A/N

Hey, guys, just as a warning, there's some pretty racy stuff in this chapter. Just sayin'. I'll put an asterisk before and after the racy stuff ends.

Please review and maaaaaybe I'll review one of your stories!

"Jacky-boy, you're here!" Spot had two different girls draped over his arm as he swaggered over to greet the Manhattan newsie.

"Yup." Jack grinned.

"You know, you're starting to look a lot better without that walking mouth nagging at you like one of them ball and chain wives," Spot joked. Jack inwardly winced, but didn't say anything. Spot noticed Jack's grim expression and rolled his eyes. "Aw, lighten up! Seriously, you're better off without him."

"Baby, I'm bored." Whined one of the girls clinging onto him.

"Oh yeah? We'll here." Spot shoved her towards Jack. "Jacky-boy here knows how to keep a girl entertained, don'cha, Cowboy?" Spot smirked, then turned to swagger off somewhere else.

"Prick," Jack muttered. He was in no mood for any of Spot's raunchy innuendos.

"So, you're the famous Cowboy?" Jack turned to face the girl Spot threw at him. She had what she probably thought was a sexy, mysterious look on her face, but it came out looking like she was so blind she had to squint to see what was in front of her.

"Uh, yeah." Jack glanced around at his surroundings. They were in the vaudeville theatre. Spot had decided to throw the party at Medda's, and Medda, ever-so-kind, let him, as long as him and his boys promised to clean up afterwards. It was filled with newsies from all over New York. There were newsies standing up, newsies dancing, newsies playing poker, newsies drinking, and so on.

"Well then? Aren't you gonna entertain me?" The girl tilted her head to the side while twirling a lock of brown hair around her finger.

"Not this time." Jack pushed past her and towards the bar. I need a fuckin' drink, he thought.

"Hey, Cowboy!" Jack whirled around to look at Race waving him over. "Game of poker?" he offered a stack of cards to Jack.

"Sure, let me just grab a drink first." Jack left Race to look for an available table while he walked over to the bar.

"One, please." Jack ordered as he sat down.

"Coming right up." Jack ran his hands through his hair. He didn't feel like celebrating. Tomorrow he had to get up, 6:00 am sharp to sell papes, and then he had to somehow find a way to squeeze in lunch at Tibby's before leaving to go start his community service.

"No, thanks, I'm good." Jack was surprised to hear David's voice coming from beside him.

"David? What are you doing here?" Jack twisted in his chair to face David who had just politely declined a drink the barman had offered him.

"Oh. Hey Jack. Didn't see you there." He replied coolly. "To answer your question, I'm here for the same reason you are. For the party."

"Really? I mean, I didn't expect to see you here since, you know, since this is Spot's party."

David looked at him sideways. "So?" At this point, the barman handed Jack his drink.

"Thanks. Well, my point is, Spot only allows a stranger in if they're friends of his friends. Or if they're a girl."

"I have other friends besides you, you know!" David snapped, and Jack instantly felt bad. "Racetrack invited me." Jack knew very well that Race only invited David in hopes of him and Jack rekindling their friendship, and was about to point that out, but chose the safer option instead, which was downing his drink in one gulp.

"Hey, can I get another beer over here?" Jack handed his empty cup to the barman. "So, what's new?" Jack asked David.

"Nothing much. Sarah's wedding date is set."

"That's great! When?"

"Next month, on the 27th."

Jack whistled. "So soon, huh?" David said nothing. The barman came back with Jack's newly filled cup. "So, this Lockton fellow. He treating her right?"

"What do you care, Jack? When have you ever cared about her?" David whirled around in his chair to fully look at Jack for the first time since their conversation started.

"David, don't say that, man. You don't know how much I cared for her." Jack retaliated.

"Right." David scoffed.

"It's true! I loved Sarah. I just didn't realize that that wasn't love love, it was more like sibling love."

'Just shut up, Jack. I don't want to talk to you anymore. You broke her heart." David abruptly stood up and walked away.

"You're fucking immature, David!" Jack didn't care as all of the newsies turned to look at him. He just wanted to forget stupid immature David who can't learn to let go of his stupid little immature grudge. Breaking up with Sarah was the best thing Jack had ever done for her. Look at where she is now! Engaged to some richie. Jack downed the rest of his beer and released a noisy burp. He was about to look for Race and his poker buddies, when he spotted the girl Spot shoved at him earlier.

"Hey, beautiful. Where do you think you're going?" He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards him.

"Ugh, you? Way to completely leave me earlier." She complained.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I just needed a few drinks to get ready. I mean, don't you want to be entertained?" He suggestively smirked at her and pulled her close to him as he started whispering in her ear.

"Oh, stop it. I can't. Where will we go?" She giggled.

"Follow me." He grabbed her hand as he lead her towards the stairs that lead to the roof. They climbed up and as they stepped onto the roof, Jack shut the door behind him and placed a heavy rock in front of it.

**"The boys and me carried this up here couple of years ago when we found out this was a good place to, ahem, entertain girls." The girl giggled again at this raunchy remark, and immediately launched herself at him. Jack caught her in his arms as she wrapped her legs around him and her lips clamped down on his. Jack laid her down on her back and she tugged at the waist of his pants. Understanding this, her allowed her to pull down his pants as he lifted up her skirt, and he was lost in a night of drunkenness and ecstasy. **

"Damn, Cowboy, you look horrible. Where were you?" Blink asked as Jack entered Tibby's the next day and joined the Manhattan newsies at their regular table.

"Yeah, Kelly. You missed the morning papes." Race agreed. The night before, Jack and the girl were interrupted in the middle of their tryst by a girl who worked for Medda. She had managed to push open the door despite the heavy rock and had found them tangled together on the ground. She immediately kicked them out. The girl had wanted to finish what they started, but Jack managed to ditch her and drag himself over to the park where he slept under a tree for the rest of the night and through his morning paper shift.

"I got piss drunk and did it with a girl." There were whoops and catcalls all around.

"Jeez, Cowboy, when you party, you really party!" Skittery called out.

"Hey, uh, Jack? Not to ruin you're good mood and everything, but look who just came." Everyone turned to look at who Race was talking about. Sarah Jacobs had just walked in the door, followed by none other than William Jones Lockton the Third.

"Should I talk to her?" Jack wondered out loud as he watched Sarah and Lockton take a seat. She hadn't noticed him yet.

"Sure, Cowboy. What have you got to lose?" Blink answered.

"Here goes." Jack took a deep breath as he stood up and strolled over to Sarah's table.

"Hey, Sarah." Sarah looked up at Jack and stared at him for a bit, as if having trouble recognizing him, but soon after she gave him a friendly smile.

"Jack! How are you?"

Jack was happy to return the smile. At least Sarah got over their breakup.

"I'm great. How are you? Oh, my apologies, sir." Jack held out his hand for Lockton to take.

Seizing Jack's hand, Lockton gave Jack a curt nod. "Charmed. Do excuse me Sarah, but I have to go wash my hands." he stood up, leaving Jack with Sarah.

"Mind if I steal his seat for a moment?" Jack asked. Sarah shook her head no, and put down the menu she was previously scanning.

"Listen, before you say anything, I just want to say I'm sorry." She started.

Jack blinked in surprise. "For what?"

"Everything. For getting mad at you the night you broke up with me, for ignoring you for months after, and for my brother."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I broke your heart." He reasoned.

"No, you didn't. I thought you did, but then I met Will, and, well, now everything's just so much clearer and brighter, and oh, Jack, I'm so happy!"

Jack grinned at her. "I'm real happy for you, Sarah. I told you I wasn't your true love. I'm glad you forgave me."

"Yeah," Sarah smiled back at him, but it quickly disappeared. "But I'm afraid my brother isn't quite ready to forgive you yet. I tried reasoning with him, I told him that you were right in breaking up with me, because then I would have never have met Will. You know, he told me about yesterday. How you two had a big confrontation, and how you asked him how I was and stuff. I thought that was really nice of you."

"Well, that's me, always a gentleman." Jack joked. Sarah giggled along. They sat in silence for a bit.

"I'll talk to him. David, I mean. For you. Because I would really like for all three of us to be friends again." Sarah sympathetically put her hand on top of Jack's.

"Will you do that for me, Sarah?" Jack asked. Sarah nodded. "Thank you. Well, I best be going now. I gotta start my community service today." He stood up.

"Oh, right. I heard about that. Good luck!" Jack waved at Sarah as she began scanning her menu again. As he was leaving, Jack turned to look at Sarah again.

"Sarah?" She looked up. "I'm really glad we're friends again."