Author's Note: I do not own anything from the Newsies, it all goes to Disney. However, I do own Samantha Danson.
It was bright and sunny on a particular spring day, a ship had just ported from London, England. Everyone aboard the ship was in a rush to get on land and start their new life in America. A girl that was named Samantha looked round worriedly for her family. Her eyes scanned the throng of people overcrowding the exit. She was only sixteen, and yet, she was crying like a three year old.
"Father! Mama!" She cried out, tears spilling over her mud brown eyes. She gulped harshly, trying to stop herself from crying anymore. She hoped that her family were on their way towards their Uncle's and Aunt's house. Sighing a shrug, she carefully picked up her suitcase from the ground and joined the slow moving crowd.
"Mama! Father!" Samantha called out once more, wondering if her family even made it on the ship at all. She shuddered at that thought.
Samantha let out a gasp of air as she boarded the one ton ship called the Voyager. She turned around, searching in the sea of faces for her family. She couldn't find them and a frown stood upon her lips. With her suitcase in hand, she found her second class room. The inside of the room was well put together; the decorations, the colors, and the arrangement was stunning. Throughout the voyage, Samantha didn't have contact with her family, but they were at the back of her mind.
No word, no sighting, no lingering of her father or mama. She stifled a cry as she made her way up and down streets, not even bothering to look at the names. Samantha was getting sticky from sweat underneath her petticoat, stockings, heeled shoes, and thick blue dress. Taking a sigh, she gazed around her environment, looking for a place to rest. Her eyes settled on a small restaurant called Tibby's and walked over to the establishment to enter through the doors.
When Samantha took one foot inside the restaurant, she stopped suddenly, not expecting to see a throng of boys in news caps staring back at her. The colour crimson flooded her cheeks as she maneuvered around the men, holding to her suitcase tightly. Soft snickers, low whistles, and hushed whispers enveloped the small-framed girl.
"What do wese got here guys. A lil' goil outta place," snickered Mush, the Italian-looking newsie who has been one for about five years now. He swaggered up to her and took a dirty blonde strand of her hair between his thumb and fore finger. "I'm Mush. Who are yah?" Mush added, smiling crookedly.
Samantha gulped, trying not to swoon over his accent and rugged good looks. "I-I-I am Sam-Samantha, sir," She stutterd in a hushed voice.
"She's a betty fo' sure, da best lookin' goil Ise seen in ages," called out Racetrack, the only boy with a cigar stuck in his mouth. Samantha blushes a dark shade of red and looked down at the maple wood bar, her fingers fumbling against each other.
"Dat's enough, guys," Jack Kelly spoke authoritatively, shoving his way up to where Mush stood over by Samantha. Once he rested his left elbow on the bar next the out-of-place girl, he smiled gently. "Sorry 'bout dat. Dey ain't used to seein' pretty goils up in poison*."
Samantha dismissed that saying with a shake of her head. "Oh no, tis my fault you see. I don't know how to portray myself around good-looking men," She said, almost shyly, but bravado rang in her eyes that looked at Jack Kelly with adoration. A chorus of good feedback chimed in but Jack silenced them with a stern look.
"I'm Jack. Jack Kelly, also known as Cowboy," he chortled a bit as he took Samantha's hand and placed it up to his lips.
"I'm Samantha. Samantha Danson, also known as Dice due to my 'gambling' nature as my Father" - she winced - "calls it." She responded, her cheeks flushing as her family was brought to her mind again.
"Well, Samantha, why is a goil like you, doin' wanderin' da streets wifout a guide?" Jack asked, trying to move his hair that fell in his live of view.
"I was on my way to my Uncle and Aunt's house, where I am hoping is where my family is," She whimpered out, her words slightly slurring together to form a long word of gibberish. She hated getting like this, it made her feel weak and not in control of the situation at hand. Her family was a touchy subject - she knows that - but, she couldn't help but hoping that this part of the conversation would diminish soon.
Jack felt the tension in her voice as she talked about her family, and decided to quickly change the subject, before the girl started crying. "Oh, I see." he started, nodding a bit, "Would yah like an escort to your Uncle 'nd Aunt's place? Because I am free at the moment."
Samantha lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yes, please," she said, getting up from the hard stool, and bent down to get her suitcase that was resting by the chair.
"Lemme get dat for yah," Jack said as he took the suitcase out of Samantha's grasp. Their hands brushed against each other and caused Samantha's nerves to send her body into a frenzy. "Ready to go?" Jack asked, getting the same sensation. He held out his arm for her to take, and waited. The girl looking up at him, smiled brightly and took the waiting arm without a second thought.
"Yes, I am," She replied, a twinkle sparkling in her brown eyes.