Around eleven o'clock Gabrielle awoke to the soft sounds of Kloppman whistling a tune in the hall while busy with chores. Stretching, she sat up slowly and grimaced as she felt her nose still throbbing. "At least my headache's gone," she sighed.

Remembering where the washroom was, Gabi made her way towards it and washed up. Hey, I wonder if that thief left my necklace here. After she had finished up, Gabrielle quickly walked out of the girls' room and after waiting for Kloppman to go back down to the lobby, she opened the door to the boys' room.

"Look at all these bunks. This is going to take forever," she mumbled. Gabi started with the first bunk and searched for the item that had gotten her into all this trouble in the first place.

Once halfway through the bunks, Gabi was still empty-handed and rather upset. He wouldn't actually keep it with him would he? Amongst her searching Gabi didn't realize that it was already lunchtime.

"Lookin' fer dis?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

Gabi whirled around only to see Bumlets standing in the doorway, dangling her necklace from his fingers. "Yeah, as a matter of fact I am," she stated and began walking towards him. "Now are you going to let me have it?"

"Hmm, I don't think now is quite the time. I'm kinda hungry. C'mon." Pocketing the necklace safely, Bumlets turned and headed down the steps, certain that the girl that had followed him all the way here would continue to follow him to food.

Throwing her hands up in disgust, Gabi followed Bumlets out the door, but stopped short of the stairs.

"What?" Bumlets asked once he had noticed she wasn't walking down the stairs.

Sighing, Gabi gestured at her clothes. "I can't go out like this," she muttered. Her dress was torn from yesterday's escapade and quite filthy. There was no way she was going out in public like this.

"Right, Miss Priss gotta look presentable," Bumlets teased and walked back up the stairs. "C'mere."

Scouring through the trunk at the end of his bunk, Bumlets tossed Gabi some of his old clothes. "These should fit ya. They are kinda old, but I was smaller back den, and ya wouldn't wanna wear me clothes now, they'd be too baggy, and ya'd only complain again," he smirked.

Shaking her head, Gabi strutted into the washroom and changed. Several minutes later she emerged with a frown. "Well, at least they appear washed," she snorted. Though grateful for the apparel, she still wanted to keep an angry façade about her. After all, he still hadn't given her necklace back.

"You're welcome, Priss,' Bumlets shot at her dryly. "Now c'mon, I'm hungry." He led her down the stairs and out the door. "Nose is lookin' nice and swollen," he commented once they were in front of Tibby's. "I'm sure Mayhem will like to admire her handiwork."

"Gee thanks, Bum," she replied. "How nice of you to think of her."

Grinning, Bumlets held the door open for Gabi, who was quite surprised by this sudden show of gentility. "What? You're a gentleman all the sudden?" she quipped.

"Hey now. Just cause I'm a Newsie don't mean I can't be civil," Bumlets blistered. He led Gabrielle over to a table already full of newsies and gestured for her to sit down.

"What, she's a Newsie now?" Mayhem spoke up, noting Gabi's attire.

"No, she ain't a Newsie, May," Bumlets answered as he sat down beside Gabi. "She needed some clean clothes, that's all."

"Heh, she's just afraid of any competition selling these damn papers. Probably can't hack being a Newsie. All these headlines to think up is just too much for her simple mind," Gabi muttered.

The table grew silent, and all eyes pointed towards Mayhem, who had a cockeyed grin on her face.

"Now, sweets, she's just a smart ass. Let it go, alright?" Race asked, grossly aware that Mayhem was fuming and about to make Gabi wish she had never set foot into Tibby's.

"Race, shut your trap. This don't concern ya," Mayhem growled. If only she wasn't situated near the window with several newsies between her and Gabi. "Listen, sweetheart. Your mouth is runnin' a mile a minute, and in case ya didn't notice, we don't appreciate that attitude around here. Now, shut that little trap of yours, or I'll personally make sure ya can't talk for a long time," she threatened.

Bumlets moved towards Gabrielle and eyed her, mouthing 'just shut up' before shoving a menu in her face. "So what is everyone gonna eat?" he asked, hoping to change the subject and quick. Mayhem was still shooting daggers at Gabi with her green eyes, and the newsies at the table were all wishing they were somewhere else.

"C'mon May, ain't ya hungry?" Race asked soothingly before distracting her with his lips on Mayhem's neck.

Sighing, Mayhem withheld herself, though she made a mental note to make this up to that twit later. "I guess," she mumbled and closed her eyes, letting Racetrack distract her.

"Dang girl, ya got some noive," Slick voiced once she made sure Mayhem was plenty out of the discussion.

"She's right. Whatever gave ya the idea to get on May's bad side?" Blink asked before sliding an arm around Slick. If anything else happened, he was picking up his girl and making a break for the door.

Gabi merely shrugged her shoulders and continued perusing the small menu in front of her. "You actually eat this stuff?" she asked Bumlets in a whisper. She was quite done causing trouble for now.

Chuckling, Bumlets nodded his head. "Why don't ya let me pick sumptin' for ya? Wouldn't want ya to end up with sumptin' ya can't stand."

"Like you?" she smirked.

"Yeah, like me." Bumlets rolled his eyes, doing his best to hide a smile.

Raven, who was sitting across from Gabrielle, nudged her boyfriend Dutchy in the side.

"What is it?" Dutchy asked, taking his eyes from the menu.

"Look at those two," Raven whispered in his ear. "I think she's stickin' around for sumptin' else besides that necklace."

"Yer crazy," Dutchy remarked and shook his head. "Ya don't think she's got a thing for Bums, do ya?" he whispered back.

"You'll see. I'm right. Just give it a little time, and a lot more fightin'," she answered and kissed his cheek.

The bells above the door at Tibby's jingled, and in walked Spot and Luna.

"Heya fellas," Spot greeted, sporting his usual smirk. He grabbed two chairs and plopped them down at the table where tensions were already high.

Spot took one look at Gabi and raised a brow. "I don't believe we've met."

Looking up from her menu, Gabi shrugged. "So?" she asked and returned to the menu, pretending to be much more interested in the choices then this Newsie.

Spot looked at Luna and laughed before returning his attention to Gabi. "So, da name's Conlon, Spot Conlon. And you are?" It sounded more like a demand than a question.

Gabi sighed and rolled her eyes, choosing not to answer him. She could tell this particular Newsie was quite full of himself, and she didn't want to be bothered.

Laughing, Luna nudged Spot in the side. "Looks like she don't care who ya are, Mutt," she joked.

Bumlets thought it time to speak up. "Her name's Gabi. She followed me home yesterday." He saw Gabi glare at him and smiled. "She's just visiting."

"Can we eat already?" Gabi whined. For some reason she felt a pit in her stomach at the thought of just visiting. What the heck am I upset about? On one side of me I got a thief, and on the other a damn ladies man. No, I just want to get my locket and go home…right?

"Wow, she speaks - full sentences even," Spot joked and waived the waiter over.

The rest of the newsies lunch hour was rather uneventful. Gabi had kept her mouth shut, instead concentrating on what she wanted to do now. She did want to go home, didn't she? Sure, the newsies life was something she had read about for awhile, but showing to these people that she actually wanted to stay here seemed like a very bad idea, especially with Mayhem around.

Gabi listened to the newsies chat over a plethora of topics. They seemed to really get along, and though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she was quite envious of that.

"Spot, are ya ever gonna take this slingshot back? It ain't fun carryin' around two, ya know," Luna groaned after downing the last of her glass of water.

Sighing, Spot shook his head. "You promised to hold onto it. I don't want it back now," he answered, making sure to keep his voice down, though he didn't know that Gabi was listening in, hearing every word.

Noticing the way Spot answered, Gabi felt there was a lot more to this slingshot than she knew about, and kept that tucked away in her mind for later. Perhaps she could find out why Spot was so upset. That had to be his weakness. He looked like the toughest Newsie in New York, but even he had to have a weakness.

"Hey Luna, ya gonna come over tonight?" Brooky asked. "Oh, and you too Spot," she smirked.

"Yeah, I'm comin'. Wouldn't miss the fun, now would I?" Luna smiled.

"C'mon, Mutt, I still gotta out do ya sellin' the afternoon edition," Luna grinned and stood up, leaving a few coins on the table to cover her meal.

"Yeah right. Ya ain't gonna win," Spot challenged and followed her towards the door.

Gabi stood up as well, fishing for the little bit of money she had with her, and put down enough to pay for her meal. She headed towards the door, wondering if this time Bumlets would be following her.

"Well, what are ya waitin' for, Bums?" Slinks teased. "Go on."

Rolling his eyes, Bumlets dropped a few coins on the table and proceeded towards the door. Once outside, Bumlets shook his head as he saw Gabi standing there, arms crossed.

"Took ya long enough," she stated.

"Sorry to keep the princess waitin'," he retorted. "Ya need me to walk ya back to the lodgin' house, or ya think ya can make it on your own?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? I aim to try selling those dumb papers, just like I told Mayhem. I bet I can outsell her."

Chuckling, Bumlets nodded. "Suit yourself." He bowed and pointed her in the direction of the distribution center. "After you."

Gabi took off, amazed that Bumlets would let her come along. She did want to try selling, and since she was outfitted in Bumlets' clothes, she knew she'd go unnoticed by anyone potentially looking for her, including the police.

They walked along in silence for awhile, before Gabi spoke up. "That Spot character is a good match for that girl Luna," she stated.

"They ain't a couple," Bumlets replied quickly.

"Really?" Gabi asked, quite amazed that they indeed were not. By the way she saw them interact at the table, she could have sworn Luna and Spot were an item.

"Really. They're just great friends. Luna was goin' out with Spot's brother, until he got killed, so now they're just really close," he explained.

"Oh," Gabi nodded. Well, as long as we're on topic of sharing stories… "So, um, who is this Leadpipe guy?"

Bumlets expression clouded over. "He and May were the best of friends," he started out, choosing his words carefully. "They used ta pull tricks together before they both became newsies. Leads was always lookin' out for Mayhem," he sighed.

Gabi's ears perked up at the term 'was'. "Um, where is he now?" she asked hesitantly.

Frowning, Bumlets continued. "He was killed. We think by the same guy that killed Peter, Spot's brother, but…" he sighed. "The bulls don't give a damn, and nothin' was ever done. We're just 'street rats' after all. One more of us gone ain't no big deal."

Gabi's expression matched Bumlets. Maybe that was why Mayhem had such a hard exterior. She had been through a lot, and Gabi was just a useless pain in her side. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Mayhem swears it's the same guy. Someone named Fox. He used to fight with Spot and Peter over territory boundaries all the time. Fox didn't sell papes, but just oversaw the newsies from the Bronx, and we all know he was runnin' drugs too. Some kind of underground thing with a group in Chinatown. But, that's all we know. No one can prove it, and he just does what he wants."

"Fox?" Gabi repeated, reminiscent of Christopher. They couldn't possibly be connected, but still, that uncertainty hung in the air.

"Yeah, they call him Fox. No one knows his real name, or what he really looks like. He always wears a black mask, when he deals with the newsies, or with the Chinese. I say he's just too scared ta show his real face," Bumlets stated.

Gabi was unsure of what to tell him, and chose to stay quiet, merely nodding her head once he was finished. Lucky for her they had arrived at the distribution center.

"So dis is where I get me papes," Bumlets announced, gesturing at the ramp in front of them. "Ya really wanna give dis a try?"

"I already told you. I am going to prove that I can outsell Mayhem, and you," she grinned.

"Sure ya are, kid," Bumlets laughed. "Well you can try ta outsell a master like meself, but it ain't gonna be easy."

"I am going to outsell you, and when I do, I expect my necklace back," Gabi stated.

"Now we're makin' up rules too? Sheesh, remind me not ta spend too much time around you anymore," he shook his head.

Rolling her eyes, Gabi didn't answer him, instead choosing to take in the scenery. The newsies were all chatting about this and that, making plans for the evening, and joking about how bad the latest headline was. She sighed, imagining her own life, free from her parents keeping her indoors all the time, and free from that Christopher fellow. She knew what would happen if she went back now – marriage. Gabrielle was far from ready for that.

"I'm takin' 50 dis afternoon. Ya wanna try and top that?" Bumlets asked, shooting her a grin.

"60 papers," Gabi snorted and thrust her coins on the counter.

Bumlets stuffed his papers under his arm and walked down the stairs, muttering that she'd wind up eating those later.

"How hard can this be?" Gabi remarked, looking at the headline. "What a cinch!"

"Yeah, cinch. Go on, sell 'em." Bumlets nudged her. "There's a crowd right over there."

"Alright, I will." Gabi held her head up and strutted towards the crowd. She had heard these newsies call out bogus headlines since she moved to New York, and besides that she had read about them in book after book. How hard could this possibly be?


Bumlets watched from afar, chuckling to himself as Gabi tried to sell her papers. She ain't gonna stand a chance. The crowd that he had pointed her too had already bought their papers for the day, and Bumlets knew that. Aurora and Pie Eater always got to the crowds outside the distribution center first.

Gabi focused her attention on the paper and thought up a few headlines that she had heard called out before – now to see if they worked. She started spouting out a few lines, but the crowd was massive, and very talkative. They didn't even hear her. Frowning, Gabi noticed that most of them already carried a paper under an arm and she turned to Bumlets, glaring.

"You set me up," she growled once she had walked over to him again.

Bumlets raised his hands in innocence. "Who me?" he asked, feigning hurt in his voice. "Aw Gabi, why would I do such a thing?"

"Shut up," Gabi retorted. "I'll just go do this on my own, without your so-called help." With that Gabi stormed off to find a vacant corner, and to prove she could sell more than him.

Bumlets looked after her and shook his head. He couldn't let her get out of his sights, especially not around here. She'd never find her way back to the distribution center, let alone the lodging house. Calling out headlines a safe distance behind her, Bumlets followed Gabi down the crowded street.

A few hours later, dusk was approaching, and Gabi had sold half of her papers. Exhausted and upset that this did actually require more skill than she had originally thought, Gabi took solace in a nearby park bench, throwing her papers down on the ground.

Sighing, Bumlets felt a little remorse for having had egged her on so much. He could see her in the distance, chin thrust in her hands and looking rather upset. He should be rubbing it in her face right now, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Cautiously Bumlets walked over to Gabi and took a seat next to her on the bench. "Looks like ya sold half your papes. Not bad fer a rookie," he remarked, his words hoping to console her.

"I suppose so," Gabi muttered. Why isn't he poking fun? I thought he'd be waiting all day to do that.

"It's gettin late, time ta go back," Bumlets said and stood up. He gathered up the loose papers on the ground and bundled them under his arm.

Gabi looked at him in disbelief. The same boy that had tormented her all this time was helping her out now, and resisting the urge to tease her even more.

"What?" Bumlets asked, noting her eyes on him. He blushed slightly under her gaze, not used to being looked at as she was.

"Stealing my papers?" she asked and tried her best to glare, but failed.

Smirking, Bumlets nodded. "I can still make a profit with dese," he said proudly and grinned at her. "Since someone gave up." He hadn't meant to tease her about the issue, it just happened, and now he felt a pit deep in his stomach. He saw the disappointment in her eyes, which was what he had wanted to avoid all this time.

"Well, then, I'll…" Gabi faltered and desperately thought up something to say. Then she saw that hat atop his head. "Since you stole my papers, I'll steal your hat!" she cried and snatched it off his head before taking off towards the park.

"Hey, give that back!" Bumlets yelled. He darted after her, and finally thrust the papers in a trashcan, since they hindered his chase. Bumlets was not about to let her get away, and after several minutes caught up to her, taking her firmly by the arm.

Gabi tried to pull from him, but his grip was far too strong. "Let me go!"

Grinning, Bumlets took his hat back, and then grabbed hold of her hand. "Nope. Let's go."

"Let me go," Gabi stated firmly once more, glaring at Bumlets in full force.

"Nope, not 'til we get home, thief," he smiled and strutted along. "Ya gotta learn not to do so much on an impulse… bad for your health ya know, stealin' people's things," he snickered.

Not believing her own ears, Gabi frowned. "Talk about stealing things," she muttered and reluctantly walked alongside Bumlets. She didn't make any motions to take her hand from his, though. Something told her it was much better to let him lead her back.