Disclaimer: I don't own The Mysterious Benedict Society

Chapter 6 (Kate's POV)

One thing for sure was that it was cold this morning. Letting go of a deep breath I watched as it appeared in the chilly air. Rubbing my hands together (partly from the cold, partly to seem excited) I looked over at Reynie beside me. "You ready?" I asked him as I did my best to seem positive. But regardless of how cheerful I was trying to be for him, Reynie's face said pretty clearly that he wasn't buying it.

Hesitantly reaching to rest a hand on the black iron gate in front of us, he frowned. Yeah from the look on his face the dark letters that read "Stonetown Orphanage," might as well of said "Stonetown Jailhouse."

It was strange seeing him so quite all of a sudden. Like he just shut down the moment the building came into view. It felt like even though he was right next to me, that he had just slipped a million miles away.

"Reynie...?" I said loud enough to try and snap him out of his thoughts, but soft enough to not startle him.

Slowly he looked over at me, and for a second he seemed almost afraid, but before I could even react to it, he attempted to cover the look with a weak smile. And as far as I'm concerned it was a weak attempt. So giving into a little sigh that showed in the cold air, I reached to grab both his shoulders. Biting down on my bottom lip I stared him straight in the eyes. My grip felt a little firm and a little soft, and like it I honestly wasn't sure which one I wanted to be.

I didn't want to act insensitive, but at the same time I wanted Reynie to know that I meant business when I said we were gonna get through this together. No need in me breaking down when he needed me to be strong.

"Reynie..." I said slowly. When I started I thought I knew just what to say, but as the seconds went by, I realized I really wasn't sure. And even though I wanted to be the strong one I felt my heart start to wobble. My own memories of an Orphanage weren't pleasant ones, but it wasn't that that was getting to me. No, it was all the days I started to imagine he had spent here. All the days he had spent lonely and bullied.

My Reynie...lonely and bullied...?

When it came right down to it the thought was too much for me, and my insides turned into a muddled mess of emotion. But at least I didn't cry... Or at least I wasn't planning on it, but I admit a drop or two may have gone somewhere... So giving up my own strong man act, I squeezed his shoulders a little tighter as I leaned to kiss him on his cold cheek.

I have to say it was only then that either of us really had a smile that wasn't being faked. No this time we didn't have to pretend to be happy. After I wrapped my hand around his, I tugged him through the gate and up the steps. If I could have, I know I would have changed the past for him. But as it was, well I was still pretty happy just to change the present...

And the present brought us both busting through the front door maybe a little faster than seemed normal...? I'm not sure, but I do know the receptionist made a strange face as she scrunched up her eyes and looked over her glasses. "May I help you...?" She asked without much enthusiasm for her own question. Letting go of a little sigh Reynie stepped up and flipped open his badge. "Yes ma'am, I have an appointment with a Mr. Remington."

The lady stared at the silver ID for a few long seconds before she nodded and motioned to the doorway to her right. "Down the hall on the left."

"Thank you." Reynie replied with a nod.

I wished I could have gone with him, but something told me that wouldn't have been very professional. That concept seemed sorta pointless to me, but I figured Reynie wanted to make a good first impression for the sake of his agency. So when he gave me one last look over his shoulder, I grinned as wide as I could and gave him two confident thumbs up. I watched as he disappeared down the hall, and then is when it hit me that I was left standing around with a not very talkative receptionist.

And when I was worried it just made me want to move all the more. So as the seconds ticked by and my thoughts about Reynie's meeting filled up the space inside my head, my legs were set in motion before I even realized it. I guess the lady behind the counter wasn't all that crazy about my pacing around her lobby though, since she looked up from her magazine and scrunched her eyes again.

"There's a sitting room down the hall to your left." She said flatly.

To be honest sitting didn't sound all that appealing at the moment, but I could take a hint. So tossing her a nod I tucked my hands deeper in my jacket pockets and walked toward the hall. I guess I half expected to see kids hanging around, but the place was actually pretty quiet. Which was more than I could say for the orphanage I stayed at. That place was too noisy even for my taste. The six year old me remembered it like that feeling you got when you realized you were lost in a crowd with no sight of your parents.

I felt a little frown tug at me. Nobody really wants to feel like just another face lost in the crowd. At least not all the time. And even though it took me a while to admit it, the truth was I liked being special to somebody. I guess in a way whenever I was being shot out of a canon, or walking a tightrope I did feel special. And for a while I couldn't really tell the difference between an awe struck crowd cheering for you, and the feeling you get when a friend tells you they care. I figured they'd feel the same way.

Before Reynie and everybody else, I'd never even experienced having a friend, so it wasn't really my fault that I was mixed up. But the truth is it's people that make you special. It's the people that really know you, and that love you no matter how quirky or strange you are. Rounding the corner I stepped into a room filled to the ceiling with dusty books and a few worn arm chairs.

Even though life was always finding ways to stress you out, one thing was as true as true got. If you were special to somebody, well that was reason enough to smile. So letting go of a whole bucket load of ancient memories, I decided to do just that.