Sunday passed with relatively few bumps due to Mush sleeping most of the time, and Les feeling excited about the fact that it would be his last night in the sick ward. It was understandable then, why Ravenna was rather nervous about going to the Lodging h ouse on Monday morning. She did not relish the fact that she would be spending an entire day alone with Mush, even if he was practically an invalid.
Yawning as she stumbled her way down the stairs towards the kitchen, she was greeted by a bowl of steaming oatmeal, as well as an envelope that suspiciously looked like her name in Jeeves' handwriting. Sitting herself down, and turning the envelope over, she took out two pieces of paper. One was a telegram and the other was a note from her butler. The note simply said that this telegram had arrived last Thursday, the day before she had given Anthony a letter explaining her further absence.
Taking the telegram out, she began to read as she ate, a relieved smile crossing her face. Cook was going to be gone for another fortnight, arriving back at just the time when her father would return as well. Things were starting to look up. She had been rather nervous as to what Cook would say when she explained that she needed to nurse a sick newsboy back to health, but this way she wouldn't have to deal with it. Mush would be better by the time she had to go back to her house, and that would be that. She would go back to living the life of an extremely blessed person and she would not have to deal with "working" another day in her life. A fleeting bit of nostalgia passed her as she realized that she would no longer have an excuse to see the Newsies or Elena. Shaking her head as if hoping to lose the silly notions of missing the Newsies, she gave a sheepish smile when Elena entered with an amused look upon her face.
"Just trying to shake a thought from my head."
"Ah, I see. Do not worry, I do that myself from time to time."
Both of them shared a smile before Ravenna scooted her chair back and folded the papers, stuffing them back into the envelope.
"Elena, would you mind putting this in my room? I need to get over to the Lodging House."
"Ah, preziosa, of course I don't mind. Let me take these dishes for you and I will put it up there when I am done."
Ravenna waved her thanks as she walked out the door.
Smiling her gratitude at the newsie who held open the door for her as she entered the Lodging House, Ravenna inhaled deeply before facing her patient. She almost laughed aloud when she realized that the person she feared was asleep. Mentally kicking herself from almost ruining her good fortune, she tiptoed about and settled herself in the chair across the room under the window. Lighting the gas lamp on the table to add extra light due to the overcast day, Ravenna opened the novel she was reading and began to relax.
For some reason, however, Ravenna could not find herself able to concentrate as much as she wished. She kept glancing up to make sure that Mush was ok. She would see things that needed tending too and would do them. She wasn't able to become immensely involved in Elizabeth Bennett's life because Mush's forehead looked too hot and needed a compress. Or the sheets would become shoved down from his restless sleeping and it wouldn't do for him to be uncovered. It would probably allow the fever to come back worse than before.
It was during one of these fits of impulsiveness that Ravenna found herself realizing just how curly Mush's hair really was, and she began to wonder what it would feel like to run her fingers through his hair; she wondered if the texture would be like hers, even though her hair did not have so much curl due to its length.
Her hand began to reach out and was just about to commit the crime before her brain registered her thoughts and her advancing actions, causing her to gasp and stumble back. However, the stumble was followed by her falling all over herself due to Les' lack of foresight to clean up his sickbed. Which is what Mush found himself awaking to: a catastrophe of limbs and skirts all molded into one being resembling his nurse the prim and proper Ravenna.
"I'm afraid my helping you is out of the question this time."
Ravenna's eyes widened immediately, a bright crimson color instantaneously stained her cheeks.
"I…that is Les…I mean it's not my…"
Ravenna's mouth turned to cotton and no matter what she did she could not seem to force it to form words. A rather devilish smile appeared upon Mush's lips.
"I believe this is the first time I've found you speechless. You're rather cute when you don't talk."
Mush telling her she was cute when she had landed herself in this exact predicament because she had been fascinated by, she refused to admit attracted to, his hair was not something she was able to handle with grace.
"I'm not cute. Especially to…someone of the likes…"
The fact that she could hardly form a logical sentence around him was not endearing him to her either. Taking in a deep breath she quickly blew it out and said,
"Cute you to I'm not!"
For some reason far beyond Ravenna's ability to comprehend, Mush found what she had said to be extremely hilarious, while Ravenna had meant it to be cutting.
"What, might I ask, is so amusing about what I just said?"
Mush seemed to have found Ravenna's newly added frustration even more amusing.
"I refuse to be entertaining to a gypsy. Even if I do owe him my life. You can find me at the Dancing Bear."
Slamming the door behind her, Ravenna left in a huff, smoke streaming behind her. Which is how Elena found Ravenna when she entered the inn.
"Preziosa che cosa è errato? Perchè non siete con Mush?"
"Io ha denominato graziosa, Elena" Ravenna said while falling into Elena's embrace. She was on the brink of fury and hysteria; her emotions were a jumble much like how she physically was earlier. She didn't seem to be able to trust herself lately.
Furrowing her brow, Elena drew back a bit.
"And this is a bad thing preziosa?
Turning away with her arms wrapped around herself, Ravenna began to stare off into space.
"I kissed him the other day Elena."
"What is so wrong with this preziosa? You are attracted to him -don't even try to deny it. I can see it in your eyes when you speak of him…even now. Why do you put up such a wall?"
Ravenna hugged her arms closer.
"He's a gypsy Elena. Do I need to say anything more? No matter what you think I feel, there can never be anything between us."
Forcing Ravenna's chin up to meet her gaze, Elena's green and hazel orbs probed Ravenna's.
"What is this burden you carry mia preziosa? What is it that eats at you so?"
Pulling her chin away, Ravenna closed her eyes in an attempt to flee from Elena's penetrating stare.
"His face is the one that killed my family Elena."
"What? How can this be?"
Elena's face was utter confusion.
"My family was murdered fifteen years ago when I was three, and Mush is the spitting image of one of the men who was there the night they died. I had originally thought they had died in the horrid fire, I had forgotten they were murdered; I had forgotten most of my early childhood. But seeing his face brought back a flash of memories and his face was among them."
"So. This does not mean anything, Mush did not kill your family."
Elena was beginning to use her arms hands in attempts to convince Ravenna that there was no valid point to her argument.
"No, but his people did it Elena. Momma, Pappa, and Lila, my newborn sister, are dead because of his people. How could I live with myself?"
Elena's cattish gaze seemed to bore into Ravenna's as she grasped her shoulders.
"Stop playing the victim Ravenna. You are not the first to fall under the spell of someone who you aren't "supposed" to like. Look at Romeo and Juliet. Romeo actually killed Juliet's cousin yet she was able to forgive him."
Elena gave an exasperated sigh when Ravenna did not seem to be receptive to her argument.
"Then if you won't follow Shakespeare's lead then follow mine. My father is dead due to the hand of an American, yet I do not hold it against Jack. Papa was one of the main things to hold my family together. Do you know how hard it is to try to make a living in this city without a man to run the household? No one will give you loans, you cannot legally make any decisions...did you know that Anthony technically owns the Dancing Bear? He's only 17, yet according to the state this is his establishment, even though it is Mama and I who make all the real business decisions. Yet I can find myself perfectly willing to see Jack and not hold the fact that he's American against him. If I did then I'd be missing out on one of the best things this life has had to offer me. Do not throw away a gift, which God has decided to grant you just because of something in the past. If you do then you are a fool and not the intelligent person I thought you to be."
Elena left Ravenna standing in the middle of the inn's tavern and disappeared behind the kitchen door letting Ferocious sneak out after her. Padding over to Ravenna, Ferocious rubbed up against her legs then jumped into her arms. Nuzzling her neck Ferocious begged to be petted, which Ravenna gladly conceded to do, all the while contemplating what Elena had said.
Could she truly give in to her feelings? True Elena had the same problem she did, but it was not Jack's face haunting her dreams at night by killing her family. She had escaped by hiding under the bed, that much she knew. It was blank besides that little bit of information. No smiles given by a loving Papa, not sweet words sung to her at night by a caring Mama. Pure blankness besides the excruciatingly hot fire, then burning cold snow upon her bare feet as she dragged her bunny, Mr. Snuggles, behind her. Releasing Ferocious on the ground, much to the kitten's chagrin, Ravenna made her way out of the inn and onto the streets.
She didn't pay much attention to where she was going, she was merely walking. Her feet simply traveled the sidewalk as her head spun around the words that Elena had told her. Was she being unreasonable? Mush had been nothing but the essence of kindness to her and all she could do was shove it in his face because of his race. Yet it was his race that took away her family. Shaking her head in an attempt to scatter the muddling thoughts, Ravenna sighed. This was purely too much for her to handle right now. At that moment she looked up to discover that she did not have any clue as to where she was.
Glancing around she realized that the Brooklyn Bridge was in front of her. The only reason she knew that was because Race had mentioned something about some Newsie named Spot being rather protective about that location and Manhattan Newsies selling there. She didn't nearly know all of the Manhattan Newsies by name, or even by face, yet she did know that the one standing in front of her was one she had never seen before. His eyes were a piercing blue gray, the color of the ocean right before a storm, and his hair was a dirty blond. He had faded red suspenders and air of superiority; something she didn't quite like, yet due to her recent behavior and the repercussions, she decided to hold off on judgment until a later time.
"Excuse me, um, young man" Ravenna winced. That was not exactly the address she had meant to give but sir seemed less than apropos and boy did not seem to fit either.
The Newsie merely glared before turning around and heading off in towards the direction of the bridge. Not taking too kindly to being snubbed, especially by someone she was giving a chance at liking to, Ravenna hurried after him in as lady like a manor as possible.
"I said excuse me. In case you were hard of hearing I was attempting to gain your attention. I have a question to pose you."
The irritating one simply kept on walking before slowly turning around.
"I'm not interesting in having anything to do with you if you haven't noticed, and tell her that she needs to get over me. Things just weren't working out between us. Trash belongs with trash and that's all I have to say on the matter."
He kept sauntering off in the direction of what Ravenna assumed to be Brooklyn, ignoring the fact that she was completely furious with him. Of all the arrogant, self assured, pig headed things to do and say. She had absolutely no clue who this person was talking about, but it seemed she was much better off without having that pompous piece of work hanging about.
Once again loosing track of where she was going, Ravenna began to walk and found herself once more, completely lost. However since she had been lost long before this moment, she supposed she had simply managed to loose herself even more thoroughly than once more. In a vain attempt to gather her bearings, Ravenna looked about and nearly kissed the face that appeared before her.
"Jack!"
She nearly catapulted herself into his arms but decorum took over and she simply gave him a goofy grin.
"I am so glad to see you. I left Elena's in a fit and seemed to have lost my way. Then I met this awful boy at the Brooklyn bridge, you'd think he owned the world just by looking at him, and then I found myself here. I'm afraid I don't know what would have happened to me should I have not run into you."
Jack did not seem to be amused at Ravenna's miniature adventure, especially when he heard about her meeting with the young person at the bridge.
"You wouldn't be able to describe him for me would you Nettle?"
Crinkling her nose at the name with which Jack addressed her, she gathered that she was not upon his list of favorite people as of this moment. He seemed to give away his feelings with the titles he called her. Anytime he was angry or displeased with her he referred to her as Nettle, any other time it was Ravenna.
"Yes I would. I remember he had the most intriguing eyes I had ever seen, a bluish gray, and these rather repugnant faded red suspenders. They were becoming a nice shade of pink I'd say. He had the foulest temperament however. I simply said " Excuse me young man" hoping to gather directions from him, yet he merely walked off. He mentioned something about "Things not working out between us" and " trash deserving trash," but none of it truly made sense to me. I assumed he had me mistaken with someone else."
At the mention of the Newsie's description and what he had said, Jack's facial features grew extremely grave.
"Forget what you saw and what you heard. Don't tell Elena anything, or anyone else for that matter either Nettle. All that happened is you got lost and ran into me. Do we understand each other?'"
Rather confused as to why her bizarre meeting with the irritating boy should make such a big to-do she was unclear, however Jack's expression was one that prevented her desire to rebel.
"I understand Jack, I won't say a thing. Nothing happened today."
"Good, now lets go. Elena became sick with worry when she discovered that you'd left. She thought you had returned home and when Anthony arrived back saying that your butler had not heard from you since he last brought a letter, she began to stress. She mentioned something about it being all her fault, and despite her endearing quality of letting her mouth run away from her mind, I tried to convince her that it wasn't. Which is why you found me. I, along with some of my boys, have been looking for you for an hour. Don't run off again Nettle. We can't always play your guardian. And don't run out on Mush either. We found him trying to cook himself some food at lunch time."
Guilt immediately washed over Ravenna. What had gotten into her? Had she always been this selfish, not caring about other's feelings and only about her own? Before she had met these people she had only had herself to worry about. Sure there was Dad to pacify, yet he was wrapped around her finger and didn't truly oppose what she wanted. The help didn't have any real say over what she did so she had free reign. Shifting her eyes over to Jack's face, she saw the stress lines that were just beginning to be etched into his youthful face. True, she hadn't put those lines there, but Elena probably had because she did care fore her and her worrying caused Jack to worry. Ah she had a lot of growing up to do. Growing up that she had never known she needed. The first order of business she would tackle as her new maturing self, would to be civil to Mush. It wasn't the greatest step in the entire world, yet it was a step nonetheless, and she had a feeling Elena would be happy with her.
A/N: Ok, tar and feather me, decapitate me, draw and quarter me, I deserve it all. I am so unbelievably sorry for the *uhem* extended absence of mine. I did not mean to be gone for so long it simply happened and my newly updated bio explains all. However I am really working on another chapter, and I will get it up as soon as I can. OH! Shameless plug! Go read Raeghann's Water of Time it's an excellent story that picks up off of Through the Hourglass and while it's not Newsie oriented, it still should be read 'cause its wonderful! :o)
Preziosa che cosa è errato? Perchè non siete con Mush? = Precious that what is wrong? Why you are not with Mush?
Io ha denominato graziosa, Elena = He called me pretty [cute] Elena
S/Os:
Raeghann- Huzzah probably fits for this chapter as well since its been way too long since I've updated. Thank you for looking this over for me. Lookie, Spot entered this one hehe. He just demanded to be put in. Brooding!Spot wouldn't stop torturing me until I put him in. He wasn't but a cameo but perhaps more later. Hehe.
MegabeeAthlete- Thank you for reviewing again, I hope I didn't scare you off with my um…"Break" yeah, that's what I'll call it. There wasn't that much Mush and Rav action yet more will come…oops, did I give away my secret? Ah well, its not like it doesn't state Romance in the category, I think everyone knows they'll get together anyway. :o) As for the necklace, perhaps.
The Good Girl- Sorry this wasn't soon, or even close to really soon, I'll try to do that for the next chapter God willing. I'm glad you enjoyed the story and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.
JP- I miss ya dearie! *huggles JP* Aww I got rambling!JP and third person!JP as well? I feel special. I lurve you also hehe. I'm glad you lurve this story, I'm sorry that it was neglected for so long. I feel like a bad parent or something neglecting their child. I admit it I'm a bad author! *sniffles* I do try though...but I'm working on the next chapter as we speak…I type…whatever. Its being worked on. :o) We must talk soon, its been way too long, and congrats on the promo or near one (?) Rumor told me :o)
Yey!! (?)- Yes I did update, I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the compliment. I'm so sorry this one took so long to get up though.
Gothic Author- Woohoo! New reviewer. And look how I treated you by not updating for *mumbles* months *slaps hand* Bad Dreamer, bad! Sorry 'bout that. I'm glad you enjoyed my fic, I hope I haven't scared you off from reading it further. As for rambling, its what me and my friends do best so no worries :o)
AA Battery- Yayness another new reviewer! I'm so happy, I like it when new people give their opinions, not that old people are bad, they're cool to…ok going to stop now :ox However, as for how her father reacts, that's in further chapter :o) I hope that you continue to read even though I was extremely slow on the updation.
Rumor- I think that everyone should vote for Rumor as best reviewer! I love how long they are! Hehe. Glad you comply with the masses. :o) Yeah, I have another 2 years and some odd months (b'day is in August, the 5th to be precice ;o) ) before I'm legal to drink. Ah well. I'm planning on spending a semester in England in 2 years, but that will be after I'm of age here. Ah well c'est la vie non? Hehe my little bit of French coming out. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Race just begged to be puked on, and I hope you liked this one. :o)
electricxrain- No, Mush wasn't lying, but that would have been one idea to go down. I thank you for the compliments and your faithful reviewing. I'm glad you enjoy this and I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter. :o)
Cookiechick02- Heheheh what is so bad about cliffhangers? Nothing as long as I update soon right? *bangs head on desk* I'm sorry. I guess as a reader they're evil but as a writer they're nice. But yes, that was mean of me to do and not update for forever. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment though. I WILL get one up before your B'Day however. That is my goal.
Morning Dew- First off I'd like to thank you for my awards. I didn't expect to get 1, let alone 3. It made my day. Sorry I didn't update sooner, life gets in the way. Ug. But, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought that there was simply something about Race that screamed initiator. Come on, you know they had to do things like that. Boys will be boys right?
Pixiedust5- I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, sorry the update part took a while longer than expected. This one shouldn't. I hope you did enjoy the latest part however.