A/N Hi my lovelies! Have anybody ever read the book, Dave at Night? Well, it's my random inspiration for this story, in which the boys are all strangers but meet as orphans inside Harlem's Hebrew Orphanage! This chapter is Carlos' story. The first few chapters will be the background stories of the boys, but basically the summary is Kendall, a young ruffian off the streets of New York City, is sent to live at Harlem's Hebrew Orphanage for causing too much trouble. There, he meets three scared, lost and troubled young souls and forms a bond with them. Deciding that the orphanage is too rough and abusive for his new, innocent little "brother's" he does everything in his power to escape the hell of the orphanage and give the boy's safety and shelter.

In the beginning of this story, the boys will be little, but it will fast forward at some point soon to them being the ages of Kendall; 17, Carlos and James; 15 and Logan; 14.

I really hope you give this story a chance and love it!

September 12th, 1917

9-year-old Carlos Garcia was seated on the floor of his bedroom, dressed in blue and white striped pajamas. His hair was damp and neatly combed, thanks to his nanny, who had just given him a warm bath to soothe him. The little Hispanic boy's nerves were slightly frazzled, due to his parents being gone all day. It was very late in the evening, hours past his bedtime, and he was determined to stay up long enough to see his Mami and Papi.

"Don't you worry little one, your Mami and Papi will be here soon," Carlos' nanny promised him. The tiny black haired boy fidgeted with his wooden Noah's Ark playset-his favorite toy given to him for Christmas last year. He stared at a hand-painted elephant in his delicate, tan hands and pouted.

"I'm afraid, Nanny. They are never this late!" Carlos cried in his slight accent. He set his elephant down and tossed his arms around his young caregiver. "Please tell me they are alright! They have never not been home to say good night before!"

"Ssh, ssh baby boy, they are just fine. They had something very important to do but I promise you, they will come home," the nanny told him. She was very well aware of what was going on with Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, but she and the Garcia's found Carlos to be too young to know, and were hoping that he could be distracted with toys and treats during the ordeal. But Carlos was smart for his age, and picked up instantly that something was not right as soon as his mother gave him a very tight squeeze earlier that morning and bid him a farewell. Her eyes were shiny, as if they were wet, and Carlos was scared she had been crying.

"Is my Mami hurt, Nanny? She was crying earlier, wasn't she?"

"No, no dear your Mami is not hurt. Come on, off to bed my lovely. It's nearly midnight. Your parents will scold you if they found you up this late. I will tell them as soon as they come home to wake you and give you kisses!"

"No, I can't sleep without my Mami and Papi! I want them, now!" Carlos cried. He balled his tiny fists, about to throw a tantrum, but his nanny looked him sternly in the eyes.

"Now Carlos, there will be none of that. It's time for bed. Look at it this way, the sooner you fall asleep, the sooner you can see your parents! Kind of like when you are told to go to sleep early on Christmas Eve, because you won't have to wait as long to see what Santa brought you. Come on now, up-up!"

Carlos' nanny lifted him up off the floor and he wrapped his skinny legs around her waist. She carried him to bed and tucked him in, then placed a sweet kiss to his button nose.

"Good night, cutest boy!" She gushed. Carlos blushed and grinned. His nanny always made him feel special. "Now, how about I wind up our favorite music box and you fall asleep?"

"Thank you Nanny," Carlos whispered, watching the young woman twist the gold metal piece at the bottom of his train-shaped music box, which started to play a soft, tinkling melody that always lulled him to sleep. As soon as the music began to play, his eyes fluttered shut and he was vaguely aware of his nanny shutting off the lights and closing his bedroom door.

A few hours later, Carlos' dreams were interrupted by the sound of whispering voices. Somebody was running their hand gently through his hair, and the hand smelled lightly of roses and vanilla, the perfume his mother wore every day.

"Mami?" Carlos muttered, rubbing his tired eyes groggily. It was dark in his bedroom and he still felt exhausted. "Is it morning?"

"No Mijo, we are home now. I wanted to see my angel. I missed you." Carlos' mother's thickly accented voice was comforting and soft. He crawled into her warm arms and held her tightly.

"Mami! Where have you been? Where's Papi?"

"I'm right here, Mijo," Mr. Garcia said, touching his son's arm. "Have you been a good boy today for Nanny?"

"Yes, Papi," Carlos said, leaning into his father's kisses that were planted on his cheek.

"Really, Mijo? I heard you wouldn't go to bed for many hours," his father said, although there was a playful edge to his voice. Papi never could be mad at his sweet Carlitos.

"Only because I was scared, Papi," Carlos said. The boy was very attached to his parents. He had never even spent a night without them before. "Don't leave for so long again, okay?"

Suddenly, Mr. and Mrs. Garcia were quiet. Carlos looked up at them, blinking his confused, innocent brown eyes at them. The two elder Garcia's sighed and glanced at each other.

"You know we can't promise that-"

"Papi," Mrs. Garcia said rather harshly. She gave her other half a look warning him now was not the time, then brought her only son close to her and laid kisses to his forehead. "Baby, why don't you come sleep in Mami and Papi's room tonight so we can cuddle, as a special treat?"

"Really?" Carlos asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought. He had not been allowed to sleep in their bed for a few years now, and although he felt like he should be alarmed that the rules were suddenly being changed, he pushed it to the back of his mind and let his Papi carry him to their bed, where he fell asleep snug in his parent's arms.

Carlos was also allowed to sleep in that morning. When he finally awoke, sunlight was burning bright through the windows, beckoning him to come out and play, but he was so comfy in the large bed, he just rolled right onto his stomach and began to fall back to sleep.

"Oh no you don't, Mijo. It's time to be awake. Open those beautiful eyes for Mami," Mrs. Garcia said, noticing her little son's peepers had opened.

Carlos smiled, deciding he'd play a game with his Mami. He squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to still be asleep.

"Oh, I saw you smile, Carlitos. I know you heard me!" Mrs. Garcia said. She inched her finger closer to her son's side and poked him, eliciting a delighted giggle from the tiny boy.

"Rawr!" Carlos exclaimed, jumping on his Mami suddenly.

"Oh no, the ferocious Carlitos lion has got me! What will I do?" Mrs. Garcia yelped, mock startled. Carlos giggled in between roaring, pretending to nibble on his mother's neck.

"I'm hungry!" Carlos said in his gruff "lion" voice.

"Well I guess I had better feed you then, so you don't eat me!" Mrs. Garcia said with a laugh. She gave her son a piggyback to the dining room table and set him down. Carlos immediately gobbled down the pancakes his mother cooked for him, oblivious to the way she watched him fondly with a tear in her eye.

"I'm going to go get dressed and go out to play, Mami!" Carlos announced after he finished his breakfast.

"Actually Mijo, Mami and Papi need to talk to you," Mr. Garcia said, walking into the room with a leather knapsack in his arms. Carlos looked up to see his parents watching him mournfully.

"What's wrong Mami? You look sad again, like yesterday," Carlos said. "Did I do something bad?"

"Oh, no Carlitos, you are my angel!" Mrs. Garcia said. "What we are about to tell you is not your fault, baby. Before you were born, you know me and your Papi lived in a place called Venezuela, right?"

"Mmhmm," Carlos said, nodding his head vigorously although he really had no idea where Venezuela was. He recalled his father telling stories about growing up there, though. It seemed like a place very different than New York City. "You Im-a-gated there, right?"

Mr. Garcia smiled despite how heavy his heart was at the moment. "Well, the word is immigrated, Carlos. We immigrated here, to America, to give you a better life than what you would have had in Venezuela. It can be very dangerous there. And since you were born here, you are now a citizen of America and your Mami and I have an important card saying we can stay here too, for you. But our card has expired, and… Carlos, do you know what the word deported means?"

"No Papi," Carlos said. He had an icky feeling in his stomach. He wasn't sure what his parents were trying to tell him, and he was getting scared again.

"It means that Mami and Papi have to go back to Venezuela for a little while."

Mr. Garcia was expecting tears and tantrums from his little boy, but instead Carlos broke into a sunshine-y smile. "I always wanted to see Venezuela, Papi! Will this be an adventure? How far away is it, Papi? Can we drive there, in an automobile? Please Papi? Papi…?"

Mr. Garcia looked at his wife, forlorn. He didn't know how to tell his son that he was not allowed to come with. It would break the boy's heart. He felt like he was abandoning his only child.

"Papi, are you crying?" Carlos asked, astonished. He reached out and touched his pointer finger to the wet drop on his father's cheek. Mr. Garcia took Carlos' finger and wrapped his hand in his hand in his large palm.

"You're going to go on your own adventure, Mijo. Without Mami and Papi, okay?"

Carlos looked from his Mami to his Papi, expecting them to break into a giggle fit and claim "We got you!" Then proceed to tickle him. But instead, they were both crying, which only made Carlos start to cry.

"B-but… No! I don't want to!" Carlos cried, kicking his little legs with force. Mrs. Garcia sighed, forcing her tears back for Carlos' sake. She brought him into a tight hug and pressed her chin to his soft dark hair.

"Now Carlos Roberto Garcia, I need you to listen to Mami carefully, okay? Mami and Papi are going away for a little bit and you have somewhere to stay until we come get you back. It's a big place and you'll make lots of new friends! But you need to be a big boy and let us go."

Carlos clung to his mother, sobbing as his young mind took all of this in. He was trying to understand, but he was only 9 years old, and nothing was making sense except that his parents were suddenly leaving him. It was his worst fear coming true.

A couple of hours later, Carlos was still red faced and teary eyed. He was dressed in his best trousers and white shirt with a collar and adorned shiny black loafers on his fee. His hair was brushed flat and neat. It was as if he was going to church, but Carlos was somewhere he had never seen before. They had even gotten to ride in an automobile, but Carlos did not enjoy it at all. He was too frightened.

"Papa, where are we?" Carlos asked, clinging to his father's hand as they walked through a very busy, bustling street with more people than Carlos had seen in his lifetime. Papi didn't answer him though.

"Papa, I want to go home now!" Carlos whined. He stopped his legs from moving and planted his feet firmly in the dirty street they walked down.

"Carlos!" Papi scolded when his son refused to move. "We haven't much time, Mijo."

Carlos pouted and stood still, his face cross.

"Carlos Roberto you obey your father this instant," Mrs. Garcia said, tugging the boy by his arm. Carlos only began to cry again, because he knew as soon as they got to wherever his parents were taking him, he would not see them for a very long time.

Finally, Mr. Garcia had to scoop Carlos in his arms and carry him through the crowded streets. He did not want to have to yell at the boy, after all he was probably overwhelmed by the city, when he grew up in a farmhouse several miles from New York City.

Carlos calmed down once he was in father's arms. He nestled his chin on his broad shoulder as Mr. Garcia briskly walked the rest of the way to what he said was Carlos' new home.

Soon, they arrived to a looming stone building, about four stories high and as wide as nearly an entire block. The large building was surrounded by black wrought iron fences that seemed to go up half as tall as the building, with pointy black spikes at the way tippy top. Mr. Garcia set Carlos down on his feet in front of the fence and took his hand, giving his sweaty, trembling fingers a squeeze. Carlos was nervous. This place looked like some sort of haunted house that Carlos had read about.

Carlos' papa opened up a huge gate that let out a metallic creak when he pushed it open. Carlos shivered and cowered closer to his father. A menacing lion's face twisted into the iron fence leered at Carlos, and even though he was not looking forward to getting inside the huge place, he hurried his steps just to get away from the mean looking animal.

There were dozens of huge stone steps leading up to Carlos' terrifying new home. When they reached the wooden door, Papi rang the doorbell, which Carlos could hear echo through the building even from outside. Carlos looked up at his Mami and gulped. She just gave him a sad smile.

A tall man in a suit and tie answered the door. He was probably three whole feet taller than little Carlos, and when he saw the shivering boy at his feet, his mouth stretched into a lewd grin and he spoke in a raspy voice.

"Carlos Garcia. Welcome to Harlem's Herbrew Orphanage. We've been expecting you."

A/N Hope you liked the first chapter! Review? *puppy-pup eyes*