Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, Disney does. I own Micki, Floty, Trench, Bullet, and Star Gazer.
(A/N: Star Gazer looks just like Orlando Bloom.)
It was early evening when all the newsies in New York gathered together in Irving Hall. The air was heavier than usual since Oscar stood on the center of the stage, he felt as if every gaze was a dagger that was being thrown towards him. Micki had to leave just as Brooklyn arrived, Trench would soon be waiting in front of the Delancey's apartment for her. Oscar shifted his weight onto his other leg and nervously cleared his throat as Jack, Spot, and the other newsie leaders climbed onto stage.
He wanted to run off, there was no way he'd be able to defend himself if all the newsies decided now was a good time for revenge. His gaze traveled over the first row and he spotted all the lower Manhattan newsies. Race was puffing on half of a cigar while Fred spoke to a woman with dark hair wearing a long emerald green dress. She didn't fit in with the newsies what so ever. Oscar wondered if she was the detective who was following Trench; though the gangster had insisted the detective was a he.
Oscar glanced over as Jack and Spot began to walk towards him; his body tensed as he prepared to run off stage. Before he could move Micki's face flashed through his memory. She's bein' so damned brave and protectin' me. I'se too much of a coward ta ask da newsies for help and she did it for me. If I'se run now dan I'se will be betrayin' heh and awll she's done ta keep me alive. She hasn't known me for two full days and she's already puttin' heh neck out for me. I'se gotta stay, I'se gotta be courageous…I'se gotta prove I'se da one for heh…Dat I'se can protect her….Someone I'se have to protect heh…
"Alright Delancey, where's Micki?" Spot asked as he whipped his cane out of his belt loop and tapped the end of it on the stage.
"She had ta leave, Trench was goin' to be at the Distribution Centah soon….He's takin' heh ta dinner…She didn't have a choice. If she didn't show up –"
"Den he would search for heh," Spot replied.
"Oscah, Micki really put hehself in a lot of danger comin' ta us and tellin' us what happened," Jack exclaimed. "She was real brave, I'se know dat look on youse face. Youse wanna run. If youse run now dan youse had bettah leave New York. Cause we'se won't protect youse."
"So for once in youse life, be a man," Spot exclaimed. He turned to face the newsies who were barely paying attention to the stage. They were talking and shouting to each other, and over one another. Spot slammed the tip of his cane down on the stage, "HEY!" He shouted, every newsie jumped and quieted as they stared at him. "Dat's bettah!"
"We'se heah tonight because Oscah heah needs our help –" Jack started until the other newsies all rolled their eyes and began turning towards one another again. "Hey! Dis man's in dangah! He ain't me favorite person eidda! But we'se callin' dis meetin' to see if we'se can awll help Oscah or not as a favor ta a new goil in da distribution centah! Her name is Micki! I'se know youse awll saw heh standin' on stage earlier!"
"Yeah an' she's a beauty!" A Harlem newsie called out from one of the balconies.
"Well she came ta us," Jack shouted, "Dis aftahnoon askin' for our help. She said she'd do anything in heh power she could to repay us! Now Micki is me friend, she's Lily's friend, she's Fred's friend –"
"She's me goil!" Oscar suddenly exclaimed. He jumped and quickly shut his mouth. Every newsie, including Jack, had gone silent and once again every pair of eyes stared at Oscar. More than a thousand eyes that felt like two thousand daggers all aiming for him. He swallowed and stuck his hands in his pockets. She is me goil….She don't know it yet, but she is. None of dese newsies can have heh, she's mine.
"Oscar," Lily exclaimed as she climbed onto stage, "Is that true?"
"Yeah, she just don't know it yet," he replied. The newsies suddenly roared with laughter.
"Awright, awright, enough!" Jack shouted.
"Enough!" Spot yelled, every newsie went silent. "Continue, Jacky Boy, wheah youse left off."
"As I'se was sayin' Oscah needs help! He's gonna be killed oddawise. Earlier t'day, Trench came to da distribution centah and told Oscar ta get rid of da detective followin' him. He gave Oscah a choice: Do as he's told, or he could lose his life or become a butler and watch da woman he loves become Mrs. Trench."
"Trench!" Floaty suddenly shrieked from the front row. She stood up quickly and stared at Spot, "Spot! We have to go now! I am not getting involved in this! Nor are any newsies, Oscar got himself in trouble with Trench now he faces the consequences. If we help him, then Trench will find me –"
"Oh shut da hell up, Floaty!" Spot suddenly shouted, "Damn it was a mistake marryin' youse! Does everythin' have ta be about youse. We'se stayin' heah, we'se listenin' ta Oscar, and youse ah goin' to sit down and shut up."
"Spot Conlon!"
"Shut up and sit down now, Emily."
Oscar watched as Floaty's face hardened into a look that could kill. She smoothed her skirts and sat back down. He glanced at Spot and smirked, so Conlon doesn't have his dream goil after all.
"Oscah, youse tell us what happened and why youse want us ta help….And most of all, why we'se should help youse." Jack exclaimed.
Oscar paused. He wanted them to help him so he'd live….He slipped his hands out of his pockets. He didn't want to live just for himself anymore; he wanted to live for Micki. He wanted to fall in love with her, see her smiles and hear her laughs. He wanted to make a life for them and maybe one day he'd become the boss of the World Distribution Center, or maybe he'd find a different job.
"I'se…." Oscar paused, "Youse awll know what happened. Youse ain't got any reason ta want ta help me….I'se been a real bastard ta each of youse at one time or anudda…" he glanced at Jack, "Or awll da time. But….I'se askin' for youse help because I'se need help protectin' Micki. She's too stubborn ta admit she could be killed too….She….She sees dis as only I'se in dangah."
Out of the corner of his eye, Oscar noticed Jack, Spot, and the other newsie leaders looking at one another in confusion. "I'se guess what I'se tryin' ta say is, I'se want youse help because Micki put her life on da line for me….And if I'se don't even try ta defend meself or ask for help….Den Micki put hehself…I put heh in danger for nothin'."
Jack grabbed Oscar's arm and pulled him in middle of all the newsie leaders. The newsboy's eyes were wide and filled with astonishment. Spot was staring at him as if he had never seen Oscar before. The other newsboy leaders just stared.
"Oscah, if youse playin' us – "
"I'se ain't playin youse awll Jacky-boy," Oscar replied truthfully. "I shoulda known da minute Micki woke up dat she was heah for me. Hell, she's special Jack…She's like a warrior angel come ta save me. I'se nevah tried to protect heh, I let her do everythin'. If I'se woulda sent Morris inside da apartment and made shoah Micki nevah came out dis wouldn't be happenin' ta heh."
"Oscah, youse only known dis woman for two days and already youse sound like youse….In love."
"Cause I'se am, Cowboy," Oscar exclaimed as he tugged his arm away from the newsie. "And don't go off sayin' a man can't fall in love in only two days, look at youse and Lily!"
"Dat's different!" Jack retorted.
"Not really, youse fell in love wid heh after only a week or two. Hell, from what I'se saw youse fell in love wid heh da moment youse foist shunned heh." Oscar snarled.
Jack tensed, "I'se didn't know back den…hey! Dis ain't about me an' Lily dis is about youse and Micki!" He paused, "Tell me one thing, how far are youse willin' ta go ta protect Micki?"
"At this point Jack I'se willin' ta go ta Trench and tell him ta screw off."
"Awright, youse love heh." Spot exclaimed, "Great, jist great."
"What's it ta youse, Conlon? Youse married!" Oscar glared at the short newsboy and felt his temper rise once again.
"I'se was just thinkin' she would make a good news-"
"Forget it, Conlon!" Oscar snapped, "Youse got Floaty, and almost every newsgoil, and factory goil all ovah New York wants to be hangin' off youse arm! Youse don't need anymoah fangoils!"
Spot smirked, "Jacky Boy, Oscah heah is serious he wants ta keep Micki safe. Since he ain't bein' selfish for once dan count me and Brooklyn in."
"Count Harlem in."
"Count in da Bronx."
"Little Italy too."
"Don't forget about Queens."
Oscar watched in amazement as all the newsie leaders agreed to help. T'ank youse so much Micki. I'se would be dead widdout youse.
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"The moonlight really enhances your natural beauty," Trench smiled as he lifted Micki's hand to his lips. Micki forced herself to smile and put another thing to do on her to-do list: wash both her hands.
"Thank you, sir-"
"Oh now, you've called me 'sir' all through dinner. Trench, I insist you call me Trench," he smiled. "Did you enjoy the Spaghetti?"
"Yes, it was delicious," Micki replied. In that answer she was truthful, it was the best Italian food she had since her uncle's Italian restaurant burned down five years ago. She shifted in the chair and glanced out the window. The restaurant was located in front of the bridge, but it was far enough away so someone could see almost the entire bridge. The eighth wonder of the world. Even in 2010 it's beautiful and filled with so many historical memories….I wonder if it will remember Trench's carriage with me and him in it.
"You're not very talkative, is everything alright?"
"I'm fine," Micki replied. "I was just thinking."
"What were you thinking of?" Trench reclined back in his chair and snapped his fingers. Bullet walked over and Trench whispered something to him. The other man gave a nod before turning and waving to a few waiters. Micki swallowed nervously, why do I have a feeling I'm not going home to Oscar's tonight?
"Of….My grandmother. She was a Lakota Sioux Nativ---ah, Indian."
"An Indian?" Trench raised an eyebrow, "No wonder you are so outspoken. I hear their causing chaos in the west."
"They're protecting their land," Micki replied and winced. What if she didn't say what Trench wanted to hear? Would she be killed?
"I see, we all have to protect something of ours at one time or another…Don't we?"
Micki nodded, "We do."
"Like you're protecting Oscar."
Her heart pounded in terror her muscles tensed. Dear God in Heaven, he knows. "P-pardon?"
"You talked to the newsies today and told them what was going on," Trench replied as he sat up. Micki's heart lunged into her chest.
"Don't lie to me. I know, I sent one of my men to watch you. The newsies called a huge meeting and they've agreed to help Oscar, by the way."
Micki pressed her back into the chair.
"You were very quiet about your plans and meeting the newsies, if you hadn't been followed I would have never found out. Oh, don't worry, I'm not the least bit concerned. The newsies are street kids without weapons other than their fists, a cane, and sling shots."
Micki began edging towards the end of the booth and glanced at the doorway. Trench looked over to where she was looking and smirked. "I'm afraid Mr. Delancey is going to have to be without you're cleaning services for a while, Micki. I was being nice, but now since he's crossed me it's time to show him how serious I am." He reached for her wrist. She quickly jerked it away.
"I crossed you! Not Oscar! I met with the newsies in the first place-"
"And Oscar went to the second meeting. He thinks he and you are perfectly safe….Well, you're safe, but he however is not." He grabbed her wrist, "I'm going to enjoy having you for a wife, someone intelligent as well as beautiful. Tell me," he stood and dragged her out of the booth, "Do you like to drink wine?"
"Let me go!"
"I'm sorry but that's not possible," Trench replied.
"Trench, sir," Star Gazer ran over, "I'll take Micki back to your mansion. There's been an outbreak in the casino in Queens. Someone is threatening to burn it down if they don't see you right away."
Trench nodded and pushed Micki over to Star Gazer. He stared at her for a long moment before grabbing her and forcing her into a kiss. When he peeled away from her and walked away Micki felt dirty and violated. But she had known what she was getting herself into when she agreed to help Oscar and to go to dinner with Trench.
Star Gazer led her outside towards the carriage without saying a single word to her. She dragged her feet as much as she possibly could and to her surprise they bypassed the carriage and went towards the alley way. Her heart pounded with terror, where did a man take a woman when he wanted to be alone with her?
"Please, don't do this! I'll be good-"
"Shhh," Star Gazer hissed in her ear as he dragged her behind a dumpster. "Listen to me, Micki. I'm not your enemy. My name is Detective Mick Andrews. Trench is convinced another detective is after him. I'm your friend, not your enemy. Now listen, I want you to kick me as hard as you can and run like hell. Don't turn back, don't even look back. Just run!"
Micki nodded, "Why are you doing-"
"Because I've stood by while innocent people died. We only have one chance," he grabbed her and pulled her blouse until it ripped.
"What are you doing?!" She cried out as she tried to push him away from her. He just looked up at her before reaching under her bra. Disgust ran through her as well as fear. She kicked him as hard as she could between the legs and ran out of the alleyway. It didn't occur to her until she was almost back to Oscar's apartment that Star Gazer, Detective Andrews, had just given a good excuse for the both of them. He lost her after attempting to 'get to know her' and she found a good way to escape because someone used the brain in their pants instead of the brain in their head.
She could tell Oscar who he was, but not until they were safely inside and everyone was asleep. Lily could help them and the detective.
"Oscar!" She cried out when she saw him walking towards the gates.
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Oscar turned when he heard his name called and his eyes widened. Micki was running towards him. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were wide with terror; it was then he noticed her blouse had been torn open and she had almost fallen out of her chest's undergarments.
"Oh my God…" he ran towards her, "Micki! What the hell happened?!"
"S…Star Gazer he tried….he tried…He tried to rape me. I got away….Oscar!"
He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close to him as she cried into chest. Anger coursed through his entire being, that bastard had tried to have his way with his Micki. He'd kill him! Oscar shrugged out of his shirt and put it and put it over Micki's head and helped her wiggle into it. He brought her inside and vowed he'd take better care of her. No more lettin' Micki be da knight in shinin' armor. I'se da man, it's time for me ta ballsy up and protect what's mine.