A.N. Hey, so I had this really great idea for a one-shot about Christmas, even though it's May. LOL but I had a really great idea. Basically the boys are going to get everything they asked for in King of New York, but from an unexpected source.
I don't own Newsies, which depresses me more than the human brain can comprehend.
Narrator POV
RIP
"I TOLD YA NOT TA RIP IT", Racetrack flung down his hat and got up in Kid Blink's face, fists raised.
"I DIDN' MEAN TA", Kid Blink shoved Racetrack in the shoulder. Crutchy decided it was time to intervene.
"Guy, come on, it's Christmas. Why do ya haveta fight?"
"WHO ASKED YOU", Kid Blink accidently elbowed Crutchy sending him crashing to the floor, his gimp leg slamming into a table. Everyone completely froze. Kid Blink and Race's eyes widened as they saw what they had done. Mush slowly made his way over. Bending down he put his hand on Crutchy's shoulder.
"Eh, Crutchy, youse ok?" Crutchy just nodded. His eyes were screwed shut and he was biting his lip so hard it was starting to bleed. A tear leaked out of his scrunched eyes making a track down his cheek. Mush pulled him into a hug and he buried his face into Mush's shirt.
"Didya really haveta push 'im? He was just tryin' ta help." Blink and Race looked at Crutchy sat cross legged in front of him.
"Eh, Crutch, wese really sorry", Blink wiped the tear off the child's cheek and Race reached forward to rub Crutchy's right leg. After a few seconds the pain flared down and Crutchy took a few shaky breaths.
"Dats right, just breathe. Youse ok now?"
"Yeah, yeah I'se ok now." Mush pulled Crutchy to his feet and Swifty handed him his crutch. The boys started milling around again, hanging newspaper chains and balls of newspaper on string all around the room. Boots and Snipeshooter started chasing each other around and the room went back to normal.
Twenty minutes later Jack walked in with the Jacobs family. Although Jewish, the Jacobs decided to spend Christmas with the newsboys. Esther walked in holding a fairly large pot filled with soup still steaming even from the snow. It was placed on the table with the turkey; the nuns were good this year and were able to get them a whole turkey! Filing into the dining room area the boys, the Jacobs, and Kloppman sat around the table and passed around the food. Before they began, they grasped grubby hands and said a prayer to God.
After dinner they ran back into the boys' room and yanked the presents wrapped in newspaper out from under beds. Gifts were passed around one by one; some people getting new socks without holes, others getting new marbles, and even Les got a slingshot from Dutchy. Kloppman had left in the midst of gift giving with his new bottle of whisky. The only gifts to still be given out were Crutchy's. Everyone looked at him curiously.
"I'se wanted to give mine powisonally." The boys nodded their heads and circled around him.
"First", Crutchy began, "for Sarah. You keep sayin' how your hair gets in the way while youse working so I'se gots youse dis." Sarah opened her crudely wrapped package and opened it carefully. Within it was a beautiful dark blue bow made out of ribbon.
"I knew blue was youse favorite color."
"Oh, thank you Crutchy", Sarah tied her hair up immediately beaming.
"Next for Mrs. Jacobs; I'se saw youse lookin' at it in a store one day, but you couldn't buy it, so here." Esther opened her package. Her gift was a new cookbook, filled with kosher recipes.
"Thank you so much darling. This is exactly the one I wanted."
"Next, Mr. Jacobs; I'se know youse love writin' and youse hurt the arm youse use to hold pencils, so I'se thought I'se could get you this." Crutchy reached behind himself and dragged out a beautifully polished typewriter. Meyer's breath caught as he looked at the beautiful machine.
"Crutchy, you shouldn't have. This must have been really expensive. I can't accept this."
"But youse have to. It wasn't expensive at all. Denton and I'se found it when we was goin' through his office and he gave it to me. We spent weeks fixing it so it could work and cleaning it so it looked nice and new again", Crutchy grinned largely at the adult.
"Thank you ever so much Crutchy."
"Now, for David and Les; I'se heard youse guys talkin' 'bout it one day and thought I'se could help." Crutchy handed David an envelope. David opened it up and saw two tickets for a movie downtown, in the mezzanine seats!
"Yes, yes, yes! Crutchy, thank you!" Les jumped up and down and gave Crutchy a huge hug.
David blinked very fast, "Thank you Crutchy."
"Youse welcome", Crutchy giggled.
"Now for me brothers, I'se overheard youse talkin' and I'se gots some hints from reliable sources. For Swifty…" Swifty unwrapped a pair of pink suspenders.
"Crutchy, thank youse, they match my shirt!"
"For Specs…" Specs unwrapped a new pair of glasses.
"Oh, thank youse so much. My old glasses are so broken. These are so powifect!"
"For Dutchy…" Dutchy unwrapped a pocket watch.
"Youse always talked about getting one, but youse never had da money, so here…"
"Thank youse, thank youse, thank youse! It is the exact one I'se wanted. How did youse know?"
"I'se pay attention. For Bumlets…" Bumlets opened up his package and saw a new jacket. The Delancey brothers had torn up his other one just a few days before. A kid of few words, Bumlets gave Crutchy a huge grin and went back to staring at his new jacket.
"For Skittery…" Skittery opened up his package and found a huge bag stuffed with his favorite candies. Skittery's eyes widened and he stuffed two chocolates into his mouth.
"Fank you", Skittery mumbled out. Crutchy smirked and rolled his eyes.
"For Mush…" Mush was handed a rather large package. He unwrapped it and his mouth fell open. He received a pair of new shoes with matching laces!
"Crutchy, I'se, I'se don't know what to say."
"I'se overheard youse talkin' 'bout dem and saw the powifect ones, I'se had ta get dem for ya. Youse deserve dem."
"Thank-thank youse."
"For Boots…" Boots opened up a small cardboard box and saw a corduroy suit with fitted knickers.
"This took me forever to find, but I'se hope youse like it."
"Are youse kiddin', I'se love it! This is da best present eva."
"I'se glad youse like it. For Snipeshooter…" Snipeshooter unwrapped a very small gift and pulled out a Havana cigar.
"Now youse don't have ta steal Race's."
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Thank youse so much!" Snipeshooter put his cigar right in his mouth and gave Crutchy a toothy grin.
"For Kid Blink…" Kid Blink was handed a piece of paper. He looked at Crutchy with an eyebrow raised, but read the paper out loud.
Kid Blink,
Meet me at Tibby's dinner on Saturday for dinner. I hope we can catch a show on Vaudeville afterwards. Look forward to see you.
Clara
"Clara", Crutchy explained, "is da Mayor's daughter." Blink just nodded and walked out of the room. The boys looked curiously after him. A few seconds later the boys and the Jacobs could hear a loud "Hell ya!" before Blink walked back in.
"Thank youse Crutchy, but how did youse get it."
"She buys papes from me every day. She asks me lots of questions about me job and me friends, so I'se brought up ya. She seemed interested, so there ya go."
"Thank youse."
"For Race… I'se sorry I'se don't have anythin' ta hand ya, but I'se gots really good news. I'se was talkin' wit da man who owns da Sheepshead races, you know, just chattin'. He mentioned da fact dat he and a few of his friends really like readin' da newspaper, but hate havin' ta buy it. So I'se told him that youse was dere all da time and he told me ta tell ya dat if youse could give him and his friends some free papes he could arrange for ya ta have a permanent box dere." Racetrack's mouth popped open and his eyes bugged out of his head. He jumped up and swung Crutchy around a few times before hugging him.
"Thank youse so much, Squirt!"
"Race…can't…breathe…"
"Sorry." Race let Crutchy go and went to go high five Blink.
"So, is dat a yes?"
"Yes, a thousand time, yes!" Crutchy laughed.
"Ok, last, for Jack… I'se wasn't sure what ta get youse. I'se couldn't find da right one, so I'se decided ta make ya one. It took me forever ta make it, so I'se really, really hope youse likes it. Crutchy pulled out a square package from behind his back and handed it to Jack. Jack opened it and gasped.
It was painting. But, it wasn't some average painting that you would expect a child to create. It was a landscape of a desert with each grain of sand articulate in the painting. The sun was just about to set and the sky was vivid shades of purple, orange, and red, completely cloudless. A cactus and a few tumble weeds were spread across the painting. It was titled simply Santa Fe.
"Crutchy, I'se cannot believe youse made dis for me. Why-how-what…"
"I'se figured since youse are stayin' in New York that I'se could bring a little bit of Santa Fe ta ya."
"Crutchy, I'se love it. It's amazing, thank youse so much. How could youse afford all dese gifts?"
"Well, youse know how I'se get all dis pity money from people for me leg. Well, I'se decided dat 'cause I'se get so much, and youse guys don't, I'se would spread everythin' around and make it fair. Youse guys needed some Christmas cheer."
"That was very thoughtful sweetie", Esther leaned forward and gave Crutchy a quick kiss on the forehead.
"Well, um, Crutchy. Wese have one more gift for youse." Jack pulled a rectangular package out from under Specs bed and handed it over to the boy. Crutchy opened it and found a hardcover copy of A Christmas Carol.
"I'se always wanted dis book. Thank youse guys so much. Youse shouldn't have."
"What are brothers for", Mush lightly punched him in the shoulder.
"Will youse read it ta us, please", Boots stuck out his lower lip and looked at Crutchy.
"Alright", the boys gave Crutchy a chair and surrounded him. The Jacobs parents sat on chairs not far away watching with small smiles. As soon as Crutchy started reading, everyone was enraptured by him. He read the whole things from the beginning to the end and only had a few final words to say.
God Bless us, everyone.
A.N. Ok, so kind of cheesy, cliché ending, but I thought it was very sweet. I hope you liked it. I will be updating my other stories soon too, but I really just had this great idea in my head and I didn't want to forget it. R&R love you all!
