Disclaimer: yada tada mada cada don't own newsies blah blah blah

A/N: Heya again! Well I go back to school Mon. but I'll try to update often. So, back to the adventure...

Chapter 8

Cat spent the next few hour walking aimlessly around the streets of Manhattan. Instead of feeling the fire of anger she felt numb. She couldn't believe that after all these years he was right in front of her. Cowboy Jack Kelly, the newsie leader. The leader of her enemies was her brother Francis Sullivan. How could she have missed it? Now that she thought about it he still had the same goofy grin and the same laugh. The only thing that was different was that he was the leader instead of her. Cat laughed humorlessly as she thought about all the times she considered taking him out and all the times things got in the way. She thought the Cowboy just had dumb luck but now she was starting to think it was something else.

Cat found herself in front of the newsies lodging house but she didn't go in. Instead she went into the alley beside the building and climbed up to the roof. She sat there most of the day contemplating her next move. When she first heard the news of her brother she was filled with uncontrolled rage, then exhaustion, and now numbness. She felt torn, the Ice in her was saying 'he abandoned you, just forget him'. And the Cathrine in her just wanted her family back. She looked down at the gun in her hand, the gun that the Black Ice had used to kill newsies. Was she going to use it again? Would there be another death on her head? Her thoughts drifted back to what Rock had said. Dominic wouldn't want it.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

"Ice you can't keep doing this." Dominic said shaking his head sadly. Ice, who was now 12, had just taken out a Queens newsie leader. Her third newsie so far that year.

"He had to much power for his own good." young Ice said with a sneer. "it had to be done." Dominic sighed, he never intended it to get this far. He had allowed, even encouraged, her all those years ago to kill the Harlem newsie leader who had killed her mother. He thought it would give her closure but instead she thirsted for more blood. Now she had made it her mission to keep the newsies in line by killing them. "Besides" she said breaking through his thoughts, "You and the others kill."

"That's different," he snapped. Ice kept staring at him, she saw no difference. "Your hurting yourself Ice. With every kill you fall farther and farther. This is our life not yours." The 12-year-old looked slightly hurt.

"Are youse saying you don't want me?" Dominic softened and pulled her into a hug.

"I love ya baby girl youse know that. But youse gotta stop killing. Promise me you'll stop." Ice hesitated. She deeply want to say yes, she longed for his approval but she couldn't stop now, could she?

"I'll try."

BACK TO THE PRESENT

The next day Dominic broke up the Sharks. He said it was time to move on and that he was going west. Everyone was in shock but I knew why he did it. It was because of me and that knowledge hurt like a knife to my gut. I didn't cry when he boarded the train, I never cried, but I felt abandoned all over again.

Cat sighed at the memory. It had been almost 5 years since that day and she hadn't stopped the killing, she did it less often, but she didn't stop. Dominic had been right though, killing did nothing but make her feel empty but it had kept her reputation alive. She unloaded the gun and put the bullets and gun in an old bucket. She would not kill tonight. She would talk to Jack alone and see where it went from there.

The sun was setting when she finally heard the newsies coming home from their day of selling. The window leading to the bunk room was open and she could hear Racetrack trying to get a poker game started and Jack talking with Blink. Cat took a deep breath, I can do this. She waited a few more minutes before finally climbing down the ladder and through the window. Most of the boys were back and were lounging around the room. Some were playing marbles, others sword fighting, and about six boys were gathered around the table playing poker, including her target. She strolled over to the table and stood behind Jack and watched them play. As usual Race won most of the hands, cheating no doubt, but she had yet to catch him.

"Hey Cowboy," Cat said after finally getting up enough nerve, "Could we talk for a moment?"

"Um, could it wait til after this hand?"

"Sure I'll wait," She leaned down so she was whispering into his ear, "Francis." Jacks head shot up and he whirled around to look at her but she was already out the door. Francis, she called me Francis! Jacks mind was spinning with excitement. That means she know, shes really Cathrine and she knows who I am! Wait, where'd she go? He threw down his cards and shot for the door. He barley heard the others as they called out to him.

"That boys running like the bulls were on his tail." The boys just laughed and shook their heads. Racetrack was leaning back, smoking his cigar and smiling like he had the best hand in the world, he understood why Jack ran out. He was going to talk to Cat. He leaned back in his chair and tried to picture what two Kellys could do in Manhattan.

0

Now where did she go? Jack had run out of the lodging house after Cat but couldn't find her anywhere, it was like she disappeared into thin air. He started walking down the street when he was suddenly pulled into the alleyway beside the lodging house. He felt something hard slam into his stomach and he felt his breath rush out of him as he was pushed against the wall.

"Why did you leave!" It was Cat. Jack was surprised at all the anger her voice betrayed. Little did he know that while he had been missing her all those years she had been resenting him.

"Wha... what! What are you talking about?" Cat back handed him.

"You left me to fend for myself on the streets, you left me to die!" She tried to hit him again but by this time Jack had gained his bearings and caught her fist.

"What da ya mean I left ya!" he ducked and caught her other arm, holding her tight. "Me an' Da spent night and day looking for ya!" She tried to pull away but he held her hard.

"Ya musta not looked to hard!" Cat felt her energy draining. "I went back afta a week and youse both were gone! The house was empty!" She jerked out of his grasp and turned away not wanting him to see that lone tear that had escaped her. Jack was stunned, he never imagined that she would have felt this way. He thought that when she hadn't returned after almost a week that she was either dead or wasn't coming back at all (although he didn't know why she wouldn't).

"Cathy.." he put his hand on her shoulder but she jerked away. "One night when we'se were lookin' for ya Da got drunk. With Ma dead and you missing he just couldn't deal. Well he got into a fight and killed the guy. He got arrested and they were gonna send me ta the orphanage so I ran off here." Jack ran his hand though his hair and sighed. "I asked around about ya but no one knew anything. I didn't want ta give up but I had ta make a livin'." He looked up at Cat who still had her back turned.

Cat couldn't move. She knew she should have felt relieved. They had cared about her and had gone looking for her. But with this revelation also brought another, Dominic had lied to her. He had told her that her family moved away without her, that they had abandoned her to the streets. Why would he say that when he probably knew the truth, he was resourceful enough.

She turned to look back at Jack, her brother, a newsie. Is that why he didn't want me killing newsies? because he knew Francis was one?

"Uh, Cathy?"

"I'm fine Francis." Cat said softly. "Its just gonna take some time to sink in."

"I'm sorry." Jack smiled. "Youse mind if I show you off to the guys? They'd just love to know that there's another Kelly in Manhattan." Cat laughed, all traces of her anger and sadness gone.

"Oh, so I'se a Kelly now huh?" Jacks smile broadened.

"That's right sista."

A/N: Yaaa, another chapter up! Please R&R and tell me what you think and if youse have any suggestion you could add those too. Later!