Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, plain and simple

A/N: *hides behind rock* sooo sooo sorry this is, like, way late. I had some of this written for a while but the last chapter threw me a curve ball I didn't expect and I wasn't sure how to proceed. One chapter left after this me thinks. Hope you enjoy.

My Name is Ice Chapter 15

Black Ice stared at the three boys in front of her in shock. This could not be happening. In all her years as the Stingers leader she has never felt so surprised. There they were, two of the most infamous newsies and the traitor, standing in her doorway like they owned the place. For the first time in a long time Ice felt fear. The sight of Jack with his condescending little smile made her feel like she was just caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey Catherine, I think it's time we talked." His voice snapped her out of her haze and she schooled her features, hiding her shock.

"My name is Black Ice now." Jack nodded, his smile turning sad.

"Yeah, I heard that. So what happened Cathy? Got tired of playing with dolls?"

"Did ya lose something Cowboy? Like say… your newsie perhaps?" Jack just smiled again and started walking around the room. Ice was losing control of this situation and fast, though she had the feeling that she never had it to begin with. She looked at Spot to find him smiling as well, almost laughing at her. "Wadda you looking at?"

Spot stepped towards Rock and pulled out his key and showed it to him.

"Ya see this? A girl gave it to me when I was younger. Told me that it was the key to her and when we got bigger I could give it to her and she'd be my girl. Wadda ya say Cathy," Spot tossed Ice the key, "be my girl?"

Ice looked down at the key in her hand, the memories of that day washing over her; the innocents of two little children with a crush. She looked back at Spot and his laughing face, parts of her could still see the little boy but the anger that came with her name refused to give into those memories. She dropped the key and glared at Spot. "Cathy's dead. This is nothing but a stupid key."

Spot must have expected this reaction because his expression didn't change. Feeling someone behind her Ice spun around coming face to face with Jack, their faces just inches apart. Ice's breath caught in her throat as she looked into Jacks serious eyes. The surprises of the day finally catch up with her and she couldn't think of anything to say.

Jack just stared at her for a minute before speaking. "You need to stop Cathy," Jack said, unknowingly echoing Dominic's words from years before. The cowboys kept his voice low, his words meant for her ears only. "You need to stop before you get hurt. There's still hope, you left Race alive and Black Ice never would have done that before. Stop now and we can be a family again." Before she could formulate a reply Jack pushed past her and just as sudden as they came they left.

The Sharks stayed rooted in their spots, no one wanting to be the first to speak. Rock hesitantly stepped towards his friends still form. He put his hand on her shoulder and was shocked to find it shaking. He heard a small sob escape from the shorter girl and he quickly ordered everyone out of the room. He turned Ice around and to his astonishment he found tears falling down her face.

More and more tears came until suddenly her knees gave way and Ice collapsed in a heap on the floor. Crying 11 years worth of tears the only thing Rock could do was hold her. No ridicule, no comforting words, no promises that everything will be all right. He just held her and hoped that maybe now would be the time that Dominic's wish for his adopted sister would come true.

After a while Ice finally calmed down, neither spoke a word for a good five minutes. The Stingers leader was still on the floor, her body frozen as if a statue. Rock watched her closely waiting for any change in his friends emotions. Finally Ice looked up. Her face was blank and her eyes hollow.

"Rock, I need your help."

***

Late the next afternoon Race was trying to find some sleep on the uncomfortable wood floor when the door slammed open. Racetrack scrambled to his feet to face off with the whirl wind that had just burst into the room.

"Heya Ice. How ya doin-"

"Shut up," The girl snarled. "And listen up." The look in her eyes made Race bit back his comment. Her voice was harsh but something was different. "You will go back to your newsie leader and you will tell him to gather the others at Medda's by midnight tonight. We'll be waiting." With that she turned and walked out, leaving the door wide open.

Racetrack stepped hesitantly towards the door, half expecting someone to come and close it any minute. Making his way into the main area Race discovered that it was empty. The Stingers had cleared out. The news boy made his way quickly through the back streets of Manhattan and towards the lodging house. It wasn't that far of a walk which surprised Race. The Stingers headquarters was just a few block away from the lodging house.

Taking the stairs two at a time Race burst through the door causing everything to stop, all eyes were on him.

"Hiya boys! Miss me?"

"Race," Jack let out a sigh of relief as he went over to greet his friend Spot right behind him.

"What the heck happened Racy boy?" Spot demanded, "How'd you get out?"

"Ice," Race replied simply. "She wanted me ta tell ya to gather everyone up and meet them at Medda's around midnight." The newsie leaders shared a look.

"What are ya thinkin?" Jack asked Spot.

"It could be a trap." The Brooklyn newsie said thoughtfully. "It could be to gloat or it could be to make terms."

"Somethin' was defiantly different about her." Race said. "I don't think it's a trap." It didn't take Jack long to make his decision.

"Looks like we're going to Medda's tonight boys." The others looked less then thrill with the decision but didn't question it.

***

The Manhattan newsies, plus Spot and Flame, made it to Medda's early that night not wanting to be surprised just in case it was a trap. Despite the large number of kids the theater was eerily silent. The anticipation was thick in the air as midnight came nearer.

At 12 o'clock sharp some russling could be heard calling everyone's attention to the stage. Ice came from behind the curtains first, followed closely by Rock. Then the rest of the Stingers entered, silently filling the stage and backing up their leaders without a sound. Ice was still dressed in boys clothes but this time she wore her hair down and her hat was missing.

Jack and Spot made their way toward her, their footsteps echoing loudly in the silent theater, every eye was on them. The newsie leaders stopped at the foot of the stage right in front of Ice. Brother and sister stared at each other for what seemed like eternity to the others but mere seconds to them. Ice broke contact first, not even gracing Spot with a glance but instead looked out on the rest of the room before speaking.

"I've come to make a treaty between the newsies of Manhattan and the Stingers." That snapped everyone out of their silence. The whole room was full of surprised and angry shouts as Jack and Spot tried to calm them down; the Stingers stayed silent.

"We made terms with ya once before." Jack said loudly after most of the protests had died down. "And you broke them. Why should we do it again?"

"I broke the terms, they didn't." Ice said indicating the rest of her group. While it didn't calm the rest of the newsies she saw that Jack and Spot understood what she meant.

"I propose a new deal." She said, finally turning her attention back to Jack. "You keep your newsie's from ganging up on my boys. No more five against one or junk like that. Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone. We'll give back half of what we took from the lodging house and that will be the end of what happened the other night. I don't what any retribution attacks going on."

"And what do we get." A newsie shouted from the back. "A promise that you'll try not to kill us anymore?"

The whole room silenced as Ice glared back at the newsie who spoke. She spotted Racetrack in the crowd, their eyes connecting. "Naw," she said loudly. "That's not what I had in mind." She watched as Race's eyes widened in realization as to what she was talking about. It almost made Ice smile at how easily he could read her; almost.

"I'm leaving New York."

A/N: DUN-DUN-DUN….. yup….. soooo…… yeah. Hope it was satisfactory. Hopefully my muse will return so I can finish the last chapter soon. thanks for sticking with this story.