Chapter 12

One last night.

Kandice ran past the park and out into the bad streets of Manhattan. She hadn't felt this useless in all her life. Catching her breath, she ran down an alleyway that led to a block of light that was hitting a wall. She turned the corner of the alley to discover a door, with loud yelling and smashing of bottles filling the small space. It smelt of drinking and body odor and Kandice realized she was making a sickened face as she entered. The bartender suddenly realized the small girl was stationed there and he went over to the side of the bar. Kandice sat on one of the lonely chairs sensing the emptiness and sorrow of the past travelers who had come there to resolve their problems.

"Give me the strongest drink you have…please." The bartender smirked, knowing that she was a first-timer, and nodded turning his back to get some rum. He had a vest and black pants on, which seemed like it was a national "bartenders' suit." He was a big man, almost looked like a bouncer. Kandice figured it must be to throw out all of the drunken men that got out of hand. With what seemed like 5 seconds, the bartender came back with a shot of the strongest rum they had, that Kandice had soon gulped down in seconds.

"Another please" she said placing down 5 dollars. The bartender brought another drink, and once again Kandice had finished that within minutes. Three became four or five until Kandice was too drunk to possibly stand. She couldn't see a thing behind the haze that covered her brain and eyes. She squinted, trying to make out the door at the other side of the bar. Stumbling to the door, Kandice remembered why she had come to the bar in the first place, and thinking about it made her depressed. She thought about Jack being mad at her and Skittery's eyes after she had slapped him and her eyes started to well up. With tears racing down her face she managed to find her way back into the alley and stumble out. Before she had gotten to the end, she felt herself falling onto the ground. She tried to hold herself up but managed to hit her head against the brick wall on her way down and black out.

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Whispers were heard in the slightly lit room. Kandice didn't know what was going on, but she could tell the figures were talking about her.

"Well has she woken up yet?" A gruff, deep voice asked. She felt them staring at her but she didn't have the strength to open her eyes.

"No, not yet. She's been out for about 24 hours now." She heard the other voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She felt her finger move beneath her and slowly opened her squinting eyes. Both men came into a blurry haze and she could tell one of the men, the familiar one, was Kloppman. Man was she happy to see him. She forced a slight smile and waved with whatever strength she had left.

"And look at this, it's a miracle!" Kloppman chuckled making Kandice let out a small giggle. "You took quite a beatin there." Kandice could feel the bump on her head and she flinched in pain.

"Best get her lying down and ice covering that bump to get the swelling down, she should be fine by tomorrow if she just takes it easy." The small man was scrawny and had glasses that made his eyes look rather large. He had a goofy smile and a long, white coat on.

"Thank you doctor." Kloppman said. Both Kloppman and the doctor walked out of the room, closing the door as they left.

Kandice closed her eyes and maneuvered herself in her bed to get comfortable. Before drifting off to sleep she heard a knock and the door and she figured it would be Kloppman.

"Come in." She weakly called from her paraplegic stance in bed. The door opened slowly, creaking with its old age.

"Hiya Kandice" she turned around to see an uncomfortable Jack with his head down and hands in his pockets. He looked just as she had remembered. She had missed him so much and she was glad that he came to see her. Maybe he felt all of this was her fault.

"Hey" she said softly, taking in account that they were in a fight. "What time is it?"

"Uh, about half past 8...at night. How ya feelin?" He walked a little closer.

"Been better" She said weakly.

"Yeah, I would hope so." He chuckled a little, but then saw she wasn't laughing and cleared his throat, returning to his uncomfortable, serious state.

"Jack, I'm sorry for what I did." She said, before wincing in pain again.

"No, please don apologize. I'm da one who should be apologizin. I shouldna left ya alone like dat. None a dis woulda happened if I didn overreact like I'se did. I'm sorry, Kandice." He walked over to the side of her bed and held her hand softly comforting her. He looked at her sad, pained eyes and was sorry for all he had put her through.

"Jack." Kandice said. She was starting to tear up again. "Jack..I don't want you to leave for war." She looked at him, almost pleading. She, then, slowly lifted herself off the bed and gave him a big hug. The feeling of his arms around her had made her cry even more. She knew she would not feel this for months, maybe even years. "You could never come back. What if I never see you again?" They separated themselves from each other, as hard as it was and Jack placed his hands gently on her shoulders to face him.

"I'll be back. Ya don need ta worry bout me, ok?"

Kandice nodded sadly before hearing a knock at her door, which they both looked at. Skittery was standing there with a surprised expression on his face.

"Hiya Jack." Skittery said, very hesitantly.

Jack looked at Skittery and then looked back at Kandice. Kandice looked at Skittery with sympathy for Jack's behavior, looking at his black eye. "Ill come back." Skittery mouthed before smiling slightly, and walking out the door again.

Kandice knew Jack had beaten Skittery up and decided to confront him about it.

"Jack, where did Skits get that black eye?" She accused like she was in a courtroom questioning a witness in the stand.

"I gave it to im'. He desoived it foah kissin me goil." He said smirking at the situation, like it didn't bother him at all.

"Jack! He is your best friend. What is going on with you!" She argued, sitting up in the bed and getting closer to him.

"So who's side ah ya on anyways. Yoah boyfriend oah Skittery. I'm stahtin ta tink ya don't wanna boyfriend."

"Jack, you know that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying it was wrong of you to hit your best friend and you should have been mad at me, not Skittery."

"Why? He stabbed me in da back. Me own goil!" He started to raise his voice in defense.

"That shouldn't matter. You guys used to be close and now you're fighting because of me. This is stupid."

"He made you get drunk and almost die out dea!"

"Jack! Don't blame this all on him. It wasn't just him, you know, it was a bunch of different things." Kandice yelled, trying to get her point across.

"A bunch a different tings?" Jack mocked as he turned away. He chuckled at the thought of how ridiculous she was being. "Kandice..ah you tellin me you wanted him ta kiss you dat night?'

Kandice stared at Jack for a couple seconds. She was speachless. She couldn't tell Jack she did or he would surely break up with her, and if she said she didn't she would be lying to him and possibly getting into more trouble.

"Well!" Jack grew impatient as he waited for Kandice's expressionless response. "Kandice..I'll find out soonah oah lattah so you might as well tell me now. Say sometin!" Jack screamed louder then he meant to. "Come on, Kandice...Spit it ou-"

"Yes!" Kandice broke down as Jack picked her apart. "Yes! I wanted it. I wanted it, Jack. Are you happy?" She put her head in her hands, bawling.

Jack looked at her in shock. "No. I'm not." He didn't know what to say. Yes, he had questioned her and been mean to her expecting an answer, but he didn't expect that answer . He didn't expect his own girl to backstab him too. The room filled with silence for what seemed like hours. Sobs were the only thing heard for those excruciating moments. Neither of them could look at each other. They couldn't face the eyes of the enemy, or what seemed to be the enemy. Kandice had never felt so bad in her life and she never thought she would feel so bad in her life. Jack had yelled at her, but she deserved it and she knew it. The sound of newsies were heard in the next room, which broke the silence and Kandice looked up from her wet, tear-soaked hands and saw that the room was empty. Jack had left while she was crying, and he hadn't said anything.

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Jack went out the door quietly and walked out into the hallway. He looked down the hall at the emergency window and walked down towards it. He looked out and checked the fire escape making sure no one was there, and opened the window. New York was quieter then usual. There was a peace to it that was almost beautiful. Jack walked over to the edge of the building and lay down, placing his arms beneath him and looking up towards the stars which were so bright and clear that night. Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly releasing all the tension that was inside him. He thought about a lot of things out there. He thought about how horrible it must have been for Kandice when she blacked out, how scary. He thought about his mother and father. He thought about the other newsboys and the dinner he and Kandice had shared up at that very spot and the night he had asked her out. He took another deep breath before closing his eyes.

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As Kandice sat in the room crying, Skittery came back into the room, holding a telegram with him.

"Hiya Kandice. How ya feelin?" He asked smirking his shy, cute smirk. His face was slightly red and he looked as if he had been crying too.

"I'm feeling ok...how are you?" Kandice looked at Skittery with sadness. He must have been going through a lot what with going to the war and everything. She motioned for him to sit next to her on the bed.

Skittery slowly walked over and sat next to her, holding her hand and rubbing it with his thumb. "You took quite a spill huh?"

"Yeah." Kandice nodded. The room went silent for a couple of seconds before Kandice began talking. "Listen, Skits, im sorry fo-"

"I know." Skittery cut her off. "I know yoah sorry." He pulled her in for a gentle hug. They held each other there for a couple of seconds, grasping each other.

"Skits," Kandice started as they slowly let go of each other. "I'm gonna miss you a lot when you go off to war. I just want you to know that. Ok?" She smiled up at him, while he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Da only good ting I can tink about is when I come back..ill be seein you." He smiled back down at her and she reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, making him turn red. "Whea's Jack?"

"He left." Kandice said whipping her eyes of what tears were left. "God I must look like a mess, huh?"

"Nah, you look poifect." Kandice looked back at him and smiled with the utmost love and affection.

"Thank you Skits...for everything you've been to me." She said looking down at the worn, tired floor.

"Tink nothin of it." He kissed her on the forehead and left the room quietly. "Kandice...I gots somethin foah ya." Skittery took the telegram from behind his back and put it on Kandice's lap. "Its from someone named Mark? Is dat a bruddah oah sometin?"

Kandice stared at the letter. She decided she wouldn't open it until Jack and the Newsies had left. Besides, she didn't want another fight to break out between them, not now.

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That night, the fight between her and Jack played over and over in her head. She couldn't get the screams from ringing in her ears. She knew Jack would never forgive her for what happened. The awful thing about it was, was that he was leaving in the morning, and she had no idea what she would do if he left without saying goodbye or even being mad at her. She looked at a pocket watch her father had given her before he died. It read: 2:05 am. Kandice sighed and plopped back down onto her pillow, starring up at the ceiling of the empty, quiet room. She turned to her side and rubbed her eyes of the cold, wet tears that rolled down them. She could feel the trail on her cheeks and it itched. She sniffled once before hearing her door open again and she turned quickly back around. It was Jack.

"Hi." he murmured quietly and stubbornly.

"Hi." Kandice replied just as stubbornly.

"I came ta tell ya dat..." He stopped and looked down at the ground with his hands in his pockets again. He started shifting his feet, and she could tell he was having a hard time saying what he needed to say. He took a deep sigh and tried again. "I came ta tell ya dat I-"

"Jack..if you're here to yell at me again, I don't wanna hear it, ok?" She turned back around so that she wasn't facing him. Kandice didn't hear anything for another couple minutes and she had wondered if he left. She turned back around and he was gone. The door was slightly ajar and she got up from the bed and tip toed to the door, making it creak as she slipped to the other side, poking her head out to see if he was there. And he was.

"Why'd you leave?" She asked quietly.

"I couldnt find da right woids ta say ta you'se."

"Jack, you can say anything to me. I won't judge you, you know that."

"I'se know." Suddenly, Jack started to get angry and punched the wall beside them, making a big red mark on his hand. Kandice was about to comfort him when he kneeled down. Was he crying? Kandice's face suddenly lightened and she knelt down beside him.

"Jack, whats going on? Your scaring me!" Jack suddenly stood back up making Kandice do the same and looked into her eyes. He was crying! Kandice had never seen him so sad before.

"Kandice...you wanna know whats goin on?" Kandice nodded and Jack stared into her eyes, intensely for a mere moment. "I love you, Kandice. I love you and I don't wanna haveta leave you and go ta dis woah!" He looked at her one last second before taking her chin in his hands and pulling her in for a passionate, aggressive kiss. But this wasn't the same aggressiveness as when they were in the water. This was like a pure, strong love aggressiveness. She kissed him back and he lifted her up onto him, pushing them both into the wall behind her. Her legs were around his waste as they caressed each other.

Jack walked through the half opened door and over to her bed and lowered her on, still kissing her. He started to kiss her neck, making Kandice start to breath heavy and she started to take off Jack's shirt. Jack took Kandice's off in return and started to kiss her chest down to her navel. He, then, moved back up and started to kiss her lips again hungrily. He started to take off his own pants and he threw them to the bottom of the bed. Kandice unbuttoned hers and Jack slid them down her legs as she giggled. He came back up slowly and pecked her lips one last time before asking her the question.

"Are ya ready?" He asked her while looking deeply into her eyes. Kandice smiled and nodded her head, she was so sure of herself now. She loved Jack more then anything in the world, and she wanted nothing more then to move their relationship to the next level.

"I love you." She whispered smiling slightly and swallowing, feeling a little nervous for what was about to happen.

"I love you moah den anytin, Kandice. Please don't foahget dat." He kissed her lips one last time and then put the covers over them.

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Kandice could feel Jack entering inside of her and the feeling was so weird. Jack's face looked comforting and confidant making her feel less nervous. When he slid himself all the way inside of her, she winced with the pain. He was bigger then she had thought and she didn't realize how much this would hurt. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly to relax herself.

"Ah you ok?" Jack asked with worry in his eyes.

Kandice nodded, but she was starting to cry, from the shooting pain that was running up her back.

"Do ya wanna stop?" Jack stopped moving and waited for her answer. At first, Kandice was silent, but she then realized she didn't want this to be with anyone else, and shook her head.

Jack kissed her lips sweetly one last time before continuing once again. This time, when he started up again, it wasn't as painful, but started to feel a little good. Kandice looked down under the covers to see Jack's abs that were flexing as he moved, she placed her hands on his arms as they moved in unison and closed her eyes, but this time with joy and pleasure. As Jack started to move quicker it started to feel really good and Kandice started to moan, letting Jack know she was enjoying it. Kandice had always waited for this to be perfect, and she couldn't have asked for a more perfect guy. Jack started to slow down and was looking into her eyes. She could tell he loved her, and she knew she loved him right back.

"Please don't leave me." Kandice whispered desperately.

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I hope you all like the revised version. It seemed to flow better for me I don't know about you...but ill be updating regularaly now. I've just been sooooo busy. Thanks for your critiques guys!