A/N : A lot of this plot is carryover from my story Family Ties so if you
haven't read that you really need to before you proceed with this story, or
else you will get completely and totally confused.
I leaned forward in my chair, looking at each of the children. I smiled as I started the long winded tale. "Now, as you all know, Spark had just had Arianna and Shai and we named them. That wasn't the end of the day though, and that's where this story picks up."
*~*~*~*
So I sat, enveloping Spark in my arms in the privacy of the room. Shai and Ari were laying on our laps sleeping until there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I called out.
"Someone heah ta see their sistah's children," Spot said through the door. "Can I come in theah now?"
"Of course you can come in, dumbass! You're their uncle for crying out loud," Spark shouted at the door, cutting me off.
The door swung open and Spot looked her straight on in the eyes. I expected something bad to happen, but instead he asked quietly, "Their? Did you say their?"
"Yeah, that's right, you're the proud uncle of a beautiful baby boy-- " she said grinning.
"And a priceless little goil," I finished.
"Dey got names?" he asked.
"What kind of heathens do you take us for? Of course they have names. Number 1 and number 2," she joked.
"What's da real names?" Spot asked me.
"Dat'd be Arianna Chaya an' Shai Domincio," I answered.
"Dey gots newsie names?" he asked. I couldn't figure out what was with the inquiry, but I assumed he just had trouble with this sort of thing. It was an awkward situation for a nineteen-year-old boy when you think about it. Then again, here I was eighteen and already a father.
"Haven't really decided yet," Spark answered quickly, but I cut in.
"If I may," I said, waiting for a nod of approval. She gave it and I started in, "Well, I remembah a coitain coversation wit' ya 'bout da name Controversy. It fits well for Shai, an' dese too have definitely raised a ruckus." Spark nodded and I took that as a sign to continue. "For Ari I was thinkin' Flash. Don' know why exactly, it jus' seems ta suit 'er."
I could see Alex considering the potential names for the children. She nodded. "Ya remembahed 'bout Controversy?" she asked, surprised.
I grinned. "I remembahed a lotta t'ings from a lotta conversations."
"We ready ta go out dere an' face da woild wit' ya babies?" Spot asked, and I could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation.
"Dere's jus' one moah t'ing I gotta do," I said. I noticed the look on Spot's face and knew he wanted to get out of the room. "You can go on ahead, Spot," I told him. He nodded and left the room.
"What do you want?" Spark asked curiously, but not with any sign of hostility.
"Well," I said, nervous. I'd definitely never done anything this nerve-wrecking before. "I was wonderin'," I said. No, that didn't sound right. C'mon Race, be romantic! "Well, as ya might've noticed, I'se loved ya since da moment I clamped eyes on ya," I started. Not a bad start, I thought smugly to myself. I so had this thing in the bag. "An' I hope ya feel da same way as I do 'bout ya. But I wanna make shore ya know jus' how much I love ya." I glanced down at the kids. "An' how much I love Arianna an' Shai," I added. "What I'se tryin' ta say is," I started, choking on the words about to come out. I was overwhelmed with nervous emotions flying around my head. "Will ya," I started. Wait, Race, wait. You have to be on the ground kneeling. I pulled myself off the bed and kneeled beside her. "Will ya marry me?" I finally gasped out. I pulled a small pathetic-looking box out of my pocket and handed it to her.
"Of course!" she shouted, hugging me and kissing me sweetly. I sighed in relief. She looked down at the ring on her finger. "It's so nice. How'd ya afford it?"
I could tell she was worried about income, but she needn't have thought about it one bit. "It was me grandmuddah's weddin' ring, back from when dat side 'a da family had some money. Me faddah gave it ta me muddah an' I'se givin it ta you an' someday you'll give it ta Shai for him ta give 'is wife."
"So, fiancée," she said, grinning broadly. "Ready to go make the announcement?" she asked.
"Ready as ever," I sighed, relieved to have the worst part over with.
The rest of the next hour or so was spent being congratulated by various newsboys and girls along with the crew that had helped out and some of Medda's regular acts. The crowd was large and apparently someone had spent some money and gotten us some very cheap wine for celebration. I sat next to Spark, Arianna in my lap, sipping small quantities of the wine and smiling politely to the people that walked by and thanked us. Alex, however, looked very uncomfortable with the situation. "Alex? You'se all righ'? Ya feelin' fine?"
She looked at me, and I had no doubt I'd startled her out of her glazed over thoughts. She shook another gentleman friend of Medda's hand and turned to me. "What makes you say that?"
"Well," I said, lowering my voice so that no one else heard. "I'se noticed you'se lookin' unhappy, dat's all. Jus' wanted ta make shore you'se up ta dis, ya know?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm just uncomfortable being the center of attention all the time. It's just not my thing."
"You'se da centah of attention a lot," I told her, not quite getting what she was hinting at.
"Yeah, but never for circumstances--" she paused there, making sure I knew the meaning of the word she used. I nodded her on; I had learned the word from David only a week before. See? Having an educated newsie around all the time was very nifty. "-- that I chose myself. I didn't choose to be Spot's sister, and I didn't choose to be the main victim of Chant's plots.. but I chose to marry you. And that just makes the attention twenty times more excruciating." She paused for a second before catching her mistake. "Painful." Spark looked at me desperately. "You sort of see where I'm going with this?"
I nodded. "Ya wanna ditch?" I asked, spitting ideas out, trying desperately to please my new fiancée.
She grinned her 'you're-an-idiot-Racetrack' smile as she responded. "I can't very well move enough to ditch, you know. And even if I could, you don't need to try so hard to please me. I can do just fine on my own, thank you." Even as she attempted to protect her dignity she was smiling softly, and I could tell she was trying not to laugh at me.
"Race!" I heard Jack shout with urgency in his voice. "I'se been lookin' for ya! We'se gotta go! Spot's boys is sayin' dey's gettin' attacked by Chant's already. We gotta help 'em out right away. I need ya ta back me!"
I looked longingly at the girl on my right, but I knew I couldn't blow Jack off. I stood and Spark grabbed my hand earnestly. "Don't leave me," she whispered.
"I don' got a choice, Alex," I answered, feeling helpless.
"I'se comin' wit' ya," she proclaimed with an unimaginable bit of strength.
"Spark, you'se delirious. You just had two children, ya need ta rest!" I said. I couldn't believe she was doing this to me. I didn't want to go, but I had duties. The only thing that could make me stay was her, and she was making me feel the need to stay. I couldn't abandon my boys like that though. "I'se gotta duty ta da boys, but foist an' foremost you'se got a duty ta da children ya just beared. Protect 'em an' rest."
"I don't think you understand how it is for me. I can't sit here every day not knowing if you're dead or alive or wounded. I can't handle that. I need to be there. If I die, so be it, but if you die I need to know."
I looked at her in disbelief. She was completely willing to give her life for the betterment of the people fighting for her own life. I looked at her, amazed by this sagely side I'd never seen before. "I know ya don' feah for ya own life, an' I totally respect dat, but you'se gotta feah for da lives of da children. Dey can' grow up without their muddah. An' you'se in a weakened physical state!"
"You've got me beat, Racetrack. But hear this, if you go off and get yourself killed I'll never forgive you, even in heaven!" she said. I could tell she was scared. Everyone else thought she was angry, but inside she was petrified of the oncoming battles and the ones that were currently raging.
"I love ya, 'Lex," I whispered into her ear as I kissed her forehead. With that Jack and I were out the door and off towards the dangerous battlefield Brooklyn had become.
A/N: What do you think? Lemme know!!
For once in my life I don't have any SOs to write. It's kinda a lonely feeling. Make sure it doesn't happen again!
I leaned forward in my chair, looking at each of the children. I smiled as I started the long winded tale. "Now, as you all know, Spark had just had Arianna and Shai and we named them. That wasn't the end of the day though, and that's where this story picks up."
*~*~*~*
So I sat, enveloping Spark in my arms in the privacy of the room. Shai and Ari were laying on our laps sleeping until there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I called out.
"Someone heah ta see their sistah's children," Spot said through the door. "Can I come in theah now?"
"Of course you can come in, dumbass! You're their uncle for crying out loud," Spark shouted at the door, cutting me off.
The door swung open and Spot looked her straight on in the eyes. I expected something bad to happen, but instead he asked quietly, "Their? Did you say their?"
"Yeah, that's right, you're the proud uncle of a beautiful baby boy-- " she said grinning.
"And a priceless little goil," I finished.
"Dey got names?" he asked.
"What kind of heathens do you take us for? Of course they have names. Number 1 and number 2," she joked.
"What's da real names?" Spot asked me.
"Dat'd be Arianna Chaya an' Shai Domincio," I answered.
"Dey gots newsie names?" he asked. I couldn't figure out what was with the inquiry, but I assumed he just had trouble with this sort of thing. It was an awkward situation for a nineteen-year-old boy when you think about it. Then again, here I was eighteen and already a father.
"Haven't really decided yet," Spark answered quickly, but I cut in.
"If I may," I said, waiting for a nod of approval. She gave it and I started in, "Well, I remembah a coitain coversation wit' ya 'bout da name Controversy. It fits well for Shai, an' dese too have definitely raised a ruckus." Spark nodded and I took that as a sign to continue. "For Ari I was thinkin' Flash. Don' know why exactly, it jus' seems ta suit 'er."
I could see Alex considering the potential names for the children. She nodded. "Ya remembahed 'bout Controversy?" she asked, surprised.
I grinned. "I remembahed a lotta t'ings from a lotta conversations."
"We ready ta go out dere an' face da woild wit' ya babies?" Spot asked, and I could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation.
"Dere's jus' one moah t'ing I gotta do," I said. I noticed the look on Spot's face and knew he wanted to get out of the room. "You can go on ahead, Spot," I told him. He nodded and left the room.
"What do you want?" Spark asked curiously, but not with any sign of hostility.
"Well," I said, nervous. I'd definitely never done anything this nerve-wrecking before. "I was wonderin'," I said. No, that didn't sound right. C'mon Race, be romantic! "Well, as ya might've noticed, I'se loved ya since da moment I clamped eyes on ya," I started. Not a bad start, I thought smugly to myself. I so had this thing in the bag. "An' I hope ya feel da same way as I do 'bout ya. But I wanna make shore ya know jus' how much I love ya." I glanced down at the kids. "An' how much I love Arianna an' Shai," I added. "What I'se tryin' ta say is," I started, choking on the words about to come out. I was overwhelmed with nervous emotions flying around my head. "Will ya," I started. Wait, Race, wait. You have to be on the ground kneeling. I pulled myself off the bed and kneeled beside her. "Will ya marry me?" I finally gasped out. I pulled a small pathetic-looking box out of my pocket and handed it to her.
"Of course!" she shouted, hugging me and kissing me sweetly. I sighed in relief. She looked down at the ring on her finger. "It's so nice. How'd ya afford it?"
I could tell she was worried about income, but she needn't have thought about it one bit. "It was me grandmuddah's weddin' ring, back from when dat side 'a da family had some money. Me faddah gave it ta me muddah an' I'se givin it ta you an' someday you'll give it ta Shai for him ta give 'is wife."
"So, fiancée," she said, grinning broadly. "Ready to go make the announcement?" she asked.
"Ready as ever," I sighed, relieved to have the worst part over with.
The rest of the next hour or so was spent being congratulated by various newsboys and girls along with the crew that had helped out and some of Medda's regular acts. The crowd was large and apparently someone had spent some money and gotten us some very cheap wine for celebration. I sat next to Spark, Arianna in my lap, sipping small quantities of the wine and smiling politely to the people that walked by and thanked us. Alex, however, looked very uncomfortable with the situation. "Alex? You'se all righ'? Ya feelin' fine?"
She looked at me, and I had no doubt I'd startled her out of her glazed over thoughts. She shook another gentleman friend of Medda's hand and turned to me. "What makes you say that?"
"Well," I said, lowering my voice so that no one else heard. "I'se noticed you'se lookin' unhappy, dat's all. Jus' wanted ta make shore you'se up ta dis, ya know?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm just uncomfortable being the center of attention all the time. It's just not my thing."
"You'se da centah of attention a lot," I told her, not quite getting what she was hinting at.
"Yeah, but never for circumstances--" she paused there, making sure I knew the meaning of the word she used. I nodded her on; I had learned the word from David only a week before. See? Having an educated newsie around all the time was very nifty. "-- that I chose myself. I didn't choose to be Spot's sister, and I didn't choose to be the main victim of Chant's plots.. but I chose to marry you. And that just makes the attention twenty times more excruciating." She paused for a second before catching her mistake. "Painful." Spark looked at me desperately. "You sort of see where I'm going with this?"
I nodded. "Ya wanna ditch?" I asked, spitting ideas out, trying desperately to please my new fiancée.
She grinned her 'you're-an-idiot-Racetrack' smile as she responded. "I can't very well move enough to ditch, you know. And even if I could, you don't need to try so hard to please me. I can do just fine on my own, thank you." Even as she attempted to protect her dignity she was smiling softly, and I could tell she was trying not to laugh at me.
"Race!" I heard Jack shout with urgency in his voice. "I'se been lookin' for ya! We'se gotta go! Spot's boys is sayin' dey's gettin' attacked by Chant's already. We gotta help 'em out right away. I need ya ta back me!"
I looked longingly at the girl on my right, but I knew I couldn't blow Jack off. I stood and Spark grabbed my hand earnestly. "Don't leave me," she whispered.
"I don' got a choice, Alex," I answered, feeling helpless.
"I'se comin' wit' ya," she proclaimed with an unimaginable bit of strength.
"Spark, you'se delirious. You just had two children, ya need ta rest!" I said. I couldn't believe she was doing this to me. I didn't want to go, but I had duties. The only thing that could make me stay was her, and she was making me feel the need to stay. I couldn't abandon my boys like that though. "I'se gotta duty ta da boys, but foist an' foremost you'se got a duty ta da children ya just beared. Protect 'em an' rest."
"I don't think you understand how it is for me. I can't sit here every day not knowing if you're dead or alive or wounded. I can't handle that. I need to be there. If I die, so be it, but if you die I need to know."
I looked at her in disbelief. She was completely willing to give her life for the betterment of the people fighting for her own life. I looked at her, amazed by this sagely side I'd never seen before. "I know ya don' feah for ya own life, an' I totally respect dat, but you'se gotta feah for da lives of da children. Dey can' grow up without their muddah. An' you'se in a weakened physical state!"
"You've got me beat, Racetrack. But hear this, if you go off and get yourself killed I'll never forgive you, even in heaven!" she said. I could tell she was scared. Everyone else thought she was angry, but inside she was petrified of the oncoming battles and the ones that were currently raging.
"I love ya, 'Lex," I whispered into her ear as I kissed her forehead. With that Jack and I were out the door and off towards the dangerous battlefield Brooklyn had become.
A/N: What do you think? Lemme know!!
For once in my life I don't have any SOs to write. It's kinda a lonely feeling. Make sure it doesn't happen again!