Author's Note: I found this great Lodging House- if you wanna join, its
address is http://brooklynzlh.topcities.com/ The webmistress is Hades.
Shoutouts: Half-pint: I hope you got a good imagination!
Fast: Jeez, you are popular with guys, ain't ya! Are you dis popular in real life and if you are, what's yer secret?
Chapter Twenty-five
Several weeks after the announcement of Jack and Fast's up-and-coming marriage, there was another announcement in the Manhattan Lodging House- of the female kind. Half-Pint entered the boys' bunkroom. She motioned for all the boys to leave. They obeyed, snickering, their puerile minds at work.
"Race, acushla? I need to talk to you." Half-Pint was nervous… she had something really important to tell him.
"What is Half?" He pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her cheek. He really was in love with her.
"Race," she pulled away, "I'm up the flue." Seeing the confused look on his face, she said, "Race, me love, I'm pregnant!" He didn't seem to comprehend. "Racetrack Higgins! Love, I'm gonna have a baby- your baby!" Finally it seemed to soak in.
"A ba… a bab… a baby!" he finally stuttered out. "You're gonna have… my baby!" He grinned. "A baby! Jesus! Dis is great!" He paused. "Wait- is it great or am I in trouble?"
"Well, acushla, I wasn't exactly planning on havin' a bairn quite yet! So we're both in trouble." She looked down, sad. She wanted children, but not yet! Half-Pint felt bad for herself and him… She loved him, but she wasn't ready for a baby! And neither was he.
"Jesus, Half-Pint, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean ta…" He really was sorry, if she didn't want it. "If dere's anything I can do…"
"Yeah, Racetrack, you can never leave me and your baby." She didn't so much order him as beg. "I can't raise this bairn on my own."
"I promise, love, I'll never leave you. I promise." He kissed her hand. "And dat's me word."
"Grand. But let's not tell the world yet. I might yet be wrong. But I don't think I am."
"Fine. We'll keep it our little secret for as long as you want." And that was the final word on the subject.
***
Meanwhile, Jack and Fastdancer were planning for their wedding. They didn't want to wait months, as Kieran and Singah had. They wanted to marry now- the sooner the better.
Singah was coming with Maire as often as she could to help plan. Fast, Rae, Half-Pint and Singah made short work of what could have taken months to prepare. It was but three weeks after Half-Pint's confession to Racetrack that Jack and Fastdancer were married at the Saint Anne's church in Manhattan. Jack had scrimped, saved, and scrounged enough money to buy Fast a ring- a simple one, but a ring nonetheless.
With Singah as matron of honor, Rae and Hal-Pint as bridesmaids, and her brother Trolley giving her away, Fastdancer walked down the aisle. As they said their vows, and Jack placed the ring on her finger, the small church erupted in applause, cheers, and whistle of the newsies, and cries from Maire, awakened by the noise.
At the party after the wedding, the new Mr. And Mrs. Jack Kelly accepted congratulations, and Jack announced that he would be taking over the Manhattan Lodging House from Kloppman, who was too old to run it anymore. Once the party was over, many hours later, the majority of newsies left. Kieran, Singah, Rae, Snitch, Half-Pint, and Race stayed to help clean up while Jack and Fast left for their honeymoon in nearby Buffalo, New York (AN: they only went there cause I can't think of anywhere else. I honestly don't know what is there.). Once the tedious process of cleaning up was complete, the remaining people went back to their homes to sleep and get ready for the next day of carryin' da banner.
Shoutouts: Half-pint: I hope you got a good imagination!
Fast: Jeez, you are popular with guys, ain't ya! Are you dis popular in real life and if you are, what's yer secret?
Chapter Twenty-five
Several weeks after the announcement of Jack and Fast's up-and-coming marriage, there was another announcement in the Manhattan Lodging House- of the female kind. Half-Pint entered the boys' bunkroom. She motioned for all the boys to leave. They obeyed, snickering, their puerile minds at work.
"Race, acushla? I need to talk to you." Half-Pint was nervous… she had something really important to tell him.
"What is Half?" He pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her cheek. He really was in love with her.
"Race," she pulled away, "I'm up the flue." Seeing the confused look on his face, she said, "Race, me love, I'm pregnant!" He didn't seem to comprehend. "Racetrack Higgins! Love, I'm gonna have a baby- your baby!" Finally it seemed to soak in.
"A ba… a bab… a baby!" he finally stuttered out. "You're gonna have… my baby!" He grinned. "A baby! Jesus! Dis is great!" He paused. "Wait- is it great or am I in trouble?"
"Well, acushla, I wasn't exactly planning on havin' a bairn quite yet! So we're both in trouble." She looked down, sad. She wanted children, but not yet! Half-Pint felt bad for herself and him… She loved him, but she wasn't ready for a baby! And neither was he.
"Jesus, Half-Pint, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean ta…" He really was sorry, if she didn't want it. "If dere's anything I can do…"
"Yeah, Racetrack, you can never leave me and your baby." She didn't so much order him as beg. "I can't raise this bairn on my own."
"I promise, love, I'll never leave you. I promise." He kissed her hand. "And dat's me word."
"Grand. But let's not tell the world yet. I might yet be wrong. But I don't think I am."
"Fine. We'll keep it our little secret for as long as you want." And that was the final word on the subject.
***
Meanwhile, Jack and Fastdancer were planning for their wedding. They didn't want to wait months, as Kieran and Singah had. They wanted to marry now- the sooner the better.
Singah was coming with Maire as often as she could to help plan. Fast, Rae, Half-Pint and Singah made short work of what could have taken months to prepare. It was but three weeks after Half-Pint's confession to Racetrack that Jack and Fastdancer were married at the Saint Anne's church in Manhattan. Jack had scrimped, saved, and scrounged enough money to buy Fast a ring- a simple one, but a ring nonetheless.
With Singah as matron of honor, Rae and Hal-Pint as bridesmaids, and her brother Trolley giving her away, Fastdancer walked down the aisle. As they said their vows, and Jack placed the ring on her finger, the small church erupted in applause, cheers, and whistle of the newsies, and cries from Maire, awakened by the noise.
At the party after the wedding, the new Mr. And Mrs. Jack Kelly accepted congratulations, and Jack announced that he would be taking over the Manhattan Lodging House from Kloppman, who was too old to run it anymore. Once the party was over, many hours later, the majority of newsies left. Kieran, Singah, Rae, Snitch, Half-Pint, and Race stayed to help clean up while Jack and Fast left for their honeymoon in nearby Buffalo, New York (AN: they only went there cause I can't think of anywhere else. I honestly don't know what is there.). Once the tedious process of cleaning up was complete, the remaining people went back to their homes to sleep and get ready for the next day of carryin' da banner.