Blood is Thicker Than Water

Chapter 13

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I haven't updated in forever!

Chapter 13

The next morning Jackie was not ready to face the world or Axel. She knew he would be angry at her for leaving him and he would have questions, questions Jackie didn’t know how to answer.

As she got dressed Axel waited for her outside the door. Axel wouldn’t ask her any questions, Dean had already asked him not to. Axel liked Dean.

The young boy felt special when Batman paid attention to him, when he was included in things. Another bonus was how Jackie seemed to act around him, Axel thought Jackie probably liked him, too.

The door opened quietly and slowly, he could hear her breathing through the crack in the door. “Jackie?”

The crack grew larger as it continued to open. “Hey, buddy.” Axel’s arms wrapped around her tall frame and her hands ran through his long hair, he needed a haircut. “How about a haircut today?”

He nodded as he let go of her before running down the stairs. “Haircut! I’m getting a haircut!” Her eyes followed his figure until it disappeared and fresh tears sprung to her silver orbs.

A muscular hand fumbled her hand clumsily, “Hey.” Her hand squeezed Dean’s lightly before she turned to him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I went back, I’m sorry I dumped that on you last night. I just-“

Her breath hitched in her bruised throat as he pushed back her long hair. “It’s fine Jackie.” She nodded silently before they began their descent to the kitchen.

“Axel needs a haircut and I thought it’d be a good idea to get out of the house for a while.”

Dean nodded as they all ate breakfast, Nash came down the stairs his hair still a mess and sat next to Jackie, “Morning Nash.”

“Morning people.” He said over a yawn. She smiled lightly at him before sharing their plans with him. “Sounds good to me, I need a haircut, too.”

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They drove quickly to the barber shop and Dean and Axel raced to the entrance, “Go easy on him Axel!” Nash called out, he and Jackie remained sitting in the truck.

Jacqueline stared at herself in the rear view mirror. She looked just like him, grey eyes, dark hair, and the same facial features, hers just more feminine. “Whatcha thinking ‘bout Jackie?”

“I look just like him, Nash. I look exactly like Rance.” Nash’s gaze lingered on her face before he twirled a strand of her hair on his finger.

“Well, how about a change, Jacks? I mean your hair has been the same length since you were little.” She looked down at her mahogany locks and smiled at Nash before kissing him on the cheek.

“Thanks Nash.”

“And hey you guys don’t look exactly the same. Rance is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen and you Jackie, you’re in the same league as Aphrodite.” She laughed as they walked across the parking lot, she knew what she was going to do.

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Jackie breathed deeply looking at herself one last time before whispering to the stylist what she wanted. The hair dresser examined her through the mirror before smiling and nodding, she ran off to get what she needed.

Her grey eyes studied her long hair and played with it, she would have to find a new nervous habit soon.

“Jackie! Jackie, look at my hair! Do you like it?” She spun in the swivel chair to watch Axel run up to her displaying his still damp hair.

Inches had been taken off of his mop top, his hair now laid neatly on his head with slight curls. He looked older she mused. “I do like it. Makes you look grown up, buddy.”

She smiled down at him as Nash and Dean located them in the large store. Nash’s hair was shorter but it still managed to lay in his face the way he ‘liked it’. Dean’s hair looked like it hadn’t been touched, but when she questioned him, he’d had it ’trimmed’.

“What are you doing?”

She smiled at them, “It’s a surprise and it’ll take a while so you guys go get something to eat, I’ll be fine.”

“She’s in very capable hands, gentlemen. She’s going to look amazing.” Her hair dresser had returned and smiled at the three boys.

Axel smiled before tugging on Nash’s hand. Nash leaned down and pressed a kiss to her face. “It’s gonna look great, Jacks.” He smiled before running off with her little brother.

Dean studied her, not necessarily suspicious, but curious. “What are you doing Jackie?”

“I’m pretty sure I just told you to go eat something.” She looked up at him with a smile, he rolled his eyes before kissing her head and running after Nash and Axel.

“Cute kid.”

“I know right?” The woman had started to apply the dye to her hair.

“Cute daddy, too.”

Jackie choked on the water she’d been given. She lurched forward and started coughing while he lady patted her back. “Are you okay, honey?” Jackie coughed one last time looking up at the woman.

“How old do you think I am? That’s my little brother.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry! I-“

“It’s fine, he might as well be mine.” With a few more apologies the woman continued to apply the dye to her long hair.

“If the kid is your brother, who are the other two? Cause I mean if the guy in the ‘Love, Peace, & Satan Satan Satan’ shirt ain’t yours, he sure is sexy.”

Jackie couldn’t hold in the laugh and thought she’d have to tell Nash about it later. “Well the ‘sexy’ one is Nash, he’s been my best friend since we were little. The other one well, that’s Dean and-“

“That explains a lot, he looked like he didn’t trust me with you, so I guessed he was your baby daddy and that you guys were pretty serious. Don’t you just…love young love?”

Jacqueline stared at the woman in shock, “What honey?”

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Across town the boys were in a Subway ordering sandwiches. Nash and Axel were laughing about something irrelevant while Dean worried about Jackie. Was she okay? What if Rance was in town today?

          “Will that be all, sir?” He started at the employee’s voice before nodding his head.

          “Oh could you add something else?” The cashier looked at him expectantly before he answered, “Three chocolate chip cookies and one um white chocolate one, I guess.”

          “Will that be all, sir?” He nodded, 100% sure this time that he was finished ordering. He handed cups to Axel and Nash before filling his up halfway with lemonade and the other half with sprite.

          He sat with his sub in front of him while Nash devoured his. “You know she’s gonna be fine right, Dean?”

          He nodded before eating part of his sandwich. He couldn’t help but fret over it though as he thought back to last night when Jackie was haunted by the memories.

          “Hey, Batman, my sister will be fine. Jackie’s stronger than she looks.” Axel watched for his reaction before continuing, “You know she used to take beatings for me. I would do something and anger Uncle or Rance and they would come after me and Jackie would always step in. I may be Robin and you may be Batman, but Jackie’s Cat Woman.”

          “Hey! What does that make me?!”

          They laughed before getting back in the truck and making their way back to the barber shop.