Title: Secrets Behind the Lies

Author: Stress

First written: June 27, 2002- March 19, 2004

Edited and replaced: May 16, 2006

Summary: Part II of the Soul Mates Series; After living in Manhattan for two years, Stress thought she knew everything about Jack Kelly or, should we say Francis Sullivan? Well, guess not.

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"Did I just hear someone say my name?" At the mention of his name, Blink appeared, his trademark grin plastered on his face.

"Just Stress, poking fun at me again," Martini said with a giggle as Blink slung his arm over her shoulder and began to kiss her neck.

Blink turned to face Stress, mockingly pointing his finger in her face, "You shouldn't make fun of me girl, Stress."

Stress grinned and held up her fists. "Yeah, Blink. Who's going to stop me? You?" She began to prance around Blink and Martini while the rest of their friends gathered around to witness their morning charades.

"I know. How about we get your man to help us out, eh, Stressie?" Race called as he stood by Bookie's side, offering her half of his stack of papers.

"And who would that be, Race?" Stress shot back.

Mush strolled off line, carrying his bundle over to the others. Arriving just in time to hear Stress' retort, he shifted his papers from his left hand to his right and slung his left arm around her waist. "Come now, Stress. I think it's time that we come clean. I mean, we've been together for almost two months now."

"What!" screeched Spin as she rushed forward and grabbed Mush's arm.

Both Mush and Stress cracked up laughing, with the others joining in right after, at the shocked expression on Spin's face.

"I'm just kidding, Spin. Ya know that you're the only girl for me," Mush heaved his papers at Stress, nearly buckling her knees with the unexpected weight, and wrapped Spin in a tight bear hug.

"Mmmm..." Spin mumbled, her words being cut off by the kisses Mush was giving her.

"Hey, break it up. Break it up. Some of us other guys gots girls we need to see too," Jake shouted with a grin as he made his way past Mush and Spin, in order to reach Quirky. "Hey love. I bought your papes this morning since I had a feeling that you girls would be late."

Quirky gave him a quick peck on the cheek before accepting the stack of papers he handed her. Then, facing Moth, Mocking Boid, Stress, Gip and Stripes, she winked. "That's why you girls need a guy. Ya get them trained to do all sorts of stuff for you!"

"Here, here!" chanted Bookie, Spin and Martini in unison, all three of them waving the stack of papers that their respective boyfriends had bought them.

"Hey..." came the boys' voices as they all realized exactly what was said about them all.

Watching the four boys stand there with their mouths open, eyes glazed over and their hair still mussed from the previous night's sleep, the Bottle Alley girls all cracked up laughing. Who said life as a newsie wasn't fun?

Clutching her side, trying to control her laughter, Stress spoke first. "Hey fellas, have any of you'se seen Jack? He's usually one of the first ones to buy his papes."

Moth's purple eyes lit up and she started to whisper "Ooohh..."

Soon Stripes, Spin, Mocking Boid, Quirky, Martini, Gip and Bookie joined in. The boys, on the other hand, just made kissy faces in her direction. They thought themselves too mature to whisper "Ooohh..." and giggle.

"I was just worried about me selling partner, that's all. Just wondering if I was going to go have to follow in Gip's footsteps and go solo today." The crimson staining her cheeks only added to the level of laughter that her fellow newsies were attaining. "Guys, stop it or I'll soak you." When her words did nothing to stop them all, Stress shook her head and stepped on line. "I live with a lodging house full of loons, I swear."

Martini was the first one to calm down and catch her breath. "See, Stressie, all you gotta do, like Quirky said, is get together with Jacky-Boy and you'll never have to wait on this line again," straightening the brown hat perched on her blonde head, the hat she permanently "borrowed" from her boyfriend, Martini grinned slyly, "cause then we get to sleep later while they wait on this line for us."

"Hey!" Blink cried, swatting her gently on her arm, before embracing her tightly.

Stress just rolled her eyes and motioned for the other single girls to get on line with her. Well, technically, Stripes wasn't single. She had been dating a new Brooklyn Newsie, Spit or Spot or some weird name like that, for a few months now, but she wouldn't let any of the girls meet him. But the other girls, Stress, Mocking Boid, Moth, and Gip, were the "Singles", the elite group of Manhattan newsgirls who were proud to say they didn't need a man to get by.

"Hey Stressie!"

Stress looked up at the mention of Jack's childhood pet name for her, getting annoyed that everyone but Jack was using it on her that morning. Her face broke into a grin when she bolted from the line and threw her arms around Jack's neck.

Welcome to their morning ritual! One day, a few months back, Stress had been telling Jack about the latest plot that Stripes and Martini had had to get them together. Finding it humorous that all of their friends were convinced they should become a couple, the two of them decided to act like one at the distribution center the next day. When Jack and Stress started mauling each other just outside the gate the next morning, you could probably have heard the sound of Martini and Stripes' jaws dropping all the way over in Jersey.

Stress and Jack were so pleased at the reaction that they received, they had continued their morning game ever since. This morning, Stress threw her arms around Jack's neck, running slow enough to give him a chance to place his papers on the ground before he got bowled over.

"Oh, Jacky me darling. I thought you was gone forever!" Stress announced with an exaggerated Southern bell accent.

Jack winked and played along. "I could never leave you', precious. Give daddy some sugar!" Jack shouted, bending his head down to meet her's.

As much as Stress loved him as her friend and all, and as much as she enjoyed playing around with him, Stress kissing Jack was a no-no. In fact, Stress kissing anyone at all was a no-no. She hadn't kissed anyone since that guy - that Rip - and she didn't have any plans on doing so anytime soon. "Damn, I mentioned his names in me thoughts, yuck," she thought to herself, miffed that she had even thought that bastard's name. Shaking her head slightly, she remembered the act that she and Jack were putting on and ducked to avoid his lips. Then, with a playful slap to his face, she remarked "Fresh."

Jack laughed, his chocolate eyes twinkling mischievously, as he picked up the stack of papers and handed half to Stress. "Yeah, well, it was worth a try, right? Uh- Did I miss something?" he questioned, scratching his cowboy hat adorned head, when the entire crowd of his friends burst out into laughing upon seeing that he had handed Stress her half of the papers.

Stress, now beet red, shook her head and grabbed his arm. "Trust me, Jack, you don't want to know."