Title: One Year Anniversary

Author: Stress

First written: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

Edited and replaced: August 9, 2005

Summary: Part III of the Soul Mates Series; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

Bottle Alley Lodging House

An hour or so after all the other girls had left to sell their papers, Stress trudged back up the lodging house stairs and threw herself into the bunkroom. Hoping that they ignored her note now that she had decided she was going to just stay put, Stress went up to her bunk to retrieve it. But when she used the side of Slash's bunk to see the top of her own, she was surprised to see that the only thing there was a single red rose sitting on her pillow.

She covered her mouth with her hand as she realized what must have happened. Jack probably had gone to see her at the lodging house that morning, carrying the rose, and dropped it there when he found her note. Now that she thought about it, it was Jack who found her at the Bridge so soon after she had left the lodging house that morning, so he must have seen her note, which, of course, would have told him exactly where she was going. And, she flushed at the memory as she ran her finger across her lip, he had kissed her again. She felt herself getting giddy all over. "Maybe... No," she said as she snapped out of her momentary daze, "no, you gotta stop fooling yourself. You're back here now and you don't need him. After all, he proved that he doesn't need you last night at Medda's, huh? Just go on with your life and forget all about one Francis Sullivan." She picked up the rose, holding it to her nose briefly so she could smell its sweet perfume, and then proceeded to toss it right out the open window.

At Tibby's

Jack slowly plodded into Tibby's, with the weight of what had happened that morning resting on his shoulders. If it wasn't for their promise of help, Jack would have never left the Manhattan Newsboy's Lodging House to meet Stripes, Spot, Martini, Blink, Grace and David for dinner.

He spied the six of them all squeezed into the corner booth, talking animatedly with huge smiles plastered on their faces.

Jack absolutely hated happy people when he was feeling so miserable.

He continued walking into the restaurant as slowly as he could manage. When he finally reached the booth, he pulled up a seat from a neighboring table so that he wouldn't have to squish in with the rest of them.

Blink looked at Jack's upset expression. "Whatsamattah, Jack? You look like you just lost your best friend."

"Ya know what, Blink. You're exactly right. I did just lose me best friend," Jack replied testily.

Stripes groaned. "What did you do to her now, Cowboy?"

"Ummm... well, this morning I decided to drop by you girls' lodging house and see if I could talk to Stress. I even brought her a rose. But--"

"That was your rose that we found?" interrupted Martini.

"Yeah, I know that she likes daisies better but that was all I could find this morning. Anyways, like I was saying, I go over to her bunk to wake her up and she ain't there. Only this here note is," he said as he fumbled through his pockets. When he found the piece of paper, he tossed it to David, who began to read it out loud.

Dear Everyone,

Please don't feel hurt but I no longer can live here with you guys. This life has just gotten too complicated for me. I've decided to just go over the Bridge for once and for all. And I'm sorry, so sorry, to be leaving you all. Goodbye.

Stress

P.S. Please tell Jack I'm sorry. I wish I could have the nerve to do it myself, but I don't.

"But, before we left to come here, I was talking to Stress down at Bottle Alley," Grace said, looking incredibly lost.

"Hold your horses, Grace. I'm getting there. Ya see, when I read that note I thought that she meant she was gonna jump over the Brooklyn Bridge and I panicked. I didn't know how far ahead of me she was so I ran all the way down to that bridge."

"But, Jacky-Boy, me bridge is --" started Spot.

"I know Spot. I almost passed out from that run, but it was worth it cause when I got there Stress was sitting by the end of the Bridge. I was so happy that I ran right up behind her and I tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, I gave her a hug and I began to kiss her again--" Jack was cut off when David whimpered "Again?" Jack ignored his question and continued with his story. "But this time she didn't kiss me back at all. She told me she hated me and ran back here, crying the entire way. I tried to get into the lodging house to talk to her, but Mrs. Cook said that I wasn't allowed in."

Everyone turned in surprise when they heard Martini start to giggle. "That's O.K. Jack, cause, this time, have I ever got a doozy of a plan. Trust me, it's so crazy that it's got to work!"

As they all leaned in to hear what "brilliant" plan Martini had come up with this time, a huge smile came to Jack's face. Right then he was so desperate he was prepared to do anything, anything that would prevent him from losing Stress.