Neither the mediator, nor the counselor, nor the parents and their attorney had any questions for Valerie. Excellent. She had sufficiently explained his background without pissing-off the Townsends or their attorney, and had done so thoroughly enough that neither Detective Cervantez nor Miss Taylor had any questions, yet-- later, perhaps, but not now. Valerie flipped through a few pages of her notes and went into the section about the actual court case, and rolled her lips together as she approached the section. Now came the fun part.

"Now, the case," Valerie trailed, absently tilting up the corner of the page, pursing her lips. This was going more smoothly than she had though.

But, before the social worker could begin, Mr. Townsend leaned over and whispered something in his attorney's ear. So much for a smooth ride.

"Mr. Townsend requests that if any questions related to the case are to be asked, they be asked on the record," Mr. Evans interjected smoothly, gesturing towards the tape-recorder, "To ensure a degree of fairness. We wouldn't want any under-the-table dealings in the decision, now, would we?"

"Now, Mr. Evans," Valerie attempted to interrupt, but Mr. Evans held up his hand. The Townsends and the lawyer wanted to hear what Miss Taylor had to say.

Mr. Evans glanced towards the mediator with a tilt of his head, his beady-eyed gaze cutting towards Detective Cervantez rather than Valerie. Valerie really didn't have any. Valerie adjusted her glasses, her gaze wandering from the detective to Miss Taylor. It was an underhanded thing to do, but he had a very valid point. Certain details could lose their credibility if exchanged in-private and off of the record. Hopefully things didn't get too out-of-hand.

===//////===

Chases' legs were cramping from crouching on the ledge just outside of the window. He and Big League had found a gap in the curtains through which they could see into the living room, but the occupants couldn't see out. Thus far, it was unoccupied and closed-off, which was most peculiar, considering that this was the common room for the entire student populace.

"It's empty," Chase whispered, passing a mystified look towards his group-leader, Big League.

"That's because there's going to be a meeting for the top-secret-agents, duh," Big League hissed back, rolling his eyes, "I swear, nobody listens to me."

"We should pop the window open a bit," Chase murmured. The window was unlocked, so they could push it open from the outside, "That way we can here what the spies are saying."

"Good thinking," Big League agreed. He popped the window open with his tiny hands, and not a moment too soon-- the door to the living room popped open, and Miss Gemma walked in.

"Miss Gemma," the boys observed. What was Miss Gemma doing at a top-secret-agent meeting? She was the school counselor. The crowd that followed sent a bolt of fear down Chase's spine-- Miss Valerie, his Mom and Dad, and the mean man that worked for them (whom Chase fondly referred to as Mr. Meanie-Face, for he could never recall his name). There was a fifth person, whom Chase whom Chase neither recognized nor noticed, but who we was was irrelevant.

What were his parents doing here? There was only one answer that rose in Chase's mind. They were here to take him back to Syracuse. After all of those court sessions, and all of those meeting and one-on-one's, one thing was made most-certain. He wasn't going to get away from Syracuse. Not unless he ran.

"Funniest looking secret agents I've ever seen," Big League grumbled, "They don't even have sunglasses. At least that one--" Big League pointed at the guy in the suit, "--has a secret agent-suit."

"I gotta go," Chase murmured quickly, an irrational fear setting in. He began sliding down the roof, without waiting to see if Big League was following.

"Chase, wait!" Big League whined, thoroughly confused as he slid down after him, "What's wrong, man? Wait up!"

No questions for the time being. Good. Jorge wanted to get into the case and get this kid’s living arrangement figured out. Obviously he didn’t want the boy to go to such cold and mutant-hating people, but he was going off only what Gemma had told him. And Gemma was going off only what the kid had told her, if he even told her that much. That was what made this situation tricky. Though he doubted that the boy was lying (kids don’t really lie about things like this), the law required that boy sides of the argument be heard.

That was the only reason why he was here and why he was not carting the parents off to jail. He needed proof and the boy needed to be put into safe custody.

>> "Now, the case,"

The woman was about to go on but before she could so much as get a word in, the father turned towards the lawyer and whispered. The detective mentally sighed. This was not going to be good…

>> "Mr. Townsend requests that if any questions related to the case are to be asked, they be asked on the record…To ensure a degree of fairness. We wouldn't want any under-the-table dealings in the decision, now, would we?"

Another mental sigh…

>> "Now, Mr. Evans,"

The man held up his hand and then turned to Jorge’s direction. He wanted to throttle the worms. Of course they would use him to hide behind. They were obviously trying to be clever here: making sure that every single word was recorded so that it could be twisted and used in their favor should the situation ever arise.

Silently, trying not to show any favoritism or disappointment, he nodded to Valerie.

“They have a right to do so, if that is what they wish,” he said, trying to make his voice not sound like a grumble. God how he wanted to nail these people to the wall. Unfortunately, he had to be part of the respectable side of the law.

>>"Mr. Townsend requests that if any questions related to the case are to be asked, they be asked on the record... To ensure a degree of fairness. We wouldn't want any under-the-table dealings in the decision, now, would we?"

Gemma smiled politely. She did not comment on the fact that under-the-table dealings would be the characteristic of his kind not hers. She just nodded, and glanced at Jorge.

>>“They have a right to do so, if that is what they wish,”

She nodded. Very well.

"Certainly, Mr. Townsend" she nodded "I agree that the whole discussion should be on the record, I believe we are on the same page on that." she glanced at Jorge again before she turned to Valerie "On the record, I would like to hear in what way the home environment was neglectful and abusive. Just a point of clarification."

If it was questions they wanted, questions she will give them.

Valerie wore a detatched, professional look as Mr. Townsend made the request, Detective Cervantez permitted this, and Miss Taylor smoothly inquired as per what the extent of Chase's abuse was. Valerie maintained a very strong poker face, but on the inside, she was smirking grimly. Mr. Townsends' lips thinned into a hard, white line, looking obviously displeased, but he said nothing. Mrs. Townsend maintained a polite yet concerned smile.

Valerie did as instructed, flipping back towards her notes on the investigation overall and her one-on-one sessions with Chase, which were written out like a script and accompanied by a margin of notes.

"According to our investigation and discussions that I had with Chase," Valerie began lightly, keeping her eyes on the notes for the most part, and only occasionally flicking them towards, "The neglect largely consisted of preferential treatment towards his human siblings, insufficient supervision, and being emotionally unprovided for-" Valerie said this all flatly, as if reciting the stats to a basketball game, "-As for the abuse, it was largely verbal and emotional-- Chase reported often being yelled at and degraded because of his mutant-status. Also, through some discussions, we also learned of occurences of physical abuse in which he was struck or punched by Mr. Townsend-- but only in the event that he, and I quote, 'stepped out of line'."

Valerie sighed. This sort of thing was heart-wrenching, no matter how much experience she'd had with it. She still couldn't fathom why or how a parent could do such a thing to their own flesh and blood, mutant or not.

"The nature of his mutation made it impossible to see any outward signs of the physical abuse," Valerie murmured, "Apparently, any injuries he gets in his typical appearance were concealed by his human appearance, thus making it impossible for... say, a teacher... to intervene. And, had he never taken matters into his own hands and run, there's a strong chance that we would have never even found him."

Valerie found the page where her research ended and the court case began, shifting her gaze towards Miss Taylor.

"Any further questions?" she inquired, before letting her gaze flick towards the Townsends, "Any relevant comments or concerns?"

The Townsends wisely remained silent, though Mr. Townsend seemed ready to spew fire at the next person who mentioned his trend for abuse. He also seemed ashamed, but not as ashamed as his wife looked. Mr. Evans said, "No, ma'am."

===//////===

Chase managed to slide to the roof's edge, but when he reached the drop-off, he froze. It was a long way down from the roof to the grass below. Big League quickly caught up, and came to a stop beside him. Chase exchanged a glance with him, his eyes wide and frightened, and his entire body limned with trembling.

"Chase, what's going on?" Big League demanded, "You look like you saw a ghost."

"It's nothing," Chase murmured, "Just help me down, I need to get outta here."

Big League pursed his lips, "You're a liar, Chase. I won't help you down 'til you tell me what's wrong. Best friends tell."

Chase frowned, "I-it's nothing."

"Liar."

The two friends stared at one another quietly, and finally, Chase gave. He had to get out of here, and if making a break for it meant spilling the beans to Big League, then that's what it took.

"Those weren't spies," Chase stammered, "Those were my parents, and my social worker. They're here to take me back, I just know it, and I don't want to go back-- I know of a place, and I could-- I could hide there until they leave, but I can't stay here. I can't let them take me back to Syracuse, Bee. They're bad people."

As Chase rambled in senseless fear, Big League listened intently, frowning. He put a hand on Chase's arm, and the shapeshifter went silent.

"Where are you going to go?" Big League demanded.

"There's this friend I made a while back. He has an apartment, and he told me I could go there if I ever needed somewhere to go."

"And you'll come back?"

"If they leave," Chase confirmed, nodding his head.

Big League smiled reassuringly, and nodded sharply, "You still got my cell phone number?"

Chase nodded.

"Gimme a call when you get there, so that I can get your friend's number. I'll call ya back when the coast is clear. Now, lemme help you down--"

"Thanks, Bee--"

"Hey," Big League countered, grinning, "It's what friends are for."

>> "Certainly, Mr. Townsend…I agree that the whole discussion should be on the record, I believe we are on the same page on that….On the record, I would like to hear in what way the home environment was neglectful and abusive. Just a point of clarification."

Jorge didn’t smirk. Not at all. He was a professional and therefore he was unbiased here. But damn…that was a good one. He’d smirk after those parents were gone.

Apparently the Townsends did not appreciate the comment none-too-much, but Jorge merely shrugged his shoulders. Gemma had a valid request and if the Townsends wanted to contest it, then they were going to have to contest then own demand. After all, they were the ones that wanted absolutely everything recorded.

He merely sat back and waited for the discussion to continue.

>> "According to our investigation and discussions that I had with Chase…The neglect largely consisted of preferential treatment towards his human siblings, insufficient supervision, and being emotionally unprovided for--As for the abuse, it was largely verbal and emotional-- Chase reported often being yelled at and degraded because of his mutant-status. Also, through some discussions, we also learned of occurences of physical abuse in which he was struck or punched by Mr. Townsend-- but only in the event that, and I quote, 'stepped out of line'."

Jorge wanted to growl. He really did. Too many times he had heard stories like this, about kids who were mistreated by parents who simply did not understand or were too close-minded to. It was a horrible state of affairs and one that Jorge simply did not like. Though where were many horrible things he came across in his job, anything that had to do with kids simply broke his heart.

Mentally he was all prepared to fight for Chase to stay here at the mansion as well, but his outside appearance managed to stay passive. The man did have a hell of a poker face and today it was truly getting a workout. Such as, the tiny glance he shot the parents merely seemed as if he were checking for a reaction, not that he was mentally screaming at them that he wanted to slap handcuffs on them and run them into a jail cell.

>> "The nature of his mutation made it impossible to see any outward signs of the physical abuse…Apparently, any injuries he gets in his typical appearance were concealed by his human appearance, thus making it impossible for... say, a teacher... to intervene. And, had he never taken matters into his own hands and run, there's a strong chance that we would have never even found him."

Kid slipped through the cracks because he was mutant. Now that was just more irritating because it meant that the parents were exploiting that fact, as well as despising his mutant. Abusive parents contradicting themselves…how original.

>> "Any further questions? Any relevant comments or concerns?"

He shook his head. Gemma would more than likely say exactly what he was thinking but couldn’t say.

>>"According to our investigation and discussions that I had with Chase. The neglect largely consisted of preferential treatment towards his human siblings, insufficient supervision, and being emotionally unprovided for-As for the abuse, it was largely verbal and emotional-- Chase reported often being yelled at and degraded because of his mutant-status. Also, through some discussions, we also learned of occurences of physical abuse in which he was struck or punched by Mr. Townsend-- but only in the event that he, and I quote, 'stepped out of line'."

Gemma listened, with a politely blank expression on her face. She had had too many chances to practice keeping that pokerface in front of parents and lawyers. It was almost as hard as slapping a flamaing angel. In some senses, even harder. Listening and nodding with a polite half smile made Gemma feel helpless. She did not like feeling helpless. But this was not about her, this was about Chase. So, she kept her pokerface, and nodded. From the corner of her eyes, she could see that Jorge was doing the same.

>>"The nature of his mutation made it impossible to see any outward signs of the physical abuse. Apparently, any injuries he gets in his typical appearance were concealed by his human appearance, thus making it impossible for... say, a teacher... to intervene. And, had he never taken matters into his own hands and run, there's a strong chance that we would have never even found him."

It was only with a slight tilt of her head that she looked at the parents and their human shield. She did not frown, or comment, she did not make any sound; she just looked. She knew what they were and she sur ehoped they were feeling very, very uncomfortable right now. There was no way they were getting out of this with seeing Chase ever again.

>>"Any further questions? Any relevant comments or concerns?"

Oh, she had a lot. But she wanted this to be over with, and they were in no hurry anymore to make her ask more questions. She turned back to Valerie. They understood each other without words.

"Thank you, none for the moment. Please go on."

The detective had no questions, and nor did Miss Taylor. Or, she did, but she wasn't going to say so, for the time being. That was alright. Onto the case. Valerie flicked back to the next section of her notes, which were simply labled "the Townsend Case", and flattened the page with her hand.

"As usual, following Chase's removal from his home came the case discussing what we were to do about his custody," Valerie informed Miss Taylor, "Our moot point was that he would not be returning to his home, but after this was determined, is when we began to have disagreements."

And of course, disagreements of any sort in the courtroom meant more time debating over who or what was right or wrong.

"When the trial began, he was placed into a short-term foster home," Valerie explained, "Through my sessions with him, I determined that that sort of living situation was not suitable for him-- Chase is what the State calls a 'runner', and he serious emotional damage, that requires far more attention than what the foster care system has to offer. Thus, I mentioned to the judge to try and find something a bit more specialized and personal."

"While the point that Chase was not to be returned to his household was moot, the jury and the court was split on what course of action to take with Chase on the subject of his custody," Valerie trailed, flipping through her pages as she spoke, "Generally speaking, if the child cannot be reunited with their biological family, adoption is the next course of action. First, we turn to the biological family, and if no biological family is able or willing to adopt, we move to a person who's familiar to the child. And, if neither of those options are available, we allow for the child to be adopted by any suitable person who volunteers."

"Through discussing this option, we found that there weren't any willing relatives or friends of the family who would take him in," Valerie summarized. And nobody from the "outside" had stepped forward to claim Chase, "And there were no strangers, so to speak, who stepped forwards as potential guardians, thus, we resorted to the idea of sending him to a long-term foster home. Yet, with all of these options, none of us could agree-- there were those of us that wanted him adopted, and those of us who saw fit for Chase to just go to another permanent living arrangement. It was this disagreement that prolonged the trial. Also--"

Valerie paused, cleared her throat, adjusted the voice recorder on the arm of the chair.

"Before we could come to a conclusion, Chase ran away once again," Valerie concluded, "And the case was put on a hiatus until we relocated him."

He said nothing, Gemma said nothing, the Townsends said nothing…

And so the poker game continued…

Valerie, the dealer, began to shuffle the cards, expertly in a single hand. She wasn’t tricky though, she was straight to the point. Jorge watched as she began to deal…

>> "As usual, following Chase's removal from his home came the case discussing what we were to do about his custody, Our moot point was that he would not be returning to his home, but after this was determined, is when we began to have disagreements."

Another mental sigh. So things not only broke down for Chase through the parents, but through his own social workers as well who were starting to have problems of their own. Of course he was not surprised, but for someone like Chase he had hoped that they would have had a plan already in motion. Get the kid out and put him in a happy home. It doesn’t seem like too difficult a task and yet it seemed like trying to move mountains. No wonder Chase would grow discouraged with them…

>> "When the trial began, he was placed into a short-term foster home…Through my sessions with him, I determined that that sort of living situation was not suitable for him-- Chase is what the State calls a 'runner', and he serious emotional damage, that requires far more attention than what the foster care system has to offer. Thus, I mentioned to the judge to try and find something a bit more specialized and personal…While the point that Chase was not to be returned to his household was moot, the jury and the court was split on what course of action to take with Chase on the subject of his custody…Generally speaking, if the child cannot be reunited with their biological family, adoption is the next course of action. First, we turn to the biological family, and if no biological family is able or willing to adopt, we move to a person who's familiar to the child. And, if neither of those options are available, we allow for the child to be adopted by any suitable person who volunteers."

Chase was a runner because his parents beat into him a mistrust for any and all adult figures. It was no wonder that he was no comfortable wherever they put him because he simply could not trust anyone. When someone’s own parents betray them, it is easy, especially for a child, to begin to question not only their actions, but everyone’s! Now everyone was the enemy and it was a hard shell to crack once it had settled in.

He saw it in Agnes…now he was hearing it about Chase…

>> "Through discussing this option, we found that there weren't any willing relatives or friends of the family who would take him in…And there were no strangers, so to speak, who stepped forwards as potential guardians, thus, we resorted to the idea of sending him to a long-term foster home. Yet, with all of these options, none of us could agree-- there were those of us that wanted him adopted, and those of us who saw fit for Chase to just go to another permanent living arrangement. It was this disagreement that prolonged the trial. Also--Before we could come to a conclusion, Chase ran away once again…And the case was put on a hiatus until we relocated him."

The kid had no one. That only broke Jorge’s heart all the more. He had seen too many kids like that and he did not want to see it happen to anymore. Though he may not be able to save every kid, he could definitely do what he could to help out those he could.

>>"Through discussing this option, we found that there weren't any willing relatives or friends of the family who would take him in. And there were no strangers, so to speak, who stepped forwards as potential guardians, thus, we resorted to the idea of sending him to a long-term foster home. Yet, with all of these options, none of us could agree-- there were those of us that wanted him adopted, and those of us who saw fit for Chase to just go to another permanent living arrangement. It was this disagreement that prolonged the trial. Also-- Before we could come to a conclusion, Chase ran away once again. And the case was put on a hiatus until we relocated him."

Gemma listened to the whole story, and nodded sometimes when Valerie looked up. She did not have to look at the parents to see their looks, and she did not need to look at Jorge to know he was still keeping up the pokerface. She could trust him with that, and that thought alone almost made her smile.

Once the little speach was concluded, she nodded once again.

"Thank you." she glanced at the parents too "I am sure you all read through my credential before this meeting, but I would like to say that I have delt with many cases like this before, both with mutant and non-mutant children. I understand that not two of those cases were the same, and I understand the process of how these cases have to be handled. I really appreciate your time and willingness to meet me here today to find a solution that is favorable to everyone, most importantly Chase himself. That is why I would like to propose to move him into permanent residence here at Xavier's where he would be provided for. This is a safe environment" she did not look at the parents there "for mutant children, and the staff is qualified and prepared to deal with all kinds of mutations and all the psychological and emotional issues that result from them."

She looked around at everyone, but she spoke her words to Valerie.

"Also, because of his age, he will need adoptive parents or at least a legal guardian. I would like to be considered for that role."

>> "Thank you. I am sure you all read through my credential before this meeting, but I would like to say that I have dealt with many cases like this before, both with mutant and non-mutant children. I understand that not two of those cases were the same, and I understand the process of how these cases have to be handled. I really appreciate your time and willingness to meet me here today to find a solution that is favorable to everyone, most importantly Chase himself. That is why I would like to propose to move him into permanent residence here at Xavier's where he would be provided for. This is a safe environment for mutant children, and the staff is qualified and prepared to deal with all kinds of mutations and all the psychological and emotional issues that result from them."

Valerie nearly interjected. Nearly. He was, in her opinion, too young for a setting that was akin a boarding school, particularly with the issues that he had. That was all well and good that the staff there could handle his issues that had stemmed from his mutation-related abuse, but Valerie was still set on finding a more child-specific approach. Both fortunately and unfortunately, Chase had the one social worker who was going to put up a fight for him. But, Miss Taylor was not yet finished, so Valerie did not yet speak.

>> "Also, because of his age, he will need adoptive parents or at least a legal guardian. I would like to be considered for that role."

At this, Valerie’s stern façade faltered into a warm smile. What wasn’t there to be happy about? A potential adoptive parent for Chase! And a well-balanced one, with experience in dealing with mutants. But, Valerie wasn’t the decision-maker in this process, but she was fairly certain that things would work out in Miss Taylor’s and Chase’s favor—the only problem with finding someone to adopt Chase was finding someone to adopt him, and now that there was someone, so… problem solved, right?

“There are, of course, the legal hoops that we need to leap through,” Valerie trailed, still smiling, “We would need to propose this arrangement within court, make sure that the you, the care provider, and Xavier’s, the environment, would be a suitable match… but I do believe that this would be the most beneficial course of action for Chase, and I think that the courts will agree with me.”

Miss Taylor was a pleasant woman, and seemed competent upon first impressions. Sure, it wasn’t that easy, but Valerie’s gut instincts weren’t generally wrong. They could leave him here for the time being, too-- uprooting him for the sake of a trial would probably just send him running once again.

“And, that’s all that I had to cover,” Valerie concluded, glancing towards the Townsends, towards the Detective, and towards Miss Townsend, “Anything that anyone would like to add, or might I conclude this meeting?”

>> "Thank you…I am sure you all read through my credential before this meeting, but I would like to say that I have delt with many cases like this before, both with mutant and non-mutant children. I understand that not two of those cases were the same, and I understand the process of how these cases have to be handled. I really appreciate your time and willingness to meet me here today to find a solution that is favorable to everyone, most importantly Chase himself. That is why I would like to propose to move him into permanent residence here at Xavier's where he would be provided for. This is a safe environment…for mutant children, and the staff is qualified and prepared to deal with all kinds of mutations and all the psychological and emotional issues that result from them."

Jorge gently nodded.

Though his opinion was unbiased, that did not mean he couldn’t expression his opinion about the mansion. Anyone who was open minded could see that this place was perfect for a kid like Chase. He would have a home, be surrounded by people like him, and he would get to learn to control his powers and get a second chance at life! It was the least his parents could do for him.

He hoped they would understand that…

>> "Also, because of his age, he will need adoptive parents or at least a legal guardian. I would like to be considered for that role."

Jorge tilted his head as he glanced to Gemma.

Still the pokerface on, he merely watched her…curiously. He hadn’t heard THAT part of the plan.

>> “There are, of course, the legal hoops that we need to leap through…We would need to propose this arrangement within court, make sure that the you, the care provider, and Xavier’s, the environment, would be a suitable match… but I do believe that this would be the most beneficial course of action for Chase, and I think that the courts will agree with me.”

Jorge nodded but he still didn’t say anything out loud. They were doing this for Chase’s benefit because the boy deserved a chance at a real life. Not running and scuttling through the streets like an urchin from a Dicken’s novel. But as the detective sat there, he had to cast a glance at Gemma. Why hadn’t she told him this part?

But he did not break his façade right now. More than likely Gemma and he would discuss this later, not that he was going to say no or anything. Chase needed a safe environment and he needed someone to watch over him. If there was anyone in this school who could do it…it would be Gemma.


>> “And, that’s all that I had to cover…Anything that anyone would like to add, or might I conclude this meeting?”

Jorge shook his head.

“No ma’am, I think that pretty much covers it,” he said with a nod. “Thank you to both parties for being civil during this meeting.”

>>“There are, of course, the legal hoops that we need to leap through. We would need to propose this arrangement within court, make sure that the you, the care provider, and Xavier’s, the environment, would be a suitable match… but I do believe that this would be the most beneficial course of action for Chase, and I think that the courts will agree with me.”

Gemma nodded again. She knew it was going to take a world of paperwork and a lot of court dates... but it was worth it. It could be done, unless the parents put up a fight; the rest was just, as Valerie said, hoops to jump through.

>>“And, that’s all that I had to cover. Anything that anyone would like to add, or might I conclude this meeting?”

She glanced at the parents and the lawyer. If they were going to put up a fight, they'd better let her know now. Even if they did, she would won, but for Chase's sake she would have preferred if things did not get ugly.
Jorge spoke up.

>>“No ma’am, I think that pretty much covers it. Thank you to both parties for being civil during this meeting.”

She nodded and stood, finally smiling a polite smile at the parents and a more real one at Valerie.

"No, and thank you all for coming here today. I really appreciate it. I believe that we all want what is best for Chase."

The parent probably wanted what was best for them, but it would not have been polite to point that out.

"I'll see you again soon, I hope."

>> “No ma’am, I think that pretty much covers it. Thank you to both parties for being civil during this meeting.”

>> "No, and thank you all for coming here today. I really appreciate it. I believe that we all want what is best for Chase. I'll see you again soon, I hope."

Valerie listened as both Detective Cervantez and Miss Taylor stated that they hadn't anything else that they desired to cover. Alright. Valerie picked up her voice-recorder, shifting her gaze towards the Townsends, "Anything further to add, on-the-record, Mr. Evans? Mr. and Mrs. Townsend?"

Chases' biological parents exchanged glances, something obviously churning in their gaze, but what it was exactly was uncertain. Mrs. Townsend spoke on the behalf of their party, and diplomatically replied, "We'll be glad to see Chase go to a home that can care for him."

And they left it at that. Her tone was light, but it implied what they all knew. That the Townsends never had, and never could, accept Chase. They were glad to see him go, and to see him go to somewhere that he'd be happy, on top of being out of their hair, was merely an added bonus. But, that was a matter that was left unsaid.

Valerie brought the voice recorder closer to her mouth, announced, "That concludes our meeting."

And clicked it off.

Now off of the record, Valerie closed her file, and tucked it into her bag, along with her voice recorder. Once she'd done that, she went around and shook the hands of the Townsends, Mr. Evans, Detective Cervantez, and Miss Taylor, thanking them for their cooperation, and all that jazz.

The Townsends and Mr. Evans gathered up their things, and awaited to be escorted out by the detective. Valerie, all the while, helped herself to some of the treats that Miss Taylor had provided.

Continued in You Can Stop Running Now.