Phoenix (Alternate Universe)

Twenty two

The next morning Phoenix and I were in the kitchen, eating breakfast.

Nalia wandered in, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Miss Niko?"

"Right here, love." I said, helping her into a seat. I set a plate in front of her, sitring back down. "Eat your breakfast."

She ate, the teddy I gave her sitting on her lap. "Thank you."

The doorbell rang and Phoenix got up, setting his napkin down. "That must be mom. I'll get it."

He left and came back a few minutes later, talking to his mom. "Yeah, so she's staying with us for a while, and we needed clothes for her."

"Well, I've got Kelly's old clothes. They should fit her." She sighed, setting a box down. "Morning Niko."

"Morning Mama." I smiled.

"And this must be Nalia." She smiled. "Hey sweetie."

Nalia waved, looking at me. "Miss Niko, can I have some water?"

"Sure hun." I said, getting up. I got her a glass of water, setting it down and looking in the box. "Wow. You brought over a lot of clothes."

"They're Kelly's old clothes from when we were about, seven." Phoenix said. "They oughta fit Nalia."

"Let's find out." I sighed, picking up the box. "Come on, Nalia. Let's try these on."

She followed me to my bedroom and I helped her put a set of clothes on, smiling. "Perfect fit. Let's go show Phoenix."

She followed me back downstairs and to the living room where Phoenix was waiting with his mother, and strangely, my mother.

"Mister Phoenix look!" Nalia said, spinning to show him the pretty shirt she picked out. "It's sparkly!"

"That it is, dear." He smiled. "Who picked this out?"

"Me! I picked it out all by myself!" She giggled.

"Where did this child come from?" Mother demanded. "Niko I wasn't aware you adopted."

"We didn't. Nalia got in through an open window yesterday while we were gone. her parents had been fighting and abusing her, so she ran and hid." Phoenix said. "Her parents were arrested last night, and she has no other family, so we're fostering her for now."

"She's like, maybe eight." Mother said.

"I'm nine!" Nalia corrected, tucking her beautiful black hair behind her ears.

"Okay fine. She's nine. She shouldn't have run away in the first place." Mother said. "Nalia, what were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to get away from the yelling." She said quietly, kicking the floor. "They were just so mad and mommy hit me with a bottle. So I ran and ran until I found a house to hide in. I didn't mean to bother anyone."

"Mother you can't treat her this way. You kicked me out when I was ten." I huffed, sitting down. "Nalia, come here love. I'm gonna do your hair."

She sat in front of me and I got a brush from the end table, a spare I kept in case I didn't want to move to get my brush, and brushed her hair out.

I got out little elastics and cornrowed her hair, grabbing my pocket mirror from the table so she could see. "Like it?"

"No ones ever done my hair before." She said, touching the braids. "It's pretty. Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie." I smiled. "Now, mother, do you have business here?"

"Yes. With Phoenix." She replied. "We'll be in his office."