Disclaimer: We don't own Newsies. Yes, so depressing I can't even think of something semi-funny to say about it.

Erin laughed and watched the newsies running down the street, leaping over barrels, singing and dancing, without a care in the world. She waved to Mush and Jack as they ran by, then began walking again. She usually bought her paper from one of them, depending who found her first on her way to school. She loved walking this way, because hearing their morning song always cheered her up. She was about a couple of blocks from school when Jack finally caught up with her. She turned and smiled, "Took you longer this morning".

He grinned and clapped a young man on the shoulder, someone she hadn't ever noticed with the newsies before. "Got me some new selling partners." Then he ruffled a little boy's hair. "Right, Les?"

"Right Cowboy!" The boy grinned, nearly hopping in his excitement. Erin laughed then extended her hand. "Hello, Les."

"Hi." He barely paid attention, as he was looking at Jack with something close to hero-worship. She straightened up, and then looked at the young man next to Jack. He was a nice-looking boy, with curly brown hair and light blue eyes. She also noticed how carefully and tastefully he was dressed compared to the other newsies. He blushed and took off his cap, extending his other hand.

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am. My name is David".

She smiled at him, "The pleasure is all mine David, and my name is Erin". Her smile turned into a grin. "Please don't call me ma'am, it makes me feel like an old lady."

"Okay." He smiled back at her. Jack was growing impatient, and sensing a break in the conversation, he interrupted.

"So you want your pape?"

"Oh yes. I almost forgot!" She pulled her pocket change out, then gave it to him. She carefully folded her paper in between her books to read later, than looked up.

David was watching her inquisitively. "So do you work around here?"

"No, I used to work at the Smith Clothing factory, but my brother got promoted high enough at his factory that he could afford to send me back to school." She smiled dreamily. "I always loved learning, and one day I would like to impart that love to other students, as a teacher." She blushed, realizing that she had drifted off on a tangent, one of her many bad habits.

"So, your brother takes care of you?" He seemed rather surprised.

"Yes, he's my only family."

"Oh, I'm sorry" He winced at his callousness, and then quickly changed the subject. "I liked school too, my favorite subject was history. I especially loved the rebellions and things liked that."

"Really?" Now it was her turn to be surprised, she didn't often meet guys that actually liked school.

"Yes, I was still taking classes up until a couple of days ago."

"Why'd you stop?" she asked curiously.

He sighed, "My father was in an accident at the factory, so I have to earn some money till he can go back to work." He shrugged his shoulders. "If I want to go back to school, that is."

"That's true," she replied wistfully, "I always thought being a newsie looked like fun".

Jack grinned, "That's 'cause they cant help having a good time when I'm around." This resulted in some good-natured shoving between Jack and David. Erin laughed, and turned to leave, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

She turned, and David's blue eyes stared intensely into her own. She shuddered slightly, for it was a bit unnerving.

"Don't give up on it, if that's what you want to do" he said fiercely, "You never know what could happen." He released her and grinned, and suddenly Erin could see his underlying confidence, intelligence, and maturity. She smiled, knowing that with that particular mixture of traits, he would grow up to be a very successful person, in whatever he chose to do. His words were strangely powerful too, they made her feel as if something was going to drastically change in her life, and soon.

Later that day, as she was leaving school, she was surprised to see him waiting outside.

"David!" She looked at him inquiringly. "What are you doing here?"

He laughed. "Actually, me and Jack were on the way to my house and as we were passing, I realized that this is probably the school you went to, and I just wanted to wait and see."

"Well I guess you were right. Where's Jack?"

David rolled his eyes. "He's trying to sell some papers to some classmates of yours over there."

"Oh bother", she picked up her skirts and marched over to where Jack was. There wasn't anything wrong with selling papers, but trying to sell them to a bunch of schoolgirls…Jack tended to lay on his charms very thick.

"Jack Kelly!" she called out.

He turned and gave her a sheepish grin. The girls behind him giggled and gave her some very wide-eyed stares.

She grabbed his arm, and hissed in his ear. "Jack, I happen to know a certain Christin that would be very upset if she knew you were selling papers like this."

His grin turned into surprise and confusion "You know her?"

"Yes, I do. I used to work at the factory with her."

"Oh." His face cleared, and then he spotted David standing behind her, trying to keep from laughing. Jack gave him a good glare for witnessing his humiliation, and David tried to straighten his face, but instead finally let loose. That was it for Jack. He turned and stomped away.

"Where are you going?" called David. "I thought you were coming to my house."

"Ill be dere later!" He shouted back. Suddenly his good mood returned, as a thought occurred to him. "I'm going to see Christin at the factory. She won't make fun of me."

David and Erin watched him walk away, then turned and looked at each other.

"You like to read, right?"

David looked at her in confusion, "Umm…yes…"

"I thought so, since you liked school." She smiled at him, "I know of a really great book store…"

"Okay," with a sudden burst of confidence, David took her hand. "Lead on".

"So Les…do you like to read too?" Erin asked as they neared her favorite bookstore, Gingham Brothers.

Les shrugged and swatted at the air with his wooden sword. "Not much, David likes it more than me." He looked up at her eagerly, his face lit with enthusiasm, "But I like pirates! They fight you know, and kill people!" He mimed a vicious pirate, curling his lip and snarling, plunging his sword into an imaginary victim. The victim almost became real when he caught an old lady in her ample stomach.

"Oof!" she exclaimed, reeling back. David managed to catch her in time.

"Sorry madam" he mumbled, blushing, "My kid brother doesn't always…" he clamped his hand over Les' mouth before Les could make the situation worse with his protests.

"Well! I never!" she exclaimed, adjusting her hat over iron-gray hair. She directed her beady gaze down at Les, who quivered at the anger in the glance. Drawing her shawl around her, the old lady huffed.

"Well, sir pirate, I hope you know that all pirates have to respect their mothers and grandmothers no matter how villainous they are."

Les looked up at David and Erin in disappointment, "DO they really? I don't wanna respect anybody!" He looked at Erin apologetically, "Sorry Erin, but I have to be fair."

Erin laughed, "That's quite all right Les." Then she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "But since Pirates are villainous, and lying's a sin, its okay to lie to the lady and tell her you agree now, isn't it?"

Les looked at her in astonishment, than broke into a huge grin. "Say! For a girl, you're not bad!"

David looked at her in bewilderment as Les turned to the lady, "You're quite right madam, and I most humbly 'poligize" he stated magnanimously.

The lady smiled and gave him a candy after ruffling his hair, then turned and left. David immediately glared at Erin suspiciously, "What in the world did you say to Les? I can never get him to do anything I say!"

Erin laughed and grinned down at Les, "Oh, just a little tip, maybe one day I'll tell you, but only if Les wants." When Les shook his head firmly, grinning wickedly up at his brother, Erin shrugged and smiled apologetically at David.

"Sorry, looks like I can't say anything" Erin chuckled and then grabbed Les' hand, pulling him along to the bookstore as David sputtered behind her.

"What? Why can't you tell me? Eriiiiin…that's not fair!" he called as he gave up and ran after her.

Erin smiled, "I know, it wasn't intended to be." Than she pulled him into the shop, putting her other finger over her lips to warn him into silence. He chose to just glare at her instead as she lead him over to her favorite section after showing Les the section with picture books. She spread her arms and smiled, letting him see all the wonderful books sold here. Treasure Island, David Copperfield, Moby Dick, War of the Worlds…

A genuine look of delight came onto his face as he studied the books reverently. He brushed his fingers along their spines, mouthing the titles to himself.

Erin whispered, "I told you that you would like this store" but he was too absorbed to hear her. She smiled and knelt on the floor to pull out David Copperfield, which she had been reading a bit of each time she came. Settling into a chair, she was soon engrossed in one of her favorite novels ever.

It was about six when they headed back towards his house, since David had invited her to dinner. David was carrying a tired and worn-out Les, who had had a very full day.

"David?" she asked, feeling unsure, "I feel like I've met you before…have we met?"

He stared at her hard, "I don't think so…wait….did you got to the Corner street kid's school?"

"I did! Wait a second…" she covered her mouth in surprise, "were you the boy…the one that got in trouble for singing out every word during the spelling bee?" she started laughing.

David blushed and scratched his neck uncomfortably, "Yeah, I was going through a musical stage…" suddenly his face lit up, "And you were the one who always joined in with me!"

She laughed, "Yup, that was me, I couldn't resist a song, no matter how off tune I was"

"You were pretty off tune" he admitted with a grin.

Erin put her hands on her hips, "If you weren't carrying Les I'd swat you with my book" she admonished him.

"No rest for the weary" he groaned, pretending to stagger.

She shook her head, "Oh come one, I could carry Les if I had to, are you that weak?" she teased.

David was properly affronted, "I am not, I was just..." he broke off then looked at her suddenly, "Say…I'm remembering more…you never showed up the next day…I wanted to talk to you, as you seemed pretty nice for a girl…."

"I'd rather not talk about it" she answered stiffly, it was a painful memory, that period of time when she couldn't go to school. Suddenly, she noticed something. In the distance, Erin saw a strange red glow. She felt her body tense with a sudden fear. "David?" she asked, her throat tightening.

"Yes?"

"Doesn't an orange glow usually mean a fire?"

"Yes, why?"

She gasped. "David! It's coming from the Smith factory. Christin works there! And Jack is there too!"

David looked at her, then shifting Les' weight so he could hold him tighter, they began to run.