The next day was business as usual (or as much as it could be). David was once again on the front lines, glaring at Jack as he hauled his stack of one hundred papes past the crowd of angry newsies.

Story had slipped out again before Chase woke up. Her head wasn't hurting her as bad so it took her about half the time to arrive at the circulation building than it had the day before. She ran up to David as soon as she saw him.

"David!"

"What are you doing here?" He asked, clearly not pleased to see her.

"I wanted to know what was goin' on." she answered simply.

"You should be at home resting." The last thing David needed was another person to look after, even if he liked her a lot.

"But Dave, I wanted to see if I could help."

David laughed bitterly. "Yeah, and what could you do?"

"I don't know but I'm sure there's somethin' I could do. You could at least tell me what's goin' on and then maybe-"

David turned away from Story. "I don't need your help. Just go home already!"

Story turned and ran as she felt tears welling up. She didn't want anyone to see her after David so bluntly had rejected her. This was a David she didn't know. Sure she had only known him for a few days, but in that short time he had been kind to her. He wanted to know her story. And he cared about her and the other newsies throughout the strike even though he had a family he needed to help support. He's just stressed out about the strike falling apart. She thought. That's all. But Story really wasn't sure.

Story turned down a street when she saw Jack Kelly in his fancy new suit. She decided she would move the strike along even without David's support.

"Jack!" she called to him.

"What is it, Story?" He kept looking straight ahead.

"Why did you leave the strike?" Story blurted.

Jack turned to her, irritated, but he paused when he saw her face.

"What happened to you?" Jack saw the dark bruise and the black stitches that ran down Story's cheek. "Did that happen at the rally?"

Story nodded.

Jack turned back to the road, trying not to let the sight of the injured newsgirl throw him. "As soon as I make enough money I'm takin' the next train to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I'm gettin' outta this city once and for all."

"What? But why?" Story had to jog to match his fast walk. "It ain't fair that Pulitzer and Hearst are doin' this to us."

Jack sighed angrily. "'Course it ain't fair, but it's not like the strike was gettin' us anywhere. It just got you and the others hurt and starvin'."

"But Jack," Story said, starting to get a little dizzy. "It ain't over yet. If we could just-"

"We was beat from the beginning." Jack cut her off. "If Dave wants to be an idiot and throw away his family and everything he's got then he can do that. But I ain't gonna be responsible for any more a' yous gettin' hurt over ten cents." He walked even faster.

"Wait-" She was struggling to keep up. Her head was pounding again. Just then Story collapsed, colliding with a baker who dropped the tray of bread he was carrying.

Jack stopped. "Story?" but he was interrupted when he heard a girl's screaming from a nearby alley.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Jack's heart stopped. It was Sarah.

He glanced back down at Story. The baker could help her. But Sarah was in trouble.

Jack dropped his papes and ran down the street to the alley. He saw the Delancey brothers soaking David. Sarah and Les were in behind them, screaming. Oscar held David back while Morris pulled out brass knuckles.

Without another thought Jack punched Morris with all he had, throwing him into a pile of old crates and he turned back to the other Delancey.

"Get over here."

As David slipped out of Oscar's grip Jack grabbed Oscar.

"Remember Crutchy?" And he headbutted him. Oscar fell down next to his brother.

Jack helped Sarah up and he hugged her. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she said as Jack released her. She went to her brother. "David!"

Oscar and Morris stood up again. "You'd better run, Cowboy. We're gonna tell

uncle Weas." Said Morris "You'll be back in the Refuge before suppertime!"

"Run, you lousy coward, run!" Oscar called over his shoulder as the Delancey brothers left the alley.

"Go on! Get outta here! Don't come back! You hear me?" Les chased the Delanceys out with his wooden sword.

The group turned back to David who was clutching his stomach.

"What, you couldn't stay away?" He said to Jack.

"Well I guess I can't be somethin' I ain't." said Jack.

"A scab?"

"No," Jack smiled. "Smart."

The four of them walked out of the alley. Suddenly, Jack remembered something.

"Oh, Story!" Jack said, running across the street.

"What?" David and the others followed after him.

Story was leaning against the doorway of a shop, surrounded by a few concerned looking bystanders.

"Story!" David touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, closing her eyes. "I just need a moment."

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

Story opened her eyes and gave him a small smile. "I told you I wanted to help."

Jack and Sarah suppressed a laugh as David gaped at her.

"Come on," said David as he grabbed Story's arm. "We have to get you back to Medda's. Right now." Without another word David practically dragged Story down the street, oblivious to the girl's blushing.

Jack stayed back a few paces with Sarah and Les, letting David take the lead.

When they got to Medda's house Chase ran to them (as well as she could with the crutch).

"Story, what happened? I was waiting for you all day!" she hugged her friend.

"It's ok, I just got caught up with somethin'."

"Hey'ya, Chase." Jack smiled.

"Jack!" she let go of Story and hobbled over to him. "I knew you wouldn't abandon us!" She couldn't say the same thing about Spot. Tears began flowing before she could stop them.

He pulled her into a hug, after staring at her crutch for a moment. "So this happened when I was gone. Who did that to you?"

Chase looked down. "It- It was Mr. Snyder. At the rally." She could feel Jack tense as he released her from the hug.

"Unbelievable." he whispered.

Chase and Story led the others to the parlor. The girls filled Jack in on what had happened during the rally while David updated them on news of the strike.

"Great." said Jack. "I'm gone for one day and it all falls apart. Thanks, Dave."

The others laughed a little, they could tell he was joking.

Jack went back to business. "So now what do we do? We just lost all our sway with the press since they stopped printin' strike news. Spot took Brooklyn with him..."

Chase crossed her arms and frowned as Jack mentioned the name of the Brooklyn leader.

"We still have Denton's article." Said Sarah. She rummaged in the pocket of her apron and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

"What's this?" Jack reached for the paper. He cocked his head as he skimmed the words.

"What does it say?" asked Chase.

Jack read the article aloud for all of them to hear. Story closed her eyes and rested her head on David's shoulder as she listened.

Last night I saw naked force exercised against mere boys, the Newsies, who earn at best a few pennies a day. I wondered why so much, against so little.

The wheels of this city are greased by the sweat and tears of an innocent army, the sad and voiceless army of children forced into child labor...

Jack stopped reading and looked around at his friends. The room was silent, Denton's words were so powerful.

...Now the silent army begins to hear a voice in the shrill chants of the striking Newsies. And most clearly, ringing with hope and courage, is the voice of a single young man and that is what terrifies the powers-that-be, for they know our city thrives on the shame of child labor. Therefore, Jack Kelly's voice must be stopped at any cost…

After Jack finished reading Denton's article, it had been easy for Sarah to convince him to confront Denton about it. David, on the other hand, was surprisingly more stubborn. Plus, he didn't want to leave Story again, for fear that something else would happen to her.

When Story fell asleep again, Jack and Sarah pressed him to leave.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Chase said. It was her turn to be the responsible one.

"Thank you." He said gratefully. "We'll update you on whatever happens next."

Spark and Spot talked for a little while. Neither of them could think of anything to do but keep striking and getting the newspapers' attention. He told her all about his night in jail with the rest of the newsies and the hearing that happened the next day. And he told her all about Chase and Story's conditions.

"Medda's takin' good care a' them now." he said.

"I bet Chase is out of her mind because she can't dance." Spark said, trying to lighten his mood.

"Yeah, probably." There was a long pause.

"Is Mush alright?"

"Yeah, he's- Oh yeah, he's your boy, ain't he?" Spot teased.

"We haven't gotten that far." Spark's blush was barely noticeable in the twilight.

"Yous both have been kinda busy lately." said Spot, "He'll come around once this mess is cleaned up."

"Maybe I should go to Manhattan tomorrow to see him- and Story and Chase, of course."

"No," Spot said, sitting up abruptly. "I'm stayin' here to pick up the pieces and I'm not lettin' you or any of the girls outta my sight. I'm not gonna have any more a' yous get hurt. Especially since those Delanceys are still out there." He remembered Spark had a run-in with them too.

"But I can-"

"No," Spot put his hand on her shoulder. "I realize how hard it is for you, not knowing what's goin' on. I wanna go back too, but like you said, we have a responsibility here."

Spark sighed, "Fine, I'll stay." She felt like a caged bird.

Spot fell asleep atop his throne, Spark was still one step below him. Thankfully it was a warm summer night.

She sent one of Spot's newsies to get some blankets from the girls' lodging house and to tell Ms. Casella she and the other girls were alright.

Spark stared up at the stars. She couldn't sleep. Not when there was her future to think about. She hadn't ever given much thought to her future. Actually, she never thought she even had a future. Spark took her life day by day, and the only life she'd known was that of a street rat. She couldn't see herself going any farther than that.

And then she met Mush and she felt like she was worth something. She was able to believe what he and Spot told her, that she was beautiful.