Now we get to see all the others go on with their nights after Medda's.

Enjoy! :)

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"She's really something, isn't she?"

"Oh, yes. I'll never get tired of seeing her shows."

"You can say that again."

"Let's just hope that by the time we're sixty she's still giving us free seats, yeah?"

"Nah, I believe we can make so much money that by the time we're sixty we can buy tickets for all the newsies for a life time."

"Great idea! This sounds like a good plan for sure! So...how are we going to execute it?"

"Absolutley no clue whatsoever."

"Yeah, I figured." Mush smiles as he brushes noses with Blink. "Lemme know when you've figured it out, okay?"

"'Kay. Ooh! How about-"

"If this involves robbery, whether from a bank or the World or some other loaded geezer, then save that at least for Plan B, okay?"

"Theeeen I'm fresh out of ideas."

"It's okay, we got plenty of time to figure it out."

They cuddle up on the sofa together, eyes closed, content.

"It doesn't get much better than this," Blink says.

"No it does not."

"So let's do this forever, okay?"

"That sounds like a good plan to me."

They lace their fingers together. Mush falls asleep on Blink's chest, listening to his heart beat.

Blink rests his head on top of Mush's, thanking every single one of his lucky stars that his life is like this.

------------------------------------------------

"Where were you?" all five kids ask when Crutchy comes back from seeing Medda's show.

"I was meetin' up with some old friends," he tells them.

"Where?"

"Why were you gone forever?"

"'Cause we were seein' a show together," he responds. He winks. "We got a friend in vaudeville. She gives us free shows."

And then the ruckus begins.

"Awww, why didn't you take us with you?"

"Why can't we get free vaudeville shows?"

"Why didn't you take us? Don't you love us?"

Crutchy holds up his arms. "Okay! Okay! I see that I've made an error in my ways." He clutches his chest and bows deeply. "I am terribly sorry for my callousness. Allow me to do anything to make it up to you lovely kings and queens."

He grins as they all start giggling.

"Can we still see the show?" Claire asks.

Crutchy shakes his head regretfully. "Not tonight. The show's already over."

"So take us next time!" Marcus demands.

Crutchy nods. "That I can do."

"But you need to make it up to us tonight," Henry insists.

"Well, I'm all ears. What should I do?"

Loretta has a smirk growing on her face.

He tilts his head at her, grinning. "What's goin' on in that smart head of yours?"

Her smirk widens. "I think you should give us a vaudeville show. Dress up in one of our mom's dresses."

All of the kids exclaim "YES!" and burst out into laughter.

"I..." Crutchy turns to Ainsley. "Whaddaya think? Does that sound like a good idea?"

Ainsley grins and nods.

And so Crutchy has made up his mind. He turns around. "Cecilia? Do you mind if I borrow a dress? More importantly...can you help me into it?"

The next ten minutes are filled with laughter as the women all help Crutchy into a very frilly dress, with all the kids rolling around with laughter at their feet. Loretta also insists that he should wear her mother's shoes. He only gets out of doing that when he makes Loretta see that the only way he can get his big feet into her shoes is to break his feet, and they don't want that.

Finally, they finish. Crutchy spins around, arms wide, grinning. "How do I look, kids?"

"Beautiful!" "Amazing!" "Girly!" "Awesome!" "The best!" the kids answer through hearty bouts of laughter.

Crutchy looks around, trying to find something he can use as Medda's feather stick. He has to give them a full performance after all.

While he can't find one of those, he is able to get his hands on a bunch of ribbons that usually go in the girls' hair. He starts fanning himself. "Ready for the show?"

"YES!" they all exclaim at once.

And so he strikes a dramatic pose, starts to sing, and begins to dance. It doesn't matter whether he's singing right or wrong, because the laughter drowns out his singing nigh fully.

He grins as he twirls his wrists and exaggerates his vowels.

He wouldn't exchange anything for this.

----------------------------------------------

"So do you feel better now that you saw Race tonight? Now that you can see for yourself that he's okay?" David asks when they get back to their apartment that night. He comes up from behind Jack and puts his arms around him. Sure, usually they're the other way around, but David wants to be the one hugging today.

"It does, actually," Jack answers, smile on his face as he feels David's arms come around him. "It hasn't been that long, but he seems...more confident already. He's a grown man now. Gosh I can't believe it."

"He has grown for sure. So, now that he's out of the lodging house and you can no longer check on him there once a week...do you trust that he's going to be alright?"

Jack inhales and exhales slowly, thinking. "Y'know? I think I might be able to. Race can take on a lot more than he used to be able to. And he's got Spot with 'im. And if he ever needs me, he knows where to find me. He knows that he can always come to me."

David squeezes Jack a little, relieved with how this conversation is going. "So...do you think that maybe you can stop thinking about Race so much?"

"I'll never be able to stop thinking about him. I'm still gonna think about him every day."

"Oh, of course. I meant the worrying."

"The worrying...yeah. I think that can stop soon."

"Soon?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to ease off of it little by little, you know? Might take some time."

"Jack-"

"Yeah, yeah, worryin' ain't good for him or me, I know, but...it's not that simple to just stop worrying, you know? For eighteen years he's been a part of my life. It ain't so simple for me to just let go of the idea that something bad is going to happen. I mean, what would you do if I told ya to stop worrying about Les?"

"No, I definitely get where you're coming from. What I'm trying to say is...I mean...we can work on it, you know? The worrying. We can work together to find a way to stop worrying, or as much as you can after eighteen years of looking after him."

Jack smiles in the dark. "Sounds like a plan, Davey."

"Does it?"

"Sure does. You always were the one better at plans."

"I know."

Jack turns his head. "Is my...ego rubbin' off on ya?"

"Nah, my ego's just the size as yours. I just usually flaunt in my head instead of out loud."

Jack swats at David, getting David to giggle a little. "You think you're funny, do you?"

"Of course I am. Why else would you have fallen for me?"

Jack grins. He gets out of David's arms so he can turn around to face him, grabbing his arms. "Well, there's that, and there's also..."

"Also...?"

"That determination you get in your eyes when you're fighting for something you believe in. How you never fail to speak your mind. You are so smart, Davey. And you care for Les and all the other young'uns. You always do what you think is right. And you never compromise who you are."

David smiles. "You make me sound pretty great."

"That's because you are pretty great."

"Are you expecting me to say a bunch of soft things about you now?"

"I mean I don't need to hear it but it definitely wouldn't hurt. Actually, yes. Tell me what you love about me."

David kisses Jack's nose. "You are always in way over your head and never think once before you leap."

Jack pulls back. "Is that supposed to be flattering?"

David puts a finger on Jack's lips. "You make wrong decisions. Lots of them. But you make up for them. You realize what you've done is wrong and you apologize. And even though you try to have this rough exterior, it's not hard to see that you actually care, so deeply. You care about your newsies, about me and my brother, you care about everyone who is the underdog. You are often way over your head, but you have enough smarts and charisma to reorient yourself pretty quick. I love all of these things about you."

A grin tugs at Jack's lips. "I love you, David."

"And I love you."

And so they kiss again, perfectly content.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That was such a big coincidence that we all ran into each other at the theatre," Stargazer comments after they've tucked all the kids into bed.

"It definitely was."

"Was it fate, maybe? A collective mind? Did the stars align?"

Ray chuckles and smiles. "Guess we'll never know."

"Mark my words, this must be the work of a higher power."

"What kind of 'higher power' do you mean?"

"I don't know, just...high."

"Well that certainly narrows it down a little bit. At least you know not to look at potential medium or low sources of power."

"I can't tell if you're feeding my delusions, just as crazy as I am, or making fun of me."

"On one hand? I am as serious as you wanna be. On the other hand? We're going crazy together. That's what happens when you're in love."

Stargazer grins. "Alright, you got me there."

Ray grins back.

Well, not much left to say or do now, except kiss goodnight and go to sleep.

They lean in, close their eyes, their lips so close to touching...

Then the door knocks.

Stargazer freezes, not moving closer or further away. Ray pulls back reluctantly, sighing. "I'll get it."

Stargazer touches his bare lips as Ray walks away. "This better be important," he grumbles, wishing for lightning to strike whatever forces out there prevented his lips from being on his lover's right this second.

"Oh! What are you guys doing here?"

Stargazer turns around to see who Ray is talking to, guard up, interest piqued.

"Oh!" He raises his eyebrows as he lays his eyes on their nighttime visitors. "Thought I was gonna have to wait a little more before seeing you again."

Under the thin coat they are holding above their heads as protection from the rain, Spot speaks first. "We'd like to ask you guys about something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Race's teeth chatter. "Something important."

"Oh? What's that?"

Spot glances at Race.

"Warmth first, answers second," Race decides, and then invites himself inside without another word or waiting for confirmation or permission granted.

So much for nothing more to do than a goodnight kiss and falling asleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------

They're like parents trying to have a romantic moment but then their kids interrupt haha.

And, like parents, they are only playfully annoyed, but willing to help in whatever way.

Yayyy flufffffff :))))))

The phrase "Plan B" has been around since the 1850s, while the contraception thingy was invented somewhere between 1920 and 1960.

"Ruckus" has been a term since mid 1800s.

If only Stargazer knew he was in a story, then he would know who the "higher power" is haha.

(Wow did I really just call myself a higher power-)

Not a long chapter, but a good one I think :)

Thoughts?

Please, no homophobia/tranpshobia/aphobia, profanities directed at other users, hate etc in the comment section at all times.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (who is crying over Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa)