It had been a long walk to Brooklyn during what Race was sure must have been the hottest part of the day. Even though the sun was beginning to set it was still sweltering. A warning whistle broke through the late afternoon air, two high notes and one low. The boys around Race dispersed quickly as he pocketed the dice and what was left of his meager winnings. He quickly took off in the opposite direction of the approaching bull and made his way down to the waterfront.

God, this place stinks, Race thought as he looked down at the brackish water below. Clearly immune to the smell several Brooklyn newsies were launching themselves off the dock into the water without hesitation. Race followed a sour-faced member of Spot's gang through the maze of docks toward the shack designated as that night's location for the makeshift poker game.

It occurred to him as he entered the room that he didn't have a plan. But it had been two weeks since he had last seen Tay and he was a bit worried. There were bits of broken furniture scattered around the room and Race took a seat at one of the lopsided tables. He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and began shuffling.

Several of the Brooklyn newsies straggled into the abandoned warehouse but Spot wasn't among them. No doubt he already knew Race was there, Brooklyn newsies didn't know how to be subtle when it came to following people. There was always someone eager to let Spot know when any Manhattan newsie crossed the bridge into his territory. Race tried to keep his focus on the cards, listening half-heartedly to the conversation going on around him. He scanned the room but between the dim candles and the number of bodies in the room it was difficult to see much of anything.

"Help you find something, Higgins?" A familiar voice broke Race's concentration. Spot took a seat across from him as Race dealt a new hand. Spot barely glanced at his cards before throwing some coins into the pot in the middle of the table.

"Just keeping an eye out for cheats," Race replied. A small smirk crossed Spot's face as he picked his cards back up.

"'Fraid Tay ain't interested in talkin' to you," Spot said, not even bothering to look up.

"Is that so?" Race asked as he raised the bet.

"It is," Spot answered evenly.

"I'd rather hear it from her," Race explained as the bets went around again.

"Suit yourself," Spot told him. He nodded to some messenger boy watching from the shadows. The kid disappeared for a few minutes and reappeared with Tay. She stood next to the table with her arms crossed and her lips pressed together in anger as she looked at anyone else in the room except for Race.

"How you been, Tay?" Race asked.

"Fine," Tay answered shortly.

"Enough with the chit-chat. You've seen her, she's fine. Beat it," Spot told Tay, dismissing her with a flick of his head. Race reached out and gently held Tay's arm, feeling her flinch as he did so.

"I ain't finished talking yet," Race told him, getting up from the table. Spot conceded the point and allowed Race to lead Tay through the maze of tables and outside. There were a few people still hanging out but Race led Tay down to the end of a deserted dock.

"So how's it been?" Race said deciding to just start with the reason he showed up that night.

Tay only shrugged. She avoided looking at Race and instead kicked at a loose board on the dock. It was obvious that she was angry.

"Tay, I'm sorry," Race told her quietly.

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do nothin'."

"I don't know, I just thought…" Race's voice trailed off. Tay turned her back on him and stood looking out over the water. Race sighed. "Look, I don't want to fight with you."

Tay edged away further. "Fine, we won't fight no more."

"What happened to you?"

"Ain't your business, Race."

"It's my business if he did somethin' to you, kid."

"Stop calling me that. I ain't a kid no more, Race," Tay told him with her small hands balled into fists at her sides. She faced him with a somber look. "I'm sorry, Race. You don't deserve that."

"Just trying to look out for you," Race smiled.

"You think you can save me? You can't. I don't need saving. Just worry about getting yourself outta here."

"I don't get it, Tay," Race said. He paused for a moment before continuing, "You could have left Brooklyn easily."

"Is there a point in there, Race?"

"Yeah, why didn't you leave?"

"I told you, it ain't your business. I appreciate you tryin' to be a friend, but just let it go, okay? You got your family, Race. Just leave me with mine. What's left of it anyway."

"Christ, kid," Race said with an exasperated shake of his head. "Whatever it is he's holdin' over you, it ain't worth it."

"You ever think maybe I'm tired of fightin' with him? I made my choice so just let me live with it." There was a catch in her voice but her face was passive, resigned.

Race opened his mouth to respond but Spot stepped out into the light and interrupted. "Seems like she's done talking to you, Higgins."

"I don't need your help," Tay told him.

Spot's eyes slid from Race to Tay and a mocking smile crossed his face. "Still think he's worth the trouble? How many times has he stabbed you in the back? But I guess you wouldn't know 'bout him and your brother so we can't count that, can we?"

The world slid slightly out of focus as Race comprehended what Spot had just said. Tay's eyes narrowed as she searched Spot's face for the truth.

"You're drunk."

"I am, but that don't change nothing, doll," Spot answered. "I tried to protect you."

"Enough Conlon," Race spoke up. "I didn't have nothin' to do with that."

"Keep tellin' yourself that," Spot replied. He turned to Tay. "Ask him why Kieran needed money so badly."

"Race?"

"It's not the way it sounds," Race argued but knew it was pointless. Tay was already upset and Race knew it'd be almost impossible to unravel the web of lies Spot was spinning.

"Turns out your dear friend Race here turned your brother onto some not so hot tips at the track. Ended up owing money to the wrong people."

"That wasn't what happened," Race interrupted. He couldn't meet Tay's eyes. "He owed some money but I had nothin' to do with it. He tried makin' that deal with Rook on his own."

"Get out." Her voice was dangerously low.

"Tay, c'mon. You can't believe him."

"I said leave, Race." Tay didn't even look up as she hugged herself tightly and hurried away.

Race moved to follow her and found Spot had blocked his path. Race clenched his hands into fists at his sides as he stood across from the other boy. It took everything in him not to punch Spot right in the mouth.

"You heard her," Spot said without moving an inch and forcing Race to step around him.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Race fumed.

"Say that again?" It was more of a dare than a question and Race knew well what the consequences would be if he stepped any further over the line.

He let out a frustrated breath. "All I wanted to do was make sure she was okay."

"She ain't your concern. Never has been," Spot replied icily.

Race stepped within inches of Spot. "You know I didn't have nothin' to do with her brother."

Spot just stared right back at him. "I know you better get the hell outta my sight 'fore I send you home on two broken legs."

Race knocked Spot's shoulder on purpose as he stormed past but he no longer cared. He wasn't going to waste his breath trying to argue further.