High Society

by WeirdVision

There's a new girl in town and she gets trapped in the newsies life.

High Society

I. THE COWBOY

It was just a regular day in New York's life. Autumn was almost over and the cold was beginning to take place over the city. It was a beautiful Wednesday morning, when the sky was clear and the air was fresh. The newsies were at work shouting headlines at people and trying to sell them the papers.

David was giving a paper to an old distinguish man when his little brother Les approach him with empty hands and a big smile on his face.

"She gave me a whole dollar and let me keep the change!" he said to him very enthusiastic.

"She?" David asked a little confused.

"Yeah, a lady who buys her paper from me almost every day. She is so kind and beautiful…" Less said with a sigh.

"Imagine that, he already made a conquest! It's not bad for your age, kid!" Jack laughed shifting his papers on the other arm.

"I'm serious, Jack!" Les insisted. "She is…" but he just couldn't find the words.

"I believe you, kid! They all are…" Jack said going away to the other side of the street. "Nine kills in uptown! Horrible tragedy!" he started shouting.

"Buy me a paper, Miss?" he asked two girls very well dressed who were on their way to cross the street.

"If you show me that headline in the paper I'll buy them all." one of the girls said with an arrogant smile.

Jack looked at her and opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't think of anything at the moment. He just stared at her like nothing else would have existed in the world except for that girl with long dark hair, dark eyes and an expensive blue dress. So she went on her way without looking back and he heard her talking about him with her friend and all laughing together on the subject.

"You're losing your touch Jack, and this is so said." Mush laughed behind him.

Jack looked superior to his friend and said:

"Didn't you saw her? She's not worthing to spend my charm on her!" but he kept looking after her hoping to see her again.

"I think she does." David whispered to himself.

II. STAYING HOME

Georgia entered the room where her father was reading the morning paper at his desk. Mary followed her shortly with a bored look on her face. She knew what was coming.

"Daddy, while you're away I wanna stay here" Georgia said.

"What's the matter, darling? You have always come with me when I was on a trip." her father said surprised.

"I know, but this time I don't wanna go. I'm a little tired of all those voyages." she insisted.

"Darling, your mother is in Washington and she expects me to be back with you. Can you imagine what she would do to me if I get there alone?"

"Don't worry, mom will understand!"

"I'm not sure that I understand…" her father said looking at her intensely. "What's going on in that head of hears?" he asked Mary who was standing beside Georgia and seemed a bit nervous.

"I have no idea, sir." Mary admitted embarrassed. "Nothing unusual, I hope." she thought crossing her fingers.

"Come on, daddy…" Georgia insisted. "Do you want me to beg?"

"I'd pay good money to see that!" her father started laughing knowing her too well to know that she would have never done that.

"What do you mean?" she asked with an innocent smile.

"Let's not get into that right now, will you? I have a lot of things to take care of before I leave and I have no time to waste arguing with you!" He meditated for a while before saying: "Don't you think you'll get bored here all by yourself?"

"Of course not! Mary's staying too!" she said with a victorious look in her eyes.

"I am? Ah, of course I am!" Mary agreed after Georgia pitched her arm.

"Really?" Georgia's father said raising his eyebrows.

"We have already talked with her father and he was very pleased by this idea."

"I doubt that Jim would let his daughter alone in the hotel…"

"Well, I might have told him that she's staying with… me?"

"So that's how you convinced him… "

"Daddy, I gave him my word that I would take good care of her and now it's too late to take it back, you see?"

"I see that you are very good at that. You might consider to become a lawyer someday."

"Like you, daddy? That would be… an honor!"

"That's enough, Georgia! You forget that I am a pretty good one and I know when you are lying."

"I am not lying!" she said offended.

"Listen, it's getting late and I have to stop by the office before noon so let's get more practical. Just because you turned 18 this summer it doesn't mean you can live alone in this big house, you know that?"

"Aunt Maggie can move in here. After all she's here all the time, there won't be much difference if she spends the nights here too. And you know she would be happy to take care of us."

"You're right with this one." her father agreed. "Well, I guess there's nothing more I could say…"

"Oh, thank you, daddy. I knew you won't let me down!" she said and kissed him.

"Just one thing…"

"Now what?" Georgia rolled her eyes.

"Why exactly do you want to stay here?"

Georgia looked at Mary for help but she was as helpless as she was.

"I met a boy!" she exclaimed happy to find an idea.

"Oh, God! Now we have no chance…" Mary sighed.

"This is new. Are you kidding?" her father asked her with his eyes wide opened.

"… no?" she answered with a little voice.

"OK, I guess I should've expect that sooner or later… Is this something serious between you two?"

"I don't know, but I must stay and find out, don't you think? If I leave now I might never see him again."

"Well then I think you have no other choice then to stay." he smiled at her. "But when I come back I want you to introduce him to me… if he's still around."

After Georgia's father left to the office Mary looked at her friend and accused her:

"When did you meet a boy? We're together all the time. How come I don't know anything about that?"

"That's because I didn't! It was the first thing that crossed my mind that moment."

"I should've know better! You know, I never know when you are lying or telling the truth." she complained.

"I never lie to you, Mary, you know that."

"Thank God, otherwise I would go insane! So, now we have to find a boy… your father was very clear about this."

"We can think about this matter later, he won't be back so soon. Now hurry, we have to go to your dad and play the part once again. This time you met a boy!"

"No way! He's capable to send me to a convent if he hears this! I won't spend the winter in a convent, not for you or anybody else."

"You're right, we must think to something else. Let's go, maybe I'll come up with something on the way."

"You won't drag me to the Fish Market once again, will you? The smell is awful and the hotel is the other way!" Mary protested.

"The fresh air is good for you."

"Georgia, he won't be there like he wasn't there yesterday or the day before." Mary insisted.

"I don't know what are you talking about. Who won't be there?"

"The guy you walked all over last week. The Cowboy with the nice smile."

"Oh, I have completely forgot about him! Mary, you don't imply that I like that boy with poor dirty clothes? You know me better that that!" she tried to sound offended and then started laughing. "Listen to myself, I sound like a snob!"

"Well, you can be one when you want to." Mary laughed. "If you want my advice, I think you would have more luck with the kid you buy the paper from. They were together when we met him."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am definitely not looking for him?"

"You definitely are." Mary ended the discussion opening the door.

"I am not!" Georgia shouted after her getting all upset.

III. CHARITY WORK

"Buy my last paper, Miss?"

Georgia took the paper and handed it to Mary.

"What's your name, kid?" she asked while Mary was looking for money into her purse.

"Les, Miss."

"Shouldn't you be in school, Les?"

"No, Miss. I don't go to school anymore, neither my brother does. Our father lost his job and we must sell papers to support our family now".

"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that, Les. Do you want to go back to school?" Mary asked.

"Not really. It's much fun selling paper and I'm getting paid too. Jack taught me and my brother how to do it and he says I'm pretty good at…"

"Who's Jack?" Georgia interrupted him.

"He's the Manhattan newsies' leader and he leaded the strike last summer and won. You must've heard about him, he's famous!" Les said very proud.

"I think I heard something about that at your aunt house." Mary remembered.

"Oh, now I remember, he's the guy who scared off the entire paper industry."

"The one and only!" she heard a voice behind her.

Georgia turned around slowly and she saw the Cowboy.

"Look, Mary, the pigeons killer!" she said irritated.

Mary had the decency not to laugh but it was quite difficult for her.

"I'm Jack Kelly. Did you asked for me, Miss?" Jack said looking her straight in the eyes.

"Not exactly." Georgia answered. That Cowboy was so annoying!

"Jack, she's the lady I told you about! She bought my paper everyday last week!"

"No kidding? Then maybe you should get her a discount for fidelity. So she'll buy more."

"No need for that Mr. Kelly. Your employee doesn't have to cut off his salary because of me." Georgia said.

"He's not my employee, Miss. He's my friend. Les, don't bother the ladies, I'm sure they have much more interesting things to do on such a beautiful morning." Jack said upset. This girl was really getting on his nerves.

Georgia wrote something on the back of the paper and handed it to Jack.

"Do you mind telling your friend to give that to his dad? He should go to that address one of these days and ask for Mr. Martinez. He might get a job if he says that Georgia sent him."

Once again Jack was speechless. He looked at the address and nodded, that was all he could do.

"Thanks a lot, Miss. Georgia!" Les exclaimed. "We are very oblige to you!"

"Don't worry about that, Les." Georgia said with a kind smile. "Just promise me you'll be back to school."

"I'll take care of that, Miss." Jack assured her serious.

"OK then. Let's go, Mary, we wasted enough time here!" Georgia said and they left.

"David, David!" Les shouted. "I found a job for dad!"

"How did this happened?" David asked surprised.

"It seems like an angel crossed our way…" Jack explained with emphasis.

"This is so poetic." David smiled. "I saw you two talking to that girl but I didn't want to interfere."

"Jack's right! She really is like an angel, David!" Les approved.

"She's more like a devil with a dress, but you're too young to see the difference, Les." Jack sighed. "She's absolutely impossible!" he said talking to David.

"Yeah and that's why she offered a job!" David finished it. "If dad gets it we won't see each others so often anymore."

"Maybe it's just a prank!" Mush suggested who has watched the whole thing from aside.

"Somehow I don't think so…" Jack sighed looking along the street. "Damn!"

IV. PROBLEMS AHEAD

The next day Georgia and Mary were walking down the same street.

"Don't you get tired of walking the same path every day?" Mary asked.

"No, why? New York is beautiful at this time in the morning."

"It's so obvious! Even for them… We walk by every single day. They might get the wrong idea, don't you think?"

"Mary, what's the problem? We are visiting my Aunt Maggie, that's all. You don't want her to come to our home I hope. We would never get rid of her! It's better that way."

Mary nodded not convinced by the argument, but she always ended up doing what her friend said so there was no point in arguing anyway.

"Murderer escaped from jail!" a newsie shouted somewhere close to them and Georgia had a weird feeling hearing it.

"This headline is for real." Jack said approaching. "Les is not here today. Apparently his dad got a job so he got back to school as he promised." he told her. "Want the paper or not? I have other customers waiting."

Georgia couldn't decide what to do so Mary took the paper from Jack with a smile. "Thanks!" She looked at the first page and turned concerned to Georgia. "You'd better read that…" she said.

The story was about a murderer who had promised in the courtroom that he would get his revenge on the lawyer who put him behind the bars. And now he had escaped from jail somehow. There were also a picture with the handcuff murderer and another one with the above mentioned lawyer and his young daughter arriving at a party.

Georgia turned pale and started shivering.

"Is she okay?" Jack asked Mary. "You're not gonna feint, are you?"

"I hope not, there's too much dirt on the road." Georgia said with a pale smile.

Jack rolled his eyes. This was the last thing he needed right now.

"Let's move from here not to stay in people's way. There's a restaurant over there where you can sit and catch your breath." Jack said putting his arm around the girl's waist.

Georgia was feeling too weak to protest but it was written all over her face what she was thinking about that.

V. MEET TIBBI'S

At Tibbi's they sat on a table and Jack ordered a glass of water for Georgia who seemed to feel much better after he let her go.

"You shouldn't read the paper if it has such an effect on you." he said.

"It's not that simple." she protested avoiding to look at the paper that was laying on the table.

"What's the story with that guy? Do you know him?"

"Sort of…"

"Her father put him in jail. Look!" Mary said.

Jack looked at the pictures and nodded.

"He looks pretty scary but you don't have to worry because of him. From what I read there I understood your father is rich so he can protect you both."

"He left for Washington two days ago." Mary informed him. "We are kind of lonely here in New York."

"Would you just shut up!" Georgia lost her temper and then calmed down a little. "I'm sure that Mr. Kelly has better thing to do than…"

"Call me Jack. I'm not comfortable with that Mr. thing. Is she always so bossy?"

"Pretty much." Mary nodded.

"It must be hard on you." he continued on the same tone and Mary burst into laugh.

"Stop talking like I'm not here!"

"Sorry, I didn't noticed you." he said with the smile that Mary liked so much.

The glass began to balance in Georgia's hand.

"Put that down. As cheap and dirty as they are, those are my best clothes so far and I don't want you to ruin them."

Georgia remembered that she had made a remark about that the day they first met and she blushed. She put the glass on the table and stared at them like they were her enemies.

"Thanks!" he said ironically. "So, are you gonna be all right?" he asked Mary. "This was a long break and I must go back to work if I wanna eat something today."

Georgia rolled her eyes. It was just a payback.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Mary said friendly.

"… after you're gone." Georgia couldn't help her saying.

"That was rude! He was really nice and you had no reason to act that way." Mary said right after Jack has left.

Mary was quite upset this time and Georgia lowered her eyes knowing she was guilty.

"I can't help it! He steps on my nerves! Too bad for him!"

"And for you, because we are gonna see him much often from now on!" Mary decided.

"Why is that?"

"There is a guy I'm interested in and the easiest way to get in contact with him is through Jack. I think he is a newsie."

"Oh, God. Have you lost your mind?"

"You're not the only one with an agenda you know? Since you kept me in New York at least let me have some fun! That shouldn't be so hard. Jack likes me so…"

"Mary, I hate him! This should matter to you!"

"Hate is a strong word, Georgia." Mary replied with calm.

"Then you'll have to buy your paper by yourself 'cause I won't put my feet on this street again as long as I'll live!"

VI. FIRST ENCOUNTER

A few days later the girls were coming home from Aunt Maggie's house. It was getting dark so they walked a little bit faster.

"I am so tired." Mary complained. "We shouldn't have stayed for so long!"

"It's not my fault that Aunt Maggie was feeling down. You made a perfect couple! Aunt Maggie I understand, she's old and alone. What is you're excuse?"

"I miss David…"

"Oh, he even has a name! How did you find it out?"

"I remembered how Les called him. I think it's his brother." Mary said.

"Great! Now go to him and introduce yourself." Georgia invited her laughing.

"That's not funny! You don't wanna go with me and I can't go by myself… You are such a bad friend!"

"Wait a minute! Don't you dare to blame me for your lousy love life. I'm not doing any better after all…"

"Because you scared him!" Mary accused her. "You always do that."

"I warn you, if you start with that crap again I let you here in the middle of the street to walk home alone! And this is final."

Mary realized that Georgia was very serious so she shut up.

They walked a few minutes in silence.

"I think we're being followed." Mary said suddenly.

"I'm afraid you're right." Georgia said with a low voice.

"What should we do? There's no police section in this area and we don't know the streets so well… we could get lost if we try to run away."

"We might consider changing the route next time."

"I agree with everything but now what? It's getting closer!" Mary whispered alarmed.

A shadow coming from an alley was heading towards them.

"I'm Blink." a tall boy with a black patch over his left eye said to them. "There's a man who follows you. Come with me!"

"Why should we trust you?" Georgia asked refusing to move.

"Jack warned me you're stubborn." he sighed. "He asked me to watch over you…"

"How thoughtful of him!"

They could hear the steps now.

"I'm scared, Georgia. Can't you decide any faster?" Mary asked her. "I'm beginning to shake…"

"OK, calm down… you lead, we follow!" she said to Blink.

VII. BLINK IS HELPING

They were hiding for about half an hour in a dark alley but the man who's been following them didn't get tired of waiting.

"There's no point in staying here." Blink said in a whisper. "He won't go away and I don't think I can fight him by myself. He could be armed. Let's get out of here before he loses his patience and comes after us!"

They quit the alley on the other end, crossed two more streets and finally got to the Newsies Lodging House.

Georgia stopped in the middle of the street.

"What's that?" she asked suspicious.

"A hotel!" Blink answered ironically. "Race, somebody's after us! Tell the boys to watch out." he said to another boy who was heading towards the entrance.

"Jack, we have guest! Jack, did you hear me?" Crutchy insisted and shook him trying to wake him up.

"Tell them to come tomorrow…" Jack murmured half-asleep.

"Jack, you'd better come down! The situation is getting out of hands. Blink brought here those two rich girls you told us to keep an eye on."

"They're here?" Jack opened his eyes still confused. "Then I'd better come down before they kill one of the boys."

VIII. THE LODGING HOUSE

The sight downstairs was hilarious and Jack couldn't hide a big smile when he saw them. The girls were standing close to the door holding hands and staring at the thirty boys in front of them who stared back in an aggressive mood. This was a blasphemy in their opinion. No girls stepped before in their lodging house. Jack looked at the frightened girls and felt pity for them. They were still over dressed but now their dresses were dirty and tore apart and their long hair was in disorder. They were quite a mess but the contrast was still obvious he realized. Unlike his boys, the girls had class.

Blink took him aside and explained to him what was happening before the girls had the chance to see him.

"Welcome to our humble home!" he said approaching. "We are very honored by your visit. Unfortunately we can't offer you as much as your noble persons deserve."

"That's all right." Georgia said forcing herself to be polite. Behind her back Mary was pitching her arm. "It's our fault that we came uninvited."

"Boys, bring some chairs for the ladies!"

The chairs appeared in a second and Jack invited them to sit. Mary looked undecided to the old chairs while Georgia sat down glad that she could finally rest her feet.

"Mary, sit down." she ordered without looking at her so Mary sat with a sigh.

The boys spread around waiting. Intrigued by the sudden silence Kloppman showed his face through the door. Jack waved his hand on him and Kloppman left.

"Blink told me you have a problem." Jack said. "Fortunately your problem lost your track somewhere on the way."

"And we are very oblige to your friend for that." Georgia completed.

Boots entered the door.

"All clear!" he announced. "There's no one outside."

A sigh of relief came from the girls' side but the tension was still there.

"Well, I guess we can go home now." Georgia said getting up. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"That's might not be a good idea." Jack stopped her.

"What do you mean?"

"You're safe in here but nothing can guarantee that on the road to your house."

"We're not going to there, we're going to report this to the police." Georgia said.

"The police? I wanna go home…" Mary gritted.

A few comments not so nice came from the boys' side.

"The police won't do a thing, believe me!" Jack said and the boys started to laugh out loud. "Surely not if you wake them at this hour at night and looking like that."

Georgia looked at Mary knowing that she must have looked as bad as she was. She had to admit there was some reason in what Jack was saying.

"What do you suggest?" she asked not really wanting an answer.

"Let's think a little… Your problem might have lost you but he sure does know how to find you. What better place then your house? The story about your father was all over the papers. They might have mention where he lives."

"They did!" Crutchy remembered. "By the way, you have a very nice house."

"Thanks." Georgia said absent minded.

"So if he lost you this time, what makes you so sure that he doesn't wait for you at you garden gate?" Jack continued.

"Nothing!" Blink said.

"If you put it this way…" Georgia sighed staring at the floor with no carpet on it.

"My advice for you is to spend the night here, go home tomorrow morning when the streets are full of people, freshen up a little and only after that go to the police."

"Sleep here!" Mary said horrified by the idea. "Georgia…!"

"Of course, this isn't The Ritz but there must be some empty beds upstairs. My treat!" he smiled convinced they'd run like hell. "Anyway, it's your call."

Georgia looked around inspecting the place. It was an old house that could have used a good paint but it wasn't as dirty as she expected. The few pieces of furniture were very degraded and she wondered how they have survived for so long. The boys were not a problem, at least not while Jack was around she decided.

"We accept your offer." she heard herself saying.

"Georgia…!" Mary protested but no one was paying attention to her.

"At least someone reasons around here!" Jack smiled. "Come up!"

They all went to the room upstairs.

"Oh, God, it looks like a boarding school…" Mary whispered looking at the beds aligned along the walls.

"You have never been to one so shut up. Remember who's the snob here." Georgia whispered back.

"Sorry, Jack, we're full tonight." Crutchy said.

There were only two empty beds. Jack inspected the closest one and then he turned to the other but Crutchy stopped him.

"This one's broken."

"Well, it looks you'll have to share a bed." Jack said. "We didn't exactly expecting any guest, you know. Just pretend you're camping."

"That's all right. We'll be fine." Georgia said to his surprise.

"Georgia…!" Mary protested in vain.

Jack took his stuffs off his bed and moved it on the empty one.

"This is all yours." he said. "Have a nice sleep!"

The girls sat on the bed and covered themselves with a blanket. The boys moved around for a while, then settled down falling asleep. It was past midnight when Mary dared to whisper in Georgia's ear.

"Georgia, I'm afraid to fall asleep."

"Why? It's not so bad… We slept worse on our trips, remember?"

"Yes, but there were no boys involved then."

"So what?"

"What if they try to…"

"What? Did you even look at these boys? Except for three or four, the rest are under fifteen. What could they possibly do to you? Ask you to read them bedtime stories?"

"Well, I'm not as brave as you are…"

"I can feel that. Stop shaking, you making me all dizzy."

"I can't…"

"Just put your head under the blanket and close your eyes. I'll guard you."

Jack smiled in the dark. As Georgia said, it wasn't so bad after all…

IX. THE OLD LADIES' INVASION

"Jake, wake up! Jake! Jake!" Crutchy shouted.

"What? Leave me alone!" Jack said turning on the other side.

"Jack, we're invaded!"

"What!"

"There's an entire army downstairs! You have to come down and throw them out!" Crutchy insisted.

Jack looked at him like he was nuts. He put his clothes on sighing and followed him. He definitely wasn't prepared for that and it was too damn early. He stared at the six old ladies armed with brushes and other cleaning stuffs who were trying to pass through the newsies barrier. He closed his eyes, but when he opened them again they were still there.

"Excuse me, ma'am! You must have got the wrong address!" he said.

"Is this the Newsies Lodging House?" one of the ladies asked him looking down at him.

"Yes, but…"

"Then we are in the right place. Come on, girls, we have work to do! Would you, please, get the packages from the hallway? Thank you!" she said to Mush.

"Jack, do something!" Mush implored him.

"What do you want me to do?" he said raising his shoulders. "Look at them! Not even the entire US Army couldn't stop them!"

"Where do they come from? They're so many!" Boots wondered.

"I have an idea about that…" Jack nodded. "Let them do whatever they want. We have to go to work anyway. With a little luck they won't be here when we'll come back." he said heading towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?"

Jack froze and then turned around slowly. The old lady was pretty intimidating.

"Listen, ma'am, we have to work if we wanna eat today…"

"You are so right, my boy, and you will. Here."

"Oh, yeah? And who's gonna pay us?"

"Each boy who helps us with the cleaning gets five dollars… Are you still in a hurry?"

The boys couldn't believe such luck.

"You're Aunt Maggie, right?" Jack said picking up a bucket full of paint.

"Mrs. Sideborght to you." she answered with a kind smile.

"Right." Jack nodded. "Where do we start?"

X. HAVING TEA WITH AUNT MAGGIE

"Georgia, dear, I'm so glad we helped those boys." Aunt Maggie said and handed her a cup of tea. "You could only imagine the life they had in there!"

Georgia looked at Mary who almost choked with a piece of cake.

"They're living a hard life Aunt Maggie. They have no parents or they're runaways, no money, and no education… I feel so sad for them. That's why I asked you to talk to your friends and figure out a way to do something for those poor boys."

"And you were so right, dear. I've been living in this city for about fifty years and I've never noticed them."

"That's because you don't read any papers." Mary said.

"If I just open a paper I feel bad for a month! All those horrors they write about make me ill." Aunt Maggie said.

"So, did you finish?" Mary asked.

"Yes, the boys helped a lot!" she said very proud. "Especially after I mentioned about money they became very interested."

"No kidding!" Mary laughed. "I bet they did!"

"They worked very hard and no one complained."

"No one?" Georgia wondered.

"Well, there was this boy… how did they called him?… Jack!"

"What about him?" Georgia asked.

"First he was a little stubborn, but then he organized everybody and all worked well."

"I'm glad to hear that." Georgia smiled.

"Next time he sees you he'll kill you. Don't say I didn't warned you!" Mary whispered to Georgia.

"No, he won't! After all he's a gentleman…" she smiled at her.

"A little paint doesn't make him a gentleman."

"I thought you like him!"

"Not anymore!"

"What are you two whispering about?" Aunt Maggie asked them curious.

"Nothing much. Mary was saying that she really likes the boys we've met. They were so polite."

"Yes, dear, I noticed that too. Now let me tell you what I have in mind concerning those boys."

Mary looked frightened to Georgia.

"Wait a second, Aunt Maggie." Georgia interrupted her. "Don't you think you scared them enough for now? Maybe you should let them some time to adjust to the new situation, and then come for another round."

"Do you think so? Maybe you're right. They did seemed pretty rejecting to changes. I'll tell Penny to wait a couple of days."

"… or weeks…" Mary suggested on a low voice.

XI. HOT CHOCOLATE

It was snowing when Georgia left her house. This time she was all alone because Mary was fighting a little cold and didn't want to leave her bed. After the night spent at the Newsies Lodging House they didn't go out so much and only on daylight. Mary didn't want to let her go by herself but Georgia told her that she would suffocate if she doesn't get some fresh air and left letting her friend to worry to death. There was no danger in her opinion, the escaped murderer must have left the city by now since there was no sign of him.

So now she was walking on the boulevard enjoying the first snow that year. Well, not for long.

"Buy me a paper, Miss?"

Georgia looked at Jack with her head leaned on a side.

"Sure, why not?"

"You know, I'm still upset with you for disturbing my whole life." Jack said.

"Really?" Georgia said hiding her smile behind the paper. "Why? Aunt Maggie questioned your leadership?"

"If it was only that… She turned upside down the whole house!" he accused her. "I don't know what she did to Kloppman but he's completely charmed by her."

"She does have such effect on some people." Georgia admitted.

"Not on me!"

"That's your lost. Actually I wanted to warn you that she is ready for the second round." Georgia said observing his reaction.

"What's she up to this time?"

"She intend to change the furniture or at least repair it."

"That's not such a bad idea… Does she think of bringing her crew too?"

"I'm afraid so…"

"That's a bad idea… They're so many and they talk so much… They make me dizzy." he complained.

"You're right about that!" Georgia laughed.

They walked together for a while.

"How is Les?"

"He hates you for sending him back to school." he nodded.

"That's great! It means his father got the job."

"Don't tell me you didn't know about that!"

"Of course I didn't. I don't own the factory, it just happened to know someone there. If he can keep the job or not it's his problem!"

"Fair enough!"

"So that's why we didn't saw them anymore… I was getting use to buy my paper from him."

"Them?" Jack asked intrigued.

"Les and his brother… David, right?"

"Right… What's about David?"

"Nothing. You'll have to ask Mary about that…"

"Mary? She's interested in David?" Jack started to laugh out loud. "Wait until I'll tell him! Ha, ha!"

"Stop it! They don't even know each other."

"Maybe they should. So, which one of my friends do you fancy about?"

"None. I hate you, and that says it all."

"Good, 'cause I hate you back. Want a hot chocolate?"

Georgia looked at him knowing that he was just provoking her. She was starting to feel the cold and probably he was in the same situation if not worse. Those clothes couldn't possibly keep him warm enough and his fingers were beginning to turn red.

"OK." she agreed hoping to wash that impertinent smile off his face.

XII. BACK TO TIBBI'S

Back at Tibbi's once again they founded the place almost empty. It was too early for customers to come.

"This is the place where you usually hang out?" Georgia asked Jack.

"Now and then…" he answered vaguely.

This meant when he could afford it she understood.

"It's nice…" she said looking around.

"It's not like the places you're use to but it's pretty cozy." Jack agreed. "And it's not expensive…"

"This must be the reason why it's not doing so well."

"It's well enough for Tibbi." Jack said. "Two hot chocolates!" he ordered. "Don't worry, you won't get poisoned."

"I don't." Georgia argued. "You survived, so why shouldn't I? Actually, it's quite good." she said after tasting it.

"You're lady friend has good taste." Tibbi congratulated him while passing by.

"Better then yours or mine all together!" Jack said laughing.

Georgia played with the glass feeling a little embarrassed.

"What? No pay back? Come on… where's the fun in all that?" he said disappointed.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." she smiled at him.

"That's better!" he exclaimed satisfied.

"Who's the dame, Jacky boy?" a boy who appeared suddenly next to his chair asked him.

"Spot, meet Georgia Rowland."

"Spot Conlon, from Brooklyn." he recommended himself. "It's a pleasure, Miss." he said and kissed her hand.

"Nice to meet you too." she said flattered.

"So what's new on the Brooklyn side?" Jack asked while Spot was pulling a chair.

"Nothing much… everything is drowning in snow. I heard you redecorated your house just in time for the holidays. Nice job! If you got a good deal I might be interested in constructor's address." he said laughing.

"Georgia's their contact person so you should talk to her…" Jack said.

"So what you're saying?" Spot asked turning to her. "Do you think you can squeeze us in your busy schedule?"

"I don't know. Brooklyn might not be in my committee's action area and it's too far…" she said thinking seriously.

"Well, maybe your committee knows another committee who would be available for the job." he suggested.

"I can't promise anything, but I will look into it." Georgia said. "I'll let you know through Jack if we come up with something."

"That's a start! Good. I got to go, my business is waiting." Spot said and rushed towards the door.

"You were serious?"

"Of course." Georgia said surprised. "If I can help why not? What's so extraordinary about that?"

"Not many people would do that… It's a part of your charity program?"

Georgia rolled her eyes.

"The Charity Committee might have a problem with Brooklyn. After all they are just some old ladies with good intentions but not enough courage. As far as I know Brooklyn is not the safest place in New York."

"Spot's newsies will take good care of them."

"We'll see… As he said, there are others committee." she said drinking her chocolate.

XIII. SKATING IN CENTRAL PARK

It was the beginning of December when Mary finally got rid of her cold so the girls decided to celebrate that the first Friday afternoon by going to skate on the lake in Central Park. Not a very wise decision in Aunt Maggie's opinion, but who listened to her anyway? There were a lot of people on the ice, especially children who made the skating pretty adventurous for the others. The girls were very excited by the time they first touched the ice.

"I really missed that!" Georgia sighed.

"Me too!" Mary exclaimed doing a pirouette. "The last couple of years in Spain were so long…"

"Don't tell me you preferred Finland! You hated while we were there!"

"Only the cold! I loved skating though…"

"Yes, and I love my pants! You should've listen to me and forget about the dress."

"How many times do I have to remind you that I am a girl? Pants are for boys!"

"Not in my book!" Georgia laughed. "You can't catch any speed in that dress."

"Who needs speed? If you run so fast how will the boys follow you?"

"I don't need anyone to follow me!" Georgia shouted going away.

"I don't mind…" Mary laughed behind her.

Georgia was already far away lost in the middle of the crowd. Mary sighed alone. She was turning around doing spins close to the border of the lake where the place wasn't so populated and was no danger to bump into people. It didn't take long to find an audience for herself. On the side of the lake were gathered a bunch of newsies and she felt comfortably recognizing a few of their faces. David was there too she noticed. So for a while she skated around quite proud of her skills. And then she fell. Just a second of not paying attention and she felt the cold ice all over her face. Georgia saw the accident and was already heading towards her when she noticed that someone else stepped over the ice and was balancing in Mary's direction so she slowed down.

"Are you all right?" David asked her.

"I guess so… I hit my forehead but it's not so bad." she answered.

David helped her to get up and leaded her on the side.

"Maybe you should rest a little." he said.

"Suddenly I don't feel like skating anymore." she smiled and he smiled back at her.

"No need of my presence over there." Georgia whispered to herself so she kept the distance but still keeping an eye on those two.

So Mary stood on a side along with the rest of the newsies, and David, and watched the others having fun. About an hour later Georgia appeared in front of them having red cheeks and breathing with difficulty.

"That was great!" she yelled from far. "Didn't you froze yet?" she asked Mary. "I am pretty hot!"

"You are, but I'm freezing here. Let's go home, Georgia." Mary asked her.

"Oh, you poor thing! I was under the impression that you were having fun too. Didn't you find somebody to keep you warm?" she asked with a naughty smile.

"Georgia! You skated for too long. Your brain froze."

"At least I still have one. Well, don't you introduce me to your new friend?"

Mary rolled her eyes with no obvious pleasure.

"Georgia, this is David. David… my friend Georgia." she said.

"You're Davie... Nice to meet you… at last."

"Same here." David said a bit intrigued.

"So, where's the Cowboy? Doesn't he enjoy the show?" she asked looking around.

"He's over there." David said pointing to a group of six or seven boys. "Crutchy's a little sick, they might have to take him home."

Georgia looked at the boy who was falling down right that moment losing his crutch. Jack kneeled next to him trying to wake him up. Georgia stepped on the fresh snow with her skates on and rushed towards them.

"What happened?" she asked kneeling beside Jack.

"He passed out." Jack said worried.

Crutchy had problems breathing and very pale complexion. Georgia touched his front and he was burning.

"He has high temperature. It could be pneumonia." she said concerned.

The boys looked at each other.

"We'd better take him home." Blink proposed so Jack lifted him up and carried him to the lodging house. There he put him on his bed and looked at him not knowing what to do. Crutchy didn't recover consciousness yet. Blink came with a wet towel and put it on his front.

"He needs a doctor." Georgia said.

"We can't afford one." Jack replied frustrated.

"David, go to 68th Street at no. 9 and tell Doctor Gordon it's an emergency. He'll come." Georgia said.

"I'm on my way!" David said and left the boys' bedroom running down the stairs.

Mary came closer to Georgia and asked her on a low voice:

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

"He will be fine. Doctor Gordon will take care of him."

"You know we can't afford to pay him or the medicine." Jack insisted.

"Don't worry, I know him. He won't charge you."

Doctor Gordon arrived in a few minutes carrying his bag. It was a nice old man who looked with a warm smile at the patient. He threw everybody out of the room and remained alone with Crutchy. Only after he consulted him he let them back in.

"How is he?" Jack asked impatiently.

"You were right, Miss Georgia, he has pneumonia." the doctor answered looking at Jack. "He'll have better chances to recover if he gets well through this night. I gave him a shot. He'll need another one tonight and one early in the morning. Could anyone do that?"

"I'll do that." Georgia offered herself. "I learned how to do it while I was in India."

The doctor looked at the girl suspicious.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, ask Mary."

"He won't feel a thing." Mary nodded her head.

"Good, then I'll come back in the morning to see how he's doing." he said and then left after saluting her.

They sat on the beds waiting in silence for awhile. It was getting dark when Mary started to move and sigh on her place.

"What!" Georgia exclaimed loosing her patience.

"I… I'd better go home…" Mary whispered looking guilty at her. "It's almost dark outside and there's nothing to do for me here."

Georgia gave her an evil look.

"Then you should better go home. Thanks for your support!"

"Please, Georgia, don't get upset on me… You know I don't feel comfortable here."

"I know, I'm sorry…" Georgia sighed. "OK, you go home and prevent Aunt Mary of having a nervous breakdown… or sending the police after me. Tell the cook to make some soup and don't forget to send it back here while it's still hot." she ordered.

"I won't." Mary promised relieved now.

"David, could you walk her home?" Jack asked.

"Sure, I have to go anyway. Come on, Mary!"

XIV. PLAYING NURSE

The night fell and the newsies began to come home. The sound of loud voices came from downstairs but in the bedroom was silence. Around nine Jack whispered to Boots something in the ear and shortly after that he came back with some food that he put on the bed where Georgia was sitting.

"I thought you might be hungry." he said with a hesitation.

"Thank you." Georgia smiled at him. "I completely forgot about dinner!"

"I'm in love!" Boots said to Mush who started to laugh.

At some point everybody got into bed and eventually fell asleep. Only Georgia and Jack were still awake each sitting on a side of Crutchy's bed. A candle was lightened on the table close to them. Suddenly Georgia realized what was wrong with that room.

"There's no heat in here. The fireplace looks like it have never been used. No wonder Crutchy got sick!" she said shocked.

"We keep the chops of wood we have for Christmas." Jack said.

"This is outrageous! Don't you have another blanket?"

Jack pulled one over Racetrack who didn't even noticed and tried to cover her shoulders with it.

"Not for me, you idiot, for him! He needs something to keep him warm!"

"So the high society manners aren't so different from ours after all!" Jack laughed. "Excuse me for thinking of you first! If you care so much why don't you keep him warm? He's much stronger than he looks." Jack said while he was covering Crutchy with the blanket.

"Somehow I doubt that!" she murmured.

Jack rolled his eyes convinced that nothing he'd ever do could satisfy her.

Another hour passed in silence. The boys were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Jack was balancing on an old chair making a dreadful noise. There was no bed left for him.

"Do you really must do that?"

"What?"

"That back and forward thing you're doing. The sound is very annoying." she complained at some point. "Don't you care you're disturbing the others?"

"Why should I? I don't catch any sleep either!"

"Well, then get into bed and sleep!" she stood up and invited him with a caustic voice.

"Could you two just kiss and make up anytime soon? And shut the hell up!" Blink yelled half-asleep. "We're trying to sleep here!"

"Sorry!" Georgia said and then lowered her voice: "I don't need you to keep me company. I can sit on a chair as well."

Jack looked at her, looked at the chair and then back at her…

"No, I don't want you to give my favorite chair a heart attack." he whispered. "He's not use to this good quality of pants, he has a crush on mine."

"… or your ass."

"Hey, watch your language, lady! You're a bad example for my boys!" he smiled.

"They're asleep, for God's sake! Oh, I hear myself and I can't believe what I'm saying… What the hell I'm still talking to you!"

"Because other way would be too boring… But you know what? Now I'm tired to talk to you. What will you do now?" Jack's eyes were sparkling in the candlelight and he was really enjoying himself.

"Just be happy!… until I freeze to death…" Georgia whispered rubbing her arms in a pale attempt to warm them a little.

This time Jack pulled the cover over Blink who grumbled something, and warped it around her ignoring her struggle to escape from his hands.

"Stay still!" he ordered and Georgia sat down murmuring something inside the warm blanket.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear this." Jack said going back to his chair.

"Please go to sleep…" Georgia almost implored him.

"And who's gonna catch you when you'll feint?"

"Why should I feint? I'm feeling just fine."

"I mean when you'll give the injection to Crutchy…" he finished the sentence.

Georgia didn't even bother to answer that. She was beginning to feel tired.

"Maybe I should start the preparations, it's almost midnight." she said after a while.

Jack watched her from aside with now intention to get any closer.

"You're sure you know what you're doing?" he asked her.

"Of course I do. I did it several times back in India to prevent us from catching the yellow fever. You have no reason to worry for your friend. He won't feel a thing."

"I remember you mentioned something about India earlier this evening. How come you got so far?"

"My father travels a lot because of his business. He's a lawyer actually, but he doesn't really practice. He likes to travel instead, but not alone, so he insists in taking his whole family with him each time. That means me and my mother. We left New York when I was only three years old and until last summer we wondered around on the old continent. I saw most part of Europe, a big part of Asia and just a bit of Africa because grandmother died and he had to came back to take care of family business."

"You must miss traveling then."

"Not really. That's how I've met Mary, but she agrees with me that fifteen years away from home are more than enough. That's why I refused to go to Washington when my father left."

"I think that what you were really looking for was to be alone for a while and not have to answer in front of anyone."

"That too." Georgia admitted with a smile. "When you are away you have to be pretty much responsible for your actions all the time and I was beginning to feel a little bored because of it. Can you hold this for me, please?" she said handing him the syringe.

Georgia saw him how he took it with two fingers full of repulsion. She noticed how pale he was suddenly.

"You're not afraid of injections, are you?"

"No, I just don't like getting in contact with pointed or sharpen things that can do you harm." he denied on a not very convincing tone and Georgia hid a big smile.

"So you're not gonna feint?" she mimed surprise.

"Who, me?" he braved but he was getting even paler watching the syringe in her hand.

Georgia would've love to torture him a bit longer but she came to the conclusion that an awake Jack was better than one laying on the floor in the middle of the room, as annoying as he might've been. She bent over Crutchy's bed and gave him the shot. Jack looked away feeling dizzy so he sat on Georgia's bed. When she turned to him he cheered.

"Well done! I can't wait to tell him. He'll surely pass out again."

"Like somebody else we know…"

"What!"

"Nothing." she said with an innocent smile and came to sit on the other side of the bed. "You realized we didn't argue for about half an hour? That's a record!"

"I guess we're both too tired to do that." Jack sighed fighting to keep his eyes open.

Georgia stared at him with a strange look on her face. She allowed herself to admire him for a moment. Jack wasn't bad looking, not even at one o'clock in the morning, not at all.

"What are you looking at?" he questioned her suspicious but Georgia didn't answer. She pushed him gently with her hand until he laid back on the bed and then covered him with her blanket.

"Wanna share?" he invited her with that irresistible smile that was driving her crazy for weeks. So she laid beside him trying to maintain an honorable distance. It was warm and comfortable under the blanket, but the bed was too small for two persons… and the candle was fading out.

"I have to give him another shot early in the morning." she reminded him.

"Don't worry. We usually get up around five."

"Oh, God… this is murder. I couldn't possibly live like that!"

"That's all you complain about?" Jack laughed in the dark.

"Well, it would be better if you'd keep your hands to yourself… for you safety." she warned him very softly.

"I didn't moved!"

"Maybe, but you elbow is pressed against my back."

Jack turned to her.

"There's not enough place to put my arm. We got to compromise… Is this okay for you?" he asked while putting an arm around her waist.

"Not under the blanket…"

Jack put his arm over the blanket.

"And now?" he asked but Georgia was already asleep.

XV. THE NEXT MORNING

It was before dawn when Mush woke up. He was always the first to wake up. He laid in bed for another couple of minutes enjoying the early morning. Kloppman was supposed to come and wake them only after a half an hour.

Mush looked around in the pale light over his friends' beds and remembered that Crutchy was sick. He got up of bed to see how was he doing. Crutchy was sleeping peacefully and his fever has dropped.

Well, it seemed like everything was okay… but why was Jack's chair empty? Mush knew that last night, because of Georgia's presence there was no bed left for Jack. They could've brought an old one from the cellar but Jack has refused. They had to get a practically new one from the repair shop the next morning anyway. So where was he? Mush walked around the beds more curious than concerned knowing that Jack was able to take care of himself. And he surely did!… yeah, he did take care of that gorgeous girl he brought last night….

"Wanna see something to make your day?" he whispered to Racetrack.

"What?" Race opened half an eye.

"Look there!" Mush said pointing to the bed where Jack and the girl were still asleep.

"I knew the Cowboy had a lot of success with women but I would have never imagine that…"

"I'm surprised they didn't killed each other through the night!" Boots said out loud waking the others.

"Sst! Don't you think we should let them alone for awhile?" Race proposed looking for his shirt.

"Good idea! Maybe he'll get lucky!" Skittery laughed.

The newsies left the room trying very hard to keep silence and only when they got downstairs they started to talk all at once.

Jack was feeling pretty comfortable. It was kind of warm and the blanket seemed to be heavier then usual. Something very soft was tickling his face… and it smelled nice too… It took least than a second for him to be wide-awake. That wasn't the blanket, that was Georgia! She was resting her head upon his chest and he was holding her. Well, that felt more than nice, he had to admit. He didn't dare to move. He could imagine how upset she would be waking like that but it really wasn't his fault! Jack was considering the alternatives now. She might not hurt him, she was too well educated for that, but he really didn't want to take the chance. In the best case, she would never talk to him again, he sighed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Georgia yelled jumping out of bed.

"Me? Nothing!" Jack stood up and defended himself. "You were the one all over me!"

"What! And you expect me to believe that!" she yelled even louder.

"Hello, Jack! Hi, Georgia!" Crutchy said woken up by their screaming. "I'm glad to see that everybody's in great shape today."

"You shut up!" Georgia turned to him. "Or I won't be so gentle with the next shot."

"Shot! What shot?" Crutchy asked turning pale. "Hey, what are you doing? Jack, keep her away from me! Ouch, ouch, ouch… this was it?"

XVI. WHERE'S THE SOUP?

When Georgia arrived home slapping the door to the wall she went straight to Mary's bedroom and found her still in bed.

"Good morning!" she said on a very sweet voice.

"Georgia! I was just thinking about you. How was it last night? How's Crutchy feeling?"

"Crutchy is feeling much better. And you? How are things doing with David?"

"Just fine! I think he finally got the message." Mary said contented and her smile went up to her ears. "Georgia, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered feeling nervous all of the sudden.

"Mary… where's the soup I have told you to send to the lodging house?"

"Oh, God, I've completely forgot about the soup!" Mary exclaimed. "I knew there was something else that I was supposed to do but I couldn't remember what was it. I'm sorry…" she apologized to her.

"Sorry! You're sorry!" Georgia yelled loosing her temper.

"Yes…" Mary said with a little voice.

"Well, me too! And it's all your fault!"

"My fault?" Mary protested. "Why is it my fault? What happened?" she asked anxious.

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened! I slept with Jack last night, that's what happened!"

"You did… WHAT?"

"I slept with him! Are you happy now!"

"In a room full of guys?" Mary wondered with eyes big as plates. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

Georgia gave her an evil look.

"Are you in love with him?" Mary asked her.

"What does it have to do with love?" Georgia questioned her stopping in front of her bed.

"You said you slept with him…"

Georgia stared at her like she had never seen her before.

"Mary! You didn't actually believe that I really slept with Jack, do you? Come on, you should know me better than that!" she shouted disgusted to her friend.

"But you said… I don't understand…" Mary sighed scared not to say something wrong.

"I said… that I slept with him… like in the same bed, you know?" Georgia explained to her like she was a retarded child.

"Oh…" Mary sighed relieved. "I know this is not an appropriate thing to do for a lady, but given the circumstances there's nothing wrong with it…" she said trying to calm her down.

"Oh, no?" Georgia laughed almost hysterically. "What about the other thirty guys who slept across the room? By now this must be the only thing they're gossip about all over Manhattan! And he must be very proud of it! My reputation is ruined…"

"If you care so much about your reputation than you should have been more careful."

"Me? This is all your fault!"

"Why? I don't understand… what does it has to do with the soup?"

"I don't know! But it's definitely your fault!" Georgia accused her and then left the room leaving her friend feeling very stupid.

XVII. HOT GOSSIP

The newsies were gathered in the Newsies Square waiting for the Delancys brother to open the gates. They were unusually late that morning.

"If Weasel is not here in the next five minute, I'm going home!" Mush said spitting on the sidewalk. "Let him eat the papers at breakfast for a change!"

"Hey, watch where you're spitting!" Blink pushed him. "Les has just finished to wipe my shoes."

"And this is hard work!" Les interfered very proud of what he's been doing the last quart an hour.

"Too bad they'll get even more dirty before you'll have the time to enjoy it!" Race laughed.

"Does anybody knows what's happening?" Skittery asked jumping up and down on his feet in a pale attempt to get rid of the cold.

"Jack?" and all the newsies looked at him.

"What? How could I know what's in Weasel's head? Maybe he didn't slept well."

"Or maybe he cut his throat while shaving!" Race said and everybody laughed.

"Did I miss anything?" David asked just arriving.

"I'm glad to see that at least one of us had the good sense to sleep late." Mush welcomed him.

"Where were you? We are freezing our asses here…" Boots complained.

"He had to run to do some commissions for mom." Les told him.

"I heard that you got lucky last night, Jack." David said.

"Who said that?" Jack asked not in a good mood.

"We already discussed this subject." Blink informed him.

"You mean it's true?"

"A gentleman never tells…" Jack sighed with a thin smile.

"So nothing happened." David understood. "I was wondering because she didn't seem to be the type…"

"Jack, you're my hero! Something must have happened!" Boots protested.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to find another one…" Jack said.

"No, I'll forgive you this time. Maybe you were just too tired… nobody's perfect after all."

Jack raised his elbows. He didn't really care what the others thought about that matter.

"I think I'm taking an early Christmas vacation." Blink said to Mush. "There's no point in freezing out here. I'm going home!"

"Well, me too!" Mush agreed. "I can't hardly wait to sit behind the fire."

"What fire? Do you think a candle could keep you warm enough?"

"Didn't you know? There's a huge pile of wood waiting for us in front of the fireplace."

Blink put a hand over Mush's front and shook his head.

"Jack, do you think pneumonia is contagious? Mush is hallucinating!"

Jack, who wasn't paying any attention to those two as to any other, blew some hot air into his fists.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked.

"Our fairy godmother sent us a present after you left: we won't be freezing anymore at night." Mush explained with a big smile. "If we're careful it could last the whole winter."

"Then you must have done something to her! You almost fooled me…" Boots nodded.

"I don't know… She seemed pretty mad to me when she left home this morning." Mush said.

"What, no Christmas presents for us this year?" Skittery joked.

Jack smiled. Yeah, she did kind of act like a fairy godmother, being the bad witch in the same time… Hard to decide whom she really was!

"What do you want for Christmas this year?" he asked Las who was playing with a big snowball.

"I want to see Miss Medda at the theatre." he said seriously and the guys laughed.

"I think you'd better use a pair of gloves." Jack noticed.

Les moved his fingers and stood pensive for a while.

"That too." he agreed.

Finally the gates opened. The newsies formed a row and went for their papers.

"You're late, Weasel." Jack said when his turn came. "Next time I'll tell Joe to cut of your salary."

"No kidding! If you want him to throw you out of the building again you might." Weasel said handing him the papers.

"You think so?" Jack mocked him. "So… Why the delay?"

"There's a new story they wanted to print late last night so they had to change a whole page."

"No kidding!" Jack whistled. "I'm impressed!"

"Jack, you might wanna see that…" David interrupted him. "Page six."

Jack left Weasel and unfolded the paper. His face expression changes along the reading.

"Pete the Slick strikes again!" Boots red out loud. "The vicious criminal escaped from jail last month killed a drunk man on a port alley and steal all his money. Not bad for a headline!"

"This is bad." Jack said looking at David.

"He didn't left the city… and he's pretty much desperate." David approved.

"He's getting closer." Jack whispered to himself.

"Okay, no need to remind me, I know what I have to do…" Blink said who was standing behind him. "Let's hope the cold will keep her in!" he sighed.

XVIII. CHRISTMAS EVE

"Thirty one, thirty two…" Boots was counting the money he had raised during the day.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Racetrack said. "I love the Christmas' spirit! Everybody's so generous all of the sudden. If it had last longer we could've get all rich."

"For just one day, it should happen more often." Blink said and the other two laughed.

They were heading to the lodging house. It was cold but it stopped snowing for quite a while, and the sky was clear and full of stars.

They continued to talk about their day until they got through the door. And there they stopped. A huge tree full of decorations was sitting in the middle of the room. Several candles were lighted around the place. The newsies were sitting around the tables and talked on low voices like they were intimidated by the imposant presence of the tree.

"What the hell is doing this in here!" Race exclaimed.

"It's a Christmas tree!" Les yelled from under the tree.

"I smell a fairy godmother…" Blink whispered with a beginning of a smile.

"I smell troubles. Jack won't like that!" Race said.

"Am I dreaming or do I smell bacon?" Boots asked.

"And cheese, and steaks, and cookies…" Crutchy answered smiling.

"And I just had dinner…" Race complained. "I think I'm gonna be sick!"

"When do we eat?" Boots asked.

"We're still waiting for Jack." Crutchy said. "Kloppman is in charge with the food, he'll keep it warm."

"Did I come to the wrong door?" Jack said staring at the Christmas tree.

"Hey, Jack!" Les shouted coming out from under the tree and running to the door. "Isn't the most beautiful thing you have ever seen!" he asked him full of joy.

Jack looked down at him and smiled still amazed.

"Yeah, it's quite beautiful! How did it get here?"

"Georgia brought it." Les said.

"She and the old ladies worked all morning to decorate it. She said she'd stop by again tonight…" Crutchy informed him.

"… with the presents!" Les continued.

"Presents? Really kid?" Jack laughed lifting him up.

"Well, we can't wait for the presents." David said. "Mary's invited to our parents' house for dinner. We should be going. Now, Les!"

"What about my present?" Les protested.

"I'll guard it for you!" Jack promised. "You'll find it here tomorrow."

"Okay…" Les sighed not so happy about the idea.

The Jacobs left and the newsies rushed to bring the food to tables according to Kloppman's instructions, which was feeling like a ceremony master. They were all happy and joyful. After all the food was finally brought they sat down. Boots grabbed the closest plate and started to eat mouth full when Kloppman hit a glass with his fork.

"Let's say a grace first!" he said.

The newsies looked at each other not hurrying this time.

"Jack should say it!" Crutchy said.

"Yeah, Jack! You say the grace!" all the newsies asked him.

"Okay, okay!" Jack said.

He stood up feeling important but not very comfortable, and smiled with bravery.

"Silence, please! Listen to the Cowboy!" Blink shouted.

"Let's see…" Jack sighed. "Thank you God for letting us survive this long year. Thank you for this wonderful evening… thank you for this beautiful tree and all the food on the table."

"Tell him to send some more when he can!" Boots whispered.

"But most of all thank you for the angel who made all that possible!" Jack ended.

"That was so beautiful!" Blink sighed.

"And now…" Jack said.

"Now what!" Boots rolled his eyes losing his patience.

"LET'S EAT!" Jack shouted reaching for the steak.

Sometime later, when everybody was stuffed and began to feel pretty heavy, Kloppman left to go to his room.

"I can't eat that no more…" Boots complained feeling bad for all the food remained on the table.

"Nobody asked you to!" Mush laughed.

That's when Georgia entered the door. She was wearing a long fur coat that covered her entirely.

"Could somebody help me bring some stuffs from my carriage?" she asked and the newsies rushed through the door held opened by Crtuchy.

"Hello, Jack!" Georgia said uncovering her pretty head.

Her cheeks were red and her eyes were sparkling. Although he couldn't see what she was wearing under her coat, he could've guessed that she was ready to go out just from looking at the sophisticated way her hair was done and the expensive jewelry she was wearing, especially the tiara. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"There's more outside!" Blink said hands full of packages.

"Jack, look at all these stuffs!" Race exclaimed. "Now we can open a store!"

They put all the presents under the tree.

"Can we open them now?" Skittery asked.

"My aunt said something about tomorrow morning…" she joked. "… but I guess now would be all right. After all she doesn't have to know." Georgia said with a dazzling smile.

So they opened the presents tearing up the fancy covers and throwing the cartoon boxes all around. There were shirts, pants, boots, coats, socks, hats and gloves, basically all sort of closes, for everyone.

"This is for Les!" Mush handed a package to Jack and Jack put it aside.

"Look, Jack! I got a new crutch!" Crutchy showed it to him.

"It's not new, but will keep you not to fall over the ice." Georgia said. "I thought a new one will disturb you with your work."

"Ain't she smart!" Crutchy said looking at Jack.

Georgia watched the whole madness from aside. On the other side of the room Jack was staring at her with a dark look on his face.

"This is yours, Jack!" Blink said.

Jack took the present from him but he didn't open it.

"We don't have anything for you." he said to Georgia getting closer.

"That's okay. My aunt take the credit for all that and she'll settle for a 'thanks'."

Jack nodded his head.

"You're going somewhere?" he asked her.

"Yes, I'm invited to a reception and I couldn't cancel it. I'll go straight there…"

"Then you'd better hurry not to miss it." he advised her.

Georgia stared at him and couldn't believe her ears. After all she did for them, the guy was throwing her out!

"Yes, maybe I should…" she said not so loud giving him a cold gaze.

She turned away and left, her back rigid and her chin high.

"That was rude, Jack." Crutchy said who was witness to their conversation.

XIX. THE RECEPTION

A night that was supposed to be full of joy and fun had turned into a catastrophe. Georgia left the newsies lodging house so angry that she could explode. And the party she was going to was even worse that she expected. It was hosted by one of Aunt Maggie's old friend so most of the participants were middle age, which was the best case. As for the younger guests, Aunt Maggie considered appropriate and insisted to introduce them all to her. So Georgia spent more than half of time talking and dancing with men that she couldn't care less about. Somehow she just couldn't get rid of them and this was beginning to step on her nerves. If another one were going to ask her to dance she would have scream.

"Care for a dance?"

"No!" she refused annoyed. "Patrick! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed recognizing the young man in front of her.

"Saving you from the other vultures." he smiled.

"I thought you were still in London! I'm so happy to see you!"

Georgia gave him a big hug.

"Take it easy, darling! I don't think your aunt appreciates that. She looks at me like she expects me to propose… or worse!"

"Don't you dare!" Georgia laughed.

"I won't…" he sighed. "I already did that and you said no." he reminded her on a nostalgic note.

"I didn't love you, Patrick! I still don't… but you are my best friend!"

"I thought your best friend was Mary. By the way, where is she?"

"She dumped me, can you believe it? She is having dinner with her boyfriend's family."

"Well, you knew this would happen sooner or later. You couldn't expect her to be around for the rest of her life. You're not exactly a person easy to be with, if you know what I mean… maybe she just needed a break." he tried to comfort her.

"No, this time is serious… and I can't blame her. Actually, I kind of envy her." she sighed.

"Feeling alone?"

"Yeah…"

Patrick stared into her eyes and then touched her face in a tender gesture.

"I can't believe it! You finally found someone…" he said amazed.

"No, I didn't!" she denied.

"And he's giving you a hard time!" he continued smiling.

"Yes… No!"

"Which one is it? Yes or no?"

"I don't know…" she sighed.

"Oh, come on, darling, you know you can talk to me!"

"Aren't you feeling a little hurt?"

"Why should I? I'm getting married next summer!"

"You what! How come?"

"I don't really know. I didn't expect it to happen… I mean… she's totally the opposite of you… All I know is that it felt right from the first moment I saw her…" he told her with a warm smile. "And the most important thing: she's crazy about me! And I'm crazy about her too!"

"Aren't you the lucky one!"

"Oh, why the long face? What did he do to you? He forgot to send you flowers this morning?"

"No… he pretty much throw me out this evening."

"Congratulation! You found your soul mate." Patrick laughed.

"This isn't funny! I could really use a friend right now…" Georgia grumbled.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Well… his not exactly from our society class…"

"Since when did you become a snob?"

"I didn't… the real problem is that we can't stand each other."

"Ah, I understand now… You're both too proud to admit that you love each other!"

"Love? Who said anything about love? I'm not even sure if he likes me!"

Patrick stared at her.

"Did you even looked in the mirror today? How he possibly couldn't like you? I'm questioning my insanity right now. You're absolutely gorgeous in this dress!"

"Well, I didn't let him see the dress. I think this dress might be the problem."

"What are you talking about? This dress is fabulous."

"And expensive…"

"Oh…"

"He seems to have a problem with rich people… especially me."

"So he's poor."

"… more than that… He lives in a newsies lodging house for God's sake!"

"Oh, boy… I think I'm having a heart attack! You fell for a newsie!"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh as long as you like… I feel like crying…" Georgia said upset.

"What do your parents think about?"

"They're in Washington and I told no one, not even Mary, but I guess she suspects something…" she whispered. "I don't know what to do." Georgia confessed.

"You're not thinking to give up, I hope?"

"It might be too late now. I think I made a huge mistake… I helped his friends with some clothes and stuffs and he didn't appreciate it."

"Then he's stupid and he doesn't deserve you, it's as simple as that!"

"Well, it doesn't help me!"

"Okay, then fight back! You're wasting your time here at this party."

"I think you're right. I should leave. It was nice to see you again, Patrick."

"Do you want me to escort you home?" he offered.

"No, I need some time to think." Georgia said and gave him a kiss.

Georgia excused herself to the hostess pretending she was tired and then she told Aunt Maggie that she would leave. Aunt Maggie didn't seem too happy about it but she didn't insist for her to stay either.

Her carriage was waiting on the street near the gate so she had to walk a few steps to get to it. On the other side of the street two silhouettes were watching her closely. One of them was hiding in a basement entrance and only the head was outside. It was freezing and he waited there for hours. He was so obsessed with the girl that he didn't notice the other one who stared at him from the other corner of the street.

The driver was about to make the horses move when somebody attacked him from behind. He struggled trying to get rid of him but the attacker was too strong and almost threw him out in the street, so he decided that it would have been smarter to run inside and ask for help. No need to do that in the end because another person came from the dark and punched very hard the attacker sending him in a huge pile of snow.

"To Irving Hall! Fast!" the savior shouted to the driver before getting into carriage.

Georgia, who had heard the noises outside and was beginning to be very frightened, screamed in terror when she saw somebody rushing into the carriage that was starting to move fast. A strong hand covered her mouth.

"Jesus, you bite me!" she heard a voice.

It was too dark and she couldn't see his face but she surely recognized that voice.

"Jack?" she asked shivering with cold and fear.

"I'm saving your life and you bite me! Next time I should think twice before doing it again…" Jack grumbled and covered his hand with his bandana.

"What happened outside?"

"Pete the Slick was waiting for you. He must have followed you here." he told her.

"Oh, God. When this will all end?" she sighed.

"Not until the police catches him, that's for sure!"

Georgia rested her head against the window. She always considered herself a strong person but that was beginning to be too much for her.

"Jack, where are we going?" she asked anxious.

"I'm taking you to a safe place for the night." Jack announced her.

XX. AT MEDDA'S

The carriage stopped on a dark alley and they got off. They walk through the square very carefully not to be followed, but there was not a single soul out on the street on Christmas Night, and not long after that they got to the back door of Irving Hall that Jack knew so well. He knocked on the door and a black man a head taller than he opened it.

"We're looking for Medda." Jack said to him.

The black man let them in.

"I go tell her you're here." he said.

They waited there for awhile. Georgia realized they must be behind the stage. She could hear some music and someone was singing. And then the audience cheered when the music stopped.

"Hello, kid! Where were you all this time? I really missed you!" Medda welcomed him with a kiss.

Georgia gave her a strange look.

"This is Miss Georgia Rowland." Jack introduced her.

"Hello." Medda said looking at her expensive clothes.

"And this is Miss Medda Larkson, the owner of Irving Hall and the biggest star on the East Coast."

"Nice to meet you." Georgia said not very convinced.

"Why didn't you come to the front door? You missed the best part of the show!"

"We didn't come to see the show, Medda. Georgia needs a place to stay tonight." Jack said.

"I surely don't!" Georgia argued.

"Yes, you do. Somebody's after her." Jack said to Medda.

"Oh, I thought she run away from home." Medda said disappointed.

"Do you really think that she would run away with me?" Jack asked her surprised.

Medda looked at her up and down.

"Why not? Stranger things happened." she whispered mysteriously. "Follow me, please."

Upstairs Medda showed them an empty room on a hall with several doors.

"I keep them for my friends." she said. "Unfortunately there's only one left. I have a crew of actors from Dallas staying here this week. Do you need anything? Something to eat maybe?"

"We ate earlier." Jack refused.

"Thank you." Georgia remembered to be polite.

"Okay then. I have to go and finish the show now. Good night." Medda said and closed the door after her.

Georgia looked around. It was a nice room but everything was pink and she couldn't stand that color.

"I didn't thank you for helping me out tonight." she said hesitating.

"I know you're well raised and taught to be polite but don't bother."

"Stop being so annoying!" Georgia rolled her eyes. "I am trying to be nice here and it's not easy, believe me!"

"Sorry! Nobody taught me that."

"You sure could use some lessons…" she grumbled. "What were you doing outside the Prestons house?" she questioned him.

"I came after you."

"How did you know I was there?"

"Crutchy told me. He knows everything. He also told me to apologize for my rude behavior."

"So…" Georgia looked at him.

"What?"

"Are you going to apologize or not?"

"I'm sorry." he sighed staring at the wall.

"It wasn't too hard, was it?" she smiled.

Georgia took off her fur coat and Jack stared at her evening dress. She knew right away that another storm was coming just by looking at his face. Well, if they had to fight at least they should do it right. She turned around allowing him to admire her.

"Do you like my dress? It coasted a fortune." she informed him.

"I bet." Jack made a grimace.

"I hate it."

"Why?" he asked surprised.

"It's ugly."

"No, it's not." he disagreed.

"You're right, it's not." she smiled at him. "It bothers me when I dance."

"Then why did you bought it?"

"I didn't. My Aunt Maggie gave it to me as a present for Christmas. I would have returned it to the store but I didn't want to make her said."

"That's very nice of you. Next time tell her to buy you some pants." he said mocking her.

"She doesn't agree with pants." she sighed. "Why? Do you like to see me wearing pants?" she asked getting close.

Jack stepped back feeling uncomfortable. He avoided looking at her. Georgia was intrigued, she didn't notice that he was shy before. Something else caught her attention disturbing her.

"Did you noticed there's only one bed?" she asked him.

"Don't worry, I won't stay here. I'll come pick you up in the morning." he grumbled staring at the floor.

"You're not gonna leave me here!" she panicked.

"Don't tell me you're scared!"

"Of course I'm scared! Somebody just tried to kill me! Wouldn't you be scared if you were in my place?"

Jack noticed that her shoulders were shaking and she was very pale.

"I'm sorry." he sighed. "I guess I didn't think that something could scare you." he said embracing her.

Georgia let him hold her. This was nice! She felt disappointed when he let her go after a few seconds.

"I really should be going…" Jack said looking at her intensely.

"Why?" she whispered.

Jack didn't answered. He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He looked desperate into her dark eyes and he touched her pale lips with his. Georgia opened her eyes when he stopped kissing her.

"We shouldn't be doing that." he said breathing heavily.

"Why not?"

"I don't wanna hurt you."

She put her arms around his shoulders and smiled leaning against him. Jack couldn't resist and kissed her again. Then he lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

XXI. LIFE LIKE A NEWSIE

"I brought breakfast." Blink said to Crutchy handing him a plate covered with a handkerchief. "She's awake?"

"Not yet. I'll bring it to her later." Crutchy whispered.

"How can she sleep so much?" Blink wondered while walking down the stairs.

Since he had pneumonia Jack hadn't let him go to work anymore and forced him to stay at the lodging house, so Crutchy was feeling pretty useless until Christmas morning when Jack brought Georgia. Everyone knew that she had some kind of problems but he had never imagined that she would actually move in here. This came like a totally surprise for the newsies and especially for Crutchy. Unlike the others he was the only one who enjoyed her presence, even Jack was feeling uncomfortable when she was around. But Jack was acting weird each time something had to do with her so that wasn't new.

Crutchy was happy to have an occupation now. He was taking care of Georgia, which wasn't so easy like it might have seemed in the beginning, but he wasn't complaining. Since the newsies were out pretty much all day selling papers, they had the whole house just for themselves.

So Crutchy had get up each morning before everybody else just to remind them to keep silence and not to wake her up, which didn't bothered him too much, but really disturbed the other newsies early morning habits. Fortunately Georgia had a good sleep and she couldn't hear their comments or at least she seemed not to which was the same thing in Jack's opinion, who was never at home.

Crutchy made sure every morning, noon and evening one of the newsies was running at Tibbi's to bring warm food for her. He knew she had money and she had insisted several times to pay for the food but he couldn't cross Jack's orders. She didn't know but Jack was paying everything from his own pocket. Crutchy knew that he was generous but until one point, he had no idea how generous he could be. The newsies considered him nuts. Of course nobody dared to tell him that face to face.

Although he was friendly to everybody, and the newsies were nice to him, Crutchy didn't feel close to anybody except maybe for Jack. He had found a new friend in Georgia and he really liked to chat with her, which he did all day long. She didn't mind, she seemed happy to know him around and by the end of the first day she already knew every newsies' history.

The real problem was to keep her inside the lodging house. Jack told him that under no circumstances she was allowed to go out, not until Pete the Slick was caught. That wasn't easy! She could've been very stubborn, just like Jack, and everything depended of Crutchy's skills to keep her busy, because if she got bored she wouldn't listen to anybody.

The first thing Jack did when he brought her to the lodging house was to set up a meeting with all his newsies and newsies "ambassadors" from the other parts of the city. The main topic was Georgia's safety, of course. He gave each of them a picture of Pete the Slick and instructed them to look for him day and night until they found him. Since everybody knew his reputation, as being a violent thus dangerous man, they weren't supposed to try to capture him, all they had to do was to localize him and announce the police. The newsies didn't agree with this last part but Jack showed them the paper with the story which described the way that Pete killed a drunk old man and they considered again their options. In the end everybody adopted Jack's suggestions.

For some reason Jack didn't want Georgia to assist to that meeting. They didn't talk much after the night spent at Medda so she couldn't really argue about that. Instead she borrowed some clothes from Mush who was about the same height, hid her hair under a hat and sat in the back of the room. The newsies had no suspicions about her, Spects even offered her some beer and she couldn't refuse him so she drank it. After that she felt much better. The only person who recognized her was Spot Conlon, but he didn't say anything, he just smiled at her.

So Georgia spent the days wondering around from downstairs to upstairs and back again, wearing Mush's clothes. He didn't want them back after she wore them, not after a girl put them on, so she kept them for newsies amusement who gave he the title "the most attractive newsie". She was beginning to feel lonely and concerned but at least she didn't have to worry about Mary. Her friend was so scared after the last attempt, even if it didn't involved her, that she didn't want to consider even to leave the house, not that they didn't warned her not to come to the lodging house. Georgia kept contact with Mary through David who seemed more than willing to stop by their house every day. The dinner at the Jacobs must have gone pretty well, she thought but she just couldn't ask David about it. She decided to wait until she could talk to Mary and get all the details from her.

XXII. DECISIONS TIME

The fourth day seemed the longest from all and, further more, some of the newsies were still missing when Kloppman locked the door at ten o'clock in the evening. While the others went upstairs to their beds, Georgia remained downstairs to wait for Jack. Something was definitely wrong, he had never been so late before.

Around midnight someone knocked at the door and Georgia rushed to open it.

"That wasn't so smart." Jack grumbled pushing her away from the doorway. "What if someone else was instead of us and would have found you all by yourself in here, huh? Did you even thought what could have happened to you?"

"I recognized your signal." Georgia said defensive. She couldn't see his face because of the cowboy hat.

The other newsies came in following Jack. There were Blink, David, Mush and Spot and they looked pretty messed up. Blink had a black eye, the right one, so he could hardly see considering the other one was covered with a patch. Mush was holding his arm and seemed in much pain and David didn't look any better, pale and having difficulty to breathe. Spot was covering his face with a handkerchief. Only Jack seemed to be fine but angry like hell.

"What happened to you? Who did you get beat up by?" Georgia asked while they set down trying to catch their breath.

"Nobody beat us up!" Jack grumbled.

"Face it, Jackie boy, it's a miracle we escaped alive!" Spot said.

"We were so close! Damn it!" Jack said. "Are you okay?" he asked Spot.

"Yeah, just a cut…" Spot said putting aside the handkerchief allowing them to see a bad cut under his left eye. "It doesn't bleed anymore, you see?"

"This is a deep cut." Georgia noticed. "It must be cleaned." she said and went to the bathroom to get some water and a towel. "May I?"

"All you want, gorgeous. I'm all yours." he smiled at her.

"How's your hand, Mush?" Jack asked.

"I think it's broken." Mush made a grimace.

"Let me see it. No, it doesn't seem to be broken. I think your shoulder is dislocated. Blink, come over here! You keep him still and I'll pull."

Georgia looked the other way. She heard Mush scream.

"Hey, this is much better! Thanks, guys!" Mush said when he could talk again.

"You'd better get that thing off if you don't want to run into all the chairs in the room!" Georgia said to Blink who had just hurt his leg because of a chair that happened to be in his way.

"I don't think I like you anymore." he grumbled in her direction.

He looked around with his right eye half opened. Yeah, there were just friends, he could take the patch off.

"Happy now?" he asked her.

Georgia stared to that green eye that was always covered by a black patch. The other one was brown.

"Okay…" she smiled. "Until you recover you should ware the patch on the other side." she advised him finishing with Spot. "Are you okay, David? You don't look too good."

"I think I broke a rip, but don't worry I have a great experience with it since I've become a newsie." David answered with a pale smile.

"And what about you?" she asked Jack getting close to him.

"What about me?" he smiled and forced her to sit in his lap.

Georgia took off his hat.

"Nice shiner!" she smiled back putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Oh, you began to speak our language now?"

"Since it's the only one you understand… I had no choice! Maybe now you'll tell me who did this to you? Did you get attacked by the police?"

"Who, us? No…" Jack laughed and put his arms around her waist pulling her closer.

"Could you believe that all this mess is made by one guy?" Blink said upset. "We are so pathetic!"

"I couldn't agree with you more." Spot grumbled.

"Just one guy?" Georgia said not knowing what to believe. "Oh, my God… You didn't… just tell me you didn't!" she shouted at Jack shaking him.

"Well… since he was there… we thought… why not?"

"But you told everybody not to try to catch him!"

"Who told you that? Oh, sure, Crutchy did…" Jack understood. "Well, I didn't want them to risk to get cut but I thought now it was a good opportunity since we were five and he was alone." he tried to explain it to her.

"You should've count the knife twice!" Spot joked.

"Next time I'll remember that…" Jack sighed.

"What next time? Didn't you have enough? Next time someone might get killed! Promise me there won't be a next time! Please, Jack…" she asked him staring into his eyes.

"Now how could I resist when you look at me like that…" Jack sighed again. "You're right, it was a stupid thing to do." he admitted. "But he was so close… I couldn't help myself. It could have solved all the problems."

Georgia ran her hand through his hair.

"That's not enough, Jack. Promise me!" she insisted.

"Okay, I promise…" he nodded his head.

"It seems you won't have to worry about it much longer." David said. "Mary asked me to tell you that your father is coming into town. I guess he'll take care of everything. You will be able to move back home."

Georgia didn't seem crazy about this idea.

"Well, that's good news…" Jack said looking at her. "Of course, Crutchy will miss you a lot, but he'll get over it…"

"Just Crutchy…?" she asked him.

Jack didn't answered.

"If Jack doesn't miss you, I will!" Spot laughed from his chair.

"Oh, shut up!" Georgia said.

"There is someone who misses you, Jack!" David remembered. "We got a letter from Sarah and she said she misses you."

"Tell her that I said thanks!" Jack grumbled looking at Georgia.

"Who is Sarah?" she asked.

"My sister." David said. "She went to take care of grandma' for the winter."

"Sarah used to be Jack's girlfriend." Mush said.

"That happened long time ago!" Jack said quickly and looked at Georgia. She wasn't smiling anymore.

XXIII. THE HUNTING

When Georgia woke up it was still dark outside and the newsies were all asleep. She closed her eyes but she couldn't sleep anymore. She was too excited. Her father was coming home! She never imagined how much she would have missed her family if they were gone. And she did. Not that her life didn't improved in some parts after she remained by herself, but she really missed having them around. And now they came back. Well, at least her father was… which was more than enough. Of course, that meant she would have to move back home. She wondered if this was a good thing or not. There was no point in staying at the lodging house anymore. Not with Jack totally ignoring her anyway. Except for the other night when she really felt him close to her, he was keeping his distance pretending that she wasn't even there most of the time, and that hurt her feelings very bad.

She stayed in bed until all the newsies left, hiding her head under the blanket not to see her that she was awake and she didn't see Jack coming next to her bed and checking up on her before leaving.

All morning she sat in Jack's chairs in the downstairs room. Crutchy was looking at her suspiciously, he wasn't used to see her standing still for such a long period of time. But her smile was so innocent… Maybe too innocent.

When Blink came with the launch around 3 o'clock she invited him to join them. She had never done that before and Blink was very embarrassed when he had to refuse her. First, there was not enough food for three persons, and second, Jack was waiting for him at Tibbi's already upset that he was so late so he had to go. Ten minutes later Georgia dropped all the plates and the food spread all over the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" Georgia said. "Because of me you'll miss lunch. I feel so guilty about it!"

"That's all right, it won't be the first time I skip one." Crutchy laughed. "You I'm worry about. You're not use to that."

"Oh, I'll be fine. It's true that now that there's nothing left to eat I start to feel really hungry, but I'll survive until tonight." she laughed.

"Jake will be mad on me when he'll find out I let you get hungry." said Crutchy concerned.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that. I don't think that any of the boys will pass by the lodging house until later this evening. We're all alone here. I can't go outside, so…"

"But I can…" Crutchy said not very convinced.

"You're not supposed to go out on such a weather." she reminded him. "I don't want you to get into trouble because of me!"

"I won't, nobody will know." he assured her. "You just stay here with the door locked and don't let anybody in except me."

"Okay…" Georgia agreed and walked him to the door.

She closed the door after him. Her smile wasn't innocent anymore. She waited a few minutes to make sure that Crutchy had left and only then she dared to leave the house. She had no money on her so she had to walk all way home. She realized this was an aspect she didn't consider before. It would take her more than an hour to get home by foot. That meant an hour all alone in the cold. She preferred not to think at the danger she put herself in.

When Jack saw Crutchy entering Tibbi's door he had a strong feeling that something was wrong. He gave Crutchy a dark look while he was explaining to him what had happened.

"I told you not to leave her alone not one minute!" he shouted at him.

"You don't want me to keep her hungry either, right?" Crutchy replied.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Let's go check if everything's okay." Blink proposed.

"If anything happened I'll break you the other leg!" Jack warned him and Crutchy stuck his head between his shoulders.

"The door's unlocked." Blink noticed when they got to the lodging house.

Jack closed his eyes for a second expecting the worst. The room was empty, no sign of Georgia anywhere.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I know I failed you." Crutchy said on a low voice with his head down.

"We'll talk about this later." Jack grumbled. "Now we have to find her before somebody else does. Tell the boys to look every where for her and not to come home until someone finds her." he told Blink. "And ask David to wait for her at the Rowlands residence, maybe she'll get there in one piece. Her father should come today."

"I didn't know that." Crutchy said.

"I forgot to tell you. David announced her last night."

"Jack, where are you going?" Crutchy asked worried.

"I'm going out to look for her by myself." he said while leaving.

Georgia kept walking on the unfamiliar streets until she had to admit that she was lost. She didn't know the city so well, and the side where the poor people lived even less. And like she hadn't had enough problems, now it was getting dark too. She was beginning to regret that she had left the lodging house, but she didn't know the way back either. And the few people on the street scared her too much to dare to ask for directions. She was cold and she knew that a night spent on the street would have mean death for her. She didn't enjoy the perspective. All she could hope for was that Jack would look for her and found her eventually. She could imagine he must have been very angry when he discovered she ran away. She prayed he wasn't angry enough to give up on her though.

What Georgia didn't know was that, as Jack feared, somebody else had found her first. There was quite awhile since someone was following her from far and that someone wasn't in a hurry. Somehow he knew she had lost her way long ago and he was just waiting for a proper moment to get to her. And that moment was coming any second now that she got on an empty street.

She stopped on a crossways wondering which way to go. At the right was a dead end, that she could see clear. In front of her the street she was walking on was getting larger all of the sudden but it was looking pretty scary with no lights on. At the left the street was smaller and full of garbage. Her first intention was to go over left but in the corner she ran into a drunk man who was lying along an old building wall, so she turned right to the dark street walking slowly through the dirty snow from the middle of the street.

After about a hundred meters she heard a squeeze coming from behind. Georgia stopped and looked around but it was too dark to see anything. Somebody was after her, she just knew it. She had the same feeling like when she was with Mary that night, but this time Blink wouldn't come to rescue her no matter how much she wanted to. She kept walking so terrified that she couldn't think straight. She expected him to get to her any second.

Meanwhile they were advancing down the street heading to another crossways with plenty of light. Somebody was coming her way walking fast and looking around like he was searching for something. She recognized the cowboy hat from the distance, but Jake couldn't even see her because of the dark.

"Jake!" she tried to shout, but a hand covered her mouth and another one circled her waist and her arms pointing a sharp blade against her.

"Don't try anything or I'll cut you!" a voice with smelly whiskey breath whispered into her ear.

She tried to fight to get rid of him but she was dragged brutally into an alley.

XXIV. BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

Jake was walking along the street close to the point of losing his hope when he heard the scream. Or he thought he did because it was almost inaudible. He froze for one second wondering if his imagination was playing tricks on him or he really heard someone calling his name when he couldn't see anyone around. He decided the best was to check and make sure than not to do anything, so he ran ahead into the dark.

After a few steps he began to walk very slowly trying not to make much noise. He figured out the attacker had to be very close since he spotted Mush's green hat, the one that he was so proud of, laying in the middle of the street. Georgia must have lost it in the struggle.

He stopped beside it and looked around ready to fight anyone who'd stay in his way. At the first sight he saw no place where they could go and hide. But if they had continued to walk on the same street they couldn't got too far in such a short while and he would have been able to see them or at least hear them. No, they had to be close, very close.

Jake turned around inspecting the buildings. He tried a few doors but they were all locked. At least he didn't have to go into an old house with the roof ready to fall over him. He just hated that! Most of it because it had already happened and not just once.

Where the hell did they go? Behind the garbage pile there was a small alley heading to a back yard and Jack walked towards it with a determined look on his face. He could hear steps going back while he was approaching. Someone didn't want to see him that was for sure! He saw something moving in the dark.

"Is that you, Pete?" he yelled. No answer. "I know you're there!" he shouted on a provoking tone while he was moving forward. "I'm coming after you, Pete!"

Under a balcony Pete was holding Georgia in the same uncomfortable position. She struggled to escape but the knife tore apart her coat and scratched her skin.

"Easy, girl, what's the hurry? You'll die soon enough…" Pete whispered into her ear holding her tighter.

Georgia was having trouble breathing and she was ready to feint when he uncovered her mouth.

"Jake, be careful!" she yelled.

That was all that Jack needed, to know that she was still alive.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Not for long!" Pete answered with a hysterical laugh.

Guided by his voice Jack finally had succeeded in orientating himself and now only a few meters were separating them.

"Let her go, Pete! She did nothing wrong!"

"Oh, yeah? Who cares?" Pete laughed.

"I do! And I bet she does too."

"That's too bad for both of you! 'Cause she's going to die!"

A sound of footsteps came from outside the alley and distracted Pete's attention. Jake took advantage of this opportunity and rushed towards him. Unfortunately Pete had good reflexes and he noticed Jack getting dangerously close. He could not fight him with his hands holding Georgia prisoner so he decided to finish the job first. The knife stabbed her twice before Jack had the chance to pull her of Pete's arms and pushed her far away. She leaned against a wall pressing her waist with her right hand.

"Jack, he has a knife!" she yelled.

"And I'm good at using it!" Pete warned him.

Jack walked around him trying to avoid the hand with the knife that was always in his face. The newsies appeared from the alley. There was Mush, Boots, Blink, David, Spot and another two boys and they were all carrying chains, canes and sticks.

"Let's get him, guys! Hang on, Jackie boy, save a piece for us!" Spot shouted and that was just about all Georgia saw from the fight because the world was spinning around her so she closed her eyes when he rushed to help Jack. The next thing she saw was the newsies tiding Pete down in chains and Jack hitting him in the face for one last time. She fell down losing her conscience.

"We got him!" Mush acclaimed loudly.

"Yeah… we got him…" Jack said trying to catch his breath. "We… really got him this time…"

He turned to see Georgia with a victorious smile on his face, but the smile disappeared when he saw her laying on the ground with her face into the snow.

"Georgia! What the hell happened to her? She was fine only a minute ago!" he shouted while running towards her.

Jack kneeled beside the girl and look at her. He didn't dare to touch her.

"She passed out." Boots said calm. "I heard that thing happens a lot to the girls."

"Not to this one." Jack whispered.

He reached for Georgia and turned her on her back. She was very pale, but at least she was breathing. Spot was the first to notice the strange color of the snow from the place where she was laying. He touched the snow with his fingers. It was warm.

"Blood! She's cut!" he yelled to Jack.

Jack felt a cold chill coming down his spine. He tore apart her coat and stared horrified at the wounds.

"He stabbed her! Twice!" Mush said who was watching over his shoulder.

"Jack, we've got to do something…" Blink whispered softly. "Jake!" he insisted because Jack seemed to be absent.

"Huh… What?… Yeah, we have to… we…" Jack grumbled not moving yet.

"Hurry, Jack!" Mush shacked him. "She lost a lot of blood!"

"Yeah, right!" Jack said waking up.

He took off his bandana and pressed it against the wounds trying to stop the bleeding.

"David, Blink, Spot…. you come with me!" he said lifting her up. "The rest of you take him to the police station and wait there!"

They left the back yard and went to the main street where they split in two groups. The newsies headed into one direction carrying Pete all tide up, and Jack headed to another.

It took them ages to find a carriage. Stopping it was not a problem. Spot stood in the middle of the road and somehow the driver managed to stop the last second. He pulled the driver off and in the same time David and Blink were dragging out the people inside and helped Jack to get Georgia inside. The ride to the Rowlands residence was wild since Spot was now the driver, but he was just not driving fast enough for Jack who was keeping on yelling "Faster!". Georgia was bleeding into his arms and Jack could almost feel the life getting out of her. And it was killing him the fact that he wasn't able to do anything to help her. David and Blink were silent witnesses to his despair.

XV. THE ROWLANDS RESIDENCE

The door was opened by a middle-age man with a distinguish look.

"May I help you?" he asked puzzled to see those poor dressed boys in front of his door.

Jack pushed him and stepped inside. The newsies followed him.

"Georgia!" the man exclaimed when he saw the face of the girl that one of the boys was carrying. "What happened?" he asked.

"She got stabbed." Spot informed him.

"She needs a doctor!" David said.

"A good one!" Blink finished it.

"Where's her room?" Jack asked.

The man told something to a servant and then showed him the way. When they got to the first floor Mary walked out of her room and saw them.

"Oh, my God! Jack, is she all right?" Mary asked almost crying.

"Not really. Pete cut her really bad." David said putting his arms around her.

Jack let Georgia onto her bed and when he turned around the doctor was already entering the room.

"Everybody out, please!" he ordered so they had to get on the hall.

"So you are Jack...?" the man said looking at him up and down.

"Francis Sullivan, sir." Jack answered not feeling so comfortable now.

"I am Paul Rowland, Georgia's father. Mary told me a lot about you. I want to thank you for taking care of both of them."

"Well, somebody had to…" Jack said.

"Yes, I know. And knowing Georgia I also know I wasn't easy." he said smiling.

"To tell you the truth, sir, she gave us a lot of troubles." Jack admitted. "I was planing to give her o good spank after the last performance but I guess that's your prerogative now that you're back."

"I can see what are you talking about." Mr. Rowland laughed. "Maybe we should wait until she get better…" he suggested and Jack's expression changed again.

"You are not worried for her life, sir." David noticed.

"Well, I'm used to having her putting me through hell… so I guess it doesn't impress me so much anymore."

"Does it happen often to her? Getting stabbed, I mean…" Jack asked curious.

"No, that's a first, but she was bitten by a snake, kidnapped by the cannibals, she got lost in Paris when she was only twelve and survived by herself for an entire week, and I could go on…"

"That's more then enough!" Spot said. "And you said she needed our protection?" he laughed at Jack.

"Yeah…" Jack grumbled raising his eyebrows.

"Don't worry my boy…" Mr. Rowland said putting a hand on Jack's elbow. "She's a taught one, she'll be fine."

"You're right about the first one, but I'm not so sure about the second…" Jack sighed nodding his head.

Later after this discussion the doctor came out of Georgia's room and told Mr. Rowland:

"You have a very lucky daughter, my friend. The wounds are quite deep but no vital organs were touched. If she had lost some more blood she would have been in big trouble by now, but fortunately I was called in time to prevent that."

"We all have to thank to this brave young man." Mr. Rowland said looking at Jack. "So she'll be all right?"

"She need to stay in bed for a while and get some rest but she will be fine in a couple of weeks. I have to go now, I was just announced that there's another patient who waits for my services. If you need me I'll come right away, but I expect a peaceful night for everybody."

"I leave too." said Jack. "David, you stay here and tell Mr. Rowland all about this night and the rest of it. Blink will stop by your house to tell your mom not to wait for you tonight. Let me know if there's any news! Okay?"

"Where you're going?" David asked.

"To the police station… I have to send the boys home… and make sure he stays behind bars this time."

XXVI. WHO NEEDS YOU?

The morning Georgia left home she was feeling much better and ready to fight. The last two weeks spent in bed without a word from Jack made her crazy. She knew from Mary that he was all right, but he hadn't visited her and when she forgot about her pride and asked David, he said that Jack had no intention to do it in the near future. That made her very sad and she lost her appetite for a couple of days.

Now she was riding in her carriage heading for Newsies Square, hoping the newsies were still there and she was right. She saw Jack talking to a girl in front of a store. They seemed pretty familiar to each other and Georgia almost panicked when Jack put a hand around the girl's waist.

"Hello, Jack." she said.

Jack turned to her very slowly. He didn't seem too happy to see her.

"Hi. Isn't a little early for a walk?" Jack grumbled looking bored.

"I don't know, you tell me. It seems I lost track of time lying in bed."

"I see you're feeling much better now."

"I think I'll survive."

"This is Sarah." Jack said suddenly. "David's sister."

"Hello."

Sarah smiled at her. She was very pretty.

"David told me about your grandmother. I hope she's all right." Georgia said.

"She's feeling much better now, thank you." Sarah smiled.

They waited for awhile in an embarrassing silence.

"I have to go to work." Jack said after a while.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

"No, I'm planning to leave for Santa Fe really soon. I'm taking Sarah with me." he said.

Georgia turned so pale he thought she'd pass out. He reached for her but she stepped aside.

"I'm all right, just a little dizzy. It happens now and then, nothing to worry about." she said. "I'd better leave now. Bye!"

She ran to the carriage.

"Why did you tell her we're leaving for Santa Fe?" Sarah asked Jack. "You practically said we got back together."

"So?"

"I feel sorry for her, she didn't take it too well. She seems nice. Why did you drive her away?"

"Believe me, it's better that way!" Jack said staring at the snow that was sparkling in the sun.

XXVII. ACKNOWLEDGING DEFEAT

Mary and David were sitting on the sofa in the living room holding hands. None of them was talking, they didn't need to. It was enough just to look into each other's eyes because all was right there. Mary blushed and looked down and then looked back at David with the prettiest smile in the whole world.

"I'm so glad you won't leave." David confessed.

"No, I'm staying with Georgia. She doesn't feel so good."

"I'm not worried about her if you'd be around."

Mary nodded her head not very convinced.

They heard the entrance door opening and then closing slowly. A few seconds later Georgia entered the living room. She was very pale and looked ready to fall apart.

"Hello, Mary." she said absent minded.

"Georgia, where have you been?" Mary asked concerned. "The doctor said you wasn't supposed to leave your bed for at least a week."

"I went out for a walk." she said. "Hi, David."

She crossed the room to the door that was leading to her own bedroom.

"I'm feeling tired. I'm going to lay down." she said.

"I don't like that." Mary murmured after Georgia left.

"What happened to her?" David asked her. "She was looking much better the other day."

"She went to see Jack." Mary said on a voice like she was pronouncing a death sentence. "Who knows what that idiot friend of yours said to her?" she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, that explains it. Jack was in a very bad mood this morning when I saw him. He thought she was leaving with her father for South America."

"This doesn't give him the right to treat her that way. She's not fully recovered yet."

"Well, you know Jack. He can be very egoist sometimes."

"Yeah…" she sighed. "Could you do me a favor? Could you talk to him? It's killing me to see her like that!"

"Sure. I'm not so sure I'm doing him a favor by doing that though… even now she seems more dangerous than he is."

"You might have a point here." Mary smiled. "If they end up killing each other, at least we'll have some peace."

XXVIII. NOBODY'S LEAVING

The same night at the Lodging House, the newsies were preparing for sleep. Most part of them was already upstairs in the bedroom. Outside it was a windy weather with a lot of snow falling on the empty streets.

Kloppman inspected the room downstairs for one last time and then left for his own private room taking with him the only candle lighted and leaving Jack in the dark in front of the fireplace. He didn't seem to notice that. He was looking into the fire not even blinking, with his mind far away. That's how David found him when he arrived.

David's coat was covered with snow. He wiped his feet at the door and took off his hat before pulling a chair next to his friend. Jack didn't move, like he wasn't aware of his presence.

"Find something interesting in there?" David asked.

No answer.

"Come on, it can't be that bad." he insisted.

"What do you want, David? Shouldn't you be at home right now helping your mom to wash the dishes? Oh, I forgot! That's Sarah's job."

"Sarah left for grandma's house this afternoon. I'm in charge with the dishes now." David smiled.

"She forgot to mention that when I saw her today."

"It wasn't like she planned it. Grandma' sent for her."

"She's feeling sick again?"

"Well, she's much better now. I think she just got used to have Sarah around and now she misses her. She's old and it's hard for her to live alone."

"When does she come back?"

"In spring, I guess… but you don't really care about that, do you?"

"Not really." Jack admitted. "I was just making conversation."

"I thought so." David sighed. "So… What have you been doing lately?… except for staring at the walls and breaking some poor girl's heart, of course."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked on an aggressive note.

"You know perfectly what I mean. I saw her when she came home. She looked like the doctor had just told her she had only three month left to live."

"I don't know what are you talking about."

"I'm talking about Georgia, Jack!" David lost his patience.

"So…?"

"I hate to admit it but Mary was right. You are an idiot… if you let her go." David sighed.

"It's the best thing it could happen to her… and I'm probably the worst." Jack said turning his back on his friend.

"God, you are so stubborn! Did you at least asked her what she thinks about that?"

"Why bother? It doesn't depend on her."

"Why bother… Why do I bother? Don't you care she's in pain now because of you too?"

"Did she seem affected?" Jack asked concerned.

"I have never saw her feeling so down." David confessed.

"Well, she'll get over it. She won't even remember me in a few days… or weeks."

"She said she's gonna kill herself." David lied observing Jack's reaction.

"This is your invention!" Jack laughed. "She'd never do that! She probably thought of killing me, but fortunately she's too well behaved to do that… so she'll hire someone…"

"Jack, she was almost crying…"

"Don't push it…" Jack warned him.

"I am not kidding." David said seriously.

"Go home, David. You're wasting your time and mine"

"Maybe, but it's for a good cause!"

"Go home, David! Now!" Jack shouted furious.

"No! Not until you listen to me!" David shouted back.

"Don't make me hit you, 'cause I will!"

"I don't CARE! You are going to listen to me." David said very determined. "Georgia loves you!"

Jack grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to him. Their faces where so close now he could feel his breath.

"No! You're gonna listen to me! I don't CARE if she loves me, I don't CARE if she's leaving, and I surely don't CARE if you care about this or not!" Jack yelled in his face and then pushed him away.

David fell and hit his head over a table.

"Good. Because she's not leaving." he said massaging his forehead. "Who put this table over here? I almost smashed my head because of it."

"What do you mean she's not leaving?" Jack looked down at him.

"She isn't. God… is this blood on my fingers?"

"No, Boots dropped a glass of juice earlier this evening… How come she doesn't leave!"

"Well, she doesn't…. This juice tastes very funny. No wonder Boots dropped the glass. Please tell me he's still alive… I don't want to get poisoned." David said trying to get up.

Jack reached for him, pulled him up and then pushed him into his chair.

"Talk!" he ordered grabbing David's shoulders and shaking him really hard.

"Stop it, I'm already dizzy!" David complained.

He looked at Jack and felt pity for him seeing him so tore apart.

"So you do care." he smiled. "I told you. She is not leaving."

"What made her change her mind?"

"She didn't. She never intended to leave."

"But… it was all over the papers!" Jack exclaimed.

"Wrong! The papers said that Mr. Rowland is leaving for South America, they didn't mention his daughter at all. You just assumed that…"

"What was I supposed to believe!"

"If you had listen to her today we wouldn't have had this conversation right now."

"Right." Jack sighed.

He reached for a chair and sat beside David.

"Was she mad?" Jack whispered afraid to hear the answer.

David started to laugh.

"I would've expected her to smash some furniture or at least break a window… but none of these happened."

"This is worse…" Jack sighed. "Do you think there's any chance for her to forgive me?"

"I don't know exactly what did you do to her, but in my opinion she'll make you curse the day you were born first, and then consider forgiveness."

"That's what I was thinking too." Jack nodded his head. "I really screw this up."

"Look at the bright side. At least you know she loves you."

"Yeah… The question is how do I make her believe that I love her too."

"She's a smart girl. She'll figure all out."

"I can't wait that long."

XXIX. MOM'S HOME

Georgia was laying across the bed. She didn't do a thing the whole day, just stood by herself and not let anybody to see her. Mary was more and more worried because of her and she didn't know what to do.

"A gentleman asks to see you, Miss Rowland." the butler announced her.

"I told you I don't want to see anybody. I'm sick!"

"Yes, but he insists."

"Morgan, how much does this job means to you?"

"Very much, Miss. I have a family to support."

"Then don't make me fire you."

The butler left the room and then came back.

"He said he doesn't leave until he sees you."

Georgia was beginning to lose her patience. It looked like the visitor was determined to see her.

"Patrick?" Georgia said.

"Who's Patrick?" a voice came down the hall.

Jack got through the door and walked in the room.

"Morgan, please show Mr. Kelly the way out." she ordered.

The butler walked towards Jack.

"Morgan, do you want me to punch your lights out?" Jack asked very seriously and the butler stepped back. "Good, then leave us alone… and maybe sometime I'll teach you something about workers' rights."

The butler left silently.

"Stop annoying my employees, Jack." Georgia warned him. "What do you want?" she asked getting up. "And make it quick, I don't have time for this."

Jack looked around.

"That's a nice place you have here."

"Yes, and it's more then you will ever have."

"Ouch, that hurt!" he smiled. "Where're your manners?"

"I don't have to waste them on you. You're not worth it."

"Right. I'm too dumb to understand that it was an insult."

"It wasn't an insult, it's the truth. Do you want to know why you will never have all that?"

"Because I'm an idiot?"

"Yes, you are an idiot. You're an idiot because you have no aspirations. If you ate today then you don't worry about tomorrow."

"It's not easy to live my life." Jack defended himself.

"I know. I lived it, remember? But the goal in life is not just to survive."

"Sometime it's all you can do."

"Okay, but if you can't make it by yourself then why don't you let somebody else to help you? You should forget about your stupid pride from time to time."

"Pride it's all I have left."

"I guess your right. Pride and a stupid dream called Santa Fe…"

"It's not a stupid dream!" Jack protested.

"Then fight to make it real, for God's sake! You put everything on hold for it."

"It's just a dream, Georgia. Dreams don't have to be real. Don't you get it? They're your safety net that keeps you for going insane when you think you lost everything."

"I think you should just go for it."

"Do you want me to leave for Santa Fe?"

"At least you would be doing something… There's nothing to keep you here in New York anyway."

"You are so wrong… Don't you think I would have left by now? But my home is here… well, maybe it's not as fancy like yours but is still a home… and all my friends are here… and you are here…" Jack whispered.

"I don't understand you. I thought I did once but…" Georgia shook her head. "This is useless, we are getting nowhere." she sighed. "You'd better leave."

"No. Not until I get what I came here for." he said stubborn.

"And what is that? You suddenly discovered that you need something from me? I'm stunned. What is it?"

"My bandana." he said pointing to the red bandana on the bed.

"Oh, that." said Georgia a bit disappointed. "Sure. You can have it back, but I'm afraid it's stained."

She took it and handed it to him pretending that she didn't care. Jack looked at the large dark stain that covered it and remembered her bleeding in his arms all the way to her house. A shiver came down to his spine.

"No, I lied. That's not what I came for." he said staring at her. "I came for you."

"Me? What do you need me for? Did something happen to one of the guys?"

"Yeah, sort of… One of them needs you really bad and he's too stupid to admit it. He also knows that you're mad on him, not that you're not in title to be, so I came to plead his case."

"Bad choice! Didn't you tell him that we hate each other?"

"He was feeling so miserable that I felt pity for him. And by the way, that's not true. We don't hate each other."

"This is weird. I was under the impression that we do."

"No, sweetheart, didn't anybody tell you? We love each other!"

"No way! In which paper was written that?"

"Yes, we do! I admit I was as surprised as you are when they told me but I couldn't denied it either."

"Well, they were wrong! I surely don't love you!"

"That's too bad, 'cause I do and you won't get rid of me so easily."

"What did you just say?" Georgia stared at him with her eyes wide opened.

"I said… I said… I don't remember! What did I say?" Jack played innocent.

"You said you love me!"

"Yeah? Maybe I did! So?"

"Leave! Right now!" she shouted at him.

"Nope, I ain't leaving, sweetheart. I'm here to stay!" he announced her getting close to her.

Georgia stepped back while he was getting closer and closer. She reached the bed. There was no place to go from there.

"Are you afraid?" he whispered touching her hands.

"Let me go or I'll scream." she warned him.

"I dare you." he smiled.

Georgia opened her mouth but he covered it with his and he didn't let her go until they got out of air.

"How dare you!"

"I couldn't let you bring the whole house in here, could I? I don't like to have an audience while kissing you." he smiled and kissed her again.

This time she didn't protest.

"So, did you make up your mind by now?"

"What?" Georgia opened her eyes.

"Do you love me or not?"

"I'm not sure yet." she smiled.

"Then we'll have to try it again until you decide." Jack sighed.

He bent his head to kiss her but a middle age woman that entered the room without notice interrupted them. She was looking still young and pretty and she rushed to hug Georgia pulling her away from Jack's arms.

"Darling, I'm so happy you're all right!"

"Mom, what are you doing here? You were supposed to be in Washington." Georgia asked surprised.

"I have just arrived. I was so worried about you when I found out what happened." she said and hugged her once again. "Don't you introduce me to your friend?"

"Mom, this is Jack…"

"Francis Sullivan, ma'am. It's an honor."

"Since when…?" Georgia asked him confused.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sullivan. I want to thank you for saving my daughter's life. Georgia, maybe your friend would care to stay for dinner."

"I don't think…"

"I'd like that." Jack said.

"Great! I go unpack now. I will see you both later."

"She seems to like me." Jack smiled after Georgia's mother left.

"I wonder why? What was that about staying for dinner?"

"I need an allied inside since it's obvious you're not cooperating. I thought dinner would be a good idea." he said holding her.

"You are very serious about that." she noticed.

"Of course I am. You are a great catch after all." he laughed.

Georgia hit him over the shoulder.

"That's not funny!" she complained. "That's why you changed your name? Did you think Sullivan would fit the surrounding?"

"Sullivan is my real name."

"Since when?"

"Since the day I was born."

"Then I feel for you, 'cause I fell in love with Jack." she sighed.

"You did? Really? When?"

"Yeah… and for quite some time now." she whispered and kissed him.

"Now I have a question. Who's Patrick?"

Georgia laughed in his arms.

"You're feeling insecure?"

"No, but I need to know who the competition is in order to defend my rights."

"Oh, God." she sighed rolling her eyes.

THE END