He watched the little girl a long while from across the street, afraid to approach and shatter her perfect world. From where he stood he could see here playing with her dolls in the front yard, but he couldn't' quite hear her. The one little figure she picked up, though, he could recognize. It was something he remembered making for her mother.

"Hey, kiddo."

As he crouched there on the sidewalk, he couldn't quite remember how he'd crossed the street. There were a lot of things he couldn't quite remember these days. He remembered her, however, as she squealed and dropped her dolls to throw her thin child arms around his neck, even though he'd never seen her in his life.

"Unkuh Jackie!"

"What th'fuck d'ya mean yer leavin'?"

Jack couldn't help raising his voice, the pitch choked and high, eyes wide. His entire body shook and he looked almost feral. The young woman in front of him stared into his wild, violet eyes, fear in her own blue.

"W-we're moving...out of Brooklyn…out of New York…" She whimpered quietly, tears behind her eyes. "D-daddy wants…to get me away…away from the d-danger of the street…"

"Away from the danger of me!" His own tears didn't stay back as he corrected her, angry and pained. "Yer pop wants t'getcha away from me! Me and Collin!" He slammed his fist into the wall. "And he ain't even buried yet, right! Away from Collin and Collin ain't even been buried!"

"J-jackie…daddy just wants me to be safe…"

"From me!"

"He's scared…after what happened to Collin…"

"And he ain't gonna even letcha stay long enough t'bury'im!"

"He's scared about the baby…"

Jack stopped, still shaking, mouth half open, and fell back against the wall. Sighing, he slid down to the floor, face in his hands. "Collin wanted to see that baby," he mumbled.

"I…I know…" Now she was crying, too, standing over him but not looking at him. "I…I wanted him to see it…"

"He bet me big it was his'n'not mine."

She looked at him oddly then, face wet. "W-what?"

"And I took his bet, y'know. I took his bet…even though I knew he's right."

"J-jackie…"

Sighing again, Jack looked up, smiling weakly though his eyes were sad. "Y'll be a good mam, yeah? Maybe…y'know…maybe we'll run inta each other sometime… Maybe when y'git outta yer pop's place, git out on yer own… Maybe when I git off these streets, yeah?"

"J-jackie…"

He climbed to his feet, running thing fingers back through his dirty, black hair, and shook his head, still smiling. "S'alright, y'know. Yer pop's just scared. Y'need outta here anyway. Mean…Brooklyn's dangerous. Ain't no place t'raise no family, yeah?" With a shrug, he moved off of the wall, heading towards the fire escape with a wave. "I'll just seeya some day maybe. Mean…if y'never see me again…ain't no big loss, right."

"Jackie…please don't say that…"

"Well, it ain't. It ain't nothin' losin' a street rat like me." He smirked back at her, half out the window. "I ain't never gonna be worth two cents, and yer pop knows it good. Just trust yer pop, Sarah. He ain't gonna turn y'wrong." Then he tossed something at her, a patched up wad of rags that could almost pass for a doll. "And that's fer th'kid, yeah? Collin made another bet. He bet it'd be a boy. Didn't believe'im on that'n, though." And he was gone.

He blinked in surprise a moment, then laughed. "And how'd y'know I's yer 'Uncle Jackie', yeah?"

"Momma told me!" The little girl giggled, jumping back to pick up the rag doll she'd been playing with. "Momma said m'Unkuh Jackie made 'is fer me'n showed me a picture of ya. She says 'Ya probly never meet'im, but here's yer Unkuh Jackie.' I got a good mem'ry, too."

Jack smiled. "Bet yer mem'ry's not's good's mine, kiddo."

She giggled more as he ruffled her curly red hair, her mother's blue eyes sparkling on her little freckled face. "Momma says ya remem'r lotsa things nobody remem'rs."

"That'd be me, right."

As the child opened her mouth to say more, another voice called from the doorway, a voice that made both of them turn there heads, though Jack couldn't see through the hedges. He knew who it was without seeing her, however. Her voice hadn't changed in four years.

"Colleen! What are you doing so close to the road? Get away from there!"

"But momma momma momma! Y'gotta see who's here!"

"Colleen…"

With a sigh, Jack stood, rising over the greenery and offering a soft half-smile to the shocked face that greeted him. "Hey, Sarah. Been a while, yeah?"

"Lost, sweet stuff?"

Sarah gasped, jumping and spinning to face the strangers that had her cornered. She was most definitely lost, to answer the question. What she felt more now, however, was scared, watching through her long blonde hair as the boy who seemed to lead them stepped towards her. Even as he approached, he remain far enough in the shadows to hide the majority of his face.

He grinned crookedly, offering a thin, dirty hand clad in a ratty, fingerless, gray glove. "Ain't gonna hurtcha, missy. Ain't no point'n that. Just wanna help ya get yerself unlost, yeah?"

"Think she's scared, Jack." Another voice laughed quietly, its owner slowly coming forward, the first full face she was able to see, with red curls pulled back in a wild ponytail and lively green eyes over work tanned skin and freckled cheeks. He gave her a friendly smile. "We ain't aimin' t'hurtcha, miss, like m'friend here says." With a slight bow, he held out his own hand as the shadowed figure retracted the previous offer, and she took it hesitantly. "Name's Collin McDunnough," he continued, placing a soft kiss on her knuckle and releasing her hand. "And m'friend here…"

"Name's Jack," the other boy snorted with a smirk, finally stepping forward to show his flashing violet eyes and messy black hair. "Er Jackie woiks, too. Jackie Coe." He raised his hand once more, and was rewarded this time with a rather shy hand offered in return. With a grin, he echoed his friend's motion, giving her knuckled a kiss of his own. "How 'bout you, yeah? Got a name y'kin give, er y'just wanna stay a pretty lil nemo?"

"S-sarah…" She replied very quietly, a soft blush crossing her cheeks. "Sarah Andrews."

Both boys grinned at that, and Jack gave another little bow, extracting a very small smile from the frightened girl, before Collin offered an elbow, a street rat playing gentlemen. "Well, Miss Andrews, s'pose we should be getting' ya some place y'know. Brooklyn streets ain't no place fer a lady like you."

Sarah's hand went to her mouth as she stared at him in silence, then, "Go get ready for dinner, Colleen."

"Yes momma!"

As the little girl trotted inside, Jack looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets and kicking at the sidewalk. "Colleen, yeah? Sh'got th'best outta you'n'Collin I ever seen."

"J-jackie…what are you doing here?"

"Long story, right," he shook his head, looking up to smile at her again. "Don't' much feel like tellin' it right now. Just found muhself'n Jersey. Thought I'd stop by a mo'n drop a little somethin' off fer ya."

Biting her lip, Sarah stepped forward, brushing a hand back into his hair. "A ponytail… You grew your hair out."

"Yeah." The smile wavered slightly.

"For Collin?"

Jack sighed, dropping the fake cheer and staring at his feet. "Yeah."

"It looks…good."

"Looked better on him."

Then her arms were around his neck, and he closed his eyes against the threatening tears as he felt hers soak his shoulder.

"Collin!"

"I ain't givin' up on this'n without a fight, Jackie!"

"And I ain't lettin' y'git yerself killed!"

"I ain't gonna git muhself killed!"

"But what if y'do, huh? What if y'git yerself killed? What if y'git yer self killed and that baby's yers? What happens then?"

Rage burned in those green eyes as they turned on a friend, fist ready to fly and forcing Jack to step back. "I ain't gonna get muhself killed, Jackie." Shaking now, Collin dropped his arm as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"And if y'do?"

"Then I ain't strong enough er bright enough t'raise a kid anyway, and y'd make a better pop'n'me."

Jack cringed. "Don't go sayin' shit like that, Col. I ain't never seen a real fam. I ain't got th'first clue how t'do it."

Collin looked at him as he grabbed his jacket and flipped out a knife. "And if I get muhself killed, then I ain't got th'first clue either."

"His parents gave'im a good service. Buried'im right'n'fine."

"Good. He…he deserved something nice."

Jack nodded and sighed, lighting a cigarette. "Asked about ya. Wanted t'know where ya were, why ya didn't come."

"What'd you tell them?"

"Th'truth. Ain't never lied t'those folks in m'life."

It was silent for a long moment before she smiled sadly at him. "I…I'm glad you came, Jackie. I've really missed you."

"Yeah," he sighed again. "Glad I came, too."

"Get away from my daughter, you little rats!"

"Daddy!"

"Roger! They're good boys!"

"They're dirty little punks, that's what they are Helen! I won't have my daughter running around and cohorting with gangs! Get out!"

Jack scowled, fists clenched and ready to fight as the large man before him prepared to strike. Collin's hand on his shoulder stopped him, though, and he backed off, following his friend reluctantly. The redhead flashed an apologetic smile and wave.

"Sorry 'bout all this, man. We ain't meanin' any harm. We'll just be goin' like y'said."

Snorting, Jack let himself be shoved out the door towards the stairs. Sarah's father stormed to the door, watching them go before he slammed the door. When they reached the alley, violet eyes turned on their friend.

"He ain't gonna let Sarah see us no more, and ya act like it don't matter."

Collin sighed. "Course it matters, but it ain't gonna do no good to get'im goin' on ya."

Jack snorted again, arms crossed over his chest and something like a pout on his lips.

"Listen, Jackie. Just cuz'er pop says she ain't allowed around don't mean she's gonna stay gone. Y'know Sarah good's I do. She ain't gonna listen like that."

"Hnn…yeah… Guess yer right…"

"Y'know I am. Now stop actin' like'n ass, y'nuttuh. Let's get some chow, yeah?"

"He made y'somethin'." Sighing, Jack dangled his cigarette from his lips, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a little package. "He was workin' on it like a nut, right. Said it meant a lot. Had t'finish it up since he didn't get to, so th'end looks a lil weird."

Sarah took the little fold of paper and unwrapped it slowly. Inside lay a chain necklace, hand made with a small rose charm. Tears started to her eyes again and Jack looked to his feet, hands shoved into his pockets once more.

"Yeah. Said it meant a lot. Wanted ya t'have it. Just thought y'should."

"Jackie…"

"Ya just don't git it do ya, ya idiot fuck!"

"What exactly am I s'posed t'be gettin', Jackie? If I missed somethin', then tell me what I missed!"

"I gotta go, Sarah." He took a drag, backing off a couple steps as he blew the smoke out. "Got some people after me. Nothin's changed with me, yeah?" Flashing a mockery of his usual grin, he shooed at her until she went to the bottom of the front steps.

"A-alright…" Sarah bit her lip, a troubled look in her eyes.

"Are ya really that fuckin' stupid? Ya can't go out there getting' yerself killed! I told ya I can't play pop t'yer kid'n'I ain't lyin'! Ya can't do this, Collin! Ya can't do this t'Sarah!"

"What's it matter what I do? What's it matter if I die? Sarah's in love with you!"

Sighing finally, she slowly climbed the steps to the porch, stopping and fidgeting with the necklace nervously without turning to face him, "but Jackie…"

"Yeah?" He looked up at her tiredly, suddenly feeling so much older as he waited for her to close the door on him for what he knew might be the last time.

"In love with me? What th'fuck're ya talkin' about? She's in love with you!"

"God, Jackie! And yer callin' me an idiot!"

There was a long pause as she collected herself, trying to choose the right words. "I…I just thought…maybe… you should know…"

"Yer fuckin' blind, Collin!"

"…no matter what happened…Collin couldn't love me…"

"And so are you!"

"…because he was in love with you…"