Chapter 8. Thank you all for the continued support, I appreciate it! Enjoy!
Hailey didn't know where to go or what to do. She had been kicked off the case. At least with another person going undercover Hailey could have been a part of the arrest, but now she had no way to be involved in taking down the bastard that killed Alana.
Hailey sat in the 21st District parking lot with her car running. The radio was blasting some upbeat pop song, so she aggressively punched the volume button killing the radio. The car became silent and her thoughts turned loud. Was I out of place for yelling at Voight? Probably. Was he right, it was too dangerous for me to go undercover? Probably. Did I over react? Probably. But this man killed Alana. He killed my niece, she was like a daughter to me. Hailey's thoughts shifted to the day Derrick told Hailey she would be an aunt.
"Hails, I gotta tell you something," Derrick nervously whispered to Hailey in the living room of her parent's home. Their oldest brother Jared had moved out and started his own life, as had Derrick. He was beginning his sophomore year in college and had a serious relationship with a girl. Derrick would occasionally slip in on the holidays or weekends to check on Hailey's wellbeing, but very rarely did he visit on during the week like he currently was.
"Okay," Hailey answered, drawing out the word. Her suspicions about her brother's visit were growing.
"Mom, Dad, Hailey and I are going for a walk," Derrick announced, his deep voice booming.
"Ok!" Their mom replied from the kitchen.
"Derrick, don't shout!" Their dad scolded in his drunken stated from his seat in his recliner.
"Sorry dad," he mumbled as he and Hailey left.
"Derrick, what's wrong?" Hailey asked once they were out of the house.
"Claire is pregnant," He replied. Hailey's jaw dropped.
"You're serious?" She asked. Derrick just nodded in confirmation. "Have you told Mom or Dad yet?"
"I would like to live to meet my kid," He answered.
"So you're not going to tell them?" She questioned.
"I'll tell them eventually, but Dad is going to kill me."
Derrick eventually told Carol and Richard. Their mom was joyful about the new addition to the Upton family; however, Richard was not. He overreacted, as always, and threatened to stop paying Derrick's college tuition.
"I pay for you tp attend that fancy college and you spend your time partying and getting this girl pregnant!" Richard had shouted to Derrick. "How can you become a lawyer if you are having to take care of this child!"
Hailey jumped back into reality when the heavy back door to the district slammed shut, startling her. She was soon sucked back into the past when she thought about the day Alana and Derrick moved in with them. The day her dad warmed up to Alana and their life with their dad around turned slightly tolerable.
"Hails, I have a problem. A big problem," Derrick told Hailey over the phone.
"What?" She asked.
"I found drugs in Calire's nightstand. Alana can't stay with her!" Her answered.
"Are you sure they are drugs?" Hailey asked.
"There is a pack of syringes with it."
"So why'd you call me?"
"I need to bring Alana to live with Mom and Dad," He explained. "She can't be with Claire if she is using."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hailey asked, worried about her niece's welfare. Her dad never hesitated to lay a hand on her or her brothers, so why would Alana be any different. "What if dad hurts her?"
"I don't know what else to do Hailey," Derrick said into the phone."I guess I'll bring her and if he hurts her we will get a new plan."
Derrick showed up to the Upton household with 8 month-old Alana in her carseat later that day.
"Derrick! What are you and this sweet girl doing here?" Carol Upton greeted him when she answered the door.
"Alana and I need a place to stay for a little while, can we stay here?" Derrick asked.
"Yes," She fearfully whispered. She couldn't deny her son and granddaughter a place to live, but she feared her husbands reaction. Richard was the man of the house, and everything had to pass by him. "Wait, let me asked your dad."
"Richard, Derrick and Alana need a place to stay. Can they stay here?" Carol returned to the house with Derrick trailing behind her and asked her husband.
"We paid good money for him to go to college and have that apartment! Why can't he stay there?" Richard demanded. Carol, who was also wondering the same thing turned to Derrick for an answer. 17 year-old Hailey watched the scene unfold from the other side of the living room, out of her father's reach.
"I.. I found drugs in Claire's things. I think she's using drugs," Derrick finalky confessed.
"So kick her out! Be a man!" Richard shouted back.
"Please, can I just stay here for a while?" Derrick pleaded. Richard grumbled, but then he caught sight of his bright eyed grand daughter. Alana sent him a cheeky smile, unaware of the monster he had the potential to be.
"I guess," Richard finally decided.
Hailey had to admit, her dad had a soft spot for Alana. He never even thought about laying a hand on her. Hailey wasn't sure what made Alana different from Richard's own wife and kids. Why was it okay to beat his wife and his daughter? If she's being honest, Hailey doesn't know much of her dad's background. She suspects he was beaten as a kid, and as a result chose to treat his own children the same way. Ht truthfully, she was just guessing.
If Hailey had to guess why Richard treated Alana different, her guess would be that Alana didn't fear him. She didn't keep her grandfather at arms length like Hailey, Derrick, and Jared did. She wasn't afraid to touch him and she didn't see him as a monster. She also didn't have a reason to see him as a monster, he never harmed anyone in the presence of Alana.
Now she's gone. Their peacekeeper is gone.
Hailey noticed a text message from Jared on her phone. He must have sent it while her thoughts were stuck in the past. Dad passed out drunk. Mom, Derrick, Sarah, and I headed to Derrick's house. You're welcome to come if you get a free moment.
So that's what she did. She drove to Derrick's house, it wasn't like she had anything else to do.