A:n -- hey yall n thanx sO much 4 the ReviewS! They mOtivate me .n. help mE!! Thank you ! ( ok .. so let me get started..i dOnt usually like 2 update I have about a zillion Ideas but im too lazy to type them up!!! CURSE LAZINESS!!

Disclaimer- I dont own any of the newsies!! *ahem* if only if only I could have mush but ya kno how these things go.c'mon now anyways I only own zoe,hope,mary, n the plot n any other of the friggin characters.! Ok here we go...

Chapter 6: * And now the trouble begins..

It had been almost a full year since that night at Brooklyn. Mush and Zoe were still together, and very much in love. She wouldn't have passed up anything for her life right now. It was so perfect-or so it seemed.

"Hurry! Zoe, let's go!" cried the faint calls of Mush from the hallway. He was taking Zoe out for her birthday, but she refused to come out of the tiny apartment until she looked "presentable."

"Oh I'm hurryin, stop yer bawlin!" She snapped back. Quickly, she looked in the mirror and groaned. Her hair was still as wild as ever, and now stuck out all over the place. After many attempts to slick her curls, she finally stuck some pretty flower clips in her massive waves and nodded her head. Guess it must do, she thought.

"Ok!" she screamed as she opened the door, and Mush fell just as he was about to pound his fist once again. Zoe grinned down at him as she helped him up. He brushed himself off, then smiled as he looked her up and down.

"My, my," he whispered as he ran his finger across her cheek. "Don't we look lovely tahday." Zoe couldn't help but blush, but she playfully swatted his hand away.

"So tell me Mush," she said as they began to walk hand and hand out of the building and down the busy streets of Manhattan. "Where are we headed?" She put her head on his shoulder and he slid his arm around her waist.

"I ain't tell you'se!" he said happily and winked at her. She frowned but shrugged all the same. "This way!" He called.

They walked down the crowded streets as a gentle summer breeze played across the young lover's faces. It was such a wonderful evening, perfect for her birthday.

After several minutes of walking, Mush finally came to a halt outside tall iron gates. The sign hanging outside read, "Rose Garden." Puzzled, Zoe looked up at Mush. What was he getting at?

"C'mere," he said, gently pushing her into the garden. He covered her eyes as he lead her inside a small wooden building that stood deserted amongst the many fields of flowing flowers. (Alliteration baby!)

Zoe impatiently snapped her eyes open. She gasped as she saw what lie in front of her. Mush had led her straight into a small room, with white walls. The ground had all been sprinkled with rose petals and smelled sweetly of lavender. A fireplace stood in the center, but was unlit, being that it was summer. Candles were lit all around. Tears welled up in Zoe's eyes.

"Oh Mush," she whispered, barely able to control her voice mixing with so many emotions. "How on Earth did you do this?" She looked at him.

"Got me ways," he said back, then leaned in and kissed Zoe softly on her lips. Just as he slipped his arms around her waist, one fact registered in her mind: She knew she wanted Mush physically more than mentally and emotionally. Looking up in his eyes, it seemed he wanted the same. She leaned in and this time, kissed him hard on his lips.

Her arms curled around his neck and she pulled him closer to her. Gently, Mush picked her up, never breaking the kiss the two shared. He slowly made his way over to the bed, lying Zoe down onto its comfortable surface, beginning to venture his kiss down her neck. Zoe could feel him lay on top of her, and his very touch sent shivers down his spine. Looking up only once into her eyes for permission, he got the satisfaction he needed. Slowly, he began to unbutton her dress, still kissing her neck.

To Zoe's surprise, she moaned, letting Mush know she was enjoying it just as much as him. The last thing she remembered was Mush taking off his shirt, and the rest was a blissful blur.

***

It was hard waking up the next morning. Everything from the previous night was fuzzy. Zoe rolled over and found herself looking into the dark brown eyes of Mush.

"Moinin," he said as he kissed her on the lips.

"Morning," she replied laying her head on his chest. "Thank you for everything Mush."

He smiled at her. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you," she replied.

***

Tibby's was crowded every Friday afternoon. It was several weeks after Zoe and Mush had given themselves to each other, and everyone noticed a definite change in them. They were hardly ever apart, and when they were together, they never stopped smiling at one another. To just be in the same room as them, you couldn't help but feel good.

"So," Race said to the happy couple as he joined them at a booth with Spot, Hope, Mary, Blink and Jack. "Whathca all doin' tahnight?"

"Medda's gots a show!" Blink said smiling. "Zoe yah playin?"

Zoe looked up at Blink and shrugged. "Don't gots a choice, now do I?" She really didn't want to play, but that was the only way she could live.

"Guess ya don't!" Spot said.

"Hey.hey fellahs!" Jack suddenly stood up and was looking outside Tibby's front window. "Wouldja look at dat?!" Everyone now stood up, curious as to what ol' Jacky-boy was so excited about.

Zoe rolled her eyes as she saw a young blonde woman waltz right into the restaurant. She looked out of place in her newly pressed clothes.

"Hey!" Hope said to Zoe as she elbowed her in the side. "Dats dat bitch I toldja about a while ago! Membah?" Zoe nodded.

Blink walked right up to the young girl, blushing furiously. He was closely followed by Race, Jack, Spot, and Mush. Zoe and Hope just glared at the girl.

"'Cuse me sweet face," Blink said. "Can I help ya out?"

"Yah," Race started. "Watcha need beautiful?"

"Anyting at all?" Now even Jack was smitten for her! Zoe kept watching Mush to see if he would say anything. She almost screamed when he opened his mouth and said,

"Yeah dollface." Spot even nodded too! Hope and Zoe marched right up to their men.

"I'll help ya honey," Zoe said cockily. "Right out da door!" She went to push the girl out, when all the boys seized her.

Hope calmed her down, before listening to what the blonde had to say.

"Sorry I caused so much trouble!" Tears began to well up in her eyes as she began to sob. Zoe couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh please!" she shrieked.

"Hey!" Mush said angrily as he took hold of Zoe's arm which was dangerously close to colliding with the side of the girls face. "Leave Dolly alone! She aint done nuttin tah ya!"

Zoe was almost paralyzed. Mush was hurting her, not just emotionally but physically. His grip on her arm began to get tighter and tighter. This time, tears filled Zoe's eyes.

"Mush," she whispered now crying hard as Mush's grip got extremely tight. "Your.hurting.me!" she sobbed.

Mush looked into her eyes and immediately let go. He hadn't meant to hurt her. What had got into him?

"Sorry," he mumbled as she saw the hurt in Zoe's eyes. "Zoe I didn't mean tah hoit ya." Zoe just looked down at the floor and hid behind Hope.

"Watch it Mush!" Hope angrily shouted at him. "Howdja know her name?"

Jack and Race spoke at once. "She told us!"

"Oh." Hope now looked daggers at Spot, as if daring him to stick up for Dolly.

"Well, I best be going. Nice, erm, meeting you!" She briskly walked out the door. Blink turned angrily towards Zoe.

"What was dat foah?" Zoe recoiled. She had never seen Blink mad, and she didn't like it. "I coulda asked 'er out! Yah scared 'er off!"

Zoe stared down at the floor. "She aint dat great anyways!" she mumbled.

Mush was angry now. He didn't know why, but he was.

"Hey!" he suddenly found himself yelling at Zoe. He didn't like the way it sounded, but a little devil told him to keep going. "She's gorgeous, and dats moah den I can say foah you'se." Immediately he knew he had gone too far.

Here was the girl he loved, the girl he had made love too. Why was he being so mean? He didn't like it. She just stared at him. Everyone did. They were all shocked. He saw the hurt spread in Zoe's eyes, and it broke his heart. It felt that his own heart was being ripped out of his chest and stomped on.

Zoe closed her eyes for a moment and nodded her head. When she opened them, Mush never forget the hurt look she wore. He wanted to grab her and kiss her, but the way she had nodded her head held him back.

Staring straight into his eyes, she nodded again. Then, very surprisingly, she smiled.

"Thanks," she said her voice so blank Mush wasn't sure if it was real. "Thank you for being another reminder in this awful world of what I do not have, and what I am not." Then, with one last look at Mush, tears welled up in her eyes and she walked out of Tibby's. With every step she took, it felt that her heart was breaking into more and more pieces. The man she loved had betrayed her.

She wanted to die.

She heard Mush call for her, but kept walking. She didn't even realize she had reached her apartment. Suddenly, she broke down crying on her bed.

He hadn't even come after her. No one had.