"Ryder! Good job on that bust tonight." A blonde woman slapped his shoulder in a ruff congratulatory 'partner thing'. "Thanks you didn't do half bad yourself Bell." She laughed and slapped him again, the woman was short and her hair cut short made her look like a pixy, whenever she moved her hair bounced making her seem as one of those Barbie blondes. But in reality she was the best cop in the district, top of their class in school and the best damn poker player he had ever seen. " I am serious, that guy would have shot the rookie if you hadn't gotten to him. The woman's blue eyes dulled slightly at the mention of the man she had shot tonight, the man hadn't had a prayer as the EMS had taken him away, he was pronounced Dead on Arrival at the hospital. No one was questioning Bell as why she shot the man, and there would be no hearing into the ethics of it. This was a small town every one knew everything about each other and they never stopped backing the police that protected the families. "Yeah, Ryder I really-" He slugged her in the shoulder, " you did what you had to do, so don't worry about it." She smiled, barely, rubbing her shoulder. "Listen I have to go, you know Emma and the kid is coming in tonight and I should be there to be an uncle don't you think?" this time Bell gave him a real smile. " Emma and I were friends before she moved to the city, could I come by and see her and her daughter after I finish the paper work I have to do." Ryder nodded as he slipped off his uniform, sighing with relief as the bulletproof vest followed leaving him in his boxers and tank top. " has she changed much?" the question seemed to catch him off guard and he stared at her for a moment before he answered. "Yeah, she was always different. But now she is erricatic and uncontrollable. That is why I invited her to come stay with me. Maybe I can help, she never took it well when her boy friend left her." Ryder spit out the last word as his memory pulled to mind the conversation with his sister when she found out about his niece. He left me Ryder, he left me with his brat! Even to this day she called her little girl a brat and told her daily that she hated her. Ryder did the best he could, but with his sister in the city it was hard for him to protect the little girl from her own mother. But this weekend would be different, he had a local judge draw up the papers for Emma to lose custody of her daughter and he would become her guardian permanently. Emma had to agree, she hated the child and she was an unfit mother. Ryder knew that she was addicted to drugs, which ones he didn't know but he could guess by the redness in her eyes and the constant runny nose that she had. "Ryder?" Bell's voice pulled him back to reality, "is everything okay?"
He smiled, " nothing I can't handle Bell," she gave him a worried look before she finished changing. After a while she stood to go, "Bell why don't you come over tomorrow, I bet they will be tried and I really need to talk to Emma." She nodded, patted his shoulder and was gone.

"Emma you here?" the door was open, but no sound came from the house, "Emma?" Ryder eased into the room his eyes adjusting to the darkness easily. There was something coming from his room, without a sound he quickly made his way around the furniture in the room and down the hall toward the closed door. Opening the door slowly he sighed when he saw a head of white blonde curls sitting on his bed playing with a ratty looking stuffed animal. "Alizé, hey baby girl!" the girl looked up and with a squeal slid off the bed and ran to him.
"Uncle Ryder, mommy said you would be here!" Ryder laughed as he scooped the little girl up into his arms and spun her around making her laugh and giggle. A cough from behind them make him turn to stare at his sister. "Mommy Uncle Ryder is here!" the little girl wriggled as he held her, his arms tightened reflexively at the look his sister gave her daughter.
"This is his house you fool of course he is here!" the little girl winced at her mothers tone, Ryder fixed his sister with a hard eye still holding Alizé tight to his side. " What are these Ryder?" for the first time he saw the papers that would allow him to keep his niece in his sister's hands.
"Emma let us talk about this away from Alizé." His voice was low and full of anger at his stupid sister.
" Well this is about her so I don't see why she can't hear this!" she voice was shrill as she waved the papers in front of his nose.
"Emma she is SIX!" Ryder grabbed the documents and attempted to smooth them out. "This would benefit you Emma, you no longer would have a child to care for and you could go back to you pathetic life and let her have a chance at happiness." He was trying to be calm, "Emma I did some checking and I know about your 'problem' and I am willing to help pay for rehab and take care of my niece until you get it together and beyond that if you don't want to take her back." The woman just stared at him, her eyes were red and puffy, he knew that she was high.
"Never!" Ryder sighed, "Emma you can sign this paper freely or the courts can get involved, I know I will win. Make it easy on yourself."
The woman began to laugh, Ryder stared at her his uneasiness rising, " Easier, yeah I'll make it easy. I wish the damn goblin king would take you away you brat!" she pointed at the blonde girl and laughed.
Ryder grinned; she was high if she was evoking the old storybook king to take Alizé away. "That is fiction Emma, it isn't real." The woman had stopped laughing and was staring at the bed behind him.
"Actually it is the goblin queen." A woman's husky voice made Ryder spin to stare at the woman who held his niece. " And I am not a work of fiction, no matter what the bloody book says." The woman's mismatched eyes seemed to sparkle with anger as she held onto the sleeping child her arms. Ryder couldn't help but stare at the goblin queen, she wore knee high boots with black leggings and a white tunic, her hair was loose and moved with unfelt wind, her face was shadowed as if she was hiding but Ryder could see her attractiveness, the way she smiled at both the gaping adults was a smile of pity and bitterness as she stroked the blonde hair of the child. "Well take a fucking picture it lasts longer!" she seemed angered by the way they stared at her, " I am talking the child as you requested-"
With her words Ryder shook out of the trance she had put over him, " Wait what ever you are you can't just take her, people will miss her and."
"No actually I will re order time and you won't even remember having this precious thing." She seemed to purr at him her eyes now were filled with laughter.
"That isn't-" Emma seemed to speak but was cut off by the other woman.
"Fair? Of course not but life isn't fair." She grinned showing her long white incisors. " Well I do have to tell you that you can try to win her back." She seemed to pout as she spoke the words. "I want to try" Ryder stepped forward flexing his muscles in his arms trying to intimidate the thin woman. She just laughed.
"Very well." With that Ryder felt the world spin as he lost consciousness.