Chapter 16: Brooklyn

Grim knocked on the door then waited for someone to answer. She stumbles a bit but she catches herself on the railing. What is taking them so long?, she thought to herself. After what seem like forever, a tall older man opened the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked with an Irish accent.

"I want…I want to talk to Spot." she answered.

"Wait here." he said as he walked away.

Grim's head began to spin so she sat down on the top step because she didn't want to lose her balance. She should have just stayed at David's apartment or, at least, went back to the Manhattan lodging house but she couldn't. It was too close to David's apartment. Grim was beginning to sober up a bit and the conversation she overheard was beginning to eat at her. She want his parents to like her or, at least, accept her as their son's friend. She was already being pushed aside which wasn't anything new to her.

"What are you doing here?" she heard Spot behind her.

"David's parents doesn't want him around me because I'm…I'm lower than him." she said, trying to get the words out.

"Lower than him?" Spot asked.

"He's been to school. He's going to go to college so he can be something. I'm living on the street. I have nothing to offer anyone and I have no future. They think he could do better." she explained. "He should do better."

"Grim," Spot sighted as he sat down next to her, "they're his parents. No girl will ever be good for him in their eyes."

"Yeah, right. They wouldn't disapprove of a girl from a respectable family."

"Well…I don't think it's you because they like Jack." he offered.

"It's me. It's always me. I just know it."

"Why are you here? I can't make them like you."

"I…I just need to be away from David and the lodging house is too close."

"So you come to Brooklyn when you're drunk? That's a good idea. Do you know how many dangerous things could have happened to you on your way here?" he snapped at her.

"I wasn't thinking, Spot." she snapped back.

"No kidding. You should have just stayed where you were. It would have been safer."

"Safer? You think your boys would do something to me? They wouldn't go against you if you told them to stay away from me."

"It's not my boys I'm worried about." he said quietly.

Grim looked at him. He was looking straight ahead. She knew who he was talking about. He doesn't trust himself around Grim and now, she's asking him to allow her to spend the night. She should have just stayed in Manhattan, he thought. He kissed her twice today and, if she stays here, he could do a lot more than just kiss her. He can't do that to David because David is as close to a friend he can have.

"Where's your parents?" Grim suddenly asked.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked, looking back at her but he wasn't angry.

"Because we're not at each other's throat for once." she answered.

"For one." he repeated then he thought for a moment, "My mother died when I was young. She's…she was a wonderful person. She was a saint for putting up with my father. No one deserves to die the way she did."

"How did she die?"

"My father," he sighed, "my father shot her in the back of the head while she was sleeping. He just…shot her like she was a sick dog."

"Was your father charged with murder?"

"You're funny, Grim." he laughed a bit, "Nothing gets investigated in my neighborhood. There's a new murder at least three times a day. The cops didn't care."

"Why did he do it?"

"He thought she had men on the side but she…I don't why but she was so…loyal to him even though he beat the life out of her. After she died, he went after me until I left at age eleven. I don't want to talk about it anymore. What happened to your parents?"

"Well, my father was a cop and spent five minutes in an alley with my mother then he was gone once he was done buttoning his pants. When I was three, my mother was murdered by her boyfriend. I'm not sure why. I don't remember anything about my childhood. Only what the organization has told me." she answered.

"What if they lied to you?" he asked.

"How so? Why would they lie to me?"

"I don't know. They can say whatever they want about your mother and you wouldn't know either way. She could have been a good woman. She could have loved you."

"You sound like David." she said quietly as she looked away from him.

"Let me tell you something, Doll Face, and look at me when I'm talking to you. David is a smart person. He is a…compassionate person and will put anyone ahead of himself. He shouldn't be mocked."

"I wasn't mocking him." she jumped in.

"And never talk poorly of your mother. That woman gave birth to you. No person will ever talk poorly of their mother, no matter how cold-hearted they are." he added.

"I can talk about her however I want. I can only go by what I've been told."

"You still shouldn't speak poorly of her."

"What do you want from me, Spot?" she nearly yelled, "You want me to call her a saint? You want me to say how wonderful she is? She screwed people, Spot. Do you hear that? I was conceived in five minutes in an alley behind a pub. That's who my mother is. She's a whore."

"She's still your mother. She gave birth to you."

"She should have gotten rid of me. I would have been better off if she did."

"Better off? If you wasn't here, you wouldn't have met Davey and, trust me, he's the best thing to have happen to you."

"But I'm not good for him." she said, more to herself than to him.

"God, you don't listen to anything or do you just choose not to pay attention to anything around you?" Spot said as he got up and walked away from her.

"What do you mean by that?" Grim asked, following behind him.

"Let me say this slowly so you can understand. David…is in love…with you. He cares about you. It's that simple and I don't understand why you have to make it so damn difficult. Is it so hard to believe that someone, anyone, would want you? Stop being so damn hard on yourself and go back to Davey." he demanded.

"I can't go back. His parents doesn't want me around him."

"So? If you want to be with him, really want to be with him, you wouldn't care what his parents want. You go back and be with him or are you too drunk to go back by yourself?"

"I'm fine." she answered absentmindedly.

Spot looked at her for a moment. Grim looked deep in thought. Maybe I'm getting through to her, he thought. He 's hoping she's getting it through her head because she can't stay in Brooklyn with him. She is drunk though and does need to be somewhere safe with someone that she does know.

"Grim," he called gently.

She looked at him silently but I was like she wasn't' really looking at him. Spot knew she wasn't fine.

"Come inside. You shouldn't be out here." he said as he guided her back to the lodging house.

Everyone was sleeping when Spot and Grim entered the bunkroom. If this boys were awake, they would have cheered thinking he was going to get some action. Spot guided Grim to his bed which was located on the far side of the room away from all the other beds. He never felt comfortable being included with the other boys. If he started acting like he was their friend, like Jack does with his boys, they won't respect him like they do now.

"Lay down." Spot demanded lightly, "It's late and you should go to sleep."

"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked as she got in bed but she remained sitting.

"I'm staying up. I'm not tired." he answered.

"Would you have done that?" Grim suddenly asked.

"Done what?"

"If a girl's parents didn't want you around her, would you still go after her?"

"Honestly, no, I wouldn't."

"You wouldn't? Really?"

"I wouldn't waste my time with her. Besides, there's plenty of other girls out there."

"Why?"

"I…don't care enough about them to fight for them. That's all."

"Then why should I take your advice?"

"Davey will fight for you. I know he will. He's not like me. He won't push you aside."

"And you will?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"In a heartbeat." he answered.

"They meant nothing." she whispered.

"What meant nothing?"

"Those kisses. They meant nothing to you." she said.

"Of course, they don't mean anything to me. I already told you that. Don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." she said, feeling slightly disappointed and not really knowing why.

"Yeah, well," he sighed as he go up, "you need to get some sleep. You drank half the bar."

"That's a good idea." she said as she laid down.

Spot pulled the covers over her and she fell asleep quickly. He lied to her. Those kisses did mean something to him but he's Spot Conlon. He doesn't fall for a girl and he doesn't betray his allies. He just have to keep telling himself that. He sighed again then he sat against the wall neat the bed in case Grim needed him.