A New Life \Mike/

[Bella Harris]

Silence was broken when Bella raised her petite hand to knock on the door of Mike's apartment. Its been about a week since she ran away from home. A lot of things had changed, she was soon becoming a Manhattan newsie, she started dating Blink, and the biggest one was that she didn't live at home anymore.

Mike didn't answer his door right away, and he said she was always welcome and she could come right in. So she opened the door carefully and walked in, "Mike?" She called out. Thankfully the door was unlocked, so she knew he was home. She looked around and there he was, on the couch.

Bella didn't exactly know how to break the news about her dating Blink to Mike. She couldn't exactly go up to him and say, "Oh, I'm dating one of the most loyal newsies of the opposing side. Is that okay?" He would kill her if he found out, and she preferred to keep her life.

She found out some news from Blink about Jack. She felt horrible going behind his back, and all of her new friends' backs. She took a deep breath, "Um, Mike? I have some news on Jack." She said. Bella could only hope nobody found out about this, if they did she didn't know what she would do.

[Mike D. Greaser]

Groaning, Mike plopped down on the couch. He had been training all day and now his muscles were rewarding him. Mike knew he needed to get in better shape, and that was why he had been training. After his last fight, Mike came to the startling conclusion that he had let himself go. He hadn't been keeping up in his eating habits and hadn't been in practicing. Now he knew better. Therefore, the training. This was his second day on his intense training. His body wasn't used to it and he was feeling a major outcome of because of that. Groaning once more, Mike closed his eyes and let his body drift into a restless sleep.

"Mike?"

His eyes flickered and he willed the person to go away. But when he heard the door open and light footsteps, Mike knew this wasn't going to happen.

"Um, Mike? I have some news on Jack."

Immediately, Mike was awake. News about Jack? Well, that was fast. Just a few days ago, Bella had agreed to be Mike's spy. She was sweet and cute and was sure to get to the Manhattan newsies. But he hadn't expected her to do it so fast. He sat up and looked at her expectantly. "What?" He asked shortly.

Mike knew hiring Bella was a good idea. First off, he could keep her in his reach and out of harms way. Also, Mike knew she was going to be able to get information. It was almost guaranteed that one of the Manhattan newsies would fall for her. She was cute, sweet, kind, and an all around great person. If she could find a way to get to Mike, she was sure to find a way to get to the Manhattan newsies.

[Bella Harris]

"What?"

Bella took a deep breath, trying to remember what Blink told her. She felt bad going behind everyone's back; especially Blink's. They couldn't find out, she was determined that they wouldn't. "Well, uh, Queens." She said, "He's going to Queens for a few days to talk to the leader." She stammered, still feeling bad about the whole situation.

Why did she feel so bad? She was just helping Mike out after he helped her out, isn't that what she was supposed to do? Help a friend after they helped you. She was brought up to think that, and that's how she thought. Hopefully her moral crisis would go away, and she could concentrate on the job at hand.

If everything was coming off of her chest she might as well tell Mike about her and Blink. He wouldn't get mad at her, right? He couldn't get mad at sweet, adorable, innocent Bella. The one who had him wrapped around her finger, even though they never would admit it. She took a deep breath, "Uh, Mike?" She began. She cleared her throat and swallowed, trying not to pass out on the spot. "I have to tell you something." Bella ignored the light headed feeling and continued. "I'm dating Kid Blink." She mumbled in a muffled voice.

What if he did get mad at sweet, adorable, innocent Bella? What would happen, would he kick her out? Would he act like Edward and try to kill her? What if he began to abuse her, and did worse things for her? Her mind continued to swim with questions as she wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. Stupid heat, stupid summer. Who needed it? All it did was make people hot, miserable, and angry. She could only hope Mike wasn't one of those people who got mad when they were angry.

[Mike D. Greaser]

"Well, uh, Queens. He's going to Queens for a few days to talk to the leader."

Mike was intrigued immediately. Mike knew that Harlem and Queens were the two boroughs that had remained pretty luke warm. So far, they hadn't chosen a side. Mike was going to worry about them later; he didn't think they posed as a threat. But obviously Kelly thought differently. "Bloody..." Mike mumbled as he rubbed his chin. This was all happening way to fast. Kelly was taking more action then he thought. He needed to talk to Mitch, and soon.

Speaking of Mitch, he had the brilliant idea of creating a tear in the friendship of Manhattan and Brooklyn. If they were mad at each other, than Mike would have an advantage over them. But how to do that? Mitch suggested framing Kelly for something, such as killing one of Brooklyn's boys. Mike knew all of this, and had all of it taken care of, but he needed Bella for another aspect of the job. "I have a job for you, love."


"I have to tell you something.I'm dating Kid Blink."

Mike couldn't help but show complete shock. She was, what? Mike suddenly started laughing. "Very good, Bella dear!" He jumped up and hugged her, whirling her around. This was to perfect. Blink was a sucker, and Bella probably had him wrapped around her little finger! Mike laughed and set her down. Inhaling deeply, Mike ran his hands along his face. Perfect, bloody perfect.

[Bella Harris]

"Bloody..."

Bella winced, not knowing if it was a good or bad sign. Mike was very unpredictable, and she had learned to just go with the flow. Trying to guess what Mike was going to next caused too big of a headache to try to figure him out. She decided to take it as a bad sign, just by the small, subtle hints Mike dropped.

"I have a job for you, love."

A job? Bella's ears perked up a bit, she was ready for a job. Getting into the Manhattan newsies was easy enough, now she was ready to work hard and get her hands dirty. She was quiet when needed, and she was ready to sneak around and get information. "What is it?" She asked, with a small smile. As long as she didn't have to kill anyone, she would be okay.

"Very good, Bella dear!"

That, was a clear sign that Mike was very happy. "Um, thank you?" She asked, allowing herself to be flung around. Her and Blink's relationship had nothing to do with her being the Manhattan spy. It just...happened, she didn't ask for it, but she was very glad it happened to her. She smiled, "So you're not mad at me for it?"

[Mike D. Greaser]

"What is it?"

Mike could tell that Bella was excited. Her voice and her face betrayed it. No matter how much she tried, Bella could not hide the fact that she was ready for some action. A small smile played at the corners of his lips. She was his and he had taught her well. Pride swelled in him as he watched her fidget with anticipation and excitement. He had definitely taught her well.

Mike knew she would accept, without hesitation; but what he wondered was if she did accept, would she be able to do it? Mike was tempted to ask someone else, someone more experiencerd; but for some reason he just couldn't. He trusted her and knew she could do it. And her wanted to test her, see how much she could handle. It was sure to be an adventure for both of them.

But what he needed to know was if she could lie. So, instead of answering her quesiton, Mike asked one of his own, "Can you lie?" Mike smirked, firguring he had caught her off guard. Without giving her much time to repsond, Mike continued, "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't have feelings for Kid Blink." This was sure to get her. Mike wanted to see if she could lie.

When they had first started, Mike had given her the lecture on not letting this business get personal. Mike knew that sooner or later, Bella was going to get into a relationship; it had even been part of his plan. Anything to get information. But he didn't want it to ever get personal, yet he knew Bella had feelings for Blink; she couldn't hide anything from him. But he would have to deal with that later; right now this was her test. Would she be able to convince him?

"Um, thank you? So you're not mad at me for it?"

Mike sighed and set her down. Licking his lips, Mike ran his hands through his hair. "I'm not mad, this is great. I just don't want you to get hurt." Mike suddenly felt very protective of Bella. If Blink laid a hand on her, he would have hell to pay. When people talked about how protective they were of their little girl or little sister, it always confused Mike. Why should they care? They were their own person. They could take care of themselves and they could make their own choices. But now, when Mike actually cared for someone, he felt very strong feelings on this. Sooner or later, Bella was going to have to break up with Blink, or vise versa. That was going to be hard on her. Suddenly, Mike felt sick to his stomach. What had he gotten her into?

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Mike repeated.

[Bella Harris]

Bella waited for Mike's answer, a moment of silence went by, no answer. She played with the front of her skirt, and sighed slightly, still waiting for an answer.

In case you couldn't tell, patience was not Bella's strongest suit.

She watched as a smirk formed on Mike's face, was this a good thing or a bad thing? She bit her lower lip as she tried to read Mike's expression and body language to see if she could guess what he his plans were. So far, she had no idea what his instructions for her would be. Would they be good or bad? Would she have to kill someone? Hopefully not, that would be bad...very bad. She wasn't the nicest person around, but she wasn't a murderer.

"Can you lie? Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't have feelings for Kid Blink."

Immediately she tensed up, of course she could lie. She's been lying to her parents for the past couple of years. The lie he wanted her to tell wasn't exactly the best thing to ask her. She could lie about falling out of a tree when the bruises and welts were from her uncle throwing a chair at her. She took a deep breath, and looked Mike in the eye. "I don't have feelings for Kid Blink." She lied, hopefully he would buy it. If he didn't well, she might just be losing her job.

"I'm not mad, this is great. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not going to get hurt. I'm a big girl." She said with a smirk. Bella had been through almost every hurt and heartache someone could go through. She experienced abuse, rejection, and other things. She 's been rejected by her parents; the worst rejection someone could go through in her opinion. Nothing could top that, she was a strong person now. She wasn't like some of the other girls she had met, the ones who cry and moan about not being able to buy a new dress. Those were the type of people she couldn't stand.

"I just don't want you to get hurt,"

A smile crept up onto her small features. "Mike, I won't get hurt. I promise you." She couldn't exactly promise that, she could prevent getting hurt emotionally but not physically. She was small, and thin from so many years of malnutrition, and abuse. She could handle things, but it didn't mean that it did not hurt her.

[Mike D. Greaser]

"I don't have feelings for Kid Blink."

Lie. Mike knew that. He could feel her tense. But it was actually very impressive. Mike had been working on reading people for years now, and that was the only reason why he could tell she was lying. Mike figured she would be able to make it pass Kelly and the others. After staring into her eyes for a few moments, hoping to unnerve her, Mike 'hmphed' and turned away. "Very good," he mused, stroking his chin.

"I'm not going to get hurt. I'm a big girl."

Mike pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "You don't know that," he pushed, sounding like a big brother. He almost sounded like Kelly with his little sister Jinks. But Mike was a better bigger brother, anyone could see that. Mike smiled to himself, delighted with the thought at showing up Kelly at what he was best at.

"Mike, I won't get hurt. I promise you."

Mike looked at her hard and said, "If Blink hurts you, I cannot guarantee his safety." Even thought Mike was completely serious, he couldn't help the smile that was tugging at his lips. But seriously, Blink would be dead if he hurt Mike's girl. Heh, Mike liked how that sounded. At first, he wasn't sure about taking in Bella. But now, it seemed so perfect. He was showing everyone that he was the best at everything. He was showing up Kelly at what he was born to do. Perfect.

[moonlight]

Pockets had been wandering around. She was a new newsie, and wanted to be a Midtown newsie if this Mike guy accepted. She went up to his door, and knocked. "Hopefully this isn't a bad time," she thought to herself.

"If Blink hurts you, I cannot guarantee his safety."

Pockets was wondering who he was talking to, but she decided it was not her business. She had heard that name before, Blink, Blink. Oh! One of the Manhattan Newsies. She didn't listen anymore, she just waited outside the door.

[Bella Harris]

"Very good,"

Bella beamed, this was a sign that he wouldn't fire her and kick her out. What would happen to her if that happened? Sure, she was at the Manhattan Lodging House, but that was temporary. She thought about where she would go once this was all over. She had no money, so she couldn't get an apartment. Her life right now consisted of working for Mike, she wasn't even getting paid. It was volunteer work. For the first time since she ran away, she almost regretted running away. At least she had a home there. No...no she didn't, she had a house. A home was filled with people who loved you, a house was just a building with four walls and a roof. That's what she had.

"You don't know that,"

Bella wanted to argue, but he was right. She didn't know if she was going to get hurt or not. She hated to think of the future and what would happen, it was too...scary sometimes. She didn't know what was going to happen, and that bothered her. She had to have control over something, but when she thought about the future, she knew she couldn't control it. And that bothered her.

"If Blink hurts you, I cannot guarantee his safety."

The corners of her mouth twitched into a brief smile. She could tell Mike cared about her a lot, she treated him like an older brother. She respected Mike, he was truly a good person, she couldn't believe what some of the Manhattan boys have told her. They said he was a lier and a murderer, she just couldn't see Mike doing something like that. Well, she could, but she couldn't see him doing something like that just for fun. That's what they told her, he would kill people just for fun. "What would you do to him?" She asked, nervously.

Torn could be a good word that described Bella right now. She cared for Mike deeply, he was the only one who showed some sort of compassion to her. The others didn't, he was one of the only people she could trust, and she had a lot of trust issues. It made her feel special to know she was a part of his plan, and that she was useful. She felt needed, and she felt important.

Bella heard a knock at the door and turned around, "What was that?" She asked, "I thought I was the only person who was supposed to be here." She didn't know if Mike was bringing in another spy so they could talk with each other, and go over their goals. Somehow she doubted that.

[Mike D. Greaser]

A small smile played at Mike's lips as she smiled. Now that he knew she could handle things, Mike decided to tell her what he needed her to do. "Well, let's get right down to business," he suggested as he motioned for a chair. He sat down and leaned forward, looking at Bella hard. "What I need you to do is get something of Kelly's. Such as his silly bandanna or his bloody cowboy hat. Anything that would scream, "Jack Kelly!" Mike created a steeple with his fingers and pressed them against his lips.

He knew this task was going to be hard, almost impossible. Getting something so personal from someone, especially Kelly, could create some difficulty for the person performing this task. Maybe he should have done it himself? But no, he had other things he needed to do. And Bella could lie to Jack, maybe woo him. Anything to get what he needed.

"What would you do to him?"

Mike saw Bella's lips twitched into a small smile. She thought he was joking. He wasn't, not at all. Mike already hated Blink and his bloody eye patch. But if Blink laid one finger on Bella in the wrong way, all hell would break loose. Maybe Mike should keep tabs on the two of them. A spy for his spy. "Well, there are a number of things I could do..." He trailed off, trying to act mysterious.

Mike heard a knock on his door. At first he thought that it might be his landlord or his wife, but immediately thought differently. They both had their funny ways of knocking. His landlord would pound on his door and then say in a singsong voice, "Mikey! Open the door!" There were also a few curse words... but Mike choose to ignore those. And then his wife, she would knock and then start singing to him. She was a very nice and cheery person, but sometimes Mike just wanted to shoot her.

"What was that? I thought I was the only person who was supposed to be here."

Bella pulled Mike from his thoughts. His head snapped to the door and a growl came from deep within his throat. Who was interrupting him? He didn't have any plans for guest. Instead of answering her question, Mike walked toward the door. Without a second hesitation, he swung it open and growled, "What?"

[moonlight]

"What?"

Pockets jumped as the door swung open. The person who was standing there looked very aggravated, and he was kind of scaring her.

" I'se t'ink dis is a bad time, should I come back latah?"

She saw a girl in the apartment, and she looked mad as well. Pockets really didn't want to disturb anybody at the moment.

[Bella Harris]

"Well, let's get right down to business, What I need you to do is get something of Kelly's. Such as his silly bandanna or his bloody cowboy hat. Anything that would scream, "Jack Kelly!"

Bella beamed, and sat down in a chair, bouncing like a child on Christmas waiting to open their presents. She was good at sneaking around, it was one of her favorite things to do, and she was almost a pro at it. Living with her parents, and her uncle, it was hard to get any sort of freedom. So to get the freedom she desired she had to sneak around, and make sure no one knew what she was doing.

To get Jack's bandanna or cowboy hat it would be a difficult task. But easy was boring, boring was well..boring. And Bella considered herself to be a difficult person, not an easy person. She smiled at that thought. She made people work for her, if they wanted to be her friend or something, she made them work for her. It was a precaution to herself, seeing as that she didn't get along with most people.

"Well, there are a number of things I could do..."

"Don't hurt him!" She almost exclaimed. She didn't want to see Blink getting hurt. He was the other person she truly cared about, the first one being Mike. Seeing that he saved her and all, but Blink was her boyfriend, and she cared immensely for him. Bella couldn't bear to watch someone she loved hurt another person that she loved. She shivered just at the thought.

" I'se t'ink dis is a bad time, should I come back latah?"

Bella glared at the girl who had a bad New York accent, and just disturbed her meeting with Mike. This was her time with Mike, it wasn't to be shared with some girl. That was just how Bella was, if you started out on the wrong foot with her, it would be like that for forever. She kept grudges, just because of that's how she was raised. It was probably how it would stay too...

[Mike D. Greaser]

Mike rubbed his chin in thought and watched as Bella plopped down on the chair. She looked very excited, and Mike had to smirk at this. "So, you think you can do it?" He inquired. "It would be bloody hard. But insanely fun.." Mike added with a smirk. If he didn't have other things to take care of, he might have done it himself. Rummaging through Jack Kelly's things without him knowing. Mike knew Bella would enjoy it as well.

"Don't hurt him!"

Mike smiled and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Bloody hell, you would think you loved him." Mike winked at her, knowing he had found her weakness. So far, it didn't worry him, but her knew if it continued on he would have to do something. Obviously, Bella could not keep a relationship with Blink. It was just not possible. But Mike knew that right now that very relationship was helping him.

"I'se t'ink dis is a bad time, should I come back latah?"

Mike glared at the girl, and could feel Bella's glare behind him. "Yes, this is a bad time!" Mike looked the girl up and down, making a disgusted noise. Where had she come from. "How do you know where I live?" Hardly anyone knew this, and unless one of his newsies had told her, she must have been lost. "What do you want?" Mike said, curious as to why she was here at all.

[moonlight]

"Yes, this is a bad time! How do you know where I live? What do you want?"

Pockets sent a glare at this boy, wondering why he was mad. She saw he looked confused as well, but she decided to talk.

"Alright, no need ta yell. I didn't know you lived heah, I just decided to knock on dis door. I wanted ta know if you could direct me back ta the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm a new newsie, and I need to get back befoah Spot gets a fit."