Chapter Four
Cinderella

The drive over to social services was rather uneventful. RK900 had tried to debrief him on the case, only to find out that Gavin read the case file already. So there wasn't much for them to discuss. Gain had to admit, he was relieved that the android wasn't trying to engage him in small talk. He had heard Connor when he was first trying to work with Hank, doing what he could to break the ice and establish a relationship. It would not have gone over well if RK900 decided to do the same thing.

Gavin parked the car and made his way up to the office. Once there, he leaned against the counter as he waited for the receptionist to address him. "I'm here to see Amelia," he said to the android working the desk.

"Ah you must be Detective Reed. Right this way." Social services always creeped him out. Kind of like children's hospitals where they tried to make the rooms as homey and colorful as possible. Ya know, to make the kids comfortable. Really it just made him feel out of place and he was sure the kids here felt the same way.

Since this case was being treated as a runaway, Amelia would be kept here until her home life could be evaluated and to also see if they could find the reason as to why she was on that bus so late at night all by herself. Gavin and RK900 were lead to the meeting room, which was just a room that had toys and books and other things meant to keep a child entertained while a therapist sat in a corner and documented everything that happened. A large window was there so that anybody could see what was happening inside the room. Gavin peered through that window to see Amelia's case worker sitting in a chair while the girl sat in center of the room, just hugging her knees to her chest. He assumed that the case worker was trying to talk to her. The receptionist knocked on the glass to get the woman's attention. She addressed Amelia before making her way to talk to them in the hallway.

"You must be the detective assigned her case. I'm Mrs. Rosenberg," she extended her hand to shake.

Gavin took it. "Detective Reed." They released hands. She glanced over his shoulder to his 'partner.'

"And you are?" She asked politely.

"RK900," it responded quickly.

The woman looked taken back by that, probably expecting for it to have a name but shrugged it off anyway. "I'll have to warn you that Amelia has been unresponsive to any sort interaction since they brought her in last night. When she's in her room, she just sits there or sleeps. When she's here, she sits like this until the session is over. She has hardly eaten since they brought her in. She just won't interact with anybody."

"Have her mother and father come in yet?" Gavin asked as he turned his attention to watch Amelia.

"Yes and no. The mother yes, her father is working but plans on being by later once he's able to."

Gavin nodded his head. "May I try to talk to her?"

The case worker nodded her head, gesturing towards the door. "Be my guest." Obviously the woman didn't expect Reed to get anywhere with the girl. But there was one thing that Gavin had that the woman didn't, and that was common ground.

He walked into the room, RK900 following behind him. She looked up at him when she heard two people enter the room, then she just put her head back on her knees. Gavin moved to sit down on the ground in front of her, legs crossed. RK900 had moved to stand in the corner of the room, promptly taking the role of mere observer. He liked that, not having to deal with the android stepping on his toes as he tried to establish a relationship with this girl. "Hey there, my name is Gavin Reed. I'm a police officer here to see if you need anything."

She didn't respond but he didn't expect her to.

"I know you're probably tired of people asking you why you were on that bus all alone. Having someone bug you all day is rather annoying, isn't it?" Still no response. He picked up one of his knees to hold against his chest, much like how she was sitting and rested his chin against it. "So I'm not going to. How about I ask you some questions and you just nod your head yes or no okay?" He tried, speaking softly as he waited to see if she would respond. She didn't. Again, he wasn't surprised.

"Do you have a favorite color? Because I do. It's actually yellow, like sunflowers. They're my favorite flower too. I like to watch how tall they can get as they try to reach for the sun." Kids had a knack for pinpointing lies and truths so he wasn't going to lie to her. "Do you like flowers? There was a girl I grew up with that would make flower crowns for every kid in the neighborhood. Garlands I think they're called. Can you make one? I can. I could teach you sometime if you'd like."

Nothing else mattered to him except for gaining this girl's trust. He'd let her punch him in the face if it would help. He adjusted his head so that his cheek was now resting against his knee instead of his chin. It was kind of hard to talk like that. "How about a favorite season? I like autumn. All the leaves turn very nice colors. I also like how cold it gets but it's not too cold, ya know?"

He waited for a few more moments. Amelia didn't really move except she was now looking at him with her brown eyes instead of staring at the carpet like she had been doing earlier. That was good. She was trying to make contact with him. Gavin smiled softly at her. "You have really pretty eyes." She smiled softly at him. They continued like this for a while. Gavin just tried to keep up with idle small talk, letting her know little things about himself. Like what his favorite food was. Slowly, she had started to nod or shake her head in regards to what questions he was asking.

Gavin only pulled his attention away from her when the door to the room opened. He looked over to see Mrs. Rosenberg peeking her head inside the room. "I'm sorry Detective but I'm going to have to call this session over." He nodded his head, turning his head back to Amelia. She looked very concerned.

"Alright, I've got to get back to work now. Catching bad guys and keeping people safe is a hard job," He flashed her a smile and moved to stand up. She immediately lurched forward and grabbed onto his hand. She whimpered as she stared up at him. Gavin took a kneel in front of her. "Hey, hey, hey, I'll come back. And Mrs. Rosenberg will have my number so if you want me to come back sooner just let her know okay?" She hesitated before nodding her head slowly, and let go of his hand even slower. "Would you like a hug?" She nodded and he held his arms open for her, which she dove into, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her before he pulled away. He had to unwrap her arms around him so that he could stand up. "Bye Amelia," he waved her goodbye as he exited the room. Once he was outside, RK900 closing the door behind them, Gavin looked over to the case worker. "You have my number yes?"

She nodded her head.

"Let me know if she needs anything ok? At any time. I mean that literally, it can be fucking 2 am and I will answer."

She nodded her head again. "Thank you Detective, I'll keep that in mind." He nodded at her before they started to walk out of the office entirely. Once they were back in the car, RK900 sat there staring at him. When Gavin glanced over, he noticed that his LED was blinking yellow. He ignored it, pointing at him instead. "Don't say anything about what I said to anybody else. Got it?"

It cocked its head at him. "Are you embarrassed about the information that you shared with her?"

"Her, no." He looked away from it to turn his car over to get them back to the office. "But nobody else needs to fucking know about it." He left it at that as he drove.

"Did you lie to her?" It asked suddenly. Gavin was mid-drag in smoking his cigarette when it spoke. He looked over to it, eyebrow raised. "No," He said around the butt in his mouth. He pulled it away from his mouth, blowing the smoke out of the cracked window. "Why would I?"

"So you're favorite color is actually yellow like sunflowers, and they are your favorite flower?"

Gavin nodded his head. "Yeah…why's it such a big deal?"

"I was just curious as to why you were so honest and open with her. Your reputation within the DPD states otherwise."

"Look," He said as he pulled another breath of smoke into his lungs before expelling it. "If there's a possibility that she came from an abusive situation, that last thing she needs is another adult lying to her. She's learned that they can't be trusted so that's why she won't talk to anybody. She needs to know she has someone in her corner, someone she can trust," he explained to it. He wasn't sure why he was explaining his reasoning to the android. It's not like it could understand where he was coming from. Gavin flicked his cigarette out of the car. It had fallen silent once again. Gavin looked over to it, seeing it's LED was flashing yellow rapidly. He turned his attention back to the road and continued their drive.

The next day, Gavin and RK900 had gone to visit Amelia's house. If they were going to prove that she ran away due to abuse, they had to see what kind of home she lived in. Gavin knocked on the front door and waiting for someone to come answer the door. The mother said she'd be home around the time they actually stopped by so hopefully they wouldn't have to wait around long.

Gavin had gotten a good look at the house as he walked up to it. Two stories with a porch and a garage. Metal chain link fence all around the yard. The lawn was pristine and still green, despite being so nearly close to the end of the season. Autumn was fast approaching Detroit again. Gavin couldn't wait to breathe in that fresh cold air. He missed how sharp the mornings smelled in Autumn. The house was brightly painted, an off beige so it didn't stick out too much. The door was a bright blue which honestly just felt like an eyesore to him. But whatever. This is why he rented, not owned.

The door opened to reveal Amelia's mother. "Oh you must be Detective Reed, come in come in." She ushered them inside. Gavin walked into the entry way, immediately seeing how just clean and crisp everything was. "If you could remove your shoes please, I'd appreciate it." Gavin grumbled as he toed off his shoes. The tiles in the entry way looked like they were freshly polished. As the woman lead them into the living room, he took note at how soft the carpet was. It was like new. "Can I offer you some refreshments? Water maybe?"

Gavin ignored the question and got right to the point. "New carpet?"

The woman feigned embarrassment but it was easy to tell she was actually proud of it. "Oh god no. We could never afford to replace it. Same ol' carpet that came with the house."

Gavin looked around some more. It was just too clean, too new looking for the house to be lived in. There were photos of a smiling family all over the walls. Some photos of Amelia as she was growing up. Typically photos that parents put up for their kids. The coffee table had a few magazines on its surface but was otherwise clean as a whistle. It was glass and the thing literally shined if the light hit it just right. He was sure that forensics could go over the place and they wouldn't be able to pull any dirt or dust from anything. It was that pristine looking. It already made Gavin uncomfortable, this feeling sitting low in his gut. "I'd like to see Amelia's room please," he stated after he felt like he got a good enough look around the living room. The mother seemed reluctant but she did just that.

"I really don't understand why she ran away like she did. She hasn't told us that anything that brings up any red flags. School is fine. She's not being bullied. I just don't understand."

"That's what we're here to find out ma'am," RK900 reassured the woman.

She lead them to a door that had 'Amelia' painted onto it in fancy script and pushed the door open. The room inside did not look like the room of an eight year old girl. "Do you have an android?" Gavin asked as he stepped inside.

"No, not anymore. As soon as the revolution happened he took off and we just haven't considered getting another one," she paused for a moment, realizing what she said. "Oh I apologize. I meant like hiring one for help around the house you know." Sure she did.

The room was just as clean and pristine as the living room. The bed perfectly made where it sat against the corner of the room to offer the most space in the center for play. Or it would be for any other child if there were actually toys in the room. The shelving across the room had these porcelain glass dolls sitting there. It made Gavin's skin itch. Like he was being watched.

"Oh do be careful, a lot of those are from my grandmother," she said once Gavin went over to pick one up.

"Right…" He said, pulling his hand away midway through trying to grab one. There were bookshelves in her room with lots of books for her to read. And the only stuffed animal he could find was one lone teddy bear sitting on the bed. But there was nothing on the floor. No dirt marks or signs of people walking on it for years. It looked brand new. Gavin licked his lips as he turned to the mother. "Actually, I would like a glass of water if you wouldn't mind," he flashed her a charming smile.

She practically lit up. "Oh of course! I'll be right back." She then turned around to go fetch one for him.

Gavin listened for her to be down the stairs before he started to quickly shuffle through Amelia's closet. She had shoe boxes with the shoes still inside, looking like they had never been wore a single day except for the odd scuff mark here and there. "Are you looking for something in particular, Detective?" It asked him as he searched.

"Look around and tell me what you see," Gavin said as he continued to look around. "And hey, warn me before she comes back up." There were dresses and skirts, pretty much what you'd expect to see in a girl's closet. There were no markings on them, again no sign of wear and tear. Like they had all just been bought from the story yesterday.

"I see a little girl's room," It stated bluntly.

"Ok, yes but what don't you see?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question."

Gavin stopped messing with the closet when he didn't find what he was looking for. He then turned to the book shelf and pointed to it. "See if you can find any books that look extremely worn, like they've been read multiple times and flip through them," he instructed before going through Amelia's dressers instead of explaining himself to RK900. It did just as it was told however, flipping through the books that showed more obvious signs of age than the others.

"What exactly am I looking for, Detective?"

"I guess you wouldn't know since you've never been a child but no kid is this clean. There's always a mess, always toys and drawings on the walls but there's nothing like that here. Something's not right." He couldn't find anything. He was looking for like a diary or journal. Surely Amelia's would've had one. Fuck, Gavin had a journal growing up to just mess around with. Even the clothes inside the dressers were folded prim and proper. The socks were bundled together not in balls but rather with the necks folded down to keep them together. It was beginning to look more and more like military or even police training. The cleanliness here could put barracks to shame.

"Detective," it warned. Gavin closed the dresser drawer and turned back around to hear the woman coming back up the stairs. He put his hands in his pockets to appear nonchalant, RK900 coming to stand at his side in its usual pose as well.

She entered the room with an iced cup of water in hand. "Here you are, Detective Reed."

He smiled at her, a fake one of course but he was good at those. "Thank you," He said as he took the cup away from her. He took a small sip as he continued to glance around. "Does Amelia have any friends that she hangs out with a lot? Maybe they've been over a few times to just hang out?"

The woman shook her head. "Oh no. Amelia knows that when she's home, she has to do her homework, study, and then read until dinner is ready."

Gavin hummed, setting the cup down on the closest dresser to him. He had a hunch. "And after she's done eating dinner?"

The woman's eyes danced between him and the cup sitting on the dresser. Gavin placed his hands back into his pockets. "Well once she's done eating, she brushes her teeth and…and then…" She then moved into the room and picked up the cup, wiping down the surface with her sleeve. She turned back to the detective. "Then she can spend time with her father and I before she goes to bed."

Gavin hummed as he nodded his head. So the mom was the one with the cleanliness issues. He would guess OCD or something similar. He then checked his phone really quick. "Oh my, look at the time. Thank you for letting us see your daughter's room and for the water but we must be getting back now."

The mother smiled. "Oh yes of course. I'll show you out." She brought the cup with her as she lead them back downstairs to the door. Once their shoes were back on, he bid her farewell before walking over to his car.

"Find anything in the books?" He asked once the door was closed and they were a fair bit a ways away from the house.

RK900 shook its head. "No Detective Reed. However, I did find something a little odd."

They got into the car. "And that was?"

"One of the books was creased so badly that it opened to a story. A fairy tale actually."

"Okay?" He questioned, wondering where it was going with this.

"Well, the story was of Cinderella." Now that was interesting.

"I'm telling you Cap, something isn't right about it," Gavin stated with his hands on the back of one of the chairs in Fowler's office as he leaned forward.

"Unless the girl actually says something, or you can find concrete evidence to suggest what you're saying, then there's nothing we can do." He knew Fowler was right, just following policy.

But Gavin didn't like it. He could feel it in his gut. Something was wrong with that house. They were doing something to that little girl but she was just too afraid to say it outright. He had been hoping to find her diary to help prove his feeling but they had come up empty handed. He growled. "I can feel it in my gut Captain. They're doing something to her."

Fowler didn't budge. "And while you may get that impression, a gut feeling isn't enough to say she can't go back to her parents." He knew he was being the voice of reason. Gavin knew that Fowler was just doing his job. But damn it if he didn't do his in keeping that little girl safe!

He gripped the chair under his hands, picking it up slightly only to slam it down on the ground to emphasize his point. His frustration. His determination. "The fucking house looks like a clean room!" Fowler gave him a pointed glare, warning him to keep his tantrum in check. Gavin released his hold on the chair, standing straight as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no feeling in her room, no personality. It's like a holding cell damn it." Gavin looked over to RK900 who had been standing there quietly ever since they entered Fowler's office. Gavin waited until it glanced over to him, gesturing his head towards the captain. "Tell him Nines." He looked back at the captain as he waited for his 'partner' to back him up. Only he didn't hear anything come from the android. He looked back over to him, sneer on his lips. The thing was staring at him with a shocked expression, one of the few times its actually emoted. Its LED was flashing red, yellow, red again. He waited one more moment. "Did your fucking system shut down or something? Help me out here," he demanded.

Its LED turned yellow as it turned its attention to Fowler. "I," he started slowly, "think that more information must be gathered before I can provide valid input."

"Oh come on!" Gavin threw his hands up in the air with frustration. He couldn't even count on the damned thing to have his back. Fucking great! Why was he expecting anything less!?

"Gavin, I think RK is right. Take some more time, try to find me some solid evidence and then we can move forward." Gavin let out an irritated but resigned huff. Fine, he'd get evidence then. He didn't know how but he would or damn it, he was going to turn in his badge! He stalked out of the office, RK900 following closely behind him.

Once they were in the middle of the bullpen, Gavin turned on it. He glared at it with all the frustration and anger he was containing within him. "Thanks for having my fucking back in there you overpriced toaster." Probably not his best insult, he would admit that. But he was angry. He was frustrated. He was so close to grabbing his hair and just ripping it out.

And it! It just looked at him with that same blank expression that it always had! No response to what he said, just nothing. He was pretty sure that's what pissed him off most about it. "I stand by my statement of requiring more information."

"Fuck you!" He then stormed off. He needed a cigarette.

Thank you all so much for reading chapter four of Blue Blood, Blue Eyes. I hope you all enjoyed this softer side of Gavin. It was very interesting to write! Any and all feedback helps feed my muse and lets me know that you guys like what I'm doing. I hope to hear from you all!

If you'd like to keep up with my progress and updates, check out my tumblr: pennameab

See you guys in the next chapter!