Disclaimer: I don't own newsies, stumbles and gills are mine.

Sorry for not writing in a while.

"So we start tomorrow?" I asked as I sat on the floor playing cards with Race.

"Yea,"he replied.

"What exactly are we gonna do?"

"Not really sure, ask Jack."

"Hey Jackie," I turned around, laying down my cards, "what exactly are we gonna do at this strike thingy?"

I saw Race look at my cards out of the corner of my eye. He must have an awful hand to cheat like that.

"Rip up papers, soak some scabs, same old same old," he replied unenthusiastically, I must have been the 10th person to ask him that. I turned back to the card game.

"So Race, hows my hand?" I asked laughing a little. His face turned pink, "What you think I wouldn't catch ya?"

"Ya know Stumbles, I honestly didn't. Well anyway you won this round, so here's your money." he stated handing over 10 cents.

"Listen, I'll make you a deal. You don't give me your money, but you do have to hang upside-down on the bars of your bed." I said slyly.

"Deal," he grinned standing up. He put his knees on the bar and hung there. "How long do I have to stay like this?"

"Until you get dizzy." I smiled while his face slowly got redder and redder. He got up uneasily after his world had started spinning. He leaned on the bed to try to keep his balance, but to no success. He fell to the ground laughing, along with a few other peoples laughter. I helped him stand without him falling until he regained his balance.

"Alright time for bed everyone!" Kloppman yelled, "You need sleep to strike!"

All of my 'family' lay in their beds until they all fell asleep.

"CRUTCHY!" someone yelled. "Get up!" another said.

"Come on Stumbles, GET UP!" Jack yelled. "We got some papers to destroy!"

I sighed. I hate mornings, a lot. I slowly got up and got ready for the day. I practically fell down the stairs. Race walked with me until we reached the distribution center. We walked in and stood right next to the counter.

A few boys were buying their papers, or waiting in line. One boy stepped in front of us and dropped his papers, next came a few boys with their hands up. Then the one boy who refused to let go of his papers.

"Are you a newsie or what?" Race asked, shoving the boy back.

Jack knocked the papers out of his hands, and the boy knelt down to get them, but came back up with a blow to Jacks stomach. So it began. Many people like me ripped up the papers, specifically the younger newsies. A few threw tomatoes at Weasel and the Delanceys. It actually was fun, I expected this to be not enjoyable, but getting revenge is so exciting.

"Cheese it its the bulls!" someone screamed. Race immediately started running behind me to make sure I was okay. He stopped and ran to the back after he had realized who was missing.

"Crutchy!" he screamed. Crutchy was sitting on a pile of papers, unknowing the Delanceys were right behind him. I'm going to smack them both until they cry. Race ran back to me as we ran all the way back to the lodging house.

I sat on my bed, imagining what Snyder would do to Crutchy. One tear slid down my face, and only Race and Jack noticed. Race came and hugged me while Jack started to plot a rescue mission.

Later that night Jack and David went to get Crutchy from the refuge. I sat with Race on the floor, but we didn't play anything. Crutchy was the closest person to me other than Race, he was the equivalent of my brother. It hurt to think of the horrible things in the refuge, the things Crutchy would be facing currently. Next chance I get, Snyder will be in some ditch outside of new York, slowly bleeding to death.

"You know you'd be put in jail for killing someone," Race read my thoughts.

"When did you become a Psychic?"

"When I met you." My face grew red. Jack barged into the room.

"Where is Crutchy?" we all asked.

"He said he wasn't walkin so good, and didn't want to be carried."

That's Crutchy for you, so independent yet so kind. I fell into my bed once again, but I didn't cry. Like me, he hated people crying over him. I didn't want to disappoint him, or anyone, ever. Who would want to disappoint family.