May 19th, 1899, 7:30pm

Hannah started in surprise when Clara slammed open the door to the apartment, nearly spilling the contents of her pot of stew down the front of her dress. She jumped back, barely steadying the pot as a small bit sloshed over the edge, and scowled.

"Warn a gal, would ya?"

"Sorry!" Clara yelped, rushing for a towel to sop up the mess. "Put down your pot."

"What?"

"Here." Clara scooped up her skirts, took the hot pot from her friend, and put it back on the stove. With that precaution taken care of, she turned back to Hannah with a wide grin. "I found Andrew!" she announced.

"WHAT?"

"I found Andrew!" Clara repeated, and quickly recounted the story he'd told as they cleaned up the mess, Hannah had her dinner, and she started to pack for the weekend. Hannah listened quietly for the most part but had to set down her water so as not to spill that too whenever Clara told her of how they'd been unknowingly ignoring each other for months because she was laughing too hard. Clara threw a rolled pair of socks at her in retribution and continued her story without waiting for an answer. She drew to an end as she finished stuffing her book and a journal into her bag, saying, "I've really got to be going because mother was expecting me home before dark and it's already late, but I think they'll understand the reason for my delay. They'll be so excited!"

Hannah nodded in agreement. "They'll want to know why you didn't bring him back with you though."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind, but he needed to get back to their lodging house."

"Maybe next weekend then."

Clara shook her head enthusiastically as she heaved her suitcase off the bed to set it by the door and the bed squeaked in protest. "Of course, I'll ask my parents if it's alright, but he did say he'd be happy to visit."

"You should invite him over for dinner sometime," she offered. "I wasn't as close to him as you were, but it would be nice to catch up."

"He asked about you! Would Monday be ok?"

"I've got a report due so I'll probably be working late. Tuesday night then?"

"Tuesday," Clara agreed, looking around for her hat and coat. The weather had been nicer earlier in the day and warming towards spring, but the nights still felt frigid by comparison.

Hannah fetched Clara's jacket and handed it to her on the way out the door. "Say hi for me, and travel safely."

May 23rd, 1899

The Lemay's were thrilled to hear the news that Andrew was safe and found, and insisted that he visit at the first chance. The event that weekend – a supplies drive to raise money and stock up on the day to day necessities for the children – went off spectacularly, and Clara returned to Manhattan satisfied with her weekend's work. Andrew gladly accepted the invitation to dinner, and Tuesday evening after working hours followed Clara back to their apartment. Hannah welcomed him with a round of applause and mugs of warm cider and they worked together to prepare the dinner of roasted chicken and baked potatoes as he caught up on Hannah's story of how she'd started as a secretary to earn a little extra money for her family, and quickly proven herself to be an efficient and organized worker that wouldn't be cowed by the pressures of the job.

"You're really at the top!" He exclaimed as he pulled the plates from a cabinet to set the table. "I guess you're the one who gets a final say in things?

"Hardly," She scoffed, "I have a little influence in the office with the other secretaries but you wouldn't guess it with some of the fool's errands he has me running."

"But it's funny that we ended up workin' for the same boss without even knowin' it."

"I'm surprised you never met each other," Clara declared as she pulled their potatoes from a pot of boiling water. "I mean, Hannah, you can see the circulation floor from the building, can't you? How often do you go down there, or walk past it?"

"Not as often as you'd think since I'm on the top floor of the building and get there before the paper's printed. And you two saw each other every day and never bothered to talk for three months." She replied, chopping celery and then distractedly holding up the knife to emphasize her statement. "I don't want to hear you two tell me about being oblivious."

Andrew and Clara looked at each other, expecting the other to say something in rebuttal and realizing that she had a point. Andrew laughed. They would never live that down. He shook his head and continued with his task of getting glasses of water for the table.

"How was your presentation today?" Clara asked Hannah as they sat down to eat.

"Bad," she answered with a surprising note of indifference. "It's not my fault the headlines don't sell. I just report the numbers. Doesn't put Joe in any better of a mood, though, and not that I particularly care, but he grouches around and puts the others on edge."

Andrew rolled his eyes at that. "The headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes. 'specially when the headline stinks." The commentary on the inner workings of the newspaper company was interesting – he always wondered what sort of person came up with the snoozers and, and the internal politics seemed to account for a good amount of it.

"Excuse me, you would be the expert," Hannah rectified, "It's not my fault that Bill is an entirely incompetent senior editor. I just report the numbers, and he should consult you on what makes a hot-selling headline."

"He should consult Jack. He comes up with some good ones. Though Race ain't bad either."

"I'm glad you have so many good friends with the other newsies," Hannah mused. "You always seem like a tight-knit group, at least from afar."

"They're all great," Andrew agreed, nodding wholeheartedly, turning to include Clara in his next statement. "You've got to come meet them someday!"

"Sure," she said, somewhat reluctantly, "Maybe later though."

He shrugged. They had time now, after all. "How are the rest of our friends from school doin? John and Millie and Lucas and the rest of them?"

He'd never been as close with them, but he appreciated their company and personalities nonetheless, and occasionally found himself remembering the way John would act after he'd won a game of marbles when Race did the same thing with cards. He also remembered that they'd been hesitant to invite Clara into their group and he hoped that she'd been able to maintain her nebulous connections with them in the time he'd been gone.

"Last I checked they were alright," She answered, poking a piece of chicken around her plate. "We've been somewhat out of contact since grammar school ended. I still see John around the neighborhood, every so often. He has a job with a glassblower. I think. We haven't talked in a while. Millie is still at school so I've seen a little more of her, but we don't have the same classes and she's made friends with her own group of girls who are going to be nurses. She's nice enough, I just can't keep up with the medical things she talks about. I haven't kept in contact with the rest of them though, I'm sorry. Lucas is… fine."

"I'm glad that John and Millie are doing alright. Say hi for me the next time you see them, ok?" That was somewhat reassuring, though he was sure that Clara spent significantly more time alone in the library than she let on.

"Ok."

"You sound like you don't get along with Lucas anymore. Didya have a falling out?"

"Lucas is the one who took the position with the mayor," Hannah explained helpfully, "It's not that they had a falling out, but they don't get along."

"He's not a bad person he's just…" Clara searched for the politest way to state this, "Frustratingly oblivious to his advantages. And a bit of a brag."

Andrew nodded slowly in understanding. "Y'know it don't matter, right? You got the better position anyhow and you've got the smarts and the will to get it. I know the charity ladies appreciate your help back at the orphanage, and you've got Hannah to keep an eye out for you and your parents to cheer you. And I'm proud of your work! That's what's important in the end of it," He said, nodding his head in the older girl's direction as he said his name.

"Thanks," Clara smiled. "Oh! And speaking of my parents, they want to know if you can come to stay for the weekend."

Andrew grinned. "Of course. I'll have to let Jack know I'll be gone but it shouldn't be a problem."

Clara took a deep breath at the mention of Jack and steadied herself for the next topic of conversation. "They also wanted to know if you might want to stay with us," She started, "You could have your old room back if you'd like, and it might be a little more comfortable than the lodging house."

Andrew smiled at the offer but shook his head. Yes, there were many things to regret about the past, and he would always be grateful for the Lemay's hospitality and sorry for throwing it away without a proper thanks, but that was the past, and they'd both moved on…

"I need to stay at the lodging house with the newsies," He started, and Clara's face fell so he continued trying to explain, "There are eighteen boys there, most of them are all younger than me, and they don't got any other homes to go back to. Jack's our captain, and he does great make sure everyone is safe and fed at the end of the night, but it's not something one person can do alone, and sometimes he needs the help as much as any of the new boys."

He paused to gauge Clara's reaction. She was nodding, but still wore the frown that told him she wasn't truly satisfied with his answer, so he tried a different tactic. "I want to visit. I'd love to see your parents again, and say thank you for everything they did, and say sorry for leaving like that. But going back now won't fix that, and I learned that lesson the hard way. I can't leave the Newsies."

"I understand," Clara answered, with a bittersweet smile.

"You really do?" He'd expected her to put up more of a fuss, and he hid a hopeful smile in case that she might find some other objection.

"Yes. They need you and it makes sense with your job and they're so important to you I won't begrudge you of that," Clara said slowly, and Andrew broke into a wide grin of excitement at her acceptance. It was clear from her hesitance that she was a little disappointed, but she did care. She was doing her best to support the decision despite her reluctance and it was all he could have asked for.

"I can't wait to see your family next weekend though! And I'll visit lots, I promise."

Clara gave him a genuine smile now. "Is there's anything the newsies might need for the lodging house? There might be extra supplies and toiletries from the drive this weekend that I can have my mother set aside for you."

Andrew sat back in disbelief at such a generous offer. He didn't much like the idea of taking the donations when he could earn from selling enough to cover his own needs, and he knew many of the others would feel the same, especially when they could go to better use at the orphanage. But he couldn't deny that they did need to restock on essentials, and this unexpected boon might be enough to square their accounts for the months, and maybe scrape together a little something for some sorely-needed recreation.

"That's real nice of ya. I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say right away. I'm sorry I just thought of it and you were saying about all the boys…"

"Thank you. I don't want to take it if the kids at the orphanage need those things, an' I'll ask Jack. He'd know best."

Clara nodded her understanding again and pushed her chair away from the table to begin gathering up the plates. Hannah pulled her hands away from the dishes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Cleaning?"

"No. Rest. The dishes can wait, and it's my turn to do them tonight. You have company over, just enjoy the time you have here and now."

Clara looked to Andrew for help, but he shook his head and took up his crutch and the plates himself. "Hannah is right, but you told me once that 'once I was better I would have to start doing some chores around here' and I intend to honor that."

Clara threw her hands into the air and laughed in surrender. "You two are insufferable," she joked.

"No," Andrew corrected, "We're inevitable."

A/N:

Ok, it's technically Monday because it's 12:08 here but I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still Sunday and therefore this chapter is relatively "on time" by my book. I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to post last weekend! The new semester of zoom college as well as a new part-time position at work both started this past Monday and have consumed most of my time, so I wanted to thank you all so much for your patience! I will do my *absolute best* to maintain my posting schedule in the coming weeks as I get adjusted to my new life schedule, but I also don't want to give you a sub-par reading experience so, just be warned that updates might be a little bit more sporadic than usual. Thank you again for reading!

To "Guestanewone" who commented on the last chapter: Thank you so much for your review! I'm sorry to keep you waiting but I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the story so much! I do plan to continue, so I hope you like where it goes in the future! :)