Trouble-Maker

"Hey, Ronnie," I said as I cradled the phone between my ear and my shoulder, "I get off in twenty minutes. Arch is down at the Child Protective Services building and they actually only have visitation for another hour and a half."

"That sounds a little too much like prison to me," Ronnie replied. He was obviously less than thrilled.

"I know," I said, "I'm sorry. Do you still want to meet me there?" I was typing files into the computer as I spoke, focusing hard on the letters that I pressed so I didn't accidentally type what I was saying.

"Yeah, of course," Ronnie said, "I'm out of there, it doesn't bother me anymore."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought prison was your vacation?"

Ronnie laughed sarcastically. "Very funny. It's a horrible tattoo, I know. I'm sorry that it bothers you." He wasn't really sorry. Prison was the place that turned his life around. He didn't like that prison was his last option, but he was thankful that he had no choice but to change everything about his lifestyle.

"It doesn't," I said with a smile, "If your prison tattoos bothered me, I would hate that tear drop you have on your face."

I pictured Ronnie glaring at me as he said, "What time do you want me to meet you?"

"Thirty minutes," I said, "CPS building."

"Aye, aye, Captain," he replied, cheekily.

"See you there, babe," I told him. "I've got to go. Need to finish typing in all this shit and call the people that filled out applications for my job."

"You work too hard."

I laughed and shook my head. "In a couple weeks I won't be working at all, so the least I can do is find someone to replace me and get everything done well until then." I pulled out the last paper file and brought up the identical one on the computer so that I could type in everything I filled out on the paper during the day.

"See you there," Ronnie said.

"Bye." I hung up the phone and tucked it back into the pocket of my jeans. I typed in everything quickly and then grabbed the work phone so that I could call the applicants and set up appointments.

"Hello, may I speak with Natalie Abrussio, please?"

"Speaking, may I ask whose calling?"

"This is Atticus Gurewitz calling from Kinder Kare daycare to set up an interview for the child safety position."

I called about five people before I made sure that all the children were picked up by their parents. "Heather, Jamie, I will see you two later," I promised as I hurried out of the building.

"Hug Arch for me!" Heather called after me, a large smile on her face.

I nodded my head and headed to my care. It took me awhile longer than I thought to get to the building. When I pulled up I parked my car next to Ronnie's SUV and climbed out.

Ronnie did the same and came around to grab my hand with a sympathetic smile on his lips. "Come on, Att," he said with a reassuring nudge, "Arch is in there waiting for you." He tugged me inside the building and pulled me over to a woman who sat behind a desk. Her eyes were slightly concerned as Ronnie and I walked up, hands clasped together and hair unruly.

"Can I help you?" she questioned, putting a large, polite smile on her face as she looked at the two of us.

"My name is Atticus Gurewitz, I'm here to see Arch Drewry," I told her, leaning against the counter of the large desk.

"Visitation?" she questioned, "Let me call his case worker and she'll come and meet you so that she can take you to see him. You can wait over there." She motioned towards a set of chairs to our left.

I nodded my head. "Thank you." Ronnie and I moved over to sit down. I tapped my foot anxiously as I waited for the woman to come and get us.

It was five minutes later when a woman came walking out from the back. "Atticus?" she questioned, walking over to us with a polite smile on her lips. "My name is Lyla Ains, I'm in charge of Arch's well-being." She stuck her hand out for us to shake.

"I'm Atticus, this is Ronnie," I told her, shaking her hand.

Ronnie shook her hand then and greeted her with a nod.

"Can we see him?" I questioned eagerly, "He has to be terrified right now. Surrounded by strangers and stuck in this big building, this is not very child friendly or comforting," I ranted, my mind going wild with all the emotions that he could be feeling at this moment. Ronnie squeezed my hand for a silent way of telling me to calm down.

"I assure you, Ms. Gurewitz, Arch is in capable hands. Tomorrow he'll be taken to meet his foster parents," Ms. Ains told me, her voice very business like and calculated.

"I'm sure you think that's normal, but Arch had a family yesterday and now he doesn't. So I'm sure he's in capable hands but 'capable' and 'loving' are two different things."

"Att, relax," Ronnie said, "We're going to see him right now. I'm sure he's fine."

I looked up to Ronnie with worried eyes but instead of saying anything, I turned my attention to Lyla Ains as she told us we could go see him now. "He's on the third floor," she said, "We can go on up if that's what you want."

I nodded quickly. "Yes."

She smiled. "Then follow me." She led the two of us to the elevator and took us upstairs. The third floor was designed like a boarding house. There were bedrooms on every side of the hallway with names on the doors and two beds on the inside.

She walked us to a door near the end and knocked. The window in the door let me see inside to the small, bland room. Arch was sitting on a small bed, his eyes darting up at us after Ms. Ains knocked. When we pushed the door open, Arch shot off of the bed and threw himself into my arms.

"Atticus!" he shouted, wrapping his arms around me as I feel to my knees and held him tightly, "You're here!"

I nodded my head and pressed my lips against his forehead. "I told you I'd come see you, honey."

"I know!" he said quickly as he pulled back. His eyes brightened when he looked up to Ronnie. "You came, too!"

Ronnie couldn't help but let a smile come over his lips. "I couldn't leave you hanging, little man," he replied, crouching down to hug the shattered little boy.

When they pulled apart Arch looked up to the both of us and starting shaking his head. "I don't like it here," he said softly, glancing out the window in the door to where Lyla Ains stood. "They're not nice like you. I want to go home."

I nodded my head. "I know, Arch, and I wish I could take you home, but I can't take you to your house or to my house," I said sadly. I reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Why not?" he asked, his bottom lip jutting out.

I shook my head. "Because I'm not allowed to, baby. Tomorrow you're going to meet some really nice people and you're going to stay with them for awhile."

His eyes grew wide. "Why?" he asked quickly, "I don't want to go any where. I want to go with you and Ronnie." He sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ronnie and looked up to the singer with large, worried eyes.

Ronnie wrapped his arms around the little boy and ruffled his hair. "I'm sorry, Kiddo," Ronnie told him, "But why don't we have fun while Att and I are here? What's there to do around here?"

Arch shrugged his shoulders and glared out the window in the door.

"You don't know?" I asked from where I crouched in front of him, "What have you been doing all day?"

"Sitting," he said simply.

I furrowed my eyebrows and stood up. I pushed the door open and stepped out, leaving Ronnie and Arch staring after me.

"Excuse me," I called, "Ms. Ains, can I speak with you for a minute?"

The woman turned around from where she was standing, talking to a woman dressed in nursing clothing. She raised her eyebrows and walked over to me. "What can I help you with?"

"What do these kids do all day?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest, "Arch says that he was just sitting in that room all day."

"Ms. Gurewitz, you have to understand that this isn't a log term facility. The children that come here and quickly sent out to families who can take care of them for a longer period of time," she told me, using her hands to talk as if it would convey her point across more clearly.

I shook my head. "So, he has been sitting in there all day, then." I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced back towards the room where Arch and Ronnie were.

"It was just for one day, Ms. Gurewitz," she consoled, "Tomorrow he'll be in a different place. The family he is staying with has a son of their own and another foster child. They're one of the best families in the system. I promise you that one day by himself won't cause him any damage."

I rolled my eyes. "But having your father die and your mother put you up for adoption will," I said with a glare, not understanding how she didn't realize how harmful this whole situation was going to be on Arch.

"Ma'am," she said simply, "If you don't calm down and enjoy the time you've been given with him, I'm going to have to ask you to leave and I will put a hold on all his personal information so that you will not be allowed to contact him."

My jaw dropped. "Are you threatening me?" I asked incredulously, "I'm sure you don't know who I am."

She nodded her head. "I know exactly who you are," she stated, "But I assure you, Ms. Gurewitz, your father's music career has no pull within the government and Child Protective services." She tucked her dark hair behind her ears.

"Arch means something to me," I said to her, "He's been through a lot lately and this is going to change his entire life. So, I suggest that you show him a little sympathy. He's a great child and he'll get through this. But he would get through it so much easier if you'd try to make him comfortable." I waited for her acknowledgment of my words before I turned and headed back inside the small room that belonged to Arch for the day.

Ronnie and I stayed with Arch until they were asking us to leave. A new woman came into the room and grinned at Arch. "When your friends leave, do you want to get something to eat, honey?" she questioned, reaching her hand out for the little boy's.

Arch nodded and grabbed her hand. He's told me that before they'd just brought him his food in the room. But this blonde woman smiled at Ronnie and I and introduced herself to us. "I'm Natalie," she said with a kind smile, "I'm going to be looking out for this little guy for the night."

"Atticus and Ronnie," I said in reply.

Arch grinned. "They're my best friends!"

I kneeled down and hugged Arch. "I'm going to give Natalie my phone number, okay? If you need something or just want to talk to me, just ask someone to help you call me," I told him, "I'll always answer for you."

Arch nodded his head and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Okay, Atticus."

"Call me, okay, Arch? I have to go now, but you have to call Ronnie and I," I told him as I stood up and let go of his fingers.

"I will, Atticus," he shouted, "I promise!"

I nodded my head. "Okay, honey," I told him as he started walking towards the cafeteria with Natalie, his night nurse. "I'll see you."

Arch lifted his hand in the air and waved to me and Ronnie as we all left the room and he headed down the opposite way in the hall. Ronnie and I waited until he was out of sight before we left, taking the elevator down to the bottom and heading out to our cars.

"My place?" Ronnie questioned, standing next to the driver's side of my car.

I nodded my head. "When do we ever go any where else?" I asked cheekily, pulling my car door open and standing on the inside so that just the door was between Ronnie and I.

"We can go to yours," Ronnie said with a smile and a shrug.

I shook my head and reached up to run my fingers through his raven hair. "I want to go to your apartment."

Ronnie kissed my lips. "Then why are we having this conversation?"

I pushed him away by his shoulder and got in the car, leaving him standing on the outside as I started my vehicle. I looked out my window at him and motioned for him to get in his car. He grinned down at me and did as he was told.