A/N: Wow, the third chapter in less then a year. I am truly amazed with myself.
Chapter 10Spot stepped off the train and smiled at the familiar New York smells and sounds. He turned when someone yelled his name and his smile turned into a grin when he saw Race walking towards him.
"Heya Race," Spot said, pulling Race into a rough hug.
"Hey Spot," Race smiled, "How was your trip?"
Spot shrugged, "It was ok."
"Great, I'll take you to Kes's place," Race led Spot out of the station. They walked in silence until they got to the small apartment.
They walked in and Kes hurried over to Spot, "Thank God you're here."
Spot looked at her and saw the worry in her eyes, "Where is she?"
"In her room," Kes said gesturing to the door. Spot slowly walked over to the door and quietly slipped in. Kes turned to Race and leaned into his arms, letting him pull her close. "I'm so worried about her."
"Spot's here now," Race held Kes close, "He'll take care of her."
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Spot entered the abnormally dark room and shut the door behind him. It was the middle of the afternoon, but heavy curtains blocked out any hint of sun. All the lights were off and the room was stifling. He didn't know how she could stand it.
"Kes, I'm not hungry," Melody said harshly.
"I'm not Kes," Spot said. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark so he saw Melody sit up in her bed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Kes wrote me a letter," he paused, "I came to make sure you're ok."
"I'm fine," she said intensely, as if trying to convince herself, but even he heard her voice start to crack and her shield slowly gave way to tears.
"Oh, Melody," Spot said quietly. He climbed into her bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She buried herself into him and let him hold her tightly. He lay back so she was cuddled in his arms. Melody cried until she couldn't cry anymore, but even then she let him hold her.
"I miss him so much," she finally whispered, "At first I only dated him because I wanted to make you jealous, but I fell in love with him."
Spot tightened his hold on her and said, "Well, it worked. I was jealous." He pulled her up into a sitting position and said, "Let me take you out to dinner."
"No, Spot, I can't," she slowly curled up into a ball again, "I can't, especially now. It's just too soon."
"Melody, Blink wouldn't have wanted you to mope around. He died almost two months ago. Of course you miss him, but you can't give up your own life because his was stolen from him." Spot grabbed her hand and pulled her back up, "Now, lets get you dressed."
She sighed and said, "Get out. I'll be out in a few minutes."
He left and a few moments later Melody came out pulling her hair up into a bun. He was surprised to see her wearing a soft white breezy dress. He had never seen her in a dress before and the sight surprised him, it had been over a year since he had last seen her, and she had obviously changed. She bustled around the apartment trying to get ready and he watched her. She had grown up. It surprised him, but it had happened. She had thinned out, some of which was from not eating, but she had grown into a beautiful young woman.
Kes and Race stared shocked at Melody. It was obvious they had not seen her out of her room in sometime. Spot looked at Kes and she smiled up at him before mouthing, "Thank you." He smiled back and shrugged as if to say, "It was nothing."
When Melody was finally ready she let Spot lead her out into the street. The cold wind hit her and made her pull her coat tighter around her. Spot walked without any notice to the cold and she asked, "Aren't you freezing?"
He chuckled, "It's a lot colder back home, I'm pretty much used to the cold."
Melody shrugged and pulled her coat still tighter.
Spot was surprised that he still remembered his way through the streets. He led her to Tibby's, hoping that a few of the Newsies would be there. Hopefully they would help Melody remember what her life used to be like.
He opened the door for her and she gave him a strange look before entering. They sat at a small booth in the back where they could see everyone in the restaurant. Melody sat down stiffly and said, "I don't know why you brought me here."
"Because some of your best friends might be here," Spot said off-handedly before gesturing to the waiter that they needed menus.
"They all hate me," Melody said harshly with a scowl on her face, "I should never have agreed to come with you."
"They don't hate you, why would you say that?" Spot asked, surprised.
"Because, I couldn't save Blink," she said quietly.
He was about to ask her more, but just then a large group of Newsies came in and filled the booths causing her to become more ridged. Spot smiled when he saw Jack and Mush and they quickly came to sit with him. Melody flattened herself against the wall to get as far away from Jack as she could. He didn't seem to notice her, but sat down next to her anyway asking, "So, Spot, what are you doing back in town?"
Spot glanced at Melody and said, "I just needed a visit."
Jack looked over at Mel and put a hand on her arm, "Hey Mel, how are you doing?"
Melody shrugged and said, "As good as I can be."
"It's been a long time since we've seen you," Jack pointed out, "We all miss you. You should come by the lodging house sometime."
Melody looked at him and said, "I didn't think you wanted to see me."
"Why not?" Jack asked, surprised.
"Because, Blink was one of your best friends," Melody whispered.
"But Melody," he looked up at her and squeezed her arm gently, "You're one of our best friends too." He gently put his arms around her and held her in a hug. She slowly relaxed, letting him hug her. When he pulled away he wiped some of the tears off her face and said, "Now, lets eat."
She smiled and Spot's stomach jumped. He jerked his hand to his stomach and Melody gave him a strange look. He smiled at her stiffly and she smiled back making his stomach jump again. He shook the feeling away before looking at the menu and refusing to look up at Mel. They ordered and ate while talking about Spot's trip and the Newsies.
When it was time to go, Melody hugged each of the Newsies and promised to visit before leaving with Spot. They walked in silence towards the apartment. When they reached the door she leaned against it and slid down to sit on the ground. He sat next to her and she looked over at him, "Spot."
"Yeah?" he asked looking back at her.
"I'm lost," she whispered.
He looked down at her for a second before whispering back, "Let me help you." She slowly nodded and he said, "Come home with me."
"What?" she asked.
"Come back to Chicago with me," he said, "Even if it's just for a visit, come with me. It'll do you some good."
She looked away from him and said so softly that he could barely hear her, "Ok."
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Two weeks later Melody shifted nervously in her seat on the train. She looked over at Spot who was asleep against the wall. She envied his ability to fall asleep anywhere. She shifted again and this time Spot's eyes fluttered open.
"Sorry," she muttered trying to move again, "Sorry for waking you."
"Are you ok?" he asked, ignoring her apologies.
She shrugged and said, "I can't sleep."
"Come here," he gestured for her to scoot closer to him and she did. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close so she could lean against him. "Just relax." She sighed and relaxed against his chest. It was an odd feeling. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, but there was no love in the way he held her. It wasn't a loving hold. It was like a brother holding his sister. She sighed again and slowly drifted off to sleep.
When they arrived in Chicago they grabbed their bags and she followed him silently out of town. She followed him wordlessly, never questioning where they were going or how much longer. When they finally arrived in the little village it was near midday. There were people walking through the streets with carts and packages. No one seemed to notice them until a brown haired girl screeched and ran over to them. She slammed into Spot and wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her close and hugged her before lifting her up.
She pulled away a little and looked down at him, "I missed you."
"I missed you too," he said quietly. He smiled at her and brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face before she kissed him. He kissed her gently and pulled away. The girl smiled up at him and laced her fingers with his before looking over at Melody and raising an eyebrow, surprised. "Emma," he said quietly, "This is my friend Melody."
"Your friend?" Emma asked.
"Yeah," Spot cleared his throat nervously, "We used to be really good friends when I lived in New York."
"So, why is she here?" Emma asked, not bothering to lower her voice.
"She," Spot paused and glanced at Melody, "She needed a break from New York."
Emma shrugged and held out her hand to Melody before saying stiffly, "Hi. I'm Emma."
"I'm Melody," Melody shook Emma's hand and the two pulled away quickly.
Spot turned to Emma and said, "I'm going to go get Melody settled and I'll meet you tonight okay?"
"Ok," Emma kissed him quickly and said, "My barn."
Spot squeezed her hand and led Melody towards his house.
"Who was that?" Melody asked stiffly.
"My girlfriend," Spot said quietly.
"Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" she asked angrily, "That was one of the most awkward situations I've ever been in. I can't believe you just did that to me."
"I didn't think you needed to know I had a girlfriend." Spot said shrugging.
"Well, is there anything else I need to know about your 'new' life here?" Melody snapped.
"Well," Spot paused and looked away, "I'm basically engaged to Emma." Melody stopped walking in the middle of the street. She stared up at him surprised and, he could have sworn, hurt flashed thru her eyes. She finally looked away and didn't say anything. Spot sighed and said, "C'mon, my house is this way."
He led her down the street to the small house and he jumped on the porch before grabbing her bags and entering the house. She followed shyly and stood awkwardly when two women, one younger, one older, hugged Spot and then turned to her with questioning looks on their faces.
Spot cleared his throat and said quietly, "Mum, Heidi, this is my friend Melody, Melody this is my mom, Mae, and my sister, Heidi. "
The three women stood in silence for a few minutes before Spot's mom slowly wrapped her arms around Melody and hugged her tight before saying, "Welcome to our home." She pulled away and looked into Melody's eyes before saying, "I hope you can find what you're looking for here."
Melody smiled softly and said, "Thank you."
Heidi then snapped out of her trance and said, "You can share my room." She excitedly grabbed her bags and took them into her room talking ten miles an hour to Melody the entire time.
Melody followed her and Mae yelled after them, "Dinner at 6:30."
She turned to Spot and raised her eyebrows, "What is the meaning of this Ben? You have a lovely girlfriend and don't you tell me that you two are just friends. I know what's going on between you and Emma and I can tell that something of that nature went on between you and Melody. Now, tell me everything and maybe I'll let you go see Emma for a few minutes before dinner."
Spot sighed and sat down at the small kitchen table as his mom made her way into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
"I guess it's kind of a long story." Spot said quietly.
Mae glanced over at him before looking at the small clock and saying, "You've got an hour and 49 minutes."
Spot smiled softly and said, "I fell in love with her. She was the first girl I had ever fallen in love with." He slowly told her of his past with Melody.
When he was finished Mae sat down in the chair next to his and said, "She is a beautiful girl. She'll be fine in the end. Some young man will fall madly in love with her and whisk her away."
"I know," he said quietly, "but I still feel horrible about hurting her so badly."
"Well," Mae sighed and said, "There's nothing you can do about the past. You can only change the future.
Spot smiled up at her and slowly said, "Can I go see Emma now?"
Mae smiled, "Yes, go see Emma."
"Thanks," Spot kissed her on the cheek and ran out.
A few moments later Melody and Heidi came out of the backroom and Heidi said excitedly, "Melody is going to come to my dance class with me!"
"Really?" Mae asked, "Are you sure you want to Melody?"
Mel smiled, "Yeah, I figure I need something new to do."
Mae smiled, "Well, you two be back in time for dinner."
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Spot ran into the barn and climbed up to the hayloft. He was met with lips pressed against his. He kissed Emma back and wrapped his arms around her waist. She pulled him down into the hay and pinned him down with her body before pulling out of the kiss.
"Hey," she said smiling.
"Hey," he said back. He kissed her again. A few minutes later he pulled away and said, "How are you?"
She shrugged, "I'm doing fine. I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."
"Tell me about Melody," she said, catching him off guard.
"What about her?" he asked cautiously.
"How did you meet her?" she climbed off of him and leaned against a bale of hay.
Spot didn't get up. He put his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling, "Well, we were both Newsies in New York," he shrugged, "We lived in two different parts of New York. I was in Brooklyn and she was in Manhattan, but we still saw each other a lot."
"How did you guys end up together?" Emma asked.
Spot didn't answer for a minute. But when he did he surprised Emma, "I guess, well. We started dating about a year or two after we met. But, I think that even before we started going out," he paused and continued slowly, "I think I was in love with her."
He glanced over at her and she stared down at him before crawling towards him and lying next to him, "Now, you love me."
He smiled down at her and she smiled back before he kissed her.
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When he got home that night he went strait to his room and took off his rain soaked shirt. He threw himself onto his bed and laid on his back thinking. He sat up when he heard a quiet knock on the door. "Yeah?"
The door slowly opened and Melody peeked around it, "Can I come in?"
Spot sat up quickly and rummaged around trying to find a shirt, "I'm sorry, Mel, let me grab a shirt."
"No," she said quietly, "It's ok." He turned to look at her and she said, "I just wanted to say thank you."
"For what?" he asked.
"Bringing me here," she bit her lip nervously and slowly said, "It really means a lot to me." She looked up at him, "So, goodnight."
"Yeah, goodnight."
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Two weeks later Spot, Mae and Emma walked too the town square for the Annual Easter Festival. It was nine in the evening but the middle of the town had been decorated with candles and campfires. Spot smiled when he saw Heidi and Melody standing with a group of girls. They were going to perform tonight. Melody had fallen in love with the dance class and had worked her butt off to be able to perform with the group at the Festival.
He sat in between Mae and Emma on a log bench. The benches were set in a circle creating a small dance floor. To the left of their bench a small band was getting ready to play.
Mae squeezed his hand nervously and he whispered, "They're going to do great, mum."
She smiled up at him and looked intently at the dance floor as the music started. Spot was surprised to see all the girls wearing matching ankle length flowing skirts and breezy white blouses. They were all barefoot and had their hair curled into ringlets and twisted into flowers.
He smiled when Melody winked at him and the girls started dancing. They spun and pranced around the floor. Mae squeezed his hand tighter and he laughed quietly. When the girls were finished both him and Mae stood up to applaud. Emma stayed seated and politely clapped. She smiled when Spot sat back down and she whispered, "Now that they're done can we go?"
Spot glanced at her and then looked back towards where the girls were exiting. "Yeah," he said quietly, "Just give me a second to go talk to Heidi and Mel."
Emma smiled tightly and said, "Ok, I'll be waiting by my barn."
He nodded and kissed his mom on the cheek before making his way over to where all the girls were huddled. He found Heidi and hugged her before congratulating her and asking, "Where did Melody go?"
Heidi smiled softly and said, "She headed back to the house to grab her address book so she could get all the girls addresses before she leaves next week."
"What?" he asked, surprised, "She's leaving?"
Heidi shrugged, "She seems to have her mind set on it."
He slowly turned around and said, "I'm going to go find her," before running towards the house.
When he got there he ran up the stairs and ran inside to Heidi and Mel's room. He pushed open the door quickly and Melody jumped in surprise.
"Spot!" she stared at him, shocked, "You scared me, don't do that!"
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, panting to catch his breath, "But I had to see you."
"Why?" she asked quizzically.
"Because," he sat down on Heidi's bed and said, "Heidi told me you're planning on leaving."
"Yeah, but not for a week at least," she said quietly. She sat down on her bed and brought her knees up to her chest. Her skirt was long enough that it covered down to her feet.
"Are you sure you want to go home?" he asked softly.
She slowly nodded and said, "I think I need to face the reality of living in New York without Blink." She looked over at him, "I have Kes and Race. I'll be fine."
He looked down at his hands, "You did great tonight."
She smiled, "Thank you."
He looked back up at her and studied her face. She was wearing makeup, more makeup than he had ever seen her wear before, and a few strands of her hair was falling into her face.
"Melody," he said quietly.
"Yes," she whispered.
He slowly stood and walked over to her bed before sitting next to her and touching her cheek gently, "You're beautiful." He looked down into her eyes and was surprised to see fear. "Don't be afraid," he whispered, leaning closer to her, "I won't hurt you ever again." He leaned down the rest of the way and pressed his lips to hers. He watched her eyes flutter shut before letting his follow suit. She gently kissed him back and let her legs slide down flat before he pushed her flat onto the bed.