"So how was it Jack?" Race called to Jack as he entered the roudy Logging House.

"How was what?" Jack asked confused as he headed over to his bunk and hung his hat up on the bed post. Romeo who was on top rolled over and propped his chin on the rail and looked at Jack expectantly.

"What do ya mean "what" come on Jackie, how was your little date with Plumber?" Race asked sticking a cigar between his teeth. His dirty blonde hair hung in his eyes as he made his way over to Jack and sprawled out on to his mattress.

"Oh, it was great." Jack said still a little confused as to why he was asking. Race rolled his eyes from his spot on Jacks "pillow" (it was really a piece of cloth with stuffing so thin your could see through it)

"Honestly Jack, we's need more then it was great!" Race complained. By this time all the boys had gathered around Jacks bunk to hear what Jack was going to say.

"Yea Jack! Give us the juicy details." Romeo said wiggling his eyebrows at him. Jack scoffed finally getting at what they all wanted to hear.

"Ain't much detail." Jack said and pushed Race off his bunk causing him to sprawl to the ground. The boys all looked at him confused as Race protested about being pushed off, Jack ignored him and laid down on his bunk and propped his head up with his hands.

"What do ya mean Jackie boy? You mean you ain't... ya know." Romeo said his head popping down to look at Jack his black hair hanging down like a curtain.

"I've only know the girl for a week gosh dang it!" Jack said sitting up. Race grumpily got back to his feet and sat on Alberts bed and leaned forward on his knees.

"That ain't ever stopped ya before, heck you told me you pulled a girl off the streets once and did it with her. You said you pulled her skirt-"

Jack cut Race off with a hand to his mouth.

"We don't need ta talk about that!" Jack said glancing around at the smaller Newsies, the youngest was about 7 and Jack had no desire to corrupt him just yet.

"Wait... ya sayin' ya didn't screw with Plumber just barely?" Race asked yanking his hand away. Jack winced again noticing the young boys confused face.

"No! Of course not Race, there are children here!" Jack said swinging his legs off the bed and getting to his feet. "Er, let's getcha ta bed kid." Jack said picking him up. "All of you get to bed!"

They all groaned clearly wanting to hear more of his story but Jack would have none of it.

"Quit ya gripin' youse gotta be up at dawn tomorrow!" He yelled feeling the young Newsie put his head against Jacks shoulder. Jack carried him to his bunk and set him down, he pulled the sheets up to his chin and ruffled his hair.

"Night Sticher." Jack said glancing down at the stitching on the boys hat, it had a big "S" sewn into it hence the Newsie name Sticher. Don't ask Jack where the boys came up with it he just agreed on what ever the boy was happy with.

"Jack?" Sticher asked.

"What up kid?"

"What does screwed mean?" He asked yawning deeply. Jack winced.

Oh he was going to kill Race.

"Nothing, I'll tell you when your my age." Jack said even though 17 was still a little too young in Jacks mind. "Now go to sleep."

All the boys moned about going to sleep as Jack made his way back over to his bunk where Romeo was still hanging upside down and Race was still chewing his cigar.

"Now are ya gonna tell me what really happened?" Race asked impatiently.

"Yea Jack, ya always tell us how they were." Romeo said swaying back and forth. Jack wondered if all the blood in his head was making him light headed.

"There's nothing to tell because me and Kath didn't do anything." Jack hissed under his breath as boys stared to blow out there candles.

"What? Ya lying! I saw the way youse was lookin' at her after the strike, come on Jack, don't tell me you ain't shown her the back porch yet." Race said his eyes growing wide.

"What's the back porch?" Romeo asked curiously. Jack cursed Race and shook his head.

The back porch was a place Jack and other boys would take their girls, they called it the back porch because it was big enough to get to business but hidden enough so no one would see and it was located just out the back door of the Logging House.

"It's nothing Romeo! No of course I haven't shown her yet! Race your to young to know about the back porch!" Jack hissed sitting down on his bunk.

"You were the one who showed me the spot!" Race said "And I am not to young, I'm actually older that you!"

"No ya not."

"Yes I am."

"No your not, I'm the oldest.

"Nope, we figured this out last year remember? Ya birthdays in December and mines in November-"

"That's not the point!" Jack said feeling very bad about his behavior the past... well, ever.  "Look Race let me tell you something." Jack said pulling Race over to sit next to him.

"Tell me to!" Romeo said still hanging upside down.

"No go to bed your not 17 yet." Jack said to the 16 and a half year old. Romeo stuck his tongue out at Jack but listened to his older brother and swung back up to his own bunk. By this time almost everyone was in there bunks and already he could hear snores from the boys.

"Look Race, I know how I'se used ta treat girls... I didn't respect them like I should have. I messed around too much, all I wanted was a distraction... and that wasn't right." Jack said struggling for the right words to say.

"But Jack, wasn't it jus' last week you was telling me about how youse thought there needed ta be more girls in the world so you could-"

"But that was last week!" Jack said hurrying to cut him off. To be honest, last week seemed like forever ago. So much has changed since the that Jack couldn't believe how short of time went by. "Look Race, things have changed since the strike... since..."

"Katherine Plumber?" Race guessed.

"Yes."

"I just don't understand Jack, people don't change that fast." Race said rolling his cigar between his fingers.

He was right people don't change that fast. So what had Jack done? Had he really changed? Or had something else happened to him...

"Well, maybe I ain't changed." Jack said "Actually, the night after the strike ended I got us alone and managed ta get a hand up her skirt."

"Are ya serious?"

"I'm not even kidding, it was the best two minutes of my life. Then again once she realized what I was doing she almost broke my hand..." Jack said trailing off and thinking about how she'd bent his fingers back until he was begging for mercy.

Man did he love that girl.

"So you did try and get under her skirts!" Race said as if winning an argument.

"Well obviously, wouldn't you? I mean come on..." Jack trailed off and shook his head to clear it of the dirty images staring to form in his mind. "My point Race, is that maybe I'se haven't been the greatest example for you and the boys. I'm gonna try to do better, Kath has done somethin' to me... I can't quite put my finger on it..."

"You love her." Race said quietly. "Youse ain't going ta sleep with any other girls because you only want her. You ain't gonna try and get her into a bed because you don't want to chase her away. She's a keeper and I get it Jack, your in love."

Jack blinked "I-I guess ya right, she is a keeper."He said suddenly realizing it for himself.

"Awe, my little Jackke boys all grown up and fallin' in love." Race said wiping a fake tear from his face. Jack punched his arm.

"I'm the oldest!"

"No your not!"

Jack grinned gave Race a one armed hug and ruffled his hair affectionately, Race squirmed away grinning to.

"Now go to bed!" Jack said pushing him away.

"Okay, thanks Jack... for being a good brother." Race said putting his caught back in his mouth.

"Ya welcome."

And with that Race headed back to his own bunk across the room, by this time everyone was snoring softly. Jack smiled and blew out the candle on his bed side table and stared up at the bunk on top of him. Had he really fallen in love?

Yes.

Jack almost gagged at how cliché it was but he couldn't find it in him to not enjoy it. Race was 100% right.

She's a keeper.

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Authors Note- Hello! Sorry I haven't updated this in ages! I've just been busy with other story's. Anyway, I wanted to write this one to show the brotherly relationship between Jack and a different Newsie besides Crutchie. I wanted to show how he's a big brother to ALL of them. Anyway, tell me what you think. I own nothing, thank you.