Katherine glances at the clock on the wall. Twelve thirty. She quickly runs through some mental math. Lunch is at one … the deli is five blocks away … if she speed walks there she can make it in ten minutes … it'll take no more than five minutes to find her coat and purse in the pile of her stuff she'd haphazardly thrown in to her room last time she'd come home – so she can spend about fifteen more minutes brainstorming.

It's cutting it close, especially since Darcy has classes today and will be on a tight schedule that means she can't be late, but this is the first good idea she's had since getting this assignment and she's got to flesh it out as much as she can while it is still fresh in her mind. She sets in to type as many more details and side thoughts down as she can.

A couple dozen more bullet points later, she's interrupted by her phone dinging.

FROM: Darcy

Where are you? Jack and I are here.

She whips her head around to look at the wall clock again to see that much more time passed than she had intended to allow. It is now five past one. She slams her laptop shut, and beelines for her shoe rack as she hastily types out a reply.

TO: Darcy

so sorry lost track of time on my way be there in ten

She hears the whoosh sound signaling the text successfully sent as she's fumbling with her keys to lock the front door. Ten minutes is pushing it.

On the elevator, she gets another couple of texts in quick succession.

FROM: Darcy

OK. Don't rush yourself.

FROM: Darcy

We'll survive.

Katherine smirks at that. She hates that she put the pair of them in such an awkward situation, but she's sure they'll find something to talk about.

FROM: Jack

Is Darcy texting you?

FROM: Jack

I can see he's texting someone. I'm assuming you?

FROM: Jack

Never mind, he just told me.

FROM: Darcy

What are we supposed to talk about?

FROM: Darcy

On the surface we don't seem to have much in common besides you

FROM: Jack

This is awkward.

FROM: Jack

I don't know what to talk about.

FROM: Jack

How much longer until you get here.

Katherine chuckles as she imagines Jack and Darcy sitting at a booth in awkward silence as they both simultaneously text her. As she steps off the elevator, she pulls off to the side and hastily texts them both.

TO: Darcy, Jack

I'm on my way.

TO: Darcy, Jack

In the meantime, you both have reasons to hate my father so start discussion there

She steps back in to the flow of traffic and makes her way over to the deli as quickly as she can. Her phone is vibrating in her pocket, but she ignores it in favor of keeping her hands stowed away from cold instead.

The smell of fresh baked bread washes over Katherine as she steps inside Jacobi's diner. Scanning the small dining room, she quickly spies Jack and Darcy at a booth in the corner. A small smile slides in to place when she sees the pair in active conversation. Jack is smiling as he leans over the booth and waves his hands about; gesturing about something, and Darcy is laughing in response.

Darcy spies her through eyes crinkled in laughter and joyously waves her over to the booth. Jack turns around in his seat to smiles at her as she makes her way over. When she arrives at the booth, he stands and gestures for her to slide in to the booth, which she does. He then plops down beside her.

Katherine shrugs off her coat and stuffs it in to the small gap between herself in the wall.

"So what were you boys talking about? Looked interesting from where I was standing?"

Darcy smirks, "Well we started with your father, like you suggested, but then I found out Jack worked on the set for one of the shows I saw last year so I was asking him about his decisions on that. Small world, huh?"

She looks to Jack who simple shrugs in agreement.

"Wait wait wait wait wait. How did you get from talking about my father to talking about theatre shows?" She asks, confused.

Darcy's smirk gets even wider, "Well you remember that show I took my date to last year that your father found out about and then tried to ruin my relationship with my parents? It was that show."

Jack interjects next, "Even weirder, that was one of our preview performances where the stage manager was out sick, so I was there trying to do her job on top of making sure the sets and props were being taken care of. So there's a pretty good chance we passed by each other at some point during the evening. Medda's theatre isn't that big."

Katherine is about to respond when an older gentleman with a beard stops by their table.

"Jack! Long time no see!" He exclaims.

Katherine watches Jack do a double take before broadly smiling, and replying, "Hey Mr. Jacobi. Don't know why I haven't been by; I live just down the street a couple of blocks." He stands to embrace the older gentleman and pat him on the back before taking his seat back in the booth next to her.

Mr. Jacobi pats his belly as he laughs, "You're always welcome here Jack. I'll send a waiter over your way to take you and your friends orders, okay? On the house today."

Jack's smile falters, "Mr. Jacobi –"

"No objections Jack. My treat for the best waiter I ever had and his friends. Though I'm sure Ms. Medda is making much better use of your talents than I was."

Jack still looks uncomfortable as he leans back in to the booth's seat back. "She keeps me busy, that's for sure."

Mr. Jacobi heartily laughs as he walks away.

Jack still seems distracted so Katherine reaches for one of his hands. He turns her slowly and smiles, "Mr. Jacobi gave me my first ever job when I turned sixteen. Then he teamed up with Davey to get me over to Medda's and she gave me a job and rented Davey and I her spare apartment once I graduated high school." The explanation is simple and succinct, but he doesn't seem eager to elaborate further.

Darcy takes his turn to interject, "Seems like a nice guy. Nice place to work for a first job I imagine."

Jack turns to him and smiles, "Yeah, old Mr. Jacobi is great. He's always kept an eye out for me and made sure I got enough hours."

The table falls in to neither uncomfortable nor comfortable silence and Katherine takes a moment to peruse the menu. It's simple, not a ton of options, but she's able to pick out a sandwich that she thinks she'll like. Glancing over at Jack, she finds him twiddling his thumbs on the table, not even bothering to look at the laminated paper menu in front of him.

"Have a favorite?" Katherine tries to ask playfully as she nudges him with her shoulder.

Jack shrugs, "I was around long enough to try everything the cooks in the back could think up. At this point I just stick with my favorite."

"Pastrami on rye?" A new voice asks. Katherine looks to the end of the table to find a lanky teenager with curly blond hair standing there. His eyes, she blushes as they draw her attention, are a very startling blue.

"Racer?" Jack asks, bewildered sounding, beside her.

The teenager smirks back down at him like he's hiding some special secret. Katherine glances at his nametag, where 'Antonio' is scribbled in messy black ink – likely sharpie.

"Heya Jackie," the boy smirks again. "So you getting pastrami and rye today or did ya finally decide you're tired of that and are going to try something new?"

Jack, seemingly ignoring the second half of the boy's statement stands and embraces the boy in a hug.

From across the restaurant, Katherine can hear Mr. Jacobi yell, "Oh yeah Jack, forgot to tell you about my newest employee."

Jack releases Race from his hug and looks back at where the voice came from to yell back, "Ya sure did Jacobi. Can I borrow him for a minute after this?"

"Sure. Soon as I get your table's orders he's all yours!" Mr. Jacobi calls back.

Katherine spares a glance to the boy, who looks all at once sheepish, scared, and cocky. Another glance over to Darcy reveals him to be sitting back, smiling as he watches everything unfold.

Jack slides back in to the booth beside her and Katherine swears she can feel the tension rolling off him in waves. The forced smile on his face shows him trying his best to hide it from everyone else.

"So Jackie. Pastrami on rye or no?" The boy asks again. He glances over at her this time though before continuing, "Oooooohh, is this Katherine? Did you finally ask her out?"

Katherine's cheeks start to heat up and she knows she is blushing.

Jack glances back at her and his smile turn genuine for a moment as her confirms, "Yep, this is Katherine and nah, she actually asked me out." He pauses to raise his hand from the table and gesture between the pair. "Katherine, this little snot here is my youngest brother Antonio, but he prefers being called Racetrack or Race." On her questioning look, he clarifies, "long story-"

"Awwww, you haven't told her about out nicknames Cowboy?" Race teases.

Katherine giggles as she watches the blush rise of Jack's neck in to his cheeks.

"No- n- Racer. No. I haven't used that name in years. I's an adult now and nobody's gonna buy art from a guy called Cowboy."

Race shrugs. "Suit yourself. I'd rather be Race than Antonio any day and I don't see that changin' anytime soon." He sticks his hand out to Katherine and shows off his brilliant smile, "So yeah, I's Racer. Nice ta finally meet ya; Jack hasn't stopped talkin' about ya. Even Spotty complains-"

Katherine gingerly shakes the boy's hand as Jack cuts him off, "Okay, I think that's enough information for today Race." He glares up at the boy. "And over on the other side of the table is Darcy, Katherine's friend who's basically her Davey I think. We haven't gotten to talk about too much yet."

Race turns to smile and wave at Darcy. "Nice ta meet ya."

Darcy questioningly replies, "I see the resemblance?"

Jack looks as if he is about to answer when Race beats him to it, "Really? I don't think we look alike at all, which, you know, makes sense since we're just foster brothers or ex foster brothers I guess."

Jack playfully smacks Race in the arm and scolds him, "I's explained it to you enough Racer; I shouldn't have to do it again. If we're just anything, its brothers. Not foster brothers and certainly not ex-foster brothers. I still look out for you and Crutchie, don't I?"

Race shrugs before smirking and asking, "So…pastrami and rye?"

Jack sighs and places his head in his hands, "Yes Racer. Pastrami on rye. Same thing I've been getting for forever."

Race doesn't bother to write any of the orders down as he finished up with Katherine's and Darcy's orders and runs off to the kitchen. Jack watches him retreat.

Katherine's attention is drawn away from Jack by Darcy clearing his throat. She turns towards him to find him glancing at his phone. When he notices he's successfully gotten her attention, he says, "I hate to ditch on you guys, but when my food comes I'm going to have to run."

Katherine frowns, "Oh, I'm sorry. Is everything all right?"

Darcy hesitantly nods, "Yeah. It's nothing serious, just you remember that one professor I told you about that has walking pneumonia?" When Katherine nods, he continues, "Well I guess at his doctor's appointment this morning he was cleared to be around people again, so he's uncanceled our class this afternoon. And I really shouldn't miss it."

Jack between the pair of them before holding out his hand to Darcy, "Well it was nice to properly meet you Darcy and I'm sorry you have to run."

Darcy firmly shakes Jack's hand.

"Since you're going to have to get going when the food gets here, I'm going to pull aside my brother and have a quick talk with him before then so I don't have to leave Katherine here alone at the table later."

"I'm glad we actually got to talk this time. And I do hope Kath will bring you along to some more so we can talk more," Darcy confirms.

Jack nods at him before stalking over the counter where Race is spinning on a barstool with a lollipop in his mouth. They quickly engross themselves in conversation.

"I approve," Darcy smiles.

Katherine huffs before rebutting, "You haven't spent more than ten minutes with him."

Darcy shrugs. "Well I like him. He's different and definitely has the potential to keep pissing off your father, which is a double bonus."

She sighs and leans her elbows on to the edge of the table, "Unfortunately I have a feeling that's a two way street and the potential for my father to keep upsetting Jack is there too."

Darcy very purposefully glances over to Jack and Race, who appear to be mid-argument. "Everything okay there?"

Katherine looks over a bit longer. They may be arguing, but Jack looks more distressed and upset than mad. "I think so. From what he's told me, he doesn't get to see his brothers nearly as often as he would like and if they're still with his last foster father, I don't think that environment is-" she pauses as she struggles to find the correct words –"wholly positive."

Darcy frowns at that, but isn't given the chance to respond as Jack and Race return, plates in hand.

"I had Racer bring a to go box and bag for you Darcy in case you get a chance to stay for a couple more minutes before you have to go," Jack says as he slides back in to the booth.

Darcy checks his phone for the time once more before frowning and declining with, "I wish I could but the sooner I get out of here the better chance I have of making it to lecture on time." He hastily slides the contents of his plate in to the plastic to go box and throws it in to the bag. "I'll just have to eat on the way. Or in class." He shrugs. "I'll text ya later Kath." He calls over his shoulder as he makes his way through the door to the deli. The bell chimes as the door opens then closes.

When she looks back to the edge of the table, Race has already disappeared. Looking around, she finds him back at the counter, spinning in one of the tall chairs. Beside her, Jack is mindlessly moving his fries around his plate as he watches Race.

"Everything okay?" She pushes since something is definitely off with him now.

Jack doesn't answer so she gives him some space and starts eating her sandwich. Jack's silence is disconcerting and she tries to change the topic after couple of minutes elapse. "So after our ridiculously long Harry Potter marathon on Monday I went home and had a breakthrough in book ideas."

Jack, whose barely taken more than one bite out of his sandwich turns to look at her, face expressionless, and softly replies, "Yeah? And what might that be?"

Glad to have gotten any reaction out of him at all, Katherine quickly takes a sip of her soda before excitedly continuing, "Well, something you said while we were down in the basement sort of spawned it. Or at least I think it was what you said, otherwise it's just a bit too much of a coincidence."

That gets her a wary glare from Jack, "All we talked about was how crappy my childhood was and I don't think that's going to make for much of a story."

She reaches out and places a hand on Jack's bicep in an attempt to calm him. "No, nothing about that specifically," she feels him relax a little, "but what you said. I think it was about how that's always going to be a part of you – or piece of you, something like that? Then with what you said when we first met, or I guess the second time we met, at the coffee shop about how it should be about encouraging kids to be whatever they want? I'm not sure where exactly it's going yet, but I just had this awesome image of puzzle pieces and a kid picking them up as he figures out bits of who he is and just trying to figure out how it all fits together-" she cuts herself, tired of rambling and cheeks aching from smiling to glance at Jack.

He's smiling. He's actually smiling. "I like it." He rubs at the back of his neck. "Actually, I really like it. I love it even. It's a lot to work with. Do you have any notes you can send me so I can start sketching some ideas?" His fingers twitch around the edge of his napkin, as if already itching to start.

Katherine brings her other hand over to meet her other and gently squeezes Jack's bicep. "Yes, but not now. This is supposed to be a date, isn't it?"

Jack chuckles at that. "Some date. Your best friend is here for half of it, my brother who's magically got a job all of a sudden is our waiter and I ditch you for a little in the middle to talk with him."

She nods in agreement, "It's a first date. We'll do a proper one later."

Jack pulls out from her grip and holds up a finger and he wickedly smiles, "Nuh-uh."

Katherine frowns and suddenly feels sick.

"It's my turn to ask you out and this time we'll go to a proper dinner without any friends or brothers."

At the change in direction Katherine's frown flips and her stomach fills with butterflies. Jack wants to go on another date with her. A real date. "I have a suggestion."

Jack cocks his head at her at that.

"You can choose where we go to dinner first, but on Friday Darcy's family is hosting their annual Christmas gala and I'd love for you to come with me."

Jack scrunches his nose up at the suggestion, "Gala? Like super fancy party-"

"Yes and I'm always bored out of mind so if you will join me for the hour I am required to be there then it would make my year," she adds.

"Well I guess…" he teases. "But we are definitely doing dinner first."

"Deal," Katherine beams and she wraps he arms around him in a light hug.

Jack looks down at his still nearly full plate and over at her half eaten one, "So what do you say we take the rest of this to go and you give me your notes and ideas so I can start sketching?"

She doesn't even get a chance to accept his suggestion before he's jumping up from the table and snatching to go boxes from behind the deli counter. Mr. Jacobi playfully swats him as he runs away, cackling and smiling.

He doesn't even sit when he makes it back to the table; just quickly boxes up their food, tucks the boxes under his arm and gestures for her to get up. "Well come on, I want to get started."

As they walk down the street, Katherine realizes she doesn't know what direction they are heading. "Where are we going?"

Jack wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer. "My place. That's where all my drawing stuffs at. Unless we need to go to your place?"

Katherine shakes her head no. "I never go anywhere without my laptop. It's in my bag." Before she can think better of asking, her curiosity takes hold and she once again asks, "Was everything okay with you and Race? Your discussion seemed to get a bit heated."

The arm around her shoulder stiffens but doesn't depart as Jack sighs, "It's not Racer I'm upset with. My issue is more with Snyder than him."

"Your brothers are still with him?" She quietly and hesitantly asks.

"Yeah," he sadly responds. "See, Snyder made me go out and find a job the second I was sixteen and I had to work however many hours a week he decided I needed to."

Katherine can feel his tension and interrupts, "Jack, I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to explain-"

The arm around her shoulder wraps a little tighter again. "No, it's okay. Dave says I've got to get better at talking about this stuff. Anyways, I wasn't a good student to begin with and working all the time made my grades even worse. I made a deal with Snyder when I left that he wouldn't make Racer or Crutchie get jobs cause I want them to focus and do well in school. They're both super smart; Racer with numbers and Crutchie with just about everything else so they both have a chance to actually do well and go to college and be successful. I don't want Snyder ruining their future too."

Katherine frowns. "There's different types of success Jack and I'd say you're doing pretty well for yourself. Very few people make it in the arts and you are – you have done it!"

It doesn't cheer Jack up any as he continues, "If it wasn't for Dave I wouldn't have even graduated. I barely made it. I want Racer and Crutchie to actually make it. Go to colleges and get real jobs."

She tries a different tactic, "Well colleges like seeing jobs on college applications. Make you seem more well-rounded."

That gets a chuckle out of Jack. "I guess. Doesn't change the fact that Snyder broke my deal with him and he'll make Racer work way more than any sixteen-year-old should."

"Well then you talk to Mr. Jacobi about not giving him too many hours. You said he was good at working with you," she suggests.

Jack winces at that and doesn't explain beyond, "I guess it's worth a shot."

By now they've arrived to Jack's apartment and as he fumbles around in his pockets for his keys, his excitement seems to return. Once the door is unlocked, he swings it open, turns to face her and smiles, "Let's get to work!"

Katherine smiles back and as she walks through the door she mumbles, "Heigh-ho heigh-go, off to work we go." Jack genuinely laughs at that as he swings the front door shut behind them.


.

.

Thank you for reading! As always, reviews are appreciated/loved/adored!