The rain beat mercilessly at the cobblestones and the awning above their heads. He still carried half a dozen papers. Sure, he supposed they could wade through the rain the sell the rest, but it just didn't seem worth it.

"Hey Skits?"

"Yea Kid?"

The kid scuffed at the ground with the toe of his boot. The look on the kid's face and the fact that he wouldn't meet his eyes made Skittery uneasy.

"I know whatever my Pop did to my Ma was bad, but why does she hate me for it?" The kid asked in a rush of breath.

"Oh, shit." He cursed under his breath, putting a hand to his forehead.

"I've neva done anythin' to her. I mean, Gamma says I was a fussy baby, but-"

"It ain't dat, kid."

"Den why?"

He hesitated and sat down heavily against the wall. He had known there was something on the kid's mind all morning, but he hadn't asked. He hadn't because, honestly, he had already known what it was. He had just been hoping the kid wouldn't ask.

He contemplated lying, but he hated lying to the kid, especially about something so serious. He didn't think he'd be able to stand it, if five years from now, the kid would look at him and know that he had lied.

"Kid, do youse know how ta make a baby?"

The kid's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed slightly, but he nodded.

"I heard Snipeshooter and Boots talking one night when youse were all at Medda's."

He shook his head.

"Well, dey ain't exactly fountains a knowledge, but I s'pose it's tha same way I figured it out too."

"From Boots?"

"No." He said quickly, closing his eyes. "I- forget dat."

The kid's eyebrows knit. He was confused and the conversation was not going as planned.

"Makin' a baby," He hesitated, trying to find the right words. "It's supposed ta happen when two people love and respect each otha, but dat don't always happen."

He looked down at the kid. His expression was still slightly confused. Skittery pulled his hat off his head and scratched at his forehead.

"My folks used ta fight all tha time. Dey shoulda neva had a kid, but I'm glad dey did or I wouldn't be hea. Your folks shouldn't have either. Your Pop wanted to, but ya Ma didn't. If your Pop respected ya Ma, he wouldn't a done what he did."

"My Pop wanted a baby?"

"He wanted tha act of makin' a baby." He saw confusion cloud the kid's face again. Apparently, Snipeshooter and Boots didn't know everything either, or perhaps the kid had only overhead part of their conversation. "Point is, ya Ma hates ya Pop for what he did. She ain't wrong ta either."

"She should hate my Pops?"

He looked the kid straight in the eye.

"Maybe you're not old enough ta understand jus' yet, but listen ta me real careful, cause you're gonna be a man someday." He paused making sure he had the kid's attention. "No man should disrespect a woman like dat."

The kid nodded, obviously still a little confused, but Skittery knew he had driven the point home.

"Now look, when two people have a baby, dere's a chance it could end up lookin' a little like both of dem. Or sometimes it looks more like one den tha other. Youse don't look like ya Ma at all-"

"So I look like my Pop?"

Skittery nodded. He was fairly impressed at how intelligent the kid was.

"Ya Ma hates ya Pop, and when she looks at youse-"

There was no need to explain further. The kid nodded and bit his lip.

"But- I ain't my Pops."

Skittery opened his mouth, fumbled for words and closed it again. He was once again impressed by the kid. He nodded and sighed.

"Ya know, I don't like tha way she treats youse." He said ruffling the kid's hair fondly. "But- I got a little sympathy for ya Ma."

"Ya do?"

He nodded seriously.

"So, do ya think it'd help if I stayed away?"

"I dunno, kid." He shrugged. "I jus' don't know."

For a moment, the kid stared down at his boots. His eyebrows were still knit and he was frowning. Then he looked up, his expression clearing.

"Skits?"

"Yea?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

The kid scuffed his boot.

"Well, I can talk ta youse 'bout stuff. Tha otha newsies'd laugh at me, and Gamma don't answer my questions. She treats me like I'm still five. Not youse though. So, thanks."

The kid smiled and suddenly, Skittery felt like he was worth a million bucks.