The Joy of Laughter (Laughing Jack X Reader)

- 9 - Trouble

The day goes by with the kids being kids and work being work. In fact, all is well, that is in until you get a call halfway through your work on Thursday.

"(Y/N)! Thank god I finally reached you! You still have the kids right? They're safe right?!"

"What? John? Yeah, yes on both. Why wouldn't I have them? Why wouldn't they be safe? John: What happened? You sound panicked!" You respond to his loud shaky voice. He sounds as if he's about to cry.

"Thank god. Okay so well." He stops and the phone gets taken from his ear. You hear soft voices, some deep, some more feminine. The one thing they have in common is that they are all soft and sound somber. You hear the phone come back to the fragile man's ear.

"Are you near the kids?" His shaky choked up voice asks in a tone you have never heard from this man in your life. He sounds so defeated.

"No, they're down the hall sharpening pencils." You respond by sliding away from your desk a little, your face drowning in worry. A shaky exhale can be heard on the other line. A breath that sounds to be doing all that it can, not to cry.

"John? What's going on?" You question trying to figure out why such a strong man sounds so weak.

"Kasey's dead."

That's all it took. Silence wafts over the room, the feeling of a rock in your gut forms. You can hear the sound of a man crying on the other line.

"Yo-your joking?" You ask as you feel a knot tie your vocal cords.

"No....." He answers in full tears and broken voice. You feel a tear slip down your cheek. 'Dead.' The word repeats in your head. 'Kasey... Dead. That's impossible. She can't die, she is so young... Was.'

"Listen." The broken voice comes back barely strong enough to continue. "I don't want you to tell the kids, it's gonna be hard but I need you to pretend nothing has happened. I'm gonna tell them when I pick them up today."

"Where?... How? When?" You hesitantly ask.

"It happened at our house... She- she's still here. She's everywhere." Another wave of tears flow from the man. "They." He sniffles trying to continue. "They say it might have happened Wednesday judging by the state she is in." Silence. "It's undetermined how... she, she's almost completely unidentifiable." The phone slips from his ear again as you hear distant sniffles and soft sobs.

"John?" You ask.

"Yes, I'm hear."

"Do you need me to come by?"

"I-I don't want the kids hear. I don't think you should see her either... It's bad (Y/N), really bad."

"Did," You start, then try to keep your tears at bay before continuing. "Did you find her?" Your shake voice asks his.

"..... Yes." Tears silently poor down your cheeks. As he says his next sentence. "How am I going to tell those two angles their mother is dead?" He asks though the tears that win the best of him again.

"I-I-" You stammer out before unintentionally cutting yourself off with waves of water. 'Gone.' Whispers into your mind. 'Gone forever.'

"The police want to talk to me again, I have to let you go. Take the kids home when you get off work."

"Alright." You feel the hot streaming tears boil down your cheeks, the salty water making its way to your tongue. How could the one person you spent your entire life with be gone? Brutally murdered in her own home? Who would? How could they even? You pull your legs to your chest and bury your face in your knees. "I can't cry know." You mumble through your tears. 'She is alright, everything is fine.' More streams of hot water drain from your eyes. After another minute or two, you whip the streams of water off your cheeks and try to stop sniffling. "I have to be okay, for Alex and Alisa." You say staring at the white wall across from you.

"What about us?" A gentle voice asks from the doorway. You turn to see Alisa standing in the doorway, Alex right behind her, a few pencils grasped in both their hands.

"Nothing too much." You cover. "Say how about on the way home we get some ice cream, any kind you want?"

The two kids both cheer on the idea then begin to dance around the room chanting. "Ice cream, Ice cream!"

"I'll take that as a yes." You laugh a little, a sad smile grabbing on to your lips.

As promised, you guys stopped for Ice cream on the way home. The kids both got two scoops of whatever they wanted, nether finished the whole thing, though Alisa got close. Once back at your place you put on a random movie and sit on the couch with them until their father shows.

A knock on the door tells the inevitable. You get up and open it. On the other side you see John, but not his usual cheerful self, no, this time he looks worn down and exhausted. His hair's a mess and his cloths match it pretty well. Cheeks and eyes red and puffy from crying. The kids quickly catch onto the fact that their dad is here and without a second though come barreling at him their high-pitched voices screeching his title.

"Hi, hi. Yes, I'm picking you up sooner than expected but first would you two mind playing in (Y/N) room with the door closed until I come get you?"

The kids look confused but take off to your room anyway.

"I got the kids some ice cream on the way home."

"Good, good." A heavy sigh escapes through his lips. "Where do I begin?" He asks you, running a hand through his wavy brown hair.

"How about with a seat." You say gesturing to the couch. "Can I get you some coffee or something?"

"No. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"When did you find... um."

"Yeah, well, it was when I got home so... About seven-thirty this morning. It took a while for the authorities to show up and then size up the situation." The tired man explains.

"Have you eaten today?"

"No, I was gonna have breakfast with... Kasey." As her name slips past his tongue he looks as if he's fighting an entire ocean's worth of water behind his eyes.

"You need to eat something. I will make eggs." You say trying to distract from the knot that found your vocal cords to be an amusing toy.

"Ha.... She would say the same thing." You freeze. "Guess I can expect that from her best friend."

"Yeah." You nervously chuckle out, then try to continue creating the eggs.

"Where should I tell the kids?" He scoffs. "How should I tell them?"

"... Do they know what death is?"

"No, not really."

"Then tell them that Mommy's has passed away, which means that you can't see her anymore. But don't cry because she will live in our hearts forever... Or something along those lines."

"Yeah. Alright... I'm gonna have to cancel on those eggs. I think we are gonna head out."

"Where are you gonna stay?"

"Kasey's sister said she would house for as long as needed. By the way, the police may need to contact you to help figure out who did this, so I gave them your Info, same with Kasey's sister Jen. They said anyone would help so I brought up her sister."

"That's probably for the best." Silence fills the room, nothing but the sizzling of cooking eggs.

"I'm gonna get the kids. Thanks for watching them."

"Of course, anytime. And hey, if you need anything let me know."

"I will, thanks."

"Stay in touch John." With that he vanishes down the hall and returns with two bouncy kids. The door opens and the children scream and wave bye with hugs in between. A soft smile pets your face as you wave back to them, all of it seeming like a blur. The door shuts and you click off the stove and move the eggs to another burner. Silence fills your ears again as tears once more locate your eyes. Your soft steps lead you to your room and place you on your bed. The warm blankets surround you, tears staining your pillow. It's been so long since you last cried yourself to sleep.