Title: Fighting the Hardest Battle

Author: Daveydearest14

Disclaimer: Nope! Don't own 'em…wish I did…hey a girl can dream, can't she? I do own Emma though! And Amy…well sorta…ya see, Amy's a real person that's a friend of mine, so yeah I sorta do, but I sorta don't…

A/N: You guys are the best! Thanks for the reviews I got, I really appreciate it! It motivated me to write more! Please review this chapter, and thank you so much for reading it! I'd really appreciate any comments you have, even if they say that I'm horrible! And now…a couple shout-outs:

Madeleine541: my first reviewer! Yay! Yes Sarah and Jack having problems…hmmm? Read on…I think you may enjoy this…I hope so! PS. Let's seize the day and go to Santa Fe…haha had an urge! Thanks for the review!

Racesgurl52787: hey! Thanks for the review! Here's chapter 2…Race is mentioned! And yes the Delancy brothers smell! And of course…davey!

Angel: oh you flatter me so! Thanks for the review! Your faves? Really? Whoa! That's a first! Keep reading, here is another chapter!

Chronicles Bailey: Thanks! I'll try to work on grammar, but I'm kinda hopeless! But thanks for the kudos anyways, I will try to work on it!

KatFightOnSkis: Thanks a lot! Keep reading! Here ya go! Chapter 2!

~*~Chapter 2~*~

Emma shuffled her way along the busy streets of New York – ignoring the growing uneasiness she felt. Her brown eyes hardly left the pavement below her, as she darted from block to block, occasionally stopping to rest. She kept traveling in this fashion for about ten minutes, when the cold, wind and fatigue got the best of her. She leaned her back against the building behind her and closed her eyes, pressing her cold cheek against the hard brick of the building…

"Told you, you aren't alright." Emma jumped at the sudden intrusion into her peaceful moment alone. She looked around to face the young man who had tried to help her earlier. Had he followed her? Seeing the wondering look on her face, he spoke calmly, "Hello. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm David Jacobs." He stuck out his hand to shake. When she merely stared blankly back at up at him, he laughed shortly and placed her hand in his and shook.

The contact seemed to wake Emma up. She shook her head a couple of times and then retracted her hand from his grasp. She cast her eyes down again, "I'm Emma." David spoke to the top of her bended head, "Nice to meet you Emma. I must apologize. Usually I am not this forward nor am I this much of a well…stalker, but you do look…well you don't look well." Growing up with a sister, David knew better than to tell a girl that she looked awful.

Emma's response was clipped and barely audible, "I'm fine, thank you." An awkward silence followed this statement, broken only when a shout was heard from the other side of the street.

"Hey there Dave!" Another, shorter young man with brown, curly hair was limping across the street. He had a crutch underneath his left arm and was leaning heavily on it as he spoke. David sighed. "Hey there Crutchy."

Crutchy grinned, "Heya! How are yah? Ya ain't sellin' today? 'Ave ya seen Jack?" Emma's eyes widened at the boy's energy. David's response was short, "No I had to help my mother this morning. I saw Jack earlier, but I don't know where he is now."

Emma backed up slowly and began to creep away. Gradually and quietly, she inched behind the building and disappeared. Soon she was lost among the swarms of people.

*****

Emma quickened her pace. She really needed to get back – perhaps Caroline had something for her pounding headache. She sped past buildings, people, shops – without stopping or noticing any of them.

"Woah there, you'se sure in some hurry, ain't ya?" Emma turned. Oh dear, she thought, another young man. "Sort of," she responded, somewhat coldly.

"Geez, can I'se help ya wit anythin'? Allow me to introduce meself, Michael Grant. But you'se can jus' call me Mush, everyone does." Emma sighed, "Hi Mush, I'm Emma." Mush bent down to look in her eyes, "Jus' Emma? No last name?" He winked at her and she smiled wearily. "So, Jus' Emma, ya live 'round heah? I ain't seen ya befoah." She slowly shook her head. "So, Emma, I'se on my way tah Tibby's – would ya like tah accompany me?"

Emma finally found her voice, "Tibby's?" Mush held up his hand in mock-horror. "Tibby's? Why it's only da best eatin' place 'round heah! All da newsies – me and me chums – eat there."

Mush surveyed her for a moment before he grabbed her arm and started pulling her down the street, "C'mon, I'se gonna take ya to Tibby's and get ya some good eatin'!" Emma opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Mush's contagious smile. Oh give it up! She thought. She smiled slightly and followed Mush.

****

"So anyways, I'm reall startin' tah think it'll woik…dis new spot is real hot…" David nodded his head, "That's great Crutchy!" Crutchy smiled, "Yeah…it's great…but I'se gotsta be off now – meet yah at Tibby's latah?" David nodded once again, "yeah, definitely." Crutchy bid David goodbye and David turned to find Emma gone. "Damn!" he swore. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off.

****
"…and then they saw it an' they weren't too happy neida, I'se can tell yah dat much!" Emma let out a soft giggle. In this short ten minutes of their walk, Mush had regaled her with countless tales of his life as a Manhattan newsie. Emma found herself loosening up. She almost wanted to find that boy from this morning, David or something, and apologize for being so rude.

That boy. I think it was David, maybe…Daniel? No, David…David Jackson? Jacobs? Yes! David Jacobs! She thought, remembering their two brief, but odd encounters. There was something about his eyes…had they met before, by chance? It seemed like they had met before, or at least had crossed paths.

"Emma? 'Ello? Earth tah Emma!" Emma snapped her head out of her daydream and faced Mush, blushing slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry Mush! I was on another planet for a minute there! I'm terribly sorry!" Mush looked at her strangely. He vaguely wondered why she was so quiet.

She had long curly dark brown hair that reached to a couple inches below her shoulders. Her pale skin was topped with large, brown eyes and curly eyelashes. She was pretty, but looked terribly exhausted. There was a small cut by her left temple, and her lip looked a little swollen.

He momentarily wondered if she had gotten into a fight. He dismissed that thought fairly quickly, this gal was too delicate to fight. She almost looked like she would break any moment.

Emma smiled, "Now, you're the one on another planet, Mush!" It was now Mush's turn to blush a bit, but swiftly recovered his funny and comforting demeanor. "So sorry, m'lady." He grinned goofily and did a little dance step. She had to laugh at that, "Forgiven, Mush, forgiven."

****

David pushed open the doors of "Tibby's" the diner where he and his friends ate most often. A silver chime hung above the door and rang as he walked in, signaling the entrance of a patron of the restaurant. Once his presence was acknowledged, several shouts from boys of different ages rang through the air.

"Hey there Davey!"

"David!! How's ya been?"

"Hey Dave!"

David smiled. A year ago, if he had walked into Tibby's, people would have just stared at him until he left. That was before the strike though, before he had met Jack and before he had started to loosen up.

"Hey Blink, Race, Specs," acknowledging a young newsie with dirty blonde hair and an eye-patch, a short Italian newsie with a cigar and another with dark blonde hair and eyeglasses. He patted each one on the shoulder and reached for a piece of bread on the table.

He sat there, listening to Blink, Race, Specs and the others talk about normal day-to-day stuff, and eating some bread and chicken. His mind wondered to the day before. He remembered Les and wondered vaguely if he was bragging about his adventure to anyone yet. His thoughts went to the girl who had saved him. He sure hoped he would get to thank her soon. And as he thought about a girl, fighting to save his little brother…he thought of…

Emma. Was it Emily? No…Emma. Emma with dark brown, curly hair and brown eyes. The girl who looked so tired and beat up. He had been so…bold, persistant. It wasn't like him to do that with girls. Sure, he had girlfriends, He dated Laura for awhile, a year ago, but he was never one to just follow a girl like that.

Oh well, he thought, almost bitterly, She always runs away from me anyways, probably will never see her again.

Almost on cue, the chimes above the door rang again. Another chorus of shouts rang out, though not as enthusiastic as David's.

"Mush!"

"Mushy! Where ya been?"

Mush, a newsie with short brown, curly hair, wearing a white shirt and suspenders, along with short brown twill pants, walked in and sat down. Next to him stood timidly, a girl of about sixteen years. Her head was down, but she looked slightly familiar.

Mush shook hands with Specs and jovially stole some of his soda. Specs nodded toward Emma, "Who's dat?" Emma looked down further. Mush smiled, "Hey everyone! Dis is Emma! I just met her, she had never been to Tibby's!" A serious of mock-groans rang out.

Dutchy put his arm around Emma and jokingly inquired, "How can you have lived in New Yawk, an' neva go to Tibby's?" Emma smiled tentatively. Skittery called to the hostess, "Hey Terra! We'se gots us a new one heah! Bring her…" He turned to Emma, "ya eat burgers?" Emma smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Skittery turned back to Terra, "Give us a burger and fries, thanks!"

Emma looked around. There were at least a dozen, no, more than a dozen young men, all dressed in the same attire as Mush. They were eating and talking, laughing and joking all casually and happily. She laughed and smiled at Skittery, "I'm Emma Lahren, nice to meet you all." They all smiled back at her and shouted their responses.

"Nice to meet yah Miss!"

"I'm Pie-Eater!"

David stood up. He was still sitting with Blink, Race and Specs. Oh I guess Mush is here, he thought, getting up to meet him, good, I really need to talk to him about the Lodging house, if he really wants me to, I could talk to Kloppman and…

Emma. Emma, the girl from this morning was sitting there, laughing and joking with his friends. What was going on? David walked, slowly towards their table. She was sitting with Skittery, Dutchy, Pie-Eater, and Mush eating a burger and fries and smiling that shy smile of hers.

David cleared his throat. "Excuse me, miss." Emma looked up, smiling. Her smile faded a bit when she saw who the speaker was. "David." It wasn't a question, but wasn't a statement either. It was merely a spoken, rather whispered word. Mush looked from one to the other, "You two knows each otha?"

David remained quiet. Emma spoke up first, "Sort of, Mr. Jacobs here was kind of enough to assist me this morning. I'm afraid I was rather rude to him, I apologize for that." David broke his reverie. "Of course, miss, don't worry about it." Emma nodded.

Mush glanced at the pair. "Pull up a chair, Davey, ordah some food, too. Terra!" David smiled and ordered another burger and fries and a soda. The group chatted lightheartedly for awhile. Mush told Emma about their newsie strike and to his very surprise, Emma spoke up exidetly. "Oh yeah! I remember that! I used to see a newspaper so often and I read about the strike in the Sun. Oh that was so exciting!" They all looked at her in awe, and then broke out into grins.

****

About two hours later, the newsies began to leave the diner. It was nearly six and they wanted to back to the lodging house before dinner. Besides, it was getting dark out and some of the younger kids wanted to get home soon.

"So Emma? Yah in for tomorrow," Mush asked. Mush had invited her to come sell papes with them tomorrow, as she was so interested in the newsie industry. "Yeah sure! I'll swing by here…at what time?" David shook his head, "No, we can come pick you up. Where do you live?" Emma hesitated, "Umm, there's a small apartment a little ways from here. Don't worry I can come here." Mush shook his head, imitating David, "No, no, no. In fact, Davey here," he elbowed David, "can walk you back and find out where exactly you mean."

Emma hesitated a bit, and then nodded her agreement. David smiled. They walked out the door and into the street, turning down past Tibby's and into the city.

Skittery watched Mush as the pair left. "D'ya like her there Mush?" Mush shook his head, "Nah…I don't think so, I mean I did at first, ya know, dat's why I brought her heah, but now, I jus' ain't too sure." Skittery nodded, "I jus' think, well Davey…"

"Davey…nah…he hasn't had no goil since that…uhh Lacey or…uhh Laura goil." Skittery just shook his head. Mush shook his head. The pair laughed, and Mush spoke again, "Well, we'se bettah get goin." He took one look back at the pair's retreating forms, Nah, he thought, I don't like her, but what about that Amanda goil who was in heah earlier…

****

Jack walked home. He had just been at Sarah's place, eating dinner. Sarah seemed a little cold towards him. He hoped that she wasn't still mad about earlier. She had been so insistent that he get a "real job," whatever that was. I guess in a shop or something, he thought.

Blah, he thought. A shop would be no good for him. Where's the excitement? Jack was a cowboy!

And the truth of the matter was, Jack thought as he rubbed his head with his hands, he liked being a newsie. In fact, he loved it! Especially since the strike, he had really assumed the role of the Manhattan leader and loved everything about the industry. He vaguely wondered if he could ever get a shop in a bookstore, or even, a writer.

Jack wasn't used to dreaming this big. Santa Fe was the biggest he ever dreamt. But he had discovered, that being a reporter, or a newspaper writer, like Denton, would be a job he would love doing. But I ain't smart enough for dat, he thought bitterly. Oh well. A dream is a dream.

Jack kept walking, reading the signs on the buildings as he went. "Caldwell's Bakery," "Goodwell's (A/N: Hope you don't mind Maudie…first thing I thought of!) Feed Store," "Arwen's Bookshop." Jack stopped. "Arwen's Bookshop." It was a small cobblestone building with a faded beige sign.

He looked in the window and saw tons of books piled up every which way. He hesitated before going into the shop. He ran his finger along the books, which were stacked on wooden shelves. He read some of the titles and even cracked open one ore two.

"Can I help you?" a soft voice came from behind him. Jack turned around and his voice caught in his throat. There stood a young girl. She had long dark brown hair, and pale skin. She had green eyes and was looking at him attentively. 

"Uhh, maybe," Jack responded, "Could ya help me find a book?"

The girl smiled, "Of course. That's what I'm here for. By the way, my name's Amy."

Jack smiled a bit, "I'm Jack. Jack Kelley."

****

David and Emma walked along in silence. Every so often, one of them would look up at the other and then quickly look down again, not speaking a single word. Finally Emma broke the silence.

"David," she began, "I really would like to apologize for this morning. I was very rude because…well it really isn't explainable, I'm very sorry. I understand that you were just trying to help me and I thank you for that."

She looked at him with pleading eyes. She had always worried so much that she was mean to people. David almost laughed out loud. He smiled a bit and Emma was somewhat taken aback.

"Don't worry about it, Emma. I understand. Are you feeling okay now?" Emma nodded. By the look on her face, David could tell that she didn't want to talk about it. So he moved onto another subject. Or at least, he was about to when Emma gasped. She looked to the left at a man, sitting on a stool, drawing the dark street scene.

"Look David! Oh wow, that's so good! Look how he captured the shadows on that tree and the lamppost and the way the color is so dark, but distinguishable…" Emma broke off and looked up a David.

"Oh wow, I'm sorry David! I don't mean to ramble!" She looked down, embarrassed. David spoke, "Don't apologize! I didn't know that you liked art." Emma nodded, looking up, her eyes shining brightly, "oh I love art! Do you?" she asked eagerly. David laughed, "like art" was such an understatement.

Emma laughed when David told her this and the two walked on. They neared a small building with a dark roof and one single window. Emma smiled at David. "Thank you so much for walking me home, David. You really didn't have to." She smiled shyly. David, "No, I had fun. See you tomorrow?" Emma nodded. The two waved one last goodbye and parted.

************

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review! Did you like it? Not? Long? Short? I'll try to post another chapter sometime this week but I've got rehearsal for my school's musical until late every night (it opens this Friday) so I'll do my best! Review! Thanks for reading!

-daveydearest