Newsies One-Shots

Chapter 70 - Jack and Davey

A Serious Rooftop Talk
Ship - Jack and Davey (friends)
Era - Cannon
Triggers - Shouting and betrayal.

Davey watched in shock as Jack took the money handed to him. He couldn't move, every part of his body unable to function after the betrayal.

Davey wanted to scream at him. Tell him not to take the money. Scream at him to come to his senses. To use his head.

"Davey," Les said, pulling at his arm. "Davey. What's going on?"

"We have to go home. Ima wants us home soon."

"But Davey," Les whined. "I don't want to go home."

"Too bad. It's past your bedtime."

"Come on, please just let me stay out a little longer," Les begged Davey.

"No," Davey said sternly, startling Les. "I shouldn't have brought you here in the first place. We're going home."

Les kept complaining as he was dragged home by Davey. Davey didn't even bother listening to him, his mind too far away, thinking about Jack.

He did that a lot, even if he hadn't intended to. There was just something about Jack that drew him to the boy. And something that made him want to stay away.

When they arrived home, Les wasn't all too happy that Davey got to go back out again. "It's not fair," he complained. "Why doesn't David get to go out and I don't."

"David is older than you," Esther reminded her youngest son. "When you're his age you can go out late if you want to so bad."

"I will," Les vowed. "I swear."

It wasn't until Esther had tucked Les into bed and gotten the boy to calm down that she finally had a chance to talk to Davey.

"David. Why do you need to go out?"

"Something's wrong," Davey explained. "And I have to fix it."

"You don't have to fix anything. If you didn't cause the problem then it's not your's to fix."

"I know Ima. I just know how to fix this and I need to. For the strike."

Esther sighed. "Go. But I expect you back within an hour."

"Two?" Davey tried.

"One and a half. Go."

~~~

Davey half-heatedly thanked Specs for showing him where he was supposed to go before he started to climb up to the roof.

Jack was sitting down, looking out sourly at the city. "I agreed to your thing Katherine. What do you want?"

"Last time I checked, I'm not Katherine."

"Davey," Jack quickly stood up and spun around to face Davey. "I thought you were Katherine."

"I'm not. What happened to your eye?"

"Why do you care?" Jack asked coldly.

"Because I'm your friend." Davey sat down, motioning for Jack to sit beside him. "Or I thought I was your friend."

"We are. It's complicated Dave. I didn't want to betray you all. I just didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice. It's your life and the famous Jack Kelly is the last person I know who'd be bossed around by someone."

Jack sighed. "I was threatened."

"What?" Davey said, wanting to make sure he'd heard Jack right. "Is that where the black eye came from?"

Jack shook his head. "Katherine can punch really hard. Like really hard."

Davey chuckled. "You sort of deserved it."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I did."

"Why did you do it?"

"I didn't want to. Pulitzer said he'd throw all the Newsies in the Refuge if I didn't cave. He threatened to send you there."

"What's so bad about the Refuge?" Davey asked. "The word 'refuge' is supposed to be good. It means a safe place."

"I don't know. Snyder, the warden, arrests as many kids as he could so he gets more money. Doesn't care for the kids either."

"I'm so sorry Jack. You don't have to keep talking if you don't want to."

"It's- He used to beat the kids. I don't know if he found it enjoyable or what it was."

Jack looked away from Davey. He didn't want to see the look of Davey's face. He knew Davey would be disgusted that he couldn't take a few hits.

"I didn't want that to happen to any of the boys. Or you."

"Jack? Can you look at me?" Davey asked gently.

Jack shrugged and turned so he was half-facing Davey.

"Go and talk to the boys. If you tell them what happened then they'll understand. They're your brothers."

"Why did they leave then?"

"Because you betrayed them, Jack. You're their brother and you hurt them. They thought that you didn't care about them and when someone does that you it hurts."

Jack nodded. "I really didn't want to. I promise."

"I know Jack but you have to talk to them. Race especially. He's barely managing. They need you."

"Okay," Jack said decidedly. "I'll go now. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Talking some sense into me," Jack explained. "I needed it."

Davey smiled and stood up as Jack did so too.

"What're friends for?"

~~~
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