Summary; Written for the RBLH (RAINBOW BRIDGE LODGING HOUSE; WWW . GEOCITIES . COM / INSTITUEOFGRACE). After a disastrous fire sends Jack & Stress up to Rainbow Bridge, a cocky Canadian tries to put himself between the pair. Will it take whatever's at the end of the rainbow to keep them together? It just might.

Disclaimer; I do not own, nor stake any claim, to any of the original newsboy characters -- they are the property of Disney. The main characters Stress and Riley belong to me. Any other character, when noted, is property of their respective owner. The Rainbow Bridge Lodging House belongs to Dice & Iris.

Originally Posted: 08.01.02 – 08.05.02

Rewritten: 05.08.06

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VI. LOVE

When Stress arrived at the Niagara Falls train yards, she walked over to the first conductor she saw. "'Excuse me sir? Is there a train heading down to Grand Central Station in Manhattan any time soon?"

The elderly conductor smiled gently at the girl and brought out a train schedule. He reviewed it quickly before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, miss, but the last train for Manhattan today left about ten minutes ago."

"Thank you, sir," she answered quietly before walking away slowly. She slumped her shoulders as she fought back the urge to cry. Jack was gone. He had left her behind in Canada all because of what some creep had said about her.

In any other circumstance Stress wouldn't have given it a second thought, instead just shrugging her shoulders and heading back to the Rainbow Bridge Lodging House. But this wasn't a normal circumstance. This was her love, her Cowboy, her Jack. And he was gone.

Stress sat down in the middle of the station and started to tear up even more so, scolding herself all the while. "You never should have become such good friends with Riley, especially since you knew how much it upset Jack. You should have just came straight to the train yard instead of stopping to talk to Riley for a bit and you might have stopped Jack from hitching that train. And you definitely shouldn't be sitting in the middle of the train yards crying like this. Do you want people to think your weak?" she asked herself. But, to no avail, she couldn't stop her tears from coming.

"Stress? Is that you?"

It can't be, she thought as she hastily wiped her eyes and lifted her head.

And there he stood, cowboy hat on his head, bag clutched in his hand. Jack.

Stress leaped to her feet and ran to Jack, throwing her arms around his neck when she got close enough. "Jack, you didn't leave me!"

Jack stumbled for a bit, but responded to her hug once he caught his balance. "Oh, Stress, no matter how hard I tried, I could never leave you behind." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. He was surprised when his action didn't cause her to pull away; instead, she pulled herself closer to him.

She buried her face in his vest ignoring the stale scent of smoke that lingered to it. "Jack, there's something I need to tell you—" she began but Jack cut her off.

"It's alright, Stress. I already know about you and Riley. I understand. I just want you to be happy."

Stress tightened her grip on Jack as if she was afraid that if she let go he might find another train to hop aboard. "No, Jack. You don't understand at all. Everyting he told you this morning in that park was a lie. I ain't never done nothing with him."

"But Stress, I saw you two kissing in the library yesterday." Jack had to bite his lip to suppress the smile that threatened to come. Maybe she still wants to be with me after all, he thought to himself.

Stress blushed slightly. "That wasn't my fault. Riley just came up to me and started kissing me but I pushed him away. He made me tell him why I didn't like him like that and I told him the truth. I love you, Jack, not him."

"Say that, again, Stressie," Jack said as his smile lit up his face.

"I love you, Jack, and I know I always will. I'm so glad that you didn't go back home to Manhattan without me. What would I do without you?" Stress looked up at Jack, tears glittering in her golden eyes.

Jack leaned down and, using his right hand, lifted Stress' face to meet his. "I love you too, Stressie. And I don't know what you'd do without me, but I sure know that I couldn't do nothing if you wasn't by my side. That's why I decided to stay. Even if I had to let you go and be someone else's girl, I would. Though I'm a lot happier that you're still mine."

Stress giggled softly as her tears silently spilled over. Ignoring Jack's left hand that he was using to wipe away her happy tears, she looked at him lovingly. "Kiss me, you sap, before I go find Riley to do it for ya."

Jack chuckled as he looked down at her. "Ya better not, Stressie," he threatened passionately before he listened to her demands.

And, for the first time since they had arrived in Canada, they were both were they belonged: in each other's arms.

- - -

They stayed locked in their embrace for what seemed like an eternity, as if they let go one of them would disappear forever; when it ended, Stress and Jack clasped hands and began to head back to the Rainbow Bridge Lodging House. There were no words spoken between the two of them, both of them content in just sharing the other's company. Besides, all the words they needed to say had been said inside their kiss down at the train yards.

After walking for awhile, she made out the familiar-looking structure in front of her. "Good old Rainbow Bridge," she whispered to herself as she stared out into the distance, remembering the first time she saw the bridge, a little over a month ago.

As the two of them stopped walking for a moment, Jack wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Hey, Stressie?"

"Mmm..." she murmured, her head leaning back into his chest.

"I was just thinking about something you said when we first arrived here," he said as he rested his chin on top of her hair.

"And what was that, Jack?" she mumbled, not wanting to come free from his hold.

"Did you ever find out what was at the end of that rainbow here?"

Stress pulled her head forward and tilted it up to look into Jack's brown eyes. "Yeah, Jack," she smiled and, turning around and reaching upward, kissed the tip of Jack's nose, "I think I did."

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Fin.