"You know this won't be easy?" Rose sighed, holding tightly to Jack's hand while they waited outside the door of the social worker's little office.
"I know." Jack nodded. "But I don't care. I'm all she's got. We have to do this."
Rose gave his hand a squeeze. "I know." She whispered. "We will."
"Cosa mi sono perso?" Fabrizio asked, strolling up to the little building, one hand stuffed into his pocket while the other held a bag of kettle corn.
"Not much." Jack told him. "They're still talkin to Cora."
"The poor thing. I doubt she wants to discuss any of what's happened." Rose sighed, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Miss Cora, she is'a strong." Fabrizio offered. "She be a'okay."
Jack nodded in agreement. It was true, he'd never met a child stronger in all his days. Cora reminded him a lot of himself at that age.
"Tommy, he say a'complimenti to you." Fabri spoke up again, passing on Tommy's message of congratulations on the impending adoption.
"Have you been to see him today?" Jack asked.
"Yes. He doing better. Hes a'sitting up now. They say he'll be perfetto a'soon."
"Lucky bastard." Jack shook his head. "Anybody else would be dead right now."
"Luck of a'the Irish." Fabrizio replied with a smile.
Jack and Rose both cracked a little smile. Fabrizio had picked that phrase up from the leprechaun himself.
"Mr. Dawson?" A soft, feminine voice called suddenly, bringing all of their attention back to the situation at hand. In the doorway of the little office building stood a skinny blonde woman with a clipboard in her hands. Cora stood next to her, hands clasped out infront of her body as she gnawed at her lip anxiously.
"Hey best girl." Jack smiled, picking Cora up and kissing her cheek. Cora wrapped her little arms around his neck in a sweet hug.
"Mr. Dawson?" The woman at the door called again, forcing Jack to look back around at her. "Mrs. Finch would like to speak with you and Mrs. Dawson now." She told him.
Jack nodded to her and gently sat Cora down. "Ofcourse, just give me a second." He replied, before turning to Fabrizio.
"Take her to see Lady Liberty, Fabri." He told his friend, while running a gentle hand through Cora's brown curls. "I know you've both been dying to see her."
Fabrizio's face lit up and he took Cora's little hand. "Come sweet a'Cora." He told her with a bright smile. "Lady Liberty, she is a'waiting."
Cora held his hand tightly and skipped along next to him down the streets. Jack watched them go with a smile. At least Cora seemed to be adjusting a little better.
"Mr. Dawson?" The woman at the door called again. "Come along now."
Jack forced himself to look away from Cora and Fabrizio disappearing in the crowd when Rose grabbed his hand and started to lead him inside.
"My condolences," the blonde woman spoke up while she led them through a narrow white hallway. "I can't imagine the horrors you've both witnessed."
"We'd rather not discuss it please, Miss." Rose replied. "But thank you for your sympathies."
"Ofcourse." The woman nodded, opening a door at the end of the hallway as white as the walls. An older woman dressed in a fine black silk dress sat behind a desk, writing with a quill in one of her books.
"Mrs. Finch?" The blonde woman called.
"Margaret, I'm working." The older woman replied, not looking up from her writing.
"Mam, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson are here to speak with you." The blonde then told her boss. The older woman looked up immediately this time.
"Leave us, Margaret." She then told her assistant, after looking Jack and Rose up and down thoroughly.
"Yes mam." The blonde complied with a slight nod before sucking out of the room and shutting the door.
"Please..." Mrs. Finch beckoned to Jack and Rose. "Have a seat, both of you. We've much to discuss."
Jack led Rose to a pair of seats in front of the old woman's desk, still tightly holding onto her hand.
"Before I begin I would like to express my greatest sympathies to you both, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson." Mrs. Finch said, closing the book on her desk up and setting it aside before turning to look Jack and Rose both in the eye.
Rose felt a shiver go up her spine. This woman reminded her of her mother, with her greying red hair pulled tightly back into a neat bun, piercing blue eye, and her obvious sharp cheek bones sticking out of her face. The fine, dark wardrobe was the icing on the cake and it was making Rose quite uncomfortable. Jack was going to have to do most of the talking here. She wasn't sure that she could.
"Thank you, mam." Jack replied to Mrs. Finch. "But um..If it's all the same to you, the missus and I would rather keep it all in the past."
Mrs Finch nodded to Jack. "I should expect nothing less." She said, pushing her glasses up her nose where they'd fallen much too low.
"So what about Cora?" Jack then asked, wanting to get straight down to the point.
Mrs. Finch sighed deeply. "She's in quite a state, Mr. Dawson." She told Jack. "But of course that is to be expected. She's been through quite an ordeal."
"When can I take her home?" Jack asked then, wanting to change the subject. Mrs. Finch's eyes widened at his eagerness.
"Well Mr. Dawson, I think you should know of the girl's needs before considering adoption, don't you?" She asked, voice beginning to get firmer.
"With all due respect, miss, there's no considering that's gonna be done." Jack stated firmly yet as kindly as he possibly could. "We're adopting her. That's what gonna happen."
Rose gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, letting him know she was onboard all the way.
"Mr. Dawson, I'm afraid that's not how things are done here." Mrs. Finch replied to Jack, grabbing a file out of a drawer in her desk and opening it up. "There are many things that need to be taken into consideration before I even decide that you are fit to care for the child..."
"Her name is Cora."Jack stated. "And WE are more than fit to take care of her." Rose gave a nod in agreement.
"Even if YOU are..." Mrs. Finch continued. "I must inspect all other members of the household before releasing her into your custody." She opened the file and fixed her glasses again, reading from one of the documents inside. "And I see here you've listed a Mr. Thomas J. Ryan, and a Mr. Fabrizio M. De Rossi as added members of the immediate family?"
"That's right." Jack confirmed.
"They're very good men, both of them." Rose spoke up finally. "I assure you, Mrs. Finch, they can be trusted."
Mrs finch looked from Jack to Rose. "I'm afraid the law prevents me from simply taking your word for it Mrs. Dawson." She told her, pushing her glasses up once more. "I will need to meet with both of these men and determine myself whether or not they are to be trusted with the child."
"Cora." Jack stated again. He was getting rather angry.
"Mrs. Finch, Mr. Ryan is in the hospital at the moment." Rose intervened, sensing Jack's unrest. "I'm afraid he won't be able to see you for a few days at least."
Mrs. Finch sighed. "Well that will delay the process considerably." She informed them.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked.
"Well, until I've determined that you're providing a positive, safe environment for the child..." Mrs. Finch began.
"Cora." Jack corrected her, anger rising.
"Right, Cora." Mrs Finch nodded. "I'm afraid she'll have to stay temporarily with the sisters at St. Mary's Girl's Home down the street."
"An orphanage?" Rose asked, horrified.
"No way. I'm not letting that happen. She's coming with me. Today." Jack insisted, voice firm and determined.
"Well Mr. Dawson, I'm afraid that just isn't how things are done..." Mrs. Finch started to say.
"Mam I don't care how things are done." Jack cut her off. "Cora's not going to an orphanage. Not while I'm still standing."
"Jack..." Rose tried to calm him.
"No. I'm taking Cora with me. Whatever I've gotta do to make that happen I'll do it. I'll sign any paper, answer any question, but I'm taking her with me, today." Jack stated to Mrs. Finch once more. The serious expression painted on his normally cheerful face said it all. He wasn't leaving here without Cora.
...
"Mr. Ryan, you have visitors." A nurse told Tommy, who cracked a tired eye open to looked at her from his hospital bed.
"Good. Send 'em in." He yawned, then holding his bandaged chest at the pain the suddenly movement caused.
The nurse nodded and left the room, where Jack, Rose, Fabrizio, and Cora entered in her place.
"Took ye' long enough didn't it?" He grinned at them. "I thought ye' were comin' back at noon."
"We got a little side tracked." Jack explained, swinging Cora's little hand in his.
"That's fine, boyo. How'd it go?" Tommy asked with a groan, still holding his side with one arm as he spoke.
"Sei nel dolore..." Fabrizio muttered under his breath, hurrying to Tommy's bedside.
"I'm fine." Tommy assured him. "Did ye' get me my cigarettes?"
"Not a'now." Fabrizio tried to convince him. "I get the nurse. You need a'more morphine."
"Dammit, I'm fine I tell ye'." Tommy said again, holding his free hand out. "Just give me a cigarette, Fabri. That'll do more than these shite drugs are."
Fabrizio sighed and dug into his pocket for an extra cigarette and lit one up when he found it for Tommy.
"Bless ye', Fabri." Tommy all but whispered as he placed the cigarette between his lips and took a long drag.
"Jack, not a'now." Fabrizio pleaded softly to Jack. "He's in pain."
"What was that, Fabri?" Tommy asked. He might have been injured but he still had ears like a hawk.
"We need a favor." Jack told him.
"A favor?" Tommy asked, taking his cigarette between his fingers and blowing a couple of smoke rings towards the window so Cora didn't have to smell the smoke. "What kind of favor? I ain't in shape to be liftin' kegs er nothin' Laddie."
"Nothing like that." Rose smiled at Tommy. "It's about Cora. If we want to take her home today the social worker has to interview everyone in the household."
Tommy gave a look of confusion the grinned when he realized what exactly was going on. "Don't tell me ya dragged the lads down here to speak with little old me?" He chuckled before grabbing his side again in pain.
"Destino..." Fabrizio muttered, worriedly, reaching for him.
"Fabri, I'm fine." Tommy insisted again. "It's just a wee bit sore is all."
"Are you sure you're well enough?" Rose asked worriedly. "We can wait a while longer if..."
"Bring her in." Tommy said, putting out his cigarette to look a bit more presentable.
"You're sure you're okay?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll never be to sick to help this sweet little gem." Tommy replied, giving Cora a smile. "Now bring the lass in, before Fabri had the doc knock me out again."
Jack and Rose smiled at eachother and Jack squeezed Cora's hand. This was it. After this they'd officially be a family.
TBC