Jac Caswell

“It’s okay. I’ve had a lot of time to process it,” Harley replied. It was truer than the other man could imagine– there was a time before this when Harley had had quite literally nothing but time to process it. Although he’d never imagined that retiring from the commission and getting sent back so he could relive his teen years with his mom would have been his last time hop. In fact, the commission being over was still nuts to him.

“Oh, yes, one hundred percent.” Harley said, shaking the man’s hand. “Harley Cordell. Pleasure,”

He could think of nothing more to say, as ‘I’m sorry’ summed up everything that he had any right to say. 

“Excellent,” Jac laughed at hearing he could pass for a gangster. He was a former military leader, a CEO, and part of the English upper class. And it suited him to know how offended his ‘friends’ back home would be to hear this entire conversation. Of course, his actual friends would just make their own jokes. “It’s been a lifelong goal to be known as a troublemaker.” Truthfully, Jac had always been rather well behaved, which is how he got away with being a professional thief. No one ever suspected him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Harley.” 

LISTEN HERE

Her social circle was small, kept to Jac and the rest of the crew. She preferred being able to count those she trusted on one hand and made a point to try avoiding letting outsiders in. It felt safer that way. It also made the move far easier to handle when the people she cared about were going with her.

“Not in your condition,” Sam shook her head. “I didn’t plan on insulting you today but you still look like you could use another day or two of resting.” Hopefully, that would be long enough to at least check in with Ellaria and make sure she was okay. She didn’t like lying to him but it was that or risking his panicking on top of everything else. “Our home is wherever you are,” She murmured. Perhaps she had gotten too used to relying on him. “I’m certain Sadie will agree with me.” Sam nodded after that and left his bed, crossing the room to open the door and call for Sadie. She was shocked when pushing the door resulted in almost hitting the redhead. Thank goodness her reflexes were quick enough to stop it. “Can I see him?” Sadie asked and bit her lip, her look of worry mimicking the one Sam wore just moments before. She nodded and stepped aside to let her daughter pass, biting back a wince when Sadie flung herself onto Jac’s bed, accompanied by a loud shriek of dad, and wrapped her arms around him.

“You’re okay,” Sadie beamed at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Mom was so worried she wouldn’t stop checking her phone to make sure it wasn’t the nurse or Auntie Ella calling with an update.” Leave it to her daughter to spill more information than she would have preferred. “I got you a teddy bear and flowers.” The bear was crushed somewhere between the two. “She said to leave the flowers in the kitchen though. In case you’re allergic.”

Jac gave Sam a flat look for the faint insult. “I’m sure I still look handsome.” He quipped. “A true Sleeping Beauty, I am.” Before he could say anything else about going to find Ellaria, her soft words captured his attention. His hand found hers, squeezing lightly, for once not joking. Sam wasn’t just one of his dearest friends, she was his right hand woman, and that alone scared him. The last time he’d fallen for a friend, that friend had died. Instead, it was better, easier, safer to keep their friendship on a steady level. 

He watched eagerly for Sadie, a true smile spreading across his face as a red headed bullet shot across the room to him. He groaned at the impact, unable to stop the sound, but he still wrapped his arms around her. “Well, hello there beautiful.” The words were murmured to her, although he gave Sam a wry smile as Sadie admitted to just how worried her mother had been. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine. Especially now that you’re here.” He loved Sadie, considering her to be his family. As an adopted child, he knew that blood didn’t make a family, so the fact she was Sam’s daughter was enough for him to love Sadie. The young girl who had become like a daughter to him was the second light of his life, the first being Ria. “Good thing I’m not allergic. Show me this bear.” He shifted back so he could look down at the poor squashed thing. “I love him. Did you give him a name, or do I get to name him?” 

“Nope, just doing it on my own free time.” Harley stated vaguely, meeting the man’s gaze before deciding to elaborate. “My mom,” He started. “She fell ill years ago, and I started working as a volunteer so I could spend more time with her and help her as much as possible. Ever since, I’ve just made it a habit,” He explained further, fiddling with one of the buttons on his pink floral blazer.

He laughed, shaking his head a bit. “A smart decision. I’m sure you can find better ways to pass the time. Ever consider starting a drug ring?” Harley joked, playing into the ‘stealing from the gas station’ improv that they had started.

“I’m sorry.” Jac wasn’t close to his mother; he honestly had no idea what was going on with her these days, and he had no intentions of changing that any time soon. But he did understand family, despite that. Ria, Sam, Sadie, his whole crew. Jac would do anything for any of them. 

Jac stroked an imaginary beard as if considering it. “Now that sounds like it might have a big payoff. I think I could pull off a gangster look, yes?” After a short laugh, he held his hand out to the younger man. “Jac Caswell.” 

“Oh,” Julianne blinked in confusion for a moment but quickly recovered. One thing that had taken her a little bit of time to get used to in the city was just how cold everyone seemed to be. Obviously the southern comfort and friendliness was nowhere to be found in the natives of the city, much more likely to get an offensive curse thrown at her by a stranger than a kind greeting. So the warm welcome was appreciated and she found herself offering a wide smile in return.  “Thanks, I haven’t met too many people who actually live here yet. Kinda funny considering just how big this place is.”

“I’m Julianne, It’s nice to meet you Jac.” She took a step forward and shook the man’s hand, the worn fabric of her brown leather glove coming into contact with his palm. It wasn’t really a necessary precaution anymore since she’d spent so much time developing her abilities but it still made Juli feel more secure to know that she couldn’t catch any accidental glimpses into the other’s past on casual contact.  

“I didn’t know there were families living in the tower. Though I guess it would make sense — How long have you been livin’ here if you don’t mind me askin’?” As far as she knew the building was pretty new and wondered how the previous umbrella academy residents were holding up after the transition.

Jac had been trained in etiquette, his parents instilling in him how to behave in all situations. He could, and often did, throw aside all those rules, but he was never rude. He saw no reason to be, instead preferring to get along with people. It made life easier. “Ah, it’s because the place is so big, you don’t cross paths easily.” 

He already knew her name, of course, and he’d checked social media for whatever information on her he could find, but he still nodded when she introduced herself. “Pleasure, Julianne.” His English charm almost made it sound insincere, like it was just a line, but that wasn’t how he intended it. 

“Oh, no, I don’t live here. Nor does my sister. We stay at the Ritz, although she does have a floor here. We crossed the pond about a month ago. I figured that I’d take a go at setting up a new branch of my company in America while Ria goes about saving the world.” He smiled despite his worry. He didn’t want any harm to come to Ria, as much as he supported what the Academy was trying to do. “I’m just a worrier, I’ve been told, so I like to keep involved.” Jac wasn’t good at letting things be out of his control, despite his seemingly carefree personality. 

“ our parents, “ she answers, shoulders drooping slightly. ellaria moves away from him, settling into her spot on the sofa with her chin on her knees. “ our parents probably knew, “ her voice is soft and almost longing. she still loves them- still wants them to love her. logically there’s no chance now, but she can’t help wishful thinking. “ mother did always call me a mess- father too…among other things. “ she’d often ask herself if they’d be proud of her now. of the person she’d become. the sins in her severely doubted it.

Jac cupped her cheek with his hand. “Our parents are the messes. The disappointments. Not us.” He meant every word. It hadn’t taken much for him to become disillusioned in the life they led, and nothing had ever happened to prove him wrong. For some, cutting off their mother entirely and not talking to his father once he’d gotten out of jail would be cold, but to Jac, it was simply what they deserved. “Father is an even worse thief than I am - and I mean that in both senses of the word ‘worse’ as I’m not going to get caught. And Mother is vain and fickle. You, Ria, are not a mess. You’re a miracle, and it’s their fault they couldn’t see it.” 

Her expression faltered, her eyebrows furrowing together as a more worried look took over. “Do you need anything done outside of work?” She asked and gave him another look over. He looked rough but she knew better than saying that outright. He likely knew she was worried, judging by the smile he gave her.

“I don’t know if the phone line is going to work,” She gave a weak chuckle, smoothing that worry over with a hopefully believable lie. “The power lines are down near the academy.” Sam paused and glanced back at him. “I’ll help you with that. I didn’t uproot Sadie just to have some madman decide blowing up the city was a good idea.” She laughed softly when he asked about Sadie. “Yeah, she got you a little something in the hope of cheering you up. I can get her if you want but she knows you need your rest.”

Jac didn’t have much of a social life, not one he cared about. The formal events that his name and money got him into were nothing more than a means of casing places, and he knew the business was in good hands. “As long as the crew’s alright, nothing else matters.” He meant it. Loyalty was something his parents never had. They’d smiled at everyone and then made snide remarks behind their backs. Jac had long ago decided he’d never be like them. His charm wasn’t used to hurt people, at least not people who didn’t deserve it. Instead, his loyalty was easily won and impossible to shake. 

He chewed on his bottom lip for a second, wanting to believe her but still worried. “Maybe I should just go by. They’re getting used to me there, I think.” Not that he really cared. If they wanted Ria’s help, they’d just have to accept his too. “I’m sorry, Sam. I knew it’d be dangerous, I should have told you to stay home. If you want to get Sadie back home, away from all this, I won’t blame you. I’ll buy you the first tickets out of here.” He would make that same offer to the other members of the crew who had followed the Caswells to New York. As the one who brought them together, the one they called boss, it was his duty to look after them. As their friend, he knew he couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to them. “No, no, get her in.” Jac would never deny Sadie anything. “She’ll make me feel better.” 

ria pulls her legs up onto the couch, knees tucked under her chin as she stares at him. the sins are waiting in anticipation; well most of them. he’s leaving. envy’s snarl curls in the back of her mind. he’s leaving us. he’s l e a v i n g us. ria wraps her arms around her knees trying to listen to him wrath than envy. he’s leaving us. envy snarls again and the others try to soothe them. they only quiet when jac mentions being injured and ria takes the moment to shut them all out. “ you’re hurt?! “ she’s reaching forward hands on his face as she tilts his head side to side. “ knocked out is still knocked out jac! you idiot im putting you in bubble wrap. do have a bump? do you feel nauseous? got a headache? hows your vision? hearing? any metallic tastes in your mouth? “

Jac let her tilt his face, trying his hardest to make sure he didn’t wince. While he wasn’t going to hide what had happened, he was so used to putting others before himself that he had no intentions of making a big deal now. “We’ll both waddle along, yeah? Covered in bubble wrap.” He teased as a way to deflect some of her concern. “I’m fine, Ria. There’s only eight of you.” It was a tongue in cheek comment, more about the Sins who were just as much a part of his family as she was. He’d had to learn to accept them because their parents never had. “I promise you, I feel a lot better now that I know you’re alright. Means I don’t have to rush around looking for you.” He was going to have to leave a message with Sam, let her know he’d found Ria, that everything was alright, but for now, his focus was solely on Ria. “We’re a right mess, you and me. Who would have thought it?” 

“i’m sorry, sloth was out- they were sleepy, i’ve been here the whole time , “ she replies, guilt tight in her chest as she thinks of how worried he must’ve been. she’d wanted to go and look for him but they’d decided it was smarter to wait here. she’d still almost driven herself mad waiting. “ it is when he nearly gives you a heart attack! “ ellaria defends petulantly but her eyes soften, hand wrapping around his arm comfortingly. “ i wont…” she says softly. “ i wont i promise jac… “ before her tone picks up, light hearted and playful. “ although wrath headbutted the fridge last night after he threw a tantrum for getting a papercut so i only promise no major injuries. “

He could never get mad at Ria or any of the sins. Their parents hadn’t known how to handle them, so it’d fallen to Jac, and he’d gotten to know all of them. “It’s alright, I should have checked your rooms as well.” He just hadn’t been thinking straight, which he supposed he could attribute to the head injury. He chuckled, hearing of Wrath’s latest tantrum, before sobering up. “I think we should sit.” He wasn’t really supposed to be up and about anyway. “I have to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.” Jac really didn’t want to tell her he’d been hurt, he knew Envy would also be upset about it, and Pride would probably think it was his fault for not being more careful, but he’d promised her once that he’d never keep secrets from her. He couldn’t start now. 

Sitting on the couch, he made space in case Ria or Sloth wanted to cuddle. “I should promise you no major injuries too. I...got knocked about a tad. Just a minor explosion. No harm done other than the concussion really. But the Academy got blown up. No casualties from what I hear. Other than the building, but they have a new one.”  He spoke casually, not wanting to make it sound worse than it was. It was his job to worry, not the other way around. 

Harley looked up at the man– he was a bit certain he’d seen him in the hospital, though, he chose not to mention that. “Hm? Oh, no, I’m not waiting for anyone. I was volunteering in the hospital. I do a lot of volunteer work with my free time, lately.” He shrugged. He liked to help out– especially now that his job didn’t consist of teleporting to different times and ruthlessly killing and manipulating people to push a timeline of events in the ‘right’ direction.

“Definitely not robbing, either. A gas station is probably the worst place to rob. They only keep so much money in the drawer and they’re the most expected targets of robbery, so they generally have an emergency button and cameras. I wouldn’t suggest it unless you’re looking to be arrested,”

Opening the bottle, Jac smiled as he took a drink. “That’s nice of you.” The man didn’t look like the type that Jac was used to, volunteering only because it made him look good. Jac had no patience for those kinds of people, only keeping in their good graces because it made it so much easier to steal from them. “Is there a charity in particular you’re involved with?” He was always willing to drop money into a good cause, he enjoyed it actually. He liked putting some good out into the world. 

Sighing as though he’d really been planning to steal from the gas station, Jac took a drink. “Guess I will find somewhere else to rob then. Can’t support my lifestyle if I’m in prison.” He could imagine the glare Sam would give him for making that joke, but it’s not like anyone ever took Jac seriously. Besides, he certainly wouldn’t steal from someone who couldn’t afford it. He’d much rather steal from the CEO of an oil company than just a simple gas station. “Such a pity, I needed something fun to do.” 

Harping him for having checked out of the hospital, since she and Sadie had stopped there first, had come to mind but Sam was playing nice for now. There were too many other things to worry about past his not wanting to remain at the hospital. Truthfully, she would have opted for doing the same if in the situation. Hospitals always made her uneasy and she doubted that feeling would ever disappear.

“I know,” Sam murmured and gently squeezed his shoulder. She shifted so she was sat beside him, the hand at his shoulder falling to her side and seeking out his hand. “How much damage did it do outside of what I can see? The nurse wouldn’t let me poke around for information.”

Her expression faltered when he said he hadn’t seen Stevie and she firmly squeezed his fingers, hoping that would be enough of a warning to get him to stay in bed. “I will try to get ahold of her,” Sam blurted out and shook her head. “Do you have any numbers of anyone she might be in contact with?” Being subtle had gone out the window, replaced with the worry in regards to Stevie. “We’ll stay here.” She added in a softer tone. “Sadie’s already stolen the television and is desperate to see you.”

He had to think, separating reality from memories. “Concussion. They were worried about neck injury, but it’s fine, I can move without a problem. I cracked my head really hard.” He smiled weakly in an attempt to make her smile. “Don’t know why you’re all so worried, I’ve got a hard head.” The rest of his injuries were minor, scrapes and bruises. It was the head that was the problem, and it still hurt now. He wasn’t going to say that though, it’d just upset her. Jac was used to being the one to fix everyone’s problems, even if Sam didn’t need him to, and often fixed things for him before he could. 

Her words made him feel sick, definitely not about to stay in bed now. “The Academy. Shit. Their number is in my phone.” Sam would know his password, as his secretary. She and Stevie were the only people other than himself that knew it. “I’ll get it.” He managed to swing his legs off the bed before needing to stop, head ringing. “Knew coming to New York was a bloody bad idea. If anything happened to her, I’m killing all of them. Even Ben.” He threatened, although he didn’t really mean it. It had been Stevie’s choice, he had respected that. “Sadie’s here?” It was a momentary distraction, a little bit of relief trickling in that his other favourite girl was safe and sound where he could protect her.