An: First I don't own Spot, he is the only real newsie in the story,
unfortunately. I do own my characters. See I can update, it just takes me
forever. Got to love college. On to the story Please R/R.
As the girls exited the boys room Kit turned to her younger sisters and gave them both a quick hug. "Ally, Heather I can't believe how much you have grown. While me and my friends make breakfast would you mind dressing the kids."
"Sure Ami, but first who are they?" Heather asked wide eyed about the number of people who had come to the house over night.
"Oh guess I should make introductions." Kit grinned sheepishly and then pointed to the twins first. "Okay these two are Bait and Jolly, they're twins and a hand full. And if they don't behave they don't get breakfast," Kit had seen how the boys minds were working and decided a threat was in order. "The two girls are Two Bit and Lacy. Now all of their stuff is in whatever room they slept in last night and the older three can dress themselves, but if you wouldn't mind doing Lacy's hair that would be great. Now my two friends here are Mills and Tack. Tack is Lacy and Two Bit's older sister and Bait and Jolly are the new guy, Spot's nephews. If they give you too much flack tell him and he'll take care of it. Everyone these three lovely young ladies are my sisters Ally and Heather and Cray and Swan's sister Celeste."
After making the introductions everyone slipped into their respective rooms and got dressed. Kit, Mills and Tack threw on shirts and pants before heading downstairs to the kitchen to make a quick meal.
"So those youse sister's Kit?" Mills asked as she sat down at the table.
"Yep Ally and Heather are the two I hide." Kit smiled crookedly as she placed strips of bacon into a saucepan.
"Anything you want me to do?" Tack asked looking in cupboards.
'Sit down Tack, you guys are guests." Mills guided Tack down to the table then began to break eggs in to a bowl as she checked the bacon.
"You sure? I can make pancakes or something?" Tack tried to get up.
"Fine, fine the stuff is in that cupboard over there I'll cook them after the eggs are done." Kit said with a sigh.
"So Kit how old are the goils?" Mills asked as she and Tack mixed pancakes.
"Well Ally just turned 12, Celeste is almost 11 and Heather is 10." Kit responded after a minute. She had just finished the eggs and motioned for the batter. "If you want the plates are in the cabinet over there."
The table was quickly set as the younger kids came down the stairs. The twins rushed over to Kit and began to jump up around her. "Kit youse wouldn't believe what all these people have." Jolly spoke up first.
"Theys got this cool rope swing and Heather said theys got a horse." Bait broke in quickly looking over at the said girl with a shy grin.
"Hey calm down you too I am sure you can see all of it, we weren't going to leave till later today and we'll be back. Now why don't you sit down and eat before the guys get down."
"Kit what are these?" Lacy looked suspiciously at the eggs.
"Those are eggs, they're really good." Celeste spoke up quickly and took a bite of the eggs to prove it. Lacy wanting to be just like the big girls and quickly began to eat the breakfast food.
The kids didn't have much of a chance to eat before the guys came clamoring down the stairs. The guys quickly inhaled the food as it was put on the table barely stopping to say a proper good morning to the others in the room. Not a noise besides the clatter of silverware on tin plates was heard for a good 15-20 minutes as Kit's breakfast disappeared.
Finally Josh sat back from the table stood up. "Ami that was a great meal, and I really got to be going. It was nice to see you all again." Kit looked after her ex-friend in surprised.
Wil coughed to bring her back to the table, she felt her checks burn as the tablecloth suddenly became very interesting. Swan took pity on her and began asking questions about the goings on in town.
Kit didn't hear any of their conversation and it barely registered when Spot took her hand under the table. She was totally lost in memories of sitting around the table with the guys talking about work and selling papers. She remembered getting up early and talking with Karen about her worries and giggling with her about something Jeremy had done that was sweet or something cute Carrie had done the day before. Life had been so much simpler then.
"So Wil what happened to Buddha?" Cray's seemingly innocent question brought Kit back to the present and caused her to stiffen. Spot felt her start and patted her knee reassuringly. Buddha had been Jeremy's nickname from when they were all newsies together, now was the moment when she found out what happened to him after she had left.
Wil didn't see his sister's reaction and began to answer the question, "Well let's see after y'all left he started to get better. The Doc was surprised, we all thought that having Ami gone would have made it worse for him. After about 6 months he was walking around as normal as ever. He remembered who had jumped him and the Johansen boys were tried late last spring. After the trial he didn't stay around all too long. He packed up and went out east. He'll send letters every once in a while to tell Josh he's alive and stuff, but sides that we haven't heard from him. I always thought he went looking for you Ami." Wil stopped then and looked pointedly at a very pale Kit.
Kit felt the eyes of her siblings on her and stared at her hands, "I don't think he would do that. We broke up before I left with the boys. He wouldn't have come looking for me." Before anyone could stop her she got up from the table and left the room. Spot got up to follow her but Cray stopped him.
"What's the big idea Cray? She needs someone and she's me goil." Spot glared at the taller blonde.
"Maybe Cray wants me or Tack to go talk to her, ain't that right Cray?" Mills spoke softly as she got up.
"Yeah Mills or Tack should talk to her, you can go see her afterwards." Cray nodded and Mills went up after Kit.
Tack was at a loss at what to do, but soon began to clear the table, wiping the crumbs off the dishes with a wet cloth then stacking them near the pump to be cleaned later. Heather began to help her while Ally and Celeste took the other kids outside.
"Spot why don't we show you around town." Cray stood up and soon the four guys were out the door headed into town. Cray and Swan tried to keep Spot occupied as they showed him the different haunts of the town. They unconsciously headed in the direction of the newspaper offices and the train station.
"So what sort of news happens out here?" Spot asked as he watched the much slower pace of Lincoln.
"Well this summer there was a huge fire at the college. And there is always news out of the east." Wil supplied. "People here know most of the news as it happens. Papers aren't a necessity for the in town stuff. Normally people just get them for the outside stuff. Joel had a telegraph thing put in his office that tells him what is going on and he writes about it."
"Ise see. So what do youse do for fun?"
"Well there are church picnics and stuff."
"Oh really? What a ball. What do youse do in the winter?"
"The normal winter stuff. Ice Skating, Snowball fights."
"Gee wiz, sounds like a golly good time." Spot sneered, "Don't youse play cards or drink or have parties or something?"
"Of course but that stuff is for special occasions. Well the parties are, cards and drinking well we do that too." Wil seemed a bit put out with his sisters boyfriend but tried to stay hospitable.
Swan decided to change the subject before things got ugly. "So Wil, how are things going with the Doc?"
"Fine, he says that after I graduate I should be ready for college. He is even going to recommend me to Creighton College in Omaha."
"Oh wes got another walkin' mouth." Spot spoke under his breath.
"Really? Kit is going to be proud. So you got a girl yet?" Swan said after shooting a look at Spot.
"Well sort of." Wil's ears turned a bit red. "Christi Albertson and I are sort of a couple. You guys wouldn't know her though, her family moved here from Colorado over the summer. They are coming over this evening for dinner. Her father works with Joel at the paper."
Swan's eyes lit up with mischief, "Very interesting, I can't wait to tell all the embarrassing stories from your life. We can tell her about how you got lost a mile from the house or how you fell into the creek trying to get away from Old Man Ott's bull." Wil's face paled at the idea of some of him more embarrassing moments coming out.
Cray took pity on the younger boy. "Now Swan we have some stories we could tell Tack and they would be from with in the last year, not from when you were a kid. Like that time in Chicago when Kit sent you out for a sausage and pickles and you came back with every type of pickle imaginable? Or when you jumped off that train in Pittsburgh and ripped your pants so badly you had to where one of Kit's skirts till she fixed it." All three of the guys were laughing by the time that Cray had finished while Swan looked ready to be swallowed into the earth.
"Fine I won't tease Wil, but we could tell some stories about you Cray like the time Kit almost broke your nose cause you called her fat." Swan pouted, then grinned, while Cray had a horrified look. "So Spot do you have any stories we could tease you about in front of Kit?"
Spot grinned, "Like Ise would tell youse." He quirked his eyebrows as he smirked, "But thanks ya for the information on youse. Cray do youse know that guy?"
As the girls exited the boys room Kit turned to her younger sisters and gave them both a quick hug. "Ally, Heather I can't believe how much you have grown. While me and my friends make breakfast would you mind dressing the kids."
"Sure Ami, but first who are they?" Heather asked wide eyed about the number of people who had come to the house over night.
"Oh guess I should make introductions." Kit grinned sheepishly and then pointed to the twins first. "Okay these two are Bait and Jolly, they're twins and a hand full. And if they don't behave they don't get breakfast," Kit had seen how the boys minds were working and decided a threat was in order. "The two girls are Two Bit and Lacy. Now all of their stuff is in whatever room they slept in last night and the older three can dress themselves, but if you wouldn't mind doing Lacy's hair that would be great. Now my two friends here are Mills and Tack. Tack is Lacy and Two Bit's older sister and Bait and Jolly are the new guy, Spot's nephews. If they give you too much flack tell him and he'll take care of it. Everyone these three lovely young ladies are my sisters Ally and Heather and Cray and Swan's sister Celeste."
After making the introductions everyone slipped into their respective rooms and got dressed. Kit, Mills and Tack threw on shirts and pants before heading downstairs to the kitchen to make a quick meal.
"So those youse sister's Kit?" Mills asked as she sat down at the table.
"Yep Ally and Heather are the two I hide." Kit smiled crookedly as she placed strips of bacon into a saucepan.
"Anything you want me to do?" Tack asked looking in cupboards.
'Sit down Tack, you guys are guests." Mills guided Tack down to the table then began to break eggs in to a bowl as she checked the bacon.
"You sure? I can make pancakes or something?" Tack tried to get up.
"Fine, fine the stuff is in that cupboard over there I'll cook them after the eggs are done." Kit said with a sigh.
"So Kit how old are the goils?" Mills asked as she and Tack mixed pancakes.
"Well Ally just turned 12, Celeste is almost 11 and Heather is 10." Kit responded after a minute. She had just finished the eggs and motioned for the batter. "If you want the plates are in the cabinet over there."
The table was quickly set as the younger kids came down the stairs. The twins rushed over to Kit and began to jump up around her. "Kit youse wouldn't believe what all these people have." Jolly spoke up first.
"Theys got this cool rope swing and Heather said theys got a horse." Bait broke in quickly looking over at the said girl with a shy grin.
"Hey calm down you too I am sure you can see all of it, we weren't going to leave till later today and we'll be back. Now why don't you sit down and eat before the guys get down."
"Kit what are these?" Lacy looked suspiciously at the eggs.
"Those are eggs, they're really good." Celeste spoke up quickly and took a bite of the eggs to prove it. Lacy wanting to be just like the big girls and quickly began to eat the breakfast food.
The kids didn't have much of a chance to eat before the guys came clamoring down the stairs. The guys quickly inhaled the food as it was put on the table barely stopping to say a proper good morning to the others in the room. Not a noise besides the clatter of silverware on tin plates was heard for a good 15-20 minutes as Kit's breakfast disappeared.
Finally Josh sat back from the table stood up. "Ami that was a great meal, and I really got to be going. It was nice to see you all again." Kit looked after her ex-friend in surprised.
Wil coughed to bring her back to the table, she felt her checks burn as the tablecloth suddenly became very interesting. Swan took pity on her and began asking questions about the goings on in town.
Kit didn't hear any of their conversation and it barely registered when Spot took her hand under the table. She was totally lost in memories of sitting around the table with the guys talking about work and selling papers. She remembered getting up early and talking with Karen about her worries and giggling with her about something Jeremy had done that was sweet or something cute Carrie had done the day before. Life had been so much simpler then.
"So Wil what happened to Buddha?" Cray's seemingly innocent question brought Kit back to the present and caused her to stiffen. Spot felt her start and patted her knee reassuringly. Buddha had been Jeremy's nickname from when they were all newsies together, now was the moment when she found out what happened to him after she had left.
Wil didn't see his sister's reaction and began to answer the question, "Well let's see after y'all left he started to get better. The Doc was surprised, we all thought that having Ami gone would have made it worse for him. After about 6 months he was walking around as normal as ever. He remembered who had jumped him and the Johansen boys were tried late last spring. After the trial he didn't stay around all too long. He packed up and went out east. He'll send letters every once in a while to tell Josh he's alive and stuff, but sides that we haven't heard from him. I always thought he went looking for you Ami." Wil stopped then and looked pointedly at a very pale Kit.
Kit felt the eyes of her siblings on her and stared at her hands, "I don't think he would do that. We broke up before I left with the boys. He wouldn't have come looking for me." Before anyone could stop her she got up from the table and left the room. Spot got up to follow her but Cray stopped him.
"What's the big idea Cray? She needs someone and she's me goil." Spot glared at the taller blonde.
"Maybe Cray wants me or Tack to go talk to her, ain't that right Cray?" Mills spoke softly as she got up.
"Yeah Mills or Tack should talk to her, you can go see her afterwards." Cray nodded and Mills went up after Kit.
Tack was at a loss at what to do, but soon began to clear the table, wiping the crumbs off the dishes with a wet cloth then stacking them near the pump to be cleaned later. Heather began to help her while Ally and Celeste took the other kids outside.
"Spot why don't we show you around town." Cray stood up and soon the four guys were out the door headed into town. Cray and Swan tried to keep Spot occupied as they showed him the different haunts of the town. They unconsciously headed in the direction of the newspaper offices and the train station.
"So what sort of news happens out here?" Spot asked as he watched the much slower pace of Lincoln.
"Well this summer there was a huge fire at the college. And there is always news out of the east." Wil supplied. "People here know most of the news as it happens. Papers aren't a necessity for the in town stuff. Normally people just get them for the outside stuff. Joel had a telegraph thing put in his office that tells him what is going on and he writes about it."
"Ise see. So what do youse do for fun?"
"Well there are church picnics and stuff."
"Oh really? What a ball. What do youse do in the winter?"
"The normal winter stuff. Ice Skating, Snowball fights."
"Gee wiz, sounds like a golly good time." Spot sneered, "Don't youse play cards or drink or have parties or something?"
"Of course but that stuff is for special occasions. Well the parties are, cards and drinking well we do that too." Wil seemed a bit put out with his sisters boyfriend but tried to stay hospitable.
Swan decided to change the subject before things got ugly. "So Wil, how are things going with the Doc?"
"Fine, he says that after I graduate I should be ready for college. He is even going to recommend me to Creighton College in Omaha."
"Oh wes got another walkin' mouth." Spot spoke under his breath.
"Really? Kit is going to be proud. So you got a girl yet?" Swan said after shooting a look at Spot.
"Well sort of." Wil's ears turned a bit red. "Christi Albertson and I are sort of a couple. You guys wouldn't know her though, her family moved here from Colorado over the summer. They are coming over this evening for dinner. Her father works with Joel at the paper."
Swan's eyes lit up with mischief, "Very interesting, I can't wait to tell all the embarrassing stories from your life. We can tell her about how you got lost a mile from the house or how you fell into the creek trying to get away from Old Man Ott's bull." Wil's face paled at the idea of some of him more embarrassing moments coming out.
Cray took pity on the younger boy. "Now Swan we have some stories we could tell Tack and they would be from with in the last year, not from when you were a kid. Like that time in Chicago when Kit sent you out for a sausage and pickles and you came back with every type of pickle imaginable? Or when you jumped off that train in Pittsburgh and ripped your pants so badly you had to where one of Kit's skirts till she fixed it." All three of the guys were laughing by the time that Cray had finished while Swan looked ready to be swallowed into the earth.
"Fine I won't tease Wil, but we could tell some stories about you Cray like the time Kit almost broke your nose cause you called her fat." Swan pouted, then grinned, while Cray had a horrified look. "So Spot do you have any stories we could tease you about in front of Kit?"
Spot grinned, "Like Ise would tell youse." He quirked his eyebrows as he smirked, "But thanks ya for the information on youse. Cray do youse know that guy?"