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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

[SIZE=10.5pt]“You wouldn’t be in that spot. A shrink three times a week? You got it all wrong.” He laughed. “It’s never that bad. I mean…” He sighed, “The kid out back? Chances are, even under his circumstances, the most he’d have to see someone is twice a week. It doesn’t usually go beyond that. Getting more than one weekly session is extremely rare – You’ve got an odd few things you need to talk about. You’re not in the spot where you’re going out and killing someone every other night, you don’t have any psychopathic tendencies. You’ve just got your troubles.” He explained. “You’d see a guy maybe once or twice a week at most, get some meds, and that would be all.” He said, smiling at her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“There’s not a single thing between us – mental or otherwise – that I’d let come between us. Everything that happens? I take it into account, and I adapt. I don’t run away. I never have. Only time in my life I ever ran was when I was running away from Maryland in the hopeless chance of escaping the past. It didn’t do me any favors, but, me and you? Us? It won’t be hit at all by any of this, by you needing help. What I’m saying is, Thalia, and I’ll quote a song here…” He sighed, “If we ain’t got no money I can make it. I ain’t afraid of working to the bone. If I don’t know what I’m doing I can fake it – I’ll pray ‘til Jesus rolls away the stone.” He said, his voice quiet and soft. He meant what he said with every ounce of his heart, and his heart had plenty of room for numerous people, but a big section of his heart was reserved for the girl he so quickly fell in love with, the one who he already knew was a viable candidate for spending the rest of his days with.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]The mere thought of things they could accomplish made him grin like an idiot. He could only imagine the two of them in a movie together, or as directors, or major characters in a TV show. He knew any future children they had would idolize them purely for the reason that they were big TV stars. That would be incredible, but, not something that was a priority. If it could happen, he’d take it – if not, he’d go on and do what he could to ensure life was comfortable for him and everyone important that was in it. He knew Karin had more or less found what she needed to be safe and sound – James. A man who was quite possibly an assassin-for-hire on the side, but still, rich, and loving towards her brother. She’d found what she wanted, and Frank and Thalia had done the same. But from now on, they’d have to act cold with each other.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“You worry too much.” He grinned and bopped her on the nose with his index finger. “I’m not in love with you for your intelligence. Or the fact that you might have a mental illness or anything like that. I’m in love with, well, you. And just you.” He said. “I don’t need a genius to make me happy, Thalia. Just keep doing what you’re doing – every part of you is already perfect. And anything you do is just going to be making it even better, better than it needs to be. The only thing you need is a bit of straightening out – a real job, independence, and you’ll be even more perfect than you already are.” He said. “It’s all a gradual process, as you probably know. Change doesn’t often happen overnight like it has over the past two days, and change is very often tiring.” He looked down.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“But change is a good thing. Rain makes corn, and corn makes whiskey – that sort of ideology is something to live by, something to inspire you to change. Yeah, the rain might suck ass at first, but when you realize that rain is good for a lot of other things, life doesn’t seem all that bad. When I look at you, I wouldn’t say the life you’re living at this exact moment is shit or anything like that. If anything, it’s on the road to repair. Repair takes time, but, it always will.” He explained.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]She offered to be there for him when he found his sister’s killer? The offer was tempting, but not one that he was sure he could take.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“I’d like your help and your support, but when it comes to it…” He sighed, “I think it might need to be something I do alone. I’ve spent my whole life wondering who this man is and why he did it – I want him to look me in the eye when he tells me about the day he did it, and the things he did to her. It sounds dark, but, something that I need to do. I have a plan for how I’ll deal with it.” He explained. “Maybe James is the best answer here. He can find him, much quicker than anyone in the LAPD could. If the guy’s in hiding, it won’t take much to flush the guy out, I can’t imagine. At least not for a man like him with contacts all over the country.” He chuckled.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]There was one last request – just a few more minutes of being in love before they had to leave and go on to do whatever it was that was necessary. Be cold with each other, or at least appear distant. Suddenly being cold with one another would make it too obvious that they were conspiring to try and shrug Tony off.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“Of course.” He whispered back to her, and with that, he went in for another kiss.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]--[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]So, it seemed she hit a nerve by talking about Melissa. Understandable, but, it seemed that Tony was willing to try and go in for low blows as well. She was going to argue her point, though, but she had to give him something to work with. One thing she wasn’t going to let him do was screw Thalia over, though, because that wouldn’t be right. They’d both promised that things would have a good outcome at the end of all of this, and Karin knew she could do several things to try and convince Tony to start thinking otherwise about her. She had a few more tricks up her sleeve to try and in some ways coerce him, just like he was doing to her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“Come on, Tony, think about this for just a minute.” She said. “Why would she order the abduction of your girlfriend? What reason would she have to do that? Not only that, I was with her the whole night that Melissa went missing – She didn’t touch her phone the whole time.” She said. “You can go right ahead and call the protective services, Tony. Go wild.” She said. “I knew that half the LAPD didn’t have any nobility or honour, but I didn’t expect you to lack it. I understand you might be a little more bitter than usual, seeing as you lost a good man today. I’m not denying that, and I sympathize, but don’t put it past me. If you try and screw me or Thalia over, I WILL rat you out. I wouldn’t want to do that to the boy, but believe me, I’m a woman of my word. For that, I give you the chance to make the decision to do what’s right. For his sake.” She nodded down to the sleeping child.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“I don’t take kindly to your poor attempts at blackmail. Sure, I can’t afford the medical treatment, but James can.” She smiled a little, “And James is becoming very fond of Joseph – I’m sure he won’t take kindly to your empty threats, but that’s clearly an enemy you want to risk making. You’d look like an idiot if you called social services – they’d look into it and find that he’d been bought memberships with soccer and Jiu Jitsu places, and that alone would prove that there’s money in circulation for him. It proves that we care for him. I’ll be damned if I don’t help out, but you and I both know that James has got it covered, and by you trying to… BLACKMAIL me?” She shook her head. “It’s not something that’ll fall upon deaf ears. Shame on you for trying to bring him into this, just because you have some sort of… Obsession with getting Thalia booted.” She shook her head.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]It didn’t seem like the message about Thalia’s family was clear.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“You can tell them if you want, but I know for a fact that James has an army, and from what I remember, he’s the one promising to bail your girlfriend out because you don’t have the money or the power to do it yourself.” She said, the last part said with a rather bitter tone. “Imagine if all of those opportunities just… Went away? All because James decided to listen to the person he was in love with rather than some detective who’s already stepped over the line more than once?” She said, suggestively. “If you don’t think I’ll do it, fine, you can go ahead and ruin everything with her family, make a permanent enemy with Thalia. But believe me, Tony, that will be the worst decision you make for both yours and Melissa’s life.” She opened the door and stepped out, but, before she left, she turned back to face him.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“You think Thalia’s secretly in bed with Al-Asheera still? Think she’s going to run back to Ra’s?” She asked. “Well, in that case, I sure hope you can explain why Ra’s had Thalia’s father executed this morning.” She said, once again, her tone bitter – Yep, she knew something he didn’t. “Do you see her running back to him now?” She asked. “Newsflash, Tony. I can’t name a single person other than you that doesn’t know about her dad’s murder – Look it up if you don’t believe me. Go online and look at Philly’s news reports, see what Ra’s did, see what James and Thalia want to stop from happening somewhere else. You can act like Mister Big Balls all you want, and you can try and scare me into ratting my friend out – but it’s time you saw one thing: They don’t trust you, either.” She said, sharply. “You know what? I’ll even sign my name to agree that Thalia needs some professional help to get over everything that’s happened, but I’ll be damned if I let you lock her up. And if you threaten my brother again?” She shook her head, slowly.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“You won’t like what happens. One more word about him, or even the risk of dragging him back into this… You’ll wake up with your balls in your mouth the next morning. I promise.” She said, and she walked out. She would have slammed the door for more effect, but, her heart went out to the boy. Even though she was angered, she carefully close the door over to avoid waking the kid up. He needed the rest.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Maybe she got a bit carried away, but, if she could get the severity of everything into Tony’s head – and possibly the idea that he had no power over people – could she bring the group back together for the greater good? Especially now that she’d revealed the fate of Thalia’s father. [/SIZE]
 
James' Mansion | Encino, CA | 10:54 PM


Today has easily been the worst in Thalia's life. She'd received her first taste of a horrible hangover that fortunately died down, she'd received the tragic news that her father was murdered by the monster she might've had to call her husband someday, she murdered a man in cold blood, all part of an infuriated reaction that she had not control over, inflicting the fear that she potentially had a mental disorder, and worse, Tony had already begun to spread rumors about her potentially unstable mental state. It all felt so scary in this girl's mind to envision what the future held. Her relationship with Frank was certainly a beacon of hope, keeping her chin up and thinking positive. After just laying down with him in bed and talking over their issues together, she felt like every tragedy from today had become easier to bear. All of their talks about getting better, solving what ever was wrong with her head, building a new life together somewhere calmer, going on vacation, him leaving the dangerous life of a detective to keep her safe, and going into more artistic fields of work? It was music to her ears and instantly got her spirits up. As great as the sex and intimacy was with Frank, Thalia wanted more. Once Ra's was no longer a problem, she'd easily go with the young detective on that skiing trip he kept promising. And if not that, a walk on the beach would've been a second best, just walking across the sand and staring at the sunset together... so many beautiful fantasies clouded her head and reinvigorated her sense of hope. Hopefully, what she did to Nicholas would never happen again. She'd control herself as best as she could. At least try her best. All she could hope is that nobody would judge her. That she and Karin were still good friends, given Tony already snitched. She wouldn't put it past her.


On the bright side? She and Frank were still madly in love. Her promise to get wasted with Karin was fulfilled, though at a terrible time. And even better: she spoke to both her father and mother that day. And her mother and brother were now coming to LA, all thanks to James. She owed him so much for that, given he really didn't have to do that. Oh, and French lessons with Joseph. They got postponed after the day went sour, but tomorrow? No doubt she'd get started, teaching him a few basic greeting and farewells. Something to get him to like the language and not be turned off from the heavy pronunciation and vastly different grammar than English. So much could go well if things are done right. Which she had the intention to do. A better life could be achieved. Soon.


James was good to his word about getting her some new clothing. Clearly, he was grabbing whatever he could from the shelves that matched the size she'd been wearing before. Quite a skilled guess. In that case, the man shouldn't have a problem guessing Karin's size on her next birthday. His taste? Hard to tell, given this selection seemed rather random and interchangeable, but he certainly picked that green tank top well earlier. Too bad it's covered in blood. Maybe she'd try to fuck with the washing machine tomorrow in an attempt not to totally render it useless to wash away the blood. Or she could ask Karin for help with that. Then again, what experience does this friend of her have in washing blood out of clothing? She'd hate to toss the top, though. Unfortunately, that was the fate of a lot of Thalia's clothing once they'd become bloodstained. But doing laundry: something the redhead needed to learn as well. For a girl who wanted to live by herself so long ago, she surely can't handle herself alone. She had a good teacher, on the bright side. If tomorrow's still an off-day, she planned on following Karin around to learn the ropes of general house care. Cooking? She felt a bit more familiar with the kitchen after a few pleasant homemade meals. She could try to make everyone breakfast in the morning, again, in hopes of not setting anything on fire. And even if she does, James is filthy rich, so he could easily have the damages paid off and repaired in the nick of time. No, instead, she was just afraid of being a burden. But that was going to change soon enough - proving everyone wrong, that she could handle herself.


After such a grueling day, no doubt Thalia wasn't tired. She felt wide awake at the hour, and needed something to pass the time. Once she and Frank finished making out for that brief few minutes and James delivered her change of clothing, she finally got herself dressed. A thin burgundy top with one sleeve drooping from her right shoulder to expose her shoulder and bra strap, a pair of plain black jeans, not as tight as her other pair of jeans, and the grey sneakers that were for the operation yesterday. Good enough for her. She didn't wear the engagement ring presented to her, but she kept the cross pendant on. She couldn't help but find her entire symbol in Al-Asheera cool-looking. It's why she wanted to keep her neck tattoo post-Al-Asheera. Her hair had dried off too, back to its dried, wavy texture. As she fastened her nose ring into the outer loop of her nostril, she couldn't help but cheer up this time looking at herself. She had her new boyfriend to thank for how positively she saw herself now. Her mind was off the murder of the man from earlier. No, she couldn't keep dwelling on that. She made her choice: Al-Jameela was gone. Only Thalia Griffin was left. A prettier, much better variant.


You go, T. Like Frank said, you can help yourself get out of this mess. Just put up with the therapy, take some stupid pill, and live your life. You can do it.


Finally, genuine hope. Giving herself a smile and modest hair flip in the mirror, she exited her room and made an immediate bolt for the kitchen: something she couldn't do the previous night, raid the freezer. James didn't touch the tub of ice cream that she tried to sneak out. A sneaky grin appeared on her face as she pulled it out and placed it on the counter. Quickly grabbing two spoons from the drying rack, she gathered her late-night snack and eating utensils and made a beeline for the pool. Karin was still there. Even with no sun? Strange, but she'd take it. The night was beautiful after all. Plus, more time with her best friend. Hopefully she didn't think of her any differently. Thalia wasn't even going to bring up the death of that man. No. Happier thoughts.


"Seems like you enjoy the pool, don't you?" she teased with a gentle nudge to her shoulder. She took a seat by her side and placed the ice cream bucket on the table beside them, one of the spoons in her hand, the other on top of the lid. "James promised me the bucket yesterday before I got dragged into the whole Roland business. And I must say, your boyfriend's a man of his word." It was accompanied by a smirk, then a smile. "I would've shared with Frank, but he's a bit... occupied with the boy. Plus.... do people still say 'chicks before dicks'? They did when I was in middle school. Hope that's still in style, right?" She had to get used to not feeling so weird due to her disconnection from pop-culture for so long. Surely, Karin would remember if that was a thing back in the day. The age difference between the two wasn't too noticeable. Instead, she lifted the lid from the bucket and passed her the second spoon. "I don't care if it's the middle of the night. Dig in with me. I'm not gonna eat the whole bucket of ice cream all by myself."


--


Frank's Apartment | 10:59 PM


Tony's day hasn't been any better. For starters, he really woke up on the wrong side of the bed, too tired and sleepless, and even drunk in some ways, to actually do his job. Even Frank could tell he was out of the weather. All because Al-Asheera still has Melissa. Her fate lied in the hands of the bastard Roland, who was now in the hands of that older dirty doctor. Was he usable now? If only Thalia hadn't brutalized him that badly, but Thalia was a subject of another problem. There were others first: Redgrave. The guy was easily a trusted friend to both Tony and Frank, now gone because of their pursuit for Bradan. The damning part of it all is that they could be next. Killing them and everyone they care about. The sight of his teenage daughter was still not completely out of his brain. What monsters do that? Whoever it was is clearly more perverted than Ra's, sicker, far more evil. At least, to his knowledge, Melissa was alive... for now.


Then came the veteran detective's greater fear: Thalia. He's had his doubts from the beginning. First, she tackles him and tries to beat him to the dirt, which he managed to counter and retaliate for. Then, she gouged Roland's eye and left him a total wreck. Now, she actually murdered someone. And it might've seemed like blasphemy to do so to everyone in the area, but Tony would continue to put this girl down until James, Frank, and Karin open their eyes and realize that Thalia is too dangerous to keep without a leash. Any one of them, or worse, Redgrave's son or Joseph, could be next if she deems it right in her corrupt mind. How could Frank still have feelings for her? How could James keep standing up for her through her mistakes? How could Karin still feel like such a good friend to a girl she basically just met three days ago? That conversation they had in the pool house... it was nothing but trash talking and threats. A threat from Tony to report her to CPS for maltreatment, which, now thinking about it, wouldn't work due to James' backing. A boy happily in a series of activities and with his medical expenses paid was hardly anything notable, and he'd be laughed at on the phone once they figured out the reality of this boy's lifestyle. It would backfire, surely. And he's probably made an enemy out of Karin just for threatening to separate her from Joseph. She might just snitch to James, too. That's all everyone on this team were, anyway. A bunch of tattletales. Did anyone believe he was in the right for trying to axe the mystery redhead on grounds she's too dangerous to walk the streets, let alone lead a sting operation?


Thalia's father was killed? Tony double checked the information. Jacob Griffin, it had to be him. Tragic, indeed. But it didn't change his opinion much. Thalia was still unstable, and needed to be checked out by an expert. And not leading them by any means.


Before he reached Frank's place, Tony went to his condo first, collecting some clothing and belongings of his own. Seemed like the team would be staying in the mansion until further notice, until the threats around them were neutralized. He'd loosened the tie around his neck and undone the first few buttons on his shirt just to fit the more comfortable vibe. He wasn't in front of the captain to have to worry about formality, and even called up the big guy, saying he and Frank were taking some personal time off, particularly after what happened with Pigman. Watching a man die.... it was getting to them both, he cited as an excuse. It even passed par. Perfect. With that out of the way, once he reached Frank's apartment, he exited his vehicle and wielded his partner's keys at hand. He had to collect some clothing for Frank, as well as his dog and McAllister. Which reminded him: what progress did the man make in such short time? Any at all? Hopefully.


The first thing he could do when he walked in and flipped the lights on was call out, "McAllister? Marcus? You here?"
 
The day had been what they expected it to be, really. It settled down, now with Karin as an enemy of Tony, and Tony as an enemy of Karin - Not the best thing in the world to happen, but something they'd have to deal with now. Could they ever improve the relation between them both? It certainly didn't look like it, because Karin was still planning on telling James everything Tony had said when she got a minute alone with him. Not something that would go down well, really, but, it was something they'd have to deal with. Maybe it'd help settle things if they had James step in and tell everyone to shut the fuck up, but, it was hard to say. On that night, James had gotten Joseph and had him help make dinner. Joseph loved having a bit of independence, too - he helped slice up the chicken, cut the vegetables, and also helped marinade the chicken, too. Karin let him help out at home, too, but not to any huge extent. He was happy to do it.


And now, as a few hours went by after eating, it was time for bed. Of course, Karin said goodnight to her brother, but he was more than happy to be tucked in by James tonight, in the room that he loved so much. Bigger and more modern than his room at home - then again, was this home now??


James tucked him in after giving him a big hug and everything, then looked down at him. 


"Good day?"


"Definitely." Joseph smiled at him. "Thanks for... Everything. I love all my new sport stuff."


"You deserve it, pal. Think, big try-out for you to go to soon, eh?" He smiled. "I'll make sure I'm there to watch you play." 


"Really?"


"Of course." He reached out and ruffled his hair with a smile. "Busy week coming up - You'll love the Jiu Jitsu, too. Just you wait." He said. "I was younger than you when I started, but, believe me, when I was your age? I made a lot more friends in my dojo, and I just enjoyed it. Everyone there was really mature, all the kids were, because you get taught respect, too. Some of my best friends were from the dojo." He smiled, "And a kid like you, I bet you'll make friends real quick there. Believe me, same for soccer - you make friends a lot quicker when you spend time around people that you end up showering with after every practice match."


Joseph immediately laughed, "Oh god, that's weird." He said, setting his head back on the pillow.


"Nah, nah, it's not." He said. "Just part of life. One of those things. All a thing of trust and all that." He said. "Anyway, Joe... I've got some things to take care of before I get the luxury of climbing into bed like you have, so, you happy for me to wish you goodnight and leave you to sleep?" He asked.


"Sure." Joseph smiled back at him, and with that, James leaned over and hugged him and even planted a tiny kiss on the top of his head. 


"Goodnight, kid. See you in the morning." He said, and with that, Joseph smiled and rolled over, closing his eyes. What a good day it had been for him - James had some digging to do, though. He was digging for what Tony had requested earlier in the day.


--


In The Kitchen...


"There you go, look at that." Frank said to the young boy, placing a hot plate of macaroni cheese in front of him. The kid slept for a couple of hours, woke up, burst into tears, and spent the remainder of the day clinging to Frank again. Not the most pleasant of things, but, at least he was safe enough where he was. Not so much happy, but safe. Now, Frank was just trying to convince him to eat. He was a little more responsive and maybe gave a nod or the shake of his head to a question, but, he was still hard work. He'd been drinking water and had been to the bathroom a couple of times, so no incidents there, but... Now food was a different story. Frank thought the poor guy would never be hungry again after everything he'd been through.


The boy looked down at the food and a sad look hit his face. Every meal he was going to eat would just remind him of his mother - Mac and cheese was a simple dish every kid loved, so, Frank imagined family meals had involved this a few times.


"You know you need to eat something, buddy." Frank said, gently running a hand over the young boy's shoulder. "I'll stay right here with you, promise." He said. "After you eat something, I can take you to bed, okay? I imagine you're tired, and I won't leave. I'll stay right there with you until you can sleep. Sound good?" He asked.


The boy was quiet for a while but slowly picked up the fork; he scooped some of the pasta onto it and put it in his mouth, chewed it for a little while, then swallowed. Frank had heard his stomach growling over the past couple of hours - he knew he was probably starving by now.


Then something left the boy's mouth, and Frank couldn't believe his ears.


"Jordan." The boy whispered, his voice almost inaudible.


"What?" Frank's eyes went as wide as the plate the kid was eating off, and he quickly got down lower so he was head-level with him. "What did you just say?"


He turned and looked Frank in the eyes, but as his confidence fell, his eyes met the floor.


"My name's... Jordan..." He whispered.


"Jordan." Frank repeated, and a big, warmed smile hit his face. "Good boy, Jordan. You're doing great. Real great." He put a hand down on Jordan's back and gave it a rub. "You eat up. It's been a long day, and you've gotta' keep your strength up." He said, doing his best to encourage him. Jordan did continue eating - Frank was almost in tears of joy. He got a word out of him. A few words, even. It wasn't much, but he was speaking. Maybe he wasn't completely lost to the void - even though things were sour among group members, Frank couldn't wait to tell Tony all the updates he had. The boy spoke. Jordan Redgrave.


Had a nice ring to it, he felt.


Too bad it reminded him of the sergeant at the station - but oh well. They finally had a name, something they could address him with other than 'the boy' or 'the kid'.


--


By The Poolside...


Karin looked up at Thalia as she came over and smiled at her - Boy, she had some stories to tell, and she laughed when she saw that she'd brought ice cream. Did she tell Thalia everything that Tony said? Probably not everything, but she could probably give her a fair warning about what Tony had been saying to her about everything. As long as she had some sort of rough idea of what Tony had against her, she could take the appropriate measures to disprove him or at the very least avoid any harsh treatment. All she really had to do was stay away from Tony, and she'd be fine. Tony was someone that not many people were finding comfort in anymore. Frank still trusted him, and James did to an extent - but Karin and Thalia? It seemed they shared some sort of joint hatred, even though Karin wished that wasn't the case.


Tony brought it on himself, in her eyes, but she still wished he didn't.


"Oh, trust me..." She sat up and stretched her back. "I love the pool. I used to love swimming as a kid, but now?" She grinned. "Now I have a pool I always have access to. I love it here, and Joseph does, too. It's adorable, those two. They're best friends already, basically. Joseph even wanted him to tuck him into bed tonight, so he's off doing that. It's just the sweetest thing. You saw the food that James made, and Joseph was so happy to be helping him do all that." She grinned. "Ah, it really warms my heart. I can't believe James hasn't had someone fall for him already - the fact that he's twenty-seven and not a dad yet amazes me. He'd make such a good one." She smiled, then looked over at Thalia. She realized she was maybe getting a little carried away over the whole thing, so, she was taking it easy for now.


"Yes, Thalia, people still say 'chicks before dicks', 'bros before hoes', you know how it is." She laughed. "Middle school. Best and worst days of my life." She said. "Experienced my first heartbreak, first somewhat-real romance - aside from the boy who kissed me in Fifth Grade - and I fell into both a good and bad crowd. Can't beat days like that." She said. "I'll happily share ice cream with you, though." She said, grabbing the second spoon and tucking in at the first chance she got. Expensive ice cream always seemed to have a creamier taste to it. She loved it. "I think it's great how Frank's looking after that kid." She said, smiling. "I know it's probably a bit stressful on the poor guy, but, it's a really noble thing he's doing. Most other people would have just had him given over to social services and let them deal with it. He's a keeper, Thalia, trust me." She smirked. "It just goes to show how much he'll do for those he cares for. You're definitely in there." She said.


"One thing you should know, though..." She sighed. "Tony was giving me some trouble earlier. About you. I threw a few threats around and I'm hoping he's going to back down, but, if he tries to provoke you, you need to show him you're not going to retaliate. Don't let him get to you." She said. "He's obsessed with proving you're some sort of demon spawn. Fuck him, I say. I gave him a nice threat when he made things personal - I told him he'd wake up with 'his balls in his mouth the next morning' - Hopefully his pride's damaged enough by that to keep him away from us for a bit, eh?" She laughed.


--


Frank's Apartment - 11:00PM


"Detective." A voice called out from the darker side of the room. It seemed McAllister had been sat in the dark, more or less, just enjoying the peace and quiet. It was probably a good thing that he was sat there in the dark, just in case someone was keeping an eye on Frank's flat. When he got up and showed his face, just like he said on the phone, he did indeed have a black eye. Looked like he'd taken a nasty punch, one that had caused some swelling and a bit of a bloodshot eye. Before Tony could comment on anything, though, he spoke out after motioning to his injured face.


"Don't worry, Bradan gives everyone this sort of treatment if they don't think his ideas are diamond." He said. "I told him not to go after the cop... I told him not to. I'm really sorry I couldn't do more. I couldn't do anything more than what I did without him getting suspicious." He explained, "But, I hope that cop and his poor family won't have died in vain. I've got names. I've got all the names of Bradan's people that were there, but, you can't move in on them yet. He'll know I ratted them out if they go down tomorrow." He said. "I don't know about anything else, but they kept mentioning 'The Insider' - I don't know any names about that, but I assume that's your boy in the LAPD. He was there." He said. 


He further approached Tony and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Things ain't good, Tony. Bradan's really fuckin' on edge now. I read the reports, police are all over the Commander's house. Whole case is a hotbox, and Bradan's ordered everyone to sort of keep off the streets for a few days. Nothing much has changed aside from a few of the shitboats he had kicking around being gone compared to the last time I was there. You've got your usual suspects, though, the veterans, as well as Bradan's dick-sucker. He's still in the position of right-hand, but they said they want me back on board as a tactitian as soon as I can handle it. They want me to settle in first, so we have a window." He said.


"Gerald Douglas, Timothy Allen, Seamus Watson, and Sean Murphy." He said after a moment of silence. "That was Bradan's hitsquad, but... Things are a lot worse than that, son." He shook his head, "I hear the boy hasn't been found. They think he's alive - Bradan hasn't got him, I know that, but Bradan's fucking pissed that they didn't get the kid, too." He said. "Bradan's a sick fuck - he wants the kid delivered to him personally. Probably so he can do something horrific and plaster it in front of the LAPD. I don't know, he hasn't said what he'd do, but if they find that boy? He'll be dead in a couple of hours, if that." He gulped. "The worst part is, Tony... He... Bradan's said the man who delivers the kid gets $750,000 on the spot. Three-quarter-mil, a bounty on a fucking six-year-old. It makes me sick that I used to work for this fucking son of a bitch." He said, looking down at the floor. Anger, shame, worry - a lot of emotions were present.


The dog came running, too - On the dog's collar was a tag that read one thing: Elvis.


Either Frank couldn't think of anything else, or he was a big fan or Elvis. Or both.


"You gotta' tell me you know where the kid is, Tony." He said. "If there's even the slight chance you know where he is, we need to get to him before Bradan does. Bradan's digging through records as we speak - he's looking for friends, family, friends of family - Turns out the boy's got no family left outside of what he lost, but, that's not stopping Bradan." He said. "Bradan wants blood, and he's going to tear through anyone that gets in the way." He explained.


McAllister had certainly found a lot - but a lot of it probably wasn't what Tony wanted to hear.


--


Old Washington, Ohio


They'd been on the road for what felt like an endless amount of hours with no stops, either. Jon wanted to drive as far away from Philly as he could, but now, it was getting too late, and he knew they'd need to check into a place to stay for the night. There was no better place than Old Washington - quite simply, it was a small town that no one would really bother to look for them in. He didn't want to go anywhere that was majorly in touch with national news, but, he knew there were some things that everyone in the car was probably craving by now - Bathroom, food, and sleep. He knew he wanetd all three, even though he wasn't all that tired, but his priority? You guessed it. Charlie.


He'd done his best to keep Charlie happy on the road to nowhere. He'd told him old war stories that his dad told him when he was just a boy, he'd told him his own stories and told him a little bit about his kids (and about the daughter he never met, of course) - He wasn't fishing for anymore affection, but, if that was what was going to occur, he couldn't help that. He did his best to relate to Charlie as much as possible, and on the road, he certainly appreciated his patience. He let him put on whatever music he wanted to, too, gave him the choice of doing things the way he wanted to do them, and of course, kept up the whole idea that they were still secret spies on the road to accomplishing one big mission.


Now, though, things were coming to a stop, and he pulled into the parking lot of a place that seemed to have what they needed. A motel that had family rooms, and attached to that was a cafe that had everything else they needed. Restrooms, food, and the milkshake that Jon had promised to Charlie. He figured they could kill two birds with one stone here - Maybe Eric and Nicole could go and check them all in as a family, then meet Charlie and Jon in the cafe? After all, Jon couldn't really take his eyes off the kid for the duration of the escort, and Charlie was just a kid. If he was still on his feet by the time this journey was up, by the time they finally stopped, Jon would be nothing short of amazed. He was probably hungry, tired, desperate to use the bathroom by now. He probably still had a lot on his mind, too, but Jon didn't want to make assumptions.


"Right." Jon said, turning the engine off. He looked over at Charlie. "Sorry for such a long journey, fella. You know it was for the better of things." He said, simply, placing a hand down on his head. "I recall owing you that milkshake, and some food, too. I bet you're starving by now, huh?" He offered him a tired and small but friendly smile. "Luckily there's a place right here we can eat. We can rest up for the rest of the night, alright? First thing's first, though... We all now have the chance to go to the bathroom. Thank god. Worst part about long journeys with no stops, if you ask me. We made it, though." He lowered his hand to Charlie's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "We're going to have to get into character now, okay? Michael. Miranda." He looked between Charlie and Nicole. "Husband. Wife. Son." He said, clearly.


"Nicole, if you and Eric want to, you can get booked in for us all, or we can do that all together after. Up to you. It'd be best if we kept it separate for now, just in case anyone recognizes us, but the choice is yours. We all deserve a rest." He said, then opened up the car door and hopped out, finally able to stretch his legs. He walked to Charlie's side and opened the door for him, waiting for him to get out. He also let Nicole and Eric out of there once Charlie was out the way, and as soon as they were on their feet, finally, he locked the car up. "Right, guys... You decide you want to do. If you want to stick together, just follow us all the way." He said, "Okay, Michael... Let's do this, alright, son?" He winked down at the boy and held out a hand for him to take. They needed to get into the father-son act real quick, especially if they'd be around people.


"Okay, so, first stop... The bathroom break everyone's been waiting for, then, Mike, I'll buy you a milkshake and some food, okay?" He said. He was trying to be as nice as possible to him now, even nicer than before - If he hadn't eaten for a while, and was probably tired, too, Jon knew the chance of emotions showing was increased. He wanted to avoid that at all costs. The diner was a modest place, but nice enough, with public restrooms up the stairs in the right corner, and a place to order food and a couple of waitresses and such on-duty. Open 8am-4am. They had plenty of time to get food.


The temptation to stop earlier was strong, as he basically needed the bathroom ever since they left Charlie and Nicole's house, but, they had to keep moving. They had to get out of PA, and that goal was finally achieved.
 
It seemed like Karin and Thalia had yet another common ground: swimming. "Really?" she wondered in an astonished manner, but in a good way. "You love swimming? That's definitely something..." She readjusted her posture to sit cross-legged in her place and face her best friend head-on. "Mainly because I participated in the junior swimming champion of my age group in Philly when I was like... eight?" She shrugged and laughed it off, recalling a remnant of her past. "My favorite sport I played as a kid? Swimming. I love getting in the water. Why else did I push you down earlier, hm? It's a shame my parents moved me to track the next year after I only got second in the state championship. Lame, but I had a blast." She glanced back and forth between the pool and the girl sitting across from her. From the corner of her eye, Thalia glared at Karin and gave a playful threat, "You better invite me here for a swim from time to time. I may be used to indoor pools, but I'd definitely dig a round or two in the outdoor pool. Or the beach. Add that to our bucket list..." There was plenty that these two girls wanted to get a chance to do together. Competitive or not, it was something she'd enjoy. As the topic went on to Joseph and James, she nodded as well. "He'd make a great parent, that's for sure. I mean, when you get past all the threats, the dirty work he's done for crooks, and how many people he's probably fucked over in the past? He's a great guy..." Only then did Thalia notice how contradictory that statement was and burst into laughter. "God damn, I'm kidding, Kar. You're lucky to have him, and he's really a great guy, even if me and him weren't always on great terms. I just hope he doesn't hate me all that much after everything so far."


A relief. She didn't say anything stupid when she mentioned middle school teases. She sighed in relief, covering her chest briefly in an over-exaggerated manner. "Thank fuck. I'm not that huge a social reject after all." She listened in to Karin's stories about middle school as she gathered her first spoonful of the ice cream. Surely, this should taste better than the repulsive ice cream Ra's would by and keep in his fridge for extended periods of time to expire. But middle school: heartbreaks and first kisses. "I have to say? My first heartbreak and kiss came hand in hand in sixth grade," she admitted after hearing Karin's story about her first kiss in the fifth grade. It did bring a smile on Thalia's face just remembering the awkward memory. "Honestly? It started with spin the bottle. Yes. Middle school spin the bottle. It was THAT old school. And it was how I realized I liked girls, so yes. My first kiss was with a girl. It was a really dumb peck on the lips, though, no major lip locking or anything at that age. But it mean SO much to 11-year-old me, fell head over heels, only for the bitch to say she wasn't interested and completely shut me out. I was crying over it for like... a week?" Finally she laughed about her experience, twisting her spoonful of ice cream in her hands as it got closer to her mouth. "It's so lame, I fell in love because of because of spin the bottle, I know. And you can probably guess, but I couldn't exactly confide in my uptight, overly-strict, Jesus freak parents that I kissed a girl and really liked it. In all honesty? I really haven't told anyone till now, sooooo..." She finally took the ice cream into her mouth. It felt very different. Tastier and creamier than what she's used to. Her facial expression told of pure bliss. "Mmmm, where was this shit when I got my first heartbreak? God..." She giggled, waving the spoon over the tub in an excited manner. "If James breaks up with you, or Frank with me, we're marathoning movies over this stuff. I'm already calling it."


"Frank? As a father? I think he'd work swell," she admitted nodded and taking another bunch of ice cream into her spoon. Her eyes peeked over to the kitchen, where she knew Frank was at the moment. "Even though I'm only 21, and not planning on getting pregnant anytime soon, but.... You're right. He's such a sweetheart on the inside, I swear. So emotional when you get to know him. How can anyone hate the guy? I'm soooo glad he's mine." Why should it be uncomfortable for the girls to gush over their romances? It was all normal after all. And there were no secrets between the two. At least Thalia didn't want there to be any.


Thalia and Karin had loads of plans for their futures together. It'd been so long since the younger girl had a friend to enjoy ventures like this with. From the looks of it, same went for Karin. And now with their lives more relaxed than before, they could indulge in their fantasies and desires to explore and have fun. Preferably with a good friend by their sides. Just two days, and they already had such a bond. It made Thalia think back... she could never hurt Karin. Ever, no matter what sort of evil was conquering her on the inside, whatever disorder was haunting her mind and looming her imagination. That warmness inside her when around Karin was something that tamed whatever monster she had hidden away on the inside. "Karin... you know I'd never hurt you, right? No matter... what happens, right? Not you, nor your brother. I may come from a terrible background, but you know... I'd never lay a hand on you unless it was to protect you. I owe you more than you can imagine... I just.... You know that, right?" Maybe she'd hinted about her killing someone a bit too much. But odds are, Tony already told her. So it didn't even matter.


But Tony. Son of a bitch. As if Thalia didn't have enough reason to despise the man. Now he was whole-heartedly going to target her. Her eyes widened, jaw dropped, and lowered the spoon from mouth level. "You're not serious...." her free hand slapped over her forehead. "Damn... he really wants people to hate me the same way he does, doesn't he? Please tell me you didn't cave, Kar. Whatever he's been telling you is probably really exaggerated. I promise you: if he tries to provoke me, I'm not going to react. I'll ignore him. Walk away. I give you my word." Her hand extended forward and took Karin's own, gripping it in a form of trust. Confidence. Affection. "I swear, I'm not a bad person.. Not the way Tony thinks."


Simply to lighten the mood, the redhead cracked up at the threat her white-haired friend had given the veteran detective. "Put his balls in his mouth? Girl, we need to work on your comebacks and insults. Badly. When this is over. THAT shit is bold, but maybe you could use the help of a pro."


--


McAllister emerged from the shadows of the apartment, almost catching Tony by surprise. He even lowered his hand down to his weapon holster frantically, out of fear this was one of Bradan's men or Al-Asheera. No, thank god. It was their own infiltrator. He wiped the sweat from his face and gave a sigh of relief, glad this wasn't some tragedy where he'd be cornered by a couple dozen goons. A relief. "Marcus..." he muttered. His face was most certainly unsightly, but he put up with it and held his breath. "God damn... Bradan's quite the beast, I must say. If he does that if you disagree, then try to kiss his ass as best you can, with him... well, dropping his pants and asking you to actually kiss it." It was only then that he recalled that Bradan might actually be gay and could literally ask someone to kiss his ass. Sounds more like something Ra's would do, but better to be safe than sorry.


The memory of Redgrave's demise returned to his head. The wretched sight of him dead, evidently crying in his final moments, his wife not far away with her throat slit. And McAllister regretted not doing enough. "There was nothing anyone could do, Marcus." Tony decided to be a bit more friendly, calling him by his first name. "Frank and I tried to get there in time, but it was far too late. Redgrave was dead minutes before we got there. It pains me to wonder, if we'd sped a bit faster, maybe we'd at least catch the hitsquad." He wiped his forehead, bowing his head in shame at the events of the past. "Fuck... You're not to blame, Marcus... on the contrary, really...."


He cleared his throat. "Redgrave's wife and daughter were killed. But his son... we found him alive. He was hiding under the bed, he got lucky. It's a miracle he's still here. I'm still in shock. No kidding. Frank found him hiding away, and he's...." He exhaled deeply. Jordan's condition was surely getting into all of their heads, and even McAllister's. "He's in shock. Not responsive, and afraid for his life. Traumatized. But don't think for one minute, Marcus, that in your first day free, that you've failed. Your call to us at our office saved that boy's life. You saved a life, and you did a good job by calling us as quick as possible. Had he been taken by police, the insider would've figured out where he is. If not... god knows how long he'd last until Bradan's men came back, trying to claim a sick bounty on a child. It's scary to imagine, but Frank and I have him, and nobody's going to collect the three-quart-mill on that kid's head. He's in a safe place, and that'e exactly where we're going." He took a few steps across the floor of Frank's apartment. "We can't stay here. Bradan had Redgrave marked, meaning he has me and my partner marked as well. And if his men find you here, you know that's bad news for the operation. I don't need to tell you what'll happen to you and your family. I came by to pick up some of Frank's belongings, his dog, and most importantly, you. We have a safer location to hide out, and a few allies that will assist us for the duration of our hunts. A bit of a mix between Bradan and Al-Asheera. But all the same. Taking down LA's two greatest threats. It'll catch on eventually, being on this side of the law."


Then came the jingling of a collar, most probably Frank's dog. After all this time, Frank never mentioned the animal's name. A quick kneel to the dog's level and a ruffle of his neck revealed the collar. "Elvis, right, boy?" He spoke with the dog. Tony wanted a dog around in the place, but Melissa never agreed. So this was truly only going to be a temporary bond with man's best friend. Would he recognize the friendship between Tony and Frank and obey him? Frank eve said that the dog was trained. He might come along with them. If not, there had to be a leash somewhere in the house. He continued speaking to the dog, "Well... who wants to go for a car ride and see good ol' Frankie?"


Not like he expected an answer from the dog, but still. He peeked back up at Marcus. "You did good on day one. We're pretty up to speed so far. And we know that Bradan's on edge.... Come..." Tony got up from his knees and marched over to Frank's bedroom. Towards the closet, specifically, to grab a few sets of suits for his partner. Maybe a few t-shirts and polos as well for the more casual few days to come. "Marcus.... before we leg it, did you happen to hear Bradan say anything about retaliation against Al-Asheera? We know that they've been bumping heads quite frequently these past few days. We know the leader of The Clan, Ra's, is literally trying to take over all of LA and thwart the competition. Bradan probably doesn't like that. I'm willing to be he wants to show Ra's how it's done in LA, scare him back to the east coast probably. Anything like that coming through the pipeline, by any chance?"


--


Charlie had been on only one other road trip in his life, and it was while he was in diapers, beyond his potential span of memory. So traveling for so long on a linear path with no clue exactly where they were heading first, second, and so on, not to mention the desire to go to the bathroom that came up two hours into the drive. But one thing the little boy couldn't deny? He was having fun. No, a blast, really. It almost felt like what happened his father earlier that day had been the last of his worries and he'd cheered up over the stories of war from this new figure in his life. Jon Parker. He felt like a godsend for this family in a time of need. He was exactly what young Charlie needed to keep his head up high and be happy. A young child didn't deserve to endure tragedy like that. It's a shame he wouldn't get a chance to say good-bye to his father, but at least he was going to be safe, despite how he didn't know the sort of threat he would have to face.


And Nicole? It was almost unreal, the bond that Jon had with her son. He was roughly her late husband's age and treating her little boy like his own. His boss wasn't kidding when he said that he was given orders to prioritize Charlie. He was giving it his all to ensure the boy's happiness and comfort. And that surely was the case as he toyed around with the radio, swapping between various popular music stations, ones that his mother wouldn't normally let him listen to. Hell, it was mostly Gospel music he'd hear on the radio with his parents. This was a change for the boy, and he loved it. He was also droning on about the idea of the two of them being spies, a little fantasy he sure enjoyed living and breathing the life of. And the school teacher in the back of the vehicle couldn't complain, so long as he doesn't choose that profession in ten years time when he goes to college. Maybe if this is how things were with Thalia, she would've never run away. Freedom. She knew her mistake: boxing her children in so much is what would push them away. Things were about to change for Charlie. Even for Thalia when she finally sees her again. She'd stand by her elder daughter, wherever her life was going to take her. But for now, her priority was getting away from the threat that was chasing her and her family. Now that they were clear out of Pennsylvania, it might just be the case.


Still, a pit stop was in order. The two everyday family members were exhausted after long hours of driving, Nicole slowly drifting asleep, but, to everyone's surprise, Charlie was wide awake. Probably the urge to pee kept him up, but it was also the thrill of the ride. He loved the idea of envisioning himself a special secret spy of sorts. His grim thoughts of loss had sunk to the bottom of his mind, but might resurface in his dreams whenever he chooses to sleep, but that wasn't going to be for a while with his little adrenaline rush. But sooner or later, he was bound to crash. Hard. Once they stopped, the redheaded boy received apologies from the driver. "It's already, Secret Agent. It's all part of the job, right?" All with a giddy grin across his face as he undid the seatbelt. That clicking noise is what sprung his mother into action in the back, sitting up properly.


"Now, now, Charlie," She kindly told her child as to not start a scene or act too strict with him. "Even secret agents need a break, don't you know that?"


He shook his head in denial. "Nope. I could keep going like this for days, Mommy."


"Oh dear, mon fils..." she smirked, reaching forward to pinch his cheeks. "You are quite a unique one of the bunch with your spy business." It sure gave her ideas for his 9th birthday. Spy themed.


Now came a quick reminder to abide by their cover stories. Miranda and Michael Schofield. And Jon, unusually, was going to be the husband. Quite fast for Nicole to move on, and hopefully, with how huge of a public figure she'd become with the documentaries about Thalia over the years, nobody in the motel would recognize her. But surely, Jon should've taken that into account that Nicole Griffin was a notable figure in mainstream media with the disappearance of her daughter and the attention it got as a result. Nicole wasn't a fame junkie, but she did get a lot of spotlight for her daughter's case.


Nicole didn't have to use the bathroom, going before she left the house, but she did agree to check in. She'd expect one of the men, either Jon or Eric, to handle their bags. Well, if they were the gentleman types. She'd do it herself if need be. All the widow could hope is that her son doesn't feel to homesick after his hyper streak ends. Jon took his hopes and dreams to an all-time high, and she deeply appreciated it. But it could only last so long.


"How can I help you, Ma'am?" the man at the counter asked politely. Rather polite for someone working a graveyard shift.


"Yes... I would like a room for four; three adults, one child. I know it's a last minute reservation, but it's sort of the point of my family's road trip. Would there happen to be a room remaining, God willing?" she asked. Nicole was naturally polite with strangers, a sweet and likable personality to most. Except her students. With them, she had to be a hard-ass. She'd really grown since she lost Thalia. A lot changed with her once shrill behavior and grew into a sweeter character. Quite an adaptation that Thalia herself would be surprised to witness and need a while to adapt to.


A few ticks at his touch-screened monitor, and the man responded, "You're in luck, Ma'am. We've got one opening left for four to your specifications. May I just ask for the last name?"


"Schofield. S-C-H-O-F-I-E-L-D." She spelled out the last name just in case they'd make a mistake. It'd happened before with her normal last name, and it was something she learned from. Hopefully these aliases wouldn't have to last forever. A glimpse in the corner of her eye caught her son entering the cafe. Her son was so attached to Jon. Unbelievable. Could he really fill the void that her husband left behind? She already developed a liking and trust for the guy. Would it continue?


"That's your sun, Mrs. Schofield?"


A bit caught off guard, but she could easily blame that on her own weariness. "Hm? Oh, yes. That's him. M-Michael. He's quite a special one, I'll give you that."


"Heh. He looks just like you."


Nicole nodded, watching the boy and man go to the bathroom together. "Trust me, you don't know the half of it."


Meanwhile, with the 'spies'...


Charlie nodded to his undercover 'father', "Yeah, Daddy, I kinda do have to go really badly. The drive was really long, and I really had to go for a few hours. Thank god I had the music to distract me. And your fun stories." A quick elbow went to the man signaled for him to follow the boy to the men's room. "When we're done, I definitely want that milkshake... with fries or something. Mommy never lets me mix things like that. She always says it's not healthy." Talk about that boy with a strict mother, and once he's off his leash, he does things that end up really weird in his own eyes. But desires nonetheless. Plus, John had been so nice to him, and though Charlie considered this a game, it was all going according to plans. Little did the boy know that for one moment, he was in danger, and now, he was safe. In the safest hands he could possibly be in.
 
"I was never in any competitions for swimming when I was a kid, but I would have done it when I got the chance." She said. "I don't know why I never pursued it. Guess I was never the competitive type - not like Joseph." She laughed. "I know he doesn't look it, but, believe me, if you saw him when he was playing soccer a few years ago, you'd know just how serious he gets. I mean, as a little kid, chances are he was a lot more enthusiastic and energetic towards the whole thing. He was hilarious when he was a little. Treated the Little League soccer like it was some sort of World Cup game, y'know?" She laughed. "It was adorable, though. I've got videos and everything of when he used to do it - I'll show you sometime. He was all for screaming and cheering and getting carried around whenever he scored. He was brilliant. I bet he's still got some of that going on, but, not quite as extreme. I've got a feeling he'll get right into it, though." She said.


"I didn't swim as a hobby, not frequently, but if I ever got the chance to do it again? Damn, I would. I was a fantastic swimmer, could have easily made something of it if I continued it, if I carried it on." She shrugged, "Ah, well, we can't always get what we want, can we? Sometimes you just have to move on. Maybe my destiny lies somewhere else. I guess we'll wait and see, right?" She smiled. "And you best be kidding about James - He could have fucked over millions of people if he wanted to. I don't think that'd change my mind very much." She laughed. They still had to talk about their first ever romances, though, and Karin found out about how Thalia's initial love ended. Quite the sad story, even if she was only eleven at the time.


"Damn." She said, "That's cold on her end." She laughed, "My turn - My first romance?" She shook her head, "Like I said, Fifth Grade, he was my grade school boyfriend for a while. Nothing serious, obviously, as we were only a little older than Joseph at the time, but..." She grinned. "David Lewis." She chuckled, "God, he was an amazing kid in so many ways. He was bright, funny, loud, confident - You know how little kids sometimes have the whole 'boyfriend-girlfriend' thing going on? They might occasionally peck each other's cheek and hold hands in the playground and stuff? That was basically David since Kindergarten. Not for me, but, with a couple of girls. He was funny." She smiled. "Then in Fifth Grade he took a liking to me, for some odd reason. We dated for a while, and he kissed me... Five times in total." She laughed.


"Went to his house for dinner once, met his older brother - who I thought was really cute, too - and his parents, then he came to my house for dinner one night and met my parents... It was a cutesy little relationship where we held hands and had brief pecks on the lips and everything. Silly little me, basically." She sighed and shook her head, "Then the bastard dumped me right before the end of Fifth Grade, said he didn't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore. I don't think I ever cried to my dad so much. It was nothing major at the end of the day, but, it still broke my heart. I was convinced I'd never get over it - but then middle school started, I saw David around, and nothing was really all that much different compared to how we were before we started 'dating'. We were friends, we were until late into high school. He moved away in the 10th grade." She said.


"Now, David's off doing something. Last I heard, he got a big break, started rolling in cash before he knew it. He was a smart guy in a lot of ways - in other ways, not so much." She shrugged. "He found his niche doing something, though. Pretty sure it was something to do with music - he's not in a band, but he does something that makes him a lot of money. Last I heard he was married with a baby daughter, too." She smirked, then ate another spoonful of ice cream. "Some things just ain't meant to be, I suppose. What can you do?" She shrugged. "As for Frank... I always figured him for the emotional type, but, I think that's nice in a guy, depending. It shows they have heart, I mean, look at him now." She nodded to the window and looked at Frank, whom was still looking after the boy he'd previously rescued alongside Tony. It was clear to see he was talking away to the point, being supportive with a hand on the shoulder or a rub on his back. It was nice.


"That kid looked horrendous earlier on, the poor thing. God knows how Frank's done it, but he's actually got him to eat something which is nothing short of amazing. Hopefully things work out okay." She smiled. "For you, too. You and Frank make quite the couple - You've got some real Romeo-Juliet complex going on - Not in the sense that... Romeo was like 19 and Juliet was 13, no, but... More of the 'from rival factions' sort of shit, y'know? I love that." She grinned.


Back to more serious talks - She wouldn't hurt her, and she wouldn't hurt Joseph. Karin didn't doubt it.


"I believe you, Thalia." She said, squeezing her hand back. "I don't take you for someone who would senselessly hurt either of us, don't worry. You know I love ya'." She grinned and winked at her. "I know you'll control yourself - let's prove this bastard wrong, alright? I know James would never let him do anything major - same to you, though. Don't start a fight, or James will probably beat your ass." She joked, then laughed. "As for my insults - girl, I've survived on these badboys for the whole almost-two-and-a-half-decades of my life. I'm sure I'll be fine - but by all means, whatever you can teach me in the future, let's just see if you can top some of the stuff I have up my sleeve." She winked at her.


--


Back inside the house, Frank watched as Jordan devoured the food he'd given him. One hungry kid, clearly. He cleaned the plate before too long and placed the fork down once he was done. Frank was wondering if he could get him to talk more - now that he'd catered to some more of his needs, he was thinking there was the chance that Jordan trusted him one hell of a lot more. It wouldn't surprise him. He'd already proven to him that he wouldn't hurt him, hadn't he? Jordan had been extremely nervous around other people, even if he only saw them from a distance. James, Karin, Thalia - Yeah, it freaked him out initially. The only person who didn't freak him out on first glance was Joseph. Joseph was another kid, after all, if not a little older. He had no reason to be threatened by him - he was a kid, just like him.


"Knew you were hungry." Frank smiled down at him and gently poked the side of his arm. "You wait there. I better wash the plate." He said, and after picking the plate up, he went up and washed it off and everything, and of course, placed the clean plate and fork on the draining board when it was all clean. He immediately returned to Jordan and looked down at him with a smile. "So, we should probably get you to bed, pal." He gently ran a hand over the top of his head. "You look pretty tired. How about some warm milk?"


Jordan nodded, "Yeah." He whispered. 


Another smile from Frank - the more responsive he was, the better. He got a glass from the cupboard and heated some milk in the microwave for Jordan. A comfy kid would be a happy kid, with a bit of luck. Once he'd heated that up, he picked Jordan up in his free arm and carried him through to the first bedroom that he knew was free. Just like the other ones, there was an en suite bathroom, a double bed, and general light decor. Spotless, much like the other ones. He knew Jordan was nervous about more or less everything in his surroundings, but hopefully with him there, he'd settle easily enough. Frank knew the events of the day would still be fresh on his mind, but, he'd be there to try and help take his mind off those things.


It was strange. At the same time, on a road somewhere in Ohio, there was something very similar going on - a man new to the family and the son of the family, too, filling the gap the kid needed filling, doing his best to keep him happy. The correlation is strange, but the nice kind of strange.


"Well, Jordan..." He sat him down on the side of the bed and crouched in front of him, handing him the milk. "We haven't got any clothes here for you, or PJ's, which sucks, but..." He shrugged. "We can sort that over the next couple of days. You okay just sleeping in your t-shirt and underwear tonight? Until I can buy you something proper tomorrow?" He asked.


Jordan nodded.


"Good man." He put a hand down on his shoulder and rubbed it with his thumb, back and forth, just for a little while. "You drink your milk, then when you're ready, just get ready for bed, and I'll stay with you, okay?"


There was a moment of silence, "You promise...?" He whimpered in question.


"I promise." Frank said, firmly, along with a nod.


Jordan nodded in response, and with that, he drank down his milk - pretty quickly, too, but that was no bother. Once he was done, he slipped off his shoes, socks, and pants - Underwear and t-shirt, good to go. He anxiously climbed under the covers and set his head down on the pillow, but quickly rolled over to face Frank. Frank just lied down on the bed beside him, but of course, when he rolled over to look at him, he quickly repositioned himself so he could meet eyes with Jordan and rush to his aid if he so needed it.


"Frank...?" 


"Yeah, buddy?" Frank asked. Once more, Frank was concerned - he could hear that tinge of sadness in the boy's voice.


Jordan closed his eyes, taking a deep shaky breath. "You won't let anyone hurt me, right?" He whimpered.


Frank reached out and set a hand down on top of his arm. "Of course I won't. You're safe here, Jordan. Everyone here wants you to be safe. Nothing bad's gonna' happen."


Jordan was quiet for a little while longer, "Frank." He choked.


"Yeah...?"


"I miss my mommy and daddy." He managed to splutter right before bursting into tears again, this time quiet cries and sobs, but sobs that held a lot of pain all the same. Frank sighed and shuffled right up to him, putting an arm around the boy and drawing him in close so he could cry into his chest instead.


"I know you do. I know." He whispered back.


--


"You actually found him? In the house?" McAllister's eyes went wide, but a smile soon came to his face. Tony's words of reassurance meant something, but at the same time they meant little. There was nothing he could have done, and no matter how much he disliked that fact, he was going to have to deal with it. He was going to have to accept the fact that no matter what he did, there was nothing he could have done for Redgrave and his family. The important thing now was the boy. The boy that was alive and shaken up, but, the thing was he was alive, and he was somewhere safe. McAllister needed to see him - he knew that much already. He needed to see that he was alive and well.


"Fucking hell, it's a miracle." He said. "I can't believe you actually got the kid out of there. Don't worry, I won't be helping Bradan find the boy. If he demands my help, you can be sure that I'll be misleading him and sending him to the wrong places, albeit deliberately. That might be a good way to set his squad up for the fall, actually..." He said. "If you've got someone who could tip Bradan off, send him to a fake location, you could easily have cops waiting for his guys there. It'd certainly be a way to do something - you'd have to send the message while I was there with Bradan, though, otherwise he'd think it was me setting him up for the fall." He explained.


Not the important call of duty at the minute, though. "I'm glad you've got the kid somewhere safe, though, that's the main thing. Poor lad must be terrified of something happening to him." He sighed. "If he was hidden in the house when it all happened... I heard some of the details, and I imagine you and your partner saw it all. God, that poor boy." He shook his head. "I promise ya', Tony, I'll do what I can to keep an eye out for him while I've got the chance. If I think something might be wrong, I'll let you and Frank know, but, I'll have the boy's back just as much as you do. He won't be without a pair of eyes keeping him safe, I give my word on that." He said.


The dog, however, didn't really respond to Tony in a direct way, but, it seemed that he was willing to follow Tony around obediently while sniffing him up and down, so, that should have been proof enough that he was willing to go with him. Trained dog, after all, so that would always be helpful.


Marcus did follow him through to the room and watched him pack some of Frank's clothes away. The question of Al-Asheera was brought up, and he thought for a moment, but he was fairly quick to respond.


"I heard talk. Bradan's not happy." He said. "I didn't hear it directly from the man himself so it's hard to say if it's all true, but I hear Bradan's going to be going all out. At the minute, though, he's on edge about some anonymous fella' he hired a while back. Had him break into some sort of channel to listen to people, and shit. There were very few details, but apparently Bradan basically fucked this guy over, and now he's really on edge about it, worrying it's gonna' bite him on the ass. He's got a lot of reasons to lie low at the minute, so, y'know." He said, simply. "Al-Asheera, though? I hear he's planning something that could bring down more than just a few Al-Asheera members. I'm talking some mass damage on his end." He sighed. 


"I'll do what I can to find out more, Tony, don't worry. Like I said, I'm not sure how much of it's true, so don't take my word for anything right now. Anything could change." He said. "Where's this place at you're talking about? The place with more allies? More allies will make this whole Bradan business a hell of a lot easier - plus, I'd like to see the boy, just to know he's safe. He's got someone taking good care of him, I hope?" He asked.


--


"I like your spirit, pal, that's for sure." Jon said at Charlie's response to the apology, and with that, he ruffled his hair. He definitely thought that Charlie was quite the character, quite the character that he wanted to spend more time around, that was for sure. He was glad he'd left a good impression with his mother so far, too, even if things had been a little unorthodox. Letting Charlie control the music, letting him have more fun and more excitement than he was usually allowed to, but, Jon thought it'd do him good, especially in a situation like this.


He knew the dreams would haunt him eventually, just as they settled down for the night and everything. Luckily Jon was going to be right for him if that happened, right there to support him, right there to be a shoulder to cry on and a pillow to hug if he needed it. He didn't mind being a person like that in Charlie's life. A boy as nice as him deserved some real support from someone, so, yeah.


Yes, the two had bonded quite well over the day, and it was incredible for anyone to witness. Eric hadn't been expecting it, either, but he was a man of few words and hadn't really said anything about it to anyone, but he'd noticed it. He didn't know all the details of James and all that, though. He only worked for Jon himself, and that was it. Jon wasn't a man to get easily attached to people, let alone a kid, so seeing all of this happen was one big surprise to him. While he was getting checked in with Nicole, he watched the two of them from the window of the diner, too, and he couldn't help but smile, and he couldn't deny that Jon had done a good job of keeping the boy occupied and entertained. The spy game business was definitely a smart move, one that'd stop the kid from panicking over things too much.


Once again, though, Eric wasn't going to comment. It was none of his business who Jon got attached to, so he was just letting the dice roll for now and seeing where it took them. It's not like Charlie and Jon having this relationship was doing any harm - If it was anything bad, Eric was sure that Nicole would have stepped in and stopped it, but from what he could see, she quite liked it, too, even if it was out of the ordinary and in light of a tragic event in the family. In some ways Eric imagined she was grateful, given the fact that she needed some time to recover, too. She wouldn't have been able to do that if she had a little boy clinging to her and sobbing for the whole five hours of the journey. At least she had a chance to rest.


Inside the diner, though, Jon just grinned down at Charlie and kept hold of his hand, walking with him towards the stairs that lead up to the restrooms after he'd been nudged by his elbow. Cute - Charlie was nailing the act of the father-son thing, too, which was perfect.


He did feel a little bad for having to make the kid wait just to use the bathroom - Needed to go 'kinda' badly for a while, it seemed, which couldn't have been the most pleasant, but it seemed that the excitement towards the agent game had suppressed any discomfort it may have caused.


"Aw, little man, I'm sorry." He patted the boy on the head, taking the stairs at an average pace. He was tired, his legs had locked up, and he was nearly fifty. He couldn't just sprint up the stairs right now - maybe tomorrow morning. "You know I would have stopped sooner if it was too urgent, but, well done for holding on until we got here. You've been a really good boy today, really patient, well-behaved. Definitely deserving of a milkshake, I think." He winked at him. "All those stories? Remember, they were your grandpa's." He said - he had to make sure to get all the 'family' ties right while they were playing this act. "I've got more to tell you sometime. Make sure you remind me." He said, by which time they'd reach the door to the Men's room. He pushed it open and held it open for Charlie to enter first.


"The milkshake and fries, don't worry. We'll go wild tonight." He followed him inside. "It's not unhealthy if you have it now and again. Treat yourself for a job well done today." He said.


Anyway, finally, they both had the chance to relieve themselves after a long time on the road - hopefully, they wouldn't push a journey like that again, but still, they made it without and tears and without any bathroom-related accidents, so, Jon considered that a success. Once they were both done, and once hands were washed and dried off and such, Jon took hold of Charlie's hand yet again and walked him out the bathroom, and back down the stairs right after. All the tables were free, too, so that was their next stop. A table. One big enough for four - corner booth, hidden away, nice and cozy and warm. Jon slid into one side of the booth with Charlie, and, partially to play the father-son act, and partially because he was enjoying the boy's affection, he dropped an arm around his shoulders as he grabbed one of the menus and slid it to him.


"I think I'm going for a coffee and some pancakes tonight." He chuckled. "What about you, pal? You've got your list of milkshakes there, look." He pointed to one section on the menu, "Sound good, don't they? Oreo, Caramel, Honey Comb, Maple Syrup, M&M's... You've got a lot to pick from." He chuckled. "As for food... Go wild, son. Get whatever you want. My treat." He smiled down at him and winked again.


He never thought showing kindness would ever feel this good, but, it did. It felt great.


"Your mom and uncle should be with us before we order, but, I'm sure they won't mind if we order first, no?" He asked. "We won't be waiting too long, either, because there's no one else here. We'll eat, then we can get you to bed. I bet you're tired after the journey today - Think, this time tomorrow night, there's a chance we'll be in California." He grinned, patting his shoulder.
 
It might be unhealthy to start a sense of competition with her best friend, but in ways, it could be a way of bonding, and a way for Thalia to return the favors of everything Karin had offered to teach her in return. "Well, while you teach me all the useful life stuff, maybe I could give you a bit of competitive edge. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two from back in the day that I know. Not like I forgot everything I knew from then." Taking another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, she continued, but with another idea, a more naughty one, in fact. "Ooooor, I can lift your competitive spirits in the romance field, hm?" She arched an eyebrow in a sneaky manner, to signal rather dirtier intentions. "Whoever can outlast the other with their boyfriend in the bedroom. How's that? .... Or that's a pretty shitty idea. It worked better with Vanessa when we were being abused. Forget that..." She laughed it off, shaking a strand of hair from her face. "Let's stick to swimming, shall we? You'll be as competitive as your bro in no time."


Certainly Karin's first romance was way more pleasant than Thalia's. Even if they were roughly the same age at the time. Fifth or sixth graders. Probably the same age, even, given Thalia skipped a grade. "Awwww, so adorable! And you seemed to get a LOT of action back then. More than me, damn it. I'm so proud!" she cheered, reaching out to jolt her friend's shoulder in an excited manner. Just talking about romance was interesting enough. It was something at intrigued the younger girl for a while: who was there for Karin before any of this even happened? Did she ever love? Who was her first? Looks like it was some fifth grade. At least her love was sort of mutual, and she even went home with the parents. But it was still puppy love in the end. They were fifth graders after all; it's not like they'd be doing anything too serious at the time. This David character did take her home on one occasion, provoking more dirty thoughts in Thalia's mind, which she had to resist, given they were basically little kids at the time. Nasty. Then came the aftermath. "Geez. Out of nowhere? That's it? He didn't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend? Don't tell me he moved on to some other chick the next year. From the sounds of it, he seemed like a grade-A elementary school womanizer. God damn..." Maybe some reassuring words, gripping Karin's shoulder a bit tighter and winking to her. "Well, fuck him. You're too pretty to be dumped. Look at yourself now. You've got yourself a rich and sneaky bastard of a boyfriend. I bet if David ever saw you again, he'd be jealous as fuck. Trust me."


Genuinely, she felt the urge to elaborate a bit on her own story. Her hand returned to her side, scratching at her other arm, recalling her days in the sixth grade. "At least you know what happened to your first love. Where he is, roughly what he's doing with his life.... Her name was Jenny; don't remember her last name. It's been too long. I have no clue where my first kiss landed herself. Guess that's the price of abandoning it all, right?" she shrugged. "Oh, and she socially shunned me, so even if I tried to get in contact, fat chance she'd talk to me. Even got me bullied... you know how things were back in the day. Sixth grade. Puberty hitting. They start teach you about sexuality, the introductory stuff. They weren't teaching about... well, gays, or trying to at least make it out to be normal, but since everyone had a damn computer at home, they'd google this shit and paint me as that creepy lesbian in the class. Ever happened back in your days? Or was that just me? What was worse? I was getting all the shit, but Jenny didn't because she was that popular girl who only kissed me because it was a dare and didn't care how I felt about it. It got worse when my mom - who taught me in the sixth grade - started white knighting for me. She stopped the face-to-face bullying, thank god. But fortunately, she didn't believe all the rumors. If she'd known I ACTUALLY kissed a girl and fell in love with her? She'd kill me. Kinda makes me nervous to tell her about Vanessa, even though I really want to."


She sighed and tried to get over the depressing side of things. "Well, like I said earlier, chick before dicks...." But thinking back, that might've been taken a bit too literal in Thalia's case. "No homo, I mean, just.... Ah, you get what I mean. Fuck David. Fuck Jenny. We've got James and Frank, and better yet, we've got each other."


Overthinking that thought would only start problems. Not anymore. The day was already rough, so the best thing for the two now was to get over their stress in a more fun manner. "Joe's creeping up on that age range now, you know. That time when we both had our first kisses? That's him, isn't it? And he really wants to learn French. I promised to give him his first lesson today and I... kinda let him down. You know, after getting hung over and such. Then hearing about my dad... I'll make it up to him. But I'll teach him some basic phrases and greetings. Maybe a pickup line or two. Girls love a guy who can speak a romantic language.... or a girl. Been there, done that." She laughed with a slight bow of her head. "Maybe he'll come home with his first girlfriend halfway through the fifth grade. What would you say to that, Kar?" She joked. How would this young woman react to her brother coming home holding hands with a cute girl?


Thalia joined in, watching over her new boyfriend, still bonding with Redgrave's son. No doubt, it was heartwarming and gave her hope for whenever she decided to settle down and have a child. It'd be so hard for Frank to separate from that child, which only troubled the redhead further: could she possibly rip the man she loves away from the child? Or at least throw an ultimatum at his face, it's me or him? Never. Maybe she could hope that he had an aunt or uncle that could take care of him. Someone who could assume legal guardianship. But for now, Thalia nodded along. "Frank's like a goddamn teddy bear on the inside. When we met, he came off as a strong and angry cop, but on the inside? Not the case at all. And I like that. He's probably what I need. Someone soft. Filled with emotion. Someone to set me straight..." Then came the idea of a Romeo and Juliet thing going between the two, which made Thalia crack up and throw her head back. "No. Fuck no. Not THAT cliche. But you make a point. Not that I'll be in any opposing faction when this is all over, right?"


Tony. He was going to be a major pain in the ass these coming days. A promise was made to lay low, stay calm, and not provoke anyone or be provoked. She nodded in agreement. "Tony can fuck himself... not to quote Al-Asheera, but it's true." Odd. Al-Asheera members were trained to only answer 'fuck yourself'' in an interrogation scenario. Thalia was, too, even if she cracked relatively quickly. Karin broke that barrier inside her long ago. "I won't attack him. I won't attack ANYONE. I give you my word..." She still hadn't fully confessed about Nicholas' murder just yet, but Karin probably already knows. And Thalia didn't want to resurrect those thoughts right now. "Tony blames me for everything bad Al-Asheera has done because he has no one else to blame. When in reality, he fails to see I'm on the same side as him. What's it going to take for him to realize that?"


Insults. Karin's needed work. Or at least a vocabulary expansion. "With pleasure. I've learned quite a few nasty bites back in my time. While I teach your brother French, I might as well teach you the art of talking dirty. However you wanna see that." She winked. That could've gone either way, but she didn't care. No holds barred for the two when it came to that.


"Speak of the devil, where's your boyfriend at?" she asked, her eyes shooting left and right. "Haven't seen him since he got my clothes."


--


It made things a lot better to know that Marcus was so concerned about Jordan back at home. It gave Tony a hint that this man, imprisoned for years, had a heart, a conscience. Because no child deserves to suffer like the boy they recovered. Let alone have three quarters of a million dollars on his head. McAllister's loyalties to the greater cause were set in stone by this very feeling of guilt in his heart. An extension of sorrows for a child who just lost his family in such a brutal manner. Who could bear that, to be honest? What monsters could fearlessly execute such orders? Bradan must really be pissed to have no holds barred on his men like that. At least the bastard admits he kills and makes it obvious. Not like Thalia and Al-Asheera, who preach that they aren't killers just to stab a man to death later. Liars. Hypocrites. And tomorrow when work progresses on the Al-Asheera business, he will bring up everything on Thalia's belt so that she could be benched for the duration of the operation. Kept in a dungeon type room - which he wouldn't put it past James to have somewhere in that expansive mansion - and chained to a wall so she doesn't attempt escape. No. Tony had specific plans to land the mystery redhead in shackles and away from all of this. But later.


As he dug through Frank's closet and grabbed a few sets of suits, then stacked a few of his t-shirts on top, he continued discussing the past day with Marcus. "So bottom line, Bradan's pissed at everything around him. Al-Asheera kicking the hornet's nest. And now the fact the LAPD are gathering useful leads on him. It only motivates YOU to be more careful." He mentioned the last part in a bit more of a stern way, but he trusted Marcus had a sense of caution and wasn't quite a daredevil. "If Bradan gets wise and even assumes there's a mole, you let us know so we can do something about it. Yes. We have more allies that are willing to go after the Clover Boys just like us. It's sort of an.... elite crew. Smaller. Non-police. But you'll meet them soon enough. For the time being, we're going to stay with them all somewhere in Encino. We'll explain more about planning later. But you did great on your first day of surveillance, Marcus. Keep it up. You've certainly earned my trust.


Weird. In much less time, Marcus earned Tony's trust before Thalia did. It only highlighted the older cop's bias towards Al-Asheera. Was this really towards the gang of thieves? Or was it more focused on the mystery redhead? And why her in specific? Because she was different? A female with a unique hair color among an association of majorly men? Or was it just that Tony found her attractive? Well, he did, but that was besides the point. Feelings aside, she couldn't stay.


Tony scooped up the bundle of Frank's outfits over his shoulder and nodded to McAllister. "We'll discuss planning with our team. And yes. The boy is safe, and with us. You'll get to see him in Encino, so if you can do anything for me, get Elvis' leash and maybe a bag of his dog food and escort him with me to the vehicle. It's a bit of a drive, and it's already late at night. And we don't know if Bradan's men will be scoping anytime soon. We're clear now. But who knows for how long. You just keep your cool, and it'll all work out." He sighed as he marched out of his partner's bedroom, the sniffing dog on his tail. "It's been a tough day... but we'll survive. I'll give you that."


--


Certainly, Nicole was not the right person to give Charlie the comfort and hope he needs to survive this tragedy. Surely, the woman herself was resilient and could cope with her own feelings alone, no matter how near and dear her husband was to her. It was her own faith in God that got her through the day, the knowledge that Jacob would be in a better place now, probably watching over his family from above. Jon was the perfect fit to keep the boy's spirits up. Sure, this wasn't the way she would raise a child, but it certainly taught her a thing or two about a child's happiness. Charlie had never been this happy in his life, so full of life and exuberance, and building such a bond with someone who assumed the position of the fatherly figure in his life. Without that stable background of a man in the house, perhaps the boy would cripple from a self-esteem perspective. She couldn't let him pitfall into the abyss of depression and trauma, and Jon acted as his lifeline. Her eyes continued to follow the duo until they vanished into the men's room, in which she completed the transaction to get themselves a room. 307, the room number. Third floor, 7th room, and two room keys. One for her, and the other for her 'husband'.


"Enjoy your stay, Mrs. Schofield."


That would take some getting used to.


The apologies weren't needed as the boy and man entered the bathroom hand in hand to relieve themselves of the need to release over the drive for hours. Even the desire to pee drowned out the horrible memories of the dreadful moment when his mother told him his father was gone. Anything did, really. He was an eight year old boy distracted by whatever was placed in front of him. The radio was a fun distraction, and the flashy lights of the motel and cafe helped too, as well as the excitement for food at long last, all Jon's treat. But the icing on the cake was the man himself. He regenerated the joy in the boy's heart and made him embrace a sense of livelihood and play. The timing was poor for such behavior, but it was keeping that smile on his face, which was most important. Important to Nicole, and clearly it mattered to Jon as well. Even better: Charlie was having a blast and get to do the things his mother would usually prohibit. It was a learning experience for everyone: coping with loss and finding themselves...


Most importantly, bringing the family together. Thalia was within reach. And it filled Nicole's heart with joy. Charlie could finally get closure for his sister. A reunion brought together from the loss of the reverend.


Once the two men of the 'family' returned from the bathroom, the four of them gathered together at the cozy booth in the corner of the cafe, Jon by Charlie's side. It was so comforting for him to have this man care for him so much, keep him optimistic, and boost his self-esteem with the spies act. The grin on his face never faded in this family illusion, really enjoying the idea of visualizing Jon as his father. Even though he wasn't. Sure, he had a few similarities - height, grey hair - but that was about it. But a memory to keep his father's image engraved in his head. It couldn't have been better, and he even kept his promise about the milkshake on top of it all.


"Hmmm..." Charlie hummed, looking through the menu himself. It was truly a hard decision to make. So many tasty options, but one surely had him sold. "I'll take the oreos. I love oreos," he said, handing the menu back to his 'father'. "Thanks, Daddy. And I don't think I'm gonna sleep tonight. It's been awesome!"


Giggling a bit at the boy's enthusiasm, Nicole smiled and held his hand from across the table. "Now, son, I know it's been a long day and you seem so hyper, but even the best of spies have to get some sleep, right? Ask your father..." Her friendly gaze slipped a peek at Jon. But it felt so... real. More than just the act. Maybe it was a testament to her appreciation for everything he's done, prioritizing her son and keeping him happy. It couldn't be better. Maybe it was just a feeling of closeness after being around this man for so long. Whatever it was, she hoped that Jon wouldn't simply walk out on her son when this is over. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he was a strong paternal figure that Charlie needed in life to survive in such a cruel world that wronged him. Sure, he'd have his older sister for comfort as well, but nothing could replace the position the man of the family has. She'd have to confront the mechanic about this later.


"Awww, do I have to, Mommy?" he pouted. No need to fake any bond between the two. They really were mother and son after all.


"Yes, dear, as much as it's probably not what you want, even the best have to take a break. Just for now, then when you wake up, you can spring back into action and pick up where you left off with Daddy. How does that sound?"


A bit of a sigh of surrender, knowing his mother's stern mannerisms, but he gave in peacefully. "Fine..." he looked over to Jon. "But I'll sleep with one eye open. Like any good spy. Right?" He accompanied it with a gentle nudge to his shoulder. Charlie was only hoping that this illusion would never end. It was all too good to be true; as much as he missed his father, he wanted Jon there for him now more than ever. And deep down, so did Nicole.
 
"Teach me competitiveness, eh?" She asked, then shook her head and laughed. "Sure. I don't think competition's the best thing to get too involved in, but, I'm sure it couldn't hurt. Teach me the ways of striving to beat everyone else and being the best no matter what, I suppose." She grinned, but then thought for a moment and frowned. "Actually, it sounds a little depressing when you put it like that - but by all means, I'd be happy to learn some stuff, so make sure that we get the chance to compete in something or other sometime soon, hopefully once all of this is up and done with, you know?" She asked. The situation they had at hand had become a particularly stressful one, and not one that she really wanted to deal with all that much. She knew she was committed to it now, and she wanted to continue it just for the purpose of helping Thalia, but other than that? God, she was getting tired, and in her eyes, she was one of the few people who hadn't done much in the whole thing.


"From my experience, romantic competition is something that often ends badly, regardless of the circumstances." She grinned. "We'll stick to something sporty, or maybe once you learn how to cook properly, we can have a bit of a cook-off, or something like that. That'd be good fun. Have James and Frank both try whatever we make, and the best wins. But we'd need other people there, too. Perhaps even a couple of the kids, just to make sure it's not biased. You know that it's more than likely James will pick me as the best even if I served him a single leaf of lettuce, and it's the same with you to Frank. We need others to be the deciding factor in that - either that, or we don't tell them who made what. That'd work better, but, we definitely need more than them to help decide. Get Joe on board, maybe even that butler James has wandering around." She chuckled.


The talk of Joseph potentially falling into a 'relationship' in his final year of elementary made Karin both happy and in some ways sad, too. The mere thought of him one day walking out of school, hand-in-hand with a girl from his class, was adorable, but a telltale sign that the boy was growing up far more than Karin wanted him to. He wasn't going to be the sensitive little boy she was so used to having around for much longer. Before she knew it, he'd be in high school and off doing things he wanted to do, getting his own life in order and setting things up for when he moved out and found his own place in the world. The thought of that was scary, but, she was going to accept it. Was Joseph really learning a language just so he could impress people? It sounded like him, but not in a bad way. It just sounded like something he'd do. He'd always choose the wild and wacky ways of showing off - not the generic 'I have a shiny Pokémon card' that other kids his age seemed to use. Yeah, Joseph wanted to go above and beyond - but for the purpose of love? For all Karin knew, there was already someone at school that he had a little thing for, an adorable little crush on someone that he thought was cute. She wouldn't know until he revealed it to her, though, and the chances of her ever finding out? Low. A boy of Joseph's age would probably never tell a secret like that to his older sister, no matter how much of a motherly figure she was.


"For one, no, David never did that." She shook her head, "He didn't date another girl, surprisingly, for about a year and a half. A part of me likes to think he felt bad - broke his own heart in a way - it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. Sometimes his energy and enthusiasm to things got the better of him. I'd like to ask him that one day, ask if he actually wanted to go back and change his mind about me. Not that it'd mean anything now that he's married to the 'woman of his dreams' and all that, but, it'd be interesting to find out." She smiled. "As for Joseph... God, a part of me can't even imagine that. It sounds hilarious and impossible, but, Joe's a handsome kid, and a nice one, too. He's going to surprise us all one day when he walks out of school holding a girl's hand. I dread the day it happens, in all honesty. He's too innocent - at least I say that, but.." She sighed and smiled. "I guess we all grow up eventually. Let's just hope he doesn't turn out be like David, and let's hope that the girl he likes isn't like Jenny, right?" She said.


"The French, don't worry, he's has a good day, and I doubt he's all that bitter about it. He's got the rest of the summer to learn that stuff, so, I'm sure one day won't hurt him." She smiled, "With the situation with Tony, I think it's going to take a lot to make him realize you're on his side. I don't know what it'll take, but, one day he'll see it, hopefully. I told him not to do anything, told him how I'm the one sleeping with James, not him. I've given some empty threats saying I'll convince James to approach the situation otherwise when it comes to his girlfriend. I'd never have him do something that severe unless it was well and truly deserved, but, Tony needs to know that he's not invicible, either, and he's got a lot more at stake than most of us. Your family's accounted for, as is mine - Frank's, too. As for Tony?" She shook his head. "His S-O is the only one who we haven't got protected, you know?" She said.


She was asked where James was, and she just shrugged.


"Not too sure, honestly." She said, "Last I know, he was tucking Joseph in. Might still be doing that. If not, he said he had something he had to do, so, if he's done with Joseph he's probably off doing that, or something." She scooped some more ice cream into her mouth. "Doesn't bother me too much. I'm not one to get in the way of his work - Last thing I'd want to do is screw up something critical." She laughed.


--


"If you've got allies outside the LAPD, there's not much more I could ask for." He said. "Trust me, allies outside of the police force are the strongest kind. They have no limits, depending on who they are. Once I meet them I'm sure we can figure something out - If you and Frank can trust me enough... You can get on with making sure Al-Asheera don't blow places up or whatever, and you can leave me to figure out the tactics we need to approach Bradan. I mean, I'm the tactitian for a reason, after all. It won't be hard. Bradan's very old-school, but it's his old-school mannerisms that shock people - they trick them into thinking that Bradan's an easy target, adn when it comes to them trying to make advancements, they get bent over a table and fucked - metaphorically speaking." He cleared his throat.


"It's his Neanderthal way of thinking in some cases that makes him so unpredictable. Let's see - You along with the rest of the police department probably suspect that Bradan did this, but, do you know that? Does everyone else know that? After all, Bradan's never done something like this before. He's never killed a cop and his family. He's killed other people, civilians, their families, people and their families in his own ranks, but never this. You see, Bradan has no rules, no black book to consult whenever something bad happens. He does whatever he think's most suitable." He explained. "Sure, it's crazy, but anyone who moves to his ranks know what they're signing up for. It's what makes Bradan such a successful leader. Why has no one fucked him over yet? Because they don't know what he'll do. It's the fear of the unknown that keeps all his boys in line. They don't know if he'll hit them just for saying 'hello' funny. God knows that he laid me out when I tried to keep his 'safety in my best interest'." He chuckled a little.


"Encino sounds like a safe bet. I'd rather be there than around here." He said. "I'll go gather up the dog's food and everything, no problem." He winked, and off he went, calling Elvis along with him as he wandered through to the kitchen. The dog's leash was hung on a hook in the kitchen, so he grabbed that and hooked it to the dog's collar, and in one of the cupboards under the sink, he found the big old bag of dry dog food. Diet food, it was - Keeping the dog healthy must have been important to Frank, but, that wasn't all. There were some cans of dog food there, too, as well as some treats. He figured he may as well grab all of those, as well as the dog's food and water bowl. He shoved whatever he could into one bag, and while holding that in one hand, he had the big bag of dogfood under the same arm, then in his other hand he held the dog's leash. Carefully, he carried everything through to where Tony was and nodded to him.


"Alright, let's rock and roll, pal. I'm good to go." He said.


--


"Heh." He patted the boy on the head, "You're funny, you are. Oreo milkshake it is." He said to him. "You'll sleep well tonight, don't you worry. As soon as you have something to eat you're going to feel the tiredness kick in eventually. If not, then once you sit down on a comfy bed, I reckon you'll be straight in on it." He chuckled. There was the small debate between him and his mother about staying up and getting rest and everything, and, well, Jon had to agree with Nicole on this one, especially with the journey they had lined up tomorrow. Ohio wasn't their final secondary-destination. He wanted to move over one more state before they even thought about getting in a plane. It was for their safety, just in case. The exciting stuff was going to be getting on the plane with a fake passport and everything. He imagined that the idea of being spies and intercepting the nation's biggest method of transport would certainly excite Charlie more than today's events had - after all, he was going to get to put his amazing faked passport into action.


"Your mom's right. Even the best need their sleep." He winked, "But you're also right. Sleeping with one eye open is the best thing a spy could do, but, remember... It's gonna' be me and you tonight, under the same roof, so you don't have to worry too much. I think you'll do just fine." He smiled. "Just make sure you get enough sleep so you can keep up the amazing work tomorrow." He said to him.


Jon couldn't just leave. The more he thought about getting on a plane again in California after he dropped them off hurt his heart - he'd grown too strongly attached to the boy, which had always been one of his biggest rules. Never get attached. But he'd done it, he broke one of his sacred rulings that stopped him from settling down anywhere. But now he couldn't do it, he could feel the heartache he'd feel if he left, and he was nowhere close to that opportunity just yet. Leaving felt like more of a curse than a blessing. His feelings towards not only Charlie but also to Nicole had greatly increased over the past few hours. The mere fact that Nicole trusted him enough to be so independent with Charlie's care was enough to make him connect with her, too.


He knew he couldn't leave. Not now. He was in too deep. And frankly, even if he could leave, he didn't think he would. Was this what James had intended all along? Was James trying to do him a favor, too? Jon was asking a lot of questions about the whole thing, honestly.


"Alright, so." Jon snapped himself out of his state of thought and looked at the menu again. Everything from pancakes to beef burgers, really. A lot of the stuff like the hotdogs and such all came with fries, so a big meal was in order. They served fish and salads here, too - it was nothing spectacular, but, it didn't seem like it was bad quality. The place was fairly well-decorated which gave Jon a good impression of it overall, and the restroom was in good condition, too; there was no urinal spraying water all over them, no toilet with god-knows-what clogging it, and no sinks that didn't work. Everything was fine.  "We've got an oreo milkshake for Mike..." He looked over the food again. "And I'm sure there's something on there that you like, food-wise. Go ahead and have whatever you want, son. It's been a long day. Honey, Eric, you can both have whatever you want, too." He said. 


If anything, Jon was a good actor. He didn't look nervous when he played his part. A necessary skill for someone in an industry like this.


The worst part was, now, the industry he was in didn't feel so fantastic anymore, not now that he was looking out for Nicole and Charlie.
 
"Hurt? Come on!" Thalia teased onward, shaking her friend's shoulder slightly at her slight doubts about competitiveness between them. Who were they hurting by putting themselves side by side? Jealousy perhaps? Karin needed some reassurance. "It's a way to bond, really. I'm not a sore loser. So you can kick my ass any day of the week in whatever you want." She gave her a reassuring wink. "Except in clever insults and swimming. Those are mine!" Quite cocky, but also teasing. As if she were challenging Karin to do this. "If you insist, we don't have to go down the romance route. You've got your man, and I've got mine. I was thinking more along the lines of 'who can leave their lover more motionless after sex', but seeing you're still fresh to the game, I'd consider that an unfair fight. And as much as it doesn't sound like it, I DO play by the rules. So that's what we'll do. Sports... or cooking. But in that field, you have the upper hand, so you'll be the one kicking MY ass there. Especially with biased judges like Joseph or James." She laughed. "Blind tasting it is. Mine'll be obvious though: the meal that's burned acrisp. Right? And I'll be the one setting James' fancy kitchen on fire. Clear as day." She could only hope that wouldn't be the case. The last thing she needed to do to repay James for his kindness and saving the remainder of her family is to light fire to his home. Quite a gesture, but a possibility she didn't want to consider. She took another bite of the ice cream between her words. "Or... first to get brain freeze is a loser. How's that? At least I won't be outmatched by a pro like you when I got shitfaced earlier today."


Could things be any more fun between these two girls? Through thick and thin, they'd really grown closer throughout the day, learning a few things about each other, opening up about their pasts, and most importantly, having fun while it lasted. All ending poolside raiding James' ice cream. And Thalia couldn't be more happy with her life. Is this slice of paradise what was awaiting her in her new life? The only thing left to perfect the experience was an uninterrupted relationship with Frank. But after their moment in the bedroom, they agreed to remain distant from one another. It pained her to have to be around Frank and just resist the urge to act like a desperate lover. Maybe they could still do it behind closed doors? Would they with the young boy around now? Was that crazy intimate moment the other night potentially their first and last? Would she never get a chance to have fun with him? A child in the way would serve as a major restriction for their relationship and for Thalia's wilder behavior. A surefire setback to her new life, but was it one she'd take? Would Frank even take her places like skiing if there was a boy to take care of in the mix?


Is he really the one if he has a kid to worry about?


No. It couldn't be over so quickly. Not after they were making out just a few hours ago and promising to be strong for each other.


"One way to avoid a potential Jenny," she continued, "Avoid spin the bottle. Like fucking forbid him from playing that game if you're so afraid of that. Especially if Joe's the kind that would fall head over heels really quick. You gotta be strong to play that shit. Like, he's gotta be ready to kiss anyone. Trust me; I've kissed some people with HORRIBLE breath. Disgusting. A lot of boys who'd never kissed before, and quite a few girls who I had crush on me later, all through the sixth grade... guess I have Jenny to thank for that, right? Wish I could at least tell her that with a solid 'fuck you', you know?" It helped to laugh off her past and relate it to the present. With Joseph, so young, and so much to learn from two girls who've been there and done that. "Eh. Surprised I didn't get laid until I hooked up with Ra's, to be honest. Just pray Joseph doesn't lose his innocence as fast as I did. It helps that you're not shoving 'Jesus loves you' down his throat 24/7. You know. Girl-to-girl advice. I'm still teaching him French though, just to let the ladies melt in his arms. You'll be so proud of him."


After a brief pause to eat a bit more - after all, she was in love with the ice cream and would surely raid it again someday - the redhead continued, "I feel bad for Mel... I mean, beyond the fact that Ra's probably has her penned up like some animal. Believe me, I wish we could spring her, but it's not that easy. But she coped with Tony for... how long? It's been three days, and I can't stand his ass. How did Melissa put up with him for a fucking decade? He's unbearable. And mean." She pouted. "I don't feel bad for Tony, one bit. He makes me suffer, so his suffering means nothing to me. I'm only helping him because I don't want to see his girlfriend suffer for something that's not her fault. Still bugs me that if we never made our deal, or never spoke of the brothel, maybe she'd be fine... but how can I know. No changing that."


--


"Indeed, my contacts, besides myself and Frank, have nothing to do with the LAPD or any law enforcement," Tony explained further. "Consider us a more... underground team. One that is willing to do what it takes to shut down guys like Bradan. We might not be the most ideal pack, and surely, if it were up to me, PLENTY would change on our lineup. Trust me. But it's the best we can get on such a short notice. But we..." He sighed. "We get things done. It's unfortunate, but effective."


Now was the time for Tony to go in depth with the team. McAllister would find out eventually. "You'll meet the core member of our team holding us together like some social bonding glue. James. Last name unknown. Is that his real name? I dunno. And we don't need to know. He's some hacker that got himself involved for the sake of taking down Al-Asheera, but can happily help with the Clovers as well. We've got the more legitimate gents, me and Frank. The innocent girl caught into all of this, Karin Held, stuck in this whole mess because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time... then there's the other crook on our team. Thalia Griffin. The reason Al-Asheera's tied into everything..." He cleared his throat and look over his shoulder as he departed from Frank's humble abode with everyone cleared out, and locked the door, still lobbing his partner's clothing over his shoulder. "Heard of a member of Al-Asheera only known as the 'mystery redhead'? Well.... you're gonna meet her. Quite a physical specimen, I must say. But she's also a psychotic bitch. Murdered a guy in James' garage like a wild animal. Just wait till you see the evil in her eyes. And don't think feisty and hot. She might be the latter, but that's not the kinda chick you want in bed. So watch yourself..."


Quite a way to turn Marcus off from Thalia before he even met her. And a way to keep the mystery redhead open to his own suggestions. His own seductions. His crazy ideas for getting his fifteen minutes of fun with her in the bedroom. Frank was already a risk, a barrier in his way. Was their Bradan insider next in line to get in between the sheets with Thalia? No. Only Tony wanted to be next, in his own selfish way, even if he already had a girlfriend. He just hoped his warnings didn't turn this older brute on even more with the mention of 'feisty' and 'hot'. As true as they were, he was only speaking his mind. Nothing more.


"Bradan's a hellsent bastard, from what you are telling me," he thought as he loaded himself into the car. "A guy that sounds like he'd be willing to wipe out an army of his entire men just to be unpredictable in the eyes of his opposition. Be it LAPD or rival gangs. Even in the eyes of his own men. Maybe that's what... going after Redgrave was about..." Revelations about why his fellow officer of the law was killed. Him and his family. Was it all really the same day? It'd been so long, or at least relatively speaking. He would have to call Sergeant Reeves later, figure out the details about the funerals for the family. There's no way he'd miss that at the very least. He'd take the others along with him, if they didn't attract so much attention. Thalia would stick out like a sore thumb with her obvious markings. James looked far too shady to just show up at a funeral like that. And then Marcus... a wanted man. All too risky. But for now Tony simply secured Frank's belongings in the trunk and waited for his insider to hop into the back seat with Elvis. "As unpredictable and sadistic as Bradan can be, I plan to outsmart him. WE plan to outsmart him. His thinking... it reminds me a lot of Ra's, the leader of Al-Asheera. And if we can put up with THAT sleazy bastard, we can put up with another. Bradan may want to be ten steps ahead, but I plan to triple that. And we can. You just have to trust us, Marcus. I give you my word, he'll pay for everything he's done, to Redgrave, and beyond. That was my friend he killed. This is personal."


--


Nicole opted for a Caesar salad in the end. Her own indecisive mind took a while to reach that decision, as Charlie knew, just watching her take a few minutes staring at the options on the menu. One of the many pet peeves his mother had that he recognized as trademarks. That in itself had stalled the boy from getting his long-awaited milkshake, but until then, he entertained his eyes with the simplicity of the motel and the hopes for what fun would come tomorrow. Jon sure had a lot promised for the coming day. And being a spy was only going to get more and more interesting when it came time to board a plane with passports he had forged himself. Not to mention that playing the father/son charade with Jon was even more entertaining. 


Soon enough, even with his mother's mild stall, Charlie's Oreo milkshake arrived at long last. His wide open eyes were like ones of a child on Christmas day when he saw it. Certainly not the healthy nutritious kind of desert his mother would let him have on a normal basis. But this sort of indulgence made the boy happy, and therefore, made the mother happy. Eventually, her own food arrived, as well as the for the rest of the supposed 'happy family.' How did they sell the act so easily? It's clear why Thalia is such a convincing liar; it's in her blood. But one thing ringing in Nicole's head: this may be a pretty remote area, but she was a mass media celebrity with the loss of her daughter. Is it possible that nobody recognized her from the numerous documentaries? Until the waiter was about to leave.


"Here's your salad, ma'am..." He greeted at the start. Normal, nothing suspicious, but his eyes did linger on Nicole for longer than they should, but she was too distracted at watching her son digging into his milkshake. It caught her off-guard when he asked, "I'm sorry.... I can't help but think I remember you from somewhere?"


The teacher's heart skipped a beat. Is it possible her fear was about to come true? "How do you mean, my boy?" she inquired in a polite manner.


"I remember watching a documentary a year or two ago... about some girl who went missing when she was 13..." he explained, his hands folded in front of him, now empty from the plates he'd been delivering. "You look a lot like the hostess on the documentary.... Griffin, was the last name?"


In that moment, Charlie took a huge and definitely noticeable gulp from his food after hearing his real last name. Was the cover blown? It couldn't be. Not this quickly. With his mother caught off guard, the little boy, of all people, came to her rescue. "No, no, sir. We're not the Griffins. But Mommy's gotten that comment a lot. You know? She looks a lot like that woman on the TV. So weird, right?"


The waiter nodded. "Indeed. It's so creepy."


Recovering and composing herself, Nicole continued, reaching to tap this young man's arm to get  his attention, and off of her son, "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude, but I think you've mistaken me. My apologies for disappointing. Why are you so concerned though? Did..." She paused for a moment to collect her words, to make sure they came out right and not in a suspicious manner. "That woman from the documentary ever find her daughter?"


He shook his head. "But I've always wanted to meet her. She sure was brave to come on TV like that for all those years just out of faith that her daughter was still alive somewhere. Maybe she is, maybe she isn't," he shrugged. "Sorry for that assumption. Hopefully it wasn't too rude."


"It's water under the bridge. No need to worry," the woman easily forgave him as he wandered away. That was a close call. If Charlie hadn't bumped in to catch her fumble, they might've been exposed. For once, she was relieved that her son lied to someone, her more stern gaze focused on the boy across the table from her, her hands reaching for the fork by her bowl of salad. "Charlie..."


Charlie grew slightly afraid, his eyes jumping to his mother's in response. "Yes, Mommy?"


"...W-Who taught you to lie like that?" She asked, more intrigued than angry. Being angry at the boy wasn't going to help him in any way, especially not in a fragile mental state. So she remained calm. She still had to find out how he came up with such a professional excuse to cover herself up.


Almost easily, Charlie replied, "It's what spies do, right? We get ourselves out of sticky situations. I thought you knew that, Mommy."


Smiling, she shook her head and looked down to her meal. "Right.... right... My bad. Apologies."


But that easy recognition from a stranger couldn't have gone unnoticed by Jon, the professional of the bunch. Things could be problematic if someone recognizes Nicole from her time in the public eye. It's not like a 45 year old woman, a teacher more or less, would easily change her physical appearance like that. But something needed to be done about it. That something was probably keeping her head low, maybe some sunglasses, and getting out of the area. Fast. Maybe when this was over and Thalia was dissociated from Al-Asheera or exonerated of her crimes, then she could resurface in front of a few cameras to say that her daughter is alive and well. Maybe not. Only time will tell.
 
"New to the game?" Her mouth hung open, "Oh, bitch, you did not." She laughed, "You think I'm new to the game? Believe me, I may be rusty, but I know how to give a good time." She said - Obviously it was all said out of humor. No way were the two arguing about all of this, not a chance in hell. Karin was quite enjoying the little evening chat with her friend, though, it gave her a good chance just to get a rough idea of how things were, and how things could be. They were going to be getting a visit from Frank shortly, but, it's not like they knew that at the present time. It would probably be the last chance Frank would get to be friendly with Thalia for a while, anyway, while Tony wasn't here. Plus, even if Tony did walk in, Frank would have a decent cover-up about it all. After all, even though his lover was out there, he, surprisingly, needed to ask Karin something.


"You can have the swimming and insults, I'll give you that. You think I'm in good shape?" She laughed, "Trust me, I'm not. It's been so long since I've actually exercised. Luckily, I have good metabolism, or chances are I'd be pretty huge by now." She said, grinning. "I'll gladly have a challenge involving ice cream, though. I do love some expensive ice cream. It's not very often I get the chance to have it." She said. "It's sweet of you to offer to teach Joseph the French, though. He'll be a lot more comfortable and laid back with someone he knows teaching him, I bet. He'll love it, I bet. Languages didn't really interest him 'til recently, so I guess this is all it's for. It must be for showing off." She laughed.


"I'll be sure to limit the spin the bottle thing with Joseph, don't worry. But trust me, there's going to be a day he comes home and says he played Spin The Bottle at a friend's house, and he's a boy, for god's sake - If any girls like him, their friends are going to dare him to kiss them, and if there's any of his guy friends there? They're going to dare him to kiss another guy. It's just how Spin The Bottle works, isn't it?" She laughed. "Joseph has things that give away when something happens, though. He'll be quiet, and if he even thinks about something that could be remotely embarrassing, he gets that little tinge of pink to his cheeks. He's a dead giveaway most the time." She laughed. "Worst thing I've seen from him in that front so far? There was one of those kissing scenes in a movie I watched with him a few months ago, and of course, he went all red in the face when things started to get intimate. You know how it is." She shrugged.


"As weird as it is to talk about all of this, I guess in some ways it's normal. Perhaps a little too motherly of me, but..." She sighed, "You know, he is at the age now where... 'Exploring his sexuality' might be a little more in his interest, even if he doesn't want to admit that. Even though kids don't learn all the Sex Ed stuff until they're... Well, it's changed recently. It used to be thirteen when I was in school, but they've lowered it to ten and eleven." She said, "Either way, even though they don't learn all that? I think they have their own way of knowing things about themselves, even if they can't quite explain the feelings." She said. "I don't think Joe's the kind of kid to fall head over heels easily, like you said, but... I know for a fact he's someone who takes things to heart. A big weakness to have, but things can upset him pretty easily. The morning I met you we just got out the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic up at the hospital, and things were a little bit off in terms of all his blood sugar readings and such, but nothing bad. Doctor pointed it out that things had changed a little more than last time, and Joe was just... Heartbroken, really. He worries too much." She laughed.


"Give him time, I say. He'll grow up just fine, and Middle School's definitely going to toughen him up. As soon as he learns to be more like me and stop giving a shit, he'll be a great guy. With James in his life, too? I think things will pan out perfectly - It's been a long time since I've been able to say something like that." She said. "And hopefully soon you can say that, too. Things seem to be going well with Frank, and once you get things narrowed out? Once you start working, once you learn how to do basic adult things - cooking, cleaning, even something as simple as doing laundry properly... Oh, and driving! Driving will be the best skill you will ever learn, trust me. You won't regret it." She said. "Once you've got all that down, you're gonna' be a real great girl, T. Greater than the one you already are." She smiled.


"I feel what you mean about Tony, too. I don't feel bad for him. But Mel? I feel awful that she's been dragged into all this." She shook her head. "Let's hope we can get her home safe." She said, and at that moment, the sound of the back door of the house opening was heard. Her heart sank - what if that was Tony and he heard what they'd said about him? When she looked, though, she it was Frank... And he didn't have the kid hanging from his arms. Interesting. He must have been sleeping. Even so, Frank walked over and nodded to the two of them, an obviously-forced smile on his face. The first thing he did was give an affectionate and gentle touch to Thalia's shoulder, then gave Karin a pat on the shoulder as he sat down.


"Hey, guys." He said.


"Hey, Frank." Karin smiled, "Got a moment of peace, then?"


"Yep." He chuckled, softly, then looked at the floor. "Karin, can I ask you something? I don't want to come across as rude, but, you looked after Joseph after you lost your parents, didn't you?"


"Mhm. Been doing it ever since. How come?" 


"Did you... After it happened, did you ever have those nights where he'd just cry, and... You weren't really sure if he was ever going to stop?" He whispered.


"All the time. More times than I can remember." She said, her smile fading and her face instead falling to a frown. "What makes you ask, Frank...?"


"I think I just had one of those moments." He choked out. Something he said - or maybe it was the tone of his voice - just made Karin's heart crack in a little tiny way, and immediately she reached out and put a hand on his knee.


"Oh, Frank..." She said, sympathy present in her voice. "You're breaking my heart here... I can see this is eating away at you. You're doing a good job, don't worry." She said, and when Frank covered his face, she squeezed his knee instead. "Aw, come on... Keep your chin up." She said.


"How the fuck am I meant to do this?" He asked, "I'm sitting there with Jordan sobbing into my side and I just don't know what to do. He cries, and cries, and cries, and tells me how he misses his mommy and daddy, and how he's scared that someone will hurt him, and no matter what I say, he just won't stop crying. Cried himself to sleep. Even sobbed in his sleep a little bit, too. I don't know what to do, I really don't. Before he started talking, I didn't know how to do anything for him. I had to guess. I had to guess if he needed to sleep, drink, eat, piss - you name it." He sniffled. "I had to guess and hope I was okay. Just..." He shook his head and kept his face covered by his hands.


"Frank..." She got off her chair and instead crouched in front of him, placing her hands on both his shoulders. "Sometimes just letting them cry is a good thing..." She said. "And sometimes - in fact, all the time - talking helps." She gulped, "Jordan's probably looking for someone to reach out to and talk to about what happened, even if it does hurt him. Just talk to him, okay? It might help."


"I've been checking the news." He interrupted, "Sister was raped, tortured, murdered - He was in his room across from hers while that was happening. Listening. Hearing everything." He said, "All it's talking about on the news is the brutal deaths and the missing boy - No family's reached out and plead for his safe return. Nothing. The police are searching, but that's it. What the fuck am I going to do?" He asked.


Karin bit her bottom lip and looked over at Thalia instead - she was right in saying Frank had emotions, and had a heart, too. Perhaps she could say something that'd comfort him? Did Frank feel too alone in the whole dilemma he'd had going on? After all, he'd maybe had an hour or so today where the boy wasn't clinging to him. The stress had built up, and his fears were multiplying. Plus the fact that Tony wouldn't leave him and Thalia alone wasn't helping. He was in love with her, and he was going to have to act like he hated her for god knows how long. He just hoped that wouldn't kill the magic between them.


--


"Your contacts sound better and better by the minute. I'm sure, if they're willing to help, that Bradan won't be an issue." He said, simply. They sounded like a unique bunch. "Not sure how much I dig the innocent girl being dragged into it - but, if that's the case, that's another person I'll keep an eye out for. I doubt she needs it if she's got you and Frank and whoever else, this James fella'." He said. "If she's got all you watching out for her I doubt that someone like me will mean all that much or make all that much difference, but if you ask me, too many innocent people have died today, too many people that were much better people than I or anyone else associated with Bradan ever were." He sighed, walking to the car with him. Guilt was still present. Redgrave and his family were fresh on his mind - It wasn't so much that they were killed, but the manner they were killed in, and that a little boy was left without a family to grow up in.


The mention of a redhead came up, and he shook his head. "Not heard of her. I think we discussed an Al-Jameela earlier, though, so, like I said, I've heard some talk in prison, but nothing major, obviously." He said, then, at the talk of having this Thalia girl in bed came up, and he immediately shook his head and laughed, holding up his left hand and wiggling his ring finger, which had a single silver band on it.


"I appreciate the advice, lad, I really do. But I'm a married man, and a faithful one, at that." He said, smiling.


I mean, if Tony had thoughts of sleeping with Thalia, did Marcus just unintentionally guilt-trip him at the talk of faith and commitment? That's for Tony to decide, not me, but hey. 


"And on that note, even if this girl's the most stunning I've ever seen, you can be sure my mind won't let her top my wife's beauty. I may have been in prison, but heck, I ain't changin' my ways. Aside from the criminal side." He said. "I've spent long periods of time away from her when I was in the army - This? This was just preschool shit to us, and she's faithful. She, of all people, knew what I was into, knew the risk. She'll be happy to know I'm givin' all that up." He smiled, then took a deep breath. The topic went back to Bradan, though, and McAllister simply nodded along to everything that was said.


"Too right we'll outsmart him. With me, it'll become a lot easier. I was his right-hand for years - and I can tell ya', the guy ain't changed for shit." He said, and after getting the dog in the back of the car along with all the other stuff, he climbed in the front with Tony and buckled up. "I know how he works, inside and out - not including the unpredictability, of course." He said. "And I'll tell you everything you need to know. We just gotta' be smart at selling him out, setting him up - in fact, if we make him think about the rat in the LAPD he has, maybe make him think that he's the one selling him out? That'd be interesting - guy didn't want anything more to do with it after Redgrave's murder. Unless... He was the one who killed him. That would complicate it." He said. "We'll figure it out - until then, show me the way home, pal." He winked.


Seeing as it was so late at night, the roads were dead, and the journey that would take quite some time during the day was in fact one that was easy now. Through the city and out into Encino. Half an hour worth of journy, basically, which wasn't too bad. Marcus took the chance he had to glance around and see how much had changed since he'd been to prison. He knew LA and the areas surrounding it quite well, given his background, so... Some of the changes were pretty mind-blowing to him. It was going to take a lot of getting used to, that was for sure. Either way, eventually, Encino was reached, and even more so, James' mansion was on the horizon. McAllister had kept a sharp eye about, and of course, no one had followed them. It seemed no one suspected what McAllister did in his free time yet, which was always reassuring to a good degree.


When they stopped outside the fancy house, Marcus' eyes widened, and he nodded a few times.


"Well, shit, seems like the big cheese knows how to live, eh?" He asked. "Bad comparison to make, but kinda' reminds me of Bradan's place - Yes, I know his address. I'll give you that at some point, but, priorties first, I suppose." He said. "You gonna' introduce me to everyone I ain't met yet? Anything else I should know about the people here?" He asked. Marcus didn't yet know about Joseph, so, that might be something that was worth mentioning on Tony's end. Joseph must have been in bed by now, though, surely.


--


They had food and everything on the way just as soon as Nicole had taken her time to make her decision. It wasn't something that bothered Jon all that much, after all, he'd been the one driving patiently for four hours solid. Can't really complain when you have that sort of patience - plus, he'd had a good time so far, because it was time spent with Charlie. He definitely found Charlie to be an interesting character, one that he liked being around, one he wanted to continue spending time with. He was a good kid, one that reminded him of his own son in a lot of ways - when he was Charlie's age, of course. It was a comparison that he didn't want to make, but, he was doing it, and it was only strengthening the connection he had to the boy. He did have a place in his heart for him already, a place that would remain possibly forever empty if he decided to up and leave.


Once the milkshake arrived - a big class with lots of cream, ice cream, and blended Oreos - Jon looked at it and laughed, patting the boy on the head. "That should keep you going, son." He grinned. And of course, all the food was eventually brought out, too - Thank god, Jon was actually starting to feel a little sick from the hunger. Soon to be solved, though. Drama almost occurred, though, when the waiter was sure he recognized Nicole. Fuck. Not something he predicted, but something he knew was a risk from the get-go. Under the table he fiddled with a ring he had on his left middle finger and instead moved it to his ring one - he turned the ring so the bigger top was actually under his finger, instead. At that point, it looked like a silver band, nice and simple, nothing personalized. 


Before he could say anything, though, Charlie stepped right in and covered for them. And holy shit, that impressed Jon beyond what words could express.


He needed to sell the act a little more, too, though, just to be safe.


"I tell you, fella, the amount of times..." He shook his head and lifted his left hand, showing him the back of it so that he could see his fingers - as well as what looked like a simple band ring. "We've been married for far too long for that to make any sense, but the amount of time my wife gets it is unreal." He laughed. "It's always 'aren't you the woman from the TV?' We could only pray to have that much fame, I tell you." He laughed. "It's always me or my boy here that have to step in and say 'nope, guess again', y'know?" He said, putting an arm around Charlie as he spoke of him. 


As soon as the waiter was gone, he turned to him, a big smile on his face.


"Good lord, well done, pal." He gave him a big pat on the back as a way of saying well done. "You're the best agent I've ever had working for me, kiddo, that goes without saying." He grinned. Hopefully a comment like that would provide some sort of confidence boost, or at least a little more of a boost in happiness. "Right, pal, seeing as we had a close call there... We're going to have to take a brief detour, me and you, once we're done here. Get some stuff that'll really make us look even more undercover, alright?" He winked. "Need you with me to pick something nice out for mommy." He whispered. Give him responsibility, the chance to make a difference. He knew from experience that kids loved to be entrusted with a task of some sort.


"Right, eat up, then we'll get going." He said, simply, and that was what he did himself. Pancakes and coffee. A treat that went down well - Either way, once the food was out of the way, Jon of course paid the bill for them all. He seemed like the kind of guy that splashed money around very casually - he didn't even look at the amount that he was paying on the card machine. Swiping his card seemed like something he did a lot, just by the way he treated it. Seeing as he jumped on the order to escort the family to California, it wasn't hard to figure out the guy had one hell of a bank account. Even so, moving on, as soon as things were clear, he took Charlie by the hand and lead them all out the diner. He glanced around for a moment, and just down the street, there was a 24-hour convenience store, open 364 days a year. Seeing as it wasn't Christmas, it was obviously open.


"Alright, guys..." He said, quietly. "What me and Charlie'll do is walk to that store over there, grab some snacks and some bottled water for the road tomorrow, and..." He looked at Nicole. "You need to dye your hair, just to make sure we avoid an incident like that again. Thankfully, we've got a very good Special Agent on our side..." He ruffled the boy's hair, gently. "And we escaped that one, smooth as silk, but we gotta' be careful." He said. "We've got the room number, so, you guys go get settled in - Eric, get the bags from the car." He tossed him the car keys. "I think a certain spy needs some pajamas unpacked for him." He laughed, glancing down at Charlie. "In the meantime, though, store time. C'mon, pal, we'll make this quick and get some rest, alright?" He said. It was probably best they avoided any of the motel employees as a group, anyway, just in case.


He walked Charlie to the store - it was literally a thirty second walk, so, that was no problem. One old man manned the counter. A quiet place, it seemed, but it had everything they needed by the looks of it. First thing - sunglasses rack. He picked off some women's sunglasses, then two pairs for men. He slipped one pair down to Charlie. Nothing spectacular, but, certainly emphasis on the 'special agent' thing. "Those are you for." He said. "You can pick out some of the snacks, because you know what you and your mom like." He said. "Before that..." He walked him over to the cosmetics section - there was the basic stuff. Shampoo, make-up wipes, hair gel, all that. And of course, the dye they needed.


Several colors to choose from - quite expensive, but necessary.


"We'll grab some of this..." He said, picking up a tub of hair gel. He'd need that himself in the morning, too. "Now, buddy... What color do you think mom's hair would look really pretty in?" He asked. He was kind of intrigued to see what her hair would look llike as a different color - She was an attractive lady, after all. 
 
Crawling to her knees in the fold-out chair to show a bit of high or superiority, still following the joke of their sex lives, Thalia couldn't leave that unanswered, "Is that so?" She tilted her head to the right whisking her hair with it, a mischievous smile across her face. "In that case, bring it, girlfriend. I'm literally gonna watch your room with James JUST to see how well he's being treated by little ol' you. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two in THAT department if you ever so need it. A few personal pointers, so to say" She winked, wagging a finger in front of Karin in a way that gave off the vibe 'come at me, bitch'. Enjoyable, indeed. It was a form of bonding after all. A friendly conversation between two girls bickering about who could out-do their respective boyfriends. No harm, no foul. It's not like they'd get angry at each other and try to pull at each others' hairs. Why would they even go that far? "Not in shape? Come on, I've already told you you're hot." She smiled, patting her on the shoulder in a friendly compliment. "Saw that pretty clear when we crawled out of the pool and saw you dripping wet, not that I was staring... can't help but notice, right? Remember: you reeled James in with that body. Could've reeled me in the other day, too, if you tried hard enough outside that diner. I mean... not like I haven't had sex in an alleyway before. Maybe I should try that with Frank..." Wishful thinking, maybe. Would there remain any intimacy between Frank and Thalia beyond today?


Thinking about Joseph winning the hearts of girls in his class was entertaining, bringing Thalia back to her days in late elementary and middle school. Her last years sitting behind a desk. "When I finish teaching him the basics, I bet you, he'll have his first girlfriend in the first month of the fifth grade. I mean, c'mon. The little guy is gonna grow up someday. I'm not saying he's gonna lose his v-card this year, nothing THAT major. But I bet he's gonna want that cute hand-holding shit you did with your first. Not to mention... if he's going for showing off? No better way than winning the hearts of his class, don't you think?" Maybe Karin didn't want to see her precious brother grow up so fast, but it was all a natural part of life. Maybe Thalia understood it better because she took her freedom by force. But not like she'd promote Joseph to do the same, never.


"Hey, you know that's gonna happen," she insisted when the talk of Joseph playing spin the bottle kicked in. "Even if he thinks he won't like it, he'll kiss a toilet seat if he falls for the peer pressure. Let him kiss whoever he feels like. Don't tell me YOU weren't dare to kiss a girl at least once, hm? At least be a BIT open minded to the idea, not like my mom. If she found out about Jenny, I'd be kicked out of the house by her personally. Wouldn't even need to run away." She joked, taking another spoon of the midnight snack. "Just tell him not to get his hopes. That was my mistake, is all. Open up with him a bit, tell him it's all A-OK, and he probably won't be so nervous. And the movie thing? Pfft. My mom was so strict about what I watched up until I turned 13. If they used the word 'stupid', she'd have to remind me not to repeat it in front of people. Now look at me. I've got a foul mouth, a smoking habit, an abusive fiance, and enough of a sexual history to start my own porn business.... It's depressing, I know." She laughed it off, though. "Try not to let Joe fall into that trap, alright?"


Sex ed. Thalia remembered those lessons from school, loud and clear. "Huh. My school started in sixth grade, but since I skipped a grade, everyone was like, 11 or 12, and I was like 10 or 11. A step beneath them. But those classes? The best thing about school. I mean, I was a star student, sure, but I had my favorites. Not science or math or anything like that. Sexual education. THE BEST." She claimed with the utmost enthusiasm. Maybe that'd rub off on Joseph, too. "But with the internet, it's a bit easier to get that kinda knowledge. Plus, with every kid having a tablet and stuff... I bet you he's looking up porn in bed as we speak." She joked, slapping her on the arm to get a smile or reaction out of her. "Kidding! I bet whatever James gave him to browse has a parental lock or something. But taking things to heart..." She lowered from her knees to sit in her chair properly, feet dangling to the ground beneath. "He'll toughen up someday. It'll come naturally. But you, my friend, worry too much. Thank fuck we got drunk today. At least we kicked back and let loose for a bit. At the worst of timing, though, but still. We'll take it easy next time."


A great girl... that was a first in a while. "Dawww..." She hummed, bowing her head shyly. "But you are even better, you better know that. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, y'know. Guess we can call it a joint effort. I'm just glad things are going to go well for us both. I mean, once I learn the ropes of actually living like a normal person... things'll be nice. Really..." Her hand reached forward and took Karin's own into it. "To a better future, right?"


But the conversation was cut short by her own boyfriend, Frank, now without the child from earlier, but not looking so hot from the expression on his face. Obviously faking a smile. The man's concern and unhappiness also spread to Thalia. What happened? His touch on her shoulder caught her off-guard and made her face turn a light shade of red. She reached out for his hand and placed her own over it for as long as it remained with an awkward smile on her face, trying her best to mask it with her hair falling to her face. Cute, possibly? But that wasn't Frank's focus. He was talking about that boy again. Crying himself to sleep. Could she provide some sort of supportive input?


"That... was me for my first week in Al-Asheera..." she uttered, trying not to give too much attention to Frank. She was afraid Tony would show up and catch them in the act. "I wanted to go home, run away from it all and go back to normal, and I'd cry by myself in bed, only for Ra's to show up and slap me in the face a few times to shut up. His own brutal punishments, y'know? Fuck it... it's probably not relevant. Carry on."


Her paranoia that Tony would arrive home soon was well-placed, as he was approaching the mansion. For now, all she did was keep her mouth shut and listen. This was a conversation for Karin, after all. What input could a girl who couldn't even take care of herself give anyway? It's what worried her so much about a future with Frank now. She wanted to talk to Karin about it later, once they were alone again. She couldn't possibly be a maternal figure for a boy that is probably more damaged than she's ever been. Frank might be able to carry such a torch, but she couldn't. Not only that, a part of her didn't want to, not now in her life. She was afraid of talking to Frank about it, and seeing the scrutiny in the eyes of Tony, the wait was merited. But Thalia wasn't selfish. If this child meant so much to Frank - if there was no next of kin out there to take custody - if his best bet of recovery was in the hands of this detective... Thalia would back off. Remain friends with Frank. As much as it hurt, she didn't need that stress on her now. She had her own life to get in order. She couldn't possibly worry about another.


--


"Al-Jameela, Thalia, mystery redhead, all the same girl, plan," Tony explained. "Her name in her organization is Al-Jameela. Her birth name is Thalia Griffin. The media and LAPD hails her as the mystery redhead simply because she stands out in comparison to other Al-Asheera clansmen. And she's efficient at her job, unlike some of their newer recruits. So call her as you wish."


Tony appreciated the expression of guilt coming from Marcus. He had proven to be different from the rest of the brutes running around with their respective gangs. Was it his time in the slammer? Or his own regrets through his line of work with Bradan. He had a black eye, for fuck's sake. Clearly this isn't a way for a man to live. He must have his regrets, and he had a chance to rectify what he'd done wrong in his life. But one quality about this tactician: loyalty to his wife. Something that differentiated him from Roland, who happily cheated on his wife with an unwilling teenage girl. Was Tony any better? He had been lusting after Thalia for the past few days despite how he'd been in a long term committed relationship with Melissa from around the time that Thalia was about 7 or 8 years old. Was this sort of act.... righteous in his eyes? Who would ever find out if he got one hit at her? Was Marcus getting hints at Tony's personal interest in the mystery redhead? Only more of a reason for the detective to be more discreet about his desire for a younger woman.


James' mansion, at long last. Home away from home. The base of operations for everything to come, Al-Asheera, Clovers, and otherwise. Time to be multiple steps ahead of the game, as he'd promised McAllister. Then came a question: what was to be expected inside? "James, Karin, Thalia, Frank... as you know. We also have Redgrave's son in there, as well as Karin's little brother Joseph. There's also some butler that roams the quarters, but I don't think he speaks any English. He's loyal to James though, so you shouldn't worry about him too much.... You can tell us Bradan's address later. Maybe we can formulate a strategy to put it to use. James has the master plan here."


Frank's belongings were delivered to the house once they were allowed entry by the butler, and Tony immediately called out in the open, "We're home, folks! At long fucking last...." No immediate reply, but Tony did take it upon himself to wander the place. It seemed like the poolside was a frequent sightseeing location for the team, as he eventually reached the location himself. Three members of their little team, and without Jordan. It caught Tony's eye, immediately signalling Marcus to follow along. James wasn't in sight, but that wasn't too important. Not now at least. Maybe he had his chance to bust Thalia and Frank.


And when Thalia saw him? Her heart sank, keeping her head lowered, avoiding eye contact with him. Him. She had a feeling of disgust for Tony, vomit rising to her mouth every time she saw him. After all the nasty rumors he'd been spreading about her being a brute and a psychopath, she had nothing more to say to him. Confrontation might trigger her, so she avoided it like the plague. Not even standing up when this stranger arrived.


"People.... meet Marcus McAllister. He's going to help us out with an operation that me and Frank are taking care of. He's gonna stay here for a while... so, what's crackin'?" It almost sounded too happy. Sarcastic. Laid back. It's not like Thalia or Frank would admit they were having a moment, anyway. Too personal. But Thalia remained quiet, just peeked at him with her green, disgusted eyes, then looking in the direction of the pool.


"Something wrong, psycho girl?" he called out, still in his laid back tone, noticing the redhead's lack of responsiveness.


No answer, even though she wanted to get up and push him, asserting herself. Not now. She promised Karin and Frank she wouldn't do that again. Besides, with Tony's maturity dropping down below the level of the children they are harboring, it surely goes to say that Tony isn't worth wasting her breath. Psycho girl, all because he saw her come out of the garage covered in blood, yet on the brink of tears. He sure has it out for her. She just crossed her arms over her stomach and kept her gaze away from the group.


"Oh......kay? How's the kid, Frank?" Tony finally asked after giving up on getting a reaction out of the girl. She wouldn't even look at him anymore. Did he just blow his chances?


--


Quite a save by Charlie there. He was quick to think and come up with excuses, much like his sister had a habit of being. Indeed, he and Thalia had a lot in common without even knowing each other. Maybe it was the sudden motivation of being a 'spy' and the positive vibes coming from Jon that made him act so confidently. It was empowering to get a pat on the back for a job well done. His mother probably didn't approve of the idea of lying, but it did come to save her. She owed him a thank you now, if anything. The boy didn't wait for his mother's signal of appreciation though. His 'father's' was much quicker to come and definitely put a smile on his face further than already. As if getting served a tasty treat at a late hour and staying up past his bedtime wasn't a reward enough, now a stranger's appreciation for a deception skill he didn't even know he possessed? Crazy, indeed. Thrilling, too.


As for Nicole? It might've been a good idea to mention from before that she was a notable figure in mass media, and there's always a chance that someone, somewhere, might recognize her. And it just happened. It wasn't the first time she'd run into a fan of the Thalia Griffin search at public places. And clearly, even in an isolated city in Ohio, people are that in touch with big public stories like that. But really, did her efforts to find her daughter really make her a celebrity of sorts? She was amazed. What would happen the day that she comes forward and says that Thalia is finally found after eight long years? Better question: could she ever? With all of this secrecy, forged documents, and even a family charade to play along, was this the point of no return for her family? All over the mysterious death of her husband which she still has a sparse explanation for. The words of that officer in her home... It might have to do with her daughter, according to witnesses. Did Thalia order the death of her father? Nicole refused to believe that. Through all of their disagreements, she doubted her precious daughter could do that. How right she was, since on the other side of the country, the mother and daughter shared the same tears over the same loss.


"Cool spy gear?" Charlie echoed in excitement. "Awesome! I've always wanted something like that! Something to go with the look. I'll be the coolest looking kid-spy there is out there, right Daddy?"


Why was calling him Daddy becoming so natural? Was Charlie just that good at the cover story? That invested for it to be so natural? Was it really his lying skill, or something further? A newly-built bond between the young boy and the mechanic who showed up at their doorstep so suddenly. And things were only going to get better and better for them with time. 


Once they paid the tab, the four of them left the bar in favor of some quick shopping. Nicole needed a change of appearance, and the whole new crew needed refreshments for later. Tomorrow had a long journey in store. Although Nicole didn't fancy the idea of dying her hair different from her natural color, she knew the necessity of it. It was a sacrifice she'd have to make for her own safety, and her son's. That waiter was a huge risk as is. She just hoped they'd pick a color that suited her. Charlie had a way with colors anyway. He surely won't pick purple or pink or something too flashy. It had to be discreet as well. So she allowed it.


Charlie was handed a pair of sunglasses, though simple, still gave him the feeling of being a secret agent. He couldn't be more excited to put them on out in the open and pose as if he were in a movie or something. But the fun would be short lived when he was called over to the women's cosmetics section. It sure reminded the boy of going shopping with his mother and being dragged out to aisle like this. He felt like such a stranger while his mother picked out basic women's hygiene products and he'd stand there looking completely lost. But it was up to the boy to pick a color that would suit his mother well this time. If he picked something too strange, she'd stick out. Something natural, to say the least. "You can afford this stuff, right?" He asked, but he figured that was a yes. Spies can't be broke after all. He looked through the colors, going from bright blonde to solid black from left to right. He'd always seen his mother with red hair, so picking an alternative was quite a task. Seeing her shade of red was light, he figured something darker would contradict it. A fairly dark shade of brow was his selection. A solid black didn't suit her in her age. But this would work as he pulled it off the shelf.


"I bet she'd look good in this, right?" Charlie inquired from his cover father. "I mean, you fell in love with Mommy, right?" He mentioned with a wink in Jon's direction. "You'd know what looks good on her."


Teasing? Maybe Charlie could tell the looks from his mother to Jon. Sure, Nicole owed a lot to him for helping her son. But was she THAT fond of him? Maybe. Who knows. She needs a firm figure in her life with the absence of her husband. Only time would tell. But for now, Charlie made a run for the aisles of chips and chocolate, making his typical selections. Cheetos. Pringles. Lays. Even a bag of microwavable popcorn. Good enough to last them, most probably. That along with some water and soda would definitely cut it.


But as he walked the halls, that sleepy feeling that Charlie lacked for so long began to kick in. Tired after a long day in the car. He just tried to not to show it much, even if his eyes were a bit droopy.
 
"Peer pressure is a bitch, but, you're right. He'll kiss a toilet if people pressure him to do it enough." He said. "Fun science fact, actually. He's less likely to get sick from kissing a toilet seat than he is kissing another kid - You know why? The material they use for toilet seats, what they're coated with, are smooth and slippery enough to prevent any germs from sticking to them. It's why if you're a person to put toilet paper down on public toilet seats, they recommend you stop. By doing that, you're more likely to come into contact with germs. Fucked up, right?" She laughed. "Going a bit off-track there, but, you know, brain food for the day." She said.


"Of course I was dared to kiss a girl, and honestly, Joseph could walk up to me tomorrow and tell me he's gay and it wouldn't bother me at all. I am the most open-minded person that you and I have ever known, trust me." She winked. "But, the spin the bottle shit, I probably kissed more girls than boys overall. Kids think it's hilarious to make a girl kiss a girl or a boy kiss a boy. At the same time, it's just a part of growing up, I guess. A part of finding yourself." She shrugged. "I just hope Joseph has a good time when he's finding out who he is. I don't ask for much - All I want is for him to have some good friends, good health, and a good time growing up. A lot to ask for for a kid his age, given how fucked things are nowadays in schools. Bullying is worse than ever because of the internet - but, he's a smart kid. He won't get himself tied into any bad shit." She said.


Here's hoping, at least. She didn't know what the future would hold.


"Ew." She said, immediately after the mention of Joseph's potential online searches that may or may not be occurring. "Joke or not, that is gross to picture." She laughed, loudly. "Christ, Thalia... He's ten. If he's got those sorts of feelings going on already, I'd be worried." She shook her head and looked down at the ground. "God... Even so, I think James did set up some sort of Child Block thing on the tablet and the laptop he gave him. Then again, any tablet he let him use would have been his own, so, god knows what Joe might have access to." She paused for a moment. "I can't believe you've made that an active thought in my head now." She laughed and gently slapped her friend's shoulder.


She did hope that Thalia's energy and enthusiasm would pass onto Joseph a bit during their lessons, because, well, it was nice to be around, and something that a boy of his age could probably use as an addition to his personality, a boost to his confidence both in himself and the confidence he shows to people around him. Only time would tell, really.


"A better future, indeed." She said.


On the side of McAllister and Tony, well, Marcus was quite looking forward to meeting everyone that he spoke of. Even if some of them did sound like rather colorful characters, he was still looking forward to it. The mansion was already a good first impression of the group - it sort of showed that the group was not only serious, but also well-equipped, too. If they had as much as a place like this as their home ground, then he could only imagine that what the team had to offer was going to be something impressive.


He was told of Joseph, too, which was something he was glad to know about. Only for the reason that it was someone else to consider. A sign that he couldn't shout and scream or do anything crazy while he was here.


"Another kid, eh?" He asked. "Alright, no problem. I'll keep it in mind." He said, and when he was walked through the house, after nodding to the butler after he let them in, he took a good look around to see what the place was like, taking note of everything that could be considered important or interesting, be it unique paintings on the walls, or even something as simple as where the fridge was. The house was quiet, though, and every door he went past seemed to have nothing but silence on the other side. Looking at his watch that had gathered up far too much dust over the time he was in prison, he knew it was too late for any kids to be awake. At least the Joseph he was told of - the younger one that lost everyone he cared for? Sleeping might be more of a challenge for him. Out by the pool was sat everyone, or almost everyone, at least. He knew Frank, but the other two? No chance.


"Hello, ladies." He nodded to them both with a smile. "Nice to be here... Great place you're camping out, I think." He chuckled, but of course, attention went to Frank. Tony had questions about the boy, and that was Marcus' attention piqued, too. 


"He spoke to me." Frank said, softly, staring down at the ground. "I haven't had a good day, but, he spoke to me, Tony." He said, "Told me his name... Jordan." He cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes. "He cried a lot, though. Managed to get him to eat something, at the very least. He's sleeping now, but, he didn't sleep without crying about being scared, about missing his parents. All of this is so much to take in, but... He's okay." He sniffled, nodding to Tony. "It'll be a while before he gets better, but, the main thing is he was willing to talk to me. It's not as bad as we thought. Let's hope it stays that way." He said.


Karin smiled, as did Marcus - as sad as it was to see Frank in a rather unstable state, the way he'd sacrificed some of his own sanity was something the two of them saw as noble. After all, they'd both been in similar spots, with Marcus raising three kids and Karin having to raise one who also lost his parents.


"God, I need a drink." Frank said.


"Probably not a good idea, Frank. Won't help your emotions." Karin said, softly. "Why not make yourself a cup of tea, or something? Just take ten minutes?"


"Maybe." Frank said, simply. "You joining me, Tony? I see you brought Elvis." He chuckled sadly, looking at the dog who was of course excited to see him. "Heya', boy." He said, running his hand over the top of the dog's head. "I'm sure you'll help keep everyone company, won't you?" He laughed again - Animals could bring such joy to sad people, and just seeing his companion wagging his tail and licking at his face was enough to lift his spirits, even in the slightest. 


--


Jon had to wonder the same thing - Was Charlie just a natural at the cover story, or was there something deeper behind this? Was the family facade something that was helping restore some normality to the child's life? Did Charlie subconsciously crave someone to fill the gap that had been so horrendously left behind, a chunk that had been ripped away so suddenly? Jon didn't want to imagine that deep down Charlie was severely hurting, even if he himself didn't know it. Jon had already decided that he'd be willing to fill that gap in any way he could, if the chance was there. He wasn't going to leave Charlie on his own now, not after everything they'd been through. He just hoped the night would be alright, but, a part of him knew that they wouldn't get away from it. Once the agent falls asleep, his mind will be left to run a riot. A sad thought. A boy that seemed so happy could so easily be crushed.


Hopefully some more praise and a hug before bed would at least give him a little more joy to carry him through, but some things are inevitable.


"You will be the coolest one out there, no doubt." He patted the boy's head again, alongside a chuckle. "Even without the gear, you'd still be the coolest - and the best. Just remember that. 007 wouldn't stand a chance." He winked down at him. Either way, things went on, and in the store, Charlie was still as helpful as ever. And there was the concern for money, but, very much like James, crime did pay for Jon. Alongside his car business - that was a nice chunk, a chunk he'd have to get moved to California if he wanted to make a legal livelihood. Plus, all the hipsters would be all up on him trying to buy classic cars in Cali, so, he guessed it was for the better of things. 


"Don't you worry about the money." He said with a smile. "You just pick whatever you think's best - let me worry about the cash. We've got plenty to complete the mission, I assure you." He said. There was also the teasing from Charlie that made Jon think a little more about things - If this was an act, it was going... Very deep for a facade, in his eyes. He couldn't back away, though, so, he returned the smile and nodded. "Putting me to shame here. I fell in love with mommy, yeah, so I suppose it should be me saying what's best." He chuckled, looking down at the color Charlie picked out. He took it from him and scanned over it - One word: Perfect.


"Great choice, son." He said, simply. He couldn't criticize Charlie for being so naturally into the act, because he was guilty of the same thing. Calling Charlie 'son' didn't feel so unordinary anymore. He let him go ahead and pick the snacks, too, and once he came back with them, he took a good look over him. Yep, the tiredness was definitely settling in, no matter how much he wanted to hide it. After food and a sweet drink, the body was just about ready to go into hibernation, at least for a while. He knew Charlie had had a good time, though - staying up late, playing spies, getting treated to odd bits and pieces here and there that he wouldn't usually get. He enjoyed himself, and that's what mattered. After paying and everything, Jon was good to go, so with the bag in one hand and Charlie's hand in the other, he walked back to the motel and eventually up to the room.


The motel room itself wasn't too bad. A room big enough four four, with a tiny kitchen on the right of the entrance with a small table, and straight across from the door was a bathroom - sink, toilet, and shower. On either side of the bathroom were two other doors, and behind each one was a room with two single beds. Big single beds, so, plenty of room, of course, but even so. They all had a bed to sleep in - respectively, in the same room with the person each man was assigned to protect. It's not like they'd be far from each other, after all. Even so, when they got in, Jon made sure the door was locked, and immediately, he handed the box with the hair dye to Nicole.


"If you want to you could do this now before you sleep. Would probably be best so we can be straight out of here in the morning." He said with a wink and smile, then he walked to the door on the right side and looked around. Both rooms had access to a small balcony that had a clothes line hanging across it, but, obviously, their clothes line was empty. They just had a view of the small town and the night sky. There were some plastic chairs out there, too. Nothing special, but, at least it was something. The rest of the room was just as the other one - two single beds apart from each other by a few feet, each with a nightstand and a lamp. There was a dresser opposite the beds against the wall, as well as a mirror, and a complimentary hair dryer that was plugged into the wall. A cheap one, but, useable. 


Jon looked around and slowly released Charlie's hand after he flicked the light on.


"There we go, buddy... How's this for you?" He asked, resting a hand atop his head. "You know what bag your PJ's are in?" He asked him. Jon was feeling the tiredness now, too. Sleep was definitely something they all needed.
 
Any conversation Thalia had with Karin seemed to make her heart glow. It'd been too long since she had a friend who she could open up to like this, talk about her past, what's on her mind, be open about what she can't do as a legal adult, and all the other vices of her life. Why was she so afraid of this same openness before, when she felt embarrassed when she admitted she was bisexual? There was never a need to, because as the girl said herself, she was very open minded. Open minded enough to let the thief who put her out of a job stay at her house for a night, obviously. But it went beyond that. Karin looked past Thalia's faults and even wanted to help her overcome them. It might've felt a bit one-sided, but it's not like the kindness couldn't be returned. Likewise, amidst their bonding and friendly mannerisms, it seems like it's been a while since Karin had such a friendship as well. It was a relief for both to get a chance to bond this way. To think that if things ended up slightly differently, they wouldn't have found each other. Thalia would still be rolling with Al-Asheera, Karin would be piss broke and out of a job, and most importantly, neither would be talking about this brighter future they brought up. It was really a mix of hopeful remarks that made the younger girl want to hug her new friend to dirtier jokes and implications about kids exploring who they are, as well as their own romantic pasts. All were great ways for them to relate. One thing did come to mind: Thalia still had to ask about high school - an experience she didn't get a taste of in her convoluted past, but Karin could speak of clearly. How was that for her? If middle school was crazy with stories like that, what about when they were actually sexually mature? A thought to probably toy with in her sleep.


But now, things had become far too crowded to continue the girl-to-girl conversation. Frank, Tony, Marcus.... and a dog? Frank's clearly. She remembered him mentioning a dog while they were in bed together and simply talking after she tired him out after sex, but never caught a name. For now, especially with Tony nearby and already beginning the name-calling, Thalia didn't give much attention to Elvis. She only waved to McAllister when he said hi, then let her eyes drift away. Once to the reflection of the moonlight in the pool, another time up to the stars above, and so on. Plenty of things to see in the night sky in the surrounding areas of James' mansion. Sights prettier than Tony's face. And plenty to distract from her now-conflicting feelings about Frank - yet another dilemma to address to Karin in private. She trusted the white-haired girl with her secrets, and wouldn't just blurt this out unless it were truly necessary.


Tony, on the other hand, didn't take too lightly to Thalia's lack of responsiveness, leaning forward and waving a hand in her face. "Hello? Are you in a trance or something?" No reply. With that, he attempted to flick a few strands of her scattering hairs over her face. THAT was something that the redhead didn't take lightly herself. She hated when people she didn't like touched her hair. One thing that bothered her so much with Ra's, who would senselessly pull her hair, and not in a way she could find sexy or a turn-on. The detective was having a blast at touching her, though, grazing his hand over her face and playing with her red locks between his fingers. He found this funny, evident by the smile on his face as she refused to meet his eyes. He was getting off to this hand to face contact in front of everyone. Especially in front of Frank, who he still suspected of loving her. No, Thalia was his. And if she still wouldn't answer, he'd keep touching her, no matter how uncomfortable she'd become. "Yoohoo, psycho girl.... answer me..."


She did, but not the way he wanted. She snatched his wrist in her inked hand, gripping him at full force, then twisting her head to look him in the eyes, a death glare evident. If she wanted to, Thalia could easily dislocate his shoulder from that position, but instead, after a few more seconds of glaring at him, pushed his hand back into neutral. It was also a threat in ways. A threat never to touch her again, but left unspoken. Her eyes spoke much louder than her words. A fire was being withheld in her pupils, just dying to tell Tony something he wouldn't like, or put him down. Whichever came first... but no. She made a promise to not act up anymore. Her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes wandered off into the skies once more.


"Fiesty... like I told ya, Marcus," Tony mentioned after his hand was returned to his side. That, he didn't see coming, but it certainly was thrilling to see her this angry. A turn on, in some ways. Scary. Is this what things have come to? Literally anything and everything Thalia doing seen as attractive to Tony? How hard did he fall for a girl he knew to hate? Or was hate growing into an obsession? One that was becoming too unhealthy for his own good.


Jordan.... just like the Sergeant. Weird coincidence, but at least the boy had a name now. Upon hearing the name, Tony nodded. Frank was clearly broken after a long, painful day. Drinks might've helped, but instead, Karin gave the idea for tea instead. "Sure.... how about we all go inside and have a drink of tea.... Sounds like a great idea. We can all get to know each other..." His eyes returned to Thalia, directly targeting her again. "Sound like a good idea, Thalia?"


This time, instead of getting up and shouting at Tony, she did only half of it: simply stood up from her place with a single glare at Tony, then snarled, "I need to be alone. Taking a walk. So excuse me."


Isolating herself from a situation she knew couldn't end well. Wise. Especially isolating herself from Frank. With all the confusion on her mind, especially. She let her left hand brush over Elvis' warm fur as she walked away. She's never had a pet before. Her mother never allowed it. But she's always loved dogs. But Frank having one? Even better, the next best thing. With nothing further to say, she kept her gaze lowered from then on and took a walk into the house, eventually to exit out the front door. This alone time... she could use it, and going out the front door is much more respectable than jumping the window. She still couldn't forget her near escape attempt that would've left Karin heartbroken. No more hiding things. Everything she does will now be out in the open.


"Um... What did we just witness?" Tony faked a sense of confusion, just glancing at the other three around him. Karin clearly had nothing nice to say about him, but he figured he should try to make amends. Sort of. "Karin... you know I wasn't going to report you to CPS, right? It was just a mindless threat. Only to make you open your eyes. I mean, you saw what she did to me, right? How she grabbed my wrist, how she looked at me. Back me up here, Marcus. You're the only unbiased party among us, right?"


Was he? Or did Tony squander his credibility through his advances.


--


The motel room was no insanely amazing spectacle, but it was enough to get Nicole and Charlie through the night. The mother had been getting herself settled down in the room, her two suitcases laid out next to the bed so she could easily take whatever she needed as for pajamas, for herself and her son. She'd removed her shoes for her own relaxation and taken comfort upon herself, lying down in the bed, staring at the ceiling and contemplating the future. She couldn't believe that Thalia was found at long last. Her daughter, after eight years, finally back in the public eye. Sort of. How long would Thalia want away from the limelight? Probably quite a bit. God knows what condition she is after all of these years without the affectionate touch of a mother. Being away from her family. How did she survive? What has she been up to? So many questions she wanted straightened out at some point. But she was in no rush to show her now-found daughter to a few flashing cameras. And with a target on her back, going public would be a disastrous idea. She could lose the remainder of her family, or worse, orphan Thalia and Charlie through her own death. She couldn't do that to them. For everyone's safety, she abided by Jon's order of secrecy.


Once the two came back, Charlie immediately ran into his mother's room, dropping the bags of chips on the floor beneath him and calling her, "Mommy!"


She instantly sat up from her seat. "Charlie..." She didn't have time to say anything else before the boy threw himself into her arms, excited as ever, and gripping his mother tightly. Was something wrong for him to call her so urgently and run into her arms? Did Jon do something wrong? Did something else go wrong? With today's circumstances, it could be anything. "Are you okay?"


"Yeah, Jon and I had a lot of fun," he explained, trying to soothe his mother's nerve. He could tell her worried voice from one listen. He parted from her shoulder and spoke, "We went out and bought stuff for the trip to California. Jon said we're still going to meet Thalia, right?"


Smiling, Nicole nodded. "Yes, mon fils, we're still meeting her. But we still have quite a ways to go, so it's good that you're stocking up on all this food, after all.... all very unhealthy for a strapping young lad like yourself..."


"Mommy..." He pouted, "Secret agents don't have their mothers complaining about their food."


"Huh...." She sighed, but with a hint of bliss. Charlie looked exhausted, but his voice still gave off that hyper vibe she loved seeing from him so much. "I guess you're right. I won't complain too much about that. Not until your operation is complete, young man. Then you get back to your fruits and veggies."


"Fine," he agreed. Charlie wasn't one to argue much, a relief to his parents. Thalia wasn't this easy to come to an agreement with in her time. "You know Jon and I are going to protect you, right, Mommy?"


A comment like that, though exaggerated, was music to this aging mother's ears, her hands reaching to the boy's cheeks and neck, just gazing at his weary eyes, almost about to tear up. "As I would do for you anyday, my little prince."


Did this experience bring the two together more than ever? Probably. Maybe if this'd happened with Thalia, she might've felt a closer bond to her mother. But judging by the sounds of the young woman on the phone, she wants to regenerate that bond. Across from Charlie's shoulder stood Jon, who further made Nicole smile. He was truly a godsend for her son. No one has ever made him this happy before. If only he could stay for longer than the duration of the operation. A question for later, obviously, seeing now came other priorities. Changing her appearance, which she came to terms with eventually. A dark brown tint would surely draw attention off of her. Maybe Thalia wouldn't recognize her, but the eyes. They were alike. Her daughter should recognize them.


"I picked it for you myself, Mommy," Charlie added, giving his mother yet another grin. "Did I pick well?"


"Oh, you most definitely did," Nicole nodded, standing up from the bed with the bottle of dye in her hands. "I think I'll go get this settled in now, hm?" It would be easier than rushing in the morning, anyway. As she paced to the bathroom, she passed by Jon, whispering to him rather nervously, "Thank you... I can tell Charlie is very fond of you. And I appreciate it."


She didn't have much else to say as she continued her path to the bathroom, in which she clicked the cheap lock into place and enjoyed her privacy. It wasn't every day she indulges in artificial cosmetic adaptations to herself. Only the bare minimal. She couldn't be that crazy as a grade school teacher. But this color seemed natural enough.


Now alone, Charlie flopped into his mother's place in the strange new bed. He stared at the cheaply painted ceiling and took a huge huff of exhaustion. He didn't even have the energy to get changed. "Mommy said my things are in the green bag, hers in the red one. But Jon.... is it bad that I feel this tired now? It.. doesn't make me a bad spy, right?" He felt awfully guilty for succumbing to something so natural, but he had to confess eventually. Maybe tomorrow he'd be more refreshed to do more.
 
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Everything seemed okay at first, but realistically, it wasn't. Things weren't okay, because Tony just couldn't resist, and every time he took a shot at Thalia, Frank came closer and closer to just flipping out and wanting to give him a smack - but he wasn't going to do that. He had to act like things were normal now, he had to act like the treatment from Tony to Thalia didn't bother him. If he tried to stop it, he'd have to do it in a way that didn't side with anyone. He had a rough idea of how he could divert the attention from her to somewhere or something else. He doubted all the teasing was going to be leaving a good impression of Thalia to Marcus, either, but Marcus didn't seem like the kind of guy that cared all that much, really. He'd have to deal with it - he was here now. 


Karin was also grateful for a friend, a friend close to her age, and a friend she could relate to and go crazy with in conversations without the fear of being judged. Thalia had nothing to fear, other than a few of Karin's quirks and weaknesses. Sure, Karin's main weakness was her brother, and that was the one that Tony (very poorly) tried to play on. It wasn't the best way to get into Karin's good books, that went without saying. Even so, when Tony started to take digs at Thalia, Karin was straight on it. At least in looks. It wasn't just Thalia that Tony was getting fiery looks from, because Karin wasn't impressed, either. It almost felt like he was just trying to get her to flip out.


When Thalia finally got up and stormed off to be alone - which Karin was going to respect - Karin decided that it was high time to step in and say something, even more so when Tony played dumb. What happened? Jesus Christ.


"What happened?" She repeated, sarcastically. "Well, you started being a fucking asshole, as usual. You were touching her, annoying her, doing shit that crossed the line way too much - and you're surprised she's pissed off with you? Jesus." She shook her head. "It's all well and good that you don't plan on calling CPS. Honestly, I'm thrilled, I really am - I guess what I said made you do some thinking. Maybe what I said made you realize it was a stupid plan, or maybe the thought of having James come down on you makes you piss your pants." She said. Marcus was stood there like a bit of a deer-in-the-headlights. He wasn't really expecting any behavior like this from them. "I saw what happened between you and Thalia - You were trying to get her to react. Just get over yourself. You're acting like a schoolyard bully."


Marcus held up his hands when he was asked for his input, and he just shook his head.


"It's been a long day... Is this really appropriate?" 


"No." Frank sighed, "No, it's not. Let's just go inside so we can talk." He said. "I don't know how long it'll be before Jordan wakes up, so a chance to relax would be nice." He said. Hopefully him not immediately jumping to defend or comfort Thalia would be a bit of an assist in making Tony believe that there was nothing going on between them anymore. Frank feared that it was becoming too dangerously close to being true, though, but, he didn't want to make assumptions. If it came to it, yeah, a decision would have to be made, but in a perfect world, things will work out fine.


It's just too bad the world never was, and never will be perfect.


At that moment, there was another voice from behind them.


"Whole party." James said, and Frank, being on edge and emotional, quickly spun around and closed his eyes.


"Shit."


"Sorry." James laughed, "And you must be..." He looked at Marcus.


"Marcus McAllister." He finished the sentence for him, and stuck out a hand which James promptly shook.


"James." He smiled. 


"We were just about to have tea." Frank gulped, wiping his eyes again. "Will you join us?" 


"Sure." He shrugged, and then held a hand down to Karin. She took it and pulled herself to her feet, giving him a warm smile. She'd quickly gone from angry to massively happy now that he was here. "And you are too, I assume?"


"I..." She looked over her shoulder. Maybe leaving Thalia alone for a minute was the best bet - she could talk to her later after all the detectives and such went to bed. "I will do, yeah." She said, simply.


"Brilliant." James replied, "Tony, Frank, I have files on the guys from the LAPD like you asked, pictures and all. I cross-referenced the results I found with the files I have on the officers. I've got the divisions they're part of, their service time, their names, addresses, their faces - I've got the whole lot." He said. "And we'll go over those details soon. But tomorrow, a parcel's arriving at Karin's house. The money Ra's has ordered, so, we'll need to go and see Roland at some point. Preferably, I'd like to avoid giving Ra's the money altogether. We get Melissa, and we tell the guy to fuck off, maybe leave him a bag of shredded newspapers instead." He chuckled once, then nodded to the house. "Shall we?" He asked.


--


Jon was right behind Charlie when he ran in, of course, and had to smile at the interaction between the two. In his eyes, Nicole was a good mother, one that was fond of her son. Sure, maybe Charlie could have done with a little more freedom than what he had at the minute, maybe the chance to have a big milkshake now and again, a chance to do things he wanted to do, no holds barred. Freedom would help him grow to be someone independent and strong, and more importantly - happy. Happiness was the main thing anyone should ask for when they're growing up. If they can be happy with their life once they get older, then that's a job well done on the parents' side. As long as they don't look back on their childhood and outline all the bad things that happened, that's an indication that their parents did a good job at raising them.


Jon walked up when the conversation was beginning to come to a close, and he just chuckled and rested a hand on Charlie's head again. "Believe me, those fruits and veggies... They'll help you build muscle. Alongside meat. Protein and good health, and you'll have a body of a secret agent in no time. I mean, you're already pretty tough now, ain't ya'?" He winked and laughed. "Give it a few years, and I'm sure you'll beat me and just about anyone else in an arm wrestle or two." He smirked. 


Jon and Charlie - Nicole's protectors. That was a comment from Charlie that touched Jon's heart, too. He was a sweet kid, of course, one that deserved a much better fate than the day had rolled out for him. Jon knew that eventually it'd hit him. Eventually the pain of it all would wash back, just like it had done to Jon when he was a young child. The only difference was, Jon didn't have someone like... Well, Jon, when he lost his father. At least Charlie had someone, someone who could look out for him, someone outside his family that he could vent to - a tough figure in his life that wouldn't burst into tears at the mere mention of the incident, either.


When Nicole wandered by him, he smiled at her words, and gently touched her shoulder as he nodded. "It's my pleasure, honestly." He said, sotly. It was his pleasure, and that wasn't a lie. He meant it. He meant every word - was it a sign that Jon was also attached? Was it less likely that Jon would leave now? They could only hope, but, Jon's mind was made up. He knew what he was doing as an end goal. 


After she was gone, Jon looked at Charlie as he dropped down onto the bed. There were no books lying around in here, sadly, other than maybe a complimentary bible in one of the drawers (no way was Jon touching that, though; many people had stayed here, many of which may have been Satanists, Militant Athiests - You name it, either way, they could have done something massively unpleasant to the book. Not worth the risk), but, he could probably tell Charlie some sort of story to help ease him into a sleeping state. He had plenty of exciting war stories that he remembered his dad telling him - and stories from his own life, too. Stories that were just as exciting as the ones from his father's day. 


"I knew you were tired." He grinned and walked to the boy's side, reaching out and gently poking him in the belly with his index finger. Not hard enough to hurt him - just a playful thing to get a laugh out of him. "Tell you what... You stay right there." He said, then wandered over to the bag Charlie had spoken of and started to dig through it until he found a pair of pajamas. Immediately after he pulled those out of the bag, he wandered back to the bed that Charlie had collapsed on and put them down beside him. "You get changed, and while you're doing that, have a think about..." He thought for a moment. A story before bed couldn't hurt.


"Think about a story you'd like to hear from me. Anything you like." He smirked, then reached over and gave his hair a ruffle. "More importantly, don't ever think you're doing a bad job. The job you're doing is fantastic - Remember, even the best spies in the world need their sleep. It's how they do such a good job during the day." He winked. "I'll turn around while you get changed, don't worry. Wouldn't want to embarrass you." He joked, giving his side a nudge. He went over to the free bed and sat on the other side so he had his back to Charlie, then started to stare out the glass door, out at the night sky. Whether he'd known Charlie for a few hours or a few years, he was obviously going to respect his privacy. 


Even though the situation was pretty dire, he liked the bond he and the young boy had. It warmed his heart in places he thought no one was going to ever be able to reach again.
 
The dark high-rise roads of Encino were the perfect place for Thalia to find solace after what could easily be called the worst day of her life. Well, she originally was able to gain it through her new best friend, but once Tony jumped in and crashed the party with his flashy comments and the uncalled-for touching, it made her extremely uncomfortable to the point she would've gotten up and walked away no matter what happened. Maybe she should've made it clear that being touched that way bothered her so much. Her face and hair? Off limits unless you're close to her. And Tony definitely doesn't qualify. He deliberately went out of his way to get on her last nerve and force her into a violent position once again. To his misfortune, she was able to control herself and limited her response to a simple parry. On the inside? Thalia wanted to rip Tony's head clean off. He's crossed the line more times than she was comfortable admitting to, and she desperately wanted him out of this operation. Problem? With operations like this, there is no out other than death. And while dealing with a personality like Tony's, if they dishonorably give him the boot, he will most definitely snitch. Give away everyone involved and even James' address. He'd be a dead man, but he sounded like the type that would take everyone down with him. But the touching. The comments. Did Tony have a crush on Thalia? Did he have some secret craving for her on a more personal level? Is that why he acted like such a jerk around her? Unfortunately, the feeling wasn't mutual. Thalia hated that detective. And it pained her so much to have to keep that side of her tamed. If it were in her hands, she'd take action. Desperate measures. Not to kill him. But to keep him off her back. Enough was enough. Tomorrow, if he tries to touch her again, she'll at least immobilize his wrist.


A picture of an eight year old boy of her blood was still Thalia's sole motivation. Charlie. And soon, he'd be with her. She had to ask James about where he was. Him and her mother. She couldn't wait until they were safe and with her. There was so much to say to one another. Making amends, letting it all be water under the bridge. Thalia wanted that more than anything else as she removed the portrait of Charlie's school yearbook picture. So innocent.... and here she was with the blood of a man on her hands. She regretted killing Nicholas, and even worse, regretting landing her father killed. If only she could take it back. Charlie could never find out. Nor could Nicole. Thalia wanted a fresh start... one that might be more within reach than she had anticipated. Alongside that picture of her little brother, it turned out the redhead had kept that business card from that old lady in the bus. When she went to see Karin at that bar? How did she keep that? She was expecting to throw it away once she found a trash can, finding it useless. But no. she kept it. Was it possible that one day, she'd be calling that office number asking about a vacancy? She had to talk to Karin about that. It felt childish to rely on her friend so much, but she was nervous after all. Worried of screwing up. Karin could definitely help out tomorrow. Or whenever the day would come. Thalia could definitely pass as an actor. But without a high school diploma? Is that possible? The thought alone of being an actress put a smile on Thalia's face. A possibility she might be able to fulfill.


Just as the happy feelings kicked in, a familiar punk rock ringtone emitted from Thalia's pocket. Her personal phone... only one person calls her from that... but she answered nonetheless.


"Hello?"


"Sharmoota."


That thick Middle Eastern accent. Unique. And the word used to refer to her. It could only be one person, the one person who could make her heart feel like it'd been hit by a wrecking ball, right down the middle. He wanted to speak to her? What was going on? "Mawlaye..."


"Ayna anti? Moshtaqlik, habibti." [Where are you? I miss you, my love.]


Thalia cleared her throat in an attempt to mask her own shock. Ra's was the last man she wanted to speak to at this hour, and after all he's done. Ever since he claimed her eight years ago, her life was ruined and forever in the shackles of this man. And just when she thought she could break loose of the old ball and chain, he decided to double the weights. Her father's death was still pressing against her subconscious, only eased by her own strength and contact with Karin. Now it seemed like he wanted to rub it in her face and sweet talk her into liking it all. It wasn't gong to work this time as her eyebrows crossed with a huff of breath from her nostrils. "Why?" she snarled, her voice clearly infuriated at the man on the line.


"Excuse me?"


"Don't spew that bullshit. My father. You said family was sacred and that you'd never hurt them."


"That was until you officially accepted my proposal of matrimony."


"I can marry you without following up on your life's greatest accomplishment."


"Wrong. To have my hand, you must become me. I thought you knew this, Al-Jameela. I only killed your father to give you the heads-up. To prepare to do the same for your mother and younger brother."


"I-I won't do it."


"What?"


"I'm not going to kill them, Mawlaye..." Thalia shook her head with a sniffle, taking a seat on the sidewalk by a stop sign. She couldn't stand while hearing this man's perverse words trying to hypnotize her into bending over to his will. It wouldn't work anymore. "My brother's only eight years old. And you took a father from him. How could you do that without consulting me first? And my mother, she's just a dumb school teacher. You can just leave them both alone, no more killing, like the code, right?...." Her voice was definitely breaking up, feeling every ounce of the betrayal in her heart from a man she once trusted so dearly, as she got to the hardest hitting point of it all, "My father was just a harmless pastor. He wasn't a threat to Al-Asheera in the slightest. And you killed him. Him, and some of my friends from church. You look like terrorists and extremists on the news, all to get me to fulfill some fucked up vow that I never explicitly agreed to?" She paused, wiping her eyes briefly. She couldn't weep over this. But she was genuinely livid. "How could you?"


"Perhaps you are overreacting..."


"SHUT UP!" She snapped at the phone, raising her voice at such a late hour. She could only hope it didn't attract attention. "You fucking tell me now! How could you?!"


"Because you are weak. You would have never done this yourself. But if you were properly motivated..."


"A boy is going to grow up without his father. You're proud of that?"


"Very. It was necessary."


"No, Mawlaye. No it wasn't...." She said this with such confidence. No longer was she brainwashed by the backwards morals of her master, but only by a proper moral compass established by being around good people for once in her life. Part of it might've been the church's doing. But Thalia knew right from wrong well enough... James' idea about denying Ra's his money returned to mind. And even if she was against it before, it now seemed much more appealing. "Miracle called me. They saw the news and are taking back the deal for the compensation."


"What?!"


"They don't want in Al-Asheera, and are most definitely not giving you the million. They don't deal with terrorist and priest killers."


"You do know this means you must acquire it different, right?"


Fuck... didn't think that through. So Ra's doesn't care about Miracle or the money. What was Thalia thinking, that telling him that the money was gone was going to make him change his ways? Never. Ra's would never change. All he wanted was Thalia miserable and near death. The sadist on the other end of the line only cared about her own misery, and now Thalia had no back up defense. Nothing strong at least. "Mawlaye, you know that's impossible..."


"Mmm... You will think of a way. You found this 'Miracle' person once. Find another."


"It's not that easy!" she screamed, now more emotional and desperate than ever to keep Ra's on the table. "Look.... I still have four more days to get you your money. Give me those days, and I promise you... I'll do my best. Okay?"


"That is the woman I fell in love with.... when will you come home?"


She sighed, facepalming as she was. "When the money's here."


"Excellent....... Ohebboki, Al-Jameela." [I love you, Al-Jameela.]


No answer came from Thalia as she hung up and dropped the phone to the sidewalk and buried her face in both hands trying to calm herself down after having to endure the disgusting words of that animal giving her orders. Now alone and on the streets. It reminded her of that 13 year old girl lost in the winter streets of Philly. So young, so scared of what was to come. If she doesn't deliver that money, she could only hope that Ra's never finds her or her family. It was her best bet.


Moments later, she reached for her pockets and retrieved the burner. She left a quick message for James, someone who should know about the new developments in the plan.


'I told Ra's that he's not getting his money because Miracle withdrew his end of the deal after what happened in Philly. I'm taking a walk, don't know when I'm coming back. I can't stand Tony anymore.'


Whoa, Thalia. Perhaps too much venting towards the end? But she had to tell him. And even if he lies in front of everyone, three witnesses - Karin, Frank, and Marcus - can all attest to him touching her in a way she was not comfortable with.


--


Tony only found himself further and further in a corner as the shots were fired back and forth, from everyone. After Thalia walked off and he asked Karin his share of questions, she barked her take on the whole thing: that he was playing the bully and intentionally trying to get a reaction from her. Which was true, to no one's surprise. Even McAllister might be able to deduce that, too, just by looking at the two. What could he do? He was genuinely attracted to her. He was trying to play nice, after all. He didn't attack or abuse the girl this time. So why was everyone's panties in a bunch?


"I'll have you know..." Tony reminded the young woman before him, "Did you see me hitting Thalia? Did you see me swinging at her? Trying to hurt her physically or emotionally? No. Not at all. I only tried to get her attention by showing her affection. Clearly she's not feeling so hot with the death of her father. All I wanted to do was get her to wake up a bit. Relax. You know? She can't be moping and depressed forever, after all. Right? I was trying to be a good friend, like you are. Nothing mean. Nothing abusive. If I wanted to abuse Thalia, I would just kill her. Pull my gun, and off her then and there. But no. Unlike you might think, I care. And Thalia's my best hope of getting Mel back. So I have to be a bit... gentle with her. Kind. What's your problem? I get too aggressive, you complain. I become a sweetheart, you complain. What's your fucking problem, woman?"


James, finally, he resurfaced. Tony was wondering where the guy had vanished off to. Probably at work on the hack-related ventures of the operations only he could complete. And that's what he was up to. After his greetings with McAllister, who he openly welcomed into his slowly filling house, he went on to talk about the logs requested. At long last: a lead. But one to discuss in the morning, most probably. Now was a bit late for those talks, and it seemed like tea was a bit of a priority for everyone. But Tony only feared that he'd ask about Thalia. Karin would surely snitch that he scared her off and forced her to take a temporary leave. That would be detrimental to his slowly repairing relationship with the team. But he can only hope things won't be a downward spiral.


"I'm down for tea," Tony added, somewhat enthusiastically, following the crew inside. Maybe he could stay on good terms with his crew?


--


The motel room was simple, a bit too simple to do anything huge, but the simplicity is all Charlie could ask for as he gazed aimlessly at the ceiling. After a long day, the worst news of his life reaching his ears, a car ride where he had to pee for half the time, and having to abandon his home out of the blue, the boy felt out of energy at long last, something he didn't quite anticipate. Jon was right: even the best spies get tired, too. He just had to accept that. But in the middle of all of the bad, there was a bright side it all, though: He'd finally get to meet his sister after all of this time. He got a chance to do things his mother would never let him do or try under normal circumstances. Plus, he met this amazing man in his life: Jon. He almost felt like a replacement for his father with how close he was to the family. What was he, a regular at the church? A friend of his parents' from their younger days? He didn't even know for sure, but it didn't entirely matter where he came from. His mother trusted the man, and so did the boy. He'd certainly earned it, and Nicole even expressed her gratitude before taking to the bathroom to arrange her change of appearance. That left Charlie and Jon to have some man-to-man talk. But first, the boy was told to get changed into his pajamas. He crawled over the bed and over to the suitcase designated for himself, pulled the adjacent zippers apart, and dug inside the rectangular bag for his blue pants and matching shirt that he loved so much. Clearly, his mother would've brought those along.


Nicole, though... she couldn't get over Charlie's newfound bond with Jon. As she prepared herself to immerse her hair in the expensive hair dye, she was rerunning ways to talk to Jon about sticking around for a little bit longer when this was all over. It wasn't like he was a rebound man for Jacob. Nobody could take that man's place in any lifetime. But Jon would serve as a backbone for her son. An inspiration. A man to keep him straight in a way a mother could never do perfectly. It didn't even have to be anything serious between him and her. But regular visits? Just for the boy to be happy? How could even he say no to that?


Once the son finished getting dressed, he called for his guardian and partner spy to return to the room for the sake of a bit of storytime. There was a lingering idea in his mind that was bothering him on the inside... "Jon...." Charlie asked immediately, cuddling in the bed with his stuffed animal in his arms against his chest, "What do you remember about your daddy? Before you lost him, at least... I kind of want to know what you remember about him... because with mine..." A more depressing topic that finally rose to the top of the boy's mind. Memories... "I don't want to forget anything about mine... I still..." His eyes glance downward with a slight frown on his face. "I still miss him... a lot." Charlie was a strong boy, but only so strong. Like any other child, he wanted his father back at any price, but unfortunately, life didn't work that way. 
 
"There's a difference, Tony. She doesn't want affection from you, so stop trying to change it." She snapped. "If she wanted your affection, she would have asked for it, or done more to try and get it. If she wanted you to touch her, she wouldn't have stopped you from doing it. Get that in your head. You're not allowed to do whatever you want just because you feel like it - Imagine if Frank or James started laying their hands all over you, even though you didn't want them to, for the sake of 'affection'?" She asked, shaking his head. "Didn't think you'd like that idea so much. Just keep it in mind, Tony, that just because it seems like a good idea in your head, doesn't make it a good idea." She said. She was very close to saying something, because Tony's behavior was too dangerously along the lines of something else they knew. Ra's and his lot. The way he was getting increasingly touchy almost had Karin spill some words she'd probably regret spilling. Thankfully, she held her tongue.


"A thing you could just try doing is just being nice. You don't have to put your hands on people to be nice - Because 'psycho-girl' or whatever the fuck you said isn't a very good way of showing someone you care about them, in my opinion." She said. If anything, she was convinced she had a fair point there, and she was hoping she'd called Tony out on his bullshit successfully. There was no point arguing any further just yet, though. 


Inside the house, the tea was quickly made and they were sat down just doing everything they said they'd do. Sort of. They were going to get to know each other? What else was there to know? Karin just wanted life for her and her friend to start going a little smoother, but, things were hardly normal under this roof, either, because Frank looked like he was about to burst into tears at any given second. Part of her just wanted to get up and give him a hug, tell him it'd be okay, that he was doing a great job. Would he even vent to all of them now? It was hard to say. He'd hardly interacted with James all that much, so, the chance of him opening up to them was unlikely. It was worth a shot, though, before anything else happened. It was James' butler that handed the tea out. He was still awake at this hour? Maybe he only slept once James slept, and seeing as James spent a fair amount of time away from home today, the butler probably had plenty of chances to nap. Either way... Frank sipped at his tea, and simply, Karin just had to ask.


"You feeling alright, Frank?" She asked. "You know... If you need some time to yourself tomorrow, I don't mind keeping an eye on Jordan. Maybe he'd like to play soccer with Joseph, or something?"


"Maybe." He gulped, looking down at the table. "It depends how he is."


"Of course." She sighed, "Don't worry... He's sleeping now. Take a while to relax. You'll know if he wakes up, I'm sure."


"I left a lamp on for him, so, I hope if he wakes up and I'm not there he doesn't freak out too much."


Karin reached over and gently patted his forearm, "Stop worrying." She laughed. "Kids have funny ways of dealing with things, and sometimes those ways will break your heart, but you just have to deal with them. It's what we do when we're growing up."


"Yeah, I suppose so." He shrugged.


Tony may have been hoping to stay on good terms with the team, but, maybe he'd stepped a little bit over the line this time. Had James been keeping in contact with Jon? When he had the chance, yeah, but the main details were being relayed through Eric. He may have been employed by Jon, but, he was also working for James now, technically, so he needed contact details. While Jon was off having fun and playing the agent game with Charlie, Eric was ensuring any important details got sent James' way - even if it was something as simple as seeing the same car more than once. James had been made aware of the quickly-strengthening bond between Jon and Charlie. It was something that made him smile - not what he'd intended. He expected the two to get on significantly better seeing as they were more or less a cut from the same cloth, but, he wasn't expecting a close relationship between the two. Nothing to complain about, though - it was nice, in his eyes.


Then another text came through that... Wasn't so nice. It was bad enough to make him angry, and in his slightly-angered state, he spoke out above everyone else and read the message aloud.


"I told Ra's he's not getting his money because Miracle withdrew his end of the deal after what happened in Philly. I'm taking a walk, I don't know when I'm coming back. I can't stand Tony anymore." He said, then looked around everyone, slowly. Marcus and Karin stayed silent for a moment, but, Karin piped up as soon as James spoke again. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?" He asked.


"Tony pushed his luck with Thalia and started touching her face and shit like that." Karin said, quickly. "Now she's gone god-knows-where."


James sighed and rubbed his face, setting his phone down on the table. "Look..." He said, quietly, "I don't have time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit, alright?" He said. "Things have been going extremely pear-shaped between you and Thalia since day one, Tony. You two have constantly been at each other - you've been annoying her, she's been squaring up to you, you've been hitting her, she's been hitting you - It's just getting worse and worse as the days go on, and at this point in time, given the fact that Thalia is the only person we have that can get Melissa back, and more ties to Ra's... This needs to stop. Now." He said, sternly. "I don't want to claim that anyone didn't make the cut to continue on, but believe me, I will if this keeps up. Not a call I want to make, but if I deem it necessary, you're both at risk if the drama keeps up. Is that clear?" He asked.


He wasn't going to start throwing punches and screaming at anyone - but a stern warning would hopefully be enough to let him know that this wasn't something he'd stand for. He felt he'd been straightforward enough by letting him know that he'd also be at risk of being cut from the team if this carried on. Would that be enough to demotivate him, though?


--


Storytime. Alright then. The chosen topic wasn't necessarily one that Jon was expecting, but at the same time, it should have been obviously that that was going to be what Charlie chose. He hadn't had much of a chance to talk about that during the day. The last time they'd muttered a word about it was in Charlie's room back in Philly. They'd come a long, long way together, in more ways than one. Both physically and relations-wise. The changes were for the better of things, after all, but, there was always a negative on the flipside of all good things. Sadly, the bond they'd had was on the back of the death of a man that Charlie called his father. It would take a long time to undo the wounds - Weeks, months, even. It would definitely take a while before the complete pain wore off, and it was just a sad memory to look back on. Jon still felt sad about his own father now and again, but, it wasn't the same old sadness he felt when he first lost him. Things like that fade with time, even if they feel like they never will.


He walked to Charlie's bed and knelt down beside it, smiling at the boy lying there. He was more than just a boy, though - He was a strong boy, a strong boy with a wonderful personality and a great sense of humor for someone as young as him. Those were words Jon could use, hopefully, even if it put his smile on his face for only a few seconds. He felt it was more important than ever now that Charlie knew the good things about himself. 


"Charlie..." He said, softly, as he reached out and cupped one of his hands with both of his own. "You don't need to worry about that, kiddo... I know that it's a fear you might have for a while. You might be scared that you'll forget your dad. You might even feel guilty when, one day, you go on for a whole day without even thinking about him - Believe me, it will happen, but that's nothing to be ashamed of." He said. "My daddy? Well..." He smiled a little, then let out a laugh. "I remember a lot about him, actually. Sure, I'm a lot older now, it's been so long since I lost him, but I still remember some things like they happened yesterday. The main thing I remember about him was his laugh, of all things. He laughed a lot. He was always one to crack jokes all the time, whenever he got the chance - Kinda' like how me and you do. We've had a lot of good laughs already, haven't we?" He smiled. "But yeah, his laugh was one thing I still remember. Other than that... I can still remember all the other things about him. How he looked, what his voice sounded like, what his favorite cars were, and the things he used to talk about all the time. He spoke all the time about his time in the army - if he wasn't talking about that, he was talking about how he wanted to drive his Harley - You know, the motorcycle? - across the country one day. Or at least across the state. Poor guy never got to do it, but, it was a dream of his that lived on, and a while back I took a long drive on that bike. My mommy put it aside for me after we lost him, so, when I was sixteen and got my license, I was allowed to drive it." He said, his smile getting bigger and warmer.


"Look." He squeezed Charlie's hand a little tighter. "There's no... Really nice way to word this, but, I want to tell you the truth, okay?" He smiled. "There are going to be some things that you just... Forget, naturally. Regardless of how long someone's in your life, you forget things about them eventually. Your dad... There'll be things you'll always remember - You might remember the times he lifted you above his head whenever you won a basketball game, you might remember the times when he praised you for a job well done. You might even remember some of the simplest things - like his favorite food. There's going to be more things that you'll remember than you even knew you knew about him. Especially now, kid. Now, after everything that happened... You're going to remember a lot more than you ever thought about before. That won't last forever, but, that's your brain's way of coping with it, remembering the good things." He said. 


"For a while after my dad passed away, at least a couple of years on, I used to cry to my mom some nights, telling her how I'd forgotten things about him. How I forgot even the simplest of things like... Heh, what mug he drank out of in the mornings. Things like that, they break your heart - they broke mine a few times, but... You know something else?" He smiled, leaning forward a little more onto the bed. "I may have forgotten those things about my dad, but, that mug he drank from? Turned out after a while, I'd been the one drinking from it every morning instead. I just didn't realize. His favorite color that he always wore? I forgot that, but, god forbid, it turned out I was wearing more clothes that were his favorite color. I just didn't realize that I'd been doing that." He laughed a little. "Forgetting... Forgetting's not a bad thing, Charlie, and you'll find a lot of the time that... You don't actually forget. Your brain's just comfortable with those things, that's all. Your brain doesn't feel like it needs to work to remember it all anymore. And that? That's nothing to be ashamed of. That's a good thing. All you need to know is that no matter what, the important things about your dad? You won't ever forget those. The best memories are always going to be..." He moved one hand to Charlie's head and tapped it with one finger. "Up here." He smiled.


"You know, Charlie. You really are strong. Stronger than I ever was." He said, cupping his hand again. "And I mean that." He said. "When I was your age, there was nothing I could do to hold back the tears when I losy my dad. No matter how much I wanted to stop, I just couldn't. There were some mornings I woke up with tears escaping from under my eyes, and god, it wasn't nice, but you...?" He shook his head. "You're strong. Brave. You're both of those things - you're kind, considerate, funny. You really are a great young man - not a kid, but a young man." He smiled at him. "You still miss your dad, a lot, just like you said - But you will. The truth is, Charlie, it hasn't even been a full day yet, has it?" He asked, offering him a tiny smile, this time a tinge of sadness behind it. "Not a full day, but still you've kept your head high, and you've done your best. You've done what made you happy." He explained. 


"There's going to be some days where you go to bed at night and you lie there wondering if you'll ever fall asleep. There'll be some nights where you simply can't drift off because of everything on your mind, and at some point, you're going to say 'I wish things could be different' - But you know something, pal? One night - you'll sleep. You'll sleep, and you'll wake up wishing for change just that little bit less. It's how we move on in life - we keep moving, because that's what people that are strong like you do. You fight for what you believe in, you carry on doing what you believe's right - and you know? That's what'd make your dad proud. I don't think your dad would care if you remembered every last detail about him. But he would care about you. About you being happy. About you doing what you want to do in life and not letting anything but the sky be your limit." He smiled. "That's another thing I remember about my daddy, actually. He was proud of everything, no matter what it was." He laughed. "And the way he used to make me smile..." He shook his head and took a deep breath. "He made me smile so much, just because he was always so proud of what I did. And those are the things I never forgot about him, Charlie... And they're things I never will forget." He said.


He went quiet for a moment - sure, he was holding Charlie's hand, but... Was that really enough to give him comfort in a time where the bad memories were flooding back in for him? He had no idea if this conversation was going to spark a much-needed cry, or if it was going to settle him for the night. Either way, he wanted to ask him one thing, and give him an offer that would hopefully be appealing.


"Charlie, I... I understand everything that's going through your head might not be easy to deal with, and... I was..." He cleared his throat. "Do you want a hug, buddy?" He asked, ever so softly. It wasn't very often that Jon showed such kindness towards someone, not to that level. Sure, Charlie hugged him wholeheartedly earlier, and he hugged him back, but... This? This was much, much different, and coming from Jon... Something like this meant more than a lot of people would ever be able to realize. 


Jon thought maybe dropping the tough-guy agent act, just for one night, and offering him some sort of wholehearted comfort was the best thing for him. 
 
After hitching a ride from a random passerby, Thalia asked the driver to let her get down a nearby 24-hour mini market. Maybe picking something up for herself would cheer herself up. That interruption of unnecessary gestures that she deemed inappropriate really got her down after finally being happy at the end of the day off. Tomorrow was back to the old grind. Her message to Ra's about the money has been delivered. Odds are, Roland will be healthy enough to be traded for Melissa, too. There are also six more members of The Ten to corner and eliminate, and her own family arriving to Los Angeles. A lot to look forward to. Some of it exciting, others not. The least the girl could ask for is as little contact with Tony as possible. She wanted to rescue his girlfriend then have nothing to do with the bastard beyond that. It then occurred to her: Melissa was a medical expert of sorts. She never caught onto her official title or focus, but... maybe Thalia could have a private conversation with her, see if she could give her an off-the-books evaluation. Figure out what's wrong with her on the inside; why she acted up as she did with The Transporter. It would be better than with a complete stranger. She just didn't want to do that to anyone again. It took a hefty bit of effort to not pounce at Tony just moments ago like she did at Karin's house. No, this couldn't go on.


Hopefully it wouldn't. But for now... the market. It had just about anything you could ask for at last minute at any hour of the day. Almost instantly, she made her way to the freezers. Cans of beer. After today, she was no longer a stranger to drinking, but she wouldn't gulp down the entire six pack she was taking along. She'd bring it hope, maybe indulge in a single can in her room. That, accompanied by a jumbo bag of nacho cheese-flavored chips, are what she brought to the cashier... up until she passed by a metal bin of cheap accessories. Probably things from last season that were already dirt cheap, but oh well. Buying gifts for her boyfriend this early? Probably not so much of a good idea, especially with the shaky grounds of their relationship. But Karin? No one could tell her anything or downtalk her about that. A light blue thin scarf with thinner strands of a darker blue as decoration caught her eye. Maybe not something for the summer in California, but the gesture would still mean something. After all, she didn't want to risk swimsuit shopping and get the size wrong. Either way, this pick of design, she assumed it'd complement Karin well enough. Now that she was done with her little trip, she dropped the items off on the conveyor belt below. It'd been a while since she's actually paid for something at a cashier. But she did it with a forced smile.


But of course, there was a hitch when the young adult scanning her items saw the beer. "Got ID on you, ma'am?"


Shit... didn't think that through. Thalia didn't have an ID on her. Never did, and never needed it while with Al-Asheera; her hand and neck were her only ID she ever needed, which the cashier didn't recognize. She overlooked that they wouldn't let her walk out with a six pack of beer without checking to make sure she's not underaged. She didn't look like it. And she was 21 after all. To her knowledge, nothing is illegal to her anymore. "Um..." she stuttered, scrambling for an excuse. "I kinda left it at home, shit. I need to renew it, anyway, so even if you..."


"Ma'm, I can't sell you alcohol if you don't have a valid ID on you. I'm sorry," he cut her off, bluntly. Excuses wouldn't work on him that easily. And she didn't feel like seducing him, even though with just a few words and a single touch, she knew she could get this pathetic kid rock hard instantly.


Taking a deep breath, she found the words she needed to make this work the right way. A truth, for once. One that could work. "My father just passed away."


"I'm sorry to hear."


A sob story. Perfect. Even if it made her look bad. Her voice even cracked under the pressure. Great acting skills, indeed. "All that's happening in my house now is my mom arguing with my uncles about the inheritance. It's not pleasant, believe me. I just wanted to get out of the house for a bit, spend some time alone with my best friend. Drink our sorrows away over cheap food... I hope you can understand that."


The cashier froze in his place, just watching Thalia's gaze lower, an evidently depressed look coming over her face. And... he was buying it? She even shed a slight tear for him to further sell the act.


"You know what's worse?" she shivered. "All my uncles care about is the money, what he left behind... all I want is my dad back, just so I can say sorry for every horrible thing I said to him... there was so much unfinished between us, so much I wanted to say that I'll never get to tell him..." So the part about uncles wasn't true - Thalia didn't have any uncles still alive - but the cashier seemed convinced.


"How did he die?" he asked, remorseful.


Sniffling, Thalia answered, "Drive by. They're saying... they're saying it was Al-Asheera, but no one's confirmed it yet..."


Shaking his head with a dropped jaw, clearly affected by the story, the cashier scanned the six pack across and down the conveyor belt. "I'm so sorry.... um..."


A name. That fake name Karin gave her would come to use. "Taylor."


"Taylor...." Then came a hard hitter she didn't expect. "Listen... I'll pay for your things."


"W-What?" Even this surprised Thalia. She was only trying to get the beer scanned, not get a free run. "N-No. I can pay. I brought money, but my ID's just..."


"Nope. No buts. I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart. Go, Taylor.... but just give me your hand for a second." Hand? She surely couldn't hold out the right one. So the left had to do. Much like she did with Frank, the measly cashier wrote his phone number and full name on her palm. "Give me a call if you ever need the comfort. I'm so sorry for your loss, Taylor. I'm here for you if you ever need it."


Creepy, indeed, but it was getting her a free bag of chips and beer. She faked another sniffle and answered, "T-Thank you... Henry..." She read the name off. Surely, this Henry was a nice person, but if he was going for a date fueled by remorse, Thalia wasn't on-board for sure. At least she could sell the act. "I really appreciate this."


"It's no trouble," He winked as he packed her groceries for her and handed the bags off to her. "Take care of yourself."


She nodded. "I'll try."


And when she finally exited, the fake tears clear instantly, and a giddy smile appeared across her face. Was this stealing? No, the items were being paid for. But not the way she expected. It was wrong to deceive Henry like that, but she'd have to live with it. Chips. Beer. And a gift for Karin. Cha-Ching!


--


Karin's words: 'she doesn't want affection from you'. What girl in such a stressful state of mind would decline a sort of comfort from a man? Well, for Thalia, it was a bit different when it was coming from someone who's been deliberately abusing her and going out of his way to put her on the chopping block. Was this the last straw? Had she permanently shut him out of her life and had no desire for him any longer? If that were the case, was he S.O.L. at long last? It couldn't be over THAT quickly. He'd have to talk to her when she gets home. Peacefully and discreetly. Not in front of everyone. No, he had to get over his crazy desire for a younger girl, and soon. Mel was coming home soon, if James' plans went as anticipated. With her back, he couldn't keep lusting after a younger woman and expect to get away with it. If he was going to satisfy his craving, it had to be now, whether Thalia accepts or not. A dirty, corrupt plan in the core of his mind... was he about to be worse than Ra's, go to the point where he might have to rape this woman in order to achieve his daily dosage of pleasure? Seeing the type of person Thalia is, she might just respond positively, thus not making it rape. A man could dream, right? But by getting caught, he proves James' theory correct: his obsession and schoolyard bully trick was purely so he could get in her pants. But Thalia would equally be the bad guy by succumbing.


Frank clearly wasn't doing all that well, even with a cup of tea. A child like Jordan clearly affected everyone under that roof, but nobody as deeply as Frank. For a man without children, he sure had an attachment for the remaining member of the Redgrave family. It was.... so intense. And it was clear that the separation from him, even if the boy was now asleep, was getting to his partner. Wishing he could go back there and sleep side by side with this child. But he needed the moment away from his distress. With people his age. It's a shame Thalia wasn't there. He seemed to find the most comfort in her, but Tony scared her off before she could even offer her shoulder up to cry on. Karin tried to act as that source of comfort, a caregiver herself with five years of experience with her brother. She knew what she was talking about. 


Tony didn't take Thalia for being a tattletale, but she did give it away significantly. 'I can't stand Tony anymore'. Pretty obvious why, though. And Karin even joined in, defending the redhead. Fuck. With that, James had to, once again, play the grown up for Tony's childish game of trying to get a pretty girl's attention. More than attention, but that's not something James needed to know. But that proved one thing: if Tony walks into Thalia's room and pins her to the bed for his own pleasure, he'd have to make 100% sure she loves it, or she'd snitch in a heartbeat, like she did now. It would be too dangerous any other way. Karin couldn't know either, so he'd have to ensure that Thalia doesn't spread the word, even to her best friend. A lot to make sure of for this operation to work out. All ever so dangerous with James hounding him like this. And the way he walks talking? It seemed like it was undeniable that Thalia was of greater value than Tony to the team. All because of her affiliation to an infamous clan.


"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that," Tony smirked, sipping on his tea peacefully. "All I was trying to do was comfort little ol' Thalia. A quick brush of her face to make her feel better. Some kind words to her. She wasn't looking too hot when I showed up. I don't know why. Maybe it's the deal with her father getting to her head? I dunno, ask Karin. It seems like they're closer than ever now, you know? I seem to always catch them in private, all touchy-touchy." Asking Karin would be a bad idea, but one skill Tony knew from criminals: diverting the subject. "Which reminds me: you better watch yourself, James. Seems like Thalia's trying to steal your girlfriend. How would you feel if you walked in one day and saw them all lovey-dovey on each other?"


THAT was a bold statement to make, especially when Karin was right there to deny it. "I mean, you could ask Karin, and she'll tell you know, and you'll kiss and make up. But keep in mind: Thalia is a REALLY good liar. And she might be teaching her bestie, or fuckbuddy, whichever it is, the art of deception. I dunno, pal..." he reached forward and tapped James on the shoulder, almost in a friendly way. "Food for thought, you know? I mean, all power to you girls if you wanna get all nasty between the sheets. I'd rather Thalia be fucking Karin than Frank, in all honesty. But that's just me."


Crossing the line after explicitly being told not to. That would cost him.


--


Acclimating himself with the reality before him was tough on Charlie, especially now that it hit him all of a sudden like a truck. His question about the memories in his head was one he was dying to know. Would they all just fade away with time? He didn't want to lose the last remnant of his father once and for all. All those images and words in his head were so precious, so near and dear to him, all of which motivated him to be a better person. And now the amazing man who build this child was gone, all because one bad person found it appropriate to commit such a crime. Jon, who also lost his father at a similar age, was the perfect person to ask for such advice. Would his memory be preserved?


What was most important was that Jon knew where Charlie was coming from - this natural fear that his father would simply be an afterthought, and it would fully dishonor his memory. That was the last thing the boy wanted, a child who cared so much for his family at such a young age. After that comment about being Nicole's 'protector', it was quite obvious how fond he was for his parents. Now one was gone, and it felt like the world was ending. And so began the storytelling; he began by stating the memories that he most certainly remembers, the elements of his father that stayed with him after all of these years. The things that simply don't leave you, and Charlie certainly had those too; he just couldn't put them into words from how much of a mess his mind was in the moment. But listening was something he could do, trying to make sense of it all. "I... I know the feeling. My dad's morning coffee, taking me to mass before we'd go to school... those were my mornings during the year. I can't forget those..."


It was painful to imagine that some memories of the distant past would just fade away with time, and that he'd cry for hours on end wondering if his father would ever be alright in heaven, if he was in heaven. It was one of the first questions he asked Jon, but if anything, that part of his father watching over him would be present in its own way, hopefully. True, it was saddening to know he might forget things, but then came the idea of how smaller memories and minor details found themselves manifesting into his everyday life. His favorite mug, favorite color... it all seemed so natural. Would that be Charlie someday? He could hope so. So sentimental. Also subconscious. Meaningful. He could only hope that would be him in time.


Strength. Was Charlie really as strong as Jon made him out to be? For the first while after hearing the news about his father, he was devastated, in tears doing nothing but curling into a ball in his bed, trying to make sense of the world around him. Almost like his older sister on the other side of the country. Fortunately, both had someone to lean on and could use it to their advantage. Jon was there for Charlie, and helped him get over his newfound fear of the unknown. Fear of death, fear of forgetting. And through the day, Charlie did his best to keep his head up high and eventually found a sense of peace and comfort. It was with the guidance of a man of similar nature, but it still helped. The boy was glad that he had such a person to let his emotions out to, someone outside his immediate family. His sorrows were the last of his worries for a while, not in a way to fully move on, but to at least stay strong. And he was for a while. His hand was in Jon's for the majority of the conversation, surely warming the boy's heart and strengthening their bond with one another, even if the thoughts did let his eyes leak tears from the stress on his mind. But this child wanted more at this point; they were beyond being just acquaintances.


Indeed, Charlie wanted a hug at this point, and didn't hesitate for one moment when he was asked. Not even words of acceptance; he simply couldn't wait that long for his words to come out. This time, unlike the first time, it felt more powered by emotion. His own sorrows were rising to the top of his mind and taking over his thought process, transforming into the desire for a grown up, a fatherly figure, to fill the void his father unwillingly left behind. The memories of his father were crystal clear in his mind, all of the great times the two had together for the eight years of his life. Now gone, all because of that man who stormed into the church he considered home away from home and killed a great number of the congregation, capitalizing with the murder of his father. It was all so tragic, and though the charade of being a secret agent was masking the pain on the inside, it wasn't erasing it entirely. Now that the end of the day has dawned before them, and the energy and adrenaline was dying down, it was time for the boy to come to terms with the grim fate of the reverend. Gone forever. And it stung his young fragile heart beyond words. Hugging his mother when he was originally in tears from getting the bad news was one thing, but doing the same to Jon felt very different. Though they'd only met earlier in the afternoon, it felt like it'd been years. A new friend for the boy, someone who really understood him and related to him almost like a father. At this rate, Charlie didn't want Jon to leave, ever. He'd never be Reverend Jacob, but he was the next best thing. And he didn't want the experience with this man to ever end.


Of course, with such impeccable timing, Nicole had to take a peek out of the door of the bathroom, just to see what was unfolding between this stranger and her son. Not that she was afraid Jon would do anything horrific to the child when she was unprepared. No, he proved otherwise over the course of the day. She wanted to see her precious child finding peace with a man they'd both considered a stranger so long ago, and now didn't know what they'd do without him. Running into Jon wasn't a coincidence, all set up by this character known as James. But it was a perfect choice. No adult has ever bonded with Charlie this well apart from family. And once this was over, it would surely crush the boy to have to part ways... unless Jon didn't want to. Nicole had a thing for reading people, and just by the look in this older gentleman's eyes, it was clear as day his decision had been made. Whatever dangerous, illegal lifestyle he'd lead before, it seemed like he was prepared to leave it all behind, all for a child who lost his father? Or was there something much deeper in his heart that she couldn't interpret from the outside. Perhaps things had gone from just an order to keep the boy safe and make him priority to it simply not being an order, but a force from his own will.


The last thing she heard from Charlie into Jon's shoulder before she returned inside to continue was, "Thank you, Jon..." Truly heartwarming. And Nicole couldn't be more happy on the inside.


Charlie remained in Jon's arms for a good extra minute, letting out the tears in his eyes while trying to remain strong about this whole thing. The man's motivating words did promote this strength in his heart and push him to not break down completely. Maybe he was right; maybe this boy is stronger than meets the eye. He was holding quite a weight on his shoulders now, but a weight he'd managed well. Like Jon said, he was keeping his head up high throughout the day. But now, maybe it was time for this new 'secret agent' to turn in for the day. "I think we should get some rest, Jon. I feel really tired. And tomorrow... we're going to continue the journey, right? To go somewhere safe? To visit Thalia? I already lost my daddy... I just want to meet my sister after so long. I've only heard about her from stories, how she was a star student, good at sports and ballet, and that she looks a lot like my mommy, but I've never met her... Do you have a sister, Jon?"


The more Jon elaborated on his past, the more Charlie felt comfortable to ask questions. But unfortunately, the vocabulary of a child and his own clouded thoughts were a lot to take in and inhibited him from being as open. Not an entire setback, but at least the boy was a good listener. And a tad bit curious.
 
It seemed that some lines were just meant to be crossed, but, that doesn't mean it's something that's good for your health. Sometimes weighing out what's worth it and what's not is an important thing to do, and in this situation, it was something that Tony should have done. Frank felt himself slowly twisting up on the inside, not because of what he said about Thalia, but because he was saying all of this in front of James and Karin. There were limits on how you spoke to people - limits on how you treated them, too. Saying certain things doesn't usually end well if you even think for a moment that they could be questionable.


Moral? If you think it might piss someone off, it's probably a better idea to hold your tongue.


James had given fair warning and told him that it stopped. In the moment. It didn't carry on past that point, but, it did. Here they were about to be hit by a storm again, and of course, Karin wasn't going to stand for all the shit that was being said. James was doing his best to hold back - he was going to say something a little more stern this time around, but it turned out that Karin was going to be doing the talking for him this time. Well, not talking, but something.


Just as soon as he brought up the possibility that she and Thalia may have had something going on, Karin decided all bets were off. She picked up her nice hot cup of tea, and in a split-second, threw the contents of the cup over him, followed by the cup itself - it was either going to bounce off Tony and hit the floor, or miss altogether. Karin had said before, she knew how to handle herself, she knew how to fight if she needed to. Now was just one of those times, and immediately, she was straight to her feet and ready to pounce into action.


"You son of a bitch." She snarled, but, before she could get any further forward, Marcus was on his feet and stopping her from getting anywhere near him, hands on her shoulders. He was a lot bigger, and a lot stronger than her. He wasn't being rough. Just firm.


"You don't want to do that." He said, softly.


"Get the fuck off." She struggled, trying to force his hands away. She was pushing at his chest, but, it was all to no avail. "I'm going to rip his fucking head off, I swear to god." She snapped.


"No, you're not." He shook his head. "Calm down. There's no need to take all this any more serious than it already is." 


She stopped, but, Tony had crossed the line this time, and this time, Karin had decided she wasn't going to be so kind in what she kept away from James. She looked at him past Marcus' arm, her face red, her anger at its maximum, and she dropped the bomb which everyone probably wanted to avoid being out in the open.


"You know what he fucking said?" She asked. "He said he was going to report me to the CPS. Me. Because I can't afford the medical care for Joseph - You hear that? He wanted to get him taken away. Trying to threaten and blackmail me like the piece of shit he is." She snarled again, but, Marcus just gripped her shoulders a little more.


"Stop..." He said, quietly. "Just leave it."


"You know me and Thalia don't have anything going on. Do I look like a fucking lesbian to you, Tony? I'm pretty sure James would be very fucking surprised if that turned out to be the case, especially after last night." She said.


Well, that was another sort-of-secret out there. It was confirmed that the two of them had got down last night while no one was there to watch. Seemed like their fake boyfriend-girlfriend plan wasn't so fake, after all. James wasn't happy, though. It wasn't Karin he was annoyed at - it was more than obvious who it was that he was pissed off with now. Things didn't seem to be going too well in Tony's favor. He hardly had a solid case against Thalia and Karin. Maybe he had something a little more significant on Thalia - the 'murder' she pulled off, but Karin? There was hardly any dirt on her that hadn't already been cleaned, aside from the fact that she was associated with someone who was a wanted criminal. Other than that, she was in the clear.


James sat there and looked down at the table, shaking his head. Blackmail? CPS? Karin may have had Tony say that he didn't mean it, but, where was the evidence that he ever said that? Where was the evidence that it wasn't an initial plan before he backed out on it? They were in a tight spot, with both people making claims. Claims that had potentially serious consequences if they turned out to be true. The sad thing was, the theory of Karin and Thalia having something going on was nothing more than, well, a theory. The claims Karin made about Tony's CPS threat did indeed happen, and at the end of the day, who was James going to be more likely to believe? The detective who he met on the foundation of a lie, or the woman he was sleeping with? Whose brother had become very close to him?


When Tony touched his shoulder, he quickly batted the hand away.


"Put your hand on me again, and you'll lose it." He said, quietly. "I don't know how much of these claims are true, Tony, but... Keep in mind exactly who and what is at stake here. And remember who wears the pants around this place." He said. "I told you - this stops. If you're going to demonstrate to me that you've got the listening capabilities of a four-year-old, then you'll be treated as such. This drama, this ends here. The touching, the irritating, the teasing and the arguing - all of it ends tonight, and nothing else occurs." He said, then turned to him.


"I've been told that my man Jon, who's escorting what's left of Thalia's family here to California, has become quite fond of the mother and the boy." He said. "A connection between his clients is extremely unusual - one of his rules is simple. Don't get attached." He said. "If you do something to Thalia, or something to them while they're here - If you do anything that could cause her family any upset? Believe me, Jon is not a man you want as your enemy. He's done things a lot worse than what I have - and if he deems you as someone that needs a lesson taught to them? Trust me, I'm no longer in the position where I'd stop him." He said. "So, from this point on, we're all going to behave. No fights, no bullshit - We're on strike two of three of this chickenshit behavior. Once more. Even something minor - and there will be consequences." He said, then looked over everyone.


"Is this that clear with everyone? Or do I need to spell it out? We've got two kids under this roof - one of whom is already traumatized. Be like adults and have some fucking decency." 


--


When Charlie came forward for the hug, Jon, of course, gave him that big hug back, just like he'd offered. He held him close and let him just have his head against his shoulder or whatever he wanted, really, and the time he spent in the hug, he spent rubbing Charlie's back and ensuring that he was comforted in even the most simple of ways. At first, it was just silence, and the contemplation of what would happen once they got to California. Jon never could admit that he was a fan of the heat, but, it was something he'd have to get used to. For the first couple of weeks, chances were that Charlie and Nicole would need to keep a big bottle of water by their beds for the night, just while their bodies climatized. Same went for Jon. He knew that sleeping, or even doing everyday tasks, would be hard for a couple of weeks. There were already changes he wanted to be made, though, to his own business and his own lifestyle.


For now, Charlie was his priority. The hug meant a lot, and it triggered a lot of emotions within himself. Happiness, sadness, fulfillment - He was basically looking at the mirror image of himself as a young boy. A kid who cared deeply about his family who lost his dad to an unknown enemy. With his own father, there was never even a body to bring back. Just chunks of a wreckage, and maybe whatever pieces they could find lying around. Jon never knew the truth of it, but whatever was buried in that casket wasn't the dad he remembered. Now, he was hugging and comforting a child in a very similar position to the one he was in all those years ago. It was bittersweet, but, he could help Charlie have a good time growing up, unlike him, and he could be the emotional rock he needed to have a happy time in the remainder of his childhood.


Charlie even said thanks. What was the thank you for? Was it for the general comfort he was providing? Or was it for everything that had occurred? Taking the family so they'd be safe, giving him someone to relate to? It could have been many things, but, Jon just tightened his hug that little bit more and smiled, setting his head down on Charlie's shoulder, too.


"It's okay, pal. Don't mention it." He said, quietly, a smile present on his face. "I know you're tired... Don't worry. You can get some sleep in a minute." He said. "And of course we're going to continue our journey - We're not going to give up now." He chuckled. "We'll go to California, meet James - He's like an agent, too, just like us." He said. "And right where he is, Thalia is, too. She'll be there to meet us." He explained. "Finally, after all this time, you'll meet her. Pretty awesome, right?" He said, enthusiastically. 


When the hug was over with, he let Charlie lie back down, and when he did, he pulled the blanket up over him and stayed sat on the bed with him - eventually, he lied down and rested his elbow on the bed, his upper body slightly elevated by it and his head rested in his hand. Just getting comfy so they could chat for a while. 


Did Jon have a sister?


Funnily enough - Sort of.


"I have a half-sister." He chuckled. "Before my dad met my mom, he was obviously with someone else, and he had a daughter with them." He explained. "So, in theory, I was still an only-child because my half-sister lived with her mom most the time. She stayed with us on weekends. She's five years older than me, though." He said. "She was a special person, though. One of my favorite people. Even though I didn't see that much of her, she was still good to me. Big sisters are often pretty cool, no matter where they are." He said. "What's important to remember is that no matter who she is, she's still your sister." He smiled. "Star student, ballet dancer - whatever she may be isn't... That's not the important thing, but, I'm sure you already know that." He said. "I've gone a long time without knowing someone I care about, too." He sighed.


"I told you about it in the car, earlier. I told you about the little boy I had - Well, he's not so little anymore, but, I told you about my daughter, too?" He said. "I never met my daughter. I didn't get on very well with her mom towards the time she was born, and..." He sighed. "Yeah,  didn't want me in her life, sadly. But that doesn't mean I don't care about her - Sure, you've never met your sister, but..." He reached out and tapped the center of Charlie's chest. "She's still got that special place in your heart, I'm sure." He smiled. "As for my boy, I haven't seen him for a few years now, because he moved away with his mom. Funny, though. You kinda' remind me of him when he was your age." He smirked. "Funny, unique, friendly, adventurous - Absolutely loved sport. Played a lot of football. He was never a violent kid, but, he loved the sports where you got to dive onto people and knock people over." He laughed. "I'm sure the two of you would have been great friends if you were both the same age, but hey, not everything can unfold how we want it to." 


"Family's a funny thing, Charlie. They can be good, they can be bad, but at the end of the day, they're family. And family is one of the greatest things you'll have." He said. "Family isn't always bound by blood, either. You find family in the strangest of places, and the craziest circumstances. God knows I did." He chuckled. "You know, Charlie... I think if you think of things like this, it might help you - When someone passes away, be bury them twice. Once in their physical form. In a casket in the ground, in a nice plot with some flowers, and once up here." He tapped the side of his head. "Once we bury them up there, we can move on, and we can be happy, live and remember the good times we had with that person. That was something my dad told me about a lot when I was little." He said. "My dad knew that being in the army, there was always the chance he'd leave for service one day, and there was the chance that he wouldn't come back. He knew that risk, and my dad? My dad lost more friends in his time in the army than you and I ever even had, I bet." He smiled. "But my dad? Just like you, he was strong, and he lived for the good times. He'd raise a beer in his lost friends' names, and he'd say 'now that's a memory worth having'." He reached out and gently ran a hand over Charlie's head, softly. 


"But... All his stories are stories for another day, I think." He said, simply. "Tomorrow... Offer for you. When we get up, me and you can get ready first, and while mommy and Eric are getting ready, how about me and you go get some pancakes for breakfast? Or waffles? You gotta' like those. I'd be shocked if you told me you didn't." He laughed. "Then we'll hit the road, put on our sunglasses, and make our way one step closer to California." He said, then sat up, "So, your mission, should you choose to accept it... Get a good night's sleep, and report to me in the morning." He winked, pulling the blanket back up over Charlie and tucking him in a little.


"You good to go to sleep? You look like you're about to pass out on me, so, I shouldn't keep you up any longer." He laughed. "Unless you've got something else you want to talk about, shall we call this goodnight, bud?" He asked. "And if you need anything during the night... Don't hestitate to wake me up. You know where to find me." He winked.
 
Now with her belongings at hand, Thalia felt that it was time for her to head home. She didn't have any other shopping to do. Nobody to look for groceries for, and certainly nowhere else to go in California. Not while she has a target painted on her back. And it's not like she knew exactly where she could go. California was still a new territory, and she certainly hasn't explored everywhere in the city. Most of the operations and heists of Al-Asheera were centralized in Burbank. Top that with the motel bust, the chalet in Pasadena, and now James' mansion in Encino, that's all Thalia could say she knew how to reach. Fortunately, her habit of taking the bus came to an advantage, a way for her to get herself acquainted with the roads. This was going to be her new home indefinitely. Probably for her family as well. They might as well make things seem more like home. That included becoming accustomed to the geography of the city. Taking a walk? Possible. Letting off some steam by smoking? She already made a pact to quit. Maybe it was time to come home at long last. Which is what her bus trip was set to do. A quick ride to get a bit closer to James' mansion, but not too close. Just close enough to walk home. A hop on the local transit began her journey, but she wasn't going to be alone. While she thought she'd get a chance to take a quick nap in her seat, on the next stop, someone else boarded the public transport as well. Someone Thalia got a peek out of in her half closed eyes. She could've sworn she'd seen this girl before. Her hair looked like it were dyed black with a tint of blue to it. She had a light tattoo of a star by her right eye, a silver ring piercing on her lower lip, darker eyeliner and lipstick, but properly applied unlike Thalia's old stage presence, as well as a black tank top, jeans, and platform boots to complete the punk-like vibe. Thalia wasn't going to lie; she was hot. And it was even more exciting to know that this girl took a seat by her in the bus. Eeep! It's been a while.... fuck. Am I that lonely? Thalia wasn't heartseeking, sure, but it still was nice to know this girl picked her of all the other free seats on the bus. But she remained in her place in a seemingly sleepy position. Just chilling... until this girl faced her and spoke...


"That necklace is pretty."


It caught the redhead off-guard, lifting her head from the back of the uncomfortable seat and tilting in the direction of the young woman by her side. Necklace. She'd just noticed that she never took Ra's' pendant off. Although she held so much against the Arab madman, this concaved cross was, indeed, a design she liked. It really felt like a true representation of her from the second she had the pattern tattooed to her neck. Born a Christian girl but deviated by temptation and vice. Not exactly the most devout symbol, but at least it wasn't inverted or anything of that degree. Thalia wasn't a Satanist or anything. She was simply skeptic in the idea of a good force in the earth. Lifting the black-tinted metal from her chest, she showed it in full view of her seated partner and spoke, "This? You like it?'


She nodded. "Mhm. I have to get myself something like that. Where did you find it?"


"Um..." Thalia pondered over what to say next. 'It came from Al-Asheera' wasn't quite a respectable response. Her hand tattoo was out in the open, but she didn't mind too much as she toyed with the edges of the pendant. But one thing Thalia grew fond of as of late is her ability to distort the truth ever so slightly to become a clever and easy to work with lie. She already did that at the market. "My boyfriend made it for me. He has a thing for blacksmith stuff...." Her left hand whisked her red locks away from the left side of her neck to expose her neck ink. "He modeled it after my tattoo, which he also did for me... He's got a lot of odd jobs." A good enough excuse to Thalia. Hopefully.


This stranger only stared at Thalia's bodywork and piece of jewelry in awe, her eyes just staring in glory. Her hand even reached forward to feel the studded top of the cross. "Wow... that's amazing. Fucking love the ink, too. You must have a great boyfriend if he put the work into that."


What could Thalia do? A nod seemed in place despite the mixed emotions in her heart from the lie in place. "You don't know the half of it..." No. Ra's was the worst boyfriend any girl could ask for.


"I bet he must make a lot of cute things like this. Right?"


Thalia shrugged. "Not for me at least... I really don't ask for much. Even this was hard to accept, but he insisted on my 21st birthday."


"You're still lucky as fuck, though."


"Huh...." She huffed, letting go of the cross and smiling to this girl by her side. She seemed like good company, and she could enjoy it at such a late hour. "Maybe. Just a little... what about you? Any boyfriend in the picture?"


"Me? Boyfriend? Pffft..." The girl smirked, shaking her head and giving a similar smile in return. "Nah. Let's just say I don't bend that way. I've always had a thing for girls more."


"Really?" Thalia arched an eyebrow, but not out of any personal interest. There was no point in getting this girl in bed with her, not with Frank in the picture. They weren't officially separated, even though the thoughts came to mind with the child in the picture. But she wasn't going to be that shallow that fast. "I mean, I can't complain. Funny you should mention that... My first kiss was with a girl... and I still think they're fucking hot. So yeah. I've got a thing for girls, too."


That simply put a smile on this girl's face, nudging Thalia's shoulder playfully in an attempt to catch her attention. Their eyes met front and center, a common ground already established so quickly. Then again, any two girls could've come to that conclusion together. Then again, the familiarity of this girl was almost about to slap Thalia in the face. Where was she really from? Some event of her past. But what exactly? Maybe she didn't have this punk-ish get-up, but she certainly had that face. Then.... "I'm Jenny, by the way."


"Jenny...." That name brought her back and let her heart sink in her insides. Her first kiss. Could it be... No. Jenny is a relatively common name. This could be any girl. But she really looks like her. And she's into girls? Everything in middle school sure was pretty hypocritical if that's the case. All of the insults and name calling after their spin the bottle kiss. Jenny must've loved it, too, and she didn't get have the disrespect that Thalia landed herself.


"Something wrong?"


"N-No, it's just..." She fell back into her chair to explain, just gazing back at the girl by her side in the seat, trying to get a better look and disprove her theory. But that face only proved to do the opposite. "'Jenny' was the name of my first kiss. But she wasn't from here... from Philly...."


"Wait... hold on..." The girl's voice came suddenly more concerned. As if she'd come to some sort of conclusion resulting from a lot of evidence stacking in one direction. So it wasn't just a one-sided suspicion. "Thalia? Is that you?"


All bets were off... Thalia knew she was busted in the act. Jenny made the connection. Thalia had as well, but she was too shy to admit it. The very same Jenny that she fell in love with... now here in LA, too? What sort of crazy reunion was this? "H-Hi, Jenny... long time, no see, right?"


Well THAT wasn't expected... you better hope she doesn't snitch about you.


--


While Tony didn't get the reaction he was hoping for out of Frank, he certainly got an appealing one out of Karin. Everything from calling CPS to a potential romance with Thalia was getting on her nerves. Nerves enough to toss the cup to tea, which barely missed Tony's arm and spilled to the floor followed by the cup zooming by his shoulder. Shit, she was feisty. And angry. This older detective was crossing the line in ways no man should. And he was so proud of it. That was the scary part of it all. Fortunately, Tony's cocky smile remained planted on his face as McAllister got up in her way and prevented her from doing anything too drastic. At this rate, Tony didn't doubt Karin had the potential to do something extremely risky. Especially with how livid she'd become from all of the provocative remarks...


But Tony now had ammunition from Karin's words, and he couldn't help but feel like using it as soon as he gets a chance: 'Do I look like a lesbian...' Enough of a reason for Tony to sneak a side note to Thalia that Karin wasn't so comfortable with her sexuality. It would build tension, maybe an argument, and split them apart bit by bit. His goal now was to make Thalia as miserable as possible and act as the shoulder to cry on at just the right time. At least that could break up the two friends... or lovebirds. Whatever they are. But Tony could say one thing: he knew Thalia was bi. And no doubt she didn't think of Karin that way at least once. Maybe if Tony could crack out a sexual or vulgar remark about Karin from Thalia's lips, it'd truly break them up. For a girl who's dated another girl for a long term deal, he knew Thalia had those thoughts deep down in her mind no matter how much she suppresses them. Even better: Karin's dirty little secret about being under the sheets with JAMES was now pubic knowledge. Boy was he going to be disappointed when Tony forges evidence of Karin busy in bed fucking a certain redheaded girl that he planned on doing similar things to.


James.... He swatted the friendly gesture away, clearly taking his actions as hostile and not accepting any form of friendship. If anything, that is what turned Tony off of his streak of being cocky. With James giving him strike two, he was truly on thin ice, meaing whatever personal attack he lays down later would have to be very carefully planned, and not just thrown out there without planning. "Don't you worry, James," he sighed. "I'll behave. And I can assure you... I think some people under this roof have worse listening skills than myself. Just look around a bit objectively, and you'll see for yourself. Exhibit A, Thalia. Speak of the devil, where did she go? To Ra's to apologize for stabbing him in the back? Any idea, or do we have to assume the worst?"


"It's all good, James. I won't be this provocative later. But if I want to speak my mind, then god damn it, I will. If something's bothering me, I'll bring it up." An honest truth out of Tony's mouth? What sort of madness was ensuing? "I am just as much a part of this as anyone else, and like it or not, you need someone with my police experience around. And Mel's still out there. Besides... you can be sure that once this is over, you crooks? And me and Frank? We'll never cross roads again. You go your corrupted ways. We'll go ours. And you better stay off our radars, so that we don't have to arrest you..."


Tony sighed. He was not only tired, but annoyed. Karin, Marcus, Frank, and James. This was a 4v1, which he knew he had no chance in succeeding in. "You think about what I said. My warnings about Karin and psycho-girl. Maybe someday if you don't listen, it'll just bite you all in the ass.... I'm going to turn in. Gotta unpack my things, too."


Enough was enough. Stepping over the shattered cup and remains of the spilled tea, Tony took his leave from the group, death glares spreading to the entire pack one last time. In his mind, his warnings were rather genuine. But then again, so were James'. A warning about this Jon person who might just unleash hell on him for messing with Thalia or her family. If he really wanted to bring this operation down, he needed to try harder. Attempts that would begin tomorrow, most definitely. He had plans to bring everyone to pieces, and in ways that wouldn't fall back onto himself. No one would ever suspect...
 
One thing that James knew about Tony was that Tony was cocky, and if he was going to continue being cocky, even if it was only directly, his 'I'll never get caught if I do things differently' attitude was going to bite him in the ass at one point or another. There was no point pursuing that now. There was no point even trying to continue the argument as it was. No threats were going to get through, it seemed, but was Tony forgetting the severity of the situation? That his lover of ten years could easily become disposable? He didn't want anything to do with them, apparently, which was fine with James. After all, they were just criminals - A day ago, they were friends. It went to show how shallow things could be, and that angered James, but at the same time gave him a feeling of regret. At this point it was becoming a safer bet to force Tony and Frank to hide out somewhere else.


After all, drama had less chance of ensuing if half the team wasn't here.


The only issue was, Frank wasn't a problem in this situation. He wasn't an issue at all. 


"I thought things were much better than this." James said, simply. "I don't care who has better listening skills, who can shoot better, who can talk better, or even swing their dick around better - The drama stops, and we keep doing what we're doing. Our next call of business is getting Melissa back, so for the love of god, don't piss anyone off. I can still pull back on my end of the deal and walk away with no issues at all - Everyone in this room could disappear at the click of a button, and you'd never see us again." He said. "Same thing can happen for you and Melissa if you work with me on this - but if you keep fucking me around, you're on your own. Let's see how much your cop skills come in handy when you've got all of Al-Asheera and The Clover Boys coming down on your head." He said.


"Marcus, I'm sorry you had to walk in on such a shit-show." He said. "Things aren't usually like this. I do suggest we all settle down for the night and see how things are in the morning. There's no need for us to be threatening each other, no need for the inappropriate blackmail and god knows what else. Which means, Tony, I'll only warn you once - Don't start trying to drag Joseph into this, serious or not. I won't stand for that again. This time I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but, beyond that, I don't want to see it happening again, alright?" He said. 


"Try and trust Thalia, even if you're struggling to do so. Keep her at arm's length if you need to - The more you harass her, the more likely she is to pull away from this thing to save her own skin. Like it or not, she's the only way we're getting Melissa back. Stop acting like a child, treat her, Karin, and anyone else under this roof with respect, alright?" He said. "I'm not putting up with this anymore. Not from anyone. Not you, not Frank, not Thalia, not Marcus, not even Karin. You name it." He said. "This can all go very much in our favor, and, if you really want things to disconnect at the end of all of this, it'd be my pleasure to make sure none of us ever see each other again, if that's truly what you want." He said.


"For now, though... We've got a lot of important matters on our hands. We've got Jordan, who's now orphaned and under our care. We've got Joseph, someone who doesn't need to be needlessly dragged into all of this, and, on top of that, we've got Thalia's family arriving soon. Just remember what I've said - Melissa is our next call of business tomorrow morning, especially as Roland is more or less fit to go, or at least in a stable enough condition for some sort of exchange of some kind." He explained. "We can carry all of this out tomorrow - Properly. And hopefully, by the end of at the very latest next week..." He shook his head, "We can have Melissa to safety. I won't go back on my promise - as long as there's no funny business included." He said.


Tony's plans may have been working out perfectly in his head, but, would Karin and Thalia really drift apart if Tony somehow slipped in a comment about Karin's sexuality, to Thalia, without sounding suspicious? It was hard to believe that something like that would become a possibility. 


Not only that, but James had a few plans of his own.
 
"I...." Jenny was almost as speechless as Thalia in that moment. After all this time, over ten years, their paths crossed once again. But it seemed like the darker-haired girl was willing to approach this peacefully, even if they weren't good friend in middle school. Thalia? She was in disbelief. She had so much hate for Jenny over the years, but over that? A meaningless kiss that she took too seriously? Over some dumb 6th grade rumors? It wasn't worth it. "I thought you were...."


"Missing?" Thalia finished the sentence, nodding. "I was. But I just didn't expect to run into anyone I knew before. I mean, no offense, not even you."


"Of all people, me," Jenny giggled. "After sixth grade and all. Those were quite the days, right?"


"Quite the days?" a bit of the redhead's smile faded. "I mean..."


"Thalia... We're grown up now," she cut her off. "What I did back then was dumb and really selfish. Hell, I was lying to myself at the same time. You were... open about liking girls. I wasn't. I was afraid. And I threw the book at you, caused you a lot of hurt back then..." Guilt? From Jenny? That was the last thing Thalia expected to hear in her lifetime. "Ever since you disappeared, I didn't think I'd get a chance to apologize for it. Maybe even ask for a second chance if it applied..."


"I wish. You were cute as a kid. Still pretty hot today, I must say."


"Dawww..." Jenny crossed her heart with a single palm, her heart warmed by the compliment. "But we both know the true winner of the genetic lottery was you. Then and now."


Thalia bowed her head in a bit of embarrassment. "No, I'm fucking not."


Jenny slapped her friend's shoulder playfully. "You shut up! Stop being so modest when you know you've got it in you!"


Maybe she was unaware of how pretty she really was in the eyes of others. She just didn't want to accept it given her tougher background. Not exactly pretty after taking that into consideration. "Okay, okay, maybe...." She shielded her face in her hands, trying to hide her shreds of embarrassment. "I'll admit, Jen. I missed this. I mean. Back when we were actually friends and not spreading rumors about each other."


"I was afraid, Thalia," she sighed, scratching the back of her dyed hair. "Like I said, I didn't know how people would think of me if I came out in the sixth grade. And after seeing the initial reactions when you did..."


"...you played along." It came out a bit too grim for this peaceful conversation.


"Please, T, let's not be that way. It's been so long. Are we really going to keep being this bitter?"


Thalia shook her head. "I don't want to be, Jenny. Believe me. It just hurt that I spent middle school being made fun of because of who I was, and you got away with it just for shutting me out."


A hand from Jenny extended over to Thalia's and gripped it palm to palm, looking this girl in the eyes with something important to say. "If I could do it all again, I would've happily said you were my girlfriend to the class. That we were in love. And I would've loved to see how it all went from there." It caught Thalia's attention, but no extreme reaction. Her expression of feeling betrayed was still there. "Believe me, I was saying things about you and calling you names, just shutting you out. But on the inside, all I was wondering was, what if? Especially because, just like you, I realized I liked it and wanted to feel that again. And then we all went our separate ways in high school. That's where I really felt like I could be myself. I just..." Her fingers gripped Thalia's hand a bit tighter. "If you hadn't run away, I wish it could've been you..."


"But no. You chose to make fun of me. You don't know how depressed I was."


"Odds are, I'll never know. But when I heard you disappeared, you don't know how depressed I was." That shot Thalia's eyes out. Depressed, Jenny, after her running away? Strange. And Jenny noticed the surprised reaction. "Yeah. When you ran away, I blamed myself for it..."


"I-It wasn't. Not entirely. It was that mixed with a bunch of other things."


"Whichever... Maybe if you had someone to love. Someone whose shoulder you could just cry in every night, you wouldn't have done it."


"Mm..." Would being Jenny's girlfriend have changed anything eight years ago? It was too late to find out, but it was an interested alternate reality to toy with. "Maybe. But it's not like we can turn back time and know for sure."


"I was worried about you. Worried you'd get killed or something. An innocent girl on the streets of Philly with that gang of thieves... Al-Asheera was it? Roaming the streets. They would've killed you. Or worse."


"I was fine. I could handle myself." Jenny clearly didn't recognize the dragon tattoo, meaning she only knew Al-Asheera by name and nothing more. "I'm still alive now, right?"


Jenny smiled. "Alive. And beautiful."


At least that made Thalia smile. Good times. Would the two get to enjoy these good times later? Another day? Maybe many other times in the future? "Aw, stop it, you!" She returned the friendly slap to the shoulder to her friend as they shared their joint laugh together. And it seemed to last in a timeless form that neither girl wished would have to end. It's been a while since Thalia and Jenny were joking and happy together. Too long. And almost simultaneously, they both faced each other, grins from ear to ear, and said in unison,


"I'm sorry..... what, no. I am!" And they continued laughing, taking playing pats to each other and continuing to enjoy themselves in some dumb childish flashback-type moment on that bus. It made Thalia wonder, what if? What if they actually were honest with themselves and actually had a thing going on? Would she have ever run away from home knowing she was leaving Jenny behind? It was a troublesome thought. But instead, things played out as they did, and Jenny and Thalia moved on to hate each other. Not anymore. Now they'd made their peace.


But the bus ride had to come to such a short end for the two girls. This was Thalia's stop.


"Looks like I have to go."


"Oh really? Me too," Jenny concurred. What a coincidence, same stop. But Thalia wasn't complaining, simply giving a grin to her friend as she grabbed her bag of groceries and exited the bus. The two stepped out onto the sidewalk and watch the bus drive off down the road at the late hour. Alone time for the two, at long last. Something they both unconsciously craved.


"So is this goodbye, so soon?" Thalia sighed, clearly disappointed in them going separate ways.


"Mmm..." Jenny swayed her shoulders back and forth at that remark. "Maybe it doesn't have to be? This world works in quite strange ways. LA's big. But I'm sure we'll bump into each other again in these parts of town. Right?"


"It's that likely?" A bit mind blown, but Thalia had to ask.


"Mhm," Jenny nodded. "Trust me. I'm sure we'll walk on that same bus sometime in the future."


"Well that's pretty wishful thinking. But I'll take your word for it." Was she right though? Would Jenny reappear in her life once again by some unusual circumstance? It's something she could hope to be true. It would certainly be a joy to get to know her better, for the real girl that she was. Judging her by her mistakes in childhood would be wrongful of her. And she knew it wasn't fair to her. "Well... I guess I'll catch you around, alright?"


Before Thalia could walk away, Jenny wasn't quite through yet. "Wait, T. I...."


The halting words stopped Thalia in her tracks to turn back in Jenny's direction, who was approaching Thalia, closer and closer, almost a bit too close for comfort after all this time, causing Thalia to drop her bag of groceries. Her slim hands climbed up Thalia's bare arms and up to her shoulders, her blue eyes gazing down Thalia's green ones. Was this happening? So romantic, and after such a short time in the car? Maybe a part of Thalia that once loved Jenny was still there. Or at least still craved a crazy life filled with on the spot intimacy. But this felt like more.... How would Frank take this if he ever found out she was about to kiss her ex? Equally, the redhead was getting lost in the advancement. She genuinely found Jenny attractive, now all grown up and with this new get-up. Very different from middle school. Both were. Then, Jenny's eyes closed slightly, her head approaching Thalia's in that moment. Almost instinctively, Thalia copied her, eyes closing and head leaning in closer, but a bit more hesitantly. It wasn't something she could resist; more like a natural instinct, especially with someone she once loved. It wasn't until their lips met that things were becoming clearer. With Jenny leading the kiss, Thalia followed as best as she could, beyond nervous on the inside, her stomach churning to the thought and heart skipping a beat. Did this really happen? Why was she doing this? It felt so strange, but it'd been a while since Thalia had kissed a girl like this. It was a much different experience for her than with men. It always felt more gentle, more passionate. Not that she didn't enjoy it with Frank, not at all. She just knew how to differentiate her tastes. The origin of this advancement was still a mystery, but she couldn't help but indulge, her fingers tracing the lining beneath Jenny's arms, while Jenny's hands cupped Thalia's neck and cheeks within them. Their bodies were in close contact as Thalia's hands snuck behind Jenny's back, keeping the two close together as the kiss lasted for a good ten seconds, definitely enjoyable to both parties. Once that time depleted, they equally parted head. No doubt, Thalia's face had become extremely red. Jenny? Not so much, but she was smiling, up until she noticed Thalia was a bit shocked, which surprised her, honestly.


"What's wrong?" she asked, unsure of what caused such a reaction. Just shock? surprise?


Maybe she didn't notice what she'd said from the very beginning. Shaking her head, she uttered, "Jen... I told you I have a boyfriend, and me and him are going through a sort of tough time together, and this could make things so much worse. I'm sorry, as much as you probably want to know what could've been, I do too, believe me, and that kiss? It was great. I liked it, but..."


"N-No," She frantically cut Thalia off, now aware of the source of confusion, her hands on this girl's shoulders now. "I wasn't trying to get in the way of your relationship. You seem happy with that guy... It was just my way of saying I'M sorry. For everything." She was sorry? Under normal circumstance, Thalia wouldn't have believed this. But maybe it was time to bury the hatchet. "We were friends in grade school. And we ruined everything over a stupid kiss? I just... wanted to maybe fix it with one, too. New town. New lives. New fashion sense." This comment caused both to laugh to themselves, obviously talking about Jenny's punk-like appearance. "You're still my first kiss, and that meant something to me. And even if I didn't show it... I liked it, too."


"Really? A sixth grade peck of the lips, you liked it?" she laughed.


"At 11 years old? Pfft. Hell yeah. That was my first piece of action. Also put my expectations pretty high for kissing, I must say. And I'll tell you: guys? Shitty kissers. Girls are SO much better, and you made me realize that."


"You haven't seen my boyfriend yet. He's a keeper, I swear." She patted Jenny on the shoulder in a friendly way, who laughed along with her friend. This was nice; settling down with an old friend under the strangest of coincidences. More reasons to thank herself for coming to LA. "I should really get going, Jen. Maybe we could catch up sometime?"


Jenny nodded. "I'd love that. Give me your phone. I'll enter my number. Call me whenever you wanna hang out."


The quick exchange of the cell phone for the more acclimated girl to enter her phone number into Thalia's contacts and give it a quick missed call was the last of their interaction to lead up to a farewell. "I guess I'll see you around? Assuming you're not leaving LA anytime soon?"


Jenny shook her head. "It's my home, T. After high school, that is. I'm not walking away from it. You?"


Thalia did likewise. "I think I'm gonna stick around for a while."


A smile came across Jenny's face as she gripped Thalia's arm gently. "Then I hope we see a lot of each other."


The touch was rather sudden, but it's not like Thalia minded. "I hope so, too. Take care."


"You too."


Thalia and Jenny parted in two different directions, so there was no risk of James spotting the two together and asking too many questions. Jenny... that was the last person she expected to see, especially after venting to Karin about her earlier. Quite an unpleasant memory resurrected in all of this, now patched up by a desire for peace. Thalia couldn't ask for more. Frank couldn't find out about the kiss, though. And especially not Tony. Karin could, given she would be comfortable hearing about it. Snitching wouldn't be a problem from her. She trusted her enough. 


Home sweet home. She'd get a lot of questions about her bag though, even though all it had was some chips, beer, and a scarf for her friend. But of course, Tony might jump the gun and assume it's a bomb before she says anything, so when she rang the doorbell, she could only hope it was someone else. Even the butler, who probably didn't even speak English. Anyone but Tony.


--


Comfort was something that was never really lacking to Charlie around Jon. It almost felt everlasting. Jon made him happy at every turn they made, no matter how rough the road got physically or emotionally. Telling stories of his past, relating to the boy's new life, creating the illusion of a spy roleplay around their actions. It all appealed to the little boy more than it probably should've. Much like everyone else, Charlie was becoming attached, and at this rate, nobody was going to leave anyone anymore. Truly a new life in the balance, being coordinated step by step along the way. LA was a new start for everyone in this motel room, a cruel life of being on the run and other criminal activities on the brink of fading away forever. Charlie, Nicole, and Jon, starting their own lives away from the criminal lifestyle Jon had been so used to? Was it possible? All Charlie knew is he wanted this man to stay. He was filling a crucial part of the boy's life, and separation might just depress the boy further. And he didn't need that now. His thoughts of his father were returning and had already reduced him to the desire for a hug. Taking away another important figure in his life would tear his heart out of its place just like that.


Once he parted ways from the hug and asked his burning question, Charlie crawled back into his sheets in the bed and listened in to Jon's stories once again. For an older gentleman, he surely had quite a lot to tell, which he openly discussed with the boy. And it helped to hear these stories. It gave him hope that no matter how hard things are, you can adapt, evolve, survive. And that might just be Charlie's next course of action. His father was gone, but he would soon see his sister, and no matter who she was, she was still family. And he wanted to get to know her better. Ballet dancer, med school student... even if she was a thief like she really was, he'd try to accept her. It was in Jon's stories that he realized that. Jon had so many broken relationships in his life. A half sister he'd hardly see, children that were so distant, if he'd ever met them in the first place, and now at his age, he was... practically alone. Not anymore. After all of these years of very little to give him peace, he might just have it laying down in a bed by his side. And sharing stories of each others' pasts was a start, and there was plenty to come from tomorrow's drive.


Then came another touching tidbit: you bury the dead twice. Sadly, Charlie might not be there for his father's physical burial in the ground. But there was still the chance to make peace with his father's death. An inner peace. A culmination of everything that Jon was trying to get across to the boy about loss and how to cope. That one day, the parting of the dead will become easier. Their memories will remain forever in the hearts of their loved ones. And most importantly those loved ones will be happy and continue to move forward. It might be too much for an eight year old to understand, perhaps too philosophical for his age, but Charlie had a sense of wisdom, as much as an eight year old boy could have, anyway. That's what being raised in a strict family did to him. But he understood his father wasn't coming back. It hurt. Deep down, and half of him didn't want to close his eyes and have to see his father in his memories... but the other wanted to embrace those memories. Badly.


"You're a really good man, Jon. And I wish you could've met those people in your family that you didn't get to meet. Maybe you still can find your son and daughter? If you're such a great spy, it shouldn't be a problem..." A pretty bold statement from such a young lad, thinking it was so easy to do that. "Haven't you already tried to find them? I bet you could easily. Maybe I can help you when we're in California. You know. As your greatest spy you've work with an all." He winked to this guardian-like figure he now had. Again, it all seemed so simple to him in his mind. It's not like Jon could show up to his daughter's doorstep and introduce himself. Who knows what her mother told her. All factors Charlie wasn't taking into consideration. But it was all for another day.


"I'll accept the mission," he answered when called upon to get some shut-eye. "Wake me up for breakfast, though. I wanna come with you.... you're a lot of fun. Please?" He probably wouldn't need anything overnight, given he didn't wake up from a nightmare or anything. But that was a different story that he hoped wouldn't happen. But for now, he just told the older man accompanying him. "Mission complete, special agent. I'll report you in the morning."


What a cute way to say good night after their day. If anything kept Charlie going, it was this sense of roleplay as spies. A newfound love that gleamed in his enthusiasm for the scenario. Jon did a great job putting the child at ease. All the way till bedtime.
 
The night in the house was more or less quiet after Tony went to bed - Frank wasn't quite sure what the best plan was: Leave Jordan to sleep on his own, or go in there with him just to be safe. He knew if he woke up during the night that that'd be bad news, mainly because he wouldn't be able to find anyone. And most importantly, he wouldn't be able to find Frank. The day tomorrow was going to hold a whole load of dramas and advancements, but, maybe they were all for the best. Maybe things that seemed bad would actually, down the line, be good things instead. Bad things don't always happen, so it was possibly worth just waiting and seeing what went down. Given the argument that Karin and Tony had had, and given the fact that Tony was still all up on Thalia's business, Frank was worried that more drama would occur. But there was no point in letting things get to him. Now, it was a night to get his well-deserved rest. He wanted at least four hours of sleep tonight, just to keep him going, even though he knew sleep would be hard after everything he witnessed.


But, surprisingly enough, sleep wasn't something that struggled to be let in. He fell asleep almost instantly - in the end, he vouched for staying in with Jordan, just in case. It was definitely putting a strain on him on many levels, but, the rest of the crew other than Joseph were all sensible adults. They had to understand why Frank was making these sacrifices, right? He knew that above all else, Karin would be one person who would understand why he was doing it. He and Karin had just as big of a heart as each other, he liked to think. He wasn't wrong - Karin understood his choices as best as she could, because she'd once made those same choices, too. The only difference was in her situation, the bond between the two was already there. Frank wasn't related to this child, but, with how Karin had seen the kid around him, they may as well have been.


Karin and James went to bed, and even though there was a little bit of something going on for a little while, there was nothing major tonight. It had been too stressful for anything serious to happen.


Thanks, Tony.


They had no trouble sleeping, though. James first showed McAllister a room he could take, for the time-being. Whether or not it'd change would depend on how many people they had staying here. Frank needed his own room, the kids were priority, too - By the time Thalia's mother and brother got here, there wasn't going to be any chance of everyone having a room. Hopefully people would be able to start moving out soon, though, once the operation they had at hand began to clear up. Marcus was on the outside, but he was missing his family more than ever now. Frank also let him have one peek inside the room Jordan was sleeping in, just so he knew that the kid was okay. Seeing him sleeping so peacefully on the back of everything that had happened... It hurt. It was a bittersweet kind of pain. Sure, he was resting, but how much was going through his head now? How haunted would his nightmares be?


Not haunted enough, it seemed, but that was something Frank was grateful for. Jordan got up once during the night and woke Frank up because he needed to pee, but other than that? He was too tired, too spaced out to really cry too much. After getting back into bed and curling up beside Frank, he fell asleep once more.


Frank thought that maybe the new day would hold better things for Jordan. He hoped so.


--


Charlie said Jon was a good man - that one was a hell of a compliment to receive. If only Charle knew everything Jon had been involved in - He decided right there and then that the bad business stopped as soon as they reached California. Unless it was to keep the boy and his mother safe, then he wasn't going to engage in it anymore. He had his money, had his riches, had enough to help put Charlie through college, along with his kids and grandkids, if he wanted to. He could do all of that. Maybe Charlie would end up not wanting to go to college, though - maybe he'd find his place in the world long before then. God knows Jon had plans to do with that. Nothing major of making Charlie sign contracts or anything, but, at least a little something to see if he could find out where his interests were. After all, Jon had a business he needed to move over to Cali more or less as soon as they landed. Would Charlie ever hold any interest in that industry? So far he seemed to like the idea of fast cars, given the fact they were in one. Would it be something he'd like to further look into?


Even if it was just a simple interest, it'd be something for the two of them to bond over, Jon thought.


Charlie's ideas of Jon finding his kids were touching, too. When Jon thought about it, yes, he would have liked to do that, but now... Jon's daughter was probably around Thalia's age, maybe a little younger. She was in the process of settling her own life down. Would she really want her father to walk in out of nowhere? That could do a lot more bad than good, and Jon wasn't sure if that was a risk he wanted to take. Now that he had Charlie, and to some degree, Nicole, did he really want to go back and dig into his own troubled past? As Charlie had already realized, he was alone. A man who, at his age, should have been married with a couple of kids, was now alone in the world. Not anymore, though, because he'd met someone who made his life have a lot more meaning than he ever thought it'd have.


"My son... We kept contact." He smiled. "Of course we did. We were quite close before he left. Well, not all that close, but, close enough. Close enough for him to call me dad and talk to me about his problems with anything - Sport, school, girls." He laughed. "He's a real lady's man, you see, a real hit. Just like you are at school, I'm sure." He winked at him. "Either way, he wasn't so happy about me not being able to see him. We only saw each other once a week, for an hour or so, but... It was good times. It gave us more than we needed." He smiled. "And we had contact for some time. He probably still has my number written down somewhere. I know I've got the one he had when he was fourteen. Whether he still has that phone number... Well, we'll see." He shrugged. "My daughter, though..." He shook his head. "Some things are best left alone, Charlie. She's gone her whole life without ever knowing me. By now, she's probably off in college. As a spy, yeah, I can find them both, probably." He grinned. "But, my daughter... I don't think I should intrude this late on. It'd probably make her unhappy if I suddenly showed up after all these years. I'd rather live knowing she was happy, rather than knowing her and knowing she was miserable, y'know?" He shrugged.


It was time for the night to close, though.


"Heh, don't you worry. I'll wake you up in the morning, and like I said, we'll be the first two to get ready. While we wait for mom and Eric, me and you will go get those pancakes. Or whatever it is you want for breakfast. Go wild, pal." He reached over and gently ran a hand over the top of his head. It was a cute way of Charlie saying goodnight, for sure. Mission Complete. See you in the morning. All of that sort of stuff just seemed to touch Jon's heart. "See you on the flipside, agent." He whispered to him, and after making sure he was all properly covered over and tucked in, he left him to fall into a sleep. Jon went over to his own bed as well, and of course, off he went to sleep himself. Sleep wasn't something that took long to come, either. The doors were locked, and they were all safe from danger. They'd have one solid night of sleep before they hit the road again.


--


August 6th, 2016


Friday


9:03AM


A couple of people were already up now. For one, Jordan and Frank. Frank knew the peacefulness of the night couldn't last forever, but he got given more sleep than he thought he could even dream of. Jordan, however, woke up in a bit of a state. He woke up sweating, crying, just needing a while to cry and hopefully cool off, too. There was no better person for calming him than Frank, who simply picked him up, and instead of becoming emotional like the day before, just carried him outside and went for a small walk around the yard. It was a nice place, hopefully one that would help Jordan take his mind off of the bad things. Stopping and smelling the flowers, quite literally. The garden was fantastic, one you could literally play baseball in, as they'd already seen. Just some fresh air and peacefulness was the best way to go about calming the boy down, he figured, and he wasn't wrong. The sweats eventually vanished, and the cries deteriorated to sobs, and the sobs eventually simmered down into simple sniffles.


Much better.


So, obviously, he took him back inside and sat him in the kitchen. Breakfast wasn't a bad idea, and seeing as Jordan did tell him that he liked scrambled eggs and toast, Frank was sure that James wouldn't miss two eggs and two slices of bread, would he? And a dash of milk, and a spoonful of butter... And a glass of orange juice, too. Frank had probably used the least amount of stuff out of everyone, aside from Tony and Marcus, who hadn't seemed to have had anything other than tea since they'd been here. Then again, Tony was given some of the dinner that James and Joseph prepared the night before, so, there was always that. Either way, the morning was going rather smoothly for him. It definitely could have been a whole lot worse. He was hoping this wasn't the calm before the storm in any circumstance - Group or Jordan. Things needed to stay relaxed like they were now, and he hoped there'd be no more petty arguments or throwing glasses and cups around today.


He knew that Jordan of all people wouldn't react well to that, and as Joseph would be awake at some point today, too, he wouldn't do well with any proper fighting. Neither of the kids really deserved to be in such a drama-filled place, but, at least the two of them seemed rather clueless to what was going on, and they were both getting what they needed, too. That was the most important thing out of everything.


James had been awake for some time now, and he was off playing piano in the other room. Just something gentle, a song that Frank didn't recognize, actually. Either way, it was nice to hear in the early morning. If anyone was going to wake up to the sound of it, Frank could picture much more unpleasant noises to wake up to. It wasn't like they could stop James from playing, anyway, given the fact that this was his house, his piano, his money, and his kindness to keep them here. Frank had a feeling that they were on dangerously thin ice, though, because... Well, after last night, it was pretty much a miracle that James didn't throw them out on the spot. He had a feeling he was close to doing exactly that, but there was no need for any drama to run wild, at least not yet.


McAllister wasn't awake just yet, but, Karin was. She was surprised she was awake before Joseph, who she expected to be up at the earliest hour in excitement to play on his new laptop, or generally just wander around and do something exciting in the house. Maybe not. Everyone needs their rest, she supposed. Either way, while she had the chance, she had a hot bath, and she relaxed in there for a while - once she was done there she hopped out and got changed, of course, and now she was free to do whatever she pleased. Maybe some morning TV would be the best thing here? 


After going through to the kitchen and saying hi to Frank and Jordan - Jordan still didn't say a word to her, but oh well - she made herself a cup of coffee, and she did exactly what she'd initially planned - Going to the living room and putting on the TV. Morning news, Jerry Springer, whatever there was on, she wanted to watch it. Even if it was something pretty shit. 


She wanted to check on Thalia, too, but at the same time, she wanted to wait for her to wake up before she started speaking to her. After everything she'd been through, she probably needed more rest than most of them. She'd just wait for her to get up, and as soon as she got the chance, she'd approach her and ask how she was doing after the particularly stressful run-in with Tony she had last night. Unless she approached her first, of course, which worked just as well. For now, though, it was a quiet and particularly peaceful morning, one with no drama, and one with no major issues among the group. 


Today there was a lot to do, though - One of the first things being Roland, and another, making sure someone was in Karin's house during the afternoon for the delivery. That was easily enough done. She could just call up Graham from next door to take the parcel for her if she really wanted to, but, all in good time. Roland and Melissa - they were the first most important ones today. Would the exchange really work, or would it need to be something more complex than that? Only time would really tell.
 
There was plenty to think over throughout the night for Thalia. A long day, indeed it was. One of the most eventful of her life perhaps, only second to the day she ran away from home. Or maybe a tie. Could go either way. But either way, a lot had conspired, for good, bad, and flat out brutal. First time getting drunk? It was a mix. It felt thrilling to kick back and let loose for once, especially with the company of a close friend to do it all with. Running around the house, snooping through James' room, and even watching movies in his home cinema. The sort of euphoria to it all was empowering, up until it came back to bite her in the ass when she started losing her balance and had to eject her breakfast by force. Unpleasant... especially when it preceded the news of the death of her father. It left her devastated in the moment, unable to stand up on her own two feet. She had endured several emotional breakdowns these past few days, but this took the cake of them all. Worse: because she'd spoken to her father quite literally hours before his death. All while he wasn't the wiser and spreading the word to his congregation that he'd be in Los Angeles for a few weeks on the hunt for her. All for nothing. If only she'd been honest. Said her name at least. Or gave some indication that it was confirmed and not just a random suspicion. That mystery is what he was left to die with. No man deserves that sort of ambiguity of the whereabouts of his firstborn. He'd never know. Speaking to her mother, however... It didn't compensate for the loss, but the fact James was putting so much effort and even as much as a bodyguard to ensure the safe passage of Nicole and Charlie out of Pennsylvania meant the world to Thalia. How would she ever pay him back? Could she ever? She didn't have a nickel to her name, nothing more than the clothes on her back and the supportive backing from Karin. There was no way to repay this kindness. What spoke to him from a girl who was dishonest from the get-go about working with two cops? A member of a shady organized crime ring? What was there to trust in Thalia? In that mindset, Tony wasn't too wrong to be skeptic. Whatever made everyone look past the criminal history, it was a relief. Did Karin simply vouch for her? Or was it something... deeper? Thalia couldn't know for certain, but she sure as hell was grateful for Karin's presence in her life. Someone who truly changed her life for the better. But the previous day? It goes on beyond that. She murdered someone and had to battle the thoughts in her head about the potential mental disorder she might possess. Whatever it was, she was going to fight it. She resisted assaulting Tony yesterday after his bold accusations and overly-touchy attitude at the poolside. She isolated herself peacefully, before she had a chance to do something she'd regret. And in that time, she ran into an old childhood friend... Jenny. It was a coincidence that felt too good to be true. Her first crush, also in LA? Why did it feel like it was staged? Or was that just Thalia's paranoia that made it seem that way? She now had Jenny's number saved on her phone, maybe to catch up sometime. Or did this friend want something deeper? That kiss, Thalia knew it wasn't just a simple oneshot deal. Jenny put her emotions into it. It was something to think over. Did she enjoy it? Hell yeah. But it still felt wrong, especially with Frank in the picture. She was still too afraid to come forward and express her concerns about the child. Of course, she wasn't going to corner him with threats like 'it's me or him', because that would most definitely be selfish. Still, Thalia needed to live her life without the stress of a child for a few years. She would settle down eventually, just not now. There was so much she wanted to do with her life, but was it possible with Frank strapping Jordan to his back along the way? That was no guarantee. The kiss with Jenny didn't mean all was forgiven. But she was going to give this old friend a chance. Forgiveness, the only thing she believed in from her father's religion.


Dreams? Strangely enough, Thalia was worried her slumber would be consumed by either passionate memories of her father or ideas of how Ra's killed him. Or of him catching up to the rest of her family and loved ones. But no. It was dark. Nothing whatsoever. Not of her, nor her family, nor Frank... Nothing. It wasn't a strange occurrence, however. Throughout the past eight years, many of her dreams were like that. A veil of darkness that seemed timeless. It happens with plenty of people, sure, but dreaming felt like a luxury to the redhead. It was simply that rare for her. Unfortunate? Sad? Perhaps. But in Thalia's head, it was rather normal. It was actually better than any other alternative. Better than a blissful dream of her fantasies with Jenny from a decade ago being fulfilled, and better than a nightmare rerunning Ra's executing Vanessa in front of her eyes. Not to mention she was incapable of recalling good memories in her dreams or creating a happy scenario in her mind, like the look on her mother's face when she sees her daughter for the first time in years. There really was no in-between, so that shroud of black was the best alternative.


Awake at last to the warm sunrise of California. That was never going to get old for the runaway. Especially not the feeling of waking up on her own terms, whenever that was going to be. Today? About 9 AM. Perfect. Maybe she'd have to start getting up early when she gets a job, but that was another story. Lucky Karin; she'd never have to work a day in her life with James in her life. She was happy for her best friend, beyond happy even. This was a huge turning point in her life that she'd hopefully take and keep forever. But Thalia wouldn't cram her style and get in the way. Once her life was in order, she'd definitely rent a place herself. One day, though.


Today had a lot in story, she thought as she stretched her arms forward in her sheets and uncovered herself. Roland was definitely a priority. Whenever she sees James, she'd have to discuss that with him. Unfortunately, throwing the dickless wonder back into the water was their best bet at getting Melissa back, and as much as Thalia resented Tony, she had no ill-will towards his girlfriend. She'd happily get her out of Ra's' clutches with little regard to her significance to her rival. Though there was a priority above that for now. A personal one. The gift she'd 'bought' for Karin the previous day. Sure, it wasn't exactly purchased by Thalia, but it also wasn't stolen. Fortunately, nobody saw it when she returned home last night. The last thing she needed was to spoil the surprise. A simple kind gesture towards her friend after everything nice she'd done for her this past while. It was good enough. Even if a scarf - even if it was silk thin and more fashionable than anything - was not all that useful in August in California, it was far better than getting her a baseball cap from that same bargain bin. And also better than guessing Karin's size wrong for a shirt. It was rather neutral in nature. Later that night, Thalia caught the Hispanic butler in the halls when they were alone, and tried to communicate with him to find if James had gift wrap anywhere. Fortunately, French and Spanish have some common words, and that accompanied with some hand gestures got her to her destination. It was a flashy silver wrapping that she quite literally grabbed off the top of the stack. But she didn't have terrible motor skills, so she wrapped it quite well. Twice over, to add an element of surprise and make Karin have to tear it open extra hard as a tease.


Now the challenge was getting it to Karin without Tony seeing. It wasn't pleasant that everything had to be done in secret nowadays, but with the way this grown-ass man was behaving, it was all too necessary. She had removed both her shirt and pants when she went to bed, as to not wrinkle them in bed and due to the unbearable California heat. Well, hopefully nobody would walk in and get a surprise. Except Frank, of course. After getting dressed back into the outfit she had on last night, she approached the mirror of the bathroom for a quick check over herself. Hair was a bit of a mess, but a quick brush certainly helped make herself more presentable. The more Thalia spent in this new lifestyle, the easier it was for her to actually smile at her reflection. Even if she'd killed a man yesterday, even with the knowledge she had a monster inside her, she wanted to see the better in herself. If she could do that with Jenny, she certainly could through her own eyes in a mirror. Nodding to herself in the mirror with that happy grin on her face, the young woman grabbed the shiny wrapped gift and exited her room. No need to grab breakfast for now, as food came second to this. Why was she so hyper about this? It was beyond her. Maybe it was her own way of coping? Repaying Karin? Whichever it was, she couldn't wait to see the look on Karin's face when she came in.


The gift was behind her back as she looked both ways at every turn she made, making 100% sure that Tony wasn't nearby, and also browsing the area to find her friend. Not the kitchen....but Frank was there with Jordan. Not that she had anything against the child - on the contrary, she felt awful for the traumatic experience he was under - but she couldn't be near him with Frank. The conversation of how to adapt with him around would come up, and she was avoiding that for now. She snuck by the kitchen without even a hello and headed straight for the family room. The back of a white-haired girl's head caught Thalia's eye, slowly sneaking up on her again much like the previous day, and, once close enough, gripped the back of the couch with a single hand and shook it with the words, "Hey!" coming out with it to startle her.


Noticeable and loud, indeed, probably giving Karin a mini heart attack again. But it was always fun. Before she could get up and turn around the couch to greet her friend, Thalia hopped over the back and sat next to her, the package still behind her back and dropped behind her as she engulf Karin in her arms. "Sorry, you make it too easy to scare like that." She shrugged, grinning in her usual mischievous manner. Juvenile pranks like that never really got old for her. "I also gotta apologize for taking off last night like that. I needed to get away from Tony. He was acting like... well, a jerk. Not to abandon you with him, seeing he's been attacking us both, but it was better if I got out of there before I did something terrible..." She sighed, looking down in a sort of guilt. "I hope everything was okay last night. Hope I didn't miss much, right?"


And then there was the gift. Best she hand it over now before the day becomes busy. On her knees on the cushion, her frame facing Karin, she twisted her body around briefly to grab the shiny wrapped gift and placed it in this girl's hands. "I swear, I didn't steal this," she laughed, her smile never really fading around her friend. It was like a cure for any kind of sadness in some ways. Strange... "Hard to believe from a thief, but it's the truth. I legally purchased that for once. But anyway... I felt, you've been such a great friend and you've done so much for me... but what have I done for you? Next to nothing... I know you probably won't use it much around here, and in all honesty, I got it in the bargain bin at 24/7 mini market. Unfortunately, I can't afford the brand names. But if it came from the heart.... does that count?"


Unfortunately, those attempts for keeping the encounter a secret were futile. Tony had just woken up, in a white t-shirt and green sweatpants, drowsily wandering the halls when he caught Thalia hopping the couch with a gift-wrapped object at hand, hugging Karin, and handing her the gift.... Only more of a reason to be suspicious as he remained hidden behind a wall, eavesdropping on their conversation. His mind was racing. He had to tell Thalia about what Karin said the other night. Though in itself, 'do I look like a fucking lesbian to you' doesn't sound insulting on its own... but if Tony distorts the truth slightly and gets Thalia to believe it, it could just work. All he had to do was make sure this wouldn't affect him later. James made his threats very clear. He was treading on thin ice now. One more unwise move, and he'll fall into the water and most probably drown.
 
Karin was having no issues with anything, really. Just daytime TV. Morning TV, at that. There was nothing spectacular on, but, watching that and drinking coffee was a good way to pass time. She felt her emotions were much more in control now, compared to last night. It may have been a stupid move to launch her tea over Tony, and throw a cup at him, but, at least she put it down that she wouldn't sit around and take shit from him. If he tried anything, he should have known by now that she was more than willing to do something extreme. Seeing as he was staying under the same roof as her, too, that was another thing to watch out for. If she managed to snag a watch from Bradan, chances were she could sneak into his room at night and do something horrific. If that's what she wanted to do, of course. She didn't have any plans for anything like that, though, so that was all good at the minute. Plus, she didn't want to let herself go too much when she had Joseph hanging around, too. He didn't need to see his sister getting violent. He didn't need to see any violence outside of TV and video games, in Karin's eyes.


Was Joseph awake yet? Nope, but he would be soon enough - for some reason he'd fallen asleep last night with the thought of swimming. He loved a bit of swimming, too, so, when he got the chance today, he'd definitely be taking a dip in the pool. That was one thing Frank was wondering - did any of the stuff they had access to interest Jordan in the slightest way? Kids need stuff to keep them entertained. He hoped that maybe today he could leave Jordan to do his own thing - maybe swim, or play soccer with Joseph if he was feeling up to it. Something like that would be nice, really. It'd give Frank some time alone - he had some arrangements of his own to sort out. His previous apartment was compromised, so finding a replacement was pretty important. He was going to have to buy one under a different name, which meant getting fake documentation for the time-being. James could help him with that, right? Even so, a bigger place would be nice, and maybe somewhere in a nicer area. His area was nice enough, but not the sort of place where he wanted to go running at eleven at night, or anything. 


The current apartment was getting a bit stale, anyway. All in good time. It wasn't like Frank had a girlfriend to combine and spend savings with over the past few years, so his bank account was most impressive. For now. He was no millionaire, but he had a fair bit saved up. Frank wasn't materialistic. He never really treated himself to anything more than a new cell phone every couple of years, and maybe a new laptop, too. Obviously there were clothes he bought, but, other than that? There wasn't much more that he needed. He didn't need to blow money up the wall on $5,000 suits - even though it was tempting - something as simple as a suit that cost only a few hundred could look great if you bought it from the right place. Even so, that's not the most important detail right now. 


A more important factor was that Jordan wasn't hesitating on eating anymore. He was tucking straight into the breakfast as soon as he had it put in front of him, and while he was eating, he had the pleasure of meeting Elvis. Enough to make a fraction of a smile tug at the young boy's lips - Frank was getting there. He didn't mind caring for the kid, because he didn't seem like all that much trouble. He knew that if he was a son of Redgrave, his behavior before the trauma was probably excellent, too. SWAT Commander fathers can be pretty terrifying, Frank assumed. Still, the bittersweet part of it all was that Frank was actually... Almost enjoying caring for him. It wasn't a hobby, or anything, but, in a strange little way, it uplifted his life as much as it made him sad. 


He'd already thought of the possibility of it hindering things with Thalia, but, as much as they'd whispered sweet nothings into each other's ears and promised each other of a new life, he got that this wasn't what she wanted. Or got that that might at least be a possibility. If she didn't want that kind of life where she'd potentially have a child in the picture, when she was only past being considered a 'child' herself? Well, Frank had matured enough to understand that much, and he made himself one promise: He wouldn't let it break things entirely. Sometimes the things you don't get are a wonderful blessing. If things did have to withdraw a little bit, then, there was nothing to stop them from staying friends. The only reason people never stayed friends post-romance is because one or both parties make a big deal out of it and push each other away. In the worst-case scenario, that wasn't something Frank would ever do. Not after everything they'd been through.


Over to Karin once again, she didn't see or hear Thalia come in. She could have walked right in front of her and chances were she wouldn't notice - She was in her own little world with coffee and Jerry Springer, after all, so, that was that. When she got a fright from her, though, she jolted upright and quickly put her coffee down on the coffee table.


"Oh, you bitch." She muttered, then laughed. "You'll be the death of me one day. I swear, Thalia, however long down the line - If I ever fulfill the dream of eventually having kids of my own and you scare me in the late stages of my pregnancy? And my waters break? Oh, no no no." She shook her head and wagged a finger around, playfully. "You will be in what I call 'deep shit'." She grinned, "I certainly wouldn't put that sort of shenanigan past you, but, I suppose we'll wait and see, won't we?" She smirked. 


On a more serious note, however, the talk of last night came back up, "It could have gone better." She said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Earlier on in the day, Tony threatened to call CPS on me because I 'can't afford to take care of Joseph' - What a prick, right?" She shook her head. "After you left I told him to back off because you don't want his affection, care, or whatever the fuck it was he was trying to do. He got all pissy about it, tried to play it off to James that you and I might be..." She shook her head. "Having action on the side, I guess you could say? I couldn't fucking believe it. He's got some nerve." She huffed. "Ended up throwing my tea over him, along with the cup. Didn't get very far with that but it was still something." She chuckled once. "Pissed me off so much. James is getting well and truly tired, though. He was very... Distant last night, even after we went to bed. He was thinking about something, and I tell you, as much as I want to help this guy out..." She sighed. "I don't know how much longer James is willing to put up with this shit. He said he won't stand for it from anyone anymore. Not Tony, Frank, you, or me." He shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess." She said.


When she saw the wrapped up gift, though, her particularly pissed off expression as a result of talking of last night's events turned right into a smile, and boy, it did surprise her. A gift was never something she expected from Thalia. What was it? A thank you gift? Just a friendly move? She didn't see it as anything else other than something between friends. What reason would she have to think otherwise? Her mind wasn't playing out some sort of sick fantasy - much like she suspected Tony was having. Did the idea of her and Thalia hooking up get him going? Rile him up? Excite him?


The mere thought of him being 'excited' over that almost made her smile fade. Gross.


"Oh, Thalia. You shouldn't have." She laughed, looking down at it. "You don't owe me anything. How many times do I have to say it, eh?" She asked, grinning. "Thank you. Really. I never would have expected it." She said, and with that she opened it up. It took a little more effort, because, of course, Thalia double-wrapped it. Good fun. Even so, when she got to the gift within, she pulled it out and looked at it, a big smile on her face. The shades of blue... It made her think - this would look even better on her if she gave her natural hair color a shot again. Go from the white she had and instead let it fade back into the dark brown. She had beautiful hair in general, but when it was like that? The amount of compliments she get was impossible to keep track of. She had a high level of self-confidence, one that was hopefully rubbing off on Thalia.


"Awww..." She said, smiling. "Yeah, that's really nice. I love it." She smiled, unfolding it and looking over it. "It's great, T... With Fall and Winter right around the corner, too? This is a big part of my wardrobe sorted, already." She laughed, and after folding it up and placing it to the side, she pulled Thalia into a friendly hug and patted her back a few times. "Thank you." She mumured, happily, the fondness present in her voice. She eventually drew away and looked back down at it, then laughed. "Now I'm the one who's behind on the give-and-take game. Expect something from me just as soon as it's safe for me to leave the house." She grinned. She didn't notice Tony there, not at all. Even if she did, she wouldn't have given a shit. Tony could say whatever he wanted about her. She was tough as rocks in herself - and she was guessing, given the close relationship between Joseph and James, that he'd never have the balls to ever act on his threats that may impact him. She wouldn't put it past him if he got desparate, though, so she was keeping her eyes peeled.
 
Being a cop taught Tony that the burden of proof can be anyone's downfall, and so far, it's proven to be his own. He can't get any ground on this battlefield because he's been making claims that he can't back up properly. So far, the only thing to back his own word is his his own sight and memory, which had no credibility to it. But if he could snap a few pictures of gift giving and hugs... it would still have very little ground, but they'd be good to keep in case he wanted to build a case off something a bit more substantial. His phone in his back pocket, he avoided taking a video, as it would capture their voices and blow the whole thing wide open. A few well-timed pictures should sell the act. One when Thalia handed off the present, another while they were in the second hug. If any more were to come, he'd most definitely keep snapping. But fortunately, his cover hadn't been blown yet. Neither girl bothered to turn their heads over the corridor and see him just standing there. But he sure as hell would cockblock their act by walking by and simply saying hi. Maybe interrupt them before they get too nasty, he told himself.


Did he have a creepy fantasy of Thalia and Karin in bed? Not so much Karin. Having Joseph on her tail for the past year made him equate her to a mother in his own perverted mind, which instantly turned him off. The last thing he'd need while watching two girls having fun under the sheets was someone's kid walking in on it. Quite disturbing on the youngster's part. No, Tony's only wet dream was Thalia. If he could convince her to have a threesome with Melissa, maybe it wouldn't make him feel so guilty of cheating on his girlfriend. It didn't make his obsession any bit more moral, but it did make him feel slightly better about himself. Which still wasn't any consolation, but satisfied his corrupted conscience. Boy, if word of his infidelity got out to the force? That would sure start a riot. Maybe even cost him his privileges in the higher-ups. Like an office. He'd be back in a cubicle in no time.


Thalia, however, was on a roll with scaring Karin when she least expected it. And it was a blast. Though she did have to be careful. "Deep shit? Why does that sound so scary but yet borderline exciting?" She joked, leaning her head forward from laughter and patting Karin's shoulder.


One more picture snapped by Tony. He got lucky there. Enough of a shot to see Thalia's red hair from her bent posture, and her hand on Karin's shoulder. Not that it gave the impressions he was doing anything X-rated, but Tony could sell the act like that. No doubt.


She threw her head back up, getting over her laughter. "God... and that's the reason I don't see myself getting pregnant anytime soon," she shook her head. The idea of pregnancy and children did cross her mind before, but now? Not really. "I'm way too jumpy to carry a kid inside me. That leap over the couch? If you tell me I can't do that shit, you'll kill me on the inside. I swear.... If YOU get pregnant, though, I'll be sure to watch out. If I can barely make a sandwich, you think I can help you give birth? Hell no. Maybe James does. He's got a lot of special skills, you know? Wouldn't be surprised if he's assisted a baby out in his time. Plus, he'd get a lot of time staring between your legs, so added bonus for him, right?"


Nothing better than dirty jokes in the morning for Thalia. Especially when they were related to her friend's romantic life. She didn't want to get in the middle, but seeing James a huge part of everything nowadays, she couldn't help but poke fun at the two of them in bed together. Then came the talk about Tony. And what she did to him. Throwing her tea at him. Quite extreme, but it would've been fun to see. "You go, girl. You fucking go," she whispered back. "Now I wish I could've been around for that. Seeing him almost get burned or something. Then you tell him to fuck off? Even better. He seriously can go fuck off. I don't want his sympathy or creepy touches or anything like that. It's so sleazy. Reminds me a lot of how Ra's touched me... you remember... well, I'd rather we not remember what happened in Pasadena. Eck..." She shook that thought out of her head quickly. But James was becoming more serious about his threat. No more drama. "I get why. I hate to say it, but a lot of the drama is my fault... I'll give you one hint." Her tattooed hand raised slightly, the palm facing herself so Karin could see the ink. "To think if I'd never joined Al-Asheera, he wouldn't be this butthurt. Unless his obsession is deeper than that..." Which got her thinking about the touching. All so strange and uncomfortable. Did Tony have the hots for her? A question for later, perhaps. "I'll keep quiet though. Only talk when I'm spoken to, and I'll keep it civil. I promise."


"If there's anything I do want to do for Tony, it's get Mel back," she sighed. "An innocent woman doesn't deserve to get dragged into this. Maybe if I get Tony's damsel in distress back, he'll start treating me with a bit of respect? Maybe not? I dunno. Beats me." It was hard to tell, especially with Tony's moody, all-over-the-place behavior. It could all backfire after all, and in that case, Melissa's death would be on Thalia's hands. That would be more blood that she doesn't want. "Roland. He's our best bet. We need to talk about him with James when he shows his face."


The entire idea of this gift was out of kindness, and nothing more. The only reason she was handing it down in secret was because Tony would surely not believe it. Especially not with his theory of a relationship between the two. Sure, Thalia had a brief crush on Karin in the very beginning - in the cafe at the moment of the robbery, sure, those thoughts were in her head - but after, they soon faded away when she realized that's not what she wanted from Karin. Not in the slightest. And at this rate, it kind of scared Thalia. Would her friend interpret her gestures as something more, like a romantic advancement? Would she run for the hills if she thought so, or keep her brother away? Would it cause a divide between the two simply because of her own preference? Would it be all over for the two as friends? She hoped all of the answers were no.


Karin loved the gift, and that made the runaway's day already, hugging back instantly, sharing a mirrored smile with her friend. That was what the two needed: to be happy with where their lives were going and with what they had simply as it was. But the thought of this 'I-owe-you' game wasn't what Thalia was going for. "Oh, shut up, Kar. You don't owe me a penny. You've done so much for me, and all I've done to you is get you in a world of trouble. Lost you your job, your innocence... criminally and sexually... Well, the latter isn't quite a vice if you ask me." She laughed. "Bottom line? If we're going to keep playing this game? We'll both be broke. And then I probably will have to start stealing again to pay you back. Odds are, both of us will. So let's leave it at that, right?" Well, she wouldn't go back to stealing in its literal definition. Maybe what she did to that cashier the other night: fake a few tears with a generic sob story to guilt the cashier into sympathy. "I'm glad you love it, though. Figured it'd suit your eyes, I guess? And the hair in a way... which reminds me, I've been dying to ask..." She reached forward at a lock of Karin's hair and flicked at it on her shoulder, asking, "What is your natural color? I'm sure you weren't born with it white. I'm just kinda curious. N-Not that you're not hot with the white. I love it, honestly, and I can see why James loves it... Like, I myself CONSIDERED dying my hair when I was little, but then I just got used to my shade of red. I would go for something darker, but I dunno. Guess people think I'm good enough as is, right?"


A whisk of Karin's hair. Yet another picture snapped by Tony. Looked alluring enough. If only he was recording the audio when Thalia called Karin hot. He'd snagged enough evidence for now. Maybe he'd sneak some coffee for now, getting up from his position leaning against the wall and marching through the living room to the kitchen.


"Morning... ladies," He muttered without any other insulting or provocative remarks, clearly trying to keep his rude obscenities to a minimum and trying extremely hard to do so. At least Thalia didn't answer. Her smile faded slightly as her eyes lingered to the older man passing by, who didn't even give them an extra glance. But beyond that, nothing else. He was gone in a flash, just walking away with nothing further to say to either girl apart from a simple good morning.


Thalia still had other things to discuss with Karin. Her encounter with Jenny yesterday, her dilemma with Frank and Jordan... plenty. But she let her friend talk first. At least they would be alone for now.


Meanwhile, the scene in the kitchen between Frank and Jordan was quickly cut short as the silhouette of the older man entered like something out of a horror movie, especially with his sleepy look on his face and the phone in his hand, held almost like a knife. He might've scared the boy at first looking a bit like a horror figure, even moreso with his bearded face becoming a bit too long for his liking after these past three restless days. But he did have a smile on his face upon seeing his partner and deceased friend's son.


"So, how are my two favorite men of the house? He announced upon entry, stepping up to the refrigerator and digging inside for the milk. A white and red carton. Fat free. This would have to do, cracking the fresh seal open and drinking directly from it. He sure was acting like this was his own house, gulping directly from the milk which other people might want. Selfish? Possibly. But he didn't care too much. Not with the gold mine he had on his phone, which he'd have to show Frank when things settle down and he wouldn't react immediately. Once he finished his first slurp of milk, he let out a refreshed exhale, nodding his head. "This is good stuff, Frankie. James knows how to shop. So what's new, partner?"
 
"Heh, I suppose some things are just meant to be, aren't they?" She asked. "I've lost a lot in the last few days - My home, my job, and like you said, a shred of my innocence even though I wasn't all that innocent in the first place, but..." She shrugged. "I've gained a new place to stay, I don't need to stress about a job just yet, and my innocence was lost for a good reason. Alongside that, I got a new boyfriend, and Joseph... Well, Joseph's happy. Happier than I've seen in such a long time. I can't really ask for much more - To top it all off, I got my first and best best friend in... God, years now." She laughed, simply, and gently nudged her friend's shoulder.


Tony may have thought he had a case by getting all these photos, but, in all honesty, when others saw all of this? Just a collection of friendly hugs and nudges and pats on the shoulder? Admiring each other's hair and shit like that? Were people really going to become suspicious, or were they just going to laugh in Tony's face? Right now, there didn't seem to be all that much going on other than friendly things, as most people would understand. If anyone knew two young women who were close friends, they'd know that this sort of behavior - all the laughs, hugs, and even a possible kiss on the cheek - wasn't out of the question.


If anything, at least Tony had found a surefire way to make Karin and Thalia his enemies even further than he already had. He was more or less already dead and gone to Karin as soon as he brought Joseph into the equation. At that point, the respect she actually had (yes, she did respect him to a reasonable degree originally) just diminished. A vulnerable ten-year-old being dragged into it as a means of trying to get to her? Not cool, not cool at all, but she was going to have to deal with that as it came. For now, things were alright, and Joseph was sleeping soundly in his newly-given bedroom which he'd quickly fallen in love with. Bigger, cleaner, and a comfier mattress. Oh, and a bigger bed in general. Was there anything else a ten-year-old boy could ask for? On the contrary to everyone else, Joseph had had a good time the past couple of days. An expensive lunch, a ride in a classic car, a load of new sports stuff for his wardrobe, and two new sports clubs.


"Fuck it, we can't change anything now." She said. "Tony just needs to learn to deal with things - I do wonder what things are like between him and his girlfriend at home, because if this is what the guy's like? I'm with you in saying how you don't know how she tolerated him for nearly ten years." She said. "Either way, the guy's in dire need of getting laid again, I think. I don't know." She shrugged. "Either way, I want to get Melissa back, too. She doesn't deserve anything in all of this. Maybe that's what all this shit from Tony is - It might be a way of him blaming himself for her misfortune, so instead of taking it out on himself he's taking it out on everyone else. I guess you never know." She said. 


"I find it interesting why he was so insistent that you and me might have something going on on the sidelines, though. That was kinda' strange." She said.  "I don't get why he's taking picks at basically everything all of a sudden. It's weird how he's doing it. I mean, I get that he's bound to retaliate if someone says some shit to him, but..." She shook her heaad. "Why would he bring up stuff that literally doesn't mean anything? Or things that are just accusations more than anything else? It doesn't make much sense to me." She explained. "I guess we'll find out why he's doing it eventually. It just feels like he's taking this all as some sort of joke - Like, does he not care that his girlfriend's out there and still needs rescuing? It feels like he's just sort of... Subconsciously given up. I wish I knew what it was, at least that way it'd be easier to deal with it all, you know what I mean?" She asked. "James mentioned something last night while we were lying in bed - We need someone to be there to sign for the package coming today. That's easily enough dealt with, though." She said.


Thalia seemed to be curious about her natural hair color, so, she just had to tell. It had been too long since someone had asked, and she just couldn't resist.


"Well, it was a color that went really well with my eyes." She laughed. "Yep, I was one of those brown-haired blue-eyed little girls when I was younger. I know what Joseph would say if I went back to my natural color - 'You look weird'." She laughed. "I've had this shade for years now, since I was a teenager, basically. But part of me's tempted to go back to my natural color just to see what it looks like now that I've grown up a bit. I'm willing to bet I could rock the look, and now that you've got me this scarf?" She patted the gift and grinned. "I think I could definitely play off the dark brown look, no doubt about it."


When Tony walked by, Karin just glanced at him, but he got no response from her, either.


Karin, after what Tony had pulled, was finding it very hard to trust him with even the simplest of things.


"I sometimes wonder if he's just sitting around a corner listening in on everyone." She whispered, simply. "Whatever. At this point, I can't wait for all of this to be over. Once we get on with our lives when all of this clears up, happy days, I tell you." She smiled. "You know, if you wanetd to talk to James, he's playing the piano right now, if you couldn't tell. You could always go see him now before something pops up." She smiled. "Or we can chill here for a little while. Up to you." She said.


Unknown to Karin, Thalia had some other dramas to discuss. Was now the time and the place? Would they get another chance after this morning?


--


In the kitchen, Frank smiled up at Tony as he entered. Jordan was doing okay, by the looks of it. Wolfing down scrambled eggs on toast, sipping at a glass of cold orange juice now and again. Things seemed to be going much smoother than yesterday - it was easy to see that Jordan was much more comfortable with Frank nearby; even when Tony walked in, there was that slight tense in his body. He wasn't doing good around anyone else, but, at least he wasn't freaking out as soon as Tony entered. He was just a little more on-edge, understandably, but eventually he settled back down. He remembered Tony. He was Frank's partner, of course, and that was enough to make him trust him a little more, though.


Jordan didn't speak a word in response to Tony, however. He just looked at him, then looked back to Frank. Frank was going to be the one doing all the talking, it seemed, which was fair enough. Frank had noticed how Jordan was more or less silent around everyone else. Was he a naturally shy kid? Sadly, they couldn't call Redgrave up and ask him if he was a shy boy before the family was butchered - Dark of Frank to look at it that way, but, that's the way it was. They didn't know anything about Jordan other than his name, his age (sort of), and the fact he was Redgrave's boy. Sad times. Hopefully they'd be able to find out more soon - Frank could ask a favor of James, right?


Overall, if there was one thing that made Frank cringe, it was Tony drinking from the bottle. It was No Fat milk, so, he wasn't going to be drinking that (if he wanted milk with no fat in it, he'd just drink water - that was his opinion of milk with no fat). Either way, someone must have used it - There were other ones in there. 2% fat, 4%, and 6%. There were quite a few to choose from - Frank would always opt for the full-fat or the semi-skimmed, though. Those were the best, especially if they were expensive. The expensive bottles always had a creamier taste.


"Well, for one..." He went to a cupboard and got out a glass, giving a half smile as he placed it down in front of Tony. Just a subtle pointer. "Jordan's doing a little better this morning. Slept through the night, and now, he's admiring my culinary skill." He patted Jordan on the back once, "Isn't that right?" He asked.


Jordan looked at him for a second, "Yeah." He squeaked, then looked back down at his plate. 


"I think me and him are doing pretty alright this morning, Tony." Frank smiled. "We've had a rough couple of days, but... I'm hoping today might be a little better. I was telling him that Joseph would probably be up for playing soccer or something with him at some point, but... We're gonna' see how he feels about that a bit later." He rested his hand down atop Jordan's head. "A good night's sleep, though, that was for sure." He said. He still felt a little weird about Jordan waking him up during the night, though, just for him to stand outside the bathroom while he went. He wasn't used to a kid waking him up like that. He wasn't used to a kid waking him up at all, for that matter.


"Other than that, not much is new. Need some clothes for Jordan here, because he can't walk around in yesterday's t-shirt and underwear all day." He laughed. "How about you, Tony? Sleep okay?" He asked, sitting back down beside Jordan and sipping at a cup of coffee he had with him. 
 
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