In 1899, the street of New York City echoed with the voices of newsies, peddling the newspapers of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst and other giants of the newspaper world. On every street corner you saw 'em, carrying the banner, bringing you the news for a penny a pape. Poor orphans and run aways, the newsies were a ragged army, without a leader, until one day when all that changed. Lead by Jack Kelly, the newsies' strike called the working children to believe in something better. With over a hundred voices ringing through the streets, the newsies won the war against the newspaper giants. The story of the strike may have come to a close, but the stories of its heroes remains open.

"Hey, Jack! Happy New Year!"

Jack Kelly turned and waved to his friend with a giant smile and raised glass, "Happy New Years to yas too, Mush!"

Jack lowered his glass and drank thirstily of it's contents, the bitter flavor of beer washing over his tongue and mouth like an old friend's kiss. He wiped the wetness and froth left on his upper lip and sighed in content. What a night. It was the night of the New Year, the new millennium David had called it but that was no matter to him. It was an excuse to get wasted and that's all he needed. And since there was a huge hype about the whole turn on the century deal, he planned to go strong and remember nothing.

David on the other hand, who stood next to his friend with tired disappointment, seemed more intent on mingling and watching Medda perform on the stage in Irving Hall which was filled to the brim with all the newsies from the lodge and plenty a drunkard who'd wondered in off the streets for a good show. His shadow had remained at home, the younger sibling Les being deemed to young for the excitement the night promised. David glanced once more at the group of friends he'd acquired being a newsie, Kid Blink, Racetrack, Crutchy Skittery, Specs, Boots, Mush, and especially Jack, who all held tall glasses of alcohol in there hands with wild looks in there eyes. Each and every one of them were well on there way to getting drunk off there feet, some of their speech slurred so badly already that nothing they said made any sense anymore. Their accents didn't help in those matters much.

"Hey, Dave, why yous looking so glum?" Racetrack asked, leaning forward and breathing the awful stench of beer over the other's face.

David grimaced and pulled closer to Jack, "Look at you guys. It's not even midnight yet and your all a mess."

Jack smiled and slung an arm around his sober friend, "Loosen up, Davey! It's not evr'y year that wes gets a mullemiun!"

"Yeah, Davey, 'ave eh drink." Crutchy held out a long necked brown bottle with the label peeled off, forcing it in David's direction while the others cheered him on. "Hold it, guys." Jack intervened, "David here, he's got to protect them brains of his. That ways he don't end up like the rest of us. Give um a soda, will ya Kid? Give our friend David a soda so hes can have a drink."

Kid Blink nodded and jumped up, grabbing a soda from a bar hidden in the crowd and getting the bar tender to splash a little alcohol in it as well. He smiled at his deviousness and winked at Mush with his one eye as he approached the group again. Mush began laughing and slapped him on the back as he passed the drink to David and watched as he sipped from it cautiously. It wasn't till an hour and a few refills latter that the rest of the group got in on the joke.

"You know, you guys are great. Really, I mean, you're all great. Just great." David slurred, his hands and head just bobbing meaninglessly to his words.

Jack put his glass down and looked from David to Kid who was angrily pushing Mush who leaned heavily on his arm. He took David's glass and drank a little of the soda, recognizing the bitter aftertaste as something not familiar with coke.

"Alright, who's the wise guy who spiked the drink?" he asked. Mush laughed from his stupor as Kid Blink continued to push at him. Not wanting to get into any drunken brawls just yet, Jake sat down next to David, "Well, Mr. Educated, looks like you're drunk as the rest of us. You holdin' out okay?"

David nodded but his face was an odd shade of green, "Oh yeah. I've never felt better in my life." He turned his head and looked at his friend, "You know Jack, you're great."

Jack watched as his face started to roll forward and decided fresh air was in need. Grabbing his arm, he pulled David from his chair and managed to drag him out of the hustle of the crowded Hall and into the streets. Almost as soon as there feet touched the cool snow slicked ground, David stumbled forward and puked by the side of the building.

"Guess some people just can't hold their liquor."

Jack looked up and over to a pair of blue-green eyes that looked out from the shadows of the alley. The girl walked forward, a practiced ease to her steps even on the iced sidewalk.

"Well, if your friend 'ere decided to retoin his deposit, he came to the roight place."

Jack cocked his brow but understood as he heard an encore of puking coming from around the corner in the alley itself. "Yous got a friend back there?" he asked.

"Yup." The girl moved closer, holding her shawl tighter in the winter night's air, "Decided she could hold down some hard liquor. Guess she was wrong."

"At least your friend knew what she had comin'. My poor pal 'ere got his sody spiked."

The girl winced in sympathy and patted the ruffle of curls on top of the boy's head as he leaned his face into the cold bricks, "Tough break."

Jack nodded and patted David's back as he started to act like more was coming. Out of the corner of his eyes he spied a wave of ringlet curls as they moved from out of the shadows and into the street lamps light. He turned his head and eyed the long slender body and the crimson gown that clung to it. His eyes wondered up to the perfect red lips and the enthralling blue stare that held him in place like time frozen still. Her hair had natural roman gold ringlets that framed her face then wound up into a bun with the rest hanging down her back. He looked back at the girl who had first come out of the shadows who was busy now scratching the nape of David's neck. Her dress was very similar, only black, with her dark brown hair perfectly strait and falling down loosely like a waterfall of satin. He recognized their dress more than their faces. They were Medda's girls, beautiful dolls meant for stage entertainment.

"Hey, Chris. I think I'm done." The blonde said with a small smile directed more at Jack, whose eyes had once again fallen to her.

The first girl, Chris, looked up, then to her friend, then to Jack, and then back. "Lucie, why don't you meet my new friends here? This is Tall and Handsome," she said, direction towards Jack, "And this one is throwing up."

Jack stepped forward and gave a dashing smile, "As good a name as Tall and Handsome sounds, you can call me Jack Kelly."

Lucie smiled and extended her hand which Jack took and kissed, his eyes holding hers with each motion.

"You know, Lucie, I'm starting to feel pretty badly. I think I'm gonna stay out here for a while. You can go on in if you'd like."

Lucie nodded at her and looked to Jack who took for the opening with lightening speed, "Why don't we both go back in? I mean, if she's gonna stay out here, David can keep her company. So I should repay the gesture and keep you company too, don't you think?"

Lucie smiled and took the arm her offered her, "I'd say that sounds like a good idea."

Chris winked at Lucie as she entered the building with Jack, a devious smile lighting her features. "I'd say that takes care of the both of um. Wouldn't you?"

David straitened up and turned around, finally feeling less lightheaded and more confident that there was no more to come out. He stumbled away from the brick wall and towards a bench laid out by the streets edge where he gracelessly plopped his body like a heavy sack of grain. Chris followed, sweeping aside the snow and sitting on the cold surface. It was nearly midnight. The streets were empty and the noise from within the building was growing. Looking over at her off-colored accomplice, she saw his head limply drooping over his shoulder. He'd passed out. She scooted closer and wrapped part of she shawl around him as well, sighing in wishful regret.

"Well, Lucie," she exclaimed to herself, "At least one of us is going to have a happy New Year."

"So how'd you become one o' Medda's girls?" Jack inquired of Lucie as he escorted her back into the warmth of the building.

"Well, we got here a week ago, Chris and I, and we needed jobs, but nobody would give us one. Medda found us on the street playing songs for change, and because she's such a great woman, as you probably know, she said we could come audition for her. So we did, and she decided we'd be great for the New Year's show. And here we are." By this time, Jack had become bored. After all, he was still drunk.

Lucie laughed and asked him what he was doing in New York. To this he replied "I'm havin' me a great time!" , gave her a big kiss, and ran off to find his buddies.

When he returned to where his fellow newsies were, he forcefully asked, "Alright, who spiked Davey's sody pop, huh?!" Jack was quite upset with the fact that some one had made his good friend vomit. All the newsies there grew silent. They knew what was coming. Jack asked again, looking in the direction of Kid Blink, Mush, and Crutchy, "I said, what bastard spiked my good buddy Davey's drink?!"

Mush and Crutchy, being scared out of their wits at Jack's unusually forceful anger, both point at Kid Blink. Jack clenched his fists, "Well, get ready for da soakin' of your life!"

With that, he lunged toward Blink, and he hit him in the nose before the others could get Jack off.

Blink reeled at the impact, his head bobbing backwards as his fists came up to block any further blows. The others, Racetrack and Crutchy to be precise, had Jack by the chest while his arms continued to reach out towards him.

Kid Blink swung back and let his right fist smash into Jacks face, hitting him right in the left eye and starting at his gut for the next punch.

Jack tripped Crutchy's crutch from his arm and kicked it towards Blink who stumbled back long enough for Jack to disengage Racetrack from his body. He sailed towards the other, landing both himself and Blink on a table, fist flying and assembly shouting both encouragement and fits of fear.

"Let off him, Jack!" Skittery shouted, trying to pull them apart. An elbow in the face sent him sailing away.

Lucie watched what had started as a single fight become an arena of morbid fascination. Flocks of people gathered to see Kid Blink and Jack Kelly beat the living shit out of each other.

Medda had come out on stage to see what the fuss was all about. Lucie quickly moved to the stage and walked to wings where the Swedish meadowlark stood in question.

"What's going on out there?"

Lucie shook her head frantically, "Some guy named Jack Kelly got in a fight with a kid with an eye patch for spiking another guys drink."

"Kelly?" Medda squinted her eyes and made out the ruffled young man with the red bandana in the middle of the crowd, "God, he's been drinking again. I hate mad drunks but a manic drunk can be damn well impossible if you ask me." With that she made her way to center stage, waving her giant purple feather in the air, "Gentlemen, gentlemen!" she called out to the masses. The buzz of excitement parted like the sea before Moses. "Thank you for the show, boys, but leave the entertainment to the professionals!"

A hearty air of laughter turned the crowd from the fight to the stage where Medda began to sing and dance.

Racetrack by this time had escorted Kid Blink to the other side of the Hall while Mush coaxed Jack into a less aggressive mood, offering more to drink and giving him a seat to view the show. The clock on the wall read 11:47.

Backstage, Lucie watched her mentor amuse the crowd, impressed by the air of sophistication she kept around her even in the midst of drunken cat-calls.

"That Jack Kelly. If he woin't such a cute kid he'd be a damn right nuisance."

Lucie turned to see another girl like herself, dressed in a bright yellow gown with a feathered hairpiece. She was the count down girl this New Years. "You know him too?"

The girl chuckled lightly, "I don't know a single poirson who don't know Jack Kelly. Da guy led the newsie stroike for cryin' out loud! Kid's a celebrity round dese parts." She looked at Lucie with a glimmer of recognition, "You're one of dose new girls, ain't ya?"

Lucie nodded, "Me and Chris came in just a few weeks ago. She's from around these parts originally but it's my first time."

"Well, yous betteh get used to seeing ol' Jacky-Boy cause he's always around in da winteh." The count down girl straitened her floppy feather, "Of coise he's not usually bad drunk like he is tonight, being new years and all. Trust me though, by the time summeh comes 'round, you'll've hoid every story he's got. And ain't nobody tell 'um like Jack dose."

Lucie looked back out the wing of the stage at the smiling and singing young man who she'd met outside. Her fingers drifted to her lips where the faintest ruminants of a kiss still lingered. She'd been kissed by the local hero.

When Medda's song was over, she declared to the audience, "My friends! The time is 11.50, which leaves us ten minutes of the last year of the 19th century!" Medda continued, but Lucie realized that she and Chris were on after the count down. She ran out to where they had been outside before to find Chris sitting on a bench with a passed out drunk.

She yelled to her, "Chris, we're on after the count down. We've got ten minutes. What are we gonna do to get him back in?"

"Go in and find someone to carry him in. I don't think we could do it," she replied.

"Aw, geez, that means I have to talk to someone," Lucie didn't like just walking up to people and asking for their help, but she had no choice. She rushed back in to find someone.

Meanwhile, Chris lifted the drunk's head and began to lightly slap his face, "Come on. Wake up, okay? You're a big boy, you can walk by yourself." She coached, "Just wake up and shake it off cause I've got to go inside soon."

David's head groggily swam from left to right before his eyes opened. He looked at the sky for a moment, then at Chris who wore a half smile. "Who are you?"

Chris's smile broadened, "My all time favorite question coming from a drunk. Don't you remember me? We met when you were puking."

David sat up slowly, cradling his head, "When I was what?" he stopped, his nostrils flaring, "Do you smell that?" he asked.

"You mean da odor of a drunk? Yes. Think you could stand?"

He squinted and popped his neck, "I'm not drunk. I just had a couple sodas."

Chris rolled her eyes and sat back down, "Well, at least your awake."

"You still haven't told me who you are," he mused, "My name is David. David Jacobs"

"Christina Farrel."

"Thanks." He said, leaning back with long calm breaths.

"It's no problem," she looked back towards the door, hopeful to see Lucie and company but rewarded only with the closed doors.

Lucie looked around the room but could find only dumb drunks having a hard enough time keeping themselves on there feet. She spotted Jack, hoping that he could sober up enough to drag his friend back in but found her hopes diminish as she watched another glass of booze drip down his mouth.

"Dear Lord is there anybody in here who's not drunk and a woman?" she asked herself. She thought of just getting one of the other girls to take over for Chris but happily turned in time to see David walking on his own through the doors with Chris under his arm for minor support. Lucie walked over there and excused herself and Chris from his company, running up the isle to the back stage where the count-down girl was just beginning to walk out on stage.

"Great timing." Lucie said, sweeping the feathers in her hair.

" It's amazing what a good puke and a few minutes of being unconscious can do to sober one up." Chris joked. "Speaking of, you feeling alright?"

"I'll feel better when things are over and everything's gone right." They watched as the girl on stage teased the boys in the audience as she began to count.

"10…9…8.."

As the count down commenced Medda brought a couple of glasses of champagne for Lucie and Chris to toast with at midnight, then walked with them out onto the stage as they came to "5… 4… 3… 2… 1! Happy New Year!" everyone shouted, and toasted, and sang the usual song.

When that was settled down, the count down girl left, and Medda introduced the two young ladies. "Gentlemen, I thank you for coming on this festive occasion, and it is my great pleasure to introduce the newest members of our company. The lovely Amara Tears and Nova." The audience applauded and cheered as they welcomed the unseemingly nervous girls.

David had found Jack before the count down and they were both watching intently as the girls took the stage. Amara walked half way across the stage and stood facing the audience while Nova went a bit further and sat on a stool with a guitar. The one began strumming and picking the strings and then the other began to sing with a voice that filled the entire building. All the audience watched with awe, but none with the same amount as Jack and David. They knew who they really were; they were the girls from the alley.

"Hey Dave, look at that! They're really good!" Jack spoke, his eyes mesmerized by the delicate yet forceful manner the guitar string were strummed and pulled. Lucie -er- Nova, looked captivated by her own music, her eyes half closed with only the rhythm of the room and her heart as reminders where she was.

David hardly heard Jack's announcement over the siren's song. This Amara Tears was boisterous and loud, smiling and energetic. Their song made the audience sway in tune and after a few rounds of the chorus, most jumped right in. David wished it was only her and the spice of the guitar in the air once again.

Nova looked up at Amara and gave a nod for the final refrain. Her hands began to tumble down the six strings in delicate patterns, exciting the notes to fly. Amara Tears let the last note hang, her hands extended outwards and a bring smile enhanced by the stage lighting. There was no pause before the applause, just a roar or clapping and cat calls that mingled with the last harmony of song.

Jack stood up, clapped the loudest, his drunken exploits leading Nova to both laugh and grimace. Standing beside him, a hypnotized looking David clapped mutely, starring as if at angels.

"Ain't I the luckiest sonuvabitch!" Jack said, turning to the table and grabbing another glass, "You know that doll with the guitar?" he asked, "I kissed her!"

Racetrack laughed and slapped Jack across the shoulders, "Hey, Jack, ain't ya supposed to kiss 'um after midnight?"

Jack's smile faded as he began to think, "Hey, you're right. Hey, Davey!" he wrapped an arm around his friend, "What ya say wes go thank the nice goils for takin' such good care of yas?"

Before David could protest, Jack was dragging him down the aisle towards the stage.

Medda met them at the wings with her feather fan jutting forward to stop them, "And just where do you think you're going, boys? The party's out there."

Jack smiled goofily, "Ah, Medda, you know me!"

"Yes, I do, " Medda frowned, "This wouldn't by any chance be about Nova and Amara would it?"

"Now that you mention it," Jack pulled David in front of him, "Ya see, David 'ere owes yer Amara a thank you and well, I figure, being new years and all-"

Medda frowned, "Oh Jack. You're a mess." She looked down at his untucked shirt with stains from spilled beer littering the dark grey material. He looked down at himself as well then back at Medda with big brown puppy dog eyes and a small pout, "Well…" she looked over her shoulder, "I'll see if I can bring them to you…"

She walked back towards the dressing room where Lucie and Christina were changing out of the their bright and colorful stage costumes and into less flashy garments.

"Girls, there are a couple of gentlemen who want to see you out by the wing." She raised an questioning eyebrow, "Does this have any connection to you both almost being late for your number?"

Chris smiled nervously, "Oh.. I had hoped you hadn't noticed dat.. it was kinda my fault… you're not going to fire us.. are you?"

Medda laughed and put a hand on both girl's shoulders, "After a performance like that? I'd have to be crazy!" she laughed and pulled them both out of the dressing room, "Just tell me though, how exactly did you meet them?" she pointed to the two boys standing by the wing doors.

Chris gave a side-glance to Lucie who just kinda of blushed as Jack smiled and waved. "Oh, outside getting a breath of fresh air." Chris explained, pushing Lucie forward.

Medda laughed again and stepped aside, "You tell Kelly that if he makes a habit of keeping my girls behind schedule, I'll have to limit his access back stage."

"I hear yas Medda!" Jack called out, waving goodbye to her while leaning on a rope that extended from floor to ceiling.

Chris walked up to David and looked him over slowly, "Well, you look much better. You holding out okay indoors?"

David found his mouth useless and responded with a steady nod.

"Yeah, he's okay now, aren't ya David!" Jack gave him a sturdy shake and smiled as he regained his balance, "Infact, we's were doing so well that we's were wonderin' if yous guys was familiar with the new years custom around 'ere?"

Lucie looked to Chris who gave Jack a critical glance, "I didn't take you for a guy who takes much interest in customs and superstition."

Jack put his hand over his heart as if it pained him, "I care very much for customs! Just ask any of da boys. I never let a pretty head go unnoticed under the mistletoe."

Lucie chuckled, "So, it's a kissing thing then."

Jack took her hand, "I knows I's already kissed yas before but think of that as your last kiss of the year! Nows all ya needs is your first of the new one!"

Lucie looked back to Chris but the girl offered no advice, merely shrugging. As she turned back around she found Jack's face close to hers and his arms strangely wrapped around her. In a second, his lips were on hers, a sweet embrace with the slight tang of alcohol in the mix. He pulled back almost as soon as she had realized what had happened, a big cheeky grin on his face.

"Happy New Years!"

She blinked a few times, not quite sure if she should slap him for being even more presumptuous than before or smile coyly.

Chris laughed, both at Jack's demeanor and at the confused look on her friends face. She looked at David from the corner of the eye and gave herself the 'why not' okay. She slipped her hand behind his neck and pulled him close, "Well?" she asked.

"Um.. I.."

She leaned his head down and kissed him. David's eyes flew open and he could hear Jack laughing though it sounded very far away and unreal. The only things that seemed real were the lips on his and the gloved fingers on the back of his neck. The grip on his neck left him as did the sparkling feeling on his lips as Chris pulled away and smiled.

"Um… thanks…"

Chris smiled and grabbed Lucie by the arm. Lucie who was still contemplating her reaction, jumped slightly, "Come on, Nova. We've got a big day tomorrow and I'm pretty sure Mr. Kelly and Jacobs do too."

As if on cue, Mush began to shout Jack's name out, "Jack! We're heading back to the lodge for a game of cards! Ya comin'?"

Jack tunred around and shouted back to Mush that he would be there in a minuet then turned back to the girls. They were gone.

"Hey, were-"

"They went to bed, Kelly," Medda said, appearing mysteriously from the curtains, "The World's gonna be printing tomorrow just the same as every other day. They're right, you should be going if you're gonna be selling in the morning."

"Your too kind," he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"With the hangover he'll have in the morning, It'll be a miracle if he gets out of bed at all." David proclaimed, finding his voice once again.

Medda shook her head and swatted them both off with her feathers and into the crowds that wildly cheered the next act appearing on the stage.