Disclaimer: Newsies and all characters from the movie are properties of Disney.

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Enlightening

"You wanna stop following me?"

James glanced backwards as he spoke and sighed.

"You should be honored I'm following you." Natalie ignored his snort of disbelief. "I could be talking to a lot of other people besides you right now."

"So why don't you go and talk to them, then?"

"Because," she lifted her shoulders indifferently, "you interest me."

"I'm flattered," he said sarcastically. "But you're getting on my nerves, so do me a favor and leave me alone."

Her blue eyes narrowed on him contemplatively. Instead of following his suggestion, she continued to trail him. Natalie was undeterred.

James heard the snow crunching behind him and sighed again in exasperation. He was back in the cold again – they were back in the cold again. The blizzard had weakened just a little, though it was still a formidable force. The snow hit them both from the front and they had to press on to contest the occasional, but fierce, wind. He had made the rash decision to leave Tony's in order to rid himself of the crazy girl, with every intention of going back once he was sure that she had left. Now he was stuck with the storm and the girl. And she just would not quit talking.

"I don't see why we had to leave the restaurant," she said. "It was perfectly warm inside."

James groaned. He didn't need her to remind him of the fact.

"I like Tony," she continued. "He's very kind."

"He's a good guy."

Several minutes passed in quiet, which surprised James, considering that the girl had been chattering continuously since they left Tony's restaurant. He looked over to see if she was still behind him – he didn't know why he did, since he was certain she was. He guessed that there was a part of him that, even though she was grating on his nerves with all of her questions, was curious about her. After all, who wouldn't be a little interested in a violinist that played during winter storms? He caught Natalie jumping over the snow, following in his footsteps, literally. She hopped onto her right foot where his right foot had just left an indent in the snow, her arms swinging at her sides. She carried her violin case in one hand, her white umbrella in the other. The girl had to be around his age, but right now she looked like a little kid without a care in the world.

If only he were so lucky.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You've been asking me questions non-stop since we met," James said.

She laughed a little guiltily. "I guess I have, haven't I? Oh, asked you another question right there!" she said, laughing again. "I was just wondering, where are we going?"

"We're not going anywhere," James answered. "You're going back to… wherever you came from, and I'm going …" He tried to think of the right word – "home" wasn't exactly something he had – but couldn't. "I'm going to find someplace to stay."

"Are you lost?" She didn't sound too concerned by the prospect.

"I'm not lost," James said indignantly. "I know this city like the back of my hand."

They walked for a while in that storm, though it seemed that James was struggling through it more than she was. He was distinctly aware that there was no one on the streets. He thought he was brave for enduring the storm before, but now, now with this girl, he knew he was just being stupid. He had left a good shelter because of her. And where was he going? He had nowhere to go. All he was doing now was wandering aimlessly, hoping he could come up with something to get rid of the girl.

He shook his head. She was talking even now. He briefly considered just going back to Tony's, but he didn't want to the girl to be following him around until dark. She had to have a home to go back to, right? Then a practical idea came to him. If James could find a way to drop the girl off at her home, it would be a discrete way to get her off his case and to make sure she'd get home safely. He couldn't understand why that last part even mattered to him, but it did and he didn't linger over the thought for too long. If only he could find out where she lived…

He was about to turn to ask her when something hard hit him squarely in the back. James whipped around.

Natalie stood there with a wide grin, her umbrella and violin case on the ground beside her. The look on her face concerned him, but what concerned him most was what she held between her hands: a perfectly spherical ball of snow. She tossed it around in her hand coolly, but there was no mistaking the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Now, wait. That's not fair," he said slowly. But even as he spoke he was reaching down to gather the settled snow into his palm.

The snowball came flying his way. James managed to block it from hitting his face with his arm. The girl had aim, he gave her that. He quickly molded and compacted the snow using his hands and as soon as the shape satisfied him, he flung it in her direction. Just as he did, another snowball hit him. Damn, she's quick! James thought, moving fast now. He crouched down and formed two snowballs to throw in quick succession. When he lifted his head to see her progress, she was gone.

His brows furrowed. Where'd she go? He heard footsteps from behind him and quickly twisted around, but not in time to dodge Natalie's attack. She had an armful of snow and was quickly advancing towards him. James swiftly moved to where Natalie's umbrella laid, picked it up and opened it, using it as a shield. It worked - he heard at least two snowballs hit the top of the umbrella. He peeked over his shield and saw that she had doubled over laughing. It was a sound that resounded with pure joy, and was oddly contagious. He found himself chuckling, too, falling back to the ground and feebly tossing the snow in her direction as he did.

Natalie sighed, wiping the tears that had formed at her eyes from laughing so much. James lifted himself up, dusting the snow from his trousers. He closed the umbrella and took her violin case by the handle, handing both to her.

"You do know how to smile," she said in wonder, accepting her belongings gratefully. She herself beamed. "It's nice. You should do it more often."

"Yeah, well, I'd need a reason to do it, wouldn't I?"

"There are lots of reasons to smile," she replied.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

If he could see the sun through the clouds and the storm, he would have seen that it was setting. The sky was darkening rapidly. The pair began walking again, even though neither had decided upon a destination still. Only James seemed to be aware that they had no specific goal. Natalie, on the other hand, seemed happily unaware of their pointless journey. Glancing in her direction, James shook his head: he just could not figure her out. Who was she? Where was she from? And why was she so set on following him? She was a set of a contradictions. Her mannerisms suggested an elegance typical of wealthy families, but her clothes were ill-fitted and not exactly new. She was small and petite, but she was braving the storm better than he was. Her violin was tuned to perfection, but the case was tattered around the edges. She was innocent and hopeful, which made absolutely no sense to James.

She was quiet for several moments, too, as she thought about his question. It was apparent that she came up with an answer when she perked up and turned to face him.

"Like this snow. This snow is a reason to smile."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not kidding. Snow falls like this only a couple of times a year, if we're fortunate. I think it's a reason to smile when the snow settles perfectly like it's doing today. It feels like another world when everything's covered in this frosty white."

He considered her response for a long while before replying. "So, you're saying we're in the middle of a blizzard, this freezing storm, but we should be smiling. Is that it?"

"Yes."

"I think you're mad."

"You'll learn to appreciate it, James," she said confidently.

She looked over to him at that moment and saw that he was vehemently blowing into his hands. The brief snow fight had left his hands so numb he could barely move his fingers. She tugged on his coatsleeve to get his attention and, dropping her things, took his hands into her own. He didn't protest. James felt the warmth radiating from her hands and frowned. How the hell were her hands so warm when his were deathly cold? he wondered. A bitter wind passed through, effectively sending James' body into a compulsive shiver. Natalie seemed rather unaffected.

"The wind is freezing. You're not cold?" he asked softly.

"I don't think it's that cold," pushing back her brown hair with her fingers. She resumed holding his hands.

"Lucky you."

The pair remained rooted to their spot for quite some time, as Natalie continued to share the warmth of her hands. James wondered at that moment, as her hands covered his and as he gazed down at the top of her chestnut hair, he wondered if she was an – No, he thought, dismissing the notion as soon as it entered his mind. It was probably all the Christmas nonsense that was playing with his thoughts. James lost track of how long they stood there; he realized that that's been happening a lot since he met Natalie.

"Want me to tell you the trick?" she offered.

"The trick to what?"

"The trick to not feeling cold."

He had to admit, he was intrigued. What was she going to come up with now? James thought wryly.

She leaned in close, putting one hand close to her mouth as though she were about to tell him some great secret. "The trick to not feeling cold is…" she paused for dramatic effect, "to pretend you're flying."

"You're officially out of your mind."

"I'm serious!"

"How the hell would that make me not feel cold?"

"I can't explain it. You'll have to try it for yourself." With that, she let go of his hands. "It works best on windy days like today. You have to spread your arms out like this." She demonstrated, stretching out her arms from her sides. "And stand on your tiptoes. When the wind blows, you'll feel like you're flying and you'll forget all about being cold."

He stared at her skeptically. She looked at him expectantly.

"Come on, then, try it!"

"I'm not going to do that."

"Why not?"

"It's stupid."

She grasped his hand and held it up. "Try it just once," she urged.

She was damn persistent. He exhaled resignedly. "Fine." James held out his other arm and tiptoed to his fullest height.

The two stood in that position for several moments.

"I feel like an idiot," James muttered.

"Wait for it," Natalie said, her eyes closed. "It's coming."

As though she had commanded its presence, a robust wind came howling from ahead. James felt Natalie readying herself as her hand tightened around his. The gust struck them directly, reaching around their stomachs first, then rising. James' eyes widened in shock. He could have sworn that, for a split second, he was lifted from his toes. The weaker tail of the wind passed through them and the pair returned to their feet. The moment of weightlessness threw him off a bit. And he realized that Natalie had been right: his preoccupation with the flying sensation had made him forget about the chilling air.

Natalie released his hand and smiled knowingly before picking up her possessions.

"Lead the way," she said.

Her words abruptly made James remember that he had no place to stay that night. He now felt guilty for pointlessly dragging Natalie around the city with him, despite the fact that she was the one who decided to tag along. He led the way, as she requested, but he really needed to drop her off, for her own sake. It was close to evening now and he, somehow, assumed Natalie had a family waiting for her. As soon as he had organized his thoughts and determined a plan, however, Natalie interrupted him once again.

"I love the Christmas decorations this year, don't you?"

She was talking about Christmas again. James scoffed. "Yeah, sure do."

"You don't care for them?"

He shrugged carelessly. "I don't care for Christmas."

"Oh, I see."

"Listen, I can drop you off --"

"I think Christmas is my favorite time of the year. People are always so full of cheer and the city becomes so colorful."

"And that's a good thing?"

Natalie frowned. "Isn't it?"

James shook his head. She certainly was hopeful. "You're blinded like everyone else," he muttered under his breath.

She studied him. "Why are you so sour about Christmas?" Natalie asked.

"I ain't sour."

"Yes, you are. Everyone is happy about the holidays. Everyone but you."

"All right," he said, turning around to face her. "You want to know why I'm sour? It's all of this. It's all a lot of fakery – everything," James said, gesturing with his arm around him. "None of this is real. People make this big deal about Christmas, you know? But I don't believe any of it for a minute. Everyone's smiling, laughing, pretending to care… and – and, all this singing and music about love – it's all fake. Phony. You know what? As soon as it's done, they go back to reality. No one cares about no one. And street rats like me – we don't get so much as one glance."

Natalie took several moments to take it in. And then, quietly, she said, "I don't believe that."

James shrugged. "Believe what you want." He whipped around and began walking ahead of her.

But Natalie wouldn't give up. "I don't believe that, James," she called out, as she picked up her skirts and began after him.

He didn't look back – he knew that she would keep talking no matter – and as though proving his point, she did.

"I believe that - that Christmas is special," she said, trying to keep up with his long strides. "You may think that people are being phony, but I think that it's the one time of the year that they're being genuine and honest and true. We lose ourselves… we lose ourselves during the year, that's what I think. I don't know why that is, but it's just how life is. We get stressed, we have to deal with this and that, and starving, and being out on the streets, and not having enough money for ourselves, for our families." Her words came out in a flurry now. "We lose loved ones. We lose our jobs. We – there's so much that's not right in the world and we react to it. Of course we do. And all of that catches up with us." She caught up with him now. Natalie pulled his arm and turned him towards her. "We go through months of struggling, and we think we're the only ones that are struggling, but we're not. And Christmas brings that – that truth out in us. I don't know why it does, but it does. This is the time of year, right at the end, that we realize we're not alone. And… and it gives us the courage – that's what it is, James! – it gives us the courage to open up to each other. It gives us the courage to be ourselves, and to be kind, and to admit we're wrong, and to say 'I love you.' To not think of just ourselves and all the bad things that happened, and be brave enough to sacrifice for others around us. And you may think that all of this is just dishonesty, and that people are insincere in their hearts, but I think this is the one time when people are the most true." Her voice softened. "That's what I believe."

Her outburst took James by surprise. He was silent. There was such naked emotion in her eyes and, when she tilted her head down, embarrassed by her own tirade, he resisted the urge to tip her chin up towards him to look through those depths again.

James couldn't explain why he felt the need to explain himself – why he disliked the holidays and turned his nose at all the Christmas festivities; maybe it was her eyes, those knowing eyes, but whatever it was, he needed her to understand. "I know what people think about Christmas – all that stuff about family and being together. No one was ever there for me, though. It's always been that way and that's never going to change," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He had never shared such a personal sentiment with anyone before.

Natalie shrugged. "I'm here for you." It wasn't a promise, but a simple statement. The words had come out from her lips without a moment's hesitation, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world to her and to tell him was the easiest thing to say. There was nothing pretentious in her tone, just truth.

"James, there will always be someone there for you. You're a good person. From the moment I saw you, when I saw you listening to the music, I knew. There's a part of you that still hopes. I know you say you don't believe in Christmas, but there's a part of you deep inside that does, whether you're aware of it or not." She reached her hand to his eyes. "You just have to open your eyes and your heart. That little part of you that still believes – that hope - is what led you here."

James looked around then, snapping out from listening to Natalie's soothing voice, and was completely caught off-guard by his surroundings. His feet had uncharacteristically led them to a neighborhood with which he wasn't quite familiar. He hadn't been paying much attention to directions, but still, it wasn't like him to wander into untried streets.

It was quiet. They stood in front of a fence that guarded a modest brownstone. A wreath hung on the door. The curtains on the windows were pulled back, revealing the bright Christmas decorations from within.

Natalie turned to the fence and gave the gate a slight push; it squeaked open slowly. "This is the home of Charles Loring Brace. You'll find that he will be more than happy to help you and to let you stay for a night or two. He's very kind. Like Tony, except… well, they're different," she said, chuckling.

James just stood there, still, in all his confusion. How had she known where they were if even James had no clue? He'd been the one leading the pair, she'd been walking behind or beside him all this time, but now it seemed like she had been the one doing the leading. Natalie had been asking all the questions before, but now James was the one burning to ask her a million questions. It was as though they had switched roles and James hadn't even realized it.

"I don't understand," he began to say. "How--?"

"You will understand," she assured him. She rested her hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

The simple gesture flooded his senses, calming and soothing him. He felt the tension lift from his body, the knots untangling in his shoulders. It was the strangest yet most pleasant feeling, as though her hopefulness and purity radiated into him from her fingertips. James met her blue eyes, which seemed crystal clear even in the darkness, and was spellbound.

"It's getting late," she began. "You're going to get sick if you stay out here any longer." She nodded towards the house with an encouraging grin. "Go on."

"What – wait, I --"

Natalie hushed him and pushed him gently onto the path towards the brownstone doors. But James was still hesitant.

"Charles Loring Brace…" he repeated. "What do I say to him?"

She gave him a peaceful smile. "Tell him the truth. He'll understand."

James fiddled with his cap for several instants. "I was going to take you home, Natalie."

"Don't worry about me. I know this city like the back of my hand," she said, playfully tossing his words back at him.

James gave a weak smile. He'd met Natalie only several hours before but there was something about her that made him trust her, completely. It was the most puzzling day he'd ever had. James had started wholly irritated by having to put up with a talkative girl, but by evening, she had softened his heart with her straightforward charm.

"Will I see you around?"

Natalie grinned. She signaled toward her violin case by lifting it slightly. "I meant it when I said I'm here for you. You'll be hearing from me again, James. I promise."

With a final beaming smile, Natalie turned away, jogging slowly.

James walked up the paved path and up the steps to the door. He had no logical explanation for his actions. The only explanation was that, somehow, he trusted Natalie. He took several breaths before knocking three times. James looked to the west where Natalie's form was fading.

She suddenly turned around and waved cheerfully back at him, giving him additional strength.

"Merry Christmas, James Kloppman!" she called out brightly before heading off again.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Merry Christmas," he replied softly.

It wasn't until later that he realized he had never revealed to Natalie his full name.

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Charles Brace was indeed a kind man, as Natalie had said. And he had welcomed James with open arms, without a moment's hesitation, as Natalie had said. He invited James to a warm and delicious meal with the rest of the family and offered him the spare room on their second floor. James couldn't even begin to thank them and to express his gratitude, but the Brace family had assured him it was no problem and that they thoroughly enjoyed his company. After all, they said, that's what Christmas is about.

That night, as James was teetering between consciousness and sleep, he was awakened by soft, drifting melodies from outside. He could have sworn it was Natalie's violin. But when he scurried to the window, pulled away the curtain and looked out, all he saw was an empty street.

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Author's Note: Charles Loring Brace was the man who founded the Children's Aid Society in 1853 and ran several lodging houses in New York. This information was retrieved from LD's No. 9 on Duane Street, which I highly recommend. Thank you Laelyn for your generous reviews! I was very nervous about this story, but I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying it thus far!