So, Kez was nice enough to remind me that I haven't finished uploading this fic... OOPS... I'll be shouting out to Kez from now on... ENJOY
"Now can I have it back?" Gabi whispered into Bumlets' ear.
"Have what back?" Bumlets asked, pulling her closer. He kissed her forehead, not quite sure of himself, or what had just happened.
"My necklace," Gabi answered. Running her fingers over his chest, Gabi turned and looked up at him.
"I dunno. What happens if I give it to ya? Ya gonna take off?" Bumlets asked, only half-teasing. Just yesterday he'd stolen this strange girl's necklace, and now he was sitting beside her atop the roof, holding her in his arms.
"Take off? I'm not going anywhere, that is, unless you want me to," she said, unsure of how he truly felt about her. This whole evening had been a big blur in her mind. Hours ago she had hated the man that lay here with her, or so she thought. Now she didn't want him to ever leave her side.
Bumlets answered her with a deep kiss. Once they came up for air, Gabi rested her head gently across his chest, her eyes feeling heavier by the second.
"Night Priss," Bumlets whispered through a yawn.
"Night thief."
****
"Luna, ya comin'?" Spot asked. The poker game ended around midnight, and most of the Newsies were already heading upstairs to retire for the evening.
"I think I'm gonna stay in Manhattan tonight, Spot. You go on back," Luna answered.
"Ya sure?" he asked. Spot was growing more and more concerned for her well-being over the past few days.
Laughing, Luna shook her head. "No Spot, I ain't sure. Now get goin'," she instructed.
Spot hesitated, but finally took himself outside. He was having that weird feeling again. The one of wanting to be close to Luna, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't right. Luna was for Peter, and even though Peter was gone, he couldn't do that to his brother. But would he want us ta be happy? I wish I could make Luna happy again. Spot trudged back to Brooklyn, thoughts of Peter and Luna overtaking his mind the entire way back.
"C'mon Luna," Slinks smiled. "I got a bunk right next to mine ya can have."
Smiling, Luna followed Slinks up the stairs. "Feels good to be away from the Mutt for a night," she joked. In reality Luna felt a loss once Spot walked out that door, but kept it bottled up inside.
"Now don't be bossin' us around," Slinks teased. "Jade's the boss here. Ya get the day off."
"Oh, right," Luna smirked before heading into the bunkroom. She plopped down on the bunk and set both slingshots on the table.
"Ya got two now?" Silk asked as she walked by.
"Well, one's Spot's. I'm just watchin' it for him for awhile."
"Ya got a bet goin' wit him or sumptin'?" Silk asked. "Seein' how long he can go without it?"
Luna nodded. "Yeah, sumptin' like that." She yawned and stretched out on the bed, hoping for a night devoid of any dreams.
****
Gabi shifted in her sleep, and when she felt arms around her, quickly opened her eyes. Once focused, Gabi made out the sleepy figure of Bumlets beside her and smiled. He looked so peaceful like that and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him.
Gently she slipped out of his arms and gathered up her clothes. She needed some fresh air, and time to think about what had just transpired that night.
She made her way towards the edge of the roof and stole one last look at Bumlets before heading down to the bunkroom. She crept through the room silently, her faint footsteps being drowned out by the sounds of the girls' breathing.
Once she neared the door, two objects caught her attention in the faint moonlight. That must be Spot's slingshot. Without thinking, she picked it up, and dashed out of the room.
Luna tossed and turned in her bunk, and finally she awoke with a loud thud. She had tossed right out of the bed.
"Luna? Hey, ya alright?" Slinks asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Uh, yeah, fine Slinks. Go back to bed," Luna answered from the floor. What a dream - it was so vivid, just like before. This sword thing - what could it be?
"Ya sure, Luna?" Slinks returned in a whisper. Something had been wrong these past few weeks, and Slinks knew it, but she couldn't force the issue. Luna would come to her when she was ready to.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Luna slowly climbed back into bed. In her dreams, she had witnessed as a thief stole an ancient sword. She felt as if her duty was to protect it, but all she could do was stand there and watch it happen. I gotta find out what this all means. Closing her eyes, Luna didn't notice that there was one less slingshot on the nightstand. She was too engrossed in what her dream had meant.
****
Gabi roamed the dark streets for an hour, losing her way back to the lodging house, but far too occupied to notice. Her encounter with Bumlets played over in her mind, and she absentmindedly played with the rubber strap on the slingshot as she continued on.
How can I possibly go home now? What will happen with Christopher? And what on earth would my parents think of me dating a newsie. Frowning, Gabi moved on to think of much happier things that didn't include the unavoidable future she would endure.
She kicked a pebble and decided it was time to see what this slingshot was made of. Carefully choosing her ammo, Gabi placed a small pebble in the strap and pulled back, searching for a decent target. Seeing a lamp post in the distance, Gabi aimed and quickly let go, satisfied when the pebble made direct contact with the post. This is easier than I thought.
A breeze brushed by her hair and Gabi smelled the unmistakable aroma of water nearby. Well, while I'm out, might as well take a look down by the docks. Slipping the slingshot in her back pocket, Gabi wandered down by the water. She wanted to go sit down by the dock's edge, but the noise in the distance stopped her. Turning, she saw several dark figures in the moonlight, all carrying boxes to a nearby boat.
"What the hell are they doing at this late hour?" she mused. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, Gabi crept towards their location, keeping herself hidden by the mountains of crates along the way.
When she was up close enough, Gabi peered out from behind the crates once more, and tried to make out the figures in the moonlight. She could have sworn one looked like Christopher, but just as she was about to get a closer look, she heard someone moan.
"Oh shit," Gabi muttered and whipped around, thinking she was caught. Instead her mouth dropped at the sight of Mayhem tied up against a wall. "Mayhem, that you?"
"Mmph," came the reply.
"Crap, May, what happened?" Gabi asked when she got closer, though she was fully aware that with a bandanna around her mouth, Mayhem couldn't exactly spout details.
May rolled her eyes, since she couldn't answer, and gave Gabi a look that screamed 'get off your lazy ass and help me out here'. She impatiently motioned for Gabi to untie her from the ropes.
Once Mayhem was free, she struggled to stay upright. The men that had tied her up had a little fun first, and Mayhem was nearly bruised from head to toe. Gabi grabbed her before she could fall and swung one of Mayhem's arms around her shoulder. "Good thing I found you," Gabi smiled.
Mayhem nodded her head, though she couldn't get out the word 'thanks'. She figured Gabi was only in it for the recognition she would get back at the lodging house. "Yeah, good thing," she mumbled. Of all the people in this world, why did she have to be the one to save me?
"Needed someone to get me back to the lodging house. You'll do," Gabi smirked, making Mayhem's mouth quirk into a tiny, but noticeable smile.
Slowly the two started to hobble away from the docks, both thinking that they were undetected thanks to the dark night and the abundance of boxes. Unfortunately for them, Gabi lost her grip of Mayhem for a moment, and they banged into one of the many crates. They could hear voices in the distance, shouting to go check out the noise.
"Now would be the time ta run," Mayhem stated, pulling herself upright again despite the pain.
"Well let's go then!" Gabi cried and took off with Mayhem right behind her.
Gabi could hear footsteps pounding on the docks behind them. "Hurry up, they're gaining on us!"
"Seems to be my lucky day," Mayhem huffed between heavy breathing. "Looks like we're in for some fun."
"Well, run faster," Gabi urged, and saw Mayhem shoot her an icy glare.
"I thought I already was, smart ass."
Rolling her eyes, Gabi grabbed Mayhem's arm and pulled her along. She knew May was in pain, but she'd be in a lot more if they were caught. She glanced back, seeing two rather large figures coming closer and then remembered what she had stolen earlier. She knew that Mayhem could use this to blackmail her later, since Luna would not be amused, and neither would Spot, but it seemed their only hope. Gabi let go of Mayhem and bent down and pick up a fistful of stones.
"What da hell are you doin'?!" Mayhem cried. "We don't have time ta play hopscotch!"
Whipping out the slingshot from her back pocket, Gabi didn't pay Mayhem's comment any heed. "Just keep going!" she shouted.
"Suit yerself," May answered and took off down the street.
Gabi shoved the stones in her pocket, leaving two out. Placing them hurriedly in the slingshot, she aimed for the men running towards her and let go.
"Uh oh," Gabi muttered. She must have missed, for she heard no cries from either of her chasers, and they certainly hadn't stopped running. Gauging the distance between her and the men, Gabi tried once more, this time taking a deep breath first, and concentrating on her target.
The stones pierced through the air in front of her, and much to her satisfaction she heard a cry of pain coming from one of the men. While his running abilities were hindered, the other merely stopped for a second, surmising the situation before running towards Gabi again.
"Damn it," Gabi breathed heavily and took out the remaining stones from her pocket. Her mind screamed for her to hurry up and Gabi obeyed, letting the slingshot go with one quick motion.
To her delight, she heard the other attacker yell in anguish, but then noticed that the first man was running again. Cursing her luck, Gabi shoved the slingshot back into her pocket and took off down the street.
The footsteps still coming behind her, though slower this time, Gabi burst into a sprint, hoping that her legs wouldn't give out any time soon. The faster she went, the lighter the footsteps pounded in the distance, until the only sounds she could hear were the laughs of the late-night drunks by a nearby tavern.
Gabi stopped and leaned over, throwing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. It occurred to her that she had no idea where she was, or how to get back to the lodging house. "Well this is just great," she mumbled and leaned against a lamppost. She squinted to see the name of the street, but she didn't know what good that would do, considering she hadn't a clue what street the lodging house was on. She cursed herself for concentrating on Bumlets the first day he took her to that lodging house, instead of where he was leading her.
She sighed at the thought of Bumlets. He would wake up to find her missing, and probably suspect the worst. Somehow Gabi had to make it back to that lodging house before he woke up.
"You look like a pathetic lost little puppy," spoke a familiar voice from the shadows of a dark alley.
Gabi turned to see Mayhem, hunched over against the wall in the alley. She was breathing heavily, and holding one shoulder with her hand. "Nice to see you too," Gabi retorted and sighed in relief. Maybe we can make it back without Bumlets even knowing I took off in the first place.
"Ya took Spot's slingshot, didn't ya?" May asked and limped out of the alley.
"So what if I did?" Gabi shrugged her shoulders and walked towards Mayhem.
"He don't exactly like it when people mess wit his things, 'specially smart alecks such as yaself," May explained. "Just hope he ain't in a bad mood when he finds out… Hell, hope he don't find out at all."
"Oh, he won't," Gabi nodded and started the journey back with Mayhem.
"Sure he won't." May shook her head and gave a wry laugh.
With Mayhem hurt, the walk back took over an hour and by the time they reached the lodging house, Gabi knew that Bumlets had probably already awoken, only to find her missing. Her heart racing, Gabi opened the door and let May in first. She closed it behind them as quietly as possible and saw Mayhem press a finger to her lips. Looks like I'm not the only one who'll get in trouble.
Gabi nodded, but as soon as she did, someone cleared their throat in the lobby. She watched as Mayhem strode over to the couch, hiding as much pain as she could.
"Me watch?" Racetrack asked, passing over the question of how things had went that evening.
"Aw Christ. Look, it's in one piece!" May exclaimed and pulled out his prized pocket watch from her pants.
Race took the watch and handled his beloved keepsake. He brushed his hot air over it, giving it a once-over with his sleeve before setting it back in his vest pocket. Then he took one look at Mayhem and frowned. "May, aw geez what'd dey do to ya?" he asked and took her hands.
"Nothin' I couldn't handle," May grumbled, still upset that Race had the nerve to even inspect his watch after what she had been through.
"Sit down May, ya look terrible." He led her over to the couch and gently took a seat beside her.
Mayhem snuggled into Race's arms, relieved to be back home, even though she wasn't able to avenge Lead's death as she had hoped. Deep in her eyes there was still that anger for what had happened months back.
"Why did ya go alone, May? Just look at yaself," Race whispered into her ear. "If I ever caught dose bastards who did this to ya…" he trailed off.
"That's sweet Race. Stupid, but sweet," Mayhem responded before her head rested on his shoulder. Before long her eyes were drooping, the night's activities being more than her body could take at the moment. She remembered Gabi was still in the room and forced her eyelids open one last time. "This still don't mean that I like you," Mayhem muttered.
"What, and you think I care?" Gabi returned, rolling her eyes, though deep down she knew things between Mayhem and herself would never be the same. They had both helped each other out of a bind tonight, and neither would forget that.
"Now can I have it back?" Gabi whispered into Bumlets' ear.
"Have what back?" Bumlets asked, pulling her closer. He kissed her forehead, not quite sure of himself, or what had just happened.
"My necklace," Gabi answered. Running her fingers over his chest, Gabi turned and looked up at him.
"I dunno. What happens if I give it to ya? Ya gonna take off?" Bumlets asked, only half-teasing. Just yesterday he'd stolen this strange girl's necklace, and now he was sitting beside her atop the roof, holding her in his arms.
"Take off? I'm not going anywhere, that is, unless you want me to," she said, unsure of how he truly felt about her. This whole evening had been a big blur in her mind. Hours ago she had hated the man that lay here with her, or so she thought. Now she didn't want him to ever leave her side.
Bumlets answered her with a deep kiss. Once they came up for air, Gabi rested her head gently across his chest, her eyes feeling heavier by the second.
"Night Priss," Bumlets whispered through a yawn.
"Night thief."
"Luna, ya comin'?" Spot asked. The poker game ended around midnight, and most of the Newsies were already heading upstairs to retire for the evening.
"I think I'm gonna stay in Manhattan tonight, Spot. You go on back," Luna answered.
"Ya sure?" he asked. Spot was growing more and more concerned for her well-being over the past few days.
Laughing, Luna shook her head. "No Spot, I ain't sure. Now get goin'," she instructed.
Spot hesitated, but finally took himself outside. He was having that weird feeling again. The one of wanting to be close to Luna, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't right. Luna was for Peter, and even though Peter was gone, he couldn't do that to his brother. But would he want us ta be happy? I wish I could make Luna happy again. Spot trudged back to Brooklyn, thoughts of Peter and Luna overtaking his mind the entire way back.
"C'mon Luna," Slinks smiled. "I got a bunk right next to mine ya can have."
Smiling, Luna followed Slinks up the stairs. "Feels good to be away from the Mutt for a night," she joked. In reality Luna felt a loss once Spot walked out that door, but kept it bottled up inside.
"Now don't be bossin' us around," Slinks teased. "Jade's the boss here. Ya get the day off."
"Oh, right," Luna smirked before heading into the bunkroom. She plopped down on the bunk and set both slingshots on the table.
"Ya got two now?" Silk asked as she walked by.
"Well, one's Spot's. I'm just watchin' it for him for awhile."
"Ya got a bet goin' wit him or sumptin'?" Silk asked. "Seein' how long he can go without it?"
Luna nodded. "Yeah, sumptin' like that." She yawned and stretched out on the bed, hoping for a night devoid of any dreams.
Gabi shifted in her sleep, and when she felt arms around her, quickly opened her eyes. Once focused, Gabi made out the sleepy figure of Bumlets beside her and smiled. He looked so peaceful like that and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him.
Gently she slipped out of his arms and gathered up her clothes. She needed some fresh air, and time to think about what had just transpired that night.
She made her way towards the edge of the roof and stole one last look at Bumlets before heading down to the bunkroom. She crept through the room silently, her faint footsteps being drowned out by the sounds of the girls' breathing.
Once she neared the door, two objects caught her attention in the faint moonlight. That must be Spot's slingshot. Without thinking, she picked it up, and dashed out of the room.
Luna tossed and turned in her bunk, and finally she awoke with a loud thud. She had tossed right out of the bed.
"Luna? Hey, ya alright?" Slinks asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Uh, yeah, fine Slinks. Go back to bed," Luna answered from the floor. What a dream - it was so vivid, just like before. This sword thing - what could it be?
"Ya sure, Luna?" Slinks returned in a whisper. Something had been wrong these past few weeks, and Slinks knew it, but she couldn't force the issue. Luna would come to her when she was ready to.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Luna slowly climbed back into bed. In her dreams, she had witnessed as a thief stole an ancient sword. She felt as if her duty was to protect it, but all she could do was stand there and watch it happen. I gotta find out what this all means. Closing her eyes, Luna didn't notice that there was one less slingshot on the nightstand. She was too engrossed in what her dream had meant.
Gabi roamed the dark streets for an hour, losing her way back to the lodging house, but far too occupied to notice. Her encounter with Bumlets played over in her mind, and she absentmindedly played with the rubber strap on the slingshot as she continued on.
How can I possibly go home now? What will happen with Christopher? And what on earth would my parents think of me dating a newsie. Frowning, Gabi moved on to think of much happier things that didn't include the unavoidable future she would endure.
She kicked a pebble and decided it was time to see what this slingshot was made of. Carefully choosing her ammo, Gabi placed a small pebble in the strap and pulled back, searching for a decent target. Seeing a lamp post in the distance, Gabi aimed and quickly let go, satisfied when the pebble made direct contact with the post. This is easier than I thought.
A breeze brushed by her hair and Gabi smelled the unmistakable aroma of water nearby. Well, while I'm out, might as well take a look down by the docks. Slipping the slingshot in her back pocket, Gabi wandered down by the water. She wanted to go sit down by the dock's edge, but the noise in the distance stopped her. Turning, she saw several dark figures in the moonlight, all carrying boxes to a nearby boat.
"What the hell are they doing at this late hour?" she mused. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, Gabi crept towards their location, keeping herself hidden by the mountains of crates along the way.
When she was up close enough, Gabi peered out from behind the crates once more, and tried to make out the figures in the moonlight. She could have sworn one looked like Christopher, but just as she was about to get a closer look, she heard someone moan.
"Oh shit," Gabi muttered and whipped around, thinking she was caught. Instead her mouth dropped at the sight of Mayhem tied up against a wall. "Mayhem, that you?"
"Mmph," came the reply.
"Crap, May, what happened?" Gabi asked when she got closer, though she was fully aware that with a bandanna around her mouth, Mayhem couldn't exactly spout details.
May rolled her eyes, since she couldn't answer, and gave Gabi a look that screamed 'get off your lazy ass and help me out here'. She impatiently motioned for Gabi to untie her from the ropes.
Once Mayhem was free, she struggled to stay upright. The men that had tied her up had a little fun first, and Mayhem was nearly bruised from head to toe. Gabi grabbed her before she could fall and swung one of Mayhem's arms around her shoulder. "Good thing I found you," Gabi smiled.
Mayhem nodded her head, though she couldn't get out the word 'thanks'. She figured Gabi was only in it for the recognition she would get back at the lodging house. "Yeah, good thing," she mumbled. Of all the people in this world, why did she have to be the one to save me?
"Needed someone to get me back to the lodging house. You'll do," Gabi smirked, making Mayhem's mouth quirk into a tiny, but noticeable smile.
Slowly the two started to hobble away from the docks, both thinking that they were undetected thanks to the dark night and the abundance of boxes. Unfortunately for them, Gabi lost her grip of Mayhem for a moment, and they banged into one of the many crates. They could hear voices in the distance, shouting to go check out the noise.
"Now would be the time ta run," Mayhem stated, pulling herself upright again despite the pain.
"Well let's go then!" Gabi cried and took off with Mayhem right behind her.
Gabi could hear footsteps pounding on the docks behind them. "Hurry up, they're gaining on us!"
"Seems to be my lucky day," Mayhem huffed between heavy breathing. "Looks like we're in for some fun."
"Well, run faster," Gabi urged, and saw Mayhem shoot her an icy glare.
"I thought I already was, smart ass."
Rolling her eyes, Gabi grabbed Mayhem's arm and pulled her along. She knew May was in pain, but she'd be in a lot more if they were caught. She glanced back, seeing two rather large figures coming closer and then remembered what she had stolen earlier. She knew that Mayhem could use this to blackmail her later, since Luna would not be amused, and neither would Spot, but it seemed their only hope. Gabi let go of Mayhem and bent down and pick up a fistful of stones.
"What da hell are you doin'?!" Mayhem cried. "We don't have time ta play hopscotch!"
Whipping out the slingshot from her back pocket, Gabi didn't pay Mayhem's comment any heed. "Just keep going!" she shouted.
"Suit yerself," May answered and took off down the street.
Gabi shoved the stones in her pocket, leaving two out. Placing them hurriedly in the slingshot, she aimed for the men running towards her and let go.
"Uh oh," Gabi muttered. She must have missed, for she heard no cries from either of her chasers, and they certainly hadn't stopped running. Gauging the distance between her and the men, Gabi tried once more, this time taking a deep breath first, and concentrating on her target.
The stones pierced through the air in front of her, and much to her satisfaction she heard a cry of pain coming from one of the men. While his running abilities were hindered, the other merely stopped for a second, surmising the situation before running towards Gabi again.
"Damn it," Gabi breathed heavily and took out the remaining stones from her pocket. Her mind screamed for her to hurry up and Gabi obeyed, letting the slingshot go with one quick motion.
To her delight, she heard the other attacker yell in anguish, but then noticed that the first man was running again. Cursing her luck, Gabi shoved the slingshot back into her pocket and took off down the street.
The footsteps still coming behind her, though slower this time, Gabi burst into a sprint, hoping that her legs wouldn't give out any time soon. The faster she went, the lighter the footsteps pounded in the distance, until the only sounds she could hear were the laughs of the late-night drunks by a nearby tavern.
Gabi stopped and leaned over, throwing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. It occurred to her that she had no idea where she was, or how to get back to the lodging house. "Well this is just great," she mumbled and leaned against a lamppost. She squinted to see the name of the street, but she didn't know what good that would do, considering she hadn't a clue what street the lodging house was on. She cursed herself for concentrating on Bumlets the first day he took her to that lodging house, instead of where he was leading her.
She sighed at the thought of Bumlets. He would wake up to find her missing, and probably suspect the worst. Somehow Gabi had to make it back to that lodging house before he woke up.
"You look like a pathetic lost little puppy," spoke a familiar voice from the shadows of a dark alley.
Gabi turned to see Mayhem, hunched over against the wall in the alley. She was breathing heavily, and holding one shoulder with her hand. "Nice to see you too," Gabi retorted and sighed in relief. Maybe we can make it back without Bumlets even knowing I took off in the first place.
"Ya took Spot's slingshot, didn't ya?" May asked and limped out of the alley.
"So what if I did?" Gabi shrugged her shoulders and walked towards Mayhem.
"He don't exactly like it when people mess wit his things, 'specially smart alecks such as yaself," May explained. "Just hope he ain't in a bad mood when he finds out… Hell, hope he don't find out at all."
"Oh, he won't," Gabi nodded and started the journey back with Mayhem.
"Sure he won't." May shook her head and gave a wry laugh.
With Mayhem hurt, the walk back took over an hour and by the time they reached the lodging house, Gabi knew that Bumlets had probably already awoken, only to find her missing. Her heart racing, Gabi opened the door and let May in first. She closed it behind them as quietly as possible and saw Mayhem press a finger to her lips. Looks like I'm not the only one who'll get in trouble.
Gabi nodded, but as soon as she did, someone cleared their throat in the lobby. She watched as Mayhem strode over to the couch, hiding as much pain as she could.
"Me watch?" Racetrack asked, passing over the question of how things had went that evening.
"Aw Christ. Look, it's in one piece!" May exclaimed and pulled out his prized pocket watch from her pants.
Race took the watch and handled his beloved keepsake. He brushed his hot air over it, giving it a once-over with his sleeve before setting it back in his vest pocket. Then he took one look at Mayhem and frowned. "May, aw geez what'd dey do to ya?" he asked and took her hands.
"Nothin' I couldn't handle," May grumbled, still upset that Race had the nerve to even inspect his watch after what she had been through.
"Sit down May, ya look terrible." He led her over to the couch and gently took a seat beside her.
Mayhem snuggled into Race's arms, relieved to be back home, even though she wasn't able to avenge Lead's death as she had hoped. Deep in her eyes there was still that anger for what had happened months back.
"Why did ya go alone, May? Just look at yaself," Race whispered into her ear. "If I ever caught dose bastards who did this to ya…" he trailed off.
"That's sweet Race. Stupid, but sweet," Mayhem responded before her head rested on his shoulder. Before long her eyes were drooping, the night's activities being more than her body could take at the moment. She remembered Gabi was still in the room and forced her eyelids open one last time. "This still don't mean that I like you," Mayhem muttered.
"What, and you think I care?" Gabi returned, rolling her eyes, though deep down she knew things between Mayhem and herself would never be the same. They had both helped each other out of a bind tonight, and neither would forget that.
Gabi could see this was a good time to creep up
those stairs and make for the roof, but just as she reached them, she saw a
figure coming down the steps. Since she couldn't quite make out who it was, Gabi
bowed her head and nonchalantly walked up those stairs, praying that it wasn't
Bumlets coming down them.
"Gabrielle?" Bumlets whispered once he was closer to her.
Gabi looked up and was surprised to see such worry in his eyes. "I'm
sorry Bumlets. I went for a walk, and got lost, and something happened…"
"Are you alright?" Bumlets asked softly before she could finish.
"I'm fine," she assured him. "I didn't mean to worry you."
"I thought I lost ya," Bumlets whispered and took her into his arms.
Gabi was quite amazed by Bumlets' demeanor. Smiling, she slid her
arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I could never leave without stealing
that necklace back first," she smirked. "Now, where were we?"
Smiling, Bumlets scooped her up into his arms and proceeded to carry
her up the stairs.
As they reached the boy's bunkroom, Gabi remembered that she still
had Spot's slingshot in her back pocket, but it was too late to do anything
about it now, and she certainly didn't want to tell Bumlets that she had
borrowed it. She hoped he wouldn't think anything of the object protruding from
her back pocket, and perhaps he would be more inclined just to sleep beside her
for now.
Bumlets set her down on his bunk, barely noticing what Gabi carried
with her. After his tired body had endlessly searched the lodging house for her,
and worrying non-stop, Bumlets didn't have much energy left to go about
inquiring what she had. Once Gabi slid over, Bumlets lay down beside her and
slipped his arms around her, holding her close.
"Night, again," Bumlets whispered and kissed her forehead.
"Night," Gabi mumbled in return, falling fast asleep.