Krystal pulled the covers over her head with a weary groan, blocking the light of the sun from shining on her face. Then five seconds later she woke herself up realizing she had covers over her this time.

Sitting upright in the guest bed she removed the covers, Looking down at herself. She was just as relieved as she was confused as to why she wasn't in the street anymore.

"Where am I?" She asked herself taking in her surroundings. She bounced up and down a couple times on the bed to check if it was real or if she was dreaming.

"Is this heaven?... Did I... die?" She thought feeling a sense of fear well up in her.

She calmed down when she felt the bump on the back of her head, making her wince at the sudden sting.

"Yep, I'm still alive." She uttered under her breath. "But .. where am I?"

Sitting still she looked down at her lap with a blank stare as her memory slowly came back to her. She remembered how Aldous came to her rescue at the last minute. He must have been the one to bring her to this bed room.

But while she was grateful for him saving her life she felt a sudden de-ja-vu sitting in that bed. This wasn't the first time someone had come to her side, and history shows that in her case, it usually leads to greater pain in the future, giving her a sense of concern for herself when she realized it was happening all over again.

But before she could dwell on the thought too long a pleasant scent caught her attention. Sniffing the air a couple times she found her mind and stomach being held captive by the smell of cooked bacon.

Rising from the bed she stood up and froze all of a sudden, buckling over with a sharp yelp when the soreness of her legs hit her all at once.

Holding back tears from the sudden pain she managed to hold herself together. With instinct kicking in she pulled herself to her feet, and slowly made her way to the exit, absorbing the pain and discomfort better with each step.

Following her nose she made her way down the hall and couldn't help but admire the decor along the walls. Pictures of Aldous and his family and various bits of art peppered the hall all the way down.

Upon reaching the end she peeked her head around the corner and saw Aldous standing in front of the stove humming a tune to himself as he cooked. He whipped around to dump the contents of the frying pan onto a plate on the table when he saw her.

She pulled back behind the wall hoping to evade his gaze out of reflex, hoping he didn't see her

"Oh Krystal, you're awake." He said with a warm smile. A chill ran down her spine when she realized she was caught. Peeking her head out again she saw him smiling at her.

She couldn't explain it, but there was something different about Aldous that set him aside from the last guy that took her in. Maybe it was the way he spoke, or how he didn't ask for anything in return after patching her up.

But whatever it was it felt like magic, leading her to believe that he might genuinely care for her well being. Although still a little cautious she slowly stepped out into the open.

"Come, eat up." He said inviting her to the table. "You need to build up your strength again."

Her stomach growled a little as she walked up and took a seat at the table.

"Thank you again mister Aldous." She said with a squeak in her voice again while taking a fork in hand.

"Please, call me Al." He replied with a grin before turning around to wash the frying pan in the sink.

While she ate her eyes were held shut as she savored every bite. From the blended taste of sausage meat to the crispy, rubbery texture of the eggs every flavor filled her with delight as if she had never eaten before.

It felt like an eternity had gone by before she looked down at her plate and saw that she had finished it all. She leaned back in her chair with a sigh of content and closed her eyes.

Seeing her content Aldous took the plate and rinsed it out too. But as he did so he could feel Beta emerging again. He whispered as soft as he could to evade Krystal's attention.

"It would seem you must learn her history to better aid her. Now is your chance. Speak to her while she is content."

Even though he knew that Beta was just using that as an excuse to probe her in a sense he did make a valid point. There wasn't much he could do to help her if he was left in the dark. So after finishing the dishes he turned back and took a seat opposite of her.

"So uh, you feeling any better?" He asked looking a little shy. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, yeah, a little..." She replied before looking down at herself hugging her arms. "I'm still a little sore, but I can manage."

"Understandable. You took quite the thrashing last night." He felt like slapped by himself in the forehead for making that comment but soon replaced his regret with a question to drive the point along. "So uh... Is it okay if I ask a few questions about you?"

She seemed hesitant at first, but nodded her head in agreement.

"So, I completely understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I wanna understand your situation a bit..." He began, placing his hands on his lap. "How long have you been out there? You know, in the streets." She looked away with a look of sadness looming across her face.

"Ten years..." She whispered with a light gasp. Aldous dropped his jaw, dumbfounded by her answer.

"You've been out there on your own for ten years?" He repeated sounding shocked. "But you're so young... You must have been on your own sense you were seven."

"Six..." She replied with another crack in her voice. His eyes went wide at the reality of her situation.

"But... I don't understand. Where have your parents been all this time? Do they even know where you are or what happened to you?" He asked with concern in his voice.

He felt a bolt of remorse strike him in the chest when he saw her expression change to one of deep sorrow. He could tell he struck a soft spot by asking that question by the way she avoided his gaze.

"They're gone..." She uttered with a crack in her voice, water welling up in her eyes. "I never knew my father, and my mother... she died when I was little..." She explained with a deep breath. She looked down at herself looking like she might snap like a twig as every emotion she kept bottled up began to spring forth.

He swallowed hard as he mustered the courage to ask one final question.

"So, you've had no one to take care of you all this time? No one even tried?" He asked, his voice just above a whisper to better express himself as sympathetic.

But his worry had come true as water welled up in her eyes as she avoided eye contact.

"There was one man..." She replied gathering the last of her strength to explain. "But... He wanted me for... Something else...." She hugged herself tight as flashbacks of her last abuse played in her mind.

Noticing the dark place she was heading he clammed up fast, and slowly placed his hand on her shoulder with a nurturing touch, feeling as though his heart had become one with hers, enduring every ounce of sorrow and pain along side her.

"I'm so, so sorry you had to go through all that on your own." He said with a tender look. "No one should have had to endure what you did."

Unable to hold back any longer. A single tear streamed down her face as she held herself tighter. She could feel Aldous's touch and hear what he was saying, but for the most part she had shut herself down, allowing her to plunge into her own well of emotions.

"You've suffered long enough." He said softly, unable to see her like this. "So now I'm gonna help you get on your feet, for good." She looked up at him with big, glassy eyes somewhat stunned by his claims.

"R-really?" She gasped lightly a couple times with a sniffle as she looked up at him.

"Of course. You need a place of sanctuary to recover, and someone who can help you through it. You can stay here with me for some time. As for how long? Mmm... we'll play it by year. But know this: As long as you are under my roof you will not be mistreated in any way."

"You promise?" She asked locking eyes with him.

"I promise." He replied

A great weight had been removed from her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around him squeezing him tight, seeking solace in his promise for a better future.

"Thank you Al... Thank you so much!" She exclaimed nuzzling into him as her tears soaked into his shirt. She felt like she could finally let her guard down for once in her life. "And I'll try not to be a burden to you, I promise." She repeated a couple times.

"Hey now, don't talk like that. You are not a burden. You just got a bad start to life, that's all." He explained, holding the back of her head with one hand (without touching the bump) and his other hand planted on her upper back.

They stayed in each other's arms for some time before she broke away having taken control of her emotions.

"Better?" He asked his voice just above a whisper. She nodded and smiled a little, meeting his gaze again with a newfound hope.

"Thank you Al, for everything..." She said with yet another crack of her voice. "This means so much to me..."

Upon looking over at the clock Aldous' eyes went wide with surprise.

"Oh geez time really flew." He pointed out as the clock read 9:35. "Krystal, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I gotta get going."

"Going? Where are you going?"

"To work. Those bills aren't gonna pay themselves." He explained as he opened the closet and threw his light jacket on.

"You mean... I'm gonna be here all alone? By myself?" She asked feeling a little betrayed with him having to leave so suddenly.

"Oh come on now don't be like that. It's only for a few hours. I'll be back by evening." He explained with a soft tone again while slipping his footwear on.

"You promise you'll be back?" She asked looking at him with pleading eyes, locking her hands together.

"This is my place silly. I have to come back here." He explained. "And hey, I got plenty of books and a gaming console to keep you occupied while I'm gone."

"Okay..." She replied with a squeak.

"And remember to take it easy on yourself, you have a long ways to go before you're back to normal." He added with a shake of his finger.

Heading outside Aldous felt the crisp winter air chill him to his bones. It looked warmer outside than it was so he didn't think he would need anything more than a hoodie.

Nevertheless he wasn't going far. It would only be a few steps to his car so it wasn't worth going back inside for the winter jacket.

But as he got into the car he could see his eyes shift again as Beta opened up again.

"What do you think you're doing Aldous?" He asked with a stern expression. "You're letting her stay with you? You're going to let her pluck your heart strings just like that?"

"We've already been over this Beta." Aldous replied. "I'm just helping someone in need, that's all. Is that so wrong?"

"No, but you are too easily guided by your emotions Aldous, and now you give a succubus a blank check." Beta elaborated.

"Again with this emotional harm thing?" Aldous asked rhetorically.

"How is it that someone of your intellect is so blind to the dangers this girl brings?" Beta replied. "Must I spell it out for you? You never tasted real loss before. Should you allow her to bind to you, the pain of separation will be your undoing, and to an extent, MY undoing."

"Oh stop it, nothing is gonna happen between us. Besides, she won't be staying THAT long." Aldous argued.

"It takes little time for relationships to blossom my friend." Beta explained sounding a little more urgent this time. "In fact, I'm willing to predict that, if given the chance, she will see you as a close friend by winters festival, and vice versa."

"Is that a bet?" Aldous challenged.

"Indeed," beta replied sounding confident. "Should my predictions come to pass you will owe me a favor, permission to act outside our current arrangement for but a single time."

"And if you lose?" Aldous asked rasing an eyebrow.

"Then you will not hear from me for a period of your choosing. What do you say?"

Although reluctant to trust Beta again the thought of him being mostly dormant again did sound appealing, and Aldous was confident that he was in the right here.

"Alright you have a bet. She will stay with us until spring, then we will see who has the stronger will." Aldous declared.

"May the best man win..." Beta said before whistling his tune again.

Back indoors Krystal looked around the room now that her head was a little clearer. She was grateful for Aldous giving her access to his reading stach, but she found herself more captivated by all the appliances he had in the kitchen.

It felt like an eternity sense she was under a roof again and seeing all these new gadgets and gizmos filled her with a burning curiosity and an urge to explore and learn.

She played with the fridge feeling it's cold, dry air sweep over her when she pulled it open, feeling both chilled and refreshed at the same time.

She messed around with the blender pressing buttons without knowing what they did. Though she found that it's loud noises to be frightening. She held her ears with a yelp as the thing buzzed before frantically pressing the off switch.

She examined the toaster wondering what it was for. That is until it slipped out of her hands and landed on her toe.

She cried out in pain, and held her foot tight as she hopped around on her other foot before falling backwards on the couch flinging her feet into the air as her back fell onto the cushions.

She looked up at her legs and saw the different bruises and Band-Aids on her legs and remembered what Aldous said about taking it easy. She thought about her decision to explore the various appliances and realized she got ahead of herself, jumping into it without knowing if they were dangerous or not. Whilst pondering on this she sat upright and thought to herself.

"Maybe I should wait for him to come back before doing that again." She reasoned. But she still felt her curiosity nagging at her, and found herself pacing around not wanting to wait till evening.

But as boredom set in she looked down at herself and saw just how dirty she was. It had been who knows how long sense she properly bathed so her skin was covered in dirt.

"Oh, that's something I could do I guess." She thought. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I used his room to freshen up."

Stepping out of the bathroom she felt much better about herself now that she was clean.

However she did need to borrow some clothes from Aldous when the stitchings on her rag outfit came undone while trying to put it back on. Just until he came back to help her find something better that is.

In the mean time she chose to take up his offer and read something, taking a break from exploring the various electronics.

The day went on, and the sun began to set when she turned her gaze to the window.

The first snowfall had begun, and the snowflakes looked much bigger from the lighting of the house reflecting off each flake like little diamonds in the air.

Setting her book aside she walked over to the window, mesmerized by the beauty. She hadn't seen snow before, but it filled her with wonder and majesty watching them flutter down to the earth.

"Wow... It's so beautiful..." She squeaked to herself.

She felt like she was witnessing something out of a fairytale. In all her time outdoors this was by far the most extravagant sight she ever seen. She was so enthralled by its beauty that she didn't even hear Aldous returning until he spoke up.

"Krystal? You still here?" He called out flicking the light on. She jumped up and whipped herself around, startled by his sudden return.

"Geez Al! You scared me!" She exclaimed taking a few deep breaths.

"Oh sorry, just making sure you didn't run off or something." He turned around to set some grocery bags on the table before looking back at her.

"Hey wait a minute. Are you wearing my clothes?" He asked with rased eyebrows.

She held her hands behind her back feeling somewhat guilty, like a child who just got caught doing something they shouldn't.

"I'm sorry but my old one kinda... Fell apart on me..." She explained, her voice just above a whisper. Aldous tilted his head confused by her story.

"Your clothes fell apart on you?"

"Mhm..." She replied avoiding eye contact.

"Well... I guess that's alright. You didn't have much other choice I suppose." He said understanding her predicament.

"You're not mad at me?" She asked with pleading eyes.

"Nah, it's just clothes. Frankly you needed a change of outfit anyway." He explained. "That's why I-." He stopped half sentence when he saw that the toaster was still left out on the ground from before.

"What in the name of-? How did this get on the floor?" He said picking it up seeing a dent in its side. "What happened to this?" He asked examining it for further damages.

She felt her stomach churn with guilt. She forgot to clean up the mess she made, and now hit thingy was damaged as a result.

"Well, um... I can explain." She didn't even get the chance to elaborate when he saw that other appliances had been messed with too. He looked back at her and asked.

"Krystal, what exactly have you been up to all day?"

She couldn't bear to look him in the eye she was so embarrassed. She felt a little afraid that he might kick her out for damaging his stuff. But she couldn't pull herself to lie about it, even to save herself.

"I'm sorry I was just curious..." She replied, her voice lathed with shyness.

"You were curious? About my toaster?" Aldous asked giving her a look of skepticism and confusion.

"I've never seen one up close before so I was curious..." She answered avoiding eye contact.

Aldous looked back at the toaster trying to wrap his head around her logic. How could someone of her age, homeless or not, go this long without knowing what kitchen appliances are? He looked back at her and said the following.

"Krystal you can't just go around touching things you don't understand. Some of these things can be dangerous. You could have gotten hurt, or worse."

As he continued he could see the sorry look on her face. (even though her hair was blocking most of it) He could tell she felt bad about it, and that his rant wasn't helping her much.

He took a moment to breathe and clear his mind a bit before grabbing her shoulders with a gentle grip. He looked her in the eye and said in as soft a tone he could muster.

"I'm sorry if that came out wrong Krystal. You just scared me a little is all." He explained. "You've been through enough already, and I don't want to see you hurt yourself either."

"I'm sorry..." She squeaked looking away, hiding her face behind her hair. But he drew her hair back and guided her chin upward to meet his gaze.

"I understand you're a curious person, and that's a good thing, but if you wanted to learn what these things are you should have just asked me." He said in a healing tone. "I'll gladly answer any questions you have. Just don't go charging in head first next time. Okay?"

"Okay... I'll make sure to ask first." She said feeling better knowing that he wasn't mad at her.

"Good to hear." He affirmed with a pat on her shoulder. Giving a little smile she looked beyond him at the bags on the table.

"What's in there?" She asked pointing at the bags. Aldous looked over his shoulder and replied.

"Oh yeah that's what I was trying to tell you before. I thought you might need something a little more presentable than those rags you were wearing, so I swooped by the thrift shop to find something new."

"You got me new clothes?" She asked taking a step closer to the table, her voice growing stronger with excitement.

"Yes, yes I did." He replied with his hands on his hips. "I hope you like them cause I got some pretty weird looks walking out of there, you know, as a guy with a bunch of girls clothes and all."

She took the bags with a swift swipe of her hands, and hugged him again for but a brief moment, thanking him before running off to the guest room to try them on.

While she changed Aldous took a seat on the couch with a light smile creeping on to his face. He always enjoyed the feeling of making someone's day, and knowing that he just turned a scolding moment around and made her feel happy in the end made him feel good about himself too.

But Beta was not amused in the slightest. As he sat down Beta would attempt to express his thoughts before she returned.

"I do not know why I even bother mentioning it again but are you trying to make her grow on you?" Beta argued. "Or perhaps she is too much or you to keep our wager?"

"It's just some clothes Beta, everyone needs some. Even you can't disagree with that."

"Fair that be, our quarrel does not involve the need for proper coverage. However there is something else about that creature that has caught my attention. Something that you would be wise to delve into."

"And what's that? Oh wait, let me guess, she had an evil look in her eye?" Aldous said with a sarcastic tone.

"Do not mock be boy." Beta snapped before regaining his composure. "It is the creature's intellect that I speak of."

"Oh so now you're a psychiatrist?" Aldous asked mocking him again.

"Set your humor aside and listen to me for just one moment." Beta snapped again sounding urgent. "Did it not dawn on you that she didnt know what a toaster was?"

"Yeah, but so what? I'm sure there's lots of people who've never seen a toaster before... Isn't there?" Aldous asked second guessing himself.

"Can you name a single individual who doesn't know what a toaster is? Can you?" Beta challenged with a smirk.

"Well, no I can't." Aldous replied after thinking it over a bit.

"Exactly. The chances of an individual not seeing one before is as slim as it comes. But consider this; she tinkered with several electronics, not just the one. Would it be fair to say she shares her ignorance for each item?"

Aldous hadn't thought about it like that. He hated to admit it, but Beta might be right again. It was just too odd to be a coincidence that she didn't know what anything in the kitchen was.

"Now do you see the problem boy?" Asked Beta. "Something is amiss with that creature, And I recommend you get to the bottom of this. You are the one in control here, best solve this case yourself, or I may have to do it myself got it?"

The sound of the guest room door opening made Beta shut up fast allowing Aldous to take control again.

She peeked her head out with a nervous look on her face. She stepped out and exposed herself wearing one of her new outfits. A purple tee shirt with a black skirt.

"Does this look okay?" She asked with a squeak, tucking her arms into her curves.

His eyes wide when he saw her. She looked like a completely different person now, more feminine, more refined, and cute as a button.

"I think either I'm good at choosing an outfit, or you really know how to make one work." He answered with a grin. She blushed and held herself tighter.

"Really? It feels a little tight on me though..." She added looking at herself. They could both tell her shirt was a little snug just by looking at it. Although it covered her well it gripped her body in a way that showed off her curves.

"Yeeeaaah I didn't think about what size you wore until I was already there." He explained stroking his chin some. "Sorry if some of them might not fit, I tried my best to eye ball it. There should be some larger shirts in the mix too, I got like, three different sizes so at least one of them should work, I assume."

"It's okay I guess. I kinda like it..." She replied whilst hiding one leg behind the other.

"Wait really? You don't mind it being snug on ya?" He asked surprised by her openness.

"Well, yeah. It feels so soft and airy. And the way it clings to me... It makes me feel feminine again..." She explained feeling the fabrics.

"Well I guess that's one way to put it." He said as he leaned back on the couch resting his hands behind his head.

In a way to show her gratitude she walked over, and took a seat next to him before leaning her head on his shoulder.

He felt his heart rate pick up at the sudden guestures and looked at her with surprise without breaking away.

"Sorry if I'm being so clingy... I just feel so safe with you..." She said snuggling up to him.

"Not a worry, I get it. You need to get your fill of affection after all you've been through." He replied understanding her clinginess.

"Thank you Al. You didn't have to do this for me. But you did... I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Don't even think about that." He replied in a bold but calm manner. "You don't have to repay me in any way."

"But you're doing so much for me... It wouldn't be fair if I didn't do something in return." She asked locking eyes with him for a moment.

"And that's the beauty of it." Aldous replied. "Gifts don't come with a price Krystal, their free."

She looked at herself for a moment, deep in thought before looking up again.

"I don't understand... Why are you being so nice to me? Nobody else would do this for me, why are you?" She asked, her eyes radiant with innocence.

"Now that's a good question." He replied. "I think it's a pretty simple answer: Because I don't like seeing good people suffer. I may not be able to end world hunger or cure homelessness world wide, but I can do what I can in the here and now. And right now, that's you." He said smiling at her.

She returned the smile and leaned her head against him again, savoring the warmth of his embrace.

As Krystal began to drift asleep Aldous could feel Beta watching them, giving Aldous a sinking feeling in his heart.

It hasn't even been a full day, and Aldous was already losing the bet. He can't just ignore her need for affection and and love without fulfilling Beta's prediction at the same time, can he?