Words: 1155

I wrote this for Cheetah because she is going to give me a copy of "Blood Drips on Newsies Square". I hope she likes it. It's my first attempt at a one shot and I still don't get the basics of it. It's features Spot.

Sibling Truth
by Greenberry Hair Bonner
for Cheetah

Cheetah was hurrying to find her other boot. Jack told her to meet him in the square at seven and she couldn't find her boot. They were going to Brooklyn to meet up with Spot and Cheetah jumped at the chance to go when she found out that Jack was going to see him. "Jack, can I go?" she asked.

"Yeah, just meet me in the square at seven tomorrow," was his reply.

Cheetah sold her last fifteen papers rather quickly and hurried to the lodging house to get to sleep early. Her crush on Spot wasn't seen by many, with the exception of Jack. Jack knew everything about her; her family, her past, her secrets. Although he was her best friend, everyone, including Spot, thought her and Jack had something going on.

"Where is it?" Cheetah growled. She tried to stand up. "Ow!"

"You all right?" Blink tried helping her up.

"I'm fine," she mumbled and jerked her arm away from Blink's grasp.

"Can I help you find something?"

"Yeah, my boot," she held up her socked foot and pointed at it.

"It's over there," he pointed at a mirror. There it was, hanging off the corner of the mirror.

"Funny, real funny," she smirked as she walked over to the mirror and snatched her boot off of it.

"Have you seen Hair?" Blink asked Cheetah as she sat on the floor and jammed her foot into her boot. She shook her head and Blink sighed and walked back out of the living quarters.

After finishing tying her boot, she jumped up and ran out of the lodging house. She was running late and didn't want to be left behind.

- - - - -

"What took you so long?" Jack asked Cheetah as she bent over panting.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my boot," she replied out of breath.

Jack shook his head. "Come on," he ordered. They began their walk towards the Brooklyn Bridge at a fast pace. Cheetah had to run to keep up with the taller Jack.

"Can you slow down a little?" she asked with a desperate tone. Jack slowed enough for her to keep up without running. Cheetah gave him a little smile that looked more like a smirk for a thank you.

- - - - -

Jack allowed Cheetah a five minute rest as soon as they reached the end of the Brooklyn Bridge before the long walk across it. "You ready?" he asked as she began to stand up. With a nod as an answer, they began the long walk across.

"Cheetah!" someone yelled from a crowd in front of them.

"Sean!" Cheetah yelled and ran to the boy. "Where have you been?"

"Working," he simply replied. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is Jack. Jack, this is Sean. He's my brother," she introduced them.

Jack nodded in response as Sean turned back to his younger sister. "I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"I need you to come and work in Queens," he explained vaguely.

"Why? I like it in Manhattan," she stated confused.

"We need more scabs. I know you'd be great at selling our papers," he replied with an urgent tone. He actually wanted to make sure that she didn't go anywhere near Spot. Sean didn't like the Brooklyn newsie and didn't want his younger sister to have anything to do with him. Besides, if she could get her away from the other newsboys, he wouldn't have to worry her getting hurt when the scabs and newsies got into it.

"I'm not going to be a scabber! I can't turn my back on my friends."

"If you don't, I'll make sure Spot and the Brooklyn newsies get it first," he threatened.

Cheetah couldn't believe her brother. The one person that she thought would never hurt her was actually threatening her. "Fine," he began, "I tried to help you." Sean walked off towards Queens.

"Oh no," Cheetah gasped.

"Come on," Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "We have to tell Spot." The two began to run across the bridge.

- - - - -

"What?" Spot looked angry. "Queens wants to soak Brooklyn?"

"That's what he said," Jack answered the rhetorical questions.

Spot climbed on the crates and yelled out to the other Brooklyn newsies. "We have to get ready boys! Queens is coming to soak us! What are we going to do about it?" The other newsies cheered and began organizing. They all knew what to do since this wasn't the first time Queens threatened them.

"Spot, can I talk to you for a minute?" Cheetah walked up to him. Spot liked her, although he believed she didn't like him.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I have to tell you that- -"

"Here they come!" Bags yelled from the top of a stack of crates.

Cheetah ran towards the edge of the docks to her brother. She wanted to try to talk him out of this but he just pushed her aside as he led the Queens scabs into the battle. Shocked by the cold, Cheetah landed in the water. She frantically swam to the nearest ladder and climbed out. She ran into the battle and found Sean and Spot yelling at each other.

"Leave my sister alone!" Sean yelled.

Cheetah stopped dead in her tracks and looked at a confused Spot. "You're sister?" Spot looked at Cheetah. "Why didn't you tell me?" he turned to Cheetah.

"I was going to but I didn't have time," she tried to explain as she shivered her wet body because of the cool wind.

Spot didn't want to listen to any excuses and walked off disregarding the now crying Cheetah in front of him. Sean smiled and rounded up his scabs to leave Queens. Jack came up behind Cheetah with a bloodied lip and gave her a little hug. "What have I done?" she asked mindlessly.

"Don't worry about it," Jack replied and led her back towards the Brooklyn Bridge.

- - - - -

Cheetah tried to keep her mind off of the event that had happened in Brooklyn last year. She hasn't spoken to Spot since. Her brother betrayed her and the only one she truly wanted wouldn't even acknowledge her.

Jack always kept an eye on Cheetah as she sold her papers. When Spot came to Manhattan, Jack tried to steer Cheetah away from the square. "I want to talk to him," she exclaimed.

"But, Cheetah- -" Jack was cut off by Cheetah's back as she walked towards Spot.

Spot caught a glimpse of Cheetah's red hair and he turned to see her walking straight for him. He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly as Cheetah stopped in front of him. They endured a long moment of silence before Cheetah said, "What d'ya hear, what d'ya say?"

"How are you Cheetah?" Spot said with a small smile.

She couldn't hold back any longer and lunged at Spot. She locked him in a kiss that he couldn't bear to push her away or resist.