2
That night David brought Jack home for dinner once more. Jack found that the house as warm as always but Jack immediately noticed that Sarah was missing. Frowning he asked David who shrugged.
"I know she had a lot of work to do."
"She works through dinner?" Jack asked a brow raised in surprise.
"Whenever she gets behind." Ester replied. "It's not often but with the strike…" The woman shrugged and Jack suddenly felt bad, Sarah was missing dinner because she'd helped them last night?
"She really worked hard last night." Jack commented, asking. "Ya don't want to bother her then?"
"No, she'll never get it done that way." Ester replied smiling over at the boy.
"If ya say so." Jack said shrugging his shoulders as if it didn't matter. In fact he thought that she should eat. She'd not had anything that morning. They'd not had time with printing the papes and then the end of the strike. Still what could he do if they'd not disturb her?
"So do you know what you're going to do now?" MAYER asked looking at the ex-strike leader.
"Sell papes, organize a permanent union." Jack shrugged as if it didn't matter. His thoughts were in truth still on Sarah. She should have something, but how to get it to her…
"You think it's still necessary?" Ester asked.
"Well, what's to keep old Joe from hiking the prices up again next week or even next month? I might not always be around to speak up." Jack said trying to force his thoughts onto the topic and off of the pretty brunette hard at work.
"Yeah we figure…" David was speaking but Jack just kept thinking of Sarah. Maybe he could just look in on her as she'd had found him that other morning. Yes, he glanced around to make sure none were watching him as he snatched a potato and peace of sausage from his plate, wrapping it in a left over
Pape.
***
As before David had offered to let jack sleep on the couch but jack just shook his head saying he had a place waiting back at the boarding house. It was true but more than that he wanted to see Sarah; he wanted to talk to her, to see if he could help her in anyway. After all she'd helped them last night and that day as well. He and the other newsies owed Miss Sarah Jacobs a great deal.
As he watched David reenter his home jack didn't feel that pang. He just thought of the girl he was going to see.
Jack reached the next window on the fire escape and moved so he could peer inside. The room's illumination came from a small oil lamp. It cast a warm glow all about and in it he spotted the girl. Sarah sat, slumped in her chair, her head lulling forward, her lacework at her feet. She'd fallen asleep as she worked.
For a moment Jack debated going inside but there was no choice, he opened the window a bit more than its two inches and then he was climbing inside, hoping one saw the bold gesture, he'd not like to be punished for a good deed.
Moving over to where she sat Jack picked up the lace work and set it on the pile beside the chair. Then with little effort he lifted the still deeply sleeping girl and carried her to her bed. Then with out thinking about it he softly began to sing.
"When I dream on my own" it was odd he mused that those words were almost more familiar than his own name. "I'm alone, but I ain't lonely." Jack managed to pull back the covers and then he was laying her down careful not to bump her head. "For a dreamer, night's the only time of day." Gingerly he began to pull up the blankets realizing just how much this family; the whole family had changed him. They'd brought back what little bit of humanity there still was in him and filled him up with pride, hope and… "When the city's finally sleeping, when my thoughts begin to stray and I'm on the train that's bound for Santa Fe." His voice died on that last word. Santa Fe was no longer his dream, a home, a family and love was.
Sitting down he pulled up the covers to Sarah's chin and tried to think of how he could repay all she'd done for him. Then his eyes strayed back to the lace work, she was behind. He couldn't sew; none of the guys could well except for… He couldn't ask Racetrack to do that. Maybe though he could ask Medda, maybe she'd know how.
***
Thirty minutes later Jack arrived at the hall and entered through Medda's private entrance. He went right up to her little apartment in the back f the costume rooms and knocked on the door. He'd bundled the lace work in another of his unsold papes and as Medda opened the door he shifted them.
"Ah Jacky what's this? A late night visit?"
"Actually Medda I was um…" She shifted again and glanced around hoping none would see what he had as he gave her a glimpse. "I was wondering if ya could ya know help me out?"
"Sure, sure come in." She said and as she let him in he took in the nicely appointed room. Although most of the rest of the place was pretty plain Medda's quarters were done in bright colors. It was of those things that always made Jack think of their friendship. He'd once told David that Medda had been a friend of his pops and it was true. Harvey Sullivan had been one of he3r handymen. When he was locked up it had been Medda who'd looked after him, for a while. She was truly the closet thing to a mother he'd ever had.
None of the guys knew that, of coarse not, they'd never look up to him if they knew up till he was eight Medda had looked after him. No, they just knew he was a guy like them, one with a past. Which he was, he'd done whatever it took to survive, barring killing or hurting those who didn't deserve it.
"So should I take that to mean your helping a friend?" Medda asked and Jack nodded.
"Davy's sister Sarah got behind helping us and I thought I'd give her a hand." He tried to sound off hand but Medda just gave him a knowing look and he rolled his eyes knowing he'd have to spill the beans.
"Tell ya what; I'll help you with these if you tell me about it." Medda suggested and Jack nodded. Maybe it would help him sort things out if he told someone else.
TBC
***
Author's note: I'd like to thank all of those who red and reviewed the first chapter. I also want to say that I chose to do a Sarah and Jack story because Not only did I see some potential to the idea but because I hate when the writers of both movies push some characters to the back burner. It the reason I also do Power Ranger Lightspeed Rescue and Mystic Knights.
OK, now that I've done my rambling PLZ R&R and let me know what you think of this chapter.
C.W.