AN: Alright, time to introduce Terrence to 'the guys'- and bring out a dark secret. Thanks to all my reviewers!

            I was a little bit nervous that evening leaving Annie alone with Skittery- if he woke up and tried to leave, she wouldn't be able to stop him. I could only hope he was smart enough to stay put.

            I got to the lodging house at around nine o'clock, hesitating and taking a good look at the slums surrounding it. How these children survived in these conditions I'll never know. I took off my hat, wringing it in my hands before stepping through the door.

            The front room was occupied by about eight of the newsboys sitting around a table playing poker, a dark haired boy dealing out another hand. A stack of pennies was in the center of the table, and I wondered how many meals that one stack would-or wouldn't- pay for.

            What surprised me most was how cheerful the boys seemed- they were all laughing and chatting like any of my colleagues and I would do at the poker table.

            The dealer finally noticed me and set the deck down, his face jolting into confusion. "Whadda we got heah, guys?" he asked, and quite suddenly, all eyes were on me.

            "I need to speak with Jack Kelly." I said quietly, still turning my hat in my hands. The Italian boy stared me down mercilessly. It was as if he knew me and had some reason to dislike me.

            "Dere ain't no one heah by dat name. Beat it." Another boy said, the one with the eye patch. The boys began to turn back to their game one by one as I stood in the doorway, mouth agape.

            "Skittery told me to ask for him."

            All attention was back on me, and a few of the boys stood up. A dark skinned newsies with brown, curly hair stepped forward. "How do you know Skitts? Where is he?" he demanded, seeming more concerned than angry now.

            I shifted my weight nervously, realizing that these boys were ready to beat me severely if I didn't tell them everything. "I can't say anything to anyone except Jack Kelly. Could you please tell me where he is? It's urgent."

            The dealer snorted. "Anything dat's urgent wit Skitts is for all of us ta hear. I suggest you spill it before we beat it outta ya."

            "Racetrack, calm down." Someone said from the stairs, and I turned to face an older newsie with a bandana tied around his neck. He met my gaze, but didn't smile. "I'm Jack Kelly. Now what did ya need ta tell me?"

            I walked to him, keeping one eye on the other boys as they sat ready to interfere. I got close enough for Jack to hear, hoping that the others wouldn't overhear. "Skittery is very sick. He almost died today. I took him to my home, but he's too weak to be doing any selling anytime soon."

            Jack's face contorted in surprise, then in anger, then into sadness. He looked up at the others, who were waiting for the 'verdict'. "I gotta tell them. This ain't something that should be kept from them."

            "If you think you should, then go ahead."

            He walked slowly over to the table, dragging his feet as if the floor were covered in molasses. He spoke to them briefly, telling them basically what I had told him. I couldn't believe how much these boys were affected by hearing this- I figured that things like this happened all the time on the streets.

            "What can we do?" Racetrack asked, and Jack looked at me expectantly.

            "There really isn't much you can do. He'll need a couple of weeks to recover. He may not sell again for a month. He's running a pretty bad fever."

            The boy with the eye patch took a deep breath, looking around the table at everyone. "Can we run shifts?"

            "What?"

            Jack took over from that. "Good idea, Blink." He turned to me, a sparkle of hope in his eyes. "Can we send someone down there during the day to keep him company and help out?"

            I stuttered a moment, remembering that Skittery didn't want anyone knowing that he'd been beaten up. How was he going to hide it if he had someone there every day? I shook my head cautiously. "I really don't think that'd be a good idea. He needs his rest."

            Jack laughed. "And you actually expect him to stay put for two weeks waitin to get bettah? Believe me, you're gonna need our help when it comes to that."

            He was right; I'd admit that much. There was no backing out now, and this was another thing Annie would hate me for. "Fine. But how are you going to keep earning money selling papers if you're doing that as well?"

            Jack smiled. "We look out for each other around heah. So where do you live?"

            "The Thurston mansion down on 17th. You know where that is, don't you?"

            Suddenly Blink and Racetrack and the dark-skinned newsie paled about ten shades. I saw them all three look at each other with helplessness, and then they bolted for the stairs. Jack spun around, confused but only waiting a split second to follow them, shouting, "Blink, Mush, Racetrack! What's wrong wit you guys?!"

            An uncomfortable silence followed as everyone found something on the floor to take a great interest in. I looked from boy to boy, hoping to see someone who even remotely looked like they had an explanation.

            Quite suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves was heard outside and Joseph ran in, out of breath and looking quite annoyed. "Sir, you have to come back to the house immediately." He insisted, grabbing my sleeve.

            "Why? What happened?"

            "The boy locked himself in the kitchen and won't come out. He's deathly afraid we're going to kill him or something like that! He's threatening to slit his own throat if we try to get in!"

            "Why?!"

            "I don't know! He was talking to Annie, and she told him where he was, that's all!"

            "What were her exact words, Joseph?"

            "She said something like, 'You're in the Thurston mansion, not far from the lodging house.' I don't know why he got so upset!"

            I spun around to the other boys in a fury. "What's going on here? How do you boys know me?!"

            "We don't know you," Mush suddenly said from the stairs, "But…we knew Blake."

            I felt my throat tighten in a mix of anger and utter denial. "How did you know my son?"

            It was a moment before the other boys followed him down the stairs, and he sighed deeply. "Your son…Blake…he was a friend of Skittery's."

            Racetrack took over where Mush had left off. "He…he wanted to kill himself. He said that if Skittery didn't stab him, he'd do it himself. But Skittery told him about the train leavin for Chicago, even offered to buy him a ticket if he just wouldn't kill himself. But Blake didn't wanna hear any of it. He stalked off and, well…dat was da last we saw of him."

            I felt the world spinning around me. They were wrong, they had to be. Blake wouldn't treat a supposed friend like that. And he certainly wouldn't consort with street trash like this. It was all a lie.

            "You're LYING!" I screamed, backing up to the doorway even though I had no intention of leaving. Joseph had backed up to one wall, probably fearing for his life.

            "We ain't got no reason to lie to you, mister. And dat would be a pretty cheap lie to tell."

            "He wouldn't do that…he wouldn't…"

            "Just ask Skittery. He's still got the scar from where Blake slashed his arm open dat night." Blink said, angrier than the others.

            "NO!"

            I spun around and ran out the door, jumping into the carriage that Joseph had brought. He jumped in the front seat, but wasn't able to take off before Mush jumped in front of the horses.

            "Get out of the way!" Joseph yelled, ready to snap the reins and just have the horses trample him.

            "I'm coming with you! I ain't havin Skittery alone dere, and he won't trust any of you people!"

            Joseph looked back at me, ready to take my judgment even though my blood was boiling with rage. I looked at the determined boy, ready to receive death at my horses' feet, and at the other newsboys, a few being held back by others.

            "Fine. Get in. As long as you get that scum out of my household."

            Mush nodded to the others and whispered something to Blink and Jack before pulling himself up into the carriage. I avoided even looking at him as we started moving down the narrow roads to my home.