"Chris and I talked while you were reading to the kids," Rae said as she and Spot were getting ready for bed later that night.

"Oh? What about?"

"He wants to go to Brooklyn to see Molly..."

"I figured as much."

"He wants to ask her something," she said with a slight smile as she sat down to feed James.

"Oh?"

"I convinced him to talk to Blank first."

"What's he going to ask her?"

Rae laughed. "Honestly Spot, you have no idea?"

"Um... I don't think I do..."

"He wants to marry her!"

"He does? Oh, of course he does! Thought so the entire time!" he said with a grin.

"Sure you did."

A knock sounded on the door.

Spot and Rae exchanged looks. "I wonder who that could be..."

Spot walked over and opened the door. "What's wrong Annie?"

"Marty is crying..."

He nodded. "Rae, I'll be right back."

She nodded as he followed Annie back up the stairs.

"Marty?" he said, when he entered the room. He heard her crying in the corner. He walked over and knelt beside her.

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered, trying to hide her head.

"Why would I hurt you?"

"North used to have dreams like that," Ginny commented when Marty whimpered again.

"So she's still asleep?"

Ginny nodded.

"Marty... Marty, wake up," he said softly, shaking her gently.

She blinked and looked up at him for a moment before bursting into tears.

He held her close, stroking her hair. "There there..."

She clung to him. Gently lifted her into his arms, he told the other two girls to go back to bed as he carried her from the room.

"Where are we going?" Marty asked.

"Just downstairs so the other two girls can go to sleep...I'll bring you back later..." She nodded sleepily. He walked into the living room and sat down in the rocking chair. "Just close your eyes, sweetie," he whispered, leading her head to rest on his shoulder.

She nodded, closing her eyes obediently.

They sat there in silence as he rocked her back to sleep. A few minutes later Rae crept into the room. "Is everything all right?" she asked quietly.

"Just a nightmare," he answered, looking down at the sleeping girl in his lap.

"What about? Did you ask her?"

He shook his head. "I didn't ask."

She stroked Marty's hair gently. "I hope everything is all right..."

"It was probably a dream about the night her parents were killed..."

"I feel so awful for her..."

He took her hand. "I'm glad you brought her here."

She smiled. "I hope it was a good decision."

He stood. "I think it was, sweetheart."

"Are you taking her back up then?"

"Unless you think we should make a pallet for her on the floor in our room..."

"Perhaps we should... at least for the first week."

He nodded.

"I'll go do that now."

Spot nodded and followed her down the hall.

Rae quickly folded several quilts and placed them on the floor. She grabbed a pillow and put it on the floor as well. Spot set Marty on the floor gently, covering her up. He stood back with Rae and watched her for a moment. "A new addition to the Conlon Family." He laughed a little. "Will it ever end?" he asked, joking of course.

She leaned against him. "I wouldn't mind if we got a dozen more like her."

Spot smiled a little, putting his arm around her. "I think we nearly do. Spitfires on the outside, but sweethearts deeper in."

"Remember those raggedly little children we found out in the barn?"

"How could I not?"

"To look at them now you wouldn't believe that Ann and Andy were those same children...Same thing goes for Chris...and Molly..."

"I know... Even us," he said.

She sighed. "I wish we could do that for more kids..."

He smiled. "How many more?"

"We can put quite a few children in this house...with some rearranging we could probably fit eight in each of the rooms on the second floor...and two in the rooms on the third floor..."

With a laugh, he asked, "We probably should have started an orphanage, rather than a bookstore."

She playfully elbowed him. "I'm just dreaming."

He smiled. "Perhaps"

She sighed deeply. "I just hope someone is taking care of our babies as well as we are taking care of Marty."

"Me too... Me too."

She hastily pulled away and walked to the other side of the room, hoping he wouldn't see the tears filling her eyes.

"Rae..." He frowned slightly and followed her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart..."

She shook her head and sniffled. "It's not you..."

"I know... But it's what I said..."

She sat on the edge of the bed and buried her face in her hands.

He put his arms around her and guided her head onto his shoulder.

"It's not fair Spot..." she sobbed, clinging to him.

"I know," he whispered, stroking her hair.

"Why us?"

"I don't know..."

She sighed deeply and fell silent.

He just held her.

After a moment he looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep. Kissing her forehead, he lowered her down onto the bed and covered her up carefully. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart," he whispered.

~*~

The next afternoon Chris stepped off the train and headed straight to Sippi's house, knowing that he could get directions to Blank's place there.

Sippi opened the door just as Chris poised to knock and he jumped back, startled. "Well.. I didn't expect to see you back so soon... What do you need?"

"Directions to Blank's."

"Blank's? Uh... all right." And he doled out the directions.

"Thanks," Chris said, turning to leave. He stopped and turned back around. "Uhh...I may not be welcome over there...could I possibly stay here tonight?"

He gave him a curious look but nodded. "But I will expect full explanations when you come, got it? I don't have time to listen to them now, or I'd make you tell me..."

"Hopefully I'll come back with good news," Chris said, running down the street.

Sippi gave a puzzled look and shook his head before heading off to work. Sippi walked into his office and was met by one of his co-workers. "I think I may have a lead on that murder case that you're working, Wayne," the man said.

"Really?" 'Sippi's interest was piqued.

"Someone say these two guys stop at the orphanage in that neighborhood."

That definitely got his attention. "Orphanage, you say? Did your source happen to mention if they did anything there?"

The man shook his head. "Nope."

He nodded, stroking his chin. "All right... I'll go check it out there." Granted, he wasn't sure what connection he saw with the orphanage and the murder, but he did have a bit of hope that maybe the children had been dropped off there.

~*~

Chris hesitantly knocked on the door to Blank's apartment and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. He had half a mind to turn right back around. He just knew Blank would kill him.

A moment later, North opened the door. "Chris! Hello... come in, come in."

He stepped just inside the door. "Uh...Is Blank here?"

"Not yet, but he should be in about ten minutes are so. What brings you here?"

"I...uh...need to talk to him..."

"All right... Come on, sit down. Did you want anything?"

"No thanks," he said, sinking into a chair.

Molly walked in the door a second later, looking quite tired from a day's work herself.

"MOMMY!" Kendra squealed, running from the other room.

Chris looked up with a start, but a moment later he smiled.

Molly wearily hugged her daughter. "What are you doing here, Chris?"

He turned a funny shade of red. "Well... I... uh... I'm here to talk to your brother..."

She cocked her head to the side. "Oh?"

He nodded, blushing furiously.

Kendra scampered over to him and crawled into his lap. "Why you wanna talk to Unca Blank?"

"You'll see."

"Why?" she asked again, tugging on his shirt.

He placed his hand on her head. "Just wait. You'll find out in a few minutes, Kendra."

She pouted.

He smiled a bit.

"Will you stay with Chris while I go change out of my uniform?" Molly asked Kendra.

She nodded and pounced onto his lap.

He grunted and ruffled her hair. "Where is Pape?"

"Asleepin'."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Or, she was a lil' bit ago."

"Are you being good for your mommy?"

"Yep. Very good."

"And what about Aunt North?"

She nodded. "We play together...and I play nurse when she gets sick."

"Is she sick?"

Kendra nodded. "She gets sick in the mornin's sometimes."

"Ahh..." He smiled a bit, knowingly.

"Kendra!" North hissed, blushing slightly.

"What?" she asked, puzzled, which earned her a laugh from Chris.

"It's a secret, remember...Your mommy and Uncle Blank aren't supposed to know."

"Oh yeah..."

She clapped her hand over her mouth.

Chris smiled. "I can keep a secret."

"A secret about what?" Blank asked walking in the door. He walked over and kissed North.

Chris suddenly felt ill with nerves again.

"How was your day?" North asked.

"I think it went well... Oh, hey Chris."

"Hey," he squeaked.

Blank smiled. "What's the matter with you?"

"Can we talk...alone..."

He furrowed his brow but shrugged. "Sure."

Chris sat Kendra down and walked out into the hall.

"Wait!" Kendra called. "You said I could know too!"

"In a little while," North said, holding her back.

"But... but he said!" she whined.

"He'll tell you...after he talks to Uncle Andrew."

Meanwhile, out in the hall, Blank leaned up against the wall and watched Chris. "Okay, what did you want to talk about?"

"I...uh...Can I...uh...may I..."

He smirked. "Do you think that if I guessed, I'd get it right?"

"CanImarryMolly?"

"Can you marry Molly..." He tilted his head to the side. "Have you talked about it with her?"

"No...Rae said I should ask you first."

"Hm... Well, I suppose that's a good decision." He gave Chris a hard look. "You'd treat her right, wouldn't you?"

"Of course."

"Because you know, if I ever heard different, I'd have to kill you."

Chris gulped and nodded.

"I do have one concern..." Blank said.

"What?"

"Kendra."

"What about her?"

"Do you love Kendra too? Are you willing to accept her too?"

He nodded. "Of course. I knew a long time ago that Kendra was a part of Molly- and I accepted that."

"Can you provide for the two of them?"

"Not yet I can't fully... I thought we would wait until we were a little older to actually marry. But I can get a job from Spot at his new bookstore..."

Blank nodded. "Go ask her."

"Really? ... You're okay with it?"

"Yes. I know you'll treat her right."

"You mean you're not going to kill me?" he asked incredulously.

Blank laughed and knocked him in the shoulder with his fist. "Like I said, if you give me reason to, I will."

"I'll try to remember not give you a reason."

"Good. Now get asking. I'm curious to see what she'll say."

Chris grinned and ran into the apartment.

"Molly?"

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up from the carrots she was cutting.

"I... I have something I'd... I'd like to ask you."

She placed the knife down and looked at him attentively. "Yes?"

"Will you...will...you..."

She watched him curiously.

"Willyoumarryme?" he blurted out.

"Wh... what?"

"Will you...marry...me?"

She blinked and stared at him. "M-marry you?"

He nodded.

Quickly, she turned back to her carrots. "I... I... no... no, I can't."

"Why not?"

She dropped her knife. "I... I just can't..." Turning, she ran from the room.

Kendra tugged on Chris' pants leg. "Why is Mommy cryin'?"

He shook his head, feeling like crying himself. "I... don't know..."

"Did you make her sad?"

"I didn't think I did..."

Making a face she ran to the room where Molly had gone. "Momma!" she yelled, knocking on the door.

Chris sighed and left the apartment.