Grabs walked stiffly home, trying to hide his wound. The Queens Newsies had been understanding enough not to alert his parents, but instead had given him a new shirt and had tightly bandaged his side with a sigh. Even now, he still couldn't believe that Archer was dead. He had been there one moment, and was gone the next. And with his dying breath, Archer had tried to protect him. Grabs winced as he stumbled over a stone. His hand instinctively flew to his side. He halted for a few moments, resting against a building so that he could catch his breath. He could see the others waiting for him at the Greeley statue. He had to make it, he couldn't let on that he was hurt.

He took a deep breath and walked stiffly over to the statue. "Heya Grabs! We got all our districts!" Joy said cheerfully. "Yeah! Even BROOKLYN! Although we had ta make Spot swear dat he wouldn't let on an' tell our folks." Craps added. "Yeah! My Papa undastands what it's like ta be runnin' from danga!" Sketch piped up. "Whatsa matta Grabs? Yer all pale." Cowboy asked, approaching his brother. "It ain't nothin'. My, my side hoits. Listen all of ya's. Sometin' bad's happened." As Grabs spoke, there was silence around the square. "Archer, da leada of Queens, is dead." The silence was broken by anguished cries. "Keep it down! He was shot, by one of da guys I tink. Anyway, he shot me too." Grabs continued, talking over the yells of disbelief. "Oh Grabs! Are ya alright?" Angel asked as she and Sunshine dove to his side protectively.

"I'm fine. He jest knicked me. But we cain't let nobody know. Sure dey'll find out about Archer, but don't let on dat ya know. Undastand?" The others nodded. "Okay, lets head home." The groups headed home in silence, Grabs' siblings casting him worried looks as they went. When they reached the house, Bright Eyes' sharp eyes gazed over them. "Are you kids okay?" The children stopped in the door and Fairy looked up at them expectantly. "Yeah. Why Mama?" Grabs said, ignoring the pain in his side. "It's jest dat dere's been some tawk 'bout somebody gettin' shot." Grabs drew his breath in sharply. "Where?" Bright Eyes shrugged. "Not sure. You'll probably read 'bout it in da papes temorra. Go git washed up. Me an' ya fadda's gotta leave now if we're gonna git to da races on time. An' you kin eat whats on da stove 'kay?" Bright Eyes said, running her fingers through her son's hair affectionately. Grabs nodded and walked off. Bright Eyes watched him as she gave Angel and Sunshine a hug, while balancing little Taps on her hip.

When Grabs got to his room, he made sure that his brothers and sisters weren't nearby and then slipped off his shirt and inspected the bandage. He touched it gently. It was still tender to the touch, but hopefully it was healing. "I cain't be bummed up like dis. I need ta keep fightin' fer Jack an' now Archer." Grabs muttered. "Grabs!" Grabs whirled around to face Fairy, who was standing in the doorway. "Fairy! Doncha know how ta knock?!" Grabs said angrily, holding his shirt over his bare chest.

Fairy shut the door and walked over to him, her small hand pushing down the shirt that covered his chest. "I seen yer chest befoa Grabs Higgins! What did ya do?" Grabs winced and slapped the girl's hand away as she gently touched his side. "Dangit Fairy! Dat hoits!" Fairy looked up at him in confusion. "What did you do Grabs Higgins? Did you go an' git yerself hoit?" She asked accusingly. "Oh keep quiet! It ain't nothin'." Grabs said. "You know sometin' 'bout dat moida doncha Grabs?" Fairy asked quietly. Grabs ceased trying to put his shirt on and sighed, sitting down on his bed. "Yeah. I was dere." Fairy's blue eyes widened and she sat down beside her brother.

"Da udda night, ya know how we followed dose two guys again? Well dey said dat dey was gonna pick off one of da leadas of da districts. So we all went an' told da leadas. I went ta Queens ta see da leada dere. His name was Archer. Well, I jest got finished warnin' him, when he got shot, right in front of my very eyes. He was dead. Den I got shot by da same guy. He jest grazed me, it ain't bad." He said quickly, seeing his sister's eyes widen. "Sure it ain't. Ain't ya done enough lyin' Grabs? Lemme see." Fairy insisted, her small hand reaching out to the bandage. "No Fairy!" Grabs yelled. He looked around then looked at Fairy. "It hoits like a buncha mosquitos is bitin' me on da inside Fairy, an' da guys at Queens said dat it's gotta be changed. I don't know nothin' 'bout changin' bandages!" Grabs whispered.

Fairy sighed. "I does." Grabs scoffed. "Yeah right! How'd ya leain? Patchin' up yer dolly?" Grabs said in cruel sarcasm. Fairy rolled her eyes and smacked her brother on the back. "You idiot! Of course not! Mama taught me, jest in case anybody got hoit." Fairy explained, her small hands deftly unwinding the bandage. "Yeah sure. An' who taught Mama?" Grabs asked. "Don't know. But she's da one who bandaged up Fish when he was little so don't ya go an' say dat Mama's a lya." Fairy said wisely. "Ya call dis a scratch!" Fairy said angrily as the final bandage was unwound. Grabs shrugged. "Dats what da boys said. I couldn't look at it meself. Yeck." Grabs said as he shuddered. Fairy groaned and her small fingers probed the wound that was at least a few inches deep. "It ain't infected. Mama taught me dat too. If it's all white an' goopy, it's infected." Grabs shuddered again.

"I pray ta God dat it don't git 'fected." He said reverently. "Me too. Now, I'll be right back. I'm gonna git anotha bandage." Fairy said softly, walking out of the room and making sure the door was securely closed. She tiptoed into the kitchen and rustled through the cupboards. When she finally found the bandage she was looking for, she began to exit the room, but a sound caught her ear. She cocked her head and edged towards the nearby window. She began to feel nervous. Racetrack was gone, having gone to the tracks and Bright Eyes had accompanied him. They had promised not to be out too late, trusting that Grabs could take care of his siblings, not knowing his current condition. She peered out the window into the impending night. She didn't hear anything else so she left the window and began to walk uneasily back to her brother's room.

But she stopped again when the floorboards of the house began to creak. She knew it was not her own footsteps that had caused the sound. She trembled and her hands began to shake uncontrollably. "Mama? Papa? Dat you?" She whispered trying to see into the darkness. A firm hand clamped down on her mouth and rough breathing tousled her mussed up curls. "Don't make a sound an' ya won't git hurt kid." The feeling that had plagued her the day Spot Conlon had unexpectadly lifted her up in his arms that dark frightening night, threatened to take over her and make her faint once more.

But she took as deep a breath as she could and regained control of her body. She nodded faintly and the man scooped her up in his arms, his hand still on her mouth and began to walk towards the door. Fairy tried to keep control of her brain as she was carried. Stay awake, don't faint! Please Fairy, it won't do ya no good. Please God let somebody hear me. She thought inwardly as the feeling began to take over again. But this time, the added terror or being kidnapped put her over the edge, and like that previous night she fainted.

Grabs sat still in his room, fiddling with the bedcovers waiting for Fairy to get back. It seemed to him like it had been a long time so he stood up and wincing, made his way to the hallway. He peeked in the doorways of his siblings' room. They were all occupied, playing with each other. Grabs limped down the darkening hallway, watching the light in the windows get dimmer and dimmer. A lone lamp was on the table and he walked over to it. He lifted it up and looked in the corners of the room. "Fairy? Fairy, where are ya? Look come out, dis ain't funny. I don't want my side ta git 'fected." Grabs whispered as he looked around the adjoining rooms. Then the open front door caught his eye. He peered out it, then noticed muddy footprints on the floor. He traced to where they stopped. They stopped at the table then turned back towards the door. Grabs frowned as he noticed an object on the table. It was a small piece of paper that had dark almost unreadable writing on it. It said only a few words, but it said volumes to Grabs.

G. H. : Tomoro, Broncks 1 o clok

Grabs crumpled the piece of paper in his fist in anger. He couldn't believe this. Now the killers of Archer had stolen his sister and wanted him to go retrieve her. "Probably 'fore dey kill her." He muttered. "Is dere nothin' dat dey won't do?" He whispered as he unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and looked at it again. His sister was gone, and again it was his fault. He had to go and interfere and now his family was paying the price. "What'll Mama an' Papa say?" He whispered. Suddenly, the door creaked open and the sound of a baby's gurgling came to Grabs ears. "Hey kid! Whatcha doin'?" Racetrack asked cheerily, mussing his son's hair. Grabs gulped and attempted to smile. "Hey Papa." Bright Eyes groaned and moved Taps to her other hip. "Yer gettin' too heavy kid." She admonished him. Taps grinned and clapped his hands together. "Mama gettin' tired of horsies?" Taps asked. Bright Eyes smiled and nodded. "Mama's tired an' so is Taps. Time fer bed!" She said as she whisked him back to the bedrooms before he could protest.

Racetrack and Grabs were left alone. "So didja win anythin?" Grabs asked, trying to fill the awkward silence that hung between them. "Yeah actually. Won on Dreamcatcha." Racetrack said. "Told ya he would win." Grabs said automatically. Racetrack grinned. "Yeah ya did didn't ya?" Racetrack said with a smile. Then came the awkward silence again. Grabs sighed. He knew he had to tell his father what had happened, but he really didn't want to. "Papa, sometin' bad's happened." Racetrack's brown eyes filled with concern. "What is it Grabs?" Grabs hung his head, searching for a substituted of the words he wanted to say, but couldn't. "Fairy's gone. Da front door was open, an' I, I tink she got taken away."

There was silence as Racetrack comprehended what his son was saying. Then he swore fiercly under his breath. Grabs' eyes widened in shock. Never in his short life had he ever heard his father swear before. Never. And here he was doing it now. Racetrack looked over at his son's wide eyes and surprised face and regretted his action. "Grabs, do ya know anytin' else dat kin help. I mean, if Fairy is kidnapped, we gotta do everytin' we can ta help." Grabs' mind went over the facts quickly. He should tell his father about the note, but then he wouldn't let him go alone, which was what he wanted to do. It was his fault therefore he should deal with the consequences. He had to be a man. "I don't know nothin' else Papa." He blurted out.

Racetrack's brown eyes bore into Grabs', so like his own eyes and tried to look within their depths to find what his son was hiding. But he found nothing. He sighed. "Race, Fairy's gone an' da kids ain't seen her for a while now." Bright Eyes' worried voice spoke out, breaking into the two's thoughts. "I know Bright. I tink we need ta call Brooklyn." Bright Eyes gasped at her husband's words as she gazed at him. "Ya don't tink she got, got, kidnapped or sometin'!?" Racetrack nodded, his eyes never leaving his son. "Oh God." Bright Eyes sank into a nearby chair, her head in her hands. Racetrack stared at Grabs, and Grabs stared back, until it was impossible to look at his father anymore without feeling shame.