For Even A Night ❉ Newsies

Strike

Katherine stood atop the rooftop looking at the city below.  She could hear the rallies in the distance and sighed to herself.  This was partly her fault wasn't it? She was the daughter of Joseph Pulitzer after all.  It was her fault.  She wasn't Katherine Plumber at all.  She was Katherine Pulitzer.  She may escape the city but never the name.  A tear fell down her cheek as she remembered how angry Jack was when he found out and she wiped it away.  He was going into the strike and there was no way to stop him.  What if he died? What if he left her for Santa Fe? What if he didn't make it out of this strike? Would he be part of the blood shed by the Delancey's and others that worked for her father? She felt a sob from her throat and accidentally heard it escape.  She clutched the railing and hung her head low.  All her fault.  He could very well die.  Why did she have to care so much about him? Why couldn't she be stone cold as her father.  Why did she have- feelings? For this boy? This cocky, egomaniac, flirtatious newsboy? The more she thought the harder she cried up there alone until she finally dropped to her knees and buried her head in her hands.  Her body shook with sobs and tears came at a steady stream.  Suddenly she heard the clatter of shoes on the fire escape as well as a slight gasp from someone.  Did it really have to be now? Katherine slowly uncovered her face.  She didn't even need to look to know it was Jack.  Who else would be up here at midnight?

"Katherine?"

She stayed still.  Maybe if she was he wouldn't see her.  Maybe she'd wake up in her bed and no Jack Kelly or strike would exist.  She closed her eyes and opened them again.  And here she was on the fire escape with Jack, crying her eyes out. 

"Katherine. . ."

Katherine slowly got up and walked to the other side of the fire escape, folding her arms against her chest and rubbing up and down her sleeves. 

"W-What do you w-want Jack?" She managed to say. 

"I wanted to say goodbye. . ."

Katherine's breath hitched in her throat.  Goodbye.  No.  She slowly turned around and faced him and Jack's usual cocky smirk was replaced with a look of hurt.  She sniffed lightly. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered, "I'm not good with goodbye's."

Jack said nothing and scratched the back of his head nervously before twisting his newsboy cap in his hands and putting it back on his head. 

"Well neither am I Plumber." He smiled slightly. 

Katherine quickly looked up.  Plumber? He doesn't hate her? She dashed forward and threw her arms around him, burying her face against his chest as she cried, now harder knowing he doesn't hate her and she still has to say goodbye.  Jack rubbed her back and stroked a hand through her hair, mumbling calming words in her ear as she could hear his voice break every couple words as he tried not to cry himself.  She pulled away and looked at him in the eyes, bringing a hand up to his ink stained cheek and placing it there softly.  She looked from his eyes to his lips as he did the same to her before closing the gap between them.  Jack held a hand around Katherine's waist and ran the other gently through her hair. 

"I'm sorry." She mumbled against his lips. 

Jack pulled away.  "What are you sorry for?"

"For lying.  For being part of this by my blood.  For it being all my fault." Jack cut her off with another small kiss before placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. 

"You have no reason to be sorry Ace."

Katherine laughed lightly, "Ace?"

"Yeah." Jack smiled, "Jack and Ace."

Katherine hugged him tightly and the two sat down, leaning against boxes on the fire escape.  Katherine leaned against Jack's chest, playing with a button on his vest.  She pulled a blanket out of the box and draped it over them.  If they'd have one last night together they might as well be comfortable. 

"I love you." Katherine whispered. 

Jack's eyes widened.  He'd never been told that before. 

He smiled softly, "I love you too."

Katherine soon had fallen asleep on Jack and he sat there overlooking the city as the slowly rose.  He fixed Katherine to a better position against the box and got up.  He walked over to where he kept his drawings and grabbed a blank paper and charcoal.  He wrote her a quick note and set it beside her for when she woke up signing it, Your Something To Believe In Ace, I Love You, Jack.  He began crawling down the fire escape looking at her one more time.  How her hair framed her lightly freckled face.  How her eyelashes fluttered slightly in her sleep.  He signed and took a deep breath.  Today is the day.  And he climbed down, praying he'd see her again.