He's just sitting there, Cards next to him, her eyes are hurt again. And I wonder what he's said. They don't notice me their world is too closed right now, They can't see me. All Spot can do is look over at her.

"What happened to your eye?" He asks softly, his hand reaching out to touch her chin, to cup it lightly.

"Nothing" She says, there's a cut across her cheek though, and a bruise forming over her left eye.

"Something happened Cards" He says calmly. "What happened." His eyes are chips of pure blue steel. I fear for the person who hurts Cards. Spot's got a special place for her. Not where she wants to be. Far from it, but above the women he sleeps with.

"I just got hurt at work!" She snaps turning away from his touch, though I know she wants it. Spot is surprised, normally Cards welcomes what ever he'll give her. "You've seen worse. Remember when Coal came in with his leg chopped off?"

"Yeah! And I took carea him just like I'm tryin' ta take care of you!" Spot nearly stands. "Now get over here." they're only a foot apart, and he could grab her if he wanted. Cards slides over glaring, I can see her jaw clench like she's in pain. And she is. It hurts to have him be so nice to her.

She sits still as he lightly looks over the break "What happened?" He asks again.

"I told you, got hurt at work"

"This is a knife cut Cards!" He snaps, "I'm not stupid. What happened?"

"Some guy roughed me up" She sighs. "Outside the building."

"Who?"

"You think I know?"

"He" Spot jerked his chin and his eyes turned colder, harder.

"No" Normally in a fight between the two Cards gets as mad as Spot, but today, she's calm completely calm. "No he didn't."

Spot looks relieved and for the first time seems to notice me "You see anyone when you came in?"

"No one but the boys."

"None of them would do that."

"Less they weren't looking to hurt you Cards."

"Spot, no one is after you!" Cards says exasperated, but I can see that she thinks it might be true too. Spot influences things. He ain't got any power, but he knows everyone who does. True to form, all the newsies we were have all grown up. Mush, or Micheal Meyers is on the stage, the real ones not the vaudeville places where anyone can get on, but he's on Broadway. He's really famous, but he still depends on Spot Conlon for information and talent. David Jacobs is making it pretty well in the newspaper as is Jack Kelly who both flock to Spot to learn the stories that he won't tell anyone else. Racetrack Higgens is in the Mob, and he's taking good care to keep on the unofficial leader of Brooklyn's on his side.

These connections only do so much for Spot though. They don't get him money, but they do get him this building, and maybe someday they'll give him money. Racetrack is always trying to get him mobbed up, but its not working so well. Spot's too smart, and too much of a leader to follow, and race doesn't want him to challenge his leadership.

All these connections mean that these powerful friends who trust him sometimes put him in danger. And now he's looking at Cards in a different light. Knowing she's been scared and hurt for him. And that she'd have never told him.

"I gotta talk to Race" He says slowly, he turns to me. There are few reasons why these important people wouldn't want him on their side. Spot was the reason there was backing for the strike. People listen to him, they don't want him mad at them. I don't but I want to know if Cards will argue, what will happen after this. "Go get that lousy son of a bitch."

He won't talk like that in front of the other Girls, but he'll do it while holding Cards' chin delicately in his hand. He turns away from me assured that I'll do his bidding. Cards is looking over at me, and for a second I too see the perfection of if they were together. Something about the picture in front of me, of Cards' strength and Spot's power. Of their cold eyes both turned towards me. Spot's thumb strokes the wound, and for the first time Cards does not melt into his touch, she meets his eyes and nods.

I turn to leave as he leans in and kisses her.

Author's notes: Um I kinda wanted to make shit up. -sigh- Yes. So people wanted them to get together. And I read a book on pirates. And their women. Um, it really made more sense in my head. Does the thing about Spot and his connections make sense. Ohh! I'm in NYC! Btw, leaving it soon though, I'm on the train heading home for Christmas break.

Remember: Reviews tell me what to do. I very rarely have an actual plan as I write so reading reviews that people leave me tells me what people want. (like this. I was gunna leave it... but now OHH! I'm in BROOKLYN! -waves at old apartment building- Hello Jewtown! I miss you and your Hebrew! ... Sorry about that. Little excitable. Okay so I was gunna leave it but people liked it... Ohh I'm in the Bronx! I feel so gangsta (please don't kill me.) Okay, I'm just gunna shut up and say review... which for some reason I can't type all in caps... odd.