Here's another long chapter fic, this is unlike anything I've written. It'll be with a little bit of angst and romance. I've done romance before but never angst. I think its pretty good. So I hope you enjoy and (coughsREVIEWcoughs)

Disclaimer- I don't own Newsies...well yet anyways. (evil laughter)

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Today was not a good day for Kid Blink. He woke up late, causing him to hurry while getting ready, the other boys left him to go to the Distribution Office, making him be very last to get his papers. So Blink was a little bit off schedule, but when you're a newsie you have to have things timed perfectly. He hawked the headlines, noting the weather. A little too cold for October, he could see his breath in the air as he shouted. Until something ran into the back of his legs, thinking it was one of those dumb stray cats he turned around and prepared to yell at it.

"You..." He cut himself off from cursing when he saw there was a little boy, sitting on the ground looking terrified.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sir!" A woman's voice called out. He looked up to see a young woman rushing towards him and the kid, with a younger girl resting on her hip.

He blinked, looking from the young boy to the lady. "No, ma'am its okay. He didn't bother me none." He watched as the young lady bent down to pick the child up by his wrists. Blink got a good look at her.

She had dark brown hair that was pulled half way up and secured with a ribbon, the rest fell down around her waist in curls. She had a pale, young face and gleaming blue eyes. Her dark blue dress made her eyes pop, like brightly colored wildflowers in a meadow.

She stood back up, noting his stare on her. Her pale cheeks turned a slight pink. "Again, I'm so sorry." Her voice was really smooth. Not raspy or accent ridden like the other boys'.

"Its no problem." A steady glance fell between them, both of them knowing they had other things to do than stand and gawk. However, neither of them wanted to go. The little girl on her hip began to kick, obviously impatient.

Blink smiled. "At least one good thing is happening to me today." He thought as he touched the little girl's foot. "Who's this?" He asked, looking at the young lady.

The young lady smiled. "This is Ella and that," She paused, gesturing down to the little boy who was now hiding behind her skirt. "Is Seth." Seth gave a shy smile before burrying his face in her skirts. "And I'm Laura." She smiled, which in Blink's mind was one of the prettiest things he's ever seen.

"I'm Blink. Well uh, Kid Blink, but I'm usually called Blink." Laura took note of his nervousness and gave a small smile.

Blink breathed out, wondering if Ella and Seth were Laura's kids. Or if she was a governess or what.

"Aunt Laura..." Seth began, "Look." He pointed one of his fingers behind her. Laura turned around to see a few street kids coming towards her deserted purse and grocery bags. "Oh no." She grumbled, as she tried to get her things.

Blink followed her, kneeling by where she was trying to collect the bags with one arm. "Here, let me help." She turned around, being so close to his face that their noses almost touched. Laura gratefully smiled to show her thanks. Blink helped her stand up and he grabbed the bags and her purse.

"Thank you." She said almost inaudibly.

He got a better grip on the bags. "Again, it ain't a problem. So uh, where you taking these bags to?"

"Oh um, the upper area of Manhatten."

It clicked in his mind, the rich area. "Oh okay." The four of them strode along in silence, Blink was trying to find out how old she was and whether or not she was married without offending her. "So uh, can I ask a almost personal question? I know I just met you and all but I was just curious." He winced, knowing he just blew any chances that he had before with her.

"Its fine. I don't mind." She pulled Ella up so she wouldn't slide down her dress and held Seth's hand tighter.

"So, uh are they your kids?" He asked quietly.

She smiled. "Sort of. Ella is my child, Seth is adopted. He's my nephew, my sister and her husband died in a fire." Her voice trailed off as if she was remembering something painful.

"I'm sorry to hear that. So is your husband going to be mad that a low life newsie is escourting you home?" As soon as that came out of his mouth he deeply regretted it.

Laura clenched her jaw. "My 'husband' is not in the picture anymore." She took a deep breath. "He was all talk, saying that he promised to take care of me. He only wanted me because he thought I was pretty, I was a trophy for him. When things got rough he left me to front for myself and with two children." She said every word with as much fire and hatred as she could without scaring Ella and Seth. "He left me because he knew I was going to-" She stopped talking. "He couldn't handle children by himself."

Blink was suprised at the change in Laura, once so calm and quiet. She was still calm and quiet, just with her feathers ruffled. "Oh." Was Blink's simple reply.

It was silent for the rest of the walk to her house. Except for Ella cooing and attempting to talk and Seth singing quietly to himself.

After they walked up the steps to Laura's large house she turned around. "I'm sorry I blew up like that. I swear its not really like me, just a few fresh wounds."

"No, its fine. I understand." Blink smiled. "Well I guess I should be going." Truth was Blink didn't want to go at all, he wanted to stay and talk with Laura.

"No wait, you don't have to go. Unless you have to, but I don't really get 'grown up' talk anymore. The maids don't care about what I have to say as long as I pay them. I'm so...desperate I guess you could say to actually talk to someone, I'd be willing to pay you."

Blink bit his lower lip. "I don't have to go and there's no need to pay me."

Laura smiled. "Great, do you like tea?" Blink nodded. "Oh good. I'll just put some tea on and let Ella and Seth have a nap." She pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to the huge house.

"Where do you want these?" Blink gestured to the bags.

"Just put them in the kitchen." She pointed over to where it was with her spare hand and then grabbed Seth's hand.

Blink took a minute to marvel her house. It was breathtaking, thats how beautiful it was. It was very modest with not a lot of fancy things but it felt like a home. He walked into the kitchen and it reminded him of when he used to live with his parents, before they died. The kitchen was very clean and again very pretty. He put the bags on one of the countertops as Laura came walking in.

"Do you like it?" She asked, he nodded. "It reminds me of my parents' home." Laura smiled at that.

She went to work making the tea. "It'll only be a minute, lets go sit in the living room."

Blink sat in one the luxurious chairs and Laura sat on the couch.

"So Blink, how long have you lived in New York?"

"Since I was born. What about you?"

She smiled. "Its the same way with me. Where do you work?"

"I'm a newsie. Have been since I was ten, so ten full years of carrying the banner."

"You're twenty?" She asked, her eyebrows raising.

He nodded. "I'm almost twenty one. I'm still a newsboy though. I need to get a better job. How old are you?"

"I'm twenty." She responded. The tea shriek went off, shortly after was crying. Laura cringed. "Guess they're not sleeping today." She mumbled, standing up to go into the ktichen. Blink heard clatters and clanks. Laura came out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs.

She walked into Seth's large bedroom and took him out of his bed, she picked him up and walked down the hall to Ella's room. She was crying, not very happy that she was awakened. Laura began a coughing fit, hating when they would suprise her. She had to kneel on the floor, gasping and wheezing for air. Seth and Ella, unfortuantly were very used to her fits and would just watch with large eyes. She helped herself stand back up, a little shaky and weaker than usual. Laura hated having the coughing fits around her kids, always afraid that they would get what she had.

She picked up Ella and Seth, struggling under their weight. Laura walked back down the stairs with both of them. She put them on the floor, walking back into the kitchen. Blink stood up and followed her.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, making Laura jump. She turned around and nodded. That wasn't a good enough answer for Blink.

"Are you sure? Are you okay?"

She had her back turned to him, preparing the tea. "Yes, everything is okay." She lied.

Blink furrowed his brow. "I heard coughing."

She winced, trying to think of a good excuse without telling him the truth. "I just have a small cough. Nothing to worry about." She turned around with the tray in her hands. "Sugar or milk?" She smiled sweetly.

Blink stared at her, he was very confused but bought her story. "Both I guess."

He watched as her small hands poured the milk and sugar in and stirred it. She walked past him carrying the tray, Blink followed her, feeling dumb about not knowing what to do. She set the tray down, picking up a cup and sitting down. Blink did the same.

Seth climbed up into Blink's lap, he just looked at the small boy with his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll--" Laura began to say.

He interrupted her. "No, no its okay. I don't mind." She smiled at her son sitting contently on Blink's leg. Blink would occassionally bounce his leg, which made Seth giggle. "He's a really cute kid y'know. They both are."

"Thank you." Laura smiled. "My sister and I were almost identical. We were so close in age, she was just thirteen months younger than me. When she and Luke died everybody in my family was heartbroken. My mother and father haven't talked to me since then."

Blink's smile faded throughout her story. "Sounds like you've been through a lot."

Laura gave a half-smile. "I'm going to be going through more soon." Hideous thoughts crept up into her mind, making her almost terrified. She quickly shook them away. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to tell you almost all of my life story."

"Nah, its fine. My friends tell me I'm as good as a listener as I am a talker, and I talk a lot."

"I used to talk all the time when I was younger. Then I got married and had kids. My husband thought that the wife should be seen and never heard."

Blink raised his eyebrows. "You disagree?"

She frowned. "Why should women not be treated equally? Don't we have a right as well?"

"Of course you do."

"I feel like there is a 'but' coming along."

He shook his head. "No, its just you don't seem like that type of person."

She smirked. "Looks can be decieving, no?"

Blink nodded. "Tell me about it."

The mantle clock chimed five o' clock.

"Is it really five o' clock?" Laura asked.

Blink nodded. "I guess so. Well, I guess I should be going. Kloppman and the guys will be wonderin' where I am."

Laura stood up to escourt Blink to the door. "Oh and Blink." She began.

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"If you're ever in need of another job, I'd be interested in letting you help me with Ella and Seth. I could use an extra pair of arms." She smiled, almost flirtatiously but still very innocent.

A wide smile spread across his face. "That sounds real nice. I'd like that."

"Could you start tommorrow?" She asked, biting her lip awaiting his answer.

He nodded. "Sure, what time?"

"Is eight in the morning too early?"

"Nah, Kloppman has us up by five." He said.

Laura laughed. "I'll see you tommorrow then?"

He nodded. "See ya tommorrow." He said as he walked down the stairs of her porch. Laura shut the door, shivering from the cold. Unfortunantly another attack struck her right then. She gasped and wheezed, coughing fiercely. Something came out of her mouth, she looked at her hand to see what it was.

It was blood.

That scared her. Out of all of her coughing fits she's never coughed up blood. She walked into the kitchen to wash her hands off, Ella walked in behind her looking up at her.

Laura turned around to see her daughter almost as scared as she was. So much of her husband was in her, thankfully more of Laura was in Ella than her husband.

Laura continued on with her evening, getting Ella and Seth fed and getting them into bed. She tucked each one of them in with love and care. It wasn't until she sank into one of the chairs in the living room; the one that Blink sat in earlier, till she realized how exhausted she was. She dressed herself in her nightgown shift and got into bed. Sleep immediently claimed her.

A nineteen year old Laura and a tall young man with brown hair and sharp green eyes are at their house. Laura looks happier and more alive than she is right now. The young man, who is her husband, is frowning. Laura was holding a small baby, Ella. A two year old Seth is sitting on the floor playing with a few toys.

"Laura, how have you been feeling lately?" Her husband looked at her.

"I've been feeling fine. Why?"

He frowned. "I've noticed you have been coughing more than normal."

"Probably just a small cough. There's nothing wrong with me, Mark."

His brown furrowed. "You shouldn't be around the baby if you're sick."

"Mark, nothing is wrong with me!" She raised her voice.

"Don't yell at me." He growled.

Laura ignored him and put Ella in her crib. "What's with the sudden change of behavior?" She asked.

"How you acted at the holiday party."

"How I acted? What was wrong with that?"

Mark squinted his eyes. "You should've stayed by my side and smiled while I did all the talking! You shouldn't of been socializing!"

"So its a sin if I socialize?" She was near the point of yelling.

"Yes it is, you are a woman. Women should stay by their husbands' sides and not talk or anything!"

She scowled. "Why is it so bad?"

"Women should be seen and not heard."

"But Mark--" She began to say.

He shook his head. "But nothing, this conversation is through." He walked out of the room.

Anger boiled in Laura for her husband to think and act like that. Then, she began to cough violently. She put her hand across her chest trying to stop the burning, tight pain. She fell to her knees, coughing and wheezing.

"Laura?" Mark ran into the room. "Laura! Are you okay?" He sank onto the floor next to her. She continued to cough. "Mark, help." She gasped. "I can't breathe...I can't breathe!"

Mark instructed the maids to watch the children as he took Laura to the hospital.

A few hours later the doctor came in to tell Laura what was wrong with her.

"Mrs.Johnson?" The doctor walked into the room. "I hate to tell you this but..."

"No!" Laura cried out, snapping herself back into reality. She looked around shivering from the cold, night sweat she was drenched in. It was hours later and she had just woken up from that nightmare.

Unfortunantly that nightmare was her reality.

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