I got my wisdom teeth pulled out a few hours ago; all 4. Since vicodin doesn't appear to affect me mentally at all, I thought I'd give you a bit more.

Here you are! Thanks for reviewing!!

Oh, and here's a note to Curly-Q on the question about Chapter 11 (To Manhattan):

"He gets this gleam in his eye. He's so focused. The only time I've ever seen him that intense is-" if Spot hadn't stopped him it would have ended: "when he's staring at you."

Chapter 24: Poor Cigar

"Spot?"

The Brooklyn King turned his pale eyes, finding those of his most trusted friend.

"Heya Cork."

The docks were dark, Manhattan lights glittering across the black expanse of the water.

"She won't like your being out. You're not close to being fixed yet."

Spot lounged back on a crate, taking as long a drag on his cigar as his cracked ribs would let him.

"Lying down's uncomfortable."

The curly haired teen plopped down beside him, pulling out a smoke of his own with a derisive snort.

"I'm not surprised. That guy got in quite a few hits."

Steel blue eyes swept over to him.

"Lucky shots. It'd been a long night."

Another snort.

"Course. C'mon Spotty. This is me remember?"

The Newsie Lord was silent, watching his smoke curl up into the night. Only Cork new where the King's name originated. They'd been close friends even long before Spot was picked as the new leader.

"I thought I was gunna die."

Cork didn't say anything, the cigar clenched between his teeth.

"The water closed in over us, and he couldn't swim. He was holding onto me by the neck and I thought, 'This is it. I'm gunna die in this stupid river.' Then I got a good kick to his chest and my mouth was full of water and it was going down my throat and I couldn't see the surface and—"

Spot's words were running together. He stopped to suck on his cigar.

When he spoke again his voice was under control.

"I thought I was gunna die."

Cork's voice whistled through his teeth.

"That's worse than the knife fight in Harlem."

Spot nodded slowly, looking over the water with glazed eyes.

"Worse than Harlem."

"You know what that means?"

"Time to retire?"

"Ha! Never! Time to tell the boys you love her."

For the first time, Spot's cigar fell from his lips. Cork barely managed to catch it before it hit the wood beneath them.

"What?"

Cork began to laugh, his chocolate eyes kind.

"This is the first time you're behind the rest of the pack Spot, and I'm never gunna let you forget it."

He held out the Head Newsie's dropped smoke.

"Everyone else already knows."

Aft6er a second Spot took back his cigar, his face frozen in its shocked expression.

"And…its alright?"

Cork was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"It wouldn't be, but she wants you. And we'll never deny her what she wants. Plus, you're the best man among us. If you weren't, you wouldn't own Brooklyn."

He clapped the startled man on the back.

"When she's pregnant, THAT's the time to think about retiring."

The cigar hit the dock.

I've written the next chapter, but I didn't want to tack it onto the end of this one. We're at the end.

Gone crazy and Staying there,

Wolfy101