Chapter 10

We drove for less than five minutes through empty streets to arrive at a slightly crumbling and garbage littered projects with a small ramp made out of slightly moldy plywood barely wide enough for a single wheelchair propped up the stairs of one of the entrances. Levi just parked in the small lot at the end of the closest building and got out with a huff. As I also left the warmth of the Spider a curtain in front of the window the car was parked by parted just enough for a small brown face to peek through. Levi ignored whoever that was and walked to the door with the plywood ramp leaving me to follow at a rapid pace to get out of the now frigid weather; the sun having set completely while we drove over.

Levi abused the door in front of him in much the same manner as he had mine during my attempt to piss him off after we first met and a small commotion took place inside. The only words I could hear were, "Keep away from the door Rose."

"Don't listen to her Rose; it's so cold my balls are going to fall off! Open the damn door." Levi shouted at the door.

"Levi!" It sounded like more than one voice shouting his name and after much rattling and clacking the door was pulled open by a girl slightly shorter than either of us who had short brown hair in a pixie cut and bluish silver eyes. She had on boyish cargo pants and a T-shirt that read 'Quit reading this it looks like you're staring at my tits' which I looked at way longer than was appropriate given her age. Behind the girl stood another with long blonde hair that curled and clung to her face who wore a pair of pink sweats and a warm looking sweater. An older woman stood with her hands on her hips and a disapproving frown at being undermined in her own home.

"If you don't hurry inside I'll shut the door in your face." The tomboy in front said with an impish grin. Levi seemed to take her seriously because he walked in before casually catching the door when it was about to swing shut before I could follow.

"Be nice you little shit." Levi warned and she blinked before a very mischievous smile spread across her face. Levi frowned as he looked around. "Did you leave Maria behind again, Sina, Rose?"

"She can roll herself in here if she wants to see you." The tomboy said with a pout.

"Rose…" Levi sighed but another voice called from a room off the right.

"Levi, is that really you?" The girl sounded excited and full of energy and a few seconds later the sound of rusty gears sounded followed by the girl's shout. "Wait! I'll be right there, gimme a second."

Levi did not wait though and instead walked past the family with a glance that invited me to follow. There in the living room sat a small girl in what looked like a hospital grade wheelchair. She had black hair that she kept in pig tails and her eyes were the clearest blue I had ever seen. It took me what most people would consider forever to notice that her left leg was missing from mid-thigh down.

The older woman cleared her throat as I turned my attention to the room I was in. There was a water spot on the ceiling to the right and slightly behind the couch and a small television that was currently off. There were three stacks of library books on the coffee table in front of the old, worn and holey couch. My gaze was making its way back to the small family in front of me when she spoke in a language I figured matched the one Levi spoke earlier.

I could only catch Levi's name but I was sure of the topic as the woman almost angrily pointed an imperious finger at me. Levi stepped between us as if protecting me and said something rapid fire in response. The woman spoke again, this time mentioning Erwin's name. She sounded amused.

I figure my face must have shown no small amount of confusion as the girl who answered the door, Rose, chuckled and translated. "She said she thought Levi would end up with Erwin."

"Pfft, a docile, biddable lover would be more suitable for Erwin I think. Could you imagine? If Levi was his boyfriend any fights they got in would demolish a couple city blocks at least." I said before I could stop myself.

All three girls' eyes widened and Levi sighed. "Riley, please don't fill my sister's minds with such pointless images."

And that is how you shock your girlfriend.

I felt my jaw work for a second and then just gave up on a reply to that. My eyes slid to the floor and a slight buzzing reached my ears. So that would mean… my eyes snapped to the older woman who smiled in amusement before speaking in a heavily accented voice.

"Levi must not have told you who he was bringing you to." Her eyes slid to her son, "He always was a cruel boy."

I took a deep breath and managed to utter, "I don't suppose you all would be so kind as to turn around for a moment or two so I can hit him, would you?"

The pink girl looked at me in confusion before saying quite clearly, "But hitting doesn't solve everything." It seemed so opposite of Levi that I just stared at her.

"I think you broke her, Sina." Levi said calmly.

All three girls laughed, Rose with a belly heaving sort of chortle, Sina giggled like a courtly woman at a royal ball and Maria laughed softly but heartily. That was when I realized the three brats were trying to throw me off.

"Oh, she figured that out pretty quickly!" Rose said as she got a look at my face.

"Brother has never been fond of idiots, Rose." Sina said with a patient smile.

"Makes me wonder how he deals with you so well, tabernac." Rose shot back in a huff and it seemed that Sina was very good at pressing her sister's buttons.

"It is impolite to use French when someone in the room does not understand it," Levi said demurely as if he had not done the same just before hand. Turning to me he translated, "Tabernac basically means fucker."

"Care to translate what you said in the park?"

"You mean: vous apporter la beauté et le sens dans mon monde sepia?" Again Levi spoke swiftly but this time I caught a word I knew. Sepia. Was he talking about the band? Before I could nod that that was indeed what I wanted him to explain his mother gave a bit of a start. The three girls were staring at me like I was deformed or something.

"Levi," the older woman said sounded shocked, but I thought she sounded happy too. It was a weird combination that I didn't know how to interpret.

"Don't tell her." Levi glared at his sisters before giving his mother a slightly pleading glance.

The girls nodded solemnly and I felt like anything Levi said went with them. If he told them to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge they would have. His mother looked a bit irritated. "What are you playing at?" She asked in that same heavily accented English.

"Not yet, Maman. I need to be able to say it somehow, but let it be for now." Levi glanced over at me as if he expected me to demand what he said but honestly even if I did he wouldn't tell me so it was a waste of time to try.

"Leeeeeeviiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Maria whined all of a sudden. "Are you staying the night? We never get to see you since you moved." Levi looked regretfully at his sisters and then to his mother.

"There is actually some stuff I need to talk to Maman about. After that if she's ok with it then I will. If not I will come find you before I leave." Levi didn't seem uncertain if you didn't look him in the eye. "Riley, can you go with them?"

I considered his sisters, who were looking very suspicious, but nodded. Sina and Rose walked off without looking over their shoulder so I turned to Maria. Most adults would lower themselves to her level or smile or something like that, but I thought that if I were an eleven year old forced into a wheelchair through violence I would find that really condescending. She was missing a leg not a mind. I nodded once as I moved over and said in a voice not catered to idiots and small children, "Need a hand or ya got it?"

Maria gave me a smile that almost seemed perfect but I was a god medalist in pretending things were alright and before she could say anything I stepped behind her cheap, rusty foldable wheelchair and wheeled her out of the room. I don't know if her sisters figured out anything from the girl's smiles but she wasn't fooling me. That smile was supposed to mean, don't worry about me, I got it, I am independent and can handle all this shit. But the truth of the matter was that she was a little girl putting on pants that were too big for her and trying to act like she didn't need a belt.

Her family seemed closer than mine was so maybe they just thought ignoring the problem was the way to handle everything since it was what Maria seemed to want but taking an eleven year olds word for it was dumb. Then again, the girls in question were thirteen and fifteen so it's equally unfair to assume they knew what they were doing.

The girls in question were hanging out of a doorway down the main hall. "In here," Rose whispered before disappearing in the door. When I wheeled Maria in her sisters were giggling behind hands.

"We aren't supposed to be in Levi's room," Maria wailed and I tried not to jump. Levi's room…Like his childhood room?

My eyes darted around, and I was unashamed of my curiosity. There were a few paintings that had slashes in the canvas and a small lamp by an old futon covered in a thick, white comforter. The most telling thing in the room was a low, wide bookshelf filled with dozens of journals that seemed almost overused and hundreds of loose leaf paper covered in music notes and tiny corrections.

I felt myself move from behind the wheelchair to that bookshelf. I didn't open any of the books though a part of me was dying to see what was in them and instead I trailed a finger down the spine of one with a red and brown cover. I felt like I was as close as I would ever be to the inside of Levi's mind. I knew he wasn't the type to speak his thoughts clearly or to talk about his past so these journals almost screamed 'read me' but the romantic in me thought that if Levi didn't tell me himself, or at least give me permission, it was cheating in this game of romance.

Stepping away I heard the giggling that hadn't registered stop abruptly.

"You're not going to look?" Sina asked coyly.

"It's tempting but I try to respect people's privacy…And I feel more than a small amount of terror in intruding on Levi's secrets."

"More than you can handle?" Rose snarked.

"Aside from that, it would be impossible to hide the fact that I snooped. I don't think he would take it lightly." I sighed. "If he doesn't want me to know something then it's not my place to find out. I trust him…and having only known him a couple months that is pretty stupid." I stopped my ramblings there upon remembering that the audience was Levi's teen and preteen family. "Never mind that though."

"You're weird," Sina told me with a strange look on her face.

"I think so to," Rose agreed, scrunching up her nose.

Before I could even smile sadly in response Maria gave her two cents. "Levi is too though; I like her."

Sina and Rose gave their sister a look before shaking their heads. It was almost like they were giving up the argument due to Maria's opinion which was a bit weird to me but far be it from me to speak on things I found odd about anyone's family. It was Levi's family after all.

The door opened and Levi and his mom walked in. "I thought I told you little shits to stay outta my room." Levi snapped, but there was affection hiding in his voice that they heard.

Levi's mother stepped closer to me before speaking to her daughters. "Sina, Rose, Maria it is time for bed so get going. I have to speak to this young woman for a moment."

"Oooo someone's in trouble!" Rose teased before she dodged Levi's halfhearted swipe and ducked out the door leaving Sina to roll their sister out of the room and down the hall.

The woman smiled indulgently until the last of three doors snapped shut before her face dropped the act. As she stood before me she looked tired. It was the face of someone who knew that she lived in a neighborhood far too dangerous for her daughters but no matter how many jobs she took she couldn't afford to pay higher rent or get more food for the girls living in her care. It was this face, lined as it was with worry and fatigue, that angled down to look at me, a very honest relief slowly making its way into her eyes.

"My son," She spoke softly and I could hear the tears that this woman wanted to cry but wouldn't let herself shed. "He tells me you saved him. He has always had more emotion than he ever lets people know and he bears it by himself. He has been a solider in what we call the Urban War for too long and forgets that he can live even though others are lost. But, through all the things he has done, good and bad, he is my son so merci. Truly." A single tear slipped down her narrow cheek as she leaned forward and gave me a warm hug that almost made me cry.

"Maman, I'll be taking the girls to school tomorrow if you want to sleep in before work." Levi interrupted casually.

"Levi, you don't have to do that." His mother protested.

"Oh, I know. But I'm going to or those three will never shut up about not spending enough time with me. I'll take care of it and make sure they are busy doing homework when you get home. After that we will go to the buffet, I'll drive you guys home and then me and Riley will have to head home." Levi set the day out simply and concisely.

"I can't afford to bring you all to the buffet, you know that." The woman said sharply.

"Let me take care of you for once, you stubborn woman. I told you I have plans for the money I will be making soon so get used to it."

"You still won't tell me how you make this money, or what you're doing with your life." Her tone sounded more like she was talking to a friend than a son. Considering Levi's age and personality it was probably for the best though.

"You'll find out soon enough. It isn't illegal so it shouldn't be a problem." Levi yawned as his mother opened her mouth to talk. "Seeing as how we have to wake up early you should let me and my femme à être get to bed." Again the French that I didn't understand. Levi's mother looked like she was going to have a fit. The weird thing was that it seemed like she was going to have a heart attack because she was happy because the shock was there on her face and in her widened eyes but she had a huge smile on her face as she kissed each of her son's cheeks and walked out of the room with quite footsteps, gently shutting the door behind her.

"You really gotta stop saying important things in a language I don't understand," I grouched.

"Do I know? And here I was going to let you read some of the journals in my bookshelf before bed but now I think we should just go to sleep. It's not really all that fascinating anyway. Just songs I wrote throughout the years." I felt my jaw drop at that. All those books were songs? "If you behave I'll let you bring them home with us."

"A-all of them?" I cursed myself for stuttering.

"Depends on how well you behave." Levi teased.

He smiled as I immediately got ready for bed and slipped beneath the white comforter only wearing the tight blank tank top out of all the clothes that my outfit was comprised of for the party. He slipped off his shirt and turned off the light before he got into bed with me and pulled me close.

I snuggled close with a soft sigh and a mumbled "Night Levi." And then I was out for the night.

Levi Point of View:

As the Shitty Woman snuggled up to me and fell asleep like it was the most natural thing in the world I found myself smiling. That was weird. Calling her things like femme à être to shock my mom felt too right to be a joke. If Riley knew that phrase translated to wife-to-be she would probably stroke out. Lord knows she would run out after not being able to deal with me long before I could think to make such a thought reality.

The woman didn't even tell me what happened to her. I said I wouldn't speculate but a part of me did anyway. I thought many things…did someone beat her? Try to force her? I couldn't imagine someone raping Riley. She was way too much of a fighter to let someone do something like that. Whoever hurt her better hope I never find them. That is all I know.

I felt rage begin to boil in my veins at the very thought and instead forced myself to think of other things. Telling my maman about my thwarted suicide attempt and how Riley saved me had been difficult but Maman just nodded thoughtfully and told me that the Shitty Woman seemed good at saving me from myself.

I didn't tell her about Sepia yet. A part of me wanted it to be a surprise but that was probably my cruel side. Maman couldn't afford cable or internet so unless someone told one of the girls they wouldn't know for a good long time. That would change. I'd be damned if my family continued to live in this hell hole if I could help it.

First I would spend as much as it took to get Maria a prosthetic that would allow her to run and jump again. She told me all the time after what happened that she was just glad I came to save her but I saw the way she seemed to space out staring at people's legs and the way she would watch kids run outside with that ridiculously fake smile. It wouldn't be the same I know but it might make a real smile light up her face.

Next I would make Rose's dream come true. She always stated 'what's the point of living in New York if you can't see the Yankees play?' Her birthday was in the height of baseball season but even though she prayed and wished she never got to go to a game. For Rose we would be right next to the field beside the Yankees dugout. I would let her invite all her friends and we'd all eat hotdogs and fried dough. I don't care how filthy the stadium turns out to be; that is going to happen.

Sina was a bit more difficult to figure out but she was big into the glamour of fame. She would do well in a big fancy party with a bunch of famous people to schmooze with. It might have to wait until something like the Grammys or something but even if Sepia doesn't get invited I'll fucking buy tickets for her. I'll buy her whatever pretty dress she wants and pay for some big name stylist to do her hair and makeup.

And finally when I put a real smile on each of my sisters' faces I will move them and Maman out of this dangerous pit of sludge. They can move somewhere nice, any city they want, in any part of the city they want. I'll pay for the house in full on purchase and take care of utilities 'til the day I die. And if Sepia fell through I would do it some other way. The main motivation I had for being in a band was to use my voice and skills to provide for my precious people. Heh, like I would ever tell them that though.

The only difference is that I had Riley now too. Stupid Shitty Woman that she was not even realizing I was the vocalist she cooed over. Then again who thought that someone they knew was a mystery man they admired. It was reassuring that she fell in love with me before she knew. It would suck to be in so deep over a gold digger.

With a smile I thought one last thing before bed. Even though two of my sisters said they didn't I knew that all three did in fact seem to like the woman I chose.