Between Manhattan and Brooklyn [ON HIATUS]

Chapter 7

Despite her insistence, Jack didn't give Katherine Pulitzer an answer right away. His automatic reaction was 'absolutely not', but the more he thought on it, the more he thought there might be something to the idea, whether it was him involved in it or not. So he told her to find him the following afternoon, persuaded her to buy a paper from him, and left.

When he told the boys about this conversation, their reactions went right along with what he'd expected them to be.

"Jack, I hate to tell you, but I think this girl might've broke outta Blackwell."

Jack scoffed at Albert's smart remark. "Yeah, but she said she's Katherine Pulitzer, and as far as I know, Pulitzer's youngest was Katherine."

"Yeah, well if I could pull it off, I'd go around saying I was a Pulitzer too." Buttons piped up. "Even with the depression on, that family can't be doing too badly."

Always the voice of reason, Specs decided to jump in before the subject of the girls identity spiraled out of control. "I don't doubt that she's who she says she is, I just think the stuff she saying is... far-fetched."

"That's what I'm thinking." Jack nodded. "I could believe that John Doe's made up - and I see why that'd be a problem for 'em, with no one to jump off a bridge. But I don't see why I should do it, and I sure as hell ain't jumping off a bridge."

"Maybe it'll be the Brooklyn Bridge, then you can just get Spot Conlon to push you off it." Race said with a smirk, and Mush promptly hit him in the arm with his cap.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Besides, ain't I a little young? That column said something about losing a job three years ago, I was fourteen then."

"You could pass for older if you wanted." Elmer speculated.

"Maybe..." Jack murmured, trying to think through all the details. "Just don't get why she'd want me, of all people. There's plenty of actors here in the city, they should ask one of them."

"It's cause you aren't an actor." Crutchie finally spoke up. "They want someone who knows what John Doe feels like, not some movie star that's gonna be preaching about poverty and unemployment, then go up to their cushy apartment and drink fancy champagne."

"Oh yeah, I know all about being poor, that's for sure."

"I think you should do it." All the boys stared at Crutchie, and he shrugged. "You'd be doing something good. Something that might actually make things better."

"You think?" Jack scanned the faces of his boys, and while several where still skeptical, they seemed overall to be in agreement. But he still felt nervous about the whole thing. "I... I'm gonna go down there in the morning, get more details. Then I'll figure things out."

That was the most he was willing to say, and that seemed to satisfy the boys for the time being. Eventually they dispersed, and he sighed. Tomorrow, he'd have to make a choice - he'd have to be either Jack Kelly or John Doe. And he didn't know which he liked better.

oOo

"I'm doing fine, Mother, you don't have to send me anything."

Katherine was talking to her mother on the phone as she stared at a blank notebook on her desk, hoping to brainstorm some ideas for this movement that she was starting; how this became her life so quickly she had no idea.

"Are you sure?" Her mothers slightly muffled voice sounded worried as it came through the speaker. "You just lost your job, I can send you some extra money if you need it."

"I'm planning to get my job back tomorrow, and with a raise. If anything, I should be offering you extra money."

"Katherine... you know you can always come home, right? If you ever need to come back, you can. No one would blame you."

Katherine took a breath. "I know. But I'm alright. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

Kate Pulitzer hung up, and Katherine groaned, dropping her head into her hands. She knew her mother kept asking her to move back in because she was lonely, but she just couldn't do that - if she moved back into the Pulitzer Mansion, it would be like admitting that she couldn't make it on her own, when she could. She didn't want to take the easy road, and she knew her father wouldn't want her to.

But her finances were a concern. If The World decided not to re-hire her, she didn't know what else she could do to support herself. So, she closed her eyes tightly and hoped against hope that Jack Kelly would agree to be the face of John Doe.

She had a lot riding on him.