okey, i think i like the last chapter now, so we can proceed

rileyhiggins-you're really weird...

elleestJenn-aw, come on, im not making fun of you! ok, yes i am. but mustard is going to be very cool! im going to introduce her...again...

Garen Ruy Maxwell-eh, go ahead and yell at me all you want. i dont mind. yes, Dutchy is being virtuous and what not now. wonderful eh?

just a note:make sure you have read the rewrite of the last chapter before reading this one, or things will seem really weird onward, whoosh!

Kid Blink and Dutchy snapped back to reality at the sound of slow hoofbeats after well over an hour. The sky was darkening as they saw Cowgirl approching them. She was lead by a girl with hair so ridiculusly blonde she made Dutchy look like a brunette.(in case you dont know, Dutchy is the one true blonde newsie) On Cowgirl's back was a red head with Mustang draped in front of her. The boys jumped the fence and ran up to them, but stopped as the blonde held up a hand and glared at them.

"Scare the horse and your friend'll fall. It's terribly spooky, we couldn't even get her to stay on without Suep." Dutchy nodded and moved to the horse's side. With the help of the red head, he took Mustang in his arms.

"We have her hat too," the red head said, looking around, "Mustard, what happened to her hat?" The blonde rolled her eyes and pointed to the pocket of the shorter girl's strange reddish brown over coat. "Oh, of course. Here it is." Blink took the hat, taken aback a bit by her cheery optomism and outgoingness(which probably isnt a word).

"Cowgirl stays back there." After the girls had persuaded Cowgirl into her paddock and wrestled the bridle off, he lead them inside. Dutchy had already placed Mustang on her bed and was sitting in a chair next to it. The others found chairs and sat down as well.

"Well, first off, I suppose we should introduce ourselves. My name is Mustard, and this is Suep." The blonde girl gestured to herself and then the red head.

"Kid Blink." He extended a hand and they both shook it. "And this is Dutchy." He was staring at Mustang and didn't acknowledge the fact that he was being introduced.

"We wanted to thank you for sending the horse," Suep began to babble, trying to break the uneasy tension that settled around Dutchy's silence, "She was very helpful. And Spot Conlon looked terribly funny leading her." She giggled. Mustard rolled her eyes again. "He never got closer to her than about two feet. I think he was afraid. By the way, how did she," a gesture toward Mustang, "end up in the river anyway? They never told us."

"She fell off the bridge," Blink whispered. Both girls gasped.

"How-"

"That's all you need to know," Dutchy snapped. They didn't know anything about Mustang. The last thing he wanted to do right now was tell the whole story. It was killing both him and he knew Blink too, as it was.

"I'm sorry. It was not our place to ask." Mustard stood and placed a gentle hand on Dutchy's shoulder. He was fighting to hold back tears. "I can tell you were very close to her. If it makes you feel any better, she must've put up quite a fight against that river. When we found her, she was holding onto a log the stay above the water. She managed to get a pretty good hold on it, cause even when she was unconsious it was difficult to get her off." Dutchy looked up at her. Mustang was the kind of person that never seemed to need anyone to hold her up, that she could do everything she did without all those around her. The thought of her having to cling to anything didn't make him feel any better. And yet somehow...

"Thanks." She smiled and turned to Blink. "Does Jack Kelly stay here? Cowboy?"

"Yeah." Suep's face lit up. "Come on, if yah wanna see him. You gonna be OK Dutchy?" He nodded and Blink lead the girls upstairs. Suep squealed and Jack turned around.

"Jack!"

"Susi!" She sprinted across the bunk room and flung her arms around her neck. He caught her and spun her around and around, causing her long coat and curly red hair to fly out behind her. Finally he tripped and they collapsed in a giggling heap. A number of the other newsies were staring or making comments. Neither of them seemed to notice. "I haven't seen ya in so long kid!"

"I told yeh to come and visit me. Us girls down da riva don't eva get no visitors. Maybe a couple a dem Brooklynites once in awhile, but that's just ta tell us Spot says this or we should do that." She sighed. "I ain't the only one who's been missin' ya Cowboy," she laughed, giving hima playful punch on the arm.

"Are you gonna tell us who dis is, or shall we have someone run ta Sarah and tell her she's been replaced," Racetrack asked, leaning against one of the bunks, cigar in his mouth, looking terribly amused. Jack stood and helped Suep, blushing a bit, to her feet.

"A good friend a mine. Susiana, of the Brooklyn gals." She gave an exagerated curtsey with her over coat, revealing a deep red shirt and gray pants.

"Or if you prefer, Suep." Jack laughed. "And this is my friend Mustard." She pulled the blonde forward. Even under her brown hat, her vibrant hair was quite visible.

"Mustard eh? Where'd ya get that name? Should be somethin like 'Princess' if ya ask me." Mush laughed at his own joke. Suep stepped aside and Mustard gave him a good punch in the gut.

"She ain't exactly a princess, if ya see what I mean. She's very quiet, but don't mess with her...anymore. Mustard's her favortie food, so we went with that. Plus, yellow hair, yellow food." She shrugged.

"If you boys don't mind, we need to be getting back before it's too dark to see the bridge." Suep gave Jack another hug and the two girls headed out.

Suep and Mustard! yes, i have created my own band of newsies. the brooklyn girls live down the river a ways, but are still technically under the command of Spot. my next chapter will be up tomorrow, even though id like to write it now!