If I could begin to be
Half of what you think of me
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love
When I see the way you act
Wondering when I'm coming back
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love
Like you

-Rose's Farewell (Love Like You); from the STEVEN UNIVERSE season 2 soundtrack

Disclaimer: Brief mentions of suicide attempt.

Finding an unlocked car wasn't as easy as it sounded. Even during the night, when there were hardly any people out, Cassidy had to keep in mind that the occasional passersby would still walk across the street or down the sidewalk. She had to make sure no one saw her or Kai, but she had to be quick in her search for the right car so that she and her son could have a place to sleep for the night.

Looking down at her two and a half year old, Cassidy saw how he seemed rather unbothered by everything that was going on. He was standing close to his mother, just observing everything with minimal curiosity. Exhaustion was evident in Kai's eyes, which motivated Cassidy more to get him a place to sleep.* It was already obvious that the young mother wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep, and that worried her even more. What would happen to the baby if she didn't get any sleep? Cassidy was already not taking good care of herself, what if she did suffer a miscarriage because of that? That very thought made Cassidy's stomach knot up painfully, almost making her vomit. She couldn't think like that - she'd keep her unborn baby safe, just like she'd keep Kai safe. But Cassidy knew that she'd have to start figuring out ways to take care of herself. Living on the streets wouldn't do her any justice, and she understood the importance of finding a stable living environment, at least until the baby was born.

"Mama, I'm tired," Kai pressed. "What's taking so long?"

With a sharp look thrown the toddler's way, Cassidy took his hand and they journeyed to the next unused car. "You can't rush this, OK?" she muttered. "I'll find a car and you'll sleep there. Be patient." It was easier said than done, considering a lot of the cars Cassidy had inspected were locked, and she wasn't going to risk breaking windows and sounding alarms just to get her son to sleep. Not to mention Cassidy had to make sure that not only were passersby not catching her trying to break into cars, but she had to make sure anyone in nearby stores or apartment buildings were watching her. It took a lot of careful inspection, and Cassidy wasn't going to screw anything up.

When they made it to the end of the block, where the last car in that area was parked, Cassidy looked around, studying the area as carefully as she could. No one walking by, no in any stores were looking her way, and as far as she was concerned the tenants in the apartment buildings weren't giving her the time of day. Readying herself, Cassidy grabbed the car's passenger's side handle and wiggled it. When the door opened, and no alarms went off, a feeling of relief filled Cassidy. She managed to actually find a car that was open. Kai let out a sound of excitement, which Cassidy had to stop so no attention was drawn to them.

"Get in," Cassidy whispered, motioning for her son to hurry. When he scrambled in, sitting comfortably on the passenger's seat, Cassidy motioned him into the driver's side before she got in. Quickly closing the door, she locked the car. Grabbing Kai from the driver's side, Cassidy put him on her lap. She needed him close so they could all get away together. Kai was happy to nestle into his mother, and she had to remind him to be careful to not hurt his baby brother or sister. The toddler rested his head on one of Cassidy's arms, his breathing slowing down. Cassidy kept him as close to her as possible, as she leaned back on the seat so she wouldn't be noticed by anyone. The car itself was cold, and Cassidy would've dug through her bag for warmer clothes if Kai hadn't been on her lap. It didn't matter, though. If her son could get a few hours of sleep in, then that was good enough. Maybe Cassidy herself could get a few z's in.

~. . . .~

There wasn't much activity that night. At least, that was what Cassidy believed. She didn't see many people, and if anyone walked by the car, they never looked her way. Maybe she got lucky, but she wasn't entirely sure. Cassidy tried to keep herself awake in case the car's owner came back, but considering it was so late in the night it seemed unlikely. But if the owner had work early in the morning, that meant the small family would have to leave really soon. But...Cassidy didn't know what time it was. With a frustrating sigh, the young mother tried to make the best of the situation. Kai was sound asleep, occasionally murmuring or whining in his sleep, but otherwise he was out like a light. For Cassidy, she nodded off a few times, but only for a few minutes at most. She wanted the sleep, but she couldn't afford it. She thought it'd be a good idea to get some shut eye, but her mind changed quickly after that.

Looking down at Kai, Cassidy took the time to observe him. She took in his coppery colored curls, his lightly tanned skin, and the way he was so adoring of his mother. Kai's innocent, unwavering love for his mother warmed Cassidy's heart. She could only hope that her son would love her, considering she did her best to raise him and take care of him since she was fourteen. There wasn't a single doubt in the young mother's mind that she loved her son unconditionally. She'd move heaven and hell to see him happy. The same went for her baby, too. She left Eiji because she wanted to protect not only her son, but the child growing inside her. Cassidy couldn't stand the thought of just sitting by and allowing her uncle's abuse to go on for much longer. The overwhelming fear and uncertainty that came with living with Eiji was suffocating, and Cassidy just wanted a way to end it. Suicide wouldn't have been a good option. Cassidy had attempted to do so, and the fact that she failed had weighed heavily on her shoulders. The consequences of Cassidy's attempted suicide gave her the understanding that if she tried anything like that again, she'd receive punishments far worse than what Eiji allowed to happen. She had to figure out another way. It was only a miracle it would be because of a second pregnancy that Cassidy worked up the courage to finally leave.

Leaning her head on the headrest of the passenger's seat, the young mother closed her eyes for a moment. Maybe if she did allow herself some time to rest, she'd be more refreshed in the morning. She'd definitely have a lot of work ahead of her if she planned on finding Akihito.

~. . . .~

Aya had been doing a lot of research on Cassidy Hisakawa. The sixteen year old had been in and out of foster care before being taken in by Eiji. Her father was a rick lawyer, her mother was an immigrant. From what Aya had gathered, Cassidy's parents never married. Akihito Hisakawa's name wasn't even on the birth certificate. The only reason the Korean woman knew Akihito was Cassidy's father was because the sixteen year old had more of Akihito's features. But that was Aya's own observation.

The last place's she's been seen at was a grocery store, after she got off those transit buses. That thought ran through Aya's mind. She was able to gain access to some of the security cameras, and easily saw the sixteen year old and her son boarding some buses and walking in and out of a supermarket. After that, Aya was still trying to get a good look. The area Cassidy went to was a shopping district, so there were plenty of people. Maybe with this particular case, it was just so mundane that she wasn't really trying as hard as she normally would've. Aya understood, however, that she did need to find a way to return this girl back to her uncle. She could track her down, but she needed to bring someone in to physically get her. From the looks of it, Cassidy Hisakawa was determined to get as far away from Eiji as possible.

Moving from her spot near where her laptop was stationed, Aya picked up one of her many cell phones. Turning it on and searching through some of the contacts, Aya gave a small smile when she finally got to the name she wanted. Pressing the call button, she waited a moment before the person on the other end answered.

"Ayame?" Aya said.

"Who's this?" The woman's voice on the other end was clipped, tense.

"Aya Song," was the response.

"What do you want?" Ayame's voice remained tense.

"I need your help with something."

"I've told you I don't work for you anymore," Ayame responded harshly. "The last job you gave me was a bust. I nearly lost my life because of you."

"Look I get it," Aya said. "But this job requires your kind of work. This'll be the last job I promise."

"What do you want?"

"I just need you to find someone and bring her back to her uncle."

A scoff could be heard from the other end of the phone. "Seriously?" Ayame remarked. "Screw you, Song, I'm not doing that."

"Are you serious right now? This is a simple task! It shouldn't take long. Just some runaway and her kid."

There was a long pause on the other end. Ayame Kishimoto was an old worker of Aya's, who helped her with a lot of her cases in the past. The two women did have a falling out after Aya convinced Ayame to do a case that involved drug trafficking. What hadn't been told was that the drug trafficking was gang related, and that a rival gang had planned to interrupt the trafficking. And interrupting in the rival gang's mind meant killing everyone involved. After that catastrophe, Ayame quit working with Aya. It just wasn't worth it in Ayame's eyes.

"You still there?" Aya asked.

"I'm coming over," Ayame said flatly. "No offense, but I don't entirely believe you."

A smirk came across the Korean woman's face. "None taken," she responded. "I'll send you my address."

(A/N):

Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I've been trying to write this while doing homework, so that's why it's been put back for so long. Hopefully it's still a bit decent! Leave some constructive criticism where you think it's necessary.

OHSHC does not belong to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in.

If you've got any ideas on OCs or ideas for subplots, don't hesitate to let me know. PM me or leave a review and I'll put it in as quickly as possible.

Thanks a bunch.

Willow