Slick Rylan walked silently down the empty streets, keeping to the dark
shadows just in case anyone else happened to be watching her, it felt good
to be back in New York City, even if she was just on the fringes. Slipping
unseen across a couple of bridges Sick found herself once again in
Brooklyn, it had been eight years since she had last seen these streets,
but she still remembered ever little hiding spot and alleyway. Turning in
to one, she grabbed a fire escape ladder and pulled herself up, making her
way to the roof of the building. Tucking herself in a corner, Slick fell
asleep remembering the faces of the friends she hoped to meet up with
again.
The next morning dawned bright and clear and Slick was aroused by the voices of the Brooklyn Newsies selling their papes in the streets, she moved to the edge of the building and looked into the streets below. The city was already awake and racing off towards a new day, "G'mornin Brooklyn" Slick said quietly, smiling to herself.
Slick slid down the escape ladder back into the alley, she stopped and glanced at her reflection a half-busted out window facing into the alley gave her. The person staring back at her should have looked like a fully figured young woman, but instead, it looked all the world like a tall, skinny, teenage boy. With a dirty gray long sleeve shirt and black pants hanging loosely on the body, a black cowboy hat hanging loosely around the neck, and brown hair, which also needed a washing, cut so it just hung below the cheekbones, which were evident beneath the skin. The only outstanding features were the almost silver eyes that looked back at her, or at least they were silver now, they would turn a stormy gray if she got angry. "Nah Slick, you look nottin like a goil righ now." She said to the figure in the glass. Slick had been living on the streets of big cities for as long as she could remember, and food had always been scarce, so the feminine beauty and curves that should have been present, weren't. She glared at the glass for awhile and the figure continued to glare back, it's eyes slowly getting darker, then deciding she needed to get going if she was going to find her old friends before evening set in. Slick slipped out of the alley and into the crowded, noisy Brooklyn streets, pulling on her hat as she did, so as to shade her face.
A few Newsies looked at her hard as she passed, but all she had to do was glare at them and they'd quickly go about their business. Slick wandered the streets of Brooklyn all day, getting even more familiar with them, she had also hoped to find Spot Conlon and Cowboy Sullivan wandering the streets together selling their papes, like they used to, eight years ago. But evening was setting in and she decided to head to the Brooklyn Newsies' Boarding House to try and find her friends, she turned to go down a side street when a tall guy stepped out in front of her from a near by alley.
"Where da ya tink youse goin?" He sneered at her, taking her to be just another guy. Light from the setting sun was casting it self across his face and Slick recognized him as a Brooklyn Newsie she'd seen on the streets earlier that day. "You a Brooky Newsie?" she asked just to make sure.
"Whad it to ya?"
"Whose the leada round here now?" Slick countered.
"Ain't none youse business" he said glaring at the kid in front of him now.
With out any warning Slick let out a right hook into the guy's face, he fell back a couple of feet before taking a knife out of a sheath at his side. But Slick had just came from Chicago, she had her own knife. Pulling it out of her sheath, she flipped it expertly in the air and caught it again, and faced her opponent, who suddenly cracked a grin. "Youse ain't bad kid, da names Shiner" He said sheathing his knife and spitting in his right hand before he held it out to Slick.
Slick looked at him for a second before grinning too, and doing the same.
He looked at her, "Youse ain't gonna tell me ya name?" he said shaking her hand.
She didn't answer that question, but instead asked another, "So who is the leada of da Brooky Newsies now a days?"
"Spot Conlon"
Slick did a quick double take, before looking at Shiner again "Spot?" she said again just to be sure.
"Yeah, why?"
"Nottin." Slick smirked, so Spot's finally the leada of the Brookys she thought to herself before turning her attention back to Shiner, "Would Spot be back at da Boarding House yet?" she asked.
"I dunno, prolly not, whad it to ya?"
"I needa talk ta 'im, take me ta ya hang out."
"And if I don't wanna?"
"Den I'll soak ya ta ya does." Slick said dangerously getting right in Shiner's face, ready to punch him again.
Shiner took a step back from Slick, knowing that this kid would soak him, he moved a hand up to his face were he could already feel the black eye that this kid had given him a few minutes ago starting to come through. But he also thought of the other side, he knew Spot was busy training some new kids from other parts of New York to fight, and wouldn't take to kindly to being interrupted. Yet. he really didn't feel like testing this kid who seemed to know how to fight with a knife. "Alright I'll take ya ta Spot, but if he don't wanna see ya or he soaks ya, it ain't my problem k?" Shiner finally conceded. Slick just raised an eyebrow and didn't answer, just followed as Shiner set off at a jog down the streets of Brooklyn.
The two reached a place on the river within a few minutes, there were a few boys crowded in groups here and there, and as they passed Slick got a few hard glances. She didn't see any sign of Spot though, and apparently neither did Shiner, because he stopped soon enough and called out, "Hey Flash! Is Spot round here?"
A tall boy not far from where they were standing looked up at Shiner and Slick and called back, "Nah, I tink he's back at da House."
Slick didn't hesitate, she knew where the Boarding House was, and she turned on her heel and began jogging back through the streets. It took her a second to notice that someone was following her, glancing over her shoulder she saw Shiner right behind her, he sped up seeing that Slick knew he was there.
"Ya know where it at?" he asked.
"Yeah." Shiner gave a nod and continued running beside Slick.
Slick almost made a couple of wrong turns but Shiner quickly made sure to guide her in the right direction and they reached to door to the Brooklyn Newsie Boarding House soon enough. Shiner was a few paces behind Slick as they ran up the steps, he reached out and grabbed her shirt and pulled her back just as Slick was about to open the door. Slick turned to him as soon as she had her balance back again,
"Whaddid ya do dat for?" she cried.
"Nobody sees Spot unless he wanta seem 'em. Sos just hang on, an we'll go find 'im, but stay behind me" Shiner explained, as he pulled open the door for himself and walked in with Slick right behind him. "Any body knows where Spot is?" He asked the boys lounging around inside, a few glanced up curiously at Shiner and Slick but no one really answered and they all went back to doing whatever they had been doing when the two had entered, except for a kid coming down the stairs to their right.
"Yeah, 'e's up on da roof, trainin some rookies how da soak." The kid said as he passed Slick and Shiner,
"An he might not wanna 'ave visitors righ now. Jus sos ya know." Slick glanced at Shiner to see what he was going to do, before taking off up the stairs, she didn't care if Spot was busy, she wanted to see her old friend, and figured he'd get over it once he saw who it was that had interrupted his lesson. Behind her she heard Shiner sigh before he followed her once again. At the top of the stairs Slick made a turn into the first room on her right, the first bunkroom which was lined on either side with bunk beds. A few kids were sitting in them and glanced up at Slick's appearance, but she made no notice of them as she continued walking towards the window on the other side.
Once again Shiner grabbed her and pulled her back before she reached the window she was going to climb out. "You've been 'ere afore 'aven't ya?" He asked studying her. Slick made no comment as she looked back at Shiner, he sighed before trying again, "Ya sure ya wanna see Spot?" he tried looking into the kid's eyes but they were shaded by the black cowboy hat he didn't seem to want to take off.
Slick just looked at him a moment before answering coolly, "Yeah I wanna see Spot, sos ya gonna go tell 'im I'm 'ere or I'm I jus gonna 'afta go up dere myself?"
"I'll go see if he wanna see ya, don't know if 'e will though." And with that Shiner slipped out of the window and used the fire escape to climb to the roof. *** "Block 'im already Lefty!" Spot Conlon yelled at one of the Newsie kids that he was attempting to teach how to fight. He was about to yell at the other kid, Grime, when one of his Newsies hopped on to the roof and walked over to him. "Alright youse two, take a break." Spot told the two kids before turning his attention to Shiner, "Heya Shiner, looks like ya got yaself anodder one." He said grinning at Shiner's blacking eye.
"Yeah, dis kid I met en da street gave it ta me an said he wanted ta meet ya, seemed ta know ya." Shiner explained.
"Really, what 'es name?" Spot asked
"Dunno 'e wouldn't tell me"
*** Slick was impatient by nature so when Shiner slipped through the window out onto the fire escape, she ran back out to the hall and went in the bunkroom on the left. A window was at the end of this one too, and Slick knew a fire escape was also outside of it that would lead her to the roof. So slipping soundlessly out and up Slick arrived on the roof, covered in shadow, a few feet away from Spot Conlon's sitting figure just as she heard Spot ask, "what 'es name?" Slick grinned she got up right behind him, still covered in shadow and said clearly, "Slick". Both Spot and Shiner jumped a foot, and Slick started laughing, but stopped when Spot turned to her, a dark look in his eyes, showing he wasn't amused. *** After getting over his initial surprise, Spot turned to the kid standing behind him, the name, Slick, struck a chord, but he was unwilling to believe it was his old friend, at least at first. Spot looked over the figure before, him, it was slightly taller and thinner than he was, but there was a shocking familiarity in it. And even though he couldn't see the face clearly, he some how knew it would hold those captivating silver eyes, and the rest of the familiar smirk he could see emerging.
"Hiya Spot." Slick said quietly, looking him over as he did the same to her. She was still taller than him, which didn't surprise her, but he'd grown. She smiled as she saw his ever-present gold-capped cane at his side.
"Hiya Slick." Spot answered, fully recognizing his old friend now. A nervous shuffling of feet sounded from behind Spot and he turned back again to Shiner, Lefty and Grime he looked at them for a second and then glanced back at Slick. "Hey youse guys get outta 'ere an go back in, an tell every one else ta lemme alone k?"
"Uh.. ok Spot." Shiner answered before herding Lefty and Grime back towards the fire escape and finally disappearing himself back inside the Boarding House.
Spot turned back to Slick, and grinned, then spitting in his hand he stuck it out to meet Slick's own. They shook and a grinning Slick gave him a quick hug, before backing away in case he decided to slug her. But he didn't instead Spot walked and sat down, and Slick followed
A few minutes passed in companionable silence before Slick said quietly, "I missed ya Spot." The truth in the statement overwhelmed her for a moment.
"I missed ya too Slick." He said before turning to face her, "Where ya been?"
Slick gave a small smile, "Chicago. Well lately anyways." She said not wanting to really talk about the place she just left. "But look at you, you're da leada of the Brooklyn Newsies now."
Spot grinned, "Yeah I guess I am. So ya been in Chicago lately, but ya 'ave been gone for 'round eight 'ears now."
"Well 'afore dat ya name a place I've probably seen it. Oh, I Cowboy would be jealous, I spent 'round a month in Santa Fe! Where is 'e anyways?" Slick asked, suddenly remembering she hadn't heard a word about him all day.
"Jacky-boy? I reckon 'e's in Manhattan, were else would 'e be?"
"Wait! 'Jacky-boy'? Manhattan? What 'ave I missed?!"
Spot looked at her in some surprise, then remembering she had been gone for eight years, and a lot had happened. "Yeah, Jacky-boy, or Jack Kelly, dat's 'is name now."
"What 'appened to Cowboy? Or Cowboy Sullivan?" Slick interrupted.
"Would ya quit interrupdin me?"
"Yeah sorry."
"Sos as I was sayin, 'es name is Jack Kelly now, 'e still goes by Cowboy, 'cause dat'll always be 'es nickname, but it ain't no longer Sullivan. See soon afta ya left, 'e an I didn't get along sa good wit out ya, sos he left an moved inta Manhattan." Spot went on to explain that Cowboy had been arrested in Manhattan and taken to the House of Refuge, and that when he escaped he changed his name to Jack Kelly. And that Jack went on to become the leader of the Manhattan Newsies. "Did Chicago eva 'ear 'bout da Newsie Strike?" he asked.
Slick grinned, "'O 'course! Youse guys started somethin big when ya started dat."
"Yeah well Jacky-boy was practically da leada of da thing. 'O 'course I was a parta it too." Spot said with pride in his voice.
"You guys seem ta still be best friends."
Spot looked at her, "Yeah 'o 'course we are. Why shouldn't we?"
Slick sighed, "I dunno, it jus seems weird that yur here and 'e's there."
He laughed, "We're both leada's Slick, and if 'e were 'ere it wouldn't work, two leadas don't go good in one territory."
"Yeah I guess ya're right." Slick smiled she knew that statement was truer than Spot could possibly know,
"I miss 'im too though."
"So go visit 'im tamarra in Manhattan. Give 'im a surprise."
Slick suddenly grinned wickedly, "I will."
Spot looked at her sharply, "What ya plannin ta do?"
She pushed back her cowboy hat and her silver eyes danced with mischief as she simply said, "Stalk 'im."
Spot looked at her for a moment thinking she'd gone crazy, "You gonna go stalk Cowboy? Da ya even know Manhattan?" His words earned him a raised eyebrow and that look that he couldn't explain in words but knew all too well, it was Slick's Look, it could be mocking or challenging you or just a look. But it was Slick's Look. Spot shook his head slightly, he knew remembered there was no stopping Slick Rylan when she was on a mission. "Jus don't get too lost out dere Slick."
"I won't, yur forgettin yur talkin to Slick 'ere Spot."
"Nah, I 'member ya got a mind all ya own, an a slick tongue that if me memory serves me right, likes ta get ya in trouble."
Slick grinned, "Dat's one a da reasons I got stuck wid dis nickname." The two friends continued talking about random things for the next hour.
They had been quiet for the past few minutes and Spot turned to Slick and was about to ask her more about Chicago, since she had pretty much brushed of the subject before, when he noticed she had fallen asleep lying on her stomach. He smiled as he watched her sleep, something had definitely changed in Slick since he last saw her, her spirit was still there, but she seemed more reserved, her eyes held a distant mistrust, often lost in thought while they had been talking. It seemed to Spot that she had experienced something that had caused her soul to harden somewhat. Shrugging it off he stood up, and looked down on Slick's sleeping figure, trying to decide if he should leave her out here or try and carry her back into the bunkroom in the dark, the latter didn't seem very appealing to him, and he didn't want to leave her out here by herself. So the Brooklyn leader lowered himself back to the ground and fell asleep next to his friend under New York's open sky.
The next morning dawned bright and clear and Slick was aroused by the voices of the Brooklyn Newsies selling their papes in the streets, she moved to the edge of the building and looked into the streets below. The city was already awake and racing off towards a new day, "G'mornin Brooklyn" Slick said quietly, smiling to herself.
Slick slid down the escape ladder back into the alley, she stopped and glanced at her reflection a half-busted out window facing into the alley gave her. The person staring back at her should have looked like a fully figured young woman, but instead, it looked all the world like a tall, skinny, teenage boy. With a dirty gray long sleeve shirt and black pants hanging loosely on the body, a black cowboy hat hanging loosely around the neck, and brown hair, which also needed a washing, cut so it just hung below the cheekbones, which were evident beneath the skin. The only outstanding features were the almost silver eyes that looked back at her, or at least they were silver now, they would turn a stormy gray if she got angry. "Nah Slick, you look nottin like a goil righ now." She said to the figure in the glass. Slick had been living on the streets of big cities for as long as she could remember, and food had always been scarce, so the feminine beauty and curves that should have been present, weren't. She glared at the glass for awhile and the figure continued to glare back, it's eyes slowly getting darker, then deciding she needed to get going if she was going to find her old friends before evening set in. Slick slipped out of the alley and into the crowded, noisy Brooklyn streets, pulling on her hat as she did, so as to shade her face.
A few Newsies looked at her hard as she passed, but all she had to do was glare at them and they'd quickly go about their business. Slick wandered the streets of Brooklyn all day, getting even more familiar with them, she had also hoped to find Spot Conlon and Cowboy Sullivan wandering the streets together selling their papes, like they used to, eight years ago. But evening was setting in and she decided to head to the Brooklyn Newsies' Boarding House to try and find her friends, she turned to go down a side street when a tall guy stepped out in front of her from a near by alley.
"Where da ya tink youse goin?" He sneered at her, taking her to be just another guy. Light from the setting sun was casting it self across his face and Slick recognized him as a Brooklyn Newsie she'd seen on the streets earlier that day. "You a Brooky Newsie?" she asked just to make sure.
"Whad it to ya?"
"Whose the leada round here now?" Slick countered.
"Ain't none youse business" he said glaring at the kid in front of him now.
With out any warning Slick let out a right hook into the guy's face, he fell back a couple of feet before taking a knife out of a sheath at his side. But Slick had just came from Chicago, she had her own knife. Pulling it out of her sheath, she flipped it expertly in the air and caught it again, and faced her opponent, who suddenly cracked a grin. "Youse ain't bad kid, da names Shiner" He said sheathing his knife and spitting in his right hand before he held it out to Slick.
Slick looked at him for a second before grinning too, and doing the same.
He looked at her, "Youse ain't gonna tell me ya name?" he said shaking her hand.
She didn't answer that question, but instead asked another, "So who is the leada of da Brooky Newsies now a days?"
"Spot Conlon"
Slick did a quick double take, before looking at Shiner again "Spot?" she said again just to be sure.
"Yeah, why?"
"Nottin." Slick smirked, so Spot's finally the leada of the Brookys she thought to herself before turning her attention back to Shiner, "Would Spot be back at da Boarding House yet?" she asked.
"I dunno, prolly not, whad it to ya?"
"I needa talk ta 'im, take me ta ya hang out."
"And if I don't wanna?"
"Den I'll soak ya ta ya does." Slick said dangerously getting right in Shiner's face, ready to punch him again.
Shiner took a step back from Slick, knowing that this kid would soak him, he moved a hand up to his face were he could already feel the black eye that this kid had given him a few minutes ago starting to come through. But he also thought of the other side, he knew Spot was busy training some new kids from other parts of New York to fight, and wouldn't take to kindly to being interrupted. Yet. he really didn't feel like testing this kid who seemed to know how to fight with a knife. "Alright I'll take ya ta Spot, but if he don't wanna see ya or he soaks ya, it ain't my problem k?" Shiner finally conceded. Slick just raised an eyebrow and didn't answer, just followed as Shiner set off at a jog down the streets of Brooklyn.
The two reached a place on the river within a few minutes, there were a few boys crowded in groups here and there, and as they passed Slick got a few hard glances. She didn't see any sign of Spot though, and apparently neither did Shiner, because he stopped soon enough and called out, "Hey Flash! Is Spot round here?"
A tall boy not far from where they were standing looked up at Shiner and Slick and called back, "Nah, I tink he's back at da House."
Slick didn't hesitate, she knew where the Boarding House was, and she turned on her heel and began jogging back through the streets. It took her a second to notice that someone was following her, glancing over her shoulder she saw Shiner right behind her, he sped up seeing that Slick knew he was there.
"Ya know where it at?" he asked.
"Yeah." Shiner gave a nod and continued running beside Slick.
Slick almost made a couple of wrong turns but Shiner quickly made sure to guide her in the right direction and they reached to door to the Brooklyn Newsie Boarding House soon enough. Shiner was a few paces behind Slick as they ran up the steps, he reached out and grabbed her shirt and pulled her back just as Slick was about to open the door. Slick turned to him as soon as she had her balance back again,
"Whaddid ya do dat for?" she cried.
"Nobody sees Spot unless he wanta seem 'em. Sos just hang on, an we'll go find 'im, but stay behind me" Shiner explained, as he pulled open the door for himself and walked in with Slick right behind him. "Any body knows where Spot is?" He asked the boys lounging around inside, a few glanced up curiously at Shiner and Slick but no one really answered and they all went back to doing whatever they had been doing when the two had entered, except for a kid coming down the stairs to their right.
"Yeah, 'e's up on da roof, trainin some rookies how da soak." The kid said as he passed Slick and Shiner,
"An he might not wanna 'ave visitors righ now. Jus sos ya know." Slick glanced at Shiner to see what he was going to do, before taking off up the stairs, she didn't care if Spot was busy, she wanted to see her old friend, and figured he'd get over it once he saw who it was that had interrupted his lesson. Behind her she heard Shiner sigh before he followed her once again. At the top of the stairs Slick made a turn into the first room on her right, the first bunkroom which was lined on either side with bunk beds. A few kids were sitting in them and glanced up at Slick's appearance, but she made no notice of them as she continued walking towards the window on the other side.
Once again Shiner grabbed her and pulled her back before she reached the window she was going to climb out. "You've been 'ere afore 'aven't ya?" He asked studying her. Slick made no comment as she looked back at Shiner, he sighed before trying again, "Ya sure ya wanna see Spot?" he tried looking into the kid's eyes but they were shaded by the black cowboy hat he didn't seem to want to take off.
Slick just looked at him a moment before answering coolly, "Yeah I wanna see Spot, sos ya gonna go tell 'im I'm 'ere or I'm I jus gonna 'afta go up dere myself?"
"I'll go see if he wanna see ya, don't know if 'e will though." And with that Shiner slipped out of the window and used the fire escape to climb to the roof. *** "Block 'im already Lefty!" Spot Conlon yelled at one of the Newsie kids that he was attempting to teach how to fight. He was about to yell at the other kid, Grime, when one of his Newsies hopped on to the roof and walked over to him. "Alright youse two, take a break." Spot told the two kids before turning his attention to Shiner, "Heya Shiner, looks like ya got yaself anodder one." He said grinning at Shiner's blacking eye.
"Yeah, dis kid I met en da street gave it ta me an said he wanted ta meet ya, seemed ta know ya." Shiner explained.
"Really, what 'es name?" Spot asked
"Dunno 'e wouldn't tell me"
*** Slick was impatient by nature so when Shiner slipped through the window out onto the fire escape, she ran back out to the hall and went in the bunkroom on the left. A window was at the end of this one too, and Slick knew a fire escape was also outside of it that would lead her to the roof. So slipping soundlessly out and up Slick arrived on the roof, covered in shadow, a few feet away from Spot Conlon's sitting figure just as she heard Spot ask, "what 'es name?" Slick grinned she got up right behind him, still covered in shadow and said clearly, "Slick". Both Spot and Shiner jumped a foot, and Slick started laughing, but stopped when Spot turned to her, a dark look in his eyes, showing he wasn't amused. *** After getting over his initial surprise, Spot turned to the kid standing behind him, the name, Slick, struck a chord, but he was unwilling to believe it was his old friend, at least at first. Spot looked over the figure before, him, it was slightly taller and thinner than he was, but there was a shocking familiarity in it. And even though he couldn't see the face clearly, he some how knew it would hold those captivating silver eyes, and the rest of the familiar smirk he could see emerging.
"Hiya Spot." Slick said quietly, looking him over as he did the same to her. She was still taller than him, which didn't surprise her, but he'd grown. She smiled as she saw his ever-present gold-capped cane at his side.
"Hiya Slick." Spot answered, fully recognizing his old friend now. A nervous shuffling of feet sounded from behind Spot and he turned back again to Shiner, Lefty and Grime he looked at them for a second and then glanced back at Slick. "Hey youse guys get outta 'ere an go back in, an tell every one else ta lemme alone k?"
"Uh.. ok Spot." Shiner answered before herding Lefty and Grime back towards the fire escape and finally disappearing himself back inside the Boarding House.
Spot turned back to Slick, and grinned, then spitting in his hand he stuck it out to meet Slick's own. They shook and a grinning Slick gave him a quick hug, before backing away in case he decided to slug her. But he didn't instead Spot walked and sat down, and Slick followed
A few minutes passed in companionable silence before Slick said quietly, "I missed ya Spot." The truth in the statement overwhelmed her for a moment.
"I missed ya too Slick." He said before turning to face her, "Where ya been?"
Slick gave a small smile, "Chicago. Well lately anyways." She said not wanting to really talk about the place she just left. "But look at you, you're da leada of the Brooklyn Newsies now."
Spot grinned, "Yeah I guess I am. So ya been in Chicago lately, but ya 'ave been gone for 'round eight 'ears now."
"Well 'afore dat ya name a place I've probably seen it. Oh, I Cowboy would be jealous, I spent 'round a month in Santa Fe! Where is 'e anyways?" Slick asked, suddenly remembering she hadn't heard a word about him all day.
"Jacky-boy? I reckon 'e's in Manhattan, were else would 'e be?"
"Wait! 'Jacky-boy'? Manhattan? What 'ave I missed?!"
Spot looked at her in some surprise, then remembering she had been gone for eight years, and a lot had happened. "Yeah, Jacky-boy, or Jack Kelly, dat's 'is name now."
"What 'appened to Cowboy? Or Cowboy Sullivan?" Slick interrupted.
"Would ya quit interrupdin me?"
"Yeah sorry."
"Sos as I was sayin, 'es name is Jack Kelly now, 'e still goes by Cowboy, 'cause dat'll always be 'es nickname, but it ain't no longer Sullivan. See soon afta ya left, 'e an I didn't get along sa good wit out ya, sos he left an moved inta Manhattan." Spot went on to explain that Cowboy had been arrested in Manhattan and taken to the House of Refuge, and that when he escaped he changed his name to Jack Kelly. And that Jack went on to become the leader of the Manhattan Newsies. "Did Chicago eva 'ear 'bout da Newsie Strike?" he asked.
Slick grinned, "'O 'course! Youse guys started somethin big when ya started dat."
"Yeah well Jacky-boy was practically da leada of da thing. 'O 'course I was a parta it too." Spot said with pride in his voice.
"You guys seem ta still be best friends."
Spot looked at her, "Yeah 'o 'course we are. Why shouldn't we?"
Slick sighed, "I dunno, it jus seems weird that yur here and 'e's there."
He laughed, "We're both leada's Slick, and if 'e were 'ere it wouldn't work, two leadas don't go good in one territory."
"Yeah I guess ya're right." Slick smiled she knew that statement was truer than Spot could possibly know,
"I miss 'im too though."
"So go visit 'im tamarra in Manhattan. Give 'im a surprise."
Slick suddenly grinned wickedly, "I will."
Spot looked at her sharply, "What ya plannin ta do?"
She pushed back her cowboy hat and her silver eyes danced with mischief as she simply said, "Stalk 'im."
Spot looked at her for a moment thinking she'd gone crazy, "You gonna go stalk Cowboy? Da ya even know Manhattan?" His words earned him a raised eyebrow and that look that he couldn't explain in words but knew all too well, it was Slick's Look, it could be mocking or challenging you or just a look. But it was Slick's Look. Spot shook his head slightly, he knew remembered there was no stopping Slick Rylan when she was on a mission. "Jus don't get too lost out dere Slick."
"I won't, yur forgettin yur talkin to Slick 'ere Spot."
"Nah, I 'member ya got a mind all ya own, an a slick tongue that if me memory serves me right, likes ta get ya in trouble."
Slick grinned, "Dat's one a da reasons I got stuck wid dis nickname." The two friends continued talking about random things for the next hour.
They had been quiet for the past few minutes and Spot turned to Slick and was about to ask her more about Chicago, since she had pretty much brushed of the subject before, when he noticed she had fallen asleep lying on her stomach. He smiled as he watched her sleep, something had definitely changed in Slick since he last saw her, her spirit was still there, but she seemed more reserved, her eyes held a distant mistrust, often lost in thought while they had been talking. It seemed to Spot that she had experienced something that had caused her soul to harden somewhat. Shrugging it off he stood up, and looked down on Slick's sleeping figure, trying to decide if he should leave her out here or try and carry her back into the bunkroom in the dark, the latter didn't seem very appealing to him, and he didn't want to leave her out here by herself. So the Brooklyn leader lowered himself back to the ground and fell asleep next to his friend under New York's open sky.