Chapter Four

No One's POV

Mr. Penn and Jaden were fixing Laura's favorite pasta dish, spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce, with a salad as the side dish hoping to cheer her up.

Mr. Penn's POV

"Jaden."

"Yes, boss." he replied.

"Does Laura have any friends at school?"

"Yes. Yes she does." he replied with a smile. "Their names are Mei Yvonne, Hilda Robinson, and Cynthia McPhearson."

"Do you think inviting them over for a slumber party might cheer Laura up?" I asked.

"Well, bend me over and kiss my ashpan. That's a great idea." he said happily. "I'll call their parents and get the clear signal. Can you put the Alfredo sauce on simmer and stir the spaghetti so it doesn't stick?"

"Sure."

Jaden's POV

I started calling to make the arrangements for the slumber party.

"Hello, Jacob?" I said to the video call. "Can you bring Hilda over to my place for a sleepover with Laura? You can't? I'll be there to pick her up in 20 minutes. Bye."

One down, two to go.

"Hello, Bertha?" I said to the video call. "Can you bring Cindy over to my place for a sleepover with Laura? You can't? I'll be there to pick her up in 30 minutes. Bye."

One more.

"Hello, Emmie?" I said to the video call. "Can you bring Mei over to my place for a sleepover with Laura? You can't? I'll be there to pick her up in 25 minutes. Bye."

While Mr. Penn continued to cook dinner, I went to pick up Cindy, Hilda, and Mei. I explained to their parents the situation and they agreed to let the four friends have a week-long slumber party. We returned and I called Laura to the living room saying she had visitors. She was excited when I told her that she would be having a week-long slumber party with her friends.

"Girls, dinner's ready!" Jaden said while ringing the old bell off of his KS-1 alt-form from when he worked on the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railway.

"Coming!" they all said at once.

"Spaghetti a la Alfredo Sauce, Garlic Toast, and side salads. For Dessert, Mademoiselle Laura's favorite, Dirt Cake." I said with a French accent.

"Merci, Papa." Laura said in French.

"Is this normal?" Hilda whispered Mr. Penn.

"You should see and hear them when Jaden fixes Chinese, Japanese, or Welsh food." Mr. Penn whispered back.

Mei's POV

Seeing Laura and her father, Mr. Ketchum, acting like this is making me, Hilda, and Cindy laugh so hard. I've never see this side of her during school. She's usually emotionless like her father is on some days.

Laura's POV

After talking and playing games until 9:30pm, the girls and I were having a hard time fighting sleep and agreed on going to bed. But we are having trouble falling asleep. I decided to call Daddy to sing us to sleep.

"Daddy!"

"Yes, my little shooting star." he replied.

"We can't fall asleep, do you mind singing to us?"

"I don't mind at all." he answered then knelt down. "Now, let's get you in bed." he said as he put the four on the fold out sofa's bed and under the covers which made the blanket and started singing.

Jaden's POV

I started to sing "Light in the Hallway" to Laura and her friends to help them fall asleep.

Close your eyes, lay head down
Now it time to sleep
May you find great adventure
As you lie and dream
If you're scared of the darkness
I will calm your fear
There's a light in the hallway
So you'll know I'm here

So count your blessings every day
It makes the monsters go away
And everything will be okay
You are not alone
You are right at home
Goodnight, goodnight

You won't need me forever
But I'll still be here
For we all have our nightmares
Even me, my dear
From now on, if you need me
You can sing this song
There's a light in the hallway
Burning all night long

So count your blessings every day
It makes the monsters go away
And everything will be okay
You are not alone
You are right at home
Goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

Once I finished singing the song, Laura, Mei, Hilda, and Cindy were sound asleep and relaxed. I cupped the backside of Laura's head and leaned forward to gave her a goodnight kiss. I then left her room so she and her friends could sleep peacefully.

"You are a great father to her you know." Mr. Penn whispered to me.

"I give my all to make sure has a happy life." I replied. "I'm glad that I found her that day, we've given her a new chance to be happy."

"Agreed." Mr. Penn said turning to leave. "I'm headed home. My wife will worry about me."

"Need a ride?" I asked.

"Yes. Yes I do." he replied.

We went to my secondary alt-form, a Ex-Western Maryland 4-8-4 and drifted off to the Main Street street running track section and proceeded towards the suburbs of Evansville.

Mr. Penn's POV

"Thanks Jaden."

"A person in need is a friend is a friend indeed." he replied. "See you in the morning."

"Same to you too. See you in the morning."

No One's POV

Jaden returned and parked his secondary alt-form in the two stall shed next to his first one, which is under repair from the accident, and walked inside and checked on Laura and her friends and found them still sound asleep.

"Goodnight, my shining star." Jaden said before falling asleep himself.

No Ones POV

Unbeknownst to Jaden, at 3:00 am, someone came up to his door, knocked, and left a basket with a little surprise in it. Jaden heard the knocking and passed by the room finding Laura and her three friends still sound asleep. He arrived and opened the front door looking from side to side and then looked down and saw the basket. He picked the basket up and brought the basket inside. He pulled back the blanket back finding newborn baby girl and a note.

Jaden's POV

"Let's see what this note says." I said holding the baby who was sleeping soundly. "Please take care of this beautiful baby girl, I am not physically able to do it, do to me slowly dying.'" I read. "Please give her a name that fits her, and give her a family that she really needs. Signed Mother of the baby."I finished noticing the baby was about to cry. "Hello, Mr. Penn? Sorry to bother you at 3:05 in the morning, I need you to get here urgently. "Also, please bring your wife, she might be able to help me in this situation."

Mr. Penn and his wife arrived at Jaden's house to find Jaden, holding a crying newborn baby girl, walking left to right and vise-versa and singing "Light in the Hallway" slowly calming her down.

"Thank ALCo, you're here." I said as the baby was still whining.

Mr. Penn's POV

"Why does the world put you in these situations, Jaden?"

To Be Continued