Well, I've been missing in action for a while now. Last week was really busy, and it's going to be for a while now. Between auditions and speech tournaments, I got cast in Bonnie & Clyde in my city's theatre, and I've had hardly any time to review, let alone write!

This is one of my own questions, I'm sorry I didn't choose one from the reviews this time. I hope you enjoy, as there is only one chapter left after this!

"Okay, Specs, it's your turn to ask us all a question," Davey said.

Specs was clearly ready. "Great. I've got a good one. What do you do or think about every night right before you fall asleep?"

There was a pause while everyone chewed on that. "Hmm…okay. Yeah, that's a good one," Davey said slowly. "Les? You're first."

Les scrunched up his eyes, thinking. "Um…well…you have to promise not to laugh."

"Have we laughed at anyone's answers?" Jack asked, looking affronted.

"You laughed at Elmer," Les accused.

There were some chuckles. "Yeah, well," Race snorted. "It's Elmer."

"He told us he sold matches," Albert added. "That's not something you go spreading around."

"And technically, they didn't laugh, they acted as if they were choking on the disgustingness of Elmer's past," Jack said. "Just tell us, Les. We won't laugh unless it's really stupid."

Les didn't seem much more confident, but he pressed on. "Well, usually I read before I go to bed—"

"Meaning, I read to you," Davey muttered.

"—and so when I'm lying there, I imagine myself in the story, with all the characters. Sometimes I make up new stories with the characters and imagine I'm there."

There was silence, in which Les looked around apprehensively. It was Jack who spoke first. "That's not stupid. I mean, it's not like I don't imagine myself going other places sometimes."

"Other places." Crutchie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, fine. You know what I mean. Santa Fe. The point is, it's not stupid to imagine things like that, Les."

"Good," Les said, looking relieved.

"Davey?"

"Okay. Well, I usually read in bed as well…to myself…" he glanced at Les, who was staring determinedly at the floor. "So I usually think about whatever I've read, and then think about whatever I need to get done the next day."

"You mean, selling papes? You sell 'em all day, you can't even stop thinking about 'em at night?" Jack asked disgustedly.

"I mean besides the obvious," Davey shot back, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to attack everyone's answers, Jack."

"I am not—" Jack exploded, but Crutchie laid a gently hand on his brother's knee. Jack took a deep breath. "Ugh. I like to draw before I go to bed, and then I just kind of fall asleep, I guess. After thinking about Santa Fe."

Crutchie was next in line. "I like to think about the good parts of my day," he said happily. "Sometimes the bad parts creep in, but I'm usually asleep by then. They just turn into nightmares, I guess." His smile faded slightly. "Who can't handle a few nightmares, right?"

There was an uncomfortable silence. "Erm. Right." Davey cleared his throat. "Uh, Race?"

"Are you kidding me? You guys actually get into bed and think about specific things every night?" Race looked astonished. "You're supposed to go to bed and fall asleep. I don't do anything special before I go to bed. I just, you know, go to bed. And then I close my eyes, and after a few minutes I'm asleep. Then it's morning. I don't evaluate my day's choices. Jeez."

"Okay then. Romeo?"

"I like to choose something from the next day that I'm excited about so I can think about that. Even if it's just, planning something great to eat for lunch. And that's what I'll look forward to all day."

"Cool," Les said, and the others nodded.

"Albert's turn," Specs said.

"I dunno, I'm kind of the same as Race. If I'm not tired, I just think about whatever comes into my head. I don't have a planned out system for what I'm going to do each night."

"Now back to me," Specs sighed. "Um, I just like to picture myself flying through the clouds, and it just helps me fall asleep. So, yeah."

There was yet another silence. It was almost as if they didn't want to leave this topic. Finally, Romeo broke it and asked, "Okay, can we just talk about something?"

"About what?" Jack asked.

"About falling asleep." Romeo looked nervous. "Because, well, we all have nightmares, right? We all know that each other wakes up with bad dreams, almost every night. And they ain't just normal ones, is they? They'se bad. Probably because we're poor, we get the worst ones."

"I think it's because we've all been through so much. Being poor, you get beat up, thrown in places like the Refuge…the strike…" Specs trailed off.

Romeo nodded, seeming more confident. "So, what makes us have bad dreams? Maybe it has to do with whatever we do before going to bed. Somehow it affects whatever happens up there." He motioned at his head. Davey started to speak, but Jack nudged him harshly, not wanting an interruption.

Specs latched onto Romeo's idea quickly. "So what you're saying is, if we do the right things, we won't have as many nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's think about it. Who here has the least nightmares?" Specs looked around for a moment, then shook his head. "Jack, you'll have to tell us. You'se the one who we all go to."

"Well, apparently some people—" Jack glared at Romeo "—don't come tell me when they have a nightmare."

"I told you, I will from now on!" Romeo groaned.

Jack looked around, examining each nervous face. "I…I don't really know either. Especially because Les and Davey don't sleep here every night."

"I'm not even going to be a part of this because your theory is incorrect and I don't want to fuel the fire," Davey said quickly, burying his head in his hands.

"Okay, Les. You get a lot of nightmares?"

"Some," Les said. "But not a lot. Maybe three or four times a month."

"A month?" Jack exclaimed, incredulous. "Well, okay then. That's probably the least of all of us. What did you say you did before bed again?"

"I imagine myself in books and stories," Les said.

"Hmm…" Everyone thought about this. "Are the stories good or bad?"

"Good."

"No, I mean, is everything in your imagination nice, or is there a lot of fighting and conflict?"

"Usually they're nice."

"Okay…"

"That makes sense," Specs said.

"Hey, we could be onto something!" Romeo exclaimed.

"No, no, wait," Race interrupted, shaking his head.

Jack smacked him. "You don't have to bring everyone else down—"

"No, I'm not, just listen. Who else imagines himself somewhere else before he goes to bed?"

The others thought for a moment, then all eyes turned to Jack. "I do," Jack said uncertainly.

"Yeah, and who probably gets the worst nightmares around here?"

No one had to think about it. They had all heard Jack shouting and thrashing almost every night, even when he was on the roof.

"Oh," Jack said softly. "But…"

"Don't try to argue, we all know," Race said.

"I don't think it matters what you think about," Albert said quietly. "If your mind wants to have nightmares, you can't stop it."

"You can try," Jack murmured.

"Hey, guys, let's stop talking about this stuff," Davey said gently. "Les, it's your turn. Last question, and then we're all going to bed."

Please review! I can't promise I will use all (or any) question suggestions for Les's question, but I still appreciate reviews and suggestions! Also, suggest things I can do for a new multichapter, if there's anything in particular you want to see! Thanks.

-Sis