Spot returned to Brooklyn early the next day, accompanied by Jack. Jack had not spoken to anyone all night or morning. Spot was starting to worry about him. But he pushed his worry away, Jack was the toughest newsies in New York except for Spot himself.
Both of the boys had their thoughts on Joanna, and neither of them noticed the dark figure that watched them leave the Lodging House. They didn't see him scowl as he recognized his stepson. And where Francis was, Joanna would surely be.
Dodger was waiting for them at the docks. When they reached him, he noticed that there was worry and fear in both of their faces.
"Where is she?" Spot asked because Jack couldn't.
"In your room," was the simple answer Dodger supplied. Without a response, the boys went up to Spot's room. Jack threw open the door and burst in. He saw Joanna sitting under the window behind Spot's bed, immersed in a novel. When she heard the door open, she looked up and jumped to her feet when she saw Jack...and Spot. She ran to Jack and threw her arms around his neck. He held her as tight as he could, partly because he had been so worried about her and partly because he was trying to hide the tears of relief and worry that slid down his face despite his efforts to control them.
"I was so worried 'bout ya," he said, still holding on to her. She pulled away from him and took his hands.
"I'se fine Jack. It's you we gotta worry 'bout. Dere's no way your goin' back ta Manhattan. John'll prob'ly be watchin da place for a couple days. You gotta stay here and stay inside," she said to him as if she were the older sibling.
Jack nodded and said, "I will but so will you. It's dangerous for ya out dere."
Joanna's eyes clouded for a moment and then she shook her head vigorously. "No way Jack, John used ta lock me in da house and dere's no way I'm gonna stay locked in here. Besides, he'll nevah recognize me without bein' able ta see me hair." They argued about it for several more minutes until Jack finally gave in.
"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But stay wit Spot or Dodger whenevah you'se go out." At this statement, Joanna smiled and walked over to Spot. He tilted her face up to his and pressed his lips against hers in a short and tender kiss. Not taking her eyes off of Spot's, she said,
"I don't think dat'll be a problem." And he kissed her again. Jack wasn't to happy with this display.
"Uh, Jo, can I'se talk ta Spot alone for a minute?" he asked.
She nodded, kissed Spot again, and headed downstairs to play a game of poker with Dodger and Slink.
"What's up Jacky-boy?" Spot asked when Joanna was out of earshot.
"Spot, you'se is my best friend and I trust ya wit me life. Now, don't take dis wrong or anything but, I don't want you and Joanna togeddah."
"What?!"
"You'se got a reputation wit da ladies Spot and I don't want ya ta hoit me sistah. You'se nevah been wit a goil who didn't end up runnin' home cryin' aftah ya lost interest in her. I don't want dat ta happen ta Jo."
"But it's different with her Jacky-boy. I've nevah felt like this about any uddah goil."
"You say dat all da time Spot. I don't wanna take any chances on Jo's heart. She's me little sistah and I don't wanna see her heart broken when you find anuddah goil who you like bettah."
"But Jack-"
"No Spot. Hands off, got it?" Spot didn't respond. He just turned around and stormed out, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts.
******
When Spot came stomping down the stairs and out of the Lodging House, Joanna knew Jack had said something to him; and not a good something. She quickly tucked her hair under her cap and chased after him. She caught him on the docks and stepped in front of him.
"What did he say Spot?"
"He told me he didn't want ya to be my goil. He said he didn't trust me not ta break your heart," he spat, climbing onto his makeshift throne of crates. Joanna stared at him in disbelief.
"He did what?!" But she didn't wait for an answer.
******
"Francis Robert Sullivan!!" Joanna roared as she marched into Spot's room. "What da hell do ya t'ink you were doing tellin' Spot he couldn't be wit me?"
"Joanna calm down-"
"I will not calm down. Where do you get off tellin' Spot we can't be tageddah?"
"Listen Jo, you don't know Spot like I do. He can't stay wit only one goil. He loses interest real quick. He'll hoit ya."
"Yeah, well, sometimes love hoits Jack. Like right now. I'se can't believe ya don't trust me enough to let me choose who I wanna be wit."
"I just don't wanna see ya get hoit Jo."
"Yeah, well too late," she said, and she walked out of the room and back to the docks. She climbed up on the crates and sat down next to Spot. He put his arom around her and she rested her head on his chest. And they sat on those crates for hours, just enjoying being together, no matter what.
******
Jonathon Sullivan watched a boy who looked extremely familiar cuddle with the boy from the newsies house last night. He couldn't place the boy's face right away, but when a small lock of copper red hair fell from under his hat, he knew he had found Joanna. Now all he had to do was wait until she was alone.
Both of the boys had their thoughts on Joanna, and neither of them noticed the dark figure that watched them leave the Lodging House. They didn't see him scowl as he recognized his stepson. And where Francis was, Joanna would surely be.
Dodger was waiting for them at the docks. When they reached him, he noticed that there was worry and fear in both of their faces.
"Where is she?" Spot asked because Jack couldn't.
"In your room," was the simple answer Dodger supplied. Without a response, the boys went up to Spot's room. Jack threw open the door and burst in. He saw Joanna sitting under the window behind Spot's bed, immersed in a novel. When she heard the door open, she looked up and jumped to her feet when she saw Jack...and Spot. She ran to Jack and threw her arms around his neck. He held her as tight as he could, partly because he had been so worried about her and partly because he was trying to hide the tears of relief and worry that slid down his face despite his efforts to control them.
"I was so worried 'bout ya," he said, still holding on to her. She pulled away from him and took his hands.
"I'se fine Jack. It's you we gotta worry 'bout. Dere's no way your goin' back ta Manhattan. John'll prob'ly be watchin da place for a couple days. You gotta stay here and stay inside," she said to him as if she were the older sibling.
Jack nodded and said, "I will but so will you. It's dangerous for ya out dere."
Joanna's eyes clouded for a moment and then she shook her head vigorously. "No way Jack, John used ta lock me in da house and dere's no way I'm gonna stay locked in here. Besides, he'll nevah recognize me without bein' able ta see me hair." They argued about it for several more minutes until Jack finally gave in.
"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But stay wit Spot or Dodger whenevah you'se go out." At this statement, Joanna smiled and walked over to Spot. He tilted her face up to his and pressed his lips against hers in a short and tender kiss. Not taking her eyes off of Spot's, she said,
"I don't think dat'll be a problem." And he kissed her again. Jack wasn't to happy with this display.
"Uh, Jo, can I'se talk ta Spot alone for a minute?" he asked.
She nodded, kissed Spot again, and headed downstairs to play a game of poker with Dodger and Slink.
"What's up Jacky-boy?" Spot asked when Joanna was out of earshot.
"Spot, you'se is my best friend and I trust ya wit me life. Now, don't take dis wrong or anything but, I don't want you and Joanna togeddah."
"What?!"
"You'se got a reputation wit da ladies Spot and I don't want ya ta hoit me sistah. You'se nevah been wit a goil who didn't end up runnin' home cryin' aftah ya lost interest in her. I don't want dat ta happen ta Jo."
"But it's different with her Jacky-boy. I've nevah felt like this about any uddah goil."
"You say dat all da time Spot. I don't wanna take any chances on Jo's heart. She's me little sistah and I don't wanna see her heart broken when you find anuddah goil who you like bettah."
"But Jack-"
"No Spot. Hands off, got it?" Spot didn't respond. He just turned around and stormed out, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts.
******
When Spot came stomping down the stairs and out of the Lodging House, Joanna knew Jack had said something to him; and not a good something. She quickly tucked her hair under her cap and chased after him. She caught him on the docks and stepped in front of him.
"What did he say Spot?"
"He told me he didn't want ya to be my goil. He said he didn't trust me not ta break your heart," he spat, climbing onto his makeshift throne of crates. Joanna stared at him in disbelief.
"He did what?!" But she didn't wait for an answer.
******
"Francis Robert Sullivan!!" Joanna roared as she marched into Spot's room. "What da hell do ya t'ink you were doing tellin' Spot he couldn't be wit me?"
"Joanna calm down-"
"I will not calm down. Where do you get off tellin' Spot we can't be tageddah?"
"Listen Jo, you don't know Spot like I do. He can't stay wit only one goil. He loses interest real quick. He'll hoit ya."
"Yeah, well, sometimes love hoits Jack. Like right now. I'se can't believe ya don't trust me enough to let me choose who I wanna be wit."
"I just don't wanna see ya get hoit Jo."
"Yeah, well too late," she said, and she walked out of the room and back to the docks. She climbed up on the crates and sat down next to Spot. He put his arom around her and she rested her head on his chest. And they sat on those crates for hours, just enjoying being together, no matter what.
******
Jonathon Sullivan watched a boy who looked extremely familiar cuddle with the boy from the newsies house last night. He couldn't place the boy's face right away, but when a small lock of copper red hair fell from under his hat, he knew he had found Joanna. Now all he had to do was wait until she was alone.
