A/N: This one shot is dedicated to my biological mother... I wrote it a couple of days ago, just haven’t gotten around to typing it...

'Til We Meet Again

A tear trickled down the girls face as her mother hugged her for the last time. Those watery eyes watched her walk to the train, somewhere knowing hat she'd never see her again. She turned around, taking off her hat.

"I will come back to you." She said with a reassuring smile. Cassandra had believed her. It was that belief that had kept her in her Uncle's home until fourteen years later. At that point, she'd given up hope and waiting.

In the first years of absence, her mother sent her letters of empty promises and hope. But she'd lied. Soon the letters stopped coming. Out of grief, anger, and spite, she ran to New York, the last place she'd received a letter from.

After nearly a year of not finding a trace, she died, and in her place, Jackal was born. Jackal, a mask of indifference. Jackal, a rogue and pickpocket of the streets.

Alone, until one night, someone noticed her existence. The rainy night of which Spot Conlon had picked her to save. He took her under his wing and into Brooklyn. Time brought them closer, and half a year later, she could say that she loved him, even if she never told him her real name. (A/N: The songfic is 'I'm with you' yeah corny poser avril. But you know what, it's a good songfic so :P to you! If you want to get more back-up info on that, it's under 'a masterful collection' by ME.)

She lay alone in Spot's room on his bed, the folded letter clutched to her chest. Tears of loss streamed down her face in odd trails to the pillow she rested her head on. She winced when she heard the door open and quickly tucked the letter under her pillow. She wiped her face dry on a sleeve. Without meaning to, she sniffed. He sank onto the bed.

"What's wrong Jackal?" She shook her head as she tried to remember how to speak.

"It's nothing. Just remembering." She said standing. The wood floors groaned in protest as she walked tot he window with her arms crossed. She stared out into the barely lit alley. Spot pulled the letter out from under the pillow.

"Is that why you still have a letter from nine years ago?" She snatched it from him. He looked at her a little shocked. She sighed and looked back out the window.

"It was the last letter she sent to me. I ran away almost two years ago, and I came here because she'd always write how beautiful the view from Brooklyn Bridge was. I guess I had hoped I would find her."

She reexamined the letter, now aged and dirty at the edges. Even the ink itself was smudged, but she didn't care. She'd read it so often she knew it by heart. It was the knowledge that her mother had once held it in her hands and thought about her that made her keep it. She went on to tell Spot her story.

Without her knowledge, Spot sent out his birds to find Jackal's mother. He found where she'd last lived, and he went there. He was a bit confused to find the building boarded up completely. He pulled a few off of the door and ducked inside. He made his way up the dust covered steps to room 314. He tapped on the door and swung open. He stepped in to find no furniture, but he did see a piece of parchment by the would-be furnace. He picked it up. It was an addressed envelope without a stamp. He flipped it over to see a red wax seal with a 'D' signet in it.

She read it with tears in her eyes.

My Cassandra,
I fear it is my time to say goodbye. I don't know if I even have time to send this to you. I am ill, but I can't say more 'lest they check this letter. All I can say is that I will die soon.
I have to break my promise to see you again. I'm so sorry. After all these years of waiting, you must hate me, thinking that I don't love you, or think about you every day. I love you more then I can say. Every night I said a prayer for you; I wanted angels to watch you grow for me, watch you become what you will be for your life.
I love you, and I beg you to forgive me. I would I could do it all over, only this time never leave your side.

Diana Turner

"Mommy..." Jackal collapsed in Spot's arms sobbing. He rubbed her back and stroked her hair.

"She's watching over you Cass." He whispered.

I love my biological mother so much, but I'm afraid this is how we're going to end. Broken promises, forsaken hope, forgotten dreams

Jackal