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"Pot roast. Charlie barely called you hoping to get your share, so I saved some for you. Anyway," He set the plate down in front of the small dog, "I was just asking Charlie about that since this is now becoming a public place we have a name for it. He said Charlie's Place, I was wondering what you would think and he said you didn't care. So I was just wondering, is that true?"

"Well, you're right about me being surprised. To be honest, I thought you would, considering this is your home to." Zero said, tilting his head to one side.

"Hm... I see your point. Home is home." Zero said, nodding thoughtfully. "Well... Thanks for your time Itch." He said, starting to go back to Charlie's room.

Nika nodded and admired his eyes before smiling "Lucky, stay here and finish your dinner okay, momma will be right back." She smiled as she walked into her room, hoping Rollie was following her.She sat down on her bed and sighed "It all started when my mother first saw me, I looked nothing like my parents and I was much smaller than the others, so I was obviously a outcast, but I was also well...Different." She took a short breath "I was quiet, I spoke to only the flowers and insects that sorrounded me and that were apart of my daily life.I named them all, but Jasper was the most important thing in the world to me, he was a daisy that was planted inside of my bed after I was born, but my siblings all received roses." Her eyes traveled to her window "I tol dhim everything, but when my father was in a bad mood he smashed hhim, and k-k-.." She felt a sharp pain going through her body as she tried to block the memory of her only friend being crushed out of her mind "He killed him...I cried and went silent, I didn't even talk to the bugs by then.I didn't talk much to my family anyways, but they always spoke to me, telling me how ugly I was, how I wasn't a rightfull daughter to the family name, I was a disgrace, and many times the told me they wanted me dead." She paused, her eyes closed now "I often received beatings for small things, but I did't scream.But one day I took a stand, I screamed and fought and attacked my family with such rage, such emotional terror and anger and pain had built up inside of me, and it all exploded and I was thrown out like trash.And from then on out I lived on my own, roaming the streets and fending for myself since I was five months old." Her tail had stopped wagging, and her head hung low as she kept her water filled eyes on the window that was now streaked with rain and flashes of lightning."It was raining when I left home." She sai almost emotionlessly.

Zero had heard Nika starting to tell her story to Rollie in another room when he was going to Charlie's room and stopped to listen, ears perked. His ears and tail drooped sadly at the end and he continued on his way, hoping he wouldn't be noticed.

Nika smiled weakly as she nuzzled Rollie lovingly "Thank you Rollie, I love you to." The words she spoke seemed to feel dangerous and risky, and to her they were.

Zero went back to his former position in Charlie's room and lay down silently, eyes looking at the ground.

Zero's tail twitched restlessly as he thought. That's really sad to hear... I can't believe she of all people went through something like that...

"Huh?" Zero asked, sitting up and snapping out of this thoughts. "What was that Itch?"

Nika leaned in and kissed Rollie, her heart pounding with fear and excitment.As she pulled back away from him she blushed heavily "Um...we-I mean I-I got to put Lucky to bed." She stumbled back in embarressment.She walked into Charlie's room and spotted Lucky "C'mon little fella, its past your bed time isn't it?" She nudged the pup forward towards the door.

Mishka sat up as she heard voiced from another room, she had accidently overheard Nika's sad story and walked to Zero, curious if he had heard it to.