I updated! Thanks to Sapphy for making me and reminding me about it! I still luff you guys!

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POV: Brownie

Day: December 25, 1900

Time: 7:12 PM

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"How long has it been, a week?" said Itey, pausing to think for a moment.

Gosh. You'd think we were apart for a whole year. But I guess after what Jack did… you just don't realize what you have until it's gone. Well, temporarily… or at least I hope so.

"Itey… it's only been two days…"

"Really?"

"I think you hanging around Skittery, Specs, and Swifty clouded your brain for a while."

I know, they're friends, and they've known each other since they were… what? Ten? The four of them, goodness, they're practically unstoppable and inseparable. I don't even remember how I've gotten to even look at me back then. Well, maybe, it was 'cause of the fact that I kept hanging around the guys. But there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

Now see where it got me.

"Nah, I just haven't seen you enough for you to-."

"Get you all mushy?" I smirked. "I know you do."

Ooh, cuddle time.

"BROWNIE?!"

I swear if it's Jack, I'll…

"Hey, Skittery," said Itey, nodding towards him.

Thank God. Just wonder what Jack will think seeing the two of us together in the boys' bunkroom on Itey's bed. I've got to say, its pretty comfortable leaning on his shoulder right now and just hugging him and… But hey! We're fully clothed and everything… and geez, we're just talking!

Wait.

Why do I suddenly feel so guilty?

"Hey… so what you doin' here in the boys' bunkroom, huh, Brownie?" asked Skittery teasingly. "Never mind, I won't even ask. You seen my clothes, anywere? You know… the…"

"Fancy ones?" interrupted Itey. "Next to your bunk. Nobody's touched them."

"Thanks," muttered Skittery, walking over to his bunk and rummaging through his things.

"Fancy clothes? What do you need fancy clothes for? You going to a formal dinner or something?"

Not much newsboys here had fancy clothes, and where Skittery got his was beyond me.

Skittery shrugged, his back turned towards the two of us. "Just doing a friend a favor, that's all."

"Favor?" chimed Itey. "It's Christmas! I don't see how you can even remember a bet from a year ago when-."

"I just have good memory, that's all," snapped Skittery, turning around, a pile of clothes in his hands. I really didn't understand. I knew a lot of gossip flew around here and there, but I didn't bother listening to much of them – which left me completely in the dark on this one.

But what was weird was… the way Skittery was looking. I don't know, it was just… a bit odd. Like, he wasn't himself? He looked a bit hesitant and sad, but… happy?

"I'll be back by the time Kloppman comes back," exclaimed Skittery, turning on his heel and heading for the boys' bathroom.

"That was… interesting…"

"Sure was," nodded Itey.

"Do you know what's going on?"

"No idea…"

"Well, actually, if you think about it…"

"…Duck," I said, or we said at the same time. Hah, no wonder why Skittery's running around.

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"Something… not good…" said Itey, uncertainly. "Besides, it's a bet – you know what happens on bets."

Yes. Not good.

"Anyways, why are we talking about them? I haven't seen you in a week and…"

"Two days." Really, the boy should get a calendar.

"…and we're here just talking about Duck and Skittery…"

"Who knows? They might get together!" It's possible!

"… and it's Christmas day…"

"I love Christmas!" I do! With the snow and the trees and the caroling…

Caffeine kicking in. Hyper level going up!

"… and I was just waiting to say…"

"… that pigs can fly?"

"… that I love you."

Wow.

"Itey?"

"Yeah?"

"You mean that?"

What can I say? I was stunned. I am stunned. I didn't really know what to believe – but… why do I even doubt myself? Or him? I think Jack being on our case just made things a bit worse…

"BROWNIE!!!" came a loud shout from downstairs.

Ack.

"Come on, let's go – someone's calling downstairs…" I said, pulling away from him. I suddenly felt bad for a moment because I saw a bit of disappoint in his eyes, but he just stood up and went with me. Geez, he's irresistible.

"What?! This better be good 'cause… oh my goodness…"

"What happened?" said Itey, running down the stairs past me and walking down to the lobby.

Am I hallucinating? Because I really think that I am… on Christmas day, no less. Every lodger was practically in the lobby of the lodging house, but I didn't pay any attention to that. Jack looked mess up. A good shiner was on his right eye, his hair messed up more than usual, his clothes covered with dirt and mud, and lastly – blood running down his cheek.

Thank goodness for Blink and Mush holding him up.

"Jack? What the hell happened?"

I don't care what he said about Itey being in the room or all the arguments that had happened before – he's still my brother.

"Got into a fight," said Mush, groaning while holding up Jack.

"Pretty messy too… If we hadn't seen him…"

"WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE?!"

Hold on. Who was that? Not anybody that I recognized, that's for sure.

"Shut your mouth and I swear you'll see my fist up your ass!"

Eh? Race? Swifty?

Why were the two of them holding a guy back to the wall, both looking really angry, with the exception of Swifty – who looked a bit confused to me?

"Why are y'all fighting in here?!" shouted Sapphy, running out of Kloppman's office. "If you got to fight, take it outside!"

"Tell me again why you brought a Queens newsie all the way over here…" said Stretch uncertainly.

Geez.

"Never mind that," I said, walking over to Blink and Mush. "Can the two of you still carry him up to the bunkroom, I mean…"

"Ack, I feel like I'm going to collapse…"

"I don't have any feeling in my legs!"

Thanks, you guys. Really. A great time to get sarcastic.

"Blink! Mush!"

"What can we say? We've dragged him halfway through New York and…"

"Here, I'll carry him…" said Itey, stepping out of the shadows. Geez, he stayed pretty quiet for a while.

Mush and Blink handed over Jack, still unconscious, his head lolling here and there. Honestly, sometimes those two can be such sissies… but I wouldn't be saying that after they just dragged Jack all the way.

"Boys' bunkroom?" grunted Itey, stepping up on the final steps of the staircase.

"No – the rooftop, so he can freeze to death. C'mon, let's go."

I felt that. That hint of anger and jealousy. But I'm going to have to deal with that later… as for now…

"Where's his-."

"Right over here," interrupted Itey, walking through the rows of beds. "He usually has the top bunk but for now…"

He's acting so… calm. It's kinda scary, y'know? He's right there holding Jack, the one who supposedly messed up what we have and I'm just expecting him to take out his anger and just dump Jack on the floor. But, no. He carefully put him down on the bunk bed and wiped his forehead. You'd think he just did work for his boss.

"How long do you think he'll be out?"

Itey shrugged and sat down on the bunk bed next to Jack's. "I wouldn't know."

Okay…

"Geez… Jack just had to get himself in more trouble than-."

"Compared to the trouble he's already caused?"

"Itey, I didn't mean that. It's just…"

"Hard? I know that, too, Brownie. You're the greatest girl I've ever known. I love spending every minute with you and just goofing around with you but then there's your brother and…"

"But he's just looking out for me."

Hold on. I just confused myself. Why am I protecting Jack?

"Whose side are you on, Brownie? HIS or MINE? I just told you that I loved you a few minutes ago and I feel that it just went in and out the other!"

"I heard you, Itey, okay? I heard you LOUD AND CLEAR. I was just…"

"…thinking of how you can sneak around the lodging house away from me so you can have your precious time."

Wait. THAT's not Itey.

"Jack!"

"That's me name," said Jack. Goodness, he can't even act hurt for a second. But that's Jack for you.

"Don't be so sarcastic, Kelly. We're here helping you and you're just being all-."

Oh geez. Not again.

"I'm about to forgive you so you better not push it."

What? "What?"

"You two can go off and be happy, because I'm taking back what I said. All of it."

"Really? You ain't improving the truth or anything?"

"Not this time, I ain't."

"But why…"

"Just – go… before I change my mind," said Jack, chuckling slightly.

He deserves a hug for that. A big one, I might add.

"Thanks," I muttered near his ear before pulling back. "That's the greatest Christmas present ever.

"You know me," said Jack, shrugging.

"Yeah, well, I thought I did – thanks," replied Itey.

Geez, can't this moment get any more mushier?

"Okay!" shouted someone from the door. "Visiting hours are over!"

"Sagey!" mumbled Jack.

"Sure is!" said Sage, walking over to his bunk bed. "Now, go get downstairs and be merry…"

The last thing I remembered was Sage pushing us out the door and making us go downstairs with the other lodgers. I don't know when I could've been happier. I have everything in the world.

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Just quick SOs to Sapphy, Frenchygoil, sagey, brownie, justduck, deanie, snooza, and kit blink for the reviews! i had so much fun writing the last chapter and i was so glad to see that all of you like it! only two more perspectives to go and i'll just go jumping around from one to other in some chapters. alrighty, that's for now.