Newsies Road Trip AU (nope, no creative title)

Crutchie: The Return (featuring lowkey Jackcrutchie)

Author's Note: I wrote this when I still shipped Jackrine/Lambcuddles/whatever the ship name for that is now.  I have been editing (slowly) so that it reflects how I see the characters now.  Please bear with me  during this process. 

The Jacobsmobile

3:30 PM

***

"Well, we're back," Davey sighed. "I still have no idea how we did this."

Jack didn't respond. He was busily scanning the parking lot. "I don't see 'im."

"Maybe he's inside?" Davey responded, not sounding terribly confident in himself. He didn't quite understand how this had happened, certainly didn't know how it was going to end. He knew very well that Jack was internally freaking out. He couldn't remember Jack ever being this upset since the Refuge incident.

Spot glanced up, and, seeing how nervous everyone seemed, pulled off his headphones. "What's goin' on? Why are we back here?"

Race glared at him (as much as anyone can glare at Spot Conlon). "Haven't you been payin' any attention for the last fifteen minutes? We just managed to leave someone behind!"

Distractedly, Spot glanced at the seat next to him. "Oh. Yeah. That's not good."

Race pulled the tablet toward him. "What's that you're watchin' that's so captivating?"

Spot fidgeted. "Prawns."

"That's disgusting," muttered Les from under the bags.

"No, prawns," Spot clarified. "They're like shrimp but bigger."

From inside his fortress of bags, Les stifled a laugh. "That's not much better."

Spot scowled at the bags. "Do I judge your life choices?"

"Actually, yeah," Les responded without much hesitation. "You judge my music choices, my clothes, the fact that I live in Manhattan..."

"All right, fine! Point taken!" Spot kicked at the bags. "Can I just get back to my prawns now?"

Before anyone could respond, though, a familiar figure approached the van with one hand partially extended.

"Hi, guys!" Crutchie said, grinning. "Miss me?"

Jack climbed over an awkwardly-placed cooler and stared out the window, a look of relief spreading across his face. "Where were you?  I was so worried!"

"Oh, I was just hangin' out on that bench you drove by three times." He laughed. "I love ya, Jack, but you can be an idiot.  Anyway, there's someone I want you guys to meet." He held up his hand, which had an ant crawling across it. "This is Steve. He was all alone too, so we sorta hit off." He climbed back into the van. "You guys do anythin' cool while I was here?"

Race was the first one to respond. "Not really. Jack kinda started freaking out when he noticed you weren't with us, so that made havin' fun kinda hard." He glanced at Crutchie's hand. "Got anywhere to put the ant?"