Spiral

1

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shameless or any songs mentioned within, nor am I making any money from the writing of this story. Rated M for strong language, drug/alcohol abuse and sexual content.

xxx

Nicole

"You sure this is the place? It looks a little... sketchy."

I glance down the street trying not to make eye contact with the homeless man lying half drunk in a ditch a few feet away. The kid, who tells me her name is Xan, is sitting quietly before me on the front steps of a large worn down house that looks abandoned. The thought of leaving a thirteen year old girl on some random porch on the south side of Chicago doesn't sit well with me - she's been through enough already.

"This is it." Xan assures me quietly just wanting this nightmare of a week to be over. "You don't have to wait. Someone will be home eventually." She adds, watching as I continue to pace in front of the house. "I'm not leaving you, kid. Not until I know you're alright."

Xan nods, leaning her head against the railing as she closes her eyes. "I hope the next time my mom shows up I know better than to listen to her." She whispers, mostly to herself as I frown at her words. No kid deserves to be abandoned by their own mother. The one person in this world that's supposed to love you more than themselves. I slump down beside her on the step and tell her as much, assuring her that when it comes to moms I haven't met a decent one yet.

Thirty minutes later a small red car pulls up against the curb and a couple emerge holding grocery bags - laughing about the color green. The stocky guy with short brown hair stops dead in his tracks as he spots Xan on the steps before looking to me as I stand - nearly five inches shorter than him - protectively in front of the teenager.

"Xan? Are you alright?"

I watch as she nods slightly but doesn't meet his eyes. "Mom left me at the motel we were staying in. I waited for her to come back but she never did."

The young girl tries to hide the pain in her voice, embarrassment creeping into her cheeks as she looks down at her hands and shrugs.

"Shit, Xan." The guy closes the space between us and wraps his arms around her, looking up to me quickly. "Who are you?" He asks - matter of fact as Xan releases him from the hug and meets my eyes. "She helped me get here, stayed with me - bought me lunch."

I nod to my left and he follows me a few feet away as I wrap my arms around myself feeling the weight of the day sink into my bones. "I work at the motel where her mom left her. The manager kicked Xan out when no one paid the bill. I fed her and offered her a place to stay but she wanted to come here - said she trusted you."

I watch carefully as he takes all of this info in. It's obvious he cares about the girl and that makes me feel better but I'm still not keen on leaving her here. How do I know their good people? I glance over to the woman he's with who's looking down at her phone bored.

"How long was she there? After her mom left?" The guy asks me quietly, bringing my attention back to him. Blue eyes filled with guilt stare back at me and I frown. "Maybe two weeks. We don't do routine cleanings on the monthly rooms so we didn't know she was alone until it was time to pay and her mom was long gone."

I watch his fists clench and unclench at his sides, the lean muscle in his forearms stretching against his skin. A string of profanity spills from his lips as he looks up at me again quickly and nods. "Ok. Thank you for bringing her here. I'll keep her safe."

I've always prided myself in being a good judge of character and this guy seems genuine, plus Xan trusts him. What other option do I have? Call the police and send her to some money hungry strangers that'll do god only knows what to her? This is where she wants to be. I study the guy for a long moment before returning to Xan's side, kneeling down in front of her quickly. "You sure this is where you want to be?" Xan nods, thanking me again. "Alright. If you need anything call me? Any time day or night I'll come, ok?"