"Coul' yah tell me how much a train ticket tah Santa Fe is?" Jack asked the lady behind the counter. She pulled out a large book and flipped through it. She stopped halfway towards the end of the book and ran her finger down the page. He watched as she stopped at a certain point.
"One way or round trip sir?" She asked sliding her finger across the page to the prices.
"One way." He said taking his cowboy hat and placing it on his head.
"An one way ticket is ten dollars." She said looking up at Jack as she closed the book, "Anything else?"
"No, no d'ats all. Thanks fer dah help miss." Jack pushed himself off of the counter and spun around. He walked over to the edge of the platform and jumped back down on, "Only short t'ree dollars." Jack said to him self as he crossed the tracks and back over to the other side. Jack took one last look at the train yards, "I'll be seein' you'se in a few days." With that said he exited the train yards and walked down the street.
He looked at every one on the street paranoid that one of them was his father. He placed his hands behind his neck and massaged it lightly. He could feel the tension building in his neck. Jack thought he would stop by The River Bank for a drink on his way back to the lodging house. He needed something to relax and he knew he could find it at The River Bank. He needed to find Vixen. She knew what to do to make him loosen up. She had been there for him when he was having a tough day. Jack had been stopping by The River Bank a lot lately. He wanted to take the relationship he had with her father, but he wasn't sure if now was a good time, especially while he was thinking about going to Santa Fe. Jack walked into The River Bank and was greeted by Vixen.
"Heya Jack-boy haven't seen you around here in a while." She said smiling and walking over to him. She wrapped one of her arms around his neck, "What can I do for you?" Vixen asked moving closer to him.
"How abou' dah usual Vixen." He said as she led him over to a table. Jack sat down and Vixen sat on his lap, "I gotta lot of problems d'at need fixin'."
"You want to tell me about them?" She asked him.
Jack shook his head, "Maybe later." He said to her knowing that she cared about him made him feel better already.
Vixen wrapped her arms around him, placing her hands lightly on the back of his neck. Then kissed him lightly on the lips. A goofy grin spread across his face as he forgot all of his problems about his father. Vixen kissed down his neck slowly and then nibbled on his ear lobe.
Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and his hands found their way up the back of her shirt. Vixen smiled in between kisses and stood up. She took Jack's hand and pulled him to his feet, "I think I no what to do to make you forget all of your problems." She whispered in his ear once he was standing. Jack's grin grew even wider as he let Vixen lead him upstairs above The River Bank to her apartment.
Not many words were exchanged between Jack and Vixen as they made there way to her bedroom. Jack was totally lost in the moment and all of his thoughts about his father and his past were pushed out of his head as he made love to Vixen holding her close to his body he felt as if everything was going to be alright.
Jack laid holding Vixen in his arms. He looked over at her and realized he had feelings for her, but didn't know how she felt about him. Did she think that he just came to her when he needed to let go and relax? Jack sighed as he watched her sleep, then he closed his eyes still holding her and drifted into a light sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Spot, Spit Fire, Mush, and Race sat playing cards waiting for Jack's return. Spit Fire was nervous waiting for him to come back. She was afraid that his father had found him and after what he said about him Fire thought only the worse.
Blink sat with Gav on his bunk making out like they always did when she returned for selling. Every one didn't understand why they didn't just sell together to spare them from having to watch them make out, "Getta room!" Spot said taking a poker chip and throwing it at the back of Blink's head. Blink pulled away from Gav and glared at Spot.
"C'mon Gav." He said taking her hand and leading her up to the roof, "Tell us when Jack gets back." He called down.
"Guys, I am worried about Jack." Spit Fire hadn't told them anything about what Jack had said to her.
"How come?" Spot asked standing up to get the chip he through.
"Yeah he ain't got nothin' tah worry about. Ain't like no ones gonna kil him or hoit him." Mush said placing his cards down.
"Well…" Spit Fire bit her lower lip and debated on whether to tell them or not. Spot, Mush, and Race all looked at her. Spit Fire told them everything feeling that something had happened to him.
"D'is ain't good." Race said who had known the truth about Jack's father.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack's father walked out of the jailhouse with the little money he still had and the clothes on his back. He first item of business was to find his son. He headed towards Manhattan where they had lived when they were a family, "He is going to pay for having me put in jail and so is his good for nothing mother."