Authors' Note: Thanx to all my reviewers!! Inky, Singah, Rae, MooBug, Tiger, Stage, Moth, and FictionHobbit. Thank you all, and keep it up!! (hint hint) ;-)

Closing the door behind him, he looked up and saw Lissy sitting on the bed waiting for him. She raised her head and he could see the tears already in her eyes.

"Hayden please?"

"Lissy, I'm sorry, I love you. But I can't take you with me. There is no way. I don't have the money and it is way too dangerous."

"If it's so dangerous, then why are you going?"

"You don't understand! I will not stay in that house anymore! And I can't stay here in Philly because we both know that dad will find me if I do."

"Well what about me? Won't he find me here?"

"I don't think so. He has no reason to suspect you as a newsie."

"Are you sure?" She was terrified at the thought of him finding her. Their father was horrible enough as it was, but if he found them after they had run away? He would be furious. And she didn't think that if Hayden was gone, that she could handle that all by herself. "Because if he found me…and I didn't have you…"

"Don't worry Lissy, Bottlecap will take care of you. He won't let that happen."

"But I don't want him to take care of me!! I want you to take care of me!" She nearly yelled it. Hayden hushed her, he had forgotten about the girl in the other bunk until she said something in her sleep.

"Hush."

"But Hayden, I love you." She said throwing her arms around him. "I want to go with you. I don't care if it is dangerous. Please? How many times do I have to say please?" She begged.

"Don't say it anymore, the answer is no. I'm sorry. And you may not care if it is, but I do. I don't want you to get hurt." He choked. It was so hard for him not to cry. He didn't want to do it. But he kept asking himself, what else is there for me to do? And the answer was always the same, nothing.

"I will do anything." Lissy cried.

Hayden could feel the sobs racking her body and thought his heart would break. "You know that I love you, and I wouldn't leave you if there was any other way, but there just isn't. Please stop crying." He knew that she wouldn't, or couldn't, but he still couldn't bear it. "Don't hate me, don't hate me."

"I don't hate you." She gasped through sobs. "Just don't leave me. Don't leave me!"

"Lissy, I...." He didn't know what to say, so he just let her cry.

"I promise I will come back for you, I promise. I have never broken a promise to you yet, and I never will. I'll come back." He whispered. Her crying was getting softer, and finally stopped. He unhooked her arms from around him and laid her down. She had cried herself to sleep. Hayden pulled the cover over her, and kissed her forehead. "I promise."

He just sat there and watched her. After a while he sighed and got up walking to the door. He took one last look at her sleeping form, and closed the door. He walked down the stairs and out the door in a daze. He had just left his sister, that was the only good thing in his life, and he was leaving it behind. The thought hit him in full force and the tears that he had been blinking back for so long started flowing down his face. Soon they were too much and he sank down against the wall of the Lodging House with his head in his hands.