Chapter 11

Moving

A/N: Oh jeez. I'm sorry to everyone who has been waiting for this chapter. It has taken me soooo long to write it, and it isn't my best work. Ugh. Hopefully the next chapter will come quickly and in better shape. Thanks to Legally Red, CookieGoilForever, CrazyButBeatiful, Dremaless Mermaid, Skips Parker, and Koodles for reviewing the last chapter. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed before then.

"Dacey, the tea is ready." My mother called from downstairs. I walked away from the front windows and walked into the parlor where my mother sat sipping her tea. She patted the seat next to her and I sat down. "How's Blink?"

"Oh, he is fine." I said. I had been checking up on him earlier. He was residing in one of our guestrooms. It was filled with flowers, letters, cards and various other items from our friends, family, and others. We'd been home for three days now.

"Good, good." My mother said nodding. "The detectives stopped by why you were up there."

"Oh. Any news?" I asked hopefully. I hadn't been able to sleep well knowing that Blink's step-father was still around.

"No, not about Blink's step-dad." She said sitting down her tea on the platter. She looked to me. "They did tell us that...we should..." She paused and sighed, blinking away the tears that were filling up her eyes. "Move. They want us to move."

"But." I said not understanding. "Why?"

"Robert Rorey, Blink's step-father knows where we live, Dacey. We aren't safe. And Blink is in danger just staying with us. The quicker we leave the better." She said dabbing at her eyes.

"Where will we go?" I asked, although the question was stupid. We had several homes along New England. There was a summer home in Maine, a town house in Maryland, and larger house in New Jersey. My stomach turned.

"I was thinking of New Jersey. We have several friends there, Dacey. And the house is so lovely. It's close as well." She nodded reassuring herself.

"Will we sell this house?" I asked not wanting to lose the house I had grown up in.

"No, Heaven's no. This is forever our home. We will rent it out to friends who are visiting the city." She said while sort of petting the couch we sat on.

"Oh. When...will we be leaving?" I asked, hoping it wasn't for a few more weeks.

"Four days." She said getting up to leave me.

"Four days?" I asked standing up as well.

"Yes, Dacey. By then Blink will be able to go back to the Newsies and the doctor will check up on him." She said walking to the door.

"We can't just leave Blink here! His step-father is crazy! He'll surely go after him!" I screamed so loud that Blink was most definitely awoken upstairs.

"Dacey, Blink is quite capable off taking care of himself, but he can't take care of us as well." And with that she stepped out leaving me alone. I sat onto the floor and put my head in my hands.

The door opened a few minutes later. I thought and hoped it was my mother coming back in to tell me it was a joke and we weren't moving. The person sat down next to me and pulled me close.

"It'll be okay, Dace." It was Blink. "I'se be fine, you'se will be better." He said giving me a squeeze.

Three days after my mother told me of the news, we began packing what we needed. The house in New Jersey was already furnished so all we were packing was clothes, pictures, and extra things. I hadn't cried for the three days. I told myself I was being a baby and Blink probably thought I was going insane. My mother was crying enough for the both of us anyways. She stayed in her room crying all night.

I pulled the crate filled with some items from my room and it thumped down the steps. Blink stood at the top of the stairway laughing. He tried his best to help us out, but with his arm like it was it was hard. He wasn't even supposed to be walking around as much as he was. The doctor assured us Blink's arm would be fine and he was a quick healer, though. Blink nodded along with the doctor and occasionally joked about being a super hero. I just rolled my eyes.

Finally the crate and I stood at the bottom of the stairs. I pushed it off to the side and wiped my forehead. The door bell rang. I shouted for a servant to get it because I really wasn't in the mood to talk to people. None of the servants answered so I reluctantly turned to open it. A group of about ten or twelve boys immediately took their hats off.

"Oh, we already gave money to the orphanage this month." I said and went to shut the door, but one of the boys put his hand out and opened it again.

"You'se must be Dacey." The boy said. He had a bandana around his neck and cowboy hat hanging on his back. He stuck out his hand for me to shake. "Jack Kelly. I'se a friend of Blink's."

I paused for a moment not saying anything. "Oh. Oh, I'm terribly sorry. You all just looked like you needed- well. I-. Oh, come in, all of you." I finally spat out. The boys filed in. I shouted for Blink who had already been standing right behind me.

"Heya fellas. I'se knew you couldn't stand being away from me fors long." Blink said as he stepped forward. "This is Dacey." He said putting his arm around me. "And those are all my friends." He said pointing to the newsies. I smiled and nodded.

"That's Mush, Racetrack, Skittery, Specs, Tumbler, Snoddy, Davey, Itey, Les, Snipeshooter, and Pie Eater." Jack Kelly said. "The rest wanted to come but we'se didn't want ta overwhelmed Dacey and her mother so we drew straws."

"Nice to meet you all." I said trying to match faces with names. I looked up to see Blink smiling. "I'm going to get Daisy to fix some food." And with that I left to go into the kitchen.

What the boys talked about for those fifteen minutes that I was gone, I don't know. I was just so happy to see Blink smiling like he used to. I felt slightly jealous that I hadn't been able to make him smile like that since the night of my father's death. I had been to busy feeling sorry for myself rather than for Blink or anyone else.

I took the tray of crackers, and bread, and cheese to the dinning room. The boys followed me and sat and stood around the table. They made sure Blink and I had a place to sit. For street rats they had very wonderful manners. I wondered if they had been practicing. Blink and the boys chatted for hours and ate every crumb of food I brought out. Finally when it was getting dark they decided it was time to leave. I used to think of the newsies as a nuisance, but that night they became my friends. They made me laugh harder than I had in a long time and I was genuinely happy to be with them. When they got up to leave they each gave me a hug goodbye and all promised to come by tomorrow to see my mother and I off. When they all walked out the door I closed it and turned to Blink.

"Thanks Dacey." He said grabbing my hand.

"For what?" I asked.

"For being so great." He pulled me over and sat down on the bottom step and sat me next to him. "You'se are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I'se sorry for all the trouble I started. You'se can deny it, but it's my fault your fatha is dead. If you'se wouldn't have left with me that one night at Medda's this all would have never happened. I'se sorry." Blink finished and looked away.

"Blink, it was my choice to go with you, and it's been my choice to stay with you. You did all you could to protect my family and me. None of this is your fault, and don't ever say that. Without you my mother and I could be dead as well." I paused for a moment. "You're the best thing to happen to me, and don't be sorry for any of this." I said and rested my head on his shoulder.

He turned and lifted my chin with his good hand and kissed me. We kissed for a few minutes. It was the most we had ever done. I was glad my mother was upstairs emptying her eyes out, and not hovering about us.

I pulled away.

"What now?" I asked. "I'm leaving tomorrow." I said. I meant to ask if we were going to break up and go our separate ways.

"What does you'se mean?" Blink asked tilting his head.

"I mean, I'm leaving, and I won't see you for ages. I don't want our relationship to be a burden on you." I mumbled slowly.

"Oh..." Blink said and sighed. "Dacey, I wouldn't want ta lose you for the world. We'se been through so much, I don't think I'se could let you go. I'se don't care how far away New Jersey is, or how much money it'll cost, but I'se will write you'se ever day. Maybe twice if I can manage to write dat many words." Blink said.

I smiled numbly, and nodded. It was a relief to have Blink saying he loved me as much as I loved him. I scooted back over to him and wrapped my arms around him tightly. I closed my eyes, and hoped, and wished that I would never have to leave him. But as I knew from past experiences wishing does no good what so ever.