I own nothing. Nothing rad, that is. Disclaimer over.

Jeremiah Toulon was a kind and generous soul. He was one of those people one could definitely say made a positive impact on the world and the lives of those around him.

His childhood, spent with his parents and older brother Robert, was filled with laughter, love, and support. The two siblings' closeness was not only in their meager 18 month age difference; it was in nearly every aspect of their lives. They both were handsome boys with dark hair and light eyes. They'd played, cried, fought off bullies, and got into mischief together as a unit. Even when the Toulons had moved into a larger home and they had an opportunity to have their own bedrooms, Robert and Jeremiah had insisted on sharing a room all the way until high school.

The two brothers were gifted with a mother and father who showered them with enthusiasm and support in their passions. They'd unwittingly influenced the boys when they later showed interest in their chosen professional fields; after all, Diedre was a nurse and Thomas owned and operated a very successful antique shop. As they got older, Jeremiah spent his free time divulging in Diedre's medical books from nursing school while Robert spent many a late night with Thomas in the guest house on their property tinkering with various gadgets, toys, puppets, et-cetera.

This did not sway the brothers' connection to one another. They'd shared their newfound knowledge with each other daily, overjoyed to find the subtle similarities between the medical field and doll-making. For example, Jeremiah shared his anatomy catalogues with Robert, who used the information found within them to perfect his craft.

But as the saying goes, "Life is what happens when you have other plans". The Toulon boys grew up and eventually the time came for them to embark on their own paths. After working feverishly all through high school, Jeremiah rightfully earned scholarships to attend Harvard University in Boston. He was set to move away to pursue his dream of becoming a Pediatric Physician as soon as he graduated. Robert had become quite comfortable working with Thomas in the family antique shop and had no intention of going anywhere. Besides, he had fallen in love and had a fiance at that point. When the time came, Jeremiah's departure to Massachusetts was tear-soaked but supported fully by his parents and his dear older brother.

Halfway through his studies, he recieved word from Robert that he and his wife had a beautiful daughter they'd named Alexandra. Jeremiah was regretful that he was unable to attend their wedding, let alone the birth of his niece. His holiday breaks were spent at his desk in his dorm with stacks of books, reports, and charts. He'd often fallen asleep slumped over the mentioned items. It all became worth it when he finally graduated in 1989 and his family, all additions included, attended the ceremony. Alexandra was indeed the joyful and affectionate child Robert had always described her as. It made Jeremiah all the more proud that he majored in Pediatric Oncology; he wanted every child to smile and laugh as much as she did. No matter how sick, healthy, poor, or rich they were.

After bidding another farewell to his loved ones, Jeremiah went overseas to Bhiwadi, India to serve his internship at a Children's Ward. He was fascinated by the beauty of the Middle East, which he described elequintly to Robert in his letters and bi-monthly phone calls. However, as his time at the ward wore on, Jeremiah got to see the impoverished side of the densely populated country as well. It took far longer than he'd expected to get accustomed to the heartbreak of losing young patients of varying ages on virtually a daily basis. Not just to cancer, but to malnutrition and dozens of other diseases. More often than not it was a result of help not being there soon or long enough. Jeremiah kept his composure in front of his fellow physicians but when he returned to his rented home late at night to get 3-5 hours of sleep before starting the next day, he'd vent his frustrations and sorrows in crying to himself and writing in his journal or to his brother. He'd always return the next morning to face whatever India had to throw at him.

One day though, during one particularly rainy and cold spell during the country's winter, something happened that changed his life forever. After yet another grueling day, Jeremiah was waiting outside in front of the clinic waiting for a taxi to pick him up and take him home. He'd forgotten his damned umbrella that morning and was soaked, as the wind blew the torrents of rain in nearly all directions. Seeking shelter under the awning proved futile, and the low visibility made it seemingly impossible for the taxi drivers to see the young doctor waving them down clad in his dark grey trenchcoat.

"Oh, to hell with this," Jeremiah cursed, clutching his briefcase tighter to his body as he turned west after deciding to just walk the 7 blocks home. As the wind whipped the cold needles of water into his face, he realized that an umbrella wouldn't have done him any good anyways, it would've been torn from his hands and in Mumbai before he even got to his street. Smiling slighty at his sarcastic sidethought, Jeremiah quickened his pace, eager to shower and brew some of that loose-leaf Darjeeling tea waiting for him in the canister on the kitchen counter. He rounded the familiar corner that meant his house would've been in sight if the weather wasn't so poor, when-

*SLAM*

-He collided with something small that seemed to be going as fast as he was. Jeremiah found himself knocked down onto his behind, letting out a hiss between his teeth at the shock.

"What the hell-?" he said loudly, quickly wiping rain out of his eyes and thankful he managed to keep a tight hold on his briefcase in the tumble. When he regained his vision he found himself eye level with not a thing, but a very young girl. She couldn't have been anymore than 4. She was wearing only a bright pink kurti, no shoes and not a stitch to cover her head, let alone the rest of her, from the elements. The girl's lip was trembling and she fixated her extremely light grey eyes on Jeremiah, who softened instantly at seeing it was only a mere child who'd run into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart," he said gently, rising to his feet and shielding his eyes from the rain with his left hand. "Are you all right?"

The girl sniffled, her eyes glassy and her dark hair was plastered against her light bronze colored face. She shook her head and shivered in the cold.

"No mama! No papa!" she exclaimed, getting closer to Jeremiah to hide from the water and clutching onto his trenchcoat. He heard this expression everyday from children in the streets, but they usually added, "Need money!" to the end of their spiel. This one did not. She instead broke out into loud wails and said again, "No mama! No papa!"

Jeremiah put his free hand on her damp head and moved himself so his body blocked the rain, which the wind was sending from the east. He narrowed his eyes, looking around for any individuals who might appear to be parents looking for a lost child in the storm. But the people who passed scarcely looked at the doctor, let alone the little girl with him. This proceeded for nearly 10 minutes while she sniveled and shook beside him.

He considered taking her back to the clinic so the night shift doctors could tend to her. But that was quite a walk in the opposite direction, and the storm was getting worse. After deliberating with himself for several more moments, Jeremiah opened his arm and motioned for the little girl to climb onto his side. She did so with no hesitation and hid her face in his neck as he nearly ran the rest of the way to his house.

Once inside he grabbed the comforter off of his bed and wrapped it around her. She shuffled over to the fireplace and sat down on one of the overstuffed pillows in front of it while Jeremiah quickly made a fire. He emptied his linen closet and dialed the hospital's number on his cordless phone.

"May I speak to Doctor Erikson, please?" he asked the receptionist as he towel-dried the girl's hair with the phone held to his ear by his shoulder. The child giggled and squirmed, seeming to come to life the warmer she got.

"Doctor Erikson speaking," came an answer finally.

"Erikson, it's Toulon," Jeremiah said to the other doctor, who was a friend of his from Harvard. "I kind of have an emergency."

"And you didn't bring it here...why?" Erikson questioned.

"I guess it's more of a social-slash-moral dilema," Jeremiah replied. "On my walk home I've accumulated a child."

It was silent for a moment. "Uhhhh, how so?"

"I think she's an orphan. She says she has no parents and from the looks of her, it's true. No coat, no hat, not even shoes. Her feet are calloused and she's only about 4 years old."

"Wow," Erikson said slowly. "So you took her home?"

"I wasn't about to leave her out there in the middle of this shit storm at 11 o'clock at night," Jeremiah said, sighing as he set aside the now wet towel and watching the girl warm her hands in front of the flames. Her eyelids drooped and her half smile was one of contentment.

"Well, certainly not," his friend laughed. "I guess just bring her in tomorrow morning and we'll contact the police and check any missing persons reports and touch base with the local orphanages." Jeremiah nodded at this.

"All right, I'll see you then." He hung up the phone and set it on the end table to his left. Before he could even fully turn back around, the little girl wormed her way onto his crossed legs, comforter and all, and snuggled into his chest. She graced him with another smile which immediately took hold of his heartstrings and not only tugged, but yanked them. Jeremiah smiled back as she closed those big, trusting extraordinary eyes and began lull into sleep.

After he was sure she was deep in R.E.M., Jeremiah took the bundled girl and placed her on the couch near the fireplace before going to his room. He showered in record time and after getting dressed, checking on his houseguest, and putting the tea kettle on to boil, he got a knife from the kitchen and cut open the tape sealing a box that sat on the dining room table. It was a package he'd planned on mailing to Robert and Alexandra next week when he had a day off to go to the post office. Inside was various souveniers, one being a lovely and ornate turqoise colored salwar kameez he'd bought for his niece. Alexandra herself was almost 4 years old; Jeremiah figured she wouldn't mind the garment being given to a less fortunate child. He'd simply buy her another one when he made it to market again.

The loud shriek of the tea kettle woke the little girl up. She stirred within the comforter, and Jeremiah let out a hushed "Shit!" as he dashed over and pulled it from the burner, silencing it. He froze in a ridiculous stance, on one foot holding up a kettle higher than necessary and his eyes wide in alarm; hoping he hadn't disturbed her too much. She merely poked her head out of her nest of blanketing, giggled at his appearance then burrowed back into the vast fabric. Jeremiah untensed and laughed softy at himself as he added the steaming water to the mug containing the long-awaited Darjeeling tea leaves.

Taking a seat in the armchair opposite of the couch, he sipped his tea and gazed gently at the small mass inside the comforter. Jeremiah didn't know what to expect when he took the young child with him to work in the morning. He didn't know whether she was a runaway, had fled from captors of some sort, or was just another slum snipe.

Jeremiah Toulon did know, however, he'd do anything to make this child happy and healthy. He made up his mind right then and there to not leave India until he was certain she was safe and loved. He did not know then that it would end up being himself who would take on that responsibility. But he had the tiniest inkling of that, unable to pinpoint how exactly he'd become so paternal within a matter of hours.

After bringing her into the hospital with him the next morning as expected, Dr. Erikson (whose first name was Ryan) did the mentioned sweep of orphanages with the police after the child matched no Missing Persons reports. The authorities spoke Hindi and English both, naturally, but the girl wouldn't have anything to do with them unless Jeremiah was present. After her initial wellness check done by both Toulon and Erikson, it was determined she was about 3 and a half years old. Both doctors stood by while the girl conversed with the two police officers there in Hindi. After a conversation of about 10 minutes long, on the the officers turned to Jeremiah and Ryan and sighed.

"From what I can gather based on what she has told us, she and her parents had always been homeless, living in one of the slums outside of Mumbai. They supposedly came here and dropped her off and told her to find a 'new mother and father'." He cast a glance at the child before continuing. "She's been abandoned, in other words. Was running around with some of the feral children around here for about a month before losing them in the storm last night. She can be taken to an orphanage, if you'd like, where she can be conditioned and have the chance to find a prospectful family."

Ryan nodded, casting a sideways glance at Jeremiah who was looking at the toddler with his brow furrowed.

"What are you thinking, Toulon?" he inquired.

"I would like to adopt her," Jeremiah said plainly. Ryan and the two policemen appeared startled. "What? Am I not allowed to? Is there some kind of 'No Cutting In Line' policy in the adoption process?"

"Well, I suppose not," the other officer said. "But there are the legal proceedings to be set in motion before you can officially claim her."

"I feel that I exceed the prerequisites," Jeremiah stated. It was silent for several moments before Ryan cleared his throat.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's not exactly the same as getting a puppy from the pound, you know?" he asked his friend, who was now picking up the orphan because she stretched out her arms to him. Jeremiah looked at his fellow doctor and smiled.

"You're right, its not the same," Jeremiah said simply. "It's better."