Despite everything, Vector The Crocodile was not dead. You might find that odd or strange. Yet he not only had his life but enough money to start a business. A detective business. He only needed someone to hire. Someone to help and pull him out of sticky situations. Someone to count on. Not many adults would trust a Twelve year old to help them, so he tried finding someone younger than him, an admitly hard task for the Croc. But for the time being he attempted to make a name for himself. Doing jobs whenever he could. He wasn't making too much money, yet he made enough to support himself.
One night however, he found something. Coming back from a job he found a chameleon. Younger than him, but only by a few years. He was out in the rain and obviously cold. Vector didn't know what to do exactly. So he did one of the only things he knew how to do: Interrogate.
"What are you doing out here?" He asked, The Chameleon didn't answer.
"Do you have any family close by?" Vector asked, The Chameleon didn't answer.
"Do you need help?" Vector asks, the Chameleon gave him a head nod.
"Follow me then." Vector said, The Chameleon got up and did as told. Vector let them back to his business/house and invited him in, The Chameleon graciously accepted.
Vector goes back into his kitchen while the chameleon looks around. The house is nothing special but it's a shelter, which he is thankful for. So he continues to look around, there isn't much back here. Vector takes out a meal and starts to cook, then looks around for his new friend. Who continues to look around his home. Vector smiles and goes over to him.
"Looking for something to steal?"
The chameleon quickly turns and shakes his head no extremely. Vector laughs.
"I'm joking," The Chameleon breathes a sigh of relief before looking back at Vector who is still chuckling to himself. Then he hears the pot boiling.
"Oh CRAP!" Vector runs back to his kitchen while the Chameleon smiles and follows him. He arrives to see Vector attempting to cool it down before managing to cool it down again. Vector breathes a sigh of relief, and turns around to see the Chameleon smiling at him, attempting to hold in a laugh.
"Yes, I know. Very funny. I hope you like Pasta because that's what we're having." Vector walks past him to set the table.
"Fine by me." Vector stops in his tracks.
"You can talk?" The Croc says, Espio realizes that he said something and keeps quiet, looking away.
"Oh, I ruined it, didn't I?" Vector says, then the pot boils again and Vector runs past Espio to cool it down again. Espio feels bad and follows Vector while he tries to cool down. Once it goes down again, Vector turns to see a sad Espio in the doorway.
"Do you have a name?"
"…Espio." The Chameleon says, and Vector smiles.
"Alright Espio, mind watching the pot for me?" Espio nods yes and Vector goes to see up the table.
Eventually dinner is ready and the two sit down. At Vector's probably horribly made but very cheap table. Espio doesn't mind though, he digs in as fast as he can. He hasn't had food in a while. Vector gives him a curious look.
"Sorry…" Espio mumbles out.
"…When's the last time you ate?" Vector asks, Espio looks away and refuses to answer. That's all Vector needs to know what's going on for Espio.
"You don't have a family do ya?" Espio turns back eyes wide, with Vector looking back at him with the most serious expression the Crocodile can muster. Espio looks away, sad.
"Hey, it's okay!" Espio perks up. "You can stay with me if you want too!" Vector smiles, Espio blushes at his friendly demeanor.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am!"
Espio agreed, and started to live with Vector. At first only doing menial chores at Vector's house. But soon enough, Vector wanted a partner and Espio fit that role surprisingly well. A one time thing turned into a partnership. They worked surprisingly well. Especially after Espio spoke up more and became less nervous around Vector. Vector always would carefully consider Espio's opinion, even if he would usually reject it, even if it was better. But Espio kept suggesting and Vector would keep on listening. It was them for a while. Eventually the Detective agency became big enough to branch out more.
Which is coincidentally when they found Mighty and Ray. Vector and Espio found them out in the rain. It had passed a few years so at that point Espio was Eleven so that made Mighty Ten and Ray Nine while Vector only just turned Fifteen. Almost old enough to drive (even if he did it without being old enough anyways) so they did what Vector did for Espio, took them in, gave them a meal and then they started to work for them. But Mighty always wanted to adventure. So he did, making the newly called Chaotix (named by Ray) a more free roam organization on their part. Mighty couldn't be kept in one place so he and Ray would go out to wherever and for whatever needed to be solved. Giving Vector and Espio a minor cut. Which helped (a lot sometimes).
Vector and Espio always missed Mighty and Ray. Thankfully Ray actually could get homesick. So the two would visit often. Which always made Vector and Ray happy. The two, only if they were a year in Espio's case or Four Years in Vector's case, they still felt kinda like parents. Only Espio noticed though and preferred to stay silent on the matter. Due to not wanting to out his growing crush on the Crocodile. Espio didn't know what caused it, yet his and Vector's parental concern for Mighty and Ray only made it worse and more obvious. Espio was always worried on Vector's behalf. Taking the more concerned side than Vector's more brash nature.
Espio didn't want to put himself out. That's what got him kicked out of his old home anyways and he loves Vector too much to let him go. Way too much. He worries that he's too obvious. He hates that he worries about that, but he can't help but be cautious.