(UNDER EDITING) The Devil's Death | Jack Wilder

Act I, Scene VIII

They were high in the sky. All on cloud nine. They were on their way to New Orleans.

Jack and Ashlyn sat together, her head on his shoulder as she made some new shapes with her tissues.

"You tired?" He asked and Ashlyn just nodded and nuzzled into his neck, gently breathing against his skin.

"Jack I don't know what to do?" She looked up at him and the boy replied "What do you mean?"

"For the show I mean. Will this work?" Jack shrugged at her before speaking.

"Danny had a plan, Danny always has a plan."

"He's a smart human, an idiotic and definitely a dickheady one but smart." Ashlyn said as Jack chuckled. She intertwined her hand with his as they just looked at each other, almost in awe.

Ashlyn reached up to his face, touching it gently before saying "Look I know we're all in this till the end. If there even is an end." Jack chuckled at the young girl who held his face in her hands.

"I know we said we're doing this but both of us know that another other commitment will not be good for either of us right now. There's too much for us to focus on."

"You can say that again." Jack said moving his hands from her face and placing them lightly on his lap.

"But I just want to tell you something. A statement that my dad used to say to me before he left." 

Jack nodded looking at the girl who fiddled with the tissue she had gotten a hold of.

"He used to say, between the world and you, I choose you. I always thought it meant something, that I would have him in my life forever. That was, until one day, he chose the world over me." Trying to force a smile she looked at him before shrugging and contradicting herself.

"I don't even know why I believed him, not like those words meant anything to him." A silence fell, Jack confused as to what he could possibly respond without hurting her feelings. So he looked down to her and put his hand over hers and the tissue. 

"Well in means something to me, so between the world and you, I'll always choose you." Ashlyn smiled before moving the arm rest so she could hug him, giving them both the comfort they had seemed to be missing in their lives for quite some time.

"And I choose you. I always will."

The two just stayed cuddled together as they spoke, discussing their favourite places to eat in New York since the two were both from the Big Apple, agreeing they'll have to go one day.

Whilst they were talking, Ashlyn could hear Henley laughing which annoyed Danny so he stood and started to walk past the two who were still talking about New York.

"Hey Danny can I talk to you about my role in the show real quick ?" Jack asked as Ashlyn detached herself from his side.

"Yeah sure." He quickly replied before tapping Jack lightly on the face and walking past. Jack lay back in his seat and Ashlyn said "Don't worry he's selfish because he still has feelings for Henley. But you didn't hear that from me."

Jack chuckled and then Ashlyn's head snapped up to look at Danny being followed by Merritt.

"You're not doing that thing to me. No." Danny said as he walked towards the duo.

"What thing? I'm just looking..." Merritt asked.

"You're not. I've been watching you for a year. I know all your little tricks." Danny replied turning around to face him.

"That's what they are to you? Tricks?"

"Yes it's gimmicks, it's Barnum statements. It's reading the eyes, body language..." Danny started to trail off when Merritt said "If it's an easy thing, why don't you do Henley?"

"Yeah Danny. Why don't you do me?" Both Jack and Ashlyn snorted, trying to keeping their laughter to themselves as Danny glared at the two, hands now covering their mouths.

Ashlyn Godwin and Jack Wilder, the biggest children on the plane.

"No you're to easy. I'll do, I'll do Jasmine." Danny said and Ashlyn had managed to control her giggles, removing her hand away from her mouth.

"No." A demanding voice said and they all turned around to face Arthur.

"Do me." He told Danny.

"Oh yeah. Yeah. Do Art." Merritt said as the Horsemen took different seats, watching the scene unfold. Ashlyn got up from her chair beside Jack and stood behind Henley watching every moment.

"Just stay with me okay?" Danny said and then he started to try and get all this information right.

"So Art, you were a tough kid. You know kind of a real rapscallion. You had a dog. A real tough dog. A brutish breed. Like a real, I want to say Ben the bulldog."

"Actually, I was a prissy little tot. I had a fluffy white cat called Snuffles." They all burst into laughter as Danny punched the plane gently.

"Wait, let me try one." Jack said from beside Ashlyn who nodded in agreement.

"I can do way better than that." Jack said and Danny clapped his hands together.

"Come on, give me on more time." Danny said.

"He can do so much better Danny." Ashlyn added, winking at the boy beside her.

"Let's do family." Danny said turning to Arthur.

"You had an uncle on your mother's side. He had a real, kind of, a real masculine name. A real, kind of salt of the earth...you know a real stick it to you...like it was some kind of Paul Thompson. Was it a Paul...okay. You know what? I got nothin."

"Nearly though." Art told Danny.

"Was I?"

"Yeah. My uncles name was Cushman Armitage." Art laughed after he said that.

"Really? Snuffles and Cushman Armitage? That was your childhood?" Danny asked rhetorically.

"I certainly hope tonight's show is gonna be better than this." Art said. They all chuckled and Ashlyn looked at Jack who was smiling.

"Don't worry. Just you wait." Danny said.

Bring on the show.