"So the strike is back on?" Ladders asked as I stepped past him, snatching my hat of the chair and tucking my hair back in, getting rid of the weird looks.

I spun around and patted him on the shoulder as I walked by, heading towards the door. "Yes it is. We need to head to Manhattan. Now."

Ladders nodded. "Okay."                    

I gestured for the boys to follow me and they all began a flurry of movement, heading out the door.

We walked silently over to Manhattan, not wanting to disturb anybody that was still asleep. Ladders eyed me over, tongue in cheek.

"What happened in Brooklyn?"

"Hmm?" I replied. I didn't understand what he was asking.

"Your cheeks were flushed pink when you came into the lodging house."

"Oh," I to think of a lie, quickly. "It was cold."

"It's July, and 88 degrees outside."

I could feel my cheeks beginning to heat up again. "Nothing."

Ladders smirked, giving me a once over before deciding to drop the conversation. "Okay. Whatever you say." He had began to catch on.

"Shut up." I muttered.

We arrived outside the building where several Brooklyn and Manhattan newsies were waiting. "Stay here," I ordered. "I'm going inside."

I slipped away from the crowd and into the building, where Jack and Spot were waiting, talking with two young men were talking with them.

"Took you long enough." Spot muttered.

"Do you want to try running from Brooklyn to Queens to Manhattan in an hour?" I asked dryly.

He chuckled slightly and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by someone  else.

"Jennifer?"

I turned around to see Racetrack standing at the top of the stairs. Spot blinked, before realizing what was going on, and stepping away to talk with Jack.

"Anthony."

Race ran down the stairs two at a time before sprinting across the room and crushing me in a bone crushing hug.

I squeezed back as equally tight, nearly bursting into tears. I thought I was never going to see him again, after he left me with father.

I pulled back and smacked him upside the head.

"What was that for?"

"You left me alone with our father!" I whisper-shouted at him. "Why would you do that?"

His gaze softened, his blue eyes and blond hair looking so much like my own. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to take you with me. You were asleep in the bed when I was escaping and Father came in, and tried to stop me. I ran and left you there." He was nearly in tears. "I went back, a couple of years later to see if you were there, but you weren't. I thought you were dead. I'm so sorry. I didn't recognize you earlier, before your hat was taken off, but you knew it was me. Why didn't you tell me?"

I sighed and rested my head on his chest as he tugged my hat off. "I wanted too, but nobody knew I was a girl. I'm so happy I found you."

Race smiled and kissed the top of my head, one hand resting on the back of my neck and the other holding my head. "I love you."

"I love you too." I replied.

Jack stepped forwards, an awkward look on his face. "I'm sorry to break up the happy reunion, but we have a newspaper to be printing."

I nodded in agreement. "I promise you, we will catch up more later," I told my brother, before taking my hat back from him. Race nodded, a giant grin on his face as he walked back up the stairs to talk to the other boys.

I walked back over to stand next to Spot, watching as a few people ran around, fixing the machine that was going to be printing the papers.

"Never would have pinned you for a sappy person."

"Never would have pinned you for being an idiot, yet here we are." I replied, smirking as he rolled his eyes at me.

He paused, seeming to struggle with his words before speaking. "Really though, you are lucky. I had an older sister and a younger brother. I left them a while back with an abusive relative. I know what kind of guilt Race is feeling, and how happy he is to have you back."

"What were their names? Your siblings, I mean."

"Ethel and James."

I smiled at him. "I'm sure you will find them. If I was lucky enough to find him, I'm pretty sure you'll find Ethel and James."

He smiled back. "Thanks. That means a lot."

I nodded. "No problem."

Jack gestured for us to come over and handed us both a stack of papers, with the title 'The Children's Crusade' I looked over it quickly as Jack said.

"Hand these out to every sweatshop worker, child labourer, anyone you can find who is young and shouldn't be working."

I nodded. "And then?"

"And then it's up to them."

I exchanged a glance with Spot, who shrugged. Okay. Here goes nothing.

I turned and jogged up the stairs, sending the next couple boys down.

~

The newspaper seemed to have worked. No one was working anywhere and everyone was blaming Pulitzer. He wasn't able to send a message or get a shoe shine, he couldn't even get out of his own office due to the amount of kids crowded outside it.

It was funny though. A bunch of nobody kids had shut down the biggest newspaper companies in New York City. Talk about power of the press. I was pacing around. Jack had gone in with Spot and David a while ago, I had refused the offer, not wanting to risk the chance of Pulitzer finding out my gender.

Finally after what had seemed like ages, they came out, followed by Medda, Pulitzer, Katherine, and someone I recognized, but couldn't place.

I listened to the Manhattan newsies, figuring out, after overhearing, that the man I didn't know whas Theodore Roosevelt, the governor. I didn't know why he was here, or what he had to do with the strike, but he was on our side.

I held my breath, standing next to Ladders as Jack shouted. "Newsies of New York City," He paused, most likely for dramatic effect. "We won!"

I gasped as Ladders jumped. "We won!" I grinned, hugging Ladders.

It was over. No more fat old man denying me my pay.

"And here are some old friends who I think would want to enjoy the end of the strike with you." Roosevelt spoke.

I turned and watched as a prison carriage pulled up, and out of the back got several boys, including Lion.

I gasped, before running over and hugging him.

"Whoa Crown! You've grown a bit."

I pulled back, remembering what he did, and punched him.

Lion stumbled back. "What was that for?"

"You told Jack I was a girl!"

Lion blinked, before realizing what I was talking about. "Oh, ya. I deserved that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm happy you are back."

Ladders walked up to Ladders and I. "Now what?"

"Now, we head back to Queens, we have papers to sell." I told him.

~

Brooklyn ended up walking with us, as they took the same route back to the other side of the city anyways.

I smiled, allowing the boys to walk a bit in front of me. Spot walked next to me, comfortable silence the only thing between us as we walked.

"I can't believe we won." He said finally.

I nodded. "Insane."

He paused for a moment, before finally speaking again. "If I were to do something totally impulisive and kind of stupid, would you be willing to forgive me?"

"What do you mean impulisive?" I asked.

He mumbled something under his breath, before grabbing my waist and tugging me forwards and kissing me.

I gasped slightly, allowing my eyes to shut and I kissed him back, happy to finally be rid of the tension.

"I told you so Clothespin!" I heard Ladders shout. More shouting arose from the group in front of us.

Oh no. I was never going to hear the end of this.

"I could have chosen a better place." Spot mumbled.

"Yes. You really could have." I laughed and kissed him again.