CHAPTER THIRTEEN

(BPOV)

Brenner stayed asleep with his head in my lap for the rest of the night and when dawn approached, I was jostled awake by Jacobs husky whisper.

"I'm heading out with Gentry. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone for. Could be a few days, honey. I'll call you as soon as I can. Are you okay here with Billy until we get back?"

"I'll be okay. Please be safe out there. Stay together. I love you." I replied to him and glanced down at both Clarissa and Brenner still sleeping peacefully with me.

Jacob nodded with a kiss to my forehead and headed for the door with Gentry close behind him, the two of them slipping out of the quiet house without disturbing Billy or Charlie while they went. To my surprise, my dad was slumped in Billy's recliner with his uniform still on as he snored and Billy was fast asleep in the adjacent glider. They had been up most of the night trying to dig for anything they could discover about Rachel. From the looks of them, they hadn't been asleep long.

I could only hope that their searching and investigating hadn't left them empty handed in the end.

I carefully swept the hair out of Brenners innocent face, as I peered down at the little boy who every now and again, would tense up in his sleep, like he was bracing himself for something unknown.

I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all.

I'd seen my fair share of child abuse and neglect cases, and part of me wondered if that's what were dealing with here. I hated to even think it, but knew deep down that it could be true. Brenner exhibited some of the classic signs of this. His fear, anxiety and trouble with sleeping just a few of them for now, but I had a gut feeling that more would soon follow.

My heart broke all the more as I studied his face again, the Black family resemblance so strong in his features that if I looked close enough, I could see Jacob there, too. It was like seeing him as a little boy all over again and the very idea of someone hurting Brenner made me angry in a way I hadn't felt in a very long time. I hated whoever had done this to him. Hated them fiercely.

Clarissa stirred then, her head lifting with a tired smile as she met my gaze.

"Morning, sweetheart. Look at you, Beautiful. Did you sleep well." I whispered, as I placed a kiss into her hair and noticed Brenner beginning to wake up along with her.

He sat up with a start and glanced around the room, his brown eyes wide and full of the same kind of anxiety that had plagued them last night.

"Brenner...-" I softly called to him as he got up off the couch and looked toward the front door. "You're okay. You're at grandpa Billy's house now remember?"

He nodded and looked at me with a timid expression.

"Wh- Where's uncle Jake? Did he leave?"

"He did, but don't worry. He'll be back with Gentry later on."

"What time is it?" He asked me in return.

"It's only six. Still very early in the morning."

"Do we have to leave now, too? Should I get ready to go?"

"No- we can stay right here. There's no hurry to leave."

He nervously tugged at the oversized sweatshirt Jake had given him before and sat back down on the couch.

"Has my mom called?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure she will call you soon."

Brenner nodded at this and started playing a game of peek -a-boo with Clarissa. In no time, he had her in a contagious fit of giggles, and the noise woke both Billy and Charlie.

"Anyone hungry? I could make some pancakes for breakfast? How does that sound?"

Brenner's whole face lit up with my offer while he patted his stomach and pointed excitedly toward the kitchen.

"Can I help you make them! Can I, please?"

"I'd love that." I replied.

Brenner eagerly pulled up a stool to the counter while Charlie tended to Clarissa, and I could only smile at him when he took hold of the spoon and mixing bowl with a lighthearted chuckle.

"My mom makes pancakes a lot. Chocolate chip is my favorite."

"Then Chocolate chip is the kind we'll make. Maybe we'll even add some extra."

We were nearly done with mixing the batter, and Brenner seemed the happiest I'd seen him since his arrival last night, but that quickly changed when he accidentally knocked over the jug of milk.

It went tumbling to the floor, the contents of it splattering everywhere along the way. I grabbed a towel and hurriedly began to sop it up when the sound of Brenner's sobbing made me stop.

"I- I'm so-sorry. I- I didn't mean to." He cried while backing away from me.

I dropped the towel in my hand, leaving the mess where it was and went to him.

"Brenner- it's okay, honey. It was an accident. Don't worry-"

He stared back at me with confusion in his tear filled gaze.

"You're not angry-"

"No, Brenner. I know you didn't mean to." I replied, kneeling down on the floor closer to his eye level now. "It's alright, I'm clumsy myself all the time. Your uncle Jake will tell you that I trip over my own two feet most days."

He sniffled and looked toward Billy and Charlie, the both of them alarmed by Brenner's reaction to the spilt milk.

"I'm not in trouble?"

"No, you're not in trouble. I promise."

He dried his tears and soon stopped shaking, his head lifting some when he looked to me again.

"I'm sorry."

"Come here, Brenner." I sighed, as I reached out for him.

He ran into my arms then and I hugged him tight. After the milk was cleaned off the floor, we went back to making breakfast and I took notice of the way he watched me while I cooked the pancakes, his eyes still full of fear when I soon placed two pancakes on a plate and served them to him.

We all ate breakfast together, and while my dad seemed to enjoy his plate, he also looked to be deep in thought while he silently studied Brenner more.

I piled the dishes high in the sink and tried to keep my composure when Charlie handed me his empty dish.

"Bella-..."

"Please, don't say it." I tearfully asked him. "I already know. I can see it, too."

Charlie sighed and hung his head as he glanced out to Billy and Brenner .

"I have to go into the station and do some more digging. You stay here and be sure to answer any calls. With any luck, Rachel will reach out to Billy again today. I don't have a good feeling about this, kiddo."

"When I saw cases of this at the hospital, it bothered me, of course it did, but experiencing it closer to home like this...-It makes my stomach hurt." I admitted.

"Never something you want to see. Trust me, and it never gets any easier. Stuff like this makes me hate my job some days. All the signs of it are there. Kids been hurt and the quicker we find Rachel, the better. I'm really worried about her, Bella. She always had such a good head on her shoulders. Hate to see her head down a road like this."

"I think she's with someone and that he's influencing her."

"That's what I think, too. We have to find her."

"I hope Jake and Gentry will be able to locate her and bring her back with them. Brenner needs his mother." I replied, filling the sink with water and ending the conversation at the sound of a small voice called out to me.

"Bella?" Brenner meekly spoke, his smile a bit timid but still present with his simple request then. "Can I help you with the dishes?"

I nodded to him with a grin and handed him his very own sponge. He played with the bubbles and laughed when they spilled out over the sinks edge. I dumped in some more of the dish soap and let the water run, making even more of a bubble mess and seeing his eyes grow wide in response. He took a big handful of bubbles then and I blew on them with a small giggle of my own.

"It's okay to make a mess here, Brenner. You'd never be in trouble for it."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure." I countered, turning the water on high and nudging into him with a soft smile.

A/N: Small chapter update tonight. Hope you all enjoy it. More to come soon.