- Chapter 22 - Escaping the Refuge -
Warnings: Abuse, worry
Canon Era
Third Person POV

Requested by: selectedshipper . Thanks for the request. It's not great, but I tried.

Morris wasn't hated by the Newsies anymore, which was good.

Sure, some of them didn't trust him too much.

But the one he had fallen for did.

Elmer Kasprzak.

He was adorable!

Morris swore his heart melted every time he opened his mouth.

While Spot had gotten them to trust Oscar and Morris, some of them still weren't too trusting of them.

Morris understood; he had been horrible to them before.

Oscar was happily dating Race now and Morris could only wish for that.

Weasel had fallen ill, so Oscar and Morris took over selling the papers to the Newsies.

They still had to go to the Refuge, but they never beat anyone up.

Snyder didn't have to know.

Morris walks into the Refuge, Oscar only a step behind him.

Snyder met them in the hallway, holding someone behind him.

"Good, you're here." He smirks. "I have someone for you to take to one of the rooms upstairs and then watch the kids in there." He informs them.

Oscar and Morris nod, their faces emotionless even though there was a blazing fire of hatred inside of them.

They could never let him know.

Snyder forces whoever the kid was to stand in front of him, before throwing him towards Morris.

Morris catches the kid.

Snyder walks off, towards his office.

Morris lifted the kid into his arms, before he got a good look at him.

"Elmer." Morris breathes, eyes-wide.

Oscar's eyes widen.

Elmer coughs weakly, seeming so out of it that he couldn't focus.

"What do we do?" Morris asks his younger brother.

"You take him to the room upstairs. I'll convince Snyder to let me leave for a bit and I'll go get Jack and bandages." Oscar responds, a certain urgentness in his voice making Morris panicked.

Morris ran upstairs, while Oscar ran towards Weasel's office.

Elmer looked horrible.

There were bags under his arms, scrapes all over his face, arms, and legs. He had bruises on his stomach, his clothes were torn.

Morris opened the door.

Scraps, a kid in the Refuge, greets him. "Morning, Morris. How are you?" He asks.

"No time for this today." Morris shuts the door, quickly. "We need to help him."

All of the boys in the room turn to face him, their eyes widening when they saw Elmer.

Two of the boys in the room shot up, taking Elmer out of Oscar's arms, while two other boys grabbed bandages and stuff.

Whatever they could find in the Refuge.

Morris sat next to Elmer while they tried to treat his injuries.

They ran out of bandages half way through, and Elmer had woken up and was now sobbing into Morris' shoulder.

There was a knock on the wall next to the window.

The boys looked over there, and saw Jack and Oscar.

Oscar handed the bandages to them.

They finished bandaging Elmer up, Jack's words and Morris' touch calming him down so he wasn't sobbing as hard.

The tears streaming down his face weren't helping Morris' worry though.

Jack looked crush that one of his brothers, one of the youngest as well, were crying and hurt and he couldn't help them.

Jack grabs onto two of the bars on the window, gritting his teeth in anger.

Oscar grabs his hands. "Stop, Jack." He tells him. "I know you're worried and angry, but trust Morris and I when we tell you that trying to take these bars off right now is too loud and will draw guards attention."

Jack clenches his fists, but let's go of the bars.

He knew Oscar was right.

"Our best bet is Morris and I sneaking him out." Oscar continues, a plan forming in his mind. "We'll sneak him out either tonight or tomorrow when leaving." He states.

"Do you know how dangerous that is?" Jack questions.

Oscar shoots him a look as if to ask 'do you realize who you just asked that?'.

Jack stares at him. "Race doesn't want you getting hurt, and neither do any of us want you two risking that. You know, first hand, how badly hurt you could get." Jack continues.

"Do you have a better idea?" Oscar questions, gesturing to Elmer.

Elmer just silently watched in Morris' eyes, so out of it that he wasn't aware he was crying or even who was talking.

The only reason he could recognize them was their voices.

Jack sighs, running his hand through his hair. "Okay, okay. I trust you." He turns back to face Oscar. "You better not get hurt and, please, bring Elmer back unscathed." He almost begs.

"It's a little hard to do that last request, Kelly." Scraps comments, motioning to Elmer.

Jack sighs. "I know, I know." He sighs again. "I'm just-" It was going to kill him to admit this. "Worried."

A bunch of sarcastic 'really?'s and 'we totally couldn't tell's came from the Newsies and Delanceys.

Jack rolls his eyes.

He pats Oscar on the back. "I trust you. Don't get hurt." He states.

"Don't tell Race what I'm doing." Oscar requests.

Jack nods. "Wasn't going to. I'm going to have Albert and Finch, and maybe even Spot, keep an eye on him and not tell him. He'll probably sell with me." Jack informs Oscar.

"Thanks Jack." Oscar whispers.

Jack nods.

They stood there for a minute.

"Are we- uh-" Oscar starts, awkwardly. "Close enough for- for- hugs?" He cringes at himself.

Jack breathes. "Sure."

The two boys hug, but it was so awkward that most boys (including them) cringed just watching it.

"Wow," Scraps starts. "I am literally cringing at your awkwardness." Oscar and Jack roll their eyes. "Try this again since you two will probably be brother in-laws to each other soon."

Oscar and Morris turn bright red.

Elmer was too out of it to think about what he said, so he just nodding, weakly, in approval.

Jack and Oscar hug again.

Scraps groans. "Did you listen to anything I just said? Should I teach you how to hug properly?" He questions.

"Scraps," Oscar starts, turning to face him. "I swear when I come back inside, you're going to meet my friend, Mr. Smacky Hat." He threatens.

Scarps rolls his eyes. "I've met him before, so I'll be fine." He states. "Now hug." He commands.

Jack and Oscar hug for a third time, except this time it was a normal hug. It was like they actually cared and put their differences aside.

When they pulled away and turned back to Scraps, they found him crying, holding what he was pretending was a handkerchief, and clapping softly.

"I feel like a proud mother." He dramatizes. "I'll forever mark this day as the day that Jack and Oscar learned how to hug properly."

A few of the boys laugh, while Oscar and Jack roll their eyes.

The two boys each grab one of Scraps arms, pulling him against the bars.

Scarps pulls away, cringing in pain and rubbing his head. "Yeah, I deserved that."

Jack and Oscar nod.

A few hours later

It was pretty dark outside, and Oscar and Morris were finally allowed to leave the Refuge for the night.

Elmer had fallen asleep on Morris, clinging to him, and Morris' hands entangled in his hair.

His hair was soft.

When Oscar and Morris had to leave, Morris (though he really didn't want to) laid Elmer down on Scraps bunk.

He entrusted Scraps with the job of taking care of Elmer while they weren't there.

They planned on getting him out of there tomorrow.

They couldn't tonight since they had to meet with Snyder before they could leave, and Snyder would definitely notice them trying to sneak a kid, never mind a new kid, from the Refuge out.

Oscar and Morris left the room.

Morris was picking at his nails.

Oscar noticed this. He took his brother's hand, holding it.

He squeezes his hand. "We're going to be okay, Mo. All of us will." He whispers.

Morris nods.

The next day
When they were escaping

The plan was that Oscar and Morris would sneak Elmer out of the Refuge, to a few blocks away, where they'd meet up with Jack, Specs, Finch, Davey, and Blink.

From there, they'd go to the Manhattan Newsboy Lodging House.

Once the clock hit twelve and Oscar and Morris' shift was over, the plan was set in motion.

After Morris picked up Elmer, who clung to him (he was fully awake and freaked out), there were some more good luck wishes from the Refuge boys.

Then, they were off.

After sneaking down the halls of the Refuge, they heard guards.

Oscar immediately pushed Morris and Elmer into a room to hide.

It was a broom closet, and it was a very tight fit.

Oscar immediately regretted his decision, but it was better than Snyder finding out.

After they heard the footsteps of the guards and the guards' voices pass them, until they couldn't hear them anymore, the three boys left the closet and started navigating a way again.

The Delanceys had actually scouted out a route earlier that day, when they were on the hallway watch part of the trip.

After a little bit longer, more staircases, running into a boy who was also trying to get out, taking him under their wing, and hiding from more guards, they saw the door.

For some reason, the door was wide open.

They ran out of it, and immediately ran down the block.

Oscar, Morris, and Elmer split from the boy, but found Jack, Davey, Specs, Blink, and Finch.

After hugs from them, including non-awkward (impressive, I know) hugs from Jack and Oscar, they started the run back to the Lodge.

Morris held Elmer close to him, both boys now crying.

"I got you." Morris whispers, tears streaming down his face. "We're both safe now."

Elmer just clung to him.

Bonus Race x Oscar

After Jack, Davey, Specs, Morris, and Elmer went upstairs to Jack's room, Oscar went to one of the bunk rooms.

Race's bunk room.

Albert and Mush sat on Albert's bottom bunk, watching as Race struggled to try to get out from underneath Romeo and JoJo.

"Uh..." Oscar starts, standing in the doorway. "Why is my boyfriend underneath you?"

"What do you mean?" Romeo asks, filing his nails. "He's always been underneath me." He smiles, innocently.

Oscar rolls his eyes. "Okay..." he mutters. "Why is he literally underneath you? Why are you sitting on him?"

"He kept trying to leave." Romeo shrugs, getting up and helping JoJo get up as well.

Race immediately got up after them, and hugged Oscar, before immediately breaking into tears.

Oscar's eyes widen. "Are you okay, baby?" He asks, running his hands through Race's hair.

"You're okay." Race whispers, digging his face into Oscar's chest.

Oscar looks up at the other boys. "How does he know?" He asks.

Albert's mind travels back to a few hours before.

"If you're going to force me to stay here, and sit on me nonetheless, you might as well tell me where Oscar went." Race states, stopping his fighting against JoJo and Romeo for a moment.

"The Refuge." Albert answers, sending Romeo and JoJo a look as to tell them to be prepared for him to fight more.

Race's eyes widen. "What?!" He shouts.

Albert shrugs. "Not sure. Jack or Blink might've told him." He answers.

Oscar frowns, hugging Race tighter.

"We're okay, Racer." He whispers into Race's hair. "All of us, even Elmer and I."

Race sniffles. "They forced me to sell with Jack, Crutchie, Davey, and even Specs, Les, and Lucky." He whispers like it was the worst thing in the world.

Oscar, and a few of the other boys, laugh a bit.

1984 Words