NB: The game 'Duck duck goose' has been used wrong (I thought of it but then it wasn't the right game, but I couldn't remember the right game) and therefore I am aware it is wrong. Inspite of this, I decided to keep it for narrative purposes! Enjoy :)

* * *

"Now hearing case file #9085. A plea for 11-year-old Maria Young to be moved from Fort Montegry Mental Asylum into a suitable foster home. Ms. Young was admitted into the hospital at the age of 9, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The child's lawyers today are Detective Oli Wright and Professor Louis Tomlinson."

"All rise for His Excellency, Judge Hemmings."

The entire court stands respectfully as the judge makes his way in to the courtroom and up to his seat. He motions for them to sit and that's when Louis feels like he's going to pass out.

Of all his cases, this had to be right at the top one of his scariest. It ranks up there with Ava's, Travis' and Lux's. That's because he knows these kids, just a little more than any of the others, Harry slightly excluded.

His heart feels like it's pumping at a million beats per second. He can't fail.

The judge finishes reading over the file and motions for the officer to let Maria in. The door opens and a mortified Maria stands on the other side. She stares at all the people in the room until she lands on Louis. Louis smiles towards her and she skips over to him, exhibiting smiles from people in the congregation. Louis helps her up onto the seat between him and Oli and she sits on her knees, head cupped in her palms facing he judge.

It's like she just knew that today was her day, and that calmed Louis down.

"Alright Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Wright, you know the procedure. What do you have to say to the court today?"

Louis stood up, nodding towards Judge Hemmings and then turning to the court.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Maria is a brilliant child. She has an eye for art but more so, the brains for science. Who knows, she could be the person to cure cancer or something."

Louis winked at Maria which she responded with a giggle.

"But she definitely won't do it from behind the doors of the asylum. And all for the mere reason that she can't control her emotions and mood."

Louis watched the faces of the congregation. The talk about Maria being smart caught them, and even the judge off-guard. Maria tends not to show her smarts, but Louis having known her a long enough time knew all about it.

"I'm sure there are days when we all can't muster the energy to keep up our fronts to the world. Now those days turn to every day for this little girl. And she's not the only one. There's a whole bunch of kids in the asylum experiencing this, and even more in the outside world. Why keep these kids specifically behind bars? But why would you listen to me? Your honor, I invite the lovely Maria Young to speak in her defense."

"Proceed."

Judge Hemmings said with his interest perked. Maria smiled widely and stood up on her chair, turning to face the congregation.

"Hi! I'm Maria!"

She said waving enthusiastically to the people and most of them responded with as much enthusiasm if not awe.

"So, um, Uncle Lou always says I have to stop hiding my smarticle particles so that I can get into one of those big league schools. I wanna get into a big school, but they don't even teach us inside the hospital."

She stated as a matter of fact. Louis watched as expressions turned from pride to concern.

"And because they don't teach us, I can't become smarter, even though I wanna be as smart as Uncle Lou. Maybe even smarter!"

"Woah there kiddo! Easy goals first."

Louis said with a chuckle causing Maria to stick out her tongue at him and laughter to erupt in the court room, including from Judge Hemmings.

"Okay okay. And so what is you solution, Ms. Young?"

"Set them free! All of them!"

Judge Hemmings face fell and his eyebrows furrowed. Louis' own eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand that the man... did not approve of setting all the kids free?

"Those are obviously lifetime goals, but for now, I think we can start with setting Maria free. Is that doable?"

Louis tried to save the situation. He walked back to the desk and helped Maria sit back down and the three watched eagerly as the wheels turned in the judge's head. After a solid minute or two, a smile made its way onto his face and he started nodding. Maria let out a gasp as they watched the man lift the gavel to make a decision.

Just before he slammed the gavel down, the doors to the courtroom slammed open. Everyone turned around to see a woman with black hair and blue eyes standing there looking quite angry. She scanned the room from the people to the judge and then landing on Louis and Maria. She stood upright and slowly made her way into the room, keeping the room in suspense.

"Excuse me ma'am, court is in session! Leave at once!"

"Actually, Luke, I'm not going anywhere."

Louis' eyebrows raised and he turned to watch the man's cheeks turn red. Whether it was embarrassment or anger, he'd never know. He then turned to Oli and mouth 'Luke?" to which Oli replied with a shoulder shrug.

"I mean, Your Honor. I apologize for the interruption, but it has come to my attention that despite my adamance, this young girl is being released from Fort Montegry Mental Asylum."

"And who do you think you are to be adamant over this situation?"

Louis sassed. Honestly though, who was this lady? She turned to Louis with a smirk and confidently punched him in the gut, metaphorically of course.

"I believe as Maria's mother, I have a right to say where she does or does not go."

Louis felt like his jaw fell to the floor and multiple gasps sounded throughout the courtroom. He felt Maria grab onto the back of his suit and stand up on her chair once again, staring at the woman who claimed to be her mother.

"W-what?"

"Yeah yeah, I know. The resemblance is uncanny."

And as Louis looked between the two, he could see it. This lady, was in fact Maria's birth mother, in the flesh.

"Sally Young?"

"The one and only. I see you read her file."

"I read all my kids' files."

The woman let out an almost evil chuckle, clearly from Louis calling them "his kids". But it was true. He was the one busting his ass to protect and help these kids. If anything, he wishes he could adopt them all.

"Mummy?"

"Ex-mummy, if you will."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means you're supposed to remain in that hospital until you're better."

"But I am better! Uncle Lou has been helping me!"

"Is Uncle Lou a certified doctor?"

Louis, Maria and Oli look to each other with concern. She got them there.

"That's what I thought."

A loud smack noise sounded through the room and everyone turned back to the judge who now looked proper pissed.

"I've made my decision. Mr. Tomlinson, do you have a family that is ready and able to adopt Maria?"

"Yes Your Honor, I do."

"Good."

"Wai-"

Sally started to protest but the gavel was slammed down, cutting her off.

"Maria Young is to be released from Fort Montegry immediately. Adoption papers are to be collected in two days. Until then, I entrust Maria to the care of Mr. Tomlinson."

"Luke!"

"Court dismissed!"

And he stomped out of the court room. Sally humphed and stalked off out of the room in the opposite direction, leaving everyone inside confused. Maria's squeal broke Louis out of his thoughts. She had raised her hands to the air only to bring them to cover her cheeks.

"I'm. Free!"

Louis smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was indeed free at last.

* * *

"What does an eighteen year old even like? Ugh!"

"Technically, he's still seventeen for another two days."

Louis squinted his eyes towards Oli, causing Ava to fall into a fit of giggles. The three of them were at the mall shopping for decorations for Harry's surprise birthday party.

This was also a distraction for Louis because if he were to just... stop, he'd be in a very bad state of depression and anger towards himself.

Why?

Because he failed.

Louis. Tomlinson. Failed.

He failed to get Harry out of the asylum in time and now in five days he was going to be locked up even harder in the adult asylum. And whatever progress he's made so far reduces to almost nothing. He has to find another way to help Harry without the weekly check-outs from the hospital, and without the daily 10 minutes of meeting.

Five visit days a month, as stated in the asylum rules, unless you're family, then you get fourteen visiting days.

What was Louis supposed to do with five days a month?!

Louis snapped back to the present and watch Ava wrap a pink boa around her neck. His face easily melted into a fond smile, and impulsively decided to chase her around the store. Ava's squeals rang throughout the store, disrupting the boring lives of some of the other shoppers. He grabbed her from the back and held on to her flailing body, walking back to where they left Oli checking out different decorations. He gently placed her inside the cart as she started to catch her breathe.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Yes baby?"

"Can we play duck duck goose?"

Louis pretended to think about it, sneakily picking up a teddy bear from the cart.

"Duck duck goose!"

He shouted as he threw the bear at her. She ducked just in time and the bear hit Oli. The older man purses his lips towards the two, causing them to burst out in giggles.

"How did I sign up for this abuse?"

"Because you get to hang out with the cool kids!"

Ava said, even adding a hair flip after her sentence. Louis raised his eyebrows then turned to Oli.

"This one is definitely yours."

Louis snorted and then proceeded to push the cart with the party decor and Ava to the next aisle. They continued to pick out different decorations, mostly Ava trying to sneak presents of her own in the cart and, of course, Louis letting her.

At the counter, as Louis waited to pay, the girl behind the counter, about Louis' age, started openly checking him out and practically drooling.

Louis would know. He has seen some drop dead gorgeous people in his life. He knows the drool life.

He tried to ignore it as best as he could, but Oli kept prodding his elbow into Louis' side and Louis was just not about to let him get away with that shit. He turned to his best friend with a glare and he in turn smirked like he just won the battle.

"Will that be all sir?"

"Yes please."

"Okay. Please swipe your card."

The girl's posture started to change and she was now leaning forward. Thank God her t-shirt was a button up semi-formal one with no room for cleavage. Louis smiles at her as they left and crumpled the receipt, not bothering to look at the number she no doubt wrote down.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Avabear?"

"She was trying too hard."

Louis and Oli looked at the seven year old in shock before bursting into a laughing fit. They continued their shopping spree around the mall with the occasional jump scare of 'duck duck goose'.

Oli even tried to scare Ava, shouting the phrase while throwing a rubber ball at her.

Now see, Louis knew his plan from the go. Oli was standing to one side of Ava and Louis on the other. Oli knew Ava would duck (because she always does) and the ball would hit him.

What Oli didn't anticipate was Louis figuring all this out and ducking as well, leaving the ball to fly past the Tomlinson's and hit an elder lady's back. She turned angrily towards the trio and both Louis and Ava pointed towards Oli. The lady walked past them and smacked Oli upside his head, and Oli walked away from the duo who were dying of laughter.

On the ride home, Louis couldn't help but think about the uncanny resemblance between him and Ava. It's like the universe always knew they were made for each other. All their life choices and those made for them led them up to meeting and becoming family.

And so maybe, just maybe, Louis Tomlinson is not a total failure.

* * *

"You should add 'party planner' to your resumè."

Cara says matter-of-factly. Louis scans the living room, watching the adults drinking their wines, and then looking out of the windows to see the younger kids running around the yard and jumping in the bouncing castle. The older kids (aka teenagers) were to the opposite side of the bouncing castle chasing each other and spraying each other with water guns. A small smile made its way onto his lips as he turned back to Cara who was full on smiling at him.

"Not gonna lie Cara, party planning is more stressful than a trial."

Cara laughed and wrapped an arm around Louis' shoulders and lead him around the living room to say hi to the parents and friends who had come together to celebrate Harry's 18th birthday.

Speaking of the birthday boy, he stumbles into the living room soaking wet with Travis and Louis' neighbor's 18-year-old son, Troye.

"Louis! Louis! I think we're out of water!"

"Yeah because it's all over you and over my carpet."

Louis said with a chuckle and the boys giggled back in response. He led them to the kitchen and showed them where they were keeping the mini tanks of water. Louis was about to move for them to take them when Harry asked a favor of Louis, a favor that will never be forgotten.

"Hey Lou? Do you mind carrying it out for us?"

His stupid baby voice. That's what got him.

So Louis huffed and carried one tank out to the backyard, where he was attacked.

He spat out the water that made it into his mouth and opened his eyes to see Ava, Oli, Harry, Lux and Kendall with water guns pointed at him, and huge ass grins on each of their faces. He put the tank down, took off his blazer and like a weird action movie, Alex walked up next to him and gave him a water gun.

With a switch to instant regret, they all started running away from Louis as soon as he took the toy.

"Get 'em."

After half an hour of insistent running, spraying and laughing, they all lay on the grass. Some adults had moved outside to watch (and film) the chaos, other teenagers were huddled at the trampoline pretending to not be enjoying themselves.

And Louis was content.

Let me paint you a picture:

Louis, surrounded by all of his friends, and his daughter's friends, and friends of people who support his work, laying on the grass after having a water fight during a birthday party.

Here's some ink to outline this picture:

Louis, laying on the ground, with Ava laying on top of his stomach and Harry laying to his side with his head cradled in his neck.

Million dollar portrait.

"Lou?"

"Harold?"

"Thank you for this party."

"You having a good time?"

"I'm having the best time."

Louis smiles in response. This meant so much to him, simply if you think of it like this:

Harry has been trapped in the asylum since he was 8. An entire decade of no birthdays, no parties, no gifts, no family, no friends. Nothing.

Nothing but a cage and three other beings taking over his mind and body.

"Do you remember the last birthday you had?"

Harry was silent for a bit and Louis immediately regretted asking. But then Harry adjusted himself so that he was now laying on his stomach, feet in the air, and facing Louis.

"I think I was 7. Mum and dad bought me a bike for my birthday. Dad taught me how to ride it. Mum had an entire box of band aids cause I kept falling from the bike. They always got me great gifts for my birthday."

Harry said with a sad smile and Louis smiled back. Louis was about to drop the topic when Harry went on.

"They died just before my eighth birthday you know."

"Yeah. I know Harry. We don't have to talk about it. At least not today."

"I know they always bought my gifts in advance. I know it's still in the house."

Louis turned to face the boy with furrowed eyebrows.

"Your house? In Holmes Chapel?"

Harry gasped and his face lit up as he turned to the man.

"Holmes Chapel! I couldn't remember the name but yes! I know that they got me a gift and it's still in the house somewhere."

Louis hummed and softly ran his hand through Harry's hair. He wasn't gonna tell him. Definitely not today of all days. This moment with Harry felt both intimate yet investigative, but Louis had no intention of working on Harry during his birthday.

But now that this new information slipped out, a belated anniversary gift of his parent's death is in order.

Maybe this time when he goes down to Holmes Chapel he'll take Oli. If he's going to find that gift (or gifts), he's gonna need all the unbiased help he can get.

Their conversation remained light, even as Ava left at some point to go play in the bouncing castle. The atmosphere at the party was very cheery and upbeat and hopeful.

Now the bubble around Louis and Harry was even more peaceful and content. Harry asked him questions about Doncaster and what his childhood was like, and he listened attentively as Louis told him all the embarrassing stories that he could think of, just so he could hear Harry's beautiful laugh and see his precious dimples.

At some point, Oli and Cara came out to call him to go "see something at the door". Typically it was just the cake that arrived. Louis signed off the package and carried the box to the kitchen. Kendall helped clear out the teenagers from the room and they made space on the counter for it.

Kendall grabbed a knife and the four adults gathered around the box as Louis opened it, to reveal...

"You got him a cake of dreams?"

"Not just any dreams. His dreams. Stuff he wants to do and accomplish once he gets out of the asylum."

Louis said looking at the microphone, the education scroll, the footballs and the painting easel among others. Harry has so much potential and so much to offer to the world and for now, Louis can only remind him not to give up, because Louis hasn't forgotten or given up.

His friends awe'd and patted him on the back for putting together another heart felt party. Cara even said that Louis was an inspiration to them just to be better people, to which Oli jokes about Louis not being that good of a person because he still encouraged Ava to eat McDonalds. Lots and lots of McDonalds.

Now as this banter between the group ensued, Louis felt an itch. A feeling of impending doom. Basically a parent's worst nightmare.

"Lou I do think you'd be better off at Taco-Louis? Are you even listening to us?"

Cara stopped midway noticing Louis stare at the door dividing the kitchen and the living room.

"Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Louis furrowed his eyebrows and walked towards the door, out into the living room and straight into a nightmare because what day wouldn't be perfect without a crisis.

Everyone was on the ground hiding behind the couches or under the table... except Harry.

"Harry? What's going on?"

Harry, who was facing away from Louis, stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Louis, and that's when he noticed the knife in the teenager's hands.

"Uhm Harry? You may be grown