Work Text
Shawn Mendes's job was tough. Not in the physical way, although there were moments were it was, but in the emotional and mental way. But he knew that was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. And his wife made sure he didn't go too deep into his work. He knew his work would take over his life if it weren't for her,
Karla Camila Cabello.At the moment, he was at the dinner table, wanting to wrap his mind around his day at work. Seeing those
pictures
and
videos
were horrendous. He heard footstep get closer. He didn't have to turn to know who it was. His wife walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. She kissed his cheek and smiled softly. "Is everything okay?""There are so many videos and pictures.""I'm sorry," Camila whispered, moving to sit on his lap. She made him look at her. "Talk to me."Shawn closed her eyes. "There are more videos of
her."Camila sighed, rubbing his shoulders. She grabbed his cup and refilled it. "How old is she now?""We think she's five, maybe even less."Shawn was a detective. He helped search for child predators. It took a toll in him, but Camila tried to keep him front spiraling.But there was one case that Shawn was invested of. A few years back, there were pornographic pictures of a three year child circulating the dark web. Shawn had tried to find her, wanting to rescue her. But wherever she was, she was hidden. Two years after the initial photograph, videos started to pop up. Shawn felt sick to his stomach when he saw a small part. He went home and cried. Camila held him until he fell asleep.It was three years and Shawn was nowhere near close of finding the girl,
Lolo.Shawn sat with Camila on his lap. They sat in silence, their minds racing. Shawn just hoped the girl was safe wherever she was.-Shawn was wearing his uniform, his bulletproof vest pressed up against his body. He felt his gun in his hand. He took a deep breath, not knowing if he wanted to or didn't want to use his gun. His team had gotten an address to a member of a child pornography ring. Shawn watched as another detective bust the door down. Shawn and the team stormed into the house, guns raised.He froze when he saw a little girl sitting in a corner. Her hand wrapped around a stuffed bears arm. The little girl had dark brown hair, pale skin. She was wearing a pyjamas. But it was her eyes that caught Shawn's attention. They were the green eyes he had been staring at and hoping to find.With a sharp breath, he walked up to the girl and put his gun away. He raised his hands and knelt down in front of the girl. The little girl's eyes scanned the room. He could see the fear in them. He smiled when the girl looked at him."Hey, it's okay, you don't have to be scared," Shawn told her, but the little girl just stared at him, raising her bear to hide her face. "What's your name?"No answer."Who's your little friend?"The girl hugged the bear."My name is Shawn, and I just want to make sure your friend is okay," Shawn told her, giving her a smile.The girl looked to her bear. She offered her bear to Shawn and watched him as he placed the bears mouth to his ear. He nodded, "Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll ask." He turned to Lauren, who looked interested. "He wants me to know his name, can I know his name?""'enji.""Benji? It's nice to meet you. Can you tell me your name?""L-Lauwen," the girl answered, her hands reaching for the bear..Shawn gasped. "Princess Lauren? I've been searching for you." He gave her a bow. Lauren giggled. Shawn smiled. "Can I save you from his castle?""Daddy?" Lauren asked, looking up at him."He'll be out too," Shawn answered, his hand clenching at his side. He took a deep breath and stood up. He offered the girl his hand and lead her out of the room. Shawn flinched when her heard shouts. There were loud bangs.Lauren looked around, fear in her eyes. "Daddy?"Shawn knew what happened, he crouched down in front of Lauren. "You're safe now.""Daddy!" Lauren cried, wanting to run back into the house Shawn stopped her, holding her while the girl cried.Shawn held her as she cried. It didn't take long for her to stop crying. She was just leaning into Shawn, Benji in her arms. Shawn watched all the officers and detectives walk out. When he found the one he was looking for he started his walk towards him."Austin!"The detective in question turned and smiled. He looked at the little girl in her arm with a raised eyebrow. "What's sup?""Do you still have your stash?"A grin appeared on Austin's face. He signaled for the detective to follow him. They walked to his car and the other guy opened it. He took out a box and took the lid off, revealing an array of Doritos. "So glad you live up to your name," Shawn said, smiling. He rubbed Lauren's back. "Hey Lauren, do you want some Doritos?""Dowito?" Lauren asked, raising her head. She looked around and her eyes widened. "F-fo' me?"Shawn and Austin nodded their head."You can have two, one for you and one for your little friend," Austin told the girl, smiling.Lauren's eyes widened. She turned to Benji, giving him a small nod. She shyly pointed to the cheese and cool ranch ones. Austin nodded. He grabbed two bags, one of each and handed it to Lauren, who hugged the bags. "T-t'ank mis'er."Austin nodded. "Find me if you need more."Shawn turned and looked at the girl. "What do you say we get out of here?""Daddy?""Want to see my cool car?" Shawn asked, ignoring the question."'enji too?""Of course. Prince Benji will be going with us too," he said, getting an excited nod from the little girl. He raised his hand, calling for his partner. Dinah Jane walked up to him."Is this his daughter?" Dinah asked, looking at the little girl.Shawn nodded. "We have to get her checked out."Dinah nodded her head. She grabbed her keys and walked to the squad car. Shawn placed Lauren on the back seat and placed the seatbelt on her. He did the same with Benji on the seat next to her. Lauren looked up at him."I'm gonna sit on the other end, okay?"Lauren nodded her head. Shawn quickly moved around the car and sat next to Benji. "Lauren, Benji, this is my good friend Dinah. Dinah, these are Princess Lauren and Prince Benji."Lauren giggled, kicking her little legs. Shawn smiled, not knowing what the future held, but was grateful to have saved another angel.
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Lauren was silent the whole ride to the hospital. Shawn watched her, the little girl was looking out the window, holding Benji's hand. He looked over and caught Dinah's eye. The other officer nodded her head and turned back to the street."Als knows we're heading back and that we have a little Princess with us," Dinah said the driver's seat.Shawn watched as Lauren pet Benji. "And a Prince," Shawn added, smiling softly.Lauren looked at Shawn and smiled. Shawn turned to Dinah and smiled. His partner winked and continued to drive.-Lauren swung her legs, a dark skinned psychologist sitting in front of her.Shawn leaned his head against the window, watching as Doctor Normani Kordei talked to the little girl.He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He looked down and smiled when he saw Camila's name on it."Hello?"He heard Camila let out a breath. "You never called. I got worried.""I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you.""Paging Doctor Panabaker," he heard from the intercom."What are you doing at the hospital? Is anyone hurt? Is Dinah okay?" he heard Camila panic, causing him to smile."I found her Mila," Shawn whispered, his eyes shifting to Lauren and Normani.The three year old was coloring on a piece of paper. He could see her chatting, Doctor Kordei nodding at everything Lauren was saying."You found her," Camila repeated, in awe."Her name is Lauren," Shawn said, a smile on his face, "We saved her.""Where are you?""General Hospital," Shawn answered, a small smile on his face."I'm on my way," Camila said, before hanging up. Shawn looked down at his phone with a small smile."Shawn?" he heard behind him. He turned around and smiled when he saw Ally standing there."Hey Ally," Shawn greeted, moving to hug her. The short woman hugged him in return."Lauren's social worker is here. She'd like to talk to you," Ally told him, signaling towards the other side of the hall. The two started to walk towards the social worker."Is Lauren going to be okay?" Shawn asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.Ally nodded. "She's going to be okay physically. Mentally, she's going to need a lot of therapy. Especially as she gets older."Shawn nodded. They stopped in front of the social worker, who was reading the file. She looked up when she felt the presence of the two."Detective Mendes, I'm Elizabeth Olsen, I've was told you discovered Lauren Jaguarry?""Jauregui," Shawn corrected, nodding his head, "what's going to happen to her?"Elizabeth looked at the file in her hand. "She's been discharged. I have found a foster home that is willing to take her tonight."The smile left Shawn's face. He looked back to the window Lauren was at. The little girl looked over at him and waved."She can't go to a foster home," Shawn said, shaking his head."She has no immediate family, Detective Mendes. Where do you believe I should place her?""With me and my wife," he answered, before realizing what was happening, "until you find a permanent place for her."Elizabeth smiled. "I'll get the paperwork ready." She handed him a card before turning and walking away. Shawn watched her leave before turning to Ally."Is Camila going to be okay with this?" Ally asked, raising an eyebrow.Shawn just laughed nervously."Hey babe," the two heard, getting their attention.Shawn let out a breath of relief when he saw Dinah. The tall blond walked up to Ally and pulled in for a kiss. The smaller blond placed her hands on her wife's neck.Shawn looked away, his attention on the walls around him until they finished making out. When he heard giggling, he turned back to the couple."Oh, you're done," he joked, grinning at the two.Dinah rolled her eyes. She held Ally close. "Funny. So how is the little Princess?""She's still talking to Normani. She seems to be okay," Shawn answered, leading the two back to the room. He looked inside and smiled when he saw Lauren helping Benji draw."Shawn!" he heard, getting his attention. He watched as Camila ran to him. The male detective opened his arms and hugged his wife, loving the way she felt in his arms. She pulled away from him and inspected his face. She looked behind him. "Is that her?"Shawn nodded his head. "Lauren Jauregui.""Hello to you too Walz," Dinah interjected, getting a laugh from Camila. The girl hugged her best friend."How are you Cheech?""Doing great Chanch.""Hey Ally," Camila greeted, hugging the other girl."Hey Mila."Once the greetings were over with, Shawn asked to speak to his wife alone."What's going on?" Camila asked, worry in her voice.Shawn ran his hand through his hair. "I met with Lauren's social worker. She was going to send Lauren to a foster home, but I told her we'd take her in, until they find a permanent placement.""We both work," Camila told him, no anger in her voice."I'll use my vacation hours. Are you okay with Lauren staying with us?" Shawn asked, looking into Camila's eyes.Camila smiled. "Of course. She needs a good home, and we can give her one until she gets her forever home."Shawn leaned down and kissed her. "I love you."Camila smiled."Mila, Shawn," they heard. They both looked over and saw Normani standing there."Mani," Camila greeted, hugging the woman.Shawn hugged her as well. "How is she?"Normani sighed. "She doesn't believe what her father did was bad. She's too young to know how bad it's supposed to be. But I do believe with enough therapy, we can help her.""Do you think she'll make a full recovery?" Shawn questioned, frowning."I believe she can. As long as she can get the help she needs early on," Normani told him, a smile on her face."Are you going to be her therapist?" Camila asked, leaning into Shawn."Most likely. If her temporary guardians wish for met to be," Normani answered, looking over to Lauren. Shawn turned and smiled when he saw Lauren walking around the room."Well, you're looking at them and we'd love for you to be watching over," Camila told the therapist.Normani smiled. All three turned to Lauren."She doesn't seem traumatized," Camila commented. Shawn can see were the question came from. Lauren wasn't showing any signs of fear. She seemed calm."It goes back to what I said. She thinks what her father did was normal. We all know that being touched inappropriately is not allowed because we were told that. No one showed her that it's bad. As her temporary guardians, you'll have to help her understand what is acceptable and what isn't," Normani said, getting nods from the couple.Shawn smiled when he saw Lauren look over at him. The little girl ran to the window and tried to look at him through it."Would you like to meet her Mila?" Normani asked, signaling for the door.Camila looked at Shawn and then the little girl. She nodded her head.Shawn smiled, his hand on his wife's back.Together, they were going to keep Lauren safe. They had to.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lauren looked up when she saw Shawn and a lady enter. The little girl ran to Shawn and hid behind him. She looked up at the tall lady. She looked really pretty. She hoped the lady was nice. Daddy always told her that ladies were mean and that men only wanted what was best for her. But Ms. Manibear was really nice. She really liked her. Lauren wanted her to come back."Lauren," Shawn said, crouching down in front of the little girl, "this is my wife, Camila. Camila, this is Princess Lauren."Lauren turned to the lady,
Camila. She crouched down and smiled at her. Lauren took a step back. Camila kept smiling at her. Lauren stared at her, liking her hair. She had nice eyes as well."I'm really glad to meet you Lauren. Shawn has been really excited to meet you."Lauren looked at Shawn. "'causa p'incess?" Lauren asked him, tilting her head a little.Shawn smiled. "Yeah. I always wanted to meet Princess Lauren. Where is Prince Benji?"Lauren looked over to her bear on a beanbag. "S'eepin'."Camila smiled. "You are really pretty."Lauren smiled. Camila was nice. Just like Manibear. The little girl walked to Camila and placed her hands on the woman's face. Lauren gave Camila's head a pat. "P'etty."Camila grinned. "That's such an honor."The little girl giggled, her eyes wide. She turned to Shawn. "Lawn?" She asked, a small frown on her face.Shawn smiled. "That's my name.""I go home?" the little girl questioned. She watched as the smile left Shawn's face. She tilted her head, confused as to why."Lauren, there is something I have to tell you," Shawn whispered, patting the chair Lauren was sitting on.The little girl nodded, taking the seat.-Camila watched the little girl look up at Shawn, her eyes filled with wonder. She knew Shawn was going to break that, and she just hoped it didn't break that little girl's heart.In a matter of seconds, Lauren got into her heart. She was too cute to not fall for her."Lawn? Home?" Lauren asked, her little legs swinging."Lauren, your daddy, he did something bad. And he tried to hurt the police officers that wanted to keep you safe."Camila watched as the little girl frowned, her legs coming to a halt. "Bad?"Shawn nodded. "The officers had to stop him.""No home?""No, he's not coming home," Shawn told the girl, tears in his own eyes."No 'day? 'mowwow?" Lauren asked him, looking even more confused."Lauren, your dad isn't coming back, ever. I'm really sorry," Shawn whispered, reaching over to touch her hand.Lauren's eyes filled with tears. She pulled away quickly. "Wan' daddy!"The detective sighed, looking at Camila. The woman gave him a small smile. She could see how much it was hurting him.Camila sat down next to Lauren. "You know, my daddy's gone too."Lauren looked up at Camila, her small tears streaming down her face. She rubbed her eyes. "Wan' daddy."Camila frowned, her hand running through Lauren's hair. She wanted to tell her it was okay. That it was okay to miss her father, but she didn't know if it was the right thing, not after what he did."Lauren," Shawn whispered, trying to get the girl's attention.Lauren turned, so her back to Shawn. The girl looked at Camila. "I no, home?"Camila smiled at the little girl. "You'll stay with Shawn and me until we find your family."Lauren sighed, getting off the chair. She pressed her body against Camila. The married woman smiled as she rubbed Lauren's back. She pulled the girl onto her lap and continued to rub her back. Lauren leaned into Camila, her eyes and hands staying on her hair.Camila looked at Shawn, who looked angry. She could still see the hurt in his eyes. The two sat there until Lauren's went limp. Camila stood up and placed the girl on the bean back with her stuffed bear. Shawn took off his jacket and covered the girl with it.Lauren snuggled closer to her bear. Camila turned and grabbed Shawn's hand, pulling him out of the room."Talk to me," she whispered, looking up at him.Shawn let out an angry sigh. He ran his hand through his curly hair. "I hope her father is suffering. He
hurt
her in ways no one should should have ever been hurt. She's suffering, she's going to have to learn that
that
wasn't love."Camila wrapped her arms around Shawn. She felt him tense up in her arms."We're going to help her," Camila whispered, looking up at him. "She had a father who loved her the wrong way. So be the father that loved her the right way. The way a father is supposed to love their child. Shawn, as long as she has people to fall back on, she will be okay. And we're going to be those people."Shawn sighed. Camila felt him relax against her arms. She pulled away and wiped the tears in her eyes."She's mad at me," Shawn whispered, his voice soft.Camila grinned. "Just wait until she's a teenager. She just found out her father isn't coming back. She
loves
him, as much as we wish she didn't. She's going to be mad at someone. It won't be long. Sofi would get mad at me for minutes when we fought.""I love you," Shawn whispered, pressing his lips against Camila's."Detective Mendes," a female voice called.Camila felt her heart drop, hoping they didn't find anyone. Camila pulled away from Shawn and saw a blond woman walking towards them."Ms. Olsen, please just call me Shawn," he greeted, smiling at her. "Ms. Olsen, this is my wife, Camila. Camila, this is Lauren's social worker, Elizabeth Olsen."Camila felt relief. She smiled at the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Olsen."The blond woman shook her head. "Elizabeth please. So I call my supervisor and I have the paperwork for Lauren's stay. Thank you both for doing this. She's familiar with you Shawn, I'm sure she'll be okay with you two."Camila smiled. She looked back to Lauren, who was asleep. She turned to Elizabeth. "Thank you, for letting her stay with us."Elizabeth shook her head. "No, thank you, for giving Lauren a temporary home."Shawn nodded. A smile on his face.Elizabeth gave them her card, Shawn did the same. "I'll set up an appointment for a house check. We'll work with getting you two fostering licenses.""Thank you," Camila whispered, reached over to grab Shawn's hand, giving it a squeeze.Elizabeth looked at the sleeping girl. "Take her home."-Shawn smiled when he could feel Lauren's breath on his neck. He made sure his jacket was covering her body."What's the rooming situation?" Camila asked, looking at her husband, hugging Benji."I was thinking we put her on our bed and we take the floor? We'll turn the guest room into her room tomorrow." Shawn didn't know if Lauren's father shared a bed with her. He didn't want to put that thought in her head."You work tomorrow," Camila asked, confused.Shawn shook her head. "Called out. I'm not letting you do this yourself. We're in this together."Camila smiled at him. "Together."Shawn placed Lauren on the bed and let Camila pull the covers up. She placed Benji next to the girl, who quickly hugged her bear.The married couple through blankets and pillows on the ground. They quickly got ready for bed and laid down."What are you thinking about?" Camila asked, turning to her husband.Shawn turned and stared at her. "I just want Lauren to have a good life."Camila leaned over and gently kissed his lips. "That's what we are here for."
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Shawn slowly became alert as his body and brain woke up. He let out a yawn as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt his back crack as he stretched, slightly confused as to why he was asleep on the ground.Sitting up, he saw Camila asleep. He looked at his bed, seeing a small body asleep. He felt himself smile as he remembered why. He grabbed his phone and stood up. He quickly brushed his teeth and went out to get breakfast ready. He wanted Lauren to have a good breakfast.He was into his cooking, he didn’t notice to two girls behind him. He turned when he saw his wife and Lauren. He walked over to them and gave Camila her morning kiss. He then turned to Lauren, who was holding Benji.Crouching in front of the little girl, Shawn gave her a little smile. “Are you still mad at me?”Lauren nodded her head. She leaned into Camila, her little hand gripping the older woman’s pants.Shawn just gave her a small smile. “Well, I made pancakes and bacon. Do you want some?”Lauren nodded her head, looking up at Shawn. Her green eyes were filled with sadness.The Detective smiled. He offered Lauren his hand, and the little girl took it. He helped Lauren onto one of the chairs. Camila went to get the orange juice for them while Shawn set the table.“What’s the plan for today?” Camila asked, smiling at her husband.“We get Lauren’s room ready. Get her clothes. Maybe set up her appointments with Normani.”Camila nodded, taking the cups to the table. Lauren was watching, her chin on the table. Her eyes followed Shawn and Camila wherever they went around the kitchen. Shawn placed a plate in front of Lauren. The little girl watched as Camila placed the cups of juice on the table.Once everyone was on the table, Shawn turned to Lauren, who was poking one of the pancakes.“Have you had pancakes before?” Shawn questioned, reaching over and cutting the fluffy treat into pieces. He then gave Lauren a plastic fork. The little girl stabbed one of the pieces and dipped in on the syrup that was next to it. She looked up at the two adults in front of her.“Do you like it?” Camila asked, getting a nod in return. Shawn smiled, as he watched Lauren eat her breakfast. Camila turned to her husband. “So I’ll help her clean up and then we can go shopping?”Shawn nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll clean up here while you help her.”The three ate silently, the two adults watched as Lauren shoved the fork in her mouth. It was adorable to watch. The little girl was giving the food all her attention.-Camila was kneeling next to the bathtub, her hand running through the water. She wanted the temperature to be perfect before she went to get Lauren. She was about to leave the restroom when she saw Lauren’s head peek out. Camila smiled, before having that smile disappear. The little girl was naked, holding her stuffed bear.“Lauren, where are your clothes?”
“Daddy, uh, nakie, he happy,” the little girl said, nodding her head.Camila grabbed the towel and covered her shoulders. She knew that was a perfect time to teach her something. She sat down on the floor, with Lauren on her lap. The little girl was rubbing the towel.“No Lauren. Being naked should
never
make your daddy happy,” Camila whispered, her hand running through Lauren’s hair.“No?”“No. The only time you should be naked is if you’re going to shower or change. And you do that in your room or in here, promise?” Camila asked her, holding out her pinky.Lauren frowned. She gave the woman a small nod. Camila smiled and gently grabbed Lauren’s hand, hooking the girl’s pinky with her own.“Let’s get you all cleaned up, yeah?”Lauren nodded her head. The older woman placed the girl in the tub (and her bear on the toilet seat) and started to pour water over her head. Lauren’s eyes closed.“Feels nice, yeah?”Lauren hummed. Camila smiled, scrubbing the little girl. Camila’s hand went through Lauren’s hair, seeing the girl lean into her touch. She smiled.“Keep your eyes closed, I’m going to put shampoo on your hair, okay?”Lauren nodded her head. Camila started to scrub the shampoo in her hair. She smiled as she saw Lauren relax.“Tilt your head back a little.” She told the three year old, who did as she was told. Camila started to pour water on her head, to take out the shampoo. She did the same with the conditioner.After making sure she did an okay job bathing the girl, Camila let the water go down the drain and pulled Lauren out. The little girl looked confused.“What’s wrong?”“Daddy, uh, c’ean,” Lauren told her, pointing to the area between her legs.Camila paled. She shook her head. “No Lauren. Your body cleans itself in there.”
“‘ay,” Lauren whispered, still looking confused.Camila gave her a small smile, patting her down with the towel. She knew Lauren was paying attention to everything. Probably comparing everything to what her father did.Camila didn’t believe in violence. But she knew in that moment she wanted to kill that man.-Shawn smiled when he saw Camila and Lauren walk up to him. The little girl was wearing one of Shawn’s shirts that was covering her whole body. The little girl was holding her teddy bear.“Ready to go?” Shawn asked, wanting to laugh at how drowned Lauren looked in his shirt. And she was going to look worse after they put Camila’s sweater over her.Before his wife could answer, there was a knock on the door. Frowning, Shawn went to answer it.Dinah, Ally, Normani were standing in front of him, each holding bags.“What are you girls doing here?”“We know you guys have the money and all, but we wanted to help. If you and Mila are going to play mommy and daddy, we are going to be aunties,” Dinah answered, grinning.“We have clothes, toys, books. Austin is getting the furniture from his truck,” Ally told him, waving at Lauren, who was watching with Camila.Shawn smiled as he let the three women enter the house. He went to help Austin bring in the boxes.The two detectives got the furniture into the house and moved it to the corner.“Hailee is coming later with lunch,” Austin told his friend, going back to his car and grabbing a few bags of Doritos.The two men walked back into the house, seeing the women sitting around the couch, with Lauren sitting in front of them, looking through the bags.Lauren was putting the stuffed animals in a line.“What are you doing?” Shawn asked, sitting next to her.“‘ive names,” Lauren answered, nodding her head.“What are their names?”Lauren grabbed the bunny and showed it to Shawn. “‘amz.” She grabbed the red panda. “Lawn.” She started to name the other ones, but Shawn was stuck on the first two names.Austin crouched down next to her. “Hey Princess Lauren, I have more Doritos for you and Prince Benji.”Lauren looked up at him. “Yes Mis’er ‘wito.”Austin nodded and walked to sit next to Camila. Shawn sat back and looked at the group of people around him. Although missing one or two people, that was his family now. And he was glad.Lauren had
Camz
and
Lawn, and that was all she needed, and Shawn was going to make sure it stayed like that.
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“Hey Lawn Chair Mendes,” Austin greeted, walking to his desk. The curly haired detective blushed at the nickname and shook his head. It had been a few weeks since Lauren gave him his nickname and Austin had loved to tease him about it. He had used many different nicknames. “How is Lauren?”Shawn smiled. “She’s doing great. She’s learning what is right and wrong. Normani thinks Lauren will be okay when she gets older. But we may have to watch out for nightmares.”“Has Olsen found anything? A home or something?”“No. I don’t want her to leave us. I want Lauren to stay with us.”“Is that what Camila wants?” Hailee asked, taking a seat at her desk across Austin.“I think so. We haven’t really talked about it, but I can see how much she likes Lauren around,” Shawn told them, grinning when Dinah walked by and handed him a donut.Shawn smiled when he had seen Lauren dress up similar to Camila that morning. The young girl had loved her room. Lawn and Camz slept next to her every night. She loved her stuffed animals.They had learned the dos and don’ts from Normani, who had seen kids that went through the same thing. Until they knew Lauren knew the different, Shawn was not going to initiate any touching with the girl. They wanted her to know that she had a say in anything she does. That it’s her body and no male had any right to it without her permission.But the little girl had crawled into a place in their hearts.Shawn felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He grabbed it and smiled at the picture Camila had sent him. The little girl was grinning at the camera phone, Benji, Lawn and Camz on the chair next to her, and an ice cream cone in her hand.“Adopt her before it’s too late,” Hailee told Shawn, smiling at him.Shawn nodded his head. “I think we will.”-Camila put the volume down on the television show playing. She turned to Shawn, who was rubbing Lauren’s arm. The little girl was curled up at his side, her eyes closed, her arms around her stuffed animals.“You wanted to talk?” Camila asked, getting her husband’s attention.Shawn smiled. “Yeah. I wanted to talk about Lauren, and what’s going to happen. Elizabeth hasn’t found anyone. She doesn’t think she’s going to find anything. I don’t want her to go to foster care, to disappeared and have god knows what happen to her.”“I don’t want that either,” Camila whispered, looking at the little girl, who seemed calm and cozy.“I want to adopt her,” Shawn told his wife, a small smile on her face.Camila looked at Shawn, seeing a light in there that had been slowly disappearing. She knew that his job was taking a toll. She saw how much weight was on his shoulders every day and always wanted to help, but she didn’t know how. She knew all those kids he couldn’t save were making him lose faith. And saving Lauren had brought that back. She knew that adding Lauren to their two people family was going to keep that light in him. But she also wanted to have Lauren in her family. She had grown to love the girl as if Lauren were her own in the last few weeks.Shawn and Camila had met in college, both were twenty. They started off as friends, before dating two years later. At twenty-four, Shawn proposed and Camila accepted. They got married shortly after Camila turned twenty-five. They spent two years starting their careers and lives before thinking of a family. It wasn’t until Camila was twenty-eight when she got the news that she couldn’t have kids. The two were shattered. They always imagined their future with two kids and a dog. But with a few words, that dream was broken.She had seen her best friend, Normani have children with her husband. Austin had a son with his girlfriend. Hailee and her husband, Nail were talking about children.It wasn’t until Dinah and Ally told them of her plan when they thought of adopting.
“There are many kids in foster care. I know having a child is special, birthing it, but I think helping one of those kids is special too,” Shawn told his wife one day, “we’ll love them as if their were our own.”
Camila gave him a smile. She nodded her head. “I think that’s a great idea. We can give them love, a future, a family.”
“You’re going to be great a mother, I know it.”
Camila kissed his lips, her hands on his cheeks. “You’re going to be an amazing father. Any child would be lucky to have you in their life.”
They had started the progress, but hadn’t found a child they connected with. It was a year later that Shawn found Lauren. Lauren who they both loved as if she were their own.Camila looked at Shawn. Nodding her head. “I want to adopt her too.”The biggest smile appeared on Shawn’s face. He reached for his phone.“What are you doing?” Camila asked, giggling at her husband.Shawn looked at Camila like she was dumb, “I’m calling Elizabeth to tell her we want to adopt Lauren. Why aren’t you?”“It’s getting late. We have to put Lauren to bed. We’ll call her tomorrow morning.”Shawn pouted, but nodded. Camila grabbed all the stuffed bears while her husband picked up the sleeping toddler, (it was one of the only moments that Shawn initiated touching) and both went to the girl’s bedroom.Shawn placed Lauren on the bed, and Camila tucked her in. The little girl snuggled into the bed, a small smile appearing on her face.“We’re going to be parents, aren’t we?” Shawn asked, turning to his wife.Camila nodded her head. “If all goes well, Lauren will be ours.”“I love you,” Shawn whispered, wrapping his arms around his wife.Camila got on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I love you too.”-“We haven’t found a relative for Lauren. Given that her birth parents are both dead,” Elizabeth told the couple. Shawn called Elizabeth the moment his eyes opened the next morning. Camila sat next to him, giggling. The social worker told him she was waiting for the phone call, knowing that was what the two were going to decide.Elizabeth arrived at their house at a reasonable hour, and the adults were stationed in the kitchen, going over the needed paperwork. Lauren was having a tea party with her stuffed animals, with the set Hailee had bought her.“What if one pops up? Before we officially adopt her?” Camila asked, grabbing her husband’s hand who paled up at the thought.“It would go to court to decide who was the best guardian for her. Who’d be able to support her the best, financially, physically, emotionally and mentally. Once the papers are signed, unless they can prove that you two are incapable of caring for her, there is nothing they can do.”“How long will it take before we can call her ours?” Shawn asked, his hands trembling at the thought of losing her.“At least a year, but I’ll try to expedite it,” Elizabeth told the two, “Lauren is one of the special cases.”The small girl looked up at the three adults, a small frown on her face.“Camila reached for the fruits and grabbed an apple, handing it off to the little girl. Lauren happily took it and offered it to her stuffed friends.The three adults finished the paperwork and the social worker left.“Lawn,” Lauren called out, walking to the detective.“Yes Princess?”“‘enji hun’wy,” Lauren told him, her little hands behind her back.“He is? I’m hungry too. How about you go change and we’ll all go out to eat?”Lauren nodded her head, running to get her friends for the trip. Shawn watched her go, happy to know that if everything went well, that would be his future.
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Lauren rubbed her eyes, letting out a little yawn. She had been living with Shawn and Camila for a few months now, and things were so different than what she was used to. Ms. Normani said that her daddy wasn’t acting like a real daddy was supposed to. She said the way Shawn acted around her was the right way.But her daddy loved her. So Ms. Normani had to be
wrong, right? Shawn was a friend. He
wasn’t
her daddy. Her daddy knew what was best for her.But she liked how nice Shawn was. She liked how he’d have tea parties with her. How he’d watched her shows with her. How he always asked what she wanted.And she also liked how Camila hugged her. How she had dress parties with her. How Camila let her play in the mud, her daddy didn’t like that because he said good girls stayed clean for their daddies. Sometimes Shawn joined in mud fights and Camila would scold at them, but Shawn would just grin.But the best part was that Shawn didn’t stick anything in her. She never liked that with Daddy, but he told her that it made her a good girl. That she had to let him do what he wanted if she was a good girl. And she
was. She wanted to be a really good girl.There was a knock on the door, getting her attention.“Can I come in?” she heard Camila ask. She heard Auntie Manibear tell Shawn and Camila something about consent and always asking. And they always did. They’d ask if she needed help getting dressed, if she wanted a hug, if they could touch her (always over the clothes and never in the places her daddy liked).“Yes,” Lauren answered, grabbing Benji and hugging him.“Can I sit?”Lauren nodded her little head.Camila sat on the bed, and smiled. “What do you say we go to the park, and then we can get ice cream.”Lauren’s eyes widened. She liked ice cream. And she loved spending time with Camila. She nodded her head. She got off her bed and looked at the jeans and white shirt Camila was wearing. She walked to her drawers and picked out jeans and a white shirt.Camila smiled at her. “I’ll go iron these. Do you need help brushing your teeth?”Lauren shook her head. She gave Camila her clothes. “T’ank you.”“You are very welcome Princess Lauren.”Lauren grinned at Camila. She walked to the bathroom, ready to use her princess toothbrush Shawn and Camila got her.Reason number two hundred and sixty-five of why she liked staying with them.-Lauren let out a loud laugh as Camila pushed the swing. She kept her eye on the little girl, whose hands were gripping the chains, her legs swinging, and her eyes closed. Camila wasn’t pushing the swing too hard, but she knew it was enough for little Lauren.“Want to go on the slide?” Camila asked the little girl, who nodded her head. She waited until Camila stopped the swing. The woman helped her off the swing and both walked to the slide. Lauren pulled Camila up to the play structure. Lauren tapped the bottom part of the top of the slide. “You want me to sit down?”Lauren nodded. She sat down between Camila’s legs. She snuggled up to the older woman as Camila wrapped her arms around the girl and pushed off the slide. Lauren let out yell, giggling as they went down the slide.“‘gain!” Lauren exclaimed, jumping off the end of the slide and grabbing Camila’s hand.Camila smiled and let the girl pull her. She could see the joy in the girl. She didn’t want it to stop. Lauren looked at her with a biggest smile on her face.“Three more times and then we’ll go get ice cream.”Lauren nodded her head, waiting for Camila to sit down. She sat on her lap and down the slide they went. Lauren had the same reaction. Lauren seemed to enjoy going down the slide. Camila and Lauren bought some ice cream. A lot of Lauren’s ice cream ended up around her mouth. Camila grabbed a napkin and cleaned her face, smiling as Lauren leaned into it.“Do you want to go back to the slide?” Camila asked after they finished their ice cream.“‘enji?” Lauren asked, pointing to the stuffed bear in Camila’s bag.“Let’s bring him with us,” Camila told her, watching the little girl rushed to get her stuffed bear. She grabbed Camila’s and started to pull.Camila let out a laugh and let Lauren pull her.-“How was your day?” Shawn asked, watching as Camila walk into the house, carrying a sleeping Lauren. The little girl’s head was on Camila’s shoulder, her hands on her sides.“I can’t wait to make her ours,” Camila whispered, not wanting to wake up the girl.Shawn moved from the couch and helped Camila lay Lauren down. Camila placed Lauren down and tucked her in, placing Benji at her side.“Elizabeth has a date.”Camila’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”Shawn nodded his head with a grin. “Yeah. In a few weeks, Lauren will be a part of our family.”Camila walked to Shawn and kissed her husband. Shawn smiled and kissed back. He placed his hands on the back of Camila’s head.“I love you,” Shawn muttered between the kisses.“I love you too. So much.”Camila and Shawn smiled at each other. “We’re going to be a family.”They kissed one last time, before pulling away.“You put on a movie, I’ll order dinner. We’ll let Lauren sleep for an hour,” Camila told her husband, who nodded his head.“Disney?”“You know me so well.”Camila went to the kitchen, while Shawn looked through the movies, picking out Hercules, knowing it was his wife’s favorite movie. Shawn looked at Lauren, who was hugging her stuffed bear.Lauren mumbled in her sleep.Shawn smiled, knowing soon Lauren would be a family member.-Lauren woke up, her pull up feeling really wet.Her father never potty trained her. He said it was his
job
to clean her up, especially
there.Lauren walked to Camila and Shawn’s room, and knocked on the door. She whimpered, pulling at her pajama pants. Lauren looked up when she saw Shawn standing there, rubbing his eyes. He gave her a smile. “Hey Lo, are you okay? Do you want to sleep on the bed?”“Icky,” Lauren whimpered, pulling at her bottoms.Shawn nodded. “I’ll wake up Camila, okay?”“Fas’,” Lauren told him, pulling at it. She could feel tears well up in her eyes. She watched Shawn wake Camila up.Camila lead Lauren back to her room and cleaned her up. Lauren sighed, feeling comfortable.Camila smiled at her. “How about you sleep with Shawn and me?”Lauren nodded her head. She wrapped her arms around Camila’s neck and let the older woman take her to her bedroom, after getting Benji, Lawn and Camz. Lauren snuggled on the bed and giggled when Shawn and Camila laid on either side of her.“Goodnight Mila, Lolo,” Shawn whispered, closing his eyes.“Night Shawn, Lolo.”“Nigh’ Lawn, ‘amz,” Lauren told them, letting out a giggle. Shawn and Camila laughed as well.Lauren closed her eyes.Sleeping on daddy’s bed was weird and he liked to play. But sleeping on Camila and Shawn’s bed made her feel comfortable. She could just sleep without worry that her daddy would want to play.She felt safe.
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Lauren was swinging her legs, seeing her dress move. Camila and Shawn had told her that she was going to be a part of their family, and she was excited. She was unable to sleep the night before. Shawn and Camila walked into her bedroom, telling her they couldn’t sleep either. Shawn created a small fort in the living room, while Lauren picked out some movies and Camila got some light snacks. The three had a short movie marathon, Lauren falling asleep quickly in the comfort of her foster parents.That morning, Shawn and Camila let Lauren choose their outfits for the day. They arrived at the court an hour before the hearing. Lauren was sitting on a bench with Benji, while Camila and Shawn spoke to Elizabeth.“Hi,” she heard a small squeaky voice call to her. She looked over to see a brunette boy standing next to her, a grin on his face. Lauren gave him a small wave.“Can I sit here?” the boy asked, patting on the spot next to Lauren. The little girl nodded her head. “I like Spiderman.”Lauren frowned, watching as the boy pointed to the red and blue guy on his shirt.“Tom!” she heard a man shout. Lauren turned to see a blond man walking to them. “Tom, you can’t run away like that.”Tom pouted. “Sorry daddy. I made a friend.”The man looked at Lauren and gave a smile. “Hi. Are you here alone?”Lauren shook her head, hugging Benji a little tighter.“Where are your parents?” the man asked, looking around.Lauren pointed to Shawn and Camila, both who were keeping an eye on her and the man, ready to intervene.“Oh, that’s my wife,” the man said, pointing to Elizabeth.Lauren hummed, swinging her legs.“I’m Chris, and this is my son, Thomas, but we call him Tom,” Chris introduced himself, smiling at the girl.“Lauwen,” the girl whispered, “Lawn and ‘amz,” she continued, pointing to her soon to be adoptive parents.“Lauren is my bestest friend,” Tom told Chris, nodding his head. “Right Lauren?”The little girl was bewildered, her eyes wide. She could feel her heart race faster. She knew about friends. She liked Shawn and Camila’s friends. She wanted her own friends. And this little boy she just met wanted to be her friend. Lauren could feel tears fill her eyes.The smile on Tom and Chris’s faces disappeared, seeing the little girl’s tears stream down her face. Chris looked at his wife, panic in his eyes. (He knew of Lauren’s past and didn’t want to touch her without permission of her or her guardians.)Camila ran to the little girl and knelt down in front of her. “Hey, you’re okay,” she whispered, giving Lauren a small smile. She placed her hands on Lauren’s laps, palms up to let the girl put her own hands on them. “Breath Lo.”Lauren nodded her head.“Can you tell me what’s wrong?”The little girl pointed to Tom. “F-f’iend.”“He wants to be your friend?”Lauren nodded her head.“Do you want that?”Lauren looked at Tom, who looked sad. She gave another nod. “Wan’.”Camila smiled at the girl. She turned to Chris and Tom. “She probably got overwhelmed at the thought of having friends. You’re okay now, aren’t you Lauren?”Lauren nodded her head. She tapped Camila’s hand before wiping her tears.Chris had stood up during Lauren’s little moment and stood next to his wife. Lauren looked at Shawn, to see him staring at her with a soft smile.It was then the court doors opened, allowing people to enter.Chris gave Elizabeth a kiss on the lips and picked Tom up.“See you Lauren,” Tom waved, while his father carried him away.“Are they coming by later?” Shawn asked Lauren’s social worker.“Yeah, Tom wanted McDonald’s Breakfast. Chris is getting him some while we go get Lauren adopted.”The little girl heard her name and looked at Elizabeth. The woman smiled at her. “Let’s go make you all a family.”-Judge Amell looked up from the paperwork in front of him. He could see hopeful families with children they all wanted to adopt. His job was making sure those kids went to the best homes for them. And seeing the love of adoptive parents had for childrens they wanted in their family was what made him proud of bringing the joy.“Mendes Family,” he called out, seeing a familiar curly haired man with a brunette woman and little girl. He looked at the file, feeling disgust at the little girl’s background. He read about the death of her parents and the fact that no other family was found. He looked up to see Shawn giving the girl a piece of paper and a pen. The little girl started to scribble on it. He turned back to the file, seeing that the girl was found at three, and was now four. Shawn was the detective to find her. Camila was a preschool teacher.He looked at all the accompanying paperwork, before giving the Mendes family, little Lauren and her social worker, Elizabeth, his attention.“You know, these kids come in needing homes. And I try my best to make sure they do go to the families who have their best needs in mind. Some are easy, and others are hard. Kids should always be in loving families, in caring environments. And when we all get the chance to give them one, those are the best moments in our lives.” He could see the smile and love in Shawn and Camila’s faces as they looked at Lauren. “Lauren?”The little girl looked up at him, a small confused look on her face.“Do you like being with Shawn and Camila?” Judge Amell asked the little girl.Lauren nodded her head, hugging her stuffed bear. Her little legs swinging on the chair.“Can you tell me why?”“Lawn and ‘amz nice. Dey, uh, tea pawties. An’ pawks, an’ kisses.”“They kiss you?”“Kiss me nigh’,” Lauren told him, pointing to her forehead.Judge Amell gave a small smile.“Camila and Shawn Mendes, do you wish to adopt Lauren into your family today?” he asked, a smile on his face.“Yes,” Shawn answered, tears filling his eyes.“Always,” Camila told him, her own tears on her face.“Lauren, would you like Shawn and Camila to be your mommy and daddy?” he asked the little girl, his voice soft.Lauren let out a little gasp. She looked at Shawn and Camila. “Mommy? Daddy?”“We want to be your mommy and daddy Lauren,” Camila whispered, looking down at the little girl, “do you want us to be?”Lauren nodded her head. “Yes!”Judge Amell smile and let out a small laugh. “Well, by the authority vested in me by the state of California, I pronounce you a family. Congratulations, it’s a girl.”Shawn and Camila both hugged Lauren, tears streaming down their faces, while Lauren let out a giggle.Judge Amell smiled, knowing even with the first three years and a half years of her life, Lauren was going to be okay. She had parents who loved her. Parents who were going to protect her. And that was all he wanted for each and every child he saw.
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Lauren gripped Shawn’s pants, seeing all the kids running around. She watched as they all ran around, laughing. Tom waved at Lauren, who gave a small wave back. She pressed her body closer to Shawn. She felt his hand on her back, and she liked it. He wasn’t make her talk to anyone, not like her old daddy. Her old daddy would make her talk to his friends and sit on their laps and let them place their hands on her body. Her new daddy let her stay at his side. He’d introduce her, but didn’t make her hug or talk to anyone. And she liked it.Camila crouched down in front of the little girl. Lauren’s green eyes turned to the woman.“All these people are here for you,” Camila told the girl, who just walked towards her new mother and wrapped her arms around her. Camila let out a small laugh, picking the girl up in her arms. Lauren leaned into Camila. “You don’t want to talk to anyone?”Lauren shook her little head, hiding her face against Camila’s neck.“That’s okay. You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. We won’t make you,” Camila whispered, rubbing the girl’s back. Lauren sighed, leaning more into Camila.“Is this your daughter?” Sinu asked, walking to the new mother. Lauren whimpered and leaned closer into Lauren.“Yeah, but she’s a little tired and shy,” Camila answered, her hand still rubbing Lauren’s back. The little girl liked how safe she felt in Camila’s arms.Lauren felt her eyes get heavy. She took a deep breath, and then sleep came to her.-Shawn took Lauren from Camila. He moved slowly, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl. Camila shook her arms, wanting to return feeling to them. She looked over at her husband and new daughter.Lauren was limp in Shawn’s arms, breathing evenly. Camila could see how Lauren seemed to belong in Shawn’s arms. As if she were meant to be in her family.“Auntie Mila!” she heard someone exclaim. She turned to look at Normani’s daughter, Zendaya Caldwell. She was five, and such a bright little girl.“Hey Zendaya, how are you doing?”“Is that my new cousin?” the girl questioned, her eyes on Lauren.“Yeah, that’s Lauren. Shawn and I adopted her, just like Aunt Dinah and Aunt Ally adopted Ariana.” The seven year old girl in question was the eldest of the kids, followed by five year old Lucy (Hailee and her husband, Niall’s daughter) Zendaya, and then four year old Billie (Austin and his wife, Keana’s daughter).“I’m gonna be the bestest cousin she has,” Zendaya told the adults, before running off to play with the other girls. Lucy let out a loud laugh, as Tom chased after her. Ariana and Billie were hiding. Camila couldn’t help but smile, knowing that Lauren would fit right in.Camila looked at the sleeping girl.“This is the rest of our lives,” Shawn whispered, his eyes on the girl.“She’s what’s been missing.”-Lauren rubbed her eyes, her eyes on her new mommy and daddy. They were cutting the cake. Tom was vibrating next to her, wanting some cake. Ariana, Billie, Zendaya and Lucy had all introduced themselves. Tom had taken the role of best friend, and the other girls were jealous. They wanted to be Lauren’s best friend, and the little girl had become overwhelmed.Camila had to carry her to the bedroom for her to calm down and come to terms with the fact that the other kids wanted to be her friend.Lauren swung her legs as Camila placed the cake in front of her.“T’ank you Mommy,” Lauren whispered, liking how that sounded.
Mommy. Mommy and daddy. Her mommy and her daddy.Growing up, she always wanted a mother. Her old daddy said that she died. And that she would never get another mother, because her father was enough. But she always wished for one. And now she got the best mommy ever.Her mommy looked at her with tears in her eyes. Lauren frowned.“I love you, okay? I love you so much,” Camila told her, kissing the top of her head. Lauren closed her eyes, liking how warm it made her feel.Her mommy gave her a smile and went to help her new daddy with the cake. She turned back to her own cake and stabbed her fork to it. She needed to give it her full attention, or else she’ll get messy. And she didn’t like getting
too
messy.She saw her mommy and daddy distribute the cake.“Are you gonna go to school?” Ariana asked, getting Lauren’s attention.Lauren frowned, never having heard that word. She shrugged. She turned to Shawn and Camila, feeling fear as they sat down and ate at another table. Lauren closed her eyes and took a deep breath.They weren’t going to leave her.
They were her mommy and daddy and they loved her and they wanted her.Lauren dropped her fork. She got off her chair and slowly walked to her new mommy and daddy.“Hey Lo,” Shawn greeted, smiling at the girl. “Did you want something?”Lauren nodded her head. “Wan’ daddy,” she whispered, moving to stand next to her father. Shawn looked at Camila with wide eyes, as a smile appeared on his face. He reached over and pulled the girl in her lap. Lauren leaned into him, her eyes on his cake.“You want more cake?”Lauren gave him a nod while leaning against him. Shawn kissed the top of her head and let Lauren eat half the cake while he ate the other half. Lauren reached for Camila’s hand and held it when she was done, drawing over the lines on her palm.-Shawn looked over at Camila and Lauren, who were both asleep on the couch. Smiling, he turned to his guests. Zendaya was asleep in her father’s arms, Ariana was leaning against Dinah. Lucy, Billie and Tom were in their father’s arms, two asleep and one trying to stay awake.“Thank you for coming,” Shawn told him, keeping his voice low.“It’s no problem. She’s a part of our crazy family,” Normani answered, giving the new father a hug. The friends left, leaving the parents. Sinu and Karen hugged their son(in-law).“We can’t wait to really get to know her,” Karen told her son, smiling. “Our first grandchild.”“Thank you for not pushing her. We want her to do things at her own pace, not because we say so. She has to learn she gets a say in things.”“We’ll wait however long she needs. We love her too.”Shawn turned to look at Camila and Lauren. “I love her, both of them too.”Manuel hugged his son and Alejandro shook his hand.Sofi and Aaliyah were taking pictures of Shawn’s girls. With a roll of his eyes, he walked his family out. Once they were gone, he went to Camila and Lauren. The older of the two was waking up. Shawn leaned over and kissed her.“I love you.”Camila leaned into the kiss. “I love you too.”“Let’s go to bed,” he told her, picking the girl up. He helped her brush her teeth, and lead her to Camila, who helped the half-asleep girl change. Once they were all ready, they (and Lauren’s stuffed animals) went to bed, ready to have their first morning as a legal family.