'So why is your father beatin up on ya?' I asked the bruised boy.

'Remember the night we went out gambling? Well I lost some money and didn't bring home as much as normal. My dad got mad and punished me.'

'That was almost three weeks ago! He's still mad at ya?!' I said shocked. I'd always thought of Mr. Conner as a caring family man not a monster.

'I know, but that's why I haven't been to work. I've been too bruised.'

'Tommy, why don'cha sit down ya look tired.' said his younger sister Kim.

'I'm fine. Meg why don't you and Kim put lunch on.' he said as the younger girls ran off.

'Why can't I tell someone?'

'If you tell anyone he'll kill all of us including Pat. He doesn't care about how old they are he'll bully them no matter what. I've seen him hit little Meg over there and she's barely four years old.' he explained.

'He can't get away wit dis!'

'Skitt. This is one thing you're going to have to trust me on!'

'He's hurting you.'

'I have to protect my sisters and brother.'

'Ya can't do dat if you'se DEAD!'

'Listen you just can't tell, you already promised and now you've gotta keep that promise.'

'Fine. I still don't like it.'

We went into the kitchen for some lunch. Tommy tried to smile about the day. He brought up different conversations and tried to make us laugh. That was the day my life changed. Skittery the carefree boy was gone. I now had a deadly secret to hide. What made it worse was that I also had to protect those involved in the secret.

Tumbler's smile had faded from his face. He's eyes watched Skittery intently filled with fear. It killed Skittery to have lied to Tumbler but Tommy'd made him promise.

"You'se scarin me Skitt. I'se don' like it." he shivered in the rain. His face had lost most of its color. Skittery knew he had to get Tumbler inside and out of the rain.

"Come on. You'se want me ta stop telling the story?" Skittery said walking toward some shelter.

"No keep goin I'se wanna know what happens."

Over the next two years I kept the secret. Tommy came back to work and you started getting annoying. There'd be days Tommy'd sleep on the job because you'd keep him up all night.

Mr. Conner didn't seem to care if Tommy was dead or alive. His treatment toward even the girls worsened. Even you weren't safe sometimes. Tommy was determined to keep you alive until you were at least three.

Sometimes he'd sneak you out of the house and come show you off to the newsies. By the time you were two or so you already had a nickname.

'Skitt wait up!' Tommy yelled at me. He was running like a mad man to catch me.

'Wat's wrong?' I asked.

'It's my dad. He's really mad and he's taking it out on Patrick and the girls. You have to help me!'

He was frantic and helpless. This wasn't the Tommy who'd plucked me away from death. This wasn't the Tommy who'd helped Race get out of debt or the Tommy who was always smiling. This Tommy was truly scared, the same Tommy I'd seen get beat up on by his dad.

'Wat do I do?'

'Come on we gotta move fast.' he said pulling me into a run toward his house. 'We gotta get the three of them out of that house.'

Out of breath and tired we bolted up the stairs and into the small apartment. Megan was pacing the living room while Kim tried to get Patrick to sit still.

'Tommy daddy's real mad. He said his whole life was crumbling.'

'Meg, Kim, pack a change of clothes for you and Pat. Hurry!' Tommy commanded the girls. They scattered to do as told. 'Skitt, you'se gotta get them someplace safe anywhere but here. Take them to the boarding house or somewhere where the newsies'll hide them.'

I nodded. Meg and Kim reappeared with three small bundles. They looked scared. Tommy picked Patrick up and walked over to me.

'Pat, Meg, Kim…you've gotta be good and go with Skittery. You've gotta go now and you've gotta do what he says. You're in his hands now.'

'You'se ain't coming?!'

'Skitt…I've gotta make sure my dad doesn't come after them too soon. Plus Lisa needs someone to help her I've gotta stay here.'

'Tommy! We can't leave you and Lisa!' Kim cried running to give Tommy a hug followed closely by Megan. I watched as Tommy tried to reassure the three kids that they would indeed meet again.

'Come on we'se gotta go.' I called to the three. We headed to the door and started down the hallway. As we turned to go down the stairs we knocked into Lisa.

'Give me hugs quick.' she said holding out her arms. After a two second hug each I picked Patrick up and started down the stairs with Megan and Kim behind me. We were fully aware that the next time we saw either Lisa or Tommy it'd be in heaven.