Xan didn't arrive with paperwork.
She arrived with a backpack that was too light, a jacket that was too thin, and eyes that had already learned not to ask for help.
Luke noticed that first.
Not the fear—
the calculation.
A Child Who Knows How to Disappear
She hovered near the doorway like she might bolt if someone raised their voice.
Debbie tried smiling too hard.
Carl tried cracking jokes.
Liam offered her a chair and then immediately pretended he hadn't noticed her at all.
Luke said nothing.
He crouched, lowered his voice, and asked only one thing:
"Hungry?"
Xan nodded.
That was enough.
The Problem With Systems
Social services had a file.
They always did.
Missing mother.
Rotating shelters.
One step away from foster roulette.
Luke read it once and closed it.
"This system doesn't protect kids like her," he said calmly to Fiona that night.
"It processes them."
Fiona rubbed her temples. "Lip… this is a legal minefield."
Luke nodded. "Which means we don't step on it."
Guardianship Without a Cage
He didn't run.
He prepared.
School enrollment through emergency residency clauses.
Medical records filed under temporary kinship care.
Therapy scheduled quietly—no labels, no flags.
He spoke to Xan every step of the way.
"You're not owned," he told her.
"You're choosing to stay."
She watched him carefully. "And if I don't?"
"Then I make sure you land somewhere safe."
For the first time, she smiled.
The Moment of Choice
A social worker came—clipboard, polite tone, practiced eyes.
Luke answered everything.
Calm.
Transparent.
Unafraid.
No lies. No drama.
When the question finally came—
"Do you feel safe here?"
Xan didn't look at the worker.
She looked at Luke.
"Yes," she said. "He listens."
That did it.
Protector
Weeks passed.
No knocks.
No removals.
No emergencies.
Xan started sleeping through the night.
Started laughing—quietly at first, like she was testing it.
One evening, she handed Luke a folded paper.
A drawing.
Stick figures. A house. Too many people inside.
"Who's this?" Luke asked.
She pointed to the biggest one.
"That's you. You stay awake."
Luke swallowed.
Family Trust
That night, Fiona sat beside him on the porch.
"You didn't save her by force," she said softly.
"You gave her a choice."
Luke nodded. "That's how you keep people."
Inside, the house sounded different.
Lighter.
System Update:
Role Fulfilled:Protector
World Trust Level: MAX
Wish Progress:Guardianship Achieved
Karma Bonus: +350
Xan slept safely down the hall.
And for the first time in a long time—
So did Luke.