~Little Tooth~

Chapter 18:

There you are.

-...-

Cry's fingers stopped touching the key bored. The computer screen reflected off of his glasses as his blue eyes read what was upon it. He leaned back in his chair, a frown forming on his face. His eyes went back and forth reading the lines the News article held. After a few minutes, a sigh escaped his mouth and he turned in his chair to see Felix and Marzia in the other room.

"Felix!" He called.

"Yes?"

Felix walked into the room, standing behind Cry. Cry stepped to the side so Felix would read the article.

"You might want to see this." Cry told the blonde man.

Felix's face turned to a frown. His eyes scanned the article and Cry would tell Felix wasn't happy with it. Marzia walked in, suddenly feeling the unhappy mixture in the air and looking at the two with a confused emotion.

"What is it?" She asked, worried.

"I don't get it." Felix stood up straight, turning to Cry.

"What is it?" Marzia asked again, but now a bit more forcefully.

Felix looked at Marzia, only to have her notice his hand shaking.

"Place tell me." Marzia asked again.

"You remember Alyss, right?" Cry asked the italian girl.

"Yeah..." Marzia nodded her head, now facing Cry.

"This article claims they've found her body behind the old Little Apple building in the beginings of the forest growing in the area."

Marzia's eyes widen.

Cry continued. "Along with her bones, which have been tested for DNA and do match the girl, they also found her journal full of drawings and her dress and clothes."

Felix sat down in another chair in the room. "It says the man who was the first to find her was questioned the other day. Turns out he knew her. He claims not to know why she's dead and actually hasn't seen her for years."

"They didn't reveal the man's identity, but," Cry gained Marzia's attention. "I do believe It's that man you met yesterday. What's his name...Jackson! Yes!"

"That would explain the cop yesterday..." Marzia said quietly.

"I don't get it." Felix said again.

"Get what?" Cry and Marzia turned to Felix.

"Ever since i've tried to get in contact with others we knew as children, i've found out some of them are...are gone. And now Alyss is one of them." Felix sank in his chair. "I mean, It's obvious Norm is gone. That or he is just insanely good at ignoring us."

The two did not reply.

"And I remember when I called Alexis Hamilton and found out her mother was...was missing."

"Mrs. Hamilton was a seriously nice lady." Marzia sighed.

"I mean." Felix stood up. "What about Little Apple is getting anyone involved with it killed or missing?" Felix asked.

"Don't ask me." Cry sighed and turned back to his computer.

"This is really starting to scare me, Felix, please stop." Marzia whimpered. She knew it was true.

"Maybe you should ask Jackson." Cry said. "It would be worth the shot."

"I think I will." Felix walked out the room. "But I'll wait for him to call me first." '

-...-

"And...yeah." Jackson let out a long breath. "That's that."

Baby Tooth, who sat next to him on the porch, didn't say a word. Jackson feared looking down to see her expression, but did anyway. He could tell she didn't know what to think. When he placed his hand on her arm, he felt her shaking.

"H-hey. It's alright." Jackson tried to calm her.

"No...No it's not." Baby Tooth looked up at him with teary eyes. "You could be dead. You could be DEAD."

"But I'm fine now, and you should be grateful." Jackson replied.

"I am, but..." Baby Tooth looked up at the sky, the setting sun making it look like a painting. "But...I wish I had known."

"No, no you don't." Jackson said. "Because then you would have never left LAO, scared i'd die. Being the child you were, you probably would have problems sleeping. It would have made things harder for you."

Baby Tooth looked down to her feet.

"Oliver asked me If I wanted to take this to court. I have no idea if I should."

Baby Tooth looked over at him. "We'd be here to fight for you."

Jackson coughed. "You are no doubt the perfect daughter for Oliver."

"Hm?"

Jackson smiled at the younger girl. "He told me the very same thing."

"Really...?" Baby Tooth said.

Jackson looked up at the sky. "On another note, yesterday I met Felix and Marzia."

"That's great!" Baby Tooth smiled. "How are they?"

"They're doing good. Felix gave me his number. I should really call him back so he has mine."

"You should give him Oliver's house number while you're at it. Just in case." Baby Tooth smiled.

"Okay then."

There was a small silence. Then Baby Tooth looked up at Jackson.

"Um...Jackson?"

Jackson looked over at her. "Yes?"

Baby Tooth paused. She wanted to tell him about the guardians and her home and her troubles. But she wasn't sure if he'd believe her. She didn't want to take the chance.

"I...I missed you." She sniffled, scooting over and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Come here!" Jackson laughed and pulled Baby Tooth into a hug, and then tickling her.

"AK-AHAHA STOP IT!" Baby Tooth laughed. "STOOPPP ITTAHAHA"

Jackson suddenly stopped and Baby Tooth recovered, only to hear more giggling, whom she guessed what Sophie, and the sound of a pillow hitting something.

"Hey, no fair!" Jackson laughed. "All the pillows are inside, I'm strand-"

Jackson was in an even worse position when Baby Tooth took the chance to attack his side with her own tickling. Jackson burst into uncontrollable laughing.

"I gotcha dude!"

A pillow was thrown and Jackson gently pushed Baby Tooth and Sophie out of the way to get the pillow Jamie threw from the door.

"Thanks!"

After Baby Tooth snuck inside to get one of her own, it was an all out pillow war between the four. Jackson and Jamie against Sophie and Baby Tooth. Even though this was rather out of the blue, It was a more pleasant way to spend the afternoon then sitting on the porch and wondering what to do with your life.

"What's going on?"

The four stopped and turned to see Oliver, getting out of his car. He started laughing at them.

"A pillow fight on the front lawn. How odd." He said.

"You need help with those, Oliver?" Sophie asked, watching the man go to get groceries out the back of the car.

"If you remember to put that pillow up then yes!" Oliver smiled.

"Kay!" Sophie raced in the house to throw her pillow at the couch and then go back to help Oliver. Knowing it was the right thing to do, the other three joined her. Oliver came back out for more only to see it was all taken care of.

-...-

Jackson sighed, stepping into his apartment. It was on the second floor of the complex and just outside, his apartment faced the parking lot and the viewable neighborhood. He closed the door behind him and locked it, turning on the lamp next to the couch and sitting down to take off his shoes. He turned on the TV and watched whatever was on.

It was about 11 at night. He had stayed and had dinner with , then playing like a child with the others and then took Jamie and Sophie home after he was asked. He wasn't too sleepy, so just kind of sat there. Later that day, he had told Baby Tooth what he told Oliver. He was happy Baby Tooth didn't over react too much. Although, she probably was just hiding her thoughts inside. Most of her thoughts.

Leaning back on the couch, Jackson yawned. He thought about getting up to go to bed, but thought that maybe he'd just like to stay on the couch. He began to feel relaxed until a bang sound could be heard form the window. Jackson twitched to the sound.

"What was that?" He asked himself.

Getting up, Jackson walked over to the window that was right next to the front door. He pulled back the curtains, but couldn't see anyone. He opened it up just enough so that he could see around the corners and down the walk way. It was cold and there was an eerie silence. Shuttering in the cold, Jackson sighed and closed the window, pulling down the curtains and walking off to go get ready for bed.

Jackson didn't see anything, but standing just out of the light in the parking lot was a woman. She paused as Jackson went out of her sight, then chuckling to herself in a creepy tone. She crossed her arms due to the cold wind, her eyes staring up at that second floor apartment.

"There you are, my child."

-...-