Jack And Katherine One-Shots

What's In The Past

It had all started with Katherine finding Jack more than distressed on the rooftop reeling about how bad business for the boys were. Winter was just around the corner and over half the logging house didn't have a coat to wear. Jack had been so angry and distraught Katherine found herself backing up against the railing not knowing what to do to help. He'd gone on and on about things Katherine had never heard about him, and although they'd been together for over a year now she felt like she was meeting him for the first time. He'd told her about the problems between the Newsies in Queens and the Newsies in Brooklyn and how Spot wanted Jack and the boys to back him up. Naturally Jack felt the need to go help him considering Spot had done the same for him durning the strike. The only problem was Jack didn't want to put any of the boy in moral danger and from what Katherine had heard of there's fights... not every one came back.

"It's happenin' again Ace! It's just like last time! Ole' Cap didn't have a choice but ta make us fight! Brooklyn woulda slaughtered us if we hadn't!"

It was then -after Katherine questioned Jack on who was Cap and what did he mean by that- that Jack went into full shut down mode.

"Nothin' I shouldn't of said anything. For get about it." Jack said clutching the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"No Jack I want to know." Katherine said wanting to comfort him but decided to stand her ground instead.

"No." He said rather harshly and that when Katherine knew she had to find out.

"Yes. You tell me Jack Kelly or so help me." Katherine threatened throughly fed up with Jacks mood.

She expected Jack to snap at her and get angry, she didn't expect him to fall to his knees and hide his face in his hands. And that's just what he'd done.

Katherine just stood there in shock as she tried to remember how to move her legs, never in her life had she'd seen Jack in such a vulnerable position. It wasn't until she heard him stifle a sniff and wipe away a tear that she found it in her to move. She dropped down next to him and instantly felt the cold of the concrete seep through her skirts but she didn't care. There were far more important things than having cold knees.

"I'm fine Kath, jus' leave me alone." He said harshly but it was empty.

Katherine promptly ignored him and pulled him into a hug as he tried (and failed) to hide another tear that had slipped down his cheek. She wasn't sure what to say to make him feel better so she just held him.

Minutes of Jack trying to keep himself together passed, they just sat there together Katherine trying hard to be what he needed.

Finally -to Katherine's surprise- Jack spoke.

"Cap was the big brother back when I was just a kid. He did what I do now, he'd been our leader for as long as I'se could remember. H-he was the one who told me I could be a Newsie and not have to live with that basterd I called a father anymore. You asked who Cap was? That's who he was. A leader, a good man, no older than eighteen when he decided ta help Brooklyn out in there stupid battles. Got himself killed 'cause of it too."

Katherine blinked at this new information but didn't say anything, she could feel Jack was gonna say more and she didn't want to miss a word.

"Anyway, so after Cap was gone everyone turned ta me for help. It was as if everyone had silently agreed I was ta be the next leader. I was fifteen. It was probably one of da worst days of my life."