Always and Forever... Maybe *Spot Conlon*

Chapter 16: Bowery

"Yeah."

"Come on in," Isaac says, tilting his head and opening the door wider. Mush and I follow him into the main room. All the Bowery newsies are sitting on two couches or on the floor, talking in hushed tones with grim looks, which worries me. Usually, the Bowery boys are over the top obnoxious and are always yelling and laughing. I've never seen them so grim.

"Hey guys, Mush and Danny are here," Isaac says before he sits down in the chair that faces the two couches. The guys look up at us, putting on smiles and waving.

Only one newsie gets up and hugs both of us. "I's so happy you guys are here again! Boy, have I missed you!"

I laugh. "Nice to see you too, Cheers."

Cheers was my best friend when I lived in the Bowery with my parents. He's the same age as me and has been a newsie since he could walk. His parents left him in the street as a young toddler, and Isaac found him and took him in. He's the most optimistic person I know, even more than Crutchy. He got his name because he's always so cheerful.

Cheers pulls me down to sit next to him on the floor.

"So, Mush and Danny are here 'cause of the kid," Isaac says.

"Uh, yeah, 'bout that," Mush starts. "Were they a newsie?"

Isaac rolls his eyes. "I was gettin' there, Mushy, just let me talk."

I bite the inside of my cheek nervously. Isaac's not the most cheerful person, and he gets irritated easily, but he never lets it show unless it's really bad. If he's snapping at Mush, it must be really bad. Mush must have realized the same thing, because he shuts up immediately.

"As I was sayin', the kid in the papes was Tiny, our youngest newsie," Isaac continues. I flinch. "He was only nine, and I still ain't sure why he was killed, but I know he was stabbed. Seven times, in the back."

I can't help the gasp that falls out of my mouth. I didn't read the article in the pape, I was too busy trying to sell my papers as quick as I could. And the headline was enough to sell them.

"Isaac, you think it could be the Bronx?" Steal asks from a couch. Steal is a little older than Mush, and he got his name from, obviously, always stealing things.

Isaac shrugs. "Could be."

I glance between the two of them. "What's goin' on with the Bronx?"

"A few weeks ago, the leada of the Bronx paid us a visit," Isaac explains. "Told us that they wanted to expand their sellin' spots. They said since we had the smallest group, we's the easiest to convince. I told 'em that we ain't interested in givin' up our borough. They said that they would end up convincin' us."

"So, they could be tryin' to start a borough war?" Mush asks.

"If it was 'em that killed Tiny. Ain't sure yet."

"So, what do we do now?" Hipster asks.

"We keep sellin'," Isaac says. "Ain't nobody gonna scare the Bowery out of sellin'. If it was the Bronx that killed Tiny, we can't let 'em think they got the best of us."

"But if it they killed Tiny, what stops 'em from killin' more of you?" I ask.

"Buddy system. Nobody goes out alone, nobody leaves the lodgin' house afta dark," Isaac says. "We ain't losin' anymore newsies."

Isaac stands and walks off, a sign that the meeting is done. Mush and I talk to some of the other newsies before leaving.

"Be safe!" I yell at all of them as we walk out the door. They nod and wave.

"Hey, if the Bronx is out for the Bowery, we got to be careful too. 'Hattan could be next," Mush says when we arrive back at the 'Hattan newsie lodge.

I nod. "I understand. Hey, you talk to the boys, I'm gonna go tell Spot."

"Can't ya wait 'til mornin'? It's gettin' pretty late."

"I goin' to Brooklyn. Nobody's gonna hurt me there."

Mush sighs. "Fine, but be extra careful, ok?"

I nod and take off running. Spot's pacing by his crates when I arrive.

I frown. "What's wrong?"

Spot looks up at me and stops pacing. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why not?"

"Do you not know what's happenin'?"

"'Bout the kid in Bowery? I came here to talk to you 'bout it, actually. The Bronx-"

"Is tryin' to expand. I know."

"How?"

"They showed up today. Told me I should give up Brooklyn. Said the Bowery didn't listen, and they paid."

"So, they did kill Tiny! This is bad," I say.

Spot continues pacing. "Yeah. Now I gotta decide what to do. I can't put my boys at risk and have one of 'em die. But I also can't give up Brooklyn."

I step closer to him and place a hand on his arm, forcing him to stop his pacing. "Hey, you'll figure it out. Remember, Brooklyn's powerful. The boys know how to survive."

Spot sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I know. But you need to stop runnin' back and forth between here and 'Hattan. The Bronx is gonna find out we's together and they'll try to take you. So, you need to stay in 'Hattan, okay? No more comin' to see me, 'specially at night."

I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Spot rests his forehead on my shoulder, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I can't promise I won't come to see you. But I won't at night. And trust me, I know you'll figure it out. You's Spot Conlon, the feared King of Brooklyn. Nothin' can stop you," I whisper.

Spot lets out a breathy laugh. "Right."

I pull away from him a little so I can look at him. "And, most importantly, you's mine. And nothin' is gonna change that."

Spot closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, kissing my forehead. He opens his eyes again and smiles before kissing my lips softly. "You's the best darlin'."

*A/N: eeeeeee thanks so much for 100 reads! I appreciate all of you!*