The next day Katherine decided to do something useful for once, she went into town. Normally she avoided going in public she hated all the looks people gave her as she passed by, you'd think after nine years people would forgive and forget... nope not in New York. It had gotten better over the years though most people had come to except it, it wasn't like she had been the first to get pregnant at 17 in fact Katherine remembered when she was about 13 a 16 or 17 year old girl who had goten pregnant she couldn't remember what happened to her but she knew the girl had ran away shortly after that. Katherine felt today was going to be a good day, she sent Peter off to school at 9:30 and he usually got home around 12:00 so that gave her ruffly 3 hours to get her shopping done. She left shortly after Peter enjoying the feeling of the warm rising sun on her face. She wore her usual floor length skirt and blouse, her curly hair was pinned half up and half down and it cascaded down her back in a waterfall of brown hair. The streets were busy with hurried people and young Newsboys shouting the days headline. Katherine grinned as a young boy about Peters age hurried over to her and offered her a paper.

"Please buy this paper" he said quietly looking up at her through his blonde eyelashes. Katherine laughed and handed him a penny in one hand and taking the paper in the other. "Thanks Miss" he said and skipped over to a group of elderly women. There was a course of "Awws" from the high-class women and each of them bought a paper. Katherine sighed internally at the women's reaction, thank goodness they had been kind enough to the little boy. Katherine went on her way down town pausing to admire the clothes in the shoppes windows, she hadn't ever been a fan of shopping but she couldn't resist seeing the expensive bright colored clothes that hung lively in the window. Something caught her attention as she passed by a certain store called 'Mr. Hensley's' that sold arts and crafts, normally that kind of stuff didn't interest her but a pack of charcoal pencils came to her attention. They were beautiful! Thin and black and sharpened into a deadly point. She knew Peter would love them, the shop was dark inside and it smelt strongly of wet paint in the back corner sat a bald old man wearing a paint stained apron.

"Good morning Miss!" He called and got up from his seat "I'm Mr. Hensley, I own this store." Katherine took his out stretched hand and shook it firmly.

"Good to meet you I'm Katherine Plumber." She said and smirked internally at the use of her byeline, it had been a while sense she introduced herself as that.

"We'll Miss Plumber how can I help you?" He asked kindly.

"I was just outside and I saw thoes charcoal pencils and was wondering how much they were." She said pointing over her shoulder towards the window. Mr. Hensley nodded and smiled.

"Ah yes, our newest brand came in yesterday day we've sold nearly all! Only a couple packs left, lucky you got here when you did." He said making his way back to his desk, Katherine noticed he limped with every step. "Do you draw?" He asked curiously and ducked down under the counter.

"Oh no, not me! No there for my son, he loves drawing." She said stepping up to the counter. Mr. Hensley came back up with an identical pack of four sleek pencils.

"Well then your son is gonna love these." He said his eyes shining.

"Great how much?"

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She left that shop considerably poorer but very pleased with herself, deciding she should hurry and finish shopping before 12:00 snuck up on her she made a beeline for the market and quickly bought what she needed and headed back towards the apartment building. Bags clanking against her legs she hauled them up the two flights of stairs to apartment number 28, she dropped the bags down in relief once she was safely inside the apartment. Taking the pencils out of one of the bags she set it carefully on top of the counter feeling as if they would break if she held them for two long. Knowing that Peter would be hungry when he got back she set to work on making them both some lunch, he had never been one to cook but peanut butter sandwiches didn't really qualify as cooking. At 12:08 the door opened and in stepped a very annoyed looking kid.

"I hate school" Peter said slamming the door behind him "I'm never going back." He declared entering the kitchen. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Be grateful. Some boys are lucky just to know how to read, much less have an education." She said as he plopped down at the table. He shot her an irritable look.

"I might like it more if all the kids that went to school weren't so stuck-up." He muttered taking a bite of the sandwich in front of him.

"Did you get into another fight?" She asked siting next to him. Peter had a habit of picking fights with people he didn't like.

"No but I should have." He mumbled slouching in his chair. Katherine shook her head in disappointment.

"Fighting won't get you what you want, you should know better than that." She scolded him. He didn't answer, he just clenched his jaw and stared gloomily at his plate.

"Peter" she said hating his gloomy mood, just then she reambered what she had bought earlier that day, "hey! Guess what I got you?" She said, Peters head snapped up suddenly. Katherine hopped out of her chair and snatched the pencils off the counter and handed them to her son. Peter gulped a bite down as he saw the beautiful pencils.

"You bought new pencils?" He asked gingerly holding the package. Katherine nodded proudly.

"And not just any pencils, their charcoal!" She exclaimed, Peter pulled one out of the pouch an awed expression on his face.

"Gee Mom, their wonderful. Thank you!" He said pushing his half eaten sandwich away so he could replace them with the pencils. Katherine nodded and grinned as Peter ran a finger along the tip.

"Take care of them because they didn't come cheep." She said as she could almost see his thoughts drift to his sketch pad. Peter nodded and jumped down from the chair taking the pencils with him. "Make sure to work on your letters" she called out of habit as he made a bee line for the door. He rounded the corner and a second later his head poked back in her sight.

"Thanks again!" He said with a crooked grin. She laughed as she herd him dart into his room, like heck he was gonna work on his letters. Once he started on a sketch there was no stoping him, he was very persistent.

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Katherine had been admiring the streets below the apartment for a good hour when she herd a knock on her door, a sharp almost hesitant knock. Her eye brows furrowed, who would be at her apartment at this hour? The sun had just dipped below the tall buildings casting a shadow into the small room, Katherine swung her legs back inside the apparent and headed for the door. She glanced down the hall on her way, Peters door was open just a crack and she could see a thin strip of light across the floor in the hall from it. She paused in front of the door smoothing her hair and skirts out until they looked decent. Little did she know as she reached for the door handle that her life was about to change forever...

AUTHORS NOTE: Wow, I'm proud of myself for updating so quickly! Any way thanks for reading, and reamber to tell me what you think and as always I own NOTHING except the characters I create from a far away place called my brain and my old iPod. Thx