DEAR JACK,
Maybe they cared before they had a chance to say goodbye.
Or maybe they didn't fall in love like I had thought.
More than anything, they are nothing like you and I.

❂

BOBBY HAD BROUGHT THE THREE TO HIS CAMP, EXCEPT IT HAD NOT BEEN WHAT THEY EXPECTED. The people that had walked around looked as if they were only hanging on by their last thread. The camp had been rundown, barely standing on its own. It felt uneasy to be around, thinking it was just a blow away from falling all apart.

The curiosity had gotten to Jack. "What happened to them?"

Bobby had been too proud of his camp to feel embarrassed. His camp and been his life. He was set out to protect the people that walked around and there was only certain cosmic beings to blame. "Angels happened. They've done worse. Two days ago, angels dive-bombed a colony in San Antonio. Four hundred people. Not a soul left alive. This ain't war. This is an extermination."

With a heavy sigh, Mary had turned to Bobby in worry. "Michael will be looking for us."

"Don't worry, we got protocols protecting us. Wardings, lookouts in trees, few other tricks up our sleeves. Besides, Mary Campbell saved my ass more than a few times. It'd be rude not to return the favor." Bobby's grin was more than enough to make the three feel more at ease. Looking around, it hadn't seemed like much but knowing that Bobby had been the one to run the place, it was enough to know they were safe.

Continuing on, Bobby had shown them where they would be staying and where food was going to be served. It had been a while since they all had eaten and just the thought of food had them gently reach for their stomachs.

As if knowing their pain, a bell in the distance had rang out and many people began to flock together. "That's dinner time. Come on."

Bobby had directed them into line to grab their food. Mary had made it her mission to hang back with Bobby to try and figure out more about this unfamiliar world. Just a few steps ahead, Jack and Rose had been eager for a plate of food. Even a small scrap would be enough to satisfy them.

It hadn't taken long for Rose to feel unsettled. Taking a step closer to Jack, she had kept her eyes down to avoid the eyes that lingered in her direction. It was unwelcoming to stand before these people that were very much obvious in their distrust towards her.

Jack had taken his plate first, a smile growing as he had known in just a few, he would get a chance to clear his plate. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Rose had given a weak smile to the old woman handing out plates as she reached her own hand out for one. The old woman had grown hesitant. Leaning towards her, her friend had whispered something in her ear that had caused her to quickly retract the plate and hand it off to the young girl behind Rose.

Still, Rose had given the woman a weak smile. Enough to show that she had truly meant no harm but to also show her clear sorrow in being rejected. Dropping her hand down, she crossed her arms nervously. "I'm not that hungry anyways," she whispered to Jack. "Can we just go sit down?"

"We can share," he said. Holding his plate in one hand, he placed his other on Rose's back, guiding her away from the line and the constant stares. "They don't know you like I do."

"But they do know me. Just a different version of me." Both had taken a seat further from the crowd where they felt safest to eat.

"You're good. They'll see that." Jack tore off a piece of his bread, extending it out towards her. She paused, unsure if staying here was the right thing to do. But in the end, she took it from his hands. Scooting closer to one another, they had shared their small plate of food. It wasn't going to fill them up, but to know that they had one each other's back, it was more than enough.

It was when Bobby had stood before them with Mary and another woman at his side. He cleared his throat to gather the attention of the two that were more focused on one another to notice. When they had looked up, they shifted their eyes across the three adults before them.

"I think there's someone you should meet," Bobby said. His voice had already lingered with regret as he had spoken. It was as if he was fighting the urge to do such a thing. Barely giving the woman a glance beside him, he looked down to Rose with a deep frown. "This is Constance. Constance Graves."

"Hi," Rose said awkwardly. "I'm Rose... uh, Rose MacLeod."

Exhaling sharply, the woman had fallen to her knees in front of Rose, a smile so large and eyes bubbling up with tears. When she had cupped her hand on Rose's cheek, Rose had instantly pulled away in surprise.

"It's me," she whispered, attempting a reach out for her once more. "It's me, honey. Your mother."

Rose's heart had sank. A mixture of confusion and anger had been swirling around inside her. Looking up to Bobby, she felt the anger inside her take over. "What is this?"

"She insisted on seeing you and I figured there was no hiding it. Not many people here and well, they talk. You'd hear eventually. Or worse, she'd find you and make this meeting worse."

Breathing heavily, Rose had stood up, knocking Constance back. "No. I... I can't do this. He hated her and there's a reason he did."

"Hated me?" Constance whispered as she scrambled back onto her feet. "Not Fergus. We were... We were in love."

"No," Rose stated through a breath of air. "No, no." Looking towards Mary, she had hoped for anyone to speak up. "Crowley hated her. She dumped me on him, never came back around." Feeling water splash onto her hand, Rose had looked down to see Constance splashing water towards her. Swatting her away, she stepped back. "What are you doing?"

"You're human," she breathed out. "Fergus would be so proud. The times we tried to save you... protect you... Nothing would work. And Bobby... he had to..."

"She heard the story," Bobby interjected. "This ain't the time to be telling stories here. This ain't your daughter."

"It is," she sang out. Reaching out, she had attempted to run her hand down Rose's hair before being swatted away once again. "My Rose... You're so grown."

"I'm not sure what's happening..." Jack said awkwardly, now standing from his own seat. "I'm Jack."

Turning her attention towards him, Constance nearly burst into tears. "Jack! And... and how do you know my daughter?"

"I know... this Rose from our world. We're friends."

"You have a friend," she whispered in disbelief, clinging onto Rose's arms. "People here... oh, they hated you. You were so dangerous... so powerful." A hungry look had washed over Constance's face for a split second as she had sized up Rose. "What powers do you have now?"

"None," she whispered. "I'm just... hungry."

Standing up tall, Constance was wide eyed in worry. "Oh, honey. You must be starving. These damn people still living off of fear. I willl go fetch you a plate and grab some bandages for you." Without another word, she had scurried off and out of view.

Rose had felt defeated. Turning to Bobby, she had never been more upset. "Bobby, why did you do this?"

"Listen, kid, you need to know, she ain't normally like this..." Pausing, he turned over to Mary for help, but this had not been his Mary. "She usually keeps quiet. Stays out of our business. See, people don't take kindly to her being a witch and all. We saved her from Michael a few years back... This is the most she's talked."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better? I've heard enough to know about her. Whether she's from a different universe or not. She never cared about me, she never cared about Crowley. All she cared about was herself."

"Let me ask ya, kid. Where'd you hear these stories from? Your dad? You've never met her. I'm not saying I like her, hell, I'm really not saying that. Just try."

Rose had gone silent as she and Bobby had looked to one another. They were waiting for the other to break first. But she had known Bobby Singer and he always had to be right. There was never another option. So Rose backed down. She had looked away and in a way, silently agreed to his demands.

"We should go," Jack whispered to her. He had noticed that Constance had been eagerly growing closer to the food and soon enough would be finding her way back to them. Grabbing onto Rose's hand, he had broken through Mary and Bobby to bring her along to somewhere else.

"Maybe Bobby's right," she admitted as he pulled her through a small crowd of people.

"She is strange," Jack whispered, but that had been all. Rose didn't appreciate his vague and short words. She wanted more-- whether he had told her that it was best to know her mother, or if he had pulled her way to tell her to never look back. He never did either.

Instead, Jack had noticed the children all gathered around, bored and distraught with the world they lived in. They were the ones that deserved happiness... A way out. Taking a seat, Jack had pulled Rose down towards him. Settling in close to one another, Jack had adjusted a light for himself.

Rose had watched him patiently as he had began to play with his hands before the light. Shadow puppet had been his master plan. She didn't realize it then, but Jack had wanted to take her mind off the woman that was searching high and low for her daughter. He had never felt more uneasy with someone in his life. Dean had told him, when you feel that way, it's an instict that they are no good. Jack hadn't been sure if his instinct was right, but he was certain that Rose was uncomfortable and upset.

As soon as he had used his powers to make his shadow puppets into something more magical and memorable, he had turned in time to see her smiling. He had felt that kick in his stomach that made him remember a conversation with Castiel he had felt was forever ago. In a motel in Dodge City, Castiel had told him that maybe she had been his unicorn. And with a quick flip of his hands, a unicorn had danced before them.