Together Again ~ A Javid Love Story

Chapter 20 | Our Story Isn't Perfect, But It's Ours

So they look.

They see Snyder being led away with his hands behind his back.

They see the carriage from the Refuge come, and all the kids get out as fast as they can.

One takes slightly longer than the others.

Crutchy.

They all get over to him as fast as they can.

"Crutchy!" everyone exclaims.

Crutchy grins. "Didya miss me, fellas?" 

"Hiya, Crutchy," Jack chuckles with a smile.

"Hiya, Jack!"

Once Crutchy makes it to the ground, Snyder is led inside. The door is about to close on him, until...

"Uh, officer?" Crutchy asks the man politely. "Can I?"

The officer moves aside. With the smuggest grin on his face that any of the newsies have ever seen on him, Crutchy closes the door, locking Snyder away for good.

All the newsies cheer.

"Say 'goodbye, warden,'" Denton tells all of them as they watch Snyder being taken away.

"BYE WARDEN!" they all echo gleefully.

David sees the relief in Jack's eyes. Sure, this is a moment of triumph, but it's also a moment of securing Jack's safety. He squeezes Jack's hand reassuringly, as a reminder that he's still here, and that nothing bad can happen to him now. Jack squeezes back gratefully.

Suddenly, Crutchy brightens more, having just remembered something. His eyebrows shoot up and he starts talking fast and excited. "Aw Jack you shoulda seen it! 'E comes stormin' into the Refuge, walkin' stick waved above his head like a sword, and-"

"Who comes walkin' in?" Jack asks, amused at Crutchy's excitement getting ahead of him.

"Well, ya know!" Crutchy answers. "Your friend!" He points to another carriage not too far away. "Him! Teddy Roosevelt!"

No one can believe their eyes. Because there he is, right there. Teddy Roosevelt himself.

To say they're all awestruck is an understatement.

"The governor was very moved by your guys' story," Denton tells Jack, smiling. 

Race and Spot are stuck behind Jack and Denton, trying to get a better view, whispering things like Is that really Roosevelt? and That's really him and a little wow.

"He says he'll take you anywhere you want to go," Denton tells Jack.

Jack swallows. "Can he ... can he maybe drop me off at the train yards?"

Everyone's heart drops.

His nickname is Cowboy.

They all knew that he's wanted to go to Santa Fe forever. 

But now the unobtainable has become obtainable.

And even as Denton says sure, no one is ready for that reality.

Jack's face lights up.

They all sigh. They can't deny him the one thing he's always wanted.

"Wait."

Jack stops moving forward and turns around at the sound of Race's voice.

"Do you actually have to ... are you really gonna...?" Race swallows. Then he recomposes himself and starts over. "We're just gonna really miss ya, ya know?"