𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 || 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 26 ~ Something New

Episode: Season 15 - Last Holiday Pt. 2

Yasmin's POV:

I admit, I didn't expect to see him there. Didn't really want to. But of course, even though the Bunker was its own endless maze of rooms, Jack just had to be where I was. You'd think sitting alone in the library at night would be a tip-off that I wanted to be alone but no, not Jack. Or Mrs. Butters for that matter.

Because before I could even get the thoughts properly formed in my brain, the wood nymph strode through the darkened, dimly lit library of the Bunker, clearly on a mission by the expression on her face. She didn't seem to notice the two of us,standing on opposite ends of the room, both hidden in the shadows.

She began to dig through one of the drawers of the many filing cabinets that lined the walls, seeming to be searching for something in particular. After a few seconds, she looked to have finally found it, seeming relieved but sad at the same time. I frowned at the manila envelope in her hand, sharing a glance with Jack as she quickly began to put it away and start to dust.

"Mrs. Butters," Jack spoke up then, stepping out of the shadows just as the nymph made a start of surprise.

"Yes, dear?" she asked in a sugary-sweet voice, turning to face him.

I, on the other hand, wisely stayed hidden in the shadows. Best for her not to know I was here as well.

"I was just wondering if you could, um...make me another smoothie?" Jack asked innocently, holding out his empty glass to her.

Mrs. Butters shook her head with a laugh, taking it from him immediately before starting to walk off, "Of course! Anything for my boys."

I ignored her blatant disregard of the fact that I existed here, too as she disappeared around the corner, getting up from my seat to join Jack as we both made our way over to the filing cabinet she had been sifting through.

"Well, that was awfully suspicious." I muttered, Jack nodding in agreement.

Turns out, most of the envelope held nothing too surprising, some confidential papers and an old film reel from the 40's. Made sense. However, what did not make sense was the images we saw as Jack played the reel. At first, all seemed normal - the Men of Letters had captured a Nazi and was interrogating him. But then...then it turned dark when they had Mrs. Butters (apparently still around back then)...decapitate the man.

My brown eyes widened, horrified despite myself. Glancing over at Jack, I found him gazing back at me with the same expression.

Obviously, we confronted her on this...which is how we landed in the slammer. Well...her version anyhow which ended up being the basement. Same difference really, we were still locked in with no way out. Plus wrongly accused, I might add. Apparently, she thought that Jack was evil since he was Lucifer's son.

And me? Well, my mother was half demon so obviously I must be evil as well. I have to say, it was awfully rude of her. From what I'd heard, my grandfather, Crowley, wasn't always a terrible demon. In fact, sometimes he could be kinda...nice. Sometimes.

A sigh escaped my mouth as I sat on the floor, my back against the wall with Jack beside me. He wasn't the obvious choice of a "cellmate" but he wasn't that bad. If he liked me better that was...

"Are you alright?" he asked suddenly, surprising me.

I covered it easily, smoothing my face into a blank expression as I responded, "Fine."

There was a beat of silence neither of us breached for a long time before finally, Jack did.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

The question caught me so off-guard I couldn't speak for a second or two, "What in the world are you talking about? I don't hate you, Jack... You hate me,"

"No, I don't. I just...I thought you did because of...because of Mary,"

He barely got the words out, choking on her name as I fell silent. I really didn't have an answer to that one. I didn't even know the woman. All I did know was that...she was my grandma. Wouldn't it be wrong to forgive him after such an act? An act against my own blood?

But then...did that make me any different from my father? The father who held grudges, who lived his life with his guard up all the time? I didn't want to be like that. And yet...

"I didn't know Mary... From what you've mentioned of her, from the little I heard of her through my own mother - she sounded like a great woman. And...we all make mistakes in this life," I said softly, thinking through my words as I avoided the piercing blue of his eyes, "So no, Jack. I don't hate you. None of us are perfect."

I finally looked up at him then from under my lashes, not knowing what reaction I would get. But as his ocean-blue orbs gazed back into my own candy-apple green, I felt my heart speed up. And from that very moment, that one tiny second in time, I knew that we would be friends.

Or maybe even a little more than that.