Caveat lector: I own many things, including the DVD version of the movie that this fic is based off of. I do not, however, own the rights to Newsies.

She heard the slap of her feet as they hit the cobbles and felt the frenzied rhythm of her heart as it beat inside her chest. She never once looked back, pushing through endless crowds of New Yorkers, running as far and as fast as her petticoat-laden legs would carry her. The snowy world rushed by as she clutched the precious loaf of bread to her chest, trying her hardest to press on just one more block.

Suddenly, she ran smack into a solid wall of something – no, someone. Winded and scared, she looked up into the eyes of an authoritative-looking young man with a black cowboy hat perched atop his head and fainted dead away.

"What the hell's dis?" Racetrack exclaimed, gesturing at the sleeping figure lying in his bunk.

It was an evening in early December, snow and biting wind swept through the city. The gaslights were mere pinpricks of light in the dark and swirling night as the Manhattan newsies slowly wandered back to the lodging house, one by one.

"Aw, can it," Skittery told him has he shoved Racetrack further away from the bunk. "You'll wake her up."

Racetrack looked livid that the boy had dared to touch him. It'd been a long, cold day selling papers with hands that lost more feeling with each passing moment. To come back to the lodging house to find this was the last straw. "I ain't gonna can it, Skitts!" Race exclaimed as he rounded on Mush. "Now somebody tell me why the hell there is a girl in my bed!"

"Jacky decided to get ya a Christmas present, Race," Blink said with a wicked grin and a gleam in his eye. "Now ain't that sweet?" He jumped up into his bunk in a flash, barely avoiding the punch Race had intended for his shoulder.

Racetrack marched back over to where the girl lay sleeping and crossed his arms in distaste, scrutinizing her. "That ain't no Christmas present," he said with an air of finality.

"Yeah, well ya gonna have to take that up with Jack, 'cause he's the one what put her there," came Mush's voice from a few bunks over. "I didn't have nothin' to do with it."

"Fine," said Race as he turned his back to her and may his way across the room. "I'll go talk to Jack 'bout this Christmas present. It ain't fair to give a guy somethin' when he ain't got nothing for you, right? I'll let him keep his damn present." With that, he tugged his hat more firmly on his head, as if squaring off for a fight. He headed down the narrow staircase, where he found Kloppman and Jack discussing something at the bottom, though he hardly knew what.

"Ain't there somewheres around here? Anywhere?" he heard Jack asking.

It was clear from the amount of time that had passed that Kloppman was thinking long and hard about the answer to Jack's question. "Well," the old man replied after a bit, "I suppose the corner would be alright." Jack perked up at this. "But there ain't gonna be no," he searched for the right term, "funny business."

Jack clapped old Kloppman on the back and looked him in the eyes, relief washing across his face. "Don't you worry about it, sir. I ain't gonna let the boys do anything to 'er. She ran into me on the street today, sir, and you know with it bein' this time of year, I just couldn't leave her there in the snow, you know?"

Racetrack hurried down the last few steps and came to stand beside Jack. "A word outside with ya, Jacky?" he asked as he stepped outside and into the falling snow.

Jack followed him into the cold night air, folding his arms across his chest in an effort to keep warm. "This had better be good, Race, 'cause I think my feet are near froze through."

"Cowboy," Racetrack started confidently, "Why is it that I come home after a day of sellin' papes and when I go to sit down on my bed to get some well-earned rest, there's a girl there? Why is that, Cowboy?"

Jack was breathing through his nose, the night air causing each breath to form tiny clouds. Looking at the Cowboy, Racetrack suddenly had the thought that he looked like an angry bull, ready to charge, and regretted having ever asked Jack the question. Jack came closer, closing the space between the two and towering over Race. "She's there because you wasn't at the time. Is that a problem or somethin'?" Jack challenged.

"Naw, course not," Race covered quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just wonderin'." He silently cursed himself. He usually didn't have any qualms about standing up to the Cowboy. Tonight was different, though. Jack, for his part, was not backing down. He'd seen too many kids freeze in the streets on a cold winter's night and wasn't going to let it happen to another one, not when he could help it.

At these words, Jack stepped back again, giving Racetrack room to breathe. "That's a good thing, Race," Jack said as he turned to go into the building once more. "And I'm glad to hear you're so curious about her already. In fact," he added with a smirk, "since you're so curious about her, you can be in charge of lookin' out for 'er for me." With that, he disappeared into the building, leaving a fuming Racetrack standing outside in the accumulating snow.

Fifteen minutes, two frozen hands, and one cigar later, Racetrack Higgins found himself climbing the stairs up to the boys' bunks. The boys, all in various states of undress as they prepared for bed, watched as he made his way across the room to his own bunk, every creak of the floorboards a cry to get out of his way. They all watched as he stood next to the bed and removed his shoes, placing them, as he always did, on the floor at the head of the bed. Racetrack looked down at his new chore, berating himself for not having told the Cowboy off. All eyes on him, he lay down on the floor next to the bed, covered his face with his cap, folded his arms behind his head, and settled down to sleep.

There was a general outcry from all of the boys as comprehension dawned on them. "Aw, come on, Race," Blink nudged. "Quit bein' so damn proud. Get off the floor, I'll let you bunk with me tonight."

Racetrack remained where he was, not saying a word. Mush came to stand next to Blink, wearing the same expression seen when parents are dealing with particularly willful children. "Ya gonna freeze if you stay there all night."

Again, Race ignored them. "Fine! Freeze! Ya stubborn ass…" Blink said in a tone that pronounced that that was the end of it. The boys returned to their own beds, the younger ones dallying and the older ones hurrying them along. Before long, each boy, save Racetrack, was in his bed and Kloppman came in to turn down the lamp.

Later that night, Blink awoke from a dream about a girl he'd sold a paper to the day before to the sound of Racetrack telling him to keep his hands to himself. Blink bolted upright and looked down at Racetrack, who was lying next to him in the bunk. "Race! What the hell do you think ya doing?"

Disgusted, Race replied, "I was sleepin' til you tried to get fresh, mister. 'Sides, you offered ta let me bunk with ya."

"But-" Blink began before Racetrack silenced him.

"I ain't sleepin' here because I was cold. I'm sleepin' here 'cause I didn' want ya worryin' about me, got that?"

"Got it, Race," Blink replied, exasperated. "Now let me get back to sleep, wouldja?" He rolled over and hoped he wouldn't have to wake up in the same manner again that night.

A/N - So here it is! The first chapter of my first story on the site. I have had this beta-ed a half-zillion times, but if anything jumps out at you as wrong, please let me know. The haters will hate no matter what I say, so do as you will. I hope, however, that you enjoyed the story and will continue to read it. I hope to get Chapter 2 up sometime in the next week, in case anyone was curious. Please rate and review as I thrive on feedback!

Thanks!

EtoileBrillant

P.S. A BIG thanks to my beta readers for helping me make this a great first chapter! Tous mes remerciers a AdrenalineRush16, oboefae, DefiGraviti, et luna_riven.