Chapter 10: Planning
While Kanan was doing his best to patch Ezra up, Hera approached them.
"Kanan, Fulcrum wants to speak to you." Hera said.
"Alright, I'll be right there." Kanan said. He got up and Ezra pulled his shirt back on.
Kanan approached Fulcrum's office knowing she would most likely be talking to him about how he just shot and killed three people. He knocked.
"Come in." Fulcrum said.
Kanan opened the door.
"Take a seat Officer Jarrus." Fulcrum instructed. Kanan did as his Commissioner requested. "No doubt you know what this is about."
"How I shot those mob members?" Kanan guessed.
"Yes." Fulcrum said. "I need your side of the story."
"Well I was driving by an alley when I heard someone cry for help." Kanan started. "When I approached I saw two of them beating on a young teenage boy. The leader ordered them to stop and he pulled a gun on the kid. And before he had the chance to shoot the kid I shot him. His buddies pulled out guns and turned them on me so I shot them down."
"The boy?" Fulcrum asked.
"He's fine. He's over by my desk." Kanan explained.
"Can you bring him in here?" Fulcrum asked.
"Sure." Kanan said. He stood and opened the door. "Hey Ezra, come in here for a moment."
Ezra got up to do as Kanan asked, he wanted to be sure do what he asked to keep him nice, so he wouldn't change his mind and just send back onto the streets.
Kanan let Ezra into the room. It was relatively dark, but had enough light for Ezra to make out who must have been the head officer. She was pretty attractive in Ezra's mind, she in a way, reminded him of his mom.
"Hello ma'am." Ezra said, figuring that he should start.
"Have a seat…" she started, but paused not knowing his name.
"Ezra." Ezra provided with a smile, happy that she was not using 'Phantom.'
"I'm Commissioner Fulcrum. I just want your side of the story of what happened." she said.
"Well, I was walking down the street, until I was grabbed and dragged into the alley way." Ezra started. "The Imperials were trying to get me to join them again. When I refused they thought I did it one too many times. Two of them started beating on me, and when the third told them 'enough' I thought I was safe, until I heard the gun cock. I looked up and saw the gun pointing in my face. I closed my eyes and prepared for death, then I heard three gun shots, there was a pause between the first one and the next two. When I opened my eyes the Imperials were dead and Officer Jarrus was coming towards me to see if I was okay."
"Did the other two have guns?" Commissioner Fulcrum asked.
"I didn't see." Ezra said. "Is Kanan in trouble?"
"That is going to be discussed later, after some investigation." Commissioner Fulcrum said.
Ezra saw Kanan flinch lightly.
"Now, Ezra, where do you live?" Commissioner Fulcrum asked.
"I live on the streets." Ezra said.
"Are you an orphan?" Commissioner Fulcrum asked.
"Yeah, my parents were killed when I was seven." Ezra admitted.
Fulcrum grew a confused look before pulling up a file on her computer. "What's your last name?"
"Bridger." Ezra told her.
"You're parents were Mira and Ephraim Bridger?" Commissioner Fulcrum asked.
"Yeah," Ezra said, these questions were getting strange.
"We have in the system that you died with them." Commissioner Fulcrum said. "The Police Department also doubles as Child Services here."
"Why would it say he was dead?" Kanan questioned.
"The officers didn't report seeing a kid at the crime scene. So the commissioner at the time assumed that their child was dead as well and they did something with the body." Commissioner Fulcrum said. "Do you happen to remember the lead officer?"
Of course Ezra knew the man's face; he saw it at least once a month in his nightmares. "I don't know his name but I can describe him."
"Please do." Commissioner Fulcrum requested.
"He had sandy blonde hair, about mid neck length. He had a scar on his eye and…" Ezra started to describe him but Commissioner Fulcrum cut him off.
"Anakin." Commissioner Fulcrum whispered.
"You knew him?" Kanan asked.
"He used to be my partner, until he defected from the cops about six years ago. He goes by Vader know." Commissioner Fulcrum.
"Wait, the Vader!" Ezra yelled.
"Does everyone here know who this guy is but me?" Kanan asked.
"He is the current leader of the Imperials." Ezra explained.
"Okay, back on the topic of you. We need to get you back into this system." Commissioner Fulcrum said. "Kanan you may leave for now."
Kanan left.
"Now, we need to re-confirm some things first. Birth date?" Commissioner Fulcrum asked.
"October 6th." Ezra said.
"Current age?" Fulcrum asked.
"14." Ezra replied.
"Eye and hair color." Fulcrum mumbled to herself, looking up for herself. "What color is your hair?"
Ezra took a lock of it in his fingers. "I think it's black." He wasn't really sure what color it was under all the grim from nearly eight years of no bathing.
"Okay, and your eyes are blue." Fulcrum said.
There were a few more questions that Ezra tried to answer to the best of his ability.
"Okay, now that you are in the Child Care system we need to find you a home." Fulcrum said.
"Kanan offered." Ezra said.
"Well, he has to sign up to become a foster parent, but that should take only an hour. But then you will be able to go with him." Fulcrum said.
Ezra smiled.
"Go on back out, and send Kanan in." Fulcrum said.
Ezra did as the Police Commissioner asked. He waited patiently with Hera in the main room. She didn't talk to him much though in the beginning.
Kanan walked back into the room, pretty nervous that he was going to get reprimanded in some way.
"Sign these." Fulcrum instructed pushing papers towards him.
"What are they?" Kanan asked as he grabbed them.
"Custody papers. They will allow you to become Ezra's foster father." Fulcrum said.
Kanan didn't have to be told twice.
After the papers were signed Fulcrum started, "Okay, so due to regulation, you are on leave until we sort the matter out of the three dead Imperials. But since most of the Imperials are criminals, it should cause very little issues. You may be asked to leave the police force for maybe a month. But that may be good, so you can get Ezra settled in." Fulcrum explained.
"Okay," Kanan voiced his understanding.
"Keep that boy out of trouble." Fulcrum said.
"I will." Kanan said with a smile.
"You may take him home now if you wish." Fulcrum said.
"Thank you Fulcrum." Kanan said, and left the room.
"So, your Kanan's girlfriend?" Ezra asked, just as Kanan approached them. Ezra did not seem to know that Kanan was standing right behind him.
"I don't know. I guess you could say that." Hera said. "We've gone on two dates, which funnily enough, we saw you on both."
"Did you now?" Ezra asked.
"Well, you sort of did pick-pocket me on my first date." Hera said.
Ezra flinched. "Sorry about that, but I did need food."
Kanan placed his hands on Ezra's shoulders making the poor boy jump. "You two talking about me?" he joked.
"Um, how much of that did you hear?" Ezra asked nervously.
"So, Hera, I take you out two times and you don't think I'm you boyfriend?" Kanan asked a joke, to signal that he came in at the question.
"Well," Hera said.
"Just joking," Kanan said. He walked over and kissed her forehead, which Ezra looked away, not wanting to see the two adults kissing.
Kanan checked the time, wondering exactly how long the meetings he and Ezra had with Fulcrum took. As it turned out it was already 6:30.
"Can you hold out another 30 minutes before heading home?" Kanan asked.
"Yeah," Ezra said. "I've waited eight years already, what's another half an hour."