DISCLAIMER: These characters do NOT belong to me unfortunately. I tried to kidnap them from Disney and was unsuccessful. Go figure. However, Runner and Mallory are MINE, and so is Josephine, Aunt Patricia, and Daisy! Muahahaha! So take that, Mickey!! OoOogles! I almost forgot Becca and Snap. They's mine too!! BleH! : ) Ah, the list just goes on, there's Mr. Carter too of course. And Vixen...Charles Hutton's mine too. Same applies to Flame and Falcon, Father Romanik, Father Aesop, and Mother Smith.

I finally got Microsoft Word To Work!!!!!!!! Hahaha, FINALLY!!! W00t w00t! So sorry if this format is a little different, I copy and pasted and all that good stuff so there might be a few mishaps, but they'll be worked out soon enough.

~Snuggles: Muahaha, you turned into a therapist now? LoL! OoOgles, I'm sure you'd have fun analyzing Spot and Jack. They'd probably break out and fight right there! Haha! Actually, I went to my auditions with means to ask my teacher to be my accompanimist, but she wouldn't do it, and since I didn't have anyone else, I couldn't audition! They don't let you try out with out accompanying music! *sighs* Ah well...no need to cry over it. Myabe it's for the better. Ah, but your calmer, gentler Spot did stop by with those roses and...well, we got better acquainted. heehee.

~Rhapsody: Haha, those two really need a peace activist to settle them, huh? : ) Though, I don't know how much that would help. Runner & Mallory...eh...this chapter speaks for itself.

~Deanie: Hahaha, I definitely wouldn't mind writing myself in to steal Runner from Mallory...*gives Runner a suggestive look and he dashes away scared*...but I think he likes Mallory alot. Heehee. : ) Yea, Snap seems to revel in all the turmoil she's causing. Crazy kid, we need to keep her chained somewhere in the backyard. Right... so anywho, here's another chaaapTer!

~SportyChik425: "South Pacific" is a boring 2 hour and 47 minute play that I watched the night before my audition, lol. Actually, I couldn't audition because I didn't have an accompaniment *rolls eyes* Spot wanted to beat up the mean ol' teacher but I held him back, haha. Samantha's a cool kid, the reason she's giving RUnner & Mallory those weird looks will be explained in this chapter. Aw, youse is counseling Spot and Jack now? Heehee, they sure need it! *sighs* Onto chapter the next~

~Trek: Snap=the devil Incarnate. LoL! I don't like girls like her either. They're like, heartless...bleH! Charles Charles Charles...yet another enigma. Let's see how Race deals with the mere mention of his name in this chapter...muahha!

~Molly: Heya, thanks for the review! As I tell every newcomer to the Reviewing Bandwagon, New Reviewers rock my world! I'll definitely keep at this story, lol, it's fun to write. Here's another update for youse!

~klutz: OoOgles, a new reviewer!! Cookies to youse, cookies to youse! Itching with anticipation, eh? Excellent, cause here's another update for ya! Jam packed with more confusion on who's ending up with who and of course, a chapter wouldn't be complete without our lovable Runner in it! yaaay! Thanks so much for reviewing!

~racesgurl52787: Dollface, youse is scaring Charles!! Haha, are you going to set a pack of rabid dogs on him or something? Hahaha. Here's another chappie!

~Apollonia: Yea, if you think Snap was being rambunctious last chapter, just wait 'til you see what she has the audacity to do this time around. Tsk tsk tsk, I'm surprised Spot hasn't run her out of town yet. Muahaha.

*Just A Little Bet*

~*~*~*~*~ His eyelids too heavy to keep open and his head spinning from sleep deprivation, Spot Conlon could already envision his bunkbed and the relaxation it would give him once he reclined onto its mattress. He walked the lengths of the docks and noticed a gathering crowd group around two newsies who seemed to be arguing with eachother. The Brooklyn leader sighed. Just once he would love to come home and not have to chastise any of his boys or deal out a few soakings to those who dared defy his rules.

A path was cleared for him as he neared the rambunctious pair, the onlookers growing more and more anxious to see what their leader would do. Spot sensed the nervous tension in the air, but didn't understand what was producing it. His borough had endured countless fights before, why should this one be any different? Pulling away a younger newsie that stood in his way, he finally had a front row view of the brawl and crossed his arms in that authoritative manner that struck fear into any enemy's heart.

One of the fighters, a messenger newsie named Jay, instantly jumped to his own defense. "Spot, lemme explain! I'se wouldn't be fightin' if it weren't fer this damn goil heah who insists that we'se give 'er ya room fer the night. I asked 'er who the hell she thought she was thinkin' she could have ya room, and she started givin' me problems so I'se figured..." He stopped talking when Spot held up a hand and nodded.

"So goily," the leader said, looking over her back like a predator examining its next meal, "youse gunna show yaself or what?"

"Spot, ya tellin' me ya don't recognize a goil youse just slept wid a few days ago?!" The girl took her hat off and spun around in one quick turn, her black hair jumbling down past her shoulders in a graceful flow.

Spot's urbanity shattered. "SNAP! What the hell is YOUSE doin' heah!?"

"Nice tah see youse too, sweetheart. Listen, Jack kinda kicked me outta his place so I'll be needin' somewhere tah stay. Youse gots an extra bed?"

"NO!" He strode off, not wanting to hear her voice again but she only trailed after until she was in step with him.

"Oh, c'mon. Youse aint still upset over what happened at Tibby's, are ya?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned on her. "Let's get somethin' straight. Don't think youse is some queen now just 'cause ya played me. It aint nothin' new, dollface. I'se was doin' it long 'fore I met youse. As a mattah of fact, it's one of the things I do best. Ya think I really give a shit though? Hell no!" Remembering his entire brood was watching his every move, Spot lowered his voice. He had to let them know he was still in control, that no one-not even a girl-would have the upper hand in his life. "Go sleep wid as many guys as youse wants, Snap, but don't expect me tah be heartbroken over ya choices. After all, youse is the one who wanted a relationship. I just played along tah humor ya."

As he started to head off to the lodging house again, she stood in his path. There was no way in hell she was going to comply with his unspoken wishes to keep this just between them. For all she cared, Brooklyn and Manhattan combine would know about the things that passed between her and Spot. If he could humiliate her in front of everyone at a restaurant, she had every damn right to do the same to him.

"So, what? Ya just 'humored' me so youse could get some?"

"Aww, ya didn't think I really liked youse, did ya?"

"Ya such a lyin' bastard!" she yelled at him. "If it didn't mean anything tah youse, ya wouldn't have gotten all pissy when ya saw me and Jack together!"

Spot groaned. His boys had started whispering amongst eachother, undoubtedly wondering as to how a girl could make him so uptight. As the legends depicted him, he was suppose to have an infallible demeanor, stone cold suaveness that could never be deterred by any doll. "Get outta me borough, goil. Youse aint welcome heah."

"Why don't youse get off ya high horse fer once and listen tah me?! Yea, I know what I did wasn't exactly the most noblest of things, okay? But I aint askin' fer ya trust, I aint askin' fer ya respect, shit, I aint even askin' ya tah like me! Hate me if it makes ya feel bettah! If youse is so immature that ya can't get over the past, that's ya problem, not mines. Alls I'se askin' fer is a place tah sleep. No, ya highness, not ya bed. Any bed! I just need a roof over me head."

"In that case," he replied, much calmer, "why don't youse try the Bordello in Harlem? I'se shoah they's can accomodate youse."

"UGH!!" While he let out a hearty laugh at his own joke, she glared at him, mentally devising a way of vengeance for the crude remark. Then she thought of something.

"Aint ya muddah ever tell youse tah watch where ya stand?"

Spot arched an eyebrow in confusion and realized all too late what her question was leading to. The girl stepped closer to him with a flirtateous smile and then out of nowhere shoved him away; he stumbled back a step or two and ultimately tripped over the ledge of the docks, falling over and crashing into the waters below with a yell. He resurfaced spitting out water and reached for a nearby ladder. The extra weight of his drenched clothing didn't seem to phase him as he climbed each step and finally stood back on the docks, the glint in his eyes unmistakable. Spot's wrath had officially been provoked.

"So youse make up ya mind yet?" Snap asked, yawning at the over- dramatization.

"Ya wanna be a Brooklyn newsie? Find, youse a Brooklyn newsie...under one condition. Stay outta me way, don't even talk tah me, ya understand? Make it so I'se don't even see ya face at any hour of the day. 'Less ya want a few shinahs of ya own, ya watch yaself, 'cause youse now the number one person on me Hate list."

He left her then, and as she looked around at the boys who remained behind, glaring at her with angry eyes, she had a feeling she was the number one person on their hate lists too.

* * * * *

In the comfort of her own apartment, Becca seemed to relax somewhat. She hadn't the horses to worry about here, nor did she have to deal with the outrageous number of chores Webster daily assigned her. She was like a veteran soldier returning home from the harsh drudgeries of combat to a cottage in some secluded field where he could finally rest and enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed.

Race smiled at the girl as she set to preparing him a sandwich. The place was so tidy, as if it were a model home on display. Every object had its own proper setting and nothing was the least bit out of order. A scent of rasberries permeated the air so naturally, the newsie was left to wonder whether Becca was the owner of some magical garden of luscious fruits. The decor wasn't overdone; truthfully, there was very little of it. Save for a few paintings here and there, glass figurines situated about the living room, and antique articles of furniture positioned as the girl liked them, the apartment had an air of contentness about it.

There was one thing that Race did notice, however. Becca didn't have a single photograph displayed anywhere. As earlier stated, there were paintings and such, but no visual recollections of her own past, of the friends and family she had known. This bothered him. When the newsies had gotten their picture on the front page of The Sun during the strike, Jack had actually taken the paper to a small shop to have it framed. Now it hung in the main room of the Manhattan lodging house, ever to remain.

"If I had a place like this," he said, "I don't know where I'd put all me pictures! I'se gots so many of 'em. I'd be afraid tah overpower the room!"

Becca's hand trembled at the comment and as she was currently pouring lemonade into a cup for the boy, she only managed in spilling the pitcher's contents all over the kitchen counters. "I'm so clumsy," she laughed half-heartedly. She grabbed a napkin and soaked up the lemonade with its fabric.

"If youse is clumsy, I hate tah think what I am!" She laughed, but he knew she was still hesitant. "Some people like tah keep 'em in albums, though."

"What?"

"Pictures," he replied matter-of-factly. "I guess they's think they'd get ruined if they kept 'em out in the open, so they buy these huge books and just glue their pictures to the pages."

Becca cleaned her mess, disposed of the napkin, and once again poured the lemonade into the two cups she had set aside; this time there were no accidents. "I finished making the sandwiches, let's sit down and eat."

The dining table was a small wooden one that served its purpose just right despite its lack of dimension. Race pulled out a chair for the girl and smiling at his chivalry, she kissed him on the cheek and then sat down. He joined her for the lunch on the other side of the table and thought of how he could bring up the matter of the pictures a third time without disturbing her.

"Webster wants me to go to a Valentine's Day dance," she said, aware of his intentions and wanting no part in the interrogation. "Charles told me about it the other day and invited me to go with him."

"What did ya say?"

"Well, I didn't want to go at all, but I figured it'd be good for me. You're always saying that I need some adventure in my life." She took a bite out of her sandwich and looked up at him. "Hmm, I forgot the mayonnaise!" But she was so comfortable at the moment that the walk from her seat to the refrigerator seemed much too long a distance. "I'll live with it."

Race leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Wait, so ya spendin' Valentine's wid Charles?"

"Don't look at it like that. When you put it into that context, it sounds like I'm cheating on you-which I'm not! Charles is only a friend, and I use the term loosely. Besides, Webster's practically forcing me to go. He's even bought my costume already! I asked him if I could invite you, but he said it was only for the staff, and so..."

"But Becca, it's the specialest day fer a couple! I wanted tah take youse out tah eat at this great Italian restaurant!"

She suddenly lost her appetite. Pushing away her plate, she bit her bottom lip and tried to avoid Race's pleading look, but his eyes captivated her and she couldn't ignore the hurt in them. "I know, but-"

"No, ya don't know." He got up from his chair, walked up to her side, and took her hand in his. "Becca, I'se been tryin' tah get youse tah spend a day wid me in new places fer weeks now, and at Charles' foist mention of a dance, ya jump up and agree tah go? Am I missin' somethin' heah?"

"I don't have feelings for him, Race," she said, holding his steady gaze. "You're the one I want to be with. Now if it makes you feel better, I'll go back to Webster and see what I can work out. Maybe I'll convince him to let you tag along."

"So long as we'se together, it don't mattah." He smiled at her and then leaned forward for a kiss.

* * * * *

Little by little, Mallory came to forget about her innocent flings with Jack as she now had to fully rely on Runner for companionship and comfort during the long days of orientation at St. John's. When the bells rang for dismissal, Runner somehow managed to be just outside her classroom as she exited the doors. When she couldn't comprehend her lessons for the day, there he was again, always available for tutoring if she were the pupil. Whether it was at lunch, walking on the campus, or studying in the library for a research commision, he was always at her side, a constant friend she could depend on for anything.

It wasn't long before she felt as if their friendship was evolving into something more. Something she had never known with Race, Jack, or Spot. It was the kind of feeling that set butterflies loose in her stomach whenever Runner would walk into her class to deliver a note to the teacher, the kind of feeling that made her cheeks hot whenever he spoke to her in front of her locker when he could've been talking to anyone else. And the way his eyes beheld a twinkle whenever he told her a joke was enough to keep her awake in bed until the late hours of the night. She could hardly pay attention during orientation any longer. Instead, she would dwell on the latest conversation she and the boy shared, reiterating every single word that had been exchanged in her mind.

"You and Lucas are awfully close."

Mallory snapped out of her daydream and focused on the owner of the voice. It was Samantha, stabbing the leaves of her salad with a fork, seemingly uninterested in consuming the food. "We're best friends, yes."

"You going to eat that fish stick?" Mallory shook her head and willingly offered her foodtray to the girl. "Best friends, huh? You both look closer than that."

A brunette with glasses giggled; her name was Jane. "Lucas has admirers and countless acquaintances...but a best friend? I wouldn't be surprised if that was forbidden as well!"

Mallory was about to say something but yet another girl, this one named Alessandra, joined in on the conversation. "Oh, stop the fuss, Jane. His father isn't that strict!"

"I don't know what either of you are talking about, but whether you believe me or not, the fact still stands. Lucas and I are best friends, we care about eachother very much!"

Samantha smiled. "Oh, I'm sure you do." She shared another giggle with Jane and then became serious. "Do tell me, Mallory, do you even know who Lucas Conlon is?" She was answered with a confused look. "I didn't think so. Which one of you girls wants to break the news?"

"I'll do it!" Jane volunteered, maybe a bit too eager. She folded her hands before her and began. "Mallory, dear, I hope this doesn't come to you as much of a shock, but truth is, Lucas is the high priest's son."

"So what?"

Alessandra's eyes widened. "So what?! Does that mean nothing to you? Don't you get it? There's no way in hell you're going to get any closer to that boy than you already are. Basically, you can't have him, no girl can. And that just makes him all the more wanted."

"Don't think you're the first to try," said Jane. "There was a girl who came before you, her name was Kristine. Everyone knew how much those two were in love!" She sighed. "If they didn't make such a cute couple, I'm sure every girl would've been insane with jealousy. Lucas treated her like a princess; it was adorable! But then someone hinted the relationship to Father Conlon and all hell broke loose."

Samantha broke in. "It was during English class, I think. We were all sitting peacefully, writing down lecture notes when all of a sudden Father Conlon storms into the room and begins yelling at Lucas at the top of his lungs. And this was actually during class session! He goes on screaming 'don't you dare disgrace your church' and you keep your eyes focused, boy'! It was horrible! We all just sat there and stared at Lucas, waiting for him to snap and yell back. But he never did. With a 'yes sir' he only nodded and when his father left the classroom, there was nothing but silence."

"I remember the look on his face that day," Jane said. "It was beyond humiliation."

Mallory was horrified. How could a father do such a thing to his own son?! She covered her gaping mouth with a hand and thought. "What happened between Lucas and the girl?"

"Oh, Kristine? Father Conlon had her dismissed from the school on the grounds that she was a disturbance to the overall student body. It was two weeks before Lucas started talking again."

"So when we ask you what's going on between you and him, it's only because we're concerned for the both of you," Samantha confessed. "You're a sweet person, very likable, and you don't deserve to be kicked out because you fell for a boy. But even more importantly, Lucas doesn't deserve to go through the mental torture his dad's put him through."

Jane nodded. "So flirt with him all you want like the Junior girls do in the hallways. You can trust him to know when it's safe to play around. But don't ever go any farther than that. If only for his sake."

* * * * *

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!! Another Chapter FinaLLy!!! Sorrie the update took sooooo LONG!!! School is sucking nickels right now so I'm jampacked busy! ARG!! But if you all fish me some reviews, I might be motivated to write faster...no I WILL be motivated to write faster!!! Thanks so much for all who reviewed last chapter!!! Love Ya All!