Disclaimer: -sigh- I still don't own Newsies, which belongs to Disney. Due to new restrictions on songfics, I have taken the lyrics to John Denver's "Sunshine on my Shoulders" out of this fic, but I suggest that you go look them up, as they add to the story.
Jack could still remember the first time he met Sunshine. He had been walking towards Tibby's when he saw something shining in an alley. When he looked more closely, he found a girl of about 16 with long blonde hair. There was a gash on her forehead and her body was covered in small cuts and bruises. Jack had carried her back to the lodging house and asked Kloppman to take care of her wounds. It was a restless night for all the newsies. The girl kept tossing and turning, moaning and crying for someone to stop hurting her. She had awoken to the low murmur of voices.
Memory, Jack's P.O.V.
"Look! She's waking up!" Race whispered to me, pointing at the girl on the bed.
"How're you feeling, young lady?" Kloppman asked gently.
"Daddy? Is that you?" She reached out and touched his face. It was only then that I realized she was blind.
End Memory
Her name was Clara, but she quickly accepted the name of Sunshine. They named her for her golden hair and the only thing she wanted to see again– sunshine.
--Sunshine stayed and helped at the lodging house. Since she couldn't sell, she helped Kloppman with keeping the small building clean. In her spare time she sewed, occasionally having the old man check that she hadn't gotten the colors of her threads mixed up. Kloppman was glad to have Sunshine's help, and she reminded him of his granddaughter that had died years before. Many times Sunshine would sit with the younger newsies and tell them stories. She was content in her new home, and seemed to never worry. At least, that's what everyone thought.
--
Memory, Jack's P.O.V.
Done with selling my papers early, I was lying on my bunk smoking a cigarette when Sunshine came in. I don't think she noticed me. She slipped into the small room that had been made hers, and I quietly followed. I didn't expect what I saw. Lying on her bed, Sunshine began to cry softly.
"Mama, Johnny," she whispered, hugging her knees to her chest, "why did you have to go? Then he wouldn't be like this."
She began to cry harder, her whole body shaking. As I watched her, I realized that the past she was hiding had more than just grief in it. It also had fear. I decided to see if I could do anything.
"Sunshine?"
She was startled. "Oh, Jack, it's just you."
"Just me?" I said with mock hurt.
The shadow of a smile crossed her face.
"What's wrong?" I asked seriously, walking toward her.
"I- My- He-" she started, but the tears came again.
I sat down next to her and hesitantly pt my hand on her arm.
"Tell me," I said gently.
Wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath, she began to tell me the story of her life, still curled up on the bed.
"When I was four, I fell down the stairs. I hit my head really hard and it broke the nerve that let's me see. At least, that's what my m-mother told me."
I waited for the next part of the story.
"Then, about three years ago, my brother J-Johnny was playing by the docks with some friends from our apartments. Th-They said he tripped when they were chasing each other, but we never really knew. Then Sam and Henry came back and-" she faltered, struggling to hold back the tears, "and- they were carrying Johnny. He wasn't breathing. The d-doctors couldn't do anything."
Sunshine broke down crying again.
"Why?" she cried suddenly. "He was only eight years old! Why did God take him?"
I stroked her hair, murmuring comforting words and trying to calm her down. She continued, still sniffing a little.
"My father became distant after that. He barely talked and he always came home late from the factory. Johnny had always- always been his favorite. I guess it was too much for him when my mother died of pneumonia a year later. He became… depressed and was always drunk. He would-" she faltered again, "he would beat me and tell me it would be better if I was dead too. He didn't want to have to take care of me because- because of my eyes."
"There was nothing you could do about that!" I exclaimed.
"I know," she replied, "but still-"
"You should have run away!"
"Where would I go? There aren't many places that will accept a penniless blind girl. Besides-"
I interrupted her again. "Any where is better than that!"
"I didn't want to leave him alone! He was lonely enough without me leaving him too!" Her voice was rising. Sunshine's love for the man who had hurt her so much astounded me.
"But how did you have the strength to put up with it?" I asked, more quietly. I didn't want to start a fight.
"I prayed, I hoped, and I had faith and trust in God," was the answer.
I sighed. This girl, she was so… so… loving. No matter what happened, she would always defend her father and believe that God could help. I gave up on Him a long time ago.
'Why now?' I wondered. 'Why did this all come up now?'
As if she could read my mind, Sunshine said, "Jack? Th-There's something you need to know. Today at the market… he found me." She was trembling.
My sudden intake of breath must have been louder than I thought, or at least audible enough that she heard me, because she quickly added, "But luckily Mush was there and he helped me get back here safely."
"It was lucky," I muttered. "What if he had caught you?"
It appeared this thought had already occurred to her, as she looked frightened and on the verge of tears again. Immediately I regretted my words.
"Don't worry," I assured her, "I'm here for you."
"Thank you," she said, sitting up and throwing her arms around me. I was a little surprised, but hugged her back as she began to cry again, tears of anger, sadness, love, and fear.
End Memory
Jack's P.O.V.
After that day, I made sure Sunshine had someone with her whenever she left the lodging house. I didn't want to risk leaving her alone. Who knows what her father would do if he found her? We became close friend, Sunshine coming to me in her times of fear or sorrow.
End Jack's P.O.V.
--
Flashback, Jack's P.O.V.
We've been best friends for months. I never realized what we were doing was falling in love. She was my best friend. Now she's my girl.
Different Flashback
It seems this place is perfect, for Sunshine and me. She sits in my arms, with the last of the setting sun on her face. I can barely feel her, light as a feather. Her eyes are closed, and the only sign that she's awake is the hand that she slips in and out of mine.
"It's beautiful, as always," I tell her.
"I can feel it."
The sky begins to darken, and I gently pick Sunshine up and set her on her feet.
"We'd better go in before it gets cold," I say.
I lean down, our lips meet, and I hold her close as she puts her arms around my neck and runs her fingers through my hair. We are in paradise and I never want it to end.
End Flashbacks
Memory
Jack ran a hand through his hair. He hoped she would like the song he picked. He had spent all afternoon at Medda's looking for the right one. This song seemed perfect. Well, at least the part he was going to sing was perfect. He had decided to leave out the rest. The door opened and Sunshine came in. She walked over and sat on the bed beside him.
"How'd you know I was here?" Jack asked.
"I could hear you."
"But how did you know it was me?"
"I can tell," she replied simply. "So what about that surprise?"
"Come here," he said, pulling her into his lap. Jack took a deep breath and began to sing.
"You are my Sunshine,
My only Sunshine.
You make me happy,
When skies are gray.
You'll never know dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my Sunshine away."
Sunshine sat in silence for a minute.
"Oh Jack," she breathed, "it's beautiful."
"I picked it just for you."
"I can see that," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "No one will ever take me away from you, Jack Kelly."
End Memory
One evening, Sunshine went missing.
Flashback, Jack's P.O.V.
"I'm going to get a breath of fresh air," Sunshine whispers in my ear. "The smoke in here is really getting to me."
'What can you expect from a Brooklyn party?' I think. "Take someone with you. Your father's still out there." My words slur together a bit.
She kisses my quickly and says, "I'm just going to be right outside the door. I'll be fine."
End Flashback
Jack's P.O.V.
If I had been aware of what she said, I would have made someone go with her, but I was too damn drunk to notice. It was only when Blink asked where Sunshine was that I realized something was wrong. Stumbling outside, I called her name into the rain that had started to pour. There was no answer. Afraid of what might have happened, I sent out search parties, including myself in them. We found nothing.
End Jack's P.O.V
Two days later, the police found a body. It was unidentified, but Jack knew. He had seen the pictures in the papers- the waist long blonde hair, the slim figure, the pale blue eyes that had so often looked at him and seen nothing. Now Jack didn't mourn, only searched. There would be time enough for that later. Every spare moment was spent looking for her killer before he skipped town. Jack knew it was her father and he vowed to make him pay for what he had done.