Robert Dixon awoke on his couch. When did he fall asleep? He looked at the clock and saw that it was a little before 10:00. He head was a little fuzzy. It had fleet like at least an hour or two had passed since he fell asleep on the couch, and yet that couldn't be right because he had just brought home their newest family member. Rob decided he was just tired from the long drive. Heading to bed he came across the door of the room his wife had so happily prepared.  

His wife, bless her. He knew her since his high school years. If he knew then what he knew now, he would have talked to her more instead of snickering at the pink crazed loon, as everyone else did. Years later, back when Rob was still a rookie in the police force, he met her again by chance. He had his teeth knocked out by a drunk the previous night and needed to fill the gap. Sure enough, Sandra was his dentist. The one that he and everyone, including himself, picked on for being a weirdo. They recognized each other immediately. It was the most awkward visit to the dentist rob had ever had.

Sandra surprised him though. She wanted to see him again. They met the next night, then later that weak, and so on. Today is what all that lead to. Rob standing in front of the door of the newest family member completely at a loss at what to do. What does he say? If this were his son William he would just say goodnight and get it over with, but for some reason, this felt different. Like it wasn't real somehow.

He and Sandra had wanted this for a long time now. It finally happened, but it felt to soon, to fast. He shook his head. You're overthinking things, old man. Rob thought. Rob finally got the nerve to open the door. "Lily! Lily! you unpacked yet?" He said as he turned the door knob. Opening the door he saw the girl still wearing the blue dress he remember her in when being picked up. She was staring up at him wide eyed. Did he freak her out by coming in suddenly?  He kept on a kind smile hoping that would help dissolve the awkwardness.

Looking over Rob saw that she had not unpacked. "Ah, so you haven't started, I see." Rob didn't know if he should help or leave it alone. He decided to ask. "Well do you need any help?" He asked.

Lilyana looked uncertain. "Um...No?"

"Are sure sweetie?" Rob asked. Little girls liked to be called sweetie. Right? 

Lilyana was repulsed at being called sweetie, and it showed. SHIT!!! Rob was kicking himself. Right! Time to fix this. little girls needed strong roll models. Right? Getting down on one knee, he looked Lilyana in the eyes and said. "Well if you're sure, just keep in mind that I am your father now and am more than happy to help, ok." Lilyana was still a little confused but started nodded in acknowledgment. "In any case, it's getting late, and seeing how you just moved in, your mother and I will not press a bedtime, but just this once!"

Lilyana continued to smile and nod. Satisfied Rob left the room. Rob went to bed still uncertain if this was going to work out or not, but he felt optimistic. 

His wife had not yet returned from a party she was attending for a coworker. Which was odd considering he thought she would try to be here a soon as possible. He couldn't afford to wait on her, however, as homicide detective every day at work was a big day and he needed sleep.

It was early in the morning when he woke up his wife was beside him. He wanted to say hello, but let her sleep. After getting dressed for the day he headed out. Pausing only once in front of his new daughter's door. Taking a peek inside. He saw only the back of her head. It wasn't a dream after all. It finally happened. 

After making it out to his car and starting it up. He noticed something odd. His gas tank was full. He didn't remember filling up when bringing Lilyana home. No that was the day before. Wasn't it? Getting old man, can't even remember a gas stop. He thought.

Work was more boring than usual. Which in Rob's mind was a good thing given the alternative involved people being murdered? While doing paperwork the topic of his new adopted daughter came up. 

"Whoa, so it finally happened?" Said Moses Simmons. Moses, or Mos as everyone at the station called him, was Robert's partner. He was an African American man, coming at a head taller than Robert at 6ft 5in, and a muscular build that did his time in the Marines proud, although civilian life was giving him a gut.

"Yeah, to be honest, it only started feeling real for me this morning," Rob said leaning back in his chair. 

"So what she like, this kid?" Mos asked

Rob gave it some thought. "Well, it not like I know her that well, not yet anyway. I do know that she's a quiet kid, don't remember much conversation on the way back home."

"She opens up when she gets to know you better," Mos suggested. "So where'd you grab this girl anyway, where's she from?"

Rob thought about this for a moment and drew a blank. "I don't know." He answered still racking his brain for the memory that didn't seem to exist. 

Mos looked somewhat amused by this. "You don't know? What a hell of a thing to forget."

Rob glared at Mos. "Are done over there? This paperwork has got to be turned in before we leave you to know."

Mos laughed. "Ok, sorry your majesty." Mos gave a bow. "it won't happen again."

Not saying a word Rob gave Mos a more intense glare. Which only served to make Mos laugh harder.

Later as evening approached. Rob drove home. Thinking of a way to connect to his newest family member. All kinds of idea's popped into his head and for one reason or another were rejected. The only sure fire thing he could think of was to do it just like he did with William every day, wing it. 

When finally home. Rob entered the house and was announced to Lilyana by his wife. He was putting his gun and badge away in a lockbox, that sat on the top shelf of the entrance closet. Lilyana who had come down had seen this and asked. "You're a cop?" 

He looked over at the girl. Noticing first thing the heavy metal album cover on her shirt. Sandra very likely hates that shirt, but that might make things easier for me. Rob had an idea. "Yep, Detective actually. You want to see my gun?" Rob said giving the girl a playful wink.

Megel454

Ok going back to the chapter where I originally wrote this just to make sure there aren't many inconsistent. I took note that I had instead wrote this- "You see my gun." This obviously is a statement, not a question and under-minds what I was going for, and also likely caused some confusion. I am sorry. I have since fixed this.

Lilyana had a look like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sure," she said. Score! Look who's in the cool dad club now. Rob thought

His wife Sandra was not amused. "Hey honey, I don't think so."

"Ha, I was only kidding," Rob said to his wife quickly. Then turning to Lilyana "Sorry kid looks like it's no go." Rob watched in amusement as the girl just shrugged it off.

Dinner was then served a moment later. The chatter around the table was mostly small talk about, his wife's outing with Lilyana. He was also informed of a bunch of things in his wife minivan that needed to be taken in. When dinner was finished Lilyana went back upstairs. Wondering about thing's Sandra would never say in front of the girl. He asked. "Well, what do think?"

Sandra took a deep breath. "Well she's not what I imagined, but I guess that's to be expected. You know me I get an idea in my head and run with it no matter how unrealistic it is."

Rob smiled. He knew all to well that she could be more than a little obsessive and overbearing, but it was that drive to get what she wanted that made Rob fall for her in the first place. She knew this already of course. "So you thought, she would be just like you in some way?" Rob asked getting to the heart of the matter.

Sandra gave a sad little laugh. "I guess I did." To Rob's surprise, Sandra's smile wasn't sad but full of hope. 

"So you think this could work?" Rob asked

"I do actually." 

They sat in silence for a while. As they sat a chill began to grow in the air. Something was wrong, but neither Robert nor Sandra could place what. For no reason, they could explain the two suddenly had the same thought. Check on Lilyana. Both of them rushed to stairs, moving as fast as they could without breaking into a run. 

They made it to Lilyana's room, opening the door they found their daughter collapsed on the floor and naked as a newborn, Drenched with sweat and breathing hard as if she had just sprinted a whole marathon. "Lily!!" they both shouted together. 

"I don't understand she was fine a moment ago." Sandra was going into a panic.

Rob didn't understand this either, but first thing was first Lilyana needed clothing and put somewhere that wasn't the floor. Snapping his wife out of her panic before it could take hold. They had the girl dressed and placed in bed.

Sandra looked to her husband. "What do we do Rob?" her voice was a whisper covered in worry. 

Rob wanted to call an ambulance but instead found himself making a different suggestion. "Let's leave her alone for now, see how she's doing in the morning."

Sandra was surprised by her husband. Giving him a look that could kill, was about to object, when her eyes suddenly glazed over. The much calmer Sandra, suddenly found that her husbands logic was sound, and she shouldn't question it. They then felt compelled to leave the room and go to bed.

In the morning Lilyana was still in bad shape. Multiple times both parents tried to call an ambulance, but every time both Robert and Sandra found themselves in a strange state of calm and compelled to put down the phone. Sandra was the first to snap under the stress. 

Yelling in frustration, and without saying a single word to Rob. She grabbed her phone one more time and dialed for the only doctor on the planet who still did house calls. Her great uncle Leo.

Once Leo arrived, he was shown to Lilyana's room. After doing all the basic examinations that one could perform with nothing more than a bag full of basic equipment. He concluded that he had no idea what was wrong with the girl. This, of course, was unsatisfying. The rest of Robs night was spent setting up the desk that was bought for Lilyana the previous day, he also set up a digital alarm clock while he was at it. He had to do something, after all sitting around doing nothing while this poor girl suffered was going to make him lose his mind. Eventually, he and his wife went to bed.

Later that night about 2 in the morning Rob received a phone call from the Chief of Police himself. "Wait! The hospital? Did Mos get shot or something?" Rob was confused by the orders he was just given. 

"No, but he is on the way. Look, just get down here, your going to want to see this shit for yourself. This city just went mad I tell you." The Chef sound beside himself. What could have happened? Rob wondered. 

"I got a sick kid over here so this better be good," Rob complained.

The Chef snorted "I'll ignore your insubordination, this time, just get your ass down here!"

Rob marched out of the house without even checking in on Lilyana. He couldn't, he already saw that girl suffering enough for one day, and didn't want to see any more of it for a long while. 

Rob got to the hospital and met the Chef and Mos in the lobby waiting area. "So what is this?" 

"Bad," Mos said. "I haven't seen shit this brutal since my days in the armed forces." 

This statement greatly worried Rob. "What shit?"

The Chef handed over a stack of photographs. "We have a vigilante. We've already confirmed that all involved were shot by the same gun. A .50 cal of a new design."

".50 cal?" Asked Rob somewhat impressed by the choice of caliber.

"No one, has died tonight, and I don't think whoever did this intended to kill anyone, but he will." 

Rob looked over the photo's they were disturbing alright. One guy had both his knees blown out. what's worse was that there were at least 25 victims here. "So, why do you think he'll start killing soon?" 

The Chef snorted. "Because vigilantes are bad optic's and the mayor's office has decided that every one of those assholes deserves a get out of jail free card for there inconvenience."

"I'm assuming these guys were committing a crime when this happened." Rob had a feeling he knew the answer. 

Mos who was also on the same page replied. "Yeah, and once this vigilante find's out that his work was for nothing. Hunting season." 

The Chef nodded approving of his men's conclusion. "That why I'm bringing you homicide detectives in on this now. Before the bodies start hitting the floor. I want this guy brought in ASAP!"