Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies.

A young, blond boy groaned as he opened his eyes to see the dark room he lived in. He couldn't have been more than fourteen. He sat up on the mattress that lay on the ground against the back wall, taking in the small, studio apartment. In all honesty, he'd rather be asleep at the moment, dreaming about running and jumping and laughing with his brothers. However, his aching leg made that hard. He glanced out the single window in the room, smiling as he saw the first glimmers of daylight outside, over the tall, New York buildings.

"'Ey... What're ya doin'?" Someone with a thick New York accent groaned, his words slurring together with exhaustion. "The alarm hasn't gone off yet, go back ta sleep." He practically begged, knowing if the other boy didn't go back to sleep, he couldn't either.

The younger boy laughed at the other's irritation. He pushed himself up, off the mattress that they shared, grabbing the metal crutch that lay next to him as he slept. "I wanna be up when the other fellas get here." The blond boy said, limping over to the small dresser that had been left there by the previous occupants of the apartment. He pulled open a drawer grabbing an old, grey sweater and an old cap. "I don't want the others ta see I ain't... I ain't been walkin' so good." He finally got out, a sad smile making its way across his face.

"Aw quit gripin'" The other boy groaned, sitting up as well. He dragged a hand over his sleepy features and the ran his other through his messy brown hair. "Ya don't see the guys running ta carry me all ova' the place." The older boy grabbed the flannel shirt that lay next to the bed and threw it on over his white and grey stripped tank top.

"If someone from the system spots us an' thinks I can't make it on my own, they'll lock me up in the Refuge for good." The green eyed fourteen year old stated, not wanting to give that all too much thought and knowing the other boy didn't either. That place was only a step short of hell. And the older of the two knew that all too well. "Cmon pal!" The crippled kid called enthusiastically, "don't make the others wait for ya again, Jack." He teased.

"Oh take a moment!" The older kid demanded, closing his eyes for a second. "Take in my... my penthouse." He smiled as he stood, now fully dressed walking over to open up the window and taking in the fresh air that filled the apartment.

"You're crazy." The blond boy laughed, joining his friend by the window. The other boy just laughed along with him before his face became more solemn a small yet bitter smile still held his lips.

"These stinkin' streets of New York sucked the life right out of my old man." Jack shook his head as he remember his eight year old self, confused when instead of his father walking through the door, lifting him up of the ground and kissing his forehead, a woman walked in, telling him that there was an accident. His father wasn't coming home.

"They ain't doin' that ta me." He vowed, looking over at the gimp beside him, his own green eyes meeting much more innocent, younger ones. No way he was abandoning this kid, his brother.

"Everyone wants ta come ta New York." The boy whispered, trying to lightly bring his friend out of the past.

"You keep your small life in the big city. Give me a big life, in a small town." Jack smiled as he thought about it more and more. "Cmon think about it! Goin' out west to Santa Fe? Shut your eyes! You can see the hills and the water and there ain't no buildin's in the way!" The image made him excited to get away from this awful place. "Every night your friends are sittin' around, tellin' stories and they neva' want ya ta leave. Ya got a family!"

"Sounds real nice." The younger boy agreed.

"Yeah." The Jack thought for a moment. Then he looked down at his friend's leg. "I bet no one worries about no gimp leg in Santa Fe." He thought. He held so much sympathy for the boy. The kid was dealt a crappy hand. He was born with leg that didn't work into a family that didn't care much about him. While Jack had gotten to age five with two loving parents and three more years with at least one, his brother, Christopher or Crutchie as most people called him now, had been given away by his own parents to his mother's brother. The man wasn't good to him. He'd beat on the boy who couldn't run away.

The hope in those sad green eyes were enough to break Jack's heart as he continued. "I bet'cha a few months of clean air and you could toss that crutch for good." When that smile broke out over Crutchie's young face, Jack knew he'd made the boy's day.

"No more beggin' no one ta treat us right, ey Jack?" The crip laughed, loving the idea of that.

"Those bastards ain't gonna beat us Crutch. Somewhere out there, there's a life that's worth livin'. We can work the land and chase afta' that bright sun." Jack smiled, wishing beyond everything he could take his brother there right now and give him the life he deserved.

"We can swim the whole Rio Grande for fun." Crutchie smiled. "Maybe when we get there I'll be able ta stand, even run!" The words came out too fast for the boy and the smile slowly fell from his innocent features. Sadly, he hobbled away from the older boy, not surprised when all Jack did was follow him to the kitchen counter.

"Ey." Jack tried, walking up behind his best friend in the world, trying his best to cheer the boy back up. "Ey! Don't ya know that we're a family? Would I let ya down?" He asked, slowly putting his arm around Crutchie's shoulders, smiling when the boy let him speak into his ear. "No way. Just hold on, kid, wait for that train to make it to Santa Fe." Jack hugged his brother, recalling what happened in life that got them this far.

For years, these two had been together. When Crutchie had been about six and Jack was nine, the two were put in a foster home together. Their foster family wasn't all that bad. They'd taken in Jack because they needed the money and would take half of what the government gave them to put it in their own pocket. Then they took in Crutchie because they thought the system would give them more for taken in a handicap. But they never laid a hand on them and Jack was grateful for that.

But months later, Jack had been caught stealing food and clothes for the boy he'd become so close to. They hadn't eaten in days and it was all the boy could do. But he was sent off to the jail for the misbehaving orphans. He was sent to the Refuge. Terrible things went on in there. He was beaten, starved, humiliated and the Spider didn't give a damn. The bastard let it happen, let those damn guards do whatever they wanted and sometimes the old man would even have his own fun.

Two months later, Jack broke out. He ran back to the boy he'd only met a year ago and he snuck him out of that house, then did the same with another boy and they lived on the streets together for years, meeting new kids and seeking refuge at an old theatre that a kind woman ran. They'd take up jobs and save up money till they could afford a crummy, old, run down apartment. But it was their home and they were thankful for it everyday.

Shouting from below their window snapped both boys out of their memories. "Time for dreamin's done." Jack sighed, making his way over to the window and looking down to find a bunch of teenage boys in the alleyway, fighting and yelling at each other. Immediately, Jack started calling out the main contributors of the noisiness. "'Ey! Specs! Racer! Henry! Elmer! Albert!" The group looked up at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. "Let's get a move on! These tests don't take themselves!"

Hello! This is not the first fanfic I've ever written, however it is the first one I've ever posted. I have written this story all the way through already and I will continue posting it as often as I can. Thank you for reading! Also, I won't complain about a couple reviews. ;)