I must let you know that Kim, the girl whom I have been playing around with the characters, did not like the idea of the newsies being asses. BUT, I reason they were just little 12-year-old punks and grew up later on to become friends.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
The story will keep going with them as kids for a chapter or two and then keep moving on slowly to vignettes of them at different ages. I like them as kids, personally, but they have to fall in love sometime!
MUCHO credit also goes to Kim, FictionHobbit, for helping me play with, and continue to play with these characters.
Chapter Two
Introductions
Fiona suddenly became scared and shy as she heard the loud noises of the boys above. After being fed, Kloppman smiled at her, taking her hand.
"You wanna meet everyone?"
She shrugged.
He kneeled down in front of the little girl and took her hands.
"Come on, I promise they'll be nice. You trust me right?"
She shrugged again, her eyes suddenly possessing something it hadn't before. Was it innocence or sadness? He couldn't tell.
The little girl removed her doll from her bag as he took her hand to meet the boys. It was a beautiful looking doll, with big blue eyes and long blonde curls with a blue dress to match and little Fiona clung to it possesively.
"Everybody decent?" Kloppman asked banging on the door.
"Yeah, yeah." A little heavily accented voice answered and opened the door. "Who's this?"
By this time, the noise had startled the little girl so that she sought refuge behind Kloppman, peeking out just a little. The little girl had something about her that drew him to her. Her face was so sweet and angelic and scared and her eyes so big and untrusting, he almost wanted to just hug her himself.
"Hello. I'se Racetrack Higgins." he said, bowing and grinning. He was a boy who looked no more than nine, but was in actually 12. He had dark brown hair that almost curled but didn't quite and big brown eyes that reminded Fiona of a puppy dog. "Who's dis?"
"This is Half-Pint." Kloppman told him shoving her forward a little. She whispered an inaudible hello, but Race read her lips. He introduced her around, taking on the liberty of taking over the tour himself.
After showing her some place to clean up and sensing she was uncomfortable with all the noise, Racetrack took Fiona and her doll outside on the fire escape. she smiled at him gently, not opening up, just staring silently ahead.
"What happened? How come you're heah?" Race ask the thin little girl.
She didn't answer, only saw a mother and daughter pass hand in hand and burst into tears. She held the doll closer to her, making her look even more innocent, even more vulnerable. Race matched her gaze and saw the pair pass too. A single tear slipped down his cheek as he sat next to her.
"I'm sorry. Mine's got too. Shhh, let it out." He told her, stroking her freshly washed blond hair.
Fiona cried for a good long time before pulling away and wiping her eyes.
"She died just two days ago."
"Oh...you wanna talk about it?"
She shrugged "Michael...my father...he killed her and made me watch." she squeaked out, wiping her eyes. "What happened to your mama?"
He stared into the sky for a minute before meeting Fiona's eyes. "I killed her. She bled too much when I was born, so I killed her."
Fiona felt sorry for the young boy and for once in her left felt she wasn't alone in her suffering. All these kids had felt some kind of trauma sometime.
After holding Race for a long while, Fiona decided she'd make up a new story. Back at home, she was always making up some new fantasy to play, some way to escape from the world around her. Race would be her husband and Aine, her doll, their daughter. She smiled on his chest, liking that idea.
As she held him, she heard something fall to the floor and she picked it up, a beautiful rosary that had fallen out of Race's pocket.
"This is yours." she told him handing it to him.
"Oh...it was my mom." he told her tucking it back in his pocket. "She was da most wondahful woman in the world. But I screwed everythin' up by bein' born."
She stroked his cheek and smiled. "Don't worry. I screwed it all up by bein' born too."
He shrugged and smiled "Everything happens for a reason, Halfie."
she smiled and yawned a little.
"Aine's tired...I think we should get to sleep."
"Aight." he told her, getting up.
"We're friends right?" he asked moving a hand through her hair.
She nodded. "Yup, you're my first friend."
He grinned "You too. Dese bums, dey don't count."
He had failed to mention to her that he was the kid most of the boys picked on for the sole reason that they wanted to pick on someone. True, he had a few friends in Specs, Snitch and Bumlets, but the rest of the guys were assholes to him, making fun of his height and stature mostly.
She smiled at him, wished him goodnight and headed inside to fall asleep on the girl's side of the bunkroom amoung a bunch of strangers.
****
He was in the Lodging House. He had found her and was hovering over her bed in the darkness with a gun to her head. As she opened her big green eyes, his cocked the gun.
Her eyes adjusted to the light and she recognized his face...it was unmistakable with that firey red hair and red mustache to match.
"Ha!" he cackled. "I found you....and now you'll finally pay for making my life hell."
He leaned in, pulling her hair, his breath smelling of the cheapest whiskey in New York.
"Don't scream." he told her. "It'll all be over much quicker if you just hold still."
Somewhere, Fiona found her voice and screamed to high heaven, trying to alert Race or Kloppman.
As her scream ended, she found herself halfway between the dream world and reality. Her blood curling scream had awaken the entire lodging house and the older girls grumbled and rolled over.
Kloppman was at her aid immediately.
"What has it Halfie?" he asked on bended knee while she sat on the bed.
"Nothing, I'm sorry." she told him, embarrassed for disturbing the sleep of so many newsies.
"Do you want an older girl to sleep with you in your bed heah?"
She shook her head. "If anyone, can Race do it?"
He hesitated for a moment before agreeing and going to the boys side, most of the boys were already awakened by the scream. After Kloppman told him of the request, Race nodded and started over to the otherside.
"OOoooh, Race is gonna sleep with a giiiirl." Dutchy called out from the corner, laughing hysterically.
Race growled and pounced on him, rolling around with him on the floor.
"It ain't like dat. She's my friend and she's scahd." he told him throwing his punches. He contemplated for a moment and then went to the girls side to attend to his new found best friend.
She lay in her bed weeping and shaking, holding tightly to Aine. He joined her, hugging her gently.
"Sshh, I'm heah. You don't hafta be afraid no moah."
"Thanks." she told him in the hiccoughs between tears. "I didn't mean to wake everyone up....I'm afraid they'll start hating me."
"Naw...no one'd do that. And if they do, I'll beat 'em up for you." he told her grinning a little and stroking her hair. "Was it your parents?"
She nodded slowly.
"Its all right, I'm heah now. I won't let anyone hoit you'se." he told her covering them both.
He stroked her hair and sang softly in her ear until the little girl's grip on his hand fell limp and her breathing became heavy.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
The story will keep going with them as kids for a chapter or two and then keep moving on slowly to vignettes of them at different ages. I like them as kids, personally, but they have to fall in love sometime!
MUCHO credit also goes to Kim, FictionHobbit, for helping me play with, and continue to play with these characters.
Chapter Two
Introductions
Fiona suddenly became scared and shy as she heard the loud noises of the boys above. After being fed, Kloppman smiled at her, taking her hand.
"You wanna meet everyone?"
She shrugged.
He kneeled down in front of the little girl and took her hands.
"Come on, I promise they'll be nice. You trust me right?"
She shrugged again, her eyes suddenly possessing something it hadn't before. Was it innocence or sadness? He couldn't tell.
The little girl removed her doll from her bag as he took her hand to meet the boys. It was a beautiful looking doll, with big blue eyes and long blonde curls with a blue dress to match and little Fiona clung to it possesively.
"Everybody decent?" Kloppman asked banging on the door.
"Yeah, yeah." A little heavily accented voice answered and opened the door. "Who's this?"
By this time, the noise had startled the little girl so that she sought refuge behind Kloppman, peeking out just a little. The little girl had something about her that drew him to her. Her face was so sweet and angelic and scared and her eyes so big and untrusting, he almost wanted to just hug her himself.
"Hello. I'se Racetrack Higgins." he said, bowing and grinning. He was a boy who looked no more than nine, but was in actually 12. He had dark brown hair that almost curled but didn't quite and big brown eyes that reminded Fiona of a puppy dog. "Who's dis?"
"This is Half-Pint." Kloppman told him shoving her forward a little. She whispered an inaudible hello, but Race read her lips. He introduced her around, taking on the liberty of taking over the tour himself.
After showing her some place to clean up and sensing she was uncomfortable with all the noise, Racetrack took Fiona and her doll outside on the fire escape. she smiled at him gently, not opening up, just staring silently ahead.
"What happened? How come you're heah?" Race ask the thin little girl.
She didn't answer, only saw a mother and daughter pass hand in hand and burst into tears. She held the doll closer to her, making her look even more innocent, even more vulnerable. Race matched her gaze and saw the pair pass too. A single tear slipped down his cheek as he sat next to her.
"I'm sorry. Mine's got too. Shhh, let it out." He told her, stroking her freshly washed blond hair.
Fiona cried for a good long time before pulling away and wiping her eyes.
"She died just two days ago."
"Oh...you wanna talk about it?"
She shrugged "Michael...my father...he killed her and made me watch." she squeaked out, wiping her eyes. "What happened to your mama?"
He stared into the sky for a minute before meeting Fiona's eyes. "I killed her. She bled too much when I was born, so I killed her."
Fiona felt sorry for the young boy and for once in her left felt she wasn't alone in her suffering. All these kids had felt some kind of trauma sometime.
After holding Race for a long while, Fiona decided she'd make up a new story. Back at home, she was always making up some new fantasy to play, some way to escape from the world around her. Race would be her husband and Aine, her doll, their daughter. She smiled on his chest, liking that idea.
As she held him, she heard something fall to the floor and she picked it up, a beautiful rosary that had fallen out of Race's pocket.
"This is yours." she told him handing it to him.
"Oh...it was my mom." he told her tucking it back in his pocket. "She was da most wondahful woman in the world. But I screwed everythin' up by bein' born."
She stroked his cheek and smiled. "Don't worry. I screwed it all up by bein' born too."
He shrugged and smiled "Everything happens for a reason, Halfie."
she smiled and yawned a little.
"Aine's tired...I think we should get to sleep."
"Aight." he told her, getting up.
"We're friends right?" he asked moving a hand through her hair.
She nodded. "Yup, you're my first friend."
He grinned "You too. Dese bums, dey don't count."
He had failed to mention to her that he was the kid most of the boys picked on for the sole reason that they wanted to pick on someone. True, he had a few friends in Specs, Snitch and Bumlets, but the rest of the guys were assholes to him, making fun of his height and stature mostly.
She smiled at him, wished him goodnight and headed inside to fall asleep on the girl's side of the bunkroom amoung a bunch of strangers.
****
He was in the Lodging House. He had found her and was hovering over her bed in the darkness with a gun to her head. As she opened her big green eyes, his cocked the gun.
Her eyes adjusted to the light and she recognized his face...it was unmistakable with that firey red hair and red mustache to match.
"Ha!" he cackled. "I found you....and now you'll finally pay for making my life hell."
He leaned in, pulling her hair, his breath smelling of the cheapest whiskey in New York.
"Don't scream." he told her. "It'll all be over much quicker if you just hold still."
Somewhere, Fiona found her voice and screamed to high heaven, trying to alert Race or Kloppman.
As her scream ended, she found herself halfway between the dream world and reality. Her blood curling scream had awaken the entire lodging house and the older girls grumbled and rolled over.
Kloppman was at her aid immediately.
"What has it Halfie?" he asked on bended knee while she sat on the bed.
"Nothing, I'm sorry." she told him, embarrassed for disturbing the sleep of so many newsies.
"Do you want an older girl to sleep with you in your bed heah?"
She shook her head. "If anyone, can Race do it?"
He hesitated for a moment before agreeing and going to the boys side, most of the boys were already awakened by the scream. After Kloppman told him of the request, Race nodded and started over to the otherside.
"OOoooh, Race is gonna sleep with a giiiirl." Dutchy called out from the corner, laughing hysterically.
Race growled and pounced on him, rolling around with him on the floor.
"It ain't like dat. She's my friend and she's scahd." he told him throwing his punches. He contemplated for a moment and then went to the girls side to attend to his new found best friend.
She lay in her bed weeping and shaking, holding tightly to Aine. He joined her, hugging her gently.
"Sshh, I'm heah. You don't hafta be afraid no moah."
"Thanks." she told him in the hiccoughs between tears. "I didn't mean to wake everyone up....I'm afraid they'll start hating me."
"Naw...no one'd do that. And if they do, I'll beat 'em up for you." he told her grinning a little and stroking her hair. "Was it your parents?"
She nodded slowly.
"Its all right, I'm heah now. I won't let anyone hoit you'se." he told her covering them both.
He stroked her hair and sang softly in her ear until the little girl's grip on his hand fell limp and her breathing became heavy.