Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, nor do I own any of its characters. The ones I own are Trigger Jones, Criss-Cross, Alleyway, Wicked, Alibi, and Advantage. Bittah belongs to my friend Bittah, and Spunk belongs to Spunk.

A/N: Yes. A chapter devoted just to Bittah and Advantage. And no, it's not just because Bittah wanted her character in this chapter. It's because she read my mind that her character would be in here. I was already planning to have this chapter devoted to Advantage and Bittah. Anyway, I hope you liked it. And PLEASE review!

Spot: Yes! You'se gotta review foah me sakes! I'se dead an' everythin'! Won'tcha review foah a dead boy!

Criss-Cross

Chapter Fifteen: Bittah's Abyss

Advantage sat around the lodging house in a rather foul mood that night, remembering the first time he'd ever met Criss-Cross, and little did he know, so was the unconscious 14 year-old. Advantage had always been Spot's right-hand man, and even the day that they'd first met Criss-Cross, he and Spot had been planning their borough war with the Bronx that had started a week before she'd shown up.

With a small sigh, he remembered how he'd later laughed thinking about the pint-sized fireball standing up defiantly to the more-than-slightly scary Spot. Now she was taking on bigger, scarier things. Such as, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. A seething rage suddenly filling his gut, he turned to rest his head against the window of the boy's bunkroom, right as "King Triggah" walked in.

"Hey Abyss, I'se in needa some help, a'ight?" Trigger asked, his tone slightly drunken.

What da fucking hell does 'e want now! Advantage thought angrily. "What is i' Triggah?" he asked, his tone showing his obvious annoyance at the hideously-mannered leader.

"Wells, yas see, dere's dis goil I'se been wantin' ta get wit', an' I'se can' seem ta do it wit' all a da guys an' goils heah on my back. So'se, day as t'ink yas can hold da foit down foah da night?" Trigger replied, completely oblivious his "subject's" wish to throttle him.

"Fine, fine," Advantage muttered, afraid to talk louder for fear that his extreme dislike for Trigger might show. Not that Trigger would notice, but he still didn't want it to happen. Trigger clapped him on the shoulder, and with a drunken "thanks" disappeared out of the room, and a minute later he heard the lodging house door open and slam, and a figure walked down the street.

As soon as Trigger was out of sight, Advantage began cursing him. Kicking or slamming his fists into anything he could, he decided to go for a walk. Shoving his cap on his head, he stalked out of the room and down the stairs, where a rather startled Bittah sat bandaging Spunk's injured wrist after their earlier fight with Criss-Cross.

"Where're ya goin'?" she shouted after him, finishing tying off the bandage the held Spunk's wrist in a tight bind.

"On a walk!" he snapped back at her, not even caring as Bittah's eyes flashed with a twang of hurt beneath the gray newsie hat she always wore. He stormed straight out the door, not even pausing as the cold night air of a New York April night hit him full on. In fact, he relished in it slightly, feeling his rage-heated skin prickle and tingle with the sudden cool.

He had made it halfway down the street when a harsh hand grabbed his upper-arm and spun him around. Coming face-to-face with Bittah, he was hit with guilt for snapping at her. Putting a hand out to cup her cheek, she swatted it away, her facial expression giving him a slightly-pissed-off, mainly just serious look.

"What was all dat about!" she said in a tone that said "tell me or I'll pull a Conlon on you". But Advantage just shrugged and attempted to disentangle himself from her hand on his arm, but her grip only tightened until it had became semi-painful. "What was dat about?" she asked again.

Once more he shrugged, head down, and responded a simple, "Wha' was all what about?"

"What da hell's wrong wit' you'se!" she said furiously, letting go of his arm to grab hold of his shoulders tightly, her knuckles going white with the fury of her grip. He winced slightly, but she continued on anyway, "You'se dragged us out durin' da middle a a fight! Den's you'se in a foul state all day! An' now you'se go stoimin' outta da lodgin' house! What da hell is going on wit' you!"

"It's nothin'. It's jus'…Wells…" he sighed and looked up into her face for a minute, his eyes searching her features for some hint mercy, and silently pleading with her to understand. After a moment he could stand no longer to look into her face, his shame was so great. Staring down at the ground, he scuffed his dark brown boots in the dirt.

Loosening her grip as her rage subsided, Bittah regarded her boy with a slight sadness. She could tell that something was tearing at the inside of one of the few people she actually cared for in New York, and it tore at her too. After a minute of studying his down-turned face, she released his shoulders completely, and slipping her hand into his, she started walking down the road, pulling him after her.

The two walked in silence for a few moments before Bittah pulled him off to the side of the street, and sat him on a barrel, giving him a sweet smile as she took one for herself.

"What's wrong Abyss?" she asked softly, her expressions truly showing her concern for him, and her want to know. She shoved her hat up higher so that he could see the sincere look in her currently gray eyes.

With a small sigh, he muttered "Da name's Advantage…"

It hadn't been meant for her to hear, but apparently she did. The light in her eyes changed them to a soft blue-green color as she gave him a slightly puzzled, yet warm smile. "What?" she asked.

"It's nothin'…" he quickly stated, looking far off into the distance.

"It's not nothin' if you'se said it. You'se jus' told me yer name's Advantage…"

"Wells…" he sighed, staring up at the sky for a moment before he regarded her with heavy, serious eyes. "It is…" Giving a large sigh, he began to explain. "Dat's pawt a what all dat back in da lodgin' house was about. An' what taday's been all about. See'se, I'se always been a Brooklyn newsie. Evah since I'se around t'ree. Me best friend, an' bruddah was Spot Conlon. Da foimah leadah a Brooklyn.

"I'se seen jus' about every stage a Brooklyn's history. From da great Bronx-Brooklyn war, tad a strike. But d'ose is jus' da beginnin'. I'se also seen da t'ings dat went on in da heawts a da Brooklyn kids, 'cludin' Spot's…" At this his voice cracked slightly with a threatening sob.

"You'se know da goil we fought taday?" he asked softly.

Bittah nodded, remarking, "She seemed real young. But she fought good."

Advantage nodded, a slight smile coming to his face. "I'se taught her how ta fight…Well, me an' Spot did. Ya see, dat goil's Spot's lil sistah, Criss-Cross. Which meant she was practically me sistah too. She's only foiteen. Half a yeah youngah dan ouah Spunk."

Bittah nodded again, "Our Spunk's too young too. But she's always wantin' ta fight, so, I'se let her."

Advantage nodded in agreement, and continued on with his story. "Wells, Criss-Cross was 7 an' a half when we'se foist met 'er. She's was originally from Queens. Wheah, up until she was 10, Frisk Bates had ruled. Now, Spot an' Frisk gots along fine. D'ough, dey did compete some. But Spot was fine wit' Criss-Cross been friends wit' da Queens newsies. Up 'til Frisk was found dead one day, an' no one knows how. But den Triggah took ovah Queens, an' Spot became furious. 'E an' Triggah had always been enemies, an' dey were 'til Triggah had Spot moidahed.

"Now, Criss-Cross was still friends wit' da Queens newsies dat she's had known, an' she was real close ta one name Chris. An' one day, righ' aftah Spunk suddenly became a Queens newsie, Spot's t'ought dat it was 'is sistah's doin', so'se, 'e ran her outta Brooklyn, an' kept her runnin' foah da last 4 yeahs…"

Bittah tugged a stray lock of her blonde hair behind her ear as she shook her head slowly at his story. "Dat's horrible. A bruddah runnin' 'is own sistah away?" She clucked her tongue, and gave her head another shake.

Advantage nodded his agreement, and said, "Spot was nevah one ta t'ink rationally until 'e hoid she's gone ta Colahradah. I'se nevah t'ought I'd see her again. An' den suddenly runnin' into her taday, it shocked me ta me bones. 'Specially since we soaked her good…" His voice cracked with worry as he asked, "God, do ya t'ink she'll be a'ight?"

Bittah didn't know what to say, so, instead, she went with her impulse and planted her lips full on his, stopping the kiss only when she no longer had any air left. Panting slightly, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the lodging house, intending to give him a little solace to get him through the night. But she didn't realize that by just listening, she already had. And as he stopped her at the door to the lodging house to thank her for it, he stared into her cool, now deep green eyes, and saw a deep abyss of emotions dancing behind his girl's tough façade. With a grin, he kissed her softly, and then allowed her to pull him inside and up the stairs to the bunkroom.

Shouts Outs:

Bittah: Hey! Glad you liked the last two chapters. Lol You so completely read my mind on the fact that your character's in this chapter. I hope I got her right. You said she's a sweetheart when you get past the touch façade. And who better to get past it then her boy Advantage? Lol Anyway, hope I didn't skrew up too bad on her. And I'll write more when you write more! (Or maybe even if you don't. teehee!)

Angelfish: Hey. I'm glad you sent in your character! I'm def using her! Lol I was hoping to get her in in this chapter, but it ended up not working out. But I'm planning on getting her in soon. Lol And hopefully you won't have to wait long for the next section! Lol I'll probably post at least once tomorrow. And at least 3 times this weekend assuming my 'rents don't drag me off somewhere without internet and computer for this glorious three days off. Anyway, hope you liked this new chapter!

Spot: Now review peoples!

Spot! What did I say about bein' rude!

Criss-Cross