~*~ Say When ~*~

"Say the word and I will be your man"

He pulled his shabby winter coat closer as he walked along the streets of Brooklyn. It was November; the summer had gone out like a candle in the wind. The warm memories of the summer haze and of life in the little apartment a block from the Brooklyn Bridge were so far from Spot he felt as if they were memories that belonged to someone else. He ached with that thought.

Days, weeks, and months had gone by and still he kicked himself. He shouldn't have left things like that. He should have turned back and made things work. Except it couldn't work; he wouldn't risk her or her family. All he could do was hear about her from Wicked and Joker and from what he'd heard she was fine, although Wicked often hinted that maybe she wasn't as fine as she pretended to be but she kept on going. So, he should be happy she was continuing on with her life.

But he was not.

Spot Conlon was, to put it bluntly, miserable. Not only had he pushed her away he hadn't realized until too late that he loved her. He loved the easy way she could come back with a quip or sarcastic comment, the way she'd raise an eyebrow at him or sing about her cooking…but mostly he loved how easy it had been to be himself around her. She had never known him as the tough, cold leader of Brooklyn and every now and then he wished he wasn't. If only so he could be a guy with a girl.

"Heya, Spot." A voice called out and it was one Spot instantly recognized, even before the kid came into sight. He was leaning against a light pole at the corner of the street up ahead and Spot gave Ruckus a smirk.

"Ruckus. How's it rollin'?" He asked, stopping in front of his newly dubbed second-in-command.

The kid had done more for Spot then any newsie before him and he had gained the position ten-fold after everything was said and done. A lot of the older boys had taken it hard that a fifteen year old had beaten them out for the position but Spot hadn't cared. Ruckus had played his part wonderfully, getting together Spot's supporters while Brooklyn was in turmoil; he'd showed a cunning side that was an equal to his own. The young boy was just as skilled in putting on an act equivalent to some of the greatest stage players and for those two talents alone Spot knew he had his successor.

Ruckus had once fooled even him and with that thought in mind, his decision had been made. It hadn't hurt, either, that while Ruckus had done all that he had remained ever loyal to him and for that Spot would forever be grateful.

The grey-eyed boy nodded his head, more confident now that he was second-in-command than he'd ever been as Spot's secret spy. "Awright. Joker and Wicked are back in Brooklyn. Wicked tells me they just went ta visit Jack and some of da Hattaners."

Spot nodded, wondering if they'd visited Naomi as they had done first on his command but had continued since they had grown fond of her. He felt an itch of jealousy that they could visit Naomi while he had to hear secondhand information.

"Othah news?" He asked, letting his eyes travel behind Ruckus to the Brooklyn Bridge that was just visible above a few of the buildings. He wondered if Naomi was on the roof now, looking at the same structure, perhaps with Mortimer perched on her shoulder. Sometimes he found it ironic that the King of Brooklyn, with birdies at his call, had wound up in the home of a girl who had a bird of her own.

"Clash past on his leadership to his second, Toper. One a ya younger newsies was found soaked in an alley off Tilden Avenue and we got a new nurse in da sick rooms. Few of da boys have already made a pass on her. Should probably deal with dat. Lastly, Jack is havin' a poker night tamarro and invites ya ta come along." Ruckus grew quiet as he finished up his report and Spot was thankful for it. He needed time to sort through the information and process what had to be done.

Tapping his cane lightly, he felt his thoughts begin to drift back to her but he stopped himself just in time. Of course hearing about a new nurse attendant would make her come to mind but this was neither the place nor time. "Good job, Ruck." He murmured as the boy ran a hand through his already messy brown hair. "I'll haveta visit Queens tomarrah so I can welcome the new leadah. Send a boid ta Jack and let him know we'll be there, to expect at the most ten boys. As for the new nurse…I'll deal with that now. Any names on the ones botherin' her?"

Ruckus shrugged, "Most think she's plain looking, othahs just like that she's new. She's young, too. Not like Beth."

Spot couldn't stop the rolling of his eyes. It was true Beth had been an older lady, plump and round faced but the thought of his boys making advances on a helpless girl made his blood boil a bit; maybe because when he thought of nurses he thought instantly of Naomi and any of his boys would have to be suicidal if they were caught doing that to his Naomi.

He shook his head wearily; he had to stop thinking of her as his. It was unhealthy. "Guess I should head there now."

Ruckus nodded but avoided Spot's gaze, "I would. Boys are finishin' up sellin' and word of her is bound to have caused a stir."

Clenching his teeth, Spot turned without another word and began to walk briskly in the direction of the Brooklyn Lodging House. He kept his thoughts light on the way, refusing to fall into the pit of despair that he had so often found himself in these days. If Naomi could act fine, so could he.

About a block from the Lodging House, he saw Joker leaning against a building with a rather large cigar between her lips. "Spot." She said, blowing out a bit of smoke.

"Joker. Didn't know ya smoked cigars." He replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged, "A lot you don't know."

He tapped his cane in slight irritation, "What's that suppose to mean?" Sometimes the twins really got on his nerves.

The brunette chuckled and shook her head, "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

Without warning, Wicked appeared to his left, "Joker." She had a warning tone before turning to smile at Spot, "Don't you have boys to reprimand?"

Narrowing his eyes, he leaned back slightly to take in the two, "Maybe. But, maybe I should be keeping an eye on you two."

Wicked laughed, "Don't mind us, Spot. We're not up to anything."

He felt the unspoken, 'right now' in the air and continued to look at the two skeptically. "So, you two were in Jackie-boys territory yestahday."

"That a crime?" Joker asked, quirking her own eyebrow.

"Watch ya tone, Joker." He snapped, meeting her eyes and staring her down. Her eyes dropped and she shrugged.

Satisfied, he turned to Wicked who was on occasion the more sensible of the two, "So?"

The blonde leaned against the wall next to her counterpart, "Well, we'd spent so much time there…"

"While you were with the Snow's…" Joker added before taking another pull from the cigar.

Wicked shrugged, "…and we just missed a few of our friends…"

"…and no, we didn't visit Naomi." Joker finished, putting out her cigar on the wall of the building before tucking it into her pocket.

Spot suppressed a sigh, "Awright. Stay outta trouble, I have a few things ta deal with."

"Aye, aye Captain." Joker murmured as she hooked her arm through Wicked's and they began to walk in the opposite direction, whispering to each other.

Scowling, he watched them go until they disappeared in the throng of people that crowded the sidewalks in a late afternoon rush to get home. Turning on his heel, he continued to the Lodging House and took the steps two at a time. He opened the door and came in to a crowded front room, boys lounging on moth eaten couches, some leaning back on wooden chairs and a few sprawled on the floor playing games of marbles or poker.

Quite a few called out greetings and he nodded his head at them as he came to a halt, "Heya, boys. Heard there was a new nurse." He started, the room going quiet almost instantly.

A boy towards the back gave a low whistle, "She's not too hard on da eyes, boss."

Some nodded agreements, while another, called out, "Except dat scar. Kinda bothers me."

"You're one ta tawk." Another called out as nearly all the boys began to talk over each other.

"Shuddup, Frenzy."

"Look at Barker; he's got all kinda scars."

"I'll give you a scar, Lefty."

"You see that hair? Darker than an alley at midnight." Another boy was saying as Spot pounded his cane on the floor in irritation.

Silence descended again so he took this opportunity to warn them off, "I know you boys like ta chase skirts, but she's gonna be our sick room attendant foah quite a while and we don't need any problems so she's off limits, is dat clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Crystal clear." Were among the replied, some apathetic while others were more grudging.

Spot nodded, "Good." He moved up the stairs, determined to tell this girl not to cause any troubles among his boys. He took a right at the top and headed to the room at the end that was the designated sick room. Stopping just outside, he leaned forward when he heard voices come from the inside.

"I'll be able ta use my hand again one day, won't I, miss?" Spot rolled his eyes as he opened the door to see Magic sitting on a chair, the attendant's back to him as she wrapped his hand.

She replied with a touch of irritation and a voice as familiar to him now as his name, "Of course, you merely scraped it."

Magic saw Spot over her shoulder and winked causing Spot to glower at the rogue. "Magic, out."

The cold order caused the charming smile to fall from the boy's face and he hurriedly got up and left, closing the door behind him as Spot watched her shoulders tense. She seemed to be collecting herself before she turned around.

Naomi took his breath away, even wearing something as simple as a nurse's uniform. The dress was a dark blue and she had a white apron over top of it. She wore a white arm band on the left sleeve with a bright, red cross. Her hair was kept up in a white bonnet with a blue bow to match the dress but throughout the day strands had fallen through and now hung in her face. Maybe to some men she'd be considered plain but to Spot she was the most beautiful woman, perhaps because he knew her so well. Knew that she was good to the foundation of her soul and he ached for someone as good and pure to love him when he knew he was neither.

Not that he was blinded to her faults, he knew well enough she was far kinder than she should be, that she was often taken advantage of and that she had a curiosity that could potentially get her hurt. Sometimes she spoke her mind without thinking, something she had in common with Bea although she was mature enough to know when to keep her mouth quiet about certain things.

Those faults paled in comparison to what he loved about her and now he could only stand there staring at her like a fool until she fidgeted with her skirt and murmured a quiet, "Hi."

He took a step closer, looking her over to see that she was fine and that she was for the most part unchanged from his memories of her…except the silvery scar that marred her left cheek. A scar she'd gotten because of him. Without thinking, he walked right up to her and reached out to brush his fingers across it. "Hi." Was all he could think to say.

Her lips parted, as if there was something she wanted to say but she quickly shut them and dropped her eyes. He felt as though he could stare at her for the rest of the day. For the rest of forever.

Suddenly, she reached out a hand to touch his arm, "Has it bothered you?"

Dropping his hand from her face, he shrugged, "Sometimes when it rains it aches. Otherwise, it's just like new." He paused before asking, "What are you doing here?"

A blush crept across her cheeks, "My mother said there was a job available and took me to the hospital with her. Her boss didn't tell me until afterwards that it was a job here…" She trailed off.

"I'm glad." The truth slipped out before he could catch himself.

Her green eyes rose to meet his, "You are?"

It was his turn to look away, "Well, yeah. Naomi, this is what ya always wanted. Ta be a nurse. Gotta start somewhere." He wanted to add that he was more than glad it was here, at his lodging house, but nothing had changed. She would still be in danger if she was his girl.

Except, now she'd be here during the day and he knew he could keep her safe here and perhaps he could walk her home in the evenings…his mind began to show him that maybe it was possible for them to be together. Even if she didn't stay a nurse here forever, it wasn't like he planned to be the leader forever. He already had his successor in line and the best he had left was a year…

Naomi put a hand on his chin and turned him to meet her eyes as she asked him bluntly, "What are you afraid of? What's holding you back?" She seemed to instinctively know that her being in danger was only the half of it.

But the the question succeeded in taking him off guard and as it hung in the air, the last echoes of her soft voice filled his head and it seemed to taunt him as the words repeated over and over again, 'what are you afraid of?'

He was Spot Conlon, the most famous newsie for goodness sake, but he wasn't infallible. That much had been proven last April. He was as tiny and as insignificant as he'd felt that day he stood on the Brooklyn Bridge. Nor was he fearless, as he use to believe. Because before he didn't have an individual person he cared so much for...but that had changed. She had taken him in without question, had breathed life into him as if he were winter and she the warmth that was summer. But of all the people in this great, big city how could someone as good as Naomi want him?

She'd seen him at his worse, had even spoon fed him. He trusted her as he'd trusted no one else. He wanted to make it work, could not even bare the thought of walking away from her a third time when the last time had been near impossible to do. With that final thought in mind, he took a leap of faith and told her the exact reason, the one he'd never voiced aloud to anyone else because he had never exactly faced it before, "Women want ta use me for my power, or control me. My own mothah didn't want me. Naomi...no one wants to keep me."

She stepped forward as soon as that last word left his lips and she laid a hand lightly on his cheek. "I do."

Her large green eyes were incredibly sincere and those two simple words meant everything to him. "Why?" He asked much more harshly than he intended though he almost dared not believe truth in front of him. If she suddenly turned away, it could very well shatter everything.

"I love you." Naomi said it simply, as if there could be no other reason and perhaps there wasn't.

He closed his eyes for a moment before whispering, "I love you." He opened his eyes and met hers; needing her to know that and perhaps she could see there that he'd never before spoken those words aloud. After a second he felt his mouth open and he let a few more words tumble out, "Say when and I'll be ya man." Spot Conlon had never felt so vulnerable, not even after being ambushed in a dark alley by five of his newsies.

Naomi Snow, the girl-woman-who'd saved him, protected him and healed him in ways he hadn't even known he was damaged, kissed him lightly on the lips. "When." She whispered just as he wrapped strong arms around her and crushed his lips to hers.

The kiss was hot and sweet at the same time, her lips soft against his and the tasted of cinnamon. He wanted to be as close to her as he could, keep her safe, warm, and never doubting that he loved her. He wanted to always take care of her.

It ended abruptly, both breathing from lack of oxygen but thoughts of earlier worked their way fast into his mind. He turned from her and walked briskly to the door, wrenching it open just as she asked, rather breathlessly and a little injured, "Where are you going?"

"Ta soak the bums who were hittin' on ya." He growled, thinking of Magic and his charming smile being directed at his Naomi.

Her sudden laughter stopped him in his tracks. He turned and looked at her, her body shaking as she watched him with bright green eyes and he remembered Bea saying that her light had gone dim since their father had died. He was unable to stop the sudden full, genuine smile that split across his face as he looked at her because, to him, she looked as if she were glowing as bright as the summer sun.

Forgetting what he had originally set out to do, he walked back and pulled her into his arms, exactly where she belonged. "Thank you." He murmured in her ear as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you." Because without meaning to they had both healed each other.

A/N: There you have it. There may be room for a sequel but at the moment I'm working on a Racetrack story so perhaps I'll re-visit Naomi and Spot later on. I really love some of these characters, Ruckus and Ratchet are definitely at the top (if you've read A Ragged Army you'll have recognized them lol). I hope you all enjoyed this ending. I know it's a little...cheesy? So sweet you have a cavity? Bah, even so I'm a sucker for happy endings and I think they deserved nothing less! Thank you to all who remained with me from the beginning and those who joined in the middle and even those of you who will read it in the future. Feel free to leave me with last thoughts or even to harass/prompt/beg for a sequel!

Truly,

Joker is Poker with a J~

Disclaimer: I only own what you do not recognize. Everything else is property of their respective owners.