After calling up Rosemary, Jack took Chica to the house and let her inside. He briefly told Mark that he was going for a little walk with his phone, but Mark gave no response. Closing the door, he hugged his jacket tighter to himself. Even with the sun out, the day was chilly. Walking to the end of the driveway, he climbed on the bike as Nico pulled up to the curb. Nico glanced over his shoulder, asking before he pulled out. "You sure you want to do this?" Jack could only nod. Without another word, Nico drove off to Rosemary's. At the curb to Rosemary's home, Jack climbed off and headed up toward the house. Nico drove off, leaving him at her mercy. He didn't even get to knock because she opened the door for him. Slipping inside, he listened to the fireplace crackle and pop as he rushed out. "I know. I know. You were right. But... Rosemary hear me out." She gestured for him to sit at her table. Dropping into the seat, he uttered out grimly. "I think something is wrong with me... I... I just can't-" Rosemary raised a gentle hand to stop him.

Retrieving something from a drawer, she sat down and began to light some candles on the table. Unwrapping a cloth from a deck of beautiful cards, she told him sweetly. "You want answers. So. Let's do this my way. Give me your hands." Jack let her take his hands across the table. Turning one over, she looked it over closely in the candlelight. After minute, she told him casually. "Your lines predict a long and happy life, Jack. You have nothing to fear." Jack curled his fingers, mumbling out. "Can you see an expiration date? Because I feel like-" Rosemary snorted, putting his hand over the deck of cards. Holding his hand over them, she told him nicely. "Shush. Don't tell me what you can't express in words. Close your eyes. The deck will tell me. Just... Pick the thing that troubles you in your mind. Let your heart tell me what's wrong." Jack closed his eyes, listening to her voice tell him to relax and take deep breaths. The smell of the candles helped sooth him. After a few seconds, she removed his hand and fanned out the deck between them.

Gesturing to them, she told him to pick three. Locking his jaw, he carefully pulled three and handed them to her in order. Collecting the rest of the deck, she set them side and laid out his three between them. Taking a deep breath, she flipped the first one over. Jack leaned closer to look at it. The picture on the card had five different looking sticks with only the tips touching each other where a star seemed to be. He didn't understand but looked to her. Licking her lips, she told him honestly. "The reading is strong today... This will be interesting." Jack shrugged, asking shakily. "What does it mean?" Rosemary touched the card, informing him gently. "The five of wands. They are locked in battle. In this case, it means that you are locked in a conflict. That you are resisting something. That some obstacle is in your way." Jack bowed his head, mumbling out. "Ya... but what? Does it mean, Mark?" Rosemary rolled her eyes, before sweetly telling him. "I don't think Mark has anything to do with this."

Rosemary stroked the card, regaling to him. "I think this means you are fighting with yourself. That you feel trapped or unworthy of something. So, you are resisting change. You are fighting to hold onto something or fighting to get something." Jack stared at the card trying to think of what that was inside him. Putting a hand on his, she told him with a smile. "My advice. Allow yourself to embrace new things. Instead of treating something like an enemy or an obstacle... talk it out rationally like old friends. Chip away at the obstacle until it is gone. Let yourself walk away and find a new path if all else fails." Rosemary squeezed his hand, then moved to the next card. Flipping it over, Jack let out a throaty whine. The card showed a heart with three swords impaled in it. That couldn't be good. It had to mean the thing he feared most. Rosemary ran her fingers over the card, saying softly. "The three of swords." Jack shook his head, mumbling out. "Means my love is butchered alive, doesn't it...?" Rosemary shook her own head, answering calmly. "Not always. That's not what I'm feeling."

Jack locked eyes with her. She could feel things? Rosemary looked over the card, replying lightly. "Something has come between you both. And it has led to a great heartache... The communication between you two is severed. If not fixed... this sorrow could lead to a separation..." Jack dropped his head into his hands. He didn't like how real this felt. How did she know this? He hadn't told her anything yet! She reached out to rub his arm, then flipped the last card with her free hand. Jack peeked between his fingers to see the damage. On the card, five golden cups were standing up and overflowing with golden light. While five rusted cups were set upside down beneath the golden ones and dripping single drops of red. Jack's hands shook as he lowered his hands, asking nervously. "And this one?" Rosemary looked over the card, but didn't answer, her expression unreadable. Getting more nervous, he asked her in a broken voice. "Rosemary? Something wrong?" Without a word, she got to her feet and moved silently to her cabinet. Opening the glass case, she removed a little clear bag from a small box.

Going back to her seat, she set the bag in front of him and said warmly. "You want my help? Here. This is my answer to you." Jack stared at the bag wearily. Spying a little black cauldron inside it. Gesturing to the bag, she told him confidently. "This is a bathbomb made with a few drops of love potion number seven. It's not permanent. It lasts a month at most... but this is up there on my list of strong potions. Unlike the candle, I gave you... This one has a bad side affect if done wrong." Jack moved his hands off the table and away from it. Rosemary leaned on her arms though, warning him sternly. "You want to clear the air between the two of you? Like the candle, number seven brings out the love he feels for you. Keeps him in his loving and happy state. You will be able to say what you need too. But... unlike the candle. You can't consummate your love with him." Jack blinked confused, saying perplexed. "What? Why? I thought love potions were about bringing people together?" Rosemary nodded, answering bluntly. "They are. Each potion does things a little differently. Brings out a different kind of love from the person."

Rosemary pointed to the bag, continuing on coolly. "Number seven doesn't believe in physical love. It's about emotional love. If you can't love him WITHOUT sex. Then you don't love him. You've imprisoned yourself with the fear that you're going to lose him with what you say. This will take that fear away. This will let you both explore the answers that you want." Jack swallowed, uttering out. "And when you say, 'physical love,' you mean...?" Rosemary smirked briefly, replying confidently. "You can kiss and hold hands. But any 'sexual' intimacy and... like number nine... It will take away all his love for you. Your love will quite literally burn and die after the interaction." Jack exhaled heavily, when Rosemary suddenly added in. "For both of you. Not just him." Jack's eyes darted up as he gawked out. "What?!" Without blinking, Rosemary answered seriously. "You have to do this with him. You both bathe together and it will wash the negativity off your hearts. Giving you a fresh start. Think of it like... Well, like you're dating all over again. Allowing you to fill the holes in your relationship."

Jack's eyes lowered to the cauldron, upon uttering out. "Will... he remember?" Rosemary nodded, saying firmly. "Oh, ya. This potion doesn't change him in any way. In fact... if you don't tell him... he'll never know. All number seven does is bring out the side you love in him. He'll just feel good and happy and..." Rosemary blushed but didn't finish. Jack narrowed his eyes on her, asking curiously. "And what?" Rosemary chuckled, informing him honestly. "He will try to seduce you. After all, the potion WANTS you to take the easy way out before the month is over. Your job will be to resist him." Looking down at her cards, she picked up the five of wands, chuckling out to herself. "Ironic, isn't it? Now I'm giving you a real reason to resist something." Jack rolled his eyes, asking bluntly. "How will this not affect me too?" Rosemary set down the card and removed a long sharp hair pin from her red hair. Pointing it at him, she told him casually. "It needs a drop of the user's blood. It will make you immune to the seductive side of the potion... but a target of his seductive nature. But you both will be happy."

Jack leaned back against the chair to keep distance between himself and the hair piece. He HATED the idea of being stabbed. Balling his hands into fists between his thighs, he mumbled out with worry. "What does the last card mean? You were refusing to do this for me before... why the sudden change of heart?" Rosemary's eyes looked down at the cups card, then returned the card back to her deck, saying stiffly. "I'm not going to tell you. Or it won't happen." Jack perked up, saying hopefully. "Then it was good?" Rosemary gave him a motherly smile, telling him sweetly. "You'll see for yourself." Jack felt a weight lift off his chest, nervously asking. "So, this drop of my blood...?" Rosemary opened the little decorative bag, pushing down the sides to reveal the little black cauldron with a smooth pink interior. Extending a hand out for his, she told him calmly. "I know... but it just needs a drop to work. It makes the spell strong and only for specific people. He won't spread his love around to everyone around him. He'll be normal to everyone else."

Jack reluctantly moved his hand across the table to her. Turning over his hand, she waited for him to uncurl his fingers. Picking the tip of his ring finger, she began to say aloud. "From one heart to another. Let the sorrow dissipate from one another. By waters healing caress, fill their hearts with happiness." Jack winced at the pinching sensation but watched her move the droplet of blood from his finger carefully over to the cauldron. Touching the drop to the pink smooth top, Jack gawked as his blood was absorbed and turned into a perfect prominent pink heart in the center of the little cauldron bathbomb. Setting the hair piece down, Rosemary wrapped the little cauldron back up and pushed it toward him. Jack sucked on the tip on his finger, listening to her sweetly tell him. "It's ready. The rest is on you." Jack reached out to grab the bag but hesitated. Rosemary's face was unreadable, and she sat so still. Swallowing, he took the bag. Rosemary rose from her seat slowly to blow out the candles on the table.

Walking him to the door, she sweetly wished him good luck. Jack wondered briefly how Nico knew it was over but didn't ask. He just climbed onto the back of Nico's bike. Nico drove him through a curtain of falling snow. Jack couldn't believe it was snowing so heavily now. He loved seeing snow fall. Saying goodbye to Nico, Jack got off the bike and jogged back up to the house. He hesitated to go inside but forced himself to do it. Inside, he smiled. The babies were laying on the floor in front of the couch, while Mark watched a Christmas movie play on the TV. The babies seemed to like the song playing. As Jack approached quietly, Mark leaned forward to put his cup of hot liquid down on the coffee table. Jack froze by the couch, saying quickly. "Mark, I didn't mean to ruin our family-" Mark raised a hand to stop him, then patted the seat next to him. Shrugging off his wet jacket, Jack inched closer. Upon sitting down, Mark handed him a cup from the coffee table, telling him with a warm smile. "Hot chocolate?" Jack took it with a small smile. As he sipped a little, Mark draped an arm over his shoulders to coax him into leaning against him.

Snuggling against him, Jack closed his eyes. Mark stroked his arm, telling him lovingly in a low voice. "I miss this..." Jack hummed softly, before uttering out. "I miss it too, Mark... I love you. Are you still mad...?" Mark kissed his forehead, whispering gently. "I am... but I don't want to think about it right now. I just want to enjoy this moment with you." Jack smiled a little, looking up enough to see Chica and Henry watching the snow fall in the backyard with their tails wagging.

Back at Rosemary's, Nico trudged into the house. Stomping snow off his boots, he caught her looking over three cards from her tarot deck intently. Hanging up his jacket, he walked closer to say a bit tensely. "Something wrong?" Rosemary set the cards down, mumbling out. "I'm hoping that I've done the right thing... but I just don't know." Standing up from her chair, she stormed off into the kitchen to pour herself some cider. Nico leaned over the table to look at the cards, asking curiously. "Was this his reading?" Rosemary gulped down her glass with a nod, then poured some more into her mug. Picking up the ten of cups card, Nico asked her softly. "I've seen this before... What does it mean?" Rosemary stared into her mug, answering in a distant voice. "It's a duel fortune. It can bring about one's happiness everlasting... A home filled with plenty. Or it can bring about one's loss of one. A bittersweet home life. Unsatisfying. A dream killer. Jack is trying so hard to achieve a happy home that I am afraid he is going to lose it all... But by interfering as I always do... I might be the reason he fails. I'm worried." Nico set the card down. He didn't like seeing her so worried. To Be Continued...