Hey guys!! Thanks for reviewing!! And yea, I don't own any of the original newsies. But I do own Bitsy, Kit, Mandy, Mr. Gallagher, and I think that's all in this chapter. Shout outs: Patch- here is my romance novel chapter, finally finished (jk). To everyone else- I'm glad you like it, and hopefully you'll agree with me in that this chapter has more action in it as opposed to mostly descriptions. Enjoy! And please review! I want to know what you are thinking about it!!

Chapter 3:

            The sunlight was only beginning to seep through the window of the Manhattan newsies lodging house, when Race slowly woke up from a Utopia-like dream.  He had been with her, and she had been perfect, just like in real life.  Bitsy.  The memory of Medda's introduction echoed in his head.  He had to see her.  So he got out of bed, threw on his pants, shirt, vest and cap and snuck silently out of the bunkroom so as to not provoke any unnecessary questions from tired newsies. 

            A couple of minutes later, Race found himself in front of Medda's theatre.  As he gazed up at the humble, yet proud building, he noticed a figure moving at a second story window.  'It's her!' he thought to himself as his own excitement and anticipation built.  Then he bent down and grabbed a pebble off the cobblestone street, and gently he tossed it at the window.

            As it hit the glass, a faint tap could be heard from the street and its softly echoed away.  As it faded, the figure returned to the window and when it opened Race could see Bitsy's dainty face with her deep green eyes peering out questioningly.  As her gaze shifted to Race, she smiled and whispered, "Hang on, I'll be down in a second. Meet me at the side door."

            That second seemed to last forever to Race, who hurried to the side door to wait for her.  After the never ending second, the door creaked open and Bitsy came out, glowing with a radiant happiness that seemed to illuminate the alley.  Entranced by her once again, Race forgot to greet her.  Trying to make up for his mistake, he quickly said, "Heya Bitsy, hows you been?"

            "You just brought me home a couple of hours ago, Race, it's not like you haven't seen me lately," she replied jokingly, teasing Race for his blunder.  Race decided to ignore that comment and changed the subject, "I thinks today's a good day to introduce youse to the boys. Whadda ya say ta lunch at Tibby's today?"  Bitsy responded happily, "Sure, that would be fun. But we have a while till lunch, and you should be working."  Race, not wanting to leave her, suggested, "Well, whys don't youse come wit me? Ise can show ya 'round New Yawk."  She agreed, so they headed off to the distribution office to get some papers. 

They didn't encounter many other newsies there, because it was later than any smart newsie usually got their papers.  That was probably for the best though, because Race wasn't sure he was ready yet to get loads of crap about him and Bitsy.  He needed these last few hours till lunch to prepare himself for it. 

After getting their papers, he automatically started to head toward Sheepshead Races, forgetting that Bitsy had no idea what was going on. "So, where are we going anyway?" she asked curiously.  Surprised, he replied, "Ta Sheepshead of course," before remembering that she had no idea what 'Sheepshead' was.  He quickly added, "that's da racetrack 'round here," which caused her to look at him with a look that clearly said, why on earth would we be going there??. In response to that look, he replied, "Let's just say that's I'se called 'Race' for a reason.  It's me sellin' spot."

            After a short walk, they found themselves outside of a large entrance, which Bitsy assumed was the entrance to Sheepshead.  Race noticed that she seems slightly nervous, and he was about to ask her about it when he heard a familiar voice. "Heya Race, Ise thought you'd neva get here!" said the voice, which Race recognized as Kid Blink's.  He glanced around and sure enough there was the sandy haired newsie with an eye patch that he was so famously named for.  "Hey Blink, whadda ya doin' 'ere?" Race replied, trying to mask his uneasiness about Blink seeing him with Bitsy.  "Well, ya left so early dis mornin' dat I'se never got da chance ta apologise for sayin'…" Blink responded when he was cut off by Race clearing his throat and motioning subtly toward Bitsy. 

Understanding what Race meant, Blink smoothly (though surprised) said, "Bitsy! It's a pleasure ta sees ya again! How ya been?"  "I've been wonderful: Medda's so good to me, I really couldn't ask for anything more," she answered, but she still seemed a little uncomfortable.  Race decided not to make anything of it as he started talking to Blink about the headlines.  They were discussing how Mr. Gallagher (the owner of Sheepshead) just bought a new two year old, dark bay colt that was supposedly the next Man-O-War and how that could throw off all the statistics, until Bitsy grabbed Race's arm and said, "Race, we need to go." Hurriedly saying goodbye to Blink, Race got up and was pulled into the crowd that had gradually been forming outside the betting office. The two of them ran through the throng and out into a shaded corner next to the stands. 

When they got there, Race stopped Bitsy and demanded an explanation.  After he was finished, she glanced around, then sighed a sigh of resignation.  Taking a deep breath, she began to recount her tale, "when I was at school, there was a girl there named Mandy. We started out as friends (me, Mandy and my other friend I've mentioned, Kit), and she even brought me to her house one weekend when everyone went home, but my uncle didn't want me to come back. But then, for some reason, we grew farther and farther apart until one day, we fought and became enemies. She was out to get me in trouble ever since that day."

It was obvious that Race didn't understand what her story had to do with them running all around Sheepshead, so Bitsy continued, "You know Mandy, or at least, you know of her. Her full name is Amanda Gallagher." It took a second for Race to put two and two together, but it only took a moment for him to exclaim, "That's Mr. Gallagher's daughter!" Nodding, Bitsy continued, "and if she knew I was here, she would get me kicked out for good, and anyone I was with. And it just so happens, that she is who we are hiding from, because there she is."

At this, Race looked out into the crowd and saw a girl of about sixteen with long, curly blonde hair underneath her wide-brimmed hat that matched her baby blue dress.  When he saw her, his eyes grew wide at the fear of being banned from the only place he felt was worth going.  "We'se needs ta get outta 'ere." He said as he lead her through a small passage and onto the street outside Sheepshead. 

After they were safely out, Race decided that they should go ahead to lunch as opposed to trying to sell any more papers right now.  As they were heading to Tibby's, Bitsy started to talk about things she and Kit would do to Mandy after they had become enemies. "Once, we dared her to go skinny dipping in the lake with her boyfriend, so she seduced him into doing it. As soon as they were in, we sent one of the girls to go take their clothes. The headmistress found them an hour later at lights out." Giggling to herself, "Kit and I had quite a laugh over that one, although we did feel a little sorry for her when we heard she got a month's probation after that." The two of them got a good minute's laugh out of that one, but after the laughter had died, Bitsy just walked in silence, thinking.

After a minute, Bitsy started to share her thoughts with Race, "You know, Kit always wanted to be a dancer. And she was really good too. I wonder if she is part of a company yet." Race decided to take advantage of this openness and asked, "Why wouldn't she be one now?" To this, Bitsy replied, "Her brother never wanted her to be a dancer. He thought she needed to have a job that was 'real'. Ever since her parents died, her brother has been her guardian, and he is usually a good one, but sometimes he tries to force what he thinks is best for her. As a matter of fact, he even told her to stop being friends with me because he thought I was a bad influence. That's why I haven't heard from her, because he isn't letting her contact me. But I do know she is in Brooklyn, although that doesn't help much."

Race took a minute to digest all of this, when suddenly something occurred to him that he hadn't thought of yet.  "Actsually, dat may bes just the information we'se need. Come wit me," Race said as he turned around and started to head down the road away from Tibby's.

About fifteen minutes later, as Bitsy and Race were walking along, Bitsy glanced up from their conversation and found herself gaping up at the Brooklyn Bridge.  It was then that she realized where they were going.  Race, looked at her and saw the moment of realization on her face, and said, "Surprise. Welcomes ta Brooklyn."  "But, we'll never find her! There have to be thousands of people in Brooklyn and—" she objected, but was cut off by Race, who said, "Not so. Ya see, I got dis friend—and I'se sure he knows every goil in Brooklyn. Hell, he's prob'ly even slept wit half of 'em." Then, realizing that was not the right thing to say, Race stopped talking and let Bitsy have a moment to think silently about everything.  After a second, Race put out his arm for her and asked, "You'se ready?" "Yea, I am," she replied as she took it and arm in arm they marched across the bridge.

When they found themselves at the docks, Bitsy wasn't sure what to think.  There were tons of boys swimming in only their long, white underwear.  She was definitely one of the few, if not the only girl around there. They all just stared as the Italian boy walked down the docks with one of the most beautiful girls they had seen in a long time.  Bitsy could feel they're eyes on her.  It was almost like there was a certain tension about this place.  Little did she know that in Brooklyn, all the boys had been hardened by the rough life they lived in the midst of gangs and robberies and rapes and even murders. As they walked, they were stopped by two boys who were acting as guards.  When questioned by them, Race spit in his hand and offered it to them, which Bitsy was sure meant the end of the both of them.  But surprisingly, the larger of the two boys then did the same and they shook hands and were allowed to enter.

They continued on, then were fronted by another boy of about sixteen or seventeen, who, despite his seemingly young age, had a certain air about him.  He obviously had a significant amount of importance around here.  After he and Race spit and shook as Race had previously with the other boy, Race turned to Bitsy and said, "Bitsy, dis is Spot Conlon, da leada of da Brooklyn newsies." At this Bitsy turned and faced him, and proceeded to shake his hand (without the spit).  But as Race explained their situation to Spot, Bitsy couldn't help taking a closer look at him.  He looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before.

Spot and Race talked a long time.  After hearing the whole story, Spot said he had heard of a girl named Kit working at a little shop at the other end of town, but she wasn't there anymore.  At hearing this, Bitsy's heart fell.  But Spot said he could send out some scouts to try and find out what had become of her.  Then, with a yawn, Bitsy thanked him, and at the same time realized how tired she was.  It wasn't till then that they realized how late it was getting.  Spot said they could stay in Brooklyn as long as the needed to, and that he would find them beds at the Brooklyn lodging house.  They gladly accepted the offer.

After entering the lodging house, Spot talked to the manager for a minute.  Then he came back to them and said they could use one of the small private rooms for a while.  After getting washed up and ready for bed, Race laid down in the top bunk and Bitsy took the bottom.  She couldn't sleep though.  She had to find out more about Spot.  So she quietly got up, saw that Race was asleep and snuck out of the room.

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Hope you all liked that chapter!!! If you want to know what happens with Bitsy and Race and Spot and all of the others, PLEASE REVIEW!! They were nice enough to go off strike and let me put up this chapter, but I don't know if they'll be as lenient on the 4th. Can't wait to hear from you!!!