So, this is the official rewrite of A Girl Name Jack. I really hope you guys enjoy it and give me feed back so I know how you feel about it. This story has always been and while continue to be very, very book heavy - Trilogy and Similarion. I will be honest, it says romance but it's gonna be a looooooong time before it comes rolling into the story. So for now, enjoy the plot, characters and humor and I promised I'll bring some smooching along eventually.

A Girl Named Jack

Chapter 1

Of Names

1982 CE - June 17th

A man passed back and forward in the maternity waiting room, his fists were balled in frustration. How long were they expecting to make him wait? It'd been over eight hours already.

"Sit down, Jacob, you're giving me one hell of a headache." Capp Templite leaned heavily on his cane as he watched his youngest son pace.

By his side, his wife stirred, setting her knitting on her lap. "Oh come now Capp, he's just stressed."

"Stressed? I'll give you stressed woman. Try the beaches of Normandy – Why I,'" The door to the waiting room opened, saving the room from yet another war story. Jacob jumped from his chair and all but ran to the doctor's side. A heavy frown filled the elderly man's face as he saw the look on the doctor's pinched face, his eyes traveling to the blood staining the front of his scrubs.

"Mr. Templite-"

Jacob interrupted him, his entire body quivering. Capp knew how long his son had been waiting for this moment. "How's my son?"

"...Sir, there's been some complications."

Capp quickly stood and hobbled over to his son's side, leaning on his cane heavily. His son's face had lost his color.

"Is my grandson alive?" Capp demanded. The strange look of unease past across the doctor's face again before he nodded quickly.

"Well, yes-"

Almost like a switch the color flooded back into Jacob's face. "And Lily?"

The doctor sighed and crossed his arms. "Well sir, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. The birth was very difficult. You see, sometimes the baby gets twisted – it comes out the wrong way. If it had been a simple breech birth, we could most likely have saved her uterus. But the baby came in what's called a transverse position. That is, the baby is lying with its shoulders or back over the cervix - sideways. By the time we operated and got the baby out, there was so much damage we had no choice but to do an emergency hysterectomy. Without it, your wife probably would have bled to death."

"Hysterectomy? You mean…she can't have anymore children?" The doctor nodded. "But the baby's alright?"

"Yes, she's a healthy eight pounds, seven ounces."

"A girl?" Jacob sputtered in disbelief. "It's a girl?"

A small gasp escaped behind them and the soft clicking of Norma's knitting needles came to a halt. Capp took a deep breath through his nose before glazing at the end of his cane in discontent. By his side Jacob was still staring at the doctor, slow disbelief blooming into humiliation and then anger. The doctor looked between the two men, confusion clearly written all over his face.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Capp fought the urge to smack the doctor for the condescending tone he used. What a fool. A girl was completely useless, especially in modern times. But more then that, they needed Jacob's child to be a son, to keep the Templite line going strong and pure. After the 'incident' with his firstborn's traitorous wife, this pregnancy was to be the savior of their line. And now…now all the work that had gone into creating this child was wasted.

"Everything is fine." Jacob said stiffly. "Has Lily named her yet?"

"No. She told me to ask you for the name."

"Take me to her." The doctor nodded before leading the small group to a small recovery room down the hall. The pale and sweaty woman perked up instantly upon seeing them and Capp was satisfied to see the shame that burned against her already crimson cheeks. Lily's eyes flashed to his face but she couldn't hold Capp's evaluating glare and instantly looked down to her clutched hands.

Good. At least she knew they weren't pleased.

"I'm so sorry, Jacob." Lily whispered softly, still staring at her hands. Jacob nodded before sitting by his wife's side and kissing her forehead.

"Hush baby, it's not your fault." Capp felt an even deeper frown tug at his lips. Jacob was always so easy on his wife, he hardly ever disciplined her. He supposed he could not fault his son for being to kind hearted towards her, Norma had quite a pull on his own heart strings.

Capp glanced around the empty room, before rounding on the doctor. "Where is it?"

"I asked them to take her to the nursery." The doctor said, "I'll have a nurse fetch her."

Lily looked up with a happy smile as Norma brushed her hair back. Capp watched as the two women interact. Childbirth was truly a woman's world and he felt it was about time the men left it. The nurse returned with the child and Capp found himself routed to the spot in curiosity. There was a soft patch of black hair and deep, dark blue eyes that stared around the room.

Norma took the girl into her arms, cooing to her as she sat gently on the bed. She glanced at her son. "Jacob, hunny? Have you thought of a name?"

Jacob leaned back and stared blankly at the child. Capp leaned on his cane, the wheels in his mind already turning as he watched his son struggle with a name. After a moment his son turned from the babe.

"Jack. Name her Jack."

The nurse with a small clipboard looked up and surprise, her pen hovering over the paper. "Do you mean…like…Jacklyn?"

"No fool women," Jacob snapped, "I mean-"

"Yes." Capp interrupted sharply. Appropriately cowed, his son stared at the infant in his wife's arms. "He means Jacklyn. Jacklyn Templite. That is her given name."

The nurse flushed before writing Jacklyn down on the birth form. Capp watched in mild interest as the nurse's hands shook under his scrutiny. This situation would be tricky. It was going to be hard not to lose standing with the Families over this, but there were ways to manage it. Having a girl for you're first born was considered bad luck, especially in modern days. A girl child hadn't been a first born on the Templite lands since the eighteen hundreds.

For the first time of many pregnancies, Capp wished he had opted for the ultra sound. The Families didn't believe in it, it was only ten years ago that they had even started going to hospitals to give birth, before then it was simply held in the home while the men worked the fields. Abortions were out of the question, all Templite blood was to be used. But they could have hidden the pregnancy, given the child up to the State. Still. It was a situation that could be managed. As an elder and a land holder in the Templite community, few would dare say their treacherous words to his face. Jacklyn would be an outcast, but that would be the way it had to be. She would be raised as a ward of their house and an alternate heir to their lands must be found. Capp could already feel his greedy cousin's breath on the back of his neck – they would see this an excuse to take his lands from him.

But that would not happen. They were the first Templites. All the Families that lived on the colony could trace their ancestors back to his grandfather's grandfather. Capp would be damned if they would lose standing because of his son's mishap.

He limped to his wife's side, staring down at his granddaughter with calculating eyes. "While unfortunate, this is a situation that is salvageable."

Jacob started. "Father?"

"We shall adopt." The incredulous look grew on Jacob's face but Capp knew his son wouldn't dare interrupt him. "It will do the colony good to get some fresh blood in. We can find a boy of the appropriate standards." And when the time comes, Capp continued mentally as he took the groggy child from his wife's arm and stared down into the dark, undecided blue eyes, we shall ensure a union that will present us with a more favorable result. Capp handed the baby to his daughter-in-law. "Until then, we shall endure."

Doctor Frank Apella shook his head as he watched the scene unfold from the opposite side of the sound proof glass. Those Templites always freaked the hell out of him. He'd only moved to this area a few years ago and while they rarely ever came into the hospital, he dreaded every time he had to deal with them. A bunch of fucking loonies if you asked him. Cultists, given free reign to recruit and live off the land. They owned expansive tracks of land of which they farmed with little or no taxation and though their children went to public school, his son told him that their girls were extremely restricted in what they could wear. To quote him, 'It's like they came strolling in from back in time, I ain't seeing any leg dad, it's sad – some of those chicks are hot.'

Unbelievable. He watched the men handle the child like it was not their own. The only love the baby seemed to be getting were from the women and even then it was a reserved touch, as if they were afraid whatever stigma the little one had would be passed onto them. He was still watching, wishing to hell he could call social services and convince them to take the child away, when Jill took the child back to the nursery. He followed suit, sharing a bizarre silence with the nurse that spoke volumes on how creeped out they both were by the situation.

He stared at the baby, reading the name given to it with pressed lips. 'Jacklyn Templite.'

Who knew what this kid's future held. The Templite's weren't exactly inbred but they did marry closely – outside of school and work their children had almost no contact with the real world. Women were repressed, treated like stock almost from what he had heard. What was going to become of little Jacklyn? The baby girl he had struggled almost two hours in surgery to save? Almost without thinking Dr. Apella stuck his pointer finger into the crib as the child burst into cries. A tiny hand grasped it and her cries stopped almost immediately at the contact.

The little tiny form in pink made Frank's heart hurt and he stroked the child's stomach soothingly, trying to rid the bitter taste in his mouth. He felt an overwhelming need to call his wife, yet he couldn't bring himself to leave her just quite yet.

"Good luck, little one." He murmured softly, "I think you're going to need it."

Of Childhood

1985 CE - April 18th

Jack watched quietly as her father lifted her older brother into his arms, twisting him around playfully in the air. She stood, awkward in her stiff, colorless cotton dress, her black hair shorn unusually short. Even at five she understood all to well her situation. She was an unwanted child, an untouchable one.

It had been clear to her for as long as she could remember. While the other girls got to play and run with their brothers, Jack only did the endless list of chores her grandfather gave her. She could only watch her brother from afar. While the other girls had long, pretty hair that were in braids that made her burn with jealously, her hair was kept short, shooting out at uneven angles. While they wore dresses of pink and green and red she only ever wore black. And while they wore their pretty dresses to school, she went in jeans and t-shirts - her brother's clothing.

She had done something terribly wrong, though Jack had no idea what it was and honestly had never thought to question it. The other children didn't play with her; they understood what the black dresses meant, just like Jack did. Alex had played with her a few times; her brother had been interested in her when he first arrived. But just like the others he learned and eventually even he stayed away.

The only solace came in the small comforts her mother and grandmother gave to her. Her mother always came, late at night when the noises that leaked down from her parent's room died down, with sweat bread and warm hands. She would pull Jack into her lap, singing tenderly and teaching her hand games. Sometimes, when Jack had truly angered her father, her mother would come with cold meat and curdled milk to take the sting out of her cuts and bruises.

Her grandmother taught her woman ways and though she was harsh, she was gentle too. Once, while they cooked dinner for the house, her grandmother had taught her the most important lesson she would ever learn. While Jack had nibbled on the vegetable sandwich that would be her own dinner, careful to eat around a split lip, her grandmother had stopped cooking and watched her.

"Jacklyn," She had said in that same, soft voice she always spoke with and Jack had straightened on the wooden stool like she'd been slapped. No one ever used her full name. "I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to prove to me you're not as dull as I think and listen, I'm not going to say it twice. You're father is not a well man. You must never act like a girl, never be weak or simple like you're mother and me. Be strong, powerful, smart - like a man. And he may love you."

It was the first and only time she had ever heard anything about her father's illness. After that night she never picked flowers, never let her father see her covered in dough or knitting or weaving. It was a hard balance, when her father came she had to hide her woman chores but if her grandfather caught her not doing them she was beaten.

On the other side of the fence Alex laughed as her father set him gently on the ground, his hand ruffling his blonde hair. She loved her brother's hair. It was just like her father and mother's hair. Hers was dark as soot, the color of grandmother's hair. She longed to have the love her father and grandfather so easily lavished on her brother. Jack wanted so badly to play with her brother. She loved him dearly; all girls loved their brother's dearly, they were the center of the household. Wealth was measured in how many boys the household had to help in the fields.

She sighed as she returned to pumping water. Her arms ached but she refused to stop. She would be strong like a man; she would be smart and handy. She would not be weak like her mother. She would win her father's love.

Of Madness

1999 CE - June 25th

The bruises stretched across her skin like a snake had crawled across it in paint. They were a dark, angry grayish-blue color. They hurt like a bitch and the long sleeved shirt she wore made her insanely hot in the over heated classroom. But she knew she had to hide them. The State mostly kept out of the affairs of the Templites, they were a religious group and as such their practices were left alone, but they did still have power. Child services had taken a child from them once before and the Families were weary.

But even Jack knew that the beatings she got from her father were far from average for a Templite girl. She had become amazingly good at hiding the bruises from her teachers. But it was okay, she never blamed her father or grandfather. Her father was…not well. She had driven him mad and if she could not act like a man enough for him not to correct her, she would accept his blows as punishment for driving away his sanity. The bruises she bore now were not solely from her father though, she had been breaking in a new work horse to the plow and the bruises that were on her forearms came from the leather reigns she had wrapped around them to keep control. It was strictly men work – except for Jack. She had proven herself to the Templite community as a competent and a capable worker and though they still avoided her because of her social stigma, they no longer questioned her when she took up men work.

But even that omega status had eased - the isolation had ever so slowly lessened over the years. Between her work ethic and personality, Jack had won over many of her cousins. She had taken her grandmother's words to heart; she was witty enough with them to keep them laughing and she found her services requested often when it came to group work. Jack took great pride in the fact that they found her witty, a characteristic thought reserved for men.

She had even heard one of her many cousin's say that she had a man's soul. It was why Jack had kept her hair short, even when normal girls her age had braids down to their rumps. It was also why her mother and grandmother had stopped giving her dress patterns – Jack now worked on the colony in the clothes of a man. She could keep a house like a woman but she ran it with the efficiency of a man. But still, it was not always enough for her father. Even with the combined efforts of both Alex and herself taking most of the burden of fieldwork and animal care from him, Jacob was still not happy.

"Jack."

The dark spot receding into her hairline was proof of his latest anger. But Jack didn't care. She had lost control of the mare when she had panicked and the horse had hurt herself on the plow. She knew, deep inside her mind, that it was because her upper body strength was not as strong as her brother's. She knew it was because her father saw her true weakness – she was a woman and when reminded of how that would forever make her weak her father had become distraught.

"Jack."

Jack didn't blame him. She loved her father. The proudest moment of her life had come after last fall's harvest, when Jack had worked long hours in the field with the men and had been invited – for the first time ever – by her father to join them at the dinner table. It was the closest thing to affection she had ever received from him and it only served to reinforce her grandmother's words. She could make her father love her. She was close now…she just had to be.

The problem was that Jack's rambunctious personality didn't quite work so well in the world outside of the colony. It was almost as if they very same thing that kept her alive in the colony was killing her in the real world. Her teachers all referred to her as a 'giant smart-ass' and she had so many detentions as of late that her father was beating her almost every day. It didn't help that sports were out and she could no longer lie about being at track practice when she was at detention. That was the one thing that the colony embraced wholly from the outside world. Every Templite son was involved in some sort of sport. Jack had gone into track, cross country. She was decent, though she hardly ever placed, but it kept her father and grandfather off her back.

Jack nearly jumped out of her seat as the desk shook, a text book slamming into it with enough force to send her stuff flying everywhere. Her English teacher, Mr. Ralif, stared down at her with annoyed amusement.

"Are you having problems with your ears?" The balding English teacher asked politely, crossing his arms. Jack shot him her best apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was paying attention." From his seat across from her, Alex snorted. Jack sent him a glare. Ralif picked up the book, shaking his head.

"You're a terrible liar, Jacklyn." Instinctively Jack winced at the sound of her full name. Teachers were the only people who ever used it. "What was the last thing I said?"

"That I'm having some serious hearing issues." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and Jack mentally slapped herself as Mr. Ralif's face flat lined. The book in his hand quivered and for a frightening moment she thought he was going to smack her with it. Next to her Alex groaned and brought his hand up to rub his forehead.

"Ha-ha. Well, smart ass, you get the joy of staying after school with me. Again." Jack couldn't control the horror that flashed across her face. That would be the third time this week, and Jack had promised to help Alex clean the stables today. The beating she was going to get tonight was going to be far worse if her father thought she'd shrugged her duties and left her brother to do it all.

"Wait, Mr. Ralif," Jack looked up at him pleadingly, "Can't we talk about this? I mean, can't I write something-"

"Quiet!" Ralif returned to his desk, shaking his head as he threatened to add another hour onto the detention. Jack stared at the blackboard forlornly. It was going to be bad when she got home. Alex flicked her hard in the arm, giving her the glare of all glares. He mouthed 'dumbass' before reaching out to flick her again. Instinctively Jack moved out of the way, pushing her literature book onto the floor with a loud thud.

She didn't even bother to look up when Ralif added another hour onto her detention. She spent the rest of the half hour in her seat miserable, trying not to envision the amount of trouble she was going to be in. Jack didn't understand why she seemed to bother her teachers so much – she was just trying to be funny. She wasn't being disrespectful. Why did her cousins and uncles think it was so funny on the colony if it was such a bad thing?

The bell rang and Alex's binder found the back of her head before Jack even had time to defend herself.

"You're an idiot, Jack. How hard is it not to piss him off?" Alex asked, shaking his head disapprovingly before crossing his arms. Jack shook her head and gave a muted apology. Her golden haired brother sighed.

"Listen, Dad's gonna really be pissed, so don't even worry about coming to the stables. I'll get Louis to help me with it." Jack gave her older brother a dumb founded look. He flashed her a charming yet quite threatening smile. "He's going to beat the shit out of you enough as it is."

"Thanks for the reminder." Jack muttered, letting her forehead bang against the desk. When Alex didn't continue she rolled her head to the side and found her him staring at her intently. As quickly as it came the intense look was gone and he returned to his mocking spree. Again, the beautiful smirk took his face.

"You just gotta stop pissing him off so much, Jackie-boy." Alex shook his head. "You know he's never quite forgiven you for hitting puberty."

There was series of snickers from around them and Jack fought the anger of humiliation that boiled up in her chest. Her cousins had arrived from their classes. Teasing and humiliating her was not something that was considered bullying – it was reaffirming their social status over her. By reminder her of the very truth she didn't want to face in front of them, Alex had put her in her place while asserting his. Jack forced herself to take a deep breath. She loved her brother, but sometimes she just wanted to put his smug little face where it belonged – around her fist. Her knuckles ached to be cracked in anticipation. She had almost won the last boxing match on the colony. Her Uncle Dell had taken made short work of her though and then Alex had beaten him.

"I really hate you."

"Watch it, Jackie-boy." Alex said pleasantly, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He gave her a deceivingly friendly wink before heading for the door. "I'll tell Dad you're here."

Jack snorted. "Thanks bunches."

She sighed as she swiped her hair from her face. She needed to cut it soon, it was starting to get long. It hung around her chin, irritating her almost every moment of the day. To short for a pony tail but to long to stay out of her way. Jack groaned Mr. Ralif shut the door and tossed a thick, surprisingly blank packet onto her desk. A quick glance confirmed her fear – it was an essay packet. Mr. Ralif gave her a cheerful smile.

"You said you wanted to write something didn't you? Two hours of Shakespeare, get cook'n." Jack banged her head against the desk in agony. She couldn't understand that prat's wording for anything! Half the time she didn't know what was going on in the play until the end! "That won't help it get done, Jack."

The only sound in the room was the sound of typing and the slow, annoying tick of the clock. When it grew near to the end of the session Mr. Ralif dialed his cell phone, before pointing threateningly towards the clock. Jack still had over half of the packet the fill. In desperation she began bullshiting at a rapid rate, filling the page with large, loopy handwriting that was almost completely alien when compared with what she had started with.

"Hello, Debra? Hi hunny, yeah I'm still at school. Listen, I've got Jack here…yeah again. Hunny I don't-" Mr. Ralif sighed before rubbing his temples. "Jack, Debra says hello."

"Hello, Mrs. Ralif."

"She's say hi back. So I'll be home a little later then normal. Uh huh. Love you too." Jack looked up at him hopefully as he set down the phone.

"Come on Mr. Ralif, obviously you're needed at home. I'll tell you what, I'll can just go on home – nobody needs to know about it." From his desk Mr. Ralif pulled out a bottle of water and a small bottle of aspirin. He downed four before leveling her with a glare. "Fine! Geez, it was just a suggestion."

A half an hour later and the detention was over and somehow, miraculously, Jack had managed to complete the packet. She placed it on his desk with a certain amount of pride and a much larger feeling of dread. She had really, really stretched it on most of the essays.

"Done. Can I go now?" Mr. Ralif glanced at the clock, there was still another five minutes but he nodded with a sigh. Jack danced back to her seat. There was still hope she could beat her father back from his trip up north. If she could get on their land before he did – why, she may just get away with it! Filled with a new hope, Jack nearly shoved her supplies into her backpack. She turned to leave and froze, an uncomfortable feeling filling her instantly when she realized her English teacher was watching her with an evaluating look. Jack willed him not to talk, the conversations she knew he was about to start was one she did not have time for. Apparently her Force powers needed a little tweaking because Mr. Ralif's lips took a deep frown.

"Jack, I know you're home situation is…unique, with the colony and all. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No, not really." Jack answered quickly, making her way to the door and before throwing the clock another glance. She really, really needed to leave now if she was even remotely going to make it.

"I've noticed at the Parent-teacher conferences your father never seems to be interested in you, only Alex. I've talked with my peers and that doesn't seem to be the norm for Templite girls."

Jack could feel her panic rising as the hand on the clock continued its advance. "My dad really, really likes boys."

"But what about you, Jack?"

Jack stared at her teaching, fighting the urge to snap at him impatiently and flee from the room. What did she have to do? Spell it out for the man? Her father did not like her very much. End of story. "Can I go now?"

Mr. Ralif nodded before pulling on his blazer jacket. "You want a ride home?"

"No thanks, you know they don't like outsiders on the Land. I'll go through the forest, be there in no time." Ralif looked like he was going to argue but Jack waved him off. "Look, I really gotta go. Thanks though."

She ran from the room, nearly jumping down the stairs and carefully stopped herself so she would walk by the glass fronted main office in a gentle, no worry pace before breaking into a full out sprint into the forest. Jack almost screamed when she checked the outside electronic clock. The forest passed in a blur and before she knew it she was leaping over the fences that marked their property. Not for the first time, she thanked God that their Lands were so close to the school. She may actually make it. God, her heart was hammering with that hope. To not see the disappointed look in her father's eyes, to not be hit today!

Her feet stung through the shallow tennis shoes but she didn't relent her sped, yelling a hello to various cousins as she made her way to the main house. She skidded to a stop as she saw the pick up truck in the drive way and for a moment she hovered there, her muscles tense and ready to run. She knew what waited for her inside, Jack knew she had to face it but she couldn't make herself go inside.

Finally, she forced herself onto the front porch and into the kitchen. Her father sat calmly on in his chair, reading the paper.

"You're late, boy."

"I know, Father. I'm really sorry. I got held up at school and-"

"Held up by the black Indian that teaches you." Jack swallowed, her father really didn't like Mr. Ralif - mainly because the teacher had stood up to him - but long before that Ralif had earned her father's ire by simply being a foreigner.

"Um."

"Don't just stand there with your mouth open." The paper snapped shut. "People expect a certain quality of my children, that quality reflects on me. And if you're disrespectful in classes and getting detentions, then that quality goes down. Therefore my quality goes down. And I," He took a sip. "In people eyes am looked down upon. Do you want me to looked at badly?"

Jack stared at her father, slightly confused as to why the coffee cup in his hand hadn't ended up against her head yet. She spoke cautiously, humbly. "No, Father. I never would want that."

"I'll let it slide this time. Lord knows that bastard probably kept you unfairly. Those people have no sense of right or wrong." Her father stood, handing the coffee cup to her mother. Jack tried to keep the joy of her face. She was getting off! Oh thank you, Jesus! "Go spot your brother and cousins in the weight room."

Jack nearly pranced out of the room. She never felt so happy as she did at that moment. She nearly flung the door open to the weight room, giving her startled cousins a cheeky grin. Louis instantly flickered her off from where he was spotting Joseph.

"I had to clean up piles of shit the size of my head because of you." Louis said darkly. Jack patted him on the shoulder.

"At least now you have an excuse for the smell." She said cheerfully, standing behind her brother as he pumped his weight. Joseph broke into snickers as Louis pushed her effortlessly into the weight rack. Jack let out a shout as the weights fell everywhere, barely avoiding getting her foot smacked. She gave him a death glare before returning to her spot behind her brother. She helped Alex wrack the bar and then cheerfully pulled her shirt off. She had, by some miracle, not really hit puberty until last yearn but her breasts seemed to be making it up in a vengeance and her tight, oppressive sports bra was her only defense against her father's wrath.

Alex tossed her one of his spare sweatshirts and Jack joyfully put it on. Not matter what happened, nothing could ruin her day now. She slid onto the bench, waiting until Alex was in position to lift the bar. Jack grunted but repped the heavy bar once before having him pull a few off on each side.

Alex shot her a wicked smile as he did so. "It's okay Jack, one day you'll no longer be such a weakling."

Jack fought the urge to spit at him, with her luck it would probably just hit her in the face. "One day when you're least expecting it I'm going to smoother you."

"Whoops." Alex said cheerfully as he dropped the bar. Jack let out a squeak as she caught it, staring up at him with wide, hateful eyes.

"Not funny, you bastard."

"Sorry, Jackie-boy." Alex said softly as he pulled the bar off and placed it on the bar. Jack stared up at him, not missing the looks Louis and Joseph shot each other. They knew something, Jack realized, that she didn't. Curiosity bit at her, but she knew better then to ask. But damn did she want to. Alex had been treating her so strangely lately and the almost tender look her was giving her now was freaking her out. Alex looked like he was about to say something but shook his head, his hands mirroring her own as she lifted. Sometimes, just sometimes, Jack got the feeling that her brother liked her a lot more then was allowed to with the 'debt' she owed her family.

Jack licked her lips, holding the bar still for a moment while staring up at her brother. She opened her mouth, determined to make a snide comment to kill the suddenly tense air in the room when the sound of a crashing downstairs caught all of our attentions. Louis looked out the window and cursed, yanking his younger brother up.

"Elder Capp's here. We don't want to be here right now." Before she had a chance to register that her grandfather had arrived her cousins were gone. Alex stole the bar from her weakened grip, shelving it as Jack sat up, staring at the open door in blatant confusion. Slowly she turned to look at her brother, only to find him staring at her with that odd look once again. Jack's head snapped back to the doorway as the sound of arguing erupted downstairs.

Her father never fought with her grandfather. Never.

"Jack," Alex moved in front of her, pulling her to standing with sweaty palms. "Listen, I-"

Jack felt her face drain of color when she recognized her full name being screamed downstairs. Jacklyn? Oh hell, she was really starting to panic now. What was going on? She must have done something really bad. She looked at Alex in full blown fear. He stared back at her, his lips pursing. There was thud, a sudden silence and then the sound of someone charging up the stairs. Her father appeared in the doorway seconds later, leaning on the door knob for support as he shook in rage.

"Out, Alex." Her father's voice shook with his anger, his grip on the door knob turning his knuckles white. Alex stood unmoving at her side, his hand tightening almost painfully around her own.

"Dad," Alex's voice was eerily calm and he watched his father with uncertainly, "Where's Grandpa?"

"Alex," Her father was so worked up Jack thought he might have a heart attack. "Leave. Now."

Alex looked uncertain. "Dad, where is-"

What her father said next, he said very calmly. As if he hadn't just killed the patriarch of the colony. "I cut his lying throat."

With a gasp Alex released Jack's hand, racing from the room. Jack stared at her father, watching in horror as he released the door knob, every bone in his hand cracking as he straightened out his fingers. "You! You want to destroy him! Just like you did me."

"No, Father!" Jack backed away from her approaching father. "I don't even know who you're talking about!" She had seconds to register his movement before the he right hooked her with one of the ten pound weights she'd knocked over earlier. The next thing she knew she was lying on the floor, agony painting white lines across her vision as pain radiated from her jaw.

"I won't let you do it to him! I'll protect my son from you! I won't let you ruin him like you ruined me!" Jack let out a scream as he threw the weight against her shoulder. She tried desperately to reason with him as he towered over her.

"I swear, Father, I didn't do it! I swear it!"

"Shut up!" He pinned her injured shoulder down with his foot, the weight digging into the flesh. "Now don't move, you ungrateful little fuck!"

Jack nodded weakly, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay. It would only make it worse – it only ever made it worse. She watched as her father disappeared from her view, returning moments later with a large, flat weight in his hand. He raised the weight above his head, swaying slightly with the weight.

"I won't let you ruin him!"

Oh god. This was it.

"Stop it!" Alex. He stood at the doorway, covered in blood and staring at their father in something akin to hatred. Her father stared at him, swaying again under the weight.

"I have to do this." His voice was a soft whisper, almost a caress. "For you. Don't realize what he wanted to do to you?"

"I know all about it father," Alex said coldly, not daring to move from his spot in the doorway. "We talked it out last week."

"But you don't understand-"

"I understand completely." He interrupted, his eyes flicking from Jack's crumpled form back to their father. She had never seen the blonde seem so cold, so…dangerous even. "I have no issues with the arrangement."

Father shook his head, raising the weight above his head, lines forming around his eyes in his rage. "You just don't understand!"

Alex made a move for the weight and Jack rolled quickly away, scrambling to her feat and making a mad dash towards the door. The weight slammed into the ground behind her, shaking the whole room and sending painful vibrations across her jaw. A rough hand grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt and yanked her backwards. Jack let out a gasp as she was released violently, Alex wrestling her away from her father. Jack watched in horror as her father pushed Alex hard enough to send him tumbling into a weight rack, his head hitting the remaining stacked weights and went frighteningly limp, laying like a broken doll.

Oh god. Jack didn't even realize she was screaming her brother's name until her father turned to look at her, her lips snapping shut in fear. Almost in slow motion he charged, lowering his head like a football player. Jack spun to the side, pushing with both hands. And it was like something snapped. When he came after her again he met with a twenty pounder to the head. She swung the flat weight like a baseball bat and it connected with a sickening crack. He fell to the floor and before she knew what was happening she was standing over him, slamming the weight against him again and again.

It was a madness – a seemingly unending haze of anger and hate that Jack didn't even know she possessed. Every beating, every moment of shame and want came out of her like a whirlwind of vengeance. She smashed the weight down with every bit of strength she had, over and over again until her arms ached and her throat burned. She'd been screaming, deep and wild and she hadn't even realized it. Painting Jack dropped the weight from to her side and looked down at her father.

Oh god.

There was so much blood. She stumbled backwards, staring at the slick weight on the ground because she was incapable of looking at her father's crushed skull again. Brain matter and some sort of thick, white ooze covered the practice mats – and then there was all the blood. Blood everywhere. All over her, on her hands, her sweat shirt. Everywhere.

"Jesus." The voice was raspy and weak, Jack's head snapped towards the sound and she felt herself pale even more to find Alex awake, staring at their father with wide eyes. "Jackie, what have you done?"

She backed away from him, "I-"

The look in his eyes as he looked up at her caused her voice to disappear. "Run, Jack. Run the hell away."

"What?"

"Get out of here." Alex struggled to stand, leaning heavily on the weight stand and reached out and grabbed the front of her sweat shirt. Jack nearly fell as he yanked her towards him, ripping the hat off his head and nearly slamming it on her own. He gave her the most serious look she'd ever seen on his face as the palm of his hand rested on the back of her neck. "They'll kill you before the police ever get here. Run Jackie-boy, get the hell out of here."

There was a shrill scream from the doorway. Mother stood there, her fist pressed against her lips as she stared at the bloody mess that had once been her husband. She staggered into the room, falling to her knees by her husband. Her hands clutched her head and she began to rock back and forward, a low keening noise escaping her. Jack felt bile rise for a second time at the sight of her mother's pain. Alex pushed her away sharply and Jack sent him one last fleeting glance before she fled. She should have been exhausted from her earlier run, but Jack found herself running faster then she ever had before. She reached the forest in record time, disappearing deeper and deeper into the wooded area.

Branches tore at her skin and clothing but Jack didn't feel it. Adrenalin pumped through her veins, keeping her sprinting at her top speed for a period of time she honestly never dreamed was possible. The ache of her jaw and shoulder were gone. All she knew was that she had to run. She kept hearing Alex's words repeating through her head, 'Run, Jack.' Jack felt her breath come in wheezing gasps, her legs shaking to such an extent that eventually she fell when she tried to take a step. She laid on the muddy, cold grown and let out a sob. She had killed her own father. How could she claim it was in self-defense not after what she'd - the image of her father's semi-flattened skull flashed through her head and Jack rolled on her side, vomiting whatever had been left in her stomach once more.

Jack wiped her mouth with the back of her hand but recoiled when she realized it was still coated with blood. She ran them desperately against the ground, smearing the mud all over her hands until they were dark brown. She didn't care, she just wanted the blood gone. Jack scrapped at them with leaves but it seemed as if nothing would remove the blood from her hands. Sobs escaped her, strong enough to rack her entire body. Oh god! She had killed her father! She had killed her father! The poor man didn't deserve it, he couldn't control the way he was. He was mentally ill for gods sake! And she'd just gone and –

Jack collapsed over in half, screaming her agony into the ground. Oh god, what had she done!

She stayed like that for a while, but the feel of rain on the back of her neck broke her out of her misery and once again she heard her brother's voice urging her to escape. Jack forced herself to stand up, her legs screaming as she made herself limp into a jog. South is school. West was home. East was town. North was safe. She made a sharp right, her brother's voice echoing in her head. North, she had to run North.

And there's the first chapter of the remake! I hope you guys enjoy!