Disclaimer: see first chapters

Authors Note: Heres another chapter…its not as full of action as I wanted but theres more to come..and more with the newsies…I hope u enjoy this chapter…it was a little bday present to myself haha but I hope to find more time to update soon

Thanks to Racerchick and Imjustagril0077 for reviewing!!!


The next morning I woke up to see the redness still present on my neck. I wasn't sure if it was from Brady grabbing my neck last night or from the original hands. Either way I knew I was working the bars tonight and I wasn't too happy about it. To make matters worse Brady wouldn't let me out for lunch, I had to eat it here. He claimed it was because of my neck, but somehow I think he feels I do business outside of the house.

He dropped hints or well more like threats, reminding me work was only to be done in the house. So now I sat in my room, until my time to work the bar came. I was too angry to show my face before my shift so this was the only resort I had, a small room with no lock to keep my privacy.

That night I worked the bars like I was told, I didn't mind that work, but it paid less, and I seemed to be short on money as it was. At least I got to slip a few drinks in during the slowest times, something to ease my pains.

Business was slow, both at the bar and in the bedrooms, and I beginning to grow tired in the boredom. Finally my shift ended and we closed up for the night, I steered clear of Brady as I made my way towards the stairs.

I paused as I looked at the back door; I noticed a familiar hat exiting the door. Narrowing my eyes I glanced around to see where Brady was. His office light was on and since the door was shut I was hoping he was still in there. Without thinking I followed the retreating hat into the dimly lit streets.

"What ya doin here Jack?" I asked when I finally caught up with him outside.

He turned looking at me confused, "I came for a drink" he said as if trying to convince himself too.

I gave him a confused look, "Well ya never came to the bar…to get that drink. I told ya not to worry about me,"

"Well someone's gotta" I sighed in frustration while Jack flashed me an innocent smile.

I turned and walked back towards the door, but as I went to pull it open it didn't budge.

"Shit," was the only word I could get out as I looked back at Jack.

His smile seemed to grow with amusement at my current situation; "Should I start worryin' about ya now?"

"Well this is ya fault, if ya hadn't been in my business I wouldn't have come out to yell at ya…and therefore I wouldn't be locked out right now." I growled in anger

"I never bothered ya in there….so ya had no reason to come and yell at me" we stood there in silence for a minute, I wasn't about to admit I was wrong so I let the silence speak for me.

"Come on" Jack finally said as he motioned for me to follow him.

"Where are we goin'?" I asked but still found myself following him.

"Well I take it ya don't got a place to sleep tonight, and we got extra bunks"

I stopped in my tracks, "Well I would rather sleep on the streets, but since this is ya fault I'll take this as payment." Jack laughed and shook his head at me.

The walk to the lodging house didn't take long and I was grateful since in the late night it was becoming cold, and I was wearing much less than I should be. I frowned realizing I was still dressed for work. Although I was just working the bar I still had to wear a short dress that was also low cut.

Not only was I going back with Jack, which would look interesting in this state, but I always was now worried about tomorrow. Brady would find out I wasn't in the house last night, there was no doubt about that. If I wasn't allowed out for lunch…I knew he wouldn't be happy that I went out at night.

Jack stopped in front of the lodging house waiting for me to catch up to him.

"Ya alright?" he asked. I gave him a small smile and pushed all my thoughts of tomorrow to the back of my head.

We entered the lodging house and I was surprised at the silence of it. But as we walked up the stairs I could hear a few voices, I took a deep breath and walked into the bunkroom behind Jack.

The voices I had heard a moment earlier suddenly quieted as I stepped into the dimly light room. I looked around noticing there was a small poker game going on in the middle of the room while most of the other newsies seemed to be asleep already. The poker game stopped as they looked up at me, confused by my attire and purpose in the bunkroom.

I cringed realizing I had probably been with some of them before, and this looked even worse to have me coming back with Jack. At least Spot wasn't in Manhattan for the night.

"Heya Cowboy" The one with a cigar hanging out of his mouth called out, trying to divert the attention away from me.

"Heya" Jack offered back, although he now realized the situation was becoming awkward for both of us.

He went to a near by bunk and picked up some clothes on it. Passing it to me he pointed toward the washroom in the back so I could change. I smiled thanks as I turned to change out of my work clothes.

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"So Jack, why'd ya bring her back here?" Blink asked once I was out of sight.

"Don't give her a hard time alright; she just needed a place to spend the night that's it."

"Like she couldn't find a place on her own?" Skittery said laughing, along with the other boys.

I cleared my throat as I stepped into the room…they immediately stopped laughing when they noticed my glare. "I hope ya got an extra bunk Jack, cause I sure as hell aint sleepin with anyone here."

Jack nodded slowly, shooting a glare at the poker table as well. "Yeah we got an extra" he pointed to one in the back. With a nod I walked past the boys and climbed into the bunk to settle in for the night.

The poker game was pretty much killed when we walked in, so it didn't take long for the others to crawl into to bed and put out the candle they were using to play by.

I waited in the darkness…waiting for sleep to take over me. But I feared the morning; I feared going back to the house…and with that worry brought a restless sleep for me.

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The morning came fast, and I wasn't sure if I got much sleep at all. Sighing I listened to the boys getting up for the day. I frowned when I realized if I was at the house I would have still be asleep this early in the morning. I rolled over pulling the sheets over my head, hoping to disappear so I wouldn't have to get up.

Just as I was drifting back to sleep I felt the sheets being pulled from me. My eyes opened in a flash to see Jack smirking.

"Time to get up." I rolled over again to get away from his smiling face this early.

I heard him laugh as he lifted the mattress so that I fell to the floor below; the fall wasn't far since I was on the bottom bunk. But the impact was something I could have done without.

I stood up glaring as Jack laughed some more, "Come on I gotta work and youse gotta get back."

I frowned realizing I had to try and sneak back in today…at least it was early, maybe Brady would still be sleeping or something. I looked down at my clothes, and then back at my work clothes.

Jack noticed must have noticed my hesitation, "Ya can keep those clothes for awhile, and they aren't mine anyways"

"Who's are they?" I asked following him as he went down the stairs.

"Well ya wouldn't fit in mine since ya short…and since Spot left them here awhile ago…I figured ya wouldn't mind wearing his clothes like ya used to." I rolled my eyes, thinking back to how I would always steal my brother's clothes when we went out to play.

We stopped outside the lodging house as the rest of the newsies ran on forward; apparently they had energy this early in the morning.

Jack waited for all the newsies to pass us before turning his attention to me, "Ya gonna be alright?"

I shrugged glancing at the ground, "Ya guess is as good as mine Jack. But thanks for the place to sleep; things would have been worse without it."

"Well it ain't far if ya need it again" I nodded and took off in the other direction of Jack and his newsies.