Officer Johnson was watching Annabelle with her daughter Stephanie, through a window, in the kids room of the police station. Annabelle sat by her daughter watching her color a picture. Officer Johnson turned her eyes to the right when she heard soft foot steps approaching her.

"How are they doing?" Officer Shaw asked carrying a drink holder in his hands.

"Looks like they're gonna be okay. How did it go with Mr. Cooper?"

John had spent about 30 minutes badgering Jack Cooper with questions in the interrogation room. Cooper tried to intimidate John, but it didn't work. Jack walked away from the fight with a broken nose, cut on his right cheek, and a bruised ego. Where as John walked away from the fight with a right black eye, and a busted lip. Jack made it well known that he had no problem giving John another black eye. That was after John explained to Jack what he might experience behind bars. He even mentioned what might happen if he came across a man nicknamed Bubba and how much he liked to 'welcome' new inmates where he was headed.

"Wait a minute, John." Christa spoke up after John finished his tale. "Where he's going, there is nobody named 'Bubba', especially one who likes to be friendly with new inmates, as you so plainly put it."

John snickered. "We know that. He, on the other hand, doesn't."

"You're mean, John." she laughed. "Is one of those for me?"

John passed a coffee to her. "Is someone coming to pick them up?"

"While you were dealing with Jack, she made a call to her father. He's on his way here now."

"Good. I'm gonna go in and talk with Annabelle for a while. Would you let me know when he gets here?"

"Sure."

John went to walk into the room as Christa turned to walk away. "Christa?" She turned to look at her partner. "Thanks for your help tonight."

"You're welcome." she said before continuing to walk down the hall.

John lightly knocked on the door before entering.

"Hey there." he said shutting the door behind him.

"Hi." Annabelle greeted.

"Hi, Mr. Shaw." Stephanie greeted.

"I brought you some coffee, Annabelle."

"Thank you."

He nodded removing a cup from the cup holder and passing to Annabelle. He removed another cup and passed it to Stephanie. "Here is some milk for you, Stephanie."

"Thank you." she said taking the cup from him.

"You're welcome."

John led Annabelle over to a bench against a wall on the other side of the room, with his own cup of the hot brew. They sat down before speaking.

"How's she doing?"

"I think she's gonna be alright?"

"You?"

"I'm okay." Annabelle looked at John's face. She pointed to her right eye. "That looks painful."

"It's nothing, really. It's not my first black eye and it won't be my last. So...why did Jack come after you?"

Annabelle went through the tale on how her and her daughter were sitting at home, when there was a knock at her door. She looked out the window to see Jack standing there. She pulled her cellphone out and gave it to her daughter and told her to run upstairs and hide in her bedroom closet and call 911. She mentioned she had filed for divorce after that one Thursday night just 4 weeks ago. Jack was going off on how he felt unappreciated after providing for her and their daughter. How he brought in money for food, clothing, bills.

Annabelle tried to explain to Jack she did appreciate him, but she was backhanded to the floor. It wasn't the blow that hurt as much as Stephanie had stood by the kitchen doorway and had seen the incident take place. Annabelle filed for divorce the next day. He couldn't take it. He came along saying he owned Annabelle and Stephanie.

"I had to think of what was best for my little girl. I had to send him away. I feared after he laid his hands on me, what was to stop him if he ever raised a hand to her? I...I couldn't let that happen."

Annabelle wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You did the right thing, Annabelle. And Jack is going away after what he did. He will never come near you, or Stephanie, ever again."

"You're a good man, Mr. Shaw."

Just then, the door to the room opened and in walked Christa with a 50 year old man with graying hair, clean-shaven. Stephanie looked up.

"Dad!"

"Grandpa!"

Thomas Mackenzie picked Stephanie up into his arms when she got closer and settler her on his right hip. He drew Annabelle close with his left arm when she was close by his side.

"Are you alright, Annabelle?"

"I'm fine, dad."

"Did he hit you again? Be honest with me, baby."

"No. He didn't. Honest."

"Did he get near you, Stephanie?" he asked locking eyes with his grandchild.

"No, grandpa. Honest."

"Thank God."

Thomas passed Stephanie over to Annabelle before approaching the officer standing in front of him.

"Are you Officer Shaw?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, young man, for your bravery." he said extending his hand to John. "I thanked your partner already."

"It was not a problem, Mr Mackenzie. Just doing my job."

"Well... you do it well. Annabelle and Stephanie are coming home with me tonight. I'll give you my number if you need any more information."

"I think we have all of the information we need on the man, but I guess if you wanted to leave your number with my partner, we could call tomorrow and check on your daughter and granddaughter."

"Sure."

Later on in the parking lot, Thomas made sure Stephanie was buckled in properly, in his dark blue sedan, before entering the car himself, and strapping the belt on. Annabelle stood under a parking lot light talking with John.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?"

"Yes. Thanks to Stephanie, and Officer Johnson. And you."

"Your daughter was very brave in calling us for help. Her mother is just as brave."

She smiled up at him. "I can't thank you enough for what you did tonight."

"It's okay. You won't have to."

She walked over to her father's car and nestled herself into the passengers seat in the front. The engine came to life, and the car soon drove out of the parking lot of the police station, leaving John standing under the parking lot light. He watched the car until it was no longer in sight, he turned toward the building, when he saw his partner standing there in front of him.