A/N - Okay so I haven't gotten any new characters yet so I'm going to just continue with old ones for now. If you read this and I've had your character in one of my stories and you DON'T WANT them in it anymore, let me know. Or else I'm just gonna use them. If you WANT your character in here, let me know. I don't own Fingers, or Accents. Fingers is owned by missfervent, and Accents is owned by elleestJenn. Thanks guys! - A/N
Spot didn't come home till late, and when he slid into bed, he woke me up with a kiss. I made a face, because he tasted like cigars and ale and it sort of turned my stomach. I had quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant, and it made me really cranky to be around other smokers which was practically the whole Brooklyn contingency.
He was also rather amorous, a fact which was pressed against my back. I rolled over and let him do what he needed to do, just content with the fact that he still wanted me. When he collapsed on top of me, I let him lay there for a few minutes until he turned onto his side, taking me with him.
We lay like spoons in a drawer, and I soon fell back asleep. I was the first one awake in the morning, and I dressed hurriedly in the dark room, trying not to wake Spot up and making sure I didn't walk into any walls. Dangit it was hard to see this early in the morning!
A low chuckle as I whacked my arm against a wall and swore fluently let me know that the King was awake. Frowning, I finally lit our gas lantern and glared at him. He lay on his back, the blanket not covering his chest, arms behind his head, one eye open.
"So you think that was funny?"
"Oh yeah."
"Well fuck you." I shot out, as I stood up to flounce out. Spot leaned forward in the bed and caught my hand, pulling me back. I tumbled onto the mattress and glared up at him as he bent down to kiss me soundly.
"You're so friendly in the morning," he said carefully, his eyes full of mirth as I grumbled and tried pushing him away. When he didn't budge, I finally gave in and laughed back at him.
"Yeah well, you know me! I'm SUCH a morning person." Spot lazily grinned and swiped a lock of my hair out of my face.
"Yeah I know. Little Riot and her little temper."
"Hah! You're not so big yourself...mmph!" I got out before he stopped me with another kiss, this one leaving me a tad breathless.
"Relax, Riot I was only playing," he said as I sat up and he finally got out of bed to get dressed. I didn't say anything to that which I already knew, and just watched him methodically get ready for the day.
When he stretched and offered me his hand, I let him pull me to my feet. Then it was time to rouse the other kids, a task which always proved arduous and thankless. The littlest ones were the worst, and I now felt a twinge of conscious as I imagined waking my own child to work on the streets.
I flicked one of the smaller kid's ears as he blearily slept-walked past me to the washroom, and was rewarded with a yowl and an angry glance. Good, now he was awake. I realized it was Hide, and I also noticed that he needed a haircut. As his twin Seek stumbled past, I made a note that he also needed one as well. It would be haircut time here soon enough.
Today was one of the days I got to sell, and I was happy about that which made me smile for no reason other than I usually cursed having to be on my feet all day long. Grabbing my old Civil War soldier's jacket off of a hook downstairs, I shoved my arms into the sleeves and buttoned it down my chest. Now that it was getting colder in the mornings I was happy that it still fit me with more room to spare. The man I had bought it off of a year ago was tall and large.
Hearing Spot's raised voice, I waited just outside on the street, looking up at the dawn-lightened sky. It was going to be a clear day today, I could see the sun in the windows of some of the higher buildings, even though it was still dark down on the streets.
Spot came out just then, leading a steady stream of sleepy Brooklyn newsies. I smiled at the girls, Emotions, Duck, Bookworm, and Fingers. Sprite had finally gone to be with Skittery in Manhattan.
Fingers paused to talk to me for a few minutes, and I was pleased that she was still with Action. She was a medium sized girl, almost seventeen years of age. She wore her dark brown hair in two braids and had serious green eyes. She dressed in shabby layers and carried a knife on her always as well as her precious violin. She played for money, and didn't have to sell papers, she was that good.
Action stole her away, his green eyes looking amused as he hooked an arm around her neck and kissed her cheek, his black hair still mussed with sleep. I let them walk away and was pleased when Spot came up, wearing his navy pea coat, and gray cap slung low over his eyes.
"Ready?" I nodded and let him take my hand and walked along, happy for the moment being. When we got to the D.O., he kissed me on the mouth as we parted to sell for the day. With an admonishing wag of his finger, he pleaded with me to be careful, and his eyes took in my scarred cheek. I grimaced and promised him I would, even though I was already planning on defying him.
It was early afternoon when I had sold all my papers and I accepted an apple from Seamus, one of the old regulars at the store where I sold my papers outside. Munching gratefully, I half-listened as he told me about his wife's troubles with having children. Great, everyone just suddenly felt like telling me about how hard it was. I wondered if there were any books on the subject, and vowed to ask Accents when I went to Manhattan.
Saluting Seamus, I thanked him for the apple, and walked off, my hands stuffed into the pocket of my coat. I was busy thinking again, and when I finally shook off my stupor, I realized I was already in Manhattan. Blinking, I rubbed a hand across my chin and told myself to wake up and pay attention.
Walking down a side street, I came to the front door of Spencer's Books, and was surprised to see a closed sign. What was this? Cupping a hand to my eyes, I tried looking inside, but I couldn't see through the dirty glass. Obviously this place was no longer in existence. Frowning, I walked away towards Duane Street, and the Manhattan Boy's lodging house.
I was rewarded with Racetrack and Emotions sitting outside. Emotions' eyes bugged out when she saw me, and I instantly felt wary. She had been there when Spot told me not to leave Brooklyn.
"Hi," she said shortly, the smile on her face fading rapidly into a disapproving glower. Racetrack was a little taken aback by the swift change, his dark eyes looking first to his girlfriend, then flitting to my emotionless face.
"Hi," I said back just as disparagingly. Emotions' face became even more stolid and I sighed, not wanting to get into a fight.
"Look, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I was trying to find Accents at the bookstore, and that place isn't open anymore. Do you know where she is?" I directed the question towards Racetrack who took a puff off of his ever present cigar and squinted up at me.
"She's staying with Silver at the girl's lodging house now. The store closed up and she needed money. You should find her there about now." I nodded and turned around to walk away, when I heard Emotions' voice. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that she was looking at me sternly.
"You meet me back here in half an hour, and we'll go back to Brooklyn together, okay?" I narrowed my eyes at her, but just nodded and continued walking on. I greeted a few of the other newsies that I passed who were heading home, running into Itey, Swifty, Jake, and Dutchy.
I soon found myself on the street a few blocks away where the girl's lodging house was. Misery sat outside, smoking a cigarette in the sunshine, her eyes screwed up tight, head cocked to one side. I approached slowly, knowing that she could be volatile. The girl just wasn't all there. She opened one greenish-hazel eye as I reached her, and tucked some of her auburn hair behind an ear. She wasn't wearing her trademark bowler hat with it's crimson ribbon.
"Hey," she said, her voice raspy from cigarettes and alcohol. I noticed purple smudges underneath her eyes, and she seemed skinnier. Concerned, I jutted my chin out and shot her a look.
"What's wrong?" Misery blinked up at me, slightly confused before smiling a tiny smile. Shaking her head, she held up a hand.
"Spare me, Ma Riot. I'm okay." I opened my mouth to protest, and she gave me an angry glare.
"I'm...okay." Holding up my hands, I nodded and went past her up the stairs and into the lodging house. I found Accents quite easily as she sat at the empty table in the lobby, reading Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens. I snorted at that apt tale and dragged a chair out and sat next to her.
Accents was short, like Misery and I. She stood just at five feet, and had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her name was because she spoke in different accents, switching more frequently depending on how nervous she was. She put a finger in the book to mark her place and gave me a friendly smile, speaking in a British accent this time. How perfect.
" 'Ello, 'ello there Riot. What can I do for ya?" Grinning, I shrugged and ran a hand through my hair.
"Well I went to the bookstore to see if you had any books on becoming a mother, but I found the place all boarded up and closed." Accent's face darkened, and she leaned back in her chair, angry.
"Yeah the bleeding rotter ran up a gambling debt that 'e couldn't pay and they took the store from 'im. What a filthy sod. So now I'm 'ere."
"Do you like it here?" I asked curiously. She was the one who shrugged this time and cast a wary eye around before answering.
"It's a wee bit different, but I don't mind," she said changing her accent to a Scottish one. I realized I was getting onto thin ice, and stood up. Waving good-bye, I hurried back to Duane Street, where I found a pissed off Emotions waiting for me.
We didn't even bother snapping at each other as we made our way back. The sun was setting, and we were both footsore and tired. I had only eaten an apple, and I was famished. My stomach was gurgling quite loudly. At one disturbingly loud yowl of protest from lack of food, Emotions sighed and snitched me another apple from a passing vendor, as well as one for herself.
"Thanks," I said quietly as we walked along, eating the sweet, crisp fruit. Apples were always perfect in the fall. Emotions walked alongside me, silent for the time being, but when she pitched her apple core, she stopped and held a hand out for me to stop as well.
"Listen, you and Spot have your own thing to deal with and I know having a baby is scaring the pee outta you. But you have to listen to him, especially if you want our help finding out what he's up to when he goes out at night. Is that a deal? If anything happens to you, he'll lose his mind, I swear." My head was hanging by the time she finished.
Looking up I caught her eye and nodded in silent agreement. Appeased for the moment, Emotions gave me her first real smile and slung an arm around my neck, giving me a rough rub on the crown of my head with a hard-knuckled hand. Yelping, I broke away from her and ran a little ways up the street laughing.
We made it to Brooklyn with no incidents, but I was worried. If Spot found out that I had disobeyed him and gone to Manhattan, I would get into another fight with another person I just plain didn't want to fight with. A hard knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I realized that if he hadn't found out already, he would soon enough. That was what he had lookouts for.
That just aggravated me. I didn't want to stay in Brooklyn until the baby was born. I had friends in other burroughs and if I wanted to see them, I damn well would go, Spot be damned.
"Riot," Emotions said in a warning tone as I stalked along the sidewalk towards the lodging house, spoiling for a fight. Looking over, I stopped again when she did and waited.
"Don't fight with him right now. You should be doing what he says. Spot doesn't act like this to get on your nerves, he does it because he cares." Again, Emotions took the wind out of my sails, just like that. Making a frustrated sound, I pounded a fist into my other hand and let out a huge breath.
"Alright, damnit, I get it." I felt suddenly nauseated as I saw Spot outside with Action, Fingers, and Duck. Their eyes all went to me as Emotions and I walked up, and I noticed the other kids disappear right quick. Frowning, I held my head up and looked at Spot. He looked back with no emotion on his face, blue eyes serious and dark.
"Did you have fun in Manhattan? 'Cuz that's the last time you're going." Well, horse-shit here we went, right into it. Tonight was going to be just lovely.