~*~*Ice's POV~*~*

Watching Dodger run out of the Lodging House made me wonder what had happened. I excused myself and went back into the bathroom. I saw Jack cleaning up the cards.

"They set her up didn't they?"

"I asked them to."

I couldn't believe Jack just said that. I walked up to him and knocked the cards he had gathered out of his hands. He looked up at me in awe.

"What?"

"You asked them to set her up?"

"That was the only way I could get a date out of her. If I was to ask her, she would have said no."

I can't believe this.

"Jack, Spot called her a cheater and took her knife from her. I warned about the knife."

Both of us sat down.

"What's so special about that knife? It seems like a plain old thing to me."

"When she first became a Newsie, Sonic gave it to her. She always admired how he handled it and for her birthday, he gave her the knife as a present and taught her how to use it. I guess with Sonic gone, taking it away was like taking him away."

I watched as Jack's face fell.

"To make it up to her, get it from him now and give it to her. Explain everything to her and maybe she'll forgive you. I know the old Dodger is in there, she just needs coaxing out."

Jack nodded and stood up. He gave me a small smile and headed out. I caught sight of him asking for the knife from Spot and then exit out of the hall.

~*~*Jack's POV~*~*

I wasn't sure where she would go. It seemed like the only spot she knew around New York was the Bronx. I started walking that way and not long after heard several noises coming from an alleyway.

"Kid, you are gonna pay."

I looked down to see a large brute towering over a smaller one.

"Mister, move or your gonna lose it."

The voice I knew for it had the hint of sarcasm that Dodger's had. I saw the large guy swing at her and saw her duck and swing her leg around. She hooked the guy's legs and knocked him down. She got upright and went into a fighting position as the guy staggered up.

"Oh your gonna get it."

"Bring it on."

The guys swung out twice and both times she ducked. The third time she blocked it with her arm and punched him in the stomach. Unfortunately I noticed she wasn't quick enough to move back and he grabbed her by the shirt. I saw that she was just about to get hit when I decided to step in.

"Drop the kid."

He looked up and luckily that was enough for Dodger to kick him where it hurts the most and run towards me. Rather than stopping, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me back into the street and down towards the bridge. We didn't stop until we got there and once we were there, she punched me in the shoulder. Rubbing it, I looked at her.

"What was that for?"

"For butting in where it wasn't needed."

"Well it sure looked like you needed help over there. How in the world did you get stuck fighting that scab?"

Dodger moved over to the railing and leaned against it. She looked out over the river and wisps of her hair fluttered in the wind. I moved up beside her and just as she reached up to push them aside, my hand managed to get there first and push them behind her ear. She flinched a little and I saw her arm twitch a little, but it stopped.

"I was running down the street to get away from Spot and the others when I bumped into him. After that, well you saw it."

I turned my gaze from her to the sky. Stars were out and glistened like the sequins on Medda's dresses.

"Where did you expect to go?"

"Bronx. If I told some of the Newsies that I didn't want to be disturbed, they would of made sure that no one bothered me."

Protection, from what I saw, seemed to be Dodger's only safety net.

"Why did you run?"

At first she didn't answer me. She just continued to stare out at the cities on either side of the bridge. Dodger then looked down at her hands and I saw that she had been wringing them so much that they were now a nice red colour.

"Don't laugh, but I was scared. I haven't been on a date in 3 years. Plus my only object of security was taken from me. I just couldn't handle it. Being in the Bronx makes me feel safe."

Hearing her talk about safety, I looked down into my hand at her knife and holster.

"Here, this belongs to you."

Dodger looked up from her hands and seeing her knife she quickly grabbed it and held it to her chest. A smile came to her face.

"How did you get this from Spot?"

This part, telling her the truth was going to be hard and probably painful for me. I looked into Dodger's eyes.

"Spot taking your knife and that whole was a set up. Ice didn't know about it though."

Before when I looked into her eyes, I saw that the irises were a pale green, now they were starting to darken up. She took a step towards me and I took one back, not wanting to get hit. Her right hand seemed to grip around the handle of the knife in her left hand.

"That whole game was a set up? Having my knife taken away and being called a cheater was all just some kind of sick joke? Who set it up? WHO!"

I could see rage fill her face and I took another step backwards. Once I told her who set the whole charade up, I was positive that her knife would come fully out of its respective holding place. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the worse.

"I set it up."

Quick as a flash, the knife was out of the holder and pointed at me.

"I'm going to ask you one simple question. If I don't like the answer, lets just say that your going to need bandages once you get back to the Lodging House. Why?"

Here goes nothing.

"I wanted to ask you out on a date, but with the way you've been acting and what your whole personality is, I was scared you would have said no. By having you lose, I figured you'd have to follow through with the bet."

I closed my eyes and waited for the attack. Several minutes passed by and nothing happened. I opened one eye to see Dodger no longer standing with the knife ready, but now running down the bridge towards the Bronx. I wasn't about to lose her. I needed to know what she was thinking about this whole thing. I started running after her and lucky for me, I'm a faster runner. I caught up to her at the end of the bridge and grabbed hold of arm. I spun her around and unlike the attitude I have always seen in her like when she dealt with the younger Newsies, or even when Ice and I talked to her yesterday before dinner, I saw a scared girl of 19.

"Dodger, what's wrong? Why did you run off? You got your answer as to why set the whole thing up and here I was expecting you to cut me."

I felt Dodger shaking in my grasp and leading her to a near by bench, I sat her down. Rather than sitting beside her, I knelt down on one knee and looked up to her face.

"Tell me Dodger. Why did you run off?"

"No ones been interested in me since Sonic and look what happened to him, he died. The one before that that I thought I liked ended up nearly killing my best friend and I. Don't you see a pattern there. Those I care about get killed. If I risk liking you, you'll get killed."

I gave a small laugh.

"Dodger, I've been through living on the street, facing Joseph Pulitzer in a strike and tons scabs and crimps. Don't think that just because I show interest in you means I'm going to get killed. How about we give it a shot? Go out on a date on Friday and if that goes well, maybe we'll go for another. What do you say?"

I looked to see if she showed any emotion into what I was asking her. At first there was nothing, a stone cold wall that blocked me from seeing anything into her soul. Slowly a small smile, one that may not have lit up an entire room but shed just a little light crept to her face.

"Just as long as you don't go and get yourself killed."

"Deal. Now, how about we go back to the Lodging House. I'm sure Ice will want to start talking of wedding plans with you."

I took Dodger's hand and the two of us headed back to the Lodging House.

~*~*Present 1960's~*~*

"So that's how you and Grandma first started dating? She was scared of losing you?"

Grandpa nodded.

"Your Grandma had lost of people to death and didn't want to lose one more."

Kyle fidgeted around in his seat.

"So what happened next?"

Mrs. Conlon spoke up.

"Well, Spot and I had our wedding 2 months later and you can probably guess who the maid of honour and best man were. (We nodded) Well a year went by and slowly the old Dodger started to come out of hiding. There was a problem though and it started to rise up more and more each day."

Grandpa piped in one last bit of information before they told us more of what happened.

"By this time, I was starting to call her by her middle name. She hated it, but I loved it: Rose."

~*~*Back, one year later~*~*

Jack's POV

Staring down at her sleeping form, I couldn't believe that it was the same girl I had met only a year ago. A girl who had strained all of our patience by reclining into her shell ever now and then, but we were all happy to have her around. I had finally been able to get my own apartment close by the factory so I wouldn't be taking any more space up at the Lodging House. Last month, I asked Dodger to move in with me and she did surprisingly. We shared a bed, but we hadn't actually consented to love making. Dodger had specified when she first moved in that she was keeping her virginity until she was married.

When I had moved in, I placed the bed by the window and that happened to be the side that Dodger slept on. Lying on her back, her head was slightly tilted away from me and her right hand was up by her head. Her dark hair covered the pillow. With the consistent nagging from Ice, Dodger finally let her hair grown out rather than cutting it every time. Moonlight washed over her face and the only picture that came to mind for me was an angel, which was the opposite of what she really was. I watched as she shifted around so her back was to me and I took that as my cue to turn the other way as well. Now, this wasn't to snub her, but to look at the engagement ring I had gotten last week. Everything seemed so perfect at the moment and that's the way I wanted to keep everything. Tomorrow was our weekly poker game and Spot was holding it at the Brooklyn Lodging House. That's were I would ask her to marry me. I would do it differently, not in front of everyone but up on the rooftop for privacy.

Taking the ring from the drawer in my bedside table, I opened the case to see the object that would show my affection. It was a simple band with a rose etching in it. Inside was the script, 'every rose has its thorn.' She was my rose and I was her thorn. Dodger was always telling me to behave, jokingly of course. I was still a thorn in her side at times when I won't let up on a certain subject that gets touchy with her. Sonic is one of those subjects. Every once in a while I ask her about Sonic, but she won't tell me anything about him. Ice has told me several things but its not enough.

"Alex?"

I quickly put the ring back into the drawer and turned to Dodger. Her eyes were still closed and a look of disgust came across her face.

"No. ALEX!"

Dodger started tossing back and forth in the sheets and she started kicking out, catching me in the leg. This wasn't the first time that she has had this dream. Ever since the first one, I've had a glass of water with me to wake her up. I grabbed the glass, which was only filled a quarter of the way up. I threw what water there was on her face and she bolted up with her eyes wide. Dodger then looked to me and then got up out of the bed. This was another ritual. After I wake her up, she normally goes off to be alone and I don't see her till the morning.

"I'll just wait till my Rose is ready."

I settled back under the covers and closed my eyes.

~*~* Later that day at the poker game~*~*

Mush's POV

Looking at my cards I knew that I would either have to fold or bluff. I was facing off against Dodger, Kid Blink and Racetrack. Kid had already folded; he was smart when it came down to that. Racetrack never did; he always felt he had a winning hand. Dodger on the other hand, you never knew what she was going to do. She wasn't like other people for she never had the same gestures as to when she was bluffing and she always had a stone cold look on her face.

"So Mush, what will it be tonight? Fold? Or are you in?"

Studying my cards one last time, I decided to fold.

"I'm out."

"Okay Race, it's just you and me. What's your bid?"

"I'll see your 5 and raise you another."

I watched as Dodger scanned her cards when Spot interrupted us.

"Sorry but Dodger, there is someone at the front desk that is asking for you. Might be from the train yards."

I watched as she tucked the cards into her pocket and got up from her seat. From the table she took her knife and put it in its holster around her waist. With the two holsters, you never know which one she'll put it in; waist or ankle.

"I'll be back. But rather than keeping you in suspense Race, I'll show you the cards and Mush here will collect my winnings for me."

Why was she so sure? All three of us watched as she took the cards back out of her pocket and she laid them out on the table. Royal flush. All of us groaned as she left the table with Spot. I collected the winnings for her and then followed behind her several minutes later once Racetrack was finished writing up his I.O.U's.

"Hey Mush. Did you win?"

I looked up at Jack and shook my head.

"Your girl did once."

"AHHHHH!!!!!"

Jack didn't wait for me to answer he was down the stairs in a flash to see what was wrong. Everyone followed behind and we all stopped on the stairs to see Dodger hugging some stranger. A chorus of whispers filled the stairwell as Jack continued down the stairs.

Jack's POV

"Dodger, is every thing all right? I heard you scream."

I watched as she turned around and she had this giant smile across her face; a smile that I had never seen before.

"Jack, I'm fine. Sorry for scaring everyone but he took me by surprise."

Dodger knew this person? I guess the stranger caught my confused look and introduced himself. Sticking out his hand that didn't have the cane, he said,

"The name's Alex, but most call me Sonic."

Another scream was heard and I was soon pushed aside by Ice who jumped at him. He just laughed.

"Nice to see your well Ren."

"It's Ice now Sonic. New life, new name."

I stood there in some shock. Dodger had told us that Sonic had died from the gunshot. Spot took Sonic's hand in his.

"To you I'm thankful that I have my wife."

Sonic's face was priceless. He stared at Ice and then picked her up in a giant hug, swinging her around in circles.

"Married? I never would have thought it. We have a lot of catching up to do."

I watched as Dodger took Sonic's arm and led him to the kitchen area while Ice grabbed his bags. Spot told everyone to head back up to the games and then he and I followed behind the others. We found the girls on either side of Sonic and we took seats opposite of them. Dodger was the first to speak out of all of us.

"Sonic, when I left you at Doc's place last year, I thought you had died. You had lost so much blood that I thought I had lost you too to Tails."

He shook his head.

"You're not getting rid of me that quick Dodge. I had just passed out from the pain and loss of blood. What I didn't expect was to have you run off. You know how long it took me to track you down? Half a year. The other half was finding a way to get here."

I watched as Dodger's eyes looked down as if she was ashamed. Then looking up, they came with furry. Though she hadn't seen him in over a year, she socked him in the arm. He literally fell out of his chair and Dodger jumped up out of hers.

"What was that for?"

"For not telling me how you felt about me before you go and get yourself almost killed."

With the help from Ice, Sonic shook his head laughing.

"You haven't changed a bit. Still hard toothed and nosed as ever. Have these guys seen your wrath?"

Spot, Ice and I all nodded. I then spoke.

"First impression was a lovely one; she pulled a knife out on me and threw it at Ice."

Sonic didn't look shocked at pulling the knife on me, but when he heard that she had pulled it out and actually thrown it at Ice, he did. He stood up from his chair and looked the seething Dodger in the eye. She didn't flinch at all.

"Skyler Rose Dodger McClure. You actually threw that knife at your best friend? Someone you told me that you would never throw it at?"

"Pissed off reaction. Can be expected. And who are you to lecture me on doing something to my best friend? You killed Tails."

She caused Sonic to flinch a little and Dodger realized she had gone too far. She turned and fled from the room and Sonic sat back down. Ice put her arm around his shoulders and told him it was all right.

"I'll go see her."

Spot nodded and I followed Dodger's footsteps. I knew where she would go, not the rooftop and not to our apartment. She would go to where we had officially first met, O'Reilly's. I got to the bar to find the bar tender handing her another glass. I don't know how, but she already had 3 shot glasses around her. Taking a seat beside her, I waited till she finished up before taking her hand. She shook it off.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, nothing another shot of whiskey can't cure."

The bar tender handed her the glass but I took her wrist again.

"Stop. You don't have any more tonic at home. Lets just go now before you get even more smashed."

I started pulling at her arm, but she was resisting.

"Let me go Jack. I don't want to face him right now. I'm too pissed."

"You should. What you told me about him, he's the second closest thing you had to a friend. Now its time to apologize."

I turned and started to pull her again. This time I felt her grab my wrist and pull me down towards her but she moved just before I crashed into her.

"I am NOT apologizing to him Jack. What I said was the truth but I don't need to apologize for speaking my mind."

I stood up from where I was lying down and looked at her.

"You hurt a friend so now I think you should go and apologize."

"Or what? I'm going to get spanked?" Dodger said in a sarcastic tone.

"No. Don't apologize and I'm kicking you out."

I saw Dodger's eyes grow wide and I instantly regretted saying what I had. She grabbed a bottle of beer from one of the nearby customers and took a long swig from it. Setting the bottle back down, Dodger then marched past me and into the night. 'So much for asking her to marry me tonight.' I paid the bar tender for her drinks and then decided to go to the Lodging House. If Dodger went back to the apartment, I didn't want to face her right now.

~*~*Coming Home~*~*

"Listen Rose, I'm sorry about earlier. I said some things that were a bit rash. I just don't want you missing out on a friendship with someone who."

I stared at the apartment to see clothes thrown all over the place. They were my clothes though. I closed the door behind me and started searching the place, trying to find some evidence that Dodger hadn't taken my words to heart. It took me only a few minutes to accept it. Dodger had moved out. I sat down on the bed and pulled the ring out of my pocket.

"I had to blow it. I had to just blow it with my Rose."

I let the box clatter to the floor and pulled my hands to my face and started to cry into the rest of the night and dawn.

SHOUT OUTS!

Ice Renegade: I'm glad you like this story. It's hard to work on.

Inineen Autumnwolf: I'll update as soon as I can. Just takes awhile before I can actually get the stuff .

Firecracker2: Don't worry. I won't stop.

Kew: Updating is coming back to me.

A/N: Disclaimer: Don't own Newsies or Ice. I only own Dodger and the others that you don't recognize from the movie. Thanks to those who have reviewed and thank you to the future ones. Until later, hausta!