Ok so yeah, I got this chapter up just a few days early, but I had it finished and ready to go on Wednesday so I figured that I might as well post it. I'm almost done with the third chapter too, but that might have to come up next Sunday. I hope you like this chapter.

Also, thanks for reviewing: mrcrockz06

DISCLAIMER: (Since I Forgot to put it up in the last chapter) I do NOT own anything other than my own Original Characters (Sunny, Edge, NickNack, Lily, Berry, Crush... Maybe others too) And maybe the plot line if nobody else has it, if they do, they probably came up with it first.

Please review, I would love to hear what you think about the story and how I'm doing on it. Give me a few pointer on what I probably should have done, that is, if you think there was anything that needed to be changed.

We rushed towards the rusted steel door, our booted feet being the only sound in my ears. I blocked everything else out as we pushed the door open. I could hear Edge slam it closed as I jogged down the hallway, and then upstairs. As I got to the top of the stairs, Lily stepped out of the twins bedroom. She ran at me when she saw me. I kept still as her arms wrapped around my waist and her tear stained face was shoved against my chest. The twins bedroom door reopened and two pairs of blue eyes looked out in worry.

Once they saw Lily, and heard her gasps getting louder, the two nine year olds stepped out into the hallway fully. They were both identical. Dark blue eyes, short messy black hair, and soft round faces. They looked like they hadn't lost their baby fat just yet, but you could see that they were starting to turn into young men. They were both still in their day clothes, suspenders pulled off their shoulders, and newsie caps tucked into back pockets. Their names were Nick an Nack. If they were together, you just called them NickNack.

I took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Nick opened his mouth, but then decided against it and closed his lips together tightly.

"Why aren't you two in bed?" I asked them, finally relaxing for their benefit, and rubbing Lily's back.

Nack answered, his hands clenched behind his back. "Lily said something was wrong. That we needed to get up and be ready, just in case."

I glimpsed my bedroom door cracking open and a small tired brown eye searched the room. It stopped on me and then the door opened to reveal a tiny girl in a cream colored dressing gown. She rubbed her brown eyes with a fist and then scratched her blond covered head. The three year old stepped out of the doorway and made her way towards me and Lily.

"Momma, what's wrong?"

My heart wrenched. What would she say if she knew that I, the teenage girl who had adopted her off the streets, was a murderer? Would she still call me Momma?

"Nothing's wrong Berry. And if I may ask, why aren't you in bed either?" I peered over at the twins and they shuffled their feet.

"I had a bad dream."

I carefully pushed Lily back, and noticing that she was focusing on Berry, I knelt down in front of the little girl.

"What kind of bad dream? Is this one of those ones where you get a bad feeling?"

Berry nodded. I pulled her against me and said. "Hopefully nothing does happen Bear, but in the mean time, why don't you go back-"

"SUNNY!"

Everyone jumped at the sudden yell from downstairs. The kids rushed over to the railing and looked over while I ran halfway down the stairs.

Now that I was on the first floor, I could hear the commotion outside. Edge was dashing around the room, pushing the old ratted couch against the door. "I need Help!"

I darted to where he was pushing the old grandfather clock across the wood floor.

"What's Going on?" Lily yelled from upstairs.

I stopped momentarily and called over the pounding on the door. "I need you to get the kids and gather up some stuff that they might need. Dress Berry, and then get on the roof as fast as you can. And be careful, if someone's up there, come and get me."

I saw her nod her head and then disappear over the railing with NickNack and Berry in tow.

I watched Edge tip the clock over across the door and then immediately step back as one of the windows in the other room shattered open. Edge gave me a look.

I nodded and then raced up the creaky steps, looking in every room as I passed. I stopped in the room that I shared with Berry. It was small, almost the size of a large closet with an old mattress covered in blankets lying on the floor. A small bedside table sat beside that with a very well used sling shot sitting on one of the corners. A few shooters (marbles, rocks) sat next to the sling shot, and a few lone pennies sat next to the table looking like they had been forgotten for some time.

I scanned the room quickly as I put the sling shot in my back pocket and the shooters in my front. Most of the clothes had been scattered across the room earlier, now only a few articles were left strung across the bed and in a few corners. I opened the bedside table and pulled out my black newsie cap. I stuffed in on my head, and then heaved the mattress across the floor and up against the wall. I promptly dropped to my knees and pulled out a loose floor board. An older milk glass lay across the bottom, halfway full of assorted coins. I yanked it out of the floor and scurried back out the door.

Edge was yelling at me from down below.

"You need to get outta here Sunny!"

I looked over the railing at him ."But what about yo-"

"Don't worry about me! Just get the others and yourself out of here safely!"

Edge's head swiveled around as more glass was broken. He waved me off and then gave an angry yell as an older boy ran at him.
Edge could take care of himself, I knew that. But it didn't feel right leaving him here alone.

"GO!"

I bolted to the twins bedroom, and then out the window and onto the fire escape. I climbed to the roof and peeked over the concrete. A dressed Berry was huddled against Lily's legs while NickNack held bags filled to the brim with clothes. I could see Berry's stuffed bear poking out the top of the bag Nack was holding.

"Come on," The four yelped and spun towards me, startled. Lily sighed with relief as she saw my face. "We need to get outta here."

They sped over to me, and Bear wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I rubbed her back as we climbed back down past the twins window and to the cobblestone beneath us.

"But what about Edge?" Lily questioned as she jumped past the last steps. "We can't leave him behind."

"He told me to get you out of here, so that's what I'm gonna do." She looked reluctant. I knelt till I was eye level with her and Berry pivoted her face around from looking past my shoulder. "I know you don't want to leave him, I don't either. But he told me to get us to safety. Don't worry, he can take care of himself." I stopped as I heard Edge yell out in triumph over the crashing coming from inside. I raised an eyebrow at Lily and she smiled softly. "See, he'll be fine."

She dipped her head in acceptance and we came upon the corner of the brick building. I glanced around the corner and held Berry's head against my shoulder. At least five men stood outside the doorway, looking in. My leader shouted from inside and a loud crash was heard as something heavy was thrown against the wall.

Three more men stepped outside from the front door. One of them was Crush.

Crush was a big man, he stood at six feet tall, had broad shoulders, big muscles, and an angular face. His blonde hair came to at least his shoulder tops, and his green eyes were furious at this moment as he stared through the open doorway. Nick peeked around the corner, and I pushed him back behind me. I heard him murmur something, and then Nack tried getting his head around me also. I did the same thing as I did with his brother, and pushed him back, my hand making the stop signal behind my back. If Crush saw us, it would be the end. He wouldn't take a minute to consider killing us, he would murder us without a second though.

I quieted the three behind me, and still hiding Berry's eyes, I listened to the conversation the few men were having.

"She couldn't have gotten far Boss."

"Yeah, we could still get to her."

Crush still stared through the doorway. "Let her go... For now. We'll find her soon enough." He looked over at his men. "Let's play a game. A game of Cat and Mouse." He looked around the area for something, searching the windows of buildings and corners of alleys. I ducked my head behind the wall as his eyes flew over our alley.

"If your out there little girl and listening, I want you to know that I will find you. No matter where you run to, or where you hide, you're going down for what you did to my brother!"

I clenched my eyes shut and leaned my head against the cool bricks. My eyes opened and looked into the night sky as Crush told his men, "Do it...Now."

I peeked around the corner just in time to see one of his men throw something through one of the broken windows. Crush shut the door and barricaded it, throwing steel poles across the width.

"What are they doing?" I heard lily whisper. I glimpsed NickNacks' and her head peering around my side and even Berry's head was turned to where Crush was piling more stuff in front of the door.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

Crush dusted his hands off and then motioned to the others. "Lets get outta here before this place blows." They ran by the place we were hiding, us ducking down as they passed.

Lily looked excited, "Good, now we can get Edge and get out of there." She started running back to the fire escape.

Berry tugged on my checkered shirt whispering, "Something isn't right, Momma. Don't let her go in there."

I set Berry down, and pointed at the twins. "You two go and get Lily, Now!" I rushed towards the front door, but stopped as I passed the broken window Crush's man had thrown something through. The heat hit me immediately, and the light made me squint my eyes. There was a fire. And Lily was making her way right into the middle of it.

I took off for the alley and saw NickNack pulling on Lily's pant legs halfway up the stairs. I gathered Berry up as she saw the flames slowly eating up the top floor windows and started screaming.

"Lily! Get down here NOW!"

"But we need to get Edge. I'll be back in a minute." She struggled with the twin boys, and finally just pushed Nick off her right leg. He tumbled down a few steps, but then righted himself and pushed past Lily. He barred her way, not letting her through as Nack kept trying to pull her down backwards.

"Dammit Lily look Up!" I yelled.

Lily finally looked up and saw the bright flames flowing out of the twins bedroom. She turned back around and ran down the steps, almost tripping along the way. Her shoulder length honey blonde hair that was put into a ponytail flapped behind her and her brown eyes looked frightened. The boys came down after her, eventually seeing the fire themselves. The twins picked up the bags they had dropped and we took off running. We passed the front of the building, seeing the flames licking up furniture inside.

"EDGE!" Lily cried out in one last hope. Nothing but breaking furniture and shattered glass was heard as I pulled on Lily's hand with my own free one. We ran.

We ran until we couldn't run anymore. I looked around, gasping as Berry's cries were loud in the silence. We were at the train yards. And instantly, I knew that I had to get to New York. My ticket to see an old friend was way over due.

"Cowboy, here I come." I whispered into the wind.