From now on I don't post til i get at least one review from the last chapter. Thanks to all you who are still reading this crappy thing.

- - - - - - - -

Two days after the incident, Blink had gotten his papers and was sitting down to look through the headlines. In a few minutes, he looked up. Strange, Torch is usually heah by now. He didn't think anything of it.

The line got shorter. Torch still wasn't there. Blink started to get uneasy.

There was 5 people left in line. Torch still hadn't made an appearance. Blink left his papers where he had been sitting and walked up to Jack.

"Hey, Jack, ya see anythin' outta place?" Jack stopped what he was doing and looked around.

"Not really…wait a sec…where's Torch? He's usually heah by now."

"I tink we should go lookin' fo' 'im. Dere's sumptin wrong heah, I kin feel it."

"Da Delancys?" Blink had told Jack about the conversation he'd had with Torch in the alley.

"Mebe."

Jack dropped his papes in the snow. "Let's go." Blink ran out of the gates towards Torch's alley, with Jack following.

- - - - - - - -

Meanwhile…

"Red. Re-e-ed. Gittup, Red!" Torch heard the voices but couldn't place them. All of a sudden, a slap on her cheek woke her. She tumbled off the crates and onto the alley floor.

Evil cackles filled the air. The Delancy brothers.

"Wha? Whad I do?" Torch mumbled, still half asleep.

"I heard you was talkin' ta one of da street rats yestaday. Ya know dats against da deal."

Torch was still struggling to wake. And against something else. "An'…?"

"So we sent fo' Mista Snyda today. An' he ain't gonna have no problems pickin' ya up."

Torch's eyes shot open. She was being held helpless with her arms twisted behind her back, sitting on her knees. Her arms felt like they were being twisted out of her sockets.

Morris was facing her, fitting his hands to a pair of brass knuckles. "Now, Red, you yell an' we'll make it woise."

Torch didn't make a sound, as she took punch after punch in the face with the bare hand, then got the wind knocked out of her as Morris punched her in the stomach with the brass knuckles. Oscar was slashing her arms and legs just enough so it would hurt but not enough to make her bleed to death. Torch started to lose it. Just as they were binding her so she couldn't walk away, another voice appeared in the alley.

"Leave. Him. ALONE!"

Torch plunged into darkness.

- - - - - - - -

Blink, Jack, Race, Dave, and Mush rushed in to attack the Delancys. After a few minutes of soaking by 5 guys, the Delancys ran like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

Jack grinned in satisfaction, then turned to Torch. His grin disappeared as he surveyed the damage. "Let's get 'im to da House, boys."

- - - - - - - -

As they rushed by the distribution center, carrying Torch, a few other newsies saw what was happening and ran after them too. Jack brought Torch up to the room and commissioned Blink to take care of him. "Afta all, Blink, you'se like da newsie noirse, wit ya fixin' up evrybody comin' in sick or wounded. If'n ya need help, ask Kloppman."

Blink immediately took control, surveying the body as he talked. "I gots ta have room ta woirk, Jack. It'll take a while, but dere's not much ta do udder dan bandage cuts an' make shoah he ain't got infection. One-man job." Then, to everyone else, "Get on da streets, nuttin ta see heare, newsies. He's unconscious." All the newsies reluctantly filed out, except Jack. Blink looked up.

"Jack, get outta heah."

Jack only shook his head. "I feel responsible fo' dis, Blink. I wish I woulda pushed harda for 'im ta come heah."

"Well dere's not much ya can do bout it now." Blink paused. "Well, I might need a helpa. Ya wanna volunteer?"

"Yeh. It'll ease my conscience a bit." Jack ran to get the supplies Blink asked for.

Blink took a once-over of Torch's body, taking mental notes. Cuts on arms, legs, facial cuts and bruises, rope burn. Let's start with the limb cuts. Legs look worse. Let's go.

Blink pulled off Torch's pants, and almost let out a shriek of shock.

So dat's da secret. HE is a SHE.

- - - - - - - -

Slowly, the newsies trickled into the Lodging House, after selling the evening edition, by ones and twos. They hung around in the large downstairs room until curfew. As soon as they got into the ward, they immediately noticed one difference. Chaos broke out, with all the people talking.

The bed Torch had been lying on was empty.