Chapter 6:
Spot looked from Molly to Blank. "You two know each other?" Molly just stared at him in disbelief.
"She's my... she's my... sister..."
Rae arched a brow. "Wait... I thought Shadow was your sister."
"Yeah, so did I..." Shadow piped in.
"You are... but... Molly is our sister too...She's our half-sister. My mother died when Shadow was born and Father sent her to the orphanage. Then he remarried, and his new wife was Molly's mother." Blank explained.
Molly continued to stare at him as she slowly approached. "You're.... you're ... back? Where did you go?" She finally glanced at Shadow. "Who.. who is SHE?!"
"Gretchen... our sister."
Shadow cringed at the use of her name.
Spot and Rae glanced at one another.
"Molly, Blank and Shadow were newsies with us back in Brooklyn," Rae said
"You went to New York City?!" she screamed, flying at Blank and pounding her fists on her chest. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Then, she slumped into his arms, crying.
"Shh!!" he whispered, stroking her hair.
Spot looked down at Ann, who was still clinging to his hand. "Go play with Julie and the boys on the porch, sweetheart."
She nodded slowly, staring wide-eyed at the pair before her as she walked away.
"Molly, what's wrong?" Blank asked, leading her, still sobbing, to the sofa.
"Why did you have to go? Why did you leave me all by myself?"
Shadow glared at her. "Hey girlie, at least YOU weren't given up for adoption and adopted by a couple of scabs!"
Blank sent Shadow a look.
"Well, it's true," she grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.
He turned back to Molly. "I'm sorry I left you alone, but you were too little to come with me."
"You shouldn't have left in the first place! You know I have a baby now?!?!?!"
"WHAT?"
"I have a baby, are you happy now?!" she screamed, jumping to her feet and running from the room.
Spot put his arm out and stopped her. "You aren't going to storm out of here like that. Turn around and TALK to your brother."
"Let me go!" she yelled, hitting him hard. "Let go! Let go!"
He turned her around forcefully and shoved her toward Blank.
"I don't want to talk," she muttered, glaring daggers at Spot. "And you can't make me!"
Blank walked up behind her, "Molly, please talk to me."
"Just go back to New York. Papa and I don't need you."
He turned her to face him and forced her to look up at him. "NO! I'm not going back until we get this matter settled. I was wrong in leaving you in the first place."
She stared at him with tears streaming down her face. Shadow just sat there with a 'do I not exist anymore?' look on her face.
"Why did you leave in the first place, Andrew? Papa was so worried and upset...."
"It's Blank now... and ... I just had to at the time. Papa was having all sorts of troubles and we were always arguing, so I figured I'd go out on my own."
"But you left me! I needed you here and you left me!"
With a sigh, he put his hands on his shoulders and looked at her. "Yes. I realize that now. But I was angry and you were only ten years old." Molly collapsed against him sobbing. Again, he stroked her hair. "Now... tell me about this baby you suddenly have..."
"I was attacked one night outside the tavern," she sobbed.
Spot and Rae leaned in, intrigued to finally learn the story. Shadow sighed and watched them, somewhat jealous.
"Papa took me to live with Doc and Mrs. Doc after that. After a while I got sick...and Doc told me that I was going to have a baby."
"Oh Molly..." He sighed and shook his head. "What were you doing at the tavern in the first place?"
"Following Papa."
"Who attacked you? Do you know? Do you remember?"
"I don't know," she sobbed burying her face in her hands.
He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Well... how did you end up here?"
"I was trying to run away. I had been hiding here for a few days when Spot found me late one night. The baby was born that night."
"Why were you trying to run away? Were the doc and his wife mean to you or something?"
"I wasn't living with them anymore. When Papa came back home and found out he was furious and took me back home...and then he left again."
"Well, we'll have to find him once he comes back."
"Take me with you when you go back to New York. I don't want to stay here by myself anymore."
"We'll have to see Papa."
"But-"
"Then we'll talk of you coming with me... I doubt you'll like it because it's a lot rougher than it is here..."
"At least I won't be left alone for weeks at a time."
He sighed. "I suppose that's true."
Just then Kendra began to fuss. Molly sighed, "I guess I better go feed her." She walked from the room to feed Kendra in private and Blank sat down next to Shadow again with a heavy sigh.
"So, dearest brother of mine... When were you going to tell me about this sister of ours?!" Shadow exclaimed, punching him hard in the arm.
"I don't know, alright, Shadow...I don't know."
She sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "Some day this has turned out to be. Spot, Rae? Could you show me a place where I can take a very long nap?"
"Sure," Rae said, "Come on."
She wrinkled her nose at her brother and stood, following Rae out of the room.
"You sure have a way with your sisters," Spot commented.
"Shut up."
"This house is incredible," Shadow said, following Rae up the stairs.
"It is," Rae agreed. "And so many things have happened to us since we moved in." She passed the study, where Nick was seated, reading, and waved to him before moving on.
"Who was that?" Shadow asked.
"That was Nick. He has unofficially adopted all of us. He makes sure that Spot and I get some time alone. But he likes to spend a lot of time by himself. I really don't care. He can cook and he actually pays us rent. As much as we try to argue, he insists on paying."
"You guys HAVE had a lot of weird things happening..."
"Tell me about it. Nick is a miracle worker or something. He somehow got us adoption papers for Ann and Andy. It's just been one thing after another."
She smirked. "Maybe he could work a few miracles for me."
"Ya never know, Shadow," Rae said, stopping outside a door. She opened it, "Sleep as long as you like."
"Thanks." She stepped in. "Wow... you were right... I think this room is bigger than the whole darn lodging house itself!"
Rae laughed. "The beds are really soft. I bet you'll sleep like a baby for hours. Best sleep you've ever gotten."
"Mm, I'll bet." She eyed the bed and smiled. "Well... See you... when I see you..." Then she walked deeper into the room and plopped on the bed. "Ahh! I am in heaven!"
Rae laughed and closed the door, heading back down the stairs.
Spot and Blank were busy conversing quietly amongst themselves, glancing up when Rae entered.
"Shadow isn't like... mad, is she?" Blank asked.
"She sure didn't act it. But I think she wasn't thinking of anything besides that bed."
Spot laughed. "And she won't be for another several hours."
Rae sat beside Spot. "If we had had any idea that Molly was your sister, we would have sent for you, Blank." she said.
"It's okay," he said with a nod. "I didn't make the connection with the town name... and I certainly didn't think you'd meet..."
"How long do you intend to stay?" Spot asked, slipping his arm around Rae.
"Um, not too long... Probably no more than a few days. Though I would like to get things sorted out with Molly and my father before Shadow and I left."
"From what little Molly has told us your father should be back soon. And her birthday is in a few days." Rae said.
He nodded thoughtfully.
Rae sighed. "Molly can't leave Kendra just yet, and she is more than welcome to stay here with us until she can. And then we will put her on a train and send her to you."
"Just write a letter or something. I'll come and get her."
Ann stuck her head in the room. "Daddy, can I come back inside now? I'm tired of playing."
Spot laughed and nodded. "Of course, sweetheart."
She ran over and jumped in his lap. Slipping one arm around his neck, she looked at Blank and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm just a friend of Spot's and Rae's," he replied.
"Are you gonna come live with us too?"
He laughed. "Only for a couple days. Then my sister Shadow and I will be gone."
"Why?" Ann asked. "Ann," Rae reprimanded gently, "didn't we have a talk about asking too many questions?"
She sighed and rested her head on Spot's shoulder, falling silent.
Blank smiled at the little girl, "I think someone is a daddy's girl..."
Rae smirked. "I often thought that myself."
"I love my Daddy," Ann whispered.
"But you don't love your Mommy?" Rae asked.
Ann leaned over and wrapped her arms around Rae's neck. "I love my Momma, too."
"I bet you always behave for your Momma and Daddy, don't ya?" Blank asked.
"Um..." She blushed.
"Most of the time," Spot replied.
"Momma 'panks me when I be bad," Ann whispered hesitantly.
"Then you better be good, hmm?" Blank smiled faintly.
"It makes Momma cry when she has to 'pank me and I don't like to see her cry." Ann said, looking up at him.
Rae blushed and gently prodded her off to the playroom.
"Rae Conlon, an old softy now?" Blank remarked with a smile.
"I can still soak you, Blank and you know it." she retorted.
He grinned.
"Don't get her riled, Blank," Spot said, "Because then I'll have to carry her down to the lake and throw her in."
He burst into laughter as Rae protested. "You will NOT, Spot Conlon! So help me!"
"You know I wouldn't do that, sweetheart," Spot said, giving her a kiss.
"Better not," she grumbled, accepting the kiss.
"Boy... the two of you have REALLY changed!" Blank exclaimed. "You two used to just slug it out...now you just kiss her and the argument stops..."
"That's what we get for getting married," Rae remarked with a solemn shrug before bursting into giggles. She rested her head on Spot's shoulder, "I must admit, it's a rather nice way to end an argument."
"Quite."
Blank didn't know whether to laugh or roll his eyes, so he did both.
Rae and Spot laughed at him and then Rae stood, "I need to go check on our dinner," she said, slipping from the room.
Blank chuckled as she left. "It's amazing how you both are so different... I never ever thought I'd see Rae cook."
Rae stuck her head back in the door, "If you think that's odd, you should see Spot in a frilly white apron."
He glanced at Spot with an arched brow. "Oh... a frilly white apron, eh?"
Spot shrugged and smirked. Rae giggled and headed toward the kitchen.
"That is something I imagine them at the lodging house would cough up a fortune to see."
"I'm sure," Spot said, "I had hoped she had forgotten about that."
"Rae? Forget something like that? You underestimated her," Blank teased.
"I know," Spot replied staring toward the door. "In some ways we haven't changed, Blank. We still tease each other unmercifully and we still argue alot, but I wouldn't dare raise my hand to her again. I love her, more than I can express."
"Never thought I'd hear that coming from Brooklyn's biggest ladies man... I must say I think the change is nice... And I'm sure Rae does too."
"Yeah," Spot stood, "Come on, I've got to go set the table, and find two more chairs for you and your sister."
Blank nodded. "I'll help... And Spot?"
He glanced back. "What?"
"Thanks for letting Shadow and I stay here... and for taking care of Molly... if she was anything like she was earlier today, I imagine she wasn't easy to handle..."
"She hasn't been, but she's getting better. We really don't mind you being here. We told Hades that anyone was welcome to come out at any time."
Blank sighed and nodded. "Sorry about her..." He shrugged. "She's a little... spoiled, even though my family never had much..."
"Don't worry about it Blank. If Rae and I can't handle her, no one can."
He smirked. "Amen to that."
"Come on, I'm hungry."
And he followed Spot into the dining room.
Dinner that night was a noisy affair and after dinner Rae and Spot sent Ann and Andy to get ready for bed. Ann clung to Spot, casting uneasy glances at Shadow. "I don't want to share my room with her, Daddy, she scares me," she whispered in Spot's ear.
"She's nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart."
"Can't I sleep with you and Momma?"
He rested his forehead on hers. "You'll be all right, Ann, I promise."
"But I don't want to," Ann said, tears filling her eyes.
"Why does she scare you? Did she do something mean to you?"
"NO!" Ann sobbed, burying her head in his shoulder, "Please don't make me sleep in my room, Daddy."
"Well, I want to understand why you are so scared. Can you tell me that, sweetheart?"
"I just am, Daddy. Please don't make me...Can't I please sleep with you and Momma?"
He sighed heavily. "Ann, you need to learn to sleep on your own."
Rae walked over and crouched next to them. "What's going on?"
"She says that she doesn't want to sleep in her room. She wants to sleep with us."
Gently taking the girl's hand, she asked, "Why is that honey?"
"She scares me." Ann said, turning and clinging to Rae after pointing out Shadow. "Please don't make me Momma."
Rae and Spot exchanged glances. "We're not going to say anything until you tell us why she scares you," Spot finally said.
"She might hurt me while I'm sleeping," Ann whispered.
"Oh no, no, dear, Shadow would never do that. We wouldn't let her stay here if she was," Rae said soothingly. To contradict what she had said, Shadow was busy wrestling with Blank.
Ann sobbed and tightened her grip on Rae's neck.
"She isn't going to hurt you, I promise. She's just playing around with Blank-"
Blank yelped.
"KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!" Rae yelled before continuing. "Daddy and I trust her. She wouldn't hurt you or she'd have the both of us to face."
Ann pulled back and sent Rae a pitiful look, "Please Momma?"
"Let Daddy and me talk, okay?"
Ann nodded, and rested her head on Rae's shoulder.
"You go help Julie finish cleaning up."
"Yes ma'am."
When Ann left, Rae turned to Spot. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. She was doing so much better. She hasn't had a nightmare in two weeks."
"I wonder why she thinks Shadow would hurt her? As far as I know, she hasn't even really talked much to Ann... Mostly she gripes about Molly or picks on Blank."
"Who knows? Maybe she's thinking about Molly's threatening her. Shadow and Molly do look a lot alike."
Rae tilted her head to the side and examined Shadow. "Yes, I guess they do somewhat... And then, her beating up on Blank doesn't help much either, I suppose."
Spot sighed, "Do we let her sleep in our room until Shadow and Blank leave? Or force her to sleep in her room, with the possibility of even more nightmares?"
"I don't know... She has to get used to sleeping in her own bed. But I know the nightmares scare her terribly..."
"She has been sleeping in her own bed most nights. At least she starts out there."
"I want to get her ending up there though, you know?" She sighed and tilted her head back. "Who would have known these little decisions could be so complicated?"
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'd almost take being the leader of Brooklyn than having to fight with Ann to get her to sleep tonight."
She smiled. "I'd almost rather be MARRIED to the former you than go through that."
He smiled back at her, "So we let her stay with us?"
With a sigh, she nodded absently. "I guess so."
"We WILL get through this," he said, gently placing a hand on her cheek.
She nodded. "It's just a matter of time, right?"
"Of course, darling. Once things settle down, we'll make her sleep in her own bed all night. If she wakes up, she goes right back to her bed."
With a smile, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I suppose we ought to tell her."
"It's time for the twins to go to bed anyway."
She nodded and rose to her feet. "Ann! Andy! Time for bed!"
"Five more minutes?" they whined.
"Nope." Spot shook his head firmly. "Off to bed you two."
"But..." Andy protested.
"Bedtime!" Rae sang, herding them towards the staircase.
"Do we have to go to bed right away, Momma?" Andy asked as Rae helped them change.
She kissed the top of his head. "Yes sweetheart," she replied, swinging him lightly into bed. "You'll be out before you know it."
He yawned and hugged her neck. "Night, Momma."
Planting a kiss on his cheek, she said, "Goodnight Andy." She scooped Ann up in her arms and carried her across the hall. "To sleep with you too, Miss Annie," she said tucking the girl under the covers.
Reaching her arms up to hug Rae, she said, "Thank you Momma."
"Your welcome, sweetheart," Rae said, hugging the girl.
"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep, Momma?" Ann asked.
"I suppose I could do that." She climbed onto the bed and sat next to Ann, stroking the little girl's hair gently.
"I'm sorry, Momma," Ann whispered.
"Sorry for what, sweetheart?"
"For making you and Daddy mad..."
"We aren't mad, Ann."
"You aren't mad at me for not wanting to sleep in my bed?"
"No, we aren't mad. I promise."
Ann nodded and closed her eyes. Within another moment she was sound asleep.
Rae kissed her forehead, sliding off the bed, and headed downstairs.
"They get to sleep all right?" Spot inquired as she came to sit on the couch next to him. Everyone else was gathered in the living room, enjoying the quiet for awhile.
"Sure did," she replied with a smile. "What do you say we have an old-fashioned Brooklyn poker game?"
"YEAH!" Shadow cheered and Blank nodded in agreement while Chris, Julie, and Nick looked on, bewildered.
"Well...this won't be as wild as some of the Brooklyn poker games, but Manhattan's not here for that. You do know how to play poker, right?" Spot asked.
Julie and Nick shook their heads. "The missus wasn't too fond of the game," he added.
"A little," Chris replied.
Rae left the room and returned a moment later with a deck of cards. "Gather 'round. We'll teach you."
* * *
The entire family was outside enjoying the early spring day. Rae sat on the porch with Kendra and Ann watching while the boys attempted to play a game of baseball with the help of Shadow and Julie. Molly was sitting in the low branch of a nearby tree reading a book.
After a while, Rae set Kendra in the cradle they had brought out and laid down on the porch, resting a hand on her stomach. It had been gurgling since breakfast... Maybe it was something she ate, but it sure didn't feel too well. She slipped into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. She drank the water and sat rather weakly in a chair.
Nick was leaving the living room with a deck of cards in his hand, and he caught a glance of Rae at the table. "Are you all right?" he inquired.
She nodded. "Breakfast just didn't settle too well, I guess."
"Would you like me to call on Spot for you?"
She shook her head, "He'd just over react. I'll be fine."
"All right then. Coming back outside? I'm sure fresh air will do you some good."
"I'm coming."
He held out a wiry, aged arm for her and led her out the door again. When she sat back down on the porch Ann crawled into her lap, "Are you sick, Momma?"
She shook her head. "My tummy is just a bit rumbly, is all."
Ann nodded and leaned back against Rae, as a man came walking down the long drive, a clearly confused look on his face. Rae arched a brow, wondering who had the nerve to come up to their house with all the rumors flying about Spot. Behind her, Molly gasped.
"Papa!" Molly squealed, brushing past them.
"Molly?!" He opened his arms and caught her as she barreled into him. "I've been looking everywhere for you sweetheart!"
"I was sick, Papa, and they let me stay with them...and then Andrew came..."
"Andrew?" He glanced around. "Is he here too?"
"Right there," Molly said, pointing to Blank
The boy had yet to notice his father in the yard, as he was yelling at Shadow who had beaned him in the head with the ball.
"Andrew?" he called out.
He started when he heard his name called and he turned, "What?!... Papa?...." Thwack!! "WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THAT THING, SHADOW!"
"Sorry," she sang happily.
He turned to his father uncertainly. "What... what are YOU doing here?"
"I came home expecting to find my daughter. But when I couldn't find her I stopped into town to see if anyone had seen her and heard the rumors about this place. Something about a beast who was kidnapping children..."
"That would be me," Spot said, waving from across the green. "But I'm not kidnapping them... they flock to me, for some odd reason."
Mr. Gaines nodded in understanding and turned back to Molly. "I see you had your baby..."
She frowned deeply. "Yes..."
Rae walked up with the baby. "This is your granddaughter, Mr. Gaines."
He looked down at the baby and then at Molly. "It's a miracle you both were safe through it..." His face looked distant and sad for a moment. "... What's her name?
"Kendra," Spot said as he joined the small group.
"A lovely name..." He looked at Blank and walked over to him. "Where have you been, son?"
"In Brooklyn. With Spot and Rae," he said, nodding toward the couple, "And Shadow...."
"Brooklyn?!"
"Yes, sir."
"Andrew Gaines... You don't know how worried I was about you! Brooklyn!"
"I'm sorry, Papa.... Rae took good care of us boys though," he said, smirking at Rae, who raised her fist. "And you'll never guess who I found there..." Seizing Shadow's arm as she tried to sneak past, he pulled her into the group.
Mr. Gaines looked at her uncertainly. He didn't recognize her... fully. "She... she looks like Molly."
Shadow rolled her eyes. "Not that again!"
"It's Gretchen, Papa." Blank said, ducking to dodge her fist.
"Gretchen?" He looked confused just a moment longer. Then realization seemed to strike. "Gretchen!"
She cringed. "Don't call me that... it's a horrible name..."
Mr. Gaines grabbed her into a tight hug. Shadow made a strange face.
"Then what would you have us call you, sister?" Blank asked.
"Shadow. Shadow, like you always have."
"Papa?" Molly interrupted.
Mr. Gaines looked at her. "Yes, sweetheart?"
She took a deep breath, "I want Spot and Rae to have my baby. They want to keep her and I don't."
"I think you ought to," Shadow retorted. "You don't know what it's like to be given up by your parents.... you're nothing but... a.. spoiled... little ... brat."
"At least you had a family at some point, Shadow," Rae responded, handing the baby to Spot, tears in her eyes. "I was left on a doorstep when I was not much older than Kendra," she said, running to the house.
Shadow huffed a sigh. "I meant to insult HER-" She pointed to Molly, "Not Rae!" And off she stalked.
Spot sighed. "Excuse me, will you?" And he trotted off to find Rae. "Rae?" he called softly as he ran up the stairs.
"What?" came a muffled response from their bedroom. She was curled up in a chair crying.
He walked over and knelt in front of her. "Rae..."
"Go away, Spot," she hiccupped.
"Not until you talk to me, sweetheart."
"About -hic- what?"
"About what's the matter.... Shadow didn't mean what she said to you... she thought much of what you thought, most likely... That Molly is being selfish for giving Kendra up."
"I just..." she jumped up and ran for the small washroom off of their room.
He stood and followed her, concerned. "Rae?"
"Go away, Spot..." she said and then he heard her throwing up.
"Honey?" he called in to her, worriedly. "Are... are you sick? What's the matter?" She opened the door and looked at him. He waited, patient, but painfully worried, for her to explain.
"Yes, I am sick, but I don't know why..."
He put his arms around her. "Why don't you rest then, until you feel better?"
She nodded weakly, "Sounds good to me."
"Want me to carry you there?" But he didn't leave room for response. He had already swept her up and placed her on the bed, pulling the askew blankets over her.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well, honey."
"Is she alright?" Shadow asked as Spot closed the bedroom door.
"She's sick," Spot murmured, casting a worried glance at the door.
"I didn't mean anything, Spot..."
"I know you didn't."
Shadow sighed and turned to walk away.
He put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "It's not your fault... you were just voicing your opinions about Molly..."
"This whole thing has me confused Spot."
"What does?"
"I went for so many years without a family...and now all of a sudden I have one...my sister wants to give up her baby...not knowing what it will do to that child..."
He nodded, waiting to see whether or not she wanted to continue.
"It's not that I don't trust you and Rae...it's just...I'm not really sure how to deal with all this..."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand fully. You know how deeply that feeling of abandonment can affect someone because you've experienced it first hand, and you don't want this little baby to grow up knowing her mother left her to almost complete strangers."
Shadow nodded. "But you and Rae aren't really strangers...I mean...Blank and I have known you for years..."
"We are strangers to Molly, though," he pointed out.
"But you two saved her life...twice...and baby Kendra's..."
He smiled. "Don't try to think it over so much right now. I think you'll hurt yourself."
She playfully punched him in the arm. "Shut up, Conlon."
With a grin, he lightly punched her arm in return. "Why don't you go catch up with your newfound family? I'm sure there's a lot of explaining that will be going on."
She nodded, "Thanks for letting me talk."
"You're welcome. You needed it."
She smiled and him and ran down the stairs to join her family. Spot sighed and leaned against the wall.
Ann and Andy came running up the stairs, "Where's Momma?"
With a weary smile, he looked down at them. "She's taking a nap. Why, is there something you needed?"
"She looked sick earlier," Ann said, with a nod.
"Well, she isn't feeling too well, but I'm sure she will be fine by tomorrow."
"Is she gonna be real sick like last time?" Andy asked.
"I don't think so." 'I hope not,' he added silently to himself.
"Are you and Annie gonna get sick too?"
He chuckled. "No, no... I don't think so." This, he could be a little more certain of.
"Can I see her," Ann asked.
"Not right now, sweetheart, she's sleeping."
Her lower lip quivered, "But I wanna she her..."
He picked her up. "You can when she's awake, all right?" Ann looked like she was going to protest again, but nodded when he sent her a disapproving look. "Why don't we go downstairs and see what Chris and Julie are up to, hmm?"
"Ok," she said.
Taking And's hand, he led them down the stairs.
Julie was sitting on the porch, talking to Kendra who was once again in her cradle. Chris was nearby throwing the ball up in the air and catching it.
"Toss that thing here!" Spot yelled, setting Ann on her feet and walking into the grass. And they all became involved in a light game of catch.