AN: This was requested by MinaScarlet2. Again, I'm sorry it took so long! Also, on a different subject, I've finally started writing a new story, but before I went any further with it I was wondering if any of you would actually be interested in reading it?
"Jack, did you hear that?" Crutchie asked, picking his head up slightly as he walked back to the lodging house next to his brother. Jack, who was counting the coins he'd earned that day, shook his head.
"Hear what?"
"It sounded like a girl, yelling for help." Jack pocketed the coins and stopped walking, causing Crutchie to do the same. The older boy cocked his head to the side, listening intently for any sound. They stood like that, listening for almost a full minute before they heard the unknown girl cry out again.
"Help! Someone please -" It was cut off by what sounded like a mix between a gasp and a strangled gagging sound. Both boys' heads snapped towards the direction it was coming from, which, unsurprisingly, they saw to be a dark alleyway that was not quite a block away. It seemed that almost everything bad that happened on the streets took place in one shady alleyway or another. Jack immediately took off, with Crutchie close behind him. They stopped in front of the alley and saw what was definitely the source of the screaming. A young man who they vaguely recognized as some gang member had pinned up a small girl, and was hitting her face repeatedly with one hand and pressing her shoulders hard against the wall with the other. Jack let out what you could only describe as a growl and lunged, knocking the girls attacker onto the ground. The two immediately started throwing punches, but Crutchie didn't pay them too much attention, knowing Jack could hold his own. The gang member would probably be unconscious or running away with his tail between his legs within a matter of minutes. So instead, Crutchie carefully crouched down next to the girl. She was down on the ground on all fours, trying to catch her breath.
"You okay?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Fine." She didn't meet his gaze, and just kept on staring at the ground. He offered her a hand to help her up, and she reluctantly accepted.
"So, what's your name?" He asked her once they were both standing. She sighed and looked at him.
"It's um... I'm Liz." The boy grinned at her.
"The guy who threw that gang member off you over there is Jack Kelly. And they call me Crutchie." Her eyes drifted towards the crutch that was settled under his arm.
"Well, you were very appropriately named." She realized as she said it that it could be taken as offensive, but he wasn't bothered by it. Jack laughed at that as he made his way over to them. He was already sporting a black eye, but Liz's assailant was unconscious in a heap.
"If nothing else, I make sure all my boys are all appropriately named." Jack remarked, looking her over. "Broken ribs?" He asked, gesturing to the way she was gently holding the side of her stomach. She nodded, surprised at how observant he was.
"I think so." He nodded as well, thinking.
"You got a place to stay where you can rest and let that heal?"
"Not exactly... But I'll be fine." Crutchie held back a smile. No way Jack was letting this girl go off on her own now.
"Somehow I don't think that's true. Crutchie, you think we have a bed for her back at the Lodging House?" He looked at the boy in question, who simply shrugged.
"Even if we don't we can kick one of the boys outta their bed and make them share with someone else."
"True." Jack smiled at Liz. "What do you say, you wanna come stay with us for a while?" The girl was hesitant, but she decided she probably wasn't going to get any better offers, so she agreed.
"Only for a week or two, once I'm better I promise I won't bother you any more." Crutchie shook his head.
"Trust me, you'll be much less of a bother than any of the other guys are." He assured her as the three exited the alley and started walking again.
"Who are the other boys you keep talking about?" Liz asked curiously, and Jack grinned.
"We're newsies, and we live with all those other wild, boy-like creatures who run around yelling headlines." The young girl's eyes widened as she realized what she'd just gotten herself into.
"Don't worry." Crutchie reassured, noticing her expression. "I'm sure they'll love you. And they're all good kids." Liz nodded, still a little uncertain, as Jack refrained from adding a quiet 'sometimes' under his breath. It was the truth, but he figured it wouldn't help calm her nerves at all. After a few more minutes of walking, they came to a stop in front of the Lodging House. Liz looked between Jack and Crutchie, wondering if she was supposed to be alarmed by the fact that you could hear the sound of boys yelling coming from inside the building.
"Uh, yeah, they're kinda loud. All the time." Jack said, offering a small smile. She nodded and walked in, taking in the sight as the boys came in behind her. The newsies were all lounged around the lodging house in various places and positions. Some were arguing with each other loudly, and the rest were just conversing with each other. This was with the exception of the Jacobs' brothers. Les was running around and being chased by a weary-looking Davey who seemed like he just wanted to go home. Race was the first one to notice their arrival, and walked over to them.
"Hey, who's the kid?" He asked, his question obviously not directed towards the girl he was asking about. Liz immediately narrowed her eyes.
"'The kid' has a name."
"Oh, and she's a smart mouth too, huh?"
"Takes one to know one." Race laughed.
"That ain't an insult. I try very hard to be a smart mouth. I'm glad to know my hard work pays off."
"Huh."
"What?" He snapped. Liz began to look at him thoughtfully.
"Oh, it's just, now that you've mentioned it, it's very obvious that you have to work hard to be as witty as you are. Does it ever hurt your brain when you're thinking hard like that?" Liz asked innocently, and Jack and Crutchie both had to stifle their laughter as Race glared. He was about to open his mouth again to say something that would most likely be highly inappropriate, but Jack decided it would be a good idea to step in before things got worse between the two.
"Back off, Race. She's new, she hasn't had a chance to learn that you don't know how to manage you're temper yet." Race's glare shifted to Jack and lingered there for a few seconds, before he lowered his eyes and walked off.
"Are they all like that?" Liz asked after a few moments of painful silence. Crutchie grinned.
"Nah, there's really no one quite like Race." The young girl nodded, relieved at that.
"So, this is it. Welcome to you're new home, for the next few weeks at least." Jack said, and she smiled. She hadn't had anything like a home in a while. She decided immediately that she was going to like it at the Lodging House.
