Chapter 7: Forgive or Forget?

"Things change? What's that suppose ta mean?"  Spot glared at Spit Fire.

"Things…change," she repeated, sounding not as sure of herself as before, "Maybe I don't want to never see you again.  What if I said that huh? What would you do Conlon?"

"What would I do?" He smirked and shrugged.

Spit Fire was left without something to say.  She didn't expect him to just sit there and not say anything.  She looked at the ground and sighed.

"You miss it," a small whisper from the boy standing a few feet away from her broke the silence.

"What?"

"You miss it," A smug smile crossed his face, "You miss everythin'."

He stepped forward and started to circle her.  His hand lightly traced by her right shoulder, across the back of her neck and then to her left shoulder.  He smiled, checking for any subtle response from her.  Spot's touch had sent a shudder through Spit Fire's body.  She didn't look at him and Spot's smile grew even wider.  He knew he had her right where he wanted her now.  He knew what she was thinking.  She had let her guard down in unfamiliar territory now, and Spot's intimidation was working better then he had hoped.  Spit Fire was strong, but something about Spot was able to draw her away from her guard and give into him.

"Look at me," He smirked.

"No," she whispered slowly.

"Fire, look at me," he softened his smile, "Please?"

She looked up at his skillful eyes, which quickly trapped hers in his gaze. 

"So you did miss it,"

Spit Fire shook her head, "No, I missed you."

He put a hand up to her cheek, smiling, and tipped his hat back a bit more so he could look at her full face.  He took a step closer to her, resting his eyes on her lips for a moment before bringing them back up to her eyes, focusing on them.  Spot could feel Spit Fire searching his eyes, looking for a hidden motive of what he was about to do.

"Spot…" she whispered, unsure of what was really going on in her heart and mind at the moment.

He half smirked and lowered his lips to hers, barely leaving a space between them.  Fire stood there, eyes closed, lips begging for his long awaited kiss that had brought her many sleepless nights in Manhattan.  Spot brushed a strand of hair from her face and then took a step backwards, teasingly.  Spit Fire opened her eyes and glared at Spot.  She frowned and grabbed Spot's shirt collar pulling him back to her and bringing his lips right to hers holding him in a kiss that he quickly welcomed and returned.  Spot held her lips to his, feeling her inside of him and for the first time in two weeks feeling complete again.  Their lips parted for a moment, leaving empty seconds to be filled with Spit Fire's surprisingly pleased smile on her face to travel over Spot's face.  His look showed little emotion though, as if this was all part of his master plan.  He leaned in to kiss her again but she pulled back frowning.

"I hate you," she mumbled.

"Why?" He laughed.

"Cause I'm stronger then this. Then how I feel right now. I feel like I could jus' agree to anything and I hate this feeling. I'm not this weak."

He nodded and took a step back, "Then walk away."

She looked at him and couldn't tell if he was serious or not.  Spot took another step back and tipped his hat forward, folding his arms.

"Walk away.  Yous'll nevah have to second guess yurself again,"

Fire frowned, "You serious?"

"Seriously.  It's all ovah from heyah on out.  You admitted everythin' in your heart and left nuthin' unsaid.  You can leave right now if yous thinkin' yous makin' the right decision.  If yous strongah then this, then leave."

"Just leave?"

He nodded, "Can you do that?"

Spit Fire shook her head, "I'm not just going to leave. I'm better then that.  That's what you do."

Spot smirked surprised.  He did not expect that comment out of her mouth.

"You came to me all those nights and yet never let me know who you were."

"You think you woulda acted differently if I told ya then?" He frowned.

"Does it matter? You left without telling me anything about you."

Spot shook his head, "I told yous I loved ya. I told yous you were my everythin'.  That I needed yous."

"You avoided me in the daylight! You insulted me when you were in Manhattan. You had your boys follow me around when I sold in Brooklyn…" she started to ramble on, "and then I find out you were the one who I had given myself to unselfishly because I thought I loved you."

"Fire, my boys were watchin' out for yous in Brooklyn. I had to yell cause it was what everyone expected.  Even you expected me to yell when I saw yous.  How woulda you acted if I was all sweet and charmin'? Huh? You woulda been more suspicious and wouldn't evah let me near you again.  And that's the only thing I din't want.  I din't want to be separated from you, cause I meant all those woirds I said all those nights. You really think I liked walkin' to Manhattan every mornin' jus' to say hi to Jack and ask'im how sellin' was? I had to git up earlier then yous to make it to the LH before you left for the DO."

Spit Fire looked at Spot as if he were finally starting to say the right things, but wasn't making a full point across yet.

"I got no sleep whatsoevah so I could see you.  I stood up for yous in Brooklyn, already got yous a rep there that the Brooklyn newsies'll nevah forgit.  Only goirl to evah hit Spot Conlon and get away with it…twice." he sighed and took his hat off, running a hand through his hair, "But that's ok. Cause now Ise gonna do what I do best 'round heyah. And that's walk away."

He placed his hat back on his head, tipping it forward and turning back to Brooklyn.  As he slowly walked away, Spit Fire stood there watching him.  She frowned as her mind raced.  Should she let him just walk back to Brooklyn.  After all he did deserve it, trying to blame this whole thing on her.  'What nerve.'  But then again, he did seem like he was telling the truth.  And she didn't turn to walk away, he did.  She stood up to him, she proved that she couldn't be intimidated by him.  She won.

She really won.  She had no reason to be upset with him anymore.  She had gotten every bit of information out of him that she wanted.  She now knew that he cared about her as much as she cared for him.

'So why…am I just standing here watching him leave?'