1986

"Why are we here again, Uncle Jack?"

I look down at my nephew, who's dressed in an oversized black hoodie and baggy jeans. He's got rope wound around his shoulder. He looks at me expectantly. I smile at the enthusiasm. He is so very different from my brother.

"We're here to be legends," I whisper dramatically to him. I watch his eyes widen.

"We are?" he echoes, his smile growing.

The wind ripples through our hair, stronger now that we're on the roof of the building. I look up at the night sky, thinking of Henry. What he might do to me if he figures out that I consider this babysitting for him.

"That's right, Shawny." I say. I check my watch again, and cautiously look over the edge of the rooftop. There aren't any guards patrolling and I don't think we were spotted. But we still have to be quick.

"There's a box right at the bottom of this shaft, here." I lead him over to the metal shaft on the roof, removing the grate carefully. Shawn follows me, tripping over the rope that he accidentally managed to tie around his legs.

Nope. Not my brother at all.

We both lean over the shaft. The box rests at the bottom, and it wasn't too far down. Maybe ten feet. I know it's here because the owner of this building–one of my former partners–hides his valuables in this very shaft. And after our last embarkment, the son of a bitch managed to leave me for the cops and take all the jewels for himself. But this shaft was far too narrow for me to fit through.

That's where Shawn comes in.

I wince internally, thinking of what Henry might say if he knew how I was using his son. But the itch in my chest to have my hands on those jewels again…

Well, that speaks louder than anything else.

I look back at Shawn. "Ready, kid?"

Shawn has just managed to free himself from the rope again and squints quizzically at the shaft. He looks back up at me. "I'm gonna fit in that?"

Honestly, I don't know. I hope so. "Of course, kid!" I encourage him anyway. "I did the measurements myself. You're a shoe-in."

Shawn furrows his brows.

"Just think of it, Shawny!" I say, sensing his doubt. "We'll make it into every history book in America! Maybe even the world!"

Shawn's eyes sparkle and I know I've gotten him back on board.

He lets me tighten the rope around his waist. I begin to slowly lower him down, head-first. As his shoulders pass through, his sleeves brush against the sides of the vents. Oh, please, please…

He wiggles a bit and manages to slip through. He's upside down, and reaches with his arms for the box. "Do you have it, Shawny?" I ask eagerly.

"I got it!" he shouts excitedly. His voice echoes off the shaft walls.

I swear aloud, praying that no one heard–

"Who's in there?!"

Damn it!

"Shawn!" I hiss down angrily, and Shawn looks awkwardly back up at me. He's managed to crouch on his elbows at the end of the shaft.

"Uh…" he stalls. "Did I say that too loud?"

I swear again under my breath.

"They must be in the shaft, officers!" comes the angry voice of my former partner again.

Damn it all…

"Shawn!" I hiss frustratedly. The guy must have seen us come up, and Shawn's absurdly loud shout is going to get us caught…

"Uncle Jack!" calls Shawn, any attempt at whispering out the window. I look around, hearing footsteps pounding on the rooftop. I don't have time to pull him up. I can't get caught here…

I leave the rope.

I run.

I ignore Shawn's shout and keep running. I reach the edge of the roof and prepare to climb down the fire escape. Until I hear…

"He's going for the fire escape!"

Oh, holy hell.

It was Henry.

I still have time. They're at the other end of the roof. I look back and forth between the shaft and the fire escape. But my decision is reluctantly made.

If Henry realizes I'm leaving his son, he's going to kill me worse than he already is.

I run back to Shawn, who's still calling for me. Something tells me that it should bother me that it doesn't bother me, but all that I really care about is if he still has a grip on the box of jewels.

"Sorry, kid!" I call to him. I grab the rope I left and start to pull him back up. "I've got you, Shawny!"

I manage to get him up and out of the shaft, and he stumbles backward dizzily. He grasps the box in his hands. Just then, Henry comes pounding forward. I don't think he expected to see us.

His face reddens in sudden anger. And maybe a little fear. "Shawn!" He runs to his son, pulling him away from me into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, my god, Shawn, are you alright?" He pulls away and holsters his gun. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be–" he asks, incredulous, but he cuts himself off as his eyes turn to me and they harden murderously. "Jack!"

"Look, big bro," I say with a nervous laugh. "Shawny and I got bored and wanted to help you out with your case. You want Shawn to be a cop just like you, and me to start playing for the good guys, right?" Jack gestures to the box in Shawn's hands. "All the stolen jewels! Back in good hands."

Henry doesn't smile. His face doesn't move at all. He just squeezes Shawn's shoulder and whispers, "I'll be right back, kid. I have to talk to your uncle for a second." His piercing eyes snap to mine. "In private."

Henry leaves his son in the care of two other officers, then grabs my shoulder forcibly. He leads me around the corner of the door that leads downstairs. He spins me roughly around, and I nearly have a heart attack, being so close to the edge of the roof. I don't think Henry cares.

"Henry-" I start, but he doesn't let me finish.

"I have had it with you, Jack!" he hisses angrily, pointing a finger harshly into my chest. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? You and I both know that you were trying to steal that box. And to use–" Henry stops himself, huffing out an angry breath. "He is my son, Jack!"

I shrug. "He was a perfect fit, Henry! And there was no real danger, if you really—"

"STOP!" yells Henry, his face even redder. He looks over to where we left Shawn. "For some ungodly reason, Shawn admires you, Jack. He looks up to you." Henry looks back at Shawn. He shakes his head. "I would killto see him look at me like that." Henry levels his strong gaze on me. "He deserves to look up to someone. If he knew you only ever used him, it would break his heart."

I tear my gaze away from where it wandered back to the box of jewels in Shawn's hands. I have to resurface from my thoughts about how I could possibly get a few jewels out of that box without all these cops seeing. I face Henry again and smile at my brother. "Henry, you're always reading too much into things. Why're you always trying to make everything so serious? We were just having a little fun-"

"Jack." Henry's voice is dangerously low. "I haven't arrested you in the past. That doesn't mean I won't now."

I stare him down. But I know there's no point in saying anything else.

"Now," says Henry. "Go say goodbye to Shawn, and go back to wherever the hell you came from."

I don't bother to reply and turn away from him to find Shawn, still standing by the vent and talking animatedly with the officers. He smiles when he sees me come.

"Hey, kiddo." I say, kneeling next to him. "Looks like your dad's gonna take you home. So, I'm gonna take off."

Shawn gets closer to me, and slips something into my hand, whispering, "I had to give them the box, but I got you one of the… what're they called?"

I look at it in the moonlight and my heart soars. And I'd lost all hope for retaining any after Henry stormed in. "They're called jewels," I tell him, still mesmerized by it.

Shawn cocks his head. "Hmm. Jewels. I like that word."

I pat him on the shoulder and squeeze it. "All right. Thanks again, kiddo."

"We'll be in the history books, right, Uncle Jack?"

I give his shoulder another squeeze. "Of course, kid! I'll make sure of it."

I get up to go.

"Uncle Jack?"

I turn.

"Thanks," mumbles Shawn. "I knew you wouldn't leave me down there."

I kneel back down. Guilt that should run through my veins doesn't. "Of course I wouldn't! I just had to take out some bad guys before they could get to you!" I make Kung-Fu gestures. "Ain't nobody getting to my nephew!"

Shawn's eyes sparkle with admiration. "You're the best, Uncle Jack!"

"Yeah, kid," I say, nodding. And then Shawn hugs me.

Surprised, I awkwardly hug him back. "I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you," I say into his hair, fingering the jewel in my jacket pocket. I'm not sure which one of the two I say those words to.

I release him and wave my goodbye. I walk back around the corner to Henry, and give him a salute. "See you later, big bro."

"Oh, and Jack?" says Henry.

I turn.

Just in time for his fist to connect with my cheek.