"You're Elmer Kasparzack?" she choked out.

He shrugged, like he wasn't quite sure what else she wanted him to say.

She considered just turning around and going home right then and there. She hadn't expected the boy to look like her father. How was she expected to keep herself composed if she had to look into his eyes everytime he was around? Which would be quite a bit, if she were to... what? Guard him? Oh, man. He was gonna think she was a freak, wasn't he? She'd gotten way too ahead of herself. She couldn't just barge in and tell him that he was in potential danger, but that she'd make sure he wasn't hurt in the process. Who did she think she was?

He was still staring at her.

She cleared her throat. "Elmer, I came because your brother's gotten himself into something he won't be able to get himself out of easily. Now, he's willing to do whatever The Unknowns ask of him. He's planning to go after you."

Elmer stood looking at her, mouth agape. "My bruddah."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, the oldest."

"I don't have an old-ah bruddah."

Her fingers jolted. "Excuse me?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "I dunno who you think you are, but-"

"I'm telling you," Évangéline interrupted, "it said in the letter-" she sincerely wished her mother hadn't taken it with her- "that your brother wanted the objects you guys are keeping here, or he'd go after you."

Emer looked conflicted. He opened his mouth, then closed it. "Are ya sure-"

An arm was suddenly around her throat, yanking her backwards. As she scratched at the person's arm in self-defence, Dipper shot forward, clutching the arms of the newsie behind her. "Al, she's armed!"

There was a pause, but it was enough time to get the upper-hand. Out came the sword, away from him, but held threateningly enough to let him know she wouldn't hesitate to defend herself. "Two times in a day," she hissed. "That's not a good start, mon ami."

"P.B..." the boy behind her trailed off. "Placide? Placide Beaulieu? That's his sword?"

She froze as he let go, stumbling back. "You know him?"

"Yeah, we know him," the blue-clad newsie said. "He's dat guy who dealt wit dat oth-ah guy, Quavillion, a few years back. I've even met him once. What's he ta you?"

"He was my father."

He met her gaze. "Was, huh?"

She looked down.

"Alright, let's all jus back up for a moment." Elmer came around, putting distance between her and the newsies. "Did we know each oth-ah in our childhood, or somethin'?"

She frowned. "Don't think so."

"Have ya had dis crush on me fa as long as you could rememb-ah?"

"No?"

"I ain't s'posed ta bring ya someplace?"

She scratched her head. "Not that I know of..."

He sighed. "I guess it's too much ta ask dat we jus happened ta run into each other fa no reason?"

Évangéline tilted her head. "Is there a pattern to these questions, or is it just me?"

"You wouldn't get it," Dipper said, smiling slightly.

"Okay, okay." Elmer covered his eyes. "So you got a lett-ah. Tha lett-ah said my old-ah bruddah was aft-ah me. I don't have an old-ah bruddah. Plus, it said we have access ta all tha objects, which we don't. We only have tha violin." From the corner of her eye, she saw Dipper and Amy averting their gazes, appearing almost sheepish. "And fa some reason I get dis message from a goil weldin' a sword. It's like Domino all ov-ah again." He sighed. "What is goin' on?"

Évangéline was just as lost. "My mother didn't really tell me anything. I just know what was written in the letter, and that I was in charge of making sure no one came after you."

"Ya don't know who sent tha lett-ah?"

She shrugged. "Some guy named Gilbert. Gilbert? I'm not sure how it's pronounced."

Dipper stepped forward. "Dat's my faddah."

Silence.

"I'm confused," said the one with the cigar.

"Dat makes two of us."

Évangéline ran a hand through her hair. "Seems like we're stuck."

"Let's not give up so quickly."

She turned towards the boy with spectacles. He hadn't spoken until then. "Well, what do you propose, chum?"

"Why don't we jus go see Trek?" another boy called out. Everyone slowly turned their eyes onto the one who'd spoken. It took him a moment to realize. "What?" Albert pointed discreetly at Dipper, who had her head bowed, kicking absently at the ground. The boy who'd made the proposition winced as he caught on. "Right..."

"Well, one thing's fa sure." Albert turned burning eyes onto her. "She ain't leavin' 'til we find out what she wants."

"What?" Dipper grabbed his arm. "Al-"

"Sorry, but no can do," Évangéline bit out, walking towards the door. "I have other things to tend to."

Another boy — seriously, how many of them were there? — grabbed her shoulder. "Not so fast."

She gritted her teeth, trying to pull free to no avail. "You'd think the sword would be enough to warn a guy."

"Can't do much wit a sword when you've got no hands."

Sure enough, her hands were soon being tied behind her back. Her pulse quickened. "I'm trying to help you guys! Do you think I would've been led over here if I wanted to harm you?"

"You was led ov-ah by Amy 'n Dipper," the one either the cigar said, as though their judgment didn't count for much. "Clearly, dey didn't know tha whole story."

Évangéline pulled uselessly at her restraints. Where had they even gotten that rope? "You can't keep me here!"

Finch narrowed his eyes, tilting his head challengingly. "Why's dat?"

Well, time to play the desperate card. Which she was. "My sisters! I'm all they have! They need someone to care for them, please let me go!"

"Who's wit dem now?" the boy behind her questioned, and maybe she was just imagining it, but it seemed his grip had loosened the slightest bit.

"They're at school," she said, then turned to look at the two girls. "That's why I wouldn't be staying the night. I need to be home for them."

The newsie in blue — one could only go so long without any names to address people by — crossed his arms. "Let her go."

She sagged in relief as the boy untied the rope, not without hesitation. Soon, she was heading towards the door, pulling her jacket tighter around herself.

"Where're you goin'?" Elmer questioned, following her.

She glared. "You guys seem to be doing just fine without me. And, to be frank, you haven't given me very many reasons to trust you."

As was expected, they didn't say a word as she yanked the door open and left without a second glance.

"You have one minute to explain yourself."

Léocadie flushed bright red. "Angèle, you would've done the exact same thing if you were there! The boy was calling me names, alors je lui ai piocher-"

"English."

The girl rolled her eyes. "So I beat him up!"

Évangéline crossed her arms. "Which got you kicked out of school."

Léocadie didn't meet her gaze.

"Léo, for crying out loud!" Évangéline threw her arms in the air. "What am I supposed to do? I can't stay here with you during the day. And if you're out of school, you know Annette is going to want to stay home, too. And then Madelaine, Madeleine's not going to know what to do if you aren't there. She barely knows a word of English as it is! I was counting on you two to be there for her!"

"Maybe we'll just all have to stay home."

Évangéline groaned, slumping into the couch.

This had been where her father had lived during his time in the city. Where he'd gotten the money for two houses, Évangéline had no idea, but he'd made good use of them. Every winter he set out to, as they say, fight crime, and always came back just in time for fishing season. That had been his job. His livelihood.

But it had also been this.

With her eyes, she traced the lines of the sofa. Worn as it was, it still held a certain quality of comfort. Like he did. She'd almost managed to convince herself that coming here to this house wouldn't wreak her, but seeing that boy...

He'd looked so much like him. The mental image still took her breath away. Wolves' teeth, she missed him. She missed him endlessly. Seeing the distrust on the boy's face had felt like a knife to the heart.

Well, if he didn't trust her, she would have no problem returning the favour.

"We both know you can't send us back to school," said Léo.

"Yeah, I know!" Évangéline took a deep breath. "Thanks to you and your quick fists."

Léo stuck out her tongue.

"I just don't know how maman will react to this." Évangéline leaned back on the couch. "Any of us would be lucky to make it out alive after she finds out."

For the first time since she'd gotten home, Léocadie appeared guilty. "Angèle... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get kicked out."

Évangéline sighed. "I know. C'mere." Léo climbed up onto the sofa, the oldest holding her tight with her chin settled on top of the young girl's head. "You were just... defending your honour, and I'm proud of you for that. Papa would be, too. It's just that more things can go wrong over here. I don't want anything happening to you. It doesn't help that you have enough trouble breathing as it is."

Léo said nothing, but Évangéline felt her nod.

By the time the day drew near its end, things had settled. The three kids eventually calmed down about their predicament and had just let her do the worrying. They'd also helped her prepare supper, as repayment, she supposed. It wasn't easy having the weight of her family on her shoulders, but she'd manage. Her blood was soaked with that of her father. She'd pull through just the same.

At present, she was lying still in her bed as thought after thought crashed through the pathetic attempt of a barrier she'd put up to shield herself. What would she do? The kids were out of school, and she didn't have the power to do anything about it. So that really was it, wasn't it? She couldn't bring the girls along if she went back for the newsies. Her mother would have her strung up by the neck before an explanation had even had the time to make its way out of her mouth. It seemed she'd really let both her parents down.

She grunted, throwing off her covers and allowing the piercing cold to penetrate the pads of her feet as she set them down on the floor. She would have to refill the fireplace. Madeleine got cold easily, and Léo's asthma acted up especially as the air cooled.

Brushing this aside, she made her way through the small house, pausing at the front door. Not only did she have to grab a jacket, but was she also ready to leave the girls? She'd meant when she told Lane and her group of newsies that she had people after her family, too. What if something happened while she was out? Was she ready to have to deal with that failure?

It was only when she realized she was pacing did she know she had to go out, if only for a few minutes. She'd wake up the entire house if she stayed cooped inside.

She needed air.

Walking through the night with a coat wrapped snugly around her was calming, tranquil, almost pleasant. It wasn't the warmest out, but she'd endured much harsher weather. This, she could manage.

Even still, she couldn't seem to shake the chill that'd dug its claws into her spine. Finally, instead of trying to reinstill her previous warmth, she settled down by the coast, where a few boats lingered out in the sea. It was nothing short of heart-wrenching, remembering the way her father would climb these boats and fish until dusk and walk around the port like he owned the seas.

How did they even begin to think they could use the sea as an excuse for his ultimate demise? He and the sea had been a team. She didn't know how, but he'd earned its respect. It was certainly not some cruel twist of fate that had killed him. She knew that much.

But she had nothing to prove it.

She tensed as the quiet thumping of feet reached her ears. Her hand instinctively went to her back where she kept the sword — of course she'd taken it with her, she wasn't an amature — until she heard the voice that accompanied the scuffle of shoes.

"It's jus me."

Turning her head, Évangéline was met with the boy who was at the center of all of this. At least, for her. "What are you doing up?"

Elmer blinked. "Well, I could ask ya tha same thing."

She bristled. "I asked first."

Elmer sighed and seated himself. She scooted away, scowling. What did a girl have to do to get a bit of privacy around these parts? "A lot on my mind. You did drop quite a load on me earli-ah."

Évangéline focused her attention back on the waves. "If it had been true, wouldn't you have liked to know?"

He didn't answer. It was a while before he said anything else. "Yer turn."

She knew what he meant. "I'm not the best sleeper. Especially since my father passed."

"Sorry 'bout dat," said the boy, his voice taking on a softer quality. "How long has it been?"

She tilted her head upwards, taking a deep breath. "About two month. Maybe less. I've learned it's better not to keep count."

"Right." For some reason, the boy seemed to inch closer. "How old are ya?"

She rolled her eyes. "What's your angle, chum? I can count maybe three of your friends who don't absolutely despise me. I don't know what game you're playing at, but I'll tell you now, I'll be the last to fall for it."

The boy frowned. "No one hates ya."

She rose an eyebrow.

"Dey jus don't trust ya."

"Exactly my point."

Elmer sighed. "Jack seemed ta trust yer faddah. So I trust yer faddah. Which means I trust you."

She couldn't hold the burst of laughter that left her throat. "What if I was a murderer?"

"Yer not."

"And how, pray tell, did you determine that?"

"I jus know."

"Ah." She brought her knees up to her chest, shaking her head. "I wouldn't trust that mentality too much, chum. You're just gonna end up hurt."

"I'll take dat risk." He turned to face her. "Why do ya think Trek wrote dat lett-ah to yer muddah?"

She shrugged. "Don't know Trek well enough to say."

"Right."

She faced him, pondering. After a moment, she asked, "Where're you from?"

Elmer blinked. "He-ah, why?"

She pursed her lips together. "I'm just curious. You don't know if your parents came from somewhere else? Before they had you, maybe?"

She didn't miss the way he scooted an inch from her. "I dunno."

Shame. She realized it was cruel to keep him in the dark about why she was asking. "You look a bit like my father."

"Oh." He apparently didn't know what to make of this. "Thank you?"

Évangéline laughed. "I just... I was wondering if you had any Acadian roots in your family. Y'know, small world."

"Yeah." He smiled at her. "From what I know, my family comes from Poland. But... I ain't sure. Ise tha oldest 'a eight kids. Dere wasn't ev-ah much time ta ask."

"Eight kids." She nodded, impressed. "I've got three younger sisters. Madeleine, Annette and Léocadie."

"I'm guessing you're French," he joked.

"What gave it away?"

He stopped suddenly, looking contemplative. "I nev-ah got yer name."

She thought back to earlier that day, slowly realizing that he was right. "Évangéline. Évangéline Beaulieu."

"Beautiful." Elmer's grin never faltered. "Ise Elmer Kasperzack."

She frowned. "I already-"

"-knew dat," he finished. "I know. But since we got off on tha wrong foot, I thought we could start ov-ah."

It was impossible not to smile along with him. "Well, I accept."

(2741 words)

And that's all I wrote this month. The sorta break was necessary, though. I kept ignoring things I needed to get done so I could write. I truly do hate reality sometimes.

~ nutcracker645