Chapter Text
Elouise didn’t even know what to do when she saw the man following her, trying to be undetected. She walked faster, and ran into Lemanhead, Uncle Vic’s coworker, detective and part of the Strike team. He looked at her confused, and recognized her and smiled happily.
“Sweetheart!” He smiled and she looked over her shoulder and got an idea.
“Mr. Wilson advised the Mad hatter that the white rabbit knows Alice is late for a very important date, with the red Queen and the red roses.”
Head tilted, he mouthed Mr. Wilson, her caramel brown eyes, widened and full of fear. She saw him connect the dots when he realized Mr. Wilson was Shane Vendrell’s alias. He dragged his hands over his face and sighed softly. He took her hand, walking on the outside of her, keeping her body towards the buildings, and protecting her like a gentleman. A gentleman always walked outside the sidewalk when he walked with his girl, he was to get hurt or worse if there was an accident or something. He knew he had to take it seriously, she was Mackey’s baby after all as a goddaughter. Vic was protective of his kids and his goddaughter. She looked up to Lems, who had a crush on her and she had a crush on him but both of them didn’t know the other liked each other. Shane teased him so much, Lems threatened teeth down throats. He called Vic, saying the same phrase and explained the situation without giving too much information.
They were close to the barn, and he stopped and pulled her in front of him. “Run, don't walk, run. Find Vic if he doesn’t find you first. He knows, but I need you to trust me,” she touched his chest, looking up at him worried. He knew she was worried about him and he worried about her too, and he loved her too much to let her get hurt. They were close to the barn, 3 minutes away, and he squeezed her hands. He put his forehead on her forehead and she sighed unsure, as he promised her to come back home. He pushed her lightly, and she looked at him and he nodded. She ran like her life depended on it and Vic found her.
“Uncle Vic!” She cried out as she tumbled into him. He grabbed her, looking her up and down like he would with Corrine and the kids. Bruises, blood, injuries, anything to tell him that he wasn’t as paranoid as he seemed, no injuries, no bruises, no torn clothes, nothing. He hugged her tightly, one hand cradling her head, the other on her back. She squeezed just as tight, begging for forgiveness she didn’t need, forgiveness that didn’t exist because she didn’t need to earn it. He pulled her back and smiled softly, but the fear in him made him rage for the little girl he always saw her as.
He took her to an interview room, where she sat quietly snd patiently. Shane, Lems, him? David Aceveda would have to do it or someone else. She had so much evidence and proof from today. Aceveda knew how important Elouise was to the Strike team. And Vic? Vic would sleep like a baby, after burning the world down and everything in it to protect himself, his team, his family. He would kill and die for Elouise. Elouise was also high functioning autistic. She was brilliant, bright, kind. Aceveda made sure she was comfortable, made sure she had a drink and snack. He took her time and ran with it slowly at her pace. It wasn’t about him, or Vic or anyone else. It was about her. She sat in the corner, having needing to see the room and Aceveda watched her with carefulness and patience and compassion.
“I’m sorry if I scared people,” she said softly, and he shook his head.
“You didn’t, that evil man did,” he said softly.
She was overwhelmed. She was quiet, not afraid of speaking but afraid of speaking at the same time. She was experiencing a sensory overload, and melt down began slowly but she was trying to not let the melt down happen. The meltdown was from the sensory overload and the events leading up to where they were now. Aceveda told her she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t wanna do, but because she had it fresh in her mind, he’d love to help. She looked at him quickly, not meeting his eyes but seeing that she was aware? He knelt down to her level slowly, and winced from being old.
“You can show me, tell me, however you choose. I am only here to help. You control this, you lead this, okay?” She nodded.
She liked having options. Especially if she got to choose. She spoke softly, and he wrote it down. He guided her slowly, asking direct, clear questions about her stalker. When her brain stalled? He asked her again, telling her to take her time. When she forgot? He’d repeat what she said and she would repeat it and finish it. He smiled at her, keeping the conversation moving with easy topics like sports and such as he did, hoping that she wouldn’t fall down the rabbit hole. She looked at him in the eye and he looked back.
“Thank you for not pushing me, I’m sorry for not being the best communication person,” Aceveda shrugged it off.
“I’m not good at communicating either. I do try to at least work on it. Gives me practice as I’m here with the police. It’s okay to not be good at something, I know I have things I’m not good at,” she tilted her head at that.
“Really?” He nodded.
“I know autism has many different levels, but communication is hard. My brain knows what to say, but my mouth and brain dont know how to work to say it,” he chuckled, knowing that her brain worked faster than her mouth.
“So you really hate when you have your brain malfunction because it’s running on different software than your other parts?” She nodded excitedly.
Vic laughed to at the comment. She always said her autism made it difficult to understand life in a world full of what she called ‘normals’ and he says that she just runs on a different program than someone like himself. She had come so far from when she originally became diagnosed. She had been under a lot of stress, between the stalker, the court cases that followed her and the not being able to sleep at her own home? Vic understood that her melt down was very valid. He had asked Aceveda to allow her to go to her home, grab comfort items and he allowed it, given all she’s been through. She was staying at a hotel, somewhere where the stalker didn’t know. He loved it, giving strict instructions about not getting into trouble and more.
So the thought having comfort items made Elouise jump at the idea extremely fast, too fast. Vic was her rock, making Shane and Lems stand outside the door. Vic had been taking care of her cats, A black tabby named Nebula and an orange Cheeto puff, excuse him, an orange cat named Nimbus. He laughed when he saw the orange Cheeto puff and stated so, and she pouted at him as she pointed out it wasnt Nimbus’ fault for being fluffy and adorable! He knew she adored those two cats more than anything. She was able to grab the bag with her valuables hidden in her safe in the wall in the closet. She gathered clothes, three specific blankets she couldn’t sleep without, her Dino nightlight, she swore by. She packed slowly and deliberately, having Vic triple check each thing. She didn’t want to forget but her brain lagged.
“Uncle Vic?” She asked In the bathroom.
“Yeah sweetheart?” He asked, walking to her as she faced him.
“Why do people follow people like me and do things that make other people suffer?” That question? That stopped him in his tracks.