Mush woke up sore. He sat up slowly and looked around. He was back in the lodging house, but he couldn't remember how he got there. The last thing he remembered was Oscar Delancey punching him. He saw Jack walk over to him.
"How you feelin'?" Jack asked him.
"Sore and confused. What happened last night?" Mush asked him. Jack told him about Crack coming to the newsies for help, finding him with the Delancey's, and carrying him back to the lodging house.
"But we wanna know what happened to you." Mush thought a minute.
"I was sellin' my papes at da harbor like usual yesterday. I saw the Delancey brudders coming towards me and remembered Crack's warning dat they were out to get me. I dropped the papes and ran. I ran all day from them, hiding in alley's until they found me again. They finally cornered me in an alley by da harbor after dark and started to soak me. Oscar punched me in the face, and my head hit the brick wall behind me. Dat must've been when I passed out." Mush felt the bump on the back of his head. "Where's Crack?"
"She went home after we's brought you back here." Mush started to get up. "Where do you think you're goin'?" Jack asked him.
"I need to see her and thank her."
"You need to rest."
"I don't need to rest." Jack looked at him and laughed.
"Just try not to get into any more fights. I can't spend all my time savin' you," Jack said with a smile. Mush punched him in the arm and got out of bed. He left the lodging house and headed in the direction of Crack's house. He wasn't sure how he was going to talk to her because he couldn't risk entering her house, but he would find a way. As he was walking her heard his name called. He turned around and saw Crack huddled in the corner of an alley.
"What are you doin' back there Crack?" he asked her. She motioned for him to come to her, so he did. "Are you okay?" She shook her head. As he got closer he noticed bruises on her neck.
"My brudders are tryin' to kill me. They're mad 'cause I was wit you for so long, and dat I helped you get away last night."
"Why didn't you come to da lodging house?"
"I tried, but Morris was waitin' for me there. I've been hiding in dis alley for a few hours."
Mush pulled her up and hugged her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him. He took her to the lodging house. Most of the newsies were still there. He had her sit down on a couch and brought her some food. While she ate he talked with Jack.
"Can she stay?" he asked. Jack considered the situation before replying.
"Yeah, but she'll have to woik." Mush thanked him and went back to Crack.
"Jack says you can stay here if you want," he told her.
Crack looked at him. She could see by the look on his face that he wanted her to. She had no arguments against it, and told Mush she would stay. His face lit up and he kissed her. They both blushed as the other newsies made comments. When she finished eating she went with Mush to buy papers. She sold with him and made a great partner. Around lunch time they headed to Tibby's, but were intercepted by the Delancey brothers.
"What have we here?" Oscar asked mockingly to Morris. "Looks like our sister's become a newsie. What do we do to newsies?" Morris smiled.
"We soak 'em." Before the Delancey's could do anything though, Jack turned Oscar around and punched him square in the face. Racetrack did the same to Morris. When they got up Jack and Racetrack punched them again.
"You leave these two alone or I'll soak you good," Jack told Oscar. "You understand?" Oscar nodded and ran off. Morris followed him.
"Thanks," Mush said.
"We figured those two might come after you'se, so we thought we'd keep an eye on them. Ready for lunch?" Mush nodded. He had his arm around Crack's waist as they followed Jack and Racetrack to Tibby's. As they ate lunch Crack was happy to be a newsie with Mush and relieved she'd never have to be with her brothers again.