He was still holding on to her, almost afraid to lose the contact with the one person he'd ever really trusted or loved. His hand went to her hair, softly petting the back of her head with a gentleness that Pietro rarely put on display. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "It's alright. It's forgotten." There had been years between them lost, but he wanted it to not matter.
He could almost sense the guilt on her, recognizing the tone, and almost held his tongue about his search. But he hadn't come this far to not be truthful. As far as he could help it, he didn't lie to his sister. "It was... difficult. I didn't have money and I didn't know where you'd really gone. I had to pay a cop to tell me even the barest details and he just pointed me eastward," he spoke just as quickly as she had. "I've been all over looking, but I didn't really know where to start. And there were times that I had to run or survive and I had to put finding you on hold. I only really found you by chance and because I had someone willing to help." It'd been for a price, but it'd been help all the same.
"Have you been okay? Did those people treat you well?" He pulled himself away just enough so he could look her in the eye, hands remaining firmly on her arms. "Are you okay?"