Fourth Tide Turning ☠ Written | Video

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[Jack has been spending a great deal of time at House Seven, looking after Buffy. There are occasions though when he manages to slip off to Cullen House; he has to keep an eye on the place, after all, and is slowly but surely stocking up on necessary non-perishable supplies for the winter that he and Katie McCoy can share. Firewood. So many things

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"She wants so very badly to fill him up with cookies," he murmured, following along in her wake. "You know? There's no other child here that I'd really let serve on my crew. Katie was different. She could take care of herself, always."

[slaying]

"Surprising how quickly the kids pick up on those pesky survival skills." The words were delivered with a certain measure of warmth.

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"Mmmmm." It was a noncommittal sound. "You know I'd look after her of course, no matter how capable she was."

[slaying]

"There's not a single shadow of a doubt in my mind on that account, Jack."

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Good. Well. It wasn't a fact that he would go broadcasting to the world, that. But he wanted Buffy to know.

Jack walked rather absentmindedly to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of apple juice.

[slaying]

The pirate's rep was marginally safe with her. At least -- she had gotten much closer to not white-knighting the pirate when the critics got loud. It was like smashing into the same brick wall over and over.

"Jilly's lucky, too. I mean -- you're good with her, Jack."

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"Good with...."

This was a topic he was not at all comfortable discussing. Gruffly: "Well...she's just a tiny shaver. Needs a bit of looking after and all that."

[slaying]

"Why shaver, anyway? Nothing about that suggests kid or child or youngster."

Buffy had to get up on her tippy-toes to reach the package of Oreos.

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"Dunno. An old gypsy word, from my experience." He procured two mugs and set them on the table before pouring out the juice. "I think she'll be alright. Do you? Think she's...do you think she's alright?" Nervous.

[slaying]

"I only dimly recall the glorious age of four but she seems alright enough and...Jack, she came back safe. Unhurt. That's a blessing and we should count it. This'll wear off and she'll be back soon and we'll have some cute stories to share."

She tore through the plastic packaging.

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Jack could not tell Buffy what he knows about Jilly's childhood. That was for Jilly herself to tell, if she wanted to. He had been ever so careful around her, though--treating her with utmost gentleness. Maybe he was overthinking things, yes; or maybe he simply wanted to write over her horror with something good. She'd asked him once if he could rewrite time. He couldn't, of course; all he could do was love her again.

And it wouldn't be enough, he was certain.

"A blessing. Right." He pushed a mug of juice toward her, being careful not to spill it.

[slaying]

Buffy grabbed a row's worth of Oreos and set them up in two stacks on the counter. Only after these were tidily arranged did she take the mug from Jack.

"She's here now. We'll keep her safe. You'll see."

The plural pronoun slipped so easily off the tongue as Buffy dunked her first cookie into the apple juice.

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Maybe he should tell her. Jack watched that cookie dunk into the juice and pictured himself letting Buffy know that, in fact, he'd thought Jilly was Joyce when he'd first spotted her in the twilight.

Possibly not a good idea.

He had never in his life entered any kind of partnership with a woman to care for a child. Ever. And he was startled to notice that his heart was beating rather alarmingly fast at the thought of caring for this child with this woman and her sparrowed shoulder.

Jack dunked his own cookie and ate it silently, all in one bite.

[slaying]

She took smaller bites and engaged in some excessive double-dunking.

"...How on Earth did you end up telling her that I was a princess, anyway?"

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"Just didn't want her to be afraid, was all. She was such an earnest little thing and I thought that I might frighten her, being all...myself and such. And I didn't want to frighten her, so I told her I could bring her to a magical house where the princess lived."

[slaying]

Buffy supposed that was more comforting than the make-shift wannabe-home where the Vampire Slayer lived. Buffy twisted the halves of one Oreo apart and first dunked the icing-covered side.

"...She didn't seem at all afraid of you when you two showed up, y'know."