Peter Jones would be the first to admit that he was a walking disaster of a human being. But even so, he was a walking disaster who loved his family. Since the only family member he had left was his older sister, all of that love, that need to protect, was channelled towards her.
When Peter had borrowed money from madam Mo, he had done so with the intent of using the cash to buy a bigger food truck for his sister. But that had gone up in flames when he had been robbed on the way to buy said truck,( he had no doubt that it had been madam Mo).
Realizing that he would not be able to pay back the money, Peter had tried to beg, to plead with the loan shark. All that had gotten him was bruised ribs and a threat that had scared him more than anything.
"You have a sister, don't you," Madam Mo's voice had been soft, her stiletto digging into Peter's stomach, and he had felt his blood run cold.
"Lovely girl, I've had some food from her little truck...it is very good. I wonder what else she will be good for," She had taken her heel off his stomach then.
"If you do not bring me my money, we will both find out," That was all it had taken for Peter to know that he had to leave the city.
And so that was exactly what he had done. Packing a bag in the middle of the night and making a run for it. Only leaving behind a note so that she didn't worry too much about him. Do not look for me. I am going somewhere far. There had been a lot of other things that Peter had wanted to say, but writing things like I am sorry and I will miss you had felt as though he were being too unkind. It would be better off for Ariel to believe that he was off somewhere, having the time of his life, rather than having her worry that he was on the run. So just as he did not want her to know about the situation with Madame Mo, he also had not wanted her to know that running like a coward was the only thing that he could do to keep her safe. Leaving her behind had hurt. It had felt as though he had cut himself in two and had just carried on existing afterwards, both sides of him torn to pieces. But he had consoled himself with the fact that his sister was safe. But knowing that she was fine, and actually seeing her were not the same thing. Which was why weeks after he had left the city swearing to himself that he would not ever return, Peter was back in the city. He knew that what he'd done, was not something that Ariel would ever forgive but he just had to make sure that she was all right. One look, that was all that he needed. Just enough for him to be certain that she was safe. And for him to cling to the quiet strength that his older sister always exuded.
Even if he would be seeing her from a distance. He would at least be able to get a bit of comfort from her. It made him feel worse than dirt to be doing that. But Peter had never lied to himself, and said that he was somebody who was stronger than he actually was. At heart he was a weak man but he was a weak man who loved his sister. Just one look, just to make sure that she was safe. That was what he told himself as he stood in the shadows of the apartment building waiting for Ariel to come home. As soon as he had visual confirmation that she was alright, he would leave.
Waiting in the dark, Peter acknowledged something to himself... He was long past the lie that he'd been telling himself. The lie where he had managed to convince himself that he would stay away forever.
But even if he knew he would keep popping in, he also knew that he had to be sure Ariel never saw him. Seeing him would make her cry, and her tears might make him stay, putting her in danger.
It was no way to live and Peter had no idea what else he could do.
People like madam Mo did not forget money owed to them. Sneaking into the city see his sister was not a feasible long-term solution. But for the moment, it was all that he had. His back was just beginning to ache from leaning against the hard bricks for too long when he spotted her familiar food truck. In truth he heard it before he saw it. It sputtered its way down the road and the sound made Peter smile and straighten.
Sure enough, when it came into sight, his breath caught and he felt his hands shake as he waited for Ariel to step outside of the vehicle. So busy looking at his sister, Peter, nearly missed it when another shadow dislodged from the darkness on the other side of the building. What? For a moment he thought to dismiss it. Their building might have been on the shabbier side but it was in a safe part of the city. Robberies and attacks were uncommon. Maybe it was just another tenant returning home, but something about the way that the person was moving and the fact that they were heading in Ariel's direction made Peter uneasy. Something glinted in the dark and Peter's blood ran cold as he realized what it was.
A knife!
Whoever was approaching his sister had a knife on them and she had no idea. She was still within the safety of the food truck though. But she had just undone her seat belt and was about to get out. Not even sparing a thought to his own safety, Peter ran towards her.
"Ariel, stay in the truck!" He called out. She jerked at the sound of his voice, And when her eyes settled on him, they widened. He saw her mouth his name. But then he could no longer keep his eyes on her because he had to focus on the threat at hand. The would-be attacker, having heard Peter's warning as well, whirled on him. The knife that would have been used on his sister, swiping out at him instead. He leaned back, avoiding being cut. Then he used the attacker's own momentum against them, sticking a foot out to trip them. Then grabbing his arm and twisting the knife out of his grip.
"Who are you?" He hissed. Normally Peter was not much of a fighter but anyone who dared threaten his sister would see a different side to him. Rather than looking intimidated at the sight of Peter. The man, his face obscured by a mask, let out a laugh. "The prodigal son returns," He said.
"Madam Mo will be pleased to hear that you are back," Peter's breath stuck in his throat. Madam Mo, the man was working for Madam Mo. Not only was he working for Madam Mo, he had come for Ariel instead of Peter.
Oh, oh, how could he have been so stupid? Of course with him gone, the debt would not just vanish. Instead, the cold-blooded old woman had transferred it to his sister, his sister who was completely innocent and knew nothing about it.
"We will have your money by the end of the month. Leave us alone," It was not Peter who spoke, but rather his sister-who against his warning was out of the truck. The man looked between the two of them, his amusement clear. Then, as easy as anything, he moved forward like lightning and took his knife back from Peter's loose grasp. Peter tensed, throwing himself in front of Ariel in case of another attack, but the man merely huffed and walked away.
"Madam Mo will be seeing you soon," He called. Once he was gone, Peter stared at his sister and she stared back. When it had really hit home to him just how badly he had messed up. Peter had often entertained the thought of what would happen if his sister were to find out. The disappointed looks that she would throw his way. Looking at her now. Looking at the same green eyes as his own, and realizing that she knew, it brought a new level of shame to him. Ariel was not looking at him in disappointment. Rather, there was relief, sadness and understanding there. After staring at him for a little longer, her eyes suspiciously wet. She took a step forward and enveloped Peter in a hug. Despite the fact that he had no right to enjoy it, he melted into the contact, his chest shuddering as he fought back a cry.
"It is alright. You came back. We will find a way," Ariel said and Peter felt awful. He was unable to even tell her that he had not planned on returning for good, that he had not even wanted her to see him.
"Let's go inside," Lost for words, he followed his sister. He had not wanted to bring trouble to her, but it seemed that despite his best efforts, that was exactly what he had done. It was not a good feeling to have.