A Nightmare Remembered Chapter XII: Into the Past

Jack's head rested in his hands as he heard about his life and Wallace's part in it. Wallace spun an amazing tale, that Jack could hardly be pressed to believe. It seemed Wallace to pleasure in reciting his and Jack's history, perhaps he was happy to have someone to listen to his story. Finally Jack had a question.

"So after I died and…Eve died…my parents employed your grandfather?" Jack asked skeptically, however not in sense that he didn't believe Wallace or that he thought his parents were harsh people, he just couldn't believe how fantastical it all was. Wallace nodded.

"Yes, well after my grandfather came of age, he came to your parents for a job. Your parents were wonderful people, Jack. They took him into this home and taught him a trade. He became in charge of the Skellington estate eventually and then after your parents passed away, they left the manor and its possessions to him. And so he took care of this place, but however he didn't live here…" Wallace said.

"Why not?" asked Jack. Wallace shrugged.

"He would only say that it didn't feel right…he mentioned he felt too much sadness here…anyway to hurry along my story, my grandfather married, had my mother, who then married and had me…my grandfather left this estate to me after he died. He said that I was only one who understood this place and would 'know what to do'. At the time I thought he was just a crazy old coot, but now…well with everything that has happened I'm not inclined to thinking that way anymore, although, I don't see how he could have even known about all this, unless maybe it's just an old person thing…I wouldn't know, I'm not old." Wallace said with a grin on his face. Jack chuckled.

"So your grandfather was Eve's brother, but then she also had another brother?" Jack said scratching his head. Wallace nodded.

"Yes my great-uncle Christian and that's where I found the connection! You see I was pouring over some old photos and a document of the family tree and that's when I noticed my great-uncle had had two sons. You see my grandfather and his brother were immensely close until my grandmother died and then at that time my grandfather would talk to almost no one…except me. So they lost contact sadly and that's why it took me until now to realize Eve was related to me. Apparently my grandfather missed his brother and kept all the documents and photos of the family showing who Christian's sons were. One of them had a son of his own and named him after my great-uncle, who by that time had died. This son is Eve's father." Wallace said and reached for a book.

"Here look for yourself. Eve is the daughter of her brothers great grandson….which is entirely to odd to even fathom, much less say." Wallace scoffed. Jack took the book and turned to the bookmarked page and scanned over Eve's family tree. It was there, plain as anything. Eve was at the top and the bottom and after that nothing.

"Christian's father, my cousin, died not too long after Eve was born, and then not too long after that, Chris and his wife Gwenivere died in a car accident…I honestly don't know what happened to Eve after that, but I'm sure it hasn't been easy…it saddens me you know?" Wallace added.

"What does?"

"Maybe, if I had kept up with my family, kept in touch, I could have helped her after that hard time." Wallace said sadness evident in his voice. Jack nodded.

"I should have been there for her the entire time, but…" Jack trailed off.

"You did everything you could have Jack, you died with her name on your lips practically! You were trying to save her! Yes you were killed, but at least now you are together….erm, well I mean…" Wallace stuttered. Jack set aside the book and stared at the ground. He shook his head as if to shake off his feelings.

"By the way…this might be a long shot…but do you know who killed me?" Jack asked pleadingly. Wallace's eyes got wide.

"Well…yes, but I don't kn-"

"Please tell me." Jack said earnestly. Wallace sighed.

"I don't suppose you remember a man named Thaddeus?" he asked. Jack thought for a minute and then shook his head. "I thought not, at any rate…he's who killed you…a gunshot to the heart." Wallace said, his voice getting quieter. Jack looked as his feet and let out a small sigh. Suddenly Wallace spoke up again.

"Jack…Thaddeus was your brother." He mumbled. Jack's head snapped back up and he looked incredulously at Wallace.

"M-my brother?" Jack said breathlessly. Wallace nodded and sipped at his tea, which was now becoming cold. Jack put a hand to his forehead, he was suddenly feeling dizzy. Wallace noticed Jack's change in demeanor.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Jack nodded, trying to catch his breath, which clearly had been taken away by this new piece of knowledge. Jack had no memory of his brother, but he knew they obviously had not been very close. The sheer fact his brother had killed him though was enough to make his new stomach turn in disgust because as far as he knew brothers were supposed to love and be there for one another. He couldn't fathom how someone could be so intentionally cruel. Once again Wallace spoke, this time even more softly.

"Jack…" the words barely fell from his lips. Jack looked at Wallace and suddenly knew what he was going to say. He shook his head. "He killed Eve too." Jack jolted out of his chair, causing it to topple a bit.

"No. NO! W-why….I don't understand…" Jack began to mumble excitedly. Wallace got up from his chair as well and attempted to calm Jack down.

"From what I gather he was just a bad person, Jack. He was defiant, rude, and manipulative from the beginning. You tried your best to love him and help him, but he was beyond help and the love your parents had for you above him….well it didn't help. In the end…you all paid for it, even him." Wallace stated quickly. Jack gave him a sideways glance.

"He was captured a week after you deaths…he admitted, or rather gloated to his cell mate that he had killed his brother, you, and his fiancée, Eve. I'm sorry Jack…at any rate; he committed suicide in prison and was tossed into a burlap sack and burned in his grave. After that, you parents lived quietly within society and spent their time with my grandfather…they later died within a week of each other from illness….I'm so so sorry Jack. But you must know they loved you." Wallace said soothingly. Jack buried his face in his hands and shook his head.

"There was no reason…no reason he had to kill Eve! Had he been angry with me, he shouldn't have released that anger out on me! He should have left her out of it!" Jack said raising his voice to Wallace as if he was the one who killed Eve. He just stared back at Jack helplessly; he knew there was nothing he could say right now that would make him feel better. Jack paced feverishly, back and forth, muttering things angrily under his breath, before finally he just couldn't take the thought of it anymore.

"I need some air." Jack said quickly and rushed out of the house and into the gardens. He continued to pace for a great long while, infuriated and sorrowful all at once. He had realized that he had failed Eve more than once. He wanted to rush over to her and beg her forgiveness, but he wondered if he should even continue to pursue her at this point. He thinking was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway. Jack peered to see who the driver was, but before he could spot them, he realized that he recognized the car as Benjamin's.

Jack felt a wave of panic befall him; he had left the Starbucks so abruptly and without reason that it only made sense that Benjamin would be curious of Jack's situation, but the fact that Benjamin didn't even know him all that well and yet still cared about his well-being, made Jack feel all the worse. Jack looked frantically for somewhere else to be or perhaps he could think of a good reason to tell Benjamin why he left earlier, but nothing happened and Jack simply stood there, dumbfounded, until Benjamin exited the car and approached him.

"Jack!" he said waving in Jack's direction. Jack pulled on his collar and gave him a small grin in return.

"Hi Benjamin." He said, feeling quite small.

"What happened to you? Everyone was concerned when you left so fast! Who was that man you went with?" Benjamin asked, inspecting Jack's reaction. Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

"I do apologize-erm, well I mean; I'm sorry…it's just something needed my attention urgently…oh and that man is my…erm, uncle." Jack lied. Benjamin looked a little dubious, but nodded all the same.

"Yeah, well the group said if you wanted to try again and meet up with them some other time, they would be down." Benjamin said. Jack frowned.

"Down." He repeated. Benjamin nodded.

"Yeah, you know they would like to see you again, meet you properly."

"Oh yes, I see. I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired." Jack said, rubbing his temples absent-mindedly. Benjamin stepped away a bit.

"I'm sorry, I can go. We just wanted to make sure you were okay." He said, jabbing his thumb towards the car. Jack gulped.

"We?" he mumbled. Benjamin nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, my fiancée and I, I told her about you. She suggested we check up on you. Here, I'll introduce you." He said and made his way back towards the car, motioning for Jack to follow. Jack felt himself tremble a bit, he had never been so nervous, but he found his feet moving with Benjamin's, because as much as he didn't want to face Eve, he wanted her to see him. Jack could see Eve through the car window; she was reading something on her phone. Benjamin knocked on the window and she grinned and opened the door.

"Hey!" she said breathlessly. "Sorry I was just…erm, things." She cut herself of charmingly. Benjamin slid his arm around her waist, which made Jack's heart sink a bit.

"Eve, this is Jack. He ran out before you guys got a chance to meet. Jack, Eve." Benjamin said, unknowingly introducing two people who couldn't be more familiar with each other, or at least, used to be. In a second, Jack swallowed his nerves and extended a hand out to Eve.

"It's quite a pleasure to meet you Eve." He said in an almost pleading way. Eve smiled and was about to grab Jack's hand until she caught full sight of him. She hesitated and for a moment, it seemed as if her breath was taken from her. Finally she slid her hand into Jack's and he couldn't help feel unearthly warmth, a spark and a chill the moment she touched him and he wondered if she felt it too. Her face revealed nothing of a mutual feeling and she quickly swiped her hand away from his.

"It's nice to meet you…Jack."