Disclaimer: Same as da other 7 chaptahz!

~*~

Mysty stormed down the stairs on the fire escape, still cursing Spot Conlon underneath her breath. Shaking her head, she brushed out her brown hair and closed her eyes. Her attention shifted from being mad at Spot, to seeing a man scamper out of an alley, a wicked smile on his face. 'Ok, what is a man doing in an alley?' she thought, frowning thoughtfully. She was about to pass the alley, when she saw something. It wasn't so much as 'saw something', then she sensed it. She knew something bad had happened here. Craning her neck, and squinting, she could barely make out a huddled figure on the floor. Maybe she was just hearing things, but she could have sworn she heard a whimper, soft and echoing against the brick walls. She cautiously stepped closer, and then her jaw dropped as she saw who it was. By the lamplight, she could make out long, flowing black hair and tan skin that seemed unnaturally pale. "Enchanted," she whispered, and then closed her eyes to shut the image out. "Enchanted," she murmured, louder this time, and then she ran to the body. "No, no, no," she muttered, smoothing back her brown hair, her eyes filling up with tears. "No, oh God, please." She uttered a silent prayer, and then pressed a trembling hand to her neck. For one heart-stopping moment, she couldn't feel a pulse. And then, miraculously, a pulse emerged among the silence. "Oh, God," she whispered, letting out her breath.

She stood up from the cobblestone. Help, she had to get help...wait, she was naked, she had to...quickly, without thinking, she stripped off her shirt, revealing the bra underneath and placed it over her body, covering up the parts that needed to concealed. She didn't want to leave her like this. She didn't deserve to be left like this. But she had to get help first. The Lodging House was only a block away; she could have been safe in a matter of seconds. "Enchanted," she whispered brokenly, "What were you thinking?! You of all people should know that it's dangerous to go walking in Brooklyn in the middle of the night!"

So saying, she turned on her heel and dashed back towards the Lodging House, panting. She flew up the fire escape and then knocked on the window. Spot looked up, expecting Baby, but was surprised when he saw Mysty again. And that she wasn't wearing any shirt. She slid up the window and entered, a frown on her face.

"Come quick, it's Enchanted!" she panted. "Bring a shirt!" Spot hurriedly pulled on his black pants and handed her his shirt, scrunched up in a ball.

"Whad happened?" he asked.

Mysty couldn't bring herself to say it. "Just see, come on," she begged, on the verge of tears. Spot followed her out the window, and then tried to keep up with her fast footsteps. A block away, she swerved into an alley. Spot followed her, and then stopped still as he saw.

"Oh, damn," he swore, dropping to his knees. "Who---" He put a hand up to rub his forehead, and then his leadership took over. "Mysty, git back ta da Lodging House. Git Skunk ovah heah, he's gonna wanna help most a all. He and Chanty were close."

Mysty obeyed and sprinted back towards the Lodging House, dropping the dirty, red shirt she was still holding.

He picked it up and tried to ease it on while looking away. When he found out he couldn't, he rolled his eyes and forced himself to look at her. Even though she was unconscious, he still felt like he was invading her privacy, somehow, so he quickly turned away as he put the shirt on her. It went down to mid-thigh and he breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes caught a trickle of blood flowing down her right leg, and he closed his eyes to overcome the dizzy spell that attacked him. "Not Chanty," he whispered. She of all people...

Mysty appeared with Skunk who promptly ran up to Enchanted. "Enchanted?!" he shouted, his voice cracking. Without hesitation he reached down and started cradling her head in his arms. "She ain't..?" he looked up, suddenly afraid.

"No," Spot whispered, confirming his question, "She got raped, though." He pointed at the blood that dripped down her thigh.

Mysty gasped and her eyes scrunched up as she turned to look away.

"Skunk, help me git her back ta da Lodging House, aw right?" Spot ordered. "Mysty, git a doctah back dere. Git Fayerson, he's da one who'll undastand." Mysty nodded, and scampered away, eager to be doing something.

Spot shook his head. 'I'se shouldn't have kicked her out, she coulda been safe in bed right now.' "Skunk?" he snapped, angry with himself and how many lives he was screwing up. "Support her head, while I'se pick her up, aw right?" Skunk weakly nodded, and did as he said as Spot gathered her up in his arms. With strong, unwavering steps, he made his way back to the Lodging House. Skunk followed behind him, and then ran forward to open the door. "MISTAH WILLIAMS!" Skunk shouted, rousing about all of the Lodging House with his loud voice. "MISTAH---"

"I'se heah!" a 30-year-old or so disheveled looking man popped up out of his room. "You'se gonna wake up da whole Lodging House," he grumbled, his mouth opening in a yawn, and then not closing as he realized who Spot was holding. "Is dat---?"

"It's Enchanted," Spot said grimly, "Mysty found her in an alley."

Mr. Williams gently took Enchanted from his arms, and carefully laid her down on a tattered red couch. "Did ya git da doctah?" he questioned sharply.


"Mysty's gettin' Fayerson," Spot answered.

By now, the whole entire Lodging House had woken up as a result of Skunk's thundering voice, and they had all gathered around Enchanted.

"Dat ain't..." someone whispered. Everyone was responding similarly.

Spot closed his eyes and thought about what to do next. "I'se need some fast runnahs," he ordered, and then snapped his fingers. "Bunny, and Granite. Go ta da Manhattan Lodgin' House. Ya know whea it is right?" He didn't pause as two of his fastest newsies stepped forward, one a girl, and one a boy. Both were still half-asleep and drowsy, and he hated to interrupt their sleep like this, but the Manhattan newsies had to know. "Git dere. Don't stop fo' anythin'. Go ta Jack foist. Ya know who Jack is, right?"

They both nodded. Who didn't? This was Jack Kelly, the strike leader, they were talking about.

"Good. Go ta Jack, and tell him dat sumptin's happened ta Enchanted. Tell him ta tell Mush. Go," he ordered, all the while watching the door for Mysty and the doctor.

She entered a few minutes after Bunny and Granite left, toting a black doctor's bag. A man, about Kloppman's age, trailed along behind her. Immediately, he took control of the group by ordering them all to bed, save the three who had helped bring her back to the Lodging House in the first place. He told them to turn their heads so he could examine her. Spot paced at the other side of the room, while Skunk anxiously wrung his hands while waiting in the lobby. Mysty stared out the window, remembering a certain conversation that had taken place the 2nd night that she had arrived from the mist and fog.

Enchanted sat up in her bed, still not able to sleep. She was having the dreams again. The dreams where she was walking in the moonlight, calm and peaceful, and then suddenly...

Mysty half-rose in her bed. "En?" she murmured. Just when she had been able to get to sleep last night, Enchanted had started thrashing and screaming. "Have another nightmare?"

"They're not nightmares," she whispered, "They're dreams." Then, she looked away, and then her face crumpled up as she tried not to break down in tears. It was just that the dream had been so realistic. Mysty hopped out of bed and comfortingly put a hand to her back.

"Wanna go to the window?" she whispered, suggesting that if she had some air she might calm down.

Enchanted nodded mildly and pushed the white blanket off her body. She walked to the window and looked up at the moon. "Beautiful night," she said in hushed tones.

Mysty nodded and looked out the window too, remembering what her mother had told her about shooting stars. Examining the sky, she vaguely wondered if there were going to be shooting stars tonight. Her attention was broken when Enchanted drew in a long breath.

"My sister always liked boys. They called her Harem because of it. She was so friendly around them. Even at an early age she loved being surrounded by men," she started talking. She didn't know why she was telling Mysty this, granted she had only met her the day before, "She moved to Queens when I was 13, abandoning me here. I hated her for that. Some nights I laid on my pillow and wished she would die," she hissed.

Mysty looked at her, surprised. Enchanted didn't seem like too much of a violent person.

"I found out a few nights after she left that she had become a prostitute. That scarred me unbelievably, knowing that my sister had no problem selling her body like that."

"And then one night, I went walking down to Queens to talk with Harem. Hadn't seen her in a while. Been a few months since she left. I wandered into an alley," at this point her voice wavered, "I was lost. I had never been to Queens before. I...I saw a body, lying there. I didn't think it was my sister, I didn't think it could be anyone related to me, anyone I knew. But it was her hair that gave her away." Tears started traveling down her cheeks in rapid numbers. "My sister had little tinges of brown within the black color of her hair," she explained. "She had been raped. And someone had stabbed a switchblade into her. She wasn't bleeding that badly, which is what scared me. Cuz if she wasn't leaking out blood, was it all gone? I screamed, and someone found us. The doctor bandaged up her wounds, said she might not want to be in the company of men for a few days while she got over it emotionally." She shook her head, "He was wrong. She jumped back into the prostitute business. 'No worries' she said. As for me," she shrugged, "I've been havin' dreams ever since. I don't remember if I have them every night, or if it just occurs at different times. All I know is I do."

Mysty looked at her in amazement. "How else did that affect you?" she asked quietly.

Enchanted looked away, as if ashamed. "I made a promise to myself not to go crazy over some guy. Like Spot? I knew he wasn't serious when he asked me to be his girl. And I promised myself to stay a virgin till I marry. It can wait until then..."

The whispered words that she had said rang in her ears. Mysty balled a hand into a fist and hit the wall behind her. The doctor nodded, done with his examination.

"Luckily," he said in a business tone, "She wasn't hurt that badly. By that I mean, she wasn't burned, she wasn't stabbed, and there are no broken bones. There are a few bruises on her arms and legs, a few cuts on her lower area of her legs. There are also pinch marks on her---" he stopped, not knowing how to put it. "Her---" he waved a hand over his chest area.

"Yeah, we know," Mysty nodded, wincing at the thought.

"She was raped very badly. If she wasn't a virgin, she wouldn't have felt as much pain," he explained. "She went unconscious because of the pain, I'll wager."

Mysty had the sudden urge to rip his head off, just for being so nonchalant like he didn't care. Dominating the urge---just barely---she asked, "What should we do when she wakes up?"


The doctor started cleaning her up as he gave her the instructions. "Try not to let her be around boys for a while. When she awakes, if there are boys in the room, she might start throwing a tantrum. She will be scared for a while. Does she have a boyfriend?"

Spot nodded. "Mush. But dey're in love, so how can sumptin' like dis affect her?"

The doctor just shrugged, as if it were obvious. "She's just been hurt by a man. Likewise, she's going to start thinking all men are there to hurt her."

"That's ridiculous!" Mysty protested, "Enchanted---" she stopped as she realized what the doctor had said was true. "Oh, God," she whispered.

Spot shook his head sadly, as Skunk sank to the floor.

Across the city, Kloppman's yelling was arousing Jack. "Wha---but it don't even seem we'se slept fo' a full houah!" he complained, as he scratched his head.

But it wasn't the newsies he was yelling at. Downstairs, he had been engrossed in a book, when two young kids tumbled into the doorway, panting and wheezing. "I'm sorry," he said, peeking over the edges of his worn-out book, "But the poker game ended a few hours ago."

"We'se ain't heah fo' da pokah game," the young girl with whitish blond hair said, looking up at the old man with respect and fear in her blue eyes.

"Nope," the boy with granite gray eyes responded truthfully. "Spot Conlon sent us heah ta talk ta Cowboy!"

That was when Kloppman decided to shout at the two of them, telling them that Spot Conlon didn't decide when his newsboy's and newsgirls went to sleep and that he didn't have the right to send people over here to wake them up.

Jack drowsily scratched his head, and then groggily made his way off his bed and to the top of the stairs. "Whad's goin' on, Kloppman?" he asked, his eyes drooping. Slingshot appeared at the top of the stairs beside him, her light brown hair mussed. She had always been a light sleeper. She scooted closer to Jack, until she was so close that he had to lift his arm and place it on her shoulder. She smiled, and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"These two---" Kloppman pointed an accusing finger at the two sheepish looking newsies, "From that Spot Conlon's gang, decide to come here in the middle of the night---" he ranted on and on.

"Kloppman," Race said, as he emerged from behind Jack, "Please keep it down. I'se ain't even got 30 minutes a sleep yet." He shot a sharp look at Baby, who had just come into view.

Jack raised his hand, and then asked, "Granite, whad's goin' on?"

"It's Enchanted!" Bunny blurted out, "Something's happened ta her!"

"Ta who?" Mush had suddenly jumped up from where he had been brooding, tucked in a corner where everyone's eyes would pass over and not notice him. He couldn't believe that Enchanted still hadn't shown up.

"Enchanted," Bunny said, facing him. "She's been raped!"

Mush stared at her, a frown starting on his face. "Whad...dis is a joke, right?"

Bunny and Granite shook their heads.

Mush exhaled and closed his eyes, running a trembling hand through his curls. Then, he started forward, walking in fast strides.


"Hey," Jack grabbed him, "Whea ya goin'?"

"Ta see Enchanted," he exclaimed, struggling to get out of Jack's strong hold.

"She needs her rest," Jack said logically.

"So do we," Sling spoke up, "So c'mon, Mush, let's wait until tomorrow ta visit her, aw right?"

Mush glared at the four of them---it looked eerily like Spot Conlon's famous death glare---gathered at the top of the stairs. They were keeping him from seeing her in her time of need, and he hated them for it. Finally, he stalked back into the Bunk Room and dropped down on to his bunk, feeling desperation and helplessness fill up inside of him.

Tapper sat up in bed, and walked to the white sheet. She had realized that Mysty and Enchanted hadn't returned from their 'walk' and although it was obvious to why Mysty hadn't come back, there wasn't a reason for Enchanted not to return. She had just heard what had happened to her. 'That's a good reason,' she thought cynically. Her auburn hair glinted in the moonlight and her blue eyes searched the other half of the Bunk Room for Skittery. She found him easily; his pink shirt made him stand out among all the others. She jumped into his bed, and wasn't surprised to see that he wasn't asleep. Without a word, he lifted his arm and placed it on her waist, and they lay like that, face to face together.

In the minutes that followed, Jack and Slingshot entered the room. Sling curled up in bed next to Jack, not wishing to go back alone to her bed. Gears got up and trudged dutifully to Crutchy who pulled her onto the bed next to him. Blaze pushed back her long curls and walked to Bumlets, snatching up his hat that was lying on the nightstand beside the bed. Switch Blade sighed, and practically jumped from her bed to land besides a still awake Kid Blink. Kaa had a grimace on her face, jealous that Davey wasn't here to hold her. And Smalls cuddled up to Dutchy. IF buried her head in Snitch's pillow. All of them were desolate, wishing that they could go up to Brooklyn right now to see Enchanted. Only Baby and Race refused to stay with each other for the night in each other's arms.

~*~

Enchanted groaned. The dreams were back. They had managed to vanish the past few weeks she had been with Mush, but they had returned. And now they would never go away...they would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life... She whimpered and tossed on the bed, mouth drawn in a tight line.

Spot and Mysty watched her as she continued to thrash. "She didn't have da dreams fo' da past few weeks," he said in an awed whisper, "But dey're back."

Mysty exhaled and watched Enchanted struggle to pull herself out of the dream. She could feel Spot's eyes on her and she apathetically fixed her gaze on the wall. "Should we wake her?" When there was no answer, she knew that he was thinking about something else besides Enchanted. "No, Spot," she said strongly, "It ain't the time or the place. And this---" she gestured at the still struggling girl, "Is a sign that we just aren't meant to be."

Spot sighed gustily, annoyed at her point of view. "Jist cuz Enchanted got raped don't mean we can't get taggeda," he said harshly.

Mysty glowered at him. "You're a jerk, you know that? You know what Enchanted's one goal in life was, didn't you?" At this point in their ever-growing quarrel, footsteps echoed up the stairs, breaking up their fight for the time being.

Gears, Tapper, and Baby tromped up the stairs, eager on greeting and visiting Enchanted. Jack appeared behind them, and bringing up the rear were Race and Mush, whispering something to each other. Their jubilant mood ended, however, when they noticed Enchanted tossing around on the bed.

"Jesus," Jack muttered as he saw the deathly pale color she was. Mush didn't say a word; he just stared in shock at the bruises the encircled her arms and legs. Reaching out a quavering hand, he slightly brushed his fingers against her red cheek that had been slapped the night before. Instantly, her whimpering stopped and she lay still on the bed. Her mouth straightened out and her face became relaxed. Mysty had the feeling that Mush had banished whatever demons she had been dreaming about for the time being.

"Whad are you'se doin' heah?" Spot asked, after spit shaking with Jack, "Shouldn't you'se be sellin'?"

"Kloppman gave us all da day off," Race explained, "Ta see Enchanted." Spot nodded.

"Well, I'se taken da day off. Everyone's gone sellin', cept fo' dose two," Spot pointed at two familiar looking newsies curled up in different beds. Race recognized them as the two newsies who had ran all the way across the Brooklyn Bridge to bring them the bad news. "Dey were so sleepy an' tired aftah last night dat I'se decided ta let dem sleep," he shrugged.

Sling shook her head. Spot may have tried to act cold-hearted, but deep inside, he was one of the nicest, affectionate guys she had ever seen. Once you got past his pride and ego, he was one admirable guy...

Mysty cracked. Her tough exterior broke into pieces as she burst into tears. "She...she told me she wanted to stay a virgin until she marries! And now, for God's sake, it won't ever happen!" She buried her head into Spot's shoulder, trying to control herself.

Mush clenched his eyes closed. "I'se...I'se shoulda gone wid her ta Brooklyn when she asked me to," he confessed.

A flurry of movement occurred and suddenly, Mush was against the wall with Spot pinning him down. "She asked ya ta go ta Brooklyn wid her in da middle a da night, and you'se didn't go?!" he questioned, angry at him.

"Well, dat part ain't MY fault," Mush shouted, as he pushed him backwards and off of himself, "If you'se hadn't kicked her out a da Lodging House like you did, she wouldn't have needed ta talk ta you'se!"

Spot's face acquired an ashamed look, and then he let go of Mush's arm.

Mush stared at Enchanted's bruises, and then his face crumpled. "I'se shoulda gone wid her! It is me fault!"

"Stop it!" Sling suddenly snapped. "It's no one's fault except fo' da man dat raped her. Blame t'ings on him, and not on each udda! And as fo' you, Spot," she rounded on him, "Dis could have been all prevented had you jist let her stay da night in Manhattan! But even dat ain't ya fault! So I'se suggest ya both shut up ovah who's fault it is, and jist pay attention ta Enchanted, cuz she's da one outta all a us who needs da most help!" Silence greeted this. All of them knew she wasn't really that mad, but still...

Spot groaned. "Now dat she's outta her nightmare, anyone wanna go ta lunch? I'se hungry." Mysty glared at him. "Whad?" he snapped, "Jist cuz Chanty's sufferin' don't mean we'se hafta starve ourselves!"

"He's right," Gears said, jumping in between the two of them. They looked as if they were going to bite each other's heads off, and Gears didn't want any unwanted violence. "Look, Mys, let's go eat lunch foist, and den we'se can come back and take care a Enchanted, ok?"

Mysty looked at the floor. "Fine," she muttered through gritted teeth, "But don't call me Mys again. Only En could call me that."

Sling nodded absent-mindedly, agreeing with whatever she had said. They were all headed for the stairs, when she noticed someone had stayed behind. "Mush?" she called over her shoulder.

"I'se gonna stay here fo' a while," he said, stroking Enchanted's hair and waving a hand, ushering her out. Sling just shrugged.

'Poor guy,' she thought sympathetically before leaving the two of them there.

Mush ran a finger down Enchanted's cheek, and onto her lips, wonderingly. He trailed his finger down past her chin, and onto her neck. He hated seeing her this way, so helpless and unprotected. Not like the Enchanted he knew...Tears started filling his eyes, and he blinked hurriedly, trying to stop them from falling. One tear splashed down on her face, and he brushed it away.

Enchanted could feel someone brushing their finger on her cheek, and then onto her lips. She could feel tingles wherever their fingers went past, and then she felt something wet drop on her cheek, like a drop of water. Her eyes fluttered open, and her eyesight focused to see Mush looking intently at her. Her lips twisted into a smile, before she fully realized who it was. Her mind flashed back to the man who had raped her, and then she felt fear swamp her until she was drowning in it. She remembered the dreams she was having, where someone was touching her in a way she did not want to be touched; where someone was hurting her. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth and let out a loud scream.

Mush pushed himself backwards, not expecting her to scream like that. He had been awaiting a greeting, maybe a kiss, but not a scream that rang sharply in his ears.

Enchanted scrambled out from underneath the blankets and propelled herself into a corner of the bunk bed, as far away from him as she could get. She could feel sharp pain from in between her legs, and her face contorted, as she comprehended that what had been there before was gone.

Mush could see her cowering from him, as if he was about to strike her for something she didn't do. There was fear in her large, brown eyes that drove a nail into his heart. 'She's afraid of me,' he thought with a pang. Not knowing what to do, he started forward, as if to hug her.

Enchanted drew back. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" she shouted, tears now running down her face and wetting the blankets. "JUST GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

Mush recoiled. "I'se sorry," he mumbled, taking a step backward. She had yanked his heart out of his chest by simply showing she was afraid of him. But now, she had broken it into a million pieces by that command. "I'se shouldn't have come heah. I'se gonna---"

Enchanted blinked vaguely and tilted her head, a habit she did when she was thinking about something. "Mush?" she whispered, as if she had just recognized him.

"I'se sorry, Enchanted," he apologized as he walked farther and farther away from her.

Enchanted could see him retreating, ready to exit the Bunk Room. "Mush, don't leave me!" she cried, as she struggled to get up out of the bed.

Mush halted in his tracks, and retraced his steps back to the bedside. His compassionate eyes sparkled with tears. "I'se sorry, Enchanted. I'se didn't mean ta scare you'se. I'se should be going now..." he started backtracking towards the door once again.

"Mush, please!" Enchanted begged in a whisper, "Don't leave me! I've been abandoned all my life! Don't you dare even try!"

Mush felt the whisper make its way into his heart, and slowly, he was turning around, following her orders. "But---but you'se scared a me. I'se shouldn't---"

"Please," she pleaded. Her whispered word permeated the thick air. Mush sat down on her bed and reached for her, expecting her to blanch and draw back. But she sat there, trusting and guilelessly, believing with all of her heart that he would never do anything to hurt her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked calmly; her tears had evaporated with his touch.

"I'se wanted ta visit you," he said, equally as calm, trying to forget the fearful look she had had on her face just a few moments ago. "Did he hoit ya dat bad?"

She nodded. "Please hold me," she asked in hushed tones, "I need to be held right now. Why did you come here in the first place? You should be selling today," she criticized.

Mush took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. He was glad that there was no more fear in them, just complete and total trust. "You'se know whad I'se came heah fo'," he murmured, almost whispering. "I'se came heah ta be wid you..." his words lingered in the air, as he pulled her tenderly towards her, as gently as a child would have, and held her. And he didn't let go until everyone appeared at the door, done with their lunch, and still expecting her to be asleep. Only then did he release her slowly and reluctantly from his arms.

~*~