A/N: So, it has been forever since I updated most of my stories. Life just gets hectic, as I'm sure you all know. But here is the last chapter. Thank you for seeing this story through, I appreciate all your reviews and comments. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 14:

"Melody," a voice called softly through the door, but Melody ignored it. She was looking out the window trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. But she wasn't succeeding.

"Melody," the voice came again, but she ignored it.

'This is all my fault,' she thought, "Why do I have to be so stubborn?'

"Melody!" This time the voice was louder and the door slammed open just moments later.

Melody turned around and spotted Jack out of the corner of her eye, "Oh, hey Jacky."

"Hey," he said quietly, sitting next to her on her bed, "What are you doing?"

She shrugged, "Nothing, just thinking."

"Fine," he said stiffly, obviously angry, "Do you want to go get lunch with me, Kes and Race?"

"No thanks," she said quietly, "I'll just stay here."

"Whatever," Jack stood up and walked back out, slamming the door behind him.

Melody pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed. There was another knock on the door and this time Melody snapped, "What do you want Jack?"

The door creaked open and Kes stepped in, "Hey Mel."

"Oh, hi," Melody turned back to the window, "What do you want?"

"Um, are you sure you don't want to go with us to lunch?" Kes asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Melody sighed again, "I just need to be away from Jack right now."

Kes sat down next to Melody and said, "What's going on with you two?"

Melody shrugged, "Nothing."

"You know, he was going to ask you to marry him the night Race and I got married, why can't you two just go back to that?" Kes asked.

"It's just not that easy Kes!" Melody said, "Jack and I just aren't as perfect as you and Race."

Kes looked at her, hurt plain in her eyes, "Fine."

She stood up to go but Melody said, "Kes, wait, I'm sorry." Kes turned slightly and looked at Melody. Melody sighed and continued, "I know Jack was going to ask me to marry him. He asked me a few weeks later."

"And you said no," Kes stated.

"Yeah," Melody sighed, "I did."

"Because of Spot," Kes confirmed.

"Yeah."

"Melody," Kes sighed, "Why won't you just go see him?"

"Because," Melody smiled softly, "I'm stubborn."

"Obviously," Kes said sarcastically. The two women giggled and Kes said, "Come on Mel, come to lunch with us."

"Ok," Melody said quietly, "Let me grab my coat."

They bundled up in coats, scarves, mittens and boots before heading out into the cold December air. Kes and Melody walked quickly while Race and Jack followed behind. Melody couldn't believe how cold it was. The fall had held record breaking low temperatures, and the winter had followed suit, getting colder than any recorded winter. Snow piles swelled up over doorsteps and windows, causing difficulties for horses and carriages. Even most of the higher class people had to resort to foot transportation.

Luckily the apartment she shared with Jack was on the second floor so they weren't affected by the snow. Some of the younger Newsies had visited; they enjoyed jumping out the window into the deep piles of snow. Sarah and Les' family had come to live with them for a short time after their apartment had suffered snow damages. Melody strongly believed that her relationship with Jack had been ruined by their stay. Sarah and Jack's relationship history was not easily forgotten, and soon Sarah was sharing Jack's bed, not Melody.

Melody didn't blame Sarah. Sarah didn't even know about Melody and Jack's relationship. But Jack had proposed to her just weeks before. They spent weeks fighting about it after Sarah's family had left. Though their fights eventually led to them together in bed, Melody didn't feel the bond they had had months earlier. Spot's arrival in New York had changed everything.

Despite the fact that neither she nor Jack had seen Spot since Kes and Racetrack's wedding, he was a definite presence in their lives. Spot hadn't tried to see her since the wedding, she hadn't tried to see him either, but Jack had removed himself from the situation; becoming angry every time the subject was brought up. She had received multiple letters from Heidi and Mae, but neither of them mentioned Spot. Mel could see the underlying message in most of the letters, "When are you going to get married?" and "Have you found your future husband yet?" But she ignored those parts, and responded with polite commentary on her life.

Slipping into a seat next to Kes, she let her mind wander back to present day life, and passively listened to Jack and Race talk about the new newspaper businesses. Kes asked her some questions, and she answered mindlessly without engaging in conversation. A sudden tug at her elbow made her focus on her surroundings. She was surprised to see a younger Newsie, she thought his name was Dent, standing next to her, looking worried.

"Can I help you?" she asked, calling the attention of the others at the table.

"Mel," he panted, he had obviously run the whole way there, "Spot's in trouble."

"What? How?" Melody questioned. She could instantly feel her pulse start to race.

"He's sick. He told us we shouldn't tell you'se, bud 'e won't wake up now. Shooter told me ta come get you. He says things aint lookin' good for Spot."

"Take me to him," Melody demanded. She turned to Kes, "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"I know," Kes smiled softly, "We'll see you later."

"Ok," Melody said quietly. She glanced at Jack and said, "Jack, I-," but he cut her off.

"Melody, go," Jack said calmly. He smiled softly at her and said, "Tell him if he dies and leaves you alone I'll kick his ass."

Smiling, Melody said, "Thanks."

She turned and followed the Newsie out of Tibby's and across the Brooklyn Bridge. Her heart pounded, and her stomach jumped nervously. She held her tears down; the thought of him dying ripped her heart in two. As soon as they arrived at the Brooklyn Lodging House Melody ran up the stairs and into Spot's room where a large crowd of Newsies stood. A deep mourning seemed to have settled on the room, and for a minute Melody feared the worst, until she pushed her way through the crowd and saw Spot take a gasp of air before coughing.

"Melody," Shooter said from his chair by the bed, "Thank God you're here."

"How's he doing?" she asked, kneeling beside the bed.

"Not good," Shooter said quietly, "We almost lost him last night, but he's still hanging on."

Melody gently touched Spot's forehead, gasping at how hot he was, "Everybody needs to get out. Being surrounded by people isn't going to help him at all. Ace grab me all the blankets you can find and the towels too. Bring me a bowl of hot water and a wash rag as well." The Newsies quickly filed out and soon the things she had requested were placed in front of her.

She quickly piled blankets and towels around Spot, tucking them under him, and then took the hot rag and wiped his forehead gently. He shivered before groaning and shifting in his sleep. Melody sighed and said softly, "Come on Spot, you can't die. You can't leave me alone."

Folding the hot rag, she placed it on his forehead and reached under the blankets to grasp his hand. He was shaking, and his fingers clung to hers. He had obviously been sick for a while, at least a few weeks. He had thinned out from not eating and his skin had gone from bronzed tan to pale grey.

It was obvious to her that he had been suffering as much, if not more, than she had. Even in his sleep his face looked tired and upset. Guilt surged through her body; it was partly her fault that he was so sick. She had been stubborn, and he had suffered for it. Tears fell freely down her cheek s and she whispered, "God, Spot, I'm so sorry." She rested her head on the bed and sniffled, "I shouldn't have let you go again. Why do I always push you away?" She looked up at him and said softly, "I understand if you're upset with me, but you can't leave me. I love you."

There was a soft knock on the door and she turned quickly, wiping tears from her eyes as Shooter walked in, carrying another armful of blankets.

"How's he doing?" he asked quietly.

Melody shrugged, "The same as before. It will take a while for anything to help. How long has he been sick?"

It was Shooter's turn to shrug, "A few weeks, over a month at least."

"Why didn't he come to me for help? He knows I could have helped him," Melody said, squeezing Spot's hand.

"He's stubborn," Shooter said simply.

Melody laughed quietly and said, "Just like me."

"Yeah," Shooter chuckled, "Do you need anything else?" She shook her head and he left, leaving her alone with Spot again.

As the hours passed by his temperature slowly started going down, but she was in constant fear for his life. When night came, and he was still shivering, Melody lifted the blankets off him. When the cold winter air hit him, goose bumps flared up over his skin and his shivering worsened. Melody quickly slid in bed with him, wrapping her body around his. She wrapped the blankets tightly around them before burying her head in his shoulder and whispering, "Stay with me Spot." His shivers slowly faded and went away and his temperature started going down. His body was ice against hers, but her body heat was obviously helping.

Finally, around one or two in the morning, his breathing steadied. His eyes fluttered open slightly and he looked down at her.

"Melody?" he asked, his voice rough.

She shushed him and gently touched his cheek, "Go to sleep. You need the rest."

"But -," he started to say slowly.

She cut him off, "Don't worry about it, just go to sleep."

He nodded slowly and rested his head back on the pillow. With all the strength he had left, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. When Melody heard him softly snoring, she finally let herself relax and she fell asleep as well.

MNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMN

Only a few hours later Melody slowly woke up, gasping for air. Somehow, within only a few hours, Spot's temperature had risen to normal causing both of them to start sweating profusely. Melody tried to turn over, but found Spot's arms still wrapped tightly around her. Her legs were tangled in his and her head was cuddled tightly into his chest.

Gently she pulled out of his grasp, smiling when she saw him roll over contently and push some of the blankets off of him. She quietly pulled her jacket on and bundled up again before leaving the room.

Shooter was sitting at a small table down in the common room, leaning back with his feet up on the table. When he saw her he jumped up and came to help her down the last few stairs, "How's he doing?"

Melody smiled softly and said, "He's going to be alright. His temperature is back up and he's not coughing anymore. Give him a few hours and he'll be awake. When he does wake up make sure he stays in bed, if you're going to give him anything, give him soup or something hot."

"Don't you want to stay to see him?" Shooter asked.

"I can't," Melody looked up at him, "I don't think he wants to see me."

"Ok," Shooter said quietly, "I'll do what I can to take care of him."

"Thanks," she whispered.

"No, I should be the one thanking you," he whispered back. He hugged her tightly and said, "Now go get some sleep, you look half dead."

MNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMN

Opening his eyes slowly, Spot looked around his room and gently shook his head. He unhurriedly sat up and found clean clothes in a neat pile at the end of his bed. Weakly, he pulled his clothes on and cracked the door open. Shooter was sitting in a chair fast asleep.

"Shooter?" Spot asked quietly, his voice cracked and he cleared his throat before saying, "Shooter, wake up." He kicked Shooter's foot gently.

Shooter's eyes sprang open and he said, "What time is it?"

"I'm not sure," Spot said. He put a hand to his forehead and leaned against the doorframe for support. He muttered, "What the hell happened?" He made his way downstairs and grabbed a glass of water from the sink before saying, "I can't really remember anything."

"You were really sick," Shooter said quietly, "We were all afraid you were going to die."

"What happened?" Spot asked, sipping the water.

"Melody," Ace said simply.

"Melody?" Spot asked. A distant memory came to mind. "What did she do?"

"She saved your life," Shooter said quietly.

It took only a moment for Spot to realize what he had said. She had been with him in his bed. He could barely make out the memory, but he knew it was true. "I have to go find her," Spot threw the cup in the sink and made to run back up the stairs, but instead he collapsed weakly against the wall.

"Spot, you're in no condition to go outside," Shooter said, helping Spot up. Spot leaned against him and they slowly made their way upstairs.

"Is she coming back?" Spot asked, worried.

Shooter shrugged, "I don't know. But right now you need to focus on getting better. You're only halfway there." Spot sighed and Shooter continued, "If you don't get better and we have to call Mel back, she is going to be pissed. So you might as well just get some rest."

Sighing again, Spot said, "Fine." He collapsed back on his bed, noting the soft smell of Melody's perfume on his pillow.

MNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMN

Against Spot's wishes, Scooter confined him to his bedroom for two weeks. Spot got restless quickly and soon found himself doing anything he could to pass the time. Eventually he was well enough to walk around the boarding house and, nearly a month later, Scooter finally let him go outside again.

Most of the snow drifts had melted and the beginnings of spring had set in. He was able to walk down to the docks with a few of the Newsies. Scooter made him put on enough layers to smother a goat, but Spot was content to be out in the fresh air. Sitting on the docks, admiring the water, he asked Scooter quietly, "When can I go see Melody?"

"When do you want to?" Scooter asked quietly.

"Now?" Spot asked.

Scooter sighed, "If she was living anywhere other than Brooklyn, I would say no, but she lives pretty close by."

Without another word, Spot stood up and headed off the docks. It took him less than fifteen minutes to find Melody's street and he knocked on the door. Only a few moments later, Jack pulled open the door. The two men stood, staring at each other.

After a moment Jack cleared his throat, "Hey, Spot, what can I do for you?"

"Is Melody here?" Spot asked.

"No," Jack said slowly, "She went to Manhattan this morning. She should be back soon if you want to wait."

"No, I need to find her now, but thanks," Spot said, smiling. He turned to go, "Oh, Jacky, sorry about your face."

Jack shrugged, chuckling, "I probably deserved it. I should know better than to get between you two." Spot chuckled too and turned away again. Jack stopped him, "Where are you going?"

Spot grinned, "Manhattan."

MNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMN

Melody smiled, leaning against the railing of the Brooklyn bridge. She took a deep breath, loving the smell of the start of spring. This was probably one of her favorite spots in New York. The middle of the Brooklyn bridge. You could see everything. She watched as a few boats tugged by underneath her and the sun glistened off the water.

"There's just something about the Brooklyn bridge," a voice said next to her, making her jump.

She turned to see Spot leaning weakly against the rail a few feet away from her. "You scared me," she said, putting a hand to her heart. She eyed him slowly. He was looking much better than when she had last seen him sick in bed. He had gained weight back and his color was normal. He still looked fragile, leaning on the rail. "Should you be out of bed," she asked. She put her hand to his forehead to check his temperature, "How are you feeling?"

He ignored her and grabbed her hand, "Mel, I'm fine."

"You don't know that!" she said, worried, "You could still catch cold again. It's not summer yet."

"Scooter made me put on seven layers, I'm fine," Spot said, reassuringly. He looked down at her and gently tucked a strand of her hair out of her face with his free hand. His other hand still grasped hers tightly. "I had to come see you."

"Why?" she asked, looking away from him.

"Mel, you saved my life," Spot said quietly. He tipped her chin up so she would look at him, "I owe you my life."

"No you don't," she said quietly. Slowly he saw tears form in her eyes. "I just -," she paused, "I was so scared you were going to die." The tears slid down her cheeks and she gasped for air as she started crying. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him. She cried into his chest, soaking his first layer of clothing. When she finally pulled away he wiped away some of her tears with his thumb. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"No, I'm sorry," he said, chuckling. "I should have come to see you when I first got sick or had someone come and get you. I was being stubborn."

She chuckled, still wiping away some of her tears, "I'm not surprised." He watched her as she wiped her face and ran her fingers through her hair, "What?" she asked, concerned.

"How could I ever imagine being with someone else?" he cupped her face in his hands and tiled her face up so he could look her in the eye, "I was such an idiot, Mel."

She smiled up at him and said slowly, "I'm really not surprised. You tend to have occasional idiotic moments, Spotty Boy." He grinned down at her. "Now, are you going to kiss me, or do I have to beg?" she teased.

He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her. She eagerly kissed him back, smiling against his lips. When they pulled apart for air he said, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Are you sure you can stand me for that long?" she teased.

"Positive," he smiled and kissed her again. Her head spun and her knees went weak.

'Finally,' her whole body seemed to say, 'Finally you found him again.' The tension released from her shoulders and she leaned into him. He gently cupped her cheek with one hand, caressing her creamy skin. When they broke apart again, he smiled down at her and gently took her hand to lead her back towards Brooklyn.

"Wait," she said. She pulled him back to the rail. "It's almost time."

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"Listen," she closed her eyes. He watched her, curious. A few moments later he heard soft ringing in the distance. It got louder and he realized it was church bells. Glancing at his pocket watch he saw it was five. More and more churches chimed in, and the bells got louder and louder. A new sound joined in as the boats below started honking their horns. Spot watched Melody's face; her eyes still shut, but her mouth spreading into a wide grin. When he couldn't hold it in anymore he leaned in and kissed her again, deeply. She wrapped her arms around him again and kissed him back as the bells and boats rang around them.

As the ringing subsided, a breeze whipped past them, causing Melody's hair to billow around them. He tucked it back before saying, "I love you."

She grinned up at him, "I love you too."