A/N: Hi guys, sorry for being a week late! My teachers got together and decided to give me exams for every one of my courses. What fun! (Also I may have posted this on Ao3 then proceeded to forget about FanFiction...Sorry). Anyway, this chapter is a little short and sort of a filler chapter, but I hope it's not too boring. I'll try to put in another chapter early to make up for last week. Also for you Sprace fans, this chapter has a little bit of them in it, but their relationship isn't official yet so there isn't a lot to go on. I'll definitely put in some more scenes later on though!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, only the plot. (If I did I'd let Crutchie have a two week nap. Poor kid went through so much)

-o-

"You're gonna trip idiot!" Spot called out. He'd been walking with Race since the circulation ended, and neither had made any sign of wanting to leave.

Race was hopping around and running in the snow, splashes of mud tainting his pants. "Oh really, Sir Short Legs? I'd like ta' see you catch me!". He skipped away, periodically looking back to see if Spot was following him.

"Ain't no one gonna call me that!" Spot shouted. He and Race had been spending more time in each other's company, selling near Brooklyn and grabbing food together afterwards. The maniac running around was an idiot, but his idiot nonetheless.

After a while of scampering, (The King of Brooklyn didn't scamper, the dunce next to him did, but whatever floats ya' boat), Race suddenly stopped.

"What? Tired already Racer? So much for 'long legs'."

He shook his head although he was panting. "Nah, I thought I saw someone lying in that alley." Race punched Spot on the shoulder while the latter glared. "Ready for the act of a saint?"

"Yeah. A Saint that smokes, wears ridiculous pink socks, and is slightly drunk on beer."

"Hey, at least I'se not hitting people with slingshots!" He poked him on the chest, and ran before Spot could act on his revenge. "And I happen to like my pink socks!"

Before Spot could join Race in the dark backstreet, Race dropped his cigar and hurried onto the ground. "Katherine!"

"What?" He tailed Race, only to find him holding the King of New York herself. Her dress was dirty and wet, and her rosy cheeks starkly stood out against the absurdly white color of her skin.

"Plums wake up!" Race shook her. He turned to Spot. "We needs to get her to the lodging house!"

Spot quickly nodded and tried to help Race manage her into a carry-friendly position. Once race had her secure, he tried to stand back up and groaned. "God her dress is heavy."

So they ran once more, this time without any sarcastic quips or teases, only stern and worried looks. Not many people were out in the cold at night, but the few that were gave them some strange glances. Sending each a death glare, Spot led the way. He opened the door to the lodging house- with more force than necessary- and they were greeted with the sudden warmth of the room. Race was breathing heavy, sounding as if he were dying when he strung a sentence together with some effort.

"Guys! It's Plums!"

The newsies' voices were all overlapping each other, (something about searching as far as Race could hear) but all of it stopped once everyone saw him. Once Jack saw him.

Jack's face went from worry to utter distress as soon as he laid eyes on the bundle in his arms. "What happened?"

He quickly took her from Race's arms, while the younger boy flopped to the floor. A collective gasp was heard from the group, and the air changed once more as the other newsies struggled to see what was going on. Romeo stepped in at some point, closing the door to keep the warm air inside.

Spot put his unease aside and took the liberty of giving a little explanation."We just found her in an alleyway."

"What do you mean?" Jack whispered. Race looked up. Their leader-the fearless, brave, solid Jack-was holding Katherine close, in some kind of trance.

"I dunno Jack. She was just lyin' there, in the freezin' rain" Race said, catching his breath on the floor. "Jack?"

When he didn't move, Davey crouched down to his eye level and shook his shoulders. "Jack!"

He gripped his shoulder tightly and forced him to make eye contact. "It's fine. You've experienced this before. Other boys get sick all the time."

As if awareness was suddenly poured into him, Jack blinked and stood up.

"Right. Romeo! Get a bed ready. And grab some blankets."

"Yessir!"

"Specs! Get us a rag and some water!"

"Crutch, send all the younger ones to the third floor and set up for the night there. I can't have everyone crowding the place or worse getting sick."

"Okay Jack." Crutchie patted his arm for reassurance and started to gather the newsies.

Once again, the common room was full of noise and clamour. Newsies up and down were doing their best, helping move supplies and belongings. In the hustle Darcy stood hesitantly.

"Mr. Kell- Jack. How could I be of use?"

Jack scoured the things that needed to be done in his head. "You said her apartment was unlocked?"

He nodded.

"Go there and bring a change of clothes for her, and anything that might help. Maybe medicine?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

Right then, Romeo came back. "Jack, the bed's ready."

With no time to lose the boys carried Katherine up the stairs and placed her on the bed. It was the biggest, most secluded one they had. Jack grimaced when he realized where they were. The bed was never used unless there was a real need, an unspoken rule amongst the boys. Every year, someone would get sick-severely sick- and not everyone who got laid on the bed got up.

"Dave!" Jack yelled, trying to find his overprotective academic, only to see he was still right by his side. "Davey, get Ms. Medda." Seeing that his friend had left with a nod, his focus went back to Katherine. "Ace, you'se gonna be okay." Maybe more to himself than to her.

The next fifteen minutes were blurred together. Boys moving around, people ordering others, an all too familiar event that Jack dreaded each time. Katherine's eyes hadn't even fluttered, and Jack found himself rubbing her hand in his just to remind himself that she was still there.

By the time Ms. Medda barged into the bunk room, everyone was gone (aside from a select few), and Jack was taking Katherine's shoes off, a bucket of water already warmed on the stove.

"Jack! I came as quickly as I could!"

Seeing Ms. Medda's familiar face, Jack tried to contain his tears. "We don't know what happened! Race, he found her in an alley. She's burning up."

Davey came along shortly, embracing his friend in a supportive hug while Ms. Medda rushed to the girl's side.

"Looks like she has a bad fever. Davey, call a doctor dear. I know one who lives on Williams St."

"But Ms. Medda, we can't aff-"

Giving him a glare, the heavily decorated woman looked over her shoulder. "Does this look like the time to be arguing about that?"

Jack shut his mouth with an audible clack.

"She's a little hypothermic. I don't know how bad, but I have to get these wet clothes off her."

"Yeah we have Darcy out to get her clothes. He should be back any minute now."

"That's good. Put them outside the door when they're here and I'll call you when I'm done."

"Ms. Medda!" Jack entreated. "Let me be here. Please. I can't leave her."

The older woman sighed and enveloped Jack into a warm hug. "I know. But you worrying by her side isn't going to do anything."

Jack was about to retort when she interrupted him. "What you need to do, is to be the leader you are and get everyone organized. We can't have a confused, rattled bunch of newsies roaming around. Can you do that?"

Nodding, he placed a gentle kiss on Katherine's forehead. "I'll be back Ace."

Though he went up to the third floor where all the boys were, Jack couldn't find much to say. He put down the usual guidelines; no one goes into the room where the ill person is, everyone who has a safe place to stay besides the lodging house would go there once the morning came, and everyone takes absolute care in keeping clean and warm, but all the newsies knew the drill. The announcement took two minutes and all he got was silence and worried looks. So Jack went back outside the door to the second floor and waited.