Chapter 3

Hestia stood in her cell, waiting for the guards to come and get her. She was very nervous, and very afraid, that she'd be found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison…or worse. Death. She'd managed to brush out her hair, and pull it back off her neck a bit, letting most of it hang around her shoulders. Hes looked out her window, and saw the storm clouds moving in. Until this very moment, her favorite types of days were the rainy ones. Those days, she got to start up a fire in the fireplace downstairs to help the boys dry off, and then go make cocoa, and soup for them to warm up with.

"Please, God, let those days of joy and fun that stemmed from rain clouds stem once more today. Let them believe me, let me live a life I'd already started, out there, with my family. With the newsies…" She sighed sadly, feeling the tear fall from her eye, down her cheek, and off her chin, splattering on the floor. The door opened.

"Moore! Let's go." She turned, nodding, and followed the guard to her trial.

She sat at a table, hands crossed on her lap.

"This is the case of the Jacob family vs. Hestia Moore. All rise for the honorable Judge E.A. Monahan." Everyone stood, and she looked over at her lawyer, Josh Hartford. He nodded at her as they sat, and she looked behind her to see who was there. Hestia smiled as she saw Race, Dutchy, Skitts, Spot, Les, Specs, Mush, Itey, Crutchy, and Boots, but frowned when she realized Jack and Blink were not there, and neither was Oscar. Les was sitting two rows behind her, smiling at her. She closed her eyes, faintly smiling, and turned her head, seeing Sarah, David, and Esther Jacobs sitting on the other side of the room, the side that was against her. She felt a tear stinging at her eye as she looked back at the Judge.

"Would the defendants please rise?" Hes and Josh stood. "In the case of…the Jacobs versus Hestia Moore, Miss Moore, how do you plead?" he asked. Hes looked at Josh.

"Your Honor, my client pleads innocence." Esther scoffed, and Hes shot a look across the room, that no one caught. Monahan nodded.

Hes sighed.

"I'd like to call Hestia Moore to the stand," Josh said, later on in the trial. Hes stood, and moved to the stand. The bailiff held out a bible.

"Place your right hand on the book, and your left hand in the air." She did so. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" She nodded.

"I do."

"You may sit." Hes sat down.

"Miss Moore…Do you recall what happened on the day in question?" Josh asked. Hes laced her fingers together on the lap of her dress.

"Yes, I do…I suppose I could tell you what I did all day, but I'm thinking that you just want to know what happened during the time that Mr. Mayer Jacobs was killed…" Josh smiled.

"Well, if you can synopsize what happened all day, go ahead."

"I awoke an hour before dawn, like usual. I woke the newsboys up, making sure they woke in time to get out and get their papers. I went for a bit of a walk, and then had lunch, and later on dinner, as well, at Tibby's. Between those times, I did what I normally do…Went around and bought the unsold papers from the newsboys…That evening, though, when I got back from dinner, Kloppman had gone to his room, and…I went out again…"

"But you didn't go out with the intent to kill anyone, right?"

"I've never killed anyone, never wanted to kill anyone, and never will kill anyone. I went out…with…a friend…and, yes, I ended up in the alley next to Mr. Jacobs building, but I didn't kill him." Josh nodded.

"I've no more questions, your honor…" He went and sat down. The prosecutor stood, and smirked.

"Who were you with that night?" he asked.

"Pardon me?" Hes asked, looking up. She spotted Jack and Blink in second to last row in the room. Moving her eyes around, she spotted Oscar hiding in the corner. She sighed.

"Who were you with that night?" he asked.

"I told you, a friend." Jack shook his head, but Oscar was smirking, his arms over his chest.

"What's your friend's name, Miss Moore? We realize they are a friend, we need a name!" She retreated in her seat a little, surprised.

"Uh…uh…"

"Miss Moore, may I remind you that you are on trial for murder here, so if you do not say their name, you are more likely to be seen as guilty!" Hes scanned the faces of the newsies she'd been with for years, newsies she'd taken care of, and raised. She looked at Les and then over at the rest of the Jacobs. Without looking at Oscar, she took a breath, tears in her eyes.

"I was with my ex-boyfriend…Oscar Delancy!" she exclaimed, looking at the prosecutor. All the newsies gasped, and Oscar's eyes went wide. The prosecutor nodded, smiling.

"Thank you…"

Hestia wiped her eyes as she was led outside, and felt the cool stormy breeze on her face for the first time in nearly a week.

"Hes, Hes, Hes!" Les cried. She turned, and picked him up in a big hug, spinning him around.

"Hey, Les!"

"You're free!" he cried, laughing. She laughed, too, and set him down.

"And…I have you to thank, Les! You were the one person who believed me from the beginning…"

"Excuse me…Hestia?" She turned, and her smile fell as Esther walked out with Sarah and David.

"Yes, Mrs. Jacobs?"

"I'm sorry that I accused you…I'm very, very sorry…" She nodded.

"I'm sorry about your husband," she replied. Hesitantly, Hes hugged Mrs. Jacobs. Esther took Sarah down the steps, and back to their apartment, leaving David and Les in Hes' care.

"Sorry for not believin' ya, Hes…" She smiled.

"It's alright, David…I understand why you didn't…Come on…I'm starved…Let's grab something from Tibby's…" she began.

"I'll buy," he interrupted.

"David…"

"Hes, you always buy. It's my turn…" They headed down the steps, Hes holding Les' hand.

"Hestia!" She stopped, just as they reached the street, and turned to see Oscar jogging up to her.

"What?" He stopped in front of her.

"What did you mean, your ex­-boyfriend?"

"You heard me. You tried to make a deal to get me out, and I wanted out because they believed me, not because your rat of an uncle managed to get me out…I don't ever want to see you again…I don't know what I saw in you in the first place, Oscar Delancy, but I don't see it anymore. Leave me be…With my family."

"Fine…But you'll regret it…" Hes shook her head, and turned, taking David's hand, and continued to Tibby's.

She jammed a fry into her mouth, smiling across the table at Les, and lifted her eyes as Jack walked up.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked.

"I'm eating, Jack…"

"Hes…" he began.

"Jack," she mocked, rolling her eyes. He gripped her elbow, and tugged her out of the booth. She glared at him, but looked back down at David and Les. "I'll be back in a minute…" He pulled her to the back of Tibby's, where it was empty, and looked at her. "What?"

"I wanted to apologize for not believing you…"

"It's not gonna do much good, Jack…I'm free because I had Les to believe in me…And Skitts…and a bunch of the others…And I'm free because I couldn't bear the thought…of losing my family…"

"Your family?"

"The newsies, Jack. You guys are my family. You always have been. I can't believe you didn't know that…"

"You never told us," he pointed out.

"Maybe not, but I raised you all. I may only be, like, three years older than you, but I still raised you. Kloppman tought me how to do a lot of things, and I turned, and used those things to raise you, and then I helped teach you. I always felt like…like a surrogate mother…And…I don't know, Jack, I can't explain it to you…it's just…" She sighed. "Forget it. I'm going to go finish eating with my friends, now, if you don't mind…" Jack watched her walk away, and drop back down in the booth across from Les, shaking her head.

Hes walked around the room, looking at the sleeping newsies, a peaceful smile on her face.

"Hes…" She jumped, and spun around. Jack looked back at her.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I wanna talk to you…without worrying about how loud our voices get…Can we go up on the roof?" She sighed, but nodded. "Come on…" He took her hand, and led her up to the roof, closing the door behind them.

"What is it, Jack?"

"Why didn't you tell us about you and Oscar?"

"Would you have believed me?"

"Well…of course. You've never lied before."

"But you couldn't believe me when I said that I didn't kill Mayer."

"That was different…Wait…the night he died…Were you crying because of Oscar?" She walked to the edge of the roof, and nodded.

"Yeah…Yeah, I was. He, uh…He was forcing me to choose between him and you guys…"

"I'm guessing you chose us?"

"I couldn't choose anything else. You guys are my family, Jack. Without you guys…I'd probably have died already…There isn't anything else I need, Jack…" She sighed, and shook her head. "I did choose you guys. And I want you to feel proud of that. I loved Oscar so much…Don't know why, but I did…" Jack faintly smiled.

"I do feel proud…were you ever planning on telling us about you and Oscah?" She shrugged.

"Maybe…Maybe not…I don't know, and right now…I don't care…Oscar doesn't. Forcing me to choose between my life and my love. What would you have chosen? The newsies or Sarah?" He sighed. Sarah was a touchy subject for him, especially after she'd taken off a year and a half earlier without telling him. He had to learn from Davy and Les.

"Why're you usin' me?"

"Cuz yer here, Jack Kelly…C'mon, tell me." He sighed.

"The newsies. Dey's always 'ere, even when dey's mad atcha. I proved dat…" Hes smiled, and turned to face him.

"Sorry to bring her up, but…"

"I undahstand…" She nodded her head, and looked over at the moon as it rose.

"It's so beautiful out here…"

"Hes?" She looked back him.

"Hm?"

"Why'd you come ta us newsies in da foist place?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Ya'll were so…rowdy, and rambunctious, and messy…and Kloppman looked like he was losing him mind. So, I offered to come in and help. The whole naked newsie thing really never bothered me, so…" Jack smiled, and nodded. "I'm glad you ain't mad at me, Jack…Youse dere leadah…if youse was mad…dey'd be mad…" Jack shrugged.

"Some of dem don' follow da leadah no more…" She nodded.

"I've noticed." He stepped closer, and put his arms around her waist.

"Come 'ere…" he said, and pulled her into a hug. She put her arms around his shoulders, and closed her eyes.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Not hatin' me…" He chuckled, and pulled back a little. She smiled up at him, and turned her head, seeing the big, bright full moon over them. "It's so pretty…" she said softly.

"Yeah…" Jack said, nodding, but he didn't look at the moon. Hes turned her head, and her smile dropped a bit.

"Uh…Jack…The moon's up there…" He shrugged, and pushed her hair off her shoulder.

"I know…but your right here."

"Jack…" she began, moving away from him.

"Hm?"

"Please don't. I…I…I can't be this close to anyone now…" He watched her run down the steps, and sighed, shaking his head.

A week later, Jack wandered down the road, towards Brooklyn, with his hands jammed into his pockets. He paused, looking at the bridge. A girl leaned against the railing, laughing, with Spot. Spot had a smile on his face that Jack hadn't ever seen before, and shrugged, continuing over. He slowed a little when he saw Spot lean over, kissing the girl's cheek, and completely froze when she turned her head.

"Hes?" he asked.