As she looked down at the papers again, a drop of water started to smear the ink down the page. "Aww shoot! Now I’m gonna get all wet too," she said, as raindrops splattered around her. Alex quickly picked up her papers and headed into Central Park, the nearest cover she could find.

Between the leafy branches of the trees, hardly any water got through, and Alex stayed mostly dry. All of a sudden, she heard two familiar voices.

"An’ besides, it ain’t like we have to be back for anything important," Blink said to Mush.

"Hey boys," Alex called. "You get caught by the rain too?"

"Oh hey Alex," Mush said smiling at her. His heart started to beat faster and his cheeks got pink as she walked over to them. Blink looked sideways at Mush, and opened his eyes wider, trying to convey that Mush should calm down, but he wasn’t really able to. Alex had only been in the Manhattan Lodging House for a few days, but the moment she walked into the bunkroom, Mush had fallen head over heels for her.

"Hey there," Alex said, smiling when she got over to the two. "So ya wanna walk over where there’s more trees so we don’t get wet?" she asked them. Blink and Mush nodded quickly and picked up their remaining papers.

"I think you did better than we did," Mush said staring at Alex’s stack of papers, trying desperately to start a conversation with her. "Or at least, better than me."

"Maybe," Alex said slowly. "But I doubt it. Hey, there’s some benches over there," she said pointing. "You guys wanna go sit down?"

"Sounds good, Alex," Blink said.

No sooner had they gotten over to the benches, then Alex found someone curled up on one of them. "No, no it can’t be," she said. "Now already. Not this soon."

"What is it Alex," Mush asked confused.

Alex walked up and moved the black hair away and stared down at Maggie. Tear marks ran down her face, her eyes were puffy, and she shivered from the cold, but no matter what she did, Alex couldn’t wake Maggie.

"You know her," Blink asked when Alex looked helplessly up at them.

"Yeah," Alex answered sadly. "She’s another one of Spot’s play toys." She spat his name out like dirt. "As soon as this rain stops…" Alex looked up through the hole in the trees from where the pond was and saw a blue sky. "Okay then. We’ll have to take her back to the Lodging house. Mush, you’re strong. Can you carry her for me?"

"The words ‘for me’ rang in Mush’s ear as he said, "okay," and picked Maggie up. Still unconscious, Maggie wrapped her arms around Mush’s neck.

Blink cracked a big smile at the surprised look on Mush’s face. ‘Maybe that’ll take his mind off Alex for awhile,’ he thought. ‘She’s not gonna go for him.’ This thought quickly doused the grin on Blink‘s face, as he again worried about his best friend.

"Well, let’s go," Alex said, also trying to hold back a laugh at Mush’s face.

Maggie looked up into her mother’s face. "Mom?" she asked confused. "I thought you were…" she trailed off.

"I am, Princess," Maggie’s mom replied, picking her up like she always used to do.

"But then…" Maggie suddenly decided she didn’t care that it couldn’t be real. Finally being able to see her mom after all these years was such a gift that Maggie didn’t want to ruin it. She put her arms around her mother’s neck and snuggled closer into her arms.

"Why are you here Mommy," Maggie asked after a long silence.

"Because I need to warn you," she answered. "Your father is very angry that you ran away from him. He killed a man two days before you left, and he also killed me. I’m afraid he will find you and do the same."

"How," Maggie asked. She was trying to be concerned, but being with her mother made Maggie feel so safe, she didn’t know how anything could ever be wrong again.

"The daughter of the man he killed knows. Your father is trying to find that girl, and he could find you while he’s searching. That s all I can tell you Princess." Her mom lay Maggie on a bed that hadn’t been there before, but Maggie thought nothing of it.

"I have to go now, Maggie," her mother said when Maggie kept her arms around her mother’s neck.

"But you can’t go Mommy," Maggie cried. "I don’t want you to go." Maggie leaned up and kissed her mother. "I love you. Please don’t go."

"I have to go Maggie. Be brave, and remember what I have told you." Maggie’s mother slowly started to fade away, but before she was gone, she said one more thing.

"I love you, Princess." Then she was gone.

"Mommy…"

Mush looked down at the girl in her arms. A frown crossed the girl’s face, but slowly it faded and was replaced by a smile.

"What’s ‘er name Alex?" Blink asked.

"Maggie," Alex replied.

"Dat’s a pretty name," Mush said. He looked up at Alex and smiled. "You’re so nice to bring ‘er with us. It’s so kind an’ thoughtful…" Mush looked back down at Maggie before Alex could see him blush.

They got to the lodging house and Blink opened the door for Mush, while Alex started giving out orders.

"Blink, you go upstairs and open the door to one of the spare rooms for Mush, then come back down and get some blankets and clothes out of the storage closet. Mush, you just stay with Maggie till Blink and I come back up, I don’t want anything to happen to her. And I’ll make some tea or cocoa or something…" she trailed off, heading into the kitchen.

Mush watched Alex until she was completely gone through the door, and Blink sighed.

‘I wish he would just get over her,’ Blink thought. "Well," he clapped his hands. "Shall we take ‘er upstairs now?"

Mush nodded, and the two headed up the stairs. Blink opened the door to the third spare room and Mush walked into it.

"I’ll be back in a bit," Blink said, closing the door and heading downstairs.

Mush walked over and lay Maggie down on the bed, but she wouldn’t let go of his neck. Mush didn’t know what to do and just stood there until, seconds later, she reached up and kissed him. Completely flabbergasted, Mush just looked down at Maggie and felt her finally let go of his neck. She snuggled into the pillow while Mush continued to stare at her.

He looked up only when the door opened and Blink and Alex walked into the room.

"What…" Blink said seeing Mush’s confused expression, but stopped when Mush shot him a look that clearly said, ‘I’ll tell you later.’

"You boys leave now," Alex said. "I need to dress her in something other than Spot’s clothes. I’ll call you back when I’m done."

Blink and Mush said "okay," and walked out of the room, closing the door behind themselves.

"So what’s up," Blink asked Mush when they got into the hallway.

‘Well, ya know how she put ‘er arms around my neck when I first picked ‘er up?" Blink nodded and tried to hide a grin. "Well I put ‘er down on the bed an’ she wouldn’t let go." When Blink frowned Mush continued. "Well, dat ain’t all. Then she reached up an’ kissed me."

"I didn’t know you could do that when you’se unconscious," Blink said.

"Well den maybe she ain’t unconscious. Maybe she’s just sleepin’ really well," Mush snapped.

"…so didja like it?" Blink asked.

"Whadda ya mean did I like it?! You know dat – " Mush stopped, realizing that he was yelling and Alex could probably hear him. "You know that I like Alex," Mush whispered.

"Yeah, but you nevah listen to me," Blink said. "She ain’t your type, an’ besides, somethin’ ‘appened ta her an’ I don’t think she wants a guy right now."

"An’ did she tell you dat?" Mush asked smugly.

"No, but I can tell," Blink said. "Please trust me, I’m your best friend an’ I don’t want you ta get hoit again."

"Look, I’ll believe it if she tells you or me somethin’, okay."

Both sat there silent, not knowing what else to say to each other, and then Alex walked out.

"Okay Mush, you take first shift," Alex said. "I’m gonna go make… well, food or somethin’, and Blink… um, I dunno, you can just go back to the bunkroom till it’s your turn." She whirled around and headed downstairs.

"I’ll see ya soon," Blink said as, he too, turned and walked down the hallway and into the bunkroom.

Mush sighed and walked back into Maggie’s room.

Maggie was still snuggled in the bed where her mom had put her, when all of a sudden, she started to hear voices and see unrecognizable faces floating around her.

"Now that you’ve already been with someone," Eric’s voice rang out as his face appeared, "it’ll be so much more fun for both of us." His hand appeared from nowhere and started reaching toward her.

Maggie tried to move away, but there was nowhere to go. She whimpered in fear. Then a different face became clear.

"Where’s my big girl?" her father said. "Where’s my Maggie? I’m looking for you Maggie, and I’m gonna find you." Maggie tried to look away from his face, but all she could see were his long bony fingers wrapped around a bloody knife. "C’mon Maggie, just give up. I’m going to find you…" His voice, too, trailed off, and then Maggie saw someone she finally thought would help.

Maggie looked up into Spot’s crystal blue eyes and her own pleaded for help, but it didn’t come. Harsh words flew from Spot’s lips.

"You were good Maggie, but I had my fun, so leave me alone." Maggie started to ask him something, but before she could get the words out, he answered it. "No, I don’t love you Maggie. I only said that to get you to sleep with me."

He, too, started to fade away, and a new face came into focus. Her mother, unlike the other three had a soft glow around her.

"Maggie… Maggie, it’s okay. Nothing’s gonna hurt you," her mother said, but it didn’t sound exactly like her mother. The voice was different somehow. Maggie’s mom picked her up into her arms and Maggie instantly felt safe. "It’s okay," her mother said one last time.

Mush pulled up a small chair and sat down next to the bed Maggie was sleeping in. ‘I wonder what happened to ‘er,’ he thought. Then his mind drifted back to the conversation he’s had with Blink in the hallway. ‘I wonder what happened to Alex. She came that one morning all hysterical, and den when the rest of us were selling during the day, she’d go off somewhere.’

His thoughts quickly flew out the window as he looked down at Maggie. She started to squirm and whimper. Then she curled up as if trying to get away from someone or something. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then stopped, and her chin started to quiver.

Mush, concerned, sat down on the bed next to her. "Maggie… Maggie, it’s okay. Nothing’s gonna hurt you," Mush said, trying to calm her down. He picked her up like he had when he’d carried her to the lodging house, and she relaxed and curled up in his arms. "Its okay," Mush said again.

Maggie’s eyes fluttered open and she looked up into Mush’s face. "You saved me," she whispered. Her eyes started to close again, so Mush went to lay her back down but she stopped him.

"No, keep holding me. That’s the only way I’ll be safe…" she said, drifting off to sleep.

Blink and Alex walked into Maggie’s room. Mush was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, staring dreamingly out the window, and Maggie was in his arms. Blink and Alex shared a look.

"Um, Mush?" Blink said. Mush turned around quickly and looked up at them.

"Oh, hi guys," he said smiling. When they continued to look at him frowning, he finally realized what they thought was wrong. He looked down at Maggie, still curled up in his arms.

"Oh, ya see, she was having a nightmare or somethin’, so I picked her up so she wouldn’t fall off da bed," Mush started to explain. "An’ den she woke up an – "

"She woke up?!" Alex asked cutting in. "What happened? Did she say anything?"

"Uh, no, she just went back to sleep," Mush said, looking down at Maggie as a faint pink came to his cheek. Blink saw it and made a note to ask Mush about it later.

"Okay," Alex said, not entirely sure Mush was telling the truth. "Well, I don’t want to move her, so Mush, can you stay with her while I get a little sleep?"

"Anything you want Alex," Mush said, still staring down at Maggie and turning pinker. "I’ll see you guys in a little bit," Mush added as they started to open the door and leave.

"G’night," Blink said as the door closed.

‘Why do I get the feeling Mush isn’t telling me everything,’ Alex thought as she lay snuggled in her own bunk. ‘And why does he keep blushing? Maybe he likes Maggie. Everyone tells me he always falls fast and hard. It’d be good for him, they’d make a good couple. But I’m not sure about Maggie. It might take more that a couple weeks before she’s ready for another relationship with someone.’

But Alex didn’t have any idea how badly Maggie had fallen for Spot, nor did she realize everything they’d done and how it had affected her.

Mush looked down at Maggie, still sleeping in his arms. He wondered how he would get to sleep without putting her down, but thinking of what she’s said when he’d tried that the previous time, Mush decided to just deal with it. He pulled one arm away from her to grab a pillow, and in the time that his arm left her and he looked down, there was already a frown on her face.

‘I wonder what happened to her,’ Mush thought again, becoming worried. ‘Spot must have done something horrible to her to make her so scared like this.’ Mush’s thoughts turned to anger, wanting to somehow punish Spot for whatever he’d done to Maggie. Closing his eyes and wondering what he could do, Mush yawned and slowly started to fall asleep.

"Are you sad Mommy," Maggie asked, still curled in her mother’s arms. She looked around her, not recognizing where they were.

"We’re in a safe place, Princess," he mom said, answering Maggie’s unasked question. "And yes, I am sad. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you. There are too many choices, and I don’t want you to make the wrong ones."

"I know Mommy, but I’m old now. I’m not the little girl you always used to protect. You need to let me decide for myself."

"But I’m scared for you, Princess. There are so many things that could go wrong, and I can see them all…" Her mom sighed. "Maybe there’s one thing I can do to help."

Maggie suddenly felt that they were floating. She looked around and discovered that they were, slowly floating toward a city, getting closer every second. They were moving toward a building that Maggie didn’t recognize. Suddenly they were in the building, in a room, and Maggie was looking down at herself. She then looked at the boy who was holding her.

"He’s the one that saved me from that dream, isn’t he," Maggie asked, remembering his face from the few seconds she had been awake. She looked again and saw something else familiar. "He holds me like you do Mommy."

"Yes Princess. Now I hope that fact will help you, for the road that has been placed ahead of you is a hard one."

They were no longer in the room, but in a vast, empty whiteness. "I don’t know what to do Mommy," Maggie cried.

"I love you, Princess," her mom said. Knowing that this was her last clue, Maggie closed her eyes, reached up, and kissed her mother.

Maggie opened her eyes and she found herself looking into the face of the boy that had been holding her. When she realized that her lips were pressed against his, she quickly pulled away and started to blush.

Mush looked down into Maggie’s face, "Um, I’d say g’morning, but it’s the middle of the night so…" When she still didn’t say anything, Mush tried a different tactic. "Well, that was an interesting way to be woken up. Do you usually do that?"

"No, I just…" Maggie looked up into his face and deciding that she could trust him, continued with what she’d been saying. "I was dreaming, and my mom was there, and when she started to leave, I kissed her goodbye. I guess that’s what happened."

Maggie thought back to the dream and remembered the way he’d been holding her, the same way that her mother always had. She knew it was important somehow, but then slowly, bit by bit, everything that had happened while she slept started to fade away from her memory.

"I… what’s your name?" Maggie asked.

"Mush" he answered.

"Oh, I’m – "

"Maggie, I know. Alex told us."

"Alex? She’s here? How did she… what did... um, can I talk to her." Maggie finally said as it sunk in.

"Well, like I said Princess, it’s da middle of the night, so you’re gonna hafta wait till mornin’."

Maggie looked up sharply when he called her princess. "Why did you call me that," she asked, not sure whether to be suspicious or happy.

"I dunno, it just seemed to fit you," he said after thinking about it. "Hey, dat could be your nickname. We can tell every – "

"No," she said quickly. "I like it a lot, but I don’t want everyone to call me that, it won’t be special anymore… but you can call me that in private if you want."

"Okay," Mush said smiling at her. "So ya think we should go back ta sleep so I can sell papes an’ you can talk to Alex tomorrow," he suggested.

"Sure," Maggie said, snuggling closer into the comfort of his arms, and they were both asleep in seconds.