Hello welcome to chapter 2:) please enjoy and review, I like the love!

Violet Eyes Chapter 2

"Spot, she's up!" I heard Caroline yell from the other room. Race and I got up quickly from our game of poker and made our way into the other room. The hallways were now crowded with boys and Caroline had moved the little girl up to her room.

"Where am I?" I heard her ask. We entered the room to see she was sitting up and Caroline was sitting at the end of the bed, with her hair out of her braids.

"You are at the Manhattan lodgin' house for newsboys." I said in a strong voice. Caroline looked back at me and had a small smile on her face. I walked up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Newsboys? But I'm not a boy…" she mumbled, looking her hands.

"Neither am I." Caroline said giggling a little. "The newsboy is just a name for it. Believe it or not, I live here too."

The little girl's eyes became rounded and for the first time, she sort of smiled. It was small and didn't show her teeth, but it was still a smile. Racetrack was now on the other side of the bed without his treasured cigar in his mouth. "How old are ya kid?" he asked.

"Seven."

I looked down at Caroline, whose face softened even more than it was. I don't know what it was about her but she always had this thing for little kids under the age of ten. I think it's because she can see herself, the life she never got to live. It hurt her. I squeezed her shoulders and her hand reached up and held mine.

"Do you have a name sweetheart?" she asked.

"Hope..." she looked at Caroline. Hope's eyes were beat red and her cheeks were very flush. Seconds later she began to cough uncontrollably. Caroline moved her way over to her and began patting her back. After about a minute she stopped. "Thank you…"

"Race, can you go ask Kloppman to heat up some water for a bath and to make some extra food. We are going to be having an extra guest joining us tonight." Racetrack nodded his head and left the room obediently. She turned back to face Hope. "Lay down for a little while longer and then we will get you clean for dinner, does that sound okay?" Hope quickly nodded and layed her head back on the pillow.

"Dear, can I have a word." I asked her as she tucked the little girl in. She nodded and brushed her hair back. I got up off of the bed and she followed me out of the room. Once she shut the door behind her, I did the thing I had wanted to do all day.

I kissed her. It wasn't long, but just long enough. It was soft and passionate, enough to give me the butterflies that I loved. She was the only girl that I have ever kissed that sent chills down my spine and makes me feel like a totally…safe.

"What was that for?" She whispered, our lips still touching.

"Just been a long day Caroline." She kissed me softly again and took my hat off of my head, placing it on her own. "You look cute." Her cheeks turned a very light pink and I caressed her cheek.

"What did you wanna talk about?" she plopped herself on my bed that Kloppman gave me whenever I wanted to stay here. Lately though, that had become a lot. I only went home to sell and to make sure my boys didn't burn down the lodging house down. Right now my only worries were Caroline. She took of my hat and put it on my bed post. I layed down next her, as she layed her head on my chest, my hand went to stroking her hair.

"Well, it's about the little goil." I said. "Did you see her eyes?" she nodded. "They looked like Katie's…"

She lifted herself on her hands and looked at me. "Spot…we both know…"

"I know! She is gone…she has been gone for years…" my eyes stung, a single tear rolled down my cheek. "But still, it looked like her…"

"Is that why you want to help her?" she turned my head to face her.

"No," I said as she wiped away my tears. "She needed help and I knew we could help her…." My voice trailed off.

"Okay, then she is staying here till Christmas. Maybe longer if I can help her get a job." She was smiling.

"You have to be by far the most amazing person I have ever met." I kissed her forehead and she entwined her fingers with mine. "I love you." I whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." She kissed me. I let my hand release hers and rest on the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me. My other hand ran down from the middle of her back to her thigh, rubbing circles on it with my finger.

"Okay!" a voice said from the doorway. We separated to look over to see Racetrack crossing his arms and his cigar in his mouth. "No one wants to see that, especially me. You know Spot, she still is my sister." He walked over to us as I felt my face flushing over. Caroline was the same color, only she was giggling. We both sat up and made room for Race to sit down.

"I just wanted to tell ya Kloppman has the water ready."

"Alright, I'll go get Hope." She kissed my lips gently and left the room.

"You two disgust me sometimes." Racetrack rolled his eyes from beside me, and all I did was laugh.

Hope's P.O.V

"Hey sweetie, time to get you washed up." I felt Caroline shake my shoulders very lightly. I looked up at her with my half shut eyes. She was smiling, she did that a lot. Good, it looked like it suited her. "Can you get up for me?" she asked.

"Probably," I sat up and the room immediately started to spin. I held my head, trying to stable myself.

"Spot said you haven't eaten in a few days, you're probably very, very weak." I nodded, as she picked me up.

"How are you strong? You look tiny!" I said with my head on her shoulder trying to steady myself out. As we stepped out into the hallway, the house was more crowded than I had expected it would be. Boys crowded the hallway and other rooms. We passed the bunkroom and I managed to look up and saw boys playing poker. I also saw the boy who had brought me here talking to the one who was also in my room. She just chuckled as she noticed the boys were staring at me.

"When you live with thirty boys and you're their leader, you kind of have to be." We reached the washroom, and she sat me down on the floor. She grabbed a pitcher of water and dumped it into the tub.

"Why don't you just pump it?" I asked.

"Because, you looked cold so I had Kloppman, the man who runs the lodging house, heat it up for you." She placed the pitcher down and picked up another one and quickly poured it in. "I'll just help you get in and then I'll leave you be."

"Would you mind staying? I don't wanna be alone." I looked at the door.

"Worried about the boys?" she asked walking over to me. I nodded quickly. She smiled and giggled a little. She helped me get out of my clothes and placed me gently in the tub. It was rather small, but I wasn't the one to complain…I hadn't bathed in about a week. The water burnt against my skin, yet it felt good and relaxing. I settled down.

"Oh, by the way, you're welcome to do whatever you want here. Eat anything, bath whenever you would like, and sleep." She began rubbing my back gently with a cloth and soap. "And if you have any questions ask me."

"Um, who was that boy who brought me in? I wanna thank him."

"Oh Spot, he is the Brooklyn leader." She said cleaning my arms next.

"Is that why you two are close? Your both leaders?" I asked looking up at her. She burst out laughing.

"Well, we have also been best friends since we were little. He is also my boyfriend…" she was smiling and looking out the window as if she had other things on her mind. For the first time since I had gotten here, I noticed she was very pretty. Her auburn hair fell just shy of the middle of her chest and she had beautiful green eyes. "But he is bad tempered so don't get on his bad side." She winked at me and began washing my hair.

"Thank you," I said. She stopped washing my hair and looked at me, confused. "For everything." I reached my arms out and gave her a small hug, and then I realized I was soaked. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry." She looked at me and laughed.

"Don't worry about it sweetie." We both laughed until she finished washing my hair and took me out of the tub. "You ready for some food?" I nodded quickly and put my hand to my stomach. It was growling. She giggled a little as she grabbed my hand. We walked out of the washroom holding each other's hand laughing and smiling.