Sorry about the delay. This week got away from me.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm not used to posting my writing. I honestly didn't think anyone would want to read it. I normally just need to get the thoughts out of my head. So thank you for the feedback! I'm glad you are enjoying it!

Now like I stated in the summary: This is NOT a Jackerine story. I am experimenting with a bit of an AU, where Bryan Denton (the reporter from the movie) is still apart of the story. Here the Newsboys that we know are younger. This is a few years before the strike, so bare with me. I'm getting is still in the story, but will have a different relationship with Katherine. So tell me what you think about it?

I hope you don't stop reading because I haven't paired Katherine with Jack. I do love them together...this is just another direction Disney could have gone.

Chapter 3

A group of young men made their way into Central Park. They were running around and messing with each other, being the typical "young boys" They were feeling very rowdy after their end of the week family dinner. 3 of them lugging around The World news bags. One carrying a very worn looking briefcase.

"Listen fellas I'm gotta be gettin home. I've been running ragg'd all week."

"What's with this Shooter...Are you's too good to hang out with your brothas now that you're a big time photo-taker?"

"Hey! when you gonna gets our picture in the pape'? eh Shoots?"

"I've gotta drop these prints off for approval first thing in thes mornin. You's fellas pulled me away from my work early to buy yas dinner remember?"

"Ohh comeon Shoots since you's not sellin papes anymore wes all agreed….yous buy the beers."

"And dinner?"

"Well we's needed something to cut that shit piss beer taste outta our mouth."

Bryan Denton laughed, he was more than happy to help out his brothers. Not to long ago he had been in their position. A news boy, working the streets trying to get someone to buy a pape'. But once you hit 18 the news boy biz doesn't treat yas so well. People just ain't gonna buy a pape from a grown man! And not to mention they's kick you out of the boarding house once to hit 18.

But these kids Jack, Romeo, and Crutchie were his family. They all stuck together like glue. He hated leaving them, beings Jack, the oldest of them was barely pushing 12. They's his little brothers. So he stayed close and checked in on them nearly everyday on his way to The World, where he worked as a photographer's apprentice. He still had his sense of duty in making sure they was taken care of. Even if his paycheck barely covered his living, and food for himself. He was happy to make sure the boys had a good meal once a week, and he missed these crazy fellas!

One of the boys, Jack, grabbed Bryan's very beat up looking briefcase.

"Hey Shoots, You's got a big front page picture in heres?"

"Give it back Kelly, just because I don't see yas mug all the time doesn't make me sentimental enough not to soak yas!"

The boy limping along with a crutch, Crutchie they called him, came to Bryan's defense.

"Hey come on fellas Shooter's really hit it big!"

"Comeon Crutchie! Being a photo-taker's bitch is a big step up from sellin' papes everyday!"

That did it. Bryan took off after Jack. He was fuming at the kid. He chased Jack down and just when Bryan was close enough to grab the case, Jack tosses it to Romeo.

"Yo! Romeo! Keep away from Shooter!"

Romeo catches it, and stops to look back at Bryan.

"Romeo...gives it here."

Romeo looked back at Jack and Crutchie gave them a smile, and took off. Jack and Crutchie not far behind him.

"Ohh you're gonna get it boys! When I catch ya, yous gonna get a soakin!"

The boys ran trying to find a good place to hide. Bryan, not being conditioned to running as much used to be, found himself quickly winded. Finally He collapsed under a nearby tree trying catching his breath.

"Those…..bastards…..is gonna get….such a…...soakin' If I catch….them!"

He laughed as he struggled to catch his breath. Angry as he was, he also missed this. He never had time to goof around with the fellas anymore. He sat up and leaned against the tree.

"I gives them five minutes, then they'll be lookin' to find me...they'll get hungry eventually."

Once his breathing returned to normal Bryan started to hear sounds nearby. He jumped up when he heard what sounded like a strangled cry from somewhere farther inside the little wooded area. It sounded like a lady's cry but he couldn't be sure. Central park sometimes turns into a "hook up" place at night for those whos don't want others to know what kinda relations they's havin'. He had walked into one or two of these situations when he was a young boy. After his first encounter the older boys at the boarding house had to explain some of the finer mechanics of the birds and the bees to him. Bryan made it a point not to disturb those situations if he could avoid it. But something about that cry set off his senses. He tiptoed closer to the sound.

As he got closer heard two boys talking very obscenely to what he figured was a girl, but he couldn't see. She was being pinned to the ground. Bryan immediately recognized the boys. They were newsboys back when he was sellin' papes. Oscar and Morris Delancey, they was the two worst bastards he'd ever known. Always soakin the boys, and stealin their papes just after they'd paid for em.

"I knows you's a virgin, and yeah this is gonna hurt. But if sit tight sweetheart you's just might learn something."

"Don't you's mean when she has her turn with me?"

Those words made him sick. Bryan watched the poor girl struggling to get free. He was trying to calculate the best way to help her. Oscar ripped her blouse open. He could see she was trying hard not to cry but the tears were welling up in her eyes. His heart sank. She was being pinned down by Oscar, while Morris held her hands above her head. She looked so frightened. She kept fighting against them. but there was nothing she could do. The sight made him sick. Who could do this to someone? That poor girl. Oscar and Morris weren't the most moral boys he worked with, but he had no idea they would be capable of this!

Right as he was about to jump into the situation, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Bryan jumped slightly at the touch and turned around to see Jack, his finger at his mouth in a "shhhh!" sign. He pointed to two other trees in the area, Romeo and Crutchie were behind them. They all had the same look that Bryan had in his eyes. Theys knew they had to soak these bastards and help this girl...