Saving Words
By: Soaker
Rating: G
Authors note: I know that others have written song fics to this song, but this idea just would not get out of my head. I'm sorry to those who have also written one.
Disclaimer:
I don't own the song "I'm With You", it's owned by Avril Lavigne. I don't own
Mush either. I do, however, own Darcy, Maddy, and their mother.
Elizabeth Bennet blindly ran through the snow covered streets of New York City. In her hand she carried her favorite book; the book she'd been named from, Pride and Prejudice. Her mind replayed the scene that had just taken place. Scenes of her younger sister, Maddy, knocking over the candle in the upstairs parlor; her mother yelling for them to run. And run she did, across Brooklyn until she reached the Bridge. She, then, collapsed onto the railing, and started crying. She was scared, but she knew that her mother would get her soon.
~*~
Mush Meyers slowly walked through the streets of Lower Manhattan. He thought of his girlfriend; her smile, her voice, the way she laughed. Tears ran down his face as he walked towards Brooklyn. She was gone, the Delancey's had killed her. His plan was to get to the docks at Midnight, and then jump into the freezing water. He didn't know how to swim, but he did know that Spot Conlon would be looking out his window towards the East River. It was comforting to know that his friend would watch him die. Comforting because he wouldn't die alone.
Mush, however, didn't make it to the end of the bridge. Blocking the sidewalk was a girl; he could tell that she was rich by her clothing. She was leaning against the railing, a book in her hand, and the slight breeze blowing her long, brown hair.
~*~
Lizzy stood, leaning against the bridge. She didn't know how long she had been there, but it seemed like forever. Her mother should have come to find her by now, so where was she? Since she couldn't see or hear anyone, she didn't feel weird about talking outloud.
"I'm standing on a bridge. I'm waiting in the dark. I thought you would be here by now." She talked to her mother, but since no one was there, it seemed like she was talking to the frozen water of the East River. "There's nothing but the rain, no footsteps on the ground. I'm listening but there's no sound."
~*~
Mush listened in the shadows as the mysterious girl said exactly what he was feeling. Why hadn't Blink or Race come to find him? Silent tears flowed down his cheeks as he heard the girl scream."Isn't anyone trying to find me? Won't someone please take me home?"
For some unknown reason, Mush was pulled to this girl. He felt that he needed to help her-but he couldn't even help himself. Quietly, he walked over to her. He stood looking at her for a moment, both of them shivering.
~*~
A tall boy with curly brown hair came over to Lizzy. For a moment, they merely stared at each other, tears moving silently down their cheeks.
"It's a damn cold night for trying to figure out this life. Won't you, take me by the hand?" He said, holding out his hand. At first she just stared at him.
"Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are, but I'm-" she paused, "I'm with you." Silently, the pair walked off towards Manhattan.
~*~
The mysterious girl slept through the next day. Mush, however, didn't have that luxury, and while he would have liked to sleep, he had to sell his papes.
Kid Blink and Racetrack tried to joke around with him, but it wasn't the same. Nothing was the same since yesterday. Although he was surrounded by friends, he felt alone. After selling his last pape, he went up to the roof of the lodging house. He sat there in silence for hours, staring up at the sky. Finally, he decided to talk to a star.
"I'm looking for a place, searching for a face. Is anybody here I know?"
~*~
Lizzy searched the lodging house for the newsie who'd found her the night before. She'd met everyone there, and they were real nice, they'd even given her a nick name: Darcy. However, she felt safest when with her newsie, even though she didn't know his name. She finally heard him speaking as she climbed the fire escape to the roof.
"…Cause nothings going right, and everything's a mess, and no one likes to be alone." She smiled as he said the same things she had the night before. "Isn't anyone trying to find me? Won't someone please take me home?" She walked over to him, and answered in the same words.
"It's a damn cold night, for trying to figure out this life. Won't you take me by the hand?" She held him by the hand. He still didn't look at her.
"Take me somewhere new," he whispered. "I don't know who you are, but I'm," he now looked at her, "I'm with you."
Lizzy lead him back through the streets to where her house used to stand. Now all that remained was thick gray ash.
~*~
Tears clouded Lizzy's eyes as she stared at her home. No one was there, and there was no way to know if her mother or sister had survived the fire.
"Why is everything so confusing? Maybe I'm just out of my mind," she whispered, talking not to the newsie, but to the ash that had been her house. "Yeah," She added decidedly.
"Yeah?" The newsie asked.
"Yeah," she repeated, turning to him. He shook his head.
"It's a damn cold night, for trying to figure out this life. Won't you take me by the hand?" he whispered.
"Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are, but I'm." She stopped, a lump rising in her throat. She swallowed then said, "I'm with you."
~*~
Mush took the girl to the nearest hospital. If anything had happened to her family, they would find out there.
~*~
Two days later, Lizzy and Mush stood at her mother's funeral. Surprisingly enough, he felt like something more had died; not his girlfriend or a loved one, but his hurt. Because of Lizzy, who he now knew the name of, he had realized that life went on. Now, he wanted to live.
~*~
"Take me by the hand take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are, but I'm, I'm with you."
These words became a little saying that Lizzy and Mush said everytime either was upset. Lizzy was now a Lower Manhattan newsie, whom everyone called Darcy. Her sister, who had survived the fire, was a newsie in Brooklyn. Mush and Darcy became the best of friends. They'd overcome the hardest time together, and their words had saved them.
~*~
Take me by the hands take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are but I'm, I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you…
