By: Sarah

(Author’s note: This story is a TAD melodramatic in parts, but that’s just the type of fanfic I write—plot based around a series of dramatic climaxes—It’s all about Mush, Kid Blink, and Racetrack, and for some reason that we may never know, Denton found his way into the story as well. This sort of wrote itself, I mean, I’m a Bale fan all the way, you’d think I’d write about Jack, but I guess it didn’t happen that way…oh well, maybe next time. There are a few little things that I know people will call me on if I don't mention that I'm aware of them--I know that Mush's bunk was on the other side of the room from Kid Blink's, they're side by side for the purpose of this story (oh, and rereading that sentance, you could get the wrong idea about my motives--I assure you, there is nothing like THAT going on in this story! Get your mind out of the gutter!). I don't really know what time lights-out is in the Newsboys Lodging House, I just guessed. Oh, and please ignore the glaring mistakes in the passage of time: for one thing, I really don’t know how long it takes to get from New York to Albany by horse drawn carriage…if you know, and I’m off, pretend Albany's another city, I just knew Albany was another city in New York state that could be used (I'm from Canada so I'm allowed to be a little uninformed about cities in the States!). The days in the story are a bit short, but hell, it’s a fanfic based on a musical that’s based on actual events that don't even tell the real story (even though nobody wants to hear the real story because it's too depressing...as is this story...augh!)…you can’t expect it to be poifect now can ya? Well…here goes nothin’…)

The Newsies were all gathered at Tibby’s restaurant again. Most were eating (some not so well—the headline wasn’t great today), all were talking and laughing. This was their usual hangout and tonight was no different than any other night for them. It was nearing 9 pm. The waiters were beginning to shoe them out so they could get to their nightly cleaning.
Mush was finishing off the last few gulps of his now warm sarsaparilla and flipping through a section of yesterday’s newspaper. He liked to keep up to date on the happenings, and didn’t just read the papers looking for the best headline like some of the boys did. He hadn’t read yesterdays news, however, he hadn’t been feeling well so he had stayed in bed and taken the day off. He was just about to drop the paper and leave when a small, one paragraph, article caught his eye. "Couple killed in House Fire – A couple in Albany was found in the remains of their house near the Mackenzie General store yesterday. The names are being withheld until family is notified. Neighbors said the couple has a 16 year old son who left home six months ago. More details as they become available." Mush suddenly felt sick. His parents lived near that general store in Albany. But the headline didn’t say it was them for sure. There were plenty of families in that area of Albany, it could have been anybody. The line about the son worried him though. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. But, they DID know where he was. He gave them an address. They would have told SOMEBODY where he was. Wouldn’t they? He hadn’t heard any bad news yet, so that had to be a good sign.

"Hey!" Mush was suddenly jerked out of his thoughts by his best friend, Kid Blink, "Well, are you comin’ or what?"

"Yeah." Mush said, and he reluctantly laid the paper back on the table and joined Blink, and his other best friend, Racetrack, as they left the restaurant and the waiter locked the door behind them.

"What’s the matta, Mush?" Race asked, noticing the solemn expression on his friend’s normally jovial face.

"Nuttin." Mush answered back, smiling at Race, who was satisfied with this answer. Mush walked a little faster so he didn’t have to talk to anybody; Blink and Racetrack looked at each other and shrugged.

They got back to the Newsboy’s lodging house a little after 9:30 and the boys began to get ready for bed. By 10:00, Kloppman, their supervisor, put out the lanterns and the boys were left to sleep.
A couple of hours after lights out, Kloppman came back into the dormitory. He found Mush’s bed, a bottom bunk, and shook Mush to rouse him.

"What?" Mush asked, sleepily, his worry suddenly returning.

"You got a telegram." Kloppman said.

"OK." Mush said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and got out of bed to follow Kloppman downstairs. He saw the little yellow piece of paper sitting near a lantern on the counter. He picked it up slowly and unfolded it. It was just as he thought: His parents had been the couple killed in the fire.
Mush’s face turned white. He slowly crumpled the piece of paper and put it in his pocket.

"What is it, boy?" Kloppman asked.

"N…nothing…" Mush answered, he didn’t want to tell Kloppman; telling someone would make it all the more real. "My….my father just…lost his job."

"Tough break, kid, tough break." Kloppman said, turning back toward his work.

"Yeah…" Mush trailed off and started up the stairs again. He found his way back to his bed and buried his face in his pillow.

Kid Blink had woken up when Kloppman had come in to rouse Mush. He was almost asleep again when he heard the sound of quiet crying coming from the bed beside him. He was immediately concerned. He quietly got out of bed and went over to see what was wrong.

"Mush?" Blink said, softly, and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Mush sat up, surprised, and, upon recognizing it was just Kid Blink, leaned his back against the headboard and put his tear streaked face in his hands, unable to speak.

"Mush?" Blink said, moving to sit beside the distraught boy. "What’s the madda? Why ya cryin’?"
Mush just shook his head and cried harder. Blink took one of Mush’s hands and moved it away from his face, forcing Mush to look at him. "Mush," Blink asked, "What happened?"

Mush reached into his pocket, took out the crumpled telegram and shakily handed it to Blink. Blink reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a pack of matches, he lit one and the light it gave was just strong enough for him to read the bold type on the telegram. "Oh my God, Mush. I’m awful sorry." Blink said when he was finished.

"I shoulda been there!" Mush choked out, finally, "I had to go to work to get money to help them out cuz the business was goin broke! I shoulda stayed in Albany, Blink! I shoulda been there!"

"What? An’ have three people die in that fire ‘stead ‘a two?" Blink asked. "You couldn’t ‘a known, Mush. You couldn’t ‘a."

"But I haven’t even seen ‘em for six months!" Mush wailed, "Their own son, and I haven’t even been there! I wish I died there with ‘em!" His chin trembled and he burst into fresh tears.

"Mush…" Blink started, putting an arm around Mush’s shaking shoulders, "C’mere, Mush." He pulled the sobbing boy close to him and held him tightly, trying his best to calm his terribly distressed friend. "Mush, don’t cry, OK? It’s gonna be OK. Nothing you coulda done, or not done woulda stopped that fire, OK? It’s not your fault. You thought you were doin’ the right thing by goin’ away, an’ you DID do the right thing. You worked hard to make some money to send back to ‘em to help ‘em out. The fire couldn’t ‘a been your fault, Mush, you were just tryin’ to be a good son. An’ there’s nuttin wrong with that, is there?"

Mush, still crying, reluctantly shook his head against Blink’s now wet shoulder and hugged Blink back. "Shhhh…it’ll be OK, Mush…it’ll be OK…" Blink soothed as he rubbed Mush’s back, "Ya still got us, huh? Ya still got all your friends here. Aw, I hate seein’ ya like this, Mush. Don’t worry, OK? You’ll get through it. You really will…I…I felt like this when my parents died too."

"You never told me they died." Mush said, looking up a little, "You said they were…"

"On safari in Africa?" Blink said.

"Yeah." Mush said, suddenly realizing his naivete.

"Well, they ain’t on safari nowhere." Blink said, pulling away from Mush and sitting back against the headboard. Mush did the same, wiping his red eyes on his sleeve and sighing weakly.

"They died three years ago. That’s when I left home. My fadda was a drunk who liked beatin’ my ma and me up any chance he got. That’s how this happened." He pointed to his left eye that was always covered with a black eye patch.

"Tried to kill me with a broken bottle, the lousy bastard. He finally succeeded in killin’ my ma…" He stopped for a second to compose himself. He was trying to comfort Mush, not start crying himself. "Then when he sobered up and noticed what he done…he threw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge…I figured I should get myself into a new neighborhood and forget about all ‘a that bad stuff."

"Geez, Blink, I’m awful sorry, I didn’t know." Mush said.

"Nobody does." Blink said, "I didn’t want nobody’s pity, ya know?"
Mush nodded.

"But it still hurts, though." Blink confessed, "I know I look like I’m so happy all the time – and I am! I really am, but I wish I could talk to someone about it sometimes. I mean, ya get over it, sure, but…there are still nights I can’t sleep because I’m thinkin’ about ‘em—well, my ma, anyhow—and I just …I just lay there cryin’ an’ feelin’ sorry for myself. I know it’s silly, I mean, I’m 17 years old an’ it happened so long ago now. Ya get over it…but ya never really forget it. I don’t know if it’s somethin’ ya should forget though, ya know?" His uncovered eye was shining a little as he looked at Mush and mustered a smile.

"Yeah." Mush replied, wiping a few stray tears from his swollen face and finding a small smile as well.
The two boys hugged again, "You’re gonna be OK, Mush." Blink assured him.

"I guess," Mush said as he pulled away, "I gotta get to Albany though…for the funeral."

"Want me to go with ya?" Blink asked.

Mush nodded, "Ya think we should invite Race too? I mean it just wouldn’t be the same without all three of us."

"Yeah." Blink said, "Let’s tell him about it in the morning though, alright? I think you’ve had just about enough for one night."

Mush nodded, still sniffling a little. Blink got up and went over to his own bed again. The two boys settled themselves back under their covers, Blink feeling better about telling someone about his parents, and Mush, still devastated, but not feeling so alone anymore.

"Blink?" Mush asked, once the two boys were settled.

"Yeah." Blink answered sleepily.

"Thanks." Mush said, "I dunno what I woulda done if you hadn’ta been here."

"No problem." Blink said. "G’night."

"G’night." Mush said, and was asleep soon after.

"What’s wrong with Mush?" Racetrack asked Kid Blink, the next day when he noticed Mush sitting by the window by himself, staring blankly and looking like he had no intention of carrying the banner this morning.

"Oh, Race, it’s so awful." Blink began, quietly, so as not to alert Mush to the fact that he was being talked about. "Both his parents were just killed in a fire."

"That’s terrible." Race said, a shocked look overcoming his face, "When did he find out?"

"Last night." Blink explained, "After lights-out he got a telegram and I happened to be awake when he came back upstairs. I felt so rotten for him. I went over to talk to him and he just couldn’t stop cryin’. The poor kid."
Race shook his head then headed over to the window where Mush sat, looking bewildered. "Mush?" Race said, sitting down next to him.

"Ya heard, huh?" Mush said, not looking at Race.

"Yeah." Race said, sympathetically, "I’m so sorry for ya, Mush. It’s terrible…just terrible." He reached out a comforting hand and squeezed Mush’s shoulder.

"What’s goin’ on, guys?" Jack Kelly sauntered over toward the three boys, "Ain’tcha comin’, the coiculation bell’s gonna start ringin’ any minute."

"Cowboy, Mush ain’t goin today." Blink explained.

"Why not? Whats a madda, Mush?" Jack asked, his tone changing, noticing that something was, indeed wrong and the boys weren’t just stalling.

"Um…m…my parents…" Mush said quietly, after a moment. He could feel the tears burning behind his eyes again.

"His mudda and fadda was killed in a fire th’otha day, Jack. He just found out about it last night." Kid Blink finished, quietly, noticing Mush was having trouble.

"Oh, Mush…that’s horrible." Jack said. "Alright then stay here, you’re in no condition to sell today. Hey, tell ya what, Mushie, I’ll take up a liddle collection for ya so’s ya don’t hafta go hungry, OK?"

"Thanks." Mush said, his eyes glistening.

"Hope you’re OK, Mush." Jack said, sincerely, as he reluctantly left the room.

"Guess you two are goin’ too then, huh?" Mush said.

"No, we can stay wit you if ya want." Blink said.

"Yeah, I gots no money to buy me papes today anyway." Said Race.

"Nah, you guys go ahead." Mush said, "I’ll be OK." He looked back at the window and tried to blink back the tears that were threatening but a few managed to spill over and splash onto his cheeks.

"We’re stayin’ with you." Race said, as both he and Blink put arms around Mush’s shoulders.

"Thanks, guys." Mush said softly, and wiped his eyes, embarrased.

"We gotta figure out a way to get you to Albany." Blink said, pensively, after a few moments of silence.

"You’re still goin’ with me, right?" Mush asked, "An’ you too, Race, right?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Blink assured him, "Right, Racetrack?"

"Sure, Mush," Race said, even though this was the first he’d heard of this, "Of course we’re goin’ witcha." Race was not one to pass up helping a friend, especially if helping a friend involved anything resembling travel or adventure.

"Thanks guys." Mush said, gratefully.

"We gotta figure out how to get there, though." Blink said, "We don’t have time to walk there. That would take a couple ‘a days. We need a carriage."

"Denton!" Racetrack said after a long pause.

"Denton doesn’t have a carriage." Blink retorted.

"But he’s a grownup." Race continued, "He could probably, I dunno, borrow one, or pay someone or somethin’, I dunno, it’s worth a shot though, dontcha think?"

"Yeah." Blink said, "Whaddaya think, Mushie? Should we ask him."

"We don’t really have any otha option." Mush said, "And Denton’s a good guy, I don’t care if he comes along. I’d like ‘im to come."

"Let’s go, then." Blink said. And the boys started out on the walk to Denton’s. They walked slowly because Mush was still in a bit of shock from the news. Blink and Race felt terrible. They wanted so desperately to help their friend. They couldn’t stand to see him in that much pain. They got to Denton’s in about forty minutes. They knew he hadn’t left yet to be the ace war correspondent. He was taking a few weeks off before he had to head out. The three boys walked up to the door of Denton’s apartment and knocked.

"Who is it?" they heard him ask from inside.

"It’s Kid Blink, Mush, an’ Racetrack." Blink said.
Denton opened the door, expecting to see the usual smiling faces of the three friends, but was greeted with a much more somber looking crew.

"What’s the matter boys?" Denton asked, concerned, as the three filed in and he shut the door behind them.

"We got a favor to ask you." Racetrack started, "Wouldja happen to know anyone with a carriage?"

"Well, I don’t know." Denton said, a little confused, "Why do you need a carriage."

"We gotta get to Albany by tommora." Blink clarified, "For Mush…his parents got killed in a fire a couple days ago."

"Oh no." Denton said, "Are you doin’ alright, Mush?" he asked, Mush hadn’t said a word yet. The boy shrugged. Denton looked concerned, "I’ll see what I can do, OK?"

"Thank you." Mush said, almost inaudibly.

"I know a guy who knows a guy." Denton said, "I’ll be back in a little while, OK? I think I can arrange something. Are you boys hungry? I’ve got plenty in the icebox."

"Sure, thanks Denton." Race said, he was starving. "Boy, Mush, ain’t it great that Denton can get us a carriage?" Race was helping himself and making a rather oversized sandwich with what seemed like the majority of items in the fridge.

"Yeah." Mush said, absantly, and sat down, slowly in a wing-chair.

"Just…leave ‘im alone awhile, Race." Blink said, quietly, to Racetrack, who nodded, solemnly.
Denton returned in a little over four hours. The boys had eaten, well, Blink had eaten, Race had eaten more than one would have thought possible for someone his size, and Mush had picked over a sandwich that Blink made for him. They found a checkerboard and Blink and Race played a few games. They were going to try to get Mush to play but knew he wasn’t at all up to it, so they left him alone.

"Well, boys, I got us a carriage." Denton announced as he entered the apartment. "It’s waiting outside, we can leave right now."

"Great, Denton!" Blink said.

"Alright!" Race exclaimed, "Come on, Mush, we got a carriage."

Mush nodded, feigned a smile and got up from the wing chair, finally. "So we’re leavin’ now?" He asked absantly.

"Yeah." Denton said, and put his arm around Mush as they left and went down the stairs. Mush said nothing for most of the trip. Racetrack talked a mile a minute and Blink and Denton talked a bit too, but they had a little more of an appreciation for the situation what with Denton’s age and Blink’s experience with his own parents so they were a little more solemn. It’s not that Race was trying to be disrespectful, but he was only 15 and didn’t always know when he was being obnoxious. He did get the hint about halfway there that he should settle down a bit and he did, eventually, and as it got darker out, he began to get sleepy. He fell asleep shortly after, leaning his head on Blink’s shoulder. Mush had fallen asleep too and was adorably snuggled against Denton’s arm.

"Well, I guess it’s just you and me now, eh, Kid Blink?" Denton said, quietly, so as not to wake the two slumbering passengers.

"I guess so." Blink replied.

"So what happened with Mush’s parents?" Denton asked, "You didn’t really tell me much before and I didn’t want to talk about it around Mush because the kid doesn’t need to get more upset than he already is."

"I don’t really know much either," Blink answered, "I don’t think Mush knows any more, actully. He got a telegram last night that said nothin’ more than that his parents were killed in a house fire, and where and when the funeral was gonna be."

"Poor kid." Denton said, looking down at Mush’s peacefully sleeping form. "That’s a real blow to someone his age. I mean, my father died when I was 24 and I was still pretty broken up about it."

"Yeah." Blink said, hoping this did not lead to a question about his own parents, which it inevitably did.

"What about your parents?" Denton asked.

"I don’t wanna talk about it." Blink said quietly, and looked away.

"OK." Denton said, realizing it was a touchy subject and backed off. "That Racetrack, I’ve never met a kid who had more to say!"

"Tell me about it!" Blink said, "Try spendin’ every day wit ‘im!" He laughed a little, "But he’s a good guy though, good for a laugh, and he’s really kindhearted when it comes right down to it."

"Yeah." Denton said, beginning to get a little tired himself.
Blink dozed off a while later and Denton sat peacefully in the carriage as it pulled into Albany in the early morning hours.

"We’re here already?" Mush asked, sleepily as he lifted his head from Denton’s shoulder.

"Yep." Denton said, "How’re you feeling?"

"Alright." Mush said, and attempted a smile to reassure Denton.

"Mornin’ boys." Denton said, as he noticed Race and Blink stirring in the seat across from him.

"So we’re in Albany?" Race asked, yawning.

"Yeah, we’re here alright." Denton said. He paid the driver and the four of them exited the carriage and began walking to the church.

"Thanks for all ‘a this, Denton." Mush said, gratefully as they approached the church.

"No problem." Denton smiled at him.
They entered the church, immediately feeling badly that they weren’t really properly dressed for the occasion but forgot about that fact pretty quickly.
"And who are you?" an usher asked them as they walked down the aisle looking for a seat.

"I’m they’re son." Mush said, "An’ these are my friends."

"You can sit right over here then, son." The usher said, and pointed them to a front pew.
They saw the two caskets at the front of the church; the minister was about to start.
Race, Blink and Denton kept looking over at Mush to make sure he was alright, and he appeared to be doing OK. He sat numbly through the whole ceremony.
The congregation moved outside for the burials after the minister’s sermon. There were chairs set out for mourners to watch as the caskets were lowered into the graves while the minister finished up his eulogy.
Mush broke into tears finally as the last shovelful of dirt was patted down on the caskets of his parents. He put his head in his hands and cried as Race and Blink, who were seated on either side of him hugged and comforted him. "I miss them so much!" He choked out.

"Shh, I know, Mush, I know." Blink soothed.

"Don’t cry, Mushie, it’s OK." Race added.

Denton came over and knelt in front of Mush’s chair, tilting Mush’s face upwards to look at him. "You wanna go now?" Denton asked him.
Mush nodded and all four of them stood up. Mush threw his arms around Denton and hugged him, sobbing quietly. Denton was a bit surprised, but hugged Mush back. "It’s getting kind of late, boys." Denton said, as Mush pulled away and went over to Blink and Race again. "Maybe we should find a motel to stay at tonight and head back home in the morning."

"Let’s go get somethin’ to eat first." Mush said, "I haven’t eaten anything in forever." He wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

"Yeah, I’m kinda hungry too." Race said.

"Well, let’s find someplace to eat, then." Denton said as they began to walk away from the cemetery. Race and Mush were walking together and Denton looked back to see Kid Blink lagging behind a little, looking at the graves sadly. He was going to say something but didn’t, and Blink caught up in a few minutes.
Blink was virtually silent during dinner. Mush was a bit too, but he had been like that for the past couple of days anyway so it wasn’t out of the ordinary. They ate well and Denton picked up the bill, again. They found a cheap hotel and all four of them went immediately to sleep; it had been a long and exhausting day.
Denton awoke sometime later to a noise on the balcony. Their room was on the fourth floor of the hotel. He looked out and saw Kid Blink sitting on the railing of the balcony. Denton decided to go over and investigate.

"Kid?" Denton asked, as he opened the door.

"Leave me alone." Blink said, softly, his voice thick with emotion.

"What’s wrong?" Denton said, moving closer.

"Nothin’, just leave me alone, please!" Blink pleaded. "I don’t want anybody to see me like this."
By now Mush and Racetrack had been awakened and had gone over to the balcony door to investigate.

"Just come on back inside, Blink." Denton said, concerned that Blink may be thinking about dropping from that railing.

"It ain’t fair." Blink said, "It just ain’t fair."

"What’s not fair?" Denton asked.

"Why do people have to die?" Blink asked.

"Blink, it’s alright. Come back inside, OK?" Mush pleaded.

"It ain’t alright!" Blink exclaimed, "Your parent’s died, my parent’s died, hell, most ‘a the otha Newsies’ parents died too! Why?! Why does all ‘a that have to happen! It ain’t fair!"

"You’re right, it ain’t fair, Blink," Mush said, stepping closer to him, "But like you said to me before, we got each otha, right? An’ you still got us. Ya got me, an ya got Race, and Denton, an all the otha Newsies, an’ we’re like a family. So come back inside, OK, I know you don’t wanna die too."

Blink looked at Mush, finally, tears rolling down his cheek from his uncovered eye, and got down from the railing. He went over to Mush and hugged him tightly, sobbing with grief for himself and for all the other orphans. "It’ll be OK, Blink." Mush said, his eyes gleaming with tears too. "Ya still got us."

"Yeah." Race said, crying a little himself now, and joined the hug. Denton watched from the doorframe, feeling proud to know these boys who could endure so much heartache at such a young age and still become good, kindhearted people.
All three boys finally calmed down and went back to sleep after a couple of hours. Denton eventually convinced himself that they were OK, and he went to sleep too. They got another carriage the next morning and returned to New York.

"Thanks for everythin’, Denton." Mush said, as they reached Tibby’s restaurant late that afternoon and parted company.

"Yeah, we’re gonna miss ya when ya go off ta be that war corrospondant." Race added.

"Well, I’ll miss you boys too." Denton said.

"See ya later, Denton." Blink said, his unmistakable smile finally returning.

"Bye bye, boys." Denton smiled, and walked off.

"They’re back!" Boots announced as the three entered the restaurant.

"Heya, Boots." Race said, and sat down next to him and a few other Newsies.

"Glad to see ya back, Mush." Jack said as he came to sit beside Mush and Blink.

"Thanks, Jacky." Mush said, smiling a real smile for the first time in a few days. "I’m glad to be back with everyone again."

"Yeah, it’s nice to be home." Blink added, noticing as he looked around the room that what Mush said before was true; the Newsies were like a family--a big, crazy, hyperactive family; and Blink was darn happy to be a part of it.

The End