Jack was pissed. First he meets this girl that Spot says to watch out for because she is like his sister, wonderful. Then Spot tells him this sob story about knowing Marble forever and being in love with her and not knowing what to do about it, all well and good. Then he hears that Spot has been trying to stay away from her so he won't do anything stupid, great. Now she has been crying and Spot went to find her about some song, so Jack sent someone after him to find out what is going on, kinda normalish. The boys he sent come running back to tell him that Spot and Marble had been making out in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge and they had been chased off with a slingshot, not good. In fact, very bad.

Jack stormed across the bridge and found them in the middle. They weren't doing anything, not even talking. They were just leaning against the railing next to each other, waiting. Seeing them standing there acting so innocent and calm made Jack's temper flare.

As soon as he was close enough to be heard he started yelling, "What da hell do ya think ya doing Spot? What's wrong wit ya? Foist ya tell me dat she's like ya sista den I's heah yous kissin' her. What da hell's goin' on wit ya," he turned to Marble, "And you."

Jack was cut off abruptly when her fist connected with his face. He collapsed to the ground, holding his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

"Jesus Christ Jack, you can't just come here and start yelling at us when you have no idea what's going on. And what right do you have to get angry about anything either of us do anyway?"

Jack was staring at her over his hands with a shocked and hurt look in his eyes. Marble saw how badly he was bleeding and sank to her knees in front of him with a sympathetic laugh.

"Oh Jack, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard." She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and tilted his head with it, to stop the bleeding, "I know that you're just trying to look out for us but you can't just start yelling like that."

"Yea, well I's know dat now." Spot was standing back a little bit, snickering.

"You shut up Spot, it's your fault I hit him."

"MY FAULT! How's dis my fault?"

"You know exactly what you did."

"No I's don...... nevah mind." Marble winked at Jack and tried to hold back laughter.

"Hey you kids, what's going on here?"

The three of them looked up to see a pair of policemen coming towards them. Marble was on her feet in an instant and she bolted before Jack could find out what was going on. Spot also went into action right away.

"Nothin's happenin' me friend heah jist fell an' hoit 'im self, but he'll be alroight."

"Who was that other boy?"

"Othah boy, sir? Dere was no othah boy heah. Jist da two a us."

Jack gave Spot a confused look but kept his mouth shut. He knew he would get an explanation later.

Spot helped him to his feet and told the officers, "We'll jist be on out way now sir, good nite."

When they were out of earshot Jack asked, "What's goin' on?"

"What da ya mean?"

"Don't play stupid wit me, why'd she run like dat?"

Spot looked at Jack out of the corner of his eye and gave in after a minute, "Dat's da reason she always leaves, da bulls is afta her."

"Why?"

"She's a thief Jack, a pickpocket."

* * *

"Lemme git dis straight, dat sweet goil's been stealin' stuff since afore yous met 'er an' now afta all dese years da police know what she looks like?"

"Yea, but I don't know who yous callin' sweet." Spot gestured to Jack's nose, which had just stopped bleeding.

Jack shrugged and went on, "Yous also tellin' me dat somewheres in da city dere is a cellah full a da stuff she stole an' only da two a you know where?"

"Yea, ya see it ain't safe ta sell da stuff roight away else somebody might 'member it bein' stolen so's she's gotta keep it fa a while."

"I's can't believe dis, how come neitha a ya said nothin'?"

Spot just looked at Jack like he was an idiot until he shrugged uncomfortably, "Well I's still gotta talk ta her 'bout dis."

"Don't botha, she's jist gonna lie about it, jist like everythin' else."

"What'd ya mean?"

"She lies 'bout her past all da time, even I's don't know dat much."

Spot and Jack went into the Brooklyn house and when they opened the door to Spot's room Marble jumped up from the bed, "Heya Spot, you didn't get into any trouble did ya?"

"Naw, I's jist said dat Jacky-boy tripped an' yous didn't exist."

"Good, how's the nose Jack?"

"It ain't bleedin' no more." Jack's voice was cold and abrupt. He didn't know how to act now that he knew that little bit about her past. The fact that there was probably much more than that and if he asked he would be lied to made him upset, he was used to being able to trust his newsies.

"Ya knows what Spot, I's gonna go back ta Manhattan now, I'll see ya latah."

"Yeah, latah Cowboy."

Once Jack closed the door Marble turned to Spot, "He's mad at me, isn't he."

It wasn't really a question but he still nodded, "Oh man, I'd better go talk to him."

"Marble wait." she looked at him, "I'm sorry fa, you know, on da bridge."

She looked a little hurt when she asked, "Did it mean anything to you or was it just one of those 'caught up in the moment, never gonna happen again' dealys?" When he didn't say anything she turned to open the door.

Spot panicked when he saw her leaving so he grabbed her arm and spun her around. He kissed her deeply so she would know that he meant it. It wasn't as intense as the one on the bridge but they were both out of breath when they parted.

Marble smiled, "Well, that's nice to know, but I still have to catch Jack."

She gave him one more quick kiss then ran out the door.

* * *

Jack was half way to the lodging house when a pair of hands reached out of an alley and dragged him in. He looked directly into the sneering face of Oscar Delaney and knew that the person holding his arms behind his back must be Morris. They must have been getting smarter because they didn't waste anytime talking, they just got straight to work.

* * *

Marble was just about to call out to Jack when she saw him pulled into a dark alley. She could hear the sound of flesh meeting flesh and grunts of pain as she started running. She got there just in time to see Oscar bloody Jack's nose again. Marble grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. With one solid blow to the face he was down and she moved onto his brother. Morris let go of Jack, who collapsed to the ground, and went to help Oscar. He came at Marble but she ducked under his swing and kicked him in the crotch. When he doubled over in pain she brought her elbow down into the center of his back, knocking him to the ground. One solid kick in the stomach guaranteed that he would stay there for a while.

Marble went to help Jack to him feet as he wiped the blood off of his face with a sleeve, "Dis jist ain't me day fa keepin' me blood in, is it."

Marble laughed shakily and slung his arm over her shoulder to help him walk. He was a little bit off balance so he leaned heavily on her as they left the alley. They headed toward the lodging house as quickly as they could go, incase the Delancys came back for another round.

After a few minutes Marble decided to try talking to Jack, "So, are you mad at me for abandoning you earlier?"

He gave her a confused look, "You know, on the bridge, when the cops came."

"Oh, naw, I ain't mad 'bout dat an' anyway yous jist saved me butt so's I guess I ain't mad at all."

"Great, but what were you mad about then?"

"Spot tol' me 'bout yous bein' a pickpocket an' lyin' 'bout your past an' all dat stuff."

"Oh like you've never lied or stolen anything."

"Dat's da thing, it reminded me a me too much."

"Well Jacky-boy we's all gotta survive."

She sounded so much like Spot that he couldn't help staring at her, "Yea, I guess dat's roight."

Marble smiled and he got the feeling that she was laughing at him, "What?"

"Nothin, It's just, nothin'."

He shook his head and sighed, "Goils."

They walked in silence for a while but Jack finally asked, "So what's goin' on wit you an' Spot?"

Marble jumped when he spoke and Jack saw a couple of different emotions run across her face. Shock, confusion, joy, sorrow and a few others things he couldn't identify.

"I'm not really sure, I'm gonna hafta talk ta 'im soon."

"Jist some friendly advice, you an Spot is best friends so what evah ya do don't mess dat up. Da two a you'll be fine."

They got to the lodging house and as Marble was opening the door Ashes landed on her shoulder, "Where've you been kitty," she scratched him under the chin, "you missed all the fun."

When the got inside Mush, Blink and Dave were there instantly to help Jack.

"What happened? Who did dis?" Blink pulled up a chair so he could sit and Mush left to get Kloppman.

"Da Delancys jumped me, guess I's didn't smell dem comin'." Dave looked at Marble and Jack answered the question before he asked, "She saw dem grab me an' became me knight in shinin' armor."

Jack batted his eyelashes at her and Marble just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Kloppman and Mush came back with ice and a clean cloth. Jack explained what happened again while holding an icepack to his eye.

"So wheres da oder boys at?"

"Deys still in da park celebratin'." Kloppman stopped the bleeding from Jack's nose for the second time that night.

Once she was sure that Jack was alright Marble grabbed Blink and Mush and dragged them across the room, "Um, I kinda want to say I'm sorry for, you know, the slingshot."

Mush rubbed a bump on his head, "It's alroight, but we's was wonderin' what you was doin' up dere."

"Yea, whats goin' on wit you an' Spot?"

Marble smiled, "Nonya business."