What Are You Doing?

Little One

(A/N)Please let me know if the Spanish used in this chapter needs correction as I used google translate.

Chica - girl/young woman
Mi amour- my love
No hay problema pequeno- no problem little one

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It was a normal day so far. The cool fall air of Oklahoma surrounded everything and everyone in it just like yesterday and the day before that. I woke up and had breakfast with my husband Jean Paul. Then I went to my dentist appointment at 10 which I registered as Ricardo Castillo. Ever since leaving VILE years ago we had to change who the government knew us as. I am Ricardo and Jean Paul is Dominique Babin. When I got out of my appointment I had just enough time to go home and relax for a bit before starting the lunch shift at the Go Taco Mole food truck that Juan Paul and I ran together. At least that's what I thought would happen today.

As I was walking down the busy main street to get home I noticed that a little girl was following me. I was absentmindedly listening to the footsteps around me, an old habit from VILE, when I was walking down one of the quieter streets off of the main street small and light footsteps started walking a distance behind me for some time. I wasn't able to see much of the little one but when I turned to go down another street I saw that there was a little girl following me.

The average person wouldn't have noticed her following but because of my years of operating with VILE it was easy to spot. She was pretty good for a child. I wanted to see what she could do so I didn't stop her.

The little one sped up her pace to catch up to me. When she got close enough she reached her hand in my back pocket to try and get my wallet. I turned around and grabbed her hand from the pocket and brought her to walk next to me.

"Chica what are you doing? I knew you were following me the entire time and while you were good you can be stealthier" I say, letting go of her hand. She seemed confused and surprised at my reaction but didn't run off, at least not yet. "Here, let me show you" I smiled down at her.

We walked past a man that was walking in the opposite direction as us and I grabbed his wallet from the leather jacket he was wearing. I held it in front of the girl for a moment before turning around to the man and giving it back to him claiming that it was dropped.

Continuing my walk home the girl for some reason still followed me with an expression that looked like she was thinking which allowed me to get a good look at her. She was thin and I could see how bony her hands and wrists were, I imagine the rest of her body was in a similar state of malnutrition. She had dirty blond hair and cold and tired grey eyes. The clothes she wore looked tattered and old. Her blue shirt and gray jacket were frayed and had several holes around the seams and broken zipper. The bottom part of her jeans that were around her ankles was covered in dirt. Her shoes were probably in the worst condition as she had to walk around all the time in order to survive. It was hard to find a part of her that wasn't covered in grime and dirt. She couldn't be older than 7.

After a bit of walking she cautiously asked "How did you do that?" with a voice that clearly hasn't been used much. She didn't look at me when she asked. Instead keeping her head down and watching where her feet landed on the sidewalk.

"Well... depends on where you go you learn some things" I said, avoiding the actual answer to her question. I glanced down at her as we continued to walk. "Do you have a name, little one?"

"Why do you wanna know?" She snapped, her cold voice reminded me of Jean Paul back when we first met. She glanced up to glare at me yet she hasn't walked away after I answered her question.

"You don't have to tell me then but I would like to ask if you have anywhere to stay?" I asked, looking down as she stilled for a moment. "It's clear you haven't been able to have a full meal or shower in a while"

"Why do you care?" She responded, barely hiding the hopefulness in her voice. She slowed down her walk waiting for his reply, staring at the sidewalk.

"Me and mi amour were both in similar situations of needing to steal to survive. I don't want anyone else to go through with what we did." I answered, waiting in silence for what the little one would do or say. The sounds of our footsteps and the cars driving past being the only sounds around us. Then she finally broke the silence by muttering something.

"...Zoe"

"My name is Ricardo" I said in return, using the name the government knows for now. Maybe one day I'll tell her my real name. "Well Zoe, would you like to stay with me and mi amour for a while?" I ask, offering Zoe my hand as we walk together towards the house Jean Paul and I would share with this little one for as long as needed.

"Okay" She said, taking my offered hand and looking up at my eyes "Thank you" The smallest bit of happiness could be heard in her voice.

"No hay problema pequeno" I said, using my free hand to gently pat her head. The rest of the walk home was filled with comfortable silence.