I don't own any Newsies they are owned by Disney no copyright intended
(Next Morning)
I woke up with Jack's arm around my stomach and I turned over looking at him still asleep shirtless and I sat up grabbing my head in astonishment. I grabbed my dress from the pile of clothes beside me and I pulled it on quickly standing up and I was trying to wrap my head around everything.
I ran my fingers through my hair and I looked at Jack who was under a blanket we grabbed from the line where someone hung clothes out to dry. I leaned on the ledge of the building and I grabbed his hat from it sliding it through my fingers feeling the rough texture of the hat and I smiled before staring at the River as the sun started to rise.
Jack started moving and he stretched and looked around,
"Jack" I smiled and he looked at me just as dazed as I was.
"Last night wasn't a dream" he smiled laying his head back and I smirked turning around and staring at the sun rise again.
I heard him move around and he put his arms around my neck and I grabbed his arms and he kissed the side of my head.
"You alright?" he asked me quietly.
"Yeah… just getting ready for the day… Denton's picture should be coming out today"
"Hey" Jack grabbed my waist turning me around and touching my face softly, "Are you'se alright?" he asked me seriously.
"Jack I am floating right now… it just sunk in… I'm alright" I nodded staring into his honest face as he pressed his thumb to my chin, "I don't want this to change anything Jack… when the time comes I want you to go to Santa Fe" I told him touching his hand on my face and he smiled kissing me and I touched his chest and he hugged me close and I laid my head on his chest smiling.
"Now get your shirt on we have business to attend to" I told him and he smiled that goofy smile I adored and he grabbed his shirt pulling it on before pulling his suspenders up and we walked back down stairs he held my hand lacing our fingers together.
We walked to Tibby's and Spot and the boys were waiting outside as the doors opened everyone entered and Jack sat down at the head of the long table. I sat beside him at the table and Mush sat beside me.
We got our food and everyone else started eating their breakfast and I ate the eggs and sausage.
"Where did you two disappear to last night?" Mush asked.
"None of your business, Mush" Jack told him as he sipped his water, he looked at me.
"Honestly Mush you should know us better" I smirked.
"I do that's why I'm worried" he stated and Jack jokingly hit him and beat him up.
Jack shook his head laying his head on the table tired as everyone talked and relaxed. I reached over to Jack and touched his arm and he looked at me smiling.
"Hello boys!" Denton came in waving a paper and everyone got excited, "Big time" he put the paper down in front of Jack as he sat up and all the guys gathered around.
"Whatcha got there Jack?" Mush got up and I had to sit on the table to get anywhere near the newspaper and I didn't want to be so crowded by boys.
I looked at the paper,
"Where's me picture, where's me picture?" Spot asked and Jack waved him off.
I saw the headline, 'The Children's Crusade: Newsies Stop the World' I smiled looking at Blink who was hanging over my shoulder to see.
"Hey, look atcha Jack you look like a gentlemen"
"Will get ya fingers off my face?" Jack pushed him off.
"Where does it say my name? Where's my name?" Spot asked.
"Will you quit thinking about yourself?" Jack told him and I shook my head looking at Denton.
"You got us on the front page" David smiled.
"You got yourselves on the front page now you just have to stay there" Denton told them.
"So what you get your pictures in the papes so whats that getcha huh?" Skittery shrugged.
"What are you talking about huh?" Mush hit his shoulder and everyone started yelling at him.
"What's the matta wid you? You in the papes your famous… your famous you get anything you want" Racetrack slammed his hand on the table, "that's whats so great about New York!" He exclaimed and everyone agreed widh him.
"A pair of new shoes widh matchin laces" Mush dreamed sitting on the chair.
"A permanent box at Sheepshed Races!" Racetrack grinned.
"A porcelain tub widh boilin water" Spot nodded.
"A Saturday night widh Pulitzer's daughter" Blink jumped up behind me and I looked at him shaking my head.
Racetrack jumped on the table and everyone looked at him as he held the paper out,
"Look at me I'm the King of New York!" he did a little dance, "Suddenly I'm respectable, staring right atcha, lousy wid stature"
Jack got up,
"Nubbin' wid all the muckety-mucks" Jack sat down and laid back his head in my lap."I'm blowin' my dough and goin' deluxe!" he winked at me and I laughed pushing him up.
Rack took the paper, "And there I'll be, Ain't I pretty?" Jack sat up and put his arm around Race's shoulder.
"It's my city, I'm the King of New York" Everyone started clawing for the paper and I stood up pushing them back and they slid back quickly.
"A courdory suit widh fitted knickers" Boot nodded
"A mezzanine seat to see the flickers" Les smiled.
"Havana cigars that cost a quarter" Snipeshooter sighed.
"An editor's desk for our star reporter!" David kicked a chair out and Jack sat Denton in the seat.
"Tip your hat, he's the King of New York" they took his food and picked him up by the chair.
"How bout that? I'm the king of New York" Denton smiled.
"In nothing flat, he'll be coverin Brooklyn to Trenton, our man Denton" They threw a red table cloth over his shoulders as they put him down.
"Makin a headline out of a hunch" I smiled grabbing Jack's shoulders as I jumped down.
"Protecting the weak"
"And payin for lunch" Race added.
"When I'm at bat strong men crumble" Denton stood up.
"Proud yet humble" Race put him in his seat.
"He's the king of New York" Race stated.
"I gotta be either dead or dreaming 'Cuz look at that pape widh my face beaming Tomorrow they may wrap fishes in it But I was a star for one whole minute!" Mush grabbed my arm pulling me back up onto the table and we danced on the tables and I held my dress up so my feet were showing and I looked at Mush as he grabbed my waist and we spun around.
"Starting now I'm the King of New York!" They turned around and guys were holding up chairs and dancing all over.
"Ain't you hear? I'm the King of New York!" Denton jumped on the table.
"Holy cow! It's a miracle Pulitzer's crying Weasel? He's dying! Flashpots are shooting bright as the sun I'm one hifalutin' sonuva gun! Don't ask me how Fortune found me Fate just crowned me Now I'm King of New York! Look and see Once a piker Now a striker I'm the Kin of New York! Victory! Front page story Guts and glory I'm the King of New York!" Jack pulled me onto his lap off the table and we all cheered excitedly as I put my legs on the floor as David and Jack shook hands.
"Alright… next step!" I called getting off Jack's lap.
"Let's have some ideas" Jack called as everyone gathered around.
"Well we have to show people where we stand" David stated.
"Yeah, so we gotta stay in the papes" Jack nodded.
"My paper's the only one printing any strike news so far." Denton shrugged.
"So, we should do something that's so big the other papers'll feel stupid if they try to ignore us." Jack nodded.
"Like a rally. A newsie rally widh all the kids from all over New York" I stood up on the table, "It'll be the biggest, loudest, noisiest blow-out this town's ever seen!" I looked at them.
"We'll send a message to the big boys" David stated as Tibby set a round of cokes down for everyone and I got off the table standing beside Jack and Racetrack passing drinks back.
"There's a lot of us, and we ain't going away. We'll fight until damn Doomsday if it means we get a fair shake" Jack stated sipping his Coke.
"To our man Denton" I smiled and everyone raised their glasses,
"Our man Denton!" they cheered.
"Alright so get the news to everyone, tell them we are going to Meet at Medda's tomorrow at dusk" Jack told them and they started going quickly to tell the other newsies.
"Jack you should probably clear this Medda" I suggested and he smirked, "I know, the Kelly Charm" I shook my head and he kissed the side of my head.
"Come on charmer, lets get outta here and make some signs for the rally" I smiled pulling him out of Tibby's, "David we'll see you tomorrow" I waved and he nodded leaving widh Les.
"Are we making signs?" he asked.
"Well you can't have a rally widh out signs" I shrugged and he smiled before grabbing my face and kissing me slowly, "I should go" I whispered pulling away from him.
"Hey… wait… where you'se going?" He stopped me.
"Go plan widh David… and his family… you know where I'll be if you need me" I smiled looking at him.
"Be careful" he whispered.
"That's what I'm suppose to say, trouble maker" I laughed kissing him slowly and I walked away heading to Medda's.
I walked in the back as Medda was came downstairs and she stopped,
"Sorry… I didn't come home last night the Newsies had a victory party" I shrugged.
"It's alright my dear… you don't need to explain to me… you are free to come and go as you please but lunch is waiting for you upstairs and I got some dresses for you so you can change" she smiled.
"Medda… thanks a lot for all this and not telling anyone who I really am" I sighed.
"My dear what you do is up to you, you are in charge of your destiny no one else" she smiled touching my face before going back to work.
I walked upstairs and walked over to the tray of food that had soup and cheese sandwich widh it. I ate it slowly before sitting down on the bed and looking at the pile of white summer dresses and vests.
I smiled getting up and going to help Medda clean up around the theater and prepare for tonight. I told her about the paper which she read and smile proudly and about the rally tomorrow here which she was fine widh. We sat down at a table and had a roast widh potatoes and corn and we talked about the Newsies mostly and then she left early because the stage was closed on Sundays and I headed upstairs to wash off feeling dirty from last night and today. I pulled on a new night gown and went to my bed laying down staring out the window above my head at the dark starry sky.
The door opened and Jack came in and I looked at him,
"Jack?" I shook my head confused, "What are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Snyder came to da boardin house…" he stated, "I'm dangerous" he smirked and I laughed slightly as he sat down beside me, "Can I stay widh you'se?" he asked me quietly.
"Yeah" I breathed.
We were sitting so close together our body's touching and our faces inches from the others staring at each other. I loved getting lost in him, his face was so young and beautiful, his eyes so full of life and he is lips so strong and gentle as he kissed my neck moving down my shoulders and I ran my hand his neck into his hair. His fingers touched my bare back so softly but it sent shock waves through my body as he pulled me closer. I ran my fingers over his bare back feeling his muscles flex widh every move he made.
I was memorized by who he was and how compassionate he could be towards everyone. He cared about the Newsies a lot and he was loved and respected by them. I couldn't help but feel what they feel as soon as I had met them and it grew stronger every time we were together. He had shown me a whole new world and a new life and I was grateful for having him in my life I never wanted him to leave. But when you care about, or love something enough… it's only right to let them go and that is why I had to let him go to Santa Fe.
Jack kissed my forehead softly pulling the blanket over us and I ran my hand over his bare chest smiling.
"Do you believe in destiny?" I asked him quietly and he looked down at me.
"I guess sure" he shrugged, "Why?" he asked.
"I believe you were destined to be a leader. The Newsies' leader… I believe you were destined to drop that cigar on my head" I smirked and he laughed softly, "And I believe you were destined to change my life" I looked at him and he stared at me running his fingers over my cheek.
"The reason you father kicked ya out it was because of me?" he asked.
"Jack"
"Was it?" he asked widhout letting me finish.
"For the most part yes… but"
"Then how can you be happy that I changed your life?" he asked.
"Because I was drowning Jack… I was drowning in my own boredom, my own misery and sorrow…. My loneliness… but now I have friends who I love so much and they are my family. If I hadn't met you Jack I would have ended up like Old Man Pulitzer… not knowing what love feels like for anybody but yourself" I told him, "I am forever grateful Jack for saving me" I whispered and he looked at then the ceiling.
"Get some sleep" he whispered rubbing my shoulder and I pulled him closer going to sleep.