About a day or so after the strike ends.

Jack Kelly couldn't sleep. He was starting his new job at the World the next day. You would think that a seventeen year old who had just won a strike would finally be resting easy, but Jack wasn't. It was still dark outside, but the humidity slapped his shoulders with its harsh intensity. July was never a cool month in New York City. Jack gently fanned his worn and thin blanket to cool him off, but it didn't do much. After a few minutes, he gave up and tossed the blanket to the side. Everything would go perfectly for everyone else today. Pulitzer had managed to get Katherine her job back at the Sun, and the boys could buy more papers today. Snyder was in jail, and the Delanceys and Weasel wouldn't beat up on the Newsies. Jack was about to have it pretty good too.  For some reason, he didn't feel that way. He crawls off his mat and reaches for his pencils and drawing pad. He picks a pencil and begins to sketch. At first, he doesn't realize what he is drawing. Or rather who he is drawing. The face of a laughing girl as she holds a small black notebook in her hand, a tall boy that resembles himself standing next to her, a boy with cards in his hand and a cigar hanging limply out of his mouth, a younger boy leaning on a crutch, a tall boy and a short one standing next to him, a kid with glasses, a kid with a slingshot, a small kid leaning against the one with the cigar and making eyes at a girl in a nearby park, a kid pointing at a bird, a kid fiddling with one of the buttons on his shirt, a kid with an eye patch, a kid with tanned skin and dark curly hair standing next to him, a tall shy looking kid standing next to them, and Jack keeps drawing more of them. He holds the drawing out and cocks his head at it. His brothers stare back at him in the middle of friendly banter. All of them and their personalities displayed on the page before him. Jack smiles and signs his initials in the lower left corner. Suddenly a voice breaks through the air, startling Jack,

"Nice pitchah, Jack!" Jack whirls around and sees Crutchy sleepily smiling up at him.  Jack can't help but smile at the innocence of the younger boy.

"Tanks, kid," Jack says softly as he lays the picture aside. Crutchy raises an eyebrow and asks,

"Couldn't sleep?" Jack nods and Crutchy pats his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Jacky. You'll see," Crutchy says reassuringly. Jack looks at Crutchy with a sad smile.

"I'se gonna miss you, kid. I wanna sell wid ya and da fellas, but I don't know if I'se can," Jack says as he looks at the ground. Crutchy scoots over closer to Jack and asks,

"Why don'tcha talk to Kath 'bout it?" Jack shrugs and Crutchy grabs his friend by the shoulders and turns him so he is facing in Crutchy's direction. "C'mon, if anybody could do anyting about it, Kath could," He says trying to encourage his friend. "Besides," he starts, "Ya could still sell in da evenins." Jack shrugs again and Crutchy punches Jack in the shoulder. "Don't da office stiffs only woirk from nine ta five or someting like dat?" Crutchy ask and Jack cocks his head in thought.

"Yea, but dat ain't da same as woirking wid ya and da boys," Jack says. He stands up quickly, pulls his shirt on and buttons it. "But, I'se got an idea," He says as he runs toward the fire escape. Suddenly, something soft hits him the in the back of the head. He turns around to see Crutchy with a mischievous grin on his face. Jack's newboys cap lays at his feet. He picks up and shoves it onto his head, giving a tug for good measure.

"Don't forget dat,"Crutchy says nodding to the hat perched on Jack's head, "Where are you'se headed?" Jack puts a foot on the top step of the fire escape ladder and says,

"Ta see Mistah Pulitzer hisself." Crutchy looks at him with curiosity in his eyes. Jack answers with a "I know what I'm doin, Crutch, don't worry. I just want to see what exactly dis job entails." Crutchy nods and Jack runs down the fire escape and to the World office before any more of the boys wake up. Jack would hate to stop being a Newsie even though his new job may not allow it. It would be nice to have some extra money and at least he wouldn't have to worry about anyone having to sleep on the streets since he would probably be able to pay for it. Money had never been something that really mattered to Jack. As long as he had enough to buy some food and pay his way at the Lodge, he was happy.  Some of the boys had trouble as it was doing that and now he would be able to help them. Once he makes it into the World building, Hannah escorts him into Joseph Pulitzer's office before Jack can even say a word. Joseph Pulitzer adjusts his reading glasses as he sees the leader of the Manhattan Newsies walk up to him.

"Mornin' Joe," Jack says with a kind tone that presents respect towards the newspaper tycoon who is gradually beginning to have some respect for this Newsie. Pulitzer closes his glasses and sticks them into his shirt pocket and asks,

"Mr. Kelly, it is a surprise to see you in my office. May I ask what you are doing here?" Jack looks Pulitzer straight in the eye and asks,

"How can I do my drawin job and still be a Newsie?" Pulitzer straightens up in his seat and cocks his head.

"What do you mean, Mr. Kelly?" He asks with slight confusion in his voice, "I have no problem with you being a Newsie and an illustrator." Jack shakes his head and asks,

"Ain't da time I'se supposed to be woirking at my drawin job da same time I'se supposed ta be sellin papes?"  Pulitzer shrugs and says,

"Sell after you finish the drawing for the day. I only require you to be in the office from nine to five." Jack rolls his shoulder and is about to say something when a voice says,

"Well, it's a surprise to see the two of you talking right after the strike. What could possibly be wrong?" Jack turns around to see the pretty young woman he was standing with in the drawing, leaning on the doorway to Pulitzer's office.

"Nothing is particularly wrong, dearest. Mr. Kelly just wants to continue selling newspapers and do his drawing job," Pulitzer answers his daughter. Katherine scrunches her face up in thought and Jack admires everything about her. He hasn't seen much of Katherine since the end of the strike and now here she is. She asks her father,

"Why don't you let Jack go after he finishes his drawings? He's pretty good at doing things quickly, so he could meet up with the boys after lunchtime." Pulitzer sits in his chair and thinks it over for a few moments before nodding his head.

"Yes, but he would have to come back for the evening edition," Pulitzer says. He turns to Jack, who looks a little dejected. "You could always sell on the weekends too, Mr. Kelly. You do realize that," Pulitzer reasons. Jack shrugs, and Pulitzer slams his hand on the table in frustration. Katherine intervenes,

"Father, be happy you have an employee who wants to do two jobs for you. " To Katherine's amazement, Jack remains silent. He shoves his hand in his pocket and gazes out the window as he sees the Newsies walking down the street. Jack already misses them and isn't sure he can stand another moment of staring out the window at the job he loves. Pulitzer finally sighs and says,

"Mr. Kelly, you may leave as soon as you finish your daily political cartoon. If another illustrator is sick, you may be asked to do their share for the day as well, but other than that, you are free to sell newspapers as soon as you finish. The office opens about the same time that the Newsies start selling papers. If you work quickly, you will be done in time for the afternoon edition." Jack smiles a genuine sweet smile and says,

"Tanks, Joe. For everyting." Pulitzer nods and smiles back. The circulation bell rings and Jack and Katherine run out of the office to go to their various jobs. Jack grabs Katherine's hand halfway down the hall as she starts to leave and pulls her back to him. Katherine looks up at him with a questioning look in her eye. Jack leans down and kisses her. Katherine stands on her tip toes and Jack keeps on kissing her. By the way she is kissing him, Jack can tell that Katherine wanted to kiss him. Suddenly, they hear footsteps. Katherine breaks it off and whispers,

"Go! You have to get to work if you are going to sell papers later." Jack leans down and kisses her cheek one last time before hurrying off to his new job. 

A few hours later, around lunchtime, Jack Kelly finishes his first political cartoon right as the circulation bell rings.

"Nice work, Kelly." Mr. Larson, his boss, approves as Jack checks out of the office for the afternoon. Two minutes later, Jack is standing in line with his newspaper bag over his shoulder and with his brothers at his side.

"Ya found a way!" Crutchy says excitedly as he thumps Jack on the back. Jack slings his arm around the younger boy and pats his shoulder. The other boys run up to congratulate Jack on his first day of handling two jobs.

"Atta boy, Jack!" Kid Blink yells as he and Mush join the throng of boys surrounding Jack.

"Thought you might leave us since your other job is definitely better than this one," Davey says as he approaches Jack. Jack shakes his head and says,

"I wouldn't leave da Newsies for nothin. You'se are me family." Les, Boots, Tumbler, and Jojo all scream

"JACK!" They hug his knees like they haven't seen him weeks. Jack pats a head or a shoulder as they tackle him and in the process each other.

"We didn't think you were gonna stay a Newsie," Les says as he hugs Jack even tighter. Jack beams and says,

"I'se gonna be a Newsie til dey won't let me through da gates."

"So ya here ta stay? No Santa Fe or anyting?' Racetrack asks nervously and Jack nods.

"Da Manhattan Newsies is me family and ain't nothin gonna tear us apart," He says and the boys all gather into a big group hug. Sure he was starting over in a sense. He was growing up and he had a real job, but he thought it was really just another chapter of life with his Newsies. Jack was excited to see where the road was going to go.

AN:/ So, there's a one shot for you. These are not going to have a specific update day. I'll write when I have time and when I feel like writing them. Please submit characters to the casting call. I have not added any OC's and this one is not pre-written. I would love to add your characters to the story. I don't own any of the characters in here. She's the King of New York will be updated on Fridays or Saturdays. Please read and review that one as well. This one shot could kind of explain some of She's the King of New York, but maybe not until the very end. This one shot does not spoil anything for She's the King of New York, so please read it and review it! Thanks, friends! See you soon!