My Major | Jasper Whitlock

13 - Set The Record Straight

Katherine leans forward. "I want to apologise for how I treated you when I first met you... But you'd never told us your story."

"My story?" Nala says quietly as she swallows hard. She rubs her hands on her thighs nervously. "I don't know what you-"

"Miss Holt, I'm detective Palmer, I'm with the FBI. We know what Mr Hardy is capable of and what he has done to you. All we need is your statement, any evidence you may have or could lead us to, and this could significantly help your case. This could wipe his out." he says gently, his eyes urgent however. He would hate to see a young girl destroyed and a child taken into a disturbed home.

Nala takes a shaky breath. "H-How can you be so sure?" She looks up at him with terrified eyes. All she wants is her Jazz beside her. "It could entirely backfire on me if I did tell you something."

"We can assure you it won't. Miss Holt, we have a witness willing to step forward in court to explain her experience with Mr Hardy. And another anonymous individual who will aid in getting him for several other crimes. We can get him sent away for a very very long time so long as you can give us the evidence needed. "

Nala looks at them both as she tries to remember how to breathe. She slowly nods and Katherine visabily relaxes, but not entirely. She does feel bad - she may have prejudged Nala a little when she heard the kidnap claims, but from what they've established on Taylor Hardy, she would've done similar for her child.

"Can I call someone to come sit with you?" She offers Nala.

"I got it." she forces a smile and pulls her phone out, calling Seth. He doesn't answer, neither does Alice, so her last resort is Rosalie.

"Hello?" Rosalie's feathery voice says.

"Rose... I need to ask a-a favour of you." Nala says quietly.

"Sure... Is everything okay?" she says slowly. She stops walking in the centre of her room, frowning, before she looks over towards the direction of the house. "Who's car is that?"

"Please-Please come. Please." She whispers, barely managing to say much else.

Rosalie quickly hangs up and jogs to the cottage. She can't be too quick, otherwise it would be suspicious, but she manages it still quite quickly. She knocks the door and slowly enters, looking at the two people she doesn't know and then the terrified Nala. While she and Nala have bonded, she never really got to know the girl; despite that she cares, so she instantly walks over and pulls her into a hug. She looks over at the people. "What is this? Who are you?"

"I'm detective Palmer and this is Katherine Patterson, from child services. We need to collect Miss Holt's statement about her husband... About what he's done."

Rosalie realises and nods quickly. "Of course." She sits down and take Nala's hand.

Nala forces a smile and looks back at the detective. "Where do you... Do I start from th r beginning or... I don't know what to say." she admits.

He pulls out his phone to record this as well as take notes. "It's okay take your time. Let's start with the firs time he hurt you."

Nala laughs once, bitterly. "My my, I remember that. I told him I was pregnant so he hit me - intentionally. He screamed at me, 'you stupid mother fucker, gold digging whore'." Nala stares at the wood pattern on the table. "He didn't want Lilo. He tried everything to talk me into getting rid of her, he even threatened to push me down a flight of stairs. His mom found out, a religious woman despite what she does for a job, and made us marry. He always wants to please his mother and having a child out of wedlock so soon after his last marriage failed? She'd have combust. So I had to marry him. It became a regular occurance for him to hit me after that day - the day he proposed. He made a spectacle of it, course Taylor Hardy had to be seen. Had to be worshiped." Nala clenches her teeth a little as Rosalie rubs the back of her hand with her cold thumb.

"Our wedding night was no different. We went to bed about 10, I was exhausted and pregnant, but he wanted to party. We fought, h-he tied my hands to the headboard and left. Told everyone I fell asleep and we'd agreed he should be with our guests in the casino. I cried myself to sleep." She whispers and sighs.

" When was he more likely to hit you, Nala?" the detective asks softly.

"Any time I didn't do what he'd wanted. He was especially touchy after work."

"He works in banking, right?" he asks.

Nala laughs coldly again. "And everything else. He had his fingers in many pies, detective. I'm sure you're aware of that."

He sighs. "Yes... You wouldn't know of anywhere we can get evidence?" He asks off a whim.

"The old apartment. He probably forgot its there but there's a safe under the floorboard in the nursery - he hated going in there, meant he had to see Li. 5923567. It'll have something in there, most probably a gun and some cash."

He nods. "Thank you... Just one last thing. What made you leave?"

"He pulled a gun of me while I had Li in my arms. He'd pulled it on me before but it pushed a line when he did it with her in my arms. If he'd been just a little madder..." She covers her mouth and shakes her head, looking away for a moment.

Detective Palmer squeezes her hand over the table. "Thank you, Miss Holt, this will greatly help. We'll leave you be now, but here's my card if there's anything else I can do."

Nala nods once and takes the card in her shaking hand. As they pack up, the door opens and Lilo skips in, her pig tails bouncing. "Mommy I got another star!" she yells as she runs to her mom.

Nala quickly wipes her cheeks and gasps, picking her up. "You did? A reading one too? You are a star!" she spins her around then holds her close.

Esme smiles small and sees the detective and Katherine out, glancing at Rosalie who looks a little stunned. Nala kisses all over Lilo's face. "Go get your PJs on we will have a movie night, daddy will be home soon. He'll be so happy to see you got another star!"

Lilo giggles as she bounds upstairs, humming to herself ; now over 4 years old, she's blossomed into a little genius. Reading, writing, mathematics, she nails it all. Maybe it helps having superhuman individuals around her everyday, but either way she is Nala's shining star, the reason to get up every morning beside Jasper.

Nala goes upstairs to change as well, while Rosalie looks at her mother. "I will not let that man get that child or hurt Nala again. There is no way in this earth anything is going to happen. I'll murder him myself." She growls lowly, her fists clenched.

Esme sighs. "We can't, Rose... Its too human. There's too many powerful human organisations involved, this isn't just something we cna solve by getting rid of him. We have to make sure we get solid evidence, stuff that will hold up in court."

"Yeah? Well I'll make sure we do." She snaps before disappearing.

Esme sighs and shakes her head a little, cleaning the dishes in the sink. She stays with Lilo and Nala for a while until she hears Jasper near, bidding them goodnight. Just after she leaves, he enters with a big smile.

" Daddy's home!"

Lilo jumps up, no longer half asleep, and leaps into his waiting arms. "Daddyyyy!"

He kisses her head and holds her close. "My sweetpea. How was school?"

She grins and points to the pin board, another star certificate pinned with the dozen or so others. Jasper gasps. "You little genius!"

She giggles as Nala tiredly rolls her eyes and smiles as they sit beside her, jasper wrapping his arm around her. "You'll make her cocky." She says as she cuddles into him.

He shrugs. "Shell be like her dad then. And he mom." He teases.

She smiles small and watches Lilo cuddle into him. She can't bare the thought of her getting ripped away from her dad... She sighs a little and Jasper kisses her head. "It'll be okay... You have done all you can. Let fate take the reigns." He whispers, holding out hope that that's the right choice for them all.

Dear God, please be the right choice...