Title: Can't Keep Running

Summary: It's been five years since the strike, seven since she learned Jack's true history and nine since she said goodbye to Rip – what's in store next for Stress & Jack? Marriage? A Family? Or the return of the one she fears above all others?

Author's Note: This, at last, is the fourth installment of my series. This story is now three and a half years in the making – I actually wrote the first three chapters last March! However, I feel that this is an appropriate time to continue to story of Jack & Stress. Just like the earlier stories, some topics of discussion are meant for a mature audience. Also, I have researched the time period and am trying to remain as close to historical accuracy as is possible. For example, though it was near to impossible, in a practical sense, for cohabitation to occur circa 1900, it did happen; though only one percent of white children were born to women out of wedlock, such also happened – especially those of the lower class.

Disclaimer: As I've said countless times before, and I'm sure I'll say it countless times again, I, sadly, do not own any of the newsies. They are © 1992- to Disney, as hard as I try to get them for myself. I do, however, own Jessa/Stress, Luke/Rip, Caitlin/Spindle and Tyler/Danger. Any other character is property of the author I've borrowed them from.

Soul Mates Series: This is the fourth installment in Stress & Jack: Soul Mates Series. It is preceded by Cuts Like a Knife (I), Secrets Behind the Lies (II) and One Year Anniversary (III), in case you would like to read the earlier chapters in their lives. There is also an author's cut of CLAK (Obsession: Cuts like a Knife), as well as Rip's story, A Virgin's Touch.

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July 30, 1904

Prologue

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Slowly, with a hint of laziness due to the muggy temperature that was no better than it had been prior to the sunset, the man drew a silver pocket watch from underneath his crisp, white button-down shirt. A brief look of annoyance flashed across his icy blue eyes as he read the time: 11:35. His aloof expression changing into a scowl which marred his handsome features, Luke Divenize removed the hat from his jet colored hair and wiped his brow in frustration. Danger was late.

Not that he was sure that he should have believed Tyler Harrison, anyway. It had been seven years since he had left him, bleeding, on the floor of the Rockaway Lodging House for Newsboys. And, though it had been Caity – Spindle – who had stabbed him, Luke was not sure if Danger truly forgave him for their teenage antics. However, when Luke received the letter postmarked New York and signed by Tyler 'Danger' Harrison, with the promise of interesting information should Luke venture back to New York, Luke assumed that the past was behind him. After all, they were both grown men with their own lives: Luke, a successful rancher from out West, and, from what he found out through various contacts in the city, Tyler, a small-time bookie taking bets at Sheepshead Races.

Now, here he was, on the exact day, place and time that Danger requested they meet with one flaw: Danger was not here.

Or was he? Just as Luke placed his watch back into his trouser pocket a shadow fell at his feet. A moment later, a tall, broad-shouldered man with slicked back brown hair approached the corner and ducked into the secluded nook just off Eleventh Street, his hand outstretched. "Luke, it's been quite some time," he said in a husky voice, shaking Luke's tan hand vigorously.

Luke raised an eyebrow. When he lived in Harlem, and later, Queens, he went by an alias – all the newsboys in the area he grew up in did. How, then did Danger know his name?

Danger seemed to know exactly what Luke's expression meant. "Yes, my friend, I've broken beneath the shell and have found the true man. Let me see… You are Luke Divenize, married to Caitlin Scott, once called 'Spindle', both aged 25. Mr. and Mrs. Divenize are the proprietors of the Ranch di Nuovo Inizio," he said, butchering the Italian language as he tried to sound knowledgeable, "in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Need I go on?" he asked cheekily.

"How—"

"How do I know, Luke? Simple. I got connections, you know. Remember Rocky? He goes by Mark Johnson now. Anyway, he returned back East about a year ago. Had some real interesting information for me when I ran into him down at Sheepshead's. Told me all about what happened after you guys left Queens all them years ago."

Luke nodded. It made sense that Rocky would talk; they could, even as kids, never keep his quiet. "So you seem to know all about me, Tyler," Luke said, with a slight chuckle before continuing, "and, if that's the case, then this information you promised me must be really worth my while."

Danger smiled and clapped Luke on the back with one of his massive hands; on a normal man, such an action would have brought him to his knees. Luke, however, hardened by long hours in both the California and New Mexico suns, stood firm. "Luke, I'm twelve kinds of flattered that you would take the train all the way back here just for something I had to say."

"Your letter did impress upon me an urgency that I felt would be better dealt with in person, as your note suggested," Luke replied, icily, eager to get to the point. It would only be a matter of time before his wife's jealousy got the best of her and she followed him back East. And, as difficult as it had been to get her to give up their silly childhood notions of revenge against his former lover while they were thousands of miles away in New Mexico, Luke was not sure he could persuade her from seeking her old rival out back in New York.

Danger rubbed his hands eagerly together, the greedy look on his face sharpened by the moon's illumination. "How about we go get a drink, pal. Then we can get to business?"

"Business?" asked Luke, with an edge to his voice. "Who said anything about business? I think that I'd like to hear your information here and now."

Just like that, any upper hand Danger believed he had had vanished – all at once, he was fifteen again and at the mercy of an older, stronger boy. Subconsciously, Danger began to rub his left arm, the arm that still bore a scar from Spindle's knife; he knew that tone of Luke's voice – it was the tone it held when he gave the order to Spindle to strike down Danger. "Of course, Luke. It's just that, you see—"

Luke turned his back on Danger for a moment, his eyes searching the nearly empty dust filled streets. Slowly, then, he spun back and leered up at Danger, a man at least five inches taller than he was. "Let me guess, Harrison, you've gotten into a spot of trouble with some of your bookie pals. Yes," he added when Danger flinched, "it seems that I am, too, in touch with a few contacts. I believe that, from Rocky, you found out that I am not without wealth these days. I also think that you believed it possible to take any information I might find enlightening and try to sell it to me. Is that not the business you refer to?"

"I, well – um..."

"Harrison, stow it, alright?" Luke shook his head slightly before venturing out onto the street once more. Quietly withdrawing his pocket watch for the countless time that evening, he glanced at the hands: 11:43. Not even ten minutes had past since Danger had arrived and Luke was feeling his temper flare. As he placed his watch back into his trouser pocket his eyes raked the nearby block out of habit. Midnight dealings were a specialty of his and he only survived as long as he had and became as successful as he was by being cautious. Nodding to himself when he find that the streets were still empty, Luke turned to Danger and stated, in his cold manner, his own suspicions. "This has something to do with her, doesn't it?"

Danger began to open his mouth but stopped when Luke held up his left hand. While pointing at a golden band encircling his fourth finger, Luke continued, "As Rocky informed you, I married Caity – Spindle. She is my wife, Harrison. I moved on." Luke knew that Danger was thick; he need not know what sort of affect this promise of information had on the man. As long as the man bought the lies he might actually get to hear the information. He really did know Danger; one of his flaws, behind his stupidity, was his conscience – he might decide to keep his mouth shut.

"And she's a great one, I'm sure. It's just that—" Danger stumbled over his words. Maybe this wasn't a very smart thing to do after all.

Luke dropped his hand. "You found her, didn't you? You found Jessa?"

Danger nodded. "Yeah, Luke. And I wasn't even looking for her or nothing. It's just that a little bird I've been after was telling me about her friend and her friend's boss, some hoity-toity mug reporter. I wasn't minding nothing but getting with her but she mentioned the reporter – a Jack Kelly."

Jack Kelly. If there was one name that caused Luke to boil over, even now, it was that one.

Danger waited for some sign of recognition but Luke stood stoically against the brick wall. He paused another moment longer before continuing. "I heard the name, and it set warning bells off. In between smooches I got the whole story out of my pet. You see, my gal's friend seems to have it bad for Jack. But it seems he's got something going on with another girl in the office."

"Jessa?"

"Well, yeah. Now, I ain't too sure about all this, but it just seemed mighty strange to me that there was some bloke called Kelly hanging around Manhattan that had it for some gal named Jess. Real convenient-like, you know?"

Jessa. Il mio cuore. Luke covered both of his eyes with his hands, but, nonetheless, could not stop the visions of the thirteen year old vixen from passing before his eyes. True, it had been nine years since they had last met, but it seemed like mere moments now that his minds strayed back to her, something he had forced himself to stop doing once he wed Caitlin. She became the only woman for him – even if it was nothing more than a marriage of convenience (on his part at least). That meant no more stolen memories of Maria Divenize… or Jessa Rhian. But Caity was still in Albuquerque and Maria was long dead. Jessa was here – and she was alive.

Danger watched Luke grow agitated and quickly continued on with his tale. "Now, I knew that I should check this out for myself before sending for ya. Didn't think it right to have you travel all of this way for nothing."

"And?"

"It's her. I'd recognize her anywhere – looks just the same as she did when she was living back in Queens. Just bigger."

Luke kept facing Danger, but his icy blue eyes dazed over; Danger knew his thoughts were elsewhere at the moment. Danger himself was forced back to the past in that instant, remembering the last time he gave up Jess's whereabouts and the mess that betrayal had led to. Was it wrong for him to do it again? Was it wrong for him to destroy the life of an innocent woman just for a few quick dollars?

He had mere seconds to ponder those questions before the alert expression snapped back to Luke's handsome face; even in the pale moonlight, Danger caught glimpse of the cruel smile he remembered from his days in Queens. Suddenly, Danger knew that it had been a mistake. Just like the error in judgment he made at fifteen, Danger knew that he had just done wrong.

Luke, however, was not worried about Danger's recovering conscience. With a quick glance to the street, Luke took a step closer to Danger, drawing something silver out of his pocket as he went. "Tyler, did Jessa actually see you when you went down to her office?" he asked, a friendly tone finding its way into his low voice.

Assuming that the silver object was no more than Luke's pocket watch, Danger relaxed when the edge to Luke's voice disappeared; he was just jumpy due to being in a secluded alley in an empty part of the city, near midnight. "No, Luke, I made sure to watch from across the street where I couldn't be seen," he answered happily, ready to plunge ahead and ask for money now that he had offered Luke his information.

However, Danger never got the chance. "Grazie mi amico," Luke whispered, his slight Italian accent slipping into his speech momentarily, before thrusting the silver dagger into Danger's side. As Danger gasped in shock and pain, Luke withdrew the blade and elbowed the weakened man, bringing him to his knees. Then, with a second motion, Luke plunged the knife into Danger's back. Danger gave one last shudder and fell to his side. He was dead.

Luke stepped over the large mass that had been a man and grinned slightly. It had been so long since he had been in charge; he missed the adrenaline rush that coursed through his frame when he was in control. Feeling giddy with power, Luke used the tip of his cowboy boot to roll Danger onto his back. He quickly did the sign of the cross and mumbled three Italian words under his breath: Riposi in Pace. Then, with a few quick swipes, he carved three letters into the man's chest: RIP. Yes, it felt good to be back.

And it might just feel better to finally get back the one who got away. With a calm whistle, Luke pocketed the blade and, leaving the alley, began to head down Eleventh Street. His plan, seven years in the making, and five years forgotten, was finally in effect.