Unfortunate Catastrophes.

Found him? Who's him? Was she missing something? Did- wait. Was this the kid that was going to be jumped by those snake people? Or maybe already jumped? Jesus Christ, no wonder he's all scratched up. And the cocaine... was probably planted on him. She ran a hand through her hair. Boy, this gang stuff really was brutal. She'd been exposed to a lot of different kinds of people in the past few days, it was a little overwhelming as the majority of her social interaction tended to be curtailed within the walls of the library.

June chuckled. She nodded to him, running over to grab a towel and the largest set of clothing she owned, before guiding him to her closet to change. He would simply have to deal with soggy boxers. Still, she was more than relieved that Peter came when he did, otherwise she wasn't sure what she would do when morning came.

She smiled when he emerged. It fit like a regular shirt would. Changing Levi had been a little easier, well, the finding clothes for him part at least. She absolutely insisted on changing him herself, but he wouldn't have it. Quickly, she went to get her notepad and sat down on the floor beside the kid's doorframe.

They both had some explaining to do.
 
Candy pulls up to the house around ten minutes later. Unlike Peter, she's had time to change, and she walks in with her full uniform on as Peter opens the door for her. She smiles and waves at June as she sets her supplies down. "Evening, you two," she greets. Her caramel curls bounce as she pulls open her first-aid kit, sorting through it for a stethoscope and thermometer.

Then she makes her way toward Levi, as the door is wide open and he's obviously the injured in question. "We really can't thank you enough, June," she says softly, facing the girl while she talks so she can read her lips. "I'm not exaggerating. This boy might have died without you." She runs a careful hand over the boy's chest and nods. "Mm-hm . . . broken rib for sure . . . huh, not a bad wrap job. Did you bandage him?" she asks as she pulls off a few bandages to examine and clean the wounds.

Mushy stays at ease, though he does reach over and try to lick Candy's hand. He knows a friend when he smells one. Peter, meanwhile, is still on the couch where he'd flopped over after getting Levi into some fresh clothes. He glances up and nods. "Sounds like she got him to drink some water, too, from what I heard. How's the kid?"

"There's a list," Candy says softly. "Thankfully, everything's treatable, and nothing is urgent. I'd prefer if we didn't move him at all with that bruised rib . . . but I wouldn't want to impose on you, June," she adds, glancing over toward the girl.
 
June shook her head vigorously. Of course they weren't imposing, this kid nearly died - you'd have to be heartless to kick him out. Plus, they were friends, and Candy herself let June crash the night at her place. She picked up her notepad and scurried over to Candy, writing.

"Of course not. I just want this kid to be okay. Though, well, I have work tomorrow, so unless we're going to leave this child alone, we'll need someone to stay here and keep watch. Mushy, my service dog, can be here, but he's not a medical assistant." She showed Candy, who ran a hand through her hair.

"Thanks, June. You're a lifesaver, literally speaking. I would stay here if I could, but I'm needed back at HQ. Peter... he has a job that he stills needs to do... I suppose I could ring Carnagie and have him bring in a nurse, but I'm sure you wouldn't want a stranger in your home while you're gone... Savvy! Savvy's free this week, if I remember correctly. She'd be perfect. Then, it's settled. Savvy housesits for you tomorrow." Candy finished, packing up her things.

June nodded. She'd be fine with Savvy staying there, definitively. She made her way over to Peter, who sat on the couch still, and plopped down beside him. Mushy followed suit, sitting on the girl's lap. Candy went out to the balcony to make the call to Savvy.

"You're taking the next assassination job, right?" June's paused writing this. It seemed a bit too straightforward. Oh, well. "Will you be okay? Have you ever taken one before?" She showed him the paper. It was weird talking about this stuff like it was casual small talk.
 
(Oooh, perfect! We can do a little character building with Savvy and Levi! You play Savvy, I play Levi? That'll be interesting when Levi finally wakes up XD)

Peter glances up when Candy mentions his job, his heart dropping into his stomach. "They found a job for me?" he asks quietly. He swallows and rubs the back of his neck. "Guess I'd better see what Octavius has in store for me when I get back."

Once Candy leaves to make a call, he turns to read June's notes. Then he chuckles and glances up with a smile. "Uh, no. I haven't assassinated anyone before. Haven't even killed anyone." He glances back and forth, and then leans forward to whisper. "Actually, between you and me? I'm going to try my best to get the target alive instead of killing them. Unless they're trying to kill someone else. Promise you won't tell the Ravens? This might be my one chance to save someone's life to make up for almost losing Octavius'."

Peter jumps and whips around as there's a soft moan from the guest room, followed by a bark. "Oh. Sounds like Levi's up," he says, turning around again. "Do you have any soup or anything on hand, June? I'll pay you back for it. I just think it might be a good idea to try and get Levi to eat something."

Levi's eyes slowly flicker open. A large husky blurs into focus, barking and licking his cheek. Levi winces and weakly tries to brush him away, only to start petting him when he finds out how soft the dog is. "G - good boy," he murmurs hoarsely. Animals have never hurt him before. They're one of the few things he finds safe. He blinks and glances around cautiously, flinching in the bright light. Where is he?
 
(That sounds like a wonderful idea!)

"I won't tell."

A smile played on June's face. What Savvy said was true, she supposed. He'd avoid murder at costs, even if it meant jeopardizing a job. It was an admirable quality, certainly endearing. His moral compass was strong, despite being in a street gang. June scratched the back of her neck. But.. she still needed to... to get them help. Her head swirled. What was she supposed to do in this situation? Yeah, a day or two ago, she would've been hellbent on coming to the police, but a lot can happen in two days. She questioned her own motives.

Her mind was drawn out of its internal debate when Mushy leaped from her lap and into the next room, where the child sat. Her attention turned to the boy sitting next to her. Leva? Levi? Was his name Levi? She shook her head as Peter continued. "You don't need to pay me back. I have plenty of soup. Go check on him, and see what Candy says." June wrote, passing the notebook to him, before standing. She made a beeline for the kitchen. Chicken noodle for the soul. She decided she would make some for everyone, nothing like a good chicken noodle at midnight. Plus, she was sure Peter and Candy hadn't eaten yet, what with the whole mission thing. Or at the very least, Peter.

"Oh, look at that, you're up." Candy said, exiting the balcony. She saw Peter entering the room too. When Levi gave them both a look of alarm and suddenly caved in on himself, Candy raised an eyebrow. Poor kid. The husky noted this, and went to go give the two a lick to denote that they were friends. Good people. "It's okay, we're not here to hurt you. I'm Candy, a nurse. The girl who patched you up, the deaf girl, June, do you remember her? We're at her house. You have a fractured rib. Don't worry, it's nothing a bit of treatment can't fix. You will have to rest, though, for at least a two weeks." Candy said, slowly easing up to the boy. She didn't want to scare him any more than he already was. Mushy offered some physical comfort.
 
Peter smiles when June heads off to get soup ready for everyone. She has such a generous spirit. It reminds him a lot of when he'd first met the Ravens, and it only convinces him further that June really is one of the gang. He follows June's instructions and wanders towards the room to check on Levi, though he stays at a distance for now.

The boy's still trembling. But it's out of fear, not cold. "Take it easy, kid," Peter says softly, ruffling Mushy's ears to show Levi he's gentle. "Just breathe nice and easy. Can you tell us what happened?" He doesn't know a lot about trauma, but he's pretty sure talking helps. After all, it helped him after the gang's sentence when June and Savvy met with him at the clearing.

Levi swallows and shrinks even further back beneath the covers, eyes wide as he nods. "Yeah," he says hoarsely. He opens his mouth as though to continue, but he freezes up again for a moment. It's only when Mushy gives his hand a gentle lick that his gaze snaps back into focus. "There was a gang," he murmurs. He winces and glances up briefly at Peter and Candy, trying to figure out if he's said the right thing.

"Okay, good. Very good," Candy says with a gentle smile. "We're going to go get some soup for you. Do you think you can prop yourself up on the pillow and eat it? Not sitting up, though. We wouldn't want you to hurt your chest more."

"Yes, ma'am," Levi says quickly. It's immediately obvious he can't, though; his arms shake when he tries to push himself up, and then collapse under him. He grits his teeth and tries again anyway.
 
  • Nice Execution!
Reactions: Levy
"Hey, don't push yourself. Let me help you," Candy told him, very slowly approaching him in order to not induce any more panic. She slipped a hand under his head and helped him prop himself up. "If you can't do something, it's okay. There's no need to force yourself to do anything. We won't be angry. Promise. I don't even think this one is physically capable of anger," Candy joked, jutting a thumb out to Peter.

Tense rooms never quite sat well with any of the Ravens. Levi looked upon the kind woman with caramel skin with something close to shock and confusion. Was she... was this.. was any of this real? He could hardly fathom it. What kind of place had he been dropped into?

Meanwhile, June had finished warming up the soup. She poured four glasses of water, made three bowls, and one small one for herself, as she didn't want anyone to feel awkward with her being the only one not eating. That, and well, she was always a sucker for chicken noodle. She gave the doorframe to the guest room a soft knock, looking over at Peter with a large tray in her hand. She was visibly struggling with it.

"Oh, June, you shouldn't have." Candy said, smiling. "Peter, pass me two bowls. Levi is in no state to feed himself." She instructed. June silently confirmed the name of the boy on the bed. She waved at him with a free hand, grinning, before she remembered she was holding a very heavy tray. The girl stumbled a little, but all the glasses and bowls remained intact, though swiveling slightly. She laughed sheepishly.
 
Peter laughs at Candy's joke. "I have too been angry before. But it's really rare," he adds quickly, watching Levi to make sure he hasn't scared him.

Levi can only stare blankly at the group around him, still reeling from the nurse's gentle touch. She hadn't hurt him. Or was he too numb to feel anything? He tries to move his leg and hisses in pain. No, he was definitely able to feel things.

Then he catches the scent of chicken noodle soup and blinks. Is the group eating together? That's never happened at his house. Slowly, very slowly, he lets himself relax a little. His gaze doesn't look quite as strained any more. "Soup?" he asks hoarsely.

Peter grins and carefully pulls two bowls off the tray to hand to Candy. "That's right. One bowl is for you. You can eat it, and Nurse Candy's going to help you so you won't drop it." He turns and reaches out to help June steady the tray, nodding. "Thanks for bringing us such a late supper. It looks great."

Levi's eyes flick between Nurse Candy and the soup. Then he looks down at Mushy and raises a shaky hand to point. "Wh - what about the dog . . .?" he asks quietly, flinching and tensing up again. His parents would've never let a dog eat human food. But with no dog food in sight, Levi's determined that the pet should eat something, even if he gets in trouble for it.
 
Candy set her own bowl down and got to work on helping Levi eat. The soup was still hot, so she would likely need some napkins. "June, dear, could you run and get me some napkins?" She asked, looking over at the girl standing in the doorway. June nodded and set the tray down on the bedstand first, gesturing for Peter to pick up his bowl and dig in, before following Candy's request, also bringing back a plate to set atop her own bowl in case the soup chilled before Candy could get to it.

She arrived just in time to see Levi questing Mushy's diet. June laughed a little, before bringing her notepad from the other room. "I'm not sure if it's good for my pooch to eat at ungodly hours, but thanks for the sentiment! He eats when he's hungry, and if he begs, then ask me before feeding him anything, okay? Dogs can't digest certain foods properly, so it's good to be careful of that. I was gone from home unexpectedly for two days, and you know what he did? He knocked over the entire five gallon bag of dog food! There were pellets everywhere. So, yeah. If he needs to eat, he'll find a way to eat." June wrote, showing him the paper with a peachy grin. Candy scanned it before it was handed to him, and smiled.

As he read, Candy took the opportunity of his distraction to feed him. Maybe if she fed while he was distracted, he'd be less embarrassed about it, as she guessed he likely would be. From the general accounts Penny and Filbert had briefed her on concerning Levi, there was a lot of information missing. Birthday, age, birth parents, education, a lot of it was simply... blank. He likely wouldn't be too keen on revealing much about himself, so she wouldn't pry. Not now, at least.

"So, how old are you, Levi?" Candy asked casually, setting down the bowl on her lap. One question at a time.
 
Levi nods slowly as he reads over the note, relaxing a bit more. The dog's been fed. This must be a nicer place than his parents' house. As it turns out, Levi is more surprised by the presence of food than by being spoon fed. He jumps and almost spits the soup out at first. Then he realizes what's going on and starts eating it instead, heaving a sigh of relief. It's been a while since he's eaten anything.

He blinks at Candy's question and tilts his head. "How . . . how old?" he repeats. He pauses to count on his fingers, brow furrowing. "I think . . . m - maybe seventeen? Or eighteen. I - it's hard to remember."

Peter glances over worriedly from his spot on a chair, swallowing another spoonful of soup. Levi didn't know how old he was. That definitely wasn't a good sign. What on earth had happened to this kid? Even Peter's memory remains intact, and he's lived through his mother's death and his abusive father kicking him out.

Mushy, meanwhile, whimpers and crawls up onto the bed to lay his head on the side of Levi's chest that's not injured. His tail wags gently as he lies quietly. He doesn't try to eat the soup for once; his only goal is to comfort Levi while the boy pets him between spoonfuls of food.

Peter raises an eyebrow and glances back towards June. He nods for her to follow him out of the room, both to give Levi some privacy and to talk things over. Once both are out in the living room with the guest door closed, he heaves a breath and stuffs his hands into his pockets. "June, I'm starting to think this kid has bigger problems than just getting jumped in by a gang. He says he's around seventeen, but I've never seen a normal seventeen-year-old act like that. Any idea what happened to him? Did he say anything to you when you took him in?"
 
June knitted her eyebrows at the boy's response. That child seemed, first off, entirely too small to be a seventeen or eighteen year old. The fact that he couldn't remember was alarming enough. He was frail, his arms were thin and while she was bathing him, she could see not only his ribs, but the bumps on his spine and the jutting of his hip bones. She hadn't commented on them, simply gave him a couple gentle smiles to indicate that she meant no harm.

She gave a nod to Peter as they left the room. As he cited his concerns, June rubbed the nape of her neck uneasily before taking out her notepad and sitting down. She held the pen in her hand for a good few moments, eyeing the empty page.

"I think so too, Peter. He wouldn't tell me anything when I dragged him here, and, well, understandably so. Tell tale signs of trauma, I think we both can ascertain that, but exactly what happened... I don't know. He's stickly thin, I could see a lot of his bones jutting out, so we know he's not eating well, or maybe his family isn't financially stable enough for regular meals, if he even has one."

June had to pause throughout writing this, racking her mind for something, anything. "I don't know, Peter. But I want to help him. We can't let a kid like that back on the streets. I have no problem housing him, but I'm not sure if he'll be too comfortable with that, and then there's the issue of leaving him alone. Savvy can't housesit forever." She set the pen down, rubbing her face. They'd have to ask that Penny girl about him once they saw her.
 
"Of course we're not kicking him out on the streets. We're a gang, not the Gestapo," Peter says softly. "Gang means family. As for getting him a house, I think he'd be fine if we brought him to the hideout once he's stable enough to move. That way there'd be plenty of people to check on him and hopefully get him out of his shell a bit more."

He smiles and reaches out to put his hand on June's. "I can't tell you how much it's helping him that you're letting him stay for now. With any luck, his rib will be better in a few days, and he'll have some more meat on him. Then we can try getting him in a car and back to the hideout. The good news is, I've already got a few ideas. He really seems to relax more when he's eating, and when your dog is by him. So plenty of hot meals and animals near him should help him feel safer."

Meanwhile in the other room, Levi finishes off the last of his soup and leans back against the pillow with a deep sigh. His stomach is actually full. He has no idea if he's dreaming or not, but if he is, he'd rather take the pain of a fractured rib and bruises over waking up. He glances up at Nurse Candy, swallowing and giving a slight nod. "Th - thank you," he whispers, his eyelids growing heavy as he starts to drift back to sleep.

Mushy pants and wags his tail, gently licking Levi's cheek. Then he hops back off the bed and scratches at the door, waiting for Nurse Candy or June to let him into the living room. With the boy taken care of, it's time to go beg for extra treats.
 
June nodded at his observations, she was thinking the same thing! Mushy seemed to have taken a liking to him as well, though, she wasn't sure if there was a person alive who that hound wouldn't absolutely cover with slober. She grinned at the prospect of the kid getting along with Savvy and the rest of the gang, Booker and even Filbert. No, that would be a bit of a stretch...

The rest of the night went swimmingly. Mushy marched his rounds of the small apartment, and once everything was deemed alright, he was rewarded generously and promptly slept beside Levi, who had already dozed off. Candy had tip toed out of the room quietly and left June a list of things she needed to do for the kid, and asked to pass it on to Savvy. Leaving, she offered Peter a ride home. June saw them off at the foot of the building.

By the time she hit the pillow, the girl was absolutely exhausted. She, of course, in the midst of all the mayhem that had bulldozed her, forgot to charge her phone... and replace batteries for both her alarm clocks. June was not an easy riser, nor was she a respectable morning person, so Savvy had to physically ring her door bell 10 times before considering simply crawling through the dog door. June finally woke to Mushy dribbling and barking in her face. She had gotten, what, three hours of sleep? Four, max five?

If Savvy hadn't come when she did, though, June was sure to have woken up at 10:00 AM and promptly flipped her shit, but that was not the case. She, though tired, and with half combed hair, made it to work on time, functioning mostly properly.

The night before, Candy had laid it all down on Savvy like a bag of bricks. Still, Savvy was more than relieved that the boy was well and alive. Well, more alive than well, but any combination of the two would do. She had accepted the list of instructions and cautionaries June gave to her with eagerness, vowing on her pride as a Raven that she wouldn't let him down. June had laughed, told her that she didn't have to go that far and that she trusted her, but she had to admire her willpower and honesty.
 
Mushy, of course, is more than ecstatic to find yet another guest in his home. He barks and barrels over towards Savvy, jumping up to try and lick her face while his tail wags wildly. Then he gently grabs Savvy's sleeve and tries to pull her towards Levi's bed. With June gone, Savvy's the only other human in the house. Mushy is sure she'll be able to help Levi if he needs it.

Levi, meanwhile, is finally starting to wake up. The large amount of sleep has done him good. There are less bags under his eyes, and thanks to June's cooking, it's harder to see the bones just below his skin. He moans and rubs his eyes. Then he blinks and glances around while everything blurs back into focus. "June . . .? Candy?" he mumbles.

Then his vision clears. Levi gasps and jerks back, eyes wide. "Wh - who are you? Where are June and the others? What happened?" he bursts out, starting to shake again. Mushy whines and hops up onto the bed, pressing against the boy for comfort.

------

Peter pulls a few more chocolate cows from the candy bag and struts down the sidewalk, hood shielding his eyes from the sun. He'd gotten a great haul from the gas station last night, and he's sure June will want some of the new candy he'd found.

He smiles and turns the corner, adjusting his grip on a second bag. This one contains the clothes June had borrowed him, now washed and folded. All he has to do now is find the library where June works.
 
Savvy waved an animated goodbye to June, who left the house in discombobulated pieces. Sighing, she picked up the list that June had passed on to her, scanning it with furrowed eyebrows. Just how bad was this kid? Why the hell did she need to replace bandages so frequently? How many rolls? God, she was dissapointed in herself for being so surprised. They were dealing with slimy ass snakes, after all.

Tentatively, Savvy knocked on the door. Upon not receiving a response apart from the vague sound of shifting blankets, she took the initiative to enter. She blinked, stepping aside as the service dog skipped past her feet.

"Well, geez, this is worse than I thought." She mumbled. "Hey, calm down, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt to you. I'm Savvy, Candy and June sent me, they're both out right now, so I'm here to take care of you. Does that sound okay?" She heard from Penny that the kid was around Peter's age, but he acted like a lost pup.

"I uh.. it says I'm supposed to feed you, but she didn't specify what food. What do you want, kid? Omelette? Eggs on toast? Bacon? Soup? Oh, sorry, is that too many options?"

==

June was, presently, reshelving books. She could work reception just fine, despite being deaf, but she just didn't think she could function properly around visitors in the state she was in. If she was being honest, she was a bit moody, too. But it was fine, she just had to get through that day without any major hiccups and then get a good night's rest.
 
"T - take care of me?!" Levi bursts out, eyes going wide. He doesn't hear anything else Savvy says. All at once, he thinks he knows what's going on. June and Candy had sent Savvy to kill him.

Levi screams and tries to scramble off the bed, though he's stopped by Mushy gently pulling him back. "No, don't! Please! Let me go, I didn't - I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll leave, I swear, just don't kill me!" he spews out, panting hard.

The good news is his chest is doing better, and he's definitely gotten some energy back. Winning him over will be the hard part. Mushy huffs and gently drags the boy back towards Savvy, wagging his tail, and he gives Levi a few more licks for good measure.

-----

At last, the name of the bookstore catches Peter's eye. He grins and pushes the door opening, smile widening when he sees June. "June! Hey!" he calls, waving and running over. He waves the bag of chocolate cows around and holds them out. "I stole some candy with the groceries last night. Want any? This brand is delicious!"
 
"Wha- hey! Stop that! Get back in bed this goddamn second, you absolute walnut, come here," Savvy huffed, rubbing her face as the child scrambled about the room. Eventually, she wrestled the boy down, and with the help of Mushy, somewhat calmed him to the point of stillness. Oi, this kid ain't already dead yet, right?

"Jesus Christ, Levi. When I said I would take care of you, that's literally all I goddamn meant. I was sent to keep you alive, not assassinate you." She huffed, taking a seat across from him. "You're just as bad as Peter." Savvy hummed under her breath. Mushy nuzzled his face against Savvy to show she was a friend.

"Hey, get off, dog breath!" She chuckled a bit. "Listen closely kid. Eyes on me. Got your listening ears ready? Good. No one is going to hurt you here." Her tone softened. "I promise on my honor as a Raven, I won't let any harm come to you. So it's okay. You can relax here. The energy you spend fearing for you life can be spent on idle chatter. We can just sit and talk and do nothing else. We can eat and sleep and go out on walks as much as we want. Wouldn't that be nice?" Savvy knew to be gentle now.

"You're safe. With us, you're safe. Now, let's eat breakfast."

==

June stole a glance up to see her coworkers and a few customers staring up, boggly-eyed at her. What? Do I have something on my face? Are my pants on backwards or something? It took a couple moments to realize that they were not staring at her, but rather, behind her. Book in hand, she turned around to find Peter sprinting for her at full swing. June was considerably panicked. What was he saying? What . . .

Her face dimmed. She made a motion as to hush him, before taking his hand and steering him to a lesser populated region of the store. A pencil was already in her hand.

"Peter, what do you mean stole?"

The line was simple, and she supposed her face was simple as well. The question would've been accusational had he not stated it himself. But June... June, honestly, she didn't know what to think. All the doubts of whether it was the right decision to call the police then and there came crashing down on her world. You don't steal things. You just don't. If your family is starving, then, well, she supposed there could be a slight exception to the rule... but- no, then, where is she supposed to draw the line? Poverty and misdemeanor? Destitution and federal offense? Where does it stop? Where does crime start to be okay? Where does the law start to become questionable?
 
It takes a few moments for Levi's focus to return. He lays panting on the bed for a few minutes, silent and wide-eyed. At last, he swallows and turns Savvy's words over in his head. Was she really here to help him? He glances over at what she'd brought into the room: June's medical bag and an empty tray, waiting for his breakfast order. He blinks and glances back at the woman with a slight nod. Maybe she wasn't quite so scary as he'd first thought.

"B - breakfast sounds good," he says softly. He winces and drops his eyes. "But I'm not - I'm not allowed outside. I wasn't even supposed to leave the first time. I'm going to be in so much trouble . . ." he mumbles, rubbing his arms as he starts shaking again. "They're going to be so mad. I never sh - should've left."

He slowly curls up into a ball near Savvy, starting to talk to himself as he Burrows under the covers. "Maybe I shouldn't go back . . . no, but then they might come find me. At least I know all the hiding spots in the house . . . or maybe I should take a ferry across the lake, they wouldn't expect that and I'd have a head start . . ."

~~~

Now it's Peter's turn to look confused as everyone stares at him. Didn't everyone just . . . take things when they didn't have enough money? He'd always been raised that way, that it was a normal part of life to just swipe things if you couldn't buy them, and sometimes pay people back later once you could.

He follows June and tilts his head. ". . . just what I said. I stole it. Funds were running low this month," he says simply. He grins and holds the bag out. "Do you want some? These chocolate cows are delicious. And I've got some spaghetti ingredients at home, if you want to swing by for dinner later."
 
Savvy looked down at Levi, startled by his sudden display of absolute dread. It was worse than she thought, wasn't it? Was he talking about his parents? What kind of fuck-up parents raise their kid like this? Come find him? What the hell are they gonna do to him?

"Hey," Savvy spoke softly, despite the anger that was bubbling in the back of her mind. "Hey. Levi. Look at me." She took his face in both her hands, tilting so that he couldn't ignore her. "You're not alone anymore. You have me. You have Candy. You have June, and Peter, and the entire rest of the Ravens. That's a lot of people backing you up, lil' guy. Did you forget what I told you a moment ago? You're safe now. You haven't a thing to worry about... except Candy pummeling you if you don't eat your vegetables." Savvy quickly shook her head, panicked he would take her literally. "I- er- it was a joke! She's not going to pummel you! Just, relax."

Savvy sighed, letting go of the kid's skull. She felt like she was gripping his soul. "Now, give me a smile. There we go. Come on, what do you want for breakfast?"

==

June staggered a little. He spoke so innocently, she almost forgot to start writing.

"Peter." She paused at this. He didn't get it. How was she supposed to explain this? "Peter, you don't steal stuff. Especially stuff you don't need." She wondered if she was sounding pompous, but she really didn't care. "You just don't do it. That's not okay, not for anything. That's I don't want the chocolate. Did you steal the spaghetti stuff too, or somet-" June was writing in a manner in which Peter could clearly see the letters as she scribbled them, though upside down. Even if she crossed it out, she knew somewhere in the back of her mind, he had already read it.
 
Levi stiffens and freezes as Savvy takes his head in her hands. His heart skips a beat when she doesn't let go. He instinctively tries to pull back a few times, tugging his whole body to free his head, but he stops when he realizes Savvy's voice is still as gentle as it was five minutes ago. Usually if one of his parents have grabbed him, they start yelling soon after.

"Safe?" he echoes softly. His eyes shimmer with tears as he swallows and pulls in a breath. "Th - thank you. What are the rules?" Levi's sure being safe means staying with Savvy and the others. That means learning a new set of rules. Eating all of his vegetables will be the first.

He smiles when Savvy tells him to, but it's not quite genuine; he's only doing it because he's been told to. Then she asks him what he wants for breakfast. This is new. Usually he doesn't have a choice in what he eats. "I, uh . . . waffles?" he asks at last, unsure if Savvy is being serious or not.

---

Peter huffs and crosses his arms as he reads June's words. "Well, yeah, as a matter of fact I did. What's the big deal? I'm going to pay most of it back later. And it's not like I'm the only one who steals stuff," he mutters. "Even my mom did, almost all the time. That's how I live, June."

June sounds upset, but he has no idea why. Maybe it's because she didn't have any experience in a gang. Maybe it's because she's better off than most of the Ravens. Either way, she's got no reason to be mad.