Two young men crept through the dark, cobblestone streets with their shadows following closely in the dim street lights. No eyes saw past the thick, white steam that hid the two who swiftly darted through the streets of midnight London. They passed by metal and brick buildings with gears on the walls that clicked and clacked as they turned to fill rooms with warmth. The little light there was danced from inside the nearby taverns and buildings in the city. Faint cheers called back to old London before the war, before the industry.
The two men wore ragged brown cloaks which hid their faces in a blanket of shadows. Both looked around warily. The sound of boots against cobblestone swarmed towards them as sirens rang like a baby's cry. Large hot zeppelins with copper plating glided through the night sky with lights shooting onto the street, killing any shadows that lurked in London's dark corners. "Another baby has been stolen by The Fallen Ones!" called a hoarse voice as he ran through the streets to warn the poor citizens of London.
The two young men looked at one another before quickening their pace through the empty streets. One of them glanced back and saw people stumble out of their homes in nice attire, drunk as soldiers after a horrid battle. The few men there were wore lovely suits made of fine material and classic trinkets like goggles to protect from the steam. The women wore fine clothes which flowed and shimmered along with their movements.
"Don't look back," Thomas warned.
His partner in crime, Charles, turned his attention back to the streets ahead.
They continued their escape through the empty streets, shouts of anger far behind them. They were soon past all the well kept buildings and were now in The Slums. The streets became narrower and buildings were more sinister in nature. Most were broken and cracked with not a single light. The lamp posts in the Slums flickered, trying their best to ward off the darkness. The two men darted into dark alleys. Charles again looked behind him and could see the factories in the very distance, standing tall like rustic monsters, their smoke blackening out the starry sky. "Charles, I said not to look back!" whispered Thomas under his heaving breath.
They dashed swiftly, and slowly the city morphed again; it was now decently built with buildings that didn't look as if they would fall from a gust of wind. Many had iron bridges which connected them and landing areas where zeppelins laid sound asleep. The two came to a stop in front of a rickety, wooden staircase. They stopped next to a small, cobble wall about half their height. They could see far East; metal ships and boats floated the waters; smoke and ash spewing from them.
The two men caught their breath. "Is the baby okay?" Thomas asked with a huffing voice.
Charles looked down at the baby he had been holding in his arms while they ran. She was still at peace in her dreams. Charles nodded and looked at Thomas, only seeing the shadows of his cloak. They ran down the steps, each step groaning and threatening to break. They were below the streets now, near the water's edge. They walked down the docks. Bronze lanterns glowed dimly and rocked with every gust of wind. The waves gently swayed, rocking small boats on the canal waters. They swiftly walked down the wooden deck that kept them from the water below. The wood creaked softly under their light footsteps until they came to the third door which led to tunnels under the city. They opened the wooden door and stepped inside before closing it behind them.
Thomas stopped once the light from outside faded to almost pitch black. He pulled out a small bronze lantern from under his cloak. He pulled a mechanical lever and the sides lifted up, revealing warm, candle light.
They continued through the tunnels, making a left, a right, a left, a left again, continuing to their home. They stopped in front of a wooden door at the end of a long tunnel. Charles lifted his hood, revealing his features. His light brown hair was matted with sweat at the top of his forehead. He looked with hazel eyes at Thomas as they both caught their breaths. His skin was rough and pale with freckles scattered on his cheeks. A pair of black goggles sat on his short hair. He had big arms and a wide chest. He was the strongest of the three and extremely tall. His right arm was scorned with burn scars, leaving his flesh rugged and pink.
Thomas followed suit and revealed his face to the light. He had short, raven hair. His skin was light and held a few scars near his cheeks. His eyes were a deep earthy brown. He was not as buff as Charles, but there was some noticeable muscle. His hair was matted down from his sweat. "I still can't believe after four years in hidin', those twats think we still talk to Ben," Charles muttered as he caught his breath.
Thomas shrugged. "That's what happens when you work for a man as long as we have," Thomas said under his heavy breath.
"More a monster than a man," Charles said with a bitter fire flaring in his voice.
They both did a knock pattern and waited. The sound of metal turning echoed in the tunnels. The door swung open. Edward stood in front of them with bitter eyes and frowning brows washed on his face.
Edward was a bit shorter than the other two and not buff. In fact, he was scrawny. His hair was a wild mess of dirty blonde. His face childish even though he was their age. He had dirty goggles sitting on his head. One of his legs was replaced by a fake metal one. He wore rugged white shirt and brown shorts.
"What took you two so bloody long? You go wank each other? I had ta get the rest of the lil ones to sleep. I never heard the end of their bloody yappin'! 'Where's Thomas?' 'Where's Charles?' That's all they kept askin' me!" Edward exclaimed in a hushed voice as he flung his hands in the air.
"We're sorry. We had to wait 'til the baby farmer was asleep before we could snatch this one," Thomas chuckled before walking past Edward.
Charles gently handed Edward the baby. Edward took the baby caringly into his arms and a warm smile perched itself on his face. "What's this lil one's name?" Edward asked with a loving smile as he gazed upon the baby.
"Millie," Charles said before walking over to sit down.
The room was massive with a long homemade table. Lanterns dangled from the ceiling and were scattered on walls. There were six other doors that connected this room to several others. The room they stood in had everything. It was their living room, dining room, and fun room. The three other doors lead you to the children's room, Charles' room, and Edward and Thomas' room. The other three lead to a storage room, kitchen, and an extra room.
Thomas took off his cloak and threw it into a small basket. He wore a dirty, brown shirt and torn brown pants. Charles did the same. He wore a faded, light blue shirt and brown pants.
Thomas took a seat at a small table only him, Charles, and Edward sat at. Charles followed him, pulling a deck of cards from his pocket. Edward hobbled off and took the baby to where the children slept. Thomas pulled out his pack of cigarettes to smoke. He offered one to Charles who shook his head. Thomas lit his cigarette and took in a deep puff. "Can't wait for 'morrow," Thomas mumbled with his cigarette in his mouth, watching the cards being dealt.
"Another day, another pocket full and open," Charles said as he studied his cards like they were a pocket he was going to pick.
Edward had snuck out of the children's room and closed the door behind him. He limped over towards them. As he got closer, Thomas could see the red in his eyes and his hair was wild like he just got hit by a raging storm.
Edward pulled up a chair and waited for some cards to be dealt. "You sure you don't wanna go lay down?" Thomas asked softly.
Edward turned to him with irritation emanating from his face and body. "I'm playin' cards an' smokin' my pipe," he said.
"So who's goin�� out with me and Thomas?" Charles asked as he handed Edward five cards.
"Henry and Sarah-Williams," Edward replied.
"Only two?" Thomas asked.
"Jacob is sick still, Isabella is helping me take care of him, an' the rest have chores and errands to do for me. Plus most of them are still learnin' how to pickpocket. Only Lily, Fred, and Skye really know how to pick a pocket. The rest are bein' taught by me," Edward replied, moving his cards around in his hand.
"Well, you could hurry that up," Charles said, knowing full well it would step on Edward's toes.
Edward shot a glare at Charles. "You could maybe help us since you an' Thomas go out to pickpocket every bloody day!" he scowled. "Besides, we have a but load of goods as it is and no buyers."
Both Charles and Thomas sniggered under their breath. "What is Alexander doin'?" Charles asked, throwing two cards away and grabbing two from the deck.
"He's goin' out to get some medicine for Jacob," Edward replied, tossing one card.
"From who?" Thomas asked.
"He's gonna take it from one of the hospitals."
"What about Olivia?" Charles suggested.
"She's gonna be helpin' take care of the baby," Edward said, deep in concentration.
"Speakin' of the baby, when are we gunna rescue another one of those little guys?" Charles asked, giving Edward a card.
"Let's wait 'til the fire's done cookin'," Thomas suggested, tossing three cards.
Charles rolled his eyes and groaned louder than he needed to. "We waited practically two years last time," he complained.
"We waited two years because we took so many. What was it, ten?" Thomas asked.
"Twelve," Edward said with his eyes trying to peek at Thomas' hand.
"Yeah, So let's wait a bit," Thomas said.
Charles nodded before turning his gaze back to cards. "What are the stakes for this game?" Edward asked, not seeming too happy with his cards.
"Winner gets an extra sweet after supper," Charles replied with a frown, obviously not happy with his cards.
Charles tossed three cards to Thomas. He grabbed them and stared at them for a moment. "Ready?" Charles sighed.
They both nodded.
"I got nothin'," Charles muttered, showing his cards.
"Two pair; fives and jacks," Edward said with a cocky grin,flipping his cards over confidently.
He glanced over at Thomas, who hadn't changed his look. "Well, What's in your hand?" Charles asked.
"Straight," Thomas replied,showing his cards.
"It's always you who gets the straight," Charles murmured under his breath, tossing his cards to Thomas.
Edward's quickly sunk. "Looks like I get an extra sweet 'morrow," Thomas chuckled.
"Bloody brat," Edward muttered, pulling out his smoke pipe, which was a short, copper one.
Edward put it in his mouth and reached in his pocket for some tobacco. He stuffed it in his pipe before lighting it with a match. He sat with an annoyed look, watching Thomas shuffle the cards. "You always were a bad gambler and a sore loser," Thomas snickered.
"Go eat a rat's ass," Edward hissed, blowing out smoke.
Thomas chuckled and handed out cards. "Alright, your call, Thomas. What are the stakes?" Charles yawned.
"Winner picks who cleans the bathrooms," Thoma said, making an emphasis on the s sound at the end of bathroom.
Charles' face scrunched up.
"Good, 'bout time one of you two helped out around here," Edward said, still bitter about the last game.
"You got kids here to help you. Don't act like you're cookin' an' cleanin' by yourself," Charles said with a tired smile.
Edward's eyes went wide and he quickly got up. He walked over to the kitchen. "I almost forgot. You two must be bloody hungry," he said as he started reheating leftover soup in the pot.
"Can I have a bottle of wine, while you're there?" Charles asked.
"No alcohol tonight," Edward shouted as he poured some soup into metal bowls.
"Why not?" Thomas pouted.
"I am not sleepin' with a few drunks. Plus, last time you two were drunk, you woke the whole tunnels, including the lil ones," Edward replied with a sinking feeling in his gut. Thomas can't have a drink.
He gathered the cards up and put them in their little box. "Come on, just a few sips won't hurt," Thomas begged, grabbing ahold of Edward's wrist before he was able to walk off.
Edward froze with deep and sudden fear that spiked through him. He glanced at Thomas, who was making puppy dog eyes at Edward. He sighed. He hated when Thomas did that to him. "One cup, no more," Edward finally agreed with a soft worry in his voice.
"Thank goodness," Charles exclaimed.
Edward limped over and pulled a bottle of wine from one of the cabinets he could reach and three tin cups. He poured a little bit of wine in each cup before putting the bottle back. He sat down and handed them their drinks. The room was silent, except for the slurps of soup and gulps of drink.
Eeeeek.
Edward glanced behind him and saw Jacob standing alone near the door to his room. Jacob was a skinny boy with white skin and short black hair. His eyes were weak and brown. His skin was paler than usual. He wore clothes that were too big for him. He hadn't been eating well in days. "Jacob, what are you doin' up this late?" Edward asked kindly as he got up and limped to Jacob who started coughing, harking before he spit something out.
"I-I'm still hungry. I want some food, please," Jacob coughed weakly.
"Ok, let's get some nice stew in you and then some medicine,"Edward suggested, guiding Jacob to the large table.
"Can I have some too?" asked a smaller voice.
Edward turned around and saw three little kids, one boy and two girls. They were Fred, Skye, and Lily. All three in their night clothes. All three little children, no more than six. Fred had wild, ginger hair and grey eyes. Skye had long brown hair and brown eyes. Lily was black and chubby. She had short curly hair that was just a mess and deep brown eyes.
"Oh great, the whole family is goin' to wake up," Edward mumbled to himself. "No, you need to go to bed."
"But we're hungry," Fred pouted.
"Yeah, supper was icky," Lily grumbled.
"Yeah Edward, supper was icky," Thomas teased with a sly grin.
"Shut your trap," Edward snapped at Thomas before looking back at the three little ones.
"No more food," Edward told them gently, before looking at Charles, "Charles, can you go take these beggars to bed?"
"What's the magic word?" Charles asked with a smirk.
"No supper tomorrow," Edward told him.
Charles sighed and got up. "Come on you three. Edward made a scrumptious supper, now you need to sleep," Charles told them as he led them back to their room.
Edward poured Jacob another bowl of soup before sitting down next to Thomas. He relit his pipe and inhaled more smoke with a worried breath. Thomas glanced at Edward. He looked nervous and uneasy. Thomas followed Edward's gaze to Jacob, who coughed hoarsely into his stew before continuing to eat it. "How long do you think he has?" Thomas asked, looking at Edward for an answer.
"He'll get better," Edward murmured under his pipe, staring at the ground, almost like he was pretending Thomas wasn't there.
Thomas turned his gaze back to Jacob and watched the poor boy eat his food. Thomas still wasn't sure if Edward was just trying to be optimistic or was in denial, but either way, he knew Edward was lying.
"When you're out tomorrow, get me some cabbage and bread. We're runnin' low," Edward told Thomas.
"Alright. I'm gunna need more than two with me and Charles 'morrow," Thomas told Edward.
"For what?" Edward asked.
"We were gonna do some pickpocketin' to get some more money," Thomas replied, tossing his cigarette to the ground.
"I don't know why," Edward mumbled. "All the jewelers we sold to are off in America getting gunned down as we speak."
Thomas nodded along as he listened. "Honestly, it's sport at this point; something fun to do with the lil ones."
Edward sat silent before taking his pipe out of his mouth for a moment. "Well, I was thinkin' of keepin' the kids to learn some new tricks so they could be better pickpockets," Edward said softly before resting his pipe back in his mouth.
"Alright, I'll bring more with me next time then," Thomas said.
"You could run some errands for me so the kids can stay home and help me," Edward suggested.
Thomas threw his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his foot. "Sounds like a plan."
They sat in silence now. Both had a million things to say, but neither wanted to speak. It was uncomfortable and almost tense between them. "Are we really doin' the right thing?" Edward asked, blowing out a puff of smoke.
Thomas gently put his hand on Edward's real leg and looked Edward in the eyes with a tired smile. "Of course. Don't forget where we are gettin' these lil kids from. We are savin' them," Thomas told him.
Edward still looked unsure. "You remember how it was," Thomas told him.
A dark shiver crawled up Edward's spine. He hated that place. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said.
There was a gagging sound that echoed in the room. Edward jumped up, hurrying over to Jacob, nearly tripping as he ran. He helped Jacob stand and rushed him back to the children's room, telling him to hold it in for the moment.
As he rushed Jacob in the room, Charles walked out. "Get me some water," Edward ordered before vanishing into the children's room.
Charles' walk turned into a dash to the sink. He served some water for Jacob before running back into the children's room and handing it to Edward, quickly leaving afterwards.
Charles walked over with an exhausted look and sat next to Thomas. "How long does the poor boy have?" Charles asked.
"A week most likely," Thomas said.
Charles sighed. "Did you convince him to let us bring more?"
"No, we're waitin' 'til the day after," Thomas replied.
"What are doin' until then?"
"Edward is gunna give us a few errands."
"Like what?"
"Don't know. We'll find out 'morrow."
Edward gently laid Jacob in his bed. He sat on a wooden stool next to the small boy and waited for him to drift to sleep. He looked around and saw the rest of his children sleeping peacefully in their beds. There were twenty one of them, counting the new baby, who laid in her cot. They were crammed into three rooms that were connected by two openings that they didn't block. Edward was about to leave, but he heard a weak whimper. He looked back and saw Jacob was still awake. "You need to sleep, or you'll never get better," Edward told him gently, a sad smile on his face.
"Can you," Jacob began before a cough took his breath, "Can you tell me a story, please?"
Edward put his hand on Jacob's forehead;he was burning. "Let me go get you a rag with some cool water first," Edward said before walking to the kids' bathroom.
He grabbed one of the rags and lit a small candle. He rinsed the rag in cold water from the sink him and Hugo built. He brought it back to Jacob and laid it on his burning forehead. "Alright, What story would you like to hear?" he asked.
"Tell me about the Tinkerer and his toy," Jacob asked, his delicate smile breaking Edward's heart.
Edward smiled. "Let's see," he said while he thought, "There was a little tinkerer. He was a little old man with a metal chest and long bone-white beard. Well, this tinkerer was lonely. He had no wife to love nor a child to raise. He wished for a family he could call his own. One day, while he worked in his shop he had an idea. He would build himself a family. He started to work on his family. He worked day and night to build them. After many years of working, he succeeded. He had all the kids he wanted and the love of his life. And you might be wondering how could this simple tinkerer be able to build life into machines. Well, the tinkerer used his own heart to give the toys their lives. It was a sacrifice he deemed worthy of such love. And so the tinkerer lived happily with his family until the end of his days."
Jacob had a bright smile on his face as he drifted to sleep. When Edward finished he slowly crept out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
"Well, I'm goin' to sleep. You two don't have too much fun," Charles teased, earning himself a playful punch from Thomas.
Thomas waited at his table as Edward limped over to him. Calm silence passed through the room. Edward sat down and smiled at Thomas and the silence continued for only a moment more. "You done poutin' over losin' to me in cards?" Thomas taunted with a soft smirk on his face.
"Quiet," Edward grumbled with a slight grin as he walked over to the kitchen.
Thomas followed behind him, wrapping his arms around Edward's waist and pecking the back of his neck. "I missed you," he whispered.
"I missed you too," Edward whispered back with a small grin growing back on his face.
"Go get some rest. I'll clean up the dishes," Thomas told him, taking the wet rag from Edward's hand.
"No, I'll just clean them tomorrow. I'll have Isabella help me clean," Edward told him, turning to face Thomas.
Edward looked Thomas in the eye. His heart was caressed by the comfort he felt with Thomas in front of him. He watched him smirk and look stupidly charming, knowing it made Edward fall harder for him.
"Come on, we got plenty of work to do tomorrow. We'll need our sleep," Edward said.
Edward turned and reached for the lantern above them. He almost had it, just centimeters away but his leg held him back. Thomas reached over him and turned the lantern off. "Thanks," Edward whispered with a moment of softness in his voice.
Edward grabbed Thomas' hand and they both walked to their room. They walked inside where they began to change into their sleep clothes. Thomas took a glance at Edward and caught sight of a scar that ran down his ribs. He winced at the sight. Guilt dropped into the pit of his stomach like a thousand pounds of copper. Thomas looked away before murmuring. "Sorry about that."
Edward looked up before realizing his scar was showing. He walked over and pulled Thomas in for a close hug, letting their bodies exchange heat. "You're alright. I forgive you," he whispered before laying Thomas down to bed.
"I don't," Thomas said with a darkened, sick feeling.
Edward looked up from his hiding place on the floor between the stove and a chair at a raging man who once looked like an angel, but looked more like a monster with his roaring voice. The man held an empty bottle and brought it crashing down and soon after scarlet blood drained onto pale skin and mixed with a scarlet poison. . .
They lay silently, feeling their bodies cry for sleep, but their minds continued to wander. Edward turned to his side and closed his eyes. He felt Thomas' arms wrap around him, pulling his body closer until there was nothing between them. Both could smell the other and it comforted them, throwing all worries out their home.
Edward was at peace for a small moment before he drifted to sleep. Soon after Thomas fell asleep as well.
Charles laid alone, not a single soul with him. The kids had each other. Thomas had Edward and Edward had Thomas. Charles was left alone. His thoughts brewed in his mind, lovely thoughts. He saw himself with a beautiful lady his age. He saw him and her dance gracefully, as if they'd done it a million times before. It was so peaceful and happy, Charles couldn't help but smile to himself.
His mind then altered to him and her out in the countryside, away from all the rot in the cities, reading a book together. Both thoughts brought vivid pictures that only made him crave for them to be real.He saw the lively green countryside and could almost smell the fresh air that the trees graced their lungs with. He saw her soft dress sway with the dance they performed. He wanted it to be real. And with that want, a bitterness infected his thoughts. They festered in his mind, tearing at his dream.
His eyes weren't dry anymore. They turned into a rain cloud that poured out with sorrow. He curled into a ball and reached for one of his spare pillows. Without hesitation, he pulled a soft and cool pillow to his chest where he held it tight as if it were a real person. He buried his head into it, his tears soaked the cloth. He rubbed his scarred arm; its soft and squishy flesh. It only brought more horrible memories back to his broken mind; memories of fire and an anger to match the flame.
As he whimpered to himself, he felt his mind slowly lose its energy to cry or do anything. His eyes turned to heavy stone slowly shutting. He couldn't help but lose himself to the weak feeling he always got when he cries at night.