She was nine when she first met him, young and vibrant. A spot of pure light in a city shrouded in darkness. Back when masked heroes were still legal. He had seen her, a tiny little thing wandering the scum infested streets at 2am. Easy prey. He had bristled immediately thoughts flashing back to little Blair Roche.

He trailed her. Not yet engaging. Watching. She was lost, wearing slightly tattered clothes, looked confused and a little frightened. She stopped in front of a hooker and tugged on the women's short skirt.

"S'cuse me miss? Where is this?" She inquired.

Her hopeful look was wiped off her face as the woman shooed her away. He silently wondered who the hell this kid was and why she was in the shittiest part of town at this hour. She kept walking pouting slightly as she went. He zeroed in on a dark hand-shaped bruise around one of her wrists.

She was suddenly pulled into an alley. No scream, just plummeted into darkness soundlessly. If he hadn't have been there, no one would have noticed and she would've been just another body littering the streets.

But he had seen. He jumped from the roof he was perched on and entered the alley. One guy, fairly large, filthy hands running through the girls hair, cornering her. His back turned. She was whimpering. Rorschach easily broke his neck. Disappointingly easy. The scum's body slumped to the side.

She looked up at him and his ever changing ink. And she smiled as if she hadn't almost been preyed upon. She was fucking beaming at him, like he hadn't just killed another man in front of her.

"Thank you!" she cried.

Really this was why he became a vigilante, so why was it making him so damn uncomfortable? Maybe because most people didn't thank him. He stared at her quietly before he began walking away. She chased after him and grabbed on to his gloved hand.

"Please! Please wait mister! Where is this place?" She was frantic

He had gone rigid from her touch but pried his hand from hers.

"Dangerous part of the city. Go home." His gravely voice answered.

"I can't! She said I couldn't go back!" She spoke tears of frustration stinging the edges of her eyes.

Rorschach looked at the bruise on her wrist.

"Your parents hit you?" He asked feeling anger pooling in his stomach.

"Mama does, but that's because I'm a bad child. She said I'm too spoiled and she didn't want me anymore. She left me here and I can never ever go back." She looked up at him resignation on her face

Fuck. He couldn't just leave her here. That was like throwing her to the wolves. But what the hell was he supposed to do with this kid?

He had called Night-owl, standing in a dimly lit phone booth the girl by his side. When his partner arrived in Archimedes, it was to find a tense Rorschach with a tired little girl clinging to his pant leg. Daniel was utterly shocked.

He lowered the ship and stepped out. Crouching down to the girl's level he spoke in a gentle voice.

"Hello there. Are you alright? What's your name?"

She hid behind Rorschach.

"He's weird..." She spoke to the detective. Rorschach's lips twitched upwards behind his mask.

"Yeah"

She was asleep in the back of the ship.

"I don't get it kids usually love me..." Daniel complained

"Maybe it's the bird outfit." Rorschach deadpanned.

Night-owl looked at him in disbelief.

She awoke to the partners arguing.

"I have no idea what to do with her we don't even know her name or who her family is!"

"Doesn't matter. Can't send her back. Family's abusive." That voice was definitely the man who saved her.

She jumped up and ran over to the masked man and enveloped him in a hug. He shoved her off of him. She'd been trying to hug him since he saved her. She just smiled in response.

Daniel was reminded of an over-zealous child and a bristling cat. He'd never tell his partner that though, unless he wanted to get his ass kicked.

"Back off kid!" Rorschach snarled

The girl looked at him her face contorted into one off deep sorrow and guilt.

"O-oh. I'm s-sorry...please forgive me. I promise I won't do it again! Please don't leave me!" She cried her voice getting more hysterical as she went.

He stood up and she recoiled, expecting a blow. He was struck with how damaged this child was and what a harsh situation she had come from. Rorschach sighed heavily as he kneeled in front of her.

"What's your name?" He spoke quietly.

"...Emma" she looked up at him with wide eyes.

He stood back up and lightly ruffled her hair. Emma smiled at him, adoration shining in her eyes.

"Why'd she answer you but not me?" Dan puzzled, breaking the moment.

They had decided to let her sleep at the Night-owls lair and in the morning turn her over to social services. Rorschach argued against it at first, what if she told others about where the lair was? Their solution was to blindfold her until they were inside.

"This feels wrong" Night-owl had said gesturing to the blindfolded child in the back of the ship.

When they arrived Night-owl laid out a blanket for her on the couch in the lair. Daniel sat in one of the chairs and spoke:

"Don't worry Emma, I'll be here to keep watch over you."

Emma regarded him warily.

"Leaving now" Rorschach spoke.

She scrambled off the couch and ran towards him

"Please don't leave me here with that strange person, I don't like him!"

Rorschach almost laughed at the offended look on his partners face.

"Got work to do" he said.

She looked up at him sadly.

"What is your name?"

"Rorschach"

"That's a funny name." She smiled.

"Goodbye Rorschach, please don't forget me."

"Goodbye."

In the morning Night-owl turned her over to social services. She had warmed up to him a bit. She spent their short time together asking him every question about Rorschach she could think of. He answered the ones he could.

"Please tell him, thank you and that he's my favorite!" She said sincerely

"Alright. Your favorite what though?"

"My favorite person silly!" Emma responded.

Daniel felt a little guilty leaving the girl there. He hoped that they would find a good home for her. He wondered why she had grown so attached to his rough partner...

She was nineteen the second time she met him.

(A/N) Well there's Chapter 1. Forgive me if Rorschach comes off ooc but I haven't read the comics, so all of my knowledge comes from the Movie. There is going to be a fairly large age-gap between, my OC, Emma and Walter. I wrote this because I love Rorschach's character and I think he deserves a little brightness in his dark world. Also I'm a sucker for fluffy romance. I really hope you guys like this! If you do please review. If you guys want me too continue please tell me!