food, then you can sleep in a big comfy bed. - -Do I get my own bed? - -If you want your own bed, or you can sleep with Katie and me. - -I -(TM)d like to sleep with you two please, that would be nice, I -(TM)ve been really scared these last few days on my own. That -(TM)s why I was asleep when you found me, I -(TM)ve been afraid to sleep at night, then I just flaked out behind the door. - -Anything could have happened to you falling asleep like that in the station, - Katie said. -There -(TM)s big CCTV cameras pointing at that door from both sides, weirdly I felt safer there than in my room that -(TM)s so hard to find none of the tube staff know it -(TM)s there. - -Jeremy told me not to come looking for you, he said if I was wandering around the platforms looking for you it would make security suspicious and they -(TM)d find you. - -Yeah, he said he -(TM)d told you that, didn -(TM)t make me less sad that you didn -(TM)t come for me. Anyway, you -(TM)re here now. - -And we -(TM)re going to take you home. - -By home, does that mean your house, and forever, because if you even suggest taking me back to my family I will run away again. - -Under no circumstances am I going to let anyone suggest that Belle. I don -(TM)t know what happened back home, you -(TM)ve always changed the subject, so I won -(TM)t ask, that -(TM)s the number one rule on the streets, never ask why someone is on the streets. You can live with us forever, we can be a trio for life, just us three girls and a dozen cats, people will call us witches. - -Hahaha that would be great, I -(TM)d like to be a witch. - -You -(TM)ve got the hair for it, - Katie said, running her hand over Belle -(TM)s hair. -I have, that -(TM)s true, even when it -(TM)s clean it -(TM)s properly black, I don -(TM)t have any warts or a familiar, I -(TM)ll have to work on that, maybe not the wart bit though. - They laughed all the way back to the station, where Belle took us around to a service entrance and we slipped inside without anyone noticing. -One of the girls who works in Waitrose in the station said the CCTV camera on this door has been broken for a couple of years, - Belle advised us, -they -(TM)ve not fixed it so no-one can see who -(TM)s on a smoke break, and how many smoke breaks some people have a day. - -Always useful to know things like that, - Poppy said as we wound our way through the passages to the underground station. -Which line do we need? - Belle asked. -Piccadilly, - I replied. -Ahh, we need to go this way, which is nice, because we go behind the sandwich shop and the lady there usually has some bits of broken cookies for me. I -(TM)ll just pop my head in and tell her not to worry about me anymore. - Belle came back out of the shop with a bag full of cakes and cookies, -she -(TM)s so sweet, anyone want a cookie? - With soft, oaty cookies in hand we worked our way through the maze, sometimes going upstairs, sometimes going down stairs, until Belle stopped suddenly, -hang on a sec, we need to go and get my stuff, there -(TM)s still some clothes I -(TM)ve not worn, and a bit of money left, it -(TM)s down this way, not far from where we need to be. - So, we followed her through some more passages, these were less well lit, -almost nobody comes this way, so I don -(TM)t think anyone checks for dead bulbs and stuff, watch where you -(TM)re walking, I move the dead rats when I see them, but there may be fresh ones. - -This is why I don -(TM)t want you living down here anymore, - Poppy said quietly. -Until Flower left I felt completely safe here, since then it -(TM)s been a little creepy. - Belle stopped at the end of a passage, she pulled a screwdriver from her pocket and ran the blade between the door and the frame, -there -(TM)s a lock on this door, but we don -(TM)t have a key obviously, so I use this screwdriver to push the catch back. The lock isn -(TM)t great, but it -(TM)s a bit of extra protection for me. - -I feel a bit better now, - Poppy said, -you were safer than I expected. - Belle opened a desk drawer and tipped the clothes we -(TM)d bought her into the carrier from the bakers, -these are all clean, I -(TM)ve not worn any of them. - She then pulled another drawer all the way out and turned it over, there was an envelope sellotaped under the drawer, she tore the tape and stuffed the envelope in the bag. The last stop was a shelf at the back of the room, she took a box off the shelf and gave it to Poppy. -I bought you this present, in case I ever saw you again. - -Oh you shouldn -(TM)t have wasted your money on me, - Poppy said as she opened the box, she lifted out a Wonder Woman action figure, -oh shit, this is amazing. - -I saw it in a shop and she just reminded me of you, strong, loyal, honest, and an absolute goddess. - Poppy wrapped her arms around Belle and they cried together, Katie and I stepped out of the room to give them privacy. -Poppy meant so much to everyone on the streets, but she really doesn -(TM)t realise how much everyone loved her, and looked up to her, - Katie said as we waited down the corridor a little so we couldn -(TM)t hear them in the room. -I suppose she just thinks anyone in her position would have acted the same, even though she -(TM)s been told many times that -(TM)s totally not the case. When we found her friend Evie passed out in the streets and we did CPR to bring her back, afterwards we visited the hostel where she -(TM)d been taken to give them some money for her care, the chap at the hostel said pretty much everyone else would have just ignored her, even stepping over her as she lay dying. -Poppy couldn -(TM)t do that, and that -(TM)s why she -(TM)s special and everyone adores her. - It was a few minutes before they emerged, Katie pulled a couple of napkins from her pocket and handed them over. -Thank you sweetie, - Poppy said, smiling at her girlfriend, -we got a bit emotional there, sorry about that. - -That -(TM)s only to be expected, so much has happened today. - -Yes, we got Belle back, this is more than I ever hoped for, and I -(TM)ve got you to thank, for suggesting we visit the streets instead of the shops. - At the end of this passage Belle stopped, -sorry, Piccadilly line wasn -(TM)t it? - -Yep, - Katie replied. -Great, back this way a little then we have one more set of stairs to go down. - A minute later we stepped out onto the westbound Piccadilly Line platform. -So, where are we going? - Belle asked. -I -(TM)m so sorry, I thought we -(TM)d told you, - Poppy said, -you -(TM)re going to live in Wimbledon. - -Oh wow, will we see Wombles? - -I -(TM)ve not seen any yet, - Poppy answered, -but maybe we -(TM)ll get to see some in the summer - -I hope so, they -(TM)re much better than Teletubbies, those colourful bastards freaked me out, - Belle laughed as she turned to look at Poppy, -I -(TM)ve missed you so much, I -(TM)ve not had anything to laugh about since you left, Flower is pretty, and quite clever, but she -(TM)s not got much of a sense of humour. - -I -(TM)ve missed you too, maybe Alex and Katie will get some peace now, I -(TM)ve been talking about you constantly for weeks. - -Really? - -Yes! - Katie and I said together. -That -(TM)s why my ears were burning all this time, - Belle said. We changed at Earls Court and got off at Wimbledon Park, where Belle spotted a problem, -how do I get out of the station, I -(TM)ve never been here before? - -Hahaha, luckily I -(TM)ve been thinking about just this situation, and the only solution is for you to jump the barriers, Katie is going to distract the guy at the gates by pretending to lose her phone, and you can do what you do best, which is hurdling the wheelchair gate. - -Brilliant! We -(TM)ve not done this for months, do you know what to do Katie? - -I guess I pretend I -(TM)ve dropped my phone somewhere and get the guy to help me find it. - -Precisely, - Poppy said. -Should I phone Jenny and see if she can get you all out of jail later this evening? - I asked. -We -(TM)ll be fine, I -(TM)ve only been arrested doing this once, and a quick flash of boob got me off with a warning, - Poppy answered. -She -(TM)s right, I watched her do it, lucky she -(TM)s got big boobs, mine are not impressive enough for shit like that, - Belle laughed. -You -(TM)re also far too young to be flashing your tits, - Poppy told her. -I -(TM)m only a year younger than you, - she replied. -That year is important, I was trying to make sure you weren -(TM)t ruined quite as young as I was. - -I realise that, and thank you. - As we approached the barriers Katie started to pat her pockets, a worried look on her face, she had properly gotten into character. -I -(TM)m so sorry, - she said as she reached the guard in the gates, -I -(TM)ve lost my phone, I need it for the barriers, I had it when I stepped off the train, can you help me look for it. - And it worked, he walked away with Katie and they searched the platform for a fictitious lost phone. As soon as he was 10 yards or so away Belle ran for the wheelchair and luggage gate, she slapped her right hand on the top of the gate and neatly swung her legs over, landing easily and jogging a few steps beyond the gate. Poppy followed behind, hurdling the gate just as the guard turned to see what the commotion was, Poppy grabbed Belle -(TM)s hand, running with her into the park, where they stopped to wait for us. As the guard looked back at Katie she checked the back pocket of her jeans, -oh shit, I -(TM)m so sorry, it -(TM)s here, I -(TM)m so embarrassed, I hope I -(TM)ve not caused any trouble. - -Nah, just a couple of kids hurdling the gate, it happens all the time, I wouldn -(TM)t mind, but every so often they hurt themselves if they don -(TM)t make it over properly. - -Ouch, I don -(TM)t fancy falling on this concrete. Thanks for helping me. - -Not a problem. - Katie joined me at the gate and she tapped her phone on the barrier to open it. -You were great! - Poppy cried out as we jogged up to them, -even I believed you -(TM)d lost your phone. - -I -(TM)m sorry I missed you jumping over, I wanted to look back as you ran, but I was worried the man would notice. - -Lucky I filmed it then, - I said, tapping the video on my phone so Katie could watch Belle, then Poppy jump neatly over the gate. -We should show that to the PE teacher, - Katie joked, -she could put you in the athletics squad. - -I -(TM)d rather you didn -(TM)t, I have a phobia of shared changing rooms, - Poppy replied quietly. -Oh gosh, I was only joking, I -(TM)d never do that. - -I know, it -(TM)s just I -(TM)ve always been horrified by the thought of other girls seeing my body, you know, girls who don -(TM)t know me, it used to be the bruises, then it was just because my body is different to other girls, now I -(TM)m worried other girls will see me bent over and see my bum hole has been badly abused in the past. The girls at school aren -(TM)t going to know and understand what I -(TM)ve been through, they -(TM)ll think I -(TM)m a slut, and I -(TM)m not, or at least I don -(TM)t think I am. - -You -(TM)re not a slut, - Belle said firmly, -you did what you had to do. - -But I do love sex, doesn -(TM)t that make me bad? - -Absolutely not, - Katie said, -I -(TM)ve only just found sex, and I had so much fun. If it -(TM)s fun, and makes you feel good, how can it be bad. - -I guess you -(TM)re right, I -(TM)ll ask Helen when she -(TM)s round next, she always makes me feel better about myself. - I checked my watch and decided we -(TM)d given Jenny enough time to do whatever she needed to do checking up on Belle, so we set off for home. Jenny came to the door as I unlocked it, she took Belle -(TM)s hands, -hey Belle, I -(TM)m Jenny, I -(TM)m so pleased to meet you, Poppy has told us so much, and she wasn -(TM)t wrong, you really are super pretty. Come inside and I -(TM)ll run you a bath. - As we entered the house Jenny continued, -I don -(TM)t think we -(TM)ve got any clothes to fit, I guess you can manage in one of Poppy -(TM)s t-shirts for today, we -(TM)ll get you some more clothes tomorrow. - -It -(TM)s ok, I -(TM)ve still got some of the clothes Poppy bought me, I -(TM)ve not worn them, so they -(TM)re clean. - -That -(TM)s fantastic, come upstairs, do you want your own room? - -No miss, I -(TM)d like to share with Poppy and Katie, if that -(TM)s ok with you. - -That -(TM)s absolutely fine, and please, call me Jenny. - Poppy and Katie followed Jenny, and I was left alone. I sat down in the lounge and enjoyed the silence for a few moments before I pulled out my mobile and called Helen. -Hey Helen, - I said as she answered, -how -(TM)s Nita doing? - -Ahh, she -(TM)s got a migraine, so I -(TM)ve got all the curtains closed and the lights off, she -(TM)ll be better tomorrow I think. How did your day with the girls go? - -Interesting. - -That sounds like it wasn -(TM)t good. - -Oh it was, Katie wanted to see the streets where Poppy lived. - -Did she, this is interesting, once she understands how Poppy lived she -(TM)ll be prepared for the times when Poppy -(TM)s brain starts to rebel against her comfortable new life and brings back the bad memories. - -Poppy is learning from you, Helen, she -(TM)s already brought that up. - -Oh wow, really, I -(TM)m pleased about that. - -So we met a couple of girls she lived with, and saw the remains of her first squat, and had tea in a lovely cafe that used to treat the street girls properly, and then we found Belle. - -Shit you found her? Is she ok? Where -(TM)s she living now, still in Kings Cross? - -As of now she -(TM)s living here. - -Oh, really, how -(TM)s Katie taking it? - -Would you believe it -(TM)s Katie that found Belle, and wanted her to stay, and suggested she could share their bed. - -Mmmm, there may be an ulterior motive here, if she thinks that -(TM)s the only way she won -(TM)t lose Poppy to Belle. - -I wondered that myself, Poppy did propose this morning, although they -(TM)re obviously too young for a formal engagement, that made Katie much more secure. We had a little chat about Belle when Poppy went to the loo, Katie seemed happy that Poppy loved her after our chat. - -Do you know what? I -(TM)ll go up and check on Nita, then I think I -(TM)ll pop round, check on things. - -That might be useful, Poppy was worried earlier about people thinking she -(TM)s a slut, she said she wanted to check with you. - -How did that topic come about, not about her and Belle? - -Oh no, Katie joked about PE and Poppy went white, said she has a phobia of communal changing rooms, she -(TM)s concerned if any of the girls see her nude they -(TM)ll see she -(TM)s slept around. - -Nonsense, they can -(TM)t tell she slept around from seeing her nude. - -She -(TM)s spoken about this fear before, tangentially, she said girls are cruel, they sneer at the first girl to get boobs, then at the last girl to get boobs, it seems you just can -(TM)t win. - -This is very true, I -(TM)ll be round in half an hour. - Chapter 18 I went into the kitchen and set the coffee machine going, Jenny joined me as I was pouring my first cup. -How -(TM)s everything upstairs? - I asked as I poured Jenny a cup. -Fine, Belle -(TM)s in the bath, they -(TM)re taking turns scrubbing her front and back. - -Is she OK? Belle I mean. - -She -(TM)s fine, she seems to have lived reasonably well, I didn -(TM)t see any marks on her body, not like Poppy -(TM)s. - -Poppy worked hard to keep Belle safe, and she -(TM)s been living in Kings Cross, in a room well behind the scenes that even the staff don -(TM)t know about. The money Poppy gave her has meant she -(TM)s been able to eat reasonably well these last couple of weeks. - -Ahh, food, I was going to cook dinner but got sidetracked. - -Not to worry, Helen -(TM)s on her way to have a word with the girls, I think she really wants to meet Belle, when she gets here, we -(TM)ll order Chinese. - -What -(TM)s she want to speak to them about? - -I guess she wants to make sure the addition of Belle won -(TM)t affect Poppy and Katie -(TM)s relationship. Poppy -(TM)s also showing a little insecurity about the effects of her life on her body, so she -(TM)s looking for a little reassurance. - -So, on the subject of Belle, I did a little digging. You were right, she -(TM)s from York, her parents were killed in a multi-vehicle accident on the motorway 18 months ago. According to court documents her uncle, Liam Dean was awarded custody, although her grandparents fought the ruling and she never moved in with her uncle. -Just over a year ago her grandmother passed away suddenly, her grandfather was unable to care for Belle as he suffers from Parkinsons and is mostly wheelchair bound. Her uncle took advantage and went back to court. Belle wanted to stay with her grandfather, as his carer, but social services in their wisdom decided this wasn -(TM)t going to happen, so again Liam was awarded custody. -That night Belle ran away. - I processed this for a moment before asking, -why doesn -(TM)t Belle want to live with her uncle? - -Good question, - Belle said as she came into the kitchen wearing jeans and a pink t-shirt, she slid onto the chair next to Jenny and took her coffee, -mmm nice. So, do you want the true story or the one you -(TM)ve probably read in the court documents? - -I -(TM)ve read beyond the court documents, I -(TM)ve read the sealed files, but please, tell us your story your way, - Jenny said calmly as I got up to pour her a fresh coffee. -Can I wait until Poppy and Katie come down, so we all hear it together? - -Of course, we -(TM)ll go into the lounge. Alex -(TM)s sister is coming soon, I think you -(TM)ll like her, you may want to wait until she arrives. - -Nobody will gossip about this? - Belle asked. -Absolutely not, this is one thing you -(TM)ll learn about us, - Jenny replied, -nothing you tell us will leave these four walls, and that includes Helen and her girlfriend Nita. Poppy has already poured her heart out to us and Helen, we -(TM)ve not told anyone else. - -I guess I can trust anyone Poppy trusts, in the squat she was like my big sister and my mum. She took such good care of me, like a mum should do, and we had so much fun, just like I -(TM)d have with a big sister. We used to go shoplifting and see who could steal the most ridiculous things. One day I brought back this ashtray made from a monkey -(TM)s skull, I saw it in this tacky shop in Soho that mostly sold bongs and shit, I thought I -(TM)d definitely won that day, then she comes in with this massive dildo, it was like 3 foot long and as thick as my leg. I -(TM)ve no idea how she stole it, then she tells me they were showing a video in the shop of a woman actually using this dildo, it made my eyes water thinking about it. - Belle paused for a moment then smiled, -ahh, I -(TM)ve just admitted shoplifting to a police officer... - Jenny put a hand on Belle -(TM)s cheek, -what -(TM)s in the past is in the past, we -(TM)ve been through this with Poppy. I -(TM)m really not concerned about what you did to survive in the past, although stealing monster dildos probably wasn -(TM)t necessary, - she said with a smile, -just don -(TM)t do anything like that from now on, and that includes fare dodging on the underground, we -(TM)ll get you an Oyster card. - -You should have seen Poppy though, she was always the master of hurdling the gates - We heard the key in the lock and Helen called out as she opened the door, Poppy and Katie ran down the stairs to meet her in the hallway. -We thought you weren -(TM)t coming today, I heard Nita is poorly, I hope she -(TM)s ok, - Poppy said as they walked into the kitchen. -She -(TM)s ok, just a migraine, which is horrible obviously, but she -(TM)ll be fine tomorrow I reckon. - -Aunty, meet Belle! - Poppy said as she stood behind her, hands on Belle -(TM)s shoulders. Helen sat down next to me, opposite Belle and looked at her for the longest time, Belle didn -(TM)t blink under Helen -(TM)s gaze. -You really are beautiful aren -(TM)t you, I love your eyes honey, and your hair is wonderful, I -(TM)ve not seen hair so naturally black for such a long time. - -Thank you, Poppy and Katie told me so much about you while I was having my bath, they like you a lot. - -We were going to order Chinese for dinner, are you stopping Helen, - I asked. -Nita -(TM)s fast asleep, I guess I can stay for a couple of hours. - -Excellent, I -(TM)ll order a mixed banquet, why don -(TM)t you all go into the lounge where the chairs are comfier and Belle can tell us all about herself, and we can tell Belle everything she needs to know about us. - Jenny took a couple of bottles of wine from the fridge and I grabbed some glasses. Belle looked at the wine as Jenny poured her a glass, -am I allowed wine? I -(TM)m only 14, Max never let me drink. - -Oh yeah, she always made us get you soft drinks. You had a bit of my drink sometimes, when she wasn -(TM)t looking. - -Everyone treated me like a toddler sometimes, but I guess I was always safe, even if I missed some of your more exciting adventures. - -Well here you can have a little wine if you want, just don -(TM)t get drunk and throw up on the carpets, - Jenny said as she moved across to pour Poppy -(TM)s wine. -So, - Belle said quietly, blushing a little at having an audience, -I -(TM)m Belle, or Amelia, I like both names, and I -(TM)m 14, from York originally. I met Poppy about a year ago now, I was sleeping near Paddington Station. I -(TM)d been in London for 3 days, but I only had money for one night in a hotel. I was wondering whether going to live with my Uncle was worse than sleeping on the streets and decided it probably was. So there I was, wrapped up in a sleeping bag I -(TM)d bought from a charity shop, wondering how long it would take me to die when this angel crouched down next to me and gave me a burger and a coffee, she told me her name was Poppy and if I didn -(TM)t want to die I -(TM)d could come live with her and her friends. - She was silent for a moment while she thought about what to say next, -I guess you want to know why I don -(TM)t want to go home. - -You don -(TM)t need to tell us anything you don -(TM)t want to, - Helen said. -It -(TM)s ok, it -(TM)s only fair, you know about Poppy, and Katie -(TM)s mum sounds like a right bitch. So, here goes, you know my mum and dad died, sometimes I wish I -(TM)d gone with them to nan -(TM)s, then at least I -(TM)d have been dead with them... - Katie moved next to Belle and put a soothing hand on hers, Belle smiled weakly. - ... ok, so after mum and dad died I went to live with nan and grandad, but my Uncle Liam wasn -(TM)t happy with this, he went to court and made them hand me over, but nan fought back, and I stayed with them, but the court fight took its toll and nan had a heart attack and died. Grandad wasn -(TM)t well, so social services went back to court and made me move in with Uncle Liam. I wanted to stay with grandad, I wanted to care for him, I could do that, I -(TM)d have enjoyed doing it, I like cooking and caring for people. -Anyway, the fucking bastards signed me over to Liam, so I took all the money I had saved, a bag of clothes and jumped on the next train to London. - -Why didn -(TM)t you want to live with Liam? - I asked again. -Mmm, could I have more wine before I answer that? - -Of course, - Jenny replied, -but remember what I said about vomit on the carpets, your bathroom has a vinyl floor, it -(TM)s very easy to clean. - This made Belle smile, which is exactly what Jenny wanted, -I -(TM)ll remember that. - She took a sip of her second glass and put it down on the coffee table, -where to start? Well, let -(TM)s start with him beating his girlfriend so badly she needed pins in her arm and plastic surgery. - -What the fuck! - Helen cried, -and social services still gave him custody? How? - -He -~persuaded -(TM) her to say it wasn -(TM)t his fault, she -(TM)d driven him to it with her relentless nagging, he had a -~moment -(TM) of madness. Some moment, a police lady I spoke to said he must have been beating on her for over an hour. Then there -(TM)s the reports of him raping and assaulting girls, some of them younger than me, but the police have never had anything positive to prosecute him. - -Even without evidence to prosecute, the police lobbied social services to keep you away from him, I read it in the file, but social services just didn -(TM)t seem to want to believe them. - Jenny said. -Yes, that -(TM)s what the police lady said as she drove me to the station. - -Are you saying a police officer helped you run away? - -Yes, she thought I had a better chance of survival running away than I had with Liam. - -Do you remember her name? - Jenny asked. -I do, but I -(TM)m not telling you if it will get her into trouble. - -Good grief no, I want to see if she -(TM)d like a transfer, a conscience like that is exactly what I want in my new squad. - -Did he ever touch you? - Helen asked. -Not in that way, no. - Belle said gravely, -he would slap me when mum and dad weren -(TM)t looking, but he was never alone with me long enough for him to do that. Thanks to Poppy -(TM)s work, and Flower, I -(TM)m still a virgin, and I intend to stay that way for as long as possible. - -Yayyy! - Poppy cried, -sometimes I wish I had someone to protect me when I was first on the streets, but then I think if I had then I wouldn -(TM)t be as tough as I am now, then I feel sad because I worry that I was over protective with you. - Belle jumped up and punched Poppy on the arm. -Oi! - Poppy shouted, -that hurt. - -And I -(TM)m glad, it shows that I can protect myself if I need to. You kept me safe Poppy, but we all had fighting lessons from Max and Evie. I -(TM)ve only needed to fight once, and I won. - The gate buzzer sounded, announcing the arrival of the food, Poppy stood up and rubbed her arm, -if I get a bruise you -(TM)re in deep shit young lady, - she laughed as she went to the door. Katie set the table in the dining room as Poppy took the bags into the kitchen, Belle helped her pour the food into serving dishes so everyone could help themselves. We had a choice of Hot and Sour soup or Chicken and Sweetcorn soup to start, with Kung Po Duck, Sweet and Sour Pork or Beef in Black Bean Sauce to follow with plenty of fluffy rice. We watched as Belle helped herself to everything, she had a huge smile on her face as she sampled the duck. -This is all so nice, do you eat like this all the time? - -Not always, I was going to make spaghetti bolognese tonight, but I kind of got side-tracked. - -I love spag bol, I -(TM)ll make it for tomorrow if you like, - Belle said, -mmm, I -(TM)m really liking the wine, am I allowed some more please. I promise, I won -(TM)t be sick on the carpets, I -(TM)m properly house trained. - -Hahaha, of course you can have more, - Jenny said. -Did your police files say anything different to what I told you? - Belle asked before she finished the Hot and Sour soup, drinking from the bowl to make sure she got it all. -Nothing much really, I didn -(TM)t have a chance to read everything, but I -(TM)ve seen the reports of assaults on young girls, and the lack of evidence. It seems he gives each girl a bath afterwards, so there -(TM)s no DNA evidence, he also drugs them, so their memories are unreliable. - -But did the police speak to social services about me? - -On a few occasions, social services said that they couldn -(TM)t rely on rumours, and some of the girls were known to be underaged prostitutes. - -Fuck, so social services think you can -(TM)t rape a prostitute, - Poppy shouted, -I -(TM)ve heard that so many times from bastards who thought it would be fun to force themselves on me when I wasn -(TM)t interested. - -That seems to be the case here anyway, - Jenny replied. -So, what can we do, - Katie started, -if we want to keep Belle, we -(TM)ll need to enrol her in school, and he might find out. - -Let me worry about that, - Jenny said, -I -(TM)ll speak to Jeremy tomorrow, I -(TM)m sure he -(TM)ll be delighted to know Belle is now safe. - -Oh shit, I should have phoned him straight away, - Poppy cried, -I was so excited about finding you, and bringing you home, I completely forgot to let him know. - -It -(TM)s OK Poppy, I -(TM)ll tell him tomorrow, I -(TM)ve a few things I need to catch up with him about. - -I love my family, - Poppy said as she started to clear the table. -Err, leave that dish, I -(TM)ve not finished it yet, - Belle said as she put a hand over the Beef in Black Bean Sauce. -You -(TM)ll pop if you eat anymore, - Katie said. -But it -(TM)s all so nice, I -(TM)ve basically lived off cheese on toast and soup for as long as I can remember. - Suddenly Poppy sat down, she looked sad. -What -(TM)s the matter? - Belle asked, -is it something I said? - -Yes, it is, before we met you today we spent an obscene amount of money on burgers, they were nice burgers, but still cost more money than any reasonable person should spend on fast food. And while we were eating them, you only had cheese on toast to look forward to, I feel really annoyed with myself now. - Belle put her fork down and rushed around the table to Poppy -(TM)s side, -how were you to know you -(TM)d meet me today, you couldn -(TM)t possibly know. - -I guess, and it was after the meal when we decided to go visit my old haunts, but still, I shouldn -(TM)t be eating like a queen when my friends are out on the streets starving. - Belle kissed Poppy, she sat on her lap and looked straight in her eyes. -You are the kindest, bravest, smartest, funniest, most kick-ass girl I have ever met, you would give anyone your last sandwich because you thought they needed it more than you. I -(TM)d say that a goddess like you deserves a good meal after all you -(TM)ve suffered on behalf of others. - Poppy looked at Belle, -thank you, that makes me feel better, but I won -(TM)t feel right until you -(TM)ve had a similarly stupidly priced burger. - -That -(TM)s not necessary, but I will let you buy me one of those milkshakes we always lusted after in Covent Garden. - -Oh my god! Yes, we -(TM)ll do that tomorrow. We need to buy you more clothes, so we -(TM)ll go there for lunch. They have nice burgers, so that -(TM)s perfect. - Belle climbed off Poppy -(TM)s lap and helped her clear the table and load the dishwasher. -Looks like we are going shopping tomorrow, - I said to Jenny. -You don -(TM)t have to go, they can shop on their own. We can go meet Jeremy. - -I -(TM)d like to meet him too, if that -(TM)s OK, - Helen said. -Of course, you -(TM)re taking an interest in Poppy and Belle -(TM)s welfare, - Jenny replied, -I -(TM)m sure he -(TM)d like to meet you. - Helen looked at her watch, -I really need to get back to Nita, she -(TM)ll still be zonked out on her pain killers, but still, I shouldn -(TM)t leave her all night. - -No problem, it was good of you to come round. - -All I -(TM)ve done is eat your food, - she laughed, -actually, I -(TM)ll just have a quick word with you Katie, if that -(TM)s ok. - -Ok, I guess, - Katie said, nervously. -Nothing serious, I just want to see how you -(TM)re getting on in your new home. - -Ok, - she answered more brightly and followed Helen to the lounge. A few minutes later Katie came back and Helen called goodbye as she left. -Everything OK? - Jenny asked her. -Oh yes, she wanted to know how I felt about Belle being back in Poppy -(TM)s life. - -And how do you feel? - -I -(TM)m fine with it, really. Do you know what, I can see exactly why Poppy loves her, and I feel the same way. It -(TM)s not just that she -(TM)s pretty, and, oh my god she -(TM)s so pretty, she -(TM)s got everything. She -(TM)s got that spark, the same spark that Poppy -(TM)s got, like there -(TM)s so much life inside her, I just know we -(TM)re going to have the best time. Especially as I think Belle likes me too. - -That -(TM)s brilliant Katie, I -(TM)m so glad, - Jenny said before she turned to me, -you -(TM)re the wordsmith, what -(TM)s the name for a couple with three people. - -I have no idea, that -(TM)s not something I -(TM)ve ever written about. - Katie picked up her phone and googled the question, -it -(TM)s a -~throuple -(TM) apparently, did you hear that Poppy and Belle, we -(TM)re a throuple. - -A throuple, - Poppy said as she poked her head into the dining room, -what the fuck is a throuple? - -It -(TM)s a couple with three people who -(TM)re all romantically linked. - -Cool, in that case I -(TM)m happy to be in a throuple. Belle, we -(TM)re a throuple. I -(TM)ll say it again, I fucking love my family. - Katie followed Poppy out of the room, I turned to Jenny, -I fucking love my family, but I suspect this is going to be hard work. - -At least we won -(TM)t be having to change nappies or potty train any of them. - -There is that, and it seems they can all cook, which saves us both a lot of work. - With the dining room cleared we took what little wine Belle had left us into the lounge, as we passed the girls they told us they were going upstairs to reorganise the dressing room to make spaces in the wardrobes, cupboards and drawers for Belle -(TM)s stuff. -Good night girls, we -(TM)ll watch a movie then go to bed, - Jenny said. The three of them paraded past, each kissing us both in turn, Belle stopped and gave Jenny a big hug, -I think I -(TM)ll call you mum, you look a lot like my real mum, although your boobs are way bigger, how do you even stand upright? - Jenny turned around, -my big arse keeps me balanced, - she laughed. -I think I -(TM)m going to enjoy my new life immensely, - Belle said as she followed her friends upstairs. Jenny scrolled through Netflix until she found a film she liked the look of, some romantic film about a woman running away from an abusive husband and finding love in a new town. It was actually much better than I expected from the write-up, and there was genuine tension towards the end, and I did not suspect one of the main characters was the ghost of her new guy -(TM)s dead wife. As the credits rolled I turned the TV off, Jenny hugged me, -I want to keep her, I can -(TM)t let her uncle claim her, what can we do? - -We speak to Jeremy tomorrow, I -(TM)m sure he can offer us some advice, albeit advice of dubious legality. - -Yes, his heart is definitely in the right place, but he has few scruples when it comes to protecting his girls. - I poured us a glass of Dalmore each from the sideboard, we sipped the malt in silence for a moment, both subconsciously listening for noises upstairs, there were none. Jenny turned to me, -can I tell you something? - she asked, a note of excitement in her voice. -Of course you can, why ask? - -This is silly, but when I was a little girl, when all silly girls dream of being princesses or jockeys or zoo keepers, I wanted to be a housewife, just like my mum. I wanted to run a house with three daughters and a cat, that -(TM)s all I wanted out of life when I was 8 years old. Later I decided I was probably not cut out for having children, and followed my dad into the police. - -Our dream, Tammy and I, when we bought this place, was a couple of children, we didn -(TM)t discuss cats. - -Is three too many? - -What, cats? I read somewhere you should stick to two, once you get a third you somehow tip over into crazy cat lady territory and just don -(TM)t know when to stop. - Jenny slapped my arm playfully, -I meant daughters, will we be ok with three? - -Honestly, I see it as we only have responsibility for two, Poppy will watch Belle, Poppy and Katie will, they -(TM)ll keep her safe and secure. Ignore what I said earlier, I really don -(TM)t think we -(TM)re going to have many problems, all three of them are as level headed as you could wish for. - I had another sip of the Dalmore, -life will be a bit of a roller-coaster, but I think we -(TM)ll enjoy the ride. - -I think we will, and we -(TM)re getting a cat, just one though, definitely not three. - -Perfect. - Everything was still silent upstairs, Jenny checked our room, thankfully it was empty, so she crept along to the girls -(TM) room, she stopped and looked, she waved me to come over, and we looked at our girls, and my heart melted at the sight. Belle was in the middle, still wearing her pink t-shirt, Poppy and Katie were either side, both on their sides, both had an arm protectively across Belle. True love.