Jack woke up bright and early the next morning. He stretched his arms subconsciously before wrapping them back around Katherine and nuzzling his face in her curly hair. Katherine sighed contently and rolled over to face him, scooting closer to him and gathering his warmth. Jack finally opened his eyes to see her laying there. Her eyelashes were dipped down and fluttering and the freckles along her cheeks made him smile like nothing other.

Then he remembered yesterday. Love

She loves him. She loves him! She said it and she meant it! And then damn, they showed eachother they surely loved eachother.

Jack gently climbed out of bed and got his sketchbook from his suitcase. It was a birthday present from Medda and he'd had it since he was a little boy, working on the streets as a Newsie until he found out he was related to royalty and threw into this life.

What would it be like if he was still there?

Would be be trapped? Have a future? Or would he be free?

Jack still sometimes dreamed of Santa Fe, but now they were long gone.

What would Katherine be like if she wasn't a queen?

She talked a lot, she was quite curious (nosy as Jack used to put it), and always spoke her mind. She was also stubborn but kind and caring.

A mother for sure. That's what she'd be. But what job? Would she be a news reporter? She does love reading. Jack made a mental note to one day buy her a typewriter so she could try out her writing abilities.

Jack sat at the windowsill by the bed and opened his sketchbook, grabbing a pencil. He looked down at Katherine and smiled, she'd hardly moved. The pencil slowly hit the page and made rhythm of only a song Jack could understand. Once he was done he placed his sketchbook on the nightstand face up. She'd see it sometime.

Drawing by: @itslopez on instagram

Jack gently walked over and leaned down, pressing kisses to Katherine's face as he crawled in the bed next to her.

"Hmm, good morning." Katherine whispered smiling up at him.

"Good morning." He breathed.

"Where to today?"

"We could take a walk on the beach." Katherine grinned at the idea.

"Okay." She said.

The two ordered room service and had French toast and smoothies. It was heavenly. They spent the morning watching their Netflix shows (Sherlock reruns, Red Data Girl, Doctor Who, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmit) all while cuddled close on the couch.

Suddenly Katherine pulled him down by the collar and pressed their lips together. She laid down with him on top of her and Jack slowly put his tongue in her mouth. She fumbled to get his tie off and threw it to the side before she began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Hey guys- woah!"

"Ah!" Katherine yelled as Jack accidentally flipped them both off the couch and onto the floor at the surprise knocking.

They looked up from where Jack laid on Katherine to see Davey and Clara standing at the door.

"The bloody hell are you doing here??" Jack asked, frustrated.

"Parliament thought you two might need some company. You know we're not ready for you two having a baby yet." Davey said calmly.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, getting off of Katherine on the floor. He helped her up and she smoothed down her dress.

Katherine quickly went over to Clara and hugged her tightly.

"We've missed you guys, honestly." She laughed lightly.

"That's good because life without you two at the palace is boring as hell." Davey said exasperated.

Jack stood there tapping his foot.

"Katherine, I was wondering if we could go on our walk?" He asked quietly as a child.

"Sure." Katherine smiled, "We'll see you guys later. There's two separate bedrooms down the hall- unless, you'd like to share." Katherine smirked.

Davey turned beat red and Clara looked away at her shoes.

"Oooooor not." Katherine teased.

"Not. It's against rules remember."

"Well maybe one day we'll change it in honor of you both." Katherine smiled taking Jack's hand and leading him out the door.

Davey sighed as the door closed.

"Those two are a piece of work." Clara said.

"Don't I know it."

***

Jack and Katherine walked along the beach hand in hand. The sand feeling warm on their toes as the sun finished setting.

"What did you want to talk about?" Katherine asked.

"Everything." Jack said.

Jack went and laid a blanket down on the sand and the two laid side by side on it.

"What is everything?" Katherine asked looking over at him.

Jack could feel his breath hitch in his throat. She looked gorgeous right then, like the stars in the sky were put in her eyes.

"Your life." Jack responded.

Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"Katherine, when did your mother first hit you?"

Katherine took a deep breath and let it out.

"Please." Jack said, "I'm scared for when we go back."

Katherine leaned over and cupped his face gently with her hand, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Don't be." She whispered.

"When did it start?"

"I was thirteen." Katherine started, "She found my diary. I had said I was done being a princess. That I wanted a normal life like the children in the books I read. I also said she and father weren't really in love."

Jack winced.

"Then she came into my room one day holding it, pages open, and yelled at me and I yelled back and then-" Katherine paused, "I can still see it clear as day."

Jack heard a small sniffle from her.

"I deserved it after all I wrote about her." She whispered lowly.

Jack's eyebrows shot up and he took her wrists and faced her to him.

"Katherine Kelly, you don't deserve any of that. You don't deserve to be treated awfully or said rude things about. I don't even deserve you because you're an amazing human being. She's a bitch. That's all she is and all she will ever be. And it's my job to protect you from her."

Jack wiped away a small tear from Katherine's cheek and kissed her softly.

"Is there anything you wanna know about me?"

Katherine cleared her throat, composing herself.

"What was life like as a newsie?" She asked.

"I didn't know you knew about that."

"Medda told me. . . What was it like Jack?'

Jack thought for a minute, looking back up at the stars. Katherine scooted closer to him and placed her head and hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

"It was hard. Very hard. You never knew where your next meal came from and the world was a terrifying place. You didn't get nice clothes, they all had holes in them. And if you misbehaved bad enough on the streets they'd kill you, or at least send you to the refuge."

"What's the refuge?"

Jack swallowed hard, "It's a horrible place. They best you everyday and they don't feed you for days at a time. You sleep with the rats and its three boys to a bed. You feel trapped and never know when you'll get out or if you'll make it out alive."

Katherine hesitated before her next question.

"Y-You've been there. . . Haven't you."

Jack closed his eyes, erasing the memories from his head.

"Yes."

Katherine hugged around him tighter and thought quickly.

"What were the boys like? At the Lodging House. Medda said you all had a small apartment."

Jack smiled slightly, intrigued by how interested she was.

"Well you met some of them, Crutchie, Romeo, Les. Even Davey was a newsie with me."

Katherine's eyes widened. Davey?

"They're my brothers. My place to come home to. They were my everything."

"Aren't they still?" Katherine asked.

"Yes. . . But in a different way. You're my everything now Katherine." He said kissing her head.

Katherine kissed his lips softly.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She laid back down against him and looked up at the stars. They shone brightly and twinkled against the dark night sky. The moonlight shone down on them like a spotlight and the stars were their audience.

Katherine smiled and closed her eyes.

"Hey Kath." Jack said after a little while of stargazing.

"Hmm?" She mumbled sleepily.

"It's getting late, let's go back to the room and go to bed."

"In a bit." Katherine whispered, "Everything is perfect right here."

"Whatever yous say Ace."