Newsies one-shots

Who lives, who dies, who tells my story? || Jatherine (Canon era)

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~ F

"I find him: not guilty." The judge stood up and walked out. Katherine watched with an open mouth. They released Warden Snyder. They made quick eye contact. Her eyes full of anger and fear for the boy she loves and his eyes full of determination. 
Jack didn't want to come, afraid of what might happen. It was fortunate Katherine didn't push him, because she didn't want him to see this. Her father went with her instead. He had already told het that there was a possibility that he would be found 'not guilty', since he has friends in high places, but she couldn't imagine something like that. He was as guilty as the sun is bright. 

Katherine stormed out, her father following her.
"Katherine, darling, where are you going?" She stopped in her tracks.
"I need to see Jack. He deserves to know. Snyder is going after him. I know it for sure!" Katherine spun to face her father.
"Then go. I will see you tonight at dinner." The Pulitzers parted ways. It was not more than a minute run to the Lodging House. She flung the doors open, which startled a few of the Newsies, while others didn't seem surprised by someone barging in. Katherine looked around, but couldn't find Jack. She spotted Race though.
"Where's Jack?" She asked him.
"Up on the rooftop. Went up there to think after cleaning Crutch's wounds." She thanked him quickly and sped up the stairs. She saw him looking at the skyline of New York City. His body was tense and his eyes distant. 
"Hey." She said softly. Jack turned around slowly.
"Let me guess. Not guilty." Katherine nodded, not knowing any words to say. 
"Jack-" She started non the less, but was cut of my Jack raising his hand. A single tear slipped down his cheek. 
"It's fine. We need to keep going. He ain't gonna ruin my life." Jack grabbed Katherine's hands and pulled her towards him. She let out a little squeak, but chuckled soft afterwards. He leaned down and kissed her without any hesitation. She kissed back of course.
"I should head home. My father is expecting me." Katherine said as their lips parted. Jack made a disapproving noise, but didn't try to stop her. He followed her down and went to the bedroom. Crutchie was sound asleep, which made him smile. He didn't want to wake his best friend, so he made his way down to check on the other boys and to tell them the news. 
"Boys! Come 'ere." Jack called for them. The room filled with young boys. All of them having worried looks on their face. They all knew that Snyder's trial was that day. 
"What's it, Cowboy?" Race tried to lighten the mood, but failed. 
"Snyder was found not guilty." Jack got right to the point. Mouths fell open and eyes widened. "I need you all to be careful from now on. As soon as you see either Snyder or the cops, you turn around." 
"Eh, Jack?" Jack looked at Henry. The boy looked panicked. 
"What's wrong?" 
"Jo Jo never came back. I didn't think much of it at first, but now..." Jack began to panic on the inside, but tried to look calm. He looked at all of the faces of the boys, hoping that Henry just hadn't seen Jo Jo, but he couldn't find him.
"I need you all to stay here, while I go look for him. Stay inside at all costs and don't let anyone in that isn't one of us." Jack commanded before heading out. It had begun to get dark, but Jack didn't care. The safety of his family was his first priority. 

Jack looked at the circulation gate, Jo Jo's selling spot and at all other places Jo Jo might have gone to by himself, but he wasn't there. He walked over to the last spot he thought Jo Jo could be at: the convent. Jo Jo would often visit the nuns that raised him. Around a block away Jack noticed someone in an alleyway. He wanted to ignore it, but turned towards it when he heard a scream for help.
"JACK!" It was Jo Jo who called for him. 
"Jo Jo, are you okay? What are you doing here?" Jack asked as he walked into the alleyway. As soon as he was fully in, the entrance got blocked by two boys. The Delanceys. Jack cursed under his breath. Of course it was a trap. 
"Well, well, well. Look who has come to join us." Snyder stept forwards with a terrified looking Jo Jo in his grip. 
"Let him go Snyder. You want me, not him." 
"That's true, but I like for you having an audience. Just like old times." Jack froze for a second.
"Leave him, Snyder. He has done nothing wrong."
"Alright, alright. I'll be nice to you one last time. For it will be the last time you'll see him." Snyder let go of Jo Jo, who ran to Jack as fast as he could. Jack gave him a quick hug while whispering in his ear. 
"Get Kath and the boys." Jo Jo gave a small nod before running past the Delanceys. Before Jack could look up at Snyder and make a snarky comment he was hit in the face and kneed in the stomach right after that, which made him fall to the ground. 
"You shouldn't have done what you did." Snyder kicked Jack in his ribs over and over and a few times in the head. "Now I have to punish you for it. Can't have another investigation going, can we?" Blood trickled down Jack's face and out of his mouth. He had now broken ribs, a cracked scull and probably more than one internal bleeding. He began to drift in unconsciousness when a sharp pain in his leg made him fully aware. His leg was now in a weird position. 
"Come on boys. Let's go." Snyder stepped over Jack and the three of them left him there. 

<>

Katherine was eating dinner with her father when there was a frantic knock on the door. One of the maids opened the door.
"Is Katherine home? I need her now. It's urgent." Katherine heard Jo Jo's voice. 
"Miss Pulitzer is eating right now. It has to wait until after dinner." The maid told him. Jo Jo didn't take now for an answer though.
"Katherine! Jack's in danger. Snyder has him." He yelled. Katherine stood up, her chair almost falling. She looked at her father, who gave her a small nod of approval. 
"Jo Jo, I'm coming. Where is he?" She asked as soon as she saw him.
"An alley near the convent, the first one on your left." 
"Go get the other boys. I'll go help him." Katherine commanded as she ran towards the convent, not caring about the people looking weird at her.

 It took her five minutes. She looked around and saw the alley that Jo Jo ment. There was a small form on the ground. She ran over and knelt down next to Jack. His face was full of blood and his leg was bend into a weird way.
"Hey, Jack. Are you awake?" She lifted his head and he opened his eyes a little.
"Kath? Is Jo Jo save?"
"Yes, he's save. But what has Snyder done to you?"
"Nothing to worry about. At least Jo Jo lives." Jack coughed a little. Katherine grabbed a tight hold of Jack's hand. 
"Jack, you're going to die if we don't do anything about it."
"Is okay."
"No, it's not. We have a whole life together. We have a whole life to look back at what you did."
"Have I done enough?"
"You've done plenty."
"You know what I'm proudest of?"
"What, Jack?"
"My boys... I'm so proud. Tell them to-" Jack had breathed his last breath. He fell limp on the ground. Tears fell down Katherine's face. The one person who let her know what love was, had now left her heartbroken. It was that moment that the group of boys entered the alley.
"Jack!" Race was the first one to sprint forward. Katherine shook her head. Jack was dead. Most of the boys stopped at the opening, but Race, Crutchie and Davey, who had come to the lodging house to see if there was any news about Snyder, knelt down beside Jack. All of them having tears falling down.
"We'll tell your story, Jack. You are going to live forever in the minds of men kind." Davey said softly and Crutchie and Race agreed. 

<>

There was a small funeral for Jack. There was a ceremonie at Medda's. Newsies from over the whole city came to say their last goodbyes. Even Spot had come to say a few words of prayer. He was then buried with only the Manhattan newsies, Katherine and Medda present. Race took his place as leader of the Manhattan newsies and Davey as head of the Newsboys Union. 

Over the years Katherine established a home for all Newsies with food every day funded by 1% of the profit the World makes. She took over her father's regime when he saw that she was ready for it and he didn't regret it. With the help of Davey and the others, she raised the boys who came in, each of them had their own story, but they all found the place where they were loved for who they are. In their eyes she could see a part of Jack. The playfulness, the courage, the protectiveness. She would always tell them about Jack. How he cared for his friends, how he leaded the strike, how he led them to their victory and, if asked, how he died. Like a hero.