chapter word count: 340

noir heart: twenty-seven

He waits until the front door closes behind her – though, he is darkly amused at her attempt to leave the door slightly ajar to eavesdrop, which was rectified by a rather pointed clearing of his throat – before he taps a certain contact on his smartphone.

One he hasn't called in months, so to say he waits with a deep sense of trepidation isn't too far from the truth. As the dial tone graces his ears like an acoustic gatekeeper – it will either connect, or it won't, he has no control of it either way – he leans his posterior against the Impala's hood while glancing up at the window overlooking the front yard, where Elsa Black efficiently moves back and forth, engaged in a task he can't quite see.

Probably disposing of a body, he notes morbidly.

He starts when the call finally connects with an emotionally deafening click, and there's a moment when his heart shoots to his throat, his lungs still and a thin layer of moisture takes pride of place in his palms.

And his fingers reach into his suit jacket pocket and fondle the wedding ring.

"Hello, Jack! It's been a while."

Her voice is as bright as he remembered it, just like her. Full of the joys of spring, of innocence and wonder. Everything he tried to protect in his career, but slowly drained from her.

Maybe he's better now. Maybe that's why, instead of his voice belonging to the Jack whose cynicism, disillusionment and snark has helped him pull through each day, or the Jack whose cunning, observant and analytical mind allowed him to see through an act of grief and draw out the darkness within an ethereally beautiful blonde…

…his voice belongs to a little boy lost, a bright and cheery young detective before the days of kidnapped children, taunting letters and gravity – when he truly believed that love exalts, heals and strengthens all.

The last vestige of positivity in his jaded heart.

"Hey, Rapunzel."

theonlyreason: wooooaaaaah that's a lot of reviews! Thanks! :D As for your most recent one, the next update should shed some more light.
yuyui hime: I'm really pleased you're enjoying it so much!
oninoko: indeed, but you know what's about to happen :P As for the Impala, YES. That car is ALL kinds of sexy - also, Jack and Hiccup or Jack and Bunny Supernatural AU?
k.j. mcdaniel: you didn't - and you're right. There's nothing new under the sun, nowadays.
jpbake: yup, she is. Chapter 2 mentions it (albeit briefly).
stefalove: I kinda miss it too. S'why I have this Jack driving an Impala, as a sort of nod to it.

um...yeah. Still working on OGaV - "What You Are in the Dark", but due to a severe lack of motivation it's taking its time as well as a rather tough family issue. Also, shout-out to OniNoKo for generally being awesome.