A/N: Hope you guys like this one. I might be slow since I'm working on two fics now, but I'll try to update fast. :D

Chapter 2

Rouge walked down the street. She was still baffled by the occurrence earlier that day. "Why does he care so much about this?" She had slid down her glove and was staring at the mark on her right arm. It was a small aqua blue circle with a matching outline that traced around it and then turned abruptly before meeting his beginning point and thus turning into a swerving tail that ended just before her wrist and at the end of this tail was a smaller blue circle. "I've had this for as long as I can remember. Even as a child." Her caretaker in the orphanage had always assumed it was some cruel thing done to her by her parents, but Rouge had no recollection of ever having the tattoo forced upon her, only that it had always been with her. Rouge was suddenly aroused from her thoughts when she heard the yelp of a child. she looked ahead of her. She saw three older male children, none of them looked hurt. Then Rouge realized the sound she had heard came from a fourth child that was at the feet of the first three. It was a small black female panther. Rouge soon realized what was happening. "Hey!" She yelled angrily. She ran towards them and they quickly ran away. "Humph, they're not much of fighters when their victim isn't two times smaller than them." She looked down to see the little girl, but she was already on her wobbly knees trying to run away herself. "Hey wait," Rouge moved toward her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"No, but you'll make me go back." She cried trying to move faster but her fear seemed to paralyze her.

"Look." Rouge flapped her wings and landed in front of her. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you, and I won't take you anywhere you don't want to go." She smiled. "Won't you come with me though?" She knelt down to her. "I just want you to come with me to my house. I'll fix your knee and elbow." Rouge's ears twitched as she heard the little panther's stomach growl. "And I'll fix you something to eat." She finally relented and allowed Rouge to lift her up onto her back. "See this isn't so bad." Rouge walked gently so as not to jar the little girl. Before long that had reached Rouge's home. When they entered Rouge sat her little bundle in a chair and immediately began doctoring her wounds. "This might sting a little." Rouge warned before squirting a small amount of anti-bacterial spray onto a cut on the girls elbow. She only seemed to wince as she squinted her eyes in response to the spray. "There all done." Rouge had just finished wrapping a bandage around the girls knee. "Why were those boys attacking you anyway?" Rouged asked as she began putting away the first aid kit she had been using. There was nothing but silence, the little girl just stared at the floor. "It's okay." The panther looked up to see Rouge smiling at her. "You don't have to tell if you don't want too." Rouge fetched a bowl and then a plastic container form the fridge. She quickly warmed up some soup and made a sandwich. "Here," She set the meal down in front of the girl. "I promised you something to eat as well." Rouge giggled when the food was suddenly attacked by the hungry child. "Slow down, no one's going to take it from you." She sat beside her at the table. "Is it good?"

Finally the little girl looked up from the soup. "Yes, thank you..." She whipped her mouth. "You have been very nice to me."

"No problem." Rouge tilted her head to the side. "So can you tell me what your name is?"

"Lilly." She smiled a bit. "I'm-I'm sorry I was so rude before." Her whole attitude seemed to have shifted. "I was afraid." She began eating again.

Rouge blinked. "Oh it's okay." She was a little confused but glad to see a smile on the little panther's face. "I was just wondering though, where is it you don't want to be taken back too?"

"The orphanage." Lilly was taking a bite out of her sandwich. "I ran away and I'm never going back there."

Rouge's interests peaked. "Why is that?"

"Mrs. Nita says I'll never be adopted and that I'm such a burden. I've been there since I was little. I'm nine now and I can take care of myself. So I ran away." She seemed unbothered and yet sad as she finished off the sandwich.

"I see." Rouge could easily relate. She had never been adopted either and she spent her entire childhood in an orphanage. She knew only too well what cruel things might have been said to a child such as this. "Lilly?"

"Yes?" She looked up as she whipped her mouth.

"Would you stay with me tonight? I get really lonely around here and it would be such a great help if you could." Rouge smiled. "After all I have an extra bedroom that never gets used."

"Okay I'd love to help you." She smiled a smile so innocent Rouge felt it pierce her heart.

Rouge and Lilly stayed up for a while talking, but soon Rouge felt it was time for bed. Lilly didn't seem so keen though. Rouge had settled Lilly into the guest bed, but Lilly couldn't seem to stay still. "What's wrong Lilly?" Rouge knelt down beside the bed.

"I'm sorry...I'm...I'm just a little scared..." She whimpered at last. Rouge understood why she was afraid. It was a new place and she probably felt lonely in such a big room. "Rouge..." Lilly said in a small voice. "Will you-Will you sing me a lullaby?" She looked at her twiddling fingers.

"A lullaby?" Rouge blinked.

"I'm sorry never mind." Lilly turned away. "I don't know why I asked for that." She laid down facing the windows.

Rouge looked up in though. "I don't really know any lullabies, but I'll sing the closest thing I know." She sat on the bedside and gently rand her hand down the back of Lilly's head in a comforting motion.

"You are my sunshine.

My only sunshine.

you make me happy,

when skies are gray.

Rouge could see Lilly was dozing now. She lifted herself and moved toward the door still singing as she began to shut it.

You'll never know dear,

how much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away."