Chapter 7

Poison looked at Mush then at Hades frowning slightly. Spot looked slightly disgruntled and * not * happy at all. Poison fluidly got up from her sitting position of sitting cross-legged. When she glanced down to see if Spot was still sitting she noticed Spot was looking at her oddly,

"Now what did I do?" Poison asked exasperated.

"I just nevah seen anyone able to do that," Spot said climbing to his feet.

Poison shrugged her shoulders. "I do it all the time dunno how yous miss it. But back ta the business at hand. Race and his disappearance."

Poison stood there thinking for a few moments before speaking,

"Spot, Hades, we're going to Brooklyn."

Hades was holding onto Mush's arm like she wasn't going to let go for anything, Mush didn't look too happy with not being told to come along.

"Is there a reason I can't go to Brooklyn?" Mush asked at the same time Spot sked puzzled,

"Brooklyn?"

"Yes dere's a reason Mush, I want you to check the racetrack, if you leave now you should be back before curfew," Poison bent down grabbing her bag & flipping a coin to him, "In case you have to buy a ticket to get in. Just get in there & look for him."

Mush seemed satisfied with the reason & Hades looked like she * might * let go…if there was good enough reason.

Next Poison turned towards Spot, "Yes, Brooklyn, I need you since yous the leadah. Doesn't anyone remembah when he didn't come home directly from da races he went to Brooklyn? The warehouse district ta be specific. Dat'd be me first guess as ta where he'd go."

Spot looked confused as to why he would go there then his face changed as he realized what Poison was saying.

"You think…"

Poison nodded. She glanced over at Hades and saw she was gripping Mush's arm so hard he was wincing. She smirked,

"Hades you might wanna loosen up yous grip."

Hades looked at her hand gripping him and let go saying something quietly to Mush that involved them kissing.

Hades looked at Poison,

"When do we leave?"

"Now," Poison answered. The others nodded & Mush kissed Hades one more time before going down the stairs to see if there was a wagon heading towards the races.

Poison looked at Hades and Spot,

"I'll meet you to downstairs…I need to get something." Poison said sounding slightly sad.

She walked down the stairs to the girls floor & went to her room. She closed the door behind her after making sure no one else was in there then went to the mattress to retrieve what she had put there her first night here. Sliding the mattress down she carefully removed a small thin package covered in a piece of black material. She didn't want to do this…

She took the box over to the table in her room & placed the box gently on the table lifting the lid.

~*~

Spot and Hades sat in chairs in the common room glancing at the stairs every few moments. It seemed like a lifetime when she came downstairs. Her eyes were slightly red as if she had been crying. Spot stood up concerned and slid his arm around her waist pulling her close,

"You alright?" He asked quietly in her ear. She nodded. Spot backed away slightly looking at her & shook his head,

"No your not…"

Poison just ignored him playing with the strap of her bag.

Hades knew there was something up. First off there was a key hanging around her neck that she hadn't notice earlier. She also had a much smaller bag that was tan instead of her normal black bag. She kept touching the bag unconciously. She wanted to know what was in that bag, it was something of importance to her and probably to Race if she was taking it with her.

"We need to get going if we're going to make it back here before curfew. Yes, I want him back in Manhattan," Poison said not even having to look at them to know they were wondering why.

"His friends are here, this is his element." Poison explained, "Let's just go though alright?"

Poison started towards the door & Spot followed curling his finger through her belt loop to keep her from getting too far away from her. Hades smirked at the back of them. They finally got over that stupid fight. Wonder what they did to ah…amend their differences. I'll have to ask Spot, he's more forthcoming with info like dat.

~*~

Poison sighed as they reached the docks of Brooklyn near the warehouse. She touched her bag again to give her courage before she began to scan the docks. She thought she spotted his familiar figure out on the end of one of the piers and she took a deep breath,

"Stay here till I give you a signal it's alright, I want to see how well he's doing before risking other people."

"Risking?" Hades asked sounding shocked.

"Yes risking, not very many addicts are nice peaceful people when they're coming down, I don't know if he's even taken any….just…stay here." Poison then leaned up & kissed Spot on the cheek before she headed down the dock carefully. She sat down carefully next to him,

"I thought I'd find you out here."

Race just looked at her not saying anything.

"You relapse?" She asked sounding calm but inside she was a bundle of barely contained nerves.

~*~

"So you and Poison are back together," Hades said after awhile of watching Poison and Race talk.

"Yeah we are, we settled our differences, we should be good for a couple more months," he said laughing slightly. It sometimes seemed like the two had a fight just to make up again.

"So how'd you two settle your differences this time?" Hades asked curious.

Spot shrugged, "We talked & I gave her me mum's key ta the apartment."

"Oh," Hades said sounding slightly disappointed, "I thought you two would…ya know.."

Spot looked at her with a raised eyebrow trying to figure out what she was hinting at then. Then he realized what she was talking about. He shook his head laughing slightly,

"Is that all you think about Hades? No we did * not * have sex, never have." Spot said glancing at the dark shape at the end of pier that was Poison.

~*~

Poison had been talking about anything and everything to fill the silence waiting for Race to say something. She knew he would, it was just a test of patience, which Poison was known to not have. But she knew how to deal with people like this…Poison sighed, she hated putting her best friend in that category the substance abusers. Suddenly Race began to talk softly,

"I couldn't take it there, not the ghosts…not the fearful glances a da people dat used ta be me friends…maybe they should just kick me out. Save dem da trouble. I didn't want no shadow…"

"I know Race, but they're worried about you, they just don't know how to act. You still haven't told me if you relapsed."

The silence stretched out and Race looked down at the water.

He whispered the answer so quietly Poison wasn't sure she had heard him at all until he looked up at her looking desperate.

Poison nodded,

"You know what that means."

"Yeah…"

Poison sighed and took the bag off her shoulder when Race saw it he backed away slightly,

"Nu-uh…"

"Get back her, or I * will * call Hades down here," she said deceptively calm. Race knew that tone and swallowed hard before moving back. He didn't move as close as he had, Poison noted to herself. But he was close enough. She turned so she was sitting cross-legged facing him,

"You still got ghosts? Don't lie," she asked as she pulled the box out of her bag, "you gotta face me." She said softly knowing he was miserable.

"I know you don't want to be classified as a drug addict," Poison said opening the box, "but yous gotta face it, you're always gonna be struggling till you learn to control it."

Poison removed a few of the vials inside. She handed one to him that instructions written on it, "Only take it when they get really bad, & let me know when you get a ghost alright?"

Race nodded,

"Alright," he slid it into his pocket.

"You know where to find me, anytime of the day or night, I'm staying in Manhattan for now."

"You don't need ta, I ain't a kid,"

"We're all kids Race…just a bunch of misguided kids, now come on let's go back to the others."

Race nodded & the two of them got up as Poison stored her box in her bag. This bag was one she would kill to keep safe.