Brichtrede kicked at the marine again, her baby clutched to her chest as she lashed out like a feral thing at the man. "Don't you touch me" she snarled. The island had already taken her partner, she would not let her child go so easily.

The marine in question struggled to get his breath back, doubled over and wheezing. "I'm just doing what they told me...."

"Roger didn't have nuttin' to do with this island, and you bastards all know it."

"I don't know anything but my orders, ma'am -"

"Don't you dare! Don't you /ma'am/ me after you tried to steal my SON!"

Her son, the babe in question, whined where she clutched him tight, and she bounced him lightly on her hip, attention drifting over to the cart of children the marine has been 'escorting' when he'd stopped for her son.

Tiny little faces started back, confused and scared.

"They're unwanted" the marine said, following her gaze. "We've got schools and homes off island waiting for them. Most of them don't have any family left, a few that did.... would rather sell them off than keep them." He at least sounded as disturbed as she felt at the revelation.

"Buy em up and then you'll have an never ending supply of cheap little soldiers." She caught the eyes of one little boy - pale pale blue and wide. He wasn't crying like the others, but looked back at her pleading and scared. He could be more than three. Four at the absolute oldest, hands not even big enough to wrap all the way around the bars.

Fodder for the World Government might be kinder than staying on Kutsukku.

"Let them go."

"Ma'am, they don't have anyone-"

"Kutsukku is not part of your rule. We don't answer to you. You sure as hell don't get to waltz in here and just start taking things."

"Hey, we paid for a fair few of them - "

"Slaves. You buy slaves of us"

He balked at the word slave but said nothing. Brichtrede tightened her hold on her son but stepped up into the man's face. "Let them go."

<><><>

Most of the little ones did apparently have people waiting for them at home; Brichtrede noticed them more now out and about on the streets, shy little faces clinging to siblings or behind the tall legs of a parent. Maybe they had been one sold, but none looked any worse than the day she'd watch them flee from the cart.

Some of them recognized her still. A few would point her out to their minders and she'd exchange little chats - they'd thank her for freeing their child, they'd coo over her little one, and then they'd vanish back in to the streets. Little waves were still exchanged from time to time, but by the summer's end their meeting was forgotten by all parties.

A few others wouldn't make it pass the winter - she'd watch the little funeral processions with a heavy heart. would they have been better off alive with the marines in the end? As the weather turned and food grew scare, she'd hear about the little ones found with no one to morn them. How many of her little ones died alone.

Maybe that's why when she sees the little boy with the blues eyes, she approaches first.

He's all alone, maybe he has been the whole time; Bricherede does know that he's far to under dressed and in the 9 months since she saw him last he doesn't look any bigger. Any baby fat that he had is long gone, and he's so dirty the only colouring she's sure of is those blue eyes.

And Kidd - bless him - breaks the ice before she has to think of what to say. He's babbling non-stop these days, and grabbing anything in reach. And now he's got his eyes on the little boy, kicking and stretching, making grabby hands. The boy had been watching her warily when she'd crossed the street to him, but at the sight of the 12 month old, his face softens.

"hi!' He chirps, smiling at the baby, wagging his fingers in a little wave. Kidd tries to grab his hands, and the boy's smile dims a little, and he keeps out well out of reach.

Kidd find this to be an affront to him, looks up at his mother and cries, still trying to grab for the little boy, "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!"

Baby Blue - she'd asked once, what his name was. Was horrified by the slur he'd said, and had called him Baby Blue -after his eyes  ever since.

Baby Blue was a sweet, if not skittish, little boy. he always had time for her son, and waited patiently every day for her to wash his hands before touching the boy

it wasn't that someone had taught him hygiene - only cemented in his head the awful idea he was dirty and dirty wasn't allow to touch. or even be touched, judging by how he reacted the first time she'd carelessly put an arm on his shoulder one day early in their reunion.

she's at least convinced him that washing his hands were enough to be 'clean' enough to play with Kidd. and given that Kidd shoves Baby Blue's hand in his mouth first chance he got, the washing was needed.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the young boy's hair - and Kidd very much wanted to eat that. one day, Kidd had grabbed on to the dirty brown locks and refused to let go - nearly ripping the fistful out at he roots in an attempt to stick i his mouth.

She and Baby Blue had stopped him in time, and as she washed her son's hands, she offered to wash the boys hair too. He'd run away so fast she'd never heard him get up.

He'd refused to so in their little apartment ever since.

She'd almost scared him off for good when she insisted - before she clued into it was more than just a child's distaste in bathing causing his reaction. she let it drop, and before she knew it, Baby Blue and Kidd were passing the summer away together

Baby Blue always left as the sun passed behind the city skyline, and it was a coin toss what afternoons he inevitably showed back up again. but what ever the mood or shape he was in was gone and forgotten as soon as Kidd saw him, and he lit up with a smile all for the little boy

as Kidd started walking and talking, she worried more and more about Baby Blue - who stayed so thin and ragged thought the months. he refused any gifts, and even the ones kidd insisted on never made a second appearance.

she couldn't afford to worry about another mouth to feed but once Kidd was on solids she had no excuse and dwindling funds, not to go back to work.

the plan had been for eustass to work, but he was long in the ground by now. the marine raids on the island had also left her with no support network from one reason or another and she couldn't take kidd with her

"Baby Blue?" she found herself asking one day, "How old are you?"

he paused where he and kidd had been burying his own leg in the sand and mulch, looking thoughtful. for such a strange child, he wore his mood on his face with such ease, not having mastered anything remotely like a poker face yet.

he then looked down at his hands and seemed to be counting to himself. Kidd was also watching his hands, and her stomach dropped that he didnt know off hand

"six," he decided finally, holding up two fingers and a thumb on both hands to show her.

six, still a baby himself. she must be loosing her mind. "six, oh wow!"

he beamed at her - always eager to soak up any praise she offered

the boys weren't at the little garden

infact, no one had seen them all afternoon. one old bitty said kidd had tripped and started to cry, and that was the last anyone knew of the two

Brichtrede was besides herself in panic. how could she have left them? how could she had trusted a maybe-six year old with her three year old baby to be okay alone for so long?! oh she was a fool

it was well after dark when she finally had no where left to look and crawled the steps to her home, to tired to even cry anymore.

her door was open

nor just opened - someone had broken the lock to get in

the lights shown under the door crack. she could hear muffled voices inside. she tried to ease the door open to see who was in her home only to have it set off a cacophony of falling glass and metal.

the voices went quiet immediately. on the other side of the entry was lay dozens of cans and bottles now rolling across the floor from where they appeared to have been stacked carefully against the wood.

an alarm

but for who?

her tiny home only had two rooms and a bathroom. the main was one was lit up - plates and a jar of peanut butter on the counter that passed for her kitchen

the bathroom door was open, the room dark, but she still glanced in it to be sure before opening the door to her and kidd's bedroom. she flipped the light on to see some of kidd's blocks on the floor but otherwise nothing out of place.

"boys?" she harzrad, kneeling down to glance under her bed and under kidd's crib. nothing out of the ordinary

she looked right past them twice, before Kidd reaching out for her finally caught her attention.

the two boys where wedged in the back next to her nightstand and the wall, tucked in so small they were lost in the dark

Baby Blue had his hands clasped so hard over kidd's mouth his fingers had gone white; kidd was sobbing and distraught, but not a sound escaped.

"Baby? Baby Blue, look at me?"

he did finally, and she saw he'd been crying too, tear tracks smeared over his cheeks. kidd's hear had turned to  [disasifatinog] that he was being kept away from his mother

Baby Blue lost none of his fear looking at her, he clung kidd to him closer, impossibly hiding more of her baby away with his own tiny frame.

Baby Blue didn't come out, just watched her worriedly as kidd cried into her shoulder. she rubbed his back soothingly, still watching for Baby Blue to follow the toddler out of hiding. kidd pulled away to shove his elbow in her face - covered in a dozen plasters.

"did Baby Blue patch you up? she guessed

kidd went with her to work after that, seeing as Baby Blue hadn't come back around.

Baby Blue was back at least, kidd having caught sight on him and tottering of across the street to her horror. he moved so fast Brichtrede hadn't noticed himn gone until he was at the boy's side

she followed slower, uncertain of Baby Blue's reaction of her anymore.