Chris sat in her car and watched everybody heading into her speech class. She smiled and decided that she was nervous for no reason. She had gone to school with these people since she was in elementary school. She turned off her car, grabbed her bags and headed for class. She entered just as the teacher called her name.

"I'm here, Mrs. Plowden." Chris sat her stuff down by her desk.

"Are you ready to give your speech?" Mrs. Plowden asked. Chris nodded. "Okay, then you can go first today."

"I have to change and I'll be ready." Chris grabbed her bags and walked out of the room to go change. When she entered the room she was wearing black pants, a yellowish-white shirt, a black vest, suspenders, a red bandanna around her neck, and a cowboy hat that hung around her neck. In her hand she had a stack of papers. The class heard the door open and turned to see who was entering. When she noticed they were looking at her, she started yelling out a headline. "Elise Island in Flames. Thousands's Flee in Panic." The entire class was shocked. She looked at the class and smiled. She laid down the papers. "Me names Jack Kelly. Everybody cawls me Cowboy. I's led da Newsies in dere strike against Pulitzah." She said in a heavy New York accent. She then returned to her normal voice. "Close your eyes and imagine this: In 1899 the streets of New York echoed with the voices of Newsies. Peddling the papers of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hurst and other giants of the newspaper world. You'd see them on the corners `Carryin' the Banner', bringing you the news for a penny a pape. Poor orphans and runaways. The newsies were a ragged army without a leader, until one day all that changed." Chris paused after she finished quoting the movie's opening lines. She could hear the newsies calling out the headlines.

She slowly opened her eyes and found herself standing in front of the statue of Horace Greeley in Newsie Square. She turned and watched as some of the boys stood around and talked while others tried to sell the last of their papes. Chris then realized that she was dressed just like them, except for her long hair. She needed to find some things out, but she knew that she wouldn't find out as a girl so she pulled her hair up and put on her cowboy hat. She needed to find out if it was before or after the strike. She needed to know what year it was. She needed to find a place to stay. She stood in the same spot and looked around. She was totally lost. Just then she heard someone talking about her.

"Hey, Jackey-boy. Dere's some kid dat is dressed just like ya." It was Race. He walked over to the kid that was dressed just like Jack. Jack was not far behind. When Jack reached Race and the kid he dropped his cigarette.

"What'dya doin', kid?" Jack asked. He looked at the kid very closely. The kid was medium height. A little taller than Race, which would put him at 5' 8". The kid had a small frame, and was thin. Jack smiled to himself when he thought that if this kid had long hair he would look like a girl.

The kid looked up and Jack and seemed to be mesmerized. It took Chris a moment to breathe again. The sight of Jack took her breath away. "Trying to figure out where I am." The kid had a slight southern drawl. This surprised Jack and the other newsies that had gathered around.

Jack couldn't help but laugh. "Well, kid, yas in New Yourk. And I's was just wonderin' what ya doin' dressed like me?"

That statement rubbed the kid the wrong way. "I'm dressed like this because I like to dress like this. I have never met you, nor have I ever seen you, so why would I want to dress like you." The heat in the kid's voice was very clear. Jack put up his hands in a peace offering.

"Whoa, kid, I was just tryin' to find out why, dat's awl. No harm meant." Jack laughed as he watched the kid blush.

Chris could feel her face get hot. She had just gone off on this guy for a simple question. She rubbed her forehead. She really needed to relax.

Jack brought her back from her thoughts. "What's ya name, kid?"

"Chris." Chris then realized that they really thought that she was a boy, and her name helped that. They didn't need to know that Chris was short for Christy.

"Nice ta meet'ya, Chris." Jack spit in his hand and stuck it out. Chris kinda hesitated before she did the same. "Names, Kelly, Jack Kelly. Dis is Race, Kid Blink, Specs, Mush an Boots." He pointed to each of the newsies. Chris nodded and smiled at each one of the guys. "Were ya thinkin' of becomin' a Newsie?" Chris shrugged her shoulders. She looked at the pape that Boots still held under his arm.

"May I?" Chris asked as she motioned towards the pape. Boots handed her the pape. Chris looked at the front of the pape. The headline read: `The New York World. May 1, 1900. Factories having problem finding workers since new child labor laws.' Chris studied the pape for another minute and walked into the street. She stood where there were several people when she decided to yell out a head line. "Labor laws cause city factories to fear shut down." The pape was sold in a few seconds. She walked over to the group of newsies. She tossed the penny she had just made to Boots. "I guess I could give it a try." Jack laughed and patted her on the back. Boots tossed her the penny.

"Ya eoined it," was all he said as the newsies headed for the Lodging House.

"Com'on Chris." Jack said as they started walking. "Ya can stay at the Lodging House. We'll sign ya in in da mornin'." Chris nodded. They walked to the Lodging House. She didn't say much till they got to the bunk room. She then realized that she was going to have to sleep in the room with all the boys. She didn't want them to know that she was a she. She watched as all of the boys climbed into their bunks. She was relieved when there wasn't a free one.

She walked over to Jack's bed. "Jack, there isn't a bunk for me." Jack sat up and smiled. He could tell this bothered her.

"We's got lots of room. There is an empty bunk room down da hall. I'll show ya." He jumped down off his bed and lead her out of the room. The relief on Chris's face was almost instant. She almost feared that he was going to suggest that she share with someone. When they reached the other room. She noticed that the room was empty and it had a bathroom. She turned to Jack and smiled. "I'll come and wake ya tomorrah." Jack turned to leave, but he stopped when he looked at Chris. He actually looked like a girl. He then thought that he would make a pretty girl. Jack shook the thought out of his head and closed the door behind him. Chris walked over to the bed and began to take off her clothes. She took off her boots and pants, but kept her shirt on. She took off the bandanna and hat. She let her hair spill down around her shoulders and down to her waist. She ran her hand over it. It was in need of washing, but she decided that she would do that in the morning. She walked in to the bathroom to find that there was everything that a guys bathroom should have. She shook her head.

"How am I going to keep up this front of being a boy." She said out loud. She looked at her hand. "And that spit-shake thing was totally gross, but if I'm a boy, then I have to do it till I find out a way home." She crawled in bed and fell asleep. The next morning she woke to Kloppman waking the boys. She jumped out of bed and put on her pants and boots. She grabbed her hat and shoved her hair in it. So much for getting a shower, she thought. Just as she finished shoving her hair into the hat Jack entered. He was surprised to see that she was already up and dressed.

"Did ya sleep well, Lil' Bit?" Chris nodded. "Good."

They started to walk out of the room when Chris had to ask. "Lil' Bit?"

Jack turned and looked at her. "Yeah. We decided dat your da littlest Newsie an dat we should cawl ya Lil' Bit." Jack smiled. Chris returned the smile. She had never been called little before. They joined the gang down stairs and they all started for the circulation office. When the bell rang, Chris realized that she had no money to buy any papes. She tapped Jack on the shoulder as they stood in line. Jack turned around. Chris motioned for him to bend down.

"I don't have any money. All I have is the penny from yesterday." She whispered in Jack's ear. Her breath against Jack's ear sent a chill down his spine. Jack smiled and gave her a look that said `don't worry about it'. Jack slapped seventy cents down on the counter. Mr. Weisel looked at him funny.

"Yeah, Weisel, I want a hundred and forty papes." Jack's tone was sarcastic.

"Ya read da headline taday, Cowboy?" Weisel asked as he handed Jack his papes.

"Yeah, so. Headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes." Chris couldn't help but smile. She recognized the line from the movie. Jack took the papes and walked off of the platform. He sat down on the stairs. He counted out Chris' forty papes. "I'll consider dis an investment, if ya sell wit me?"

"Okay." Chris looked over the headlines. It was really weird to read headlines that talked about the improvements to the telephone, travel, and the last one on the front page really shocked her. It read `White Star Line just commissioned it's new ship to start building.' She tried to think of ways that she could improve the headlines. She then noticed an article about a missing baby. She read it, then tapped Jack on the arm. "Baby missing from parents window. Police suspect foul play." Jack shook his head.

"Naw. Try dis. `Parents suspected in babies disappearance.'" Jack didn't even look up from the paper. David walked down from the platform and joined them.

"Hey, Jack."

"Hey, Dave." Jack then looked up and remembered that Chris was sitting beside him. "Oh, Dave, dis is Lil' Bit." Lil' Bit looked up at Dave and smiled. "Lil' Bit is goin' ta sell wit us taday."

"Okay." They all stood up and headed out into the city. By lunch time they had all sold their papes and were at Tibby's for lunch. Chris sat and counted what she had made that day - forty cents. She took out twenty cents and handed it to Jack.

"I always pay back what I owe, Cowboy," she said as Jack shook his head and tried giving it back to her. Jack took the money surprised at how it had affected him when she called him Cowboy. They spent the rest of the day wondering the city. By night fall Jack and Dave were very fond of Lil' Bit. Jack told Dave to say hi to his family and then singled out his sister Sarah.

As they walked back to the Lodging House Chris asked Jack who Sarah was (like she didn't know). "Sarah's Dave's sistah." He paused for a minute. "An my ex-goyl."

"When did you break up with her?" Chris was surprised to hear it. She had always thought that Jack and Sarah would always be together. It always made the ending of the movie a little sweeter to think that.

"Last month. She said she couldn't date me no more because she found someone else." Chris could tell it still hurt Jack, but she could tell he was getting over it. That night Chris slept very soundly.

*****

Chris had been selling papes with Jack and Dave for close to four months and they had become best friends. Chris had found it wasn't very hard to hide the fact that she was a girl. She just hoped that they hadn't caught on that she was usually grouchy one week of every month and that one of the days she was out sick. Jack just passed off that she got sick a lot, and so did the other boys. Chris and Jack walked back to the Lodging House one night after they finished having dinner at the Jacobs'. Jack had tried not to let it bother him that Sarah's new guy was there, but Chris could tell it had. She also came to realize that she had feelings for Jack that he didn't have for her because he thought she was a boy. When they reached the Lodging House, Jack said good night and went into the bunk room. Chris walked down the hall to her room. She had gotten quiet fond of the room. She now walked around it with her hair down. The entire time she had been there none of the boys came in, except for Jack to wake her in the mornings, but he stopped doing that after the first week. He only checked on her the first two times she missed work. After that he knew that if she didn't come down, she was sick.

That night she was taking a shower when she thought she heard someone call her name. She forgot that she was supposed to be a boy and came out of the shower with her hair down, and soaking wet, and a towel wrapped around her. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Jack sitting on her bunk. She froze as he looked up. He was in total shock. His mouth fell open. Chris quickly turned around and went back into the bathroom. She dressed and came back out. Jack had a look of pure anger on his face.

"Why didn' ya tell me?" Was all he could say. Chris cringed because his voice was so soft.

"I dind't want ya to treat me any different." She was angry at him for getting mad, but she also felt guilty. "I never said I was a boy. You just assumed that I was." Chris walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"Yeah and ya nevah corrected us neithah." Jack was getting angrier by the second.

"Okay. And have an the guys treat me differently?" She looked at Jack. Jack shot her a glare. She took Jack's hand. It was the first time she had ever done that and she liked how his hand felt against hers. "Jack, you're my best friend."

"And youse mine," conceded after a minute.

"I'm still the same person, except I'm a girl." Jack looked at her and he thought about what she had just said.

"You're right, but since youse a goyl I don't want ya sellin' papes no more."

Chris jumped off the bed. "WHAT?!" She yelled it so loud that the boys in the other room heard it. They all started down the hall. "Why? Because it's too dangerous?" Chris asked in a mocking tone.

"YES!" Jack started yell back.

"Well, let me tell you something, Jack Kelly. Nobody tells me what I can and can not do!" Chris walked over to the window. She had to turn away from him. She felt like she was either going to kill him or cry, or both. She turned back around, tears filling her eyes. "GET OUT!" She screamed at him. Jack took a step towards her, but then turned and left. He slammed the door behind him. Chris threw herself on her bed and began crying. One of the boys knocked on the door and began to open it. "Leave me alone." She cried. The door quickly shut.

*****

Jack climbed up on his bunk and laid down with his arms crossed. All of the newsies crowded around the bed. Kid Blink was the first to say something. "Jack, what was all a dat about?"

Jack shot him a glare. "Nuttin'. We just didn' agree on somethin'. No big deal."

"No big deal? No big deal? Jack, ya look like ya just lost ya best friend, and from the sounds of it think ya did." Race commented as he took his cigar out of his mouth.

"It was nottin', all right? Now leave me alone, huh?" Jack rolled over and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe that Chris had lied to him for the last four months. He couldn't believe that he had believed she was a boy. He tossed and turned, finally he gave up on sleep and decided to go up on the roof. He sat up there and looked up at the moon. His thoughts began to stray and he ended up thinking about Santa Fe. He pictured the perfect ranch and the vast land that he would own. He saw the house. He closed his eyes and saw his wife stepping out onto the porch to let everyone know that it was supper time and when he focused on his wife he saw her face for the first time - it was her. He shook himself from his dream. Even his dreams were upsetting him tonight. He stayed out on the roof till the sun rose. He walked back down the fire escape and to the circulation office.

*****

Chris woke up to the sound of the boys moving. She got dressed and walked down stairs. Race met her at the base of the stairs. "Ya lookin' rough dere Lil' Bit. Ya okay?" She shot Race a glare that said leave me alone.

"I'm fine." She was lying. She wasn't fine. She had cried herself to sleep last night. That was something she hadn't done since she was little. She had lost her best friend and she didn't know if she could get him back, but right now she was still mad and she didn't know if she wanted him back.

She walked with the rest of the guys to the circulation office. She hadn't said a thing all morning except for the words that she mumbled to Race. She didn't actually mumble them. She basically bit his head off. When they got to Newsie Square, she saw Jack sitting on the statue of Horace Greeley. She glared at him and walked away. When the circulation bell rang, she was the first in line. She laid down her money and grabbed her usual forty papes. Jack walked down behind her and watched her start to walk off.

He didn't know what possessed him to do what he did next, but he did it. "Hey, Chris." The Newsies were shocked. Jack hadn't called Lil' Bit by his name since the first day. Chris slowly turned around. "Are ya still putting on the best performance?" Jack asked it with such contempt in his voice that Chris walked up to him and glared at him before she did anything.

Before she realized it she spit in his face. "You unimaginable bastard!" She turned and walked away. She was smirking to herself as she reached the street. She had always wanted to do that to a guy since she saw Titanic. But why did it have to be to my best friend, and the guy I care about,she thought to herself. She began selling her papes and was finished by lunch time. She walked over to Tibby's for lunch, but started to leave when she saw Jack sitting at their usual table. She turned to leave when David walked up to her.

"Where ya going, Lil' Bit?"

Chris shot a look of anger and regret over to Jack. "I'm not hungry," she lied. "I think I'm gonna go back to the Lodging House." Jack could hear every word she said. He lowered his head as David walked back to him. David sat down and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I dunno what ya said, but it hurt." Jack just looked at Dave.

"Hurt? I don't think it hurt he... him?" Jack had started to say her, but realized that she must not want to others to know.

David just shrugged off Jack's stumbling. "Yeah, I could see it in his eyes." Jack looked at Dave and then realized that he had to talk to Chris and make up with her. She said she was going back to the Lodging House. Jack quickly left.

*****

Chris really wasn't hungry. She felt like she was going to be sick. She reached the Lodging House and decided to go up to the roof. She knew none of the boys would be back till dark, including Jack. She grabbed the blanket off of her bed and climbed up to the roof. She laid it out and sat on it. She could feel the heat from the concrete beneath her and the sun beating down on her face. She rolled up her sleeves and untucked her shirt. She rolled the bottom of her shirt up till her stomach was exposed. She took off her hat and let her hair fall free. She laid down and closed her eyes. She hadn't laid out in the sun for four months and her tan was starting to fade. She wasn't sure how long she had been laying there, but she had dozed off. She jumped at the sound of feet hitting the roof.

*****

Jack swung up on the roof and got a shock as he saw Chris laying with her stomach bared. She was asleep. This really threw Jack for a loop. The most flesh he had ever seen on a girl was when he went to Medda's and when Chris had walked out of the shower wearing only a towel. He hadn't realized that he had hit the roof so hard, but when Chris sat up and looked at him he realized that he had scared her.

Chris just looked at him and then laid back down. She closed her eyes. Jack went and sat down beside her casting a shadow on her stomach. "Do you mind? You're blocking the sun." She said coldly. Jack moved till the sun was once again on Chris' stomach. "What do you want? To congratulate me on another performance?" Chris' tone was so cold that Jack got a chill from it.

"I...uh....came ta apologize. I shouldn't have said dat, but ya shouldn't have spit on me. Not to mention calling me a bastard."

Chris then looked at him. "An unimaginable bastard." Most of the chill was gone from her voice. She now sounded indifferent. But Jack thought that he heard a little regret in her voice.

"I'm sorry for what I said."

"Are you sorry for getting mad at me?" Chris asked. She held her hand over her eyes as she looked at him.

"No." Jack said with as much conviction as he could.

Chris laid back down. "Figures," she said under her breath.

Jack heard it and began to get angry again. "You lied to me."

"And I apologized for that." Chris met his anger with some of her own. "You forbade me to sell papes. And nobody tells me what to do. You don't own me Jack. I'm not your girl. Even if I was your girl, I wouldn't stop selling papes." Jack stared at her for a few minutes till she met his gaze.

"What are ya sayin', Chris? Dat ya want ta be my goyl?" Jack wouldn't let her break from his gaze. Every time she would try to look away he would pull her back to his gaze. He had never noticed how soft her eyes were. They were a softer brown than his.

"I dunno." Her southern accent coming out real strong. At that moment Jack had an uncontrollable urge to kiss her.

"Maybe dis will help ya decide." Jack leaned over and kissed her. He slowly placed his hand on her cheek. She didn't move, but she did kiss him back. He noticed that her lips were trembling. They broke the kiss and Jack smiled. Chris smiled back.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He leaned in and kissed her again. This time it was a deeper kiss. Jack ran his hand down her back and entangled the other in her hair. Chris slowly moved her hand to his face. Jack pulled her closer. They kissed for what felt like an eternity. They stayed up on the roof until the sun had set. When they started back down the fire escape Jack stopped her.

"What's ya real name?"

"I told you. Chris." Jack looked at her like he didn't believe her. "Okay, Christy, but everybody calls me Chris." Jack took her hand and they started down the stairs again.

Just before they reached the window leadimg into the bunk room Chris realized that her hair was still down. "I guess I'm gonna hafta tell the guys I'm a girl, huh?"

"Yeah." Jack laughed. "Odder wise dey may think dat we are somethin' dat we're not." Chris knew what he meant. She laughed. Jack put her hat on her head, but left her hair out. He squeezed her hand and said, "Com'on Lil' Bit. I wanna introduce ya ta my Newsies." Chris stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

Jack climbed in the window and whistled. All of the Newsies stopped what they were doing. Race walked over to him. "Where ya been, Cowboy?" Cowboy smiled. That was the first time the guys had seen him smile all day.

"Guys, I wan'ya ta meet Lil' Bit." The guys all looked at each other confused.

"Hey, Jack, we already know Lil' Bit." Race pointed out the obvious.

Jack shook his head. "Naw, ya don't." He motioned for Lil' Bit to enter the room. She climbed in through the window. Her hair blocking the view of her face. Before she was totally in the room Race let everyone know the obvious.

"Whoa, Jack, dat's a goyl!" Everybody laughed, including Lil' Bit.

"Very good, Race. I am a girl" Chris said as she stood up and moved her hair.

All of the Newsies just stared at her. Most of them couldn't believe how pretty she was and others couldn't believe that they had believed that she was a boy.

"Fellas, I want ta introduce ya ta Lil' Bit."

They all smiled and looked between her and jack, but mostly at her. Chris stood there and fidgeted while they stared. She didn't like how silent they were. "I'm still the same person."

"Yeah, but yas a goyl." Mush said a little too excitedly. Jack took a step forward. Mush put his hands up and backed up a step. "So, what's da deal wit dis, Jack?"

"What'dya mean what's da deal wit dis? She's a goyl, and a Newsie." Jack slipped his arm around her thin waist. He smiled. They had never talked about telling the guys about them, but Jack couldn't hold it inside any longer. "An she's my goyl." The room erupted in hoots and cat calls.

"Way ta go Jackey-boy!" Kid Blink yelled.

"Ya don't waste no time do ya, Jack?" Race commented. Jack looked at him and smiled.

"Naw, I guess I don't." Jack kissed her on the top of her head. Lil' Bit looked up at him and smiled. She yawned and stretched.

"Well, I'm off to bed. Good night, boys." She said as coyly as she could.

"G'night, Lil' Bit." They all said in unison. She walked to the door with Jack behind her. She turned at the door and leaned up and gave him a quick, but passionate kiss good night. All of the cat calls started up again. "Night, Cowboy." Jack smiled. He loved how she said his nickname. As soon as he closed the door to the bunk room he was bombarded with questions. He told them all the story before he fell asleep.

*****

The next morning Lil' Bit came walking down the stairs to find all of the boys looking disappointed. "What?"

Jack walked up to her and kissed her. "I think they expected ya ta be in a dress." Lil' Bit wrinkled her nose.

"Not hardly." Race walked up to her and took her hat off. Her hair tumbled down in a brown cascade.

"Why ya wearin' yer hair up." Lil' Bit snatched her hat back and quickly put her hair back up.

"You try walking all day in this heat with hair down your back. It's no fun." She said this with a stubborn set to her jaw.

"But everybody'll think yer a guy." Skittery pointed out.

"Do you?" Lil' Bit asked.

"No." Skittery shook his head.

"Then that is all that matters." She turned to look at Jack. She had a devilish look in her eyes. "I can't wait to see the look on Dave's face when he finds out." She couldn't hold back the laughter.

"Ya're awful." Jack said as he kissed her on the forehead. They all headed for the circulation office. Jack and Lil' Bit held hands the whole way. When they got to Newsie Square, David was already there. Lil' Bit and Jack let go of each other's hands, and she walked over to stand by Race. They looked like they were still mad at each other. Dave got up and walked over to Jack.

"Heya, Dave."

"Hey, Jack. Are you two still fighting?" Jack nodded. "I thought you went to make up with him last night."

"I did, but he wouldn't forgive me." Jack said this loud enough for Lil' Bit to hear. It sounded really weird for everyone to hear Jack call Lil' Bit ‘he'. Lil' Bit pushed off of the wall she was leaning against and walked to the middle of the Square.

"How could I after what he called me." She yelled back. Dave walked to stand off to the side of them. He wasn't going to get involved unless it came to blows.

"What is all of this about, anyway?" Dave asked.

"He lied to me." Jack snapped. Never taking his gaze off of Lil' Bit.

"He said I couldn't sell papes anymore." Lil' Bit snapped back. All of the newsies were trying not to laugh. They knew that everything they were saying was true, but they also knew that this was all an act to shock the hell out of Dave. "You are so stubborn." Lil' Bit spat after a few minutes. Jack just stared at him. Dave was watching his friends when he noticed Jack's face soften and his frown turn into a smile.

"An ya're so irresistible." He said this very softly, but Dave heard him. He was really confused. He got even more confused as Jack stepped forward and pulled Lil' Bit into his arms and kissed him, or at least Dave thought it was a him.

"Jack?!" Dave exclaimed in confusion and disgust. As they finished the kiss Jack pulled Lil' Bit's hat off and all of her hair fell around her. Dave's jaw hit the ground.

"He's a.....I mean she's a....." Dave stammered.

"A girl." Lil' Bit confirmed. She walked over to Dave and hugged him. She looked at Dave and he was glaring at Jack. "Don't be mad at Jack. This was my idea." He shifted his glare to Lil' Bit. Everybody started to laugh. It didn't take long before Dave was laughing too.

*****

The Delancy Brothers were watching everything from behind the gates to the World Building. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Oscar was licking his lips. "She's awful pretty, ain't she, Morris?"

"Yep, an Cowboy don't desoive her."

They turned and headed to the office. The circulation bell rang and the Newsies flooded the platform. Jack paid for his and Lil' Bit's papes. They waited for Dave to join them before they took off. The three of them spent the morning selling papes, and the rest talking and walking through the park. By night fall they had parted their separate ways and Lil' Bit and Jack walked back to the Lodging House. He walked her to her room and kissed her good night.

*****

It had been six months since Jack and Lil' Bit started going out and everyone was happy with it. Jack was walking to the Jacobs to pick Lil' Bit up for their six month anniversary. She had headed over there so she could get ready. He reached the Jacobs' apartment in five minutes. He knocked on the door and Sarah answered. He kissed her on the cheek. He stepped inside to see the worried look on every bodies faces.

"What's wrong?" He looked around the room and didn't see Dave or Lil' Bit. "What's wrong?" He demanded.

Mr. Jacobs stood up and walked over to Jack. "She never showed. Dave is out looking for her." Jack ran his hand through his hair. He felt sick. Where could she be? He thought of every place in the city that she could be. Just then Dave walked in.

Jack turned and looked at Dave and knew that he had no luck. Jack took off down the stairs. He was going to find her and he wasn't going to stop till he did. Dave took off after him. When Dave caught up to him, Jack didn't look at him. "Where have ya looked?"

"Every where except Brooklyn." Jack took off in the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge, with Dave right behind him. He knew that if she was in Brooklyn, Spot would know. Jack hadn't introduced her to Spot, but he knew Spot would know. As they crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, Jack ran straight into Spot. Spot had been running at full force.

"Jack!"

"Spot!" They yelled each other's names at the same time.

"Jack, dere's dis goyl that we found in an alley. She keeps askin' for ya." Jack took off running.

"Lil' Bit!" He called behind him as Dave and Spot took off after him. Jack reached Spot's hang out and found a group of Spot's Newsies gathered around a pallet on the ground. He pushed his way through the crowd and found Lil' Bit was at the center of it. She had been beaten pretty bad. Her top was tied together. Jack looked around at the other Newsies. "Who did dis?" He half asked half yelled. Tears were filling his eyes. He lifted Lil' Bit's head and held it. He removed a piece of hair from her face that was sticking to one of the cuts. He couldn't fight the tears any longer. He let them fall. It was the first time that he had cried in front of anybody, but he didn't care. He kept repeating his question until Spot got there.

"We don't know. We found her like dis." Spot could tell his friend was hurting. Lil' Bit moved and opened her eyes. She focused on Jack and tried to smile, but couldn't do it.

"Jack." She mouthed his name. A single tear rolled down her face.

"It'll be alright, Christy." Lil' Bit looked at Jack. That was the first time he had ever called her anything except Lil'Bit and Chris, and he only called her that the first day. He picked her up and began to carry her to the Brooklyn Lodging House. He laid her down on Spot's bunk. He pulled a chair up and sat beside her as she slept.

Three days had passed and Chris had only woken up when Jack woke her to give her something to drink. Spot was sitting in the chair by his bunk. He was asleep, but woke when he heard Lil' Bit moan. She was awake and trying to sit up. Spot gently laid her back down. She stayed still for only a second.

"Jack! Jack!" Spot yelled his name. Jack came running up the stairs. He entered the room to find Lil' Bit half sitting half laying in the bed. "She's awake." Spot pointed out what Jack could see for himself.

"I see dat, Spot." Jack walked over and sat on the edge of the bunk. He touched Lil' Bit's hand. She pulled away. Jack tried again, but she pulled away. Jack finally stopped trying to touch her. He looked at her for a long minute before he spoke. He was trying to keep from crying. "What happened?" He half whispered.

Lil' Bit shook her head. She was crying. She was trying to block out the memory, but was having no success at it. Jack sat there for several minutes before he asked again. "What happened? Who did dis ta ya? Christy?" Lil' Bit looked him in the eyes. She then said her first words since she woke up.

"You never call me that." Chris said in a soft voice. Jack ran his hand down her face. She closed her eyes and turned away. Jack knew that it was going to take time to get everything back to the way it was. Jack just sat there with her till she fell back asleep.

Lil' Bit slept for a couple of hours. Her sleep was filled with the horrors of that night. She could hear the voices of her attackers and she could feel all of the force they used when they hit her and raped her. When she awoke screaming, she was grabbed by two solid hands that tried to calm her. She opened her eyes to find Kid Blink laying her back down. She looked around the room and noticed that she was back in her room. She looked around for Jack, but he was nowhere to be found. She gave a weak and unconvincing smile to Kid Blink.

"I'm okay, really. I have bad dreams all the time." She was trying to relieve the worry that was on his face.

"Lil' Bit, I love ya like a sistah." His blue eye was very intense. "Ya can tell me what happened." She smiled at him and he smiled back. She kept looking him in the eye. She shook her head.

"Can you help me get out of bed?"

"Yeah, why?"

Chris couldn't help smiling. "A girl does have to go to the bathroom some time." Kid Blink laughed. Kid Blink helped her up and walked her to the bathroom. He stood there as she opened the stall door. "Do ya want to help?" She asked in a mocking tone.

Kid Blink blushed as he left the room. A few minutes later he rushed to help her back to the bed. Once she was back in the bed she smiled. "Thanks." She looked out the window. It was raining. How appropriate, she thought. "Where's Jack?" Lil' Bit was kind of glad that he wasn't there.

"Well, he said he was going to sell some papes, but I's think he went ta find who did dis ta ya." Lil' Bit looked like she was either going to kill Jack or hug him. "He mumbled somethin' about de Delancies." Chris shook her head.

"It wasn't the Delancy Brothers that did this to me. They've bothered me before, but I took care of them." Lil' Bit smiled as she remembered the day that Oscar and Morris both tried to kiss her. Kid Blink had to know what she had done.

"Well, are ya gonna tell me or not?"

"Okay. Jack and I had been in a fight that day over something stupid and I had decided to sell my papes near Queens. I was on the edge of Queens and Manhattan when Oscar came up to me. I thought that it was really odd that Morris wasn't anywhere around. He started following me. Any way he tried to kiss me and I punched him in the......," she looked at Kid Blink for a second before she finished. ".....in the crouch." Kid Blink closed his legs and groaned. Lil' Bit smiled. "Yeah he did the same thing. Anyway, about an hour later Morris tried the same thing, and I did the same thing. I then told him to tell Oscar if they tried it again I would cut it off." Kid Blink's mouth dropped open. They continued to talk for about an hour before she fell asleep.

When she awoke Kid Blink was gone and Jack was entering the room. She smiled and sat up. She groaned at the pain that shot through her body. Jack sat down next to her on the bed. She saw that he had a black eye. She made a face. "It don't hoirt dat much." He took her hand and kissed it. He then looked into her eyes. His expression was deadly serious. "Christy, I confronted da Delancey Brodders and dey said dey didn' do it and wouldn' think of doin' it since ya threatened to cut off their.....," Jack turned bright red and couldn't finish the sentence.

"I don't know who did it. I remember their faces, but I don't know them." Lil' Bit stared at Jack till he excepted what she said. They didn't talk, but they sat there for close to three hours and he just held her.

*****

Chris remained in bed for the next three weeks while all of her aches and pains went away. She was still not feeling well and Jack and Kid Blink had noticed that she was even getting sick in the mornings. Chris tried to tell them that it was the flu, but they didn't believe her. She knew that she was pregnant, but she couldn't tell Jack. She was scared that if she told him he would leave her. So she decided that she would leave him. She packed her stuff up and snuck out in the middle of the night. It was exactly a month from the night she was attacked. She didn't know where she would go, but she knew that she couldn't go to another part of the city and be a Newsie because Jack knew every Newsie that was around. She headed towards Brooklyn. She cried the whole way there. She really did love Jack and she had said so in the note that she had slipped under the door to the bunk room. She wished him the best and told him that she would look him up one day, but there were reason's beyond her control that kept her from being with him. She slept that night on the streets.

*****

Jack woke up to Kid Blink shaking him. "Jack, I found dis by da door." He handed Jack a letter that had his name on the outside of the envelope. Jack stared at his name. He didn't recognize the hand writing. He slowly opened the letter and read it.

My dearest Jack,

This is the hardest thing I have ever done. I love you with all of my heart. I want you to never forget that. I can't stay with you and continue to be a Newsie. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I will never forget you. I will look you up one day, but until then I wish you the best in your life. Please don't hate me and understand I am doing this because of reason's beyond my control.

Lovingly,

Christy (Lil' Bit)

P.S. Tell the boys that I love them and will never forget them.

Jack balled up the paper and threw it on the ground. Race joined Kid Blink beside Jack's bunk. "What was dat, Jack?" Race asked as he took his cigar out of his mouth. Jack just glared at Race and jumped down off his bunk. He walked into the bathroom and began to get ready.

"I'm gonna check on Lil' Bit, okay, Jack?" Kid Blink said as he started to leave the room.

"Don't boddah. She ain't dere." Jack said as he tied his red bandanna around his neck. All of the Newsies looked at Jack in shock. "She left. She said she loves ya and will nevah forget ya." Jack said as he walked out of the room. He had to leave the Lodging House right then or he was going to lose it. He could feel the tears filling his eyes as he hit the streets. He walked to the Jacobs'. He climbed the fire escape and knocked on Sarah's window. She rolled over and saw Jack standing there with his head down. When she opened the window, he looked up and she saw he was crying.

"Jack, what's wrong?" She moved aside so he could climb in the window. She walked over to the door to her room and put on a robe.

Jack took a moment before he could answer. He took his bandanna off and wiped his eyes. "She left. I woke up dis mornin' and she was gone. She didn't say good bye. She just left a note with no real explanations."

Sarah walked over to him and took his hands. "I know it must be hard, but I'm sure she had her reasons."

Jack mockingly laughed. "Yeah, reasons beyond her control." He walked away from Sarah and started out the window. "I hafta find her. I hafta. I'm sorry ta have woke ya, but I had to tell somebody." Jack leaned over and kissed Sarah on the cheek before he climbed back out of the window. When Jack hit the street from the fire escape, he hit it running. His mind was racing. Where could she be? Where would she go? What can she do to get a job other than a Newsie? Jack kept thinking as he wandered the streets. The city was starting to come alive and more and more people were starting to walk around. Jack knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was going to find her and he wasn't going to stop till he did, even if it meant not selling papes for the next year.

*****

Chris woke up to the sun shining in on her face. She gathered her stuff and climbed up the banks of the river. She had been sleeping under a bridge for the last three days and she still had no luck finding work. She was also having trouble avoiding Spot and his gang. That was all she needed was Spot seeing her and telling Jack where she was.

She decided that she was going to try her hand at Vaudeville today. She had been to Medda's plenty of times and it never looked too hard. She could sing and there was no doubt in her mind that she could entertain the people, but she didn't know if anyone would hire her.

She had become quite familiar with the Brooklyn area in the last three days and she knew where there were several Vaudeville theaters. She decided that she would start with the closest one. She remembered the name was very interesting. She reached the hall in about ten minutes and went inside. The place was empty except for the bartender cleaning the glasses. She walked over to him and laid her stuff on a stool while she waited for he bartender to notice her.

"Bar's closed." The bartender didn't even turn around.

"I'm not here for a drink." This got the bartender's attention. "I'm here to see if you need anybody as a performer or anything." Chris almost sounded desperate. She hated doing this, but she knew she had to work so she could support her baby. The baby may not have been conceived in love, but it was her baby and she was going to keep it.

"Da managah is still sleepin', but we do need a new waitress." Chris smiled. It sounded like she was going to get a job. "I'll let ya try your hand at it with the first shift. It starts in two hours." The bartender turned back around and finished cleaning the glasses. Chris cleared her throat. The bartender turned around.

"Is there some place that I can clean up, and get into a uniform?" Chris asked. The bartender rolled his eyes and put down the glass he was drying.

"This way." He walked from behind the bar and lead her to this small room back stage. It had all sorts of dresses. "Dose over there are for the help." He pointed to one row of dresses. "Dese are fer da ladies." He pointed to the other row of dresses. He left the room and Chris was left to clean up and pick out what she was going to wear. It took Chris an hour to get dressed, that's not counting cleaning up. She had to figure out all of the corsets and skirts. She also had to arrange the dress so she wasn't falling out of it.

Boy, I'm not looking forward to doing this when I'm eight months pregnant, she thought to herself. She finished getting dressed and walked out of the small room. She saw a beautiful woman with curly blond hair. She was dressed in a much fancier and revealing gown. Chris guessed she was a performer or the manager. Chris walked up to her and introduced herself.

"I'm Christy Walker." She stuck out her hand. She realized that that was the first time she had ever told anyone her full name. The woman shook her hand.

"I'm Bridget Larkson." She smiled and her green eyes lit up. Chris stared at those eyes. They looked so familiar. She knew that the name sounded familiar too. Larkson? Where did she know that name from?

"Bridget, you're name sounds so familiar. Have we met before?"

Bridget shook her head. "I have a sister, maybe you know her. Her name is Medda Larkson." Chris nearly fell. She had tried to get away from anything that had to do with the Newsies, and she ended up working with Medda's sister. Her mind began to spin. Did the boys come here sometimes? Did Medda ever come here? She was feeling sick. Bridget placed a hand on Chris' back. "Are you alright, Honey?" Chris shook her head and ran for the door. She opened it and spilled the few contents of her stomach into the alley way. Bridget came rushing over to her. Chris stood up and took the towel that Bridget handed her to wipe her mouth.

"Sorry about that. I do that a lot." Chris' voice was shaky, but then again it always was after she got sick. Chris wiped her mouth and leaned against the cool door jam.

"It's alright. Do you need to lie down?" Bridget was genuinely concerned.

Chris shook her head. "No, I'll be fine in a few minutes. I do this every morning." Bridget then realized why this barely fazed the girl. She smiled and hugged her.

"Congratulations!" She squealed. "How far along are you?"

"About a month or so." Chris wasn't really wanting to talk about it.

"And who is the proud Papa? Your husband, I hope."

Chris shook her head. "This is going to sound really bad, but I don't know who the father is." Bridget was nearly floored by the news. Chris saw this and quickly eased her thoughts. "It's not that I've been with lots of men. I've only been with two, and the only reason I have been with those two is because they......," Chris paused. She could feel the bile rising again. She swallowed hard. "Because they raped me." Tears filled her eyes and they threaten to spill. Bridget covered her mouth with her hand. Chris shook her head against the memory of that night. She had never said the words out loud. Everyone just thought that she had been beaten.

Bridget took her in her arms and held her as she silently cried. She comforted her until she stopped. Chris wiped her face and hugged Bridget. Bridget returned the hug. "It will be okay. I promise." Was all the reassurance that Bridget knew how to give.

"I know. I love my baby and I will give it the best life I can." Chris thought about everything for a minute. "Please don't tell anybody about this, okay?"

"Sure thing, Honey, but in a few months it is going to be very obvious." Chris laughed at that as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. Bridget led her out to the bar. "Aaron, give this girl some water and toast." Aaron turned to see Chris sitting on one of the stools. He rolled his eyes and began fixing what Bridget had ordered.

The day flew by for Chris. She was on the go nonstop and she loved it. She loved watching the show in between orders. Bridget was the best. She was sweet, funny and the most beautiful woman that she had ever met. Sure Medda had been all of those things, but Bridget was almost perfect. Chris knew that she had found a home.

*****

It had been five months since Chris had left and Jack had quit looking about two weeks after. He still wasn't himself and the guys knew that even though he tried to act as if he was. He didn't smile as much and his sells had continually gone down since she left.

It was painfully obvious that she was gone. All of the Newsies missed her, but it was agonizingly obvious with Jack. He was quick tempered and soaked anybody if they looked at him wrong. The bruise on Race's cheek was proof of that. He had made some comment about Chris and Jack under his breath and Jack just walked over and punched him. Race hadn't talked to Jack for three days after that. Jack just thought that she had gone home. He didn't know that she couldn't go home. He didn't know that home was 98 years from then.

*****

Chris walked into Bridget's dressing room. She was now seven months pregnant and absolutely miserable. Bridget had forbid her to work the last two months of her pregnancy. They had grown very close in these last five months. They were like mother and daughter and best friends. Chris had never mentioned the Newsies or Jack.

She sat on the settee that was along the wall in the dressing room. "Bridget, come feel him kick." Chris placed her hand on her stomach where the baby was kicking. Bridget walked over to her and placed her hand where Chris' was. Bridget had been feeling the baby kick for the last two months, but she never tired of it. She laughed and hugged Chris.

"This is going to be a very beautiful baby. Especially if it looks like its mother." Bridget said this as she held Chris' face in her hands.

"And it will be loved." Chris added. "I'm going to watch the show from backstage tonight." Chris had been sitting in the audience most nights since she was forbidden to work and had actually worked some since she was told not to. A few weeks after she started she had won Aaron over and they were like brother and sister. All she had to do was give him this sad/bored look and he would hand her a tray. She would only take a couple of orders before one of the other waitresses would take the tray from her and walk her back to her seat. She loved everybody that was there. She had been bugging them for the last three days on helping pick a name for the baby if it's a girl. She already had the name picked out if it was a boy.

*****

Chris woke up with a sharp pain wrapping around her stomach and sides. She let out a soft yell as the pain started to subside. She sat up and took a few deep breaths. She laid her hand on her stomach and felt the baby move. "Rough night, Kid?" She asked as the baby settled down. She leaned back against the headboard and waited to see what was going to happen next. Within five minutes of the pain that woke her she was having another, and this one was worse. She waited for the pain to pass before she got up to get Bridget. She knew she was having the baby and it scared her to death. I'm not ready for this, she thought. Ready or not you're coming. She smiled at her thoughts. She walked down the hall to Bridget's room. She opened the door to find Bridget sound asleep. They had only been in bed for a couple of hours, but she was out cold.

"Bridget?! Bridget?!" Bridget slowly woke up and looked at Chris.

"Ya okay, Kiddo?" Chris smiled at the nick name that Bridget insisted on calling her.

"Well, not exactly. It's time." Bridget looked confused for a moment before she realized what Chris meant.

"Oh! OH!" She yelled. She jumped out of bed and wrapped a robe around her and ran over to Chris who was standing in the door way. Just before Bridget reached her another contraction hit. Chris doubled over in pain. Chris automatically began to breathe. She tried to remember every movie she had ever seen with a woman giving birth, but none came to her. Just then she heard a voice in her head that was very familiar.

Push ‘em out, shove `em out, way out. Now breathe. Hehe who. Hehe who. Despite the pain she had to laugh. She was having a baby and the advice that pops into her head was a comedy sketch from Bill Cosby. Bridget didn't know what was so funny, but she passed it off as Chris' way of handling the pain. She walked Chris back down the hall to her own room and laid her down on the bed.

"How far a part are the contractions?" Bridget asked as she laid a stack of pillows behind her back.

"Hehe who. About five minutes. Hehe who." Chris kept her breathing going and she rested in between contractions. "Bridget?" Chris sounded almost sick.

"Yeah?" Bridget asked as she started gathering towels from Chris' closet.

"My water just broke." She breathed as another contraction hit. Chris could begin to feel the baby start to work its way out. "It's coming. The baby's coming!" Chris half yelled and half grunted as she began to push. Bridget dropped the towels and ran over to her.

"What do I do?" Bridget didn't know what to do. She had never delivered a baby, nor had she seen one delivered.

"Get ready to catch it." Chris responded in between pushes. Chris gave another push and Bridget watched the head start to come out. She felt queasy and happy at the same time. After two more pushes the baby came out and Bridget caught it. She marveled at the sight of the baby. She smacked it and the baby started to cry. She handed it to Chris.

"Congratulations, Mom. You have a beautiful baby boy." Chris cried as the boy was handed up to her. The baby was beautiful and she knew he would be even more beautiful when he was cleaned up. About five minutes later Bridget entered the room with a pan of boiling water and scissors. Bridget cleaned up the baby and handed him back to his mother. "What are ya going ta name him?" Bridget asked as she sat on the edge of the bed opposite the side that Chris was holding him. Chris didn't give it much thought before she said the name.

"Jack Kelly Walker."

Bridget nodded and didn't ask any questions. She bent down and kissed Chris on the forehead and took the baby. "You need to rest. I'm gonna take Jack Kelly Walker and lay him in his new bed." Chris nodded.

Just before Bridget started to leave the room Chris gave her one instruction. "Oh, Bridge, lay him on his side." Bridget looked at her funny. "Just trust me." Chris started to doze off before the last word was totally out of her mouth. She slept soundly for the next four hours, till Bridget woke her to give Jack his first feeding.

*****

Spot ran into Tibby's, where he was to meet the guys for dinner, and then they were off to Medda's. Not only was he late, but he was in a panic. He found Jack sitting at his usual table. He was eating a sandwich and picking at the napkin that was beside his plate. His mood had lightened a lot in the last five months. He seemed as if he was almost over Lil' Bit. Spot hated to do this, but he had to tell Jack.

"Jack! Jack!"

"What, Spot? I ain't deaf."

"I found her. I know where she is." Spot said in between gasps of air. Jack put down his sandwich and looked at Spot with a blank stare on his face. David was sitting beside Jack and all of the other Newsies had begun to gather around.

"Where?" Dave got tired of waiting for Jack to answer.

Spot never took his eyes off Jack. "She's at Alexander Hall. She's one of the acts in Bridget's show." Jack then looked at Dave and the other Newsies. They all knew what he was thinking and they all started heading out the door. Jack was the last to leave Tibby's. He was still in shock that she was still in New York and right under their noses. She had been gone for ten months and she was where they had been going on a regular basis for the last month.

The entire group started running to the Brooklyn Bridge. Jack and Spot were leading the way.

*****

"The place is packed tonight." Chris said as she looked out from behind the wings of the stage. She was extremely nervous. She had only done three shows and two of the those were yesterday. She was finally allowed back to work. And that was only because she had begged Bridget to let her work again. To her surprise Bridget put her in the opening act of the show, and they did a closing number together.

"You'll do fine." Bridget said as she handed Chris her parasol. The announcer introduced her.

"And now our lovely southern belle, Miss Christy Walker." Chris took the stage and began her act. She did it flawlessly and her nerves had settled until she looked down in the audience and saw a face that almost seemed like a ghost to her. She wondered if he knew it was her. She made eye contact with him and he gave her a smile that said he knew and she had explaining to do.

When her act was over, she rushed off the stage so quickly she almost fell. She ran into Bridget's dressing room and closed the door. Bridget turned and saw a very pale and panicked Chris. "What's wrong?"

"He's here. I don't know how he found me, but he did and he's here. He's in the front row." She sat down on the settee and closed her eyes. Maybe if I close my eyes I'll be back in my speech class, she thought. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself still in Bridget's dressing room. That was the first time she had ever tried to get back home.

"He who? The father?" Bridget was very confused. She knew that her best friend was scared senseless, but she didn't know why.

Chris shook her head as she began to explain. "No. The guy that I saw tonight is the one that I left because of my rape. I loved him more than I ever dreamed possible, but I knew he would leave if he knew about the baby, so I left him." Chris took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She took the glass of water that Bridget handed her, and took a swallow. "I know he's gonna want to come back here after the show and I know that the boys are gonna wait for him. I can't face him. I just can't." Chris started to sound panicky again.

Bridget was really confused. "What boys?"

"The other Newsies. Race, Kid Blink, Dave, Boots, Mush, Skittery. I could continue to name them for close to an hour."

"How did you meet them?"

"Well, it all started when I was giving a talk in school about the strike, I closed my eyes and when I opened them I was in Newsie Square. The guys thought I was a boy......." Chris went on to tell the story and when she was finished Bridget stood up and told her it was time for them to go on and do the closing number. What Chris had said hadn't phased her one bit. She always knew there was something different about Chris, but she had never asked.

"You are going to do the closing number with me and then you are going to change and wait for him. You need to talk to him, Kiddo." Bridget and Chris took their places and the music started. Chris looked in the audience and Jack was nowhere in sight. All of the others were there and they were watching her as if they were watching a ghost. Race was as pale was the table cloth that covered his table.

After the number Chris ran into the dressing room and changed into her street clothes. She walked out of the room and saw Jack leaning against the stairs to the stage. He saw her and walked over to her. His eyes were cold and he stood with his arms crossed. Chris gave a weak smile.

"Hello, Jack."

"Hello, Christy." Chris knew that he was hurt and angry when he called her that.

"You look good, Cowboy. It doesn't look like you've changed." Jack took in a deep breath. Hearing her call him Cowboy still had a strong effect on him.

"Ya look good, too. Ya look like yas changed. Wearing' a dress an awl." Jack didn't move. He didn't change his expression. "I've changed. I'm not the same guy you left almost a year ago." There was an awkward silence. Jack looked down at his feet. When he looked back up there was hurt in his eyes. "Why'dya leave, Chris, huh?"

Chris couldn't take it. Tears burned the back of her eyes. She never imagined that she would have to explain that she was pregnant with her rapers' baby. She didn't have to. Just then Alice walked up holding a baby. Jack smiled at the baby.

"Sorry to distoib ya, Chris, but he's a wantin' ta be fed." She handed the baby to Chris and she took it in her arms.

"Thanks, Alice." She held the baby and looked at it lovingly. "Did you miss your Mommy? Huh? Did you wake up and miss your Mommy?" She cooed at the baby and the baby laughed. She then looked at Jack. "This is the reason I left. I was pregnant and I didn't want you to leave me, so I left." She shifted the baby in her arms. She took a deep breath before she finished. "I found a job here as a waitress and then three months ago I had this little guy." She then turned her attention to the baby. "Didn't I sweetie? I had my baby boy." She looked at Jack. He looked like he had just been punched in the stomach and he was struggling to breathe. Chris moved over to stand next to Jack. She leaned over so Jack could get a better look at the baby. "Jack, this is my son, Jack Walker." Jack nearly choked when he heard that she had named the baby after him. He just stared at the beautiful baby that was playing with the necklace around his mother's neck.

"He defiantly looks like his mother," Jack didn't know what to say. "I know it ain't mine. Can I asks whose it is?"

Chris bit her lower lip. She had really hoped that he wouldn't ask that. "When I was attacked, they just didn't beat me." She took a long pause before she finished her explanation. "They raped me. Both of them. I don't know who Jack's father is." When she finished, Jack's face was red and he was clinching his fists at his side. He just stared at her and tried to calm down.

"Ya was raped an ya didn't tell me? Why?" This question came out very quietly. She had only heard him this quiet one other time and that was when he found out she was a girl.

"I didn't want you to hate me. I also didn't want you to go after them. I don't know who they were, but I know their faces. I can't get them out of my head." Chris swallowed hard. She hadn't talked about the rape in months and she didn't know if she could handle it. That night was coming back so clearly. She could hear her screams and the voices of the two men as they hit her and raped her.

Jack's next question came as a bit of a shock. "Would'ya know `em if ya saw `em again?" Chris took a minute before she answered. She didn't even answer, she just nodded. "Good." Jack leaned over and took Little Jack out of Chris' arms. Chris was surprised to see this. "Meet me at Tibby's for lunch tomorrah." Jack looked at the beautiful baby boy. He tickled his stomach and Little Jack laughed. "And bring this little guy." He cooed to the baby. Chris was in shock that Jack was being so great. She had expected him to be cold and indifferent about Jack and the entire thing.

"Okay," was all Chris could say. Jack handed Little Jack back to Chris and he kissed her cheek.

"Sees ya tomorrah." Jack turned and left the Hall. When he opened the door, all of the gang was outside. They were straining to see her and if there was any explanation of why she left. Jack didn't say anything as he started walking back to the Lodging House.

They were about two minutes from the Lodging House when Race got fed up with Jack's silence. "So are ya gonna tell us, Cowboy? Or are ya gonna keep us in da dark?" Race took his Cigar out of his mouth.

Jack looked at Race and the others for a moment before he answered. "You'll find out everything tomorrah. She's meetin' me fer lunch at Tibby's." That didn't appease any of their curiousity, but they knew they would have to wait till lunch tomorrow. At that moment they all decided that they were going to sell their papes as fast as they could tomorrow so they could all be at Tibby's when Lil' Bit arrived. Jack untied his bandanna and took off his over shirt before he crawled into bed. He looked around the bunk room and noticed that Kid Blink was missing. "Where's Kid?" Jack asked. All of the Newsies said they hadn't seen him since they had left Bridget's. Jack nodded and left the room. He knew exactly where to find him. Jack walked down the hall to Chris' old room. Kid Blink was sitting on her bunk, legs crossed and his head in his hand. "Heya, Kid." Jack said quietly.

Kid looked up and gave a weak smile. "Heya, Jack." He went back into his trance like stare.

"Ya alright?" Jack sat down on the bunk next to Kid. Kid looked up. Jack had never seen him this way. His eye was glassed over and he looked like he was going to die.

"Naw, not really." Kid just sat there for a minute and didn't go any further. Jack stared at him waiting for him to elaborate, but Kid didn't.

"Are ya gonna tell me or not?" Jack finally asked impatiently.

Kid gave another weak smile. "I saw ya talkin' ta her tonight. An I saw her after ya left. I saw the baby. Is he yers, Jack?" Kid's voice showed an emotion that Jack had only heard come out of his mouth once and that was during the strike when Jack had become a scabber. It was hatred. Jack didn't know how to respond.

"No." Jack didn't go into detail. He just left it at that. He knew that if Chris had wanted everyone to know she would have told them.

The relief on Kid's face was almost immediate. "I miss her, Jack. She was like me sistah. She may have been older, but I would and still will protect her." Kid looked up at Jack. "An if dat was yer baby and ya didn't take care of it, Ise was gonna have ta soak ya till ya did, an I was dreadin' dat." Jack just smiled.

He knew that Kid meant every word he said. "It's good ta know ya love her like dat. She is gonna need all of our help dese next few days." Jack didn't go into detail. He patted Kid on the back and started to leave the room. "Ya comin'?" Jack asked as he opened the door.

"Naw. I's gonna sit here a little longah." Jack nodded and left the room.

*****

Chris took a deep breath as she stood on the side walk in front of Tibby's. She hadn't been anywhere near this place in almost a year and now she was going to walk in there with Jack on her hip. She knew that all of the Newsies would be there and she wondered how they were going to react to her and most of all to Little Jack. "Okay, Christy, you have to do this." She told herself out loud. She hugged Little Jack and gave him a kiss on the top of the head. He looked up at his mother and smiled. Jack was right. He was a beautiful baby and he looked just like his mother. Chris headed for the door.

She opened the door and everybody stopped what they were doing. Most of them looked at her as if she was a stranger and others smiled. Chris scanned the room of familiar faces and some new ones. Just then a face she had missed more than she could say walked up to her. Kid Blink smiled and gave her a hug. "I've missed ya, Lil' Bit." He almost couldn't get the words out; the lump in his throat was so big. She hugged him back.

"I've missed you too, Kid. How's my brother been?" All Kid could do was nod. He put his hands out and Little Jack went straight to him. "He loves to play musical people." Kid smiled and held the baby.

"He looks just like ya." Kid said as he walked around the room and showed him off to every body.

"He is a beautiful baby." Jack said as he walked out of the rest room. Chris stiffened. She didn't know why he had asked her to come there today, and she was really nervous. Jack walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. She placed a hand on his cheek and closed her eyes against the sensations she felt from his touch. He took her hand and led her back to a private section of the restaurant. Chris looked anxiously for Kid Blink. Jack noticed this. "Don't worry. Kid will bring ‘im back when he starts cryin'." Chris smiled at this and sat down in the booth.

She took a deep breath. "Okay, Jack, why did I have to meet you here?" She really wanted to get this over with so she could get back to work where she felt safe.

Jack could tell she was uneasy. "Ise was wantin' ta tell ya dat I'm gonna help ya find da scum dat did dis ta ya an take care of `em." The entire time he was saying this Chris was shaking her head.

"No, Jack. I don't want you to help. I don't want to find them."

"Don't ya want dem to pay fer what dey did?"

"Yes, but I don't want you to be the one to make them pay." Chris laid her hand on Jack's, and Jack enveloped her hand with his other. "I don't want them to do that to anyone else, but you are not the one to stop them." She smiled and removed her hand. "They may have committed a crime against me, but they gave me the greatest gift. They gave me Jack. And I am so thankful for him." Jack nodded and smiled. Just then Kid entered the room with a crying Jack.

"He won't stop." Kid said as he handed Little Jack over to Chris.

"That's okay, Kid." She then looked at Little Jack. "Were you giving Uncle Kid problems, Jack?" She cooed to the crying baby. Kid's mouth nearly hit the ground. He looked at Jack and then to Chris. The baby slowly stopped crying.

Kid was beginning to get madder by the second. "I tought ya said it wasn't yers, Jackey." He looked like he could have killed Jack at any minute.

"It ain't mine. She just named it aftah me." Jack looked just as mad as Kid did. Chris handed Little Jack to Jack, stood up and walked over to Kid. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Jack isn't the father. I don't know who the father is." She watched Kid back away from her. She knew what he was thinking. She looked at Jack. "You didn't tell him?" Jack just shook his head. "Kid, I was raped. And I found out about a week before I left that I was pregnant with Jack. I couldn't tell any of you guys, so I left." Kid just looked at her.

"Ya coulda told me. I was like a broddah ta ya." Kid just kept shaking his head as he backed out of the room. Chris turned to Jack. Her eyes had filled with tears. He stood up and opened his arms, or at least the one he had free, and she walked into it. He held her as she cried.

"Jack, I want you to help me find who did this and I want you help me bring them to justice." She said after she finally stopped crying. "Will you go with me to the Police tomorrow?" Jack nodded and kissed her on the forehead. Chris buried her head in his chest and just let him hold her.

"I'll do anythin' fer ya, Lil' Bit." That was the first time he had called her Lil' Bit since they were reunited.

After Chris was feeling better she walked out into the main part of Tibby's and joined the guys. Jack followed her out with a sleeping Little Jack on his shoulder. She talked to the others for a while before she decided it was time for her and Little Jack to leave. She looked at everybody. Oh how she had missed them. She regretted having to go, but she needed to get ready for the show. "Well, Guys, I have to go back to the Hall now. The show starts in an hour and I have to rehearse and get dressed." She hugged the ones that knew her. Kid Blink didn't come near her. He was still hurt that she didn't tell him. Jack handed her Little Jack and she started to leave. She turned back at the door. "I'll meet you at nine at the Lodging House, Jack." His name came out very soft. Jack nodded his acceptance to the time. She then looked at Kid Blink. He was sulking in the corner. "Bye, Kid." He just looked at her. His face softened slightly, but he didn't say anything.

*****

Chris walked up to the desk in the living room area of the Lodging House. Kloppman turned around to see the lovely creature standing there. "Can I helps ya, Miss?" Kloppman asked.

Chris smiled as she answered his question. "Yes you can, Kloppman." Kloppman was rather surprised to see that the lady knew his name. "Is Jack ready?"

"I dunno." He looked at the girl. She was rather lovely with her dark brown hair done up in a bun on the top of her head. Her green and white dress was flattering and made her brown eyes stand out. "Is Jack making his dates come here now?" Kloppman asked jokingly.

Chris laughed. She realized that Kloppman didn't recognize her. "It wouldn't surprise me. He got so use to just having to walk down the hall to pick me up." Kloppman's jaw dropped as he walked from behind the desk.

"Lil' Bit?" Chris nodded. Kloppman opened his arms and she hugged him. "Where ya been, Kid?" Chris kissed his cheek.

"Becoming an actress and having a beautiful baby boy." Kloppman looked at her in shock.

"And where is Little Jack taday?" Jack asked as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He walked over to Chris and kissed her on the forehead.

Chris closed her eyes as he kissed her. "I left him with Bridget and Alice. I didn't think he needed to come along today." Jack nodded in agreeance.

"And where are ya off ta taday?" Kloppman asked as he smiled at Chris.

"Da Police Station." Jack said. Kloppman looked confused. "I'll explain later," he said to Kloppman. Then to Chris, "Ya ready?" Chris took a deep breath and nodded. Jack stuck out his hand for her to lead the way. Chris started towards the door.

As they started down the street, Jack put a possessive arm around Chris' shoulder. They didn't say anything to each other the entire walk to the Police Station. Thirty minutes later they reached the Station.

Chris stopped at the bottom of the front steps. Jack took a few more steps before he stopped. He turned and looked at Chris. She was busy looking at her hands and shaking her head. Jack stuck his hand out for her to take. She looked up at him and shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "I can't, Jack. I can't do this. I'm so scared." She barely choked out the last sentence. He walked down the two steps and took her in his arms.

"Ya are goin' ta do dis for ya, Little Jack, an awl da odder goyls dey may hoit," he whispered this quietly in her ear. Chris lifted her head off of his chest. She looked into his eyes, and he bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips for the first time since they were reunited. She was shocked at first, but then she smiled. She realized then how much she had missed him and how much she needed him.

"Alright," she said softly. "I'm ready." Jack held out his hand and she intertwined her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand, and they started up the steps. Jack opened the door and she entered. Once they were inside he took her hand again. Several police officers passed them and said things along the lines of `turnin' ya self in, Kelly?' or ‘finally fessin' up, Cowboy?' Chris gave him a funny look every time. She could tell that they made Jack uneasy.

"Dey knows me from da strike." Chris accepted his explanation as they approached a desk at the end of the long hall they had been walking down. The lady at the desk asked if she could help them. "Yeah. Is Sgt. McKafree in?" The lady nodded. "Could ya tell him dat Jack Kelly is here ta see him?" The lady nodded again and got up to go find the Sgt. Jack watched the lady disappear into a row of desks. He turned and saw Chris pacing. He walked over to her and grabbed her by the arms, forcing her to look at him. "Would ya stop afore ya ware a hole in da floor." She gave him a weak smile. "Now lets go ovah dere an sit down." He turned her towards a row of chairs that lined the wall. They sat down, and Jack took her hand. He looked at her and noticed that she was extremely pale. "Are yas okay?"

Chris looked at him. Her eyes were as big as quarters. "I dunno." She swallowed hard. "I can't tell if I'm going to be sick or pass out." She offered Jack a weak smile. "I can't do this, Jack."

Jack squeezed her hand. "Yeah ya can, an ya will. I know ya said I can't tells ya what ta do, but I'm tellin ya dat yer gonna do dis." Chris nodded. She was glad Jack was making her do this.

Chris and Jack looked up when they heard the door open in front of them. A tall man with bright red hair and a matching beard and mustache walked out. He spotted them right away. It wasn't hard. They were the only two in the room. Jack stood up and met the officer. "Well, well, if it isn't Jack Kelly." He shook Jack's hand.

"How ya been, Mike?"

"Good. What are ya doni' down here?" Chris noticed that his accent was a strong Irish one.

"Well, dis lovely lady needs ta report a crime." Chris stood up and walked over to the two men.

"And what be da crime if'n she had ta come ta me?" Mike asked.

Jack shot Chris a wary look. "Uh....she was raped." Mike nodded. He placed an arm around Chris' shoulder and led them through the door. They walked past a row of desks and into a small room with a table in it.

"Just wait here." Mike said as he left the room. Chris looked around the small room. She began to feel confined. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. Jack stopped messing with a napkin he found on the table and looked up. He didn't say anything; he just watched her. He knew this was hard for her. She walked over to the window and looked out. The streets were alive with vendors, people rushing from place to place, and Newsies. While she stood there she saw Kid Blink, Mush and Race walk by. She turned back to see Jack staring at her intently.

"Do they know why we're here?" The question came out as a whisper.

Jack nodded. "Kid does."

Chris smiled. "I know that." Jack remembered. Chris opened her mouth to say something else, but the door opened and Mike walked in with another man following him. The other man had a sketch pad and a pencil. Chris walked over to the table and sat down next to Jack. Jack placed his hand on her leg. She took a deep breath.

Mike laid down some paper and a pencil. "Now, Miss..."

"Walker, Christy Walker." Chris gave a slight smile. She said it like James Bond 007.

"Miss Walker, I need ya ta fill out this paper with your full name and address, the events of the crime and any detail about your assailant. After you finish we will do a composite sketch and pass it around the station." Chris nodded and began to write.

She finished an hour later. Jack had been pacing the room for the last twenty minutes. She handed the report to Mike when she finished. "Good." Mike said as he read over the report. "Now, can you describe.....," Mike paused as looked over the report again. It was several pages long. "....Both of them?"

Chris nodded. The sketch artist picked up his pad. Jack, who had stopped pacing, walked up behind Chris and put his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and squeezed it. Chris closed her eyes and their faces became pointedly clear. "The first one was about my height. He was bigger built. His face had a beard. He was red headed. His eyes were dark. There was a scar over his left eye." Chris opened her eyes. Tears were stinging the backs of her eyes. The sketch artist finished drawing and turned the pad around. She looked at the drawing and then at him and nodded. "That's him." Jack hadn't realized that he was holding his breath, but he released it and relaxed some what.

"Good. Now, Christy, can you remember the other one?" Mike asked. Chris looked at Mike and then at Jack. Jack nodded for her to begin.

Chris once again closed her eyes. "He was taller than me, about six foot. His hair was black and long. His eyes were a vibrant blue. He was thin, but strong." When she finished describing the man about two minutes later, she opened her eyes. She was pale and felt sick. It took a few minutes for the artist to finish the sketch. When he did, Chris once again agreed. Sgt. McKafree told them they would let everyone know about it and they would contact her when they found anything. Chris nodded as she stood up. Jack put his arm around her waist and led her out. They walked back to the Lodging House in silence.

It was around noon when they reached the Lodging House and it was empty. Jack led Chris up to the bunk room. When they were finally in the room, he led her over to his bunk and sat her down. He knew that all she needed was to be held. Jack was unsure of how she felt about him anymore. She had kissed him back out side of the Police Station, but he didn't know if that was a normal reaction, or if she had meant it. He looked into her eyes and they began to fill with tears. He gathered her in his arms and held her. He kissed the top of her head and then down her neck. Chris closed her eyes against the sensations that he was causing. She was really enjoying it, but when she began to let her mind think about what was happening she saw her attackers faces. She pulled out of his embrace and walked over to the window. Jack sat on his bed confused.

"I can't, Jack. I'm sorry. I'm not ready." Jack nodded and walked over to her. She didn't turn around. She just kept staring out the window. Jack didn't touch her. He placed his head against hers.

"I'm sorry for tryin' anythin'." He whispered. She turned and looked at him. A smile slowly crossing her face. She leaned up and gave him a light, but passionate kiss. She was beginning to wrap her arms around his neck and he was drawing her closer when they heard someone clear their throat. They broke the kiss. Jack was a little embarrassed, but Chris wasn't. She looked passed Jack's shoulder and saw Kid Blink leaning against the door.

"Hey, Kid." Chris said. She stepped around Jack and walked over to Kid. He crossed his arms and looked like he was still mad. She looked back at Jack warily. Jack knew that she wanted to talk to Kid alone so he made up an excuse to leave.

"I...uh...have to talk to Spot about something." He gave Chris a quick kiss on the cheek as he walked out. Kid didn't move as Jack brushed passed him. He just kept staring at Chris with this indifferent look on his face.

"Kid, we have got to talk." Kid didn't say anything or move. "I know you're mad at me, and I want to explain everything. Please?" Kid didn't know what made him agree to listen, but he did. He walked over to his bunk and sat down. Chris joined him. She stared at him for a moment before she started. "I'm sorry I hurt you yesterday. You're right I should have told you. I should have told Jack, but I didn't. I wasn't even going to tell him when ya'll came and saw me that night at Bridget's. The only reason that I told him was that Little Jack was brought out when he was still there." She finished with that part of the explanation and paused to take a breath. Kid took this as an opportunity to ask some questions.

"Why couldn't ya tell us, Lil' Bit, huh?" He sounded so hurt. It made Chris' chest feel tight. "Didn't ya know that we would've been dere for ya?"

Chris didn't answer right away. She didn't know how to answer. "I couldn't tell you because I didn't want ya to judge me or feel sorry for me. I know that it wasn't my fault, but I didn't know if ya'll would see it that way." Chris could feel her chest growing tighter and she was having trouble breathing. She took a few labored deep breaths before she continued. "I've seen so many girls treated badly when they are raped. They are told it was their fault and nobody helps them. I couldn't bare to have that come from my best friends, my boyfriend," she put her hand on Kid Blink's hand, "or my brother." Chris took another deep breath as Kid folded his hands around hers.

"We wouldn't `ave done dat." He looked her in the eye and she knew he meant it. His one blue eye showed so much emotion, love, understanding, anger for what was done to her, and most of all forgiveness. "I will help ya wit whatever ya need." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Chris hugged him and she could begin to feel her chest loosening up. Jack walked in and saw them hugging and smiled. He was glad to see his girl and his best pal had made up.

"I see how it is. I leave da room and Kid plasters himself on da most beautiful goyl in Manhattan." Chris and Kid broke the hug and both laughed.

"Ya knows it." Kid said with a laugh in his voice. Jack set down three bags on his bunk.

"I thought we could all use somethin' ta eat." He pulled out three sandwiches and some fruit. The three friends sat, ate and talked. They had a lot of catching up to do. When they had finished eating, Chris decided that it was time to head back to Bridget's. She was sure that Little Jack was about to drive Bridget over the deep end and she needed to get ready for the night shows. Jack walked her back to Bridget's and gave her a soft, but passionate kiss at the door and then left after the door was shut.

*****

It had been three months since Chris had given the report and description of her attackers to the police and they had turned up nothing, which Chris half expected, but she was putting her life back together. Jack had become a regular sight in the balcony and was on a first name basis with everyone there. He and Chris were getting to be pretty serious again. Chris loved the fact that Jack treated Little Jack like he was his son. He loved it when Jack came along on their dates, and was usually disappointed when he didn't. But his disappointment didn't last long.

Chris was performing her first number and she looked up in the balcony to find that Jack wasn't there. She didn't think much of it. There were about three nights a week that he didn't show. She understood that he had to do stuff with the Newsies, and sometimes wish she had time to do stuff with them too. After her first act she went and changed for her second one. She walked into Bridget's dressing room and sat on the settee. Bridget looked up and smiled.

"No Cowboy tonight?" Chris shook her head.

"Bridget I was thinking. I have this weekend off right?" Bridget nodded. "Could you and Alice watch Jack for me. I think I want a weekend away."

"Of course we can. Where are ya gonna go?" Bridget knew that Chris had been saving for a weekend in the country.

"I'm gonna go and be a Newsie." This announcement shocked Bridget. "I was thinking how I missed selling papes and being with the guys. I'm just gonna do it for the weekend and then I'll be back here first thing Monday morning."

"That sounds fine."

"Great. I'll pack my stuff and leave right after the last act." Chris ran upstairs and began to pack her stuff. She looked at her bag and realized that she had packed dresses. She unpacked them and walked over to her dresser. She opened the top drawer and found her old pants, shirt, vest, bandanna, and cowboy hat. She hadn't worn them in over a year, but she knew they would still fit. She threw them in her bag and laid it by her door. She went and told Alice of the plans, and Alice was more than pleased to watch Jack for the weekend. Chris went on to do her last act, and Jack still hadn't shown up for the night, but someone else had. Actually it was two someone elses.

Chris looked down in the front row and saw the two men that had attacked and raped her. They were staring at her very intently. She hoped they didn't recognize her. She looked back down and the red head blew her a kiss. She felt a chill run up her spine. She finished her act and calmly walked off stage. She walked over to the bar and asked Aaron to go and find a cop. She explained why and Aaron obeyed the order. She walked back stage and when she got there, the two were waiting for her.

The red head saw her and walked up to her. Chris was stiff and ready to defend herself. He licked his lips and smiled. His teeth were disgusting. Chris was remembering how it felt to have those lips kiss on her. She was beginning to feel sick. "We were wondering that since you were so good the first time around if ya would be as good the second." He said as he ran his finger down her arm. Chris smacked his hand away. He obviously didn't like that and grabbed her arm. He pulled her close. She could smell his rotten breath. She was feeling more and more sick every minute. She was beginning to wonder if she could go without throwing up on him. Just then Aaron entered with Sgt. McKafree. He saw the two men and automatically recognized the men as the ones that Chris had described. He yanked the red head off of her and arrested both of them. He assured Chris that they wouldn't bother her again. He led them out of the Hall and straight to the Police Headquarters. Chris hugged Aaron for his help and asked him if he would escort her to the Lodging House. Aaron agreed and took her there.

Chris entered the Lodging House with her bag in hand. She walked up the stairs and placed her bag in her old room. She then walked down the hall to the bunk room. She smiled as she entered the room and found all of the boys engrossed in a poker game between Race and Skittery. None of them noticed that she was there. She walked up behind Kid Blink and asked who was winning.

"Race has won two hands, an' Skittery has won three. Race is pissed." Kid explained with out looking up. It took him a few moments to realize that it was a girl who had asked. He turned to see Lil' Bit standing beside him. He hugged her when he saw her. "What are ya doin' here?" The poker game had stopped when they all noticed Kid hug somebody.

"I wanna be a Newsie for the weekend. I missed selling with you guys." They all let out a cheer and she scanned the crowd. Jack was no where to be seen. Kid noticed her looking around.

"He's at the Jacobs' for dinner and won't be back till late." Chris nodded at where he was and started watching the game. Kid was now looking around the room. "Where's Little Jack?"

Chris smiled. She loved how all of the boys treated her son. "He's with Bridget and Alice this weekend." Kid nodded and went back to watching the game. It went back and forth for close to two hours. Chris yawned when the last hand was won by Skittery. "Good Night, boys."

"G'night." They all said in unison.

"Kid, tell Jack that there is a new Newsie he has to meet before he goes to bed." Kid nodded and Chris left the room. He smiled to himself. It was good to have her back at the Lodging House, even if it was just for the weekend.

*****

Chris entered her room and began to unpack her stuff. She laid her night gown on the bench in the washroom and turned the water on. She smiled to herself as a song popped into her head. She started humming it and before she knew it she was singing it. "Dat's my cigar. You'll steal a nodder. Hey bummer's wese got woik ta do......" She finished singing it as she rinsed her hair.

*****

Jack entered the bunk room around twelve-thirty. He was exhausted. He had been up since six the morning before and was ready for bed. The only Newsie that was still up was Kid, and he looked like he was about to pass out. "Heya, Kid." Jack said as he untied his bandanna.

"Heya, Jack. I thought dat ya would like ta meet da new Newsie dat we picked up tonight before yas go ta bed."

"Can it wait till tamarrah?" Jack asked as he took off his vest and top shirt.

"Naw. Dis Newsie was rather insistent dat dey meet ya tanight." Kid said as he laid back on his bunk. Jack rolled his eyes and looked around the room. He didn't see any new Newsies. There were two empty bunks against the far wall since Pie Eater and Snipeshooter had both been sent to the House of Refuge.

"Well, where is he?" Kid opened his eye and looked at Jack.

"In Lil' Bit's old room." Kid said.

Jack looked at Kid confused. "Why is he dere? Ah, nevah mind." Jack walked down the hall and entered Lil' Bit's old room. There was a bag laid on one of the bunks. The covers were turned back in Chris' old bunk. The shower was running. Jack sat on the bunk and hoped that this new Newsie wouldn't be too long. He didn't know how much longer he could stay awake. Just as he started to doze off the shower turned off and the Newsie exited the shower. Jack looked up and was surprised to see Chris standing there in a towel. Jack felt like it was de ja vous. Chris stood really still as Jack walked over to her. She looked up at him as he wiped the water from her face. Chris closed her eyes against his touch. She inhaled deeply as she got butterflies in her stomach. "So are ya da new Newsie dat wanted to see me?" Chris nodded. Jack leaned down and kissed her. She let go of her towel and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her to his arms and carried her over to the bed. He never broke the kiss. He laid her down on the bed and ran his hand threw her wet hair. He looked into her eyes. "Are ya sure ya want ta do dis?"

Chris nodded. "I've never been so sure in my life." Jack kissed her again covering her body with his.

*****

Chris woke up to a bunch of hooting and howling. She was disoriented at first, but realized where she was when she saw Jack's arms around her. She rolled over in his arms and kissed him very gently. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hi." he mumbled as he squeezed her close. He then noticed that she was blushing. "Why are ya...." He didn't finish the question because he noticed the group of Newsies that had gathered in the door. He turned bright red and glared at them. "Does dis look like dis is a show? Get outa here!" He yelled as he pulled Chris as close to him as he could. All of the Newsies left, but they could still hear them as they headed down the hall. Races voice was the easiest to hear.

"Jackey-boy got laid!" Chris and Jack began to laugh. Jack lifted her head and kissed her very tenderly and passionately.

"Are ya okay?" He asked. His voice was barely a whisper.

Chris thought about it a minute. "Yeah. I really think I am." She kissed him and he slid his arms further down her body. She pulled away. "Not now, Mr. Kelly, we have to get ready for work." She started to laugh as he groaned. Jack dressed in what he had worn the night before. He left her taking a shower while he went to the bunk room to finish getting dressed.

When he entered the bunk room, he was greeted with a ton of hoots and howls. Jack just shot them all glares. He walked over to Kid Blink as he buttoned his shirt. "Did ya know dat was what she wanted?" Jack asked in a whisper. Kid Blink smiled and shook his head.

"Naw. I just thought she wanted to surprise ya. I guess she really did surprise ya, huh?" Kid asked through his laughter. Jack proceeded to play punch him. All of the Newsies were waiting for Chris down stairs when she came down. She was dressed in her usual clothes. She had on her black pants, yellowish-white shirt, black vest, red bandanna and her hair pulled up in her cowboy hat. All of the boys stared. She had really changed since the last time she had worn the outfit. Everything fit her better. Her hips were fuller, so her pants didn't hang off of her. Her shirt wasn't as baggy, since her chest had filled out more. You could tell she was a woman now and not the girl they all adored. Everyone was watching Chris till they noticed Jack wasn't moving, or even breathing. He had noticed last night that she had a fuller figure, but he hadn't realized how much she had changed till he saw her in her Newsies clothes. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she smiled and they returned the smile. It took Jack a moment to gather himself and walk over to her and give her a kiss.

"Well, I'm ready to try and sell some papes." She said as they headed out of the Lodging House. When they reached the distribution center, David was waiting for them by the gates. He saw the group and saw someone he almost didn't recognize. He walked up to Jack and Chris. He studied her for a while, then hugged her.

"I almost didn't recognize you. How did you manage to find the time to sell papes?"

Chris smiled and broke the hug. "I took a weekend off, and left Little Jack with Alice and Bridget." Chris smiled as Jack wrapped his arms around her waist. David watched as the two hugged. He knew something was different, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Something has happened between you two. What?" Jack kissed Chris on the back of the head and she blushed. David watched the exchange between them.

"Nuttin'. Don't worry about it." Was all Jack said and Chris' blush slowly started to fade. The circulation bell started to ring and they all entered the circulation office. Chris was the first in line and laid down her twenty cents. She walked down the platform and began to look over the headline. She was busy making up new ones when Jack and Dave joined her. She smiled at both of them. "Any good headlines taday?" Jack asked as he started opening his paper.

"Headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes." Dave laughed and Jack gave her a playful shove. She really had missed them and she was glad she had this weekend to spend with them. They started off selling their papes, and were done by noon. Chris couldn't quit smiling, and neither could Jack. Dave was getting real aggravated because he wanted to know what had happened between them to cause this behavior. He tried asking again.

"So, Cowboy, what happened between you two?" Jack just looked at Dave for a minute. Chris was over at a flower vender looking at the roses.

"I told ya, nuttin'." Jack didn't say anything more.

"I'll tell ya what happened," Chris said as she walked up to them with a rose in her hand. Dave smiled. Finally he was going to get some answers. "But, I'm going to tell ya when we're at Tibby's. I want everybody to know." Chris said as she sauntered off towards Tibby's. Jack shot her a confused look. Everybody already knew about last night, except Dave. Dave and Jack followed Chris into Tibby's. All of the other Newsies were already there. Chris took her place in Jack's usual booth. Jack and Dave joined her. Jack put his arm around her and leaned into her ear.

"Everybody already knows," he whispered.

"Nope. I know, but no one else does." She waited till it had quieted down a little and everybody was eating. She stood up in the booth and everybody looked at her. "I have some great news." She started to say, but Race had to comment.

"Yeah, we know. We saw you and Cowboy in bed dis mornin', remember?" Dave looked shocked. Chris looked down at Dave.

"That's not the news, Dave." She said and then shot a glare to Race.

"It's news to me." His voice was rather high.

"My news is...." She trailed off and then looked at Jack before she finished. "That the men that raped me were arrested last night at Bridget's." Everybody was silent for a minute before a loud cheer went up. "I'm free of them forever." She said over the noise. She couldn't stop laughing. Jack pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her. It was a very deep and passionate kiss. Then everybody let out another cheer. After they broke the kiss Dave had to ask.

"So ya really slept together, huh?"

Jack laughed. "Dave, dat's old news." The rest of the day they walked around the city. They went to Brooklyn to tell Spot, and Jack had to keep Chris away from Bridget's because she wanted to see Little Jack. Dave said good bye around sunset. He left Chris and Jack sitting on in the grass in Central Park. They were watching the sunset. Chris had her head laid on Jack shoulder and he held her close. After the sun had set they walked back to the Lodging House. As they reached to bunk room, Jack asked something he never had before. "Where are ya from, Lil' Bit?" Chris then realized that she had never told him about how she got there. She had told Bridget, but not everything.

"Come with me Jack. This is going to take a while." She took his hand and led him to her room. They sat on her bunk and she took her hat off and let her hair fall. Jack was staring at her. "Okay, first I'll start with the simple stuff. I"m from a small town in Florida. I'm enrolled in the local college and I'm majoring in history." Jack nodded. He knew that Chris was more educated than all the Newsies, but she never showed it. He also knew that she was a year or so older than he was. Jack watched her while she waited to finish her story. "I have a loving mother and little brother. My father died when I was sixteen."

"I'm sorry." Jack looked sad for her.

"That's okay. I'm a Daddy's Girl, but I'm also strong."

"I've noticed." Jack said. He thought for a few minutes before he asked the next question. "If yer family was so great, then why'd ya leave?"

Chris smiled. She knew that the question would be coming, but she wasn't sure how to explain it. "I didn't leave by choice, it just kind of happened. You see I was giving a speech in my speech class on the strike and I was dressed like you. When I started the speech I gave the opening dialog from the movie." Jack interrupted her.

"Dey made a movie about da strike?" Chris nodded.

"Yeah, and it's one of my favorites, next to Titanic." She knew Jack wouldn't know what she was talking about, but she was glad that he didn't ask. It would take too long to explain. "Anyway, I started the speech and I had the class close their eyes while I described the Newsies to them. I closed my eyes and when I opened them I was in Newsie Square." Jack almost looked like he didn't believe her. "I know it's hard to believe, but what I have to tell you next is even harder to believe." She took a deep breath. "My speech class wasn't in 1900. It was in 1998." Jack looked confused. "I'm from ninety-eight years in the future." Jack shook his head.

"Dat's impossible."

"I know, but it happened." Jack sat there for an hour trying to make sense of what she had just told him. Chris didn't say anything while he tried to understand that he was in love with a girl who technically shouldn't be born for seventy-seven years. Jack looked at her after much thought and smiled.

"I believe ya. I don't know why, but I do." Chris smiled. "So tells me about da future, and your home town."

Chris crossed her legs and leaned against the wall. Jack crossed his and leaned against the bed post. "This will take a while." Jack nodded. "I'm from this small town in Florida. There are about 20,000 people there, roughly." Jack nearly choked on his own breath.

"Twenty thousand? An you cawl dat smawl?"

"Yeah. Compared to New York City which has over three million, it's small. There are two high schools and at least six elementary schools. That's not counting the private schools. Everybody knows everybody, or at least has heard of them. The joke is that most of the town is related. It's beautiful though. Palm trees everywhere. Oak trees as tall as buildings. Green lawns and nice houses on almost every street, except for the bad neighborhood." Jack smiled at Chris. He had never seen her face light up like this.

"Do ya miss it?" Jack was dreading the answer he knew would come.

Chris nodded. "Yeah. I miss my family, friends and I miss all the things I used to do that I can't do here because you don't have them yet."

"Like what?" Jack was really interested in what they did in 1998.

Chris thought for a minute before she answered. "Well, I miss going water skiing, snow skiing, packing up my car and driving to the beach for the day with my friends. I miss the movies. I miss McDonald's." Chris paused remembering the smell and taste of McDonald's french fries.

"The only thing I knew was da movies." Jack said. He was really confused and interested.

"Yeah, but our movies talk and they are the best in the world. My favorite is Titanic. It's a love story that happens on the doomed ship."

"Why is it doomed?"

"Oh, I forgot. It hasn't happened yet. The Titanic is a ship that sinks on its maiden voyage in 1912. Fifteen hundred people died when it sank after hitting an ice burg. Anyway, let's see. Water skiing is where you put two sticks on your feet and a boat pulls you around a lake. Snow skiing is when you put sticks on your feet and go down a snowy mountain. That is the easiest way I can describe it." Jack nodded, not fully understanding.

"What is a car?" Jack said the word funny.

"Oh, cars are the best. They are like carriages except they have motors in them, so they don't require horses. Horses are only used in the future for riding as a sport. There are some cars that can go up to 160 miles an hour." Jack's jaw nearly dropped. Chris laughed. "I never understood why people would want to go that fast." Chris closed her eyes. "I can still hear all of the cars as they rush past my house. I used to love the sound they would make as you revved up the engine. Varoom. Varoom." Chris made the sound and Jack laughed as he closed his eyes, trying to picture what she was describing.

Chris finished her description and opened her eyes. She was sitting on the desk in the front of her speech class. The entire class was staring at her. She looked around the room as if she couldn't believe she was really there. She began to realize that she was home and not in the Lodging House. She was supposed to be sitting on her bunk with Jack, not in front of the entire class giving a speech on the strike and the group of Newsies she had just left. She could feel the bile rising in her throat. She placed her hand over her mouth and got down off the desk. She walked back to the back of the room grabbed her bags and excused herself. She ran to the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet. When she had finished getting sick, she wiped her mouth. She walked out of the building and straight to her car. She had been gone for over a year and not even five minutes had passed. She started driving, but she didn't know where she was going. After driving for forty-five minutes she passed a sign that said ‘Airport'. She looked and saw she was parked in front of her best friend's office building. She got out and walked up to the building.

A receptionist met her at the front desk. She could feel the tears starting to build up in her eyes. She hadn't cried yet, but she knew she would soon. "Christy to see Lisa Taylor." The receptionist picked up the phone and repeated the request.

"Go on up to the third floor." Chris nodded and entered the elevator. She was met by Lisa's co- worker, Sarah. Sarah looked at Chris funny as she led her into the mail room.

"Lisa will be back in a minute." She lookedat Chris as she was fighting back the tears. "Are you okay?" Chris shook her head. She really didn't want to talk to her. She hated her. Well, maybe not hated, but she didn't like her very much. Sarah kept looking at her funny. "I have to know. Why are you dressed like a......a......" Lisa entered the room an noticed Chris standing by the window.

"Chris?" Lisa asked. Chris turned around. She was still fighting the tears.

Sarah kept trying to find a way to describe what Chris was wearing. "......a...." Lisa heard the question and smiled.

"Cowboy. She's dressed like Cowboy." Lisa said the name, not what she looked like.

"Why are you dressed like a cowboy?" Sarah asked. Chris shot her a look.

"She's not dressed like a ‘cowboy'. She dressed like Cowboy from Newsies." Chris nodded. "You were to give your speech on the strike today, weren't you?" Chris nodded again. Lisa thought for a minute. "Then why are you here?" Chris couldn't fight it any more. She just let the tears fall.

"Because I left him." She choked out between sobs. Lisa gathered her in her arms.

"Left who?" Lisa was real confused. As of last night Chris wasn't seeing anybody and now she had left somebody.

"Jack." Chris barely got that out.

"Jack who?" Lisa sat Chris down in a chair.

Chris untied her bandanna and wiped her face. "Jack Kelly." She paused before she said anything else. "Cowboy. I left Cowboy. He's probably sitting on my bunk right now and has no idea what happened. I was telling him about the future. I was telling him about today, and when I closed my eyes to remember, I was back in my speech class." Lisa and Sarah looked at each other confused.

"Chris, you're making no sense. What are you talking about?" Chris looked at Lisa and laughed a very weak laugh.

"Oh boy. This is gonna take a while." Chris asked Lisa to pull up a chair. Sarah did to, even though she wasn't asked to. "I went into my speech class this morning to give my speech on the strike."

"What strike?" Sarah asked.

Lisa and Chris both rolled their eyes. "The Newsboys Strike of 1899." They said at the same time. Chris gave a very weak smile.

"Anyway, when I entered the room I was dressed like this and I had a stack of papes." Lisa knew what she meant, but Sarah was lost. "Papers." Chris explained. "Anyway, I yelled out ‘Elise Island in Flames. Thousands Flee in Panic.' I had every bodies attention. Then I started with the opening lines of the movie. I asked everybody to close their eyes and when I opened mine I was in Newsie Square. Shortly after that I met Jack. He thought I was a boy because I had my hair up in my hat......" Chris continued to tell the story from their first kiss to being raped to having Little Jack to ending back up in speech class. She was no longer crying. "I left him, and he will be so lost." Just then Chris gasped as she put her hand to her mouth. "Who will take care of Little Jack?" She began to cry all over again. Sarah and Lisa looked at each other as Lisa held Chris.

"I've never seen you so worked up over a dream before." That was the wrong thing to say.

"IT wasn't a dream. It really happened. I found the love of my life and he's in the year 1901." Chris couldn't believe she was saying it. It did sound crazy. "I'm not crazy! It did happen!" Lisa could tell that she was dead serious.

"I believe you. It wasn't a dream. It did happen." She lied through her teeth. Chris just sat in the same chair for the rest of the day. When Lisa's boss came in, he didn't ask any questions he just ignored her. By the end of the day Chris was exhausted. Lisa had to call Robbie, her boyfriend, to drive Lisa's car home so she could drive Chris home. That wasn't hard seeing as how Lisa and Chris lived in Chris' house. It had been given to her after her mother remarried a year ago.

When they got home, Lisa changed Chris into her night clothes. Chris slept very soundly that night, until she had dreams of Jack.

*****

Jack opened his eyes and Chris was gone. She had finished talking and so he opened his eyes and she was gone. He knew she hadn't left the room because she had only been quiet for a few minutes, plus he never felt the bed move. He walked over to the window. It was still shut. He looked out the door and the hallway was empty. He walked back in the room and crawled back on her bed and laid his head in his hands and cried. He knew she had gone back home. He didn't know what to do. What would happen to Little Jack? His mind started whirling.

The next morning Kid Blink entered Chris' room expecting to see Jack and Lil'Bit intertwined in each other's arms like the morning before. But, what he found was Jack sitting with his head in his hands. He looked up at Kid. His eyes were swollen and red. Had Jack been crying all night long? Kid sat beside Jack. Jack looked at Kid and the tears started anew. "She's gone. She went home." Jack couldn't say anymore.

Jack didn't sell papes that day. He went and got Little Jack from Bridget's and took him back to the Lodging House. He sat on Chris's bed and held Little Jack. "I can hear the cars. I can see them flying down the road." He was trying to remember everything that Chris had told him the night before, but every time he would open his eyes and he would be in the Lodging House.

*****

"Lisa, I don't want to go on this blind date. I don't care if it was Christian Bale that I was meeting. I'm not ready. I've only been back for two months now, and I'm not over Jack yet. I probably never will be." Chris was pleading with Lisa as they waited for Robbie and his friend Mike to pick them up for the Devil Rays vs. the Atlanta Braves game. "The only reason I agreed to go was so I could see Chipper play." Chris said this with a devilish grin. This was one of the few times that she actually reminded Lisa of her best friend. The one she knew before she had ‘time traveled'. Lisa still thought that she was crazy, but she didn't say anything.

"Chris, you have to move on," was all Lisa got to say before Robbie and Mike walked in. Chris looked at Mike and noticed that he was very handsome, but he wasn't Jack. The introductions were made and they all piled in Lisa's car to head to the game.

During the game Chris couldn't keep her eyes off of Chipper Jones, as usual. That was how she was every time she watched a Braves game, on TV or in person. She had said little to Mike, but he hadn't tried to say much either. During the seventh inning they always played messages that fans had paid to have put on the board. They were the usual stuff, but one stood out to Chris, and the rest of the stadium. The announcer's voice read the message.

"Lil' Bit, I love you. Will you marry me? Cowboy." Chris leaned forward in her chair. She had her hand over her mouth. Tears were filling her eyes. She had a gut feeling it was her Cowboy.

"Are you alright?" Mike asked. Chris nodded. Then the announcer's voice came on again.

"Lil' Bit, if the answer is yes, please meet Cowboy at the main store on the ground level." Chris stood up. She looked at Lisa and smiled an honest smile.

"I have to go. I have to tell him yes." Chris left their row. Lisa, Robbie and Mike followed. Mike was the only one that was absolutely clueless.

"It's not him, Chris." Lisa was calling after her. Chris paid her no attention. She just kept running. It took Chris five minutes to reach the ground level. She was about a hundred feet from the store and could see the crowd that had gathered to see what the answer was. Chris stopped when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned to see an old boyfriend walking towards her.

"Are you going to see what the answer is?" Chris turned back around and started running again.

"Something like that." She yelled over her shoulder. Lisa, Robbie and Mike were not far behind. Chris reached the crowd and pushed her way threw. When she reached the center of it, she saw a man in a white shirt, black wranglers, a cowboy hat, and a red bandanna tied around his neck. She knew right then that it was Cowboy. She took a step forward and called his name. "Cowboy?" He slowly turned around. He was holding a baby boy. Chris focused on his face. It was him. It was Jack. She walked up to him and waited for him to hand the baby to a security guard. He took her in his arms and kissed her. It was the most passionate kiss that anybody had ever seen.

Lisa, Robbie and Mike pushed threw the crowd in time to see them kiss. When they broke the kiss, everyone was cheering. Then Cowboy said his first words. "So, is dat a yes?"