Daughter (Book 3, the Feel the fire Series)

Chapter 7.

"So? Where were you?" asked Jack from Linsey, who just went over to the couch and sat down her bag thrown beside it. "You know the rule. You have to come home before 8 or if you are somewhere you have to call me. It's almost 10 in the evening."

"Sorry, I forgot to check the time," she said nonchalantly and laid down on the couch, still smiling.

"Tell me at least that you were with him, so he could protect you," started Jack, rubbing his temple in annoyance.

"I think it would have probably happened in the other way around," she chuckled as she sat up and looked at Jack.

"Right," said Jack with a deep breath and sat down beside Linsey to hug her. "I just want to know you in safety, you know."

"I know," she said and hugged him back.

So far Linsey was glad that this conversation happened in this way. It could've turned down into a way more serious one. She was glad that Jack wasn't that angry at her.

"Anyway. Who was this boy?" he asked as he released her and looked into her eyes, smirking.

She hesitated. Now came the hard part of the conversation. She had to form the words right so it wouldn't come out as a lie. But how. She bit her lower lip, thinking her words through carefully.

"He is just a school mate," she said and thought the sentence through again if it's a lie or not, but it was actually true in one way or another.

"Aha, sure," said Jack as he pointed at her face and smiled.

Linsey's eyes went wide and she quickly stood up from the couch to ran to the bathroom, flicking the lights on and looking into the mirror, searching for wraiths on her face. She saw in the reflection as Jack leaned on the door frame and then realized that it wasn't a lie because what she said was technically true.

"Wait," she said and turned to the smiling Jack. "It wasn't a lie, he is my school mate. But then..."

Linsey was thinking and Jack just chuckled to himself as he went up to Linsey. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her back to the mirror.

"Yeah, you probably didn't lie. But as soon as you thought of him you blushed," he said and smiled in the mirror as he put his head on top of Linsey's. "So you like him. And if he would only be just a school mate, he wouldn't have kissed your hand."

"Fine," she said and groaned as she admitted it. "I like him."

"And as far as I can tell, he likes you too, right?" he asked back, looking at Linsey in the mirror and she just nodded. "Alright give me details."

Jack left the bathroom to go back to the living room so Linsey followed him. They both sat back on the couch facing each other then as Linsey thought about what Jack said she asked.

"Like what?"

"You know, name, background, how you two met... yeah about that, I really want to know," Jack said as he looked at Linsey with curious eyes and she just chuckled at how much of a kid Jack can be sometimes.

"Well, his name is Nick. We met in school and he moved here from England because her parents got a better job here and..." Linsey continued, hoping that Jack wouldn't ask back about what happened in school, but he interrupted her.

"So... wait, what happened in school?"

"All I can say is Travis," she said with a casual shoulder shrug and Jack leaned back on the couch.

"Okay, you answered that question," he then quickly sat back up and looked at Linsey with worried eyes. "But he doesn't know about your power, does he?"

"Umm..." Linsey started as she played with her hair and Jack knew exactly that she only did that when she was nervous or
hiding something. "Maybe."

"Linsey!" said Jack firmly as he looked into her eyes, waiting for further explanation.

"I threw Travis to the wall," she mumbled out and Jack sighed, rubbing his temple again.

"It's enough that they know," he said frustrated even that he tried to sound calm about the situation.

"What was I suppose to do? He needed help. Travis broke his glasses." she said back a little bit louder than she wanted to.

"Oh, really? I didn't see him wearing glasses when he was here," said Jack and now he knew that there was something more that Linsey was not telling him. Linsey closed her eyes and cringed, she didn't mean to tell him that, but now that it was out there was no way back.

"Maybe, because I healed him." she squeaked and innocently smiled at Jack, who just shook his head.

"Okay, anything else I need to know?" he asked leaning back again into the couch, completely giving up to reason with his daughter why her action was risky.

Linsey thought for a second then her eyes lit up as she remembered. This would make Jack like Nick, she was sure about it.

"He is half Irish," she said and Jack's eyes lit up as well, becoming more interested in the boy.

"I like him already," he said as he smiled. "When do you want to introduce him? I mean I saw him but you know... like..."

"Someday," she said as she nodded. "But until then, please don't tell this to dad. You know how he would react."

She looked at Jack with puppy eyes and pleaded out. He was thinking, but then just sighed and smiled at her. Sure Mark could be an overprotective father sometimes, but Jack understood him. Both of them wanted the best for Linsey and they knew what a heartbreak would do to her. They couldn't comfort her for months after the incident on her first school day... And it wasn't even about a boy and love.

"Sure," he said and Linsey happily jumped into his arms to hug him. "But I'm not promising anything."

Linsey said thank you for a million times then released him. Jack smiled at her then went into the kitchen to put the dishes away, while Linsey stayed in the living room and played with Chica on the floor.

"By the way. Where is he?" asked Linsey while she was rubbing Chica's stomach.

"I don't know. He said Sydra called him. They needed his help, but he didn't say what for," answered Jack and went back into the living room after he finished with the dishes. "Why?"

"I was just curious. And I hoped that he couldn't see us," she said, but she whispered the last part to herself. Unfortunately, Jack heard it.

"You went to Aragas? With him?" he asked.

"Just a little. He was curious," she said as she stopped petting Chica to look up at her father.

"Right. Just be careful," he said with another deep breath and really hoped that Linsey knew what she was doing. "You made sure that he won't tell it to anyone else?"

"Yes. I trust him. He was different than the others, daddy," she said and went back to pet Chica on the floor. "You should've seen his look. He wasn't afraid like the others. He looked at me with curiosity in his eyes. He was interested in me and not afraid of me."

"I hope you're right," Jack said and as Linsey stood up they hugged again.

"I'm going to bed, I need to wake up early tomorrow," she said and pressed a kiss onto Jack's cheek then went to her room.

"Sure. Don't want your knight to wait for you too long, I get it," he said and Linsey turned back to him from her room's door.

"Very funny. Goodnight daddy," she said.

"Goodnight princess," he said and Linsey turned back once again in her doorway.

"Come on daddy. I'm not a little girl anymore," she said as she shook her head then blew one more kiss to him.

"But you are a princess," he said defending himself. "It's your title."

"Goodnight," she said as she disappeared behind her door, but Jack just chuckled at her, then went to his bedroom.