(Hiatus) Carmen Sandiego One Shots

Young Black Sheep POV

"Black Sheep, Mama Bear needs to tell you something."

I glanced up from my book on snakes. Coach Brunt stood at my door, her arms folded across her chest and a somewhat guilty look on her face. My first sense of excitement faded, and I frowned.

Something was up.

Setting my small book down, I sat up and dangled my feet over the edge of my bed. "Are we going somewhere?" I asked hopefully, my five year old voice high pitched and small.

Coach Brunt's eyes grew sad, and she came to sit next to me. I climbed nimbly into her lap. "Afraid not, Lambkins," she admitted, tapping my nose lightly. "I want to tell you a story, actually."

My foolish excitement returned. "Is it about the history of Australia?" I squealed, flopping out on Coach's legs, my own limbs sprawled out. I loved learning about the world, but Australia was my favorite. Coach Brunt didn't often teach me, but she was an excellent story-teller.

The older woman chuckled and scooped me into her arms, hugging my small frame tightly. "No, history isn't really my forte."

I sighed, furrowing my brow and pouting my lips dramatically. Coach Brunt laughed at my serious expression.

"Did Countess Cleo teach you that?"

I giggled, then hopped to the ground. "No, I just watched her and Shadowsan. She's more like-" I stuck my hands on my hips and puffed my chest out, blowing a loud breath out to move a curly auburn strand from my face. I stuck a finger out at Coach. Lowering my voice in an attempt to match Cleo's, I huffed, "You need to learn your manners, young lady, or I'll have you shipped off to Nigeria before you can even say feral girl!"

Brunt suddenly burst into roaring laughter, wiping tears from her eyes as I giggled happily. Eventually she was able to calm down, and she patted the bed beside her. "Well, Lambkins, the story I'm going to tell you isn't exactly on that happy of a note. And it's about you."

My eyebrows scrunched and I climbed to sit next to her. "About me? Did you make it yourself?"

She sighed and rested a hand on my head. "No, it's a true story. And-" Coach Brunt stopped to suck in a shuddering breath. "Lambkins, you know that I would never lie to you, right?" She scooped me up and cuddled me to her chest. "Mama Bear would never hurt you," she whispered, sounding sad.

I tensed at her dismal tone, wrapping my tiny arms around her neck as best I could. "Uh huh," I said, a bit confused. "I know."

"Alright then." Coach Brunt settled me back into her lap, one of her big, calloused hands smoothing down the curls on my neck. "Black Sheep, have you ever wondered where you're from?"

I shook my head, my gray-blue eyes wide. I hadn't ever, not really.

Resting her hand on my hand, Brunt said, "Well that's what this story is about."

I stayed silent.

"You were found on the side of a road, just outside Buenos Aires, Argentina." She stopped and closed her eyes, as if what she was saying was difficult for her. "You didn't have any identification, so I named you Black Sheep, with consent from most of the staff members."

The facts about Argentina that had been swirling around in  my head suddenly cut off as I caught what she had said. "Most?"

Coach nodded. "Shadowsan wanted to call you Scarlet Wolf."

I cocked my head, interested.

"But I was already calling you Lambkins, so that was settled." She smirked slightly.

I frowned, a small detail niggling at the back of my curious brain. "What about my mom and dad? Where were they?"

Coached Brunt sighed. "You were abandoned, Black Sheep."

I bit my lip, not quite understanding. "Didn't-didn't they want me?"

"I..." She trailed off, her eyes sad and guilty again. "No, Lambkins. No, I don't think they did."

Even a five-year-old can feel numbing sadness. I stared up at Coach, my eyes suddenly filled with tears. "Why?" I asked quietly.

The older woman hugged me tightly, kissing my cheek. "I don't know."

There was something in her voice that scared me, so I didn't ask any more, instead just saying, "Oh." My voice was weak as I clung to Coach Brunt. "Ok." The last word came out as a whimper and a tiny sob ripped from my throat. My shoulders shook, tears slipping down the freckles on my face.

Brunt cradled my small form, rocking slightly. "Shh..." she muttered soothingly, her voice rough with emotion. "Mama Bear's got you. It's okay Lambkins. I won't ever leave you. I'm here."

I gripped her shirt in my balled fists, the fabric scrunching under my trembling fingers. "O-okay," I said again through hiccups, burying my face in her neck.

I must have cried myself to sleep, because the next thing I knew, my blankets were  tucked around me and the lights were turned off, my snake book set aside on the nightstand.

Snuggling in further with a whimper, I stared at the pale green walls until sleep claimed me again.