Alex DeWitt sat at the end of the Brooklyn docks, thinking about the night he had run. It felt like it had been thousands of years ago.

His fellow newises found him in the streets that night, worn and nearly dead. What he wouldn't do to go back to that night and take his sister with him.

She would be fifteen now, he imagined her as beautiful as his mother was. He thought about her every day and what she might look like right now. He sighed as he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth.

He would find her one day. He would take her away to a place where not even their father could find them and beat them again. He wanted so badly to leave the lodgehouse and find her.

But Spot Conlon wouldn't allow it.

The Nuns stood on the same corner of the street they always did, every morning. They were passing out bread and cups of water to the poor children on their way to work. Kacey bumped shoulders with a girl next to her and mumbled an apology.

As she walked past, Kacey couldn't help but stare at her and wonder how different things would be if she were in a Girl's Home right now and worked in a factory. She missed the company of girls and she had never really had it in the first place.

She wondered what it would be like to wear dresses and have a boy kiss your hand.

While she wouldn't trade working with the newsboys for the world, she had recently found herself longing for some female friends and company.

"Just gimme halfa cup,"

Kacey was pulled back from her thoughts as Racetrack gratefully accepted a cup of water. She stepped up in line after him and asked for a piece of bread. She joined Race on the sidewalk and the two shared their very small breakfast together. They never complained, though. The food they often received at the Lodge was neither fresh nor tasty.

"I'm sellin' by myself today," Kacey said with her mouth full.

"Don't talk with ya mouth full!" he reprimanded with the point of his finger, to which she swatted away.

"I think I'm gonna do ninety today-"

"-Ninety?" Race exclaimed with bread crumbs flying out of his mouth, "Come on, Bolt, you could sell twice that much if ya wanted to."

"It's Tuesday, all the good headlines were yesterday and Friday is," she paused to count on her fingers, "Three days away!"

"Headlines don't sell papes-"

"I know, I know, newsies sell papes." she interrupted with a sigh, "Can't ya let me be pessimystical for one day?"

"I don't think that's the right word." Kid Blink joined their sides and quirked a brow at her.

Kacey rolled her eyes, "Forgive me for not havin' an education," she laughed.

Someone yanked her shoulder back and she viciously glared at the smaller woman who had done it, "Oh, I'm so sorry, you're not him. Do you know anyone named Patrick?" she asked with her hands clasped together.

"'Fraid not, miss," Kacey responded with her glare softening.

This was not an unusual occurrence for the morning walks to work.

The woman nodded slowly and turned away, fighting her way through the crowd of kids that had grown bigger in front of the Nuns' cart. She watched after the worried mother with a slight frown and wondered if she really did love her son that much. She had never known a liffe where her mother cared.

"Come on, Bolt." Racetrack said quietly with the tug of her arm. She joined Race and Blink on the sidewalk and they were soon caught up with the Manhattan newsboys.

"So Jacky, hear bout them headlines yet?" Racetrack asked as he stuck a cigar in his mouth.

"Does it mattah?" Jack asked with a raise brow.

Kacey placed a hand on his shoulder, "Headlines don't sell papes!" she exclaimed in her best Italian accent, mimicking his earlier statement to her.

Racetrack raised his hands in defense, "Newsies sell papes, I got it!"

The crowd of boys began to clear in front of the gates, as if the mayor Teddy Rosevelt himself had just arrived. Kacey sucked in a sharp breath and moved to the back of the crowd where she couldn't be seen. The Delancey brothers made her nervous, even if she hated to admit it.
"Dear me! What is that unpleasant aroma? I fear the sewer has backed up durin' the night!" Racetrack exclaimed, sniffing the air with a smile.

Kacey couldn't help but smile.

"Nah, too rotten to be the sewers!" Boots began as everyone laughed.

"It must be. . ."

"The Delancey bruddahs!" Crutchy exclaimed with a goofy grin that spread ear-to-ear.

Two boys emerged from the crowd in front of the gates, eyeing everyone around them. Oscar and Morris Delancey often raised hell for the newsies and paid no mercy to anyone. There were rumors that someone paid them to keep the newsies in line and Kacey did not doubt that was true.

Oscar yanked a small boy by his collar, "In'na back ya ugly little shrimp!" he growled and threw the boy down to the ground. Kacey clenched her fists to keep herself from marching over there and socking him right in his big nose. It was silent as a few boys helped the smaller one up from the ground.

"That's not good to do dat." Racetrack warned as he shook his head, pulling the small boy to him.

"It ain't healthy." someone else taunted by Morris' ear.

"What are you all gonna do bout it?" Oscar leered as he threw his fists up.

"You shouldn't call people ugly little shrimps, Oscar."

There was a pause as Jack approached the brothers with a very dissatisfied look on his face. Kacey sighed and crossed her arms, waiting for Jack to make his next move as everyone else was doing. While she hated the Delanceys, she also hated the fighting that usually broke out when they were around.

Jack looked around with a smile, "Unless ya referrin' to the family resemblance in ya bruddah here!"

Morris lunged at him but was held back by Oscar.

"That's right! It's an insult," Jack teased, "And so's this!"

Jack snatched Morris' hat from his head and took off across the street from the WDC. The newsboys let out cries of encouragement and excitement as the brothers sped off after Jack.
Kacey shook her head to herself and made her way to the gates where she lit up a cigarette. Kid Blink and Mush joined her and leaned against the iron bars, each taking a drag from her smoke.

"Well boys, it's Tuesday." she said lazily.

Mush groaned, "Worse than Monday if you'se ask me."

"Yeah, it's like Monday is just trying to remind us that the weekend is still far away so it gave us Tuesday!" Blink exclaimed with such passion that Kacey placed a steadying hand across his chest. The two laughed at their dramatic friend and continued their smoke.

Kacey watched and cringed as Jack collided head-on with another boy, clueless to the ongoing fight. He grabbed Jack's arm and glared at him, "What do you think you're doing?" he cried out in frustration. Kacey noticed a small boy next to him, his brother maybe.

Jack, who was struggling to catch his breath, looked up to see the Delancey brothers pushing their way through the crowd of riled up boys, "Runnin'!"

Jack wriggled his arm out of the boy's hold and headed for the gates. The three that stood there already waited for him to do a magnificent leap to the gates, but Oscar Delancey caught his ankle before he could attempt to.

"Get 'im Cowboy!" a younger boy shouted with excitement as Jack and Oscar began to throw punches at each other. Morris tore through the crowd of cheering boys and joined his brother in the fight. Jack threw a punch at Oscar's face, who stumbled back and was caught in the hands of the many newsboys behind him. Morris received the same punch and found himself struggling to break free of the many hands that held him next to his brother.

Jack Kelly stood from the ground and swiped the dirt off of his clothes, taking his time to tidy up. Morris let out a noise that Kacey could only decipher as a snort and a cough. Apparently, this was his attempt at sounding tough.

Once Jack was done cleaning his clothes, he eyed the brothers with a frown, "I think that's all I have time for today."

"We ain't finished wit you yet, Kelly!" Morris spat as they were released. The two shot him and everyone else glares before meandering to the back of the crowd.

Jack merely rolled his eyes and was soon awarded with hoots and shouts from the everyone around him. Kacey chuckled as he set one of the smaller boys on his shoulders, parading around shamelessly.

The WDC bell sounded and the gates opened. Boys rushed in and nearly ran one another over, but stayed put behind Kacey, Blink, and Mush since they were older. They all formed a line up behind them and oggled at Jack as he sauntered up to the front.

It was the same routine every morning.

"Ya miss me, Weasel?" Jack asked with a sly grin. The stout man at the front desk spun around with a scowl, years of stress and frowns etched into his wrinkles.

"You know my name, it's Weisel. Mister Weisel to you!" he reprimanded, "How many?"

"Don't rush me, I'm persuin' the merchandise! Mister Weasel." Jack retorted, picking at his fingernails.

Weasel rolled his eyes and let out a very loud and frustrated sigh. The little boy who Kacey had seen earlier slowly walked past her as if he were in a trance. He stood next to Jack, eyes wide in fascination. Jack winked at the little boy and made a quick glance at her. She shifted nervously under his short gaze and let out a sigh of relief when he turned back to Weasel with a fifty cent coin.

"The usual." Jack replied boredly as he waited for his papers.

"Hundred for the wise guy," Weasel called behind his shoulder, "NEXT!"

Kacey snagged the little boy before he wandered off behind Jack, "Wanna get ya papes before you play follow the leader with that guy?"

"I'm Les Jacobs!" the boy exclaimed with a smile, his sudden outburst causing Kacey to jump back slightly and laugh.

She stuck her hand out to him, "Now that's what I like to see, a boy with spunk and enthusiasthmatics!"

"That's definitely not the right word," Kid Blink grumbled from behind her, earning him a frown from her.

"Thank you, Dictionary!" she exclaimed, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh look, that's my brother David Jacobs comin' over here!"

"Don't think I needed the last name, Jacobs." she replied, chuckling at his youthful attitude.

"Sorry, he didn't mean to cut in line."

Kacey turned to respond to the boy but caught herself falling silent.

David had curled, short brown hair with sparkling blue eyes and freckles covering his cheeks. Kacey had never paid that much attention to detail in a boy before and it startled her. She looked away quickly and cleared her throat.

David was left confused and tapped her shoulder, "Hello?"

"What can I do for ya, mister Jacobs?" she asked.

"Just call me David." he said.

"My brother!" Les exclaimed he stood next to her jumping up and down. Kacey smiled down at him then glanced back up at David.

"Yes, as I was saying," he continued with what looked like a warning look to his younger brother, "We're going to be working here for some time. Could you tell me the best places to sell around here?" he asked innocently. This boy was obviously educated in some way, his grammar was good and he didn't have a distinct New York accent.

"Why don't you go talk to Cowboy over there, the one your brother was so obviously admirin', he can help ya." she suggested with the wave of her hand. Jack was sitting on the ground reading the day's paper silently. David thanked her and returned to his spot in the back of the line, dragging Les behind him.

She approached the counter and opened her mouth to insult Weasel, but her cut her off.

"Alexander, just hand me your coin and we can be on our way." he complained.

"Didn't feel like wastin' my time on you today anyhows, Weasel." she said nonchalantly, "Ninety."

Weasel kept his eyes trained on her with a glare as she was handed her stack. With ease, she scooped up her stack and heaved it onto her shoulders so she could head out to her chosen selling spot for the day.

"Baby born with two heads? Must be from Brooklyn." she heard Racetrack mumble as she passed him and Jack on the ground.

"Or it's the Delancey's long lost sister."