I'm sorry. I had basically the whole chapter written at the time I last updated but decided it wasn't good enough to put up. But then of course my computer crashes I only had about half of what I wrote on my external hard drive. Which is fine because this one turned out better than what I previously wrote! Plus being married and having a full time job doesn't help much with my free time for writing. :) But I am determined to finish this thing, no matter how long it takes! Thank you to those who commented before hand and sorry I have no individual shout outs this time but will next chapter!

Chapter 11: The Party

The week leading up to party Race and Lynn hung out every moment they could. He would stop by to see her during lunch, pick her up when she was done, she would sit next to him as he played poker and both would steal a kiss whenever they got the chance.

Manhattan was the first borough for the party. The girls looked around and noticed the details Medda's staff spent days to prepare. Wreaths hung on the banisters and railings and each doorway decorated with mistletoe. A Christmas tree in nearly every corner hung with tinsel and ornaments made of glass. The bartenders and waiters were just finishing up there displays of drinks and sweets for the party goers. As Manhattan got the best tables in the house, Queens and Bronx arrived, with Brooklyn being fashionably late as always. Race didn't waste anytime pulling out the cards to play poker with table mates; Jack and Sarah, David, Pie Eater and Angel, Dutchy and Baby, Spot and Connie, Shade and Beth, Blink and Heav, Mush and of course Lynn.

The place was filled with music as the small orchestra played some lively tunes and everyone was forgetting any troubles they had until Angel stopped something the rest of the group didn't see.

"Jack, Harlem's here." She announced preparing herself for whatever was needed.

"Don't worry." Jack said and all the girls looked towards the leader.

"We have an agreement for tonight. Harlem stays away from Brooklyn and Manhattan and we stay away from them." Spot said, finishing his drink.

"When did this happen?" Heav asked angered a bit she wasn't brought in on this.

"Don't worry about it." was all Jack said as the crowd began to cheer because of Medea's entrance on to the stage.

"I'm going to get another drink you want one Race?" Lynn asked getting up followed by Angel and Baby.

"Ya." He said as his touch lingered a bit on her arm. The two smaller girls followed Angel as she guided them through the crowd to the bar.

"So how is going with Pie Eater. You seem to be hitting it off?" Baby asked as she picked up a couple drinks.

"Ya I don't know." was all Angel said while taking a drink.

"What do you mean you don't know!" Baby exclaimed. "He's a good looking guy. What more could you want!"

"I think we're are better off friends." she said taking another sip. "Come on let's get back to the guys." She took off taking the same path as before. Lynn held her two drinks looking down to make sure she wasn't stepping on any unwanted glasses or food discarded on the floor. But she didn't get by two steps away when a pair of feet stopped her in her path. She looked up expecting a Manhattan newsie but was greeted with a face she wished she never would see again.

"Well, well. How's it going Lynn?" Johnny said taking a step forward to ensure her back was against the bar.

"Fine." was all she could manage to say as her throat started to tighten up.

"Who are you here with?" He asked as he took the drinks from her hands and placed them directly behind her on the bar. She couldn't answer.

"I thought Lynn was with you?" Race stated as the two girls arrived.

"Duh, she did. You saw her come with us." Baby said.

"Well where is she?" Race asked as Angel and Baby came up and placed their drinks down.

"Right behind us silly." Baby said taking her seat.

"No she's not." He said looking around in case she just coming up from behind. The two other girls looked around as well.

"Well she was right behind us." Angel said. Shade stood nearly knocking off Beth who was literally in his lap and tried to look over the heads of the others. But to no avail he couldn't see his sister's blond hair so he stood on the chair to get some higher ground. After a few seconds he stopped her.

"Johnny's cornered her by the bar." Shade said almost leaping off to get to his sister. Spot, Jack and Race not too far behind, along with the rest of the table.

"O come on. You know you could tell me." Johnny running his hand up her arms. Which seemed to be frozen in place by her side.

"I'm here with Race." she quietly whispered.

"With Race?" Johnny said. "How is it you ended up in Manhattan I wonder. But I guess it shouldn't be a surprise they are known for helping a damsel in distress." She tried to stare at anything but his eyes, green with a slight shade of gray around the edge in them, seemed to draw her to them in a very wrong way. In a way she knew that instinct said not to trust this guy in anyway. "Well you know you belong with someone else. So I think I'll just bring you back there." He said as he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her towards him.

"NO." was all she could manage. Her body still not responding to any instinct it should have.

"O come on you know you belong with Joshua. How do you think you ended up on the streets. You couldn't just do what you needed just for mother but you had to get selfish. We knew if you had only you and nothing to provide yourself with you would need to accept the help of someone." He could see the confusion in her eyes. "How do you think your mother found out you broke up with him, huh?"

"What?" came out as a short breath.

"We told your mother you broke up with Joshua. Or I did anyways all right after she practically begged me to bed her. We knew she would throw you out because if you didn't marry him, there would be no money support her. We were just hoping we would find you first before you had the chance accepting anyone else's help." Johnny said leaning closer to her face. She tried not believe what he said but it all made sense on how her mother found out. He leaned even further as could feel his breath on her own lips. "Now ditch Manhattan and come with me. You know we'll take care of you." His lips just brushing hers. Before he could put more pressure onto her lips, Lynn felt her arm being tugged away. He body followed and slammed into another hard body. She looked up to the other face only to see an angry brother, while Spot and Jack stepped in between her and Johnny.

"What are you doing Johnny." Spot said coldly as the other leader stabilized himself. The others arrived in time to hear Harlem's answer.

"Just catching up with an old friend." Johnny smirked.

"Remember our agreement Johnny. You stay away from us and we'll stay away from you." Jack said crossing his arms.

"But she's not one of you."

"She belong with Manhattan." Race said trying to keep his cool.

"I think you got that wrong Race. She belong with someone but that's not you." Johnny sneered at him. He always hated that gambling newsies. "And that whore knows who she belongs to."

"My sister is no whore." Shade nearly yelled at him pulling her in closer as if he was trying to prevent her from hearing anything. And at the name Lynn could see the other girls look at her, so she buried her face into his side.

"Sister!" Johnny was now amused. "O this will be fun. The mighty second in command has a whore for a sister."

"Stop calling her that!" Shade yelled. Out of all that was going on no amount of yelling was attracting any of the other patrons from having a good time.

"Fine." Johnny simply said. "But you might want to watch out for her." Implying that this wasn't just a fight for territory but this included the fight for her. "You know its funny want happens to girls like her. One day they're there for any service for a willing gentlemen, the next day, they're gone. Their throats cut and body lying in some alleyway."

"Get out of here Johnny." Spot said with no emotion in his voice or on his face.

"O don't worry. I was just leaving." He looked at Lynn and winked at her when they made eye contact. "See you soon Sweetheart." With that he walked away, everyone watching him as he made his way to the front and out to the lobby. As soon as he was out of sight all eyes turned to her. She didn't want to explain what just happened. She couldn't because she was still trying to process it herself. Lynn could feel the tears coming over the brim of her eyes and slowly making a path down the side of her cheek and off. She pulled away from Shade as her feet started to lead her in a run but her arm again was grabbed onto by a hand. As she turned around everyone could see a fear in her eyes that no one saw before.

"Don't touch me!" Lynn said as she faced Race. The questioning and hurt clearly visible in his eyes and tugged her arm free. She didn't mean to hurt him, her body was only reacting the way it knew how. "Of course my body knows how to work now." She thought. "I'm sorry Race. But just don't. Don't follow me." She backed away and turned to start running to the lobby.

"Lynn!" Shade called out. And started after her. "Beth stay with Connie." he said passing by his date.

"I better go after them. Who knows if Johnny is lurking about out there." Spot said. "Sorry Babe." He said kissing Connie on the cheek. "Sly will get you home." With that he went after his second.

"How does Lynn know Johnny?" Heav finally asked after Connie and Beth left the group, angry their dates had left them.

"I think he's friends with her ex boyfriend." Race finally said. Jack looked at him wondering when this all came about.

"Ex boyfriend?" Baby asked. "When was she with this ex-Oww!" Dutchy had slightly elbowed her, telling her it wasn't her concern. "She's our friend we deserve to know. Especially if Johnny knows her."

"And what's with him calling her a whore?" Angel stepped in. "How did you guys come upon her?" Everyone who didn't already know or question before was wondering now.

"You all know just as well I do, everyone has their story. And just like all us newsies we don't have to tell anyone. If she doesn't want to say that's up to her." Jack said picking few drinks and handing one to Sarah. "Now if she doesn't want to tell I don't want to hear from her or anyone that you girls are pushing her to." With that he walked away with Sarah, David, Pie Eater, Blink and Mush following him back to their table.

"That's stupid, she's our friend." Baby whined looking at Angel and Heav.

"You girls heard Jack and if you are smart you'll let it be if she doesn't want to say." Dutchy said looking at all three girls to make sure he got his point across. "Let's enjoy the rest of the night before its over." He said kissing Baby's cheek and leading her back to the table. Angel followed the couple back but Heaven stayed glaring at Race.

"What's going on Race?" She questioned him.

"I don't know." he said honestly. His eyes hadn't left the front entrance since Lynn ran out of them.

"Don't give me that shit Race. What's happening with her?" She pushed harder this time.

"Give it up Heaven. You're in charge of the girls, ya. But only the girls who are newsies. And we all know Lynn ain't a newsie." Race stated, still hurt by what Lynn had said to him. Deep down he knew she didn't mean it but his heart was feeling as if a splinter had just found its way into it.

She could feel the cold air constricting her airway as she ran in the near the freezing weather. She could hear footsteps not far behind her but she didn't want to stop. She had to get far away from there and just to try piece together what just happened. She needed to get to place where she could think clearly. The Brooklyn Bridge. Just seeing the water and the way it ran from one end to the other, seeming as if there was no beginning and no ending, always calmed her. She reached the entrance was only able to get a couple feet before her legs gave out from exhaustion. She could see her breathe as it shake heavily from inside her.

"Lynn!" she could hear his voice coming closer. "Lynn. Why didn't you stop?" He asked as he neared and kneeled down next to her. She couldn't answer. "What did Johnny say to? And how do you know him?" She knew he was Harlem's leader but had no clue about the war that was looming between Harlem and Brooklyn.

"Johnny was the guy who influenced Joshua. He's the guy who changed him once they became friends." she said gathering her knees up to her chest, not caring about the cold going through her skirts.

"He knows everything that went on for the past couple of years then, huh?" Shade said more as statement, just as Spot caught up to them. Shade sent him a quick look, both knowing this wasn't going to be good for either Manhattan and now most certainly for Brooklyn. She nodded her head a bit. "What did he say to you?"

"He trapped me right after we got the drinks. He asked me who I was with and told him Race. He told me that I didn't belong with him but with them. I didn't know what he meant but then he told me how mom found out I broke up with Joshua." The tears poured from her eyes but stung her cheeks as the coldness nearly froze them. "Said they figured if mom knew we weren't together they figured they kick me out. So Johnny told her right after he slept with her. Said mom begged him to. They thought that if mom kicked me out they might be able to find me and they would take me in." Shade clutched his fists as he listened to every word she said. When she finished he didn't know how he should react, all he could think to do was stand and bang at the railing behind her.

"Shade." Spot said in a sharp but quite and commanding tone and at once Shade stopped. "Is that all he said to you?" Stepping towards her. He kneeled besides her. She nodded her head.

"Besides what you he said in front of everyone. Ya, that's all." Lynn was starting to calm down as she wiped her cheeks. All she wanted was her life to be normal but every time she thought she might something else pops up. "Do you really think he would do it?"

"Do what?" Shade asked, obviously forgetting about Johnny's last comment.

"There's no telling. Johnny is a lot of talk and a man of little action sometimes. And sometimes he's all action." Spot was being straightforward. "But yo won't be going any where by yourself. One of Manhattan will have to be with you always."

'No they have jobs to do, money to make. And they aren't involved in my problems, I can't ask them to do that over a threat to me." She protested.

"This is more than a threat to you." Shade spoke.

"What do you mean of course its a threat. A threat to me, to try and harm me because Joshua wants me." She tried to stress.

"No its not." Shade kneeled on the other side of her. "Johnny has been trying to start a war with Brooklyn for a while now. Its a threat to you but he's going to harm you and use that as way to get to Brooklyn and Manhattan as well." Finally realizing this wasn't just about her she knew things were going to change.

"So what happens now?" She asked knowing she wasn't going to like what happened from her on out. At least until this all ended.

Let me know what you thought! I appreciate any sort of help that could help me make the story better. Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors, I sort of updated without reading that last little bit.