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?
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.
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Chapter Three
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Cassandra hugged the newspaper close to her chest as she made her way back to the Chronicle building. Maybe now Mr. Kelly would pay a little more notice to her instead of that other girl. Her lip curled in disdain as her thoughts turned to her imagined rival. The older girl always acted so friendly with both of the junior reporters. It's almost as if she knows them personally, she thought but shook her head. Everyone knew that Mr. Jenkins never hired people who were acquainted with each other prior to employment. He felt it would make the workplace more fun that it should be. Cassandra let out an unladylike snort as the mostly likely scenario popped in her head. Jessa just probably slept with them both in order to get ahead, that whore. Of course. That had to be it.
Her feet carried her quickly back to the building. If she was lucky she might arrive before Mr. Kelly left on his assignment. She held the newspaper out and checked to make sure that it hadn't left any smudges down the front of her cream-colored blouse. Her shirt was clean. Then, balancing the paper in her right hand, she used her left to smooth out any wrinkles in her forest-green skirt. It was a bit impulsive to wear such a garment to the office, her mother had warned, but everything about Jack Kelly exuded "impulse". She had bought the skirt and worn it in hopes of receiving an appreciative glare from her boss.
Once she deemed herself appropriate she entered the building. Cassandra walked up the five flights to the junior reporters' office before briefly pausing. She plastered what she hoped was an alluring smile onto her youthful face and entered.
Three steps in the grin slid off of her face. The room was empty. She sighed. I should have known. Oh well, maybe later.
She continued into the cramped office stopping only to place the newspaper delicately onto Jack's cluttered desk. It was as she watched the newspaper teeter precariously on top of a stack of paper cuttings that she noticed something was sticking out from behind David Jacobs' desk. She rubbed her eyes. It was a set of feet, brown heeled shoes attached.
Cassandra navigated her way across the room until she found herself looking upon the fallen form of Jessa. She squatted down in order to get a closer look at the older girl. Her green eyes were closed and her body was sprawled out across the wooden floor. It appeared at first that she was merely sleeping. The small pool of blood that had welled up, barely visible under the mass of curls that had escaped Jess' clip, was the only indication that her first assessment was wrong. Dead wrong.
"Morning again, Miss Cassandra. What are you looking at over there?"
Cassandra stood up hurriedly and looked over at David. Her face had gone pale; her hazel eyes darted back and forth. "I didn't do it, Mr. Jacobs, honest," she answered quickly holding her hands up in defense. It was no secret that she didn't fully like the older girl and it had just occurred to her how guilty she must look standing there over her injured body.
David nodded, an amused expression crossing his face. Mr. Jenkins had just approved his article as well as commending him on taking the time to interview the victim's distraught girlfriend. It was sure to be a scoop that neither the Sun nor the World would have, he had said stoutly. David was flying high after a meeting like that. Nothing could ruin this euphoric of a mood. To humor the girl, who was obviously worried about something, he asked, "And what was it that you didn't do?"
He walked forward narrowly avoiding colliding with Jack's desk. Once he passed that corner his eyes landed on the feet, just as Cassandra's had. He paused. "Cassandra?" he asked, his voice unusually high, "Is that Jess?"
She nearly burst into tears. "I just walked into the office and I found her like this." The words tumbled out and she stepped away from the girl in order to let David have access.
He didn't move. "Is she alright? She's not…" His voice was much lower now as if he was fighting to get the words out.
"I don't think so," she whispered back. "I didn't get close enough to see."
David took a step forward allowing Cassandra to back out behind him. His stomach churned at the sight of Jess lying on the floor. Her face, like Cassandra's, was a ghostly pale. It was when he was standing directly over her he saw the crimson stain spreading out from under her head. He nearly joined her on the floor. "Blood," he mumbled. He did not like blood.
He knelt down alongside her and picked up her wrist. He was grateful at the warm flesh and smiled when he felt a faint pulse. "She's alright," he announced.
Cassandra felt a small twinge and realized she was relieved. No matter how much she disliked the girl, she didn't want Jessa dead. Or, at least, I don't want to be the one who finds her.
David didn't wait for Cassandra to say anything. He lifted one of Jess' lids and observed that her eyes had rolled into the back of her head. She was unconscious – he would not be able to wake her up himself; he would need medical assistance. He turned to Cassandra. "I think she's going to be okay but she did hit her head pretty hard. I know there is a small doctor's office at the end of this block. I'll carry her over there but I'm going to need you to stay here in case Jack returns. Just do me a favor and explain what happened – he's going to have to write my diner article for me if I don't get back before the next edition. I'll bring my notes for the murder with me and do that article this afternoon so he doesn't have to worry about that one." David stopped his instructions and scooped Jess up into his arms. She was not as light as she appeared to be but he was confident that he would be able to make it down the five flights and the one block it took to get to Doctor Morgan's office. He had too, she needed him. Once he had a secure hold on her, he turned back to Cassandra. "He'll find the diner notes in my desk, top drawer," he continued, gesturing towards his own immaculate desk, "they're marked so he shouldn't have a hard time finding them. I'll be back as soon as I make sure she's fine."
Cassandra nodded. "Of course, Mr. Jacobs. I'll make sure that Mr. Kelly finds out as soon as I see him."
"Thanks," he answered before making his way out of the office, his troubled eyes on Jess. Both he and Cassandra tried not to look at the small puddle of blood that had been left on the floor.
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Knock. Knock.
David pounded repeatedly on the door. "Jack, are you in there?" He paused and placed his ear up against the wood. No one answered.
In his frustration he hit the door one final time, harder than he had expected to. He had just left Jess in the care of Doctor Morgan and was now looking for Jack. Something about the way Cassandra agreed to his request made him think that, if he left it up to her, Jack would never get the message. He knew that Jack sometimes paused at home when he was on assignment. Instead of wandering around the city in search of the reporter David thought he would check the apartment first.
Jack may not have been home to hear David's banging but Ava Mackenzie was. She poked her head out of her apartment down the hall and chided David. "Just getting in, Dave?" She tightened her long black ponytail and stepped out of her room, a friendly smile across her pretty face. She was kidding with him and wanted him to know that. "I know it was a late night for all of us but damn."
David was not in the mood for her jokes. He hurriedly ran toward her. "Ava, are you busy in there?" he asked quickly. His hands were shaking slightly and there was a blood stain on his right shoulder.
If she was surprised at his manic actions she had the good grace not to show it. "Not really, Dave. I'm just working on some wash that I took in this week, nothing special. Is something wrong?"
He wiped a bead of sweat from off of his brow. "Yeah, Ava. It's Jess…"
"Jess? What happened to her?" Ava didn't really need to hear anymore, though. She was already removing her apron.
"I … I really don't know, Ava. Cassandra found her in the office on the floor. She had fainted dead away and ended up hitting her head. There was blood all over," he added, gesturing to the mess on his shirt.
"Where is she now?"
David watched as she ducked back in her apartment and quickly returned with her shoes and her purse in her hands. As she began pulling on her shoes, he answered her question. "I brought her over to Doctor Morgan's, down the block from the Chronicle building. He took her in and placed her on a bed. He was able to bandage her head up and stop the blood, too. He says he's sure that everything will be alrig—"
When she finished pulling on her second shoe Ava waved her hand at him, effectively cutting him off. "Then what was the reason that you were beating on their door? Jack must already be there because I know you wouldn't leave a friend of yours alone in a strange doctor's office like that, right Dave?"
David's shoulders slumped. "I left Jess there and came to get Jack here. I didn't trust Cassandra to tell Jack so I figured I'd find him myself."
"Oh, jeez, Dave. Why would you do something like that?" Ava pulled the door closed behind her. "Listen, I'll head on down to the doctor's office. You go find Jack and meet me there."
He nodded and felt much more relieved. "Sounds great, Ava. I'll meet you down there."
Ava began to walk quickly down the corridor. David watched her go before heading after her. Ava looked over her shoulder and grinned, despite the severity of the moment. "Some brain you got there, Dave. You should have got me to begin with," she teased. Maybe if she made light of the situation David wouldn't look like the world was about to end. Of course, though, if Jack got wind of what had occurred, and he had no answers, that just might be the case.
