Summer, 1895

"C'mon, boys!" Jack hollered, dodging people as he raced through the streets.

"Hey, slow down, Cowboy!" Race called, stopping to wait for Crutchie.

The four of them -Jack, Romeo, Race, and Crutchie- had had a rare day when they all sold out early. So of course, they went to the park. They might be newsboys, but they were still boys.

"Watch this, Rome," Race said, grabbing the trunk of a nearby tree. He clambered up it like a monkey, perching on one of the higher branches. "I'm the King of New York!" he shouted to the sky.

"I wanna be king, too!" Romeo protested. The two boys bickered loudly as Romeo made his way up the tree, joining Race on the branch and making it swing precariously.

Jack rolled his eyes, sending Crutchie a grin. "You bummers quit gripin'!" he yelled up to them, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Ya can both be kings."

"If they's kings, what does that make us?" Crutchie asked.

Jack grinned. "The brave and fearless knights, of course," he said. "C'mon, let's find some swords."

They were busy scouting around for sticks when they heard Lou's shout. Lou, short for Louisiana, was one of the older boys and Butch's second-in-command. The tall, lanky, dark-skinned boy had made his way to New York from New Orleans, giving him his nickname.

"Hey!" Lou called, stopping at the edge of the grass. "Butch is lookin' for you four. You's gonna make us late."

Jack and Crutchie threw down their sticks, and Race and Romeo jumped down from the tree.

"Romeo ain't never been ta Brooklyn before," Race spoke up as Lou led them in the direction of the Bridge. "Someone," he glared at Jack. "Told him a buncha stories and made him noyvous."

"I ain't noyvous!" Romeo protested.

Lou laughed, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "On a normal day I'd tell ya ta stay away from Brooklyn," he said. "But lucky for us this ain't a normal day. Brooklyn and Manhattan has been meetin' at the docks for the Fourth of July for as long as I can remember. Just don't pick fights with the Brooklyn boys, Race, and you'll be okay."

Racetrack smirked, sticking a cigar in his mouth.

"Bet I can beat ya ta the Bridge!" Jack said suddenly, taking off. Race and Romeo were after him in an instant, complaining loudly about his head start.

Lou shook his head, grinning. "Let's get goin'," he said, hoisting Crutchie onto his back. "Don't want the party ta start without us."

Butch gave up trying to count heads as his boys ran across the Bridge, whooping and hollering. "Head down ta the docks, boys!" he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. They complied, several of them tossing shirts, shoes, and suspenders onto the bank and diving into the river in their long johns.

"'Hattan!" a voice called behind him.

Butch turned around with a grin, spit shaking with the leader of Brooklyn. "Heya, Knockout," he said. "And Squirt," he added, catching sight of a smaller figure behind the older boy.

The scrawny little kid scowled at him. "It's Spot," he corrected.

Knockout grinned, clapping the younger boy on the shoulder. "Kid's gonna rule Brooklyn some day."

Spot puffed up with pride, lifting his chin and fixing Butch with a glare.

Knockout jerked a thumb toward the river. "Go on," he said. "Go play with the 'Hattan kids."

With a slight grin, Spot scampered off toward the water, joining the other boys.

With him gone, the two leaders locked eyes, each refusing to look away first. Backing down meant weakness, and borough leaders couldn't be weak.

"Elizabeth said she'll be here," Knockout said finally.

Butch grinned. "Good."

"Race!" Romeo shouted. "C'mon in!"

Racetrack glanced up from where he sat on the dock. "Nah," he called back. "I'm good here."

Romeo pulled himself up onto the dock, shaking water out of his hair. "C'mon, Race," he said. "It's about a million degrees out. The water's real nice, c'mon in."

Race shook his head adamantly. "I's fine, Romeo," he said. "Get back in." When Romeo didn't move, Race pushed him over the edge, causing him to hit the water with a loud splash.

"You're in for it now, Race!" Romeo declared when he surfaced, pushing his wet hair back from his face. He splashed water in his brother's direction, and Race sprang away from it as if he'd been burned.

Something clicked in Romeo's head, and he pulled himself up onto the dock again. "You's afraid of the water."

"I am not," Race countered, rolling his eyes. "I just don't feel like swimmin' is all."

Romeo shrugged. "I can teach ya," he said. "It's real easy."

Race turned away, chomping down on his cigar. "I don't need my little brother ta teach me nothin'," he said.

Romeo followed him. "Race," he tried again. "I only know how ta swim 'cause I lived in the country. The Brooklyn boys know how 'cause they live near the river. It's real easy. I'll show ya." With that, he took Race by the shoulders and pushed him hard, making him topple back into the water.

Race drew in a breath, only to have his lungs fill with water. Panic rose in his chest, and he kicked for the surface. He kept kicking, keeping his head above water as he coughed and spluttered. "I'm gonna kill you!" he gasped as soon as he could speak.

"Race," Romeo said calmly, treading water.

"Rome, I'm gonna chase ya down and I'm gonna soak ya, for real this time," Race threatened.

"Racetrack!" Romeo said, gaining his attention. "You's doin' it. You's swimmin'."

Race stopped talking for a rare moment, shock registering on his face.

"That's all there is to it," Romeo said with a grin. "Just kick and keep your head above the water. That's how my pa taught me, too."

A small smirk played at the corners of Race's mouth. "He threw ya in?"

"Yeah," Romeo said. "His plan kinda backfired, though. I sank like a rock and wouldn't go near water for a month."

Race grinned in spite of himself. "How'd ya know that wouldn't happen with me?"

Romeo shrugged, smothering a smile. "I was really hopin' ya wouldn't."

Race rolled his eyes and pushed his brother's head underwater. Romeo splashed him back, laughing.

"Hey, fellas!" Knockout called from the dock. "Runner stole some firecrackers. We's gonna have ourselves a show!"

Yelling excitedly, the boys climbed out of the river and searched for their clothes, the usual arguments over who's pants were who's and who had taken so and so's shoes. Knockout waited impatiently, eager to start the display. The boys were just starting to quiet down when a young, very pretty lady entered their midst. That set them off again, whistling and catcalling, and this time both leaders yelled at them to shut up.

"Hello, Terry," the girl said, giving Knockout a kiss on the cheek.

A few of the Brooklyn boys whooped loudly, and he silenced them with a single glare. "Can it, boys," he said. "She's me sister. Elizabeth."

She favored the boys with a smile and a wave, before turning to Butch and allowing him to pull her into his arms for a lingering kiss. The Manhattan boys exchanged surprised glances. Butch's girl was the Brooklyn leader's sister?

"See, this is why ya don't fall in love with just any goil," Jack said with authority. "Ya never know what powerful people she might be kin to. Love at first sight's for suckers."

Spot ignored him, turning to Knockout. "Is this why we's got an alliance with 'Hattan?" he asked.

"At first, yeah," the leader admitted, glancing at the pair. "But when you's leader, Spot, you'd be smart ta keep it goin'. 'Hattan's good ta have on your side in a pinch."

Romeo and Race's eyes met. "Spot?" Race mouthed. Unable to contain it, they both dissolved into giggles.

"What's so funny?" Spot demanded, glowering at the two of them.

Romeo couldn't answer, doubled over with laughter, but Race was a little more composed. "Nothin'," he said. "C'mon, Rome, let's get good seats for the fireworks show."

"Only three fights 'tween our boys and the Brooklynites," Lou said, lifting a sleeping Romeo in his arms and preparing for the walk back to the lodging house. "I'd call that a success."

Butch snorted. "Better than last year."

He had to admit that it had been a fun night. The city's firework display, paired with the Roman candles the Brooklyn boys had gotten a hold of, had made a pretty fantastic show. And Elizabeth had been there, preventing fights between the two leaders and putting Butch in a much better mood.

The leader and his second walked in companionable silence for some time, watching the antics of the younger boys as they ran on ahead.

"Get a load of Jack," Butch said, a trace of humor in his voice.

The thirteen-year-old was organizing races, and the younger boys were scrambling to do what he said, obeying him without question.

Lou grinned. "He's a natural," he said. "Ya think he'll be the one, once ya step down?"

Butch sent him a sharp look.

"Don't look at me like that," Lou said. "We's seventeen now. I know it ain't far comin'. And I saw the way you was lookin' at your goil tonight. When are ya gonna pop the question?"

Butch relaxed some. "I's still savin' for a ring," he said. "I'm hopin' I'll be ready by the time I turn eighteen."

"That's less than a year away," Lou pointed out.

"I know," Butch responded, watching Jack again. "Kelly'll be fourteen by then. Old enough ta be a leader, don'tcha think?"

Lou changed the subject, gesturing to Romeo. "Ya should've seen the four of 'em playin' earlier," he said. "Bein' kings and knights. Reminded me of when we was kids."

Butch grinned. "Aw, they should be kids while they can," he said. "The world is changin', Lou. Kids are havin' ta grow up faster and faster."

(A/N): Hmm... I kind of did things differently with this chapter. I like it, though. I loved writing the part about "love at first sight's for suckers." Oh, Jack, if you only knew...

Special thanks to Obsessed2k17 for reviewing! What do you think of Race's swimming secret? I could have taken your request in so many different directions, but I loved the idea of Romeo teaching his older brother something. Thank you also to DelanceyTrashcan for their review and request! I've already got a scene worked out with your request. :)

Let me know what you think of this chapter in a review! I'm also open to requests, if you have any!

Remember to read, review, favorite, follow, and keep carryin' the banner!