Chapter Fifteen

THe plane soon landed and Kristin and Scott ran out of the terminal. Shelby saw them first and Scott ran straight for her. Peter greeted Kristin with a tight hug. "Sorry you got sent home early," he whispered in her ear. "Yeah well, I don't think they could have taken anymore," she told him and Peter laughed.

"Well, you two and I are going to have a little talk about your new police record," Peter said as they got into the jeep. Kristin turned around and looked at Scott and they both grinned. "Yes daddy!" THey said in high pitched voices. No one knew how much Kristin meant it.

Kristin turned on the radio to a rap/rock station. "The Way I Am" Was on again. "You can call me an asshole I'm glad because..." the radio blared. Krisitn turned red again and fumbled with the radio. "Uh...wh-whoops..." she muttered as Peter gave her a Look again. Scott and Shelby both bit back laughs.

They turned into the school and were greeted by all the Cliffhangers minus Auggie-"He'll be here tomorrow"- and Sophie and Brandon.

Brandon ran up to Scott and Kristin. "I got toys! I didn't even get any coal!" He shrieked. Kristin gave a confused look to Scott. "Uh...long story," he explained. Peter laughed. "Well, you 2 go unpack. I've got to talk to Sophie, so meet me in my office at 8, okay?" He asked and they both nodded and ran off.

***In Peter's Office***

"So what did Martin say?" Sophie asked, referring to what Peter and Martin had talked about over the phone-about adopting Kristin legally. "He siad no, that it would be to awkward for him and Elaine and that there's to much space in between them." Sophie sighed. "You know, her dad still has custody of her, anyway," Sophie said quietly. "No he doesn't I told." "You told about what he did?" She asked. "Yeah. I had to. He could have taken her out of this school if he wanted to and I think he was thinking about it. If I didn't he could've and I couldn've objected. So all custody rights were taken from him." "What about her mother?" "Their mother dropped any rights she had to both Steven and Kristin over 3 years ago. THey divorced 3 years ago, she just showed up so the kids wouldn't know it." "That's horrible of them!" "Yeah. What are we going to do? If she becomes a warden of the state then they can take her out, to and it won't help her. Scott said she's been having a lot of nightmares and still shuts down sometimes." "At least she doesn't cut herself," Sophie pointed out. "We don't know that. I think she has a few times because she gets marks on her arms all the time."

They were silent for a few minutes. "I want to adopt her." Peter said suddenly. "What?" Sophie cried. She had been thinking the same thing but she didn't think Peter would go along with it at all. "I think it'd be good for her. She doesn't know any other relatives, if she gets taken out of the school she'll be put in with more strangers. With us she wouldn't have to worry about trust or anything." He said. Sophie smiled largely. "Yeah, I think you're right." "So...we have a daughter? If they let us?" Peter asked, grinning ear-to-ear. "Yes. We have a daughter," She said and her and Peter hugged tightly.

Soon, Scott and Kristin appeared. "Sit down. After I get finished talking to you 2 we have to talk to just Kristin." Peter said grinning. "Okay, he's in a good mood, keep it that way," Scott whispered to her.