Ok, so I got a review (finally!) and decided to update. Here it goes!
Ink found Spot sitting on the edge of the pier, staring into the water but not at anything in particular. He was obviously thinking. This wasn't a good sign, seeing spot think. Spot Conlon was more of an act-first-think-later kind of guy. Thinking, it just wasn't his style. But, then again, a lot had changed over the course of a week. Ink had seen his leader, a cold hearted, miserable person who ruled with an iron fist into a nervous wreck, concerned about nothing but getting his revenge on Racetrack Higgins for stealing his girl. This had to be stopped. Against ink's better judgment, the second walked warily over to where Spot was sitting and plopped down next to him. He chose his words very carefully from here on out. "Conlon, dis has gotta stop. Just 'because you lost dat giorl ta Racetrack don't mean its da end 'o' da world! Youse got just as nice giorls ova here in Brooklyn. Take dam pretty lookin' things that work in dat factory ova on Leonardo Street! We gots several boys already seeing some 'o' dam, I could introduce youse to one!"
Spot didn't even look up. "But dey ain't Wildcat, Ink," the dejected leader mumbled. "No one's gonna replace err'." Ink sighed in frustration. This was going to be harder than he'd originally thought. Normally Spot went through girls like a writer goes through paper. But as soon as he met Wildcat, everything that had made Spot, well, Spot was gone. Sure, Spot had known the newsgirl from a former bout with Jack's men, but he hadn't known about the crazy idea that Spot had thought he'd met his soul mate until last night, when he saw him trudging down the pier, snapping at everyone he saw and yelling out he wanted to be left alone. Spot never did that, and Ink had known it. So, again against his better judgment, he'd into his room and seen Spot, well, flinging things across the room in anger and muttering curses against Racetrack. Finally he'd managed to calm his friend down (no, scratch that, Spot didn't have friends, only allies) and get him to open up. And all of it began to spill out. Ink was still shaken up about the fact that Spot had feelings, but what shocked him even more was the fact that Brooklyn didn't even seem to matter anymore. Spot hadn't sold papers in 3 full days, was disappearing into Manhattan for full hours at a time (at least until last night) and was always snapping at people with no reason. Ink knew, as well as every other newsie in Brooklyn, that the one thing Spot excelled in was fairness. He never yelled without proper cause unless he was really mad, which in this case it was. And spot never, ever got as mad as throwing things. Never.
Ink tried again, this time with a different approach. "Look Conlon, youse can think up of ways ta get back at Race for his good choice in girls, but that ain't gonna take care 'o' da fact that it ain't his fault. If anything, it's Cowboy's. He's da one who set up da whole thing, Race pretendin' ta like errs', youse getting his permission ta date Wildcat, eve-"But in that moment Ink knew he had said way too much. He let it slip that Wildcat and Race weren't an' item, something that really shouldn't have been said if they wanted that treaty signed. Because, like most of the Brooklyn newsies, Ink didn't hold anything against Jack or the other Manhattaners. And Jack and his boys didn't hold anything against them, save for Spot. They wanted, no needed this thing to be out to rest. It was like a war front.
Spot turned, blue eyes narrowed, and looked ink square in the eyes. "Youse sayin' dat Cowboy set this whole thing up ta get back at me for The Accident?" he asked. "I meeting Wildcat, fallin' for err', the whole nine yards?" "No, no! Isa didn't mean dat, be-"But Spot was already on his feet. He was grinning a mile wide, something that Ink had never seen in all of his 4 years of living in Brooklyn. "Thanks Ink, youse just made me day!" Spot took off down the lane, sprinting towards Manhattan. Ink leapt to his feet to stop him, but it was too late. Spot was gone.
The second smacked himself in the back of the head and cursed. How could he have been so stupid? He had to get a bird to Jack before Conlon got there himself. No, better yet, Ink would do it himself. This was his fault, he was going to own up to it, not push the job of getting yelled at by Cowboy onto some faceless spy who was simply delivering a message. Ink took off as well, up ran instead towards the Bridge.
$N$
Wildcat had just started putting up the dishes behind the bar when Ink, the second from Brooklyn, rushed in. He looked tired and extremely scared. "Hey Ink, watt's up?" she called out to him. But Ink didn't seem to notice her just yet. He scanned the room and quickly found Jack, who was playing cards with Race, Les and David while Sarah looked on. He stumbled wearily over to the 5 and fell onto the floor wearily. He must've run all da way from Brooklyn without stoppin', Wildcat thought. I wonder watt's goin' on. Jack got up with David and crouched beside Ink's form. "Hey Ink, watta youse doin' here?" Jack demanded. "Isa told ya not ta come ova here until da whole thing with Cat an' Spot blew ova!" Ink shook his head and tried to say something, but it was incomprehensible. By now Wildcat was getting worried that something involving their act had gotten out and hurried over to see what the matter was. Ink saw her for the first time and found the words to speak again.
"Spot-knows!" he managed to choke out in between breaths. "Coming ta confront Jack- youse gotta- GO!" Then he collapsed and fainted from exhaustion. Jack got up from his position at Ink's side and motioned for him to be taken to one of the bunks to rest. The leader of Manhattan then turned to Cat and said "Spot's gonna get here soon an' he's probably got biords watchin' our place ta make sure youse don't escape. So we gotta make a cover, like pretendin' youse sick or asleep or something. Sarah, watta youse thinks' a good cover?" he asked his girlfriend. But Sarah shook her head. "None of them, Jack. You got yourself into this, and now you're going to suffer the consequences. I really don't see why you had to get revenge anyways. The Accident happened years ago, I've forgiven him, you should too." Jack rolled his eyes. "Sarah, youse don't get it! Spot almost killed youse; Isa almost lost youse for good!"
Sarah shook her head again. "No Jack, you don't understand! He didn't mean to do anything-""Hey ya bums!" Kid Blink yelled out, pointing to the window. "Isa hate ta breaks up youse spat, but Spot's here an' he looks… well…. Isa don't know! It's a mixture between anger an' glee, it's a-""Blink, get ta da point!" Race told his friend. Blink shrugged. "He's comin' an' it ain't good." Just then the lodging house door burst open and in came Spot Conlon. Kid Blink had been right. Spot did have a mixture of emotions on his face. His look hardened when he glanced at Jack and looked at Race with a questionable expression. But his eyes softened when he saw Wildcat.
The whole room went dead silent. The only thing that could be heard was Spot's cane on wooden flooring, making his way towards Cat. Even the younger newsies in all of their protective instinct over their adopted mother were frozen in fear. Wildcat held her head up high as she stared at Spot approaching, but secretly she was reaching for her Bowie knife that was hidden safely inside her back suspender pocket. Spot reached the bar and looked Cat square in the eyes. "Why did youse lie ta me, Wildcat?" he asked softly. The newsgirl shrugged, glaring at him. "Jack told me to." Spot snorted and glanced at Cowboy again. "So youse do things just because Jack ova there tells ya to?" he asked. Wildcat gasped hold of her knife and held it at her side so that Spot couldn't see but everyone else in the living room could. "Spot, it ain't dat simple," she said convincingly. "Sure, Jack told me ta watt ever it took ta get youse heart den break it, dat's easy ta understand, but there's more ta da story den dat." Spot tapped his foot impatiently. "Well den get talkin' before Isa decide ta go murder Cowboy for settin' me up ta fail!" Wildcat held up her hands in front of her. "Alright, alright, I'll –"
"Youse don't gotta do nothing, Wildcat!" Jack exclaimed, standing up suddenly and placing himself between Spot and his friend. "Cat, don't say another word, or youse gonna be in a heap 'o' trouble!" he threatened, eyes narrowed t Conlon. The King of Brooklyn stared his opponent down with cold ice blue eyes. Beautiful eyes, Wildcat let herself think. But then she caught herself. Watt are ya thinkin', Willa? She scolded. Youse can't like Conlon, he's from Brooklyn an' an idiot! Wildcat was torn from her debate by Jack and Spot yelling at each other, trying to see who would back down first.
"Youse set me up all because of watt happened months ago!" Spot yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Youse brought dat upon youseself an' Isa getting' even!" Jack retorted.
"Sarah forgave me!"
"Isa didn't!"
"Jack, opened dem blind eyes 'o' yours! Don't youse have a heart?"
"Both of you just shut up!" Sarah finally screamed. She stepped in between Jack and spot like Jack had done for Wildcat and Spot and slapped them both on the back of their heads. "Look at you two, going at it like school children! You should be ashamed!" Jack turned red while Spot looked uncomfortably at the floor. "Spot, just stay here with Davey and hold on a minute. Jack, I need to talk to you." Sarah beckoned Jack to follow her up the stairs. Jack slinked on up before Sarah, who turned around and silently winked at Wildcat, for reasons Cat didn't really know. But, nevertheless, she finished putting up the plates and jumped up on the bar, swinging her legs back and forth. The Manhattan newsies quickly restarted their topics of conversation, but Spot remained silent. He just kept staring at Cat. The girl noticed him staring and raised her eyebrows at him. Spot didn't even flinch.
Noticing this, David tapped spot on the shoulder. "You know, it wasn't Cat's idea to go along with Jack on this, you know?" he told him. "But she owed him a favor and well, Jack held it over her head until she agreed. Wildcat, well, I guess she does blame you for the whole thing 3 years ago and now when she got held captive and all that, but I don't really believe she's mad about that anymore." He turned his head a little to look at the Youngers, who at the present were glaring at Spot and talking in low tones. "Them on the other hand, they're still mad at you for taking her in the first place. Better watch your back, Spot!" The two boys chuckled over this for a moment, and absentmindedly Spot looked over at where Cat had last been sitting. She was gone. Startled, Spot began to look around the room, but Willa was nowhere to be found. Spot was still craning his neck to try and spot her when he said "Hey Davey, where'd Wildcat go?" David grinned slyly.
"To where Wildcat goes when she needs to think," he said. "Trinity Cemetery."
$N$
Willa crept through the tall, overgrown grasses that lay in the back of Trinity Cemetery. Her destination had been that of the a specific grave, one that she had visited so often for over 8 years that the keeper of the grounds, Greg Hawthorn, knew her so well and had long since stopped making her pay admission. The grave she was visiting was in the poor kept area of the church grounds, where many of the less- than- fortunate where buried. It was spooky at night to most people, but Wildcat had long since gotten over that feeling. She even sort of liked it. No one was there to see her, no one was there to bother her, and no one could hear her think. Yes, I said hear. You see, Wildcat liked to think out loud, at least when she was alone. It gave her answers, aroused more questions, and gave her a sort of satisfying fulfillment, just like she was talking to her mom all over again. Mainly because that was who she was visiting.
Soon Cat reached the end of the cemetery boundaries. She squinted her eyes in the dark and began to search for the grave marker. It was over by the iron fence, right inside the grove of willow trees that were in the corner. Normally mausoleums were placed in the grove, but Wildcat had begged long and hard to have her mother's grave placed there. So here she was, standing in a grove of willow trees, surrounded by mausoleums that surrounded the final resting place of the only person she had ever truly loved. Until a few days ago at least. Willa hopped up upon a mausoleum that faced her mother's marker and stared at it for some time, and then she spoke.
"Hey Mom," Wildcat started. "It's Willa. Isa sorry Isa haven't visited in a while, but life's been really complicated since my last visit. How's heaven been treatin' youse? Pretty well, from all dem things dat da preacher's been sayin' 'bout in church. Da boys Isa been takin' care 'o', dey asked me ta share me life's story with em'. I didn't think youse would mind." She took a deep breath and continued. "Remember me tellin' ya about Les? Well, he gots himself into some trouble with Conlon an' his newsboys last week, an' well, in order ta make sure he was released properly, dey traded him for me. Conlon tried ta get at me, but Isa soaked im' good an' ran. Funny how ya think youse da toughest King Brooklyn's Eva seen an' den youse get soaked by a giorl!" Cat laughed into the darkness. "Den he finds out dat Isa da same giorl he tried ta get at 3 years ago an' since den he's been feelin' kinda guilty. He's been like me own shadow, followin' me around New York for da past week. But he don't know until yesterday dat Jack's been playin' along an' was usin' me ta get back at im' for da Accident with Sarah. He wasn't too happy 'bout dat, especially when Jack arranged for him ta think dat me an' Racetrack Higgins were an item!" Willa stopped, thinking of more to say on the matter. "Turns out Spot likes me. A lot, momma, a lot. Can youse believe dat? Someone who actually loves me! I mean, sure, everyone in da lodging house loves me as a sister, but Spot, he actually loves me! He's sweet, nice, kinda cute, funny when he wants to be (not dat Isa gonna admit it any time soon!) and brave. I dunno what ta do about it either."
Wildcat crossed her arms as a cool breeze whipped through the church grounds, knocking her cap off her head and gathering up her long, dark brown hair. "I haven't had someone think 'o' me like dat eve, momma, so Isa don't even knows how ta proceed with all 'o' dis! How do youse knows when youse love em' back? Is it when your heart starts to beat really fast when dey talks ta youse or what? Mom, I don't think Isa even remember what regular love feels like anymore! It's like my emotions jut died, youse know? I feel cold, cruel, heartless, like all Isa want ta do now is die along with them. Momma, I need help!" Wildcat shut up before she could say anymore. She looked at the ground sheepishly. "And here I am, talkin' ta a dead person who can't even talk back. What's da matte with me, huh?" She chuckled weakly. Suddenly she heard the crack of a dead twig come for behind her. She whirled around, knife in hand to see Spot leaning up against an ancient willow tree, smirking.
"How long youse been there, Conlon?" she demanded, breathing a sigh of relief and placing her knife back inside her pocket, crouching on top of the mausoleum again. Spot came up behind her and sat down next to her. "Long enough ta know dat youse ain't da person Isa thought youse was," he replied quietly.
Wildcat cocked her head to one side. "Who did youse think Isa was den?" she asked, confused. Spot had a grim look on his face, one of guilt and sorrow. "At first when Isa fought ya last week, all I really knew was dat youse would do anything to get home and back ta youse family, so Isa labeled youse under dangerous and caring. Den when ya got onto me for appologizin' by sayin' dat it was weak, Isa thought youse were cruel, dat ya wore the mask 'o' loving mother on da outside an' had no feeling whatsoever. But Isa still followed ya around, an' dat time when youse walked away durin' youse sellin' sayin' dat youse only caused problems for me I thought maybe Isa was wrong an' dat youse did care 'bout people. But den I came back ta a negative conclusion again when youse kissed Racetrack an' all dat stuff happened dat youse was playin' my affections da whole time."
Cat blinked her sapphire blue eyes in acknowledgement. "So youse thought Isa was dangerous but caring', den cruel, wore a mask an' had no feelings, den caring again and finally dat I was cruel again an' was a player of emotions?" Spot nodded his head, still staring straight ahead. "Dat would be 'bout right," he admitted. Wildcat giggled and got up to stand in front of him. "Well, at least youse was honest." Spot's face fell to the ground. "But it doesn't matter anymore. Youse obviously ain't interested in anyone, so what's da point 'o' me even bein' here?" He spat into the ground. But then he looked at her again, his eyes shining with a sort of fierce pride. "Did youse really mean dat? All dem things youse said about me at least?" The newsgirl gave him a small, sad smile. "Why would Isa have lied ta a grave? Isa didn't know ya was there, aft' all."
Spot about fell out of his seat in shock. "Youse meant it? Da stuff about me bein' brave, funny, nice, everything?" He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Cute?" Wildcat opened her mouth to say something, but spot stopped her before she could say anything. "No, don't answer dat!" They both laughed at that one. But then Cat got serious. "'O' course Isa did! I mean, I did hate youse when Isa first met youse, den when Isa saw youse again last week, but a lot can happen in a week." Spot grinned and helped her back up onto the mausoleum again. "Isa listenin'."
"Well, I have ta admitted, it was kinda nice when Isa realized youse was followin' me everywhere. What kinda giorl wouldn't like dat, after all? I was pretty interested in why ya were followin' me in da first place though, but Isa guess I know why dat is now!" Spot smirked and said "Yeah, Isa kinda admitted dat a while ago." "Shut up or Isa nova gonna finish! Anyways, you know by now me an' Race, we kinda had orders ta run youse outta town, but Isa figured youse would back or something. Hey, youse always found me earlier; if ya really liked me youse could do it again."
Now Spot was the one confused. "So youse liked da fact dat Isa followed ya around everywhere tryin' ta figure out why Isa liked youse so much, an' dat's what's makin' youse so upset 'bout all dem emotion swirlin' around inside youse head?" Wildcat groaned and rolled her eyes. "Men! They just don't get it do dey? Yes Spot, dat was part 'o' it. Da other part was dat I could trust youse. Youse understood me when we was talkin' on da room da other night and Isa think ya understood when Isa told ya ta go back ta Brooklyn earlier dat day too, for how much youse let on ya didn't! Ok, I admit it, Isa wanted youse ta leave so Isa wouldn't be like all dem other giorls dat youse done romanced. I hated da fact youse were workin' youse little routine with me when youse kidnapped me an' Isa was fallin' for it, so I thought dat perhaps if ya didn't come back ta see me again Isa would just forget about ya!" "Seeing how dat worked out, ya plan backfired just a bit," Spot observed. Wildcat punched him playfully in the arm. "Thank you Captain Obvious!" she remarked sarcastically. "So here Isa am, sortin' all 'o' dis out an' admitting dat I kinda like youse too. I feel like such an idiot right now."
The King of Brooklyn smiled genuinely. "Isa don't think it's idiotic," he said quietly. "I think it's brave." Wildcat narrowed her eyes. "Why does youse say dat?" "Because it shows dat youse ain't afraid ta love anymore den youse was back we youse was on da streets. It proves dat ya changed," Conlon told her, hopping down off of the tomb. "I like change." He offered her his arm so she could get down as well.
Cat didn't take, but moved into a cat-like position and leapt off of the mausoleum much like she had when Spot had first seen her 3 years ago and last week when they had been brawling. She landed on both of her feet. "Isa see why youse named Wildcat," he joked. The newsgirl shrugged and followed Spot out of the cemetery. "If youse like change so much, den why youse still here, talkin' ta me?" she asked sullenly. The King stopped, turned around, and eyed her with a cool, confident gaze. "Because Isa don't just like youse, Cat," he said quietly. "It's more den dat. There's something between us, something dat I've known for a while an' youse just admitted youseself."
The two teenagers stared at each other for a while. Finally Wildcat spoke. "Alright, so we've admitted we love each other, but how do we go from here?" She started to pace back and forth. "What if it doesn't work out? What if Isa get kicked outta da lodging house for dis? What if youse loose ya position as leada in Brooklyn? What if-""Stop with da "what ifs"!" Spot interrupted. "Willa, life's about chances, you of all people know dis. Forget if it don't work out, and we'll cross Dat Bridge when we come ta it. And if we lose our places around New York as newsies, we can always run away. We got each other, dat's all dat matters." Wildcat bit her lip but nodded. "Fine, we'll do it your way. So are we an official couple or what?" Spot leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "I guess dat's a yes."
$N$
Ok, so I finally got the chapter up! Does anyone like where this is going? I had quite a few people IM me saying they wanted Spot x OC couple, so that's what I went with. To all who liked the whole Racetrack x OC thing in Pushed too far, you got it, so if you don't like where this is headed please complain to someone else but me if you please! (I am asking nicely only once to those, not all mind you, but those who would try it anyways. Thanks!) – Rellimmes