Hand Me Down

"You'll start to wonder
If you're ever gonna make it by
You'll start to think
You were born blind
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
Cuz no one's tried to give you
What you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now"

-Matchbox Twenty

The limo came to a stop and Shilo Wallace tensed looking around herself. She wasn't home. The door opened and a hand yanked her onto out of the street. She tripped falling to her knees. She stared at the driver in shock. He had a gun trained on her. "I'm sorry, miss," the man said. "I'm under orders."

"Please," she said softly.

The man stared at her for a few moments before putting the gun in his belt. "Let's make a deal. I'm going to close my eyes for ten seconds. Be gone when I open them. One." Shilo ran. The man opened his eyes and clicked on his halowatch. "Miss Largo, she ran."

"Good," Amber said.

Shilo didn't know what she where she was going. She just ran until she couldn't breathe. She stopped leaning against the alley gasping for breath. No, she thought, I was healthy. Slowly the blackness took over her vision. She saw some people ahead and tried to call out for help but couldn't speak.

Business picked up for the Graverobber after the opera. He couldn't believe what had happened. He hoped the kid was okay. "Gravey, I'm a little short today," a woman, his last customer said running a hand down his chest. "Do you think you could let me pay another way?"

"Cash only today," Graverobber said.

"But why?" the woman whined sounding suspiciously like Amber.

"Sorry, I have a headache," he quipped. The woman stomped off, presumably to find another dealer. Graverobber rolled his eyes and turned around, that's when he spotted the woman lying unconscious against the wall. He went to her and knelt down. It was the kid.

"Shit. Kid, are you okay?" he asked shaking her shoulder lightly. She didn't move. He checked her pulse sighing in relief when he felt it beating strongly under his fingers. He sat on his haunches for a moment weighing his options. He could leave her here and come back in the morning to extract the Zydrate from what would no doubt be her corpse or he could take her home with him. He lifted her into his arms and carried her down the street and to his apartment.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself as he laid her on the couch. "Kid, wake up." What if she died on his couch? He'd have to find away to get the body somewhere without being seen and- a soft moan interrupted his thoughts.

"What? Where am I?"

"You're in my apartment," Graverobber said. "Are you okay?"

"I thought it was out of my system," she murmured mostly to herself.

"What was?"

"How did you find me?"

"You were in my alley." He looked her over. "Jesus, kid, you're covered in blood."

"It's my dad's and Mag's," she said her voice breaking. "They're both dead. I'm alone. I don't even know anyone in this city."

"You know me," he pointed out.

"And you saved me again. Thank you." She started to get up but her legs buckled under her weight.

"Don't," he said. "Just relax for a while. What were you doing on my side of town?"

"The man driving the limo was ordered to kill me."

"You've had a really bad night," Graverobber said, impressed with her poise. "You can stay here tonight. I have a shower you can use when you feel like you can get up."

"Thank you," she said sitting up. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't even be helping me. What if they send somebody after you?"

He had thought about that but had decided that what was done was done. "There are very few people in this world who know where I live. Those that do wouldn't cross me. It's not a problem, kid."

"Thank you, and my name is Shilo."

"I prefer kid," he smirked. She got to her feet slowly swaying a little but managing to stay standing. "You need help?"

"I just want to shower," she said. "I think I'm okay."

"You sure?" he asked with a wicked grin. "I could wash your back." Her eyes widened and a blush stained her cheeks. "You never did tell me why you passed out in the first place."

"My father has been poisoning me for pretty much my entire life, I guess it's not completely out of my system yet."

"That's... really fucked up."

She snorted. "Yes."

"I'll show you where the bathroom is... although it's not like it's really hidden." He walked down the short hallway. "It's not much but the water's hot. I could get you a shirt if you want."

"That'd be nice, thank you," she said. He left and came back with a plain white t-shirt. She thanked him again before shutting the door. It was only when she was in the shower watching the blood wash down the drains that she allowed herself to break down. What would she do now? She had no one, she didn't even know if she could go home because of the Largos. She had no money, no skills. All she had was a place to stay for the night.

"Kid, you fall asleep in there?" Shilo jumped hearing Graverobber's voice. She shut the water off and dried herself before putting the shirt on. Luckily it came to her thigh. She came out of the bathroom to see Graverobber leaning against the wall. His eyes traveled lazily over her.

"What?"

"You have nice legs." She blushed. "Get some sleep. I'm going out." He paused at the door. "Did Rotti really offer you GeneCo?"

"If I killed my father," Shilo said sitting down.

"You have a lot more loyalty than most people," he told her.

"Would you have done it?"

The question made him pause. "With my family? Yeah, probably."

"I hate him for what he did but he's my dad. I don't want any part of that company. It's evil."

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "I'll be back later tonight."

"Thanks again."

"Just get some rest." He went back to the alley. Amazingly, his back was still in the dumpster untouched. So what did one do with a seventeen year old girl that the most powerful family in the world wanted dead?

"Graverobber?"

He smiled thinly. "Amber Sweet."

"I heard you picked up a stray."

"People do like to talk."

"I could make things very hard for you."

"I don't know where she is."

Amber sauntered up to him and ran a hand down his chest. "You're lying," she sang.

"Am I?"

"I want her eliminated."

"The kid doesn't want anything to do with your company. There's no point in killing her."

"Why doesn't she?"

"She's just a lost, hurt girl. She just needs to heal and built her own life. She wants nothing to do with GeneCo."

"Alright, Graverobber. If I choose to leave her alone do you promise she won't challenge me?"

"If I do you won't go after her?"

"I swear it. If she does make trouble for me, however, she's not the only one I'll punish for it."

"What?"

"I'm thinking you heard me just fine. Well?"

"So my choices are hand her over or accept responsibility for her?" Graverobber always looked after himself first but giving Shilo to Amber would be murder and he wasn't comfortable with that. "Fuck."

Amber laughed. "What's your choice?"

"I hate you."

"No, you don't," she smiled.

"I'll look after her, keep her as far out of your way as I can."

"Good. And honestly, killing he was only plan B." Amber waited patiently for that to sink in.

His eyes widened. "You set me up. You meant for me to find her."

"Oh, Graverobber, when a Largo wants someone dead, they die. I just wanted her out of my way. Plus, I saw how you looked at her."

He shook his head not knowing if he was impressed or just pissed. "You unbelievable bitch."

"Thank you." She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him hard on the mouth. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Power looks good on you, Amber," he told her seriously. "Take care of yourself."

"You too, I won't try to bust you but don't push your luck."

"Understood." She walked away. What was he getting himself into?"

"Are you open?" a man asked.

"Why the hell not?"

By the time that he got home it was well past two. Shilo was curled up in a wall on his couch shivering. He took his jacket off and laid it over her. "Don't make me regret this," he murmured. She relaxed snuggling deeper into the couch.