The figure before you was a young woman, bright emerald eyes shining with worry behind large round frames. Her long black hair was swept across her forehead and reached her waist. Her light skin was clothed in a light blue dress, a red jacket, black leggings, and a pair of red converse.
The female worriedly stepped towards your small form, her body crouched as she took in your form. A sad smile graced her lips as she watched you cower away from her. She offered you a kind smile, her eyes showing concern as she took in your injured form. You felt, for some reason, that she actually wouldn't hurt you, but you wouldn't trust that sudden sense of feeling just yet.
"Who would leave such a cute little feral out here all alone? You poor thing..." The human said quietly. She cooed to you, her voice quiet and her figure patient as she moved closer to you. You watched with a wide gaze,
"Can you tell me your name? My name is Jade Harley." She spoke quietly as to not scare you. You watched her form for any sign of her being a threat, but were kind of surprised she didn't seem to be a threat at all.
"(Name)..." You spoke quietly, watching the small smile spread across her lips. She adjusted slightly so she now sat on her knees, her hands on her lap. Your tail moved and wrapped around your metal leg, keeping it straight and easing some of the pain.
"Okay (Name). Do you have parents? Or lose an owner?" Jade asked quietly as she took in your injured form. You whimpered quietly at the thought of her sending you back to that evil man.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry. I-If you don't want to go back, maybe you can come stay with me." She spoke quickly, not wanting you to get upset of run off. You looked at her like she was crazy. She offered a kind smile, slowly reaching a hand out to you.
"Why would you want me? I'm ugly, hurt, and useless." Your voice was quiet and shaky, tears brimming the corner of your eyes. Jade carefully scooped you into her lap, her hand beginning to rub circles on your back as you began to cry, quiet and pathetic whimpers escaping you as your translucent (b/c) tears began to stain the collar of her shirt.
"Don't worry about my jacket. I'll clean it up later. Just cry all you like." Jade spoke reassuringly as your eyes poured out a waterfall of tears. After several minutes of crying, you finally calmed down enough to look up at Jade. She offered you a kind smile, her hand now running through your hair. You sniffled and gave her a weak smile.
"Y-You really want to take me h-home with you?" You asked quietly, scared that she'd say yes then just take you to a pet shop. She nodded and gave you a hug.
"Of course. And I'd never take you to one of those pet stores. I know how they treat ferals, and it's disgusting." Jade said as she carefully stood, moving you so you rested on her hip. She continued rubbing your back to soothe you as she walked out of the alley, keeping you close to her as a crowd of people came into view, causing you to whimper. The people glared at your dirtied form, but Jade kept you close and whispered reassuring words to you as she walked.
"Don't worry about them, (Name). They aren't gonna do anything to you when you're with me. I would never let anyone hurt you." Jade spoke, her tone caring and kind. You rested your head on her shoulder, your nose against her neck and tail wrapped around her torso. She moved her hand to your head and scratched the top of your head, earning a rumbly purr in return.
Jade continued the affectionate gesture until she arrived at a house, where she had to stop to reach into her jacket pocket to get her keys. She unlocked the door and opened it, making you lift your head to take in your surroundings. The sound of light tapping against hardwood floors caught your attention, so you searched for the noise, only to become scared, no. Terrified.
You whimpered as Jade closed the door behind her, your wide, scared (e/c) eyes locking on the form of a large white dog. Jade made a curious noise then followed your sight, her eyes also locking of the large canine. Your body began to shake violently as memories of fighting large dogs ran through your mind, causing translucent (b/c) tears to roll down your cheeks like a waterfall.
"O-Oh! No, no, no. It's alright, (Name). Bec's a sweetheart, please don't cry. It's okay." Jade's panicked voice whispered reassuringly to you, her hand rubbing circles on your back as she carried you towards a couch and sat down. You felt something cold press against your hand. Moving your blurry gaze from Jade's shoulder to your hand, you saw sad green/blue eyes staring at you. A quiet whimper escaped the snow colored dog, making you sniffle and wipe your tears.
"See? Bec's a sweetheart, (Name)." Jade spoke with a calm smile. You looked between her and the dog several times, then locked your gaze with Bec's. You offered a soft smile and pat his head, earning a happy bark. Your smile grew as you released Jade's jacket from your hand and sat on her lap facing Bec, now using both hands to scratch behind his ears and pet him.
Jade watched the cute exchange and pulled out her phone, immediately taking several pictures before sending a text to a friend. After the two sent messages to each other and he confirmed he was on his way to her house, Jade put her phone away and watched as you climbed down from her lap and were now rubbing Bec's belly.
"M-Miss Jade... I-I think he l-likes me!" You cheered quietly, your throat still hurt from disuse. Jade chuckled and stood up from the couch.
"(Name), can you stay here with Bec while I go get a bath ready for you along with some clothes?" Jade asked. You paused rubbing Bec's stomach and looked up to her with amazement. She wanted to give you a bath? And clothes? Wow. You nodded in response and went back to petting Bec, who was now sitting and rubbing against you, getting dirt on his white fur.
Jade chuckled and left the room, muttering about giving Bec a bath as well. You scratched behind Bec's ear again then took the opportunity to take in your surroundings. You noticed several small knick-knacks on a large bookshelf, along with a large assortment of books as well. You continued looking around, seeing a large tv with a DVD player, a case with movies, some dog toys, and an entryway to what you presumed was a kitchen.
A sudden knocking sound caused you to jump, along with causing Bec to begin barking as he stood and faced the front door. Jade came scurrying out and opened the door, but you couldn't see who was there. You carefully climbed onto the couch, being sure to not hurt your leg any more than it already was, and kept your head low, your eyes only visible over the back of the couch. Bec copied your movements and watched with you as Jade talked to a taller male, a large buck-toothed smile on both his and Jade's lips. A woman also stood beside him, her blue eyes looking in your direction. Wait, she's looking at you!
You ducked down and pulled your good leg close, trying to remain hidden as you heard footsteps coming near you. Bec barked happily and jumped down from the couch and headed around it to greet whoever was there. You felt hands reach under your arms and pull you up, your body now facing the two newcomers. Both of them had short hair; the male's was messy while the female's was neater.
The chubby female was dressed in a white shirt and a light blue skirt that reached her ankles. Her bright blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of small, round framed glasses, a smile of her chubby cheeks. The male was dressed in a white shirt under a green unbuttoned shirt, a pair of cargo shorts, and a pair of black boots with traces of mud staining them.
"(Name), this is Jake English and Jane Crocker, my cousins." Jade introduced the two. Jane gently took you from Jade's hold and held you like a mother would to their young. Her blue orbs held care and a motherly look as she took in your injured form. Jake stood next to her and looked at your form as well, his eyes locking on your leg.
"Jade, I'm gonna make her some food while you bathe her." Jane said as she handed you back to Jade then walked to what you presumed was the kitchen, while Jake walked to Bec and began petting him. Jade smiled to you and carried you to the bathroom, closing the door behind her as she set you near the tub. She took off her jacket and felt the bubbled water, nodding in content at the warmth.
"(Name), the water may sting your wounds since it is warm, but it'll feel better afterwards." Jade gave you a calm warning then picked you up and placed you within the water. She was right, it did sting at first, but as she gently eased you into the water, the pain began to go away and warmth spread through your body, calming you and helping you relax.
"(Name), may I ask when the last time you had a bath was?" Jade asked calmly as she began scrubbing away the dirt from your body with soap. You thought about it for a moment then shrugged.
"My last owner only gave me freezing cold baths, but only once a week because he said it wasted water. And that was... a few months ago." You tilted your head slightly, allowing Jade to clean your horns and ears. A hiss escaped you as she touched the sensitive bone, and she quickly became more gentle while cleaning your horns, which made you release a purr.
"When was the last time you ate? You're quite skinny." Jade asked again as she rinsed your skin and began cleaning your hair. You purred as her hands massaged the shampoo into your scalp.
"I was only ever given scraps and small amounts of leftovers from my owner, but since I've been on the street, I barely ate anything once a week, if I was lucky." You admitted as Jade rinsed out your hair then repeated the process with conditioner.
"Where did you get all of these wounds (Name)? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Jade asked as she rinsed out the conditioner and began cleaning your tail. You frowned and nodded your head, earning a gasp from the female.
"Yeah, h-he did... All the time... He also m-made me fight big dogs like Bec, and they were always s-so mean to me, but B-Bec isn't." You admitted and began to swirl some of the now murky water with your hand, not wanting to look at Jade, but kept her within your peripheral vision.
"Awe, you poor thing. Well, I promise to feed you every day, keep your clean and clothed, and give you unconditional love and attention. And Bec already likes you, so he will definitely keep you safe when I'm at work." Jade said as she offered you a warm smile. You felt tears sting your eyes, the translucent (b/c) liquid rolling down your cheeks as you smiled a large, sharp-toothed smile at her.
Jade grabbed a towel and lifted your form from the dirty water, wrapping you up with the fluffy, warm cloth. She lifted you into her arms and carried you to what you assumed was Jade's room, then placed you down on a bed. She picked up the shirt that she left out and helped you stand up, one of her arms around your waist. She dried your body off then set the towel aside then told you to hold up your arms. You lifted your arms and she slipped the cloth over your head, though she did have a little trouble with your horns, but she managed. Once the shirt was on, you noticed that the black and green shirt covered most of your body, your tail lifting the back of the shirt.
"So cute." Jade said quietly as she picked you up once more and carried you out to the kitchen. She sat down in a chair beside Jake, who had a screwdriver and rag beside him, with you in her lap facing the male. You watched as he carefully took your leg and unscrewed some bolts that kept the lower part of your leg attached to your thigh. He popped the leg off and too the joint out as well, then used the rag to clean out any debris stuck in the joint.
You watched as Jake removed the foot from it's socket and cleaned it out, then fixed the joint and put it all back together properly. He then connected the joint and lower part of your leg back to your metal thigh, adjusting it accordingly, then smiled as he finished. You moved your leg to test it, a large smile crossing your features when it didn't send pain through your body, and moved just like new.
"Thank you Jake!" You cheered and launched your body into his lap, your arms wrapping around his neck as you nuzzled your nose against his cheek. Your sudden action nearly caused the male to fall from his chair, but he chuckled as you nuzzled him in thanks.
"Food's ready~" Jane called as she carried several plates and set them on the table. You pulled away from Jake and saw several plates with stacks of pancakes. Jane scooped you up and placed you in your own chair beside Jade and handed you a fork. You stared at the foreign object curiously, then looked to Jade for an explanation.
"It's a fork. You use it like this." Jade explained as she cut a piece of syrupy pancake and took a bite. You stared at her then copied her actions, learning rather quickly how to use the utensil. After you all finished your pancakes, you having eater two plates full, Jade sat on the couch with you in her lap, Jane and Jake having left after eating (and gushing over how cute you are).
You purred in content as Jade rubbed your belly, your eyes now drooping as you watched whatever Jade had on tv. Bec's head was resting in your lap, your hands slowly petting his head. You yawned once more, catching Jade's attention.
"Guess you're pretty tired, huh?" Jade said with a chuckle as she shuffled slightly, moving you so you were now sitting on the couch as she stood. "I'm gonna go shower real quick and make you a bed, keep an eye on her Bec." Jade chuckled and walked down the hall to her bathroom. You closed your eyes and snuggled up against Bec, using your own tail as a blanket while using Bec as a pillow, not like he minded.
You quickly fell asleep, quiet snores escaping you as Jade walked back out, this time in a set of pajamas. She carefully scooped your sleeping form up and carried you to a spare room, Bec following behind her. He seemed to have gotten attached to you quickly. She gently placed your body down on a makeshift bed that was made from extra blankets and pillows. Bec twirled around on the bed, adjusting it in places, then lied down. Jade chuckled quietly and placed your form beside him, watching as Bec curled around you and closed his eyes.
Jade sighed and smiled, quietly walking out, making sure the door was cracked open in case you woke up and needed her. She walked to her room and climbed into her own bed, falling asleep once her head hit the pillow, thoughts about getting you new clothes and introducing you to her friends soon swirling in her mind.