Disclaimer: I Don't Own The Newsies. But I Wish I Did.

Chapter 4:

They Never Get To Grow Up

"Why can't Spot leave the house?" Lydia asked walking backwards to look at Allison.

"I honestly don't really know myself," Allison said quietly so only the girl could hear, she kept her eyes ahead of her, every once and a while looking at her surroundings so she can find her way home again. Pushing her hands in her pockets to keep them warm she continued. "It has something to do with why he is still here on earth. He died along time ago."

"Oh ok." She skipped a bit her bare feet not making a mark or a sound as they hit the ground. "My house is just around the corner here."

Nodding Allison turned the corner and stopped at a small apartment complex. Looking it over, she turned her gaze over to the little girl.

"I lived on the second floor." Lydia said running up the stoop and through the gate that covered the door. "Come on."

Smiling a bit Allison looked to her left at the street they had just exited. "I can't get in till someone comes and unlocks the door."

"Oh." The child said walking through the gate again and sat on the steps of the stoop as Allison leaned against the stone side. "There's something I want you to give my brother." Getting up she ran into the alleyway next to the building. Slowly Allie followed the girl till they stood behind the building.

"What is it you want me to give him?"

"I stole one of his baseball cards when he made me mad, it's his favorite one, and I put it behind a lose brick in the wall." The girl explained looking for the brick.

Kneeling down Allison ran her fingers over the stones trying to find any cracks in the cement that held them in place or ones that wobbled. They searched for what seemed like hours but in truth was only about 10 minutes till Allison's hand hit the lose stone. Looking at Lydia she pried the brick out of the wall and placed it carefully on the ground in front of her. Reaching her hand into the wall she took out a dirty card.

"That's it; it should be…" She trailed off trying to remember the name of the player. "Alex Rodriguez, Adam's favorite Yankee's player."

"Your brother's name is Adam?" She asked wiping the dirt and grim off the card she flipped it around noticing the letters A.P.D written on the bottom right corner. Looking back in the hole she reached her hand in it again. Pulling out a piece of paper she opened it up to show a picture colored in crayon. "Did you draw this?"

"Uh huh, it was for Adam's birthday, but he didn't like it and said that the people in it looked like pigs." She hmphed crossing her little arms over her chest with a pout.

"Would you like me to give this to him too?" Allison smiled at the picture.

It showed what Allison thought was Lydia's family. A crooked house was shown to the side of the paper with green grass and trees. The sky was light blue with a big yellow sun. Four people stood in a line a tall brown haired man holding hands with a small blonde woman that had the words Mommy and Daddy written above there heads. Next to the woman there was a brown haired boy and a little blonde next to him. The words You and Me written above them.

"Would you give that to him?"

"Only if you want me too." Allison said looking up from the picture at the little girl to her left.

Nodding the girl agreed. "I want him to have it."

"Okay." Putting the card and picture into her lap she picked up the brick and replaced it in the wall like it had never been removed. Gently taking the items from her lap she stood and walked with the little girl out of the alley to the front of the apartments where a boy around the age of 14 stood on the stoop with puffy red eyes.

"Excuse me," Allison said walking up to him. "Are you by any chance Adam Dawson?"

Looking to the right the boy nodded and wiped his nose. "Who's asking?"

"Hi, my name is Allison. And you may not believe me but your little sister asked me to give you a message."

"My little sister is dead." He said climbing up the stairs to the gate.

"Wait, please hear me out. I know I sound crazy but she wanted me to give this to you." She walked forward holding out the baseball card. "It's yours right?"

Taking the card quickly he looked it over. Turning it around, he found his initials. "Where did you find this?"

"Behind a loose brick at the back of the building, Lydia told me where it was."

At his sisters name he looked at the girl with wide eyes. "Lydia?" He asked. "If you can really see and hear her what is she wearing?" Crossing his arms over his chest, he wanted proof.

Sighing she looked down at the little girl. "She's wearing a muddy pink dress that goes to her knees. She's bare foot. She has blonde hair and green eyes with a little mole over her right eyebrow."

"Lydia." Adam nodded his arms falling from his chest at his sides. "That's my sister. She was wearing that the day she died. I… I was…supposed to be watching her." He rambled on tears coming to his eyes, the same eyes Lydia has. "We were at the park. She took her shoes off because she didn't want sand in them. I told her to put them back on but she didn't listen." Wiping his nose he sniffed. "Some of my friends came and I got distracted. I didn't see her climb on top of the jungle gym even after I told her not to. She slipped and fell." Tears rolled down his red cheeks. "I heard her scream but I didn't get there in time. She hit her head on the metal, landing on the ground really hard… It's my fault. I should have been watching her."

Allison walked over to the boy and rubbed his arms.

"Tell him it's not his fault." Lydia cried looking up at her brother. "Tell him! It was my fault, he told me not to and I did it anyway. Tell him!"

"She says it's not your fault. She doesn't want you to blame yourself for this. She says it was her fault that she didn't listen. Don't beat yourself up over an accident." Holding out the picture that Lydia drew she looked at him. "She wants you to have this. She said it was for your birthday."

Taking the picture he nodded and hugged it to his chest. "It was. I miss her so much. No matter how much she annoyed me, she's my kid sister, I love her."

"I love you too Adam." She said from his side putting her hand on his left arm. Looking to his left he breathed in.

"Is she?"

"Lydia's right there. She has her hand on your arm." Allison nodded. "She says she loves you too."

"Thank you." Adam said looking at her and then down at the paper and card in his hands.

Looking to her right around the two teens the little girl walked back over to the alleyway entrance. A small light could be seen. "Allie?"

Walking over she put her hands in her pockets and looked down the alleyway. "You see something?" She asked as Adam followed and looked at the alley too but just saw an alley.

"There's a light down there." The little blonde said looking back at Allison in confusion. "Why?"

"That's your way home." She told the child gently.

"Home," Walking towards the light slowly, she looked back at Adam. "Tell him I'll be watching over him."

"She says… she'll be watching over you." She told the boy whose only answer was a nod and wiping of his tears.

"Thank you Allison." The girl smiled. "Tell Spot good bye for me okay?"

Nodding Allison agreed and watched as the little girl turned back around and started walking again.

Lydia's face lit up with a smile and ran into the light yelling "GRANDMA!!" Slowly the light vanished and all that was left was the dark alleyway that the girls had walked down before.

"She's?"

"She's gone. Your grandma came and got her." Allison said rubbing the boys back in gentle circles. "She's in a better place now."

"Thank you… for everything." Adam said as he turned around and walked back to the apartments.

"Your welcome." Allison replied taking one last look in the alley before starting off on her way home.

"I'm home!" She yelled walking through the door of the house a cup of coffee in her hand from a café down the street; she shook the snow off and went upstairs.

"Okay!" Nancy's reply came from the living room.

Opening the door to her room she closed it and walked towards her bed where she laid down and looked at the ceiling the coffee warming her hands.

"How'd it go?" He asked getting up from the window where he was playing with his slingshot.

"Good," Allison replied turning her head to look at him. "She's gone and her brother knows it's not his fault."

"So she's okay now?" He asked standing over her.

"Yeah she is." Closing her eyes she sighed. "You know, it never gets easy."

"What don't?"

"Helping the children that die, their so little. It just doesn't seem fair. They never even get a chance to grow up."

(A/N): Not a lot of Spot in this chapter sorry. Anyway I hope you like it. I'll start working on Spots case now. =] Happy Holidays! A big THANK YOU to all my Lovely Reviewers.