Kit leaned down to blow out her candle when a knock on the doorframe interrupted her. "Who is it and what do you want?"
"It's Cray and Swan, can we come in?"
"Sure sorry bout that but I am about ready to go to bed."
"Oh well, we hadn't gotten a chance to talk, but if you want to sleep we'll go." Swan moved for the door.
"No you can stay, I just am a bit tired. Sit we can talk. So how have you been?"
"I have been good. Enjoying my job."
Kit interrupted, "I bet."
Cray threw Kit a look, "I could use some sleep though, the late nights are hard." Cray sat on the edge of Kit's bed.
"I am good too, what about you?" Swan asked he had always been "in tune" with Kit more than Cray.
Kit blinked her eyes as an attempt to stay awake as she answered, "Pretty good, I've had some nightmares that have woken me up. But Spot has been here and can keep them away."
Cray looked concerned, "How has he been here and how does he keep them away?"
Through a yawn Kit answered, "He sleeps with me."
Cray stood up, "He WHAT?"
"Sleeps with me, in here on the top bunk. He hears me if I am dreaming and is able to wake me up before I wake everyone else up."
"So you don't sleep in the same bed?" Cray calmed down, while Swan began breathing again.
"No, not normally. He sleeps on the top bunk mostly. He only sleeps with me a couple times when I can't sleep after a nightmare." Kit spoke with her eyes closed so she could not see the reaction her answers had. "He is nice, and has been the perfect gentleman. If he's here I don't have as many nightmares." She yawned again. "Mills thinks I should tell Spot bout Bal'more." She opened her eyes and gave Cray a disapproving look, "you weren't supposed to tell." Her eyes closed again, "I think he's…" she fell asleep mid sentence.
Cray looked over, "Kit, he's what? Kit hun? Oh she's sleeping come on Swan." He moved off the bed and motioned that Swan should blow out the candle. They stood outside the door talking about Kit and Spot.
"So Cray what we gonna do?"
"We find Spot and talk to him. He needs to know that she's got two brudders ready to hurt him if he hurts her." Cray spoke as he searched the room for Spot.
He found Spot in the middle of a poker game, which he was winning. Cray came up to stand on the edge of the circle, waiting for the hand to end. "Cray, man you want to join?" Race noticed Cray first.
"Nah actually Spot can I get a word with you?"
Spot looked up and then turned back to the game, "Ise out" He gathered up the money he had won and left the circle. "What youse need to talk bout, Ise had that hand won hands down."
"You could have finished the hand. I wanted to talk about your relationship to Kit."
"My relationship with Kit? Wes friends there is no relationship." Spot got defensive, "Whose says that we had a relationship?"
"No one has said anything, but I am concerned that she's gonna think there is." Cray's face turned stony. "I don't want her hurt again."
"Hurt her? Ise ain't gonna hurt her."
"Good I don't want to hear bout it. She's my sister and I will do anything" he stressed 'anything' "to keep her safe."
"Well Ise don't like being threatened. Ise got youse though and Ise glad that youse asked questions first before throwing the punches. Ise watch out for Kit. Ise make sure that no one hurts her."
Cray leaned against a bunk. "That's what I wanted to hear, but like I said. I hear that she's been hurt an you will have two very angry siblings looking for you."
"Siblings?" Sport raised his eyebrow.
"Swan sees her as his little sister. He's jus as protective as I am."
"Fine, don't get youse dander up." Spot stood back, "Wes done? Ise need ta sleep."
Cray put an arm out to stop Spot from leaving, "You should know I don't like this part of what is going on. But since she seems to think that you being there keeps the dreams from returning I see why you're there. But I don't like it."
"Youse gonna have to live with it. Ise not gonna change what is going on with her. She needs someone to be near wen these dreams come Ise that person."
"I know, but I think you should ask why she needs someone to be there, and why you are that person."
"Why Ise hear her says it ain't anything."
"Ask again, her dreams are caused by something. She'll tell if you ask."
"Youse don't know her that well do youse?" Ise been with her almost all they every they for a month, she ain't gonna jus tell me anything."
"I think she will. I've know her almost since she was born trust me on this one." Cray straighten and put down his arm.
"Cray wes leaven now, youse coming?" Mills came over and put her hand on Cray's arm.
"Yeah see you Spot.""
"Later Cray, Mills Ise say come back at any time but youse know…"
"Yeah wes know." They turned and followed the rest of the Manhattan newsies out.
Rounder cam up to Spot after they had left, "What that bout?"
"Just a warning bout hurting Kit." Spot shrugged "Ise going to bed, see youse in the morning." With that Spot turned and went into the room he shared with Kit.
"Kit Ise knows youse awake. Wes need to talk." Spot went over to the bunk and struck a match to light the candle.
"What we gonna talk bout, I want to sleep." Kit sat up in her bunk.
"What is with youse brudder, he comes an tells me that if youse gets hurt; he's gonna punch first and ask questions later."
"I don't know. He likes to act like he's a bodyguard, both of them do." Kit shook her head.
"Cray says youse have something to tell me about these nightmares. Ise remember the first night that dream was about youse getting raped again. When youse get raped? And Ise want to know what happened in Bal'more."
Kit drew here legs up to her chest and laid her arms across her knees. "That's what happened in Bal'more. Some guys rapped me. I don't know who they were or remember anything that happened after till Philadelphia."
"Ise see, this stuff is affecting you dreams then?" Spot sat down next to Kit.
"Yeah probably."
"Youse want me to stay down here tonight?"
"I don't think so. I should be fine." Kit's voice sounded far away.
"Well Ise her if youse change you mind." Spot blew out the candle and undressed climbing into the top bunk. He stared up at the ceiling waiting for Kit to fall asleep. His thoughts were chaotic as he tried to fall asleep. They tumbled over each other with none making sense.
"Spot I can't sleep." Kit spoke softly.
"Youse want me to sleep down there?" Spot wasn't sure about going down.
"Do you mind? Just till I'm asleep." A note of fear crept into her voice.
"Ise guess so." Spot climbed down and sat on the edge of the bed, "Ise gonna lay down."
"Fine" Kit moved to the wall giving him room to lie down on the narrow bed. After he lay down Kit put her head on his shoulder and soon both had fallen asleep. That night no nightmares came, both slept through the night nothing or no one dared to disturb them.
"It's Cray and Swan, can we come in?"
"Sure sorry bout that but I am about ready to go to bed."
"Oh well, we hadn't gotten a chance to talk, but if you want to sleep we'll go." Swan moved for the door.
"No you can stay, I just am a bit tired. Sit we can talk. So how have you been?"
"I have been good. Enjoying my job."
Kit interrupted, "I bet."
Cray threw Kit a look, "I could use some sleep though, the late nights are hard." Cray sat on the edge of Kit's bed.
"I am good too, what about you?" Swan asked he had always been "in tune" with Kit more than Cray.
Kit blinked her eyes as an attempt to stay awake as she answered, "Pretty good, I've had some nightmares that have woken me up. But Spot has been here and can keep them away."
Cray looked concerned, "How has he been here and how does he keep them away?"
Through a yawn Kit answered, "He sleeps with me."
Cray stood up, "He WHAT?"
"Sleeps with me, in here on the top bunk. He hears me if I am dreaming and is able to wake me up before I wake everyone else up."
"So you don't sleep in the same bed?" Cray calmed down, while Swan began breathing again.
"No, not normally. He sleeps on the top bunk mostly. He only sleeps with me a couple times when I can't sleep after a nightmare." Kit spoke with her eyes closed so she could not see the reaction her answers had. "He is nice, and has been the perfect gentleman. If he's here I don't have as many nightmares." She yawned again. "Mills thinks I should tell Spot bout Bal'more." She opened her eyes and gave Cray a disapproving look, "you weren't supposed to tell." Her eyes closed again, "I think he's…" she fell asleep mid sentence.
Cray looked over, "Kit, he's what? Kit hun? Oh she's sleeping come on Swan." He moved off the bed and motioned that Swan should blow out the candle. They stood outside the door talking about Kit and Spot.
"So Cray what we gonna do?"
"We find Spot and talk to him. He needs to know that she's got two brudders ready to hurt him if he hurts her." Cray spoke as he searched the room for Spot.
He found Spot in the middle of a poker game, which he was winning. Cray came up to stand on the edge of the circle, waiting for the hand to end. "Cray, man you want to join?" Race noticed Cray first.
"Nah actually Spot can I get a word with you?"
Spot looked up and then turned back to the game, "Ise out" He gathered up the money he had won and left the circle. "What youse need to talk bout, Ise had that hand won hands down."
"You could have finished the hand. I wanted to talk about your relationship to Kit."
"My relationship with Kit? Wes friends there is no relationship." Spot got defensive, "Whose says that we had a relationship?"
"No one has said anything, but I am concerned that she's gonna think there is." Cray's face turned stony. "I don't want her hurt again."
"Hurt her? Ise ain't gonna hurt her."
"Good I don't want to hear bout it. She's my sister and I will do anything" he stressed 'anything' "to keep her safe."
"Well Ise don't like being threatened. Ise got youse though and Ise glad that youse asked questions first before throwing the punches. Ise watch out for Kit. Ise make sure that no one hurts her."
Cray leaned against a bunk. "That's what I wanted to hear, but like I said. I hear that she's been hurt an you will have two very angry siblings looking for you."
"Siblings?" Sport raised his eyebrow.
"Swan sees her as his little sister. He's jus as protective as I am."
"Fine, don't get youse dander up." Spot stood back, "Wes done? Ise need ta sleep."
Cray put an arm out to stop Spot from leaving, "You should know I don't like this part of what is going on. But since she seems to think that you being there keeps the dreams from returning I see why you're there. But I don't like it."
"Youse gonna have to live with it. Ise not gonna change what is going on with her. She needs someone to be near wen these dreams come Ise that person."
"I know, but I think you should ask why she needs someone to be there, and why you are that person."
"Why Ise hear her says it ain't anything."
"Ask again, her dreams are caused by something. She'll tell if you ask."
"Youse don't know her that well do youse?" Ise been with her almost all they every they for a month, she ain't gonna jus tell me anything."
"I think she will. I've know her almost since she was born trust me on this one." Cray straighten and put down his arm.
"Cray wes leaven now, youse coming?" Mills came over and put her hand on Cray's arm.
"Yeah see you Spot.""
"Later Cray, Mills Ise say come back at any time but youse know…"
"Yeah wes know." They turned and followed the rest of the Manhattan newsies out.
Rounder cam up to Spot after they had left, "What that bout?"
"Just a warning bout hurting Kit." Spot shrugged "Ise going to bed, see youse in the morning." With that Spot turned and went into the room he shared with Kit.
"Kit Ise knows youse awake. Wes need to talk." Spot went over to the bunk and struck a match to light the candle.
"What we gonna talk bout, I want to sleep." Kit sat up in her bunk.
"What is with youse brudder, he comes an tells me that if youse gets hurt; he's gonna punch first and ask questions later."
"I don't know. He likes to act like he's a bodyguard, both of them do." Kit shook her head.
"Cray says youse have something to tell me about these nightmares. Ise remember the first night that dream was about youse getting raped again. When youse get raped? And Ise want to know what happened in Bal'more."
Kit drew here legs up to her chest and laid her arms across her knees. "That's what happened in Bal'more. Some guys rapped me. I don't know who they were or remember anything that happened after till Philadelphia."
"Ise see, this stuff is affecting you dreams then?" Spot sat down next to Kit.
"Yeah probably."
"Youse want me to stay down here tonight?"
"I don't think so. I should be fine." Kit's voice sounded far away.
"Well Ise her if youse change you mind." Spot blew out the candle and undressed climbing into the top bunk. He stared up at the ceiling waiting for Kit to fall asleep. His thoughts were chaotic as he tried to fall asleep. They tumbled over each other with none making sense.
"Spot I can't sleep." Kit spoke softly.
"Youse want me to sleep down there?" Spot wasn't sure about going down.
"Do you mind? Just till I'm asleep." A note of fear crept into her voice.
"Ise guess so." Spot climbed down and sat on the edge of the bed, "Ise gonna lay down."
"Fine" Kit moved to the wall giving him room to lie down on the narrow bed. After he lay down Kit put her head on his shoulder and soon both had fallen asleep. That night no nightmares came, both slept through the night nothing or no one dared to disturb them.