Keeping Katie Ch 28

Don made sure he was with Karen and Katie when they went to the Jones for the next visit. They're presence made Mr. Jones very nervous, though they tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. Mrs. Jones was happy to have Katie there and showed her pictures of her family and gave her some of the toys she'd bought for her to play with when she visited. They played a game and got along quite well. Don and Karen sat in the kitchen and made strained conversation with Mr. Jones who Katie did not want anything to do with. He eyed her warily and she eyed him back. These two would always butt heads. It seemed they were both strong personalities.

"So how long do we have to do these supervised visitations?" Mr. Jones asked sarcastically.

"That's up to the judge." Don said evenly.

"We all know this is a joke. As long as you two are here, we aren't going to be able to really get to know her and her to know us. She has you two to run to."

"She doesn't know you. This is meant to correct that. The judge wants her to feel comfortable with you before she is alone with you." Karen said.

"You think I don't know that? I'm not stupid. You are trying to keep her until she comes of age..."

"Darn right." Karen said. "I happen to think she's a terrific little girl and I want her to stay with us, but it's up to the judge. You saw to that."

"You're blaming this on me?" Jones demanded.

"Keep your voices down." Don said quickly. "We don't want to make Katie's transition harder for her." What Don heard was something Karen didn't. It was something that had made him one of the most effective detectives of his squad for years.

Karen was resentful of Jones accusations and he was more than a little prickly in return. Don had his cop face on, the one where he was able to listen without taking offense no matter how sarcastic or vicious the comments. Katie heard the tones anyway and she walked out to the kitchen to stand between Don and Karen and eye Mr. Jones. "Is it time to go?" she asked.

"What is she saying?" Mr. Jones asked.

"Have they not covered that in class yet?" Karen needled.

"She wants to know if it's time to leave yet." Don said hurriedly before the bickering could start again. "No, Katie, we have a little bit yet. Why don't you tell your grandfather what you've been doing at school."

Katie just shrugged and crawled onto Karens lap. "How about if you draw your grandparents a picture? Do you have any paper and crayons?" Don asked.

"We have paper, but only pens." Mrs. Jones came out to the kitchen, looking uneasy. She had to feel the tension in the room.

"Those would be fine." Karen smiled at the older woman.

The paper and pens kept Katie occupied while the adults tried to think of things to say to one another, but the only topic of conversation they seemed to have in common was Katie. Mr. Jones sat resentfully in his chair and let his wife do most of the talking for them. As long as Karen and he ignored each other, it was fine. Katie drew them a picture of her and her family at Karens. Including John, Charlene, Laslo, BB and the house. She slid it across the table to Mrs. Jones. The woman took it with a smile. "That's beautiful, Katie. Can you sign it for me?"

Katie did and smiled when she passed it back. "It's time to go." Karen said.

Everyone was relieved. Katie felt comfortable enough with Mrs. Jones that she gave her a tentative hug. Mr. Jones she just stared at and turned away. The three left the Jones house and Don gave Karen his keys. "You drive."

"O-Okay."

Katie climbed into the back seat and put her seatbelt on. Don was thinking, deep and long. He would not have been a safe driver. HIs busy brain was putting together what was really going on. He wished he was free to call the precinct right now, but he couldn't while Katie was sitting in the back seat. Karen left him alone and just drove. They pulled into the driveway and she parked. "I need to use the phone. I'll tell you all about it later." He leaned over and kissed her and let them get out of the car while he pulled out his cellphone.

"Dad mad?" Katie asked.

"No. Dad thinking." Karen replied with a smile.

Katie grinned and ran into the house. Karen followed. Don came in fifteen minutes later. Karen sent him an inquiring look. He shook his head. "It could be nothing. I'll let you know when I know something."

Don got a series of mysterious calls over the next few hours. He either ducked out of the room to take them or used monosyllables on his end. Karen was in the living room picking up the mess a busy household produces when she looked out into the yard and saw a local police squad pulling in, followed by a State of New York car. "Don. Something's going on." Karen called.

Don got up and went to the door with Karen right behind him. It was the deputy Paul and a social worker. "I'm sorry to bother you folks, but I've come with a court order." Paul said.

"What kind of court order?" Karen demanded.

"I'm Stacey Munson from Family Services. This is a court order for custody of Katie. Custody has been granted to Mr. and Mrs. Jones. We are here to remove the child." She said preemptorily.

"No! Don." Karen said immediately.

"I'd like to see the order." Don said formally. Ms. Munson held it out. He took it and looked it over. He could find no loopholes or improprieties. "It's legal. We have to give them Katie." he told Karen reluctantly.

"Isn't there anything we can do? We were just there." Karen cried.

"According to the information provided to the judge you are actively trying to turn the child against her grandparents and the judge has decided this is best for Katie. Please produce the child or I'll place you under arrest and take the child anyway. Either way, the child will be removed today."

"We don't have a choice, Karen. It's all legal." Don said reluctantly.

"But there was no notice."

"The judge is not required to tell you in advance. What will it be, Ms. Wesson?" Munson said in a hard tone of voice.

Don looked at Karen. "I'll get her." he said.

Karen seemed incapable of thinking clearly. She stared at the woman as though she had two heads. "We have not heard from our attorney."

"That is between you and your attorney."

"Paul?" Karen said appealed to the officer she knew from previous dealings with the local law.

"I'm sorry, Karen. It's the law." he said uncomfortably.

Don came back carrying Katie who wasn't aware of what was going on. "This woman is here to take you to live with your grandparents. You'll need to go with them." Don told her.

Katie recoiled from him and reached for Karen. Karen snatched her up in a tight hug. Munson reached for Katie. "Give them a minute, please." Paul told her.

"It's only going to make it harder." Munson said, but she dropped her arms.

"I'm sorry, Katie. I didn't know about this." Karen told the sobbing girl in her arms. "Remember, you only live there. You belong here. You're my daughter and I love you."

Munson pried a clinging Katie out of Karens arms and took her out the door. Paul nodded to the two left behind and followed her out. They could hear Katie screaming all the way out to the car. Karen was frozen in shock. They heard the car doors slam and then they left.

Karen looked at Don as though he'd betrayed her and turned away from his hurt and sympathetic look and his offer of open arms. She ran to their quarters and shut the door. Charlene had come out at the last and looked stricken at Don. "What happened?"

"Jones must have contacted the court as soon as we left his place, told them a tale and the judge believed him. I have to go talk to Karen. Any advice?"

"No. Just remember you love her and she loves you and together you can get past this. No matter how it seems right now."

Don went into his quarters, not sure what he was going to find. Karen was standing there, just standing. No moving, not crying, not even reacting to his presence. Her mind seemed to have gone into neutral. "Karen?"

She turned her head slightly. "What?"

"I had to turn her over to them. They had a court order."

Karen turned away again. "They had no right to just walk in and take her. We didn't get a chance to prepare her, she's going to be terrified, she doesn't like Jones and now she has to live with the bastard? What kind of court system do we have? What the hell good is it if they can't tell the truth from a lie? Tell me that, Captain Cragen, tell me how this makes any kind of sense, any kind of justice?"

He winced at the forceful use of his full title. It was the pain talking, but it still hurt. "It doesn't and I can't. It doesn't make any kind of sense and she knows we still love her. She knows Mrs. Jones. He won't dare hurt her, because we'll be watching and so will the courts."

"We won't be watching anything. She doesn't live here anymore, remember? They can do anything they want to her, she's theirs. I can't protect her anymore." Karen said bitterly. "The judge saw to that."

"Karen, this isn't done. We're still going to get him. I'm not giving up just because they have physical custody. There's something going on here and I'm going to find out what it is."

"What can you do? You've been looking for months through this whole mess and you haven't been able to find out a thing. What makes you think this is going to change now?" she demanded. "Tell me what more you can do."

"Are you asking me to give up? You don't trust me anymore?" he asked in a tortured tone of voice.

"No. I don't mean that. I don't...I don't know what I mean. I don't know where to go what to do. I can't do anything and I can't figure out what I can do. Anything I do is wrong. Anyone I talk to going to be against me." she wrapped her arms around herself. She was going to be flying apart any minute.

"No, Karen. Listen to me. You're not wrong. You're not at fault here. Mr. Jones can tell a whopper, I guess. But he's dirty. I'd bet my badge on it. He's messed up somewhere and we're going to find it. At least Katie is with her grandmother so she won't have to be alone around her grandfather and I'm working on bringing her back home. Here, where she belongs."

"Home."

"Yes, home. Karen, if there's one thing that being a police captain has taught me over the years is that there is something we can do and I'm going to do it. Give me time, darling, give me your trust." he hadn't touched her yet. He needed her to turn to him.

"I do trust you, Don. I do. You're all I trust right now. I don't trust the courts at all." She turned toward him seeking the solace he'd offered earlier.

Don gently placed his arms around her then pulled her snugly into his embrace. He didn't try to placate her, didn't try to tell her it would all be alright, it was just holding her that made both of them feel better. Karen allowed him to take over over to sit down on the couch. He convinced her to come out and eat. She came out and played with a bowl of pudding while everyone ate, but that was all. The house was appallingly quiet. Neither of the other two kids wanted to argue and applied themselves to dinner diligently, but with no joy.

Don didn't eat much himself and went outside as soon as dinner was over. He called everyone he could think of, starting with John.
"Did you come up with anything?"

"I think so. How is everyone?"

"It's like a tomb here. Karen is barely functioning and no one is doing much talking. I hate seeing them in so much pain, but I can't help them unless I help Katie."

"How is Charlene?"

"She's the one holding it together. If it weren't for her we'd be eating leftovers tonight. If you can get out here tonight or even just call her it would help."

"I'll call her. Hang in there, Captain. The cavalry is on the way."

"I can just see you on a horse, John." Don smiled.

"Not in this lifetime you can't." John said sarcastically.

Don chuckled and hung up. Laslo came out and then BB. They came over to stand near him. He appreciated their need for reassurance. "It's bad about Katie. Are we going to get to see her at all?" BB asked.

"Maybe in a couple of weeks when she settles in to her new home. They can't keep us from seeing her, just her from living here."

"This isn't right." Laslo said in his newly deeper voice.

"No, it isn't but it's the law."

"How can we help? Is there anything we can do?" BB asked.

"Just help where you can and do what you know you're supposed to. Karen and Charlene have enough on their minds right now. But don't be too good. That'd make them suspicious." Don advised. Laslo snorted derisively. "And let Karen and Charlene know you're there for them. They're going to need to know we still need them."

BB nodded. "It's hard without her and she's only been gone a few hours. Can I call her?"

"And say what? She can't talk back to you." Laslo said bitterly.

"Yeah." BB said deflated.

"That was a good idea, BB, but we'd better let things setlle down first. I'm going to see what I can work out about getting to see her on a regular basis. That's not a perfect solution, but it will be better than nothing. For now let's just go inside and be together, watch some tv or something. Maybe it'll take our minds off of it."

Charlene was cleaning the kitchen when they came back in and glanced at them. She'd been crying. She indicated where Karen was with a jerk of her head. Don led the way. Karen was sitting at the end of the couch with her feet pulled up under her. He sat down next to her and she leaned against him, silent and still he put his arm around her. They turned on the tv and watched whatever was on. The kids gave Karen a hug and drifted off to bed on their own at their usual bedtime. Don kissed Karens head frequently and kept her close. At 10:00 he said. "Let's go to bed."

He turned off the television and they went to bed. Karen didn't speak a word. She got her clothes off and climbed into bed, completely mute. He climbed in beside her. For the first time, since he'd come to know her she didn't snuggle right up to him. She just laid quiet and still. He wished she'd cry or scream or throw something. Not this deep silence. He moved until he was wrapped around her in bed and held her.

He knew she slept, because her body went slack. He finally slept fitfully awakened every time she moved all night long.

TBC