Chapter 3:

"Momma!" Ann wailed, running into the kitchen with tears streaking down her face. "Andy won't play with me!"

Rae sat in a chair and used her apron to wipe away Ann's tears. "I'm sorry, sweetheart.  Why won't he play with you?"

"'Cause he says boys don't play girl games!" She sniffled. "And I can play not girl games..."

"Why don't we go have a talk with Mr. Andy?" With a sniffle, she nodded. "Andy!" Rae called as she headed toward the playroom with Ann in tow.

He seemed to know that he was in trouble and came out slowly. "... Yes ma'am?"

"Why won't you play with Annie?"

"Because..."

"Because why?"

He squirmed. "She... she's a GIRL... and girls play girly games... And I don't like playing girly games...."

Rae sighed. "What about those blocks Chris made for the two of you? Can't you play with them together?"

Andy squirmed a bit. "I guess so...."

Ann whimpered again.

"I... I mean, yeah, yeah... we can Ann."

Rae gave them both a gentle shove towards the playroom.  "Be nice to each other," she advised.

"Yes ma'am," they replied simultaneously.

With a weary sigh Rae walked into the living room and lowered herself onto the couch.  Settling the disputes of the twins was wearing her out. Ever since Spot had left a week ago, they had bickered constantly. It reminded her of all the times that she and Spot fought. She smiled softly. They argued over the silliest things... but, she eventually found out that a gentleman was buried somewhere in Spot Conlon.

iRae slipped out of the noisy lodging house and toward the docks.  If Spot's ego wasn't bad enough, normally, it was worse tonight.  Manhattan had come over tonight to celebrate the almighty Spot's birthday. "Of all the inconsiderate, arrogant, obnoxious little.... OOOOOHHH!" she screeched in frustration.

"Jack try to kiss you again?" Spot asked, coming up behind her.

Spinning on her heel, Rae glowered at him. "Oh go away, will you?"

He reached over and messed her hair. "I can be out here if I want, Kelly."

She slapped his hand away. "Your party is going on inside. They'll miss you, you know," she snapped.

He shrugged, "It was getting too loud in there."

"Too loud? For the almighty Spot Conlon? Impossible!"

"If you don't shut your mouth, I'll go throw you off the dock again."

"I'll sock you good if you do!" she threatened.

"I'd like to see you try, girl!"

She lunged towards him but he grabbed her wrist before she could strike. She swung with the other fist, but he managed to duck out of the way and catch it too.

"Fighting isn't very lady like," he said.

She struggled to free herself from his strong grip. "Let go of me and go back to your stupid birthday party."

"Ohh, so my birthday is stupid, is it? How would you know? You weren't in there long enough to tell." With a force that surprised him, she jerked her hands out of his grip and stalked away. "Get back here, Kelly!" he yelled after her.

"Just leave me alone, alright?"

"What's this? You go from threatening me to running away? Not an effective way to win your battles!" He followed her.

She turned sharply, almost knocking him over. "Who said I wanted to win any battles?"

He lifted a brow. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you fight just for the heck of it?"

"I fight when I have to. I don't go out picking fights, unlike SOME PEOPLE I KNOW!"

"Well at least I don't walk away! I fight 'til the end, just like I would think YOU'D know enough to do!"

"YOU started this fight! I finished it! Now leave me alone!"

"I don't think so. Finish it proper," he snapped, grabbing her arm.

She struggled for a moment and then turned her face up to him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Please just leave me alone," she whispered.

He gave her a bewildered look, his anger dissipating suddenly. "What's going on? Why are you... you know... um, crying?"

"I'm not crying!" she protested, attempting to pull her arm free one more time.

"Then what's that in your eyes? Spray from the river?" he asked skeptically.

She sat down on the edge of the dock. "Go back inside and enjoy your birthday party."

"Well, I'm not going to enjoy it if I know you're out here getting river spray in your eyes. Why don't you just come inside and make nice with someone for a change?"

"I don't want to go to your stupid birthday party alright?" she wailed, burying her face in her hands.

Now he was very startled. "Rae?"

"Just leave me alone, already."

"No. I have every right to be concerned. This isn't like you. What's wrong?"

"You are going to laugh at me."

"I might, but I doubt I will."

"You wouldn't understand either."

"I'll be the judge of that. I am Spot Conlon, you are not. Don't tell me what I won't understand."

"Look, I don't feel like talking about it."

He folded his arms over his chest. "Well, I'm not going away until you do."

She sniffled and turned away from him.

"Come on now. I can be just as stubborn as you."

"I don't know when my birthday is! So just go back inside and enjoy your little party and leave me alone with my misery."

Spot placed a hand on her shoulder. "And you thought I'd laugh? Come now, Kelly, I'm not quite THAT heartless."

"You put on a good act."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You act tough and HEARTLESS all the time, Conlon. It's who you are."

"Nothing is an ACT.... I just be what I be when I need to be it. I'm capable of a lot more than you give me credit."

"Like what?" she taunted.

"Like a lot," was all he'd say.

She sniffled and swiped roughly at her eyes.  "Go back and enjoy your party, Spot."

"No... I don't want to."

She stared up at him. "Why not?"

"Well, it wasn't that much fun anyway... Race was getting all the attention, having that stupid broken arm... Besides... Is there anything WRONG with being out here with you? I figure... you and I, if we were friends, we'd make a pretty good team."

She sent him an unsure look. "I suppose we would."

"Well don't look at me like I'm offering you two choices of death," he huffed, looking a bit offended.

She snickered.  "I guess being your friend would be better than being your enemy."

"That, my dear, is a wise choice." He grinned. /i

Rae pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders.  She smiled slightly.  "Yes, my dear, it was a wise choice."

* * *

"How many papes didja sell, Spot?" Jecca asked, trotting over to him.

"About..." He glanced at the pile under his arm. "Half."

She crowed in delight. "I'm beating you!"

He laughed. "I guess you are, squirt."

"I'm hungry Spot. Can we stop and eat?"

"Sure. Where to?"

"Tibby's!"

"All right then, to Tibby's we go!"

"Who's paying?" she grinned impishly.

He lifted a brow and smirked. "Let me guess: me?"

"I can pay for myself!"

"Well, I'll be generous and pay. After all, word has to start going around again about just how great Spot Conlon is," he told her with a grin. "I've been away too long and I haven't heard much about me since I came back."

She stuck her tongue out at him.  "I don't think you're so great."

"Oh, well then," he said with a tone of playful offense, "that's just going to have to change, isn't it?" With a roar he picked her up and flung her over his shoulder, carrying her into Tibby's.

She squealed in delight and playful pounded on his back with her fists.

He set her down at the booth and plopped across from her, calling greetings to old newsies who knew him well.

Jack walked over and sat beside them.  "I heard you were back in town.  How's Rae?"

"Good, good. How's it rolling, Kelly?"

"Not bad."

"Didn't see you around the last time we were in town, what have you been up to, Jackie boy?"

"I've been looking for a job, Conlon.  Like most of the others."

Spot nodded slowly. "Right... right. That's good."

"But we're all faced with the same problem. No one wants to hire street kids."

"Makes you wish you could strike against the folks who don't hire us," he said, drumming the table top with his fingertips.

"It wouldn't be smart," David said, pulling up a chair.

"It also isn't possible, Walkin' Mouth," Spot said. "How's it rollin'?"

"Not bad, Conlon."

"I'd reckon Dave here has the best chance out of the lot of us to get a job... still going to school?" he asked David.

"When I can, but my father got hurt again."

* * *

It was a miserably dark and rainy day in the old Kringle house and the children were just as cranky, adding up against Rae's fledgling patience that day. Every time she sat down she had either Ann or Andy clinging to her, but she couldn't stand for long.  Molly finally forced Rae back into bed, with the twins tucked in on either side of her.

"Is Daddy coming back home today?" Andy asked on her left.

"I don't think so, sweetheart.  With as much rain as we've gotten this week, I don't think he would be able to make it."

He frowned. "I don't think those men are going to come back... they haven't come back yet... Can we send Daddy a letter tomorrow?"

"But I don't know where he went."

"I... well he should have told us!"

"He said that he might go to Brooklyn," Ann offered.

Rae paused. Yes, it was very plausible that Spot went there. "We'll wait a couple more days... If nothing happens, I'll write Brooklyn and see if Daddy went there, alright?"

Ann nodded and rested her head on Rae's shoulder. "I miss Daddy," she sighed.

"I do too," she whispered, kissing the top of Ann's head. "I do too."

"Those men aren't after Daddy anymore, can't we go find him?"

"We can't sweetheart.  Momma is still sick."

"Chris could take us to find him for you!"

"I would worry too much about all of you to do that."

Chris poked his head into the room. "Look out the window... I think we have some men prowling our yard... If I were to bet, I'd guess they're looking for Spot still..."

With a groan Rae struggled to get up, having to push the twins out of the way.  She walked to the window and glanced out.  "Here we go again.  Ann, Andy, STAY HERE!" she ordered, following Chris from the room.

"You should stay inside... It's still drizzly... I can chase them out of the yard.. I just thought you should know what was going on," Chris told her.

She sent him a look. "I don't want you out in the rain either.  Hand me that coat and we will both stay on the porch." With a slight sigh, he did as told. Rae wrapped the coat around her shoulders and stepped out onto the porch. "Can I help you?" she called out.

The nearest man folded his arms over his chest. "We're looking for the Beast!" He walked over to them. "Where is he hiding?"

"I don't know who you are talking about," Rae said. "There is no beast that lives here."

"We know very well there is one, ma'am. He killed a child in our town! Other children have disappeared since his arrival!"

"My children disappeared too.  Only they were kidnapped by your Mr. Anderson who runs the orphanage...have you tried looking there?"

The man looked a little disgruntled. "Look ma'am, it ain't my aim to start trouble... but we want this criminal stopped before anyone else gets hurt!"

"She told you! There isn't any beast here..." Chris said, taking a step forward, but stopped when Rae placed her hand on his shoulder.

"We don't want any trouble either, so please leave. If any 'beast' comes here, you'll be the first to know," Rae replied sharply.

"We will be back, lady!"

"I'll be waiting!" She turned to Chris. "We need to get me a pitchfork or... or something!"