Wish I could Catch a Breeze

 

Wish I Could Catch a Breeze

Third part of the Sunny Days Series

By Laces Kai

 

 

May 31st 1900

 

Spades Fia walked into the old building that she and her gang had been living in for the past year and a half. 

 

“Why the ‘ell does Conlon ‘ave ta be so damned stubborn!” Spades slammed her fist into the counter that used to be the front desk.  Dust flew from it, swirling in the air, as it always did.  Yeah, the counter had been cleaned, but the dust was always there.  That was how it was with Spades, Angel and Spot’s relationship.  Their past was buried, but when it was hit it would swirl around them, stirring up their emotions.  The rest of the gang had a normal relationship with Conlon, or as normal as you could have with Spot. 

 

Scorch started coughing and stood up from her place behind the old counter trying not to inhale anymore dust. 

 

“What ‘appened?” Scorch asked. 

 

“Oh, it’s just, ‘e won’t ever forget.  ‘E seems fine one minute and then next ‘e is ready to throw me out a window and watch me struggle for death,” Spades said sitting herself upon the counter, twirling her hair. 

 

“Maybe we should move again?” Scorch suggested, more out of hope then in a favor to Spades.  Scorch and Spot still weren’t getting along.  Their relationship had improved some since they had arrived, but not much.  Spot and Scorch could only stand in the same room together if they were on the other side of the room from each other.  Scorch had been trying to get out of Brooklyn for a while now.  She didn’t mind going to Manhattan and she did love Brooklyn, she was a born and raised Brooklyn girl, but Spot was just not her type of person. 

 

“Nah, we’s gonna stay ‘ere until Spot will listen to me and Angel.  Sides, we haven’t been in a refuge for the past year and a half.  I think Brooklyn is a great place for us,” Spades said.  Scorch cringed, but made no more suggestions. 

 

Angel walked in and looked at Spades, she sighed.  Spot sure knew how to leave a person wearied out. 

 

“Nothing?” Angel asked. 

 

“Nothing,” Spades answered in almost a snort.  Angel shrugged. 

 

“Maybe if we get the Kid ta help us.  She has this way with Conlon,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah, the one we use ta ‘ave,” Spades almost whispered.  Scorch slowly edged out of the room, she knew that this was more between Angel and Spades then her.  She knew she could stay if she desired and Spades would never exclude her, but it just wasn’t something that made Scorch comfortable. 

 

“Spades come on,” Angel said, going over and sitting next to her.  “’E’s the same kid we left 11 years ago.  ‘E hasn’t really changed.  Yeah ‘e got position now, ‘e got power, ‘e got bigger, and ‘e’s better at hiding things, but Spades ‘e was always meant to have those things.  ‘E’s still that little boy, just as we still are those little girls,” Angel said. 

 

“Us?  Those little girls we used to be?” Spades almost laughed.  “Those innocent, morally right, perfect angels?  You might have changed little seeing as you still try to look onto the sunnier day, but we ain’t the same.  We ain’t never gonna be again,” Spades said. 

 

“Maybe we will Spades,” Angel said, in almost a whisper.  The two girls sat there staring across the hall at nothing in particular. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces walked into Spot’s room and crossed her arms as she stood there staring at him.  Spot was lying in his bed. 

 

“Don’t you know how to knock?” Spot said as he turned on his side and faced the wall. 

 

“No, I don’t.  No one ever sets the example round ‘ere,” Laces said.  Spot groaned, why does she remember everything, he thought to himself. 

 

“What do you want?” he asked. 

 

“What was that all about?  What happened between you, Spades and Angel?” Laces asked. 

 

“None of your business.  How many times I told ya not to stick your nose where it don’t belong,” Spot said. 

 

“Yeah and how many times Ise told you not to tell me what ta do?” Laces shot back.  “Sides, this is me business.  You and Spades’ gang and the rest of the newsies are me family and when something is wrong then it’s me business,” Laces said walking over to Spot’s bed and gently laying her hand on his shoulder.  Spot was so much like a spoiled child and Laces was getting used to managing him.  She smiled thinking they were a lot alike, one of the reasons that an actual love relationship, had situations let it sprung, would have never lasted. 

 

“Laces go away, this ain’t none of your business,” Spot said. 

 

“Yeah, it is Spot Conlon.  I need to know what this is all about and I know it has something to do with your past,” Laces said.  Spot glared at her. 

 

“You don’t need to know, you want to know, you’re dying to know.  Ever since you met me, you’ve wanted to know.  You want to know about that locket I gave you, you want to know about that picture, you want to know how Spades and Angel fit into the picture,” Spot said harshly. 

 

“No, look at you.  This is tearing you up, slowly, but it’s doing it.  I want it to stop,” Laces said, keeping herself steady under his gaze. 

 

“It ain’t nothing to you what happens to me.  You don’t love me, you’ve proven that one.” Laces glared at Spot. 

 

“How can you say that?  After all that’s happened in the last few months and days,” she demanded, getting up. 

 

“You know it’s true.  You don’t want to love me.  You won’t let yourself, not the way I wanted it,” Spot said.  Laces got up. 

 

“You’re mad, but not at me, so stop taking it out on me.  I didn’t do anything to you Spot,” Laces stormed out of the room.  Spot stared at the ceiling. 

 

“They’re all looking for something, but I ain’t going to talk about it.  I don’t have to if I don’t want to.  I’m Spot Conlon, the most powerful and feared newsies in all New York,” Spot said to himself. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces walked out of the lodging house.  This was unbelievable.  Spot had blown up at her for trying to help.  After the fight with Pepper, after what happened to Peach he had been shaken up.  That had just been a short time ago, it already seemed so long ago, not long though.  Spot, Spades and Angel couldn’t talk much, not without getting mad at each other and not very many people understood why.  Not even themselves. 

 

Laces was heading to Spades’ place.  She needed answers, she needed Spot to be normal, she wanted things to settle down, to become normal again.  Laces walked into Spades’ place.  Spades and Angel were sitting on the counter. 

 

“Spades!  Angel!” Laces said, both girls looked up. 

 

“Not now Laces,” Angel said. 

 

“We ain’t in the mood,” Spades said.  Laces looked at them stunned, they weren’t going to tell her anything and they didn’t want her around. 

 

“What?” Laces asked. 

 

“The other girls are around, upstairs I believe,” Angel said.  Laces stood planted there though.  She just looked at them.  It almost looked like Spades and Angel had been crying, but they didn’t cry, they were some of the toughest girls, even tougher than some of the boys, they didn’t cry.  Laces turned around and walked out of the building without thinking much about it and walked around Brooklyn not knowing really where she was going. 

 

Laces was turning a corner when she walked into Pockets and Blue. 

 

“Oh heya Laces, hows it going?” Blue asked.  She looked up at them, staring at them blankly at first like she didn’t recognize them, and then smiled brightly. 

 

“Hiya Pockets, Blue,” she said.  Pockets looked at her. 

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked. 

 

“Oh, nothing,” Laces said. 

 

“Nothing huh?  We’ve been around a while and a lot of nothing has happened,” Blue commented. 

 

“Come on Laces, ya can tell us,” Pockets took his finger and lifted her chin and pulled up her cap so the sun could shine on her cheeks. 

 

“How long have you two known Spades and Angel?” Laces asked. 

 

“I’ve known Spades since she was 5 years old, Pockets here we’ve known since we were all about 7 or 8,” Blue said. 

 

“Ya knew Spades before the gang?” Laces asked Blue. 

 

“Yeah, well before it was officially a gang.  Most of the goyls were around here though.  We would see them,” Blue said. 

 

“What about Spot, did you know Spot?” Laces asked. 

 

“Yeah, coise,” Blue said. 

 

“I need to know what happened Blue, everything that happened,” Laces said.  Blue held his hands in the air, surrendering. 

 

“Sorry, no can do,” he said. 

 

“Why not?” Laces asked. 

 

“Well, first off, someone I call me goyl would never let me be in her presence.  Second, a leader would tear me limb from limb.  Third, I ain’t allowed to,” Blue said with a smirk. 

 

“Blue!  Please!” Laces whined a little as she leaned on Pockets.  “I need to know.”

 

“No, those eyes may work on Spades, Angel, Spot, Jack, and everyone else you may know, but not on me,” Blue said, looking away from Laces. 

 

“Blue, just a little.  Tell me just a little,” Laces begged. 

 

“Come on O’Riley it won’t kill you, no one would know,” Pockets said. 

 

“You’re on her side now too,” Blue said. 

 

“She’s so darn cute,” Pockets pecked Laces on the cheek,

 

“This is serious, please!” Laces asked. 

 

“Fine, but just a bit,” Blue said.  Laces hugged Blue. 

 

“Thank you!” she said. 

 

“What is it you want to know?” Blue asked. 

 

“What happened between Spot, Spades and Angel to make them like they are?” Laces asked.  Now to someone who didn’t know about their past, this question would make no sense, but Blue understood and he knew why all to well. 

 

“They left him,” Blue replied. 

 

“What?  Left him where, why, what happened?” Laces asked. 

 

“He was five years old and they were 6 and 7 years old,” Blue said.  “And they left him after the fire by himself with Fiona,” Blue said. 

 

“Fiona?  Who’s Fiona and why would they leave him?  And what Fire?” Laces asked. 

 

“A little, that was it.  No more.  You want more you can ask them yourself,” Blue said.  He walked away towards Spades’ place. 

 

“I wouldn’t go over there, they just kicked me out,” Laces called after him. 

 

“More the reason for me to go!” Blue called back.  Pockets put a hand around Laces. 

 

“Don’t worry everything will be fine,” Pockets said. 

 

“Everyone keeps saying that, I’ve been hearing that for almost two years now and before that I would tell meself, but things just keep coming.  The world doesn’t want me to be fine, and everything around me will never be,” Laces cried awhile, Pockets holding her tight to him, she had been through a lot, all of them had, and none of them were getting to the better side of life any time soon.  

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“We hurt the Kid’s feelings,” Angel mumbled. 

 

“Yeah I know, but she doesn’t know anything about it.  Nothing,” Spades said.  Blue walked in, “Spades?” he said.  He walked over to the counter and gave her a hug.  “You okay?” he asked. 

 

“No,” Spades answered. 

 

“Conlon,” Angel said. 

 

“I don’t know why you guys just don’t lock yourselves in a room until you talk this out,” Blue said. 

 

“An idea, but how could we get Conlon locked in a room with us?” Angel asked. 

 

“No idea,” Blue replied. 

 

“Blue, don’t suggest things, you’re suggestions are full of hot air,” Spades said. 

 

“Thanks Spades,” Blue smiled, and so did Spades and Angel. 

 

“Welcome birdbrain,” Spades said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot was on the dock shooting his slingshot when someone came up behind him and covered his eyes. 

 

“Guess who?” A voice said. 

 

“I’m not in the mood,” came from Spot. 

 

“Oh come on Patrick, you always loved this game,” the voice said. 

 

“No,” Spot pulled the hands off his eyes and turned around to see who it was. 

 

“Fi?” he said as he stared at a little girl in a white gown.  “It can’t be,” he mumbled to himself.  The little girl smiled at him and skipped away from him. 

 

“Fi come back!” Spot yelled after her, but she kept skipping. 

 

“Bye Patrick,” she turned and said before she disappeared.  Spot tried running after her but just tripped and hit the floor. 

 

“SPOT?  Everything okay in there?” Bullseye was knocking on the door.  Spot opened his eyes, he was on the floor.  He turned around and crawled to the door and pulled himself up.  He opened the door. 

 

“Yeah, everything is fine,” he said to Bullseye. 

 

“Oh,” Bullseye said as he walked across the hall to the bunkroom.  Spot shut the door again and sighed. 

 

“Shit, look at what they’ve done, that dream it’s come back,” Spot said.  “I have to get out.” He grabbed his slingshot and headed out of the lodging house. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Pockets was walking Laces back to the Brooklyn Lodging House.  He was worried about her since she was really down in the dumps. 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to Manhattan and see the guys over there?” he suggested.  She shook her head. 

 

“Not now, I would love to, but I can’t leave things like this.  Sides, I heard Tate is out of town so I won’t be able to see her.  Pockets you have to help me figure out what to do, something so that Spades, Angel and Spot will talk.  Someway to just lock them up somewhere until they do,” Laces sighed, as they walked into the lodging house. 

 

“Well we could try that,” Pockets said.  Laces turned to him. 

 

“What?” she said. 

 

“We could try that.  I’m sure there is some way we could figure out how.  Blue would help, and Jack might, and Tangles and Cookie probably would,” Pockets said.  “I know Tate would, but like she ain’t in town.”

 

“We might be able to see what we could do.  You know what, I might go over to Manhattan,” Laces said, hugging Pockets.  They headed back out the door and on to Manhattan. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot was standing in front of the dress shop where BC worked, he looked in.  There were a bunch of boxes everywhere, but other than that there was nothing.  The merchandise was all gone, the place was deserted.  Spot read the sign on the door. 

 

“We are sorry to inform all of our customers that we have moved.  Having family troubles, we are forced to leave in a hurry and apologize for not being able to thank you all in person for the years you have come to our shop.  We thank you.  The Miksones family.” Spot stared at the sign for a second and then he walked to the Manhattan lodging house, that being the only place left to go. 

 

He walked in, most all the newsies were there already some had headed out to different places.  Spot looked around and stood at the counter looking into the parlor. 

 

“Heya Spot! Ya looking for Jack?” Skittery asked looking up from his card game. 

 

“Yeah, where is the bum?” Spot asked. 

 

“’E went to Medda’s, check on Spring and the others,” Skittery said. 

 

“Thanks Skitt.” Spot was about to walk out when he turned back, “Skitt, has Buttercup been around?”

 

“No, she hasn’t been around in a while Spot,” Skittery replied.  “Think she went out of town on vacation or something, that’s the last we heard of her,” Spot nodded and headed out the door to Medda’s. 

 

He walked to Medda’s thinking to himself about Buttercup and how she had left him, without as much as a good-bye.  He knew it probably wasn’t her fault, he had been some what busy this past month or so with everything that had been going on.  He was always fighting with Angel and Spades, and she probably left and her parents didn’t let her see him, but still.  Spot had been dating Buttercup for some time now and he had to admit that he hadn’t paid much attention to her, her living in Manhattan and everything that had happened with Laces and everything with Spades and Angel, she had been something like a vacation from everything.  Spot walked into Medda’s, ordered a beer at the bar and went back stage, where he was allowed. 

 

“Heya Melly, seen Jack?” Spot asked Melly, who was the first ready for the show. 

 

“Yeah, he’s behind stage where the ropes are.  You know how much he likes to watch the performances from there,” Melly responded. 

 

“Thanks,” Spot headed over that way.  There was Jack with David watching Spring who was singing on stage.  She had recovered well from the blow that Pepper had gave her and was now sleeping better that the bulls had caught him and he was in a jail far away with his brother where he belonged.  Spot walked over and joined them.  He watched Spring sway back and forth on the stage, thinking about Buttercup all the while. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces and Pockets walked into the Manhattan Lodging House.  Laces skipped into the parlor figuring that’s where everyone would be.  She found Race, Blink, Skittery and Bumlets all playing a game of cards. 

 

“Hey where’s Jack?” Laces asked. 

 

“At Medda’s,” Race responded.  “We feel loved, come prancing in here not saying hello I missed you guys haven’t seen you in about two weeks, Just ask for Jack,” Race mumbled.  Laces laughed and gave Race a pat on the head. 

 

“You know I love my poker playing buddy.  And the rest of you, I just need Jack,” Laces said. 

 

“Seems everyone from Brooklyn does today,” Bumlets said. 

 

“What do you mean?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Well, Spot was in here a few minutes ago asking for him,” Bumlets said. 

 

“Oh no, not Spot,” Laces sat down next to Skittery. 

 

“Something wrong with you and Spot?” Blink asked. 

 

“Seems to be the only reason that she comes over here,” Race said.  Laces slapped him playfully on the backside of the head. 

 

“Stop that,” she said to him.  “No, I just needed to talk to Jack alone, about Spot.  Spot can’t be here.  That ruins everything,” Laces whined. 

 

“Sorry,” Blink said. 

 

“Aw it’s okay.  I guess I can just sit around and hang out with you guys now,” Laces said. 

 

“Great, you can play next round,” Blink said. 

 

“Thanks,” Laces said. 

 

“Meanwhile,” Pockets pulled her away from the table where the boys were playing poker and held her tight to his body as he kissed her. 

 

“Hey!  Come on, we trying to play a game over here.  Stop doing that, this ain’t no closet,” Bumlets said. 

 

“Laces, any decent girl doesn’t kiss till they’re engaged with the boy,” Specs said from his spot on the couch. 

 

“Really?” she said.  “Now where did you hear that?”

 

“I dunno, must have read it somewhere,” Specs replied. 

 

“Must have been some really old book,” Laces said as she kissed Pockets again and the guys all groaned. 

 

“Yeah well, a decent goyl don’t kiss in front of everyone like that,” Snoddy said.  Laces stopped kissing Pockets and looked at the guys. 

 

“Now whoever said I was decent?” She laughed and so did everyone else as she continued to kiss Pockets. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot, Jack and David were sitting backstage, each drinking, watching the acts that they saw every so often. 

 

“So what’s going on Spot?” Jack asked. 

 

“Oh, nothing really just needed out of Brooklyn and I came over here to see Buttercup and she ain’t here anymore,” Spot said. 

 

“Yeah she went out of town,” Jack said. 

 

“No, not only out of town, she left the state.  She’s not coming back,” Spot said. 

 

“What do you mean?” Jack asked. 

 

“I went to the dress shop, thinking that she should be there, I didn’t even know that she had left in the first place on a trip or whatever.  There was a sign on the door saying that they had some family troubles and that the store was closing and they were leaving,” Spot said. 

 

“Really? And BC didn’t come by and say anything?” Dave said. 

 

“Nothing, I’m thinking it must have not really been her fault but still she’s gone and we didn’t even notice because of everything that was going on with Peach, Cap and Laces,” Spot said. 

 

“Jeez, well I guess there’s nothing we can do about it.  Was the shop all cleaned out?” Jack asked. 

 

“No there was still stuff left there,” Spot said. 

 

“That means there will be someone to take it to them.  We can send a letter with them,” Jack said. 

 

“But what if they come when we’re not around?” Spot said. 

 

“We could leave the letter on the door, leave it addressed and they might take it,” Dave said. 

 

“That’s an idea, anything else on your mind Spot?” Jack asked, knowing there was something more. 

 

“Not really,” Spot said. 

 

“Another fight with Spades and Angel?” Jack asked.  Spot nodded. 

 

“I can’t even look at them anymore, it makes me remember everything.  I hate it,” Spot said. 

 

“You’re going to have talk it out with them sooner or later Spot,” Jack said. 

 

“I know,” Spot replied. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Blue was walking home from Spades’ place, they were really down in the dumps.  He knew that this whole thing with Spot was going to keep going until they talk it out.  Everyone knew that and no one was even sure if it would be resolved if they did talk it out and not kill themselves in the process.  There had to be something that he could do.  He walked into the Brooklyn Lodging House, looking for Pockets and Laces, he was sure that Laces was trying to figure out some way to fix this. 

 

“Blue who you looking for?” Bullseye asked. 

 

“Laces and Pockets ya seen them?” Blue asked. 

 

“Yeah, they walked in here a second, but didn’t stay long.  Heard something about Manhattan.  They should be back soon though,” Bullseye said.  Blue nodded. 

 

“I’ll just wait around then,” Blue said. 

 

“What’s going on?” Bullseye asked. 

 

“Oh nothing really, it’s just Spot, Spades and Angel again,” Blue said. 

 

“I figured as much, when I saw Spades storm out of here and Spot make Laces storm out of here,” Bullseye said. 

 

“Yeah, I know,” Blue said. 

 

“They have to quit doing this, and I know Spot is part of the problem, everyone knows how stubborn he is, but this can’t keep going on forever.  They need to stop this,” Bullseye said. 

 

“That’s what I think and that’s why I wanted Laces.  I know she thinks the same way.  We just have to figure out what to do,” Blue said. 

 

“Too bad they ain’t little kids you can make talk to each other,” Bullseye said. 

 

“Yeah, the thing is they are acting like little kids, we can’t treat them like it though.  I suggest we lock them up until they talk it out, but that’s near impossible,” Blue said.  There was silence for a moment. 

 

“Well, that ain’t a bad idea,” Bullseye said. 

 

“What?” Blue asked. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot and Jack were walking to the Manhattan Lodging House, David had headed home. 

 

“So ya staying the night?” Jack asked. 

 

“Yeah probably, I got Laces mad at me today too.  I think I’ll just stay here tonight,” Spot said. 

 

“That works, what did ya do to her?” Jack asked. 

 

“Oh nothing, said some things I shouldn’t have, you know you don’t think when you’re mad,” Spot said. 

 

“Nah, no thinking,” Jack said, they walked into the lodging house and into the parlor. 

 

“Hey Spot! Jack!” Mush said from the window where he was sitting looking through a newspaper. 

 

“Heya guys,” Jack said. 

 

“Hows it rolling?” Spot asked. 

 

“Ah, well pretty good, worried bout Laces though,” Blink said. 

 

“Why is that?” Jack asked. 

 

“Well she’s been in that closet with Pockets for a while now,” Race said. 

 

“What?” Spot was shocked.  Jack walked over to the closet that Race had pointed to and opened it.  There was Laces and Pockets making out.  When the door was opened, Laces and Pockets broke their kiss, but Laces didn’t open her eyes. 

 

“Go away!” She said. 

 

“No, get out of that closet,” Jack said back.  Laces opened her eyes and looked at the person in the doorway. 

 

“Jack?” she said. 

 

“Yeah, Jack,” Jack said. 

 

“And Spot,” Spot said from behind.  Laces smiled as she walked out of the closet fixing her hair and putting her cap back on. 

 

“Come on, we’re going back to Brooklyn, now!” Spot said. 

 

“Bye, Bye love birds!” Race said, smiling.  Laces glared at him, he would pay for this.  She walked out, following Spot, and holding hands with Pockets. 

 

Spot had almost forgotten that Laces and Pockets were a couple.  There had been so much going on, that they never acted like a couple.  He didn’t like that whole closet thing, it was just wasn’t something he wanted to see. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Well, locking them up should work well.  I mean, all we have to do is find somewhere to lock them up where they won’t be able to get out of, and stock them up with some food, water and not let them out until they’ve talked this out,” Bullseye said. 

 

“But Spot would kill us when he got out, how would we get them into the one room, and how would we know that they weren’t lying when they said that they had talked it out?” Blue said. 

 

“I don’t know, but here comes Spot.  We can talk this out with Pockets and Laces, I’m sure that Jack and Spades’ girls would help some if we mention it,” Bullseye said, as Spot, Laces and Pockets walked in. 

 

“Pockets stay down here, Laces come up with me I need a word with ya,” Spot said as he went up the stairs.  Laces bit her lip as Pockets grinned and walked into the parlor. 

 

“What happened?” Blue asked. 

 

“Oh nothing really, Conlon just saw me and Laces making out in a closet and from what Race and Blink and the guys were saying it seemed like we had been in there for a while,” Pockets sighed. 

 

“Ya should really be careful what you do with that girl and in front of who.  She’s like Spot’s little sister,” Bullseye said.  “Anything he doesn’t like he’ll fix it, and ya won’t be able to take Conlon.”

 

“Thanks for the confidence,” Pockets said.  Bullseye shrugged and headed out the door of the lodging house. 

 

“It’s true you know, be careful with the girl for all sorts of reasons,” Blue said. 

 

“Yeah what are those reasons?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Oh things.  Come on, we’re going over to Spades’ place.  I need to talk to those girls,” Blue said.  Pockets shrugged and they went out. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot stood in his room with his back to Laces.  He was mad, but not really mad about Laces and Pockets, just that it piled all up on him. 

 

“I can’t believe you,” Spot said. 

 

“Why not, it ain’t like you don’t do that with your girls,” Laces snickered. 

 

“Yeah, well that’s different,” Spot retorted. 

 

“Yeah why?  Cause you’re a boy?  Don’t get started on that Spot Conlon,” Laces said, she was getting mad now, she hated it that woman were put down because of their gender. 

 

“It’s because a boy can take advantage of you.  You’re not exactly good at defending yourself.  Letting someone do that with you, it’s just your giving in too easily,” Spot sighed. 

 

“Excuse me, but I’m getting better at this whole fighting thing, Spades girls have been working with me.  And sides, it wasn’t him who started it, it was me!” Laces said frowning. 

 

“You shouldn’t do that anyway it ain’t decent.  Ain’t right for a woman to start kissing a man, a man should start it, and sides ya shouldn’t be kissing at all, specially not like you two were,” Spot said crossing his arms over his chest.  Laces got tense. 

 

“How dare you!  This is just because I’m a girl, if it had been one of your boys making out with a different girl in that closet you would have cheered them on!  But because it was me, a girl you live with, you think you can control then it’s wrong! Well let me tell you something Spot Conlon, anything boys can do, girls can do better!” Laces turned and walked out of the room, steamed from the conversation, she was very into the woman’s suffrage; she loved reading in the papes all about Susan B. Anthony and the other great woman leaders of the movement. 

 

Spot though was stuck in the old ways, he was raised with that attitude towards woman, and he believed it to an extent.  He embellished his beliefs sometimes though just to get Laces mad, and it worked to a charm most of the time.  He grinned to himself after she left him starring at a closed door. 

 

“She sure does get into a bunch when I say things like that.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Blue and Pockets walked into Spades’ place.  The girls were all sitting around a table smoking and drinking while counting the week’s gains. 

 

“Cheeky this is a wallet, ya took the whole wallet?  Ya didn’t get seen did ya?” Spades was saying as she stared at an old tattered wallet. 

 

“No, Ise gotten a lot betta, why do ya all still ask me that?” Cheeky asked. 

 

“Well, cause we so use to it,” Shady said. 

 

“Heya goyls,” Blue said. 

 

“Ya know you actually have to go away for us to be able to miss ya,” Scorch said. 

 

“Oh Ise hurt,” Blue said as he sat down. 

 

“Leave him alone, he must have a really good reason to be here,” Spades said.  Blue nodded. 

 

“Of course I do,” he said as he kissed Spades on the cheek. 

 

“Well what is it?” Spades asked, as she counted the money in the wallet that Cheeky had taken. 

 

“Well I was um, we were um,” Blue started.  

 

“Bored,” Pockets finished. 

 

“Yeah that’s a great reason!” Candy said. 

 

“Well we were,” Blue said. 

 

“And we wanted to come by and say hi,” Pockets said. 

 

“Okay, you said hi.  Want me to show you the door?” Vigor said. 

 

“What’s wrong with you all?” Blue asked. 

 

“Nothing, we a little busy counting profits if ya can’t tell.  We can’t have ya distracting us,” Angel said. 

 

“Fine then we’ll leave, would one of you fine ladies like to show us to the door?” Blue asked.  They all looked at him oddly, but Candy got up and walked the guys to the door. 

 

“What was that all about?” she asked. 

 

“We need you girls, without Angel and Spades to drop by, we need to talk about something,” Blue said. 

 

“What?” she asked. 

 

“Because these fights they need to end and we got a plan,” Pockets said. 

 

“Oh great, Spades is going to be mad at us for this plan of yours?” Candy asked. 

 

“Well, maybe.  Tomorrow,” Blue said as he tipped his newsie hat and headed out the door with Pockets. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces sat in her room.  She was going to go to Manhattan, she could not stand being in the lodging house with Spot.  Besides if she went to Manhattan, she could convince Jack to come back with her tomorrow and she could talk things out with him and Pockets.  She grabbed her hat and walked out of the room.  She went down to the parlor and looked for Pockets, but he wasn’t there. 

 

“Oh well,” she shrugged and headed out the door on her way to Manhattan.  She was about a block away from the lodging house when she ran into Blue and Pockets. 

 

“Where ya heading to at this hour of the night?” Blue asked. 

 

“Manhattan,” Laces replied. 

 

“Why?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Spot made me mad, I can’t stay there with him.  Sides I figured if I go to Manhattan that I can get Jack to come down here tomorrow so we can talk about the Spot, Spades and Angel thing,” Laces said. 

 

“That would be good, Bullseye said that he would help out too,” Blue said. 

 

“That’s great!” Laces smiled. 

 

“And Spades’ goyls are coming around tomorrow to talk about it too,” Pockets said. 

 

“We should be able to figure something out,” Laces nodded. 

 

“Want me to go with you?” Pockets asked. 

 

“No, I’ll be fine, thanks anyway,” Laces smiled as she pecked Pockets on the cheek. 

 

“Stop that, that’s what got you two in trouble in the first place,” Blue said. 

 

“Shut up O’ Riley,” Laces smirked as she walked away from the two boys. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces took a while getting to Manhattan, but when she got there the lodging house was still awake, the older members of it anyway.  Laces walked in through the front door and stepped into the parlor where a few were playing cards, or doing something else. 

 

“Look who’s back so soon and without her love bird,” Race said. 

 

“Shut up Racetrack,” Laces responded. 

 

“That ain’t no way to say hello!” Race smiled at her. 

 

“I ain’t in the mood,” Laces sat next to him. 

 

“Why not?  Fight with Conlon about your little closet scene?” Blink asked. 

 

“Sort of,” Laces responded. 

 

“Well, ya know that ain’t something ya should be really doing.  I mean you can just not around Conlon and Jack.  That’s like doing it in front of parents, if there were any around,” Skittery said. 

 

“Not to mention doing it in front of us, you’re lucky we like Pockets, otherwise we would have soaked him for even looking at you,” Mush smiled. 

 

“Oh thank you!  Gracious annoying, meddling newsies!” Laces said in a sarcastic tone. 

 

“Oh come on, play a game while you tell us what happened,” Race nudged her arm a bit and she nodded as she took his cigar from his mouth and took a puff at it. 

 

“So what happened?” Blink asked. 

 

“Well, Spot was all mad about me doing that because he thought that I was letting Pockets take advantage of me because girls can’t protect themselves and we went on and on about how it was all because I was a girl!” Laces steamed. 

 

“That wasn’t smart to say around you, I mean ‘e’s around you more than we are and even we know that,” Specs laughed from the couch were he was absorbed with reading through the papes of the day. 

 

“Well, you guys ain’t even that bad, but Conlon he’s so stuck in those ways,” Laces mumbled as she laid out her cards, revealing a semi good hand, but Race of course won the game.  Laces looked around and noticed that Jack wasn’t around. 

 

“Where’s Jack?” She asked. 

 

“Oh he’s out with Sarah,” Blink said.  Laces stared at him blankly for a second and then she remembered that Sarah was Jack’s girl.  She nodded. 

 

“Good he can’t get on my case,” Laces smiled.  “There is an extra bunk right?”

 

“For you, always my dear!” Blink said. 

 

“Thank you!” Laces smiled, as gave the cards back to Race.  “I’m not going to play anymore, I’m going to read some,” she said.  The boys nodded and went back to their game.  Laces walked over to the couch and sat next to Specs who was reading the newspaper. 

 

“Anything interesting?” she asked. 

 

“Ah nothing really, some things in here about the new things going on in the government, seems to be some scandal about money being stolen,” Specs said. 

 

“Oh, money.  I hate money.  It causes such problems,” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah I know,” Specs nodded.  Laces looked at the few books that were in the parlor, there was a bible of course, and some other classics, and things.  Most newsies had to know how to read, and if they didn’t they picked up something.  Most had done a few years of school not much though, almost none finished the regular five years, and not one went to secondary school.  Laces had been taught how to read in school and by her mother when she had been younger.  She loved reading because it took her into a new world where nothing was like it seemed where she could play out each characters part without having to actually take any responsibility for the characters actions. 

 

“Hey Laces!  Come be a doll and tell us a tale!” Snitch said from the floor. 

 

“What kind of tale?” Laces asked. 

 

“Oh anything, adventure maybe?” Snitch replied. 

 

“Adventure huh?  Well how about we try this game I once heard about.  It’s where I start the story and I stop when I get to a high point and the person next to me keeps it going,” Laces said. 

 

“We can do that,” Snitch said.  Itey, Jake and Snoddy nodded.  Laces started to tell the story about a knight in a foreign country that was looking for a princess that was said to be trapped in a tower where at first they had to fight a dragon and next they had to fight a terrifying, and most skilled warrior in all the land, Knight Sophia.  The problem was that Sophia was always bored and she liked to annoy the princess because the princess was a brat at times.  And so the story started and the boys took it in all sorts of directions and it actually turned out to be a very good story, but was finished very late and all the newsies went to be thinking of fighting dragons and saving Princesses and being acclaimed heroes. 

 

Laces stayed awake most of the night, she couldn’t sleep, she was thinking about too many things to fall asleep.  It was late at night, the moon was out high in the sky, when Jack crawled through the window.  Laces watched him walk over to his bed and take off his shirt and put on his night shirt.  She was in the bunk under his because that had been where she had always stayed.  Jack crawled into his bed and Laces wondered what he had been doing all that time with Sarah.  She shuddered knowing that she didn’t really want to know. 

 

June 1st 1900

 

Sooner or later she fell asleep and as it seemed as soon as she fell asleep Kloppman came to wake them all. 

 

“Get up!  Carrying the Banner!” he yelled.  He came over to Jack’s bunk and stared at Jack then at Laces, they were both fast asleep.  Kloppman poked his broom at Laces as he used his free arm to shake at Jack. 

 

“Get up you two!” he said cheerfully. 

 

“Go away!” Laces moaned. 

 

“Nope, I don’t know about Rick, but I like to get my newsies to sell papers,” Kloppman laughed. 

 

“Come on Kloppman a few more minutes,” Jack mumbled through his pillow. 

 

“No get up Cowboy,” Kloppman pushed Jack off his bed sending him spiraling to the floor landing with a thump next to Laces who was shocked into waking up with the loud sound.  She jumped hitting her head with the bottom of Jack’s bunk. 

 

“Ow!  Thanks Kloppman.  I like getting concussions in the morning,” Laces moaned as she started to get out of the bed.  Jack groaned also.  

 

“Heya Laces, when did you get here?” he asked her from the floor where he was trying to get up. 

 

“Last night Jack,” she said. 

 

“Oh,” he got up and held out a hand to her.  “I’ll wait for you, guessing your heading back to Brooklyn?” Laces nodded her head as she headed for the washroom.  Jack followed her, both washed their faces and hands, then Jack shaved while Laces put her hair up and went out to change back into her selling clothes.  Jack came out soon enough.  Laces sat on the bunk watching him and the other newsies finish getting dressed. 

 

“So you ready Kid?” Jack asked when he was done. 

 

“Yeah, we buying some papes at the World before we head over?” Laces asked.  Jack nodded as he tied on his bandanna.  They headed out together. 

 

“So Laces, what’s going on?  Why did you come stay in Manhattan?” Jack asked, as they walked to the selling docks. 

 

“Because I wanted to see all of me favorite newsies!” Laces smiled sweetly. 

 

“Sure, ya did twice in one day?  Now what happened?  Ya fight with Conlon?  Does he know where you are?” Jack asked. 

 

“Well, yeah we sort of did and no, or maybe,” Laces said. 

 

“Maybe?” Jack repeated. 

 

“Well, I didn’t tell him, or anyone where I was going expect for Pockets and Blue, so he should know if they told him,” Laces replied. 

 

“What ya fight with Spot about?” Jack asked. 

 

“Pockets and me.  Well, that’s what it started about, but he started on all that male dominance thing that I can’t stand,” Laces folded her arms.  They arrived at the selling docks, some of the newsies came over and talked with Laces a bit, said a few things, like how they disapproved of her in a closet, but all was fun and games.  Once Laces and Jack got their papers, they headed towards the Brooklyn Bridge. 

 

“Jack?” Laces said. 

 

“What?”

 

“What do you think of Spot, Spades and Angel?”

 

“Well, they are okay I guess why?” Jack shrugged, knowing Laces was getting to something. 

 

“Well, I don’t mean them as people, I mean their relationship,” Laces said. 

 

“Meddling in others business is not a good idea,” Jack said. 

 

“But Jack, this ain’t meddling, it’s helping along,” Laces said. 

 

“Oh really?  How do you propose we help along then?” Jack raised an eyebrow and gave Laces a questioning look. 

 

“Well, they ain’t getting along, ya know they got into another fight yesterday.  It’s been getting worse and worse, Spades and Angel try to talk with Spot but he won’t listen to them, they end up yelling at each other and someone stomps out.  So all we need to do is well, I’m not sure yet,” Laces sighed. 

 

“Oh, and lemme guess Pockets is helping with this and Spades’ girls all minus Spades and Angel,” Jack said. 

 

“Yeah,” Laces replied, as they got off of the bridge and entered Brooklyn.  Spot was walking right towards them.  “Not a word Jack,” Laces warned as she saw him. 

 

“What?” Jack asked confused, he moved his gaze to where Laces was looking and saw Spot, then understood.  “No worries,” Spot made a gesture with his cane as he walked over to them. 

 

“There you are!  How many times I told ya not ta do that!” Spot said in a harsh voice to Laces. 

 

“Now this is the reason I leave in the first place, don’t ya learn Spot?” Laces asked.  Spot glared at her. 

 

“Laces, it ain’t safe,” Spot started. 

 

“You could get hurt, you could get kidnapped again, Pepper could still be around, what if something happens to you when you are all alone.  New York ain’t safe for girls like you to walk around in at night alone, you shouldn’t do that, you would think you learned a lesson from Pepper, but no,” Laces said in mocking voice.  Spot wasn’t smiling, Jack was trying not to. 

 

“Laces, this ain’t funny,” Spot said.  “Go on to the lodging house, Pockets is waiting for you,” Spot said. 

 

“Okay, see ya Jack, come by for dinner to Miss Marcie’s Kitchen,” Laces said.  Jack nodded at her.  Laces started to walk away, when Jack called after her. 

 

“Laces, no closets!” Laces turned back and stuck her tongue out at the two boys before she proceed to skip down the street with her papers under one arm. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Later that night at Marcie’s Kitchen

 

Laces, Pockets, Blue and Spades’ girls were sitting at a large table talking about the day. 

 

“So did ya talk to Jack?” Blue asked Laces. 

 

“I did, I told him to meet us here tonight,” Laces said.  “I hope the airhead doesn’t bring Spot.”

 

“What?  Why would he bring Spot?” Cheeky asked. 

 

“I dunno, just something that he might do,” Laces mumbled.  Just then the door bell rang, the little one above the door that sounded every time the door opened and in walked Jack. 

 

“Heya Jack!” Candy said, “Over here,” Jack smiled and headed over to them sitting next to Pockets and Shady. 

 

“So what are we going to do?  Any ideas?” Blue asked. 

 

“Well what do we want to do?” Jack asked. 

 

“Get Spot and Spades to talk,” Laces said.  There was silence for a few moments. 

 

“Well I was thinking that we lock them up until they talk,” Blue said.  Everyone looked at him oddly, expect for Pockets and Bullseye who had heard the plan before. 

 

“That is absurd,” Scorch said.  

 

“But it would work, it would, it just needs some fine tuning,” Bullseye said. 

 

“But Laces, how would we get them into a room together?  And how would we get them to stay there until they talk?  And what if that takes too long?  And if we do achieve to get them locked into a room, then what are we going to do if they lie and say they talked it out?” Vigor said, almost in one breath. 

 

“I said some fine tuning,” Bullseye said. 

 

“Yeah a lot of tuning, not fine, just tuning,” Cheeky said. 

 

“Well, we can do this in sections at a time,” Shady said. 

 

“What do you mean?” Pockets said. 

 

“Like first off where would we lock them up?” Shady asked. 

 

“Well, somewhere where they can’t climb out a window,” Scorch said. 

 

“Yeah and somewhere where they can’t get out of period,” Laces nodded. 

 

“Well that rules out all rooms,” Jack said. 

 

“Except for attics and basements,” Pockets said. 

 

“Attics, they could try to get out of, we are safer going with basements,” Blue said. 

 

“So basement it is, where though is there a basement?” Shady asked. 

 

“Well there’s one at our place!” Candy said. 

 

“That’s great, basement at our place.  So we will check that out.  I think Spades and Angel are working the town tomorrow with another one of us, so the rest of us can check the place out and start cleaning it out and stuff.  Now what other problems might we have?” Shady asked. 

 

“How are we going to know if they really talked?’ Cheeky asked. 

 

“Well, we wouldn’t be able to believe their word, but one of us, what if one of us was locked in there with them,” Laces said. 

 

“It needs to be someone they trust,” Blue said. 

 

“How about Jack, he will be moral support for Spot,” Candy said. 

 

“Well, I really don’t know about this,” Jack said. 

 

“Oh come on Jack do it for Spot, you know that he needs this,” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah he needs this, fine I’ll do it,” Jack said. 

 

“Okay so Jack will stay in there and when he knows that they have talked, then Jack will tell us,” Laces said. 

 

“Okay, what else is left?” Shady asked. 

 

“How to get them in the same room together?” Blue said. 

 

“Well we could tell them we have a surprise to show them, like a surprise for Angel and Spades, and Laces and Jack just happen to be there with Spot so they come along to see it, and slowly we start creeping out, and lock the door before they can know what hit them,” Vigor said. 

 

“Yeah, that would work.  We might need somewhere for them to sleep down there, and some food and drinks and some form of entertainment,” Scorch said. 

 

“Yeah who knows exactly how long this might take,” Laces nodded. 

 

“So when do you think the preparations will be done?” Blue asked. 

 

“Well, it might take us two days to clean the basement, it shouldn’t be that hard there ain’t much down there.  And then getting supplies?” Candy said. 

 

“I can get drinks from Medda,” Jack said. 

 

“And I can get some food from an old friend of mine,” Pockets said. 

 

“Okay so that’s settled.  We will need some blankets,and pillows,” Shady said. 

 

“We can get those from Rick,” Bullseye said. 

 

“Okay it’s settled then, we will need everything by Friday evening, and we’ll pull this off on Saturday.  Laces and Pockets here can sell on the bridge on Friday and Jack you can send some boys with the drinks.  Pockets we will need the food in the morning and the blankets get them to us by tomorrow,” Shady said. 

 

“Okay, now one thing to remember if this does or doesn’t work we still are all going to get killed by Spades and Spot,” Scorch mumbled. 

 

“Well maybe not,” Laces said. 

 

“Sure,” Cheeky shrugged.  “We better go.  Spades and Angel are going to be wondering about us.”

 

“Yeah, I need to head back to Manhattan, I don’t believe I’m getting involved in this,” Jack sighed. 

 

“You’re helping a friend out,” Laces smiled. 

 

“I’m signing a death wish,” Jack replied.  “See ya,” he said as he walked out. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot was sitting around the lodging house wondering where Laces, Pockets, Blue and Bullseye were.  He knew that Bullseye was with them so he wasn’t worried, just bored with nothing to really do.  He leaned against the counter where Rick was bent over his work like usual. 

 

“Anything I can do for you Spot?” Rick asked. 

 

“Nah, not really,” Spot said. 

 

“You’re bored?” Rick asked. 

 

“Yeah, just a bit,” Spot nodded. 

 

“Why don’t you go play a game of poker or something,” Rick said. 

 

“I don’t feel like doing that,” Spot replied. 

 

“Would you like me to give you something to do?” Rick asked. 

 

“Well it depends on what it is?” Spot said. 

 

“You could help me out with these papers here,” Rick said. 

 

“Sure, why not,” Spot went around the counter and sat on the stool next to Rick’s and started to look at the papers.  They were covered in numbers and writing. 

 

“What do I do?” Spot asked. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades and Angel were wondering around in their place looking for the rest of the girls. 

 

“Where could they be?” Spades said scratching her head. 

 

“I have no idea, I think we’ve looked everywhere.  Maybe they went out without saying anything,” Angel said. 

 

“I don’t like it when they do that,” Spades said. 

 

“I know, but you know them, they are that way.  That’s half the reason why there in this gang in the first place,” Angel said. 

 

“It really bugs me that they do that though, they know I like to know where they are,” Spades sighed. 

 

“Oh come on, you know they can take care of themselves,” Angel said. 

 

“They’re probably out trying to find themselves boys,” Spades shook her head. 

 

“You think that highly of us Spades?” Cheeky said.  Spades turned around and saw all the five girls of her group that had just disappeared walk in. 

 

“Where have you five been?” Spades asked. 

 

“Around,” Candy smiled. 

 

“Of course, I should have thought of that,” Spades threw her hands up in the air. 

 

“Work to do?” Vigor asked. 

 

“Just more counting,” Angel replied. 

 

“Great counting, do we get our shares today?” Scorch asked. 

 

“If we finish,” Spades replied. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Friday afternoon June 4th

 

Pockets, Laces, Blue and Bullseye headed over to Spades’ place.  They were carrying the drinks, some food, blankets, pillows and a few other things in pillow cases.  They walked into Spades’ place hoping that the girls had achieved in getting Spades and Angel out of the place. 

 

“Hey!  Anyone in here?” Laces called out.  Shady came into the main room. 

 

“Yeah we all in the basement, we have to hurry I have no idea if Spades and Angel might be coming back for lunch, you never know with those two.  Scorch might keep them entertained and from coming back if she’s with them but we have to hurry,” Shady said as she led them to where the basement was.  It was in the back of the building, you had to go through a hole in the floor where the floor lifted up and it was covered with a rug.  The four walked down it, it was lit well with some light bulbs that had almost never been used.  The girls were clearing out a few things, cleaning, dusting, floor washing, assembling a few things. 

 

“Hey, we thought you were never gonna get here,” Cheeky said. 

 

“Yeah, well we had a lot of stuff to bring.  Here this is all the drinks,” Bullseye set his pillow case down gently. 

 

“Great those can go on those shelves over there, the bottom shelf,” Candy said.  Bullseye nodded and headed to the left wall where there was a shelf structure near the corner.  He started to place all the glass bottled drinks that Jack had collected from Medda on the shelf. 

 

“Where do you want the food girls?” Pockets asked. 

 

“The shelf above the drinks,” Candy said.  Pockets and Blue each carried a bag over with Bullseye to put away the food that they had collected. 

 

“You’ve done a nice thing with this place, could almost be another room,” Laces mentioned as she looked around.  It was clean, the shelves were all dusted, there was a few things on them, pictures of things, a book here and there, and a few things they had picked up around the place.  There was a rug on the floor and a few little tables around the place, one even had a deck of cards on it. 

 

“Where are the beds going?” Laces asked. 

 

“We can set up the cots, there are quiet a few down here.  Look over there in that corner, just grab one at a time and set them up.  I think we will need four right?” Shady said. 

 

“Yeah, okay,” Laces said.  She set down her pillowcase and went over and grabbed the first cot, setting it next to the table with the deck of cards.  She then proceeded with grabbing the next one and setting it down against the wall a few feet from the first one.  Then she took the third and set it near the corner of that wall, giving spaces between each one.  The last one was near the shelves, where the food and drinks were located.  Then she started to make the beds, putting two blankets on each one and a pillow.  There were some extra blankets so she stuck them on the shelf above the food and drinks. 

 

“Okay I think we’re done, so we’re ready to do this tomorrow?” Candy said, looking over the place. 

 

“We should be.  What time did Jack say?” Vigor asked. 

 

“He said he would come early morning, before lunch.  He suggested we let them sell or whatever before we get them in here, so late night?” Laces said. 

 

“That would work.  Yeah that’s a good idea.  Okay so we have an excuse to get Conlon over here?” Cheeky asked. 

 

“Well we were thinking that we could say that one of you girls was hurt?” Blue said. 

 

“That would get him over here,” Shady nodded.  “Just don’t say it’s Scorch.”

 

“Yeah, well that would kinda mean that you would need Spades and Angel down here before we get here,” Pockets grinned. 

 

“Okay we can do that,” Candy said. 

 

“Great come on, we should all get out of here,” Vigor said. 

 

“Too bad, this place was keeping me from getting bored,” Cheeky said. 

 

“Yeah well we can’t have Spades and Angel finding out before tomorrow,” Shady said. 

 

“Well, we’ll be seeing you girls,” Laces said. 

 

“See ya,” The girls replied.  The four newsies walked out the basement and then out of the building. 

 

“Ya better hope this works,” Blue said. 

 

“Yeah, we don’t have very many options,” Pockets nodded. 

 

“That and well they’ll know we’re up to something if this doesn’t work.”

 

“It will work,” Laces said in a determined air. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Saturday June 5th

 

Laces and Spot were walking along the streets of Brooklyn selling their last few papers.  Laces had convinced Spot not to buy that many so he could take the afternoon off to help her work on her slingshot aim.  He had agreed after her excessive begging. 

 

“Why do you want to work on your slingshot aim?” Spot asked Laces. 

 

“Oh no reason in particular, just wanted more practice.  Practice makes perfect you know,” Laces smiled. 

 

“Oh,” Spot nodded.  They were walking onto the docks, Spot set his last three papes on a crate and took his slingshot out of his back pocket and quickly aimed for and hit a beer bottle that was set on the post at the beginning of the dock.  Laces stared at him. 

 

“Show off,” she sighed. 

 

“Come on, put those last few papes away.  Get that slingshot out and hit something,” Spot said.  Laces put her papes down and took out her slingshot as she looked for something to hit.  When she saw nothing she decided to hit the post near the end of the dock.  She aimed, but she missed. 

 

“What was that aiming for?” Spot asked. 

 

“The post,” Laces replied. 

 

“The one on the left or the right?” Spot asked. 

 

“The left one,” Laces said. 

 

“You miss that by a mile,” Spot said. 

 

“Thanks for the support,” Laces mocked a smiled. 

 

“Yeah, well we ain’t here for support just for practice,” he grinned, then went up behind her and put his arms around her placing his hands on her wrists. 

 

“Okay see this, you’re too low, you need to get up higher,” he lifted her wrists. 

 

“Okay,” Laces nodded, concentrating on the slingshot and how nice Spot was being because she had a feeling he wasn’t going to be nice after getting out of that basement with Spades and Angel. 

 

“Now, your gripping the slingshot too hard, loosen up,” Spot said. 

 

Jack was walking up the dock, staring at Laces and Spot.  Spot was helping her with her slingshot aim, he knew that, but it was weird seeing him hold her like that. 

 

“Hey Spot!  Laces,” he shouted over to them.  Spot let go of Laces and turned around. 

 

“Jacky-Boy, what ya doing round these parts?” Spot asked. 

 

“Well, came by to see how things were,” Jack said. 

 

“They’re fine, fine.  So what’s going on in Manhattan?” Spot asked. 

 

“Ah, nothing much you know things here and there,” Jack said.  Spot nodded, then looked at Laces. 

 

“Try that post, the right one now,” he said.  Laces nodded and aimed for the right one.  She pulled back on the slingshot and let go.  The marble hit the top of the post and then bounced off it and into the water. 

 

“Is that what you wanted it to do?” Spot asked. 

 

“Well yeah, it hit it,” Laces said. 

 

“No, but what did you picture it doing?” Spot asked. 

 

“Hitting the middle and then bouncing back onto the dock,” Laces said. 

 

“So keep trying till it does that,” Spot said, then turned back to Jack.  Laces shrugged and tried to do it again. 

 

“So Jack, are you sure nothing is going on in Manhattan?  You were just here three days ago.  I mean there has to be something wrong,” Spot said. 

 

“Well,” Jack started.  That’s when Pockets and Blue came running down the dock panting for breath. 

 

“Spot!” Pockets said.  Spot and Jack looked at them, Spot frowned. 

 

“What’s the matta with ya?” he asked. 

 

“Spades, something, wrong,” Blue panted. 

 

“What, take a breath and then tell me,” Spot said.  Laces stopped her practice and looked over to the boys.  She was biting on her lower lip trying not to laugh at Blue and Pockets, who she knew hadn’t run from anywhere. 

 

“One of Spades’ girls is hurt bad.  I think she fell down the stairs to the basement,” Pockets said. 

 

“Which one?” Spot asked. 

 

“I think it was Angel or Spades.  I didn’t really see, Cheeky sent me to get you,” Blue said. 

 

“Oh great.  Well come on,” Spot said.  He started walking quickly off the dock with Jack following and Laces, Blue and Pockets. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Spades!  Angel!” Shady said. 

 

“What?” Spades asked. 

 

“We have a surprise for you,” Candy said. 

 

“What may that be?” Angel asked. 

 

“Come on, come look,” Scorch said. 

 

“Where?” Spades asked. 

 

“Come on, follow me,” Vigor said, leading the way.  Spades gave Angel a sideways look, but they both followed the girls to the back of the building and down into the basement. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot, Jack, Laces, Blue and Pockets got to Spades’ place. 

 

“Where are they?” Spot asked. 

 

“Probably in the basement.  She fell down the stairs to the basement,” Pocket said. 

 

“Where’s the basement?” Jack asked. 

 

“Over this way,” Blue said.  Everyone followed him down through the building and down the stairs. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Shady heard the boys coming and she pushed Angel hard onto the floor, the rest of the girls expect for Spades edged near the stairs. 

 

“What did you do that for?” Angel demanded. 

 

Blue came down first then Spot, Jack, and Laces.   Pockets didn’t come down at all.  Once Laces was in, Cheeky headed up the stairs without anyone noticing. 

 

“Blue?” Spades asked.  “Conlon?  Kelly?  Kid?  What are you all doing here?”

 

“What are we doing here?” Spot asked.  Candy was heading up the stairs quickly and Blue was edging his way back to. 

 

“Yeah what are you doing here?” Spades asked.  Shady went up the stairs.  Laces threw herself on the floor next to Angel. 

 

“Are you okay?  Is everything all right?  What happened?” she said in a dramatic tone.  She drew attention to herself from Spades and Spot while Scorch went up the stairs. 

 

“I’m fine Laces,” Angel stared at her oddly. 

 

“Fine, then why did they say you were hurt?” Spot asked. 

 

“Who said I was hurt?” Angel asked, getting up.  Vigor hopped up the stairs knowing that in mere seconds they would know something strange was going on. 

 

“Why Pockets and Blue,” Jack said. 

 

“Where did they all go?” Spades asked suddenly.  She went over to the stairs, the top door was still open and they were all standing in front of it waiting for Laces to get out.  “What is going on?” Spades asked. 

 

“Shoot,” Blue said.  “Sorry Spades.  SORRY LACES!” he said as he slammed the door and there was a click. 

 

“What the ‘ell!” Spot said, heading up the stairs too.  Spades went to the door and tried opening it.  She pushed up against it, but it was locked. 

 

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?  YOU LET US OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!” Spades yelled. 

 

“That door is locked,” Laces said from the bottom of the stairs.  Spades and Spot turned and stared at her. 

 

“Why is it locked Laces?” Spot asked. 

 

“Because,” she said. 

 

“WHY?” Spades asked. 

 

“You guys need to talk out your problems and this is the only way we could think you would,” Laces said staring at her shoes.  Angel was staring at her. 

 

“Locking us in here together?  That is what you think will get us to talk?” she asked. 

 

“Well, yeah,” Laces said. 

 

“What if we ain’t going to stay locked in here?” Spot demanded. 

 

“Well you don’t have much of a choice Conlon!  We ain’t letting you out till you talk,” Candy said through the door.  Spot pounded on the door. 

 

“YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” he yelled pounding on the ceiling of the basement where the floor opened. 

 

“They’re not going to listen,” Laces said. 

 

“Then I’ll push this floor up,” Spot said as he started to push with his arms on the opening area. 

 

“They’ve already got something on top of it,” Jack said. 

 

“You had something to do with this didn’t you Kelly?” Spades asked. 

 

“Well,” Jack shrugged. 

 

“This ain’t going to work,” Spot said as he continued to pound on the ceiling.  Spades stood there with him.  Angel stood at the bottom of the stairs while Jack and Laces stood together. 

 

“They can’t keep us locked down here forever,” Spades said. 

 

“Jack want to help me set up another cot,” Laces said. 

 

“Cots?  You thought this would take more than one day?” Angel asked. 

 

“I know it will take more than one day, we prepared for several,” Laces said. 

 

“I don’t believe this,” Spades said. 

 

Jack went over and grabbed Laces a cot and put it next to the one that was near the table that had the deck of cards on it.  Laces went over to the shelves and grabbed two blankets and a pillow.  She made the cot and then sat on it.  Spot was still pounding on the ceiling, yelling at Blue and Pockets.  Spades was staring at him, waiting for someone to open the door.  She would say something every so often directed to her girls. 

 

Jack sat down on the cot near Laces and shook his head. 

 

“This wasn’t a good idea,” he whispered to her. 

 

“They’ll get over it,” Laces replied.  “Cards?” Laces asked. 

 

“Sure,” Jack nodded as he picked up the cards. 

 

“Give it up Conlon, they’re all long gone by now,” Spades said. 

 

“I’m killing someone,” Spot said.  He walked down the stairs and went over to Laces, grabbing her arm and lifting her to a standing position. 

 

“Ow!  Spot you’re hurting me,” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah I can do more than that.  We need to get out of here now and I think this is your idea so you can get us out,” Spot said shaking her. 

 

“Spot, stop it,” Laces said.  “I can’t get us out, they aren’t here.  They left,” she said.  Jack was getting up because Spot hadn’t stop shaking Laces, he had her in his tight grip. 

 

“Why the hell can’t you mind your own business?  This ain’t got nothing to do with you!” Spot was saying, he pushed Laces away from him into a wall.   She went tumbling into the wall, falling onto the floor.  Jack went over to her and held out a hand to her. 

 

“Are you okay?” he asked her in a whisper. 

 

“Do I look okay?” she replied.  She had scraped her elbow against the wall, causing the skin to tear off of it and blood to begin to drip down her arm. 

 

“Well,” Jack helped her up and led her over to her cot, took a small torn cloth from the shelves and tied it around Laces’s elbow. 

 

“That was smooth Conlon,” Spades said. 

 

“Shut up,” Spot said. 

 

“Come on, the whole reason for this is for us to get along,” Angel said. 

 

“Well, it ain’t going to happen,” Spot said. 

 

“That’s for sure.  Not with someone as stubborn as Spot,” Spades said. 

 

“Looks like we’re going to be here for a while,” Jack said. 

 

“We can’t possibly stay here that long,” Spades said. 

 

“We have enough food and drinks for about two weeks,” Laces said. 

 

“Great.  Well Ise going to get some sleep, maybe this is all a dream,” Spot said, as he lay on the cot closest to him, which was the one near Jack.  Spades headed over to the one near the shelves the one furthest from Spot.  Angel got the only one left. 

 

“This is going to be a long two weeks,” Laces mumbled as she also got ready for a nap. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“They didn’t sound happy,” Cheeky said. 

 

“Conlon sounded pretty mad,” Scorch said. 

 

“And Spades,” Blue nodded. 

 

“They’re going to kill us when they get out,” Pockets said. 

 

“Laces is stuck in there,” Candy said. 

 

“That kid is going to get the blame,” Vigor said. 

 

“Yeah she will,” Shady nodded. 

 

“Hope this works,” Blue said. 

 

“I hope so too for the sake of all our lives,” Pockets nodded. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot, Spades, Angel, Jack and Laces all slept most of the afternoon.  The first one to wake up again was Jack.  He stared at the ceiling thinking about all that was happening and that was supposed to happen.  Laces woke up next groaning a bit when she remembered the pain in her arm.  Spades woke up next and stared at the things on the shelves.  There was food, drinks, blankets and things in case anyone got hurt.  Then on the top was some random pictures they had found in the building, then she saw an old worn photo album.  She jumped up and grabbed it.  She looked at the cover and screamed, waking up Angel and Spot. 

 

“What happened Spades?” Angel asked. 

 

“I going to kill those girls.  I don’t believe them.  I am going to throw them all into the East River after I break an arm and leg,” Spades said.  Angel walked over to her.  “Look at what they got out of my chest,” Angel looked at the photo album. 

 

“Oh dear,” she covered her mouth.  This was going to work up memories best left alone. 

 

“What is that Spades?” Spot asked. 

 

“A photo album,” she replied. 

 

“Of what?  What kind of pictures are in there?” Laces asked. 

 

“Things,” Spades replied, as she cradled the album in her arms.  She was thinking this was the time to talk to Spot, the time to patch things up.  This might actually work, but the fact that her girls had taken this album away from her trunk just boiled her up. 

 

They sat there staring at each other thinking for a long while and then after some time Angel broke the silence. 

 

“If we want to get out of here any time soon we better start talking,” she said. 

 

“About what?” Spot asked.  “We have nothing to talk about.”

 

“That ain’t true!” Spades said. 

 

“What do we got to talk about?” Spot asked. 

 

“A lot of things and you know that Patrick Conlon,” Spades said. 

 

“Don’t you call me that Christine,” Spot said.  Laces looked shock at the use of Spades real name.  She had never heard it, but it was odd hearing her being referred to something besides Spades. 

 

“This is a start,” Jack mumbled. 

 

“Come on, we can talk about things peacefully,” Angel said. 

 

“Oh yeah, how do you suggest we do that Nicole?” Spades asked. 

 

“Well,” Angel started.  “I remember the day that Spot was born like it was yesterday.  Your mother was so beautiful Spot.  I loved her dearly.  Maybe that’s why I’m so attached to you.”

 

“I don’t want to hear this,” Spot said. 

 

“Well, you’re going to Patrick because I want to tell it,” Angel said.  Spades stared at her. 

 

“Anyway, I remember that day so well, almost as if it were yesterday.  Even though I was so young my mother told me the story a few times before she died, not to mention your mother talking about it so much.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

March 5th 1884

 

The building was stirring with excitement.  There was a smell of old rags and cleaning materials.  It was spring cleaning season and everyone in the building was cleaning out their homes.  Erin Conlon was in her last month of pregnancy with her 4th child.  Her oldest child, Caitlin, was 6 years old watching her other sister and brother, Bridget four years old, and Devin two.  The place was crowded in the halls with trash and things that were of no value to anyone anymore.  Caitlin, Bridget and Devin were running around the halls with Spades who was two years old, Blue also two, and Angel watching from her corner, laughing.  The mothers were all around, but they were to busy to be paying much attention to the children so they let them run around to their hearts content.  Around noon is when Erin screamed and her labor started.  The mothers rushed to her and the oldest girls rushed all of the children into a small apartment and got them to all take naps or sit quietly. 

 

Erin had pains most of the afternoon until Casey Conlon, her husband, came home to her.  He was told to wait in the hall.  Erin screamed more and more, but the baby was coming.  Megan and Cira McRose, her two sisters, were helping Erin with her childbirth.  After many laborious hours, the baby boy was born with the most beautiful blue eyes anyone had ever seen.  The colors of the great skies of Ireland were said to be in those blue eyes of that baby.  Casey was the proudest father there ever was.  He took that son of his and carried him around that building showing him and his eyes off to all who would care to look. 

 

The children followed Casey around cheering him on and playing with the new baby as much as they could.  In the Conlon apartment where Erin was sleeping, Caitlin, Bridget, Devin, Spades, Blue and Angel were sitting talking in the way that sometimes children do. 

 

“What do you think of him?” Caitlin asked her younger family members. 

 

“Well, Ise think he’s an awfully cute,” Bridget said. 

 

“Oh Briggs, he ain’t cute,” Devin said in his masculine way. 

 

“I don’t think he’s all that great,” Spades pouted. 

 

“Only cause no one is paying attention to you,” Blue grinned his baby grin. 

 

And so the talk continued while Megan and Cira listened behind the closed doors of the room where Erin was sleeping to their children’s conversation. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Wait!  You are Spot’s cousin?” Laces asked Angel. 

 

“Yeah, my mother was Cira.  She was almost Erin’s twin,” Angel sighed looking around the room trying not to let the tears run. 

 

“Blue was there too, wow you guys have know him a long time,” Jack mumbled. 

 

“Spades is his cousin too,” Angel said after a moment. 

 

“What?” Laces said.  

 

“I’m his cousin.  We were all related expect for Blue, who just was part of a family that was good friends with ours,” Spades sighed. 

 

“Don’t sound to pleased that you’re my cousin, not then, not now,” Spot said. 

 

“Well, look at you,” Spades said back. 

 

“Come on you guys,” Angel said. 

 

“I don’t believe that you can be so self centered Spot,” Spades said. 

 

“Yeah well, you ain’t exactly someone who believes the world doesn’t center you,” Spot said. 

 

“This is great, bickering,” Jack went to grab some food. 

 

“Why are you like this?” Laces asked.  Spades and Spot looked at her a moment. 

 

“He doesn’t want to forget,” Spades said. 

 

“They shouldn’t have done something to make me want to forget,” Spot replied. 

 

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Laces asked.  Angel was sitting on her cot opening Spades’ album.  Spot and Spades ignored Laces as they continued to bicker about stupid things. 

 

Angel was staring at a picture, a picture of a large family.  She ran her fingers across it, looking at the young children first then at the adults, letting a few tears fall when she looked at the two women with babies nestled in their arms. 

 

“You are the most pig headed boy in all New Yawk!  Why if your father were to see how you treat us, he must be turning in his grave, may his poor soul rest in peace,” Spades was saying. 

 

“Don’t bring him into this Spades, this is between us,” Spot gritted his teeth. “Always have to go digging about things that don’t matter and not wanting to face the things that do matta,” Spot said. 

 

“Well,” Spades started.  Laces was sitting with her fingers in her ears humming trying to block out Spades and Spot.  Jack was eating something while he was staring at Angel.  Angel after she shed a few tears looked at Spades and Spot. 

 

“SHUT UP!” she yelled.  Spot and Spades being startled shuddered, then looked at her.  Spades at first let out a concerned sigh. 

 

“Why are you crying?” Then she noticed the photo album.  “Why are you looking at that?”

 

“Shut up, stop your stupid bickering, that’s all you two do.  I mean I was use to it when we were little, but that was at least friendly.  You two could stand each other then,” Angel said. 

 

“We did not bicker when we were little,” Spades said. 

 

“Ha!” Angel said. 

 

“Don’t you want to remember Spades, I always won,” Spot said. 

 

“You did not,” Spades said. 

 

“Oh great, here we go again,” Jack said. 

 

“Shut up Kelly, this is your fault,” Spades snapped. 

 

“Sit down now, we are going to sit here and look at these pictures,” Angel said. 

 

“What if we don’t want to?” Spot said. 

 

“Don’t talk to her like that.  Sit down,” Spades said.  Spot glared at her, but took a seat next to Angel.  They sat there for a while just looking through the pictures, not saying much.  In about the middle, Spades gasped. 

 

“That picture,” she pointed to a picture of Spot, his siblings, Angel and herself playing baseball. 

 

“What about it?” Spot said. 

 

“Samuel Masters, he took that the morning of that day,” Spades said. 

 

“How do you remember that?” Angel asked. 

 

“Well he needed to take a picture, so he took it of us.  Then he headed out to get them developed and or whatever he did with those pictures at the paper office.  Later he said that it was us that saved his life.  If he hadn’t taken that picture he would have stayed and he lived on that side.  Near us,” Spades said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

June 9th 1889

 

The day was hot and everyone was trying to stay cool.  Being a Saturday the Conlons had decided to have a family gathering, being that was what was done on Saturdays that they all had off.  Erin, Megan and Cira were all working in the kitchen cooking lunch for everyone.  Casey and Michael were sitting drinking a few beers in the living room, watching the kids from the window. 

 

Angel, Spades, Blue, Spot, Devin, Bridget, Caitlin and Fiona were all outside playing baseball.  The older children, Caitlin, Devin, Bridget and Blue on one team, and the younger Spades, Angel, Spot and Fiona on the other.  Spades team was losing, seeing as they were all less than 7 years old.  Fiona couldn’t even hold the bat she was so small, only two years old.  Samuel Masters walked out of the building, looking at the children he smiled. 

 

“Do you kids mind if I take a picture of you?” he asked.  Caitlin answered for all of them, being the oldest and all. 

 

“Of course Mr. Masters,” she signaled for everyone to come closer together so that Mr.  Masters could take the picture.  He took it and then they went back to their positions. 

 

“Thank you!  I’m going to go develop these if anyone comes asking for me,” Samuel said.  Caitlin nodded. 

 

The game went on.  Angel went up to bat for the younger team.  She missed the first pitch and the second. 

 

“This isn’t fair!” Spades pouted as Angel missed the ball for the third time. 

 

“Why, because your losing?  You’re such a sore loser!” Devin said from the pitchers mound. 

 

“Am not!  It’s just you’re all bigger than us,” Spades said. 

 

“Oh stop your whining Christine.  We asked you what you wanted,” Bridget said. 

 

“Yeah, but our votes didn’t count!” Spot said. 

 

“Patrick, did I ever tell you what a great player you are?” Blue said. 

 

“Stop trying to sweet talk him,” Angel said. 

 

“Stop bickering children,” Caitlin said. 

 

“You’re still a child too,” Bridget said to her. 

 

“Am not, I’m 13,” Caitlin said. 

 

“You are not an adult though,” Bridget said. 

 

“I am to you,” Caitlin said.  Fiona started to cry.  “Now look what you’ve all done, you made the baby cry,” Caitlin went over to Fiona and picked her up. 

 

“You did that Cat,” Devin said. 

 

“I did not, stop it you naughty boy,” Caitlin said.  Devin went over to her and took her cap and started running.  Yelling for Blue to come after him, Blue followed, as did Spades, Angel, Spot and Bridget. 

 

“Come back here!” Caitlin screamed after them.  She set down Fiona and went running after them.  They ran around the block and stopped panting in front of the building. 

 

“Split up!” Devin said.  Bridget stood where she was, Blue, Spades, Angel, Spot and Fiona though all ran in different directions.  Devin and Bridget ran into the building and Caitlin ran after them.  After running around a bit Blue, Spades, Angel, Spot and Fiona all joined up and hid behind some large empty cargo crates in front of the store that was across the street from their apartment building. 

 

One hour passed and, hiding behind the crate, Blue, Spades, Angel, Spot, and Fiona had all fallen asleep.  Caitlin went out looking for them and Spot woke up and watched her from behind the box call his name and the names of his cousins over and over.  She walked off down the street and Spot cuddled back up to Fiona and fell back asleep. 

 

In about a half hour from that it is estimated that the fire started in an old apartment on the very top floor.  The fire was sparked from some old wires or something, it was never really discovered why the fire started, it was just known to have started.  Half of the building was on Fire in less than 10 minutes.  Screams were starting, people were running outside, and the firefighters were on their way.  That’s when the sleepers all woke up to witness the scene. 

 

“What’s going on?” Blue rubbed his eyes, as he saw people crowding on the street. 

 

“It smells like smoke!” Fiona whined. 

 

“It does,” Spades said.  She got on her feet and peeked out from behind the box.  She started to scream.  “Mom!”  She was running, Blue, Angel and Spot all got up quickly to see what was going on.  They all began to scream as they ran for the building.  Before they got in though someone stopped them; ladies, men anyone who was near and saw them, knew who they were and knew what they were going to do.  Spades and Angel started to cry hysterically and yelling to be let loose, but the people who had grabbed hold of them were not letting them near the burning building.  Spot and Blue watched the flames dance around their homes.  They were crying and also trying to get back in, but after a while had given up when they saw the flames become smaller and saw no one coming from the door.  Fiona was being held by an elderly lady who had sometimes taken care of the Conlon children. 

 

The firefighters put the fire out once they arrived, but the entire left side of the upper part of the building was in ashes, there was nothing left there.  There, where the Conlon’s had lived, where both of the McRose sisters were, one with her husband.  They were all gone and Bridget and Devin had even gone back into the apartment.  All of those who had been in anyway close in blood relation to Blue, Spades, Spot, Angel and Fiona were gone.  Blue’s parents had been burned severely in the fire and were now in a hospital were they died later that night.  To Blue it was never told, not until he discovered in an article of the Sun that his parents had been wounded and then died.  Everything was gone though, there were only children left to mourn the death of loved ones. 

 

That night, they all stayed in the building with neighbors.  Never leaving each other’s sides and being afraid that the fire may come back.  Spades and Blue were scared about other things that they knew would come. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“You guys didn’t stick around much after that!” Spot said. 

 

“You know what we felt,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah, but what about me?  What about Fiona?  Why did you leave us?” Spot asked, almost in pain. 

 

“ ‘Ell Spot, we didn’t know where we were going.  We were 7 and 6 for heaven’s sake.  I knew that I could and Blue could take care of ourselves and Angel had always been a tough girl, besides we had never in our entire lives been apart.  If we would have stayed they would have taken us Spot and I really don’t think to the orphanage.  There were so many of us that were going to the orphanage the older ones would have gone to work houses!  Did you think that I was about to let that happen?  That Blue was about to let that happen?” Spades said loudly. 

 

“I could have taken care of myself, how could you leave us there to fend for ourselves, not told us anything.  Just left,” Spot said. 

 

“We couldn’t tell you, you would have wanted to come with us and you couldn’t.  You were too little Spot, you were in denial about the deaths, you didn’t want to believe.  You pretended that they were still alive and just away, and Fiona was just a baby we couldn’t take her with us.  We didn’t know if we were going to have enough money to feed ourselves, never the less a baby.  She was so small and fragile, she wouldn’t have survived with us.  We couldn’t leave her by herself, the poor babe had just lost her mother, her two older sisters and one of her big brothers, we had to leave you together,” Angel said. 

 

“It wasn’t good enough for you, but for us, we were just a hassle to you weren’t we!” Spot was yelling as he got off the bed. 

 

“Patrick, you were not a hassle and it was better for you, you had food, shelter, and you were with your baby sister,” Spades said. 

 

“She died in that place because they didn’t pay attention to her, they worked her!  They made her sick!” Spot was yelling now, it even looked like he had tears in his eyes. 

 

“We didn’t know that was going to happen, but she might have died sooner had she gone with us,” Angel said. 

 

“You don’t know that, you didn’t know that, you will never know that,” Spot said as he got on his cot and turned his back towards everyone. 

 

“Is this what you wanted to know about his past?” Jack whispered to Laces who was trying to make sense of the jumble of information. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

June 10th 1889

 

Early that morning Spades, Blue and Angel got up and walked quietly out of the building with no one noticing them.  Angel and Spades both had kissed Spot and Fiona the night before good night, even Blue had knowing it would be the last time in a long time when they would be able to do that. 

 

“Are you sure about this?” Angel asked. 

 

“As sure as we can be Nicole,” Spades nodded. 

 

“But poor Patrick, and Fiona,” Angel said, as she looked back one last time. 

 

“They’re too little, they can’t fend for themselves and we can’t fend for them, they would die with us,” Blue said. 

 

“What if they go looking for us?  Patrick might,” Angel asked. 

 

“Well we will change our names,” Spades said. 

 

“To what Christine?” Angel asked.  She looked at her friends. 

 

“You can be Blue,” Spades pointed to her best friend. 

 

“Why?” Blue asked. 

 

“You’re wearing Blue and it’s your favorite color,”

 

“What about me?” Angel asked. 

 

“My mom always called you an Angel, so now we will,” Spades said. 

 

“What about you Christine?” Blue looked at Spades in a thoughtful way.  She was small wearing a big shirt that she had found and some pants that she had taken from a friend.  She hated Dresses; she liked dressing like the boys, in her front shirt pocket she had a card sticking out.  Blue took it out and looked at it. 

 

“Spades,” he said. 

 

“I like that.  We better get going,” Spades said, as she started to lead the group away from the only home they had ever known. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“So that’s how they got their names,” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Jack replied, as he looked at his cards. 

 

“But how did Spot find them?  Or know that they had those names?” Laces said. 

 

“That comes later, they’re working on it.  When Spot found out who they were he was already with me and they were already on the run,” Jack said. 

 

“But, how did he get to meet you, when was that?” Laces said. 

 

“I win, you ask too many questions.  Pay attention to the game,” Jack said as he put down his cards.  Laces glanced at them and let out a sigh as Jack shuffled the cards again. 

 

Spot turned back around and sat up, as he stared at Spades and Angel.  He took a deep breath and glared at the floor as he began to tell his part. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

June 10th 1889

 

Spot woke up first, he got up and looked around the room for his cousins and Blue. 

 

“Christine?  Nicole?” he said.  No answer.  He went out into the hall and spent most of the morning searching for them in the building, but there was no sign of them anywhere.  When Spot gave up he came back to the apartment and sat with Fiona thinking to himself.  They sat there most of the afternoon, no one really said anything to them through out the whole day.  They just sat there, not talking to themselves, not talking to anyone else. 

 

When the sun set, a well dressed man and woman came into the building and into the apartment where Spot and Fiona sat. 

 

“Good Evening.  We are part of the Orphanage Society of the City of New York,” the man said to Ms. Lanky, the lady who had taken the children in the night before.  She nodded and let them in. 

 

“The other three disappeared, they had left by the time I awoke.  I just figured they went out for a walk, but they haven’t come back.  These two haven’t said much since last night and even then they didn’t say more than two words,” Ms.  Lanky said.  The man and woman nodded and then headed over to where Spot and Fiona were sitting.  The woman went down on her knees and looked at the two. 

 

“Hello, how are you two doing?” she asked.  Spot and Fiona didn’t even look up; they stared at their two spots on the floor. 

 

“My name is Mr. Neil and this is Mrs. McKnight.  We are from the Orphanage Society here in New York run by St. Patrick’s Church.  We were sent by the police to see you and some other of your friends in this building.  We are very sorry for the lost of your parents.  Do you have any other family members?” he asked. 

 

Mrs. McKnight looked up at Mr. Neil, “Emotion, their parents just died,” she whispered.  Then she looked back at them. 

 

“What are your names?” Mrs. McKnight asked.  Fiona looked up at her, her big blue eyes looking at her.  The little girl stared at her for a little while, just turning different ways trying to get a good look at her. 

 

“My name is Fiona, that’s Patrick, but Daddy always called him Spot,” she said in her innocent way. 

 

“Spot?” Mrs. McKnight asked.  Spot looked up and stared at Mrs. McKnight. 

 

“No, my name is Patrick,” he said.  Mrs. McKnight nodded. 

 

“Did you have more children with you?” Mr. Neil asked.  Fiona nodded. 

 

“But they went away.  Our cousins,” she said. 

 

“Where did they go?” Mr.  Neil asked. 

 

“We don’t know, what do you want?” Spot asked already annoyed with the people, he wanted them to go away, he wanted his parents to come back, he wanted his life to go back to how it use to be, he wanted to feel security. 

 

“We have come to take you to a home where you can be with other children and one day get adopted,” Mrs.  McKnight said. 

 

“But what about my mommy and daddy?  And our home is here,” Fiona said. 

 

“Honey, your mom and dad have gone to a better place.  They won’t be coming back and they told me to take care of you for them,” Mrs. McKnight said. 

 

“Don’t lie to her like that,” Spot said, as he held his little sister. 

 

“We better be going, it’s getting late and everyone should be waiting for us downstairs.  Ms. Lanky if the others come back take them to 68th street.” Mr. Neil went over to where Spot and Fiona were.  “Get up,” he said.  Mrs. McKnight held her arms open for Fiona, who got into them.  Spot sat there for a moment before getting up and following seeing as he had no choice. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“I hated them.  Fiona was in love with that lady though.  I always remember she held them with such a place in her heart.  I never understood why, never will,” Spot said. 

 

“She need someone to comfort her Spot,” Angel said. 

 

“Well, I could have,” Spot said. 

 

“But you didn’t, you needed to comfort yourself,” Spades said. 

 

“Thank you Dr. Spades,” Spot said. 

 

“Well, I was just saying,” Spades sighed. 

 

“We didn’t exactly have a walk through the park that first day by ourselves you know Spot,” Angel said. 

 

“Oh yeah, sure you three running away from us, from what had happened and everything,” Spot said. 

 

“You know as well as we do how hard these streets are,” Spades said, glaring at Spot. 

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades, Angel and Blue ran their feet off that first morning and stopped only when they could run no more.  They stopped in front of a factory.  Spades put her hands on her knees while Angel leaned against the building and Blue started trying to breath slower. 

 

“Now what are we going to do?” Angel asked when she got her breath back. 

 

“Well, I am not sure, we need money.  And to get money I suppose we have to get some kind of job,” Blue said. 

 

“Yeah that would be a plan,” Spades said in her sarcastic way. 

 

“Well where would we work, would anyone hire us?” Angel asked.  “We are only kids.”

 

“Look, here’s a factory.  I’ve heard that they hire kids for certain jobs or something.  The woman’s society and churches and stuff have been trying to get them to stop,” Spades said. 

 

“Well we might as well go in there looking for a job,” Blue said. 

 

“Okay.” The three walked into the building.  Looking around, there were machines everywhere and people working, young children were running back and forth and some working machines, bare footed and looking tired.  Blue stopped a boy about their age. 

 

“Excuse me, who can we ask for a job?” Blue asked. 

 

“In there.” The boy pointed.  Blue, Spades and Angel turned to look.  When Blue turned back to thank the boy he had already scurried off.  Blue shrugged and walked with Angel and Spades to the office where the boy had pointed. 

 

“I wonder if we will get a job,” Angel whispered.  They opened the door, at the desk sat a large man, his desk was covered in papers and the office smelled of dust.  The man was smoking a cigar while he shuffled through some papers, not looking up, he gruffly asked. 

 

“What?”

 

“Um, Sir we were wondering if there are any jobs that may be available?” Blue said.  The man looked up, he glared at Spades, Angel  and Blue. 

 

“Come here!” he barked.  The three did as they were told and walked over.  “How old are you?”

 

“We’re all eight sir,” Blue said.  The man nodded. 

 

“All right, you can have a job.  Go to the machines right in front of my office.  Get Lily to show you the three empty ones and she will tell you what to do.  You get paid every Saturday 4 dollars, work starts at 6 in the morning and don’t be late or you will get fired.  Work ends at 8, lunch is at 12 you have a half an hour don’t come back late or you will get fired.  You do work wrong, you will get fired.  You sleep on the job, you will get fired.  You don’t show up for work, you will get fired.  You don’t get holidays, only Christmas day.  You do not talk, or you will get fired.  You miss something or your work gets poor, you will get fired.  We don’t work on Sundays.  Now get to work,” he said. 

 

“Excuse me sir, but what is your name?” Spades asked. 

 

“You don’t need to really know, but Mr. Hemmins.  Now get to work!” he yelled at them.  The three ran out of the office.  They went over to the machines and looked for Lily.  They found her, she was a little girl small for her age of 12.  She had been working in the factory for 4 years now, ever since she was 8, with her mother.  She was very skilled at working the machines.  She took Spades, Blue and Angel to the three empty ones. 

 

“Okay, this is what you need to do, you need to watch the string and spools and make sure that they don’t tangle, be careful when you get on the machine to untangle the machine because if you fall the machine will hurt you, especially since you are so small the cutters may cut off some of your body,” the girl said. 

 

“Thanks,” Spades said. 

 

“Okay so just stand here and watch it spin.  Sometimes it is easier to stand on the machine like many of us do because that way you don’t have to jump up when something happens,” the girl said. 

 

“Thanks,” Angel said. 

 

“Have fun on your first day.” The girl walked back to her machine.  Spades shrugged. 

 

“Well we better get started.”

 

The day dragged on even though they had gotten there around one and only worked 7 hours that first day, they were sore beyond belief.  They didn’t have anywhere to stay that night so they had to go looking for a place to stay.  They found a little place near the factory where they had to pay very little and could pay after their first pay check, and so they checked out one room for the three of them falling asleep with great ease. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Factory work, so that’s what you did before you got in trouble,” Spot said. 

 

“Hey we didn’t get in trouble for a while,” Spades said. 

 

“Yeah and once you started getting in trouble, you didn’t stop,” Jack said. 

 

“Did we ask for your opinion Kelly!” Angel glared at him. 

 

“Hey!  I just was stating a fact,” Jack said in his defense. 

 

“Yeah well, you at least had some freedom, more sense of what you were doing than me and Fiona.  We were stuck in that place.  Do you know how that place was?  It was awful,” Spot said. 

 

“It wasn’t that bad Conlon,” Jack said. 

 

“It made her sick,” Spot replied. 

 

“Well, it alone didn’t.  She did help, plus the weather and everything.  The fact that she was so weak,” Jack said. 

 

“No,” Spot said.  “That place did it for her.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The night was cold, the children were being led through the streets of Brooklyn, across the bridge and into Manhattan.  They walked for a while the sun had gone down and night had fallen when they arrived at the orphanage.  All the children entered the orphanage, it was neat enough, not to fancy.  There was a rug on the wooden floor and a large staircase came down into the middle of the room.  There was a large clock against one of the walls and some photos and articles on the walls.  To the right there was a parlor area that had books lining it.  There were comfy looking chairs surrounding a small table. 

 

Spot, Fiona and about four other small children that had lived in that part of the building that had been burnt down were staring at everything.  Just then two nuns came ushering into the hall. 

 

“Oh Mr. Neil , Mrs. McKnight, we didn’t know that you were coming today?” The larger nun said. 

 

“Oh Sr. Catherine, Sr. Lisa, we didn’t mean to come unannounced, but we got a call from some friends down in Brooklyn that there had been a fire.  The police came and told us that some of the children had survived and that we could come collect them today.  We got there a little late, some of the older children had already headed out, never the less thinking that they had to fend for themselves now,” Mr. Neil said. 

 

“Poor souls,” Sr. Catherine said. 

 

“They were the only ones left.  They are all less than 6 years old,” Mrs. McKnight said. 

 

“Oh well we thank you for doing this great work for your community in the Lord’s name,” Sr. Lisa said. 

 

“Only doing our duty.  We will be back to discuss the arrangements and so on tomorrow, it is late now,” Mr. Neil said. 

 

“Of course, you need to get home to those families of yours.  It’s too late for respectable people to be out at night,” Sr. Lisa said.  Mrs. McKnight and Mr. Neil took their leave and headed out the door. 

 

“Sr. Catherine, if you please take these children up to the room where they can get some sleep,” Sr. Lisa said. 

 

“Of course, come children up these stairs here.  You must all be very tired.” Sr. Catherine ushered them up the stairs and down the hall into a small room. 

 

“This is the nursery.  There aren’t any sick children and only two infants at the moment, so you can all sleep in here so that you don’t wake the other children who are sleeping,” Sr. Catherine said. 

 

“Thank you,” one of the boys said. 

 

“You’re welcome.  Now get into those beds after you change into these.” She handed them all nightgowns and once they had all changed she turned off the lights. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Sr. Catherine was wonderful.  I think she was the only nun who wouldn’t lift a finger against us,” Jack said.  He had now joined the circle that Spades, Angel and Spot had made on the floor.  Laces was lying on the bed just watching them talk, listening to the stories, taking in every word, her presence was forgotten. 

 

“She was a very nice person, loved Fiona to pieces.  But when she left that just tore poor Fi apart,” Spot said. 

 

“Spot things happen, they aren’t anyone’s fault,” Angel said. 

 

“That fire was because the baseball all of us were playing with that day broke one of those tubes,” Spot said. 

 

“What are you talking about?” Spades said. 

 

“It’s true,” Spot said. 

 

“It was never proven why that fire happened Spot,” Angel said. 

 

“It happened because of something,” Spot said. 

 

“Not everything does, you just would feel better if it did,” Spades said. 

 

“You always have,” Angel said. 

 

“He was like that when I first met him to,” Jack said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The morning bell rang through out the orphanage that first morning and the remainder of the mornings that everyone spent at the place.  It was sure that the bell would ring no matter what was going on, unless the building was no longer there. 

 

A girl with straw blonde hair and honey eyes that were worn from crying over what anyone could guess came into the room where Spot, Fiona and the other children from the building were.  She went over to the window and opened the curtains so that the sun could stream in.  Spot started to groan when the sun hit his bed and hid under the pillow.  Being the first one with any signs of waking up, the girl went over to his bed and pulled the pillow off his head. 

 

“Rise and shine sleepy heads,” she smiled at him. 

 

“Who are you?” Spot asked. 

 

“I’m Peach K. Thawin,” she said with a smiled.  “What’s your name?” She asked. 

 

“His name is Spot,” Fiona said, her head peeking out from under the covers of her bed.  Peach looked over to her bed. 

 

“Spot?” Peach asked. 

 

“No, stop saying that Fiona.  My name is Patrick,” he said. 

 

“Oh, why does she say your name is Spot?” Peach asked. 

 

“She is trying to say Sport because that is what my dad always called me,” Spot said. 

 

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I heard about the fire,” Peach said, looking down for a moment.  “I know how it is to lose someone who is close to you.”

 

“It’s no big deal,” Spot said indifferently.  Peach looked at him bit, but said nothing more on the subject. 

 

“Well all of you need to get up if you want any breakfast,” she said.  That got them all out of bed and dressed in no time.  Peach lead them down to the dining hall which was just a room with three long tables.  One was for the nuns and any adult guest that there was, another for the older children in the orphanage and the last for the younger.  Peach led all the children to the table for the younger children.  She pointed out some empty seats to them, but held Spot and Fiona with her. 

 

“I have some friends I want you two to meet.  She is your little sister right?” Peach asked. 

 

“Yeah, how did you know I was?” Fiona asked, not letting Spot respond. 

 

“Because your eyes are the same,” Peach replied as she led them to the end of the table where there were three empty seats. 

 

“Patrick, Fiona, I would like you to meet Tangles and Cookie,” Peach said.  “Tangles, Cookie, this is Fiona and Patrick,” Peach said. 

 

“Hello,” Tangles and Cookie said at the same time. 

 

“Where’s Francis?” Peach asked. 

 

“He ran away,” Cookie perked up. 

 

“Again?” Peach said.  

 

“Yeah, but he got caught before he got out this time.  It was funny, Sr. Lisa caught him trying to get out the door, he ran right into her,” Tangles said. 

 

“When will that boy ever learn?  Where is he?” Peach asked. 

 

“Oh, Sr. Lisa took him back to her office, haven’t seen him since last night.  Must’ve gotten it bad,” Cookie said. 

 

“Oh dear and I was supposed to be watching you.  Won’t you three ever stay out of trouble,” Peach sighed. 

 

“Sorry, we try,” Tangles said. 

 

“Well, I’m going to go have breakfast and after that I will probably get called to Sr. Lisa’s office for Francis,” Peach walked away from the table to the older children’s table. 

 

“Well what happened to you two?” Cookie asked. 

 

“What do you mean?” Spot asked. 

 

“How did you get in here, what happened to your parents, are you some of the kids who lost your parents in the fire?” Cookie asked. 

 

“Yeah, we saw the fire,” Fiona said. 

 

“Oh, sorry,” Cookie said. 

 

“I lost my parents to the sea.  My father was a fisherman and one day during a storm he forgot something and my mother went after him, never came back,” Tangles said fiddling with his hands. 

 

“My mother put me here.  She left me on their porch when I was about one.  Don’t member her, Sr. Catherine said that she left me here because she wanted me to have better opportunities, but I think it was because she couldn’t keep me,” Cookie said. 

 

Just then Sr. Lisa, the larger nun from the night before, walked in with a tall boy about 7 years old that had a bandana tied around his neck under his shirt. 

 

“Go sit down Mr. Sullivan,” she said in a harsh tone.  He went to go sit down, sitting next to Spot and Cookie.  He watched as Sr. Lisa passed the table and went to sit down at the nun table.  Then he grinned. 

 

“Boy did I play a trick on her,” Francis said. 

 

“What did ya do?” Tangles said. 

 

“Well, I started saying that I only wanted some fresh air because I had been reading the bible and had read that God created nature and all that surrounded us.  All the beauty and everything that I had just wanted to experience the power of God and his kingdom.  She bought everything I said and just told me not to ever try to go out again without asking permission of one of the sisters.”

 

“That was good going, now your only problem is going to be trying to convince Peach of that one,” Cookie said. 

 

“You won’t tell her, will you?” Francis asked. 

 

“Well, see that would be a problem,” Tangles said. 

 

“She already knows,” Fiona said.  Francis turned to look at her and Spot. 

 

“Who are you?” he asked. 

 

“I’m Fiona,” she said. 

 

“And you?” Francis asked. 

 

“Patrick,” Spot said. 

 

“Nice meeting ya,” Francis said. 

 

“Same,” Spot said. 

 

“Lost parents in the fire?” Francis asked. 

 

“Yeah,” Spot nodded. 

 

“Sorry,” Francis said. 

 

“It’s okay,” Spot said. 

 

“Well we better eat and hope that it’s a long prayer that makes Peach forget about this little run-in,” Francis said as he began to eat his food vigorously. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“I forgot about that entire thing.  I still can’t believe that Sr. Lisa bought that whole story,” Jack said. 

 

“That was about the lamest excuse you ever came up with if I do say so myself Kelly,” Spades said. 

 

“Well I am so sorry, but see that was the best I could come up with,” Jack said. 

 

“Where did you spend that night?  Tangles said that you got caught the night before,” Spot said. 

 

“Oh I spent it down in the guest room because Sr. Lisa didn’t want to take me up and she wanted me to be able to read one of the nature passages to her out of her bible,” Jack said. 

 

“Oh, that was still a bad excuse,” Spades said. 

 

“Well, Sr. Lisa bought it,” Jack said. 

 

“What about Peach?” Angel asked. 

 

“Well, Peach was a different story, she never bought anything,” Jack said. 

 

“Why would Peach care?” Spades asked. 

 

“There were few older girls at the orphanage and they all had a certain group of children to keep watch of because the nuns were busy and there weren’t actually that many of them that could actually keep up with small children,” Jack said. 

 

“Peach was the one who watched over originally just Jack, Tangles and Cookie, but then she took a fancy to us and asked Sr. Lisa if she could watch us too,” Spot said.  “And Peach was nothing like those nuns when it came to comforting and punishing us.  She raised us as well as she could for being 16 and just gotten out of the arms of Pepper’s older brother,” Spot said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Francis, you lied again and to Sr. Lisa, I don’t believe you.  I should have you march down there and tell her the truth,” Peach was saying as she was darning socks in the nursery.  Spot, Fiona, Tangles, Cookie, and Francis were all sitting with her doing different things.  Cookie and Fiona were separating yarn for Peach, while Spot, Francis and Tangles were all marking bibles for prayers that night. 

 

“Oh ya won’t do that will you Peach?” Francis asked.  Peach looked up from her work. 

 

“I should have you do that, it would teach you not to lie.  You know how much I hate lying and you seem to be getting better at it,” Peach sighed. 

 

“But I can’t do that because then I would not only get caught for trying to run away, but for lying too and Sr. Lisa won’t be happy,” Francis shivered at the thought. 

 

“Well, you should have thought about that before you did those things,” Peach said. 

 

“You’re not going to have him do that are you?” Fiona asked curiously.  Peach looked at her and smiled. 

 

“No I am just scaring my poor boy,” Peach said.  Francis let out a sigh of relief.  “But you’re not getting away that easy Sullivan.  You will memorize and then recite to me Romans 12 which will provide you with rules of living life,” Peach said.  Francis groaned, but said no more. 

 

“What’s Romans 12 from?” Fiona asked. 

 

“The bible,” Cookie responded. 

 

“Oh mommy reads that all the time,” Fiona said.  “Spo’t when is mommy coming?” Spot cast a shadowed glare at Fiona, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

 

“She will come soon enough,” Spot said.  Peach was looking at Spot, her eyes sad with compassion. 

 

“Fiona, are you tired?  Would you like to take a nap?” Peach asked. 

 

“No, but I can take one anyway.  There’s nothing fun to do, all we doing is work,” Fiona said.  Peach smiled as she got up and took Fiona to a bed in the corner of the nursery were she fell fast asleep. 

 

“Cookie and Tangles, go out to play and stay out of trouble.  Francis, go into the room and start learning that bible passage.  Patrick, can you stay in here with me for a second please,” Peach said. 

 

“Sure,” Spot nodded.  Cookie and Tangles headed out to try and stay out of mischief, while Francis went off mumbling about how much he hated the truth of things. 

 

“What is it Peach?” Spot asked. 

 

“Patrick, would you like me to explain to Fiona about your parents?” Peach asked. 

 

“You can if you want, it won’t make no difference, she’s only two she don’t member a thing people say to her about our parents.  She don’t want to, she doesn’t want to believe they’re dead so she don’t.  I have told her, she don’t care what I have to say though if it involves that fact that they aren’t coming back,” Spot said. 

 

“That really isn’t good for her,” Peach said. 

 

“There ain’t nothing that can be done,” Spot said. 

 

“Oh dear.  Poor child,” Peach said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Peach had a soft spot for little girls.  She adored them and always believed their word over the our word,” Jack said. 

 

“She knew how tough it was for them when they had to face the real world.  She spoiled Cookie and Fiona like they were her own,” Spot said. 

 

“Too bad we didn’t have someone like her to help us out in that dreadful mill,” Spades said. 

 

“We had a few people who helped us out, Mrs. O’Nilly.  She was very kind to us, help us through those tough days,” Angel said. 

 

“Did you guys only work at that place for a year?” Jack asked. 

 

“About, maybe less,” Spades said. 

 

“Oh dear,” Laces mumbled to herself. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

April 1890

 

The morning sun had just come up and the three children who had to grow up fast were already walking down the street on their way to work.  Blue, Spades and Angel did the same routine for almost 11 months before it changed and never went back to routine ever again. 

 

Morning came as well as mumbling and groaning about getting out of bed. 

 

“It’s warm, can’t we just stay in bed another 5 minutes?” Spades would mumble as Blue pushed her out.  They would get ready, having no breakfast most of the time, and not eating anything until 10 to 12 in the morning.  10 was the morning five minute break, where if someone gave them a tiny bite to eat they would take it graciously.  But they had already gotten use to not having much food and once their body got use to it they had no problems with hunger attacks, often anyway. 

 

They would get to work and they would start without delay on the machines; watching them spin from their place on top.  Working quicker then they thought possible to keep them from tangling.  That day though, it was different, different than the rest, the one that changed the way things worked. 

 

“KIDS, GET OUT!” Someone bellowed from the upper part of the factory, then the bell rang and everyone who was under age started to head out.  Spades, Blue and Angel hopped off their machines and went out of the building, watching their feet because they were barefoot, having no shoes to wear, and it being easier to work without them.  Their day was over early today because there was an inspection going on.  The government had passed laws against kids like them all working in factories in these conditions and someone had heard that they were trying to enforce it this time.  So as a precaution the kids were let out early after being threatened to be early the next day if they wanted to keep their job. 

 

“So what are we going to do with our extra time?” Angel asked. 

 

“Who knows, but I’m awful hungry,” Spades moaned. 

 

“We got a few cents, we could get something if you want to split it,” Blue said. 

 

“I hate only having a few cents.  They don’t pay us enough for all that we do.  If we didn’t exist then who would run those stupid machines all day?” Spades mumbled. 

 

“Come on Spades, this ain’t that bad,” Angel said. 

 

“Always leave it up to you to look on the bright side of things.” Blue messed up Angel’s hair. 

 

“I’m not going to take this anymore.” Spades saw a small group of children playing at the end on the street; she walked faster towards them.  Blue and Angel followed her, curious as to what she was going to do. 

 

“Hey you kids!” Spades yelled out.  The four kids at the corner looked up; two were girls who were playing jump rope the other two were boys playing with tops. 

 

“Would you be interested in a little game?” Spades asked. 

 

“Game, what kind of game?” one of the little girls asked. 

 

“A game where you can make money,” Spades said. 

 

“You won’t have money, you don’t even have any shoes,” one of the boys said. 

 

“We shouldn’t be talking to you,” the other little girl said. 

 

“Well, it’s just a little game.  You like money don’t you?” Spades asked. 

 

“Don’t everyone, but you don’t got any.  Sides, we should be going home now.  We aren’t supposed to talk to street children.” The four headed away from Spades, Blue and Angel.  Spades sighed. 

 

“Shit,” she said.  Just as she turned around someone came tumbling around the corner and stumbled into her.  Spades turned around ready for a fight. 

 

“Hey!  Watch where you’re going!” Spades hollered. 

 

“You should watch where you’re standing miss.  I didn’t mean nothing by it, just was running to get home to me mother,” the boy said smiling with his mouth as well as his eyes.  Spades stared at him; he wasn’t that big, no older than her, most likely around Angel’s age more. 

 

“Running home to your mother huh?  Why you running?” Spades asked. 

 

“Oh no reason,” the boy replied, sticking his hands into his pockets. 

 

“Really?  Then would you like to play a game for money?” Spades asked. 

 

“What?” the boy asked. 

 

“You know where you play a game for money, like all the players put money into the middle and whoever wins the game wins,” Spades said. 

 

“Oh you mean like poker and craps, you want to gamble,” The boy said grinning. 

 

“Yeah sure, you want to?” Spades asked. 

 

“Well, if that’s what you want to do then you should come with me,” the boy said, walking away from Spades, Blue and Angel.  Spades followed pleased with herself.  Blue and Angel followed because they had to. 

 

“What are you doing Spades?” Blue asked. 

 

“Finding us a way to get money.  My daddy taught me how to play cards like no one else in Brooklyn, he said so himself.  So I might as well use that talent shouldn’t I?” Spades said.  “Making us money won’t hurt a bit.”

 

“But Spades, you’ve only played pretend games with your dad,” Blue said. 

 

“I have not!” Spades said. 

 

“Spades, you never actually won a game against anyone that wasn’t your dad,” Blue said. 

 

“So that doesn’t mean I can’t,” Spades said.  The boy had stopped in front of an alley where there was a group of boys standing in a circle. 

 

“Hey fellows!” the boy shouted.  Some looked up, but not many paid any attention to the boy.  He went over and squirmed into the group.  “They want to join the game,” he said.  The ones who had been engulfed before looked up now at Spades, Blue and Angel. 

 

“Who, them?” one of the older boys asked. 

 

“Yeah, the goyl,” the one who had guided them there said. 

 

“A goyl?  Sure you can play?” the older boy said, snickering to his neighbor.  “This should be easy.”

 

Spades walked over to the group of boys, holding her head high. 

 

“So what game we playing?” she asked. 

 

“Craps, know how to play?” the older boy asked. 

 

“Coise don’t everybody?” Spades retorted.  The older boy nodded as he threw the dice.  The first game went well considering that Spades didn’t really know how to play.  The next few games went badly for Spades, but she was determined not to lose their money, the only few coins they had.  The group kept playing, many impressed with Spades’ determination.  The sun was beginning to set, that’s when they heard the whistle in the distance.  The older boy didn’t seem to hear it at first and Spades didn’t really think much about it. 

 

Boys started to scatter slowly at first and then quicker when the whistle got louder. 

 

“It’s the bulls!” one of them yelled, but by then it was too late for any of them to run far enough to get away.  The bulls were there, the older boy tried to scatter and the one who had lead them there was also trying, but Spades, Angel and Blue being unfamiliar with the terms just stood there not understanding.  An officer came up to them. 

 

“You’re under arrest,” he said.  That Blue understood. 

 

“But why officer?” Blue asked. 

 

“Gambling son, ya ain’t legally allowed to,” the officer said.  Spades looked at Blue, what should they do?  It was too late to run, too late to make an excuse, basically there was nothing they could do.  The officer had all of them in his grasp and was walking them away. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“We found out when we got out where you were, but I don’t think that was then.  I think it was the second time,” Jack said. 

 

“Probably, we ended up getting caught for so many things that first year and even later on,” Spades said. 

 

“Gambling, I should’ve known that would be what got you started on your crime spree,” Spot said. 

 

“Hey Conlon, we heard about you two,” Spades said. 

 

“How did you guys find stuff out about each other?” Laces asked, having been wondering about that.  Jack, Spot, Spades and Angel all turned to her having forgotten she even existed, never the less was in the room. 

 

“People are always passing by that know something about someone you know, we’re all street kids and street kids like us are sure to be known.  We make ourselves known,” Spot said. 

 

“Come over here and sit with us Kid,” Angel said, making room between her and Jack.  Laces got up and sat with them, listening to more stories. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades, Blue and Angel went to the refuge, their first time of many.  They were let go though the following morning under the fact that Spades couldn’t tell the judge the name of the game she was playing or even show him any money.  She was thankful that she’d lost.  The older boy had been accused of trying to get Spades, Blue and Angel to get the blame and was sentenced to two years in the refuge.  The younger boy was let free because he couldn’t be accused of anything either. 

 

“So you three were lucky, pretty good liars,” the young boy said as soon as they were far enough from the refugee. 

 

“Thanks,” Spades said.  Angel frowned thinking that wasn’t something you should be proud of. 

 

“So what are your names?” the boy asked. 

 

“I’m Spades.  This here is Blue and Angel,” Spades said. 

 

“Pleasure, I’se Ben Harper, best pick pocketer in all New Yawk, or so I am trying to be.  That’s why most people call me Pockets,” the boy said. 

 

“Pick pocket!  Why that’s not right, you shouldn’t steal,” Angel said out loud.  Pockets looked at her oddly. 

 

“Angel, when you ain’t got no one looking after you and no one will hire you because you too little and don’t got no experience, and you need to eat you do a lot of things that ain’t right.  You must have not been on the streets long if you still believe that pick pocketing is wrong.  You probably haven’t even done it yet,” Pockets said. 

 

“Maybe we haven’t been on the streets long enough to have to go as low as to pick a pocket,” Blue said. 

 

“Hey I resent that.  I ain’t nothing low, I just like to eat and stay living that’s all,” Pockets said. 

 

“We ain’t mean nothing by it, we sorry bout you not having nothing to eat,” Spades said. 

 

“Sure, well I guess Ise be seeing you around.” Pockets walked off. 

 

Later that afternoon Spades, Blue and Angel were back on their way to the refuge, this time for picking a pocket.  There was no way out of this one.  They were stuck in the refuge, at least until they figured out the concept of breaking out. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“You three sure worked fast,” Jack said. 

 

“Yeah well can’t blame us now can you Mr.  Sullivan, you ain’t never been a saint,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah but at least we lasted more than a morning between the first time and second of being sent to the refuge,” Spot said. 

 

“Just cause we were caught that first time don’t mean nothing,” Spades said. 

 

“I’m guessing refuges were your main homes when you were younger,” Laces said.  They looked at her and grinned. 

 

“I guess they were.  Them, the orphanage, cheap run-down places or the streets,” Jack said. 

 

“Well you all must have had a lot of fun,” Laces said. 

 

“At times, but most the time we were too busy either being hungry, home-sick, sick, or tired,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah well none of those feelings measure up to being afraid, and weak, and unable to change anything for yourself,” Laces said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

June 1890

 

Early morning in front of a large house stood a little girl, a woman and a man all holding luggage.  The little girl was crying and the woman was trying to hush her. 

 

“Come now Audrey, stop crying baby,” the woman said.  Audrey let the tears fall, but she tried not to cry much, they were leaving their home, the one they had lived in for the first 6 years of Audrey’s life with her sister and brother, both of whom were gone now, she didn’t know to where though.  The family headed off into the lower part of town where they entered a small apartment.  Most of their stuff that they had decided to keep was already there, Audrey was left in a small room all by herself.  She crawled onto the bed and cradled herself in her arms as she began to cry. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces stopped recalling her past then, because she got choked up.  She just shook her head. 

 

“I wonder if my life would have been easier on the streets,” Laces said.  Jack slipped an arm around her. 

 

“Well that’s where your living it now.  Life is what you make it Laces.  If I paid attention ta all the bad things that happen to me then I would be dead of misery,” Jack said.  Laces shrugged as she put her head on Jack’s chest. 

 

Spades and Angel smiled at the little scene, while Spot frowned to an extent. 

 

“It wasn’t easy anywhere.  I seem to think that I have a skill for losing people,” Spot said. 

 

“No you don’t, you didn’t lose us,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah I did, the only difference is that I could find you again,” Spot said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

November 1891

 

The room was heavy with old air that smelled of the sick.  Four children stood at the door watching Peach drench Fiona in a wet cloth to keep her fever down.  Spot, Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie stood in the doorway, not being allowed to go into the room, they had to watch.  Fiona had been sick for a while now.  She had caught the bug going around.  She had come down with it hard because of her weak nature and she was only 5 years old, newly turned. 

 

“Poor baby, come on you have to pull through for yourself, for your friends, for your brother,” Peach whispered as she wiped off her forehead once more.  The days had dragged on and Fiona at times seemed like she would get better, but it was just a false hope because the next moment she would be worst then ever. 

 

One afternoon Spot had fallen asleep in the doorway and Peach was at the end of her rope.  She hadn’t slept in days and she didn’t know what else she could do.  A doctor was taking a look a Fiona, who was breathing hard and still had a fever and was becoming delirious.  After the doctor finished examining her he looked at Peach and then at the door where Spot was asleep. 

 

“Miss, I am sorry to inform you, but this little girl, she isn’t going to make it through the night,” the doctor said.  Peach let out a cry that she tried to muffle to keep Spot from waking up.  She sat down on the bed and started to cry.  The doctor patted her on the shoulder and walked out of the room, stepping over the still asleep Spot.  In about a moment after the doctor left Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie came running up the stairs waking Spot up and found Peach crying and Fiona struggling against something that no one could see. 

 

“Peach, what’s going on?” Cowboy asked.  Peach wiped her tears and looked at the children in front of her. 

 

“Oh dear Patrick come ‘ere,” Peach said as she motioned for Spot to come over to her.  Spot walked to her and took her hand. 

 

“What is it?” Spot asked, trying not to choke on his words. 

 

“Poor baby, my poor boy.  The doc said that she wouldn’t make it through the night,” Peach said, tears streaming down her face.  Spot stared at her not saying anything, not doing anything, just holding her hand tighter.  Peach hugged him holding his head to her shoulder.  Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie couldn’t believe it at first. 

 

“Are you sure though Peach?  Fi is a fighter,” Cowboy said.  Peach didn’t get a chance to answer, Fiona started to scream and the Sr. Lisa and Catherine were climbing up the stairs. 

 

“MOMMY!” Fiona started to scream.  That’s when Spot reacted he ran went to Fiona shaking her awake. 

 

“Fi, Fi come on it’s Spot, wake up.  Come on,” he said to her.  Fiona opened her eyes and smiled at Spot. 

 

“Heya Spot, mommy coming yet?  She said she was just getting me a drink,” Fiona said.  Spot’s eyes got a certain glaze over them.  Sr. Lisa and Sr. Catherine entered the room finding Peach and Spot with Fiona and Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie all watching with tears in their eyes. 

 

“Peach, what are these children doing in here?  Do they want to get sick too?” Sr. Lisa asked.  Peach looked up startled and so did the rest. 

 

“No ma’am, it’s just that the doctor, and they’re all her friends, and I couldn’t possibly,” Peach said. 

 

“No more, they are getting out of here.  I don’t even think you should be in here,” Sr. Lisa said. 

 

“I ain’t leaving,” Spot said from his spot on the bed.  Sr. Lisa looked at him surprised. 

 

“Patrick, I don’t believe you.  You are leaving this room right now,” Sr. Lisa said. 

 

“No Ise ain’t,” Spot said.  Sr. Lisa was about to say more when Sr. Catherine stopped her. 

 

“Leave them.  The child is going into the arms of God.  Let the ones that have to stay behind be her comfort and she be theirs.  There is nothing we can do, the doctor said so, it’s all up to God now,” Sr. Catherine said.  The words coming from Sr. Catherine’s mouth struck realization into Spot who held onto Fiona as if his life depended on it. 

Sr. Lisa saw the desperation on all the children’s faces and she let out a sigh as she walked out of the room. 

 

“Please inform us if anything happens,” Sr. Catherine said as she also headed out of the room.  They all stared after them only snapping back into reality when Fiona pulled on Spot’s hand. 

 

“Spot, what’s going on?  Where is mommy?” she asked. 

 

“Nothing is going on, mommy is coming soon,” Spot said, finally feeling like it was true for once.  Fiona in the past 3 years since their parents died still hadn’t come to believe that they were dead and not coming back and no one, especially Spot, had the heart to tell her otherwise.  Fiona nodded and she closed her eyes again, falling into another sleep. 

 

“She can’t be dying,” Spot whispered to himself.  Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie all sat at the end of the bed looking at Fiona. 

 

“She has to get better, she ain’t going to die, is she?” Cookie asked. 

 

“No she can’t,” Tangles said in attempt to convince himself and Cookie at the same time.  Peach just watched on. 

 

The night was a long one.  Fiona would wake up every so often in fits of fever or just to ask about her parents, but nothing more.  Near the morning when the sun was rising Fiona opened her eyes, Peach, Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie were all asleep, but Spot was still there holding her hand with eyes wide open. 

 

“Spot?” she whispered.  He quickly turned to her. 

 

“Yeah Fiona?” he asked. 

 

“I going to go see mommy,” she smiled.  Spot swallowed back his despair. 

 

“Yeah Fiona, that’s what you are going to go do,” he said, thinking that maybe she had at last gotten that their parents were dead, along with the fact that she was soon joining them. 

 

“What about you Spot?” Fiona asked. 

 

“Me, I can’t go with you, it ain’t time for me yet Fiona.  I wish I could,” Spot was beginning to let tears come, water was over brimming in his eyes. 

 

“Are you going to be okay Spot?” Fiona asked. 

 

“Yeah, don’t worry about me kid, I’ll be fine,” Spot fiddled with Fiona’s misplaced hair strands. 

 

“Okay, Spot.  You won’t forget me?” Fiona asked a hint of worry in her voice. 

 

“No, of course not, how can I forget my favorite sister,” Spot laughed over his cry. 

 

“I won’t forget you either Spot, I love you,” Fiona said.  Spot hugged her and she hugged back.  Spot let her fall slowly back into the bed. 

 

“Spot, can you open the window, the birds are coming,” Fiona asked. 

 

“Sure kid,” Spot said.  He got up and went to open the window, letting go of Fiona’s hand the first time that night.  He opened the window and watched the birds and the city.  He stood there for a moment taking everything in and then he went back to Fiona’s bed where she looked so peaceful that Spot knew she had gone.  That’s when he began to cry. 

 

“You weren’t supposed to leave yet.” He buried his head into Fiona’s tiny little shoulder and her golden hair.  That’s when Peach pulled him off her and held him in her arms and didn’t let him go.  He fell asleep crying in Peach’s arm. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot took a breath, thinking back to that night was not something he enjoyed. 

 

“I’m so sorry Spot that we weren’t there,” Spades said.  That’s when Spot snapped back into himself and he became angry for showing emotion, angry for everything that had happened to his baby sister. 

 

“You should’ve been there,” he growled. 

 

“But Spot, you know why we left,” Angel said. 

 

“If you had taken us with you, Fiona would still be alive,” Spot said. 

 

“Spot, you know that ain’t true,” Jack said.  “The kid might have even died earlier.  She had no real chance.”

 

“She did!  You know she did, you said she was a fighter,” Spot said in a loud tone. 

 

“Spot, the kid could fight anything she wanted, but it won’t go away.  She wanted to go, she needed to, sometimes I think she did it to be with your parents and to stop pulling you down,” Jack said. 

 

“No, that’s not true,” Spot punched the wall as he threw himself on his bed facing the wall. 

 

“Fiona must have been a very special little girl,” Laces said.  Jack nodded. 

 

“She was, everyone loved her.  She had a way with people, something like you.  You remind me of her sometimes, a little too much,” Jack said. 

 

“I thought about Fiona when the gang got started up.  She would have fit in well, the Conlon spirit and all being in her.  We almost went to the orphanage, but that’s when we found out about her,” Spades said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

December 1891

 

Spades, Blue and Angel were in Harlem after being in the refuge for a few months they were let lose.  They had lost their jobs at the factory, but it didn’t matter, they had found other ways to make money.  They met with some old friends from before the fire, one by one they started to join each other. 

 

In Midtown they had picked up Cheeky and Vigor who had also ran from Brooklyn after the fire.  The girls had joined up with Spades, Angel and Blue seeing as they had nothing better to do.  To keep eating they would pick pockets, copper stealers, as some would call them.  After being in Midtown for a while, a period of about three weeks, the group moved on to the Bronx where they found Shady on the run from the bulls.  So their stay there was cut short as they headed on to Coney Island where they found Candy and Scorch who were the last of the gang to be found. 

 

The girls were all tough now.  They had been tough before, living in Brooklyn and all, but now they were tougher having to actually survive on the streets by themselves.  So after finding them all, the gang was formed unofficial almost unaware of what was happening because it wasn’t until many years later that they really noticed that they were a gang.  The girls traveled all New York making money by picking pockets and gambling in the downtown places where all the drunks were at.  They learned to protect themselves well and Blue made sure of that.  He was somewhat of a leader to them all, him being a boy and older than everyone, even Spades by a few months. 

 

After hitting this one place in Harlem they ran into Pockets while running from the bulls.  They escaped getting caught easily by ducking into an alley. 

 

“Heya if it ain’t Spades, Blue and Angel, how ya been holding up on the street?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Fine if I do say so meself,” Spades replied. 

 

“Ah, had to pick a pocket yet?” Pocket asked. 

 

“That’s what we do best,” Shady said from behind him. 

 

“Best?  And who are all these others?  What you got yourself a gang now?” Pockets asked. 

 

“These are some friends and you could say we are a gang.  Yeah we pick pockets quite well now,” Spades said.  

 

“Ah, so now it ain’t that bad is it?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Well never said it really was,” Angel said. 

 

“So, ya any good at it?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Maybe, probably better than you,” Spades said. 

 

“Really?  How much you wanna bet?” Pockets asked. 

 

“All the earning we just made,” Spades said.  Pockets smiled. 

 

“Spades, what ya think you doing?” Blue asked. 

 

“I winning us some more money,” Spades said. 

 

“Are you insane!  The bulls are around now, there is no way you could do it without getting caught,” Blue said. 

 

“I don’t care and I won’t get caught,” Spades said. 

 

“I’m not going to let you do it Spades,” Blue said.  Spades took a step back and glared at Blue. 

 

“I would like to see you stop me.  I am sick and tired of you taking command.  This ain’t your gang, hell why should I listen to you?” Spades shot.  Blue glared back at her, he couldn’t believe this. 

 

“Spades Fia you ain’t doing this,” Blue said. 

 

“I am to, watch me,” Spades walked off out of the alleyway and onto the streets.  The girls all watched her go and then watched Pockets follow.  Spades ran down the street looking for someone to pick a pocket from.  She saw someone in the shadows and decided that would be her best shot and so she went for it.  Unfortunately it was one of the bulls that had been looking for her earlier.  He grabbed her hand as she went for his wallet that was in his back pocket. 

 

Blue watch this from a distance, he knew she was caught. 

 

“Damn it, I told her not to do it.  She’s so stubborn, why the ‘ell is all this family so stubborn,” Blue looked back at the girls a moment, he shot a look at Angel. 

 

“Stay here and don’t move.  Either Spades will come back or I will, but probably not both and I don’t want you all getting in the way,” Blue said as he ran off smacking himself into the bull, causing him to let go of Spades. 

 

“RUN!” Blue yelled at her, Spades for once in her life listened to him and ran as if her life depended on it.  After she pasted the alley Angel and the rest of the girls started running after Spades, not knowing what else to do and knowing that if they stayed there they would sooner or later get caught. 

 

Pockets seeing the commotion just watched from his corner in the darkness, but when he saw another bull start after the girls he decided to take action and jumped out at the bull and took his wallet in a mere second and in plain sight.  The bull started to chase Pockets around and when the night had ended both Blue and Pockets were sentenced to a year in the refuge. 

 

Spades and the rest of the girls ran until they could no more and spent the night in an alley on the far end of town. 

 

“Blue got caught,” Shady said. 

 

“Why couldn’t you listen to him Spades?” Angel asked. 

 

“Because I don’t like taking orders,” Spades answered. 

 

“Well, now what do we do?” Shady asked. 

 

“The same thing we’ve been doing.  Tomorrow we head to Manhattan,” Spades said. 

 

“We leaving Blue?” Cheeky asked. 

 

“Yeah we are, when he gets out he’ll find us if he wants to,” Spades said. 

 

“What if he’s in there for a long time?” Candy asked. 

 

“Don’t matter, he’ll find a way out,” Spades said. 

 

“But what if he don’t?” Scorch asked. 

 

“He will, let’s get some sleep now,” Spades said. 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-**-*

 

“You left O’Riley?” Spot asked surprise to learn something new about his cousin that he hadn’t known. 

 

“Yeah, I wasn’t happy with myself because it was my fault that he was in there.  Sides, I didn’t want to depend on him anymore, we were just holding him down in my opinion,” Spades said. 

 

“How old were you guys around then?” Laces asked. 

 

“Round 10,” Angel answered. 

 

“That’s the year we broke lose,” Jack said. 

 

“What do you mean?” Spades asked. 

 

“We were in the orphanage right in the middle of Manhattan,” Jack said. 

 

“But there ain’t no orphanage there anymore,” Angel said. 

 

“Nope not anymore,” Spot said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

December 1891

 

The orphanage was full and Cowboy, Tangles, Cookie and Spot were sick of being there.  About a month ago they would not have felt that way, with Fiona still alive and Peach still around, but now there was nothing in the orphanage to keep them all there. 

 

Peach had left right after Fiona died, she had been taken by someone, a dark man of about 24 wanted her as his wife and well the nuns thought it was a splendid idea.  Cowboy, Tangles, Cookie and Spot hadn’t thought so though, there was something about that man.  He made Peach scared and she acted differently.  She cried a lot those last few days she was with them, but after some days she had been taken away from them. 

 

Now they were left with no one but themselves and some of the other children, none of which they had ever gotten along with well.  Also, now Monica was the one who watched them and she disliked them.  Thought that Peach had spoiled them to the full extent and so they were always in trouble for something or another.  So the time had come for them to leave and head somewhere else. 

 

The days were cold and the nuns were in their moods along with almost everyone else.  Spot, Cowboy, Tangles and Cookie were all playing up in the attic hiding from Monica who had once again yelled at them that morning.  They had a candle and were playing cards, something which wasn’t allowed because cards were thought to be toys of the devil, or something like that.  The nuns only thought that encouraged gambling, which it did. 

 

“I win,” Spot said as he put his hand down. 

 

“You cheated!” Cookie said. 

 

“Did not,” Spot answered. 

 

“Sh!  Someone is coming,” Tangles said as he jumped up and went to hide behind a box.  Cowboy did the same and Cookie and Spot also ran.  The door creaked open and in walked Monica and Sr. Lisa. 

 

“We know you’re up here.  If you come out your punishment won’t be as severe,” Monica said. 

 

“Thou shall not hid from the lord, confess like morally upright human beings,” Sr. Lisa said. 

 

“Won’t they ever give that up?  We ain’t going to come out till we gotta,” Cookie whispered.  Sr. Lisa walked along looking behind the boxes getting closer to the one that Tangles was behind.  Meanwhile, Monica had went behind the one Spot and Cookie were hiding behind.  She quickly grabbed their ears and pulled them out. 

 

“Ow!  Can’t you pull any softer, we ain’t planning on getting new ears any time soon,” Spot yelled. 

 

“Hush or I will pull it harder,” Monica said.  Spot kept his mouth shut, biting his lower lip to keep it that way.  Cookie on the other hand was nowhere near being quieted.  She started screaming and yelling and kicking at Monica, then Monica finally let go of Spot and just tried grabbing Cookie.  Meanwhile, Sr. Lisa held Cowboy and Tangles who wouldn’t even think about struggling against her. 

 

“Susan Marie, you stop hitting Monica this instant, do you hear me young lady,” Sr. Lisa was saying.  Cookie heard her but she wasn’t going to stop, not now, there was no way.  Monica and her kept fighting and at one point Cookie pushed Monica back making her foot hit the candle that was one the floor and it rolled behind one of the boxes.  That’s when Monica sprung at Cookie and pulled the girl’s hair and then dragged her out that way, Cookie screaming the whole way.  Sr. Lisa held the three boys by the ears as she walked them down. 

 

Sr. Lisa lectured as she always did, Monica glared at them all as she always did, and Sr. Catherine prayed for them all like she always did.  The routine didn’t change much.  Since Peach had left they went through it like twice a day, seven days a week, 4 weeks a month.  That’s just the way it worked, there was no other way to work things out. 

 

Sr. Lisa would then send them all to the nursery to think about what they had done as she talked to Monica about responsibility and thought about a suitable punishment for them all.  The usual thing was memorizing some large bible passage, or doing a rosary, or getting a small beating of some kind, or doing some type of housework, always the same. 

 

Spot, Cowboy, Cookie and Tangles all headed up the stairs, Cookie sniffling about how much her head hurt the whole way.  They sat there in the nursery not thinking about what they had, but what they hadn’t done. 

 

“I hate Monica,” Cowboy said. 

 

“Thou shall not hate any of God’s creatures,” Cookie mumbled in a poor imitation of Sr. Lisa. 

 

“Shut up,” Cowboy said to her. 

 

They spent most of the afternoon bickering with each other, or just talking.  Forgetting about the candle they had left upstairs that was now starting a nice little snug fire in the attic.  About an hour later is when cookie remembered and only because she smelled smoke. 

 

“Guys?” she said. 

 

“What you want now?” Tangles asked. 

 

“That smell, what’s it smell like?” Cookie asked.  Cowboy took a deep breath, coughing some afterward. 

 

“Smoke, like fire smoke,” Cowboy said.  “Wonder where it’s coming from?”

 

“Smoke?” Spot said.  “Cookie, that Candle, where did it go?” The four looked at each other and ran out of the room. 

 

“FIRE!” Cowboy said at the top of his lungs causing a commotion that sent everyone running outside.  The smoke was already starting to come out of the top of the building, luckily no one was hurt and everyone got out in time.  The one who was in serious condition was Sr. Lisa who had suffered shock from the whole fire thing.  She had been taken to see a doctor and the children all stood around with the other nuns. 

 

“This is our chance,” Cowboy whispered to Spot. 

 

“For what?” Spot asked back. 

 

“To start a new life, let’s go,” Cowboy said. 

 

“But what, wait,” Spot said. 

 

“No time, come on,” Cowboy said.  Spot nodded over to Cookie and Tangles who saw the movement and understood also slipping away.  The four got far away that night, or what seemed far away.  Sleeping soundly under a large crate. 

 

When morning came Cookie and Tangles, after a discussion with Spot and Cowboy, decided to head off on their own looking for Peach. 

 

“They ain’t never going to find her.  There’s no way,” Cowboy said watching them run off down a busy street. 

 

“Never know,” Spot said. 

 

“Well, what we going to do now Spot?” Cowboy asked. 

 

“Don’t call me that,” Spot said. 

 

“Okay, fine what you want to do Patrick?” Cowboy asked. 

 

“I dunno, what should we do?”

 

“We can find something to eat,” Cowboy said, walking over to a market cart that was in the road. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“So that’s why there is no more orphanage there.” Angel nodded. 

 

“Yeah, that’s why,” Spot said. 

 

“Sometimes I wish I would have gone with Cookie and Tangles now that I know that they did find Peach.  I dunno, maybe I could have fixed what happened.  Changed it in some way,” Jack said. 

 

“There was nothing you could have done Jack,” Laces said. 

 

“Sides, if we would have gone with them they wouldn’t have ended up in that gang in the first place.  Seeing as we ended up in the refuge in mere seconds of them leaving us,” Spot smiled. 

 

“You stole the food didn’t you Cowboy?” Angel asked. 

 

“We were hungry,” Jack smiled innocently. 

 

“Yeah, no wonder,” Spades said. 

 

“I sure told you, didn’t I, that there was an orphanage there and it had to have been the one that Spot and Fiona were taken to,” Angel said. 

 

“What do you mean?” Laces asked. 

 

“Yeah, you did tell me, but there wasn’t anything there but some old framework.  I didn’t know the place had been burn down,” Spades said, ignoring Laces. 

 

“We had gone looking for you and Fiona.  That’s how we found out a few things,” Angel said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

January 1892

 

Spades’ gang was in Manhattan, Blue had been let out of the refugee and him and Pockets had found the girls.  They had been fine without him and so Blue went about New York with Pockets on his own, without the girls.  What the girls didn’t know was that Pockets and him were always in the same places because they followed them to make sure they were safe. 

 

“So why we in Manhattan again?” Shady asked. 

 

“We looking for an orphanage that is suppose to be out here,” Spades said. 

 

“Why we doing that?” Candy asked.

 

“Cause of some family we think might be there,” Angel said. 

 

“Starting to feel guilty for leaving them?” Blue asked as he walked on over to Spades. 

 

“Do you two follow us?” Vigor asked.  

 

“Maybe we do, so?” Pockets said as he handed her back her cap that he had taken off her head. 

 

“We just thought we say hello,” Spades said. 

 

“Do you think that we can say hello without either staying or taking them with us?” Blue asked. 

 

“Well,” Angel said. 

 

“O’Riley we ain’t asking your permission to do this, we going to do it,” Spades said. 

 

“I’m sure you are, but the point ain’t if you are or if you ain’t, I just making sure you know what ya getting into,” Blue said. 

 

“Shut up O’Riley you’re frustrating me,” Spades said.  Blue shrugged.  Pockets meanwhile had seen a girl walking down the street and had slipped away from the group to make himself known. 

 

“Why good morning, what brings a pretty thing like you into bloom this early?” Pockets asked, tipping his newsie hat.  The girl blushed a bit, she was a small thing. 

 

“I’m off to work.  Is there anything I could help you with?” she asked. 

 

“Well, just being in your presence brings me enough joy to last a life time.  But there is a small question I would like to bother you with if you don’t mind,” Pockets said. 

 

“No not at all sir,” the girl responded. 

 

“Oh please no sir, just Pockets if you please.  I was wondering if you have heard of any orphanage round these parts?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Orphanage, there was one, why you looking for it?” the girl asked. 

 

“Some family friends dear, they were there the last thing I knew.  Now what is this there was one?  Where can I find it?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Can’t.  It ain’t here anymore, burned to the ground,” the girl said. 

 

“Oh dear!  Anyone hurt?” Pockets asked. 

 

“No sir, no one.  Few children ran off from what I heard and seen.  But nothing more,” the girl said. 

 

“That’s good,” Pockets said. 

 

“Now if you would excuse me, I need to get to work.” The girl hurried off and Pockets walked back to Spades, Angel and Blue who were still discussing, or arguing as it might now be called, while the rest of the gang looked on with total boredom. 

 

“I just don’t think it’s the best idea that’s all.  Fiona must only be like 5 now.  We won’t be able to take her.  She would be like when we first left Patrick,” Blue said. 

 

“We just want to see them, is that so wrong?” Angel asked. 

 

“Excuse me, but,” Pockets started. 

 

“What do you want?” Spades demanded. 

 

“Well that orphanage you’re looking for, it ain’t here no more,” Pockets said shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked at Blue. 

 

“What do you mean?” Spades asked. 

 

“It was burned down to the ground, but don’t worry no one was hurt,” Pockets rolled his shoulders a bit being uncomfortable under everyone’s stare. 

 

“Well where did all the children go?” Angel asked. 

 

“I don’t know, some ran away though,” Pockets said. 

 

“So they might be on the streets anyway,” Spades said. 

 

“I don’t want to hear it Spades,” Blue said.  “We should find out more.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“So you lied to me?” Spot asked. 

 

“Well nom not exactly now,” Spades said. 

 

“I asked you what you were doing in town and you said nothing in particular,” Spot said. 

 

“Well we weren’t doing anything in particular,” Angel said. 

 

“LOOKING FOR YOUR COUSIN ISN’T ANYTHING?” Spot demanded. 

 

“Spot please, we couldn’t tell you.  Sides you were too mad at us to even listen,” Spades said. 

 

“Twice, abandoned me twice.  Did you even care what the hell happened to me?” Spot asked. 

 

“You would be surprised,” Spades mumbled. 

 

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Laces asked. 

 

“We all meet again, Spot and I had just gotten out of the joint,” Jack said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot and Jack walked out of the refuge as Spades and Angel walked down the street looking for someone to gamble with or someone to pocket from.  Neither pair was watching where they were going and they ran into each other. 

 

“Oh sorry, girls.  We didn’t mean to run into you like that,” Jack said tipping his hat. 

 

“Let me introduce meself, Jack Kelly.” Spades and Angel looked at Jack, not noticing Spot.  “My friend here is Patrick Conlon.” Angel and Spades turned to look at Spot, they stared at each other for a few seconds but it seemed like eternity. 

 

“Patrick?” Spades whispered, not believing that this grown boy was him, or that he was standing there. 

 

“Christine?  Nicole?” Spot said. 

 

“We don’t go by those names anymore,” Angel said. 

 

“Really what do you go by?” Spot asked. 

 

“Angel and Spades,” Spades said, pointing first to Angel and then to herself. 

 

“Excuse me, Spot do you know these beautiful girls?” Jack asked. 

 

“Yeah Cowboy, they me cousins,” Spot replied. 

 

“Oh,” Jack said. 

 

“Where is Fiona, I want to see how much she’s grown.  I mean she must be a regular little lady by now.  Seeing as you have grown so much in 3 years,” Spades said. 

 

“Oh dear,” Jack mumbled. 

 

“Fiona ain’t here,” Spot said. 

 

“Well where is she?” Angel asked. 

 

“She’s with our parents,” Spot said. 

 

“What?  You mean you’ve been adopted?” Spades asked confused. 

 

“No we haven’t,” Spot said.  “She is with our real parents,” Spades stared at Spot in shock and Angel started coughing. 

 

“You mean, that, oh the poor baby.  When did it happen?” Angel asked when she got finished coughing. 

 

“Only bout two months ago,” Spot said.  Spades went to hug Spot. 

 

“You poor kid.  Oh I’m so sorry.” As soon as Spades was near Spot he pushed her away. 

 

“I ain’t no kid and you should be sorry, but not for me, for her.  You weren’t there for her like you should have been,” Spot said. 

 

“But we didn’t…” Spades started. 

 

“Save your excuse, I ain’t going to hear them,” Spot ran off.  Jack following him as to not lose him.  Spades and Angel stood there staring after him. 

 

“Poor Fiona,” Angel said. 

 

“Poor Patrick,” Spades nodded. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“We had people who told us about you.  We knew when you changed your name to Spot after you join the Manhattan newsies with Jack,” Spades said. 

 

“We also knew about Luv and about the refuge, how many times you were in there, and we knew when you moved to Brooklyn.  We knew about Night and James and we knew about Laces even before we met her,” Angel said. 

 

“You had spies?” Jack said. 

 

“No not really, just people who had been around.  You two have quite a reputation you know,” Spades said. 

 

“Well can’t say that I didn’t hear things about you through out the years,” Jack said. 

 

“We know,” Angel said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Do you think that they’ve talked it out yet?” Candy asked. 

 

“Maybe, think we should check?” Vigor asked. 

 

“We could,” Cheeky said. 

 

“Oh for God’s sake, let’s just go and check it out,” Shady said.  The girls headed down the stairs of the building.  It had been three days and nothing had been heard from the basement.  Sometimes one of them crept down there to listen to what was being said, but nothing more from that.  They hadn’t been told that they were ready and after so much silence they figured.  Also the girls were getting a little impatient with having no Spades and Angel.  Manhattan and Brooklyn were also getting nervous, one of the Manhattan and Brooklyn boys had come everyday since they had been locked in the basement. 

 

Scorch stamped her foot on the door of the basement. 

 

“Hey how are you guys down there?” Candy asked. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades, Spot, Angel, Jack and Laces all looked up at the ceiling where the floor opened. 

 

“We’re fine we’ve talked everything out, you can let us out now,” Spot said. 

 

There was silence from above, Spot, Spades and Angel actually thought that they were going to open the door and let them out when Blue’s voice came booming down. 

 

“Jack?” he said. 

 

“No!” Jack responded. 

 

“Sorry Spades honey, this is for your own good!” Blue called back. 

 

“BLUE O’RILEY WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE FIRST ISE KILLING YOU FOR LOCKING ME IN HERE THEN I’LL KILL YOU FOR CALLING ME HONEY!” Spades yelled very loudly.  She could hear the girls snicker a bit and was about ready to kill one of them along with Blue after throwing them around. 

 

“I can’t believe this, I am going to kill O’Riley when I get out of here and then Bullseye and then Pockets,” Spot mumbled in an angry tone. 

 

“I KILL O’Riley first!” Spades said. 

 

“How about whoever gets to him first,” Angel suggested. 

 

“NO!” Spades and Spot said at the same time. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Great they’re fighting over who gets to kill me,” Blue mumbled. 

 

“Well, at least they care enough to fight over you, I am third on Spot’s list,” Pockets said. 

 

“Oh I wouldn’t worry much about that.  I have a feeling you’re third on Spades list too,” Shady said. 

 

“Thanks, thanks a lot.  That makes me feel better,” Pockets said. 

 

“Yeah well, just wanted to help,” Shady said.  

 

“Sides us, we like first on Spades list, she is going to torture us,” Cheeky said. 

 

“Then slap us around a bit,” Candy said. 

 

“Then she’s breaking an arm or leg,” Scorch cringed. 

 

“THEN THROWING YOU INTO THE EAST RIVER!” Spades yelled from below.  The girls all shuddered, knowing that she would at least keep one of those promises. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Ise going to get some sleep, seeing as that is one of the only things we can do,” Angel said.  She crawled over to her cot and laid down to rest.  Laces did the same, as did Jack and then Spades and Spot after a bit more bickering did the same. 

 

After about an hour or two Spot fell from the cot after a dream that had made him struggle.  When he landed on the floor he woke up, staring at the ceiling for a moment thinking to himself.  That’s when he cracked.  He was Spot Conlon, why was he going through this.  He got up and went over to Jack who was sound asleep.  Spot stood over him for a second and then drew back his fist and threw a punch that landed in Jack’s gut waking him from his slumber. 

 

“OW!” Jack’s sudden reaction was his hands over his gut and biting his lip.  His howl woke Laces, Spades and Angel. 

 

“What the Hell?” Spades said.  Jack sat in bed and stared at Spot. 

 

“Why did you do that?” Jack asked.  Spot threw another punch at Jack’s chin which hit exactly sending Jack back onto the cot.  Jack recovered from the blow quickly and sat back up and then jumped to his feet. 

 

“I don’t know why you’re doing this Conlon, but if it’s a fight you want then it’s a fight you’ll get,” Jack said.  The two boys started throwing punches at each other and soon were both on the floor rolling around. 

 

Laces didn’t know what to do and Angel and Spades were to confused to do anything.  Laces ran up the stairs and started pounding on the door.  She started yelling. 

 

“BLUE, POCKETS! GIRLS ANYONE SOMEONE OPEN THIS DOOR IT’S LACES!” She said in a desperate tone. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The gang, Bullseye, Blue and Pockets were all sitting around the lobby when they heard the commotion and looked at each other startled. 

 

“That don’t sound well,” Candy said. 

 

“Yeah no kidding,” Vigor said.  The group got up and ran over to the place where the basement door was, removing the thing that was keeping it shut.  Allowing Laces to push it open and her to fall to the ground. 

 

Pockets helped her up holding her in his arms.  “What happened?” he asked. 

 

“Jack and Spot are fighting.  Someone stop them before they kill each other,” Laces said.  Blue and Bullseye ran down the stairs where Jack had Spot up against a wall. 

 

“NOW WHAT THE ‘ELL IS WRONG WITH YOU SPOT?” Jack asked.  Spot looked at Jack, then at Spades and Angel, and last at Blue and Bullseye. 

 

“Nothing,” Spot said.  That’s when Angel and Spades got a clue and got up and walked over to the stairs where they walked right up and out of the basement. 

 

“THEN WHY THE ‘ELL DID YOU ATTACK ME?” Jack demanded. 

 

“It was a way out,” Spot said.  Blue and Bullseye looked around the room and noticed that Spades and Angel had already left and Jack also noticed and so he slowly let Spot go.  Sighing he resigned and headed up the stairs to find Spades and Angel kicking some things around. 

 

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU GOYLS!” Spades was yelling. 

 

“I think it’s time we leave,” Jack whispered to Laces and Pockets who were standing together near the edge of the room away from the flying objects.  Pockets nodded. 

 

“Out of here is good, only problem is when their done with their girls they will go looking for the rest of us.  I’m third on the list,” Pockets gulped.  The three headed out of the room and out of the building. 

 

“Want to stay in Manhattan?” Jack asked the two.  Laces looked at Pockets a moment. 

 

“No she’s staying here,” Spot said from behind them.  His voice causing Laces to jump out of her skin.  They turned around and faced Spot who had a look that could kill a much weaker person than Laces on the spot. 

 

“Spot, I really don’t think that’s the best idea.  With you wanting our heads and everything,” Pockets said. 

 

“You can go, she can’t.  End of discussion,” Spot said. 

 

“Spot Conlon!  I ain’t your property.  I can go where ever I damn well please!” Laces said.  Spot walked up to her and stared her right in the face.  Laces stared back for about a second before backing down. 

 

“You’re staying,” Spot said again.  Jack looked at Spot. 

 

“Spot, you hurt her I will hunt you down,” Jack said softly.  Spot turned his attention to Jack. 

 

“She’ll be safer here with me then with you,” Spot said. 

 

“What does that mean?” Jack demanded. 

 

“Nothing Kelly, no hard feelings for those punches?  I just needed out of there,” Spot said, his mood getting lighter.  Jack looked at him strangely knowing there was something wrong, but he shrugged it off. 

 

“Sure, no hard feelings.  Sorry to have put you through that Conlon.  It did help some though,” Jack said hopefully. 

 

“Yeah some,” Spot replied.  At that he turned to walk away, waiting for Laces to follow.  Laces stood there though with Pockets for a moment thinking it over.  Pockets whispered into her ear. 

 

“Don’t recommend getting on his bad side right now Laces, it won’t be the best thing,” Pockets suggested.  Laces looked after Spot, she knew it wasn’t the best time to get on his bad side, but she just couldn’t help wanting to.  She kissed Pockets on the cheek and smiled at Jack. 

 

“Thanks for the help Jack.  See ya round,” she said. 

 

“Fine, anything happen though you come to Manhattan, understood?” Jack said.  Laces nodded and then ran after Spot. 

 

Laces and Spot walked to the lodging house in silence, not even looking up from the ground.  Laces was worried about Spot, him not saying anything, no lecture for getting into his business was plain odd. 

 

When they got to the lodging house Spot stood at the door a second and then looked at Laces. 

 

“Go to your room,” Spot said to her as she headed up the stairs. 

 

“What?” Laces asked astounded at his tone, nevertheless his words. 

 

“Go to your room, you heard me,” Spot said. 

 

“Who do you think you are?  And why?” Laces started getting defensive. 

 

“Laces, ain’t in the mood for this, just go,” Spot said.  Laces stared at Spot, he looked weary and she decided to listen to him this once without questioning because he looked tense and maybe it was just his uptight nature at the moment that was making him act this way.  She walked up the stairs feeling much like a child, which she thought was a very misplaced idea, considering she was still a child, but not really because situations had called for her to grow up fast. 

 

Spot watched her climb the stairs, he was so mad at her, so mad at Jack, so mad at Spades, Angel and Blue.  He just couldn’t have her standing near him in fear that he would start yelling at her and possibly hurt her to an extent and send her running to Manhattan where he had just not let her go.  Spot sat there staring out the lodging house window trying desperately to bury all the thoughts that were stirring up because of the days in the basement and the stories he had heard. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades and Angel were tearing their place apart and yelling at their girls.  Angel for the whole thing that they locked them in the basement and how sneaking they were and how they hadn’t done even the slightest thing while Spades and herself had been locked in the basement. 

 

Spades for that and the fact that they agreed to it and that they touched her album out of her chest that they weren’t allow to go near no matter what, unless there was a fire and the stuff in it was in danger.  Which wasn’t the case for this. 

 

“You all disgust me,” Spades was saying.  The girls all stood in a row, heads slumping down, all staring at their shoes, none all the eager for Spades lecturing face. 

 

“Well one of you say something for heaven’s sake!” Angel said.  There was silence and the girls continued to look at the ground when Scorch got the courage to say something. 

 

“Sorry,” she said.  That threw Spades over the edge. 

 

“GET OUT!  GO UP TO YOUR ROOMS!” she yelled.  None of them moved at first. 

 

“If you don’t move, I will personally make it so you can’t ever move again!” Spades threatened and with that all the girls were off.  Mumbling how they were only trying to help and how next time they weren’t listening to any of Laces ideas. 

 

Blue was sitting on the couch, he knew that Spades and Angel were unhappy with him, but he hadn’t left.  He hadn’t moved during their fit, just watched them knowing that they would never really hurt their girls, there was no way no matter what they did.  When Spades saw him she jumped on him and started to punch him exclusively in the gut. 

 

“Ow!  Spades Fia, get off of me,” Blue said. 

 

“NO!  You freaking Ass, how could you let them do that to me, how could you do that to me!  Hell it’s as much your fault as mine!  You need him to forgive you as much as we do!  You know I couldn’t take that and you still for your own sick pleasure left me down there to rot with them all talking about things that only made Spot mad, only made me unhappy.  Things that shouldn’t have been said!” Spades was saying as she was trying to keep the tears from falling.  Angel had gone on to throw things around the room, some things aiming for Blue’s head in particular, nothing ever doing more then skimming it. 

 

Blue let Spades punch him.  She wasn’t hurting him that much anymore, just kind of punching him.  There was more strength in her words then in her fists, always had been.  After she stopped punching him Blue took her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.  Then he hugged her with all his might and began to cradle her in his arms. 

 

“Angel,” he said as he motioned her over.  She walked over and he put an arm around her. 

 

“Now do you two think that I agreed to this whole thing just to get you mad at me?” Blue asked. 

 

“Yes,” Spades said. 

 

“You don’t believe that, I know your pride may, but you don’t.  Now you may not want to hear this, but Spot forgave me a while ago.  He never really blamed me so when I asked for forgiveness he easily gave it.  Now it may not be fair, but Spot blames you two more for leaving him for all the things that went on and you weren’t there for because you two are the only family he had left.  I was only a friend, yes his best friend at the time, but Jack took that over very soon after we left and that’s the way it’s been ever since.  Sometimes I regret leaving them both, think to myself maybe it would have happened differently, but things happen without me or you wanting them to and we did what we had to do,” Blue said.  Spades was snug in Blue’s chest and Angel had her head on his shoulder.  That’s when Pockets walked back in. 

 

Pockets stared at the scene, he knew that Blue would still be there, that’s how Blue worked, no matter how mad these girls got at him he always came back.  He was their rock that kept them on solid ground.  Pockets went over and sat next to Angel as he comforted her and Blue comforted Spades. 

 

“What he if he doesn’t forgive us Blue?” Spades asked. 

 

“He will, one day he has to,” Blue said. 

 

“Deep down he wants to, there is just something getting in the way.  Something all of you guys seem to have in you,” Pockets said smiling.  They talked for a little while, but soon Angel and Spades fell asleep in Blue and Pockets’ arms and so the boys carried them to their rooms and decided it better that they spend the night there. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“So Jack, how did it go with the whole thing?” David asked his friend.  The newsies were all sitting in Tibby’s, Jack had walked in minutes ago and was already talking with David. 

 

“I really can’t say I know, I mean it seemed like it was working, but you know,” Jack said. 

 

“What?” David asked. 

 

“Well you can never really know with those three,” Jack said. 

 

“So how was Laces?” David asked. 

 

“She got locked in with us and Spot was treating her oddly after they got out,” Jack said. 

 

“Was it the best idea to leave her with Spot?  I mean why didn’t she come with you?” David asked. 

 

“Because Spot wouldn’t let her and none of us wanted to cross him, he was mad enough,” Jack said. 

 

“Well, this is interesting enough.  I wonder how this will turn out,” David said as he took a slip of his drink. 

 

“Yeah well, so do the rest of us,” Jack said. 

 

“Are you buying the afternoon edition?” David asked. 

 

“Yeah, it’ll take my mind off things,” Jack said. 

 

“Oh Sarah has been asking about you, worried sick,” David said. 

 

“Oh, I’ll go with you after we finish selling and see her,” Jack said.  The two headed out of Tibby’s and down the street to the selling docks, ready to sell papes and have this long day end. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces sat staring at the ceiling of her room.  She couldn’t believe that she was sitting in there being bored just because Spot was in a bad mood and had told her to.  She didn’t understand his mood, but she knew it was nothing to reckon with. 

 

“I can’t believe this, I feel like I am like three,” Laces mumbled to herself.  Someone knocked on the door and Laces jumped.  She jumped up and looked at the door wondering if it was Spot. 

 

“Who is it?” Laces asked. 

 

“Bottle Cap,” he said back. 

 

“Come on in,” Laces said.  Bottle Cap opened the door and walked in. 

 

“Hows it rolling?” he asked her, twirling his hat on one of his fingers. 

 

“Nothing much,” Laces smiled. 

 

“So why are you in here?” Bottle Cap asked, grinning because he knew the answer. 

 

“Well,” Laces started. 

 

“Why did Spot send you up here?  Is he that mad at you?” Bottle Cap smiled.  Laces smirked. 

 

“Get over here, sit and talk with me.  Spot isn’t happy with me, or in the best mood overall,” Laces mumbled. 

 

“He never is,” Bottle Cap said.  Laces ruffled Bottle Cap’s hair a little. 

 

“So what have you been up to?  Playing while the cat is away?” Laces asked. 

 

“What do you mean?” Bottle Cap asked. 

 

“Oh you know what I mean, now what have you been up to?” Laces asked. 

 

“I went to see Caroline and Squirt, she was wondering where you went because you haven’t gone to visit in a while,” Bottle Cap said. 

 

“Oh dear, I really should stop by and say hi,” Laces said, nodding to herself as she made a mental note of it.  

 

“Yeah and I also went to see Pixie, Cookie and Tangles,” Bottle Cap said. 

 

“Oh really what did they say?” Laces asked. 

 

“Oh they were just talking about some things.  They told me to tell them when Spot was in good humor so that they could come talk to him and Jack,” Bottle Cap. 

 

“Hmm, that’s odd,” Laces said. 

 

The two continued talking until well after dark.  When Laces saw how late it was she sent Cap off to bed and she soon fell asleep in her weariness. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack was walking with David into the Jacobs’ apartment.  They had sold well enough for an afternoon edition and now they were pretty beat.  Jack was looking forward to seeing Sarah, after all, he hadn’t seen her in three days and he hadn’t really mentioned anything about the whole thing to her, but he figured that David must have said something. 

 

“Hello there David, Jack how have you been?” Mayer Jacobs said as he saw the boys enter.  David smiled at him and then at his mother who was standing in the kitchen. 

 

“I have been well enough sir,” Jack replied. 

 

“Good, good boy,” Mayer nodded.  “Sarah is up on the roof doing some laundry.  She’s been worried about you, but I told the girl not to worry,” Mayer said.  Jack nodded and bolted up to the roof without another thought. 

 

Jack climbed up the fire escape and onto the roof where Sarah was hanging some clothing up onto the line.  Jack crept up behind her and put his hands around her waist. 

 

“Hello Sunshine,” he said.  Sarah shrugged him off, which made Jack back off immediately. 

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked.  Sarah turned to him, pushing her hair out her face. 

 

“Where have you been?  I have been worried sick,” she said. 

 

“You mean Dave didn’t tell you?” Jack cocked his head. 

 

“No he did not tell me,” Sarah said.  “He only mentioned something about you not being around for a little while,” Sarah said. 

 

“I was handling something in Brooklyn,” Jack said. 

 

“What is that something?” Sarah asked as she started to get some more clothing out of her basket. 

 

“Sarah, it was nothing, we were just locked in a basement trying to get Spot, Spades and Angel to talk,” Jack said. 

 

“Why did you have to be in the basement with them?” Sarah demanded.  Jack ran his hand through his hair. 

 

“Well it was Laces’ idea, to make sure that they didn’t lie when they had said that they had talked it out,” Jack said, weary of these questions. 

 

“Laces?  Was she in the basement too?” Sarah asked, her eyes flaring a bit, but Jack didn’t notice. 

 

“She wasn’t suppose to be.  It wasn’t in the plan for her to be, but she sort of got stuck down there,” Jack said.  Sarah glared at him. 

 

“She got stuck!  How did she get stuck?  Are you telling me that all this time you have been locked in a basement with Laces?  And two other girls?” Sarah said. 

 

“What’s wrong with you?” Jack asked, suddenly noticing that Sarah was unhappy. 

 

“What’s wrong with me!  What’s wrong with me, my boyfriend spends 3 days in a basement with a girl who is known for messing with relationships that you and Spot have with other girls,” Sarah said. 

 

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked, now he was getting frustrated. 

 

“Do you not see that Laces has been after you ever since we started going out?” Sarah demanded. 

 

“Sarah, what’s wrong with you?  Are you jealous of Laces?” Jack asked, suddenly getting a clue. 

 

“You know what Jack, I don’t want to talk to you right now,” Sarah said, turning back to her clothing. 

 

“Sarah, but I mean what are you worried about?” Jack went up to her and put his hand on her cheek.  “I love you,” he said.  Sarah stared at him a moment. 

 

“Are you sure that you don’t have any feelings for her?” Sarah asked.  Jack looked at Sarah a moment.  There was silence, Jack stared at Sarah and slowly looked at the sky beyond her. 

 

“You do have feelings for her?” Sarah said in a question form for herself.  Jack snapped back. 

 

“No, not the feelings you think I have for her.  No I love her like a sister,” Jack said.  Trying to convince himself as much as Sarah. 

 

“That’s good.  I’m glad,” Sarah said, as she kissed Jack.  Jack kissed her back and they stood there for a while until Sarah finished hanging the clothing. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

During the next week nothing much was said.  Spot was treating Laces differently, but it was almost nothing so not many noticed, just the people who had been around the two a lot.  Spot would avoid at all costs going anywhere were Spades or any of her girls would be. 

 

Spades and Angel didn’t go looking for Spot either.  They stayed their distance not wanting another confrontation anytime soon.  Jack stayed in Manhattan also not wanting to go around Brooklyn and having things to do in Manhattan.  Pockets and Blue were in the Brooklyn Lodging House very little.  Most of their time was spent with Spades and Angel.  Pockets tried spending time with Laces, but Spot was around her and made him uncomfortable.  Bottle Cap tried to lighten the mood, but Spot wouldn’t have it.  Spot was in his mad and annoyed mood that was starting to affect everyone by the end of that first week after him getting out of the basement. 

 

Spot and Laces were walking home from selling papers and Spot wasn’t saying much. 

 

“Spot?” Laces said. 

 

“What?” he asked. 

 

“Um, are you mad at me?” she asked.  He looked at her a moment and then let out a sigh. 

 

“No, I ain’t mad at you,” he said. 

 

“Then why are you acting like this?” she asked. 

 

“Well, because I just need some time to myself,” Spot said. 

 

“Then why is it that you are always telling me to come sell with you now?” Laces asked. 

 

“Because it’s safer that way,” Spot said. 

 

“I was safe before and I would sell alone.  I have been on the streets of New York by myself you know Spot,” Laces said, being annoyed with the whole mess of things. 

 

“Yeah, but it ain’t safe Laces.  It’s just better if you sell with me okay,” Spot said. 

 

“No, it’s not okay.  I don’t want to sell with you everyday and especially since you have such a problem with me lately,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, not now,” Spot moaned a bit. 

 

“YES NOW!  You have been saying not now for a week and I can’t take it anymore.  You are ignoring everything except selling and even that you aren’t doing well.  I understand you can be a little shaken up, but this is just ridiculous,” Laces said in a frustrated tone. 

 

“LACES, I SAID NOT NOW!” Spot said in a louder, angrier tone.  Laces glared at him a moment. 

 

“And I said I am sick of you saying that,” Laces said.  Spot glared at her. 

 

“You’re pushing it Laces,” he said. 

 

“What are you going to do to me?  Spot come on, I know that you won’t do anything.  And I am just plain sick and tired of you thinking that you are some kind of freaking god and that just because you can’t handle the world right now it has to stop.  Well let me tell you something, it ain’t going to stop and you need to freaking pull yourself together, otherwise everything that you have worked for in Brooklyn is going to fall apart especially that reputation of yours that you hold so highly,” Laces said.  Spot was glaring at Laces. 

 

“You think that you are the center of the world, don’t you?” he asked.  Laces was shocked. 

 

“What?” she asked. 

 

“Ya think that you are the center of the world.  Just cause Ise treating you like this, you think that it’s because I can’t handle the real world.  Well lemme tell you something Laces, the world doesn’t center you.  So sorry to inform you that sometimes there are more important things then you,” Spot said.  Laces just stood there. 

 

After a moment Spot kept walking figuring that Laces would follow like she had since he had met her, but she didn’t.  She just stood there for a while and then walked to the dock.  On the dock she practiced her slingshot, she aimed for the posts and kept at it until she hit the post and the marble did what she wanted it to do. 

 

“Keep doing it until it does what you want it to do,” Spot had said to her that afternoon before all this had taken place.  Now she practiced keeping his words in mind, even though she didn’t want to.  She was there a long time and when the marble finally did what she had wanted it to do, her whole body was tense from not moving.  She stretched a little and then put her slingshot back in her back pocket and headed down the dock. 

 

At first she started to head back to the Brooklyn Lodging House, but she soon changed paths and started heading to Caroline’s.  She decided that it was the best time to go visit her.  Laces wanted to avoid Spot as long as possible. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot walked all the way to the lodging house without really noticing that Laces hadn’t been following.  He was engulfed in his own thoughts about things, he didn’t notice that there was no one tagging along.  When he entered the lodging house he started up the stairs when Bottle Cap called out to him. 

 

“Hey Spot!  Where’s Laces?” he asked.  That’s when Spot stopped and looked behind him. 

 

“She was behind me,” Spot mumbled to himself.  He walked back down the stairs and went to the door, opened it and looked outside. 

 

“Where did she go?” Spot said out loud.  Bottle Cap went to join him in looking out the door. 

 

“So Ise guessing she was supposed to be following you?” Bottle Cap asked.  Spot gave him a look before saying anything. 

 

“She’ll come back and when she does send her up.  I need to talk to her,” Spot said.  Bottle Cap nodded as he watched Spot go up the stairs to his room. 

 

“He is acting very strange,” Bottle Cap said to himself seeing as there was no one else to talk to. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces walked into Caroline’s apartment.  It had been some time since the last time she had been in there.  Caroline had gone through somewhat of a nervous breakdown after that whole Peach, Bryan thing had happened.  Laces had done what she did best, ignore the subject completely and pretend it didn’t happen. 

 

“Audrey!  I was wondering about you, did Bottle Cap tell you?  I was worried that you were in some new kind of trouble,” Caroline said as she hugged Laces.  Laces smiled weary of the discussion already. 

 

“Well, not really trouble,” Laces said. 

 

“What have you been up to?  Cap said something about you and Spot doing something or another together, but he wouldn’t say.  Said it wasn’t his place to tell me it was yours,” Caroline rambled on. 

 

“Yeah well, I was helping Spot out with a problem.  That’s all we were trying to get him to talk to some old family that he has and was trying to ignore,” Laces said. 

 

“Well, no wonder you two get along so well,” Caroline mumbled.  “I do hope that you weren’t meddling,”

 

“Meddling, me?” Laces said in an innocent tone. 

 

“Audrey, I must say that you get into the most trouble than anyone I have ever met,” Caroline sighed. 

 

“Even more then Bryan?  I’ve heard he was quite a trouble maker himself,” Laces said in a soft tone knowing well enough that she was treading on dangerous waters. 

 

“Bryan?” Caroline squeaked a little.  “Yes my dear boy, he was a trouble maker.  Must say I was surprised he didn’t get kicked out of that last school he was in.  Always was getting sent back home that dear boy.  Father would have fits about him,” Caroline said. 

 

“Father would have fits about me too, nothing special there.  If ever there was a man to die having a fit was him,” Laces said.  Caroline sent her a sharp look, she still didn’t believe much of what Laces had to say when it concerned her father, but she wouldn’t having never seen him like that.  She couldn’t image him like that. 

 

“Well Bryan was a trouble maker your right, he was a lot like you.  He made friends everywhere that helped him either get into trouble or out of trouble.  I followed him around whenever I could.  Mother wouldn’t like it though because at times she believed him, if not his friends to be a bad influence on me.  She did love him to pieces though and his death near finished her off.  Oh dear, how he adored you.  Sometimes I got so jealous I would make sure that you were napping when he was to be home so that he won’t be able to disturb you and he would pay more attention to me,” Caroline rambled like that for some time about Bryan.  And Laces listened loving hearing about her brother getting her mind off of things like Spot, which was too much for her to handle right then. 

 

When Caroline finished telling stories which happened as soon as the rain began to fall, Laces stood up. 

 

“Oh dear, maybe you shouldn’t head back not with it raining.  What if you get sick?” Caroline said. 

 

“Not to worry about me, I won’t get sick.  Well not very anyway.  If I stay I fear that Spot might go looking for me,” Laces said. 

 

“I’m sure he would know that you stayed somewhere to stay out of the rain,” Caroline said. 

 

“Well, he might, but he has been in an odd mood lately,” Laces said. 

 

“Can I go see Spot?” Squirt said.  Laces smiled at him, he was peeking out from behind his door.  He had been in his room that whole time just playing with things not wanting to disturb the conversation that his mother and aunt were having. 

 

“No honey.  See it’s raining, but me and Spot will come to see you soon okay.  Now I better get going before it starts raining harder.  See you soon, bye,” Laces said as she dodged out the door and down the stairs into the rain. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Where is she?  It’s pouring out there?  What if something happened to her?” Spot was saying to himself.  That’s when Bottle Cap stood in the doorway of his room. 

 

“She’s a big girl Spot, she can take care of herself.  You’ve taught her how to well,” Cap said.  Spot looked over at him, annoyed that he had a point. 

 

“But what if she got hurt, or what if one of Pepper’s guys came back, like James?” Spot said. 

 

“I doubt it, she’s probably somewhere sheltering from the rain like the smart thing she is.  She is most likely at Caroline’s or Spades’, maybe even in Manhattan,” Cap said. 

 

“Yeah well if she doesn’t get back soon then I going out to look for her,” Spot said.  Cap shook his head.  They sat there for a little while just listening to the water beat on the window and splash in the streets below.  Soon the door was slammed open and then shut.  Spot jumped and went to see if it was Laces and Cap of course followed. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

In the door came Laces, soaking all over the floor. 

 

“Laces, your getting the floor all wet and you should go up and change out of those clothes before you catch something,” Rick said from his desk looking up at her a moment.  That’s when Spot and Cap came trampling down the stairs. 

 

“LACES!  Where have you been?” Spot demanded.  Cap from behind him made signals to Laces to watch it because Spot was in one of his moods, but Laces being the absent minded person she was sometimes did not seem to take notice of the warning. 

 

“Out, what does it look like?  I went to pick roses, jeez what a question,” Laces said.  Spot sighed. 

 

“GO change before you get sick and then I need to talk to you,” Spot said.  Laces looked at him oddly, but said nothing as she raced past him and Cap to her room where she changed out of the wet clothing into dry clothing. 

 

“Spot, anything wrong?” Rick asked.  Spot looked surprised. 

 

“Nah, nothing wrong.  Just Laces shouldn’t be out in the rain like that she could get sick.  Sides, she wasn’t even supposed to be out,” Spot said.  Rick raised an eyebrow in a really expression, but said nothing because Spot was already heading back up the stairs.  Cap stayed with Rick and as soon as Spot was out of hearing distance they began to talk. 

 

“They have been in a tension mood ever since that basement incident,” Rick said. 

 

“Something is wrong with Spot.  I am not sure what it is yet, but there is something not right,” Cap said. 

 

“Yeah I know what you mean, I think it’s just because he was so shocked by everything that was said in that basement or something.  No way to really tell you know,” Rick said.  That’s when the yelling above started. 

 

“Another one of those fights, lately there have been more of those,” Cap said. 

 

“I know.  That girl is going to end up leaving.  She doesn’t like confrontations like this, they aren’t something she handles well,” Rick said. 

 

“You don’t think that she would leave again?  I mean, she can’t leave after everything that has happened, can she?” Cap asked. 

 

“I really don’t know.  So hard to tell with you kids today,” Rick said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“WHERE DID YOU GO?” Spot demanded for the fourth time. 

 

“I was around Conlon, it don’t matter much.  I am back now,” Laces said as another short beating around the answer that Spot wanted. 

 

“Laces, answer the question, God damn it,” Spot said. 

 

“What is wrong with you Conlon, I mean you would think that I am like your daughter or something by the way you treating me lately,” Laces said. 

 

“Well, you damn well playing the part well, acting like a spoiled child or something,” Spot said. 

 

“What are you talking about?” Laces asked. 

 

“You know what I am talking about, Jack himself even agreed with me once,” Spot said. 

 

“Oh don’t bring him into this Conlon!” Laces said. 

 

“Why not?  Huh?  I mean that’s a part of your life that we never get to talk about.  Even though everyone knows damn well that you love him and want Sarah and him to break it off,” Spot said. 

 

“I don’t know why you are bringing all this up, I went out for a walk, I went to go see my sister,” Laces said. 

 

“Didn’t I tell you how dangerous this was and it started raining and you were out there and you could get sick.  Do you want to get sick?” Spot demanded. 

 

“You know what Spot Conlon, you can just go to ‘ell.” Laces walked into the washroom and slammed the door behind her.  Spot stood there for a moment and then pushed his way out of the lodging house and into the rain. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces sat in her room looking at the wall and throwing different things at it from time to time.  Soon Cap came running into the room, looking scared. 

 

“What happened?” he asked. 

 

“Nothing, I hate Spot,” Laces said. 

 

“No you don’t.  Do you?  I mean what did he do this time?” he said. 

 

“Yes I do, I really hate him now,” Laces mumbled. 

 

“Come on, you are both the same thing.  You’re like family.  Coise you hate him sometimes,” Cap smiled.  Laces gave him an annoyed look. 

 

“When did you get so smart?” Laces asked.  

 

“Someone in this little family of ours has to be,” Cap said. 

 

“Excuse me?” Laces asked. 

 

“Oh wait, I mean I picked it up from the many smart people that are around me,” Cap said in an effort to try to make Laces a happy person again, which wasn’t all that hard to do. 

 

“Nice save Cap,” Laces smiled. 

 

“Thanks,” Cap laughed. 

 

“So where did Conlon go?” Laces asked. 

 

“He left,” Cap responded. 

 

“He went out into the rain?” Laces asked. 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“He is such a hypocrite,” Laces sighed. 

 

“Can you blame him?” Cap asked. 

 

“For what?” Laces said. 

 

“For going out.  You two have been at each other’s throats for weeks now.”

 

“Well, yeah I guess, but it’s his fault,” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah cause nothing is ever Laces’s fault,” Bullseye said from the doorway.  Laces and Cap looked up. 

 

“No it isn’t,” Laces said. 

 

“And you wonder why no one ever gets along with you,” Bullseye said. 

 

“Ah, but see that is wrong, everyone gets along with her,” Cap smiled. 

 

“Ha!  See so it can’t ever be my fault, it’s everyone else’s,” Laces smiled in her victory. 

 

“Yes, well I can name a few instances where it was your fault.  But anyway go get something hot to drink and wrap yourself up.  That’s what Rick said, he said that you should warm yourself up because you could get sick from being out in the rain,” Bullseye said. 

 

“I wasn’t out for that long,” Laces said. 

 

“Still better safe than sorry,” Bullseye said.  Laces groaned a little, but did what they said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot sat on the dock, the rain pounding on his skin.  He watched the water land on the river and send a riveting affect on the whole river.  He was soaking, but he didn’t care, he didn’t feel cold, he didn’t feel anything for that matter. 

 

He was so confused.  He didn’t know why he felt like treating Laces like he had been.  He knew he had been acting strange around her, but that was just what had been coming out.  He didn’t think until after he had done whatever he had done to her.  Spot just couldn’t stand not feeling like he was in control of himself and like he felt like he couldn’t control himself.  He had settled with having control over Laces, which was thought of as an easy task, which it wasn’t and he knew so in his sub-conscience, but didn’t want to think about it. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Dusk ended and night fell like every day it did.  The rain was pouring even stronger than it had been before.  Laces sat in the parlor with many of the Brooklyn newsies, they were all sitting around doing all sorts of odd things.  It was getting late though and Laces was getting worried, looking out the window every so often, but there was no sign of him.  No one else seemed to take much notice that he was gone.  That was Spot Conlon and they all knew that, Laces even knew it to an extent, it’s just she had always been with him when he disappeared or she hadn’t been there at all. 

 

All the newsies knew that Spot would be back, he always was.  He never would leave permanently.  Laces was just worried about it, she had a habit of being a bit of a worried person.  Cap sat with her knowing that she was worried and so he tried to keep her mind off the window and the fact that Spot wasn’t there. 

 

“So Laces, what did Caroline say?” he asked. 

 

“Oh she talked about Bryan,” Laces replied. 

 

“I bet you liked that, learn anything new about him?” Cap asked. 

 

“Yeah a bunch, we were a lot alike you know,” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah, how?” Cap asked. 

 

“We were both trouble makers,” Laces said. 

 

There was silence for a while and that’s when Rick came into the parlor. 

 

“Time to sleep,” Rick said.  Many of the newsies got up without much objection, the younger ones filed out first.  The oldest stayed a while longer talking about the day’s headlines and things of that sort.  Cap headed off bidding Laces a good night.  Laces smiled at him and sat there with the other boys; Pockets and Blue weren’t there but she was use to that.  They hadn’t been coming to stay at the lodging house which she understood. 

 

Soon all the newsies started heading up.  Bullseye was the last one to leave because he was collecting his cards. 

 

“Laces, you should head up and get some sleep,” Bullseye suggested.  Laces shook her head. 

 

“No I don’t need to. I’ll just stay here,” Laces said, as she looked out the window again. 

 

“But Laces, you know he may not come back at all tonight,” he said. 

 

“Oh it’s not because of Spot, I just want to stay down and sit here,” Laces said. 

 

“Okay, whatever you want to do then,” he said. 

 

“Yeah,” Laces said.  Bullseye gave her a look before he headed upstairs. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot came to the lodging house where he slowly and quietly opened the door.  He was dripping wet, his clothing was much like a sponge absorbing all the water that had been falling.  It was sunrise, even though you couldn’t see the sun, you knew it was morning by the light fog that now joined the rain.  He walked into the lodging house. 

 

Laces was still sitting on the couch, she had fallen asleep long ago though.  She even had a blanket that Rick gave her when he noticed that she had stayed and was now asleep.  Spot tired walking along the floor without making much noise because he didn’t want to wake Rick, but he was not succeeding because of the amount of water that was dripping off him and squishing beneath his feet. 

 

Laces, at the sound of the door, had awakened and was now sitting up staring into the light sort of darkness that was in the room.  She saw Spot walking slowly towards the stairs. 

 

“Spot!” she said rather loudly.  Spot jumped at the sound of her voice.  He turned to look into the parlor and that’s when he saw her. 

 

“Laces?” he said softly. 

 

“Yeah Laces, where have you been?” she demanded. 

 

“Out,” Spot replied, using her response from earlier that day. 

 

“It’s pouring outside and look at you, you are soaking wet.  What were you thinking?  Did you even try to protect yourself from this rain,” Laces had gotten up and was pushing Spot towards the stairs where she led him up slowly. 

 

“Laces, shh, you’re going to wake up the rest of the fellows,” Spot whispered. 

 

“I don’t care.  Hurry up and change or you’re going to get yourself sick,” Laces said back a little softer.  Spot gave her very annoyed look, but walked into his room.  Laces looked after him and then outside, the rain had died down, but he had spent the whole night out.  She let out a sigh. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The time came when the rest of the guys got up and Spot came out of his room with a change of clothing.  He hadn’t slept all night, but there was no time now, it was time to sell papers.  Laces smiled at him when he came out. 

 

“Did you sleep a little?” she asked.  Seeing as she had sent him in there a while ago. 

 

“Yeah,” he lied, only to make Laces feel better because he knew that is what she wanted to hear. 

 

“That’s good, well I’m ready to sell,” Laces said. 

 

“That’s great.  Hey you can go sell with Pockets or whatever today.  You don’t have to sell with me,” Spot said.  Laces smiled. 

 

“Okay, see you later,” She said and hoped out the door heading to the selling dock where she would pick up her papes and then go to Spades in search of Pockets.  She hadn’t been able to see him in a while because Spot had been with her every waking moment. 

 

Spot smiled after her and then he waited around a bit before heading out to sell himself.  He sold near the bridge watching the people go back and forth in their hurries to get somewhere.  Every so often though there would be someone who was actually enjoying the day as they walked past the bridge.  Around noon the rain started to fall again softly, nothing of real importance so Spot sold some more and when he finished his stack he went out to sit on the middle of the bridge and have himself a smoke.  He was feeling weak that morning, he figured it was because he hadn’t slept the night before. 

 

He smoked for a while on that bridge even though it started to pour sooner or later.  He didn’t seem to notice again.  He just sat there thinking things over in his mind.  The water almost seemed to make him feel better even though it was making him cold. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces spent the whole day with Pockets which made both of them feel better; they had both had a pair of tensioned days.  Seeing each other and acting like themselves made them feel better.  Spades and Angel were not talking to Laces because they weren’t ready, they were still too angry with her.  So Laces avoided going back when Pockets headed back and she headed back to the lodging house. 

 

When she got to the lodging house she went looking for Spot, but he wasn’t there yet even though it had just started to pour again.  She shrugged thinking nothing about it, he was just out.  She sat around talking and laughing with the other newsies about the day and the sad headlines that they had to sell. 

 

“I am telling you those headline writers are just getting worse and worse, there is either nothing happening in the world or they just not getting paid enough,” Bullseye was laughing.  That’s when Spot walked into the lodging house looking pale.  Laces looked over at him and when she saw how pale he was she gasped. 

 

“Spot what’s wrong?” she asked. 

 

“Nothing,” he said, taking a deep breath as he put out his cigrette. 

 

“Are you sure?” Laces asked. 

 

“You don’t look too good Conlon,” Bullseye said. 

 

“No really I am fine,” Spot said .  Rick looked up from his desk and looked at Spot.  He didn’t look fine.  Laces got up and went over to Spot.  She put the back of her hand on his forehead as she had seen the doctor do to her mother when she first got sick. 

 

“Spot!  Your burning up, come on, go up to bed,” Laces said.  Spot looked at her. 

 

“I’m fine, what are you talking about,” Spot said. 

 

“Spot, go upstairs please.  You are sick, heaven knows from being out all night in that rain,” Laces said.  Spot would have said more, but he passed out before he could causing Laces to scream and some of the younger newsies to get frightened.  Rick shook his head. 

 

“This isn’t good.  Boys, some of you carry him up.  Laces you get some rags and things wet so we can get the fever down,” Rick commanded. 

 

“None of you young ones get near Spot and his room you hear,” Rick said.  Laces went to the kitchen and the boys got up to carry Spot up the stairs to his room. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The night wore on and Spot’s fever went down for a while, but then it would just go right back up.  Laces stayed in the room with him the whole time, not leaving him for a second, never shutting an eye.  Feeling much like she had during the war between Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Rick tired to get her to go to bed, but it was impossible.  What ended up happening was Laces convincing Rick to go to bed. 

 

When morning came Bullseye walked in to check on Spot and Laces. 

 

“So hows he doing?” Bullseye asked. 

 

“I really don’t know the fever has been gone for some time now, so maybe it was just for a little while,” Laces sighed. 

 

“You are not looking any good yourself,” Bullseye commented. 

 

“I’m fine,” Laces said as she looked over to Spot. 

 

“Really?  Now isn’t that what he said,” Bullseye looked at Spot. 

 

“Oh shut up, I really am fine,” Laces said. 

 

“Whatever you say, I ain’t one to tell you if you are or if you ain’t,” Bullseye said as he headed out the door.  Cap was standing in the hallway listening to the conversation because he wasn’t supposed to go into the room because he might catch what Spot had. 

 

“Maybe I should,” Cap started to say out loud and then raced out of the lodging house and down the street in the opposite way of the selling docks. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades’ place was empty except for Spades, Angel, Blue and Pockets who were all sitting in the parlor, the usual hanging out place in the building. 

 

“So haven’t seen your little goyl round ‘ere lately Pockets,” Spades said. 

 

“What did we do scare her?” Angel added. 

 

“She just wanted to help and she don’t like confrontations,” Pockets said. 

 

“Yeah we know that,” Spades said. 

 

“I don’t know what you see in that goyl.  You know well enough that she likes Jack,” Spades said. 

 

“Spades,” Blue said. 

 

“What?  You know it’s true,” Spades said. 

 

“Yeah, but you know,” Pockets said, looking down at his feet. 

 

“But what?  Enlighten us, you don’t think that she is going to fall in love with you sooner or later do you?” Spades mocked a bit.  Pocket looked at her sharply.  That’s when Cap came running in and looked at them all as he caught his breath. 

 

“What’s wrong kid?” Blue asked a bit concerned to see him like this. 

 

“It’s, he’s I mean,” Cap tried saying. 

 

“Breathe and then tell us,”Angel said.  Cap took a deep breath and then nodded. 

 

“Okay, Spot he’s sick,” Cap said. 

 

“What do you mean he’s sick?” Spades asked, suddenly worried. 

 

“He’s been running a fever all night, Laces hasn’t left his side.  I think she might get sick too,” Cap said. 

 

“Oh great, how did he get sick?” Angel asked.  “What is it he has?”

 

“I don’t know what he has.  He spent a whole night out in the rain,” Cap said.  “Least that’s what we think got him like that, last night when he got home from being in the rain some more he passed out, just fell to floor there after Laces asked him what was wrong and said he was burning up,” Cap said. 

 

“Oh no,” Angel said as she started to twist her hair a bit.  Spades got up. 

 

“Where you going Spades?” Blue asked, knowing well where she thought about going. 

 

“To the Brooklyn Lodging House, to be with Spot,” Spades said.  Angel then also got up. 

 

“Who knows how sick he is,” Angel said.  “Only heaven knows what can happen to him.  And we have to be there to support him through this.”

 

Blue smiled to himself, Pockets did too and also thought about Laces, someone to help Laces to keep herself from getting sick which is something that she would do especially when Spot was sick.  Cap nodded, he knew that they would feel that way.  Spot being sick was not something that happened a lot, it actually had never happened before. 

 

The group walked quickly to the Brooklyn Lodging House.  Once they got there Blue and Pockets went out to sell papers.  Spades and Angel headed into the place, right to Spot’s room where they entered without a second thought to it. 

 

Laces looked up from her chair that she hadn’t moved out of the whole night expect to work to bring Spot’s fever down.  Spades and Angel walked in sitting near the bed also and looked at Laces almost as if they wanted to tell her she could go now since they had gotten there. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Laces asked. 

 

“Cap went and told us that Spot was sick, so we came as soon as we could,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah, why don’t you go sell, we can take care of him,” Spades said. 

 

“No, I am not leaving.  If you even think for a minute that I would leave him I won’t,” Laces said, getting a little defensive. 

 

“Fine, you can stay,” Spades said. 

 

“I wasn’t asking your permission.  I don’t need to, need you not forget that he probably won’t even want you around if he wakes up,” Laces said.  Angel and Spades were hurt by the comment but didn’t act like it. 

 

“Well then he will have to deal with us being here won’t he,” Angel said. 

 

The girls didn’t say much after that, just sat there watching Spot struggle against his dreams and things they couldn’t see.  Every so often one of them would get up to make sure he wasn’t running a fever, but that was all they could do and wait to see if he woke up. 

 

The day carried on like that.  When the boys came back Spades sent one of them to her place to tell the girls that they shouldn’t worry about Spades and Angel and they would come back sooner or later when Spot got better. 

 

Pockets walked in, but was quickly sent away because the room was small enough and in fear that he might catch what Spot had. 

 

“Those girls are scared that one of us may catch what he has, but what about them?” Blue said. 

 

“They don’t care if they get it, they would have caught it for Spot if they would have been able to,” Pockets commented. 

 

“So true,” Blue said. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Night fell and most of the day had been calm enough with Spot.  One or two times he had started to run a fever again, but nothing that the girls hadn’t handled right away.  When night came is when they had their first scare. 

 

Spot started to move and struggle by himself. 

 

“What do you think is wrong with him?” Laces asked. 

 

“Having some kind of dream is all I can think,” Spades said. 

 

Then Spot’s eyes flew open and he started to breathe harder as he sat up. 

 

“Angel, go get him water,” Laces said quickly.  Spot looked around him and he saw Spades on the ground next to him and Laces. 

 

“Cookie, Fiona what are you doing out of bed?  Ain’t it late?  Peach ain’t going to be happy,” Spot said.  Laces looked at him oddly.  Spades stared at him. 

 

“Spot, who are you talking to?” Laces asked. 

 

“Fiona, I’ve told you not to call me that,” he said to her. 

 

“Patrick, are you okay?” Spades asked. 

 

“I am perfectly fine, or was until you two decided to come over here and wake me up,” Spot said.  Spades looked at Laces. 

 

“Do you think he’s running another fever?” Spades asked. 

 

“Who’s sick?  Fiona are you sick?  I told you not to go out in that rain,” Spot said. 

 

“He’s lost it, he thinks that we are,” Laces started, but Spades hushed her.  Spades got up and tried to get Spot to lie back down, which he did after some struggle.  Then Laces got the wet cloth and they set it on his head.  Angel came back with a glass of water which they gave to Spot.  He soon fell back into his sleep. 

 

“He should eat something the next time he wakes up,” Laces said. 

 

“What was going on?” Angel asked. 

 

“He thought that I was Cookie and that Laces was Fiona,” Spades said. 

 

“Oh dear, that can’t be good,” Angel sighed. 

 

The girls stayed with him for the rest of the night.  He’d keep waking up and thinking that Laces was Fiona, Spades was Cookie and Angel was Peach.  During the early morning hours he started to throw up, he hadn’t even eaten much of what the girls had given him. 

 

“Maybe we should get a doctor?” Laces said. 

 

“If we could find one that didn’t mind not getting paid much,” Spades said. 

 

“He’s going to get better, the first night is always the worst,” Angel said. 

 

“I sure hope so,” Laces said.  She was beginning to look pale herself and had black circles under her eyes.  She was tried, having no sleep or leaving Spot’s bedside for two whole days.  She was beginning to look much like she had during the war, which was worrying Pockets who sometimes stood in the doorway with Blue. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack and David were walking around Manhattan talking as they sold their papes. 

 

“So Jack, Laces hasn’t been around here lately, you think she’s okay?” David asked. 

 

“I don’t know.  I figured someone would come around like three days ago and tell us something bout her and Spot, but no one ever came,” Jack said. 

 

“Do you think anything is wrong?” David asked. 

 

“I don’t think so, what could be wrong?” Jack asked. 

 

“I really don’t know what could be wrong, but there hasn’t been any word,” David said. 

 

“Well none of them, except for Laces should be very happy with me,” Jack said.

 

“But still,” David insisted. 

 

“Maybe we should go over there and check things out,” Jack said.  David nodded.  The two boys called out a few more headlines before heading to the bridge and Brooklyn. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Rick went upstairs carrying four plates of soup, seeing as the girls would not go anywhere.  He entered the room looking at Spot first then at Laces and then at the other two. 

 

“Here I brought up some soup for you all,” Rick said.  Spot was sitting up in bed and looking weary and beat. 

 

“Hey Rick, isn’t it great to have my little sis and me two best girls here with me,” Spot said.  Rick looked a little confused but agreed. 

 

“Yeah sure it is Spot,” Rick said.  He looked at the girls. 

 

“He thinks we’re,” Laces started to say, but Rick nodded he understood. 

 

“You three should get some sleep, especially you Laces.  You are going to get something sooner or later, don’t forget that you were also out in that rain,” Rick said.  Laces shook her head. 

 

“I won’t get anything, don’t worry about me,” Laces started coughing a little and Rick shook his head. 

 

“I really wish you would listen to me,” he said as he walked out of the room. 

 

“Fiona, are you sick?” Spot asked, looking at Laces.  Laces was still not use to being referred to as Fiona by Spot, so she didn’t respond right away. 

 

“Fiona,” Spot said again.  Laces then remembered that he thought she was Fiona. 

 

“Me sick, no I’m fine.” Laces coughed.  “Just a little cough that’s all,” she said.  Spot gave her his look that he didn’t forget how to do even when he was sick. 

 

“You should listen to Rick and go to bed,” he said. 

 

“No I fine, why don’t you drink your soup and when you fall asleep I promise to take a nap,” Laces said, as she picked up his soup and started to feed him some.  Spades and Angel ate their soups and then Angel went to get Spot some water and Spades gave Spot some syrup that Rick had given them to give to him. 

 

After he was done eating, drinking, and taking the only medicine that they had he fell asleep quickly enough.  Laces sat on the carpet while Angel and Spades sat in the chairs trying not to fall asleep.  All three of them were struggling with sleep.  Laces was lying on the floor with her head on her arm watching Spot in case anything happened.  She was beginning to feel dizzy, but was convincing herself that it was nothing. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack and David walked into the Brooklyn Lodging House, they knew that most of the Nnwsies weren’t there yet,but they had no where else to go having sold all of their papers on their way over there. 

 

Rick looked up from his papers and sighed. 

 

“Hey Kelly, David,” he said. 

 

“Hey Rick, when do you think Laces and Spot will be back?” Jack asked. 

 

“They’re here already.  They upstairs, but you don’t got anything upsetting to tell them do you?” Rick asked worried that Jack came to bring news of a new war or something that wouldn’t be good. 

 

“No, we just came to see them.  We were wondering if everything was okay because we haven’t heard any word from them in a while,” David said. 

 

“Oh, well I warn you boys, don’t stay long.  We aren’t sure what Spot has and Laces seems to be catching it to.  I told them both not to go out in the rain, so stubborn though,” Rick said. 

 

“You mean they’re sick?” Jack asked. 

 

“Spot is,” Rick nodded. 

 

“Why didn’t anyone go to tell us?” David asked. 

 

“I thought someone must have,” Rick said as he shrugged.  Jack and David headed up the stairs and walked into Spot’s room. 

 

“How is he?” Jack asked Spades and Angel. 

 

“We don’t know.  We think he’s doing better,” Angel said not very surprise to see them, she was too tired to be surprised. 

 

“Hey Laces, you feeling okay?” David asked as he looked at Laces who was still on the floor curled up in a little ball. 

 

“Heya Davy, Jack.  Yeah I’m fine,” Laces looked at them for a second and then back at Spot. 

 

“Maybe we should talk outside for a minute, you all look like you need some air,” Jack said. 

 

“But we can’t leave Spot.  What if something happens?” Spades said. 

 

“Nothing is going to happen,” Jack said. 

 

“And sides if anything does then Laces will warn us,” David said. 

 

“But she should go with us,” Jack looked at David. 

 

“Shh, she fell asleep.  We should just let her sleep a moment while you two get air and talk a bit with us,” David said. 

 

It was true, Laces had fallen asleep on the floor.  She had not be able to resist the temptation anymore. 

 

“But if she’s asleep then she can’t warn us,” Angel said. 

 

“She’s never been a heavy sleeper, everything wakes her up,” Jack said as the guys led Spades and Angel out the door.  They walked into the bunkroom and Jack leaned against the bunk. 

 

“So what’s been going on?” Jack asked. 

 

“Spot’s been sick,” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah, we noticed that one,” David mumbled. 

 

“How long he been sick?  And do we know what it is yet?” Jack asked. 

 

“We have no idea what it is, I’ve never really seen many illnesses, and he’s been getting a lot of fevers,” Angel said. 

 

“He’s lost, he thinks that we are Peach, Cookie and Fiona,” Spades said. 

 

They talked a little more until they heard a yell and a scream coming from Spot’s room.  Jack at the scream started walking towards the room. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces was sleeping on the floor when Spot woke up.  He looked down at Laces and saw that she was sleeping. 

 

“Fiona!  What are you doing lying on that floor?  Why aren’t you sleeping in your bed?  What’s wrong with you?” Spot said. 

 

Jack walked into the room.  “Spot,” Jack said. 

 

“Cowboy, what is Fiona doing here?” Spot demanded. 

 

“Spot, what are you talking about, that’s Laces,” Jack said. 

 

“Who’s Laces, what are you talking about, that is Fiona my little sister,” Spot said.  Laces was sitting on the floor looking at Spot. 

 

“I think he’s running another fever,” Laces said from the floor. 

 

“Fiona, I told you that I am not sick,” Spot said. 

 

“Laces, you’re upsetting him honey and you really don’t look well.  Maybe you should go into your room and get some rest,” Jack said. 

 

“No I am fine,” Laces said.  Spot tried getting up from his bed. 

 

“Fiona, I am going to take you to your room myself,” Spot said.  Laces jumped up. 

 

“No, stay in bed Spot,” she said. 

 

“I’ll take her to bed Spot, don’t worry about it,” Jack said. 

 

“No you won’t, I am fine.  I am staying here with Spot,” Laces said.  Jack gave her a sideway look while he looked at Spot. 

 

“How you feeling Spot?” Jack asked. 

 

“I’m feeling better, but the room is starting to spin,” Spot said. 

 

Laces was about to sit back down when Jack grabbed her around the waist. 

 

“Come on Laces, you’re upsetting him by staying here,” he said as he started to pull her out.  When she started to struggle, he just lifted her up in his arms completely where she couldn’t do much. 

 

“JACK, PUT ME DOWN!” Laces screamed.  Spot went into one of his fits, he started shaking and was cold but hot at the same time.  Spades and Angel were trying to calm him down. 

 

“Laces, you aren’t helping things along,” Jack said to her as he entered her room. 

 

“But Spot, I can’t leave him alone,” Laces said.  David looked at her. 

 

“Yeah you can, you have to worry about yourself too sometimes,” he said to her. 

 

“But I can’t,” Laces said as Jack put her on the bed.  Jack was going to cover her with a blanket but Laces stopped him. 

 

“No it’s hot Jack, I don’t need a blanket,” she sighed. 

 

“Hot, it’s not hot,” Jack said.  Dave looked at Laces and then put his hand on her forehead. 

 

“Jack, she’s sick too,” he said as he looked up. 

 

“I am not sick,” Laces said as she started to fall asleep. 

 

“Shh, just sleep some,” Jack said to her as he put the blanket on her anyway and went for some rags. 

 

“We have to get her fever down,” Dave started to say. 

 

“This isn’t good,” Jack said as they went for the materials. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The days past and Laces got worse as Spot got better.  Laces was beginning to have the fevers that he had and Jack was around with Pockets who helped to take care of her. 

 

One day Spot woke up in the morning and looked around his room.  He was feeling much better.  He had not had one fever that whole night.  Spades and Angel were asleep in their chairs.  When Spot saw them he looked angry. 

 

“Spades?  Angel what are you doing here?” Spot demanded.  Spades and Angel woke up and looked at Spot. 

 

“Spot?  Are you okay, are you feeling better?  Would you like something to eat?” Spades asked. 

 

“I’m fine, what are you doing here?” Spot asked again. 

 

“You are sick, we are taking care of you,” Angel said. 

 

“Well, I’m fine you can leave now,” Spot said. 

 

“But Spot, we can’t leave you.  Laces can’t take care of you, she’s just as sick as you were,” Angel said. 

 

“Laces is sick?” Spot asked. 

 

“Yeah,” Spades said, her eyes getting a glazed look. 

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter.  Ise going to be fine, thanks for what you done, but now you can leave,” Spot said.  Spades stared at him. 

 

“We can’t leave,” she said. 

 

“Yeah you can.  What’s the matter, can’t you walk?” Spot asked. 

 

“Spot, haven’t you forgiven us yet?” Angel asked, almost afraid of the answer.  There was silence for a moment.  Spot stared at Spades and Angel not wanting to responded. 

 

“PATRICK, respond damn it!” Spades said getting impatient with the whole situation.  She hadn’t been getting any sleep and her mood was not the best right then and Spot was testing it. 

 

“No, I haven’t forgiven you!  I don’t think that I ever will!” Spot yelled back.  Angel stamped her foot as she bit her lower lip.  Spades took a deep breath and then picked up the picture of Spot’s family that she had been looking at and she threw it at the wall. 

 

“That’s what I think of you Spot!” Spades screamed. 

 

“Spades,” Angel said, trying to remain calm. 

 

“NO!  I am sick of this.  I am sick of begging him to forgive us!  There is nothing to forgive, we did nothing wrong!” Spades said.  The picture had hit the wall, sending the glass that had covered it to shatter in a bunch of pieces.  Spot glared at Spades and Angel. 

 

“I told you, that you could leave,” Spot said in his quiet dangerous tone. 

 

“You know what!  Fine, I’ll leave!  You won’t see us again!  Damn this, I don’t have to take this,” Spades said. 

 

“But Spades,” Angel said. 

 

“Let’s get out of here,” Spades said.  Stamping out of the room, in the hallway stood all the newsies. 

 

“What the hell are you all staring at?” Spades demanded as she pushed her way through and out the door.  Angel looked at Spot one more time, her eyes were watering now.  She looked at the picture and then she let out a sigh as she heard Spades shouting for her from below. 

 

“Bye Patrick,” Angel said.  Spot just glared at her.  She walked out and Blue stood there looking at her and then at Spot.  He shook his head and started to follow. 

 

“Pockets we leaving, you joining us?” Blue asked, as he looked into Laces’s room. 

 

“No wait?  Why are you leaving and who’s we, what was that screaming about?” Laces demanded.  Blue didn’t respond though. 

 

“I don’t think so Blue.  I’ll see you guys around okay,” Pockets said as he looked at Laces.  Jack was trying to get her to stay in bed. 

 

“Fine see you around Pockets,” Blue said as he walked off with Angel. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Jack, let me up, what happened?” Laces asked.  She was running another fever but she knew that something was going on with Spot.  She could hear the screaming that had gone on.  Jack didn’t want to let her up, but she got up anyway and walked into Spot’s room. 

 

“Spot!  What happened?” she asked, trying to stand only achieving to sit in the nearest chair. 

 

“Laces, what are you doing out of bed, I was told that you were sick,” Spot said. 

 

“What happened?  Tell me, why did Blue say he was leaving, where are Spades and Angel?” Laces asked.  Then she saw the picture on the ground and the glass everywhere.  “Spot?” she said. 

 

“They’re gone Laces, they ain’t going to bug me no more,” Spot said. 

 

“What do you mean?” Laces asked a bit confused. 

 

“They wanted me to forgive them Laces,” Spot said. 

 

“So what happened?” Laces asked. 

 

“I can’t do that,” Spot said in a matter of a fact way. 

 

“But Spot!” Laces said, getting altered all over again.  “You didn’t tell them that did you?” Laces asked. 

 

“Yeah I did and then Spades had a fit.  They won’t come back.  Not Spades, she won’t, not after she asked for forgiveness,” Spot said. 

 

“How could you do that!  After everything that they did for you!  You didn’t mean it!” Laces said. 

 

“Yeah I did,” Spot said. 

 

“NO YOU DIDN’T!” Laces screamed.  “I’ll go get them.” Laces got up and started heading down the stairs. 

 

“Laces wait, where are you going?” Pockets said.  Jack followed her down the stairs.  Laces got to the door and opened it. 

 

“Wait come back Spades, Angel, Blue!  He didn’t mean it!  Really come back!” Laces screamed.  She loosened her grip on the door and lost her strength from one moment to the next causing her to fall and pass out. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades stormed into the building, the girls were all sitting around the parlor having nothing to do.  They were startled by the sudden bang that Spades caused when she threw a few things around. 

 

“Spades and Angel are back,” Cheeky said.  Spades walked into the parlor and Angel and Blue walked in after her. 

 

“Get your stuff, we’re leaving,” Spades said.  Scorch jumped up. 

 

“Really?  No more Brooklyn?” she asked. 

 

“Yeah, no more Brooklyn,” Spades said. 

 

“What happened?” Shady asked. 

 

“It doesn’t matter, now move,” Spades demanded.  The girls didn’t ask any more questions but headed up the stairs and started collecting their stuff. 

 

“This isn’t a good thing,” Candy said. 

 

“Ise guessing things didn’t go well,” Vigor said. 

 

“I didn’t see Pockets with them though.  You don’t think he’s not coming?” Cheeky said. 

 

“I was getting real used to having a bed to sleep in at night,” Shady whined a little. 

 

“Can’t say I’m not going to miss this place,” Scorch said. 

 

The girls all started to pack their things and Spades headed up to her room and packed everything with a passion.  She was so mad, she had no idea where they were heading yet, but she just couldn’t take having to deal with Spot anymore.  She had tried, but every person had their limit and she had reached hers and she had to face it.  There was nothing more she could do about it.  She had to leave or she would tear herself apart. 

 

Blue watched Spades not saying anything, he had wanted her to try more than anyone.  He wanted Spades to feel better about the whole thing, but it hadn’t worked and he had about given up.  He was going to miss Brooklyn.  He had gotten so use to the routine and so use to the fact that he didn’t have to worry about many things.  He liked living the carefree life of a newsie, but he would never let Spades and Angel and the rest of the girls go anywhere without him.  When they had first come to Brooklyn he knew they would have to leave sometime.  That’s just the way they worked, they wandered. 

 

Angel sat in her room, she had tried to pack, but she was too emotional to pack.  She started to cry soon enough and just sat there on her bed thinking about Spot and how he was so stubborn and cold hearted. 

 

“Maybe he isn’t the boy we left behind,” she said out loud between her sobs.  The girls spent most of the afternoon packing things. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack picked Laces up from the floor.  She was to weak to have to handle these things right now. 

 

“I swear I think that trouble follows this girl around,” Rick said.  Jack nodded as he carried her back up the stairs and to her room.  Pockets followed him looking at Laces with a wishful look.  He didn’t know what he was going to do; he had spent most of his life with Blue and Spades’ gang.  He didn’t remember how it was without them.  He loved them like they were family, which they were as far as he was concerned. 

 

Jack put Laces down on the bed and looked at her.  Laces opened her eyes and looked at Jack. 

 

“Jack,” she smiled. 

 

“Laces, I told you not to go downstairs.  You see what happened,” Jack said as he smiled back. 

 

“Thanks for bringing me back up Jack,” Laces said. 

 

“Welcome Kid,” Jack said. 

 

“You’re always there when I need you.  That’s why I love you so much,” Laces said as she closed her eyes.  Pockets looked at the scene, he took a deep breath and struggled with the thoughts that he was having.  But he knew deep down that it was true, Laces loved Jack, she didn’t love him. 

 

Pockets went over to the bedside and kissed Laces on the forehead.  Then he headed out of the room. 

 

“Pockets?” Jack said. 

 

“Tell her I said bye,” Pockets said as he grabbed his cap and headed out of the lodging house.  Jack looked after him and then he looked at Laces. 

 

“She isn’t going to take this well when she wakes back up,” Jack said.  He decided to go check on Spot. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Pockets walked quickly down the street towards Spades’ place, the wind was burning in his eyes.  He didn’t want to think about how Laces was going to take the news when she woke up.  He knew well enough that she wasn’t going to take it well, he had been her strength through out all that had happened and he knew that.  But he couldn’t take being used like he was being used much longer.  He couldn’t stand there with her and Jack and know that she felt more for Jack than she did for him.  He knew that she loved him, but not the way she loved Jack, he was meant to be only a friend.  He had come at the wrong time. 

 

He couldn’t stay with a girl he had only met a little while ago and knew she didn’t love him back.  He needed to go with his family, the only one he had ever known, he needed to be with Spades and Blue.  He knew that before they left, he knew that while he looked at Laces, he had always known the day would come when Spades would leave and he would have to decide.  He was just wishing that it hadn’t happened so soon.  Maybe he would have been able to make her fall in love with him and out of love with Jack. 

 

“No, I know she loves him.  I knew she would and I was just fooling myself,” Pockets said as he kicked up some dirt that was on the street.  He got to Spades’ place hoping that she hadn’t gone anywhere yet.  He walked in and up the stairs, hearing some movement he knew that they hadn’t left yet.  He walked down the hall and stood in the doorway of Angel’s room, she was crying.  He looked at her for a moment.  This was hard on her.  She had been so set on fixing their whole relationship with Spot.  He walked in and sat at the bed with her. 

 

“Angel honey, come on,” Pockets said. 

 

“Pockets?” Angel said. 

 

“Yeah, tis me,” Pockets smiled his charming smile. 

 

“I thought that you weren’t coming,” she said. 

 

“You knew I wouldn’t abandon me family,” Pockets said. 

 

“Coise, I knew you wouldn’t,” she nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. 

 

They sat there for a little while. 

 

“Got anything you going to take with you this time?” Pockets asked. 

 

“Well, Spades said we ain’t going to come back,” Angel said.  “But I don’t believe we could stay away forever so I just taking some clothing, maybe a thing here and there,” Angel said.  Pockets nodded, thinking that if Spades wanted to stay away forever she would.  Spades was one of the most stubborn people that Pockets had ever met, not that he had much of a problem with that because he didn’t.  The only problem that ever came up was that all of them were stubborn so when it came to decision making they had to all agreed or nothing would be done. 

 

The gang was all ready to go, not really having anything that they would really take with them.  They stood in the parlor and looked around. 

 

“I’m going to miss this place,” Shady sighed. 

 

“Don’t look back,” Blue whispered to Spades.  He then looked at Pockets who stood next to Angel, he was glad that he had decided to come with them.  He hadn’t had a chance to find out what had happened though.  The gang stared at the place one last time and then they headed out one by one.  They walked out as the sun was beginning to set. 

 

“So where we heading?” Cheeky asked. 

 

“I don’t know, maybe the Bronx?  Haven’t been there in a while,” Spades said. 

 

“But there is never enough business in the Bronx,” Candy whined a little. 

 

“Well what about Staten Island?” Spades said. 

 

“Well, we haven’t been there in the longest time,” Scorch said happily.  She was very happy about no more Spot and she was trying to think of that instead of the fact that they were leaving the place that she had grown so attached to. 

 

“I guess so,” Cheeky said. 

 

So with a few more mumbled responses they decided on Staten Island. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack sat with Spot talking, the boy had stopped living in his sick mood world.  Now he knew what was going on. 

 

“Spot, how could you have done that to them?” Jack asked. 

 

“Well, they shouldn’t have been here,” Spot said. 

 

“What do you mean they shouldn’t have been here?  Spot, for heaven’s sake, you’re sick and they’re your family,” Jack said. 

 

“But I didn’t want them here and they knew that,” Spot said. 

 

“Spot, they might have known that you didn’t want them here, but come on.  If they got sick wouldn’t you go and take care of them,” Jack said. 

 

“Well, I don’t know.  How’s Laces?” Spot asked, trying to get off the subject of himself.  Jack shook his head. 

 

“She’s not doing too well.  She’s getting more fevers and she just passed out in an attempt to catch Spades, Angel and Blue,” Jack said. 

 

“She really should learn not to do things like that,” Spot said. 

 

“Well, if we didn’t give her such occasions as this then maybe she wouldn’t,” Jack said. 

 

“Yeah well,” Spot said. 

 

“There’s also a few other things that are going to get her upset when she wakes back up,” Jack sighed. 

 

“Like what Jacky-boy?” Spot raised an eyebrow. 

 

“Pockets left,” Jack said. 

 

“Oh.  That goyl was really attached to him,” Spot said. 

 

“Yeah, I don’t really know why he left,” Jack commented.  Spot looked at Jack and he knew that Jack and Laces probably did something that made Pockets wake up and notice that she was in love with Jack and not him.  Spot shook his head, he himself had noticed the same thing but in a much more hurtful way. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A few more days passed and Laces got better.  Spot was now walking around, but Rick said he shouldn’t sell for another few days and so Spot didn’t.  Listening to someone for the first time in his life, also he wanted to be around with Laces.  Jack ended up heading back to Manhattan when Spot got healthy enough to walk around and watch over Laces by himself. 

 

Laces was getting a lot better, she was sitting up in bed now and she could get up sometimes.  Her fevers had gone away, but she was drained of her energy after having been sick for such a while.  Spot refused to tell her anything that happened until she got better and so she didn’t get out of bed for very long.  She slept most of the day and she ate all the food that Rick brought up to her in hopes that her recovery would not take very long.  She’d keep asking where Pockets was, but Spot always said that he went out and would be back soon.  Then she would fall asleep and Spot would say that he came while she was sleeping. 

 

Bottle Cap wanted to tell Laces everything that had happened and almost had a few times, but Spot had caught him before he could.  Spot would kick him out of the room and warn him that if Laces found out a word before she got better Spot would get very mad with Bottle Cap and Laces wouldn’t get better soon.  So Bottle Cap had to stay away from Laces’s room because she would make him feel guilty in an attempt to get the information out of him. 

 

Spot was sitting in a chair watching Laces as she ate some soup slowly. 

 

“Spot,” Laces said. 

 

“What Laces?” Spot asked. 

 

“I’m feeling much better now,” she said. 

 

“I’m not telling you yet,” Spot said. 

 

“Spot!  If you don’t tell me soon I am leaving,” Laces said. 

 

“Really?  Where you gonna go?” Spot asked interested. 

 

“Manhattan,” Laces replied. 

 

“How you going to get to Manhattan when you feeling like you are?” Spot said.  Laces looked at him and then she took the soup tray and set it down.  She took a deep breath and started getting out of bed.  Spot just started laughing at her, thinking she wouldn’t go very far, he gave her the stairs.  Laces just glared at him and kept getting out of bed, she grabbed her cap and walked out of the room and started walking down the stairs.  Spot was to busy laughing to follow her. 

 

Bottle Cap and Bullseye were in the parlor when they saw Laces walking along. 

 

“Laces?” Bottle Cap said.  She looked at him and smiled. 

 

“Where are you going?” Bullseye asked surprised that she was out of bed and moving towards the door. 

 

“I’m going to Manhattan,” Laces said. 

 

“Really?” Bullseye said not believing her.  She just nodded and headed for the door again.  She opened it and stepped out onto the street and shut the door behind her. 

 

“Is she really going?” Bottle Cap asked Bullseye. 

 

“I don’t think so, I think she just went out for a breath of air,” Bullseye said. 

 

Laces kept walking though down the street, looking at all the buildings that she felt like she hadn’t seen in forever when it had only been like two weeks at the most that she had been inside without coming out.  Laces was about to turn the corner to head for the bridge when she got really tired and wanted to rest, but there was no where to rest.  That’s when Jack came walking down the street with Racetrack. 

 

Jack looked up and saw Laces leaning against a wall and started running towards her. 

 

“Laces?  What’s wrong?  What happened?” Jack asked worried.  Laces looked up at him and smiled at him and then at Race.  Both boys had worried expressions on their faces. 

 

“Nothing happened, why would anything be wrong?” Laces asked. 

 

“Laces, what are you doing out here?” Race asked, lighting his cigarette. 

 

“I was going to Manhattan,” Laces stated. 

 

“Why?  You’re still sick, recovering.  You shouldn’t be walking like this in this air, it’s not good for you,” Jack said. 

 

“But I wanted to, Spot didn’t think I could and he’s probably still laughing at me, but I was going to I still am.  Now you can walk with me,” Laces smiled weakly. 

 

“No we’re not young lady, your going back to the Lodging House and getting back in bed,” Jack said. 

 

“But I don’t want to, I want to go back to Manhattan,” Laces whined. 

 

“Laces, I don’t believe that you would get out of bed.  Don’t you know how sick you’ve been?  How worried all of us have been?  Can’t you take care of yourself,” Race said. 

 

“Think about it Laces, you can’t go walking in this weather to Manhattan after how sick you have been,” Jack said to her.  Laces pouted a bit. 

 

“But I want to go to Manhattan.  I want to know what happened and where Pockets is.  Spot won’t tell me,” Laces said.  Jack looked at Race and sighed. 

 

“Come on Laces,” Jack said as he picked Laces up.  Laces agreed readily to being carried back anywhere as long as she didn’t have to walk anymore.  The walking took too much effort. 

 

“Now I know what Spot meant when we first met you about having to always carry you around,” Jack laughed.  Race nodded, still smoking. 

 

“So Kid, I’m guessing that you’re feeling better if you’re back to driving us all out of our minds,” Race smiled. 

 

“I do no such thing,” Laces said. 

 

“What you telling me that you make life easier for us?” Race asked. 

 

“Coise I do,” Laces said. 

 

“Only that smile of yours, but your trouble making self could never be more work,” Jack mumbled. 

 

“Did you say something?” Laces asked. 

 

“No, nothing,” Jack said. 

 

“I didn’t think so,” Laces said as she was dozing back to sleep in Jack’s arms.  When they got back to the lodging house Spot and Bullseye were getting ready to leave and go looking for Laces.  When Jack came in with Laces, Bullseye and Spot both let out a relieved sigh. 

 

“Laces!  What were you thinking!” Spot demanded, waking Laces up from her half sleep half wake state. 

 

“Spot, I told you I was going to Manhattan if you didn’t tell me,” Laces moaned, knowing the lecture that was coming on. 

 

“Laces, you should know better than that.  I told you to recover completely and then I would tell you everything.  I bet you that Jack and Race here agree that we should wait till you’re feeling better before we tell you what happened,” Spot said. 

 

“Well,” Jack started to say.  Spot sent him a look that told him not to contradict in front of Laces herself.  Jack took Laces upstairs and put her back into her bed. 

 

“Now you stay here, don’t think about going anywhere.  I am going to go talk to Spot and maybe I can convince him to tell you a little of what happened,” Jack winked at her.  Laces smiled and nodded. 

 

“Okay, thanks Jack,” she said.  Jack smiled and Laces stared at him with adoring eyes as he walked out of the room.  Jack walked down the stairs. 

 

“Conlon, how can you not tell her about Pockets!  And why don’t you just tell her what she wants to know.  I think it’s altering her as much or more not knowing and wanting to know as if she actually knew,” Jack said. 

 

“I don’t think she needs to know,” Spot said. 

 

“What, you think that she’s going to forget?  If it’s something that Laces can do is remember things.  Do you really think that she forgets how to play poker all those times?” Race said.  Jack and Spot gave him a weird look. 

 

“You think she remembers?” Jack asked. 

 

“Okay maybe that’s pushing it, but things like this she won’t forget.  She ain’t some little kid that you can trick like that Spot, you can’t.  Not this goyl,” Race said. 

 

“She deserves to know at least about Pockets,” Jack said. 

 

“But if I tell her about Pockets then she will know what happened with Spades and them,” Spot said. 

 

“Well, she would find out sooner or later from someone anyway,” Jack said as he shrugged. 

 

“I guess,” Spot said.  “Thanks for bringing her back.”

 

“No problem,” Jack said. 

 

“We just came to say hi to the kid anyway,” Race said. 

 

“Well if she’s awake, why don’t you go chat with her?” Spot asked. 

 

“Will do,” Race said as he headed up the stairs. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades’ gang got to Staten Island by actually buying a ticket to the ferry.  They had made enough money in the last few days in Brooklyn and had decided that they didn’t feel like going to a refuge just yet and so they wanted to stay on the safe side of the law for now anyway. 

 

The ferry ride had not been that bad, when you actually pay you get to see a lot more and it’s fun.  Spades and Blue stood on the dock of the small ferry, Blue with his hand around Spades.  Spades was now thinking twice about leaving Brooklyn, had it been the best for the gang?  They had done so well in Brooklyn.  There was always enough business, but she just couldn’t take Spot anymore.  She also knew that the fights that she had with him, worrying about him was causing her work to fall short of quality.  She couldn’t lose her work, the thing that made her different from many other girls on the New York streets. 

 

After the ferry ride the girls all got down and started searching for a good place to get something to eat and then for a place to make money and some place to stay.  Spades saw a factory and shuddered.  Blue looked at her oddly. 

 

“What’s the matter with you?  You cold?” Blue asked her. 

 

“No, factory workers,” Spades said as small children walked out of the building.  Blue nodded, he understood she hated seeing small children that did that for a living.  She had hated it when they had to do it and she hated it now that other children had to do it. 

 

“Don’t worry about it Spades.” Blue rubbed his hands on her arms in an attempt to keep her warm.  They walked around a while finding some good taverns, saloons and things that they could make quick money off of when they needed to.  They found a small place where a family was looking for a border to stay in the back part of their house.  It wasn’t much and it didn’t cost a lot and so they decided that would do.  They didn’t want to stay outdoors, not when they might even end up getting sick without helping it along. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack and Spot were still talking downstairs when Race decided that it would take them to long to decide to tell Laces what she wanted to know.  So he decided to go up the stairs and see her himself. 

 

“Heya Laces,” Race said.  Laces smiled at him. 

 

“Hey Race!” she said back. 

 

“So Kid, what you been up ta?  Making Conlon’s hair stand on end?” he asked.  She laughed. 

 

“Well if I am I ain’t meaning to,” Laces said. 

 

“Sure you’re not, never anything you meaning to do,” Race said as he sat down in the chair next to her bed.  He looked around the room. 

 

“Well I don’t Race,” Laces said as she watched him look around.  He was avoiding eye contact when she preceded to ask her next question. 

 

“So what has been going on?” she asked. 

 

“Oh nothing much, headlines have been getting better.  The guys all miss you in Manhattan and are waiting for you to get better so you’ll come visit us all,” Race said. 

 

“I will as soon as I can.  Race, do you know what happened with Spades?  And where is Pockets?” Laces asked. 

 

“Um, well Spot doesn’t want us to tell you about the whole Spades thing,” Race said. 

 

“But Race, please I am going insane, I need to know,” Laces pleaded. 

 

“You always have been that way, needing to know things that you don’t really need to know,” Race said looking at her. 

 

“Please Race,” she said.  Race let out a sigh. 

 

“Now I understand why Skittery couldn’t keep a secret much around you when the war was going on,” Race said.  Laces smiled. 

 

“Poor Skitts, I would use the silent treatment with him.  It would drive him insane,” Laces said.  Race nodded. 

 

“I know, he would complain.  He still does whenever we refuse to tell him something that you ain’t suppose to know,” Race said. 

 

“What else ain’t I suppose to know?” Laces asked in sudden alarm.  Race looked at her with a grin. 

 

“Nothing, anyway this whole Spades thing.  I ain’t going into detail.  All I am doing is tell you the jest of it.  Spades asked for forgiveness and Spot didn’t give it to her.  So she left,” Race said. 

 

“Wait, left where?” Laces asked. 

 

“Brooklyn.  She said she ain’t never coming back.  Blue and Angel and the rest of the gang went with her of course because they have been a gang for as long as anyone can remember,” Race said. 

 

“Well what about Pockets?  Did Pockets leave with them?  I mean he wouldn’t leave without saying good bye would he?” Laces asked quickly, her heart skipping a few beats at a time.  Race took a puff of his cigar and looked down at his feet. 

 

“Yeah he left, a little after the rest of them.  Jack said he left right after he put you back to bed.  Didn’t say why or anything because he had planned on staying.  But Laces, I mean you have to think about it a little, he had been with Spades and Blue for most of his life.  They are his family,” Race said in an attempt to make Laces feel better. 

 

Laces just stared at Race a moment.  She couldn’t believe that Pockets had left.  She just couldn’t see why he would leave.  She loved him, she knew she did, maybe not like she loved Jack, but Jack wasn’t there for her to love like she wanted, Pockets was.  He was always there when she needed someone to support her through something.  He was never like Spot and Jack who were like brothers and dads at the same time as being friends.  Pockets was a friend who wanted to be more and sometimes Laces acted like more towards him.  She did love him, she didn’t understand why he would leave she thought that he was in love with her. 

 

“Laces?” Race asked.  Laces was beginning to cry and she didn’t responded to Race.  Race patted her on the back not knowing what else to do and being very uncomfortable in the first place. 

 

Laces was thinking about what she might have done, there had to have been something for Pockets to leave so suddenly.  She tried thinking back to that day, she knew what day it was she had heard the yelling and had passed out at the door. 

 

“Jack carried me back up and I looked at him and said I loved him,” Laces mumbled between her sobs.  Race looked at her oddly. 

 

“You told Jack you loved him?” Race asked surprised.  He knew that Laces had an attraction to Jack, but not that it was so strong and that she had the guts to tell him so.  Laces just shook her head. 

 

“He left because he knew that I didn’t love him like I loved Jack,” Laces sobbed into Race’s shoulder.  Race being very confused by this point just tried to comfort Laces. 

 

“Shh Laces, it’s okay.  Maybe it’s better that way if you don’t love him,” Race said. 

 

“But Race, I hurt him,” Laces said. 

 

“But maybe if he had stayed you would have hurt him more.  Not that you would mean to, but Laces, you have that talent sometimes,” Race said. 

 

“Curse that’s what it is Race,” Laces said.  Race sat there with her, she soon gave up crying and started looking out the window.  That’s when Jack and Spot came up. 

 

“Hey Laces, you feeling better?” Jack asked her.  She looked at him with a blank expression. 

 

“Yeah, much better,” she nodded.  Jack and Spot looked at her then at Race. 

 

“Is something wrong?” Spot asked.  Laces shook her head. 

 

“No everything is just peachy!” she said in a bitter tone.  Race puffed at his cigar trying to keep a guilty face from arising and giving him away.  It didn’t work, you could always tell when Race did something.  He wasn’t the type who could hide things like that from people who knew him well.  When he told lies to people who didn’t know him he was an expert, but he couldn’t do it to Spot and Jack. 

 

“Racetrack!” Spot said. 

 

“What?” Race asked. 

 

“You told her didn’t you?” Jack asked. 

 

“Well, it might have slipped out,” Race said. 

 

“You moron,” Spot said. 

 

“Bad as Skittery,” Jack said. 

 

“Hey!  It’s tough, this goyl got some serious talent for those guilt things.  And making you feel bad,” Race said. 

 

“Get out of here,” Jack said in a playful way.  Race got up and smiled at Laces sending her a wink.  She tried to smile back.  Jack sat on her bed as Spot sat in the chair. 

 

“Laces are you okay?” Jack asked.  Laces stared at him, then she looked at Spot. 

 

“Do I look okay?  Does the world seem okay to you?  It’s never going to stop and settle down,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, the world ain’t depending on you,” Spot said. 

 

“No it ain’t and I ain’t depending on the world.  I only depending on me family and friends,” Laces said. 

 

“You can’t blame yourself for that Laces, it just didn’t work out,” Jack said. 

 

“But I can’t not blame myself.  If I could have stopped them, if I would have done something,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, you can’t stop everything.  Some things just happen,” Spot said.  Laces gave him a look. 

 

“You’re saying that Spot Conlon, you who blamed yourself for Fiona and your family as much as you blame Spades and Angel and everything else,” Laces said. 

 

“That’s different,” Spot said. 

 

“It’s always different when it involves you Spot.  Well it’s not, you can’t blame yourself,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, maybe you should sleep some, this isn’t good for you,” Jack said getting worried that this would end in yet another fight. 

 

“But I don’t want to sleep again.  I want to talk.  I want to tell Spot that the reason that he can’t forgive Spades and Angel is because he hasn’t forgiven himself yet,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, not now,” Jack said. 

 

“But I want now,” Laces said. 

 

“Audrey, sleep some,” Spot said as he got up.  He looked at her and walked out.  Jack smiled. 

 

“Sleep some, then when you get better you can lecture him all you want and he’ll have to listen,” Jack said. 

 

“But Jack,” Laces started.  He took his finger and put it up to her lips to hush her. 

 

“Not now Laces,” he said and then he got up and shut the door.  Laces looked after him and smiled, she sighed forgetting everything as she slipped into her dream world where she thought only of Jack and herself, the day when he would take her into his arms and he would just hold her.  That’s how she fell asleep thinking about Jack and herself. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack and Spot stood outside of her room. 

 

“She is getting a lot better,” Jack said. 

 

“Yeah she is, that worries me,” Spot replied. 

 

“Why, you don’t want to have to deal with the confrontation?” Jack asked. 

 

“No, I don’t.  That girl is one to corner people like that when they don’t want to be cornered,” Spot said. 

 

“See, I told you so,” Race said as he came up the stairs. 

 

“Yeah, Race you really shouldn’t have told her,” Spot said. 

 

“She would have found out sooner or later.  She ain’t one to give up easily on something,” Race said. 

 

“Maybe you should remember that Conlon,” Jack said. 

 

“Yeah, but she should be all better in a couple days and I really can’t take her and her confrontations,” Spot said. 

 

“You know she isn’t a confrontational person, but she can confront people better then anyone I know,” Jack said, thinking about it for a little while. 

 

“Well Spot, if you don’t want to deal with it we can take her with us to Manhattan.  The guys are crazy over seeing her anyway,” Race suggested.  Jack nodded at the idea.  Spot looked at the room, thinking about a certain factor that might cause a problem. 

 

“Yeah.  That would be a good thing.  Come back in three days and you can take her to Manhattan with you,” Spot said. 

 

“Laces would have a fit if she knew that you were all talking like that about her like she was some kind of doll that you all owned,” Bottle Cap said from behind them all. 

 

“Well, she can’t hear us and she won’t find out now will she,” Spot grinned at Bottle Cap. 

 

“Hey I won’t tell her that.  No, I like living too much to tell her that,” he said back.  Spot messed up his hair some. 

 

“So that’s what we’ll do,” Spot said.  Jack nodded and they shook on it before Jack and Race headed back to Manhattan. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Three days passed and Laces was up and walking around trying to confront Spot about everything.  Spot was, with all his might, trying to ignore her, but couldn’t for very long. 

 

“Spot!” Laces said as she walked into the parlor where he was sitting wondering about when Jack was going to get there and take her away. 

 

“What Laces?” Spot asked. 

 

“We need to talk about everything,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, I told you there is nothing to talk about,” Spot said back. 

 

“But there is,” Laces insisted. 

 

“No Laces, there isn’t.  I don’t want to talk about anything.  They’re gone, you have to handle that.  I have,” Spot said. 

 

“Have you really Spot, or you just think you have?  Sometimes you should take your own advice you tell me some things that you should tell yourself.  Spades and Angel are some of the only family you have left and you sent them away and now you don’t even realize the mistake you made,” Laces said. 

 

“Laces, I didn’t make a mistake.  They don’t belong with me, trying to be my family now,” Spot said. 

 

“It’s never too late to be what they were suppose to be Spot.  I know that you’re still trying to deal with everything that’s happened.  Things take a while to sink in with you.  I know that you have been trying to ignore the fact that Buttercup is gone too, I know I am trying to.  But like you said, things happen that you just can’t do anything about.  But other things happen Spot, that you can do things about and you should.  Never only take what life hands you, always go for more.  That’s what my brother always said,” Laces said. 

 

“And how would you know that?” Spot asked trying to ignore everything that she had said that might make him think twice about his actions. 

 

“I know everything,” Laces giggled as Jack and Skittery walked in the lodging house.  Laces jumped at the sight of Skittery, she hadn’t seen him in ages. 

 

“Skittery!” she screamed as she jumped up and ran over to him.  They hugged, Skittery lifting her and swinging her around once. 

 

“Hey Laces, how you been?  Feeling better?” he asked.  Laces beamed. 

 

“Yeah I better now.  What about you?” she asked. 

 

“Oh, I’m good,” he said.  “Happy to see you again.”

 

“So Laces, you want to head to Manhattan with us?” Jack asked. 

 

“Well, I would, but,” Laces started. 

 

“No, no buts.  You’re coming.  We came out here to get you to come.  All the guys miss you,” Skittery said. 

 

“Oh I guess so, why not,” Laces said.  She ran up the stairs.  “Just getting some things and then I’ll go with you,” she said.  Once she was up the stairs Spot started thanking Jack. 

 

“Good you got here, she was getting on me nerves,” Spot said. 

 

“I think you need some time to yourself Spot,” Jack said. 

 

“Yeah, I needed her to go over to Manhattan.” Spot nodded in agreement. 

 

Laces came running back down the stairs with her hat. 

 

“Okay ready to go!” she said cheerfully. 

 

“Great, we’ll be seeing you Spot,” Jack said. 

 

“Bye Spot!  Don’t forget to come visit if I don’t come back soon,” Laces smiled. 

 

“How long you planning on staying?” Spot asked.  Laces shrugged. 

 

“You know me,” she replied and out the door the three went.  Spot was left by himself with nothing but his thoughts. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spades’ gang, Blue and Pockets all started their old routine again.  At night sometimes they would hit the saloons and bars and things where they would make some easy money and get some entertainment and drinks that would help them get their minds off of things.  Pockets and Blue took to drinking again, something they hadn’t done as much once they went to Brooklyn.  The girls went back to their card gambling ways in bars and some other ways to get money. 

 

They all stayed in their little place.  Pockets went out with a few different girls trying to forget Laces, while Blue and Spades spent more time together.  Angel went back to her tough ways and not showing emotion, something that the family did well.  She would travel the town looking for something to distract her during the day and at night she would hit the bars and saloons with the rest.  Sometimes the girls went to the tracks and bet on horses with their earnings making even more money because most of the time they were pretty lucky. 

 

“This place got some really good places for business,” Shady said. 

 

“Yeah, the gambling is great,” Vigor said. 

 

“And the drinks is easy to get,” Blue nodded. 

 

“We ain’t even gotten busted yet,” Candy said. 

 

“Well we better get off, tonight we hitting this one place near here it shouldn’t be that hard,” Spades said.  They all nodded and headed out.  They got there and started things like usual, but in the middle of their games a bull came walking in and slowly spotted them out.  He started chasing after them, whistling his little whistle for more bulls to come. 

 

More came and that night the gang spent the night in the refuge, feeling almost at home. 

 

“Well, I almost forgot how it was to be in one of these places,” Spades said. 

 

“Wow, I remember cell time,” Shady said. 

 

“I heard that committee day is in like a week.  Why is it that we always get into these places before committee day?” Cheeky complained. 

 

“Well, I guess you boys better head to the boys bunk,” Angel said to Pockets and Blue.  The boys nodded and headed to the boys bunk. 

 

“What’s eating you Pockets?  You seem sad about being in here? I mean it’s not the best place, but we use to it,” Blue said. 

 

“Yeah we were, but the last time is when I first met Laces.  Do you know I think I fell in love with her the moment she ran into me,” Pockets said. 

 

“You have to stop doing this to yourself Pockets,” Blue said. 

 

“But I can’t, she is just so mesmerizing.  You can’t forget a person like that, a perfect being,” Pockets said. 

 

“She is nowhere near perfect,” Blue said. 

 

“Maybe not, but she’s a lot closer then I am,” Pockets said. 

 

“Well, I don’t know what to say, maybe one day you will see her again,” Blue said. 

 

“I hope so,” Pockets said as he climbed into bed. 

 

Spades and the girls claimed their bunks and started talking amongst themselves. 

 

“Spades, maybe we shouldn’t have left Brooklyn,” Angel was saying from her bottom bunk. 

 

“Angel, we ain’t going through that again, we tried, it didn’t work.  Spot wasn’t going to take it,” Spades said annoyed already. 

 

“But Spades, are we really not going to try ever again?” Angel asked. 

 

“No I don’t think we are,” Spades said. 

 

“But Spades, please, maybe in a few years?” Angel said. 

 

“You’re not going to stop unless I say yes?” Spades asked. 

 

“No I am not,” Angel said. 

 

“Fine, we’ll go back again, but if he hasn’t changed we ain’t staying and trying and putting ourselves through this again,” Spades sighed. 

 

“Okay Spades,” Angel said as she fell asleep.  Spades stared at the window at the dark sky of the night. 

 

“I hope he’s changed, for all our sakes,” she whispered as she too fell into sleep. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces was back on the streets selling papers again in no time.  She felt like everything had gone back to normal now that she was in Manhattan.  She went to lunch at Tibby’s, she laughed and talked and acted like her old self.  Before everything that had happened, before the wars the battles, before Pepper, before Spades and the gang, before Pockets.  When there was nothing going on, when everything was okay, not that there hadn’t been times that were fine after that because there had been, but everything seemed to be happening in a chain and no one could do anything to stop it.  Life had settled though from what it had been. 

 

Laces walked into Tibby’s after selling the morning papers that had a few decent headlines she had been able to improve rather well and make a decent amount of money. 

 

“Hey Laces!” Jack called over to her from the booth that they always sat at.  Dave was sitting there and Laces smiled at them both as she also greeted some other newsies that were around.  She sat down next to Jack. 

 

“Hey guys how was your morning?” Laces asked. 

 

“It was good and yours?” Dave asked. 

 

“It was fine,” Laces smiled.  She ordered some food and they kept talking. 

 

“So Jack, how has Sarah been?  I haven’t heard anything about her?” Laces said. 

 

“Oh that reminds me Jack, Sarah wanted you to stop by and see her sometime today, she preferred around 3,” David said.  Jack nodded. 

 

“I haven’t seen her in two days, I promised that I would stop by soon,” Jack said.  Laces nodded. 

 

“I love New York!” Laces said.  David and Jack laughed. 

 

“Why?” David asked. 

 

“I don’t know, there is just so much about this city that I love that sometimes I need to say it out loud to remind everyone that I love this city so much,” Laces said.  Dave and Jack laughed again. 

 

“You are quite a girl Laces,” Jack said. 

 

“Thank you!” Laces smiled.  That’s when the bell rang that signaled that someone was coming through the door and in walked Spot. 

 

“Heya Spot!” Jack called over, Spot grinned and walked over. 

 

“Hey guys!” Spot said. 

 

“What brings you around these parts?” Laces asked.  “I’ve only been gone a week.”

 

“Oh just came by to say hello.  Got quiet around Brooklyn without you.  Forgot how it felt when you weren’t around,” Spot said.  Laces smiled. 

 

“She’s a loud little person ain’t she,” Race said from his table. 

 

“Hey!” Laces said. 

 

“Almost as loud as you!” Dave said.  Laces laughed at that and Race rolled his eyes.  Spot sat down and began to talk with Jack.  Laces soon grew weary of the conversation that consisted of headlines and leader things that didn’t in the least bit interest her.  She stood up and smiled. 

 

“Well, I’ll be seeing you boys around,” she said and with that headed out of Tibby’s.  Spot and Jack looked after her. 

 

“What happened?” Jack asked. 

 

“You bored her,” Dave said. 

 

“She sure does get bored easily.” Spot nodded. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces walked around Manhattan.  There was nothing to do but sell papers.  It’s not like that wasn’t enough for any old newsie, but Laces needed more then that, always had.  She could never do just one thing.  It annoyed her, she needed to be doing at least two.  She looked at the sky, clouds were rolling, the nice ones that she always loved.  The wind was changing along with the season.  She watched a little getting distracted, forgetting that she was in the middle of a city.  She began to wonder where Spades and the gang had gone, if she had hurt Pockets much, if BC Tate was ever coming back.  They had all been her friends and they just suddenly caught a breeze and blew away from her life without a trace. 

 

She would have kept thinking to herself and watching the small bit of nature you had in New York, but someone rammed into her, causing her papers to fly everywhere.  She scrambled to pick them all up and started mumbling some cruse at the man who had crashed into her.  Someone started to help her pick up the mess from behind her. 

 

“Here Laces,” the person said, Laces turned surprised to hear her name and stared at the person standing in front of her a moment.  She looked familiar but she had never seen this person before.  She had long black hair and smudges all over her face and was dressed in a beat up old skirt and shirt.  Laces didn’t recognize the person, just the eyes. 

 

“Here,” the person said again.  Laces shook herself out of the daze and took the newspapers. 

 

“Do I know you?” Laces asked as she took them.  The girl shook her head. 

 

“No, I don’t think you do,” she said. 

 

“How did you know my name then?” Laces asked confused. 

 

“I didn’t, I best be going,” the girl said running off without another word.  Laces looked after her confused. 

 

“I swear she said my name and her eyes look so familiar, but,” Laces said out loud to herself. 

 

“That’s a great way to sell papers!” Someone shouted over to Laces.  Laces again snapped out of her daze thinking that she could never get much thinking done in the middle of the street.  She took a deep breath and crossed the street to where Blink was selling. 

 

“How would you know what a good way of selling is?” Laces asked him. 

 

“I dunno, ya could say Ise got some ‘sperince,” Blink said shrugging. 

 

“Really?” Laces sounded astounded.  Blink grinned at her. 

 

“Yeah,” he said. 

 

“Oh well maybe you should teach me something?” Laces said. 

 

“Ah, get out of here.  Go finish selling those papes.  Sun’s coming down soon,” Blink swatted his hat at her and she ran across the street and began yelling headlines again a little ways down away from Blink. 

 

She finished selling her last few papers with Blink as the sun had just started to go down and they headed back to the lodging house. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack, David and Spot walked into the Jacobs building and on the stairs they met with Sarah.  She stopped and looked at them all and smiled. 

 

“Hello Spot, David, Jack,” she said.  David sighed. 

 

“Hey Sarah, Spot why don’t you and me head upstairs,” David knew that Sarah wasn’t happy with Jack and wanted to be alone with him.  He wasn’t really liking that his sister and his best friend were going out because lately they did nothing but fight.  Not that it was either person’s fault, just that Sarah was jealous and Jack was careless.  Les was at the door of the apartment. 

 

“Hey Spot!  David!” he said to them as they entered, leaving Sarah and Jack in the hall. 

 

“What is it Sarah?” Jack asked, knowing well enough something was bothering her. 

 

“Is Laces staying in the Manhattan Lodging House?” Sarah asked. 

 

“Yeah she is.  She does that sometimes, she ain’t always in Brooklyn,” Jack said. 

 

“When did she get there?” Sarah asked. 

 

“Where here?  A week ago,” Jack said, not in the mood for Sarah’s paranoia about Laces and himself. 

 

“When will she leave?” Sarah asked. 

 

“I don’t know Sarah, sometimes she only stays a week, others a whole month, maybe two or three.  It all depends on Laces, she’s a wanderer and she don’t like staying in one place too long unless something keeping her there,” Jack said. 

 

“I want her gone.  Make her leave with Spot today or tomorrow or something.  A week is enough,” Sarah said. 

 

“I can’t do that, she’s Laces.  I can’t kick her out like that.  She ain’t doing nothing to you,” Jack said angry that Sarah would even suggest something like that to him. 

 

“I don’t want her in that lodging house with you all the time, tagging along like she does with Spot to you.  I know she does that,” Sarah said. 

 

“What with me?” Jack asked frowning. 

 

“Yeah with you, following you like some little lost puppy.  She always does that with Spot, never leaves his side unless he’s mad at her.  She toys with you both.  I don’t see why she just doesn’t leave all together.  My brother even likes her,” Sarah was annoyed by this point. 

 

“Laces don’t follow me like she does Spot, that’s only with Spot and she’s done that ever since he found her, no one is sure why, not even herself.  She’s never done that with me, ‘ell I’m lucky if she listens to me nevertheless follows me around like that.  And everyone loves Laces because she is easy to love, not cause of anything else.  Stop with this jealously thing now Sarah, it really ain’t nothing to worry about,” Jack said.  

 

“You wouldn’t think so because I’m not the one that some other guy is after,” Sarah said. 

 

“What you saying?” Jack asked. 

 

“Nothing, I just.  You know what, we’ll talk when that girl leaves,” Sarah said. 

 

“Are you saying that you ain’t going to talk to me until Laces goes back to Brooklyn?” Jack asked. 

 

“Right,” Sarah walked away from Jack, leaving him shocked by what she had said.  She walked into her apartment and Spot came out soon enough finding Jack still in the same spot. 

 

“Had a fight Jacky-boy?” Spot asked.  Jack looked at Spot and nodded. 

 

“Another one about Laces,” Jack said. 

 

“Another one, you guys fight about her a lot?” Spot asked. 

 

“Well just lately, Sarah thinks that Laces is trying to steal me away from her.  But you and me know differently, Laces don’t feel that way about me,” Jack said as they began walking down the stairs. 

 

All the way to the lodging house while the sun was setting Jack talked about Sarah and himself, Spot listened knowing that as soon as Jack was done venting it would be his turn to vent.  That’s the way they worked, they vented to each other about everything that might have been annoying them. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Laces walked into the lodging house and felt like she needed some time to think for herself and she headed straight to the roof.  She climbed up there only to find Skittery and Race already sitting up there smoking.  Neither was saying anything, but Laces felt like maybe she couldn’t think about things with them sitting there.  She was about to head back down the stairs when Race turned and saw her there. 

 

“Anything wrong Laces?” he asked her.  She turned back around. 

 

“Nah, I was coming up here to think some, but seeing as you two are already here,” Laces said. 

 

“Come sit with us Laces, we promise not to say nothing if that’s what you want,” Skittery patted the part next to him on the roof.  Laces looked down the escape and then at the roof.  She shrugged and went to sit next to him. 

 

“Well I guess I can sit here,” she said as she smiled.  Race and Skittery puffed at their cigarettes, Laces just stared at the sky and it’s changing mellow colors of the sunset.  She took deep breaths in and let her eyes wander the horizon almost as if she was searching for something. 

 

“Laces, what is it that makes you think so much?” Skittery asked her suddenly. 

 

“Ah, everything.  Anything can make me think.  This afternoon the clouds and the way they move made me stop and think,” Laces said. 

 

“What is it that you were thinking about?” Skittery asked. 

 

“Everything that has happened with Spot and Spades, my brother, my sister,” Laces started.  A small Breeze brushed past the three. 

 

“Oh,” Skittery said.  Laces looked at them both. 

 

“What were you thinking about?” she asked them. 

 

“The day’s headline and how your eyes sparkle,” Skittery said as he let out the smoke.  Laces giggled. 

 

“What about you Race?” she asked. 

 

“About the tracks and the horse that lost today,” Race said in a matter of a fact way.  Laces shook her head and took Skittery’s cigarette and took a puff from it and then she looked at them both. 

 

“Have you ever wished that you could,” Laces started. 

 

“Could what?” Skittery said. 

 

“Well,” Laces jumped up and spread out her arms and closed her eyes. 

 

“What are you doing?” Race asked looking at her oddly. 

 

“Wishing,” Laces replied. 

 

“About what?” Skittery asked. 

 

“I wish that I could catch a breeze,” Laces replied as she took a deep breath. 

 

“Why?” Race asked. 

 

“So that I could fly away and see the world and live life like the birds who are always happy and singing and get to be free to fly away whenever they want,” Laces said. 

 

“If you flew away there would be no more Laces,” Skittery said.  Laces opened her eyes and looked at him, then she sat down again. 

 

“I guess not,” she said. 

 

“Then where would that leave us?” Race pondered. 

 

“In a lot less trouble,” Laces joked.  The boys laughed. 

 

“And a lot less laughter,” Race said.  Laces smiled at this, as she watched the birds and still wished that she could fly away, at least to see what it felt like.  The sun had completely gone down and the sky was in the light dusk stage of the evening.  It began to get colder.  Laces shuddered. 

 

“Come on, we shouldn’t be out here.  You were just sick, we should get back inside,” Skittery said as he rubbed Laces arms when he saw her shudder.  She nodded and the three got up and headed back downstairs. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Spot and Jack sat in the bunkroom talking as they did sometimes.  Jack had finished his whining about Sarah and now Spot was talking about his problems. 

 

“Jack, I just I don’t know.  Not having Laces around, not having much to do her words sunk in.  They made sense.  I hate to say it, but they did,” Spot said. 

 

“Sometimes she says things you don’t want her to say because you don’t want to hear them,” Jack said, nodding knowing that at times she did the same thing with him. 

 

“But Jack, I don’t know, I sort of wish that I didn’t say those things to Spades.  I know how mad I made her, but I also know that she was dying inside.  I was dying inside, but we’re both proud,” Spot said. 

 

“Always have been, Irish to the core,” Jack smiled.  Spot nodded.  The words that Laces had said had haunted him after she left, he had tossed and turned in bed just thinking about the words he had said to Spades every time that she had met with him.  After Fiona died that one time, he had scorned her with his whole heart when she had gone looking for him.  Now after she had taken care of him, he had sent her away.  He remembered the tears that were always in Angel’s eyes, he was going insane about what he had done and had needed to talk to someone for a while.  He couldn’t tell Laces, he knew he would never hear the end of it. 

 

“I forgive Spades and Angel, but now it’s too late to tell them,” Spot was saying when Laces, Skittery and Race came into the room from the window.  Laces looked at Spot.  She had heard those words from his mouth.  Spot and Jack looked over to them and Spot groaned a little. 

 

“See I told you,” Laces smiled. 

 

“Yeah, I know.  I know,” Spot said.  Jack grinned. 

 

“Let’s not start Laces,” Jack said. 

 

“Oh start what?” Laces asked. 

 

“You know what I mean,” Jack said. 

 

“I know,” Laces said.  She walked over to the door and looked at the boys a moment.  “Race come play poker with me,” she said.  Race smiled and went out of the room and started down the stairs.  Skittery joined him.  Laces looked at Jack and Spot. 

 

“Keep talking,” she said to them.  They looked at her oddly as she turned around and whispered to herself as she headed down the stairs to the parlor after Race. 

 

“Looks like you might have caught a breeze,” she smiled, knowing that only good things could come from flying. 

 

~THE END ~