Disclaimer: I don't understand why I have to do this since you all know that I don't own any of the Newsies from this story. Disney does. However, I do own Joanna and all other original characters and I take full credit for them.

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The next morning, Jack made an announcement to all of the Manhattan newsies before they went out to sell the papers.

"I know you'se are all curious bout what happened last night. That goil was me sistah and I ain't seen her in ten years. I can't explain it all now but I'se gotta ask that you'se all do somet'in for me. Sometime in da next couple weeks, a guy named Johnathon Sullivan is gonna come round here lookin for Francis and Joanna. If he does, you've never seen Joanna and I'm in Santa Fe. Got it?"

The newsies nodded and Jack went to inform Kloppman of the story. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Spot was giving a similer announcement.

"If any ah you'se sees a guy wanderin around lookin for Joanna or Francis Sullivan, you've nevah hoird of either of 'em." The Brooklyn boys agreed and went to start selling their papers. Spot pulled Joanna aside to talk to her.

"Joanna," he began but Joanna silenced him.

"Call me Penny from now on so if he's around he don't hear."

"How bout I call ya Jo?" he said with a smirk on his lips and a mischievous look in his ice-blue eyes. Y'see, even if we change your name, there's still a problem." He took some of her hair in his hand and showed it to her. "Not many people around here have hair like this. So I'se gots an idea. I got an extra cap that I'se gonna give ta ya. We'll hide your hair under it and we'll disguise you as a boy. We'll call ya Jo."

"That's a great idea Spot. But who's gonna tell Jack? I can't go ta Manhattan to tell him."

"Not a problem." Spot handed her his extra cap and she hid her hair underneath it. They stepped outside and Spot looked up at the roof of the building next door. He whistled and a boy's head popped up at the ledge of the roof. Spot nodded to him and in seconds the boy was downstairs.

"Jo, dis is one of me boids, Sparrow. Sparrow, I want you ta go to Manhattan and tell Jacky-boy that we disguised his sister as a boy. We'll call her Jo. Then I want ya ta take half of da boids and set yourselves up in Manhattan." Then he took a picture from Joanna's pocket. It was a picture of Joanna, Jack, Joanna's mother, and Jonathon ten years ago. He handed it to Sparrow. "Show dis picture ta all the boids. If any of ya's sees this guy," he pointed to Jonathon, "give the call to warn any newsies around. Ya got all that?" Sparrow nodded and took off toward Manhattan.

Spot turned to Joanna. "Well, what are we waitin' for? We got papes ta sell." And together they walked to the distribution center.

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Joanna had been hiding out in Brooklyn for three weeks and nothing had happened. No one had seen Jonathon and Joanna focused solely on creating her new life. She loved living with the newsies, and with Spot. The couple spent countless evenings on the roof of the Lodging House, talking, looking at the stars, and mostly kissing. Neither of them could wait until Joanna could go back to being a girl so they could be together like this all the time.

In Manhattan, Jack was beginning to think that Jonathon had given up looking for Joanna. He couldn't have guessed how wrong he was.

One night, Spot was visiting Brooklyn and had been playing poker at Tibby's with Jack, Race, and Kid Blink. It around 10 o'clock when they headed back to the Lodging House. Spot had placed Dodger and Joanna in charge of Brooklyn for the night and was sleeping in Manhattan.

Kloppman was getting ready to go to bed when a man barged into the Lodging House. He was obviously drunk and there was fire in his eyes.

"Are you hiding a girl by the name of Joanna Sullivan here?" he demanded when he saw the manager. Kloppman shook his head and smiled kindly.

"No, sir, I'm terribly sorry. I've never heard of anyone called Joanna Sullivan." The drunken man continued to rant about Joanna and Kloppman continued to deny her existense. Jack and the others were on their way home.

When they reached the entrance to the Lodging House, Jack froze; not three feet from the door. Spot turned to him. "What is it?" he asked. Jack put a finger to his lips signaling them to be quiet. He recognized the voice of his stepfather. He looked at Spot and mouthed the word 'Joanna' to him. Spot understood and walked into the alley next to the Lodging House. He whistled quietly and a few seconds later came back to the group with one of his boids.

"Go to Brooklyn and tell Dodger and Jo that her dads in Manhattan lookin' for her. Tell her ta stay inside and tell Dodger ta put all me boids on alert."

The boy nodded and took off. Spot turned to Jack. "Go hide in that alley. Me and da boys'll take care of dis." Jack swallowed and hid in the alley. Spot, Race, and Kid Blink walked into the Lodging House as if nothing was wrong.

"Heya Kloppman, how's it rollin'?" Spot asked casually, walking past Jonathon.

"Hi there Spot," Kloppman said. "Ya stayin' in Manhattan tonight?" Spot nodded and turned to face Jonathon.

"Who are you?" he asked the man.

"None of your business." He pulled something out of his pocket. "Have you seen this girl around?" he asked, showing Spot a recent photograph of Joanna. "Her name is Joanna Sullivan." Spot shook his head and took the picture. He showed it to the other boys.

"Any of you guys seen this goil?" he asked them? They all nodded.

"Nevah hoid of her," Race agreed. Jonathon took the picture from him and grabbed Spot's shirt, holding him in the air.

"If I find out that you're lying, I'll make sure you never say anything again. Got it?" He shook Spot a little and set him down. Spot smoothed his shirt and glared at the man as he walked out.

As much as he wanted to, Spot knew it was too late to go back to Brooklyn so he headed upstairs with the other boys, soon followed by Jack. His face was pale and Spot almost had to tie him to his bed to keep him from going to Brooklyn right then and there.

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"Jo! Dodger!" Sparrow called as he burst into the Brooklyn Lodging House. Several newsies looked up from where they were playing poker or chatting but Sparrow couldn't see Dodger or Joanna. He grabbed Slink as he walked by. "Slink, where's Dodger and Jo?" he asked, gasping for breath. He had just run all the way from Manhattan. Slink knew immediately something was wrong and without asking any questions, he called upstairs to the stand-in leaders. They came thudding down the stairs seconds later.

"Sparrow, what's wrong?" Joanna asked, seeing the boy's pale face and short breaths.

"Spot sent me from Manhattan. Your dad's lookin' for ya. He was at da Manhattan Lodging House and he almost found Jack. Spot wants you ta stay inside and away from any windows and stuff." He addressed Dodger. "Put all da boids on lookout. Da man was mighty drunk and dangerous." Then he nodded to Joanna and went back to his old post next door. Dodger looked at Joanna's bloodless face and pulled her upstairs.

They went into Spot's room so that they could be alone. "You stay here. I'm gonna go tell all da boy's 'bout dis and I'll be back. I'll send Slink up ta sit with ya," Dodger said and she gave him the slightest nod as he left to warn the Brooklyn boys of their "sister's" situation.

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