A/N: I'm sorry for the HUGE wait.

GypsyRuth: Thank you, you're sweet.

KodachiSoul: :-D Wow, I have a semi-regular reviewer… and it's someone that I don't know personally!!! :-D You get chocolate chip cookies!

If you give a newsie fan a cookie, she'll want some chocolate milk to go with it. After you get her the milk, she'll ask you to get her a straw. While you are trying to find the straw, you'll make a mess in the kitchen, and she'll feel so bad that she'll grab a broom and start sweeping. Then she'll get carried away and sweep the whole house… I should give out cookies more often!!! (BTW, that's in reference to "if you give a mouse a cookie" it's a really cool book.)

PhoenixTBN: Did I ever tell you you're my hero? You're everything I wish that I could be. I can fly higher than an eagle, cuz you are the wind beneath my wings… Well, you were one of my motivators to start writing fanfiction. You and Mari, with your reading and critiquing my stories. Thanks for trying to decipher my handwriting! You're great!

Oh yeah, this chapter is long, because it took me so long to update… Think of it as getting a box of cracker jacks with TWO prizes!

ON TO THE STORY!!!

The bell over the door at Tibby's jingled them a goodbye as Jack, Molly and Racetrack walked outside.

Molly asked the other two, "Where are we going now?"

Jack answered, "Lets go stash your stuff at the lodging house, and introduce you to Kloppman, and get you a bunk."

Oscar and Morris walked out from around the corner, and Oscar said, "Oh, Kelly, you're startin lodging house for girls, I hear."

Jack looked down at Molly, and told her "That's Oscar and Morris, they's as dumb as they is ugly."

Molly looked up at the Delanceys, then back at Jack, before replying, "They must be really, really dumb then, especially him."  She said, pointing at Oscar.

Walking towards her, Oscar reached out to grab Molly, but Race and Jack both intercepted him, and held him back.

Oscar calmed himself down, and stepped back before asking, "Who's the rugrat anyway?"

Jack answered, "Molly Kelley, my sister, and I'll soak you till you can't walk if you touch her."

Morris grabbed Oscar's shoulder and said, "Lets go, Uncle Weas told us to hurry."

The Delanceys turned and started to walk away as Molly reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a slingshot and a round pebble. Taking aim, she pulled back and released. The pebble sailed through the air, and hit Oscar in his backside. Molly quickly dropped her slingshot back into her pocket, and looked over at a burly fruit vendor with surprise.

Oscar whipped around and looked at her, then followed her gaze over to the fruit man, shook his head and continued walking, rubbing his bum.

Jack and Race were both staring at Molly with their mouths hanging. She pulled her slingshot from her pocket and waved it at them with a grin, and pocketed it again.

"There aint no way she's not your sister! She can get the best of the Delancey brothers and get away with it, just like you. Way to go kid!" Racetrack said as he ruffled her hair.

Jack picked her up and set her on his shoulders, and once again headed in the direction of the lodging house.

"Do you have girl Newsies at the lodgin' house?" asked Molly.

"Just Bliss, oh, and now you." Answered Jack.

"Is Bliss a good newsie?" she asked.

"Almost as good as Jack." Answered Race.

"Is she five, like me?" Molly wondered aloud.

"Naw, she's almost my age." Jack told her.

"Oh." She commented.

Jack put Molly down so they could walk through the doorway of the lodging house, and they went in and walked up to Kloppman's desk. Jack picked Molly up and set her on the desk so that she could see over.

"Hiys mister, I'm Molly." She grinned. "I need a bunk."

"You do?" he asked. "My name is Mr. Kloppman, and I run this lodging house. The thing is, this is a newsie lodging house. Are you gonna be a newsie? If you aren't a newsie, you can't just stay here."

Molly nodded sincerely, "I'm gonna be a newsie as soon as I learn how."

"Alright Molly, you can get a bunk here. I need your full name so I can write it in my book. What's your last name?"

Molly looked up at Jack with a smile,, and proudly stated "Molly Elizabeth Kelley."

Kloppman looked at Jack in surprise.

Jack nodded back at him, then turned to Racetrack. "Why don't you get her upstairs, and gether settled while I explain."

"Sure thing Cowboy." Race told Jack. "Lets go kid." Race said as he lifted Molly to the floor and took her bag for her.

Molly grabbed Racetrack's hand, and held it, and he flashed an amused grin back at Jack.

Molly started counting, "One… two… three… four…"

"What are you doing?" Race asked her.

"I'se countin' steps. Darnit, I lost count!" she exclaimed "I'll count later." She said as they reached the bunkroom door. "In here?" she asked Race, and when he nodded in response, she swung the door open.

"This is it." Racetrack announced.

"Ohhh!" she breathed, "It's big, lotsa people live here!" she commented.

The sound of a door opening and closing came from across the bunkroom, and they looked over to see Bliss come out from a bathroom stall and start washing her hands.

Molly tugged on Race's arm, and motioned for him to bend over so she could whisper in his ear.

"Can I tell her?" Molly asked Race

He whispered back, "You can tell Bliss anything, or ask her to do anything, and she'll help you out."

Bliss finished drying her hands and looked up. "Oh, hiya Race, I didn't see you come in." she said with a wave. "Well, hello, what are you doing here?" she asked Molly while crossing the room to where they were standing.

"I'm gonna be a newsie too!" Molly proudly told Bliss. "I found my brother, and he's gonna teach me how."

Bliss looked at Racetrack with a quizzical expression on her face and commented, "She doesn't look a thing like you Race…"

He cut her off, "No, no, not my sister." He corrected, "Why don't you tell her your full name." He suggested to Molly.

"Molly Elizabeth Kelley." She stated.

"Kelley? Jack's sister?" Bliss questioned before she kneeled down and looked into Molly's eyes. "I see it now." She said.

Bliss spit into her hand, and extended it to Molly. Molly spit in her own hand, and as they shook hands, Bliss said, "Nice to meetcha, Miss Kelley, name's Bliss. Have you picked a bunk yet?"

"No… I don't know what one to choose." Molly said as she turned around, looking all over the room.

"Well, there's an empty bunk on the other side of mine. Us girls oughta stick together, you know."

Molly grinned, and nodded in agreement.

"Let's put your things away then." Bliss said as she motioned fro Race to hand her Molly's bag. Bliss dumped it all out on Molly's new bunk, and commented, "all of your clothes, even the ones you are wearing are dirty." as she started going through the little girl's things.

Jack came up the stairs to find Racetrack sitting across the top step, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed across his chest.

"What are you doing out here? Where's Molly?" Jack asked as he tried to step over Race's legs and go into the bunkroom.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Racetrack warned. "Bliss kicked me out and told me to guard the door… I think Molly's getting a bath."

Molly was sitting in the bathtub with bubbles up to her chin, while Bliss lathered up her hair, and then rinsed it out. Molly sat in the tub, playing in the bubbles while Bliss washed her clothes in one of the sinks.

"Bliss." Molly called out, "I'm wrinkled enough."

Laughing, Bliss told her, "just a minute, Miss Molly, Let me hang these to dry, and I'll help you out."

A few minutes later, Bliss opened the door to the bunkroom to let Race and Jack in.

"What took so long?" Jack demanded.

"Well, Molly, and her wardrobe needed a bath." Explained Bliss

They walked into the bunkroom to find Molly sitting on the edge of her bunk, swinging her bare feet, and trying to brush her long, wet hair. Bliss sat down next to her, and took over the brushing for her.

"What is that you're wearing?" Jack asked Molly.

Molly looked down at herself, "I'se wearin' your shirt." She answered.

His grey, long sleeved shirt was like a dress on her, even more so because Bliss had found a piece of rope to serve as a belt. The sleeves were rolled way up o that she could use her hands.

After Bliss had brushed all of the tangles out of Molly's hair, she put it into two braids, and secured the ends with ribbon.

As soon as her hair was done, she jumped up and started moving all over the bunkroom, exploring every corner.

"How am I gonna take care of her?" Jack asked himself, shaking his head as he watched Molly jump from top bunk to top bunk across the room. "I don't know how to care for a bitty girl! How will I know what she needs?"

"It just so happens, that believe it or not, " Bliss said with a grin. "I used to be a little girl, and I know a lot about them."

"Whatever you need, if I can help, you got me." Racetrack offered.

"Thanks guys, that means a lot." Jack said.

Racetrack got out a deck of cards, and the three of them started a game of cards, all the while watching Molly play around the room.  She found Snipeshooter's old, broken sword, and propped it up between Skittery's pillow and the wall so it stuck up in the air close to a foot. Next, she climbed up on Bumlet's top bunk, and got out her slingshot and a handful of pebbles from her pocket.

Racetrack stopped mid-shuffle to watch Molly as she took aim and fired. She hit the middle of the toy sword three times in a row. She finally sat down, making herself comfortable in Bumlet's bed, and building a fort from the blankets. By the time they had finished their game, Molly had fallen asleep, coccooned securely in Bumlet's tangled blankets.

"Poor kid," Race commented, "She's been through a lot in the last few days." Race said, as he stood perched on the side of the bunk under the one Molly was occupying, He was standing just high enough to see over the side, and look at her sleeping form. Then, Racetrack climbed back down from the side of the bunk, and dealt a new game of cards.

It had to be an hour later when a small group of Newsies came clattering up the stairs.

As soon as the small group burst into the room, Bliss jumped up from her seat, and forcefully murmered, "Shhh, we have a sleeper, you know the rules." Her voice was much quieter than usual, but there was a certain air about it that said she meant business.

"All right, all right," whispered back Boots, with Jake, Mush, and Bumlets nodding their emphasis.

Bumlets whispered to Bliss, "We're leavin soon anyway, so it don't matter." He then made the mistake of tossing his hat and walking stick up on his bunk.

Suddenly, a small form, still wrapped in blankets, sat up with a start, slingshot in hand. With the rocks, she started pummeling anyone that moved.

Jack, Race and Bliss jumped up, spilling their cards on the floor. As he sprinted across the room, Jack called out, "It's ok, they's my buddies, Molly, they're good, I promise!" He stepped on the bunk under the one she was on, and reached up, pulling her out from under the tangled blankets and holding her to his chest.

"If they's so good, then why's they throwin' sticks at me when I'se sleepin?" she said with an angry look at Bumlets.

Jack was taken aback. He thought she was scared, not furious. Bursting out with a laugh, Jack pointed up to Bumlet's bunk. "You were nappin' in his bed! That's where he tosses his stuff." He explained. "Anyway, this is Bumlets." Jack said, motioning over to Bums, who was standing there, still rubbing his cheek, right under his eye, from being hit with a rock.

Giggling, Molly looked over at Bliss and Race, and said with a grin, "I gave my brother's buddy a shinah!"

The whole room burst out laughing at that. Molly turned back to Bumlets and said, "I'se sorry! I'll fix your bed for ya." She reached up and grabbed the side of Bumlet's bed, and pulled herself up, and out of Jack's arms. First she pulled the blankets back, and picked up a couple pebbles frum under the sheet. "Here, hold these for me please." She said, flashing Jack a grin as she dropped her rocks into his hand. Then she picked up the pillow, and finding more pebbles, she dropped those into Jack's outstretched hand.

As she continued to fix Bumlet's bed, Bumlets asked Jack, "Did I just hear her say 'brother'?"

"Yeah. I just found out today that I have a sister."

Boots cut in, "So it is true! I heard it from Pie-Eater that he overheard it from Itey talking to Skittery."

Molly handed Jack another small handful of rocks, and her slingshot, so she could climb down. Once she reached the floor, she announced to the guys that she didn't know, "I'se sorry I hurt you guys!" Then she turned back to Bumlets "Is your eye gonna be all right mistah' Bumlets?"

"First of all, you don't need to call me Mistah, Just Bumlets, or Bums, like everyone else. What do they call you, kid?"

"Molly Kelley." She told him.

"Well, Molly Kelley," Bumlets stated, "Like you said, I'se probably gonna get a shinah', but I'm a newsie, I've had a shinah' before."

She flashed him a toothless grin before spitting in her hand and spitshaking with him, "I'se glad you'se tough." She told Bumlets before turning to the others that came in with him. "Who are you guys?"

"I'm Boots." He smiled at her.

"Jake." He said, tipping his hat at her.

"They call me Mush… Where'd ya learn to shoot like that?" he asked her.

"I've been wondering the same thing." Stated Jack.

"A friend of my momma's taught me." Then she got her slingshot and a small handful of rocks back from Jack, and climbed back on Bumlet's bed. She proceeded to hit her makeshift target that was still on the other side of the room, with one rock after another until she ran out of rocks.

"You must be as good as Spot!" exclaimed Jake as she climbed back down to the floor.

"Just be careful where you say that, Spot has 'birds' all over the city that flock to him and tell their secrets. I don't want anyone messing with my sister." Said Jack.

"Does this mean we gots another girl on our team?" asked Mush.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" asked Jack, his eyebrows raised.

"I say the other lodging houses are gonna be jelous… We got us the best fighter in New York over here." Race said, motioning to Bliss, "and one of the best slingshooters too." He said, pointing to Molly.

"So who's this Spot guy?" Molly asked.

"He's the leader of the toughest Newsies in New York." Bumlets informed her.

Bliss walked over to Molly and kneeled down so she was at her level. "And he can also be the grouchiest and moodiest newsie. Stay on his good side, and he'll fight to the death for you. If you make him mad, we'll have to keep you in hiding until he calms down again."

"But don't worry about it too much, Brooklyn and Manhattan have been allies for years." Jack said reassuringly.

"Hey Jack, are ya gonna introduce her to everyone at Tibby's tonight?" Asked Mush.

All of Manhattan always ate dinner together at Tibby's restaurant. That's where they usually had their meetings too.

"Not tonight, I'm goin over to the Jacob's for dinner, an' I'm takin Molly with me. I better get goin' so I'm not keeping them waiting or nothing." Jack said.

"Wait!" Bliss said, "Molly is not going anywhere dressed like that, not when she has clean clothes to put on."

Laughing, Jack said, "I forgot, thanks Bliss!"

"ok, ok, everyone out, so she can change." Ordered Bliss

Everyone said their goodbyes and walked out, leaving Bliss and Molly alone.