a striking pair | f.c

Chapter Fifteen

Jack still kept Santa Fe close to his heart.

There hadn't been a day that passed that Jack hadn't thought about leaving all his worries back in New York City, and hopping onto the closest train that was Santa Fe bound.

But it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the fact that New York needed him.

And after having had a deep talk with Miss Medda, the idea of leaving all the newsies had begun to feel just wrong.

Of course, it wasn't that he wanted to leave everyone behind, and deep down, he knew Santa Fe was nothing but a dream, but the thought of it had always comforted him. It had started off as just a joke; having had the knowledge of Santa Fe, getting flitting dreams about riding palomino horses and soaring through hot desert air.

And then it had begun to grow.

Leaving the city he'd grown up in, never having to sell another pape under Pulitzer's name ever again - he had gone through with the idea of quitting his new job, by the way - never having to experience another freezing winter ever again. It was all he thought about, something to distract him of the pain of today. And he'd thought about it so much, it had started to seem like a reality- though it never was. It never had been.

In some ways, it felt like he lived two different lives. One where he spent his days selling papes, and the other under the big and yellow moon of Santa Fe. It was his escape, his motivation. And although there were certain days the yearning for Santa Fe had felt like all too much, he'd still open his eyes, knowing where his responsibilities lied, and live under the same grey old moon of New York City.

Because he was needed there.

It helped that he then had Katherine to count on. Of course, it hadn't made him stop thinking of Santa Fe by any means, but he had started to see that maybe his Santa Fe didn't have to be a place. That maybe his dreams could've been a reality though a person, instead. After all, he'd only ever wanted to escape to Santa Fe for some freedom. Perhaps she could've been his Santa Fe.

And Lane, Jack had started to realize, Lane was a lot like him. A lot more than both of them cared to admit.

He saw how she gazed at Finch when the boy wasn't looking. How she attempted to keep her distance from him, to practically no avail. Her disire for him burned almost brighter than his own with Katherine. Finch was her weak spot, her safe place, and they could all tell.

Jack hoped they'd finally cave and confess to each other sometime soon. Finch was her Santa Fe just as much as Katherine was his. They were simply made for each other in the way that they were.

Lane reminded him a lot of Albert, really. And maybe even Davey, in the sense that she was always smart about things. But it was clear that the two of them shared the most traits. He had seen the way she'd sneered at him during the rally, struck with disbelief that he would even consider backing out on his own newsies, and although it had been for the greater good at the time, and Finch had assured him that he'd told her the full story, Jack felt like he owed her something. He knew what it was like to come to despise betrayal.

And he knew just where to start.

Then there was also Finch trapped in the Refuge, and Jack couldn't imagine the toll it was having on him. He was somewhat glad that Lane had gotten caught in this whole mess with the boy, so that he'd have at least one person to help pull him though.

Finch was everyone's first priority; not because they had something against Lane, or anything like that, but mainly because no one knew her as well as they knew Finch. Except for maybe Albert.