I have decided that I want a chapter dedicated to checking in on the other important characters in Race's life, like Jack, Ray, Kid Blink, Mush, Crutchy, and by extension, their relationships. I think in the last book it was chapter four that focused away from Race and more on Stargazer and Ray, so maybe this is paralleling that.

Where will this chapter go? How many words will it be? I don't know and I don't know haha

Enjoy! :)

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"What do you want for breakfast, my love?"

"Anything my beloved makes."

Kid Blink leans down over the couch to kiss his sleepy lover gently on the lips. "You know I'm a terrible cook, right?"

"You make everything with love, so you are by no means a bad cook. However it would help if you didn't try to burn down our kitchen once a month, though."

The pair chuckles. Kid Blink brushes his nose with Mush's.

They've been living in a small apartment for around three years. It's not a huge space, but it's theirs. And they get along pretty well with their neighbors...who all think they are cousins.

Over the years more people in this apartment building have learned the truth, but Blink and Mush are extremely careful now that they are outside the newsies' lodging house.

In their new lives after being newsies, Kid Blink works in a factory and Mush works in a bakery. Mush has been under the weather these past couple days, so Blink is devoting as much time as he can to nursing Mush back to help. On one hand, the longer he stays away the more money will be docked from his day's pay...but on the other hand, Mush is grateful to spend as much time with Blink as possible.

"Besides, shouldn't I be the one making breakfast?" Mush asks. "I'm the one who knows how to bake without burning the place down."

"But you're sick, so I gotta take care of you," Blink argues.

"Well ya ain't gonna help my lungs if you cause a smoking fire."

Blink sighs. "Okayyy. You win."

Mush smiles. "You sure are fond of giving in to me."

"I thought you learned a long time ago that you are my only weakness, darlin'."

Mush sits up so now he can plant a soft kiss on his lover's lips. "Alright, I'm up. Let me show you how to make breakfast without burning the house down."

Blink grins. "Sounds like a plan."

And so they walk into their kitchen hand in hand, ready to fill their stomachs and start this new day together.

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"And that, my dear friends, is how me and my friends defeated ol' man Pulitzer!" Crutchy finishes his dramatic tale, and takes a mini bow when his audience of five young kids under ten clap wildly, while their parents who just got back from work smile behind them, grateful.

Crutchy smiles back.

After leaving the lodging house, Crutchy has bounced around a little, trying to find his place. He's currently staying in a cramped apartment building with three different families. Their parents don't make much, and can't afford to put them in school, so Crutchy tutors them the best they can, in return for a plate at the dinner table and some help when mobility is extra hard.

No, it's not luxurious. But Crutchy honestly wouldn't trade it for a satin pillow and his own bedroom and personal chef.

"You must have been pretty powerful if you got a millionaire to listen to ya," one of the kids, Henry, seven years old, remarks.

"The most powerful!" another kid, six years old, Claire, adds.

"I have not seen the likes of it since," Crutchy agrees with them.

"I wanna be like Jack when I grow up!" another one of the kids, Marcus, five years old, announces. "I'm gonna lead the biggest relovution ever seen!"

"Revolution," the fourth, Lorena, a nine year old, corrects.

The fifth, Ainsley, an eight year old, often quiet, so much alike younger Race that Crutchy often feels great pangs of nostalgia, still looks at Crutchy in awe. "But it was you who'se locked that warden up. You got the best part."

Crutchy grins. "I guess I did."

Sure, sometimes he doesn't feel right telling the story of the strike when he was in the Refuge for most of it, but he's grateful for this young kid who makes him feel like he was important too, just as important as Jack Kelly or Spot Conlon.

"What happened after the strike?" Henry asks.

"After the strike, we kept on being newsies," Crutchy answers.

"That's boring," Marcus complains.

"It's not boring, it's life!" Lorena retorts. The two siblings begin to argue.

Claire and Ainsley lean forward, interested. "What did you do after the strike, Crutchy?"

He lets them call him Crutchy even though he's out in the "real world", because it makes sure that Crutchy doesn't forget his newsie past, and everything he went through as a kid.

"I continued to be a newsie until I was too old," Crutchy answers them. "I was a happy seller, buyin' my papes for only 50 cents a hundred. I had four brothers, and we reunited with someone who we thought was lost long ago. Finally, when I was too old to be a newsie, I tried to find a 'real job'."

They all stick their tongues out, disgusted by the idea of a 'real job.'

"What kind of job? Like the kind our parents do?"

"Maybe," Crutchy answers. "Or maybe a 'real job' is working for The World..."

They all shudder.

"After all they did to ya? No way!" Henry protests.

Crutchy chuckles. "I can't agree more." He smiles. "And if I worked for the World, I never would have found all of you! It was so kind of you all to take me in."

"Of course!" the five of them exclaim, and surround his chair to hug him.

"Awww, y'all are too kind, I swear..." Crutchy grins as they crowd him. He looks at the parents in the back of the room. He's so grateful for all of them.

"You're gonna stay with us and tell us stories forever, right Crutchy?" Ainsley inquieres.

"I..." Crutchy thinks on it. Will he stay with them and tell them stories forever? He makes his decision without a second thought. "Yes. Yes I will."

Ainsley hugs him tighter as a warm feeling spreads within him.

I have found my calling for sure.

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

David goes out on the balcony, thinking. Jack follows him out there.

Of course he follows him.

He'll always follow him.

Jack snakes his arms around David, resting his head on David's shoulder; taking the liberties that the darkness grants them. "What are you thinkin' of, my love? Hey! That rhymed! Did ya hear that David?"

David releases a laugh through his nose. "Well aren't you a poet."

Jack loves the sound of David's laugh. He buries his face in the curve where David's neck meets his shoulder, kissing his skin gently.

It doesn't matter that they aren't making much more than they did in their newsie days. They have each other, and they are happy each and every day.

"Still, what'cha thinkin' 'bout?" Jack asks curiously after he lets more lovely moments pass.

"I'm thinking about what life would have been like if I didn't meet you," David answers. "Or, alternatively, I did meet you that summer, but we didn't make up after...well. You remember."

Jack kisses David's collarbone softly again. "Don't think about that, Dave. Luckily for you, you don't have to live in either of those realities. I'm here, ya see? We have our own little thing going on here. Sure, we aren't high and mighty, but who knows? We might be. We'll see."

"Well, unless you go into Pulitzer's office and steal all the money, your only other option for getting rich is going out West looking for gold," David returns.

"Then that's what will do. We'll get on the next train out West."

"The World is a couple blocks away and you think it's easier to get rich by going to the other side of the country?"

"Well, I mean, they might be kinder on the west coast. Maybe they don't have any Pulitzers over there."

"But they may have someone worse."

"Nah, no one could beat ol' Joe in bein' the worst. Even if he is a de-clawed tiger now."

"It really was so nice of Mr Denton to make sure we'd never have to worry about Pulitzer ever again."

"No kidding."

David pauses. "Do you think Pulitzer will remain in jail forever?"

"If I believed the justice system was fair, then I would say yes."

"But you don't."

"Right. That's how I'm confident that Joe is probably going to be free within a few years. Surprised he stayed even one whole year in prison."

"Well, that makes two of us," David agrees. "But...I don't know. Maybe things will get better. Maybe the world is going to get a lot kinder in the next few years."

"That's a lot of faith to put in New York."

"Well, I don't necessarily need to put a lot of faith in New York, just the people we choose to surround ourselves with," David returns. "Sure, if all of New York--or even all of America, or the whole entire world--got kinder, that would be amazing. But I can't count on everyone. But I can count on the people that we choose to surround ourselves with. So, I say let's continue surrounding ourselves with our friends who care about us and love us for who we are."

Another collarbone kiss. "That's a lovely idea, Davey."

David turns his head so he's finally facing Jack. Jack has a little grin on his lips and a huge look of love in his eyes.

David pecks him on the lips. "I hope you know that I'm keeping you around forever, Jack. You can't leave even if you tried."

Jack wraps his arms around David. "I ain't ever leaving you."

David grins, and Jack grins back.

They spend some time together like that, holding each other, comfortable silence.

"How do you think Race is doing without me?" Jack asks suddenly.

"Jack, believe it or not, I think Race can handle himself by now."

"I mena, yeah I know that," Jack returns defensively. "It's just...I don't know. I don't know exactly where he is, who he's with, where he's going."

"Well my guess is that the answer to those questions in that order is: probably at Sheepshead; Spot; he probably doesn't know either."

Jack chuckes a little with that last one. "He always did have a bad sense of direction." Suddenly the worry creeps in. "What if he's lost-?"

"Jack," David shuts down this line of worry immediately. "He's probably okay. Remember, he has been moving about Manhattan for over decade, and moving around Brooklyn for nearly that long as well. He's done fine without you in the lodging house the past few years."

"But when he was living in the lodging house, I could still know exactly where he would be," Jack protests. "Or at least, where he would return to. But now I'm not sure. And it's just..." he sighs. "I know it's really good for him to go out into the world like that. It's just...well, I'm allowed to worry, right?"

"You are allowed to worry," David responds slowly, "But you are also allowed to stop worrying and think of something else instead."

Jack bites his lip. "I feel like every time I'm not there is when Race needs me the most. And I just...have this feeling that some terrible accident is going to happen, and I don't hear word about it until way too late..."

"Hey." David gets out of Jack's arms so he can face him fully now, one hand stroking Jack's hand, the other stroking Jack's face. "I understand where your worries are coming from. Really. I have a younger brother too, remember? And I understand that when he leaves the house in a few years I might have the same thoughts you have. But you can't live like this. Race wouldn't want you to live like this."

"Yeah, you're right," Jack admits. He exhales. "It just would be easier if I could know where he is, you know?"

"I get it. Well, at least you know Sheepshead is always going to be a constant in his life. You can always look for him there."

Jack smiles. "You're smart and reasonable, David. Did you know that?"

David blushes and averts his eyes modestly. "I don't know about that."

Jack tips David's head up gently. "I do."

David smiles. Jack smiles back at him.

And so they kiss again, in the night, sweet and gentle.

They stay out on the balcony, holding each other, until they are ready to turn in for the night, with gentle kisses and goodnights and I love you's and finally cuddling in each other's arms under the covers.

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"I can see them now. Aquila and Aquarius are out tonight."

"They appeared just for us."

"It appears so."

The past couple nights have been cloudy, which put Stargazer in a little bad mood, making him pace and mutter and such (much to Ray's amusement), but now that the sky is clear and they are on the rooftop, everything is alright.

"We're never going to let them go, are we?"

"Considering that I have a feeling that if we let them go we'd be letting go of ourselves? I don't want us to."

"It's settled then. You and me, Ray? We will be together forever." Stargazer puts his hand on Ray's. Ray laces their fingers.

"Do you ever think about what would have been if we never disappeared?" Ray asks wistfully.

Stargazer looks at him, his face full of regret. "Every day. And I know you do too."

Ray bites his lip. It's true: it's a thought that haunts him daily. He would have continued being a mentor to all the newsies. He would have finished raising his core four--Jack, Louis, Mush, Charlie. Not that they needed much looking after in their teen years, but Ray still would have loved to see them grow up entirely.

And then there's little Antonio. Race. The small boy who grew into a fearless leader.

He never wanted to admit it to them all, but he did cry every night for at least the first month after he was separated from them. He would play all of their faces in his mind, wanting to hold them all in his arms again, just have one more conversation with them. It was torture for him to be separated from them.

And in his dreams, he would see his little Antonio again...

He understood exactly how a mother must feel when her child is pulled from her arms.

Stargazer seems to sense that Ray is getting in his head. "Hey. It was not your fault that you missed nearly decade. If you need someone to blame, blame the Gambler for making you hide, or blame me for making you a target just through your association with me. Blame me for not being careful. Blame me-"

"Woah, slow down." Ray puts his hand on Stargazer's firmly. Stargazer's shoulders stiffen and shrink inward. He bites his lip. So it seems he's not the only one with major guilt. "It's not your fault either. You shouldn't carry that guilt with you either."

"But it was my fault," Stargazer protests. "I'm the one who went in too deep. If it really was Them who caused that fire--and it probably is--then it was in fact my fault because I was the one who endangered you. You never did anything wrong. The only thing you did was care too much."

"And that's the only thing you did too," Ray counters. "You went in too deep because you were determined to find out the truth that was hurting so many people. And you trying to save many innocent lives from what They do. And you were trying to find all the ones who were taken, on top of that. It's not your fault that you ended up putting too much on your shoulders so young, and alone. It's not your fault that you didn't live up to your own expectations."

The Theo he once knew would start sulking and murmur that he still should have found a way to live up to his own unreachable expectations.

But the Theo in front of him, the one who has been taking time to heal, instead says nothing, only takes a deep inhale, then exhales deeply. "Because there were too many factors I can't control."

Ray lets out a mini sigh of relief, a grin tugging at his lips. He's been listening to me. I've been getting through to him.

He kisses his life partner on the cheek, slowly, softly. When he pulls away he puts a hand behind Stargazer's head, guiding his head to his shoulder. Without a word, they both tilt their heads up to look at the stars, stroking each other's hands tenderly.

Suddenly, a comet shoots across the sky.

Stargazer's pointer finger's reflexes are lightning fast. "Did you see that, Ray?"

"I did, Theo."

"Did you make a wish yet?"

"That's what I'm trying to do now."

I wish for Race to only have happy memories as he ventures out into the great big world.

I wish that I can get a chance to redeem myself after all the pain I caused.

Neither says their wish out loud. Neither are entirely superstitious, but neither wants to risk it.

"You haven't found any new activity of Them lately, have you?" Ray asks suddenly. Although he and Stargazer agreed a while ago that he would stop looking for trouble, Ray doubts Stargazer has fully kept that promise.

"I haven't seen a thing," Stargazer responds in his most honest voice, the one that Ray knows is entirely honest. "If anything turns up, my guess is that Annie will be the first to know. And it will be her decision to share with everyone else."

"Would you...get back into what you used to be a part of if she does come back with news like that?" Ray asks slowly.

Stargazer turns to look at Ray. "Honestly? I'm not sure. On one hand, my gut is telling me that I have to dive back in, that I'm doing a disservice to all if I don't dive back in with everything I got. On the other hand...there are other players in the game now who can handle it. While I don't want Race and Spot to get mixed up in it if it all starts again, I don't doubt that they can handle themselves. They proved themselves three years ago. Also, I'm too busy here with you, and our life, and..."

"Us, right?"

They turn around to find the voice that just spoke.

That would be Tara, the smartest eleven year old they've ever seen. 

Ray doesn't do favorites. But Tara is definitely one of the ones he is most proud of when he sees her interact with the world.

"...How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see you be lovey dovey," she grins, then makes kissy sounds.

"Nooo!" Ray and Stargazer lean forward away from her, burying their faces in their hands, pretending they have a lot of embarrassment, getting her to giggle.

"Did you hear us talk the whole time?" Ray asks when they recover.

She shakes her head. "I already had dessert. And it was you who told me not to have too much sugary sweet stuff in one day."

Stargazer bursts out laughing. He has always loved her wit.

Ray sighs and shakes his head with a smile. Kids.

He loves them. He loves kids so much.

That's why he and Stargazer, as well as two other women in their thirties, are running an orphanage in Manhattan.

"I think I also said something about not staying up past your bed time," Ray counters. He stands up, Stargazer follows suit. "It's time for you to go to bed."

"And what about you guys?" she asks. "Are you going to go to sleep too? Or are you going to stay up later because you're grownups and are 'allowed to do that?'"

"As much as I would love to stay up past my bedtime," Stargazer responds dramatically full of woe, "I think Ray here would revoke my pudding priviledges."

"Hey now," is all Ray can say, without any reproach, as Tara laughs, Stargazer winks, and the two share a look like they're in on the same secret.

He puts an arm around her. "Come on, dear. Let's all go to sleep now."

"Alllright." she starts down the roof first. "Y'know, I'm gonna tell everyone what I saw."

"You wouldn't."

"You wouldn't dare!"

That gets her giggling again, making them both feel warm inside.

They brush their noses one more time before starting down from the rooftop one at a time.

And Aquarius and Aquila continue to shine above them, strong as ever.

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AWWWWWWWWWWWW

THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN TO WRITE

"Why did it take so long to write that?" because it's 3400+ words right now that's why!

Part of this was to have a different focus for a chapter, and to re-familiarize myself with this world's versions of the characters, because literally every fic I write they're always somewhat different. They all have different experiences in my different fics, so in a way they aren't the same. They are all variants of each other. And I needed to get back in the groove of this world's Mush, Blink, Jack, and Crutchy. (Stargazer and Ray only exist in this story's world so I don't need to worry about them haha).

Part of this was because I was in the mood for a lot of fluff. And yahhh I enjoyed writing this chapter immensely haha. I hope you enjoyed reading it :)

I don't know why, but I've had this strong headcanon that Mush is really into cooking/baking. I don't know where it came from or why, but in my head it's so strong that I'm like of course he would work in a bakery.

I think Crutchy would be an amazing teacher.  I think he would be good with kids. I think working with kids of lower class families is how he would help try to improve the life of others after being a newsie.

Jack and David on the balcony <3 Which balcony? Where? No clue haha, sorry for the unspecifics...but I hope you all enjoyed it :)

Stargazer and Ray. The rooftop. Aquarius and Aquila. How could I not?

It makes sense to me that both of them would carry around a lot of guilt. I also think they would try to help the other one overcome their guilt even if they aren't ready to let go of their own.

Also I wasn't planning on them working at an orphanage but like. That's the easiest way for Ray to look after a bunch of kids. And of course he would do his darndest to make the kids who never get adopted feel like the most special and loved kids in the world. Is it historically accurate for four adults to run a co-ed orphanage in 1903 in New York? I don't know but I like my idea, so I'm sticking with it.

(^says the author who refused to write "save the best for last" or "jinx" because the couldn't prove if it would be in their lexicon haha)

Honestly? I think writing this chapter focused away from our main couple has helped with my motivation to write them again. Refocus and breaks really do work. Will we get more chapters like this later in the story? Would you like to see stories like this?

Alrighty, gonna stop here before this reaches 4000 words haha (right now we're only at 3700 so it's not happening *that* soon but knowing me and my rambling it's probably best to try to just stop now haha)

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

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (who would like you all to look up the Bowmouth Guitarfish, they are awesome looking creatures)