~*~*~*~*Present~*~*~*~*

"So that was how Grandma got that scar on her forehead?"

Grandpa nodded.

"One of Gambles' men was laying on the stairs when we came up. We didn't think that she would run down there after we confronted her."

Mr. Kid Blink spoke up.

"When we heard the crash, your Grandpa and Ice were the first ones down to her. None of us had really realized that Jack here had fallen for her, not even him."

~*~*Past~*~*

Jack's POV

CRASH! All of us looked to one another. Ice and I were the first ones down the stairs to see Dodger sprawled on the lobby floor.

"NO!" was all that Ice could say. I ran down the stairs and felt for a pulse.

"She's still alive. No one mover her. Mush, go with Ox and get a doctor."

Mush and Ox left in a rush while Spot came and took Ice to a chair. Looking at Dodger's still body, I prayed that she was all right.

'Please Lord; please let her get through this. Just because she's had a tough past and she's said the wrong things, don't make her leave us.' I wiped up as much of the blood from the gash on her forehead with my bandana as I could and hoped that the doctor would soon arrive.

10mins later, Ox and Mush ran in with the doctor right behind them. We all made space for him and for several minutes he examined Dodger.

"Well there doesn't seem to be any broken bones. If someone can get me some hot water and a cloth, I clean her cut up and stitch it."

Gambles went and got some water and came back with a bowl filled with steaming water and a cloth. We all watched at the doctor cleaned Dodger's cut then stitched it up. Having boiling water touch you would normally make you flinch, but Dodger was still out cold. Unlike before, I can now see her chest moving up and down from her breathing.

"Well I'm finished. Does she have a room here? (Gambles nodded) Well some of you should carry her up there. Make sure someone is with her at all times just in case she wakes up."

We all thanked the doctor and soon Spot, Gambles, Ox and I were carrying Dodger up the stair to her room. The guys had given her a separate room since she was the only girl who could stand the boys there. Though she and Ice had shared harsh, Ice helped to put her to bed and offered to keep the first watch over her. None of us had the heart to argue so we just left the room with her sitting at Dodger's bed.

~*~*~*~Outside the room~*~*~*~*

Spot's POV

Most of the Bronx boys were out with their girls so the bunch of us who had gone through the ordeal was now sitting around a makeshift table.

"We've got to get those two back together as friends. Ice hasn't been as cheerful as she used to be. She has an old picture of the two of them and until now, I had never seen it. Now she's carrying it everywhere with her." I said.

I looked across the table to where Jack was sitting and he was starring off in space.

"Hey Jacky-boy. You okay over there?"

Jack shook his head and looked my way. He gave me that all too famous smile of his.

"I'm just thinking. Listen, I'll be right back."

With that, he got up from his seat and headed to Dodger's room. Once the door was closed, I turned to the others.

"Gambles, has Dodger showed any interest in any guys while she's been here?"

He shook his head.

"Right from the start she's been like one of the guys. I've never seen a girl drink as much as her or smoke like she does. When she first showed up, some of the guys tried to ask her out, but she said blatantly that she wasn't interested in a relationship, just a job."

~*~*~*Dodger's Room~*~*~*~

Ice's POV

I didn't hear Jack enter the room. There lying before me was Skyler Dodger McClure, my best friend and sister in the whole world. Sure we weren't blood sisters, but after what we had gone through, it was like we were. We shared everything with each other from likes and dislikes to the world. She was always someone anyone or I could go to for help. Seeing her drinking like that made me think of her mom. Until her mom was put in a woman's correctional institute, Dodger had been the one supplying funds for the both of them. Thing is, the funds would go straight to the barkeepers. Dodger rarely saw the money she earned.

5 months before I 'died', we finally called the bulls on her mom. Hateful things were said, but none of them penetrated Dodger's feelings. Her mom had been so far into the alcohol that Dodger swore she would never drink.

"I pushed her to it." was all I said before breaking into tears. That's when I realize that Jack's in the room. He came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Ice, do you want to explain to me what exactly happened between you two?"

"Well it started 3 and a half years ago."

~*~*3 years ago~*~*

Ice's POV

Sitting in the restaurant, Dodger and I were taking a break from that day's selling. Both of us were doing pretty good. Dodger was now officially staying at the Lodging House so at least now I wasn't worrying about her all the time. Instead I was now worrying whenever she was going out with the new guy Credit. He was a mysterious guy. Just showed up last month. He had set his eyes on Dodger and got her within a week. Now I know she's not sleeping with him, she's got enough sense, but she's not as fierce as she used to be. She'll put up a little fight whenever he asks her to do something she normally wouldn't but that's about it.

"Hey, Renegade, you awake over there?"

"Oh ya, sorry. Just thinking."

"Ok, well, Credit told me a friend of his is coming into town tomorrow and was wondering if you want to join the 3 of us for dinner?"

"I don't know. A blind date?"

"This wouldn't be a date, just a gathering of people. There will be others there, not just us."

I thought over for a minute. Dodger didn't ask for much. Normally people were going to her for advice on things so I knew when she wanted something, I couldn't say no.

"All right, I'll come."

"Thanks."

~*~*~*The next day~*~*~*

Dinner was ok. Dodger ended up sitting on one side of me while Credit on the other. So this wasn't too bad. The friend of Credit's was an okay guy. No someone I'd go out with, but a good potential friend. Credit paid the waiter and we were soon off to the Lodging House.

"Hey guys, I found a quicker way to the LH through this alley yesterday."

Why not, quicker was better. My feet were starting to get sore, and I was starting to fall asleep. The other guy led the way with Credit and Dodger in front of me. The next thing is like a blur. 3 guys come out from the dark only to surround us.

"What the?" I grabbed Dodger and we both looked to Credit. He and his friend had joined the circle.

"Credit, what's going on?"

"My dear Dodger. Don't you recognize me? You should too Renegade since it was you two who put me in jail 2 years ago."

Oh my goodness! Taylor. Before us was the ex leader of the Newsies. Dodger and I had put him in jail when we had caught him mugging an old couple. His hair was different and his skin colour was darker but now I see through him. I looked at Dodger and saw the stern look she got whenever she was about to fight. Her knife hand was twitching, wishing she had her knife.

"What do you want Tails? (His Newsie name)"

"Revenge."

With that he nodded to the goons and 2 grabbed each of my arms. They missed Dodger though. She hadn't gotten her name for no reason. I had decided to change it last year when she got out of a fight with no marks at all. She did a swift kick and got the guy going for her in the stomach and grabbed his knife from his pocket.

"Let her go Tails. You're beef is with me. I'm the one that told the police. Renegade didn't want to but I did."

Tails just grinned a menacing grin and from his pocket, he pulled a knife and stuck it in my side. Pain washed over me as I became limp.

"Run Dodger. Go get help."

"I'm not leaving Ren. Friends forever."

3 of the goons blocked her way and the two that had grabbed me pulled me deeper into the alley. Tails stayed where he was and started going for Dodger. As soon as we were out of sight, I tried to fight back but it was no use. I looked up at the goons and for some reason recognized them.

"Sonic?" Sonic had changed a lot since I had last saw him. He was now much bigger.

"Hey Ren. Listen don't say anything. Tails told us to kill you when he planned this out. We're going to get you to safety and go back to tell Tails that you're dead. You've got to get out of town. Leave now."

"But what about Dodger? I can't leave her."

"She'll be okay. I'll look after her."

Sonic cleaned up my cut and handed me some money to get on a train.

"Now go. If Dodger thinks there is still a chance of saving you, she'll surely get killed. I'll tell Tails that you confessed to the ratting. He'll more likely let Dodger go after that."

I didn't want to leave my best friend but if I argued anymore, I knew Sonic wouldn't give up until I was unconscious from pain.

"All right. I'm leaving. Please tell Dodger someday that she'll always be with me okay?"

"Okay."

With that I gave Sonic a hug and slowly trudged to the train yards. Few minutes later, I was still in earshot and I heard a loud scream.

"I'm sorry Dodger."

~*~*~*With Jack and Ice~*~*~*

"And now she tells me she didn't leave. She's more of a friend to me than I am to her. She was right."

Jack took my shoulders and turned me to him.

"Ice, you can't believe that. You thought you were doing what you did for her safety. You didn't know that they were going to go after her. If you weren't a good friend, would you have picked the first shift to watch over her? Would you have been the first one by her side when she fell?"

"Jack, you were first there."

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that you are her friend. The only one here that knows the most about her."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Dodger moving. Jack stepped back letting me have room. She didn't wake up though. She started to twist back and forth as if she was having a bad dream. She was murmuring something and at first I couldn't understand but soon she was speaking clearly.

"No. No. That's not true.She's not dead. You bastard. I'll kill you."

That was all she said before she started groaning and twisting side to side. Jack moved closer to me.

"She must be reliving that night."

~*~*~*Present~*~*~*

This was absolutely amazing. I never knew that my Grandma had had such a hard time as a kid. I didn't know that she was a knife handler, a drinker, and smoker, anything of what I'd just been told.

"Now what are all of you sitting around here for? I would think you boys would be out and about not in here with these old grumps."

All of us looked up to see an elderly woman walk in with a younger version beside her.

"Now, Ice, we're just telling these boys a bit of past." Grandpa said.

The woman smiled as she came up and kissed Mr. Spot.

"Now I think I know of what time you guys are talking about since you only call me that Cowboy when you talk of our Newsie days."

She took a seat beside Mr. Spot and her daughter (which we found out was named Drake Kelly Conlon. Her mother had used her best friend's last name for a middle name.) pulled up a seat beside us the youngest generation.

"Actually, we're talking of when Dodger first came to us."

Mrs. Ice's face went into that of remembering.

"Ah yes. Dodger. What a spirit she was. So how much have you boys gotten out of these old coots?"

Since it was my idea to come here and was the song I wrote, I answered her.

"It was just around when my Grandmother fell down the stairs."

Mrs. Ice looked at me and smiled.

"You are definitely Dodger's kid. First to speak when needed. You also have her eyes. The emerald green. Doesn't he look like Skyler, Drake?"

I looked to her daughter and she also smiled.

"He does. It's kind of freaky really. Their hair length is even similar."

"You're right. Well Dodger didn't wake up for several days. She ended up hitting her head pretty hard on that fall."

~*~*~*Blast to the Past~*~*~*

Ice's POV

It's been a week and Dodger still hasn't woken up. Every one of us who has stayed with her has seen her go through the nightmare. Each time it's a bit longer, like she's going through each hit in slow motion. The phrase has been the same over and over again. "

"No, no. It's not true. You bastard. I'll kill you."

It's my turn to watch her just in case she wakes up. Spot's only see this happen once. He took the 3rd shift after Jack took over for me. Since then he's been back at the lodging house, which makes sense since it has to be run.

"Hey Ice, do you want something to eat?"

I turned to the voice to see that Jack had arrived with a tray of food. I smiled and got up from my chair and stretched. I walked over to the table and the two of us sat down to lunch.

"So has anything changed?"

I shook my head.

"The twisting and turning after she speaks has lessened, but other than that nothing. I'm starting to give her water more often."

Just then for the first time, we heard different words.

"Where am I?"

Jack and I turned to see Dodger leaning up on her elbows.

A/N: Hey all. This is amazing. I haven't done 3 chapters in a row or close to ever. I guess reading Shakespeare really does help. Well I don't own the Newsies, or Ice. Just Dodger, names you don't recognize from the movie, the idea and actually I don't own Drake Kelly. That's Ice's favorite name or at least one of them. Well Austa to everyone!