Rae woke early the next morning when Sam and Kendra started jumping on her bed. She groaned, rubbing her head. "What do you two want??"

"Sam 'tinks and I'm hungry," Kendra said.

"'Tinks?" Then she waved her hand over her nose. "Ah... stinks..." Stifling a yawn, she sat up. "Okay... Let's get up." The two babies rolled off the bed and toddled after her.

She led them to the bathroom, cleaned them up, and then led them downstairs to the kitchen to scrounge up something to eat in the nearly bare kitchen. "Remind me to talk to Hades about the food," she said, talking mostly to herself.

"I know, I know," said Hades, emerging from the hall. "But we can't all stumble upon wealthy households like you and Spot."

"Did they wake you up?"

She shook her head. "C'mon Rae, we start selling in about an hour... it's about time I got up." She grinned a little.

Rae yawned. "Sorry...I forgot...I struggle with mornings now..."

With a nod, Hades said, "Well, I thought you hadn't been away that long."

"These two run me ragged all day...and then get up really early..." She yawned again, "I'm always tired..."

"That's when you knock them out."

Rae glanced at the two children wrestling on the floor, "Those two?"

"Yes. Knock them clean out." She grinned, pulling out a slightly bruised apple and eating it.

"I wish I could," Rae said, finding two pieces of slightly stale bread. "Kendra, Sam, come eat..."

They scuttled over to her and sat at the rickety table.

She handed them each a piece of bread and turned to make some coffee.

"Thank you Momma!" they chimed.

"You're welcome," she replied.

"How do you get them to behave so well?" Hades asked, picking at a slice of bread herself. "All the kids I see out here are snot-nosed brats."

"Lots of T-L-C."

"I guess that's what we lack up here in the City."

Rae suddenly turned a pale shade of green. "Can you keep an eye on these two for a minute?"

She nodded, frowning. "Everything all right?"

"Just a little..." Rae ran from the room.

Tilting her head, Hades shrugged and watched as Kendra and Sam threw bits of bread at one another.

Spot walked in a minute later. "Where's Rae?"

"I don't know... she sort of ran out, green."

He frowned. "Thanks," he said, leaving again.

Kendra and Sam both looked at Hades. She shrugged. "I don't know what is up with them."

Spot knocked softly on the door to the downstairs bathroom. "Rae?"

"What?" she replied miserably.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, she replied after a moment.

He opened the door and slipped inside.  "What's wrong?"

She sniffed and shook her head. "I don't really know..."

"Do you want to go lay back down?" he asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.

After a moment, she nodded. "I think so..."

He helped her stand and kissed the side of her head. "Want me to go with you?"

She smiled faintly. "Maybe later... Kendra and Sam are going to be in full swing soon... and Hades is not going to want to take care of them."

"Alright. I love you Rae."

She smiled. "I love you too, Spot."

He kissed her forehead. "Go lay back down." With a nod, she slowly headed up stairs. Spot walked back into the kitchen just as Hades stormed out.

"Do...do something with those hoodlums of yours!" she yelled, slamming the door on her way out.

He smiled and entered the kitchen where Sam and Kendra were toddling around the room throwing their breakfast at one another. He whistled. They stopped almost at once, crashing unstably to the ground and stared up at him. "Daddyyyyy!" Sam shrieked happily at ear-splitting decibels.

Spot winced and picked the little boy up.  "Quiet down, little man."

"Daddyyy," he said in a very low whisper.

Spot laughed. "Yeah, man, Daddy's here."

"Where Mommy?" Kendra asked.

"Mommy's sick, princess. She went back to bed."

She frowned. "She can no be sick... Mommy's gotta be better."

"She'll be fine. She just needs some rest."

With a nod, she latched onto his hand. "I wanna go play..."

He sighed. "Not right now, baby."

She pouted. "Why nooot?"

"Because Aunt Hades said you can't."

"But I wanna go play..." She sniffled, her bottom lip quivering with the sign of tears to come.

"You can't go outside and play here, Kendra."

"But-"

"I said no."

She dropped to the floor, pouting.

"None of that," he warned. She crossed her arms and glared at him. He matched her glare, placing his hands on his hips until she finally resorted to just pouting a little more. "Kendra..." She sniffled. "Straighten up."

With another sniff, she sat up a little more.

He held his hand out to her. "Come on. Let's go find some toys."

Sniffling one final time, she clambered to her feet and, taking his hand, followed him out of the kitchen. Sam toddled after them.

He sat them down in the main room, and attempted to keep them happy.  After a few minutes newsies began to drift down the stairs one or two at a time. He smirked, watching them drowsily make their way out the door. When he was in charge they were up and ready well before this... or so he liked to tell himself.

One little blond haired girl walked past the door and them came back in, "Spot?!?!?!"

He swallowed his surprise and sort of smiled. "Hello Jecca."

"I thought...Hades said...you're supposed to be dead!"

"Uh... I'm a ghost?"

Jecca came at him, fists flying.

Startled, he jumped back and caught her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"I'm mad at you!" she yelled.

"What for?"

"Because you let me think you were dead!"

"It wasn't my choice!"

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I'm still mad at you!"

"Well, that's something I guess I can't help."

With a huff she turned and stalked out the door.

Spot frowned and turned back to Kendra and Sam, who were absorbed in playing with little tin soldiers. Ann and Andy stumbled downstairs, sleepily rubbing their eyes.

"Morning, sleepyheads," Spot called to them.

Annie made a face and curled up on the couch.

"What's the matter Ann?"

"I'm still cold."

He held open his arms. "Come here."

She slowly got up and crawled into his lap.

He rubbed her arms vigorously. "Any warmer?

She nodded.

He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Why don't you get some breakfast? That might help."

"What's for breakfast?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I think Momma left some out on the counter."

She wandered into the kitchen and helped herself to some leftover breakfast.

"How long we gotta stay here, Daddy?" Andy asked.

"I'm not sure... until something happens with Julie, I suppose."

"Do we have to go to school?"

Spot paused. He and Rae hadn't discussed this yet. "We'll see. It all depends on how long we'll be here."

"I don't want to go back to school...ever..."

"Well, kiddo. You have to learn."

Andy sighed.

"I know you don't like it, but there's lots out there that Mom and I can't teach you."

"Alright."

Spot frowned a little.

Kendra came over and pulled on Spot's sleeve. "Wanna go outside."

He shook his head. "Sorry kiddo... you can't." Tears filled her eyes.

"Why can't we Daddy?" Andy asked.

"Because it's dangerous to play outside here."

"Why?"

He sighed. "There are bad people in New York. They might hurt you or take you away."

"So we gotta stay in here all the time?"

"Not all the time. Just until Momma starts feeling better."

He made a face, "Is she sick again?"

"A little," he said with a nod.

Chris stumbled down the stairs. "Ch'is!" Kendra squealed.

He winced at the pitch of her voice and gave her a little smile between a yawn. "Morning, Kendra."

"Outside?" she asked.

"Kendra," Spot said warningly.

She made a face at him. With a sigh, he shook his head.

"P'ease?"

"Not right now, sweetheart. Maybe later."

She sighed and leaned against Chris. Chris stifled a yawn and patted her tousled head. She crawled up in his lap.

"Will you play with me until Daddy lets us outside?"

He sighed. "I guess."

She bounced happily on his lap.

"Let Chris get some coffee first, Kendra," Spot said.   "He's still sleeping."

With a slightly upset moan, she clambered off and scampered to the kitchen squawking "Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee!"

"I think she had HER coffee..." Chris half kidded.

"Hades better not have given that kid coffee," Molly muttered, entering the room.

"I doubt she has... or I will give her coffee and tie her to Hades," Spot replied.

Molly smiled slightly. "I'm going to find that coffee," she said, pointing toward the kitchen.

Chris leaned back against the counter, tapping his cup with his fingertips.

"What?" she asked drowsily.                                                              

He blinked, startled to see her. "Huh? Oh... I'm just thinking."

"Care to share?" she asked, sitting on the table.

He frowned, taking a sip of his coffee. "Just... that ... I'm about to lose my sister... and all of my family is... gone." He made a strangled choking sort of noise.

She set her cup on the table and walked over to him.  She wrapped her arms around his waist. "You still have me," she whispered, blushing.

He blushed as well. "Yes... yes.. I.. I do.."

"Are you gonna kiss her?" Annie asked from the table.

They blushed bright red. "Er..." was all Chris could say.

"Well?" Andy asked, cocking his head to the side.

"... Not here...."

"Why not?" Ann asked.

"Because you two are here."

"So?" Andy shrugged. "Momma and Daddy kiss when we are there."

"That's... different."

"Why?" Both Ann and Andy asked.

"Because... because it is!"

Molly giggled a little.

Ann huffed. "No one ever answers my questions," she muttered leaving the room.

Molly smiled.

"You really won't kiss her while I'm here?" Andy asked.

"I'm not kissing her with you here!" Chris said.

"Darn," Andy muttered, following his sister.

Molly smiled, looking at him a bit shyly. "Are you going to kiss me now?"

"I thought about it," he said.

"...And?"

"I haven't decided yet," he said, pulling her close.

Biting her lip, she laughed a little. "What's keeping you from deciding?"

"The door is still open."

She glanced at it and grinned. "So it is," she noted, spotting two little heads peeping through.

"They won't stop until they catch us kissing."

She shook her head. "I think you're right."

"Do you mind?"

"Mind what? That they catch us?"

"Yeah."

"Well... Rae had mentioned something about it to me..."

"To be careful?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

He was quiet for a moment. "Well... If I closed the door... could I kiss you?"

She blushed faintly, but nodded.

"They're going keep asking, you know? Just a quick kiss for them? They can't even hear what we're saying."

He laughed. "All right, but if Rae yells, I'm blaming it on you," he teased.

"Just kiss me, already."

And so, he did as she said and kissed her.

They heard two little giggles and the sound of running feet.