Reunion

Footsteps approached the other side of the door. It was late enough that visitors would be odd, but not so late that Mordecai would be interrupting their sleep. As the door knob turned, Mordecai held is breath. For a moment, everything around him faded to black. Noises, scents, or other stimuli didn't register for him. The door opened and a pair of deep emerald eyes behind an old pair of glasses looked back at him. They both stood there, silent and still.

"H… Hello, mother." Mordecai stammered out, his heart racing.

"Mordecai?" Tzipporah responded. Her mouth trembled as she realized that her prayers for the last decade had finally been answered. Before her was her boy, all grown up and the spitting image of his father.

Mordecai didn't have time to react as he was immediately pulled into a hug. It had been years since he had allowed anyone to embrace him with his consent. There were three exceptions to his self-instated rule of personal space, and his dear mother was exception number one.

"My boy. Oh, Mordecai!" Tzipporah explained, tears coming from her eyes. "You've come back to us."

"Mom, who is it?" Another voice called out from inside the apartment. Heller's eyes locked with that of someone who was all at once familiar and strange. Charcoal grey fur framed a set of bright eyes that also shone green in the amber light. A splash of white crawled up from her nose between her eyes. The markings were unmistakable.

"Rose?" Mordecai asked, his mouth open. Rose stood there, trying to register who this strange man was. He was tall, lean, and dressed in a nicer suit than anyone else in the neighborhood had business wearing. All at once it seemed to click, and no sooner had Tzipporah let go than Mordecai found himself being grabbed by his youngest sister. "You came back! I knew I'd see you again!" She said, laying her head on Mordecai's chest. Mordecai dared no resist, instead gently holding his sister while remaining as rigid as a tree.

Rose grabbed Mordecai by the hand and pulled him inside the apartment with their mother close behind. "Esther! Come quick!"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Esther said while emerging from her bedroom. She immediately realized what was going on. "Oh. You've returned." She said with a neutral, unemotional tone.

"Hello, Esther." Mordecai said as Rose forced him to sit down on the sofa. Their mother was still crying tears of joy as she made her way into the kitchen. "I will make tea! I still remember your favorite, son. I've kept a box of Earl Grey just in case."

"Thank you, mother. That is quite kind." Mordecai said as Rose pestered him with questions.

"What was Saint Louis like? What did you do there? Did you find someone? Ooh, could we come visit! Please—"

Mordecai breathed deep while calmly removing his sister's hands from him. "There will be no need to come visit. My business in Saint Louis has concluded and I every intention of staying here in New York City."

"You're here to stay!" Rose nearly erupted with joy. Her brother was back. The boy who had looked after her for all those years had returned a man.

"I'm so happy to hear that, Mordecai." Tzipporah said as she emerged from the kitchen. She walked slowly around the sofa before finding her chair in the corner of the living room.

"So you've decided to grace us with your presence after all these years. Charming." Esther said before turning around and retreating to her bedroom.

"Don't mind her, she's had a long day at work." Tzipporah said, dismissing the cold shoulder her daughter was giving Mordecai.

"I'm sure. Where does she work now?"

"You didn't get our letter?!" Rose said. "She works at a Jewish bank downtown."

"She audits financial records." Tzipporah explained. "A good paying job that keeps us afloat. And just in time too since your monthly checks stopped coming through the mail."

"Yes, there were… complications at work."

"Is that why you came back?" Rose asked.

"I suppose that would be correct. I finally had the chance to return and thought that it had been long enough."

"Too long, Mordecai. Far too long. But that doesn't matter now. You're here and I'm so happy my son has returned! You will have to come with us to the Synagogue on the sabbath."

"Of course I will, mother. And as soon as I find employment again you can expect to see a portion of my income to keep this… surprisingly good apartment rented."

"Rented? No, silly. We bought it!" Rose said, much to Mordecai's confusion.

"You've… bought this property?"

"Well, just the top floor. Those old stiffs at the bank wanted Esther to work for them so much that they gave her a bonus to start working at their bank." Rose explained.

"Your sister was in high demand right out of college." Tzipporah added.

Just then, Esther emerged from her bedroom, coat in hand. "I need to go to Eli's house for the night."

Tzipporah looked at her older daughter like she had gone mad. "But Esther, your brother is here. Surely Eli would understand."

"Yes, Mordecai is back. Great. Please just… I can't be here right now."

Everyone looked at her with confusion. Even if Mordecai wasn't the best at reading people, he knew his sisters. Esther was upset and he needed to know why. Just as the apartment door closed, Mordecai got up to excuse himself. "I think this might have something to do with me. I'll be back shortly."

Following his sister's path, Mordecai finally caught up to Esther on the street. "Esther, what's wrong?"

That question had an answer he wasn't quite prepared for. Esther whirled around and got in his face; their glasses almost touching. "You are what's wrong with me."

"Explain."

"Ugh, of course I have to explain." Esther growled. "First you run off to halfway across the country, never giving any of us much of an explanation. Then you fall off completely for months on end, only sending money as some half-assed apology. Then we lose contact altogether right when I'm graduating from school. Mother thought you were dead, Mordecai! And now you show up like nothing happened. I can't deal with this right now."

"Esther, please. I know I owe you an explanation and it's my intention to—"

"Oh, you owe us way more than an explanation!" Esther shouted. "Tell me, do you have even the slightest hint of an idea of all the pain you've caused us? Do you have an inkling of what we had to do to survive?"

"I—"

"No, of course you don't. Let me guess, after abandoning us you stuck around in other places just long enough to get people to trust you and then you ran away from them too. Is it sounding familiar?"

"Slightly, but I didn't abandon you, Rose, or our mother…"

"You didn't, did you? What's your definition of "abandoned" then? I'll tell you my definition. Abandoning your family for a decade, only giving us some money and excuses."

"I guess that would be a fair definition to—"

"Of course it's a fair definition! That's exactly what happened!"

Silence filled the space between them while Esther caught her breath and adjusted her glasses. "Mordecai, when you left, I had to take care of things. You left us and we struggled for years. I worked myself to the bone to make sure that mom and Rose had a somewhat normal life. I was scared and worried sick about you. There were so many times when I needed my big brother and you just… you weren't there." Esther said as she wiped tears away. "And now you're back. How long is it going to be until you break our hearts again?"

Mordecai was stunned and wounded, but at the same time he had the overwhelming feeling that his sister was right. "Esther, please. Come back to your home and let's discuss all that's happened."

"No, not tonight. I can't. If you're feeling guilty, good! Maybe you should go talk to a therapist about it. I've at least got Eli. It took a while to find a boyfriend as dependable as him, and he's been more of a brother to Rose than you." Esther said as she walked down the dark street alone. Mordecai stood there with a strange mix of emotions he didn't even realize were present. There was some anger at being told off like that. After all, he ran away to protect them! In different circumstances he never would have left. But most of that anger was directed at himself. He hadn't considered how much his actions had hurt his sisters.

Returning to the top floor of the building, Mordecai sat down on the sofa once again, but this time tuning out the people around him. Rose chattered in his ear with frivolous questions he had no intention of answering. Meanwhile his mother was telling him some story about a mundane thing that happened last week. Taking a breath, he decided to ask the question that was on his mind.

"Mom, Rose, did I hurt you when I left New York?"

Both ladies stopped in their tracks and looked away. "Well… not that it's a big deal, Mordecai, but I wished you were here." Rose said. Tzipporah refused to answer, instead looking to change the subject.

"You know, you've grown to look just like your father when he was your age." She said, picking up a framed picture of Issac. "If only he could be around to see us all as a family still."

Captive

Jacob struggled against the ropes binding him, but the knots held tight. He knew where he was, and that terrified him more than if he had been completely lost in the city. Sal, of course, had taken back his glasses and now he was in a dark room, unable to see clearly. In many ways he was back to square one.

Those first days on the street were tough. His parents couldn't feed him with another baby on the way nor did they think he could find work for himself. He had met a lot of other kids, mostly boys, around his age with a similar tale. They were the street cats of New York, living in the shadows of an empire built of steel, concrete, and astronomical wealth. It had quickly become apparent to Jacob then that he would not be long for this world if he didn't figure out how to get what he needed. Rummaging through trash, picking out half-eaten food before the rats could get to it, stealing items when necessary, and finding allies on the streets. Some of the older boys did take pity on him and checked in often to make sure he wasn't being harassed by more aggressive street kids or the police. It was through one of those boys that he found his way into the services of Palmeri. Outwardly, the cat was like an angel and many people living on the streets looked up to him. He gave them all a purpose, a mission, and accommodations to survive the blistering cold of winter and the blazing heat of summer.

But that was merely the bait. Jacob could clearly see that, at least. Once in Palmeri's debt, he manipulated and coerced kids into doing his dirty work. The younger boys could spy on rival gangs or steal pocket change when convenient. That is what he often did. Older boys acted as enforcers, messengers, collected debts, and kept the wheels of the criminal enterprise greased. That is what Sal had done as a teenager, so Jacob had been told. Those who made it all the way into adulthood could expect to be in service to Palmeri as a fully-fledged member of the gang. It was one of the last organizations of its kind in New York City, rivals were being swallowed up by the mafia who sought to control organized crime throughout the five boroughs.

The door to the room opened up with a groan and squeak. Footsteps approached Jacob though he still couldn't quite make out who it was that was here for him. A single light bulb turned on in the middle of the small office room and he could finally recognize the blurred haze he had gotten used to over the years. It was Palmeri.

"Well, well, well, kid. You've been quite the troublemaker, haven't you?"

"Sir, I didn't squeal to no—" Jacob was silenced with a slap across the face.

"I'm not here to listen to your groveling, kid. Maybe you did squeal, maybe you didn't. There are enough boys like you running around that it would be impossible to know for sure. But that's precisely why you have to be punished. Keeping everyone in line has been a problem since the beginning. We're all from the streets, and as such we're used to acting out of desperation. I don't know what you were promised, and I don't really care. What matters now is that an example is made for everyone else to see."

"I'm a scapegoat…"

"Well, I see it more like you're a martyr. Think about it, kid. Everyone else will know their place and fewer kids will be tempted to sell us out. That's how this family sticks together. And, if I'm being honest, without two working eyes you are kinda useless going forward."

The last part stung him deeply. His parents thought the same, and as much as he tried to please those around him it was never quite enough. Jacob sunk back into the chair he was bound to, weeping.

"Oh, don't start the waterworks now. The good news is that Sal is going to bring your friend in. Did Mordecai tell you about his past?"

Jacob didn't answer. "I thought not. You see, he wasn't much different from you. Although he was far more intelligent. At some point I made the mistake of letting the kid do my accounting for me. The little rat swindled us out of hundreds of dollars. It doesn't seem like much now, but back then it was a big deal. He slipped through our net and disappeared. He never did tell us who his family is or where they lived. Probably saved all their lives by holding those cards close to his chest."

"Why. Why kill us?" Jacob asked somberly.

"I know its hard for a kid to understand. It's just the nature of the business, Jacob. We're all disposable, so if you can't pull your weight… well, that's how we end up here."

Without another word, Palmeri walked out of the room. Jacob sobbed thinking about how all their efforts had been in vain. If Mordecai came back here, it would be in chains.

Worst Fear

While Mordecai was polite, it became clear to him that he had caused distress and pain in his mother and sisters. Of course, that wasn't his intention. He had fled because staying would have meant either his death or the death of his family. Intentions didn't matter now, though. What's done is done. In any case, he had a room rented for the night and enough money to stay there for a while if necessary.

"Mother, Rose. I think that in light of all that has happened I should go back to the hotel for the night."

"You're leaving already?!" Rose asked. "But you just got here."

"I am aware. My presence has clearly caused distress to Esther and I don't wish to do the same to you or mother. I will be back tomorrow, but for now it is best to have space."

Rose, though disappointed, understood what her brother was trying to say. "I do have class in the morning and it is past time for me to go to bed. But I'm glad you're back, Mordecai. Don't leave us again."

"I won't leave the city in the same manner, that much is certain." Mordecai said. With his sister in the back of the apartment, it was just him and his mother.

"You've been quiet, mother. What's wrong?"

Tzipporah snapped out of her inner thoughts and smiled at Mordecai. "I was just thinking about how much time had passed, Mordecai. You've missed so much."

"Clearly."

Tzipporah then got out of her rocking chair and shuffled over to the mantle where all the family photos were displayed. She picked one our in particular and sat down next to Mordecai, letting him see it. He noticed that there was a cat in the picture that looked strikingly like him. He was fresh off the boat with the Statue of Liberty in the background. It still reflected the sun, shiny and new.

"Who is that?"

"This was your father, Mordecai."

Mordecai knew what his father looked like toward the end of his life, but he never guessed that he would look that alike. Everything from his build to his fur markings were identical in that photo. Issac was likely about the same age as he was now.

"You look just like Issac when I first saw him." Tzipporah said.

"I wish he was here, mother. I had to rely on others in the last ten years as a surrogate."

"I'm sure you did. But you are his son even now. He was intelligent like you, but also kind. He loved you and your sisters. That's who Rose and Esther need now. Someone who is kind and caring."

"I… don't think I'm suited for that task." Mordecai admitted, looking at his mother with tears welling up in his eyes. She gently wicked them away, noting how her son had a stray grey hair or two.

"Your muzzle is even aging like his did. You'll look distinguished in another ten years. Those girls need their brother, and I need my son."

"I won't be going anywhere, mother. But Esther—"

"She'll come around. Esther worked very hard to fill your place in this family."

"For whatever it is worth, mother. I'm sorry for leaving. There is a lot I need to explain."

"You'll get your chance, dear. If you must leave for the night, I understand."

Mordecai was now alone with his thoughts. His mission was successful, but now a new one beckoned. How could he possibly make up ten years of time with his family? They had grown and changed. Rose was always rambunctious, but now she was in college? As a boy he could hardly imagine such a future for any of them. Esther had worked her way up to a comfortable place in life, and now it was apparent that him suddenly reintroducing himself into this environment was going to change things for all of them.

Then there was the problem of Palmeri. His old boss knew he was in town now. Mordecai was confident he could handle the odd gangster or two but should Palmeri wish to take him by force he was a singular cat in a big city with no allies. Staying with them in the same apartment, or even the same building, would be risky. He would have to find an open apartment in the area, possibly a block or two from his family. He would also need to find work that was honest and stable, the exact opposite of being a hitman.

There was also the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that Jacob would still require help. He might not be suited to care for a child, but he could at least make sure the boy wasn't starving on the streets. In many ways Jacob had an even tougher time in life. Mordecai at least had a family who loved him and a mother who cared for his wellbeing. Jacob? He was the definition of a street cat. The boy lived on the streets and, if there was no intervention, would likely die on the streets.

As he approached the hotel, Mordecai noted that the light was still on. This likely meant that Jacob hadn't returned yet. A frustrating, foolish decision on the boy's part. He couldn't be far, though. And once Mordecai had secured himself it would be trivial to track down Jacob and assist him in joining a group home or a similar facility. But what if something had happened? Heller was already feeling guilty about his family, adding an innocent child to the list of people he had failed would sting even worse.

Just as he was about to climb the steps, a figure emerged from the shadows. "Took you long enough." the figure said as he let the light fall across his face. It wasn't Jacob.

"Sal." Heller hissed, turning to face the threat. He and Sal stared at each other down.