(Nori): "Hello, we are back by popular demand!" (Katrinka): "In other words you all wanted to know if Tibby was gonna die or not." (Nori): "Way to be morbid, 'Trinka." (Katrinka): "Me?! You're the one who wants to be a mortician!" (N): "No more bickering! On with the story!"

DISCLAIMER: (Yoda): "Own Newsies, they do not."

Jack rang out a towel and put it on Old Man Tibby's forehead. It was only eleven twenty, seven more hours until sunup. Seven long hours. Jack looked at Tessa who was sitting on the floor, looking absently at the floor.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to her. "How you doin'."

She just shrugged her shoulders, not making eye contact.

"Tessa," he sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You've gotta talk, you might think that you don't need to but you've gotta."

Tessa looked up to Jack's eyes with her teary ones.

"You know," she said, in an unsteady voice. "You remind me a lot of father."

Jack's mouth opened slightly, he knew that this was the highest compliment she could pay him.

"He would make me want to talk about my problems," she continued. "He knew why I wanted to hide my feelings but he knew that I couldn't keep them bottled up forever. You have the same way of making me feel safe enough to talk and strong enough to speak my mind."

Jack looked at the tear fall down her face.

"He would have liked you," she said this looking over to him. "I…I like you," she said this very quietly.

Jack looked shocked for a moment then he leaned over and kissed Tessa on the forehead.

Tessa collapsed into Jack's arms, hugging him tightly.

"I don't want him to die," she said, into his shoulder.

"He won't," Jack said, confidently. "I know he won't."

(Three forty in the morning)

Jack was taking a nap while Tessa was on "Towel Duty" while he slept.

She removed one towel from his chest then took one out of a pot of boiling water.

"You're going to be fine uncle," she whispered, while she worked. "Jack and I are going to make sure."

She smiled when she thought of Jack.

"You were right about him," she told her uncle. "He is a true gentleman and it was a date, or at least I'm counting as one."

She looked at the still sleeping face of her uncle.

"I'm not going to let you die," she said in the most determined voice you've ever heard.

(Four fifty)

Jack was taking his shift while Tessa settled into a restless sleep. He looked at the clock on the wall, about two hours till sunrise. "He's gotta make it, he thought. "Tessa needs him."

Jack looked to Tessa's sleeping body toss and turn in her sleep. He walked over to her and brushed her long black hair back from her face.

"I will not let him die, Tessa," Jack said, gently. "I will protect him and you like you were my own family, cause you are my family."

(Six fifteen)

Tessa looked up from her makeshift bed on the floor to see Jack standing in front of her Uncle's bed with his hat off.

"He's dead," she thought fear gripping her heart. "He's dead and I didn't get to say goodbye."

Tessa stood up and walked over to the bed but when she got there she saw something amazing: Her uncle was smiling, as was Jack. Tessa placed a hand on Tibby's face that was now at a healthy temperature. Jack had put his arm around her shoulder and was holding on to her tightly.

"He's gonna be alright," Tessa said, with utter happiness pouring out of her every word.

"Yeah," Jack said smiling. "Hey, I know this is sort of a big moment for you but I was wondering, do you want go on a date with me. Not an impromptu one like before, a real one."

Tessa smiled, "Yeah, I'd like that."

Ha ha, you thought we were gonna kill Tibby. Just the epilogue left, see you soon.

Bravo Yankee Echo, Katrinka and Nori.