"Noted." Kiba said entering her home. He looked around the area and could see that there were toys and papers strewn all over the place and the broken lamp. He walked to the back, "Oliver it's officer Inuzuka, where you at buddy?"

"I'm in here." He heard a small voice say.

Kiba stopped outside the door to the kid's room. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Yes sir." Oliver sat up and wiped the tears from his face.

"Why you crying buddy?" Kiba asked him.

"I don't want mom to know." He said tearing up again. "But I want a dad. My friend Billy told me that his dad helps him with his homework and maybe I'd be able to read better if my dad was here. Some of the kids make fun of me because I don't know how to read like them."

"Ah, so that's why you're sad and mad?" Kiba asked quietly and walked towards the bed and sat on the edge.

"Yeah because I'm mad that he's not here and I'm sad because I know it makes mom sad when I talk about not having a dad." Oliver's bottom lip quivered. "And there's a dad's day coming up and I'm gonna be the only kid that doesn't have one."

"I'm sure there are other kids that don't have dads there." Kiba said.

"There's not. It's just me. My teacher keeps reminding us to tell our parents about the dad's day but I don't have a dad to tell." One large fat tear rolled down the kid's cheek. Kiba knew what that felt like being raised by a single mother. His dad was an alcoholic who left a few emotional scars on the rest of the family on his way out of their lives. Kiba had been a kid and had a few memories of the man but he'd been told enough to get the gist of what else happened.

"I grew up with just a mom too." Kiba said before he could stop the words. "She loved me a lot but sometimes I was sad that I didn't have a dad."

"You did?" Oliver asked brightening at the idea that he wasn't alone.

"Yeah," Kiba said. "I had trouble reading as a kid too, but I met some really good people who helped me out. Doesn't your uncle Nate help you with your reading?"

"Yeah, he does, but he's not a dad." Oliver said frowning.

"Well I didn't have a dad help me, and I can read now." Kiba said.

"Yeah?" Oliver said smiling again.

"Yeah, if you work really hard, you'll get it, but you can't wreck the house anymore okay? If you feel upset because of the dad thing ask your mom if you can come talk to me, and if you feel angry about the reading thing talk to your mom about it. Okay?" Kiba was smiling at the kid.

"Yeah."

"Promise?" Kiba asked

"Promise." Oliver replied and then stood up on the bed and wrapped his arms around Kiba's neck. Kiba's heart flipped in his chest as the small child hugged him and he hugged back.

Kiba squeezed and then released the kid. "Now let's go help mom clean up."

Kiba heard her footsteps padding away before they left the room and he assumed she had heard everything. He saw her wiping at her eyes as she faced the kitchen sink. She had swept the living room and all the pieces of the broken lamp were gone. He helped Oliver pick up everything and looked at the homework as he picked it up. He noticed some similarities to his own issues when he was a kid but he didn't comment. He still occasionally had a hard time reading but for the most part he was okay.

When Oliver was finally done his mother rushed him into a bath and she asked Kiba to wait for her. He stood there studying the apartment that was set up pretty much the same way as his but with more stuff. Pictures lined every surface and he was studying one of a younger Kate and 4 other guys. She recognized one as a younger Nate but didn't recognize the rest of them.

"I owe you an apology." She said stepping back into the living room.

"You do?" He asked trying to think of why.

"Yes, I'm used to doing this alone so when someone swoops in to help I shut them down quickly. It seems like he needed someone else tonight. I heard most of the conversation, sorry." She looked at her hands.

"No apology needed. I know this is gonna be kind of weird since I don't really know Oliver that well but is he by chance dyslexic or has he been tested for it?" Kiba asked hoping he wouldn't pick a fight with her.

"We were waiting to do the testing, how did you know?" She asked looking at him curiously.

"I'm dyslexic, I saw some of his papers, reminds me of my work from when I was a kid and when he told me reading was hard I kind of connected the two." Kiba said rubbing the back of his neck and blushing. He didn't share that information with many people.

"We've suspected it for a while and my brother has done research to help Oliver with a different learning style and it's helped but he still struggles. Unfortunately until we get the testing done they can't make adjustments to his studies. I have him in a program but it's more out of needing someone to watch him between the time he gets out of school and the time my brother picks him up."

"I um," Kiba coughed, "I could help him."

She studied him. "I can't ask you to do that. I wouldn't be able to pay you and you'd have to get him from the bus and it'd be too much of a hassle."

"Look, I'm on a 3 month medical leave, maybe more. Getting shot does that." Kiba smiled. "Honestly I'm going insanely stir crazy. Ask Ino about my background to make sure I'm not some child abuser, and you can call my boss too, she's known me forever, I'll get you her number. If you're comfortable with me doing it after that then let me know, I'll keep him until Nate gets here in the afternoons and longer on days he has a school thing. I remember high school, there's always school things after school."

"Oddly enough, I trust you, let me think on it though. I really can't pay you though. I can barely afford the after school program as it is." She said rubbing her temples.

"I don't want money Kate." He said as he left her apartment.