~Jack POV~
It's been a decent day selling papes. Crutchie and I, we's been out by the docks all day. Sold almost all our papes. We's got enough cents to get some food for the little ones. We walk past The Sun building, I see Katherine through the window. She's thinkin' real hard by the looks of it. Crutchie nudges me.

"She's gon' think you'se is stalking her if ya keep staring like ya are." He laughs.

"Ain't I allowed to look at my Ace?"

"I mean, ya are, but we's been standing here for five minutes." He says.

"Aww, I guess you'se is right. Let's get back to the lodging house." I say, lightly socking his arm. He laughs. We walk back to the lodging house. We walk in the door to a mad house. "HOLY CRUD QUIET DOWN!" I yell. They all turn and look at Crutch and I.

What'ya looking at?" Crutchie asks. The boys shrug. "Go back to what you'se were doing." They all quiet down and go back to playing cards or talking. Davey comes up to us and we sit and talk.

"Guys, I have some troubling news to share with you. I don't want none of them to hear," he points to the rest of the boys. "So come with me." Davey says. He leads us upstairs and to my penthouse. Once we help Crutchie up there, we sit down.

"What'sa matter Davey?" Crutchie asks. Davey shakes his head.

"Pulitzer." He spat. "He's got Spot. In the refuge."

"Spot Conlon? In the refuge? You'se got to be kidding me!" I say.

"Nope. I have the note right here. Specs was apparently selling close to Brooklyn turf, and one of the Brooklyn newsies brought it to him. He was told not to read it or he'd be in trouble. He's kinda afraid of the Brooklyn newsies, so he didn't read it. He brought it to me, just as the newsie told him to." Davey says, shaking his head. He give me the note.

"'Pulitzer got him. Spot's in the refuge. We need your help, get to Brooklyn and we will plan somethin'.'" I read. "What are we waiting for? We owe 'em from the strike. Let's go!" I yell. These guys need us, and there ain't no way we's is letting them down after they helped us. I leave Davey to help Crutchie down and run into the main room. "GUYS! LISTEN TO ME! SPOT CONLON, THE SPOT CONLON IS IN THE REFUGE RIGHT NOW! MOST OF YOU'SE HAVEN'T NEVER BEEN THERE, BUT WE NEEDS YOUR HELP! EVERYONE TO BROOKLYN!" I yell. They stare at me in awe. "What is you'se waiting for?"

"Jack, I don't know if you'se noticed, but it's dark out. Going to Brooklyn is a risk, 'specially at night." Specs says. "How do we know they ain't just pulling our leg?"

"Cuz..cuz.." I start.

"Exactly. You'se don't know for sure. Better safe than sorry. We's can go tomorrow." Mush says.

"Yeah, but if we's all gon' go, who is gon' sell the pape?" I ask.

"Jack, I'll stay here. The action would be too much for my gimp leg anyways." Crutchie says.

"Okay Crutch. But you'se can't do it alone." Jojo says.

"Les and I'll stay too." Davey says.

"Yeah. Les is too young. If anything was to happen I dang sure don't want ya out there, kid." I say, ruffling his hair. He sighs, but agrees. All of a sudden, Katherine bursts through the door.

"Please tell me this is some sick joke." She says. I walk over to her and hug her.

"What's wrong, Ace?" I ask, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Is it true?" She asks. "About Spot?"

"That he's in the refuge? Yeah. We all thinks so." Crutchie says.

"Jack, what're you going to do about it?" Katherine asks. Dang, she looks frightened.

"I don't know yet, Ace."

"Wait-Katherine, how do you know about Spot?" Davey asks.

"I went to my dad's office today, to talk to my best friend, Clara, who is one of his maids, when I overheard him talking to someone. I heard him say: 'I trust those Delancey brothers got Conlon into the refuge?' Then someone else said: 'Yeah. They did. Won't be long before Kelly and his crew try to bust him out.' Then my dad said: 'Be there when they do. I want all of those filthy, street-rat newsies locked up for good.' You guys can't go after him. You'll get caught. There's no way out. You can't go after him, sorry." She turns to me. "Especially not you, Jack. I won't let you. They'll catch you all and keep you locked up forever. You are all like brothers to me," she said, turning towards the other boys again. "I don't want to see you all get caught and locked up."

"We love you like a sister, Kath, and we all know Jack loves you as more than that, but we can't exactly leave him there. We owe them big time after how much they helped us with the strike. They helped us in our desperate times, we need to pay back the favor." Davey says. "I know this whole 'rescue Spot' thing is a huge risk, but it is one we have to be willing to take for our friends."

"Look. I'se been to the refuge, Crutchie's been to the refuge. It ain't a good place. I hate those darned Delancey brothers, but I would never, ever even wish that on them, or anybody. That place is a dump. Nobody deserves to be there. I ain't scared of nothing, other than that refuge. I'se gotten nightmares of that place. It haunts me, everyday. You'se are all my brothers, Spot and his Brooklyn newsies are my brothers, every newsie is my brother. I'se would die for one of ya, I'se would go to the refuge for one of you'se. But I'se will not stand here doin' nothin' while my brother is in that darned refuge." I turn to Katherine. She has tears in those beautiful eyes of hers. I place my hand on her face and wipe a stray tear away. She nods to me. She knows we's gotta try. "It's settled then." I say, turning back towards my brothers. "We's is goin' to talk to the Brooklyn newsies tomorrow morning. Crutchie, Davey, Les, and Katherine will stay here. Katherine will go to work to keep her out of danger." I say, forecefully. She opens her mouth to speak but I put my pointer finger on her lips. "Crutchie, Davey, and Les will all stick together and sell papes in a group, to stay safe in numbers in case of those dang Delanceys." Everyone nods. "Goodnight then. See you'se all tomorrow morning." And with that, Katherine and I went to my bunk and fell asleep in each other's arms.

~~
1144 words-excluding A/N

A/N

IM SUUUUUUUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!!! I HAVE IT PLANNED OUT (mostly) AND AM REALLY EXCITED TO PUBLISH IT. I'm still working on a description for this but there's a few different ones I've written. I might struggle for the beginning on the accents and dialects of the newsies just because it's kinda difficult, but I'll figure it out eventually. THANKS FIR READING!!

🗞-K (yes on this book I'm signing off with a newspaper emoji)