Wow, a fairly quick update for this story! That's new...

Thanks to my history class, I've acquired all sorts of new knowledge about WWI, which of course means more ideas for the story. As of now, I have a vague outline of what may happen, which includes some sad things, I regret to say. Speaking of sad, I don't know how many newsies I have planned to make it out or not...for the moment, I'm sort of winging it. I suppose we'll see how things unfold, although I do know the fate of one character already.

Also, one new update: the story actually now takes place in 1918, just one year later, as I've discovered that this was the year America actually began to fight. Hooray history!

Enjoy!

-Marcelle

If it hadn't been a nightmare before, it had certainly turned into one now.

The boat was much too cramped for Jack's liking, almost giving him the feeling of being compressed, flattened until there was nothing left of him.

Boys surrounded him on every side, most of them rigid with either anticipation or excitement, or perhaps even a mixture of both. Jack himself could focus on nothing but the swaying of the ship, watching as the boys around him moved back and forth in time with the motion.

The very idea of their destination made it impossible for Jack to keep his wits about him, and so he did not think about Europe at all. Instead, his eyes swept the crowd of the 27th Infantry Division members, searching among the many tense faces-all from New York-for the only ones that mattered to him.

The newsies were spread out among the other recruits, having been separated in the constant, unrelenting flurry of activity that had been boarding the ships. Jack had made a desperate effort at keeping them together during the hurried process, calling out to some of the boys as he saw them and trying to get their attention, but had only succeeded in keeping Henry close by him in the end.

The other boy sat beside him now, carefully avoiding Jack's eye and not saying a word. But Jack was grateful for him nonetheless, because at least Henry was someone familiar. At least he had one of his brothers by his side.

The rest of them had mostly split off into pairs, as far as Jack could tell. He finally found the heads of Buttons and Jojo several feet away, with Finch and Albert in a fairly close proximity as well. Mush and Specs occupied a space not even a yard away, while Tommy Boy and Sniper had taken a seat near the right side, towards the wall.

Race and Romeo had ended up on the opposite side of the room, the older newsie's arm draped around the younger's shoulders. Jack sighed in relief, his mental headcount somehow managing to calm his nerves as he assured himself that no one had been left behind.

But then, maybe it would have been better if they had.

"What're ya thinkin' about, Jack?" Henry spoke up after a few more moments of tense silence, his words a whisper that Jack was barely able to catch. He turned to look at the boy beside him, giving a wry smile that didn't quite fully register on his face.

"Nothin', really. Nothin' and everything," he sighed, shaking his head slightly as Henry gave a small nod in reply.

"I know whatcha mean...I can't make myself think about just one thing," he admitted, finally making eye contact with Jack as the ship continued to knock against the waves, sending the boys almost pitching to the side. Boats had always made Jack nervous, as he'd never really put his faith in something that could disappear in the blink of an eye.

After all, he'd seen what had happened to Titanic and the Lusitania, the latter of which was sunk by the Central Powers at least three years ago. Jack remembered that well, as the headlines that day had been great for business.

While he knew that the convoys were supposed to be the latest and greatest in the way of military protection the U.S. had to offer, the countless number of ships and planes that were supposed to be keeping an eye out for the Germans did next to nothing to appease his fears.

In his experience, the government was full of promises that were ultimately never kept-who was to say that their promise of safety would turn out any differently?

"Maybe it'll be better once we're off this stinkin' ship," Jack mumbled around a dry laugh, which quickly turned into a grimace as yet another wave struck the starboard side. His grip around the bottom edge of his seat tightened almost to the point of pain as he attempted to hold himself in place.

"Don'tcha like boats, Jack?" Henry chuckled playfully, grinning slightly at Jack's discomfort and poking him in the ribs. The older newsie gave him a light shove in return, rolling his eyes at the torment but feeling relived by it nonetheless. At least it was a distraction.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he replied with his usual brand of sarcasm, the weight settled in his chest lifting a bit at the smile that played on Henry's face at their admittedly poor attempt at normality.

"Just a hunch," the other boy shrugged, sighing as the moment began to lapse back into silence, as though both of them had decided not to push things too far.

It would be pointless to lull themselves back into a sense of security now, only to have it shattered a short time later. No, they had to remind themselves where they were, for it was only in reality that the chance of safety was greatest.

Jack exhaled as well, his thoughts once again letting themselves roam in any direction except the one the ship was heading in. Instead, they traveled back to New York, where they managed to find the two people Jack had hated to leave behind.

How was Crutchie holding up? The kid was Jack's main concern, just as he always had been, and Jack couldn't help but pray that he would be alright.

Crutchie had experienced his own share of personal hardships many a time, the most recent of these being the Refuge, with the utmost courage and determination. So Jack knew that he logically had no reason to doubt that the crippled boy would be fine without them.

But logic was lost on him now, and Jack's own doubting thoughts tortured him with the notion of Crutchie being unable to get by without them, of the pain of being alone too much for him to bear.

No, Jack forced his mind to turn it's back on the idea, shoving it instead in a new direction. Crutchie won't really be alone, Katherine is still there.

If Jack had one ounce of faith in anything, it was his Ace. She had never let him down before, but always came through when it mattered most.

Now, more than ever before, Jack knew he had to trust Katherine to know what to do to help both herself and Crutchie find a way to deal without the rest of them. For how long they would have to do this, Jack couldn't be sure. He wished he knew himself.

But this was war; war and uncertainty went hand in hand. It was, apparently, the priced paid for freedom.

Jack let his head fall into his hands, sensing Henry worriedly turning to glance at him but ignoring the younger boy for the time being. The stress was already beginning to eat away at him, and they hadn't yet even docked in Europe.

The impending thought of conflict loomed over him like a constant shadow, like a bomb ready to burst, blasting apart his life on both sides of the Atlantic. It threatened to consume him, and it took all of the convction Jack had to slow his rapidly increased breathing back down to a sufficiently normal speed.

He concentrated on the swaying of the boat, letting his own fear guide him towards calm.

He let the water drlft him towards sleep, all the while dreading the moment his eyes would open again.

More updates on the way! Please don't forget to review, and prompts/suggestions for other stories are always appreciated!