Red

Jack Pt. 1

"Red..."

"C'mon, wake up lass."

"Red..."

That sing-song voice, I miss that voice...

"Rose?"

I shot awake, my eyes blurred and my muscles weak. I didn't care, I only cared about him.

"Jack?" I breathed. He's right there, in front of me, my heart thinks he's real, my brain knows he's dead.

"Red." He smiles that crooked thief's smile.

"Jack!" I lunged at him, tackling him into a bear hug. We fell to the floor, his arms cradling me into his chest. I breathed him in, the fresh scent of grass and pine needles. The warmth of his body against mine, my childhood came flying back at me in a wave of pure nostalgia.

Jack tilted my head up with his hand resting on my chin, his eyes filled with concern. "Why are you crying, lass?"

The tears fell rapidly and I buried my face in his neck. I whispered softly, "You died in my arms, and now I have you back. You're alive!"

"Yeah I'm alive," he murmured, a smile playing in his voice.

I sat up and looked at him dumbstruck, "I felt you die, Bigby killed you. How are you..."

"It's a long story."

I roll my eyes, "Last I checked my secretary cleared my day today. So I have nothing but time."

"Ha, you're funny." He said dryly.

"You remember that night don't you?" Jack said, picking at the carpet below him.
"Like it was yesterday," I breathed.

"Well it was half past midnight, and we met up, like we always did..."

"Jack!" I sang in the darkness the moonlight illuminating the meadow, the flowers slowly lit up as I passed them. I giggled, slowly jogging through the tall grass, the fireflies flow up through the air. I smiled sitting against the Old Oak, our oak.

I watched the fae play, and the fireflies dance. I saw the distant shimmer of a mermaids tail, they had festivals underwater right?

Giggling to myself I pulled my hood over my head.

The thicket to the left of me rustles, I eye it warily, I knew Jack in his right mind would hide in a mess of thorns. I grasp my dagger, unsheathing it, clasping in tightly in my palm.

He promised he'd leave me alone.

Then again, since when does Bigby keep his word?

I stand up, keeping my dagger hidden in my cloak. I inspect the thicket for any trace of glowing amber eyes, or shining midnight black fur. Snap!

I spun my dagger whistling through the air, hoping to catch something on its blade.

He seizes my wrist and my forearm, I push against him, but he overpowers me. My back softly his the trunk of the oak, I struggle trying to pry my arms from his grasp.

"Red!"

I open my eyes and see blue eyes staring back at me, not amber ones.

I breathe heavily, smiling at him, "Jack."

He chuckles, letting me go. I wrap my arms around him, and he holds me close to his chest. Suddenly the ground is air and I'm sitting against the tree again. But this time I'm next to my favorite person in the world.