Do you know the feeling of inhaling a deep breath, feeling your lungs fill themselves with air? The feeling of the air streaming through your chest? The feeling that this could be the last second of your life and that your lungs are going to explode. That's exactly what I felt during that cold, rainy night. The rain was pouring down on my fragile body, soaking the thin rags I called clothing. I could see the blue veins through my pale skin while I tried to rub some warmth into my arms, failing miserably. I tried lifting my feet to take me to somewhere safe, underneath a bridge or something. That'd be dry at least, and there might be somebody there to give me some food. But my body didn't want to move anymore, it just couldn't. My head was pounding and I was sure I had caught a fever. I was defeated. Roaming the streets without a house to go to had taken most of my strengths, not being able to find food also didn't help. With the last bit of strength that was hidden somewhere deep inside my body, I managed to drag myself over to a large building, where I pushed myself against the building's wet, cold bricks. And I just sat there, staring at the street, waiting for somebody to pass by.

I didn't have to wait very long, a few minutes later, I saw the silhouette of a man walking down the street. I cleared my painful throat and straightened my back a little.

'Sir, do you've got a penny?' I asked with my hoarse voice. I stretched out my shaking hand, expecting a huff and maybe even a small coin. But instead, he crouched down, startling me.

'I- I'm sorry, sir!' I stuttered, backing away a little. Some people got angry when I asked them for money.

'Kid, what are you doing outside during this storm?' he asked. I couldn't see his face, but his voice sounded nice.

'N-nothing,' I stuttered. Just because he sounded nice, didn't mean I trusted him.

'It isn't healthy to be outside now,' he said. 'You should go home.'

I huffed. 'Home? What home?'

'You don't have a home?' the man asked, concern sounding in his voice.

'No,' I whispered after a few seconds of silence. Right after that, my throat started itching and I started coughing my lungs out. When I finally managed to stop coughing, a few minutes later, sweat was streaming down my face and I felt like my throat was on fire. I expected the man to have walked away, but he was still there. I could see his silhouette and I heard him sigh.

'Here,' he suddenly said, getting out of his coat and putting it around my shoulders.

'Wha-' I started, but the sudden warmth of his coat made me stop talking. I pulled the thing closer around my shaking body, inhaling a manly scent.

'Come on, I'll take you to my house,' he said, gently pulling me up.

'You don't have to,' I whispered, shakily standing on my weak legs. 'I'm fine. Totally fine.'

'No, you're not,' he said, pulling me along.

The fog in my head was getting thicker now that I was forced to stand, the ground beneath my feet started moving like a ship. I moaned when I took a step, my muscles screaming to me to sit down again while my lungs didn't want to draw in any air anymore.

'I can't do this,' I mumbled, relaxing my legs and sinking down to the ground again. I expected to feel the cold, wet pavement, but two strong hands kept me from falling down. They dragged me up again and I felt those two hands lifting me. I suddenly felt a warm, soft chest against my face: he was carrying me! I nuzzled a bit closer to him and closed my eyes.

Next thing I knew was that I was being awakened by my own body: another coughing fit. It again felt like I was coughing my lungs out, but when it finally ceased, I noticed that I wasn't laying in my usual bed: a box in an alleyway. Something soft was underneath me and something warm was covering me. It took me a few seconds to realise that it must've been the man I met. This was probably his house! I quickly rolled out of his bed - or as least as quick as my beaten body allowed me - and walked over to the door, yanking it open as I got there. I didn't want to bother him, I'd survive on my own. I noticed that my clothing had dried up, but not entirely yet, so I was hoping the sun was shining outside. I just thought that, if I kept putting my one feet in front of my other, I'd survive. When I finally reached the stairs, I stumbled down, almost falling down. I was glad I didn't fall, but when I got downstairs, I had to sit down to rest for a few minutes. My body really wasn't what it used to be. After I had caught my breath again, I went on a search to find the way out. I would've loved to stay, but I just couldn't. I'd just be in the way.

'Hey, where are you going?' a voice said, making me jump.

I turned around and pointed at the door, not trusting my voice yet. I now had time to observe him properly. He had brown eyes and grey hair, but I could see a smile was never far away from his face. He was wearing a shirt and some comfortable looking sweatpants.

'You're leaving?' he asked, raising his eyebrows. 'I don't think so.'

'B-but...' I stuttered.

'You're too weak,' he said. 'Please, just stay. If you go outside now, you'll die.'

I hesitated. Could I trust him? Or was he just another creep that wanted girls like me to stay at his house for his advantage?

'Don't worry, I won't hurt you,' he said, noticing my hesitation. 'My name is Gregory Lestrade, but you can call me Greg.'

'I'm Sue,' I mumbled, not wanting to tell him my real name. People always called me Sue anyway.

'Well Sue,' he said. 'You should go back to bed.'

I shook my head. 'No.'

'Why not?' he asked, really not understanding my answer.

'I'm not weak,' I mumbled. 'Weak people are sick. I'm not sick.'

'What? No, no, but everybody needs to sleep,' he said.

I tilted my head to think about this possibility. Even the most amazing people needed to sleep, yes. Maybe he was right. Maybe I'd better go back to bed.

'Fine,' I said with a nod.

The man in front of me looked relieved. 'Splendid. I'll take you back to the guest room, then.'

'Sure,' I mumbled, walking after him, back upstairs.

...

'Do you want some more?' Greg asked, shoving some more pizza my way.

'No thank you,' I said with a small smile.

'Sure?'

'Really sure.'

Greg nodded once, leaning back in his chair. 'So Sue... What do you do for a living?'

His question made me laugh sourly. Did he really think I did something for a living? 'You're a police officer, right?'

'Yes?'

'Let's not talk about that, then,' I chuckled. 'But when I'm bored, I write.' With those words, I pulled a little notebook out of my pocket, handing it over to him. What I didn't tell him, was that I had stolen the thing, that wasn't important right now.

His eyes scanned over the words I had written there with my - stolen - pencil. Sometimes, his eyebrows were raised a little, but he didn't say a word.

'Do you've got more of these books?' he asked after he was done reading my semi-finished story.

'Yeah,' I grinned. 'In my hideout. Want to go there?'

'I'd love to,' Greg answered.

'Let's go, then!' I said, jumping up from my chair.

...

'Do you've got any family or friends?' Greg asked. He was driving the car, me in the seat next to him. I didn't answer yet, I was starting at the streets of London. The streets where I had spend my days. The grey pavement that had led me through the years, the walls that had supported me, the sheds that had hid me from the rain.

'There's nobody,' I answered. 'I'm nobody.'

Greg didn't say anything, but I felt that he was listening to me, so I just kept talking, making up my sentences as I did so, just throwing it out there.

'I was born alone,' I continued. 'Some people are meant to be alone, I'm one of them.'

There was a silence for a few seconds before Greg decided to speak up. 'I'm alone too.'

I tilted my head and glared at him. He was alone too? I was sure he had family and friends, he was a normal person, right? Normal persons have friends.

'You don't have friends?'

'I... They just don't really understand,' he answered.

'We can be alone together...' I said after a while. 'I need a home, you need a friend... So what do you say?'

He smiled at me. 'I'd love that.'

And that was that. That was the moment that we decided I'd live with Greg, we decided it just like that. The start of something amazing.