I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. To the best of my knowledge they are owned by Disney.

I am making no money from this story.

SLASH Jack/David Jack/Oscar.

A/N: This story was written for Lady of Tir Na Nog in honor of her birthday. I hope that I did justice to her character choices.

This story has not been beta'd. I hope that any rough patches in this story will not be too distracting

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Chapter 3 – Chief Running Wolf

Jack remembered the first time Oscar brought him home. Jack was dirty, and thin, and looked like he hadn't had a meal in days. And he hadn't.

Mrs. Delancey was the most beautiful woman that he'd ever seen. She didn't seem to notice his dirty and worn out clothing. She welcomed him into her home without question.

Before long, Jack was a regular fixture in the Delancey's.

Each day, Jack would sell his papers while Oscar was at school. They would meet in the park every afternoon at three then they'd run, and laugh, and play Kick the Can all the way back to Oscar's house. Mrs. Delancey was always there waiting with milk and cake for the boys. Then as Oscar did his homework, she would help Jack with his reading.

Every Sunday, Jack was invited to have supper with the family. He even had his own place at the table between Oscar and his mother.

After supper they would gather around the piano and sing. Mrs. Delancey always made sure to play The Band Played On because she knew that it was Jack's favorite.

They were as close as two boys could be. Jack had never trusted anyone before, but soon he told Oscar about Francis Sullivan, his mother's death, and of his father's incarceration. Oscar never told anyone. Not even his mother.

One weekend every month, Mrs. Delancey would take Oscar and Jack to visit her father in the Bronx. They would leave on Friday afternoon when Oscar come home from school and then return on Sunday evening. Morris never went with them. He preferred to stay home and play cards and drink beer with his father and his father's friends.

Grandpa Connelly had his own house with a swing in the back yard. He'd been a soldier in the United States Cavalry. Each week he would tell the boys stories of cowboys and Indians, and the deserts and mountains of the great South West.

Every Saturday, Mrs. Delancey would pack the boys a lunch of butter and jelly sandwiches, and grandpa would give them his canteen from the army. Then they would set out to explore the woods at the end of the trail.

On one of their visits to Grandpa's house, when the boys were almost thirteen, they awoke on Saturday morning to find a large box sitting on the dining room table.

"I've got a surprise for you boys," Grandpa said as he took the lid off the box.

Inside were a cowboy hat, and a headband with Indian beads and a feather tied to the back.

That afternoon the boys headed out for the woods with their sandwiches, Grandpa's canteen, and wearing their new western headgear.

The cool autumn air smelled fresh and clean. The crisp fallen leaves crunched under their feet as they ran through the woods and reenacted tales of the old Wild West. Sometimes the cowboys would win, and sometimes the Indians would be victorious.

Jack remembered hiding behind a bolder they'd named Indian rock. He watched as Chief Running Wolf sneaked through the woods with his makeshift tomahawk. When he was close enough, Cowboy Kelly leaped from behind the rock and hollered "Charge!" as he waved his wooden sword in the air.

Soon the skirmish was over, and the Cowboy's had won the battle.

"Now I'm going to scalp you," Jack declared.

"You cant' scalp me," Oscar laughed. "You're the cowboy. Only the Indian can scalp somebody."

"Well, how about this?" Jack grinned. He quickly grabbed Oscar by the shoulders and kissed him. It was more of a firm peck on the lips but it was a kiss nonetheless.

At first Oscar didn't move. He liked the strange tingling sensation that was covering his body. Within seconds, Oscar noticed another feeling. It was a much stronger feeling from deep within his body. When he realized what was happening, he panicked. He pushed Jack away and began to run.

Jack's long legs and natural ability was no match for the smaller boy. Soon Jack overtook him and knocked him to the ground.

"Get offa me," Oscar shouted. "Leave me alone."

"Be quiet," Jack ordered. "Stop being such a girl."

"I'm not a girl, I'm a boy! And boys don't kiss boys!"

"Well, you liked it enough a minute ago," Jack smirked.

Oscar stared up at Jack. He knew that he should scream, or fight, or run, but he didn't. The expression on his friends face was hypnotizing.

Jack leaned down and kissed Oscar. This time it was sweet and gentle. This time Oscar didn't fight. This time it wasn't over in a few seconds. Jack loosened his grip and slid his hands into Oscar's. They entwined fingers as they kissed and breathed in the scent of autumn leaves, and tall grass, and butter and jelly sandwiches.

The boys were quiet and didn't look at each other as they headed back to Grandpa's house. Finally, Oscar broke the silence. "What now?" he asked. "What if someone finds out what we did?"

Jack sat down on a rock and kicked at the fallen leaves. "I know," Jack grinned at his own cleverness. "We'll do what Grandpa said that the Indians do. We'll become blood brothers. Give me your penknife."

Oscar was apprehensive, but did as he was told.

Jack put a slash in his thumb and then did the same to Oscar. They held their thumbs together and swore to keep their secret and to remain friends until death. The oath was then sealed with the official New York City spit-shake.

They continued their visits to Grandpa Connelly's and their Saturday's in the woods. Eventually games of I'll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours were replaced by primal urges and more masculine desires.

Then when the boys were almost sixteen everything changed. Jack saw it in the Obituary Section of the paper. Joseph Connelly, Retired Sergeant of the United States Cavalry dies and age 62.

Jack left his papers lying on the sidewalk and ran to the Delancey's apartment building. The black crape wreath hanging from the door confirmed it.

Grandpa Connelly was gone.

End Chapter 3

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