Queen of New York {Newsies Fanfiction}

~ Seventeen ~

"Ah, Miss Queen. Please, come in..."

Mr. Pulitzer's voice was deep and intense, it sent chills down my spine. He motioned for me to step inside his large office. I slowly enter the velvet carpeted room and stand in front of his cherrywood desk. We were both silent for a moment as he smoked his cigar and I fight the urge to fan the smoke from my face, I stand completely still, with my chin held high. My eyes meet his and I immediately look away and notice all of the fancy decorations on the textured walls. A portrait of him, I'm guessing, a large grandfather clock, many golden objects, and even more vintage Romantic paintings.

A massive piece of art catches my eye... It's him, I assume with his wife, and his young daughter. The paint on her eyes shine in the chandelier lights and look vaguely familiar. I try to put a name with the face, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Mr. Pulitzer puts his cigar out and notices my interest in his paintings. "Oh, do you like my family portrait? It was much too long ago." He lightly chuckled and I regained my focus. "Please, Miss Queen. Sit, sit." He motioned toward the leather chair in front of his desk.

"No thank you. I much rather I stand." I reply politely.

"And I much rather you sit." He spat right back at me with an angry brow. I sat down with my hands in my lap and held my chin up.

"Why am I here?" I ask him calmly.

He cleared his throat. "Well, the plan was to get your friend, Jack, but when I discovered you were taken instead, I figured, she must know just as much about the plan as Jack Kelly does."

"And if I don't?"

"Well, we'll just have to send you back to where you came from then, won't we?"

"Manhattan."

"The Refuge."

I shudder. No way am I going back there!

"What if I tell you everything you need to know?" I smirk.

"You will be rewarded, anything you want."

I like the sound of that... I quickly consider any consequences and make a deal to answer anything he asks.

"Did Mr. Snyder treat you well?"

"Well, I was dragged from my home and my family, I woke up in a prison cell, and then I was thrown into a carriage, and now I am sitting in front of one of the most cruel men in New York."

"I'm glad everything is going well. Now, let's start off simply... Tell me, who are your allies?"

I sigh. "We have none, sir."

"No allies? Jack Kelly must be out of his mind." He mumbled to himself. I shook off my anger and sat up again.

"We... We tried to make allies, but no one... No one was willing to help." I corrected myself.

"Now that sounds like Jack Kelly." Mr. Pulitzer nods and laughs. "Can you tell me anything of Jack's whereabouts?"

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic.

I wasn't sure how to answer this. I didn't want to give him away, of course, but something tells me, though I'm pretty good at it, Mr. Pulitzer can tell when I'm lying.

"Well, when he is not at the lodging house, you'd find him at Jonathan Green's apartment." Jonathan Green? As in, Sarah Jacobs' crush? Good job, Cory.

"Jonathan Green?" I nod in response.

"One of his relatives. Mother's brother-in-law's aunt's cousin, I think? I don't know. He told me about his family tree once, I didn't really catch on." And you panicked.