Without you
The eyes gaze
The legs walk
The lungs breathe

"And how's da patient doin'?" Luna asked.

"Okay," Blaze answered and sighed. "I'm still sore as hell, though."

"Well, da doc said ya just needed lots of rest, and rest is what yer gonna get," Luna stated. She knew the doctor was still weary of Blaze's condition, but she seemed to be improving, and Luna did her best to make Blaze feel as comfortable as possible.

Blaze remembered telling Bumlets the same thing about rest, especially in the last few months of his life. "He. he tried so hard to hold on for me." Blaze sniffled. "Da doc thought he'd be gone by December, but come February, he was still hangin' in dere. He kept tellin' me he didn't plan on missin' me birthday."

"I remember dat birthday of yers. I hadn't seen his face light up like dat in weeks. But one smile from you while ya sat in front of yer few presents, and it was like his life was comin' back ta him," Luna sighed. "You two were so cute tagether. We thought ya'd both be in horrible spirits for dose last months he was alive, but ya proved us wrong."

Blaze nodded. "Even wid knowin' he wasn't gonna live much longer, he still made sure we had fun. I don't know how he did it. Never have I known someone as strong as him. I guess. maybe I should finally open dat box he left me," she mumbled.

"What box?" Luna asked.

"On me nightstand, dere's a box of his stuff, and inside, dere's a red one. I never opened it."

"I'll be right back," Luna smiled.

~~~~

"Hey Bums, whatcha want me ta bring back from Tibby's for ya?" Blaze asked and kissed his hand.

"You?" he smiled.

Giggling, Blaze shook her head. "I mean besides me."

"Somethin' light. But no more soup. I can't stand dat stuff any longer," Bumlets grumbled.

"Yes sir." Blaze stood up and bowed in front of him. "Yer wish is me command."

"Good, servant, I expect dinner ta be ready in half an hour," he ordered jokingly, and waved her off as he turned his nose up high in the air.

Keeping her back bent in a bow as she walked towards the door, Blaze nodded. "Anythin' ya wish, me lord." When she reached the door, Blaze stood up and thumbed her nose at him. "I'll bring ya back some runny old soup!" she laughed and darted out of the room.

~~~~

"Dis box?" Luna asked, carting the small cranberry box with her into the sickroom.

Blaze nodded. "Dat's da one."

Luna took a gentle seat on the bed and smiled. "Well I think it's about time ya opened it."

Sighing, Blaze took the box from Luna's hands and cradled it in her own. She looked up at Luna, who gave her a nod, and Blaze carefully opened the top.

Inside she found a small piece of paper, which she slowly unfolded.

My Gabrielle,

I never forgot this day. It was one of the best days of me life, and the day I realized I was in love with you. Remember that store window? I'll never forget the look in your eyes when ya looked inside there. I wish I could see the look in your eyes when ya open this.

Love ya forever,
Dominic

"What could he have possibly." Blaze mused, unsure at first by what the letter implied. She searched through the shredded newspaper in the small box until her fingers finally reached what he had left her.

Luna watched as Blaze lifted a silver heart pendant from the box. "Oh, Blaze. Dat must have cost a fortune!" she exclaimed.

All Blaze could do was nod. It was the same silver heart she had seen in a store window over two years ago, when she had first come to the lodging house. "How did he. I mean. He couldn't have afforded dis." she shook her head.

"But he did," Jack spoke from the doorway.

Blaze looked up, tears in her eyes. She watched Jack walk towards them and he took a seat in the chair. "Bumlets told me da story," he smiled sadly. " Two years ago he took ya out for a walk around da city, wantin' ta help ya get ta know where things were. Ya stopped in front of a window, and he watched you stare at dat exact piece dat yer holdin' in yer hands now. He remembered how ya said it reminded you of somethin' yer mother was gonna hand down ta you, but dat da price was ridiculous, and dat you'd never be able ta afford somethin' like dat while bein' a Newsie."

"But den, how did he manage to?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Bums went back da next day and struck a bargain wid da store owner. He made monthly payments on it and in turn da store owner would hold it for him, for as long as it took. When Bums was too sick ta keep goin' down dere ta make da payments, he asked me to take da money dere for him. I took da last payment da day before he died, and when I brought it to him, he said ta hide it under his bed, cause he wanted you ta have somethin' ta open after he was gone."

"We weren't even datin' den," Blaze whispered.

"But he fell for ya dat exact day," Jack explained. "Even if it took him a few months ta tell ya, we all knew he was in love wid you. We used ta tease him dat we'd tell ya, but he insisted dat one day he'd have da courage, and turns out, he was tellin' da truth."

Sighing, Jack stood up. "Da boys will be lookin' for me. Ya need anythin'?"

Blaze shook her head, still in shock, the tears slipping down her cheeks.

Nodding, Jack smiled at Luna and Blaze, then headed for the door. "Oh, did ya turn over da heart yet?"

Shaking her head, Blaze looked down at the pendant again.

"Da store owner added somethin' for us once he learned Bums was sick. He said we didn't even have ta pay for it what he added," Jack smiled and left the room.

"What'd he add?" Luna asked.

Turning over the heart, Blaze squinted her eyes, noticing an inscription on the back. "It.it has both our names, our real names. Jack must've told him what ta put." She placed the heart in Luna's awaiting hands for her to see.

"Gabrielle and Dominic," she smiled as she read it aloud.

Blaze cast her eyes down at the floor, and as she began to cry softly, Luna leaned over, hugging Blaze tightly.