After Sunny left, Jack drove and picked up Caroline from Gray and Art's, and sent her off to bed.
The clock struck 12 at this time, screaming that the new day had begun, yet the sorrow and remorse from the day prior would carry over.
Jack sat on his couch, sobbing, Robin was dead. The one he loved so much had been brutally murdered at the hands of himself, the body hidden deep in the creek of the Carmichael estate.
Years from then , after Robin's body rotted far beyond recognition, The next generation of Carmichael children would play upon her body and Their Aunt wouldn't have the heart to tell them, tell them that they played upon a gravesite.
The gravesite that bore a kind, young woman, and bore the emotions of an weathered, old man. No one would find her body unless they knew exactly what they were looking for. Even then, What the Vultures didn't eat, the Coyotes would.
Jack ran his fingers over the light blue ribbon Robin wore in her hair,
" I'm so sorry ,Robin, you didn't deserve that type of death.." he cried as he took a sip of whiskey to try and numb the pain. He knew his heart would have had to be buried with her, knowing the closest thing he would ever have to a niece was killed.
Caroline peeked into the living room from her bedroom, "She's dead?No, It can't be.." She sniffled quietly. Caroline knew that Robin had been killed without a doubt in her mind, and that the investigation would start soon.
"Caroline?" Jack called out.
"Yes sir?" She meekly answered,as she came to see her foster dad.
" I need to talk with you." He sighed as he took a puff of his cigar.
"Please don't do that in the house, Jack, it reeks and the smell of it makes my head hurt." Caroline pleaded.
"It's my house, take an Ibuprofen." He protested
" Of course." Caroline nodded as she sat on the dark leather ottoman,
"I just got a call from Amelia and Penny, Robin's missing. Me, George,Eli, Gray, Amelia, and Sarah are going to go look for her in the morning but don't be surprised if we don't find her." He sighed."Is there any idea where she is?" Caroline asked,
"Some, but she rarely travels out of state, if she was out-of-state, it would have to be against her will. " Jack informed her, "Plus she couldn't have gotten too far on foot.".
"Jack.. people who disappear without a trace sometimes choose to disappear, and probably are just better off being alone.." Caroline explained to him.
"No, No one wants to be alone, especially her."Jack lied
" Jack,That night, the night back when Amelia came to our door while we were staying at that hotel, I was awake. I heard everything, you don't have to lie to me, I know Robin's dead."Caroline sighed as she looked around, but got hit in the face with angry cigar smoke.
" You shameless child, why didn't you tell me?" Jack hissed as rage filled his eyes,
" I wasn't going to take the chance of getting killed." Caroline sighed as she reached for the gun on her leg, covered by her skirt.
"Listen to me: be a nice girl and don't you ever say a word to the Police or to Penny: or I'll make sure you get the same fate as her..." Jack threatened as he took a sip of his whiskey, his hand was shaking like a leaf
Caroline wasn't listening, "I'm going to go tell the Police,Jack, killing a teenager is stooping too low." She insisted, only for Jack to stand up and slap her across the face so hard that she was thrown off of the ottoman.
" Listen to me when I speak to you.This is my house, do you hear what I'm saying?" Jack shouted , "You will not call the Police, You will not tell Penny, and You will not ever speak of this to anyone."
Caroline's whole body shook, with noiseless, convulsive sobs "Yes, Sir." She muttered as she looked up at him with petty, sad eyes, begging for forgiveness and change.
"Good." He sighed and bent down to touch her face and help her up,
" Don't touch me!What's the point, Y'all will probably send me back to foster care.." She growled
"No, no,no I would never do that. You mean too much to me." He sighed
"I'm going to bed." Caroline hissed before storming off, the dark curls on the back of her head just bouncing away.
" Caroline!" Jack barked, "Caroline…" Jack Pleaded as he sat in front of her bedroom door , praying she would open it.
He sighed when she locked her bedroom door,
" Let her sleep, Jack." Amelia sighed from the garage door.
" Alright..how's Penny taking the news about Robin? First off ,how in the name of Sam Hill did you get in my house? And Second off, how did you get out without Penny noticing" Jack asked, slightly confused
" One: you gave me, Penny, and Robin a key just in case. Two: I used Robin's room to get on top of my car to leave. Three: Don't smoke near me, or She'll know I went to see someone. Four: No, she's worried sick and we need to 'find' the body and tie all loose ends off so, this is just forgotten about."
He put out the cigar with plans to relight it once she left, " Listen, it'll be for the greater good, in the long run, it'll keep Penny sane and keep the group together; because if she goes off the deep end, and resigns, we're done for.
We'll all be out of a job, and I know that Jess could do the leader ordeal, it's just a hard position to manage that comes with a lot of stress." He explained.
" I get that, most nights, Penny is up past 4 A.M. and she rarely sleeps, and when she does it's not for long."Amelia sighed as they went on the back patio, where Caroline could hear them, but she was asleep.
"Doesn't everyone? I at least stay up till five each night, typically driving." Jack sighed as he brushed his messy black hair back.
" I don't, I'm out like a light as soon as 11 rolls around." Amelia laughed, "It's nice."
" Lucky duck." Jack chuckled as he sighed and looked at the time, " I need to go check on , Caroline." He sighed as he got up, and went to her room to find the door unlocked.
He went in to find Caroline, passed out asleep on her bed, not even in the covers or in pajamas. Jack felt pity for her, knowing she just lost her best friend and that she was going to need some time to recoup. He took two quilts that his Great-grandmother made and put them on her. He brought her a glass of water as well.
" Jack, she's fine, let her sleep. She needs time to process this." Amelia insisted as she looked at the girl, who's hair was sprawled out on her pillow and would give her a bad hair day the next morning. "I feel bad that she knew that Robin was going to die yet she let herself get attached.."
"She knew?"
" Yeah, I made her swear to me that she wouldn't be the one who blabs."
" You know she will." Amelia sighed
" I just don't want to kill another kid, they have too much to live for and it kills me to have to be the one who shoots them."
" Jack, we do what has to be done for the sake of the team. Hell, if we have to shoot her which of course- that would be a worse case scenario,I would do it.." Amelia sighed
" No. I want her to at least live to get married, my brother didn't and I regret that his life was cut short. None of the kids I have helped take care of in the past are even close to getting married." Jack told her as he looked out at the trees behind his house.
" Jack, She has to go, if Weasel's plans aren't foiled by C team and D team, then we're in deep shit. I know you had Sunny Williams help you, And You know that dating someone from a different mob doesn't work." Amelia scolded him.
"First off, we aren't dating, I don't know who told you that but it's not happening. " Jack sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
" Then why did Iris tell me she saw you and her at that party?" Amelia asked him , as she stared daggers into his soulless blind eye.
"Because I was telling her to get off of Carmichael's territory." Jack huffed as he tapped his foot in frustration.
"If the Carmicheals didn't say something then, you shouldn't have."Amelia hissed as she looked at her friend, "It wasn't your place."
" 'Wasn't your place-'' Jack Growled in a mocking tone,'' You realize you are speaking to a superior in a tone that could get you fired." Jack barked, as Amelia sat down.
"I'm just saying, that will not work."Amelia said as she shook her head, "It wont, there are too many tensions revolving around these two mobs that it would make things worse." Amelia warned.
"Sunny and I aren't a 'thing' , Amelia, we are friends at best." Jack clarified angrily. "I think you should go, Amelia.."Jack told her as he started to walk out from under the porch and into the moonlight, the chilly breeze brushed his face as it started to rain which trickled into snow.
"God Dammit, Jack! Just admit it, You like her and you're scared to let her go, so you push your feelings away and deny them because you are so damn scared of losing her! What did someone ever do to you?" Amelia hissed as she came closer to Jack's dismay.
"That is Enough Amelia…"Jack Growled as he backed up.
" No! Why do you shut people out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so fucking afraid of!?"Amelia barked as she got in Jack's face.
Jack´s eye twitched before he screamed out "Enough!", in a fit of pure fear and rage Jack slapped her across the face.
Amelia stumbled back, in pure shock she sighed and left as she pinned her hair up.
"Damn it Amelia.. I don't even know what I'm so afraid of…" Jack sighed.
The wind picked up as snow started to fall harder and harder, Jack's lower jaw shivered but it didn't bother him, he had been colder.
"Why am I like this?" Jack asked himself as he relit the cigar and watched the snow fall, "Why am I even here?" he asked softly.
Jack sighed as he saw Caroline walk through the house, he decided to leave her alone though, "Oh my child, what am I going to do with you.. You're too dangerous to live but too innocent to die.."He debated.
Caroline saw him looking at her and huffed, and Jack gave her a head nod of grace as he came back in.
"It's too cold out there.." Jack sighed as he came in and turned the heater on.
"Are we not going to talk about what I heard?"Caroline asked nonchalantly.
"No."Jack sighed, "it's too much to explain." He told Her.
"I've heard enough.."She nodded, "Is it snowing out there?" She asked
"Yeah, We probably won't be able to go anywhere tomorrow.."He sighed
" you're right, are we still going to go to the gala?" Caroline asked.
"Oh shit! You're right, that's soon!" Jack gasped.
" Yeah, It's the 23rd, so next Monday.."Caroline told him.
"Fuck- I need to get us stuff to wear.."Jack groaned.
"Any specific colors?" Caroline yawned, "If the snow isn't too bad, then tomorrow we can run to dillards at the mall."
"No, that's on Weasel's end of town, we would have to be careful going in and out."Jack sighed
"Is there no way we could get a pass?" Caroline asked.
"No, They run a tight ship, they know who comes in and out on that side of town." Jack huffed.
" Could we maybe just go to the one in the- oh that's Carmicheal territory." Caroline admitted
"Over there, we could walk safely but it's two hours away without traffic.." Jack acknowledged.
"I say we risk it for time's sake.."Caroline admitted.
" You can brag about how much time you save while you're in the hospital, seriously, they would hunt you down." Jack warned her.
"Just come ready to fight-"Caroline joked
"Honey- if we go there with any sort of weapon, we are asking for death."Jack sighed in an exasperated tone.
After a moment of silence, as Caroline got her drink and chugged it, her thoughts started to brew.
"Can You teach me how to dance? "Caroline asked spontaneously, as she sat her glass down.
"Hon, it's late, you need to go to bed and I need to go to Walmart before they run out of Milk, Eggs and Bread."
"We have some, I know we do because I used them earlier." Caroline told him.
"Fine, I'll teach you how to dance."Jack huffed as he put out his cigar once more and went to his shelf by the fireplace.
Jack browsed the selection of records, "Elvis or Frank Sinatra?" Jack grinned as he looked around.
" Easy, Frank Sinatra."Caroline smiled, she had grown up listening to Frank Sinatra and had always enjoyed his music.
"Alright- Greatest Hits or his Christmas album?" Jack asked as he put back the Elvis record.
"Greatest Hits."Caroline answered, as she put on the heels she intended on wearing to the party.
"I'm short so I have to wear some sort of heel." Caroline told him jokingly.
"You think you're short? Have you seen Viper? She's like 4'5 and can still mess anyone up." Jack cackled.
" It's quite funny when she gets angry, you'd think that someone so small couldn't get so angry." Caroline giggled.
" You'd think, but damn, she can get ugly and in your face.." He sighed, the taller of the two huffed.
" She reminds me of a Chihuahua or Pomeranian." Caroline laughed.
" She is more of a Shizu Tzu type person…She can be nice and fun but she's stubborn and can get mean too."
" What do you have against Shizu Tzu's?" Caroline cackled.
" My Brother got bit by our grandparents Shizu Tzu when he was little, He wound up in the hospital for infection after that.." Jack explained.
" Ah, do you want to dance now?" Caroline smiled as she took the record and set it up.
" Sure." Jack chuckled as he came over and positioned her hands " You put them on the shoulder and you hold the other person's hand." Jack told Caroline as he put his own hands on her waist.
Caroline smiled as the song started, she softly hummed with the tune, the two started to sway together.
" Alright,so let's just try to turn while we rock." Jack hummed as he led the dance and turned them around.
Caroline put her head on his shoulder and whispered " Why did you kill her..?" Caroline asked Jack.