"My god, what happened?" His mother asked worried as Jack put Les down.
"Nothing, Momma he's just sleepin" David told her giving her a hug and kiss.
David set the paper and as their mother put Les to bed.
"We've been waiting dinner for you, where've you been?" his father asked.
David dug into his pocket and pulled out his money laying it on the table. His father was shocked,
"You made all of this selling newspapers?" his father asked.
"Well, half of it's Jack's" David turned back to us, "This is our selling partner and our friend Jack Kelly and Danielle" he introduced us, "Jack, Danielle, my parents" David nodded.
"Hello" Jack shook his father's hand and his father kissed my knuckles as I curtseyed.
"Umm, that's my sister Sarah" David pointed to the corner and Jack stared at her and she blushed looking away from him.
"Ester, maybe David's new friends would like to join us for dinner?" his father asked David's mother and his mother nodded, "why don't you add a little more water to the soup?" David's father suggested kissing his mother's cheek sweetly.
"Mayer" she blushed and I smiled looking at Les who was sleeping and I heard rain starting to fall on the window as we sat down for dinner.
We said grace before eating the delicious soup and when we finished Jack was all business,
"So I gotta say from what I saw today" Sarah went around collecting the dishes, "Your boys are couple of born Newsies" Jack smiled, "Can I have a little more?" Jack asked her.
"Yes" She smiled going around him to get him more.
"So with my experience and their hard work, I figure we can peddle a thousand a week, not even break a sweat" Jack shrugged.
"That many?" David's father asked shocked.
"More when the headlines are good" I told him as Sarah sat more soup in front of Jack and taking her seat on the other side of Jack.
"So what makes a headline good?" Sarah asked staring at Jack.
"You know catchy words like" Jack thought for a second.
"Manic, or Corpse,?" I shrugged.
"Love nest and Nude" Jack added before Sarah and Jack laughed slightly, "Excuse me maybe I'm talking too much" Jack stated and I sighed wanting to leave but it was against the way I was raised and my manners.
"Sarah" David's dad smiled and Sarah looked at her father, "go get the cake your mother's hiding in the cabinet" he smiled.
"That's for your birthday tomorrow" Ester playfully hit him with a towel.
"Well, I've had enough birthdays, this is a celebration, huh" Mayer smiled.
"I'll get the knife" David stated and Jack smiled.
"I got the plates" Sarah stated.
"Jack" I whispered and he looked at me smiling.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You know what's wrong" I sighed as the cake was set down on the table and I smiled as their attention was back on us.
"Happy Birthday Papa" Sarah kissed his cheek as they all set the cake, plates and knife in front of him.
"This is going to heal, they'll give me back my job" Mayer told his family and I smiled because this was a real family, something I never had but always wanted a father and mother sitting at the table with their kids.
Ester cut a piece of cake and Sarah handed it to me and I handed it to Jack and I handed him a fork as well. I received my piece next and than David sat down beside me again with his piece.
"Come back my lovely dovey baby, and coochie- co with me" Les mumbled in his sleep and I laughed looking at Jack and David as they laughed sliding down in their chairs.
"And what is this David?" His mother asked and we went on eating our cakes.
After we were finished Jack took me out on the fire escape because the rain had stopped and I leaned on the railing he put his arms on either side of me and leaned on me slightly.
He kissed my head and I smiled,
"Think we'll ever have that?" I asked him quietly because the window was open.
"What's that?" he asked quietly.
"A family" I looked at him and he smiled rubbing my back softly as David joined us.
"How did the Medda story go over?" I asked David turning around so I was facing the same direction as them and Jack stood beside me now.
"Fine" he shrugged and I smiled as I linked my arm in Jack's and he grabbed my hand lacing his fingers in it.
We didn't really talk because the day we had was a long and tiring day, we just stared at the stars.
"So how'd your pop get hurt?" Jack asked after a while.
"At the factory, there was an accident. He's no good to them anymore so they just fired him" David shrugged, "He's got no union to protect him" David shrugged.
"David" His father leaned out the window, "It's time to come in now" His father told him.
"Alright" David nodded moving into the window and I walked down the steps and Jack followed me, "Jack" We both stopped looking at him, "Why don't you stay here tonight?" David suggested.
Jack looked in the window,
"Uh, no thanks" he sat back on the railing, "I have my own place and I have to get the Misses here home, but your families real nice Dave, like mine" Jack stated.
"I hope you know how lucky you are" I told him and he smirked slightly.
"See you tomorrow" he held out his hand and Jack shook it, "Carrying the Banner"
"Carrying the Banner" Jack laughed slightly as he went inside the building.
I walked down the steps and Jack wasn't following me he was listening to David's Mother singing to Les.
"Jack" I called and he got up walking down the steps slowly.
"So that's what they call a family, Mudder, daughter, fadder, son" he sighed and I touched his arm,
"Guess everything you heard about is true" I shrugged as he jumped off the fire escape and reached for me and I grabbed his shoulders for a brace and he grabbed my hips as I jumped down.
"So, you ain't got any family" Jack frowned.
"Well, who said you needed one" I told him, "Ain't you glad nobody's waiting up for you?" I rubbed his arm telling him I was there and he smiled slightly.
"When I dream on my own, I'm alone but I ain't lonely" he sighed.
"For a dreamer nights the only time of day" I told him.
"When the cities finally sleepin, all my thoughts begin to stray and I'm on the train that's bound for Santa Fe" he sighed as he walked me home.
"And I'm free" He jumped on a lamp post and swung around it.
"Like the wind" I smiled looking up at him.
"Like I'm gonna live forever" Jack jumped down smiling slightly
"It's a feeling time can never take away" I told him shaking my head as he touched my chin.
"All I need's a few more dollars, And I'm outta here to stay" he jumped on a hay wagon tipping it onto the other side
"Dreams come true" I told him reassuring.
"Yes they do, in Santa Fe" he put his hat on his head and we turned down an alley.
"Where does it say you've gotta live and die here?" I asked him as we walked.
"Where does is say a guy can't catch a break?" he added
"Why should you only take what you're given? Why should you spend your whole life livin', trapped where there ain't now future, even a Seventeen, breaking your back for someone else's sake" I shook my head and he looked at me like I was insane and I smiled.
"If life don't seem to suit ya, How about a change of scene?" he suggested.
"Far from lously headlines and the deadlines in between" we stated together and he grabbed my hand and we ran down the street jumping things in our way and Jack jumped on a horse and pulled me up behind him as the drunken Cowboys argued as we rode off.
"Santa Fe" he took his hat off as we rode and I held his waist.
"Are you there?" I shook my head stopping.
"Do you swear you won't forget me?" he asked.
"If I found you would you let me come and stay?" I asked him hoping for an answer.
"I ain't getting any younger, and before my dyin day" Jack leaned back into me and I smiled holding onto him so I wouldn't fall, "I want space, not just air, let em' laugh in my face I don't care" Jack jumped off the horse and I swung my leg over sliding down.
"Save a place, I'll be there" I told him as we stopped in front of my house.
He hugged me and I rested my head on his shoulder,
"So that's what they call a family?" he sighed.
"Ain'tcha glad you ain't that way?" I told him.
"Ain'tcha glad you got a dream called Santa Fe" I smiled and he nodded before kissing me softly and I sighed holding onto him tight.
"Goodnight, I'll swing by in the mornin" he told me walking away and I watched him.
"Jack" I moved towards him and he stopped, "Do you want to come in for a bit?" I asked him biting my lip as he didn't answer right away, "You know what never mind" I blushed.
"Sure" Jack ignored me second comment and I held my hand out to him and he took it and I pulled him inside the gates.