A/N: Okay, sorry this wasn't up yesterday, but I'll try to get another chappie up today to make up for it. Anyway, this chapter was inspired by Bittah and Spunk. Spunk inspired the first part, and Bittah the ending. So I'd like to thank both of you for it. And you get a…erm…New copy of the Newsies soundtrack? lol Anyway, happy reading! Hope you like this chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Two: Mountains and Manners
Criss-Cross had just finished telling Bittah what needed to happen, when the other girls came pouring into the room, curious about what had happened with Trigger. They didn't come in too soon, but Criss-Cross was thankful that she'd had the good sense to hurry up through her talk with Bittah.
Looking at the other girls, she smiled faintly, and watched as Skater's face turned livid at the bruise that now decorated her right cheekbone, and the blood running slowly down her back from the nail.
"Triggah's doin'?" she asked, clearly mad.
Criss-Cross nodded and said quietly, "Yeah. It is. He's got quite a temper our little leader there does."
Spunk sighed and looked away, saying, "'E such a joik…" She flopped down on her bed, staring at Criss-Cross. It was obvious to Bittah and her new-found friend that now would be the girl-talk time.
Sighing, Bittah nodded and then shot a small smile at Criss-Cross, ruffling an affectionate hand through the younger girl's hair, causing the other girls to gawk in amazement. The only person they'd ever seen her be affectionate toward was her boy, Advantage –who to them was named Abyss. But she wasn't always extremely affectionate to him even. But here was a new girl in their lodging house, and Bittah was treating her like a beloved younger sister.
"What!" Bittah snapped at them. "You'se got a problem?"
Spunk and Striker shook their heads, but Skater gave a snort. "What's up wit' you'se Bittah? You'se completely acceptin' a strangah inta ouah ranks like she's yer own blood a somethin'! An' yas stood up ta Triggah foah her!"
Bittah shot her a glare and Criss-Cross glared some too, keeping it fitting to her character. "Who wouldn' stand up ta dat not a very nice person, Skatah!" Bittah snapped cruelly. "At least who wit' half a gut wouldn'?"
Skater simply glared back before stalking over to her own bunk. Spunk however, was full of question. "So'se, Kattie, wheah yas from?"
Criss-Cross smiled at the girl, trying to hide the fact that she still disliked the girl for turning against Brooklyn. "Well, Spunk, I'm from Colorado," she replied.
Striker plopped herself onto a bunk across the aisle from Criss-Cross's, and asked, "So'se what's da West like?"
"Did ya meet Indians?" Spunk asked.
Criss-Cross laughed. "No. I didn't. The West's nice. But it's not all about Indians you know," she chastised softly. "I think the most amazing t'ing was the mountains." She bit her lip, realizing she'd let a bit of New York accent slip. It was hard speaking with a Midwest accent all the time.
"Mountains?" Skater asked, apparently no longer mad at Bittah. She was looking at Criss-Cross with interest, and it appeared that no one in the room had heard the accent slip.
She nodded. "Yeah. Mountains. They're amazing. So huge…It'd take t'ree skyscrapers on top of each other to even make it halfway up them at most!"
The other girls gave a look of surprise, and a suddenly pained look came over Criss-Cross's face as she moved her left arm the wrong way, and caused her wound to ache.
"Sorry girls…" she said softly, standing and pulling her bag up onto her shoulder. "You know...It's that time of month…"
Criss-Cross thought her excuse was lame, but it flew with the other girls. She stepped off to the bathroom, silently begging Bittah to follow her.
Once she was in the bathroom, she threw her bag down in a chair and yanked out an old torn up skirt which she used to make bandages. Shoving up the sleeve of her shirt, she sighed in relief as Bittah walked through the door. Hissing, she slit the bloodied bandage, and yanked at a pre-cut portion of the old skirt.
"Lemme help yas wit' dat," Bittah said in a kind voice. She'd taken an immediate liking to the former Brooklyn leader's younger sister. She wrapped it gently around Criss-Cross's arm, realizing that she was the one who had done it. "Sorry 'bout yesterday…"
Criss-Cross laughed and waved it away. "We's didn' know each uddah den. An' at least you'se didn't go foah da kill. I'se da one dat lounged at yer throat…"
Bittah laughed a little, but her face was sad. "I'se dunno why I'se joined Triggah's side…"
Criss-Cross regarded her with a pure knowing look. "Because 'e's got da powah an' yas didn' know any bettah?"
Bittah nodded, and the two sat in silence for a moment. Not the uncomfortable silence of people who do not know each other very well, but the calm silence of friends just enjoying each others company. Bittah finished wrapping the other girl's arm, and pulled her sleeve softly back down while Criss-Cross observed her.
Their friendly silence was broken by someone opening the door at the other end of the room. Looking up, she saw Trigger heading their way, a prominent smell of whiskey hanging about him. Growling, she stood as he headed her way. She knew that he wanted one of two things, and she wasn't about to put up with either of them.
Bittah stood up and looked on in fury as Trigger placed his hands on Criss-Cross's hips and back her into the wall, kissing her. A look of satisfaction came onto both girls' faces as she shoved him off her and said in a deadly tone, "Trigger Jones, if you want to continue living, I suggest you learn when it's good to come onto a girl, and when it's not. And I also suggest you find yourself some manners."
Trigger was enraged by her words, and shoved her back into the wall, slapping her hard, but she wasn't about to give in. Bringing her knee gracefully and hard up into his groin, she shoved him back towards Bittah, who spun him around and decked him hard while she flipped out her blade.
Spinning him back towards her, she saw another black eye already forming and smirked up at Bittah as he tried to keep standing. Yanking him upright, she placed the knife to his throat and hissed, "We's can do this moah ways dan one…" Her New York accent had crept back in, but she didn't care. He was in too much pain to notice.
He tried to take a jab at her nose, but she dodged and slashed his cheek, while Bittah kicked his knees out from under him. Even on his knees he came up to Criss-Cross's chest, and she cursed his height for a moment before ramming her fist into his nose, hearing a satisfactory crack.
Yanking him by the hair, she threw him back to Bittah, and watched with a smirk as the older girl caused bruise after bruise with her powerful fist, not even allowing Trigger to get a shot in edgewise. After a moment, Bittah tossed him back, a satisfied smirk resting smugly on her features.
Criss-Cross brought her knee hard into his stomach before kicking him down onto the floor. With a finally jab, she stabbed him hard in the thigh and then turned to Bittah as the ex-Chicago girl knocked him out.
"We's bettah get outta heah fast, 'foah anyone finds out what we's done…"
Bittah nodded, and Criss-Cross grabbed her bag, yanking her boots out and shoving her feet into them, not even bothering with the laces. Pulling her bag onto her shoulder, she and Bittah ran for the door, and the quiet safety of the streets.
A/N: Spot: What's yas t'ink? Quite a fight. Gotta love how me lil sistah an' Bittah are tagethah.
Aw…How sweet Spot. And yeah, they're awesome together. Anyway, please review everybody!
Shout Outs:
Nosilla: Oh, how sad. Fix a tv…Well that's no fun. But I'm glad your internet's alive again!
Scott: (lol, I'm too lazy to type out NP…) Hey. Thanks. lol I've thought it most of the way through. Though, we're getting to a point where I know what has to happen, but it's getting to the point where it's going to happen that's hard. I haven't planned too much past when she found out Spot was alive. In fact, the last scene I planned was the scene between Spot and Jack talking about Criss-Cross. lol And you only guessed because I told you EXACTLY where to look to find the foreshadowing! And I told you that there was a twist!
Skater: Yeah! You're telepathic or something. lol Or maybe it's cuz I always update… And yeah, you do, but oh well. And we're all glad he's back! grins Hope you liked this last update!
Spunk: Glad you like it. lol And well, she was in this chapter! Thanks for inspiring me to bring the Queens girls back in! grins
Bittah: lol Love ya too girl. But you need to post more fic! And of course it cheered you up. It's Newsies! lol And I want more fic now! On pain of…erm…Okay, we both know I'm no good at threats. So just please update! And I hope this was good action for you!
Please review everyone! Much love and happy singing, dancing newsboys! Criss-Cross and Spot