What Was Ours Still Will Be

Chapter 8

AN: Fun fact, I couldn't stop smiling while writing this.

It had barely been a month, and Jack had finally convinced the doctors to let him go. His ankle and wrist had mostly healed, aside from a little soreness, his ribs had healed themselves, and the whip lashes were healed as well, except for a few scars. As soon as he was released, he went to the train station and bought the first ticket back to Manhattan. He was gonna see his family again.

oOo

"Miss Pul... I mean, Miss Kelly?" It was Margaret. Katherine immediately got nervous, even though there wasn't anything to be nervous about, but the last time Margaret called her, she was given the news about Jack.

"...What do you want, Margaret? I'm trying to work."

"Yes ma'am, I know." The secretary stepped into Katherine's office. "I just wanted to let you know that your father just called, he said he had someone in his office for you when you get off work." Katherine groaned inwardly. Her father had agreed to drop the idea of forcing her to date new people, but obviously he hadn't.

"Alright, thank you Margaret." The girl nodded in response and retreated from the room. So, Katherine finished her article, gave it to her editor, and headed over to The World, ready to once again convince her father that she was never dating again. When she got to her fathers building, she was about to walk into his office when Hannah put up a hand to stop her.

"Mr. Pulitzer told me to have you wait out here." She said. Now Katherine was confused.

"Why?"

"He's having a private conversation in his office."

"With the person he wants me to meet with?"

"Yes, Miss Katherine." Hannah was getting annoyed with her questions, she could tell, but she kept talking anyway.

"But my father called The Sun an hour and a half ago, who is he talking to?"

"He didn't want me to tell you, Miss Katherine." Katherine frowned, but sat in one of the chairs in the lobby.

"What kind of visitor could I have that I'm not even allowed to know who they are?" she muttered to herself. Hannah must have known something, because she smirked, but said nothing. After a few more minutes, Pulitzer stepped out of his office.

"You can come in now, dear." So Katherine stood up, suddenly nervous. She didn't know why everyone was being so secretive. She followed her father into his office.

"I don't know why you can't just tell me who..." she began, but trailed off when she got inside the room. Her father excused himself, but Katherine didn't notice. Because her husband, who she hadn't seen in over a year, was standing in front of her father's desk. "Jack?" her voice sounded small and meek, even to her own ears. She wondered if anyone else could hear her heart pounding in her chest. His eyes, his beautiful blue eyes flooded with relief and desperation. Katherine noted the pain behind his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Ace..." his voice was low, it was practically a whisper. And that was the last thing she heard before her legs stopped supporting her and the world faded to black.

oOo

Jack was fast. He always had been fast, and the army training just helped his reflexes. So, he shot to the ground to catch Katherine before her head hit the ground, ignoring the twinge of pain in his ankle. He rested her head gently in his lap and took in every detail of her face. After a few minutes, her eyes snapped open again.

"Jack." He grabbed her hand and smiled, that smile Katherine had missed so much.

"Hiya, Kath." He responded. Confusion suddenly dawned on her face.

"But I... we thought you were dead."

"What? Why would you have thought that?" his brows furrowed. Katherine closed her eyes again and she recited something from memory, her voice shaky.

"Katherine Kelly, the secretary of war desires me to express his deep sympathy that your husband Private Jack Kelly has been reported missing in action since sixteenth December in France. If further details or other information are received, you will be promptly notified... Dunlap, the adjutant general." Her eyes opened again. "I wasn't promptly notified, Jack. We all thought you were dead!" she sat up. Jack wiped the tears from her face.

"Hey, Ace, listen to me, okay? I dunno why they didn't tell you I was okay, but I'm here now, got it?" he pulled her into a tight hug. He had missed the feeling of holding her in his arms.

"I missed you so much, Jack. So did the boys." She mumbled into his chest. Jack smiled again at the mention of the boys.

"I know. I missed you all too. So bad it hurt." She pulled away and looked at him, and smirked. "What's that smirk for?" Jack asked, but he already knew. Katherine grabbed his collar and kissed him. It started gently, but was becoming more passionate by the moment.

"Hey Jack?" Katherine asked breathlessly in between kisses.

"Mmm?" Jack was hardly aware of what was going on, he just knew he finally had his Ace back and he never wanted to let her go again.

"Do you think maybe we should take this to my... I mean, our apartment?"
"...What?" Jack finally pulled away. "Oh! Yea. Right, sure." They stood up and Katherine was picked up bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they walked to their apartment like this, not caring about peoples stares. Because they were together. And they never wanted to be apart again.