I don't own Newsies, but I do own Jay and any other characters that were not in the Disney movie, unless specifically noted. Strong, helpful critique is appreciated. This is just a teaser chapter... I'm pretty freakin' infamous for those.

Cold. Strong. Imperial.

That's how most describe him

But I was a birdie. I was trained to see what others did not.

I saw warmth, and humanity. I even saw him cry, once. It was the December of the year he turned twelve. He had found an abandoned baby that had frozen with the cold. It made me cry, too.

I followed him around one day, hidden. He took a ragdoll from two boys and gave it back to the little girl they had stole it from, giving the boys a stern warning. Just like the one he gave me later when I discovered he knew all along I had followed him.

"I have a reputation to keep up, Jay," he said in a tone that hinted that that comment was the end of it. I nodded, and told him of Queen's plans for a territory invasion.

"They're getting smarter," I said. "They know we usually expect them during the summer."

"Yeah. Tell Marbles and Pokes. Have them get the word out. Tell them I plan a meeting tonight at 9."

"No credit for me?" I knew I sounded like a whiny prat, but that was the sixth time I hadn't been able to share a discovery of mine.

"I trust most of my newsies. Most, not all. One of 'em may share -whether on accident or on purpose- the secret about your existence to somebody who shouldn't know. I need more birds like you as it is, so I'm planning on making sure you can stick around as long as possible to train newbies."

"Alright," I said, hiding my disspointment. I was good at hiding things.

"Glad you understand. Seeya tomorrow."

"Seeya," I said, as we went our seperate ways.

That was his first year as leader, those four long years ago. I'm still the best birdie. Quiet, tactful, master of disguise, even with only the few costume pieces and props we had borrowed or stolen from Medda.

But this story isn't all about me. It's about life, and angst; it's about people. Those I know very well, those I know not-so-well. I figured it was interesting enough to be commited to something other than my memory.

I hope you think so, too.

See that little button down in the lower left-hand corner of your screen? Well, click it and submit a review! You can review even without a fanfiction account!