A/N: Hey guys, Tif S. here with my first oneshot. This oneshot was assigned to me by my best friend, youthfulninja; So full credit goes to her for the idea! :)
Disclaimer time. I do not own newsies. I do not own Goggles, at least not fully. Credit for her goes to youthfulninja the co-owner. The only one I do own is Tam. Thanks for reading this ramble. I hope you enjoy and review! :)
The One That Got Away-Katy Perry
October 17, 1902 was a daunting day, a day that mocked every friend of Mush Meyers: bright sunshine and pleasant weather. One thing the weather didn't foreshadow was the unthinkable.
It was another day at the docks, a particularly busy day. The funny thing about it was that Mush didn't care. He was in a great mood. He was getting off early today. He was already thinking about his plans for his approaching free time. He and the others were planning to go to Tibby's. And he would get to see Goggles for the first time in months. It would be just like old times.
"Eh Meyers, We's gonna start headin' home. Ya think you and Roberto could finish up?" Greg put the box up on the loading bay where there were already four other heavy boxes.
"Yea we'll finish. Head on home ta ya wife and kid already." Roberto clapped Greg on the back, not watching his partner.
Mush balanced expertly on the loading dock as he picked up three of the four crates. Excitement does funny things to a man, kind of like adrenaline. Mush Meyers was no exception. See, normally, he would never pick up three crates at once, normally his foot wouldn't slip on the bridge between the bay and the boat, but Mush Meyers wasn't normal on this day. This day wasn't normal.
The sound of boxes falling wasn't a sound Roberto Mason was used to hearing when he was working with Mush. So to say he was jumpy was understating things.
"Meyers, what the hell?" He ran to the bridge hefting the boxes off his friend. The crates had landed in the worst possible place, his ribs. "Meyers! Oh hell."
"Jack! What's going on?" Les and Tam ran into the lodging house. "Is it true?"
"Yeah." David walked into the room followed by a bleary eyed Jack. A glass bottle was clutched in his hands: three quarters emptied.
"No!" Les crumpled as Racetrack walked over, not even smoking his usual cigar, pulling the thirteen year old outside for some air.
"Come on kid."
"What happened?" Tam waited until Les was out of earshot.
"Accident at da docks. Mush tried carryin' three boxes at once. His partner wasn't watchin'. He tripped, da boxes fell on his ribs."
"My god! Does… does Goggles know?"
"No. She's delivering something to Miss Harrison's with Sarah." David said.
"We… we have to tell her. She can't be the last to know Jack!" Tam's eyes were filled with tears. "I'm going to tell her." Tam ran out of the lodging house.
"I hope Mrs. Harrison liked the hat." Sarah said.
"Ya kiddin'?" Goggles laughed. "She loved it."
"Oh my goodness!" Sarah gasped as Goggles looked up. Tam was running down the block, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Tammy? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Tam nodded a hand covering her mouth as she gasped for air. "There was an accident…At the docks. Goggles, I'm so sorry!"
Goggles didn't say anything, still processing it, and then she sighed and crumpled to her knees on the sidewalk. "Are you joking? Please tell me you'se joking."
Tam shook her head. "Daniele, I'm so sorry!" She was using Goggles' full name. So it ain't a joke? She pulled her to her feet hugging her tight. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Goggles sat on the rooftop of the Jacobs' tenement. She still couldn't completely understand. How could it happen? Her best friend, gone. They had been friends forever, maybe even longer than forever if that was possible. Now she would never get to tell him anything. She wouldn't see his smile or hear his laugh. She smiled fondly as she remembered the first day of everything.
The city was huge. Danny never remembered the city being this big; sure her papa always told her that she was only one small part of the always moving landscape, but she never truly believed it until now. It was cold, probably colder than last Christmas. She sighed as she wrapped her scarf tighter around her shaking frame. How would she get food?
"Extra, extra, Record setting blizzard! Whole of Brooklyn snowed… oomf!" A small boy slid falling on the pavement.
"Oh, are you ok?" Danny ran and knelt beside the boy handing him his newspapers as he stood.
"Yea, it's nothin'. I's gotten worse." The boy smiled as he took the papers from her "Thanks pal. Whatcha doin' out here by yaself?"
Danny sighed. "I's got nowhere ta go."
The boy proffered his hand. "Ya need a place ta stay?"
Danny nodded.
"Whatcha name Kid?"
"I's…" Danny racked her brain fingering the Goggles on her face. "I's…"
"What ya don' got a name?" The boy said. "Fine. Come on kid. I' know how we can get ya one. I's Mush by da way." He grabbed her hand and ran.
"Good ta meet you Mush."
"Goggles?" David came up on the roof followed by Les, Sarah and Tam. "We're going to see him. Do you want to come?"
Goggles sniffed as she stood. "Yeah."
"He's right through here." Jack said. He led his friends through the door to his old bunk. He looked as though he were sleeping, his hands curled carefully over his chest, his shirt open and stained with traces of blood that had since dried.
"Hey ya Mush, Goggles and da Jacobs are here." Jack whispered almost to himself as if Mush could hear, as if he would open his eyes and start laughing like this was just another fight and he was only injured.
"Mush, why'd you have to be so dumb huh?" Les knelt grasping Mush's hand.
Tam knelt clasping her hands as Les looked over following suit. "Dear Lord, please take care of Mush. Tell him what he did was stupid. Tell him we miss him so much. Let him be watching us from above laughing at our jokes and helping us through any challenges. Make sure he knows we all love him and will miss him dearly. Let him earn his wings and a place in Your angels. Amen."
"Amen." The sentiment was echoed around the small room.
Goggles blinked fast blinking back the tears just as fast as they came.
"Mush," Tam stood and tugged on Les' sleeve as Jack, David and Sarah led them out of the room.
Goggles knelt beside the bunk clasping Mush's hand. "Mush, I… I love you… so much! I… I's never got to tell you. Don't leave me Mush! Mush! Mush please! Mush!" She collapsed across the bunk sobbing, tears streaming down her face in a flood.
"Well, dis is it!" Mush dropped Danny's hand. "Duane Street Newsboy Lodgings. Come on! Ya can meet da gang."
"I's dunno."
"Come on Goggles." Mush smiled. "D'ya evah take those things off?" He pointed to the goggles.
"Nah."
"Aright then. Come on." He dragged her through the door slamming it and running up the stairs.
"Well, well… who's dis Mush?" A boy with an eye patch walked over clapping him on the shoulder.
"He needs a place ta stay." Mush said. "Dis is Kid Blink."
Danny waved as Kid Blink studied her. "Nice ta meet ya newbie."
"Have ya seen Cowboy?" Mush asked.
"He's ovah there." Blink pointed to a kid in a bandana and a crooked cowboy hat.
"Cowboy!" Mush grabbed Danny's hand dragging her to where the kid sat on a bed.
"Hey ya Mush. Who's dis?" The boy, Cowboy, smirked.
"He needs a place ta stay. Dis is Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly."
"Good ta meet ya kid. Say you'se a pilot o' somethin'? What's wit da goggles?"
Danny shrugged.
"Ya don' talk much do ya?"
She shrugged again. "Dunno. I's jus' like 'em."
"Dat suits ya kid. We'll call ya Goggles." Jack slapped her on the shoulder. "Mush here'll show ya da ropes. Welcome ta da 'Hattan Newsies."
Goggles stood wiping her tears before running out the door and down the stairs.
"Goggles!"
Go after her Jack.
Jack ran keeping his distance as he shook his head. He could have sworn he'd heard him a few minutes ago. "Goggles! Wait!"
She finally stopped running when she reached the alley. The alley behind Doc Browning's. Jack walked over sighing.
"Goggles. Kid?" Goggles looked up. She was reminded of the cocky twelve years old boy Mush had introduced her to all those years ago before everything else was even a thought. "Come here." He put an arm around her shoulder. "He wouldn't want ta see ya like dis."
"I… I's jus' can't believe he's gone."
"Jack, Goggles!" Goggles looked up as she saw the others.
"Hi." A shadowy form took shape causing Jack to blink, once, twice. It couldn't be.
Goggles turned around. "Mush?"
"I can't stay long. I just wanted to tell you all something. Don't waste your time missing me. Especially you Dan. Please. You have so much ahead of ya pal." He walked over hugging her gently. He then went over to the others one by one: Jack, David, Les, Sarah, Tam, Crutchy, Race: They all received a hug even if they didn't know it. He faded away laughing and smiling. "I love you. All of you. Bye."
Jack shook his head. "A dream, a hall…"
"Hallucination." David said.
"Yea."
"Are ya sure Jack?" They all began walking away except Goggles.
"I love you too Mush."
A/N: Thanks for reading! Song I listened to while writing: The One That Got Away by Miss Katy Perry