cast no shadow. (the lost boys).

10. the sharpest lives.

WE ENDED up searching for the boys for at least another ten minutes. I didn't think it would be this hard, I thought I would have sniffed them out by now but I was proven wrong, there were way too many people on the boardwalk tonight. I looked at my watch and it was pretty late, well for a human. Laddie must be tired and craving an actual place to sleep. I decided to take him to where the boys usually park their bikes and wait for them there, see if they showed up.

"I'm not sure where they are, little one." I mused to him as we leaned on a railing a few meters away from the bikes. "They should be here soon, though. Those are their bikes over there, would you be scared to ride one?"

"You said I have nothing to be scared of when I'm with you, so no. I'm not scared." he smiled cutely up at me. How could anyone not like this little boy, he's too adorable. I then helped Laddie up onto the railing so he could sit, with the courtesy of me holding his legs so he wouldn't fall. We waited for the boys a little while longer and it felt like they were never going to show up.

"Oh thank fuck, there you are." Paul, who came out of nowhere, said loudly out of relief.

"Paul watch your language." I scolded.

"What? Why? You don't usually c— oh." he cut himself off and clocked on to Laddie. "Hey little man..." Paul greeted Laddie with a confused expression on his face.

"Hi." Laddie shyly replied.

"Where are the others?" I asked Paul who was curiously looking at Laddie while he did the same.

"Uh, right..." Paul drawled as he turned around, "there."

The three of them walked towards us and Dwayne was the first one who caught onto Laddie who was now clutching my arm. I could hear his heartbeat pick up at the sight of my boys.

"Who's this?" Dwayne spoke first when the three of them reached us.

"This is Laddie, he doesn't have a home to go to." I told them as I gave the little boy a sad look. "He can stay with us, right?"

"Lizzie..." David called my name, and by the tone of his voice I knew he was going to say no.

"Please David, he's just a little boy." I looked at David sadly.

"We can't just take in a kid, Lizzie. It's dangerous for all of us, what would we tell Max?" David pointed out as the other three remained quiet.

"Since when do you care about Max's input?" I shot back, anger slowly rising through my body.

"Let's not do this here—" David started.

"No." I cut him off. "We can't leave a child out here by himself, are you insane? Wait, don't answer that."

"You have to understand that we don't have the time, or the stability if you preferred, to look after a child." David tried explaining again. Maybe he was right but I'm a Mikaelson, I'm not backing down of this 'fight'.

"Okay motor-mouth, how about we let everyone have a say in this?" I challenged David with an arched brow. "Paul, what do you think?"

"Well, uh..." Paul drawled, struggling to start a sentence. He didn't know who's side to be on, he just looked between me and David.

"Yeah, me too. I agree, one hundred percent." I sarcastically spoke. "Marko?"

He froze and looked at me like a deer caught in headlights, probably feeling the exact same as just Paul did. Marko looked over to Dwayne for support but he pretended not to notice Marko's pleading gaze.

"Unbelievable." I muttered. "Fine."

My short reply left them confused as I helped Laddie down from the railing and began walking in the direction of the video store with Laddie's hand in mine.