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Entry tags:
Fic: Good For Your Soul
Title: Good For Your Soul
Genre: Gen
Characters: Jack Kline, Billie, The Empty
Rating: General Audiences/G
Word Count: 960
Disclaimer: All for fun, none for profit.
Summary: Jack and Billie talk in the Empty and Billie helps Jack with one of his problems. Takes place immediately after the events of S14E20, "Moriah."
Warnings/tags: Canon character death, bittersweet ending
A/N: Written for the Swan Song Bingo, free square (season 15 wish fulfillment). One of my two major wishes for S15 is for Jack to be resurrected and to have a soul again; this is my answer to that. There is a condition on it which I did not plan and is not actually something I wish for. But it was one of those things that seemed to be exactly what would happen, such that I couldn't take it out of the story once written. I have thoughts about it that I think softens it from a sad(ish) ending to a bittersweet one. They're in the end notes.
Read on AO3
***
Jack gasped as he awoke. He was lying on his back in a black, formless void. He sat up as a blank figure stepped towards him and drew a smile onto its face.
“What’s happening?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, about that…” The voice was coming from behind Jack. He looked over his shoulder to see what looked like an attractive black woman, holding a scythe. “We should talk.”
Jack scrambled to his feet. “Who are you?”
“Death,” she said. “But you can call me Billie.”
Jack nodded slowly. “My family knows you,” he said. He glanced at the black figure. “And I recognize you. Even when you’re not in Dumah. You’re the Empty.” He looked around. “I’m in your realm, aren’t I?”
The figure nodded, its too-fluid motions creepy and slightly disorienting.
Memories were gradually returning to Jack. “I’m dead,” he said sadly. A thought struck him. “Why am I here? Last time I died, I went to Heaven. I saw my mother.”
“I brought you here,” Billie said. “I needed to speak with you somewhere that isn’t under God’s dominion.”
“What do you want? I know you’re not going to resurrect me. You don’t do that.”
Billie pursed her lips and glanced over Jack’s shoulder at the creature that ruled the Empty. “Well,” she said. “Normally, you’d be right. But desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“Desperate times?”
She sighed. “When God shuts out the lights on the universe you happen to inhabit, you start worrying a little bit less about the rules.”
“What?!” Jack gaped at her.
“We’ll have time for all that in a few minutes,” she said. “I do want to get you back to Earth. But there’s something you need first.”
“What’s that?”
“A soul. You can’t keep running around without one. Things are unpredictable enough as it is.”
Jack frowned. “I thought only God can restore a soul.”
“That’s right. I can’t give you yours back. But I happen to have a spare lying around.” She held out her hand. A crystal ball appeared in her palm, glowing brightly with the light of the soul inside it.
“Does it feel familiar?” Billie asked.
“Why would it?” Jack reached out a hand and hovered it over the ball. To his surprise, something did feel sort of familiar about the light within it.
Billie smiled slightly at his expression. “Did Castiel ever tell you that he was human for a while?” Jack nodded. “When his grace was cut out and he became human, he was granted a soul. When he became an angel again, it was removed from him. You don’t get to be a full angel and have a soul. The soul came to us Reapers because no one was sure what to do with it. Death – the first Death – put it in storage. It seemed appropriate that I give it to you.”
“Does it have his memories?” Jack asked hesitantly. He wasn’t sure Castiel would want him to know so much about him.
Billie shook her head. “Memories are separate. We attach them to a soul when we bring it to Heaven or Hell. But you had your memories even after you burned up your soul, as I’m sure you recall. A soul is…” She looked into the crystal for a long moment. “You can think of it as a battery pack. That’s reductive; it’s much more than that. But that’s a way to think of it. Castiel used this for such a short time that it’s barely imprinted with his essence. And anyway, you two have a lot in common.” She looked Jack up and down. “I think you’ll be a good match.”
“Are you sure this will work?” Jack asked.
“Nope. But things are crumbling. I’m hoping you can help, and I’m willing to experiment in the interest of keeping our universe intact. Are you?”
Jack nodded quickly. Billie gave a one-sided smile.
“Open wide,” she said. She squeezed her hand and shattered the crystal. The soul rose into the air and flowed through Jack’s parted lips. He could almost feel it like it was a physical thing, sliding cool down his throat.
Once it was a part of him…it hurt. It was the emotional equivalent of a hand or foot waking up after going numb: painful jabs as his feelings came alive again. Jack put a hand on his chest and tried to breathe. Tears started in his eyes as he thought about Mary. They overflowed as he thought of Castiel, Sam, and Dean. He missed them. And the guilt he felt was wrenching, nauseating.
“My family,” he choked out. “Are they all right?” How could it possibly not have occurred to him to ask until now?
“They’re alive,” Billie said.
Relief swept through Jack, followed by an overwhelming sense of love. He closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotion. But he was profoundly glad to be feeling things again. Even the bad feelings were so much better than the blank numbness he’d felt before. Jack straightened up and looked at Billie.
“Will you bring me to them?” he asked.
“In a bit,” she replied. “But there’s something else we need to talk about.” She nodded over his shoulder. “The Empty is letting you go, but it has a condition.”
“What?”
“When you die again – which might not be for eons, of course – but when you die, it wants you back here. Not in Heaven.”
Sadness gripped Jack’s heart. That meant he wouldn’t be reunited with his mother again, or the Winchesters…But it really wasn’t a choice at all. He looked at the Empty and nodded shortly.
“I agree,” he said.
“Good,” Billie said. “Now let’s make some plans. Before we put you in earshot of Chuck Shurley again.”
***
A/N: As I alluded to in my top notes, I don't want Jack to be stuck having to go back to the Empty when he dies but couldn't un-write it because of course the Empty would demand that he return. My headcanon is that in the universe of this story, either his dads would get him out of the agreement or Billie would smuggle him to Heaven in the end anyway and deal with the Empty because she'd grown fond of Jack.
Genre: Gen
Characters: Jack Kline, Billie, The Empty
Rating: General Audiences/G
Word Count: 960
Disclaimer: All for fun, none for profit.
Summary: Jack and Billie talk in the Empty and Billie helps Jack with one of his problems. Takes place immediately after the events of S14E20, "Moriah."
Warnings/tags: Canon character death, bittersweet ending
A/N: Written for the Swan Song Bingo, free square (season 15 wish fulfillment). One of my two major wishes for S15 is for Jack to be resurrected and to have a soul again; this is my answer to that. There is a condition on it which I did not plan and is not actually something I wish for. But it was one of those things that seemed to be exactly what would happen, such that I couldn't take it out of the story once written. I have thoughts about it that I think softens it from a sad(ish) ending to a bittersweet one. They're in the end notes.
Read on AO3
***
Jack gasped as he awoke. He was lying on his back in a black, formless void. He sat up as a blank figure stepped towards him and drew a smile onto its face.
“What’s happening?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, about that…” The voice was coming from behind Jack. He looked over his shoulder to see what looked like an attractive black woman, holding a scythe. “We should talk.”
Jack scrambled to his feet. “Who are you?”
“Death,” she said. “But you can call me Billie.”
Jack nodded slowly. “My family knows you,” he said. He glanced at the black figure. “And I recognize you. Even when you’re not in Dumah. You’re the Empty.” He looked around. “I’m in your realm, aren’t I?”
The figure nodded, its too-fluid motions creepy and slightly disorienting.
Memories were gradually returning to Jack. “I’m dead,” he said sadly. A thought struck him. “Why am I here? Last time I died, I went to Heaven. I saw my mother.”
“I brought you here,” Billie said. “I needed to speak with you somewhere that isn’t under God’s dominion.”
“What do you want? I know you’re not going to resurrect me. You don’t do that.”
Billie pursed her lips and glanced over Jack’s shoulder at the creature that ruled the Empty. “Well,” she said. “Normally, you’d be right. But desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“Desperate times?”
She sighed. “When God shuts out the lights on the universe you happen to inhabit, you start worrying a little bit less about the rules.”
“What?!” Jack gaped at her.
“We’ll have time for all that in a few minutes,” she said. “I do want to get you back to Earth. But there’s something you need first.”
“What’s that?”
“A soul. You can’t keep running around without one. Things are unpredictable enough as it is.”
Jack frowned. “I thought only God can restore a soul.”
“That’s right. I can’t give you yours back. But I happen to have a spare lying around.” She held out her hand. A crystal ball appeared in her palm, glowing brightly with the light of the soul inside it.
“Does it feel familiar?” Billie asked.
“Why would it?” Jack reached out a hand and hovered it over the ball. To his surprise, something did feel sort of familiar about the light within it.
Billie smiled slightly at his expression. “Did Castiel ever tell you that he was human for a while?” Jack nodded. “When his grace was cut out and he became human, he was granted a soul. When he became an angel again, it was removed from him. You don’t get to be a full angel and have a soul. The soul came to us Reapers because no one was sure what to do with it. Death – the first Death – put it in storage. It seemed appropriate that I give it to you.”
“Does it have his memories?” Jack asked hesitantly. He wasn’t sure Castiel would want him to know so much about him.
Billie shook her head. “Memories are separate. We attach them to a soul when we bring it to Heaven or Hell. But you had your memories even after you burned up your soul, as I’m sure you recall. A soul is…” She looked into the crystal for a long moment. “You can think of it as a battery pack. That’s reductive; it’s much more than that. But that’s a way to think of it. Castiel used this for such a short time that it’s barely imprinted with his essence. And anyway, you two have a lot in common.” She looked Jack up and down. “I think you’ll be a good match.”
“Are you sure this will work?” Jack asked.
“Nope. But things are crumbling. I’m hoping you can help, and I’m willing to experiment in the interest of keeping our universe intact. Are you?”
Jack nodded quickly. Billie gave a one-sided smile.
“Open wide,” she said. She squeezed her hand and shattered the crystal. The soul rose into the air and flowed through Jack’s parted lips. He could almost feel it like it was a physical thing, sliding cool down his throat.
Once it was a part of him…it hurt. It was the emotional equivalent of a hand or foot waking up after going numb: painful jabs as his feelings came alive again. Jack put a hand on his chest and tried to breathe. Tears started in his eyes as he thought about Mary. They overflowed as he thought of Castiel, Sam, and Dean. He missed them. And the guilt he felt was wrenching, nauseating.
“My family,” he choked out. “Are they all right?” How could it possibly not have occurred to him to ask until now?
“They’re alive,” Billie said.
Relief swept through Jack, followed by an overwhelming sense of love. He closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotion. But he was profoundly glad to be feeling things again. Even the bad feelings were so much better than the blank numbness he’d felt before. Jack straightened up and looked at Billie.
“Will you bring me to them?” he asked.
“In a bit,” she replied. “But there’s something else we need to talk about.” She nodded over his shoulder. “The Empty is letting you go, but it has a condition.”
“What?”
“When you die again – which might not be for eons, of course – but when you die, it wants you back here. Not in Heaven.”
Sadness gripped Jack’s heart. That meant he wouldn’t be reunited with his mother again, or the Winchesters…But it really wasn’t a choice at all. He looked at the Empty and nodded shortly.
“I agree,” he said.
“Good,” Billie said. “Now let’s make some plans. Before we put you in earshot of Chuck Shurley again.”
***
A/N: As I alluded to in my top notes, I don't want Jack to be stuck having to go back to the Empty when he dies but couldn't un-write it because of course the Empty would demand that he return. My headcanon is that in the universe of this story, either his dads would get him out of the agreement or Billie would smuggle him to Heaven in the end anyway and deal with the Empty because she'd grown fond of Jack.