Title: Cuts Like A Knife
Author: Stress
First written: May 12, 2002
Edited and replaced: January 21, 2005
Summary: Part I of the Soul Mates Series; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.
The Alley
"Damn." Rip muttered the word harshly under his breath as he pulled up his pants and turned around. How dare someone interrupt his business?! "Who's gonna stop me?" he smirked as he set eyes on Jack. "A li'l twerp like you?" Rip laughed to himself as he looked at the younger boy in front of him. He was short - well not short, but shorter than Rip at least - and thin. And with the little light that shone in the alley, Rip could see that he had a cowboy hat hanging around his neck. Rip's eyes lit up with glee as he understood who this boy was. "Let me guess, the famous Cowboy? The one that Jess can't stand? I'd like to see him try," he scoffed as he turned his back on Jack.
Jack stood frozen for a second. "Stress, she can't stand me? What?" he murmured as he pushed the thought out of his head. He couldn't get all sappy when she needed his help. Even if she didn't like him, as the guy had so kindly told him, Jack felt she deserved to be rescued from this... this filth.
Before Jack could think of a witty come-back to knock Rip down with, King stepped forward. "Yeah, well Cowboy here has got some friends that would like to help," he snapped as he stepped in front of Jack to confront Rip.
Rip turned around, all the more angry that he kept being disturbed. "And what are you...gonna...do..." Rip eyes grew to the size of saucers at the guy standing before him. All the newsboys in New York knew who King was. King was one of the most feared newsies on the streets; His tough but fair fighting style was acclaimed and everyone knew that he was one not to mess with. As Rip stared him down, he felt a prickle of worry. King was his age, his height, his size. He wasn't so sure that he could take them both on and win.
Normally Rip would have shrugged the encounter off and backed down. But this was a matter of his lover. She was his and he would do whatever he had to do to stake claim of his possession. "You don't frighten me, King."
King was amused that the guy standing in front of him knew his name. "I hope he knows why they call me King," he smirked to himself as he stepped up, mere inches away from Rip. As he stared down Rip, sizing him up as an opponent, and finding him worthy of no mercy, Jack ran to the sides of Stress and Gip. "Please let them be OK," he pleaded as he kneeled by their sides and listened for a heartbeat.
Meanwhile, Rip was taken aback by King's closeness and threw his hands up in defense. Unfortunately for him, he threw up a hand that still had a switchblade clasped inside. King saw the switchblade and smiled. In an eye blink, King threw a punch to Rip's stomach and, when Rip was doubled over in pain, snatched the knife out of his hand. "I prefer an even fight, don't you pal?"
Rip looked up at King and spit in his face. "You've got no business here, King. This is just between me and me girl."
King wiped the spittle off of his nose and aimed a right hook right at Rip's cheek. When Rip fell to the ground, covering his left eye, King stepped on his hand, breaking one or two of his fingers. "Your girl? Which one would that be? Cause I see two down dear and neither one looks like they are enjoying your company."
Rip cried out in pain as he felt King's weight on his left hand. "I just came to get me property. Jess left me behind when she left Queens and I came to get her back."
Jack stepped forward and nodded at King. Now that he was sure that the girl's were alright - they were unconscious, but no other damage had been done - he was prepared to stand up for his friends.
Understanding that this was something Jack wanted to take care of, King stepped off of Rip and backed away. He would keep an eye on things in case he was needed, but otherwise just make sure that the girls were not hurt in the fight.
Jack walked over to where Rip was still sitting on the floor, clutching his fingers in agony. When he saw Jack stroll up to him, he laughed cruelly. "What do you want?"
"It ain't what I want, it's what you want. What are you doing here?" Jack asked, his voice low and hoarse.
When Rip started to pull himself up to stand, Jack aimed a kick right at his stomach which resulted in knocking him right back down. "You're gonna pay for that boy!" Rip threatened as his words were cut off by wheezes.
Jack looked down at him, no expression on his face. "Answer me."
Rip waited a few seconds as he got his breathing back under control. "She's mine. We're in love and have been for awhile now. I just needed to make sure that she remembers that. She needs to be taught that lesson," he spat out as he held onto his stomach.
Jack brought his hand to his mouth as realization dawned on him. "And let me guess. You felt the need to teach her a lesson right before she left you, right? A lesson that resulted in a black eye, a swollen face and a gash on her shoulder?" He trembled with anger as he remembered the state he had found Jess in those few days ago. How hurt and beaten and battered and scared she was. Most of all, she was scared, scared of everyone, though she pretended not to be at times. "And this monster is the one who scared her," he muttered before launching himself at Rip.
Rip wasn't expecting Jack to fly at him so he was at an incredible disadvantage. "What the --" he cried before feeling a barrage of fists beating on his face. Jack had forced Rip down and was punching him dead in the face with all the strength he could muster. "This...is...for...what...you've...done...to....Stress," he shouted in between the pummeling.
Rip took the hits and even threw some back of his own. When he aimed one square at Jack's nose, he threw Jack off of his chest and crawled over to where Stress lay, her pants ripped to shreds and her shirt entirely torn, revealing her underclothes. "See this, Cowboy, this is mine. It has been before and will be again, forever and always. She'll never let you in, Cowboy, never," he hissed as he went to tear the remaining pants fabric from her body.
Rip's taunts rang in Jack's ears. Quickly he turned and saw King smiling at him, holding Rip's knife out. Jack winked and grabbed the knife. Before Rip could even move Stress at all, Jack lunged at him once more and sank the knife clean into Rip's right arm, before pulling it back out again.
As Rip screamed and writhed in pain, Jack leaned over and held it to his throat. "If I ever, ever see or hear that you're back in Manhattan again, I won't hesitate to slit your throat, got me?"
Biting his tongue to hold back his screams and curses, Rip nodded. "She ain't worth it, anyway. She ain't nothing but a doity whore," he whispered, panting slightly at the immense pain that coursed through his body.
With a quick glance over at his knocked out friend, Jack retaliated for Rip's negative remark on her character. He would protect her good name since she wasn't able to defend herself at the moment. "I don't think so, buddy," he whispered before administering a final blow that rendered him unconsciousness.
Once Rip was crumpled up on the ground, King rushed to Jack's side. "Nice one, Cowboy, but I think it's time to take care of the girls." King bent down and lifted Gip up into his arms. Jack shot one last look of hatred toward the scum that lay at his feet before turning and lifting Stress into his arms.
Leaving Rip right where he was, his own knife laying by his side, cleaned off, as a mocking gesture, King and Jack exited the alley. Once they hit the sunlight they began to walk towards the Bottle Alley Lodging House, the closest lodging house to the alley.
Upon seeing King and Jack leave the alley, an unconscious girl in each of their arms, Stripes, Bookie, Martini, Race and Blink all ran forward and started clamoring about what had happened. Neither King nor Jack spoke a word, preferring to walk the few blocks to Bottle Alley in silence.
When they arrived at the lodging house, Stripes ran forward and held the door open for the boys. They all paraded past a very confused Mrs. Cook, who Bookie promised to explain everything to later, and entered the bunkroom, laying Stress and Gip down on the two closest bunks.
"Race, run and get some towels. Blink, we need some hot water. Stripes get some bandages. Bookie, Martini, I need you girls to put Gip and Stress in some proper clothes," King said as he gestured to the blood-soaked shirts each wore and the strips of fabric that were once Stress's pants.
As each person ran off to follow King's orders, King and Jack sat on the ground in the middle of the two bunks, waiting for Stress and Gip to regain consciousness and, maybe, just maybe, tell them exactly what had happened.
Because they weren't so sure themselves...