A.N. ~ I just felt like mentioning that this was one of my favorite chapters to write. Don't ask me why, 'cause I don't know. I just liked this one. DON'T QUESTION MY SANITY! Actually, do. You'll live longer that way XD

FLASH BACK

"JAKARA!"

"JAKA!" Cries from all the killers rose as they watched with horror-filled eyes as the girl fell out of sight, bringing the captain with her.

Jeff, I'm really sorry…

"J-J…" Jeff's knees connected with hollow thuds against the wooden deck as he stared blankly at the broken plank.

This was one of those times when he sorely wished he still had eyelids. He needed to close his eyes. Wanted so badly to shut the world out, because what had just occurred simply couldn't be reality. It was wrong. It had to be. There was no way…

Whispering screeches flooded his ears and everything swirled like a tornado before, in a great rush of wind, the mist blew away to nowhere in particular, leaving everyone in the living room of Trender Mansion.

Is it…over? But…Jackie's not here. It can't be over.

"J-Jeff?" Liu's small, pleading voice barely registered in the scarred killer's mind, and before he knew it he was running. He didn't know where to, he didn't care. He just wanted to run away from what happened and deny it.

It can't. Can't. Can't. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

PRESENT TIME

"Jeff, are you listening? JEFF!" Jeff tried blinking in surprise, observing Ben's scowl with a good degree of confusion.

"Nn?"

"Dude, pay attention! I was saying we need to get ready for the Meeting. You know, before Slender has our heads."

"Don't feel like going…" The ghost lost an arduous sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he reinforced his patience.

"You know we have to go, like it or not. Look, I miss her, too. But it's been three months. She's not coming ba—"

"You don't know that!" Jeff shot to his feet, swiping a hand palm-down for emphasis. "No body, no proof. Got it? Don't talk like she's gone for good!" Without a chance to reply, Ben watched his friend stalk out of the room, flinching a few moments later when he heard a door slam.

I wish she was here too, Jeff…I just know how to let go.

The Meeting. Where all of the creatures from all over the world that hide under all of your beds join for a week to exchange information, pleasantries, and discuss whatever they feel like talking about. And where all grudges are put on hold and fights postponed.

But seeing Zalgo for some strange reason gave Jeff a very undeniable urge to break that rule. In fact, Liu and Slenderman almost instantly stepped between the raven-haired killer as the demon approached, despite grumbled assurances like 'I'm not that stupid', or 'I won't do anything'.

Thankfully they were in a clearing devoid of any others since they were on the outskirts of the main site, meaning nobody was around to observe from the thick pine trunks' shelter.

"Ah, Slender. I see you've got all your little brats in order—oops. It seems one is missing." Jeff's fists curled and a low, slightly animalistic growl hummed in the back of his throat.

"And I see you're alone as usual, Zalgo."

"Well, I in fact recently got myself a new servant." Jeff spinning on his heel and stalking away momentarily paused conversation, however it resumed shortly after since he was allowed to go wherever he liked during the Meeting.

"Oh, here she is now."

Just ignore him… But curiosity ended up getting the better of the raven-haired killer and he glanced back, pausing to observe the stranger who wore black skinny jeans, black sneakers, and a dark grey hoodie with the hood pulled up so her face wasn't visible for the most part.

With a jolt, Jeff's mind flashed back to all the times he'd seen Jakara like that and gazed at the similarities closely, eyeing the slight roundness near her chin and the very tip of her nose coupled with the full lower lip.

Not her. Can't be her. Jackie's…but it looks like her.

She in turn, even if no one could tell, was studying Slenderman and all who'd come with him and frowned at how nostalgically familiar they all seemed. Even before she saw the entirety of Jeff's face, she knew what she'd see. That was definitely strange considering she'd never met him before.

"Edge, is there a problem?" She flinched slightly at Zalgo's voice, then shook her head. "Good. About the other matter?"

"Taken care of," she murmured quietly.

Every single one of Slenderman's accompaniment jolted, and Jeff froze completely while Smile Dog began whining and pacing towards her before backing up.

That voice… Liu's brother began taking slow, slightly unsteady steps towards who Zalgo had called 'Edge', and she held her ground before backing up when he got too close. A massive, clawed black hand fell between the teenagers, drawing Jeff's eyes up to Zalgo's harder red ones.

"Move," the scarred killer rasped.

"Certainly not. Edge likes her personal space."

So does Jakara.

Smile ran past while the two were distracted, leaping on top of Edge before she could react.

The girl fell back with a nearly silent cry, landing hard on her back as her hood began shifting away. A flash of cerulean eyes was visible a moment before she pulled it up again, but that was enough. They didn't need anymore.

"Jakara," Slenderman murmured. Lightning raced through her mind, blooming into a headache and she leaned back with a slight groan.

"Slender, Slender, Slender. Accept your pet is go—ack!" Jeff had dug his knife into Zalgo's wrist, pulling the blade out and shoving it back inside his hoodie whilst approaching Edge, who'd since shoved Smile off and shot to her feet.

"Jackie?" His rasping voice echoed hauntingly and she doubled over slightly, shoving a hand into her hairline as the word reverberated painfully a thousand times over.

"S-stop it. Whatever you're doing, stop it or I'll kill you." She straightened and drew out a knife from her hoodie pocket, but Jeff continued to advance, straight up until in a moment of blind panic the girl slashed his arm, watching the blood squirt out and only managing to worsen the headache as she fell to her knees with a tight moan.

Flashes of Jeff covered in blood entered her mind. In a dark house. Slightly ahead of her as red and blue lights flashed from behind. In an old factory as tears fell from his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I had to leave. I-I-I was going crazy, and I already hurt you so much…"

"Jackie?! Jackie, are you okay?" The moment warm arms began closing around her shoulders, Edge's right hand slammed against Jeff's chest and he tumbled back, staring with both shock and hurt as her breathing continued to rasp unsteadily.

"Zalgo, is that Jakara?" The demon glanced at Slenderman nonchalantly, completely unimpressed by his hard voice.

"I'll only say this one more time. Her name is Edge."

"B-but Smile re-recognizes her, and sh-she sounds l-like Jaka…" Hoodie flinched when the demon's blazing eyes fell upon him and Masky took a protective step between them.

"Jackie, please…Please…" Jeff tried getting closer, but once again Edge shoved his chest despite her trembling.

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"That's your name. Jakara. You-you love chocolate, and like showering at night instead of the day. You're an expert with knives, and great a-at cooking, and you're Christian, and…" At this point, his throat had tightened to the point where he was practically choking out the words. "You're right-handed, but ambidextrous when you're using knives. Y-your favorite color's blue, and you like rock music. Y-you were bullied, and you're sarcastic, and you don't get afraid easily, and…" He bowed his head, tears slipping down his leathery cheeks without bidding.

Edge was clutching her head with both hands by then. Strangely enough, everything he'd said had rung true in her mind and increased the headache greatly whilst Zalgo had started walking swiftly forward.

He grabbed her under her armpit, lifting her up and continuing to walk whilst her thoughts had her immobilized.

"L-let…go of me," she murmured, staggering the words.

"What?"

"Let go…I need to think…I can't think about this moving around…" He ignored her, continuing on their way.

"Stop thinking about it, Edge. He's just spewing nonsense." In a moment of inexplicable, blind anger she grabbed a knife and slashed at him, immediately being dropped and kicked viciously.

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" But then she sat down, frowning as though she'd just completely puzzled herself. "I…don't remember my name. Jakara? Jakara… Jakara sounds right. What happened? Everything's blurry…" Jeff tried approaching again, and though Zalgo began moving to interfere, Slenderman teleported between the two and the teenagers stared at each other.

Unlike the last times, Edge allowed him to kneel close to her and he slowly reached up, fingers gripping the brink of her hood. She started moving to stop him, then reluctantly returned her hand to the ground and letting the scarred killer reveal her face. Her sapphire-blue eyes, curly dark brown hair…her confused and mistrustful gaze that fell to curiosity as his tears increased.

"Jackie…" Her mind simply blanked out. She went on autopilot, acting completely on instinct as her right hand lifted and gently began wiping the trails away. She pondered the leather-like texture and continued stroking, even after she'd accomplished her original goal.

Meanwhile, Slenderman had extended many tentacles and teleported everyone away, leaving the teenagers alone.

Edge continued to rub Jeff's cheeks as her thoughts lazily swam here and there. Honestly, if the boy had eyelids he'd've closed them by then, wondering if this is what it felt like to be a cat.

"Bleach and Vodka…" He jolted back to awareness as the brunette's distant voice hummed through the silence.

"That's right."

"You…gave me this scar." Her eyes flicked to her right hand and he instantly knew what she was referring to. When he'd frozen at the green-eyed child's bedside all those months ago.

"Sorry."

"You're Jeff?" He nodded. "And I'm Jakara?" Another nod. "And we were…friends?"

"Y-yes, yes." His hoarse whisper must have initiated some kind of instinct because she reached forward and pulled him into a hug, not caring about the tears falling to her skin as he buried his face in her neck.

"We loved each other?" He nodded slowly.

"What happened? Why am I like this? Why did we get separated?"

"I fell? You thought I died?" Jeff nodded slowly, looking away before starting to glare at the ground.

"I should've searched more. Could've found you before Zalgo. Didn't try hard enough. I'm s—"

"Don't apologize." He glanced at her, expression softening like a small child being chastised by his parents. "Don't have regrets about something you can't change. I don't know what happened. I barely understand anything right now. I'm just blindly following instincts and hoping for the best. But you…I don't want you sad. My chest hurts when you're upset, and I don't understand it. But it makes me think you did your best."

She looked up at the sky, slightly surprised to see that it was turning a light grey already. Birdsong was beginning to curl through the cool air, though most light was stopped by the dark pine branches.

"It's nearly dawn. We should turn in for the day." He nodded slowly, shuffling reluctantly to a tree before sitting down with his back against it. He pulled up his hood so the edge covered his eyes, then jolted when a warm body leaned against his own.

Lifting the hood, he observed with wide eyes as Jakara snuggled comfortably against him. "We used to do this, right?"

"Y-yeah."

The girl's head pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat lazily while faintly registering one of Jeff's arms going around her shoulders.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Her mind drifted to times spent curled up with the burnt killer. In a bed, in an abandoned factory. In old, run-down buildings. In large chairs or on couches.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Her eyes drifted shut, willing the memories to seep back as she descended into a dark void.

"Jackie! Jackie? Come on…" Warm fingers brushing down Jakara's cheek and an urgent voice dragged her from the black pit she'd been drowning in moments before. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up groggily into Jeff's concerned, pale eyes.

"Jeff?" The cold streaks on her face caught the girl's attention and she slowly reached up, swiping her fingertips against a cheek and pulling them away only to find moisture.

"You started crying in your sleep."

"Oh…but…" A stray thought suddenly popped inside her head and she smirked slightly. "Well now, we're never gonna get any sleep if I keep crying like this." He stared for a few seconds, processing those words that were strangely familiar until that memory of when she'd had a panic attack during those few days he'd been healing at her house returned to his mind.

"You remember?" She smiled before nuzzling her cheek against his.

"I'm still a bit foggy on some points, but I can remember a lot more." Jeff's arms tightened around her frame as he shoved his face once again into her neck with a shaky sigh of relief.

"Good. That's good…" A slight rumble pulled him back and he frowned slightly while Jakara looked away with a blush. "Slender brought some food. Let's go get some."

"N-no, no, it's fine. It's the middle of the day, everyone will be sleeping. Later." He smiled slightly before nodding and adjusting his grip so they pressed against each other more comfortably.

"Okay, there's a city nearby. We'll get something at dusk then go kitchen raiding after, 'kay?"

"M'kay…" She glanced at him slightly, letting a small smile touch her lips as she rested her head against his chest again. "Jeff?"

"Mm?"

"Love you."

A.N. ~ the reference Jakara used was from Chapter Three, 'A Different Kind of Strange'.