Rae's POV

Before the sun was even up, I was up and moving downstairs. I washed my face in the bathroom, wrote a quick note saying that I was going to get breakfast, and, not feeling up to stealing, I gathered some money we had left and went to a pastry shop. This seemed a good way to make up for being a total storm cloud over their heads last night.

When I got back, everyone was still asleep. I set up the table, pulled up chairs, set places…and still everyone was asleep. Finally, I decided to explore the theater some more. As I walked through the aisles and aisles of deteriorating chairs, something caught my eye. It was shoved underneath one of the chairs, but it seemed shiny and new. I bent to pick it up.

It was a book, and on the cover was a familiar figure and title: The Thief Lord.

For a few moments I flipped through it in shock, then felt something under my fingers. On the cover was a sticky note.

Rae, (it began)

What are you going to do? How are you going to show Scipio that he doesn't want to be an adult? What are you going to do to change the story, or are you going to leave it alone? And what are your feelings regarding poor, poor Scipio? Remember, you are in control of the story. You control everything here. Don't let your emotions rule your pen though, or else you'll not only be a Mary Sue, you'll be a crybaby, spazzy, total…you get the idea.

I know you have questions you want answered, and they will be, when I get around to that. Be patient.

Follow your heart, but rule with your head.

As you can tell, it was a large post-it.

It wasn't signed, and I was slightly ticked that I was only presented with more questions, and no answer. Well, one answer was there: I was able to get Scipio to stay his age, if only I changed the story enough.

"Mornin', Rae," a sleepy voice called from behind me.

I spun around, shoving the book in my pocket. "Riccio! Good morning!" I said cheerfully, and had to laugh at his hair. It was worse than ever, and I was absolutely sure that the breakfast I'd gotten wouldn't be good for his teeth. "Sleep well?" I asked.

He nodded as he collapsed in a chair at the table. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet. "What's for breakfast?" he mumbled.

"Open your eyes."

He opened his eyes, and three seconds later he was completely awake. "Thanks, Rae!" he exclaimed, already beginning to stuff his face. I gave a plastic smile and edged towards the closest exit.

"I'll be right back." He didn't hear me.

I walked up to my floor, but went past my room. I kept walking, looking left and right for somewhere that no one would look. Finally, I came to an old door with a key in the lock. The metal was rusted together, but I got it out with only a bit (I lie, a LOT) of trouble. I had to use all of my weight and a bit more to open the door, and then stumbled into the room. Inside was an old office room, dusty but in good condition. The furniture, sparse as it was, didn't even had holes in it. There was a bar at the far end of the room, where dusty bottles of liquor sparkled through a thick coat of dust.

I walked over to examine the bar, opening shelves underneath the counter. They were filled with empty bottles and sweet smelling corks. Just when I was about to give up and search elsewhere, I saw a small, almost-hidden handle near the floor. I knelt and gave it a tug. It slid open silently, snagging only a tiny bit. It was just big enough for Thief Lord to fit inside. I closed it, peered over the counter, and then walked out of the room. I pulled on the door with all my might until it closed all the way, then locked it with my key. Now it wouldn't budge unless a bull ran at it head on!

I took off my simple necklace of a chain and a cross, and hung the key on it. I slipped my necklace back on and tucked it beneath my shirt, heading back downstairs.

Hornet, Mosca, Bo and Prosper were now up and seated around the table to eat. They looked up as I entered and thanked me for the breakfast; I just smiled. After a few more moments of light banter, they went back to wolfing down the food and I left to go find Bo's kittens. One I saved from falling off of the stage, and it curled up in my arms. I sat in one of the seats and yawned, pulling my legs up and leaning to the side. My eyes slipped closed, and I relaxed, letting my thoughts drift…

3rd POV

Rae woke to someone carefully placing a blanket on her shoulders. She yawned and opened her eyes to see Scipio standing over her, tucking the blanket around her. He smiled and she mirrored the expression—that is, until she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and saw him clearly.

Scipio looked like he'd been through Hell (which he had, in a way). His entire left cheek, from the bottom of his eye down to his jaw, was a nasty mix of purples, blacks and greens, and his entire neck was covered with imprints of purple fingers. He must have had a splitting headache and a bump the size of a baseball on his head, too. She gawked.

"Are you okay?" she demanded as he said, "Sorry for waking you."

"I'm alright," they said in unison, and then they smiled at each other hesitantly.

"How'd you sleep, Principessa?" she asked, trying to change the mood. She sprang up and pushed him into a chair to avoid a shove directed at her shoulder. "Look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed!" she crooned, and then ducked, grabbing his wrist. She giggled as she caught his other hand.

He scowled. "Beaten by a girl," he mumbled.

"And what's wrong with that?" she asked in mock-anger. "You'll be beaten by this girl in everything, so get used to it!"

He chuckled, scowl melting away. "Now I see the person who woke on the wrong side of the bed!" he said smartly. She rolled her eyes. "By the way, aren't you going to the Redbeard's with Prosper today?"

Her expression became blank. "Oh…yeah."

He grinned and twisted his hands, and suddenly he was holding her wrists. She blinked in surprise and tried to slip away.

He wouldn't let go.

She looked at him in the eye and blushed at his roguish grin. "Well, Cara, this is interesting." He stood and leaned forward. She leaned back, stepping to the side—he followed, and soon they'd turned completely around and she was being pushed into the chair.

"Uh, Scip…" Her mind was completely blank, dazed as his breath swirled against her face. Her mouth watered. "You know, I think that your brains were scrambled when you got kicked," she said nervously. She was perched on the back of the chair now, leaning backwards at a dangerous angle. If his grip loosened just a fraction, she'd fall over completely.

He was so close to her that she could feel his chest against hers, and his bangs were brushing her forehead. His lips were taking up her entire vision, and her eyes were wide with shock. Holy—

"Rae, you ready to go yet?" Prosper stopped, freezing at the sight of his two friends. Scipio jumped away from Rae like a child caught reaching for the cookie jar, and in turn she fell off the back of the aisle and into the space between it and the next. A pained moan escaped her lips and she sat up agonizingly slowly.

"Did I just interrupt something?" Prosper asked, an amused smile on his face.

Rae glared at him. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your trap shut and forget you saw anything," she snarled and shoved Scipio's hand away from her, pushing herself up and stomping to the door. "Let's go!" she spat at Prosper, and stormed off.

Prosper cast a calculating glance at Scipio, gauging his expression. The dark boy was watching the door Rae had just left through with a strange expression; he looked like a sad puppy, an amused boy, and at the same time he seemed to be kicking himself in his head. Prosper definitely heard the angry, "What were you thinking?" Scipio muttered to himself as Prop walked out after Rae.

The girl stopped when they reached the exit, where she whistled and waited for Shasta to join them. Prosper wordlessly held the door open for them, and then led them to Barbarossa's.

Rae's POV

"Don't touch anything; he has eyes like a hawk and a peephole in this portrait where he watches the people," Prosper said.

"I know Prop," I said. "You said that already. You said everything twice already." I had cooled down since the addled-brained Scipio incident, and now we were walking across Piazza San Marco to the shop where the loot of Mr. Dork-Stupid-Idiot-Butthead Lord was turned into money. "And I know how to deal with the Redbeard."

He nodded and we walked inside.

A fat man rushed past us to a customer, but hissed to Prosper, "Wait in my office; don't touch anything!" He watched me for a moment, studying my new face, and then went to sell something. Prosper rolled his eyes and dragged me behind a curtain into a smaller room. He sat down in one of the seats and gestured for me to join, but I shook my head and leaned against the wall. Idly, I pulled out my notebook and pen.

I glanced at Prosper, who was looking out the window at Shasta, who I had commanded to sit where he was. I quickly wrote myself a weapon… Just for fun. There was a sudden weight at my hip, and a cursory glance revealed that it came from a sheathed dagger. That's just…awesome.

"Well then!" Barbarossa's loud voice caused Prosper to jump in surprise. I whipped my head around to glare at the fatso. He rubbed his hands together and sat down behind the desk. "What have you today?" he asked, grinning at Prosper. "Glass jewels? Fake metals?"

Prosper's face went stony, and I kept my cool façade on. Prop emptied the sack of my loot (I had gotten quite a bit. When we'd sold three figurines out of the thirty or so I'd stolen, it got us a ton of money, so we still had a lot left) onto the desk, and Barbarossa's eyes widened for only a second before he turned it into his previous look. I knew that if Prop worked his magic we'd walk out a whole lot richer, regardless of Barbarossa's looks and whines.

Before the Redbeard moved a finger towards the loot, he raised an eyebrow at me. "And who are you? Another little messenger who's going to break my—"

Prosper cut him off. "Bo didn't break that!" he protested.

"Silencio! I know he broke it, and I'll have to deduct money for it."

Payback time. "For your information, Redbeard, I am Thief Lord's partner," I said, ignoring their little spat. "Does that answer your question?" I grinned mentally when I saw Redbeard's eyebrows shoot up. Prosper smirked at me quickly, before bowing his eyes to keep from laughing.

"Really?" Redbeard asked. He looked me up and down. "Quite young to be asocio nel crimine, a partner in crime, don't you think?"

"So? I stole all the loot this time, and don't think I didn't see your reaction, Redbeard," I countered. He glared at me sullenly. "Thief Lord has sent me to look over this transaction. This was a good steal—I should know—and we want a fair price."

He looked like he was going to pop a gasket, so I calmly brought his attention to my dagger by cracking my fingers and resting a hand on the hilt. He harrumphed and then began picking through the loot, inspecting everything, inspecting them, fingering them, putting them down, and then looking at them again.

While he looked over the loot, Prosper grinned at me slyly. Payback? he mouthed.

I smirked. Payback. Let this teach that no good Princess to be an idiot like that... I gritted my teeth, my smirk turning into a scowl.

I glanced out the window at Shasta, making sure he wasn't wandering off. I could trust him when we were outside a house, stealing, when no one was around--but with so many people nearby… He was lying in front of the window, out of the light rain that was falling.

Barbarossa's loud cough brought me back to the room. "Would you like me to give you my best offer, or start with yours?" he asked, lacing his fat fingers together. I mentally thought of how Shasta would probably love Barbarossa-finger sausages… Never mind, he'd probably get poisoned.

"Give your best offer," Prop said evenly.

"I'll give you four hundred. This brooch is most of it," Barbarossa said, nodding at the brooch I had stolen.

Thought so.

"We want seventeen hundred," Prop said. "Take it or leave it."

The fatso was turning redder and redder, steadily reaching the same shade as his beard. Was that burgundy or scarlet? Hm… "Outrageous!" Barbarossa shrieked. "I offer you much more than I should, and you make absurd requests! Tell the Thief Lord to send more mannered messengers, or my business days with him are over!" he spat at me.

I grinned at him maliciously. "I'd sleep with your eyes open from now on, Signor," I said in a frightening voice, and then snapped at Prosper, "Gather it up, and let's go to Gabrielle's; they gave us eighteen hundred yesterday, let's see if they will today!"

"Alright, Rae," Prosper said, and began to take his time in putting the stuff in his bag. He added the brooch last. I stood up from my relaxed position against the wall, and flipped my dagger, catching it by the hilt again and again.

Barbarossa grumbled and slumped in his chair. "Fine," he muttered grumpily. "I'll give you fifteen hundred for the lot." He glared at us. "But that's only for the brooch and the figurines. You keep stealing items like this, and we'll have many days of business together." Redbeard opened a drawer and fished out the money. He handed it to Prop who handed it to me.

I made sure to check if it was fake or not—it wasn't fake—and I put it in my jacket pocket and zipped it up. "Thank you for your understanding, Signor Barbarossa," I said quietly. "But watch your back."

Taking the threat, he looked suddenly nervous, and watched me warily as I led Prosper out.

"How was that, huh?" I asked Prosper, grinning at him and feeding Shasta some of my gelato. We were sitting in front of the shop, eating our treats that I had bought with my own pocket money.

Prosper grinned at me. "Can't wait to see how Scip reacts when he hears that you're his new complice!" I grinned in reply. "Especially after that…incident this morning," Prosper continued.

My grin disappeared and I nearly shoved his gelato into his face. "Sleep with your eyes open, Prosper," I said quietly. A shiver crept up my spine suddenly, and I looked around. Behind Prosper I saw someone who I recognized clearly from the other day.

Victor!

"Your threats don't frighten me, Rae," Prosper said, bringing me back to earth. "We should be getting back," he added as an afterthought.

"No!" I yelped, and my ice cream dropped onto the ground. Shasta hurriedly began eating. "I mean, you should finish that first…I don't really feel like facing Scipio right now," I explained swiftly. Prosper nodded unquestioningly and kept eating. Soon Victor disappeared around a corner, and Prosper finished eating. Shasta was whining at me for another. "No," I said to him, and kissed his nose. He huffed slightly and then we began heading back.

I smiled smugly to myself. I can control this story…I can keep Bo and Prop from being caught, and Hornet from being sent to the orphanage, and I could even teach Scipio how to steal! But then, once I realized what I had said, and backtracked. After he's not so…CRAZY!

And then he won't have to steal the wing, and he won't ride the merry-go-round and be an adult! If he can really steal he won't need his father, and then I might be able to take Ida up on her offer and then maybe we could all live there!

But what if he wants to be an adult? I asked myself.

Soon we were back at the Star-Palace and Prop was knocking on the door. "Password?" a voice asked.

"Mosca, just open the door, we've got money!"

The door flew open and Mosca, Riccio, and Bo both grinned up at us. "How much?" Bo demanded, his eyes shining with adoration.

"Enough to celebrate with more sweets!" I announced, handing him a red box. He gasped, his eyes wide. I grinned and walked inside, handing boxes to Riccio and Mosca. I was first to the room where Hornet was, and I dumped the packet of money onto the stage. "Viola," I said to her, and her jaw dropped.

"How much?" she whispered.

"Fifteen hundred," I said proudly, and then sat down.

Scipio walked in, and stopped when he saw me. We watched each other for a while in silence, even as everyone else was rejoicing over the money. Finally, he spoke, "Rae, can I speak to you in private?" I nodded, feeling Prosper's nervous gaze on my back, and followed Scipio into the other room. He closed the door and faced me, though not exactly looking at me.

"Look…" he murmured, his cheeks flushing—I have to say—cutely. "About this morning…You were right, I don't know what I was thinking, I'm never going to be able to forgive myself, and you're not going to forgive me, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm really, really--"

He never finished that sentence.