#di lestrade

Just like tonight. He was the contact person, which was registered. So, whenever some trouble happened, he got a call. You never really understood, why he cared for you. After all, he was just a random Inspector and you were just a random homeless kid. There were plenty of your kind. But somehow you two happened to meet one day.

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You had found a body. Of course, you could've just left it there. After all, the guy had been dead. You knew that if you call the police, they'd bring you back to the house you ran away from. But your morale couldn't let you ignore it. You had ran to the next telephone box and had called the police.

Mrs Lestrade wasn't pleased when her husband got a call in the middle of the night but Greg didn't really have a choice. And now, two years later, he was thankful for that.

The bobbies had held you there and when Greg had finally entered the building, you felt safe. You never knew why. You didn't know him after all. He wanted to call your parents after he was done asking questions. He thought you were just a girl on the run from her parents, who searched a place for the night and that this would be the reason why you had entered the building.

"What's your parent's phone number?" "Oh, it's fine. I'll take a taxi home, believe me. It's way to dangerous out here. I promise." He eyed you. "You're lying." "No, I am not." "Listen, kiddo, I detect lies for a living. So, what's their number?" You sighed. "They... I live in a children's home." "Oh." He didn't know what to say. "I beg you, sir. It's horrible there. I don't wanna go back there." He was chewing on his lower lip, while thinking. He didn't wanna drag you back there against your will but he also couldn't let you stay on the street. It was his job to know what could happen. "Okay, listen, how about you staying with me and my wife for the night and we figure something out tomorrow?" "I shouldn't go with strangers." "Yeah, and that is right. But the streets are dangerous. We will tell the other officers. They'll know where you are. So, if you're going missing, which won't happen because I won't harm you, they'll know where to search you." "Okay, that sound good." "Donovan, Rigby, I'll take her with me. I can't let her stay on the streets. We'll figure something out, tomorrow." "Okay, sir," Sergeant Rigby answered. "Sure, you wanna do this?" Donovan asked. She didn't seem very pleased. "Yeah, I mean she's easy prey out here."

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"The couch is yours," Greg mumbled. "Thank you." "I'll be back in a sec." You were standing there alone. It wasn't a huge living room but it was comfortable. It smelled like home. You had to remember yourself that you won't stay here forever. Just for the night. "Here, brought you a blanket and a pillow." You turned back to the Inspector. He would never tell you that it was actually his blanket and his pillow he gave you. He'd sleep with the thin blanket and small decorative cushion from the couch.

You cuddled up in it just minutes later and had the best sleep since a very long time. Greg stood in the doorway, watching you. Not in a creepy way. He just wanted to make sure you'd actually sleep and not run off again. When he saw your slow, steady breathing, he returned to his own bed. It was quite cold with the things that were actually meant for decoration but he didn't care. He had the chance to turn someone's life into something better and that was just enough to make him forget everything.

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"Greg?" He heard his wife in the morning. He opened his eyes, blinking wildly. He looked at the clock. He had barely slept five hours. "What is it?" "You tell me. Where's your blanket and pillow?" "Right... We have a guest." "What?" "A girl. She found the body and ran away from a children's home. I was tired, she was tired. Thought, we could figure it out today." "You let a stranger stay in our house? What if she stole something? Who knows, maybe she's already on the run again? God, sometimes you're stupid." He sighed. "She is a good girl." He stood up and wandered over to the living room, where you were still lying and sleeping. "See?" He whispered. "No danger. Just a kid." "No danger? You are naive!" Suddenly, you stirred. "Shush, you're going to wake her up." "Yeah, better is." "Sir?" You mumbled, slowly sitting up. He sighed. "Hey, good morning." "You're having a comfortable couch." And you meant it. "Thank you, kid," he laughed.

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The following months, you were running away from the children's home more often. Lestrade got you into a new one after you first met but still, you didn't like it. Either you came straight to his apartment or he found you in some alleys after the children's home had called him and he searched for you.

His marriage wasn't the best before he met you and after it became worse. Mrs Lestrade didn't really like him leaving in the middle of the night to search for a random child. When she wanted the divorce, Greg wasn't surprised.

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He found you in an abandoned house. Well, it wasn't really abandoned. A few homeless people were staying there. That worried him even more. Not only you being alone but also you staying alone with some random people. Before he became a Detective, he had some operations there because of drugs. He found you in a small room, sleeping. At least he hoped you were sleeping and not dead. "Hey, wake up," he whispered and shook you. "Hmm?" "Thank God, you're alive," Greg whispered and only noticed then that his heart was racing. "Of course I am," you mumbled, sleepy. "Let's go home, sweetheart." "Home?" "Yeah," Greg mumbled and picked you up, bridle style.

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