After the strike is over and some time has passed, Katrine and Jack end up drifting apart. Not as in, totally away from one another, just, no longer dating. Turns out they make far better friends and the passion they had came from the heat and excitement of the strike. No biggie but though, they still love each other just in a different way. Besides, she's a big in demand writer now, she is not about to let her career end to become a 'house wife'.
The longer that time goes on, the stronger the itch for Santa Fe comes back to Jack. He tries not to say anything but soon Crutchie notices something is off. Not long after it slips out, something about how the air is cleaner in Santa fe, or how the noise isn't as loud in Santa fe or something off handed like that.
This throws Crutchie off for a moment and he just doesn't quite understand. He thought Jacke was happy in NY. He ends up asking about it as casual as he can and soon Jack is at it again the bug is stronger than he thought and he can't stop the word vomit about it now that it's flowing.
Crutchie just finds himself slipping into it like old times, "yeah jack", "its great jack", "you'll get there one day jack" and just a little bummed (okay more than a little) that Jack is driven to leave them all again. To leave him again. But Jack, again, includes crutchie in all these fantasies never once even thinking of his life without the other boy in it. He was there from the start and he will be there in the end. Crutchie just preens at this, happy to still be a part of his dreams and will happily follow him anywhere. -he's not in love no! What made you think that?-
Soon they set up a plan. Because of the strike, Jack learned that actually taking action is far more important than talking about it. So they start figuring out how to actually get there. They don't have the best of plans, but they know it is no longer just going to remain a 'dream'.
They try to keep it quiet from the other newsies, not wanting to upset them, but one day Davey overhears their whispering when he comes up behind but them unsuspectingly, as they walk together back to the lodging house. He confronts them about it, away from the other boys (he has learned, at least, that the group is a bit too much at once and he doesn't want Jack to flee again like when Crutchie was taken during the strike) and they flounder and nervously tell him.
He is rightly pissed for a bit, though more so for the fact that they didn't tell him than they fact that they are going in the first place. He thought theu were friends after all, and friends tell each other things like this. They wait as he paces,, stewing it over, waiting for him to reprimand them or yell at them or something. When he stops, he groans and they flinch, and he finally just break out saying "well if you're serious about this, you're going about it all wrong" and gives them pointers on how to do better.
Soon he is well ingrained in their plans, helping them with every detail, showing them how to properly budget and how to look for places to live, what to ask, and so on. Pulls all books he can on the subject when he has time away from selling papers.
Not long before they are going to leave, they finally get the nerve to tell everyone. Some are mad at it, some are sad, but they all are still supportive despite some of them breaking out into arguments. Many don't want to see them go, but they know that, despite all the teasing through the years, this has been something Jack has wanted, and they knew, without a doubt, where Jack goes, Crutchie would follow. So they accept it. They scrape together money last minute and throw a good bye party at medda's that's bigger than any party they ever had. They will all miss one another like mad but will try to stay in touch and send letters when they can afford the postage.
As it gets closer to the day they are able to leave Davey says something nervously and withdrawn about how he wishes them luck and Crutchie and Jack are confused.
Crutchie just asks "aren't you coming with us?" And Jack agrees, he just accepted David as someone who was going and planned it out with him included and really, Davey was someone he didn't want to leave behind. Not anymore. He had to come, Jack (and Crutchie) already firmly put them into their fairytale. Naturally, Davey is confused.
He flouders for a bit and starts talking crazy fast like he does when he gets anxious and rambles about how he can't leave NY (why not?), it's his home (we can make a new one) and his family is here (we're your family too) and what about Les (he is a big kid, he can take care of himself) and what about his folks and his sister (write em) and such (Davey you're a big boy, you dont have to live there forever). But he continues on with his 'cant do it' list which disappoints the boys. Soon he stops mid ramble and finally, with a sigh but huge grin states "well I have to learn to stand on my own eventually. I can't live with them forever"
And so he agrees. He'll follow them out to NM.
And that's how the three boys plan, and actually wind up getting, to Sante Fe.
