Sisters (Part 3)

By: Nightingale

Rating: PG

With inspiration from Firefly and Gip

David had been listening quietly unsure what to say. How must it feel for the girls to wake up one morning and realize they had been deserted by a man they knew and loved? Some of the newsies had been deserted when they were born but there is a major difference in being left by someone you never really knew and some one you had learned to depend on and someone that had raised you.

"He took all the money?" David asked again

Christine nodded her head. She didn't know what they were going to do. If they didn't get some money soon they would be out a place to live. They needed money…they needed jobs.

"I'm really sorry Christine. Is there anything I can do?" David asked

"Unless you know of a way for us to get the money we need to cover rent I don't suppose there is anything you can do." Said Christine looking at the table

"I might have a few ideas."

Christine looked up at David with some hope in her eyes. Things always work out she thought to herself.

Christine walked into the apartment building tired with stress but sensing there was hope and maybe they could make it on their own. They would have to quit school and really watch what they bought but maybe it would work out alright.

Christine reached the top of the stairs and heard her sisters without even opening the door.

"Hand me the spoon Josephine." Commanded Kaitlin

"I have it covered." Countered her sister

"You're doing it wrong…give me the spoon."

Christine could hear the scuffle start and the brief yell from Josephine.

"Get off of me you over grown monkey." Shouted Josephine

Christine decided now was as good a time as ever to go on in so she did. She saw her younger sister on the back of her older sister. Josephine was weaving about the kitchen with a soupspoon in her hand trying to adjust to the extra weight on her feet. Meanwhile Kaitlin was trying to grab the spoon or throw her sister off balance enough to end up on the floor.

"No wonder the other people in this building all think we're animals…and just imagine what Eyes thinks of you right now hearing all this commotion."

Both the girls stopped and turned to the sister that stood in the doorway with a smirk on her face.

"Here we had thought you ran away too" commented Kaitlin as she hopped off of Josephine's back.

"Are you kidding? You two would kill each other if I left." laughed Christine

"So where have you been all day?" asked Josephine

"I was finding a way for us to survive."

"Papa will be back. Maybe he went to gamble with the money. If he could double it-" started Kaitlin not really wanted to accept that they had been left

"Kaitlin, we have to plan as if we will never see that man again." Interrupted Christine

"Christine!" Josephine exclaimed in half shock

"We don't exactly have the funds to just sit around hoping he'll just come right back in just like he left. I'm not going to school tomorrow. In fact I'm not sure I'll ever go back but I have a job lined up and I'm gonna take it. I suggest you two follow my lead." Christine explained

"A job?" asked Kaitlin

"Do you two remember David Jacobs?"

"Yeah" Josephine answered

"I ran into him today. We got to talking and I can sell papers. Honestly how hard could it be?"

"You're joking." Stated Josephine

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Suddenly Christine smelled smoke and turned towards the stove. The soup that they had been making was now boiling over. The three girls rushed to the stove doing their best to get the food off before it got too burned to eat.

"Mama always said that she really wanted us to have an education though." Stated Josephine

"Mama never knew that Papa would up and leave us like this though. Maybe we could make it if just you and me sold papers. Kaitlin could still go to school then." Reasoned Christine

"No way. If you two are quitting school so am I." Kaitlin said as she pulled down some bowls for dinner

"Ok so the three of us will sell papers." Stated Josephine as she joined her sisters at the table

"David will be by in the morning to get us. So we should really get some rest tonight."

The girls nodded as they began to eat.

"I told you you'd burn it," mumbled Kaitlin as she took another spoonful of soup.