Romeo's eyes popped open. Trembling with anticipation, he did his best to lay still.
Listening. Waiting.
He finally sat up and eagerly looked around. His body sagged with disappointment. His room was just the same. It was Christmas, wasn't it? He reviewed the previous night in his head. Yeah. They'd finally learned about Scrooge and Tiny Tim and the boy who went to buy the prize turkey. Maybe that was it.
He leaped out of bed and flew to the window, just knowing he'd see...he slumped. No snow-covered street. No snow at all. Just the same old cobblestone road. He checked again just to be sure. Nope. No one around to buy a prize turkey, either. He padded back to the bed but had too much energy to get back in. Ma and Annie and Charles and Greta and Bridget and Coach Tom and Nana Kate had been saying for days and days and days that this was a magical day but he just didn't see it.
He gathered up Fire Cat and Mís and crept to the door that opened into his parents' room. He eased it open and peeked in. Nope. They were asleep. He sighed. Where was this magic? He crossed the room to look into the hall. No one was there, but he heard someone moving about, so he quietly headed that way. He wasn't sure there was any magic, but if there was, he didn't want to frighten it away by being too loud.
He pushed open the door of the first bedroom. Race was standing at the window. Albert was still in bed, but he was awake. "Hiya, pipsqueak."
Romeo picked Arthur up off the floor and arranged the three Prowlers at the foot of the bed before climbing in to sit next to Albert, who scooted over a bit to make room.
"Ain't nothin' out there," Race muttered.
"I didn't see nothin', neither," Romeo confirmed.
Race turned. "Told ya," he said to Albert. "Ain't nothin' magic 'bout Christmas."
"Maybe ya ain't looked in the right place, yet," Albert yawned.
"Where else is there to look?" Romeo asked. "It ain't in the hall or in my room or in ma's room."
"We gots a whole house," Albert reminded them.
"But if it's here, why ain't it here?" Race waved his arms, indicating he wanted it to be in their room.
Albert yawned again. "Dunno. Never had no magic before, so I don't know how it is. But Greta don't lie, and she says it's a magic day, so I s'pose I believe her."
Three heads swiveled as the door eased open again. "It's Christmas," Elmer announced softly.
"How d'ya know?" Race asked skeptically. "Ain't nothin' different today from all the other days."
Elmer shrugged. "Yesterday was Christmas Eve, so today's Christmas." He climbed into Race's bed and snuggled under the covers with a loud yawn. "I's so sleepy, but I couldn't stay sleepin' one more minute."
"Me, too," Romeo told him. "Did ya see magic in the hall?"
Elmer shook his head.
"Me, neither."
"I still gots all my socks," Elmer informed them. "Weren't that man s'posed to steal our socks?"
Romeo tipped his head in thought. "I don't think so. But he gives us presents somehow, don't he? Maybe that's what the socks were for?"
"You guys are so silly," a feminine voice giggled from the doorway.
"Whacha mean?" Romeo asked.
"Santa Claus doesn't steal your socks. He puts presents in them." Annie instructed.
"Then I didn't get nothin' 'cause I still gots all my socks." Elmer decreed sullenly.
"It's a stupid place for presents," Race grumbled.
"I checked in ma's room and outside and in the hall," Romeo told her. "I didn't see nothin' magic 'bout any of it."
"Christmas isn't up here," Annie told them patiently.
"We done figured that out already," Race snipped.
"It's downstairs," Annie instructed.
"Why's it there?" Elmer wondered.
"Because that's where the Christmas tree is! Come on!"
Together, they rounded up the other boys, then crept down the stairs as silently as six boys and a girl excited about Christmas can creep. Specs stopped them just before they got to the parlor.
"What's up, Specs?"
"Crutchie."
"Yeah, can't do this without him."
"Let's get him."
None too quietly, the group moved into Crutchie's room, maneuvered him into his chair then out into the hallway. Just before they got to the parlor's doors, they halted.
"What's wrong?" Annie asked.
"What if it ain't there?"
"Yeah. It ain't never come before. Why'd it come now?"
"Maybe we's better off if it don't come at all?"
"Prob'ly."
"Ya might have a point."
"You guys are just being silly," Annie declared with a giggle. She marched to the double doors and pushed them open. "Oh!" she exclaimed.
"What?"
"Did it come? Is the magic there?"
"Whacha see, Annie?"
"You guys need to come and see for yourselves."
The boys looked around at each other, silently daring each other to be the first.
Romeo, too excited to wait, finally took the first cautious peek into the room. He gasped.
"What is it, Romeo?"
"Tell us."
"Did the magic come?"
Romeo could only nod in reverent silence as he let his feet lead him to the wondrous scene before him.
As he disappeared, the older boys looked around again, silently agreeing to go together to see what had the two younger kids entranced. Race pushed Crutchie's chair as the group bravely moved forward to see what Christmas magic looked like.
They were stunned. Speechless. For a minute or two.
What had been a gaily decorated parlor when they'd headed upstairs last night was now a shimmering, wondrous sight to behold. The boughs they'd made for the mantle and above the doors were still there, but there were ribbon-bedecked boughs now on all the tables and over the picture frames and around the mirror. Large wreaths of pine, holly, and pinecones framed the sconces on the walls. The room smelled deliciously of pine.
There were stacks of wrapped gifts all over the room, on every table, and beneath the trees. Trees? Last night, there had been just one tree on the table beside the couch, but it had been moved to the far wall and a larger, a much larger, tree reigned in the bay window. It was covered in shimmering, sparkling ribbons and shining glass ornaments, and there was a small village set up beneath it, complete with horses and carriages and little fences.
Finch nudged Elmer and pointed to the fireplace. "Socks," Elmer whispered. Hanging across the mantle was a multitude of large socks, bulging oddly.
Around the room, tucked behind and among the gifts were larger items that couldn't be wrapped: bicycles, a bench covered with tools, racquets, and bats. There was almost too much to look at, but the boys did their best, gaping in astonishment. They'd hoped for some magic; hadn't expected it, but hoped it would show. None of them could ever have imagined the delightfully unbelievable scene before them.
"Ya think it's real?" Albert asked softly.
"If it ain't, no one move," Elmer whispered reverently. "I ain't seen it enough yet and I don't wanta forget it."
"Yeah," whispered another couple of boys.
"I've got to get mama and papa," Annie declared, pushing her way back through the boys and running up the stairs. "Mama!" she shouted.
Romeo started, his trance broken, but not his delight. "Race! It's here! Christmas is here!" He looked to Specs. "It is Christmas, ain't it?"
"Yeah, kid," Specs ruffled his hair. "It's Christmas."
"Don't you guys touch nothin'," Romeo demanded. "I wants ma and pop to see this." He backed toward the stairs. "Ya won't touch it?"
"Not if ya goes so's ya can get back," Crutchie told him.
Romeo didn't hesitate. "Ma! Pop! Ya gotta come and see this! It's Christmas!" He thundered down the hall and they heard the door bang open.
"Stupid kid," Race uttered softly, but smiling.
"So," Finch began but didn't continue.
"So what?" Race asked.
Finch shrugged. "What do we do now?"
"We wait," Crutchie said.
"For what?"
Crutchie shrugged. "Dunno. We'll know when to stop waitin', I guess."
"Oh."
They contented themselves with gazing at the magical sight in front of them.
"Merry Christmas, boys!"
"Wo!" They all jumped at the unexpected voices behind them.
Bridget was coming down the hall, Tom beside her.
They tripped over themselves all trying all at once to explain the magic that had happened overnight. Grinning broadly at their excitement, Tom got them settled enough to take turns.
"Missy, guess what?" Finch began.
"What?" Bridget asked.
"It came."
"What came?" Bridget pretended not to know what he was talking about
"The Magic! It's Christmas!"
"Is it, now?" she asked with a laugh.
They pulled her forward and started pointing things out to her, still wary about going into the room, but too happy not to begin sharing the wonders.
"Merry Christmas, everyone!"
"Mare!" several of the boys moved over to share their discoveries with Jack and Kat. Jack looked just as awestruck as the boys had.
"What's all this?" he asked Kat as Greta and Charles joined the group and the boys moved to share the exciting news with them.
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "It's Christmas. Our first one together."
He looked down at her and smiled back. "We was together last year."
She nodded. "But we weren't married then."
"You has a point. Merry Christmas, Mrs. Kelly."
"Kiss me," she demanded.
He did.
Tom and Bridget stood together, enjoying a semi-quiet moment together.
Crutchie wheeled himself over. "They's getting too close over there," he told them, looking at the crowd of his friends all talking over each other.
Tom chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Crutchie, can I ask you something?" Bridget said.
"Sure."
"Why do you all sometimes call me 'Missy'?"
"Short for Mrs. Tom," Crutchie told her matter-of-factly.
"Oh, I see. Well, that makes sense, doesn't it, now?" she remarked, touched and amused at the nickname.
Greta finally asked why the boys didn't go into the parlor.
"Don't want it to disappear."
"Never had no magic before. Kinda like how it looks."
"Don't want to break the magic."
Charles nodded sagely. "You are, indeed, quite right. There is a special quality to Christmas morning that one very often wishes would last forever. But I wonder, have you given any thought to the purpose of the gifts you see before you?"
"Whacha mean?"
"Perhaps a demonstration would be best?" Charles looked at Tom.
Tom nodded in mock seriousness. "Yes. A demonstration seems to be precisely what is needed. Who should go first?" He looked over the boys as if assessing their worthiness. "Elmer," he decided.
Elmer gulped and backed up a step. He didn't want to be the one who broke the spell.
"It's OK, Elmer." Gentle hands grasped his shoulders.
"Y-ya sure, Mare?"
"I'm absolutely positive. Now, why don't you go to the fireplace and tell us what you see."
"I can see from here they's socks over there."
"Yes, but what's in the socks?"
"Stuff?"
"Shall I go with you?"
He sagged with relief. If Mare went in, surely the magic wouldn't leave. She took his hand and they made their way to the fireplace, Elmer determinedly not looking at anything else, no matter how enticing it seemed out of the corner of his eyes. Not even that...was that a new chess set? He stopped and looked down. There was a tag. What did it say? "Elmer," Mare said gently. He looked up and joined her at the fireplace.
"See," he said. "They's just socks." He took the one she handed to him. The bumps and lumps of whatever it was holding felt funny. He looked down. Wait. That was – he looked back at her and pointed to the letters embroidered on the cuff. "That's my name?'
She nodded.
"What's that mean?"
She shrugged. "I guess that means it's yours."
"Mine." He looked between it and her. His smile grew as the realization took root. "Mine."
She nodded, then pointed at another sock.
He looked. "Albert," he read. The next sock over said, "Crutchie." He spun. "Fellas! They's got our names on 'em!" He held his sock up and pointed to his name. "They's for us!"
That's all it took. The boys streamed into the room, eager to claim the socks that had been filled especially for them.
Annie got her sock and settled between her parents. Likewise, Romeo dumped his sock's contents on the floor in front of Jack and Kat. The other boys claimed their socks and settled around the room, exclaiming over the assortment of fruits, nuts, coins, candies, and other small treasures like pencils and marbles.
It took several minutes, but the chatter dulled to a gentle roar, the boys all convinced that they'd had the best day ever. But Elmer remembered something. "Mare?"
"Hmmm?"
"That's a chess set there, ain't it?"
"It looks like one."
"Why's it got a tag on it?"
"Why don't you read the tag and find out?"
"OK?" he said uncertainly.
The room was quiet as all eyes watched him timidly approach the game as though it might suddenly disappear. He reached out and turned over the tag. "Elmer." His head tipped. "Elmer." He looked at Kat. "It says 'Elmer'."
"Must be yours, then," Jack said, tossing a pillow at the dumbstruck boy.
Elmer ducked the pillow. "Mine? Ya means I get to keep it?"
"Of course," Kat assured him. "It has your name on it."
"Can I try, too?" Romeo asked.
"Go for it," Jack told him.
Romeo lost no time. He picked up the nearest item with a tag, a gift-wrapped box. "Finch," he read. "It says 'Finch'," he announced.
"Then give it to Finch," Jack told him with a laugh.
Romeo delivered the gift and everyone watched as Finch unwrapped the box to reveal a tin horse and a box of pennies. "What's this?"
"It's a bank," Tom told him, taking a penny from the box. "You put a coin in the horse's mouth, pull this lever here," he pointed to a metal hoop on the far end of the box the horse was standing on, indicating that Finch should give it a tug. "Wow! Did you guys see that? The horse dropped it in the box!" Everyone clamored to get a turn, and it was several minutes before Albert wondered if there were any more gifts.
Much to the boys' delight, nearly everything in the room was meant for them and Annie. Surprisingly, they didn't just tear into things. They took turns, opening one thing at a time, with everyone getting a turn to play with, look at, or experience whatever the new treasure was.
It was early afternoon before all the presents were finally opened and Greta sent everyone upstairs to change out of their pajamas. The kids got dressed in record time, hoping that the magic wouldn't disappear before they got back.
It didn't.
They sighed in relief then set about exploring the glorious, magical Christmas treasures they had received.
Greta and Bridget set trays of sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and crackers around the room for everyone to nibble on, knowing that none of them wanted to sit at the kitchen table when there was a parlor full of presents to admire.
The room settled into a pleasant hum of voices as they all began selecting favorites to get to know better. Elmer and Specs enjoyed a game of chess on Elmer's new set, while Specs kept a protective arm around a lap full of brand new books. Race was busy taking something apart at his new tool bench. Crutchie was talking to Jack, whose eyes kept drifting to his new desk – a smaller drafting desk with an adjustable top so he could draw more easily at home. Romeo and Albert were arranging and rearranging the village beneath the tree, overjoyed that the wooden village people included no fewer than a dozen newsies. Everyone else had grouped together in twos and threes and simply enjoyed each other's company and the overall wonder of the day.
Later in the evening, just before suppertime, Charles answered the doorbell to find Dr. Anderson standing at the top of the steps.
"Merry Christmas, Doctor," Charles greeted him warmly, ushering him inside.
"Merry Christmas, Charles," Doc responded happily, allowing Charles to help him remove his coat. "Sorry for the unexpected visit, but I was passing by on the way back to my house and thought I'd stop in to see how everyone is doing."
Charles smiled. "It's been quite an exciting day," he informed Doc as they walked the short way to the parlor.
"I can imagine that it has," Doc responded with a chuckle. "Don't think I've ever seen any kids as excited about Christmas as these boys were."
"It was not a disappointment," Charles assured him.
Doc extended a greeting to the room as they entered. "Don't get up," he waved his hands for the occupants of the room to keep their seats. The gesture was mostly for the adults as the children in the room were barely aware he was there. He and Charles joined Jack, Kat, Specs, Crutchie, and Darcy, who'd dropped in to visit around lunch time. They chatted for a long while until Greta announced that it was time to see about getting dinner ready.
Doc stood. "I guess I'll be going, then."
"Of course not," Greta commanded, gesturing for him to sit back down. "You'll stay for dinner. It's very informal tonight, nothing fancy."
"She's right," Bridget agreed. "I don't think there'll be any moving these boys or Annie right now, so it'll just be more sandwiches and fruit on trays." She and Greta moved around the room, collecting the trays, long-since emptied.
"Quite right," Greta confirmed. "We'll only be a few minutes, so everyone stay put."
Doc looked around as the two ladies left the room.
"Sit down, Doc," Jack told him. "Don't argue with 'em. It won't work. You'll lose."
Everyone laughed as Doc sat back down.
Conversation eventually turned to why Doc had been working on Christmas Day. "Health doesn't know what day it is," Doc told them. "Though if some people had more sense, I could have better holidays."
"Whacha mean?" asked Crutchie.
"Well, on holidays, especially Christmas, some people tend to forget moderation is best, and they eat too much, which has them calling me for the inevitable upset stomachs. I always stock up on medications and bandages right before a holiday."
"Bandages?"
Doc nodded. "You wouldn't believe the crazy things some people do. I had one little boy today who was eager to try his new sled. He couldn't wait for snow, so he tried to ride it down his front stoop."
"No!" gasped Kat.
Doc nodded. "It's true. Fortunately, he came out with just a broken arm caused by the tumble down the stairs when the sled tipped over. His spirits weren't dampened in the slightest, though. He saw it as one more adventure on an already adventurous day."
"I'm sure his mother didn't feel that way." Kat observed, looking over her shoulder to make sure Romeo and the other boys were still all in one piece.
Doc laughed. "You're right. I almost had to pull out my smelling salts, but she pulled through. She'll have a tough time keeping him calm for the next six weeks until his arm heals." Doc looked at Crutchie. "And what about you? It's about time for your casts to come off, isn't it?"
"You'd know better than me," Crutchie told him with a shy grin.
"Can't say you're wrong about that," Doc admitted. "Since I'm here, why not check things out now?"
"Really?" Crutchie asked eagerly.
"Why not? Let's go to your room, shall we?"
Jack squeezed Kat's hand as he watched Specs roll Crutchie's chair out the door with the doctor.
"Jack, it's OK," Kat whispered soothingly. "He's fine."
Jack nodded. He watched the doorway, then jumped to his feet, unable to sit still any longer. Would Crutchie's legs be fine? Would he be able to walk again? He shook his head. Wouldn't matter. Crutchie always had a home here. He knew that, didn't he? He wouldn't try to leave if he had to stay in the chair? He had to know he didn't have to leave. No matter what, they'd figure it out. He never had to sleep on the streets again. Never.
"Jack."
Crutchie was his brother. Brothers don't never leave. Never.
"Jack." Kat said again, stepping in Jack's way to stop his pacing.
Jack looked up in surprise. "What?"
Kat pointed.
Jack turned to look. Crutchie was standing in the doorway, Doc on one side Specs on the other. He had one arm around Specs's shoulders, a crutch tucked up under his other arm. "Crutchie?" Jack couldn't believe his eyes. Crutchie was standing again.
"Hiya, Jack. Uh, Doc said my legs is all better now. I can get outta the chair."
"Crutchie," Jack said again. He felt Kat push him, so he walked to the doorway. He looked between his friend and the doctor. "You sure he's OK?" he asked Doc.
Doc nodded.
"He ain't gonna fall over or nothin'?"
Doc chuckled. "He's perfectly healthy and normal once again."
"Crutchie?" Jack inquired. "You OK?"
"I's fine, Jack."
"Where'd ya get the crutch? I thought the thugs what soaked ya kept the one ya had?"
"Charles got me another one."
Jack nodded. Then, he couldn't help it. He pulled Crutchie into his arms and spun him around. "Crutchie!" he cheered.
Jack's exclamation caught everyone's attention. It took a moment, but when they realized that their friend was completely mended, they all raced over to see for themselves. The next few minutes were filled with excited shouts and cheers and joy for Crutchie. When the melée died down, Specs looked at Jack.
"Hey, Jack, whatcha holdin'?"
Jack looked down. He'd been vaguely aware of someone giving him something to hold, but he hadn't paid attention to who asked or what it was. "Crutchie's crutch," he said absently, still giddy with joy about Crutchie being well again.
The room got quiet.
"Crutchie's what?" Race asked.
Jack froze. He lifted his arm a bit, seeing that he was holding the crutch, but unable to quite process what it meant.
"If Jack's got Crutchie's crutch, where's Crutchie?" Elmer asked.
Jack sought Kat. He didn't understand. He needed her.
She went to him, wrapping her arms around his free arm, and turning him toward the door. She didn't know what was going on, but she'd caught the looks between Charles, Specs, and Doc, so it couldn't be anything bad.
Just then, a tray of sandwiches appeared followed by Crutchie.
Crutchie stood there, blushing furiously, holding the tray. "Anyone hungry?" he offered timidly.
"What the hell is goin' on?" Race demanded.
"Um, I can walk," Crutchie explained softly.
"Yeah, we gots that when ya showed up with your crutch again," Race reminded him. "How're ya standing there without your crutch and not fallin' over? You pullin' a joke or somethin'?"
Crutchie shook his head. "No." He looked at Jack. "I, uh, my legs, my, uh, the bones that was broke, they healed up all proper. See?" He held out a sock-clad foot to show them.
They rushed forward with a roar of concern, not wanting him to fall over.
Charles quickly took the tray, his motion causing the tidal wave of boys to stop in their tracks.
Crutchie looked at Jack, his eyes pleading. "I wanted to surprise ya at Christmas," he explained in a wavery voice. "Me and Charles been workin' with Doc and Sam Wah on some exercises to make my legs strong again so's I can walk right, without needin' a crutch."
All eyes turned to Jack, who was slowly approaching Crutchie, looking him over from head to toe, remembering the legs that had been so horribly mangled the last time he'd seen them. "Crutchie?"
"Do ya likes it, Jack? It's OK I can walk right?"
Jack scooped up Crutchie and deposited him on the couch. He tore off Crutchie's socks and pushed up the legs of his pants. He saw two beautiful, perfectly formed, completely, wonderfully, not-broke legs. He trailed his hands up and down Crutchie's ankles and calves. "Your leg ain't all twisted."
Crutchie shook his head. "Not no more."
"But how?"
Crutchie shrugged. "Doc told me, but I don't get it."
All eyes turned to the doctor. "It's called osteotomy."
"What's that, Doc?" Finch prodded.
"Sometimes when a broken bone that has mended improperly gets broken again, it can heal properly if it is set correctly. That appears to be what happened in this case. The break caused by Crutchie's father was never set, so it healed the best it could. When Crutchie got attacked, the weakened bones easily broke again. When I set the bones and held them in place with the plaster casts, they, and the muscles around them, were able to heal back into their correct positions."
"So Crutchie won't need his crutch no more?" someone asked.
Doc shook his head. "I don't think so. It's been around since ancient times, but has only really been getting popular fairly recently. I've only read reports about it, but from what I gather, the long-term results will be good and, with the exercises Sam Wah devised, Crutchie should be just fine. He may need a cane every now and then, but I think he'll be able to get around without his crutch."
"See, Jack. I don't need the crutch no more."
Jack kept his eyes on Crutchie's seemingly new legs.
"Jack? Is that OK?"
Jack sat back. "Show me."
"Show you?"
"Stand up. I wants to see it again."
With a cautious smile, Crutchie did as Jack asked.
Jack ran his hands over Crutchie's legs and ankles once more. "Doc? You sure 'bout this?"
Doc laughed. "As sure as I can be about anything that involves the body."
Jack sat back on his heels and looked up at Crutchie. "What d'ya think?"
"Um, I likes it. I could get around with the crutch, but it got in the way sometimes, ya know?"
"Yeah." Jack stood.
"Does ya like it, Jack?" Crutchie asked hesitantly, not sure what to make of Jack's prolonged silence.
"What?"
"I just wanted to surprise ya, is all. I know it weren't in a box or nothin' –"
Crutchie's explanation was cut off as Jack yanked him into his arms, holding him tightly. "God, Crutchie. Just shut up, OK? That's 'bout the best present I could of gotten. I just weren't expectin' it, so's it's takin' my brain a minute longer to catch up to what my eyes is seein', is all."
"Ya sure?"
Jack grasped Crutchie's shoulders and looked down at him. "Damn, Crutchie. Ya think there's a one of us who wanted ya to have a bum leg? There just wasn't nothin' we could do 'bout it, so's we just did what we had to do. But there ain't been a day since I met ya that I didn't wish at least once that your leg weren't the way it was." He crushed Crutchie in another hug before letting go as the other newsies pulled at their friend, demanding he show them he could walk.
Jack held on to Kat as they watched Crutchie meet his friends' demands to walk, jump, hop, and run in place. Then someone brought out some spoons. Crutchie crowed with delight – he'd always wanted to play the popular game, but it needed both hands, and his crutch hadn't allowed it.
Kat turned at the loud sniffle behind her. "Hey," she crooned softly when she saw the tears trickling down Jack's face.
He smiled sheepishly. "It's just happiness overflowin'."
"I know," she said with a smile, wiping at his face with her handkerchief.
"I never expected this, ya know." His eyes found Crutchie again.
"I'm just as surprised as you are. But very happy."
"Yeah." He looked down at her. "You was right."
"About what?"
"Ya said he had a family what loves him and could get him a doctor so he'd be OK. I just never thought he'd be this OK."
She hugged him. "I didn't, either. But I knew he'd recover. A safe place to live and regular meals go a long way to helping someone get better. And you gave that to him."
He tightened his hold on her, snuggling her into his chest. "I didn't expect Christmas'd be this kinda magic," he whispered. "I won't never forget today. Never."
She pulled back just far enough to look up at him. "Neither will I."
He studied her face for a long moment, treasuring the image and all it meant to have her standing there with him. "God, I loves ya so much!" he declared hoarsely.
"Words cannot adequately express my love for you," she responded softly, "so kiss me."
And so he did.