CHAPTER 2: ALITTLE PROTECTIVE

Over in Brooklyn the great Spot Conlon was trying to finish up selling his papes before lunch time. He was a very good looking boy of about eighteen, he was a little short for his age, but no one dare tell the great Spot that he was short or anything other then... well great. He had dark brown hair that was slightly greasy and because of that it was slicked back. His eyes were the strangest shade of blue. It was a greyish blue, like ice, and just like ice they were just as cold. He had a usual newsie out fit with red suspenders.

" HOURSE WITH ONLY THREE LEGS, BEAT OUT THE FASTEST HOURSE IN ALL OF NEW YORK!" He shouted his slightly improved headline to the people passing by.

"I'll take one paper please young man." An elderly man in fancy clothes said handing the boy a penny. Spot handed the man the paper, it was his last one. He was done for the morning.

"Tanks sir. Greatly appreciated." Spot said pocketing the shinny penny. " now," He said to himself. "I's is tinkin that first I's will go see how 'de odda boys is makin out, 'den I'll go see how me sis' is surviving out in good old Manhattan." With that his picked up his gold toped cane and headed over towards the Brooklyn Lodgin house.

"Heyya Boss! What ya up to?" A skinny boy with dark black hair asked.

"Not much Bottles. And what are you's up to?" He asked abunch of them sitting around in a bunk room.

"Ah we's was just playin some poker on our's break. Cause we's is all finished with the morning edition of 'da pape." The boy named Bottles answered for all of them.

"So you boys aint minding if I's goes to visit Jacky boy and his fellas and see if 'day have seen me sista, do ya's?" Spot asked

"Naw way you's goes boss and have fun!" Bottles answered again with a wink.

"Ya, ya, ya." Spot said walking out of the Lodge house and walking down the Road towards the same bridge his sister had taken earlier that morning.

Entering into the city Spot was greeted with all sorts of different hello's from fellow newsies, all of them however had one thing in common. They all had respect for Brooklyn. He was the king after all and one of Jacks best friends. Spot greeted them back, knowing each and everyone of there names. Not stopping to have a conversation with any of them though, he continued on till he reached the statue in the middle of central park.

"Hey there Spot." Racetrack called down.

Spot looked up. "Oh heyya Race, how are ya's?"

"Good, Good. What ya's doing in Manhattan today?"

"Ummm well I's is looking for Jacky boy. You seen him today?"

"Yea, you just missed him." Race said this with a huge smile on his face. "He's a showing YOU'S SISTA around the city." Spot just looked at Racetrack. So they had found out his secret. Didn't think it would take very long for Flair to find Jack and the boys. He was guessing that all of Manhattan probably knew about his sister now.

"Oh so you's has met Flair den?" Spot said sarcastically.

"Of course I's has met Flair. Everyone has met Flair by now. She sure is something Spot. Yous is awful lucky to have a sista and her be Flair at dat."

Spot eyed Race carefully. There was a look in his eye that Spot didn't like. "Yea, well she is my only family and I'm damn determined to keep her from getting hurt. Any person dat touches her I'll have soak 'em me self." He said his eyes as cold as ever.

Racetrack looked him in the eyes then quickly looked away. The look that Spot had seen seem to have fled with those very words. "Yea... I, I, I'd be de same if it was me in you's shoes Spot." Race said feeling slightly nervous. He didn't want the King of Brooklyn mad at him, and he defiantly didn't want him to know what he thought of Flair. "Ah, if you's hurry you might catch 'em at Tibby's for lunch and introductions to the boys." He said his voice shaking a little.

"Tanks Race." Spot said with his trademark smile on his face. "Make sure you's stops by for poker dis week." And with that he walked off towards the famous Tibby's restrung.

"Jack was you's really roughed up by Flair when you's was younger??" Les asked him with and excited and surprised ton in his voice.

"You bet he did kid. Why I almost had him crying." Flair said with a huge smile.

"Yea key word 'ALMOST'." Jack said.

"Yea, yea if Spot hadn't said it was time for bed you would have been cryin Cowboy." She said laughing. Jack just nodded and laughed.

"Why did you try to beat him up anyway Flair?" Davey asked in his perfect and proper english.

"Well you's see I's got dis head of red hair here's right? Well Jackie boy tinks it's funny to make fun of me for about an hour cause of de colour. Den once I'm all worked up 'bout it, he turns around and he say's to me ' aww Flair you's got de prettiest hair in all of New York.' But you's see by den I'm too worked up 'bout the name callin and then hearin dat it's all of a sudden pretty. Well me temper is like me brudas and well you know it got da betta of me. And I had Jacks ear in me teeth and I's was biting for all I's was worth. Made it bleed I did. Then Spot had enough of me playin around with Cowboy here and sent me off to bed. A good ting for Jackie." Flair laughed at the story. And so did the rest of da boys.

"Oh Flair. You's is always so full of your's self." A farmiluar voice said, as the dorr to Tibby's swung open. Flair, Jack and the boys all looked up to find Spot himself standing in the door way.

"Well I's did learn from da best. Hiya Spot why's you in Manhattan?" Flair said already knowing the answer to her obvious question.

"I's is just checkin to make sure that my trouble makin lil sista aint getting into trouble and aint causeing trouble. But I see you's has found good old Jackie boy and his boys and getting into troubles wit dem." He said spitting in his hand and extending it to Jack. Jack spit in his and shook with Spot.

"How ya been Spot old pal?" Jack asked

"Not too bad. How about you? You's hasn't been around lately. What, you's too good to come to Brooklyn any more Kelly?" Spot said, his eye's flasing.

"No! No way Spot. If anyting Brooklyn's too good for me." Jack said. He always made sure that he had Spot in higher respect so that if he was ever in trouble. Spot would be right there to help him. Jack watched Spot give his little lopsided smirk at his comment, then continued on with his reasons. "It's just you's see Conlon, the papes aint been too easy to sell lately. And Sara's been wanting to spend a lot of time wit me. De's here lugs aint helping much, always getting into some kinda trouble and me always havin to bail dem out. I's been meaning to come by's and see you's and Flair, just aint had da time is all." Jack finished.

" Alright, you's safe dis time." Conlon laughed and slapped Jack on the back. Jack laughed to. "come on have a seat. We's was just about to have lunch. Wasn't we's Flair?" Jack said.

"Sure why's not. Den I's is gonna need to be talking to Flair for a minute alone." Spot said sitting down and giving his sister one of the looks that ment a lecture was sure to come her way.

" Alrighty Spot, what'll ya have? It's on me." Jack said catching the look, also knowing that Flair was in for a long talk and from the looks of it, it wasn't a very happy one.