David helped me up as Jack crawled out the window and we jumped onto the back of the wagon as the sun barely light up the streets of New York.
Newsies went out all over New York handing them out to the kids in the sweat shops, working the streets, hard on times, and throwing them off roof tops to get the word out.
Jack, David and I hit the sweat shops filing them with papers and rode on the carriage as it slowly dwindled down to no papes we headed back to the circulation building. Jack was laying on my stomach resting as was we got the few minutes we could after staying up all night to rest.
"Danielle" Jack mumbled.
"Yeah?" I looked at him.
"I'm really sorry about everything I said ta yous… yous were never a mistake ta go out wid…" he frowned thinking about the words, "Thank you for stick in wid me trough every ting" he sat up turning to me.
"I will always stick wid you" I whispered and he smiled grabbing my neck and kissing me slowly and I felt the renewed passion even if the kiss was short.
The carriage stopped and David jumped off as did Jack and I hoped off as Jack held my waist and we walked over to the statue where everyone was waiting nervously.
We sat outside for an hour and no one had come and I sighed looking at Jack who was disappointed.
"So, when's the others coming, Kid?" Mush asked as Blink who was pacing annoyed.
"They ain't comin, ain't gonna be nobody but us." Jack shook his head and looking at Les who was looking at him and he hugged Les.
"Come on, Jack" Snitch told him.
"Have hope, Jack" Specs stated and Jack grabbed my hand and I moved closer to him as he rubbed his thumb over my knuckles disappointed.
"It will be alright" I whispered.
Les walked away and I watched him and Jack turned to look at him,
"When the circulation bell starts ringing, will we hear it?" He asked.
Race went up to him,
"Nah, what if the Delancey's come out swinging, will we hear it?" Race asked him back
"No!" Les snapped.
"At a boy" Race patted his head as Jack and everyone walked over to them and I smiled grabbing Les' shoulders as Jack slid his arm around my back.
"Look!" Race and Blink pointed in different directions.
"When you've got a million voices singing, Who can hear a lousy whistle blow? And the World will know!" the work kids gathered all around us
"Jack you did it!" I laughed grabbing his face and kissing him quickly and I hugged David and Les, "yes!" I smiled almost in tears.
"Brooklyn!" Spot called.
"Spot!" I laughed.
"The World will feel the fire and finally know!" we all called.
"Strike! Strike! Strike!" we chanted.
Jack grabbed my hand and Les shoulders pushing through the crowd, Jack stopped to put Les on his shoulders as we walked through the crowd towards the World Building.
"Dear me what have we here?" Race pointed at the entrance and I saw Sietz come out.
"Jack" I moved in front of him and he put Les down and followed me with David, "Sietz" I smiled.
"Your father would like to speak with you all" he told us and I walked inside Jack took my hand giving me a sudden strength I felt I was losing.
We walked upstairs and Jack leaned towards me,
"I'm guessing that I won't be on the fadders good side" he joked as we reached the office and he pulled me behind him going in first pulling out the extra copy of the paper in his pocket.
"Extry, extry, Joe, read all about it" he put the paper on the desk.
Papa examined the paper and read the headline,
"I promised that if you defied me, I'd break you." He pointed to the paper "I'll keep that promise, boy. Now, I gave you a chance to be free. I don't understand. Anyone who doesn't act in their own self interest is a fool."
"Then what does that make you?" David asked.
"A bad father" I mumbled to myself but David heard me.
"What?" Pulitzer asked.
"Oh, this is my pal, Davey. The Walkin' mouth" Jack patted David's shoulder, "And your daughter" Jack smirked kissing my hand.
"You talk about self interest, but since the strike, your circulation's been down 70%. Everyday you're losing thousands of dollars just to beat us out of one lousy tenth of a cent. Why?" David asked.
"You see, it ain't about the money, Dave. If he gives in to nobodies like us, it means we got the power and he can't do that, no matter what it costs. Am I right, Pop?" I asked him.
"You aren't one of them"
"I am… one of them" I growled.
"I sent for the police. They must be here by now. Send them in, Seitz" he stated and I shook my head as they threw their hands up.
"No, he is not going back to jail, Pop" I walked to the window, "Look out here, Right out here is where the power is" I opened it and the kids are yelling and I looked at Jack beside me.
"Close the window! Close the window! Go home! Go home! Go home!" he chanted back to them.
"I can't hear you, Joe!" Jack stated.
"Go home! Go home to your mothers and fathers! Go home!" he yelled again.
"I don't hear ya!" I told him.
"Now you listen to me!" he had his hands on his ears.
"Maybe you should listen" I stated walked back beside David.
"No, no! You listen!" he slammed his hand on the desk.
"No! you listen" Jack argued.
"Close the window and shut up!" Papa demanded.
"There's a lot of people out there and they ain't just gonna go away. They got voices now and they're goin' be listen to. Putting them in jail is not going to stop them! That's the power of the press, Joe." Jack told him.
I shut the window and Jack looked at me,
"So, thanks for teaching me about it" Jack stated grabbing my hand behind Papa's chair and I stood behind Jack and wrapped my arms around his stomach and he laced his fingers in mine.
"Those kids put out a pretty good paper there Chief" Seitz stated and I smiled at him knowing he was the only one with half a brain around here.
He read the paper,
"I ordered a printing ban on all strike matters. Now, who defied me? Who's press did you use to print this on? Who's?" he turned to us.
Jack leaned down on the desk,
"Well, we only use the best, Joe. So, I just want to say, thanks again" Jack smirked and I smiled rubbing his stomach.
"Alright… I'll speak with you only if my daughter leaves" Papa stated.
"No" I protested.
"It's alright" Jack patted my hand and he nodded kissing my hand as I walked out the door and downstairs waiting in the hall.
Jack's POV
I watched her leave,
"What's it gonna be Joe?" I asked him.
"I'm a business man Jack"
"So I hurd… so what's the deal?" I asked leaning on the desk.
"You and lose my daughter she deserves better than just some newsie and I will drop the price"
"No deal… you should get to know your daughter Joe cuz she wouldn't have it… put the price back where it was because it's the right thing to do" I looked at him and he sighed.
"Your daughter will always choose the newsies… because we treat her like family Joe…" I told him.
"Don't tell me about my daughter"
"I will tell you anything you need to hear…, I'll tell you that your two DeLancey brudders tried to have their way wid your daughter had I not been there Joe… so in addition to putting the price back I want them three gone, DeLancey and Weasel" I told him and he stared at me.
"Sit down boys" he motioned to the chairs in front of him and I looked at David before we sat down.
Danielle's POV
I saw Jack and David come back down the stairs and Jack grabbed my hand with out any expression of win or lose.
"Jack what happened?" I asked him as we walked out the back way through the circulation building.
Everyone soon gathered and Jack looked at Les who was in the front and he leaned down whispering in his ear something before picking him up on his shoulders.
"We beat em!" Jack called and everyone cheered and I laughed jumping and hugging David and I turned and saw Weasel and the DeLancey's leaving.
"Jack?" I laughed and he smiled winking at me, and I kissed him softly.