...
when amara got back to brooklyn, spot was busy with the young ones, a few of them clinging to his legs like a monkey. amara laughed softly under her breath, picking a couple of them up and carrying them bridal style.
"yous looked like yous needed some help," she grinned, rocking them back and forth.
spot sighed, running a hand through his hair. "lake gave 'em sugar," he explained, flopping onto the couch, exhausted.
amara laughed softly, carrying the little ones back to their bunks. she placed them on their beds, one by one, and tucked them in. it was something she did often - take care of the young newsies. she was one of the only girlsies in brooklyn, so naturally all the boy's gave her the job of being a mother. she didn't mind, but little kids were full of energy.
once they had all piped down and they were hidden under the covers, amara walked outside to the bridge, finding her little hideaway and falling asleep almost instantly.
...
amara woke up around noon to the sound of a cow bell being swung in front of her ears. "what the fuck..." she mumbled under her breath, looking up to see a familiar brunette boy with a grin on his face.
"mornin' sunshine," ace laughed lowly, stumbling back a little when amara kicked him in the knee. "i see the bell works," he grinned as he got back on his feet.
"no shit, sherlock," she grumbled, yawning. "why the bell?"
ace tossed it back and forth between his hands. "seein' if it'll woik for the boys, plus, it's noon, and yous hasn't moved," he shrugged, tossing her the black hat lying on the floor. "yous got any plans?"
"stayin' the hell away from you," amara groaned, pulling her suspenders up over her shoulders and adjusting her hat.
" 'ey, i's was just jokin' around," he pouted, leaning up against the wall. "yous goin' explorin'?"
ace was the only person out of the brooklyn newsies who knew she liked running away. why, he didn't know, but he knew she wasn't the type of person to open up immediately.
amara took a step closer to him, putting a finger to his lips. "shut up, spot coulda heard yous," she shushed him, slipping her shoes on.
ace put his hands up in defense, noticing her limping a little as she tied up her shoes. "ya' leg alright?"
she stopped. "i's fine," she looked up, brushing dirt off of her top.
ace didn't buy it, but said nothing.
tightening her pony tail, amara grinned softly. "yous okay wit' lookin' afta the lil ones if i's don't come back t'night?" amara asked ace, her accent jumping out a little.
ace raised an eyebrow. "where yous goin'?"
" 'hattan," she said simply. "i knows a guy."
"alright," ace shrugged, shoving her in the shoulder. "stay safe."
"god, yous sound like spot," she laughed, pulling herself up out of her hideaway under the bridge and down the pavement, speeding her pace to a slow run.
...
when amara got into manhattan, it was barely two thirty - she had to keep stopping, her leg hurt like hell - and the first face she saw was the redhead's from yesterday....albert? she hobbled over to him, a smile on his face.
"well look who it is," he returned the smile she gave him, immediately looking down at her leg. "yous okay?"
"fine," she assured him, leaning up against the wall he was standing near. "asshole from yesterday thought it was the pavement."
"oscar?" he asked, realising his mistake. "the guy from da paper stand, i's mean."
amara nodded, remembering that name. oscar. "yeah."
albert rolled his eyes. "ion know what's so fucked up in his head - sorry about the language."
"it's fine, yous got a good reason to be upset," she hit him in the shoulder with her shoulder, grinning.
albert nodded, leaning against the wall with her. "ion think i's caught your name yesterday."
"amara," she smiled. "yous albert, right?"
"right," he said, rolling his tongue around her name a couple of times. he adjusted his hat, looking up to catch someone's eye contact. " 'ey, what took yous so long?" he shouted, rolling his eyes at whoever he was talking to.
amara looked up to catch a very familiar blonde's gaze. "calm down, i's was just talkin'," racetrack stuck his tongue out at albert, glancing over at amara. "what's you doin' here?"
"ain't i's allowed to roam around?" she shot back, stepping up to ruffle his hair. she grinned as his cheeks tinted softly "needed a break from fam'ly."
"yous got folks?" albert asked. it seemed to be a popular question these last few days.
"nah, siblings," amara explained, sticking her hands in her pockets. "can we's keep movin'? m' leg's fallin' asleep," she groaned, shaking it a little. a surge of pain rushed through it and she winced softly.
"yous alright?" racetrack asked, the cheeky grin slipping off his face.
"fine," amara said again, though it was stinging like hell. "at least i's will be when we's keep movin'," she sassed, elbowing him in the ribs.
there was a look that albert and racetrack threw each other which amara knew meant they didn't believe her, but the three started to walk down the street anyway.
...
they walked like that, the three of them together for the next couple of hours. albert and race sold their papers, one by one, amara using her charm every so often. soon enough, it was night, and they walked back to the lodging house.
"why don't yous stay over tonight?" albert offered to amara.
amara shook her head. "nah, i couldn't. fam'ly, y'know?" she shrugged.
"maybe another time, then?" racetrack asked hopefully, his eyes shining a diamond blue.
amara opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted by a shout from down the street. "amara!" the figure waved out, and the girl recognized that voice.
"jojo?" she tilted her head as he ran up to her. he almost skipped to her, engulfing her in a hug. " 'ey, take it easy, bruises," she laughed, pulling her shirt back a little to reveal a purple mark on her shoulder.
racetrack whistled. "rough night?" he joked, elbowing albert to get him in on the joke.
"that's one way 'ta put it," jojo pulled away a little, the grin slipping off his face. "oscar found her. he didn't do much compared to what she did to him," the smile returned, remembering the way she stood up to him.
amara bowed a little, her eyes sparkling. "i's wasn't that good," she laughed.
she turned to albert and racetrack, and then the lodging house. ace could look after the little ones.
"yous got a spare bunk?" she asked, smiling softly.
"what about your siblings?" albert tilted his head.
amara shrugged. "i's got a brudda who can look after 'em," she explained, turning to jojo.
his eyes were wide, smiling like it was christmas. "come on, then," he laughed, taking her by the hand and dragging her in through the house, taking amara by surprise.
"slow down," she laughed through the pain, hopping along.
jojo barely got any slower, taking her to an empty bunk, which was, ungratefully, at the very end of the room.
amara took a second to breathe, resting her on her good leg. "this where i's gonna stay?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
jojo nodded. "we's gonna hafta check wit' jack first though. i's sure it'll be fine, he just needs 'ta know," he explained, hoping amara wouldn't get worried. she just smiled softly, and curled up her knuckles to hide the stinging in her calf.
"i heard my name?" a tall boy with messy brown hair swung down from a bunk across from...well amara wouldn't call it "her's".
"speak of the devil," jojo laughed, stepping aside as the new boy walked over. "amara, 'dis is jack. he takes care of us boys," jojo introduced him as jack held out her hand for amara to shake.
amara shook it firmly, smiling. "nice 'ta meet ya. heard of yous," she shifted against the bunk, drumming her fingers on her leg.
jack raised an eyebrow. "where? i ain't seen you 'round these parts before - well, not until yesterday."
amara cursed internally, hoping she won't blow her cover. "just whispers. famous jack kelly, escaped the refuge on teddy roosevelt's carriage. that's all," she replied, sending him a cocky smirk.
jack laughed. "ain't surprised that's what you heard. what you pulled yesterday was pretty severe, though," he grinned a smile that made amara blush a little. so he was a charmer.
"well, the extreme always seems to make an impression," she held her head up high, laughing a little.
folding his arms, jack leaned up against the bunk next to amara's. "yous got attitude. i admire that," he winked, and jojo rolled his eyes.
"that's enough," he slapped jack lightly on the shoulder. "yous can leave now."
jack groaned in mock annoyance, which made amara laugh. "see yous around," he grinned, swinging around the corner.
"see yous," amara laughed, rolling her eyes. "what was that?"
"jack thinks he can charm every goil he meets. he's just messin' witcha," jojo explained.
amara sighed. "makes sense," she began, but then winced. a sharp pain shot up her leg, and she sat down on the bed. "i'm fine," she mumbled, raising a hand before jojo could say anything. "just need a second."
jojo didn't argue, instead left her in peace - which amara was grateful for. the next couple of hours she sat there, waiting for the pain to die down.
eventually, it got a little better - but it was dark and she didn't want to move in case it hurt even more.
she fell asleep soon after, but not peacefully.
It was dark. Everything was. She could barely see - the smoke clouded her vision and her lungs felt like they were on fire. She coughed out, looking around for someone - anyone to help.
"Papa?" She called out, her voice hoarse. It was hot, so hot, and it took everything she had not to faint. "Mama?"
Then she saw it. She saw the light. It was a bright orange, the light flickering up and out of the door. She stepped towards it, the heat immediately striking across her stomach. A yelp of pain escaped her lips as she fell backwards, hugging her waist in pain.
amara shook awake, her palms dripping with sweat. she looked around. it was dark, but a different kind of dark, and there was light, but a different kind of light. she exhaled, relieved.
her head fell back, hitting the matress. air blew out of her lips as she tried to calm down. her heart was still racing at a hundred miles an hour, and it felt like it was about to jump out of her ribs.
she looked around.
no-one was awake.
nobody had noticed.
amara went back to sleep after that.