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“Oh, if you weren’t a girl you’d be tryin’ to talk with a fist in your mouth!” Jack shouts.
Katherine’s eyes are glittering, in the moonlight and she looks like she’s either going to punch or kiss him. (Which, he’s half-hoping for the punch because he deserves that and more for abandoning the strike, but she’s a pretty girl. He should want to kiss her, right?)
“I told you I worked for the Sun, and I did. I told you my professional name is Plumber, and it is. You never asked my real one!”
Jack clenches his teeth. “I wouldn’t think I’d have to, unless I knew I was dealin’ with a backstabber!” he spits back.
Katherine huffs and narrows her eyes. It looks like she’s more heavily leaning toward the “punch Jack” option now. “Oh, and if I was a boy, you’d be looking at me through one swollen eye!”
Stepping closer, Jack gestures at his face, daring Katherine to do something. “Well don’t let that stop ya! Gimme your best shot, huh?”
And she does. She curls her hand into a fist and punches him. He stumbles back, shocked, feeling the sudden pain in his eye. It wasn’t half as bad as some of the fights he’s been in, but she put a lot of power behind it,more than he’d expected.
Jack rubs his cheek. “Shit, Kath…” he says, then trails off. She stares at him, looking half guilty and half pleased.
They both burst out laughing. And suddenly, Katherine isn’t just Pulitzer’s daughter, she’s Katherine Plumber again. The reporter who wanted a real story, who believed in the newsies when no one else did, who’s fierce and smart and an amazing writer.
When the laughter dies down, Jack sighs and leans against the railing. “I’m sorry,” he says, and he’s not really sure what he’s saying sorry for. (Accusing her? Turning his back on the strike again? Taking the bribe?)
But Katherine gets it. She rests her forearms on the railing next to him and nudges his shoulder with her own. “It’s okay. You have to be with us, though, for good this time. I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
She smiles excitedly. “The strike was your idea, the rally was Davey’s, and now my plan will take us to the finish line. We just need to print this article...maybe with one of your drawings!” Jack clutches the tube protectively, but takes the paper she hands him.
“The Children’s Crusade,” he reads aloud, then skims the first few sentences. “This could work.”
Katherine nods happily. “A city-wide strike. Every working kid in the city won’t go to work, and then they’ll have to listen to us!” She pauses. “Where we’d print it, I have no idea—but surely my father doesn’t control every printing press in the city.”
An unused printing press... Jack groans. “I know where there’s a printing press no one would ever think we’d use. Could ya get keys to your father’s basement?”
“Probably! But Jack,” she says, sobering up a bit, “I need to know you didn’t cave for the money.”
“I didn’t—” Jack cuts himself off with a bitter laugh. “I spoke the truth back there, ya know. You win a fight when you got the other guy down eatin’ pavement. Pulitzer had a huge advantage over us then, but now that we might have a chance…” He swallows hard. “He threatened the guys. Said he’d send them to the Refuge, all o’ them, even Davey an’ Les, and I couldn’t let that happen.” He sighs. “But I’m sure they hate me now…” His stomach turns over at the memory of Davey’s heartbroken face at the rally.
Katherine sighs. “They aren’t too happy,” she admits. “But if you come back ready to help with this new plan, they’ll forgive you. Davey will forgive you. You need to talk to him before we tell the rest of them the plan tomorrow. I already explained it to him, and he...wasn’t feeling too happy towards you. He didn’t think you’d agree.”
Jack is silent for a moment before saying, “You’re sure he’ll forgive me?”
“Yes, you just have to tell him your side. I’m a reporter, Jack, and I know how to read people. He’s hurt because he cares about you, but if you explain everything he’ll understand.” Katherine kisses him on the cheek and goes to the edge of the roof, then starts descending the ladder. “Good luck,” she says when only her head is visible over the edge, and gives him a knowing smile.
Jack doesn’t have time to ponder that smile before he’s following her down, then walking to Davey’s house. It’s late already, and Jack knows that the later it gets, the worse it’ll be when he finally has to face Davey.
When he gets to the house, Jack takes a deep breath and climbs the fire escape, then raps on Davey’s window. When no one comes over, he pulls the window up and sticks his head in, calling softly for Davey.
A few seconds later, Davey appears, slightly rumpled from being in bed. “Go away,” he hisses.
“C’mon, we have to talk,” Jack insists. “Katherine told me to make sure to clear things up with you before we try to pull off the plan tomorrow.”
Mentioning Katherine was clearly a mistake, because Davey’s face twists into a scowl. “So you’re just clearing things up with me because your girlfriend told you to?”
Jack frowns. “Well, she ain’t my girlfriend, and—please? I just want you to hear my reasoning, you don’t even hafta say anything.”
“Fine,” Davey sighs, pushing Jack aside a little rougher than strictly necessary so that he can climb out onto the fire escape too. He shuts the window and leans against the wall, annoyed. “Y’know, I’m surprised you’re not on a train halfway to Santa Fe by now.”
Jack winces. “I...I wouldn’t…” He rakes a hand through his hair and tries to find the right words. “Davey, I—”
“And don’t fucking call me that.” Davey’s tone is cold, and Jack winces. He’s never heard him swear before, and somehow this is worse than if he were yelling and screaming. “Don’t you dare act like everything is normal, when you left for the second time and took a bribe from Pulitzer. Did you see how upset everyone was when they realized you’d turned on us?”
“I—I did it for them!” Jack blurts out. “Pulitzer threatened to throw ‘em in the Refuge, even you an’ Les, an’ your folks wouldn’ta been able to stop him! And they already got Crutchie…” His voice breaks. The whole time he’d refused to think about Crutchie, alone and scared in the Refuge, trying to stay positive. They're practically brothers, and Jack hadn’t been able to keep him safe.
Davey’s face is unreadable.
Hesitantly, Jack continues. “I jus’ couldn’t let him get you too. But Kath’s plan is going to work, and I’m not quitting again.”
Finally Davey reacts. “I don’t need your help.”
His voice is deadly calm, and Jack doesn’t understand. “You—what?”
“I told you, I’m not a charity case! I don’t need your help, you left twice already and who’s to say you won’t do it again? You make it seem like it was for me, or the newsies, but I think you’re just a coward who won’t face his problems and just wants to run away.” As he made his speech, he got increasingly louder and closer to Jack until they’re almost nose-to-nose. Jack looks into his eyes and sees anger, but also hurt, and maybe even something like caring…
So he just thinks Fuck it, and shouts, “Well, would a coward do this?” Then, before he can think of the many reasons that it’s a colossally stupid thing to do, he grabs the collar of Davey’s shirt and pulls him in for a bruising kiss.
He kisses him recklessly; since Davey already hates him so he might as well go all out, and until Davey pushes him away he wants to live in the fantasy that he wants this too.
But after a few seconds, he realizes that Davey’s kissing back. That he’s moving his mouth roughly against Jack’s and grabbing his waist, pulling him closer. Jack’s lips part instinctively, making a noise that sounds embarrassingly like a moan, and Davey opens his mouth in return.
And then Davey’s tongue is in his mouth and Jack loses all coherent thoughts. Instead he just savors this, pushes Davey against the railing of the fire escape, and tries to memorize what his touch feels like.
After what could be years (it’s probably just a couple minutes, but Jack can’t be sure) he pulls away from Davey slightly, touching their foreheads together. “Dave, I—” they’re both breathing heavily, and Davey’s eyes are tightly shut “—what was this for you?”
Davey shrugs, gently squeezing Jack’s waist. “Without you to help lead the strike, I’m lost.” He pauses, then slides his arms up to hug Jack’s middle and opens his eyes hesitantly. “Without you, I’m lost,” he adds in a much smaller voice. “I just don’t want to get my hopes up just to have you ditch us again.”
“I won’t,” Jack assures him. “I promise.” He loops his arms around Davey’s neck and looks into his eyes. “I just figured I’d rather you hate me but be safe than to watch you go to the Refuge.”
Davey nods. “You don’t have to choose. And I could never hate you, Jackie.”
Jack snorts. “Seemed like you did a few minutes ago,” he says in a way that was meant to be a joke but came out more desperate.
“I was upset. I know that you’ll see this through, but I’m...I was worried.”
He doesn’t look worried now, though. Jack gently pulls away, saying, “Well then we got a big day tomorrow. Better get some sleep.”
Davey grins at him. “Yeah.” He kisses Jack once hard on the lips, then goes to climb back in the window. When he gets there, he looks back at Jack. He’s silhouetted by the small bit of light, and Jack is overwhelmed by how much he loves Davey.
And after the events of the last few hours, he thinks that maybe he’ll get to tell him soon.