AN: And here's the next chapter. I'll try to write one more chapter before I leave tomorrow.
Dedication: I'm dedicating this to my new baby cousin, who is the reason I'm going to New York tomorrow. He's so adorable!
The next few days were very busy for Sara and Tony and they had to get back into a semi-normal sleep schedule. It was harder for her then Tony. The little boy seemed only to sleep when Sara tucked him into bed. Other then that he would stay awake, playing with his toys or just sitting on the floor staring into space.
Tony had a couple appointments with a few different shrinks and people with the foster home. Sara had to talk to the social worker again and fill out a few more forms now they knew the kids real name. Tony was getting better with other people, which was a good thing because Sara would have to drop him off with the shrink and then go back over to the safe home herself.
She learned a bit about Tony's past and was surprised that the father wasn't pushing for custody of the boy. The social worker warned that he might. Sara also had to contact missing persons to let them know she had the little boy. Brass was still trying to locate the father and Sara hoped they wouldn't. She hoped that he had run somewhere far away and they would never find him. Because if her did, not a lot was going to stand between him and Tony unless they proved he murdered his wife.
After every session with the shrink, Tony seemed extra happy to see Sara. Sara knew a psych evaluation was part of the process, but she wished they didn't have to put Tony through that. The shrinks told her that Tony (well they used the name Benjamin) hadn't yet said a single word to them. That made Sara proud at the boy's own stubbornness.
When the shrinks tried to get in to her head when she was a kid, she was very much the same. She would just shut up, not answer any of their questions, and they would get fed up.
The social worker also talked to Sara about moving Tony to a more permanent foster home.
"He is eight years old," the social worker said. Sara nodded. When she first found this out, she was surprised. Tony was a very small eight years. He could've passed for five, and that's how old Sara had assumed he was.
"Though school will be out in a little over a month, Benjamin will have to take an entrance exam next year and go to school."
Sara almost corrected her on the name but stopped herself before she did. He was Benjamin to the outside world. To her, and maybe Greg as well, he was Tony. Sara contemplated the school matter for a minute. She knew how hard Catherine had it. Working nights with a kid at home. She wasn't sure if she could do that. But then she thought of Tony and how similar he was to her. She knew what he was going through. She knew what it was like, to be that young and see such horror. She knew what it was like to trust someone so completely and then have them give you up to someone else. She didn't want Tony to feel that.
"No," she told the social worker. "I'll…I'll work something out but I want Tony to stay with me."
The social worker gave her a weird look then realized she must have been talking about the same kid. She nodded.
"Alright."
And that was it. Sara knew that was it. That Tony would stay with her until someone took him away. And she hoped that would never happen.
She sat in her apartment later. She and Tony were watching Nickelodeon on TV. Well Tony was watching it. Sara wasn't really paying attention. She would have to back to work in less then a week. She didn't know what she would do then. She couldn't very well take Tony to work her. But she would be hard pressed to find a babysitter willing to baby sit nights.
A knock sounded in her apartment. She walked to the door. She didn't really think it was Dirchy. There were cops outside making sure he didn't get in after all. She looked out the peep hole. It wasn't Dirchy. It was Lena.
Lena was a young woman who lived in the apartment across from Sara. They spoke sometimes, but mostly they each kept to themselves. Sara knew that Lena worked out of her home and could therefore work whenever she pleased. Lena seemed to keep mostly the same hours as Sara.
Sara opened the door.
"Hello Lena," she said, wondering what brought the young woman over here.
Lena smiled. "Hey Sara. I saw and heard a lot of foot traffic going around here. A lot of people. Seemed like more attention then you usually get. I just wanted to make sure things were okay."
Sara smiled at her thoughtfulness.
"Yeah things are a little hectic, but we're okay," she said, including Tony when she referred to herself. It was almost second nature now. Lena looked at Sara, obviously confused. Then she looked past Sara and saw Tony still sitting on the couch.
"Oh, when did you get a kid Sara," she asked.
Sara smiled and led Lena over to the couch. Tony looked at them. He seemed to be regarding Lena.
"Lena, this is Tony. My foster child," Sara said amazed how easily it rolled off her toung.
"Tony, Lena is a neighbor. She lives right across the hall."
Tony nodded, absorbing all this information silently.
Lena smiled at Tony, obviously very taken with the child. Then she turned to Sara.
"What are you going to do with him when you go to work?"
Tony stared at Sara too, waiting for her answer. Sara thought about it and shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess I'll have to find a babysitter who can work nights," she said, wondering how she'll ever find one. Lena's face lit up with excitement.
"I can watch him for you," she stated happily. Sara looked at her.
"You won't mind," she asked, trying not to show how eager she was herself. Lena shook her head.
"Not at all," she said. She had a look of concentration on her face. "And, she continued, "If you make enough breakfast when you get home so I can eat too, we'll call it even."
Sara couldn't help but laugh.
"Tony," she said to the little boy, "Would you like that?. Would you like Lena to watch after you while I go to work?"
Tony looked between the two of them as if considering very seriously. Finally he nodded.
"Lena," he said, giving the woman a quick hug.