I've had this story on my computer for a while now, and after a rush of wondering what to call it tonight (thank yous go to KaraokeLeo and Brightpath2 for being at the receiving end of such rush) it's finally here! The story will have ten chapters, give or take, and the first chapter should give you an idea of what each chapter will be about. I'd also like to apologise if the Spanish in this story is off. I did my best to find the correct words to use for, say, grandmother. But if I get anything wrong please don't be offended; tell me and I'll gladly fix it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Leo, Rosa and Esperanza Valdez.


Houdini


1

The Valdez'

His relatives wouldn't take him in. His Aunt Rosa called him diablo and shouted at the social workers to take him away.

Leo was sitting in the ER room's exam bed and he could hear the commotion in the hallway. He could hear the struggle in Auntie Rosa's voice as she tried not to drift into Spanish like his whole family usually did while talking to the social worker and the doctor. He heard Yaya, his Abuela, crying and trying to talk the universe into everything not being true by saying it over and over again and praying for God to save her daughter's soul (even though usually she said that Esperanza would be damned for her sins or whatever).

He kept listening, because it was a distraction from listening to himself think and breathe, a distraction of himself basically.

"Look, we understand that now is a very challenging time for the whole family," the doctor said. "And we will be keeping Leo here overnight to observe him for any injuries we might have missed, so you won't have to worry about custody right a-"

"How would he get hurt? They told us he set the fire!" Auntie Rosa said, her voice stretched and nearly hysterical.

"Well we don't know that for sure," the social worker Leo had talked to earlier, Miss Sandy, said patiently. She was patient and nice. "Like the police officers told you earlier: there wasn't a match or a lighter anywhere near the scene, so it doesn't seem likely."

"The doors were locked behind Esperanza," Auntie Rosa choked. Mom's time was twisted in her grieving tone. "He must have done it!"

Leo hadn't thought that he could feel anything since he'd woken up in the ambulance with the nice paramedic lady. But he started feeling again, and he felt like he'd been slapped. Then he felt like he needed a help, and if his Abuela was in the hallway than of course he'd be able to get one. He pushed himself off the bed and wandered out of the room, pushing past the curtains.

"Yaya? Auntie Rosa?" He called for his grandmother and aunt in a voice that was very, very small. Even smaller than him.

The four women in the hall turned towards him in one swift motion; Miss Sandy in her pencil skirt and pretty blouse, Doctor McCoy holding a clipboard, Yaya sitting on an uncomfortable hospital chair and bawling, and Auntie Rosa hugging herself.

Yaya sniffled and opened her arms to him. Leo rushed towards her, but Auntie Rosa took a step in front of him and he ran into her. The doctor caught him as he stumbled back.

"No," she said. "Do not touch your grandmother. Mama, don't let him."

"Miss Valdez…" Miss Sandy said.

"No," Auntie Rosa said. She looked at Leo like the bad guys in movies. "This child killed my sister. He murdered his own mother! Locked the doors and set the whole workshop on fire! I knew that a bastard child couldn't be anything good, no matter how much love Esperanza gave. He is a Diablo."

"Mrs. Valdez, please, it's been a long night for everyone." Miss Sandy said. "You're now Leo's legal guardian, it was written in your sister's will. Perhaps if you were to go home, calm down and maybe give the matter some more serious thought…"

"There is nothing to think about!" Auntie Rosa snarled. She wasn't Auntie Rosa anymore. She wasn't anything. She was Rosa, his aunt. The transformation was horrible for Leo to watch. Like watching her rip off her skin and turn into a werewolf under the full moon, but twenty million times worst. "This child is a demon and I will not have him hurt anybody else in this family! That would be what my sister would want."

"Now, now, that is no way to talk to a child." The doctor snapped. She wasn't like Miss Sandy; she just said whatever she had to say without having to be nice to everyone. He felt a whole lot of thankfulness for Dr. McCoy now.

"Well it's all you'll be getting from me," Rosa said. She shot Leo one last bitter and hateful look. "Mama, come." She said. Leo expected the old woman to say something. She was Yaya. She'd known Leo since he was a baby. She must know that he wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone- much less his Mom. But she didn't say anything, and that hurt a lot more than if she would have said something. Anything. He had lost his mom, his Auntie Rosa wasn't his aunt anymore, he couldn't lose Yaya too. Leo was petrified and terrified.

Rosa who was his aunt took his grandmother'sarm and leading her down the hospital hallway. Leo watched them for a while, even when the doctor knelt in front of him. She put a hand on his cheek and he turned his head.

"How are you holding up, bud?" She asked softly.

"I... They said that about me…"

"They did, they did." The doctor said. Miss Sandy ran her hands up and down his back.

"Sweetie, why don't you go back into your room and sit on your bed." Miss Sandy said. "I have a pad of paper in my purse, we can play tic-tac-toe or hangman. Whichever you'd like. Or we can talk if you rather do that."

Leo didn't want to be left alone with the social worker. A little girl at his school called Shanyka was alone with the social worker all the time because her parents did something called drugs and she was alone in the world. Leo couldn't possibly... he couldn't truly be... alone...

"Miss Sandy no offence, you're very nice and very pretty but I don't want to..."

"I'll be back in a few seconds, promise." Doctor McCoy said.

"Are you going to go talk to them? Are you going to tell them I don't want my mom to be… dead?" He said. He finally started crying. Miss Sandy put her hands on Leo's shoulder and squeezed him gently. Sometimes Mom did that. It was a bit comforting.

"I'll try, Leo, I'll try." Dr McCoy said with a small, sad smile. She must be new to the hospital. "In the meantime I'll send Nurse Richard to come sit with you, that way you'll have Miss Sandy and him. How's that?"

Leo nodded. Miss Sandy held the curtain for him and Leo waddled back inside his room.

Doctor McCoy ran down the hallway, her white coat billowing like a superhero's cape behind her.

But in this case, she couldn't and didn't save the day.

So Leo went to his first foster home.