Ashleigh just stared at the boy in the red bandana, not fully comprehending what he just said.

"So uh, you're the uh the leader of the Manhattan News boys?" she stuttered like a fool. Why now, all of a sudden, was she getting tongue tied?

"Yupp! Tha names Jack Kelly, but you can call me Jack or Cowboy. This heah's Davey, he's one a me boys" At the mention of his name, Davey grabbed Ashleigh's hand and kissed it.

"Charmed" he said while looking up through smiling eyes. Ashleigh blushed and pulled her hand back, keeping her eyes on the ground. Jack wacked him on the back of his head, his brow coming together in the middle.

"Yo Davey, just what you tryin ta pull? This ain't some dame off the tha streets…ya gots ta charm and wine and dine her" they both started laughing again and Ashleigh's blush deepened.

"Listen, if you aren't going to help me, I'll just move on to Brooklyn. Maybe I'll find someone more…eloquent there." She turned and started walking down the alley, not letting on that she had no idea where she was, or how to get to Brooklyn. She hadn't gotten more than 5 steps when a hand grabbed her arm and jerked her around. "Excuse you Mr. Jack Kelly but you have no right to grab me like that! I'm a free woman now and I'll do as I please, even if it means going to Brooklyn! Now please remove your hand!" Jack just stared at her with wide eyes; she really was a feisty one. Not letting go of her arm, he began to pull her back towards Davey.

"Come on Dave, we'se goin back ta tha lodging house. This dame's a crazy one, she'll fit right in wit Brooklyn…but foist we gots ta teach her tha basics." Dave looked confused, but followed Jack anyway.

"Uh the basics of what Jack?" Cowboy just looked at Dave like he was dumb.

"Tha basics of tha city, ya moron. We can't let some richie broad run off ta Conlon's territory wit out givin her some basic knowledge of how ta survive." Turning to Ashleigh, he looked at her with false cheeriness.

"once ya get ta Brooklyn, it'll all be rainbows and butterflies. Tha lodgin house has got comfy beds, and warm showas, oh and you'll meet tha nicest guys there! Especially Spot, he'll be ya best friend!" Ashleigh's smile grew wider and wider while Jack was describing the Brooklyn lodging house. Although it wasn't exactly how she pictured Brooklyn, she figured the newsies over there were probably nicer than the ones she had seen over here; spitting in the streets and stealing from street vendors when they weren't looking. And the fighting! Every time her and her mother saw a fight break out her mother would grab her hand as if she were 5 and whisk her across the street in the opposite direction.

"That sounds wonderful. I cant wait to meet these Brooklyn newsies, their probably far nicer than you!"

"yeah yeah, come on toots, we gots a lot ta teach ya." Jack grabbed her arm and they took off down the street.

"Oh yes, actually that's great. You can teach me how to be a newsie, and then once I get to Brooklyn I'll fit right in! oh and don't call me toots!" They continued walking down the street, garnering themselves strange looks from passerbyers. They reached a rundown building with boys milling around on the porch, playing in the dirt, and some even looked like they were sleeping. Jack went up to one of the sleeping boys and kicked the chair out from under his legs.

"Ay Race, this heah's Ashleigh, she's gonna be stayin wit us foah a little bit sos we can teach her how ta sell, then she's goin ta Brooklyn." Race sat up straighter at the word Brooklyn, and smirked.

"Her? In Brooklyn? Ya gotta betta chance of Davey getting Conlon's dame in bed and still live to tell tha tale." Jack and Race started laughing, while Dave just turned red. Ashleigh stood behind Jack, slightly un-nerved by all the boys. Surely there had to be some girls…it couldn't just be boys all the time!

"um, excuse me, , but are their other girls here?" Race smiled sweetly at her, and took his cigar out of his mouth.

"Sorry toots, but youse tha only one so fah. I mean, soah we'se got goils, but dey don't stay at tha lodgin house, they just come over when dey wants ta see dere handsome lookin guys." The other guys started cracking up, and they all looked at Ashleigh as if noticing her for the first time. One little boy stepped forward, and bravely took her hand.

"ay, me names streets. Uh, youse really pretty, and I just wanted ya and everyone else ta know, that youse me goil." He turned to the others and tried to stare at them menacingly. "ya got that ya bums! She's me goil, so hands off." He kissed her hand, and then turned and ran off down the street. Ashleigh just stared in shock, that boy couldn't have been older than 6, yet he talked like he was 16! She looked at Jack for help, and he tried to hold in his laughter.

"Aw don't worry bout him, he didn't mean no harm. I'll introduce ya ta everyone tomorrow, but foah now lets go up and get you all set up, is that al'ight?" He gently took the same hand that Streets had held just seconds earlier, and without waiting for her response, led her upstairs.

Please review! I'm not sure about this story yet…is it gonna be a jack story or a spot story? I think its only fair to give Spot a chance since I'm already writing a Jack story…but jack's just so damn cute! So review and tell me what you think! The more you review the faster the updates!