Two

When Allison was settled into her room, she sat on the floor playing with Frannie, Olivia stood in the doorway watching her for a few moments.

"Are you gonna be alright here for a few minutes while I go talk to Amanda? And then we can think about dinner?" Olivia asked.

Allison nodded. "I'm okay." She confirmed.

Olivia smiled. "Alright, just call us if you need us."

She nodded, and Olivia walked across the hall to the bedroom she shared with Amanda. She walked into the bedroom and saw Amanda leaning over the bottom drawer of her dresser digging around for a shirt. She didn't look up when Olivia walked in, and she seemed tense. Thinking back a few minutes, she had seemed a bit tense when she had left Allison's bedroom.

"What's up Amanda?" Olivia asked softly.

She didn't answer.

"Amanda?" Olivia asked again.

Still nothing.

Olivia walked toward her. She rested her hand on Amanda's back and the blonde stood, but still said nothing.

"What's going on sweetheart?"

Amanda sighed. "It's nothing Liv, I promise."

Olivia shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"It's just Allison, she reminds me of someone."

Olivia's eyebrow raised. "Who?" She asked.

"Please drop it, Olivia."

Olivia sighed. She knew she may have pushed too far. Amanda almost never used her full name. She figured she would tell her what was bothering her when she was ready to.

Olivia wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I'm here when you're ready."

She felt Amanda nod against her shoulder. "I know."

Amanda pulled out of the embrace first. She pulled a shirt out of her dresser and pulled it over her head.

"You change. I'll go check on Allison." Amanda said.

Olivia nodded. "Okay."

Olivia kissed Amanda's cheek softly, and watched as the blonde left the room.

Olivia walked out of the bedroom five minutes later, now in sweats and a t-shirt, Amanda and Allison were sitting in the living room looking over takeout menus.

Amanda looked up when Olivia sat down on the couch. "How does Chinese sound? Allison says she had it a while ago and she liked it."

Olivia nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Amanda handed Olivia a menu. "I think the dinner for three should do it."

Olivia looked over the menu for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, that should be enough. I'll call."

X-X-X-X-X

When the food arrived twenty-five minutes later, Amanda was in the kitchen grabbing plates and silverware.

Olivia pulled open the door and handed forty-seven dollars to the delivery girl, plus a generous tip. She waved at the delivery girl as she left and turned to look at Allison.

"You ready to eat?" She asked.

Allison nodded.

"How about you go into the kitchen and wash your hands, and then we can eat, okay?"

Allison nodded and walked quickly into the kitchen.

Amanda looked up. "Hands?" She asked.

Allison nodded. "Where's the sink?" She asked, too short to see over the counter.

"Right here." Amanda told her. "We'll pull a chair up so you can wash, alright?"

Allison nodded.

Amanda pulled one of the chairs out from the small breakfast table against the wall and set it down in front of the sink.

"Can I pick you up?" She asked.

"Okay." Allison said softly.

Amanda smiled and picked Allison up gently and set her on the chair.

She reached out and turned on the taps, adjusting the water until it was lukewarm.

"Okay, try that." Amanda said.

Allison reached out and let the water run over her hands for a moment.

"Soap." Amanda said gently, picking up the pump-bottle of hand soap and holding it out.

Allison put her hands under it and let Amanda squeeze the soap into her hands before rubbing them together quickly.

Amanda smiled. "Good job!" She told her. "Now rinse, make sure it's all off."

Allison did as she was told, and Amanda turned off the taps and handed her a towel.

Allison dried her hands and handed Amanda the towel before slowly climbing down from the chair.

"Do you want to help me bring the plates out?" Amanda asked.

"What if I break it?" Allison asked.

Amanda shrugged. "Then we'll clean it up and get a new plate. No big deal." Amanda told her simply. "Whad'ya say?" She asked, holding the plates out to her.

Allison bit her lip, contemplating for a moment before she reached out and took the plates from Amanda. They weren't as heavy as she thought they would be, and she was all smiles when she set them on the dining room table for Olivia.

Olivia smiled. "Thank you."

Allison smiled shyly.

"You can sit wherever you want to." Amanda said as she came out of the kitchen with the silverware.

Allison chose the seat with her back against the wall.

Olivia and Amanda sat down in their own chairs and tore into the paper bags the food had come in.

"What would you like Allison?" Amanda asked.

Allison shrugged.

"Okay, well, it looks like we've got some rich, some chicken balls, some noodles, and some shrimp." Amanda told her.

Allison whimpered. "I don't know." She said quietly, shrinking into the back of her chair.

Amanda looked back at her, her eyes narrowing with concern.

"That's okay baby, how about I just give you a bit of everything to try?" She asked softly.

"I can have everything?" Allison asked, eyes wide.

Amanda smiled sadly. "Of course, you can baby."

A short while later, Allison had discovered that she liked the rice, chicken balls, and noodles, but she definitely was not a fan of shrimp.

"You want any more?" Olivia asked Allison after she had cleared her plate, except for the shrimp.

Allison shook her head. "No thank you."

"Okay, can you go put your plate in the sink please?" Olivia asked.

Allison nodded and slid off her chair, and carried her plate and fork into the kitchen.

When she came out of the kitchen she walked back over to the table and stood between the two detectives.

"Livia? Manda?" She asked quietly.

Olivia and Amanda looked toward the little girl, who seemed nervous to ask her question.

"What's up?" Olivia asked.

"How long am I gonna be here?" Allison asked slowly.

"We're not sure yet, but we're gonna figure it out tomorrow." Amanda told her.

"Tomorrow?" Allison asked.

Olivia nodded. "Your caseworker is gonna come over and we're gonna talk about it."

Allison nodded. "I like Miss Bea." She said. "Do you want me to stay here?"

Olivia and Amanda both nodded. "We do, as long as you want to stay here."

Allison nodded. "Can I go play with Frannie?" She asked.

Amanda nodded. "Of course." She told her. "There's a basket of her toys in the corner over there, by the bookshelf. She likes it when you throw her ball down the hall."

Allison smiled and rushed off to the basket of dog toys.