Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Joanna, Jonathon, Dodger, Slink, and Mr. Atty. All others belong to Disney.
Joanna had been in Brooklyn for a week and had made wonderful friends with all of the boys. They had never had a girl in the lodging house and they all looked upon Joanna as their sister. She became especially close with Spot, Dodger, and Slink. When she was selling papers with them or beating them in poker, she almost forgot about her stepfather and the reason she had come to Brooklyn.
"Get up boys!" shouted Mr. Atty as he prodded the boys awake at five in the morning to sell the papers. "You too Penny." The boys groaned as they got up and ready for the day. Penny groaned louder than any of them. She never was a morning person. But then she remembered what morning it was. February 11th. Her birthday. She was overwhelmed with a sudden sadness. It was her birthday and nobody in the Brooklyn lodging house knew. The only person who knew and cared was currently missing.
'Happy Birthday Francis' she thought to herself, holding back the tears that had flooded her eyes. She was silent as she got ready for the day.
Joanna walked to the Distribution Center with Dodger that morning. Slink had decided he wasn't going to sell that day and Spot always took too long to get ready. As they were getting their papers, they saw Spot walking in from the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge, not the lodging house.
"Where ya been?" Joanna asked. She had begun to pick up the accent that all of the other newsies used.
"Manhattan." Joanna's eyes grew wide at the mention of the bourough. "Had ta see a friend of mine. He's having a party tonight for his birthday and all a Brooklyn's invited. Ya up for it?" Joanna nodded vigorously. If all of Manhattan would be at the party, someone was bound to know something about Francis.
******
That evening, Joanna walked next to Spot as they led th Brooklyn newsies to the party. It was being held in Irving Hall. As they entered the theatre, Spot pointed out all of the Manhattan newsies, introducing her as they walked.
"This here's Racetrack, Dutchy, Skittery, Kid Blink, Mush, and Boots," he said. Joanna nodded as he said the names but her mind was on finding her brother. Then they came up to a tall boy with dark hair who had his back turned to them. He was dressed like everyone else except that instead of a cabbie hat, he wore a cowboy hat and red bandana.
For a moment, Joanna thought that this boy was Francis, but she immediately pushed that from her mind. 'This can't be Francis,' she thought reluctantly. 'Spot said his name was Jack Kelly.'
Spot grabbed the boy's arm and turned him around. Joanna didn't get a good look at his face and he didn't notice her at all. The boys spit-shook and chatted a little. Then Spot directed his attentions to Joanna.
"Jacky-boy, dis here's me newest newsie, Penny," he said Jack turned toward her and when their eyes met, his hand froze in midair and his mouth dropped open in shock. It was Joanna who recovered first.
"Francis!" she shouted as she threw herself into her brother's arms. He spun her around twice and then set her down. He held her away from him so he could take a good look at her.
"Is it really you Jo?" he asked in amazment. She nodded and they hugged again, tears filling both sets of eyes. They didn't bother to hold them in. Neither one noticed that every newsie in Irving Hall was staring silently at them.
"Oh I've missed ya so much, Francis," she said when he released her. Jack wrinkled his nose at the name.
"Uh, Jo, could you not call me that. I go by Jack now."
Joanna smiled mischievously and said, "Do ya still go by Cowboy?" He grinned back at her when he mentioned the old nickname. Spot chose this moment to interrupt.
"How did you know that we'se call him Cowboy?" he asked Joanna.
"I didn't. I always called him dat when we was kids." She noticed Spot's puzzled look, and everyone else's as well. "Fran-I mean Jack's my bruddah," she explained, suddenly shy.
No one said anything. All of the boys from Brooklyn stared at Joanna with a slightly hurt expression in their eyes. Especially Dodger and Slink. But not Spot. His eyes just held anger and frustration. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the theatre. Joanna ran after him, realizing the huge mistake she had made by not trusting him.
She caught him halfway across the bridge. He ignored her when she called to him so she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.
"I'se sorry Spot," she said quietly. He didn't answer her, he just turned to face the river and lean on the railing. After several minutes he turned to face her again, hurt and anger flaming in his eyes.
It was as if she was seeing his eyes for the first time. She was lost in the ice-blue color. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed how beautiful his eyes were before.
"Why didn't ya tell me?" Spot shouted at her, breaking her reverie. "Didn't ya think ya could trust me? Ya lied ta me and ta da whole gang. I--," he stammered but couldn't find the right words. He just shook his head in frustration.
When he looked back at Joanna, he realized that her eyes were filling with tears and that she was fighting hard not to let them spill onto her face.
"I couldn't tell ya," she said, failing to keep her voice steady. "If I told ya, word might get around and den he'd find me."
Her words caught him offguard. "Who'd find ya?" he asked, calming his voice a little.
She hesitated before answering him. "My stepfadah," she said simply.
"Why are ya hidin' from him?"
She bit her lip and looked at the ground. She took a deep breath and turned to look at the river. Spot didn't think she was gonna answer and was ready to walk her back to Manhattan when she started to explain everything.
"He beat me and my Ma. And Jack before he left. Exactly ten years ago today he kicked Jack outta da house. My sixth birthday. A year ago me ma died and it was just me and him. He got drunk everyday. In the beginnig he just started to beat me more often, but it got woise. He started ta...ta force himself on me. I fought as hard as I could but he was stronger dan any guy I've ever known. I was miserable. I had to get out. So one day while he was at work I took off. I decided to try and find Jack, but I had no idea where he was. I ended up in Brooklyn a few nights before you found me. I was ready ta give up when you came along."
She finished her story and by this time tears were falling freely from her eyes. She began to sob harder when she stopped talking. Spot took her in his arms and held her tight while she cried. After she calmed down a bit, she looked up at Spot and immediately got lost in his beautiful blue eyes, and he in her enchanting emerald ones.
He gently pushed a stray piece of copper hair out of her face and leaned down to kiss her. As his lips brushed gently over hers, an shiver ran through his body. Joanna snuggled closer to his chest and they stood on the Brooklyn Bridge a little while longer, intwined in each others arms and thinking about what had just happened.
***Well, there it is. Chapter 2. Can't wait to read the reviews and to write the next chapter. Hope you liked it.***
Joanna had been in Brooklyn for a week and had made wonderful friends with all of the boys. They had never had a girl in the lodging house and they all looked upon Joanna as their sister. She became especially close with Spot, Dodger, and Slink. When she was selling papers with them or beating them in poker, she almost forgot about her stepfather and the reason she had come to Brooklyn.
"Get up boys!" shouted Mr. Atty as he prodded the boys awake at five in the morning to sell the papers. "You too Penny." The boys groaned as they got up and ready for the day. Penny groaned louder than any of them. She never was a morning person. But then she remembered what morning it was. February 11th. Her birthday. She was overwhelmed with a sudden sadness. It was her birthday and nobody in the Brooklyn lodging house knew. The only person who knew and cared was currently missing.
'Happy Birthday Francis' she thought to herself, holding back the tears that had flooded her eyes. She was silent as she got ready for the day.
Joanna walked to the Distribution Center with Dodger that morning. Slink had decided he wasn't going to sell that day and Spot always took too long to get ready. As they were getting their papers, they saw Spot walking in from the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge, not the lodging house.
"Where ya been?" Joanna asked. She had begun to pick up the accent that all of the other newsies used.
"Manhattan." Joanna's eyes grew wide at the mention of the bourough. "Had ta see a friend of mine. He's having a party tonight for his birthday and all a Brooklyn's invited. Ya up for it?" Joanna nodded vigorously. If all of Manhattan would be at the party, someone was bound to know something about Francis.
******
That evening, Joanna walked next to Spot as they led th Brooklyn newsies to the party. It was being held in Irving Hall. As they entered the theatre, Spot pointed out all of the Manhattan newsies, introducing her as they walked.
"This here's Racetrack, Dutchy, Skittery, Kid Blink, Mush, and Boots," he said. Joanna nodded as he said the names but her mind was on finding her brother. Then they came up to a tall boy with dark hair who had his back turned to them. He was dressed like everyone else except that instead of a cabbie hat, he wore a cowboy hat and red bandana.
For a moment, Joanna thought that this boy was Francis, but she immediately pushed that from her mind. 'This can't be Francis,' she thought reluctantly. 'Spot said his name was Jack Kelly.'
Spot grabbed the boy's arm and turned him around. Joanna didn't get a good look at his face and he didn't notice her at all. The boys spit-shook and chatted a little. Then Spot directed his attentions to Joanna.
"Jacky-boy, dis here's me newest newsie, Penny," he said Jack turned toward her and when their eyes met, his hand froze in midair and his mouth dropped open in shock. It was Joanna who recovered first.
"Francis!" she shouted as she threw herself into her brother's arms. He spun her around twice and then set her down. He held her away from him so he could take a good look at her.
"Is it really you Jo?" he asked in amazment. She nodded and they hugged again, tears filling both sets of eyes. They didn't bother to hold them in. Neither one noticed that every newsie in Irving Hall was staring silently at them.
"Oh I've missed ya so much, Francis," she said when he released her. Jack wrinkled his nose at the name.
"Uh, Jo, could you not call me that. I go by Jack now."
Joanna smiled mischievously and said, "Do ya still go by Cowboy?" He grinned back at her when he mentioned the old nickname. Spot chose this moment to interrupt.
"How did you know that we'se call him Cowboy?" he asked Joanna.
"I didn't. I always called him dat when we was kids." She noticed Spot's puzzled look, and everyone else's as well. "Fran-I mean Jack's my bruddah," she explained, suddenly shy.
No one said anything. All of the boys from Brooklyn stared at Joanna with a slightly hurt expression in their eyes. Especially Dodger and Slink. But not Spot. His eyes just held anger and frustration. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the theatre. Joanna ran after him, realizing the huge mistake she had made by not trusting him.
She caught him halfway across the bridge. He ignored her when she called to him so she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.
"I'se sorry Spot," she said quietly. He didn't answer her, he just turned to face the river and lean on the railing. After several minutes he turned to face her again, hurt and anger flaming in his eyes.
It was as if she was seeing his eyes for the first time. She was lost in the ice-blue color. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed how beautiful his eyes were before.
"Why didn't ya tell me?" Spot shouted at her, breaking her reverie. "Didn't ya think ya could trust me? Ya lied ta me and ta da whole gang. I--," he stammered but couldn't find the right words. He just shook his head in frustration.
When he looked back at Joanna, he realized that her eyes were filling with tears and that she was fighting hard not to let them spill onto her face.
"I couldn't tell ya," she said, failing to keep her voice steady. "If I told ya, word might get around and den he'd find me."
Her words caught him offguard. "Who'd find ya?" he asked, calming his voice a little.
She hesitated before answering him. "My stepfadah," she said simply.
"Why are ya hidin' from him?"
She bit her lip and looked at the ground. She took a deep breath and turned to look at the river. Spot didn't think she was gonna answer and was ready to walk her back to Manhattan when she started to explain everything.
"He beat me and my Ma. And Jack before he left. Exactly ten years ago today he kicked Jack outta da house. My sixth birthday. A year ago me ma died and it was just me and him. He got drunk everyday. In the beginnig he just started to beat me more often, but it got woise. He started ta...ta force himself on me. I fought as hard as I could but he was stronger dan any guy I've ever known. I was miserable. I had to get out. So one day while he was at work I took off. I decided to try and find Jack, but I had no idea where he was. I ended up in Brooklyn a few nights before you found me. I was ready ta give up when you came along."
She finished her story and by this time tears were falling freely from her eyes. She began to sob harder when she stopped talking. Spot took her in his arms and held her tight while she cried. After she calmed down a bit, she looked up at Spot and immediately got lost in his beautiful blue eyes, and he in her enchanting emerald ones.
He gently pushed a stray piece of copper hair out of her face and leaned down to kiss her. As his lips brushed gently over hers, an shiver ran through his body. Joanna snuggled closer to his chest and they stood on the Brooklyn Bridge a little while longer, intwined in each others arms and thinking about what had just happened.
***Well, there it is. Chapter 2. Can't wait to read the reviews and to write the next chapter. Hope you liked it.***
