AN: Thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter. The usual disclaimer applies I don't own Newsies or any of the characters in it. All of the song lyrics are by Posie Graeme-Evans and Chris Harriot unless other wise noted. All of the songs are preformed by the wonderfully talented Rebecca LaVelle and can be found on either volume of the McLeod's Daughters soundtrack. As always please read and review- it is always appreciated.
Chapter 2 - Hey Girl
Hey, girl, you got a new life
A long time coming
(And it's) such a good thing (yeah)
Hey, girl, ooh it's a clean world
So bright and shiny
Just step on in
Shake off the dust
And lose the heartbreak
Just let it go (let it go) and walk away
Yeah look forward
'Cos you want to that's the way
Yeah, that's the way, yeah, that's the way
Hey, girl, you got a new start
A new beginning
But it's hard to leave
Hey, girl, now don't look backward
No need to stay
'Cos now your free
Shake off the dust
And lose the heartbreak
Just let it go (let it go) and walk away
Yeah look forward
'Cos you want to that's the way
Yeah, that's the way, yeah, that's the way
"We've already had this conversation." Kate replied clearly annoyed.
"Every newsie as' a nickname - come on don' ya wanna be like everyone else?" Jack said sarcastically. Kate shot him a look to let him know she was not amused.
"Yeah, ya could be like Jack ere' have a nickname like Cowboy and still go by you'se name." Mush added obviously missing the glare Kate had sent Jack.
Race who had seen Kate's look chose to ignore it. "I still don' see what'se wrong wid Aussie."
"Oh come on mate! You've already got a Brit, Itey, Spain, and China! I don't want to be part of the where in the world did this newsie come from gang." She said unable to walk away from the conversation.
Race sulked at this, "Well ya ain't given us much else ta work wid ere'!"
She rolled her eyes at this. All the Manhattan Newsies had been trying to find out more about her past and what brought her to New York. She wasn't ready to share that information and she wasn't sure she ever would be.
"He's right ya know." Jack spoke up. "Ya don't gotta tell us it all ya know - just'a lil' bit." He said prying her for information. He wasn't usually one for forcing his newsies to tell their life stories. He knew most of them were orphans and runaways. He wondered if Kate was in the same boat. If so New York seemed like a far away place to run away too. He had a feeling there was more to her story but she clearly had no intentions of sharing.
"So what is Stralia' like?" Mush asked not so much to pry but hoping she would open up on her own. She looked thoughtfully at him for a moment.
"Hot." She said standing up and grabbing her hat. They all watched as she exited Tibby's.
"Well la tee da." Race said as his friends looked on.
Kate walked away not wanting to glance back at the restaurant. She felt bad for getting up and leaving but she couldn't take the constant questions about home and her past. Emotions swirled underneath her surface. She could feel her stomach tighten. "Home," she said aloud. She didn't want to think about it. It made her dizzy. She pushed the thoughts aside and walked towards the distribution center ready to sell the afternoon edition.
It had been a month to the day that she had joined the newsies. She hadn't particularly enjoyed selling papers but she cherished the freedom it gave - something a factory job would never have been able to offer her. She also enjoyed the company of all the newsies. She had grown particularly close to Jack, Mush, and Twister. Twister was one of three girl newsies in Manhattan. She was a mess all the time. She was unorganized, messy, unkempt and always late but she had a heart of gold. Kate had taken an immediate liking to the girl who had taught her the ropes about living in a lodging house full of boys.
Jack had taught Kate how to sell papers. She had been fairly successful. She smiled remembering why Jack supposed she had done so well so quickly.
"It's ya damn accent people tink you'se smart!" He had said as people flocked around her leaving him holding a stack of papers and no customers. She of course had responded smartly.
"Well they won't be disappointed will they Jacky boy?" She pushed his gapping chin up as she sold her last paper. Mush had laughed at the story.
She thought of the curly haired boy. She really enjoyed being around him. He was strong but soft spoken, smart but didn't show it off, handsome but didn't flaunt it. She had to laugh-his name was well suited. She knew he probably easily turned the girls into mush.
When she reached the distribution center she grabbed her papers quickly and pushed her way past Jack, Race, and Mush who were just walking up. She made sure they understood she didn't want to be bothered by sending them a look. She finished selling her papers within two hours. She would normally head out to find some dinner but she didn't feel much like eating. She decided she would take the opportunity to take a bath back at the lodging house. Twister had taught her early on if she wanted to take a bath she had to do it when the newsies were all selling or out to eat.
She made her way into the lodging house and set out for the bath. She sat in the bath tub for awhile letting it soak away her anxieties. She thought to herself - at least she had tonight to look forward to. She had hit the one month mark as a newsie - she had joined the night of the poker game and that meant tonight would be the next one. This time the poker game was being hosted here. That thought washed over her as she decided she better get out of the water. She knew some of the newsies might show up early out of shear excitement.
She sighed. She wished she could just lie in the tub all the time. Her thoughts were interrupted as the door slammed open. She made a quick move to hold the towel up to her. Spot Conlon walked into one of the stalls and started taking a leak without even shutting the door. She knew he hadn't even noticed her - which she was thankful for. She watched him as he smiled and then pulled the chain on the toilet. That was too much!
"Do you always smile when you pee?" she said sarcastically drawing Spot's attention to her for the first time.
"Do ya always stand round' an' watch people take ah leak?" He said un-phased by her presence.
"Well I wouldn't have noticed that little smile if you had shut the door." She said smartly.
"Just proud uff' what I got," he said with a smirk. He looked her up and down as she stood there. "You should be proud uff' what you'se got too." He continued smirking.
Kate began to blush. He had knocked her off her game. It wouldn't have been hard though the only thing she had covering her was the towel she clutched to her front. "Now that you're done admiring yourself do you think I could have some privacy?" She said quickly.
He smiled at her. "No problem doll face."
She let out a sigh of relief as he left. She turned to face herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened. "The mirror!" She said aloud. She had only been holding the towel to her front side and the mirror had been behind her. She was pretty sure she had just given Spot Conlon a nice long look at her backside. She rolled her eyes as his " You should be proud uff' what you'se got too," comment replayed in her head. She wasn't sure she would be able to face him tonight.
"Who are you kidding?!" she thought aloud as she threw on her clothes. She never backed down. She refused to let him get the better of her. She sighed as she rolled her long brown hair up into a bun.
Spot couldn't help but smile. The last few minutes had been pretty interesting. He had gotten to the Manhattan lodging house early. He was always early. He had gone to take a leak. He hadn't noticed Kate standing there until she spoke up. He laughed out loud and shook his head. She had tried to cover herself up. She had the towel covering her front all the way to her knees, but it was her backside in the mirror that he had enjoyed. He couldn't remember the banter that had been exchanged between them. He could just remember thinking to himself that he hadn't really seen how beautiful she was until then. She was long and her curves suited her - especially her backside. He hadn't seen her with her hair down before. He hadn't realized how much of it she had. It had been damp and hung far down her back just above her rear end. Light had reflected on it showing that it was nothing but pure, dark, brunette locks. He could see from her shoulders and arms that she had spent a lot of time in the sun. Her pale backside contrasted the golden tan of her arms. She was a looker there was no doubting that. Spot wondered why she tried to hide it by putting her hair up in the bun and wearing long sleeves all the time. She had clearly at one point had no trouble showing off her arms. He shook his head again it was too bad he couldn't stand the girl's personality or he might find himself attracted to her.
He watched as she stalked out of the bathroom clearly trying to make it known she was ignoring him. He knew she must have figured out about the little show she had just given him. He smirked at her knowing it would irritate her all the more. He turned his attention from her as the rest of the newsies started flowing into the bunkroom.
Kate threw herself on the bottom bunk. She lay with her eyes closed trying to mentally prepare herself for the comments she knew would later come from Spot when he had the room's full attention. She knew it would make a good story - his little peak at her backside. Hell, she would have told the story too…if it hadn't been her.
Her thoughts were interrupted as a familiar voice spoke to her. "Kate bout' earlier - we didn' mean ta pry." He didn't finish his thought. "Hey are you'se alright?" She opened her eyes to see Mush staring at her with a look full of concern.
"Yeah I'm fine mate." She said smiling to try and prove her statement true.
"Ya shore?" He asked still not believing her.
"Yes Mush. And about earlier - I shouldn't have walked out. I don't like to talk about certain things. My past being one of them. If I ever feel like talking about it I will but I don't want to right now." She said seriously.
"I unnerstand." He said nodding his head he turned to leave her.
"Mush," she called to him as he turned back to face her, "Australia is beautiful. There is no place in the world like it."
He smiled "Ya - maybe I'll make it there someday."
"Maybe I'll show you around when you make it there." She said smiling back.
They both got up and headed to a table in the middle of the room.
The game continued for hours. The money seemed to be floating amongst Spot Conlon, Race, and Kate. Everyone was surprised that Kate had managed to knock Jack out of the game. She had turned out to be an extremely good poker player.
"So Cowboy ya getting' any closer ta Santa Fe?" Race asked as he waited for Spot to decide his next move.
"Nah - not really." Jack called from his spot on a nearby bunk.
"Where's Santa Fe?" Kate asked curiously.
Jack sat up excitedly. "It's part of the territories we got in da Mexican-Merican war. I'se gonna go dere' someday and start me own Ranch."
Kate snorted at this "That's hard work. You think you can do it?"
"Shore I can. I'm a pretty good riddah too." He said.
"Yeah you will have to show me some time." She said winking to him. Everyone picked up on the wink. They weren't sure what it meant.
"I'll see ya and raise ya three." Spot interrupted the conversation.
"I call. So do you'se like horses?" Race asked turning his attention back to Kate.
"I love them. I was practically born in the saddle." She said looking down at her cards.
"You'se ride den too?" Jack said surprised.
"Yeah you can't be a Jillaroo and not know how to ride." She said casually. Everyone cocked their heads at this statement. "What?" she said worried she had said something wrong again.
"No one know's what da hell a Jillaroo is. God, why can't you'se Stralian' people speak norimal English like da rest of us?" Spot said frustrated.
Kate rolled her eyes ignoring his later comments. "A Jillaroo is a station hand on a farm."
"You woirked on a farm?!" Jack asked excitedly.
"Yeah." She smiled.
"Jillaroo huh? How about dat be'se your newsie name?" Race said cutting in.
"Um - no I thought we already had this discussion today." She said tossing a few chips at the center of the table.
"I dunno I kinda like Jillaroo." Mush added.
"You'se know now ya stuck wid it. All da newsies ere' like it." Kid Blink called out.
She heard a chorus of agreements around the room.
"Fine- Jillaroo - but you all still better call me Kate." She said defeated.
"I don' care what da hell ya called. Kin we just get on wit da game?" Spot said ending the conversation once and for all.
They all laid down their cards. Kate smiled triumphantly. "I believe this is mine." She said as she reached for the money in the center of the table. Spot and Race had expressions of shock that the girl had beaten them. The newsies all said there goodnights and left for their own boroughs. Spot was the only outsider to remain.
He lay in the bunk tossing and turning. He always stayed the night when the poker game was in Manhattan. It had been tradition for him and Race to go to the races the next day together. He listened to the sounds of sleeping people around the room. When he heard footsteps he rolled over. He watched as the moonlight illuminated a tiptoeing Kate exiting the bunkroom through a window. He wasn't sure why he had the urge to follow but he did. He made his way over telling the boys to go back to sleep as he clunked around - clearly not as quite as Kate. He stuck his head out the window in time to see herself pull herself on the roof from the fire escape. He followed her up. As he pulled himself over the side she flung herself around.
"Don' shoot me or anyting!" He said raising his hands up.
"Ah no worries - I didn't bring the gun up here." She said sarcastically.
He watched her as sat layed down on the rooftop. "So whattya doin' out ere'?" He asked curiously.
"Thinking," She said clearly annoyed by his presence.
"Mind if I'se join ya?" He asked not sure why he was feeling the need to be around her. She nodded her head and he lay down beside her. They laid like that for a few minutes without saying a word to one another.
Her sudden movement startled him. He watched as she pulled something out of her pocket.
"What's dat?" He asked trying to get a glimpse of the object.
"It's a picture. It's me and my sisters." She said as she handed it to him.
"Wow you all are a good looking bunch." He realized at that moment this must have been the picture that the fat man must have been talking about the night Kate had been cornered. He studied it intently. There were two brunettes in the picture and two blondes with curls. All of them wore similar cowboy hats. He noticed all of them had pants. He looked at Kate in the photograph. She was smiling and had her arm around one of the blondes. She was gorgeous in the photo. He noted that her hair hung down loosely and seemed to gracefully flow around her body. She was happy in the picture. She had a sparkle in her eye he hadn't seen before. "So what are dere' names?" He asked unsure if she would actually tell him.
She took the photo and starred at it thoughtfully as if deciding how much she wanted to tell him. "Well," she finally spoke, "This is Claire." She pointed to the other brunette in the picture. "She was the oldest. Then there is Tess." She pointed to one of the curly headed blondes. "Then Jodi and then me." He said pointing to the one she had had her arms around in the photo.
"You said was. Is Claire gone?" He said waiting for a response.
"Yeah - they all are." She said quietly tucking the photo away.
He knew she had signaled the end of the conversation. He just nodded as they both retuned to their lying down positions. She rolled over looking at him.
"So why didn't you tell any of the guys about what you saw in the washroom earlier today?" She worded the question so that he would maybe reveal if he had actually seen anything.
"I taught it'd be more fun ta old' it over yours ead' for ah while." He said smirking.
She blushed realizing he had indeed seen a great deal more of her then she would have liked.
"Gee thanks." She said coolly. She pulled herself up. "Well g'night."
"Night," He responded. He watched her until she was no longer visible. He wondered why she had shown him the picture of her sisters. He wondered if maybe the attraction towards her he felt building up was mutual. He sighed. This girl is'a nuff ta drive a guy crazy." He said out loud as he pulled himself up. He made his way down to the bunkroom. He gazed around the room until his eyes came to a rest on Kate who lay asleep in her bunk. Maybe she wasn't as bad as he had thought - maybe. He laid down and fell into a restless sleep.
It was the next morning and the newsies streamed out of the lodging house. Spot had been up for an hour or so already. He liked to be the first up and the first out on the streets. It gave him time to himself which he enjoyed immensely. He was waiting on the stoop for Race. They were going to the races today as they usually did after poker games in Manhattan. He looked up when he heard the Italian boy's voice.
"So I was tinkin' you'se like orses' ya should come wid us." Race was talking to Kate and he came down the steps of the stoop. Spot's eyes went wide momentarily. He didn't want to spend his whole day with her. He wasn't sure he could handle her. He knew he had begun to change his mind about her but he really didn't want a whole day with her to go back to his original opinion of her.
"Wow really mate? I would love that if it is alright with you." She said looking down at Spot. He was stuck and he knew it.
"Ya, whaddeva you'se wants." Spot said pulling himself up.
The three walked to the track. Spot and Kate listened as Race talked the whole way there about some hot tip he had gotten yesterday. When they made it Race led them to the stables behind the tracks.
"Ey' ya Allen. How ya doin'?" Race said shaking the hand of a red haired man.
"Good Race. Did you come to check out the merchandise?" He said smiling.
"Shore did. My riends' would likta to- if dat's okay wid you'se" He said glancing in there direction.
"No problem." The man turned away from them.
Race walked over to one of the horses and began to talk to him.
"Who was that?" Kate asked following Races lead as she began petting the horse.
"Stable managa - e's a good guy - always let's me check out da orses' fore' da race." The Italian boy said looking up.
Spot had moved on to another horse. He really had no idea what he was looking for. He always went for the biggest horse or the one that had the best name. He didn't really care about the money. He just enjoyed watching the horses. He watched as Kate ran her hands lightly up and down the horses' thighs and legs. She stood up and moved on to the next horse.
"I can't believe they would run a filly in this race. She doesn't stand a chance among all the others." She said looking at Race.
"Ya me eidder' some people seem ta tink she's got a chance dough." Race said looking up from what he was doing.
Kate moved on to the next horse. Spot watched as she stopped before reaching it.
"Oh!." She said in an excited whisper. She went immediately to the horse and began talking to him.
"You look just like Blaze." She said to the horse. "You're a good bloake aren't you boy?" she rubbed the horses head gently.
Spot and Race had both turned their attention to the object of Kate's attention.
"What's so special bout' dis one?" Spot said not understanding.
"Nothing really - he just reminds me of my horse Blaze. She was a brumby before I caught her." She said explaining.
"Whas' a brumby?" Race asked surprised he had never heard the term before. He thought he knew the entire lingo of the horse world.
"That's a wild horse!" the red headed station manager said walking up behind the group. "You trained a wild horse?" He asked Kate in obvious excitement.
"Yeah," she said happy he understood the great effort that went into training a wild horse.
"Could ya do it again?" the man asked enthusiastically.
Kate's face lit up. "Of course - it just takes some special tricks."
"I have some horses. They need to be trained for the Races." He said nearly jumping in place he was so excited. "I haven't been able to find anyone in the city who is willing to deal with wild horses."
Kate frowned. "I trained Blaze as a worker horse. I don't know much about racing horses."
The man responded a little disappointed "That's okay. I suppose we could do it together. You tame them and then I will work with you on training them for the races."
"That would be amazing." Kate said wide eyed.
Race and Spot stood back amazed at this new development.
"Wait a minit' dere'. Spot said cutting in on Kate's excitement. "Does she get paid for all dis? Where is da place dat she's gonna be woirken?" He knew that sometimes things were too good to be true.
Kate shot him a look that told him to butt out. It softened a second later after she realized these were actually good questions.
"Of course she would get paid for it. I am willing to pay here as I would any trainer pending she prove to me she can do it." The red haired man said. Kate nodded realizing that made sense.
"As for where the training would take place that would be at the Owner's Club in Brooklyn - that is where the stables are at. Do you live in Manhattan because you would probably have to relocate to Brooklyn," the man asked.
"Oh" Kate said.
All eyes turned to Spot Conlon. "No." he said gruffly.
"Come on mate, this is a good start for me! I could leave once the pay started coming in." Kate said pleading.
"No. It's a newsies only lodgin' ouse." He said in a tone that said not to push it any farther.
"Ah come on Spot -" Race was cut off by a glare from Spot that sent shivers down his spine.
The red haired man looked at Kate. "So what do you think? Are you in or are you out?"
Kate looked at Spot as she spoke. "I'm in. Even if I have to live on the streets - even poor defenseless girls can find a way to survive." She said it dramatically hoping to make Spot feel guilty. He only snorted at the defenseless part and added a "yeah right" under is breath.
After the red haired man who Kate later found out was named Allen, gave her all the information she would need the three headed out to watch the races. She was elated and angry at the same time. She had been able to find a job she felt she had a good chance at succeeding at and yet she loathed Spot Conlon at that very moment. She knew they weren't particularly fond of each other but he could at least have given her a chance.
After the races the three walked home in complete silence. Kate was seething and Spot knew she wasn't doing anything to hide it. He thought about why he didn't want her in Brooklyn trying to reassure himself he had made the right decision. He hadn't been wrong the lodging house was for newsies; of course he had never been strict with that rule. A lot of the boys had started out as newsies but worked else where now and still lived there. He thought of more reasons to ease his mind. He didn't want to be responsible for her if something was to happen to her. Brooklyn wasn't like Manhattan. Run-ins with goons like the ones she had met on her first night as a newsie weren't unusual. She had done fairly well taking care of her self though. She had after all made a grown man wet himself. He knew the real reason he didn't want her there was because she got under his skin. He had never felt so much animosity or lust towards a girl in his life and that worried him. He worried what she could do to him and to his reputation as the fearless leader of the Brooklyn newsies. He refused to give into her.
As they reached the lodging house Kate threw herself up to the stairs to find Jack. If anyone could convince Spot she knew it would be him.
Spot and Race followed her up the stairs. Race wasn't surprised to hear Kate in a spiel to Jack about all that had happen.
"It is the opportunity of the lifetime and that drongo won't let me stay at the Brooklyn Lodging House for just a short time!" She said throwing all over emotions and emphasis on the word drongo as she pointed to Spot.
"Will ya quit callin' me names I don't unnerstand?!" Spot replied hotly.
"It means an imbecile, a dope, a moron, a stupid person. Do you 'unnerstand' that?!" She said mockingly. Jack stepped between the two as all the newsies in the room turned there attention to the two.
"Ey' calm down you'se two." He looked at both of them. "Spot would it really kill ya ta let'er stay wid you'se til' she gets on ers' feet?" Jack said calmly.
"I don't wan' er' in me lodgin ouse'!" He said with finality in his tone. Kate stepped in front of Jack who had been acting as a blockade between the two.
"I gave you back your cane. You owe me!" She said her words coming out calmly but clearly angry.
"I saved ya life. We're even." Spot replied with the same calm. The newsies in the room looked around confused. Spot and Kate had kept her run in with the goons from a month ago between themselves.
"To be fair you really only aided in saving my life - once I got the gun I pretty much handled it from there." She said sarcastically.
"GUN?" they heard the other newsies squeak out.
"Who ya kiddin'? Ya wouldn't ave' been able to get da gun if it adn't been for me." Spot said clearly annoyed that his good deed hadn't been treated with the amount of praise saving a dame usually got him.
"I would have managed." She said in a knowing tone.
He looked at her with the iciest look he could shoot her. "Ya ain't livin in Brooklyn and dat's final!"
Later that evening Spot made his way home. He was clearly annoyed. He looked at Kate who walked in pace next to him carrying all of her belongings in the same bag she had had the day they had first met. She shot him a smirk when she realized he was looking at her. He shook his head. He had finally given in after an hours worth of banter between the two. He sighed as he realized he had let her win. He wondered if deep down he had really wanted her to come to Brooklyn. As he caught sight of her smirk he pushed that thought aside and wondered if this was the beginning of the end for the fearless leader of Brooklyn. He knew for certain now - she really was going to drive him crazy.
AN: So to any McLeod's fans did you pick up on my tribute to the show? Tess and Nick were so cute the first time they met! wink wink Oh and of course I named all of her sisters after characters on the show. Ironically all of the characters on the show are sisters. Anyway thanks for reading. I am very excited about where this story is headed. I would love reviews! Please I want to know if you all are enjoying this! Thanks! Be on the look out for an update soon!