It's All Legal
Four weeks later, Ally was beginning to settle into her new life. She had only been outside the apartment once, and not for long.
Jesse had found it easier than first thought to keep Ally. He imagined her being a problem, but found that she was almost the opposite. She kept the apartment clean, and sometimes even managed to cook some dinner.
"You don't have to do all this," Jesse told her as he came home one evening to see spaghetti Bolognese on the table, and to see that she had cleaned the kitchen for him.
"I may as well do something whilst I'm here," Ally told him, setting two glasses on the table. "It's not like a got a whole mountain of other stuff to do around here."
Jesse noticed that Ally had taken interests in things in his apartment. She read a lot of books, even a lot of medical books, which Jesse had in his apartment.
"Aren't those a bit dull?" Jesse asked her, as he found Ally with her nose in yet another medical book.
"It's not that bad," Ally said, studying the work in the book. "Pretty interesting for something educational."
It was seeing that Ally was really settled in his home, and that things were working out well, that made him go out and settle things.
"Hi, was there an emergency at the hospital?" Ally asked as Jesse walked in late one evening.
"No, sorry I'm late," Jesse replied, hanging his jacket up. "I went to sort a few things out."
"Oh?" she asked, looking up from the TV guide.
"I don't know if you read the newspaper or not, but your father's body was picked up by a fishing boat a couple of weeks ago."
Ally's eyes were wide. "Scott didn't do the best of jobs hiding Dad, it seems."
"Well, he wasn't as bad as you might think," Jesse told her, sitting in the armchair. "Found in a glass bottle with the body was a note requiring that I should take care of you, as a will of your father."
"Really?" Ally asked him. "Was it a legal will?"
"Yes, it was. Scott must have found a will from your father, and must have planted it on the body."
"So, I can legally live with you?"
"It's all legal."
"Wait a minute, none of this adds up," Ally began. "For example, why would Dad just randomly end up in the sea with a will in a glass bottle?"
"The police have named it a suicide. What else don't you think adds up?"
"Well, I have actually been living with you for two weeks before Dad supposedly kicked the bucket. What about that? And there's the fact that he's already been dead two weeks. Won't autopsies and stuff figure that out?"
"You've been reading my medical books again," Jesse observed. "Well, they FOUND him two weeks ago, but he could have drowned himself before that. They guess that he drowned himself two weeks before they found him," he added with a grin.
"And the fact that I've been living with you two weeks before they found him?"
"My story was that he dropped you off here to visit for a fortnight whilst he sorted out some business. The authorities were slightly annoyed that I left it another two weeks before I came to talk to them, but I told them that it was a week before we found out, and it took me a week to calm you down from the shock."
"Hold it, reverse there. You went to the authorities?!"
"Well, I had to register that you are actually living with me on a permanent basis," Jesse told her, giving her the documentation to prove it.
"You?" Ally stammered. "You, you actually got legal documents, allowing that I can live with you permanently?"
Jesse nodded. Ally skimmed the text, and looked up, smiling. "It's all okay!"
"Whoa, hold it kiddo," Jesse slowed her down. "It may all be legal now, but there is still someone out there who is looking for vengeance against your father. If they know that he is dead, then they'll be out looking for you. We have just as much to worry about."
Ally nodded as Jesse continued. "For the next month, we're okay. You don't need to go to school until September, and it's okay for now, since it's only the beginning of August. For the moment, you'll need to keep a low profile."
"NOW he stops worrying about the legal stuff, and then realises that maybe that there is something out there that's gonna kick our butts a bit harder than formalities."
"All right, all right, so I'm worried."
"So you should be," Ally said decidedly.
"If there are any signs of trouble, ANYTHING at all, I got a very good friend on the police force who can help us out."
"What's the bet that it's the guy who makes the coffee," Ally teased.
"Actually, he's a Lieutenant, the best homicide detective that LA has to offer."
"Let me get this straight, you're trying to make me feel better by telling me that a murder detective will help us out? Won't it be a bit late by the time he comes into action?"
"He doesn't only do homicide investigations," Jesse rolled his eyes. "He helps out his friends."
"How friendly are you with Mr. Homicide Detective?"
"He's my best friend," Jesse told her.
"Wow, friends in high places," Ally noted. "Have you told him about me yet?"
"No, why?"
"You were pretty wise. If you told him before you sorted all this out, then it could have put him in a really difficult position."
"Guess that's why I didn't tell him before."
"Are you going to tell him about me now that it's all sorted out? He could be like a bodyguard or something."
"I'm sure he has more pressing business than to stand by your side all day and watch over you," Jesse laughed. "But, I will tell him. Him and two other friends."
"Ooh, the guy has more than one friend," Ally observed.
"I have lots of friends, thank you very much," Jesse told her. "But these three are my closest friends."
"I can't wait to meet them," Ally told him sincerely. "I got one last question, though. Do I have to call you Dad, or is Jesse still acceptable?"
Jesse raised his eyebrows at the thought of someone calling him 'Dad.' "You can call me Jesse," he told her, ruffling her hair.
Four weeks later, Ally was beginning to settle into her new life. She had only been outside the apartment once, and not for long.
Jesse had found it easier than first thought to keep Ally. He imagined her being a problem, but found that she was almost the opposite. She kept the apartment clean, and sometimes even managed to cook some dinner.
"You don't have to do all this," Jesse told her as he came home one evening to see spaghetti Bolognese on the table, and to see that she had cleaned the kitchen for him.
"I may as well do something whilst I'm here," Ally told him, setting two glasses on the table. "It's not like a got a whole mountain of other stuff to do around here."
Jesse noticed that Ally had taken interests in things in his apartment. She read a lot of books, even a lot of medical books, which Jesse had in his apartment.
"Aren't those a bit dull?" Jesse asked her, as he found Ally with her nose in yet another medical book.
"It's not that bad," Ally said, studying the work in the book. "Pretty interesting for something educational."
It was seeing that Ally was really settled in his home, and that things were working out well, that made him go out and settle things.
"Hi, was there an emergency at the hospital?" Ally asked as Jesse walked in late one evening.
"No, sorry I'm late," Jesse replied, hanging his jacket up. "I went to sort a few things out."
"Oh?" she asked, looking up from the TV guide.
"I don't know if you read the newspaper or not, but your father's body was picked up by a fishing boat a couple of weeks ago."
Ally's eyes were wide. "Scott didn't do the best of jobs hiding Dad, it seems."
"Well, he wasn't as bad as you might think," Jesse told her, sitting in the armchair. "Found in a glass bottle with the body was a note requiring that I should take care of you, as a will of your father."
"Really?" Ally asked him. "Was it a legal will?"
"Yes, it was. Scott must have found a will from your father, and must have planted it on the body."
"So, I can legally live with you?"
"It's all legal."
"Wait a minute, none of this adds up," Ally began. "For example, why would Dad just randomly end up in the sea with a will in a glass bottle?"
"The police have named it a suicide. What else don't you think adds up?"
"Well, I have actually been living with you for two weeks before Dad supposedly kicked the bucket. What about that? And there's the fact that he's already been dead two weeks. Won't autopsies and stuff figure that out?"
"You've been reading my medical books again," Jesse observed. "Well, they FOUND him two weeks ago, but he could have drowned himself before that. They guess that he drowned himself two weeks before they found him," he added with a grin.
"And the fact that I've been living with you two weeks before they found him?"
"My story was that he dropped you off here to visit for a fortnight whilst he sorted out some business. The authorities were slightly annoyed that I left it another two weeks before I came to talk to them, but I told them that it was a week before we found out, and it took me a week to calm you down from the shock."
"Hold it, reverse there. You went to the authorities?!"
"Well, I had to register that you are actually living with me on a permanent basis," Jesse told her, giving her the documentation to prove it.
"You?" Ally stammered. "You, you actually got legal documents, allowing that I can live with you permanently?"
Jesse nodded. Ally skimmed the text, and looked up, smiling. "It's all okay!"
"Whoa, hold it kiddo," Jesse slowed her down. "It may all be legal now, but there is still someone out there who is looking for vengeance against your father. If they know that he is dead, then they'll be out looking for you. We have just as much to worry about."
Ally nodded as Jesse continued. "For the next month, we're okay. You don't need to go to school until September, and it's okay for now, since it's only the beginning of August. For the moment, you'll need to keep a low profile."
"NOW he stops worrying about the legal stuff, and then realises that maybe that there is something out there that's gonna kick our butts a bit harder than formalities."
"All right, all right, so I'm worried."
"So you should be," Ally said decidedly.
"If there are any signs of trouble, ANYTHING at all, I got a very good friend on the police force who can help us out."
"What's the bet that it's the guy who makes the coffee," Ally teased.
"Actually, he's a Lieutenant, the best homicide detective that LA has to offer."
"Let me get this straight, you're trying to make me feel better by telling me that a murder detective will help us out? Won't it be a bit late by the time he comes into action?"
"He doesn't only do homicide investigations," Jesse rolled his eyes. "He helps out his friends."
"How friendly are you with Mr. Homicide Detective?"
"He's my best friend," Jesse told her.
"Wow, friends in high places," Ally noted. "Have you told him about me yet?"
"No, why?"
"You were pretty wise. If you told him before you sorted all this out, then it could have put him in a really difficult position."
"Guess that's why I didn't tell him before."
"Are you going to tell him about me now that it's all sorted out? He could be like a bodyguard or something."
"I'm sure he has more pressing business than to stand by your side all day and watch over you," Jesse laughed. "But, I will tell him. Him and two other friends."
"Ooh, the guy has more than one friend," Ally observed.
"I have lots of friends, thank you very much," Jesse told her. "But these three are my closest friends."
"I can't wait to meet them," Ally told him sincerely. "I got one last question, though. Do I have to call you Dad, or is Jesse still acceptable?"
Jesse raised his eyebrows at the thought of someone calling him 'Dad.' "You can call me Jesse," he told her, ruffling her hair.