Hello everyone! I am very sorry for taking so long!
** Vivienne POV **
Vivienne watches Ruby as she uses her elbow to fight one of the newsies. Ruby had been trying for a month to teach her how to fight but Vienne had not developed an attitude that Ruby was satisfied with. Mush blocks a punch and jumps out the way of Ruby's kick.
"Vivvy, you try." Ruby looks over at the girl sitting primly in a crate in the Manhattan alley. Vienne stands and nervously walks over to the newsies, standing back.
"Okay, d'ya 'member how t' use ya elbows?"
Vienne nods and gently takes a lifts her elbow in the motion that Ruby taught her. As she finishes, Vienne hears Ruby sigh.
"Did I do it wrong?" Vienne looks at the frustrated red head.
"No, you'se did it right, but it was pathetic." Ruby walks over to her and sets a hand on her shoulder. "D'ya know what I'se tryin' to teach ya?" Ruby waits for a nod. "I'se tryin' ta teach you'se how not ta get pushed around. But you'se has ta show da guys wid ya attitude t'at ya won' allow t'em to push you'se around."
Vienne bites her lip and looks up. "I'm sorry Ruby, I'm trying, really I am."
Ruby sighs and drops her arm on Vienne's shoulders. "I'se knows Vivvy, but c'n you'se try a li'l hahdah?"
Vienne nods and tries swinging at Mush with more vigor. Mush dodges the elbow easily and waits for her next move. Shadowing Ruby, Vienne tries to show some attitude.
None of the children notice the sun as it slips behind the buildings of Manhattan, or the last whistle of the factories letting out their captives. The shadows of the setting sun against the building grow, unnoticed until Vienne saw a group of men walk past the alley.
"It's after sunset!" Vienne scrambles off her crate and speed out into the street. Ignoring the calls of Ruby and Mush, She runs as fast as she can to Medda's. Bursting through the backstage door, rushing into the near empty dressing room she clamors into tonight's costume. Opening the door she is greeted by panting friends. Pointing to the curtain that would lead them to the house seating, Vienne takes her place behind Marie nearly gasping for air. Marie turns and shakes her head in disproval before skipping onto the stage.
Looking out at the audience for Mush and Ruby, a pair of piercing blue eyes stops her searching. Missing a step Vienne slips back into her place in line and steals a quick glance at the boy, who was grinning at her mistake, blue eyes laughing.
"He's here!" Marie whispers to anyone who could hear her, as they make a turn. Fans over their faces, flirting with the audience, Vienne turns to the dancer.
"Who is here?"
"Oh, child," Fans wave at the men hooting in the audience, then back over their mouths. "The same one we told you about earlier, the King of Brooklyn."
A short jig ends the dance and the girls sashay off the stage and begin their gossip. With only one dance that night, Vienne slips away to the dressing room before the other girls descend in mass. Slipping back into her blouse and skirt, she sneaks around to the back of the audience, half trying to find Ruby and Mush, half trying to find the boy with the blue eyes. Unable to recognize anyone in the dim theater, Vienne walks out into the lobby. She plays with the hem on her skirt as she sits down on the worn velvet carpet of the 'Grand Stair Case'. Listening to the last notes being play on the piano by her Da, Vienne jumps up, terrified of being caught in the exiting group of men from the house seating. Running down the narrow hallway past the dressing rooms, she bursts out the side door into the dark alleyway. Stumbling down the cluttered pavement, Vienne happens upon something she wasn't supposed to see.
At the other end of the alley two large boys were soaking a much smaller newsie. Horrified, Vienne was in shock. Unable to make her feet move she watches as the small child receive a beating. An outcry from the boy stirs something deep inside of Vienne and quick glance at his face revels that he is a Manhattan Newsie. Not one she knew well but one all the same. Rags had just joined the Newsies, making him one of the youngest at 7. Anger at the mistreatment of a mere child stirs in Vienne as she takes a few determined steps forward.
"Leave him be." A stern feminine fills the alley making one of the large scabbers turn slightly. Seeing the petite brown haired girl, he begins to laugh.
"Don' worry sweetheaht, you'se'll get ya toin soon." Turning back to the child, he lands a punch to Rags' stomach.
Vienne takes three more steps. "I said, leave him be."
The scabbers look at each other and throw the boy down turning to a prettier prey. Rags wastes no time in crawling away around the alley into the street. Still angry at what they had done, Vienne faces the boys just in time to get pinned to the wall, two hands on her throat.
Ruby had always known that Vienne was soft and never had a doubt in her mind that at lease one time Vienne would be grabbed and shoved against a wall. So in preparation for that, getting out of hold was the first thing that Ruby taught her.
Vienne reaches up, grabs the scabber's thumbs and pulls them away from her throat while forcing her knee outward, hitting anything she could. This resulted in the young man grunting and dropping, momentarily to a knee. Taking the moment, Vienne slams the side of her fist in to the upper middle of his back and kneeing him in the face. Shock covers the other boys face as anger continued to pour out of Vienne as she turns to face him. Not giving him time to plan his move, she gives him a left punch, right punch, right elbow that bloodies his nose and promises a shiner. Angered by this girl showing him up, the boy stands to his full height, towering over Vienne, who suddenly becomes very timid.
"You'se gonna be sorry." He cracks his neck and takes heavy steps toward her.
"You'se gonna be sorry if'n you'se lay one fingah on 'er." A slender boy steps out of the shadows pointing a sling shot at the man towering over Vienne. A gray cap hid most of his face but the attacker knew who he was without having to see him.
"Stay outta t'is Conlon." He takes another step forward, Vienne cowards and tries to hide behind a crate.
A sudden movement, a thwap and a yelp from her attacker as he reaches a hand up to his neck gives Vienne just enough time to sink down behind a crate, out of sight. Her attacker turns toward the King of Brooklyn.
"Conlon!" The thug staggers toward him and takes a swing. The agile youth easily moves out of the way and lands a punch on the jaw. Growling the thug takes another swing, missing, getting a hit that promised a shiner. The two circle, one with a scowl on his face the other with a smirk. Another punch thrown, hitting only air followed by a hook that finds its mark. An angry thug and a bored king face off once again. Spot Conlon takes out his gold tipped cane and finishes the fight.
A heavy fall, a pause and light footsteps make tears of fear and exhaustion slip down Vienne's cheeks. A face appears over the crate and she looks up into piercing blue eyes, and something tugs her back to a distant memory or perhaps, a dream she once had.
"Why you'se cryin'?" the sly grin slips into a well known smirk as the King of Brooklyn offers her a hand up. Vienne took it, at a loss for works of what had just happened. "We's should cheese it before t'ey's come to." She follows her rescuer meekly down the alley, back to Medda's.
The alley begins to echo with the sound of running feet. Blue eyes scan their position in the alley, noticing the uneven meeting of two building large enough for a girl to hide in. Dragging her over to the crevasse he unceremonially shoves her into it then stands between her and the oncoming strangers. His battle ready body relaxes and his smirk returns.
"Hi ya Whistler." Spot rests his hand on the top of his cane and shifts his weight to one foot.
"Spot, one of me boidies told me's me kid sista was in t'e alley and two scabbers were gettin' in'erested. 'ave you'se hoid anyt'in'?" Whistler was out of breath and in a hurry. A glance to the side and a jerk of a thumb from Spot and Whistler has Vienne wrapped in a hug a moment later. Pulling back, he gives her a once over. Relieved she wasn't hurt; he turns to the King of Brooklyn. Spitting in his hand, he offers it to Spot, who in turn does the same and the two shake.
"I owe you'se one Conlon." Whistler pulls Vienne under his arm and leads the group out of the alley.
Well…what do you think? Do you like it? Is it too short? Not moving fast enough? Too fast? The cute fluff will come I promise! (that's my favorite part ) R and R please and t'ank you!