A/N: Hey, everybody! Last chapter before...(drum roll) THIRTY! I just realized I've been working on this story for a year. Wow. That's...that's nuts. And you're still reading. That's even nuttier! Reeses for everyone! (Mush and Boots enter with armfuls of candy that they throw in the air before exiting) Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed so far. You've made this more than a story. It's become a journey.

Love,

Legs

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Newsies. (cowers in corner) Don't sue me. (whimpers) I'm saving for my future! I forgot to mention in the last chapter that I don't own "Oliver!" It's Copyrighted by Columbia Pictures and was written by Lionel Bart. Jack Wild played the original "Dodger" and was absolutely fantastic (if you haven't seen it, you can find at Blockbuster). I don't own M&M's.

"Racetrack!"

"Hiya, sweetie. Ya miss me?"

Jenny nodded vigorously and Racetrack smirked. He reached a thin hand over the bed sheets to ruffle her hair.

Across the room, Darcy Farthing studied the newsie from behind an issue of "Family Circle." His boyish smile and crinkling brown eyes brought an involuntary grin to her lips.

"Mom," Tanya's grunting came from the hall, "Where do you want me to put this?"

Mrs. Farthing started from her stare, flustered as she realized the newsboy had caught her when she looked up,"W-what? Put what?" She tried to focus on the open door, but her cheeks grew red as she realized the boy was still watching her. Something about him...disconcerted her. What was it?

"I brought Jenny some snacks and stuff from the gift shop."

"SNACKS!" Jenny bounced up and down, tugging on Race's shirt. He smiled faintly but his eyes were on the door.

Tanya appeared, her arms full of bags and an enormous stuffed dog that hid her face. Her voice was muffled, "Where are you guys?"

In two steps, Race was in front of her, taking packages and pulling the animal down from her eyes.

"Oh. There you are," Tanya grinned. "I was beginning to think I'd have to steal a gurney to drag all this stuff around."

They stood and stared at each other, smiling.

Behind them, a little voice emitted a gasp.

They ignored it.

Jenny made a faint, wistful, "Ohh..."

Racetrack turned around slowly and held out the giant dog, "Dis whatcha wanted, Jenny?"

She didn't answer, just held out her arms demandingly.

"Jenny? What do you say?" asked Darcy automatically, her eyes fastened to the unspoken exchange between this strange boy and her older daughter.

"Please?"

Racetrack had turned back to Tanya to whisper something in her ear. She giggled and shook her head. "You are such a dork!" Darcy heard her say.

"Please," Jenny repeated a little more firmly.

Tanya was saying something else and the newsboy's dimples peeked out from his tanned face.

"Please!"

They snapped out of it.

"Here ya go, kid." Racetrack set the dog on the edge of the blanket.

Jenny snatched it and buried her face in its fur.

"So does she still get to come home tomorrow?" asked Tanya.

"No!" Jenny looked up to shout then back down at her new toy.

"Why not?"

"I have vertigo," the little girl told her proudly.

Darcy nodded. "The doctors want to make absolutely sure she's okay to go back to school."

"No school!" Jenny shrieked.

"This is why I'm glad she's in a year-round program. There'll be more time for her to make it up."

"Yeah. Hey, Mom? Um, have you...talked to Aunt Delaney?"

Her mother smiled uncertainly, "Yes, Tanya. I have."

"Keaton, I swear if you don't hurry up, I am going to leave you for Jeff!"

Her husband snorted and pulled on his other sock, "Nice try, babe. Jeff wouldn't take you off my hands if I paid him."

Her short black hair swinging across her cheekbones, Delaney gasped and threw a hand to her chest, "Keaton, what evil demon of the underworld possessed you to say that?"

"The same evil demon that would squish Jeff under my shoe if he tried anything." Keaton knotted his lace and stood up, "Ready?"

Delaney didn't move but stood in the doorway, a strange look flying through her eyes.

"Del? What's wrong?" he moved to stand in front of her.

She looked down but he tilted her chin up so that her face was looking up into his.

They were both surprised by the tears that begin to slide across her cheeks and into the corners of her mouth.

She shook her head before he could say anything. Her long arms reached up and pulled his head so that it was level with hers before she whispered fiercely, "I love you, Keaton Adams."

The worried frown turned into a sexy grin, "But how much?"

A rare blush found its way into Delaney's cheeks, "Um..."

Keaton leaned closer and kissed her neck. "We could stay here," he murmured.

"But we...have to...go..." Delaney trailed off when Keaton kissed her again.

"We should go see Jenny," his wife told him, reluctantly.

He kissed her temple and smiled again, "Alright."

"But we're not eating dinner with them," he told her as they hailed a cab.

She pouted.

"Fine. But we're leaving by seven."

"Eight."

"7:15"

"7:30."

"Done."

In the year 1900...where we last left two newsies on a street corner...( An excerpt from Chapter Twenty-Five before continuing)

"You t'ink I like wearin' doity clothes? You t'ink I nevah wanna have a new dress owah a wahm bed owah be a lady? 'Uh?" She shoved him up against the alley wall.

Spot smirked at her small frame pushing him back into the bricks, "You'se do know I'm lettin' ya win."

She shoved him again and walked back towards the street.

"Don't I'se get a kiss foah carin'?"

"Go find Jack. I'm shoah he'll give you a big kiss."

"Aw, c'mon, Raves..."

"Get lost!" she groaned.

"Not until you give me my kiss."

She sighed, and with the air of a martyr, reached up on her tiptoes to brush his lips. "Theah," she said, stepping back, "Happy? Now, beat it befoah I'se soak ya."

He winked as he passed her but stopping before he reached the end of the alley and turning, tugged at the edge of his cap, "Miss." And then he was gone.

Raven felt a warmth she didn't recognize. Miss? Since when did Spot Conlon call her 'Miss?' She shrugged the ill-fitting shirt into a more comfortable place on her shoulders and turned once again to her papers.

She was scanning the fourth page for a new headline when she noticed it. The advertisement. Raven didn't stop to think but ripped the section neatly from the rest of the paper. She folded it and slid it between the folds of her clothes. The paper in her hands couldn't be sold now with the tear in it so she set it aside and picked another off the stack, waving it over her head and called as loudly as she could, "A Change Foah Brooklyn!" The catchy words would come back to spook her later. A change for Brooklyn, indeed.

While back in present day...

"Hello, my duckies!" crooned Delaney as she entered the room.

"Aunt Delaney!" Jenny dropped her fistfuls of candy and reached out her arms to be hugged.

"My baby!" the historian scooped her up. "But wait a second...what's this? Chocolate? Before dinner?"

Jenny didn't even bother trying to look guilty.

Tanya and Darcy looked knowingly at each other.

Not waiting for an answer, the woman began her tirade, "And you didn't think to invite ME? Huh? What were you thinking?"she shook her niece once before grabbing a handful of M&M's.

"In my wife's mind," Keaton explained to a puzzled Racetrack, "Anything that offends her has been brought about through malicious intent."

"You've been watching way too much CSI," said Del.

"Shahwee," Jenny told her, trying to cram the rest of the peanut butter cups into her mouth before Delaney finished them off.

"I don't know how you stay so skinny," Darcy complained, taking the last bag of candy away from Jenny. "No more, sweetheart. We're going to eat, soon."

"I was eating."

"Real food."

"Chocolate is real," her sister argued.

Tanya was laughing so hard when her phone rang, she almost missed the call, "Hello? Hi, Ben."

"Who's Ben?" whispered Delaney.

"Yeah, he's staying with me for awhile."

Racetrack looked up at her quickly.

"Who is Ben?"

"Yeah, we'll be there in the morning. Um, no. Well, I mean, I don't think he does. I'm pretty sure he doesn't. He can sing, though. Yeah. I'll tell him but I don't know if he wants to."

"Who. Is. Ben."

"Okay, thank you. Yeah, I had fun. Okay, see you in the morning. Bye."

"Graggle!" sputtered Delaney.

"What was dat about?" asked Race, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Excuse me, I know that when you two are in the same room, no one else exists but...WHO THE BLOODY HECK IS THIS BEN PERSON?"

"Uh, an actor. One of my acting coaches. He's really, really great."

"So...what'd he say, 'uh?" Race nudged her.

Tanya looked at him with a kind of pleasant surprise lighting up her eyes. "He wanted to know if you were going to be there tomorrow. He wants to talk to you about some auditions he thinks you should go to."

"Yeah? What's dat?"

"It means he thinks you're an actor."

SHOUT-INS:

Bella7: I always savor your reviews. :) Thank you. Yeah, I've been in love with the Beatles since I was like...thirteen. And I, too, make "movie star" faces in the mirror. Well? I do! (newsies snicker in background) I hope you paid close attention to Del's improved vocab and oh, I mentioned Jeff in this chapter. I hope that's okay. (worried face) And I put in some Del and Keaton moments because...well...I just couldn't resist. They're so cute together. And everyone's been saying how much they love them. You are so lucky to have such well-received characters. :D Love you! Write me!

Racetrack: (reading) Well-received. 'Ey, ain't I'se well-received, 'uh? Ain't Ise? I mean, I'se is da stah of dis heah story.

Spot: Very funny, Race. But, as a mattah a fact, I'SE is da hero a dis novel! Ya catchin' me drift?

Racetrack: Yeah and it smells like da sewah.

Spot: A'right, ya doity rotten punk! I'se is gonna soak ya!

Racetrack: (looks puzzled) What's a punk, 'uh?

Spot: (shrugs) I'se don' know. Bella called Legsy dat. And if Legsy's a punk, well den you MUST be one.

AngelicOne: Thanks for reviewing, yet again! Lots more Race cuteness in this chapter. At least, I thought so. I always have so much fun writing him. He's so entertaining, ya know? Anyway, Shorty made brownies, again, so have at 'em.

Shorty Carter: Oh, I missed your brownies so much! And your reviews! I really missed all of you terribly. It's nice to be back. :) Thanks...everyone's munching on the famous chocolately goodness once again!

ShortAtntionSpaz: Hey, we're both back! Thank you for that tidbit of wisdom. I will remember to never play leapfrog with a unicorn. I had this idea...(newsies groan) No, really! It's a good idea! What if you sent in a new piece of wisdom every review and we made a little event out of it every chapter? We could call it "Wising Up" with your lovely and talented hosts Spaz and Spotty. What do ya think? Lemme know...:) And I BET, if it's cool enough, Spaz and Spotty could do a guest spot on Kennyon's Comedy Hour (Season Two). Anyway, just a random idea.

Moonlights Sundance: Thank you for your faithful reviews even when I fail to read your work! I feel so bad...:( I wish I had more time tonight. I have to get up at the crack of dawn and start working on all this stuff that has to be done before summer classes start. (mighty groan) But I will not read another newsie story until I have read something of yours! I will, I will. Maybe I'll have time tomorrow night. Love you! Have hugs and brownies.

sniper higgins: Race leaving. (sigh) I don't want anyone mad at me but...well, anything's possible. I think you'll all be happy at the end of the story. That's the hope, anyway. Don't fret. Tanya and Race are special. ;) Thanks for reviewing! I've missed you! :) (hands sniper brownies)

Artemis-chan of Redwing: Awww, it's so good to be back! (hugs Artemis) Thank you for coming back to read more of the story! Here's Blink. He's impatient.

Blink: Hi! (waves)

Legs: Uh huh...and now what are you going to say?

Blink: (looks surprised) What else am I s'posed ta say?

Legs: You're hopeless.

Blink: But...

Legs: Go back to your corner now. Go think of something sweet to say to Artemis in the next chapter.

Blink: (dejectedly) Bye, Ahtemis...

Sundance: Thank so you much! Boots wants to know if you would like one of his marbles. I think he likes you. So does Racetrack but he's emotionally constipated.

Racetrack: I'se not constipated!

electricxrain: Hey Rain! Thanks for leaving such a cute review! Glad you liked the chapter. I'd love to know what you thought of this one. Oh, and have some of Shorty's amazing brownies. (And you said "Oliver!" was like an English newsies. Thank you! That's EXACTLY what I was going for!)

Sapphy: Thanks for reviewing but uh...now we have a problem. (looks behind her to where the newsies have congregated around the television set to watch "Oliver!" and are singing at the top of their lungs, "Gotta pick a pocket owah two!") If you could uh...use your expertise to assist in this matter, it's of grave importance, my personal sanity is at stake. Do you realize this is the twenty-sixth running of "Oliver!" we've had today? I beg of you! Help me!

imaginelet: Your review warmed the cockles of my heart. Lol. It really did. I even read it to my mom because it totally made my day. Thank you for taking the time to do that! Have some brownies. Hope you liked the update. :)

BoogityWhup14: Well, this chapter was definitely more upbeat! Ya gotta admit that. Oh, yummy cookies! Thanks for not forgetting about all of us here in this story! We certainly haven't forgotten about you. Have we, guys?

(Newsies come out, bearing gifts for Boogity and begin to sing N'Sync's classic, "Just Got Paid")

Legs: (stops them) Hey, hey! The presents are great but uh...the music selection? It needs some work. I really don't see what "booty shakin'" has to do with Boogity or this story. So...uh...work on that, please.

(Newsies exit grumbling)

uninvisible: Oh, PLEASE! You are most certainly NOT a speck! ANYONE who reviews this story is important and has an equal share in newsie joy and randomness. Thanks so much for taking the time to review! (And for reading, at all!) That means a lot to me. Have some of Shorty's brownies. If you've read any of the shout ins, you probably know how famous they are around here. She is, after all, the official newsie bakeress. Stick around for a few chapter and I'm sure you, too, will be slapped with some kind of title or role of some kind. :D Anyway, I'm really glad that you like it so far. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, if you get a chance. And I hope your finals went well. (Many, many hugs) (newsies crowd around to administer hugs)

STAY TUNED PEOPLE! CHAPTER THIRTY COMING SOONER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK! (This depends on what you think, of course. And, contrary to public opinion, I am not telepathic.)

Love you all...

Legs