Once Upon A December ❉ Newsies//ON HOLD

Chapter 2

"We'll find a girl to play the part and teach her what to say,
Dress her up and take her to Paris!
Imagine the reward her dear old Grandmama will pay!
Who else could pull it off but you and me? . . ."

•

Jack Kelly laid atop the run down couch, bored as hell.  He threw a coin in the air and caught it in his hand before doing it once more.

"What are we gonna do Dave?"

His best friend and partner in crime (kinda literally) Davey looked up from where he was writing at the desk.

"About what?"

"Dave, we broke into this place years ago.  It's still dusty and smells weird.  We's need money an' being a bunch o' frauds ain't enough.  These people are gettin' too smart these days."

"Yeah well, you should try to get smarter too."

Jack stuck his tongue out, "Then I'd be a loser like yous."

"I'm not a loser!" Davey said, throwing down the pencil.

Jack sat up, rolling his eyes, "What I was saying is, what the hell are we's gonna do? We have no money."

"And you have no brain."

"Shut it Dave, I'm thinkin'."

"Yeah, I can smell the smoke."

Jack glared at him as Davey went back to his writing.

"Have you heard the rumor that's been going around town?" Davey asked.

"What rumor? I'm not into gossip Dave."

"Remember when the Pulitzer family was killed 10 years ago? And the grandmother was the only survivor?"

Jack nodded.

"They think one of the princesses is still alive."

Jack sat up straighter, "Which one?"

"Katherine."

"And why are ya telling me this?" Jack asked, getting up and pacing the floor.

"Because her grandmother lives in Paris and is offering a reward of money for anyone who can find her and bring her back."

Jack stopped pacing abruptly, "She is?"

Davey nodded.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?!" Jack grabbed his cap off of the coat hanger and slipped it on, "All we need is our papers and we can get the three train tickets to Paris! One for you, one for me, and one for Princess Katherine!"

Katherine pulled her worn out coat tighter around her body as she swept the street.  So much for a good job.  The orphanage couldn't care for her any longer now that she was 18 and legally an adult.  She still didn't have a past.  All she knew was her name was Katherine because it was sewn into the tag on her clothes that they found her in.  That was all she had.  Well, that and a necklace.

Katherine sighed and wiped the sweat from under her bangs.  She pulled the necklace chain out from under her dress and looked at the pendant.

Together in Paris

Paris.  Who gave her this necklace? Did it have to do with who she was?

"Hey sweetheart! Keep sweeping!"

Katherine muttered in annoyance hearing the voice of William Hearst; the mayor of the city who seemed to hate her guts.  He was a stuck-up man who thought he ruled the world.  He stole from the poor and gave nothing to the needy.  His head was just too big for his shoulders, in appearance too.