A/N: Yay! I'm back to my old posting, writing self! And I'm basically over my damned cold now! lol Anyway, another yay because this is my second chapter today! I hope you guys enjoy it!
A Quick Thanks/Tiny Disclaimer: I'd like to thank Bittah for being my little muse, on a lot of chapters, but particularly on this one. And also, Bittah owns both Phantom and Needles, and she's letting me borrow them for the sake of my story.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Ivy Nelson
Ivy Nelson, considered the toughest girl in New York for the last year had scowled at the news of Conlon's sister being back. She'd found out before even Jack Kelly had known, thanks to one of her birds that she'd taken from Brooklyn after Spot had been killed. Criss-Cross being back in New York meant two things:
First, she was no longer the toughest girl, since no one had ever been able to beat the sprightly younger girl. Criss-Cross was too quick, and though her size didn't make her seem like much, she could pack one hell of a punch.
The second thing was simply the fact of competitiveness. Criss-Cross would immediately go where the fight was, and where the glory would lie. She would head straight for the danger and adventure, leaving none for Ivy, unless Ivy did the same.
Frowning from her spot on the roof of East Side's lodging house, she watched as one of her birds jumped nimbly down from the roof of an adjacent building, laughing as she realized it was too keep their meeting in secrecy.
"Spill da news you'se got fer me," she said, her voice surprisingly a little low for how thin she was. Glaring at him softly with her amber-colored eyes, challenging him to make her mood worse.
"Phantom sent me…" the young boy said, clearly out of breath from running. "'E's still in Manhattan watchin', said 'e'd be back soon d'ough…But 'e wanted me ta tell you'se that Criss-Cross somehow got the Chicago goil –Bittah's her name, she's foimahlly one a Triggah's- on her side somehow…"
Ivy nodded solemnly, laughing inwardly at how fast Criss-Cross got around. She herself had been trying to meet the ex-Shadow gang member for the past few weeks, and ha still failed to do so. Word had it that Bittah could be the next toughest New York girl easily, and Ivy didn't want that to happen.
"Anythin' else?" Ivy asked, looking at the young boy, realizing that he was no more than nine years old. Phantom shoah has a way wit' kids… she thought, smiling softly at the thought of her boy. Somehow, of all the people she could be with, and of all the people he could be with, the two had ended up together. An unlikely matched pair, but one that got along better than most couples in New York did.
The boy nodded and catching his breath, he continued, "Phantom saw Spot Conlon! 'Parently 'e's alive…Accoidin' ta what Phantom saw, the bullet jus' missed Spot's chest and got his uppah left arm…An' Criss-Cross knows dat 'e is…Phantom can tell you'se moah dan I'se can, Miss Ivy…"
She smiled and reached out, ruffling his dark hair as she took in the news. Somehow it didn't surprise her that Spot was alive. She'd been his girl for several years, starting when they'd been twelve, and going all the way up until they were nearly fifteen. She knew Spot wouldn't go out without a fight. He was too stubborn to die.
"T'anks, Needle, isn't it?" she asked, hoping she'd gotten his name right. He was one of a small group of boys that Phantom was helping to teach to be birds. One of the boys was Ivy's own younger brother, Ashes.
"It coitainly is, Miss Ivy," he said, grinning that she'd gotten his name right. The fact that he'd been chosen to relay the information to her instead of one of the slightly older boys, or her brother, Ashes, had already surprised him. Perhaps he really could do well at the job he'd always wanted.
Pulling a dime out from the pouch she wore at her hip, she pressed it into Needle's hand. "Take this, kid. Ya've earn it," she said, smilingly softly at the excited look on his pale face.
Ivy jumped as a sudden hand came out of nowhere and set itself on her shoulder, her hand flashed to the blade she wore, but stopped mid-draw as she realized it was just Phantom. Grinning up at the seemingly shadowy boy, she stood and kissed him, tossing her long black hair over her shoulders as she did.
"Phantom…" she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he hugged her softly. "You'se finally come back…"
He smiled at her, an odd change for the normal quiet, unemotional boy. "Yeah…An' I got some moah news. Criss-Cross an' Bittah have headed back ta Brooklyn, since that's wheah Spot left ta go, an' it looks like Manhattan's preparin' for war…An' I'se saw Alleyway, Wicked, Gloves, Kit Kat, an' Kelly all headin' this way…Looks like they's tryin' ta get us as allies…"
"Gloves?" Ivy asked, a bit confused at the mention of the Harlem leader.
Phantom nodded, saying, "Yeah, Criss-Cross went ta Hawlem, wheah she went got a lil change made on her appearance, an' then left for Brooklyn ta get infoimation…An' Hawlem's now on the anti-Queens side of the war."
She nodded, taking in all the sudden information. Too much had happened, and Criss-Cross had done too much in the bravery department, and Ivy, being Ivy, wasn't about to let Spot's younger sister beat her in any way.
"A'ight, Phantom, you'se know what dis means…You'se in charge. Get everyone ready fer war, an' tell Kelly," she hissed out the cocky Manhattan leader's name as though it were a cuss word not to be spoken in front of anyway, "an' Gloves dat we's in it wit' em…"
Nodding, he kissed her softly. "Jus' take care. An' promise me yas ain't gonna let yer pride get too much in da way," he teased softly, toying with a lock of her hair.
Ivy kissed him one last time, and then shot off, already carrying all the weapons she had. Times had been rough since Trigger had come into power, and no newsie in any borough in New York City was stupid enough to go around unarmed and unprepared for a fight. Climbing nimbly down the fire escape, she headed for Brooklyn at a fast jog, remembering one of the last times she'd seen Criss-Cross Conlon.
"Eve Jane Marie Nelson!" the ten year-old Criss-Cross yelled, stalking into the bunkroom that the boys and girls shared. Ivy looked up from buttoning her shirt to see the sprightly young Conlon glaring at her, hands on hips.
"Kat'rine whatevah-ya-middle-name-is Conlon, what da hell d'yas want?" Ivy asked, glaring back just as hard. In truth, she knew what the other girl wanted, but it didn't make her any more apt to being nice.
"I'se t'ought I'se told yas ta stay da hell away from me bruddah! You'se know 'e can't handle 'imself 'round yas, an' I'se ain't gonna allow 'im ta toin inta some whore bangin' joik! You'se heah me!" Criss-Cross shouted at her, her small face scrunched up in anger at the thought of Ivy sleeping with her brother.
"Well dat's good," Ivy said calmly, still glaring at Criss-Cross as she buttoned her shirt up. "Cuz I'se ain't changin' 'im inta one…"
Ivy laughed softly as the younger girl's face became twisted in rage. It was too easy to get under the girl's skin when it had something to do with Spot. Criss-Cross loved her brother to hell and back, and wasn't about to let anything happen to him, or let anyone get the wrong ideas about him. Even after she'd been run out of Brooklyn, she never had once let anyone think Spot was a jerk.
"Ivy...You'se bettah hope yas can run a hell of a lot fastah dan me!" Criss-Criss hissed in a deadly tone, grinding her teeth. "Cuz I'se ain't 'bout ta let yas get away wit' bangin' Spot one moah time! Dis time I'se gonna let it slide, cuz 'parently you'se weren't listenin' when I said ta stop it…But one moah time an' I sweah…"
Ivy bit her lip softly as she saw the shorter girl fingering the hunting knife that hung at her side. "A'ight, Criss-Cross," she promised, "I'se won' do it again…"
The boyish-looking bouncy blonde smiled at this, loving the fact that she could so easily bend people, and bounced out the door, shouting a "Good goil, Ivy!" over her shoulder. Sighing, Ivy turned back to buttoning her shirt, wondering how she was going to tell Spot…That was, if he hadn't already heard…
Ivy sighed thoughtfully, realizing that she was already nearing the Brooklyn Bridge. The memory had carried her further than she though it would. She'd missed the Conlon siblings, and now knowing that both were alive, she couldn't wait to see them together again. They were a cute pair, and anyone could feel the love in between them, even after Criss-Cross had run, you could still feel that Spot loved her, and he'd always felt guilty about causing her to run away.
A/N: So…What'd ya think! Good? Bad? Happy? Funny? Sad? Frustrating? Try again later? Well, you can tell me by cough reviewing! cough Dang, maybe I ain't over this cold yet…Anyway I need to know if you guys have any questions that I need to answer for you in the end of my story. It could be anything from "Why is Bittah spelled with an 'ah' when you write it in regular story context, while Trigger is with an 'er'?" to "How are Spot and Criss-Cross going to react when they see each other?" I'm hoping to answer your questions somewhere within the ending chapters (since obviously we're getting to the climax…) and so I need to know them pretty soon. Anyway, on to the shout outs…
Shout Outs:
Skater: It's earlier than tomorrow! Yay! And I'll try not to make you too insane…I just hit a small writer's block on the last couple of chapters, but now, I'm out of it! happy squeal And maybe I'll manage to get another update up tonight! (Who knows? It could happen…)
Kryscrossed: Well there you have it! Another chapter! Yay! lol The name thing is beyond weird…I got mine from an ex-boyfriend, and, well, it just kind of stuck. lol His name was Chris, and his full nickname for me was actually "Criss-Cross Kat Conlon" hence why I stuck with it. lol He was my first real introduction to newsies…But anyway! That's beside the point! I'm really glad you like the fic!
Bittah: lol Happy now? I gave you more! Now I'm expecting more from you too, missie…lol And how about I just slow down the number of posts I'm doing on it? lol But at least you can feel for me some, because you know how addicting the thing is!
Spot: A'ight, the usual "I'se love yas, please review" t'ing…
Yes, quite. I love you guys! (Not in a creepy way, as an "I care about you and value you as readers and reviewers" way.) Now please please PLEASE review! Spot And Criss-Cross (Hey wait! That ain't fair Spot! My name's supposed ta come first!)