That night, at around 8:00, all the Newsies were dressed in their best and
waiting to go to Irving Hall. Ryan, Mouth, Wild Card, and Skunk decided to
keep an eye on Sunshine. They promised to get them if anything went wrong.
Three different doctors from all over the city, at Spot's command, and now
Sunshine was on antibiotics. It turned out that she had a form of
pneumonia, from sleeping on the streets. Soon the newsies left and
Sunshine was left with her personal waiting service. She appreciated their
willingness to forgo a trip to Irving Hall for her. Thinking of the how
made her think about the ring. Sunshine was glad that her father was
finally going to take the ring back. It was a big burden that she didn't
want anymore. She had painstakingly searched the city for a suitable place
to hide it. The only place she thought would be truly safe was with one of
her best friends. Her best friend had moved to New York and she had looked
her up the day after she had gotten in New York. She told her to always
wear the ring and not to give it to anybody, ever. She knew he father was
going to take it back someday, but it was up to her to keep it safe until
then. She had deliberately never told her father where it was. If they
came looking for him and caught him, he could truthfully say that he didn't
know where it was. He would be tortured if they caught him, but at least
they would have no hope of getting the ring. She thought about how such a
small piece of gold could ruin her life. It ws encrusted with diamonds,
rubies, and emeralds, with an inscription on the inside. It read "Ani nome
tran prati leti sor lucras", which translated means "May your rein be long
and prosperous for you and your people". The ring had belonged to her
mother, and had been in her family for ages. The Duke of Cornwall had made
it for Queen Elizabeth of England as a coronation present. It was a
priceless piece that many had died to keep out of the hands of one man.
Vinchini Gabrielli had had his eye on it for years, and would stop at
nothing to get it. The Gabrielli family had killed her mother. They had
then searched her mother's corpse for the ring. They hadn't though of
asking the little 7 year old that watched them where the ring was. Only
she and her mother knew where it was hidden, and she hadn't told a soul.
The ring had been named "The ring of the Sun" because of how it sparkled,
and the fact that Elizabeth was the "sun" of England during her rein. She
had feared for her father- he had begged her to tell him where it was so he
could keep it safe. She had, of course, refused. The night before she
left she took the ring and left a note in his sock drawer that told her
father where it had been the past 9 years. Her mother had hidden it well,
in a concrete piling of their basement. No one knew that it was there, and
there was little chance of anyone finding it because it was so low that you
would have to have your head on the floor to see it. She had placed a
large beauro in front of it that needed two people to move it. Her mother
had sawed out the side and placed a removable piece of wood there instead.
It needed to se wiggled in just the right way to get it to come out. Her
mother had made her practice for hours on how to wiggle it so that she
could get it open, crawl in, and close it in 3 seconds flat. She had
explained to her daughter that NO ONE could know about it ever, and she was
not, under any circumstances, allowed to play in it. She had understood
and never went in to the basement unless asked. The reason she didn't want
anyone to know her name was that people would be looking for a Lenora
Colon. Her and her father had agreed that she couldn't use her real name-
Gabrielli had goons everywhere. They would probably look in all the girl's
schools and boarding houses in New York, seeing as her father appeared to
just another well-bred rich man. No one knew about her father's past, so
no one knew that he had been a newsie. He knew that she would have no
protection if they figured out where she was living, if they found out she
was in New York, but he had taken great pains to tell no one where she was
really going. Still, the Gabriellis had connections. Over the next few
weeks, Sunshine improved- much to the joy of all (especially Mouth). Spot
had taken the ring and hid it where he knew no one would look. If the spot
had remained a secret for 20 years, no one would ever find it.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* (Time Lapse: 3 weeks) *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Soon she was up and about, not selling yet but able to walk around. She had taken to accompanying some of the newsies for an hour or two at a time. Spot had decided to stay for more than just a while. He wanted to talk to Linda about staying in New York permanently. It was early in the morning and most of the Newsies had already left for the DO.
"Linda, I need ta' talk to ya for a minute."
"Sure Dad" she said, sitting on the bench in the parlor on the first floor. He sat down beside her. She grabbed one of her boots and shoved it on to her foot. The quickly tied the laced and proceeded to do the same with the other one.
"Do you like it here?" She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. It was a random question
"Yeah, I do." She thought for a second, "I…feel like I belong here" He smiled at this. Maybe this wasn't going to be hard, after all.
"Would ya' like to stay longer?" he asked, very serious
"Yeah, how much longer?"
"Like forever?" he answered, a little uncertain. He didn't' know if she would love or hate the idea. She sat dumbly for a second, processing the information. A big smile broke out over her face and she leapt in to her father's arms.
"Yes! I'd love to." She cried and stood up. She smiled at her and stood up as well.
"I'm glad you like the idea. All I have to do is call Mickey and tell him. I'll move the offices location to here so that I can still print the newspaper…" she noticed the look on her face, "What's wrong?"
"Its just that only the World employees can live here. If you had your newspaper here, it means I couldn't be with the rest of the newsies." He realized that she had a point. Now, while he didn't have a problem with creating havoc for Pulitzer and Hearst, he did have a problem with competing with the other newsies. Jack had taken that opportunity to come in to talk to Heather.
"Ya know, I could use some help with the store. I'm thinking of expanding it. I need a couple of partners, like you and Davey, to help me get going." He smiled. He really was thinking of asking Spot to be a partner with David at Tibby's. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it up. Spot thought for a second. The idea presented a thousand more ideas, and Spot didn't trust an idea if it didn't lend itself to a thousand other ideas. This was the opportunity he was looking for.
"So, waddya say? Partners?" Spot gave him a cold, calculating, Colon glare. He then spit in his hand and offered it to his best friend.
"I say, that what you say, is what I say". His face suddenly broke into a huge grin, and the two men started to peal into fits of laughter. Sunshine started to laugh at the two, and some of the newsies came in to see what the commotion was. Wild Card pulled Sunshine aside.
"What's up wit you three?" she asked, smirking.
" Nothing. I'm gonna be moving here." She replied, forcing her to giggles go away. Wild Card just hugged her, "Welcome to the crew."
Soon Ryan came in to see what the hold up was with his newsies. Wild Card walked over to him and told him the good news. Across the room, Sunshine could see his face break into a huge grin. He gave a whoop and ran over to her. She was immediately picked up and swung around. She laughed as she clung to his neck. Soon all the newsies knew and celebrating was going to commence as soon as the morning papers were sold.
"Mista Frank?" came a voice. It made Spot stop and turn around.
"Yeah, Vixen?"
"Is it true that you and Sunshine are movin' here?"
"Yup." With that she stormed away and slammed the door as the left. Spot knew she was going to be trouble.
(A/N: I know no Latin, so the Latin on the ring is just made up. The words have no real meaning. I just thought I'd say that so all you Latin Buffs out there don't pelt me with flames ;). Thanks to all those who have read my story so far (hugs to the reviewers!)
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* (Time Lapse: 3 weeks) *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Soon she was up and about, not selling yet but able to walk around. She had taken to accompanying some of the newsies for an hour or two at a time. Spot had decided to stay for more than just a while. He wanted to talk to Linda about staying in New York permanently. It was early in the morning and most of the Newsies had already left for the DO.
"Linda, I need ta' talk to ya for a minute."
"Sure Dad" she said, sitting on the bench in the parlor on the first floor. He sat down beside her. She grabbed one of her boots and shoved it on to her foot. The quickly tied the laced and proceeded to do the same with the other one.
"Do you like it here?" She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. It was a random question
"Yeah, I do." She thought for a second, "I…feel like I belong here" He smiled at this. Maybe this wasn't going to be hard, after all.
"Would ya' like to stay longer?" he asked, very serious
"Yeah, how much longer?"
"Like forever?" he answered, a little uncertain. He didn't' know if she would love or hate the idea. She sat dumbly for a second, processing the information. A big smile broke out over her face and she leapt in to her father's arms.
"Yes! I'd love to." She cried and stood up. She smiled at her and stood up as well.
"I'm glad you like the idea. All I have to do is call Mickey and tell him. I'll move the offices location to here so that I can still print the newspaper…" she noticed the look on her face, "What's wrong?"
"Its just that only the World employees can live here. If you had your newspaper here, it means I couldn't be with the rest of the newsies." He realized that she had a point. Now, while he didn't have a problem with creating havoc for Pulitzer and Hearst, he did have a problem with competing with the other newsies. Jack had taken that opportunity to come in to talk to Heather.
"Ya know, I could use some help with the store. I'm thinking of expanding it. I need a couple of partners, like you and Davey, to help me get going." He smiled. He really was thinking of asking Spot to be a partner with David at Tibby's. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it up. Spot thought for a second. The idea presented a thousand more ideas, and Spot didn't trust an idea if it didn't lend itself to a thousand other ideas. This was the opportunity he was looking for.
"So, waddya say? Partners?" Spot gave him a cold, calculating, Colon glare. He then spit in his hand and offered it to his best friend.
"I say, that what you say, is what I say". His face suddenly broke into a huge grin, and the two men started to peal into fits of laughter. Sunshine started to laugh at the two, and some of the newsies came in to see what the commotion was. Wild Card pulled Sunshine aside.
"What's up wit you three?" she asked, smirking.
" Nothing. I'm gonna be moving here." She replied, forcing her to giggles go away. Wild Card just hugged her, "Welcome to the crew."
Soon Ryan came in to see what the hold up was with his newsies. Wild Card walked over to him and told him the good news. Across the room, Sunshine could see his face break into a huge grin. He gave a whoop and ran over to her. She was immediately picked up and swung around. She laughed as she clung to his neck. Soon all the newsies knew and celebrating was going to commence as soon as the morning papers were sold.
"Mista Frank?" came a voice. It made Spot stop and turn around.
"Yeah, Vixen?"
"Is it true that you and Sunshine are movin' here?"
"Yup." With that she stormed away and slammed the door as the left. Spot knew she was going to be trouble.
(A/N: I know no Latin, so the Latin on the ring is just made up. The words have no real meaning. I just thought I'd say that so all you Latin Buffs out there don't pelt me with flames ;). Thanks to all those who have read my story so far (hugs to the reviewers!)
