Hello again!,

Happy summer everyone! I FINALLY got to Newsies on tour and it was such a fantastic, magical experience! I loved how involved the audience was; how they laughed at all the funny parts and the collective gasp when Pulitzer reveals Katherine is his daughter. The cast was so nice when I met them at the stage door too! Since it's summer, and I'm off school, and have nothing better to do with my time, I'm going to be writing a lot more. I'm thinking weekly updates (!). I know what you're thinking, it's taken me 4 months to update before, and this is never going to happen, but it doesn't hurt to try right?Also going to try and write some new stories as well, so keep an eye out for those! Anyways...

Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies (*gasp* You're all shocked, right?)


Of course he recognized the room he was standing in. It had been the setting of his nightmares for the past three years. Only there was something off about it. The rusted bunk beds crammed with starving boys that usually sat in the corner had been replaced by a small figure huddled against the wall. Jack wanted to scream. It was Katherine. He sprinted over to her. She had her hands pressed in front of her as if they were resting on an invisible wall. As he reached out to grab her, his hand hit something solid. There was some sort of invisible barrier between them. Katherine's mouth was open as if she was screaming, but no sound came out.

"There's nothing you can do to help her." A quiet voice came from behind him. Jack turned to face Joseph Pulitzer, who stood blocking the doorway, and any chance of escape.

"Or more accurately, there's nothing she can do to help you."

"Hello Jack." Snyder. Shit.

Snyder grinned as he laid eyes on Jack. He was flanked on both sides by none other than the Delancy brothers, hands already balled into fists, eyes gleaming with pleasure.

"Just like the good old days, isn't it?"

Jack backed up towards the wall only to have his arms pinned behind him by Morris.

"Well," Snyder remarked, "This has been quite the nice reunion, but I think I'll leave these two to do the dirty work.."

Jack struggled against Morris' grip.

Snyder ducked into the corridor and shut the door with a loud bang behind him.

"Guess there's no escaping us now, huh Kelly?" Morris' voice hissed in his ear.

Oscar grabbed his collar, throwing him against the wall, and then proceeding to land his brass knuckle-clad fist in Jack's stomach.

"It's all your fault, really, Jack." he laughed. "You thought the strike was the end. You thought that you would get to live happily ever after with your little heiress. Didn't quite turn out that way, did it?"

Morris smirked, "Too bad she was only using you to get back at her daddy. And you really thought she loved you, how sweet. Unfortunately now you both have to die."

Oscar grinned and whipped out a blade, making his way over to where Katherine was tied up in the corner. Morris laughed as Jack struggled to break free from his grasp. Katherine screamed as the knife came to rest on her neck. Oscar pressed the blade closer to her throat, and laughed as she struggled. Tiny beads of red surfaced where the gleaming metal met her skin.

"Time to say goodbye to your pretty little ace."

"No!" Jack screamed, but it was too late.

He awoke in a cold sweat. Crutchie was huddled in the corner of the roof top, a concerned look on his face. He was used to Jack's nightmares.

"Shit." Jack muttered

"Refuge?" Crutchie asked quietly

"Yes, well no… gah!" Jack put his head in his hands. "She was there and.."

"Who? Katherine?"

"Yes, but we were both trapped, and they killed her, and…"

"Calm down," Crutchie said, shuffling over to wrap his arm around his friend's shoulders. "It was only a dream. The Refuge doesn't even exist anymore anyways, and Katherine is perfectly safe in her apartment, and before you know it everything will be back to normal."

"Yeah," Jack muttered holding his head in his hands, "You're right. I'm fine, it was just some stupid dream. Sorry I woke you up Crutch, try and get some sleep."

But he wasn't fine. He was worried about Katherine, or more accurately, worried about losing her for good.


Katherine marched through the doors of the World building without a second thought to the stares and whispers that followed her. She was used to them by now. She had never once come here to be praised and appreciated by her father, and by now she had quite the reputation with the staff for her outlandish social behavior and fiery temper. A temper only matched by her father's.

After a heated phone conversation with Joe himself, who had strictly forbade her from coming to see him, Katherine had marched herself over to the World without a second thought. He would hear her out and right the wrongs he had caused, Katherine would make sure of it.

She marched through her father's office doors, followed by a flustered Hannah, complaining that this was not proper at all, and that she needed an appointment, and hadn't she been forbade from visiting anyways?

"How could you!" Katherine slammed her hands against the mahogany desk adorned with a gold name plate the read Joseph Pulitzer .

The man seated there calmly put down his paper and folded his hands across the polished wood. "I assume you are referring to the situation with that Kelly boy, and in that case darling, I am nothing if not a man of my word. I had one condition, and you chose to disregard it, which is not my fault. And speaking of things you chose to disregard, I distinctly remember forbidding you to come here to yell at me for something that isn't my fault."

"I'm no legal expert, but I think you could get thrown in jail for sending some thugs to beat another person to the point of unconsciousness!"

"Don't pretend like you understand the politics of this city dear." Pulitzer remarked as he resumed shuffling the papers on his desk.

"Jack couldn't even stand, he was covered in blood. He could have died!"

"Pity he didn't."

Katherine was now seething, on the verge of screaming at the top of her lungs.

"There's really no need to throw a tantrum," He glanced up at his daughter, her features twisted in fury. "You could have prevented whatever horrible yet well-deserved fate that befell that boy. I did what I had to; I will not have you ruined by that filthy scum."

"You will never be half the man Jack Kelly is," Katherine whispered each rage filled word through clenched teeth. "You may be the most powerful person in this city, but that doesn't make you the best. Jack is compassionate, loving, strong, confident, and passionate, and everything you aren't. He would sacrifice everything for the people he loves, something you will never understand. He isn't a greedy, pig-headed, bigot like you!"

"I will not sit here as you insult me and defend that insufferable Jack Kelly." It was clear her father had reached his breaking point, as his face had turned a bright shade of scarlet to rival Katherine's own flush. "You were told you were not to come here, you came anyways to insult me and rant about things you hardly understand. You are being childish and selfish. If I didn't think you would be overjoyed if I did, I would disown you in seconds!" His voice had risen to a roar "Get out! Now!"

"No!" Katherine crossed her arms and then immediately uncrossed them in fear of proving her father's comment on her childish behavior true. "You can't bully me into being your perfect daughter!"

Pulitzer raised an eyebrow, "I won't hesitate to have you dragged out of here."

"Just try! You might throw me out of here, but I will never stop trying to get you to come to your senses, and I will never stop loving Jack Kelly, not for a single second!" and with that Katherine threw herself into one of the familiar swivel chairs.

"Whenever you want to have a civilized conversation, where you respect me and my wishes and come to a decision that doesn't involve beating another human to death, I am right here." she proclaimed.

"And whenever you feel like acting like an adult, and seeing that I know what's best for you, I am willing to have that conversation."


"You still look like hell." Race remarked as Jack came down the stairs. His injuries hadn't completely healed, but he could move around again, although he had been forced to buy only half as many papers as he usually did, and still he could hardly manage to carry those.

"Just shut up for once Race, would ya?"

That earned Jack an eye roll. "Just being friendly!"

"No word from Katherine yet then?" Romeo asked.

"Why don't we just go out and find her and tell her you need her, and that your can't live without her, or whatever, and then drag her here." piped up Henry.

"What like kidnap her?'

Race jumped up on a table "All in favor in kidnapping Katherine say aye!"

"No, absolutely not, no one is kidnapping anyone!" Jack interrupted, knocking Race from his perch atop the furniture.

"I agree on the no kidnapping thing, but what if we just went and talked to her?" Crutchie suggested, looking completely serious.

"Like she would ever listen to you idiots." Jack muttered.

"Hey, it's worth a shot, right?"


Sorry if there are any horrendous writing/spelling mistakes, I only read through this like twice, and wrote a good chunk of it on my phone. At least we got to see a little more Jack and assorted other newsies in this chapter! They will come into play soon, as they pay a visit to Katherine. I also couldn't help but write more of Pulitzer just generally being evil, after all, he is one of my favorite characters to write! Thanks so much for reading! Of course reviews mean the world! Keep on seizing the day and carryin' the banner!

-Dream Unique