Rae and Chris sat in the waiting room at Trent's office, both staring into space. Sam toddled between them, babbling and trying to get their attention.
"What's taking him so long?" Chris muttered impatiently, wringing his shirttail in his sweaty hands.
"I don't know," Rae replied absently.
After what felt like an eternity, the door opened and Trent stepped out, wiping his hands on a rag. Chris jumped to his feet. "Well?"
He shook his head. "It's gone too far for me to try to do anything."
Rae made a sort of wailing noise. "You mean.... if we had brought her in sooner...?"
"I'm not even sure there was anything I could have done then, Rae."
Chris buried his face in his hands. He had been so hopeful that this doctor friend of Rae and Spot's could have helped Julie. But he was telling him he couldn't do anything now? With a furious scowl, he got to his feet and stalked out of the room.
Rae turned to Trent, "Are you sure?"
With a sigh, he nodded. "I'm sorry."
She picked Sam up and held him close. "How long?"
"Two or three months, I would predict."
"Would it be best if we move here until it happens?"
"That... would be up to you. It sounds like you do have a wonderful doctor in your own town... But I would suggest whatever you choose, to do it soon and not change your mind, because she probably couldn't stand the strain of moving back and forth too much."
She nodded. "I best go send a wire to Spot and see what he thinks..."
He nodded. "All right. Get back to me when you find out."
"Thanks Trent."
With a smile, he nodded. "Any time... I just wish I could've given you better news..."
"Hopefully next time it will be."
She nodded and, hefting Sam more securely onto her hip, she walked out of Trent's office.
* * *
Rae paced the front room of the lodging house, Sam sleeping in her arms. It had been several hours since Chris had stormed out of Trent's office and she still hadn't seen or heard from him.
Hades wandered in a moment later and shook her head. "Went all over and didn't see him.... Even met up with one of Duchess' goons," she cracked her knuckles. "But they haven't seen him either."
"Thanks," Rae muttered.
She shrugged. "Just helpin' where I can. Did you try back at Trent's place? ... I didn't think to check there myself."
"I didn't want to lug Sam all the way over there while he was sleeping."
Hades sighed and thumped her hands on her hips. "Honestly, don't you see ME here? I can take care of the kid. Me and all the others, they'll be comin' home soon."
"I just...don't want to leave him..."
"Well... either leave him here and search for Chris, or take him with, or don't search at all..." Hades shrugged.
Rae sighed and sank wearily onto the couch.
After a moment, Hades sighed as well. "I'll go check." And she disappeared out the door.
Rae looked down at her sleeping son. "I hope your Daddy got my wire..."
Sam fidgeted in his sleep, rubbing his eyes with his fists and then slept soundly on.
A knock sounded on the door. Rae rose slowly and went to answer it.
She stopped to see a well-uniformed scrawny boy standing on the step, looking very uncomfortable at being in this part of Brooklyn. "Uh... Are you Mrs. Rae Conlon?" he asked in a very strong Brooklyn accent.
"Yes I am."
"I have a message for you," he said, glancing around nervously. "From a Mr. Spot Conlon." He handed her the message.
She handed him a quarter and took the paper from him.
The boy gave a quick little bow and dashed off.
Rae read the note and sighed. Spot would pack up and bring Molly, Kendra and the twins in a few days. She frowned. It appeared that he had disregarded the fact that Duchess made it clear he was supposed to be assumed dead in Brooklyn... She knew that he would try to sneak into town and lay low, so that she wouldn't know he was in town...but secrets didn't stay that way long in Brooklyn. She sighed. She had best warn Hades ahead of time that the whole family was moving in.
Shortly after, Sam opened his eyes and whimpered a bit for attention. Looking down, Rae smiled softly. "Well... Daddy will be here soon- crazy man..."
"Da..."
She smiled and pressed her forehead on his.
"Momma," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck.
"I love you, Sammy."
He grinned at her.
Shortly after, Hades came in, lugging Chris after her. "Found 'im," she said needlessly.
Rae turned to Chris. "Will you take Sam upstairs? I need to talk to Hades."
"Alright." He headed up the stairs.
"So..." Hades looked at her. "What do you want??"
"Remember the last time we were here..."
She nodded, frowning deeply. "Of course. How could I forget?"
"A couple of days after we left...Blank came to see me..."
She nodded. "I had wondered where he disappeared to."
"He brought me something...or someone rather..."
Leaning her head back, Hades looked at her. "Who?"
"Spot."
She stared at Rae in horror. "He brought you his dead body?! If I knew he was that sick, I'd-"
"Spot wasn't dead..."
She blinked. "'Scuse me?"
"Spot was never dead..."
"But I thought..."
"So did I...until Blank showed up on my doorstep..."
"But... why didn't he tell us? Or you, for that matter?"
"Because Duchess wanted everyone to think he was dead...she threatened to really kill him if we told..."
"So why are you telling me then?!" she squawked.
"Spot is bringing the rest of the children this week...and we need your help keeping the fact that he's in town a secret...as long as we can anyway..."
She paused, frowning. "I'm not so sure... You know Spot... he sort of attracts attention wherever he goes..."
"I know...but we're doing this for Julie..."
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's dying..."
Hades' eyes widened. "She is? From what?"
Rae took a deep breath. "She got pretty sick a while back...and it weakened her heart..."
"Oh my..."
Rae nodded slowly. "Trent says it may be a few days...or a few months..."
"Wow... I guess that's why the brat ...I mean, Chris, ran off?"
Rae nodded again.
She shook her head.
"May we stay here?"
"Well... I would say yes... but is it really safe for Spot to stay in Brooklyn? Don't you think Manhattan would be safer? Even though I don't really like some of the folks down there..."
"Manhattan might be safer...but we haven't talked to any of the Manhattan guys since we left almost three years ago."
She nodded. "I suppose... Well, you could stay if you wanted... I just hope Duchess doesn't catch him."
"Me too...but right now we are more worried about Julie..."
"Well, that I understand, but it wouldn't do her much good if Spot was killed, either, would it?" she pointed out.
"No. I guess we'll just have to cross that road when we come to it..."
Hades sighed. "Well, let me know when he gets here... Hopefully he has the brains to arrive at night." She smirked a little and headed into the kitchen.
Rae smiled. "I'm sure he does."
A moment later, Chris came back down.
"Can I come back downstairs now?" he asked, fighting a squirming Sam.
She nodded, reaching out to take Sam from him.
"Is Spot coming here?" Chris asked.
"Yes."
"Is that smart?"
"I don't know... but we're thinking of Julie right now..."
"Can I go back to see her now?"
After a moment, she nodded. "Just be very careful, okay?"
"I will."
"And be back before dark," she called after him.
"I will," he replied, closing the door.
"He better be," she said and Sam gurgled.
