SOMEONE LIKE YOU ; jack kelly

EIGHT

viii. WINNING THE STRIKE

MARGARET STORMED INTO THE WORLD BUILDING WITH A PURPOSE. medda, the mayor, and governor following after her. "my fatther in?" the girl asked, marching up to hannah's desk. the woman, smirked as she nodded, "along with a few other guests. go get 'em, honey." margarent nodded, allowing bunsen to lead the five to her father's office.

"good morning, mr. pulitzer. i think you know the governor," the mayor said, turning to teddy. pulitzer, margaret's father, stared in surprise, "governor roosevelt?" "joseph, joseph, joseph. what have you done now?" margarent caught davey and jack's eye, both nodding at the girl. she nodded back, still holding her head up high while she stood with the mayor and medda. "i'm sure when you hear my explanation-" "thanks to miss medda larkin bringing your daughter to my office, i already have a through grasp on the situation- graphic illustrations included." teddy shoved the rolled up drawings into pulitzer's chest, "bully is the expression i usually employ to show approval, but in your case i simply mean bully!" the governor looked to margaret as he pointed to jack, "is this the boy of whom you spoke?" "yes, sir," margaret said, nodding her head as she stared at her father.

teddy held his hand out, "how are you son? i'm told we once shared a carriage ride." "pleasure's mine, mr. governor," jack said, shaking the man's hand in slight embarrassment. margaret couldn't help, but find jack's shyness adorable. teddy turned back to pulitzer, "well, joe, don't just stand there letting those kids shouting endlessly. give them the good news." "what good news?" pulitzer asked, glaring at the governor. it was clear to everyone who had won. "that you've come to your senses and rolled back your prices. unless, of course, you want to invite a full state senate investigation into your employment practices." "you wouldn't-" "after the pressure you wielded to keep me from office? i'd do it with a smile! come along, joseph. there's only one thing worse than a hard heart and that's a soft head. and think of the happiness you'll bring those children. he doesn't do happiness, does he?"

hannah shook her head, "no, sir." "mr. kelly, if i may speak to you... alone," pulitzer said, turning his attention to the strike leader. margaret was reluctant to leave, but still she exited the office, grabbing onto davey. she leaned against him, her head resting on his arm, "you think he'll be okay?" "yeah, it's jack." margaret nodded as she and davey walked out of the building. they joined the others in the square, it was overflowing with the working kids of new york. "hey, margie!" katherine hugged her little sister, pulling the girl away from davey. darcy stood with the girl as well as bill. "what happened?" the newsies asked, crowded around them. davey and margaret had nothing to say because jack, teddy, and roosevelt finally came out of the building.

"newsies of new york city... we won!" jack shouted, cheering with the crowd. he quieted the crowd before pointing to the governor, "and now i'd like to introduce to my personal pal, governor theodore roosevelt himself!" "each generation must, at the height of it's ppower, step aside and invite the young to share the day. you have laid claim to our world and i believe the future, in your hands, will be bright and prosperous. and your drawings, son, have brought another matter to bear. officers, if you please!" a police whistle is heard as crutchie joins the group, smiling brightly at the newsies. "hey lookit, jack! it's crutchie!" race exclaimed. maragret smiled as she looked up at jack, he was smiling too at the sight of his best friend. "hiya, fellas! ya miss me?" the boy asked, he added, "and lookit what i got ya. a gift, straight from the refuge! bring him in, fellas!" two officers came into the square, holding synder.

"jack with those drawings you made an eloquent argument for shutting down the refuge. be assured that mr. synder's abuses will be fully investigated. officer, take him away!" crutchie stopped the officer, "please, your highness, may i do the honors?" teddy gives the boy a nod of approval. crutchie puts the handcuffs onto synder, locking them good. "you've got to be joking!" synder exclaimed. crutchie nodded, "and you'll be laughing all the way to the pen, little man! so long sucker!" crutchie hit the man in the rear with his crutch before the police officers took him away. "thank you, govenor!" jack raced down so he could hug his best friend. pulitzer took jack's drawings from roosevelt and over looked them, "i can't help thinking... if one of your drawings convinced the governor to close the refuge, what might a daily political cartoon do to expose the dealinsg of our own government back rooms? what do you, teddy? care to have this young man's artistry shine a lantern behind your closed doors?" margaret smiled softly, now that was the man she called her father.

"don't sweat it, gov. with the strike settled, i probably should be hitting the road." margaret grabbed onto davey as they moved towards jack. "don't you ever get tired of singing the same old tune? what's santa fe got that new york ain't? tarantulas?" davey asked. margaret stepped forward, looking up at jack, "or better yet, what's new york that santa fe ain't?" "new york's got us and we're family," crutchie said, nodding at his best friend.

"didn't i hear something about a strike being settled?" pulitzer shouted before he turned to go back inside to his office. "papes for the newsies! line up boys. these papes ain't gonna sell themselves." wiesel and the delanceys took their regular work spots at the newspaer stand. margaret turned to jack, smiling up at him, "well don't just stand there you've a union to run! besides didn't someone just offer you a pretty exciting job?" "me work for ya father?" jack asked, pointing to himself. margaret giggled, "you already work for my father." "oh, yeah." the girl couldn't help but giggle again. "and you've got one more ace up your sleeve." "and what would that be," jack asked, staring down at the girl. she stared up him, her eyes filled with love, "me. where ever you do, i'm right there. right by your side." "for sure?" "for sure." the two stared back at each other, both so sure of what they wanted. jack places his hand onto margaret's face and pulled her in for a kiss as he bent down. margarent instantly kissed back, the kiss was long, sweet, gentle, and full of love.

"guys!" les had shouted, pointing towards the couple that was kissing. the newsies started to cheer, someone throwing out little comments towards jack. it made the pair pull away, laughing. "well, jack... you in or you out?" jack pulls away from the girl, shrugging a little, "i've been busy!" margaret shoved the boy as she laughed, shaking her head at his antics. the entire group cheered as jack slapped out his money down on the counter, buying his hundred papers. margaret would've let the boy leave to sell his papers, but she had something she wanted to do. she roughly pulled the boy down, kissing him just as roughly, "i'll see you later." she had whispered before running off with katherine, bill, and darcy. after all, the four also had work to do.