Wowzas! My muse is kinda driving me a little nuts, seeing as I'm sleeping, eating and breathing Spot Conlon. Yeah... the little miniature Spot inside my head says 'Hi'.

I keep forgetting to put disclaimers.

I don't own Newsies in any way shape or form. I do own Ellie, Lucy, and Rouge. And my plot. If I accidentally stole something, PLEASE let me know! I will change it right away!

Bekah- Oh my goodness, you are too nice to me.

Spif23- Haha, my little Spot just gave you a big hug :) I dunno about the other newsies... maybe the do twirl flowers? I took a safe bet that Brooklyn didn't.

methegirl- Yeah, I'm not sure I can fit the strike in. I decided I'm more creative with the post-strike option. Thanks for the faith :)


Spot rummaged through a small dresser in the back of his closet. For someone so poor, he sure had a lot of clothes.

"Why do you have so many clothes?" Ellie asked, partly to herself. Spot tossed two shirts, one blue, one green, at her face. Ellie caught them clumsily.

"My sister." He said simply. Ellie smiled. Of course, Lucy could never let anyone go with out clothes.

"I nevah throw any away, for this very reason." He added.

Spot emerged from the crowded closet, gripping two pair of pants, a cap, some socks and a dirty undershirt. Ellie made a nasty face at that.

"Am I supposed to wear that?" she said pointing at the undershirt. It was filthy, obviously used before.

Spot chuckled and shoved her through the washroom door. Ellie sighed and got to work.

Pulling on the undershirt, she grimaced. It was Spot's however, and that eased her pain. She made mental note to scrub this good and clean next time she changed. She moved it around a little, trying her best to hide her chest. She would have to experiment a little.

Ellie slid loose brown corduroy trousers onto her lean legs and fastened them around her waist. As quickly as she pulled them on, they began to slip off her. Frustrated, she hiked up the pants, gripping them with her free hand and cracked open the washroom door. Suspenders flew over her head, landing with a light thud in the middle of the floor.

Bewildered, she slowly put her head out. To Ellie's dismay, Spot sat there, arms folded, and an obnoxious smirk plastered on his face. Annoyed, she picked up the suspenders.

With great difficulty, she managed to attach the dirty suspenders to her new pants. Pulling the pants down as far as possible, she groaned. The itchiness of the corduroy and the unfamiliarity of pants was going to drive her nuts.

Slowly, but surely, she turned toward the mirror. She reached out and touched her reflection gingerly. Her dirty green shirt was tucked in messily. Her sleeves were rolled up expertly, due to the hundreds of pots Robert forced her to scrub. The filthy white edges of Spot's old undershirt peeked around those of her shirt. She held a black cap in her hands.

Gathering her copper curls atop her head, she nestled the cap over them. Glancing up at her reflection, she let out a long, sad sigh. She looked exactly like them.

She coughed hoarsely, and spit into a nearby tin can, issuing a clear ding. Ellie smiled. Maybe she could be tough.


Ellie Bennett cannot be tough. She sighed heavily. She couldn't bring herself to punch Spot. She just couldn't when she was practically falling for him harder every second.

"Would you stop doing dat? It's gettin on me nerves." Spot snapped.

"What?"

"That breathing ting you do... the huffy ting. It's not very pretty."

"Sighing?"

"Yeah, dat."

Ellie sighed with a smile. Anything to touch those pretty nerves.

Spot's eyes flashed. Ellie grinned. Spot punched her in the arm, almost gently.

"Ow!" Ellie yelped, punching at Spot's arm. Spot grabbed her fist, and twisted slightly to his left.

"Ow, ow!! Let go!! Mercy!" Ellie pleaded. Spot let go with a laugh.

"Jerk."

"Wuss. Now come on, we's on a schedule. Now punch me!" Spot retorted.

Spot had been teac.. ah... attempting to teach Ellie how to fight like a Brooklynite. Frustrated and tired, Ellie had basically given up. Spot's yelling tactics hardly helped.

"Spot, I'm too tired. I can't." she almost sighed.

"One more den. Give me all you gots." he said stubbornly. Ellie hesitated. His smirk sunk through to her heart, piercing it. Why did he have to be so nice to her?

Spot started the drill. He toward her, thwapping his cane against his rough palm.

[Flashback]

Promptly after she began her tears, heavy footsteps approached her. Robert came in the room, casually swinging a baseball bat against the palm of his meaty hand. An evil grin stretched across his grisly face.

"No! Please! I'm sorry, I won't do it again!! I'm sorry!" Eleanor screamed, desperately wishing she were somewhere else, anywhere else. She had to escape. Fast. Last time Robert brought out the bat, she had been hit over the head multiple times until she passed out, and he then proceeded to brutally kick her until he broke three ribs, placing her in critical condition. Taken to the hospital with the story that she fell down three flights of stairs, she had a long and tearful recovery.

Desperately, she scanned the room for any possible escapes, backing into the splintered wall, heavy with the marks of previous beatings, as Robert came closer. Her heart raced.

Realization and relief flooded over her as she touched the wall. A big window was behind her. Discreetly, she inched closer, gripping the window sill. All she had to do was…

Robert swung the bat with enormous force of a professional league baseball player, aiming right at her bruised head. Eleanor ducked her head swiftly. Glass shattered around her, giving her a deep gash in her head. As fast as the bat had come, Eleanor heaved herself out of the shattered window.

[/Flashback]

Unnatural anger bubbled up inside Ellie. All those years of torture didn't leave her unscathed. Now it was her turn.

Ellie sprinted around Spot, throwing him off guard. She wrenched the cane out of his hand and thwapped right behind his knee, causing him to buckle. Grabbing his arm, she yanked it back at an unnatural angle. Suddenly a yell broke her concentration.

"Ow! Ellie, what the hell?! I said stop!" Spot yelled. Ellie let go of his arm.

"Sorry! I'm... not sure what happened."

"Jesus, Ellie! Where'd that come from?"

"Uh.."

"No matter. Just don't go tellin me boys ya beat me. Or I'll beat chyou." he said bitterly. "Let's go eat."


Elle walked into a small store called Tibby's. Spot insisted on making the trek to Manhattan, saying he had some important business to attend to. Reluctantly, Ellie had agreed to go with him. Spot said she had to meet some of the Manhattan newsies. Ellie was nervous to go to the very place she had run from.

As soon as she walked in, yelling rose up to greet the King of Brooklyn. Countless numbers of Newsies came and talked to him. Each one introducing themselves to Ellie.

After a flurry of people, and too many names, Ellie sat down, exhausted.

A short Italian named Racetrack approached Ellie last, and took her hand and kissed it charmingly.

"Heya, Toots. Da names Racetrack. And who might you be?" He said with a grin.

Ellie giggled. "I'm Ellie."

"Pleasure."

"Hey Race! Git ova here. We gonna play a bit a poker." yelled the boy named Skittery.

Ellie walked over to the table.

"Mind if I join, boys? I am rather fond of poker." She said sweetly.

Skittery nodded. "Take a seat"


"Hand it over boys!" Ellie exclaimed. She had just gained three dollars on the past two games. She creamed them.

"Jeez, Ellie! You're running us dry! Even Racetrack can't beat you!" Itey exclaimed, earning a punch in the arm from Racetrack.

Ellie leaned back and grinned. Suddenly, the door to the restaurant swung open.

In walked the most gorgeous girl Ellie had ever seen. Her eyebrows raised to perfection, golden hair tumbling down her back. A cocky smirk, that looked awfully like Spot's, was painted on her angelic face. Her newsie clothes seemed out of place, she was that beautiful. Ellie's stomach sank as almost every boy in the room whistled.

To her surprise, Spot stood up and walked over to beautiful girl. To her horror, Spot grabbed the girls waist and drew her into a long, deep kiss. It felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Tears sprang to her jade eyes.

"Who's that, Racetrack?" she practically whispered, her voice still cracking.

"That's Rouge. Spot's girl." he said jealously.

Ellie ran outside into the nearby ally, the pouring rain pelting her dainty skin. She collapsed against the ally wall.

The best thing about the rain, is that no one can tell you are crying.


Oooh.... yeah. I kinda hate myself for that.

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-Massie :)