Title: Never Enough

Summary: For every prohibition you create you also create an underground. SET IN 1921. The rivalry between the Manhattan Mob and the Brooklyn Boys, between Kelly & Conlon, is legendary. But money and infamy wasn't enough for them. It never is.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Newsies characters mentioned in this piece; I do, however, stake claim to Jess Kelly, Frankie Kelly, Reagan Malloy and a whole mess of other characters that will most likely pop up throughout this work.

Author's Note: Do you know how hard it is to rewrite a chapter? I had half of this chapter done (with Frankie and Reagan continuing on to see their friends…) and then, last week, my computer crashed. I lost all my files – including outlines and chapters to stories I hadn't posted yet. I finally got a new laptop, but I was hesitant to work on this, Diabo or AVT. But, life goes on and I figured, I might as well get another chapter out. I do want to finish at least 2 of these 3 stories by the end of summer (Diabo is too confusing right now to even contemplate an August done date). So, rather than face a rewrite, I did this chapter first. Next chapter will have the F/R chapter and our first escapade in Brooklyn.

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PART XI

There was a nagging suspicion in the back of Hayden "Blink" Moore's mind as he left the two girls alone. He knew that the Kelly's apartment was just one block over from where he had left the pair but he couldn't help but think that maybe he was playing right into Frankie Kelly's hands. He had watched Jack's daughter grow up and he had never seen such a conniving and manipulative little girl before; he hadn't had that much trouble from any of his four children. And the worst part of it all was that her father insisted on calling her 'Precious.' The great Cowboy was oblivious to his own daughter's actions. Sheesh, Cowboy doesn't even listen to Jess on that one, he thought as he went. He knew Jess grew frustrated with Frankie sometimes; she liked to confide in Lorelai over a cup of coffee when the fellows had business to attend to and Lorelai, in turn, couldn't keep the secrets from her husband.

But it hadn't been Frankie who told him about Jack's latest victim being a Brooklyn Boy - it had been the blonde girl that the boss and his wife brought back with them. Reagan, I think they said her name was. Why would she lie? The girl had information that correlated with - and even expanded on - the story that Jack had told him back at the office. But Jack hadn't known that the boy was Mickey Finn, one of Spot Conlon's boys. What would he do when he found out? Or, worse yet, what would Spot Conlon do?

It was dark, and the streets were much quieter than he was used to as he made his way back to the office. He paid no mind to the passing automobiles until one of them slowed and pulled up to the side of the street, just in front of him. His first instinct was to pause. His hand on his pistol, he waited for some sign of who it was inside. In his business, you could never be sure if someone was a friend or foe.

Surprisingly, when the driver side door opened, a slender pair of stocking-covered legs emerged. A woman? He knew not to let himself off guard just because a woman had stopped before him. He wouldn't put it past Spot Conlon to hire an attractive woman to start bumping off Jack Kelly's associates. And besides, he reminded himself, I'm happily married.

When a torso and, finally, a head followed the legs, Blink finally let himself relax. He recognized the sharp profile of the blonde haired woman in front of him: Rae Kelly-Phillips, the widow of his old pal, Snitch. As surprising as it was to see a woman driving herself around, it was even more surprising to see Rae up and about. After Snitch was shot and killed last spring, Rae and her two children seemed to disappear. She wanted out of the business. Rumor had it that she had left Manhattan in favor of a safer place – no one knew where it was that she had went. All they knew was that she accepted the money Jack gave her for Snitch's service and moved her family out of the Manhattan apartment.

She looked just the same as before, only now in more expensive clothes. Wherever she had gone, she had changed – and, from his point of view, for the better. The Rae he had known preferred the simple cut of a plain dress; this Rae had her long fair hair styled and was wearing a short, sleek black dress. At least she's still grieving poor Snitch.

She had obviously pulled over with the intent to say 'Hello' for, as soon as she shut the door, she turned on her heel and greeted him. "Hayden! It's been so long."

He bowed his head slightly in respect; any woman that called him by his Christian name reminded him of his mother. "Rae, it's good to see you."

She laughed. "You look good, Blink," she said, reverting back to his nickname. She had forgotten how much he hated to be called by his real name. Jason had been the same way – even now they all still referred to him as Snitch. "I almost didn't recognize you," she added as she reached a hand forward and brushed his shoulder. "You were hurrying along so fast down the street that I wasn't even sure it was you."

"Business," he said simply before looking up at meeting her grey eyes. "You know how it is."

"Business? Are you telling me that you're still doing naughty things," she said coyly. She left the rest of her statement go unsaid; Rae, understandably, had a very poor view on the Manhattan Mob ever since Snitch had been shot on a routine rum run.

Blink nodded apologetically. "Something like that." He shrugged. "I just had to go back and talk to Cowboy."

A grimace crossed the woman's lovely face but was gone as quickly as it came. "Cowboy," she said, almost as if the name left a bad taste in her mouth. "He still running the Mob?"

"Yeah, but who knows for how long," Blink said, for the most part, under his breath. If Spot Conlon heard about the death of one of his boys by Jack Kelly's gun, God only knows what he would do.

Rae, Blink should have remembered, was always quick on the uptake. She heard his mutterings and caught onto them. "What's that mean, Blink? Things going alright in the Mob?" Sorrow filled her grey eyes and her lips turned downward. "No one else has … died? Not since Crutchy, right?"

Blink shook his head and he almost cursed himself for saying anything at all. But, then he thought about whom exactly it was that he was talking to. Rae had been part of their group for as long as he could remember; she sold newspapers by his side when they were kids. She married one of his best friends and went out frequently with him and Lorelai before all of their kids came along. She was as involved with the Mob as her husband was; she only left it all behind her after his death last spring; said she was doing it for her kids and he understood that. He could talk to her. "No one else has died, Rae. Well, at least, none of our boys."

"A Brooklyn Boy?" she asked, innocently.

Blink nodded. "Yeah, some kid called Finn. He tried to off Jess and, well, you know Jack. He walked in just as this kid tried to hit her with a rock and bang."

She flinched and, even though Blink only had one good eye, he saw it. Of course she's upset. That's how old Snitch got it – right in the gut with a Brooklyn Boys' pistol. Then Rae shook her head, her fair hair swaying before settling back in its set. "So, is Jess alright?"

Blink nodded again. "Yeah, Jess is fine. Cowboy got the kid before he could drop the rock." He paused for a minute before gesturing over his shoulder. "You know, Rae, it's been great seeing you again and all but I really got to head over to Jack's office. He's expecting me back."

Rae grinned. "Of course, Blink. Listen," she began before pointing to her car, "I took up your time. Let me give you a ride over to Cowboy's office. I'd love to see Jess again."

He thought about it for a moment. One of Jack's main rules was never to bring an outsider to his office. What good would it do if anyone – his enemies included – could find him? But, as he reminded himself, Cowboy broke his own rule by bringing that blonde girl back to the office. And, besides, Rae isn't an outsider. Blink nodded. "Of course, Rae." And, with that, he followed her over to her car.

- - -

The ride over to the office was quick; it was only about a mile or so away from the Kelly's apartment. Blink tried to make small talk with Rae as she drove but stopped almost immediately. He could see that Rae was paying close attention to the road and, after she almost bumped into a man who was trying to cross the street, Blink figured it was the smartest course of action to keep quiet.

He didn't say anything else to her unless it was a direction towards the abandoned building where Jack reigned. Cowboy had the habit of changing his office's location ever few months, just in case. Since Rae had left the city, Jack must have switched buildings three or four times; Rae had no idea where the newest spot was.

Blink leaned forward and pointed. "See that side street right there? Make a sharp left." Rae did as she was instructed and found herself between two old buildings. "That's it," Blink continued, pointing to his left. If he hadn't pointed the door out, Rae wasn't sure she would have ever given the dark grey rectangle another thought. There was nothing to indicate that it was, in fact, a door: no knob, no visible peephole, no handle. But, if Blink said this was the door, then this was the door.

He got out of the car and began to walk around to her side. He obviously intended to open the car door for her. Once she could see him out of the side window, Rae held up her hand. "That's alright, Blink. I forgot, I have some urgent business in town. I won't be able to stop inside, after all."

He looked puzzled for just a second before nodding. "Of course, Rae," he answered. "I'll send Jack and Jess your love."

"Thanks, Hayden," she said personably. She waited until he had walked back around her car and approached the door. He seemed to perform an intricate sort of knock before turning back and waving at her. She took that as her signal to go. She waved back before putting her small car in reverse. She was out of the alleyway before anyone opened the door.

Once she was back on the main road, Rae pulled the car over and idled as she went over everything that Blink had said to her. Finn is dead. One of the boys is down. Spot isn't going to be too happy about that. He really counted on the Finn brothers – I wonder which one it was: Mickey or Matthew. She sighed and put her foot back to the pedal. She had visited Manhattan – like she did every month – to pay her respects to her dead husband's remains before heading back to her new home in Brooklyn. She had purposely avoided seeing all her old friends from her old life since Jason's funeral. How could she explain that she had left the protection of the Manhattan Mob for a new life in Brooklyn? This was the first time she had run into any of them and taken the opportunity to say 'hello'. And what happened? Hayden had horrible news. If only he knew how horrible it was…

She sighed a second time before beginning her journey back to Brooklyn. Maybe Spot would take it better if the news came from her.