SPOT

I can't believe my fucking eyes, even with Match outright saying it was Kat, I still can't believe it. God it was pouring out, that had to be it. The rain was screwing with our eyes it was just some girl that looked like Kat. But truth be told the rain was letting up and I could see her eyes now, those big green eyes that could only belong to Kat Kelly.

When I had first stepped on the dock I was looking forward to this confrontation, a little game of cat and mouse, protecting our territory, rescuing the damsel in distress. The boys and I lived for these moments, proving how cunning and tough we were. But the game had changed, I could feel the tension in the air, my boys were anxious now. I knew they recognized the girl, she wasn't just any girl, she was important, at least to the Manhattan newsies. The girl was Jack Kelly's little sister and Jack was the Manhattan leader and a close ally of mine. That made the girl important to the Brooklyn newsies. Even if you threw out all that political bullshit, she was still important to me. I had known Kat since she was five and I was seven, I knew her when she still played with dolls, when she wore her hair in pigtails and was missing her two front teeth. I had seen her cry when she scraped her knees and laugh when Jack would spin her around in the air. I had seen her grow up and now I could see the tears on her cheeks and the terror in her eyes as she was being assaulted by two drunken bastards. That's when I saw red, when the cool and collected head of Spot Conlon completely lost all reason.

"Youse GODDAMN BASTARDS, I'LL MOIDER YA," I screamed, raising my cane into the air, charging forward.

I got about two damn feet before I felt Match and a couple of my newsies grabbing my arms and the back of my shirt stopping me from getting any farther.

"LET ME GO, LET ME THE FUCK GO!"

"Spot, Spot, they'se got a knife, they'se got a knife at Kats throat," Match shouted at me.

I stopped fighting their hold on me when I heard that. I froze completely and stared at the threesome across from us. The short fat man looked kind of scared but the bigger one, the one with his thick arms wrapped around Kat, he was grinning. And that scared me a hell of a lot more then the dull blade digging into Kats throat.

"Well lookie 'er da mighty Spot Conlons all woiked up ova dis wee dirty goil," the tall bastard said.

The docks fell silent at this, Christ it seemed as if even the ocean had gone still waiting for my response. What the hell could I say, he had a knife at her throat and my boys were holding me back, from where I was I couldn't stop him from hurting Kat, so I did nothing. I just watched and waited.

KAT

I didn't think it was possible for me to be even more terrified then I already was but when Charlie pressed that knife against my throat I was pretty sure I was going to pass out. My legs were shaking so bad I could barely keep them under my body and everything around me became ten times clearer. I could feel the cold sweat coursing down my face and hear the droplets hit my shirt as they fell from my cheeks. I could see Spots face as if he was right in front of me instead of ten feet away, his eyes were heavy lidded, a steel grey color and showing no emotion. His mouth was in a thin straight line, I had no idea his full lips could disappear like that and his body was tight and still, his cane wrapped tightly in his fist. The only part of Spot Conlon that was moving, were his nostrils they were flaring in and out at a rapid pace.

It happened so fast one minute he was standing there and the next he was flying towards us at an unbelievable speed, I know he yelled something but I have no idea what it was. Spot didn't get very far though Match had practically tackled him, yelling about the knife at my throat. Spot froze at that, I have no idea how he didn't notice the weapon, he had been staring straight at me before he charged.

"Well lookie 'ere da mighty Spot Conlons all woiked up ova dis wee dirty goil," Charlie said from behind me.

And the world froze, the Brooklyn boys didn't move, I didn't move and Ollie standing to the left of me didn't move. All eyes were on Spot, no one insulted the king of Brooklyn, even in a situation like this punishment came fast and furious. But there was nothing, no reaction whatsoever from Spot, he just continued to stare and this must have given Charlie some confidence.

"Wats ta deal Conlon, she yer lil piece of ass don want no one else touchin er?"

With the knife still at my neck, Charlie began running his hand up and down the front of my shirt, grabbing at my breasts again and still Spot did nothing. Tears were filling my eyes and I started to blink rapidly to stop them from pouring down my cheeks.

"Please, please let me go, Spot don know me, he don care nothing for me," I begged.

"Shut da fuck up goil, youse our ticket outta here. Listen Conlon me and Ollie are gonna walk da fuck outta 'ere wit da goil and youse gonna let us go or da bitch dies right now," Charlie yelled out. "Back da fuck off ta dock."

Spot moved for the first time since he had charged at us but it was only to glance over his shoulder and with several small jerks of his head the boys behind him started to back up off the dock.

"When ya git ta da end of da dock ya let da goil go," Spot growled out.

"Nah Conlon, Ise tink I'll let 'er go when Ise feels like it, seems ta me like ya ain't got much say in it," Charlie said with a laugh and he started shoving me forward.

Spot, with Match close to his side, only stepped back and out of the path we would take off the dock. He stared at Charlie the entire time, not once did he glance at me or Ollie.

"Youse understand Conlon, youse make one move and I'll kill 'er," Charlie said still pushing me forward. "Ollie youse walk in front a da goil keep der path to 'er blocked."

Ollie having not said anything or moved since Brooklyn showed up, shot a fearful glance at Charlie and stepped in front of me blocking my view of anything but his sweat soaked shirt. I could actually see the fat quivering underneath his clothing. Slowly we started forward, when we reached the area where Spot and Match were standing my eyes met Spots and the bastard winked at me. He was letting these assholes take me and he was winking and grinning like a fool at me. Charlie must have seen the look Spot gave me because he jerked the knife away from my neck and pointed it menacingly in the direction of the two boys.

"What the fuck ya grinnin' at Conl……..," Charlie started to say but was interrupted when what felt like a ton of bricks slammed into me knocking me clear out of Charlie's grasp. I hit the boards that made up the dock so goddamn hard the breath was knocked straight out of me and my teeth rattled. That's when the world around me broke into chaos. I was being dragged to my feet by Slouch the newsie that had tackled me. He was pulling me forward into the crowd of boys that had begun to swarm back onto the dock. I tried to turn around to see where Spot was but Slouch had a hold of my arm and was moving fast, I heard him though.

"Git Kat da fuck outta 'ere Slouch, she ain't gonna wanna see dis."