Chapter 2 – Suspicion

Sarah stood outside on the terrace unable to understand why Jack choice to leave. This was his one chance to move forward. But instead, he and her brothers remained distant and unapproachable. A fact she couldn't comprehend seeing as these people were nothing if not nice to them.

She slammed her gloved hand against the railing in frustration at her fiancée. The more time elapsed, the less and less she seemed to understand Jack's thoughts and the more fearful she became. A marriage was supposed to be based on a series of compromises and shared beliefs. But lately it felt like she and Jack were in two different worlds.

She thought of the boys she'd come to know as friends and could understand why Jack felt the need to keep his relationship with them alive. It was very important to him to do so. But, what did that say for her relationship with him. Questioning her importance in his life wasn't something that she desired, and yet it was becoming second nature. If she was doing it now, what was going to happen once they are married?

Would she always play second fiddle to his first love – the newsies, and the freedom they represented?

"Oh excuse me. I didn't realize this terrace was occupied. Forgive me," a young man's voice reached her ears and she turned to politely accept his apology. "Miss Jacobs."

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

"Not exactly. Allow me to introduce myself. Robert Peterson, I work for the New York Sun."

"You know Denton?" he smiled warmly, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes.

"He's a very gifted journalist from what I've been told," Peterson swallowed the vile welling up in his throat at the thought of the man. "He's done a great many things in his life."

"Yes, and he'll do a great many more."

"I see you're his champion."

"He's a very dear family friend."

"I see," the man eyed her with speculation which made her a bit uncomfortable.

Taking a quick glance around she realized she was quite isolated from the rest of the guests. "I better be getting back in," Sarah remarked nodding her head a bit before making her way around him.

"Miss Jacobs."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry I was wondering if you'd do me a favor," he asked to which she raised a curious eyebrow. "The atmosphere in the ballroom is quite stifling and I thoroughly enjoy the cool evening air. Unfortunately standing here alone is not too much fun, so if you'd indulge me in conversation for a bit I'd be most grateful."

Sarah looked to the doors once more, and then back to him apparently contemplating whether standing on a terrace with a man she'd just met was the seemly thing to do. In all honesty she wasn't in too much of a hurry to return to the crowded room. She did have to admit, the gentle breeze did feel good against her cheeks. Then she realized if Denton knew this man and they were friends, then she knew she could trust him to keep his distance, therefore she need not worry.

"Of course, I'm sure a minute or two would be fine."

"So tell me, how do you know our man Denton?"

"A couple of years back he supported a strike my brothers were a part of," Sarah paused for a minute wondering why she hadn't included Jack in that statement. She guessed it had a good deal to do with her anger toward him. "I don't know if you've heard of it, but it was the driving force in bettering the lives of several of the children who work here in New York."

"The newsboys strike," Robert stated remembering how strikes had broken out all over the city. The poor population declaring war on the status of the rich, believing in some small way they'd rule the world. It's a wonder the poor had any intellect at all considering how absurd those thoughts were. "Yes, very commendable," the lie flowed easily from his lips and he almost felt an urge to pat himself on the back.

"I thought so too. I was so proud of them. They worked so hard and in the end they won the battle. Still sadly, the war still rages on," Sarah turned her face away a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you would rather talk about other things instead."

"How old are your brothers?"

"Well, David is a year younger than I, and Les is nearing ten."

"He must have been the young man who bumped into me earlier," he stated, being careful not to show his annoyance. "I'm afraid he caught me a bit off guard and I wasn't too friendly."

"Sarah?"

Robert and Sarah turned toward the double doors and found Denton standing there. His frown contorting the lines on his face so that it only showed a slight discontent and not the anger he was trying to squelch.

"Denton, Mr. Peterson was talking to me about…"

"Please call me Rob," Sarah nodded.

"I think Mr. Peterson will be fine for now," Bryan walked over to stand beside the young girl. "Sarah your parents are looking for you. They're ready to leave and are waiting in the foyer."

"Thank you Denton," Sarah then turned her attention back to the other gentleman. "It was nice meeting you," she quickly curtsied as she'd been taught by her mother. "Goodnight."

When Sarah was safely out of earshot Bryan gave the other man his undivided attention. "What are you up too?" Rob smirked and rushed by him, only to feel a hand roughly grab his arm and turn him around so that they were now facing one another. "I asked you a question."

"What's the matter Denton? You look a little hot under the collar, maybe you should take a seat, relax your tired limbs."

"Maybe you should answer my question."

"You know, I get the distinct feeling that you don't like me. A thought which saddens me, as colleagues I kind of thought of us as friends," the last word came out as almost a sneer.

Denton stepped up a bit closer and glared at the man. "I think it's time we get a few things straight. I don't like you, I don't trust you, and we are not friends."

"Duly noted," Rob raised his glass a bit in understanding and left Denton standing on the terrace with his thoughts.

His reporter's instincts were doing triple time as his mind raced with several different thoughts. All of which left him angrier and more worried than the last. The man was up to something, there was no doubt in Bryan's mind about that. The problem was trying to figure out what exactly that was. His family had an uncanny way of knowing when trouble was brewing, and he was no different. A storm was on the horizon and the flood waters were slowly rising. He just hoped that the casualties would be at a bare minimal.

The boys walked into the lodging house a few minutes later glad to be back on familiar territory. Race and a couple of the older boys were sitting around talking when Mush noticed the new arrivals. Instantly he headed over and slung an arm around each shoulder.

"Hey guys look who decided to join us."

Jack and David walked over and each pulled out a chair. As soon as they were seated Les plopped down on Jack's lap and grabbed at the deck on the table. Thankfully it wasn't being used at the moment. They looked over to Race who just smirked.

"So how's the upper crust this fine evening?" Race asked a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Like every day."

"I swear I think sometimes they was born with a stick up their…."

"Hey!" David objected silently reminding Blink that his little brother was in the room.

"Up there what?" Les always the curious type asked, earning chuckles from the rest of the boys.

"Never you mind," David told him.

"Ahh, you never let me hear anything good," Les pouted slamming the cards down on the table.

"Maybe when your older."

"I am older," he folded his arms in front of him. "And everybody else cusses."

"He's right Dave," Blink laughed when David glared at him.

"Yeah well they don't have an older brother telling them not too," David laughed as he reached over and slid his brother's cap down over his face.

"Hey – that's not fair."

David pulled Les off Jack's lap and into his own, lightly tickling him in the process. To which the boy started giggling before his older brother showed some mercy and dropped him on his feet to stand next to him.

"Hey les why don't you head downstairs, I think some of the boys your age are still down there shooting marbles," Crutchy suggested taking a seat on a bunk nearby.

Les didn't have to be asked twice and was out of the room before anyone could blink.

"So tell us about tonight?" Blink asked pulling up a chair and sitting in it backwards. "Any girls catch your eye?" he asked David in particular to which the boy responded with a very pronounced blush across his cheeks. Blink started to laugh playfully shoving David in the process.

"Come on Blink leave him alone," Jack said gathering the cards together.

"I was just kidding," Blink put an arm around David's shoulders and ruffled his hair a bit before turning his attention to the cards Jack was dealing out.

The next few minutes were spent setting up the game before their conversation returned to the events of the night. "So they were real uppity huh?" Mush couldn't believe how Jack and David let those comments slide without a good soaking.

"What were we supposed to do Mush, pound them into hamburger meat. We were invited by Denton, can you imagine how that would have made him look. Not to mention Sarah and my parents. It would have added fuel to the fire."

"Yeah but Dave they were insulting your family."

"I get that," he sighed massaging his temples. "But, it's not like on the streets. You can't just jump a person for a cross remark."

"Why the hell not," Blink looked stunned. "Someone insults my family, I soak um, no questions asked."

"Jack help me out here."

"He's right," David raised an eyebrow. "We should have at least said something Davey."

"And what exactly would you have said Jack." The cowboy seemed to be concentrating a bit too hard on the hand he was dealt. "Come on Jack, any thoughts."

"Words that would have gotten us kicked out."

"Exactly, and Sarah and Denton and mom and dad would have been embarrassed when they were asked to leave as well," the curly dark haired boy replied. "That is why you need to learn a little restraint."

"I would've soaked them," Blink stated.

"Your family don't need them anyway," Mush added.

"Alright guys. What's done is done. Play the hand," Racetrack bellowed. "I'm not getting any younger."

"Alright, alright," Jack quipped, calling the round.

He won with a straight flush which caused Race to grumble. When everyone was done laughing at the Italians expense he dealt another hand and the conversation went back to the party. David mentioned Peterson and Denton's dislike and mistrust of the man.

"I tell you the way he flew off the handle when he grabbed Les, something ain't wired right," Jack dropped two cards on the table and was given two more in its place.

"Isn't."

"What?"

"Isn't wired right," David replied realizing what he was doing. "And actually it's correctly. Sorry, it's a habit. Tutoring Les has its downside."

"So like I was saying," Jack shook his head then gave David a reassuring pat on the back. "The guy is bad news."

"Well if Denton doesn't like the guy then he has a damn good reason."

"Mush is right," Crutchy mumbled from his place on the bed.

"I thought you was asleep?" Blink commented right before a young newsie around Les' age ran barreling into the room. "Whoa, where's the fire?"

"Les and Snipeshooter are fighting."

That got everyone up and rushing downstairs in an attempt to stop the fight. When they got there the two kids were wrestling on the ground throwing punches. Jack took a hold of Snipe while David grabbed a hold of Les.

"What happened?" Jack shouted.

"Ask that little twerp."

David kneeled down and placed a hand on each one of his brother's shoulders. "What happened?"

"He called me a gutless baby."

All eyes turned to Snipeshooter. "Is that true?" Jack asked the younger boy.

"So what if it is. I wasn't saying nothing that nobody else wasn't thinking."

Les growled and took a leap at Snipe, but David was too quick for him and threw him over his shoulder before any damage could be done. Taking his little brother into the washroom he left Jack to deal with Snipe. He set the younger boy down on one of the stools, pulled out a first aid kit and removed some bandages. Drenching a cloth with warm water he applied it as carefully as he could too his cuts and bruises.

Les remained quiet which gave David the feeling that he wasn't telling the whole story. When Jack walked in a few minutes later announcing the late hour and the fact that they needed to get home before everyone else did. David nodded and a few minutes later they were headed out.

"How's Snipe?" David inquired.

"He'll live."

"Did you find out anything else about what started the fight?"

"Nothing," Jack replied then pulled Les a bit closer to his side as they rounded a corner and continued their walk. "Just kid stuff, right Les?"

"Right Jack," Jack exchanged a look with the younger boy David couldn't quite decipher before leaning down and letting Les climb onto his back.

David didn't ask any more questions after that, and soon they were walking through the door of the three bedroom flat the family shared. After the strike when Meyer fully healed from his injuries the family was able to upgrade to roomier accommodations. And a few months later with Jack spending so much time there it was officially decided that he would move in. That being the case, they needed a separate room for Sarah. So while Sarah got her own room, their parents shared another, he Jack and Les managed to fit three beds into the biggest room of all.

Thankfully they managed to beat their parents and Sarah home before anyone was the wiser to the fact that they hadn't gone straight home when they left the party. Of course that wouldn't completely put off the questions about Les and his cut lip or black eye when they did arrive. But at least they wouldn't have to talk about that till morning.

Sarah sat with her parents in the coach very aware of its missing occupants. She didn't have to ask to know where they had gone too. Since the strike the Lodge had become a second home, a sort of sanctuary from the world beyond. Her world, the world Jack didn't seem to want to be a part of. She bit her lip slightly to keep her anger at bay and was a bit startled when she felt her mother's hand on her own.

"Honey, he loves you."

"He says he does," she sighed placing her head on Esther's shoulder. She was immediately enfolded into the comforting arms of the woman sitting next to her. "I don't understand him. He must realize that he can't be a newsie forever."

"He's trying to find his own way. Sometimes that takes awhile."

"Those men at the party, they were so…distinguished. They knew what they wanted and they fought for it. Jack, he…" Meyer always sympathetic to his children's troubles leaned forward and placed a hand on her knee.

"Jack's also a fighter, but he has to have a reason to fight. I don't think he's found that yet."

"I thought I was that reason," Sarah tried her best not to cry but couldn't seem to stop herself. "Our relationship, it's changing. And sometimes, in my darkest thoughts, I have to wonder if it's going in the same direction, if it's even worth fighting for."

"Sweetie you don't mean that."

"I'm not sure I know what I mean anymore," Sarah looked into the eyes of her parents. "I don't know what to do. I'm so confused."

Meyer and Esther exchanged a glance. "You should talk to him." Esther suggested.

"I've tried."

"Give it some time sweetie. Everything will work out fine, you'll see," Sarah looked to her father and gave him a somewhat genuine smile.

"Of course it will. Thanks daddy."

Still when they arrived home and Sarah went to bed that night, her thoughts didn't seize, and the future she could see so clearly before was still undecided.

AN: I've decided to add a few twists to this story and hope you'll enjoy them as you read on. :)