For a quarter of an hour, before the sun even graced the space between the buildings of the city, Skittery paced the length of the elevated train on the Bowery. The bird hadn't admitted she was missing, but the curious look on the boy's face when he had come knocking on the Hudson door left Skittery feeling agitated. No matter how confident Critter O'Connell had seemed in his knowledge of where the girl would be and when, Skittery took the tip and bundled up in his coat and scarf to wander.
Pulling open the door between train cars and taking a moment to brace his ears from the chilling wind, he caught sight of her immediately. Laces had always drawn his eye effortlessly, ever since the first time he had seen her in the booth at Tibby's. A lost little girl in a sea of boys who thought themselves men. Skittery had never been able to explain what about her drew his gaze, if it was the tilt of her chin or the glint in her eyes or the way she never quite seemed like anyone else.
Skittery had never been trained as a bird, but as a boy who had grown up on the streets of New York making a living from selling newspapers, he knew how to observe a target. He leaned back into the door he had just stepped through and studied her. Laces was facing away from him and she seemed well rested and gratefully unhurt but there was something inexplicably different about her. Drowning in a cap that belonged to Critter O'Connell and a coachman's cloak she probably lifted somewhere along Central Park, Skittery noticed immediately the set of her shoulders. He was surprised by his sudden understanding, Laces was at ease. This wasn't the girl of the last couple of years, the preferred target of the Brooklyn Birds. This ridiculous looking young lady was confident she was completely unobserved, at least until this very moment.
Hearing steps behind her, Audrey Kai yawned drowsily tugging at her cloak trying to hide from curious eyes. She believed it was too early for society to be out and was quite sure they wouldn't be on the elevated so early, but Jasper had warned her to be careful. A warning that had settled like an order, she couldn't refuse.
Skittery rolled his eyes at her belated sense of self-preservation. In three strides he reached the seats behind her and dropped quietly into one. Audrey relaxed immediately as she caught his reflection in the window. Her shoulders settling into the confidence Skittery had found so unfamiliar.
"You have never cared for early mornings." She sighed.
"And you're a thoughtless girl with a habit of running off." Skittery growled. She turned sharply at his tone and her eyes were bright and her cheeks colored. The man hadn't realized how worried he had been, how easily the worry turned to anger now.
"The birds should have told you I was not lost." She whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on his. Skittery leaned forward, letting out an exasperated sigh as he pushed her hat up above her eyebrows.
"I had to see you safe and well with my own eyes."
"I didn't think you would worry." She smiled.
"By the looks of you, you didn't think of anything at all. Running off in the middle of the night without a word to no one." Skittery grumbled.
"It ain't like I've never been in the city before in the middle of the night. I know how to take care of myself." Audrey's temper flared.
"I've lost a fair number of people in my life that could take care of themselves, so have you." Skittery warned carefully. Audrey turned away from him and glared out the window, the train jolted to a stop and a mean looking trolley worker stepped into their train car. Skittery watched as Audrey skillfully pivoted her body to survey the newcomer, without ever once looking as if she had even noticed him.
Skittery had seen Critter do the same, hundreds of times and suddenly the irritation he felt at her dissolved. He begrudgingly rose from his seat and shoved at her with his boot before sitting down next to her.
"I suppose, I should be grateful." Skittery mused. Audrey glanced at him carefully searching for his ire from moments before. "If not for your ill temper and running off, I might never see you anymore."
She laughed before she could help herself, reaching out to clasp his hand.
"Now that I am a bird," She whispered, "I may be able to visit more often."
"A bird." Skittery yawned, nodding as that explained the confidence and ease in her countenance.
"Did you ever want to be a bird?" Audrey dropped her head comfortably onto his shoulder.
"No." Skittery laughed. "Give me a headline to shout, or show to peddle, and I'm all right. I've only ever paid attention to a whole four people carefully, couldn't be bothered with everyone else."
"Four people?" Audrey repeated curiously.
"You. Me. My mother. And depending on the day, Kelly or one of the boys." Skittery yawned again stretching out his shoulders and draping a protective arm around Audrey as two more people stepped into the car.
"Do you miss them?" Audrey whispered.
"I've never been the missing kind. We weren't exactly going to be newsies forever," Skittery replied kindly. The two sat silent, relaxing in each other's presence, through several stops along the Bowery. Until the train jerked to a stop and Skittery stood up and held out a hand.
"Is he very angry?" Audrey asked quietly as she caught sight of the Longfellow Carriage below.
"Courage Miss Audrey, don't lose all the nerve you've had now." Skittery laughed as he escorted her from the train car out onto the platform.
The moment they stepped onto the first stair leading them down to the street, Critter O'Connell stepped out from the carriage. Coatless, hatless and unshaven the man didn't even take a moment to shield his eyes or readjust to the light as he strode towards the pair. He stopped at the bottom of the steps, standing at perfect attention his eyes locked on the way Skittery loosely held Audrey's elbow.
Audrey hesitated in taking the last step down, stopping just short of being within reach of Critter O'Connell. The founder of the legendary birds was a patient man, but not this morning when he stepped up at the young lady's pause and wrapped his right arm around her waist to pull her up while keeping her pressed to his side.
"Critter." The girl squeaked, as she kicked her feet about trying to find the ground beneath her. But Critter ignored her while pressing her more firmly into his hip as he walked back to the carriage.
Skittery quicken his step to reach the carriage door before Critter and Laces, helpfully pulling it open.
"Be well, Miss Audrey." Skittery sighed tipping his hat.
Critter swung the girl carefully into the carriage. Audrey stumbled into the small compartment, avoiding her fall when Thomas Longfellow caught her. She jumped from his touch, settling as far away from the man as she could. All her confidence drained from her, as her shoulders hunched forward and knees pulled up with her arms wrapping around her ankles.
"I will not apologize." She spat angrily, resting her chin between her knees. Critter dropped down next to Thomas, quirking an eyebrow at her before knocking at the driver to get a move on.
"Wouldn't imagine you could." Critter yawned, stretching out one of his heels to tap at her ankles impatiently. But Audrey did not move, her eyes fixed on the angry face of Thomas Longfellow.
"I could." Thomas snapped. "Imagine it, maybe even insist on it."
Critter glanced at his companion, Cricket had never been particularly good at sleepless nights running high with anxiety.
"I couldn't," Audrey whispered. Stay.
She hadn't spoken the last word. But the two birds sitting across her had heard it ringing in their ears as if it had been more than mouthed. Thomas glared at her, the exhaustion and anger pulsing through his body as he aggravatedly ran his hands through his hair. Critter yawned again, running a hand down his face.
"Audrey Kai," Critter begun in a put upon tone of a man settling to give a familiar lecture. But Thomas lunged forward, wrapping his hands upon the skirts around the young lady's calves.
"Casey is well." Thomas stated firmly. "The baby is well."
Thomas waited until Audrey nodded before he pulled her legs out from under her chin. Keeping his hands pressed upon her knees, he leaned forward even more. Audrey turned her head to look out into the city, avoiding the men's gazes as much as she could. She refused to show relief or remorse.
Thomas glared at her, every emotion he had been warring with since the evening before coming to the surface as anger. He dropped to his knees and leaned forward, hovering in the space directly in front of her chest again before growling out. "Laces."
She turned at her name, a name that Thomas Longfellow never used. He caught her chin as she turned her head and pulled her face forward.
"You are never to leave without a word again," He pressed his forehead into hers forcing her eyes on his. "Do you understand me?"
It was a command. An unbreakable request he was making of her now. Thomas Longfellow was done begging and berating her. She bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to be released from his firm grip and gaze.
"I will not keep living through these nights, baby doll," Cricket whispered to her. She lost the fight in that whisper and her own forehead rested on his. She closed her eyes, inhaling to release all the tension from her shoulders.
"But I can leave?' She replied.
"You are a bird now." Critter stated. Thomas held her for a moment longer.
"Audrey."
"I will never leave without a word again," Audrey whispered. Thomas released her chin, leaning back and nodding at her. The wild look of desperation draining from his eyes.
"As a bird, you report to me." Critter yawned again.
"I think Jasper may disagree." Audrey smiled.
"As the Longfellow ward, you mind me." Thomas nodded at her.
"Yes, sirs." Audrey sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.