A/N: I got this idea from a tumblr post I saw on Pinterest that I changed up a bit. If you'd like I can give you my Pinterest name and you can go find it but you gotta PM me for that. Post-strike pre-Jackrine wedding
"Jack. You see da headline?" Romeo asked, fear thick in his voice.
Jack looked away from his conversation with Mush in confusion. He looked up at the headline and could almost feel the blood drain from his face.
'Warden Snyder released from jail.'
The boys went quiet.
Almost all of them had been to the Refuge and the ones who hadn't had heard enough stories and warning to know how bad it was.
"I thought he was gonna be there for good dis time," Romeo asked in practically a whisper.
"We all did," Specs said grimly.
It'd only been a month since the strike ended and the cold winds of fall were starting to arrive. Crutchie was adjusting but was still having some pretty bad nightmares. Jack glanced over at his best friend, who hadn't taken his eyes off the headline.
"Jack? What's da plan?" Finch asked, crossing his arms.
"Stay clear of him. If ya even see a glimpse of him, run. I want ya all ta sell in pairs today. One older boy, one younger. Davey, keep an eye on Les, got it?" Jack asked the taller boy, who nodded. Each of the older boys took a younger one and they set off.
Race was with Elmer, keeping a close eye on the younger boy. They tried everything, but papes just weren't selling that well today.
"Hey boys, mind if I take a pape?" a female voice asked, making the brothers turn. "Hey Kath. Sure. It's on the house," Race said, smiling tiredly and handing her one. "Nice try, Racetrack. You should know me better by now," Katherine said, handing the boys a few coins. She read over the paper as Elmer pocketed the coins.
Katherine grew stiff. "Snyder's out?" she whispered, looking up urgently. The boys nodded. "That's why we'se sellin' in pairs," Elmer said in a small voice. He'd only been to the Refuge once and he'd already made plans never to return.
"How's-how's Jack and Crutchie taking the news?" Katherine asked worriedly.
"I couldn't tell. They seemed worried though. For all the right reasons," Race told her. He'd never been to the Refuge, but he planned to do everything in his power to keep the other boys out of it.
"Stay safe, ok? I'm going to check on Jack and the other boys," Katherine said, beginning to walk off. "Jack's either by the Brooklyn Bridge or near Newsies' Square somewhere. I don't know about the other boys," Race informed her.
She nodded and gave them both hugs before leaving.
"Race, do you think Snyder's gonna get us?" Elmer asked nervously.
Race looked at Elmer, then plastered on a smile. "Not a chance. That's why I'm here, remember? I'll make he stays away from ya."
Elmer nodded then said, "What about you?
"Don't worry 'bout me, kid, I'm da King a' New York, remember?" Race smirked.
Elmer laughed and nodded.
They continued selling their papes until the Delanceys walked over. "Well, lookie what we got here, Oscar. Two Newsies," Morris grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"Oh so that's what I was smellin'! I was sure it was some horse poop or somethin'!" Race commented, making the Delancey brothers sneer.
As they drew nearer Race saw Oscar's brass knuckles and whispered to Elmer, "Run!"
They both took off and since they were faster than the Delanceys, they were able to escape.
The rest of the day went by slowly. Race and Elmer were getting hungry, so they began heading to Jacobi's when they heard shouts. A boy they'd never seen before came running at them, making them move out of the way, but the boy shoved something into Elmer's hands before taking off down an alley.
Elmer and Race gave each other confused looks before they saw the bull round the corner. "Hey you! Stop!" one of them shouted. The blood drained from Elmer's face and Race quickly grabbed the stolen object.
"Run!" Race shouted and they took off, dropping the object in the process. But the bulls were faster. They caught Race and arrested him. "But we didn't steal it!" Race shouted.
"Yeah right," the cop said.
"Elmer, go ta Jacobi's, I'se gonna be fine," Race said as they dragged him off.
Elmer stood there helpless for he didn't how long. Finally regaining his senses, he made a mad dash for Jacobi's.
He sprinted in, running into Spec and nearly knocking the older boy over.
"Whoa, Elmer! What's da rush?" Specs chuckled a bit nervously. "Race! Race- he-he got arrested!" he explained breathlessly. Specs smile dropped.
"What? How? What happened?"
As Elmer explained the kid and the object, Specs began getting more and more worried. They went to get Jack, who grew grim. "Ok tell all da other boys. We'll keep an eye for 'im then go to da Refuge tonight and try ta break him out," Jack said.
They spread the news then went back to selling.
After they finished selling and no one had seen any sign of him, they went back to the Lodge to start planning.
Jack and Mush went to the Refuge, sneaking around as quietly as possible. They snuck up a fire escape and knocked on the window. A little boy no older than Les walked over and cracked it open. "What is it, Cowboy?" the little boy whispered.
"Did you fellas get a new kid today? Tall, blond and sarcastic?" Jack whispered. The little boy thought for a moment before saying, "Oh you mean Legs. Yeah but he's with Snydah right now. Guy's only been out for two days but he's worse than ever, Cowboy," the little boy said.
Jack nodded grimly and said, "Ok, thanks Socks."
Mush and Jack left, heading to the Lodge in silence. How were going to get Race out?
It'd been almost two weeks since they'd seen Race. They didn't know what to do. He'd got moved a different room after Jack visited, one with no windows, so they couldn't break him out now.
Jack had come home early from selling and was sitting on the roof, thinking, when he heard "Jack!"
Before he could turn, someone almost tackled the taller boy, Jack turned to see who it was and his eyes widened.
"Race!" he shouted.
Race sobbed into Jack's shirt. Jack wanted to ask if he was ok but he already knew the answer. He could see from Race's wounds that he was not ok. "Hey, it's ok. You'se safe now," Jack said.
"I-I can't. It-It was-it was-," he began but couldn't finish.
Jack stayed with the younger boy until he calmed down a little bit, then he helped him clean his wounds. The boys made it back home and they were all ecstatic when they saw him, and Race was just as happy to see them.
But after a few days they realized he had changed. He didn't have a sarcastic demeanor anymore and he was more reserved. They knew it was because of whatever had happened in the Refuge, but he wouldn't talk to them about it. Even when he woke up screaming from the nightmares.
Jack woke him up from another nightmare one night, then he forced the tall boy to come up to the roof with him. Crutchie was still asleep and Jack knew he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Crutchie was the heaviest sleeper here.
Anyway, the two boys sat near the edge and Jack asked, "Race, do ya need to talk? You'se been acting different and-."
"I don't know what ta say, Jack. Ya already know how bad it is so there's no point in talking about it," Race snapped, staring at the city.
Jack sighed and said, "But you can still talk to me. I'se da leader here, remember? That's what I'se here for."
Race hesitated, then spilled everything he'd been having nightmares about, about how awful it was there.
And Race began feeling better the more he talked and over the next few days, he got his sarcastic demeanor back and began acting like himself again. The nightmares didn't stop of course, but it sure did help when Jack would come and talk to him about them.
Because he was finally safe again and with his brothers and that's all that mattered to him.
A/N: Hey y'all! I hope you like this! I got the idea of the part where Jack helps Race from SomedayonBroadway and the rest of this is basically from a thing I saw on Pinterest. If you'd like to see it you can PM me for my Pinterest name and you can find it on there. Anyway, I wrote a story! A Newsies one! It's called 'A Girl Called Fox' and I should have it up by Tuesday. It's all written and edited already so you won't have to wait for me to write a new chapter each week. It'll go up every Tuesday.
Comment would be greatly appreciated! TTFN!