A/N: Okay friends, in order to make up for such a long break between chapters. I am posting this one now, because, well, it's done and I cannot keep it from you any longer. I hope you enjoy the last installment in this collection of one-shots.

Chapter 15
+Sunrise+

"We sat side by side in the morning light and looked out at the future together." – Brian Andres

The Newsboys Lodging House was filled to capacity and plus some. Every single bed at Number Nine Duane Street was occupied by at least one newsboy, but some of the boys had to double up because Kloppman hated to turn anyone away. This, however, was just a small sacrifice in order to enjoy the comforts unavailable on the streets. Although two to a bed was not by any means comfortable. It made for a rather tight sleeping arrangement where one false move could result in a sharp meeting with the floor below. Also, in this situation one could count themselves lucky if they didn't wake up the next morning to find the other person's foot in their face.

Soft snores echoed through the dark room; this was occasionally intermingled with the incomprehensible babble of someone talking in their sleep, which was often followed by the squeaking of a bed frame as someone else turned over. These were all sufficient indicators that everyone had finally fallen asleep. Complying with this ritual, Skittery shifted into a more comfortable position, which gave his bunk a good reason to teeter dangerously. With the movement, his arm fell unconsciously over the person lying beside him.

Tug turned her head slightly at his touch, checking his level of consciousness. Upon determining that he was still in dreamland, she pulled her arms free, having been trapped by his sudden movement. Resting them over top of his, she picked at a hole in his sleeve. Her mind had been reeling between thoughts like an old movie projector, keeping any chance of slumber at bay. There were too many things to think about: memories from the past, life in the present, and what might lie ahead in the future. With all this it was impossible for her to find enough peace of mind to allow for sleep to take over. And sleep was something her body was in desperate need of, having been in short supply over the last few days.

Something that had not been difficult to come by over the last few days was tears. The lack of sleep likely accounted for her heightened emotional state, but the amount of energy it took to shed those tears only added to her exhaustion. It was a vicious cycle. Eventually though, the tears were not enough to satisfy this emptiness in her heart left by the passing of her mother.

It had only been a few days since her death and it was hard to believe she was really gone. Apart from the last month, Mrs. Connolly had been doing well, although she had never regained her full strength after the battle with the illness last summer. Once she had felt well enough, she had picked up life right where she had left it. She went back to work at a small fabric shop, tended to the household duties, and even saw fit to mother some of her daughter's friends. Then a little over a month ago, the illness returned. This time it wouldn't get better – only worse as the weeks passed. Scraping together what little money she could, Tug brought in a doctor, but by then there wasn't much he could do. It was with a heavy heart that Tug accepted the inevitable, though any acceptance in this kind of situation did not ease the pain or shock when that final day arrived.

That last month had been difficult for Tug, watching her mother slowly fade from life, but she found comfort in knowing that she wasn't going to be left completely alone in the world. Skittery and the other newsboys made certain Tug knew that. They stopped by the apartment more frequently than usual, which was not only out of love for Tug, but for Mrs. Connolly as well. She had become as good as a mother to many of them, particularly those closest to Tug. She gave them as much motherly affection as she did her own daughter, knowing that most of them came from broken homes or had never known their own mothers. They were all quite affected by this sad turn of events.

It was difficult for Tug to imagine what she would have done without the support of her newsy family during this difficult transition in her life. Sometimes when she thought about it, she couldn't help but wonder if some divine power had been at work in her life, preparing her for this very moment – providing her with friends to see her through. Life as a newsy had given her much more than a pocket full of change; it had given her a purpose in the world – a place where she belonged.

It had also given her Skittery.

If it weren't for him, she would have never made it through the last week. He stayed by her side as things steadily grew worse – holding and comforting her when she needed it the most. In those days after her mother's passing, the apartment felt so empty and Skittery stayed with her, but it didn't feel like the place it once had been. There were too many memories attached to the space, memories that suffocated her when she was there. Soon Tug found it impossible to be there for any length of time, which was how she came to be sharing Skittery's bunk at the lodging house.

At first Kloppman was unwilling to let her stay since the housing was for boys only. He tried to point out that there was a place for girls if she really needed somewhere to go, but most of the boys argued on her behalf. Besides, who, apart from them, would have to know that a girl was staying at a boys' home? She could still look the part of a boy if she wanted to. In the end, Kloppman caved under the pressure and allowed her to stay – at least for a little while.

Tug inhaled a deep, centering breath in an attempt to quiet her mind. She repeated this meditative technique a few times, but still found her mind to be ill at ease. After a few more restless minutes, she knew she couldn't lie there any longer. Gently she lifted Skittery's arm and rested it between them, knowing that it would take a lot more than that to wake the sleeping newsboy.

Using as much care as humanly possible to descend the bunk noiselessly, Tug slid herself to the floor, landing with a soft thud on the hardwood. She stood motionless for a moment, watching and listening to the orchestra of sounds being issued from the other bunks. Silently she prayed that her movement had not roused any of them from sleep; she really didn't want the company right now.

Satisfied that she had not been heard, Tug tiptoed to the open window across the room. She stretched a leg over the sill and ducked through the frame onto the landing of the fire escape. The steel framework felt cool beneath her bare feet as she climbed the stairs to the next level and then scaled the rusty, old ladder that would take her to the roof – a place she had become quite familiar with over the past few days.

Staying at the lodging house was interesting, because she couldn't decide if it was the best or worst place to be during a time like this. She liked being so near to her friends; there was always someone around to talk to when she needed it. But it was at times when she had the company that she wanted to be left alone; however, when she was alone she often wanted to be with other people. It was another one of those vicious cycles that plagued her days. She had found time to both be with her friends and to be alone in the days following her mother's death, and she soon found that she liked the open isolation that the roof provided. It was a relatively quiet place – aside from any commotion on the streets – where she could collect her thoughts.

When she pulled herself over the edge of the building it was like entering a completely different world. It provided a whole new perspective on the city that she loved. It was difficult to see in the moonlight, but a sea of rooftops was visible as far as the eye could see; only showing pockets of human life among them in the form of laundry lines and furniture. In the distance those rooftops collided with the dark canvas that was the night sky. Sprinkled across the vastness of space, stars peeked out through the clouds. It was even more beautiful on a clear night.

A low wall ran across the rooftop, separating the lodge from the adjoining building. Over the past couple of days, Tug had found a friend in that particular partition. It had become her favorite place to be when she needed some time to herself. Not deviating from her routine, Tug crossed to her spot and stretched out on it, looking up at the cloudy night sky.

Breathing deeply, Tug inhaled the cool, crisp air. She let it fill her lungs, refreshing her thoughts and cleansing her mind of all its worries. Something about the vast openness of the heavens seemed to be able to quiet the tumult of her mind better than the crowded, stuffy room below. She felt relatively at peace. This spot had become her gateway to heaven, where she knew her mother and father were together waiting for the time when they would be reunited with their daughter. They would be keeping watch over her as she braved the world without them, but certainly not on her own.

Tug laid there for a long time, reflecting on her life: past, present, and future. She let the breeze carry each and every worry away and let the good things pour over her with the moonlight.

It was the sound of metal clanging against the brick as someone shimmied up the rickety ladder, which pulled her back to earth. The noise punctuated the serenity of her world, but she knew that she had been discovered missing. Without looking at the intruder, she knew that Skittery would be at her side shortly. His noisy ascent had been purposeful; a while back, having suffered the consequences, he had made a promise to her that he would never again sneak up on her. The promise had yet to be broken.

She turned her head just in time to see Skittery vault on to the roof. Looking back up at the sky, light just beginning to creep at the eastern edges, Tug smiled fondly. He always seemed to know exactly the right moment to infiltrate her sessions of reflection – although he never interrupted them. Without saying a single thing, Skittery sat down against the wall, in front of where she was lying. There was no need for words, no questions, and no explanations. He knew exactly why she had stolen away in the middle of night. Tug loved that about him; he rarely ever asked the obvious questions. He would simply sit with her until she was ready to talk – no matter how long it took. He just wanted her to know that he was there.

After a while, Tug rolled over onto her stomach and draped an arm over his shoulder. She picked at one of the buttons on his shirt and spoke quietly of the things on her mind.

"What's gonna happen to us?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"I mean, we ain't gonna be newsies forever – we're nearly too old as it is," she explained. "So, I's just wonderin' what's gonna happen."

Tug felt Skittery's chest expand as he drew in a deep, contemplative breath before speaking.

"I dunno," he replied with a small shrug. "I ain't never given much thought to what I'd do after this. I guess I just figured I'd know when the time came – but that was when I only had myself to worry about."

"And now ya got me?" Tug smiled distantly.

Skittery grinned. "Yeah, now I got you."

"We'll have to find other work, I suppose."

He sighed, thinking of the laboring life ahead of him. "I'll probably end up in some factory."

"No, not a factory," Tug said quickly, thinking of how she lost her father in one of their accidents. "Anything but a factory."

"Yeah, alright, no factories," he agreed, patting her hand.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Tug smiled softly, satisfied. "Where we gonna live?"

"You wanna get outta Manhattan?"

Leaving the city would be a great adventure, but it wasn't quite an adventure she was ready to heave just yet. She needed some stability in her life before she could move to completely unfamiliar territory. Besides, they had family here. Manhattan was home.

"No. Do you?"

Skittery shook his head. "Not really."

Sliding from the partition, Tug snuggled herself against him.

"So we live somewhere around here," he concluded, wrapping his arms comfortingly around her. Every lingering, desolate feeling inside of her melted instantly at his touch.

"Fifth Avenue would be nice," she said with a yawn.

"A big fancy house across from the park," he added with a smile.

Closing her eyes, Tug grinned. "I love you."

Skittery smiled, resting his head on top of hers. "I love you too."

The first rays of light found the Manhattan rooftops, blanketing the two of them in a warm orange glow. It was the start of a new day and soon the newsies would awake to shouts from Kloppman. They would grumble and complain, but emerge onto the streets soon after, looking to be the first in line at the distribution center.

The steady rise and fall of Tug's chest signaled that she had finally fallen asleep. Skittery didn't mind missing out on the morning paper for moments like this. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, lingering on their dream of a home on Fifth Avenue.

I would really appreciate feedback if you've taken the time to read this. Like I said this is the end, but it may not be the end for Skittery and Tug. I have some ideas floating around to make this a trilogy. :)

Thank you to everyone who followed this story and sent in such wonderful reviews. It really means a lot! *Laelyn