"Ouch that's not fair!" Jo ran as fast as she...um...he could. As he ran there was a constant poking in his back. Finally he gave in and slowed down, as he did Spark ran ahead and claimed victory being first to the dock.

"Hey, hey watch it you two the dock's wet. I don't need one o' me newsies breakin anything!" Spot snickered as he sat up on his throne. They were only boxes but they were high above everyone else, which is how the others saw Spot anyway. Jo caught up to Spark and leaned up against the boxes next to him. While breathing heavily trying to catch her breath the other Brooklyn newsies still swam and jumped into the river. Josephine was wearing the normal newsie garb and thus today was Jo. Shehe already had sold his papes and was now just enjoying the beautifully warm spring day. Today, possibly being one of the best days they would have all year, all the children and even the working kids and adults of New York were out as much as possible trying to enjoy it. It was a warm day but not like those in July and August; it was comfortable with a light breeze and sun from dawn to dusk without a cloud in the sky. It seemed though that before Jo left most of the days were like this in the spring. True she was just one of the guys, but there was something else about her that all the newsies liked. When she was around the headlines seemed pretty good, the weather was benevolent and Brooklyn newsies were less likely to soak ya for nothing in particular.

She put a spark in everyone's life; she kept their spirits high and their heads even higher. She was just barely fifteen and thus didnt have to work yet. She did anyway behind Mrs. Butts' back, so she wouldn't have to pay for room and board. She was a 'business woman' by her own words and was out on the corner at least 3 times a week in her newsie garb hawking the headlines and selling them for a penny a pape. By the admission of Spot himself Jo was one of the best Brooklyn newsies there was. This being so she was most definitely one of the best in New York. A testimate to this is that even though she only sold on average three days a week she made just as much as some other newsies that sold everyday. The one reason Spot even admitted this was because she was of no real threat to him and his leadership, Jo being Josephine and all. When Josephine wasn't being Jo she would help Medda out and make a few bucks in tips, which she would spend on food or candy for the rest of the g irls at the orphanage.

She (or he whichever way you want to look at it) was the only newsie (other then Spot) who could go and hawk the headlines in other newsie "territories" and not get any guff about it. Every newsie in New York knew who she was and respected her. She was tough, strong, fun and let's face it if you're in Spot's circle of friends then you are certainly not one to be crossed. Not that anyone would want to cross her. She was every newsies sister. For the younger ones she was the tough older sister who would soak anyone who looked at them wrong. For the older ones she was the younger sister, the one they would do anything for, for whom they would give their life to protect. Don't get it wrong she wasn't a loud obnoxious boyish girl that any girly girl would love to see get soaked. She was actually a quiet girl; the newsies knew her well enough however that they could read her body language. She was nice to everyone, even the Delancy brothers. A girl like this only came along every h undred years and the newsies were lucky enough to have snatched her up.

"Jo whyd ya give up like that?" Spark said jokingly with a huge smile on his face.

"Why dont I stab you in the back and see how well you can run?!" Jo was not happy, yet not angry, just a little embarrassed she lost like that in front of everyone. Spark laughed and gave him a big pat on the back. As Spark headed off towards the end of the dock stripping down to his under cloths preparing to dive in, Jo climbed up on one of the lower boxes to rest. She lay back on the hard wood and shaded the sun from her eyes with her arm. Spot looked down at her rolled his eyes.

"Hey Jo! Aint you supposed ta be someplace?" Jo sat up and looked at Spot and tried to keep the sun out of her eyes.

"What are youse talkin' about?" Jo was a bit confused. Spot jumped down to the box below him and sat next to her.

"You know Mrs. Butts...three thoity...the windows..." She was supposed to be back by three thirty to clean the windows and had totally forgotten.

"Oh my god! She's gonna to have me scalped!"

"Or at least a good day in the closet" Jo looked at Spot with a glare and he smiled back and pushed her on her way.

She ran as fast as she could back to the boarding house. If Mrs. Butts saw her in those cloths she would put her in the closet for a good two days! As she was running up the fire escape to avoid her at the front door she tripped and scrapped her knee on the metal railing. She kept going however knowing that Butts' wrath could be far worse if she found out. Jo threw herself through the window and landed on her bed and started ripping off the boy cloths to change into her dress. When the dress was on she flew down the stairs and ran into Elizabeth on the way.

"Jeez Lizzy I'm sorry! Are you ok?" Josephine said as she kept going.

"I'm fine-your hair Josie!" Jo stopped short and looked at her reflection in the glass of the picture hanging by the stair well.

"Oh god!" It was still somehow all rapped up under her hat. She had put so many pins in to keep it from coming undone that she had trouble getting them all out before Mrs. Butts came along. Liz helped her and hid the hat behind her back just as Butts walked out of her office. They both looked over at her guiltily, Jo hid it well, Liz however did not.

"What you got there Lizzzzy?!?" Elizabeth gripped the hat tight as she began to get flush and tried to spit back a convincing answer. "Contraband perhaps? A little candy? You know what I do to those with sweet teeth" Lizzy just stood there and stared at Butts as she squeezed the hat between her hands. "We'll just have to see!" Mrs. Butts quick at lightning snatched the hat from behind Elizabeth's back. "Well, well what have we here? A boys hat. There wouldn't be a boy in my orphanage would there? Your little boyfriend Lizzzzy? Well, answer me wench!" Her voice was like thunder as it boomed through the entire building and could be easily heard from out side. At the last thunderous statement a few newsies had gathered at the windows.

"Nnnn" Liz was terrified.

"NNNis not an answer whore." The newsies outside watched carefully to see if Jo was going to do anything. Jo just stood there quiet as a mouse this entire time trying to think of what to say. Should she say it was her hat or that it was someone elses? She was quite at a loss, what was she to do?

"No Mrs. Butts. It's not mine. I..." she looked over at Jo who was too afraid to move or say anything. "I found it on the fire escape it must belong to some newsie." Jo let out a little sigh of relief. Not smart.

"So Josephine, I see youre back to wash the windows. It's too bad you're late! As for you Miss Liz I don't believe your little lie." She grabbed Liz by the ear and practically dragged her off while she screamed and cried. As Butts was having somewhat of a difficult time at this Spot poked his head up through the crowd of newsies out side the front window, and saw Jo standing in the hallway. She did not see him however, her eyes were transfixed on Liz. It was her hat and Liz knew it, yet she took the blame for her. She couldn't let her do that, she couldn't stand by and watch as someone else was put in the closet for her mistake, she couldn't be that coward.

"Stop it, stop! It was my hat, it's my fault, you let her go you bitch." Butts stopped in her tracks and looked back, eyes wide open and staring like daggers at Jo. The newsies outside gasped and held their breaths. The large woman threw Liz to the floor.

"What did you just call me?" Jo nearly collapsed from her terror, she was unable to speak and could barely feel her hands and feet. Butts stomped over to Jo and grabbed the back of her head by her hair. She pulled as hard as she could and lifted her off the ground and brought her close to her own face. "What did you call me? You dare talk to me that way? No one talks to me that way!" Without another word she carried Jo by her hair into her office and shoved her into the closet. Spot watched not knowing whether he should go in and help. He knew though that that would only make things worse for her and cleared the newsies away from the windows before the monster of a women saw them.

"What are we gonna do Spot?"

"Ya we can't let that monster treat our Angel like that!" The newsies, obviously dismayed turned to Spot for what to do next. Spot sighed and searched for words to explain his thoughts.

"Look youse guysthere ain't nothin' we can or will do. If we try anythin' den Mrs. Butts will jist make it even harder on her." Trying to keep their hopes up he gave them a little grin and said "Besides it's not like she's never been in dere before, she'll be fine!" Spot hoped that that would suffice.

"Ya but she nevah tawked like dat to Butts before. She'd sure ta send her away." At that Spot just rolled his eyes and laughed it off. The newsies were somewhat relieved to see him so at ease and were in turn feeling better about the situation. Inside however Spot was terrified by what the newsie had said, what if Butts really did send his Angel away? He could never survive with out her, she was like family, she was what kept him together. As he walked back to the newsie lodging house he tried the best he could to push those feelings deep down inside so they were sure not to show on his face.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All right so not all the days before she left were wonderful. The days leading up to her departure were not exactly bliss. Though knowing why and how she left may help you to understand her and perhaps even Spot and why they act the way they do. So let us get back to Jo. At this point in time she was not called Angel as much, though they did sometimes refer to her as their Angel. It was more of a show of their affection towards her and her return brought that out in them, so that lead them to referring to her as Angel more. At least that is what we are all lead to believe.

Back in the closet Angel was stiff and aching from her trip into it. She still couldn't move, she was frozen with terror although the tears managed to roll down her face. She could hear the monster outside talking to someone on the telephone, she thought. Every once and a while she could make out a few words.

"Yes...one girl...very troublesome...blonde...icy blue * laughs * they can cut right through you if you're not careful...likes...closet...now...no...week" click, she hung the phone up and continued to stroll around the office, doing what Angel couldn't guess. Finally Jo could here her leave the office and winced as the front door slammed shut as she left. The closet was hot and smelt like old shoes and cheap perfume. Jo never remembered it being this bad in here. She gagged as she tried to find some way to get comfortable, who knew how long she would be in there. There was enough room in the closet to lay down, however the boxes took up most of it so even sitting down comfortable would be impossible. Angel touched one of the boxes and then proceeded to put more and more weight on it. It seems strong enough to support her so she leaned against it with all her weight to keep some stress off her feet. She stayed in this position for what seemed like an hour when she heard the of fice door open slowly and quietly. 'Great shes back to scalp me.' Angel thought to herself.

"Angel! Angel youse in dere?" Someone whispered from the other side of the door. It sounded like Spot. "Ya I'm here, is dat you Spot?"

"Shhh keep it down, Butts isn't here but I'se don't want dese girl snitchin' on youse."

"What are you doing here? I can't leave den she'll really have my hide." Silent pause. "Spot?"

"Ya?"

"I think she's gonna git rid o' me."

"Damn it Jo don't say dat. She may be a bitch but she aint gonna do dat." Another silent pause. "It was really brave though, what ya did fer dat goil."

"Would you miss me Spot?"

"What?"

"Would you miss me if she sent me away?" His answer cam after what seemed like an eternity.

"No! 'Cuz you ain't goin' nowheres, you got dat you ain't goin' nowhere!" With that Spot ran out of the office and out into the street tears running down his face and didn't stop running until he got to the docks. When he got there he quickly wiped his face so no one could see he had been crying. The other guys looked at him curiously and Spot gave them such a look that no one would look him in the eye until the next morning when he had cooled off.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next few days no one saw nor heard from Jo. Some feared that Butts kept her in the closet so long without food or drink that she died. Even Jack Kelly was worried when he didnt see her over in Manhattan. He went to the orphanage to see if she was all right, they hadnt heard about the incident over there. He climbed up the fire escape and peered into the window. He looked below at her bad and saw that the covers and pillow were gone and the mattress was rolled up. Filled with fear he heatedly ran to the docks. The day was cold and no one was swimming. The clouds blocked out the sun. The day seemed to mimic Spots mood. He sat up on his throne and looked down scouring at all who dare look up at him.

"Heya Spot!" Kelly called for the newsie and was a little flustered at the response.

"What you want Kelly, come to fill our heads with more lies?" After an awkward pause he replied.

"No I'se just wonderin' whether or not you know where Jo is?" Spot jumped down and stood in front of Jack close enough that Jack could see his eyes were red. "I haven't seen her sellin' papes lately, I'se just wonderin' if she was alright."

"The closet."

"What?"

"She's in the closet. Aint you listenin' to me? SHE'S IN THE CLOSET!" Spot's raised voice got everyone's attention.

"Sorry...I didnt know."

"Jist get outta heah Kelly." Spot waved him on and slowly got back up on his throne and rested his head in his hands. He glanced up when he felt that all eyes were on him. "What are you lookin' at!" Everyone hurriedly continued with their own business.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josephine had collapsed in the closet. She was hungry thirsty and had not been let out in 3 days. When she woke up she was in a clean comfortable bed. "So, it looks like you will be fine after all." A woman in white looked down at her. "I did fear that you would not wake up at all. That dreadful woman should not be able to do that to children." When Jo completely came to she realized she was not dreaming.

"Where am I?" Were the only words she could get out.

"Well my dear you are certainly a long way from that awful orphanage in Brooklyn. You are in Buffalo. I am quite sure you will like it here, it's not nearly as crowded or dirty as New York City. Here we are not in the city but just outside it. I'm sure you will get along better here." The women in white left and Jo managed to sit up. She looked out the window and saw the green trees and rolling hills of western New York State. She new she couldn't stay here, some how or some way she would have to get back home, back to her family, back to the newsies.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How did she get back to Brooklyn and what happened in Buffalo you ask? Well that is an entire other story. But to keep you interested I'll just give you an over view. For the year she was there she did everything she could to get in trouble. Sometimes she got so bad that they would keep her in her own room and bring in her meals. Eventually the orphanage new they couldn't handle her and arranged for her transfer. Well originally she was set to transfer to somewhere in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but the Jo in Josephine came out and she swindled the janitor out of his keys. Well with his keys she snuck into the office one night and worked her magic. Then in the morning she was on the first train to Brooklyn New York. Hopefully that the history has helped a few things click in your head. Like why Spot and Angel act the way they do around each other and how they act around others.

Upon her return however things weren't all the same. It had been over a year and she had blossomed into a beautiful young women, it's harder to act like one of the guys now. All the newsies though tried to act like everything was the same. She hadn't even sold papes since she got back though. Ok so she helped other newsies out, but it wasnt the same, she never used to do that. She was certainly not the same old Jo.

continued