Author's Note: OK I know that I haven't posted anything in ions. but I
found my notebooks and figured that I might as well finish typing my two
unfinished stories.
If anyone can remember these I hope that you enjoy the ending now that it
is here.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own nothing, as always. although I wouldn't mind keeping a few of the newsies in my closet.
Chapter 7: Battered
"Hope."
I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy image of Skipper leaning over me.
"Hope," he repeated in a hoarse whisper. "Come on, get dressed."
Without even a questioning look, I complied and followed him out of the bunkroom. My stomach sank as I caught a glimpse of the bunk below Shiner's: Rascal's bunk, empty.
When we were safe on the quiet street, I stopped. "Skip, what's goin on?"
"We're going to Manhattan," he replied simply. "The boy that Shiner was talking about was Skittery. Jack sent one of his boys to find you. Come on, we have to hurry."
Keeping to the shadows, we slipped into Manhattan in record time. Despite the late hour, the Lodging house was still abuzz.
Skip and I stood unnoticed in the doorway, surveying the array of battered newsies that were sprawled around the lobby. Mush was the first to notice us. As he walked over, I caught a glimpse of a purple bruise forming around the side of his eye and a trickle of blood sliding down his chin from his lip.
"Hope," he whispered, pulling me into a tight hug, "it's so good to see you."
Without saying a word, I examined his wounds, dabbing his chin with a nearby cloth.
"I'm fine," he pulled my hands down. I nodded sadly, and then scanned the room. Mush leaned over to me. "He's upstairs."
After a quick glance over to Skipper, who was still standing in the doorway, I started up the stairs. In the hallway just outside the door, I ran into Kloppman and the Doctor.
"How is he?" I asked, the worry in my voice more apparent than I had anticipated.
"He needs to rest for a few days, but he should be alright," the doctor replied before excusing himself.
Kloppman followed him out, leaving me standing alone in the doorway to the bunkroom. Jack sat next to the bunk with his back to me. He held a hushed with a groggy Skittery, who lay limply on the bed. His arm was tightly bandaged with a pristine white bandage. I bit my lip as tears began to slide gently down my cheeks.
Jack said something hushed to Skitts, and then turned in my direction. He quickly crossed the room and wordlessly pulled me into a hug. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."
I took Skittery's hand and squeezed it gently as I took Jack's spot.
"Hey you," he said in a scratchy voice, cracking a smile.
I ran a finger lightly down his cheek, inspecting his facial wounds. Then my hand found its way gently over the bandage. "Are you alright?"
"It's just a scratch," he replied jokingly, "I'll survive."
He raised his hand up to my cheek. "It's good to see you. I've missed you."
I leaned down to give him a gently kiss. "I missed you too."
Skitts pulled me down to lay next to him and wrapped his am around my waist. I laid my head gently on his chest, enjoying being able to be close to him. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I love you."
"Hope," Skip spoke up quietly from the doorway. "We have to be heading back."
I sat up like a shot. "I'm not going back there Skip."
Skitts squeezed my hand. "You have to go Hope. I want you here more than anything, but if you don't go back now, Shiner'll just take you away again. We'll get you back, I promise."
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own nothing, as always. although I wouldn't mind keeping a few of the newsies in my closet.
Chapter 7: Battered
"Hope."
I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy image of Skipper leaning over me.
"Hope," he repeated in a hoarse whisper. "Come on, get dressed."
Without even a questioning look, I complied and followed him out of the bunkroom. My stomach sank as I caught a glimpse of the bunk below Shiner's: Rascal's bunk, empty.
When we were safe on the quiet street, I stopped. "Skip, what's goin on?"
"We're going to Manhattan," he replied simply. "The boy that Shiner was talking about was Skittery. Jack sent one of his boys to find you. Come on, we have to hurry."
Keeping to the shadows, we slipped into Manhattan in record time. Despite the late hour, the Lodging house was still abuzz.
Skip and I stood unnoticed in the doorway, surveying the array of battered newsies that were sprawled around the lobby. Mush was the first to notice us. As he walked over, I caught a glimpse of a purple bruise forming around the side of his eye and a trickle of blood sliding down his chin from his lip.
"Hope," he whispered, pulling me into a tight hug, "it's so good to see you."
Without saying a word, I examined his wounds, dabbing his chin with a nearby cloth.
"I'm fine," he pulled my hands down. I nodded sadly, and then scanned the room. Mush leaned over to me. "He's upstairs."
After a quick glance over to Skipper, who was still standing in the doorway, I started up the stairs. In the hallway just outside the door, I ran into Kloppman and the Doctor.
"How is he?" I asked, the worry in my voice more apparent than I had anticipated.
"He needs to rest for a few days, but he should be alright," the doctor replied before excusing himself.
Kloppman followed him out, leaving me standing alone in the doorway to the bunkroom. Jack sat next to the bunk with his back to me. He held a hushed with a groggy Skittery, who lay limply on the bed. His arm was tightly bandaged with a pristine white bandage. I bit my lip as tears began to slide gently down my cheeks.
Jack said something hushed to Skitts, and then turned in my direction. He quickly crossed the room and wordlessly pulled me into a hug. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."
I took Skittery's hand and squeezed it gently as I took Jack's spot.
"Hey you," he said in a scratchy voice, cracking a smile.
I ran a finger lightly down his cheek, inspecting his facial wounds. Then my hand found its way gently over the bandage. "Are you alright?"
"It's just a scratch," he replied jokingly, "I'll survive."
He raised his hand up to my cheek. "It's good to see you. I've missed you."
I leaned down to give him a gently kiss. "I missed you too."
Skitts pulled me down to lay next to him and wrapped his am around my waist. I laid my head gently on his chest, enjoying being able to be close to him. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I love you."
"Hope," Skip spoke up quietly from the doorway. "We have to be heading back."
I sat up like a shot. "I'm not going back there Skip."
Skitts squeezed my hand. "You have to go Hope. I want you here more than anything, but if you don't go back now, Shiner'll just take you away again. We'll get you back, I promise."