They Rule the Streets

At about ten thirty, the Mets returned to the apartment, clomping up the stairs headed towards the roof. Jon passed by his apartment, chewing his lip, wondering if he should check in on Anna.

“Give her time,” Phoebe advised, tugging him along. “She just needs space to breathe.”

“What she needs is a good talkin’ to,” Jon sighed, allowing himself to be lead through the door to the roof. “What the hell was she thinkin’, kissing that bastard?”

“What every girl thinks,” Phoebe replied. “‘I’m kissing a boy’. She had never met the boy before, how was she to know he was a Cobra?”

“By just lookin’ at him!” Jon snapped, bursting through the door as his temper flared. “She shoulda known better!”

“Here we go again,” Mitch teased, her fingers laced with Ryan’s. “The Jon monologue.” The others tittered, while Jon fought to hide a smile. “Honestly, Jon, you didn’ have to go all ‘psycho brother’ on the girl. Remember when my parents tried that with me n’ Ryan?”

It was a well known fact that Mitch’s parents disapproved of her’s and Ryan’s relationship. It started back in Chicago. Ryan had met Mitch through Phoebe, and fell madly in love. Mitch’s parents, however, wanted her to focus on her studies so as to escape the nightlife of Chicago, and forbid her from seeing the meek yet eccentric Ryan Ross. Ryan, undefeated, would drop by their apartment, asking to borrow everything from sugar to their bathroom, doing everything to see her. Mitch, of course, was kept away from him by her parents. Ryan wouldn’t give up, and eventually took things to drastic measures. He’d write her poems and tape them to her window, sang songs to her from the fire escape, and brought her flowers to leave on her windowsill. Somewhere in between the forbidden relationship and the romantic actions, Mitch fell in love with Ryan. After standing up to her parents, Mitch and Ryan finally got together, and have been for two years.

“You try and keep Anna from that boy, any boy for that matter, and if she really likes him, you’re dumbass plan’ll backfire in your face,” Mitch advised. “I’m living proof of that.” Ryan slung an arm around her shoulder, tugging her onto his lap while he sat with his back resting against the edge of the building. Jon opened his mouth to protest, but Jack cut him off.

“Man, I miss Chicago,” Jack sighed, resting his chin on his hands as he stared out at the New York sky line.

“I sure as hell don’t,” Phoebe replied, sitting next to Kate. “What did we have back in Chicago that we don’t have here?”

“Respect,” Joe shot back.

“Oh really, Troh?” Kate arched an eyebrow. “If I remember correctly, you weren’t thought of a king back in Chicago. Every cop in town was on the look out for you.” The guys ‘ooh-ed’, as Joe turned a bright red. The girls slapped high fives with Kate, grinning and smirking.

“Back in Chicago, we had everythin’,” Jack countered.

“Oh really?” Hayley smirked. “Then why’d we move?”

“Because our rent was up,” Zac nudged her. “You know that as well as I do.”

“And we all know that that is why we moved here, cheep room,” Andy chuckled. “Back in Chicago, there was meaning to everything! We knew from the start we’d hate it here!”

“Not us!” Mitch cried, pointing to herself and the girls while Ryan pressed kisses to her neck. “We came here with out arms open, minds open, hearts open-”

“You came with your mouth open, Michelle,” Alex smirked. With a shriek of indignation, Mitch leapt to her feet, shoving Ryan aside and chasing after Alex. Alex, eyes wide, dashed to hide, trying to escape Mitch’s rage at hearing her full name. “Control your woman, Ross!”

“Hey, you used the full name, Alex,” Ryan shrugged, chuckling as Mitch grabbed him by the ear. “Not my fault you’re that stupid.”

“Don’t. You. Ever. Call. Me. Michelle. Again!” Mitch snarled, shaking his head with each word. Alex let out a mew of pain, clawing at her fingers.

“Okay, okay, okay!” he whined. “Let me go!” With a final shake, Mitch released his cartilage, her nose in the air as she made her way back to Ryan, the others parting to let her go. She dropped back down in between his legs, her black and white polka-dotted skirts spreading over his legs like a fan.

“Looks like someone got schooled,” Josh smirked, shoving Alex. Alex, still rubbing his ear, resulted to flipping him off instead.

“Here in New York, we got things we’d never have back in Chicago,” Phoebe continued. “Look a’ the dress shop! Bettah pay, bettah work, bettah customahs!”

“Look at our apartment,” Kate added, gesturing to the building they were standing on. “It’s bettah then it was back in Chicago!”

“Yeah!” Hayley cut in. “Lost of new housing with lots o’space!”

“Lots of doors slammin’ in our face,” Jon smirked. The boys laughed while the girls frowned.

“I’ll get a terrace apartment,” Roxie said with her thick accent.

“Bettah get rida ya accent,” Mike mocked in a New York accent. Roxie flipped him off, stepping away from Suarez and standing beside the girls.

“Life can be bright in New York,” Mitch shrugged, still leaning against Ryan.

“Yeah, if you can fight like New York,” Ryan snorted. She smacked his leg before climbing from his grasp. “Why do y’all like New York so much?”

“Here ya can choose to be what cha want,” Cassadee argued.

“What, shine shoes n’ wait tables? No thanks,” Mike sneered. “I wanna be back in Chicago!”

“That can be arranged,” Kate replied dryly. Laughing, the men elbowed Mike while the girls high fived Kate.

“New Yorkers have all the hot dog stands,” Hurly complained. “It’s disgutsin’.”

“No one cares, Hurly,” Butcher teased. Andy grunted and crossed his arms in disgust, obviously miffed.

“There’s grime everywhere in New York!” Suarez had jumped onto one of the heating boxes, tossing his arms out to prove his point.

“Yeah! And organized crime in New York!” chimed in Jack.

“We’re all havin’ a terrible time in New York,” added Jon. Phoebe stuck her arm out, her hand braced against his chest.

“Ah, but you forget I’m in New York,” she teased while the girls burst into laughter. Scowling, Jon was determined to have the last word.

“I think I’ll go back t’Chicago,” he boasted.

“I know a train you can get on,” Roxie smirked.

“Bye-bye!” sang the girls, waving mockingly to him. The guys exchanged glances, before spreading into a circle around the girls. The girls backed up into a circle, arms brushing each other’s as they awaited the attack that was to come.

From behind, Josh scooped Hayley up into his arms, twirling her around before dropping her back on her feet. The others, however, where not as nice.

“Admit ya like Chicago bettah,” Suarez commanded, pinning Roxie to the wall. She squirmed to be free, but he pressed her harder against the wall. Shrieking, she opposed him.

“Ryan, put me down!” Mitch screamed, flailing her arms and kicking her legs, struggling to be placed back on the ground. Ryan hoisted her onto a better position on his shoulder, his arms pinned against her legs.

“I’ll let go!” he threatened, letting his arms slide further down her legs, causing her to slip closer to the ground. Screaming, she clutched the back of his legs in fear.

“You touch me, and you die!” Kate warned, backing away from Butcher. Smirking, he came closer, forcing Kate to attempt to escape. He reached out an arm, dragged her towards his chest, and scooped her up bridal style. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to keep steady, but he would have none of that. He flipped her head over heels, holding her upside down while she tried to kick his face.

“Admit it!” he laughed, rocking back and forth so her hair brushed the ground.

“Say it,” Jon growled playfully, holding Phoebe against the ground. She managed to roll over so she was on top, glaring down at him.

“Only when you admit it,” she growled back. He flipped over so he was on top, smirking.

“Never,” he breathed, letting her pin him to the ground.

“Then neither will I,” Phoebe replied in a haughty tone, causing Jon tot pin her back onto the cement roof. From behind them, Ryan let out a cry of pain, as did Butcher. Jon looked over to see both men clutching their faces. With ear splitting shrieks, Kate and Mitch tumbled to the ground, laying in crumpled heaps on the floor.

The girls stood up, shouting obscenities at their men, arms waving and tempers flaring. “You dropped me!” Kate shoulder smacking Butcher’s chest.

“You ass!” Ryan attempted to defend himself as Mitch pushed him back. “That hurt!”

Meanwhile, Suarez and Roxie were in a passionate kiss. That is, until Roxie elbowed him in the gut and flounced over to Hayley, who was sitting on the railing with the other men, laughing at the fighting couples.

“Kate’s going to take Butcher down,” Phoebe whispered in Jon’s ear. “Behind her harmless apperance is a fierce warrior.”

“And Mitch?” Jon murmured, nuzzling her neck.

“Ryan’s cooled her down,” Phoebe replied, watching Ryan wrap his arms around her waist and whisper something private in her ear. Mitch reached up and pushed his face away, but he twirled her back into his arms, kissing her gently.

Kate, however, was jumping onto Butcher’s back in order to force him to the ground. She had his head in a headlock, causing him to drop to his knees, then falling to his side.

“Alright, break it up!” Jon called, standing up and stretching out a hand for Phoebe. “We gotta head t’Patrick’s!” The guys stood immediately, eager for the war council, while the girls all groaned.

“Can’t cha just forge’ ’bout all this?” Hayley whined, leaning against Josh.

“Course not!” Josh protested. “This is war, babe.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” came the ever sarcastic remark from Mitch. She saluted Jon before walking to the edge of the building and staring longingly at the sky. After a minute, she walked to Ryan, pressed her lips to his, then to Kate so as to slip her arm through Kate’s.

“Jon, make ya choice,” Phoebe muttered. “Me or the Mets. Ya canna have both tonight.”

“First the Mets,” he gently pecked her lips before continuing, “then you.”

“We’ll see about that,” she sniffed, walking past him and down the stairs.

“I’ll see you latah tonight!” he called after her as she turned onto her floor.

“If I let ya in!” Phoebe called back.

“G’night,” Roxie murmured, kissing Suarez before following Phoebe. Hayley did the same, while Kate marched past Butcher with her nose in the air.

“Love ya!” Butcher shouted, waving her down. Kate flipped him off, engrossed in a conversation with Mitch.

Following their leader, the Mets filed down the stairs, headed for the streets and the war council with the Cobras.