Maraya Torres

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Outfit ^^

Trust me, being an amber alert missing kid isn't fun. You're constantly looking over your shoulder, trying to change your appearance, ducking your head, avoiding eye contact, denying yourself medical care which you really need. I had changed out of my orange jumpsuit and into some fresh clothes I bought with money I pickpocketed off people on the street. My right ankle still hurt but I found putting more effort into the limp I automatically had eased the pain.

Everyone knew I was innocent, they released the tape and Josef was in custody and admitted to everything. Even though I was innocent, I couldn't go back. My father was dead. I had lost both my adoptive parents and now my biological father. He helped me out of the pit I had dug for myself after my adoptive parents dead but now, because of me and the choices I made while on the run, he was also dead. I couldn't go back, not after that.

I had cut my hair so it was just above my shoulders, it was a little messy but it was hard to tell with my dark hair so I didn't mind. I had my head tilted down, my hands in my pockets and I limped through the streets of D.C. I was pretty sure my ankle was broken but I couldn't go into the hospital, they'd ask questions, authorities would be alerted, I'd be screwed.

The cold hair whipped around me as I walked as quickly as I could, it gave me a feeling of security if I walked fast. I couldn't explain it; it just happened that way. I knew that I had to get out of D.C, I knew I had to make a life for myself, I knew I had to approach it differently than I had previously. I had a plan that I would stick to with no complications if that could be helped.

I needed food so as I walked passed a pretty blonde lady who was walking with a brunette lady, I "accidently" bumped into her, successfully taking her wallet. She turned to me but didn't notice as I quickly slipped a note from her wallet. I pretended to be picking it off the floor. "Sorry, totally my fault. You dropped this." I smiled at her and she slowly took the wallet but mostly focused her eyes on me.

"Yea, thank you. Uhm... Sweetie, my name is Jennifer Jareau. I'm with the FBI." She told me squatting down a little, I stumbled back a little bit. "This is Elle Greenaway. We're working with NCIS and-" I cut her off by turning around and running as fast as I could with my limp. "Mara! Wait!" She called after me and started running after me. Even with my limp and height disadvantage, I could lose them in the crowd.

"Maraya Torres! Stop!" I heard a different voice and I assumed it was Elle Greenaway.

"Crap, crap, crap." I muttered to myself, I slipped into an alley and watched as both women ran past without seeing me. I sighed out of relief and threw my head back against the wall. I slipped down it and held onto my ankle. I hissed in pain. Tears managed to slip down my face, this was the last thing I wanted, I was happy with my father. Why did this have to happen?

"Are you okay, darlin?" I heard a voice ask, I turned to my right and saw an elderly man with a dog sitting against the bins. He was clearly homeless and looked worried.

"I'm alright, thank you, sir." I smiled. 

"This is Barney." The man smiled, petting his dog. "I'm Carl. What's your name?"

"I'm Maraya." I answered. "Maraya Torres."

"Ain't you the girl all that fuss is about?" He pushed.

"Unfortunately." I nodded.

"Ya hungry?" He asked, handing out a candy bar for me to take.

"Thank you." I smiled gratefully taking the bar. "Here, I nicked this from some FBI lady's pocket." I said passing over the twenty. He looked hesitant. "I can always get more."

He reached out and took it. "Me and Barney appreciate it." We sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke. "So, where ya headed?"

I thought about it silently for a few moments. "Back home. I'm going to Ohio."