"Where's Kat? She was here earlier." Nadya asked. Racetrack and Mush exchanged a look.

"Her father came by. He yelled at Kat, grabbed her wrist and dragged her home." Racetrack told her. The color in Nadya's face seemed to drain.

"Oh no. I have to go see her." Nadya said putting her presents down and getting up.

"What's the matter?" Racetrack asked.

"I can't tell you. I just have to go see her now." Nadya replied heading towards the door. Racetrack grabbed her by the elbow.

"Does he beat her?" Racetrack asked. Nadya didn't look at him. "Well, that means yes." He added.

"How did you know? I had to pry it out of her." Nadya told him.

"I noticed the bruises on her arms when she would forget about her sweater and a few on her face. I just never said anything because I didn't want to upset her and I wasn't sure if I was right. I had hoped I wasn't." Racetrack replied.

"She can't go through this anymore. I can't stand here and do nothing any longer!" Nadya exclaimed.

"No matter how tough you think you are, the reality is that you can't take on a full grown man who is probably drunk all by yourself. Whether you like it or not, I'm coming with you." Racetrack told her.

"Me too." Mush said.

"Us too." Spot and Jack said.

"Fine, but that's it. It would look really bad if the entire Manhattan Newsie crew walked up to the Baker House. Come on you guys." Nadya said and exited. The boys followed her out and all the way to Katherine's house. Nadya knocked on the door and soon a small woman with hazel eyes and mousey brown hair cracked open the door but opened it wider when she saw who it was.

"Oh Nadya, I'm so glad you're here. Katherine is upstairs. She got it kind of bad this time." The woman said letting them in.

"Thanks Mrs. Baker. These are my friends and I have to take Kat this time. I can't let her go through this anymore." Nadya told her. Mrs. Baker nodded and motioned them upstairs. Nadya and the four boys went upstairs and walked down the hall. Nadya led them to a door at the end of the hall and knocked before entering. She looked around the room. It was small with one dresser, a bed and a side table. There was nothing on the walls and the bed had faded covers. Nadya then spotted Katherine huddled in a corner.

"Kat, it's just me. It's alright, he's not here." Nadya told her. Katherine got up ran to her friend and flung her arms around Nadya's neck. "Why was it this time?" Nadya asked.

"He didn't like that I was late getting home because I was hanging around a bunch of 'good for nothing' boys, as he put it." Katherine said tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry that I ruined your party." She added.

"Don't be. Now go get your stuff. We're taking you away from here." Nadya told her friend, letting go.

"We?" Katherine asked and Nadya stepped aside, revealing Racetrack, Mush, Spot and Jack. "You told?"

"No, she didn't. I figured it out. And the guys came along to help. We care about you Kat and we don't want you to suffer here." Racetrack said giving Katherine a small smile and she returned it. She then turned around and headed back to her closet. Nadya went with her and helped with the boys stood awkwardly in the room. A few minutes later, the girls came back out smiling. Just then, a door slammed and a man's angry voice filled the house.

"Katherine Baker! You better still be in your room!" Mr. Baker yelled as he pounded up the stairs.

"We can go out the window. There's a terrace. Race, take Kat and hurry back towards the Lodging House as fast as you can so that he won't catch you." Nadya told Racetrack and Katherine. They nodded and headed out the window.

"Go on Spirit." Mush told her.

"No, you two go. He knows me so I can make up a story. Go now before he gets up here." Nadya whispered.

"But you could get hurt." Spot argued as Mush did what he was told and climbed out the window.

"Katherine! Who are you talking to?" Mr. Baker yelled. Nadya could hear that he at the other end of the hall.

"Just go. I'll be fine. I'll be right behind you, I promise. Now go!" Nadya told him. He sighed and climbed out the window. Nadya's heart beat fast as she looked out the window. Spot had climbed down and was now looking up at her. Nadya took a deep breath and started climbing out of the window just as the door opened to reveal a fuming Mr. Baker. He was a tall man with balding blonde hair and Katherine's green eyes, although his were hard, angry, and empty.

"You! Where is Katherine? You made her leave didn't you?" Mr. Baker yelled at her moving quickly towards her. Nadya scrambled out the window but not before Mr. Baker grabbed Nadya's wrist.

"Mr. Baker, please. Please don't do this." Nadya pleaded.

"How could you take her away from me?" Mr. Baker asked angrily shaking Nadya. They she slipped from her foothold and started to slip. Mr. Baker loosened his grip and Spot yelled her name below her. Suddenly Nadya was falling and watching Mr. Baker stare down at her with cold, empty eyes. And almost as soon as it started, it stopped. She looked around to see Spot had caught her.

"Are you hurt?" Spot asked, worry in his eyes.

"No. I'm alright." Nadya replied as Spot put her down. She then flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you Spot." She whispered to him.

"Anytime." Spot said. They let go and smiled at each other. "We'd better get back before that loony drunk come out here and I kill him." He added and Nadya nodded. Spot grabbed her hand and the two hurried back to the Lodging House. Not much later, Spot and Nadya burst through the Lodging House door panting.

"Are you two okay?" Racetrack asked them. Nadya walked over to the couch and plopped down in between Jack and Mush and put her head on Mush's lap.

"Yeah we're alright. Of course Spirit had to be her stubborn self and went out the window last. The guy came in, grabbed her wrist and made her fall. I caught her but she's still shaken from it." Spot told Racetrack.

"Spirit, it's okay. You're alright now." Jack told her putting a hand on her back and looked up at Racetrack. "She won't stop shaking." He added. Nadya body shook before she coughed violently again. When she stopped, she breathed heavily. The boys and Katherine gave each other distressed looks.

"Come on Spirit. We need to get you upstairs." Mush told her. He stood up and helped her up but as soon as she stood, she faltered and Mush had to steady her.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"No problem. We'll just have to carry you up there. Spot get over here and carry Spirit. I'm better at piggy-back rides." Mush said. Spot rolled his eyes at Mush, walked over to them and swept Nadya up with ease.

"Thanks again Spot." Nadya told him weakly.

"I told you anytime Spirit." Spot told her with a smile. Nadya smiled back, leaned her head against Spot, and gave into her exhaust. Spot carried Nadya into her room and set her on the bed. He covered her with the blanket making her cuddle underneath it. Racetrack, Katherine, Mush, Jack, and Blink came up behind Spot and smiled sadly at Nadya.

"Some party, huh?" Blink asked sarcastically trying to lighten up the mood.

"I feel bad about ruining her birthday party." Katherine said.

"You didn't ruin it Kat. I'm sure she would say that she had a great one because we got you out of there. I promise that you didn't ruin it." Racetrack told her with a smile.

"Thanks Racetrack." Katherine said returning a smile.

"Would you two just go out already? Jeez!" Mush exclaimed. Racetrack whispered something in Katherine's ear. She smiled shyly and nodded. Racetrack smiled widely as he laced his fingers with hers. Racetrack gave Mush a secret wink and Mush rolled his eyes at him.

"Let's let her sleep." Spot suggested not taking his eyes from Nadya.

"Yeah, let's go back downstairs." Jack agreed leading the rest of them out of the room. Everyone exited except for Spot who just kept staring at Nadya. She mesmerized him. No girl had ever captivated Spot like Nadya did. She was brave, selfless, confident, beautiful inside and out, and loving. Spot's favorite feature about this girl was her eyes; bright ocean blue and they seemed to see into his soul.

"You really do like this one don't you Brooklyn?" Jack asked him from the doorway.

"Yeah, I do. Jack, I think I'm falling in love with her." Spot answered.

"Well then I would prove it to her, but don't go too fast. She did just forgive you." Jack told him.

"Yeah. Well I guess we should go downstairs." Spot said but still didn't move. His eyes fixed on Nadya. Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed Spot arm.

"Come on Romeo." Jack said pulling his friend out of the room. He closed the door and pushed Spot towards downstairs.

"I think someone has got it bad for Spirit." Mush teased as Jack pushed Spot down the stairs.

"Shut it Mush before I make ya." Spot threatened.

"Oh come on Spot. Everybody already knows it except Spirit." Blink interjected. Spot didn't say anything but sat down on the couch. The Newsies dropped it and instead, started a game of poker. Katherine watched the three or so games before yawning.

"Um, Race, where am I going to sleep?" She asked.

"In Nadya's room. You get the top bunk." Racetrack answered.

"Where's Spot gonna sleep tonight?" Jack asked.

"I can sleep on the couch. I don't care." Spot said.

"Night guys. Good night Race." Katherine said giving Racetrack a kiss on the cheek and heading up the stairs.

"Well, Racetrack finally found a girlfriend." Dutchey said sarcastically earning a smack from Racetrack.

"You have a respectable girlfriend?" Racetrack asked. Dutchey shook his head. "Then shut it." He added.

"Well I'm going to bed before I lose anymore money. Night guys." Blink said heading upstairs. Most of the boys followed leaving only Racetrack, Spot, Jack, and Blink.

"So you got it bad for my cousin, huh Spot?" Racetrack asked Spot.

"Well, um, er." Spot began.

"Oh good grief! Spot loves her." Jack said. Spot hit him on the arm.

"Okay look Spot. You're my friend and all but I have to give ya 'the speech'. Nadya is like a baby sister to me. So if you hurt her, then I will have to beat you into the ground. You understand right?" Racetrack said.

"Yeah of course but I don't think she likes me like that. So you don't have to worry too much." Spot replied. Mush rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Well you never know. She has a tendency to surprise people. I'm gonna head upstairs. Night you guys." Racetrack said grabbing his deck of cards and bounding up the stairs.

"Me too; I'm exhausted." Mush said. Jack agreed and the two followed Racetrack. Spot grabbed a blanket from the nearby closet and plopped down on the couch. He closed his eyes, thought of Nadya and drifted off to sleep. A few hours later, Spot woke up to a shuffling around in the kitchen. He got up and walked to the kitchen as quietly as he could. When he opened the door, he smiled. Nadya was climbing on the counter to reach the higher cabinets. She looked through one of them and pulled out a cup. Spot walked into the kitchen and Nadya turned her head at the sound of his footsteps.

"Need some help there Spirit?" Spot asked her.

"Well maybe a little." Nadya replied. Spot helped her down and ruffled her hair a little. Nadya pushed him playfully.

"Hey now little one." Spot teased. Nadya stuck her tongue out at him, grabbed her cup and filled it with water.

"So what are you doing down here, Spot?" Nadya asked him.

"I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." Spot replied.

"Did I wake you up? I'm sorry." Nadya apologized.

"No you didn't. I was already awake." Spot lied.

"Oh, alright. I'm glad I didn't wake you up." Nadya said. She finished her water and put her cup in the sink. "Well I guess I'll head on up back to bed. Good night Spot." Nadya told him walking to the door.

"Spirit." Spot called before she left and Nadya turned around. "I'm glad we're friends again." He told her and she smiled at him.

"Me too, Spot. Being mad at you took a lot of energy." She said with a wink, making Spot smile, before she exited. Spot went back to the couch and lay down. Suddenly Nadya appeared above him leaning on the back of the couch.

"One question before you go back to sleep." Nadya said.

"Ask away midget girl." Spot said smirking.

"If I have a problem sleeping, would it bother you for me to come down and talk to you?" Nadya asked almost timidly. Spot smiled at her.

"Nope; wouldn't bother me a bit. You can talk to me all you want." Spot told her and she smiled warmly.

"Thanks Spot. Good night." Nadya said heading towards the stairs.

"Sweet dreams Spirit." Spot said as she reached the middle of the stairs. She faced him with a smile still her face.

"You too, Spot." Nadya said. She climbed the rest of the stairs and disappeared into the bunkroom. Spot smiled at nothing unparticular and drifted back to sleep.

Nadya was suddenly in a dark cold alley.

"No one to save you now, huh shrimp?" a cold voice asked making Nadya freeze. She knew that voice. She spun around to see a tall young man with long dirty-blonde hair and empty, cold dark brown eyes; Adam Brown. Adam was one of Nadya's cousins from her mother's side and had never liked her.

"Adam." Nadya whispered. He was one of the only people who she was ever really scared of.

"No Newsies here to protect you this time tootsie." Another voice sneered. Nadya turned around to see Oscar leaning against the alley wall with Morris snickering next to him.

"Delanceys." Nadya said angrily narrowing her eyes.

"Give me back my daughter, girl." Yet another voice demanded. Nadya spun around and saw Mr. Baker holding an almost empty bottle of whiskey.

"Mr. Baker." Nadya said. She saw that she was surrounded and the four males were advancing towards her. Nadya started to panic. She tried to run in between Oscar and Morris but they caught her and pushed her back in the middle of the circle they had made around her. She looked at all of them and tried to find an escape route but there wasn't one. She was trapped. She looked at Adam who had an evil grin on his face. He raised his arm across his chest and Nadya knew what was going to happen. He hit her, just like so many years ago, with such force that Nadya was knocked to the ground.

Nadya then woke up with a start. She sat up and realized that it was all a dream. She was breathing heavily and the room spun a little bit. Nadya threw the covers back and hurried out of the bunkroom. She ran down the stairs and to the couch where Spot lay asleep. Nadya looked at the grandfather clock in the entry way. It read 3:35 am. It had been a few hours since Nadya went back to bed. She looked at Spot sleeping. He looks so perfect. She thought. I don't want to bother him.

"Spirit?" Spot asked groggily as he sat up. "Hey what's the matter?" He asked seeing how upset she was.

"I had a really bad nightmare and I don't wanna be alone. But I can go bother Race if you want to sleep." Nadya said.

"No, no, come here." Spot said. She looked so scared. Her face was white, her eyes held fear, she was breathing heavily, and her face was a little perspired. She sat down on the couch next to Spot and he put his arm around her. He then realized she was shaking too.

"Spirit, you're shaking. This must have been a really bad dream." He said pulling her close.

"It was so real." Nadya whispered and absentmindedly rubbed her cheek where Adam had hit her in the dream.

"Tell me about it. It may make you feel better." Spot told her comfortingly. Nadya laid her head on his shoulder and told him her dream. When she finished, she had tears streaking her cheeks.

"Who's Adam?" Spot asked.

"Adam Brown is a cousin from my mom's side. Actually, he's Aunt Deloris' son. He loves to torture me. He's scared me forever. I don't know what it is about him but he's always scared me. Adam's about four years older than me." Nadya answered.

"I'm sorry you got scared." Spot said.

"Thanks Spot; for listening. Do you mind if I stay here a little while longer? I don't know if I can be by myself right now." Nadya asked.

"Sure you can stay down here." Spot told her and Nadya smiled. Soon Nadya fell asleep on Spot's shoulder. She looked so peaceful and innocent to him. Spot let his hand fall to her waist and he kissed the top of her head. He put his head on hers and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.