This is the end. I know, why did I wait so long? I had it all along. It's been fun lol. Bittah

Two days passed by quickly and soon Bitter was up and selling again. Spot had long disappeared once she was well and she thought nothing of it, too busy with adjusting to her new life. Topsy and Bitter decided to sell together from then on and did fairly well for being new at it. Bitter had finally settled in at the girls' lodging house, but kept to herself rather than joining in on their late night conversations.

Topsy spent more and more time with the girls, but always found time for Bitter. Bitter was in deep thought as they sold that morning and barely paid attention to selling. Topsy noticed this and when she was done selling her papers, she grabbed Bitter's and started to sell them too. "What's up wit ya?" she asked as Bitter glared at her.

Bitter shrugged, "I'se jist thinkin'," she said.

Topsy smiled, "'Bout what? A boy?" she said, with a quiet laugh.

Bitter shook her head, not even laughing like she usually would about stuff like that. Topsy frowned as she called out another headline. Once the papers were gone, she turned to Bitter again, "Thinkin' 'bout Chicago?" she asked, sitting down next to her on the sidewalk.

Bitter frowned and looked at the ground, "Yeah," she said.

"What 'bout it?" she asked, hoping for specifics.

Bitter sighed heavily, "I dunno, jist thinkin' how New Yoik's so much bettah," she said finally.

Topsy nodded in agreement, but knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth. She let the discussion slid and the two of them headed out for lunch.

The Manhattan boys had taken the day off to be with their girls and the two girls joined Shooter and Slinks. They four of them were talking quietly when a shy-looking boy with glasses came over to their booth.

"Heya Slinks, can I talk ta ya?" he asked a very surprised Slinks. They disappeared and later she came bouncing back, announcing that she was now Specs's girl. Bitter was too drawn into herself that day to notice much of what was going on. She dazed in and out. The only thing that she soon heard was the beautiful voice of Vesta, who was singing quietly to Bumlets in the next booth over.

Someone saying her name drew her out of her daze. "Bittah?" Topsy repeated for the fifth time.

Bitter looked up finally, "What?" she asked.

Topsy motioned towards Jack, who had his arm slung around Slingshot. "He wants ta introduce ya ta someone," she said.

She looked at Jack strangely as he motioned for her to get up and follow him. She got up, confused and once they were away from the table she asked, "So where is dis person an' why didn't ya jist bring 'em ovah ta da table?"

Jack smiled as he led her outside, never letting go of Slingshot. "Me sistah True ain't big on huge groups an' you an' her are a lot alike, so I thought ya could show her around tonight," he said.

A petite girl with blonde hair stared at Bitter as she walked out the door. Her big blue eyes deepened into a smile as she saw her brother came out. Jack let go of Slingshot for a minute and introduced the two to each other. "Bittah, dis is me sistah True, True dis is Bittah, I'se suah you two will get along once ya get ta know each other," he said. The two girls spitshook and Bitter gave a quick nod to Jack, who went back to his girl Slingshot. They left the two girls alone and Bitter looked around nervously.

"So I hoid yer kinda shy," she said, finally, the girl's staring making her a bit nervous.

True nodded and Bitter smiled a bit. "Well, I'se kin change dat, c'mon, let's go inside," she said, pulling the girl by the hand. The two of them sat down at the bar. Bitter wasn't a big drinker when it came to alcohol, but took a drink every once in a while. She ordered two mixed drinks for them and soon found True loosening up a bit. They spent the night telling stories and laughing at the silly things they had done. Bitter had a high tolerance for alcohol, but obviously True didn't as she became more and more tipsy.

She knew Jack wouldn't be too happy with her, so she invited True to stay for the night. True agreed and they headed back to the lodging house after telling Jack.

"Thank God Jack was too wrapped up in Sling ta ask too many questions," Bitter said with a laugh as her and True walked to the girls' lodging house. They walked quietly up the stairs, in case others were already back there and sleeping. She set True up in a bunk near hers and then headed to the bathroom to clean herself up for the night. She heard coughing coming from one of the stalls and waited quietly to see who it was.

Topsy came out of the stall and nearly jumped when she saw Bitter. She coughed into a dirty cloth she had in her hand and then addressed her friend. "Jesus Bittah, ya scared me," she said.

Bitter muttered a 'sorry' but was too concentrated on her looking so pale and sick. "You ok?" she asked.

Topsy nodded, "Yeah, it's jist a cold," she said, "It should be gone in a few days."

Bitter nodded, not really convinced, "Well, get ta bed ok," she said.

Topsy smiled her beautiful smile and coughed once more, then threw the cloth in the garbage. Bitter watched her leave and then inspected the garbage can. She picked the cloth up carefully with some tissue and opened it up, finding what she feared. It was covered in blood.

* * *

Bitter watched her friend more closely from then on. During the next week Topsy only became more and more sick. Bitter was at lunch one day, debating whether she should ask Spot for his help. Topsy sat down across from her, coughing as she began to speak.

Topsy smiled her usual beautiful smile, but Bitter could see that she was not all that well. Her blue eyes were clouded over with sickness and her hair was matted with sweat. "Heya Bittah," she said.

Bitter sighed, "Listen Topsy, ya don't look too good," she said, concerned. She had been thinking over what to do all week and had finally come to a conclusion. No matter how scared Bitter was of doctors, she had to get Topsy to one before it was too late.

Topsy looked down at the table and bit her lip, "I'se sick," she said quietly.

Bitter took her friend's hand in hers and looked into her eyes. "Listen, we need ta take ya to a doctor so ya kin get better," she said.

Topsy looked at her surprised, "But I thought ya didn't like doctors," she said.

Bitter bit her lip and then smiled, "I'd do anything ta see ya bettah Em," she said with a deep caring in her eyes. The two girls had become closer than sisters and Bitter was not about to let her friend get even more sick. Topsy smiled and then a thought came to her.

"But, we don't have de money," she said.

Bitter smirked, "I'm takin' care of it," she replied.

Topsy gave her a strange look, but then fell silent, smiling at her friend. "Thanks fer everything," she said.

Bitter nodded, "No problem," she replied. She looked at her friend for a few minutes. "Anyone evah tell ya got a great smile?" she asked.

Topsy laughed, "Too often," she said.

* * *

The next day, Bitter got up early. She reached under her pillow, in search of something. She pulled out a small pouch that jingled. It was the money that she had been saving up for years. She put it in her pocket and gently shook Topsy awake. She smiled as she yawned and stretched, quickly putting on her clothes.

The two girls made their way to the nearest hospital. The building was as plain and white as a building could be and Bitter took a deep breath before they entered. They asked for a doctor and soon were in a waiting room by themselves. Bitter watched the door nervously, memories coming back to her. She looked at Topsy, "I'se gonna go outside for a while, ya gonna be ok?" she asked.

Topsy nodded, understanding and Bitter exited the building. She leaned against the outer walls and pulled out her last cigarette. She promised to stop smoking, but her nerves were too shot at this point to refuse herself one. She lit a match and lit up. She breathed it in and out, calming herself down. Once she was done she went back inside and Topsy was just leaving the doctor. She smiled as she saw her friend, but the gloominess showed in her eyes.

Bitter went to the front desk and paid for the visit and for the cough medicine that the doctor had given Topsy. Once they had left, Bitter turned to Topsy, "What happened?" she asked, nervously, "What did he say?"

Topsy drew in a breath. "Well, he said dat I'm pretty bad off an' dat dere might be a chance dat he can't do nothin' fer me," she said.

Bitter let out a long, desperate sigh. "Let's jist hope dat de cough medicine helps," she said, praying that it would.

Topsy nodded and they walked in silence for some time. She looked at Bitter who was nervously playing with the medicine. "Hey Mel?" she asked.

Bitter looked up at her, surprised she called her that, "Yes Em?" she asked, already knowing what she was going to ask her.

"Why ya so afraid of doctors?" she asked, quietly.

Bitter let in a deep breath and sighed. "I'se only gonna tell ya 'cause yer me bestest friend," she said. She continued on to tell the story. "Well, when I was back in Chicago, I was in dat gang, right. So, well, I think it was when I was about nine or ten when I got in a bad fight. I decided ta take on someone half me size and lost miserably. Well, one of me friends got worried an' she, de sweet goil, kept some of the money from our bosses ta pay fer me ta go ta a doctor 'cause I was in such bad condition. Well, she left me dere and de doctor fixed me up, alright, but in de middle of the night, he umm, he came into my room and I was too hoit ta do anything about it," she said, breaking off at that. Topsy put an arm around her as tears began to stream down her face. "He . . . raped me," she finally spat out. Topsy let her cry on her shoulder saying, "There, there," every once in a while, hugging her friend.

Bitter gathered herself and smiled. "Well, me friend, she got pissed off when she heard an' so she went ta de police, but dey jist locked her up, 'cause dey knew she was a pickpocket. I nevah saw her again," she said.

Tospy smiled, "Well, yer heah now, an' things are bettah," she said as they began to walk.

Bitter smiled slightly and nodded, "Yeah, from now on, things'll be bettah," she said. Topsy looked at her with a grin and the two girls burst out laughing for no apparent reason, just being in each others company making them happy.

* * *

Weeks and weeks went by, Topsy's sickness increasing and the trips to the doctor becoming more frequent. Topsy began to disappear more and more and her smiles became more painful to see, knowing she was hiding something behind it. Bitter had approached her many times, but she just said that everything was fine.

Bitter watched sadly as her friend's body became more frail. Her skin paled to an unhealthy color and Bitter became more and more worried. She made her friend stay in bed after too long and stayed closely to her side. She'd hum various songs for her to cheer her up, when she wasn't out selling papers. One day, her friend became restless. She pulled something out from under her pillow.

It was a newspaper clipping. Topsy gave it to Bitter. "Promise me," she said, breaking off to cough, "that you'll search for my sisters, dere heah in New York."

Bitter read the article slowly. "I will," she said. "Your poor parents though, murdered?" she said, looking into Topsy's big blue eyes.

She teared up and turned over, ashamed of her tears. Bitter patted her back and folded the article up, putting it in her pocket. Topsy wiped her tears away and turned back to her friend, smiling. "Yer like a sister to me, Melody," she whispered.

Bitter smiled, "An' you're de bestest friend an' sistah a goil could evah have," she said. They both smiled caringly at each other. "Nevah forget me," Topsy said, coughing.

* * *

The wind whistled a solemn song that early morning. A leaf fell off a nearby tree and floated with the cold wind. It was carried to a grassy area where many people stood, all in black. It fell upon a wooden box, never to be in the wind again. A beautiful voice spoke from the crowd of people, its sweet melody choked with tears. "Emily, or Topsy, as ya all knew her, was like a sister to me, she didn't have an enemy in de world," Bitter said, a stream of tears falling down her rosy cheeks. "The one thing I will always remember about her was dat she always had a smile ta share. She had a beautiful smile dat I will nevah forget an' I hope dat all of ya nevah forget dat about her either," she said.

With those last words, she let the rose she was holding fall onto the coffin that was sitting in the ground. She turned away as one of the gravediggers threw the first shovelful of dirt onto the wooden box that held her beloved friend. Tears fell down her cheeks and she pulled out the article she had in her pouch. She looked determined as she stepped out of the graveyard and into the streets, promising always to remember her dear friend.