Katherine glanced up at the ceiling as she laid in bed, lethargic and feverish. As she laid there, she thought back on the previous events of that day. It all started that morning when she woke up. Her throat was scratchy, her arms and legs ached, and she could hardly even get out of bed. But there was no way that she was going to take a sick day while there were thousands of children working to support themselves and their families. Besides, she hadn't missed a day of work in years and this wouldn't be the first. She took an aspirin and set out, hoping that it would be enough to get her through the day.

Although she was fine for much of that morning, she began to feel dizzy and weak by noon. At one point her head was spinning so much that she nearly fell right in the middle of the street! Good thing Jack was there to break her fall.

"Watch it!" he cried "You tryin' to get yourself killed?"

"No," she said, trying to think of an explanation. Finally, she said "I just have weak ankles. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an article to write."

The wooziness seemed to stop once she sat down and she began to tap the keys on her typewriter one by one by one, transferring the words from her mind onto the page. Suddenly, her fingers ceased as her aching head and feverish daze disrupted her focus. She put her head down on her desk for just a moment as an overwhelming sense of fatigue took hold of her. The next thing she knew, someone was calling her name and shaking her. She looked up and saw Jack standing right behind her with a serious expression on his face.

"Katherine, you don't look too good," he said with a hint of concern.

"I'm not feeling very well," she admitted, knowing she couldn't hide her condition any longer.

So, Jack took her by the hand and began to walk her home until they reached her street.

"I gotta head back and join the others. They'll probably start thinkin' I got soaked. You get better soon, Ace," Jack said, planting a quick kiss on her cheek before heading off in the opposite direction.

Katherine opened the front door to be met with her father's worried gaze.

"Darling, you look white as a ghost!" he said sternly, placing his hand on her forehead. He then looked over at the copper-haired, spectacled woman sitting to his left and said "Take her to her room."

"Yes, Mr. Pulitzer," she replied.

She then took Katherine's arm, guiding her up the flight of stairs one step at a time. Once they reached Katherine's bedroom, she tucked Katherine into her bed and placed a soft hand on her forehead.

"Sweetheart, you're really burning up," she said "I'll be right back."

She left the room for less than a minute before returning with a damp towel. As she laid the cloth on Katherine's forehead, Katherine could feel a refreshing coolness spread across her skin.

"Do you need anything else?" the woman asked.

"No, Hannah I'm alright," Katherine replied.

"Alright, I'll be right downstairs if you need me."

With that, Hannah strolled out the room and closed the door behind her. And now here Katherine was, alone in her room and sick as a dog.

This is pathetic! she thought.

She closed her eyes as she began to drift off to sleep, when she was awoken by a sudden tapping sound. She looked to see Jack looking back at her through her window. She crept over to the window and opened it, allowing him to enter her room.

"Hiya, Ace," he said "How ya feelin'?"

"I'm hot, I'm tired, and I'm achy. How do you think I feel?" Katherine moaned.

"Well ya can't be too sick if you're still talkin' back to me."

"Look, this has been fun and all but I really need to get some rest," she said, climbing back into bed.

"Alright, I'm goin'."

"Wait!" Katherine cried hoarsely.

Suddenly, her face twisted into a pained grimace and she clutched her abdomen.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked as he rushed over to her.

"My stomach!" she answered.

She covered her mouth with one hand in an attempt to fight the nausea. Her stomach churned violently and a warm liquid surged up her throat. She began to gag as a brown sludge shot out her mouth and onto Jack's worn shoes. She sat there in stunned silence at what she had done. True, it wasn't something she could control but she had just ruined what could have been Jack's only pair of shoes.

"Oh, Jack I-I'm so sorry!" she apologized.

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it," he said "Believe me, I've had worse things on my shoes. One of them yappy dogs once mistook me for a tree."

Katherine cracked a light smile at him in response.

"Now, what's all this about?" he asked. "First you tell me to go now you want me to stay."

"Oh, it's nothing, really."

"Well now you got me interested so you have to tell me."

"Alright, I'll tell you," she said reluctantly. "When you're sick don't you just want your mother?"

That's when Jack remembered a night long ago. He was nine years old, burning with fever, and practically coughing up a lung.

…

"Leenie, I want Momma," Jack fussed, glancing over at the young woman sitting beside his bed.

"It's alright, Jackie," she consoled. "I'm right here. Everything will be ok."

"But you just ain't Momma."

"I know you want Mother but she isn't here."

Suddenly, her emerald green eyes flashed with inspiration.

"What if I sing you the song that Mother used to sing every night?"

Jack coughed once more and rolled to his side.

"My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea," she sang in her gentle, melodic voice.

Little Jack's eyes slowly began to close and he yawned as he drifted off to sleep.

"The winds have blown over the ocean. The winds have blown over the sea. The winds have blown over the ocean. And brought back my Bonnie to me," she finished.

She looked over and saw that Jack was fast asleep. Her auburn hair brushed his cheek as she kissed him gently.

"Oíchemhaith*, Jack," she said.

…

"Yeah," Jack answered.

"Well, I lost my mother a long time ago," Katherine said

Jack leaned in closer and looked at her intently.

"She took good care of me and my father and she always believed in us."

Katherine paused as a slight grin spread across her face.

"She gave me a journal for my ninth birthday. She said 'Some of the best stories start with one brilliant idea. Take this journal with you wherever you go. Once you find that idea, don't be afraid to make your mark.'"

Katherine began to shiver as she felt a chilled sensation sweep across her skin.

"You alright?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I'm alright," she answered "Just a little cold. If you don't mind, could you please get me another blanket?"

"Sure thing."

"Thank you, Jack. You should be able to find one in that closet over there."

So, Jack strolled over to the closet and opened the door. Once he grabbed the blanket, a small piece of paper fell out and onto the floor. He bent down and lightly grasped it with his fingers. On that piece of paper was an image of a young woman with wavy hair reaching her shoulders. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with joy and life and she wore a long gown with a hint of lace. On her lap sat a small girl resting peacefully as she leaned her head against her chest.

"Is this your mother?" Jack asked, approaching Katherine.

"That's her," she answered, beaming brightly. "Whenever I was feeling ill she'd make me her special chicken soup and read to me until I fell asleep."

Then, Katherine sighed and her face fell into a sullen expression.

"I lost her when I was ten years old," she said, her voice shaking. "She said that she was feeling a bit run down so she went to bed early. The next day she woke up with a fever and a cough. We all thought it was just a cold and that she'd get better."

She paused as a lump of air clogged her throat and her lip began to tremble.

"That wasn't the case. The doctor said it was pneumonia…She passed away four days later."

She sniffed and began to sob quietly as tears flowed down her face.

"I mean, I have my father and Hannah's been good to me," she said between sobs "But I still miss her so much."

After a few more sobs, she wiped away the tears in her eyes and sighed.

"I know my father can seem cold, but I'm sure he misses her as much as I do."

"Oh, Katherine I'm so sorry," Jack said empathetically "I know how ya feel, I lost my mother when I was real young."

"What was she like?" Katherine asked.

"Oh, she was one of the best people I knew. She always took good care of me and my sister, Eileen, or 'Leenie' to me, even though we didn't have much. She walked us to school every morning and tucked us in every night."

He grinned widely as his mind travelled back to that lighthearted time.

"One morning we was walkin' to church and I could see everyone starin' at us and whisperin' to each-other. She brought us close and said 'Pay them no mind. There's no shame in being poor. We may not have much, but we have something more important than anything else. We have each-other.'"

He could practically hear her benevolent tone of voice as he remembered her words.

"What happened to her?" Katherine asked. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want-"

"Naw, it's alright. You told me about you mother, so now I should tell you about mine."

He paused before continuing his story.

"The thing is, I don't know exactly what happened. One morning Mom said that she was feeling sick and that she needed to rest. Eileen took me to school that day, telling me that she'd be fine."

His gaze shifted toward the floor as his eyes began to water.

"When we got home she was lyin' there in bed, not moving at all. I thought she was just sleeping."

He felt his breath become shallow and his vision blurred with tears as he was transported back to that moment. He saw his sister cautiously approach the bedside. She placed her mother's arm in her hand and then placed two fingers on her wrist. Her face went completely white and her emerald green eyes grew wide.

"I kept shakin' her and pokin' her until Eileen stopped me and told me that she wasn't gonna wake up."

He recalled the moment his sister held him close to her as they both cried harder than they ever had before.

"I was seven and Eileen was sixteen."

His thoughts were interrupted by Katherine's soft cries.

"Aw, I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't-"

"No," she said "Keep talking to me. What happened after your mother died?"

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing.

"Well, my old man wasn't around much. He was always workin' and even when he was home he didn't seem to care about me or my sister."

"What about Eileen? What was she like?"

His face lit up at the mention of his older sister.

"She worked real hard to make sure we was taken care of but she always found time for me. She walked with me to school every morning before she went to work. When she came home, the first thing she'd do was pick me up and spin me around. She could be strict when she needed to be, but she was real sweet most of the time. Honestly, she was the best sister a fella could ask for."

Suddenly, his smile dropped.

"She always tried to keep a smile on her face. But I could tell that workin' a job and raisin' a brother was hard on her…She started gettin' sick more than she used to. I begged her to take a day off but she didn't."

His right hand tightened into a fist as his vision blurred with tears.

"She just kept gettin' weaker and weaker until she couldn't even get out of bed."

He paused once again as the sight of his once vibrant sister lying in bed, looking at him with lifeless eyes haunted him.

"Finally, her strength just gave out. I was only eleven years old."

He hung his head low as tears ran down his face.

"I couldn't take it anymore and I left home for good that day."

A dismal silence stood over the room as his story was brought to a close.

"Oh, Jack…I-I don't know what to say," Katherine said, breaking the silence. "I mean, to have lost your mother and your sister at such a young age. That must have been so hard for you! I'm so sorry."

"Hey, don't worry 'bout me," Jack said reassuringly "I met Crutchie and the others soon after that. We look out for each-other like Eileen looked out for me. And you wanna know somethin'?"

He leaned in close to Katherine, looked into her dazzling brown eyes, and grasped her hand.

"You're part of my family."

Without a second thought, he closed his eyes and pressed his soft lips against hers. For a moment, Katherine embraced his warm, gentle touch.

"Are you insane?!" she cried, pulling away. "I don't want you to get sick too."

"Well, Ace, love will make you do crazy things," he said.

"You are crazy!" she teased "But so sweet, too."

Jack took another look at Katherine. He noticed that some color had returned to her cheeks.

"You feelin' any better?" he asked.

"Well, I still have a bit of a headache and my stomach hurts as well," she mentioned "But I guess I do feel a little better."

Jack looked out the window and noticed that the sky was lined with streaks of orange and red.

"It's gettin' late, I'd better be headin' back. 'Night, Kath. Get better soon."

"Goodnight. Oh, and Jack."

"Yeah?"

"You're part of my family, too."

Jack smiled as he headed out the door, feeling lighter than ever before.

*Translation: "Goodnight, Jack"

A/N: So, that was my first Newsies fan fiction. To be honest, I had been planning on writing something like this for a while. I love a good sickfic (thank you, AnnasOtherLife, for introducing me to that term and for your story Family isn't Always Made with Blood) and had wanted to write a story about Jack and Katherine but I had trouble figuring out the specific details. Then, I read Origins by unofficialfansie and thought Hey! That's a great idea! Even though I enjoyed writing this story, I was really worried that it would turn out too much like Origins. I really liked the idea of Jack having an older sister, but I didn't want to copy too many of unofficialfansie's ideas. I tried my best to keep this story original because I would hate to think that I stole from such a great author. I had my sister look over my work for errors. Her pen name is emmalicious if you want to check out some of her works. Thanks, sis! So, what did you all think of my story? I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts. I have lots more ideas for future stories. Wish me luck!