With A Dad Like Jack…
Summary: After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?
Disclaimer: I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.
Chapter Seven
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Katy stared at him in disgust. The shiny, metallic blade stared at her.
"What do you mean?" Jackson was confused. Isn't this what she wanted? To know that he was safe?
"Okay, tell me this. If you got pulled over by the police for… I don't know, speeding. And they had to search you, and they found that, what do you think would happen?" Jack tried to speak, but she wouldn't let him. "I'll tell you what would happen. You probably end up branded as a monster, an even bigger monster than you already have been called. If that's possible. People would speculate about you. You would get fines. People might even try to pin recent deaths on you."
"Right, Katy. I get it." He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to leave.
"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done talking to you."
"Don't talk to me like that. I'm your father and don't you forget it." He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes colder than usual, and his voice sinister.
Katy knew that she had triggered something and she suddenly became scared. She couldn't help but stare at him.
"You are a monster." She whispered.
She ran to the back door, Jackson ran after her.
"Katy, Katy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, be like that." When he got to the door, she was fumbling with the keys. "Please don't run away from me." As he held onto her arm, she dropped the keys onto the floor.
"Don't touch me." She escaped from his grip and picked up the keys.
"You know me, you know that I wouldn't hurt you." He tried to plea with her, but she wouldn't take it.
"And I know that there is a side of you, that would just love to stick that K-bar of yours into my back and tear the flesh." She turned to look at him. Her eyes were sad, scared and confused. She was starting to cry.
"No. Never." He shook his head.
"I can't keep living in this house, while that," she pointed to his hip, "is still here. So either get rid of it, or get rid of me. Your choice." She walked past him. "By the way, you have a date tonight. I suggest you go."
"You really expect me to go, after what's just happened?"
"Jack. Go." She turned around and looked at him with a hard stare. She wasn't asking him to go, she was telling him.
He sat in his bedroom, listening to the sound of Katy backing out of the driveway. The gravel crunched under the rubber tyres. Jack got up and opened his wardrobe. His hand pressed against the back of it, looking for the tiny button. It was his secret hiding place, where he kept all his weapons. Surprisingly, Katy's mom wasn't a fan of knives either.
Once he pressed it, the back became loose and was able to be pushed back. Behind the wooden panel were grooves in the wall, grooves that were the shapes of all his weapons. And there was one groove empty; the K-bar groove. He pulled the knife out of his holster and placed it back inside hastily. Was this really a good idea? What if he did need the protection?
Jackson couldn't ponder about his choices for too long, he had to keep Katy happy and go on this stupid date. All he was told was the place, and the time. He didn't even know what this girl looked like, or if it really was a girl. He got his best shirt on and accompanied it with a pair of navy trousers. He looked at himself in the mirror and gave himself a reassuring smile. "You can do this. It's just a date. Not marriage."
He sat in the small bistro, looking around anxiously. He didn't really want to go on this blind date, but he didn't want to be stood up either. Maybe she got scared off because, well he used to be a monster. Jack glanced at everyone, some were staring and some didn't even acknowledge his existence. He sighed and stood up. He watched the door for a moment, just to see if she had arrived yet. When he knew that she hadn't, he quickly walked into the men's room and sat in a cubicle.
"What am I even doing here? I'm too old for this crap." He stared at himself in the mirror. He washed the newly formed sweat off his hands and dried them with hard movements that dug into his skin. His hands were red, mostly because he had waited until the water was scolding hot. It was his thing, it settled him. In jail the water was always cold; the scolding hot water was another luxury he loved having.
In the back of Jack's mind, he believed he was going to be stood up. The few minutes that he had to wait felt like hours that kept dragging on, and on. His nerves had finally begun to sink in. He believed that he wasn't ready for a serious relationship, or a date. And that's when a waiter approached him.
"Sir," Jackson looked up at the small, bald man, "your guest has arrived."
Jackson stood up and looked over his shoulder, towards the entrance. There she was, the woman that he had met only a few nights ago. It was Dawn.
"Well, well, well. When my nephew said he had a date lined up, I didn't expect it to be you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and squeezed his bicep briefly.
"You look good." He pulled her chair out for her and pushed it in once she sat down. "Very good."
"You don't look too bad yourself." She smiled. Dawn picked up her menu and flicked through it. "I didn't think that you'd be into the whole… Blind dating scene."
"My daughter set me up. I didn't expect you to be looking for a date after last night." Jack watched her, intrigued by her. He could tell that she was playing hard to get, but he just loved watching her do it.
"Well, you didn't really make an impression." She lied smoothly. Jackson didn't know that she had been thinking about him all day, and she wouldn't let him know. It would just boost his ego.
Jack smirked. "Don't worry, I will soon."
"And what makes you think I'll let you slip back into my bed?" she raised an eyebrow and leaned forward.
"I can be very convincing."
Katy sat in her car, at the side of a busy highway. She didn't know when to go back. Should she go back home, or rent a motel room? Katy wasn't feeling the best, she was tired and nauseous; also her period was late. It wasn't unusual. It had happened before. She just thought that she had a bug. Although there were suspicions in the back of her mind that she was pregnant. But I've been so careful.
She parked her car in the driveway and grabbed her handbag from the passenger seat. The lights were off; no one was home. Her grandmother decided to play bowls with her friends, and her dad was probably out on his date. Katy got out of the car and walked slowly to the door. It was pitch black outside, and she struggled to find the door. She played with the key, trying to get it into the key hole. When she did she stepped inside quickly and flicked on the light switch. She hated the dark.
In the key bowl there was a note. She didn't see it at first, but when she did she read it.
Katy, if you're reading this, then I guess you came home. There are no more weapons in the house. I'm sorry if I scared you, but you have to know that I want to protect you and your grandmother at all costs. You are all I have left; I never want to lose you. Please accept my apology. Dad.
She smiled a little and put the note in her pocket. She walked upstairs, gripping onto the railing, almost pulling herself up as she went up. Katy stepped into the bathroom and set her bag on the counter. She rummaged through it until she found the long, box she was looking for; a pregnancy test.
As she took it, she couldn't help but think about what having a baby would do to her relationships with those around her. Would Josh leave? Would her grandmother be disappointed in her? Would Jack even support her? She needed to tell Josh. She wanted him to be here when she read the results.
She dialled his number quickly. "Come on, pick up." She whispered.
"Katy, it's late. What do you want?" he sounded sleepy, like she had just waked him up.
"I'm taking a pregnancy test."
"What?" he sounded a little excited, but tried to cover it up.
"I need you to come here. I don't want to read the results alone."
"Yeah, I'll be there in ten. Can you wait that long?"
"I suppose. Just hurry."
The restaurant started to become emptier and emptier, but Jack and Dawn didn't notice. They were too busy laughing and drinking. It was almost closing time, but they weren't ready to say goodbye to each other.
"Do you… Want to come back to my place?" she slurred.
"I knew I'd get you back to bed." Jackson's arrogance had heightened due to the mixture of vodka and whiskey.
Dawn laughed loudly and rested her hands on his. "Who said that you were going to get into my bed?"
"I can just tell."
"I'm making no promises buddy." She stood up and grabbed her small bag. "I'll pay for the drinks, you can buy the rest."
She pulled a twenty dollar note from her purse and slammed it onto the table. She watched him take out his wallet as she stood unsteadily, one hand on the table supporting her weight. Once Jack set his money down they walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand.
A:N I can't believe I haven't updated this in two months. I've actually missed writing this. I can't wait until the next chapter; I think it'll be easier to write. You'll probably know what's going to happen, but unless you don't, I won't spoil it.
