A/N: The finale!! I think it turned out pretty well!! R&R!!

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Bean looked around the room, surprised at how many people had shown up for her party. She never realized that she had so many friends. It was amazing to her how she had become so close to so many of the boys in the three years she had lived with them. She was trying to count exactly how many people had come when Jack walked up to her.

"May I have a dance wid da boithday goil?"

Bean smiled. "Of course," she replied as she stood up.

Jack kissed her on the cheek. "Happy eighteenth, Bean."

The pair walked to the middle of the floor and began to dance. One of the newsies had managed to steal a saxophone from a street musician and was getting pretty good at playing it. It was a slow tune, which gave Bean and Jack a chance to talk.

"So, Bean, why you been avoiding Race these past couple a weeks? He's been goin' crazy over it."

"I dunno, Jack, I jus dun know what tah say to him."

"Well, hullo could be a good start."

Bean looked at the floor "Yeah, I guess yer right."

---

Race leaned against the wall outside of Tibby's. He wanted to give Bean her birthday present, but at the same time he didn't want to see her. She had hurt him so much by being with David. 'But if dat's what makes 'er happy, I should back off, rite?' he thought to himself. He saw David turn the corner and start to head into Tibby's.

"Hey Davey, how's things wid yer goil?"

David looked at Race, puzzled. He and Amanda had been spending a lot of time together since they met at Race's party the month before, but everyone knew they weren't dating. "You mean Amanda?"

"No, dummy, Bean!"

Now David was really confused. "What on earth are you talking about, Race?"

"I saw you two tahgether on da fire escape at my party. Youze are datin' arentcha?" David walked towards Race. "No! I was comforting her because she was upset!"

Race looked stunned. "Oh, wow. What was she so upset about?"

David sighed and began to explain.

---

Bean scooted into the booth across from Tom. "You wanted tah talk to me?"

"Yes, I wanted to give you your present." He pushed a flat envelope, about the size of a full sheet of paper, towards Bean.

"Oh, t'anks, I'll put it with de other presents."

"Actually, it's kind of personal and needs an explanation. Could you open it now?"

"Uh, sure." Bean slowly opened the envelope. The first thing she pulled out was a picture of Tom and his daughter. "Aww, dat's such a keyoot picture."

"Pull out the other papers."

Bean did so. It was an adoption record. "Anna Marie Willer. Born November 3, 1883. Mother dead, father imprisoned. Adopted June 2, 1887 by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Parker. New name.. Samantha Nicole Parker." She kept staring at the page. "I knew."

Tom looked surprised. "How?"

"I..I went tah da adoption agency a few weeks ago tah look fer my file. Dey didn't have anythin' under my name, so outta curiosity I looked for Anna's name, an', well."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess I wanted ya tah find out on yer own." Bean looked up. "What happened?"

Tom unloaded the whole story. He had gotten involved in a gang of thieves a few years before he met his wife. They started out stealing small things, just to survive, but slowly they escalated to bigger things. Tom didn't like what they were doing, but by that time it was too late. Then, he met his wife, Marie. She begged him to leave the gang, but if he left, the other members would kill him. When Anna was three years old, someone turned Tom in, and the police took him away. The gang thought Marie had turned him in, because they knew she didn't want Tom involved. Tom was released from prison that January, and he had been searching for his daughter ever since.

Bean looked at Tom, speechless. "Woah." she finally managed to get out.

---

Race darted into Tibby's. Now that he knew Bean and David weren't dating, he had to talk to her. He had to give her the necklace. He saw her sitting in a booth with her friend, Tom. He quickly collected himself, and slowly walked towards his beautiful princess.

---

Tom reached into his pocket. "I have one more thing for you," he said as he pulled out a small book, "it's a journal. You've got a writer's spirit, Bean. You should use it."

Bean took the journal. "T'anks. Ya know, ya didn't haf tah gimme dis. Jus knowin I ain't an orphan is enough fer me."

Tom began to say something, but stopped. "There seems to be a young man who would like to talk to you."

Bean turned around. "Race!"

Race blushed, "Hey Bean. Uh, can I talk tah you fer a minute?"

Bean smiled. "Sure." She looked back at Tom. "T'anks...Dad."

Tom grinned at his newfound daughter.

Race took Bean's hand and led her to a quiet spot in the corner.

---

"What is it, Race?"

"Bean, um, er." Race shifted his weight back and forth, looking at the floor.

"C'mon, spit it out."

Race looked up into Bean's beautiful green eyes. He smiled. "Bean, dere's sumthin' I've needed tah tell ya fer a long time. I started tah tell ya a few weeks ago, but dat wasn't da whole story. Ya see, I love ya, Bean, I can't keep my mind off ya. It's like, Bean, twenty-for 'ours a day in my head. Dun ask me why, I've tried tah make it stop a million times, but it ain't workin. I can't live witout ya, Bean, it jus ain't gonna happen." Race pulled the box with the necklace in it out of his pocket. "I got dis fer ya. It ain't nuttin special, but it reminded me of ya." Race realized what he had just said. "I mean, well you know what I mean."

Bean nodded. She opened the box and saw the beautiful heart pendant. "Race, I love it," she whispered as she put it on.

Race smiled into Bean's eyes. "Well, uh, will ya be my goil, Bean?"

Bean smiled back into Race's eyes. "Of course."

The music had picked back up, this time with a stolen trumpet joining in. Race took Bean's hand and led her to the dance floor.

The two danced for the longest time, grinning at each other with giddy smiles. The other newsies watched them, some disgusted, some happy, and others simply relieved that they had finally gotten together and that the drama would all stop for a while.

As the new couple eased into each other's arms for a slow tune. As they swayed to the music, Race whispered into Bean's ear. "Anything you want. Jus ask an' I'll give it to ya."

Bean looked deep into Race's eyes. "I've just found the father that I never had and the love that I've always wanted. Hon, I couldn't ask for more."

**The End**

A/N: You like?? I think I'm gonna add an epilogue and if you're lucky, maybe even a sequel!! Review PLEASE!!