Jack Kline's Sister

Chapter Twenty One: Peace of Mind, Part One

"You wanna hold him?" Jack asked, taking advantage of her discomfort.

He bit back his smile as she held out her hands, forcing them to stay still as he placed Felix in them.

She sucked in her breath and tried to look at the snake. "What a...beautiful creature," she breathed, with a shaky smile.

Jack grinned. "Should I take him back?"

Monica nodded vigorously.

Jack took Felix from her and placed him back in his cage.

"Hey."

Jack and Monica turned to the doorway.

Dean looked at both of them. "I was wondering if you guys want to go for a little drive today."

"A hunt?" Monica asked, perking up.

"More like a field trip."

Monica and Jack exchanged a curious glance, then turned back to Dean.

"Sure," Jack said.

"Do you have any food?" Monica asked, leaning into the space between Jack and Dean.

Dean tossed her a snack cake. "Here." He looked over at Jack.

"I'm not really hungry," Jack said, and looked down at his pet. Monica still didn't understand why he brought the thing.

"Well, maybe feed the snake something," Dean suggested, pulling out two more cakes.

"Yeah," Jack said.

"Here. Give him one of these. I bet he's never had that before."

Jack looked at him. "I don't think you have a firm grasp on what snakes eat."

Monica inched closer. "If the snake isn't going to eat those..." Dean looked at her and grinned, then turned back to Jack.

"Yeah, no. Yeah, I always thought they were kind of cool, though."

"Well, most people think they're dangerous," Jack replied, glancing at his sister.

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "Mm. Well, it's not the snake that's dangerous. It's their bite."

"Is -- Is that a saying?"

"It is now," Dean said proudly.

"That's good," Monica said. "Like, Oprah good."

Dean looked at her with slight horror. "You watch Oprah?"

"Only sometimes."

Dean made a brief face of disgust and looked back to Jack. "You try one of those."

Jack weighed the snake cakes in his hands for an eternity before settling on angel food. Dean let out his breath in relief.

Monica wasn't entirely sure why, but she didn't really care. She grabbed the devil's food one from Jack's hand and unwrapped it before shoving half of it into her mouth.

Jack and Dean turned and stared at her.

"What?" She asked, her cheeks filled with cake.

A while later they pulled up in front of a small house.

They walked up to the door and Dean rang the doorbell.

"Dean! Jack! Great to see you!" Then he noticed Monica. "You're the daughter of satan?"

Monica gave him a wry smile. "That's one of my names."

Dean glanced at her, surprised at the remark. He turned back to Donatello. "Donny, good to see you up and around."

"Ah, I am just the picture of health. Except for my prostate. It's shaped like a papaya."

"Wow."

Jack looked at Dean. "Our field trip is to see Donatello?"

Dean looked at him, slightly awkward. "Well, with this whole soul thing, it's, uh -- We're worried about you, okay? And when it comes to souls or not having them, Donny here's an expert."

"He is?" Jack and Monica asked at the same time.

Donatello looked at both of them. "Please. Come on in."

"Actually, you know what? I'm gonna -- I'm gonna let you and Jack talk." He placed his hand on Monica's shoulder. we'll, uh, keep an eye on the snake."

Monica shot him a look that said, 'we are?'

Dean just tightened his grip on her shoulder.

Monica followed him back to the Impala reluctantly.

She leaned against the side, silent. Not looking at Dean, she asked, "Is--is Jack okay?" She shook her head. "That's a stupid question. If you're worried, he can't be." She lifted her dark, soulful eyes.

Dean blinked in surprise and tried to meet the near menacing stare. "Look, Jack is going to be fine--"

"Don't you dare lie, to me Dean Winchester." Her tone was low and cold.

Dean watched her clench her fists and swallowed. "Yeah, um, of course. I'm not. Jack will be fine. We just don't know how much of his soul is left."

"What if there isn't any?" Her head was tilted in a way that only intensified her eyes.

"There is. Souls go a long way. But the less there is, the less..."

"The less human you are. The more monster you become." Monica's eyebrows furrowed for a moment in thought. "That's not right. Even monsters have feelings and sense. Soul-less humans have nothing. Are nothing."

Dean's eyes widened briefly in surprise. He inched backward. "Woah, first of all, not true," he said, holding up his hand. "Second, cool the whole I'm-gonna-rip-your-face-off look."

Monica's eyes softened but remained stubborn. "You know how it is, Dean. Don't tell me you don't remember."

Dean stepped back farther. "I'm not liking this whole dark-girl thing. Just--relax a little. And yeah, I remember. But it's not that person's fault. They don't deserve to die, they aren't complete garbage--"

"It's not a monster's fault what's in their DNA. They're supposed to eat us. That would be like if someone killed anyone who wouldn't stop eating beef or pork. Yet we don't often see it that way, do we? No, we see the blood on the ground and the knife in our hand." Monica took a small step closer. "I'm not defending monsters, Dean. But I'm not defending people without souls, either. If Jack does have some soul left--and for the sake of the world, he better--then good. But if he doesn't--" her voice weakened, her face softened into pure worry. "Then either we figure something out or I give him some of mine."

"No." Dean's voice was firm. "You or anyone else isn't sacrificing anything. Not happening."

"When have you ever listened when someone told you that?"

"It's because of those experiences why I'm telling you this!" Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Once calmer, he met her eyes. "I know what it's like wanting to give up yourself for your brother. I do. But it never works. Because then someone has to sacrifice for you. Because the price is never cheap. Sometimes it's fatal. And although I know you would give your life up in a second--trust me, I would too--we can't. Because there's people who need us alive."

Monica's eyes dropped to the pavement.

Dean didn't realize she was crying until a tear fell from her face and onto a rock.

She looked at him. "If Jack has to die--"

Dean held up his hand. "Hey, no. Don't go there. No one is dying, not you, or Jack, or anyone. Okay?"

After a moment, she nodded.

"Good." Dean pulled her close and she started to sob. "Hey, it's okay. It's all going to be okay." He stroked her hair softly. "Everything's going to be fine."