Author note: Blah, I would have gotten on here earlier but today is my dad's b-day so we had to celebrate. This chapter might not be good because I'm pissed off!

I could hear the boys gasp from behind me, and I quickly turned around.

"We have to get them out of here!" I said, running back into the room. The boys stood frozen in shock as the fire crept through the Lodging House. "Come on!"

The three of them then came back to reality and quickly ran into the room. They began to pull the sheets off the others and pick them up. Thank God we were still able to escape out of the front door. Art, Dice, and Tick picked someone up and ran out of the room and down the stairs.

I then began to panic, what was I supposed to do? I couldn't carry these boys! I then began to rush to each boy and get them ready for the other three to take them. Art ran back into the room and picked up Spark and ran back out.

I covered my mouth as smoke began to enter the room, eating my oxygen. Dice and Tick rushed in, grabbed a boy, and ran back out. I ran over to the window and pulled on it as hard as I could.

"Open, damn it!" I screamed, hitting it. I pulled some more, but for some reason it wouldn't budge. I turned around and watched as the boys ran back in and grabbed some more boys.

The fire sang its deadly tune; bring shivers up and down my spine. The heat of its mighty flames made sweat roll down my face. The fire began fiercer and threatening as the boys began to disappear, thanks to Art Dice, and Tick.

For some reason they skipped Spot as if he were invisible. I wrinkled my eyebrows as I coughed from the smoke.

Art ran back into the room and stared at me for a second.

"Youse hafta get outta here!" he screamed, running to the next to last guy. It was Spot and Lucky left, and he took Lucky. I watched as he ran out of the room and out of the Lodging House. He didn't come back.

I stared at Spot's sleeping body nervously, and then decided that nobody was coming back for him. I glanced around the room before running to his bed ripping the sheets away from his body. I pulled him up and threw his arm around my shoulder. I then rose from the bed, and Spot's weight nearly made me fall.

I then felt the heat become more intense, and realized that in a few moments this room would be on fire. I moved my feet, dragging Spot along.

"Damn it!" I cursed as Spot made us fall to the floor. "Please Spot, wake up! Just this once I want you to help me, just this once!" No response. I felt a few tears travel down my face as I rose to my feet and ran out into the hallway to see if any of the boys were coming.

The fire was already blocking my way out, along with a bunch of wood. No wonder no one ever came back. I turned back to the boy's room and ran to Spot's body. I shook him as I begged for him to wake up. Spot groaned…wait, he groaned! Is he going to wake up?

I stared down at him, wanting so badly for him to open his eyes. Spot brought his hand to his head and moved the hair out of his eyes, and continued his light breathing.

"Spot," I said. "Spot, wake up, the Lodging House is on fire!" I sighed in frustration and noticed the fire creeping into the room. "Oh shit," I said. I stood to my feet and grabbed Spot's arms, dragging him over to the window. The fire devoured the first empty bed, and began on the second.

I glanced back as I pried at the window.

"Open you lousy piece of-" I then noticed the cane lying beside Spot's bed. I quickly ran over to the cane and picked it up. "Please work," I said as I began to beat it against the window. One, two three. On the third hit the window cracked and shattered, falling helplessly to the ground. I broke off the stray pieces and peaked out the window. It was a long fall.

Damn it, why didn't they get a fire escape? Then something hit me…my drawings! I instantly pulled Spot up to the window. Now how in the living hell was I going to get him out of this window without him breaking something? Maybe I should just throw him out and pray for the best.

Bad idea, he'll probably break his neck or something. I then began to scream for Art, and just like magic he appeared in the alleyway.

"Sage!" he screamed, staring up at me.

"Catch Spot!" I screamed.

"What?" before I had time to respond Spot fell out the window, and I heard an "off" as he landed on Art. I laughed slightly, and then remembered my drawings and turned towards the raging fire. I bit my lip and held my breath as I ran for the door, avoiding the flames.

I felt the intense heat of the flames as I ran into my room, where the fire was eating everything it could reach. I ran over to the loose floorboard and pulled out my sketch book, journal, and locket.

My lungs filled with smoke and I fell to my knees coughing, keeping a firm grip on my belongings.

I sat on my knees, hunched over as the fire encircled me. I looked up, my eyes watering, blurring my vision. I coughed some more and heard yelling from outside. I rose to my feet and walked through the flames carelessly to my window. I felt disorient as I stared at the window.

The fire crept up the wall beside me, and settled on the windowsill. The smoke was getting to my head, so I stupidly reached out to open the window, and my right wrist settled in the flames.

I felt the fire eating at my skin as I instantly pulled away and blew at the flames on my arm. They disappeared and my wrist bled as a horrible stinging settled in. My eyes watered even more as I realized I was trapped. There was no way out.

The fire trapped me as I felt tears release from my eyes. I was going to die. I felt so stupid now. I should've told Spot how I felt when I had the chance, but now I'll never get to because I was going to die! Right now all I wanted to do was cry; cry in front of Spot and tell him everything. I wanted to tell him that I loved him, and that he could only make me feel the way I did.

I couldn't die! Not until Spot knew; he had to know! I looked around and picked up one of my shirts. I turned to the window and began to beat it against the fire, the flames dying out. I then threw my shirt to the side and pulled the window open. My fingers burned from the heat the fire left behind, and I could feel the blood rushing out of them, but that didn't stop me.

I quickly grabbed onto the window and hauled myself up to the windowsill, and dangled my legs out the side. I reached for the vines growing on the side of the building and gripped them firmly. I then pushed myself off the window and let myself hang on the vines.

My wrist was in an immense amount of pain, causing me to leg go of the vine and fall the whole way down. When I reached the ground my ankle made a disgusting cracking noise, and the pain instantly left my wrist and settled in my ankle. My eyes grew wide as I clasped my hands around in, crying from the pain.

My face and clothes were ashy, and my lungs felt like they were on fire, and I couldn't quit coughing. I noticed that Art wasn't anywhere to be seen in the alleyway, so I looked up and watched the flames of the fire look down at me from the window. My lungs tingled from every breath I took. My heart was racing, just thinking about Manhattan.

I heard my name being called, but it faded away as the world grew black, and the pain was just a memory as I passed out.

I felt something wet on my head. I opened my eyes and adjusted my vision as I sat up, finding myself in a bed. I looked around and recognized the place…the hospital. I then felt a throbbing in my ankle and wrist. I looked down at my wrist to find it covered in bandages, and figured my ankle was too.

I cringed, remembering that horrible, grotesque cracking noise. And then I remembered the fire – the fire! The Lodging House! Our home!

I looked around desperately, trying to spot someone I know. A nurse kindly approached me and took the wet cloth off of my head.

"Hello," she said.

"The fire," I blurted out. "The Lodging House, our stuff, Spot…"

"Shh," the nurse said. "You need sleep."

"I need answers! Where is everyone? Is Spot awake?" The nurse sighed deeply as if something were wrong.

"I'm sorry dear," she said. "The Lodging House was burned down to ashes, and the boys are all, well…" I could feel the tears falling helplessly down my face. No…they can't be dead, they just can't! Art and the others saved them, I saved Spot! Damn it, he isn't dead! The nurse saw my tears.

"Oh no, dear, they're not dead," she said quickly. I flinched and stared at her. Stupid nurse had to sound as if everyone died. "They're all well awake, it's just…they…uh, are in the orphanage."

"The orphanage?" I shouted. The nurse nodded and rewetted the cloth.

"They have nowhere else to go, so they were put in the orphanage."

"What about me?" I asked, staring down at my fingers.

"Well, Dr. Grey said that is up to you since you do have family and all, and your mother's inheritance"

"What family?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, your aunt in Bronx," the nurse said, grinning. I had an aunt in Bronx? "Her name is Makenna. Makenna Ricky." I tilted my head. How come this didn't surprise me? My life was just one big mystery.

"W-what if I found a home for the boys?" I asked.

"Don't be silly," the nurse said with a wave of her hand. "The Lodging House is gone."

"But it can be rebuilt."

"And who has that kind of money?"

"I do!" I said, glaring up at her. "I can find us a place to live while they rebuild it." The nurse rolled her eyes and put the wet cloth back on my head. I shivered at the cold water.

"Your ankle is broken, and there is no skin on your wrist from where the fire burnt you. Dr. Grey will come see you shortly." And with that said the nurse turned around and stormed away.

They couldn't put Spot in an orphanage, it was absurd.

For the next three days I stayed in the hospital, being observed by Dr. Grey. He was releasing me to Wades, who generously offered to take me in for the time being.

We rode in a small carriage to his home. I had crutches to keep from walking on my ankle.

We arrived at Wades' house, and he helped me out of the carriage. We then entered the beautiful, ordinary house where I was greeted by his sweet wife Meredith.

"It's not fair!" I explained, sitting on the sofa as Meredith served tea. "They shouldn't have to be put in an orphanage! Is there anything you can do Wades?" Wades thought this over a minute before responding,

"Yeah, there is, but first." Wades whistled and I heard little feet against the floor, and Chance jumped up into my lap.

"Chance!" I exclaimed, hugging him slightly. "I can't believe I forgot about you!"

"As I was saying, yeah, there is something I can do. I have a house near the distribution center. I don't really take care of it, but it belongs to me. Until the Lodging House gets rebuilt the boys can live there."

"That's a great idea!" I said, putting down my cup of tea. "But how do we get the boys out of the orphanage?" I asked.

"You just leave that up to me," Wades said, with a smile.

Next Chapter: Wades gets the boys out of the orphanage, and they move into his other house. Sage moves in a few days afterwards, trying to get her ankle healed.

After realizing that life could end at any given moment, Sage decides that it's time to pour her feelings out to Spot. Can she do it?

What happened to Manhattan?

Author note: If you ask me, I think this chapter was absolutely horrible! You see, I just can't write when I'm pissed off! If I were even angrier then Sage would've died! Anyways, I'll try to be happy for the next Chapter. LONG LIVE SPOT!