"I'm cold." Jennifer said with a noticeable shiver. She was hunched up in a doorway to some corporate building, closed and eerie at the late hour.
"You'll get used to it." Fred gave her a small smile, "Here." He took off his tattered grey jacket and wrapped it around the girl's small shoulders. Despite its strong smell of dirt, she immediately snuggled into it- the garment was big enough on her to act as an adequate make-shift blanket.
"Thank you," she whispered and then she gave a yawn, her blue eyes drooping.
"You should try to sleep." Freddie whispered back, reaching out to place a hand on Jennifer's shoulder. She looked at him uneasily; "Don't worry; I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."
"Really?"
"Really. Now, close your eyes and sleep kiddo."
Jennifer pouted at this, "I thought I was Jen, not kiddo." She was fiery for a six year old.
"Sorry Jen."
"You should make your mind up." And she was very smart for her age too. The girl wrapped Fred's jacket tight around her and manoeuvred into a more comfortable position. "Night Freddie."
"Goodnight Jen."

"I don't want to go!" the young girl moaned as her new friend and protector tried once again to reason with her about going to school at the start of September.
"Jen, you have to go. All kids have to go to school to learn." Fred repeated and again he was met with the same answer;
"You said you never went to school! Not all kids go. I just want to stay with you, so you can teach me how to fight and be like you! I don't need to go to school."
The girl was referring to the few weeks of lessons on how to live on the streets Fred had given her. So far she had proven capable beyond her years at lock-picking old doors, and she was fast learning how to hack the new ones with security consoles. Despite being six, she had a knack for picking things up after only a few times of being told what to do. She had also been enthralled at the prospect of being taught hand-to-hand combat and how to shoot when she was a little older. The idea of having to attend school, however, had not gone down that well and bringing it up had initially lead to a tantrum. A tantrum that had lasted all morning, and, after wearing off over the day, had started again immediately upon Fred's return from wherever he spent his time.
"Yes you do. The reason I'm still on the streets is because I never got proper schooling. With an education I could have gotten some sort of job, but no, I didn't go and now I'm nineteen with no future." Fred knelt down to hold Jen's gaze and once again, placed his hands upon her shoulders- something he always did when trying to reassure her- "I don't want that for you, ok? I want you to have a future. I know you don't want to go to school, but you have to, it's for the best."
"You sound like my parents did." Jennifer stated, her arms folding across her chest with a huff.
"Good. It means I'm doing well at looking after you. Now please, will you go to school next Monday?"
Jennifer seemed to consider it more carefully than a child should. Her face wrinkled, as if she were trying desperately to find a loophole, some way to turn the situation in her favour. Her eyes widened and she smiled brightly as an idea suddenly occurred to her. Fred had never told her where he went when he disappeared during the day (and sometimes most of the night). Maybe she could bargain with him. Almost too innocent looking blue eyes stared directly into muddy green ones as she said triumphantly, "I'll go to school Freddie...if you tell me where you go all day. And no lying!"
"Jen, you know I-" Fred cut himself short as he considered the trade and Jennifer waited, watching with expectancy and judging by her tapping foot, a degree of impatience. "Alright you win. Sit down."

Jennifer sat silently as she digested all of what Fred had just told her about his role in a street gang called the 10th Street Reds, or the 'Reds' as he had called it. Nothing she had heard about street gangs had been good and this left her confused; could she really trust Freddy? Yes, he had been extremely kind, he had looked after her since her parents had been murdered, kept her reasonable well fed, but he was still part of a violent gang.
He had tried to explain to her that he was only a part of the gang because it was the easiest way to survive; by working as a group. Jennifer didn't fully understand where he was coming from. At her age, she could only see the facts; he was in a gang, and that was bad. But he also took care of her and was her only friend and protector, and that was good. And to her mind, the latter was the most important point; she needed Fred to look after her and, though for some reason she didn't like to admit it, she had started to enjoy her time on the streets with him, learning to survive.
The loss of her parents still hurt her though and she cried herself to sleep most nights and would sometimes tear-up in the daytime too. She didn't like it when that happened because Fred wasn't there to put his arm around her shoulder, and now she knew why he was rarely present in the day. And, being a child, now that she knew where he went, naturally she wanted to go with him- to follow her only source of comfort so that he could be there whenever she needed him. She looked at him with hopeful, doe eyes.
"Let me join!" she said eagerly, "Let me come with you. I can help, now that you've started to teach me things."
Fred gave her a rueful smile; "Jen, even if I wanted you too-which I don't- I wouldn't be able to take you with me. They only let you join if thirteen or older."
"Oh." Jennifer answered and her head drooped to the floor, "I didn't know gangs had rules." She muttered to the floor.
"Most don't. But the Reds are a powerful gang and they want to stay that way."
"Oh." The girl murmured again and she blinked to hold back tears,
"I promise to keep on teaching you things though. We can give the console on the convenience store another go tonight. If you get in, we could get an ice-cream, if you want." Fred offered, desperate to cheer his very young protégé up. It seemed to work because Jennifer stopped looking at the floor and gave him a smile.
"Ok. But when will you teach me how to shoot your pellet gun? I want to learn." She smiled sweetly; she had asked the question about using Fred's small pellet gun (which was reasonably harmless, but painful enough to serve as a good self-defence tool) before.
"I've already told you. You are too young still. I promise you I will teach you how to shoot one day, but not now. Wait until you're about ten."
"Eight!" Jennifer bargained.
"Nine then."
"Alright then, as long as I can have my first lesson on my Birthday." The girl let up eventually and seemed more than excited at the prospect of such a birthday present.
"Agreed, Jen. When is your birthday?" Fred asked out of curiosity. Whilst he now knew enough about Jennifer's character, he still didn't know much basic information about the girl he was raising.
"April 11th."
"I'll remember that. Now I have to go, but I promise I'll be back soon and we can try that console."
Jennifer nodded in a new found understanding and rose onto her knees to lean forward and give Fred a small hug. He hugged her back, still somewhat awkwardly as he wasn't quite used to the sentiment yet. He smiled at her and picked himself off the step. "Bye bye Freddie."
"See you later, Jen. Will you be here?"
Jennifer nodded- sometimes she would enjoy a small wonder through the city and she would arrange to meet Fred at another of their 'designated' sleeping areas- but now she just wanted to sit and watch the street go by as she tried to fully wrap her child's mind around what Fred had told her about the Reds. And wonder in excitement how good she would be at shooting, when she was nine of course.

Kaidan felt as a tear splashed onto his chest. Jennifer had started to cry near the end of her retelling of what she had explained to be the 'first stage' in her upbringing. Though he knew she had finished for now, he remained silent. He was having trouble digesting everything that he had just heard.
Even as a young girl, Jennifer had shown so much resilience. It was now one of her most prominent features. He wondered if there was actually anything in the galaxy that would ever distract Jen from a mission. He highly doubted it. In a way, he guessed, she had had little choice but to move on from her shattered family life. Perhaps she had done it too quickly for a six year old girl, but Kaidan knew enough about the state of Earth's social care system to think that perhaps going with Fred and becoming a 'street kid' was the best option. Looking at what she had become though, knowing her as the hero she was, it was hard to match the pieces. He couldn't see how a girl from the streets could have evolved into the first human Spectre.
Kaidan realised that he had being mulling for quite some time and when he peered down at Jennifer, he found her staring up at him, eyes puffy and red, an expectant expression on her face.
"So that's the only other guy who called you Jen huh?" He said rather feebly. As much as he wanted to discuss some of the more pressing issues in the story, he thought it would be less draining for Jennifer if he kept things light-hearted.
"Yep." Jennifer's voice was surprisingly even, glad that Kaidan wasn't being too serious; "So you can save yourself all that torment about who my other 'Mr Wonderful' was. He was thirteen years my senior and nothing ever happened- he was my big brother. He was cute though, I guess."
Kaidan looked sceptically at her and noticed that her tears had been wiped away. "A rather astute definition for a six year old," he said with a small grin.
"No, I didn't make that observation until I was older. Revelation struck aged eleven I think," Jennifer explained with her own wry smile.
"Huh. Will I get to hear about this epiphany?"
"Eventually. But we've got gun-toting nine year olds and a few robberies to get through first. So you can save the jealousy, mister." Jennifer's humorous tone tried and failed to mask the gravity of what she had just alluded to.
"Guns and robberies? I guess Fred stuck to his promise about your birthday then?"
"That was one of the things I loved about him. I could count on him." Jennifer gave a small nod against Kaidan's neck. "I guess I like that trait in men." She added, moving out from under his chin and looking him in the eyes. He smiled and leant his head to place a gentle kiss on her lips. They eventually parted and Kaidan gazed down at Jennifer.
"You look tired," he said. Her re-telling of her past had certainly seemed to drain her. He wasn't surprised- it couldn't be easy for her to share this with him. And for that he felt so grateful, he already felt that he knew Jennifer so much better and although none of the pieces fit together for him yet, he was sure that once he knew the whole story it would only make him admire and love the woman lying against him more. "You should get some sleep." He said and he used his strength to move both of them and they lay down, Jennifer remained nestles into his neck.
"I'll tell you some more. Sometime. When I get a chance." Her speech was slurred and broken by a yawn.
"You don't have to tell me anymore. Not if you don't want to." Kaidan said, worried that if she carried on, Jennifer would become too distressed.
"No, no I want to tell you. It's nice. Telling you. Makes me feel better, like you know me more and-"the volume at which she spoke steadily decreased until what she was saying became incoherent mumbling and soon after, sleepy silence.
"Thank you, Jen. Thank you for telling me." Kaidan whispered, only half-expecting her to hear him.
"Mmm, s'ok."
"Goodnight Jen." The lack of reply and the steadying pace of Jennifer's breathing were sure signs that she had fallen asleep. Kaidan smiled to himself; he would have to wait until she was ready to share with him again. Only then would he be able to start fitting the pieces together.

.