Celtic is my creation, all others are a property of Disney.

She wasn't used to the abuse she was receiving.

"You can end this by returning what you stole from my office." he said as he once again slapped her face.

"But I didn't take anything, honest."

He pushed her down to the floor and grabbed a cane that was resting on a nearby chair. He went to strike her when a hand grabbed the cane and pushed it away.

"What are you doing Sullivan?"
"Beatin' up lil' goils Warden? Dat's not like you'se."

"She took something from me, you just stay out of this."

The boy looked over at her then back at Warden Snyder. "She don't have pockets, where could she hide anythin'?"

Snyder gripped the cane and then stormed out of the room. The boy walked up to her and helped her up. "You alright?"

She nodded slowly because of the pain. He sat her down in the chair and asked, "Who're you, an' what made ‘im think ya stole somethin'?"

"I'm Elsa, but I don't know why he's after me."

"Well, I'm Sullivan. You should change yer name, nobody here really goes by der real name."

"What should I change it to?"

"Dat's up ta you."

Elsa thought for a moment. "My daddy was a teacher. He taught about Celtic history."

"Den yer now Celtic. I'll make sure yer not hurt again."

"I'm seven years old, and I've only been here for two months." said the now Celtic.

Sullivan put an arm around her. "Yer safe wit' me."

"This is a very nice place you have here Mr. Snyder."

"Thank you Governor."

The Governor of New York came to visit the Refuge to see how well the children were being treated. Sullivan stood close to Celtic as the two men greeted the children. They stopped in front of the two friends. "And who is this fine young man?"

Sullivan stood tall. "Sullivan sir."

"How old are you?"

"Near eleven."

The governor smiled. "Bully for you son."

As they walked away, Celtic grabbed Sullivan's arm and said, "Wish I was rich like that."

Sullivan nodded, but his mind was on other things.

Celtic went down to breakfast alone. As she sat down she heard one of the boys say, "Yeah, last night Sullivan escaped."

She gasped. Now that he was gone she was vulnerable, Snyder could beat her any time he wanted. She then became angry with Sullivan and felt betrayed. She had no friends now.

~Six years later, two weeks after the strike~

"It's so nice ta be sellin' papes again." said Les.

"Yeah, no kiddin'." said Boots.

The two newsies walked to the lodging house. A young girl in her early teens came up to them and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where I could find Jack Kelly?"

At first the two couldn't believe their ears because she was dressed in very rich clothing. "He could be at the lodging house, we're goin' der if ya wanna come." answered Les.

"Yes I would."

The two newsies led the girl to the lodging house. On entering they saw Jack sitting on the stairs talking to Specs.

"Hey Cowboy, someone ta see ya." said Boots.

Jack looked up and at once froze. "Celtic? Is it really you?"

She nodded. "Yes Sullivan, it's me."

He stood and started to hug her, but she backed away. "I've learned to hate you in the last six years."

Jack looked over at the three newsies who were watching, then back at Celtic. She glared at him with cold eyes as he backed away from her. "Have you forgotten what you did? Escape the Refuge and leave me at the mercy of Snyder?"

"You don't look like someone from th' Refuge." said Specs.

Celtic glanced over at Specs. "I guess I don't now. Turns out I found my own way of escape. Just a week ago I asked Medda Larkson for a job at Irving Hall and she gave me one."

"Didja come back ta put me through a guilt trip?" asked Jack.

Les, Boots, and Specs decided it was best to leave the scene. Once they were gone, Celtic sat down on a nearby stool and looked up at Jack. "Jack Kelly, far from Sullivan isn't it?"

"Yeah, guess so."

She sat up straight. "The reason I came back was because you need to know what happened after you abandoned me."

Celtic filled Jack's ears with events that made him turn away in shame. She told him about how she was used by men, and how she ended up making money that way once she escaped. "So you see Sullivan, while you were making a name for yourself, I was also making a name of myself, that of a slut. It was like that for two years, then I decided to change and ask for a real job. It's a good thing Medda took pity on me or--"

"Don't tell me anymore," said Jack finally, "I should never've left ya."

She stood in front of him and looked into his smoky gray eyes. "Makes you think doesn't it?"

"I should never've left ya." he repeated.

Celtic once again stared at him with cold eyes. He knew he was the reason for everything that happened to her, but how to make things right was something he didn't know what to do at all. She finally looked away from him and walked to the door. "I am now thirteen years old, but everything that has happened to me, you would think I was an adult."

As she left, Jack suddenly fell to the floor and cried. Her words lingered in his mind as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He threw his head back and yelled, "Why'd I leave ya Celtic?? You deserve bettah den what ya got!!"

"Hey der Medda, is Celtic here?"

"Hello Racetrack. If you mean Elsa, she's finishing up her work."

Race decided to talk to Celtic and see if he could reason with her and get her to forgive Jack. He heard about what she said to his newsie leader, and Race thought differently than Jack and Celtic did. Race was sure that it wasn't Jack's fault what happened to Celtic.

"'Scuse me, are ya Celtic?"

She looked up suddenly and answered, "Yes, I am."

"I'm Racetrack Higgins. I understand yer mad at Jack fer leavin' ya."

Celtic glared at Race. "Did he tell you otherwise?"

Race threw his hands up in front of him. "I'm just wantin' ta hear yer side."

She changed her expression. "He left me after he said he would protect me. What else is there to say?"

Race sat down on a nearby stairway. "Why'd you come lookin' fer 'im after all dese years?"

"I wanted him to know what he did to me."

The newsie sat back. "Ya really wanted ta see 'im again, see what kind of person he is now, right?"

Celtic stopped. She was suprised with how deeply his words hit her. The idea that she wanted to see him again crossed her mind over and over after Race said them. "No, he had to know."

"Cowboy's mind isn't filled wit' helpin' only hisself. He thought of all of us durin' the strike. Maybe he thought of rescuin' you but couldn't find a way ta git ya out."

She stared at Racetrack. All hatred toward Jack was diminishing, but only for a second. She was a subborn girl that believed that she was right about Jack being the one who ruined her. "Tell Jack I will only hate him until the day I die."

Race stood. "Tell 'im dat yerself. Didn't stop ya before."

~That Night~

Celtic sat in bed and thought about what Racetrack had told her. She thought maybe he was right, Jack did try to get her out, but couldn't.

"Maybe I did misjudge him. I should have been more civil about it than I was."

Jack couldn't get rid of the fact that he was to blame for Celtic's downfall. As he rolled over in bed, Race tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey Jack, I talked ta Celtic today."

"What'd she say?"

"She hates ya, but she don't know ya did try ta save her and dat ya tried ta see her after becomin' a newsie."

Jack shook his head. "But after th' first year, I just forgot about her. It's my fault fer what happened."

;"Cowboy, dat ain't th' talk of a strike leadah who won, sounds more like a guy who's gullible and believes anythin'."

Jack glared at Race and said, "You just don't understand what's goin' on here."

Race laid down and mumbled, "I've got a better idea then you do."

~The Next Day~

"Elsa, could you come here for a moment?"

Celtic put down the mop she was using and went to Medda's dressing room. She closed the door and sat next to the performer. "Yes, what is it?"

"I know you went to Jack and told him about what has happened to you."

Celtic looked down. "I was never in love with him, he was like the brother I never had."

"Still, you shouldn't blame him for the mistakes you made."

Celtic looked up suddenly and stared at Medda with wide eyes. "The mistakes I made?"

Medda nodded. "He's not the one that told you to sell yourself. You made that decision yourself."

Celtic stood and walked to the window. She didn't believe Medda, she knew somehow it was Jack's fault that she went through what she did. If he had stayed he could have stopped her from making the choices she made, maybe even prevent them from happening in the first place.

"Elsa, it's tragic what you had to go through, but think really hard about how terrible Jack feels now that you have put this burden upon his shoulders that should never have been put there."

Celtic turned and looked at Medda through tears. "I've been hurt so much, maybe I attacked him because....because I felt someone needed to be hurt besides me for a change."

Medda hugged Elsa. "You should go and talk to him, tell him what you just told me."

Celtic nodded and left Irving Hall. She practically ran to the lodging house, where she found Jack sitting on the outside steps with his face buried in his hands. "Jack, I need to talk to you."

He looked up. Seeing that it was Celtic he stood quickly and hugged her. "I'm ta blame fer what happened to ya, an' you'se kin hate me ‘til th' end."

She pushed away. "No Jack, your not to blame. I---"

Celtic suddenly collapsed. Jack grabbed her before she injured herself, set her down gently and said, "Celtic, what is it, what's the matter?"

"I think I need a doctor." she said, softly enough that Jack barely heard her.

He gathered her up and quickly took her to a doctor. They took Celtic away, and Jack waited. He paced the waiting room for what felt like hours but it was only twenty minutes. A doctor finally came out and said, "Are you Jack Kelly?"

"Yeah, is she alright?"

The doctor nodded. "Turns out you are going to be a father."

Jack was puzzled, then he understood. Celtic was expecting a child. "Can I see her?"

"Sure. You can take her home even. She's fine now."

Jack walked into the room just as Celtic started to leave. He put an arm around her and walked out of the doctor's office. Celtic was shaking to the point Jack had to hold her tight. Finally he sat her down on a nearby stairway and said, "Der's nothin' ta be ashamed of. It ain't yer fault dis happened."

Celtic sighed as she tried to avoid Jack's gaze. "It is my fault. I was the one that decided to make my life what it was. You had nothing to do with it."

"Celtic, we're gonna git through dis, together."

Celtic shook her head. "No, you have Sarah in your life, don't leave her for me. I was wrong to say what I said to you."

Jack sat next to her. "What're you gonna do? Da kid needs a fodder."

Celtic acted as though she heard that for the first time. "I'm only thirteen! I can't be a mother! Oh Jack, what can I do? Why did this have to happen to me?"

Jack took her in his arms and held her close as she cried. He knew she had nowhere to go, no other friends to go to for help, that she was alone in the world. Right then he decided that Celtic would never leave his side again, he would keep his promise to her.

~Two Months Later~

"Jack! Medda wants ya ta go to Irving Hall right away!"

"Why Race?"

"It's about Celtic."

Jack turned and ran to Irving Hall, expecting the worst. He burst through the stage door and went straight to Medda's room. He saw Celtic on the bed, drenched in sweat. Medda was sitting next to her, when she saw Jack she jumped up and pushed him out of the room.

"What's wrong wit' her?" asked Jack.

"Jack, Elsa is dying."

Jack gasped and backed into the wall. Medda explained that the doctors don't know what she is dying from, but she was fading fast. "The child will be lost as well, they can't save it. I think it best that you don't see her," she pulled out a letter, "she wrote this and asked that I give it to you."

Jack took the letter and left the theater. He rushed to the lodging house, went up to the bunk room, and read the letter:

Dear Sullivan:
I want you to understand that you are not the reason for my downfall, I am. You were the light at the end of the tunnel for me, and I hope that you will forget the day I returned. I loved you like a brother, and now I wish you will remember me always.
~Celtic (Elsa)

Jack crumpled up the letter and threw it across the room. He let out a scream of rage and said, "I failed you Celtic! My promise was never kept!"