Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

"No!" Luna cried, awaking with a jolt. The threadbare sheet fell to the ground, leaving her shivering atop the bunk. These nightmares had been increasingly worse, each taking her on the same path, but they ended in a new place each time. It was as if each night she received a new piece of the puzzle, but she had no idea as to what the pieces constructed.

Groans were heard around the room. The newsgirls knew of Luna’s sleeping habits. At first this only seemed to happen once, maybe twice a week. Now it was becoming a nightly ritual.

"Go back ta sleep Luna," Key muttered from beneath her pillow. "We’se all heah. Nothin’s gonna happen to ya," she whispered. Key and Luna were best friends and only Key knew of the details of Luna’s dreams.

"I can’t sleep no more," Luna sighed. She jumped down from her top bunk with a light thud and grabbed her boots.

"Mmph," Key mumbled as a reply before pulling the sheets over her head.

Quietly Luna slipped out of the bunkroom and headed down the creaky stairs of the Bridge Lodging House. "Can’t even get a decent night’s sleep in me own lodgin’ house," she muttered under her breath.

Outside Luna was greeted with an almost full moon. Morning was still a few more hours away, but Luna was never one to pass up seeing the moon, one of her favorite things, and a big part of the reasoning behind her own name. She marveled at how bright the moon shone and let it guide her on a path towards the docks.

Dese dreams are getting’ woise by da day now. Somethin’s wrong wit me. What could all dese nightmares mean?

In the distance she could hear the unmistakable sound of glass being broken. She knew it meant one thing. "Mutt! What are ya doin’ out dis early?!" she yelled down to the docks.

Spot Conlon aimed his slingshot at another beer bottle, letting it go with practiced ease. "Luna Morgan, what a surprise."

"Conlon what are ya doin’ out so early?" Luna asked, overlooking the fact that she knew that question was going to come right back at her. Part of her wanted him to ask. Part of her wished he held the answers in the palm of his hand to her nightmares. If it were only that simple.

"Some people like to call it slingshot practice," he answered. "And by what force do I have the pleasure of your company dis mornin’?" he asked.

Luna rolled her eyes. "I’se takin’ a walk and I just happened to decide to come down dis way. So what. It’s just as much me docks as dey are yers. No, strike dat, I own more of ‘em. Yer just a mutt wit a toy and some marbles."

"A likely story. Face it, you were dreamin’ about me and ya just had to come find me," Spot smirked.

Luna was in no mood to play around. Heaving a sigh, she let his comment slip by her, a rarity by any means, and took a seat on the edge of the docks.

Spot frowned. He knew of almost nothing that would keep Luna from keeping up the ritual they had of teasing each other. Something had to be seriously wrong. "It’s dose dreams again, ain’t it?" he asked softly. Pocketing his slingshot, Spot took a seat beside his best friend.

Luna only nodded, shifting slightly on the edge of the docks.

"What happened dis time?" he asked, his words coming as gently as the Brooklyn leader could manage.

"Da same thing happened like every other time. Dere I was, someplace I ain’t evah seen before, but in me dreams it was like I knew everything about it. Just like I know inside and out ‘a Brooklyn, but dis place ain’t nowheah neah da city. Don’t even look like it’s in America," she explained.

"Just like da rest of ‘em," Spot commented. "And ya was in da same place da whole time?"

"Yeah, well fer da most part. At da end all da sudden I was someplace else. I still felt like I had a job to do, like it was me duty to protect somethin’, but I couldn’t figure out what it was." Luna turned to face him and caught sight of his eyes. There was a burning compassion in them that she had never seen before. She yearned to know more about this side of Spot, and continued divulging her dream.

"Den I was attacked. It happened so fast. Whatevah I needed to protect, da goil who attacked me had it, and wasn’t about to give it up witout a fight." She hung her head. "Dat’s when I woke up, right in da middle of da fight." Her eyes trailed back to Spot’s. "It was so real Conlon. I ain’t nevah dreamt somethin’ so vivid before."

Without hesitation Spot’s arm was around Luna’s shoulders. "Ya know wit Brooklyn right behind ya, and da Bridge and Lowah Manhattan too, we ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to ya. Not evah." Spot lost himself in Luna’s eyes. The way she looked up at him was enough to keep him captivated for an eternity. He knew Luna didn’t need anyone to look out for her, and she was as tough as they came, but was relieved to see that she didn’t protest his vow.

"Thanks Spot. I knew I could count on a mutt to be dere for me," she smiled slightly, her eyes dancing playfully. They were locked on his. He spoke so sincere. It befuddled her, but at the same time intrigued her. They both sat in silence without even a slight movement or whisper. There were feelings there for each other that neither of them had ever accepted. Both Luna and Spot were too stubborn to find out if their attraction had any real meaning.

"I thought we was havin’ slingshot practice Spot!" a dark-haired boy with icy-blue eyes grumbled in the distance. "Time’s a wastin’! I aim ta enjoy me day off!" While many of the Newsies had chosen to sleep in on one of these rare days they didn’t have to sell, Blue was anxious to get up and escape from the Newsboy life for a day. Slingshot practice by his favorite docks seemed like the best idea until he met up with Spades’ Fia later.

Blinking, Spot removed his arm from Luna’s shoulders, and Luna scooted several inches from him. While they were staring at each other, they hadn’t noticed the sun had come up.

Spot cleared his throat. "Right. I’m comin’ Blue! Go set up da bottles!" He stood up and looked down at Luna. "Ya gonna be alright?" he asked, using the same soft tone as before.

"Yeah, fine. Go on before Blue gets antsy," Luna replied. "I gotta get back to da Bridge anyhow." Standing up, Luna gave him a small smile and nodded slightly, which was the only way she could find to thank him for listening to her dream.

"Okay. See ya Luna." Spot pulled out the slingshot from his back pocket and walked towards Blue. Why was I starin’ at Luna like an idiot? Shaking his head, he rummaged through his pocket and picked out a marble. "Alright Blue, watch dis."

****

"Gabrielle sit down!"

"Mother, I hardly get to go out as it is. Just look at my pale skin. At least let me to get some sun," Gabrielle replied, leaving her head perched out of the carriage’s window. The slight breeze in the air sent her wavy dirty blonde hair dancing around her face. "This city is so grand. I want to get a good look at it."

"New York City is full of criminals and heathens. Sit down properly or you are sure to lose something rather quickly."

"But mother…"

"Gabrielle Adler, you get your head inside this carriage at once," her mother replied, the anger rising in her voice.

"Oh just let her look at the city. It will be fine Kayla," her father insisted.

"Dietrich you always take her side," Kayla shook her head, hiding the slight smile on her own face. This city was intriguing to her as well, though she desperately tried to hide her eyes, marveling at all the sights around her.

"Mayor’s daughtah found wit a street rat! Read all about it!" hawked Kid Blink.

"Blink! I can’t believe ya just said dat! I was jokin’ ya bum!" Slick yelled and slapped his arm.

"You dared me Slick! All I did was live up to da challenge," Blink protested. His one eye grew soft as his bottom lip quivered. "I was just doin’ what ya asked me to."

"I was teasin’ and you knew it," Slick rolled her eyes.

Gabrielle watched the two Newsies with great fascination. Even though she didn’t know who they were, she envied the girl with curly brown hair and green eyes. She could have sworn the boy had called her Slick. What kind of name is that? And Blink? Nicknames perhaps. The girl referred to as Slick didn’t even wear shoes, but still, Gabi was inclined to learn more about their lifestyle.

"Father, who are they?" Gabrielle’s brother, Viktor asked.

"Newsies, son. Street rats. They sell the newspapers in the cities," Dietrich answered.

"Pay them no attention children, we’re almost to our new home," Kayla interrupted.

"Mother if Gabi has her head out the side why can’t I?" the twelve-year old asked.

"Because you are smarter than your older sibling," Kayla smiled and poked the boy’s nose.

"He may be smarter but I’m the one enjoying the sights," Gabrielle grinned.

"There it is!" Dietrich pointed out the carriage. "That’s our new home," he smiled. It was even better looking than the previous month when he had come to purchase the house.

"Really father? We’re going to live there? Where’s the yard? It doesn’t even have a yard," Gabi sighed. She remembered her home outside of the city. It had a large yard for her to run in. This home seemed like yet another way for her parents to tie her down, something she abhorred.

"There are plenty of parks for you to run in Gabrielle. Don’t worry," her father explained.

"You’ll just get yourself into trouble anyway," Viktor snorted and stuck out his tongue. "It’s what you do best."

"Enough Viktor," Kayla stated, taking the boy’s hand as the carriage came to a halt. "Come on children. Out we go."

Gabi hurried to open the door. She hated when her mother called her a child. Already seventeen years old, Gabi wished her parents would acknowledge her by name, instead of by ‘child’. She jumped out of the carriage and walked towards the house her father had pointed out.

"Gabrielle wait up!" Kayla called. She took Viktor’s hand and stepped out of the carriage. "Don’t get so far away!"

Shaking her head, Gabi turned around. "Mother, I walked ten feet from you. The house is right behind me. Don’t worry." Just as she said that, a boy ran up and bumped into her. "Hey!" She turned to see a boy about her age. He was covered in soot and from the look of his hands, he was a Newsie. The ink had stained them thoroughly. He bent down to pick up his hat and plopped it back on his head.

"Sorry Miss, didn’t see ya dere."

"Hey Pie! Hurry up already!" a girl called in the distance. Gabi turned to see another Newsie, about five feet four inches tall, with blonde hair just peeking out from under her cap.

"Comin’ Aurora!" After tipping his hat, the boy took off running.

Gabi sighed. She knew what her mother was about to say next.

"I told you Gabrielle. You never listen. Come on." Her mother outstretched her hand to Gabi and led the two siblings up the front steps of their new home.

****

"Dere ya are Luna!" Key exclaimed.

Luna had been in such a deep state of thought that she hadn’t noticed the other girls’ worried looks.

"Um, Luna dear," Spades offered. "You okay?"

"What?" Luna looked up, surprised to see a roomful of girls all with eyes on her.

"Luna, what’s wrong?" Key asked. "Spot beat ya at a slingshot contest?" she smirked, her milky green eyes dancing with mischief. The girls had seen an attraction between Spot and Luna ever since they became close friends, and although the girls hinted frequently, neither Luna nor Spot made a move, but they both thought there was a valid reason behind it.

Something never talked about was Spot’s older brother, Peter. Exactly two years older than Spot, Peter, or Pan as he was called, ran Brooklyn, with Spot as his second in command. Tensions had been high between the Brooklyn leader and a former friend who was known The Fox.

Jealous of the admiration and respect both Pan and Spot had over the Newsies in New York City, Fox planned to break the feared duo, and one night a group of his thugs, including himself, went to Brooklyn, informing Pan that Fox had some important business to discuss.

Pan never went to business meetings without Spot and although Fox made it clear that the matter was solely between him and Pan, the older brother told Spot to set up a post not too far away, so he could listen in on the conversation. Pan had a suspicion that Fox’s intentions might have been foul, and chose to have Spot there, just in case.

His suspicions confirmed, Fox and his goons showed up and threatened Pan, telling him that he was no longer welcome in New York and to get out before Fox dealt with him. Pan refused to leave, not understanding the jealousy Fox held within him. Fox grew impatient with the Brooklyn leader, and told his goons to take care of the matter.

Spot, watching all of this, whipped out his slingshot, carefully aiming it for the men after his brother. Unfortunately his weapon was no match for the pistol Fox possessed in his filthy hands, and as Spot aimed to shoot the gun out of his hand, Fox fired, killing Pan instantly.

His mouth wide open, Spot stared at his fallen brother from his hidden position behind the crates on the dock. He heard the men laughing as they walked away. Spot couldn’t move his legs. His feet seemed bolted to the ground. Once some of the shock wore off, Spot climbed out from behind the crates and walked towards Pan.

"Peter?" he whispered. "Peter wake up!" He can’t be dead. He’s just hurt. He’ll be fine. "Peter? Peter come on ya gotta wake up! Ya can’t leave me!"

Luna had been taking a walk that night, deep in thought over a recent lodging house issue, and anxious to admire the moon at the same time. She had heard Spot’s cries, and ran towards him, in disbelief of the image that presented itself before her.

Peter and Luna had been going out for months. Peter had planned to ask her hand in marriage in less than a week.

"Spot? Peter! What happened?!" Luna exclaimed. She knelt besides Peter and took his lifeless hand.

"Peter… no…" she whispered, taken breathless by this new-found anguish.

After that night, Spot and Luna stayed close to each other. Whether they talked about Peter to keep his memory alive, or helped each other deal with the pain of losing someone so close to both of them, Spot and Luna had rarely been seen apart, during which an avid attraction developed. Out of respect for Peter, they kept it a mere attraction, and never discussed it.

"I don’t wanna talk about it," Luna snapped and moved past the girls.

"Aw Luna, we didn’t mean to pry. Ya know we’re just concerned for ya," Key consoled. Hesitantly she walked after Luna, and sat down on the bunk once Luna did the same.

"Was it dose dreams again?" Key asked hesitantly.

Sighing, Luna nodded her head. "I can’t figure ‘em out, and dey’re getting stronger." She turned to face Key. "Dey seem so real, like da whole thing is a sign of somethin’, but I can’t figure out what da hell da sign means."

Key slipped an arm over Luna’s shoulder. "We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry. Sooner or later everythin’ will make sense," she smiled slightly. "Now why don’t we get ready for dat party tanight."

****

"Gabrielle! Come down here please!" Dietrich called up the stairs.

"Coming!" she called and let Viktor have one final headlock before bounding down the steps.

Her father frowned, Gabi not quite making the first impression that he had hoped she would. Next to him stood a tall young man of eighteen years. His short blonde hair was neatly kept under a brown cap. Gabi noticed that the man seemed to have dressed himself up rather well just to come by and visit, but exactly who was he?

"Yes father?" she asked.

"Gabrielle, this is Christopher Fox. His father is the bank manager where I work."

Christopher walked towards Gabi and gently took her hand in his, planting a small kiss on her knuckles. "Pleased to meet you."

Gabrielle nodded her head, and curtsied, unsure why she was being introduced to this boy. "Nice to meet you as well." Gabi turned to her father, her eyes questioning.

"Well I think I’ll leave you two to get acquainted," Dietrich smiled. He kissed Gabi’s forehead and as he leaned back, gave her a stern look to behave.

Quite confused, Gabi watched after her father, who seemed to have a bounce in his step as he walked towards the kitchen. She turned to Christopher, who was smiling widely.

"Um, would you like to come and sit down?" she asked, unsure of why they were meeting.

"I’d love to," he replied rather suavely. Gabi could tell he was rather sure of himself, in both his behavior and his voice. Why exactly had father wanted her to meet this gentleman in the first place?

Leading him to the parlor, Gabrielle took a seat and watched as Christopher did the same. She took in his features. He looked to be just over six feet tall, and had quite an athletic figure. His shoulders were broad and he carried himself proudly. Christopher had short brown hair and deep green eyes. It almost looked as if he was hiding something behind those eyes, but Gabi felt it had to be the poor lighting of the room and dismissed the thought immediately. His suit looked as if it was brand new, and it probably was, since Christopher was the son of the bank manager. He seemed to have rather expensive taste to top it all off, and Gabi didn’t much care for that.

The two sat in the parlor for over an hour, discussing their views on a good number of topics. Gabi couldn’t understand why all Christopher did was agree with her. She was an outspoken women’s rights activist at times, something her parents couldn’t stand, and she had never met another man that would actually go so far as to agree with everything she pointed out. Perhaps he’s just humoring me, she thought, but wasn’t fully sure either way.

As the late afternoon was approaching, Christopher and Gabi decided to meet that evening and her father accepted the idea almost before she presented it to him. Kissing her hand, Christopher left to prepare for the evening.

There’s something about him, Gabi mused. Why does father trust him so much? Walking upstairs, Gabi retired to her room, still baffled as to why she had met this man.

****

"Luna, hurry up already! We’se gonna be late!" Key yelled into the washroom. Tapping her foot against the hard floor, she crossed her arms. "Da goils already left!"

"Alright already!" Luna called from the washroom stall. Several seconds later she emerged with a frown on her face. "Do we really need to go?" she asked. "It’s just some dumb party."

"Yes, we do, and not even you shootin’ a marble in me ass is gonna stop ya from goin’. Now come on," Key stated and dragged Luna with her.

Once they arrived at Irving Hall, the Newsies had already been mingling for well over an hour. With liquor in some of their systems, the party seemed rather laid back, with the few exceptions of some who were loud drunks.

Boots and Isis were out on the dance floor, far away from the alcohol. Race had long ago reserved a table for a serious game of poker, and Mayhem sat beside him, eager to beat him at his own game once more. Kitty Kelly and Crutchy had found a quiet corner in the back of the hall and were discussing their views on certain matters in between a kiss here and there. Raven and Dutchy had met up with Aurora and Pie Eater, and the four enjoyed a conversation at a table all to themselves. Goosey and Itey found their own secluded corner and concentrated on other matters besides Medda singing. Slinks and Specs had taken an interest in the dance floor as well, and Slinks was busy teaching Specs a salsa which he eagerly learned.

Meanwhile the poker game race had started raced on. Shamrock, Brooky, Dublina, and Spot had all gathered to play, and the stakes were higher than anyone had imagined. Race kept his poker face on the entire time, pleased with the way the game was going.

Key and Luna entered, and Snitch immediately came up to Key, taking her hand and smiling. He nodded to Luna, and before Key could say anything, Snitch whisked her off to another part of Irving Hall.

Sighing, Luna set her sights on the poker game, and that trademark smirk of Spot’s. He always kept that same face on during a game, no matter what kind of hand he had. Spot had noticed her coming towards the group, and motioned for her to sit down beside him.

"Alright, keep da game movin’ goils and boys. Ya gonna raise or not Brooky?" Race asked, perturbed that the game had been interrupted by another member to the group. He had a killer hand, and wanted to win that game a little too much.

"Keep yer pants on Race," Brooky shot back at him. "I’ll call, and I’ll raise ya another two bucks," she grinned and slapped her earnings down on the table.

Skittery and Dreamer passed by the table and shook their heads. The high-stakes game was not worth it in their opinion. Retiring to a corner of Irving Hall, the two listened to the music from afar, enjoying each other’s company and the absence of another newsie for at least ten feet.

"Two bucks? Damn Brooky. Whatcha got? Royal flush or sumptin’?" Dublina asked and immediately folded her hand. "Too rich for me blood," she sighed and continued to watch the game.

Brooky watched as most of the newsies at the table did the same; One by one folding their hands, as two dollars was way too much money for most of them to spend on a poker game. Looking over at Race, she smirked when the Italian placed his last two dollars in the center of the table. ‘Well Race, looks like it’s just you and me."

"Yeah, yeah, cut da drama and show me yer cards," Race snapped, tense by how much was at stake. He’d be begging from his friends to lend him some change for the next week if he didn’t win this hand.

Showing no emotion whatsoever, Brooky slowly placed her cards face up on the table, revealing four queens. "Four of a kind," she announced coolly before crossing her arms.

Dropping his mouth, Race threw his hand on the table in disgust. Amidst his tantrum lay a full house, three tens and two kings. "Damn it," he muttered before rising from the table.

Mayhem shook her head in disgust and chuckled to herself. Dat boy never learns. Standing up, Mayhem subconsciously slid her hand in her pocket, making sure she had her money with her, since surely Race was headed to the bar next, even in his broke state. Jingling the coins in her pocket, May sauntered to the bar, sitting on the stool next to Race once she was there.

"Ya beat him, didn’t ya?" Spades’ Fia asked with Brooky.

Grinning, Brooky nodded. "Yep. Dat boy nevah knew what hit him" she replied and shoved the winnings in he pocket.

"Poor boy," Blue chuckled and squeezed Spades’ Fia’s hand, leading her towards the dance floor.

****

Later that evening the Newsies began to regroup before heading back to the lodging house together.

"Ya gonna be alright?" Key asked Luna, who remained behind, still sitting at the table where Brooky had one the poker game.

Nodding, Luna smiled sadly. "Yeah, I’ll be fine. Go on home. Me and Spot gotta talk first."

"Okay," Key answered hesitantly. "But ya got yer slingshot right? Just in case?" she asked. "It’s pretty late out dere," Key explained.

"Yeah, a coise," Luna replied and patted the pocket that held her trusty weapon.

"Alright. See ya back at da Bridge den." With that Key walked over to Snitch, and gave her best friend one last wave before heading outside with the other Newsies.

"I’m sorry ta keep ya," Spot said softly as he sat down beside Luna. "I just needed ta talk real quick."

"What’s wrong Spot?" Luna asked.

"Well, I gotta ask ya sumptin’," Spot sighed and took her hand in his.

Luna looked up into his eyes, desperately hiding how good it felt to hold his hand.

Spot took his hand from hers and pulled out his slingshot, looking down at it. "I used ta think I was nothin’ without dis slingshot - like it was all dat I had. I was invincible wit it, and no one could harm me when I was aimed wit me slingshot." Sighing, Spot held the slingshot up. "I wanna get rid of it. I don’t wanna deal wit da memories it brings back any longer. I wanna just throw it away and forget it evah meant something to me."

"No wait," Luna interrupted. "You can’t just throw it away like dat," she argued. "It also has a lot of good memories to it."

"But da one dat sticks out da most is bad. I should toss it away right now," he furthered. Spot should have used his slingshot to kill Fox that night, thus saving Peter, and to this day Spot felt his brother’s death was his own fault.

Easing the slingshot out of Spot’s hand, Luna shook her head. "I won’t let you do that."

"Alright, then you keep it," Spot reasoned. "But I don’t want to carry it around any longer."

Luna carefully put the slingshot in one of her back pockets. "I’ll keep it safe ‘til the day comes dat ya miss it. Den you come and find me right away, ya hear?"

Nodding, Spot offered Luna his arm and the two stood up. "Allow me to escort ya home then, since yer doin’ me a big favor."

Smiling, Luna nodded and held onto his arm. Walking out of the empty hall, the two proceeded back towards the lodging house in silence.

****

"Father, when can we go to the park?" Gabi asked. "I’ve been in this house for most of the week." The only times Gabi was allowed out was under the careful watch of Christopher Fox. Still, Gabi felt awkward around him, and still sensed he was hiding something, but her father seemed to really like Christopher, and for that reason alone Gabi continued to see him. The other night Gabi had overheard her parents discussing her relationship with Christopher and how Christopher’s father had talked to Dietrich at work. Christopher was ready to take a wife and Gabi was the girl he kept talking about. Gabi didn’t think anything of this, for surely her parents would let her decide if Christopher was worthy enough for marriage, though part of her feared that her father didn’t know the full capability of Christopher and his family.

"Today Gabrielle," Dietrich smiled. "We’re all going out this afternoon."

"Oh! Thank-you!" Gabi cried and leapt off the couch, embracing her father in a tight hug. She ran towards her room to prepare for their outing, leaving her father behind to chuckle and shake his head in amusement.

"New union formed! Workers plannin’ on goin’ on strike!" hawked a Newsboy down by the corner.

Gabi opened her window and smiled as the warm breeze kissed her face. She watched the Newsboy closely. Wonder what a day for him is like. No parents to tell him what to do, or all these rules to follow.

She watched the boy until he disappeared around the corner. Sighing, Gabi walked over to her bed and fetched one of the newest books she had been reading. In it, the gentleman wrote about these Newsboys, and described how they lived at a lodging house, were responsible for themselves and the well-being of their friends. To have friends like that seems impossible - always looking out for each other. It’s too good to be true. Though Gabrielle was very thankful for her current life, and loved her family dearly, she yearned to be free of this sort of life.

"You and those windows," Viktor muttered from the doorway.

Gabrielle closed the window and turned to him. "What about me and those windows?" she asked.

"You’ve always got your head stuck out of one of them," Viktor observed.

"Viktor! Gabrielle!" their father called from downstairs.

"So?" Gabi shrugged and walked past him. "Come on, we’re leaving."

Rolling his eyes, Viktor followed on the heels of his sister, eager to annoy her as much as possible on this trip.

Once outside, Kayla found it quite difficult to keep tabs on her children. Viktor would be fascinated by one thing, while Gabrielle marveled over something else.

"Children, come on!" Kayla pleaded.

Dietrich laughed. "Let them look around. It’s their first trip outside of the house. It’s to be expected."

"I just don’t want them getting lost. This city is so big," Kayla sighed.

"We won’t lose them," he assured his wife. "Viktor! Gabrielle!" he called.

The two ran towards their father’s voice.

"Where’s the park?" Gabi asked.

"Only a few more blocks. Come now, or we won’t make it back before dark." Dietrich held out his hands and the two each took one. "Hurry along."

Gabi’s eyes grew wide at all the sights to see. Soon her eyes fell upon the figure of a Newsboy in the distance. He wasn’t selling papers, but instead he seemed to be fencing with some sort of walking stick. The nearest lamppost was getting beaten by this newsboy, who Gabi thought had pretty good moves for someone who probably never had the chance to take real fencing lessons. Paying no attention to where she was going, a gentleman walking the other way rammed into Gabi, causing her to lose her father’s grip and for the necklace that fell delicately from her neck to be ripped from its chain.

The crowd was so heavy at that time of day that while her family was pushed in one direction, Gabi was pushed in the exact opposite.

Her mother, father, and brother pushed themselves out of the crowd and headed for a stoop to overlook where they had last seen Gabrielle.

"Father! Viktor! Wait!" she cried, but she couldn’t see them any longer. She bent over, desperately searching for her necklace and was quite surprised when she saw it dangling in front of her face.

"Lookin’ fer dis?" a boy grinned, his fingers holding tightly to the small trinket.

Her eyes widening, Gabi stood up and tried to snatch it out of his hands, though she wasn’t quite fast enough.

"Ha! Wrong! Try again."

"Give it back you… you… boy!" Gabi yelled.

Bumlets gave her an innocent look. "Give what back? What do I have dat you could possibly want?" He held up her silver locket on the broken chain and waved it back and forth.

"You know perfectly well what I want. Give me back my necklace!" The anger rising in her voice, Gabi tried to grab it back, but failed in each fleeting attempt.

"Ya couldn’t possibly want anythin’ from street rat like meself. I’ll just be on me way." With that he pocketed her necklace and turned on his heel, quickly walking down the crowded New York street.

"Hey! Get back here with that!" Gabi called. She turned back around and frowned. Her family was no longer in view. Her parents must have been worried sick, but she knew the way back to her home, well she knew the address of her house. Surely a native New Yorker would give her directions. She whipped around and ran after the Newsie that had stolen her necklace.

"Gabrielle! Gabi! Where are you?!" her parents called out, unsuccessfully.

"Dietrich, where did she go?" Kayla asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Don’t worry, she must be right around here. We didn’t get separated by all that much. She must be in the crowd still."

Bumlets started skipping towards the corner with a wide grin spread across his face. Teasing this girl was much more fun than he had expected. He spotted a park just across the street and skipped towards it.

"You deaf?! Give it back!" Gabi screamed and scampered after him.

"Ha! Come and get it!" Bumlets ran into the park, darting through the trees like he had done so many times in the past. This was his beloved park. He knew it better than any of the Newsies, and frequented it more than the rest as well.

"UGH!" Gabi was not going to give up. I’ll show him. Gabrielle loved running. She could do it all day if she wished to. Running through the trees, she kept an almost even pace with him, though found it hard to catch up.

Bumlets could see how hard she was trying to keep up with him. Well she’s got spunk, I’ll give her dat much. He didn’t want their little game to end. Bumlets ran out from the trees and jumped up on a park bench. "Yer too slow. Ya don’t desoive dis locket. I know someone who might like it doah…" he trailed off.

"You wouldn’t dare! Give it to me now!" Gabi screamed. Regaining her breath quickly, she ran towards the bench, but just as she reached it, Bumlets hopped down the other side. He failed to notice a slight dip in the grass, and as he landed, his foot slipped out from under him, sending him tumbling towards the ground.

Gabi saw her chance. Without hesitating she raced towards him and grabbed his arms as she kneeled besides the fallen figure. "Hand it over!"

"Woah! Take it easy!" Bumlets retorted. He was amazed to see this girl jump at him. Usually girls dressed like her would call the bulls and have them take care of the matter.

"Now!" she yelled and struggled to hold his arms. As she slowly lost the fight, she took things a step further and used her body weight to try and pin him down.

Bumlets wriggled one arm from her tight grasp and rolled over on top of her. "I don’t take no orders from a prissy goil like yerself," he smirked. "Besides, ya ain’t in no position to give orders."

"Oh?" Gabi questioned. She swiftly kneed him and while he agonized over the pain, she rolled over on top of him again. "I believe I am. Now give it back."

"Feisty, ain’t we?" Bumlets grimaced. While he watched her grin over her small victory, Bumlets took the opportunity to even the score. Gripping her arms, he used his arms to push her to the ground, sending him back over her. "Like I said before, ya don’t desoive dis locket."

"Damn you!" Gabi cried.

The two wrestled back and forth for quite some time until finally neither of them had the energy to move. Both lay sprawled on the grass of the park, unable to get up.

"Give… it… back…" Gabi whispered, her chest heaved up and down, desperate for air.

"I… will… do… no such thing," Bumlets retorted, his own chest anxious for the ability to breathe normally again.

"Hmph!" Gabi huffed and aimed her fist for his arm, but missed and hit the ground.

Bumlets laughed. "Do ya evah give up?" He sat up slowly and shook his head.

"No. Do you ever stop being so annoying?" she retorted. "Or is it a permanent trait that people have to deal with on a regular basis?" Rolling her eyes, Gabi sat up as well. Her legs ached from all of the running she had just done. Since the move to Manhattan she hadn’t had a chance to run at all. Her muscles were making her painfully aware that stretching would have been a good idea before she darted after this boy.

Bumlets used his arms to help propel himself from the ground. "I think it’s a good trait ta have," he grinned, not at all affected by her comment.

"Perhaps no one ever informed you that you are very wrong," Gabi snapped. She tried to move her legs, but they tensed up, sending her into incredible pain. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She didn’t want this boy to see her struggling. How would she ever get her necklace back if she couldn’t even get up? Hiding her face as she winced, Gabi started stretching out her legs, hoping the muscles would soon be relieved of their tension.

"Ya alright Miss Priss?" Bumlets asked, unable to hide the slight concern in his voice.

"Fine! Now give it back or I’ll have to…" She searched for anything in her power to do to the boy, besides call the cops. "Hurt you!" Gabi finally belted out. The pain in her legs was more prevalent than before. Both were cramping up at a rapid pace.

"Looks like yer da one dat’s hoit." Shaking his head, Bumlets moved towards the injured girl. "Yer all cramped up, aint’ ya?"

"What do you care? Ya stole me necklace. What makes me think ya won’t steal somethin’ else if I let ya get close enough. Just go away." Quickly Gabi rubbed her hands up and down her legs, frantically trying to relax her muscles. She wanted to cry. The chain of her necklace was broken. A boy she didn’t even know had taken it from her, and she left her family behind somewhere on the street. But ya can’t show dat yer weak. He’ll just take somethin’ else, or laugh at ya. She fought back the tears, rubbing her legs harder.

"Dat ain’t gonna help. Heah, lemme try." Bumlets slowly eased his hands over her leg. He watched for her reaction, and when she made no effort to protest, Bumlets continued his massage. As he felt the muscles relax, a small smile appeared across his face. "Dere, see. All bettah?" he asked.

"Yeah, great," Gabi responded. She started to get up. "Ow," she sighed. Her legs were quite weak after they had cramped up. "Please give me back the locket. It’s getting late. I have to go."

"Miss Priss has to get back home to her parents? Aw, too bad. Well if ya can grab it, ya can have it," he smirked and held it up high out of her reach.

Gabrielle limped towards him. "Fine," she muttered in disgust. She made a move to jump, but it wasn’t high enough. As her feet returned to the ground, her legs gave out, sending her to the ground. Her head had hit the ground hard. Gabi tried to focus on her surroundings, but everything was a huge blur.

"Shit, goil. Ya okay?" Bumlets asked and knelt beside her. He hadn’t meant for this to happen.

"Yeah, just great," she muttered, unsure of her surroundings. Instead of one annoying newsboy she saw three. "Please just give it back so I can go home."

Bumlets could tell she wasn’t alright. Instead of looking directly at him, she seemed to be focusing on something next to him, when there was nothing beside him at all. "Ya sure yer alright?"

"What’s with all the questions?!" Gabi snapped. Slowly she pulled herself off the ground, but in the midst of being dizzy, she faltered to stay upright.

"Liah," Bumlets stated. "Ya ain’t okay. Come on." He gently took her arm, but she pulled away from him quickly.

"Don’t even touch me," she warned.

Bumlets laughed. "Or what? Ya can hardly see straight, and ya think I’m scared of a priss like you? You probably don’t even know how to get back to yer home from here."

Gabi knew Bumlets was right and tried not to show that she was a little frightened of this situation now. She didn’t have any idea how to get home from this park, and not only were her clothes covered in soot, but she stubbornly refused to go home without her necklace. "Give it back!"

"Nope." Bumlets could see that she really didn’t know how to get home. "Well, gotta go," he said plainly and started walking, knowing she would follow.

"My necklace!" Gabi cried and fumbled after him.

Bumlets walked the entire way back to the lodging house with Gabi right on his heels. There were a few times where he wanted to just clobber her, for she would push him from behind and trip him, yet still she wouldn’t call the cops, and that intrigued him.

Once the lodging house was in sight, Bumlets picked up his pace. He was annoyingly aware that Gabi had also picked up hers, citing that she would cause him lots of pain if the necklace was not returned soon. He didn’t think about what would happen once he entered the lodging house until it was too late and Gabi followed him right inside.

"Mayhem, are ya cheatin’ or somethin’? It’s impossible to win dat many hands ‘a pokah!" Race frowned. He had been losing to Mayhem all night, as had the rest of their poker group, which included Slinks, Specs, Dublina, Brooky, and Shamrock.

"Shut it Race. Quit yer whinin’. It just ain’t yer day," Mayhem grinned and collected her winnings, stuffing them in her pocket. "I ain’t playin’ wit such a sore loser no more."

"Aw May, come on," Race pouted. He slid his arms around her and gazed into her green eyes. "I’ll make it up to ya latah if ya play one more hand wit me." He buried his face in her neck, trailing a soft line of kisses down it.

"You would resort to such low measures ta get me to play ya know," Mayhem sighed, very aware that she was about to give in to his touch.

Racetrack pulled back and ran a hand through her hair. "I know," he grinned. "So is dat a yes?"

"Aww, would ya look at dose two," Slinks whispered to Specs.

Specs slid his arm around Slinks’ shoulder. "I’d rathah look at you," he smiled and kissed her cheek.

Shamrock nudged her best friend in the side. "Specs, wheah do ya come up wit dese lines?" she teased.

"It ain’t a line, it’s da truth!" Specs protested. He pulled Slinks closer.

Shamrock laughed. "If you say so." She shook her head.

Dublina and Brooky looked at each other and started coughing, hoping to hurry up the start of this next round of poker.

"You bettah pay me back fer dis. And it bettah be worth me time," Mayhem added quickly. She glared at Dublina and Brooky who were smirking at her.

"Anytime today loveboids," Shamrock announced hastily.

"Alright already." Race quickly shuffled the cards and dealt them out to the table.

Bumlets made for the stairs, thinking this would be the point where the girl would threaten to call the police, and he would hand over the necklace and be done with her. However he was mistaken, as silently she climbed the stairs behind him.

"Bumlets, who the heck is dat?" a girl with long, curly brown hair and brown eyes asked from the stairwell.

"It’s uh…" Bumlets faltered, not entirely sure how to answer her.

"Your name is Bumlets?" Gabi asked and laughed. "How fitting!"

"Who is dat?" Itey asked rather loudly as he bounded down the steps laughing. He had just had a playful fight with Boots up in the bunkroom and hadn’t quite calmed down yet.

Goosey turned to Itey and shrugged.

"What the hell? Bumlets, who is dat?" Mayhem asked, annoyed that her winning streak had been interrupted by some strange girl following Bumlets.

Bumlets frowned at Itey. "Good goin’," he muttered, having not wanted to come home to an interrogation.

Itey sighed. "Sorry." He slung an arm around Goosey and pouted. "I didn’t mean to."

Smiling, Goosey kissed his cheek. "It’s alright. I still love ya."

Bumlets started up the stairs, past Itey and Goosey who were too entranced with each other to notice him further. "No one," he called to Mayhem.

"Well ‘no one’ looks like a goil ta me," Mayhem retorted.

"Four of a kind! I win!" Race shouted and jumped up, sending his chair crashing to the ground.

Mayhem rolled her eyes. "Not ta mention sore winnah." She shook her head, as did the rest of the Newsies gathered around the table. They all proceeded to get up, leaving Race at the table hugging his winnings.

"Bumlets! Who is dat?!" Mayhem called up the stairs.

Annoyed that this girl kept demanding to know who she was, Gabi turned around and crossed her arms. "Gabrielle Adler. What’s it to ya?" she asked, leaving her educated manner out on the street.

The lodging house quickly grew silent. Everyone knew it was a bad idea to mess with Mayhem, that was, except this girl. Slowly Mayhem started up the stairs. "Well Gabrielle Adler, I’se Mayhem Powell, and before ya get yer heart set on following Bums any further, let’s go over a few things. One of those bein’ respect fer someone who can pound yer little face in."

Glaring Gabi walked down a few steps to look Mayhem in the eyes. "You think I’m scared of some little Newsie living here?"

Anticipating trouble, Bumlets walked back towards Gabi, knowing this would break out in a fight if Gabrielle didn’t shut up soon.

She shook her head. "Look Powell, you don’t fool me with your little attitude problem, and I’m far from scared of the likes of you."

Not wasting a second, Mayhem popped her in the nose with one swift punch.

Gabi fell backwards into Bumlets’ arms and grabbed her nose in anguish.

"Not scared huh?" Mayhem walked up the stairs, not caring to give the Newsies’ shocked looks a second thought.

****

"What the…" Gabi murmured. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal a room filled with bunk beds. "Where… Ouch!" she gasped, gripping her head. She had never felt such a painful headache before.

"Evenin’ Miss Priss," Bumlets greeted. "How are we feelin’?"

"What are you doing here?" Gabi snorted, regretting her harsh words only because they made her face hurt more.

"Checkin’ up on da patient, dat’s all. May sure gave ya a nice face rearranging. Ya should be more careful who ya upset heah. Kloppman said ya can stay heah da night at least. He won’t charge ya nothin’ since May decided ta show ya up," Bumlets grinned, recalling the incident. Well, at least I got to hold this strange girl and carry her up the stairs. Not believing he had just thought that, Bumlets shook himself from any thoughts and turned his attention to the glaring girl on the bunk.

"I don’t need a lecture, and surely not from you, thief."

"Thief is it? Well then, I’ll leave ya to tend for yer own nose." Bumlets made sure to set the first aid kit out of her reach, but set a pack of ice by her face before getting up.

Being the stubborn one she was, Gabi kept her mouth shut. Even though her nose hurt beyond belief, she refused to let Bumlets help her. She did, however, grab the ice and gently press it to her throbbing face.

Inwardly sighing, Bumlets should have known she wouldn’t give in. That nose of hers needed to be treated, but if she was going to be stubborn about it, so was he. The ice would do for now. "Night then." Bumlets made for the door, hoping she would call him back over, but as he neared the door, he could tell it wasn’t going to happen.

"Night, Bum," Gabi laughed slightly, still amused at his name. Once he left the bunkroom she grimaced, the laugh hurting her bruised nose.

Wonder what my parents are up to now, and Viktor too. I shouldn’t be here. I should be home. Gabi tried to sit up, but a sharp pain surged through her head, and she lay back down quickly. Tomorrow…tomorrow I can go home. I hope they aren’t too mad at me. She started to ponder what it would be like to live as a Newsie. They didn’t have parents to answer to, and were quite tough on the outside, as she had already witnessed with Mayhem. Overcome with thoughts of her day, Gabi soon found herself exhausted, and quickly fell fast asleep.

****

The next morning Gabi awoke to the loud voice of an elderly man and the groans of her fellow bunkmates. Rubbing her eyes, Gabi brushed her hand too close to her nose and winced, remembering how Mayhem had fun rearranging it last night. One of these days I’ll pay that girl back.

"You must be Gabrielle. My name is Kloppman," the old man stated. "Bumlets told me about ya. The washroom for the girls is over there, and the Newsies will all be gone in another twenty minutes or so. I’ll be downstairs if you need me."

Quite confused by all the commotion that surrounded her, Gabi nodded to Kloppman and gave a brief ‘thanks’ before her attention was grabbed by some of the newsgirls sitting down on her bed.

"So, what gave ya da cockamamie idea that ya could talk back ta Mayhem of all people?" a girl with long black hair asked. Gabi noticed how pale her skin was, and when she spoke her teeth were rather crooked.

"Why do you care?" Gabi snapped back groggily as she sat up. As far as she was concerned it wasn’t any of their business.

Laughing the girl shook her head. "Well, in dis lodgin’ house we all have a right ta know why a goil like you was followin’ Bumlets. I’m Brooky, and dat’s Slinks, Aurora, Isis, Kitty, Dreamer, Silk, Shamrock, and ovah dere in da washroom are Dublina, Raven, Pixie, True, Slick, and ya already met Mayhem," she laughed, and some girls did the same.

"Yeah…Mayhem. She sure was given the right name," Gabi snorted.

"Hey, watch what ya say, alright?" Slinks chimed in. "Unless ya wanna wind up wit a few broken ribs while yer at it," she laughed.

True lightly jabbed Slinks in the side. "We all know who already ended up with more than a few broken ribs, right goils?" she grinned.

"You think that’s funny?" Gabrielle asked, not quite sure why they were laughing at another’s misfortune.

"Oh, well, ya had ta be dere. His name’s Morris Delancey. I think he said somethin’ about Leadpipe, and she made sure dat Morris couldn’t walk straight for a long time," True explained.

"Leadpipe?" Gabi asked. It certainly was fitting that Mayhem had a friend named that.

"Yeah, Leads, her best friend. He ain’t mute, just don’t talk, and Morris made da mistake of pokin’ fun at him in Mayhem’s hearin’ range," Kitty answered.

"Damn fool couldn’t even get outta bed fer a week!" a girl exclaimed as she rushed in the room with two others in tow.

"Yeah, I forgot about dat part BC," True remarked. "Gabi, dat’s Buttercup, or BC as we call her, and behind her are Laces and Hush, da three partners in crime," she smirked.

The three girls grinned and bowed before heading towards the washroom, muttering about their latest caper to the boys’ room.

"The papes don’t wait for goils ya know!" Kloppman yelled up the stairs.

"Damn look at da time!" Pixie gasped and sat up quickly. "C’mon goils, or we ain’t gonna get any papes at all."

Brooky nodded to Gabi, who was still enduring the pain of last night’s run in with Mayhem. "I guess ya should stay here. Look, we’ll be at Tibby’s fer lunch, if ya feel up to takin’ a stroll by then, or Klopp will fix ya sumptin’ ta eat here. Den we’ll be out sellin’ again. Stop by if ya think ya can hack bein’ a Newsie," she smirked and stood up. "Let’s go girls."

Quickly the room emptied itself, the newsgirls all busy chatting about different things, though the main topic was selling partners and their boyfriends. Sighing, Gabi lay back down, intent on getting a bit more sleep before attempting to get up.

****

"Dietrich where is she?" Kayla asked for the tenth time that morning. Pacing the floor of their kitchen, she jumped at even the slightest sound, thinking the door was about to open and in would run her daughter.

"I don’t know dear, I don’t know. It’ll be alright. We have the police looking for her, and Christopher told me his father would help quicken the efforts of each officer with his stature in the city. We’ll find her soon," Dietrich answered soothingly, putting his arms gently around his wife. "It’s just a matter of time now." What he neglected to tell his wife was that Christopher and Dietrich had discussed this matter in detail, and in for the safe return of his daughter, Dietrich had accepted Christopher’s proposal of marriage to Gabrielle. He’s a good boy. He’ll do right by her, if we ever find her.

****

Around eleven o’clock Gabrielle awoke to the soft sounds of Kloppman whistling a tune in the hall while busy with chores. Stretching, she sat up slowly and grimaced as she felt her nose still throbbing. "At least my headache’s gone," she sighed.

Remembering where the washroom was, Gabi made her way towards it and washed up. Hey, I wonder if that thief left my necklace here. After she had finished up, Gabrielle quickly walked out of the girls’ room and after waiting for Kloppman to go back down to the lobby, she opened the door to the boys’ room.

"Look at all these bunks. This is going to take forever," she mumbled. Gabi started with the first bunk and searched for the item that had gotten her into all this trouble in the first place.

Once halfway through the bunks, Gabi was still empty-handed and rather upset. He wouldn't actually keep it with him would he? Amongst her searching Gabi didn’t realize that it was already lunchtime.

"Lookin’ fer dis?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

Gabi whirled around only to see Bumlets standing in the doorway, dangling her necklace from his fingers. "Yeah, as a matter of fact I am," she stated and began walking towards him. "Now are you going to let me have it?"

"Hmm, I don’t think now is quite da time. I’se kinda hungry. C’mon." Pocketing the necklace safely, Bumlets turned and headed down the steps, certain that the girl that had followed him all the way here would continue to follow him to food.

Throwing her hands up in disgust, Gabi followed Bumlets out the door, but stopped short of the stairs.

"What?" Bumlets asked once he had noticed she wasn’t walking down the stairs.

Sighing, Gabi gestured at her clothes. "I can’t go out like this," she muttered. Her dress was torn from yesterday’s escapade and quite filthy. There was no way she was going out in public like this.

"Right, Miss Priss gotta look presentable," Bumlets teased and walked back up the stairs. "C’mere."

Scouring through the trunk at the end of his bunk, Bumlets tossed Gabi some of his old clothes. "Dese should fit ya. Dey are kinda old, but I was smaller back den, and ya wouldn’t wanna wear me clothes now, dey’d be too baggy, and ya’d only complain again," he smirked.

Shaking her head, Gabi strutted into the washroom and changed. Several minutes later she emerged with a frown. "Well, at least they appear washed," she snorted. Though grateful for the apparel, she still wanted to keep an angry façade about her. After all, he still hadn’t given her necklace back.

"You’se welcome, Priss,’ Bumlets shot at her dryly. "Now c’mon, I’m hungry." He led her down the stairs and out the door. "Nose is lookin’ nice and swollen," he commented once they were in front of Tibby’s. "I’m sure Mayhem will like to admire her handiwork."

"Gee thanks, Bum," she replied. "How nice of you to think of her."

Grinning, Bumlets held the door open for Gabi, who was quite surprised by this sudden show of gentility. "What? You’re a gentleman all the sudden?" she quipped.

"Hey now. Just cause I’se a Newsie don’t mean I can’t be civil," Bumlets blistered. He led Gabrielle over to a table already full of Newsies and gestured for her to sit down.

"What, she’s a Newsie now?" Mayhem spoke up, noting Gabi’s attire.

"No, she ain’t a Newsie, May," Bumlets answered as he sat down beside Gabi. "She needed some clean clothes, dat’s all."

"Heh, she’s just afraid of any competition selling these damn papers. Probably can’t hack being a Newsie. All these headlines to think up is just too much for her simple mind," Gabi muttered.

The table grew silent, and all eyes pointed towards Mayhem, who had a cockeyed grin on her face.

"Now, sweets, she’s just a smart ass. Let it go, alright?" Race asked, grossly aware that Mayhem was fuming and about to make Gabi wish she had never set foot into Tibby’s.

"Race, shut yer trap. Dis don’t concern ya," Mayhem growled. If only she wasn’t situated near the window with several Newsies between her and Gabi. "Listen, sweetheart. Yer mouth is runnin’ a mile a minute, and in case ya didn’t notice, we don’t appreciate dat attitude around here. Now, shut dat little trap of yers, or I’ll personally make sure ya can’t talk for a long time," she threatened.

Bumlets moved towards Gabrielle and eyed her, mouthing ‘just shut up’ before shoving a menu in her face. "So what is everyone gonna eat?" he asked, hoping to change the subject and quick. Mayhem was still shooting daggers at Gabi with her green eyes, and the Newsies at the table were all wishing they were somewhere else.

"C’mon May, ain’t ya hungry?" Race asked soothingly before distracting her with his lips on Mayhem’s neck.

Sighing, Mayhem withheld herself, though she made a mental note to make this up to that twit later. "I guess," she mumbled and closed her eyes, letting Racetrack distract her.

"Dang goil, ya got some noive," Slick voiced once she made sure Mayhem was plenty out of the discussion.

"She’s right. Whatever gave ya da idea to get on May’s bad side?" Blink asked before sliding an arm around Slick. If anything else happened, he was picking up his girl and making a break for the door.

Gabi merely shrugged her shoulders and continued perusing the small menu in front of her. "You actually eat this stuff?" she asked Bumlets in a whisper. She was quite done causing trouble for now.

Chuckling, Bumlets nodded his head. "Why don’t ya let me pick sumptin’ for ya? Wouldn’t want ya to end up wit sumptin’ ya can’t stand."

"Like you?" she smirked.

"Yeah, like me." Bumlets rolled his eyes, doing his best to hide a smile.

Raven, who was sitting across from Gabrielle, nudged her boyfriend Dutchy in the side.

"What is it?" Dutchy asked, taking his eyes from the menu.

"Look at those two," Raven whispered in his ear. "I think she’s stickin’ around for sumptin’ else besides dat necklace."

"Yer crazy," Dutchy remarked and shook his head. "Ya don’t think she’s got a thing for Bums, do ya?" he whispered back.

"You’ll see. I’m right. Just give it a little time, and a lot more fightin’," she answered and kissed his cheek.

The bells above the door at Tibby’s jingled, and in walked Spot and Luna.

"Heya fellas," Spot greeted, sporting his usual smirk. He grabbed two chairs and plopped them down at the table where tensions were already high.

Spot took one look at Gabi and raised a brow. "I don’t believe we’ve met."

Looking up from her menu, Gabi shrugged. "So?" she asked and returned to the menu, pretending to be much more interested in the choices then this Newsie.

Spot looked at Luna and laughed before returning his attention to Gabi. "So, da name’s Conlon, Spot Conlon. And you are?" It sounded more like a demand than a question.

Gabi sighed and rolled her eyes, choosing not to answer him. She could tell this particular Newsie was quite full of himself, and she didn’t want to be bothered.

Laughing, Luna nudged Spot in the side. "Looks like she don’t care who ya are, Mutt," she joked.

Bumlets thought it time to speak up. "Her name’s Gabi. She followed me home yesterday." He saw Gabi glare at him and smiled. "She’s just visiting."

"Can we eat already?" Gabi whined. For some reason she felt a pit in her stomach at the thought of just visiting. What the heck am I upset about? On one side of me I got a thief, and on the other a damn ladies man. No, I just want to get my locket and go home…right?

"Wow, she speaks - full sentences even," Spot joked and waived the waiter over.

The rest of the Newsies lunch hour was rather uneventful. Gabi had kept her mouth shut, instead concentrating on what she wanted to do now. She did want to go home, didn’t she? Sure, the Newsies life was something she had read about for awhile, but showing to these people that she actually wanted to stay here seemed like a very bad idea, especially with Mayhem around.

Gabi listened to the Newsies chat over a plethora of topics. They seemed to really get along, and though she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she was quite envious of that.

"Spot, are ya ever gonna take dis slingshot back? It ain’t fun carryin’ around two, ya know," Luna groaned after downing the last of her glass of water.

Sighing, Spot shook his head. "You promised to hold onto it. I don’t want it back now," he answered, making sure to keep his voice down, though he didn’t know that Gabi was listening in, hearing every word.

Noticing the way Spot answered, Gabi felt there was a lot more to this slingshot than she knew about, and kept that tucked away in her mind for later. Perhaps she could find out why Spot was so upset. That had to be his weakness. He looked like the toughest Newsie in New York, but even he had to have a weakness.

"Hey Luna, ya gonna come over tanight?" Brooky asked. "Oh, and you too Spot," she smirked.

"Yeah, I’m comin’. Wouldn’t miss da fun, now would I?" Luna smiled.

"C’mon, Mutt, I still gotta out do ya sellin’ da afternoon edition," Luna grinned and stood up, leaving a few coins on the table to cover her meal.

"Yeah right. Ya ain’t gonna win," Spot challenged and followed her towards the door.

Gabi stood up as well, fishing for the little bit of money she had with her, and put down enough to pay for her meal. She headed towards the door, wondering if this time Bumlets would be following her.

"Well, what are ya waitin’ for, Bums?" Slinks teased. "Go on."

Rolling his eyes, Bumlets dropped a few coins on the table and proceeded towards the door. Once outside, Bumlets shook his head as he saw Gabi standing there, arms crossed.

"Took ya long enough," she stated.

"Sorry ta keep da princess waitin’," he retorted. "Ya need me ta walk ya back to da lodgin’ house, or ya think ya can make it on yer own?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? I aim to try selling those dumb papers, just like I told Mayhem. I bet I can outsell her."

Chuckling, Bumlets nodded. "Suit yerself." He bowed and pointed her in the direction of the distribution center. "After you."

Gabi took off, amazed that Bumlets would let her come along. She did want to try selling, and since she was outfitted in Bumlets’ clothes, she knew she’d go unnoticed by anyone potentially looking for her, including the police.

They walked along in silence for awhile, before Gabi spoke up. "That Spot character is a good match for that girl Luna," she stated.

"Dey ain’t a couple," Bumlets replied quickly.

"Really?" Gabi asked, quite amazed that they indeed were not. By the way she saw them interact at the table, she could have sworn Luna and Spot were an item.

"Really. Dey’re just great friends. Luna was goin’ out wit Spot’s brother, until he got killed, so now dey’re just really close," he explained.

"Oh," Gabi nodded. Well, as long as we’re on topic of sharing stories… "So, um, who is this Leadpipe guy?"

Bumlets expression clouded over. "He and May were da best of friends," he started out, choosing his words carefully. "Dey used ta pull tricks together before dey both became Newsies. Leads was always lookin’ out for Mayhem," he sighed.

Gabi’s ears perked up at the term ‘was’. "Um, where is he now?" she asked hesitantly.

Frowning, Bumlets continued. "He was killed. We think by da same guy dat killed Peter, Spot’s brother, but…" he sighed. "Da bulls don’t give a damn, and nothin’ was ever done. We’re just ‘street rats’ after all. One more of us gone ain’t no big deal."

Gabi’s expression matched Bumlets. Maybe that was why Mayhem had such a hard exterior. She had been through a lot, and Gabi was just a useless pain in her side. "I’m sorry," she mumbled.

"Mayhem swears it’s da same guy. Someone named Fox. He used to fight with Spot and Peter over territory boundaries all da time. Fox didn’t sell papes, but just oversaw da Newsies from da Bronx, and we all know he was runnin’ drugs too. Some kind of underground thing wit a group in Chinatown. But, dat’s all we know. No one can prove it, and he just does what he wants."

"Fox?" Gabi repeated, reminiscent of Christopher. They couldn’t possibly be connected, but still, that uncertainty hung in the air.

"Yeah, dey call him Fox. No one knows his real name, or what he really looks like. He always wears a black mask, when he deals wit da Newsies, or wit da Chinese. I say he’s just too scared ta show his real face," Bumlets stated.

Gabi was unsure of what to tell him, and chose to stay quiet, merely nodding her head once he was finished. Lucky for her they had arrived at the distribution center.

"So dis is where I get me papes," Bumlets announced, gesturing at the ramp in front of them. "Ya really wanna give dis a try?"

"I already told you. I am going to prove that I can outsell Mayhem, and you," she grinned.

"Sure ya are, kid," Bumlets laughed. "Well you can try ta outsell a master like meself, but it ain’t gonna be easy."

"I am going to outsell you, and when I do, I expect my necklace back," Gabi stated.

"Now we’re makin’ up rules too? Sheesh, remind me not ta spend too much time around you anymore," he shook his head.

Rolling her eyes, Gabi didn’t answer him, instead choosing to take in the scenery. The Newsies were all chatting about this and that, making plans for the evening, and joking about how bad the latest headline was. She sighed, imagining her own life, free from her parents keeping her indoors all the time, and free from that Christopher fellow. She knew what would happen if she went back now – marriage. Gabrielle was far from ready for that.

"I’m takin’ 50 dis afternoon. Ya wanna try and top dat?" Bumlets asked, shooting her a grin.

"60 papers," Gabi snorted and thrust her coins on the counter.

Bumlets stuffed his papers under his arm and walked down the stairs, muttering that she’d wind up eating those later.

"How hard can this be?" Gabi remarked, looking at the headline. "What a cinch!"

"Yeah, cinch. Go on, sell ‘em." Bumlets nudged her. "Dere’s a crowd right over dere."

"Alright, I will." Gabi held her head up and strutted towards the crowd. She had heard these Newsies call out bogus headlines since she moved to New York, and besides that she had read about them in book after book. How hard could this possibly be?

Bumlets watched from afar, chuckling to himself as Gabi tried to sell her papers. She ain’t gonna stand a chance. The crowd that he had pointed her too had already bought their papers for the day, and Bumlets knew that. Aurora and Pie Eater always got to the crowds outside the distribution center first.

Gabi focused her attention on the paper and thought up a few headlines that she had heard called out before – now to see if they worked. She started spouting out a few lines, but the crowd was massive, and very talkative. They didn’t even hear her. Frowning, Gabi noticed that most of them already carried a paper under an arm and she turned to Bumlets, glaring.

"You set me up," she growled once she had walked over to him again.

Bumlets raised his hands in innocence. "Who me?" he asked, feigning hurt in his voice. "Aw Gabi, why would I do such a thing?"

"Shut up," Gabi retorted. "I’ll just go do this on my own, without your so-called help." With that Gabi stormed off to find a vacant corner, and to prove she could sell more than him.

Bumlets looked after her and shook his head. He couldn’t let her get out of his sights, especially not around here. She’d never find her way back to the distribution center, let alone the lodging house. Calling out headlines a safe distance behind her, Bumlets followed Gabi down the crowded street.

A few hours later, dusk was approaching, and Gabi had sold half of her papers. Exhausted and upset that this did actually require more skill than she had originally thought, Gabi took solace in a nearby park bench, throwing her papers down on the ground.

Sighing, Bumlets felt a little remorse for having had egged her on so much. He could see her in the distance, chin thrust in her hands and looking rather upset. He should be rubbing it in her face right now, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Cautiously Bumlets walked over to Gabi and took a seat next to her on the bench. "Looks like ya sold half yer papes. Not bad fer a rookie," he remarked, his words hoping to console her.

"I suppose so," Gabi muttered. Why isn’t he poking fun? I thought he’d be waiting all day to do that.

"It’s gettin late, time ta go back," Bumlets said and stood up. He gathered up the loose papers on the ground and bundled them under his arm.

Gabi looked at him in disbelief. The same boy that had tormented her all this time was helping her out now, and resisting the urge to tease her even more.

"What?" Bumlets asked, noting her eyes on him. He blushed slightly under her gaze, not used to being looked at as she was.

"Stealing my papers?" she asked and tried her best to glare, but failed.

Smirking, Bumlets nodded. "I can still make a profit wit dese," he said proudly and grinned at her. "Since someone gave up." He hadn’t meant to tease her about the issue, it just happened, and now he felt a pit deep in his stomach. He saw the disappointment in her eyes, which was what he had wanted to avoid all this time.

"Well, then, I’ll…" Gabi faltered and desperately thought up something to say. Then she saw that hat atop his head. "Since you stole my papers, I’ll steal your hat!" she cried and snatched it off his head before taking off towards the park.

"Hey, give dat back!" Bumlets yelled. He darted after her, and finally thrust the papers in a trashcan, since they hindered his chase. Bumlets was not about to let her get away, and after several minutes caught up to her, taking her firmly by the arm.

Gabi tried to pull from him, but his grip was far too strong. "Let me go!"

Grinning, Bumlets took his hat back, and then grabbed hold of her hand. "Nope. Let’s go."

"Let me go," Gabi stated firmly once more, glaring at Bumlets in full force.

"Nope, not ‘til we get home, thief," he smiled and strutted along. "Ya gotta learn not to do so much on an impulse… bad for yer health ya know, stealin’ people’s things," he snickered.

Not believing her own ears, Gabi frowned. "Talk about stealing things," she muttered and reluctantly walked alongside Bumlets. She didn’t make any motions to take her hand from his, though. Something told her it was much better to let him lead her back.

****

Ten o’clock - he always leaves at ten o’clock. Mayhem crouched behind a few wooden crates and peered over, sighing in relief when she saw a familiar figure step outside of his home, and walk towards a carriage already in front. She stole a quick glance at the pocket watch she had borrowed from Race, which read exactly five minutes past ten.

He’s never late. Somethin’ big must be happenin’ tonight. Good night ta follow da bastard. Once her target had sat down inside the carriage, Mayhem darted towards it, silently hopping on the back as it started moving down the street. Tonight she was going to avenge her partner’s death. Her best friend had died in vain, and no matter what the police said, May knew the truth. She knew who was responsible. Christopher Fox had to die.

Mayhem strained to hear what Fox was discussing above her, but the hooves of the horses were too loud, and she could only make out a word here and there. She heard something about meeting somewhere and that there was to be a big pay off.

The carriage ride seemed to last forever. Just as May thought her legs were going to fall off from crouching down for so long, the horses finally started to slow down, and May hopped off before they stopped, hiding in the shadows once she did.

"Mr. Fox," a lanky man greeted.

"I take it everything is in order," Christopher barked as he stepped out of the carriage.

The man stepped back and nodded. "Yes sir, all set for your approval."

"Good. Have the men start loading then. Once I inspect the goods I want them ready to be shipped out immediately," he ordered.

"Yes, right away sir."

The man retreated his steps and hustled to gather the others. Meanwhile Christopher crossed his arms and started to walk towards the loading dock. If all went well he would be an ever richer man tomorrow morning.

Mayhem saw her chance. If she reached Fox before he was out of her sight, she could take him down without him even knowing what was coming. Silently she crept towards him, glancing to her right and left as she did, making sure no one else was around.

Once she was close enough, Mayhem drew her arm back and hit him fiercely on the back of his neck, sending Christopher to his knees.

"What the hell?!" he cried, grabbing his neck in anguish.

"Yer da asshole dat killed a good friend of mine, and now it happens ta be yer turn ta suffer," she said through clenched teeth.

Christopher craned his neck just far enough to see his attacker and cackled. "You? The bitch that hung around that guy that never spoke. Oh, this is lovely," he said sarcastically through the ever-present pain. Slowly he stood up and turned to face her.

The rest seemed to flash right before Mayhem’s eyes. She went after him again, but two dark figures pulled her back, thrusting her arms behind her back.

Christopher stood up and grinned. "Well, now you can join your pathetic friend. Boys, tie her up over there. We’ll leave this to handle once the job is finished. Nothing gets us off schedule!"

****

"Give it back," Gabi snorted.

"Hmm, no," Bumlets replied with a smirk. "I’ve grown quite fond of this little locket."

Gabrielle was at the point where she couldn’t go on arguing with him. She hated showing a weakness and this necklace was one. Sighing, she decided to give up for the time being. "Fine, keep it," she muttered. Standing up, Gabi stormed into the washroom and slid out the window. Once she was thoroughly happy with the way she had slammed the window, she climbed up to the roof and took a seat near the edge.

Bumlets stared after her, dumbfounded. Well it wasn’t any fun if she didn’t continue their little game. He walked into the washroom and opened the window. Why am I going after the girl dat only fights wit me anyway? Against his better judgement Bumlets climbed out the window and started up towards the fire escape.

Once atop the roof, he saw Gabi curled up near the brink. Silently he walked towards her, taking a seat several feet away. He looked up at the stars. He hadn’t admired them in awhile, and had missed doing so.

Gabi regarded him with silent eyes. He was too pre-occupied with the stars above to notice her glancing at him. Why won’t he just give it back? What use does he have for it besides annoying me? She noticed how the moonlight highlighted his black, shiny hair, and how his brown eyes twinkled as they marveled at the sky. He looks so free, like he’s not bound by anything. I wish I were free. She sighed louder than she thought, and Bumlets broke his gaze of the sky and turned to her.

"What?" he asked. "Whatcha lookin’ at?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly. " Isn’t there a poker game tonight? Why don’t you go bother them," she suggested. "And give it back."

"No," he stated plainly.

"Now," Gabi insisted.

"Not fer all da gold in China," he grinned, quite proud of his answer.

"Oh fine. You asked for it."

Gabi lunged at him, sending them both tumbling backwards.

Laughing, Bumlets pinned her down and held her wrists above her head. "Asked for what? Da chance ta beat ya again?" he smirked. "Well thanks, I believe I just did." He was careful this time not to allow her legs anywhere near where she had kneed him last time.

Gabi tried to wriggle free, but she knew there was no hope. Two can still play at this game. She started to wince. "Ow, my wrist," she whispered.

"What? Yer wrist?" he asked, concerned.

"It hurts. Ow." She winced again.

Bumlets let go of both her arms. "Wheah? Which one?"

Gabi rubbed her right wrist with her other hand momentarily. "This one," she answered quickly and struck him in the chin with her fist.

Staring at her with wide eyes, he couldn’t believe he had fell for that trick. His jaw made him painfully aware of how hard this girl could hit. He grabbed her arms again, thrusting them back over her head. Anger and shock shone in his eyes.

Gabi was slightly afraid that he would hit her back, though he didn’t seem at all the type to do such a thing. She stared up into his eyes, nearly drowning in them.

Bumlets gazed right back into her blue eyes. What was it about her that kept him so interested? After all he’d had this locket of hers for over a day. He should have given it back by now, but as she made no serious effort to tell the police, he made no serious effort to give it back to her.

"I… I’m sorry," she stuttered, uneasy by the silence.

Bumlets eyes grew soft, the anger, frustration, and shock dissipating, and turning into a need to be right beside her - to understand just why she fascinated him so. He leaned closer, his eyes piercing hers.

Her heart racing, Gabi’s mind began to go blank. The way he gazed at her, those eyes never leaving hers – she had to know more. She made no attempt to stop him from moving closer, letting her eyes tell him that she wanted him there.

Slowly Bumlets eased his hands from her wrists. He used his fingers to move a few stands of hair away from her face, then leaned closer, his lips brushing over her own. He looked up into her eyes briefly, wondering if she would back off. Instead he felt her hands run through his hair. He settled his lips on hers once more, kissing Gabi deeply.

Gabi made no motion to stop. She didn’t have time to dwell on any of her own doubts and fears and chose to toss them right out of her mind, kissing him back deeply.

As they were towards the edge of the roof, Bumlets swept Gabi up in his arms and carried her safely next to the warmth of the chimney, setting her down gently before his lips hungrily sought hers again. Once they were both resting against the floor of the roof, Bumlets took Gabi into his arms, breaking the kiss to look her in the eyes. He desperately searched for words to sum up what was going on inside him. There were so many things he wanted to ask – so many things he wanted to know.

Also tongue-tied, Gabi chose actions instead, trailing her fingers over the line of cheekbone, his lips, and his chin. Her eyes connected with his again and a smirk curled on her lips. "Thief," she whispered.

"And a good one too," Bumlets whispered back in agreement. "I stole you, didn’t I?" He gently pushed the blonde curls from her face before leaning down and meeting her lips again. Soon the kiss became deeper, and while Gabi’s hands wandered over Bumlets’ back, his hands trailed over her face and neck.

Both parties wanted more, and they signaled each other through the depth of their kiss. Gabi’s hands worked their way under his shirt, caressing the smooth skin of his chest while Bumlets pulled her on top of him, starving to have her as close as possible.

Gabi pulled back and took his hands in hers, leading them to her shirt. She left his fingers atop the buttons and smiled, leaving him to do the work. Once Bumlets completed his task, he tossed her shirt aside, and pulled her towards him, leaving all doubts aside as he forgot his surroundings – Gabi the only thing on his mind.

****

"Luna! Spot! Get ovah here already!" Slinks called, already engrossed in the poker game. It was Manhattan’s turn to host the weekly get-together.

"We ain’t dat late are we?" Luna asked, seeing a game already in progress.

"Just a little," Brooky remarked through a cigarette clenched in her teeth.

Behind Luna and Spot strolled Spades’ Fia, Blue, Snitch, and Key. The six grabbed the last remaining empty seats and sat down, watching as the latest game unfolded.

Racetrack looked up from his cards, taking a drag on his cigar as he did. "Alright Dublina, your call. Ya gonna raise or what?" he asked.

Spades’ Fia noticed something different about the game. Someone was missing. Perusing the table, she figured out who it was. Mayhem always sat beside Racetrack for these games, but she wasn’t there. And there wasn’t a vacant seat either. She nudged her boyfriend, Blue, in the side and whispered, "Where’s Mayhem?"

Shrugging, Blue put his arm around Spades’ shoulder. "Dunno," he whispered back.

Race was growing tired of the looks the other Newsies were giving him. He knew what they wanted to know. Sighing, Race cleared his throat. "May had some business to take care of, alright?" he snapped. Race had been nervous ever since Mayhem told him she wouldn’t make it to the game. He knew what she was really up to. She wasn’t visiting Leads’ grave - she was going after Fox. After all, she didn’t need to borrow his pocket watch just to go the grave site. He loved that watch, but he loved Mayhem much more, and this was strumming on his last nerve. But how could he stop her? She bettah come home in one piece. If anythin’ happens ta her… Race knew there wasn’t anything he could do to stop her. She had to take care of this and she wanted to do it alone. There was nothing else to do besides sit and wait, hoping she would make it back home safely.

The air was silent for a few moments, as everyone noticed Racetrack’s attitude. There was more to this then they knew about, and they all felt it better to change the subject quickly.

"Alright, Dub, what’s it gonna be?" Slinks asked, slicing the silence.

Sizing up her hand, Dub took another glance at the pot in the center and then at how much she had left. It was only the first game of the night, and if she wanted to last through the entire evening, she would have to be cautious about her spending. "Fold," she answered, setting her cards on the table before leaning back in her chair.

"Well, I call your twenty cents, and raise ya anuddah five," Brooky grinned, throwing her coins on the table. "True?"

"Hmm," True scratched her head. Brooky, True, her boy Mush, Specs, Slinks, Shamrock, Kid Blink, his girl Slick, Jack, and his girl and co-leader Jade were still in this game. "Too rich for me blood," she sighed, folding her cards.

One by one the Newsies backed out of the game, until it was down to Brooky, Racetrack, and Slinks.

"Well Brooky?" Slinks asked impatiently. She had her best hand ever, and was trying desperately not to show her excitement.

"Yeah, yeah, hold yer horses," Brooky muttered, debating how high she wanted to go. Finally she tossed her cards down. "Fold."

Slinks held back her joy. Now it was down to the gambler himself and her. She knew Race was off his game. His head had jerked up each time the door opened, expecting it to be Mayhem. There was no way his hand was better. "Well Race? What’s it gonna be?"

Sighing, Race took one look at the anti, then his hand, and pressed them down on the table. He just couldn’t enjoy this game knowing where his love was. "Ya win Slinks," he muttered.

Jack stood up from the table and clasped a hand on Race’s shoulder. "C’mon. Why don’t ya get some fresh air wit me?" he asked, knowing Race had a lot on his mind. Perhaps if nothing else, Race could talk things out with Jack.

Slinks wanted to whoop with joy, but when she saw Race’s downtrodden face, all she could do was smile, take her winnings, and steal a victory kiss from Specs before pocketing the money.

"Alright, let da big boys in da game now," Spot announced. "Blue, let’s show ‘em how we do dis in Brooklyn," he grinned.

A new set of Newsies sat down at the table, including Luna, Spot, Silk, Blue, Spades’ Fia, Goosey, Itey, Skittery, Dreamer, Raven, Dutchy, Aurora, and Pie Eater. Spot shuffled the cards and dealt them out.

Once the cards were dealt, all the Newsies except Luna picked theirs up. Her eyes were fixated on a knot in the floor as she sat stiff in her chair. Two dark figures flashed before her eyes, dancing in the moonlight. She centered her attention of them, noticing that their dance was actually a fight. The two seemed equal fighters, both with passion for what they were doing, yet one seemed to be in the game more for the fun of it.

"Luna? Hey, Luna, ya alright?" Spot asked, touching her shoulder gently.

"Huh?" Luna asked, blinking her eyes.

"Luna, what was dat?" he whispered.

"I – I had another dream. I… I’m alright now," she stuttered. What da hell was dat? Who were dose people?

"Ya sure?" Spot asked. "Somethin’ spooked ya. You wanna talk about it?"

"No, it’s alright. Go on. Brooklyn has a poker game to win," she smiled slightly, still stunned by what took place.

Nodding, Spot kept a cautious eye on Luna while he continued the game. "Alright, first bids?"

****