I'll Always Look Out For You

Epilogue

I'm not going to say what happens here. Thanks for deciding to read this next bit! Enjoy! :)

It is the beginning of a bright and glorious sun set.

In the Manhattan Newsies Lodging House, everyone is in a good mood, talking about the day, talking about the good selling.

Race watches them all with a fond smile.

Some of these newsies were there with him during the strike of 1899. A lot of these faces, however, are new. Most of these faces are younger than Race. Only a couple are older than him, and only slightly at that. Race, as their leader, knows and loves all of them.

Then, Race looks down at the newspaper in his hand. It's his last paper. He still hasn't stopped keeping a paper from the days where he's liked the headlines.

He's keeping this one because it's special.

May 15, 1903

The date of Race's last day hawking headlines.

Race first came to this lodging house eighteen years ago--and this is pretty much around the same time as the eighteenth year anniversary of him coming here. How things have changed since then.

He's watched people become leaders. He's watched them leave, but then still have an impact on his life. He's watched the people who raised him grow older too, and make lives of their own. He watches the people he's grown up with as his younger siblings age with him. He watches old faces go, new faces come. Every single person has a story. And Race knows them all.

Today is his last night in the lodging house. Once he leaves tomorrow in the dawn of a new day, he'll no longer to be a newsie.

He's been selling newspapers since he was eight years old. Well, now it's time to find a new path.

And he'll have Spot at his side. They had agreed that today they would sell their last round of a hundred papes. Tomorrow, they're going out in the world together.

Snipeshooter comes up to him. "How are you feeling? 'Bout all of it?"

"I honestly don't know," Race confesses. "Excited, sad, happy? All of the things."

Snipeshooter nods understandingly. "It's going to be different once you leave."

"Yeah, yeah it will be," Race agrees. "You and Boots are goin' to make great co-leaders of Manhattan. I truly believe that."

"Thanks again for saying that you want both of us to take up leader ship positions."

"Hey, no problem, really. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't believe I was leaving Manhattan in good hands. You've both grown up the right way. I firmly believe that you two will bring a lot of good to Manhattan."

"Is your mind still made up, Racetrack?" Kloppman comes up to them. "Are you still leaving tomorrow?"

"Right when I wake up," Race answers. "Thank you, Kloppman. For everything."

"Where will you go?" Tumbler asks him curiously.

Race smiles. "Wherever Spot and I decide to go."

Ever since Race became leader, Manhattan and Brooklyn's relationship has strengthened immensely. Now, sometimes, the lines blur between who is a Brooklyn newsie and who is a Manhattan newsie. 

It's just like when Ray and Stargazer were newsies. Brooklyn and Manhattan in a strong borough alliance, brought together by the star-crossed lovers that they have for leaders. And they wouldn't have it any other way.