Hi guys! Okay let me start off by saying this is my first time actually letting anyone ANYONE read my writing, so I'm pretty nervous so please be kind. If you like it review so I know someone out there wants me to keep writing, if you don't or have some pointers I'm open to that too.

I don't own anything, except my OC.

Hope you enjoy!

The young blonde girl knew hunger, the weakness, the fatigue, the pains it caused; but being so close to food and not being able to eat any of it was another pain all together. It was a rainy summer day and all she wanted was to get out of the rain. She ran to the closest shelter she could find which happened to be a small restaurant/grocery store. There was no one there except a large guy sitting at the small bar on a stool trying to sweet talk the girl washing a glass. She was doing her best to ignore him so she didn't hear the squeak of the girl's wet barely there sneakers. She sat at a table away from them just so she could rest a bit.

She took a few deep breathes to try to get her head to stop spinning, but it was in one of those deep breaths that she smelt something truly amazing. She couldn't identify it, but it made the sharp pain in her stomach intensify.

"Vince, your hands are disgusting, go wash them before you eat!" The woman chastised the man at the bar smacking him with the rag she was using to dry.

"Oh come on, Mia!" He mumbled something else that she couldn't hear and she called him a Neanderthal. They both were so busy bickering with each other they still hadn't noticed the little girl in the beat up old black jacket with the hood still pulled up huddled in the corner table.

She watched as Vince got up to wash his hands and saw the sandwich that was sitting on the plate. Her stomach gave her another shot of pain as she eyed it hungrily. She didn't know what kind it was and she didn't care. The woman behind the bar turned away to deal with something else and while she did the girl pounced. She didn't realize what she had done until she was running out of the restaurant with the sandwich in her hand. She heard a loud low voice yelling after her and she assumed it was Vince but didn't look back to check.

She didn't know how far she'd gone but she ran until she couldn't run anymore. She ran through puddles, through mud and people. By the time she got to an alleyway where she felt safe the sandwich was soaked through and most of its contents had fallen out but that didn't stop her from devouring every crumb. She tried to take it slow and savor each bite, but she was so hungry that it was gone before she knew it. With her hunger subdued for now she realized what she'd done. She'd stolen. She was a thief, a criminal. The blonde sank down the dirty alley wall putting her head in her hands in shame.

"Let it go, Vince." Mia called out as Vince went to pursue the sandwich thief.

"That bastard stole my sandwich!" He yelled pointing at the assailant

"And I'll make you another one, now sit!" Mia commanded as she watched the thief was a long ways away. Vince begrudgingly turned and sat back down. "You would have never caught him anyways, that kid was fast!" Vince glared up at Mia but didn't say a thing while she made him a new one.

Five days after the sandwich fiasco found the young girl hungry again and sneaking up to the restaurant. The woman must be in the back be preparing something and there wasn't anyone else in there. She took a deep breath pushed her hood up despite the lack of rain and pushed herself to go inside. She put a shaking hand inside her jacket pocket and pulled out a dirty envelope. She was about to place it on the bar when a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist right above her cheap thick bracelet. The large hand could nearly wrap around her wrist twice. She thrashed against the large man's grip on her but it was like solid steel.

"So you must be our famous sandwich thief." A deep voice rumbled behind her. Alexis froze at the man's words. She looked up at him and realized how much taller he was than her. He had to be at least six foot and his muscular size added to his monstrosity. At the same time though Alexis couldn't help but be astonished by his good looks. His physique, his voice, his deep brown eyes, he was like a Greek god.

"What do you have there?" He pulled the envelope from her hand and opened it all without breaking his grip on her wrist. He furrowed his brows when he saw the note.

"I am sare I stoled from you. I dont no how much it cost I hop this can pey for it." Dom looked down at the note that was hardly legible. It looked like a five year old had written it and the spelling was just as bad. He furrowed his brows as he looked down in the envelope and noticed a large amount of change. He spun the girl around and sat her on the barstool so he was blocking her way and didn't let go of her wrist.

He tossed the change filled envelope and note onto the bar and pulled her hood down but all he could see was long, greasy hair. He lifted her chin and he was surprised by what he saw. She was a young girl, but not as young as he thought by her stature or her handwriting. She had hair that looked to be dirty blonde, but with all the dirt and grime covering her it was hard to tell, it could have been bleach blonde for all he knew, her skin was dark, but again that could have been from the layers of dirt that covered her. The rest of her was covered in layers of clothes so he couldn't see her size, but if her boney wrist were anything to go off of she was very malnourished. The thing that caught him off guard though was the bright blue eyes that seemed too large for her face and which now had tears in them. Immediately he let go of her wrists thinking that he was hurting her.

"What's your name?" Dom asked trying to not sound too intimidating to scare her off, but enough that she'd answer him. The girl sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"…I'm." The girl cleared her throat and he could tell she was trying not to break down She was looking everywhere but at him. She mumbled something.

"Alexis?" She was so quiet that Dom had barely heard her. The girl gave a hesitant nod. He looked down hard at her and that's when she broke down. "I'm so sorry I stole! I was so hungry that I didn't realize, but that's no excuse, I shouldn't have done it." The girl had her head in her hands at this time as she cried.

"Hey, look at me." He said gently this time. The girl looked up at him after wiping her eyes. She kept sniffling and giving soft sobs. Dom reached his hand out to put it on her shoulder but as he did the girl flinched back. She opened her eyes after a few seconds when the hit didn't come and saw Dom looking at her sadly.

"I'm Dom." He said putting his hand out for her to shake. She looked down at his hand then up at him absolutely confused. She gently put her small hand in his which he fully engulfed as he shook it gently. "When's the last time you had a decent meal?" He asked the girl letting go of her hand.

"The sandwich." She said it longingly as if it was the best thing she'd ever eaten.

"Hun, I said decent meal. A sandwich is not a meal, and I love Mia but her sandwiches aren't the greatest. "Why don't you come with me and we'll get you some real food?" Dom watched as her eyes got even bigger if that was possible and she backed away from him as far as the barstool would allow. She gently shook her head still looking at him in fear. Dom held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you, and I'll make sure no one else does either." Alexis looked like she was about to bolt at any second. "It just looked like you could use a good meal, I promise no one will lay a hand on you." As he spoke of food another pang of hunger hit her hard. She wanted to go with him, she really did. But how could she? Just then there was a noise behind them.

"Hey Dom, I'm closing up for the BBQ." It was the same woman that Alexis had seen before and she sunk into her seat further in shame.

"Hey Mia, come meet Alexis." Mia came around the bar and saw the young girl sitting there looking scared as a bunny.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Alexis looked up at her and gave a small smile that was gone so fast Dom wasn't sure if it was even there. "Wait, I know that jacket. Are you our little sandwich thief?" Mia asked in a light voice that held no condemnation but Dom saw tears well up in the young girl's eyes.

"It's ok. She brought some money to pay for it, and even a note." Dom smiled.

"I'm really sorry, ma'am." Alexis looked down in shame. Mia looked at the note and looked down at the girl.

"It's ok. How old are you hun?" The girl bit her lips as if thinking about it.

"Um, 22?" The siblings looked at each other surprised. "Yeah, that's right." The girl before them was about Mia's age, but she looked like she was barely out of high school. She was too skinny and she looked like she had undergone horrible affliction. She had scrapes and bruises underneath the dirt but worse was the terror in her eyes.

"Well, Mia I was just inviting Alexis over for the BBQ. What do you think?" He said looking over at his sister.

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea!" She smiled excitingly at the girl. The girl looked between the two biting her lip. "You'll love it! Dom will be grilling chicken, I'll be making macaroni salad, we'll have chips, dips, beer, everything you can imagine." She smiled down at the girl who seemed to now have a pained look. "Are you ok?" The girl clutched at her stomach and nodded.

"Yeah, it's just been a while since I've had something to eat."

"When was the last time you ate?" The girl looked down again. "It wasn't the sandwich was it?" Mia asked in shock.

"No, um." She thought back a bit. "Um, I had some bread a bit ago." Mia tried to hide her emotions but all she wanted to do is reach out and hug the young girl in front of her.

"Oh, good." She gave a tight smile. "Well then, I'm sure you'll have room for all the good stuff we'll have." Alexis looked back from Dom to Mia before giving a small nod.

"Good, it's a date then." Dom said backing up so she could jump down. "Come on, I'll give you a ride." He nodded outside, but Alexis took a step back.

"Or maybe I could give you a ride." Mia suggested seeing her hesitation. Alexis nodded her head with earnest. Dom nodded in understanding someone had hurt her, a man. It made his blood boil but he couldn't let that show as the girl was studying him. She was waiting for him to snap, to lash out at her, he had to keep the anger for the men hidden or she'd think it was pointed towards her.

"Ok, then I'll see you guys at the house." He gave them both a tight smile while rubbing at his shaved head. "Go on, I'll set the alarm and lock up." Mia nodded and walked off with Alexis following quickly behind her. Dom noticed that she kept looking over her shoulder at him as if waiting to make sure he wouldn't dive down on her. Once they were out of sight Dom shook his head. He picked up the note and frowned. What the hell had happened to this girl?