A/N: Okie, stress level's been high lately, but Sagey insists that I
update. She will be appearing in this fic in time! But yeah, updateishness.
*sends an SO to everyone who reviewed!*
V
"David, what are you doing home so late?" Sarah asked in a hushed, though harsh voice. "Momma was really worries. You missed dinner."
"It's only 7," David replied simply.
"But you always come in before then even if you go back out with the guys."
"Sarah. . . you know, I just have things to do," Dave replied, at a loss for anything further to say.
Sarah stood up straighter and put her hands on her hips. "Dave, what's going on? You're never home anymore. I'm surprised you even came in at all tonight! And you hardly talk to us anymore. What's your problem?"
"There's no problem. We just. . . have a lot of business to handle with the newsies."
"Well, is everything alright?" Sarah asked, throwing the dishtowel in her hand onto the table. Her face was growing concerned.
"Yeah, it's fine," David answered. He paused for a moment before speaking on. "Look, I don't want Les around for a while, even if he goes off with one of the other guys. I want him home."
"Why? David, what is going on? Is everything okay?" Sarah was not only concerned; she was downright worried.
"Sarah, I can't really explain it. I just don't think it's really safe right now. I mean, you saw what happened to Jack. Can you keep him with you or something? Maybe tell Momma and Les that you need help? I don't want her to worry too much."
Sarah sighed and looked at the table. "Yeah, sure," she answered, rubbing the side of her face.
"Thank you so much," Dave said with a sigh of relief. He gave her a quick brotherly hug. "I'm going to go make sure Jack's alright and everything. Stay here, alright?"
Sarah sighed and looked back at Dave. "I don't see why I can't come with you. I'm just as close to Jack as you are."
"I don't know that it's safe. I'll let you know when I do. Then you can come with me."
"Dave, what's not safe enough for me to even go out with you to see Jack?"
"Sarah, Jack almost got killed on our own streets! Tell me what is safe about that."
* * * * *
Dave stopped in front of the lodging house. He saw no movement inside. He walked up the front steps and into the building. Kloppman had fallen asleep in the lobby. He'd been asked to stay with Jack, who was in the sickroom, while nobody was around. Even at this hour, someone was expected to be around. "Oh, go figure. When he's out, he's out," Dave muttered to himself.
He walked into the sickroom to see Jack. He went to his bedside and peered down at him. He prepared to speak when his attention was suddenly drawn outside. He saw two figures standing in the street in front of the lodging house. Upon Dave's seeing them, they took off down the street hurriedly.
Dave heard the front door close and jumped. He exited the sickroom quietly into the lobby. He stood next to the wall so that only half of his body could be seen to get a look at whoever entered. "Davey?" the figure asked.
"Pie Eater?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Christ, you scared me," David emerged fully from the shadows and clapped a hand to his chest.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean ta," Pie said in response to his reaction.
"It's alright," Dave assured him. He glanced out the window quickly. "Hey Pie, did you see where those two guys went?"
"What two guys?"
"Right," Dave said. He grabbed Pie Eater by the wrist and pulled him onto the front steps.
"Dave, what two guys?"
"They couldn't have been from Manhattan. They'll be back," he said almost to himself, as though he was ignoring Pie Eater completely.
"Dave-" Pie Eater began, but Dave cut him off.
"Just shut up and stand here for a minute," he demanded. He pushed Pie's hat down a bit and did the same to his own. He flipped up their shirt collars. "Just put a hand inside your vest like you have a weapon and stand there. Just be calm."
Pie took a quiet deep breath and obeyed. The two guys stood like this with their heads tucked slightly as the two figures approached again. Dave moved his hand a little as though he was reaching for his weapon. The men must have noticed, for they walked back the way they came quickly.
"You did good," Dave assured him with a pat on the back. Pie Eater breathed a heavy sigh of relief and pulled out a cigarette. He struggled to light it, as his hand was trembling and a breeze picked up. Dave took his matchbook from him and lit the cigarette for him. Pie began to relax a little as he took a few puffs of the cigarette, and David simply looked down at the step he was standing on.
V
"David, what are you doing home so late?" Sarah asked in a hushed, though harsh voice. "Momma was really worries. You missed dinner."
"It's only 7," David replied simply.
"But you always come in before then even if you go back out with the guys."
"Sarah. . . you know, I just have things to do," Dave replied, at a loss for anything further to say.
Sarah stood up straighter and put her hands on her hips. "Dave, what's going on? You're never home anymore. I'm surprised you even came in at all tonight! And you hardly talk to us anymore. What's your problem?"
"There's no problem. We just. . . have a lot of business to handle with the newsies."
"Well, is everything alright?" Sarah asked, throwing the dishtowel in her hand onto the table. Her face was growing concerned.
"Yeah, it's fine," David answered. He paused for a moment before speaking on. "Look, I don't want Les around for a while, even if he goes off with one of the other guys. I want him home."
"Why? David, what is going on? Is everything okay?" Sarah was not only concerned; she was downright worried.
"Sarah, I can't really explain it. I just don't think it's really safe right now. I mean, you saw what happened to Jack. Can you keep him with you or something? Maybe tell Momma and Les that you need help? I don't want her to worry too much."
Sarah sighed and looked at the table. "Yeah, sure," she answered, rubbing the side of her face.
"Thank you so much," Dave said with a sigh of relief. He gave her a quick brotherly hug. "I'm going to go make sure Jack's alright and everything. Stay here, alright?"
Sarah sighed and looked back at Dave. "I don't see why I can't come with you. I'm just as close to Jack as you are."
"I don't know that it's safe. I'll let you know when I do. Then you can come with me."
"Dave, what's not safe enough for me to even go out with you to see Jack?"
"Sarah, Jack almost got killed on our own streets! Tell me what is safe about that."
* * * * *
Dave stopped in front of the lodging house. He saw no movement inside. He walked up the front steps and into the building. Kloppman had fallen asleep in the lobby. He'd been asked to stay with Jack, who was in the sickroom, while nobody was around. Even at this hour, someone was expected to be around. "Oh, go figure. When he's out, he's out," Dave muttered to himself.
He walked into the sickroom to see Jack. He went to his bedside and peered down at him. He prepared to speak when his attention was suddenly drawn outside. He saw two figures standing in the street in front of the lodging house. Upon Dave's seeing them, they took off down the street hurriedly.
Dave heard the front door close and jumped. He exited the sickroom quietly into the lobby. He stood next to the wall so that only half of his body could be seen to get a look at whoever entered. "Davey?" the figure asked.
"Pie Eater?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Christ, you scared me," David emerged fully from the shadows and clapped a hand to his chest.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean ta," Pie said in response to his reaction.
"It's alright," Dave assured him. He glanced out the window quickly. "Hey Pie, did you see where those two guys went?"
"What two guys?"
"Right," Dave said. He grabbed Pie Eater by the wrist and pulled him onto the front steps.
"Dave, what two guys?"
"They couldn't have been from Manhattan. They'll be back," he said almost to himself, as though he was ignoring Pie Eater completely.
"Dave-" Pie Eater began, but Dave cut him off.
"Just shut up and stand here for a minute," he demanded. He pushed Pie's hat down a bit and did the same to his own. He flipped up their shirt collars. "Just put a hand inside your vest like you have a weapon and stand there. Just be calm."
Pie took a quiet deep breath and obeyed. The two guys stood like this with their heads tucked slightly as the two figures approached again. Dave moved his hand a little as though he was reaching for his weapon. The men must have noticed, for they walked back the way they came quickly.
"You did good," Dave assured him with a pat on the back. Pie Eater breathed a heavy sigh of relief and pulled out a cigarette. He struggled to light it, as his hand was trembling and a breeze picked up. Dave took his matchbook from him and lit the cigarette for him. Pie began to relax a little as he took a few puffs of the cigarette, and David simply looked down at the step he was standing on.