Chapter Three
"Welcome to GameStop, my name is Laura, how can I help you?" a clerk asked as Alan Shore walked into the store. "I just found out that I have a ten year old daughter and I'm looking for something that says I care about her and I want to spoil her." he told the woman. "Of course, do you know what she likes?" Laura replied as she led him to the front. "She wants one of those Switches, and likes Pokemon. Is there anything else you can recommend?" he asked her. "Well she might like Animal Crossing, you live on an island with sentient animals and become friends with them. She might also like Super Smash Brothers, oh and Mario Kart and Splatoon 2." the woman said. "Perfect, get me one of each, and one of those controllers, and if that Switch has a screen then a screen protector and case." he replied. "Perfect, now which Pokemon game do you want to get?" she asked him. "There's more than one?" he asked.
"Yeah, we have the Let's Go games, Sword and Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and Legends Arceus." she named off. "Let's go with one of each." he said, not really knowing the difference. He also picked out some plushies he thought she'd like of both Vulpix and a Pikachu. He picked out the OLED model switch and they rang it up. Luckily he had remembered Jane's apartment number and they happened to be there when Alan arrived. "Alan, what are you doing here?" Jane asked. They had just gotten home from the furniture store where Regina had picked out some pastel colored furniture. It wouldn't be delivered until tomorrow however. "I thought I would surprise Regina." he said. Jane let him in and saw him carrying a few bags.
Regina was sitting on the couch and watching a movie on Disney+, the second Incredibles movie. Alan walked over to Regina and sat down beside her. "Regina, I brought you a surprise. Can you close your eyes for me?" he asked her. Regina put her hands in front of her eyes and tried to peak through her fingers. "No peaking." he told her as he took the items out of their bags and set them on the coffee table. "You can look now." he told her. Regina opened her eyes and saw the games, the Switch, and plushies. "Are these for me?" she asked, really shocked at all of the things in front of her. "Yes they are, they are all set up for you to play. You even have that online feature for the Switch." he said as he grabbed the box. "Thank you!" Regina said as she hugged him tightly.
"Wow, that was nice of you." Jane told him. "You didn't have to do all of that." she added as she looked at Alan. "Well, I figured she didn't have much to play with, and she can't exactly play outside with a broken ankle, she should have something to help distract her." he told Jane as he helped Regina set it all up. He had put the SD card inside the Switch and set up her account already. Regina put the Pokemon Legends Arceus cartridge into the system and sat in front of the TV to play it. She decided to be a girl and picked her own name to use. Alan watched her play for a bit before telling her that he had to go. "Okay, thank you again!" she said as she hugged him once more.
"You are very welcome." he told her before taking his leave. Alan returned to the office to have his nightly drink and cigar with Denny, deciding to tell him all about Regina. "You're late." Denny said, already seated in his chair. "Yes, sorry about that." he apologized as he sat down beside his friend. "Where have you been all day?" Denny asked him. "I was at the hospital telling our client I was dropping him." Alan replied. "That couldn't of taken all day. Let me guess, you were with a woman?" Denny guessed. "You could say that. Do you remember Detective Rizzoli?" Alan asked him. "Do I remember her, hard not to, she's quite feisty." Denny chuckled. "I ran into her at the hospital, she was with her daughter...as it turns out I am a father." Alan informed him. "You...have a kid? With the detective?" Denny asked him, not quite believing it himself. "I threatened to sue her if she didn't let me see her. She looks a lot like her mother, but she does have my eyes and ears." Alan replied as he took a drink. "Why was she in the hospital?" Denny asked him. "They found out she has a number of ailments, allergies to certain foods and epilepsy." Alan replied. "On top of her broken ankle. Apparently the person who kidnapped her beat her and broke her ankle while the step-father molested and raped her. It made me quite angry actually." Alan added.
"She'd be what now, ten? You know what I do to pedophiles, and your family is my family." Denny informed him. "I appreciate that more than you know." Alan told him. They finished smoking and drinking and then went home for the night. That night Jane would discover another thing that Regina suffered from. Night terrors. She didn't know it was hereditary on her father's side, in fact she didn't even know Alan had night terrors, to be fair she was too drunk when she slept with him, it was really the only reason she slept with him actually.
Regina slept in her mother's bed as her bed hadn't arrived yet, but found herself having a horrible nightmare. She dreamed that she was running away from something chasing her, but it wasn't just something, it was someone. Regina knew this person, it was her former step-father, followed by her former mother. She was terrified and found herself getting out of bed and trying to run. She didn't feel any pain while she was asleep, but she was trying to escape. She limped all the way to the fire escape and tried to climb the railing. Jane turned over and tried to put her arm on Regina, but felt that she was gone. She could sense something wrong. Jane got up and checked the bathrooms, but no one was there. She then saw a window open and ran to it with Regina trying to jump off the fire escape. She quickly grabbed her. "Regina! What were you doing?! You could have been killed!" Jane said in a panicked voice, but Regina wasn't awake, she was still trying to get away, kicking and screaming.
Jane couldn't wake her no matter what she did. She took her back inside and locked the window again and brought her back to bed. As Regina was let go of she tried to get up and take off again. Jane blocked her and grabbed her phone. She didn't want to wake Maura this late, but she didn't have much of a choice. The phone rang and Maura picked up "Jane? What's wrong?" she asked half asleep. "Regina tried to jump off the fire escape and she won't stop trying to run, as you can hear she's screaming and I can't get her to wake up. Got any ideas?" Jane asked her. Maura sat up in bed and thought for a moment. "I will be right over, don't let her out of your sight." she said before hanging up, getting dressed and getting over to Jane's as fast as she could. When she arrived Jane let her in and quickly tried to stop Regina from getting to the window. Maura witnessed her behavior for a few moments before walking over to Regina.
"Regina, it's okay, you're having a bad dream, no one is going to harm you, let's go back to bed alright?" Maura told her. After a few moments of repeating herself Regina seemed to calm down. She helped Regina back to bed and she went back to sleep. Jane just watched her and Maura left the room to speak to Jane. "How..." she started. "Regina has night terrors. That's why she wasn't waking up, you have to calmly tell them that it's all a dream until they calm down and then lead them back to bed. Does anyone in your family have them? They are often hereditary." Maura told her. "Not that I'm aware of." Jane replied. "Alan might have them then." Maura told her. "Thank you for coming over here so quickly, I had no idea on what to do. Sorry I woke you." Jane apologized. "It's quite alright, you might want to keep her in your bed for a little while longer just to keep an eye on her." Maura informed her. "Yeah, I definitely will keep that in mind." Jane told her. Maura then left for home to get some more sleep and Jane did the same.
The next morning Jane had to work, but her mother had the day off, which was a good thing because she needed a babysitter and someone to wait for the delivery people. "Hey Ma, do you have any plans for today?" Jane asked as she called her mother. "Why?" she asked her daughter. "Well I have to work and the delivery people are supposed to deliver Regina's furniture today, can you watch her?" Jane asked her. "You don't have to ask me twice, I'd love to spend time with my granddaughter." Angela replied. "Thank you so much. I have to leave in an hour, can you get here by then?" Jane asked her. "I'll be over soon." she replied as she hung up. Angela had arrived half an hour later while Regina was playing video games. "Thanks again for doing this Ma." Jane told her. "Here is a list of her allergies, she's already had her seizure medication this morning, if I am not back by the time it's time for her second dose it's on the counter. They delivery people said they'd be here in an hour." Jane told her. "I think I can handle it Jane." Angela said. "Sorry you're right. Okay Regina, I have to go." she said. Regina hugged her. "Bye mommy!" she said. "Bye." Jane said as she hugged her back and left.
"Regina have you had breakfast yet?" Angela asked her. Regina shook her head. "Alright, how about I make us some breakfast okay?" she said. "Okay grandma." she smiled before going back to her game. "What are you playing?" Angela asked. "Pokemon Legends Arceus." she replied. "Did your other grandma get that for you?" Angela asked her. "No, daddy did., Grandma Stella says video games rot your brain" she told her. "That was nice of him." Angela said as she started to make breakfast. "So what are you supposed to do in it?" she asked as she started to make some french toast, eggs and bacon. "You have to catch all the Pokemon. I'm trying to get shiny Pokemon." Regina told her as she played. "What's a shiny Pokemon? Are they good?" she asked her granddaughter. "They're just different colors, but alpha Pokemon are bigger so getting shiny alpha Pokemon are cool." she informed her as she continued to shiny hunt.
"I see." she laughed. It was currently spring break where they were so Regina didn't have school, Jane would have to register her before school began. Angela finished up breakfast for them and sat it down on the table. "Can you pause your game, breakfast is ready." Angela informed her. Regina paused and grabbed her crutches, limping over to the table. She sat down and set her crutches against the table. "Ooooh my favorite. Thank you grandma." she said before digging in. Angela learned that Regina loved french toast and Pokemon, at least that was something. After breakfast Angela cleaned up and Regina went back to her game. Once she was finished there was a knock at the door. She looked through the peephole and saw it was the delivery people. She opened the door and signed the paperwork as they brought in the furniture for Regina, placing it in her room.
Once they were finished they left leaving Angela and Regina alone once more. "How about we go to a craft store and we can pick out an activity to do together?" Angela suggested. "Okay, I love crafts...and drawing." Regina smiled as she saved and turned off her game. Regina grabbed her crutches and they left with Regina hobbling to the elevator after Angela locked the door. They then went to her grandmother's car and Angela helped Regina get in and buckle up. She then drove them to the craft store and when they got in they looked for something fun to do. "How about slime?" Angela asked her. She had done it with TJ a while back, someone she hadn't met yet. As they were looking at the various slime kits Angela's phone rang. It was Tommy. "Hey Ma, I've got an emergency and I need someone to watch TJ. Lydia was in a car accident and I need to get to the hospital, I don't want TJ to see her like this." he said. "Sure, I'll be over in a bit." Angela told him and then hung up.
Regina had picked out a craft kit to do and so they went to the register and Angela paid for it. "We've got to make a quick stop before we go back to your place." she said as she drove over to her son's place. "Wait right here okay?" Angela said as she went inside to pick up TJ. "Thanks for watching him Ma." Tommy said. "Alright, go get your shoes on TJ." Angela told him. "I'll drop him off when you get back. I have Regina in the car right now." Angela said. "Ma, are you okay? Regina's been missing for like ten years." Tommy told her. "Your sister brought her home yesterday. She found her on her trip." Angela informed him. "Are you serious? I have a few minutes before I can go, I'll go say hi." Tommy said. TJ came back with his shoes on and a dinosaur toy. "Climb in the back." she said as she took them outside. "Grandma...who is that girl sitting in my seat?" TJ asked her. "That's your cousin, Regina. Your Aunt Jane brought her home yesterday, be careful, and don't ask about her broken ankle." Angela warned him. "Has TJ had any peanut butter today?" Angela asked. "No, why do you ask. "Regina's allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and all seafood, she can't even smell it on someone's breath or she could die." she told Tommy.
"Hey there Regina..." Tommy said to her. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers..." she said to him. "Regina, this is your Uncle Tommy and that is your cousin TJ." Angela told her. "Oh okay then...hello." she said politely. "Alright TJ say goodbye to your dad." Angela told him. "Bye dad, see you later." TJ said as he hugged him. TJ then got in the seat next to Regina and they left. "Grandma can we go to the park today?" TJ asked. "Yeah I guess. Regina would you like to grab your game before we go to the park, you can't really do much otherwise." Angela said. "Okay." Regina told her. Regina was so quiet, she probably just needed to warm up to them some more. They stopped by and Angela grabbed her Switch and placed it in the case and then she handed it to Regina in the car. TJ watched her play until they got to the park where Angela carried the Switch so that Regina could use her crutches.
Angela and Regina sat on the park bench and Regina played her game. TJ asked her to push him so Angela got up to push Tommy on the swing. After a while it was time for them to leave, but Angela, not being used to Regina being there left without her. It started to get dark and then Regina felt something on her mouth and blacked out. When Jane came back to the apartment she saw that they were gone. Jane called her mother wondering where they could possibly be. "Hey Ma, where are you?" Jane asked her. "I'm over at Tommy's why?" Angela asked her. "Well could you bring Regina home? It's time for her seizure medication." Jane said. "Regina?" Angela asked before realizing that Regina wasn't there. She then realized that she had left Regina at the park.
"Oh no..." Angela said before hanging up. "Ma? Ma!" Jane said before realizing that Angela hung up on her. Tommy came back just in the nick of time and Angela left as fast as she could to the park, but Regina was nowhere to be found. She picked up her Switch case which still had everything inside and bit her lower lip before calling Jane. "Ma! I've been trying to reach you for the last twenty minutes! Are you bringing Regina home or not?" Jane said rather angrily. "Jane...I took Regina and TJ to the park and because Regina has been gone for so long I forgot I brought her...she's not here! All that's here is her Switch!" Angela said in a panicked voice.
"Are you saying you lost my daughter?! What the hell Ma!" Jane said angrily. She hung up and went to the park where Angela always brought TJ and found her there looking for Regina. "Where was she sitting Ma?" Jane asked her. "Over here..." she said as she led Jane to the bench. Jane noticed the crutches behind the bench in the dark. She knew what she had to do. "Go home Ma. I need to call this in." Jane said as her voice cracked. Someone had taken Regina. Someone who they suspected the least.
