Title: A Small Life in a Big City.

Summary: Davey wants to know why Jack didn't go to Santa Fe after leaving in Teddy Roosevelt's carriage. Jack is Jack, so he may or may not get an answer.

Warnings: None.

Notes: Set shortly after the end of the movie.

Title from the song Santa Fe.

OoOoO

Jack and David were out on the fire escape, sitting under the window with their backs against the wall, their shoulders almost touching as they watch the dark sky above them. The cigarette smoke that filled the air made Dave scrunch his nose, but he didn't say anything. He figured Jack deserved a little respite after the day they just had.

They were alone for the first time since the end of the strike. Les had been out here with them until Mama dragged him back inside, delivering a warning for them not to stay out too long as well and wishing them good night.

It was late. Late enough that his parents had all but forced Jack to spend the night here rather than walk all the way back to the lodging house alone.

The Delancy brothers had been particularly angry after losing their jobs along with their uncle, so David was relieved when Mama brushed off Jack's excuses and Papa used what David thought was 'his father voice' to make him stay. Les had begged Jack to stay as well, but that was nothing new. Les always begged Jack to stay longer.

David put a hand over his mouth barely on time to cover a yawn. They hadn't slept the night before, too busy sneaking in to use Pulitzer's printing press, but he hadn't had even a second to feel tired until now. The whole day had been too busy, first going all over the city handing out their banner, and then standing among the crowd outside Pulitzer's building; shouting along with everyone else. And, in the end, going back to selling papes.

They even went to Tibby's to celebrate with the rest of the newsies after everyone finished selling for the day, only to come back to the tenemnet and get one more celebration with his parents, who already knew what happened but wanted to hear every last detail anyway.

It was overwhelming. So much so that David wasn't sure he would be able to sleep, no matter how tired he felt.

In the quiet of the night, it was even harder to believe just hours before they had been out on the streets, surrounded by hundreds of kids supporting the newsies and shouting demands. It was so unbelievable that he was afraid to wake up tomorrow and find the strike wasn't over- or worse. That Pulitzer had ignored them, and they had no choice but to bow to him.

The memory of the confrontation in Pulitzer's office felt almost surreal. It couldn't have been him, speaking up to the biggest newspaperman in the city, but it was, and David had never felt as powerful and alive as he had in that moment as he looked Pulitzer in the eye even when fear had been rattled him to the core.

There was nothing special about doing something easy. Being afraid but acting anyway, that was what Papa said meant to be brave.

He shook his head, looking back at the boy at his side as Jack took a drag off his cigarette and blew even more smoke.

Jack had been very animated all day, talking loudly and laughing along with the newsies and Denton, and then with David's family as well, but now he looked tired too. All worn out. It worried David, even if it also made him feel something warm and soft in his chest. He liked to think Jack trusted him enough to let his 'Leader of the Manhattan Newsies' mask slip a little now that it was just the two of them. Or maybe he was just tired.

David hadn't slept well the last couple of days, but between the strike, the Refuge, and becoming a scab, Jack must have been sleeping even less- if any at all. He had just light up his cigarette, though, so he wasn't going back inside yet. David bit his lip and wondered if it was a good idea to ask the question that had been in his head all day.

"I thought you really left." It wasn't a question. He was giving Jack the choice of steering the conversation any way he wanted or stop it entirely.

"I left, but came back real quickly."

David almost rolled his eyes. "What changed?"

Jack tilted his head to watch as the smoke slowly dissipated. "Guess Teddy gave me some good advice."

"What did he said?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff," Jack said with a shrug.

David sighed exasperatedly. Of course, he couldn't get a straight answer even now. He liked Jack, he really did, but talking with him could be so frustrating some times. "Can't you just tell me what he said? Or not. It's okay if you don't want to tell me, but you can just say that."

"It ain't important. He's real smart and he said some stuff that made me think about stuff."

That told him nothing at all. He remained silent for a moment. "So, you don't want to go to Santa Fe anymore?"

"Nah, I still wanna go."

"I don't understand," He admitted. "You came back but you're still leaving?"

Jack scratched his nose. "Prolly,"

"You're not sure?" David asked with a frown, getting more and more confused by the second. That tended to happend when you spoke with Jack Kelly.

"I'se sure I wanna get outta here and I wanna go out West, but I'se not sure if that's gonna happen." Jack's legs were stretched out before him and he was picking at a loose thread on his pants. "Teddy said he was gonna help me leave when I'se ready but I dunno if he was serious 'bout that."

The immense relief David felt when Jack came back in Roosevelt's carriage was a cold and ugly thing in the pit of his stomach now.

"Why did you came back then?"

"You wanna get rid of me, Davey?" He asked with a tired grin.

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

Jack watched him for a long moment before answering. "It ain't right to leave 'em guys like that. They'se family."

Dave opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finally speaking. "You came back just so you could say goodbye properly?"

"'Course no. I'se staying around," Jack dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I've got stuff I wanna do before I leave for real."

"What kind of stuff?" He asked one more time.

Jack didn't give him an answer this time. He just shrugged and brought the cigarette back to his lips.

David frowned at him, but Jack didn't look at him again. He felt the urge to ask what was so great about Santa Fe anyway, and why Jack was determined to go even if his parents weren't waiting for him there like Jack said they were. He said nothing, though. They were practically strangers, having met less than a week ago even if it didn't feel like it, so he had no right to demand anything.

"You okay?" Jack asked, his head cocked to the side as he watched him.

"I'm fine," Dave replied automatically. Jack's gaze made him sigh a second later. "Just tired. We should get in and catch some sleep."

Jack stared at him for a moment longer, making David look away. He took one last drag off his cigarette before stubbing it and following him back inside.

OoOoO

a/n: Sorting through my documents I found a bunch of short Newsies fics I wrote a long time ago but never posted. There was no point in just letting them there, so now this had turned into a one shot collection of little moment between Jack and Davey. I hope you enjoyed this and are interested in reading more! I'll love to hear what you think!

This is unbetaed and I'm not a native speaker, so please feel free to point out any mistake you may find.