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Chapter Text

Sitting on his dormitory bed, Jack kicked at his trunk at the foot of his bed; half packed with the intent to leave tomorrow for the Deucalion. It was an honestly pathetic sight, with only a single pair of trousers thrown recklessly into the luggage. Not that Jack cared to fix it at the moment, his attention laid with the paper he'd been fiddling with for the past 45 minutes.

Not bothering to take off his eyepatch- not wanting to see the cheer that he knew radiated off the paper- Jack read her name over one more time in his Uncle's familiar scrawl.

Morrigan Crow.

He knew he'd have to meet her sooner or later, she was all his Uncle would talk about in these letters. The stories were enjoyable nonetheless, with tales of Dame Chanda's latest attempts to get the young girl to wear anything but black, and Kedgeree desperately trying to tone down Frank's whimsies as Morrigan threw more outlandish suggestions with a cheer.

An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach at the stories, small but painfully present.

He chose to ignore it.

Snorting, the boy put down the latest letter (that contained exploits of the Crow girl learning to ride a horse with Charlie.) and fell backwards into his bed. Squinting at the ceiling of his dark room, Jack tried to picture what it would be like to meet her.

She sounded annoying for all he knew, a dreary girl in all black and running around the hotel like she owned the place. He knew his Uncle Jove would try everything in his power to get them to make nice, and Jack wasn't too keen on the idea that that was what awaited him at the hotel.

Begrudgingly bringing himself to his feet, the boy decided to pack the rest of his belongings to distract his mind from wandering too far. Anything to tuck away the name of Morrigan Crow until he had to actually deal with her.

•••

Admittedly their first encounter could have been better, but he genuinely didn't expect her to be so..talkative. and nosy.

It had ended with him stomping away to his room with his newspaper, juice, and one piece of toast wedged between his teeth. Leaving the rest of his meal to lay abandoned on the table with her annoyingly inquisitive face. Not entirely proud of his exit, Jack chose not to dwell on it the rest of the day. It wasn't the worst he'd done.

Though what he was doing right now probably wasn't as light as his dramatics earlier.

He'd been wandering the halls in an effort to find a quiet place to read. A little nook in the south wing would've been his first choice, though with the wing's ghost problem and perpetual reconstruction, it probably wasn't wise. (Not to mention the giant "DO NOT ENTER" sign plastered at the entrance.)

Book tucked under his arm, the young nephew turned into a hall on the seventh floor, but paused after he heard poorly covered whispers around the corner.

Realizing it was Morrigan speaking to her excitable and gangly friend, Jack rolled his eyes and made moves to turn around.

Before he heard tidbits of what they were actually conversing about.

Staying firmly in place, forcing even his breathing to be low, he stood and listened to her tale. Minutes ticked by with her frantic storytelling, until her unknown audience of two knew all about her past.

As the two closed their conversation with a pinkie promise, a shadow of a wolf caught Jack's eye from the wall across from him. Ripping himself away from the conversation, the boy quietly followed the animal.

Processing all that he heard, Jack wordlessly trailed after the wolf through the empty halls; the guests either at the bar downstairs or sound asleep. He didn't know how long he tailed the beast down the winding corridors, but after a time, he watched the shadow fade away from existence. Waiting a few long seconds, he turned on his heel towards the kitchen.

He needed a glass of milk.

•••

He found it a tad bit funny that he kept having awful mishaps with Morrigan whenever he gathered himself a glass of milk.

Looking back at the first time he had poured himself a glass, he cringed slightly at the memory of making the two younger children look hopelessly for the wolf shadow he had already watched dissipate.

He'd felt proud of his mean joke on them in the moment, feeling like he had finally got back at her, had managed to scratch that unsettling itch in his gut that had been raging since he'd come home. Though his fulfillment was quickly dashed as Morrigan screeched at him where it hurt.

"Are you jealous? Is that it?"

The rest of the exchange went down with more harsh words, and faked nonchalance on his part-just to anger her further- until she dragged her friend into the elevator. With one last shout at the older boy, the doors closed; leaving him alone in the dim foyer, only the lamp next to the loveseat barely illuminating the space.

He hadn't gone to bed right away, not with his room only a few doors down from hers. He sat blankly on the loveseat, her words bouncing through his head on an endless loop.

After the confrontation, the boy spent the most of his time trying not to face why her words stung so much. All while finding new ways around the Deucalion in efforts to avoid Morrigan. (And Jupiter if he could help it)

It would take him weeks for him to sort through his own thoughts and feelings- and some very deep denial- for him to finally come to terms with the fact that he may be a bit jealous.

The solemn realization set in on a late night snack run, Jack grabbing at a few biscuits with a scowl.

Maybe he was a bit jealous at how fast the staff had taken to her. How fast the hotel itself had taken to her. (He'd seen peeks through her room which was lavishly decorated with knick-knacks. It had taken him a week just to have new wallpaper.) Jealous that someone knackless had such a hold on his Uncle; and had convinced him that she was Wundrous Society material.

Just maybe.

Briefly running through all stages of grief as he nibbled on the last biscuit he had nicked from the cupboard, Jack poured himself one more glass of milk to take with him upstairs. He didn't sleep too easily as it was, the newfound revelation would absolutely ruin his circadian rhythm.

•••

His frown deepened on his way upstairs as his fingers dropped his glass of milk. Dropping a handful of curses, he tried to dry it with his shirt. Too absorbed in his pitiful muttering to notice a door opening.

Until two small pale hands made their way into his eyesight, a towel in their grip.

Not even bothering to attempt to get on her nerves with a witty quip, Jack shot out a meek, "It's fine. I can do it. You'll get your towel dirty." He felt so small; a part of him guilty for their past talks.

"You'll get your shirt dirty." Leaning into his heels, Jack allowed himself to spare a glance at Morrigan while she worked. He wasn't used to seeing her with both eyes anyways, he was always a tad curious on what he would see around her with his knack.

Though what surrounded her was nothing he was prepared for.

Bright white wisps danced all around her, surrounded by a nearly blinding golden glow. It was almost beautiful the way it fluttered around her like a warm net of energy. Though Jack could only gawk at her as he stood to his feet; her words far and muffled. Not registering her screams about his eyes, the older boy continued to watch the bright magic waltz around her. Only leaving his haze as his Uncle pulled at his arm. Walking away from Morrigan as Jupiter led him away, Jack shot her one last look, desperate to understand. He gathered from her expression that those were her sentiments as well.

•••

Christmas Eve had brought a new dynamic between the two. The worst words already said, Jack and Morrigan seemed like they might've enjoyed each other's company, even if just a bit. Their rivalry forgotten for a few cherished hours,

Jack turned to her in the crowd of greens and reds, holding his atrocious hat out for her to take. A small smile gathered on her face as he and his uncle explained the annual truce the two always do. After adjusting the hat as best as she could- it still fell just a tad bit over her eyes- Morrigan undid the red ribbon in favor of tying around Jack's wrist.

He didn't bother to try and hide his grin.

And later that night as Jack slid slowly on the slippery sidewalks alongside his Uncle, he gazed at her tired form on Jupiter's back.

The jealousy had ebbed away a bit, especially after the extensive talk with his Uncle about the Wunder that formed around her. Jupiter had shed some light to things Jack hadn't even thought about. The smallest soft spot for Morrigan began to grow in him. (That goes to day he'd still rather die than admit that to any living being) The jealousy had slowly transitioned into a small wish to be part of the group she gathered around herself. The ribbon she had given to him fed some of that embarrassing wish to be closer in some way

Jack was suddenly very aware of the small thing knotted into a bow above his hand. A small smile crept up on his face as the cool night breeze hit his cheeks. He silently hoped she wouldn't want it back.

•••

If he thought Christmas Eve was a great win for their newly born friendship for each other, with rich sugarplums and wishful ribbons, he had to be proven wrong by the actual day of festivities.

With the simple note of "Take Mog sledding for me" and a boatload of gifts between the two of them, past encounters were forgotten in favor of a common goal to demolish the neighborhood children with snowballs.

They'd made snowmen, sledded, then trudged their way back into the Deucalion. Fenestra screeched at them across the lobby for them to remove their soggy boots- lest she do it herself. They then feasted on the rows and rows of food, their peals of laughter echoing throughout the hotel like bells. They managed to busy themselves around the festively decorated hotel for the rest of the day, only pausing after dinner from the load of their meals.

Lounging in the Parlor at nearly midnight had to be the highlight of his day, with Morrigan just as tired as he was as they stabbed through the crust of their cakes amidst the green smoke. She made him laugh full heartedly as she described some characters and events from her trials. In turn, Jack made her hunch over wheezing while recounting a tale of Jupiter at a Christmas party three years ago.

Making his way to the door, the older boy promised a quick trip to the kitchens and back, Morrigan languidly teasing Jack on his evident love of pastries. Huffing playfully, he'd shut the door to the aromatic room.

Though after he'd returned to the Parlor after stealing another piece of cake for himself- and the last fluffy lemon meringue for her- all traces of her were gone from the Smoking Parlor.

Assuming she'd retired to bed, Jack wandered the halls, passing by his Uncle's office. His ears perked at the sound of Morrigan's voice; deep in conversation with her patron. Shaking his head and refusing to listen in on their conversation, the boy continued up the stairs. He'd made the choice to eavesdrop once, and he wasn't very eager to repeat the choice.

Climbing the stairs carefully with both treats still in hand, Jack decided to place the cake in front of her door, placing the fork he'd also swiped from the kitchen on the plate beside it.

Going three doors down, he took one last glance to the fluffy dessert before getting ready for bed.

He laid in bed, all the lights extinguished, everything peaceful in the room. Yet unease bit at him as he turned in his sheets. Sleep came for him before closure did, as he drifted away to a dreamless sleep; bothered even in slumber that he never heard her come up the stairs to return to her room.

•••

Jack was barely paying attention as contestants rolled by. Itching with anticipation for Morrigan- worsened by the fact she was the last scholar to go on stage. Fingers tapping nervously as he watched a boy breathe underwater, Jack held his breath; noticing Morrigan from the corner of his eye. She was being escorted to the back.

She would be next.

His breath hitched with anticipation, wiping the moisture from his palms on his trousers. Jupiter had told him his plan to deal with the elders for Mog's show trial and admittedly, Jack was nervous if it would work. (He wasn't even aware that you could briefly share the Witness gift that way) But he knew that twinkle in his Uncle's eyes too well. That he would stick to his guns no matter the consequences. All Jack could do was watch.

His posture straightened as they called her name aloud. She and Jupiter stepped out from backstage, a smile on his uncle's face, but Jack knew better. Despite the distance he could feel the older man's confidence wavering just slightly. Staring as Morrigan ambling up awkwardly to the center of the stage, Jack held his breath for a moment. Lifting his left arm up, he slowly grazed the edge of his leather eyepatch.

Taking the small item into his hands, he pulled it off his eyes, leaving no more barrier between him and the world around him.

He inhaled sharply as colors bloomed into his vision. Pinks and greens, rough- jagged shapes over people's chests, clouds and starry skies surrounded him; but he wasn't looking at those.

For the second time in months, his eyes took in the sight of Wunder that followed the small girl.

It had grown in size since the last late night ordeal. It now swarmed around her in a vague cone shape. Whirling and spinning, their hostess unaware of their existence at all.

Jack couldn't stop the proud smile from emerging as the arena erupted into a riot. The young Witness stayed seated as everyone around him stood up in surprise at the leaderboard.

"1: Morrigan Crow"

•••

Seeing her there- alive- at the end of the abandoned platform, Jack felt a surge of energy propel him forward to the small Crow. Finally reaching her, his hands gripped at her shoulders, hoping she didn't notice the way his hands shook as he inspected her for injuries. He'd stepped back as his Uncle swept her up in a giant hug, and as Hawthorne prodded her for details whilst Fen showed her affection by rearranging her hair.

The relief flooded through his veins, settling in with the fatigue as they gripped at Fen to get them home- They've had enough public transportation for the night. Jupiter enforcing a lecture on how important it was to keep the Ezra Squall business out of the ears of the public. With a tired sigh, Jack pushed a hand through his black hair. "I already promised, didn't I?"

This earned a curt nod from his Uncle, not noticing the way Morrigan's eyebrow raised at the statement.

It wasn't until 2 days later when Morrigan lightly punched his arm out of the blue with a smile. "I think it's a cool knack." Her voice was low enough just for him to hear, despite them being alone in the kitchens.

Jack shrugged a bit, assuming his Uncle told her earlier in the day. "I suppose. It doesn't feel like much of a gift sometimes though." The older boy grabbed at the biscuits from the shelf, offering some to her. Morrigan took one with a thoughtful look.

"It sounds useful for people watching." She said slyly.

Useful.

That certain word pricked some emotion of his- softening his gaze for a split second. Shaking his head a bit, he ignored it for future Jack to deal with. Instead biting into his own biscuit with a roll of his eyes. "You're not going to use me like some cheap magic trick." No poison in his actual words, Mog gave a toothy grin, already reaching for more treats from the box in his hand.

"I can be pretty persuasive. Jupiter says I'm very charismatic."

Offering a laugh, Jack didn't even try to counter that statement.

Chapter Text

SNIPPET ONE:

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was actually what I originally had for the next part of Between Pages, though I never finished it entirely. It was the longest of the snppets, and I was still VERY proud of this piece though, so I hope you like it!]

Wundersmith

When Frank had told him he'd be in charge of the explosives, Jack's face had split into a wide grin. The young teen was all too eager to hold the string that would ignite the fireworks when they were needed. Though his heart was beating ludicrously hard from the excitement from all the lights and adrenaline for the surprise, Jack held the thin line of responsibility incredibly still.

With a shout from Frank, the steady thrum of excitement from the crowd gathered at the Deucalion steps exploded like a caged beast finally freed as they saw who rounded the corner.

With the neon lights overhead visible for miles, it wasn't hard to spot the tall ginger and the small girl at his side.

"Jack!" Frank pointed a painted finger his way with a sharp grin, "Now!"

Returning the expression just as wide, the boy gave an unrestrained yell; yanking on the cord in hand. Two dozen fireworks lit up the night sky in a large array of colors, reminding the lad of a giant, celestial flower field.

The crowd eventually followed Mog inside as she sat atop her horse. With loud cheers, they chanted a birthday song with great fervour, though with Frank and Jupiter leading some of the song, half of the classic jingle ended up butchered or replaced by new farfetched lyrics.

The party went on with the same infectious energy that all the Deucalion's parties seemed to have- but doubled due to the occasion. Morrigan was busy for a third of the night, mingling with the guests and other attendees.

She was ending a conversation with a kind badgerwun, when she'd run into the older boy. With a polite departure from the guest, she had latched onto Jack without warning; a playful smile dancing on her lips.

"You got any presents for me?" She giggled into her hand as Jack rolled his eye. Bumping her with his shoulder as they weaved through the large crowd, the boy scoffed.

"You had all those presents from Kedge and Martha- and you still want more?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head, his eye closed in mock annoyance, "Morrigan Crow- how greedy of you."

She picked up a cupcake on display as they passed the confectionary tables; biting into it as they continued. "Yes, it does seem I've gained an unhealthy amount of taste living here- I've become so posh." She turned to him, pink frosting from the cupcake smudged next to her mouth, "No wonder you have such a rotten attitude. Living in such luxury like this for years would really desecrate one's pride."

"Says the girl with frosting on her mouth!" Jack laughed, taking a handkerchief from his vest pocket and dabbing the smudge away. "But speaking of, I actually do have a gift for you." Finally stopping their movements near the foot of the spiral staircase; Jack unfurled his arm from her grasp with a smirk.

He stood in front of her without words for a few seconds before Morrigan jabbed at his shoulder with her index finger. "Don't be such a snob- what is it?" He couldn't help but smile as she tried to look at his empty hands in a last ditch attempt to find the gift he spoke of.

"You won't find it there, Mog. Because-" the older boy turned his eyepatch to the side of his head, both brown eyes gleaming at her in a way very similar to his uncle, "-You get 10 minutes of people watching, Birthday Girl. Make it count."

Her black eyes widened, her mouth agape. "Really?!"

"Yes, really." He chuckled, Morrigan shaking her hands in excitement. Her head darted around before looking upwards to the second floor landing overlooking the lobby. She grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him towards the steps.

"C'mon, we can see more up here!"

Finding a good spot at the top of the railings, Morrigan eagerly leaned over to pick her first catch of the night. Finally settling on a tall woman with a gaudy pink hat, the large brim reaching over the heads of nearly 2 people, Morrigan pointed excitedly at her. "Her!"

Jack moved himself over the railing as well, making a face at the bright accessory. "Hm. She gatecrashed to get free drinks. Though at the rate she's downing the ones he has in her hand- that might be a bit obvious." The girl beside him giggled into her hand as the woman below replaced her two empty glasses with two full ones as a waiter passed by.

When initially thinking of this gift- thinking of her joke in the kitchen months ago- he'd thought it would be a rather boring affair; visualizing it as a chore while she bossed him and his knack around. Though the actual activity was nothing like he expected. It was devastating how good of a time he was having.

Minutes ticked by, with Morrigan pointing at various characters throughout the main room, and Jack deciphering the nonsense that surrounded them. Some descriptions caused joyful laughter to bubble from the girl, and others made her shriek in delight as Jack muttered the small scandals he saw. Seeing her animated reactions to all the information made the game more fun, and made the ten minutes he'd set seem so short.

A promise was a promise, and with a small, "Aaand that's ten!" Jack plopped her eyepatch back on his face; Morrigan making a guttural sound of disappointment as she leaned back, holding on the railings for support.

"Stingy."

"I take it you liked your gift?"

She faced him, the pouting from mere seconds ago gone, replaced with a bright shine in her eyes. "Are you kidding me? That's one of the most fun things I've done at one of Frank's parties! And he brought that giant inflatable bouncy house once!" That brought a laugh out of the older boy; out of relief that she'd liked his gift, and also out of the memories of the past party she'd mentioned.

"Maybe we can try it again some time."

She tugged at his arm hopefully, "Really?! We can people watch again!?" Jack glanced at her with a curl of his lip and a raised eyebrow.

"I was taking about the bouncy house, but I wouldn't mind a bit of people watching every now and then." He shrugged, putting his weight on the railing. "Only if it'll shut you up."

She punched his arm.

•••

He hadn't been able to see her in weeks, schoolwork crashing down on him and his peers; each room in the boys' dormitories filled with a stressed and overworked student or two. On top of the piles of work, it was pivotal for each member of the orchestra to be able to play a certain piece flawlessly in the following week. Apparently a member from the board was coming down to check on things, and the administration was pushing for a grand entrance. (Jack would spitefully theorize they wanted to use the loud music and shiny hallways to distract from the fact every student looked close to tears from the workload.)

So when the visit was over, and the series of tests completed; the young Witness just had to trudge through one last cello lesson before being able to make Frank's party for the week. Desperately needing a break, Jack got up and ran to the nearest brolly to get closer to home, not even bothering to wait at a platform for a train.

The party was already alive with festivity when he arrived home. Bounding upstairs Jack went to drop his stuff back into his room, but not before grabbing a folded paper from his backpack and slipping it into a pocket layered inside his blazer. On the way out, he caught sight of Morrigan. Her eyes lit up as she saw him down the hallway however, running to him she skidded to a halt before collision, extending her arm slightly to punch at his arm.

Though he'd only been seeing her at parties on the occasions he left campus, she always seemed a little less than great; but today she looked as if she was hanging on by a string about to snap. The biggest indicator being the fact she didn't have a clever quip for him or his godawful school uniform.

Suggesting a raid to the kitchen for sweets, she readily agreed. The two ran downstairs in a rush; Jack aiming to snag a few blueberry pie slices he'd seen on his way up, and Mog looking out for an apple crumble cake she'd noticed in the oven earlier that day.

After their sneaky excursion, with plentiful efforts to avoid Chef Honeycutt at every turn, they'd run out hastily with a bucket of cream puffs in each hand. Jack offered another game of people watching- claiming it as excellent practice for his knack. (While not a complete lie- he'd been itching to play another round for a while, not daring to practice reading his fellow students at school- Jack didn't know any other way to make her feel better without making it weird.) Mog had accepted it enthusiastically, running behind him as he climbed the stairs to their new spot.

A good bit into the game, after she made him smirk with a joke on profiting off his gift; Jack had turned to her instead, squinting at a black cloud hiding behind the thick wave of Wunder that surrounded her. He missed the way color flooded into her cheeks at his gaze; too preoccupied with deciphering her images to notice.

"What's going on?"

She thought in an intense silence for a minute after he asked that line, slight regret pricking at this skin. He wasn't used to people confiding in him; nor asking them to. Yet he didn't revoke his question, even as the seconds dragged on. Relief washed over him as her features relaxed.

She spoke of all the stresses that had come together, leading to a heavy weight on her shoulders; from Jupiter to all the odd and unfair school problems. They had sunk on the floor while she was talking, their legs poking through the gaps in the railings; their feet dangling above the party-goers below. Jack watched as the cloud gradually shrunk, turning a stormy dark grey instead of the inky black rage it was minutes ago. Telling her as such, she heaved out a sigh, her eyes gazing tiredly at a man attempting to impress his date by reading his palm.

"Good."

Jack's eyes lit for a moment as he recalled the small square he had tucked away before he left his room. Now would be as good a time as any to give it. He scrambled for a bit to retrieve it from the hidden pocket. Scoffing at her confused face as she glanced down at the outstretched paper and back to him, Jack pushed the folded paper towards her and began explaining what he knew about it as she examined the shiny surface.

"...well. I think it's best if you can reach me, that's all." He averted his eyes back to the sea of people, trying not to think of how long the last bit of his explanation had gotten, or of the last sentence he muttered. Warmth gathered on his cheeks as he tried to hide in his upturned collar, standing up to attempt to seem aloof.

"Okay. Um, thanks." He could hear the smile in her voice, her small frame taking place beside him on the railings once again.

"Proper emergencies only."

"I know, I know."

•••

It was a warm summer night, and Jack had just gotten to a good part of his book as a small square engulfed in flames came to life in his hands. The dread seeped into his veins seeing the cursed little black shape. Racing to unfold it, Jack didn't even bother to read the whole message before he was running down the Deucalion steps. Yelling for Fenestra or Kedgeree to get in touch with his uncle, the silky paper grubbed between his fingers like a lifeline and a curse.

•••

Jack's foot tapped impatiently at the grass below his feet. He stared at the brolly rails high and farther in the distance; wondering just when his uncle and his scholar would show up. A smile tugged at his lips, and Jack was glad no one was around to see it.

Weeks of days of research in the library and skulking about the streets until night for information had led to this moment; and the young Witness couldn't help but shake with anticipation. Though not to see the sights with his own eyes; he'd already seen the hulking silhouette with Sam a few days earlier.

SNIPPET 2:

[Author's Note: This is the shortest out of them all, it was a little snippet of Morrigan going into Jack's room before he was set to practice his cello.]

Despite all the venom she threw his way the first months she'd known him, the young girl found herself cherishing whatever time she had with him. With Jupiter constantly away, and her social pressures constantly rising, Jack coming home became breaths of fresh air- that she would begrudgingly admit- she needed.

Their games of people watching quickly became one of her favorite things to do during the Deucalion's parties; and with his company around the hotel, the duo always found something to do.

This morning was no different than the other weekends he'd managed to escape from his campus: with Morrigan lighting the candles around the perimeter of the fourth floor, her skates hanging loosely off her shoulder. Almost skipping with excitement, the raven haired girl went down several doors before knocking on the door she knew belonged to Jack. With a muffled 'come in', She turned the handle and made herself comfortable.

She had barged into his room countless times before, but never without knocking; grateful that he always knocked as well before bustling into her sanctuary.

Morrigan had teased Jack endlessly for his work with the cello; all her words holding barely any weight as she'd never actually heard him play before.

SNIPPET 3:

[Author's Note: Final snippet! While pretty short, I wanted to end this little compilation on this note, as it was meant to be part of a short oneshot of older (and slightly jealous) Morrijack at one of the hotel's grand parties!Aged up Morrijack pre-confesssion was y favorite dynamic at the time to imagine!]

"Where's your girlfriend, Jack?"

As soon as the words left Tommy's lips, Morrigan felt her stomach drop. Trying to push that unpleasant feeling aside, she watched Jupiter's nephew's face for any context.

The black haired boy pushed his friend off of his shoulder with a scoff, though the slight red on his dark cheeks didn't escape her notice.

"Oh shove off, Tommy. She's not my girlfriend."

"But you did invite her, didn't you mate?"

"I don't expect her to make an appearance."

The blond friend groaned at the less than satisfying response; choosing to pick his small plate of hors d'oeuvres clean.

Jack's eye flickered to Morrigan for a brief second. (She hoped he didn't catch sight of her hands wringing slightly at her brolly.) With a pat on his friend's shoulder, the taller boy pushed at Tommy's shoulders towards the stage.

"Maybe you can see if she came from a higher spot. You can sneak up on the side of the stage- don't let Kedgeree see you." Posing it as an order, Jack ignored his friend's confused sputters until Tommy had been absorbed by the dense crowd in awe of the iguana on the bass.

The raven haired girl watched the exchange blankly, the slight shock still rendering her immobile. Snapping out of her haze at the feeling of his hand grasping her forearm, Morrigan blinked at his back in bewilderment.

"Jack, where-"

His grip on her tightened slightly as he raised his voice above the music.

"Just hold on, Mog!"

Finally reaching a small indent in the wall for a window and seat, with a curtain above the alcove Jack nearly spun her into the cushions. His eyes darting around, he unclipped the small ropes keeping the fabric rolled. The window provided some light as the sunset peered through the glass, but she wasn't paying attention to the pinks and lavenders.

Her attention was fully on his brown eyes as he lifted his eyepatch up.

She hated how much seeing both of his eyes had an effect on her.

...