Grace sat at the breakfast table, her plate untouched beside her and the day's to-do list at her fingertips. To herself, she mumbled the schedule and rearranged certain tasks in order to open up time for a trip to the orphanage. While the errand shouldn't take more than an hour, she wanted to leave two just in case. If Oliver didn't need her during the conference call then she would be set and able to leave a couple hours before it was time to pick Annie up from school.

"I thought your new rule was no work at the dining table," Oliver said preceding a good morning kiss on Grace's cheek.

"I'm not working. I'm going over what work needs to be done. I have to be honest with you… I fell behind on my tasks yesterday. I know I should have told you when you got home and should have postponed dinner, but I was so looking forward to it. I had such a wonderful time, too, which isn't helping my guilt."

Oliver laughed. "So I noticed after you'd gone to bed. I finished up a few things for you."

"I'm so sorry. I know you're over scheduled as it is. I promise it won't happen again."

"Grace, it's okay. I know you were called to Annie's school. Besides, I wouldn't have let you miss dinner. Where is Annie anyways?" he asked as he sat down.

"She already ate and is taking Sandy for a walk. She should be back any minute and I'll take her to school."

"I'm not that late."

"I'm taking her early, remember?"

"Oh, yes."

Swapping her planner with her meal, she asked before taking a bite of sausage, "Will you need me for dictation when you speak with President Roosevelt?"

"I don't believe so. Any reason?"

"I thought I might use the time to get a few errands done during that time."

"Sure, I don't see why not."

Annie returned to the dining room not long after the last words between them were said. Sandy was off somewhere else, wired from his walk, and Annie stood before Grace and Oliver with her coat on and bag hung over her shoulder.

"Come on, Grace, let's go!"

"Can't you at least say good morning first?" Grace motioned toward Oliver.

"Good morning, Mr. Warbucks."

"Good morning, Annie."

"Now can we go?" Annie asked.

"Give me a couple more minutes to finish eating and I will be all set."

Annie's shoulders dropped along with a sigh. "Okay… just hurry."

"You don't have to be the first in the building, sweetheart," Grace said.

"But I gotta be there right as Mrs. Holmes gets there. I don't want any of the other kids to see what I'm doing."

Nerves making a reappearance, Grace said, "Remember you're only handing in a rough draft. Your project may change as you go on. Even if other kids are there it will still be a surprise by the end."

"Not as much of a surprise it will be if I get there before them."

Grace looked over at Oliver to see his eyes cast down at his dish. Her hunch was confirmed by the way he studied his eggs. He was avoiding this conversation in full. In fear of anything further being said before she had a chance for plan B, she took the napkin from her lap and wrapped it around her partially eaten pieces of toast.

"You win. I'll finish in the car."

. . .

Lunch didn't come fast enough. All morning Grace battled an awkward silence with Oliver. It got to the point where he couldn't look her in the eye for more than a few seconds at a time. Had it not been for his conference, she would have forced him to talk to her. A few times she opened her mouth to speak despite his preparations, but in the end, decided against it. Her mind was also elsewhere. They could talk later that evening.

Given the silence, Grace opted to head out on her errand at noon rather than eating with Oliver. Oliver was relieved. He worried she would use their lunchtime to talk. Her staring was obvious through the sides of his eyes and knew before the day was up there would be some sort of a conversation. At least if she waited until later it gave him more time to come up with an argument. He didn't know why he felt so bothered by Annie's project, but he didn't want Grace trying to figure it out for him. The feeling would pass. Some space from her might prove to be all he needed. The past couple weeks together, before and after they fully admitted to how they felt, had been wonderful… but it happened fast. One day he was scolding himself for seeing her as anything other than an employee before one impulsive kiss, then after unable to stay away from her. And for the most part they didn't. Even when they worked it seemed as though they sat closer together and broke for idle conversation during the more mundane tasks. Everything was nice, but now a strange feeling of fear began creeping over him. What in particular scared him, he didn't know.

By 12:30, Grace walked up to the steps of the Hudson Street Home for Girls. A chill ran down her spine. Here's a place she never imagined she'd see again. Despite the fact she knew it wouldn't be Miss Hannigan opening the door, she hesitated a moment before moving her hand forward to knock. Doubt riddled her brain. What seemed like a foolproof plan back home now seemed like a shot in the dark. Even if the box was still there it didn't mean the new matron knew its whereabouts if even its existence at all. Looking back at the car it was tempting to turn around and head back to 5th Avenue where she could browse some shops until it was time to pick Annie up from school. Then, the thought of Annie and her sad expression that first time they spoke of building her family tree. Project or no project, the little girl deserved to know her history as much as possible. Grace was fortunate to be in a position where she could go to any length to find that information. Old fears and the risk of causing someone temporary annoyance was no excuse.

Within seconds after her knock, the door to the orphanage opened and Grace was greeted by a young woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties.

"I thought I saw someone standing there. Hello, how can I help you?"

"Good afternoon," Grace said with her hand extended, "my name is Grace Farrell. I'm sorry to bother you as I'm sure you're busy getting settled into your position here. I'm here to inquire about obtaining more information about an orphan who used to be here. Her name is Annie."

"Oh, yes," the woman smiled. "I know you. Well, I've heard about you in the papers. It's just awful what happened to her."

"Yes. Fortunately, she's a tough little thing. You'd never know anything happened to look at her."

"I'm glad to hear it. My name is Cynthia Lennon. It's nice to meet you, Miss Farrell. I will try to help you as best I can, but as you're aware I'm still in the organization process."

"Of course, thank you so much."

As they walked to the office, Grace could already tell changes had been made. No children were scrubbing the hallways. A lot of them were sitting in what used to be the sewing room with a tutor and a few halls down she could hear another group eating lunch. The air was much lighter, and the sun shone through various windows. Cynthia appeared to be the exact opposite of Miss Hannigan. For this she was thankful.

In the office, Cynthia sat at what used to me Miss Hannigan's desk. The top of it was still in disarray, but Grace couldn't fault her for it under the circumstances.

"What in particular are you looking to know?"

"Miss Hannigan told us she was given a box of belongings after Annie's parents passed away. I'm hoping it's here so I can give it to Annie. I'm also hoping there will be some more information about them. All I know is that their names were David and Margaret Bennett."

"I can check in the closet back here, but it may take a little while. Not many of the boxes are labeled and there's a good chance it's no longer here."

"Oh…" Grace said. "I'd hate to make you spend too much time."

"I don't mind. I can glance now, but I can have a better look after the children have gone to bed. If you want I can call you if anything turns up. I've been meaning to tackle the mess in there anyways."

"If you're sure it's no trouble."

"None at all."

"Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much this means to me as well as Annie."

"I hope something will turn up," Cynthia said.

"So do I."


Grace had The Asp drive her around for a little while after leaving the orphanage. She felt bad for the feeling of disappointment. Right from the start she knew there was a chance nothing would turn up. Now the task would have to include Oliver. He had the connection to the proper authorities, not her. Until she knew the reasons behind his disposition, she feared to make any mention.

She thought of ways around Oliver. Not that she intended to keep this all a secret from him. Part of her knew he was feeling overwhelmed with everything hanging over his head. Adding yet another item to the list might push him over the edge. Besides, she could handle this on her own, couldn't she? If she got hold of his phone book, which wouldn't be difficult, she could call these people herself. Most of them knew her or knew of her. Oliver wouldn't be angry once he knew her reasons for contacting them. Unfortunately, this would take time. Possibly months. Annie needed some sort of an answer now… and she knew of only one person who could give her those answers.


"No, Franklin. How many times do I have to repeat myself? While I agree that these jobs are good pocket money for families, I do not agree that it is the solution to the finical crisis. I made myself perfectly clear when I was in Washington as well as when we spoke the other day."

Not ten minutes into their conversation and Oliver was ready to slam the phone down and ignore its ring for the rest of the day. What was it about this man that made his blood boil? He started to wish he'd gone back to Washington with Annie. At least when she was there Roosevelt paid less attention to him — both a good and bad thing.

Roosevelt went on for a while after Oliver's last statement, which he soon tuned out. During this time, he noticed Grace sneaking into the room. Covering the mouthpiece with his palm, he asked, "Back so soon, Grace?"

Grace jumped at the sound of her name. "Oh, hello Oliver. I thought you were on a call."

"I am, but I've stopped listening for the time being. Is anything the matter?"

Grace shook her head. "I'm only here for a moment. I'm just looking for something."

"I hear you, Franklin," Oliver said into the phone before placing his hand over it again and saying to Grace, "What do you need?"

Biting her lip, Grace searched for an answer that wouldn't raise too many questions, although, if she were going to say something, now might be the ideal time as he appeared more willing to talk to her than the president. "I just need some information… for the orphanage. I stopped in to see if everything was up and running. Much better than what we each saw before."

"Oh, good. I've been curious about that myself to tell you the truth. What do they need, a fresh set of signed papers regarding Annie."

"No, they need, um, some information about Miss Hannigan."

"Why on earth — Absolutely not! That kind of figure is out of the question." Oliver pointed to the phone and then whispered to Grace, "I can't talk about this now. Whatever you need is on top of the filing cabinet."

After mouthing a thank you, Grace took the thin folder Oliver pointed out and left the room before he had another moment to ask questions. Hopefully between his arguments with Franklin and Annie's typical after-school chatter, by tonight he'd forget this conversation ever took place.


Grace remained in the car for a few moments after it parked to double check the address on the paper in front of her. A couple times she looked up at the building to her right. She was impressed Oliver provided this woman with semi-decent housing. Not at all what she expected from him.

"Are you getting out, Miss?" The Asp asked.

Letting out a sigh, Grace nodded. "I suppose I have to."

"Would you like for me to accompany you?"

"No," she said. "No, thank you. I should go in myself."

The Asp nodded into the mirror before getting out to open Grace's door. "Very well. I will be waiting for you here."

With another breath after stepping outside the car, Grace approached the apartment complex. Apartment 11 she remembered to look for once inside. When she found it, she decided not to hesitate knocking despite the fact a knot had formed in her stomach.

"Yeah?" a voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Miss Hannigan? It's Grace Farrell."

"Farrell? What do you want?"

"Miss Hannigan, I would like to talk to you about Annie."

The door remained closed. "What about?"

"Nothing against you. I have a couple of questions about her in general."

After the slow sound of a lock unlatching, Agatha opened the door a crack. "Never thought I'd be seeing you again."

"Likewise," Grace mumbled.

Unconvinced of the intentions of the visit, Agatha began with a nervous ramble. "Look, whatever she told you I did, I'm sorry. I don't want anything to do with her, don't you worry."

Agatha began shutting the door, but Grace stopped it with her foot. "Miss Hannigan, I'm not here to reprimand you. I'm hoping you'll be able to tell me more about her — her records and past I mean. You mentioned something about the police dropping belongings off when they passed. I went to the orphanage earlier this afternoon but the new matron isn't organized yet. She's going to take a look, although, it may take a while."

"So, what's the hurry?" Agatha asked.

"Annie would like to know for a school project."

With a sigh, Agatha opened the door to let Grace inside. "I guess I owe it to ya. I appreciate you not sending me to jail."

"I appreciate you trying to stop your brother from hurting her."'

Agatha stiffened. "Yeah, well… what do you wanna know?"

"Anything I can."

"Look, Farrell. In my time running that orphanage I went through hundreds and hundreds of files for hundreds and hundreds of kids. I can't possibly remember everything in Annie's file."

"Forgive me for saying this, but didn't you go through it with your brother and his girlfriend?"

"Oh, I was hoping you wouldn't remember that part."

"If this is too awkward for you please say so."

"Let's just say I'm surprised you want to be in the same room as me."

"Yes, it came to a surprise to me as well," Grace said. "But this is important to Annie."

"Well, you can sit down if you want."

"The place looks nice."

"Yeah. Thanks for not choosing a dump."

"You can thank Oliver for that."

"Oliver, huh? No more Mr. Warbucks?" Agatha almost smiled.

For whatever reason, Grace felt embarrassed by the statement and blushed. "Yes, well, that isn't important."

"I knew you liked him."

"I beg your pardon?"

Agatha chuckled. "That day you came and took Annie. I knew by the way you talked about him that you wanted him."

"Excuse me?" Grace gasped. "I don't remember saying more than his name."

"It was the way you said it and the way you corrected me about him being a billionaire."

"Miss Hannigan, I find this conversation rather inappropriate and none of your concern. I came here to talk about Annie."

"I don't know want you want me to tell you. Feel free to sit down but their names are the best I got, which I already told you. I can give you that half of her locket and her actual birth certificate with her real name, but even then you already know her date of birth."

"You kept her locket?" Grace asked.

"Rooster had it and the police gave it to me. I didn't think it was a good idea to throw it out. I'll go get it."

"Thank you… it will mean a lot to Annie, I'm sure."

Agatha went into another room without response, coming back about a minute later with the paper and locket in hand.

"Here you go," she said as she handed them to Grace.

"Thank you very much. Are you sure you don't know anything else?"

"If I do, I wouldn't trust the information. It's kind of a blur."

"Then do you know where I might find it?"

"There's a file at the orphanage. Don't ask me where. I left the place a mess."

"So I've heard."

"I don't know why you bothered to ask me. Your boyfriend there can probably track down the day her parents first met."

Again, Grace blushed. She'd never heard or thought of Oliver in those terms. It didn't sound right in a way. He was… Oliver. "I'm afraid it's not as simple as you may think."

"You'll just have to wait until that file is found. Even so, I wouldn't get your hopes up. You're still going to have to do some searching for other relatives if that's what you're getting at."

"But if you have the locket, wouldn't you have been given more of their belongings? Maybe they had photo albums? Old letters, perhaps?"

"Hell if I know," Agatha said, deciding to sit. "It got mixed up with all the other junk that landed in my custody. You best ask to look through everything yourself. If you did come across a photo album you would probably find resemblances in Annie."

"You don't remember anything else at all?"

"I really don't."

Grace sighed as she looked at the items in her hands. "Well, I do appreciate your giving these to Annie. And I appreciate you taking your time."

"All I got is time. I work a few hours in the morning and by noon I'm back here until it's time to wake up and do it again."

"Yes, I saw that you're working in a diner. I think that's great."

"Depends on your perspective."

"Beats the alternative, doesn't it?"

Agatha grumbled. "Yeah, yeah."

Sensing a resentment growing, Grace stepped back. "Like before, I've taken up enough of your time. Good day, Miss Hannigan."

"Agatha. You can call me Agatha."

"Agatha," Grace corrected.

"Hold on a moment."

Grace nodded and let her continue.

"I really do appreciate you and Warbucks letting me off. I know I treated those kids horribly. That's how I was taught to deal with them."

"Good heavens, that's how they city handles children?"

"No… I mean, that was my life growing up. More or less."

"Oh," Grace said, embarrassed again. "I'm sorry."

Agatha said with a wave of your hand, "When you're a kid you don't notice a difference. You learn. Maybe I was better, maybe I was worse. There were just so many and they kept coming. There wasn't any telling what I was getting into when I went for the job. I was lucky to get it, though. I have to say I miss it."

"I thought you hated them?"

"I did, but at the same time, there was comfort in it, you know? Plus, I didn't depend on tips. As you can imagine, customer service isn't my specialty."

"You'll learn it."

"You have to want to learn it in order to learn it," Agatha said, rolling her eyes.

"Can't you look at this time as an opportunity to start over? A clean slate?"

"Look, I don't know you and you don't know me. I've spilled my guts out enough. What do you care anyways? You've got good things goin' for you."

"I'm… curious, I guess the word is, about you."

Agatha scoffed. "What about?"

Taking a seat now as well, Grace replied, "How you went from going along with the scheme and then changing your mind."

"I dunno. It just happened. I really thought we'd just leave her somewhere. Someone would come along eventually and I knew Annie well enough to know she could make it on her own for a few days. I thought Rooster was bluffing when he talked of murder."

"But even so, you could have lived discarding her somewhere all for some money?"

"Not some money. The most money I've seen in one place at one time. It's easy for you. You spend every day in a massive home being served by people in suits. Not only do you have access to a car, but a limo and driver as well. You have nice clothes, well-fixed hair and make-up, everything. Me? Even when I'm dishonest I can't afford the nice things. They're all knockoffs. Now I can't even afford those. I don't get the free board and necessities like I did at the orphanage. I know it's been, what, not two weeks yet? But it's difficult. I was a fool to think that damn plan would ever work."

Grace looked to the side of her, taking to heart what Agatha has told her. She never thought much of the deeper motives behind her actions — not that she condoned the thoughts in any way. What stood out to her was Agatha's grief coming out in subtle ways. In hindsight, she had been sheltered from many of the realities of the Depression. Though the Newsreels painted a clear picture and she could sympathize, she never had to experience it, therefore, the empathy was missing.

"You're right."

Agatha squinted her eyes in confusion. "I am? About what?"

"It has been easy for me. I haven't understood the desperation that's come from this financial mess. Every day since the crash I have been working for Oliver while he does his part to turn it around, and yet, I've rarely been out here to see it. I was shocked by all the people that came to claim Annie. Over a thousand of them showed up at the door. I couldn't believe the dishonesty. Now I'm wondering more if it was desperation."

"Eh," Agatha hummed. "I wouldn't rule out dishonesty completely. I imagine I could have still been convinced to play along for that money even if I was doin' okay."

"You might be surprised. You could realize your mistakes like you did this time."

"Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Agatha," Grace started but then paused.

"Yeah?" Agatha said when Grace failed to continue.

"…Is there anything I can do to help?"

Agatha's shock came out in laughter. "Why the hell do you want to waste your time helping me?"

Grace shrugged. "If I'm being honest, I don't have a specific answer."

"Look, Farrell, I don't need your pity. I don't need anyone's pity." Agatha stood now and started walking towards the door. "Thanks, I guess, for stopping by."

"I'm sorry, Agatha," Grace said as she also stood. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"I ain't offended. I'm just making it clear that I don't need charity, at least no more than you've already given me. I'm not some poor lost soul that a couple acts of kindness will cure. I know my life and I know what I've done. I got myself into a mess and nobody but me is gonna get me out of it."

In defeat, Grace nodded and walked to the opened door. "I apologize for snooping. Thank you again for the locket."

"Don't mention it."

"Goodbye," Grace said, stepping into the hallway. "I wish you well."

"Yeah," Agatha said uncomfortably, "you too."

Grace was almost at the stairs when she heard Agatha call after her. "Listen… if they don't find anything about Annie… I might be able to wrack my brain and remember something."

Grace gave a soft smile. "I'd appreciate it very much."

"See ya, Farrell."

"You can call me Grace."

Once she was out of the apartment building, Grace noticed that The Asp and the car were not where she left them, nor anywhere in the vicinity of the place. A brief panic set in, instinctively assuming the worst. When she looked at her watch, she realized she'd stayed inside for too long. School let out fifteen minutes ago.