partners in crime.

-bittersweet sacrifice-

Chapter twenty-three

Flashback

"David? Your name's David?" Millie asks, her looking up at the much taller man. He gives her a warm smile, a contrast to the coldness he gives off. To Millie he looks scary, far from nice.

David nods and opens his mouth to speak, his smile not vanishing. "Yes, and I'll take good care of you. Trust me," he says in a high pitched, baby voice. Millie notices immediately, smiling but also wanting to defend herself.

"Well, Mr. David. I'm ten years old, no need for the baby voice," she argues, mocking the lowness in his voice when she says baby. David chuckles, already admiring the young girl. "I was told you have an old soul. Forgive me for forgetting already, Ms. Millie," he replies.

Millie giggles, moving her legs in her chair up so she can sit on them, giving her a boost in her seat. They sit at a wooden table. It's surface scratched and worn, the chairs squeaky and uncomfortable. Millie takes an immediate note of the dingy apartment, though to her it isn't any worse than home. The only difference is her family isn't here and its quiet.

Quietness is something she isn't used to. She isn't used to not hearing yelling and arguing. Hitting and fighting, it was always being heard. But here, in Davids apartment and her new home, she can actually hear herself think.

David catches her looking around, her big glossy eyes traveling across the mess in the kitchen. "Uh yeah, sorry for the mess. I never usually have company- well, company that cares," he tries. Millie just turns her eyes back to him, her long hair hitting the side of her face.

"Oh the mess is fine," she says, smiling into her words. She looks up, "it's so quiet." David scrunches his eyebrows, preparing himself to question the comment but she beats him to it. "I love it," Millie whispers. He decides to leave it be, after-all she did just say she loved it.

Millie hops up from her chair, skipping towards the exit of the kitchen and peering past the wall. She looks down both hallways, turning around when she's done. "You live here alone?" she questions. David nods in response, "Yes but you live here now."

Millie smirks before asking another question. "You don't have a wife? Or kids?" she asks innocently. The question hitches Davids breath, he suddenly feels uncomfortable with the rush of emotions that flood through him. Turning from the big tough guy who he's presented as, to someone who wants to weep and dwell on the heart shattering past.

He ponders telling her the truth but quickly decides it would have to wait for another time. "No," David answers. Millie notices his sudden long face, wanting to ask him if something was wrong but decides to stay quiet.

"Oh okay," she finishes. David scolds himself, realizing his mood changed and by the look Millie has on her face, she feels guilty. So instantly, he plasters the same smile back onto his tired features and changes the subject.

"You wanna see your room?" he asks, getting an instant reaction from the young girl.

And as time goes on, he begins to feel closer and closer with Millie. He begins to think of her not as "the kid of my friend" but as his own. A feeling he was completely alienated to until now.

He watches her grow from a child to a moody pre-teen to an even moodier teenager. She loses interest in dolls and begins catching an eye for guns and danger.