"Ruby hurry up!" Opal said pulling her little sister along by her arm. Ruby's little legs ran as fast as they could to keep up with her sister.

"Quick, we have to get away before they find us."

Eventually Opal stopped once she was sure they were safe, both girls sat on the ground struggling to catch their breath. Ruby's cough seemed worse, it was rattling on her chest.

"Opal it burns." Ruby whimpered holding onto her chest.

Opal dug down into her bag and pulled out Ruby's inhaler, shaking it before handing it too her. "Take two puffs." Opal instructed. "Remeber what that doctor said, you need to keep warm and drink lots of water. That'll make it better." Opal took off her sweater and pulled it over Ruby's head. "Okay I have $20 left, are you hungry?"

Ruby nodded her head, Opal took her little sisters hand as they crossed the street.

"Shit!" Abby muttered under her breath upon entering exam 3 and finding it empty. She knew she shouldn't have left them, its happened before. She's been given some random number and the persons just up and left. But usually the person is a drunk or someone looking for some free drugs. But these were two little girls. Abby couldn't quite work them out, but she did feel sorry for them anything could happen to them out there. It was freezing out, and neither of them had much clothing.

"Uh Frank." Abby called as she left exam 3. "Have you seen two little girls around here? Kinda dressed scruffy, one had long auburn colored hair the other had brown wavy hair."

"The little one oriental looking?"

"Yeah! Thats them. Did you see where they went? Abby asked.

"The left when you were on the phone."

"Okay this has to last us for at least a week." Opal said stuffing a loaf of bread and a multipack of chips into her bag.

Ruby nodded her head in agreeance. "When are we going to see Jade again?"

"I don't know, soon I hope. But when she's back everything will be okay I promise." Opal smiled at her little sister, wrapping her arm around her.

She'd have to find them somewhere to stay for tonight, it was only 1pm so she had a bit of time to find somewhere to sleep before it got dark. But it was freezing out, she needed to find them somewhere sheltered and out of the cold.

They had been walking for a couple of hours before Opal found the perfect place. It looked like an old abandoned store, she would come back later to make sure that nobody else was there. This place was perfect.

Eventual Opal and Ruby ended up at the park, this was Opal's favorite place to sit and read. She had many fond memories of this place, she remembered her Mom would bring her down here in the summer and they would sit under the big oak tree where she would read to her. She remembered her Mom once saying that if she ever had the oportunity to get away from Chicago she would. Then one day they woke up and she was gone.

That was just over a year ago now, and none of them had heard from her.

They were nearly split up by social services once, but their older sister Jade contacted her dad and said that they were staying with him. They did stay with him for a while but not for ling, he was a drunk and used to be gone for days at a time. So they decided to get out and live on their ownm and up until two weeks ago it seemed to be working for them.

But now Jade was gone and Ruby was sick and Opal was left in the middle of it.

They say that Opal's are unlucky and she was beginning to think that they were right. Wherever she seemed to go something bad wasn't far behind.

Abby and Carter had both finished their shifts and were making their way over to Ike's.

"Gosh its freezing out there." Catrter said. He took off his coat and took a seat opposite Abby.

Abby just smiled and nodded her head, she wanted to say something but the words just wouldn't come. Carter was about to say something them Abby interuppted him. "Okay, before you say anything let me just say this. About what happened the other day. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what? Nothing happened." Carter said taking a menu from the center of the table.

"Exactly." Abby laughed uneasily.

An awkward silence followed, they both kept trying to avoid each others eyes.

After a while Carter spoke. "Y'know. I'm sorry too." He reached out his hand and placed it ontop of Abby's.

She started to pull her hand away, but stopped. Since Richard that's all she ever seemed to do, as soon as someone got close she'd push them away. Instead she rested her other hand ontop of his, smiling over to him.

Carter then reached out his free hand over to Abby, pushing a stray hair of hers behind her ear before leaning over and kissing her.

Opal looked down at her watch, it was just gone 8:30pm. She had been back to check out the abandoned store and nobody else was there. She and Ruby had spent the rest of that day in the park, sitting beneath the big oak tree.

Opal thought that now would be the perfect time to go there, she gathered up their things and pulled her half sleeping sister up. If they walked fast enough they could be there by 9pm, 9:10pm at the latest. Opal dragged her little sister along.

"I can't walk anymore." Ruby said almost in tears.

Opal ignored her and carried on walking without her figuring that Ruby would soon follow. But when she realized that Ruby wasn't following she stopped. "Ruby come on! Please!" She pleaded. "We need to get inside out of the cold. It'll make you feel better I promise. We're nearly there now."

"I can't Opal my legs hurt and my whole body hurts." Ruby sat down on the sidewalk trying to be brave and hold back the tears.

Opal sat next to her and held onto her hand, she didn't know what to do, She hated to see her little sister suffering. They sat there in silence for a while until it was broken but the rumbling of Ruby's stomach.

"I'll tell you what, if we hurry up and get to where we're staying we'll have some more to eat." Opal stood up.

"Promise?"

Opal nodded her head. As Ruby stood up they both heard a familiar voice.

"Hey you two, get your butts over here!"