A/N: I'm tired and very, very sick. Very sick. And I want my Mummy, but she's out and won't be home until tomorrow afternoon… MY GLANDS! MY STOMACH! MY LIP IS SPLIT! Oh, the horror… My head hurts.

Some guy I met today promised to ring me at 2:00 AM… Oh, the wrath he shall feel…

And another thing... next time I come here, I want whores! FREE whores!

Oh, and Jack Skellington now resides in my bed. Keep your filthy paws off of him.

This disclaimer is full of dust mites: I don't own any of the characters that are owned by Jhonen Vasquez. Because I'm not him, bless his soul. But I do own any character's you don't recognize, such as my original character.

Warning: Wow. I don't know. This contains violence and swearing… And probably some other things that I haven't thought of just yet.

'Sir?' There was a pull on the cuff of Johnny's pant leg that went along with the tiny, tired voice. Looking down from gazing out the window of his living room, the lanky man found himself gazing down at the sleepy eyes of the girl who had been living with him of a total of one night. Danielle yawned, and released the material from her fist. Johnny gave one last glance at the newly raised sun and wrapped his arms around himself.

'Yes?'

Adjusting her wrinkled overalls, Danielle seemed to be thinking of a way to continue the conversation. In Johnny's mind, Danielle seemed to be much like the character Scout in Harper Lee's book, To Kill A Mockingbird. The seven-year-old girl wasn't as observant as the make-believe character, and most likely wasn't as smart or wise, but when she wanted to ask something, she did it with a lot of thought. She also backed up whatever she had to say with as much knowledge she had gained in her short years. Johnny had discovered that the previous night, when after playing half an hour with the girl's Barbie's (the only reason why the male did that was to, in a way, apologize for frightening her and just get her off his back), she had approached the subject of her mother's untimely death. She had laid down her plastic doll, placed a skirt over the skinny waist and proceeded to absently tap the head of it on the ground as she gazed into space. Only then did she decide to speak.

When she had finally asked her question, Johnny was at a loss of words. Why did he take the lives of so many people? Because they were worthless heaps of shit that deserved to be gone from the planet. But he couldn't exactly say that to the girl. So he just told her what he had told her mother earlier that day- that she had done something wrong and it ruined someone else's life. Danielle seemed a little perplexed at that statement, but didn't say anything more.

She soon began to grow sleepy, and her movements became sluggish. Johnny realized it was ten PM- obviously past the girl's bedtime- and asked where she wanted to sleep. They had managed to get the food off of her, and mostly off her clothes, by Johnny bringing a bucket filled with warm, soap water into the front room and they scrubbed away until her overalls were drenched and she was shivering. She refused to step out of them, however. Instead, the man brought a blanket in, and she draped it around her. He left to empty the bucket, and when he returned minutes later, she was asleep on the floor. He brought a pillow in from his rarely used bedroom, and propped it under her head. She hadn't woken up until the next morning.

Danielle shifted her weight from foot to foot, and finally decided what she wanted to say.

'Can I not go to school today?'

Johnny quirked a brow, and leant against the windowsill. Last time he had checked, it was a Friday, and that was a school day. Biting his lower lip, and trying to be as less frightening as possible, Johnny replied uncertainly; 'Why don't you want to go to school?'

The young girl rubbed her stomach, and shrugged unhappily. 'I just don't wanna. I feel sick in my gut.'

Continuing to gnaw on his lower lip, Johnny turned his gaze out the window, and spied his neighbor's house. Squee's bedroom light was on, illuminating the window panel against the still-gray sky. The young boy was obviously going to school that day.

'Do you have a stomach ache?' Johnny finally asked after a momentary pause. He looked back down at Danielle, and found her nodding.

'Uh-huh.'

'Was it something you ate? The spaghetti?'

'Nah, don't think so.'

There was another pause, and by the gray look on Danielle's face, the older man suspected that maybe she wasn't actually physically sick, but emotionally.

'Okay, Danielle. You can stay… away from school.'

The girl nodded, and began to walk away, dragging her feet. When the door closed behind her, Johnny slumped against the wall, a hand on his forehead.

'Fuck…' he hissed to himself, and closed his eyes. His body was aching from lack of sleep, and was crying desperately for at least half an hour's nap. Refusing to get comfortable, he adjusted his weight and suppressed a yawn. He knew he would need to do something about Danielle's current accommodation- his house was no place for kids. Then again, it was no place for adults.

Rolling over, Johnny watched Squee's place silently, watching the boy's silhouette cross the window. A thought popped into his mind, and he pulled the window open. With one glance over his shoulder, Johnny leapt onto the windowsill, and sprung into the cool, morning air.

When he returned half an hour later, a bag on his back, he found Danielle lying on the blanket and pillow that she had had the night before, hugging a Barbie doll. She was asleep, but as soon as he had set the bag down, she awoke with a start. She stared silently and suspiciously at the man, and soon lowered her gaze to the bag on his back. Her own backpack was beside her, on its side, various contents spilling out. Finally, she spoke.

'What's in the bag…?' she asked warily. She pulled the blanket up to her chin, Barbie lying forgotten by her backpack.

'Well…' closing the lounge door behind him (he had returned via the window), Johnny set the bag on the ground and began opening it. 'I was thinking, and my home isn't exactly packed with stuff to entertain you… And you have to admit, TV can only hold one's attention for so long and I think the books I have are a bit too old for you… So I went next door and 'cause they have such a nice kid I'm friends with, he let me lend a few things for you.'

Danielle still seemed suspicious but her childish curiosity got the better of her. She crawled forward, head tilted to the side much like a dog's. 'What… kind of things?' she asked, a foot or two from the bag.

Johnny emptied the bag's contents, and various toys fell out, along with a few novellas for children, two board games (Cluedo and Monopoly) and a few drawing supplies. Being as Johnny's creativity had been sucked dry so all he could get out of himself was a stick figure and various cursing, most of his own art supplies seemed to have gone.

He watched quietly as Danielle browsed through the items, occasionally picking up a toy and squeezing it, or reading the blurb of a book, and even opening up the board games and half-setting them up until she found something else to grab her attention. It amused the man as she began to set up the toys into something that looked like a shop scene- a stuffed teddy bear (Not Shmee, Johnny noticed with relief) behind a small stack of books that seemed to be a counter. Two of her three Barbie dolls she had had in her bag were sitting down in the middle of the 'shop', the third leaning against the books. A few of the toys Squee had placed in the bag seemed to be perusing through the make-shift shop and the doll clothes Danielle also had in her bag were placed around, along with two dice from the board games. A third was placed on the books as something that seemed to be a till.

She leant back on her heels, seemingly pleased with her work. She glanced up at Johnny, a happy look on her face. She leant over, and tapped the ground in front of her.

'C'mon, play with me.'

Frowning, he rubbed his brow. 'Er, are you sure? I'm not… that… good.'

'Aw, come on, please?'

Johnny rubbed his ear self-consciously, and began to kneel slowly. As he did so, though, Meat's voice filled his head.

Aw, how sweet, Johnny's gonna play dollies with the little girl. WHY, Nny, WHY?

Johnny winced, and mentally replied to the voice. She was sad, so I got her stuff. This should keep her entertained for a while. Anyway, I've got no plans for the day… And… Well, it got her happy last night…

Ooh, so the big bad scary man is about to lower himself to the standard of a pathetic father? Those guys SUCK, Johnny, and you know it. You're not even related to this girl. This could be considered pedophilia…

Shaking his head, slightly, Johnny grabbed a stuffed bear, and poked its stomach. No it couldn't, he replied in his mind. It's not even close to it. Are mothers and fathers kiddy-fiddlers when they play with their kids? Of course not, you idiot. I'm taking care of this girl, and although it is against my will, I don't want her to be depressed at seven. That's just sad. And it shouldn't matter if I play toys with this girl, who knows, she may make me better.

Better?! You mean she might be able to make you less insane? I don't think so Johnny boy, you're pretty fucked up.

Well you never know. I can dream.

Johnny looked up from his bear poking and found Danielle staring at him silently, her brow raised, her face tilted.

'Sir?'

'…Yes?'

'Are you okay?'

Johnny wondered how long he had been talking to Meat for, and stumbled over his reply. 'Yeah… I think so…'

'You don't have to play if you don't wanna… I just wanted you to…'

'N-No, I'm fine.'

Danielle picked up an action figurine and began to twiddle with its limbs. 'You were quiet for an awful long time. Why?'

'I was thinking, that's all.'

Danielle seemed a little bit uncertain, but just nodded. 'Okie dokes.'

A/N: I love the Turtles. My feet are cold.

Please review ^_^ It may make me feel better!