Chapter 4:

It didn't take long for the pizza to be devoured and before she knew it she was ordering another large pepperoni without Barba or Jake's knowledge. She knew he hadn't been taken care of properly or well. It was obvious by the way his clothing hung off of him and the way his form seemed too thin for her liking. As she watched the two eat quietly and saw the way Jake eyed not only the pizza in front of him but also his surroundings as a whole she could tell he was a bit overwhelmed with everything that had taken place. "Jake I know this is a lot to take in but know that Rafael and myself want what's best for you." She said as he gave her a slight smile as he looked at the last piece of pizza. She saw the internal struggle of whether or not to get it and decided to put it on his plate for him and he happily and eagerly started to eat again. Barba gave her a questioning look with a raised eyebrow and she returned it with a simple smile. He nodded, not needing a verbal explanation of her actions. The three of them sat together a bit longer until the second pizza arrived much to Rafael and Jake's happiness and she excused herself to the other room to make a few calls.

"So.. Jacob.. I umm.. I'm going to do everything humanly possible to care for you. I am kind of new to this so we are going to have to learn as we go okay?" Rafael stated as he smiled at the boy. "Yes sir." Jake answered and Rafael saw questions in the boys eyes that he was holding back. "What's on your mind?" Rafael asked. "Mr. Barba.. um.." Jake started timidly and Rafael did not press the boy as he wanted him to feel secure in whatever was on his mind. "Mr. Barba.. umm.. Do you think.. it's okay if you can't I understand.. do you think we can get me some clothes and shoes that fit?" Jake asked quietly not looking at Barba. "It's okay if not. I have clothes and the shoes are big so I'm sure I they will fit better soon." Jake quickly added still not looking at Rafael. Barba was glad Jake did not look at him because he did not know how much longer he could hold in his anger and sadness for Jake's situation and the way he was treated. Rafael took a deep breath and stated, "Jacob, do you want to go shopping tomorrow morning with me? There is a mall not far from here we can go to." Rafael asked not wanting the boy to be ashamed of the question. Jake nodded with a smile and stated, "Thank you Mr. Barba," as Rafael smiled back.

"Jacob do you want to see your room and unpack and make it your own?" Rafael asked as he noticed how late it was getting. He did not know much about bedtimes as his usually occurred whenever he passed out from work or when Olivia made him go to sleep at a decent hour. "Yes sir. I uhh.. do you think I can shower and wash my clothes before I have to stay in my room? I haven't been able to clean anything in a few weeks and I typically cleaned them when I showered since we didn't have a washer." Rafael did not know how much more his heart could break but with Jacob's question he felt another crack form. He held back his emotions and shook his head at Jacob who immediately became sullen and stated, "Oh. Okay. I understand." Rafael realized what Jacob thought he meant and immediately stated, "Jacob, you can't wash yourself and your clothes at the same time but if want I can wash your clothes for you while you get a shower and get settled." Rafael watched as Jacob smiled at him and looked at him with red in his eyes and Rafael reached over and smothered the boys hair making both of them smile larger.

Rafael carried the very light duffle bag and led Jacob to the spare room making a mental note to ask Liv to help with figuring out how to make the guest room more appropriate and more homey for Jacob. "I know it's not the most ideal room. My mo.. It was decorated for adults so we will have to get this room turned into yours this weekend okay?" Rafael asked and saw the wonder in Jacob's eyes as he looked at the room. "Is the room okay?" Rafael asked as he showed Jacob the closet and the bathroom across the hall. "So.. this .. this is all for me?" Jacob asked and Rafael nodded and added, "The bathroom is yours and any guests so we need to keep it clean but the room, closet, and what not is yours. We can change it or -" Rafael was stopped suddenly by Jacob's arms wrapping around him. As he hugged the boy back he noticed just how thin he was and hugged him tighter thinking about what he had been through. "Thank you! I will keep everything clean, I promise. Thank you!" Jacob stated happily as he let Rafael go.

"Is there anything in this bag you need tonight or do you want me to wash everything?" Rafael asked as he lifted the small duffle. "Umm.. I need my sweatpants." Jacob stated as he took the bag and gently put it on the bed. As he pulled out the items from the bag Barba noticed a few trinkets and pictures he assumed to be of Jacob and his mother. It wasn't until Jacob pulled the clothing out of the bag and Barba saw just how little the boy had and how dirty his clothing was that he felt his answer swell and had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself before asking, "Jacob.. would you like a clean pair of sweatpants to wear tonight?" Jacob looked at him and slowly nodded. "Okay. Why don't you grab a shower and I will get you some and put these in the wash for you? I will put the pants outside the door for you to get when you are ready." Barba stated and Jacob nodded as Barba handed him a towel and new toothbrush from the hall closet.

As Jacob went to the bathroom Barba steadied himself as he took the small bundle to the washer. As he started the laundry he heard the shower turn on and mentally questioned just when the last time Jacob was actually care for was and made a note to let Langan know what had transpired that evening as well. Rafael made his way to his room to grab a items for Jacob out of the clothing pile he was planning to donate as they were a bit too small for him. When he entered his room he saw Olivia dozed off on his bed, fully clothed, with one of the many books from his room in her hands. Without waking her he grabbed the items and put them outside of the bathroom and went the living room not wanting to go to bed until he knew Jacob was okay for the night.