Welcome back dear readers,
Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers, I feel as if I don't thank you enough! As promised, I tried to update in a timely fashion. This is rather random, but for reference, so far (since the beginning of the story) eight days have passed until now. Just thought I'd let you know. Hope you enjoy!
I don't own Newsies
There were several loud knocks on the door to Katherine's apartment, followed by some muffled discussion and more knocking.
"I'm coming, hold on!" she grumbled as she slid the lock and pushed open the door.
"Hiya Katherine!"
Blocking the doorway was a pack of grinning newsboys, lead by an enthusiastic Race and an apologetic looking Crutchie.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, wearing an expression of sheer surprise and annoyance.
"Comin' to take ya to the lodging house." replied Race cheerfully, ignoring the fact that Katherine looked ready to strangle him.
"We wanted to kidnap you, but Jack said no." piped up a voice from the back.
"Well that's a comforting thought." She glanced around at their exuberant faces. "Look boys, I'm not going anywhere with you, sorry ." It was hard not to cringe at the fact that there was a pack of newsies stuffed in the hallway in a quite ridiculous fashion. What would her neighbors think? "Come inside though, you don't have to stay in the hallway." With that ten or so boys came pouring into her apartment.
"Oh, look at the fancy typewriter!"
"What's this?"
"No! No one is allowed to touch anything!" Katherine stormed in, throwing herself in front of the typewriter. "Someone please get Les off the kitchen counter before he breaks his neck! ROMEO I SAID NO TOUCHING!" Katherine looked as if she was about to have a heart attack. She was deeply regretting the decision to invite the boys inside.
"Geesh, sorry."
"Calm down Katherine, it's not like we're hurting anything."
A crash came from the kitchen. Katherine rushed in to find a guilty looking Les and a broken plate. "Sorry." He said with a sheepish grin.
"Everyone, stay out of the kitchen, stay away from my desk, go sit on the floor over there and don't you dare move a muscle, any of you! You would think I invited a pack of three year olds inside!"
"We wouldn't have to sit on the floor if we had kidnapped her." muttered Albert.
The boys reluctantly took a seat while Katherine swept up the broken plate. When she was finished and slightly more composed, she made her way to stand in front of the boys gathered on the floor and cleared her throat. However, before she could get a single word out, Crutchie interrupted her.
"Look Katherine, we know you think it's better if you stopped seeing Jack in all, but well, Jack is kinda depressed without you, and I mean, we all miss you. I hate to see Jack like this. I think you should come back. Really."
She glanced over at him, his expression a bit nervous but none the less sincere. She couldn't go back to see Jack. It was too dangerous. Her father's threats still hung over her, and she had been feeling a bit defeated after getting thrown out of his office during her crusade to make things right. She wasn't giving up, but she didn't want Jack hurt.
"I appreciate you boys coming here and I'm sure Jack does too, but I can't come with you. I'm sorry. It's for Jack's sake really and…"
"No one's gonna care if you see Jack at the lodging house, it's not like it's the middle of central park!"
"No but…" She stopped mid-sentence. She missed Jack beyond words, and well, it couldn't be too dangerous, just this once, could it? It's been six days. She realized. Six days living without air. At some point in time she would have to admit she was suffocating.
"Pretty, pretty please?" said Romeo, making a sad puppy dog face.
"Yes," she breathed, her words almost a whisper. She was afraid once her answer was swimming in the air that she would never be able to take them back. "I'll come with you."
Wouldn't it feel so good to breath, even if it was only for a minute?
Race looked pleased with himself, Crutchie looked as if he could hug her.
"What did I tell you boys? We convinced her. Jack's gonna be pretty disappointed when we get back and he owes me five bucks!" Race crowed with pride
"You bet on this?"
"It's Race, he puts money in everything."
"Can we stop sitting on the floor like it's story time?" pouted Les.
Katherine nodded, but before she could say anything more, the boys stampeded out of her apartment, dragging her with them.
When are they going to be back, it's been like an hour. Katherine couldn't possibly have listened to them… A loud "We're back!" cut through Jack's internal monologue. He glanced up, figuring he'd see a pack of slightly defeated newsies, without any Katherine in sight, but it was quite the opposite. Each boy had a pleased grin on his face, and in the middle of the group stood…
"Hi Jack" her voice was only a whisper. Katherine.
"You owe me five bucks!" chanted Race.
His mind was racing. How could it be? He rushed over to her and wrapped her in his arms, fearful of ever letting go. "I missed you so much."
She smiled. "Me too."
The kiss was soft and slow, filled with longing of every painful second they had been apart. So this is what it feels like to breath. Katherine thought.
"We're all still standin' here ya know!" shouted Specs.
Jack groaned. "I don't know why I keep them. You really listened to these idiots?"
Katherine shook her head "I listened to my heart."
She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her hair. "God, you're so cheesy sometimes." he whispered. Katherine smiled and glanced up at him. For the first time since her arrival she took a good look at Jack's face. There were prominent dark smudges under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. Beneath his weak yet genuine smile there were traces of pain and worry.
"You look like hell."
"I know" he replied quietly. "You aren't exactly aren't the first person to point that out."
"Seriously Jack, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." he laughed softly. "Better than fine actually, now that you're here."
"I'm glad." she replied.
It was peaceful on the rooftop. Katherine could see why Jack liked it up whole city was stretched out around them. It was endless. Each building and street was dwarfed by distance. it made it all feel less...consuming. As if they owned the city instead of the city owning them. They didn't speak as they sat down, their backs pressed against the silence was bliss. Each second passed slowly.
"I went to see my father." Katherine's words broke the silence.
Jack looked surprised "And? How did it go? What did he say?"
" It didn't go so well." she sighed. "We argued for a while. I got thrown out."
"It was worth a shot, right?"
"I guess." she replied distractedly.
"What did you say to him anyways?"
"Oh some stuff about how he was being completely evil and stupid. Then he insulted you a bit, and called me childish, I got thrown out, and well, that's about it."
Jack leaned in closer. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"
Katherine blushed "Only a couple of times."
"Well, you are. You're like the sun. My sun."
There was another long silence.
"So are you back? For good?" he asked, watching her watch the sky.
"No." she said uncertainly, still refusing to look at him. "Well, sort of. I don't really know! I'm so confused Jack." she placed her head in her hands. "Part of me is screaming to run back to you, telling me that whatever my father says doesn't matter; that I'm stronger than him, we're stronger than him. But the other part of me is telling me to run far far away from you. Not because I don't miss you with every fiber of my being, it's just that I want to keep you safe.I don't know what to do!" she exhaled and composed herself slightly. "I'm not giving up, far from it. I just need to rethink, that's all. Obviously, impulsively storming my father's office wasn't my most well thought out plan."
"Maybe not well thought out, but brave." he smiled "What if next time you decide to storm The World, I'll come with you for moral support? I did win a strike ya know."
"I have a feeling my father wouldn't be a fan of that. He might just kill you right then and there."
"Nah," Jack laughed, "He wouldn't want blood on his fancy carpets." Katherine laughed. She sounded tired.
"Something's different." Katherine's voice had become soft again.
"What do you mean?"
"Something's different about us. I can't exactly say what, though."
Jack looked worried. He couldn't deny that he sensed a change. Had he expected everything to be just the same as before when he saw her again? Of course not. But still, it felt strange. Katherine's confidence, and his too for that matter, was wavering. What had seemed so perfect was crumbling. Everything was falling to pieces around them and they had nothing to stop the downpour.
"We'll be alright though." Katherine amended, but she didn't sound like she believed it.
"For sure?" Jack asked.
Katherine said nothing. The doubt in her eyes said it all.
Well that was quite the happy ending. At least we got a Katherine/Jack reunion. Reviews are awfully nice. I love to hear feedback from you guys, suggestions and ideas are always welcome! Feel free to pm me with whatever. Thanks for reading!
-Dream Unique