"And yer sure that's all you know?" Bartolomeo sighed as he stepped away from the woman on the couch. He and his friends had overtaken Jesse's main base, questioning all of the gangsters they could find, but Bartolomeo's search had come up empty. "Damn! Not even his girl knows. How hard can it be to find a Jackpot?"

Henry took a puff of his cigarette. "He probably kept the secret closely guarded to prevent thieves."

"Gam! Al!" Bartolomeo called, "Find anything?"

The two cousins walked out of one of the back rooms, shaking their heads. "Not a thing," Gambia replied.

Bartolomeo kicked the coffee table. "Damn it!"

The woman, Audrey, sauntered over to him and draped herself around his arm. "I may not know where Jesse hid his cash, but if you want, I could still help you out." She batted her eyelashes. "What do ya say?"

"Buzz off!" Bartolomeo shook her off. "I don't need some filthy tramp clinging to me." He turned away. "At least the kid knew when to shut up."

"Kid?" Audrey tilted her head. "Ya mean Aidan?"

"Yeah, her." He glanced over his shoulder. "You know anything about her?"

"Oh yeah! She's been around for ages! We go way back!"

"Alright then," Bartolomeo sat next to Henry. "Tell me more."

Elsewhere in the city, Aidan curled up next to a garbage can, trying to stay out of sight. She lightly traced the new hem of her shorts, letting her thoughts wander back to a time before Jesse.

(7 years ago)

The market was bustling early one morning, the townspeople chatting excitedly about the new visitors. The port hosted two large vessels. Both flew the flag of a neighboring kingdom. While one ship was busy loading supplies, the other was swarming with guards and servants.

"Has the prince appeared yet?"

"I heard he's as handsome as he is wealthy!"

"Isn't he a bachelor? Perhaps he'll be selecting a bride!"

Skipping down the steps of her shared home, Aidan's eyes were wide with wonder. She had never seen the slums so cheerful and lively! She pulled at her raggedy shirt, rocking back and forth on her toes as she waited impatiently. "Auntie! Auntie, look!"

From inside the small apartment building, a young woman stepped out while tying her scarlet hair into a loose bun. "Aidan!" she scolded, "What have I told you about rushing out? Oh for Pete's sake, you haven't even pulled your hair out of your face. Hold still!"

Obediently, Aidan froze as her aunt knelt behind her. With a quick tug, the little girl's mane of red was brushing her neck in a ponytail. Aidan stretched to see over the heads of passerby. "Auntie, what's goin' on? Why's everyone so happy?"

The woman, Tara, scowled and wiped her hands on her apron. "Must you be so noisy, Aidan? The people are waiting to see Prince Richard. He's come from the Elzin Kingdom to gather supplies and soldiers for the civil war."

"What's a 'civil war', Auntie?"

"Shh. Stop your constant jabbering, Aidan. You're too young to understand, so just hush." Tara huffed. "You're as curious as your mother was. If you aren't careful, asking too many questions will get you in a lick of trouble."

Aidan barely listened to her aunt's lecture, used to being compared to her late mother. She grinned as horns trumpeted, signaling the prince's presence. Tara and Aidan pushed to the front of the crowd. A young man dressed in a white suit waved politely to the onlookers. Women flocked around him, acting as dainty as they could in their worn out dresses.

Suddenly, Tara led Aidan back to the curb by their tiny home. "Aidan, I want you to be a good girl and wait right here."

Aidan blinked, but sat. "Where are you going, Auntie?"

Tara smoothed out her clothes, beaming proudly for the first time in Aidan's short life. "I'm going to go introduce myself to the prince."

"Can I come with?" Aidan wanted to meet the man who'd made her aunt smile so beautifully.

Tara shook her head. "No. The prince is far too busy to meet children. For now, stay here. I'll be back shortly." She marched into the fray again and before long, she was gone.

So Aidan waited. At first, she was fine, enjoying all the activity in front of her. Soon, though, the square began to thin and the sun was dipping farther and farther behind the horizon. Aidan could hear her stomach growling pitifully with each hour that passed. No one paid her any mind.

"What are you doing out here at this hour, Aidan? Shouldn't you be gettin' to bed?" A familiar man came to her side.

"Mr. Tailor?"

The older man chuckled. "It's Gavin, dear." He looked up and down the street. "Where is Tara?"

Aidan pointed towards the empty marketplace. "She went to meet the prince. I'm s'pposed to wait for her."

"The prince? But he left hours ago." Realization struck Gavin hard and he frowned deeply. "I see...So she'll scorn her sister for loving a sailor, but she has no problem running off with a stranger. At least Erin knew she wouldn't become some man's maid."

Aidan looked up at Gavin with hurt eyes. "Is Auntie not coming?"

Gavin paused. Getting down to Aidan's level, he hesitated. "I'm sorry, Aidan. I don't think she'll come home." He held out a hand. "We should go inside before it gets too dark. You can stay with me for the time being. I live in the back of my shop. It's not huge, but I think you'll like it. There's an extra room that can be yours. Who knows? Once you're a bit bigger, I could teach you how to sew."

Aidan sniffled, beginning to cry. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no! This isn't your fault." The hiccups and whimpers didn't stop and Gavin sighed. "Aidan, dear, listen closely. There are times in a person's life when things fall apart for no particular reason and there's nothing that can stop it. It's a horrible feeling, but during those times, it's important to hold back your tears and soldier on. I'll admit, it's an unfair circumstance, but you need to pick yourself up and do what's necessary to move forward."

Using her sleeve to wipe her face dry, Aidan took his hand. Her lip still quivered as she timidly asked, "Mr. Tailor, do you have any dinner? I'm a lil' hungry."

Gavin's expression softened. "I'm sure we can find something. Come along."

(2 years later)

Aidan pulled the thread through the cotton rag, knotting the end. She grinned at the finished product. It was finally done! Jumping off her cot, Aidan ran down the hallway towards Gavin's workroom. After all of her practice, she was anxious to show her mentor and get his opinion.

The door of the workroom was shut and Aidan was about to enter when she heard Gavin talking.

"For the last time, I don't have that kind of money." He sounded angry and tired. "Business has been slow, so I've got nothing for you."

A smooth voice, presumably on the transponder, replied, "Well, that's a shame. With all the violence and gang wars going on, I would've thought you'd try a little harder to afford my protection. It'd be sad if something happened to your store."

"I'm not paying you, Jesse."

"Tell you what," the voice said, "why don't I drop by later and we can have a chat about this? I'm sure a little heart to heart will have you seeing things my way. I'll be over around 1:00. Until then, think on my offer some more." There was a click as Gavin hung up.

Aidan waited for a few minutes, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. Slowly, she knocked. "Aidan?" Gavin called.

The door creaked as Aidan came in, a smile hiding her concern.

"What do you need, dear? Huh?" Gavin was surprised as Aidan handed him the rag. "Is this what you've been working on?" The rag, which had been torn when Aidan found it, was not only fixed, but also decorated. A calico cat was embroidered on the bottom half in an array of colors. "Aidan, this is...this is great!"

"You think so?" Aidan swelled with pride.

"Yes! It's hard to believe you've only been stitching for a year. This is some professional quality in the works!" Gavin's eyes lit up suddenly. "We should celebrate."

Aidan blushed. "We don't have to, Gavin."

"Yes we do. This is important." Digging through a bin under his work table, Gavin pulled out a pen and paper. He scribbled some writing down before leaping to grab his wallet, giving both to Aidan. "We should have a nice dinner tonight. I want you to go to the market and buy everything I have listed. Don't forget a thing. I'm going to finish up an order and find a frame to hang this in. We're putting your work right in the front of the store! Now off you go. No time to waste!"

Aidan was rushed out the door and into the street. It didn't faze her, as Gavin had asked her to run errands several times lately, often at the last minute. She frowned after seeing the list. The shops she needed to go to were spread across town. It would take her forever to get everything. Glancing at the clock above the shop's door, she read the time- 11:30.

Three hours later, Aidan ran home, her limbs tired from the long trip. She did her best to lug the heavy bag of groceries through the alley that served as a shortcut back home. Noticing an odd scent, she tried to quicken her pace.

"Did ya see the look on his face? So much for his tough guy act!"

"Yeah, he's right. You taught him a lesson, Boss!"

Aidan froze at the end of the alley, afraid to believe her eyes. The street glowed orange and yellow from the tailor shop, smoke and flames pouring out of the windows. In front, five men watched the blaze with dark smirks of satisfaction. All five had tattoos of a skull and snake.

The most fearsome lit a cigarette. When he spoke, Aidan recognized his voice as the one from the call Gavin had been on. "Guys like him always talk big, but end up not being able to prove their stuff when it counts. Either way, we got our cash, so let's head back to base."

Seeing the men walking by, Aidan hid farther in the alley. She huddled against the cold stone, clutching the bag to her chest. Using every bit of her willpower, she forced herself not to cry. Instead, she dug out the bread she bought, her favorite, and took a savage bite, finding it hard to swallow.

The next ten days felt like years to Aidan. Alone, she slowly nibbled on the food in her bag, while trying to stay warm in the evenings. Eventually, however, her provisions ran out and she gritted her teeth. Without any of the townspeople willing to help her, Aidan knew there was only one other option that could secure her survival.

Creeping through the streets, Aidan found a dozen gangsters gathered together in a circle. "It's too dangerous, Boss. The place is crawling with marines thanks to that stupid battleship in the harbor."

"I don't care! I want that message delivered!"

"What if we called the branch members on the transponder snail?"

"That won't work, moron. The Navy could pick up the signal and listen in."

With shaking legs, Aidan stepped out of the shadows. "I can bring it," she announced. All twelve pairs of eyes flew to her. Aidan's amber gaze locked with that of her goal, Jackpot Jesse.

One of the gangsters bristled. "Scram, brat! You've gotta lot of nerve bargin' in."

"Shut it," Jesse ordered. His men stared at him incredulously. He eyed her critically. "What kind of game are you playing, brat?"

"Aidan," she corrected. "And I want to help."

Jesse hummed in thought. "Why? What do you want?"

Aidan licked her lips. "Some food. Maybe shelter. Whatever you'll give me."

"That's all?" Jesse snorted. "Good enough reason, I guess." He stepped closer, towering above her. "Alright, we'll give you a go."

"Boss, you can't trust that girl!"

Jesse was already handing Aidan a rolled up note. "I told you to shut your mouth, didn't I? I'm the one calling the shots. The Navy'll never expect a kid to be carrying this. Besides, the message is coded, so it ain't like she can read it."

Then, Jesse took a gold locket from his neck and gave it to Aidan. "This'll be proof that you're on our side. The North branch has got a sentry behind Nile's Furniture shop. Show the necklace, give the message, and come back to this spot for your reward. Got it?"

Aidan nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Oh and by the way..." Jesse gripped her shoulder painfully tight and leaned over so his face was a breath away from hers. "If you try anything funny, I'll personally track you down and make you wish that you were never born. Just a reminder."

(Present day)

Gambia leaned against the wall next to Bartolomeo. "Wait, so you're telling me she just waltzed up to the Jackpot himself and asked to join? I ain't stupid, lady."

Audrey shrugged. "That's what happened. She did a damn good job too. Was back in a flash. Don't know where she came from, but Jesse liked her so much that he kept her at the main branch. Anytime she'd finish an order, Jesse would let her have whatever meal we were havin'."

"Still, for a kid to be working the streets..." Al shook his head slowly. "It just ain't right."

Bartolomeo, having heard enough, stood and started walking out. "The kid decided to join. It's her own fault. I'm done here. Guys, we're going back to our base." The other three followed without question.

"See ya later, Barty! Let me know if you need company!" Audrey waved.