We spoke for a long time, I decided that I still wanted to travel with the doctor, I mean who wouldn't, the doctor encouraged me to speak with my father, and because I hadn't seen him since I was five there was no way we could create a paradox by meeting. So we are currently on our way to the house, through time, present time, this would be two weeks after the fire, I still haven't decided whether I want to see him or not, the doctor assured I would be in disguise, not that the man who had a hand in bringing me into the world, would even recognise me.
So here we stood, outside the house where all my childhood memories were. The doctor knocked on the door after a reassuring smile from me, an older version of a man suppose to be my father opened the door.
"Yes, can I help you?" He asked
"Hello, I'm the doctor" does that phrase ever get old? "And this is my assistant" he pointed to me "may we come in? It's about your daughter" my dad looked worried as he moved away from the door allowing us to go in, that was weird was he really worried? Or did I imagine it? I stepped over the threshold behind the doctor, I didn't remember much from my childhood, in fact I remembered nothing, but these light blue walls, this wooden floor, these dark blue carpet clad stairs seemed familiar to me, we turned right just after the threshold into the living room, the fireplace looked familiar, it held pictures of my parents, but I noticed there were no pictures of me, this was very upsetting, the doctor lay a hand on my thigh, this didn't go unnoticed by my father, it was small fatherly or brotherly gesture, that my dad didn't seem to like, but right now I couldn't care less.
"So what is this about?" My dad asked as he sat down in front of us in an armchair
"We were wondering if Zoe had been in touch at all?" The doctor asked to this my dad shook his head
"I know she isn't dead, but I know she would never come here"
"Why do you say that?" I had to ask, venom dripping from every word, he looked skeptically at the doctor, but still answered
"I left my daughter in a place where she didn't belong, just so that I could keep her safe" he shrugged, the doctor and I looked at each other questioningly, but my dad carried on, taking a deep breath he started from the beginning.
*flashback*
Conner's POV
"I don't understand why we can't have IVF, it would be great" my wife of three years asked
"You know we can't afford it, Chloe" we walked hand in hand past the woods to get to our car so that we could go home after our daily walk, we heard a twig snap somewhere in the woods, we looked towards the sound but obviously saw nothing, we carried on walking, after slowing down still arguing about IVF when we heard a baby crying somewhere in the woods, we looked towards each other then walked into the woods looking for the baby, we saw a crib with wonderful designs and patterns, patterns I'd never seen before.
I looked inside, my wife was already next to the baby looking at it, she stroked the face and the child cooed, we heard a sound from the depths of the woods again Chloe picked up the child and I took the crib and we left, we ran out of the woods and straight to our car my wife sat in the back with the child and I put the crib in the boot and I got into the car and drove off.
The next day we took the baby to the police station and told them of the events from the night before.
"Ok Mr and Mrs Portar, I'll phone social services now, they'll keep the baby until the parents can be found, or the child can be adopted" after saying his piece he started to write something down whilst Chloe looked pleadingly at me, I nearly groaned
"Look officer, isn't there a way we can look after the child until her parents are found?, we don't want her to go to an orphanage." The police man smiled and assured he would do what he could. He made the phone call.
After waiting in the police station for an hour a lady from social services finally came, it turns out she had been doing checks on us to find out what kind of people we were, weather or not we were capable of looking after a child, she had come with good news, we were allowed to look after this child until her real parents were found. Happily we went home, buying many things for this wonderful child including a car seat.
*end of flashback*
"The police never found her real parents, but people were always after her, trying to kill her, my wife died trying to save our five year old daughter, after that I spoke to my friend, who owns the asylum, he said Zoe would be safe with him, so I sent her there" at this point he was crying with his head in his hands "and now my daughter cannot be found, oh I know she's not dead, but I know she thinks I hate her, Steven, my friend told me" I was crying too
"How come you never went to see her?, your daughter, I mean" I asked him, this time no venom just curiosity.
"Because I was worried they might follow me and find her" it made sense, I suppose. "Would you like to see Zoe's room?, it's exactly how she left it" we nodded to this and followed him upstairs.