“Rainbow,” he pleaded, frowning. “At least consider it!”

He threw his hands up in the air agitatedly, rising from her bed. His eye shot over to Ink. “There’s no talking sense into her. She thinks she’s already a freakin’ adult!”

He groaned, running a hand through his messy, light brown hair, fingers brushing against the black patch that covered his eye. A soft tap at the window caught his attention. He looked at the window in surprise, not expecting to see a face there. Striding over quickly, he opened it, admitting the young woman on the other side. His eyes narrowed as he inspected her.

“Hey, I know you…” he said slowly, brows furrowed together, a line forming between his eyes. “You’re that chick that’s always in the tabloids. I’ve seen your picture!”

He looked around the hospital room in confusion. “So what the hell are you doing here? You’ve got the wrong room… Rehab’s upstairs.”

Were Rainbow and Ink as surprised as he was by their newest visitor? Hadn’t she looked through the window at them before knocking? What did she want with them? Was this how heiresses spent their time now? She either gained enjoyment from viewing the injured and sick, or she was secretly a humanitarian. Looking at her, he severely doubted the latter. Her outfit didn’t exactly scream ‘Mother Teresa.’

Ink leaned closer to Rainbow, combing her fingers through the child's hair and shutting her eyes as she curled against the child. Yes, Xhana deeply loved the child. She could feel it. Though she could not remember much of her being around, she could relearn all she had forgotten...

Patch got up, standing back and making something of a fuss. Ink turned her head softly, before leaving the bedside and moving to his own. Standing before him, she covered his eye and leaned to his ear.

"Sh." Ink whispered quickly. "We've all had a rough day. I'm ready to go home..." As she removed her head, she saw a woman tap the window then move inside via Patch's letting her inside.

Ink turned almost defensively to face her, looking then at Rainbow.

"I do believe you have the wrong room." She whispered. Ink took a deep breath, flicking her eyes back to Patch, her hand subconsciously seeking his. Her fingers fumbled until his arm had been found, and they laced around his wrist softly.

"Katie is not feeling well yet, can you return later?" Xhana said, trying to abolish her Brazilian accent. Yeah.
Later when they weren't there.

"Okay I'm considering it and my answer's no," Rainbow said stubbornly. She ignored Patch's comment about her thinking she was an adult because it was true, she did think that. Sitting up a bit more, she pulled the lollipop stick out of her mouth and threw it on the ground.

She then looked up to see the girl. Rainbow wasn't quite sure who she was but she was positive that she had seen the girl's pictures on news and magazine racks. "My name's not Katie!" Rainbow whined as she slumped farther into the bed and pulled the blankets up higher. "Now can we go back to the alley to find Maybe?" She asked with a yawn.

Lauren pushed her hand through her black hair as the door opened. She smiled at them, especially to the child but frowned at the man's recognition of her. "Yeah, I know I am," She said dully, "And I'm not fu- freaking here for rehab, Mr. Pirate," She said, stopping herself from cursing infront of the little girl.

Lauren walked past the man but then the girl began to talk. Lauren narrowed her eyes. That girl was farmiliar. And then it clicked. "Oh! You're that girl from Kat's Kradle!" She remembered with a grin. "You both are sure as hell not older than me so there's no way you had a kid as old as her. Besides, you don't even seem to know her name," Lauren added as she walked over to the child, listening to what she had said. An alley way?

"What's this with an alley way?" She asked as she sat down next to the little girl, looking at the heavily bandaged foot. She pulled her wallet out and played with it in her hands as she waited for a response.

Patch glared at the girl who had come in. She obviously didn’t belong there, and by the tone of Ink’s voice, she agreed. The tone of the socialite’s voice was condescending and he didn’t like it one bit. When his friends made jokes about his eye patch, it was one thing. They meant it light-heartedly. They all had less-than-flattering nicknames for each other. But when a stranger said it who didn’t know a thing about him, it struck a nerve.

“If you’re not here for rehab, and you don’t know any of us, you should just get out then.” he said, voice gravelly and rough. His blue eye was slightly narrowed in distaste. “Beside’s, you don’t fuckin’ know how old we are. Don’t assume you know us. And her name is Katie, she’s just being a smart ass.”

He glared at the obstinate child. “Stop telling people that Katie isn’t your name.” he told her, shaking his head at her disapprovingly. Rainbow wasn’t doing anything to help matters. If she kept talking about alley ways and her name not being Katie, someone was going to call the cops. Then the real trouble would begin. There was already a report filed for a mugger with an eye patch. How hard would it be to put two and two together?

“Hey, no one said you could sit next to her!” he said as the girl sat down at the end of the hospital bed. He moved to place himself between the stranger and his unwilling ward. “And it’s none of your business what she says. Stay out of it.” His good eye darted to Rainbow, a fiercely protective look on his face.

He was rough and could be rude, but he didn’t want Rainbow taken away. She’d be put into the system and they would never see her again. At least if she stayed with the gang, him and Ink would be able to watch out for her, and possibly talk her into moving back with her parents. The stranger was a threat to them.

Ink had a mean look on her face, lips tightly lined in frustration as the woman asked too much for her own good. She stepped closer, but Patch beat her to the point. Once his words were said and his will stated, Ink was beside him, staring at the woman a little less rudely, but still distastefully.

"I apologize, but we want you to leave. You don't know us, and you don't anything about our lives. Do not try, do not try it at all..." Ink stepped closer to Patch, almost helping him to create a shield around Rainbow.

"Katie suffered a bit of trauma and she is not mentally able to be questioned right now, do you understand? She's having a hard time, hard enough without you." She said sternly. Ink brushed back her dark hair...

"And... You don't recognize me, I'm not whoever you think I am." She said stubbornly, leaning beside Patch and moving a hand over Rainbow's- grazing Patch's hip as she moved.

"Please, if you are going to do or say something, then... then get it over with. We all want to go home."

"Yes, I do recognize you," Lauren said, annoyance in her voice. Sure, it wasn't her buisness to be here but what if they had kindapped this poor, innocent child? They obviously were not the child's parents and Lauren was atleast sure of that.

Her hands moved to her pocket, re-appearing with a shiny iPhone in her hands. Quickly tapping it a few times she held it out to the woman. On ths screen was a dark picture but the people in it were still visable. It was Lauren's good friend or old friend [her ex] from a few weeks ago at Kat's Kradle. Standing next to him was the woman who claimed to be the small child's mother, obviously not dressed appropraitly for a mother. Lauren understood that some people had to do what they had to do to put food on their tables but this couple couldn't be any older than twenty.

After a few moments she pulled the phone back and slid it into the pocket of the tight jeans. "I mean, if you're sure that you're really "Katie's" parents then you wouldn't mind if I called the police just to make sure, right? If you're not then just tell me.. it's not like I'm going to turn you in or anything. I just don't like being lied to. I'm not as stupid as the papers and reporters say I am."

Maybe just rolled her eyes at the boy as she took another sip of the gingerale. It had only barely helped her stomach and once Patch got back she'd have to ask for some money to buy medicine for it.

She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and walked into the alley with Bolt to find it pretty quiet and empty. Jewel was still asleep in his corner and Smoke was there too with a few others but Rainbow, Ink and Patch seemed to be gone. Maybe groaned, remembering their unwelcomed visitor, Cash, from earlier. He better not have killed them all off.. but Patch wouldn't let that happen.

Maybe shrugged as an answer to Bolt's question. "I dunno. Probably just out to get candy or something for Rainbow. I'm sure they'll be back in a bit," She answered although she was almost sure that this wasn't the case.

Patch crossed his arms over his chest, studying her carefully. He could feel Ink at his side, lending silent support. After a moment he slightly raised his eyebrows, smiling openly at the girl.

“All right, call the police then.” he said, sure she was just bluffing. Or at least, he hoped she was. If she started dialing 911, they’d have to make a quick exit. He put his arm around Ink’s shoulders and stared at the other girl disdainfully. Why was she being so difficult? Did she enjoy causing trouble in other people’s lives? Was that how heiresses amused themselves these days. He had seen her flash her wallet casually. No doubt she was loaded, yet didn’t know the value of money.

Ink scoffed at the woman's threat, hand gently moving away from Rainbow's to grip the sheet behind Patch, trying to vent a bit of the frustration better than Patch. Because at the moment, Ink wanted to laugh and scream. Laugh because Patch was such a good man wrapped up in sarcasm, but still having a good heart. After today, Ink would better admire him. She would better respect and cherish the company of Thomas More.

Her lips upturned a soft and teeny smile at the thought of his name. Saying it in her head with a perfect and almost complete American sound made her feel a little more relieved.

"Look, miss..." Ink began gently, moving her hand up around Patch's waist, her fingers sliding over his side and gently stroking towards his stomach before stopping. The feel of him made her nervous- but not in a bad way. She felt jittery, but at east. Excited, but so calm.

"We are not Katie's biological parents. I am her adopted mother, and this is my fiance." Xhana said softly. "I apologize if we were impolite, just... after what Katie has just went through, we weren't ready nor prepared for someone else to come about... I'm sorry for our rudeness. But still, if I may, what is it that brings you here?" Ink said. She was trying hard to make her words fit, and they did. Her accent gently toned her words, but made them all the more beautiful. And her sharp and gorgeous foreign face seemed to glow with a caramel colored light when her lush bow-shaped lips were tugged into a simple smile.

Rainbow studied the girl closely. Her black and pink hair, her nice looking clothes and lots of makeup. "I like you," Rainbow said as she reached out and grabbed one of the strands of pink highlighted hair.

She could hear Patch and Ink talking but she wasn't listening much until she heard the word - police. She became instantly nervous, "But you guys said whenever I saw the police to run away!" Rainbow said. It was true, most street kids had to run from the cops if they didn't want to be put in one of those stupid youth homes or be caught with drugs.

"Don't call 'em!" Rainbow pleaded to the girl, nervously yet oblivious to the fact that Ink and Patch had it all under control. She stepped out of the bed with her good foot and then pushed the bad one to the floor with it. Limping, she managed to make it a few steps closer to the door before sitting down out of tiredness. "Patchy, tell her not to call 'em!"

"Alright," Bolt answered dully as he walked over to his area of the alley and pulled out a flashlight, flipping the switch on. Only one of the batteries still had juice left in it which made the light pretty dim but better than just the fading street lights.

He sat down against the flat cardboard of a bed and flashed the bare light around the alley way, noticing that barely anyone really was here. With a loud and dramatic sigh, Bolt got up and walked back over to maybe, flashlight in hand.

"Let's go look for 'em!" Bolt suggested, now not really believing the thing about candy. What places would be open at this hour?

Lauren frowned at the man with the eye patch. "I will then," She said, actually serious. This whole situation seemed a bit odd. Working with homeless people, she had a feeling that this little group might be but she couldn't be sure. The child's face was dirty but why would two people around her age be taking care of her?

Lauren dialed 911 but didn't press send because the woman had began to speak. Adopted parents? A bare chance of that. "How'd she get hurt anyway?" Lauren interrupted but then listened to what the woman had to say, or ask. "I originally came here to offer to pay for the little girl's visit, crutchs, wheelchair, whatever the hell she needs. I'm not the bitch they portray me to be but obviously -" She was cut off when the little girl began to yell out in fear about not calling the police.

She felt bad for causing the child fear but couldn't help to laugh at the nickname the child had given to the man with the eye patch.

A feeling of dread pulsed through his body as the girl began actually dialing the police. Had he misjudged her so badly? He had thought he was good at reading people, but she had proven him wrong. She called his bluff and dialed.

Now he was in deep shit, he realized. His arm fell off of Ink’s slim shoulders, reaching out to grasp Rainbow’s hand, ready to pull her into his arms and run. Escaping a hospital would be hard, but if the police arrived, he was going to jail anyway. If he had to, he would take his chances.

He was lucky Ink maintained her temper. She was more reasonable than the brash, quick to anger, smart ass Patch. The girl had pressed the numbers but had not yet sent the call. They still had a chance. He felt a surge of gratitude toward Ink, and a sense of confusion to their visitor.

He took a deep breath, slouching against the bed. He looked to the floor and then his bright blue eye flickered up to the newcomer. Patch studied her face, as if trying to decide whether or not he could trust her. His expression was fierce, protective.

A new realization hit him like a train. He couldn’t tell her what happened to Rainbow. If he told her the child was shot in the foot, her next question would no doubt be how, or by whom. That line of questioning led him and Ink to Cash’s apartment, where Ink had forced a razor down the man’s throat, killing him. Cash’s wallet, thick with ill-earned bills, burned in his pocket, evidence of their crime. What was he supposed to tell her?

He looked in her eyes and found something he didn’t expect to see there. Hidden amongst her obvious distaste for him was actual compassion. Perhaps he ought to have given her a chance and not leapt to conclusions. Perhaps if he was more open and honest with her now, she would take pity and not call the police.

He sighed, dragging a hand across his eye. “She was shot.” he said finally, looking up at her steadily. “She was kidnapped by a very bad man, and he shot her.”

He reached out, putting a hand on her arm. “Please don’t call the police. We’re all she’s got.” he told the girl, eyes traveling across her face, seeking another sign that there was something deeper to her.

Ink sighed as the woman began dialing 911. Her hand instinctively reached for Patch's, but hovered over it in case it didn't go through. And good thing too. Rainbow had leaped from the bed crying about the police were bad. Ink winced at the child's obliviousness to their tries to cover the truth, but it was too late.

Xhana was starting to dislike children, for their big mouths. But she still loved Rainbow.

She covered her face then as wondrous Patch threw up a confession. She didn't see that coming. If she could've guessed something to come from that smartass mouth, it would've been more curses and bluffs. But he manned up to what happened. Not exactly the route Ink would've taken, but it seemed to have hit a spot for a second at least.

She finally laid her hand on his, only to draw it an inch away and settle it on her thigh- covered in folds of the far-too-big white t-shirt.

"Don't call the police. She is all we've got, and we are all she has. Patch is right.... Her life is always being watched by us. We'd eagerly give our lives in place for her own, but she ran from us, and was kidnapped. We did not waste a minute though. Our worry saved her from..."

Xhana turned her eyes down, remembering the filthy man's touch, then turning her eyes up to Rainbow.

"He could've done a lot worse to her..." She whispered. Her eyes- so rich and honey-over-oak in appearance- fell back to the woman.

"We would gladly appreciate any donation, be it big or small. And we are sorry for misunderstanding. But after what she went through, we are just nervous. We cannot afford to lose her again."

Lauren nodded sympathetically. They were either really good liars or they did care about the little girl. Putting the phone back into her pocket she looked at them. It was such a strange group, Lauren wondered how they're paths through life had met eachother and more so why the older two hadn't left her.

She fidgeted with the wallet in her pocket. She was sure that these guys must have some money if they could afford having a child but Lauren still was wondering whether they really were nice to the poor girl. She didn't seem well taken care of, being covered in dirt and scrapes but she had obviously been shot and if they really didn't care they wouldn't have brought her to a hospital.

"Where do you live?" Lauren questioned. The thought of the alley way that the child had mentioned and how the group reminded her of a young tribe of homeless kids on the West end of Centeral Park. Of course she wasn't sure if they were part of it or even knew of it but she still lingered on the idea.


[Sorry for the crappy post. Been at the inauguration all day.]

His uncovered eye shot to Ink’s and he shook his head. “No, we don’t need donations.” he told both of them, but was looking at Ink. He didn’t want or need handouts. “We’re doing just fine. You’ve got a job and I…” had learned a great new way to earn money. “I’ll have one soon.” he finished weakly.

That was a lie. He couldn’t even fill out an application. He couldn’t read, he couldn’t write, he didn’t even have a social security number or a telephone number and address. No place would take him even if he tried.

He looked to Lauren, repeating himself. “We don’t need a hand out.” he reiterated, still proud despite his upbringing. He didn’t want to owe anything to anyone, much less some party-girl that had a mother Teresa streak running through her. “We appreciate it, and thanks, but no thanks.”

Her question put him on the spot and he paused uneasily. Where did they live? Anywhere they could. An alley with an overhang for wet nights, or a few dry boxes would do. He’d even slept in the park on a bench, staring up at the stars, jacket draped over him like a blanket.

Where hadn’t the gang lived? They were always coming together and separating. No one was forced to stick with the group, and they often left for a little time on their own. Patch certainly had. He had just gotten back from a week long venture in Manhattan, mugging the rich folks.

“We ah, live near Central Park.” he hedged, looking inconspicuously to Ink for help. He could feel his lie crumbling apart quickly. It was time to change tactics.

He suddenly smiled at the girl in a friendly manner, putting his hand softly over hers. “Maybe I can even show it to you sometime…” he said quietly, smile fading into an expression that read ‘I’m interested in you, please don’t ruin my life.’ “But ah, we kinda need to get little Katie home for now. No time to be taking visitors.”

As Patch said that they lived near Central Park, Ink was readying to save him yet again. She took a deep breath, eyes barely catching onto his hand over the girl's. Xhana's lips grew tight, almost as if by instinct. Tearing her eyes away, she turned her head and stared at the wall.

Was Patch going to flirt his way out of this one? What the hell was wrong with him? Maybe if he'd shut the hell up, they'd be fine. Paired with the help of Rainbow now jumping around screaming 'Don't call the police, please no po-po!'

Before her thoughts could finish, a strong sweeping headache struck the side of her head, and she winced in pain. Again, it felt like a butterfly emerging from her brain. Parting its wings from the center of her two lobes. She parted her lips, keeping her head turned away.

Something wet, something cool... It seemed to drip down over her lip, and the taste was like a penny... What... No...

She wiped her finger under her nose and blood was there- on her finger. It wasn't a bad nose bleed, just a drop or two. That's not bad, right? No, it can't be. Everybody gets nose bleeds.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped the rest of the blood away before it could dot on the white shirt, and she rubbed it on the side of the bed- almost the underside, so no one could see it. Then, she took a deep breath, looking back at the woman once the blood was gone.

She prepared her words.

We are moving to Sundale Apartments, across Central Park. We're still moving in right now though, so it's a little undecorated.

"W'erm..ovingta..." She shut her mouth, turning her head back in the other direction. Speech slurred. Problem. Couldn't be linked with the nosebleed, could it?

Ink cleared her throat, looking back at the others slightly with a smile.

"Sund..ale... Apart..ments." She muttered softly. Ink looked down, a pit growing in her stomach.

Rainbow turned her head, still sitting on the floor so she could now see them. "You know what?" She asked the woman but answered it before she could responded. "Ink's gonna let me get lots of tattoo's like she gots an' you're gonna gimme rainbow hair like you gots cause then I'll have a reason to be called Rainbow and stupid Patchy will stop makin' fun of it," She finished as she layed back on the cold floor.

She giggled at the sound of Ink blurting out random sounds which were supposed to be words. Rainbow didn't realize she was hurt but sat up to see what was going on. "Why're you talkin' weird, Inky?" Rainbow asked as she pulled herself off of the ground and managed to limp back over to them.

She then climbed back onto the bed, sitting on the edge of it and soon she was distracted from Ink and was contently occupied with playing with the pink higlights in the woman's hair.

The young man looked up as Ink’s words became slurred and nonsensical. His black eye patch stood out even more as his face whitened beneath his slight tan. A drop of blood had just slid down her lips, dropping onto her chin. Patch turned away from the girl, his fingers fluttering over her wrist as he turned, and he reached for a tissue from the box on the counter, gently wiping away the drop of ruby redness, pulling her hand up to hold the tissue to her nose.

“Xhana,” he asked, using her real name. “ Are you okay?”

His uncovered eye held worry in it’s blue depths, the color slightly darkening. He didn’t wait for her to respond and slid his hands around her, pulling her up in a smooth motion to the bed that Rainbow had evacuated. He laid her back against the pillows, the back of his hand sliding across her cheek. He looked at the child with a sharp glance. “Rainbow, just hush.” he told her gruffly, hand on Ink’s tattoo covered arm.

When the woman looked at him he cursed. “Holy shit, Ink. You’re having another one of those… fits… aren’t you? This is that brain thing you were tellin’ me about.”

He shook his head in disbelief. First the kid, and now her. How was he going to sort things out without her? He didn’t handle himself so well when surrounded by the man. He got himself into trouble.

His eye darted up to Lauren, panicked, lips parted. “Should- should we get a doctor?” he asked, squeezing Ink’s hand. “I’m sorry you’ve gotten involved. You might wanna leave now.” he warned her. She was too used to her plush, cushy life. She didn’t look like she could handle the grit of the streets, the bitter reality that was their lives.