Author's Note

.｡｡*ﾟi hope you're staying safe and being kind to yourself! .｡｡*ﾟ

Love youuu 💗

𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚

MANHATTAN - JULY 1899

"Go ahead and scold me if you're going to do it," Jack said as he threw the door to the lodging house open that evening.

Kloppman looked up from his desk, readjusting his spectacles. "Jack," he said in astonishment, having just gotten the story from Sophie.

His sister sat on the long bench by the door, having just anxiously been discussing Jack's recent arrest with the landlord.

No one expected Jack to come waltzing back in any time soon. As soon as he did, Kloppman came around the desk and hugged the boy, forgetting any anger or frustration he might've been feeling moments before.

"It's alright, Kloppman," Jack said in a much calmer voice. He walked around to face his sister. "Go ahead and tell the bulls I'm here."

Sophie gave him a funny look and shrugged. "We won't have to tell the police you're here, Jack. I'll go down to the precinct with you, and we'll get it all straightened out."

"The hell we will," Jack replied. "I did alright without you, so kindly stay out of this."

"Jack, what are you talking about?" Sophie spoke up, rising from the bench.

"You left me there," Jack said, folding his arms. "It's like you want them to put me away again."

"I don't want you getting into more trouble, that's all," Sophie said firmly.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, go ahead and rat on me. I passed half a dozen roundsmen on my way over here. Just walk outside." He shook his head. "But if you do, it'll be the last time you ever see me. Because I won't be here when they come."

Sophie nervously fidgeted with her fingers. "Jack, you're talking crazy. Think of what you're doing to me. To your friends."

"I'm thinking about myself," Jack snapped. "It's me they wanna put away. I don't understand why you're so pissed."

"I'm not, Jack," Sophie replied. "Nobody is. We're just afraid for you."

"Oh, forget it. I'm doing alright," he grumbled. "You don't gotta worry about anything."

"All this running isn't good. I can't do it anymore," Sophie stammered. "If you give yourself up, maybe they'll be easier on you. Put you on probation."

Jack gave her a serious look that made her step back a bit. "Yeah, with my criminal record and my family history…" Jack spat. "My old man in the big house. My sister a whore. And Ma dead. Sure, I'm a cinch for probation!"

"Alright, maybe they will send you up for a few months," Sophie said, sniffling as she pushed away her wounded feelings. "But there are lots of things worse than that. I never ran away or blamed our folks for what I had to face."

The way she spoke scared Jack. He'd never heard her sound so tired beyond her years.

"I know all about that," Jack muttered. "I know you would've had a good life if it hadn't been for me. Jesus, I ain't a kid anymore. I can see what's happening to you. Things haven't panned out the way we figured years ago. They got Pop, and we're still down here. And we're gonna stay here until we're dead if we don't do something about it. I'm getting out now, right now. As soon as this is over, I'm going to Santa Fe, and you can stay here and be free! I won't hold you back anymore!"

Jack was seething, foaming at the mouth like a madman. Sophie hadn't seen that side of him before.

"Well, hit me if you're going to," Sophie said, keeping her voice steady and low. "I'd rather you take your anger out on me than leave forever."

Jack paused. He'd never hit Sophie, and he wouldn't dream of doing it ever. But her tone indicated to Kloppman it was something that had occurred in the past.

"Don't say that Soph," Jack mumbled.

"Then speak softly to me," Sophie's voice broke, sounding like she might cry any minute.

Kloppman put up a hand, silencing all parties. "Jack, you've managed to get yourself in quite a bit of trouble in a very short time, haven't you?"

Jack's entire rage demeanor dropped as he turned toward the old landlord. Now, all that was left was shame. "Yeah."

"Is there a greater reason for all of this?" Kloppman asked. "Or are you still the same little boy I once knew, seeking adventure?"

"I've always had a reason. A good reason," Jack retorted.

"What was it?"

"I just want to give Sophie a better life than I've ever known," he whispered.

Kloppman sighed. "And you've had to break the law to do that? Steal my money for laudanum? Leave her in a burlesque house while you got sent up the river? Abandon her yet again since you've returned? Scab on the movement you created. Only to go back and do something foolish to land you in more trouble with the police?"

Jack looked numb. "Yeah."

"And the deaths of those Randall's Island guards…" Kloppman furthered. "I read the papers, Jack. You did all that for Sophie?"

"I didn't kill nobody," Jack answered bitterly.

"But you stand by those who did," Kloppman said.

Jack looked at the floor.

"Jack, you've always been a good kid," Kloppman continued, shaking his head. "When you first got here, you had your whole life ahead of you, and you still do. But I don't know if I can fix this for you. I want to, but I don't think I can."

"I ain't asking for your charity," Jack said quickly. "Go ahead and turn me in."

"You know what, I could do that," Kloppman said, his voice rising just a bit. It wasn't a full yell, but he was in his lecture voice. "Send you back up to the island where they'll keep you until you're twenty-one, and then you'll get shipped to prison. But I have always taken good care of you. So don't you say you've had no one. There isn't anything I wouldn't do to help you."

Sophie, who had been relatively silent, shifted awkwardly as she glanced from Jack to Kloppman.

"You're not really tough," Kloppman said, lowering his voice to not draw the other boys downstairs with the commotion. "You and Sophie both had a bad time of it when your father. . . left you. I understand that. But Jack, of all the boys I've seen come and go, you have the most to stay for. That is, if you'd only see it."

Jack raised his head, looking sheepishly at Kloppman, as if he were a small boy again. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

"I don't want to turn you in," Kloppman said firmly. "Because the boy I once believed in, and Sophie once believed in, is still there. Am I right?"

Jack nodded shakily. "He is," Jack whispered.