Who: Jack & Rose What: Discussing the Cal situation When: Recent, prolly Where: Rose's Apartment Rating/Warnings: Low, mentions of Cal being a creeper Status: Complete!
No, Cal hadn’t done anything. Yet. But the intent was there, Jack could feel it stirring like a beast in his gut, and felt the claws of uncertainty hollow him out. Maybe it wasn’t always the best route to judge someone entirely based on what they saw in some other alternate reality, but it was still something to go by, and if the fuckbag had gone out of his way and done his research to track her down, then…
That was the tip of the iceberg, Jack knew, and there was no damn pun intended with that either, alright?
Outside her apartment door is where they stood - or in Jack’s case, kneeled, as he finished the last of his cigarette. Tainting California’s fresh air with tobacco smoke, how nice of him. “If he knows where you work then he knows where you live - and I’m just gonna really insist we go to the police about this.”
Would they do anything, though? If they just said ‘hey, some asshole we don’t like might pop up’? Now that the thought ran through his head the argument was cheap and didn’t even hold pisswater, but it didn’t seem right that they’d have to wait for him to do something before they got the authorities involved.
Rose had been jumpy ever since Cal had shown up at her workplace, because, like Jack said, if he knew where she worked, he knew where she lived. He had obviously had someone following her around the last few months she had been here, and that made her nervous. How much of her life at Orange County did he know about? Did he know about Jack?
She hoped not. She remembered the anger and the possessiveness that Cal had shown when she had been planning on marrying her. His rages when she displeased him, and the slap he had given her when she had finally decided it was time to leave. He obviously hadn’t been much better in the dreams, given how Jack had reacted to hearing about him. But having Jack here with her now helped put her at ease. She felt safe when she was with Jack, like nothing could hurt her.
At least Cal hadn’t actually shown up to her apartment yet.
“I don’t think the police can do anything about this, Jack,” she said. It wasn’t just that Cal hadn’t done anything yet, but also the money he had. He could easily afford to buy his way out of any legal trouble he came across. “I think I’m going to have to meet with him. Tell him that the engagement is over.” Somewhere public and expensive so Cal was less likely to go into one of his rages and flip a table.
It all boiled down to money, didn’t it? Fucker did have some pull with it in his dreams; he saw it first hand, it made sense he’d have that same kind of power here too. Not like a lot of people had money to kick around to start an investigation across the country for your runaway fiance. Jack wasn’t sold by the idea, though - Rose could see a mix of annoyance and concern etched in his face, and he smothered his cigarette against the cement until a sizzle signified it’s demise.
“Somewhere public,” he insisted, echoing her thought process. “With someone. As a witness.” Someone like him, and he wanted it to be him. But Cal was a shit and would put two and two together and seeing his lady of society with a rat from the gutters would set afire that temper he knew brewed under behind million-dollar smile and bleach white teeth. “If you want me to go with you, I’ll do it. If you don’t, I get it - but have someone go with you. Someone else that could recognize him if he’s going to stir more shit up.”
Rose gave Jack a small, relieved smile when he said he’d be willing to come with her. She could no doubt ask Caroline to come with her. The other woman hadn’t seemed especially impressed with Cal, and with her vampire powers she could no doubt keep Rose safe if she needed it. But that seemed like a lot to ask for from someone who she had never really hung out with outside of work, and while it perhaps wasn’t logical, she felt safer with Jack.
There was the worry that Cal knew who Jack was though. “I would like it if you came with me,” Rose said, reaching for Jack’s hand. “Perhaps not right there with me, but close at hand?” Cal at least deserved a dinner without an audience, and she didn’t want to set the evening off to a bad start by showing up with another man. If Cal and Jack got along in real life anything like the dreams, perhaps it was best to give Cal the bad news away from Jack.
Rose easily found his hand and immediately, he squeezed hers. “Look, even if I don’t get to look at him square in the eye, I’ll be there. Around.” Close and ready to jump in if he tried to do something, but Jack didn’t know if he would. He remembered Cal being sneaky, a slithering snake that was in practically everyone’s pocket. He wouldn’t want to do anything suspicious in public, would he?
That was the hope, anyway. Finally, Jack stood from his haunched spot by the ground and pushed hair from his eyes, the blonde strands from his bangs. “Until then, uh...you sure, you feel safe here? I can bum on your couch. In case--oh, fuck, did he have that asshole with him, too? He had a stupid name--ah…” His fingers snapped. “Lovejoy??”
Rose was already beginning to feel a little better about the Cal situation. She trusted Jack, and while she knew she couldn’t rely entirely upon him it was nice to have his support there with her. “Thank you, Jack. I mean it.” Rose’s eyes widened and her lips part slightly in surprise at his suggestion that he stay on her couch. “I think I would like that very much,” she said. “Though, I wouldn’t want to put you out.”
“You’re not putting me out,” he insisted, crooked smile and all, and closed the gap between them for a kiss - light with that right amount of firmness, which meant his statement was sealed. “Not gonna let you be alone while all this is going on - even if it isn’t me around you all the time, it’s just...good to know that someone is there, when I’m not. So just promise me you won’t be by yourself?”
Rose was smart. And stubborn. Ideally all they would have to do is tell Cal that it was officially over and be done with it, but instinct told Jack otherwise. He wouldn’t let go, not that easily.
Rose returned the kiss, smiling against Jack’s lips. Sealed with a kiss, it was rather poetic. “I promise,” she said. At the very least, she would do her best not to be caught anywhere alone. It was nice that she had made some friends since moving here. Friends who seemed more than capable of defending themselves.
“I don’t know how I’d deal with this if you weren’t here with me, Jack.”
Unfortunately, Jack didn’t have any nifty super powered skills that’d bring Cal to his knees should the pretentious piece of crap decide to take things on a whole ‘nother level. But he had fight. He was a survivor. It was better to be safe than sorry - these dreams held a cracked mirror to the lives they lived now, and some things would always remain the same.
He chuckled against her mouth, a chance for a second kiss. Maybe a third, a fourth. Jack did just that. “You’d find a way,” he promised, pushing that magma-red hair behind her ears some. “You’re tougher than you think. Sometimes you just need someone to remind you, is all. But I’m glad I am here. It’s easier, when you’ve got people who are gonna stand behind you no matter what.”
Rose loved every kiss that Jack planted on her lips. “It is easier. Thank you,” Rose had made some good friends already who would no doubt support her. “We should probably head inside,” she said. She wasn’t sure if Cal still had someone watching her, and that made her a little nervous. On one hand, she kind of hoped that Cal did hear about Jack, or, better yet, saw it. It would certainly serve him right. But if she could make him leave peaceably, without flying into a possessive rage, then that would be better.
Oh. Yeah. Inside was a good idea. The possibility of someone tailing them right now kinda slipped his mind, and he took a minute to survey their surroundings - streets, the neighbors, anything suspicious. Nothing alarming was brought to his attention, but they wouldn’t be doing their job right if they made themselves obvious, now would they?
Jack closed and locked the door once they got inside. “I’ll stop by the house and get a couple things?” Hands tucked into his trouser pockets. “I’ll let Wendy and Katou know. Wendy’s gonna worry to the point that her hair’s gonna turn white, just watch.”
“I’ll be here,” Rose said, going onto her tiptoes so she could plant another peck on Jack’s lips. When Cal had shown up, Rose hadn’t thought to call anyone but Jack, but now that he had mentioned Wendy she remembered that the other woman had offered to help her as well. “Don’t let her worry too much.”
“I won’t, I won’t,” he sighed, fondly exasperated. Wendy would worry. It was in her nature, to flail around and bestow upon all her friends those natural maternal instincts. And she’d be concerned for Rose, too - the redhead was definitely someone to Jack, and by association someone to Wendy.
He took her hands and squeezed, his grip tight. “Won’t be long for too gone, understood? Lock the doors, keep the windows locked - something comes up you call the cops and then call me.”
“He’s not going to break in through my window,” Rose said, laughing a little. She was sure of that much at least. Even if he didn’t have too much pride for that, Cal probably wouldn’t have the first clue of how to crawl through a window without Lovejoy there holding his hand. “I’ll be safe though,” she said, squeezing his hands in return stepping up to give him another kiss. “You be safe as well.”