Randall and Jo moved on the next morning, real early while it was still dark outside so the horse owners wouldn't know they were here in the barn.

Randall had the coat and hat on him while moving out. He was glad he had some money now. But it didn't mean he would be going into restaurants all the time. There might even be times when he would send Jo in to get food.

Jo was glad to have seen the horses and watch a real horse race. Her lizard friend was letting her do things her other guardian had never let her do. And he had never raised a hand to her.

They managed to walk through town while the city was still quiet enough. There were some places that were opening up early, but it was still too early and the city was having fun right now because of Mardi Gra.

Randall knew they needed to find another place to stay. But then, a car came around the bend. He and Jo looked and saw it was a police car!

Cops were looking for a little girl who looked dirty, and here at 6:40 in the morning, there were some walkers on the sidewalk, one of them matching the description of the little girl.

The driver slowed his car down to look at the kid. His partner did too. "Does that look like her?"

"From what was described. She is about seven and looks dirty."

The driver rolled his window down to try to talk to them.

"Pick up the pace." Randall whispered. Jo began walking faster.

"Hey there, you two! We would like to talk to you." The cop said.

"Run!" Randall said and they both began to run.

"Hey! Stop!" The cops stopped their car and got out and began chasing the two runners.

Joanna could barely keep up with Randall and she ended up being slow enough that the cops caught up with them.

"Randall!" Jo cried out to him.

Randall heard her and he turned to see her grabbed by one of the policemen.

"Hey! Get back here!" The other cop called out.

Randall knew he had no other choice but to run. He was sure Jo wouldn't be harmed, but he would be for sure if he was caught.

The cop had to take out his gun and fired. He was just trying to slow the other runner down, not to kill. But the other one was too fast. The cop missed and the runner got away.

"Let me go!" Jo cried out. "Randall! Help me!"

"Take easy there, Kid. We won't hurt you. We just want to talk to you." The man holding Jo said.

It took both men to hold her still and to calm down, then they took her back to their car. She was put in the back.

Randall soon pulled up and realized they weren't following him anymore. He turned around and went back. But now, he had taken to the rooftops. He had made a promise and he would look out for her. He followed them back to their car.

The men began to question Jo.

"What's your name, Kid?"

"Joanna. Joanna Knolls."

"Why did you run from us? And who was the guy with you? Was he your father?"

"No. But he was my friend." Jo said. "He told me to run."

"But why were you running?"

"We just didn't want to be caught. I don't want to go back to foster care." Jo said.

"Have you been stealing anything?"

"No, why?"

"Because there were some people at the racetrack yesterday who had their money stolen from them. And you were said to have been there yesterday."

"Yes, I was there. We watched a race and had ice cream. We got some money by betting. At least Randall did."

"Who is this Randall? We heard you call him that?"

"He's my friend. He saved me from my other mean adopter. Mrs. Stone."

That answer answered everything. This was the child that was missing from that trailer. They had her now.

"The police from that area found Mrs. Stone dead in her house. Did you kill her, Joanna?"

"No. She almost killed me. She beat me and starved me. I wasn't allowed to go to school or get baths much. Randall saved me from her. She slipped on the floor and hit her head on her rock on the floor." Jo explained.

"We are going to have to take you into custody, Child. We are going to help you, get you off the streets. Get you cleaned up and fed. And stealing is no life to live. We'll find this Randall you speak of, sooner or later." The deputy said.

Jo was locked into the backseat and buckled up.

Randall had snuck closer to hear what they were saying. He got rid of the coat, hat and backpack. He vanished and snuck onto the car. The cops were now getting in.

Jo wondered where Randall was right now. Little did she know he was right there with her. He stayed right on top of the car until they got to the precinct. Jo was taken inside.

Randall stayed invisible and when there was no one coming, he snuck inside. He got onto the walls and ceiling to stay out of sight. He was just going to make sure Jo was alright.

She was led to a desk and she was given some food. She was happy for that. The cops were going to find out what to do with her first before doing anything. There was no one to call to come get her.

One of the men who had picked her up had a fondness for kids and didn't have any. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was about 5'6. His name was Officer Jason Monroe.

Jason offered to take Joanna home so she could have a bath and sleep in a proper bed.

"Jo, how would you like to sleep in a real bed and get cleaned up, huh?" He asked in a friendly voice.

"I haven't slept in a bed for a long time. Mrs. Stone wouldn't even let me have a bed. I had to sleep in a closet. But it would be nice."

"And what about this Randall?"

"We slept wherever we could on the go, but he made sure I was well looked after."

"So he had you moving all the time?"

"Yes. But it was nice to be with him. He saved me and fed me. He made sure I was fed."

Jason was still skeptical of this Randall. He had seen a guy flee from the scene, but he hadn't gotten a good look at him.

Randall saw who would be taking Jo home with him once more things were taken care of with paperwork. He went back outside and kept a low profile. He had been invisible for too long and needed a breather from it. He went around back and let himself appear again. But he wasn't going to stray far. He went up onto the roof.

Later, Jason changed into his regular clothes and he and Jo went out to his blue car. Randall was watching and he went down after them. Going invisible, he got onto this car too.

"So what does this Randall look like?" Jason asked.

"He looks like a big lizard really." Jo replied.

Jason was surprised at that. "A costume right?"

"No. He really is a big lizard."

Jason was skeptical that a lizard had been looking after this little girl. He started his car and they were off to his house.

"Joanna, lizards are not known to take care of kids." Jason tried to persuade her.

"Randall did. I can't explain it unless you meet him. I'm sure he'll come looking for me. He promised he would look out for me." Jo said.

"Lizards don't talk either."

"Randall does."

Jason knew kids her age could have overactive imaginations. This was just temporary until a more suitable home could be found for Joanna.

"So what does Randall look like?"

"Not sure how tall he is, but he got four legs, four arms, a blue tail, stripes on his back, green eyes, lots of sharp teeth, three antenna on his head. Purple skin." Jo described him.

This sounded more like an imaginary friend than a real lizard.

"Does he do anything special for you as a friend?"

"He made sure I was fed and got me toys and bedding, he talked to me. He took me to the race track. He saved me from Mrs. Stone. He can climb trees and walls. He can change colors."

To Jason, it still sounded like a made up lizard. For now, he would humor her.

Soon, they got to his house and they went inside. Randall stayed invisible, but watched them go inside. Then he approached the house. His hands and feet had kept him on the car pretty well.

Jason lived on the outskirts of town. There were some woods in his backyard. This made Randall a little more comfortable that he could possibly stay in the woods close to this house.

Randall looked into the windows to make sure that Jo was okay. She was.

Jason began showing her around his house and showed her where she was going to stay while she was here. The house was a one story light blue house. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, basement, three acres in the backyard, a shed out back too.

It was a good sized bedroom. Jo hadn't been in a real nice size room like this for some time. The bed was bare for the moment.

"I don't have guests very often, but I'll get some sheets and blankets out for ya before going to bed." Jason said.

"Thanks."

"And perhaps we should get you cleaned up too. You do know how to take a shower or bath on your own, right?"

"I haven't had one for a long time. Mrs. Stone was very mean."

In the end, Jason helped Jo to take a bath. She needed a good scrubbing, but he got to see scars left on her from brutal beatings and how thin she really was.

"How long were you with the guy that ran off?"

"Not very long. Since Mrs. Stone died."

"Can you tell me who he was really?"

"Randall. I told you. He was just wearing the coat and hat to hide what he looked like. Because it is the big party out there, he figured it to be a costume to hide better too."

"You mean the Mardi Gra?"

"Yes."

Jason finished helping Jo getting her bath and then helped her to dry off. Afterward, he gave her some new clothes that the other cops had given to him for her. Just until he or someone else could get her some more. There were enough for three days.

Jo was already missing Randall. She wore some jeans and a red t-shirt when she was dressed. When she came out of her bedroom, Jason now saw that she was naturally pretty. She looked much better than in those scraggly old, dirty clothes she had on before.

To Jason, if this Randall had really cared for her, he would have tried to get her some new clothes and tried to find a place for her, not dragging her around the streets, leading her into a life of crime.

"Let's have some breakfast." Jason said.

Jo was up for that. "Sure."

Jason cooked up some eggs, sausage, toast, and waffles.

From outside, Randall could smell the food. It made his stomach growl. He could wait awhile though. Now that he knew she was safe, he had to settle himself. He went into the woods before he appeared again. There were some thick trees nearby. He would check in with Jo later that evening.

Randall climbed and checked out some of the upper canopy of these big, thick trees. One of them even had a hollow big enough to hold him. He would stay in this tree for now. He laid down and tried to relax, but he was still troubled. He would make sure to let Jo know he was here with her. He would go back and find the stuff he had had to hide. It might take him awhile, but he would let her know first.

Jason showed Joanna his movie collection and what she was welcome to watch. He did have a niece that sometimes stayed with him on his weekends off. They played some board games during the day too.

Joanna hadn't had this much fun for a long time. Then they went outside for some playing on the swing set out there.

Jason pushed the child on the swing and watched her climb and slide down the slide. This was all for his niece too. It was amazing he had all this stuff and he didn't even have kids of his own. Then yet, he hadn't met the right woman.

Jo thought this man was pretty fun. But then, she had known him less that a day. But then, she hadn't played games like these with Randall. But he had been on such limited supply and always on the move. He had promised to help find her a home. Where was he?

Later that evening, Randall awoke from his slumber. He came down from the tree and went to check in with Jo. He saw the lights were on in the house. He went to go see what was going on.

When he looked in the window, he had blended in, and he saw Jo and the man cop eating dinner together. Most often times, Randall was lucky to have a meal at all with his new life being on the move all the time. He was ready for some of that food now, but he wasn't going to reveal himself to the adult human. At least not unless he had to just yet.

He watched them watch a movie after their dinner. He saw that Jo looked much different now that she was clean. This human must have been doing something more for her that he couldn't provide. Randall knew he wasn't going to stick with the girl permanently, he just wanted to make sure she found the right home. That she felt safe.

When Jo went to bed, Jason tucked her in. Her bed now had blankets on it. The bed was comfortable. It had been a long time since she had been in one. The bedding was that of pink and Barbie.

"Good night, Jo." Jason said.

"Night, Jason." Jo replied.

Jason turned off the light and closed the door. He left her to get some sleep.

Randall knew which room she was in by now. When the light went off, he lightly knocked on the window.

Jo heard a noise coming from her window. It kept on tapping. She went over to check it out. She was wearing some shorts and a t-shirt to bed.

She opened the blind and it was Randall. She smiled. She opened the window.

"Randall! I wondered where you were all this time."

"Shh! Not too loud, Jo. The adult can't know I'm here." He said.

"Where have you been?" Jo lowered her voice.

"I've been around. I've been watching you and the man. You seem to be having a good time with him."

"Jason has a lot of fun things for me to do. He also gave me a bath. I needed one bad. He gave me some new clothes."

"I see. Is he offering to take you in?"

"He just says until he finds something else for me. He has questioned me about you."

"And?"

"He thinks you were human. He thinks I made you up as a lizard."

Randall had been concerned about that. "Maybe you shouldn't have told him about me. Once I make sure you have a home, I will have to move on, Jo."

"You don't have to. Maybe you could stay too."

"I can't stay. Humans would never understand me."

"Jason is a nice guy. He says he's open to meeting you. He said he would try to find you."

"He's probably looking for another human. I'll stick around for awhile, Jo. Just until something changes or you have a home."

Jo didn't want him to go. Then she heard something, a gurgling sound.

Randall blushed. One of his lower hands rubbed his belly. "Do you have any food in there?"

Jo giggled. "Yes. There was some leftover meatloaf for dinner. I'll go get it."

While she left, the room was dark outside the door too. Randall snuck in through the window. It was getting a little chilly outside. He closed the window.

Jo went to the kitchen and opened the fridge and got out the meatloaf. She also got out a bottle of water. She took it back to the bedroom and gave it to Randall. He was so glad for the food and water.

"I'm going to go back for our stuff in the morning, Jo. I'll stay here tonight." Randall said.

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to let you know. During the day when I get back, I'll be staying in the woods, unless it's too cold out. But you can always come and get me if you need me. There's a tree in the woods that can hold me. It's not far." He explained.

"But I'm sure Jason could let you stay in here too."

"It's just not a good idea right now. You should go to bed before he hears you."

Jo did as she was told. Randall crawled under her bed. This was way better than outside. He had gotten so used to it, it felt awkward being in here.

Randall had slept most of the day away and after he was sure Jo was asleep, he snuck out of the room to explore the house. He stayed down on all eights. He soon found Jason's room and found him asleep too.

He snuck back out to the kitchen and got some more food out of the fridge. He had to quell his hunger. He would be going awhile without food. He would get some as he went along when he went back to find the stuff.

After exploring and satisfying his hunger, he went back to Jo's room and slept under her bed. But he was up just as the sun began peaking into the room the next morning. He opened up her window and was gone before she woke up.

Jason came into the room later that morning and awoke Jo.

"Jo, did you get some extra food last night? Half the food in the fridge is gone." Jason said.

"I went out to get the leftover meatloaf for Randall. He's here." Jo said. She looked under her bed and there was nothing.

"He's gone." She said.

Jason looked and saw no sign of the meatloaf. "Where is it, Jo?" Jason demanded.

"Randall ate it, I swear."

"Where is he then?"

"He left. He said he was going to look for our stuff today."

"Jo, don't make up wild stories. Where is the food?"

"I'm not making it up. Randall is real."

"If he is, he shouldn't be stealing."

"I gave him the food. He was hungry." Jo said.

"But then you were stealing. That's not nice or right, Jo."

"I'm sorry."

"Today, we are going shopping to replace the food that was stolen." Jason said.

Jo thought this man was fun, but now she was seeing a different side to him. His firmer side.

"Okay."

"Now get dressed. I'm going to make breakfast." Jason said.

Jo proceeded to get dressed. She hoped she could prove to Jason soon that Randall was real.

They had breakfast after she was dressed and then Jason took her shopping to get some more food and some more new clothes as well. He was only getting what she needed. This was only temporary.

His company was trying to find a place that would take Jo in real soon, as soon as an opening happened.