The Harbor.

A sequel to the black dress.

New York City 1904

                The day started late, and rough. She was tired and could think of nothing except the boy she'd met the night before. Tried to pull her usual dance on the sidewalk gig but her heart wasn't in it. She gathered her papers and started wandering toward Manhattan calling headlines as she went.    

                "Fire fighters respond to a boat fire in the harbor near Ellis Island! No survivors!" she screams several people look up but nobody seems interested enough to buy the paper. She thought of the night before. The dim light in the kitchen. The way his eyes made her feel so safe. And the way he'd held her so close and made her feel so comfortable. She prayed she'd see him again, though somehow felt sure she never would.  She rubbed sleep out of her eyes as she turned the corner.

                "Extra Extra!" she glanced down at her paper then held it up over her head getting slightly frustrated. "young girl starves to death cause people don't know how to write headlines!" she shouted to the unappreciative crowds.

                "Well if it isn't Miss Micah!" a voice said from somewhere nearby. Taps looked up sharply wondering who it was and was surprised to find Keiran standing there, surprised and relieved. She smiled, silently thanking God.

                "Hello Keiran! How are you?" she asked suddenly feeling lighter on her feet.

                "Good good how about you? Hey how 'bout you shoot me one of those papers huh? Gotta keep up in this city" he asked. She sighed a little.

                "Been better... " Keiran tossed her the money for the paper as she handed it across to him. She grabbed the coin out of the air and he asked.

                "what’s bad?" she smiled a little pleased with her catch. 

                "just these damn papers won’t sell"

                "I can only guess." He shrugged causally.

                "so um... about last night..."

                "yeah? sorry about that..."

                 "oh... no don't be sorry! I should be sorry.. I kinda ran out on you...."

                "I coulda killed Thomas..."

                she laughed a little looking down. "me too!"

                "I guess I'm used to women just leaving me like that now a days"

                "why would you be used to it?"

                "aww it's happened to my a thousand times"

                "oh... that's kinda harsh..."

                "It's my luck I guess" he shrugged.

                "yeah... well I aint goin nowhere fast so..."

                "ohh you aren't huh?"

                Somebody passed her and she grabbed at the opportunity to not make a fool of herself. "hey mister buy a pape? keep me alive mister! please!" he only gave her a look to let her know she was nothing and kept walking muttering under his breath.

                "Street trash they aught to  put those kids away" she gets a look in her eyes like a mix of fire and tears but clenches her jaw and holds back. Keiran touched her hand softly.

                "No you aren't kid, don't listen to him."

                "Aught a kick the crap out of him..." she replied softly

                "Too many cops close buy for that" he looked down at his paper "So it didn't make the headlines" he smirked folding the paper up. "Good"

                "You think I care bout the bulls?" she shrugged down at her papers, then heard what he'd said and looked up sharply thinking of the murder. Did he know? No! he couldn't. he might. He was right there as she ran by, and the way he'd helped her out. What if he did? She looked at him sharply and before she could stop herself she blurted: "What? What didn't make headlines?"

                " Nothing, just a bit of information I heard about" she tried to act like that little statement hadn't scared her half to death. Had he heard? No. He couldn't have. And if he head he would have defiantly not kissed her!

                "Oh... I see... okay" she attempted to look calm. Keiran hugged her and she gladly returned the hug.

                "Well I'd better be getting to work" he said.

                "Okay I'll see ya then... maybe!" she said getting a sad look in her eyes.

                " You stop buy anytime ok?" he smiled handing her a business card, which she quickly pocketed. she gave him a crooked sort of forced grin knowing with work and selling newspapers she'd never have time to go all the way out to his house. 

                " I aint neva got time for stopin by ... I live out in Greenwich village and between work and ... well... never mind I'll see ya around" she turned to walk away calling out a headline to passers by who didn't even look up except to scorn.

                "Hey kid I work 10 minutes south of the village"

                "Don't call me kid!" she grinned turning back to him. Keiran laughed.

                "Ok ok" taps laughed a little.

                "Sorry..."

                "No problem doll" he said turning and walking away.

                "Its for the better he don't need to know me!" she told herself letting her shoulders drop a little and turning back to the crowded streets shouting a headline.

                "Why don't you take the day off and come have some fun?" Keiran had sneaked up and leaned down whispering in her ear. She grinned looking down and gently biting her lower lip. She slowly turned to face him planting a soft kiss on his lips.

                "Well what did you have in mind?" she asked grinning. Keiran blushed slightly.

                " Maybe just wandering for a while, we'll find something, I don't feel like working today what do ya say sweetie?"

                "Sounds great!" she smiled dropping her papers to the ground carelessly. Then laughed a little. "aint noone called me sweetie before!" Keiran laughed. "you laughing at me?" she asked taking his arm and grinning up at him. 

                " Nope wouldn't dream of it"

                " Good... where to?"

                " My car?" she raised her brow at him surprised. He has a car? Wow. Didn't know he was THAT rich! A tall man in dark clothing approached out of nowhere from across the road. Taps saw him out of the corner of her eyes and immediately knew it was Johnny. And she knew he knew. He wanted his money back. She was sure of it. He'd given her a thousand dollars which was an incredibly large amount of money, she had fainted away when he'd showed it to her the first time.

                " Car?" she tried to act as though Johnny wasn't on his way to take her life.  She nodded quickly.

                "Hey Taps" Johnny hollered getting closer. Taps didn't acknowledge him.

                "Sounds great where is it?"

                "Right over there..." Keiran lead her over to the car opening the door for her. Taps saw Johnny approaching fast and she kept checking over her shoulder. She took a seat in his car, wondering why she was trusting him so much.

                "Thank you!" she smiled. Keiran closed her door and then got in starting the engine. Johnny was next to Taps' window knocking on it.

                "Taps get out here!" his muffled voice could be heard, he was more than a little annoyed, Taps recalled the look in her fathers eyes when he would get mad enough to leave, that was the look and for once in a long time she felt slightly scared.

                "Drive!" Taps ordered. Keiran followed her directions.

                " Who was that jerk?" he asked.

                " Never mind" she took a look through the back window and watched him pull a gun out of his jacket. "shit!" she said in an eerily calm sort of voice.

                " Ya know... " Keiran took out his own six shot after he saw Johnny take his out, he didn't let taps see it though she somehow knew he had. A shot was heard and Taps Ducked quickly but Johnny misses.

                "Damn it... I got AWAY from work today"

                " I am so sorry about this!" she looked at Keiran still totally calm. "don't worry he couldn't hit me if I stood still five feet in front of him... I'm talking too much..." Keiran laughed.

                " it's ok I won't ask questions"

                " Thanks!  so um.... nice car! " a third shot sounded from the distance and a fourth. Keiran laughed.

                " Thanks"

                "so where you taking me?" she checked the rearview mirror but Johnny was nowhere to be seen.

                " I dunno? pick someplace"

                " The harbor!" she grinned.

                " Ok no prob!"

                " Wow this is a lot faster than walking!" she laughed.

                " Yep sure is!" they arrive in about fifteen minutes and Keiran pulls the car to a stop. Taps smiled over at him, thinking how fast they had become so close. They'd only met the night before yet she was already so in love. Though she'd never known love, and knew better than to fall into it, whatever it was, she recalled how the night before he'd told her everyone deserves to love at least once. How she'd thought that time would never come but being there with him, she didn't really know what to think.  Tap smiled over at him.

                "I love it here! Nobody's ever around!"

                " Yeah I know" he smirked kissing her cheek. Taps blushed deeply as she did gently biting her lower lip.

                "Keiran!" she giggled. Keiran smiled, she returned the grin and scooted across the seat to sit next to him. Keiran pulled his arm across her shoulder

                "What do you say we go sit on the edge of the water?" Taps grinned and slid out her side of the car closing the door behind herself and lead the way down the docks, a slightly uneasy feeling in her stomach.

                "Why do I feel like I'm setting myself up for something?" she laughed. Keiran only shrugged.

                " I dunno. why?" he took her hand. "so?" she sat down on the edge of the docks her feet swinging a little in the air.

                " Come sit!" Keiran sat next to her and she leaned her head gently on his shoulder looking out onto the water.

                " I should probably not be here!" she whispered.

                " Hmm baby doll?"

                "Oh? nothing!" she kissed him softly, he returned her kiss.

                " Good"

                " Hey taps! there you are!" A deep males voice floated down the docks toward them, a sort of echo of a yell. 

                "Oh I better go! I'll see you later Keiran! I promise!" she kissed him sensually then for lack of another way out she dove head first off the docks and disappeared under the dark waters. When she came up gasping for air under the docks she heard Keiran say:

                "Man what's is going ON here!" she heard foot steps running down the docks, she swam toward the ground trying to be as quiet as she could. She stepped out of the water onto the rocky ground and looked around her, she saw Keiran getting into his car. She started toward him but then thought better of it and turned toward  a warehouse on her right. She checked over her shoulder and saw the man running toward her and reaching for his gun, she ducked behind a crate and the shot sounded, deafeningly loud, the carte shuttered and she felt splinters cut into her back.

                "That one was too close!" she said looking down at he hole in the box and the bullet laying inside it. She jumped to her feet as a second shot sounded and made a mad dash for the warehouse. She grabbed the door handle and pulled hard, the door stuck, a third shot sounded, a hole appeared in the door right up close to her right eye, the door came loose from its frame. She made a mad dash inside pulling hard on the door as another hole appeared in it. She pulled a nearby wooden table up to the door to keep it closed then turned and looked desperately for a place to hide.

                "Come on Taps! Open up!" Matt yelled pulling on the door handle. He fired a shot into the air and then shot the final bullet into the sky. "damned door!" He let the door go and reloaded his gun, then pulled hard on the door handle and ran inside falling over the table Taps had placed in his way. He stood up slowly looking around and pulling the door closed quietly behind himself. He clicked the safety of on his six shot and aimed it to the ground holding it tight with both of his hands. He took slow, carefully calculated steps around boxes and crates stacked all around. He came to a door at the back of the war4ehouse and stood leaning against it a moment listening, then turned pointing the gun at it and kicked it in hard. The door flew open revealing Taps sitting on an old wooden chair tied up, with three guys standing around her, one holding her head back by her hair, he leaned down over her a knife held up close to her throat.

                "Damnit was that really necessary?" one of the guys asked from the shadows.

                "Denny you had orders! Keep the girl alive!" Matt ordered nodding to the guy leaning over Taps.

                "But Kevin said..." the boy whined looking from Matt to Kevin, a tall dark skinned kid leaning against the wall.

                "I don't give a damn what Kevin said!"

                "Hey! No need to get all blown up..." the guy in the shadows said calmly.

                "Shut up Chris you know damn well what the rules are! Denny's ten he's too damned young to do a murder! Especially with a knife!" Mat swung around pointing the gun at Chris' chest.

                "but Matt! I’m ready!" whined Denny.

                "No you’re not kid! How would you like to live the rest of your life knowing you killed the most beautiful girl you've ever met?" Denny left the knife fall into Taps' lap. "that's what I thought. Untie her please she wont run." Denny bent and untied Taps' hands from behind her back apologizing to her in a whispered voice so the others wouldn't hear.  When the ropes were undone Taps stood slowly looking at the four boys occupying the room.

                "Well this has been slightly embarrassing!" she commented totally calm inside and out. Matt dropped his gun.

                "Johnny knows!"

                "I'm aware of that!" she replied flatly, knowing that Johnny knew she hadn't killed Deakon.

                "Denny followed. Did you think even for a second that Johnny wouldn't find out?"

                "No I never thought as much!"

                "He wants his money back!"

                "I'm sure he does!"

                "Well? Lets have it then!"

                "I'll give it to Johnny and nobody else!"

                "Smart kid!"

                "Don't call me kid!"

                "Whatever! You can go but if Johnny doesn't have that money by tomorrow well find your little boyfriend!"

                "My little what?" she asked praying that they wouldn't ever think of doing something like that.       

                "I saw you there on the docks with you lover! We'll have his head for you if Johnny doesn't have his money by tomorrow night!"  

                Taps nodded once then slipped out the door and headed home.

                She gently lifted the edge of her mattress and stared hatefully down at the money that lay there. The room around her was dark and the girls all were sound asleep in their bunks. She grabbed her bag, a canvas bag for holding newspapers and began stuffing the bills down into the bottom of the bag. She carefully dropped the red dress in over top of the money then set the bag on her bunk. She reached back and grabbed onto the zipper of her soaked sky blue dress and pulled it down her back letting the silk slip off her shoulders and fall to the ground. She picked it up , goose bumps rising along her arms, and folded the fabric then set it carefully onto her bunk and opened the drawer that sat beside her bed. She pulled the black dress out and slipped it over her head not bothering to remove her corsets. She pulled the strings that held the front of the dress closed and tied them in a neat bow at the top.  She sat down on her bunk putting her blue silk dress, soaked into her drawer with two others. She lay down and stared up at the bunk over top of her.

                The day was hot, and muggy, water hung thick in the air. The docks were full of boats and sailors getting ready for the days work. She stepped down he docks in an off white dress that gently touched the ground. It was cut high, with an empire waist and short sleeves. She stepped smoothly and evenly toward the unshaven dirty men loading crates onto a boat, Misty, was the vessels name. She held her bag at her right side, the money was tucked safely in the bottom and her red dress over top of it. She'd laced the top closed and left her black dress in her drawer. She would miss that dress she'd told herself, but she had to get rid of it. A single sailor stopped and stood looking at her like she was crazy for being there.

                "Can I help ya ma'am? You looking for a husband or boyfriend?"

                "Where is this boat going?" she asked dropping her bag at her side.

                "Spain ma'am!" he replied giving her a quizzical sort of look as she stepped onto the boat. "ma'am can I help you?" he asked hinting at the fact that she shouldn't get on board.

                "Yes you can! Hand me my bags please!" she replied.

                "Ma'am! You cant just get on a boat to Spain things don't work like that!" he tried to explain her.

                "Hand me my bags and I'll give you a hundred dollars to take me!" she caught her bag as he threw it at her.

                A half an hour later they were just pulling out of the harbor. She was leaning against a railing looking out at the city as she left thinking of Keiran. Which was a mistake and she knew it. What’s he going to do when he finds out I left without saying goodbye? I promised I'd go visit! I can't leave him... well its for the better! This way Keiran wont find out I'm in a gang!  And he won’t leave me! So it's a good thing. Oh shit! If Johnny doesn't have the money he'll kill Keiran whether I'm there or not! With that Taps grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder and jumped off the boat. As she came up for air she heard the deck hands on the boat shouting and calling for help, but she didn't bother explaining to them and just swam as hard as she could till she got to the rocky shore and pulled herself out of the water.

                 She ran the whole way back to the lodging house and changed into dryer clothes, the black dress, and spent a considerable amount of time doing her hair. She tied it in a nice ponytail then pulled it down and curled it, then put it into a bun. Then she took that down and tried dozens of alternatives until she pulled the top half up and tied it in a nice bun and left the other half down nicely curled.  She set out to find a place to eat her dinner, despite the fact that it was already 9:30 at night and she doubted any place would be open.

After wandering for half an hour, she pulled the business card Keiran had given her out of her pocket and checked the address. She was right nearby.

                “He’s probably not even going to be here! its ten... he’s probably in bed already...” she thought stepping up to the door and knocking softly on it. 

                “Yeah kid?” an attendant asked, opening the door a crack. So this is a gamblers club! She thought. 

                “ Looking for Keiran!  he around still?”

                “ Yeah, what do you want with him?”

                “ we need to talk!” I’ll tell him I have to go. I’ll tell him I’m leaving! Tonight. That way he’ll know. And he won’t get hurt.  She thought. The attendant laughed. 

                “ yeah a lotta people gotta talk to him, what makes you so special...?”

                “ I’m a girl and I got a short temper kid your gunna let me in or I’m going to get a little annoyed at  you!” she smiles at him totally calm and collected.      

                “you ain't given me a reason to let you see him, I'll let you in but you still have no way to get to him.”

                “I can find him meself!” he opened the door a little more and she stepped in giving him a look then turned to the room looking around. She heard the attendant laugh and close the door. She turned to him slowly her eyes like fire but otherwise cool as ice.

“ you laughing at me?”

“  naw kid....”he smirked.” go on get outta hea before I change me mind”

“don’t call me kid!” she shook her head. “so where’s Keiran? he'll be expecting me! change your mind?” she laughed. “I’m already in there’s nothing you can do!”

“I told ya I ain't tellin ya where he is” he walked away.

“damn!” she turned and stepped smoothly into the room. She stepped up to Table four where a craps game was raging between two rather ugly looking men. One of who had brought his own dice. She stood behind him a hand on his shoulder until he turned and looked up at her. She told him to bet high and took his dice from his hands kissing them. And rolling them through her fingers. He bet high and she tossed the dice down, 11 came up and the player opposite her went wild, a huge fuss and verbal fight ensued but Taps had wandered away going from table to table checking high rollers and looking for Keiran. A game ended in the back room and she waited until all the people had filtered out of it to go up to the door.  She found Keiran laying there on the couch eyes closed. She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms giving him a crooked grin.

“ and you call this work? “ she asked playfully. Keiran jumped instantly grabbing for his gun but when he saw who it was he relaxed sinking back into the couch.

“did you have to scare the hell out of me” he asked.

“yeah! I've been waiting for this moment all day!” she grinned walking into the room.

“ that was evil you know.” He glared at her playfully. “and why do you have to look so damn good?” she grinned looking at him then down at herself, she hadn’t thought she’d looked that good.

“ I couldn’t come looking a mess now could I? And you don’t look too bad yourself!”  He laughed.

“ guess not.”

“sorry about the other day... “

“hmm? oh don't worry about it you seem to do that every time I see you”

“I’m so sorry.. I wont today... “ he shrugged.

“ we'll see won't we”

“ I wont... “ she looked down at her feet disappointed in herself. Keiran only smiled.  

“ good”

“oh and the dice on table four is loaded thought I’d let you know...” she tossed the wallet of the guy down. “this guy.. “ he laughed.

“ I'll tell one of the boys later”

“okay..” she grinned. Keiran stretched out yawned and lay back on the pillows.

“ I'm too damn lazy to do it now”

“rough day?” she went to sit by him and he pulled her down next to him.

“just tired... and ready to go home. I've been dealing with these goons all day” she gently massaged his shoulders nodding.

“ yeah I know how ya feel!”

“ mmm.” He sighed. “so much better now” she smiled softly at him. “so now what? and what are you doing here so late?”

“I don’t know... and I came to see you!  I told you I would.. and I felt bad for leaving you so short notice I probably should have warned you a little...”

“ its ok..” he yawned. She kept softly massaging his shoulders smiling at him. I have to tell him I’m going! She thought. He looked up at her.

“hey, what aren't you telling me? something’s on your mind”

“no nothings on my mind...” she lied smiling at him.

“don't lie to Me.. you're horrid at it... You can tell me”

“I’m a damn good liar thank you!”

“not when it me you're lying to babe”

“there’s nothing on my mind but you and me being here, alone” she reached over the end of the couch closing the door then kissed him sensually.

“You're full of it but I'll let ya slide this time”

“thanks!” she grinned.

“I'm gonna find out someday though” he cuddled her close.

“ hmm someday...” she snuggled up to him leaning her head on his chest. “but not today...” because Tomorrow my two weeks is up and I’m out of here and I don’t know how to tell you! she thought. He played with a few strands of her long dark hair.

“hey you? Promise me something?”

                “hm?” she asked looking up at him.

“You'll tell me things from now on?”

“what if you really don't want to hear it? no matter how much you think you do...” damnit Taps shut up! She cursed herself. Please don’t destroy what might be here just tell him!

“ I don't care. There’s a lot about me you don't know babe, things you wouldn't want to know, but I don't want there to be secrets between us... I care about you too much to let that mess us up” she turned her head down a little.

“ us..”  she whispered. “you don’t understand... there’s things in my life.. things I’ve done that I don’t want to know about things I wish would go away instead of haunting my nightmares like they do... you really... don’t want to know.” She sat up a little and he pulled her right down into his arms right close to him.

“ Listen to me... I'm not going to loose you, and somehow I'm scared that whatever you're keeping from me might just make that happen!” he hugged her tight. “I don't care WHAT you've done babe, I've done a hell of a lot of things wrong, but I am NOT messing this up!” he kissed her softly, quickly. Taps shook her head.

“you wont loose me.” She said confidently, although she knew he would. She had to tell him.  “but I’m afraid if you find out...  look I don’t even know who I am alls I know is I am homeless and broke... which is all that anyone knows about me. I like to keep it that way. because that way I can get friends and keep them for two weeks anyway. if you knew you’d be gone so fast so lets just not find out what’s going on...”

“ no. I'm not letting that happen... this all has to do with that idiot from the other day at the docks... look I think I know who he is, so I have some idea of what’s going on... he owes me a hell of a lot of money babe... Just tell me the truth ok?”

“ not all of it... look Keiran I'll tell you when I’m ready but I’m not yet. okay? I just need some time to come to terms.. and find the best way to word it.” He looked at her worried.

“fine... whatever.. “ he got up to hide the fact that he was almost in tears.  She stood quickly gently reaching for him but not actually touching him.

“Keiran please! I’m sorry.. I just... “ she sighed. ”I'd better go....”

“wait least tell me who the hell is causing all this trouble. I wanna know if I'm right no don't go! it's not about you leaving.. that’s exactly what I DON'T want.. don't want you to go” she stood at the door her hand on the knob looking down. She stayed silent a minute then figuring he’d have no idea who Johnny was anyway she sighed and told him.

“Johnny O'Hera”

                “so then I was right.” He hugged her, she stood a little unsure of how to respond then finally hugged him back.

“if you are going to leave then at least tell me something first....  tell me something...”

“what?”

“tell me I'm not alone here... I'm not alone in loving you” she gave him a small smile her eyes filling with tears.

“your not alone.” She said quietly, almost a whisper.  She’d never felt that feeling before, love., she was sure though, that this was it.

The End