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“We’s could take ‘im out with us.”
Race had suggested one morning trying to get the restless toddler dressed. Jimmy was now almost two and had figured out how to walk, and run a little, which meant he had started running rings around them all. The littles enjoyed it, now being able to include him in their games more, but for Jack and Race it was exhausting especially when it meant running around after him after a long day of selling papes. Race’s suggestion made Jack look up from where he was tying his boots.
“No. We’s both knows how dangerous it is out there.”
“Oh come on Jackie. ‘e’s gonna get ou’ sooner or later. Betta with us than ‘im escapin’ Ms Jacobs an being ou’ on ‘is own.”
Race finished dressing Jimmy and picked him up sitting him on his hip as he went over to Jack and sat beside him on the bed. Jimmy squirmed out of Race’s arms and crawled across his lap to get to Jack reaching for him and babbling.
“Papa.”
Jack couldn’t help but soften as he gently lifted Jimmy into his lap. Davey and Crutchie had been the ones that had pointed out Jack and Race were practically Jimmy’s dads and Jimmy was basically their son and it had sort of stuck. The littles had said Jack was his Papa and Race was his Mama so they had just gone with that, Race didn’t mind. Sure the two were only eighteen but they loved their little boy and had lots of help from all the lower Manhattan newsies. It had also led to a few of the older newsies becoming his uncles, not that he minded the little boy loved the attention. Jimmy’s eyes had greyed slightly as he’d gotten older, now more of a grey blue instead of the baby blue they’d been when Race found him, he’d also grown a head of soft blonde curls which were untameable at the best of times. Jack smiled gently petting his son’s soft curls.
“Hey buddy.”
Race smiled at them both and got up as Jimmy giggled flopping into Jack. Race kept glancing at his boys as he looked for Jimmy’s boots, their three caps, and his and Jack’s satchel bags. Jack gave in when Race gave him Jimmy’s boots and cap plus his own cap.
“I’s guess ‘e’ll be safer withs us. We’s can protect ‘im from the Delanceys.”
He sat Jimmy on his lap and got his boots on him then pulled his cap over his blonde curls before pulling his own on seeing Race do the same. Race pulled his satchel bag over his head and stuck his cigar in his mouth, he only ever chewed on them never actually lighting them, before going over to Jack giving him his bag and gently lifting Jimmy off his lap sitting him on his hip. Jack chuckled watching Jimmy innocently try to grab Race’s cigar out of his mouth, Race quickly taking it out and shoving it in his pocket out of reach of the toddler.
“You’s can’t ‘ave yer Mama’s cigar buddy.”
Race smiled bouncing Jimmy on his hip to try and keep the toddler from fidgeting. Jack let out a laugh at Race’s statement as he got up pulling his bag over his head before sneaking an arm around Race’s waist and giving him a quick kiss.
“Come on. We’s gotta go makes sure the fellas is ready.”
Race nodded giving him a quick kiss back before the two headed out locking the door behind them then heading downstairs.
The little newsies were quite excited about the idea of Jimmy coming with them all to sell papes and spent the journey to the circulation gate bouncing around Jack and Race until Specs and Crutchie calmed them down. Everything was going well until the Delanceys showed up to open the gate. Jack and Race had been standing at the front of the newsies as they usually did, being their leader and second after all, so the Delancey brothers had noticed the toddler wriggling impatiently in Race’s arms in an instant.
“Whatcha got there Racer?”
Oscar snarled as Race and Jack stepped through the gates, Jimmy trying to get free and run around. Race held him protectively as Jack put his hand on Race’s shoulder whispering to Jimmy making sure to be quite enough so the Delanceys wouldn’t hear what he said.
“Stay with yer Mama fer jus’ a bit longer buddy.”
Jack stood protectively to the side of the two and the older newsies started gathering behind ready to protect the littlest of their group as the Delanceys crowed into Race’s space. But Race didn’t back down even when Morris got right in his face with a snarl.
“So Racers got a kid. How’d that happen huh? Thought yous was a fag.”
He reached out to snatch the cap off of Jimmy’s head but before he could Jack shoved him away and within seconds about fifteen newsies were gathered tightly in a protective semicircle behind Race. Jimmy had stopped fidgeting entirely and was now curled tightly into Race shaking with fear. That completely tipped Jack over the edge. He marched up to the Delanceys grabbing them both by their collars and getting right in their faces.
“Listen ‘ere. Yous lay a hand on our boy and yous will have every newsie in Manhattan and Brooklyn after ya. An’ I’s can tells ya yous won’ live ta see another day if tha’s the case. So leaves ‘im alone.”
With that he shoved them both to the ground and went back over to where Race and all the other newsies were giving them death glares. When the brothers managed to get to their feet they took one look at the group of angry newsies and scrambled over to Weasel who just rolled his eyes and called out for the newsies to get their papes. As the others lined up behind Jack to get their papes Race sat down by one of the wagons to calm the terrified toddler. He was reasonably calm and much happier giggling and babbling to Race when Jack came over with two hundred papes, a hundred each for him and Race. Jimmy’s little face lit up when he saw Jack coming back and stood up on Race’s legs, Race holding him of course to make sure he wouldn’t fall, making grabby hands at Jack.
“Papa!”
Jack chuckled and set Race’s papes down beside him before picking up Jimmy and carefully swinging him around causing the toddler to squeal and giggle. Race grinned and took his cigar out of his pocket sticking it back in his mouth, now he didn’t have to worry about little toddler hands grabbing it, before putting his papes in his satchel bag. Jack sat Jimmy on his hip with big smile on his face looking over at Race briefly before looking back Jimmy.
“Yous ready ta be a newsie buddy?”
They knew Jimmy had no clue what that meant but the little boy still gave an enthusiastic nod as Jack kissed the top of his head before putting him down. Jack looked around scanning the group for Davey and Crutchie noting neither were too far away as he crouched down next to Jimmy.
“How’s abou’ yous go finds Uncle Davey an’ Uncle Crutchie yeah?”
Jimmy gave him another enthusiastic nod as Jack gently turned him in the right direction before letting him go and watching his son run off in the direction of Davey. Jack wasn’t too worried, there were plenty on newsies around to guide the toddler in the right direction and Davey was only half way across newsie’s square. Jack, Race, Davey, and Crutchie had decided to group up today obviously bringing Les and Jimmy with them. The four of them had decided it’d be easier to keep Jimmy safe if there was more that just Jack and Race, not that the two of them couldn’t hold their own easily, they just figured there was strength in numbers. So when Davey came over to them with Jimmy on his hip, Crutchie and Les in tow they set off to find a selling spot.
They decided to go to the nearest park so Jimmy could run around a bit without them having to worry about him running into a road. They split up but didn’t stray too far from each other in case there was trouble, Jack and Race sticking together so they could keep an eye on Jimmy. At least it wasn’t overly crowded so the toddler couldn’t get lost easily. It was a weekday which meant the park wasn’t full of families and visitors, only locals taking walks and business men using it as a shortcut.
They had gotten through most of their papes by about half two and by then Jimmy was starting to get tired. He had been enjoying running around and the ladies passing rather liked him, he’d particularly liked it when Race or Jack had given him a pape to take over to a lady every so often. The little boy would run over to the ladies with a big smile holding a pape then would come running back giggling holding a dime in his little fist.
By the start of the evening the five of them were trooping back to the lodging house their pockets full of coins and Jack carrying a sleeping Jimmy. They’d even stopped off at a toyshop on the way back and bought a little teddy bear for Jimmy as a reward for being good all day. Once they reached the lodging house Race took Jimmy from Jack and took him upstairs tucking him into his little bed they’d replaced the crib with once he’d grown out of it. He softly kissed his son’s forehead before heading back downstairs to join the others, Jack wrapping Race in his arms when he got down there and giving him a soft chased kiss.
“I’s is glad yous convinced me takin’ Jimmy was a good idea. We’s had a good day today.”