Hello friends! I know, I'm already back with a one shot. It's only been a few hours and wow that was fast. I just couldn't stop myself, haha. This was fun to write.
If you haven't yet, please feel free to check out the original story "Change of Plans," otherwise this might not make a lot of sense. But, I mean, I guess you don't have to read it. It's all up to you. I don't wanna tell you how to live your life.
But choose wisely.
So this was a request that I got from brighteyes421 after writing Change of Plans. I really hope you guys like it!
Enjoy!
It was still hard to breathe. No matter what he did it still felt like the world was about to collapse on top of him. But this was it. All eyes were on him. It shouldn't be him. Why did it have to be him? Jack should be here. All eyes should be on Jack and that's that.
Race had learned more in the past day than he thought he could actually process. 1) Spot Conlon- king of Brooklyn and most feared newsie in all New York- was nowhere close to the cold, heartless bastard he'd heard so many stories about. 2) Katherine Plumber was actually Katherine Pulitzer (which Race had half a mind to soak her for when he'd first found out) and that if anybody tried to cross her, including her own father, they better watch their back for the rest of time. 3) Leading a bunch of rowdy newsies was so much harder than Jack Kelly made it look and damn it, it was the most terrifying thing he'd ever had to do. He understood. He didn't like it and he'd go to hell before he let it happen, but he understood why Jack was so set on leaving. The pressure was hell.
His hands were shaking. He felt a hand on his back but he was too nervous to look back and see who it was. He didn't like all the eyes. He was supposed to be a second. He wasn't supposed to leading anyone. His job was to pick up the slack. His job was be behind Jack. This was nerve wracking. This wasn't supposed to be his job.
"C'mon, kid. Tell 'em..." someone with a thick Brooklyn accent said from beside him. In spite of the whole situation Race actually allowed himself to smile.
"Newsies of New York!" he called, his voice full and carrying across what seemed to be the entire city. With one more glance down onto the crowd, his eyes finding his boys, his brothers, he finally let the words slip out. "We won!"
A cheer broke free from the earth below him and Race felt his heart beating so incredibly hard against his chest. It almost hurt, knowing Jack wasn't here to see that what he'd started was now finished. "Excuse me, Mr. Higgins," came a voice from behind him. Race's breath hitched as he placed it. The governor. How he'd forgotten that the one and only Theodore Roosevelt was standing just behind him was a mystery, but he let the man push him a bit to the side, towards a very excited looking Katherine. She was practically bouncing. He was inside an embrace before he could even register that she'd gone in for a hug. She didn't move when he flinched so he just let her hold him for a moment.
"It's all gonna be okay," she promised. But Race didn't really believe it. And he wouldn't. Not until they were back. Not until his brothers were back.
"Jack?" Crutchie's scared voice roused Jack from his sleep. If one could call it that. Sleep. It was an accomplishment to even be able to close his eyes at that point. He could still hear the words being thrown at him while he was writhing around on the ground trying to dodge another blow.
"Yeah Crutch?" he mumbled. Jack was dizzy. His head hurt. He could barely force the words out of his mouth.
He'd gotten hurt so Crutchie didn't have to. He had to remind himself of that. It was him or his little brother and it would be him every time till the day he died.
"Wake up!"
The boy sounded excited... almost ecstatic. Why? Why was he so excited? He couldn't remember. "Wha'?" Jack felt his pillow moving. It took him much too long to figure out that it was Crutchie's shoulder.
"Jackie! We're here! Listen!"
"Newsies of New York!"
"Racer...?" God, everything hurt. He must be dreaming. That couldn't be Race.
"We won!"
At that, Jack's eyes snapped open. "We won?" The boy turned to look over at his younger friend. Crutchie has tears in his eyes.
"He did it, Jack..." he breathed, hearing the crowd roar with excitement at the news. "You did it. We're gettin' out, Jackie!"
Out... out? "You mean...?"
It was then that Jack realized where they were. They were inside a carriage, the very same carriage that had taken him away so many times before. It was hard to see. Jack was sure one of his eyes was completely swollen shut and the other wasn't used to the light. The door being yanked open did not help in the slightest. "Let's go, Jack! You can do it!" Crutchie encouraged, as optimistic as ever. Jack didn't understand it.
He knew the kid was scared senseless. Snyder had gotten into his head and there was nothing anyone could do about it. But the ability to still somehow be the little ray of sunshine he had been since the day they'd met was beyond Jack. He didn't understand. But he nodded anyway, ignoring the pain in his back and his legs as he cautiously stood to his feet, ignoring the tremors of his knees as he grasped onto his little brother's hand.
"Let's do this, kid..."
Crutchie let his brother lean on him as they made their way out through the crowd. No one really seemed to notice as they cautiously pushed through, politely excusing themselves as the kids celebrated their victory. Up by Pulitzer's window, the boy could see Race, trying so hard to be happy even though they all knew he'd so much rather be down watching Jack give everyone the good news.
"We're almost there, Jackie... think ya can make it?"
"I'm fine, Crutch..." the older boy assured, ruffling the younger's hair as they moved through the crowd.
It took much too long. He wished he could move faster, but with one leg already useless and the other not wanting to function properly it was becoming harder and harder to get where he wanted to be. If it wasn't for the crowd getting a little quieter and the sight of Roosevelt preparing to speak, Crutchie might've given up then and there and found a nice spot on the ground to take a rest.
He couldn't hear much of it. The governor, up there with their friends talking about something important with fancy words and a surprisingly comforting plastic smile. What he did hear... "The drawings that you fine young adults have presented to me have brought another matter into the light... officers, if you please!"
How Roosevelt could see them making their way through the crowd would forever be a mystery to the young crippled boy and his best friend, slowly but surely making their way through the square. Crutchie glanced up just in time to see the man point down to them and suddenly a path was being cleared just for them. "Right this way..." said one of the officers, gesturing towards the end of the newly found isle way. Crutchie glanced up at his brother with an award winning smile and Jack just grinned back at him.
"Jack!"
"Crutchie!"
It wasn't long before they were in their brothers' arms again.
Race almost collapsed at the sight. He let out a watery laugh before launching himself back into the building, rushing down the stairs and out the front door and without another word, he wrapped himself around his two best friends.
Jack barely registered the fact that the arms around him weren't there to hurt him before he heard the cry of relief that left his seconds throat. "Race!"
"Jack! Crutch! You're okay! You're alive!"
Crutchie laughed as his brothers did, burrowing himself between the two older boys and letting his crutch fall to the ground as they embraced one another. "You did it, Racer!"
"It wasn't me!" he protested, finally pulling away and glancing behind him to catch Katherine jogging out of the giant building behind him. "It was her..."
Her. Jack couldn't help but stare. She was beautiful. God, she was perfect. But no way in hell would a beautiful girl like that go for a good for nothing, low life, street ra-
Before he could even think of a way to thank her, her lips were on his. He must've looked like hell; beaten and bloodied and broken. But he didn't stop to ask her why the hell she'd chosen that moment to take his face perfectly between her hands and kiss him as passionately as she could. He just kissed her back.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on a second! Ya didn't even lemme give the boys their present!" Crutchie protested, leaning over into Race and letting the older boy wrap an arm around him and press a kiss to his head before casting a curious look down at him.
"Present?"
"Oh yeah!" Crutchie insisted. "Straight from the Refuge!" The boy did his best to get a good glance over the crowd. When he saw what he was looking for he only grinned. "Bring him in, fellas!"
Jack didn't recall much before waking up in the carriage, but when Snyder was seen walking towards him, escorted by two policemen, the seventeen year old felt some sort of strength grow inside him.
"Look! It's Snyder the Spider!" someone teased. "He ain't lookin' so tough no more!"
"Jack Kelly!" called down the governor as he grinned over the scene that was happening. Jack's heart skipped a beat at his own name. He gulped as he met the man's eyes. "Your drawings made an eloquent argument to shut down the Refuge. I assure you Snyder's abuses will be fully investigated."
The promise was all that Jack needed, but he couldn't help but send a glare over at Race whose gaze was now solely on the ground. "I'm dead..." the boy muttered. But Jack only laughed.
"You go through my stuff again, kid, n' you will be..." Jack threatened with no malice. He just rushed forward and ruffled the boy's hair, causing him to try shy away from the touch. But the Manhattan leader only grabbed his arms and pulled him to his chest, ignoring any pain that came with moving. He'd get to rest soon enough. He was gonna damn well enjoy this.
"Officers! Take him away!"
"Oh! Please your highness!" Crutchie interrupted with a slight shake of his voice as he addressed the important man standing so far above him. "May I do the honors?" With nothing more than a slight nod, the boy carefully took the cuffs out the cop's hand and began tightening them around the monster's wrists.
"You've got to be joking!" the evil man growled, glaring daggers at the crippled boy who was grinning at the idea of sending him off.
"An' you'll be laughin' all the way ta the pen!" Jack yelled, almost daring Snyder to say another word. The feeling that blossomed inside him was one he'd never experienced before. He was watching all of his nightmares be led away in handcuffs, hopefully to be put away for life. And everything was going to be alright.
"So long, sucker!" Crutchie laughed, hitting the man in the back with his crutch as he was led away, never to be heard from again.
The excitement was almost too much. Jack was suddenly surrounded by so many kids, one he knew and loved, and others he didn't, thanking him and congratulating him. It was odd. Just hours ago he'd been trapped behind four walls, bars on every window and locks on every door. Now, he was out in the sunshine in the city he thought he'd grown to hate.
"I can't help but think, Mr. Kelly... if one of your drawings convinced the governor to shut down the Refuge, what might a daily political cartoon do?" Jack's head snapped up at the words towards the man he'd hated mere minutes ago. When he saw the man was serious, he glanced back down towards Katherine who only grinned in pure excitement. "What do you say, Teddy?" the man asked, turning to the governor with a small shrug. "Care to let this young man's artistry shine a lantern behind your closed doors?"
"Uh, don't sweat it, gov..." Jack interrupted, sighing a little bit. It was over. He could get out now. That was his dream. "With the strike settled... I should prob'ly be hittin' the road..."
"Oh shut up, will ya?" Race groaned, shaking his head as just couldn't believe what his best friend was saying. "You ain't still tryin' ta get away from us..."
"Yeah! Don't ya eva' get tired a' singin' the same old tune?" came a new voice from the crowd. Jack grinned as he recognized it immediately.
"Davey..." he muttered, turning to meet the boy and stumbling a little as his knees decided they didn't want to hold him up anymore.
"Whoa there, Cowboy!" Crutchie laughed as Davey barely caught their friend and helped him back to his feet. "Looks like Santa Fe'll have wait..."
"He's right, Mr. Kelly..." Katherine agreed. "Just a little bit longer," she promised with a wink.
For a moment Jack thought about protesting. Santa Fe. It was the time. He could go right now and nothing would get in his way. But then he looked up and he looked around. "I guess I can wait a little longer..."
"C'mon, Kelly..." Race scoffed, helping take a bit of Jack's weight off of Davey as Katherine moved to help Crutchie. "Let's get you home..."
This was just a fun little fic that I very much enjoyed writing.
Thank you brighteyes421 for the request! It was simply to see Jack and Crutchie make it out of the Refuge, but it was still lots of fun. Thank you so much!
As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, fansies!