The next morning the boys weren't sure if they should let Feister sleep in or wake her up and deal with her mood. On one hand she needed all the sleep she could get after what happened, but on the other there was papers to be sold, but on another, they didn't want to deal with her mood. Which is the last thing that was needed at the moment.

Before they made a decision Feister woke up and hopped down from the bunk and started getting ready for the day. She didn't say anything, or smile. She just got up and got ready.

Feister wasn't sure what to think, all she knew was that she felt empty without her best friend there. To make matters worse he was in the Refuge because of her. She blamed herself for everything that has been happening. It was her fault that everything got turned upside down. If it wasn't for her none of this would've happened.

Jack walked up to her and said, "Yer sellin' with Albert an' Ike today." Feister nodded and then went back to do who knows what. Jack started getting worried since Feister is never like this. She's usually the loudest in the whole Lodge. But it was also understandable why she was quiet.

Anyways, Feister was quiet for the rest of the time in the bunk room, and even quieter while selling, besides for yelling the headlines. After a while she finished selling and said she was going for a walk to clear her head. Before Albert and Ike could say anything she took off running to who knows where.

"I'll get Jack, you'se follow 'er fore she hurts herself," Albert said. Ike nodded and the two boys took off as fast as their legs could carry them.

───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────

In one of the many parks in New York, Feister plopped herself under a tree with her back pressed to the trunk and hugged her knees to her chest. She was sitting under the tree where she first learned how to sell. Memories came racing to her mind and she wished she could go back in time before everything got messed up.

"Hey," Albert said running up to her. "You ok?" Feister didn't answer. She looked down and then she felt him slip his hands under her arms and pull her up.

"Feisty listen ta me, Mush wouldn't want ya ta be all glum." Still no reply. Instead she only hugged him. The red head only hugged her back. "C'mon, let's go back ta the Lodge, ya look beat." Albert was hoping that would work, and luckily for him it did.

Once they approached the Lodge a boy had just walked out the door. And it wasn't one of the newsies. It was Will, who then noticed Albert and Feister; so he walked up to them. But Albert stepped in front of her and said, "You'se done enough damage."

But Will pushed past the red head and went up to Claire, who looked pretty shaken up by....everything that has been going on. "Claire I-" Before he could finish Feister punched Will right in the face that sent him back a few steps.

"I told you'se that if ya came near me or any of my bruddas yer face was gonna meet my fist," she said seriously before storming off to the bunk room. Albert just followed before anything else was said, since Feister pretty much covered it.

When Albert went into the bunk room he found Feister curled up in Mush's bunk looking like....not her usual self. That's when Jack came in with Crutchie, and Ike. All three of them walked up to Albert, who gave them a run down on what happened.

"I's knew she said she'd punch 'im, but I didn't think she'd actually do it," Crutchie whispered.

"Well what did ya think was gonna would happen?" Albert asked quietly.

"I wish I's saw that," Jack said since he really wanted to soak Will, who had been causing trouble since he stepped foot into the city. If it wasn't bad enough that Feister's past came back for her, the Delanceys got put into the mix, Mush ended up in the Refuge and Feister was a lump of sadness.

"Well, what do we's do now?" Ike asked.

"Crutch, Ike can you'se watch 'er for a little bit? I'll get Specs ta come by later an' check up on things."

"Sure thing Cowboy," Ike replied. Jack nodded then he left with Albert. Crutchie sat down at the round table near the window. Before sitting down Ike went to his bunk and grabbed a deck of cards he kept under his mattress and he and Crutchie started playing gold fish, poker, and war.

Obviously they played each game after they got board with the other. When they played every card game they knew they then started to build a house of cards. So far they only got the first level down and they were about to start the second one.

"Ya think Mush will make it outta the Refuge?" Ike asked.

"He will," Crutchie replied as he took two cards and placed it on top of the first row they made.

"Yer sure?" Ike asked as he did the same thing Crutchie did. "I's know he's a tough guy, but the Refuge is no playground. Fore here Mike an' I's came here we's got trapped...an'...." he couldn't finish.

"Look, we's all worried. But when Feisty wakes up we's gotta put on a brave face for 'er. She's already been through a lot fore she came here. A lotta bad stuff happened ta 'er that she wants ta forget; but now that Will's here it's only makin' it worse, an' if that ain't enough Mush is in the Refuge an' she's real worried that the worst is gonna happen. So we's hafta show 'er that we's there for 'er, ok?"

"Hey Crutch, when Mush gets out do ya think that he an' Feisty will get together?" Ike asked.

"What makes ya say that?" Crutchie knew (just like the others) that Mush and Feister have very strong feelings for each other, but they didn't say anything. And it was painful to watch two people who were in love with not spill their true feelings.

"Well...one, they's obviously like each other a lot, two, they'd make a cute couple, an' three...I have the next two weeks down in the betting pool," Ike said the last part quickly. Crutchie chuckled and shook his head.

Of course that's why Ike was asking. About three years ago Race started a betting pool on when Mush and Feister would make it official. So far nothing and nobody got their money. However, the betting money didn't go to waste.

When the year was over they would always take the jar and use it to buy food, clothes, cold medicine, papers, and other necessary things. So it was a win, win.

They got to have their gambling fun and get the stuff they needed. Anyways few hours later they finished the house of cards and the two boys weren't sure what to do next. That's when Specs came into the bunk room to checked on the two boys and sleeping girl.

"Everything ok? Specs asked as he walked into the room to see Feister was buried under the covers and was fast asleep. He also saw that Crutchie and Ike had made a house of cards and were sitting around doing who knows what.

"Yup," they both replied.

"Did she wake up?" He asked the younger boys. Crutchie and Ike shook their heads. Specs just sighed as he took a seat at the table. He looked over at Feister, who was still asleep. Now, it was pretty well known that Feister is the feistiest newsie out there. She has walls that are stronger than bricks and has never let anything or anyone get into her head. But now that Will's back and Mush is in the Refuge, well...who knows how this would end