Chapter 1 - Rosie

I could feel my bed moving so I opened my eyes and seen auburn hair bouncing up and down and then I knew that it was Rosie, I grabbed her round the waist and pulled her down so she was laying next to me and her laughter filled the room "Mummy you have to get up! C'mon... I'm going to be late to see dad!" she jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.

Did I really sleep through my alarm, I turned to look at my clock on the bedside table that read 6:31am. Why was she always up so early? I groaned and threw the covers off me and felt the coldness of the room land on my body.

I went into Rosie's room and seen that she had fallen asleep again, I smiled turning off her light that she managed to turn on and closed the door then stalked off to the kitchen to make some coffee.

If there was one person I didn't want her to see, it's her dad. He is a horrible man and I nearlly lost Rosie because of him and all of the horrible, cruel things that he did to me when I was pregnant... if my mum hadn't found me at the bottom of the stairs when she did then I doubt that we would have Rosie here with us now.

Rosie was always so excited to go and see her dad, she loved him and I didn't wanna be the one to tell her that she can't see him and then tell her why because I think that it's really important for a child to have both parents present in their lives.

About three hours later I had managed to clean the apartment, put two loads of washing in, do the washing up and put the newly clean clothes away just in time for Rosie to come bouncing out of her room and into the living room putting cartoons on, well her favourite cartoon Spongebob Square Pants.

My phone ringing from my bedroom brought me away from my throughts "Hello?" I said answering the phone, without checking the caller ID

"Hey Jess" it was Darren... sadly.

"What?" it was rude but he deserved it.

"Look I can't have Rosie today, something really important came up" important my ass.

"Oh would this really important thing be called Tanya?" of course it was, since she became his girlfriend Rosie has been pushed out.

"Look Jess I'm sorry. Tell Rosie that I'll call her later" I could tell he was ready to hang up.

"I have work Darren, I couldn't go in last weekend because you bailed or Friday two weeks ago because you bailed again. You can't keep doing this to her... it's not fair" people were starting to notice my days off. Becker thinks I need to go to the hospital and get checked out. "If you don't pick her up today then don't bother picking her up ever"

"Sorry Jess" he said and hung up.

How dare he do this to her? She loves him so much and all he does is let her down, I can't keep lying to her for him... telling her that he has a job or he's not feeling well.

Then the phone rang again and I didn't want to answer it but it might be the ARC and important. "Hello?"

"Hi Jess it's Becker. Look we have three anomalies open and several creature incursions... we really need you down here"

Of course they need me at a time like this but what am I going to do with Rosie? Her babysitter is on holiday, we only moved in two weeks ago and don't know any of the neigbours well enough "Becker I..."

He cut me off mid sentance "Jess we really need you here, Connor is on ADD and we need him in the field"

Damn it! "OK give me twenty minutes" we hung up.

I was going to have to bring Rosie in to work and I would've related my problem to Becker but you see... the thing is, he doesn't know I have a daughter.

When I fell pregnant with Rosie four years ago I was only sixteen and I thought Darren was the love of my life so I kept the baby, the original plan was to have an abortion but then after Rosie turned two he stopped seeing her and having contact with her and then six months ago we went to court over custody and the courts said that he could have access to her on the weekend.

Going into the living room I seen how happy she was and now I had to make her sad "Sweetie" I said as I sat down next to her and turned the TV off "You can't see daddy today, he said that he has something really important to do and mummy really needs to go to work so your going to come with me but your going to have to be on your best behaviour for me"

She looked really sad and nodded, then made her way to her room to get dressed so I went with her to make sure she put on proper clothes and not her princess dress up clothes.

I parked my car and I held Rosie's hand as we made our way across the car park when I heard a screeching sound and knew from experiance that it was a creature call, I got out my phone and phones the person I trusted to save me and my daughter. Becker.

"Jess I'm a little busy right now" he said and I could hear the team in he back round and Matt barking orders to people.

"Becker I'm in the car park of the ARC and there's a creature here" I made my way towards my car then I put Rosie in her car seat and buckled her up "I don't know where or what it is but I can hear it"

There was a loud bang behind me so I slowly turned around and seen a bird like creature standing on two legs then I recognised it. It was Terror bird "Becker it's a terror bird and it's staring at me" I said quietly.

"OK, I'm five minutes away" he said and hung up.

I looked back at Rosie and seen her crying and the terror bird looking at her. I started running in the opposite direction of the car so the terror bird would chase me and leave Rosie alone, I turned around and seen that it was running after me... Becker better hurry up.

I hid under a car and took my heels off, they were the only weapon I had and I was willing to use them, I seen it's legs walk past the car and then carry on walking. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding and got out from under the car, looking for it and when I seen it wasn't there I moved from under the car.

When I started moving towards the car is when I heard it again, then I felt something hard hit my head, black started cloud my vision and then I couldn't see or hear anything.

I could hear people all around me and when I flickered my eyes open I seen white, white walls, white ceiling... just white. Maybe I had died and gone to heaven, no... what about Rosie? I can't leave her, especially not in Darren's care. Would Becker find her or would the terror bird find her first.

"Jess" I recognised that voice, it was Becker's. His voice came from the right so I turned m head to the right and seen him sitting there looking at me.

"Mummy!"

I just cannot stop writing stories for Becker and Jess!