Guys, I'm SO sorry for not posting...school's been horendous....they hate me lol. So it's Saturday....I'm sorry if this chapter is going to be depressing as hell...I'm depressed as hell...so this chapter is a way for me to kind of vent right now...

Aelia....thanks for reviewing....I know I'm one evil little kid. I'm the coolest cliffy poster person lol...not really I've seen some evil ones....but finally I will be rescuing you from this cliffy

Rachel....finally I get to post...sorry it took so long...school's been sucking and I haven't thought of it...then I thought, Hey I feel crummy so I should post to get my mind off things... so I'm doing so. Hope you enjoy it. Still sorry it took this long.


Rinoa was standing by her bed with a knife held over her and tears slowly running down her face. She glanced over noticing the three standing in the doorway. "Rinoa! STOP!" Casey screamed running over to Rinoa full speed.....she watched as the knife came down slowly....right into Rinoa's stomach. It seemed everything was moving in slow motion. Casey running over to Rinoa who lay on the floor bleeding to death. Casey came to a halt in front of Rinoa. She kneeled down.

"Why?" Was all that could come out of Casey's mouth as tears fell to the ground in a blink of an eye. Rinoa felt her life slipping away. Everything was starting to go dark. She took a glance at Mush who looked dead. He was paralyzed to the spot. She could barely hear Casey's words...they seemed stamped out until they slowly came clear,

"......Why......why'd you have to do it Rinoa? We all love you...I love you, Race loves you....Mush loves you...Please...don't leave me...you're the closest thing to family I have....if you go...then what will I be? Who'll be there for me? Sure...Race will be here...but in my mind me and him are both losing a sister here...I can't lose you...you mean too much for me...you mean too much to everyone....please...." The words slowly faded....

"Rinoa....Rinoa....RINOA!!!" Came Blink's voice. Rinoa's eyes slowly opened. "What do ya want Blink?" Rinoa asked with a yawn. "Time to go." Came Blink's short response. He pulled Rinoa out of bed with so much force that she flew into Racetrack's bed. "Great...now you'se got me flyin' like a damn bird." Rinoa said with a laugh. Mush soon came to Blink's side. "Havin' trouble?" He asked already noticing the obvious. "Why don't you'se try to wake up the little devil?" Blink offered.

"Nah thanks...wakin' you'se up has already given me two black eyes...I'se don't think I'se would risk that...." Mush said shortly. "Good point..." Blink said nodding and pulling Rinoa by the foot out of bed. "Get up you lazy good for nothin'." Blink said with a grin. "Let my foot go or you wont be seein out of both of dose eyes of yours." Rinoa said laughing and getting up herself. "Feisty little one ain't she?" Blink asked Mush. "I'se think she represents dat woid..." Mush said shortly. "No kiddin'." Blink said walking behind Rinoa.

"Mush you'se wanna start wearin an eye patch like you're friend heah?" Rinoa asked with a satisfied smirk. "You'se wanna seel with us today?" Mush asked coming up beside Rinoa. "Well....I'se guess for a little while...but then I'se think I'se gonna work on gettin across dat pond...curse that damn thing..." Rinoa muttered the last part. Blink shook his head not believing the fact that this would be the 4th week of her afternoon pond visiting. "I swear...by the time you get sick of going to that pond...you would of well had drowned." Blink said laughing.

"You're so mean Blink..." Rinoa said with a laugh. "Really...you're a crazy little 12 year old...thinking you're so cool....I'd love to see you'se talk to Spot Conlon." Mush laughed. "Yeah...he'd surely wipe that little grin off you're face." Blink said. "He surely wipes one off of me..." Mush said his smile vanishing. "Yeah...mine too..." Blink said as he thought about it.

Casey walked past the distribution office, tears streaming down her face. Oscar slowly came out of the shadows. "Where ya goin sweet face?" He asked stepping in front of her. "If you ever talk to me again Oscar Delancey I swear to God I'll kill you. You know that girl you tried to kill..that almost killed you too?" Casey waited until he solemnly nodded. "Well...she's dead!" Casey shouted the words loud enough for the whole street to hear. She didn't want to believe those words but she had to face them.

Oscar was lost for words. "Yeah...you'd best not talk to me. I've decided...I'm afraid to love...everytime I love...I end up getting hurt anyway...so why should I bother anymore?! You tell me that!" She yelled and stalked away more tears falling than before. They walked a while Oscar had no idea where they were going but he followed her anyway when she suddenly stopped and fell into the snow sobbing. When Oscar came over to help her out of the snow she brushed his arm away and screamed. "I just want to die right here! I don't give a damn anymore!"

"You know you don't want to die." Oscar said. "Don't tell me what I know and don't know! I have nothing....I am nothing...my best friend is gone...I wasn't there for her when she needed me! It's all my fault she's gone! Just leave me here! I want to die at this very spot!" She yelled. Oscar ran off to go and get some help from the Newsies.

Casey was left alone. She sat reading what was in front of her,

Rinoa Higgins- January 12, 1885 - December 21, 1899
Beloved daughter and sister

"It was about time that it got to you huh Rinoa? I don't blame you...life isn't worth it...maybe what you did was good...maybe it's the only way out...." Casey muttered slowly taking Rinoa's knife out and looking at it. She heard a sound behind her and she didn't bother to turn around. "I have something..." Came Race's voice. It wasn't his warm usual tone...it was cold...empty...

Race kneeled beside her and handed her a peice of folded up paper. Then he got up and left taking a glance back every few steps he took. For the first few minutes Casey just stared at the paper clutched in her hand. Then she slowly opened it. Another little peice of paper and something inside it fell out but she read the first piece of paper first.
Casey, Race, and everyone,

You all must hate me and I don't blame you. But what you guys gotta understand is, I wasn't ever happy. Sorry that this was the way I chose...I know there would've been another way...but I'll never forgive myself for all the pain I've caused to everyone...let's face it...I was the worst thing that happened to Mush...I gave Casey absolute hell....and then I acted like Blink didn't even exist.

Also...I'm the worst sister anyone could have. I love my brother so much...it hurts me a lot to have to leave him... but you guys got to trust me when I say it was for the best. As long as I was never happy...I just didn't want to deal with the pain anymore. Ever since my parents died...I sort of tried to tough it out...but I still can't say I recovered...I'd never recover from something like that.

I know I still had a life left to live but I wouldn't want to cause any more pain than I already have. I'm going to miss you guys like you wouldn't believe. I'm still really sorry and hope you don't hate me. I hate myself for doing this to you guys but I still think it was for the best. Hopefully your lives will be better than mine was. The only part of my life that was good was having you guys for friends. I'll never forget you guys. I love you more than anything.

Also, Mush....I'm Sorry...

Love always and forever,

Rinoa



Casey finished reading the letter and held it pressed up against her heart, until she remembered the other note. She opened it and out came a necklace. It was Rinoa's.

Casey,

I want you to have this. I got it when I was little and it was always special to me...I thought you might like to have it. I want to say this. Please take care of my brother for me. Tell him that I love him so much. Also, I need you to take care of Mush too. Make sure he finds just the right person for him I can't stand to see him hurt. Please make sure she loves him with all of the love I had for him.

Love,

Rinoa

Also, You'll always be my best friend...and my sister.
This one was too much for Casey. She broke down in tears. She lay in the cold snow. Alone...nothing to the world.

Once Casey decided to go back to the lodging house the whole house seemed more lively more than before. "Jack's gonna be alright." Bumlet's announced. Casey trudged in soaked. She was numb but she could hardly feel it. She fell onto her bed and lay there. Not having emotion at all. Mush seemed to have the same reaction as she did. Race ofcourse, took notice.

"Case, you'se ok?" He asked. No response. "Case?" He asked even softer. She felt hot tears burning her eyes. If she thought this was bad...she tried to imagine the pain going on for Race. He just had a good job of hiding it. Casey could see right through him anyway. Mush hadn't spoken a word since it happened...and an entire week had passed by. Casey wondered if Mush would ever talk again.