Ladies and Gentleman as promised your update, please enjoy!

Running again, I thought I was done, but I am always running….

"Well, well, well if isn't the little smart-mouthed alley rat. Did you come back for another soaking?"

Panic seizes her, leaving her without time to react as two pairs of practiced hands grab her shoulders. Still despite everything, her disadvantage, her injuries, she refuses to let someone insult her. Bracing herself against the wall she lashes out with her feet catching one of the brother's in the gut. Her triumph is short-lived, because a pair of hands moves from her arm to her throat.

"Ya wanna try something like that again you little scum?"

She gasps for breath, but the gag makes it almost impossible to get sufficient air. Mercilessly Oscar lifts her off her feet, she is helpless, her hands are bound, and she feel the blackness settling in. Before she goes completely limp he releases his death grip and drops her coughing and gagging onto her knees.

"Can't have you dying yet, the boss wants you alive."

If the gag didn't prevent her she might have managed to gasp, "What boss?" But racking coughs were the only sound coming from the girl in the alley. For a moment Oscar turns his attention away from her towards his brother who is holding his stomach and picking himself off the pavement.

"I'm gonna kill that no good little…"

"You remember the deal Snyder wants her alive."

Morris glances at Beth bent over on her knees struggling for air, and fighting despair. He stands over and barks, "Get up" as he kicks her in the side. Beth gasps, but looks up, defiance is shining in her eyes. Clearer than words her look says make me. He kicks her again, she grunts and gasps but refuses to move. Morris grabs Oscar's brass knuckles and is about to bring them down over her head, when Oscar stops him.

"Alive, Morris."

Morris growls something under his breath and drops the weapon. Since she is obviously not moving they silently decide to drag her until her stubbornness recedes. On a silent count of three they each grab on of her arms and start dragging her towards the carriage waiting a few feet away. She writes and kicks, but it is to no avail. She is stubborn, but they are strong. Nothing she does can stop them from loading her into the carriage like a piece of cargo. There is not a doubt in her mind as to where she being taken, but any worries or thoughts about her predicament are cut off by the sound of a gun-shot ringing through the night. Then all she can think as she lies cuffed and gagged on the floor of the carriage is, "My God, what have I done?"

"Race youse are bein awful quiet."

"It's late don't a fella have a right to be tired?"

"Yeah 'cept when youse tired yer all rowdy and grumpy usually."

Davey frowns he feels responsible for the boys when Jack isn't there and Race is acting awfully strange.

"Race are youse alright you ain't sick or nuthin?"

Race waves Davey off dismissively, "Ise am fine."

Les pops into the conversation, "Oh he's sick alright 'lovesick' anyway."

Race makes a half-hearted grab at Les, "Shut it."

Les dodges him and runs out of reach, "I overheard youse telling Jack that yer in love wid Bird!"

Race's sudden change of color makes it impossible for him to deny it. He can hears the whispers and whistles flying around the room.

"Davey wouldja shut yer nosy littul brudda up, 'fore I do it?"

Davey fights back a smile and tries not to laugh as he scolds Les, "Now Les…you really ought to…you really shouldn't…"

He turns to Race shaking his head incredulously, "Youse like Bird?"

Race folds his arms steps to Davey threateningly, "Youse got a problem with dat?"

"No she's just a little…uh"

Romeo pipes up, "Painful?"

Race swats him with a newspaper. Davey laughs nervously, "Not exactly what Ise was looking for…"

Without a word Race walks away towards the window on the far end of the room, he looks out and tries to imagine he knows exactly where the old theatre is, and that he can see it from here. Under his breath he mumbles something. Les untactfully, "Speak up we'se can't hear ya!"

"BEAUTIFUL! I said beautiful, alright youse happy now? She's beautiful."

He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up Davey smiles, "Yeah guess so…youse really like her dontcha?"

Race gives a sort of half-laugh before whispering, "So much it hurts. Ise only hope she loves me a little." He steps away again, Davey doesn't follow.

"Where is she Race? Is she alright?"

Race shoves his hands in his pockets, "Is she alright, am I alright? What's with all the worryin? Geez Dave youse turnin into Jack."

"He told me to make sure youse all were alright."

"He told me dat too, but you don't see me breathin down yer neck?"

Davey shrugs and collars Les without even looking, effectively preventing him from joining in a game of poker that just started. Les starts to protest, but one look from Davey cuts him off short, and he sulkily marches off to bed.

"I guess it's just a brudda thing, at least dat's what Jack taught me. We'se are all bruddas, and I've been a big bruddas all my life I guess I jes can't stop. Dat's probably why Jack didn't like all dat much at first, he was used to bein da only big brudda."

There is no response from the lovesick newsie, instead he walks over to the poker game and throws in a dollar.

"Aw stuff it Mouth, Ise know how to be a brudda, tell me somethin I don't know" he drops his voice a level and half-whispers to Henry, "I'm sure dere's somethin he knows I don't."

Davey looks at him hard, but Race pretends not to see him and starts dealing himself in.

"Ya know youse and Bird are a lot alike…" This stops Race cold and catches his attention.

"Neider of ya will ask for help or let anyone help ya."

Race stands and gets in Davey's face, "What do ya want? Why ya gotta keep bringin her up?"

"Because idiot, if you love her den you should wid her wherever she is protectin her from whatever the heck she's runnin from! Dat's what I'd do for my goil."

Davey's face tinges pink and Race is suspicious, but he decides to let it go for now.

"She don't want my protectin, 'sides don't ya think I wanna be dere? Ise do, but I gotta be here da boys need me."

Davey sighs, "The boys will be fine for one night."

"Are youse sayin ya don't need me?"

"Ise am sayin dat even though I don't know what da heck is goin on, from what I've seen and what Jack has had Ise think Bird needs ya more den we do."

Race is stunned and begrudgingly touched, it's obvious that Davey understands how he's feeling and he swears to himself that he'll drag that cat out of the bag later.

"Fine, I'll go but only if ya promise me somethin?"

Davey folds his arms, "What?"

Race grins cheekily and adds, "Actually two somethins."

"Just say it already."

In an attempt at seriousness Race lowers his voice, but it only makes the whole thing more comical, "First let Les play dis round of Poker for me Ise already threw my dollar in and the kid ain't half bad, we might even be able to split the profits. Second promise me you'll take the rap for me from Jack, ya know how gets all uptight about 'bein respectable' and 'sticking to yer duty' whatever that is."

Davey opens his mouth to explain 'duty' but decides against it, instead he offers his hand to seal the deal. "Done, but be back 'fore morning."

Race smirks and shakes his hand firmly neither confirming nor denying that he'll be back anytime soon, but he does pause before walking out the door, to call over his shoulder with a genuine smile , "Thanks Dave".

Davey returns the smiles and yells after him, "Don't worry Race Jack will understand."

The door slams behind him and Mush snorts and remarks, "He should understand Jackie did it enough himself, a regular Romeo."

Romeo pokes his head out of the bedroom door and exclaims exasperatingly, "Ise take dat as a compliment". Quick as a whip he pulled his head back in to avoid being pummeled by the onslaught of crumpled newspapers and good-natured groans.

I hope the second half had enough comic relief to prevent you from killing me ;P Also I am sorry to inform you that all stories will be on hiatus, because I am currently competing in state singing competition and I made it to the finals! Wish me luck and be sufficed with the knowledge that the delay will probably only be a week at the most. Please keep reading and reviewing and I will keep writing!

K. Kelly

P.S. Please not that I did not edit this yet, so the grammar and such is probably a little rough around the edges, I apologize.