Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team, etc., etc.
A/N: I was going through one of my notebooks earlier and found this little piece that got into my head a few weeks ago. Originally it was going to be part of a larger story, but I decided I liked it better as a oneshot. Face is about 12 in this. Enjoy!
It was nearly two o'clock in the morning as the blond-haired boy climbed through the small window into the orphanage's attic. He managed to get in and close the window back without making a sound, but the silence was broken when he turned away from the window and walked straight into a small trunk.
Muttering curses under his breath, the boy took a moment to listen for any indication one of the nuns might've heard the noise and were coming to investigate. But as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized he wasn't alone.
"Who's there?" he asked quietly, not daring to raise his voice to a normal volume.
Squinting his eyes, he was able to make out the outline of the small figure, who hadn't moved a muscle.
Finally a soft, but broken, voice whispered, "Al?"
The boy's brows furrowed as he approached the voice, and his eyes adjusted enough for him to identify the other person. "Sidney?" But confusion gave way to annoyance. "You're supposed to be in bed."
Tiny green orbs locked onto his blue ones in an almost defiant manner. "So are you." The whispered reply would have been a more effective retort had it not been said as a mere simple statement of fact in that shaky voice, the boy noted.
Letting out a sigh, he sat down next to the small child. Though several years older, he had not yet hit the growth spurt adults assured him was coming, and therefore the size difference between him and the little girl was actually not that noticeable when they were sitting.
"So what are you doing up here?" he asked, stretching one leg out as he leaned back against the wall.
The girl turned her eyes downward, not answering as she hugged her knees tighter.
He watched her for a moment before turning his gaze back towards the rest of the dark attic. "Ya know, when I have a nightmare, I like to go get a snack."
A quick glance out of the corner of his eyes told the boy he had the girl's attention, so he continued.
"I figure if you can find your way up here without getting caught, then you should be able to handle sneaking down to the kitchen." He turned to look at her. "You up for it?"
The girl nodded quickly, and he flashed her a smile as he stood and extended a hand toward her.
"Well, come on then."
0
"Good?" the boy asked with a smirk as the little girl took a bite off the spoonful of ice cream that was too big to fit into her small mouth.
She nodded, trying to catch the little bit that was running down her chin. He chuckled, and a small smile began to tug on the corners of her mouth.
Smiling, he turned back to his own ice cream after a quick glance around the dark kitchen. Though it was the middle of the night, it wasn't unusual for one of the sisters or priests to come in here to get a snack, or to look for kids if they found empty beds. Which is why in addition to being quiet and keeping the lights off, the boy and girl were sitting on the floor in the corner of the cabinets, behind the island and across the room from the door. That way they would have time to hide or get out if someone came in.
"My mom."
The boy looked over. He almost hadn't heard the tiny mumbled voice. She had her head down, staring at the now almost empty bowl of ice cream, and he realized she was talking about her nightmare.
Looking down at his own almost empty bowl, he whispered, "I still dream about mine sometimes too."
"Really?"
He glanced over at the girl and saw her eyes staring up at him in a way he couldn't quite describe.
Sighing, he nodded. "Yeah."
The silence stretched on for several long moments before the boy said, "I went to the beach because I couldn't sleep."
The girl looked over at him, but didn't say anything as he continued.
"I like the beach. It's…" He frowned, searching for the right word. "Peaceful."
"Dark," the girl said quietly.
He looked over at her in confusion. "What?"
Meeting his eyes, she said, "Dark safe."
"That's why you were in the attic?" he guessed.
She nodded.
They watched each other for a moment before the boy smiled and said, "You know, I'm always up for a midnight snack, especially if it's ice cream."
The girl smiled as well.
A/N: Hope you liked that! FYI, I got the name Al from the list of Face's former names that EJ listed in the episode "Mind Games", and I figure the little girl is around 5 or 6. Anyway, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!