Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney. Floaty, Trench, and Katrina belong to DT. Emily Delancey belongs to me (especially since I gave her my first name, LOL) so does Chancy AKA Vixen, and Vampire.

(A/N: Hi everyone, thank you all so much for the awesome reviews and all the help you've given me while I wrote this story. :-) You all are awesome! Special thanks to: Leah, Firefly Conlon, BrennaBerr, and Silvershoes17. Also, I did change a few things so this prologue to "tears from the moon" doesn't quite exactly match up with DimensionalTraveller's time line. I did this because this last chapter is the prequel to my next story. The new story focuses mainly on Spot and Floaty, but it introduces my main character, Emily Delancey.)

Floaty lightly tugged on the needle and drew it upwards as she tightened the thread; Chancy's blouse was almost fixed. She had finished patching the newsgirl's trousers hours ago; there were only two small rips left to fix. She glanced up at the unconscious newsgirl, it had been almost four hours since she was crowned Queen of Brooklyn. Her new title still felt odd; she had gone from, 'Floaty, Pulitzer's messenger, to 'Floaty, Queen of New York'. She shifted in her seat. The title seemed too glamorous and she wasn't sure how to react to it.

"Great….When I thought my day couldn't get any worse….It becomes a catastrophe," Chancy groaned from the bed. Floaty looked up in surprise. Chancy glared at her, "I've been awake for two minutes….Get your hands off me shirt, I can fix it myself."

"I still don't understand where your British accent went….I liked Clarisse better than I like Chancy," Floaty muttered before she used her teeth to bite off the thread at the end of patched rip. She trailed her thumb over the light blue thread; her father had taught her how to sew when she was only five.

Chancy snorted, "I hate England. It's where me mother lives, me father used to live in Scotland. He was a Laird and she was his lady…At least that's what she always said. Me father, Angus, was killed in a battle the week after I was born."

"I'm so sorry. What….happened to your mother?"

"Nosy ain't ya? If ya really want to know, me mother remarried an English British man when I was eight. I hated him, he was worse than two week old garbage. But me mother loved him…" She paused and took a moment to stare at the cloth bandages wrapped around her arms. She continued a minute later, "They had a son together and on me tenth birthday I heard me parents both agree that I needed to be sent to a fact'ry, I was no use to them." Her eyes began to glaze with unshed tears, "No use to anyone they said. So I took of meself, as I always do, and packed some clothin' and stowed away on one of the merchant ships heading to America – where the streets are paved of gold and everyone has a chance to get rich." She snorted, "Yeah, right."

Chancy continued, "A few months later, I stepped off the boat and onto the Brooklyn Docks. I stayed with the Manhattan newsies for a few years, then with Harlem, Queens, China Town….Then, three years ago I came to Brooklyn and met Spot. I knew right then: I'm going to marry him…..And for a while we got really close to becoming more than leader and second-in-command." For a minute she looked so happy then her smile turned into a frown, "And then….You came along and ruined everything. You shattered my hopes…my dreams…you stole the man I loved. Now, you sit here and stole the title that should belong to me."

Spot watched as Floaty came out of his room, she was shaking and her cheeks were flushed. She looked angry enough to hit the wall. What the hell happened in there? "Floats?" He asked softly.

She looked up, "Hey….I talked to Chancy…She just woke up a few minutes ago."

He stopped beside her, "What'd she say?"

"She gave me her life story, accused me of being a boyfriend-stealer, and then told me the reason why she was in that alleyway."

Spot leaned forward.

"Oscar and Morris made her a deal….If she distracted you, they'd take me away from the Lodging House and I'd never be seen again." She squared her jaw, "If she thinks I'm scared off that easily, she's wrong. Maybe a few years ago I would have run, but not now. I figure if I could survive Trench and Pulitzer, then I can survive anythings."

Spot smirked with pride, "Dat's me girl."

Chancy heard the entire conversation from her bunk. Anger surged through her causing her to clench her fists. She couldn't understand how Floaty, the timid messenger girl who never dared to cross authority, had transformed into a tough Brooklyn newsgirl who now seemed to defy authority. Chancy knew the former messenger would probably never return to working for Pulitzer. After twenty minutes the door opened.

Spot was entering the room; his expression told her he was angry.

"Heya, Spot."

"Don't 'heya, Spot' me, Chancy. I know why you were in dat alley way….And I know somethin' else you never wanted me to find out."

"Oh? And that would be?"

"Dat your first newsie name was Vixen. You were Vampire's first goil."

Chancy tensed; she had been spent three years hiding that secret. She had left out that part of her history when she spoke to Floaty, no one could know her true identity, no one.

"I was."

Spot turned the chair in the corner of the room around so the back was facing Chancy. He swung one leg over the seat and sat down; he crossed his arms on the top of the chair and stared at her. The few minutes he silently glared at her felt more like eons; he was trying to make her uncomfortable. She shifted and had to admit he was doing a good job.

"How did yer real identity get past me all dese years?"

"I'm good at hiding," she retorted and forced herself to sit up. It hurt to sit up, the bruises on her back, legs, and bum seemed to pound with pain. Dizziness almost made her sick and her headache had returned. She ignored the pain and focused on the Brooklyn leader. "I hate and fear Vampire, Spot, you have to believe me."

"I don't believe ya. If ya hate him and are so afraid of him, den why did ya go to the rally?"

Chancy's mouth went dry. "To support the strike."

"You didn't support da strike from day one."

Chancy paused and swallowed, "Fine….You found out who I really am, but it took you three years. Three years, Spot Conlon. Makes you pretty stupid don't it?"

Spot sneered at her, "Watch what you say around me, Vixen. I'm far from stupid, sometimes a person can't see somethin' bad until its shoved in deys face. What are ya doin' here, Vixen?"

Chancy, actually Vixen, glared at him. "Before Vampire became leader two years ago, the original Harlem leader sent me to Brooklyn as one of his little birds. When Vampire became leader I had to report whatever I learned to him and we fell in love. The entire 'Oh Spot I love you so!' Was a pretty convincing act," she raised an eyebrow and gave an arrogant smirk. "You fell for it too, and after only a year of being here I was your second-in-command. Vampire's goal was for me to be Queen."

"Not happenin' and it never would have happened either." He stood and gave a smirk of his own. "I made you me second-in-command to keep an eye on you. I always thought you were just a trouble maker, looks like I was right. Tomorrow, you're goin' back to Harlem."

Vixen tensed, "You'll be sorry, Conlon!"

"Yeah, yeah, deys all say dat." He walked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Vixen heard him tell two newsies to guard the door. If Spot's smart he'll have the guards rotate every two hours. A tired guard is easy fooled….Maybe, just maybe I can escape….

The next two days went by as a blur for Floaty. She had told Jack and Denton everything she knew about Pulitzer, his friends, and the telephone conversations she overheard. The next morning the Manhattan newsies had passed out all their papes. The day afterwards, hundreds of working children crowded into Newspaper Square – the strike was about to become a success.

Floaty had to push her way through a wall of human beings, never in her life had she seen so many people crowded into such a small area. She noticed Laurie was standing on the sidewalk near the baker's shop with Victoria in her arms. She attempted to wave to her friends, but there were too many people waving signs, newspapers, and paper signs with the words 'Strike,' 'Unfair', and many other words scrawled across them.

"Spot!" She shouted, they had gotten separated when Brooklyn mingled into the crowd.

"Over here, Floats!" He shouted, she turned and tried to find him. A hand suddenly grabbed hers and she found herself standing beside him. "Miss me?" He beamed, his eyes twinkling.

"You're proud of Jack!"

"Damned straight!" He smiled, "Jacky-boy came through, he went into the World building wid Davey a few minutes ago…." He was interrupted by Sykes pushing his way through the crowd and shouting for Emmalyn. "Floats, he's callin' for you!"

Floaty blushed, she wasn't used to people calling her by her first name any longer. It almost seemed odd. The world I used to live in didn't allow nicknames; the world I live in now almost depends on them. She and Spot began pushing their way through the crowd until they found Sykes.

"Emmalyn, Jack's almost got Pulitzer ready to lower the prices of newspapers….But, he won't do it until he meets the person who helped get the strike started!"

"Jack and David got the strike started, not me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, wishing the shouting would quiet down a little. Instead it became even louder when the two glass doors of Pulitzer's office swung open. Pulitzer stood above them shouting something and gesturing for them to leave. But no one moved and they would not leave until their voices were heard.

"Jacky Boy and David started da strike in Manhattan….But it didn't become a strike Floats, until you got me to agree to it! Like it or not, ya helped to start da strike. Go on!" Spot shouted and gave her a light push.

"Spot, you too!"

"Nah, I need to stay down here and keep an eye on Les and da others. Go on!" He waved for her to follow Sykes. Sighing, she turned and followed the middle aged man into the World Building. She walked through the doors, something that had once been so normal now seemed so strange to her. She no longer felt as if she were part of the building. Because I don't belong to Pulitzer anymore….I finally learned I had a voice and I spoke up. That was the best thing I've ever done. She followed Sykes into the elevator and when she stepped out she was greeted by a familiar sight she almost started to miss….Agatha.

"You just can't keep yourself away, can you?" She scowled.

"Agatha, this is business," Sykes snapped, "This girl can help make this strike to keep going on, and you'll never get that pay raise you so badly desire."

The secretary went silent, but glared at Floaty as she walked past the desk. Sykes opened Pulitzer's office's doors and walked through them with her. In front of her she was greeted by a sight she would never expect to see in a thousand years. Pulitzer stood hunched over with his palms pressed against his ears while Jack yelled at him and David stood in front of his desk with his arms crossed.

"Maybe you should listen to me for a change!" Jack shouted and pointed to himself.

"No, you listen to me!" Pulitzer shouted.

"No, you listen!"

"Shut the window and shut up!"

"Dere's a lotta people out dere and dey ain't just gonna go away! Dey got voices now and they're goin' to be listened too! Puttin' me in jail is not gonna step dem! Dat's the power of da press, Joe!" Jack walked towards the window as Pulitzer sat down and plugged his ears.

Floaty glanced at David and he shrugged with a smirk, "What can I say?" He chuckled, "Jack grew up."

Floaty nodded, "He's already building himself a powerful reputation."

Jack slammed the doors shut and half of the shouts were muffled and the office became quieter.

"Thanks for teachin' me about it," Jack exclaimed as he walked back over to Pulitzer.

"Those kids put out a pretty good paper there, Chief." Sykes nodded and pointed to the newspaper on Pulitzer's desk. Floaty smiled, glad that Sykes's voice was finally being heard as well.

"Who defied me?" Pulitzer shouted after skimming the paper, "Whose press did you use to print this? Whose? Whose?"

Floaty tensed as her former employer's face turned beet red with anger.

"Well, we only used da best, Joe. So I just wanted ta say, thanks again." Jack smirked and leaned down. Pulitzer stared at him completely stunned. It was the first time Floaty could ever recall seeing the older man speechless. Jack turned and walked over to Floaty, he led her towards Pulitzer and she began dragging her feet.

"Jack….I don't want to speak to him again."

"Floats, ya have a voice now," he said softly, "Yours is da only one dat hasn't been heard….And he practically owned ya. It's time your voice is heard…." He pulled her into a hug and turned, "Joe, dis here is Floaty, da Newsie Queen of New York."

Pulitzer glared at her, his jaw squaring. "You defied me as well? You defied my wife, who attempted to give you a good life?"
Floaty stood tall, "Your wife tried to give me a better life, Joe. But you went behind her back and paid Snyder to sign those forms….He tore them up and I was going straight back to the refuge.…And no matter what anyone says, you knew that." She paused and let all her emotions surface, "I've worked as your messenger for years, I was loyal to you, and no matter how you treated me I always treated you with respect! You treated me like you treat Mr. Sykes and Jonathan – you intimidated us and never showed us respect. So here's what I'm going to say to you: If you want a message delivered, either do it yourself or pay the messenger boys...And don't you ever use my daughter's name, or her funeral, for one of your headlines again."

"Ya sure dat's all you want to say to him?" Jack whispered in her ear.

Floaty nodded, "I've said all I need to say."

Pulitzer glared at her. "They've corrupted you, Emmalyn, but I can fix that. You can come back to work for me…."

"Mr. Pulitzer, in a way I'll be working for you…." She paused, "I'll be selling newspapers," a smile crossed her face. "Come to think of it, now that I no longer work for you….I can drop the lady act and be who I really am." She turned to Jack, "Great job, Jacky-boy, this is from Brooklyn!" She trapped the taller newsboy in a huge hug and whispered, "I'm so proud of ya, Jack….Thanks for makin' sure my voice was heard."

Jack returned the hug, "Thanks, your highness," he winked. "Lily's voice was heard too, Davey and I made sure of dat earlier." He turned back to Pulitzer who had turned away from them.

"Well, Joe? What will it be?" Jack asked, "We stay here day and night letting our voices be heard….Or you lower da prices of papes and pay us more for da papes we sell."

A few minutes later Jack walked out of the World building and the newsies parted like the red sea for him. All anxiously awaited to hear the news; Floaty walked next to Spot and took his hand.

"Well, what happened?" He asked.

"You'll see," she smirked.

Jack put Les onto his shoulders and shouted, "We beat 'um!"

The next hour was filled with chaos, a celebration, Snyder being arrested and Crutchy, Ten-Pin, and the other children in the refuge were released. Teddy Roosevelt arrived and shook Jack's hand and took him to the train station. The newsies were upset, but the newsboy leader soon returned and thanked the governor for his help and agreed to save more money and go to Santa Fe later. Spot and Floaty returned to Brooklyn in Roosevelt's carriage (something Spot bragged about for months afterwards).

Five months after the strike, Spot proposed but both agreed on a long engagement, they wanted to save money for their own home. Then, on St. Patrick's Day, Floaty gave birth to she and Spot's first baby, Katrina.

Vixen watched as Oscar leaned over Floaty's still body, his knife in hand. Vampire wanted the Brooklyn Queen dead. He felt that was the only way he could force Spot to snap and start a war with Harlem.

"Hurry up and kill her already!" She hissed, "Spot's going to be up here any minute!"

Oscar's heart pounded as he stared down at the unconscious newsgirl lying in front of him. The back of her head was bleeding, but she was still alive. His fingers gripped the hilt of the knife tighter; he didn't want to kill Floaty. He was still angry with her for turning down his marriage proposal and for soaking him in the alley way that day two years ago.

"If ya want her dead, Vixen, you do it." He growled and tossed the knife onto the floor beside Spot's cane. "I ain't doin' it."

"What do you mean you won't do it? You agreed!"

"I agreed until I grew a brain. Da newsies would soak me, but Trench would kill me." He climbed through the window and out to the fire escape and tipped the brim of his bowler cap, "Good luck to you, Vixen. If ya kill her, you'll need it."

As Oscar was halfway down the fire escape he heard Spot's shout and the voices of several angry newsies. Back inside the lodging house, Spot knelt down onto the floor and pulled Floaty into his arms while Wolf and Knight dragged Vixen in front of him.

Spot glared up at her with a sneer, "Ya wanted a war, Vixen? You got one. You better warn Vampire dat I'm comin' and I'm bringin' hell with me!"

The two newsboys released the Harlem newsgirl, who brushed herself off. "If you think what happened today is bad, then you have another thing coming!" She turned and ran out, when the lodging house's door slammed shut, Floaty's eyes blinked open.

"Spot?" She muttered.

"Floats, I'm right here," he whispered, "Are you ok?"

"Head hurts….Katrina?"

"Katrina's fine," he smiled, "I made sure when I walked in. A doctor's on his way, yer gonna be alright."

"Spot….Oscar….he…."

"Oscar Delancey hit ya? He did this to you?"

Floaty nodded, "I…I think I saw Vixen in the room when he walked in….She was saying something about Vampire getting his revenge."

Spot frowned and pulled her closer to him.

"Spot what was she talking about?" Floaty cuddled closer into him, her heart was still racing and her body shook from head to toe. She had almost died and Oscar and Vixen could have killed Katrina as well and there would have been nothing she could do to stop them. The thought of losing another child terrified her; she lost Lily, she would never lose Katrina. Never.

"Floats…" Spot paused, "I need to tell ya somethin'."

"What?"

"Vampire is me younger brother. When….Marti made me da leader of Brooklyn and I had to prove meself to be tough, I crossed the line."

Floaty's eyebrows rose in shock, "Spot…You never…."

"I couldn't. Jacky-boy, Sport, and Wolf are da only other beside you who know."

"So he wants revenge because you never told anyone he's your brother?" Her head felt light and the room was beginning to slowly spin.

"No…" Spot shook his head. "He wants revenge because he thinks I took somethin' of his, when I didn't."

"What did you take?"

"Da love of his life, Emily Delancey. She's da Delancey brother's little sister. Vampire was head over heels for her a few years before I met ya. I kept warnin' him she was trouble, but he wouldn't listen and tried to court her, but she turned him down each time. She fell for me instead, and I didn't want nothin' to do with her…I sent me of me newsies to walk her home. She may be a Delancey, but she was still a goil and it ain't safe for a goil to be walkin' home alone at night. Me newsie never returned and Emily went missin'."

"The reason why the Delanceys hate the newsies so much," Floaty muttered.

Spot nodded, unshed tears of guilt began pooling in his eyes. "Vampire blamed me for her disappearance and he still does to dis day. He won't rest until I'm either humiliated, dead, or Emily is found."

"We'll find her; Spot….We'll find her." Floaty whispered as the doctor walked in. She heard Spot calling her name but she couldn't stay awake any longer. Her head hurt too badly.

(A/N: Hi guys, the sequel to this story will be up in a few days. :-))