Next chapter! Hopefully people are enjoying the story!

Jack climbed the last part of the ladder, still feeling dejected. She knew deep down that she had done the right thing to protect the newsies but she still felt a horrible gut-wrenching pain within her.

Yes, she had protected them but, at the same time, she had lost them.

Once on her rooftop, Jack gripped the railing tightly, squeezing her eyes shut in hopes of pushing the pain away. Just breathe, not too deeply but breathe, she repeated to herself before prying her eyes open and glancing around. She thought she should probably pack, get ready to –

"That was some speech you made."

Jack jerked in surprise, her body seizing and she bit back a groan as pain flared through her body once more. Through the ache, she searched the area before spotting… "How'd you get here?!" cried out Jack in shock. She had been expecting… Honestly, she hadn't been expecting anyone.

Katherine was standing near her bed – well, what scraps of fabric she had gathered to form a sleeping area – riffling through the sketches Jack had done.

Katherine barely glanced up from the drawings as she explained, "Well, Specs showed us."

"What? He say you could…?" The rest of the sentence died in Jack's throat as she finally spotted Davey. He also had several sketched in his hands and he was staring at them, stubbornly keeping his eyes on them and not on Jack. She stared at him for a moment, unsure of why he was there. She could possibly understand Katherine's being there for what had gone on in Pulitzer's office but not Davey.

He's come to yell at me, realized Jack with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Jack lowered her gaze, her fists clenching. She didn't think she'd be able to handle Davey yelling at her… She just needed to get her things and leave.

But first…

She needed her drawings out of their hands. She didn't know which ones they had in their hands, which ones they had seen but she wasn't taking any chances. What she did know was that some drawings were of people, of the newsies…

She couldn't remember what she had done with the one of Davey…

Therefore, just to be safe, she quickly made her way over and nearly yanked the drawings from their hands, rolling the papers back up.

Davey bit the insides of his cheeks to stop himself from snapping at Jack's behavior. He just let his arms fall to his sides, taking a deep breath as he did. Whatever was going on with Jack, he didn't understand it.

Katherine, meanwhile, was going to be more vocal about the situation.

"They were rolled up just sticking out of there," said Katherine, managing to hold on to a drawing. "We didn't know what they were."

Jack didn't care about that one though, she shouldn't have cared about any of them if she was honest to herself. She should just throw them off the edge of the roof; she didn't need them in Santa Fe.

She didn't need painful reminders how what she had lost in New York.

"These are drawings of the Refuge, aren't they?" wondered Katherine, studying the paper she had managed to hold onto. "Is this really what it's like in there? Three boys to a bed, rats everywhere and vermin…"

Jack took a deep breath but anger was bubbling inside her. She didn't like being reminded of the Refuge, being reminded that Crutchie was now stuck in that hell hole in the condition he was in.

As she remembered what had transpired in Pulitzer's office: how Katherine possibly betrayed them, betrayed her.

"What? A little different from where you were raised?" snapped Jack as she managed to stuff all the drawings back in their place.

Katherine was surprised by Jack's tone and was about to lower the paper in her hand when Jack snatched the drawing out of her hands, adding it to the ones she had already put away.

The reporter stared at Jack for a moment, confused by her actions. However, before trying to understand the anger Jack was portraying, the conversation in Pulitzer's office came to the forefront of her mind. "Snyder told my father that you were arrested stealing food and clothing. This is why, isn't it?"

That got Davey's attention as he finally glanced towards Jack, remembering how she had told him she had a criminal record. She hadn't explained how she had gotten the record but what Katherine had said would make sense to Davey.

Jack had said she'd do anything for the newsies and the children in the Refuge. Davey now realized that she would do that even if that included incurring the wrath of Snyder, a man Jack was terrified of.

"You stole to feed those boys," explained Katherine in awe before her confusion grew. "I don't understand!" she yelled out. "If you were willing to go to jail for these boys, how could you turn your back on them now?"

Jack whirled around, his grip on the tube so tight, it bent slightly. If Jack's suspicions were right, Katherine had been the one to tell Pulitzer all the information he had on her and the newsies. As she threw the tube to the side, she approached Katherine, nearly yelling. "I do not think you are one to talk about...!" The rest of the sentence died in her throat as she spotted Davey from the corner of her eye.

Jack clenched her fists, part of her wanting to share Katherine's secret but another part of her…

The newsies already hate Jack, she didn't need them to hate Katherine as well.

The reporter, meanwhile, waited a moment for Jack to finish and, when she didn't, Katherine continued, slightly indignant. "Talk about what?" she repeated, crossing her arms. "Do you think I turned on you? I never did. Not one you or anyone else!"

"Really?" snapped Jack, staring her down.

Katherine's eyes widened as she understood what Jack was implying. "You think I betrayed you to my father?"

Davey had been keeping out of the dispute between the two young women but that comment had him asking, "Father?"

Jack eyed Davey and then Katherine, feeling that the conversation was getting too close to spilling the reporter's secret and she was trying to figure out a way to perhaps moving the argument somewhere else or perhaps even tell Davey to leave.

Katherine, however, didn't seem to mind sharing at the moment. "My father has eyes on every corner of this city; he doesn't need me spying for him. I never lied to you, Jack."

Jack was physically taken aback by that comment and it hit home all too well, those words stinging deeply. "I get it!" she growled out. "I lied! Keep rubbing it in why don't you?!"

Katherine had not been expecting that reaction. Jack had quickly gone from being mad at the reporter to being mad at herself. And, having seen how beaten down Jack had looked after the rally, Katherine felt guilty for the wording.

"We both didn't," said Katherine slowly, in a softer tone. "We just didn't tell the truth."

Jack wasn't buying it though. "No, I lied. I've been lying since I could sell papes," she snapped. "I lied 'cause it ain't safe for a female newsie, 'specially a homeless one! So don't try to sugar coat the truth; you're the reporter, tell it how it is."

Katherine massaged her forehead, not sure where to go from that outburst.

"Can someone explain what the two of you are talking about?" wondered Davey slowly after a moment of silence.

"What? That I lied about being a boy?" muttered Jack with a sigh as she turned away and walked over to the railing, leaning heavily against it.

"No," replied Davey with a shake of his head. "The two of you fighting."

Katherine eyed Jack, who was staying quiet, and then Davey, realizing she was going to have to explain the situation. "I… Pulitzer's my father. I was there when Jack went to go see him."

Davey's eyes widened immensely as he took a step back in surprise. "You're –?"

"She didn't know," cut in Jack suddenly, staring at the ground. "She didn't know about his plan to…" She didn't finish, not wanting to verbalize her betrayal.

"Sell us out?" finished Davey and Jack winced, turning her face away from him.

"No. She didn't… Well,…" Katherine hesitated, eyeing Jack carefully. "I – we – need to be sure that you didn't cave for the money."

That wasn't exactly the truth but the reporter needed Davey to hear what had transpired in Pulitzer's office, to see that Jack didn't betray the newsies. She had a gut feeling Jack didn't do it for the money but Davey needed to be convinced.

"No! Of course not!" replied Jack quickly. "I… With or without the money… I would have…" She still couldn't say it out loud, it physically hurt.

Davey breathed deeply but it was clear he was frustrated. He nearly moved towards the ladder but Katherine grasped his wrist as she eyed Jack. "You need to explain why. He needs to hear it."

Davey glanced back at Katherine, confused. "Hear what? Why she –?"

"Just listen, please," interrupted Katherine, sending Jack another look.

Jack knew what needed to be done but she…

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I would have done the same thing 'cause Pulitzer threatened the others," she whispered softly, her gaze fixed on the ground as she tried to speak through the lump in her throat. "He threatened my family. He would go after Crutchie; after Race, Elmer, Albert, Specs… He'd go after Les." Jack finally met Davey's intense stare. "He'd go after you."

Davey took several deep breaths before he lowered his gaze, his body visibly relaxing.

"He'd hurt all of you, throw you all in the Refuge," continued Jack softly. "I – I couldn't stand back and let that happen to youse. I'd rather the boys hates me than let Pulitzer lay a hand on any of youse."

Silence followed that explanation as the young women waited for Davey's reaction. He had honestly been very hesitant about following Katherine when she had almost corned him after the rally. He had been betrayed by Jack and he couldn't understand why she had done that. He was hurt and his first instinct had been to avoid going anywhere near her.

However, there had been a part of him that had wanted answers, specifically on why she would betray them for a bundle of money.

And now, he had his answer. She never did it for the money: it was never about that. Pulitzer could have just threatened the others and she would have caved without any other incentive.

The money was for show, to add to the newsies hate towards her.

Davey removed his hat, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation.

And I fell for it, he thought, studying the defeated newsie leader in front of him.

He put his hat back on before slowly approaching Jack. She seemed to shrink as he did and he felt guiltier for his reaction.

"Jack, you'd really do anything for those boys," he whispered.

That had not been the reaction Jack had been expecting. She stared at Davey for a moment, waiting just in case that was all a show he was putting on, that he didn't really mean it. However, he didn't and it made her smile sadly.

"This proof enough?" she asked softly.

"But why didn't you come talk to us?" he wondered.

Jack eyed him before scoffing. "Davey, they let me leave the building less than 10 minutes before the start of the rally. I's didn't have the time. I didn't know what else I could do, what any of us could do now…"

Katherine came up to them at that point, leaning against the railing next to Jack. "But I do!"

Jack just shook her head, not in the mood for another grand scheme that could very well fail again. "Come on…"

Katherine stopped reaching for the paper she had in her pocket, giving Jack a disbelieving look. "Really, Jack, really? Only you can have a good idea?"

"I did not… Listen –"

"This would be a good time to shut up," cut in Katherine with a smile and Jack sighed. Davey, meanwhile, eyed the two of them, attempting to hide his amused smile. "Being boss doesn't mean you have all the answers: just the brains to recognize the right one when you hear it." Katherine pulled out the paper from her pocket, waving it in front of Jack for a moment.

Jack took a deep breath, unable to believe she was going to hear another scheme to continue the strike. She had let Davey and Katherine talk her into the last one and that hadn't turned out so well. However…

"I'm listenin'," she sighed because she figured anything sounded better than her current predicament.

"Good for you," replied Katherine with a smirk. "The strike was your idea, the rally was Davey's. And now my plan will take us to the finish line. Deal with it."

Katherine had unfolded the paper and held it out in front of Jack and Davey, a smug look on her face. Jack stared at her and then at the paper trying to find the will to read it. Thankfully, Davey took the paper and held it out before the two of them.

"The Children's Crusade?" said Jack out loud, eyeing the title and then Katherine.

Katherine nodded before she began reciting a line from the paper, a line she took, word for word from the newsie leader herself. "For the sake of all the kids in every sweatshop, factory, and slaughterhouse in New York, I beg you, join us."

Jack frowned slightly at those words and actually turned her attention on the article. Meanwhile, Davey had read it over and recognized those words. "That's what Jack said in the square. What she said to the scabs."

He had honestly been impressed on the day he had heard them and had grown even more sure about the strike because of her speech. Jack could say as much as she wanted that she was just a loud mouth but she could very well string together a convincing speech when she wanted to.

"I did?" asked Jack, unconvinced. To her, it didn't sound like her: she didn't think she was that articulate.

Katherine was smiling. "Yes, you did. And with your words, the strike stopped being just about the newsies!" she explained. "You challenged our whole generation to stand up and demand a place at the table."

Jack went back to reading the article and, as she did, became more and more impressed with the reporter as the sentences flowed. "Th Children's Crusade…," repeated Jack in awe once she was done.

She glanced back towards Katherine and realized at the same time that she had gotten closer to Davey as she had been reading. He cleared her throat, taking a hesitant step back as she did.

Thankfully for her, the reporter was too focused on the plan to take notice.

"Think, Jack, if we publish this, my words," Katherine briefly paused, another idea forming, "with one of your drawings! And if every worker under 21 read it and stayed home from work, or better yet, they came to Newsies Square. A general city-wide strike! Even my father couldn't ignore that."

Jack, however, couldn't get as excited about the situation, realizing an important detail. "We have one small problem," she cut in somberly. "We got no way to print it."

That didn't seem to dampen Katherine's spirits. "Oh, come one, there has to be one printing press he doesn't control."

Jack sighed, leaning back against the railing. A printing press he doesn't control, she thought with a huff. Every single one of them is under his control and they's behind locked doors. Stupid printing presses… That word brought an ache in her back and she shifted slightly. She should have figured that sleeping on a –

"No," she breathed out in shock, catching the other two's attention.

"What?" wondered Katherine and Davey at the same time.

Jack turned towards them, a stupid smile on her face as she couldn't believe what she was about to suggest. "I know where there's a printing press no one would ever think we'd use."

Katherine and Davey waited a moment before Katherine motioned for Jack to continue. "Where?" she asked.

"The World cellar," replied Jack, the smile still there.

Katherine's eyes widened in understanding. "Well, then, why are we still standing here?"

Davey, on the other hand, began wondering what exactly had happened at The World building and he grew slightly worried. As Katherine headed towards the ladder with a bounce in her step, Davey realized that the talk he had wanted to have with Jack after the rally really needed to be done, about her secret and about what had happened at the rally

The reporter was already down two rungs when Davey said, "Katherine, do you mind if I talk to Jack for a moment before we head out?"

Katherine eyed both newsies. Jack's heart, though, jumped. Davey may not have yelled at her in front of the reporter but he could very well do it when they're alone.

Katherine, however, didn't seem to notice Jack's hesitation as she nodded. "Of course!" she replied. "I can meet you there, actually. I need to get some help for the printing."

That caught Jack's attention, pulling her away from her dark thoughts. "Not alone at this time of night," she cut in, leaning over the railing.

Katherine smiled. "See, this is why I thought you were a boy," she remarked and Jack shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Really?" wondered Jack, with a surprised smirk.

Katherine nodded somewhat, still smiling. "That and the flirting."

Jack shrugged. "Sorry, old habits die hard."

"You flirted with her?" asked Davey.

Jack felt a blush forming as she turned towards him. "Well, sorta. Wasn't on purpose. You knows me, just trying to be friendly." Katherine choked back a laugh that made Jack blush even more and rub her nose. "Fine, fine!"

Davey eyed the two of them but he couldn't say that he was surprised by the situation. He figured Jack needed to convince others that she was male and flirting seemed to be a good idea on how to fool them.

He shook his head before he nudged Jack and motioned for her to move back. Once she did, he leaned over the railing and called out, "Specs! Race, Albert, Romeo!"

It took a moment but all four boys poked their heads out of different windows, glancing up in confusion at Davey.

"What?" called out Race with a frown.

"Specs, can you accompany Katherine?" asked Davey. "The rest of you, I need you to gather the others!"

"Really? Nows?" asked Albert with a frown.

"Yes, now. It's important, trust me," replied Davey.

The four boys glanced at each other and, after a moment to confer with each other through signals and looks, agreed. They may have been betrayed by Jack but they knew they could still put their faith in Davey.

"Where?" wondered Race with a sigh.

"The World building. We're going to need its cellar. This fight ain't over yet. I'll explain more later. Just get the others ready!"

The boys shared a look once more before they nodded to each other and then to Davey.

"Meet you downstairs, Miss Katherine!" called Specs just before all four of them retreated back inside.

Katherine nodded her thanks to Davey. "I can explain things to them," she offered. "It'll give you a bit more time."

He nodded back before Katherine began climbing down. That left Davey and Jack alone on the rooftop. Davey continued to lean against the railing as he eyed Jack carefully. She shifted, unused to having someone so focused on her.

Especially someone she liked and had hurt.

She had a gut feeling the next couple of minutes would be hard…

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