After Anne was sure all of the boys had entered the bunkroom she exited the hall and walked up the creaky stairway. As the door slowly slid ajar all of the boys turned to see whom the visitor was.

She burst out laughing at the looks on their faces, "Okay you guys. After you pick up your chins from the floor I hope that you will maybe stop looking at me that way and give me a hug."

"Oh my God... Anne," Racetrack yelled grabbed her up into a gigantic hug. "I can't believe ya came back," Blink smiled as he also pulled her into a hug.

Soon she was being passed around the room, receiving more hugs in the process. "Give her some air guys," Spot chuckled as he entered the bunkroom.

"Ya visitin' Manhattan, Spot?" Brady asked. "Well, me and Jack picked up Anne at the Train Depot and I thought dat I might join in on a little poker tonight," Spot replied. "Sure, we're jist 'bout ta go ta Tibby's," Pie's voice echoed up the stairs.

*****

At Tibby's they all ordered and sat patiently waiting for their food.

"So, Anne, Where'd you go anyway? You know dat we all missed ya," Mush said from across the table. "So I heard. I missed all of you too. You know that I'm really sorry about all the things I said. I was under a lot of mental stress and I said a lot of things that I didn't mean and ... I just really didn't want to hurt you," Anne replied.

Everyone at the table became quiet as they thought about the events that had happened only a month earlier.

"We're sorry too. We went crazy ova' thinkin' dat if you were hurt or anythin' it woulda been all a our faults," Race whispered.

"Nahhhh, Come on guys. Don't get all sappy with me now. Everything's fine cause we's all together now and it's gunna stay dat way," Spot chuckled, giving Anne a good, hard slap on the back, knocking the breath out of her.

She quickly turned to glare at Spot and pulled him out of the booth and out the restaurant door.

"Ya almost pulled my arm out a da socket (I know that that's from Grease, but I thought it would fit well here.)," Spot moaned, rubbing his forearm.

"Well, you.... are...so... stupid!" she paused as she continually slapped him upside the head, "Why are you leading them on like that, saying were together and stuff?"

"Look who's talkin'! I seem to recall someone sayin', I missed yall so much; oh, I so didn't want to hurt you," he whined as he mimicked the little speech she had made, minuets earlier.

Anne sighed as her eyes wandered to a street merchant selling apples across the street. "Look at me Anne!" Spot yelled as he gently slapped her face around to look him in the eye.

She bit her lip as she sat there staring into his cold blue eyes that seemed to penetrate into the depth of her sole. She could see why people feared him so much. He had his ways of knowing just the right looks to give a person to make them quiver in their boots.

As the pressure his eyes were placing on her built up, she quickly turned away, "How do you do that?"

"It's a gift," he smirked, "Now look at me-" taking her head in his hands, " I want ya to cut da crap, because I don't want ya hurtin' dose boys no more. Do ya hear? No more buildin' up dere up Pie's or anyone else's hopes of you stayin'."

Anne knew better than to disagree, but she still hated it when Spot tried to preach over her. She simply nodded her head before jerking away when she heard, "Spot!"

A young newsie, of about 11 years of age, came running up Halls Ave. dodging people as he repeatedly bellowed Spot's name. He finally came to a stop at Spot's feet and quickly placed his hands over his head in an effort to receive air.

"What's da news Runnah'?" Spot asked, showing his deep tough guy manner.

"It's begun!" the boy named Runner said through panted breaths.