AN: I really want to see the Prestige! But movies in NYC are too fucking expensive!
There, that's all this Bale fanatic has to say.
Read, enjoy, tell me what you think!
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Chapter 3
10 years earlier
"Cowboy! Hey!" Jack reached for the collar of the newsie speeding past him, hauling the kid to a stop with a painful yank.
"Got time to stop and chat, do ya, kid?" He asked.
The newsie turned, hand on his head to keep the cap from falling off as he gained his footing and tried to act natural. "Hey Jack. Hows it goin'?"
Jack watched as the younger newsie leaned up against the building, mimicing his own position despite shifty eyes that never settled on his face. "Kit, what's going on?"
"Oh, you know. Just another day of selling."
"Just another day, eh? Where you runnin' to so fast den?"
Kit pushed off the wall, trying to subtly scan the crowded city streets. "I'm meeting Les at the lodging house."
"Really? Must be awful excited to see 'im, runnin around as all."
"Well suah, he's me best friend, Jack. You'se know that."
"Right, right. How could I forget." Jack pushed his hands into his pockets, leaving the burning cigarette on his lips as he slowly circled Kit. "See, I was just asking cause, being Manhattan's leadah and all, I'se only seen one ting that makes newsie run as fast as I saw you running."
"Yea? What's that then, Jack?" Before Jack could respond a shrill whistle broke through the sound of the lazy afternoon. "Cheese it! Da bulls."
Kit pushed past Jack, grabbing at her cap again to make sure it stayed on her head, covering the curls that hid beneath. A moment later she realized Jack was running next to her, muttering under his breath before grabbing her elbow and making a sharp right turn. "Kit! Why didn't you'se tell me earlier! I knew you were in trouble."
They darted into an alley, Kit looking behind her quickly enough to catch a glimpse of two bobbing policemen. "Well, I thought I'd lost 'em. And if you thought I'se was in trouble—" She slipped in front of Jack as they entered another alley, sprinting ahead so that she could open the door of the building on the corner up ahead. Jack slid into the lobby, beginning the task of taking two steps at a time.
Up the stairs they flew, the echoing of feet on the wood alerting them that the police were still tight on their heels. "…den you shouldn't a stopped me from running! Besides, I can take care of myself!"
Jack pushed open the door to the roof and stopped suddenly. Kit slid to a stop, holding onto the doorframe to stop herself from crashing into Jack. She was about to start yelling again when Jack stepped onto the roof and Kit realized why he'd stopped short. The housing blocks connecting in all direction had been demolished on either side of the building—they were an island in the air, trapped on top of the tenement.
"Good one—what were you'se saying about taking care of yerself?"
Kit ignored his remark, slamming the door closed behind her and looking around for something to stop in with.
While Kit unsuccessfully tried to tie the door shut with some laundry line around the knob, Jack walked over to the edge of the building that faced the open street below. As expected, there was a fire escape ladder criss crossing the façade, stopping at the roof. He whistled for Kit's attention and she dropped her attempt as he began to climb down the ladder. "Wait, Jack. Don't—"
"Use got a better idea?"
She didn't, so she scurried down after him, gripping the steel iron extra tight. They had scaled three flights by the time the cops realized where they'd disappeared to. From the roof they yelled at them to hault, amusing enough for Kit and Jack to chuckle to themselves, until they realized that two more cops appeared on the street below them.
"Shit!" Jack cursed, looking up as the police began a slow decent, and then down, as the two on the street waited like dogs below dangling meat. "Kit, we're gonna have to jump."
"I know." She hiccupped, reaching the last horizontal fire escape platform right after Jack.
He stepped aside. "Climb on and don't let go."
Kit did as she was told, swinging to the opposite side of the ladder that was hanging a good twenty feet above the sidewalk. When the ladder was extended all the way, it would reach a couple feet above the ground, but then, that was the problem.
Jack looked up one last time as the policemen reached the third floor. The two below just continued to smile greedily, although as Jack took a couple steps back, they seemed to peak their eyebrows in confusion. Before they could react, Jack jumped off the platform, grabbing the last rung of the ladder on the way down, the force pulling the ladder off the hinges so that it rocketed towards the ground. Kit closed her eyes for a moment until the escape reached the last rung, stopping forcefully and sending her towards the ground.
She hit the pavement feet first, although the force caused her to roll to her knees and sumersault a couple more times. When the world stopped spinning she remembered the two policemen that had been waiting for them and jumped to her feet.
Unbeknownst to her, Jack had planned their escape so that the two policemen above were knocked off balance by the rocking of the fire escape when the last ladder was extended and the two policemen below had been right in line for his feet to meet their chests when he was close enough. He pushed them to the ground, the surprise of such an action helping him slip free quickly. He was on his feet in no time, turning in the direction he'd seen Kit roll off to. Before she could catch her bearings and find him, he'd grabbed her elbow and they were running down the busy street again.
The city chaos was a welcomed blanket and quickly they blended into the mass of pedestrain traffic. As the streets became more familiar they slipped behind a vendor stand, bending to catch their breath as the police ran right by, one man still trying to right the hat that had fallen off his head from the crash.
"Kit..." Jack growled, still resting on his knees. He stood up a moment later and shoved her out of the way.
Kit watched him for a moment, knowing that she needed to thank him but allowing the silence to do it for her. She shook her head now that the adrenaline was slowly receding and began to follow him.
"Woah." She chuckled to herself, looking up at Jack and smiling her brightest, knowing that he couldn't resist her for long. "That was amazing."
"You almost got us killed. Or worse—sent to the refuge." He looked behind them one last time as they entered a street lined with peddlers and blocked to any vechicular traffic. As they began to wander through the crowd, checking out stands and merchandise. "What you'd do anyway."
"Oh, I ain't afraid of dat place. Hell, if you broke out den so could I." Kit replied easily, stopping to pull some change out of her pocket as she purchased an apple. With one hand holding her selected fruit and offering the change to the vendor she swiped another apple and handed it to Jack behind her back. He accepted the thank you gift and continued past.
"Have you been listenin to anyting I say at da meetuns?" He pulled a knife from his pocket, cutting a thin slice of apple and stuffing it in his mouth before continuing with his rant. "It's going back to da way it was, before the strike. Trio and Dane got picked up just last week!"
Kit paused, biting into her apple instead of trying to argue. "If you're hungry, you let me and David know, we'll give you some money. Don't be stealing and don't—"
She rolled her eyes and stared at the illegally acquired food rolling around in his mouth. Before he could swallow and continue again, she cut in. "I kicked 'im, alright. Kicked 'im right in da shin cause he was hasselling some lady. Roughin her up and well…dat ain't right."
"Kid, since when'd you get da idea dat you gotta save da world?"
"What would you have done, huh, Jack?"
He mused over her question on his last slice of apple, throwing the core into the gutter. It was different, what he'd do and what he'd want Kit to do. She was smaller, more vulnerable—but with just as much fire in the pit of her stomach as he'd had once. "Well, just be careful. Sadie'll give me an earful if anything happens to you." He messed with the cap on her head causing curls to fall into her eyes as she blindly reached to bat his hands away. "Besides, it'd be awfully dull if you weren't around."
She fixed her hat, proud that he'd silently commended her for helping another citizen in need. She knew he'd have done the same. Walking as tall as she could, chin held high, she scanned the crowd to see people's reactions. She was walking with a bonafide celebrity. "So, where you headin?"
She turned as he nudged her shoulder. "To see Les, that part's da truth. You comin?"
"Might as well, lets grab da afternoon edition on da way." He pushed her again before jogging in the opposite direction and chiding her for not catching up. She lost him around a corner, picking up speed so that he didn't get too far ahead. When she rounded onto the slower side street she spotted him waiting for her, smiling widely and waving. It was something out of a dream and Kit's heart soared as he called out to her again.
But just as the moment came, it passed, shattered by the sugary sweet voice that distracted Jack.
"Hiya Kelly." Kit turned as a woman stepped off the curb on unsteady heels. She approached Jack slowly, as if knowing that he wanted more time to look her up and down, a sly smile eventually spreading across his lips.
"Beverly, sweets, how ya been?" As the two embraced, Beverly's perfume overwhelmed Kit's senses and she had to step away. The two were touching and hanging on one another and Kit couldn't decided who annoyed her more. Beverly had been around the lodging house enough for Kit to know to avoid all contact with the whore. But Jack—he was wasting Kit's precious afternoon. With her annoyance settled and directed towards Jack she looped her thumbs through her front belt loops and began a slow side step away from the duo.
"Kit—wait." She turned on the ball of her foot at Jack's command, eyes already narrowed when they met his amused ones. He motioned for her to come closer and despite her look she trudged back to his side. To save her pride she felt no need to mask her boredom as Beverly stooped to her level.
"Aw, this your selling partner, Kelly? Ain't he just too adorable for words—heya little guy."
Jack chuckled behind his hand admist Kit's snort of disbelief. "I ain't a boy, lady. And I ain't little…" she tilted her chin higher, revealing more of her delicate features normally hidden beneath the brim of her cap. "…and if ya think of suggestion othawise again, I won't hesitate to sock ya in da ugly…"
"Alright, well sweets…" Two strong hands gripped her shoulders, roughly pulling her away from Beverly, not that the girl's glassy eyes showed any recognition of the insult. "We'se gotta be going." A big pout formed on Beverly's lips and Kit immediately stuck her tongue out in response, Jack unable to hide his laughter at the act. "Ya know, selling and everything."
Beverly popped her hip to the side, letting her fingers linger around Jack's neck, fixing his collar and such as he continued to physically separate Kit and the oblivious girl. "See ya, Kelly." She cooed, before stooping again to Kit's level. "Bye little guy."
Fed up with the entire situation Kit threw her hands into the air at which point Jack let her go and she huffed in the opposite direction. He snuck a quick kiss to Beverly's cheek and jogged to catch up with Kit.
"She a friend of yours?" Kit exclaimed, shaking her head. "Absolute moron!"
"Yea, don't sound so happy 'bout it." He chuckled at Kit's obvious anger. "She's nice."
"Yea, well, she swiped this from ya." Jack's fancy pocket knife, a Christmas present from the Jacobs' that still gleamed as brightly as the day he'd gotten it, appeared in Kit's hand. "Some friend."
She placed it in his open palm and Jack turned it over in his hand, making sure it was his. Sure enough, his intials were on the side. He looked at Kit in disbelief, thinking for only a second that she could have taken the knife only to frame Beverly. But he knew better than to question Kit's loyalty and slipping it back into his pocket, he looked over his shoulder for the second time that afternoon. "Why, dat little—"
"Probably explains why some things been missing from the lodging house lately. I saw her around last couple nights."
"Yea, well, spread da woid. She ain't allowed back."
Kit saluted him, proud of herself for helping Jack, and pulling a fast one on that annoying Beverly. "Anything you say, Cowboy."
"Hey, how'd you get dat out of her hand?" He asked a moment later. She liked the small glimmer in his eyes that showed he was impressed. Taking advantage of the moment, she elbowed him lightly in the stomach.
"How'd she get it out of your pants? It was so obvious. Although, I'll admit, I wasn't as distracted as you'se were."
He rolled his eyes at her tease, leading her into the open courtyard of the distribution center. "Yea well, let me be distracted. You stop pinchin' things. If you're dis good den you'se been practicing. And what'd we say about—"
"Yea, yea. You and David, jaysus, my parents left remembah. I don't need you'se…"
"Just do what I say." Before she could argue he pushed her to the front of the distribution line and it was her turn to get papes. She grabbed her armful and stepped to the side knowing that she'd have to wait a little bit while Jack mingled with the other boys. But it was a small price to pay for the other guys to see him walk out and sell with her.
She sat next to some of the other boys and began reading the headlines, trying to craft the best angle for that afternoon of selling. As she sat, swinging her legs as they reached just above the ground, another boy sat next to her.
"Hey Kit."
She looked up from her skimming. "Heya December! Everything going good for ya?"
"As usual, I guess." He shrugged, flipping open the paper on his lap. "You?"
"Same."
They sat next to each other in silence, both staring at the front page. After a moment, December sighed heavily. "Kit, can I ask you a question."
"Sure thing, Dec."
"Could you'se read me some of these headlines, just a couple so I can remember 'im while I sell." She turned in surprise and caught the boys embarrased grin. "Usually I sell with Rivah and he tells me 'im, but he ain't feelin so well today."
"Well sure, Dec." She pointed out a few, showing him the words as she read them out loud. "Ya know, if ya want, I'se could teach ya how ta read."
"Yea?" The boy laughed, jumping off the ledge. "When would we have the time to do that? Don't worry bout it, Kit. Have a good one."
Kit watched the boy disappear with the afternoon crowd heading out to sell. In a sort of funk thinking about Dec, and probably a lot of the other boys, not knowing how to read she didn't hear Jack call her name at first. "Kit, you ain't my favorite anymore!"
She jumped up at that remark, spotting Jack waiting by the street with a silly grin on his face. He already had his papers slung over his shoulder with his rope, and was lighting a cigarette. Throwing away the match, he caught her eye and shrugged his shoulders as if to ask what was going on. Scooping up her papers she jumped off the ledge and rushed towards him, knowing that every newsie was watching her. As they set off walking, both comfortable with the silence, she couldn't help but steal glances at him, thinking to herself that she was the luckiest girl alive.
"What's that face for?" Jack teased, tossing his cigarette to the sidewalk.
She blushed, looking down at her own feet before shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing, just happy I guess."
Jack immediately broke into a smile. "Ya know what, me too." He drapped an arm around her shoulder before pulling her closer, smuggling her head against his chest in fake play. She pushed away but not too far, enjoying the contact. He kept her close, sighing as he scanned the city crowd. "What do ya know."
--
"See ya, Les." Kit waved good bye to her friend as he rushed off to school. For a brief moment, a part of her wished she was going also. But only a small part, especially when she remembered that she was selling with Jack again that day. Making her way over to the distribution center, she scanned the crowds for Jack's unique cowboy hat. Finding no such hat, nor no such Jack wearing it, she got in line to grab her papes figuring she could wait for him while perusing the headlines.
Papers on her shoulder she spotted Mush, Kid Blink and Skittery sitting in a corner, and decided to join them. "Hey guys!"
They called their hellos quickly and Kit folded her legs beneath her, grabbing a seat next the Skittery's pile of papers. As she read that days morning news, the rest of the newsies fooled and joked as boys do. Kit wondered what it would be like to really be one of them, instead of just pretending to be a boy, and if it would be any different. Sadie had been bugging her lately about wearing her pants and cap. And just the night before, while at dinner with Jack and Les she'd embarrased Kit to no end.
"One of these days," Sadie had insisted, pointing at Kit from across the table with her fork. "You're gonna wake up in the morning and pull of knickers and petticoats instead of those god awful pants!"
She'd been so serious, so sincere, only adding to the hilarity of the situation. Les, Jack and Kit had glanced at eachother and immediately burst into laughter. Jack had laughed so hard he'd started crying, and since the joke was about her, Kit liked to think she could take credit for making him laugh so hard.
She smiled at the memory, that smile quickly fading as she returned to waiting for Jack. He'd been late the past two days also, so she wasn't exactly concerned, just annoyed. His dallying cut in on her selling time. But promising to wait for him, she remained reading her pape.
Mush and Skittery reached for their piles, looming on either side of Kit while she remained on the ground. "Mush, you'se sell wit Jack lately?" She asked all of a sudden, stopping the boy in his tracks.
"Nah Kit, me and Race been heading ovah to Brooklyn mostly. Why, lookin fo anuddah partnah?"
She shrugged, looking back down at her pape. "Naw, I just wondering. Yesterday well, he didn't sell all hundred."
Skittery and Mush thought nothing of it, hoisting their papers on their shoulders. But Blink, maybe a little exhausted from the early morning, found the statement amusing. "Ha, good one Kit. Try and pull that with the younger kids. None of us gonna believe it!" He elbowed Skittery, trying to get him to join in with the laughter, to no avail. Really it didn't matter, he bent over from the pains of laughing, holding his stomach as some of the other boys walked away.
Kit slowly got up off the ground as Blink's laughing fit threatened stepping on her. "What? Blink, I ain't jokin. And dat wouldn't be funny anyways." She shooed him away, thankful that Skittery grabbed him by his suspenders, waving good bye as they began their day.
"Well, what's wrong wit Jack not finishing all his papes?" Mush ignored his friend's antics, reaching for Kit's papers and handing them to her as she brushed off her pants. "He probably, well, I dunno. Don't worry 'bout it Kit." He patted her on the head, something that Kit normally despised, and was about to leave when she began her rant, again.
"But, he don't sell and he don't have any money!" She dropped her papes on the ground, creating a nice circling cloud of dust to blow right into Mush's face.
"Look Kit, Jack can take care of 'imself. Belive me. Now grab ya papes," He picked up the pile for the second time, practically throwing them at her. "And get to your selling spot before da othah kids do."
Awkwardly holding her large stack of papers, many of them about to slip to the ground, Kit couldn't protest Mush's slow stroll out the front gate. As she turned to the ledge behind her, placing her papers and trying to get them settled, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Kid, why you'se talking 'bout Jack Kelly?"
She turned slowly, not recognizing the voice, nor the feeling of cool metal on her shoulder. "He's a friend of mine."
"Well, seems we got something in common den." Kit realized immediately, noticing first the cane in his hand, the red suspenders, and the sleet colored eyes, that she was speaking with Spot Conlon, Brooklyn's leader. "You know who'se I am?"
She nodded, wishing that Jack was there just like she'd imagined her first meeting with Spot would have been. Instead, she fumbled over her words. "Yea, Les told me bout ya. You're Spot Conlon, from Brooklyn, and you know everything that happens to one of your newsies."
Spot laughed at such a precise introduction. "Sounds 'bout right. Should tank Les for spreading da woid." He slid his cane, the instrument that Kit now realized had been used to tap her on the shoulder, into one of his belt loops before focusing those cold eyes on her once again. "Now, what were you'se saying 'bout Jacky boy?"
Kit hesitated. "He didn't finish selling all his papes yesterday."
"Huh, dat's strange." Spot cracked a match on the ledge, lighting a cigarette that Kit swore had magically appeared inbetween his lips.
"That's what I was saying. But da otha guys didn't tink ta worry. But he's been acting real funny lately."
Smoke poured from his nostrils and mouth. "How so?"
Kit shrugged. "We sell togetha sometimes and I dunno, just get a feelin. It's been different lately." It was hard explaining to Les and Sadie; trying to figure out her emotions in front of Spot Conlon only made the situation even more confusing. She felt silly and little in his presence and hoped that whatever information he wanted from her, he'd quickly get and then be on his way.
"Hey, wait a minute," He pointed towards her with ink stained fingers, the cigarette between his pointer and middle digit. "You'se must be Kit. Jack's told me 'bout you'se. Said you always knows whats going on with everybody and dat you'd be his best newsie, if ya only knew how ta fight. And if you'se weren't a goil."
Kit had heard plenty of remarks about her gender to the point where she thought little of it. And sure, people talked about her uncanny ability to read another person, but it just made her sound like a gossip, so she couldn't blame Spot for saying as much. But to hear her fighting skills getting a bad rap, she couldn't let that go without defending herself, even to the most intimidating newsie in New York. "Hey, I can fight!" As soon as she'd opened her mouth the cane that had been resting gently on Spot's belt whacked her on the back of her head. "What the—why'd you go and do that for?"
"Some fightah, huh?" Spot chuckled between another drag of his cigarette, amused by this girl's quirky way with words. He could see why Jack and David kept her around.
"I wasn't ready!" She protested, still rubbing at the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck.
"Fightah is always ready." He insisted prophetically, turning his face towards the bright morning sun. "Hey, where you'se going?"
Kit was still rubbing her head, walking away with her papes in her other hand. "Jack also says dat I get into too much trouble. We'll, this time, I'm taking his advice and walking away before trouble finds me."
"Hey, hey, kid, not so fast." Spot laughed harder, jogging to catch up with her and even offering to carry some of her papes, scooping some onto his shoulder before she could protest. They exited the distribution center and Kit couldn't help but noticed how many newsies turned to watch them pass. "Look, I'se just trying to make a point. If you'd like—"
"I don't like nothing from you'se!" She reached for the rest of her stack but he easily stepped away from her grasp.
"Okay, fine. I was gonna say dat I think you're right to be worried 'bout Jack. Dat's all. But if you'se too sensitive ta…"
She stopped her awkward dancing around, no longer concerned with retreiving her papes. Propping what she had left on her hip, she narrowed her eyes at Spot's laughing ones. "Why you think that?" She asked.
Now that she'd calmed down some and didn't seem about to run off, Spot returned her papers. "Tink what?"
"Dat something's wrong with Jack."
"Oh nah, nothing's wrong. More like, something's up wit 'im."
She knew that Spot and her seemed to be sensing the same change in Jack's character but she wanted to see if he knew anything specific. The two were better friends, after all, maybe Jack had told Spot something in particular that had been bugging him about being in Manhattan. Suddenly, Kit got the horrible feeling that maybe she'd been bugging him. "How you figure?"
To her disappointment, Spot shook his head. "Look, dis ain't da best place to talk 'bout it. How old are you'se, kid?"
She rolled her eyes, realizing that the previous teasing Conlon had returned. "It's KIT, and I'm thirteen."
"You going to da meetin at Tibby's next week?"
She nodded, surprised that Spot would be attending. "Corse I'll be dere." The monthly meetings were for Manhattan newsies, set up by Jack and David as a sort of stage for issues to be discussed and problems solved. They'd started as more of an excuse for a celebration immediately after the strike. But now, almost a year past, the advantages they'd won were slowly being withdrawn. Now more than ever, the meetings were helping them stay focused as a group. Kit usually helped distributing any reading material David printed at the paper, with Denton's help, and reading it out loud to some of the younger newsies.
"Okay, you keep on snooping like you do and we'll talk den. Here's something to motivate ya."
She eyed his outstretched hand cautiously. "What's dat?"
"I give it to all my little boidies."
"No, no way. I ain't owing you'se nothing." She took a couple steps back, shifting the papes back to her shoulder, motioning with her free hand between the two of them, emphasizing her point. "We're helping each otha out, all even like. I'll see what I can find but you keep dat to yourself."
Just as Spot returned the contents in his hand to his pocket, Jack jogged around the corner. "Heya Spot!" The friends shook hands, spit included, but Spot was still watching Kit out of the corner of his eyes. Jack noticed a moment later and clapped a hand on Kit's shoulder. "Sorry I'm late, Kit. You'se ready to sell?"
"Sure am, Jack. Take dese." She handed him her papers, wanting to leave the presence of Spot's knowing eyes. "I'll go get some more." Kit nodded good bye to Spot, turning just in time to hear him say.
"Taught dat one well, Jacky boy. Real well."
--
Spot pushed past the newsies, one at a time, most of them too drunk to move out of his way as they would have normally done. He reached the back door and kicked it open, the shadows of the night flickering into focus as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Her voice coming from the left startled him and he jumped in the opposite direction. The meek spotlight behind Tibby's caught the shine on her face, sweat and tears mixing with the dirty alley water that she'd fallen into and a thin line of blood.
She'd been out there no more than ten minutes but Spot was shocked by the amount her face had aged. "Too late."
--
Thank yous!
Maddiecake: Elyse. Okay, I'm all over it!
xlittlexItalyx: Two chapter updates in one day, did that make ya happy? Thanks for the review girl. Hope you enjoyed a younger Spot before next chapter's older and wiser Spot...haha!
Pegasus M: Speaking of cute Les, have you checked out the recent picture of the actor who played Les on It's a little creepy but surprisingly attractive at the same time!
jammer587: I'm so glad to see that someone else reads a story's reviews! I thought I was the only one! Really, it's a weird obsession...hehe.
TCBrigid: Thanks for the review girl!
Dreamless-Mermaid: Lucky girl! Tell me how wonderful Jacky boy was in the prestige, please!
Written Sparks: Sorry to say that Skittery is already taken...but if you'd like another guy instead, just let me know!
Up Next! The rest of the newsies get a chance at the spotlight, all grown up. Thanks to everyone who submitted the CC!
