WaRnInG! Contains profanity.

Landon was relieved, a tiny bit anyway, to see it was not Olivia. Instead, it was her mother, who had fallen over. OD, they said. Sad to see her in this shape, considering what a beauty she would have been if she had not been into the street, smoking, drinking life. Landon would have ridden with her to the hospital, but he still didn't know where Olivia was.
He tried to think about where he would go if he was two and a half. Suddenly his heart broke. It had been her birthday yesterday. She was three now. "The roof!" he instantly thought. He climbed all 15 stories of stairs to find a little girl perched on the top, her eyes staring at the ambulance, probably wondering if it was her mommy they were taking or the mommy down the road who was just like her. "Olivia," he said softly. She spun around, her eyes wide, her mouth ajar. She cleared her throat.
"Hi Uncle Land'n. You look better. The antebotics I gave you must have workeded." She smiled, not a smile of happiness but a smile of sadness. He looked into her eyes, and thought of all the things she'd seen that a child her age should never have to see. Or anyone should have to see for that matter. She had been hurt, she had hurt others, she was a street child through and through, and Landon felt sorry for her.
"Come on Olivia," reaching his hand out to her, "You're coming to visit me for a little bit, and the twins. How would you like that?"
"Did mommy say I could go?" she asked cautiously. Landon had never thought about if Amy had hit her before, he never thought she would. She wasn't the type of person. Or, correction, she hadn't been that type of person. "Yes, she said you could go," he said, stretching his hand farther toward her. Olivia took it and clasped her hand with his, and used it to get up. "Who was in the mambelence?" she said. Mambelence. Cute way for her to say ambulance.
"I don't know," he lied.
"They didn't have to go to the hospital. I could have made them better." Landon laughed and Olivia threw her head up in defiance. "What are you laughing about?"
"Nothing sweet bean. I bet you could have healed them," he said, leading her to the car. The poor kid, she was all alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Olivia had chatted up a storm during the ride home and as soon as they got to Landon's apartment, ran to the twins' room. She came back in the room with a confused look. "They're not here," she said, pouting.
"I know, I know. I just have to grab a bite to eat then I'll take you to where the twins' are. They're staying with a very nice girl named Belinda. You want to go there?" She nodded eagrly, staring at him. "I suppose your hungry. Want grilled cheese?" She nodded again and Landon went to work.
Soon, the little girl had cheese on her dress and on her forehead, even on the back of her blue shirt. "How in the world did you get cheese back there?" he mumbled as he wiped it off with a sponge. Olivia's only response was a giggle as she squirmed, trying to get out of the chair. Landon finished cleaning her and released the squirming child.
"Ready to go?" Landon asked, picking up his car keys from the kitchen counter. "Yea!" cried out Olivia, jumping toward the door, kangaroo style.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Room 241," Landon said to himself as he searched the hall. "Ah, room 241." He thought about turning around and not going in, but a mother, no matter how good or bad she was, deserved to know what happened to her child. He knocked at the cheap wooden door as he picked at the 2.
"Come in," Amy's voice said, cracked, and tired. Landon turned the cool metal knob and entered, and she scowled. "What do you want," she said harshly, staring daggers through him. "Amy," he said, surprised to hear his own voice crack. He sat in a chair, although uninvited. "I just wanted to tell you Olivia is okay. She with me."
"I don't want her with you!" spat Amy. "You are a evil, self centered bastard. You don't give a damn about other people; their feelings, or anything else for that matter. Send Olivia to-," she stopped, not knowing what to say next. "To, um, a day and night care provider. I will pay for it when I get out."
"With what? Prosti-," he cut himself off, "You have no money. How will you pay?"
"I'll find away. Maybe Jack can pay."
Landon sneered, not meaning to, it just came naturally, "Jack has been in jail, he's used all his money on cigarettes or whatever else his hands can get a hold of." He knew that if she wasn't so weak, she would have slapped him. He grabbed her chart, intending to read it.
"Hey!" lashed out Amy, "That's personal." Landon read anyway. Brought in yesterday. Cause of visit: overdose. "Should have known," he thought. He replaced the chart in its holder. "I have Olivia, and I'm not taking her to a daycare or whatever. She's staying with me, in till you get your problem - fixed." He headed to the door.
"You have to help yourself before you can help Olivia," he said, watching her try not to pay attention to what he was saying, deciding to watch T.V. instead. "Bye Amy."
He left, got in his vehicle, and sat, thinking. It dawned on him suddenly: He should adopt Olivia. But how could he afford it? And his apartment; it was so small. But she could sleep with the twins, his head argued.
He decided to sleep on it.

A/N Sorry for the tardiness of my stories, it's been hectic. I'm so tired.. Please review.