"I've got to go," I muttered, turning towards the door—but I was stopped by Hornet placing herself in front of me, and Prosper grabbing my arm.

"Where are you going, Rae?" Prosper asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm going to find Scipio," I answered shortly. "Without you guys." I tried to pull my arm away, but Prosper's grasp tightened. I looked at him in disbelief. "You guys actually think you can keep me from going alone? You're welcome to come along after me, but I am going first. By myself." I looked at Bo and smiled at him gently. "Take care of Shasta for me, right Bo?" I asked.

He nodded firmly and latched himself onto Shasta's collar. "See you later, Rae," he said cheerfully.

I smiled and ruffled his stiff hair. "Thanks buddy," I said. Then I looked at my arm and back at Prosper. "Let me go, Prosper," I said coldly. When he hesitated, I took his fingers and pried them off me. "Ciao," I muttered, and then slid under Hornet's arm.

I stood on Scipio's balcony, waiting for him to open the doors. Finally, five minutes after I knocked, I heard footsteps and Scipio brushed aside the curtains. His hair was neatly combed and his immaculately white collar was unbuttoned as if he'd only just returned from a formal event or something. He smiled at me nervously, opening the door. "What's wrong, Rae?" he asked when he saw my face.

"The others have found out about here," I said quietly. "They're coming."

He stared at me for a moment, his face blank. Finally he closed his eyes and sat down on his bed, holding his head in his hands. "They're going to hate me," was evidently his new mantra. I sat down next to him, throwing my ponytail over my shoulder.

"Only for a little while," I said as I pried his hands away from his face. "They're too thick-headed to realize you're doing all this to help them, not harm them. It'll be alright, Scipio."

He looked up at me and rolled his eyes. "How do you know?" he asked, voice angry.

I looked into his eyes. "Trust me, please," I pleaded.

His gaze hardened and he stood. "Why?" he asked hotly. "Rae, what is up with you?"

I looked at him in confusion. "Um…the ceiling?" My attempt at humor didn't faze him.

"Something's different about you, like you know more than you're letting on. It's like…like you're able to see the future!" His dark eyes were frustrated as he paced in front of me. "You're not telling me something important." His gaze turned accusing and he put his hands on my shoulders, kneeling down to look into my eyes.

Oh God, I thought to myself miserably. Lost puppy. Why'd I have to fall for someone who could look like that?

"Rae. I've trusted you with everything about me, more than anyone in the world knows. I understand if you don't trust me…but… A Truth for a truth?" He shook his head, sending his hair into his eyes. Ha, see the future. Right…but it was a good guess. I suppose, in a way, I could see the future. Or more appropriately, read the future.

Should I tell him the truth?

No. Not now…maybe closer to the merry-go-round, but not now. "Scipio…I think you've been kicked in the head a few too many times," I muttered.

He looked at me for a long time. A smile tugged at his lips and he shook his head. "I'm being stupid," he sighed, relaxing his posture and leaning back against my legs.

I shook my head. "No. You're right that there's something…more to me…" He looked up at me and waited. I hesitated. "But... I swear I'll tell you, just not now," I finally said. "I promise."

He nodded and was about to say something when the doorbell rang. Twice. It reverberated throughout the entire house, and made us both jump. "It's them, isn't it?" Scipio's voice had risen in anxiety, his entire posture showing how worried he was.

"Yeah," I confirmed, and we listened as a maid scurried down the stairs to answer the door.

"Buonasera, Signorina," Prosper said. "Do you happen to know a boy called Scipio?" we heard Prosper's voice, muffled by the distance between us, ask. Scipio had a death-grip on my hand as the maid replied,

"What is this? Some stupid prank? What do you want with him?"

"So, it's true?" We could hear the shock in Prosper's voice. "He lives here? Scipio?"

"I think I'd better call Dottor Massimo," the maid said.

Scipio shot up. "No!" I hissed. "Wait."

"I'm sure Scipio would like to see us," Bo's voice said. "We were supposed to play today."

"Play?" The maid sounded unconvinced. We heard loud footsteps against the marble floor. Scipio spun around as the maid came up the staircase.

"Hide for a moment!" He pushed me towards a door and threw me inside. I looked around in awe: it was his bathroom and it was huge. With lots of marble…

"Master Scipio?" the maid asked from the other doorway. "You have guests."

"Thank you, Anna," Scipio replied. "You may go now."

"Yes, Master Scipio."

The maid's footsteps retreated, and the door to the bathroom was thrown open. Scipio yanked me out; his hands were shaking. "What am I going to do?" he whispered frantically. He was as pale as marble, the fading bruises on his skin standing out vividly against his skin.

"I'll come with you," I said. He nodded, looking slightly relieved. I gave him a hug. "It'll be alright," I repeated.

"You don't have to come," he said after a moment. "In fact, it would be better if you didn't. You need to stay with them, make sure they'll be alright." He stood straight and brushed some of his hair out of his dark eyes. The look in their dark irises wasn't quite that of the Thief Lord's pride and confidence; instead, it was resigned determination.

I grinned. "Back to normal?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. But I've got to try, right?" I nodded. "For them…" He gave my hand a squeeze and took a deep breath. "I've got to go."

I nodded and walked him to the door. "I'll be right in here," I murmured as he walked out. He nodded, and before his resolve could weaken any more he closed the door and walked downstairs.

I could hear his steps, slow and heavy as he walked down the staircase. Then Bo's running footsteps clattered up to my ears. "Hey, Scip!" he called, stopping. Scipio didn't answer. He made a noise as though he was going to speak, but then hesitated. He would be looking at Prosper now, who would glare at him. I heard footsteps as his father walked past the door to the staircase.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked sharply. "Don't you have a lesson today?"

"In an hour," Scipio replied. His voice was slightly muted, as though he was looking at the floor. His voice sounded defiant, but also slightly wary, as though he had to choose his words carefully to avoid setting off a bomb. Or in this case, angering a bull.

"What are you doing, just standing around there?" Scipio's father asked impatiently. "Take your friends to your room. You know the courtyard is not a playground." Scipio choked on words. Was he going to say they're leaving? Or maybe something different?

In my mind's eye I tried to picture what would happen if they did come up here, but there were too many variations and possibilities that my head began to ache. "Yes, father," Scipio said meekly. His voice was small and I could just see him wincing as though his father had already hit him—even though the Dottore had already turned and walked away down the hall without a second thought.

"Is that your dad, Scip?" Bo whispered incredulously. "Have you got a mom too? Is she pretty? Does she look like you?"

Scipio wouldn't know where to look, fiddling with the sleeves of his stiff jacket. Finally, I heard him make a 'mhm' noise. "Yes, but she travels a lot. She and father are 'separated'…they're going to get a divorce any day now." His voice was almost a whisper; I could only barely hear it. "Don't stare at me like that. I can explain everything. I would have told you soon anyway." He took a long, shaky breath. "W-would—come up to my room," he said, "I'll explain there."

"You may as well explain it to everybody right now," Prosper said. "The others are waiting outside."

"…Bring them in, would you, Bo?" Scipio murmured.

"Alright, Scip."

Bo's footsteps faded away as he ran off towards the door. "So the detective told on me, right?"

"If you hadn't lied to us, there wouldn't have been anything to rat about," Prosper replied.

"The break in—did you guys check out the house?"

"Stop it, Scip!" Prosper shouted. "I bet you've never stolen anything in your whole life!"

Scipio made a strangled sound. "Stop!" he hissed frantically.

"All the loot was probably taken from this house, wasn't it?" Prosper asked, lowering his voice. "What were you thinking, taking on the Conte's job? You've never broken in anywhere. And I bet that when you turn up at the hideout you probably just let yourself in with a key through some door we don't know about. Thief Lord! My god, we were so stupid. Tell me, does Rae know? How do you think she'll feel?"

Scipio never got to answer, because the sound of many approaching feet became louder.

"Oh god," I heard Scipio whisper, and then his frantic footsteps flew up the stairs and down the hall.

"Hey!"

Scipio threw the door open and collided with me. We landed in a tangle of limbs on the floor, and barely managed to get up before the others had started up the stairs. I gave his shoulder a squeeze and then bolted for the balcony. I closed the doors just enough so that if I remained out of view, I could still hear and see for myself what was going on.

The gang came into view, and there was silence. They stared at each other; Scipio, Hornet, Riccio, Mosca, Prosper and Bo.

"What's going on, Scipio?" Hornet whispered.

Scipio drew himself up slowly; his arms were shaking and his hands were white. "It was all for your own good," he said. His voice was wavering, and his eyes were trained on the floor.

"How? How has it done us any good?" Riccio practically shouted. Scipio cringed.

"Keep it down," he whispered. Prosper pushed everyone inside and closed the door behind them.

"You would never have trusted the rich boy down the street—you're prejudiced," Hornet said suddenly. "He had to lie, or else we would die out in that basement." She glared at Scipio. "But that doesn't take away the fact that you lied."

"It doesn't matter! We would have found a way; I bet it's all just a game for him!" Riccio wasn't quite shouting, this time. "Hey, let's play street-kid for a while, that sounds fun!'" He tried to mimic Scipio's voice and failed. "And we fell for it!" His eyes were shining with angry tears.

"But the loot…" Mosca's voice sounded very faint.

"Oh yeah, the loot." Prosper laughed out loud. "He probably stole those things from his parents. Thief Lord? Liar Lord, more like."

Scipio's head was sinking lower and lower—he looked ready to die.

"All that mysterious 'I can cope on my own' and his 'I don't need adults'—they're all lies! You must have really had a laugh at us, Massimo!" Prosper accused.

Scipio's fists clenched, his knuckles white. "It wasn't a lie!" His voice was once again the Thief Lord, and not that of a terrified boy. "Do you know what I have to deal with here? You don't! No one feeds me; I have to do it myself or else everyone's fine with me starving. No one cares for me here; the maids do what Father says and Father—" He cut himself short and took another shaky breath. "H-he doesn't care for me at all. I do have to cope on my own, and I do. I don't need adults. You guys are so lucky: you don't have a mother who is too afraid of your father to even visit her son. You don't have a father who beats you and shows how much he's ashamed of you!

"Yeah, sure, I steal from my own house. So what? It helps you get by; it keeps you alive and warm!" Scipio's glare pierced right into each and every one of the gang. "I'm trying to get by; I've got it even worse than you. I haven't run away myself because father would send out searches and they'd comb apart the Stella and every hiding place in the city, and they'd find you. I've been doing this for your sake."

Riccio took a step forward. "How could you lie to us?" he was so angry that little or none of Scipio's explanation had gotten through.

"It's not that bad, Riccio," Bo said quietly, reaching out for the hedgehog's hand.

"Stop it you stupid baby! It is that bad, it's worse than bad!" Riccio's hand jerked and smacked Bo across the face.

There was a stunned silence. Bo blinked and scrunched his nose. He was perfectly fine, but the gesture had been seen by everyone. Two incredulous and two angry gazes locked onto Riccio, who looked like he was cooling down enough to realize what he did.

"Let's go," Hornet said hotly, snatching up Bo's hand.

"We'll talk later," Prosper said coldly to Riccio, and then pushed him out of the room. Mosca followed, his expression mostly shocked and appalled; he must have been numb inside. Bo looked over his shoulder as he was pulled out.

"It's not that bad, Scip," he called; then Hornet pulled the door closed.

Scipio stood staring at the door for a long time, his hands clenched at his sides, his face white. His shoulders shook, whether with anger or silent sobs I couldn't tell from this angle. I stood from my crouched position, and opened the door enough to slip inside.

He turned to look at me, trying to keep his chin up. His jaw was clenched, but I could see his lips tremble. "How'd I do?" he asked. His voice came out in a broken whisper.

"Shh," I said firmly and wrapped my arms around him. He pulled me close to him, his face hidden in my shoulder. I leaned into the wall so I could hold him and stroked his hair. Outside, loud sobs could be heard. Riccio would be out there…

I sighed as I slid down to the floor and gathered Scipio closer, rubbing his back and whispering soothingly in his ear.

At least Scipio had someone to comfort him.