A.N. I know right now is a odd time to write about Christmas but this is all I could think of. I will take requests and I do not own any of this. This is pre-strike.
Jack Kelly walks down the cold, gray New York streets, his stomach protesting at the fact that he hasn't eaten in three days, except for what the sisters brought. The shops he walks by twinkle with sparkly lights. Tomorrow is Christmas and Jack had been saving money since January; lucky for him the headlines hadn't been that bad.
He gets to the lodging and braces himself for the crowd of rowdy boys that would come charging in as soon as he stepped foot in the doorway.
" 'Ey, Jackie's finally back!" Race shouted. It was soon followed by a chorus of 'hi's and 'hey's.
Soon the group of kids parted for a younger boy with a crutch. He asked, "What took ya so long?"
"I had ta do a couple of thin's at Medda's." Jack said.
"Oh, ok. The younga boys wanted ya ta tell 'em the Christmas story."
"Ok get all of 'em in 'ere and I'll tell it. Jus' give me a minute ta put me stuff in our room."
"Ok." Crutchie goes and gets the younger boys.
Jack heads up to his room. Truthfully it's just the attic of the lodging house, but Jack and Crutchie are the ones that sleep up there, that is when they're not in Jack's 'penthouse'. Jack pries up the loose floorboards and puts everything from his bag under the floorboards.
He goes to the living room and sees all the younger boys and a few of the older boys gathered around the sickly-looking Christmas tree that was set up in the living room. Jack sits and begins to tell the story that starts with 'T'was the night before Christmas'. It was pretty late by the time the story finished.
"Boys, I think it's time ta go ta bed." Jack said. A curious chrous of protest came at the news. " 'Ey the soona ya go ta sleep the soona tomorrow comes."
The boys perked up at that and immediately went to their bunks. Jack did a quick check to make sure everyone had enough blankets before going to his own bed. He kept his jacket, which probably won't make it to next winter give its worn state, on, sense he had given his last blanket to Finch a couple of weeks ago when he was sick.
"H-hey Jack?" he heard the boy below him ask.
"Yeah Crutchie."
"I know ya told one story tanight, but can ya tell me the one the sistas told us? The one 'bout the guys who followed the sta' an' found the kid in the barn."
Jack smiles, Crutchie asks every year for Jack to tell him that story. "Yeah it's fine."
Once Jack finished the story he got ready for the questions he knew would follow.
"Jack?"
"Yeah Crutchie."
"Do ya think sometin like that 'appened?"
"Well, I don' see why not. It could be possible for someone ta go that far of a distance; Ise means we walk all across the city everyday, someone could cross the desert in a few weeks."
"I ment like the angels an' someone watchin' us an' stuff."
Jack takes a deep breath, this question is asked every year, but Jack still isn't sure what to say. "That's what the sistas say and they seem pretty confidant. It also helps ta think that ya 'ave someone or sometin' lookin' out for ya."
"That's what we got ya for Jack."
Jack chuckles, "I guess now go ta sleep kid."
"Ok Jack, 'night."
" 'Nightc Crutchie."
Jack waits until he can hear Crutchie's soft snores to get out of need and take everything out from under the floor boards and put them under the tree. He then goes back upstairs and settles down for the one day he doesn't have to work.
Jack's morning starts with what sounds like a thousand horses stampeding. Jack chucked and heads down stairs to all the boys gathered around the tree waiting for him. " 'Ey boys we's gonna go ta Medda's for dinna." Jack calls. The bits cheer at the idea of a real meal that isn't for Jacobi's. Jack hands out the gifts, each boy got two; they either got a jacket or boots depending on which was needed more and then they got one personal gift. Specs was happy to get a pair of glasses since his other pair were broken from a run in with the Delancey brothers, Race loved his box of cigars, and Crutchie was estatic about his new hat, his old one had holes in it. Jack smiles at the look off happiness on the boys's faces, it definitely makes up for the missed meals and late nights. Though he rarely gets anything and the boys don't know that he got the presents, Christmas is always Jack's favorite day at the lodging house.
A.N. How was it and remember comment or message me if you want a specific one-shot, please nothing smutty.
