As a mother there was an instinct in my mind burning me up, what if what I was thinking is right? Leaving Kataleah behind like that just wasn't right, I just straight dipped while she was begging for me to stay. I took Chris with me if he promised not to kick Ryan's ass, I just wanted to make sure she was understanding why I can't see her anymore. More so I wanted to be nosey and see if she was okay. I didn't bother knocking, I let myself in. The door was unlocked.

Soon as I opened the door Ryan smacked Kataleah down hard to the ground then pulled her up by her hair, she screamed as the tears slid down her cheek soon as she saw me she ran to my leg holding on tight.

"What are you doing here?" He asked caught in his shit.

"Why the fuck are you hitting her like that?"

"Daddy doesn't like it when I don't listen," she expressed

"This has nothing to do with you, I'm talking to my daughter."

"With your damn fist? Kataleah are you okay?"

"I want to go with you," she wiped her eyes.

"Go get in my car."

"Kataleah, stay in this house!"

"Get in the car, I'll take you with me you don't have to go through this shit." I said as she ran off.

"You not her damn momma now, I let you take my daughter out a couple of times! Now you stepping into business that ain't your own. How I discipline my daughter is not your concern."

"You don't have the fucking right to put your hands on her like that, I don't care who I am ". I'm calling the cops!"

"Brielle bring my damn daughter back here!"

I ignored him going to the car as fast as I could, I pulled the car out the drive way just incase he came out with something.

"Kataleah what happen when I left?" I asked as Kataleah hung her head low.

"What's going on?" Chris asked.

"Chris switch seats with me."

Chris sat on the driver side as I went in the backseat with her."

"I'm in trouble," she said softly.

"No your not, but I need to check out any marks on you body okay. Remember like how I did when you came to my job at the Dr. office?" I asked as she shook her head yes, I lifted up her shirt a bit to see her back was red and had welts. "Does that hurt?"

"A little."

"What happen sweetie you have to let me know?"

"My daddy told me to behave when I'm with you so you'll want to spend more time with us, if I don't do a good job then he gets very mad."

"What does he say when he gets very mad?"

"I mess everything up, I can't ever listen. Go get the belt!" Kataleah mocked his words.

"Is that what he said when I left?"

"No he said a very bad word about you, then he said it was my fault. Then he pushed me into the table and it hurt real bad, I told him I didn't do it but he pulled my hair and then gave me a spankin'. When you came that's when he smack me down. I don't want to go home tonight."

"Bae you sure you don't want me to go in there and handle this?"

"No Chris sit your ass down, you in enough trouble as it is. The cops will be here soon."

When they came I made sure they spoke to me first, Ryan could easily say I took her without permission like I was kidnapping her. I told them beginning to end of what happen in the time frame of what happen to when I was suppose to pick her up till just now.

"We need to take her for her own safety."

"Where are you taking her?"

"Brielle I don't want to go, I want to go with you!"

"Can't I just foster her for a while, it is her best interest."

"I understand Ma'am but this child has marks on her back, she needs to be questioned and treated."

"Pause, you can't question a minor without consent and as of prior to this I'm her guardian."

"Brielle I'm scared, I want to go with you!"

"Is there any trusted family members at least?" I asked the social worker as I placed my hand on Kataleah shoulder.

"Her mother isn't listed, her grandmother has been dead for about a year. She has no other family."

"No one else but me, don't do this. Let me take her in till this is handled properly."

They settled in my favor, I was able to take her home with me but this shit wasn't adding up.

"You comfortable?" I asked placing a blanket on her.

"You not sleeping down here too ?"

"I can't it's going to hurt my back, but knock on my door if you need anything."

"Is daddy going to see me again?"

"Probably I don't know baby, but when you ran away those times where did you go and why?"

"First time I went to the subway cause he yelled at me and made me cry. He said who would love a brat like you, second time I didn't run away, I don't know who daddy took me to."

"You didn't go to your grandma house?"

She hung her head low, "I don't have a grandma."

Why would Ryan do something so disgusting, call me up and have me help him look for his so called missing daughter. His mother has been dead for a year and he has nobody to turn too, basically using Kataleah to reel me in being close with him. If she didn't do right he would get mad and blame her, possibly beat her for it.

"Does daddy hit you a lot?"

"Only when he's calling me a bad girl, so I guess so. I don't think he loves me sometimes."

"You're not a bad girl at all, your daddy just did really stupid things for love. Rather he loves you or not is something I can't really answer but I'm sure he does."

"Brielle, am I going to live with you forever?"

"I really don't know, I don't know what's going to happen with this. Try and get some sleep you'll be alright, I got you." I smiled.

The baby was kicking all night I could barely sleep, in the morning I got up early and made breakfast for everybody.

"I really like it here, I don't ever want to go home." she smiled

"You'll have to soon, maybe not your home. But a new home."

"But I can't, daddy is going to be very angry with me. This is going to be an hour spanking, I don't like when he talks to ladies cause he always does this but I'm glad we met you."

"I'm glad too."

As we were eating breakfast there was a knock at the door, it was child services.

"Kataleah will be leaving tomorrow."

"To where? Lost in the system? A new horrible home? There is no way she should be sent back to her father, I now know everything that she's been put through. I don't want her to be uncomfortable in foster care, is there anyway I can fight to get custody or adoption, something! You know how it is for a child in the system, I'm trying to do what's best for her."

"As am I Ms. Carter, but you are in no blood relation of her so if you do fight it will be a hard battle. I'll tell you what, she can stay for a little while till the courts do something. With the provision you do not remove her from the state, we will be in close contact with you."

"It's settled then," I smiled.

"Have a nice day Ma'am."

Brielle needs to chill with this little girl, I'm not too comfortable with taking in some dude's daughter who she basically confided with during our split.

I don't know everything that played out with Ryan and her and I don't know the story with this little girl, I hope this situation is only temporary. This could have been set up from the jump, Brielle basically just took a kid from her home into the good life. Also, she pushed my son down the stairs. I don't give a fuck what she say, it's exactly what it looks like. What more will her obsession with Brielle being mommy drive her to do?

"Babe why is she coming with us?" I asked as I got ready to take her to her appointment

"Who else is going to watch her?"

"This is a family thing, she ain't no kin to us."

Brielle tighten her eyes at me, "Where the hell is she going to go? I'm watching her till everything gets settled, we'll talk about this later." She walked in annoyed.

"I don't know if I want to, I already know what you going to say. I know how you get Brielle."

"Great than I should already know your answer."

"I'm not agreeing to shit, this isn't going to be an easy ass kiss question."

"Relax damn, we'll talk about it later."

No, hell no! I already know what she going to ask and right now I'm not feeling it. That little girl has plenty of other options, this isn't going to be some lifetime run.

"I see we got an extra, what's your name? Come to see your cousin?"

"Kataleah and no, I don't have any family other than my daddy."

"Daddy?" Dr. Harper doctor looked up at me.

"Don't even think about it Doc, she ain't one of mine." I said holding Mijo.

"She's a friend of mine," Brielle said locking eyes on me.

"Welcome then, now! The baby seems to be looking okay."

"Why okay?"

"You're nearing the final stretch of pregnancy, you should be getting plenty of rest. Something with the baby isn't reading right, but everything can change with positivity. I wouldn't be too concerned, do you have a birth plan?"

"Thinking about going all natural again."

"Nothing is set in stone, just be positive."

It's really hard leaving out of here not knowing exactly what's going on with my kid. It'll be even harder not knowing in a few months will I be walking out of the hospital with a baby or not. But everything happens for a reason, I'll have to be strong for the worse and make sure my family doesn't suffer.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"That little girl has nobody babe, she's going to be separated from her father. Ryan has been making up lies to get me to fall deeper for him and he's been using her to get it done. If she doesn't do right then she gets beat for it. As a nurse who sees kids everyday I wouldn't want any of them to go through this, I don't want her to live in the system. I want to keep her."

"How the hell you going to do that?"

"Honestly Chris, I want to adopt her or be a temporary foster parent till they get shit right."

I sighed. "No that's your hormones talking, it's impossible for you do that."

"Why?"

"Like it or not she's going to get returned to him at the end of the case. If the judge believes it's safe with enough rehabilitation."

"Chris I just want to know that if I fight hard for this, would you take on the idea of fostering her."

"Yes, I would."

She placed herself on my lap with her big belly rubbing into my stomach. "Don't just say yes because you love me and because you don't want to make me mad, be honest! Isn't that how we wanted us to be towards each other when we got back together? Be honest Chris, we need to make decisions together not just to please one another."

"I want to help her out, if you feel so strongly about this and you think you can fight the system then go for it. I'll be right by your side, know that you might be setting yourself up to get hurt if it don't play in your favor."