My first story, I hope you all enjoy it, please review and let me know what you think about it so far!

Three more papes. Three more papes and then he could be back home, back on the roof.

Home had never been a comforting place for Crutchie, well it had barely existed at all, but nevertheless it certainly hadn't been comforting. That was till one night as he was hobbling to find an alley to sleep in when he was stopped by a group of kids about his age. One of them, the oldest and clearly the leader, stepped forward. "Why hello there Mr. Crutch, what are you'se doing out on the streets at this hour?"

He turned to hobble off as quick as he could, no way would this end well, just another bruise to add to his collection.

"Hey, kid, where's ya going? Come back!"

He stopped, these guys didn't seem too threatening, and even if they were, it's not like he could outrun them anyway.

"We ain't gonna hurt ya, what's your name kid?"

"He's not gonna tell you'se Jack he's scared of us," a younger boy near the back said.

"Well then, how about Crutchie?" interjected a kid about his age with a cigar sticking out of his mouth.

He shrugged his shoulders and inched backwards, these kids were too friendly too fast, all they wanted was to hurt him…that's all anyone wanted.

"Well if ya ain't gonna tell us any different I guess Crutchie's gonna have to do, we needs to call ya something if you'se gonna be livin' with us. Unless that is, you was really looking forward to this high class concrete bed tonight?" The oldest one, Jack apparently, said.

"You," Crutchie replied hesitantly, "you know's about a place I can sleep?"

"Course I do!" Jack and his friends laughed. "That is if you'se willin' to work for a livin'."

Crutchie was really not looking forward to sleeping on the ground again, last night it felt like he almost froze to death.

"Come on Crutchie, you ain't gonna turn down a once-in-a-lifetime offer from the Jack Kelly is ya?" the one with the cigar questioned.

"I guess I could try out livin' with you fellas," couldn't be worse than the alley.

"Well then welcome to the Manhattan newsies Crutchie, you'se gonna need that limp, that'll get the paper out of your hand faster than a war!"

Crutchie thought back with fondness on that first night as he returned his unsold papes to Weasel. Becoming a newsie had truly saved his life. He wasn't sure how many more days he could have survived on the concrete. How many winters before one of them had been his last. Selling papes gave him purpose, something to do and more importantly somewhere to sleep. And things had improved drastically since the strike a year ago. Being able to sell back unsold papes made business so much easier, he was even selling more papes than before!

It wasn't the warm bed that kept him alive though. He was alive because he had a family. He finally had a family that loved him and cared about him. He had a brother. Jack was the best older brother a kid could ask for and Crutchie knew he couldn't keep going without him. He was the first person Crutchie could really trust to never let him down. They had been inseparable for the past four years and he never wanted it to end. He lived for the long nights on the roof; talking away their cares and worries to the stars.

"Why ya always day-dreaming on ya way up here, Crutch? One of these days I'll just be layin' on the floor sleepin' and you'se gonna trip right over me!"

"Oh shut it Jack, you know I'm just tired after a long day of sellin'."

"I know kid. I promised Katherine that I'd be seein' her tonight so I'm gonna go pick up my lady for a fine evening, but I'll see ya tonight Crutchie!"

"Alright, you better be good though Jack or you might be seein' your face in the papes for all the wrong reasons!"

"I'll be fine Crutch, you know that Jack Kelly is legendary for giving a girl an evening she ain't gonna forget."

Jack gave him a wink and headed off to meet his girl. Crutchie really liked them together. Maybe someday he could be in their wedding. Who could have ever imagined him being in a wedding? Anything in his life seemed possible now, it had never been so good.

"Please just leave me alone."

"Oh come on now Katherine, you knows that I won't be leaving you just yet…"

"Just go. now!"

"Little lady I don't leave till I get…"

The door rattled behind him.

"I'm coming Jack!"

"I'll see you tomorrow sweetheart."

The beast winked and hurried down the fire escape. Pulling herself together Katherine walked to the front door to let in her man.

"What's wrong Katherine? You look awful!"

"Nothing, just was a long day at work," it had been a long day, at the end of a very long year.

"Well then let's get movin', I have a one-of-a-kind Jack Kelly signature evening planned for you Ace."