All Around the Mulberry Bush [Laughing Jack x Exorcist Reader] Soulmate AU

Chapter 3

    Waking up that morning left you feeling more restless than rested. You splashed icy water on your face and stared up in the mirror to see the dark circles under your eyes. Trying your best to ignore the calamity you had experienced last night, 'What the hell was that dream?' you thought, 'More like a nightmare. I haven't had those since I was a kid.' Splashing your face a few more times, you concluded that it was just all of the work you'd been piling up, nothing notable.

       Dressed in a simple, professional outfit and making your way out of the restroom, you couldn't have felt more eager to leave your suite and be around other people. Taking a step into the parking lot, you took the time to collect your thoughts as you waited for your cab to arrive, fiddling with the cross necklace that dangled from your neck. 'What happens once he realizes Amelia won't go anywhere with him? Does he just move on? Has that ever even happened before? What if he doesn't want to go away?" Thoughts swarmed your head, questions without answers soon sending you into a small headache. Rubbing your eyes, you looked up, hoping to see your ride. Instead, your eyes saw a partially empty parking lot, with a bustling street of blurred cars passed it, and beyond that, woods.

       As another car zoomed by, you saw something standing off in the distance at the edge of the woods. A tall monochrome figure, you were trying to focus your eyes when suddenly another vehicle sped by, and it was gone as fast as it appeared. "Jesus- I- I need to calm down." You muttered to yourself, "That dream just shook me up a little."

        The sound of an approaching car allowed a sense of relief rush over you. Your ride came to a stop in front of you as you clambered your way in. Taking a seat on the plush leather, you placed your briefcase at your feet as you set your face in your palm and stared out of the window. The car engine set into a gentle hum as the car made its way to the station.

        Still unable to calm your growing nerves and the knot in your stomach you, absentmindedly began to trace the words on your wrist, humming the familiar tune. "Is that your soulmate quote?" A voice asked you, cutting through the dreary atmosphere. Looking up your eyes met with the taxi driver's in the rearview mirror, "Sorry, I just couldn't help but notice you were humming Pop! Goes the weasel while looking at your wrist." You smiled, shaking your head slightly, "It's all good, and yeah, it is-- my quote is the first half of the rhyme." He nodded in thought, "That's pretty neat, I've never seen a nursery rhyme as a quote. Your partner is pretty lucky to have a soulmate as pretty as you." He grinned the last part, you blushed a little before quickly responding, "I actually haven't found them yet, aha." The laugh came out awkwardly, "Really? That's odd, well I hope you get to soon ma'am."

        Soon enough, you'd pulled into the parking lot of the station, after handing the man a twenty you stepped out, waving him goodbye. Making your way through the halls as you had the day before you entered the conference room. There you saw Arthur and the other agents, sipping their coffee and conversing.

        Once he spotted you, Arthur's emerald green eyes lit up, smiling he adjusted his tie before waving you over. "Good Morning Miss (Last Name), how are you?" Smiling you waved back, "I'm good Mr. Verlice, thank you."

       Settling down, you all began to start your reports for the day. Beginning with discussing the discoveries you'd made yesterday with Amelia. Eventually, once everyone was on the same page, you all set out to tracing back the origins of the clown, digging through the boxes of files, trying to figure out anything significant.

        After a bit of effort, you all had separated the many boxes of files into different categories, divided by country, state/province, and time. It didn't matter how often you would read the numbers, seeing the hundreds of murdered children would always haunt you. After the two hours it had taken to separate the files, each of you took a portion and began reading through them for something helpful.