Stop The Presses

Chapter One

Somethin' Tells Me The Tide'll Be Turnin'

Disclaimer: … -_- Ok. Right. Let me make this very clear for the rest of these chapters: I do not own Newsies. I don't own the lyrics. I don't own any ideas that aren't mine because, well, philosophically that makes no sense. So THERE.

A/N: I'm baaaack :D I told myself I should have a longer break between writing the two stories, but…damn it, fanfiction is just too much fun, and you readers are all too good to me ^_^ So, here you have it: the sequel.*Epic opening music*

'C'mon, c'mon, do it again! How d'you do that? C'mon, again!'

'Alright, alright,' laughed Madison, sitting across from Tumbler. He didn't dare blink as she swept her palms back and forth, making her penny disappear from sight. His wide, sparky eyes searched her empty hands in vain: from behind his ear, there it was again.

'Youse a real witch, Madison,' he said in hushed awe. She giggled and put a finger to her lips.

'Ssh, keep it a secret or they'll burn me at the stake…'

'Too late!'

Madison gave a squeal of surprise as Mush snuck up behind her and lifted her off the ground by the waist.

'Quick, get me some kindling fer this wicked witch,' he called to the rest of the lobby. The newsboys, and girls, enjoyed their spectacle.

Madison opened her mouth to protest, but the sound that came out descended into a spluttering cough. Concerned, Mush set her down.

'You alright, peach?'

Madison nodded grimly, rubbing a palm over her chest. From the other side of the room Frames sniffed loudly.

'Just the cold gettin' to me, that's all,' replied Madison at last, scratchily.

'Well let me warm ya up,' said Mush, grinning as he pulled her into a hug. She buried her face in the soft creases of his shirt layers and hugged back.

'Oh yeah, that's much better.'

'Hate to say it,' announced Ace from the staircase. She stood up, knees creaking in draughts that came through the door. 'But we oughta be headin' back. It's dark already.'

Reluctantly, the Riverside girls got up out of their cozy nooks near the fireplace. Hats were re-secured and coats shrugged back on. Blink helped Darlin' wrap her long scarf all the way around her neck, to the point where it reached the tip of her nose. She pulled it back down to sneak in a last peck on his lips, which they both smiled at.

'Hey Ace,' said Streets. 'Ya think Chestnut Man's still sellin'?'

'Sure hope so,' she replied. 'Else we're gonna need other dinner plans.'

'Take care now,' said David to the girls, as they headed to the door. 'I heard there's gonna be a mean blizzard tonight.'

'We will Dave, don't worry,' said Skates, putting on her blue mittens.

'See ya tomorrow,' said Ace to Jack, next to her on the step. She leaned back to plant a kiss on his cheek. He smiled crookedly.

'Carryin' the banner,' he said.

'Carryin' the banner!' she and the girls chanted in response. They waved the boys and Kloppman goodbye, before marching into the evening frost.

'You can stick around a little longer, right Dave?' said Specs. The boy nodded.

'Yeah, as long as I'm home in time for dinner.'

'Is your ma gonna let Les outta the apartment anytime soon?' asked Tumbler, folding his arms across an armchair rest.

'Not in this weather,' sighed David. 'She's frightened he'll catch pneumonia, says he's not as good as I am at warding off disease, yet.'

'That's a shame,' replied Tumbler. He slid onto the floor and leaned against the side of the chair, wandering off into a daydream.

Crutchy peered out of the window and watched shadowy clouds hang like sails from the December sky. When he heaved a weighty sigh, it was supposed to be to himself, but in a brief pocket of silence, everyone else heard it.

'Everythin' ducky, Crutchy?' asked Jack, knowing that was not a usual sound for the perpetually cheerful newsie.

'Yeah,' he said, resting on the windowsill with both legs stretched out in front of him. 'I'se just thinkin' is all.'

'About what?'

'Ah, nuttin' important,' he muttered.

'Crutchy, everything's important in some way,' reasoned David, ever the wordsmith. 'You can tell us.'

The boy glanced in their direction, his eyes holding a mixture of uncertainty and trust.

'It's just…I dunno if it's winter talkin', but…more an' more these days I think I'll never get a goil to settle down with.'

'What're ya talkin' about?' said Blink, taking up the sliver of windowsill not occupied by Crutchy's feet. 'What makes ya think that?'

'Well, I mean don't get me wrong,' he said, looking at Jack, Mush and Blink in turn. 'I'se real happy for you guys, but first there was you an' Darlin', then you an' Madison, an' now you an' Ace…it's just somethin' I'd like one day, ya know?'

Crutchy stared at his hands as he rubbed them for heat. David and Jack exchanged mutual looks of pity, before hauling themselves away from the stairs and towards the window.

'You'll get it too, Crutchy,' said Jack, putting an arm around the boy's shoulder. 'It just ain't time yet, that's all.'

'Yeah, what goil could resist ya?' said Mush with a grin. 'Ya got sunshine comin' outta yer ears.'

That made Crutchy smile and look instantly like his normal self.

'Ya really think dat's true?'

'Sure,' piped up Skittery, between puffs on his cigarette. 'Just stay patient - these things tend ta sneak up on ya when least expected.'

'Oh, says the expert on tender love,' drawled Dutchy, who swooped down just in time to miss Skittery's fist.

'What?' he said defensively. 'It's true, ain't it?'

'Yeah, he's right,' said Jack, patting his friend on the shoulder. 'Although…' he added, '…I agree you ain't exactly qualified to give this kind of advice on a regular basis or nothin'.'

'Too glum an' dumb to hold down a woman,' chuckled Snoddy, safely from the top of the staircase.

'Well,' said Skittery coolly. 'I ain't nowhere near as glum or dumb as a certain pair…'

'Oh yeah?' said David. 'Who's that?' A quarter of the newsies read Skittery's mind and chorused with him:

'Race an' Streets.'

'Those two…' Jack shook his head.

'I swear,' said Blink. 'They'se gonna be old as Kloppman by the time they admit they like each other.'

'Ahem.'

'No offense, Kloppman.'

'Wait,' said David, frowning. 'What are you talking about? I thought they couldn't stand each other.'

Most of the newsies rolled their eyes.

'Oh Dave,' said Jack, lightly patting his arm. 'If ya learn one thing outside a' school today, it's that when two people go outta their way to get on each other's noives, chances are they've secretly fallen in love.'

'So what does that mean for you and the Delanceys?' snickered David. The newsies cackled while Jack yanked his friend's cap over his face.

'I kid, I kid, jeez…so what are you suggesting we do?'

'I dunno,' shrugged Blink.

'Problem is,' said Mush. 'They're both as stubborn as each other. I don't know who'd be the first to cave.'

'Well we can always try an' make it happen fer both of 'em at the same time,' chimed in Crutchy.

'What, ya wanna play matchmaker?' said Jack with raised eyebrows.

'Why not? It'll pass the time,' said Dutchy.

'Yeah, it'll be fun,' agreed Specs.

'What'll be fun?'

The newsies' faces froze up faster than water in an icebox as Racetrack ambled through the front entrance, shivering off the outdoor cold with a freshly lit cigar.

'Snow,' declared Crutchy, with the first word that made it to the front of his mind.

'Snow?'

'Yeah,' he said, getting supportive nods from the others. 'When it arrives, it'll be fun, in the snow, yeah…snowball fights, snow angels, all a' that stuff…snow.'

Racetrack surveyed the room with a suspicious gaze, but hung up his coat and scarf on the overcrowded hat stand all the same.