(Author's Note: Hello again loves! Gosh, how I've missed this! I don't know if anyone is still interested in reading this, it's been ages, but I knew I owed it to myself and any of my readers who are left to finish it. Honestly, there isn't much more, a couple of chapters maybe, but I wanted to end it right, so I'm back at it!

So so sorry to anyone who was reading and got cut off for so long, the hiatus is officially over!

Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)

There was blood on her face and the front of her dress. That was all Jack's brain would let him recognize. Katherine stood looking in the bathroom mirror, shakily wetting a cloth in the sink. There was blood dripping from her nose and mouth and smeared across her cheek. Her elbows were scraped up as well, the sleeves of her blouse having been badly torn. The two locked eyes in the mirror and Katherine groaned, looking frustrated.

"You weren't supposed to see me like this," she stated, fervently washing the blood from her face. Jack took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him, effectively stopping her from cleaning off any more blood.

"Ace, I don't know what the hell happened, but whoever did this to you, I swear to god I'll kill them." He let go of her, because he could tell that a few of the cuts were still bleeding and needed to be taken care of.

"Jack, please calm down, it's just a little blood." She touched a hand to his cheek gently and then turned back to the sink. How could she be so calm right now? How on earth could she stay so levelheaded when there was someone out there who hurt her? Jack had promised himself that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

"Ace, I'm gonna try real hard to calm down-for your sake-but I ain't making any promises. Now do you wanna tell me what happened?" It physically hurt him to stay so calm and still, but he did it for her, and sure enough, it got an explanation out of her.

"I wasn't going to say anything," she started, avoiding his gaze as if she was afraid he would be upset, "I went to Cooper Union today."

Why did that name sound so familiar? It wasn't someplace he went very often. There had been a rally there a few years back for... wait... The gears in Jack's mind began to spin and suddenly pieces started to fall into place.

"The suffragette rally?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I didn't think anything violent would happen, and for the most part, nothing did, but there was a woman there whose husband was literally dragging her away and, stupid me, I tried to help her. I should have known, seeing how she was yelling at him that he wasn't going to give in. I should have known he would probably be violent, but I tried to step in and well..." She gestured to herself. When Jack didn't respond, she started to explain herself, "Jack, this is just so important to me. I need to-" Jack sighed, running his hand through his hair and effectively cutting her off.

"I understand. Really, I do." He took her by the shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I just don't want you getting hurt like this."

"This isn't just about me! Women should be given the exact same opportunity to work and vote as men, and they should be paid as equals. I have to do this, Jack." She looked up at him with her sweet brown eyes, and well, Jack never could say no to those eyes. Besides, there was some kind of passion in them he hadn't seen in anyone since back when he led the strike with the newsboys. He saw his own 17 year old self in Katherine, and then he knew he couldn't stop her even if he wanted to.

"I know you do Ace," he affirmed, "And I'll support you. Ain't nobody gonna take my Katherine's rights away. Nah, she's too tough for that." He grinned at her playfully, and a smile tugged at her lips too.

"Thank you for understanding," she breathed, kissing him slowly. He knew she was just trying to get him to forget the fact that she was still covered in blood, and that he was giving her his okay to go back and possibly get hurt again, but he took it anyway, wrapping his arms around her shoulders tightly. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted to keep her close to him and never let anyone hurt her, but he knew that he would hurt her if he didn't let her do this. If any woman deserved equal rights, it was Katherine.

"Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? I know some things can't be avoided, but don't do anything stupid."

"So, don't be you?" She teased venomously.

"Yeah sure, whatever. Let's get you cleaned up before Michael and Rosie get home. "He took the cloth from where it sat on the counter rinsed the blood out of it. "And Katherine?"

She paused on her way out of the bathroom.

"Yeah?" Jack fiddled with the cloth, having a hard time looking her in the eyes.

"Just, uh, tell me next time, okay? You don't have to hide this stuff from me."

"Of course Jack," she agreed, kissed him on the cheek, and left.

Jack didn't see her again until she'd changed out of her torn clothes, and if he hadn't come home early and walked in on her cleaning up, he might not have even known anything was wrong.

She was composed and cheerful, sitting at her typewriter with her notes spread out around her desk. Katherine had never been the kind of woman who never had a hair out of place or always looked meticulous, but she that's how she looked now. She wasn't flustered or upset in any way; she looked like a princess, and Jack had no clue how she did it. If it had been him, he'd have come home battered and bruised and never even thought to hide the damage. He'd probably have been angry and he wouldn't have been able to suddenly seem this collected and unfazed. His wife really was amazing.

If only she'd been able to keep up the facade.

Just when Jack was starting to think she was really okay, she suddenly wasn't. As soon as the first tear spilled onto her notebook, she was a mess. He pulled her away from her desk to sit with him on the couch and just let her cry.

"I'm okay, I'm fine," she kept insisting, trying to rein in the emotional outburst that she hated so much, but Jack knew better.

"No, you ain't Katherine, but that's okay. You're allowed to be upset, you know." He tilted her head up to look at him. "You don't have to be so tough all the time Ace. You do that plenty."

She didn't reply, just laid her head on his shoulder quietly, but soon the silence was broken by the sound of the twins coming home from school.

"Oh no," Katherine murmured. Jack knew she didn't want her kids to see her like this, but there was nothing they could do now.

Michael came in the room first, and a look of worry shaded his little face.

"Is mama okay?" He asked innocently. Katherine looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled through her tears.

"Mama's fine baby, don't you worry," she cooed, and he galloped over to her cheerfully, leapt onto the couch and threw his arms around her shoulders, giving her the biggest hug that an eight year old can manage.

Rosie appeared in the doorway and, upon seeing her parents and brother, immediately followed suit, clinging to her mother like her life depended on it.

God, they were good kids.

And after what felt like days, the twins finally went to bed, and Jack was free to talk about the rally again.

"Hey, Ace?" He said as soon as she turned the corner out of Michael and Rosie's room. "I know you don't wanna tell the kids, and that's fine, but you do have to promise that you'll tell me if you ever do something like this again, which I have no doubt that you will." He smirked, and she rolled her eyes, but only because she knew he was right.

"I will, Jack, I-"

"Swear it, right now. Swear you'll tell me."

"I swear-"

"Because I'll be right there with you." Katherine looked taken aback.

"What?"

"I've been thinking about it, and I wanna be there with you at these rallies. Not because I don't trust you, that ain't it at all. I just want to help."

"Really?" Her eyes sparkled, and if Jack hadn't been sure already, the look on her face confirmed that he was doing the right thing.

"Really. You, of all people, deserve to get what you're fighting for here." Suddenly her arms were around his neck, and Jack remembered something she said to him a very long time ago. "Katherine Kelly, wherever you go, I'll be right there by your side."

(Well, there you have it! If you'd be kind enough to leave a review, I'd so appreciate it! I know my writing skills are a tad bit rusty, but I'll get back in the swing of things soon!

Much love,

PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)