DISCLAIMER I don't own Newsies, or any of the characters that are in Newsies that might be mentioned in this story, I don't own Bittah, Air, Jade, Skater, Spunk or Rubix, they all own themselves.(Jade is owned by Marbles) I do own all the other characters, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Ruby/Shady, and all the other miscellaneous characters mentioned.

NOTE This is my first attempt at fan-fiction, please read and review!

Chapter One

"Out! Out of me way! You're nothing, ya hear?" yelled Mr. Jones, throwing Ruby against the wall. "Oh to have been cursed with a headstrong daughter instead of a son! Acts like she were a boy anyway." He muttered angrily, glaring at the girl's small figure crumpled against the wall. Ruby fought back tears as her father gave her one last kick on his way out the door. "Tell yer mother that I won't be returning for dinner." he growled, slamming the door so hard that all of Manhattan trembled.

Several moments passed before Ruby dared to move. Letting out a little sob, she reached up to feel the steadily growing lump from where her head hit the wall. "I wish I was a boy…" she muttered, spitting on the ground in an attempt to rid her mouth of the taste of blood. Bringing her sleeve up to her split lip she called out, "Ma! Pa says he ain't comin' back 'fore dinner!" She wrinkled her forehead puzzled at not receiving a response from her mother. Picking herself up gingerly and walked towards the kitchen door.

"Ma?" she called out hesitantly, placing a trembling hand on the doorknob. "Pa says he ain't-" she stopped short, her mouth falling open releasing a terrified shriek when she saw the kitchen. "Ma!" she yelled, running to the figure sprawled across the floor. It was her mother, her wonderful, kind, beautiful mother. She had never harmed anyone, all she'd ever done was love, yet here she was, unable to see or move and drenched in her own blood.

No, it can't be true, Ruby thought, tears falling down her cheeks, she can't be dead. But there was the knife handle, gleaming amidst the pool of blood that was her mother. "Ma, wake up… Please, Pa-" she sniffled, "Pa says he ain't gonna…gonna…Pa says he ain't come…home…"

Heartbroken she threw herself, wailing, onto her mother's still warm body, not caring for her own cuts and bruises. There she remained for hours, sometimes weeping, sometimes pleading with the Almighty to give her mother back. At last, there were no-more tears, no-more curses; Ruby felt nothing but a white-hot anger that burned in her chest like a red-hot poker. "I won't ever forget you Ma, I promise." She said quietly, gently plucking the silver dagger from her mother's chest.

"I'm leavin' now Ma, and I ain't never gonna come back." She sobbed. "And whoever killed you will soon wish he was never born." She added, pounding her tiny fist into her hand. With that final word, she plucked the emerald wedding ring off the deathly pale finger and left, not daring to look back even once.

Once outside the house, Ruby's anger subsided and she realized that she didn't know what to do next. What could she, a skinny little girl of 12 do in the great big city of Manhattan? Looking down she saw that her dress, once a beautiful snowy white, was now dyed red with her mothers blood.

Passers-by gave her funny looks, some were looks of pity, others were cruler, looks of superiority, annoyance and disgust. She almost leapt out of her skin when she felt something hit the back of her head. Looking up she saw big fat rain-drops falling from the sky. "Just what I needed." She muttered disgustedly. "I can't go home anyway." She shuddered at the thought of sleeping in the same house as a corpse, much less her darling mother's corpse.

"You! Boy, I'll give you a nickel to carry my bags." A man with thick-rimmed glasses had appeared behind her. He was just thrusting a large package into her hands when he realized his mistake. "Oh, a girl." Disgusted and embarrassed by his mistake he slunk off in search of a bag boy. By now the raindrops had begun falling even harder than before. Ruby dashed to the nearest door and knocked, hoping whoever was inside would be kind enough to help her.

After several moments the door opened revealing a short greasy haired man, "Whaddya want?"

"I was just hoping that you might let me in," she stammered uncertainly, "just until the rain stops."

"Be off wench!" he sneered, "we'll not be needing any more 'a you!" With that he slammed the door in her face.

Shady moved from door to door, only to get the same response.

"Wot? Girl, get along wit you!" SLAM! "If you ain't gonna please me customers den be off wit ye!" SLAM! "I'm sorry dearie; if you were a boy I'd have work for you but-" SLAM!

Ruby continued wandering from door to door, each time hoping that she might get a different response but to no avail.

Finally, weak from pain, anger, hunger, cold and exhaustion she collapsed in a dark alley.