"Aww, come on Marble."

"Please???"

"No, now quit asking."

"Marble do it for Pips. He's never seen you preform at Medda's."

"Race he doesn't wanna see me dancin' around."

"Sure I do." Marble gave Pips a death glare but she just smiled back.

Most of the newsies were slipping through the back stage door of Irving Hall to catch a free show. Medda let them come in without charge once every other week and they wanted to take advantage of it. This was the first time they had gotten Pips to loosen up and come, now they all wanted Marble to get on stage and perform for the occasion. Even though she loved doing it, a tiny little 'girly problem' kept her from strutting around in front of dozens of men she didn't know.

"Hello m'dears, it's wonderful to see you all again. Ah, this must be Pips. I have heard so much about you." She pinched her cheek gently, "All of it good I assure you. The balcony is empty so run along and enjoy yourselves.."

As the boys left Medda grabbed Marble's arm, "Did you know that Pips is a girl?"

Marble grinned, "Yea but she doesn't want the guys to know so I'm helping her out."

"Oh well then, go have fun." Medda scooted her off after the others.

The front of the balcony was packed with the newsies trying to get as close as possible. Pips was quickly forgotten and took a seat alone in the back.

Marble joined her, "Medda knew."

"Knew what?"

"You're a girl."

"What! How?."

"I have no idea, she's just really smart I guess."

"Unbelievable." Marble snickered, "She isn't going to tell is she?"

"Naw, Medda keeps more secrets than I do."

Pips let her head fall back against the wall, "Thank God."

"Marble, what're ya doin' ta dat poor boy? He came heah ta see Medda, let 'im see 'er."

"Fine fine. You'd better go watch the show before Racetrack drags you up there."

Pips gave Marble a pained look and joined the boys at the railing.

* * *

"Best hat?"

"Jack." A chorus of voices answered. All of the newsies had been sucked into a stupid game and were playing in the middle of the balcony. It was Jake's turn.

"Um, best, I dunno, um, best underwear?"

Most of the boys snickered and Jack asked, "What kinda stupid question is dat?"

"I's couldn't t'ink a nothin' else, jist answer it."

"I say Skittery, pink's a good colah fa 'im."

"Shuddup Boots."

Marble spoke up before another fight broke out, "Ya know I kinda like Mush's adorable blue boxers." She winked and he blushed. The others started laughing and went on with the game.

"Best teeth?"

"Snitch."

"Best storyteller?"

"Marble."

Snipeshooter suddenly started shouting, "I's got it, I's got it!"

"And god help us, he's going to tell us."

"Most goily?" The boys cracked up and started shouting out names.

After a minute Marble broke in, "Why haven't I heard my name yet?"

They got all quiet and embarrassed until Race saved their collective butts, "Well Marble you's alroidy a goil so ya don't count." He rushed on before she could get mad, "Poisonally I t'ink it's Pips."

"What!?"

"Don't git mad, I's jist sayin' dat if we put ya in a dress an' stuffed da front you'd look jist like a goil."

"That's not funny." But by the time she said all of the boys had an image of Pips in a dress and they were laughing. She started to panic but they forgot about it and went on with the game, even thought she continued to sulk about the stuffing the front comment for another few minutes.

"Most Piraty?"

"Blink."

"Most hyper?"

"Tumbler." "Snipeshooter."

"It's a tie."

"Most likely to get drunk and end up in a dress?"

For some strange reason the boys took Marble's question seriously and took a few minutes to think about it.

Finally Bumlets spoke up, "Swifty."(Who here saw The Birdcage?)

A whole new argument broke out between the boys, leaving everyone else free to laugh over the image of the others in drag.

* * *

Pips had managed to weasel away with the excuse of being tired before Medda came back on to end the show and Marble didn't really want to watch the boys drool for another five minutes so they were walking back the lodging house together. Marble had a few bad memories of alleys and insisted that they walk down the middle of the street, luckily it was late and there was no traffic.

"Hey Marble, are there many other girl newsies?"

"Yeah a couple." Marble's voice sounded like she was trying not to laugh but it didn't show on her face. "Lemme see, there's the two of us in Manhattan, Three in Brooklyn."

"Three?"

"Yea, you know Frick then there's Angel, she's Dublin's little sister, and Katie, she doesn't live in the house but she sells there. Um, Harlem and Midtown are equal amounts of boys and girls and the Bronx has twelve, out of thirty-seven newsies, that's the biggest house. Coney Island on the other hand is run by girls, only three boys and two of them live at home. The other one is Ace's nephew, he's seven and he's more of a little brother to the house then a newsies. In Queens girls were banned so they all moved out an' I don't know about the other boroughs because they keep changing around, the East Side doesn't even have a house, it's just bunch of street kids."

"Oh."

Marble laughed, "Don't feel as unique now do you?"

"No, not really, but I feel better knowing I'm not as alone."

They walked in silence for a while. "Hey Pips stay calm alright. There's a guy following us a little bit back and we might have to run soon. Don't be too obvious if you have to look."

Pips tensed up and carefully glanced over her shoulder to see a shadow pass in front of a lit window. The door smacked open as it was passing and there was a thud. She grabbed Marble's sleeve and they both turned as a drunk staggered out. The shadow was gone, but now the man from the bar was leering at them. He started forward but only got a few steps before some men jumped out of an alley, knocked him down and started rifling through his pockets.

Marble laughed humorlessly, "That's New York for ya."

The two girls started walking again but that only drew attention to them. There were seven men now and they quickly formed a loose ring around the newsies.

"What's we got heah me bruddahs?"

"Looks like we gots a sweet lil' goil an' hoir boy. An' deys all alone." The men easily mistook Pips for a boy just like everyone else, but instead of them wanting to avoid fighting another man they decided to gang up on her.

One man pulled out a chain and started twirling it around as the others herded the girls towards an alley. He suddenly swung at them but Marble grabbed the chain and yanked forward. As he fell she brought her knee up into his face with a sickening crunch as his nose broke.

Marble pushed Pips behind her when two more of them came at her. One dove at her legs but she jumped, making him smash face first into the pavement. The other man had been expecting to grab her when she lost her balance but instead he got a kick in the stomach from midair. Marble's only advantage in outnumbered fights against people who were much stronger than her was they never expected a girl to fight back and she was too fast for them to keep up with. The whole fight seemed to be in slow motion, the man doubling over, the others circling, their yelling. Then Pips screamed and it all snapped back to real time.

Two more men had been waiting in the alley and they had grabbed her while Marble was fighting. Pips was already on the ground when Marble rammed into the smaller one. Her momentum carried him into the wall. They were both stunned for a second but Marble recovered first and a swift uppercut in the jaw knocked him out. Shr turned to face the bigger man just in time to catch his back hand swing with her shoulder instead of her head. The force sent her flying deeper into the alley. She rolled onto her back and kicked him squarely in the chest when he lunged a her. He was knocked back but he didn't fall. In the instant it took for him to regain his balance Marble was on her feet. They both got into a fighting stance and started circling. The man was at least a foot taller than Marble and almost twice as wide, all muscle.

She faked to the right then quickly ducked and rolled the other direction, coming up with a chunk of wood in her hands. She swung and just caught the side of his head. For an instant he looked unhurt then his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed. Marble spun without pausing towards the mouth of the alley, but instead of more attackers she saw the newsies chasing the last ones off. They had left Irving Hall right after the girls and come running when Pips screamed. Reminded of her friend Marble was at her side instantly. She hadn't been hit more than once or twice but she was curled up in a ball clutching her stomach.

"Pips what's wrong? Where's it hurt?"

Pips looked up at her, "My baby." Tears were streaming down her face, not from pain but because she knew that her child was gone. The look in her eyes told Marble everything. Sorrow filled her as she wrapped her arms around Pips.

She held her for a second then whispered, "I'm gonna hafta tell them or we can't help you, alright?" Pips just nodded and buried her face in Marble's shoulder.

The boys crowded around and started asking questions but Marble stopped them with a look, "Let's get back to the lodging house and get a doctor, there's something you all hafta know."