A/N

I do not own Newsies. I only own James and Jane Whitfield, Judge Strauss, and Elizabeth Olivers.

"Mr. Kelly, this is the fifth time in two months you have been caught stealing. It's as if you want to be caught." Judge Strauss frowned down from his podium at Jack "Cowboy" Kelly, who was looking up at him with a laid-back, I-don't-really-care grin on his face. He had two guards on each side of him, holding each of his arms. His hands were handcuffed in front of him.

"Yes, sir."

"So you do?"

"No, sir. If that bastard fish-monger hadn't been in my way, I would have made a clean getaway." There were several guffaws from across the room. Jack looked back across the nearly empty courtroom to smile mischievously at Racetrack, Kid Blink, Skittery and Mush, who were all leaning forward on the iron fence watching his trial.

"Mr. Kelly! If you keep this up, I will send you to the refuge for five months!" Judge Strauss spit when he talked, Jack noticed.

"So, do it! The refuge has never managed to keep me locked up for five days, let alone five months!" Jack rocked back and forth on his heels as he listened to the whoops and hollers and the "damn straight's!" from his friends. The judge looked as if he was about to say something, but stopped. After a few seconds, he stood up.

"Very well then. Wait here." Jack watched as Judge Strauss walked down from his podium and stepped into a room while shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, Cowboy! You better watch it, he's probably getting his pistol right now so he can blow your brains out!"

"Yeah, or maybe some rusty chain so he can wring your neck!"

"Why would he want a chain when he has his own two hands?" Jack laughed along with the other newsies, but stopped as soon as his eyes traveled back to look at them. Blink, Race, Mush, Skitts, they were all there. Except for one. David, he thought. It had been two years since the strike, and one since Sarah got engaged to William Jones Lockton the Third. Jack had broken up with Sarah several months after they had won the strike. Try as he might, he just couldn't feel a spark between them. There was no chemistry there. Sure, they looked good together, but he didn't feel as if he had found his soul mate in her. Yes, Jack believed in soul mates. He would never tell anyone, though. Too embarrassing. You only share that kind of stuff with your soul mate, and he didn't feel right about sharing it with Sarah. A few months after the breakup, word spread of Sarah dating some hoity-toity suit. She was a sweet girl though, and she would make Lockton happy. Jack allowed his eyes to glaze over as the flashback started.

"Oh my gosh, Jack, look! The moon is so beautiful tonight," Sarah breathed as she wrapped her hand around his.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, but didn't say anything else, lest he shatter this delicate moment. Probably the last moment he'll ever have with Sarah, after tonight.

"Jack! You didn't even look." Sarah put her slender hand on his chin and gently forced his face upwards. Jack studied the dark heavens in silence. They could see their own breath in the cold winter air as they walked toward the park. Jack picked the park for a certain reason. It was Sarah's favourite place.

"Maybe she won't be too upset if she's in her favourite spot," he thought.

"I love going to the park!" Sarah trilled.

"Wait. Maybe the park isn't such a good idea. If I do this in the park, it might ruin it for her, and she'll never want to go there again, and I'll be tainting it with a bad memory!"

"Um, on second though, why don't we go to the racetrack instead?" Jack suggested. There we go. Sarah never goes to the races.

"What? Why? I mean we're already here." Sarah pointed. Sure enough, there was her favourite park, with her favourite bench under her favourite lamp post.

"Shit," Jack mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. Let's sit down." He pulled her towards the bench. As they sat down, Sarah shivered.

"Cold, huh?"

"Here." Jack took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"So. What's the occasion?" Sarah tilted her head up slightly as she gave Jack her trademark girl-next-door smile.

"Damn her," Jack thought. "Damn her for being so sweet. It just makes it that much harder."

"Listen, Sarah. I've been thinking." Jack started slowly. Should he just get it over with, like ripping off a band aid, or should he ease into it, so he doesn't completely break her heart?

"Yes?" She inquired.

"I don't know how to say this, but…. I mean, I've had lots of fun with you, you know."

Sarah's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"I've had lots of fun with you too."

"These past few months have been really great, and we've had lots of laughs together, me and you."

"You and I." she corrected, but her expression of doubt stayed the same.

"Yeah, you and I…" Jack took her hands in his. " Well, I'm going to have to do this sooner or later."

"Jack? What's happening?" She tried to withdraw her hands, but Jack squeezed them tight, and brought them close to his heart.

"I'm so, so sorry, Sarah. You're a really great girl, and someday, you're going to have a very lucky husband. But, that husband is not going to be me."

"What do you mean?" Despite her question, Sarah already knew what was happening. Jack could see it in her tear-filled eyes.

"I'm letting you go, Sarah. I'm letting you go so you can find that future husband and make him the happiest man in the world." Tears were spilling down her cheeks.

"What? I thought you loved me!" She slipped her hands out of his, and this time he let her.

"I did! I really did Sarah. But, I'm just not the one for you."

"Of course you are! I mean, you bought me gifts, you met my parents, we went on dates, you're my true love!"

"I'm sorry. I'm not." Jack whispered. Sarah was sobbing as she stood up.

"I'm going home." She gasped.

"Let me walk you-"

"No!" she interrupted. "I don't ever want to see you again! You broke my heart Jack Kelly!" She threw his jacket back at him and ran away.

"Sarah! Wait!" But all he got as a reply were her sobs echoing in the night. Little did he know that by letting go of his girlfriend, he would also be letting go of his best friend.

"Mr. Kelly? Mr. Kelly?" Jack snapped back to reality. He realized that he had been standing there staring blankly at the wall while immersed in his flashback.

"Yeah?"

"I have come up with a suitable punishment for you." The Judge looked smug, as if he had found Jack's Achilles' heel.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Jack smirked.

"Three months of community service." The Judge sat down in his chair, as if satisfied.

"What?" Jack had no idea what that meant.

"Community service. Tomorrow you are to report here so I can give you the address of your new job."

"New job?"

"Well, not really a job, because you're not actually going to get paid. You will have to work as a servant or apprentice to any particular job I find suitable for you. For three months. Without pay." This time, it was Judge Strauss who was smirking.

"You can't do that! That's child labour!" Race chimed in from across the room.

"Silence, petty miscreant! Or I will find some community service for you too!" That shut Race up immediately.

"Do we have an accord, Mr. Kelly? Brilliant. Off you go then." Judge Strauss didn't wait for Jack's reply as he shooed him away. As the guards were unlocking Jack's handcuffs, the Judge chimed in "And don't forget to report here tomorrow, 12:00 pm sharp!"

"Go fuck yourself," Jack mumbled as he descended the court steps with the others trailing behind.

"Gee, sorry about the whole community whatsit, Cowboy." Mush sympathetically put his arm around Jack, but it came out looking like an awkward hug, as he was so short compared to Jack.

"Yeah, that fucking blows." Race lit up a cigar as they traveled back to the lodging house.

"I know. I mean, without pay? That's just wasting my time!" Jack shoved his hands down his trouser pockets while kicking a rock.

"Hey, tell you what? How 'bout we all go down to Spot's tonight? I heard he's throwing a really big party." Skittery suggested.

"I dunno. I don't really feel like it." Jack mumbled.

"Oh, quit with all the self-pity, already! You're fucking Jack "Cowboy" Kelly! You single-handedly brought down Pulitzer!" Race snapped.

"Yeah, Kelly, come on," Blink chimed in. "Your last night of freedom! Go out ad get drunk! Hell, go out and get laid!" They were all in tears as they reached the lodging house steps.

"Alright, alright. I'll go. But on one condition." Jack stopped at the very top step and turned to look at the others.

"What?" asked Mush. Jack grinned mischievously.

"You save the best-looking broad for me." The streets of Manhattan erupted from their previously peaceful afternoon nap into the echoing, ululating sound of laughter.

A/N

Hey guys! Thanks for reading my fic, and please leave your comments and suggestion and reviews!

If you want to know what my original characters look like, visit my author's page and scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN! Btw, they haven't come in yet, in case you're wondering, but they will!

P.S. A huge round of applause for SilverShoes17i quit for reviewing and suggesting! You rock!