Disclaimer: see previous chapters...
A/N: I don't have much to say except thanks for all your reviews, and I'd like to apologize for how short the last chapter was. I felt short of in a tight position, somewhere it was hard to write from. Also I want to let you know that I think the statistics in this chapter are wrong but I'm just going to use them for the sake of the story, but anyway please R/R.
"How may I help you miss?" I tall middle-aged man asked his beard a matted mess. He was slender and wore a navy blue box hat with a white strip going down the side.
" I'd like one ticket to New York if you please," Lucy said setting her bag down on the cold cement floor.
He looked her over and then printed out the tickets, "If you don't mind me asking," He said looking back up at her, "What's a young maid like yourself traveling alone for."
" I need to get away from here."
" Very well, platform 23."
Lucy picked up her bag and took one last glance back at him, "Thank you sir."
" My pleasure."
Outside people bustled this way and that around the platform.
" Mommy!" A young boy cried his face tear stained, "Mommy!"
Lucy ran over and crouched down beside him, "What is it son?" She said wrapping her arms around him.
" I, I- I can't find my mommy!" He stifled between sobs.
The boy couldn't be older than four. He couldn't be much taller than 4 feet, and his hair was rustled. Gold polished buttons ran down the center of the overcoat, much too sensible for a young toddler of his age.
" I will help you find her," Lucy said holding him close, "Now, we are going to be together for a while, so what do you say you tell me your name?"
" Billy."
"Well Billy, I'm Lucy. Now what do you say we go find your mommy?"
" So?" Lucy questioned her eyes motioning toward the young boy who had occupied himself by capturing bugs and squishing them.
" Nothing yet."
" How could someone just," she paused for a moment, "Leave a young boy like that."
" You'd be surprised miss, you'd be surprised."
" What are you saying? This happens often?"
" Oh, much too often for my liking miss," He looked her in the eyes, "But you're the first person who's done anything about it."
" So they just, sit there? The whole world bustling around them, and no one has even the decency to stop and help them."
" They're not the child's parents."
" That still gives them no right!"
" No right miss! Who gives the parents the right to leave the children here? Who do you think takes care of the children when they are left miss? Who do you think spends 20 hours a year watching out for these kids who get left at the station? Who do you think?"
" You're inexplicable!"
" Inexplicable! I'm telling you miss, you don't know what you're getting yourself into caring for those kids only to have your heart broken."
" In what way?"
" The parents come back."
" They left them. Aren't they the state's responsibility now?"
He shook his head, "Not until they're reported."
She looked at Billy and then back at the man, "Then I'm going to report him!" Lucy took one last glimpse at the man and then took Billy's hand and they both exited the station.
"She's got a big heart, that women does," The man said shaking his head, " And she don't know what she is getting herself into."
" Billy!" A woman cried as Billy and Lucy stepped onto the platform. Lucy put her hands over Billy's chest protectively.
" Do you know who she is?" Lucy whispered into Billy's ear.
Billy didn't respond.
" Billy, answer me is that your mama?"
"What are you goin and telling my son?"
" Is that your mama Billy?"
Billy shook his head, "She ain't my mama, she ain't," he said running away.
" Billy come back here!" Lucy cried running after him.
" Don't go chasin after my son! Or I'll report you as a kidnapper."
" A kidnapper? You're the one who left Billy all alone."
" Left him! He left me, that good for nothing brat!"
" Why would he leave you?"
" A mother does not know many of her son's secrets, especially that of her four year old."
" You gonna go get him?"
" No he'll come back in time."
" Come back in time! Now I see why he left you! You don't have a care in the world about your son do you miss?"
" Mrs. Wilkonson if you please."
" Mrs. Wilkonson then. You best be chasing after your son because if you don't I'll report him to the authorities and tell them that you left him at the station."
" You couldn't, I'm here now."
" So you left him?"
" Only for a short period of time."
" But you left him."
Mrs. Wilkonson's face grew red at the sight of a young girl interrogating her.
" How old are you anyway? You can't be much older than me! What can you do?"
" Oh I can do much Mrs. Wilkonson, and much, much more!" She said running after Billy.
Lucy sat for a moment against the wall Billy crying into her chest.
" That was your mama wasn't it?" She said brushing his hair back
Billy nodded, "I don't' like my mama, I don't I don't."
" Did she do something to you Billy? Did she hurt you?"
Billy shook his head, "She did nothing, just left me, that is till you found me."
" You're special Billy, you know that?" Lucy said standing up, " Do you know why?"
Billy shook his head.
" Because you have the power, the power to make your own decisions the power to chose where your life leads," She paused for a moment, " And that son, will take you many many more places than you will ever imagine."
He
smiled a bit.
"Let's go Billy we are leaving."
"That the mother?" The man questioned as Lucy approached the booth.
Lucy nodded, "Two tickets please."
" For you two?" The man asked motioning towards Billy.
" Yes for the two of us."
" Where to?"
She paused for a moment, "Maine, anywhere in Maine."
A/N: So now she's gotta deal with Billy and gotta find a place to live. Boy does she have her work cut out for her. But as always please review.
