Final chapter. I used one of your suggestions, but kind of expanded it.

Thank you for all the reviews, suggestions, and support! I totally did not think this story would get so much support. I have to laugh every time I look at the very first author's note of this story. You guys have to realize that the first few chapters of this were written in the notepad on my phone. I was not expecting it to get so much feedback!

Anyway, enjoy the final chapter of Question Time!

"Okay," Les said. All attention was focused on him. "My question is, what was a big thing that changed your life? I guess it can be happy or sad. Just what was your big life-changing event?"

Davey let his brother's question sink in for a moment before answering. "Well, I guess it's pretty obvious for me. The strike."

Heads bobbed in agreement.

Jack nodded as well. "Yeah, that's probably a big one for all of us. But since we'se not supposed to copy answers…" he gave Davey an exaggerated glare, "…I'll choose somethin' else. Mine was probably when Bear left and I had to take over as…you know…leader." Bear, the former leader of the newsies, had left one day, leaving the newsies with nothing more than a scrawled note telling them they'd be fine without him.

"Yeah," Crutchie murmured, taking a moment to dwell on that sad, confusing day. "Okay, well. My big event to change my life…that would be the day I found my way here. To the Lodging House."

There were instant shouts of disapproval. "Hey, that ain't fair!"

"That's what I was gonna say!"

"I thought of it first!"

"Hey, hey, guys!" Davey said, trying to calm them down.

"It's probably what most of them were gonna say," Jack commented, leaning back and crossing his arms. The argument swelled up again.

Davey groaned. "Not helping, Jack!"

"Hey, that's okay if we all had the same life-changin' event!" Crutchie spoke up. "We'll just have to tell about it, then. You know, tell the story of how we got here. So it's not copying." He looked at Davey apprehensively, hoping his idea was good.

Davey slowly nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Well, you already told us the story of how you came here, Crutchie. So…Race? I think you had the same 'life changing event', right?"

Race looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Um…"

"Yeah, let's hear it Race," Albert said. "You've hardly told us anything interesting tonight."

"Yeah, Race!"

"All right!" Race yelled. "Ugh. Well, it's a stupid story, I mean. I already said, my mother died and my dad was mean."

"And?"

"And so, I snuck out the window one night after he came home drunk and passed out on the bed. He probably didn't notice I was gone til…well, I dunno." Race shuddered a little. "All I know is that he never came looking for me."

Romeo seemed to know when Race was done. "The thing that changed my life was the strike."

"You gotta change it up. No copying!" Les said.

"What else am I supposed to say? It was scary! We thought we was all gonna get thrown in the Refuge, but somehow we won." Romeo paused, then smirked. "I got to talk to the governor."

"When?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"As he was leaving after we won. I ran alongside his carriage, and yelled 'thanks mister governor!' and he yelled back at me."

"What did he yell?" Crutchie asked, looking amused.

"I don't remember. Something about, 'now all the girls will like you, Romeo'. I still don't get how everyone knows my name."

Chuckles filled the room. "Albert!" Davey called through the laughter. "You're next!"

"Okay, okay," Albert said, chuckling. "Whew. Well, mine is comin' to the Lodging House," he said, "And I remember being real scared of Bear, when he opened the door. I almost ran away." There were a few appreciative laughs, and Albert smiled. "But then I saw Jack, standing right beside Bear, inviting me to come in." Albert laughed himself. "Jack, you was shorter than me, and I thought, 'if Bear lets a little kid stand right beside him and help welcome the new kid in, without having to be scared, then this must be an okay place'. And it was."

"Dang right it was," Jack said, clearly proud to have played a part in Albert's story. "Dang right. Okay. Specs?" Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh. Right. I think you've already told us every life-changing moment you've had."

"Shut up!" Specs growled.

"I'm just saying."

"Well, mine was coming here, but if you don't want me to tell the story—"

"No, no, please do," Jack said, feigning interest while he picked at a scab on his finger.

"Specs, just ignore him," Davey groaned.

"Fine," Specs said, glaring at Jack, who was smirking in a self-satisfied way. "I came after Albert did, and I remember just pushing myself into the group when you was all coming back from selling one day. I thought that there was so many of you that no one would ever notice me." Specs shook his head. "But nothing got past Jack."

"Sounds like Jack was always Bear's right hand man," Davey noted.

"Yeah. I saw him staring at me when we got inside, and next thing I know he's shouting."

Jack looked up. "I said, 'Hey, Bear? Didja notice the new kid?' Hah." Jack went back to picking at his scab.

"And suddenly they was all looking at me. And Bear came up to me and acted all intimidatin', askin' me why I was wearin' specs and if I thought I could just waltz into his Lodging House whenever I felt like it. But when he could tell he'd scared me enough—"

"Cause you started crying," Jack muttered.

Specs purposefully ignored him. "—he got nicer and told me I could stay. That's it."

"Nice story, Specs," Davey said, glaring at Jack for his interruption. After a moment, Davey turned back towards his little brother. "Okay, Les, your turn—oh. Oh, Les…"

Les had slumped against Davey's knee, and was fast asleep.

"Time for bed, I think," Jack said quietly, standing up and stretching. The other boys nodded, some of them yawning, some suddenly nodding off. Crutchie led the sleepy procession upstairs. Romeo was being half-carried by Race, who didn't seem to mind that he had to help support the younger boy. Albert and Specs were leaning on each other, stumbling.

When they had disappeared, Davey reached down and carefully scooped Les into his arms. Les stirred but didn't wake up. "Out like a light," Davey murmured affectionately. Jack watched the brothers with a smile.

"You know where you'se sleeping?" Jack asked, as Davey started up the stairs.

"Yeah. Crutchie showed us." Davey took a deep breath. Clearly, carrying the deadweight of Les's body was a lot of effort.

Jack watched him struggle for a minute, a single step at a time. "Need some help, there?" Jack asked finally with a smirk.

Davey groaned. "Maybe." He turned around.

Jack reached for Les and slung him carefully over his shoulder with a grunt. "Ugh. You're right, he is heavy."

"You woke him up!" Davey groaned as Les shifted.

"I don't wanna go to bed," Les murmured.

"We all is, kid," Jack murmured, heading up the stairs a little faster than Davey, having had experience navigating the uneven steps while carrying sleeping boys.

"No…" Les groaned.

"Yes," Jack murmured back, grinning.

Davey pointed him to the bunk they were sleeping in. Jack deposited Les onto the bottom bunk and covered the boy up.

"'Night, Davey."

"'Night, Jack."

Jack started up the stairs to the rooftop.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

Davey paused, halfway up the ladder to the top bunk. "Thanks."

Jack shrugged. "Um, okay."

"For letting us stay, I mean."

"No problem."

"And for being so helpful with the Question Time."

Jack smirked. "But I wasn't."

Davey laughed and crawled into his bed. "Yeah, that's true. Never mind."

"Hah." Jack saluted him.

"'Night, Jack."

"'Night."

I hope you enjoyed the sweet stuff at the end there!

Now, for something important. Raggazzed12 is hosting a Newsies Pape Selling Competition over in the Forums. Basically it's a fic-writing competition for us fansies. All fansies are welcome, and I think it will be a lot of fun! There are still a bunch of spots open, and they need to be filled. I'm asking that if you're a newsies author that would like to write more, get prompts, connect with other fansies, and compete in a fun competition, PLEASE go join a team. To find it, search 'Newsies Pape Selling Competition' and select 'Forum'. Go right to the Rules and Notice Board to learn more about it. I'm hoping to see you guys there. I'm counting on you, fansies!

Thanks, guys!

-Sis21K