Rae kelly—hehe I'm glad I'm keeping you entertained. I always think I'm not, but I'm glad that I am!

Klover—yay I'm glad I didn't get you yelled at! That would have made me sad. It's awesome you're enjoying this mores and mores! Woohoo!

Still muchos love to my Iolaus and T.H.

Ch. 5

The humming of swarming beehives vibrated through the room, the Manhattan newsie strike force reduced to chaos in the absence of their two leaders.

"Where could they be?"

"Has anyone checked Davey's house yet?"

"Ya don't think they're backin out on us, do ya?"

"They wouldn't sell out, would they?"

A golden-tipped black cane beat against the floor of the Lodging House. "Alright, alright, everyone, shut ya traps!" All newsie eyes turned to Spot Conlon, standing authoritatively in the center of the lobby, his arms folded about his chest. "Stop fightin. With all ya jabberin, youse never gonna figure this thing out."
"But you'll help us, wontcha, Spot?" Boots squeezed his hat meekly in his hands.

The Brooklyn leader's eyes flashed. "Oh no, youse gotta take care of that."

Buzzing voices swelled in the room, mostly outcries of "hey, you can leave us like this," and, "what will we do?"

"Hey, hey, hey, quiet!" Spot bellowed, waving his arms to order silence. His sharp gaze cut through each newsie, stabbing into the walls and floorboards. "Ya think I can just stick around here, and run things in two boroughs? I can't, I gots enough wit' Brooklyn. Youse gotta find a new leader or somethin."

"New leader?" The mix of voices came more hushed than before, out of fear and respect for Spot, as Racetrack Higgins stepped out of the crowd and faced Spot. "Ya say it like they ain't comin back."

Spot titled his head backwards slightly and studied Race's features, nothing something that might be useful. "Wese don't know if they'se comin back or not."

Now Race's eyes sparked. "I don't know what ya think ya know about Jack, but he'd never abandon us, ever." The others murmured in support and agreement. "And Dave, he's too responsible, he wouldn't just leave us like this."

His lips curling into a satisfied, triumphant smirk, Spot nodded his head. "No, they wouldn't. That's why I gots my boidies out, watchin and listenin. Till then," he clapped Race on the shoulder, letting the mask of his smirk disguise his pride, "Ise leavin you in charge around here."

Shock stretched to the corners of Race's face, pushing his eyes out slightly, as the room again leapt into frenzied conversation. "What? Spot, ya gotta be kiddin."

Spot jerked his cane in Race's direction as he made his way out of the door, into the twilight. "Don't let me down. Remember, wese still on strike."

Go read "a terrible time" by chronicles baily and "her name is may" by monkey mccartney b/c they're awesome and they play with davey too. Chronicles is even meaner to him than I am (and I love her for it) and monkey's being nice (which is always good, b/c not too many people are nice to davey either), and i just all around love monkey.