A/N:
In honor of it being the first day of August, here is a new chapter a bit early!
Winnie frowned, her mind struggling to comprehend what Miles had just told her. "Missing? But don't you split up for years at a time? How do you know he's missing?"
Miles sighed, looking uncomfortable. "We've been trying to stick together these past few years. So when Jesse went missing, we all noticed."
Winnie nodded. "Alright. But why do you need me to help you find him?"
Miles abruptly stood and began to pace around the room, looking agitated. After a minute or two, he spoke. "Me and Jesse got into a fight over you just before he disappeared."
"A fight over me?" Winnie asked incredulously.
Miles nodded, stopping pacing and turning to look at her with sadness in his eyes. "Jesse wanted to go back to Treegap to look for you. To see if you had drunk the water like you'd promised." Here Miles paused, a look of shame crossing his face.
"What happened?" Winnie asked softly.
"I, uh, I told him we shouldn't go. I said it was too dangerous, and that someone might recognize us." Miles hung his head.
Winnie studied Miles for a moment. "There's more, something you're not telling me. What is it?"
Miles opened his mouth to answer but only a squeak came out. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I told him you'd probably have moved on because no one in their right mind would want to be like us. I told him to forget his stupid idea and get over you."
Winnie sat silently for a minute, looking away from Miles at the wall.
Miles saw her expression and attempted to apologize. "Winnie, I swear I didn't mean what I said! I was angry and-"
"Miles, it's alright. I'm not angry," Winnie interrupted quietly, trying to smile reassuringly at him. "The important thing now is to find Jesse and make sure he hasn't gotten himself into any serious trouble. Where did you see him last?"
"Santa Fe, New Mexico. In July. After we fought I thought he would probably head to Treegap to find you, so I headed up there."
"You must have gotten there just after I left," Winnie said, and Miles nodded.
"I asked around and someone told me you had just left for New York City. I couldn't find Jesse, so I came here thinking he had probably heard the same thing I did."
"But he would have gotten here before you, and I haven't seen him," Winnie answered, frowning slightly in confusion.
"That's why I need your help," Miles said. "I think he might have gotten into some kind of trouble."
Winnie was about to respond when the door creaked open and Crutchie entered, his crutch clicking on the floor as he walked.
Winnie watched with bated breath as Crutchie made his way across the room, finally stopping about a foot away from Miles. He stared at him for a minute, then spoke.
"I'se got a few questions," Crutchie said, and Miles nodded.
"Of course you do."
"My grandparents both died of old age before I was born, so how come you'se still alive?" Crutchie asked.
Miles made a noise in the back of his throat at Crutchie's mention of Thomas' death, but he managed to hold himself together as he answered. "There's a magical spring in the woods in Treegap. Me and my family accidentally drank from it in 1808. It made us immortal."
"Oh," Crutchie said quietly. "Okay, next question. Who's Jesse?"
"His younger brother," Winnie explained, jumping into the conversation.
"An' I look like him?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Last question, what're you doin' here?"
"I need Winnie's help to find Jesse. He's gone missing, and I think he's somewhere in the city," Miles explained.
"You should come with us!" Winnie exclaimed as the idea came to her. "You know the city much better than either of us, so you can help us find him!"
"I-I suppose I could do that," Crutchie said. "If you want me to."
"We do," Miles said softly, smiling at Crutchie. "Now come on, let's get started."
With that Miles strode out of the door of the building into the street, Winnie following closely behind him and Crutchie hesitantly following her.
A/N: Only two chapters left! Please review, and tell me your opinions about this chapter!