Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Newsies as you all know. They belong to some group called Disney. I do, however, own Joanna and all other original characters in the story and take full credit for them.

Spot and Joanna returned to Irving Hall about a half hour after they had run out. Spot had his arm draped protectivly around Joanna's shoulders and her eyes were still red from crying. Everyone inside was talking in curious whispers and Jack was sitting in the middle of it all totally silent.

'What is she doing here?' he thought to himself along with about a million other questions. When Spot and Joanna walked in, he jumped up from the table where he was sitting and pulled Joanna aside.

"Jo, we need to talk," he said, making sure they had privacy. When he realized that everyone in the room was watching them, he pulled her outside. He sat on the curb and she sat down next to him.

"Jo, what are you doing in Brooklyn?" he asked. For the second time that night, she took a deep breath and told her brother everything that had happened since he left ten years ago. When she got to the part where their mother died, she paused.

"What'd he do aftah she died Jo?" Jack asked, his anger with his stepfather rising with every word that she spoke.

She continued as if she were in a trance. Looking straight ahead and never blinking. Gruesome scenes from the past year crossed in front of her eyes as she explained why she had finally run away.

Jack had never in his life been angrier. "I'll kill da dirty bastard!" he roared when she was finished.

"You'll have ta get ta him 'fore I do," a voice said, quiet but menacing, from the door to the Hall. Spot sat down on the other side of Joanna and took her hand. Then Joanna told Jack the last and most important part of her story.

"He's aftah me Jack. And soonah or latah he's gonna find me if I stay in Manhattan." She began to cry again. "I can't go back Jack, I can't" Jack pulled his sister into his arms and held her.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to ya Jo. He'll nevah hurt ya again. I swear." The threesome sat outside for the rest of the night, the only sound being Joanna's weak sobs.

When she had finally cried all the tears she could, she pulled away from Jack and took Spot's hand.

"I think it's bettah if I stay in Brooklyn. John knows 'bout that lettah ya sent me so the foist place he'll look is here." Jack nodded somewhat reluctantly. The three stood up and Spot and Joanna prepared to walk back to Brooklyn. Before they could go, Jack took Spot by the shoulders and held hard.

"If anything happens ta her Spot, I'se holdin' you poisonally responsible," he said. His voice was threatening. Spot pulled his friend's hands off of himself.

"Don't worry Jacky-boy; she'll be safe in Brooklyn. Me and da boys'll take good care of her." The boys spit-shook and Spot put his arm around Joanna's shoulders. Together they walked back to Brooklyn.

******

REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! The faster the reviews, the faster the updates so, let me know what you think!!