Author's Note: I'm tired of calling Spot 2 names. From now on he's Kieran.
Permanently. Ok? So don't get confused.
Shoutouts: Jo: Yes, he is wacko- he's the villain though, so whaddaya expect?
Carlie: He is different, but I like him like this- and of course he's still really hot!
Fast & Half-Pint: I hope you guys like your boyfriends… I luv you guys!
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jack had to ask Spot something. –Kieran!- he corrected himself. –We call him Kieran now! Spot was now called by his real name by everyone in both Lodging Houses. Singah had been calling him Kieran for long enough that everyone else had picked it up too. Jack had walked to Brooklyn that morning, ditching all the others. He found Spot in his usual place, overlooking the harbor and his newsies. Walking up to him, they spit shook and started talking. "Kieran… I gotta ask ya somethin'. It's about Fast…"
"Sure, Jacky-boy. Whaddaya want?"
"Look, I'm gonna be 20 soon. I'm gettin' to old ta be a newsie any more. But da thing is, I wanna marry Fast. I just don' know how ta ask her… or how I'm gonna support her if she says yes!"
"Look, Jacky-boy… if ya love the girl, jus' ask her… dat's what I did… the fact that Singah was pregnant jus' kinda speeded things up." He paused. "Fast ain't gonna have a baby, is she?" Kieran didn't think so, but with Jack you never knew…
"No, she ain't pregnant, but I love her and I wanna marry her. I just don' know how ta ask her."
"Jesus, Jack! Jus' say, "Fast, do you wanna marry me? It ain't that difficult. And she loves ya too, so she'll probably say yes… Just go ask her! An' don' worry about supportin' her… Yer newsies! We always make enough! Besides, Kloppman's gettin' old- maybe you could take over the House." Kieran was surprised that Jack had come to him for advice. It wasn't like he was an expert on that kind of stuff. He just happened to be married… and to Jack's little sister… "Look, Jack, I told ya what I could. Now go ask her so I can go home." With that, Kieran started off towards his Lodging House, his wife, and his daughter.
Behind him, Jack yelled, "Thanks, Kieran!" and headed back towards Manhattan. He just hoped Fast wouldn't mind if he didn't have a ring.
***
At the Brooklyn Lodging House, Kieran walked in past Rae and Snitch, flirting in the entry, to the kitchen where Singah was cooking. He snuck up behind her and grabbed her about the waist, kissing her neck as he swung her around. She laughed and smacked at him. "Put me down!" He didn't obey, instead he just held her in midair so she was eye to eye with him and kissed her again. She kissed him back, then started smacking him again. "Put me down or dinner will burn!" That, of course, made Kieran release her. Singah laughed. "If there's one thing you'll listen to, it's your stomach!" She turned back to the stove and fiddled with whatever was cooking there. He smirked (surprise, surprise), and just kept kissing the back of her neck until she turned around and kissed him full on the lips. "Now will you go away and let me cook?" Still smirking, he shook his head.
"Nevah!" Laughing, Singah swatted at him and shoved him out of the kitchen.
"Go play with Maire!" Feigning hurt that she kicked him out of the kitchen, Kieran walked back through the entry, pausing to yell at Rae and Snitch, who were busy kissing. "Get a room, why doncha?" He grinned at the faces they made, and went upstairs to the room he, Singah, and now Maire shared. Reaching the door, he went in and walked over to his daughter's cradle. Lifting her up, he said, "Ya know, I hope you don't grow up like yer mother… Jesus, kickin' a guy outta the kitchen. Da nerve." She giggled in her baby way as he bounced her up and down, then carried her out of the room and downstairs again.
***
At the Manhattan Lodging House, slightly more dramatic things were going on. Jack was proposing to Fast. He had pulled her aside and up to the empty bunk room. Catcalls had followed them, but once they were alone (or so they thought), Jack got down on one knee, and took Fast's hands in his. "Fastdancer, Jen, will you marry me?" She was surprised- she wanted to, but it was kinda sudden.
Overcoming her shock, she said, "Yeah, Jack, of course I'll marry you." He leapt to his feet, and kissed her. She returned the kiss, but when they heard clapping, they sprang apart.
Racetrack and Half-Pint had been in the room. They had heard everything! Half-Pint came over to Fast and hugged her. "Congratulations, lass!" Race came up to Jack and hugged him man-style, then shook his hand. Congrats, Cowboy! Come on, go tell everyone before the girls start planning the wedding!" Jack and Fastdancer left the room first, followed by Race and Half-Pint. Once they were downstairs, they yelled for attention.
"Hey everybody! Listen up!" Once the present newsies were settled, Jack announced, "Me and Fast are gettin' married!"
Shoutouts: Jo: Yes, he is wacko- he's the villain though, so whaddaya expect?
Carlie: He is different, but I like him like this- and of course he's still really hot!
Fast & Half-Pint: I hope you guys like your boyfriends… I luv you guys!
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jack had to ask Spot something. –Kieran!- he corrected himself. –We call him Kieran now! Spot was now called by his real name by everyone in both Lodging Houses. Singah had been calling him Kieran for long enough that everyone else had picked it up too. Jack had walked to Brooklyn that morning, ditching all the others. He found Spot in his usual place, overlooking the harbor and his newsies. Walking up to him, they spit shook and started talking. "Kieran… I gotta ask ya somethin'. It's about Fast…"
"Sure, Jacky-boy. Whaddaya want?"
"Look, I'm gonna be 20 soon. I'm gettin' to old ta be a newsie any more. But da thing is, I wanna marry Fast. I just don' know how ta ask her… or how I'm gonna support her if she says yes!"
"Look, Jacky-boy… if ya love the girl, jus' ask her… dat's what I did… the fact that Singah was pregnant jus' kinda speeded things up." He paused. "Fast ain't gonna have a baby, is she?" Kieran didn't think so, but with Jack you never knew…
"No, she ain't pregnant, but I love her and I wanna marry her. I just don' know how ta ask her."
"Jesus, Jack! Jus' say, "Fast, do you wanna marry me? It ain't that difficult. And she loves ya too, so she'll probably say yes… Just go ask her! An' don' worry about supportin' her… Yer newsies! We always make enough! Besides, Kloppman's gettin' old- maybe you could take over the House." Kieran was surprised that Jack had come to him for advice. It wasn't like he was an expert on that kind of stuff. He just happened to be married… and to Jack's little sister… "Look, Jack, I told ya what I could. Now go ask her so I can go home." With that, Kieran started off towards his Lodging House, his wife, and his daughter.
Behind him, Jack yelled, "Thanks, Kieran!" and headed back towards Manhattan. He just hoped Fast wouldn't mind if he didn't have a ring.
***
At the Brooklyn Lodging House, Kieran walked in past Rae and Snitch, flirting in the entry, to the kitchen where Singah was cooking. He snuck up behind her and grabbed her about the waist, kissing her neck as he swung her around. She laughed and smacked at him. "Put me down!" He didn't obey, instead he just held her in midair so she was eye to eye with him and kissed her again. She kissed him back, then started smacking him again. "Put me down or dinner will burn!" That, of course, made Kieran release her. Singah laughed. "If there's one thing you'll listen to, it's your stomach!" She turned back to the stove and fiddled with whatever was cooking there. He smirked (surprise, surprise), and just kept kissing the back of her neck until she turned around and kissed him full on the lips. "Now will you go away and let me cook?" Still smirking, he shook his head.
"Nevah!" Laughing, Singah swatted at him and shoved him out of the kitchen.
"Go play with Maire!" Feigning hurt that she kicked him out of the kitchen, Kieran walked back through the entry, pausing to yell at Rae and Snitch, who were busy kissing. "Get a room, why doncha?" He grinned at the faces they made, and went upstairs to the room he, Singah, and now Maire shared. Reaching the door, he went in and walked over to his daughter's cradle. Lifting her up, he said, "Ya know, I hope you don't grow up like yer mother… Jesus, kickin' a guy outta the kitchen. Da nerve." She giggled in her baby way as he bounced her up and down, then carried her out of the room and downstairs again.
***
At the Manhattan Lodging House, slightly more dramatic things were going on. Jack was proposing to Fast. He had pulled her aside and up to the empty bunk room. Catcalls had followed them, but once they were alone (or so they thought), Jack got down on one knee, and took Fast's hands in his. "Fastdancer, Jen, will you marry me?" She was surprised- she wanted to, but it was kinda sudden.
Overcoming her shock, she said, "Yeah, Jack, of course I'll marry you." He leapt to his feet, and kissed her. She returned the kiss, but when they heard clapping, they sprang apart.
Racetrack and Half-Pint had been in the room. They had heard everything! Half-Pint came over to Fast and hugged her. "Congratulations, lass!" Race came up to Jack and hugged him man-style, then shook his hand. Congrats, Cowboy! Come on, go tell everyone before the girls start planning the wedding!" Jack and Fastdancer left the room first, followed by Race and Half-Pint. Once they were downstairs, they yelled for attention.
"Hey everybody! Listen up!" Once the present newsies were settled, Jack announced, "Me and Fast are gettin' married!"