"If you can learn to do it, I can learn to do it. . ."

•

Katherine sat at a small table they'd set up in the middle of the theatre.

"Are you ready?" Jack asked, turning from a chalkboard he had been writing on.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"You were born in a palace by the sea."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Jus' trust me." Jack said, rolling his eyes.

"You rode horseback when yous was only three."

Katherine laughed, "Horseback? Me?"

"Indeed." Davey said.

"Now." Jack pointed to a sketch of a family tree, "Your father was Joseph Pulitzer, your mother was Katherine Pulitzer though everyone called her Kate. Your siblings were Lucille, Constance, Ralph, Joseph Jr, Edith, and Herbert."

"That's a lot of kids." Katherine mumbled.

"You were a perfect family."

"Now your grandmother is Elize Pulitzer, your grandfather was Fülöp Pulitzer and as you know, your grandmother lives in Paris right now." Davey said, "The palace you lived in was destroyed sadly in all of the problems. The man who killed your family is Snyder-"

"We don't even know if they're my family." Katherine protested.

"Would yous at least follow along?" Jack asked, annoyed.

Katherine shrugged and rest her chin in her hands.

"Ah, no elbows on the table." Jack quickly said, pushing her arms back off.

"You're impossible." Katherine muttered.

"Listen Katherine, if yous want to go to Paris you need to look and act the part.  That means being the princess."

"Fine, what else do I need to learn?" Katherine asked.

"Your family is Hungarian.  You need to learn the language."

"I need to what?"

"Learn how t'a speak it." Jack continued, "As well as being a King, yo' father owned a newspaper company called The World.  Yous used to write stories and were fairly good; but you was young so they obviously didn't publish them."

"You were quite the troublemaker when you were young." Davey said, "You and your sisters used to play pranks on the servants."

"Now sit up straight." Jack said pushing her back up.

"Pinky out." Davey said handing her a teacup.

"Good.  That's good." Jack said.

He pulled her up and Davey handed him a book.  Jack placed it on top of Katherine's head, "Shoulders back an' stand up tall.  Now walk slowly, try t'a look like you're floating."

"I'm feeling silly." Katherine said walking across the floor slowly, "Am I even doing this right? Am I floating?"

"Like a boat." Davey said.

"Yeah I hope." Katherine muttered.

"Now give a bow."

"And what happens now?" Katherine asked.

"Your hand receives a kiss." Jack said gently taking her hand and pressing it to his lips.

Davey shook his head, seeing both of their cheeks flush pink.

"Now we need to learn to dance."

"I can't dance."

"If you're a Pulitzer you can."

"But that's just it! I'm not!" Katherine said.

"You don't know that!" Jack argued back.

"I'm not royalty Jack! Look at me!" She gestured to her ragged clothes, "How do you two think I could do this? I'm not her. You need someone else." She shook her head and dried her eyes on her sleeve. She turned around and headed for the door.

"Kath." Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her back, taking her hands in his.

"Please." He pleaded, "Please Katherine. We need this. We need yous. We'll take you t'a Paris just please act the part."

Katherine looked down at their hands and pondered the thought around nervously.  She finally nodded, "I'll do it." She said quietly.

Jack gently lifted one of their intwined hands and placed one of his on her waist, trying to ignore how close they were and her curves against his palm.

"Ready?"

Katherine nodded nervously.

Jack slowly began to waltz, leading.

"Sorry." Katherine mumbled as she stepped on his foot and he had winced, "Not used to doing it this way. My father used to let me stand on his feet and he. . . would lead. . ."

Both stopped in their tracks and Jack looked wide eyes over at Davey.

"What did you just say?" Davey asked.

"I-I don't know. . ." Katherine blinked hard, "It was like I was there. I don't know where. . . But I was there." She brushed a piece of hair back behind her ear and grabbed Jack's hand, nodding for him to continue dancing.

They continued waltzing around the room.

Just kiss already. Davey thought, watching them stare at eachother.

"I'm getting dizzy." Katherine laughed.

Jack spun her one more time and dipped her causing her to giggle.  He pulled her back up and she stumbled into him, mumbling a quick apology and pushing herself away.  Jack turned back to Davey, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Think we're good?"

"I think we have ourselves a princess." Davey grinned.

"We'll meet yous back here later Davey." Jack said taking Katherine's hand and pulling her out the theatre doors, "I have something to show ya."

"Where are we going?" Katherine asked, as they walked through the train station, "There's one last thing yous need to be the princess." Jack said pulling her along.

"Well what do we have here?"

Jack stopped in his tracks, his blood running cold at the voice behind them. He turned around to face Oscar Delancey, one of his old con partners.

"What do you want?" Jack sneered.

"I see yous got yourself a girl now. Looks like the girl that dear grandmama in Paris 's looking for." Oscar said, grabbing Katherine's wrist and yanking her closer to her.

"Let her go Oscar." Jack said.

"Why should yous get the money anyways? Why? Yous wanna be a liar and a cheat just like yo' father?"

Jack clenched his fists hard and stared him down.

"Oh how we's could use you." Oscar whispered to Katherine, making her sick with disgust.

Morris got up from one of the benches and grinned sickeningly, "We's got our very own princess right here don't we Oscar?"

"The one and only." Oscar said, tilting Katherine's chin with his finger.

"Let. Me. Go." Katherine said shakily.

"Are Yous gonna order me to do it? Like a princess?" Oscar mocked.

Katherine tried to yank away and he gripped her wrist harder causing her to cry out in pain.

"Scram it you two." Jack yelled at the two Delanceys.

Morris threw a punch to Jack and he dodged it before kicking him in the stomach and knocking him back. Katherine stomped on Oscar's foot causing him to release her quickly and she stumbled back into Jack. Morris get up and went sprinting at them and Katherine grabbed a broken pipe lying under the bench and hit him with it, nearly knocking him out. She swung at Oscar who ducked quickly before he threw a punch at her and she tried to dodge but the tip of his first hit her chin causing her eyes to water in the pain. She kicked Oscar and hit him across the head with the pipe as Jack had Morris in a head lock.

"Get out of here!" Katherine finally yelled swinging the pipe at Oscar once more before Jack released Morris and shoved him hard towards his brother, knocking them both to the ground.

"Don't come back 'round here." Jack muttered as they stared back at them.

Oscar and Morris scrambled to their feet, "Fine. Don' know how that guy didn't kill yous too while he was at it." Morris sneered, knocking Katherine's legs from under her with a quick swipe. Katherine landed back on the ground as Oscar and Morris began running away.

"That's it!" She yelled, quickly standing up and beginning to run after them.

"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Jack yelled, catching up to Katherine and picking her up by the waist and spinning her back to face the other way.

"Hey. Hey look at me." He said gently taking her face in his hands, and trying to calm her hard and shakey breathing, "Don't bother with them bastards okay? I've know 'em for a long time and they may be a pain in the ass but they're not worth it."

Katherine nodded softly, wiping her nose against her sleeve and dropping the broken pipe beside them.

"You're a good fighter." Jack grinned, "If I hadn't stopped ya they'd be in a hospital by now."

Katherine laughed lightly before Jack pulled her into a hug.

"Come on. I gotta show you this." He said, leading her over to a wall.

"You wanted to show me a wall?" Katherine said.

Jack held up his hand for her to wait before he pulled a loose stone out of it. He reached his hand in the hole and felt around before his hand hit something round. He grinned and pulled it out to show it to her.

"I was told this was saved from the palace. People have said it was Katherine's. I don' really know what to believe. I thought I'd seen it before somewhere but couldn't put my finger on it. I's took a really hard blow to the head once when I was little so some things before that a' hard to remember. I guess we both have a memory problem." He laughed lightly and Katherine smiled.

He took the box and handed it to her. Katherine looked down at it. The blue box with the golden trim. Where had she seen it before? She eyed it carefully before turning the small piece on the box that made it play music. She opened it and the familiar melody began to play in her ears.

Gonna be honest here; this was a harder chapter to write because there is no good information on the real Katherine Pulitzer's life.  She died of sickness when she was still a toddler in the 1800's (sorry if I just ruined that for you.  She didn't live long enough til the strike.  Also Jack Kelly is fictional okay sorry you hate me I know I cried when I found these things out) I had to make up some of it but also just used lyrics from the original song in the movie/musical just to make it easier.  Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and please comment and vote because I love reading your comments and be on the lookout for the next chapter! Bye!