"You got everythin'?"
Jennie nodded. "Yes, Charlie. I have everything."
"Good." Crutchie smiled tightly. "Well then. I'll see ya tonight?"
"Yes," Jennie confirmed. "And you'll pick up Faith from Jack and Katherine's this evening?"
"Yeah."
"Then… I think that's everything." Jennie smiled at Crutchie, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Have a good day."
"You too," Crutchie said. "An' keep outta trouble, ya hear?"
"I will," Jennie said reassuringly. "I promise."
-Break-
As Jennie made her way towards the Triangle Factory that morning, her mind returned to Crutchie. When she had told him she wanted to go on strike with all the others, he hadn't said anything. Instead, he had silently exited the apartment and gone to stay with Jack for the night (Jennie knew this because Katherine had sent her a message telling her Crutchie was with them so that she wouldn't worry about him).
Jennie didn't know what had happened that night, or what Jack had said to Crutchie, but the next morning Crutchie had told her he thought she should go on strike. He would drop Faith off at Jack and Katherine's as well so that he could spend the day looking for a job. With Jennie on strike, they wouldn't have her paycheck to rely on anymore.
Jennie was more grateful than she could express to Crutchie for supporting her in striking. She knew how hard it was for him to let her go, what with his own past experiences. Over the course of their six years of marriage, he had told her some of what had happened to him in the Refuge, though not all of it. Jennie doubted he ever would, in all honesty, some things were just too painful to relive.
When Jennie, at last, arrived at her destination, she saw instantly that this was to be an exciting day. The streets were crowded with strikers and policemen, all shouting various things at each other.
Keeping her head down and walking quickly, as Crutchie had instructed her to do, Jennie made her way to the front of the Asch Building, where she was supposed to meet Miriam and Sofia.
Sure enough, Miriam and Sofia were standing just outside the building. Jennie hurried over to them, a grin spreading across her face as the anxiety she had been feeling was replaced with excitement.
"Jennie! You're here!" Sofia cried happily. "I am so glad."
"I am too," Miriam chimed in. "It will be more fun with you here."
"I'm glad to be here, too," Jennie said. "Now, what are we supposed to do?"
"Convince other girls to join us," Sofia replied. "But we can't shout bad words at them, or touch them at all. The police will arrest us at the slightest thing."
"I see." Jennie nodded in understanding, though her heart clenched at Sofia's words. She prayed she wouldn't be arrested, after all, she had promised Crutchie she would take care of herself.
"Come on, let's get started." Miriam's eyes shone with excitement as she spoke. "We must stand up for ourselves, and encourage others to do the same!"
Miriam and Sofia's excitement was infectious, and Jennie soon forgot her own worries as the day went on.
-Break-
"Papa!" Faith cried happily as Crutchie entered Jack and Katherine's apartment that evening, running over to greet him.
"Hello, my sunshine!" Crutchie replied, sweeping Faith up into a big hug. "How was your day?"
"Fun! We drawed pictures!"
"Drew pictures, sweetheart," Katherine gently corrected as she walked up to Faith and Crutchie with Clara in her arms. "You and Eddie drew pictures."
"Ya did, huh? Can I see 'em?" Crutchie asked.
"Yeah!" Faith wriggled out of Crutchie's arms and bounded off to the other room.
"She's a firecracker. Eddie too," Katherine remarked. "I definitely had my hands full today."
"Not too full?" Crutchie asked. "We wouldn't wanna be any trouble for ya."
"Oh no, not at all," Katherine reassured him. "I still got plenty of work done. And Jack will look after them tomorrow. You know how good he is at keeping them under control."
"Actually…" Crutchie's face broke out in a grin before he could stop it. "I don't think Faith'll be spendin' the day with you tomorrow."
"Oh?" Katherine looked confused. "Why not?"
"Well… I wasn't gonna say anythin' 'till I talked to Jennie tonight, but what the hell? I got a job!" Crutchie exclaimed.
Katherine gasped. "Really? Oh, that's great!" She pulled Crutchie in for as much of a hug as she could manage while still holding Clara. "I'm so happy for you. I know these past months have been hard on you and Jennie both, so I'm glad everything's worked out!"
"Thanks, Katherine." Crutchie smiled at her. "You an' Jack have both been so helpful with everythin' goin' on lately… we couldn't have managed without ya. Thanks so much for everythin'."
"Of course, Crutchie." Katherine grinned back. "We're your friends, and this is what friends do."
-Break-
"Join us! The bosses can only beat us if we don't stand together!" Jennie shouted, trying desperately to get the attention of a young woman exiting the Asch Building, with no luck. Sighing heavily, she turned to see how Miriam and Sofia were doing.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her back. Jennie yelped, trying to see who her attacker was.
"You're under arrest, for disturbing the peace," a policeman snarled in her ear as he began to drag her towards a waiting police wagon.
"Sofia! Miriam!" Jennie cried, trying to get her friends' attention. They didn't hear her, however, as they were farther down the street.
Tears began to pool in Jennie's eyes as she realized what was happening. The wagon loomed in front of her, already crowded with other young women. Jennie's breathing sped up. Spots appeared before her eyes, and before she knew what was happening she had fainted.
-Break-
Crutchie was just about to leave Jack and Katherine's apartment with Faith when someone knocked on the door. Katherine went to answer it, frowning slightly. "I wonder who that is. Jack wouldn't knock, and we aren't expecting anyone."
When Katherine opened the door two young women were standing just outside it, breathing heavily as if they had just been running.
"Sofia? Miriam? What on Earth are you doing here?" Katherine asked. "Is Jennie with you?"
"No," Sofia said breathlessly. "That is the problem."
"I don't understand, what's going on?"
"Jennie's been arrested, Miss Plumber," Miriam explained. "She's in jail."
A/N: The strike was a very violent one, and many women were arrested or beaten for the slightest things.