A/N: Aha! Caught ya. You're reading this! I knew SOMEONE out there liked it! Well, it's too late to stop. You've already gone and done it. Might as well finish out the chapter and then click the amazing purple button. Cool stuff happens when you do. For real, though, thanks for sticking with me all the way to CHAPTER THIRTY! (confetti begins to fall)
Disclaimer: If I really had any rights to any newsies, do you think I'd be sitting here? Well, if you do, you're dumb because I wouldn't. Credit (like platinum kind of credit) must be bestowed upon the lovely and incredible Bella for everything she has assisted in so far. Especially the loan of Del and Keaton's house (it's been a great place to crash when I need to escape the pressures of reality) and the gorgeous couple themselves. Her creativity and humor have been invaluable.
Racetrack: (nods in agreement) Invalu'ble. Dat's right. Invalu'ble. Invalu'ble. Invalu'ble. Invalu'ble...(wanders off, muttering)
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"And so dat's it?" Race looked suspiciously from Ben to Tanya, and back to Ben, again. He placed the cigar back in the corner of his mouth and tipped his cap up, revealing the dark mass of curly hair underneath. "Dat seems awf'lly easy, if ya know what I mean."
"Easy? You call that easy?" Tanya almost shrieked.
Ben shrugged, "I guess it's all how you look at it, Racetrack. Most stage fright is purely psychological, anyway."
"Psychowhat?" Race's brow furrowed. "I gots no idea what yoah talkin' about."
"Your mind, Race. You're only scared if you think there's something to be scared of. It's all in the mind."
"Oh, yeah, yeah. Dat sounds right. Why didn't you'se say dat, den?"
Ben rolled his eyes.
"'Eh, 'eh?" Race poked a playful finger into Ben's chest. "What? What? I'se can't heah ya!"
"So you'll go?"
"Yeah, yeah, shoah. Why not? What've I got ta lose, 'uh?"
Tanya shook her head at her boyfriend as Ben walked away, "You are unbelievable."
"Yeah?" the newsie grinned. "So why ah we still talkin'? Why ain't you'se kissin' me senseless, 'uh? If I'se so 'unbeliev'ble.'" He chuckled when she kicked him. "Aw, c'mon, Tanya," he entreated, still laughing as she socked him in the shoulder.
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"'Ey, outta me way! Outta me mothah-lovin' WAY!" Spot Conlon growled as he pushed through a crowd on the docks.
"'Ey, Conlon! Whaddya say!"
The newsie didn't even attempt to turn around, "Look, I'm a little busy, right now, Cowboy. Mind if we take dis up latah?"
"What's bodderin' you?" asked a curious Jack, jogging to match his friend's unwaveringly aggressive pace. They stepped across a far, forgotten wharf, the distant sounds of pipe music and haggling fishermen still in their ears. "What's eatin' you'se, 'uh?"
"Dis life, Jackie-boy. Dis heah city." Spot delivered an unmerciful kick to an empty crate, sending it crashing and splintering down into the murky water.
"Dat's funny. Nevah hoid you'se complain about Brooklyn befoah."
"Not Brooklyn!" cried the newsie, turning frenzied, almost panicked, blue eyes on his friend. "Not Brooklyn! Dis whole life is jus' one lousy excuse foah livin'!"
Jack said not a word. His eyes glowed but he stayed quiet, waiting.
"No one's evah gonna leave heah, you know dat? We'se all jus' gonna be bohn. We'se gonna scrape t'rough by the skin on owah backsides. We'se gonna bring moah lousy kids into dis lousy woild and den...we'se gonna DIE and LEAVE 'em heah! Leave 'em ta do da same t'ing! Da same lousy t'ing!"
"Ya don't mean dat, Spot."
"Ya know Raven left, don'tcha?"
Jack's glowing eyes turned to flame, "Left? Spot, whaddya mean...left?"
The King of Brooklyn's eyes melted into pain and he said in a kind of subdued way, "I don't know. I can't find huh."
"Well, dat...dat doesn't mean she's gone. I mean, she coulda...jus' gone ta hide out foah a coupla days."
"It's been a week, Kelly. A God foahsaken week widout Raven! She's gone. I don't know wheah but...I know why."
"You do? Why?"
"Aw, c'mon, Cowboy! Why d'ya t'ink? Raven don't belong heah! She's a lady! She wants ta be a lady! She don't desoive ta live and die in an alley, a'right? She don't desoive ta..." his voice broke, "I...I'se don't wanna...I gotta...I'll talk ta you'se latah, a'right?" Without waiting for a response, Spot began to move again, running between nets and over crates, the pounding of his worn boots on the wooden docks came reverberating back to Jack. It shook him. And Jack did not need to be shaken.
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"I swear if I ever find the man who invented panty hose I will impale him with a ballpoint pen." Delaney was staring murderously at the brand-new run in her stockings with something like pure hatred.
"I don't think there's a warranty for pantyhose that have been dragged into a crawl space. Maybe if you weren't creeping around on the floor, the inventor wouldn't have to suffer such a horrible death."
"Keaton, must I explain everything?"
"Please explain anything that requires you to get on your hands and knees in a dark, cavernous hole in the wall thereby dirtying that white Armani pant suit I bought you."
"What, this old thing?" quipped his wife, her voice muffled as she poked her head into the crawl space, again.
"Delaney, I know I'm incredibly slow and thick-headed. But please. Remind me why you are doing that."
"I'm looking for something."
"I see. Would this something happen to be, oh, I don't know...your MIND, since you've obviously lost it?"
"You won't be making wisecracks when I find it."
"What? Your mind?"
"Keaton, you know how in movies, the hero thinks he has it all figured out? He's all smug because he's wrapped up the case, he's figured out what's wrong with the world? But it's just...too easy?"
"Sure."
"Like 'The Sixth Sense.' He thinks he's finally helped Cole but he doesn't realize that Cole is just seeing another dead person...him. He's dead, Keaton! Deader than a doornail."
"If the next words out of your mouth are, 'I see dead people,' I will personally have you committed."
"The point I'm trying to make," Delaney paused to glare, "Is that it seems like we have it all figured out. We have all the facts about this mess with Tanya and Racetrack and Jack and Moira. But I think there's more to the story. I think...well, I don't what I think. But I know that if there are any more clues, they'll be in this house."
"Because...?"
"Because this was the Kelly's house!"
"What does that have to do with Racetrack?"
"Racetrack is here now but he was THERE at some point. So at SOME point, he had to stop being there so he could be HERE."
"Let's pretend I'm following. Continue."
"If your best friend suddenly disappeared, you'd notice, right?"
"You think Jack has something written about Racetrack."
"Yes! Well, maybe. I don't know. There's gotta be something that mentions or alludes to this, somewhere. I mean, Moira wrote in her journals until the children were mostly grown. Jack was a journalist. Imagine the luck! We just happen to live in the house of two writers who both knew Racetrack Higgins very, very well!"
"I don't think they call that luck."
"Oh, you don't?"
"No, I think they call that creepy."
"Clever," she mumbled, her head once again disappearing into the hole.
Keaton eyed the rest of Delaney appreciatively. So she liked to crawl around in dark, spider holes in a creaky, old house. So she went crazy sometimes and knocked walls down searching for basements that were "supposed" to be there. She was still undeniably a babe. "So why are you looking in there for clues?"
"Because I didn't even know we had a crawl space."
Understanding appeared in Keaton's eyes, "Just like you didn't know we had a basement?"
Delaney pulled her face out of the darkness long enough to grin and sing, "Biiiingooooo..."
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"Are you nervous?" Tanya looked curiously at Race, shaking a curl off her forehead as she asked.
"'Bout what?"
She gave a sigh of exasperation, "Your audition, Race!"
"Oh...dat. Nah. Not really."
"Why not?"
"What do I'se gotta be noivous 'bout? I mean, what's gonna happen if I screw it up?"
Tanya started to retort but stopped to grin.
"What?" Race eyed her, suspiciously. "What ah you'se smilin' 'bout, 'uh?"
"You!" she squealed. "You just used the 21st century expression 'screw it up' in a sentence!"
"Yeah, and we'se livin' in da twenty-foist century, Tanya. Owah did you'se foahget?"
Tanya's smile faded, "But...you USED to be in the 20th. The early, EARLY 20th century. I just think it's kind of cool that you're acting like you belong here, like you fit in."
"Yeah. Dat's...dat's great, 'uh..." Race had suddenly become immensely interested in the far wall of the room.
"What?"
"Tanya, I keep tellin' ya. I'se don't belong anywheah! I don't belong in 1899 and I don't belong heah, eithah! Wheah do I fit in, 'uh?" the newsie didn't wait for an answer.
She watched him walk dejectedly towards the restroom at the other end of the lobby. A guilty sort of wetness seemed to spring up in her eyes and Tanya reached an immediate decision. No matter what happened, she would make sure Racetrack felt at home. At home in the future, at home in the past, at home in her life and in her heart. Yes, that was it. Racetrack must feel at home in her heart. If he never could go back, she could, at least, give him that.
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Kristen frowned as she tried to button the back of her dress. Another inch seemed to have appeared overnight. The slim waist Bumlets had always marveled at had vanished. She sighed, trying to remind herself how normal all of this was. But involuntary tears splashed her cheeks, anyway. She cried about everything these days. One small white hand reached up to wipe her face dry, while the pressed itself firmly against her stomach. The tiniest of movements within her made her jump.
"It moved...It moved! Katherine!"
Katherine was next to her in a moment, "What's wrong, Krissy? I was just making you some tea. Are you alright? Kristen?"
"I'm...it moved! The baby kicked or...or something! I felt it! Katherine, I felt it!" Every fret about her figure, every worry over money, everything was gone and in its place, Kristen felt a terrifying excitement at what lay before her.
Katherine was watching her, her blue eyes growing cloudy with wistfulness. She tried to shake it off. This was Kristen's moment in the sunshine and Katherine would not spoil it. But a tiny pocket in her heart began to throb with pain. Oh, would there ever be a baby for her?
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Tanya watched Race go into the theater, not a sign of anxiety about him. And when he didn't come out for a half hour, she began to wonder what had happened. Had he messed up and started over? Had he gotten lost in there? Had he been escorted from the building? A thousand unrealistic endings flitted through her head. She waited until she heard the door swing open before she moved from her chair. And there he stood, as unruffled as he had been thirty minutes before.
"Well?" she asked, impatiently.
"I don't know...dey said dey wanted me ta come back tomorrow. Dat's not good, is it?" Race seemed philosophically disappointed.
"Tomorrow? For call-backs?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Racetrack, that's wonderful, perfect, great!"
"It is?"
"Yes! Call-backs mean they're thinking about you for a particular part!"
"Really?"
"Yes! Oh, that's so great, Race!"
Racetrack grinned, slowly, "Yeah, well...I am a natural, ya know."
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"You're kidding me, Ben."
"That's right, Tanya. I normally call your house at 11 at night to make jokes about casting agents."
"How did they hear about Race?"
"From Al."
"Al."
"Alfred Hunt."
"Alfred Hunt...your agent?"
"Yeah, I talked to him the other day."
"What about?"
"Ahh, ya know. Business. We had lunch. But he asked about those acting classes and I happened to mention Racetrack. Anyway, I guess he was interested. It's not very often you meet an actor like him, Tanya."
"Yeah, no kidding."
"Where did you meet him, anyway? School?"
"Not...exactly." Crap, she thought. I do NOT want to try and explain this.
"Exactly where, then?"
"Uh..."
"Tanya? It's almost midnight. Who's on the phone?" Darcy Farthing called from the down the hall.
"Uh, just a second, Mom! Ben, I have to go."
Ben sounded suspicious but agreed, "Alright, kiddo. Talk to you tomorrow. Be sure to give Race the heads up in case anyone shows up after class. I don't want him to be caught off guard."
"Oh, no...we wouldn't want that, would we..." muttered Tanya, hanging up the phone.
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"AHA!"
"What?" Keaton's head shot up. "Did you find something?"
"No, but saying 'Aha' randomly makes me feel more productive," Delaney told him, as she wormed her way out of the crawl space. "I'm hungry."
"You just ate."
"I'm hungry, again."
"What's that?"
"Blueprints, my hot man slave."
"If I'm the man slave, what does that make you?"
"Her Majesty."
"Does her majesty want Chinese or Italian?"
"Both, of course."
"Of course. How silly of me." Keaton rolled his eyes and picked up the phone.
"And extra breadsticks."
"Hello? Chang's, yeah. Hey, listen, can I get an order of Kung Pao Chicken, one fried rice, two..."
A shriek from Delaney made him pause, "Uh...two won..."
"I FOUND IT! I FOUND IT!"
"Del?"
"Why didn't I see it before? Man, I'm a freakin' idiot!"
"Delaney."
"It's been right here the whole time!"
"DELANEY JO ADAMS!" Keaton hadn't bothered to hang up the phone.
His wife shoved the blueprints under his nose and pointed furiously to something, "Keaton, look at this. This is absolutely unbelievable. How did I miss it?" She traced a figure across the paper.
And for once, Keaton Adams knew exactly what his wife was talking about.
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Shout ins:
Sapphy: I am forever in your debt. I think if I'd had to listen to "Food, food, glorious food" one more time, I'd be locked away for eternity for the crimes I would be forced to commit. So thank you for unplugging the television. I don't know why I didn't think of that. Hey, I'm a writer not a rocket scientist! Thanks for another sweet review. I hope this chapter made you happy. :)
Bella7: Thank you, my punkin pie! Your reviews are always awesome and specific (which I love) but I don't know why I bother giving you a shout in since I write you emails (and IM you, now) constantly. But you totally deserve one so here it is. Jack wrote you a note-
Deah Bella,
Haven't hoid from you'se in a while. T'ought ya might like ta heah what we woikin' boys is up ta dese days. Well, Spot is in a tree and says 'e won't come down till we promise ta address him as 'yoah majesty. Which ain't gonna happen, lemme tell ya. Racetrack and Skittery ah fightin' in Italian (what else is new, 'uh?). Mush is positive that Spot is tryin' ta kill 'imself and he's stahtin' ta cry so Blink is tryin' ta tawk Spotty outta jumpin'. Dey ah pretty close, ya know? Blink and Mush. Davey's readin' ovah me shouldah. And everyone else is watchin' Spot make a fool outta 'imself. Dat's pretty much everyt'in' dat's 'appenin', heah. Nice tawkin' ta you'se.
Love,
Da Cowboy
(editor's note: actually, Jack dictated since he does not know how to use my keyboard, yet, and so I left the accent in. I hope it isn't troublesome to read. Jack thought it might be.)
Angelic One: More brownies for you! I love Delaney, too. You've been to fictionpress to read the other story, right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing, again. You've been so great keeping up with me for over a YEAR. We are crazy people, aren't we? (Hugs)
Raven: Aww, glad you're still reading! Thank you for another lovely review. I love Spot and Raven together. More Spotty goodness in this chapter. Hope it was interesting to read. Yeah, Racetrack is a pretty cool actor. I always kinda thought he would be. Have brownies. Yum...Oh, yes...and a BIG change for Brooklyn as you may be beginning to see.
CiCi: Thanks, babe. Your reviews have been coming for such a long time, it's nice to see them return! Glad you enjoyed the new chappy. Let me know what you thought of this one. (shoves plate of brownies under CiCi's nose) Look, Cece, yummy, chocolately goodness...eat up, my darling ducky!
Sniper Higgins: Hello, my favoritest of snipers! Aww, don't worry. The change...well...changes can be good even if they seem bad. They can! You've gotta trust me. It's an important change. For Spot and Raven and...well...you'll see. Heh.
Imaginelet: Well, I'm afraid my updates just don't come "soon," anymore. You're all lucky I've written, at all. Fortunately, writing is the one therapeutic thing I have left in a mire of stressful situations. Lol. I make college sound like hell, don't I? Anyway, thanks for always reviewing. It's great to know people still read this so long after I started writing it. Hope you liked this chapter. (many, many hugs for let)
uninvisible: So glad your class finals went well! It's been a terribly long time since I updated, hasn't it? Oh, well. Oh, if you crave more Delaney and Keaton than you get in this story, than you can always go read the ORIGINAL story of Del and Keats (it's an original work in progress about how they met and fell in love and everything by their ingenious creator and mastermind, Bella7). Here's the link if you want to read it: ?storyid=1573199. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it. Any of the humor you see in this story is most likely stolen from the elements of that story. It's called "You Get Me." (Oh, and Tanya, Jenny, and Darcy are in that one, too). Make sure you leave a nice review for her if you get a chance to read. She's one of the huge reasons I'm still writing. Thanks for sticking with this story. Let me know how you thought this chapter went. I long for feedback. Mwah. (holds out brownies) Take 'em. They're good.
NicNac: You cannot even begin to GUESS where this story will end. Lol. "It's so crazy, it just might work." Thanks for your wonderful review. Jenny's really cute. If you want to see some really cute writing about her, you can read Bella7's "You Get Me" which is the story of how Delaney and Keaton met and everything (the link is: ?storyid=1573199 ). It's one of the best romantic comedies online. (Tanya and Darcy are in it, too) Oh, yumness! Kitkat bars! (hides them all from the newsies) Mine...aaaaaaaaaallllllllll mine. (wink)
Moonlights Sundance: I don't think this story has thirty chapters left. Another ten, maybe. Not sure. Knowing me, I could probably stretch it to twenty. But it might take me another year! Lol. Thanks for reviewing. It keeps me alive. I wonder if it's possible to take reviews in intravenously. I'll have to ask my family doctor about that. Hope you're enjoying all the freedom that comes with summer and I hope the summer has been glorious.
Legs: Race? Moonlight says hi.
Race: Whaddya say, Moon? How's it rollin'? How's it hangin'? What's new on the oodle caboodle?
Legs: Racetrack, what have you been watching?
Race: Oh, Legsy! It's dis great new show called 'Sesame Street' and dey teach you'se ta rhyme and everyt'ing!
Legs: Racetrack...oh, never mind.
Race: A'right. (goes back to dancing in 'Elmo's World')
lanna710: Thank you! So exciting to have a new reviewer! Have some brownies and some newsie hugs (newsies crowd around). If you get the chance, let me know what you thought of this chapter. :)
Artemis-chan of Redwing: Actor Race...yes, he is getting even more exciting. Thanks for reviewing. Oh, here's Blink:
Blink: (looks nervously at Legs, who nods, and then begins to recite speech) Oh, faih Ahtemis, yoah smile brightens da cockles of me day...oh, how I'se..."
Legs: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Blink.
Blink: Y-yes?
Legs: It's 'the cockles of my heart.' Not day.
Blink: Oh. Right.
Legs: Try it again.
Blink: ...da cockles of me hawt...oh, how I'se yoin foah yoah sweet kiss, it brings a tingle to me lips...
Legs: WHAT KIND OF DRIVEL IS THAT? Blink! That was NOT in the speech I approved!
Blink: I know. But Racetrack t'ought it had a nice touch.
Legs: I'll give him a nice touch. No tingling lips! That's so...BSBish.
Blink: (looks confused)
Legs: Go on.
Blink: I'se yoin foah sweet kiss...and my hawt relies on you'se ta live.
Silence.
Blink: Dat's it.
Legs: Blink, please tell me you did NOT forget the ending.
Blink: (sheepishly) Yeah, I'se kinda did.
Legs: (sigh) Thank you...? (prompting)
Blink: Oh, yeah! (straightens up) T'ank you'se foah yoah time!
Legs: Blink! NO, NO, NO! You are not a phone solicitor! You're a passionate Romeo serenading your Juliet with your sweet, sweet words!
Blink: T'ank you'se very much?
Legs: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
Blink: Oh! Oh, yeah...uh...T'ank you'se...foah...givin' me...
Legs: (stops holding head and moaning, looks up) Yes, go on, Blink. That's it.
Blink: foah givin' me...da best...
Legs: Yes, that's right. The best...the best what, Blink?
Blink: Cheesecake?
Legs: CHEESECAKE!
Blink: I'se kinda gettin' hungry.
Legs: (holds back strangled note in her voice, hands Blink his script) Just read it, you idiot.
Blink: (stares at script thoughtfully then looks up) Ahtemis, t'ank you'se foah givin' me da best days of my life. (leans forward to kiss Artemis)
Legs: (claps half-heartedly) Well, you did much better in rehearsal but uh...not bad, Blink. Not bad.
Blink: Legsy, we'se kinda tryin' ta have a MOMENT heah.
Legs: Oh. Oh! Right, right. (leaves)
Blink: (dips Artemis backwards and kisses her)
Erica: (grabs popcorn greedily) MINE! Yum, yum! (sits down happily to munch) Thank you for your review! Hope you're enjoying all of this drama. Lol. It's nice to have more people start reading this story. Because I'm pretty greedy about reviews. (newsies all nod in agreement) Yes, Racetrack's pretty blunt about things, isn't he? (pats Race in the head)
Race: Why ya doity rotten scabbah! I'll teach you'se ta mess wid me haiah! I'se gonna soak ya! Ya BUM! Ya FAKE! (goes into fighter stance)
Angel St. Matthew: Thanks for still reading and reviewing! Spot is cute. Yeah he is short. Raven's pretty short, though, too. Aww, sorry Race didn't say anything to you in the last chapter. (kicks Race)
Race: Ow! (rubs ankle) Dat hoit.
Legs: (grits teeth) Say hi.
Race: (darkly) Hi.
Legs: Not to ME. To Angel.
Race: (brightens) Oh, HI! I mean uh...hi...
Legs: You're pathetic.
shakespearean fool: I'm afraid it will take many moons to finish story, young one. Lol. I'm kidding. Uh, not about it taking a long time but...yeah. Okay, shutting up. Thanks for reviewing! It is really is a wonderful feeling knowing that people still enjoy reading this crazy story. And you gave me the ultimate compliment. I really want people to feel like they are part of it, not simply observing or hearing an "account" of what happened. I will read "Brand New Day." Maybe later on today. Gimme a chance and I promise I will. I'm afraid I don't have as much time to read stuff as I used to. But I swear, I will make some time for you! :) Have some brownies and hugs. They're the best of the batch.
Nevaeh: Ahh, you're back! I find THAT enthralling, lol. Anway, aww, thanks for still reviewing! And pretty darn soon, I'm going to steal your name for a character. It's kind of a cameo type thing but I just liked your name so much that I have to do that. :D Here are some brownies. Oh, and tell me if you liked this chapter! Please. (wink)
