Disclaimer: still dont own the newsies

A/N thanks soo much to my reviewer (the only one too) The Madman From Brooklyn, glad someone likes it and heres another chapter...its short but i wanted to get more out there with the plot and newsies in it. Please let me know what you think..good bad anything, if i dont get many reviews or hits i may stop this story but i really dont want to

enjoy..i hope


The smoky atmosphere engulfed the small lodging house quickly. Through the smoke I could see more people filling in. I took another look around before making my way towards a small table in the corner, the high roller table. Most of the leaders were seated around the table, and some other of the better poker players. I nodded to my second in command to move away from the table.

He stood up and moved in close to me. I kept my head focused forward as my eyes continued to search the room, "Keep an eye out for Rusty". Eagle nodded and went off towards a table near the door.

I took his seat and dealt in the next hand.

"Hey Spot I was wondering when you'd get ya lazy ass down heah" Race smirked at me behind his hand of cards.

I cast a look at him as I threw in my money to the pile, "I was lettin' you build up your confidence winnin' to these bums"

Race shook his head and the table quieted down some as the game began. The other tables were for talking, but this one was for actually betting. I kept a close eye on Eagle and the front door, waiting to see if Queens would rear its head tonight. I had seen some random newsies from around there walk in but not Rusty.

I narrowed my eyes at the thought of him, and apparently the table thought I had a bad hand since Race raised me 10. I pulled my poker face back together and called his raise. Things were looking up when I started to win a few hands.

I stretched out as I waited for Jack to shuffle the cards and deal another round. I took the time to glance at Eagle. He shook his head at me, answering my silent question to see if Rusty showed up. I looked around trying to see who of his newsies had decided to come. I saw Buzz, his second talking with Kid Blink and Skittery. He didn't seem like he was here to cause any trouble, or to spy. My eyes continued scanning when I fell upon Lips. She looked at me and smiled seductively. I threw her a wink before turning my attention back to the game.

"You sure you don't want to go talk to Lips, your luck might be runnin' out" Titan, the leader from Midtown asked with a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

I gave a short laugh, "I'm sure she can wait a little longer". I concentrated back on the game, pushing thoughts of Lips in the back of my mind…for a later time.

I threw in my cards after the last hand. I figured it was time to focus on other things than poker right now. I turned my head towards Lips and saw she was still waiting on me. I smirked and pushed my chair away from the table.

I moved slowly through the crowds towards her, when I felt someone else watching me. I turned thinking it would be Rusty, I was surprised to see a girl. She wasn't like Lips I could tell that right away, she didn't hold the confidence Lips did, yet she held her gaze on me for longer than I would expect. She turned and moved into the crowd more, heading towards a table with some guys from Queens. My eyes narrowed, more people from Queens had snuck in when I wasn't watching.

I scanned again and to my surprise neither Rusty nor Spirit had yet to show up.

When I turned back to my recent focus I found Lips trying to flirt with Eagle. I smirked and turned back towards another table. I must be going soft thinking I would see the same girl two nights in a row. Shaking my head I picked up a drink that I had long discarded and went to keep a closer eye on the boys of Queens, pushing their girls out of my mind. Besides I knew sleeping with Lips wouldn't get me any information about Rusty, she talked too much but not about anything important. I hoped Spirit was making better progress than I was, I needed her to come through.

My eyes clouded over as I thought of my sister. I hoped I did the right thing in sending her to Queens.

The lodging house didn't take much longer to clear out. And threw the dwindling noise I found myself standing against the stairs with Eagle silent next to me. I nodded to the last people filing out of Brooklyn. With my boys all upstairs and the rest back to their own homes Eagle turned to me.

"So Rusty didn't show, that might not be a good sign" he hesitated as he spoke, but he was right.

I nodded and glanced around the mess that was left behind. My head was trying to grasp what it meant that Rusty hadn't shown. It could swing either way, either he was still thinking about taking Brooklyn or he had given up on it. Either way he didn't want to see me, and I wanted to know why.

"You think Spirit is ok over there" I turned to Eagle and actually looked him in the eye. He was my second in command, so he knew about the plan to send her to Queens. He was also one of the few, very few that knew she was my sister. I searched his eyes for anything he was feeling but I got nothing back. Part of being a Brooklyn newsie was to put up a guard.

I gave my answer in a shrug and left the question hanging in the air as I moved up stairs with Eagle following me. I turned to settle into my own room for the night and Eagle went off towards the bunk room. He paused momentarily in the doorway, I watched his face in the dark waiting to see if he had something else left to say.

The light snores from the bunkroom behind him masked the small whisper I heard, but I still heard it. And it echoed with me as I climbed into my bed, giving me some hope as I drifted off, "She is a Conlon".


After grabbing a roll from a cart for dinner I slowly walked back towards the lodging house for the night. I wasn't in a hurry since I figured not many newsies would be around, and the ones that were I probably still didn't know their names. I slowed my pace even more as I noticed the figure leaning against the lodging house. He was tall and as I got closer I realized it was Rusty.

I looked around in confusion wondering what he was doing here and not at the poker game. But this gave me a chance to try and talk to him. I took a few steps closer trying to think of a line that would get a conversation started, without looking too obvious.

"Nice dinner" Rusty's voice spoke before my own mind could register it.

"Huh?" I asked tilting my head slightly.

He put his cigarette back in his mouth and pointed to my roll, which I forgot I was still carrying.

"Oh yeah, I'm a little low on cash" I took the moment to lean against the building like he was. Silence fell around us, he finished smoking and I ate my wonderful dinner.

"So no poker game for you tonight?" I finally asked trying to keep his attention for a while longer.

He shook his head slowly, "Nah I'm not in the mood to deal with Brooklyn"

He seemed to study me after he spoke, waiting for a reaction to the word Brooklyn. I wasn't even sure if he meant the person or the place. Either way I kept my face neutral and shrugged his look off.

I figured it was better if I didn't say anything to Rusty regarding Brooklyn, so there was little chance I would be caught up in any lies.

Rusty looked me over once more and I tried hard to not turn away. He headed towards the door and held it open for me, almost commanding me to get inside. We both separated to our own rooms for the night, and that was it for our conversation.

As I climbed into bed I sighed.

So much for talking with Rusty.


To continue, or trash....??...let me know, anything helps