Author's Note: I haven't written a Newsies story in a long time, but this was a weird little idea I had.

This takes place in 1909, ten years after the movie and the strike. I thought it'd be fun to ponder what these characters would be like as adults, and I couldn't resist writing about a hard core gangster Spot, ha!

Hopefully you guys enjoy reading this.

"So, how do you – did you – know Mush?"

"Through David, originally."

"Oh, yeah. You're the reporter who works with him, aren't you?" The young man nodded, absently rubbing at his eye-patch.

"Yeah. I'm Lorelei." She leaned forward to grasp his hand in a firm shake.

"Right. Blink; well," he paused and sighed, "least that's what I was called...back in the day."

"What do they call you now?" Lorelei asked.

"Leo. But not here, with these guys. I'm still Blink. I think we'll always still call each other our old names. It's just...habit." He shrugged.

Lorelei looked around at the motley group of people gathered, a few dressed in somber blacks but most wore their usual tattered clothing. "I hate funerals," she finally said.

"Yeah," Blink muttered. A moment of silence passed between them, both stared at the floor. "Oh, heya, Jack," he greeted dully to the tall blond who sat himself beside them.

"Heya, Blink." Jack looked at Lorelei. "Lorelei, right?" She nodded. "Thought I recognized ya. You're Denton's niece, ain't'cha?"

Blink looked surprised as she nodded. "Yep, that's me."

"Oh, you're the one workin' with Dave?" Blink waited for her to nod even though he knew he was correct. "You're his, like, charge or somethin'?"

Lorelei let out a small snort. "Yeah, I guess you could call me that. He's mentoring me while I learn the ropes. I'm only doing small human interest stories right now, and we have to shadow one of the main reporters for the first year or so."

"Still funny thinkin' of Davey as a big Ace Reporter," Jack laughed to himself before his face fell suddenly, as if he only just remembered where they were. He looked around at the growing crowd. "Guess I should go up and say somethin' soon."

"Yeah," Blink agreed, rubbing his face. "I think most everyone's here by now."

Jack inhaled deeply before standing and moving towards the front of the room. He grimaced as he passed the wall of flowers, some expensive lilies, while others were clearly picked from amongst the weeds that grew through the cracks of the city sidewalks. A few 'Hey, Jacks' were murmured as he made his way through the chairs and he stopped to stand on the slightly raised platform in the front of the hall.

"So, uh, I guess we're all pretty much here," Jack began, scanning the faces that were pointed towards him. "There was a priest who was gonna talk, but it just didn't feel right to have someone who didn't know Mush here to..." he paused, flitting his gaze around the room, from faces to the rafters to the stale afternoon light pouring through the dingy glass panes before he brought his focus back to the audience. "Anyway, so I know a lot of us, all of us, really, uh...well, I guess we're all wonderin' how somethin' like this could happen." Jack looked at his shoes, rubbing the back of his neck as he took a few breaths before facing everybody's stares. "Mush, he was – well, I guess some of yous knew him as Tom – but anyway, whatever ya called him, he was a good guy. Always smilin'. Always willin' to give ya the shirt off his damn back, Mush was. Now he's gone." Jack pursed his lips. "It just don't make any sense. I mean, I'm here – you're all here – where the hell is he? Ya know?" He cleared his throat. "Cops said it was an 'accident'. Mush 'accidentally' got his brains blown out." Jack's voice grew raspy and hard as his anger mounted. "Yeah, well, maybe the cops here won't do nothin' about it, but I sure as hell am gonna find out what happened."

"I'll help you."

Everybody twisted around in their seats to look at who had spoken from the back of the room. A few gasps sounded as the smartly dressed man approached the front of the funeral hall. He nodded once to Jack before he sat himself in a chair in the front.

"Who's that," Lorelei whispered to Blink, noting his widening eye.

"Shit," he swore quietly with a shake of his head, "no one thought he'd show."

"Who?"

"Conlon, that's Spot Conlon."

Lorelei strained to hear the various hushed conversations his arrival had evoked throughout the crowd but she could only make out a few words such as 'gangster', 'scary', 'handsome', and 'guns'. She widened her eyes as she leaned to whisper to Blink.

"Conlon, as in the infamous Five Points Gang leader?"

Blink nodded. "Yeah, that's him. Haven't seen him in..." he let out a long breath, "eight or nine years, I guess." He paused, listening to Jack for a few seconds before whispering, "Heard a lot about him over the years though." He grimaced at the thought, then turned his attention once more to Jack. Lorelei craned her neck, trying to look through the crowd but she had lost sight of Spot Conlon. Her attention was soon directed back to the front of the room, Jack had stepped down and various old friends of Mush's were taking turns giving their own eulogies to their dead friend. After several people made teary and bawling speeches Jack announced that a wake was being held at Medda's and people began to filter out of the building and towards the music hall.

"Are you comin'?" Blink gave Lorelei a small smile.

"Yeah." She followed him down the street and a couple of blocks to the right until they reached the front of Medda's where she saw David, Jack, and the infamous gangster Spot Conlon.

"Hi," David greeted Lorelei. Jack nodded once before turning his focus back to the growing crowds, Blink excused himself and went inside. Spot smirked as he cast his eyes first to her shoes before roving his gaze over her body until he eventually settled on her eyes.

"Aren't you gonna introduce me, Mouth?" Spot tilted his head, his grin grew at Lorelei's flushed cheeks.

David narrowed his eyes. "This is Lorelei. She's my friend," he paused before adding, "and Denton's niece" as if this would serve as some type of warning.

Spot snorted. "Good thing you're a damn sight prettier than that old mug."

"Thanks, I think." Lorelei blushed beneath his gaze.

"Speakin' of Denton, where is the old man? I'd've thought he'd be here." Spot looked around at the people filing into the dance hall.

"He's overseas working on a story," David answered, clearly not wanting to prolong the conversation.

Spot nodded absently, his eyes still on Lorelei. "You gonna come inside, have a drink with me?" He smirked at her as he waited for her answer.

"Sure, why not?" Lorelei followed Spot inside Medda's, an irritated David tagged behind them. The crowd made it difficult to move around easily so Spot motioned to a table in the corner, one that only had two occupants, both of whom immediately relinquished their claim to the table as soon as they saw who approached. Spot smiled lazily at their skittering and pulled a chair out for Lorelei to sit on.

"What'da'ya wanna drink?"

She shrugged. "Whatever you're having."

David coughed which made Spot laugh. "Four finger whiskey."

"Oh," she grimaced, "then maybe not that."

"I'll get'cha somethin' you'll like." Spot left them without waiting for her response. David looked like he was about to burst the moment he left.

"What are you doing?" His face was beet red.

"Nothing. What?"

"Why are you drinking with Spot Conlon? Someone you can't trust – oh, and by the way," David added scathingly, "I wouldn't drink anything he gives you. You never know what he could drop into a girl's drink."

Lorelei stared at him before laughing. "What, like you think he's going to poison me?"

"Yes, he could use chloral hydrate or something, I've read about it. I wouldn't put it past someone like him."

Lorelei continued to stare at him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"You're acting as if you have no idea who he is! He's a thug, Lorelei. A gang leader. He was unpredictable and dangerous back when I knew him, when he was head of Brooklyn, but that's nothing to how he is now."

"How do you know? You said you haven't even seen most of the newsies, except for Jack and Mush, and a few others, for a decade."

"His reputation is wide spread," David told her dryly, "as you well know being in the news business."

Lorelei looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Okay, so I'll tell you – I'm well aware of Spot's infamy. That's why I want to get to know him, I want to get on the inside...don't you see? If I could write an expose on him and the Five Points, I'd be a head reporter in no time. I'm sick of always being under your and Bryan's wing. Don't get me wrong, I love working with you and my uncle, but I want to come into my own. I'm a good reporter, or I will be if I ever get the chance. If I can get in good with Spot, well then I can finally write about what's going on."

"This isn't the way to do that. It's dangerous – Spot's dangerous."

"You worry too much. Besides, I can take care of myself."

David shook his head. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I'm not going to get in too deep. I'll just befriend him-" She was interrupted by David's bark of laughter.

"Befriend him? Spot doesn't have female friends."

"Sure he does. There's always girls seen with him."

"Those girls aren't his 'friends', they're his lovers." David rose his brows. "And the only way you'll ever get close enough to him to get any sort of story is if you become one of them."

Lorelei fidgeted. "Certainly he takes a girl out for a time before things get...more involved. So maybe I won't stick around long enough to get the all inclusive story, but I could at least get enough to-"

"You're delusional if you think a smooth operator like Conlon wastes much time with girls who won't pu-, well, 'nice girls' who he can't seduce right away."

Lorelei pursed her lips to keep from chuckling.

"It's not funny," David scolded.

"No, it's just the way you try to white wash your meaning, it's funny."

David sighed. "Look, Lorelei. We're not just co-workers, we're friends, right?" She nodded and he continued. "Okay, so as your friend, I'm telling you to stay away from him. Story opportunity or not. Believe me, I know what it's like to struggle to get noticed, but this is the wrong way to do it." He was about to speak further when he stopped at the sight of Spot approaching the table, three glasses in hand.

"Here ya go, Mouth – I took a guess." He pushed an amber glass towards David, the froth sloshed as it slid across the table. "Here's a sweeter one for you," he said, handing Lorelei a white drink, "it's a Gin Fizz," before he sat down, his own whiskey in hand. Spot chuckled to himself as he watched Lorelei lift the glass and examine it. "Afraid to try something new?" he taunted.

"I'll try it first," David offered, grabbing the glass from her hands and taking a drink, all the while watching Spot's reaction, which was too bland to be panicked.

"What are you," Lorelei began to question David's odd behaviour before she sighed, "does it taste like anything funny's in it?" She rolled her eyes.

Spot creased his brows before he let out a "ha!" "You thought I gave her a dirty drink?"

David set the glass down. "I don't know. I don't know much about you these days, Spot." His gaze was challenging as he stared at Conlon.

A slow, rather dark grin stretched Spot's angular features. "I don't need to get my dates totaled in order to get 'em to like me. Your opinion o' me's really guttered, hasn't it, Mouth?" The two men glared at each other a moment more until Jack sat down at the table.

"Heya, Davey, Heya Lorelei," Jack greeted the two before turning towards Spot. "So, we gonna go somewhere an' talk?"

Spot nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Lorelei," he smiled at her, "Jacky-boy and I got a little business to take care of. You stay here, I'll be back soon." He didn't bother looking at David as he rose and followed Jack into the crowd.

"They're talking about what happened to Mush...what do you think they're going to do?" Lorelei's gaze was still focused on where they walked out, but there were too many people for her to see them anymore.

"I don't know. I hope nothing crazy, for Jack's sake. I was friends with Mush, too, but no good can come out of this. Mush is gone, and nothing they uncover or find out is going to bring him back or make missing him any easier." David frowned before he took another drink of his beer.

"How are they going to find out any more than what the police did?" Lorelei brought her gaze back to David.

"Spot Conlon has a lot of connections...and Jack still does, too, really." David chewed his bottom lip.

"Good, you're right where I left ya," Spot commented, clearly pleased, as he sat back next to Lorelei. "What'da'ya say we blow this place, go out somewheres?" He sighed at her hesitation. "Come on, I don't like wakes. Can't stand 'em for long."

"Okay," Lorelei finally answered, avoiding glancing at David. Spot stood and held out a hand, which she took, and they left Medda's.

Thanks for reading. Please review, that would be awesome! :) Let me know if there's interest in my continuing this story.