Shout out to newsiesluva for correctly answering my lyric challenge! Thank you!

Chapter 7

Feeling slightly concerned, Spot ignored the fact that he was outnumbered and looked at Spike coldly. "So dis is how ya life ends Spike?" he mocked, aiming his slingshot straight at his newfound enemy. "With me throwin' ya sorry excuse for a newsie off dis Bridge?"

Spike laughed harshly, revolver still in hand, and looked up at the dark, stormy sky that had aroused in the short period after sundown. "Isa don't think youse in da position ta be talkin' about life an' death Conlon," he chuckled mirthlessly. "Especially when Isa da one who's got ya cornered." He took a step towards Spot, ready to fire. "Ya got any last words?" Spot glared at the former Queens second with untold rage. "It was youse dis whole time," he growled. "Youse was against us from da beginning. Watt, did Giant send ya ta Queens just ta befriend Fury all dose years ago?"

The newsies spat at the ground. "Nah, back den Isa was still in good with Queens. River was leader, Fury was still second an' Isa was err' friend. When River disappeared Fury sent me ta follow im', an' dat's where Isa met Giant. Best thing dat coulda eva happened ta me. He said dat Isa could be part 'o' something bigger; da downfall 'o' Brooklyn!" He laughed maniacally. "All Isa had ta do as second 'o' Queens was keep an' eye on dere movements an' report back ta Harlem from time ta time, makin' sure Fury turned a blind eye ta Brooklyn's troubles. But when youse soaked Giant's second, who was River in disguise, me job got bigger. I was ta keep da Queen away from youse an' ya little war, thinkin' dat youse would nova turn ta ya worst enemy for help, but den youse come strutting in ta my territory like ya own da place an' win err' ova in spite 'o' me efforts ta dissuade Fury. Dang, she was dead set on helpin' youse all outta ya little hole, sayin' junk about how Queens needed ta become beta, more friendly ta others. Isa just had ta wait it all out."

He breathed, starting up again. "Isa was still gonna let youse live, for den, Conlon. But aft' youse started ta get closer ta Fury things got risky, an' before Isa knew I'm on da streets all because youse convinced err' ta throw me out! An' ya know watt's worse? Isa get ova ta Giant's place, ta da people Isa really loyal ta, an' he discards me like trash! Says Isa wasn't good for nothin' else an' ta get outta his sight! Well I'm done bein' a pawn Conlon, Isa done! I took ova Harlem, gonna defeat Brooklyn, an' den go fight Queens. It's time Isa took me place as leader 'o' dis town, startin' right here with youse." The new leader of Harlem cocked his pistol and aimed-

"SPIKE, PUT THE GUN DOWN!" a hard, demanding voice rang out from 10 feet away. Spike and Spot both snapped their heads up to see Fury, the entire Queens borough and all of Manhattan encompassing the group, ready to take on Spike's team. Spot's jaw dropped at the sight of Jack Kelly and his band of newsies standing there, recalling their decision to stay out of the war. But as Jack caught Spot's eye and winked, the King suddenly knew; Manhattan and Queens were allies- Jack had had Spot's back all along.

"When'd youse decide ta join da party, Kelly?" Spot called out, half joking. Jack just shrugged and nodded to Racetrack, who was standing right in between Fury and himself. "Race's idea actually. Said dat youse would need da help aft' Spike disappeared. We've been soakin' half of Harlem's traitors for nearly two weeks since dey attacked ya LH back in Brooklyn. Youse shoulda had another attack comin' aft' da 'final' one if it weren't for us!" Spot turned to Fury, who had her knife out and poised to strike at a moment's notice. "An' youse knew about all dis? 'Hattan's involvement, dem holdin' back da rest 'o' Harlem, da whole nine yards?"

Fury shrugged, the flames in her eyes swirling around like a bonfire. She was obviously still mad at him. "Leader's have secrets Conlon," she told him harshly. "You don't even know half of my closet skeletons." Spot sighed, shaking his head. Now he'd never would.

Meanwhile Spike was scared. Not the nervous kind, not the jittery kind, downright plain old scared. His plans were shattered before they'd even began. "No!" he kept shouting into the howling wind of the storm. "No, dis ain't possible- everything was perfect- Isa- I'll fight all 'o' ya!" Fury looked at her old second with compassionate understanding. "Spike, it doesn't have to be like this," she said in a warning tone, trying to maintain control of an otherwise chaotic situation. "You can walk away now, Spike. No one's been hurt yet, and if you stop this no one will. Just put down the gun and walk away. We won't hold it against you, you can even get out of here a free man. Go back to Harlem, govern your territory, we can't stop you. We're not your enemies Spike."

"We're not?" Racetrack asked his best friend. Fury kept her eyes on Spike and kicked Race in the shin. "That's right Race, we're not," she repeated dangerously, voicing the phrase at the Italian more than anyone else. "Just walk away and we can all go home."

"No!" Spike shouted at her, causing everyone in the group, even the Harlemers, to shift uncertainly. "Isa not goin' down without a fight!" With that he lunged at Spot, desperately trying to rip the King's throat out. Unfortunately, being a newsie in Brooklyn, Spot knew how to fight as well, and the evenly matched newsboys scuffled around violently while everyone else watched. "Do something!" Jack desperately yelled at Fury, who was staring at the brawl with a terrified expression. "I can't!" she retorted, straining to make herself heard over the winds that were shaking the Bridge to its very foundations. "I might kill Spot!"

As the battle between Spike and Spot raged on the Harlem leader found himself having the upper hand, and he roughly pushed Spot towards the hole in the railing while the King clutched the edge of it for dear life. "Beta say ya good-byes Conlon!" he snarled triumphantly. "Dey'll be ya last before ya die!"

Spot drew in a breath and bit his lip, looking directly at Fury and all of her beauty and intelligence the entire time. She stared back at him, and realization dawned upon her face. A look of panic spread across her features as Spot said "If Isa gonna die tonight, I'll take you with me." And then, grasping Spike's arms tightly, he let go of the railing, dragging the Harlem leader down into the choppy waters below them.

$N$

Fury screamed and rushed forward but was powerless to stop Spot from falling into the river. She watched hopelessly as he disappeared into the choppy waves beneath her, wanting desperately to dive in after him but knowing full well she couldn't. The Queen felt her legs give way beneath her and let Race catch her before she fell in as well, pulling her back from the edge of the gap and setting her down on the ground. Sitting next to his friend, Race let her cry on his shoulder as she let out all the remorse she felt. "I shouldn't have left!" she sobbed dryly into his shirt. "I shouldn't have said anything, I could've saved him Race! Now it's too late."

Race cocked his head, understanding. "Fury, youse couldn't have done nothin' ta change his mind anyways," he consoled. "He did it ta protect us, ta protect you especially. He loved youse Trinity; enough said." Fury smiled weakly at her friend's affectionate use of her name and stood up to start off down the road. "Hey, where ya goin'?" Race called out to the Queen, still on the ground. Fury didn't look back at Race, just stopped and replied "To find Spot. He deserves a proper burial, not a watery grave," before continuing. The Italian gambler scrambled to his feet, shaking his head. "Fury, da current in da river's too strong!" he protested. "His body's gonna be out ta sea before long, maybe even now!" But the Queen of Queen was already too far away to hear him.

Striding down to the river's edge, Fury stepped down on the rocky man-made banks and began to scan the area for Spot's remains. She knew there was little or no possibility of finding him; the storm would've pushed him far beyond the borders of New York. It was almost impossible. Impossible. That was what echoed in Fury's mind the entire time as she searched the coastline. It was a slim chance (very miniscule, but there) that Spot would turn up. He has to, the newsgirl thought frantically. There's no other way.

But her wills and faint imaginings were dashed when she finally made it to the far end of the banks, where the edges dropped off and there was just a dark river from then on. Fury knew it was hopeless and dropped down in the midst of the rocks, too exhausted to carry on. There was just a little stretch of coastline left, perhaps 50 feet, but the Queen didn't bother to check it out. She would be disappointed, just like she had been the last mile and a half of searching. Fury lay back on the jagged boulders surrounding her, not caring if their sharp edges prodded uncomfortably into her skin or not, letting silent tears fall down the sides of her face. This was the first time she'd cried in many years, not the dry sobs that had overcome her at her brother's death or when she had been on the Brooklyn Bridge with Anthony (those were, as Jack liked to call them, leader tears), but actually crying. I should've taken the chance, she mourned to herself. I should've. It would have saved him.

Fury had no idea how long she lay there, but after her eyes ran dry and the dangerous winds of the storm (which had turned the sky from the lovely colors they had been hours ago to an ugly grayish-green) started to really pick up she knew she had to move on. The others back at the Bridge would be taking shelter in Manhattan's lodging house until morning, knowing that this particular gale would most certainly last several days, if not weeks. They would have to leave the safety of the LH after a few hours, of course, but Jack wouldn't even consider letting her borough go back soaked to the bone. She would have to go back eventually.

Painfully hoisting herself to her feet, Fury stumbled her way through the rocks of the banks, straining to see the obstacles in front of her. It was only when she made it to the very end of the lone did the leader of Queens realize she'd gone to wrong way. Great, she spat. Now I'll have even further to go before I get back home. She randomly kicked the rock in front of her and cursed out loud, but froze once she felt the impact she'd made in it. Curious more than anything, Fury knelt down beside the peculiar object, squinting her fiery eyes in the darkness to make out the abnormally soft thing she'd just kicked. As she adjusted to the dimness and was beginning to see what it was she suddenly realized what she was going and screamed. There he was, red suspenders and all, Spot Conlon himself, lying in a heap on the river bank beside. He'd obviously survived the fall (though given the great height Fury could hardly believe) and dragged himself ashore before collapsing. And now he was dead.

Fury let out a pain- stricken cry and bent down over Spot's body, biting her lip to keep tears from falling freely. This moment was critical; she couldn't cry, not now. Alone maybe, but not here. This was when she needed to be strongest the most.

"I'm sorry Spot," the Queen of Queens muttered into the midnight air, so low that only she herself could hear. "I should've done a lot of things when I knew you, I know. Shouldn't have stood back and watched from afar, should've listened to Chip when she said 'make your move', should've never left you up there on the LH rooftop tonight. Probably would've saved your life. I thought I was protecting us both by not getting involved with you during the war and even after, but I guess all I was really doing was pushing you away in hopes I wouldn't get hurt. It was wrong, and I apologize." Running out of words, Fury decided to sum up everything in 5 short words.

"I love you, Spot Conlon," she whispered quietly, pressing her lips up against the King's forehead. "I'll never forget you." Fury then drew back and stared down at Spot's lifeless form, too heavy-hearted to say anything more. She slowly started to wish that this was all one big dream, that she would wake up in one swift moment and realize that none of it was real. And she was almost sure of it when she thought she saw Spot's eyelids begin to flutter. Fury clenched her fists together, digging her nails into her skin in hopes that she would awake from the month-long nightmare, but after drawing blood from her palms she realized it was actually happening. "No, no," Fury murmured to herself over and over, keeping her eyes tightly shut. "This isn't real. It's an illusion, nothing more. I'm seeing things, that's it, I'm just seeing things. Spot's not moving, it's just the grief talking-"

"So me talkin' ta youse now am an illusion too? Cause if it is dis is one illusion Isa don't wanna end in a hurry."

Against her will Fury's eyes snapped open to see a weak but alive Spot lying before her, trying his best to sit up and painfully smirking. She cried out in relief and leaned over, kissing him on the lips briefly before gathering the Brooklynite up in an embrace. "You jerk!" Fury scolded lightly, burying her face in Spot's shirt. "Don't do that to me again! Ever! I was so worried, do you know how much pain you've caused me in the past few hours?" She leaned back and kissed him again. "Oh, I'm just so happy you're safe!"

Spot chuckled weakly and returned the kiss. "Isa thought a certain girl said dat lovin' me wasn't an option," he reminded her playfully. Fury pursed her lips and replied simply "Well that that girl obviously didn't know what she had until it was gone." Spot smiled and pulled her into another hug. "Isa love youse, ya know dat?" he whispered in her ear quietly. Fury smiled back gratefully, looking deep into Spot's blue eyes. "I know. Just remember that the next time you decide to jump off a bridge." Spot turned red and squeezed her tighter than ever. "Nova again," he told her. "It took too much outta me da first time." Fury cocked her head slightly, sighing. "Promise?"

"Promise."

$N$

Well then, that concludes our story. No, that is not the end, nor will it ever be, but it is where we stop for now. For life never really, truly ends, just moves on. And that's enough for anyone, whether newsie or not, don't you agree?

And to all a goodnight, I bid you adieu!

$N$

Ok then, there you have it! This is my longest 'book' yet (written in such a short time too) and I think I'm going to rest for at least a weekend, but if you really like my stories I will write more.

Newsiesluva- Thank you for guessing on the song script, and you were right! I love this particular one and never really placed a talented singer in a story before, so I find it so interesting that another person in this world likes the same music I do! Please continue to look out for my stories, I'd really appreciate it!

Ealasaid Una- thanks for the review, I love it! Again, one of my most dedicated readers/reviewers! You've been with me sine ch. 1, and I appreciate it!