A/N: Here's another chapter! This one took a while. A little longer than a week, wouldn't you say? Probably because I was in vacation for two weeks and school started....JOY!!! And...Writer's block.

Shout Outs:

Joker is Poker with a J- Ya gotta love Gecko! He's just one of those irresistible, cute, younger kids!

Smiley Cad- Tehehe... Race has it coming! [It's not certain, but since you mentioned something.. who knows! 8) ] The kiss made it more enjoyable? GRAND!

Sassandra- People! We have a very kind and sweet person on the loose!

NadaZimri- Yeah, I know, I checked. But I have another idea of how to get it on. It might not work but we'll see.

Pokerfiend1313- I see you changed your pen name. Me likie, likie! So many reviews! Your good! Haha, fangirl sqeal! I love it! And I don't hate you. I don't like to hate people. So your good to go! ::thumbs up:: ..... I should add some more of Candle, shouldn't I?

Vacant Skies- An angel in the smoke! Ahaha! I love it! That made my day! ....... They better not stop airing The Days, Cooper will be missed!

Chapter 13

We had stayed on the docks embracing each other and just staring into each other's eyes, passionate orbs full of love and innocence. It seemed like forever until we finally let go of one another, but in all reality it was about forty eight seconds. The staring just seemed like forever, you could easily get lost in Spot's eyes for eternity and never want to look away. That's how it was for me anyway.

Spot and I were left in a comfortable silence, it was nice being in his presence. And I was beginning to enjoy his company even more every time I saw him. When he had first asked me out, I wasn't sure. But now that I'm considered to be his 'goil', I'm starting to feel strong feelings for him. Feelings that I have never gotten before.

"Wheah's... Spot? I'se need tah...tah find him," I overheard Boots pant towards one of the Brooklyn newsies. The newsie was hesitant to tell him at first, but after he realized no harm would be done, he pointed in our direction. Boots nodded and jogged over to where we were standing.

"Heya, Boots. What do ya need?" Spot questioned, turning, with a stern expression upon his face, to face the young teen. I could tell Spot was concerned, he had that look which displayed that he was listening.

"It's Jack... he's, he's hoit(hurt). Real bad, Spot. It's so bad dat he can't even walk." At this statement, Spot had a shocked look adorning his face. He would have never thought that Jack, Manhattan's leader would get 'soaked'. It just wasn't right.

The Brooklyn leader just started to run at a very high pace. All I could do was follow at the same pace with Boots. I thought that Jack was supposed to be able to take care of himself. Guess not, I was told wrong. But I couldn't have been, why would the boys lie to me about something like that?....Kind of like I'm lying to them... but that's not the point, the point is, is that Jack couldn't have just been soaked, it had to have been an unfair fight, right?

In record time, we reached the Manhattan Lodging House. I was about to collapse right there on the front steps, but I knew I had to get at least to the lobby. If I was lucky a chair would be available and to my luck there wasn't a chair. I just leaned up against a wall and slid slowly down it, my back against it the whole time.

Most of the newsies were in the lodging house, at least the lobby part of it. Everyone was looking worried. A little too worried, so worried that they were quiet with nervousness. Race wasn't evening playing a game of cards, which was a little shocking. He just paced the room, while playing with his cigar in his mouth. Spot then began to speak, which caused Race to stop all his actions.

"Who did it?" was all he could say.

"We don't know, yet. Us boys couldn't tink o' who it could be. I'se mean, we have been on good terms wit Queens lately. An' dah Bronx have been pretty civil tah us, since dah strike anyways," Boots said, being the only one who had been able to respond.

"Yeah, Boots is right. It still could have been anyone, dough ("though", yumm cookie dough. Don't mind me) ," Race added. Everyone nodded in agreement. Spot had seemed like he was looking for something, but couldn't find what it was.

"Wheah's Jack?"

"He's upstairs," Spot nodded and sprinted up the old steps. I just stayed put. I couldn't move and my body wasn't allowing me to. Damn, I wish I wasn't so out of shape. Note to self: Must go out running more, just not as long or as hard. I about died.

The boys kept quiet. No one could think of anything to say. I mean, it wasn't every day that their leader was in a fight that he lost. But who in their right mind go out and jump him like that? Boots did say that they were on pretty good terms with everyone...wait a minute! Oh God, no. They couldn't of, could they?

I sprang up from where I was seated on the ground and left the building as fast as I could. When I had left, I heard some shouts, but I couldn't exactly make out what they were saying. I did, however, hear Race yell, "'Fit, wheah ah ya goin'?!" and Mush scream at the top of his lungs, "Be careful!" He's so sweet.

Running as fast as I could, I ran towards my old life. To my apartment, with the pigs. On my way there I saw Candle chatting with SilentStriker. They waved in my direction as I passed, and I just smiled to acknowledge that I had seen them. I could tell that they were wondering why I was running, it was written all over their faces. They had just shrugged and started with their conversation again.

When I had finally reached my old apartment, I didn't even bother to knock. I just waltzed right on in like I still lived there.

"Oscar! Morris! I'se gonna kill ya!" I shouted as went straight to there room. When I used to live there, they shared a room and I had my own. Thank God! I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to share a room with those two.

Again when I got to their door, I didn't even bother to knock, just barged right it. They were laughing about something and they weren't alone. Tyler, Zaine, and Kealan were there as well. When they noticed that I was in the room they stopped their little fit of laughter.

"Well, well, well look what dah cat dragged in," Tyler commented as he studied me, head to toe. "I'se didn't know ya guys jus' let people come in as dey please."

"Shut it!" I pointed to him. "What da hell did ya do!?" I yelled in Oscar's face. He seemed to be confused. Like he had no idea what I was talking about.

"I'se dunno what ya are talkin' 'bout," he replied calmly, taking the words away from my thoughts. Everyone else was silent, but half of which had smiles on their faces.

"Don't give me dat shit! Why didja do it? He didn't do anythin' tah ya!"

"Who?" Morris asked from behind Oscar. I looked in his direction and told him all I knew about what had happened to the Manhattan leader.

"Oh dat!" Oscar replied as if what I said sparked his memory of the day. " Dah bastard was in our way."

"What do ya mean 'in ya way'?" I was not happy with his answer. And him being a pain about it wasn't making it any better.

"What do ya tink it means, ya dumb ass! He was in our way an' wouldn't move. So we made him." I still wasn't happy with his answer but nodded and tried to calm down. Jack was in his way? What the frick? I honestly don't think that Jack was in their way. There had to be something more. Jack must have done something to set him off. But what?

"Jack wouldn't have jus' gotten in ya way, ya know. You know dat an' I'se know dat. So tell me what happened." Oh, he better not lie. I swear to all of the holy people that walk this earth that if I found out he did, he's going to pay. ( that's sounds so violent and threatening!)

"Alright, alright. Ya see, we'se were all out today an' we saw Kelly sellin' dah aftahnoon edition. So, we'd thought dat we would pay him a little visit," Oscar said this a little too enthusiastically for my taste, considering the situation. "I'se went up tah him an' asked how dah headline was. I'se was bein' polite-"

"Hmph," I grunted. He looked at me with a cold glare, but continued on with the tale. "Like, I'se said, I'se was bein' polite an' he jus' said," Oscar started mimicking Jack as he said this. "Go back tah dah rat's nest ya came from." The boys all started laughing at his attempt of sounding and acting like Jack would have acted.

"An' well, I'se let dat comment slide. So as politely as before I'se asked if he had ever been tah a rat's nest because he sure looked like he did. Apparently, he took dat as an insult an' went off on me." I wonder why... but Oscar just continued with his story. "So, since I'se wasn't alone, me pals heah backed me up an' well Jack didn't look like he came from dat rat's nest anymore. More like he came from a garbage can!" (Ok, did they have trash cans bake then? I'm sure they do, right? If they don't, then ahh well, too bad for me. But if someone by chance knows, that would be an awesome fact to know in life! 8))

Everyone except me, erupted in laughter, even Zaine, 'the mute'. And I thought that he was the good guy of the bunch, I guess I was wrong. Why did they have to be so cruel to people, even Manahttan's newsboy leader. I mean, Jack and I aren't the greatest of friends, but we still got along pretty well, well enough for me not to backstab him anyway. Tyler noticed that I wasn't very happy over what my brother just said. "What's dah mattah dollface?" he said with a seductive smile on his face.

"Don't call me dollface! Ugh! Ya guys are sick! Every last one o' ya! He didn't do anythin' tah ya!" I can't believe this! These guys have a weird way of entertaining themselves. Why can't they be civil and amuse themselves by playing cards or going to bars and parties, not by randomly soaking people. That's just ridiculous!

I had then turned on my heel to leave, when I heard Oscar say, "Twelve days!" I know, I know! Why won't he shut up about it, I'll tell them on my own time. I don't need a secretary to remind me every single day, it's starting to get a little annoying.

In response to his comment, I didn't say anything. I just left the old apartment, trying to get back to the Lodging House as fast as I could.

At the LH

"Blink! My God! I'se heard what happened to Jack, wheah is he?" Blink motioned up the stairs. Snitch was told to go and get Candle, for she was good at doctoring people. Even when she was little, she loved pretending that she was a real doctor. It was her dream, but she knew it would never come true. She was just a newsie, not a rich and educated girl.

The teen ran up the steps as fast as she could and towards the room that they kept the Manhattan leader. When she saw him lying there on a bunk she was half excited and half sad. Excited, because that means she would have to use her excellent doctoring skills and sad because she HAD to use her skills, and on the Jack Kelly.

Spot and Race were the only ones up there besides her. She told the boys to leave so that she could get to work.

What should I tell the boys? What if they got suspicious? All of these questions were running through my head as I sprinted half way to the Lodging House, the last half I started to walk. Slowing down my pace, gave more time to think. I can't tell the boys that it was the Delancey's, they'd want to know how I knew. And if I didn't tell them and they some how found out, I'd be screwed.

I sighed, just as I got to the front door. I opened it and walked in. The room wasn't nearly as quiet as it was before. Everyone was chatting about who could have done it, or if he was okay or not. No one knew any of these answers except for me, for the first question, and Candle for the second. Walking over to where Race and spot were I asked, "How is he?"

"We'se don' know yet, Candle is up dere woikin' on him." Answered Race.

Upstairs

After what Candle had done to him, Jack would be alright. But if you just glanced at his direction before she had worked on him, you would have thought otherwise. When she first saw him, his head had a gash on it the size of a plum, right above his left eyebrow. He also sported a black eye and a few bruises. On top of that, two of his ribs were broken.

The young wannabe doctor, had wrapped all of his wounds in a tight cloth. Even though Jack was all bandaged up, he was still out of all consciousness and when he finally did awake he wouldn't be able to leave the LH for about a week.

When she finished she went to the washroom to wash her hands and then headed downstairs to tell everyone how he was holding up. After she reached the bottom step everyone went silent. Race was the first to speak. I guess he just couldn't take the anticipation much longer.

"How is he?" he had a hopeful look upon his face when he said this.

"He's fine," everyone sighed in relief. "But, he's still unconscious. An' when he does awake, he has tah stay in dah LH for about a week or so."

"Ya mean, he's not awake yet?" Mush asked with disappointment written all over his face.

"No, I'se sorry." She then walked over to Kid and they embraced in a tight hug. Hopefully, everything would be alright. God dammit! I want to tell them so bad. I want to tell them everything. But I know that this is neither the time nor the place.

"Uhh, Candle?"

"Yeah?" She answered, still in Blink's arms.

"Is it awright if I'se go an' see Jack?" I asked, wanting to get away from everyone downstairs.

"O' course, jus' don't wake him," Candle replied and then she turned so that she was talking to everyone. "Only one or two at a time, he needs his rest." I nodded and then headed up the stairs. I really hoped that no one had followed, but boy was I wrong.

A/N: Ok, I didn't expect this to happen, honestly. I was just gonna cut to the chase and start to get to the climax point. But then my trusty editor, ANGELFISH! Told me I should put more romance and this ended up coming out. No romance, I know...odd. Oh! And it's not really supposed to be a cliffhanger. I guess it could be considered as one though.