The next morning Siren awoke feeling fine. She always could handle her drinking. That also meant she remembered everything clearly from the night before. She ran out of her room and ran straight into Flicks.

"Hey you didnt steal from anotha vendah did ya?" he joked with her.

"Nah. Wheres Spot?"

"Manhattan."

Her heart fell. "Oh." Tricks was going to explain what he was doing in Manhattan but decided to let Spot. Meanwhile Spot was in Manhattan.

Spot walked into Meddas, dreading the fight he knew that would follow. He spotted Vixen serving drinks to the men for the day show. He walked in and sat down at the bar, then caught her eye. He motioned for her to follow him, and led her into the hall. Vixen wrapped her arms around his neck, and tried to kiss him. He impatiantally brushed her off. She pouted her lips at him.

"Spotty whats wrong?"

He grimaced at the horrible nickname. "Listen, Vixen, dis ain't gonna woik out no more."

Her face twisted into a sneer. "What?"

"You heard me. Ise wit Siren."

She slapped him across the face. "Your going to regret this." She spat at him.

Rubbing the side of his face, he knew Vixen was lucky to be a girl. Anyone else would have gottent the shit soaked out of them. Leaving Meddas, Spot never noticed a boy with brown hair and a glint in his eyes, slip out into the alley on his way back to the Bronx.

Siren sat at the pier. I seem ta do this alot. She was watching the water against the pier.

"Heya beautiful."

She turned and her heart sunk at the sight of Spot walking towards her. He is so handsome. Ise dont tink I can take him bein wit Vixen. She knew she needed to talk to him.

"Spot ise sahrry bout las nigh."

He shook his head, "No dis whole idea was horrible ta begin wit."

"Spot,"

He pressed his lips against hers. Her breath was gone. Her heartbeat was so fast she swore she could hear it. "Ise broke up wit Vixen. Ise wanna be wichyou." Holding her close to him he looked her in the eyes. "Ise love you Siren."

She had wanted to hear that for so long. Mabye ever since she stepped into the Brooklyn lodging house. "Ise love you Spot." He leaned her against the pier rail, and they kissed.

Walking together back to the house, they walked in to find everyone looking as if they lost thier papers. Spot looked to one of his newsies, and he pointed upstairs. Spot ran up to find everyone gathered around a bunkbed. In the bed lay Flicks. His face was bruised and bloody, his arms and body were bruised and his right eye was sealed shut. Spot looked to Marble, who also showed signs of bruising. "We was soaked by some Bronx boys. Dey, um..."

"Well spit it out."

"Spot deys know abou Siren."

Spot nodded his head. "Alrigh. Make sure Flicks cuts are cleaned."

Siren came into the room and stared at the bloodied body of Tracks. "Oh no."

Everyone headed to Sunnys, the restaurant they ate at, to discuss what they should do. Flicks insisted on coming with.

"Ise say we soak da Bronx!"

"Yeah!"

"Everyone shut up!" Spot yelled. "Wese goin ta have ta plan dis. Not run in wit no plan. This comin weekend we'll set up a meeting wit da otha leadahs. Den we'll decide what ta do."

Spot sent out his fastest newsies to Manhattan, Staten and the Five Points. They waited most of the day in the restaurant for the newsies to return. They all passed the time in different ways. Some sat quietly, thinking about what all this would mean. Some brought out cards and started yet another game of poker. Flicks was distracted by a girl walking by the window.

"Damn i'd hit dat."

Siren laughed shaking her head. "Youse got no chance at all even if your face wasn't jus used as a punchin bag."

Spot laughed at the antics of his newsies. Then the birds returned. All nodded and said the other leaders were in. Spot, pleased, then decided they could all go back to the house.

Walking upstairs, Spot took Siren into his room.