Long Time Coming

Synopsis: This is the sequel to my very first fan fic. Ella and Dave have had some MAJOR problems, so Ella decided to move to England, where she meets the Westminster newsies and finds that the Brits aren't as stuck up as most Yanks think.

A/N: I DO NOT OWN NEWSIES OR THE CHARACTERS! Most characters in this story are based on my friends and I want to thank them for allowing me to use them.

Cast of Characters:

Me as Ella Kelly

Nick as Hoops

Julia as Spaz

Jon as Chords

Blake as Matchbox

Amanda B. as Cookie

Meredith as Strawberry Shortcake (Berry)

Kacey as Gabby

Preston as Pick

Melissa as Volley

Gaelan as Flips

Aaron G as Kapo

Brian as Bass

Aaron L. as Sticks

Keersten as Tinker Bell (Tink)

Erin as Nightingale (Gale)

Allie as Spunky

Lauren as Pixie

Ben as Champion (Champ)

Cal as Smiles

Clay as Shrugs

Alex as Pianissimo (Mo)

Amanda M. as Buttercup

Jennifer as Princess

****

Ella Kelly gazed dreamily out of the smudgy window of the London-bound train from Liverpool. She had just gotten off the boat that had taken her away from the place she was born and her home for the past year. A single tear trickled down her cheek as she thought about New York. She had left behind her only family; her brother, Jack, her ex-boyfriend, David, her best friend, Sarah, and all the other Manhattan newsies.

She had had to run away though. She and David had been going out for nearly a year and had been fairly relaxed; more like friends than a couple. And then suddenly he started pressuring her about saying her feelings and got mad when she would spend more time w/ Race, Mush, and Blink than with him. Then, he got Jack and everyone else in on the pressuring. Soon, life in the Duane Street Lodging House became unbearable. Everywhere she turned, someone was pressuring her to spend time w/ David. SO, as soon as she had saved up enough in her emergency cash, she hopped the 1st boat to England (Kloppman helped her with the last bit of the money.) She regretted not telling Jack and Sarah and the boys good-bye but she had to get out fast.

****

London loomed in front of her. It was everything she'd imagined. Fine carriages and hackney cabs bustled over the streets People of all classes hurried along the sidewalks. Flower girls and vendors sold their wares. Newsies barked out the day's headlines at the top of their voices. Looking around she spotted a taller guy with blonde hair, a worn cabby hat on his head and a genial air about him.

"Excuse me," she said walking up to him. "Could you tell me how to get to the Drury Lane Newsboys Lodging House?"

"If you can wait a few minutes I can show you how to get there myself. Why do you wanta know? From what I can tell you're a Yank and you don't look the type to know a newsy or be a newsy."

"As a matter of fact I am a newsy and I know many newsies. My brother is the leader of the Manhattan newsies of New York City. I'm Ella Kelly by the way."

"I'm Nick Creed, but my friends call me Hoops. I'm the leader of the Westminster newsies." He sold his last few papers and motioned for her to follow him. They walked for several blocks and stopped in front of a stately looking brick building.

"This is the lodging house. I'll introduce you to Tinker Bell and the rest of the newsies."

When they entered the building, a chorus of "Hullo" greeted them and "Topa da day, Hoops!" Hoops led Ella to a desk where a young woman of about 25 was sitting. When she saw Hoops and Ella approaching, she smiled.

"You must be Ella. Uncle Eugene wired that you were coming. Pick, do you think you could introduce Ella to the gang and take her stuff to the girls' room," the young woman said, wrinkling her slightly freckled nose as she smiled.

"That was my big sister, Tinker Bell," Hoops said as he led Ella towards a room full of teenagers. "These are the West Side Newsies. That's Flips and his girl, Spaz, Matchbox and his girl Gabby, Chords and his girl Cookie, Kapo and his girl Spunky, Sticks and his girl Nightingale, Bass and his girl Strawberry Shortcake, over there is Champion, Pick, Shrugs, Smiles, Princess, Pianissimo, Volley, Pixie and Buttercup. Everybody, this is Ella. She just got in from New York City. I'll show you to the girls' room and then you can come back down and get to know everybody."

"Why should you get to show her where she sleeps?" Smiles asked with a mischievous grin (at least she thought he was Smiles.)

"Cause I'm the leader and my sister asked me to show her. Come on Ella," Hoops said motioning for her to follow him up the near by flight of stairs.

"Over there is the guys room," Hoops said, indicating a room with clothes thrown all over it. "That's the girls' bathroom and this is the girls' bedroom," Hoops said opening the door he had stopped in front of. The room was pale pink and very nicely kept. Each bunk had a chalkboard at the end of it with the name of the newsette who slept there written on it.

"Your bunk is the one closest to the window. If you need anything you can tell me or Tinker Bell or Pixie or Buttercup. Pixie and Buttercup help Tink take care of the lodging house," Pick said, setting her bag down on the bunk he had indicated.

"Thank you," Ella said, her voice full of gratitude. "You're the first guy who has been nice to me in a LONG time."

"You're very welcome. It's not every day a beautiful American girl comes up to me while I'm selling and asks me directions to what happens to be the place I live," Hoops said, smiling sweetly down at her (he was about 6 feet tall, she was 5'2.)

"Come on," he said, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment at letting his guard down. "I'm sure everyone will be waiting to meet you."

****

Ella spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know everyone in the lodging house. She found out that Chords, Pick, Sticks, Kapo, Bass and Pianissimo were all in a band that played in local pubs and at parties to bring in extra money. She quickly became friends with all the girls in the house, but it took a little longer for her to warm up to the guys. They were all very sweet, but her recent experiences warned her not to warm up to them too much, especially Hoops, who she was very attached to. The last thing she eneded was to fall for another guy.

"So Ella, what made you leave bustling New York to come to dreary ole London Town?" asked Spaz. Ella's face paled a little, she didn't know if she wanted to tell any one yet. Just as she was about to try and explain, Tinker Bell came in the room.

"Ella, a package of letters just arrived express mail for you from New York," she said holding out a thick envelope.

"Thanks," Ella said taking the package. She knew whom it was from. She quietly excused herself and went upstairs. She somehow found her way onto the roof where there was a small garden. She sat down on a bench in the garden and slowly opened the package. The first one said:

Dear Ella,

          HOW COULD YOU LEAVE? I have been worried sick about you! I go to get you this morning and you're not there. Do you know how scared I am for you? What am I going to do without my little sister around? I need you, you're the only family I have left.

I'm sorry I've been such a jerk lately. I just wanted you and Dave to work out. He's me best friend and you're me little sista, it made sense. Now nothing makes sense. I know I acted like I promised Da and Mum I wouldn't and I'm truly sorry. If I'd known you were leaving I would've at least tried to make up for the way I acted. Please forgive me. I miss my angel. Remember I love you little sis.

Your Cowboy.

Along with Jack's letter there were notes from Race, Blink, Crutchy, Mush, and Sarah. As she finished reading the last note stating how worried and sad Mush was, she saw a glint of silver in the bottom of the envelope. It was her mother's hear-shaped locket. She opened it and saw 2 pictures. One was a pictures of her mother on her wedding day and the other was her and Jack last year. She felt tears start to well up. She vaguely remembered herself begging her mother to let her play with her locket and clothes and her mother laughing and letting her put them on. Then she and Jack would say she looked like an angel and waltz her around the apartment while her mother laughed and her father grumbled about the noise. Slowly tears began to trickle down her smooth cheeks as she fastened the necklace around her slender neck.

You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered
You were once a friend and father
Then my world was shattered

Wishing you were somehow here again
Wishing you were somehow near
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed
Somehow you would be here

Wishing I could hear your voice again
Knowing that I never would
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
All that you dreamed I could

Passing bells and sculpted angels
Cold and monumental
Seem for you the wrong companions
You were warm and gentle

Too many years fighting back tears
Why can't the past just die?

Wishing you were somehow here again
Knowing we must say goodbye
Try to forgive, teach me to live
Give me the strength to try

No more memories, no more silent tears
No more gazing across the wasted years
Help me say… good…bye…