Jack and Jean were walking along the river.
Jean had no idea why they were doing it. If Jack really wanted to pursue him, then he should become his friend first.
Jean was not Nikola. He didn't go with the flow. The druid had lucked out with Dimitri.
A calm man, a loving man. Someone who had left everything behind for his new family.
But Jean didn't know if under all that snark Jack loved to show the world, there was a good heart or not.
"Jack?" Jean asked finally, as he saw that the man was leading him towards a willow tree.
"Yes?" Jack asked. He was carrying a basket with food, which Nikola had poured his mana into.
"Why do you like me?" That was something Jean couldn't understand.
The man held different views than him. Did not behave like him.
Most of the time, he corrected him time after time.
If Jean was in Jack's shoes, he would have decided that his party member was too much trouble.
Too young, too naive.
Jean bowed his head. Hoping to hear something else.
"You are real," Jack told him, as he sat under the willow tree. "From the start, you fought for what you believed. But you know what? You won me over when you accepted Dimitri's arguments. When you decided to be a part of the family, you were so quick to judge."
Jean sat down next to him. When he was offered a sandwich, he took it and bit into it.
The bread was soft as a cloud, the meat inside was perfectly grilled. The egg was just the right amount of gooey.
And yet, he couldn't enjoy the meal. He still thought about all the hurdles in Jack's way to his heart.
A heart he was afraid to give away.
"You know your plants," Jack continued so, as if that was the most important thing between them. "And you aren't scared of me."
The ghoul could have waxed poetics about how handsome Jean was as well, but something told him that it wasn't what the man wanted to hear.
"I… why should I be afraid of you?" Jean asked, as he took another bite from his sandwich. Chewing thoughtfully so, as if that would give him some time.
"Everyone is. I am a ghoul. We eat human flesh," Jack didn't want for there to be any secrets between them. He didn't want their future together to be put in jeopardy.
Jean thought about it as he ate his sandwich.
On the one hand, Jack had the potential to make his life a living hell. He could also eat him if he was starving enough.
Ghouls were monsters, Jean knew.
But what were vampires? Had he not drunk blood before? Had he not taken the lives of small animals, just to survive?
Jean cleaned his hands on a napkin and placed his right hand over Jack's own.
"You know, we are a family of monsters," there wasn't a single human in their little new family.
Not even the baby was fully human.
"And I never held it against you. But… I got scared, you know? Back when you and Dimitri brought back Timmy."
Jack nodded. He had thought as much.
"Let us make a promise!" Jean continued, for he saw the opportunity to ground himself in the here and now. "I will drink blood only from animals, and you will get your human meat only from corpses and with the agreement of the deceased's family!"
Jack sighed.
"I'll starve that way. Or live off from prisoners," he protested.
"Maybe… maybe we can just raid the graves? Are you hungry now?"
Jean knew that Jack needed human meat only once per year, but eating it more often was going to strengthen him. The man was very thin.
Most of him was just muscle, he had precious little fat.
"Jack, if you want, we can go to the cemetery," Jean offered, as he stood up. "Right now."
Jack nodded.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Jean smiled at him.
"You're welcome!"
Not even realizing what his offer meant for the ghoul.
A creature shunned by all others. A creature who just wanted to keep his spot in his new family.
****
The streets were empty and quiet. A mist was rolling in.
Jack was leading the way, a lantern in his hand.
The graveyard was bathed in mist. The cold was biting them through their bones.
It was the hour of the witch. The ghosts were out and about.
Jack made a stop before the cemetery's entrance. He could see a couple of women sitting by their graves.
One of them had a swollen belly.
Jack froze.
Jean looked between him and the lady. Then it hit him.
The baby was still inside its mother's womb!
"I have no idea how to get the baby out. Dimitri did it the last time!" Jack said, but he still rushed to the grave, a shovel in his hand.
"My baby!" The ghost whispered. It was obvious that she was using her soul to keep the baby alive. "Please, help my baby!"
Jack didn't need to hear more. His shovel dug under the soul. It was still fresh and easy to dig.
The coffin was a simple wooden one. With metal hinges.
Jack tore the lid open.
Something was kicking in the woman's stomach.
"Breathe," Jean told him, as he took out one of his knives. "Please, get a blanket!"
Jack began to rummage in Nikola's bottomless bag.
Jean was sweating bullets. He had no idea how to take the baby out safely, but he knew one thing:
The kicks were coming further and further apart. The baby's mother was as thin as mist, her visage dream like.
Jean began to cut. He tried to calm his shaking hands, but it was no use.
His palms became sweaty.
But as he finally opened the woman's stomach, seeing the baby within, he smiled.
He cut the baby's cord, wrapped him into the blanket Jack had prepared, and then looked at the ghost.
"We will take care of your baby. Please — let Jack eat from your flesh. Move on."
Jack began to blink, as the ghost finally disappeared.
He stored her corpse in his bottomless bag.
Putting the coffin's lid back in place and then hiding the evidence of his presence.
"It's a girl." Jean said, as he began to pet the young necromancer baby.
"And a necromancer," Jack added.
Finally relaxing. Knowing that this little girl was going to be Timmy's best friend one day.