A/N the First: Okay, I know I probably shouldn't have done this (I really need another fanfic right? eeeek!), but I did. This is the sequel for the much acclaimed Carpe Diem so if you haven't read that one, it would benefit you to do so in order that you won't be confused. WARNING for my readers: as much as I love you all and like to keep you happy, the chances of my updating this story quickly are slim. You'll probably find large gaps between chapters and for this I am truly sorry. :-(

A/N the Second: For my sanity (and yours) I will not be writing in a way to show the Newsies' accents. Everyone knows they have the various New York accents, so do I really need to torture myself trying to spell them all out how it sounds? I've never even been to New York. So yeah, that's my excuse why you'll find everything spelled correctly. Use your imagination if you really want the accents. :-P

A/N the Third: the title of this fic is Latin for "High Times, Hard Times."

Disclaimer: I do not own any newsie. Not even the wonderful and adorable Les (tragic really), I do own Minnie and her family (minus Thomas), and Cricket, and a couple others (you will know them obviously), but everyone else belong solely to Disney.


Altus Vicis, Ferreus Vicis

Chapter 1: Eight Years Gone

"Things don't change; we change."

--Henry David Thoreau

"Minnie! Minnie! Minnie! Minnie!"

The sound of several voices chanting my name caused me to open my eyes slowly. My bed jostled and shook as three overexcited bodies flung themselves on it, bouncing up and down lightly. I sat up quickly, frowning at them slightly.

"Girls! Stop it; you'll break the springs for sure!"

Three pairs of blue eyes rolled at my authoritative tone. Sighing, I flung back my coverlet and stood, hoping that my getting off the bed would deter them from bouncing on it any longer. It worked. With no one to annoy, they stopped their cavorting and pouted for a while. I gave them each a pointed look.

"Helen, Lilly, Ruth, I need to get dressed for school now," I told them.

They exchanged glances and then filed out of the room, much less enthusiastically then they had entered. Shutting the door behind them, I began to get ready for the day. Walking across my expansive bedroom, I opened my wardrobe and looked over my things. I spotted an old jumper from many years ago and smiled faintly.

It had been eight years since my older sister Maggie brought us to live at Uncle Leo's mansion. Soon my oldest sibling, Thomas, came to join us. After a long while, and some coaxing, my father moved in as well. We all lived together for many happy years. Then four years ago Uncle Leo died. It was a sad time for all of us. Papa sold the mansion and we all moved to another one in Manhattan where he had obtained a job as a carpenter (apparently he had the skill for woodwork). We all started going to school there. Maggie however, moved back to Brooklyn just three years ago, in order to live with Spot Conlon, her new husband. I missed her dearly.

Papa got married that year as well. To a young lady named Katherine. She seemed nice enough, but we were still getting used to her. She had long chestnut locks and deep brown eyes. Tall and willowy, she stood at almost the same height as Papa. She had a stern mouth, which seldom smiled, but when it did we knew she was greatly amused at something. I had yet to hear her laugh. Why Papa would choose such a sober woman I could not comprehend. But they loved each other and I suppose that's all that mattered in the end.

Thomas bought an apartment in town, but he remained close to the family, working with Papa at the carpentry shop. As for me and the rest of the girls, well we went to school and went to social gatherings. Talk of the town these days was women's suffrage, and we discussed it around the house almost as often as we did at school and at parties.

The triplets, Mary, and Florence were too young to go to parties, but they attended the ones held at our house and their friends had their own little parties of their own throughout the week. It was a hectic yet somehow organized life, and I liked it. Well, most of it. There was a new addition to the family now. A bright eyed little boy named James—Jamie to all of us. The responsibility of taking care of him fell on me most times (being the oldest young one in the household now), and it was nerve-wracking to keep track of the playful three-year-old tyke.

Today was supposed to be a simple school day. I finished dressing and went downstairs to the breakfast parlor where Ruth, Lilly, Helen, and Mary were, Mrs. Thompson serving them their morning meal. I sat down with them and wondered where the rest of my family was.

"Papa left for work already with Tommy," Mary told me solemnly when I asked. I nodded understandingly, they often left before breakfast. After a few minutes, Florence entered the room, looking prim and proper in her school uniform.

"I wanted to make sure my dress was ironed," she informed me as an excuse for her late arrival. My eyebrows rose but I made no comment as she sat down carefully and folded her hands on the table, looking like the model child. I waited semi-patiently for Rose and Anna to join us. We heard them long before we saw them. I closed my eyes as if in pain as I listened to their approaching voices, high in an argument or something of the like.

They burst in, Rose in tears and Anna dancing around the room, looking very pretty in a bright blue dress that brought out her eyes almost shockingly. I sighed and stood, facing Rose.

"What is the matter this time?" I asked, hands on my hips, frowning slightly.

Rose pointed an accusing finger at Anna. "I wanted to wear the blue dress! Chris Hopkins said blue looks the best on me!" Her voice had risen to a wail.

Florence rolled her eyes, and Mary looked concerned. Ruth covered her ears, and Lilly and Helen snickered behind their hands. Anna continued dancing.

"Yes but Chris Hopkins likes me best and so I must wear this dress so that he'll notice me," she informed us with a happy grin. Rose stamped her foot impetuously.

"But he was speaking to me when he said it matched my eyes!"

"We have the same eyes." Anna spoke patronizingly.

"Do not!"

"Do too.

"Do not!"

"Do—"

"Enough!" I shouted, flinging my arms out and glaring all around. Mary flinched, Ruth lowered her hands, Lillian and Helen's eyes grew wide, Florence flipped her hair over her shoulder, and Rose and Anna fell silent.

"Rose, I have a blue dress similar in color upstairs in my room. It should fit you well enough." Rose sniffed piteously, giving Anna a hard glare as she turned and flounced out of the room. Anna stuck her tongue out at Rose's back. I turned to Anna. "You should know better than to tease her like that. It's rude, not to mention spiteful."

Anna hung her head and apologized, but she did not sound like she meant it. Soon Rose came down in my blue dress and we all sat down to eat. Anna and Rose made faces at each other across the table, but other than that things were peaceful.

"Miss Mary?" One of our maids, Daisy, stepped into the room, balancing Jamie on her hip. Mary instinctively looked up, but I stood, knowing she was talking to me. For some reason Mother had named Mary after there was already a Mary in the family, but I suppose she liked the name and I had always gone by Minnie. But now that I was older, I felt Minnie too childish for a name and had asked everyone to call me Mary, and introduced myself as Mary outside of the house. However to my family members I was still Minnie and Mary was the only 'Mary' in the household.

I walked over and took the sleepy-eyed Jamie from Daisy, murmuring a thank you. The toddler dropped his head onto my shoulder and yawned sleepily. I patted his back gently as I turned to the other girls.

"Time for school," I told them. "Come on." With my free hand I gestured for them to get up and leave to get their things in order. Bouncing Jamie slightly, I waited until they had all left before sitting down and settling him in my lap. He slowly unburied his face and sat up, looking at the food ravenously. He glanced up at me and, after my encouraging nod, he reached forward and snatched up a piece of toast, stuffing it in his mouth and chewing with determination.

I stroked his soft honey-colored curls gently. His hair was a strange color. Not brown yet not yellow. That was why I called it the color of honey. A dark gold, like a topaz almost. He looked up at me with his big, light brown eyes, still cloudy with sleep. I gave him a small smile. He grinned back and continued munching. He never liked eating when other people were in the room. He grew shy and would not lift his head. It was only when it was just the two of us he would eat. It was tiresome, but I felt it was my duty to make sure he ate well. With Katherine at one of her suffragette meetings this morning, she could not care for him. When he was finished, I set him down and took his hand, leading him out into the hall where Daisy was waiting. I handed him over to her.

Wiggling away from her hands, he flung himself on my skirt and gripped the fabric tightly with his small hands. He looked up at me, his eyes now bright and pleading. I sighed and pried his fingers off.

"Minnie has to go now, sweetie," I told him. He backed up and let Daisy take his hand but he frowned slightly at me. He never liked it when I had to go. I knelt and brushed hair off his face.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" He nodded solemnly, and his face relaxed slightly. I touched his cheek lightly before turning away swiftly and heading out the door. I had to run to catch up with my sisters and together we made our way toward the school building.

Halfway there, our light hearted chatter was interrupted by the honking of a bicycle horn. Turning slightly, I pursed my lips to keep from smiling as Les Jacobs rode up beside me, a lazy grin on his face.

"Good morning, Mary," he said. "How you doing?"

"I'm doing well Mr. Jacobs, how are you?"

He rolled his dark brown eyes. "Drop the 'Mr.' will you, Mary? Makes me sound like my father or something." He made a face and then grinned at the girls beside me. "Heading to school?" he asked, resting his foot on the ground and slowing to a stop. He hopped off the bicycle and began to walk beside it, holding on to the handlebars.

"Yes, we are." I nodded and glanced at the girls pointedly. They quickly picked up their conversation and walked on ahead of us. Once they did I allowed myself to relax, albeit slightly.

"So how are you Little Miss Mary?" Les asked, his lanky eighteen-year-old body standing at least a head taller than mine. I had to tilt my head back somewhat to look up at him.

"I'm doing well, Les. How are you?"

He shrugged. "Can't complain. David's been trying out his lectures on me. He gets mad when I fall asleep. I tell him he needs to liven it up." He grinned slightly.

I smiled faintly. "I think David would make a fine professor. Does he know what he wants to teach yet?"

Les shrugged. "He's looking into debate I think. He's got a good head on his shoulders; he just needs to be more interesting."

"Yes, but are you sure you're not just falling asleep because you're his brother and want to vex him?" I raised an eyebrow quizzically.

He threw his head back and laughed. His light brown hair threatened to come loose from its slicked back state. I could not help but smile at him. His laughter was carefree and I liked it. We were coming up on the academy I went to. The girls had already disappeared inside and I knew the tardy bell would ring soon. I looked over at the boy's school that stood on the other side of the street, where Les was heading off to.

"Will I see you after school?" I asked him, backing up toward the large doors that would take me away from the hustle and bustle of the outdoors and into the sanctuary of learning. As much as I took my education seriously, I did like to spend time with Les.

He gave me a half-grin and tilted his head. "Well of course, Mary," he said. "As always."

I felt silly. "Of course," I said, giving him a small wave before turning and entering the school building. I could feel his eyes on my back as I did so and could not help but smile a small secret smile to myself.

Les Jacobs and I had met at the market one day and had instantly felt akin to one another. It seemed like fate had dealt us a kind hand when we discovered we went to school only feet from each other, and that he lived in the same apartment building as Thomas. He was a kind young man, youthful and vivacious. His older brother David was studying to be a professor at the nearby university and his parents were very warm and friendly. The girls adored him and even Papa seemed to approve (a rare thing indeed!).

It was only recently when he began to call on me. I would not call it courting, not just yet, but some days I felt as though there was something between us. On those days I longed to see Maggie. My older sister had been through all this at a younger age than I and surely had advice to give me. As it was I was on my own and I knew from experience that I never did well on my own, especially when it came to such things as my feelings and emotions.

And I did not want to get hurt again.


So there's the first chapter. :-) Please review and tell me what you think! :-D