The Last Nine Years

Chapter 6

Katherine pulled the window open and leaned out into the cool evening air, the sun was just sinking over the city casting a shadow over this side of the apartment building.

"Hey" she called to Peter "we need to talk." Peter lifted up his head slightly.

"Why talk when your just gonna lie?" He said bitterly his voice muffled.

"I'm not going to lie anymore... t-theirs nothing more for me to hide." She said guilty hanging her head. When Peter didn't respond she scrambled through the window silently cursing women's fashions. She sat down next to Peter and turned her body so she was facing him.

"Go away, I really don't want to talk to you." He whispered and lifted his head up a little so his eyes could peek out at her. His eyes were full of resentment and hurt and she knew he wasn't going to listen unless she said the right thing. What was she supposed to say? 'Hey Peter the reason I've been lying to you was because I thought you couldn't handle the truth, sorry kid.' No. She would have to be gentler than that, but he had to know why she had lied. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have lied. I thought that lying would have been the best way to make sure you didn't get hurt. But I never saw how the lies were hurting you even when you didn't know the truth." She said placing a gentle hand to his back. Peter shifted but didn't look up, Katherine bit her lip. "Look, your father is just back inside, your reel father. Not Davey. Now I know you've wanted to meet him ever sense you could talk, and nows your chance! Find out what you have in common, I know for a fact you have a few." She said, after a moment Peter looked up, his eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

"Maybe I don't want to meet him." He said.

"Peter don't say that." Katherine said sternly.

"Why is he here all of the sudden? Where has he been all my life? Why is he just coming back?" He said through his teeth. Katherine rubbed her temples with her fingers trying to cease the increasing headache.

"I think the best way for me to explain this is to start from the beginning." She said.

"No more lying?" Peter asked.

"No more lying" she said then took another deep breath "Nine years ago there was a strike right here in New York, the Newsboys strike do you reamber me telling you about it?" She asked, he nodded and wiped his nose.

"Yea grandpa always curses about it" he said, Katherine chuckled slightly.

"Well anyway you know how I covered the strike and all, but I didn't just write about the strike, I was part of it. And I fell in love along the way, Jack Kelly, your father, was the one who started the strike" She said. Peters eyes widened.

"That man in there.... my... father started the strike?" He asked. Katherine nodded and pulled him into a hug.

"So after we had won the strike, let's just say my father did not appreciate mine and Jacks relationship. So he took Jack away from me and forced him on to a train that went to Santa Fe" She said sadly. Peter looked up at her.

"If he was forced to leave, why didn't you just tell me?" He asked pulling up his shirt to wipe away the rest of his tears. Katherine ruffled his black hair almost the same shade of Jacks and sighed.

"Because my father never told me he forced Jack away, he simply told me Jack had left and was never coming back. And Peter, my son, I did not want you growing up knowing your father had left you. I wanted you to have a good image of your father and to appreciate him, and to not end up like me and hating mine." She said sadly. He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes.

"You should have just told me, I could have handled it." He said softly. Katherine rested her chin in the top of his head.

"I under estimated you, I'm sorry." She said, and she truly was. She hated herself for putting him through such things. And it was only gonna get more complicated from here on out.

"I... forgive you" he said slowly as if he still wasn't sure, Katherine understood though she would have to give him sometime. They sat there for a few minutes in silence thinking about what had been said when at last Peter spoke up.

"I wanna meet him" he said "I wanna meet my Dad." Katherine smiled at him and kissed the top of his head softly. She got up and crawled out the window, she turned around and gave him a reassuring nod and headed off across the kitchen. She found Jack siting against the wall with his head in his hands.

"Jack" she said softly, he looked up his eyes were round, he looked like a puppy dog waiting, waiting to hear what Peter had said "he wants to meet you, he wants to meet his dad."

AUTHORS NOTE: This was a bit of a short chapter, but hey I got an update like the next day which is pretty cool! Still can't figure out what movie or TV show? That's ok there more hints in the next chapter which will be in Jacks POV!!!! Comment and let me know what you think, and as always I own NOTHING!!