A/N - I'm hoping to still see some of my old reviewers around, and lurkers please leave me some love! Thanks guys. Also I don't own Pixie she is owned by MushSpotgoil, and I don't own Siren or Miles, they are owned by missfervent. Accents is owned by elleestjenn, and Angel is owned by xxWickedWench. Thanks guys! -A/N
When I woke up the next morning I was highly disconcerted, expecting to be in bed with Spot. I actually rolled right off the cot in a tangle of blankets, after stretching out an arm to hook around Spot.
Popping up, I swore fluently and looked around hoping that nobody saw that. Everyone was still asleep. I grunted and standing up went to the washroom and cleaned up, then got dressed. Realizing I had left my favorite cabby hat in Spot's room, I went down the hall. Standing before the door, I took a deep breath.
Knocking on the door, I didn't hear an answer so I cracked it a little. What I saw made me gag and filled my stomach with nausea that wasn't just from morning sickness. Spot lay on the mattress, on his side facing away from Pixie, who slept next to him, her arm slung around him like I used to do. Spot was mostly fully clothed as was Pixie, but it was the fact that he had his hand in her out-flung one, their fingers interlaced.
Rigid with fury, I contemplated raising a scene, but I just went over to the corner where I had left my hat sitting on Spot's desk, and then tip-toed towards the door. Unfortunately I hit a squeaky board, and I froze in place.
I thought everything was okay and was just starting to relax and take another step when I heard a muffled grunt. I didn't even turn around, I just headed for the door. That's when Spot must've fully woken up because I heard him say, "Riot? What...Oh SHIT! Riot!"
I didn't look back, I just stiffened my shoulders and kept walking, down the hallway and down the stairs to the lobby.
I was almost out the front door when he caught me, grabbing onto my arm and wrenching me around. His blue eyes were full of sleep, guilt, anger, and frustration. I looked down at the tight grip he had on my arm, and he lifted his hand away like I had burned him.
"It's not what you think, Riot." His voice was gruff and gravelly with sleep and I bit my lip remembering how much I liked it when it sounded that way. Then I shook my head.
"I'm tired of hearing that Spot. Just...Do what you're going to do. Christ you at least gave Cinder a few months before you moved on." I saw the words slap him in the face, and he took a step back, hurt flashing in his eyes before they hardened.
"You can never listen to reason can you? You know I used to wonder if you were touched in the head, some of the things you say and do just don't fit in around here. I guess I was right." That in turn made me gasp in a deep breath of hurt and we stood staring at each other.
"Let's not do it like this," I said softly, reaching out to touch him on his chest, laying a hand over the thin material of his undershirt where his heart was. Spot looked at me confused.
"Let's not end it angry at each other. I'll just leave, it's okay. Silver will take me in, or I can go back to the Points. I'm sure Old Maggie would let me a room." Now Spot looked shocked and spluttered for a minute.
"You think I'm going to let you leave, pregnant and all? What kind of guy do you take me for?" I gave him a sad smile, then leaned forward and kissed him on the lips gently.
"One who's moved on," I whispered as I turned around and put my cap onto my head. I felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me, but I wouldn't face him. Not right now when there were fresh tears springing up in my eyes.
"Riot I'm telling you again that it's not what you think, I thought her hand was yours in my sleep...But if you feel like you gotta go right now then please go to Silver's. I know they'll take care of you there until I can convince you otherwise." Spot's voice was thick with emotion and mine was clogged with tears so I just nodded and then walked out the door.
I hadn't taken any clothing with me, but I knew Silver who was the head of the girl's lodging house in Manhattan would help me find some. Walking and crying, I was offered a ride in the cart of a coal seller. He even let me ride up front and gave me a handkerchief to use. He was elderly and said I reminded him of his dead wife when she had been young.
I thanked him profusely when he dropped me off on Duane Street in Manhattan and assured him I would be alright as well as the baby. It was early, the newsies were just heading to work and I greeted a few curious ones as I headed for Silver's.
There were two people outside Silver's I didn't recognize. One was a girl of medium height who was willowy with light brown hair that waved slightly to her shoulders and soulful hazel eyes. She wore a red coulter shirt and black canvas trousers. Because it was a slightly chilly autumn morning, she wore a tattered gray blazer.
"Is Silver still inside?" I asked her. The girl cocked her head as if deciding whether or not to answer me civilly or not. Then taking in my ragged appearance and red, swollen eyes, plus the belly that I was starting not to be able to hide, she made her decision.
"Yes cher, I think she still is."
"Thank you," I mumbled, trying not to meet her searching eyes. The other person, a tall lanky fellow with closely cropped blackish brown hair and the oddest rusty colored eyes offered me a handkerchief. His face was kind, but always mobile as if he was constantly twitching. It reminded me of kids I had known back in modern times who had ADHD. He had a strong jaw and a slightly upturned nose spattered with a few freckles.
He wore a dark green gambler's shirt rolled up at the sleeves with a gray thermal shirt underneath. His pants were dark brown railhead's and he wore brogan shoes and suspenders hung at his waist.
"No thanks, I'm okay," I said to him with a smile. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and his face seemed to change expression a few times. Holding out a finger, he wagged it at me, his thick black eyebrows drawing down near his eyes.
"You're Spot Conlon's girl. I saw you with him a few times. I'm from the Vinegar Hill area in Brooklyn, it's where I work at a bar."
"Was."
"Was what?" His twitchy expression was comical and it made me laugh which was a sight better than crying at that point.
"I was Spot Conlon's girl. My name is Riot." The young man gave me a horrified expression and shot a glance over at the slender younger girl listening to us.
"He left you...with that?" The boy pointed at the swelling of my stomach and I sighed. The girl broke in with a rapid volley of French, which the boy answered then they both looked at me.
"It's a long story...err?"
"My name is Siren, and he is Miles." Siren had a thick French accent and she had cocked her head and was watching me intently again. Miles just looked surprised and sort of sad. Then his mobile face changed into a humorous expression and he cracked a joke about a priest, and a donkey that had me laughing, and Siren elbowing him in the gut.
"Stupid! You know I am religious. Now it is time for me to pray before I start singing. Bow your heads." Miles quick glance told me that I was included, and I quickly did so. I didn't want to get Siren mad at me.
"Holy Father please bless my performance and keep me safe once more today as well as Miles and this new girl, Riot, plus her baby. Amen." We all said 'Amen' and I was touched that she had included me. Then I left the two standing outside, Siren beginning to sing in a haunting voice, Miles slouched against the wall next to her.
Silver was sitting inside at a table with Accents when I walked in. Silver stood up when she saw my face, and Accents looked concerned, her blue eyes taking in my face. Silver's gray eyes nailed me to the floor when I told them that Spot had broken it off with me and I had found him in bed with another girl.
"I'll kill him myself!" Silver raged and I smiled, because it reminded me of Emotions. Accents was thinking, she had wrapped an arm around her waist and her eyes looked at me closely.
"Are you sure it wasn't as he said? People do things in their sleep, I read about it in this book...I just mean maybe Pixie was scared and he slept next to her to help her sleep."
"Yeah and rats have wings, I'm sure. We all know Conlon and his moves." Silver's pale face colored at the broken expression on my face and she apologized quietly.
"It could well have been just that Accents, you're right. But we've been fighting so much lately and he forbids me from doing so much. I...I can see why Cinder started sneaking off to see Spook." My mind went to Declan and how I would have gone to him for help and felt like such a scumbag. But in these times if you didn't have a man to protect you and look out for you, you better have good friends.
Luckily for me, I found that I did. Silver brought me upstairs and showed me to a cot and pointed out a hook on the wall where I could hang clothes. When I explained that I didn't have any of mine, she said she'd send one of the girls to go get them.
"I know, I'll send Angel. That way she can see Rooster." We both shared a laugh at that unlikely pairing and then Silver and Accents had to leave to sell. I was supposed to clean up or something like that.
I sat on my new cot for awhile, and just thought hard about my situation. I wondered how easy it would actually be to cut ties with the King of Brooklyn and thought that it wasn't going to be bloody easy. He was going to make this difficult. Plus did I really want to end it with him?
My thoughts enwrapped me for quite some time until I realized that it was early afternoon and I better get a move on. Making all the beds in the large room that served as a dormitory, I found a broom parked in a corner and swept that room, then the one downstairs.
They had a small kitchen area that for a house full of girls was filthy. There were dishes and pots to be scrubbed, and I set about scrubbing the floor too, until a shadow fell across the block of sunshine I had been kneeling in. Wiping a hand over my sweat stained brow, I looked up as I dropped the scrub brush into the bucket of filthy water next to me with a 'plop' and blanched.
Emotions stood there, her arms crossed, hazel eyes pissed off as all get out. Angel stood next to her, looking from me to her, unsure of what to do, her apple green eyes worried. I knew Angel wanted to stay in good standing with Brooklyn right now but it Emotions wanted to soak me she would probably jump in and help.
"I am so mad at you, I think I could snap your neck. Didn't us girls say we'd take care of it? Did we or did we not?" Emotions spoke through gritted teeth. I stood up, wiping my hands on my already dirty pants and gave her an angry look back.
"Yeah you took care of it so well she ended up in bed with him!"
"She was almost raped!"
"Spot is smothering me!"
"He loves you." The last words were quiet and forcefully said. Angel held out a gunnysack and gave a high pitched nervous laugh.
"Here are your clothes...although it was a fight just to get them." Emotions was still staring at me as I took the bag from Angel and thanked her.
"Angel scram, me and this dumb broad need to talk." Angel actually squeaked and ran out of the room. I was flabbergasted. She was a tough, tough girl but not many could compare to Emotions, especially when she was in a snit.
We both took seats at the small table that was pushed against a wall near two windows that let in some sunlight. They were dirty too, something else to add to my list, I sighed. Emotions pulled out her switchblade and began cleaning her fingernails, something she did when she was upset.
"Listen Emotions, I know that you're upset about all this but you just don't understand..."
"No YOU don't understand! I care about both of you two and to see him in so much pain because you're being stupid..."
"HEY!" I smacked my hand down on the table and glared at her. She jammed her knife into the table's surface and glared back.
"HE'S the one who slept in the same bed as her. HE'S the one who's been telling me what I can and can't do! I'm NOT a child! I'm HAVING his child!" Then I burst into tears thanks to my wonderful hormone imbalance that expectant mother's go through and Emotions moved closer and started patting my back.
"He won't stop until he gets you back, you know," she said quietly. I lifted my tear-stained face and snorted bitterly.
"He gave up Cinder didn't he? What's another girl to him?" Emotions leaned back and looked disappointed in me.
"You're his girl. He loves you, and he wants that baby that is also his you're carrying. He wants the both of you so much it scares him. That's why he's been all over you, watching you and trying to keep you SAFE. You run off on your hair-brained adventures and give the man a heart attack. What do you expect him to do, just pat you on the head and let you go your merry way? That's not how this is going to end and you know that."
"What if I don't want him? What then?" There was silence in the kitchen as Emotions processed that information before shaking her head.
"Stop lying to yourself kid. You love him just as much as he loves you and I know YOU'RE scared too. Scared of that, and scared of this." She indicated 'this' by pointing at my swelling belly. I curled an arm around it and hung my head.
"Maybe you're right Emotions..." she snorted and shot me a look.
"I KNOW I'm right, sister."
"But!" I held up a finger, "He is too controlling and he is smothering me. It's driving me away. If he can't deal with that then there's no hope." Emotions gave me a sad smile and patted me on the shoulder.
"There's always hope when two people love each other. Now make sure you go to Medda's tonight okay? Promise me you will. Some of us girls are going to be there and we want to see you. Siren is singing, it'll be fun." I looked at her doubtfully as she stood up.
"I don't really feel like having fun right now," I said dismally. Emotions laughed and put her knife back into a pocket.
"That's exactly why you SHOULD go. Now promise!" She spat into her hand and held it out and I obediently did the same. We shook, and Emotions' seemed satisfied. Then she left to go see Racetrack and I went upstairs to get cleaned up and ready to deal with going to Medda's, even though I just wanted to curl into a ball on my cot. Fun! Hah! We'd damn well see about that.
SHOUT OUTS!
Elleestjenn - Yes Spot broke up with her, he's being a jerk sort of. You were right! You actually gave me the idea for her to go to Manhattan, thank you.
MushSpotgoil - I'm glad you're letting me use your character how I like. She may not seem good at first, but we'll see what happens :)