Manhattan ~ December 22

"Come on boys, get those branches cut and put up." Kloppman ordered, walking around the bunches of his boys sitting on the floor cutting fir boughs apart to make some decorations.

Nobody asked where Kloppman had gotten the boughs from, and nobody was planning on asking. Racetrack heaved a deep sigh and pulled another small branch off of his bough.

"Kloppy….you tink we can stop now? I tink we have enough…." he whined.

Jack snickered a little bit, "If you want to go so badly Race, why don't you head up to Harlem and get my hat? I left it there last time I was up there…."

Blink and Mush looked from Jack, to Race. "Jack….its dark out. And they don't like me up in Harlem." Racetrack replied with a dark scowl.

"Why not?" Mush asked, tying some small branches together.

Skittery cackled from the top of the stairs, where he was tying on the finished decorations to the railing. "Because he cheats. And Cobra and them don't like cheaters."

Jack got a thoughtful look on his face, "Then maybe it's a good idea to make you go up there. Tomorrow morning you can go up and get my hat." he said with a air of finality.

Racetrack lowered his dark brows, "You ain't the boss of me."

"Ooowww…." Mush and Blink said together.

Jack didn't say anything to Racetracks comment, since it was rather true, and kept his mouth shut about the matter. Race had been in a cantankerous mood the last couple of days and nobody could figure out why. Snipeshooter had suggested that maybe it was because he didn't have any more cigars but nobody was quite able to pin it on that.

"'sides, you got plenty of time before Christmas to get your stupid hat." Racetrack muttered, ripping a branch off and pitching it into the pile.

Crutchy came in with a big grin on his face and several small packages wrapped in brown paper under his arm.

"Heya guys! I got some stuff to put unda our tree, when it gets 'ere of course."

Kloppman smiled and took the packages from Crutchy and stored them under the counter, with the rest of small, but extremely meaningful gifts. He had gotten a good bargain on a small tree, and all the boys had pitched in to help pay for it. In return, he wouldn't charge them lodging for a few nights. It was a win win situation.

"So Crutchy," Jack said, getting up and putting his arm around the sweet boy, "What's this I hear about Spot swindlin' some old guy for his papes?"

The rest of the boys looked up. They had all heard about the scandal in Brooklyn but didn't know many details.

Crutchy slipped out from under Jack's arm and sat down on the stairs next Skitts.

"Well…" he said, dragging the word out, "What I heard was that Spot just asked for more money than what we're supposed to charge. The old guy complained and Spot told him that prices had risen. Da guy didn't want to pay it, but he did…" he finished.

The boys shook their heads in disgust. "Why don't Conlon jus' get a second job if he wants more money? As much as he hangs around da docks, he could get a job there." Blink said, hitting the floor with his fist.

"Yeah…he don't have no rights to be jacking up da prices of his papes!" Boots chimed in from his marble game with the other smaller boys.

The other boys nodded in silent agreement and went on with their holiday preparations….

Harlem Lodging House

Will came into the small makeshift lodging house and stomped the snow off her boots, shivering. Her light golden hair was pulled back in a braid and covered in snow, but her eyes sparked with a inner warmth that wasn't from her dark blue wool jacket. She had never found out how or where Cobra had gotten the jacket from, but she had had a strange feeling that he had knocked over some sailor and taken it. No matter, it kept her warm and she was glad for it, even if Cobra had killed for it.

"Well, I couldn't find anyone who wanted to sell me cod or pigs feet." she said to the three fair haired brothers who were sitting at the table playing three way checkers.

Cobra looked up silently after making a move and nodded, "Don't worry Will, I'll get in touch with someone at the docks and get some cod." he said quietly.

"It won't be Christmas without lutefisk and risgrynsgrot…" Bouncer sighed.

Will and Cobra both looked over at little Olaf playing with Knick and Knack, the dark Spanish twins. Olaf and the twins were pretty much inseparable, being close in age and mind set. None of them spoke really good English, but they always understood each other perfectly.

"Tic…you said that you would be the Jultomten?" Cobra asked, looking at his younger brother.

Tic was the middle son but the youngest of the three. There was a nine year gap between himself and Olaf. Tic was fifteen, Bouncer was sixteen and Cobra was seventeen and a half. Olaf was six.

He nodded in reply and moved his piece, "I wish either Jack would come get that greasy hat of his or we would take it back, its starting to get on my nerves."

Will picked the nasty thing up and moved it out of Tic's sight. "There? Is that better?" she asked with a sarcastic sniff.

"Now you two behave." Cobra said, winning the game and leaning back in his chair, stretching. "We really need to get a tree or something somehow. The little ones need to remember something good about this year…"

Fiend came in from who knows where and scurried to the little stove, shivering. Being of Italian blood, he was much better suited to the hot summer days than the cold blustery winter ones. He took his thin coat off finally and huddled closer to the stove.

"Gosh its cold out there."

Cobra looked at him silently for a moment, "Fiend…its only thirty two out. Its not that bad."

Bouncer and Tic cackled. Fiend's dark eyes rolled and he huffed,

"Yeah, but you guys have ice in your veins…I got warm sunny days in mine. I ain't built for this kind of weather."

October got up from his shoe patching and came over, "Fiend…I'm scotch-Irish, do you see me complaining about the weather?" he asked.

Fiend pulled a chair out from the table and sat down in it, then bent over and pulled his wet boots and socks off before looking up and replying.

"No…but those countries over there get cold, and its that nasty, wet, foggy, cold junk too," he argued, "And you weren't born there anyways! You were born in Brooklyn."

October laughed then turned to his leader, "Oh Cobra…"

Cobra looked up at his goon, then turned in his chair a little bit, giving October his full attention,

"Yes?"

"I found this guy in da Bronx, who will get us a tree. I thought you might want to know."

Cobra regarded him in silence for a moment, "Well I'm glad you decided to tell me."

Will stepped between the two and gave October a meaningful look, then poured weak coffee for the brothers and the shivering, whining Fiend…

Note: The Jultomten is the Swedish Santa Claus, a gnome who lived under the houses and brought good luck to the farms and such.

risgrynsgrot is a rice pudding that was served on Christmas Eve and Lutefish is pickled cod.