This story takes place right after Jack sings the reprise of "Santa Fe" in the movie. Basically everything after that never happened, so I guess this is AU.

Disclaimer: Don't own Newsies. Wish I did, because Jack and David would totally have hooked up if I did own them.

o O o O o O o O o

"Tell him no."

Warden Snyder's eyes widened a considerable amount as he digested what had just come out of Jack's mouth. "No?"

"That's right. No."

"Sullivan, he offered you freedom and money. A lot of money. He offered me money." Warden Snyder reminded him. Obviously he was trying to get Jack to give in. He didn't like Jack Kelly, as he liked to call himself, but he did like the extra money he received for keeping him. If Jack gave into Mr. Pulitzer's offer, he'd get more money than he wanted, and he would get rid of Jack Kelly, once and for all.

"Leave me alone." Jack mumbled, and lay down on his cot that the Warden had given him as a bribe. Warden Snyder gave him one final look of contempt and left him alone.

Jack had been battling his own thoughts since David had tried to help him escape. Part of him had wanted to run away with David. He'd probably go back to David's place, since Dave's parents would have been more than happy to let him stay for a least a few nights. But then again, why didn't Dave care when Jack had mentioned jail? The last thing he wanted was for Dave to end up in the Refuge. He remembered Pulitzer's threat: he'd lock up the people Jack cared about just to get Jack to be a scab.

Jack knew he could never be a scab. It would be a betrayal to the newsies. They admired him, but that admiration would disappear as soon as they discovered he was a scab. No, he couldn't do that.

But Joe Pulitzer had threatened him, not to mention his friends. Jack, though he'd never admit that, was worried. Joe had to be bluffing. He had to be.

o O o O o O o O o

He wasn't.

Two days later, Pulitzer had ordered for Spot and David's arrests, knowing that they were the two main strike leaders, other than Jack. Crutchy came to Jack's cell with the news. He opened the little window and exclaimed, "Jack! You'll never believe it!"

"Whaaaaat? Go away..." Jack mumbled, half-asleep.

"Jack! It's me, Crutchy! Wake up!"

"Crutchy??" Jack opened his eyes and saw Crutchy's face in the window. He rolled his eyes, wondering what Crutchy could want right now. Truth was, Jack didn't even know what time it was. In his little cell, he seemed to his lose sense of time. "Crutchy, whadoyawant?" he asked, finally sitting up.

"They got Spot and Davy! They're here in the Refuge!" Crutchy exclaimed. "Neither of them are talkin' very much."

"Tell 'em to come talk to me." Jack ordered him. When Crutchy turned around, Jack said, "Thanks, Crutchy."

Spot and David spoke to Jack separately. Spot, because of his need to always have the upperhand, decided that it was right to speak to Jack first. Jack saw him walking to the window and immediately approached it. Spot looked different than he usually did. He seemed almost disoriented. His eyes wouldn't stay on Jack. They kept moving to different places.

"Spot Conlin." Jack said. "You alright?'

Finally, Spot focused on him. "Jack. I can't be here."

"Brooklyn's prob'ly chaos without you." Jack agreed, nodding.

"How do I get outta here?"

"Write to Teddy Roosevelt?" Jack shook his head. "Spot, I dunno. We'll find somethin' and get you outta here. If I know the newsies, they're gonna come here and get you and Davy outta here. Just outta curiosity, Spot, do you have your slingshot?"

"No. The Delancy brothers took it." Spot's eyes got strange. "They can't win, Jack."

"Calm down, Spot. They won't win. Nobody messes with Brooklyn."

"Nobody messes with the newsies." David corrected him, coming up behind Spot. Jack's eyes met his and they exchanged a look. Jack couldn't really identify what it meant, but it meant a lot. David turned to Spot. "Maybe you should go to bed. You'll feel better after you sleep."

Spot rolled his eyes, but then complied, walking away. As soon as he left, Jack asked, "What's wrong with him?"

David said, "The Delancy brothers got him for the first time. They told them to get us and bring us here."

"Sorry, Dave... " Jack told him. "I wish I coulda stopped this. I prob'ly coulda."

"What would you have done, Jack?" David asked him, trying to smile. "They have us three, but they won't break up the strike. The other newsies are united, a union. Denton is going to write war stories again, but we don't need him. When we all get out of here-"

"We all?"

"I'm not leaving the Refuge without you." David told Jack. "Spot can if he wants. I know he belongs in Brooklyn. But I will not leave here without you."

Jack couldn't find the words to respond to him. What would he say? What could he say? First of all, why was David being so stupid? He'd have chance to leave. It would be easier for him. He wasn't locked up in some cell. And why did he care so much? Jack definitely didn't care. In his cell he could just lay there and not care. He could dream about Santa Fe if he wanted. He could've actually gone to Santa Fe if had accepted Pulitzer's offer, but Dave didn't need to know that.

This situation was such a bitch. Both ways, they both lost. This way, they were both locked up in the Refuge, and if he'd accepted, Dave would have hated him. Jack liked to think that he didn't care who hated him and who didn't, but he had grown accustomed to Dave. He liked his family, and he liked how Dave was smart and such a walking mouth. He had been completely loyal to the strike from the first day.

"Dave... how's your family? Your parents, Les... and Sarah?"

David tensed a bit. "They were really mad when you got arrested. Les kept asking if it was because of the food you stole. I can only imagine what my parents are thinking now."

"I bet they're real worried."

David looked at him. "Yeah, they probably are." His eyes were a little sadder now. Jack could barely stand to look at them. He hated emotional situations like this, especially now, with Dave. His gaze was on David's, and neither boy changed his look. It was kind of like seeing into David's soul. He not only knew about David's pain, but he felt it too. Now he was beginning to believe that he made the wrong choice. Maybe he should have become a scab and let David and the other newsies be mad at him. David and Spot didn't deserve to be locked up here. They were victims because they were associated with Jack.

"Question, Dave." Jack blurted out. "If you were me and were offered this, what would ya have chosen: becoming a scab and going free, or not becoming a scab and staying imprisoned and some friends of yours being imprisoned too?"

David stared at him, realizing the situtation. "Are you saying you were offered that?"

"By Joe Pulitzer himself."

Backing away, David looked like he wanted to cry. Jack knew he wouldn't, but he looked like he wanted to. He cleared his throat, turned, and walked away from Jack's cell, leaving Jack standing there watching him leave.

Jack sat back down on his cot, staring at the floor. Somehow, he'd have to find a way for all three of them to escape, or just David and Spot. Or maybe now they wouldn't want to have anything to do with him at all. Right now David was probably telling Spot about what a selfish bonehead Jack was for all of this, for causing this mess, for imprisoning them.

He wasn't going to have good dreams about Santa Fe that night.