Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Zero ((but he's sooo cute)) nor do I own many other things Louis Sachar and Walt Disney have made up. HOLES belongs to Mr. Sachar, THINGS-YOU-DO-NOT-RECOGNISE probably belong to me.

My Angel, My Only

Chapter One ll How It Started

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Sapphire closed her tired eyes as she tried to concentrate on what to do. Two days ago, she had learnt that her husband had been killed in a car accident.

Before that, they had been a happy family. A happy family with their small son, Hector. Hector was barely eighteen months old, and he had already lost his father.

Sapphire wasn't sure she could cope.

Her mother, Lena Zeroni, walked into the kitchen, cradling Hector in her arms. She was softly singing 'If only, if only' to him. The baby was sleeping peacefully.

"Mother," Sapphire said in a strained voice, "What am I supposed to do? Hector can't grow up without John... he cannot grow up without a father. And I need to find a job, to support him, and to keep the house..."

"You and Hector can come live with me," Lena said firmly, as she gently set the small baby down into the playpen in the kitchen, "And you are welcome to stay for as long as you want, until you can find a job and get back onto your feet."

But Sapphire did not accept her mother's offer.

"That won't do me any good," she explained, "I need to rely on myself, mother. But I'm not sure I can take care of Hector at the same time..."

"Then he can come live with me while you find a job and make some money. Sapphire my dear, I am here to help you," Lena said softly, determined to help her daughter to the end.

Sapphire smiled and hugged her mother, "I appreciate your offer mother, but moving back in with you is not the answer."

"Whatever you think is best, my dear."

One week later, Sapphire was in a mess. She decided she would take up on her mother's offer, when she recieved horrible news. Her parents had both died in another car accident.

Feeling as though her family was suffering a terrible curse, Sapphire threw herself on her bed and cried, and cried, and cried. She only stopped when she heard Hector's small wails in his little yellow bedroom.

She miserably shuffled to her son's aid, and cradled him softly in her arms.

"I love you, Hector," she murmured, holding him close, "I'll never let go of you. Never."

Hector looked up at his mother with wide dark eyes. A small smile lit his face.

Sapphire smiled at him sadly, and began to rock him gently. Softly, she hummed.

"If only, if only,
The moon speaks no reply,
Reflecting the sun and all that's gone by.
Be strong my weary wolf, turn around boldly,
Fly high, my baby bird,
My angel, my only."

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Sapphire struggled to her feet and found a small-paying job that fed her and Hector, and kept them clothed and content.

But it was terribly difficult to pay the rent for their house. She managed for a couple of years.

She celebrated Hector's fourth birthday, and the two had lots of fun eating cake and taking photos. But Sapphire knew these happy times couldn't last forever.

When she left to go to work, she'd tell small Hector to wait for her in the house. Stay in the living room. Stay in your bedroom. Stay in the kitchen.

He was a smart and obedient child. Sapphire had feared at first that Hector would need lots of taking care of at the age of four, but to her surprise, he managed alright.

Then one day, they were evicted out of their house.

Homeless people weren't allowed to work.

Sapphire lost her job.

She desperately searched for another one, but no one seemed to want to hire a homeless person. It was all hopeless.

Of course, she couldn't take Hector with her whenever she went on job interviews.

"Stay here on this porch step. Now don't leave here until I get back," she'd tell him.

So he would stay there, alone. Hugging himself tightly, curled up into a tight ball.

Sapphire always came back for him.

She still had a little money left to buy them enough food to satisfy their grumbling stomachs. She always fed her son first, making sure he was full before she began to eat the leftovers.

One week passed by, and Sapphire couldn't believe she and her own son were living on the streets. What kind of life was she putting Hector into?

Sometimes, she'd sit down and cry. Hector wouldn't understand what was wrong, but he'd put his arms around her just like she did whenever he felt sad.

When it became crucial, Sapphire began to take food without paying for it. It was the only way she could think of of keeping her son alive.

Hector learnt the way of 'taking whatever they needed' quickly, and began to practice it himself. His mummy would always tell him that they could only take what they needed.

"Never take anymore," Sapphire took care to tell him, whenever they made off with some bread and fruit.

Hector didn't know it was classified as stealing.

Sapphire got another job, but it was very small-paying. She only worked two mornings a week, and she did not earn very much. But it was better than nothing. They didn't have to steal as much food, and after saving up quite a bit, Sapphire managed to buy decent clothes for herself and Hector. It was important to keep up appearances.

This continued on for a couple of years. They found refuge in homeless shelters when the weather was particularly bad, but other than that, they lived on the streets. Hector liked sleeping outside. He grew up to be a gentle, quiet kid. Sapphire was surprised at this. She had seen other homeless children, and they weren't exactly gentle.

All the same, she was grateful.

Hector was almost ten years old when Sapphire left him at Laney Park. She was off on another job interview, although she already had another job. This one promised a better paycheck and work environment, however.

Hector watched the other children playing, while he waited. He hugged his stuffed giraffe, Jaffy, while he watched. They all seemed to be having a lot of fun.

When Hector knew it was lunch time, he dug into his pockets and took out the few cookies left. He chewed on them, while he waited.

While he waited...

A couple of little girls were playing on the playscape happily. Hector was sitting in the corner of the park, on a clear patch of grass. While he waited.

He wondered if he'd ever have someone to play with.

The sky was growing dark, and the wind had a certain chill in it. Hector wondered where his mother was. She didn't generally come back so late, though it had happened on a few occasions.

He crawled up onto the playscape, and into the small tunnel between the swinging bridge and the slide. Still hugging Jaffy tightly, Hector pressed his small body against the side of the tunnel, and fell asleep.

By the next morning, Sapphire still wasn't back. Hector trembled at the thought of what might have happened to her. He staggered out of the tunnel, and carefully slid down the slide.

It was no fun.

It was still cold, but Hector felt hungry. He shuffled over to the corner store where his mother had taught him to look for food, and carefully took a banana without anyone noticing. He peeled it and bit into it as he crossed the road back to Laney Park.

He waited in his special corner, for another day. But his mother never came back.

Another day passed by. Then another. And another. A week went by, and still Sapphire didn't come back for a small boy who was waiting persistently for her. Hector always went to the corner store to get food. He didn't take too much. Just a little bit, enough for him to survive on. The store owner caught him, but didn't get angry. He felt sympathy towards the poor boy, and always let him take whatever he needed.

Hector waited for another week. Hugging Jaffy tightly, he watched a birthday party happening at the picnic table next to the playscape. He was still sitting there.

He knew he wasn't supposed to be there. But he was fascinated, all the same. He hoisted himself onto the slide, and slid down. Jaffy came tumbling down after him, and he picked him up. He was about to retreat to his usual corner, when a pretty little girl walked up to him.

"Hi," she said shyly, "Do you wanna play with us? We're having lots of fun!"

Hector's head spun. She wants to play with me? Why?

It had been the first time someone had asked him to play with them, and he was astounded. But he knew he wasn't allowed to. He didn't belong at the party.

So Hector Zeroni shook his small, ruddy head, and began to walk away to his corner.

Later, a little boy ran up to him, holding a plate of cake.

"Want some?" he asked cheerfully.

Hector stared at him, feeling the same feeling of dizziness that he had felt when the little girl had asked him to play.

True, he did felt a little hungry, and was about to nod his head when suddenly--

"Go away!"

A tall woman with blonde curly hair came running up to the little boy. She looked at Hector as if he was some kind of monster, and took the little boy's hand.

"Stay away from him, children. You don't want to play with him," she told the other kids, pointing at Hector.

Hector felt so scared that he began to run. He wanted to get as far away as he could from Laney Park, even if his mother might come back looking for him one day.

He forgot Jaffy.

Later that night, Hector found his way back to the corner store and got a sandwich and a bottle of water from the kind owner. He let the small boy eat in his warm store, until it was closing time.

Hector smiled at him, then left. He eventually went back to Laney Park, but he couldn't find Jaffy anywhere.

He waited for another two weeks, when he finally concluded that his mother wasn't coming back for him.

So with tears of disappointment in his eyes, Hector left Laney Park, wondering what might have happened to Sapphire.

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---- A/N: ((sob)) Poor 'lil Zero. He is sooo adorable and his life was sooo sad and -- and -- ((cries)). THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!! ((grins)) --MSQ.