A/N-Well here it finally is, chapter 2. I was actually kinda surprised to see all the reviews I got and how anxious you guys were to read the next chapter. So I worked my butt off, and amongst all my other stories I'm working on, old and new(which you should go read and review), I was able to finish chapter 2. So here it is. Oh, and if you would like to be in this story just tell me in your review and I'll e-mail you a form to fill out or send your info to my e-mail address. Ok? Good! Now. . .

CHAPTER TWO: A SPOT ENCOUNTER

Aurora loved her new cane. She loved the feeling of power it gave her, how it made her feel like she could do whatever the hell she wanted. Not that she couldn't already but she felt like she would never be caught doing anything. She loved the way it looked when she spun it about in her hand, the way the gold gleamed in the sun and reflected the sun light. She loved how smooth and polished to wood was.

Now she didn't normally think about the people she stole from but she was starting to wonder how a street rat like him had gotten his hands on a such a beautiful, well crafted, and probably expensive thing. 'He probably stole it' she thought to herself. 'Well what goes around comes around. It's mine now.'

She was still curious about her latest heist. As she looked at it closer she was starting to suspect that the top wasn't just some gold metal or gold plated but that it was actually solid gold. Her eyes sparkled and she almost smiled, thinking about just how much money she would get if she sold it.

Another thought struck her in the head. What if the boy was looking for it. It was obviously very valuable and he was probably quite pissed. She laughed. No one had ever caught her and what could that scrawny boy do? Sure, she was shorter then him but she threw a very painful punch. It was all required to live on the street. Aurora was positive that if she ever did encounter the boy she could kick his ass and walk away with barely a scratch.

Just in case she looked behind her. She shrugged to herself. The only people around were two newsies, probably headed to get more papers or to where ever they stayed. As far as Aurora could tell, she was safe.

Twirling her cane she turned into an alley, where she could access a fire escape that led to the roof tops. From there she could make her way to the room which she had "borrowed" until she found a more permanent location to stay. Much to her surprise the newsies followed her in. She raised an eye in puzzlement, newsies weren't thieves and no one she could think of held a grudge against her. Maybe they were staying in the alley.

"Dat's a nice cane you'se gots" one of the newsies called out to her back. She turned around to face them.

"What?" she asked.

"Dat cane. Wheah'd you'se get it?" asked the taller one. He looked a little intimidating with dark hair falling in front of his face hiding his dark eyes. The tan skin and features made Aurora to think that he was Hispanic.

"It's mine" Aurora replied shortly. 'Newsies aren't thieves' she began to think to herself. 'Maybe they're just starting a friendly conversation. . .'

"How long you'se have it?" said the other one as the two of them stepped closer. This one had shaggy light brown hair and green eyes. Aurora looked behind her to see a brick wall. She had nowhere to go.

"Long enough"

"Well, we'se gots a friend who's missin his cane. It looks jus like dat."

"I'm sorry" Aurora gulped. "I'se hope he finds it."

"Kinda funny" said the fist one gruffly. "How his gots stolen yestahday and den we find you'se wid a cane identical ta his."

"Maybe we got ouahs at da same place" she tried. Aurora was starting to get a little nervous. She knew that she could definently take out the smaller one but there was a very small chance she could take the larger one and an even smaller chance that she'd be able to take both of them.

"Maybe. . ."

"Well, I'se gots ta get goin. I hope he finds it" Aurora turned to leave when one of them grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and jerked her back.

"You'se ain't goin no wheah" he growled in her ear.

"I'se think I am" she snapped back.

"Well maybe if you ah" he replied as he covered her mouth with his other hand. "But wheah evah yoah goin, it's wid us." He turned and pulled her out of the alley with the smaller one following. Aurora struggled a little but realized it was hopeless and reluctantly complied.

Aurora was led to an abbadoned warehouse and a boy stood at the entrance to it, keeping guard. He nodded to the boys as they led her in. Aurora had never seen anywhere like it. Hammocks, sleeping pads, and blankets were randomly spread out among the inside. There were a few tables, which newsies were sitting around most of them playing poker. Besides the big main room there were two other rooms. One was the wash room and the other appeared to be a bedroom, Aurora assumed it was the leader's. After scanning the room she didn't see the boy she had taken the cane from. 'Maybe he's not here' she thought as she was led to the bedroom. She could feel everyone's eyes on her and she tightened her grip on the cane. They were going to have to pry it out of her grip.

The newsie who wasn't holding her knocked on the closed door. A muffled 'enter' was emitted and they entered. Aurora was surprised to see the boy who's cane it was, sitting on the bed. He was the leader?

Aurora was thrown down to the ground.

"We found her" grunted the guy who had thrown her down.

"Thanks Diablo" he replied. "You'se too Narck. Now, if you'll 'scuse us. . ." he gave the guys a very serious and commanding look and they left the room quickly, closing the door behind them.

"So. . ." Spot looked down at Aurora sprawled on the floor. "You'se think yoah so funny huh?"

"Wha?" Aurora snarled as she pushed herself up. She only came up to his nose but she craned her neck up to look him in the eyes which almost matched hers but his were more of an icy color.

"Befoah anythin else" he said matching her gaze. "Gimee my cane."

"Yoah cane?" Aurora laughed haughtily. "Sorry, I took dis. If you'se liked it so much, maybe you'se shoulda been moah caeahful."

"Well" Spot glared at her and Aurora felt a shiver run down her spine. "I'm takin it back" Spot grabbed the cane and wrenched it out of her hands. He threw it onto the bed, not breaking eye contact. "Now. . . back ta business. Who do you'se think you ah?!?"

"Who do I think I am? Who ah you'se?" she spat back, getting very annoyed with his cockiness.

"I'm Spot Conlon" he said like everyone knew who he was. "Da leadah of da Brooklyn newsies."

"Well den, I'm Aurora."

"And yoah a thief."

"I prefeah da toim permanent borrower" the corner of her lip twitched but she didn't smile, she rarely did.

"Yoah a thief. And you'se stole me cane. I don't like it when people steal from me."

"Maybe you'se should get used ta disappointment" Aurora rolled her eyes. 'Who does he think he is?' she thought to herself. 'He thinks I should fear him or something.'

" 'Scuse me?" he said fiercely grabbing the front of her collar and drawing her face very close to his. "Don speak ta me like dat."

" 'Scuse yoahself" Aurora replied to breaking eye contact, intent on staring him down. What could he do to her?

"Look, it's one thing you stealin from me but when you'se speak so disrespectfully, dat makes me pissed. I don nohmally hit goils but I'm about to make an exception" he snarled.

"Well it's nice ta know you'se got some standards" she retorted just as fiercely even though she was getting a little scared on the inside.

"Unlike you'se."

"Look heah" she said poking him in the chest. "Yoah really pissin me off. I take advantage of people cause dey let me. You'se weah jus asking foah me ta take yoah cane. And now yoah getting all up in me face like yoah some kinda hot shot. Well maybe you ah ta the people out theah but yoah not ta me. To me yoah jus anudah street rat. Jus anudah child left on da street ta survive. We'se all gots ta survive. Now you'se know how I do it. I know how you'se do it. So let go of me shoit and get outta me face."

"Hang on. . ." Spot said shocked by her response. "Nevah speak ta me like dat again. Don EVAH call me a street rat or tell me what ta do like yoah in chahge of me. I'm not a street rat like you'se ah. Me, I've got something to be proud of. Ah you'se proud dat yoah a thief?" he let go of her shirt and Aurora stepping back.

"I've gotten used ta it" she said smoothing out the wrinkles in her blouse. "I may not be proud of it but it's a livin. It's not honest but I get by no mattah what."

"And yoah sayin I don't?" Spot raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Some days ah good foah you'se, some ahn't. Foah me, every day is good if I make it good. Ya see, I control who much I make. I'm in chahge of me life. I don depend on headlines and what not." Spot looked at the short girl standing in front of him, half disgusted, half impressed. His signature smirk crept over his face.

"Well yoah coitanly a feisty one. Why don you'se stay head foah da night while I decide wheathah not I'm gonna give you'se what you desoive foah takin me cane" he looked her straight in the eye. "And dat's not a request, it's an ohdah. I strongly suggest you'se stay or yoah jus gonna piss me off even moah and you'se don wanna see dat."

"Well Spot" Aurora said, her eyes sparkling but she still didn't smile. "Yoah generosity is ovah whelmin. I think I will stay."

"Smaht choice. But you'se don seem too excited about it" he said grinning as she turned to the door. She turned back around to face him, her face expressionless except for her eyes, which were still sparkling.

"Guess I forgot ta smile" and with a shrug Aurora left Spot in his room to fume to himself.