Disclaimer: I do not own West Side Story or any of the characters contained therein. Raquel, however, is mine, so please don't steal her!

Author's Notes: I know the last chap really lacked plot. I'm sorry about that. I hope this one gets more plot line... But I'm not sure it will. lol.

Tonyboy- Thanks so much for being the first to review my story! I appreciate it! Glad you like it. I always figured Riff and Tony were around 19 or 20, and Baby John was around 16... This is meant to be a little later than the movie, so I was letting Baby John be a little older. I never quite saw him as young as 14... I don't know, tho. I could be wrong. But anyway! Thanks!

Gondor Girl- Thank you!

Chapter 2: Plans

It was late on a Friday night when Raquel finally came up with a plan. She always did her best thinking late at night when noone was around. She lay in bed in her room, trying to think up a plan when it seemed to come to her all of a sudden.

She got up out of her bed, and lifted the matress, taking out her brother's extra switchblade and a small pistol from the place she had hidden them for him. She changed from her flannel nightgown into a red velvet dress. It was a little low cut, and it fit all of her curves. Which was why Chino had never let her wear it. But it would suit the task at hand quite well.

She put on makeup and perfume that smelled like lavender, then pulled on a pair of boots that reached almost to her knees. Then she brushed her hair, and twisted it into a roll on the back of her head, trying to look as mature as possible. She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and over her head, then hid the switchblade and the pistol in the wide sash at her waist. Anita had made the dress she was wearing, and had put pockets in the sash so that Raquel could put her money there without worries of it being taken.

Raquel was ready to do something. She hid her anger and hatred well, and noone who didn't know her well would know that she was so angry that she felt sure her blood would boil over. Sure, the rumble had taken place several months before, but that did not help her to get past it. The hatred and anger had effectively consumed her. And now, she was going to get it out.

She sneaked out of her bedroom, slipping past her friends, Catalina and Roberta, who were sleeping in the living room on the sofas. She slipped out of the apartment and down the stairs without being noticed. She walked out of the building and headed for where the Jets were.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

In the alley, Baby John had found A-rab, Ice, and Action discussing the fact that Chino was going to be sentenced the next day. Ice shook his head. "If only we could have stopped this whole stupid thing," he said. "Tony and Riff would still be here, and Bernardo... And this whole thing would have never happened."

Action, still hot under the collar, spouted off angrily, "If that d---ed PR had kept his switchblade in his pocket, we wouldn't have had this problem. He just couldn't fight fair."

"Easy, Action," Ice said, putting a restraining hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "It was just as much our fault as Bernardo's. I was supposed to have been in that fight. I should have taken that switchblade. Not Riff."

"But you didn't, and it's over," A-rab said, trying to be the level-headed one. "There's no point in thinking about who should've been fighting, and who shouldn't have, and who's fault it was. For God's sake... It's all over, now."

Baby John remained silent. He rarely said much. Especially not now. Somehow, Maria's words the night of the rumble, kept echoing in his mind. He kept hearing her saying that all of them had killed Riff, Tony, and Bernardo with their hate. And that made him feel really bad. Everything was his fault. But... he didn't really hate Bernardo... or Chino. He was just standing behind his brothers. The Jets. And that meant keeping the Sharks off their turf. He'd never wanted anyone to get killed.

Action was angrily talking about Chino, and as he was about to say just what he thought they ought to do to him for killing Tony, he looked up and let out a low whistle. He was looking at a beautiful young woman in a red velvet dress, all legs. Baby John turned to see what Action was looking at, and he found himself looking shyly into a pair of beautiful black eyes.

All of the guys knew that Raquel was Puerto Rican, but the fact that she was a pretty girl was enough for them. A-rab and Action walked over to her immediately. "Heya, lady," A-rab said. "What's a pretty thing like you doin' all alone in an alley like this at night?"

"Yeah," Action said. "I mean, ain't you heard? There's whole gangs of juvenile delinquents roamin' the streets around here, just lookin' for a pretty girl like you. You're just lucky you came up on a bunch of gentlemen, like us here."

"I came looking for someone," Raquel said. "Someone named Ice."

"Ice?" Action said. "What would you be looking for a guy like Ice for?"

"I have my reasons," Raquel said, icily.

"He's right here," Baby John said, finally getting up his guts to say something.

"And you," Raquel said, to Baby John. "What is a little boy like you doing in this alley? Surely you should be at home with your mother."

That made him mad. Real mad. But he bit his tongue. He knew that the girl didn't know his Ma was dead.

What she had said did make him mad, but somehow, he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers.