Mostly Face's POV
In this Hannibal is about 15, Murdock is 10, BA is 8 and Face is 5.
Chapter 8
General POV
"Can anyone pick a lock?" Hannibal asked the group.
"This ain't right." Face heard BA growl. It probably wasn't but it didn't look like anyone was inside. That probably mean that they'd get away with staying for a while. Face remembered when his Mummy had broken into houses like this. He had liked staying in them. They were fancy and lots of room. Not like the usual places she took him too.
"I can." Face answered, earning a surprised look from the three older boys.
"Where'd you learn to do that kid?" Hannibal asked.
"My Mummy." Face mumbled. He was starting to think maybe he shouldn't have said anything. By the look the other three boys told Face that picking locks wasn't something to be proud of. Even if it was normal for the little boy to go around unlocking doors for his Mummy.
"Well, then Facey. Go open the door." Murdock said, giving the small boy an encouraging push towards the front door.
"Ain't' right, Hannibal." BA muttered, when he thought Face had been out of ear shot. The little boy frowned but started to pick the lock anyway. They didn't have any right to judge him or his Mummy.
Pushing the door open, Face walked into the house. It was amazing. Everything looked like an explosion of different colours. Usually, the places Face stayed were dull and dirty. But this place was clean and fancy.
"Like, Facey." Murdock asked as walked over to a metal box in the corner of the room, switching on the button.
"What's that?" Face asked, as he sat on the comfy couch next to Murdock.
" This, is Woody Woodepecker." When the little boy looked blankly at him, Murdock frowned. "You never seen oody, Facey." When the little boy shook his head Murdock's crazy smile returned. "Then let me educate you, young grasshopper." Face let the older boy sit him down and turned to watch the show.
"I don't like this Hannibal." BA grunted to the oldest boy. Face turned slightly to look at the two boys but no one seemed to notice. Hannibal had taken out a cigar and was looking around the house. BA was just stood at the door. "No one should break into houses, Hannibal."
"I agree BA, but it's not like we have a lot of other options. Do you want to stay outside for the night?" Hannibal asked the black boy.
"Still don't like. Especially don't like the little kid knowing how to pick locks. No kid should no that." Before Hannibal had a chance to reply to that, Face stood up from the couch, anger written plainly on his face.
"Why not?" He practically shouted at the older boy.
"Didn't realise you were listening, lil' brother." BA said, carefully.
"I'm not your brother." Face shouted again at him. "And why shouldn't I pick locks?" His Mummy said it was alright. Why were they telling him differently. It was them that were wrong. Not his Mummy.
"BA only meant that most kids are usaually playing games and going to school, not… well not picking locks kid." Hannibals tone told the younger boy that he was trying not to nnoy him anymore but Face couldn't help but get more and more angry.
"It's a game. Mummy said it was a game. And I don't need to go to school cos my Mummy always taught me everything I wanted to know." Face said, shaking slightly in his anger at the older boys.
"Facey." Murdock, hesitantly put a hand on the youngest boys shoulder but Face pushed Murdocks hand away. None of them understood.
"This ain't no game, kid. It'll get you locked up." BA said, gently.
"But…My Mummy always did it." A sudden thought crossed Face's mind and it made the little boy have tears building up in his eyes. "Would they lock my Mummy up for it."
The three boys locked at eachother as if deciding what to tell the little boy. "It's…Its possible." Hannibal told the younger boy.
Face looked desperately at the other two older boys but they avoided looking at the youngest boy. Shaking his head, Face started to back away from the other boys. "No. Mummy's coming back. She promised. She's not locked up."
"Face. How long where you sat on that bus stop?" Hannibal asked, putting a hand on the younger boys shoulder. The little boy frowned as he counted the days. His Mummy had always said he was good at maths.
"I think 12 days." The little boys mumbled.
"That's a long time, sucka." BA muttered to Hannibal then to Face he said, "And you've been waiting by that bus stop that whole time lil' brother." Face nodded, sadly burying his face in the fur of his grubby bear.
It was. Face hadn't realised it was that long 'til he'd started to count them. "Are you sure your Mummy's comin' back, Facey?" Murdock asked, pulling the 5 year old into a hug. Face looked up at the older boy sadly.
He didn't know. "She promised." Face feebly protested the statement made by the older boys. Hannibal and BA smiled sadly down at the younger boy as Murdock gave Face a hug.
The three boys exchanged looks of concern as they listened to the little boy try and stifle his sobs. They had known. Face's Mother wasn't going to come back. There was no way of knowing where she as either. And it looked like Face had finally realised that.
Murdock let the little boy cry himself out, soaking the front of his shirt. When he'd finally finished he'd cried himself to sleep, so BA lifted the 5 year old up, placing him gently onto one of the chairs. Hannibal found a blanket in one of the rooms in the house, tucking Face in with it.
