It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow - Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas
Three months since Hazara came and left, and Christmas was around the corner. Everyone was in the spirit except for Jake. His memories were haunting him. Years pass he remembered the pain, and the sadness, still so heavy. Lately he's been having a hard time remembering it. Guess, those years of being hit in the head finally doing wonders.
Of course, he looked like same to everyone else. Yep, the same old dumbass amazedly still kicking a lot of ass. Cyborg still kicked his ass at videos games. The only person who might have had a clue was Raven with her empathy. Currently he didn't want her help this time unless he gets overwhelmed like usual. This was something he wanted to do on his own. Something Raven couldn't fix within his mind. Well, she didn't use a gun. He lucked out that she didn't stumble upon his memories. Witnessing what he's seen. Everyone in the world loved Christmas and Jake was being the Grinch.
"Hey Jake, you in there," said Terra say waving her hand in front of his face.
Blinking, he realized she was talking to him.
"Huh, what, sorry," I said confused.
Shaking her head, "Come on, you, me and Jinx are working security at the mall while the other Titans play Santa's elves."
How could he forget? Nightwing had told him just this morning. The Teen Titans were to act as Santa's elves at the mall once or twice during the season. They didn't want Terra, Jinx, and Jake to join in. Many didn't know Terra, Jinx are still remembered as a theft, and Jake may have to rush off in case of a demon sighting. So they got stuck looking for pickpockets and such.
"Yea, sorry, my mind wandered for a bit, you go ahead with Jinx," he said heading towards the garage, "I'll meet you two there."
"Um, Jake," said Jinx causing him to look at her, "forgetting something?" pointing to the table where Jake was sitting,
It was his pistol and keys.
Revealing a shit-eating grin, "Sorry, I guess my mind hasn't wandered back yet," grabbing them.
"You've been doing that quite a bit, Jake," asked Terra, "everything ok with you?"
Shrugging it off, "Yea, I'm fine." And he left before they could ask anything more.
The night Chicago died
Na-na na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
The night Chicago died
Brother what a night it really was
Brother what a fight it really was
Glory be! - Paper Lace
Christmas day was here quicker then it seemed. At least to Beast Boy and Starfire, especially once she was told just what the holiday meant, reminded them constantly. Today was a day for celebration. Jake couldn't smile. He hadn't seen the Titans all day.
He left before sunrise without eating. He didn't want anybody asking him questions.
Sitting all day at Scraps, the only other person there was the owner. His nineteen old daughter went to her mother's for the winter. He wanted the company for the day, even if Jake didn't say a word.
Sitting at his normal booth with his heavy army coat on, he had free range of the bar as long as he didn't drink it all. He sat there with the same bottle of whiskey for the entire day, just thinking. He needed couple to get his brain cells working. Finally, around sundown, he left. Going to the one place he almost never went to, Jump City cemetery.
He couldn't see their graves physically just being there made him feel closer to them.
It was on Christmas day, that the demons had attacked his home town, killing his friends, his family, and his girlfriend at the time.
He remembered that day clearly. He couldn't remember their faces well though. His grandparents were visiting from Oregon and were staying for a few days. He was gone for the day to surprise Tiffany Murdock, who was nineteen, and was on cheer squad during high school. What did she see in him? His parents liked her even though her home life wasn't the greatest. A drunk for a mother and a father that was never there. She was spending the holiday with them.
After opening presents, the two of them were in his room watching TV when a bulletin came up. They didn't believe it as the announcer announced the attacks taking place all over the world being described as "the work of the devil." Since he was part of Chicago PD, his dad got the call. They needed the extra manpower.
Recalling the crash from the living room that drew his attention from the lips of Tiffany, he rushed from his room with Tiffany following him. Seeing his grandmother on the ground with her head 180 degrees turned, he saw a beast on top of his mother ripping her apart with its claws. Even without training, he shoved Tiffany back into his room and told her to close the door and hide. Jake rushed towards his parents bedroom for the shotgun his dad kept there. When Jake came out armed, his grandfather had a knife trying to stab the thing only to get his throat pierced by its hidden tail.
Screaming, Jake fired at the beast. It didn't feel anything. Lifting its face, it sniffed the air. Jumping up the stair in one bound, not even paying attention to Jake, it crash into his room. He fired the second round into it. Again the tail came out, it stabbed Jake in his shoulder. It hit him with such force that it sent Jake flying back slamming into the wall, knocking him out cold.
Waking up, the thing was gone. Blood everywhere. Staring into his room, he saw nothing but gore. Seeing her detached head that's when Jake knew Tiffany was dead. The sight of it caused Jake to throw up whatever he had for breakfast. Backing up, he shouted out for help. Noticing his grandfather standing back up and coming up the stairs, Jake tried to get him to talk considering he still had the knife from earlier in his hand. He didn't responded just walking towards Jake. Cutting a deep gash into his arm, Jake used a shotgun round to drop his own grandfather.
Later he found out the entire Chicago Police Force had been killed. Not one survivor. It was the first demon attack he saw. Two days later, he was the only survivor and began his long path to be a demon hunter.
Remembering those events, he followed a dirt path in the graveyard, until he reached a church. Looking up, he saw that there was light coming from the inside. His ears detected no Christmas carols or anything that most other places would have going for today. Feeling cold, he could use some warmth and silence. Opening the door which moaned, he entered.
"Good evening, my son," said a priest entering from a side room, "may I help you?"
Dressed in older robes which an older man, didn't surprise him.
"If it's alright father," said Jake, "I just came in to think for awhile."
The priest nodded his approval. Walking between the pews, Jake took a seat up front, near the alter, and thought. This will be awhile.
Don't hearing the priest approaching until he, "Are you sure I can't help you with something?"
Sitting there, he saw the priest turning to leave.
"Is it wrong to forget, Father?" bring the priest's attention onto him, "Is it wrong to forget your family after so much, living with nothing but the memory of their deaths. Not even seeing the good times or even their faces," rubbing his arm, "Is it wrong to forget."
Sitting beside Jake, "No, it's not wrong, my son. As long as you remember that they loved you and that you loved them."
"But how can I…if I can't remember what they were like," Jake wondered, "what if I can't remember them?"
Sighing, "I'm afraid that I cannot help you see them again, but as I said, as long as you remember their love for you, you will remember them," looking at Jake, "but I believe young hunter, that you have a new, rather large family," seeing Jake's shock, "you do gods work my son," holding his hand up, "defending the innocent at your own expense. Don't think we, the men of the cloth, haven't heard of your deeds. And we also know of the many friends you have," placing his hand on Jake's shoulder, "Your friends are your family now, and though they may not love you as your parents did, they still care for you a great deal," squeezing Jake's shoulder, "just remember, you family is watching you from heaven, and as long as you remember their love, they will protect you and watch you always."
Smiling, it seemed like talking to this priest was helping Jake's soul. Truthfully, Jake didn't believe in god. He did believe that remembering how much his friends had become his family. How they would all help each other, die for each other, cry in each other's arms.
Smiling, "Thank you, father," Jake said with a teardrop forming in his eye, "I'm just afraid, I guess, that if I forget my family, I'll forget while I really am I fighting for."
"And why do you fight?"
"To keep families together, to not let children live in a world without their mother and father," Jake replied.
Smiling, "Then don't be afraid, for they must have taught you well to give you the strength for such a noble task."
"Yea," staring at the statue above the alter, "they did."
Revived memories flooded through his mind, he could remember their faces. His father's, firm and caring. His mother's, happy and loving. Tiffany's, laughing and smiling just being with him. Remembering the harassment he gave his dad about his gray hair. Helping his mother in the kitchen. Cooking with her on holidays and such. His first kiss with Tiffany. Her soft lips tasting of strawberries.
Other faces appeared. First time he ran into Inuyasha and how they fought because he was so thick headed so was Jake. Finally they put their differences aside. How well they worked off each other in a fight. The first time he meet Dante. How he started Jake down the road of a gunslinger, and how well he learned from Dante. No wonder Jake sucks.
His friends were his family now, and he would never forget them.
"Thank you, father," Jake said with a smile, "I can see them now, all of them."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King! - Hark! The herald angels sing.
Returning to the Tower late, "Merry Christmas," greeted Nightwing.
"And New Year," followed Raven.
"Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus," from Starfire. She going to need some work.
"Where were you?" asked Nightwing.
"Finding some Christmas spirit," said Jake smiling.
Opening his presents which he didn't expect anything, he did get them something just nothing in return. Terra got him a sharpening stone for his claws from Terra. Special gloves from Nightwing with a metal in the knuckle but could still spread apart for Jake's claws. Cyborg and Beast Boy sprung for a game station of his own to practice with. Jinx got him a full-length trench coat that would look better on Jake then something shorter. Starfire had made a batch of harden something from her home, which he avoided till she was out of sight.
Raven gave him a book on the ways to kill magical creatures so he didn't need to shoot everything he ran across. He haven't read pass the table of contents yet.
It was one in the morning when they finally crashed for the night.
All through Titan's Tower nothing was stirring expect for that scream that caused Jake to jump up from his bed. Wide awake and listening.
A loud second scream caused Jake to grab his gun from the drawer of his end table and made a dash from his room to find the source. The screams came from Raven's room.
The other Titans got there before Jake, but they didn't dare enter her room. Since Jake being who he was, yeah common sense wasn't his strong point, he opened the door, went in, and closed it behind him.
"Raven," moving next to her bed.
She was curled up in a ball, clutching her head as if in pain. Embracing her, she wrapped her arms around him.
"Jake," she screamed, "he's back, he's back and he stronger then before. I can feel him."
Trying to calm her down, "Who's back?" asked Jake.
She looked up at me and right into my eyes, "Marcus, he has returned, and I can feel his strength."
