Chereads / The Ballad of the Police and the Snake Pit: Respect the Queen / Chapter 21 - Is this what a family is supposed to look like?

Chapter 21 - Is this what a family is supposed to look like?

Caroline helped set up a few folding tables to put some food on, then she got out another table with Robin and sat some chairs up.

" Hey, Noni? How many chairs do we need?" Robin asked from the living room,

" About five." Nancy replied as she stuck her head through the door into the living room.

" Mom, can I help any?" Jack smiled

" Always, Thanksgiving doesn't happen by its self." Nancy chuckled as she handed her son a bowl of sweet corn to him "Listen, I'm not mad about what you said earlier, I was being insensitive and I deserved it. You shouldnt of had to go through what you did, I look at it now and I see it really messed you up." Nancy apologized.

" Thanks , Mom, but you realized that 18 years too late, when I lost my sight in my left eye and got stuck with the scar to remind me what happened; it really screwed me over and you could have been some help when it got rough." Jack sighed as he felt his hands starting to burn from the hot bowl of corn.

" I'm sorry, , now can you please go put the corn out?" Nancy sighed as she rolled her eyes.

" Yes! But before I go, we're talking about this!" Jack sighed as he went into the living room.

Robin thought she was going to be sneaky to steal a dinner roll for her ,and Caroline who were sitting off and away from the older folks whom they didnt know.

" Robin! You can wait like all of us!" Viper hissed as she passed,

" We didnt get lunch!" She sassed back.

" Fine! You both can have one roll before dinner" Viper chuckled as Amelia came out of the kitchen and put the pasta on the table,

" That is surprisingly heavy.." She chuckled as Jack passed by

" Yeah! But I'm sure it'll be gone in an hour." Jack added

" does it typically go quick?" Viper asked

" Hell yeah, when My brother and I were little, we used to only eat the pasta and it would be gone in thirty minuets of it being a free-for-all." Jack chuckled as he remember his older brother and their memories together.

" That sounds fun, maybe the kids will be able to do that.." Viper smiled.

" Mom doesnt have any back up bowls of pasta, and they shouldnt be able to."

Amelia and Viper laughed while Jack looked at Caroline and Robin, knowing that their relationship wouldn't last. It pained him knowing he would have to kill Robin, but sacrifices had to be made.

𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. It was something that Jack knew much about, too much if he was being honest. Jack wouldnt forget the first time he sacrificed something for his family;

He was 14, David had just been drafted, Jack thought that he could stop David from leaving by sneaking out and slashing three of the army buss's tires.

All that got Jack was having to pay the army base Seven-Hundred-Fifty dollars back for what they had to pay for the new tires and a bit of a delay on the new soldiers getting to their arrival. The only upside of it was he bought himself about two more hours with David before he last left the house.

" Jack? Are you okay?" Viper sighed as she looked into Jack's frozen gaze, and held his shaking hands.

" Jack?" Amelia called out, " Jack, are you okay?"

Jack finally managed to bring himself to snap out of it, " Yeah sorry, I was zoning out." He lied as he went back in the kitchen to get the pies out of the oven so they could cool off.

" I seriously think something is wrong with Jack" Viper sighs, " His flashbacks have been getting triggered more recently.."

" I personally think its the fact that he's home now, and the root of all these bad memories come from here." Amelia added as she sat down on the couch

" I mean that could be a reason but, we dont need to bring it up, we cant risk hurting him more than he is already." Viper stated

" Hey Momma V?" Robin smiled as she came over to Viper and Amelia.

" Yes, My dear?" Viper purred as she brushed her hair back.

" Whats wrong with Jack?" She asked quietly as Jack's relatives laughed loudly

" Ill have to tell you later, hon, its a long story." she sighed

" Oh, Wow.."Robin sighed as she sat down

After a bit, they were allowed to start eating, Caroline, Jack,Robin, Amelia, and Viper were all sitting at one side of the folding table. Caroline mainly had the mac and cheese for her meal, she wasnt in the mood for meats and all.

She knew she should have decided to sneak out and see how her Sister-in-law, Bernice, was. Sadly, Caroline knew it would have been impossible to find her way back to the old house and sneak back in without an issue.

Robin's plate was mostly meats and rolls, and a bit of Nancy's famous mash potatoes with melted cheddar cheese on top of them. Robin was clueless unlike most of the time where she knew everything going on, especially with the mafia; but at the moment she didn't know that Weasel was planning an attack on one of the Snake Pit's most valued players in this deranged game of chess. Soon one of the 'Unfortunate Five' as they liked to call themselves would have to sacrifice themselves and their good mental health for the sake of the team, the real question was which one.

Jack looked at his plate, not really hungry , knew of this upcoming attack but refused to tell Viper, breaking their legally binding contract that he signed ten years prior to the event. He knew it would cause mass panic and he sure as hell wouldnt be caught dead doing that, again....