AN: I have returned with mild angst

If he was being perfectly honest, Davey wasn't sure how things could get worse - though he didn't dare say that out loud, because he knew Snyder would figure out something. About an hour after Les had returned to the room with a bruised back (the belt hadn't broken skin, thank God), the door opened and Snyder entered the room once again.

Davey tightened his grip on Les, who'd been clinging to him for the past hour, but this time, Snyder was here to put someone in, not take anyone out.

"Enjoy your stay." Snyder shoved the newcomer inside, who stumbled but managed to keep his balance.

"Go to hell." The boy shot back just as the door closed behind him.

Davey stiffened, and he could feel his entire body fill with dread as he heard the very familiar voice of someone who shouldn't be here.

Crutchie's head snapped up from where he was sitting on the floor a few feet away, talking to another boy. He looked more scared than Davey had seen him since he got there.

"Jack?"

The boy turned to face them, and sure enough, there was Jack Kelly looking back at them. But hie gaze was focused on Crutchie. He hurried over to the younger boy and lifted him up off of the floor, pulling him into a hug that was so tight must've hurt, but neither of them cared.

"Hey, kid." Jack murmured.

The two boys held tightly onto each other for a long moment, before Jack breathed a sigh and lowered Crutchie gently back down on the floor. He eased himself down too, wincing slightly as he did so. It was obvious that Jack was trying to hide an injury, but all eyes were on him - he was the famous Jack Kelly, after all.

They didn't even have to verbally ask him anything, Jack could see the question in their faces. He waved them off.

"Ah, it's fine. Delancey's just busted a couple of ribs on the way in, nothing I can't handle."

No one was convinced, and it was clear that Jack was uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. He let out a forced, half-hearted laugh.

"Look, fellas, this ain't anything new. I just got locked up again, half of you's seen me here before. Nothing to worry about."

It was obvious to everyone that he was lying, but it was also obvious that he didn't want to have to deal with the questions of all the kids in the Refuge. So they looked away and slowly began to talk among themselves, and Jack exhaled, turning back to Crutchie and the Jacobs' brothers. He looked at Davey.

"Hey, Dave."

Before Davey had a chance to respond, his gaze drifted down to Les, who was still sitting in his brother's lap with his face buried in his chest. He was probably asleep by now, given the fact that he hadn't reacted to anything that'd happened.

Jack's body visibly tensed when he saw the young boy with worn spots on the back of shirt where he knew a belt had hit him.

"Did Snyder hurt him?" No one had to respond for Jack to know what had happened. "I swear to God I'll kill him."

"Jack."

Crutchie put a hand on his shoulder, and Jack looked at him. Davey waited while the two boys seemed to have a conversation with their eyes. After a few minutes, Jack nodded, some of the tension in his shoulders releasing as they slumped slightly.

"Yeah. Can't do anything about it now."

The three of them fell into a silence. None of them wanted to talk about it yet. Why Jack was here, what would happen with the strike, or what would happen to them. They would talk about it later, in a few hours, maybe. But not yet.