By: Nightingale
Rating: PG13
Part 15"What's wrong? What are you thinking about now" he asked
"I'm terrified that I may have killed my friends…my brother"
"How would you have done that"
"Those men. They wont stop till they get what they want. I'm worried for Sage and Sippi, Spider, Wildcard, Sneaks, Spot. I didn't"
By this time the tears became a steady stream and her breath came in short gasps again. Jack pulled her into his arms surrounding her in the support and safety she needed.
"I don't even know if Sage knows I'm here. He wanted to take me to Harlem. I'm just. I'm so scared."
Jack rocked her gently in his arms letting her tears wet the front of his shirt.
"I'm sure Doc would have told him. I'll stay awake you need some sleep."
"No I can't sleep"
"Try"
"I have, but my thoughts keep filling with the worry I have for Sage"
"Then we'll wait here for him." Gin nodded and shifted to a more comfortable position in Jack's arms.
He just held her and let her settle into his arms. Despite Gin's inability to sleep before she somehow drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Jack leaned against the wall of the stairway knowing that Kloppman would be coming upstairs tomorrow to find this, but Jack somehow didn't care. His hand gently smoothed the amber hair on her head before resting his chin lightly on top of her head.
Sage stalked through Manhattan. He was careful to stay out of full sight and to take enough back roads not to be followed. Spot told him not to but he had to see Gin. He had to make sure she was alright and safe.
Sage was dead tired by the time he walked into the lodging house. It was still all silent and he was glad for the peace. It was somewhere around one or two in the morning he was sure. He hurt all over it seemed though he knew his injuries weren't all that terrible.
The two men gave quite a fight but Brooklyn over powered them and they ran off for now at least. Though Sage could tell Graft and Spot both knew they would be back and maybe next time they would have reinforcements of their own.
The boys of Brooklyn were pounded on pretty bad. No one was expecting the fight that soon and no one was ready. The slingshots did nothing against the big, rock solid, bodies of the two men. Leaving a few who knew how to do sufficient damage with their fists and Spot's cane. Sage himself had earned a busted lip, cracked rib or two, and a black eye but it was nothing compared to Gin's safety. He knew the others would feel the same as they too had become rather attached to the single girl of Brooklyn.
He carefully began to walk up the stairs when he saw an odd looking shape in the way. He stopped suddenly worried that something might have happened. As Sage watched he saw that the thing did almost no movement save the gentle movement of breath. Sage took a few steps up and stopped again. He could suddenly make out the form as two bodies. When he got even closer he realized it was Jack and Gin.
Both were asleep. It looks as if both had had a hard time of making into any kind of sleep and one noticeably had cried herself to sleep. Sage leaned down close to the two bodies and realized that he shouldn't just leave them there. They would feel some much better in a bed.
Sage shook Jack's arm a little stirring him awake. It took Jack a few seconds to realize what was happening. He became somewhat alarmed and tightened his grip of the girl before looking up. When Jack looked up and noticed Sage he relaxed.
"Lets move her back to a bed" suggested Sage
Jack looked down as if he had forgot that he held her there in his arms and nodded. Jack stopped to think for a moment as to the best way to transport the girl from where she now sat to her bed.
Jack somehow got up and picked her up with him. He walked up to the girl's room carrying Gin in his arms. Sage opened the girl's bunkroom door for him, and Jack easily found the bed she was supposed to be in and placed her in it.
After walking out and closing the door Sage put his hand on Jacks shoulder.
"Thank you." Sage whispered
Jack never gave a response both were so tired. They both entered the boy's bunkroom together. Jack pointed out an empty bunk and then climbed into his own knowing full well that Kloppman would be in there soon yelling for them to wake up though after sleeping on the stairs Jack was bound to be sore. He didn't mind as much though. Not with the thought of who was in his arms most of the night.