A/N: Okay, I didn't think that I'd end up getting any fic out today, but because Bittah was sad, I wrote up this chappie for her. lol See how much I care about you guys? lol Anyway, here's a new chapter for your reading delights!

Chapter Thirty-One: Surprises

Jack sat, gaping for another couple of minutes at Spot. Still not able to believe what was going on. Spot was alive? But how?

"How Spot?" he asked.

Spot laughed, and gave him the Conlon grin that could knock anybody off their feet, whether it was him wearing it or his sister, Criss-Cross. Jack watched as he pulled his hat off his head, wincing, and it was then that Jack noticed Spot's left arm was badly wounded.

"See dat Jacky-boy? Triggah's boys missed me. But jus' barely. I'se managed ta lock da door soon aftah everyone foist saw me lyin' dere 'dead', an' I'se escaped ta Aunt Helen's place. Yas membah her, righ'?"

Jack nodded, still trying to cope with the fact that Spot was alive. Shaking his head to clear the confusion in it, he asked, "Not meanin' ta be rude, but why's yas heah now?"

Spot nodded solemnly, the grin suddenly gone. Leaning forward across the table, he said, "I'se heah ta get me sistah…"

Jack gulped, and a look of fear came over his face. How would Spot react when he found out that Criss-Cross was back in Brooklyn, trying to avenge him? He chewed the inside of his cheeks, and gave Spot a worried look.

Spot caught on to it right away. Grabbing Jack by the shirtfront, he yanked him up a little. "Wheah's me sistah Jack?" he asked in a deadly voice.

Jack gulped and responded, "She's in Brooklyn avengin' yas an' takin' it back Spot. She left heah dis moinin' an' den Alley came back an' said she's gone ta fight foah yas. An' foah what's righ'fully da Conlon's."

Spot slumped back in his seat, a surprised look in his eye. "She's…she's what!"

It was Jack's turn to be the one talking while Spot took in the news. "She's gone back ta Brooklyn ta avenge yas cuz she t'inks ya're dead. An' she's not 'bout ta let Brooklyn fall inta dat hifalutin' rube's hands."

Spot just gaped, trying to process the information. "She's really gone back?"

Jack nodded, regarding the shorter newsie as he thought it over. "She's really in Brooklyn Spot. Shoah as I'se sittin' heah."

Spot nodded slowly, shocked to the bone. She's avengin' me's? he thought, completely surprised. Even aftah everythin' I'se done?

"She's…She's really avengin' me, Cowboy?" he asked slowly, trying to put his thoughts in order.

"Yeah. She's is, Spot. Yas knows, you'se got one hell a a sistah in me opinion. She's one hell a a fine goil. An' any newsie'd be proud ta be her bruddah. But only you'se got dat priviledge…"

Spot gave Jack a small grin. "She's one hell a a goil, dat's foah shoah. I'se jus' blown away dat she's dere, doin' it foah me. Even aftah everythin' I'se done…"

Jack laughed. "Come on, Conlon, poik up! She's yer sistah! She's gonna love yas no mattah what yas do! An' she's a Conlon. An' I'se know from experience dat you'se don' back down easy…"

Spot laughed for the first time since the day Criss-Cross had read about with Advantage trying to cheer them all up. He realized that it felt good to laugh, and a lump caught in his throat as he remembered how often he and Criss-Cross and the other boys had laughed when they'd all been together in Brooklyn.

Standing, Spot shoved his hat back on his head, and knew what he had to do next. "I'se gotta go find her befoah she's gets herself hoit cuz a me…"

Jack nodded, understanding what his friend meant, and stood up himself. But as Spot opened the door, he asked, "Wait…What 'bout yer goil, Runaway?"

"She's gonna be fine heah. Jus' keep her safe. A'ight Jacky-boy?"

"A'ight," Jack responded, and with that, Spot disappeared, making Jack wonder if he'd ever see his friend again, or the girl he considered his surrogate sister, Criss-Cross. What would happen to them in Brooklyn where Trigger was? And how could they hope to live being in such dangerous enemy territory, friendless, alone, and not even haing each other?

The answers to those questions, Jack didn't know.

Little did Jack know, but back in the bunkroom, where all the Manhattan newsies and Harlem newsies were staying, Alleyway was still thinking the same things about her best friend Criss-Cross. Even though she and Wicked had won the vote as they had wanted to, the future was still so uncertain. And she could read the same question on everyone's mind. "Did we make the right decision?"

Nobody knew what to do in this situation. They'd never been faced with it. Brooklyn had always been there, proud and strong, to fight back any force. But now they were alone. They didn't have a tough Brooklyn to turn to this time.

Shaking her head, Alley looked across the room at where Wicked sat, conversing with the Harlem leader named Gloves. Some consider Corsets, Henna, and Curls to be the rulers of Harlem, but Gloves actually did.

He was cute, but not her type of guy. She preferred the gorgeous Wicked to him. Sighing, she screamed at herself for being so ridiculous. Here she was, facing a full-blown war, and the possible loss of more than just her best friend, and yet she was thinking about boys!

Shaking her head, she sighed slightly, but then grinned as she saw Wicked looking her way, and she realized for the first time how truly glad she was that she'd found him in Brooklyn three years ago, and managed to make him her boy. Grinning, she watched conversation in the room go on as normal, and realized with surprise that even though there was a slight tension, things were still as they normally would be.

A/N: Spot: I'se in it agin! Yeah!

Yes, Spot, you are. We all know I love you, so, you get to be in it now. lol Anyway, please review, and then next chapter you'll see your name in the pretty thing below called Shout Outs!

Shout Outs:

Nosilla: Wow, that's really weird…lol So you had to wait for it to live again? lol Glad you reviewed eventually though!

Bittah: lol I understood ya. And I hope you're happy that I wrote this chapter for you in particular, because you were down. lol I like writing you kicking Trigger's ass. It's fun. lol Mainly because I hate that scumball Trigger. But oh well! And more will be coming up tomorrow. Including action!

Skater: Yay! You're caught up! And yes, Spot's back! lol How could I have killed him off? I love him WAY too much!

Angelfish: lol I love Bittah's speech too! And we'll see if you get to be…I'm still trying to decide on the future for my fic. And yes! He is! Was it really that big of a surprise that he was?

Once again, please review! Criss-Cross…And Spot…