Chapter Nine

Shane rapped on Tony's window, peering inside. Tony's blond head poked up through a bundle of blankets and she blinked sleepy, startled eyes around the room.

Shane tapped on the window again.

Tony jumped and turned with wide eyes. "S-shane? What are you doing here?" Self-consciously she wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders as she stood.

"Let me in," the dark teenager called.

Tony stared for a moment at the face highlighted by the moon. She cleared her throat. "There's bars on the window," she pointed out.

"Let me in the front then."

Tony shivered. More trouble. She shook her head silently.

"Please," Shane whispered hoarsely.

Has she been crying? "I'll meet you at the door." Tony threw down the blanket after Shane had dropped from sight. Then, with a silent prayer, she tiptoed through the apartment and began to unlock the door. Five locks and a metal rod later she ushered Shane inside and motioned with a crooked finger to be silent.

They tiptoed back to Tony's room, shut and locked the door.

Tony re-wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and sat on the bed while Shane paced, taking some comfort in the young girl's sleepy presence.

Back and forth and back and forth Shane paced.

"Stop that," Tony hissed. "Come sit down," she patted the bed.

"I'd rather stand." Shane ran her fingers through wind tangled hair.

Fine ok?. What are you doing here? Why were you crying? Why bother to ask at all when you probably won't answer my questions? Tony glanced at the bedside clock. "I take it all is not well if you're sneaking into my room at four o'clock in the morning?"

Shane blew a sharp burst of air between her teeth. "I can leave if I'm bothering you."

"No, no you aren't bothering me. Please, Shane, sit down?"

She turned dark eyes on Tony. With the moonlight streaming into the room she could see the young girl better. "What happened to your face?" she sat on the bed beside Tony.

Tony stifled a gasp and the automatic urge to touch the bruise on her chin. "Nothing," she lied.

"Does it hurt?" Shane asked softly.

"No," she lied again.

"And," Shane reached her hand up to the collar of Tony's nightshirt, "this one didn't hurt either, I suppose?"

"I don't even remember doing it," Tony pulled away from Shane, her eyes wide with fear and face turning red with shame.

"Uh huh," Shane curled her hand into a fist and dropped it into her lap. "And I suppose you fell into a doorknob or some other sick clich??"

Tony remained silent.

"Who did this to you?" Shane asked, finding that her chaotic thoughts could focus, when it was on someone else's pain.

"I-" Tony shook her head fearfully, "it wasn't her fault. I shouldn't have gone out. I worried her. I always worry her. And she's been so upset since daddy died and she gets so angry. It's not her fault?" she trailed off, on the verge of hysterical tears.

"Her who?" Shane gritted her teeth and willed her hands to stay steady.

Tony suddenly realized her mistake. "N-no one," she stammered.

"Your Gram?" Shane was angry now. So angry that someone would ever want to hurt this innocent girl.

"No!" Tony gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

"If it wasn't your Gram then it was your mom." The dark teenager stood so suddenly that Tony sat looking dumbfounded at the space where she had been.

Tony's silence was all the answer Shane needed. She hurried to the door. "That bitch-" she unlocked the door.

"No, Shane!" As Tony leapt from the bed and crossed the small room she broke the cardinal rule and reached out to grab Shane's elbow.

"What?" Shane turned angrily in her grasp. "I should beat the shit out of your mom for hurting you," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"No, it's not her fault. She's lost without daddy." Tony tugged on Shane's elbow, willing her to back down. "Please, don't hurt her?"

"But she hurt you."

Tears fell from Tony's pale green eyes. "Please don't?" she whispered. She needed so desperately for someone to hold her and just reassure her that everything would be all right.

Shane sighed, not bothering to shake off the desperate hand clinging to her arm. She looked down into Tony's face, at the trembling lips and falling tears. "Come on, don't cry."

"S-sorry," Tony stammered, choking on her tears. Of course. Of course, Shane would never cry. Buck up you little baby, she chided herself, but the tears wouldn't stop. She wandered back to her bed and fell onto it and into a torrent of sobs.

Shane hesitated a moment then crossed the small room and sat on the bed beside Tony's curled up body. She reached out a hand and stroked Tony's back. "Shhh?"

Tony's sobs hitched in her throat. Shane's hand was warm and strong and Tony turned on her side, glancing up. "W-why did you come here tonight?"

Some of the pain surfaced again and Shane's hand stilled. "I couldn't sleep."

Tony sniveled and absently swiped her hand under her runny nose. "I couldn't sleep either," she whispered.

"Looked like you were sleeping when I got here," Shane smiled slightly.

"Mmm, I was just falling asleep actually."

"I- I'm sorry I woke you up then," Shane shifted uncomfortably on the bed and placed her hands in her lap. "I should go." But she made no move to get up.

"Or, or you could stay here?" Tony sat up slowly, placing her hand on Shane's knee. "Just for a little bit?"

Shane looked at the hand on her leg and back up to Tony's face.

Tony wrenched her hand away and turned, embarrassed, to stare at the bedside clock. No more then ten minutes had passed. The red numbers blurred as more tears threatened.

Oh God, she's going to cry again, isn't she? What do I do? An image of her mother came to Shane's mind. She'd just gotten the training wheels off her bike and was learning to ride it down the sidewalk when she'd panicked and run into the fire hydrant because her father had let her go.

Shane's mom had scooped her up, cradled her in her arms and gently bandaged her bleeding knee. She'd been all of eight years old.

Tony was fifteen. But ya never got too old for hugs, right?

Right. Shane wrapped her arm loosely around Tony's shoulder and tugged gently. After a moment's hesitation Tony leaned against Shane's chest and buried her head in Shane's leather jacket.

Shane smelled like cigarettes and the wind, salty tears, Suave shampoo and soap. Tony wrapped her arms around the dark teen's waist and held tight. She let her tears flow freely now as Shane rubbed her back.

After a moment Shane rested her chin on top of Tony's golden head. I'll only stay for a little while, she promised, even as she scooted back against the wall and settled Tony against her side.