Still September 1902 ...
It was a party out of their very memories. Long tables at the edges of the church hall with a group of merry looking men playing fiddles and other such instruments in a surprising mixture of traditional Irish jigs and contemporary music of the city. The bottles of whiskey sat freely upon each table and the plates of now left over food, still had remains of potatoes and cabbage.
Spades Fia was being paraded around the dance floor passing along playful between Blue, Pockets, Critter and Cricket. The men of the city had forgotten themselves easily, regressing to their boyish antics and charms. This was not the highbrow society wedding that the childhood friends had attended months prior, it was something much more comparable to a newsies poker night.
The pace of the music picked up as Jack pulled Laces body closer to his own and he focused on not tripping over his own feet. Spot mocked Jack's attempt to dance as he jumped around his friend, Buttercup eternally smiling.
"I taught you how to do this dance," Blue laughed above the fiddle, as he tried to show off his new bride and upstage Spot in the same moment.
"Obviously you didn't teach him well." Critter mocked from his edge of the dance floor. The music died down and in a strength only found in adults, the old friends held themselves composed enough not to drop to the floor in a pile of laughter.
"Come, come! Drink to Spades and Blue!" Pockets tumbled towards a table and lifted a bottle of Whiskey.
"How is it that we even have anything left to drink with how much you have consumed Benjamin Harper!" Cat Conlon chastised.
"For that you get the next sip," Pockets winked and shoved the bottle towards the woman. Cat shook her head, trying to refuse but everyone started shouting about the bad luck it would bring and the oldest Conlon drank to the luck of her cousins. Pockets had retrieved the bottle of whiskey as it left Cat's lips.
"Give it here," Laces squealed. She lunged forward ducking before Critter even shot out his arm to stop her, anticipation had become an ingrained aspect of all of movements. A crease formed on the bridge of Jack's nose as he noticed it, how Laces danced around her obstacles as if her whole existence had been nothing but a tightrope walk. Jack shook his head ignoring the hundredth thing he had noticed for the first time today about Laces. Instead he laughed stretching out his long arm and grabbed hold of the bottle of whiskey. Taking a swig before dropping it into Laces' open palm.
"Audrey, you give that bottle back to Pockets." Cricket commanded over a few dancing heads.
"Do you see an Audrey here?" Laces looked around. Jack smiled brightly at her as he rested his arm around her shoulders. It had not escaped anyone that since Jack Kelly had stepped off the train yesterday afternoon that he had never been out of arm's reach from Audrey Kai.
"No. I do not see an Audrey. A Laces…" Jack laughed. Catching the glare from Critter O'Connell though Jack did expertly pry the bottle away from Laces. Slipping his fingers under hers to obtain a firm grasp on the bottle. He passed it along to Spot and carried Laces off in a dance again. Spot took the bottle of whiskey and winked at Buttercup as he passed her along to dance with Bottle Cap.
Spot Conlon practically skipped to the table where Casey and Thomas Longfellow lounged. Critter O'Connell was perched against the same table, seemingly at ease in his lean while knowingly at the ready to spring. It was a position familiar to birds and parents of toddlers alike.
"To your health, Crit." Spot swayed as he held up the bottle. An audible sigh could be heard from Critter O'Connell but the man made no attempt to rain on the younger man's merriment.
"Stop encouraging Audrey." Casey snapped at the tall slightly bronzed Conlon. Spot quirked a smile and popped his golden eyebrows.
"Jacky boy is the one encouraging her… I haven't even gotten to talk to her. Let alone encourage her." Spot slammed the bottle of whiskey down onto the table with some force. Critter slanted an eyebrow at him but didn't say a word.
"She's watching you like a hawk, even if you haven't talked to her." Cricket glanced around Spot's torso. A pair of dark coffee brown eyes was wide and observant from across the room. Spot stared over his shoulder to notice her and wink before turning back to the table.
"You taught her how to watch things like a hawk." Spot shrugged. Critter's hand flashed out in a blinding speed and smacked the back of Conlon's head with just enough force to knock the young man's head into his neck.
"What was that for?" Spot glared at Critter.
"You watch your tone, I can still beat you bloody." Critter smiled as he repeated Spot's own words from earlier in a thinly veiled mockery.
"Have you all gotten so old in our absence that you have to sit it out after only one dance?" Spot sidestepped away from Critter. Critter growled slightly but didn't reach out to smack him again. Cricket laughed as he held South's shoulders closer to him.
"Casey is feeling ill and it is getting late. We should get home…" Cricket started.
"And that means you too, Audrey." Critter barely whispered as he was starring right at the girl.
"She will ignore you." Spot sighed knowingly.
"Blue and Spades will be ready to leave soon too, even the newsboys have started heading home." Cricket defended.
"Well the newsies would get locked out if they stay out pass curfew." Spot shrugged.
"Well, maybe your lodgings for the night will lock you out if you miss curfew." Critter suggested still staring at Laces.
Audrey stared back at Critter defiantly for only a second until the song ended and a grin spread across her face and she began clapping. She broke their eye contact first, glancing to her right to stare at the dusty shoulder of Jack Kelly. He was wearing a white shirt that had dirt from somewhere out west still clinging to it. Laces had been studying his shoulder all day, burning the memory of how tall Jack actually was into her memory. Noticing the streaks of gold and hues of greens she had never seen in New York City but could only imagine on the landscape of real cowboys.
"Cousin," Slingshot whispered at her left. Laces jumped and felt the steadying hand of Jack against her waist.
"Matthew…" Laces growled.
"If even Spot Conlon can't call me that anymore what makes you think you can?" Slingshot growled back.
"I was always more charming than Spot Conlon." Laces shrugged.
"It is true." Jack whispered. Slingshot didn't look up to the old Manhattan leader but instead kept his eyes fixed on his cousin.
"You'll be all right?" Slingshot asked carefully. Audrey's eyes flashed with a hint of rage and a great deal of hurt before she nodded.
"Haven't I always been?"
Slingshot nodded shooting out his hands and clasping hers tightly. Slingshot Kai was still short for his age measuring up to be only a hair taller than his cousin. He pushed his cheek onto her cheek and whispered his plead into her ear.
"Stay out of it. Please." With his last words, he quickly dropped a kiss on her cheek and darted off with his girl and Bottle Cap trailing not far behind.
"Everyone is always so worried about you." Jack smiled down at her.
"Maybe it's because I'm always so worried about everyone else." Laces whispered back leaning forward to inhale the scent of Jack Kelly.
"South is looking pale." Blue commented pulling Laces out of her trance. She glanced back to the table, Critter was impatiently snapping his left fingers against his thigh and South did appear very pale.
"This won't be the last time you see us." Spades promised with a barely contained grin.
"I'm suppose to be part of society know," Laces frowned.
"What we ain't society?" Pockets rested his head against Laces bare shoulder.
"I'm expected to be the ward of the Longfellow couple." Laces shrugged trying to get Pockets off.
"It's all over the society pages." Blue laughed.
"Pockets," Spades winked as she took Blue's hand and let her lead her away again.
"Pockets is going to waltz you over to your guardians now." Jack chuckled. Laces let Pockets playfully pushed her across the dance floor. Jack strode along behind the two, never further away than an arm's length from his girl.
"Time to leave." Critter announced. He stretched out as he spoke to grab Laces before she could escape. Pockets winked at Laces as he jumped off back to find Angel.
"Do be a good girl about it, Casey is feeling faint." Thomas whispered as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
"Are you ill?" Laces frowned not even attempting to shake off the firm grasp of Critter. Casey just nodded at the girl as Thomas lifted her to her feet and started leading her out of the warmth of the party. Spot Conlon leaned his shoulder into Laces' shoulder playfully as his blue eyes pierced through her.
"You've been avoiding me?" He mouthed. Laces shrugged as she glanced back over her shoulder to make sure Jack was still near her.
"I am going to give the bride and groom a farewell, when I come back I'll escort you out." Critter stated as he dropped her arm and wandered into the merry wedding guests. Chesa appeared at Laces side the moment Critter left, if by chance or planning could not be ascertained. Chesapeake had begun as of late to appear softer in her usually rough appearance. Her usually cropped hair was growing out past her shoulders and there was a rosy tint to her rounding cheeks. The old bird no longer just disappeared into her surroundings effortlessly because something had changed about her. Not even the stubborn, set in her ways Chesapeake could escape the marching of time that had settled around her.
"You do know Casey and Thomas Longfellow are part of the Knickerbockers society of New York." Chesa stated lazily letting her eyes dart around. Laces knew she was studying everything in the room from where Critter was standing to what kind of shoes the fiddle player was wearing.
"A knickerbocker?" Laces sighed. Chesa rarely just spoke to speak, she always had a purpose with her conversation. A habit probably formed from years of having to gain and give information rapidly.
"The high brow, rich society of the city. Now that you are back, you should know this will be harder than the society of the shore. Most of them weren't even knickerbockers." Chesa explained.
"Why don't you just come out and tell her what you want to tell her Chesa, why always beating around the bush?" Spot demanded. Chesa ignored him though and maintained her scanning of the room.
"I won't be seeing the newsies anytime soon?" Laces guessed.
"South McCain use to be an expert at living a double life, maybe, just maybe she will teach you how to do both. But now, in her condition it might not be possible…" Chesa trailed off as she stepped forward to meet Critter as he approached.
"What were you telling her?" Critter growled, knowing what she had been telling her.
"Damn birds, always so mysterious. Speaking in riddles, mostly just to drive me crazy. Teach me some kind of lesson…" Spot grumbled at Laces left.
"Not everything is about you, Spot Conlon." Laces hissed at him as she reached out to grab hold of Jack.
"Or you Laces Kai." Jack laughed as he kissed her temple.
"Are you mad at me Laces?" Spot growled. Laces shrugged as she pressed her lips tightly together to keep from snapping at the old Brooklyn leader.
"Audrey," Critter motioned for her to follow him as he walked with Chesa towards the door.
"Haven't seen me in months and acting like some spoiled child. There will be a moment when Jack Kelly won't near and you and I will talk Laces." Spot sighed as he pushed off the table to find Buttercup Tate. Laces scrunched up her nose but let Jack softly guide her from the party, the last of its kind she would be seeing for a long time. If Audrey Kai had known how long it would be before she saw another gathering such as this, she might have savored those last few minutes but she never suspected how she would miss it.