Summer, 1899

"What's the paper doing takin' a picture of you punks?"

Jack turned, breaking his pose and smile. Just out of range of the camera stood a freckled girl with two long blonde braids, one over each shoulder.

"Hay, it's Ireland. What's it–Siobhan? Whatta you doing here?" He strode toward her.

She gestured to Katherine and the photographer for the New York Sun. "Heard about the commotion down here. Is it true Mr. Pulitzer raised the price for papers?"

Jack nodded curtly. "Damn straight, he did. You got in and outta the business just in time."

"Well." She grinned. "If anyone can set 'em straight, it's everyone's favorite big brother."

He frowned good-naturedly. "I ain't ya brother. 'Sides, it's this guy here who had the idea in the first place." He captured the boy in question in a half-headlock, as he had walked up in curiosity of the conversation.

"Who's this?" David scowled as he posed the question, struggling free of Jack's grip. The other boy ruffled his hair antagonistically.

"Davey, meet Siobhan. Siobhan, Davey." He gesticulated between the two. David rolled his eyes, then extended a hand in a gentlemanly manner.

"David Jacobs. Nice to meet you."

The girl smiled, and shook it. "Siobhan Mackey. Pleasure to see someone has manners, eh, Big Brother?" She used her other arm to elbow Jack in the ribs. A newsie shouted his name from a few yards away, and Jack's head snapped up.

"Jack." Siobhan's voice fell flat, a strange intonation. Was it fear? "How did they get here so fast?"

The minute seemed to slow as Jack's eyes met Snyder's. With a sharp shout that he couldn't pinpoint, the scene snapped into action. There was no telling who was running away from and who into the circle of boys. Jack's legs jolted in a sprint, grabbing David's wrist to pull him along. He'd lost sight of Siobhan, but it didn't cross his mind as his knuckles met the jaw of Oscar Delancey.

David turned away from Katherine at the sound of the door to Jacobi's Deli opening. A girl shuffled in, a faded wool shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Long blonde hair was tied in a single, loose braid that hung over one shoulder. The boy squinted in recognition.

"Siobhan," he said, striding toward her. She glanced up, and he noticed a deep shadow along her left cheekbone.

"What happened to you?" Katherine cried softly before David could get the words out, rushing over with a furrowed brow. "Did you get caught up with the boys when the strikebreakers arrived at the protest?"

"No," the blonde began, sitting and shifting compliantly as Katherine turned her face side to side with a thumb against her jaw, studying her bruises. "I just booked it the second I recognized Snyder." Siobhan turned to David, a touch of guilt in her face. "I heard Crutchie got carried off. I wanted to stick around and help, but David, I got a little sister an' brother. If I get taken to the Refuge, my siblings don't have clothes or soap––do you," she swallowed. "and do you know what happens to girls in that place?"

David placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stop. You did what you thought was best, and there's no changing anything." Siobhan seemed to wince at the touch, and the hand pulled away quickly.

"You got away," Specs piped up. The other boys had gathered around the table to listen. "So who messed up your face?"

The corner of her mouth curled in contempt. "Morris Delancey, who else. Saw me walking to the market for milk, and he cornered me in the alley by Fourteenth."

"That's awful," commented Katherine with disgust.

"'M sure he's done worse to other girls."

David watched as Specs handed a water-soaked rag to Katherine, who pressed it to Siobhan's cheek.

"What do you mean?" he asked her, but trailed off as he noticed Specs shake his head vigorously. The question was covered up as Katherine began speaking again, meaningless words meant as comforting fodder as she fussed over Siobhan's face, then arms, then torso. She shooed the boys away for a moment so she could lift the hem of Siobhan's shirtwaist, but David, being tall, still caught a glimpse of blue and red splotches on the blonde girl's prominent ribs.

Jack chuckled nervously as the conversation lulled, removing his newscap and drawing an arm across his forehead. It came away sweaty. He swallowed.

"With the strike settled, I should probably be hittin' the road."

Siobhan rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Big Brother, surely you didn't get to thinking we'd let you ride off into the sunset just like that."

"I don't get it," David chimed in. "What's Santa Fe got that New York ain't? Tarantulas?" He splayed his fingers, then ran them up Jack's arm in the likeness of a spider, punctuating the action with a none-too-gentle jab at his neck. Jack growled, hooking his arm under David's chin playfully. A grin spread across his face, then wavered as David broke away, laughing. He would miss his new friend.

"Or, better yet," Katherine spoke up, stepping closer to him. "what's New York got that Santa Fe ain't?" She nudged his arm with her shoulder, head tilted just slightly to look up at him. Jack felt his face go hot, hoping his cheeks looked flushed enough already from the summer sun. Crutchie jumped in, offering a fortunate distraction.

"New York's got us." The blond boy's trademark hopeful grin was shamelessly donned, and he glanced over each shoulder at David, Les, Siobhan, and the countless other newsboys gathered around them. "And we're family. Ain't we, Jack?"

"Besides." Katherine's hand had slipped into his without Jack's noticing how, and he was sure that his face could be compared side-by-side with a tomato by this time. "You've still got one more ace up your sleeve."

"Yeah?" He tried not to let his heart speak through his voice. "And what's that, pray tell?"

"Me." She smiled with half of her mouth, but her face quickly fell sincere. She grabbed Jack's other hand in hers. "Wherever you go, I'm right there with you. No matter what."

Jack meant to nod so as to avoid words, but somewhere between planning and execution, he pulled Katherine toward him by her hands and kissed her. A mixed chorus of whoops, cheers, and shouts from the newsies followed almost immediately. Katherine tucked her face into his shoulder, hugging him tightly, and Jack smiled so big his eyes crinkled shut. He knew by now that where he was standing had to be home.