A/N: Sorry this took so long. lol I'm extremely addicted to the Prince Street LH, and I can't seem to get off it long enough to write. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Four: Bittah
Vice was about to leave the lodging house to see if he couldn't pick up a girl at Medda's, when a sudden loud, demanding knock came at the lodging house door. Opening it a crack, he peeked out, only to have the door shoved upon on him, knocking him backwards slightly.
As he looked up, he recognized the beautiful form of Spot Conlon's younger sister, Criss-Cross. However, she looked different than she normally did. She was girlish for once, which only made her prettier.
"Well, well, well…If it ain't the dead Spot Conlon's youngah sistah…" he said, attempting to be sly.
Criss-Cross groaned and shot him a look that could kill. "Vice," she stated in a clipped tone, "you'se know jus' as well as me dat I ain't about ta sleep wit' yas an' I nevah will."
Vice sighed but gave her a grin all the same, saying, "Wells, I'se jus' gonna have ta test ya on that sometime."
Rolling her eyes she smirked back at Bittah. "See what da Manhattan goils have ta put up wit'?" she asked jokingly. "By da way…Vice, dis is Bittah, an' Bittah dis is Vice…"
Vice's eyes grew wide as he saw one of Trigger's girls standing next to Criss-Cross. "H-have ya gone mad!" he shouted at her, stepping away from Bittah, but closer to Criss-Cross, grabbing her arm. "She's the enemy!" he exclaimed. "An' ya've brought her righ' heah ta ouah lodgin' house!"
Criss-Cross yanked her arm out of his grip, and yanking him by the shirt front, put her face not even an inch away from his and hissed in a deadly tone, "Ya call her the enemy evah again, an' I sweah that ya're gonna regret it...She's moah me ally dan ya're…" With that she backhanded him hard, growling at him as he fell to the floor.
"Come on, Bittah, 'e's jus' a woithless slimeball I'se unlucky enough ta have on me side," she said, starting slowly up the staircase. About halfway up, she decided to yell for Jack.
"Kelly! Get yer ass heah now!" she screamed, her voice echoing around the lodging house until heads began to poke out all over, curiously looking at her.
"What d'ya want!" Jack yelled, frustrated as he clambered out of his "office". He thought the yell had come from Alleyway, but his mouth dropped to the floor as he saw the fourteen year-old Queen of Brooklyn standing in the middle of the staircase with Bittah behind her.
"What the hell, Criss!" he exclaimed, staring at Bittah. But within seconds he regretted his exclamation as fire burst out on his nose, caused by a small fist. Looking down as he tried to still the flow of blood a little, he saw that Criss-Cross had made it up the stairs in record time, only to sock him hard in the nose.
"The name's Criss-Cross ta yas, Kelly, an' that theah's Bittah, me loyal companion an' friend. Ya got a problem wit' her?" she growled, holding her fists by her sides, easily ready to deck him again.
Bending forward, Jack yanked Criss-Cross by the back of the neck, causing her head to come forward so that he could his in her ear. "Do ya realize what ya're doin'! Ya've gone insane! She's no moah on ouah side dan Triggah is!"
The next thing Jack knew, he was sliding hard down the wall opposite, and had an extremely menacing Criss-Cross standing over him, looking even more deadly somehow in her new disguise.
"Francis Sullivan," she spat. "If you evah say that Bittah ain't on ouah side again, I will poisenlly put yas through moah pain dan even Spot can inflict…She'd moah ouah ally dan even ya're…An' don't yas dare evah touch me again, Kelly…"
She sent him a glare that chilled him to the bone, and he was surprised when it didn't kill him, because it seemed like it could have quite easily. A small voice from Whisper in the background spoke up and Jack was thankful to have Criss-Cross's attention diverted.
"Can? Spot can? But…Isn't he dead?" Whisper's voice was feeble, seeing as the whole of Harlem and Manhattan had just witnessed Criss-Cross's true strength and fury.
"No…" Criss-Cross said with a sigh, knowing she shouldn't have scared the lodging house that badly. Walking down the stairs, she took Bittah's hand and pulled the other girl up to where she stood at the top of the stairs, an easy place for addressing the newsies in the lodging house. "'E ain't dead…Spot's as alive as you'se an' me…An' if ya don't believe me, den go up ta Brooklyn an' watch Triggah teah the place up tryin' ta find out wheah Aunt Helen's is…"
Bittah nodded and spoke up, "If ya ain't gonna listen ta 'is sistah on whethah or not 'e's alive, den maybe yas'll listen ta me when I'se tell you'se dat I'se watched Triggah beatin' Criss-Cross heah up tryin' ta prove dat she's 'is livin' sistah…"
Criss-Cross grinned over at her friend and said, "An' if ya ain't gonna believe me dat Bittah heah's on ouah side, den I'se gonna tell yas dat she saved me from Triggah in da foist place, an' she didn't blow me covah…Though she knew who I'se is…"
Jack slowly got to his feet, realizing that the conversation was about Spot, and he'd just seen Spot himself. "A'ight," he said, "I'se believe ya that she ain't bad, now I'se need ta talk ta the both of yas…" He gave her an "I mean it! Now!" look and hoped she'd get the hint.
Criss-Cross nodded and started walking at a fast pace to Jack's "office", with Bittah right on her heels. As soon as the door closed behind Jack, she said, "What's dis about, Kelly?"
"Criss-Cross, I seen Spot…'E left heah jus' about a half houah ago…'E was headed up ta Brooklyn," Jack quickly explained, watching as her jaw dropped to the floor.
"What!" she snapped, suddenly inexplicably enraged. Turning to Bittah, her eyes grew wide in fright. "If Spot's in Brooklyn," she whispered, "then Triggah an' 'is boys are bound ta find 'im…I'se can't lose 'im again…"
"We's gotta devise up a plan ta save 'im then," Bittah whispered back, glaring occasionally over at Jack. She disliked the cocky Manhattan leader beyond words, but at least he was better than Trigger.
Sighing, Criss-Cross looked back at Jack and asked, "D'yas know wheah 'e's goin' ta go?"
Jack shook his head. "Nah," he said, worried. "Spot didn't tell me nothin'…'Cept 'e was goin' ta look foah you'se befoah yas 'got yerself hoit'…"
Criss-Cross sighed and bit her lip. "T'ink I'se should try da lodgin' house den?" she asked, more to herself than to Jack or Bittah.
"I'se dunno…" Bittah said, trying to think about the best plan of action. "They'll kill 'im if 'e's theah…An' us too…"
Criss-Cross smirked up at Bittah and nodded. "It's gonna be dangerous…" she said quietly.
"But dat makes it all da moah fun," Bittah replied, an excited look glinting in her eyes.
"What are you'se talkin' 'bout?" Jack asked frustratedly. He couldn't understand what they were talking about, and it seemed almost as though they were speaking a different language.
Criss-Cross turned to Jack and said, "Kelly, send someone out ta Ivy, tell her we's gonna need her an' East Side bad…Get 'em on ouah side, an' bring 'em along wit' da Hawlem an' Manhattan kids ta the Brooklyn lodgin' house in less than an houah, a'ight!"
Jack looked at her odd and didn't move. "What? Why?" he asked still confused. Glaring over the desk at him, she clenched her fists, trying hard not to box his ears as she spoke.
"Make sure they's ready foah a big war…Cuz dat's what dis is gonna be…"
Bittah nodded in agreement and pulled out a pockethingych. "If Spot left at 'round 7:00, den 'e'd already be dere now…We's gotta run…"
Criss-Cross nodded and glared at Jack one last time. "Do it, Kelly! Get yer ass movin' now!" she yelled at him, furious that he was just standing around while her brother had the possibility of dying.
She banged her fist down on the table that was Kelly's desk, and then spun around and marched out the door, Bittah right on her heels. Dere's no way in hell I'se gonna let Spot die… she thought, trying to keep her pace down to a fast walk, but as soon as she hit the streets, she was lifting up the skirt and jogging. She wasn't about to let Spot die again.
A/N: Hey, so, what'd you think? Please review and tell me!
Spot: Reviews'll earn you'se a…um…Actually I'se dunno what dey'll earn yas…
They earn you another chapter! That's what!
Shout Outs:
Kryscrossed: Okay, wow, that's just a little bit TOO big of a weird coincidence. We've got basically the same name, just spelled a little different…lol And you'll see when they'll get to see each other again. If they do…And yes! I got you hooked! Now you have to review! And I'll try to get another chapter out soon.
Angelfish: I know! I killed off Runaway! It's horrible! But, it'll add to the story later…You'll see! And you need to write some! You're a really good author! lol And I like to read my friends stories!
Bittah: lol You're fun to have on our side, and there's gonna be more of you coming up. (Obviously…) And yes, I'm working on more and trying to be on the LH less! But it ain't working…
Skater: No, I haven't forgotten about you guys. lol Though, it is kinda fun to see you be insane, and to have Bittah constantly bugging me for more fic. lol I'm glad it was interesting and not boring! How was this one?
Scott: (still too lazy…lol) Glad you liked it. I've been having trouble wording stuff recently…lol I hope it's not showing in my writing…Is it?
Anyway, to all of you, I love you very much (not in any creepy way, lol) and I'll try to get more fic up soon! But, if you want, you can bug me for it with either reviews, or an email to or you could IM me at kthorsegal
Spot: Ya're gonna regret sayin' dat…
I know…But anyway, please review! Criss-Cross An' Spot