Disclaimer: Sorry for forgetting to put this in earlier, but I own nothing, 'cept my characters and my plot.
Thanks goes to PhycopathofSanity, for being the only one to review.
---------------------------
Five Years Later
Maxy leapt out of the Manhattan Newsie's lodging house with a laugh and danced around on one foot, watching the rest of the boys spill out of the building, singing their hearts out, dancing as well. He was now eleven years old, and he had most certainly grown up. He had grown a good few feet since he had first joined the Newsies of Manhattan, and apart from the occasional troubles along the way, life had most certainly good, even though there wasn't that much money to be had.
"It's a fine life! Carryin' da bannah through it all! A mighty fine life, carryin' the bannah tough an' tall! We do what we wishes, we as free as fishes-" they all sang, carrying the banner once more, and Maxy joined in the song, whole-heartedly, once even adding his own line.
"It's a fine life! Makin' sure ta use every tatic dere is!" For a moment, all the boys stopped and looked at him, and he just shrugged, grinning. "A mighty fine life! Carryin' da bannah tough an'-" he sang futher, and everyone just kept on singing.
Maxy sure did have the look of a teenager now, even though he was only eleven. He was tall, lean, strong and broad for his age, since he had been in so many fights, and had most always come out on top. The Delancy's were now avoiding him like the plague, since he had gotten bigger, and more talented in the art of fighting. It was amazing how skinny he was, as thin as a stick, as all the waitresses would say at Tibby's, buying him more food than he ordered, trying to make look less thin, for their own sakes. He always gave the extra food to his fellow newsies later, who hadn't made enough money for lunch. His eyes were as sea-greeny as always, though his hair had faded from red to just strawberry blonde. He was viewed as a bit of a young ruffian, but quite a fine catch to any young ladies who managed to ensnare his heart.
They caught sight of the distribution office, and then they just started jogging towards it, still singing, ready to sell their papes, Maxy still in the lead. As the rush slowed down a bit, Maxy glanced around, taking in his surroundings, like he always did everyday, and his eyes fell on that spot near the Horace Greely statue, where he and his sister had first met the newsies. His smile slid off his face as he slowed to a stop and just stared at the spot. He AND his sister.
Bumlets shook his head to get the hair out of his face, and looked around, checking the crowd of newsies around him. He blinked. Maxy wasn't there. He furrowed his eyebrows, and turned around, looking for him. He had appointed himself Maxy's guardian ever since Lenna had been taken.
There he was. Standing right in the middle of the street.
Bumlets walked towards him, puzzled, and put a hand on his shoulder when he got to him. He looked the way the Maxy was, and his face darkened sadly with realization. He was staring at the spot where he had first found the two of them with the other newsies. Their first fight in New York.
Bumlets sighed and wrapped an arm around the boy, and when he looked at him with his sad eyes, Bumlets couldn't smile, but he nodded his head towards the distubution office in a silent question. Maxy sighed and nodded down at the ground, and they started walking back, Bum's arm still over Maxy's shoulders comfortingly.
"It's alright Act…" Bum whispered in Maxy's ear, since he wasn't really a talker. "-lets get dose papes."
