Look! I wasn't kidding or anything! It's a regular update! See?! Yeah, I'm pretty sure you do. Also, there is mention of mall cops being bad at their jobs in this chapter. I don't actually believe this to be true, it is just Allen's opinion. Ok, that was all I wanted to say. Thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter!

"In my defense, I made a lot of money today," Zao says, trying to make us less angry with him. He's currently sitting on the couch with Ivan's scarf restraining him. I purse my lips and raise an eyebrow in response to his statement. "It's true! The people here are surprisingly open about buying their drugs," he adds. I can tell he thinks this will justify his actions, but he is sorely mistaken.

"How the hell did you even get caught? Mall cops suck at their job," Allen says. When I'd told everyone else about what had happened, he and Gilbert had busted out laughing at Zao's arrest. Apparently, they found this whole thing hilarious. Honestly, I would probably be laughing too if I wasn't so annoyed and angry.

Zao is quiet for a moment, which is pretty weird for him. The silence made me wonder if he was angry about how he'd been caught or something like that. "Well, some guy came up to me and asked to buy drugs. I looked around to make sure there weren't any cops. When I was sure there weren't any, I opened my jacket and told him what I had in each pocket and the price. The guy made the transaction and then showed me his badge when he had the drugs. Dude arrested me and said a bunch of stuff about my rights. Worst part is that he took all the money I had made and all my drugs," he explains.

It takes me a moment, but I realize he's most upset about the cops taking his money and drugs. Not about the guy being an undercover cop or the fact that he was caught, but about his stuff being taken as evidence. "You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you?" Lovi asks, an annoyed look on his face. "You shouldn't even be selling drugs at the mall in the first place! You do that shit in an alley," he adds.

"Please, don't give him ideas. I don't feel like bailing him out again," I tell Lovi. I look back at Zao and notice the look on his face. It's the kind of look idiots get when they think they've got the greatest idea in the world. "Oh no, you are not selling drugs again. We are not going through this again."

Zao pouts a little but nods. "What if I get other guys to do it for me?" he asks, thinking it might be an idea that changes my mind.

"No, I don't think that will work either dearie. We're rather adamant about not breaking the law," Oliver answers, speaking before I can give Zao a reply. I nod in agreement, giving Zao a look that confirms what Oliver said. He sighs and slumps on the couch a little. I think he gave up on arguing, which is honestly a huge relief.

"What if I just don't get caught again?" he asks.

"I'm going to slap you. I am literally going to slap you," I mutter, glaring at Zao. Matthew puts a hand on my arm, stopping me from actually moving towards Zao.

"That's probably not such a good idea. We just need Zao to understand that his actions have consequences. Think of it like we're dealing with a kid," Matthew tells me. I take a deep breath and nod so he'll move his hand.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. How do we make him realize that?" I ask, aiming the question to the others in the room. I get silence in return and sigh in exasperation.

"Oh! How about we let Ollie feed him a special cupcake," Gilbert offers, grinning at his own suggestion. Oliver pouts a little at him, which I can't really blame him for.

"Are you saying my cooking is bad?" Oliver asks.

"No, just that it's funny to see someone spaz when you give them a poisoned cupcake," Gilbert replies. Zao's eyes widen a little and he looks pretty nervous from the idea. "See? He's practically quivering from the idea!"

I look at Zao and seriously consider making him eat a cupcake. I mean, it doesn't exactly sound like a punishment, but these cupcakes must be serious if they're making Zao scared. "I won't make you eat one this time. If you get arrested again, however, I will personally watch you eat a dozen of those cupcakes," I threaten.

"I won't get in trouble again, I promise," Zao says, nodding frantically. I stay silent for a moment, considering if I should believe him or not.

Ivan looks up at me from his spot on the couch. "Mama, am I allowed to let him go now? He is sweating all over my scarf," Ivan says, looking a little disgusted.

"Yes, you can let Zao go now. I don't think he'll cause any more trouble for us. He will, however, be doing the chores until after his court trials are done," I reply, looking at Zao as I say the last bit. He groans but doesn't say anything to argue with me. Ivan nods and quickly pulls his scarf away from Zao, holding out the ends which are slightly damp from sweat.

"Why do you sweat so much?" Ivan asks Zao, a little unbelieving of the man's capabilities to produce this much sweat.

"I sweat when I get nervous. It's not my fault if your scarf was there to catch it all," Zao replies, shrugging a little.

I shake my head and hold my hands out to Ivan. "Do you want me to go wash that for you?" I ask him. Ivan hesitates for a few seconds before slowly pulling the scarf off and holding his arms up so I can carry him. I smile gently and pick him up, making sure I don't touch the sweaty scarf. "Alright guys, I'm going to go wash this scarf. You can start dinner if you want or we can order out, it's up to you," I tell them. They start arguing over it as I walk away, making me shake my head a little.

"Mama, what do you think they'll want?" Ivan asks me. I think a moment before answering him.

"I get the feeling Oliver will make an executive decision and just start making dinner," I tell him, being completely honest. "Whatever it is will be good," I add. Ivan nods a little and looks sadly at his scarf. "Hey, don't worry; it'll be clean and soft soon."

Ivan nods again and smiles. "Good, I don't like having it off," he admits. I smile back and ruffle his hair, making him giggle. I smile a little wider and hold him a little closer, glad he's such a good kid.

I don't know, I'm not too fond with how this chapter ended. I just don't like it, it isn't as concise as the endings usually are. I'll live with it. Thanks for reading, comment your thoughts, and look forward to the next chapter!