For Even A Night ❉ Newsies

Please Not Us

Katherine's brown and tattered laced up boots crunched in the snow as she ran.  She shivered slightly but she didn't care.  They were fighting again and she was in the middle of it as always. It started out as a nice family dinner night until they went to the parlor to talk.  Joe instantly began mumbling things about finding suitors for Katherine when her mother burst out to leave the poor girl alone.  They instant began to quarrel.  Not just small yells.  But gigantic yells, door slamming, chasing after eachother like 5 year olds would as the other stormed off.  A flower vase was even thrown at the wall and shattered, it's glass nearly missing Katherine.  She had run up to her room and locked the door tightly and, knowing her parents had a key, propped her desk chair under the handle.  She then climbed out the window and onto the fire escape and made the descend down to the New York streets below.

Now she was here, running from her fears, running from her troubles she's had since she was little.  It always ended like this.  The last things she heard were the "I never even loved you!"s.

Tears stung her eyes as the lodging house finally came into view.  She picked up her speed even faster and wrapped her arms tighter around herself.  She ran up the few steps nearly falling at the slippery ice and knocked on the door quickly and hard.

In a few seconds a sleepy looking Jack opened the door, putting on his blue cap as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  His brown eyes widened instantly not believing what they saw.

"Ace?"

There she stood, looking like a lost puppy.  Her damp hair stuck to her face and her crystallized tears ran down her light freckled cheeks.  Her teeth chattered as she shivered and she ran her hands up and down her arms.

She sniffed slightly, "Hi. . ."

"What. . ."

"They're at it again Jack. . ." She cried softly into her hands.

He silently drew her in, not saying anything but just opening his arms for her which she gladly ran into wrapping her arms around him tightly and burying her face against his neck.  Tears stained against his skin as he murmured calming words into her ear and stroked her curls.

"Don't let that happen to us," She sobbed, "please not us."

Jack pulled back from her and grabbed her shoulders, looking her in the eyes.

"I'se promise it'll neva' eva' happen ta' us." He said softly.

Katherine nodded, sniffing again.

Race then came down the stairs.

"Aye whatsa 'll dis commotion abou- Kathy? Wha, what are yous doin here's?"

"Hi Race. . ." She sniffed, laughing lightly.

"Think we's 'ave room fo' anotha?" Jack asked.

"Sure'a anytime!" Race said.

Katherine shivered again.

"Aye, go grab a blanket will ya?" Jack asked motioning to the cabinets in their make-shift kitchen.

Race nodded and Jack led her over to the couch.

"I'm sorry to be a bother." Katherine mumbled, looking at their untwined hands.

Jack tiled her chin up to look at him.

"Yous ain't neva' been a bother to any of us." He said before kissing her softly.

Just then Race came in with a blanket.

"Ay, if you two's done a smoochin' some o' us would like ta sleep again." He smirked taking out his cigar.

"Mhmm, goodnight." Jack mumbled whacking the boy on the back of the head.

"Goodnight Race." Katherine smiled, waving slightly.

"Goodnight lovebiiiiirds!" Race sang skipping up the stairs.

Jack put the blanket around Katherine's shoulders and the two laid down together.  Jack wrapped his arms around Katherine's waist and she flipped over so she faced him in front of the fireplace that was going.  The two locked eyes and just stared at eachother for a few minutes.

"What?" Jack asked, smirking.

"I just love you, that's all." Katherine smirked back.

"Well das good, because you's stuck wit me."

The two kissed and Katherine fell asleep to Jack playing with her hair.

~~~

They woke up groaning to the hoots and hollers of the boys the next morning.