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Bright Eyes kissed her older children as they walked off to their bedrooms. Racetrack wasn't there. He'd left a little time after they'd tucked the younger children in and he hadn't been back since. As she reached for Grabs, she saw the sparkle in his deep brown eyes, his cocky grin, and for a moment, seventeen year old Racetrack stood before her, looking deeply into her eyes as the rain fell upon them, right before their first kiss. But she blinked and the vision vanished, smiling Grabs still standing before her. She held out her hands and pressed him to her, gently rocking him back and forth. Grabs large hands rested on her back, waiting for her to let go. But a moment later, he whispered in her ear, "Try Central Park Mama. Dats where he said he was gonna go." Bright Eyes let him go and smiled thankfully. "Thank you. Now go to bed. I love you." She whispered. "Don't worry Mama. I'll look afta da uddas. I love ya too!" Grabs whispered, tiptoeing to the back rooms.
Bright Eyes shook her head and quickly rushed out the door, closing it quietly. She ran as fast as her feet would take her to Central Park. In the distance, the thunder rumbled, ominous and dark. She rushed inside the park gates, her eyes searching for him wildly. Had he forgotten her? Would he not want her anymore? Did she ruin everything? All these thoughts ran through her mind as she rushed through the park, her eyes searching in the shadows for his slight figure. Her lips were silent, but inwardly she was screaming hysterically, crying, calling his name.
Don't leave me!
I won't neva leave ya Bright. Neva.
Would he remember? Remember that night when she dreamed her nightmare? That night when he had come and held her, waited till she fell asleep. Did he care? He was all she had. He was her world. She cared more for him than she had for anyone. He was her husband, her soul-mate, her life. No one, not even Spot Conlon or Oscar Delancy would rip them apart. This is what her mind screamed. Finally she stopped dead in her tracks. She saw him. He was sitting there by himself on the park bench. Beyond the gate lay the racetracks. She knew this place. It was in this place that they'd both professed their love in a single kiss.
She walked quietly, tentatively to him, not sure of what to do, what to say.
How do you tell your husband that you were once in love with one of the most powerful leaders of all the districts? Her mind questioned.
ONCE. ONCE being the key word. You love HIM. You loved Spot yes. But you love Racetrack NOW. He is the present. He is the future. Her heart whispered.
This filled her with new hope, new confidence as she sat down beside her husband. Racetrack straightened somewhat, then relaxed, his eyes staring at the far-off trees peppering the park. Bright Eyes looked up at him, then down at the ground. "What are you tinkin'?" She asked quietly. Racetrack looked down, then shrugged. "Dunno. Dats why I came here. Da thoughts was all mixed up." He said quietly. "You hate me?" She whispered. Racetrack looked down at her sharply. "Dat what you tink?" He asked. Bright Eyes looked up at him. "Well dats how yer kinda makin' out. Ya wouldn't tawk ta me at all tenight an' we usually tawk stuff ova tegedda. An' afta what Osca said I," Racetrack interuppted her with a groan. "You tink I'm takin' Osca DELANCY serious? C'mon Bright, gimme more credit dan dat." Racetrack protested. Bright Eyes nodded. "Good. Jest seemed like he struck a chord dere." She commented.
Racetrack sat back, eyed the trees once more, then looked at Bright Eyes. "Is it true?" He asked. Bright Eyes looked up at him. "Is it true dat you an' Spot was tegedda? An' dat his popularity is da reason dat ya didn't tell me?" He asked quietly. Bright Eyes nodded. "Yeah. We was tegedda. But nothin' serious. I mean we wasn't even really lovers eida. We just stuck tegedda an' fought an' stuff. We wasn't a good match an' I saw dat. I didn't tell ya because I wanted ta do Spot dat one fava. I felt really bad walkin' out on him like dat. Dats why I did it. It had nothin' ta do wit' you at all. I neva meant fer it ta drag out dis long. I actually fergot 'bout it, but not really. I jest fergot an' fer dat I'm sorry." Bright Eyes whispered urgently.
Racetrack looked down at her at the sound of her urgency and grasped her hand. "Hey, hey. I know. I know all dat. I know dat you'd neva eva do nothin' ta hoit me. An' I know, I believe dat yer tellin' da truth." He said fervently. "Oh I am Race. I am." She said. Racetrack nodded. "Yeah I know. I mean, I don't care how many guys you was wit' before me. You know why?" Bright Eyes frowned and shook her head. " 'Cause dey all lost an' I won. I've got ya Brighty. You an' me is bound tegedda an' dere's nothin', nobody dat kin break dat. We's got nine beautiful kids tegedda an' we got a life. You tink I'd trough it away because ol' Delancy made it out woise dan it was?" Racetrack scoffed. Bright Eyes stared at him in amazement. "I love ya so much. You know dat?" She whispered.
Racetrack began to laugh. He cupped her face in his hands and whispered, "Bright Eyes, I'll be a dead man before I let anyone tear you an' me apart. We've come to far to let dat happen. I won't neva let dat happen. I love you more dan dat. I love you more dan an idiot's word on a subject long dead." He whispered urgently. Bright Eyes stared into his eyes, so full of love and urgency that she began to cry. "Hey you. Dis is meant ta make ya happy." Racetrack whispered with a smile as he pressed her close to him. "Oh I am. I ain't neva been more happier. I was jest so afraid dat you," She sobbed. "Dat I was gonna believe Delancy? Yeah well. Anudda man woulda. An' he woulda left ya too. Dat woulda been awful, stuck wit' all da kids. Yeah. But I woulda taken all da savin's. Dat would really be a stab in da back huh?" He joked. Bright Eyes sobbed and smacked his arm. "It ain't supposed ta be funny!" She muttered as she wiped her tears away.
"Yeah it is!" Racetrack laughed, almost falling off the bench, until Bright Eyes did so herself. Racetrack fell onto the ground and laughed. Bright Eyes stood up and stared at him, shaking her head. "You jest gonna stand dere? Help me up!" Racetrack yelled through his laughter. Bright Eyes began to laugh as she reached out her hands and Racetrack pulled her down to the ground. Finally they sat up against the park bench, trying to calm their hysterical laughter. "We look like a buncha idiots! Two thoity year olds laughin' here on da ground!" Racetrack laughed. "You stawted it!" Bright Eyes protested, wiping at her eyes. "You know where we are doncha?" Racetrack asked. Bright Eyes looked at him curiously. "Our foist kiss." He reminded her quietly. "You remembered?" Bright Eyes whispered reverently. "How could I fergit da place where my life began?" Racetrack whispered. As he spoke, the thunder rumbled, and with it raindrops began to sprinkle around them.
"If I recall correctly, it was rainin', an' I wanted ta git ya outta da rain. An' den we jest kinda leaned ova an'," Racetrack never finished his sentence. He leaned in as Bright Eyes did and the two shared a kiss too perfect to describe. The storm had come, the storm had raged, the storm had passed, the earthly fire gone, the soul's fire alive till the end of time.
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*Author's Note*: Hey ya'll! Hope you liked the story! Just for a little bit of useless information,(now I'm not entirely sure on details so if someone knows more about this than I do, don't yell at me! I'm just telling what I THINK I know.) :-) Oscar Delancy was actually the leader of some mafia type organization. Like I said, dunno if it was the mafia, (I doubt it) but he was in a type of gang. You know. Terrorizing the streets of New York. Maybe Oscar ran through and scared people with his scary smile! (Watch "Newsies" and look for Oscar when they're at the Distribution Office after first hearing about the price jack-up. SHEW! HE'S SCAAAARRRRYY!! Da devil himself I tell ya!) ;-) And unless my sibling's information is wrong, he and Morris got a street named after 'em. (remember? Delancy Street?) Yeah. So anyway. Shew. The Bright Eyes series is done. Wow. It's weird that I've written four stories already. Whew. I'm not gonna say that I won't write another one though because every time I do I always end up writing another one. :-) I mean, this fourth story almost didn't exist, but thanks to my sibling urging me along, it eventually got written. Thanks you guys for all your support. This one's for you. Thanx!
Bright Eyes kissed her older children as they walked off to their bedrooms. Racetrack wasn't there. He'd left a little time after they'd tucked the younger children in and he hadn't been back since. As she reached for Grabs, she saw the sparkle in his deep brown eyes, his cocky grin, and for a moment, seventeen year old Racetrack stood before her, looking deeply into her eyes as the rain fell upon them, right before their first kiss. But she blinked and the vision vanished, smiling Grabs still standing before her. She held out her hands and pressed him to her, gently rocking him back and forth. Grabs large hands rested on her back, waiting for her to let go. But a moment later, he whispered in her ear, "Try Central Park Mama. Dats where he said he was gonna go." Bright Eyes let him go and smiled thankfully. "Thank you. Now go to bed. I love you." She whispered. "Don't worry Mama. I'll look afta da uddas. I love ya too!" Grabs whispered, tiptoeing to the back rooms.
Bright Eyes shook her head and quickly rushed out the door, closing it quietly. She ran as fast as her feet would take her to Central Park. In the distance, the thunder rumbled, ominous and dark. She rushed inside the park gates, her eyes searching for him wildly. Had he forgotten her? Would he not want her anymore? Did she ruin everything? All these thoughts ran through her mind as she rushed through the park, her eyes searching in the shadows for his slight figure. Her lips were silent, but inwardly she was screaming hysterically, crying, calling his name.
Don't leave me!
I won't neva leave ya Bright. Neva.
Would he remember? Remember that night when she dreamed her nightmare? That night when he had come and held her, waited till she fell asleep. Did he care? He was all she had. He was her world. She cared more for him than she had for anyone. He was her husband, her soul-mate, her life. No one, not even Spot Conlon or Oscar Delancy would rip them apart. This is what her mind screamed. Finally she stopped dead in her tracks. She saw him. He was sitting there by himself on the park bench. Beyond the gate lay the racetracks. She knew this place. It was in this place that they'd both professed their love in a single kiss.
She walked quietly, tentatively to him, not sure of what to do, what to say.
How do you tell your husband that you were once in love with one of the most powerful leaders of all the districts? Her mind questioned.
ONCE. ONCE being the key word. You love HIM. You loved Spot yes. But you love Racetrack NOW. He is the present. He is the future. Her heart whispered.
This filled her with new hope, new confidence as she sat down beside her husband. Racetrack straightened somewhat, then relaxed, his eyes staring at the far-off trees peppering the park. Bright Eyes looked up at him, then down at the ground. "What are you tinkin'?" She asked quietly. Racetrack looked down, then shrugged. "Dunno. Dats why I came here. Da thoughts was all mixed up." He said quietly. "You hate me?" She whispered. Racetrack looked down at her sharply. "Dat what you tink?" He asked. Bright Eyes looked up at him. "Well dats how yer kinda makin' out. Ya wouldn't tawk ta me at all tenight an' we usually tawk stuff ova tegedda. An' afta what Osca said I," Racetrack interuppted her with a groan. "You tink I'm takin' Osca DELANCY serious? C'mon Bright, gimme more credit dan dat." Racetrack protested. Bright Eyes nodded. "Good. Jest seemed like he struck a chord dere." She commented.
Racetrack sat back, eyed the trees once more, then looked at Bright Eyes. "Is it true?" He asked. Bright Eyes looked up at him. "Is it true dat you an' Spot was tegedda? An' dat his popularity is da reason dat ya didn't tell me?" He asked quietly. Bright Eyes nodded. "Yeah. We was tegedda. But nothin' serious. I mean we wasn't even really lovers eida. We just stuck tegedda an' fought an' stuff. We wasn't a good match an' I saw dat. I didn't tell ya because I wanted ta do Spot dat one fava. I felt really bad walkin' out on him like dat. Dats why I did it. It had nothin' ta do wit' you at all. I neva meant fer it ta drag out dis long. I actually fergot 'bout it, but not really. I jest fergot an' fer dat I'm sorry." Bright Eyes whispered urgently.
Racetrack looked down at her at the sound of her urgency and grasped her hand. "Hey, hey. I know. I know all dat. I know dat you'd neva eva do nothin' ta hoit me. An' I know, I believe dat yer tellin' da truth." He said fervently. "Oh I am Race. I am." She said. Racetrack nodded. "Yeah I know. I mean, I don't care how many guys you was wit' before me. You know why?" Bright Eyes frowned and shook her head. " 'Cause dey all lost an' I won. I've got ya Brighty. You an' me is bound tegedda an' dere's nothin', nobody dat kin break dat. We's got nine beautiful kids tegedda an' we got a life. You tink I'd trough it away because ol' Delancy made it out woise dan it was?" Racetrack scoffed. Bright Eyes stared at him in amazement. "I love ya so much. You know dat?" She whispered.
Racetrack began to laugh. He cupped her face in his hands and whispered, "Bright Eyes, I'll be a dead man before I let anyone tear you an' me apart. We've come to far to let dat happen. I won't neva let dat happen. I love you more dan dat. I love you more dan an idiot's word on a subject long dead." He whispered urgently. Bright Eyes stared into his eyes, so full of love and urgency that she began to cry. "Hey you. Dis is meant ta make ya happy." Racetrack whispered with a smile as he pressed her close to him. "Oh I am. I ain't neva been more happier. I was jest so afraid dat you," She sobbed. "Dat I was gonna believe Delancy? Yeah well. Anudda man woulda. An' he woulda left ya too. Dat woulda been awful, stuck wit' all da kids. Yeah. But I woulda taken all da savin's. Dat would really be a stab in da back huh?" He joked. Bright Eyes sobbed and smacked his arm. "It ain't supposed ta be funny!" She muttered as she wiped her tears away.
"Yeah it is!" Racetrack laughed, almost falling off the bench, until Bright Eyes did so herself. Racetrack fell onto the ground and laughed. Bright Eyes stood up and stared at him, shaking her head. "You jest gonna stand dere? Help me up!" Racetrack yelled through his laughter. Bright Eyes began to laugh as she reached out her hands and Racetrack pulled her down to the ground. Finally they sat up against the park bench, trying to calm their hysterical laughter. "We look like a buncha idiots! Two thoity year olds laughin' here on da ground!" Racetrack laughed. "You stawted it!" Bright Eyes protested, wiping at her eyes. "You know where we are doncha?" Racetrack asked. Bright Eyes looked at him curiously. "Our foist kiss." He reminded her quietly. "You remembered?" Bright Eyes whispered reverently. "How could I fergit da place where my life began?" Racetrack whispered. As he spoke, the thunder rumbled, and with it raindrops began to sprinkle around them.
"If I recall correctly, it was rainin', an' I wanted ta git ya outta da rain. An' den we jest kinda leaned ova an'," Racetrack never finished his sentence. He leaned in as Bright Eyes did and the two shared a kiss too perfect to describe. The storm had come, the storm had raged, the storm had passed, the earthly fire gone, the soul's fire alive till the end of time.
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*Author's Note*: Hey ya'll! Hope you liked the story! Just for a little bit of useless information,(now I'm not entirely sure on details so if someone knows more about this than I do, don't yell at me! I'm just telling what I THINK I know.) :-) Oscar Delancy was actually the leader of some mafia type organization. Like I said, dunno if it was the mafia, (I doubt it) but he was in a type of gang. You know. Terrorizing the streets of New York. Maybe Oscar ran through and scared people with his scary smile! (Watch "Newsies" and look for Oscar when they're at the Distribution Office after first hearing about the price jack-up. SHEW! HE'S SCAAAARRRRYY!! Da devil himself I tell ya!) ;-) And unless my sibling's information is wrong, he and Morris got a street named after 'em. (remember? Delancy Street?) Yeah. So anyway. Shew. The Bright Eyes series is done. Wow. It's weird that I've written four stories already. Whew. I'm not gonna say that I won't write another one though because every time I do I always end up writing another one. :-) I mean, this fourth story almost didn't exist, but thanks to my sibling urging me along, it eventually got written. Thanks you guys for all your support. This one's for you. Thanx!
