Disclaimer:

David: Donna does not own Newsies or anything retaining to its characters.

With summer winding down Les was not ready to go back to school. So much had changed for him that summer and he feared that things would go back to the way they were before. He needed to do something to ensure that Piper knew that he wanted to make things work. He knew exactly what he needed to do, although it would scare Piper and she might balk at the idea. Hopefully their relationship would still be intact in the end.

He left the apartment early one morning, not wanting his mother to know what he was doing. If he was going to go through with his plan, then he was going to do it right. Once he'd made up his mind he set out to the task at hand. Nothing would be able to stop him and until he extracted his plan perfectly.

After a full day of running errands and making sure to never be seen by anyone he knew he walked into the apartment worn out but happy. Esther was putting dinner on the table as he toed off his shoes.

"I didn't realize that you were working today," she said in greeting.

"I didn't, I had a couple of errands to run."

"Sit down, eat. You look haggard," she said worriedly.

"I feel haggard, but it was for a good cause."

She sat across from him, taking his hands in hers gently so that he could say a prayer over their dinner. She passed him a bowl filled with green beans and potatoes before slicing the meat loaf between them. They ate in silence then Esther went to the couch to work on a blanket that she had been knitting for Skittery and Natalie's baby. Les cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen before going to his room. He pulled a small bag from the breast pocket of his vest and buried it underneath his socks in his dresser.

He mentioned to his mother that he was heading to the bar for work before heading out. Natalie had told him that Skittery had hired Racetrack as an extra bartender. Tonight would be Les' first night working with him and the first time he had seen him since David's wedding. So far, no one had met his sister but Race had explained that she was very quiet and reserved and didn't like going out that much.

He arrived half an hour early for work to see Race wiping down the bar. He lifted his head before flashing Les a grin. Les smiled back as he sat at the bar. Race continued what he was doing until he made his way down to Les. He set the rag down before placing his hands on the wood.

"I still can't get over how big you are. I don't remember your dad being a big guy," he said with a shake of his head.

"He wasn't, I take after my Grandpa Claren, on my mom's side. Apparently he was bigger than I am."

"I find that hard to believe," Race said with an even look.

"My mom has pictures. I haven't seen them in years, but I look just like him."

"How tall are you?"

"I'm six foot four."

"And how much do you weigh?"

"I weighed two hundred the last time I went to the doctor," he said with a shrug.

"That's all? You look you could weigh two twenty easy," Skittery said as he came from the back with a box of liquor.

Les came around the bar and helped them stock the shelves as Les and Race continued getting caught up. Once they were done Race started a line of interrogation that rivaled Skittery's.

"How long have you and Piper been together?"

"Since April," he answered honestly.

"You aren't going to hurt her, are you?"

"No," Les said with a laugh.

"'Cause if you do I'll help Stretch kick your ass," Race warned.

"I know," Les said with a nod.

"I still don't see why no one told me that the two of you were together while I was in Italy."

"Piper was planning on saving money to see you for Christmas, she was going to tell you then," Les explained.

Race nodded, accepting his answer. People started to shuffle in from the rain and Les pushed away from the bar, leaving Race alone to do his job. He headed to the back and found Natalie in the downstairs office going over paperwork. Her head was cradled in one hand with her fingers fisted in her hair.

"I didn't realize that paperwork could be so daunting," he said to get her attention.

"I'm going over the finances for the month. We're not making as much as we were a few months ago. I noticed it in June and it's been going down little by little each month.

"What are you guys going to do?"

"Skittery wants to hire a band. He hopes that will start bringing people in."

"A bar isn't the same without music," he agreed.

"I don't know where the money is going to come from," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Why don't I look over the finances for you?"

"I couldn't ask you to do that. You're already doing so much to help out around here," she said in protest.

He sat down across from her and held out his hand for the papers in her hand. She handed them over with another sigh. She knew that she could trust him. He was better at this than she was anyway. He was going to college so that he could become a banker so going over the bar's finances would be something that he would excel at.

XXXX

Natalie stood in the kitchen, watching the four women busy themselves. Emmaleigh sat at the kitchen table chopping vegetables for a salad while Sarah washed dishes that had been dirtied in the process of making dinner. Piper stood at the counter scoring dough, readying it to be put in the oven later. Esther was at the stove stirring a pot of vegetables and a roast was cooking in the oven.

This was Natalie's kitchen. She should be using it herself. She was ashamed to say that the kitchen had not been used that much since she and Skittery had moved in the year before. She had limited cooking skills, Skittery never complained about living on potato soup and pancakes when they were at home. Usually they got something from the deli across the street from the bar or they ate at Tibby's. A child couldn't live on steak sandwiches and potato soup alone.

It was obvious that Esther and Sarah had passed on their cooking skills to Piper. Piper would be the least likely to pass judgment on her and would be the most willing to help her out. She still didn't understand why Skittery had mentioned to Race that they would host dinner at the apartment in the first place. Race could have easily brought Armorie to the Jacob's.

She heard Skittery, Jack, Les, and David in the living room. Race and Armorie would be there soon. She headed into the dining room, looking over what needed to be done in there. She had spent the morning polishing her mom's good silver and it was spread out across the table, waiting to be put away.

She busied herself with putting the pieces that wouldn't be needed back into the pouch that they had been kept in since her grandmother had brought them over from Ireland a century before. She pulled out the china that her mother had given her as a wedding gift then finished setting the table. Sarah had brought a couple of candelabras with her so that they could be used on the table.

There was a sharp, quick rap on the door and Skittery stood from the couch to answer it. Race came in first, followed by Armorie. Natalie took a few minutes to take the girl in. She was taller than her brother but still considered short. Her hair which was the color of coffee fell in her face. Her head was cast down and her body seemed to fold in on itself. Natalie had seen girls like that before. Her mother had been like that after her father died. Something traumatizing had happened, and her heart went out to the girl.

The kitchen door opened and Esther came out carrying the pan of roast beef and Piper followed close behind her with the gravy and mashed potatoes. Sarah set the vegetables on the table last as Natalie finished rolling the silverware in napkins.

"I may not know how to cook but I do know how to set a table," Natalie said as Piper admired her work.

"It's lovely. If you ever want to learn how to cook I'd be more than happy to teach you."

"I was going to talk to you about that. With the baby coming it's time that I learn."

Piper nodded as the men gathered around the table. Everyone held hands and bowed their heads while Esther blessed the food. Armorie stood in between Race and Piper and her hand felt small and fragile in Piper's. They sat down to dinner and the conversation flowed freely. Armorie was silent, barely touching her food.

"How do you like America so far, Armorie?" Natalie asked, trying to break the ice.

"It's very nice," Armorie said quietly.

"What kind of work did you do in Tuscany?" Piper asked.

"I was a chambermaid by trade, but I would do whatever the lady of the house needed me to do."

"She was a seamstress, a governess, a housekeeper, whatever you can think of, Armorie probably did it," Race added.

"Well I just want to say that it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Race has told us so much about you," Piper said with a warm smile.

"He has?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"It's an older brother's right to sing the praises of his younger sister," Piper explained.

"I guess it is," Armorie said with a small, shy smile.

Piper realized that it wasn't a good idea to ask any more questions because it made Armorie uncomfortable. It couldn't be easy for her to come to dinner with people she had never met before. Piper thought back to when she and Skittery had first moved into the lodging house and how she was emotionally closed off for the first few days. It hadn't taken her long to open up, Specs and Blink wouldn't leave her alone one afternoon, they were telling her every joke they could think of until Blink had finally gotten her to smile. He ruffled her hair before Specs pulled her in for a hug. He held her, reassuring her that everything would be alright. That she would never have to live on the street again.

She smiled sadly thinking of the memory. Specs' death had been so sudden and three weeks later she still hadn't fully dealt with it. Her eyes scanned the table to stop at Les who sat at the head of the table opposite from Skittery. He hadn't been himself all day. He was hiding something from her, she just knew it. Les had never been one to keep secrets well.

XXXX

Piper walked down the sidewalk with her head down, she checked her list to see where she had to go next. With school starting in a couple weeks she needed to start readying for the year. Which meant buying enough school supplies to last the entire year; she would be spending her earnings from her summer job at Skittery's bar on her students. She knew better than to expect to be reimbursed. Teaching may not pay a lot of money and she may have to put most of her money to put back into the school but she didn't mind. Her students meant more to her than all the money in the world.

She walked into the supply store to pick up the order of chalk and composition books that she had placed earlier in the week. Once she was done there, she crossed the street to Tibby's. Les was still hiding something, but he wasn't as on edge as he had been that weekend. She wished that he would hurry up and tell her so that she would stop worrying about what he had to say.

Les stood at one of the outdoor tables taking a group of women's order as Piper sat down a few tables away. Once he finished with the ladies he headed to her table with his head down, finishing writing their order.

"What can I get for you?" he asked politely.

"I'll have a glass of iced tea for starters, and then I'd like for you to walk me home when you get off work," she said to get his attention.

Les looked up with a wide grin. He leaned down, making her think that he was going to whisper in her ear but he kissed behind her ear making her smile.

"I'll be right back with your order," he promised.

Piper took a few minutes to take in her surroundings. There were children playing in a fire hydrant at the end of the block, taking in the last of one of the hottest days of the summer. Across the street a mother hurried three boys into the fabric store that she had just walked out of. Emmanuel walked past her, the last of his papers for the day tucked under his arm. He waved and smiled shyly when she waved at him. Les came out of Tibby's with a tray balanced on one hand and Piper's drink in a paper to go cup in the other hand. He dropped her drink off, brushing his fingers over her shoulders as he passed before serving the women. He talked with them briefly before walking back towards Piper. He sat something that would look like her bill to anyone else on the table but she knew that he had slipped her a note without the women realizing it. She picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it seeing his careful, steady, yet hurried handwriting.

They're my last table. I can leave once they do.

Piper rifled through her bag looking for her copy of David Copperfield before taking a sip of her drink. She hadn't read three pages when she heard Les at the other table. He refilled their drinks before heading back inside. A little while later one of the women went inside to pay their bill and Piper put her book back into her bag, Les would be out in a few minutes.

Sure enough Les came out the door after the woman and they were headed towards her apartment before the women could gather their things. Piper tucked her arm into the crook of his arm before leaning up to kiss his cheek. He kissed the corner of her mouth in return before patting her hand lovingly. They walked in silence, taking in the last few moments of the day. It was the end of a long work week for Les and he was not looking forward to the weekend ending. He would be leaving to go back to school on Sunday. He only had a few more days with Piper and he was going to make the most of what little time they had left together.