A/N: So this is my first, Denton, fanfiction because every time I read one, it always seems to be a slash. I wanted to see him with a girl, because I think he is a strong character, so who better to catch his eye then one of the Manhattan Newsgirls. I hope you enjoy this story, and if you don't, oh well I am having fun writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies, only Belladonna.

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NICE TO MEET YOU

I was running as fast as I could, jumping roof top, to roof top to catch up to the guy. I was tired, but I would be damned if I let someone, a perfect stranger to think I was a thief. I learned that roof tops, were the fastest way to travel, when you want to catch up to someone, or just escape others. I slid down the fire escape, as If it were a jungle gym, landing right in front of him.

He stopped, and stared at me startled, obviously not expecting to see me, "Can I help you?"

"No, you just dropped this by the theater," I reached into my coat pocket, and handed the man his wallet, "You could count it if you like, but I promise I didn't take a cent."

He weighed the wallet in his palm, probably trying to decide, if he should check. He looked at me as he decided to put the money back in his pocket, "It's alright, you sure did run a long way."

I smiled up at him, "I like the exercise."

"You look familiar, have we met?" He stared at me for a long moment.

"You might have, I sale papers," I informed, not really one to hold back to much information, unless my life depended on it, "My brother-"

"Bell!" Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

I turned to look at my older brother, "What Race?"

He looked up at the other man, and extended his hand, "Hey there, Denton, my sister wasn't bothering you was she?" He asked, pulling me into a headlock.

I pushed him off of me, and stared at the man again, "You're Bryan Denton," I shook his hand, "I have every thing you ever written," I looked at my brother, "This is Bryan Denton, he published the articles about the strike."

"I know who he is, Bell, I was there remember?" My brother rolled his eyes, as he placed his cigar in his mouth.

The mans face broke into a grin, "Didn't know, I had fans."

"You probably didn't know there were girl Newsies either," I was stuck with some of the other girls, when the strike was taking place, because the boys didn't want us to get hurt.

"I knew there were some girl Newsies, I seen some at the rally," He looked at my brother, and then back at me. He pulled out his wallet, and then pulled a dollar out, and handed it to me, "Thanks for returning my wallet, I have to go back to work, see you guys later."

My brother took me by the wrist, and started walking me in the opposite direction, "I hate when you do that, Bell, you know jump like that. You could had fallen off the roof, and then where would I be."

I smiled innocently at my brother, "Headache free?" He was always complaining I was giving him headaches.

He smacked me lightly on the back of the head, as we walked towards the Lodging House, where everyone was probably getting ready , "You're a real smart ass, you know that?"

"Geez, I wonder where I got it from," I teased.

"It must have been from father," My brother explained, knowing that he was just as much a smart ass, as I was.

"Says the guy, who tried to get the judge to roll you, double or nothing for your freedom," I started laughing at the look on my brothers face, it was priceless.

"Well everyone knows I got a problem," He joked right back.

LITTLE HISTORY FLASHBACK

When I was only ten years old, my parents both died by some man who tried robbing them on there way back home, leaving my brother, and I alone. Since they had come straight from Italy, they didn't have any other family, except for the two of us. Since my brother was fourteen, he took care of me, placing bets at the track. Then when that money was gone, he began to sell papers, to help support us. A couple weeks after selling, we met Itey, and Jack, who invited my brother to move into the Lodging House, and then invited me when they found out he had a kid sister. I owe my brother my life, because I don't know where I would be, if they would had separated us at the orphanage. There you have my past, in a nut shell.

END OF HISTORY

"Happy sixteenth birthday, by the way," He hand me a balled up handkerchief, as if it were no big deal, which to us it really wasn't.

I unwrapped the cloth, and smiled at the small jar, containing perfume, "How did you afford this, Antonio?"

"I got lucky at the tracks," He noticed that I was about to yell at him, so he quickly continued, "Some guy dropped his watch, he was so grateful, he gave me five dollars."

"You should have saved the money for yourself," I lifted the cap, and smelled the sweet fragrance, "Thanks Antonio."

"Belladonna, can we please go back to our nicks?" He hated when I called him by his name, as much as I hated him calling me by mine.

Let me take a moment to describe myself, I have black straight hair, that doesn't even stay curled, no matter how much I try. I have a real light complexion, even lighter then my brothers, and I am only five foot even. I could pull off being twelve years old, even if I am really seventeen. I usually wear the typical attire of the male Newsies, so I don't get to harassed by Scabbers, or bulls, and worse of all drunks.

"So how does it feel to be sixteen?" My brother asked, extending his arm, for me to slip my arm through.

"I don't feel any different, everyone still treats me like a kid," that was the only downside with coming here when I was ten. All the boys here, and in Brooklyn, all treat me like a sister.

My brother sighed, whenever I got upset over the others asking the other girls out, he was there for me to talk to about it, "Hate's me to say this, but you'll find a guy, who won't treat you like there sister."

I smiled at my brother, "I might have to move to a different state, in order for that to ever happen."

"So why don't you become a nun," My brother teased, he knew I was sensitive about this topic.

I pulled out of his arm, "You're such a jerk," I shouted, before climbing up the nearest fire escape.

"Belladonna!" My brother was heard faintly from the streets.

Another reason I like running from roof top, to roof top was because it made it real hard for people to follow you, making it easy to escape when I needed to be on my own. I think I knew all the streets, which had jump-able roofs, in Manhattan, and Brooklyn.

I noticed the sky turning dark, so I just climbed down the nearest fire escape, figuring I will be able to calm down by the time I walked back to the Lodging House.

"Hello, Bell," Someone greeted from the right of me, "Thought you went back home, with your brother."

I turned, and smiled when I saw Denton, exiting some apartment building, "Hello, Mr. Denton. I am taking a break from him, was on my way home now." The apartment was about a level higher, then where the Jacobs lived, but wasn't necessarily like the ones in upper class.

"Home sweet home," Denton must had noticed me staring at the building, he looked down at his pocket watch, "So aren't you going back to the lodging house, to get ready with the other girls."

I dropped my smile, and just glared ahead of me, thinking about all the 'big brothers' I didn't need, "I don't go to those things."

"Sure you do, it's what all the girls talk about, according to Jack," Denton said smiling.

"Yeah, it is all they talked about, the last two weeks," I looked down at my outfit, and put my hands in my pockets, then smiled, "The only girl thing I own, it the perfume my brother bought me for my birthday. Wouldn't matter anyways, no one ever asks me to go with them anyways, I am just a sister to them." I waved before I started walking away, "Nice seeing you again, Denton."

"Nice seeing you to, Bell," I heard him call back.

When I got back to the Lodging House, I found my brother, and his girlfriend Friday getting ready to leave. They have been dating, for almost two years, and my brother was crazy about her. She was a real nice girl, and someone I was able to talk to, without giving me there two cents like the other girls here. There were a total of seven girls here: Friday (eighteen), Cutesy (eighteen), Maya (nineteen), Spade's (seventeen), Brookly (sixteen, and Spots sister), Sassy (fifteen.) and finally myself.

Friday wrapped her arms around me, when she saw me walking up the steps, "Happy Birthday, Bell."

"Thanks, Friday," I looked at my brother, who looked nervous, probably worried I'd run off again, "I'm sorry for taking off again, needed to clear my head."

He pulled me into a tight hug, and kissed my cheek, "Come with us, everyone else is already there, come with us."

"I don't have a dress," I shot Friday a warning stare, "And we both know none of your dresses, or the other girls dresses would fit," I smiled at her, before turning my attention back to my brother, "Besides, Klopp, and I can play cards."

Klopp chuckled, from behind the counter, "Can't afford to loose tonight, but we can play without gambling."

"Alright, well see you later," My brother smiled, before leading his girl out of the building.

I spent a lot of time with, Klopp, when we first moved into the Lodging House, because he didn't think it was a good idea for me to go selling papers, because I had been so young, and really small for my age. Being a girl probably had something to do with it as well.

"Hey, Kloppman," Denton walked into the building, with a hand behind his back, and a brown wrapped package was tucked under his arms. He looked at me, and smiled, "Hello, Miss Higgins."

"You're calling me by my last name, after calling me Bell, over an hour ago," I rolled my eyes, as I started to go upstairs, "I will see you in the morning, Klopp, you two could talk alone, good evening Mr. Den-""

"Bell," Denton place his hand on my shoulder, causing me to freeze, "Actually came to see you."

I turned around, to be staring at a bouquet, of wild flowers, "What's this?"

"They look like flowers to me, Belladonna," Klopp answered, making me reconsider who I got being a smart ass from all along. He was grinning because he knew I didn't like anyone calling me by my full name, and knowing he could get away with calling me by my name.

"No kidding Klopp," I smiled as Denton handed the flowers to me, "Thank you, you didn't need to get anything for my birthday, especially since we just officially met today. Whoever told you it-"

"Wait, today's your birthday?" Denton asked, surprised all of a sudden.

"You didn't know?" I was barely aware, as Klopp took the bouquet from my hand, and walk away saying something about putting them in some water.

He shook his head, as he handed me the brown package, "Pretend I did though, here go put this on, I'll take you to 'Irving Hall'."

I looked at the brown package, over whelmed with the whole situation, not use to anyone else buying me gifts without a reason. Unless it was my brother of course.

Denton laughed, "You have to open it, I'll go see where Klopp went, and meet you outside."

I didn't have time to answer, because he had already left the room, leaving me with nothing else to do but go to the girls bunk room. I slowly opened the package, and found a pastel green dress, with a cream shawl. I pulled the dress out, and held it against myself, noticing how it would fit perfectly. As I assumed, the dress fit nicely, except the sleeves, but I could fix that tomorrow. I pulled my hair into a half ponytail, and smiled at the girl in the mirror, who didn't even look like me at the moment.

"She'll be home before curfew," Denton was just finishing with Klopp, when I arrived down stairs.

Klopp was the first to notice me, and smiled, "You look great, Belladonna."

I blushed at the use of my full name, fidgeting with the shawl in my hands, "Thanks Klopp, and please don't call me that. It's just Bell."

"I like Belladonna, it's a ladies name," Klopp winked, before disappearing

Denton looked like he didn't recognize me for a second, he took a step towards me, "Are you ready to go?"

I had noticed the flowers on the counter, and smiled as I took his arm, "I suppose, where exactly are we going?"

'Well there's the dance at 'Irving Hall, thought we'd go there," Denton lead me out of the building, and we started walking towards the theater. He smiled down at me, as we walked, "So it's you're birthday, feel any different."

"Not really, only thing different, is me actually being asked to go on a date," I blushed at his shocked reaction, "Yeah, well doesn't help that I look like a twelve year old, most of the time. This is actually the first dress I had, since I was ten."

"Well I didn't think you were a child, but I could see why Race would treat you like a child, you are his little sister," He looked ahead, where there were bright lights, and a large sign reading, 'Irving Hall'.

"Everyone else treats me like there sister, my brother is sane compared to the other guys protectiveness," I stopped as I stared at the building, never seen it at night before, "Looks real different at night time."

"So you don't get out this direction at night?" He asked with a small smirk, he politely greeted some of the Bronx Newsies, as we made our way inside the building.

"Hey Denton!" Jack had his arm draped across Sarah's shoulder, and a beer in his free hand, as he sat at a round table where Davie, Sassy, My brother, and Friday were sitting. He gestured to the two open seats, "Sit here. You actually made it, when was the last time you came here?"

Denton pulled the available chair out for me, before taking a seat himself, "Well I didn't have a date," he winked at me, probably realizing that the others didn't recognize me, "Until tonight, that is."

My brother looked in my direction, and almost spit out his drink, "Bell?"

"Wait, little Bell," Jack said just as surprised, he had called me little Bell, since the first time he met me.

Davie just politely smiled, "Hello Bell, you look nice." Davie had been dating Sassy for six months, took him a year to even ask her though.

I smiled at his sweetness, "Thank you Davie, Denton gave it to me."

"The color looks real great on you," Sarah added, with her usual warm smile, she could make anyone feel like they're her friend.

"I didn't even recognize you," Friday was smiling, "You look great."

My brother, who Denton happened to sit me beside, wrapped an arm around my shoulder, "I see you are using my birthday present."

"Yes, thank you," I smiled sweetly, before standing up. I noticed my date stand with me, holding my chair for me.

"You want to dance?" He asked extending his hand.

I took his hand with a smile, and allowed him to lead me to the dance floor, "Sorry about that, just not use to this place, kinda nervous when it comes to new places."

"I understand, do you want to go somewhere else?" He asked with concern, "We could go anywhere."

"I want to stay here," I smiled up at him, actually want to be on a roof, but I wasn't going to let him know that.

He had a hand on my waist, and his other hand holding mine, as we danced. He was actually quiet tall, a good foot taller then me, "Alright then, haven't been here since the Newsies rally."

I wouldn't know, I was only thirteen, Klopp didn't allow the younger one to go out during the evening, "I looked over, at where Itey, and Dutchy were talking to there date, as they stared at Denton, "Why?"

He looked at me confused, "Why what?"

"Well I'm not Maya, I don't sell myself, so why did you ask me here?" I noticed how Maya, was flirting with the curtain guy. She sold papers in the morning, slept during the day, and walked the streets at night. She use to only sale herself at night, but Bumlets taught her how to be a Newsie, but she still prostitutes herself once in a while.

He just shook his head, as he looked down at me, "I know you don't do that, you have to many brothers to get away with that," he teased.

I just rolled my eyes, "Don't remind me."

We both laughed, and danced the rest of the night, it was great night.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this so far, because I am enjoying writing this. Please Read, and Review!

Belladonna Means: Italian Origin- Beautiful Woman.