A/N: Shoutout as usual to coveredinbees...you wonderful human you. You are so kind to consistently keep reading this story. Also, OMG NotImportant...you're back!? You'll have to let me know how you're liking THIS version of Kate and Spot...details please! I want to make sure I'm not letting you down here :-) . To everyone else, thank you for reading, and please review! It makes me happy!

Chapter 24

Brooklyn, September, 1902

Kate jerked her head toward the restaurant door behind her as she heard it open with a slow creak for what felt like the thousandth time in the past half-hour. But upon noting a triad of younger boys enter—play-punching and snickering to themselves—she turned back to face Julia's amused smirk.

"What?" Kate somewhat aggressively threw out, picking up the water glass in front of her to take a quick sip.

"Paranoia is not an attractive look on you, love," Julia replied with a chuckle.

But Kate simply rolled her eyes at her friend. "To be fair, I don't think it's a good look on anyone. And if you would just switch seats with me, it wouldn't be an issue at all."

"Then how will I ever convince you to trust, sunshine?" Julia said, her eyebrows raising playfully.

"Clearly, not with my back to a door," Kate irritably muttered.

"Regardless," Julia said with a sigh, shooting Kate a purposeful look with her clear blue eyes. "I know who I'm looking for, and you don't."

"Your gentleman friend," Kate replied wryly, a smirk touching her own lips. "Though I still don't see why I need to meet him. I'll tell you right now he's not good enough for you. No introduction required."

At that, Julia groaned. "Katherine, I swear to God—would you please just attempt a neutral stance until you've actually laid eyes on him? Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes," Kate responded stubbornly. "Besides, you've never brought around your gentlemen friends before. And you sure as shit don't drag me to lunches for the express purpose of meeting them."

"Well, maybe this one is different," Julia posed with a smile. "And maybe he asked to meet you."

Kate narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What the hell for?"

"Cynicism isn't a particularly good look for you either," Julia countered, causing Kate to immediately scoff in response. "But if you must know, it's because you're an important part of my life. It's hard not to talk about the only family you've got. And he may have a way to help with our financial situation. A potential, steady-paying job for you, sunshine. Finally."

The pang of both affection and guilt that resonated within Kate was almost overpowering. She knew the monetary strain Julia was currently under—and it was due in large part to her presence. But while Kate had done her best to supplement Julia's wages with her own, the odd jobs by the river were much too infrequent to put any real dent in their rising expenses.

So, she sighed, attempting a smile before saying, "I just have a hard time believing that anyone could be good enough for you. And it's especially difficult to swallow that some trust-fund, upper-class bastard—"

"Gentleman," Julia interrupted in a chastising tone.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Fine. A gentleman of exorbitant, morally-questionable means—would have good intentions."

"You trust me, don't you?" Julia asked simply, her eyes clear and honest.

"With my life," Kate immediately responded, allowing a meaningful smile to grow on her lips.

Julia grasped her friend's hands, her eyes emotional as she pulsed them gently in her own. "Then hold on to that feeling. The rest will fall into place. I promise."

"Okay," Kate finally relented. "If me meeting him is really this important to you, I'll attempt impartiality—at least for a few minutes."

Brooklyn, February, 1904

Kate felt her lips quiver into a sad smile, tears blurring her vision as the sound of Julia's sweet laugh echoed around Spot's empty room.

There were so many memories—so many shared moments between the two of them—that it was almost impossible to go a day or even an hour without seeing or hearing her.

Sensing her presence in some way.

But with each bittersweet remembrance, Kate could feel the building grief of Julia's absence—a hollow resonance of how suddenly and violently her life had ended, and the massive hole that was left in her wake.

It was something that haunted Kate incessantly, weighing down every one of her present moments with breathtaking amounts of pain and regret. In fact, she was sure she could feel herself deteriorating under the onus of it all, her body barely a functioning form and her mind struggling to register the reality around her.

Lately, she found herself wondering if perhaps saying it aloud—admitting the horrible truth of that night on the docks to Spot or Mary—might ease some of the overbearing sickness inside of her. But each time she would gather the courage, looking resolutely into Spot's concerned blue gaze or Mary's kind face, she couldn't help but choke back the words.

Maybe it was the guilt that silenced her. After all, it had been her actions that led both she and Julia to that horrible end. Or the fear of Spot, Rummy, and Mary—the only people she had left—being unable to stomach her treachery.

Would any of them even be able to look at her again once they knew the truth? Spot and Mary might attempt to understand, but Rummy…

Kate felt several tears seep down her face at the thought of Rummy's heartbreak. He and Julia had been inseparable for far longer than Kate had known either of them. So, how then, could she relay the convoluted story of the past year to the gentlest of men, and expect his forgiveness for the integral part she had played in his love's death?

Deep down though, Kate knew the most important reason she held so tight to the awful memory of that night—

Because saying it aloud would somehow make it real.

And Kate wasn't sure she could face that pain, no matter who decided to stand by her in the aftermath.

"Hey, doll, you ready yet?"

Kate jolted out of her spiraling thoughts as Spot's voice sounded outside the door. She looked down at her barely clad form, feeling completely frazzled. She had gotten so lost in her memories and fears, she wasn't sure how long it had been since she had left him in the living room with the promise of changing into real clothes, not the old, tattered garb she habitually wore while doing chores.

She was supposed to be getting ready—donning one of the hand-me-down outfits Mary had graciously given her so she could then accompany Spot and Rummy to dinner. She had walked into the room at Spot's urging, fully intending to complete the simple task. But all she had managed to do was get down to her underwear before completely losing herself.

"Not yet," she finally called, pushing herself to standing from her seated position on the bed and wiping the wetness from her cheeks and lashes.

But before she could make her way to the dresser to quickly pick out an outfit, she heard the doorknob click and turned to see Spot slipping inside.

"I said, 'not yet'," she grumbled, shooting him an affronted look. "Your inability to be patient has now created this moment of impropriety between us. I hope you're happy."

He rolled his eyes at her cheekiness, a smirk growing on his lips as he looked her over somewhat lasciviously. "Would it create another moment of impropriety if I said I am happy? Or that it ain't anything I haven't seen before?"

Kate shook her head, willing herself to smile as she picked up the skirt and shirt from the top dresser drawer to lay them on the bed. "I think it's bordering on scandalous at that point."

He chuckled shortly, replying, "I guess it's a blessing then that nobody here gives a shit about curtsying and high tea."

"As far as you know," Kate shot back, finding her smile widening as she turned to stare at him.

He shrugged, his eyes light and his tone playful. "Alright, enough chit-chat. How 'bout we focus on gettin' you in some clothes so that we can head out? I'm pretty sure Rummy's already there by now."

Kate raised her eyebrows at him, attempting to search for any legitimate reason to delay, if not outright cancel the outing altogether. She was unsure of the true impetus behind this sudden urge, but she felt wholly reluctant to attend the dinner she had easily agreed to early that morning.

In part, it was the undeniable fact that she was currently losing the battle for control over her wanton emotions—that she was in no state to go out in public, let alone be around anyone that cared for her. The uncomfortable anxiety was already building within her body—a warning of impending panic that made her fingers tingle and her heart pound.

However, explaining anything about her current state of mind to Spot—especially the painful memories that had exacerbated these feelings—would only lead to the long list of questions and concerns she knew he must barely be holding back. And she was in no way ready to address even his most basic of inquiries, regardless of his caring intent.

So, her best bet was to clamp down as hard as she could on whatever threads she felt unraveling within and hopefully make it through the evening in one piece.

But Spot's eyes narrowed worriedly in response to her short hesitation. "You alright? If you aren't feelin' up to doin' anything, we can always reschedule."

"Don't be silly," she quickly countered, forcing herself to pull the too big shirt on, her numb fingers somehow managing the buttons. "We've been out all over town lately. I think I can handle one dinner."

Truthfully, Kate had rather enjoyed the week's outings with Spot. She hadn't realized how cooped up she had been over the last few months until she had finally agreed to venture beyond the building. Buying groceries at the town market had never been so freeing, walks near the river even more delightful.

So, Spot slowly nodded in tempered assent, moving to aid her in buttoning the back of her skirt. The soft brush of his fingers against hers calmed her slightly, his hand entwining securely into hers as she turned back around to face him. He pulsed her limb gently, their eyes meeting momentarily, before he released her to finish dressing.

And after pulling on her stockings and shoes, the two bade Mary a goodnight—Kate promising to down 'a hearty meal' lest she want another lecture on nutrition—and headed toward the pub where Rummy was most likely already waiting and drinking.

Queens, November, 1902

"Where the hell have you been, Katherine?"

Kate shook herself from her near unconscious reverie to meet Julia's emblazoned gaze. Her friend stood before her, blonde hair shining beneath the overhanging streetlight, all worry and anger.

"You know you're late, right?" Julia added after several moments of silence had pervaded between them—Kate still grappling with the exhaustion of two sleepless nights within her parents' storeroom on top of the far more troubling reason she had ventured there in the first place.

"And you look a right mess. Is that straw in your hair?" Julia pushed a messy curl behind Kate's ear, plucking a piece of hay out with her fingers. But Kate's tired eyes only strayed to the riverfront pub behind her friend's troubled face, unable to voice any of her muddled thoughts aloud.

The blonde girl crossed her arms anxiously over her chest, her blue eyes searching Kate's face. "This is your first night at your new job. You're supposed to be proving to John that you can handle this kind of responsibility. And between whatever the hell you've been doing every night over at the Brooklyn docks for the last month, and the fact that you've been avoiding both me and Spot—I just—I don't know what I'm supposed to think, Katherine."

Kate sighed, rubbing her hands roughly over her face, her overwhelmed senses finally registering the true mess she currently was creating for both herself and her friend.

"Look, I'm—I'm really sorry, Julia," Kate mumbled somewhat hoarsely. "I didn't mean to make you nervous, and I didn't forget about tonight…I just…I don't know. I've been having second thoughts about this deal—really, all of John's ideas about how I can be useful. And, as for my work around the docks…"

Kate shrugged, feeling a strange impulse to keep most of the salient details concerning her activities in Brooklyn to herself. "I was just finishing up a project I started there a few months back. Tying off some loose ends."

Julia frowned, a flash of hurt passing through her gaze before she steadied herself and purposefully grasped Kate's hand in hers. "It's probably best if you keep those details to yourself anyway. But I need you to make this position with John work, Katherine." She paused, her eyes filling with a concerning amount of severity. "I need you to keep trusting me on this, alright? Now let's go get you cleaned up so you can put your best face forward."

Brooklyn, February, 1904

"I won't let you down," Kate murmured almost inaudibly to herself, a strange haze starting to cloud her vision, making Julia's face warped and indistinct.

However, after blinking several times to clear the bothersome fog, she nearly yelped as a completely different scene greeted her—

The two worried faces of Spot Conlon and Rummy Byrne staring unblinkingly toward her in the dim light of the pub in which the three had been eating and drinking for the last hour.

"What did you say?" Rummy asked, attempting an understanding smile as his dark eyes darted uneasily to Kate's left, where Spot sat beside her.

Kate turned her alarmed gaze in the same direction, the blue of Spot's eyes glowing warily back at her before she shook her head. "I—I said who wants another drink?"

She forced her lips to upturn into a smile, attempting to steady her pounding heart, but Spot's expression only deepened into further concern.

"You haven't even touched your first one," he said, his eyes flicking to her full pint and plate of food.

She faltered only for a moment before responding, "Well, it's not all about me. You're both on empty, so time for a refill."

And before either man could attempt another worried statement on her behalf, she rose decisively from their booth and made her way toward the bar. She leaned against the scratched wooden surface, taking a moment to gather her fractured thoughts as her head fell into her hands.

She had to get a hold of herself. How long had she been sitting there, glassy-eyed, as Spot and Rummy had shared concerned glances? What the hell was wrong with her?

"And what're you havin' then, miss?"

Kate jerked her head up, opening her eyes to the dimness around her, muttering, "Two pints." to the scraggly looking bartender that offered her a half-smile in response.

But the moment he turned to fill her order, another voice sounded hollowly behind her.

"I told you to trust me, Katherine."

And a shudder violently wracked Kate's body as she turned slowly to face the hovering specter with sad blue eyes and golden hair.

Brooklyn, February, 1903

"What do you mean, you're engaged?!"

Kate stared agape at her friend, her eyes narrowed in confoundment as Julia continued to calmly fold the articles of clothing laid atop her bed and put them in the travel trunk on the floor.

"Just what I said. John asked me to marry him, and I agreed."

Julia's eyes avoided Kate's as she steadily relayed the news for the second time that evening. Her friend's tone was final, almost icy, but that just made Kate feel the need to be even more animated and aghast.

"You can't marry him, Julia," Kate asserted, panic growing in her voice. "You can't. He's not what he seems—there's something off about him—his temper—his eyes. Have you not noticed any of this?"

Julia's body tensed in automatic response, her blue gaze finally raising to meet Kate's. "It's not up to you, Katherine. I've made my decision—you need to respect that."

"Not if I I'm worried you're making a huge mistake," Kate argued. "You don't even know him! He was a means to an end. A job. And now you're going to play house and share his bed every night? For what? Some nice clothes and a diamond ring? You never used to give a shit about any of that! What the hell is wrong with y—"

"Enough, Katherine!"

Kate recoiled at Julia's uncharacteristic shriek, shutting her mouth, and taking a step back. She searched her friend's face in the silent moments following, noting how chaotic her blue eyes were—eddies of pain and exasperation reflecting uninhibitedly back toward her.

"As I said before, I've made my decision. Why can't you just trust that I know what I'm doing?" Julia quietly continued as she proceeded to fold and pack her things once more.

"Because you aren't acting like yourself," Kate said carefully. "Something's been off with you this last month. You don't even look happy right now."

Julia paused, her hands rigidly clenching against the neatly folded chemise in her grasp. Her eyes worriedly lifted once more before she almost pleadingly murmured, "I told you to trust me, Katherine. And I meant it. Now, John wants me to live closer to him—away from this seedy area—so he's set up an apartment for us to move to in—"

"I'm not moving into his apartment, Julia," Kate interrupted solidly. "I don't care where it is."

Julia paused, closing her eyes for a moment before exhaling heavily through her nose. "Well, you can't stay here anymore. So, I don't really see what other options you have."

Her eyes slowly opened to stare tensely at Kate. But the younger girl couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with her friend.

"Anything is better than being more beholden to John," Kate added, crossing her arms stiffly over her chest.

Julia nodded slowly, her eyes in a distant place. "Sunshine," Julia's stare sadly met Kate's for a meaningful beat, her voice barely a whisper. "This situation is delicate. So, you need to promise me you won't do anything foolish, and you'll lay low. That means no more borrowing books from Riggs' boat, no more late-night drinking escapades, and no more overnights with Conlon."

Kate scoffed, angry at the list of restrictions Julia was placing on her. "You have no right to tell me where I can go and whom I can see, Julia. That's completely out of line. I don't care how that reflects on you. It's just—absurd—why—"

"Katherine," Julia interrupted firmly. "This isn't for me. I'm trying to warn you. Anyone you associate with may not be safe. Do you understand what I'm saying right now?"

Julia's bright eyes were wide, her face and body tense as Kate attempted to process what she was saying.

"Something's happened," Kate murmured hollowly, feeling her stomach sink to her toes and her skin go suddenly cold. "Why haven't you said anything before? What else aren't you telling me?"

"I told you to trust me, Katherine. Please," Julia said once more, her lips quivering emotionally. "Cut ties if you must—with anyone you care for. If he knows….he can use them against you."

"What about you?" Kate asked, fearful for herself and her friend.

"I made my decision," Julia reiterated. "What I need is for you to stay safe. So, you must do whatever John says. No matter what it is."

"Julia, I—"

"I mean it, Katherine. Do not—under any circumstances—underestimate, or cross John Cooke."

Brooklyn, February, 1904

"Miss?"

Kate's body felt frozen in place, her breathing sporadic and her fingers numb by her side.

What the hell was going on?

She had just seen Julia standing in front of her in this very bar room, but now she looked out into a sea of unrecognizable faces. She had just been speaking with her here, or in their tenement—she had just been there.

Kate felt dizzy, nauseated by the smells that suddenly flooded into her nose, and the movement of the crowded space around her. Something wasn't right—she knew it instinctively. Her body trembled with fear, her eyes darting about in confusion. She didn't know anyone here. Where was Julia? How had she left so suddenly? She had to find her.

"Miss….you're pints."

Kate whirled around, eyes wide and hands shaking. The face in front of her blurred slightly and she habitually took a cautious step back.

"You're pints…I need you to pay for your pints…"

The voice was deep and distorted and Kate found herself taking another unsteady step backwards, shaking her head and muttering, "No—no, I can't. She's gone. I—I have to—"

"I'll handle those. Thank you, kindly."

Kate's eyes snapped back into focus as a familiar, deep voice boomed over the din around her. And before she understood what was happening, Rummy's tall form moved in front of her, his eyes looking above her head and nodding.

"C'mon, Kate. Let's go home."

She jolted at the soft voice in her ear, turning into a solid chest and familiar, calming smell. Strong, assured hands held her shaking body upright by her upper arms for several moments, soft lips grazing her hairline.

She lifted her watering eyes to meet Spot's steady stare. "I—I don't know—she was here—"

He entwined his fingers within hers, pulsing her palm before murmuring. "It's gonna be okay. You just need a little help right now. And I've got you, so let me take care of you."

And all Kate could do was nod as he released her hand and put his arm sturdily around her waist, leading them out of the noisy pub and into the cold night.