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Trust

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Danny knows something has been going on. He’d have to be an idiot not to and he may not be Lydia but he more then gets by.

So he knows something is up with Jackson. First his friend had been acting weird for a couple months then he up and vanishes for over a day then reappears with some lame story about being lost in the woods that was obviously a rip off of what happened to Lydia. Only everyone seems to buy it and Jackson won’t tell him anything.

Not that he can ever really get him alone to talk to him about it. If McCall wasn’t right next to him, Stiles or Allison were shadowing him. Everywhere. The last week has sucked.

Which is why it feels weird to be sitting alone with his best friend on the bleaches after practice. But when Jackson asked him if he had some time to talk, he wasn’t about to say no…but really someone needed to talk.

“You okay man?” Danny said at last, breaking the silence.

“What? Yes, no, fuck.” Jackson answered back, finally talking as he glanced over at the far edge of the field. Where someone was watching them.

“So you haven’t lost your shadows after all then,” Danny said with a sigh.

“They aren’t shadows they’re protection. Not that they’re very good at it,” Jackson snorted back with a roll of his eyes.

“Someone’s trying to hurt you? Is that what happened?” Danny said concerned as all his worry and fear from Jackson’s missing day rushed back.

“No, they aren’t protecting me,” Jackson said, his tone making it clear just how silly the idea of him needing protecting was, “They’re trying to protect everyone else from me.”

“What? From you? Why?” Danny questioned, his confusion doubling by the moment.

“I’m dangerous, powerful, deadly. Everything I wanted,” Jackson said with a smirk as he looked over at his best friend, “just not quite how I’d planned it.”

“I don’t get it. What are you talking about?” Danny asked shaking his head.

“I’m about to tell you about some seriously messed up shit but as hard as it’s going to be to believe, it’s true. All of it. I promise it’s all true, you have to trust me on that,” Jackson asked, almost begged really, as he grabbed Danny’s shoulder. “Do you-can you trust me?”

“Always, you can’t even have to ask,” Danny reassured Jackson, his own worry increasing as he heard the desperation, need, in his friends voice, saw it in his eye.

“Werewolves are real, Danny. All the killings a couple months back was a werewolf, not Allison’s aunt, she was involved but not the killer. But they’re real and I-” Jackson stopped and looked over at his friend. Danny looked confused, unsure but he wasn’t pulling back, wasn’t calling him nuts, “I wanted to become one…I got bit.” He finished, clearing his throat and looking away, letting go of his friend.

“You’re a werewolf? They’re real and you’re one,” Danny repeated slowly, reaching out to his friend as stories and rumors plan weird crap started adding up.

“You believe me?” Jackson said, doubt clear in his voice as he turned back toward the other teen, “don’t just humor me Danny. If you need proof-“

“You swore, promise, it was the truth. That’s all I need Jackson and…” Danny stopped as he looked Jackson in the face, “it’s explains a few things that have been going on. McCall’s one too isn’t he. Allison, Stiles and that Hale guy are mixed up it in too…yeah it’s explains a lot,” he said nodding as he thought about it.

“Derek Hale the one that bit me and McCall’s how I found out. So you’re right…all but one thing,” Jackson acknowledged, leaning back and staring up at the afternoon sky, “I’m not a werewolf. I’ve become into something else…and that’s why I need your help. You’re the only one that can help. You’re the only one I trust,. If you can still trust me,” Jackson said, lowing his eyes to the ground.

“We’ve always had each other’s back. Nothing can change that,” Danny stated with convection standing up. “If you need me I’m here.”

And for the first time, Jackson felt like Scott’s group latest mad plan might actually work.

***

early that morning before school

“This plan is so not working,” Stiles complained as he slumped down into a desk, “and if lizard boy paralyzes me one more time,” he added glaring at Jackson across the mostly empty classroom the group had snuck into.

“Call me that again and being paralyzed will be the least of your problems Stiles,” Jackson threatened in return.

“Stiles, is right. It’s not working,” Scott cut in as he passed the room, “We almost didn’t stop you last night and yesterday in the locker-room…We need a new plan.”

“Then it’s a good thing you finally let me in on your secret. Because I finished translating the pages on the kanima,” Lydia bragged as she laid a handful of pages out on the one of the desk.

“And we have an idea, but it’s a long shot,” Allison chimed in as she pulled one of the sheets out. Along with Archaic Latin it had the image of a man with the form of the kanima drawn inside it. “This is the key.”

“The key is I have something inside me that wants to kill everyone. What a breakthrough, thank you so much,” Jackson snapped as he just frowned at the pages.

“You know you really are a bastard. Why did I date you for so long, I can’t believe I’m helping you now,” Lydia said disgusted with her ex.

“Why are you helping me, uh? We’re not getting back together. We’re over,” Jackson snapped just as Scott pushed him from the table, saving him from being slapped.

“Don’t worry I’m so over you. But even you don’t deserver to be forced to kill, if you were the one being killed…” Lydia said leaving the rest of the sentence left unsaid.

“Look can you just get on with your idea we don’t have long before first bell,” Scott reminded them as he looked the group over.

“Well as I way saying,” Lydia started going on after making of show of checking her hair and clothe, “is that this is image is the key, this whole page is dedicated to explain the concept but I’ll keep it simple for all of you,” she added with a false smile. “The kanima is part of Jackson but Jackson isn’t the kanima.”

“When is the kanima not the kanima,” Stiles repeated from the week before as he tapped Scott’s shoulder.

“When he’s Jackson,” Scott finished with a smile before the smile dropped, “but how does that help us?” he asked as he looked over at Jackson who has edged closer to the group again and was peering at the pages with interest.

“It helps because who ever is controlling Jackson isn’t really controlling Jackson, they’re controlling his kanima,” Allison explained, “that’s why he’s here letting us help him and why he’s was able to stop himself from transforming the night before last. Because Jackson isn’t being controlled, only the kanima is.”

“So as long as I stay human I’m good. That’s great if only I could always stop myself from changing but darn that didn’t work last night,” Jackson said snidely to the group.

“Unfortunately he’s right. We can’t count on him never changing,” Stiles commented, “so what’s the next part of your plan?”

“Why think you Stiles, at least someone can see I’ve thought this through,” Lydia said pointedly with a glare at Jackson before she pulled out another sheet, this one was mostly text but near the bottom of the page the format changed to a hand full of words per line all centered, like a poem. “The important part of the Jackson/ kanima divide is realizing that controlling the kanima may only control the kanima but controlling Jackson does also control the kanima. It’s a twofer.”

“And it would over ride control of just the kanima,” Allison added smiling over at Lydia who smiled back.

“Whoa wait a moment, to get control back from whoever has it now someone else has to take it. Just how is that good?” Jackson demanded to know.

“And why didn’t whoever just do it that way to start with, then we wouldn’t be able to help him,” Scott asked as well.

“Because it doesn’t work that way. Giving up control of the person that is the kanima mean just that, giving up control. From what this is saying it can’t be taken,” Lydia explained tapping the papers.

“What’s the rest of it?” Stiles asked as he glanced at the two women, “it can’t be that easy.”

“Easy? You think it’s easy knowing that the only way to not be used as some murder weapon is to turn my life over-fuck. None of this is easy Stiles,” Jackson yelled as he kicked at one of the desk.

“It…it also may not be something we can do. Because it can’t be just anyone Jackson,” Lydia started to explain, “it has to be someone you can trust, relay on completely without reservation and they have to accept you for who and what you are, also without reservation,” she detailed as she pulled out another sheet with more of the poem like text, and at the end after the text was the sketch of two men, one had the image of the kanima inside him and was kneeling on one kneel before the other who had an arm held out to the kanima man. “Is there anyone you can trust like that Jackson?” she asked quietly.

“Well all of you are out. I wouldn’t trust you to take care of a dog,” Jackson shot back smirking at the dog joke.

“This isn’t a joke Jackson,” Scott said seriously as he turned toward Jackson, “is there anyone, your parents maybe?”

‘My parents? You mean the two that lied to me every day for years about being my parents. No that trust boat sailed a hell of a long time ago. The only one I’d trust is-“ Jackson stopped mid rant as he just stared ahead not seeing.

“What? You thought of someone?” Allison asked breaking the moment of silence.

“I trust him but…if he knew what I’d done he wouldn’t, couldn’t” Jackson said shaking his head, “he couldn’t still trust me like that. It won’t work. Have you got another plan?”

“We don’t have a lot of options here Jackson. We have to at least try, who is it?” Scott demanded to know.

Jackson just shook his head, kicking at the desk again.

“Come on dude the suspense is killing us. Who is it,” Stiles said as he, like everyone watched Jackson, but it wasn’t Jackson answered.

“Danny,” Lydia said for her ex-boyfriend. Meeting his scared and worried eyes when he snapped his eyes toward her.

***
“Okay my mom’s gone, we’re good,” Scott said as he opened the back door and waved for everyone to come inside.

“Just how low have I fallen that I’m hiding in McCall’s back yard,” Jackson spat, flicking leaves off his shirt as he walked out of the woods behind Scott’s house along with the others.

“Well given that at least a dozen people in town would kill you if they knew were you were…really far,” Stiles told Jackson with a smile.

“Derek and the Argents can bite me,” Jackson snapped glaring at Stiles.

Stiles just stopped and stared at Jackson for a second before shaking his head, “That one’s just too easy.”

“Come on you two we haven’t got all night,” Allison interrupted heading into the house, “I really hope my parents don’t find out about this.”

“I thought you’re parents knew about the whole werewolf thing?” Danny asked, looking between Allison and Jackson. “Her family the hunters, right?”

“Yes, that’s why they don’t like McCall. Some of them would love to stuff and mount him. I can empathize,” Jackson smirked as he walked past Scott.

“But- he’s trying to help you?” Danny asked again, glancing from Scott to Jackson to the group at large.

“Jackson a jackass, everything knows he’s a jackass. We’re just the only group that doesn’t think he should die for being a jackass. So he’s stuck with us and we’re stuck helping him,” Stiles summed up before heading into the kitchen.

Danny let his gaze drift over the group as not one person, not even Jackson, seem to disagree or react to Stiles’s statement before walking over to his best friend giving him a look and just shaking his head when Jackson just shrugged.

“You two sit down. Lets get this started,” Allison ordered pointing to the living room sofa while she and Lydia spend several minutes organized their notes.

“Do you both understand what the plan is?” Lydia asks the two once the ladies were done.

“Not really…everyone’s been rather vague other then Jackson needs my help to not lose control and be forced to kill people, because he trust me and not you guys…and I’m beginning to understand why,” Danny answers nervously eyeing the others.

“That’s because Jackson is a cold heartless bastard and he knows exactly what I’d be doing if I had control of him,” Lydia responded with a disturbing smile before handing index cards to them both, “We’re going to create a bond between you two so you can stop him from being a killer. It’s real simple we’ll cut your palms, press the cuts together and read from the cards and then you will form a bond, okay.” She said mock cheerfully.

“Form a bond, what does that even mean, Lydia?” Jackson questioned as he started looking at the cards and frowning.

“The Bestiary didn’t say much other then it was like the bond between an Alpha and it’s Pack. But we don’t know much about that,” Lydia explained glancing at Scott just long enough for everyone to see it, and for him to cross his arms and look away, before turning back to Jackson and Danny. “So we’ll just find out together.”

“What language is this, what are we saying?” Danny asked flipping though his own cards, recognizing only a handful of words.

“It’s Archaic Latin, just fallow the pronunciation key under it, I used both respelling and the IPA standard so use which every one your best with, as for what it says. I have a translation here, it’s some kind of oath thing-” Lydia explained as she handed him a hand written sheet.

“It’s an oath of fealty between a vassal and his lord,” Stiles cut in to clarify until he saw everyone’s confused looks, “Like a king and a knight, its Feudalism…we spent three months on it last year and oh my god you actually passed that test Scott,” he complained to his best friend who looked even more confused then the rest.

“I’m like a knight, that’s cool, I’m can handle that,” Jackson said aloud as he nodded to himself.

“You sure? I’m no king,” Danny said doubtfully.

“But I trust you,” Jackson answered back before turning to Lydia, “so let’s get this started already. I have plans that don’t involve always have you losers around.”

“Oh I’m looking forward to this part,” Lydia said sweetly as she pulled out a nice sized knife, “hands.”

Everyone watched as Lydia cut a line across first Danny’s palm then Jackson’s. Then the two teens pressed their hands together like they were shaking hands, and then Jackson flinched.

“You okay man?” Danny asked concerned grabbing his friend by the shoulder with his free hand.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just felt weird for a second. Whatever, it’s just like when we were six right?” Jackson said with a smile shrugging the odd feeling off.

“Blood brothers forever,” Danny replied with his own smile as he gripped Jackson’s hand more firmly meeting Jackson’s eyes.

“I’m sure reliving history is great and all but can you hurry it up, we have a problem,” Scott cut in, turning toward the door sniffing.

“Derek or the Argents,” Stiles asked as he rushed to the window to look up, “or worse,” he added worriedly.

“Who could be worse?” Allison asked pulling her small crossbow out of her backpack.

“His mother that’s who, she’d call my father which is the last think I need right now,” Stiles yakked as he kept scanning the street.

“No it’s Derek,” Scott began to explain before he was interrupted by Lydia.

“He’s not the only problem,” Lydia informed them all as he waved her hand between Danny’s and Jackson’s faces, neither man reacted with so much as a blink. They just kept staring at each other as their note cards slowly slipped from their hands, unused.

“What? What happened?” Stiles asked as he slipped over and started to waved his own hand between them and even tried to pull their hands apart, all to no effect.

“Is this the bond? Is this how it works?” Allison asked.

“I don’t know the notes didn’t say anything about-damn there must be something,” Lydia muttered as she started franticly flipping thought the pages.

“Well they aren’t our biggest problem right now. Because Derek is right out side,” Scott stated as he pointed at Derek and his pack, clearly visible through the front window.

Chapter Text

“How did we get here?”

“Where is here?” Danny added to Jackson’s question as he joined Jackson in looking about the woods, trying to place where they were before his eyes fell on the remains of an old decrepit house.

“Why are we here Danny? Why’d we come here?” Jackson asked as he took looked at the ruins.

“Like I have any idea?” Danny shot back, “I don’t even know where here is, last I remember we were in McCall’s living room not…wherever here is.”

“It’s the old Hale place. And you don’t remember? Nothing between McCall’s and here? That’s not good,” Jackson said worried and scared suddenly as he started glancing around at the woods around them.

“You not remembering isn’t good either Jackson. Why would we have come here?” Danny asked, joining Jackson in scanning the trees for…anything.

“Yeah but I’ve been forgetting a lot of things lately. I’ve become disturbingly use to it,” Jackson answered. “I’m more worried that it’s suddenly contagious.” He added before he started heading for the Hale house, only to get jerked to a stop after his second step. “What the hell-“

“Jackson?” Danny said worriedly as he looked at where they hands were still joined, and he didn’t seem to be able to let go. “I can’t seem to-“

“Neither can I…we had just put them together. Did you say any of the words on Lydia’s card?” Jackson asked, glaring at his hand trying to pull them apart. Going so far as to grab Danny’s wrist with his free hand before trying to pry them away from one another.

“No, did you,” Danny asked in return, adding his own strength to the effort to pull them apart. “I don’t think this is working Jackson.”

“No, it’s not,” Jackson snapped giving their hands one last jerk before given up. “It must be the bo-is that my Porsche. If it’s Stilinski I’ll Molotov him,” he growled, marching toward his approaching car with Danny in tow.

“You’re not Molotoving anyone Jacks-it-doppelganger are real now too?” Danny asked stunned stared at Jackson driving his Porsche to the front of the Hale house before climbing out of it.

“Ah…I have no idea what that is,” Jackson answered, as he watched himself walk toward the front of the house before stopping and turning around and getting back in his car only to get out again.

“What are you-he-it, whatever, doing,” Danny said puzzled as they watched.

“It’s the day I got bit,” Jackson just whispered, his free hand going to his hip.

“What? Is that you?” Danny asked unsure.

“I day I asked Derek to bit me. We aren’t here; this is all in my head. We’re seeing my memory,” Jackson said slowly before walking toward the house and car and watched himself stop in front of the main door, taking a breath and squaring his shoulders before going inside.

And suddenly they were inside as well, watching as Derek leaped down handing next to the demanding Jackson before lunging at the teen with his teeth. Smirking darkly when Jackson pushing himself back against his eye shut tight, his whole body trembling.

“You say you want the bite, but you pull away when I try to give it to you,” Derek comment as he watched Jackson try to slide away from him, only for the new Alpha to step forward.

“I-I was just surprised. I thought we’d have to talk first or something,” Jackson answered, swallowing hard when he realized that in trying to step away from Derek, the werewolf was now between him and the door.

“Then talk,” Derek said simple, glaring at Jackson.

“Tell me somebody knew you were here, anybody,” Danny asked his Jackson as he watched the memory play out.

Jackson didn’t answer; he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the scene before them. Memory Jackson was slowly backing up the stairs now and Jackson saw the exact moment it happened. He hadn’t pulled his food up high enough and fell back rather then step back and in a blink memory Derek was on him.

He couldn’t look away. Couldn’t hear Danny calling his name, shaking him. the only thing he could see was Derek, just like last time.

Only this time Jackson could see Derek’s claws digging into the wooden steps. Becoming more wolf-like before cutting a slice down his shirt and bringing his wolf teeth to his still human hip. Before all he’s seen was the red, just those red eyes.

“Jackson!”

“What?” Jackson said with a start, feeling like he was snapping awake at the sound of Danny yelling his name. They weren’t at the Hale house; they were…”Is this your kitchen?”

“Kind of, are you okay Jackson,” Danny questioned, still holding his best friend in a hug.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be,” Jackson answered automatically, looking around the kitchen he noticed a few things were out of place, the walls were the wrong color, the counters looked odd, and Danny’s mother looks…off, “Why does everything look-“ he started asking until Danny caught his eyes and looked toward the table. Jackson followed them, right to a small dark haired kindergartner drawing something, Danny.

“I saw the look on your face and I just wanted us somewhere you’d be safe. Guess it’s not just your memories,” Danny explained, wondering how long Jackson would let him hold him.

“Oh…why now?” Jackson asked, going on when he saw the confusion on Danny’s face, “why when you were what five and not now now?”

“I don’t know,” Danny answered shrugging, “I just wanted safe. I wasn’t think of any one moment. And I’m six…I think.”

“Okay. Now what?” Jackson asked, leaning into Danny as he watched the younger version of his best friend draw their schools playground.

“Mommy what does adopted mean?” memory Danny asked put down his crayon before Danny could even try to answer Jackson’s question.

“Do you mean like adopting a pet? Like Mr. Bunny?” Ms. Mahealani asked looking up from the fruit she’s cutting up.

“Not Mr. Bunny it’s J-…someone in class,” memory Danny clarified for his mother.

“One of your friends said they’re adopted?” She asked, washing her hands and sitting down next to her son as he nodded. “Well what it means is his biological- first- mother and father couldn’t be his parents so they found other another couple that really wanted a child to love and call theirs and they became his new parents, his family.”

“It’s me, right after I found-you told someone,” Jackson asked, staring at the mother and son as if he couldn’t understand, or believe what he was seeing as the two kept talking, asking about the drawing, school…just talking.

“She didn’t know it was you Jackson, not until everyone found out,” Danny told Jackson answering the question he knew was on his best friend’s mind. “Promise.”

“I know, I trust you,” Jackson said finally looked away from the two and toward Danny. “Was this was right before the sleepover were we-“

“Yeah, it is,” Danny confirmed, realizing why they landed in this memory, “we had just talked about it, that must be why six year old me and not, well present me or anything.”

“Everything was so much easier back-what was that?” Jackson said suddenly diverted by the movement outside the window.

“Something green,” Danny answered as he headed for the back door pulling Jackson with him.

But instead of exciting into the back yard they stepped from the house into a large warehouse filled with strobeing lights and grinding bodies.

“The Club, why-“ Danny started to question when Jackson’s grip on his hand tightened and when he looked at his friend he could see the other teen has turned paled, “Jackson?”

“No, not here, not-Anywhere else,” Jackson rambled, squeezing his eyes tight as the whole shifted again.

They were at another spacious building, this time an auto garage.

“Jackson why didn’t you want to see-fuck what is that?!” Danny exclaimed as the kanima slipped past them and toward a familiar blue jeep that was being worked on by an mechanic.

“That…I pretty sure that’s me. Kanima me anyways. I’ve never actually seen a photo but how many lizard creatures can there be…” Jackson informed Danny as they watched the kanima slowly creep down the jeep before slicing the back of the mechanic’s neck then cutting the hydraulics on the lift.

“Yo-its killing him, did kill him,” Danny said stunned, watching the lift getting closer and closer to the paralyzed mechanic.

“And he’s not the only one,” Jackson said, “it’s seems I’m really good at killing, the only thing I’m good at,” he added, his voice bitter to Danny’s ears.

“Did you want to?” Danny asked, tearing his eyes away from the victim, “I know Lydia said you were being controlled but…did you want to do it. Enjoy it?” Danny demanded to know.

“What the hell man. No I don’t even remember any of it and no, I didn’t want to kill them. That’s why I’ve been working with the dork pack to stop it, me. I don’t want this, I don’t like killing. This isn’t want I signed on for when I asked for the bite, Danny,” Jackson answered, indignation clear in his tone, “should have known Derek wouldn’t have been able to do it right, not if he was so pathetic he needed McCall’s help.”

“Dude, you need McCall’s help,” Danny joked back trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, because he infected me with his patheticness. Its suck,” Jackson responded just as the world changed again, one more taking them to outside the Hale House, this time some time after nightfall.

At first it looked like nothing was happening, then Danny noticed Allison kneeling next to a man trying to make him wake up but before he could move to get a better look someone was being through out a window followed by a massive beast, then Jackson’s Porsche and the beast was on fire then human and…it was just all so much.

“What all just happened?” Danny asked Jackson as he watched memory Scott and memory Derek Hale glaring at each other.

“It’s the night we killed the old Alpha, Derek’s uncle or something. It’s the night I first became a murder,” Jackson said softly, his eyes fixed on the body.

“Wait, no,” Danny declared forcedly, “This was the guy that tried you kill you in the school right? And the one that killed all those other people right?” he confirmed before going on, “Then it was self-defense. He was trying to kill you.” He told his friend trying to get Jackson to meet his eyes.

“I’ve killed Danny, how can you-“ Jackson whispered until he was cut off by the tight hug he was pulled into.

“Because we’re brothers, remember,” Danny answered closing his eyes and focusing.

The world shifted. Once more it was a young Danny in front of him but this time he wasn’t alone. Next to his was a small Jackson, arms hugging his knees and a frown on his face as he looked at the pocket knife in memory Danny’s hand.

“Are you sure this is safe?” memory Jackson asked glancing at his hand.

“They do it in the movies and on TV, it has to be safe,” memory Danny answered, opening the knife, “and then we’ll be brothers forever.” He declared.

“Are you sure you want…even my parents don’t…” memory Jackson said quietly, looking at his hand and not at memory Danny.

“Always. Bestest friends and brothers forever, right,” both Dannys said in unison as memory Danny took memory Jackson’s hand and Danny squeezed their linked hand.

“Yeah, forever,” both Jackson’s responded, their voices hesitant, unsure; until teen Jackson went on. “I need to stop doubting you. You’ve never given me any reason to…” he paused for a moment and watched as they’re younger selves poked their fingers and pressed them together.

“There is something you need to see. I-I tried to kill you Danny, I almost did,” Jackson said slowly not meeting his friend’s eyes until the every end; just as their surrounding faded into mist and flashing lights, the air filling with load music.

“The club?...When we were, drugged…paralyzed, that was the Kanima,” Danny realized just as he saw the creature in the fog heading straight through a group of guys heading for memory Danny, slicing all the way. “Why did your master want me dead?”

“I don’t know why I tried to kill you Danny. I’m sorry,” Jackson confessed ashamed.

“It wasn’t you Jackson, it was whoever your master is, not you. You I trust with my life, in any form,” Danny answered confidently only to swallow hard when he felt the skin in his hand turn rough and cold in his grasp.

“Do you really mean that?” Jackson asked, his voice changing into a near hiss by the end as Jackson became the Kanima.

Danny let out a breathe as he sank down with Jackson, dropping to his kneels as Jackson went down on all fours, or tried to but Danny kept his grip on the claw in his hand, knowing that if it let go know they would separate this time and he’s lose Jackson. He meet the Kanima’s eyes and he could saw Jackson in them.

“Brothers forever,” he answered at least as he rested his forehead on the Kanima, no Jackson’s, scaly forehead.

“Brothers forever,” Jackson hissed back, his voice happy.

And then the world around them fell away.