We don't own newsies...bladda blah blah...

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After a short interview with Mr. Denton, the group headed over to Brooklyn. But after a little walk, Jack stopped and calculated just how long it would take to get there. Then, spotting a gypsy cart with a paint horse in front of it, an idea began to form…

"Hey guys," he called. They all came closer, looking at him curiously. He grinned at Daydream, "Hey Day, you're a thief, right ?". She nodded slowly. His grinned widened when he pointed at the cart.

Now Day also broke into a crafty grin. "No need to say anything else, Jack. Just don't make me drive the thing."

She crept over, looking around the side of the cart. No one. She motioned them over, and hustled them into the cart. Just then, a big man with a thick black mustache and red silk pants came out of the shop.

"Hey you! What do you think…"

Not giving him any time to finish, Day recklessly climbed up onto the cart's seat and grabbed the reins. Slapping them up and down, she shouted, "Hai-ya! Go horsey, go! YA!" The horse ran at a gallop, and she turned to wave a fast good-bye to the angry man, "Don't worry!" she called in a shaky voice. "We'll return it," she muttered under her breath, "Someday."

When they were a safe distance away, Daydream yanked back on the reigns. She dropped them and turned around, her face pale. "Um, does anybody know how to drive this thing? 'Cause I don't." Everyone in the back looked at each other.

"I know a little bit about carts," David mumbled, hoping no one would hear him. He was shoved to the front. Daydream picked up the reigns again and handed them to him with a relieved look. Erin made her way up to the front and sat down beside him.

They headed off at a trot and headed on to Brooklyn. In the back, Christin and Ashley were trying on the pretty scarves and headdresses, while the newsies examined the collection of knives.

When they finally stopped near the Brooklyn Bridge, there was an argument going on in the cart.

"Hey, look, a gun!"

"Put that down!"

"Calm down, it's a fake."

BANG! Christin jumped and glared at Jack, caught in the act with the gun in his hands and a guilty look on his face.

"Or maybe not…" he added guiltily. Christin sighed, color flooding back into her face, and slowly lowered her hand from her throat.

"Jack…" she said reproachfully.

"Sorry," he muttered, helping her out of the cart. As she got out, Christin noticed Daydream talking to some newsboy a farther on. He was a tall, lanky boy, with a Spanish look to him. His head was cocked, as if listening to something very important. Christin shrugged, who knew what company Day kept? Once everyone was out, Jack slapped the horse on the butt, and they watched it trot back off in the direction it had come from before they headed onto the Brooklyn Bridge.

Daydream ran right up to the rail of the Brooklyn Bridge, yelling joyfully to see how well her voice echoed. She was dragged away by a worried but amused Racetrack. "Come on, goil, It won't be so fun when you fall ova…"

Sighing, she followed the group, feeling bored after the excitement of the cart ride. When they stopped in a marketplace for Jack to talk to someone, she began to look around. That's when she spied her target. It was a girl with a long, brown braid down her back, carefully examining some apples. Daydream grinned. What an easy target! The girl was wearing an interesting looking bracelet-made out of some sort of black metal. It was big, and dangling off her wrist. Perfect. An original piece and an easy slip.

Whistling, she walked closer, waiting for the perfect moment. Then it came. The girl's hand was loose by her side, the bracelet already almost half-off. With a quick snatch, Daydream snagged it, and sprang back to the group. Haha! Another success. Except…

"Thief!"

Daydream turned around, all innocence. The girl was staring right at her, green eyes burning with fury. Day tapped Race on the shoulder, "Umm…Racetrack?"

Race turned and groaned as he caught sight of the girl. "Not another one, Day." But he didn't have time to finish. The girl gave an almighty leap and, before Daydream could scram, she was pushed down to the ground.

"Oww! Get off!" Her yells were muffled by the girl on top of her. She could hear shouts and Racetrack yelling, "Get off, get off! You'll break her!" Ashley started jumping up and down, shouting at the top of her lungs. She wanted to join the fight, but was afraid of hitting Daydream somewhere in the mess. So she just cheered Day on. "Come on Daydream! Giv' 'er a lefty! No! Your other left! Yes! Come on!"

Daydream fought for her life, shouting, biting, pinching, kicking, using any dirty trick she could think of, but the girl wasn't giving up. Jack tried to pull the girl off, but apparently she wasn't budging. Race was getting frantic. He was about ready to grab a nearby iron pot from a market stall and use it on the girl's head, no matter what he thought about fighting with ladies. Then an idea occurred to Daydream.

"Alright, alright! I'll give it back. Just get off me!" she cried. The girl climbed off slowly, staring at her suspiciously. Day smirked demonically and said, "Didn't your ma ever tell you not to listen to strangers?" She laughed then whammed the girl in the stomach as hard as she could with her foot.

The girl groaned and gave a big "Wuff", almost falling down. She held her stomach, moaning, and gave Daydream the most evil-eye she could manage. Day took that moment to spring up, ready to run, but a hand clamped down on her wrist. She looked up in surprise to meet the fierce gaze of Erin.

'Don't."

"Erin…" Daydream pouted. Great, now the bulls would get her if Erin didn't let go…was this girl a friend or not? Erin frowned.

"You can't steal from others that are a part of our cause." This earned several surprised glances from some of the newsies.

"What?" Daydream was confused, and the other girl looked rather befuddled too. "But she's not…"

Erin cut her off. "She's part of the working class. Are you a newsie? Nope. So there!" She turned to the girl and began to explain about the strike as the newsies looked on in surprise. Daydream grumbled and, after being forced to give the bracelet back by Jack, found solace in Racetrack's comforting arm that wrapped around her shoulder.

"Don't get down, Day." He grinned at her and lowered his voice, "Dey'll be plenty udder chances..." She smiled at him then watched as Erin concluded. They found out that the girl's name was Jewell. "I want to come with you to this Spot's place."

"What?" Even Erin was surprised.

"Well, since these people aren't all newsies, and I see no one representing the blacksmiths..." she paused and jutted her chin out, as if daring them to contradict her.

No one did. Christin shuddered slightly, and resolved to watch herself around this overbearing girl.

'Well then, if that's settled…" She hoisted her basket higher and lifted an eyebrow, waiting. The newsies began to walk again, slightly subdued. Ashley kept darting glances at Jewell, wandering if the girl would make it out of Brooklyn alive, but Blink tapped her arm, signaling that it was time to go, before she could go talk to Jewell.

Daydream pulled away from Race, and went over and hooked her arm through Jewell's free one. She grinned up at the taller girl. "So, now we can be best friends, right?" Jewell just glared as everyone burst into laughter.

When they arrived at Spot's place in Brooklyn, they were met by a bunch of tough-looking newsies but upon seeing Ashley, they grudgingly let the group by. Finally, at the end of the dock, Ashley saw Spot, "Spot! Darling, wonderful brother of mine!" He ignored her, and looked past her to Jack.

"Well, if it ain't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick." Then he turned to Daydream, and his eyes glared fire at her. "You. I thought I told you-"

"Heya Spot," she said, cutting him off. She was beginning to feel like she was more trouble to the others then she was worth. "Yeah, sure, you can kill me later but we've got something more important to do than that right now."

Ashley sighed. Why did she always have to make friends with people that Spot seemed to hate? Spot had told her once about some thief that he absolutely couldn't stand, and now she had a feeling about who it was.

Jack frowned. "I see you've moved up in the world, Spot."

The boys did a spit-shake, and Ashley caught Christin and Erin wrinkling their noses in disgust. Spot narrowed his eyes at Jack.

"Yeah. So, Jacky-boy. I've been hearing things from little birds," he said and his eyes slid almost unnoticeably towards Daydream. "Things from Harlem, Queens, all over. They been chirpin' in my ear. Jacky-boy's newsies is playing like they're going on strike."

Jack's hands curled into fists. "Yeah, well, we are."

David frowned and stepped forward. "But we're not playing."

Spot chuckled dryly, than glared at David, "Oh yeah? Yeah?" He turned towards Jack. "What is this, Jacky-boy? Some kind of walking mouth?"

Jack stared right back. "Yeah, a mouth with a brain."

As the tension continued to mount, Ashley edged away towards where the girls were standing. They all looked slightly nervous. "It's okay" she reassured them. It's just a show."

"Easy for you to say," muttered Christin.

Just then David's voice carried over the sound of seagulls and waves. "You gotta join. You just gotta!"

Daydream elbowed Erin, grinning. "Your man there sounds sooo enthusiastic."

Erin replied hotly, "He's not my man!" But she couldn't hide that she was blushing.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "Whatever…"

Then Spot's voice was heard, sinking everyone's heart. "That ain't good enough Jacky-boy. You gotta show me."

Ashley spun around, a shocked look on her face. "Spot!"

He shook his head. "No Ash. I'm serious. I can't commit until I know for sure." Spot walked away farther down the dock.

Dejected, Ashley turned towards the other girls. "He means it," she muttered darkly.

Jewell frowned. "We need to show him we're serious then." She beckoned everyone closer. "I have an idea."

A few moments later, as the rest of the group headed back, Ash and Blink went off in the direction of Queens, and Daydream and Racetrack went running off toward the Bronx.