Hey guys! I'm back! So sorry I haven't been online in forever, but shit was happening. I was super busy over the summer getting ready for boarding school. (Yes, I go to boarding school. No, it's not because I'm a bad kid. It's an arts school called Interlochen, and for the first time since like second grade, I love school.) But enough about my excuses. Chapter 4 here we go!

Jack's eyes cleared. A pale sixteen year old boy with combed back black hair and haunting black eyes laced with worry stared back at him. His plaid shirt was slightly rumpled, which Jack found very surprising. He had never seen a time when David Jacobs hadn't looked crisp and perfectly clean.

"Jack, oh my gosh," Davey sighed. "Are you alright?"

Jack's voice threatened to fail him, "Da-Davey?" He choked out. Davey ran a hand through his hair, watching Jack closely. "Whaddaya' doin' here?"

"Stars called me," He knelt down next to Jack's bed. "She... She told me what happened. I'm so sorry."

"Ya' got nothin' to be sorry about," Jack turned away from Davey. He hated to admit it, but he was still mad at the Jacobs for leaving him behind. He didn't expect to ever see his old "brother" ever again.

"I know you're upset, Jack. You could have told us," Davey said gently. "We could have helped you."

"No ya' couldn't," Jack whispered. "No one could've."

"That isn't true, Jack. You know I would have been right there if you called me."

Sure ya' would've. Jack thought bitterly. "Dave, it's okay. Really."

"No it isn't!" Davey threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. "Jack, you know my parents would have done everything to get you back and-"

"Davey?" A voice asked at the door. Jack looked up. A young boy stood in the doorway, fiddling with his hands nervously. "Can I come in now?"

"Sure, Les," Davey waved the young boy inside.

So that was Les. The little boy who had replaced Jack in the Jacobs family. Jack felt himself harden up. He didn't want to meet the reason his life ended.

"Hi," Les stuck out a small skinny arm for Jack to take. "I'm Les."

Jack took Les' hand, shaking it. "Hiya, Les," He looked at Davey expectantly. "How old are ya' anyway?"

Les grinned, "I'm ten... almost..."

The hard feeling inside of Jack melted away. He wanted so hard to be mad at the little boy, but after meeting him for the first time, he just couldn't.

"What a great age to be, ten almost," Jack smiled, winking. Les' grin grew. Davey seemed to relax. It seemed he was also waiting for Jack to push away his little brother.

"Why are you here, Jack?" Les asked innocently. Davey paled. Jack's smile faded, past events flashing before his eyes.

"Les-" Davey warned.

"Dave, it's fine," Jack interrupted, staring at his hands. "I'm here because I got hurt, Les. Someone hurt me."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Les said. Jack was thankful that the little boy hadn't asked him how he was hurt or who had hurt him. He wasn't sure how he would have answered.

"Jack?" There was a knock at the door.

"Hi, Detective LaMointe," Jack managed to give Hannah a weak smile.

"Would you mind if I spoke with you privately?" Hannah asked, stepping into the room. Jack simply nodded.

"I'll see you later then, Jack," Davey took Les by the hand. "Call me if you want to talk."

"Sure," Jack waved limply. "See ya' later, Davey. Bye, Les," He smiled at Davey's little brother.

"Good bye, Jack! I hope you feel better!" Les waved brightly.

Hannah waited until the two boys had rounded the corner to the lobby to begin speaking. "They seem nice. The little one is very cute."

"What is it, Miss LaMointe?" Jack asked apprehensively. He didn't want anymore bad news.

"I called Miss Larkin a few minutes and she said that your old bed is still empty. You will be staying with her and her boys until we can find somewhere else to..."

"To put me?" Jack supplied stiffly.

"Jack, that is not what I meant, I-"

"I know what you meant, Detective," He cut her off. Hannah sighed.

"Miss Larkin will be here at 7:00 to pick you up. And she has my phone number in case something happens." She turned to go.

"Hannah?" Jack reached out a hand to stop Hannah from leaving.

"Yes, Jack?"

"Have..." Jack gripped his bedsheets tightly. "Have you found him yet?"

Hannah paused, then shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Jack."

They're not gonna find him. Jack thought. He's gonna slip away again.

Tears were once again pricking his eyes, and he didn't try to stop them.

14-year-old Runaway Caught and Awaiting Sentence.

Katherine read the headline, not knowing if she should believe it or not. The Jack that she had met in the lobby didn't seem like some runaway or criminal. Although, the article was three years old. Maybe he had just changed a lot since then.

Her phone dinged. Katherine picked it up quickly, expecting it was a text from Darcy or Bill asking her about the homework. It wasn't though. It was a text from Stars. Katherine let out a sigh of relief.

FROM: STARS

Hey love. Jack is gonna be living with Medda for awhile, and we're having a party to celebrate him coming back to the lodging house. You're welcome to join us if you want. Lemme know if you're in.

Katherine smiled. At least Jack was going to be back with his friends and away from the hospital.

TO: STARS

Love to. What time?

FROM: STARS

7:30 till 11

TO: STARS

Yeah, I'll be there.

FROM: STARS

Coolsies! See ya there!

"Katherine?" Her father knocked on her door. Katherine panicked, turning off her cell phone and pulling up another tab over the article on her laptop.

"Come in," Her voice jumped up the octave. Her father slipped into her room. She smoothed out her skirt, turning around to face Mr. Pulitzer. "What is it, Dad?

Pulitzer cleared his throat, standing as if he had a metal pole stuck up his back. "I would like to know exactly what your relationship with that Jack boy is."

Katherine furrowed her eyebrows confusedly. "Why do you want to know?"

Pulitzer sighed, sitting down on Katherine's bed. "Katherine, your mother and I believe it would be best if you stay away from that boy for awhile."

"What?" Katherine jumped to her feet. "Why?"

"Because he is not the kind of boy we raised you to be prancing around with. Him or his friends."

"You're talking about him like he's below us." Katherine said accusingly.

"Well, in some ways, he is. And-"

"He is not below us in anyway, Dad!" Katherine's voice was slowly rising. "Just because he isn't a well off as Darcy or Bill or us, doesn't mean he's nothing."

Pulitzer was talking through his teeth. "Katherine Renee Pulitzer, I will not have this conversation with you now. You have friends, good friends. You don't need to make anymore."

"No, Dad. You made friends and expect me to be friends with their sons." She tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "I can make my own friends, Dad. You can't tell me otherwise."

Pulitzer was a very experienced lawyer, he could usually tell if there was an argument that he wasn't going to win. This was one of those arguments. He let out a breath of defeat.

"Just finish your homework, Katherine. You have a lot to do tomorrow." Pulitzer stood up and left her room with a huff.

Katherine took a long relieved breath and closed her door. She yanked off her skirt and blouse that her mother insisted she wear and pulled on her favorite pair of jeans and the largest tee shirt she owned. Much more comfortable. Much more like the others she wanted to join.

She tried her hardest to make a figure in her bed that looked closely enough like her and turned off her lights. She made sure to keep her door unlocked in case her parents wanted to come in and see her "sleeping." Then, as quickly and quietly as she could, Katherine slid out of her room and out the front door before her parents could see she had left.

I'm Katherine Plumber, Katherine thought as the elevator went down. I'm going to Stanford in one year. I'm the smartest girl in my grade. And I can be friends with whoever the hell I want to.

And there we go! I promise that I will try to get the next chapter of something up soon, but until then, I hope you like what I have so far.

Newsies forever, second to none!