Author's Note: These first few chapters may be kinda short while I introduce the story and the characters.

1885

"My spot..." the little boy yelled.

"MINE!" she screamed back, pushing him.

He pushed her in return.

Rae hit him with all her little might. She was being raised by the newsies and she was not about to let someone else take her selling spot. Soon the two were rolling on the ground fighting. A tall young man walked over a few moments later and pulled Rae to her feet, popping her hard on the bottom. "OOWW!" she yelled. "Cap..."

"I told you no more fighting with Liam!" the young man said firmly.

She pouted. "He start it..."

Cap turned to Liam and looked down at him. "Does your mother know that you're out here, little man?"

Liam didn't look at Cap or answer.

Cap sighed and knelt down, making Liam look at him. "You can't keep leaving your house without telling her. You are such a little spot of a thing that you could easily get lost..."

Liam lowered his eyes and nodded.

1890

Eight-year-old Rae rolled her eyes as she listened to Cap give her the same lecture he did every morning before she left to go sell papes with her best friend, Spot Conlon.

"Remember to stay with Spot and not wander off..."

"Cap..." she whined. "I'm not a baby."

"Do you want to sell papes?"

She nodded.

"Then stay with Spot."

"But..."

"What have I said about arguing with me?"

She bit her lip.

He kissed her forehead. "Go on."

She sighed and left the lodging house, having to run to catch up with the other newsies. When she got to the distribution center, Spot was sitting off by himself with his head down and his hat pulled down low over his eyes. She skipped over to him. "Morning, Spot. Ready to sell?"

He sniffled. "No."

She kicked at his foot. "Why not?"

"Leave me 'lone, Rae..."

"We gotta go sell, Spot..."

"I don't wanna."

"Why not? We got a good headline...another murder..."

"Go away...please..."

She knelt in front of him. "What's wrong with you?"

His eyes were vacant as he stared through her.

"Spot..."

"I snuck downstairs to get some water," he said, his voice cold and even. "Ma and Da were yelling. Ma was saying something about Dani's ma...she said that Dani's my sister...Da got mad...really mad..."

Rae sat listening. She wasn't sure what to say.

"He hit her...a lot...more than before...I was too scared to do anything...then Ma stopped moving..."

"Your ma was..."

He nodded.

She moved to sit next to him.

Smudge walked up to him. "You two coming?"

"In a little while," Rae answered.

"What's wrong, munchkins?"

She pointed at the headlines on Smudge's papers. "That was his ma..."

Smudge nodded. "Take him back to the lodging house. He looks like he could use some sleep." He turned and left to sell his papes.

"I don't want to go home, Rae," Spot whispered.

"Cap will let you stay with us."

"You sure?"

"He kept me didn't he?"