"Yes, father." I replied after a second or so.

He sighed a little. "I don't know why I ever let you start climbing trees."

I smiled fondly. "Because you didn't have a son to climb them."

He chuckled. "That's right. I have to wonder though, what are you doing up there, my little Alicorne?"

"Thinking." I replied shortly. "But I'm not such a 'little alicorne' anymore." I added, annoyance fringing my voice.

He nodded thoughtfully. "True, you are no longer a little child. You will always be my little Alicorne though."

I hopped to the ground from the branch I had been perched on. "Why did you come out here?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Maybe imp would be a more appropriate name. I heard you had an arguement with one of the girls at school today, have you forgotten?"

I sighed and kicked at the ground. "No, but she started it. She was being rude to one of the younger kids."

My father ruffled my hair a little. "Learn not to get involved, Alicorne."

I frowned. "Well someone had to stand up for the other girl."

His eyes misted over a little. "You remind me so much of your mother sometimes."

"Let's go inside, okay dad?" I said, smiling encouragingly. I didn't want him to start thinking of my mother again, it always made him melancholy. I didn't know what had happened to her, but I never tried to ask, it made my father too sad.

He nodded a little. "Right, inside."

I followed him in the door and stopped to stare at a painting of my mother. She had strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin everyone said was 'peaches and cream.' Although I really knew nothing about the circumstances of her death, I had heard a million times how much I looked and acted like her. Of course, none of what I had heard was actually true. I wasn't nearly as pretty as her and I was too busy climbing trees and staying in my own little world to be proper.

"Alethea." My father said, starting to sound impatient. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

I blinked and looked over at him. "Getting ready for what?"

He sighed and put a hand on my shoulder, directing me up the stairs. "Your cousin's ball, little Alicorne. Have you forgotten so soon?"

I kicked at the ground a little. "Do I have to go?"

He glanced at me sternly. "We've talked about this Alethea."

"Yes father." I said wearily and trudged up the stairs to put on my red satin dress and fix my hair. I could hear my father down the hall, also getting ready. Only he wasn't going to my cousin's ball, he was going out to dinner with Ms. Carraway, the first woman he had dated since my mother's death. I sighed and tried not to think about it as I fumbled with the laces and buttons on my dress.

~*~*~*~

I could hear a waltz playing as I arrived at my cousin's house. The butler led me in and I paused outside the door leading to the dance floor. I bit my lip upon seeing all of the people I didn't know, but closed my eyes and muttered softly. "They're just people, you can do this..." I sighed a little, ready to turn around and leave. "No I can't."

"Um... am I interrupting something?" A voice said from behind me.

I turned around and blushed as I saw a rather tall guy with black hair and blue eyes. "No, I was just... well, I was... oh dear."

He rolled his eyes. "You are an odd one, I knew that, but talking to yourself? Couldn't you act a little less ridiculous?"

I held my head a little higher and glared at him. "It's no concern of yours how I act."

"Fine." He said, starting to walk away. "Make a fool of yourself."

I stuck my tongue out at the black-haired boy in a childish gesture. I had met him a few times before, and he had always been equally annoying. His name was James Carraway. His mother was the one my father had a... relationship with, and I had to admit that I resented her. She was beautiful I suppose. She had silky black hair and emerald green eyes, a slightly turned up nose, slender figure, and dainty little hands. Apparently her husband had died of some sort of disease a few years back. I sighed and walked slowly into the ballroom. I wanted to turn and run, but settled for hiding in the corner beside a tree instead. I scanned the room once, making sure no one was paying attention to me, and then started reading a book of poems I had brought with me. Not long after, someone tripped over my feet. My head jerked up suddenly, and I sighed in aggravation as I saw James. "Can't you watch where you're going?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What on earth are you doing over here? Given that it is an improvement over you talking to yourself again, reading a book at a social event is hardly typical."

I scowled. "Well, forgive me for not being a social butterfly. I like being a wallflower much better."

He grabbed the book away from me. "What is this thing anyway? Sonnets?"

"Give it back!" I said testily, kicking him when he tried to hold it out of my reach.

He scowled and shrank back a little. "Aw, for the love of... You're very annoying, you know."

I clutched the book of sonnets to my chest and glowered at him. "And you are cantankerous."

"I think you are infatuated with me." He said with a side-long glance.

I made a rather unlady-like noise in my throat. "You're a stupid boy."

"Well, you're not the smartest person around you know!" He muttered under his breath as I walked away. I couldn't stand to be around him any longer. Anyway, even if I wasn't hidden by the tree, I knew I wouldn't be asked to dance. It was something I had long ago discovered, when it came to people, I was as good as invisible. Anything I said or did would most likely go unnoticed, and I prefered that it stayed that way.

Later at home, when my father asked how the dance had been, I just made up a story. That's always how it went, he was happier that way. When I told him how much fun I had had, he simply smiled, buying every word, so I kissed his cheek and walked upstairs to get some sleep.

The next morning I woke up later than usual and hurried downstairs, almost disappointed that my father would have all ready left for work. I stopped as I saw him sitting at the table reading a paper. He looked at me from behind the paper and smiled. "Good morning, Alicorne!"

"Um.. yeah." I said slowly, and looked at the nearest clock. "Do you know what time it is?"

He nodded. "Yes, I'm not going to work today, I'm taking the day off."

I laughed nervously and sat in the nearest chair. "Oh, that's funny. No, really, did you change the clocks or something to trick me?"

He gave me a firm look. "I don't work that much, Alethea. Anyway, today is... special." He looked at his watch and jumped up. "I have to get ready, we're having visitors today. You too little Alicorne."

"Visitors? Who?" I asked curiously, but he was all ready out of the room. I sighed and stood up, walking up to my room once again to get ready for whoever was coming. I was sitting in the library, reading a book, when the mystery guests finally arrived. I walked out of the library and started to smile, but stopped when I saw James standing in the hall next to his mother. My father turned to me, looking entirely too happy. "Alethea, Ms. Carraway and her son James are here."

I raised an eyebrow at James, but smiled politely. "Hello." I said simply, sending a questioning look to my father.

He winked at me and led us into the dining room. When everyone was almost done with dinner my father cleared his throat. "Alethea, James..." He started, and James and I shared alarmed glances. "Anna and I, are going to get married."

"What?!" I practically yelled, suddenly very angry.

James jumped out of his chair. "You mean I have to put up with her?!" He said, pointed a finger in my direction.

His mother looked at him disapprovingly. "James! Apologize!"

"He doesn't need to." I said bitterly. "Because the feeling is quite mutual!"

"There, you see!" James said, glaring at me. "She's insufferable!"

"Alethea, be mature about this." My father said warningly.

I stood up quickly. "No! If mother were here, she'd understand!"

"Alethea Katra Broughton-"

I shook my head. "Oh, save your breath. I'm going!" I said, storming up the stairs and to my room. A few seconds later there was a soft knock on the door and a muffled sing song voice. "Oh, annoying girl!"

I groaned and jerked the door open, glaring at James. "What do you want?"

He leaned against the doorframe. "I'm supposed to apologize... but I don't regret what I said, nor do I think I was wrong, so just pretend I did, okay?" I scowled and very graciously slammed the door in his face, then could hear a growl from the other side of the door. "Fine, but don't blame me when they ship you off to some boarding school because you act like a little brat!"

I waited until I heard his footsteps retreating down the stairs before I snuck out of my room and listened to the conversation in the kitchen. "I'm sure you tried James, she can be very difficult at times."

I winced a little when I heard my fathers words, but waited a little longer. Anna was the next one to talk. "Really, I don't understand why you let her be so obstinate. Just because she never had a mother is no reason to let her grow up to be anything but a lady. I still think a boarding school would teach her some manners."

I bit my lip and waited for my father to defend me. All that I heard was a defeated sigh. "You could be right, but it would be hard to send her away to school... and she would never forgive me for that."

"That's just what I mean." Anne started, trying to sound sympathetic. "I know it would be hard dear, but she would be such a wonderful girl when she came back you wouldn't even recognize her. You wouldn't even have to send her far away.."

I stood up and went back to my room before I could hear anything else. I closed the door behind me and closed my eyes as I leaned against it, trying to compose myself. It worked for a moment, but the second my mind drifted back to the conversation downstairs a soft cry escaped my lips and I jumped onto my bed, burrying my face in a stuffed animal that had all ready suffered being soaked in tears many times before. Even as a child it seemed the soft fur of a toy bear had been my only shoulder to cry on because my father, as much as the dear man loved me, was never there. I was utterly alone when I needed a friend the most. I stifled my tears as I stood up and wiped at my wet cheeks for a moment, trying to pull myself together. "Don't be a baby. People deal with much worse everyday. You can handle this." I nodded, convincing myself, and tried to wipe away some of the tear tracks.

~^~^~^~^~^~

Two months later I snuck to the library while the guests for the party celebrating the wedding tomorrow talked down the hall. I had nothing else to do but read, and no one would notice my absense, so I curled up in the window seat with the book. Not long after I had settled myself into the seat, a voice from the next room over startled me back to reality. I dove under a table, hoping I wouldn't be seen as I heard some others discussing something. "It's about time he married again. After what that first woman put him through, he deserves some happiness."

"He certainly does. Where is his first wife now? I haven't heard about her for years." Said a second voice.

"I hear she's in New York still. Alethea doesn't even know. I suppose it's best though. The girl has obviously inherited her mother's personality. I heard she threw a fit when she heard about the marriage."

I bit my lip and backed away, bumping into someone. I spun around and looked up at James sheepishly. "Yes?"

"Eavesdropping? You really are immature." He said disdainfully. "Has it ever occured to you that some things just aren't any of your business?"

I blushed guiltily. "They're talking about my mother!" I hissed, hoping the people in the next room wouldn't hear. "It is my business!"

He glared at me. "If your father never told you about her, he had a reason. I don't see why it matters."

"She's alive! I could go find her, I could talk to her." I said in an excited voice.

He scowled at me. "What makes you think she wants you to find her? If she cared at all she wouldn't have left."

"That's not true. I know it's not." I replied defensively.

He sighed. "Look, just forget you ever heard anything. The last thing your father needs right now is you running out on him too. Now go back to the party."

I cast my eyes away and left the room, stopping outside of my father's office. I looked around cautiously before I opened the door and slipped inside. I battled with my conscious as I opened a drawer and shuffled through a few papers in his desk, looking for some kind of clue. I finally found an envelope from New York City. I squinted to try and make out the name and could barely read, "Lucrezia Broughton." I glanced around the room nervously before writing the address on a piece of paper and slipping it into my dress.

"What are you doing in here?"

I spun around and smiled innocently at James. "Nothing, I was just getting a book to read." I said, grabbing a random book from my father's collection.

He walked over and took the book, looking at the spine. "Do you read the dictionary a lot?"

I blushed. "Well.. sometimes I guess."

He rolled his eyes. "You're impossible. You know that, right?" He held out a hand. "The paper please."

I tried to keep from pouting and stepped back, lifting my head up a little. "No."

He growled. "Damn you. Give me the paper, Alethea."

I shook my head, trying to hide my uncertainty. "You can't have it, Jamie." I said defiantly.

"Would you think of someone other than yourself for once and forget about New York?" He whispered angrily, grabbing my arm and shaking me a little. "What are you going to do? Go there? Your mother obviously doesn't care about you or she would be here now. What will happen to your father if you leave? Have you ever thought about that? Well? Have you?"

I pulled my arm away from him grudgingly. "What do you care? He doesn't need me anymore anyway. He's got Anna, remember?"

"You're the closest person in this world to him, little Alicorne." He replied scornfully. "He would never abandon you. What makes you think your mother will accept you?"

I turned away to hide the tears building up in my eyes. "I know."

"How do you know?" He asked, turning me back to face him and looking me in the eye. I tried to pull myself loose, but he kept a firm grip on me. "Give me a reason, a real reason."

"I remember her." I said quietly, refusing to meet his eyes. "I remember the night she left... she said something to me and she meant it. She loved me, I know she did."

He paused and considered what I said for a moment. "What did she say?"

I felt my face flush with embarrassment. "I don't remember... it was in french."

"French? You didn't understand a word she said but you're using that as a reason to abandon your father?" He scowled. "Maybe you should stop reading so many fairy tales, Alicorne."

"Stop it! Stop calling me that!" I shoved him away angrily. "I didn't have to understand her words to know what she meant!" I faltered for a second and finally turned to leave. "Oh, just leave me alone."

"Alethea." He said lowly and through grit teeth, "Personally, I don't care what you do, but your father needs you. What will he do without you?"

I paused for a second and then looked back at James solemnly. "I don't know, but maybe then he'll know how I've felt."

"Don't think you're going to change the subject. I don't want this marriage to happen anymore than you do, but there's really nothing we can do to prevent it."

I walked back over to the desk and sat down, running my fingers over the surface. "I'm not going. Even if I don't go to New York, I'm not going to that wedding."

I heard a pause before he replied."Yeah, I know."

"You know?" I asked, looking over at him skeptically. "How do you know?"

He smiled sardonically. "Somehow, I doubt you'll stick around that long. You don't strike me as the reasonable type."

I looked over at him suspiciously. "You wouldn't try to stop me?"

He let out a short, scornful laugh. "Oh, I have no objections to you leaving at all. I quite like the idea."

I rolled my eyes. "Gee thanks, I'm really compelled to stay now."

He sighed a little and offered an arm. "Come back to the party with me, Alethea?"

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing and took his arm and walked back to the party. My father smiled and walked over to us. "Well, I'm glad to see you two are finally getting along."

James nodded a little. "Uh, yeah. I guess we can go without killing each other."

My father laughed and put an arm around my shoulder, hugging me a little. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine if you give each other a chance and try to be friends. Right, Alicorne?" He looked down at me hopefully.

I forced a smile and nodded. "Of course we will."

He grinned from ear to ear and looked at the party guests. "I never knew how much I missed parties like this. The laughter and music... it's nice, isn't it?"

I looked around at the people and sighed. "Yeah. Really nice." I replied in a less than happy voice.

1:30 AM

I closed my bedroom door behind me as quietly as possible and turned to walk down the hall, but winced when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned around and looked down at the floor. "I uh... couldn't sleep?"

"You idiot." A voice said, and when I looked up I realized it was James, "I already know where you're going."

I frowned a little. "Are you going to stop me?"

"No, I was thinking of throwing a party." He said, glaring at me.

"Well then I guess I'll leave right away so that we'll both have something to celebrate." I replied coldly.

"Fine, I guess we will. Although I doubt you'll have much of a celebration chasing after something as pointless as if you were trying to catch your own tail." He remarked snidely from behind me.

I spun around and glared at him, wanting to come up with one remark, one comment to get back at him, anything to get the last word... but my mind was blank. Without another word I turned to go.

Three days later...

I looked down at the piece of paper I had scrawled the address on and up at the apartment buildings once again. The street number was deffinately correct. I drew a deep breath and entered the building, walking up a few flights of stairs until I came to apartment number 42. I knocked softly on the door, waiting patiently for someone to answer.

The door crept open and someone stared out at me from the other side, examining me through the crack. Without saying a word, they closed the door once again. I blinked in surprise. "Hello? Excuse me, I'm terribly sorry if I've come at a bad time but I really must speak with you." I said nervously to the closed door. "Please?" I added desperately when there was no answer.

The door finally creeped open with painstaking slowness and a man in his forties looked me over quickly, resembling a bird with the way he moved his head every few seconds in one position or another. His hair was frayed and kind of wild, with streaks of gray staggered here and there, and once his blue eyes had examined me they darted down both sides of the hall quickly. In a flash he pulled me inside and closed the door, covering my mouth when I shrieked. "No, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you I just don't feel safe out there."

I backed away quickly and tried to not show my fear. "I'm not afraid."

He paced the floor a few times, biting his nails and looking at the window every now and then. "Well?"

"Well what?" I asked, fighting the nervousness that was starting to rub off on me.

He stopped his pacing long enough to look annoyed. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh, yes! I did!" I brushed the front of my dress off and folded my hands behind my back. "Well, you see... I'm looking for Lucrezia Broughton."

His head snapped back in my direction and he examined me once again. After a few awkward seconds his eyes snapped back up to meet mine, a look of amazement carved across his features. "I can't believe I didn't realize... you do look just like her." He nodded. "Yes, you look just like dear Lu. Alethea, is it?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's my name. I don't suppose you could tell me where she is Mr..?"

He started pacing again. "Oh dear, I never told you my name. I'm Dave, Dave Rudabough."

"Well, Mr. Rudabough, I don't know how you know my mother but if you know where-"

"Sister." He broke in.

"Pardon me?" I asked, confused and slightly annoyed by the way he was acting.

He tried to smile at me but the corner of his mouth kept twitching a little. "Lucrezia, my sister."

"Oh... I see." I said weakly, sitting down in the nearest chair. "You're my.... uh... Uncle."

"Yes. I'm sure you're hoping there's nothing in heredity." He joked as his eyes darted to the window.

"Yeah," I said, nodding thoughtlessly. When it finally occurred to me what I had said I put a hand over my mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just surprised, that's all. Now could you please tell me where my mother is?"

He stopped his pacing once again and diverted his eyes away from mine. "Oh, goodness gracious me... I thought... well... it's not really something I should tell you."

"Just tell me where she is, please." I said, starting to loose my patience.

He shook his head sadly. "Very well. But you won't like it." After putting on a coat and pulling a hat down over his eyes he opened the window. "Come on."

"The fire escape? You must be joking."

He crawled out the window and motioned for me to follow. "The coast is clear."

I sighed and followed him down the fire escape. "What do you mean, 'the coast is clear'?"

He held a finger to his lips. "Just follow, don't ask questions."

I rolled my eyes and followed him down a few streets until he finally stopped. "We're here."

I looked up at a beautiful cathedral. "My mother is a nun?"

"A nun? Oh, heavens no." He pointed to a cemetary. "Now do you understand?"

I bit my lip. "But... but I never got to talk to her... I..."

He took my arm and led me through the gates and to a headstone marked, "Lucrezia Katherine Broughton. 1867-1895 Beloved wife and mother."

My uncle shifted uncomfortably as I kneeled next to the tombstone. "I'm very sorry Alethea, but I have to go now. Good bye."

"Wait!" I shouted, not wanting to be alone, but he darted out of the gates and was gone. "Don't go." I whispered to the air, wrapping my arms around myself as I began to cry. It wouldn't do any good. It wouldn't bring my mother back so that I could hug her and laugh and she could tell me how much she missed me... No, it wouldn't do that anymore than it would take James and his mother out of my father's life so that things could once again be like they were when I was a kid. I sat there and cried for a while, a few minutes or a few hours, I wasn't sure, before I stood up once again and wiped my cheeks. I looked down at the cold gray stone and patted it softly, trying to fight back the feeling of being cheated. "Good bye, mother." I muttered softly, leaving the cemetary and walking down the street, kicking at the cobblestones. I would certainly have to go back to Boston now, and it hurt my pride, knowing James had been right all along. I imagined going back, and the smug look on his face when he realized I had failed after all. The idea made me queasy and I sat down on the sidewalk. I looked up as I saw a girl with long black hair across the street, selling newspapers. 'I could do that.' I thought, watching her carefully. 'Anything is better than going back, right?' I stood up and followed her, finally managing to get the courage to speak about five minutes later. "Um... excuse me?"

She spun around and stared at me for a while. "Yes?"

"I'm Ale.. " I stopped myself and managed a small, nervous smile before going on, "Alicorne. I'm Alicorne. Are you.. I mean, what you do. Is it at all possible, do you think, maybe, would I be able to do that." I pointed to the stack of papers, realizing I had made a complete fool of myself.

She smiled graciously and offered a hand. "I'm Mysteria. If you want to be a newsie, there are still some places open in the lodging house. I'm almost done selling my papers, so I can take you there."

"Great!" I grinned broadly and waited as she sold the last of her papers, then followed her down the street to a building. I walked in behind her and smiled to myself. I wouldn't have to go back to Boston after all, I could just start my own life, and Ravenswood seemed like as good a place as any.

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