"The defendant has been found guilty of his crimes. Case closed."

Those words haunted Jack.

For the past two years of his life, he was faced with a punishment he was sure he didn't deserve.

His condition was misunderstood. If only they had known the truth.

He had moved from city to city, the system never making up their mind on just how severe Jack's case was. He had secretly hoped that perhaps he could be saved from his fate, but when his lawyer dropped him, Jack was left alone and helpless. He could only continue to hope that his dream of redemption could come to face reality.

The only human life Jack saw on a daily basis were the other inmates—scrawny men who were likely once powerful figures in the criminal world—and the prison guards. Jack wasn't like any of the other inmates, and he knew that. No one else did, though; they took one look at Jack and assumed he deserved his retribution. He supposed he couldn't blame them. Years ago, that meaningless evidence piled up against him and anything Jack said would just extend his inevitable punishment.

The court barely listened to a word Jack said that day. The moment he was taken into custody, Jack knew there was no way he could escape that trial like he did from Roosevelt's carriage. This accusation was too severe, and getting out of murder was nothing like getting out of stealing clothes and food.

He left a life behind. It may not have been the best one, but it was perfect to him. He had his brothers, he had Katherine, he had a family. That life was ripped from him, and miles were put between him and that family. It wasn't just a physical growth that separated them, but an emotional one. No one ever came to visit him, though he couldn't blame them. No one knew where he was.

He only hoped that would change soon.

~<•>~

Katherine could remember how Noah looked when he was so young. She remembered that while she was pregnant, she was determined to give her child away. A single woman with a child wasn't the best thing to be in the world. You were seen as dirty; a misshapen disgrace to your family. Yet, her family was always more than supportive.

When Noah was born, she tried not to look at him, but as his wails silenced to coos, Katherine stole a glance, and instantly fell in love. That was her son. She couldn't condemn him to the same fate that many of the other newsboys suffered. She couldn't give him up from the moment he was born.

She named him, kissed him, and loved him. Even just after a second of looking at Noah, she knew she would never be able to get rid of him.

Sixteen months later, he seemed so happy, not even noticing his mother's tense mood. He turned away from his stack of toys, turning to Katherine, "Mama! Toy broke!"

Katherine found him holding out both of his hands, a toy train in one and one of its wheels in the other. She forced a smile, standing from her seat. "It's okay. We'll fix it."

Noah clapped his hands when Katherine took the broken toy, her feet carrying her to the dining table to set the toy down. She heaved a soft sigh, just about to sit down when there were rapid knocks on the door. She hesitantly approached the door, pulling it open to find Davey rushing into the apartment without warning.

"Davey!" Katherine expressed, startled by his sudden visit. She closed the door, finding an excited smile on Davey's face. "What? What is it?"

"I found him, Kath," Davey said excitedly. "I'm his lawyer now. They brought him the contract and he signed it. He knows we're fighting for him," Davey inhaled deeply. "I was able to get ahold of his documents." He set a large stack of papers on the coffee table. "You remember how I told you how he was transferred to Buffalo after four months in New York City?" Katherine nodded. "He stayed in Buffalo for exactly a year before he was moved one last time to Albany. That's where he is: Albany."

Katherine sat down, trying to focus on Noah. For years, she had wondered what had happened to Jack and where he had gone, but now that she knew, she didn't want to know it. She shook her head, trying to make sense of her thoughts. Was she happy or upset?

"I want to go visit him, Katherine," Davey said suddenly, and Katherine looked up sharply in disbelief.

"You can't be serious!" She expressed quietly, not able to understand how Davey could easily decide on what he wanted to do. Maybe it was just Katherine and her fear of facing Jack. Her emotions were in turmoil. She didn't know what to think or how to feel.

Davey insisted, "I'm serious, Kath!" He sat down, trying to contain how excited he was about the case. "Look, I know I probably don't have a right to say anything like this, but why don't you come with me? I've talked to Crutchie, and he wants to go, too." Katherine froze, her face flushing with heat. She couldn't face Jack. Davey noticed her composure, insisting. "Think of Jack's side. Yeah, he made a mistake, but he loved you. I'm sure he still does. Imagine how relieved he'll be just to see you across the room."

Katherine turned to look at Davey, her voice frail, "How could I face him, though?"

"You can't hide from him forever," Davey answered, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Like it or not, he only has 22 years left in his sentence. You'll have to face him eventually."

Katherine pressed her palms to her forehead, overwhelmed with what Davey was asking of her, but when she heard Noah laugh at his toys from across the room, it was almost like a push to her. She remembered Noah, and when she remembered him, she remembered Jack.

Jack may have had the worst temper back then, but they were still children. He made her laugh, and comforted her when she cried. Sure, they fought a lot, but it was healthy for their relationship. He was everything Katherine could ask for.

But Katherine was trying to get over him. He was kept away while she was free.

Perhaps seeing him one last time would be her gateway to getting over him. Maybe she could finally move in.

She looked up at Davey, nodding once.

"O-Okay. I'll go."