“Frack, whose teddy bear did you steal now?”

“No one’s, Boner,” Nick answered. “Someone dropped it outside the gate after I said hi.”

“You didn’t say hi, Frack,” Brian grinned. “You said, ‘Hey! You!”

“Let me see that!” A.J. said, grabbing the bear from Nick and giving it a once over. “Man, Susanna would love this thing!”

“Aje, it belongs to someone else,” Brian replied. “She dropped it when she ran off. I don’t think it was meant for any of us to have, or else she would’ve probably just set it down outside the gate.”

“Yeah, well, still. Susanna does want a new teddy bear, so her old one can have a new friend,” A.J. answered, shrugging slightly.

“Hey, where’d you get that bear?” Howie demanded, as him and Kevin entered the living room.

“Why? Did Nick steal it from you, D.?” A.J. teased.

Howie went over to A.J. and took the bear from him, giving it a once over. “I’ve seen this bear before,” he stated, giving an explanation as to why he’d grabbed it from A.J.

“When D.? Where?” A.J. asked, watching his best friend look the toy over. “And, how?”

“At the market place just before I came here. A girl of about twelve or so was holding him, while some man was holding her for stealing an apple from a vender.”

“Why was she stealing an apple?” Nick wanted to know.

“She’s homeless,” Nicky,” Howie answered. “I bought her two bags of apples, and offered her a hot meal. She took the apples, but refused the meal. She seemed shocked to see me.”

“Well, how did she know to find us here?” Kevin queried.

“I gave her my name and number in case she wanted to take me up on that hot meal I’d offered,” Howie replicated. “And as for finding us here, she must’ve followed me somehow. But why, I don’t know. I honestly don’t think she’d take me up on the meal this quick.”

A.J. shrugged. “Well, you never know with homeless kids.”

“Alex!” Howie snapped. “She was nice! Give her a break!”

“Alright. Jeez. No need to bite my head off, D.,” A.J. said, holding his hands up in front of him for defense. “I just meant, she could’ve suddenly changed her mind upon realizing just how hungry she was.”

“I’m going to see if I can find her,” Howie said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Want company?” Brian asked. “I don’t want to scare her,” Howie replied. “Seeing as she already ran from you and Nicky, I think it’d be best if I went alone.”

“Well, at least take security,” Kevin ordered. “You don’t know this girl and it might not be safe.”

“Kevin! She’s a kid!” Howie argued. “I’m going. Alone.”

Nick raised his eyebrows, surprised Howie was actually being stubborn and snapping at people for once. “Good luck.”

Howie looked to Nick then. “Thanks.”

Howie then left the house to go and see if he could find Nickolina and give her back her bear.