Jack And Katherine One-Shots

I Could Be Good For You

Where the heck was Jack? Katherine had searched every where for him. Her apartment, the logging house, the logging house roof, the docks, Meddas theater, and Newsies square. She could not find him. So where was he? When she voiced her worries to the boys they all simply shrugged and shook their heads.

"He does this a lot Kath, he should be back." Crutchie told her as she nervously rung her hands.

"Should be back?" She asked and couldn't ignore the tightness that was now in her chest.

"Well... ya never know with Jack." Crutchie said somberly before heading on his way to finish selling his papers. She didn't know what to do, where could he of gone? A horrible thought struck her, what if he finally got on that danm train handing out west? No he wouldn't do that, he couldn't of just left her and the boys without an explanation. Could he? Would he? She didn't know, maybe Crutchie was right and Jack should be back. But how long before he was actually back? How long did she have wait before she could see his face again? She had talked with him the night before and every thing had seemed fine then, he'd just been his normally cocky self. She couldn't think of one person, one headline, one story that would make him run off. Katherine thought back to the time of the strike when poor Crutchie had been taken to the Refuge and Jack had disappeared. Could something like that happened again? She couldn't think of anyone who had been thrown in the Refuge, it had been shut down after all. After much worry and consideration she decided to wait, she hated waiting but what else was she going to do? Katherine was starting to hate questions. She slept restlessly that night tossing and turning her stomach constantly filled with worry. It wasn't until that morning when she herd a knock on her window did the worry dull. She had just gotten dressed when she herd it, she knew that knock! It was the same tap, tap, tap, he used every time he snuck into her room. Feeling relief at seeing him crouching outside her window made her smile but something was wrong, he wasn't smiling like usual. There was something unsettling at the way his mouth was held in a tight line, his eyes were off too. They were the same bright blue she'd fallen in love with but they weren't shining like usual. They were hard and sad, it made her nervous again.

"Jack where the hell have you been?!?" She asked yanking he window open and throwing her arms around him. Despite her unease about his expression she was over whelmed with relief that he was okay. He didn't answer as he climbed into her room. "Jack?" She asked clutching the front of his shirt.

"Sorry Ace." He said hugging her back. "I was out thinking, and I needed to be alone."

"For a whole day?" She asked pulling back so she could look at him. "What were you thinking about? Where did you go? You scared me Jack... I thought, I thought you had left..." she said trailing off.

"Left? No I ain't goin' no where, my boys need me." He said.

"I need you too." She said quietly running a finger over a button on his shirt.

"See that's the thing!" Jack said suddenly pulling away from her.

"What thing?!?" She asked feeling a little hurt. His eyes had changed, the sadness had turned to anger.

"You can't need me Katherine, I'm no good for you." He said shouldering past her and into her kitchen. How had the conversation taken this turn?

"No good for me?!? Says who?" She asked feeling a little angry. Jack turned back to her his eyes growing dark even in the light of the sun.

"Your father." He muttered.

"My father?" She asked a little confused. "When did you see my..." realization washed over her. "Oh, is that where you went? You were taking to my father?"

"I didn't want to but... his men can get pretty scary." He said a shutter running though his body.

"What did he want to talk to you about?" Katherine asked taking a step in his direction.

"Not what. Who." He said turning away from her and leaning against the counter. "He wanted to talk to me about you."

"What did he say?" She asked even though she pretty much knew the answer. "Tell me exactly what he said."

"I'm no good for you." He said taking a deep breath.

"Well that obviously wrong, don't worry Jack he's just being over protective." She said shrugging.

"No Katherine, ya father is right I am no good for you." He said messing with his hat. Katherine rolled her eyes at him.

"What does he know? He has no clue how much you've changed me." She said walking up to him.

"That's the thing, because of me you got fired from your job, because of me you left your family, because of me your childhood is gone." He said clutching the edge of the counter.

"You might not have noticed but I have my job back. I left my family because I knew I didn't want to end up like them, and my childhood... well Jack, we all have to grow up some time." She said grabbing his hand.

"I feel horrible," Jack said as if her words hadn't even phased him. "Your father is right, all I do is take advantage of what ever I can get my hands on. I'm not good for you." His words cut Katherine deep, what had her father said to make Jack feel this way? Jack wasn't one to be swayed with words, but her father also knew how to use words to get what he wants.

"Since when did you start caring about what my father thinks?" She asked trying to get him to look at her.

"Since I started caring about you." He whispered, Katherine felt her sole burn for him.

"Don't play that card on me Jack Kelly." She said a little sharper than intended.

"Sorry Kath, I can't-I gotta go." He said pulling his hand away and making a bee line for her window.

"Jack don't go! Do not think you have to leave because you love me!" She shouted as he reached the window. She grabbed his arm before he could climb out.

"I can't keep messing up ya life." He told her his eyes sad again. "I'm no good for you." Katherine stared helplessly into his eyes, how was she going to change his mind? She had to try.

"If your no good for me..." she said running her hand down his arm "Maybe I could be good for you." She said quietly, she didn't want him to leave again. He watched her for a few moments pondering her words, it looked like he was having an enormous mental debate. Slowly his eyes melted from hard to soft and his hand came up and slipped behind her neck pulling her face to his. Katherine's heart sped up as he kissed her, it felt wonderful to have his lips on hers again.

"I could be good for you." She whispered as he pulled away. Jack shook his head and pulled her closer.

"You are good for me."