DISCALIMER: Yada, yada, yada. Newsies belong to Disney. Phoenix, Salsa, and
Clue belong to me, though! Muah ha! Oh, and so does Crow! And Doctor
Reynald too! And Blackjack too!
A.N. w00t w00t! Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are great and are so nice!! :Smiles happily: So here's another chapter for all youse! Hope ya'll like it, but I have a seething feeling that many people will be upset... :Sigh: Ah, that's the writing business for ya. Oh well. Let the show go on!!!
Sugar and Spice and A Little Bit of Vice
The next afternoon, Spot was walking back home from the Bronx in temperamental moods. The fight against Queens had been a brutal one, and he felt as if he was returning from a warzone. No one had been killed, but quite a number of newsies had been beaten cruelly before the bulls had broken up the mess with their whistles and nightsticks. The newsies would not be hearing any more threats from Queens and its leader for a long time. Spot had seen to that personally, coming out of the brawl with a few bruises of his own-though none of them too severe.
Spot smirked as he recalled the fight, only to frown in remembrance of what it had cost him. He had been forced to leave Phoenix on her own, save for the help of his young messenger, and she would definitely make a fit of that fact when he entered their room today. He fished inside his pocket for the small velvet box he had guarded so carefully as of late and brought it out to once again look at the engagement ring he would present to the girl. Would she say yes after he had disappointed her twice already? He hoped so.
As he neared the Brooklyn lodging house, he noticed a figure sitting in the shadows that a nearby warehouse cast onto the docks. It was undoubtedly a young person and he cautiously approached them, his hand reaching back for his cane on instinct. "Heya, who are youse?" he asked in his best leader voice. The person wrapped their arms around their legs and hid their face to cover the volume of their weeping. "Are youse hoit?"
Receiving no response, Spot took a step closer, still not able to make out any features. He did, however, see long wavy hair when the sun moved from behind a cloud and shone more light his way. He squinted his eyes and noted that the hair was red. "Phoenix?"
"It shoah took ya long enough," the girl said in her breaking voice as she stood to her feet.
"Babe, what's wrong?" Spot wrapped his arms around the girl's waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulders. When she flinched at his touch, he gave her a questioning look. "Yer shakin like crazy! What happened?"
"As if youse care!"
"What's that supposed tah mean? Of coise I care!"
Phoenix relaxed in his arms but still did not face him. She was shuddering uncontrollably and felt as if she might break down any minute. "Wheah were youse last night?"
"I slept over in the Bronx," he replied as he tried to steady her from shaking. "Why?"
"Why?! Because I needed youse last night, Spot! I was so afraid tah go tah sleep alone in a cold bed and I wanted ya near me." She choked on the last words and cried freely, no longer caring to hide anything from him.
Spot tightened his grip around her. "What's the mattah? What happened?"
Phoenix went limp and her knees gave out below her. Luckily, Spot already had a good hold on her. He backed up against a wall and slid down to the ground slowly, pulling the girl onto his lap. It was then that he noticed the grotesque marks that colored her face and the scratches that cut across her eyebrows. "Phoenix, what the hell happened tah youse!?"
She whimpered at the volume of his voice and turned her head away, but he turned it back so that their eyes met. He could see pain and fear in her; she was afraid to talk to even him! "Babe, who did this tah youse? Talk tah me! Tell me what happened." His sentences wavered as tears gathered in his eyes. It hurt him so bad to see her like this, especially when it could have been prevented. "Tell me," he pleaded. "What happened?"
Phoenix wiped her eyes dry and took deep breaths of air. She laced her fingers in one of Spot's hands and held it to her face to feel the smoothness of his skin. "When youse left me yesterday, Runner and I headed home. We'se was talkin about youse and he cheered me up a bit, and all I'se could think about was being wid youse again. But then..." she stopped, not wanting to go on.
"Tell me," Spot whispered. "Tell me what happened next."
"They took him without me knowing, and when I'se went tah check up on him, they's had me too in a heartbeat! I screamt at the top of me lungs but they only hit me harder, and I tried tah fight back but they's were too strong! They made me watch as they soaked the kid; it was terrible!" She stopped again, gasping for breath from her cries. Spot rubbed her back and encouraged her to go on.
"They's spat and called me all sorts 'a things. I did me best tah get away, but then they started using broken beer bottles. They threw me all over and gave me the beating of me life. I couldn't escape! As much as I tried, I couldn't escape!"
She leaned her head onto Spot's chest. The Brooklyn leader tried to swallow back the lump in his throat so that his tears of remorse would not fall. "It's okay now," he said softly. "Youse is wid me now and I'll never let ya outta me sight again. And those damn scabs that did this tah youse will pay!"
"I'se aint done!" Phoenix exclaimed in a sob. "That aint even the woise part! They weren't satisfied wid beating down on me. They's had tah go farther." She sniffled and cried onto Spot's shirt.
"What did they's do?"
"Th-they," she took another deep breath to keep from stuttering. "Spot, they raped me!"
Spot could not hold back his feelings any more. That was the last straw. He buried his face in Phoenix's hair and cried out how sorry he felt for the girl-the one he had promised to always be there for. This all happened because of him! While he had been fighting off bums from the Queens, some losers had been fighting his own girlfriend! It made him boil with fury within, but even more so, it made him feel as if he had failed to protect the woman he loved. And above all else, that shattered his heart into oblivion. His shoulders shook as he wept and he did not even feel Phoenix slide off him and arise. He was brought back from his world of mourning when a small hand gave him a sharp slap across the face. He looked up at his girl, her eyes fixated into a burning glare.
"Wheah the hell were youse, Spot?" she screamt. "I needed ya so bad but youse were too busy wid yer leadership duties, saving the asses of guys that could've fought fer themselves! I even asked youse tah walk me home but youse refused! I hate youse!"
The Brooklyn leader stood up as well, his face dirty with tears. He spoke calmly. "I'se sorry. "How was I'se supposed tah know this was gunna happen?"
"Sorry?! Youse is always sorry, ya damn rat! I needed youse!" She was interrupted when more tears fell from her already red eyes.
"Phoenix, all that matters is that we'se still gots each other and the baby. Don't worry! I'll moider the ones that did this tah youse."
She looked at him as if she could not believe that he misunderstood everything. "Are ya stupid?! Those scabs beat me and me baby tah a fuckin pulp! I went tah the doctor after I had gathered enough courage. They examined me; I lucked out."
"So what's the problem?"
"Only I Lucked Out!!!" She exploded in a shower of tears.
Spot's heart jumped into his throat. He was not hearing this. He had to be trapped in an unusual nightmare! This could not be happening to him! "What are youse sayin?"
"I lost the baby, Spot," Phoenix said as soft as her current temper would allow. "I lost our baby."
Spot felt the burden of the world suddenly crash down onto him. His lungs stopped expanding and the scene about lost any significance. He fell back onto his romp and stared blankly ahead of him.
Phoenix let her sorrow eat at her soul. Enraged as she was, she had to let all her hurt flow out and she lost herself in the rage. "And it's all yer damn fault, Spot! I hope youse is fuckin happy knowing youse killed yer own son!!!"
She took of then in a staggering run, leaving Spot behind with nothing but the echo of his painful cries.
More To Come!!! Awww, I'm so sorry that this had to happen, guys! :Cowers from the screen: Please don't hate me! PLEASE REVIEW!!! Don't be an absent reviewer! If ya read this chapter, at least send in a few words! SUBMIT A REVIEW PLEASE!!! Thanks so much, ya'll! Love ya lots!
A.N. w00t w00t! Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are great and are so nice!! :Smiles happily: So here's another chapter for all youse! Hope ya'll like it, but I have a seething feeling that many people will be upset... :Sigh: Ah, that's the writing business for ya. Oh well. Let the show go on!!!
Sugar and Spice and A Little Bit of Vice
The next afternoon, Spot was walking back home from the Bronx in temperamental moods. The fight against Queens had been a brutal one, and he felt as if he was returning from a warzone. No one had been killed, but quite a number of newsies had been beaten cruelly before the bulls had broken up the mess with their whistles and nightsticks. The newsies would not be hearing any more threats from Queens and its leader for a long time. Spot had seen to that personally, coming out of the brawl with a few bruises of his own-though none of them too severe.
Spot smirked as he recalled the fight, only to frown in remembrance of what it had cost him. He had been forced to leave Phoenix on her own, save for the help of his young messenger, and she would definitely make a fit of that fact when he entered their room today. He fished inside his pocket for the small velvet box he had guarded so carefully as of late and brought it out to once again look at the engagement ring he would present to the girl. Would she say yes after he had disappointed her twice already? He hoped so.
As he neared the Brooklyn lodging house, he noticed a figure sitting in the shadows that a nearby warehouse cast onto the docks. It was undoubtedly a young person and he cautiously approached them, his hand reaching back for his cane on instinct. "Heya, who are youse?" he asked in his best leader voice. The person wrapped their arms around their legs and hid their face to cover the volume of their weeping. "Are youse hoit?"
Receiving no response, Spot took a step closer, still not able to make out any features. He did, however, see long wavy hair when the sun moved from behind a cloud and shone more light his way. He squinted his eyes and noted that the hair was red. "Phoenix?"
"It shoah took ya long enough," the girl said in her breaking voice as she stood to her feet.
"Babe, what's wrong?" Spot wrapped his arms around the girl's waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulders. When she flinched at his touch, he gave her a questioning look. "Yer shakin like crazy! What happened?"
"As if youse care!"
"What's that supposed tah mean? Of coise I care!"
Phoenix relaxed in his arms but still did not face him. She was shuddering uncontrollably and felt as if she might break down any minute. "Wheah were youse last night?"
"I slept over in the Bronx," he replied as he tried to steady her from shaking. "Why?"
"Why?! Because I needed youse last night, Spot! I was so afraid tah go tah sleep alone in a cold bed and I wanted ya near me." She choked on the last words and cried freely, no longer caring to hide anything from him.
Spot tightened his grip around her. "What's the mattah? What happened?"
Phoenix went limp and her knees gave out below her. Luckily, Spot already had a good hold on her. He backed up against a wall and slid down to the ground slowly, pulling the girl onto his lap. It was then that he noticed the grotesque marks that colored her face and the scratches that cut across her eyebrows. "Phoenix, what the hell happened tah youse!?"
She whimpered at the volume of his voice and turned her head away, but he turned it back so that their eyes met. He could see pain and fear in her; she was afraid to talk to even him! "Babe, who did this tah youse? Talk tah me! Tell me what happened." His sentences wavered as tears gathered in his eyes. It hurt him so bad to see her like this, especially when it could have been prevented. "Tell me," he pleaded. "What happened?"
Phoenix wiped her eyes dry and took deep breaths of air. She laced her fingers in one of Spot's hands and held it to her face to feel the smoothness of his skin. "When youse left me yesterday, Runner and I headed home. We'se was talkin about youse and he cheered me up a bit, and all I'se could think about was being wid youse again. But then..." she stopped, not wanting to go on.
"Tell me," Spot whispered. "Tell me what happened next."
"They took him without me knowing, and when I'se went tah check up on him, they's had me too in a heartbeat! I screamt at the top of me lungs but they only hit me harder, and I tried tah fight back but they's were too strong! They made me watch as they soaked the kid; it was terrible!" She stopped again, gasping for breath from her cries. Spot rubbed her back and encouraged her to go on.
"They's spat and called me all sorts 'a things. I did me best tah get away, but then they started using broken beer bottles. They threw me all over and gave me the beating of me life. I couldn't escape! As much as I tried, I couldn't escape!"
She leaned her head onto Spot's chest. The Brooklyn leader tried to swallow back the lump in his throat so that his tears of remorse would not fall. "It's okay now," he said softly. "Youse is wid me now and I'll never let ya outta me sight again. And those damn scabs that did this tah youse will pay!"
"I'se aint done!" Phoenix exclaimed in a sob. "That aint even the woise part! They weren't satisfied wid beating down on me. They's had tah go farther." She sniffled and cried onto Spot's shirt.
"What did they's do?"
"Th-they," she took another deep breath to keep from stuttering. "Spot, they raped me!"
Spot could not hold back his feelings any more. That was the last straw. He buried his face in Phoenix's hair and cried out how sorry he felt for the girl-the one he had promised to always be there for. This all happened because of him! While he had been fighting off bums from the Queens, some losers had been fighting his own girlfriend! It made him boil with fury within, but even more so, it made him feel as if he had failed to protect the woman he loved. And above all else, that shattered his heart into oblivion. His shoulders shook as he wept and he did not even feel Phoenix slide off him and arise. He was brought back from his world of mourning when a small hand gave him a sharp slap across the face. He looked up at his girl, her eyes fixated into a burning glare.
"Wheah the hell were youse, Spot?" she screamt. "I needed ya so bad but youse were too busy wid yer leadership duties, saving the asses of guys that could've fought fer themselves! I even asked youse tah walk me home but youse refused! I hate youse!"
The Brooklyn leader stood up as well, his face dirty with tears. He spoke calmly. "I'se sorry. "How was I'se supposed tah know this was gunna happen?"
"Sorry?! Youse is always sorry, ya damn rat! I needed youse!" She was interrupted when more tears fell from her already red eyes.
"Phoenix, all that matters is that we'se still gots each other and the baby. Don't worry! I'll moider the ones that did this tah youse."
She looked at him as if she could not believe that he misunderstood everything. "Are ya stupid?! Those scabs beat me and me baby tah a fuckin pulp! I went tah the doctor after I had gathered enough courage. They examined me; I lucked out."
"So what's the problem?"
"Only I Lucked Out!!!" She exploded in a shower of tears.
Spot's heart jumped into his throat. He was not hearing this. He had to be trapped in an unusual nightmare! This could not be happening to him! "What are youse sayin?"
"I lost the baby, Spot," Phoenix said as soft as her current temper would allow. "I lost our baby."
Spot felt the burden of the world suddenly crash down onto him. His lungs stopped expanding and the scene about lost any significance. He fell back onto his romp and stared blankly ahead of him.
Phoenix let her sorrow eat at her soul. Enraged as she was, she had to let all her hurt flow out and she lost herself in the rage. "And it's all yer damn fault, Spot! I hope youse is fuckin happy knowing youse killed yer own son!!!"
She took of then in a staggering run, leaving Spot behind with nothing but the echo of his painful cries.
More To Come!!! Awww, I'm so sorry that this had to happen, guys! :Cowers from the screen: Please don't hate me! PLEASE REVIEW!!! Don't be an absent reviewer! If ya read this chapter, at least send in a few words! SUBMIT A REVIEW PLEASE!!! Thanks so much, ya'll! Love ya lots!