Written By: xxPyRaxx
Chapter Four
The Truth Comes Out
She didn't know how long she was in her prison chamber but she was back in school. She went down the hallway, hissing with each step she made. To her, the hallway seemed to stretch out for miles. Like it was the never ending hallway or something. When she finally made it to her locker, she opened it up and started to put her books away. She had to hiss, each time she moved on of her limbs.
"You okay?" a soft concerned voice asked from beside her. She recognized that voice. It belonged to Dean Winchester.
"Y-yeah, still sore from yesterday" she hissed as she closed her shoulder bag up.
"Yesterday?" Dean asked "What happened yesterday?"
She looked up at him "Yesterday was when you saved me from the school bullies, remember?" she made a major his when she stood up and put her bag on her shoulders. God, her body was so sore.
Dean looked at her like she just grew two more heads "Jack that was nearly a week ago. You haven't been to school since than."
Jack gulped. She must have been locked in that room longer than she thought.
She quickly locked her locker back up and said "I gotta go" and quickly turned to leave to go to her first class. Oh god. A week. Her father left her in there nearly a week!
"Wait up, Jackie!" Dean called and he ran after her.
Her paced slowed and within seconds he caught up to her side.
"What?" she asked. Didn't mean to sound rude but she wasn't really in the mood.
"What's wrong?" he asked putting a hand on her arm to make her stop and she hissed when his fingers touched her fresh bruises "Sorry" he took is hand off.
"Nothing, nothing's wrong. I'm fine" she answered rather quickly and she adjusted the strap on her bag on her shoulder again followed by a wince.
"No, Jackie. You're not. Is it the bullies, cause it it's them than I'll pound them" her told her and he meant it.
Jack looked at him surprised. No one has ever said that to her before. It felt awakward but in a weird way it felt nice "Y-you would do that for me?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Dean asked.
She looked away before looking back at him "I-It's just that nobody ever said that to me. I-I just wanted to know that it's true."
"Of course it's true. Why would you think that?"
Okay, he was asking too many questions. Gotta get him off track or he'll find out.
"Did we have any homework yesterday?" she asked quickly.
"Uh yeah, page 96 questions 1, 3. 5. 6 and 10 in our math textbook and we need to show all of our work" Dean answered "And don't think we're dropping this. Jack this is important. You haven't been to school for almost a week and you didn't even know. What's going on?"
"Nothing's going on" she told him "I- I just can't remember things very well."
"Jack, you can remember complicated equations in math and remember scientific equations and you're telling me that you can't remember when a week is over?"
"Is something going on at home?" Dean asked suddenly.
"When she asked that question she almost dropped her book bag "No." Oops. She said that to fast.
"Don't lie to me. If it wasn't the bullies who gave you most of those bruises than who gave them to you?"
Oh god. If her father was going to locker in her dungeon for god knows how long plus a beating if her he found out that she was talking to someone.
"I gotta go, I shoudn't even be talking to you."
"Wait, why?" Dean demanded and he grabbed her by her arm and she winced.
Jack sighed. She was going to get a beating anyway. She led him over to a janitor closet and closed the door behind her.
"You promise not to tell a living soul what I'm gonna tell you?" she whispered.
Dean nodded "I promise, but why are we whispering?"
Honestly, she didn't know why. Habit she guessed.
"Some of my bruises did come from Thomas and his gang but most of these came from..." she trailed off when she heard a familiar voice.
"Oh street rat, where are you hiding?" it was Thomas' voice.
Jack cringed when she heard the nickname the gang gave her. Street rat. They called her that because of how she dresses. Old worn out jeans that have holes and dirty old shirts that mostly were too big for her and because of her bruises. To their eyes, she was an easy target.
"We're not gonna hurt you, just roughen you up a bit" Derrick added and the other laughed.
Jack slowly back away from the door trying to make as little sound as possible.
"Jack?" Dean whispered.
She put a finger to her lips indicating that he shouldn't speak and to be silent. If she was a street rat than street rats shouldn't be heard. And most of all helped.
"C'mon street rat, get out here" Thomas said impatiently.
"Maybe she's in the English department" Derrick suggested.
"Alright, let's go hunt her down" Thomas said than they were gone.
God, that gang scared her a lot. But not as much as her dad.
Jack quietly went up to the door and poked her head out to make sure that they were really gone, they were.
She turned back to Dean who was watching her.
"Okay, we can go now. They're gone" she still whispered and she slipped out of the closet with Dean behind her.
"Okay, what were you going to tell me?" Dean asked they walked towards their math class.
"Uh, nothing" she responded "Let's just get to math class, before we're late."
They sat in their assigned seats. Thomas and his crew sat around one specific girl. None other than Jacklynn with Dean sitting off to the side. Ever since he knew that something was going on and that she was the one that was getting bullied, he's been keeping a careful eye on her just like his little brother.
They whole class had to write notes on the Pythagorean Theory from the blackboard and into their notebooks. Thomas who was sitting behind her looked at each of his gang members before taking the gum that he's been chewing, out of his mouth, and sticking in her hair on the back of her head.
Jack stopped writing down the notes and felt the back of her head. She felt her hair be pulled apart and than some pressure.
Her eyes grew wide as she felt what she's been looking for.
Thomas and his crew snickered at her discomfort.
"Miss. Montgomery" Mrs. Matthews, their math teacher said "Is something wrong?"
"N-no" she stammered "But could I go to the restroom, please?"
"I guess so" Mrs. Matthews replied and Jack got up and ran to the bathroom with the taunting snickers still in her mind.
When she figured that she was alone in the girls' room, she let the tears that she was holding, go.
She looked in the mirror and found a broken girl's reflection who was crying. It wasn't that her skin was broken or that Thomas stuck his gum in her hair. It was that her heat and mind were broken. Ever since she was old enough to talk, her father has been abusing her. Not just physically but verbally too. He shot down her dreams and wishes. He shot down her abilities and skills. To her father, she was nothing. Like scum. No, lower than scum. Her father also shot her confidence now to absolute nothing. She was like a lost soul, a soul that just couldn't find its way back to her core. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe her dad was right.
Pretty soon she was sobbing her heart out. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take all of the abuse anymore. She fell to her knees and hugged herself. She wanted it all to stop. All the hurt and all the pain. She just wanted to feel numb so she couldn't feel anything anymore. She was consumed in her pain that she didn't notice that the door opened and Dean came in until he called her name.
"Jackie, you okay?" his voice was so soft, like when he would talk to Sam when he was little.
Jack took in a breath before wiping her tears from her eyes and looking at him.
"What are you doing in the bathroom?" her voice still shaky.
"Seeing if you were okay, you ran out of the class in a hurry" he answered.
"I-I'm fine, Dean" she pushed herself up onto her feet again "Go back to class."
"Not until I know that you're okay" he said firmly "What happened in class. Jackie?"
"Nothing. Thomas just put his gum in my hair" she answered as she tired to find it again.
"Come here, and I'll get it out" he told her.
She came over to him and he looked all over for it. He found it 5 minutes later. Thomas' gum was stuck in the roots of her hair. It was going to be hard to get out.
"Jackie, the only way to get the gum out is to cut it" he told her.
She turned and looked at him in the eyes "What? N-no, we can't cut it." She loved her hair. She thought it was her best feature.
"Just the gum, nothing more. C'mon, I'll take you to me and Sammy's apartment at lunch and get the gum out."
When lunch came around, Dean and Jack got Sam from his class and they headed to their apartment.
Sam and Dean's apartment wasn't too far away from the school, only about a 10 minute walk.
"So why are we going to the apartment?" Sam asked as he walked beside his older brother with Jack beside him.
"Because Thomas put gum in her hair and we're gonna get it out" Dean answered.
"Why'd he do that?" Sam asked Jack.
"Because he doesn't like me" she answered quietly.
"Why not?" Sam was at the age when he asked a lot of questions.
"I-I don't know" she said again.
She left her shoulder bag in her lock and her books too so she had nothing to clutch onto so she crossed her arms across her chest almost like she was hugging herself.
"Why wouldn't anyone like you, Dean does" Sam blurted out and that cause Dean to give his brother a sharp look.
What did Sam mean that 'Dean liked her'? Did Dean like her as a friend or more?
Dean opened the door of the apartment and led Jack and his brother in.
"Hey, Sammy go get me a pair of scissors. And don't run back with them." Dean requested as he headed for the kitchen "C'mon" he said to Jack and she followed him into the kitchen.
Dean took a chair from the table and placed it in front of the sink.
"Sit" he ordered, and she did instantly. He didn't mean for it to come out like an order.
He got her to lean forward and he searched for the gum.
"Aha" Dean muttered when he found the hidden gum. He had to admit it was in there good. It was all tangled and stuck to the hair near her head.
"Sammy? Did you find the scissors yet?" Dean asked his brother.
"No, I don't know where they are" Sam called back.
"Get the ones in the first-aid kit than" Dean responded.
He saw his baby brother move from one room to the bathroom.
Sam returned with the pair of scissors from the first-aid kit and handed them to his brother.
"Okay, Jackie" Dean said to the red head "Don't move" and he began to cut it out.
Dean was extra careful to not cut the back of her neck.
"Sammy go watch some TV, while I finish up" Dean suggested and his attention went back to Jack's hair problem.
"Okay, call me when you're done" and than Sammy was gone.
But what the two brothers didn't know was that behind her red hair, she was silently crying. The tears slowly came down her cheeks but she didn't make a sound. Trying so hard to stay quite so Sam and Dean didn't find out how weak and pathetic she is.
No matter how hard she tried not to make noise, Dean still heard her.
"Jackie, what's wrong?" he asked, his tone soft as he kneeled down in front of her. Jack slowly looked up at him, with tears still streaming down her face. Finally, Dean saw for what she really was. Beautiful. Her gorgeous watery ocean blue eyes, bloody red lips and messy fire red hair. But he also saw sadness in her eyes. Miraculous sad eyes that made his heart ache. Out of all the girls he went out with, she was the most beautiful. Why would a beautiful girl be in so much pain? "Why are you crying?" he tried again.
Her answer kind of shocked him "I-I don't know" and she bowed her head in shame.
Seeing his baby brother cry was one thing but seeing her cry was another.
"It's okay" he cupped her chin in his hand "It's alright."
She looked into her eyes and found something that she hasn't seen in a long time. Love.
Dean carefully wiped her tears with his them. Their gazes locked on each others. Dean, ever so slowly, leaned in towards her but hesitated when he saw her move back a bit. She seemed to be searching in his eyes for something before she slowly leaned in a tiny bit. Their lips were almost touching. While she held in a breath, she felt Dean's breath on her lips before they leaned in further and their lips touched each others.
Dean didn't kiss her hard at first, just slow and gentle. Jack never felt anything like this before, well it was her first kiss after all. She liked....no loved the feeling, it was magical. And she had to admit, Dean was a really good kisser. Jack felt Dean's hand on the side of her face. She gave out a little squeak of terror and Dean stopped his hand. Even though the kiss was powerful all she could hear was her father's voice, but what she didn't know was that tears were still coming down her cheeks again. Dean pulled away from the kiss.
"Why are you crying?" his tone was light, soft and so encouraging.
The next thing that came out of her mouth came shocked Dean "You can't love me."
"Why not?"
Her answer came out strong through her now clenched teeth "Because no one can love a street rat."
Her answer wasn't what scared Dean, it was her tone. It was strong, full of venom and she said it like she really believed it. And she did. She did with everything she had.
Sam must have heard here because he came into the room and asked "What's a street rat?"
Jack didn't answer, just thanked Dean for getting the gum out than hurried back to school.
"Did I say something wrong?" Sam wondered.
"No, Sammy" Dean told him "At least I don't think so."
She knew she shouldn't have done that. She knew shouldn't have, but she did. She almost told. She almost told them. If she did, she'd get a worse beating than ever. And her father would do what he did to his girlfriend. And she couldn't let that happen to Dean and Sam, she just couldn't. Her thoughts than turned to Dean and the kiss. Her fingers touched her lips where Dean's lips touched. She hasn't felt what she's felling right now before, but she didn't know what that feeling was. All she knew was that she couldn't let Sam and Dean get any closer than they are now, she wouldn't let them. She would push back if she had to.
Jack managed to avoid Dean, Sam and Thomas and his crew for the rest of the day, but could she avoid them today? She hoped she could. Well she did, for the morning but she wasn't so sure about lunch and her afternoon classes.
She sat at a clean and empty table with her bag resting against the side of her body and her books open for her to do her homework. She never ate lunch, her stomach couldn't take it. She didn't each much, just an apple or half an apple for that matter, she would have to vomit back up in the girls' bathroom. She was working on math with her math textbook and graph spiral notebook with a sharp pencil in her right hand. She was used to all the noise in the school's cafeteria but it was still hard to concentrate. Her eyes went back to the question she was working on in the textbook. 'Find the perimeter and area for each figure' she was instructed. It should be fairly easy and she went to work.
She was about halfway done her math homework when she got company.
"Hey, Jackie."
It was none other than Dean and Sam Winchester.
Well, there went her chance to try to hide from the two siblings.
"Hi" she said back and started to pack up her things? Maybe if she left and went to the bathroom, they would leave her alone.
"Aren't you hungry?" Sam asked.
"No" she said. She hardly ever got hungry. She got used to not eating and the feeling of starvation.
"Why not, it's lunch" Sam said "You've got to be hungry a little bit a least."
"I'm not. I don't feel like anything, now if you excuse me" she got up from the table "I gotta go."
"Jackie, wait" Dean called her back but she kept on walking out of the cafeteria.
"What's wrong Dean?" Sam asked.
"Something's not right. Instead of us meeting at the front doors, go to the main office" Dean told him.
"Why?"
"Because I need to ask of the receptionists' something about Jackie."
Dean put on his best smile as he went into the office
"Hi, what can I do for you?" one of the receptionists asked the older Winchester sibling, who was under the last name 'White'.
"Do you think I could possibly look at Jacklynn Ann Montgomery's file?"
"Why?"
So he could elope with it "I have to do a research paper on a friend and I choose her."
It wasn't a fully lie, Jackie was a friend than he cared about but there was no such report.
"Did you ask Jacklynn herself?" man this woman was nosey.
"Of course" he lied.
"Alright sweetie, I'll be right back with it" she said and went to the filing cabinet.
He couldn't believe she bought it. And it wasn't even one of his best stories.
A few more minutes later, she came back with Jack's file in her hand "Here you go, I photo copied the file for you."
"Thanks so much" he said and than he left the office.
He sat down on the bench just outside and scanned some information in.
On one of her legal documents it said this:
Name: Jacklynn Ann Montgomery
Age: 13 years old
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue
Total Number of School(s): 10
Personal/Family Background History:
Father: police officer
Mother: unknown
Father Name: Francis P. Montgomery
Mother Name: Unknown
Dean didn't have time to read anymore, Sam came and sat next to him.
"Hey Sammy" he greeted and stuffed the papers back in the file than in his backpack "Ready to go?"
"What were you reading?" Sam asked.
"Uh, nothing Sam" Dean replied "I'll tell you later."
Later that night, Sam looked up from a television program he was watching "When is dad going to be here?"
"Soon" Dean's absent answer replied after a few seconds. His focus was on Jack's file. He was sitting on the ground in front of the cheap TV. , that the apartment supplied with photo copied documents from Jack's file scattered around him. Dean was going to find out what she's hiding, even if it meant it cost him his friendship and love from her.
Dean researched until his father came home, only took one break which was putting Sammy to bed.
He didn't learn very much about her, just that her marks were really high in math and science but dropped for the others. He didn't want to do this but I guess he was gonna have to. He was going to have to push her to tell him. That wasn't really an opinion he liked but it had to be done if he wanted info.
"Hey, Dean" John said "Time to get to bed, now."
"Okay Dad" he packed up the file papers back in the file and than but them in his backpack before saying "Goodnight" to his dad and went to bed.
The next day Dean and Sam waited for Jack at the front entrance of the school.
She came to school about 5 minutes before the arrival bell rang, to tell the students to get to class in the next five minutes.
"Morning, Jack" Sam greeted.
"Hi" she said quickly as she hurried to her locker to collect her morning books. Her father was sober enough to make her a lunch. But not a very big one, she was grateful for that.
She switched her books and quickly closed her locker and than took off for first period. Dean made a final decision. He was going to confront Jacklynn today at lunch and get her to talk to him. He was fully determined. He was on a mission!
The next day, Dean and Sam looked everywhere for Jackie but they couldn't find her all morning. They spent half of the lunch period to find her. They walked around the whole school but they finally found her. Well, they found her voice first. They heard her half sing and half hum from the bathroom. They listened as her beautiful voice echoed from the girls' bathroom and into the hall.
"Open your eyes and look outside, find the reasons why.
You've been rejected, and now you can't find what you left behind.
Be strong, be strong now.
Too many, too many problems.
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
It's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside."
Neither Dean nor Sam ever heard such a beautiful voice as heir's butt when Dean really listened to the words that she was singing his heat broke for her.
"Her feelings she hides.
Her dreams she can't find.
She's losing her mind.
She's fallen behind.
She can't find her place.
She's losing her faith...." she started to hum broken heartedly.
Dean carefully and quietly pushed opened the door and tip-toed in with Sam behind him.
He heard humming and sniffling from a stall.
He knocked on it "Jackie?"
The humming stopped and shuffling started.
"Dean?" she called back than sniffed back tears.
"Yeah. You okay?"
"I-I'm fine" she lied. Her throat raw.
"No, you're not Jackie" Dean stated.
"What's wrong with her?" Sam asked quietly.
"I dunno Sammy" he said before turning back to the crying girl "Open the door, Jackie."
No response. No movement from the other side of the stall.
"Jackie, please?" Dean pleaded softly.
The brothers heard her get off the toilet lid, and unlock the door before she stepped out.
They expected her to look the same but instead she had a white cast on her writing arm and the cuts that were on her face were patched and bandaged up.
But neither of the brothers missed her red puffy eyes and the tears falling from them. She wiped the tears away with her left hand.
"What are you two doing in here? What if another girl comes in here and sees you?" she said as she walked up to the mirror that was hanging above a sink.
"Are you sick?" Sam asked her innocently.
"Sure, let's just go with that" she answered and patted water on her face. She was sick. Sick of her father hurting her. Sick of the constant pain. Sick of her keeping the secret he wanted her to take to her grave. Sick of him hurting the people he liked. She was mainly just sick of her whole life in general.
Dean had a question that's been haunting him for some time now and he took a shot and asked her "Jackie, did your dad give you almost all of those cuts and bruises?"
She looked at him in the mirror with a look of horror on her face before turning to look at him "H-how did you figure that out?"
"I did some research on you" he answered.
Her horror turned into slight anger "You what?"
"I wanted to find out what you weren't telling me."
"So you decide to do a little project on me? How did you get the information anyway?"
"One of the lady's in the office."
"How could you?" she asked tears now fell from her eyes once again. But the tears weren't of anger, but hurt. "Stay away from me for now on" she went for the door.
"Jackie, wait" Dean went after her "I'm sorry I didn't mean too, I just wanted to help."
"Help?" she told him as firmly as she could through her tears "I didn't ask for you to help me. Besides, I don't need it. I'm fine" than she was through the door like a lightening. She didn't want to push him away. Honestly, in her mind. She was pleaded for his help. But her heart was telling her to push him way, for his and Sam's own safety.
Jacklynn actually couldn't believe that Dean invaded her family's life. The nerve of him. Even though she was upset with him, she was still devastated inside. She was keeping a secret from Dean, her very first friend she made in years. She felt terrible to keep something like that from him. Frankly, it was killing her not to tell.
All though she wanted him to keep away from her, yet she wanted him to stay right by her side. But she remembered what happened the last time that someone she liked, try to help her. She shivered at the memory and shook her head to shake to memory away. It was good that she was keeping them away, she was doing well. She just had to keep it up till the end of the week than she didn't have to worry about them getting hurt.
Between bells, Dean caught up with Jacklynn again. He was going to try with everything he got to get to spend the night at his house so she didn't go back home with her dad. This was probably going to be his last chance.
"Jackie" he caught her uncasted arm in his hands.
"What?" she said looking back at him.
"I know you're mad at me for doing research on you. But, please Jackie. Please spend the night at my house."
"Can we do this later, I have to get to class" she tried to get him to leave her alone.
"All you have to do is say yes" he told her "Spend the night at my house for just one night."
"Dean, please let me go" she tried to get out of his grip.
"Please Jackie, just say yes" he pleaded.
"Alright, alright" she sighed "I'll come. I'll meet you at the front doors."
Dean waited for his baby brother at the door of his last class.
"Hi Dean" Sam said when he saw him.
"Hey sport, Jackie's spending the night at our house."
"But what about Dad?"
"He's gone on a hunt remember?"
"Oh yeah."
"C'mon, she is waiting for us."
Jackie was waiting for them where she said she was gonna wait.
"Hi Jackie" Sam greeted "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah, I guess" she answered. She wasn't really paying attention; she was trying to balance her books in one arm and trying to put her bag on at the same time.
"Here" Dean said when she saw her struggle and he took her books from her.
"Thanks" she said and put her bag on properly before taking her books back from him. When her fingers brushed against Dean's when she went to take the books, Dean took that opportunity to swoop down and place a small peck on her cheek when she took the books.
Sam was used to seeing his brother give out pecks on girl's cheeks, so it didn't bother him. The only thing that did though was when he would go necking them for long periods of time.
Jacklynn was a little taken aback by his kiss but quickly recovered with a smile and followed them to their house.
When they got to the house, the first thing that Sam did was go to the TV to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Animated Series. And Dean went right to the kitchen to fix a snack for the three of them.
"Oh no, it's okay. I'm not hungry, thanks" she told him politely.
"Are you sure? Did you have lunch?" he asked.
"A little bit" she lied. Truth was. She didn't eat a thing. She was on her last few days of her starvation punishment.
"Alright, tell me when you do get hungry. Okay?" he insisted.
She nodded "I promise."
They three spent the next few hours doing homework. Even though Jack's homework was hard, she wasn't into it. She had to mind on something else.
"Are you feeling sick again?" Sam asked when he looked how pale she was.
Dean looked up from his math homework when he heard Sam ask the question. She was really pale.
"I'm fine Sam" she said quietly and than rested her chin on her hand before looking back at her work.
"Jackie, what's wrong?" Dean asked when he saw her skin.
"Dean, c-can I talk to you alone?" she asked in a scared tone.
"Sure" Dean said as they both got up "We'll be right back Sammy."
"It's Sam" he corrected.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Dean asked when they were alone in Sam/Dean's room.
"Y-you were right" she said.
"What was I right about?"
"About m-my dad. He is h-hu-hurting me."
"Okay, okay. Calm down" he said when she started to cry.
"He always hurts me and I don't know why" she sobbed "H-he puts me in t-that attic."
"Attic? What attic?" Dean demanded.
"I-in the house th-han he won't let me eat" she blurted out "He never lets me eat even when I'm starving."
"He doesn't let you eat? Have you eaten today?"
She paused a second before she shook her head 'no'.
"C'mon, I'll make you something to eat. You must be starving" he took her hand and led her to the kitchen before she could say anything else "Were you lying when you said that you had lunch today?"
"Yes" she breathed and brushed her tears away.
That explained why she was so skinny.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"I-I don't know. A while."
Dean put bread in the toaster before turning back to her.
"Why did you decide to tell me now?"
"I-I was afraid. Still am"
"Afraid of what? Why?"
"N-nothing. Never mind. Forget I said anything" She went to pick up her stuff "I-I think I'll head home, now."
"You're going?" Sam asked as he looked up from his homework "Why?"
"I-I have something to do at home, I forgot I had to do" she suddenly remembered that she dropped her pen in the bedroom when Dean pulled her out.
"Jack? What's really going on?" Dean asked.
She jumped when she heard him behind her.
"I can't tell you, I already told you too much" she said and squeezed passed him.
Dean caught her good arm "Jackie, please tell me."
"The last time someone tried to help me, they almost got killed. I don't want that happening to you or your brother alright?"
"Who did he try to kill?"
"His ex ex-girlfriend, she survived" she answered "Thank god she knew how to defend herself."
"Look Jackie, Sam and I are used to getting into trouble."
"No, Dean" she said "This is some trouble you don't want to get into."
"Jackie, I'm sure I can handle it. Please, stay the night like you were supposed to?"
She heaved a sigh as she thought about it "Alright, I'll stay."
Dean only thought that Sam could make him smile. He thought wrong cause he just smiled at her. A true smile.
"Dean!" Sam called "The toast is ready!"
It was 10 o'clock at night and Sam was in bed. Dean and Jacklynn were sitting on the couch.
"Are you sure your dad is okay with me sleeping over here?"
"Not a problem" Dean said "Our dad is out of town for a while."
There was an awkward silence before Jacklynn spoke up again.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For researching me and figuring out what's happening with my family. Thank you for looking out for me and continuously saving me from the school bullies."
"Hey, it's what I do. And Jackie?"
"Yeah?" She leaned against Dean's arm.
"What was that song you were singing later today?"
"Nobody's Home by Avril Lagvine" she answered.
Dean rearranged her so that her head was on his lap and he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Dean, I have something to tell you" Jackie said from out of nowhere.
"What's that?"
"I-I'm moving" she blurted out.
"You're moving!?" Dean demanded "Why?"
Jack sat up right "It's not your fault, it's just for us to move."
"When?"
"Tuesday" she answered.
"Tuesday?" That was next week.
"I knew you would be upset" she said quietly "That's why I didn't tell you before."
"Jackie, I'm not mad at you. Alright? I'm not mad at you" Dean told her "I can never be bad at you...or at Sammy."
"Than why are you mad?"
"Because after all the research I've done and the convincing you to tell me, you're just gonna leave and I won't know how to save you from him."
Jack smiled a warm smile and took his hand in hers "Dean, you can't save me. No one can."
"What do you mean?"
"I-it doesn't matter" she replied.
"Yes, yes it does. What did you mean?"
"Remember when I told you about my father's ex-girlfriend when she helped me?"
"Yeah."
"She died trying to tell the cops what he was doing to me. I can't let anyone die because of me. Especially you."
"Jackie, I'm sure I can take him. I can defend myself."
"I know you want to help me and 'save' me from my father. But don't. Please? I don't want to see you get hurt. I-I love you too much."
Dean squeezed her hand "I love you too, but I can't stand to see you hurt either."
"I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, within a few days that I'm gone you won't remember me."
"Of course I'll remember you. I could never forget a girl like you" he ran his fingers through her hair with his hand.
Jack didn't know what to say to that so she just kissed him on the lips.
For her, it was just like the first time they kissed. Except, this time it was longer.
Just by the kiss, she finally figured out what she was trying to figure out since he started helping her with her problems. Love. He wasn't only telling her that he loved her but he was actually showing her what being loved felt like. But most importantly, he was bringing her soul, strength and dreams back to life. She never knew that he was saving her. Maybe not on the outside but on the inside. He was bringing her back to life once again.
Before school started the next morning, John came home.
"Morning boys" he greeted "And girl?"
John raised an eye brow and looked at his oldest son.
"Oh, Dad this is Jackie" Dean introduced "Jackie, this is our dad."
"She's from school" Sam put in.
When John saw her for the first time, he couldn't miss all of the cuts and bruises on her body and her black eye.
"Hi" she said nervously.
"Hello" he said before he turned back to Dean and dragged him out of the room.
"Why is she here?" John demanded.
"I had to let her stay the night" Dean argued.
"And why is that?"
"Her dad hits her" Dean told him.
John seemed surprised "And how do you know that?"
"Well, after some convincing she told me."
"She told you?"
"Dad, I couldn't let him hurt her."
"You love her?" John asked like it finally hit him.
"Yes. Dad we have to help her. We have to get her away from her dad."
"I'm sorry son, but this isn't our place."
"I really don't care. We have to help her" Dean didn't know how he was going to convince his dad that she needed their help "Dad, her father staves her and locks her in the attic."
That seemed to catch his attention "He starves her? And locks her in the attic?"
Dean nodded, not really trusting his voice.
"Got get her" he ordered and Dean went to go get her.
Dean went to get her and she came back, following closely behind him.
"Come sit down next to me on the bed" John said as he sat down on Dean's bed.
Jackie looked at Dean like he would give her the answer.
Dean nodded saying that it was okay.
She slowly made her way to the bed and sat next to John, not really trusting him just yet.
"Y-yes sir?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Let's have a little talk, Dean, get your brother ready for school" John ordered his eldest son.
Jackie quickly looked at Dean with pleading eyes and said 'No! Please don't leave me alone with him.'
"But Sam is already ready" Dean argued.
John sighed "Alright, stay if you want. Jackie tell me the truth, did you get all of these injuries from you Dad?"
She bowed her head in shame at the question and didn't answer right away.
"No, not all of them came from him" she shook her head."
"Where did the others come from?"
She didn't want to answer that one. She didn't want to be reminded of the bullies at school let alone the bully at home.
"Bullies" Dean decided to answer for her.
"You get bullied at school too?" John asked in surprise and concern.
She nodded in shame again and started to play with the hem of her old shirt.
She really didn't want to talk about this, but she knew if she didn't that she would get horrible punished.
"Do any of your teachers know that this is going on?"
She shook her head.
"Why haven't you told anybody?"
"Cause the teachers would call my dad and than I'll be put in the dark attic."
All John really wanted to do was help her, just like his sons.
"Can you tell me about the attic?"
She looked right at him when he asked that question. Why would he ask that question? Why was he asking any of these questions?
Dean came closer to her.
Jackie looked back down at her lap and told them about it.
"Cold. So cold" she said like she was remembering it from a book from school "And dark. So, so dark. There aren't any windows. I-I have to sleep on the hard wooden floor with n-no blankets or pillows" tears started to slide down her cheeks.
John pushed her further "Does he not let you eat?"
"No" she breathed out shakily.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"Dad-" Dean started to interrupt but one look from his dad caused him to shut his mouth.
"I-I. I don't remember" she sobbed out. Honestly, she couldn't remember. It could've been days, weeks, possibly even months.
"Did you make her something to eat yet?" John asked Dean.
"Bread is already in the toaster for her."
Jackie ripped her tears away from her face.
"Go check on it "
When Dean was out of the room John finally could talk to her alone.
He got off the bed and kneeled down "Jackie, why didn't you tell anybody about this until now?" His tone was low and calm like he was talking to a frightened injured animal. In a way, he was.
"I didn't want him to kill me or anybody else."
"Anybody else? What are you talking about?"
"Last time someone tried to help me, he killed her" she sniffed.
"Who did he kill?"
"O-one of his ex-girlfriends. S-she tried to help me and he killed her for it."
"Do you want us to help you?"
She looked at him and it seemed like she was thinking about it. She wanted help so badly, but she was afraid that they would get hurt or worse. Killed.
She shook her head "N-no. I'm f-fine. I don't need help."
"You know what he's doing. It's abuse. And it's wrong, very wrong. It's wrong to hit your son or daughter. It's wrong to hit anybody."
"Is it?" she didn't know. She thought it was right. She lived with it since she was born.
"Yes, it is. It's a crime. What about your mom? Does he hit her too?"
"My mom? I-I don't have one. I never met her before."
"Did he kill her?"
"No, he said that she left when I was born."
"Do you know why?"
"Because I was born."
"Do you really want help?" John sighed. God, poor girl. She had to live with this for god knows how long.
She nodded slowly.
"I think your toast in ready. Go in the kitchen and see."
She did what she was told.
When Jackie came out, Dean went in.
"How was the talk?" Dean asked.
"She wants help. But she's scared" John told him.
"I know. What do you think we should do?" Dean asked.
"I think we should start off by tracking down and getting her mother down here" John told him son.