Hey! Chapter One! Amazing, right? Please R&R, or I probably won't keep writing. And I do realize this is kinda bad compared to the prologue. I was a little tired when I wrote it and didn't feel like going back to rewrite it.

Fae's POV

We stepped off the subway onto the platform. Anthony and Adam shivered as they held onto my hands, and we moved with the crowd. Finally, after pushing through what felt like hundreds of dirty, gritty, smelly people, we saw the group we were looking for.

"Uncle Mark!" The twins shouted in unison, and raced to give him a hug. I hesitated, grabbing the luggage. They greeted him so warmly. But he hadn't helped to make sure we were safe on the way here. No, he allowed his mother to pack up his sister's children and ship them across the state. What if they had been kidnapped? What would have happened if one of the boys had wandered off? Would he have even cared if one of us got raped?

I trudged over, and nodded towards Mark, and the others I'd never met, but stayed silent. Mark looked at me, and his expression was shocked. "You've grown!" He exclaimed. I closed my eyes.

"It tends to happen to someone you haven't seen in four years." My voice was as cold as I could make it. And it worked, he looked guilty. "Can we move? It's hot down here." A large black man next to Mark started to chuckle. "What?" I snarled.

"Hot is better then the shit up there." He said. My face was murderous.

"Do not," I hissed, "Swear in front of my brothers." And at this, I grabbed our bags and led the way up the stairs towards the cold air outside.

Unfortunately, I could see what he meant. A shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to complain. My brothers were only six, damn it! You don't say things like that in front of six year olds. Of course, Mark probably forgot exactly how young they were. He hadn't seen them since they were two, after all. And even then it was only because Cindy begged him to watch us.

The snow drifted down. A car pulled up in front of the house, and Cindy got out with a man. The only things he had with him were a small suitcase and a camera. Hands move to open the window--What possessed me to open the window?--"Please Mark. Just watch them while I get this sorted out. Her mother doesn't want her, and Matt's her father. We can't just throw her onto the streets."

I closed my eyes and waited for the others to catch up, my heart pounding. It had been a long time since I had thought about that day.

Mark's POV

December 16 Three P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Zoom in one the three children coming towards us. The middle one is roughly fifteen, though she looks older. The twins look about eight, or so. No...Mom had said younger then that...Six? Nod to agree with myself. Six, definitely.

The younger children run towards me with a giant greeting. Cindy must have showed them pictures and told them stories of me. Haven't seen them for years. They were only two the last time I saw them. Hug the boys and turn to the girl...Frankie? Falaba? No...it was shorter...

"You've grown!" I finally say, lamely.

"It tends to happen to someone you haven't seen in four years." She says back, her tone daggers. I flinch guilitly. If my father didn't live so close to them... No. Can't lie to myself. I still wouldn't have visited them.

"Can we move? It's hot down here." Her voice and Collin's chuckling brake me from my guility thoughts. "What?" She asked, glaring at him.

"Hot is better then the shit up there." Fae's-Finally! that was her name-expression almost made me take a step backwards. She looked as if she were about to attack Collins then and there.

"Do not swear in front of my brothers!" She turned and stalked towards the stairs.

Suddenly, I was very glad Roger stayed at the loft to make sure no one broke in again. Something told me that he would have started yelling shit at her a long time ago. I traded a glance with Joanne. She always seems to know what to do in situations like these. Also, she was the only one who knew Cindy wasn't Fae's real mother. Joanne caught my glance, and strolled forwards to catch up with Fae. I try to listen to the what the twins are saying. I have to give up, though. They both talked too fast, at the same time. Instead I look over their heads to apologize to Collins because of Fae. He rolls his eyes.

And all I can say, is thank God for first impressions.