Elijah nodded stiffly, then went to clamber up on to an armchair, hoisting himself up into the cushions.

Anna perched on the edge of the armchair, carding her fingers through the young angel's hair, watching with something akin to a mother's gaze as he leaned into the touch.

"This whole 'mom' thing suits you, y'know?"

Anna smiled thinly. "Me own mother were a bit o' a failure. She din't stick 'round fer more than she 'ad to. B*ggered off as soon as she could. Left me in a work'ouse. I were barely sixteen when some lass came up to me and said me mam 'ad died, tha' it were me da's fault an' Dante an' Hugo were me brothers and she all but shoved 'em on me. R-Rico were eleven, Hugo were four, Dante were two."

Anna frowned. "I 'ad to get 'em out, y'know. Work'ouses ain't no place fer young kids, though the government would like yez to know otherwise. But we left. Ran off, like. Looking back, the streets weren't great, but it was better than bein' worked to death for no pay and a bit o' gruel. I did whatever I could to survive. 'Ad to keep the boys safe."

She let out a humourless chuckle. "Y'now, it's funny. I'm 22, an' I'm out of The Alley. I know people who've been in there their 'hole lives. Born, raised an' died there. 'Hole generations. 'Ow was I so lucky, eh?"

"I don't know." Blake said at last, bringing a hand up to the scar on his face refelexivley, "Some people just do make ut of such things relatvley in one peice, where others...don't."

Midona just laughed, "great way of utting it, Blake, really. I had no idea you could be so 'deep'." she rolled her eyes, "True though."

Anna nodded sagely. "Aye."