Sisters (Part 2)

By: Nightingale

Rating: PG

With inspiration from Firefly and Gip

Christine woke up and got dressed right away. It took her a while to notice the almost empty bed that she had been sleeping on. It was missing a body. She sent a questioning gaze around the room as she walked into the kitchen.

"Josephine?" she asked quietly

Her older sister still sat in shock with her eyes half open and an empty canister in front of her.

"Josephine what happened?" questioned Christine

"He's gone." was all she could manage to say.

"Who's gone?"

Josephine looked up into her sister's eyes and somehow found the strength to answer her.

"Papa's gone, Christine. He's gone and he took all of the money with him."

"That can't be right." Christine stated as she turned to walk into her father's room and just like Josephine had said it was empty and he was gone.

"What's going on?" yawned Kaitlin as she stretched her arms and got out of bed.

"Let's just go to school." Stated Josephine as she got up from the table to go wash her face at least.

Kaitlin shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the bed to go get dressed sensing that no one was in the mood for teasing. Christine walked back from their father's room making sure to close the door behind her. She went over to the table and grabbed her books.

"I'm gonna go for a walk…see you at school" Christine stated sadly as she began to leave the apartment.

Christine walked down the stairs slowly deep in thought.

"So I'm not going to be used as target practice this morning?"

Christine looked up to see Eyes standing in front of her. She just shook her head and continued to walk. He just watched her walk by with a curious look on his face.

Once out in the street she just began to walk not really paying attention to where she was headed. She heard the newsies start their work for the morning. There was rumor that one of the boys at school had left school and become a newsie but Christine knew that it wasn't a rumor.

She and David Jacobs had been good friends in school. Well as much as a guy and girl could be friends without raising suspicions. In truth she never thought of him as more than just a friend. A friend that she hadn't talked to in a long time.

Maybe it was just dumb luck or maybe it was a twist of fate but Christine could've sworn she had just seen him walk by. She blinked her eyes and began to follow the newsie. After a few minutes he was joined by another newsie and by a very young newsie.

That could be his little brother Christine thought. She did her best to follow at a safe enough distance not to be noticed but apparently she fail miserably when the one with the bandanna disappeared and showed up right behind her.

"Why are you following us?"

She turned sharply and half hit him in the process.

"I…I…"

"Why were you following us?" ask another voice behind her

She turned again to see David before her.

"David? David Jacobs right?" She asked

"Christine?" he asked her

She nodded her head. He laughed and the tension of the moment melted away.

"Jack this is Christine. We went to school together. Christine this is Jack…he's my selling partner."

"Nice to meet you" she said the brown haired newsie who had moved in front of her

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" asked David

"Oh no. What time is it? I must have wondered a little further than I thought."

"That's alright we'll take you back." The little boy offered

"Thank you but I think you guys have work to do. I'll just be on my way." Christine stated as she left the three

She had walked a few steps when David came around in front of her.

"Something's not right. What's wrong you're not your normal smiling self?" he asked

"I don't have the time to talk about it now or the strength come to think of it." She said trying to make her way around him

"What happened?" he asked again getting in front of her and grabbing her shoulders making her stop

"I really have to go, David." She persisted

"Meet me after school. We can have dinner."

"I don't have the money for that." She said as she tried to move away again half embarrassed for the way they met up again and half embarrassed for her current situation.

"My treat." He persisted

She stopped and looked at him. He was genuinely concerned for her.

"Alright."

"Do you know Tibby's?"

She nodded her head.

"I'll meet with you there. We'll eat and you can tell me whatever is on your mind. We need to catch up anyway."

"Alright. I have to go now though."

"See you later then," he said as his hands slipped from her shoulders and she walked passed him.

Once Christine made it far enough away she broke into a run and ran the rest of the way to the school. She was going to be in trouble for sure.

Christine walked into the old restaurant. It was semi cluttered with people but very few weren't newsies. She could tell by the way they dressed and how they treated each other…like brothers. It took her a while to find David and when she made her way over to him a lot of the guys stopped to watch.

"Glad you made it," He said as he went up to meet her.

"I feel like every eye is on me right now."

"That's just the guys. They'll loose interest in a minute. Let's go sit down and you can tell me what happened."

Christine nodded as the two of them sat in a booth in the corner. They started to catch up on old times which was basically Christine skirting around the real issue. Suddenly the little boy from before came running up to their table.

"David can I please go with the guys?" asked Les

Another newsie came up. He was about her age with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I'll keep an eye on him Davey" said the newsie in an accent that Christine had never heard before

"Sure Wildcard."

"You're all heading to Medda's right?"

"Yeah…well off we go. Come on Les." Said Wildcard

The newsie tilted his hat to her as he lifted the small boy onto his shoulder and began to leave as well as most of the newsies there.

"Enough distractions now. What happened this morning?" asked David getting straight to the point.

Christine turned from the door where she had been watching all the newsies to David and then down to the table. She couldn't skirt the issue anymore and who knows…maybe he could help them.