Jack Grimms: Slave

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Changes || Jackaton

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“I love you more than you ever knew,” she said, still tasting his kiss on her lips. “You’re my everything, and if it takes forever, I’ll make you remember this life, our happy life together, even if I have to tell you every memory myself.” 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack smiled, feeling warmth spread through is whole body at Katrina's words. It was everything he'd ever wanted and Jack couldn't feel any happier. "Perhaps you aught to start now then, for I think I'll want to hear them all from your mouth first anyway."

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“It’s been so long,” Kat said, the lies coming easier with each one. “I wanted to free you as soon as you were mine. My father bought you for me, because he was a horrible person, and didn’t listen when I said no, that I didn’t want you.”

“Once I had you though…It wasn’t long before I did want you.  Not to own you, but to have you. I gave you your papers the day my father died, though really you’d been free all along…I wouldn’t have tried to make you stay if you’d wanted to leave. But you didn’t want to leave then, and you didn’t want to leave after you were free either. We just…you…you moved into my room, and everything became official and…” 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack closed his eyes and sighed, realizing as Katrina spoke. Their story might not be completely happy, but it was nice, caring and loving and Jack could tell with each word that she loved him. It was nearly too much to deal with, the fact that this wonderful, beautiful woman loved him, wanted him and had freed him, it was more than he had ever helped. 

Leaning up, Jack gently cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. "And you love me?"

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“Okay,” she said, agreeing with him, and letting him take the easy way out, which meant it was all easier for her. She had no idea if his injuries would have matched up with falling off a horse, and there was no longer a hospital in Asher she could take him to. 

“What do you need now, sweetheart?” she asked, kissing his cheek. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack moaned softly when she said it was ok and curled his legs up, practically sitting in her lap. He felt tired and lost and he needed her, needed to cling to her. She was all that he knew here. He didn't even know where he was. 

Looking up at Katrina, Jack swallowed. "Where are we? And...and when did..." He chewed on his lip before speaking again. "When did you free me?"

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

Kat let out a half broken sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “I don’t know Jack, I’m terrible about doctors, I’m always so afraid that I end up making myself sick, even if I was okay before!” 

Looking down, she saw that he was as afraid as she would have been, and she pressed another kiss to his forehead. “We can call a doctor to come to us, how about that?” 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack just held on tighter to Katrina, needing her with him. So they were both scared of doctors. Jack was sure they must have had some sort of funny conversation about this once in their life together. 

He nodded a bit, and closed his eyes when she kissed his forehead, sighing a bit. His head was foggy, as if filled with cobwebs, but her gentle touches and loving caresses were soothing. "That sounds good..."

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“Should we go now?” she asked him uncertainly, making no move to do so. “Should we take you to the hospital? Let them look you over?” Her fingers worked over his head, searching for bumps or wounds, and finding none.

“Do you want to?” she asked again, pulling away slightly so she could sed his eyes. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack looked up at Katrina, eyes wide and full of fear. He hated hospitals, had always been scared of them. He didn't know what to do. "Katrina...should we? Do I...do I need to go?"

He clung to her, though still looking up at her face. This was his wife, the woman he clearly loved and who loved him, and yet, he couldn't remember any of their life together. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“E-earlier, we were riding, and you fell, and hit your head, and you said you were fine but—” Kat gasped, cutting off her words. She held him tighter, letting him cry. “I’m so sorry! You wouldn’t let me take you to the hospital, you said you were fine, that you wanted to come back and sleep with me, you said you didn’t want a single night apart and…”

“And I’m so sorry,” she finished after a long moment, apologizing for things Jack could not even remember. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

No wonder his whole body felt exhausted and bruised, if he'd fallen off a horse. Jack moaned softly, pressing his wet face into her shoulder, his whole focus on where she touched him and held him. "It's....it's not your fault Katrina...you just took care of me..."

He swallowed and closed his eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion come over him and her comforting arms the only thing making him feel whole. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

Katrina stroked his hair and whispered to him, lying with every word. “You…You became a teacher, back in America. First grade…You said you loved giving kids the…the education you couldn’t have as a child…” She gave him a little hug, and pressed a kiss to his head.

“But when I suggested coming here, you agreed to come with me…And then there was a fire back home—All the kids in your classes were okay, don’t worry—and so we decided to stay for a while.” 

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Jack pressed his face into Katrina's neck, breathing deeply, the tears still leaking from his eyes. His life sounded so good, happy even, something that he didn't think he would ever have. He was a teacher, a job that he shouldn't have been given, due to his difficulty with reading. "We...we sound so happy...I wish...oh....I wish I could remember it..."

He swallowed and started to cry again, clinging to Katrina. "How...how did I forget...why?"

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“Wh-what can I do?” she asked, a hint of desperation in her voice. She moved slowly, giving him time to resist, until she was sat beside him. Her arms wrapped around him in a hug, and she held him close whispering his name over and over.

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack didn't say anything, watching as she moved to his side. He felt her arms wrap around him and he collapsed, leaning against her, tears leaking out of his eyes. "I...who am I? What do I do...?" 

He had never felt so lost. He had no idea how much time he'd lost or what sort of things he would never remember. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“I love you,” she mumbled quietly, still confused. What was she doing? There was time to figure that out after, she supposed, for now she followed her instinct, however confusing it was. 

“You know me, Jack, don’t you?” she said, catching his hand again, almost wishing he’d wake up and call her bluff. 

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Jack watched Katrina, feeling a tug in his chest when she said that she loved him. He licked his lips and swallowed. He shook his head, eyes downcast, feeling like he was doing something wrong as she asked if he knew her. 

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I just...I don't know..." He sniffled, feeling like he was going to cry. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“I—” Katrina froze, unsure of what to tell him. Tell him that she had hurt him, that she had done this to him? She drew in a deep shuddering breath, and made the decision in the space of a heartbeat. Her words were soft and quiet, soothing.

“We’ve been together—married, for over a year now,” she said, looking down at his hand, and knowing her own matching ring was on the night stand, where she left it on the nights she had slipped it on, hoping for something to make her feel whole. “Look!” she leaned over and slipped on her set, the large diamond and the white gold band. 

“Please, Jack, we’re happy. Please!”

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack swallowed thickly, eyes darting around, but always going back to the woman, Katrina. He watched her reach over and slip on a wedding band and he swallowed, touching it with one finger, tracing the band. He looked up at her face, seeing the panic there and Jack swallowed again. 

"You...you freed me? You married me?" He looked up, eyes lost, scared, wondering if it could possibly be true.

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“Jack, what’s wrong?” she asked, reaching out for his hand. Before, her touch, at least some of her touches, had comforted him when he was upset. She grasped his left hand in both of hers, fingers brushing over the ring there that marked him as hers. 

He couldn’t leave her now, not when she had just told him the truth about everything, when she had fallen asleep feeling so clean and light. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack gasped, looking down at where she touched him. He saw her fingers touching the ring there and his eyes got wide. Was it possible? Was he married to this woman? Had someone actually freed him. You couldn't marry a slave. Jack swallowed thickly and looked up at her, seeing the true fear in her eyes. 

"I...I don't know what's going on...who you are...where I am..."

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“Jack?” she said again, confused. Her eyes were wide as she studied his face, understanding how scared he was. “I’m your—” she broke off, uncertain. “I’m your Kat…Katrina.” Swallowing hard, she moved back slightly, to give him space. “Don’t you know me?” 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack shook his head slowly, bringing his hands up and rubbing over his face. He felt tired, bone deep tired and his head still ached and his body felt tight. He didn't know what she was saying, the name Katrina meant nothing to him and he groaned quickly. "I...I don't know..."

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

The shaking woke her from her first full night of sleep in months. With a yawn like a sleepy content kitten, she rolled over in Jack’s arms, and didn’t think to panic until she saw his face. 

“Jack?” she asked urgently, cupping his cheeks in her hands. “Jack, are you okay? Please, Jack, what’s wrong?” She sat up as she spoke, throwing the covers off of them, she didn’t even remember covering up, and then her hands pressed against her chest, trying to calm her throat. 

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Jack's eyes were wide, fear shining out of them. He didn't know what to do, how to even answer this woman. She knew his name, and clearly cared about him. He flinched when she touched his cheeks and pushed away from her after a moment. He wanted to run from the room but he didn't know where he was or where to go. His training kicked in and Jack looked away from her, hands clenching in the sheets.

"I...I..don't...who are you?"

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

She clung to him. It was the first time in such a long time ever that she truly held on to someone the way she’d felt like she needed to. All at once it was painful and a relief, and it was hard to tell which feeling was winning. She whispered all her problems against Jack’s neck, and after she was done talking, let her eyes close. 

And the next thing she knew, it was morning.

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack held her back, easing them onto the bed, holding her close. His Mistress felt heavy against him, something he couldn't remember feeling. He listened to her whispers, not understand all of them but letting her say what she needed to, letting it sooth him. He closed his eyes, his head pounding and a feeling of floating going through him as he fell asleep.

When Jack opened his eyes, he was staring up at a strange ceiling, his whole body aching and a pounding headache. There was a body pressed against his side and the unfamiliar weight was strange. Jack hadn't slept next to someone in years, not since he was younger at the slave house. He swallowed thickly, starting to panic. He didn't know where he was, or who this girl was. Jack gasped, shaking but couldn't move.

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

“Are you, could you…Are you alright enough to hold me?” she asked, but the look in her eyes implied that if he didn’t she might fall apart. Even as she shook her head to dismiss her request, thinking it would be better if he left or got help for himself, she found herself talking again. 

“Sometimes, even when I was away at college, I would sleep under my bed. It was small, and safe there, and I knew he couldn’t get me. I didn’t have a roommate, and no one ever knew, but it was the same place I hid as a little girl…” 

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Jack didn't move when she asked if he could hold her, feeling her tense up beneath his cheek and be unprepared to move. A moment later and she was talking again, spilling secrets out that Jack was all too familiar with. 

He moved slowly, stiffly, getting up from his knees and sitting beside her on the bed, opening his arms and pulling her against him. He hid his pain better this time, and rocked her again. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

She took a shaky breath, and continued. “It didn’t stop when I was a little girl. My father lived to be a horrible old man, far longer than he should have. I was in college when he died, and even then, whenever he wanted, he’d find me. I couldn’t get away. If he called, I would come, like an obedient puppy. I would come home for my beating. Because that’s what I was worth.” 

Finally, she looked to him, searching for his eyes. She wondered if these were the only two options, to be broken like Jack, bowed beyond repair, or broken like her, wanting to hurt others. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do. He knew she needed to talk, to get these feelings out and try to relax, but he thought that maybe Master Evan or Master Luke would be better suited for this. Nevertheless, he didn't move, keeping his cheek pressed against her knee, letting the feelings slip out however she wanted them to. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Changes || Jackaton

[katrinapiersonx-blog]

Carefully, Kat put her hand in his, feeling his warmth, and used it to pull herself to her feet, but didn’t let go once they were standing. Slowly, they made their way to her room. She sat herself back on the bed she’d fled from not so long ago, looking up at him. 

Her eyes were trained on the bed covers when she began talking. The words were so very quiet, she didn’t know if he could hear her at all. “When I was a little girl, my father used to beat me.” she let the soft words hang in the air, words she had never said aloud before. 

[jackgrimms-blog-blog]

Jack walked with her, glad for the slow pace she set. He kept one arm around her, though wether it was to keep her from going somewhere else or if it was to keep him from falling down, he couldn't be sure of. Once he had gotten her back to her room and saw her sitting down, Jack swallowed, unsure of what to do.

When she spoke, Jack wasn't sure what to do. He'd had a feeling, being one of those people who'd been beaten his whole life. Jack swallowed, dropping down to his knees and laid his head against her knee. "It's alright Mistress...I promise.."