My Ray of Sunshine

Chapter 16

(A/N: I made an Angel Food Cake from scratch with a Straberry/Blueberry Compote on top. It's so goooood! And I was sitting over here crying (almost) because the batter was liquidy and I wasn't sure it would bake. Haha. I'm so happy it worked out. Okay, I'm done now.)

Third-Person POV

Albert straightened, hands clamping down on the edge of the building. His breath caught in his throat as he heard footsteps on the roof approaching him. Raya took deep breaths in an attempt to keep from having a full-on meltdown. Just a few more steps. A few more steps closer to what she regretted giving up the most. A few more steps closer to answers. A few more steps closer to being at peace with her grief. All she needed to do was take a few more steps.

Ray paused just a few paces behind the stilled boy. He knew he needed to explain everything to her. And he would. He just didn't know how.

"Albert?" She croaked, voice cracking.

"It's me, Sunshine," he whispered as he stood up. The boy turned to face her, still unable to put much weight on his leg. Tears sprung to her eyes, beginning to spill down her face. "It's okay, I's here now."

"I thought you were dead," she sobbed, covering her eyes with her hands.

"But I's not," the ginger wrapped his arms around her, both sliding to their knees. They sat there for a while; Albert's chin on Raya's head as she sobbed into his chest, soaking his shirt. "I's gessin' you's wanting an explanation."

"Uhuh," she sniffled.

"Well, first, I's sorry."

"Fa what?" Raya asked, looking up at the boy with her dark drown eyes.

"For makin' ya feel like dirt. Heather and I ain't a thing. She just saw something she wanted and apparently has never been told 'no' before."

"I's sorry for jumping to conclusions and sayin'...all that horrible stuff," Raya apologized.

"It's okay. You was jealous." Albert's eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "No. I's sorry...!"

"No, it's alright. You're right, I was jealous," Raya sighed. The ginger boy wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"But you's okay now, right?" He asked, a worried smile traced on his face.

"Course. I's with you now," the girl smiled. "But...everyone thinks you's dead. Hell, Jack hates me now!" 

"I'm sorry. I just thought it would be betta for everyone if dey thought I was dead, so I threw one of the limp stage dummies I found backstage under da light as it fell. Then, I left, coming here ta Mister Jacobi for a job. Wasn't expectin' ya to come 'ere for quite some time. I was hopin' that workin' under da alias of 'Josh' would be enough to throw y'all off until you forgot 'bout me. I's really sorry, Sunshine." 

"I's just glad you's not dead. Da police kept askin' me if I had dropped da light. I asked Jack if he'd seen ya, but he yelled at me and told me 'e neva wanted ta see me again," Raya explained, playing with a rock she had found on the roof. 

"I's sorry I caused ya so much pain," the ginger sighed, tilting her chin up to face him. 

"It's my fault you's thought ya needed ta fake a death," Raya burst into tears yet again. 

"No, it ain't," Albert murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. 

"But.." 

"Hey. You are not the reason I faked my death. You's perfect in every way and what you said the night before, did not cause it. Sunshine, I love you and there ain't anything you's able ta do to make me change that," the ginger stated, pressing his lips to hers before pulling away as her head drifted to his shoulder. 

"Thank you," she muttered through a yawn. 

"Of course, Sunshine." 

"Jack, it's been three weeks. Albert's just gone," Race sighed in exasperation. The boy ran a hand through his knotted, curly blond hair. 

"Dere's no way I's believing the lies my sista put into the pape," the Manhattan Newsie leader hissed, slamming his hands down on the table. 

"I don't think she was lying, she seemed pretty upset," the boy reasoned.

"Albert ain't dead!" Jack roared, flipping the table over. Race stepped back, his worried blue eyes disbelieving.

"Okay then," he nodded, exiting the room. Specs started to go in, only to be stopped by his friend. "Jack ain't in a good mood."

"Thanks," the boy shifted his glasses on his nose.

"Just lookin' out for my bruddas," Race grinned, lightly punching the other boy's shoulder.

(A/N: Sooo, this chapter didn't go at all like I had planned. I didn't even have a plan for this one, I was kind of just winging it. I wasn't even sure how to explain how Albert isn't dead.
I'm watching the animated Mulan because it's great and why not? Anywho, they just got to the pass and Chim Po brought the general's helmet and mentally I was like, "what if he just faked his death and didn't approve of Mulan?" Also, why does Shun Yu (is that how you spell it?) look like that? His vampire-like teeth keep changing from top to bottom and back again while changing position. And he's paler than a sheet. It's kind of messed up, but I love it anyway.)