Until We Find Each Other Again

To Find The Rest | January 5, 2024

Yeah, it's still January.

But hey! It's not January 1st! haha

The beginning is super sweet :)

Enjoy! :)

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"Jack!" Race exclaims with glee immediately when he sees him.

"Race!"

They hug instantly.

Race hugs him tight. "I missed you. I missed my brother."

Jack hugs tighter too. "And I missed mine."

"Jack!"

Jack turns his head to find Boots holding on to him too.

Jack musses his hair. "Boots!"

"Hiya Jack!"

Jack looks up and sees Crutchy coming to him. His smile grows. "Hiya Crutchy!"

Now he's being hugged by Race, Boots, and Crutchy, feeling incredibly loved. David is just a few feet away, not being able to bear a distance between them bigger than a 25 foot radius. But he also understands that he already had his moment with Jack, and now it's everyone else's turn to see the brother that they never thought they'd see again.

Spot keeps his distance, arms crossed, trying to look calm and collected and stoic. "Nice to see ya again, Jackie Boy."

"It's nice to see ya too, Spot," Jack responds happily. He can't describe how hearing Spot say Jackie Boy is music to his ears. He can feel the warmth that Spot won't let show.

They had informed Dutchy that Jack and David were coming back home today. He arrives at the café shortly.

"Jack!" he exclaims. 

"Hiya Dutchy!" he smiles sheepishly. "Sorry for ghostin' you for a couple decades..."

Dutchy waves his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. You were dealing with things. I'm just glad that I get to see you again today."

Now they all sit down. Jack scratches the ears of a Scottish fold that rubs up against his leg.

"So what have you been up to these past few decades?" Race asks casually.

"Well, I joined a band," Jack starts.

"We know."

Jack glares at him. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Okay, okay. Go on. I'm listening."

"I joined a band. They...they became my family." Jack looks up at all of them. "You were my family first. I never forgot the newsies. It just...was nice to have a family when everything was so unfamiliar, you know?"

They all nod. They get it.

"And yet I ended up leaving them too," Jack says bitterly. He glances at Dutchy. "I left you guys too."

David puts his hand on Jack's. "You were in an unfamiliar situation. Some people try to cling to anything familiar, others keep going, unable to stop."

Jack smiles at him appreciatively. "Thanks Davey."

"I did jump around, but I mostly stuck to Seattle," he continues. "I ended up there by accident, but I ended up really liking it."

"Did you ever make it to Santa Fe?" Crutchy asks.

"I did, but it wasn't the Wild West anymore," Jack responds. "Also it was way too hot."

"Well, I'm glad you stayed in Seattle," David says, "because we already had a clue of where you might be. And so I was able to find you."