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"Come back here!"

Samuel Morris took a quick glance behind him and saw his father still running after him. "C'mon Sammy!" his brother shouted ahead of him.

Samuel followed Charlie around a corner and slid on a patch of ice. Crashing into the pavement, he winced. He took a nervous glance behind him and saw his father gaining speed.

Samuel scrambled for his makeshift crutch (a stick his brother had found in the park) then got up and continued running. He couldn't let that man catch him, he just couldn't. Charlie glanced behind him and saw Samuel lagging behind.

Charlie paused long enough for Samuel to catch up and knelt down. "Get on!" the eight yr. old demanded. Samuel did as told and Charlie took off running. He was faster than Samuel and their father combined and easily lost the older man.

Once the brothers were sure he was gone, they hid in an alley. Charlie let Samuel off his back and they leaned against a wall.

"Charlie, did we really just escape?" Samuel asked in a small voice. Charlie took a few seconds to catch his breath before turning his head to his little brother. "We did, Sammy. We're free," Charlie grinned. Samuel matched his older brother's grin and hugged him.

"We're finally safe, kid," Charlie breathed into his little brother's hair.

After discussing what the plan would be, they camped out in the alley for the night. The next morning, the brothers woke bright and early and started on their journey. The current plan was for the boys to find a job. They were going to use the money for food, a safe place to stay, and possibly change their names in order to hide from their father.

The first place they tried to get a job at was a blanket factory. When the foreman wouldn't hire Samuel because of his leg, the brothers decided only Charlie would work. Well, Charlie decided.

"But Char-."

"Sammy, there's nothing to argue about here. If you want to try and find a different job, be my guest. But kid, this guy is offering some pretty good pay for me to work here. Sammy, I don't know if we'll both be able to find a job with your leg the way it is," Charlie said.

Samuel let that sink in for a moment before nodding. "I'll try to find a different job," he said firmly.

Charlie nodded and said, "Ok, meet me at that deli we went by this morning once the sun starts going down, ok?"

Samuel nodded as well and said, "Be safe." "You too, kid," Charlie replied and gave the five yr. old a hug before following the foreman into the large building.

Samuel searched a good portion of Queens with no luck. Everyone gave him the same spiel.

"What if your leg starts acting up? Will you still be able to work? Sorry, kid, not today."

Feeling discouraged, he began making his way towards the deli.

"Extra! Extra! Fire injures family! Read all about it!"

Samuel looked up in confusion. He saw a boy around Charlie's age, maybe a little younger, hawking a newspaper. Samuel limped over to him and asked in a shy voice, "Um, did the fire-did it- what happened to the-um, is the family ok?"

The boy did a double take at Samuel. Samuel saw he had dark, curly hair and green eyes. It took the boy a second to reply. He was sort of shocked that Samuel had approached him in the first place.

"Um, yeah, the family is good. You got folks, kid? What's you doin' out here on your own?" the boy asked.

"I've got-I've got a brother. His name's Charlie. We-we ran away from our father. I'm Samuel. What's your name?" Samuel asked, growing a little more comfortable with the boy.

"Name's Jack. You and Charlie got a place to stay?" Jack asked.

Samuel gave a small shrug. "Last night we stayed in an alley. Charlie will find somewhere for us to stay tonight," he answered with confidence.

Jack gave a small nod and said, "Well if ya guys need a place to stay, come to the Lodging House down in Manhattan. We'se always bringin' in new kids. Got a new one few days ago, his name's Finch."

Samuel nodded with a shy smile and said, "Thank you."

Jack gave the smaller boy a smile and began to say something when they heard, "Sammy!"

The boys turned and saw Charlie walking over to the pair. "I thought you were going to meet me at that deli," Charlie said, glancing at Jack.

"Sorry, I got distracted," Samuel replied.

"You must be Charlie. You're brother was tellin' me you two are runaways. I was tellin' him about the Lodging House down in Manhattan. We'se always bringin' in new kids if you guys wanna come," Jack explained.

"Thanks for the offer but I found us a place to stay for the night. We might have to take you guys up on that offer though sooner or later," Charlie said with a smile. Jack nodded and the brothers left.

"Where're we staying, Charlie?" Samuel asked, looking up as his brother as they walked. "The man at the deli is let us stay the night. As long as we clean up for him," Charlie said. Samuel nodded.

This continued for a few days. Charlie would work, Samuel woud explore Queens, then they would meet up somewhere and stay the night.

Until one day, Charlie didn't come back. Samuel stayed at their designated meeting place until it was dark outside. Still no Charlie. Now Samuel was getting worried. His brother would never leave him, would he? No, Charlie loved him. He would never leave him. Maybe he got lost, or maybe they made him work late at the factory.

Samuel spent the night in an alley, waiting for his brother to show up.

"Get out, kid!"

Samuel shot up, startled, as someone began shouting at him to leave. He grabbed his stick and limped away as quickly as he could from the angry man.

"Charlie?" Samuel asked, looking around. Then he remembered his brother hadn't come back last night.

"Factory collapses in the night! Extra! Extra! You heard it right here!" someone shouted.

Samuel turned towards the voice. He saw another boy, this one much older than Jack had been, hawking a newspaper.

Samuel limped over to the boy and said, "Factory? What factory?"

"Sorry kid, gotta buy da pape," the kid said.

"I don't have any money! Charlie's the one that keeps all that!" Samuel protested.

"Who's Charlie?" the kid asked, frowning.

"My brother! He works in a factory and he didn't come back last night. What factory was it?" Samuel asked worriedly.

The kid looked at his paper then back up at Samuel said, "The blanket one down by that deli."

Samuel froze. "Um, did, um, did anyone die?" he asked in a small voice. The kid glanced back at the paper and with pity in voice said, "Yeah. Most of da workers."

Samuel shook his head, slowly backing away from the boy. "No! You're lying to me!" Samuel shouted, making a few people turn and stare.

"Kid, I swear I'se not. I wouldn't make dis up. Here, take da pape," the kid said, handing it to Samuel. Samuel's eyes scanned the front page. There was a picture and everything.

"Listen, kid. Our lodgin' house is full, but if you go to da one down in Manhattan they'se proba'ly accept ya. They'se always acceptin' kids," the kid advised.

Samuel didn't know what to think or feel. The only thing that kept running through his mind was, 'Charlie's gone'.

Samuel took off. He didn't know where he was going, but it was away. Away from the factory, away from that kid, away from his father.

Once it was night, he didn't know where he was anymore. Nothing looked familiar and he was pretty sure he was in Queens anymore.

He found a bench and climbed onto it. He looked at the newspaper that he still gripped in his tiny hand and said, "I love you, Charlie," before laying down and quickly falling asleep.

Samuel woke to the sound of people shouting, dogs barking, and whistles blowing. He sat up and looked around sleepily. Where was he again? Why'd he feel so empty?

As yesterday's events came rushing back, he deflated a little. A woman walking by did a double take at the little boy and knelt down in front of him. She had a little girl with her who was gripping her mother's hand.

"Dear, where's your parents?" the woman asked. "Um, my father was mean to me and my brother so we ran away. Where am I?" Samuel asked. "You're in Manhattan. Where's your brother?" the woman asked.

"He-he died," Samuel said quietly. The woman instantly took pity on the boy and gave him a few coins. "Do you have somewhere to stay?" the little girl asked. Samuel shook his head. "Have you tried to Newsboys Lodging House?" the woman asked. Samuel shook his head again. "Try there. I'd take you but I need to get my daughter to school," the woman said.

The little girl handed Samuel something that was wrapped in brown paper. Samuel looked up at her in shock. He unwrapped a little and saw it was a sandwich. It was then that he realized how hungry he was.

"Thank you," Samuel breathed in shock.

"I hope you find somewhere safe to stay," the woman said, standing. "I hope you like it, it's peanut butter and jelly," the little girl grinned. Samuel grinned and said, "I do. Thank you!"

"C'mon, Katherine, we're going to be late if we don't hurry up," the woman said. "Bye!" Katherine shouted to Samuel, as she and her mother left. Samuel quickly ate the sandwich and after it was gone, he decided he should probably find somewhere to go. Maybe he should try the Newsboys Lodging House. Yeah, that's where Jack is. Jack will help him.

So Samuel set off. It took his most of the day to try and get there and he was starving and exhausted by the time the sun was setting.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, Morris?"

"Looks like an orphan, Oscar."

Samuel turned and saw two older boys walking towards him. From the looks of it, they didn't seem very nice.

"Hey!" a voice shouted, making all three of them turn. "Leave him alone, Delanceys!" a boy said.

"Jack!" Samuel shouted happily. Jack gave him a grin and said, "I see you took me up on my offer. Where's your brother?"

Jack had two other boys with him, one was older and one was the same age. Before Samuel could do anything, Oscar said, "You think you three can take us? We'll soak ya all three of ya."

"You really wanna get on Kloppman's bad side?" the older one said. Oscar and Morris glanced at each other, growled at the boys, then left.

"Samuel, where's your brother?" Jack asked, confused. "He-he,um, he died," Samuel said, looking down. "Aw, I'm sorry, kid. Wanna come with us?" the older one asked. Samuel looked back up at the three. "Can I?" he asked.

"Course! Samuel, this is Specs," Jack said, pointing to the older one, "and Race," he added, pointing to the younger one. Samuel waved shyly and Race asked, "Why do you got that stick?"

"Cause I had polio. Messed up my leg," Samuel explained. "We'll get you a real crutch. Or at least a better one," Jack promised and Samuel smiled.

The went back to the Lodging House and introduced Samuel to Mr. Kloppman and all the other boys. At first, the only person Samuel would talk to was Jack. Jack eventually found out about their father and how Charlie died, but never told the other boys.

Samuel did end up getting an actual crutch, and that was when they gave him his Newsie nickname.

"Hey, how 'bout Crutchie?" Finch suggested with a grin. Samuel grinned and nodded. "I think he likes it, Finch! Well as long as he likes it, I guess that his new name. Welcome to the family, Crutchie," Jack said, wrapping his arm around the five year old's shoulders.

Crutchie grinned and hugged Jack.

He was finally home.

A/N: I'm so so so sorry! I had a chapter I was going to do instead of this one, but it wasn't working out like I wanted it to and so this one happened instead. I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! TTFN!