Disclaimer: I, or we I mean, don't own Newsies. Very unfortunate...

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It was about 5:00 o'clock when the soft rainfall turned into a pounding thunder storm. A stray lightening bolt had hit the roof, and ignited the upper floors of the factory. Christin was desperately trying to get all the children out before it was to late for them, but it was extremely hard, because all the windows were locked, and there weren't any men on her floor to try to break through them, not that they would really even survive the jump. Luckily, she was closer to the bottom, and there was still hope she might get them all down the stairs alive. As the people started pouring out of the building, Jack was making his way back to newsie square. Jack recognized the burning factory and began looking for Christin. When he realized she wasn't there he began to panic, and decided to go find her in there himself. Christin had gotten the children out but had been hit by a falling timber and was lying unconscious in the stairwell. People tried to stop him from entering the collapsing building, but he ran right past the police.

"GET OFF! Someone is still in there!" Jack yelled to anyone who stood in his way. "There are lots of people in there!" shouted someone farther back in the crowd. Jack ignored them, and tried to get his voice to carry over the thunder of the flames. "Christin, Shades, where are you!" Jack remembered when she had gotten the nickname. It was only a few months earlier when Jack had made Christin blush, turning her cheeks multiple shades of red. The nickname Shades had just stuck, especially since she was often blushing. Jack pushed onward through the burning building, more resolved than ever to find her.

He knew where the stairwell was, and rushed for it, making his way through thick, choking smoke. Pushing through fallen beams and debris, he finally came to where she lay, and bent down beside her.

Christin opened her eyes at the sound of footsteps. She moaned at the pain in her head and saw a fuzzy face in front of her. It almost looked like Jack. She blinked, trying to clear her vision, but she just felt even dizzier. Now she could his voice calling to her, but it was muffled, as if someone had stuck cotton in her ears. She had one last, clear glimpse of his face, wreathed in flames, before she fainted again.

Jack picked her up quickly than looked around. There was no way he could go back down the stairwell, as it was blocked with wood and fire. He made his way into the large room where Christin worked and looked around for a way out. He knew the fire escape door was locked because Christin had complained about it several times. He set her down on the floor and peered out the window. There was a small ledge, barely wide enough for a man, running around the building. Well, he thought, better this than death by fire. He went over to the window, whispering to Christin's unconscious form, "Don't worry, Christin, I'll save you".

He broke through the glass and then climbed on the ledge. First he dragged her behind him and then carefully scooted along with her in tow. He could hear screams below, but didn't look down till he came around the corner. The ledge led to the fire escape and he was able to pull her to safety. I'm just lucky she happens to work in a factory that has one of these. Then he picked her up and began climbing down the escape.


Erin and David searched frantically through the crowds, than Erin saw something. "David!" she grabbed his arm and pointed upward. There was Jack, on a ledge, edging his way around the building, dragging a familiar burden.

"Oh my…"she whispered.

David put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "There's nothing we can do till he gets to the fire escape. Just hold on."

When Jack got down they ran over to him. "Jack? Are you alright! Christin!"

"I'm fine." He looked at Christin. "I'm pretty sure she's just fainted." He smiled at Les then said to David, "Why don't you take Erin back home with you? When Christin wakes up, I'll come and tell you the news."

Erin looked at Jack and then David worriedly as Jack spoke, and then tried to protest, "She's my friend…I really shouldn't…"

"It's okay…she'll be fine. Come on Erin, she'll probably wake up faster with less people around anyway." David took her arm gently, and led her away from the devastating scene, with the fire lighting up Jack and Christin till they were out of sight, and around the corner.

Christin did not wake up until much later, and was surprised to find herself in Jack's arms. Her eyelids opened to reveal dark brown eyes which were, at the moment, very confused. He did not realize that she was awake until her arm moved around him to hug him. She had realized what happened, and was feeling extremely lucky, and grateful.

Christin softly whispered, "Thanks."

Jack exclaimed, "Well, I couldn't lose you in a fire, now could I?" He smiled goofily at this, pleased with his own heroics.

Christin said, "I guess not." She found herself blushing slightly at his romantic rescue.
Jack was ecstatic, even though he was covered in soot. He kept holding her and hugging her, giving her that really cute and goofy grin. Christin didn't mind, she didn't really know why he wouldn't let her go but Jack wasn't such a bad person to have hugging you. Maybe he felt the same way about her as she did about him. And she knew she wouldn't mind that at all.

The rain started again, but the two didn't notice it at first. They remained in each other's arms while the rain fell onto the cobblestones around them. Finally, they took notice, and they ran to the apartment building to try not to get completely soaked. Sadly, it didn't work, so when they got there, they were drenched all the way through.

Christin said awkwardly, "Well, I guess I should get inside."

Jack asked hesitantly, "Will you come to the square tomorrow?"

Shades smiled and said "Yeah, I suppose so, since we no longer have the usual meeting place at our disposal. Then, remembering how he had been earlier that evening she added shyly, "Bye."

This made Jack snicker a little (as a young man confident in his charms will do), then he answered, "Bye."

Christin went upstairs, and didn't see Jack waiting to make sure she got up safe before he went on to the Jacobs' apartment.