A/N 1: Sorry for the long wait! I had some discouraging words from a lot of people that made me hesitant to continue this, but I've gained back my interest and confidence for this story! Thank you all for your comments <3 THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE

Jack had to carry Morris back to the lodging house; in his panicked frenzy he'd forgotten about his stitches and almost ripped a few, causing for him to go into immense pain. Oscar stuck close to the two boys' side, but the rest of the newsies went off to continue their day's work and sell newspapers. Morris clung to Jack in humiliation as guilt knawed at his stomach. He could hear people snickering at them as they passed and he shrank back. Morris Jensen Delancey, the biggest baddie of New York City, was nothing more than a weak little boy that had to be carried in these people's eyes. Oscar never hesitated once with his scathing looks and sneers, but that stopped no one. Morris could even see that Jack was trying not to laugh, even as a small patch of blood soaked through onto his shirt. When they finally reach the newsies' lodge, Morris was so relieved he would have run upstairs himself if he hadn't been so weak.

"You twos can stay at da lodgin' house, for now, the rest of us will be back aroun' noon," Jack said as he settled Morris back into his bed with the help of Oscar. The other boy could only give him a silent nod, his face pale from pain and embarrassment. Jack nodded back and began to leave before Oscar stopped him.

"Hey Jack... thanks for everythin', we appreciate it. Nows that we don't got a job, though, you don't hafta keep us here. We can leave," Oscar said. Jack raised an eyebrow and turned right back around, folding his arms across his chest. Oscar and Morris both looked at him, Oscar looking more uneasy whereas Morris looked sadly defeated.

"Yous been talkin' bout this, haven't ya?" Jack asked with a sigh, rubbing his face and shaking his head in disbelief. "We can talk about it when da boys get back, but I ain't lettin' you go no where when Morris is like that. He wouldn't last a day on the streets," the newsboy pointed out. Oscar glanced at his brother sheepishly and shrugged, almost as if to say, 'Well, I tried, sorry'. Morris gave him a quick reassuring smile and addressed Jack directly for the first time since they'd arrived.

"Yous a good man, Jack Kelly. Now get along, da boys are probably wonderin' where ya ran off to," Morris said, joking a bit with the head newsies. Jack chuckled and nodded curtly before leaving the two brothers to themselves, closing the door behind him. Immediately, Morris' smile wiped away and his expression became stony. "We ain't stayin', Os. We can't." The younger Delancey brother looked down and nodded, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat.

"Where should we go?" Oscar asked, sitting down by Morris' bed. The older brother looked down at his hands for a moment before looking back up at the other, his expression almost unreadable. Unreadable, that is, to anyone but Oscar. Oscar paled and slumped back in his chair, his mouth going dry. He knew that look. He'd seen it before at least a dozen times. "Mo, I don't wanna go there... we don't gotta... we could just stay," he said weakly, his voice strained. Morris shook his head.

"We got no otha choice, Oscar. Dad's our only shot. And who knows, time can change ya. He might be better," Morris said, giving his brother the best smile that he could, knowing what he was saying was complete and utter horseshit, but they truly did have no other choice. Oscar leaned forward, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on them, staring blankly ahead. The two brothers sat in silence as Morris allowed Oscar to mull over it. They would only be a burden here, but Morris didn't want to do anything that Oscar didn't want to do. Oscar shifted his gaze to Morris, his eyes fearful.

"Promise you won't let 'im hit me?" Oscar whispered, his hands shaking a little and his knuckles white. Morris took one of his hands and squeezed it.

"Promise. We'll look out for each otha. I ain't sayin' we gotta stay there all the time...we just needs a place to sleep...alright?" Morris said quietly. Oscar closed his eyes and took a shaky breath before nodding.

"Alright. Let's go."

A/N 2: I'm thinking about doing a ship later in the story between a newsie and one of the Delancey brothers. Pick one of the newsies below and which brother you want them to be with. Don't worry, no matter which one you pick there will be development. And it won't be central to the plot but still very much there.

Race w/Oscar or Morris
Specs w/ Oscar or Morris
Crutchie w/ Oscar or Morris