An update! And a little earlier this time, too. -is proud of herself- Please review!
7
Bo
They sat on the couch, staring at the rug. Scip had his arm around Hornet who seemed close to tears. Ida coughed occasionally, her movements jerky and uncontrolled. All of them were listening, waiting for Victor to return from the kitchen where he was making phone calls. Scip softly stroked Hornet's shoulder, staring at the ground.
"He'll be back in no time," Ida managed to choke out.
It was a nice rug; with a red and blue pattern. A little confusing, but nice.
They all whipped around as the door opened.
Victor, sitting down in an armchair, sighed.
"I've notified the police, they'll be keeping an eye out for him. I called the orphanage, but nothing."
"Keeping an eye out?" Ida said with a doubting look.
Scip shook his head, causing all heads to turn in his direction.
"They wouldn't check places like the Stella. That's why we have to go look for him. Someone should check the star layer, just in case."
Victor nodded.
"I can do that. Let me know if something comes up."
He patted the pocket where he kept his cell phone and headed off into the dusk.
Scip sighed as he glanced at Hornet. She didn't look too good.
"We need to think about where else Bo could have gone. What does Bo like?" he asked, feeling bad that he actually couldn't think of anything except Prosper.
"Pigeons," Hornet mumbled.
"Maybe he went to San Marco," Ida guessed.
Scip shook his head. „Everyone crosses San Marco at least once a day. Bo knows that."
"What if he actually did want to be found?" Hornet interrupted, her eyes teary, "Maybe he just wants someone to care about him."
Scip sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"Maybe there's some clue in his room?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, sure!" Ida got up quickly. She seemed at a complete loss as to what to do, and that worried him. Ida wasn't one to break down easily.
They filed up the stairs. Scip didn't let go off Hornet's hand as he followed Ida, and Hornet managed a watery smile. In a way, Scip cared about Bo that rivaled even her. But no one, not her, not Scip, could ever care for him the way Prosper had. She shuddered and Scip looked back at her, concern in his eyes.
"Here it is." Ida pushed the door open.
Hornet shuddered. She couldn't recall when she had last been in Bo's room, but she knew he had spent entire days, barricading himself in it.
It looked deserted. There was only one picture on the wall, a polar bear and his cub. She remembered Ida putting it up and Bo not even looking at it. The floor was bare, all clothes were tidily put away, any toys looked like they had never been touched. The only sign that the room was actually occupied was the framed picture next to the bed. It was the one the Hartlieb's had used on their wanted posters.
Scip softly let go of Hornet's hand and picked it up.
"Is this the only picture of Prop you have in the house?"
Ida nodded. "Victor has a few that he took while he was chasing them, but we thought it better not to put them up. So we wouldn't make him cry."
Hornet scoffed. "Like he ever did."
She could actually see Scip's brain springing into action at this point.
"Did he?"
"Did he what?" Ida retorted, a confused look on her face.
"Ever cry."
Ida frowned. "Now that you mention it… Not that I recall, no."
Massaging his temple, Scip sat down on Bo's neatly made bed.
"He didn't cry at Prop's funeral either, right?"
Hornet blinked in surprise.
"You were at Prop's funeral?"
Scip blushed crimson. „Well, yeah. I hid behind some bushes so you wouldn't see me."
Hornet smiled at him, but Ida interrupted her thoughts.
"But that would mean…"
"That he never cried for Prop," Scip finished for her.
"Okay, someone should check San Marco, too, just in case," Scip said, reading the list of places they supposed Bo could have gone.
"I'll do that," Ida volunteered.
"I'll check the ferry station," Hornet said softly.
Scip cupped her face with his hand.
"Will you be okay?" he asked softly.
She nodded and sniffed.
"I'll be checking along the canals close to the house," Scip said, pulling on his boots. Waving to the women, he walked into the first alleyway he saw. To be honest, he had not the slightest clue as to how they were going to find a six-year-old in a city like Vernice when it had taken the police several years and a little rat like Barbossa to discover their gang. Hopefully the slime-ball was miserable, where ever he might be. On the other hand, Victor had managed to find Bo and Prosper in a few days, so maybe they had a small chance.
He turned a corner, vaguely noting that he was going to get lost if he didn't pay attention to the way he was going. Looking up for some sign as to where he was, Scip nearly missed the small figure sitting on a bench at the end of a lane. His heartbeat quickening, he walked toward the child as silently as possible. The alley led into a tiny piazza with a fountain and several stone benches assembled around it. As he came closer, he realized with relief that it was, indeed, Bo. He could only see his back, but the wavy blond hair and the white, ghost-like clothing were a sure sign.
Scip stopped a few feet behind the bench, biting down on his lip.
"Hey Bo."
Bo half turned around, glancing at him before he returned to staring into the dark water.
"Can I sit down?"
Taking the silence as a yes, Scip took a seat next to the boy.
"You've got everyone worried about you," he said, trying to keep the tone light.
He glanced at the silent figure next to him. Bo had taken off his shoes and socks, they were lying under the bench, his bare feet dangling in the air.
"Aren't you cold?"
Finally, Bo gave half a nod as a reply.
"Why don't you put them back on, then?"
A shake of the head.
"Well, Bo, I don't know why you don't want to, but I don't think you getting sick is gonna make anything better."
Staring at his hands, Bo said nothing. Finally he reached under the bench and pulled on his socks.
"Why did you go?"
Still nothing. Scip sighed as he sat and waited. Darkness fell slowly, turning the city into a starlit maze of streets. Scip bit his lip as he thought of Hornet, Ida and Victor. They didn't know he had found Bo, and his cell-phone was turned off. Besides, the boy was cold, shivering whenever a breeze caught him off guard.
Finally he took off his coat, draping it over Bo.
"Don't you want to go back to the others? They miss you."
He could see Bo's lip begin to quiver, and how he bit down on it to stop it.
He hated to do this, he thought it was unfair, but it really was time to go, he couldn't just let him sit on a cold bench for the entire night.
"Do you think Prop would want you to do this? Don't you think he would have wanted you to be safe and warm on a night like this?"
Tears started to roll down Bo's cheeks, slowly at first, then faster and faster.
"I know you don't feel safe at Ida's house, but don't you think we could find a way to make you at home there?" he pressed on, "After all, Prop wouldn't be happy knowing that his beloved little brother felt uncomfortable."
With a sob, Bo wiped his small hand across his face. Crawling over to Scipio, he buried his head in Scip's sweater, holding onto him so tightly it almost hurt.
Scip rocked him gently, staring up to the stars as he thought about Prosper. And he couldn't prevent a lone tear rolling down his cheek as well.
Hornet very nearly screamed as she saw them. Running towards Scip and Bo in his arms, she touched the sleeping boy as if to make sure he was there.
"Is he okay?" she asked softly, so as not to wake him.
"I think so," Scip replied with the same low voice, "A little cold and exhausted perhaps, but okay."
He entered the house, passing the relieved Ida, and climbed the stairs. Victor went ahead to open the door to Bo's room for him and hovered over them as Scip gently laid the boy down on his bed. They both looked down on Bo for a moment before leaving him alone in the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. They did not notice Bo's eyes slowly opening as they left.
The two men separated in the hall; Victor went into the kitchen, Scip turned to head into the living room where Hornet was pacing up and down.
She turned as she heard him come in.
"Scip, we need to talk," she said, her face set.
Scip nodded, starting to pace as well.
"Yeah, I know."
They walked in silence a few minutes until Hornet suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, turning around to face him.
She sighed.
"Scip, I like you, I really do, but…"
Scip nodded. „I know. It feels like we're betraying him, doesn't it?"
"You aren't."
They whipped around at the sound of that voice, raspy like it hadn't been used in a long time. Bo's face was serious and set.
"Do you really think Prop could be angry with his best friends for liking each other? What kind of person do you think he is?" he said so softly they almost didn't catch it. Without looking at them, he shut the door behind him.
They were silent for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, just when Hornet thought she couldn't take it any more, Scip slowly broke into a smile.
It took Hornet less than the blink of an eye to cross the room, throwing herself into his arms, laughing as she felt a weight disappearing from her stomach. Scip grinned, whirling her around, slowly setting her down to kiss her.
They were so enraptured with each other that neither of them heard the front door shut quietly. They only half heard Victor in the hall saying „I'll go check up on him," didn't notice the footsteps going up the stairs. They only broke apart when the door to the living room suddenly opened.
"You guys better put your coats back on," Victor said, his face unreadable, "Because Bo is gone again."