I crave change,
And I fear change
- Unknown

Jack woke up the next morning and stretched, yawning slowly.  He went to wrap his arms around Katherine to be greeted with an empty space and finally opened his eyes.  He sat up on his forearms and looked around to see all of the boys fast asleep in their bunks but no Katherine.  He worriedly jumped up and got dressed, slipping on his newsboy cap and walking downstairs.  There was no sign of her.  She hadn't left had she? He walked back upstairs and went and shook Crutchie's shoulder.

"Aye, aye Crutch."

"Hng." Came the boy's mumble, half asleep.

"You seen Kath?"

"I ah, heard her go out onto the. . ." He fell asleep again.

"Crutchie!" Jack whispered shaking him again.

"Fire escape. . ." Crutchie finished groggily before falling asleep into his pillow once more, loud snores echoing from his lips.

Jack scratched the back of his neck in confusion before running over to the window and unlatching it.  He opened it up and climbed out, grabbing onto the ladder and climbing up to the top and seeing the figure of Katherine sitting there staring out over the city.
He crawled to the top and sat across from her.

"Hey." He said, smiling softly.

"Hi." She sniffed wiping her nose with her sleeve before looking back at the overview of the city.

The two stayed quiet for a while, just staring off in silence, until Jack finally spoke up.

"Sure'a is pretty out there ain't it?"

"Yeah. . ." Katherine whispered.

"What's worse?" Katherine suddenly asked, "Forgetting? Or trying to?"

Jack sat there thinking for a minute with his hand on his chin.

"Well dat depends." He mumbled, "Do ya want ta forget?"

Katherine looked back up at him with watery eyes, "That's just it," She squeaked out, "I- I don't know if I do or don't."

Jack quickly pulled her against him and held her close.

He shushed her and told her it would be okay. Katherine didn't cry though, she refused to. Princess or no princess she had to stay strong about this. She wouldn't let the tears spill out.

The two sat there on the fire escape watching the sunrise over Norktown when Katherine suddenly looked up at Jack.

"Maybe I could go write something." She smiled softly.

Jack smiled down at her, "I think that'd be a great idea."

The two got up and began the small climb down the ladder.

"Be careful." Warned Jack.

Katherine just laughed, "You should have seen me climb out my window!"

***

Back inside all of the boys were awake and greeted them with groggy "hello"s and "good morning"s that they probably weren't even aware that they were saying. Katherine quickly dashed to where her stuff lay next to Jack's bed and grabbed the typewriter before hauling it downstairs and onto a little desk. She promptly sat down at the table and filled it with paper and put her chin in her hands in thought.

"What's she doing?" She heard Les ask Jack.

"She's a thinkin." Jack replied softly.

And Katherine was, harder than ever about what to write and then it hit her. Maybe they'd all like me for sure for this.

And she got straight to work, her fingers dancing along the keys one by one. Ink spilled across the pages in different shapes. The boys kept trying to see what she was writing but she'd always move so they couldn't until it was finished. It wasn't until the final key was pressed that she wiped the small bead of sweat from her forehead and slumped back in her chair.

"Done." She proclaimed ripping the sheet out of the typewriter.

All of the boys practically tripped over one another to see what she had written.  It was. . . About them?

It was about how Specs always lost his shoes and that Sniper came from Brookland.  How Romeo was a flirt and Race always had a fresh cigar.

"Well I'll be." Mush said holding the paper and slowly bringing it down from his eye-level.

"D-Do you like it?" Katherine asked hopefully, twisting her skirt in her hands.

"I love it!" Les yelled running forward and hugging her around the knees.

Katherine happily laughed and picked the little boy up, holding him on her waist.  And if Les loved it then everyone loved it.

"Welcome to the family." Jack whispered clapping a hand on her shoulder.

And family she was.

***

"Well, I'm all out of clever things to say." Race said slumping against the wall, his messenger bag falling off his shoulder.

"C'mon you've gotta have something!" Katherine urged grabbing a paper from the bag and waving it around, "Something like 'Trolleys crash head on, engulf in flames of fury!' or 'Flames or wrath engulf smashed trolleys!' something like that!"

"I got nothin' Kathy." Romeo said sitting next to Race and wiping beads of sweat off of his forehead.

Katherine put her hand to her chin before turning around and yelling the headlines.  Instantly a woman turned and ran over, giving her a nickel and taking the paper she had.

"See?" Katherine smiled turning back to the boys who sat in shock, "I told ya."

"Beginners luck." Race smirked.

Katherine grabbed another, held her chin high and turned around again.  Before they all knew it it was sold again.

Katherine faced the boys again, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

The boys just scowled.

Jack came over laughing and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Cheeky girl getting somethin' fo' her troubles eh?" He asked.

"Sure am." Katherine replied laughing.

Race and Romeo made gagging noises at their making out.

What they all didn't see was the figure duck back behind the alleyway, already on it's way home to report to home base.