Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies, Disney does (the bums).Knots owns herself.

Summary- It's Knots' 16th birthday, and she can't wait to see what surprise Jack has in store for her. (A tad bit on the Mary Sue side, but after all, these stories are for fun and Mary Sues can be such fun to write.)

Knots- I hope you like this! Sorry if it's a bit short. But it's fluff, and it's Jack and you, so it's all good, right?! lol!! .

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"When today is a long time ago
You'll still hear me say that the best thing I know
Is you."
-Carousel

Knots sat quietly on the stoop of the Newsboys Lodging House. It was her sixteenth birthday, and she was waiting for Jack to come back. He had told her he had a surprise for her, but she'd been waiting for a half hour already. No Jack in sight. She sighed, feeling as though this was an omen of a bad year coming.

She jerked her head up a second later, hearing someone coming down the street. She grinned when she realized it was Jack, and stood up.

"Took long enough," she joked.

He just smiled at her. "I was finishing the surprise."

She grinned, hardly containing her excitement. It wasn't every day she turned sixteen, or that she would get a surprise. Money was hard enough to come by for the newsies without worrying about birthday presents. She just supposed Jack, who had been her friend for years, thought this was a big year for her. And who was she to argue about that?

"Are ya ready to go?" He asked, offering her his hand.

Which she took. "Thank you." She walked down the steps and was surprised when Jack kept her hand in his when she reached the bottom. "Well... where are we goin'?"

"Can't tell ya that, it'd ruin the surprise." Jack tucked her arm through his and they walked down the street in this fashion, past the statue of Horace Greeley and on past the distribution office. "How'd sellin' go today?"

She glanced over at him proudly. "I sold all of me papes. Only had to see those Delanceys once taday."

She was not a fan of the Delanceys. They had lost their jobs after the strike, only to get them back again by proving they had changed. Which was all an act. They jipped all the newsies of a few cents more than once since getting their jobs back.

(begin flashback)

"Next!" Morris called, and Knots stepped forward to give the papers she hadn't been able to sell back.

"I'se got ten," she said, placing them on the counter.

Oscar took them and counted them. "I only see eight here. You tryin' to jip us?"

"No!" Knots exclaimed. "I jus' counted, there were ten."

Oscar smirked, looking over at his brother. "Here, you count 'em."

Morris took them and ruffled through them. "The girl's right, there's ten in here."

Knots raised a brow at Morris. That was very unlike him.

"But ya see, Oscar's not coutin' the ripped ones," Morris explained, holding up two of the newspapers.

"Those aren't ripped," Knots said, frowning.

"They weren't..." He took the first one and ripped it in half, handing it to Oscar, and did the same with the second. "But now they are." She could feel the newsies behind her move closer, just as angry as she was. She watched as Morris took out a handful of money and gave it to her. "There ya go."

She coutned it quickly. "It's short."

"You know ya don't get paid for ripped ones," Oscar said, leaning on the counter nonchalantly.

"Give me my money!" She shouted.

"Give it to her." A calm voice had said next to her. She turned and saw Jack had walked back up and joined her. "Ya don't want me goin' to tell someone about this. And you've got all dese witnesses." He gestured to the newsies behind him. "So what d'ya say, boys?"

Morris narrowed his eyes, but handed over the rest of her money. "Get outta here."

(end flashback)

Jack stopped walking, and Knots paused beside him, looking at the building in front of her: Irving Hall. "Jack..." she breathed.

He grinned at her. "Well, c'mon." He led her through the front door, through the empty lobby, and intothe theater filled with the Manhattan newsies.

Whenthey sawJack and Knotswalk in, they started to sing "Happy Birthday" perfectly on key. Knots kept her hold on Jack as they sang, and afterwards when they began to cheer.

"Look on stage," Jack whispered to her, and she gasped when she saw some of the boys, along with Medda, standing on the stage with a cake.

"Jack... but... how..." she said as she was led through the crowd and onto stage.

"Medda bought the things for it, and Mrs. Jacobs helped me bake it," Jack said, grinning.

"You made it?!" Knots exclaimed, staring at the sixteen candles.

"Just for you," Jack affirmed.

Medda cut the cake and handed the first piece to Knots. "The Birthday Girl has to get her cake first!"

After that, all the newsies clamored for a slice. It wasn't every day they got cake. Knots followed Jack to the edge of the stage where they sat down and enjoyed the soft, delicious food.

"It's really good," Knots smiled, taking a bite out of her second piece.

"I'm glad ya like it." Jack put his plate down on the stage and jumped off, holding his hand out for her. "Would ya mind savin' that for a little while to come dance with me?"

Knots laughed. "Sure thing, Cowboy." She followed suit and jumped off the stage and into his waiting arms.

A band had been playing songs the whole time, but now, seeing people get up to dance, they switched to slow songs. Jack held Knots in his arms, smiling down at her. "Do you like your surprise?"

"I love it."

"There's more." Jack leaned down, wrapping his arms around her, and kissed her gently on the lips. When he pulled back, he grinned. "Will you be my girlfriend, Knots?"

As an answer, she kissed his cheek. "This has been the best birthday ever."