One More Ace Up Your Sleeve

I Need You

~Jack POV~
We get to the theater and I put Les down. My mistake. He runs into the theater. Katherine sees him and slows him down. I run after Les and towards Katherine.

"Where is Davey?" Les cries again. Katherine hugs him tightly.

"A doctor is helping Davey right now, Les." Katherine says. Les buries his face into her dress. "Hey Jack." She says. I lightly kiss her.

"Hey Ace." I say as I take off my cap and run my hand through my hair. "Do you'se know how Davey is doin'?"

"I'm not sure. They did say he should be fine, but we don't know 100 percent. He's awake fully now. Is everyone else okay?" She asks, simultaneously calming Les down.

"Everyone except Crutchie." I say, my jaw clenching again.

"What!? What happened to him?" She asks.

"Them Delancey brothers beat him up real bad, but not as bad as Davey. His bum leg is all screwed up and swollen.  His lips are so swollen he can't speak, and he's cut and bruised everywhere. We's got to get him some help." I tell her. She looks shocked. "Them Delanceys broke his crutch too. Now he's got nothing to help him walk when he's fine again."  I add. She shakes her head. Les pipes up.

"Can I see Davey?" He asks, tears still making their way down his face at a steady pace. Katherine looks at me. I shrug.

"Is it gonna be traumatizing for the kid if he sees Davey?" I ask her.

"Maybe but I think Les really needs Davey right now." She says. I nod. She hands Les to me. I crouch down to his level.

"Hey, kid. We's is gonna take you'se to Davey. You'se has gotta be careful. Don't jump on him because he's hurt real bad. Okay?" I tell him. He nods and wipes away his tears. Katherine picks him up again. She leads us to an old dressing room. I open the door for her and she walks in, still holding Les. I step in and see Davey lying on a couch, looking just the slightest bit better than when I first found him. She lets go of Les and he runs towards Davey. Les runs towards him, full speed. Then Les seems to realize that Davey is hurt real bad, because he starts to cry real hard again. Les slows and kneels beside the couch Davey is laying on.

"Davey...are you okay?" Les asks quietly, tears pouring down his young face. He's no longer the innocent child he deserves to be. Pulitzer has robbed him of that, throwing him in the refuge. I despise that man. He's ripped apart families, brotherhoods, relationships. Everything. Kids are dying in the streets because of that man. How can someone like him sleep at night, knowing all the people he's hurt? I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I realize that I had tuned out of the conversation between Davey and Les, and that my cap was crumpled in my balled fist, and my jaw was clenched.

"Are you okay, Jack?" Katherine asks me, trying to calm me down. I nod, unfolding my cap, straightening it out and putting it back on my head.

"I'se is fine." I say.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm just mad at your father for this. He's the reason they'se is hurt. He's the reason Les ain't innocent no more. He's the reason for everything. And I'm sorry, cuz I'se knows he is you father but he's is a bad man, Ace. I love you, but your father won't allow this. It's my job to protect you. You'se is gonna hafta go back to him someday. He'll have a search party out in no time. For your sake-"

"Jack, you don't even have to be sorry. I told my father this morning that I hated him. Because I do. I can't stand living as the daughter of a human monster. I know you want to protect me. But I love you too much to let you go, Jack. I let them take you from me once, but I never will again. Stay with me. We will work this out together. I'm not his daughter anymore. I won't respond to Katherine Pulitzer, only Katherine Plumber. I love you, Jack." She interrupts.

"I'se love ya too, Ace." I say. She pulls me into a passionate kiss. We pull away and turn our attention back to Davey and Les. Les is crying really hard, and Davey is trying not to cry.

"You almost died." Les kept quietly repeating, hugging Davey tightly. Davey hugged him back, most of the blood cleaned off of him now.

"But I didn't, Les. I couldn't leave you behind all on your own. I love you Les. Okay? I won't leave you." Davey reassures him.

"I need you Davey." Les cries softly.

"I need you too Les." Davey said. "It's getting late, Les. Why don't you head back to the lodging house to sleep with all the other boys." Davey says.

"No. I'm staying with you until I know you are okay." Les persists.

"Okay Les." Davey says before making room for Les to join him. "Thank you for keeping him safe, Jack. Thank you for helping me." Davey says.

"No problem. What are brothers for? We's gotta go check on Crutchie and get the boys situated. It ain't safe at the lodging house. There are locks here to keep us safe, and Medda's here too. We's is all sleeping here tonight." I say.

"What happened to Crutchie?" Davey asks, suddenly worried for Crutchie.

"Same thing that happened ta you'se. They broke his crutch too. I dunno how he's gonna walk after all this. We's will be back in the morning to check on you'se and Les. Nobody from Manhattan or Brooklyn is selling papers tomorrow. We are all gonna meet here, but not like the rally. It's gonna be quiet so Pulitzer don't find out. I'm sorry about what happened. Is Les gonna be okay?" I ask.

"I hope so. I just hope he's not scarred or anything. I don't know what I'd do without him." Davey says, nodding down to the sleeping Les.

"Night, Dave." I say.

"Night, Jack." He responds. With that, Katherine and I leave the room to go check on Crutchie. I hope he's okay. Crutchie is my closest brother. He's always there for me, and I hope I'm always there for him. I can't lose him. I need him.
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1086 words

A/N
Sorry this is so late. Davey and Les' reuniting was the end of the last chapter but it got deleted so here is a new version. Hope you enjoyed. I've been working on this forever too. My exams are driving me insane. Studying a lot, but I didn't have any to do tonight so I went to dance and then finished this. I will be working on the next Forever Mine chapter next!

🗞~K