Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Newsies, but I own the others.

Riley woke up the next morning and sighed when she looked in the mirror. She grabbed an airy white summer dress from her room and spent the next fifteen minutes scrubbing every inch of her body in the bathtub. She felt so much better once all of the dirt from the dusty street was off of her.

She laced up the front of her dress, her long brown hair making the fabric damp as it rested down to the middle of her back. She combed out her hair and pushed the front strands back, holding them in place with some decorative combs she had managed to snag from the apartment when Spot had brought her to get some of her things a while ago.

Riley felt lonely as ever, pacing back and forth in the common room while the Brooklyn boys were out selling their newspapers. Her only friend, Blush, was out there with them. She busied herself by tidying up a bit and salvaging enough food in the kitchen to fill her stomach.

While cleaning the grime off of the windows, Riley thought she saw Spot across the street, making his way down to the docks with a group of his boys.

Riley was dying to get out of the Lodging House but didn't want to run after him. She had too much pride to be by his side the moment he came back, even though he'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her outside on her own.

Riley glanced out the window again and saw a familiar figure strolling down the street towards the Lodging House. She smiled and walked outside.

"My, my, my... Jack Kelly... to what do I owe this visit?" Riley asked, smiling at him. Jack jogged up to her, throwing his half smoked cigarette on the street.

"I have a letter for you." Jack said, handing her an envelope with her name written elegantly on the front. "It arrived at Bonnie's yesterday."

Riley held the crisp envelope in both of her hands. "Oh, no..." She said, looking up at Jack. "My parents."

"Oh, no!" Jack taunted, his voice over dramatic. He laughed. "It ain't gonna bite, hun. Just open it."

Riley opened the door to the Lodging House and walked back inside, Jack following close behind. She pulled out the bright white paper from inside and started to read.

Dearest Riley,

You have not written to your father and I like you promised you would. Your father was told of your recent trouble with the job he set up for you in Brooklyn. As you know, I was against you working to begin with. However, your father was appalled with the news. I hope there is a good explanation for you being fired, Riley. Your father is very surprised with you.

It sounds as though life away from Staten Island is not as easy as you thought it would be. I am prepared to come and visit if I feel that you aren't doing as well as we originally thought. Perhaps you should come home if you must.

Please write to us promptly, Riley dear. I have sent some money with another service and it should be arriving shortly after this letter. I will be waiting for your response to see how you are doing -

"Hey!" Riley yelled. The paper was ripped from her hands before she could finish reading the rest of it. Spot had entered the Lodging House with the group of boys she saw him with at the docks.

"Well, well... What do we got here, huh?" Spot pondered, holding the paper over his head to read it out of Riley's reach. She jumped but was unable to grab it.

"It's a letter from my parents, give it to me, Spot!"

Spot smiled. "Give it to you, Cardoni?" He looked away from the letter, eyeing her up and down. He winked at her, knowing that a wink from Spot Conlon could make a girl melt.

"You wish," Riley sneered, making another grab for the letter.

Spot snatched it out of her reach again. "Leave me alone - I'm reading." He said, rolling his eyes and walking away.

Riley threw her hands in the air in frustration. She looked around to see Spot's top ranking boys, including his second-in-command, Spike, now scattered around the room looking at her. She gave up on Spot and turned back to face Jack.

"So you came here just to be a delivery boy?" Riley asked him, her cheeks still flushed from Spot's wandering eye.

Jack stopped greeting the other Brooklyn boys and answered her. "Well, that, and other reasons..."

Riley curiously tilted her head to the side. "Oh yeah?" She asked. "Like what?"

Jack shrugged. "Business." He simply replied, not meeting her eye during his response. He obviously didn't want to explain more.

"Business," Riley repeated bitterly. "You boys and your business."

Jack smiled faintly. "Yeah, there's been a lot of it lately."

Riley studied his face and bit her lip. The Harlem newsies from yesterday must have something to do with it.

"A'right, listen - don't leave the Lodging House at all tonight," Spot had come up behind her, startling Riley as his voice reached her ears. He handed her back the letter.

"Actually I really wanted to get out of the Lodging House," Riley replied, hiding her frustration. She hated that she needed to ask his permission. "Jack will come with me, won't you, Jack?"

Jack pursed his lips together and looked down to his feet, his right hand moving to rub the back of his neck. "Uh, actually, Riley... We got something we need to do," he looked up and met her eyes. "It's probably best that you stay in the Lodging House for now."

Riley's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What are you doing exactly...?"

"We're meeting some girls a few blocks away," Spot replied, a playful smirk pulling at his lips. "I need to let loose and these girls know just how I like it. That make you jealous, Cardoni?"

Despite her efforts to stop it, Riley felt her stomach turn. She glanced from Spot's smug face to Jack's. A silent sigh of relief left her lips when she met Jack's look; he was shaking his head, rolling his eyes in laughter.

Oh, so this was Spot's idea of a joke? Making up stories to cover up what he was doing? Stories about other girls, of course. It killed Riley to think about the thousands of girls who would throw themselves at his feet...

After seeing Jack's expression, Riley knew that they weren't really going to meet with some girls when they left. She shrugged her shoulders for Spot's benefit, feigning disinterest. "Go ahead, have fun. What do I care?"

Jack lit up a cigarette, sensing a confrontation that he may start laughing at. He walked out of the Lodging House to catch some air, saving himself the backlash he'd receive if he stuck around. Spot stayed inside and smirked at Riley's reaction, eyebrows slightly raised. Her question of 'what do I care?' seemed funny to him.

"What are you smiling about?" Riley asked, offended by the knowing look on his face. "I don't care. The answer to that question is I don't care." She stated firmly. "Just so you know, I don't care in the slightest." she finished rather pathetically, ruining the effect she was trying to have after seeing the laughter in his eyes.

"Okay, dollface." Spot nonchalantly replied, amused as always, his eyes leaving her face as he adjusted the hat on top of his head.

"Don't smile at me like I care about your girlfriends because I already told you, I really don't care." Riley said, forcing a laugh. "Not at all. Don't care."

Spot pulled some change out of his pocket as she spoke, unconcerned by her persistence. "So, just to clarify... you're saying that you don't care?" He muttered sarcastically, making fun of her repetitive answer while he busied himself by counting the coins in his hand.

Riley felt like a complete idiot - repeating 'I don't care' was certainly not helping her. She shut her mouth and abandoned her attempt to appear unphased.

"You're gonna write back to your parents," Spot said, changing the subject, pocketing his change once he finished counting it. "You're gonna tell them that life is perfect and you're doing just fine in Brooklyn, got it? They know you got fired but you can put a spin on the story by saying it wasn't up to your 'standards' or some shit. Tell them something to keep them from visiting anytime soon. Jack will send that money over to you when it arrives."

Riley sat down on the chair beside her, elbows propped on the table. "I don't have paper or ink to write to them."

"I'll send Blush to get some. She'll make sure it's sent out when you're done." Spot said as he looked over Riley's shoulder to catch the attention of the boys waiting for him around common room. He nodded his head towards the door, and Riley heard them filing outside to wait for him. She had a strange feeling about whatever they were off to go do.

"So I'm going to lie to them...?" Riley questioned cautiously. "You know, about Bonnie and everything?"

Spot's gem-like eyes moved to her face. "Or you can write to them and tell them the truth. They can come pick you up and bring you home."

Riley heard the door close as the last of the boys left the room. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I already told you I won't do that. Coming to Brooklyn was my only chance to be on my own. If I tell them, if I admit to them that I messed it up," she paused to shake her head. "I won't do it."

Spot let out an impatient sigh. "God, woman, you are unbelievable, you know that?" He said, standing on the opposite side of the table as he looked down at her. "I know you hate being stuck in my world, exposed to the streets, living in a storage room." Spot listed off. He lowered his voice as he put both of his fists on the wooden table, leaning down so they were at eye level. "You saw us killing a guy in the street and it scares you do death. You know that it'll keep happening if Harlem keeps this shit up."

Riley listened with bated breath. She licked her lips as she struggled to keep from pushing him further... "But why?" She blurted out, unable to stop herself. "Why do I need to worry about that? I don't understand how your newspaper world is dangerous to me! They have no reason to care about me here!"

Spot gritted his teeth at her 'newspaper' comment, but chose to ignore it. "They know you were there that night - they know you're living here because you know too much. It makes me look weak taking pity on some fucking high class dame who got thrust into the life of street kids and power struggles. So now you are a part of it, whether you like it or not." Spot clenched his fists on top of the table. "Don't you understand what could happen to you if this keeps up? Being in Brooklyn right now is a guarantee that you'll witness more of it. Harlem is fucking with me and I'll prove to them, one way or another, that nobody fucks with Spot Conlon and lives to speak about it." His voice was menacing and it frightened her.

Spot continued his glare. "You could go home, Cardoni, simple as that. You could forget all about Brooklyn, forget about me and these streets, and move on."

Riley pondered his words, a familiar knot of fear forming in her stomach. She still had nightmares of the lifeless body she saw at Spot's feet on the night she stumbled across his act of war... Beating a man to death as if it were an obligation, an insult that he even dared to enter Spot's territory. She remembered Spot's story about the man they had killed. Apparently one of the Brooklyn newsies had already been beat to death before Riley even met Spot Conlon. She couldn't imagine what it'd be like to have another Brooklynite die, especially since she knew all of them now.

Riley stared into his illustrious eye and saw the danger that all of New York feared. It was a shimmer of violence that had been present from the first day she saw him. Despite all of the warnings, first from Bonnie and now from Spot himself, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. She felt more alive around the leader of Brooklyn than she'd ever felt in her whole life.

A flashback of her meaningless day-to-day life in Staten Island flew into her memory. Riley knew that if she surrendered her freedom in Brooklyn, surrendered her new life that revolved around Spot Conlon, she'd never be able to 'move on' as he suggested. She'd spend every minute of every day thinking about him, about Brooklyn. Her nightmares would be replaced with dreams of his eyes, his face, his striking presence, his touch... She wasn't prepared to give in to the torture of his absence; no matter what the cost.

"No," Riley finally answered, causing Spot to stand up straight and roll his eyes. "If I go home I'll be stuck in Staten Island for the rest of my life, set up in some marriage that my parents would arranged, unable to make any more decisions for myself. You don't know what that's like!" Frustrated, Riley stood up and ran her fingers through her hair, ripping her eyes away from his memorizing face. She hadn't meant to explain so much to him. "My point is this-" Riley composed herself, hands on her hips, standing up a bit straighter, "I have no intention of leaving Brooklyn, end of story." She stated, remaining defiant with her decision. "Convincing me otherwise is just a waste of your time."

Spot narrowed his eyes, dropping his nonchalant act as he gave her his full attention again. "You're in my part of the city, Cardoni. You wanna stay in Brooklyn then that's your decision - but if the day ever comes when I order you to leave, you will leave." There was a dark meaning behind his words that made her skin tingle with a frigid cold. She had a feeling he meant something harsher in those words.

Riley nodded in response, unable to think of the proper way to reply to the strength and power now radiating off of him.

Spot continued, a hostile and unsympathetic look in his eyes. "This is the real world, Cardoni, and if business called for me to get rid of you, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. I don't get a choice in the matter. No one in my position does. That's why I'm still here, that's why I am who I am." Spot explained, his hand on the tip of the cane that hung through his belt loop. He looked down and studied the gleaming gold on the handle, his voice strong and sure. "Soon Brooklyn might not be safe for you, so I'm telling you the risk you might be taking by staying here. Your safety might be affected because of it."

Riley had no response to his words. Spot looked up from his cane, an ominous stare freezing Riley in her place. "But if, one day, you affect the safety of Brooklyn," his eyes grew dark, "I'll do what I have to do to get rid of you, Cardoni. No hesitation. No regrets."

Riley swallowed hard, the warm room becoming colder with every breath she took. Was this what she wanted? Was she making the right decision? Spot watched her reaction unmovingly.

He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "If I wanted people to think of the name 'Spot Conlon' and think safe, happy thoughts," he placed the hat back on his head, "I'd be a priest."

Riley looked off to the side to avoid his gaze, the realization of his words sinking in.

"That's the way it works around here, Cardoni. That's the way Irun it. So welcome to the real Brooklyn," Spot said. "This is not the New York City you thought it'd be."

With that, he dismissed her presence and walked towards the door. Riley didn't look back when she heard him leave, the heavy wood door closing harshly behind him.

Riley wrote to her parents. The ink dripped onto the paper as she hesitated in her reply to them. Finally, she continued her writing, reassuring them that she was fine and that they had no need to worry. She added in a few comments about Bonnie so her life appeared normal with her best friend still by her side. Her words held no trace of the cold and expired friendship that had ended as a result of a Brooklyn street king and his dangerous reputation.

Riley had sealed the letter and got it ready to be sent out. The common room was quieter than usual; the absence of Spot and his higher ranking boys making it feel empty and strange. There were plenty of Brooklyn boys left behind, but it was less rowdy than Riley had grown accustomed to. Blush sat at her side, biting at her fingernails and stealing glances at the door. Her brother, Spike, was one of the boys joining Spot on the mission out of Brooklyn.

"Could you please tell me what they're doing?" Riley asked when Blush glanced nervously at the door for the hundredth time. "You're scaring me."

Blush sighed and started picking at the splintering wood of the table they were sitting at. "They're following Conlon's orders. It's always kept a secret, so I don't know exactly what it is they're doing."

Riley saw that there was more to the story, and she was determined to find out more. "What do you think they're doing?"

Blush looked around, contemplating her answer.

"If you don't tell me I'll ask around; there's gotta be someone in here who will tell me what's going on." Riley said, acting like she was about to stand up.

Blush grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. "Are you kidding me? Spot doesn't like them even talking to you. And if he found out you were asking around about his business he'd go crazy - who knows what he'd do!"

"Then tell me!" Riley insisted. "What do you think they're doing?"

Blush sighed in defeat, checking to see if anyone was in earshot. She lowered her voice, moving closer to Riley. "Look, I don't know for sure but... I think they're in Harlem."

Riley jaw dropped slightly, a million questions entering her brain. "Why?! What would they be doing in Harlem?!"

"Shut up, will ya?!" Blush whispered, searching the room for any eyes that may be watching them. "Spot gets pissed when people come into Brooklyn, you know? Like those Harlem guys did yesterday. He doesn't like it when they get comfortable crossing the line into Brooklyn like that. I think he's going after them."

Riley's eyes widened. "He's going to kill them?!" She whispered.

"No, not kill them... Probably close to it though. I think they want to send a message, ya know?"

Riley glanced nervously at the front door, identical to what Blush had been doing all night.

"But... If they hurt someone in Harlem... Won't they retaliate? Won't they come back to get even with Brooklyn?"

Blush rubbed her face, a long sigh escaping her lips.

Riley gasped. "They will, won't they? Oh, shit. Blush!"

"I know, I know... That's why I'm nervous."

"Then why is Spot doing this? Why would he attack them if he knows it could get someone from Brooklyn hurt?"

Blush dropped her hands on the table and turned her head to look at Riley. "Because," she explained firmly, "this is Spot. This is Brooklyn. Nobody fucks with him and nobody fucks with this borough. It's just how it is, Riley."

Riley looked down at the letter she had written to her parents. This was why Spot warned her about the danger of Brooklyn. She felt vulnerable with out Spot Conlon by her side, no matter how difficult it was to be around him.

The memory of Bonnie's words from the day Riley first moved to Brooklyn rang in her ears. "That's Spot Conlon. Stay away from him, Riles. He's bad news around here." Riley shuddered at the memory, Bonnie's voice clear in her mind. "Promise me you'll stay away from him."

Riley remembered the curiosity that ran through her when she first saw the infamous leader of Brooklyn. The reality of his reputation, the dangers of these streets - it all became so real to her in that moment.

It was enough to make her scared of this ongoing fight with Harlem. Enough to make her scared of the power of Spot Conlon.

And suddenly, for the first time ever, Riley wished she had never broken her promise to Bonnie.

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