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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

Saying those very words, questioning motives for Frank's future and what was to come for this potential couple, pained Thalia with every syllable she uttered. How could she even say those things? Whether she liked it or not, she was basically asking Frank to choose between his lover and an innocent boy. And likewise, no matter how Frank phrased it, picking Jordan over her would break Thalia's heart, even though she knew the answer long before she asked. She just needed to be sure of it. She didn't want to turn her back on this special bond they had without knowing for certain that it was over and they had different plans for the future. It was enough that the distance between them, intentional or not, was causing a divide. But now, Jordan was going to worsen the blow, unfortunately. She adored the child, sure, but she could never assume the position of his mother, no matter the feelings she had for Frank.

And with every word out of Frank's mouth, Thalia, likewise, began to develop a saddened facial expression, enough to let her eyes start watering. Her hands fell to her lap and her back hunched forward as she contemplated what to say next. "He has no one?" she stuttered skeptically. "No family...? Not a missing aunt or uncle? Not a grandma in the countryside? Nothing at all?" She couldn't even believe that. Did no one want this child back? Was it possible that he'd be thrown into the foster care system in the condition he's in? Or worse, in psychiatric care, which she was also afraid of? "That can't be, Frank. There's gotta be someone somewhere. We can keep.... looking, right? I'm sure we'll find someone."

What if they don't? Then Frank's plan to keep him would go full force. And hearing that he'd keep Jordan as his own made Thalia's jaw drop slightly. She resisted the urge to shake her head in denial, fear of the sorrow she'd be in when this is all over, her fear coming true. She knew it was coming, but she was just hoping that it wouldn't be true. Who knew a wonderful night made her so... attached? But after all, her desire for Frank was rather selfish. If he felt this was his life's calling to take care of Jordan, who was she to stop him? With the wet sensation in her eyes manifesting in what would soon be tears, she sighed to catch her breath, then cracked a few words, "Well... you are an amazing man, Frank. No doubt. No man would give up his youth for a child he barely just met and grew attached to like this. You are one of a kind, and I was happy to call you my own these past few days, but... I'm just not like that. I can't just throw my youth away. I've lost a good bit of my life to Al-Asheera, and now that I have a chance to get it back? T-There's..." She took a deep breath. It was clear she was on the brink of crying, but she promised herself not to, not to Frank's face. She quickly ran her right hand across her eye to cover it up and continued, "There's so much I want to do with my life that I couldn't do before I settle down. Maybe that's not the case for you, but I just thought..."

If she were to continue, she would've said she thought she could've shared those memories with Frank. But what was the point of 'what ifs'? "If he has a bounty on his head, we can keep him safe. I never said no to that. But that shouldn't stop us from finding his next of kin. You wouldn't want to deprive a family of Jordan, right?" Following up with comments about their future would be futile. Jordan was still a priority. "He'll open up to people someday... time heals all wounds, they say? You can be sure Jordan will get better, but can you just...." she sniffled, "God damn it, I'm being selfish... because I want you, okay? I REALLY want you. And it's bad that I do, because I know that there are more important things than our thing from the other night." Just admitting that to Frank was enough to let the drops of tears fall to her cheeks and made her voice succumb to the emotional distress. But she quickly swiped a rolled fist over the trails to cover up. But there was no covering up her sorrow.

Tony... he fucked up again, clearly. The gun he used to shoot The Medic wasn't his own, and Thalia knew this. But she didn't recognize it as Frank's in particular. It was all happening so fast and she couldn't make a concise judgement about the gun. But Tony just framed his partner, and if he didn't have a target on his back before just for hanging out with her, he did now. "Frank... don't say that. Please don't say that," She reached forward to take his hands into her own, not paying much attention to her upset facial expression. "I made you in danger long before any of this. Just for taking a liking for me... I've been a criminal for eight years, and in some books, I deserve jail time. So don't you dare say that you'd be dragging me down, because if anything, I have been dragging YOU down. Don't think that's a reason to blame anyone, except Tony. I'm sorry he did that to you, and I'm sure James isn't going to stand for it. I sure as hell don't."

Nobody did in all honesty. Tony was officially everyone's enemy now. But his state didn't matter to Thalia. Only herself and Frank did at the moment. "If you're happy, then I'm happy," she sighed deeply. "I won't stop you from helping Jordan. I CAN'T stop you from helping him, being that fatherly figure for him. I'm just... I'm sorry..." she let her head fall into her palms, eyes buried in her fingers as she mustered out a few words, "I can't do it... I can't do this..."

Getting emotional was not the plan, and she wasn't asking for sympathy. But she simply couldn't help herself any longer. Any sort of affection from Frank would only hurt her more. But she didn't want to simply walk away into her own little corner of the world and act immature about it. Sure, she was weeping over this, but she didn't want to make it worse by turning her back on him. She stayed. What hurt more? Frank didn't break her heart; she did. She broke her own heart because she finally met someone so perfect to her, and she couldn't be with him because she didn't have her life in order. THAT hurt more than anything else.

It was now more than ever that she could use a hug from someone who didn't seem like a distant dream never to be fulfilled...

--

After being apprehended, Tony was immediately locked up in the LAPD's underground, poorly-lit interrogation room by Sergeant Reeves until further notice. He wasn't in handcuffs due to the department's trust that Tony wouldn't just walk out the front door. And even if he did try to exit, there were a few officers watching outside. The rumors had begun: the high and mighty untouchable Tony Walsh, now sitting in an interrogation room under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, even as far as being an accessory. He was taking heat for crimes that were going to be pinned on Frank. This was never his plan, not in the slightest. What more could he do? His reputation was tanking. Odds are, his badge wouldn't survive the ordeal, either. Most importantly, James couldn't possibly be a stranger to this whole thing. He's probably heard about it by now and is sitting in his ivory tower just laughing at his demise. Melissa wouldn't forgive him, given Ra's doesn't begin cutting her to pieces when he finds out Tony was in prison...

Mel.... how could he forget? He had to bring it up next time Reeves checks up on him. They could help knowing that Al-Asheera has his girlfriend.

Tony was prepared to confess in full detail to everything. Every ounce of details about the private operations against the Clover Boys and Al-Asheera, as well as the location and a facial description of Fritzy and the identity of the mystery redhead. Would all of that intel be enough to get him, and possibly Frank, their freedom? What kind of backlash would that create from everyone else if Thalia and James go to prison? Karin would never forgive him for putting them both in prison - her boyfriend and best friend behind bars? What girl would? Frank would be anyone's guess. Would he appreciate Thalia and James gone in exchange for his freedom? How low would Tony stoop? That was only for time to tell as he paced back and forth in the interrogation room, his hair growing sweaty and out of its usual combed-back form, now with a few strands falling over his head. He took off his jacket and let it hang on the fold-out chair and folded the sleeves of his white button-up shirt up to his elbow. The California heat was enough to put up with. And this interrogation room was no better. His gun, badge, and cuffs were taken as well when he was processed and searched. And he was nervous on top of it all, making it worse. Guilt showed evidently on the veteran, and that mean he was breakable. Good news for Jordan Reeves.

At long last, Reeves entered the room, a quick motion of his hand signalling Tony to sit down in his place. He knew the drill and obeyed. Reeves had a notepad in hand with a pen looped into the spiral, as well as a file containing some information about the case. He did his homework and probably confirmed what Tony was talking about in regards to Thalia. And once they were both seated, the sergeant began:

"I just looked into the Thalia Griffin/mystery redhead duality that you spoke of," he slapped his belongings onto the table and slammed his palms onto the surface. "It checks out, Tony. Guess your word had more merit than I gave you credit for."

Tony smirked. "You know I'm the best at what I do for a reason, Jordan. You should've never doubted me."

"I had to doubt you. After all that's been happening in this department, did you expect a handshake when you came back ever so quietly? After all this shit happening with your partner?"

"I assume you're ready to listen though. My intel about Griffin was good."

Reeves nodded. "I'm all ears, Walsh."

Where to begin... he started with Al-Asheera. He might as well continue. "Thalia Griffin is being held in a mansion in Encino. Same area where that goon was gunned down. She's already confessed a good deal about her organization."

"So has Griffin turned?"

"She claims so. But I doubt."

"Hmph. Where can we find her? 'A mansion in Encino' is not very descriptive."

"I don't know the exact address, but I can take you there. But guess who else is there?" He tapped a few fingers onto the metal table, leaning forward to the sergeant, a desperate look in his eyes. "Fritzy. He resides there. That grey-hat hacker? We've got him there too. All you need to do is get me behind the wheel of a car, and we can send a swarm of squad cars there and bring the place into submission."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you broke the mystery redhead."

Twirling his fingers over the surface of the table, Tony continued, "We know more about the higher-ups of Al-Asheera. Thalia Griffin claims that there is a leader that they call Al-Ra's, real name is Rami Younes, who's been missing for 30 years after murdering his foster parents at the age of 15. Beneath him is his inner circle, which they call The Ten. Griffin is one of them, and so was Bernard Sullivan."

A rat in the LAPD? The new guy, even? Reeves scoffed. "Unbelievable. You're just covering Frank's ass."

"He had a burn over where the hand tattoo goes, and the neck tatt is still there. Go check the body, Jordan. He killed himself in the bathroom when me and Frank cornered him."

"With Frank's gun?"

"He swiped it from his holster! He's a clever son of a bitch!" Tony was raising his voice, which Jordan didn't appreciate. Once he realized he was pushing it, Tony calmed down. "Sorry... Sullivan was dirty. I'm sorry to have to admit it. Griffin confirmed it for us." A bit of a lie. Thalia didn't confirm anything; Tony just did his homework.

"Let's assume he really was dirty. And in this Ten you speak of... how can we be sure that Griffin will cooperate with us?"

"Because she fears me. And I can break her in seconds. Plus..." He sighed, about to reveal a new piece of information. A troubling one. "They've kidnapped Melissa. And I feel like Griffin had a hand in it."

A heart-filled remark. One that struck Reeves where it hurt on the inside. He became much less tense in his seat and sat up properly. "Tony... I'm sorry. I promise you, if you give us everything you're speaking of, give us Griffin, and testify, we will get Melissa back. But you need to take us to the mansion in Encino. Now."

Tony shook his head, tisking under his breath. "Immunity first, Sarg. Then we go for a ride."

Before he could growl back at Tony, the receptionist that James had approached earlier entered the room. The look in Tony was no surprise. As he thought, people were talking, and even if he keeps his badge, he'll lose the respect he once had. His career was over one way or another. Reeves, however, was caught off guard. An FBI investigation, now? With no phone call in advance? Strange. And they wanted to see him. He groaned in annoyance, but eventually stood up, leaving the paperwork behind on the table. All the casework about Thalia and Al-Asheera... just sitting there. "I'll be there...." he told the receptionist, then he returned his steamy gaze to Tony. "You better stay put, or your immunity deal is as good as gone. And Frank will go to prison for first degree murder."

A stern threat that Tony didn't dare question. He'd remain seated until Reeves returns. But he was going to take the deal seriously. Rat everyone out, because this operation was indeed over.

Now outside the stuffy confinement of the interrogation room, Reeves stomped his way over to the lobby towards this new figure, a suited man in sunglasses. The federal agent in question. He didn't look all that suspicious on first glance. A bit young, but plenty of young people were entering the Bureau these days, so he didn't judge by that alone. He sighed and made his greetings, hoping that this hiccup wouldn't last long. He was about to get Tony to talk, and at the worst of times, an interruption.

"Agent... Sergeant Reeves here," he extended a firm right hand forward for a handshake. Just a formality, after all. Once that was out of the way, he raised an eyebrow, but remained hospitable with the agent. He didn't want to butt heads with the FBI just yet. "You said you wanted to speak to me? I wasn't made aware of a federal agent coming to see me, or anyone in the department. Care to explain the situation? I'm in a bit of a hurry at the moment, a suspect waiting in the interrogation room now. So best we make this quick."
 
There was bound to be the denial, but with everything Thalia said, he just shook his head ever so slowly. He wished things could have been different - if Al-Asheera hadn't kept her on such a tight leash, by now things would have been okay. They could have carried on and they could have looked after Jordan together, but, Frank knew that now that was no longer a strong possibility. For now, he was going to be more or less on his own looking after the boy - he didn't want to hold Thalia back. Part of him wanted to try and convince her that things would work out, but, that didn't seem fair. It really didn't. If it was all going to end tonight, he'd have to be a man and suck it up. He had to move on, he couldn't sit there crying his eyes out in front of Jordan, either. He couldn't cry his eyes out in front of anyone, for that matter. Now, it was dog-eat-dog. If anyone showed weakness, they were going to have it played.

His thoughts wandered back to McAllister, too. He seemed strong, but was that an act? The man's family was at stake, and with the wanted level he was sure both he and Tony had, getting McAllister a sit-in with his family was next to impossible. It was probably better that way - if he rocked up at their doorstep, that could cause a whole number of problems. McAllister was probably the sanest person of this whole thing right now, and with how things were going for the rest of them... God, it wasn't looking good, but now Frank had to deal with the drama with Thalia. It was heart-wrenching that things were having to come to an end, but, there seemed to be no other way around it.

"Thalia..." He sighed, "I know what you're saying and I respect that this isn't the most... Ideal situation for, well, us, but they've looked for family. They've searched for next of kind. The grandparents on both sides of Jordan's family have passed away, and his mother and father were both only-children in their own families. The bloodline... It stops at Jordan Redgrave. It pains me to... Tell it to you that bluntly, but, I'm afraid that's the way it is. Jordan is the only one left. And he... He may recover, yes, but, the boy has no one anymore. He doesn't have family or anyone that cares about him other than me, and even if he did somehow recover if he got sent to social care, what sort of message would I send to him by just... Letting him go like that?" He asked, then took a shaky sigh. "I can't bring myself to do it, Thalia. You and I are at least somewhat established and somewhat able of doing something with our lives. Jordan? He isn't." He shook his head. "He's alone. He's six years old and he's got no one left. I'm no saint, and I don't by any means owe it to him to do this, but... I can't just let it go. I really can't. Not after everything both he and I have been through. I'm really, really, really sorry." He gulped heavily and looked away.

"If this goes wrong, Thalia..." He said in regards to everything about Tony and the situation they were in. "Don't think you owe me. Don't think you need to hand yourself over just to get me out of a jam - if shit comes my way... I'm smart, I'll deal with it. Tony doesn't know what tricks I have up my sleeve, what my intentions are. He's being blunt with everything, but look at me now - James trusts me, you trust me, Karin trusts me, McAllister trusts me - Everyone in this house trusts me, and I'm getting all the benefits of that. They get the information from me, James has his police scanners, I get the information from him, and I can work to make sure we walk away from this. Tony? If things go wrong, yes, chances are he'll shit on us from high up, but ultimately, like you said, James won't stand for it. There's no way Tony could get away with some of the shit he's trying to pull off." He said, simply, and shook his head. All of this was still too painful, though.

No matter who she wanted a hug from, it was Frank that ended up giving it. Just a slow and gentle one, just holding her close enough to comfort her. He set his head down on her shoulder - this hurt him just as much as it hurt her.

"Thalia..." He sighed, shakily. "I don't want you to think that this is your fault. This is no one's fault, and you showed me that... There can be a lot more to life than just police work and finding justice. You showed me that through a lot of your words, and... You not being ready to take this on? I can't blame you. You're not even old enough to be a college graduate yet." He gulped. "Don't think any of this is on you, and most of all, don't even begin to think that I'll hate you for telling me the truth. My life was focused around honesty, Thalia, and I respect you for having the nerve to come up and tell me how it is. I know... I know this will be hard to get over, and we're both going to think about it a lot, but... That doesn't mean we just have to forget each other once this is all done with, alright? We can still... We can still stay close, get coffee, hang out - Sure, the romantic element won't be there, but my promises still are. I may not be able to stand there and hold your hand while you make a better life, but my promises to help you get a new one are still running, alright?" He said. "You're a good person, Thalia, a good person who'll get a good life sooner than you think. Don't doubt that for a minute. You know I'll be okay. I just hope you understand you're not throwing me to the wolves or anything - Have faith in me. Both of us will be okay. And you have my word that you still have my help and support." He gulped, his voice shaking just that little bit. Fucking hell.

It felt like someone was throwing a curveball around in his stomach. It was painful.

--

So, the agent act had been sold.

Jordan Reeves seemed like an interesting fellow - too bad James was going to have to piss him off right there and then.

"Sergeant." He nodded, shaking his hand in return. "Don't worry, I'll keep this as quick as possible - I also hate to say it... But you won't be needing to worry about the person you have in custody. Word travels fast, and seeing as our own developments in the Al-Asheera cases are improving, the word of Tony Walsh has travelled very quickly." He said. "Tony Walsh is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for conspiring with a criminal organization, alongside that, he's wanted for GBH and unlawful torture of a suspect. I'll explain shortly, don't you worry." He held up a hand. "You need not say anything to Tony Walsh. I know that... Well, the FBI are known as the 'assholes that sweep in and steal everything from the police' - and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..." He pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and gave it a quick whip, causing it to unfold in front of the sergeant's face.

"The high courts have permitted the FBI to take full jurisdiction of both the Al-Asheera investigation, as well as all major investigations and operations against The Clover Boys and Bradan Cabhan. In times of need, the LAPD will be called in as backup or assistance, but, anything major comes straight to us from this point on. Suspects, evidence, files - even things such as SWAT raids. We have our own teams to deal with that." He said. "I'm sorry it had to come down to this, sergeant, I really am. But, things have changed rather quickly - not only is it proven that not one but two of your officers are involved in criminal activity, but, the death of two members of the LAPD has resulted in official action for a more appropriate agency to tackle the crimes that have been committed. If you're wondering anything about The Clover Boys... After SWAT Commander Redgrave's murder, alongside his family, plus the disappearance of his young son, that has also become a full-scale federal matter." He said, then folded the piece of paper again.

"I understand this may be upsetting news to a decorated officer such as yourself, sergeant, but it's not me who makes the big decisions. I can assure you I'd be wearing a much more expensive suit if I was." He cracked a tiny smile. "We've made some huge progress on the situation we have here, and in addition to that, we have Detective - or should I say 'Former' Detective - Frank Hale in federal custody, and he's revealed some rather frightening but also helpful things about both Detective Walsh, and Al-Asheera as a whole. Being locked in a room all day with no human contact and nothing more than a bottle of water can break quite a few men, as you can imagine." He shrugged.

"Now, as you have Mister Walsh in custody..." He looked over to the receptionist. "And as I left my cuffs in my car - You, cuffs." He nodded off to the guy behind the desk.

The receptionist sighed as he took a pair of cuffs from his belt and tossed them over to him, which James promptly caught.

".. You should be able to understand that I'm here to take Detective Walsh into federal custody, as well. Might I add that both Hale and Walsh are both wanted for the unlawful release of a prison convict, who, currently, is MIA. More problems for us to deal with." He said. "Before we take any of this further, what has Walsh told you that the FBI may not already know? I assume you've not been sat in a room in silence with him." He laughed a tiny bit. "He spill any details about any of this that may help us save time? I'm sure you want Al-Asheera brought to justice as much as we do, Sergeant, and if there's anything he's said that could help us do that, I'm sure our families could all sleep that little bit easier at night, wouldn't you say so?" He asked.

"Oh, and by all means, if you have any questions, fire away." He quickly added.

Probably a bit of an upsetting earful to Jordan, but, James needed to ensure that anything Tony had said already was disregarded - So how did he do it? An unorthodox way, but, ratting out the truth about Frank and Tony (at least to some extent) would not only cause Tony's word to mean Jack shit, but, if the LAPD believed that the FBI was dealing with them now, even if it was only for a week that they believed it, that'd be enough to clear their names and prove their innocence. It was certainly a lot better than forcing the two of them to try and fend off the LAPD themselves. James saw it as the only way now - the only way he could convince the sergeant that he was the real deal was, one, being a member of a higher authority, and two, telling a story so believable about Tony and Frank that he bought his word over anything else.

Now it was time to hear if Tony had ratted them out already. If that was the case, then that was another paper trail James would have to burn. He wasn't used to this sort of stress, but, he was doing okay so far. It had been a long time since he'd been so directly involved in an operation, though - then again, as an Ex-CIA member, he had a skillset that stood out, obviously. He knew how to handle himself in the heat of the moment.

Plus, he had ID, so who was anyone to question him?
 
So there was no chance of Frank changing his mind or letting Jordan go, or at least trying harder to find another possibility to get Jordan a home. Now he was going to assume the responsibility himself, to Thalia's disappointment. There was no point in disputing the issue or trying to make him change his mind, because he was far too dedicated to Jordan to simply let him go. Especially with a bounty. But even when the issue of the bounty is gone, it's not like Frank would let him go then either. He was one to grow very attached at times. In all honesty, so was Thalia, but her own connection and desire was in conflict with Frank's will. It felt extremely selfish of her to believe that she had to break it off now before throwing her life away as a full-time carer, but she needed to for the sake of living her life. She was thinking of herself, but she wasn't going to blame herself forever. What she was going to do was beat herself up about her heartbreak. It wasn't that Frank broke her heart. She did it with her own hands because she couldn't stand the thought of compromising her future over a child she barely knew. She even tried to form a connection with Jordan, and even if he made a move towards the end... it didn't feel right. She couldn't do what Frank wanted her to as a motherly figure. Not now, and it would probably be too late later.

Clearing more of the tears in her eyes, she mustered the courage to speak again. "I was alone, too. I had no one for the longest time with no one to set me straight except a corrupt task-giver, but I got out from the mess I was in. It may take him a while, but yes, he can, too. Even if he's in the foster system. I was in a criminal organization for the longest time with no hope of getting better, but guess what? I got better..." She sniffled. "Jordan can, too. You did your job well for him for now, but you don't have to...." She stopped herself. She was about to say he didn't have to do this, but deep down, she knew he believed otherwise. And that's what pained her the most. He had to do this.

Apologies were showered upon Thalia, but why did the mean so little to her broken heart? Why did it feel like it was just to lessen the blow and make her feel better for the moment? Did everything he say suddenly feel so meaningless? Is that the price of separation? "I'm sorry I can't do this. You have to understand that I can't. I'm not able to do. If you care about Jordan, you probably shouldn't have me around. I'll just screw something up for him and I don't think you could ever forgive me for it. I need to hold myself up before I can possibly hold someone else up. It's not as easy as waking up one day and saying I want to be a mother. You literally showed up yesterday after what we had and changed everything, and...."

She kept veering to a direction of conversation that seemed to blame Frank for all of this. She didn't even intend to. It was a natural instinct of hers to defend herself even if it meant pinning the blame elsewhere. This time, she realized this and regretted it. And once Frank approached her and embraced her, she felt suddenly... comforted. Did Frank mind her accusations that put all of this on him? She wasn't thinking straight, and she'd been waiting for so long to let her emotions out into someone and simply cry her eyes out. And with her face buried in his shoulder and her body practically shaking from the pressure, she did exactly that, clinging to him a bit harder and letting her sorrows out in the form of tears. If Frank were a punching bag, she'd let even more of her anger and sadness out into him. Though the man she was with couldn't get emotional, nobody was stopping her. "I'm sorry, Frank. I can't do this, and I don't know when I can." It seemed like her own sorrows were drowning out Frank's words and promises that he'd still be around for her. That he'd be there as she mends her broken life. It was entering one ear and exiting the other because she wasn't thinking clearly anymore. She felt like she was lying to herself by saying things were going to be okay, because they weren't. They were the farthest thing possible from okay. She quickly pulled away from the man and shook her head, her face covered in the leaking drops from her tears. "I'm sorry, I need to be alone."

She finally cracked and needed to separate herself from the situation, as childish as it was. Being around Frank and hearing him make promises like that, all while knowing everything she felt for the past two days was all for nothing, it ached too much on the inside. She couldn't be around this anymore, so she had to retreat. Going to her room wasn't a good option, as Jenny would probably be there, and she wasn't in the mood to be around anyone at the moment. Locking herself in the bathroom was also an option, but she figured, what if it were an emergency? So she picked the next best thing: the pool house. She stormed inside, slammed the door behind her, and locked the door behind her to not let anyone inside. She would move a couch to block the door in case someone had a key on the outside, but no need. It was clear she needed to be alone. And once she knew she had the room to herself, she let herself collapse on the couch where she, Karin, and Jenny were on earlier, and planted her face into the cushion just letting it all out in an attempt to cope.

I'm sorry, Frank... She kept telling herself, even though he seemed to be taking it so much more maturely than her. But she couldn't handle it anymore and wanted a moment to just let it all out and cry her eyes out. Even if she knew someone would come to comfort her soon enough. She didn't need it.

--

Reeves never enjoyed butting heads with the FBI, especially when it came to an uncalled-for visit like this one. Usually, they'd receive a call beforehand, unless it was an emergency. So, was this an emergency? Judging by his words, this could be something serious. Concerning Tony, Frank, and Al-Asheera. Just what kind of mess did this dynamic duo get themselves into this time? Did Tony break the unspoken boundaries of his jurisdiction and privileges as a distinguished detective? The sergeant tilted his head and listened to the details of the case the FBI had. This was going to be a long day.

GBH and torture? And releasing a convict without proper authorization? Did this have to do with the suicide of the comms guy in the bathroom? Was it really a suicide? What he could deduce: the bodily harm done to him was most definitely not from a psychotic break. He was probably tortured by the detectives. While his death is still a mystery, that didn't take away the actions beforehand, which were drastic on their own. Conspiring with a criminal organization? Was he really telling the truth about the mystery redhead and his connection to her? What was REALLY going on? And if Tony actually lead the way to Encino, were they just walking into a trap? Regardless, Encino itself was a hint. A narrowed area for a lead on Al-Asheera. But he'd mention that to the federal agent once he was given a chance to speak.

But things were about to get more complicated. The FBI took control of the Al-Asheera investigation, as well as Bradan Cabhan and the Clover Boys. Wasn't that... convenient? The day after Redgrave is killed and the same day an Al-Asheera clansman is murdered in the street, the Feds decide to put their big boy pants on and step up to the plate. It was indeed suspicious to Reeves, but before he could even ask for it in writing, it was handed to him. A forged document, but that was something Reeves didn't need to know. Hell, it wasn't something he could determine, and he wouldn't dare ask for it to be validated. He knew better than to try to impede or delay a federal investigation. The captain would have his ass for that. It was all strange why the FBI suddenly wanted control over these two cases after all of this time. Eight years in Philly, and the Feds never interfered in the Al-Asheera manhunt. Now in LA, the bureau wants a piece of that action now that the SWAT commander and his family were assaulted? He sighed, but he knew he had no choice but accept.

"I would normally have to take this document up to my superiors, but seeing that you mean business, I'll take it your claims are legitimate," he admitted. "Things have been crazy, Agent... Keane, was it? After what happened to Commander Redgrave yesterday, it's been all hands on deck for the Clover Boys. Now we've got a body from Al-Asheera left in the streets. And we know these two gangs are at the equivalent of war with each other. And I think you know we're not going to sit back with our hands folded and let it drag on. But we have been using the resources of the LAPD to their maximum capacity. Unfortunately, it seems the high courts disagree. Huhhhh... but I'll let you in on what's going on with Tony Walsh at the moment. Fine."

Hearing that Frank was arrested though? That was yet another contradicting story to Tony's. Something seriously wasn't right, either with the detectives, or with the Bureau. But who was he going to trust? Two detectives with an outstanding record of misconduct the past few days? Or the Federal Bureau of Investigation who could tear him a new one in seconds? Without further ado, he began, "From what Walsh has told me, he and Frank have been digging into the Al-Asheera case. So he claims. If that's got any bit of truth to it, well, I hope Hale's statements line up. Otherwise, we've got a bit of a problem with these two. He says he's discovered the identity of the mystery redhead. You know, that girl who seems to be a trademark member of Al-Asheera, leading many of their heists in Burbank? Get this: he claims it's that girl who ran away eight years ago that made big news. Thalia Griffin? The girl whose mother was a teacher, father a pastor? The same pastor that got killed yesterday? And looking into Griffin's disappearance and the first sighting of the mystery redhead..." he sighed. "I hate to say, it looks pretty damning. Nothing concrete, but Thalia Griffin disappeared in January 2008. The first known heist done by the mystery redhead was in November of the same year. Now, we understand that Griffin was athletic in her time in school, so clearly, that was enough time for her to get weapons training and self defense lessons from Al-Asheera. Ten months for someone who already has a base for it? It looks like it. If Tony has any other proof of guilt, I'm still trying to squeeze it out of him, but he claims he can take us to the mystery redhead. She's hiding out in Encino with that grey-hat hacker, Fritzy? I bet you've heard of him. He says he knows the location and wants a trade: immunity for himself and his partner in exchange for the heads of a known Al-Asheera clanswoman and Fritzy."

He paused for a moment, recalling more of what Tony said in the interrogation room. "He also knows the name of the leader of Al-Asheera: Rami Younes, yet another missing person from the east coast. Also claiming to get access to the organization's inner circle. Problem is, he has nothing on Mr. Younes, so we can't exactly pursue him. Miss Griffin, however, if his intel checks out, is a viable lead. I bet you guys could follow up on his immunity deal and get him to take you to Encino." He sighed, but in a more satisfied way. And he explained why, "Agent Keane, this is the closest anyone's come to Al-Asheera, so I'm considering allowing him to get off for some of what he's done. But if Tony is responsible for murder and physically coercing confessions? He's yours for the taking. I'm sure you heard of the officer who killed himself in front of Walsh and Hale a few days ago? We still don't have any details about it.... but are those the GBH charges that you were talking about? Because we have no such proof that they did that. Sullivan was on record having BPD, and that was assumed to be the reason for the psychotic break that he supposedly had in the bathroom. And when the detectives tried to help him... well... I'm sure you know what happened next. A bit shady, sure, but maybe you can elaborate? As well as any other bits and pieces of information you may have on what these two detectives have been up to. I'm sure you can keep us in the loop after all.... oh, and Tony is a loyal detective. I don't think cuffs will be necessary with him. He will surrender himself peacefully. Trust me."

Or would he? Would he start singing like a dirty canary if James shows his face like that?

There were still many gaps in the case, but Reeves, again, didn't want to interfere too much. He guided James over to the interrogation room, unknowing he was a fraud, and stood by the door, as if he were going to wait outside. "I'm going to bring this up to the captain, make sure he's in the loop about the transfer. But you can go inside and have a chat with Tony if you so wish to. Our house is your house after all."

It was said more out of fear than respect. Again, he didn't want to interfere with what was suddenly a federal manner. Why, though? Still more questions. But in time, the answers would probably come. He wasn't too upset from James' words, but he only didn't like how his prime suspect was being whisked away at such a convenient time. Right when he was going to strike a deal with Tony, like clockwork. Something was amiss, but he figured taking things up with the captain would solve it for the time being. There's no way the bureau didn't contact him first before sending a man to the station out of the blue. But oh well, the feds and LAPD weren't exactly best buddies after all.
 
It was a tough moment, but one that he couldn't deny her. She needed to be alone. She needed to come to terms with how things had gone - sometimes, when there aren't tears in your eyes, there are still tears in your heart, and that was the position Frank felt he was in. He'd been through the worst of breakups before - he'd had someone cheat on him, so the sting of a bad breakup was still familiar, but, compared to his previous ones, this went a lot smoother. The only reason he didn't cry so much (at least for now) was because he knew the pain from times before, and in some ways he wasn't as sensitive to it. Thalia was a special one, though, one he knew he was going to miss dearly for some time.

She spoke a lot about messing things up - but would she really? He knew there was a lot more to it than just... Well, talking or playing a game on an iPad, but she'd managed to do at least that. Frank doubted that anyone else in the house other than Joseph would be able to do that with Jordan without him freaking out. It was a start - a part of him did want to voice that, but at the same time, it felt like if he did it'd just be making her feel more guilty. Jordan had already seen them kiss, too - how long would it be before he started asking questions as well? It was all a lot of things to consider, and with how things were boiling down, he didn't know how long he'd be on the outside of a prison cell. A painful thought - at least if it came down to it, there were people who could take Jordan in. James and Karin, he was thinking mainly, but Frank was determined to try and stay out of prison. He wanted to prove he was innocent.

With Thalia's exit, his head bowed and a shaky sigh escaped his mouth. There was no further argument to give, and no other way around what they talked about. He hated telling her straight-up what his choices were, and even though Thalia was right to some extent, how she turned out normal after being taken from home and basically being on her own for eight years... That was the one part that grinded Frank a little bit, but, he knew it was her trying to find a way around it, so he couldn't hold it against her. Although, the words were on the tip of his tongue - She chose to leave. Jordan didn't choose to have his family snatched so ruthlessly from him.

In the heat of the moment, he had a feeling that was a comment that'd cause too much upset, so he held that one in. He'd made up his mind, and as much as he initially wanted Thalia in on the new life he was going to have, if she didn't want that, there was nothing he could actually do about it.

He went back in to find Jordan instead, who had quite helpfully climbed into the bath Frank had ran for him not too long ago. In the bathroom, Frank sat down by the side of the tub and offered the boy (who had more or less washed his hair and everything himself) a smile, but the tears still ran wet down Frank's face. It didn't take long for Jordan to notice, either.

"Why are you crying...?"

Frank gulped, "Just allergies, pal." He sniffled.

A lie said with a voice that held so much pain. Pain was the nicest way of describing it - Frank had a feeling he wasn't going to sleep well tonight.

--

"I don't doubt you've been using your resources correctly, Sergeant, don't take me wrong on that one." He said. "The only reason this is transferring now is because, as capable as the local police are, the FBI have a lot more power across the law board. Let's face it - the answers to cases like this don't fall out of trees, and to be frank, I've had enough of being passed around different branches of the FBI for the past five years. I was taken in immediately after graduation as I was determined to have a very unique skillset, and since then, I've had to rent places all over the country. There was a high chance I was going to be further up the coast pretty soon, but now that these cases have extended so drastically? Good lord, for once I might actually have the chance of staying in one place for a while. Quite the privilege, am I right?" He huffed and shook his head.

So, Tony had more or less ratted them out? That's what he'd heard from what Reeves had said. Oh, he was going to be having some fun tonight. He told them all of that? Thalia Griffin, the mansion in Encino, and even Fritzy? That was low. A low blow that was going to cost Tony in one way or another. But on the upside, James knew that all his accusations would be false. He could counter every single one in a way that seemed believable, and from there on out, Tony and Frank would have no law-based power. Maybe a dick move to rip the careers away from two officers who had been praised for their recent work, but, at this point in time it was necessary. Being LAPD wasn't going to help take down Ra's. They needed to work quick now. They needed everyone back on the same level. What was a cop without his badge? A man, just like billions of others.

"Although Tony hasn't necessary lied to you... He's not exactly been completely honest, either." He said. "There's a critical detail he's left out - a few, actually." He shrugged, "Not only did he assist in the release of a convict, but, he cut a deal with Thalia Griffin herself. A deal without permission from supervisors, and a deal without permission from us. It's funny - you mention immunity? He's promised her immunity, providing she helps him in an unauthorized case against Al-Asheera. Not only is that putting his life in danger, but many others, too." He said. "You see, Frank's already cracked and given a confession. The man who was shot today? Well, he's very insistent that he's not the one who did it, and the man who pulled the trigger is indeed Tony. It's all up in the air right now, but, the thing is, this is under tighter control than we've ever managed in the past. Even though we've never had direct involvement in Bradan or Al-Asheera, the documentation we have on both could fill a room. Now felt like the best time to make a move, apparently - like I said, I don't call the shots." He shrugged.

"Fritzy? It's funny you mention all of this now... He's working for us." He said. "The mansion in Encino? Once again, not wrong, but FBI-controlled. We got them all right where we wanted them, and Fritzy is going to be the man who helps us bring down any criminal associated with all of this. He's sat there on his throne of skulls, basically, and no one under the same roof is aware that there's even the possibility of him being law. You think a man can just magic up a million dollars in a couple of days like he apparently did? I honestly thought he was in the presence of much smarter criminals than that, but, it turned out I was wrong." He said. "As for GBH, no, it's not to do with the man in the bathroom, but, tell me something, Sergeant... Do you really believe they walked in and found a man smashing his head against a wall, or whatever it may have been? Even with BPD, things like that don't happen. That's not what BPD is." He said. "One thing you don't know, which the FBI currently have undisclosed video evidence of, is a certain Roland Simmons - allegedly tied to Al-Asheera, now being secretly treated after we found him with a bullet in the knee, a fucked up face, and two broken arms. I don't think I need to fill the final puzzle piece and tell you who was responsible for that, do I?" He asked. "That's the GBH charge, at the very least."

Before Jordan could take off to talk to the Captain, James was quick to stop him.

"Actually, Sergeant..." He called out, quickly. "As much as I appreciate you need to let your captain know, this looks a whole lot better on a report if you just tell him he's been taken for processing at a local detention center, or something." He shrugged, "As you know, you're in no position to make immunity deals legally with criminals - This is a very discreet operation, one where you won't find anything but hard copies of the documentation, but, I need to put everything that happens on my field report." He said. "If I put on my field report what happened today - Tony being arrested, him almost finding a way to get out of hot water... Well, it's safe to say a few jobs would be on the line." He said. That should have been enough of a hint to Reeves. "However, if we, say, come to the deal that this stays between you and I, and Tony is actually off to being processed and locked in a cell, this could go much better for both of us. I doubt you and any of your friends want to lose a job, after all." He shrugged.

"In addition to that, the FBI do like LAPD members that are sergeant or above. I'm sure there's kids or at least future kids you want to save a college fund for, so, let's say this all works out... Tony comes with me, Al-Asheera gets a takedown of the century... Who's to say I can't slip in a hefty recommendation to have you on the recruitment list, hm?" He smiled. "A lot more money, a lot less danger, and a lot less stress, but a lot more specialized. You seem like FBI material, Reeves. You're reasonable, unlike half the cops I've dealt with in my time. By all means, I'll leave my number on the front desk if you have any questions, but... That's just some food for thought for you." He nodded to him.

Before he went into the interrogation room, though, he went to the front desk.

"Right, I need the Al-Asheera and Clover Boys files, evidence, details, reports - you name it. I want them here on the front desk in ten minutes, okay?"

"You got it." He sighed.

Now, to the interrogation room - first, though, the room where they sit behind the mirror-window recording it all. He went inside and held up his badge. "Go take a coffee break. Federal business." He said - A camera jockey wasn't going to question it, so, as soon as they were gone, he turned the camera off. Now it was time. He walked into the same room as Tony and closed the door behind him - If Tony wasn't scared before, he was now locked in a room with a man who was probably very angry.

"Hello, Detective Walsh." He said, slowly walking to his side. "Allow me to introduce myself - I'm your old friend, Amnesia." He said, and with that, he slapped a hand across the back of Tony's head and slammed his forehead down onto the table. "And you, my good sir, are under federal arrest for conspiring with a criminal organization - You are also a wanted supsect in a murder case. You're a hard man to get hold of. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney - if you cannot afford one, one shall be appointed to you. I do hope you understand those rights as they have been read to you." He said, and promptly, he slapped the cuffs the officer had given him over Tony's wrists.

Sure, Jordan saw him as a trusted detective.

James saw him as something much less than that by now - at least he'd tried, but, unintentionally, he'd gotten both Frank and Tony right where he wanted them. Powerless. Badgeless. Needing a place to hide out. It was the perfect crime.

He leaned in close and whispered to him, "I suggest you stay quiet. Call it a matter of self-preservation, but if you start shouting and screaming on the way out of here, I assure you we'll be taking a detour. And for you, that detour will be one-way." He snarled.

He moved away again and started speaking a little more clearly. "Mister Walsh, you are now in my custody. You'll be taken to my commanding officer for further questioning. In the meantime, I'm happy to get you comfy in my car." He said - It wasn't like he could talk to him in the interrogation room without someone listening in on him, so, the car was the best bet. Tinted windows and everything. It was ominous, but, it certainly passed as an FBI vehicle, right? He just wanted to get out of here - James always was a fan of bacon, but not enough to spend more than 20 minutes in a police station. Outside was the only way - he still couldn't believe that he was going to be taking Tony back to the mansion that he'd so recklessly nearly exposed, but, sometimes there's no other way. Would they need a change of safehouse? It was a possibility, but, one that would have to remain unexplored for now.

Back door of the car, open.

Tony, pushed in.

Here comes the asshole-tearing.

He stepped into the back with him, and after the door was closed, he sent once punch straight at Tony's face, and gave him one firm shove to lay him out across the seats.

"You dumb son of a bitch." He said. "You fucking little snake, Tony. What did I fucking tell you back home?" He asked. "What did I tell you would happen if things went sour? I told you that FBI Agent James Keane would very kindly put his ass on the line for your fuck-up yet again to bail you out. And what did you do? Instead of stalling them, you fucking told them almost everything? Are you out of your fucking mind?!" He yelled, then crawled forward and took a firm grip of Tony's throat. "How do you think Thalia, and Frank, and McAllister are going to react when I tell them you very almost fucked them all over? You think they're going to even want you under the same roof anymore?" He asked. "You best start groveling and sucking my dick, pretty boy, because I'm beginning to lose the memory of the reasons I had not to put a bullet in you. Why the fuck did you try to rat us out? What happened to taking down Al-Asheera?" He asked, his grip becoming that little bit tighter. It wasn't tight enough to stop him from breathing, but, enough to cause minor pain and discomfort.

He was genuinely curious - He'd told him he'd bail him out if things went wrong.

Why did he choose to squeal when that was the case?
 
It wasn't Sergeant Reeves that was in for a world of hell, after all. He accepted everything under James' orders, and even heeded his warnings about Frank and Tony. Was there more in play than just two honest detectives doing their jobs better than the rest? Apparently there was. Torturing this 'Roland Simmons' and getting it on tape? Thalia Griffin getting a get-out-of-jail-free card by Tony himself, despite the confirmation that she's the mystery redhead? Alongside their possible involvement in Sullivan's death? Something was very wrong with their behavior, and anyone who suspected them before had every right to. It wasn't something he was going to the captain about, upon this fraud fed's request, but it was something he was going to keep in mind on a personal level. He once revered Tony. Now, he didn't even know who he was anymore. Two of LAPD's finest... gone rogue, and taken by the FBI. He left it alone.

But there was still Tony... he was expecting the return of Sergeant Reeves, and that's what kept him calm. He figured he'd won then and there. No chance that James or Thalia or anyone would catch up to him and make his life hell from here on out. Plus, it might not be immediate, but giving Frank his freedom might just win his trust back and make amends. It was a win for the detectives. Not so much for the criminal half of this team and would definitely have repercussions on Karin and Jenny, the two innocent parties in this, but he didn't care. He was covering his own ass.

The problem is, he should've cared for them. And he would now pay for it as an infuriated James, dressed to the occasion as a federal agent, entered the room instead of the sergeant. He caught on. James wasn't an idiot after all, and probably had the department bugged. Probably heard on police radio frequencies that he'd been arrested. Again, it was the talk of the town that a distinguished detective was arrested on conspiracy charges. The dirty look from the receptionist was proof enough that his good name had been soiled. Not only that, he'd be known as a snitch for ratting out his supposed friends. And when people discover that Tony almost costed Frank his freedom? All bets were off, and he'd officially be disgraced. It was all about to get worse when a clever grade-A conman had just swindled his way into a room alone with Tony. He'd depend on the men behind the wall in front of him, but he knew James better than that; he was smart enough to get the dumb security guy to get lost. And seeing the criminal mastermind worried him. The sweat he'd developed on his face was now from fear more than the heat. He almost wanted to get up and back into a wall, even scream that James wasn't a federal agent. It was so tempting. Stop that man! That's Fritzy! He told himself in his head....

Upon being bashed into the table, however, he had no time to make such a refutation and potentially screw James over. And boy, did he know how to sell the act. Announcing his rights, what he's charged for, all of the details in between. Not to mention the general physical actions that brought him into submission. No time to attack or try to fight back. No point in it, anyway. At least he told Reeves about Encino. The area would be under close examination now, even if squad cars had to visit people door to door until they find the place. And Tony would be ready for it. His mind zoned out at James' droning about protocol that he was usually the one stating, as well as being placed in cuffs, a demoralizing routine that Reeves didn't force Tony into. The tables turning was something this detective didn't expect. Is this how the mighty fall? He was a dead man now that James had him in custody. Would he be killed? Kept in a dungeon-like cell until further noticed? Or worse: would he throw him alone in a room with Thalia after telling her he blew her secret? Connecting the runaway daughter of the Griffin family to Al-Asheera's mystery redhead. The connection between her and her alter ego would never leave her no matter how hard she tried... and after seeing what she'd done to Nicholas Cervantes, there was no telling what she'd do to Tony: a man who directly ruined her chance at freedom. At being normal...

A beating from Thalia would be his last of worries. Because now, he was receiving one from James once he was seated in the tinted dark vehicle. A punch to the face, then a shove. He didn't dare fight back in such a closed-in space. He had cuffs, anyway. So it was useless to try. He was then lectured about his mistake. James found out he caved into the desires of the LAPD and snitched on them. A nearly full confession. All that was left was for Tony to lead the police right to their doorstep. Despite being gripped by the throat, Tony could still talk, which is what he did. His words were his only weapon now.

"Go fuck yourself, James!" he snarled, a bit constricted in manner, but still as aggressive as he could be. "Your whole plan's a bust. I told them everything. Told them about your little place in Encino. That you're Fritzy, that Thalia's the mystery redhead, and I had plenty more to say. There was no point in this dragging along any further. It's all I could do, and I sure as hell am not stalling in front of a sergeant who can read me like an open book." He paused for a moment, crossing his eyebrows in James' direction trying to match fury with fury. "I was negotiating freedom for myself and Frank so we could get out of your little hellhole of a mess once and for all. Frank wants some peace to raise little Jordan. I want to go back to the LAPD. We were both going to get what we wanted, all at the price of you abandoning your little mansion. I bet you have plenty left, anyway."

He grunted as if he were in struggle, but one where he couldn't exactly fight back in his condition."Frank will thank me for this. I'm getting him his new life, probably away from the LAPD, but at least not as a criminal. If you'd just trust me with this one thing to negotiate with them... and we could've had Al-Asheera once and for all. Why? Because of Thalia..." He sighed, getting to the brutal truth. He'd put his lustful feelings for her aside for now with his eyes on the ball for a bigger picture: the takedown of the century. "We could've nailed Al-Asheera if we'd just thrown Thalia to the wolves. Cut off the head, took our victory, you get to brag about it and keep the million, and me and Frank move on. Everyone's happy. That was up until YOU fucked it up! You didn't want to give Thalia up for the greater good. I was willing to make that sacrifice. Everyone else would've gotten away with it. Even you, because like you said - you could delete everything in seconds. Thalia can't. She's fucked. A sinking ship. So you have a choice: you throw her overboard, or you lose your best bet at making this takedown happen.... me."

A vicious, devious snicker came across Tony's face in an attempt of a last hurrah. "What's it going to be, James? What will you pick? Thalia? Or your pride? The way I see it, you can't have it both ways."
 
"You think you're so clever, don't you?" He said, a grin grin falling onto his lips as he released Tony's throat. "My, oh, my. How the tables have turned." He shook his head. "Use that brain of yours, Tony. You can't throw away someone who's on the right side of the law, too. And I'm not talking FBI." He shook his head.

Now, this was a secret that was true, but if Tony didn't know the full story, he could never play it to his full advantage. The only other people who knew James' secret were Karin and Thalia. No way were either of them going to tell Tony of all people. He had to give him a big smack in the face, a big reveal that told Tony one thing: You fucked up. He needed him to know that now he was trapped, and if he could make him feel that way, this whole operation could go back to running smoothly. It wasn't going to be hard to pull off after the stunt he pulled just now, he didn't imagine. "You really think a man can just magic up a million dollars overnight like I did? Come off it, for fuck's sake. Who do you really think I am? My name isn't even James, you fucking moron. You think I'm some millionaire playboy hacker, and that's it? Oh, no, no, no." He wagged a finger around a little bit.

"Tell me something, Tony, how does a man get a fake FBI badge, a forged letter, all these contacts across the world, when all he is is a hacker? You think I bought that fucking ID card on eBay?" He asked. "Think of all the connections I have. Think of all the places I've been. I've hopped from state-to-state, agency to agency - CIA to FBI to the fucking Orange County Sheriff's Department. And you think your petty threats and acts are enough to scare me? Enough to make me disappear? Here's a riddle for you - If I was so worried about my own safety, why the fuck," He reached out and harshly poked his chest, "Would I even risk coming back for you?" He asked.

"It's time for a penny drop, fruitbowl. You don't mean shit around here anymore. Look around - I dare you to even try and walk back into the station tomorrow morning without someone pulling a gun on you. You may have tried to rat me out, pal, but you didn't expect me to do the same in reverse, did you?" He said, his grin getting that little bit bigger, his heart beating that little faster. "Now you. Frank. Reeves..." He lifted his little finger and wagged it back and forth. "I'm wearing you all like a set of rings. The LAPD thinks you're a traitor, Tony - Go back to the start of all this. I show up, you and Frank try and sell the very poor act of being in the shipping business or whatever have you. I stay around. You are proven to be cops. I put on a big display and pretend like I'm going to leave. I stay around. You come to my house and know where it is. I stay around. You fuck up. I stay around. You go back to the station after meeting me. I stay around. You see the fucking trend here, smartass?" He asked.

"Whether you like it or not, you can't even touch me." He shook his head, "Boohoo, I'm the infamous Fritzy. I'm on the FBI wanted list. Who's to say I don't have contacts? After all, that fake ID didn't come from nowhere." He said. "And you've been here this whole time thinking you were sat on the throne of this whole gig, when really, you've been locked in a cage underneath it. Sure, I'm a liar, and sure, I've swindled you. But the biggest con I've ever pulled off? The biggest and baddest one was making you think that you had power." He chuckled and shook his head. "Now look at me. Now I'm the Agent In-Charge, they're going to get the evidence from both cases for me - Al-Asheera and Bradan - and you? You're out the loop for them. I sold you out to be the biggest bastard under the sun. They know I have video evidence of you torturing Roland, I've got video evidence of you browsing a locker of illegal weapons, video evidence of you being around Thalia Griffin - I've got evidence tucked away on every shelf, Tony, and you walked right into my trap. Now, you and Frank are right where I want you. It didn't have to come to this, but, it did." He said.

He positioned himself in the seat normally, looking forward and smiling.

"Now, Sergeant Reeves knows you and Frank unlawfully released a prison convict out into the open, they know you've cut a deal with Thalia Griffin, and better yet? They believe you are a suspect for the murder of that man today, too. They already think I have Frank in custody. They think Frank is the one who cracked and ratted you out - when really, it was me who knew it all along. But look back on things, Tony. How much do you have against me that isn't just your word against mine? You know me and everything I own could be packed up and gone tomorrow and you'd never be able to prove it. You'd be chasing a false lead. You'd be deemed clinically insane, pursuing a man that for all the LAPD knew, never actually existed in the first place." He said.

"So, Tony, I think you're right in saying it's over - But not for me. It's over for you. That badge is worth nothing, because now? All you are to them is a filthy fucking traitor. You can kiss your medals and your police officer's 401k goodbye, pal." He said, then turned to look at him. "What's the matter? You upset I crushed your dreams of being the big bad detective who got the infamous Fritzy and mystery redhead behind bars? Face it. Your career's over, and as much as I hate to say it, so is Frank's. They all think you're both guilty, and they think you are currently being processed for prison by the FBI. That's where things get interesting." He nodded.

"The way I see it, Tony, you can't have this both ways." He said. "You either do as we initially planned, and as I'm a man of my word, you get your name cleared just as soon as I know Al-Asheera is dead and gone, and you won't try anything stupid. You and Frank both walk away free, because you know damn well I have the power and the connections to make that happen - Or... I can either take you out to the desert and put a bullet in you, or throw you back to the LAPD and see how much they believe of your 'lies'. Because you know that no matter what you say... I'll be listening. I'll be watching. I'll be ready to move in and counter every single curveball you could ever throw to try and get around me. You know, selling me out is really not a good way to get Melissa back." He shrugged.

"Think, if you'd wasted less time being a fucking idiot, we could have her back by now. Now, if something bad happens, who's going to be accountable for what happens to her? It won't be me, Frank, Karin, McAllister, Thalia, Jordan, Joseph - It won't be any of them. That leaves one person, Tony - You." He snarled. "Because you, have single-handedly attempted to throw everyone under the bus without the priority of getting your girlfriend back. You know if you ratted Thalia out she'd never confess a thing to you. No matter what you put her through. You know Roland would never talk to you, either. At the end of this, if you ratted us out, they'd eventually find that Frank had Jordan, they'd arrest him for kidnapping, and potentially would pin Redgrave's murder of him. He'd get on death row for that. Jordan would be left without someone to care for him, and, well, you know what that'd make you, partner?" He asked, shaking his head.

After a moment more of silence, he smiled.

"So, what's it going to be, Tony? What will you pick? The chance to make all things for yourself and everyone associated with you right, or... Well, death or life in prison?" He asked. "Because you know if all of this about you got publicly leaked, Melissa would never forgive you for that. No woman would. Especially if she's being brainwashed into the process of believing she's been abducted because of you." He asked. "So, you've got a choice. You either be a good boy and work with me to get Melissa back and to safety, as well as take down Al-Asheera, or I find another way to dispose of you. Let's face it, it's not like you'll be much of a fight at this point." He nodded to his condition. Cuffed and on his back.

Did Tony expect James to turn everything around and end up ratting on him AND Frank? James didn't imagine anyone would be predicting that, but now, he was certain that there would be nowhere left for the detectives to turn.

"Oh, and by the way, I removed Frank's fingerprints from the system immediately after you left. Thanks for making my job a little easier."

Just to rub salt in the wound, of course.

--

Jon, Nicole, and Charlie

Pre-Flight

"I wouldn't worry about his motion sickness." He said to Nicole, "I bought a couple of things in the duty free place to hopefully tackle that. The only thing I'm worried about is turbulence. The motion from that makes a lot of people lose their lunch, sadly." He said. "It's a rare occurrence, but, we flew earlier in the year - First time was just a fluke, I reckon. Combined with his nerves for his first ever flight, that's probably what made him sick more than anything, but, I'm sure this time we'll be fine. Got precautions, though. Only a five-hour flight, so much shorter than the last one. We're bound to hit some turbulence over central USA, but, that's no big deal." He shrugged, then reached down into the on-flight bag he brought with him. He pulled out two things - a pack of mints, and a small box containing an acupressure wristband.

"Mike," He playfully tapped the top of his head to get his attention, and smiled at him after doing so. "Gimme' your hand a minute, pal." He said, opening the box up. As soon as he had Charlie's hand, he carefully slipped the wristband over it and obviously left it on his wrist. There was a small black plastic pad that gently pressed against the underside of his wrist - it was a regular-looking thing, too. A mid-blue material all round. "Right, son... I think on your last flight you could have done with one of these. You see, acupressure is... Strange, because, a lot of your body's actually connected to various parts. Parts you wouldn't imagine. For example, I think it's the middle part of your index finger and middle finger that are actually linked to your eyes in some ways." He laughed. "All over your hand it connects in one way or another - there's a pressure point that links to your bladder, kidneys, your head... All sorts. And this band puts pressure on a place that will just sort of all-round help your stomach stay settled during the flight, okay?" He smiled. "You'll get used to the bump in your wrist after a little while. Just let it wear in, and try not to take it off." He said.

"Secondly... Peppermint candies, right here." He held up the small packet. "If you start to feel a little uneasy, just take one of these and suck on one, alright? Don't chew it up." He patted him on the head before reaching forward to the back of the seats in front of them, and out of the little storage compartment he had, he pulled out one of the vomit bags. It was a possibility they had to outline, after all. He turned back to Charlie and waved the bag about a little. "Worst case scenario, if you feel like you're gonna' be sick, just let me know. I'll have one of these on standby, alright?" He winked, then tucked it away again. "You should be fine until turbulence sets in, take-off is one straight movement, basically, and from what I know, the take-off from this airport shouldn't be too sharp. We're basically just creeping above building height and then going straight to California." He chuckled. Obviously there was a little more to it than that, but, he didn't want Charlie worrying that they were going to be travelling upward at too much of an angle. The feeling of that happening can make people feel sick just at the thought of it.

As for the question of the potentially ugly truth about Thalia, Jon did his best to stay looking relaxed. He kept his arm around Charlie's shoulders, and of course, gently squeezed his furthest one just as soon as he was done asking his big question. If anything, it was going to panic Nicole more than anyone else, so he quickly glanced at her and just winked. He could cushion things nicely. Charlie didn't need to know grizzly details - they were in on the spy game, so, why not make it seem as though Thalia had some sort of involvement in all of that business, too? At least if he found out she'd done some bad things, he'd be tricked into thinking it was for a good cause, right?

"Well." He said, "Your sister... A wild one, for sure, but..." He let out a little laugh. "As you can imagine it's been a long time since either of us have seen her, son. But from what I know, she's doing okay. She's actually..." He grinned. "She's actually working with James quite closely to help put some bad people in prison. The bad people I told you about last night, remember?" He said. "So, in a way, that makes her a spy, just like us. She's one of us, no doubt." He whispered to him. The spy part was something he had to be careful with when it came to talking publicly. The plane's air conditioning and engines and such were loud enough to block out any talk between the two, so, that was all good. "I guess you could say she's James' agent in training. But she's doing a good job, from what I heard." He said. "Sounds a lot like you - Only difference is, you're a fantastic agent. No training required." He winked down at him. "Other than her job with James... I can't say I know much about what else she may do, but, I'm sure there's nothing to stop us from finding out once we see her, right?" He asked.
 
Much like how Tony gave James a choice, James fired back with one of similar nature. A choice that would leave him at a point of no return.

"I think I've been using my brain for longer than you, James, or whatever the fuck your name is," he snarled. "I knew letting you in on this was a sinking ship. Had it still been me and Frank running point and keeping those girls on a leash, we would've never had half the problems we'd encountered, and Thalia would've seen justice for her actions. Like it or not, but she's a criminal. Just like you. And while you've done things that were on the border of good and bad, hers were absolute. No halfway. Have you not drilled that into your head yet? You have done good. But do you honestly think that Ra's' pet, who's going to marry him very shortly and has the capacity to kill, deserves a chance at freedom? I told you: a sinking ship. And it seems like you're going down with it. I could've prevented the damages had you not turned into a bossy asshole and not let me have any control over the operation. Instead you chose to trust a mentally unstable killer, yes, KILLER, over a cop who's been doing this for ten years. We could've been a dynamic due. The professional detective and the master grey-hat hacker. I never thought you were a small-time thing. I just thought you were smarter than to trust a girl like Thalia. At least her life is ruined now that I told Reeves who she really is."

Tony had never been pushed into a corner as much as he'd been now. Not to mention he was at a significant disadvantage in this fight and could've even defend himself if James decided to land another blow. But revelations did come to mind: James knew what he was doing to the point that cleaning up after everyone's messes was a piece of cake and didn't worry him in the slightest. Nothing scared him, not even how Tony quite literally just snitched, and even if Reeves was now a pawn in this game, knowing or not, he would still communicate the information. It wouldn't be long until a report gets wind of the Thalia Griffin/mystery redhead duality and goes public. He'd officially ruined Thalia's life. And given the nature of her disappearance, when she's reunited with her mother, they'll go public. And the second she does that, she'll be bound in handcuffs and taken into police custody.

"I didn't try to sell that act about the 'shipping company' bullshit, so you know," he corrected. "I would've happily said I was a cop to your face had Thalia not stolen my badge and gun. See that? She steals things from right under people's noses. Is that the kind of bitch we're going to give a free pass and a new identity? Tell me this, James: what makes you so sure she hasn't stolen anything from your place, huh? And don't tell me surveillance. Thalia's good at her job, and I'm sure she can steal something discreetly without tripping alarms or being caught on camera. Why don't you go search her bedroom when we go home, hm?"

The only thing Thalia really 'stole' was a bucket of his quality ice cream... which James caught before she could just go back to her room with it.

"I don't need to touch you..." he growled, "But I know your bluff here won't last. Reeves is gonna check up on the FBI about me and Frank, and when the director claims that he has no business with us? They'll believe my claims were true. And you'll be the one in the shitter. I am not afraid of you, and I trust the system. I was going to get Frank his freedom back, and if stabbing you in the back does exactly that, I'll do it. Threaten me with whatever evidence you want or buy out whatever cops you want. As long as you get burned and Thalia goes to prison to? I'll consider this a job well done. What, would you put your ass on the line for a girl destined to prison with no defense to keep her head above water? Is that something you'd happily do as well? Because like I keep saying: Thalia won't live this ordeal. She'll go to prison one way or another, with or without my actions."

At this point, all Tony was doing was running his mouth, because physical comebacks were futile in his state. With a snicker, he repeated himself, "So do it. Ruin my life with whatever evidence you have. I'll walk right back up to the LAPD's steps and explain my story. I won't get my badge back or live my dream, but at least I'll get some satisfaction knowing I testified against you and Thalia. I've seen your face, so I can give them a sketch and they can find out who you really are. And if I can't catch you, at least you'll be on the run. That's the worst punishment a man can be dealt. Or you could turn yourself in. But trust me: I can talk my way through the LAPD and reduce my sentence with your lame insanity claims. Your claims about the FBI won't hold. And I'll stand tall after all of this. Don't you forget that, James... you know? Since I am a dead man, I think I deserve the right to know what your real name is. Just so I know the man who will have me supposedly see my maker? Hm? Or are you too pussy for that?"

More threats came his way, being obedient, or death, prison, or being ashamed in front of the LAPD, none of the three frightened him.

Except Melissa.

"You're to blame that we haven't made the trade-off yet," he argued. "If you weren't such an asshole and just took care of everything from your little computer, we could've been done this morning and traded Roland for Melissa. If she's dead now, it's on you.... and I won't forgive you if that's the case. Run your mouth all you want to blame me for her demise. It's not. It's your fault, because you could've done something to save her. But no. No you didn't, because you had to be a jerk about this whole thing and ruin someone's life. Just remember that's another life on your hands, 'James'."

He spoke of the man's name with a sense of sarcasm, knowing it wasn't his real name. He didn't care how much he'd provoked James at this point. The angrier the man becomes and reacts, the more Tony realizes he'd won. In his experience, when someone gets physical, it's a sign of surrender, or nothing to argue back with.

Tony's final decision?

"James... in the words of Al-Asheera," he sighed, before confidently uttering. "Fuck yourself. You don't control me. Not anymore."

--

Jon was surely prepared for any sort of emergency thrown at them, be it a legitimate threat against their lives or something as small as Charlie feeling sick on the flight. Nicole did remember warning him that he didn't feel well on his trip to Paris earlier that summer while they were still at the house. She had a few medications on hand in her carry-on, something to soothe him if he developed an upset stomach from whatever it may be: the turbulence or just the stress of the situation. She knew how to prepare herself well, and dealing with students taught her to be ready for any contingency. She'd been around kids Charlie's age for too long to simply not know how to deal with an emergency. Oh no, she certainly knew how to clean up a mess of that nature if anything. All Nicole was worried about is that a hitman, much like the one who killed her husband, had followed them this whole time. But considering Jon knew what he was doing, it didn't seem likely.

In fact, Jon even had his own methods to keep her son at ease once they had liftoff. It still took a while to adapt to the name-calling, especially referring to her son as Mike and the change of last name, but she knew it would have to grow on them until further notice.

Charlie, at first, found the wristband... strange. The tingling sensation and pressure at his wrist was something to get used to, but it certainly wasn't as bothersome as he'd heard about acupuncture before. He expected it to be painful and uncomfortable, but instead... it felt like it would become natural with time. The things Jon spoke about, with nerves in your hand connecting to other parts of your body? It sounded absurd at first, but it did put a smile across his face. Sure, he didn't feel much differently in terms of stomach comfort - in fact, he didn't even feel sick yet - but hopefully this would help out when they get liftoff. It wasn't very pleasant to arrive at his mother's hometown when he had just thrown up for a good part of the flight. Maybe things could be different this time. He also had the peppermint candies to suck on if it really came to it. And if all else fails? The barf bag. Maybe if he could distract himself with the sights out the window, he wouldn't think about vomiting. Nonetheless, he turned to his father and said,

"Thanks, Daddy... hopefully I don't throw up this time."

He shouldn't. And even if the feeling came up that his lunch would make a second appearance, he was far too excited to focus on it.

The excitement was about to continue now with his question about Thalia. Nicole's heart sank. What could either of them say? She could always play dumb and pretend she wasn't burdened with the thoughts of her daughter as a criminal. What would Thalia be like today? How different? What ever happened to the precious girl she'd raised? Was she still there? All thoughts she couldn't share aloud in front of her son. But she did get her concerns out in front of Jon before they left the motel. So she didn't feel the urge to ask. Instead, she let her eyes drift across the aisles of the plane and let Jon take control of the answer. And he played it out well: painting Thalia as a spy, much like them. It certainly gave Charlie a better way to view his sister than flat out saying she'd become a thief. And he immediately grew an even bigger smile over his face to know this. His sister was like him?

"Awesome! Maybe you and I could teach her a few things when we get to LA?"

Simply to contribute to the conversation, Nicole laughed and told her son, "Oh, yes, most definitely. You and her will get plenty of time to share your secrets and talk about... well, your activities."

Likewise, Nicole was afraid of using such terms out loud on an airplane. Who knows who was listening and would report them? They didn't need that kind of unnecessary publicity, so it was best to keep their voices down.

Charlie, though, didn't have much of that concept, but fortunately, he wasn't screaming anything too shady for the entire airplane to hear. "Yay! I can't wait to go see her!"

It'd only occurred to the three... Thalia didn't have a nickname or alias in all of this whenever they had to refer to her. Considering that her name is relatively uncommon AND Nicole's known media personality, putting two and two together would be very easy with one slip-up. That would have to come up eventually, if needed.
 
"I think you'll find Reeves is going to do nothing of the sort." He said. "Reeves won't be doing any background checks - Unlike you, his mind hasn't been corrupted by ulterior motives or an ego that won't fit through a doorway. He wants Al-Asheera away with, and to be honest? After how betrayed he must feel now that things have gone sour with you, I highly doubt he's going to give much of a shit. Why would he care about you when for all he knows, you're nothing but a liar?" He asked, quietly. "But don't worry... I know what denial looks like, Tony, and a part of me wonders if being part of this was ever really what you wanted in the first place. Is it the Al-Asheera takedown you want, or something else? A revival of your clearly-low self-esteem and lacking masculinity, maybe? A lack of self-worth and achievement? I'm sure they all play in somewhere along the lines." He said.

"Reeves thinks that if he speaks, things go on my field report. He also understands that if things go on my field report, then people lose their jobs. Including him, potentially. However, if he keeps quiet, he gets a nice high position in the possible recruit list for the FBI themselves. I have files on most the cops, Tony, including him. I'm sure, just like any man would, that he'd like a job where he doesn't have to throw himself in danger, nor one where their own men are turning against them. Whether you like it or not, Bradan and Al-Asheera have got everyone in the LAPD scared shitless. They don't know if they're going to come home to a steak dinner or their wife and kids' heads tucked under the bedsheets. Grizzly, I know, but that's just how it is." He said. "You've got a police department that's too scared to do anything - and then there's you, Frank, and Redgrave. One of them is already dead." He sighed.

"Regardless of what your self-worth issues are, you are someone who's shown he's willing to throw himself and everyone he cares about out the window if it means cracking a case. It's why your betrayal is going to demotivate the whole department - if one of their strongest detectives has sold them out, what hope do they have, right?" He asked. "You see, Tony, a lot of these big occurrences aren't initially what I planned, but, you helped me turn things into a perfect crime. You can go around blaming me and everyone else for what happened to Melissa and how we haven't got her back yet all you want - but Roland's been available for the better part of a couple of days now, and the only thing holding us back is your drama. Your continuous flow of abuse and mistreatment of Thalia, your almost-fluke with Frank, your annoyance to Karin and probably bad impression to McAllister, and most of all, you've lost a powerful ally for the time-being. Being myself." He shrugged. "So, looking back on things, how many friends do you really have now? And you know something else? Because you don't seem to believe me, regardless of whether or not you're dead tomorrow or retiring next year, I'm going to get Melissa back." He said, firmly, "And that'll be with or without your help."

"There's also a keyword in what you said. Could've." He said. "We could have been something, yes, but, it wasn't me that threw that away. You forced my hand to take more and more power away from you as the operation went on - You think it's just a matter of coicidence that you annoyed everyone? Christ's alive, Tony, I'm probably the one person who didn't want you dead for the whole time you were treading on ice. I knew there was potential for you, and I knew you were going to be a valuable team member if you came around, but... You just blew it. Even if you escaped the frying pan, all you've done is fallen into the fire." He explained. "Regardless of how things played out - things are fucked up. If you would have gladly told me you were a cop, you should have done it, not sit back and let Thalia and Frank tie your balls in a damn knot. Things would have been easier if, at the start of all this, you didn't start off our meeting by kicking the shit out of Thalia and proving to me and everyone else that you were potentially volatile.

"I think you're just looking for someone to blame about Melissa, ultimately. I don't think that's really the case, though - Textbook denial, and the trait of an unsuccessful person - so far you've done nothing but deny your wrongdoings, or you've tried to shift the blame to everyone else. You're a bigger fraud than I am, that's for sure. Melissa goes missing because of your investigation. I had no part in that. But remember, I was the one that drove you out to the desert to try and coerce that man into giving us information, and I'm the one who made sure he was given treatment so he's actually able to talk and be traded - On the contrary, I've done far, far more than you have to contribute towards saving her. But, I'm sure if we find her in one piece, you're going to take the glory for that. And you know what? I'll let you." He nodded.

"If you think about it, I've done you a favor in some ways. Al-Asheera are going to believe you're in prison, or at least captured for your acts, and they're going to get a little more lax with Melissa. We may not have long, but regardless of whether you're tied to a chair in a dark room or along for the ride, we may have a window of opportunity to act and get her back. If you're insistent that she's dead and gone, though, I'll ignore that possibility. Any man I know, though, or at least any real one, would not stop until he had the woman he loved back in his arms. Back where he knew she was safe - What have you done? You've sidelined her, you've flushed her out like yesterday's oatmeal, and you've put trying to fuck over the people that used to call you a friend in front of actually trying to help her out. So, when it comes to it, you will be held responsible if she's dead, and, you need not threaten me - You won't need to find me, because I'll make sure I come straight to you and put a bullet between your eyes. That's if Thalia doesn't do it first - I've had my revenge for you trying to sell me out. She's yet to have hers." He said.

Would he really let Thalia on him while he was bound and defenseless?

At this point, let's not lie, Tony really shouldn't doubt it.

James knew Tony's one weakness was Melissa. If he could at least get him thinking, maybe even make him question how much he himself was to blame, then that'd be a job well done, and a possible turning point for getting Tony to cooperate.

"My real name?" He asked. Was he really going to chance it? The real name was the only danger to him, so, he had to bluff that. "Thomas." He said, nodding once. "Friends used to call me Tommy, though that nickname faded when I was around fourteen. Maybe if you work hard enough, you'll get to learn my surname, too." He winked. "I may not control you anymore, Tony, but, I control everything around you. You basically gave me that on a plate. Your friends, your job, even your relationship. You gave me permission to send her across the world, and I gave you my word I would. If you learn I'm not a liar, maybe life will get a lot better for you at the end of this. Maybe you'll get rewards big enough so you and your wife can settle down - she can pop a few kids out. She's getting close to the age where things in that department won't be easy anymore. And you? Well, if you still have a pair of balls my the end of tonight, I'll make sure you guys get at least a four-star romantic break. If not? Well... I'm sure Frank won't mind being a sperm donor." He said.

All of that was more of a way of taking jabs at him.

"Excuse me. Evidence is waiting for Mister Keane inside." He winked, and after hopping out the car he locked it and quickly went back into the LAPD HQ. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes to grab the two big boxes and walk right out the front door. The boxes went in the footing area of the front seat, and before they knew it, they were on the road and on their way back.

Now they had what they needed. The evidence, the files, every little nitty gritty detail they may not know. Things were going to get considerably easier.

But at the same time, because of Tony's stunt, certain areas were going to get considerably harder, too.

--

"I'm sure there's a lot you can teach her when we get there, pal." He said. "Remember, try and save some of that energy. Kinda' got a long flight, and we're not flying straight to LA. The flight times for LA are a bit weird, and as it's a prime place, they're a bit more expensive, too. We're going to fly somewhere else in California and make our own way into LA, okay? But don't worry. Sleep easy on the fact that you know you're gonna' meet your sister very soon." He gave him a wink and gently rubbed his furthest shoulder again. He knew Charlie was excited, and seeing him so happy was truly heartwarming. He'd bonded so well with the boy over the past day and a half, and honestly, he was very glad he was making the call to stay in California. He'd never have a good night's sleep again in his life if he just left Charlie and Nicole in LA. At least he could be there with them, and he was warming up to Nicole gradually, too - the family dynamic they had to act out was helping with that quite a fair bit.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight for the flight from Indianapolis Internation Airport to San Francisco Internation Airport. Our estimated flight time is five hours and twenty minutes, and we're expecting some mild turbulence around the halfway point of our journey. You're flying tonight with Virgin America. Myself and my co-pilot wish you a nice flight."

And before too long, a team of stewardesses came out and gave the whole safety talk on the oxygen masks and the life vests and everything. Although it was a compulsory thing, Jon always found that the safety talks were probably the one part of the flight that made a lot of people more nervous than they needed to be, and for a minute, he was worried it would unnerve Charlie, even though he'd been through it before. Still, Virgin America is number one in the USA in terms of airlines, so, the expected service was bound to be excellent. Just as soon as the stewardesses and told them to get the belts fastened (and showed them how to do it), they were buckled in before too long, with Jon helping Charlie with his belt if he needed it.

Now, time to talk about something other than the flight itself, even more so seeing as the stewardesses told everyone to close their windows during take-off.

"You know, Mike, San Francisco's an amazing place." He said. "I've been there a couple of times myself, but not for years now. It's a little far out from LA, sure, but believe me, however long we spend in old San-Fran? I can assure you you'll love it there. They have the best sights, the best attractions, and there's even this one place somewhere in the city that sells these $30 donuts. I'm not even kidding, Mike, they're probably about as big as one of these trays?" He said, tapping the tray on the back of the seat in front of them. "And not only that, they're probably about... As thick as one of your thighs, say. They're no joke." He laughed.

"In fact, if it comes to us having to stay in SF for a day or two - It all depends on what James says, really - we'll find that place and you can attempt the donut challenge, okay?" He laughed. "In the meantime, though, as soon as we're up in the air, we'll get a snack and a drink, and... I guess we could pass time by going through one of those books we got you in the airport store, yeah?" He smiled. "And if you need to sleep at any time... I know we've not got any of those weird pillows, but, you can always use me as something to rest your head against if you want to catch some shuteye. Up to you." He grinned.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now preparing for take-off. Please remain seated and keep your belts fastened until we're up in the air. Keep an eye out for the cabin signs that'll prompt you if it's safe to take your belts off. Thank you."

The plane started moving, obviously, and even though it wasn't full speed ahead just yet, it was still getting ready to go. Jon always felt the adrenaline rush pre-takeoff. He didn't know about his two companions, but, they were certainly going to feel it. There's always the moment when your stomach drops as the plane makes its climb, but, it's generally okay after that.

The plane eventually came onto its designated runway, and then it started to speed up.

And it got faster, and faster, and faster. They were really picking up some speed. It was at that moment Jon's hand fell from Charlie's shoulder and instead took hold of one of his hands, just to be sure the kid was comforted in what could be quite a scary time. Out of instinct, too, his other hand went down and gently rested on top of Nicole's forearm. It sold the act of husband and wife a little more, too. He didn't know if she was good with flying or not, but, at least the thought was there.

Finally the plane took a turn upward. It lifted off the ground, and that was that. The brief moment where everyone's stomach flipped, but they went on a steady climb up into the air until they eventually reached a safe altitude to go straight on. Jon was worried about the turbulence the captain spoke of, but, they'd deal with that as it came along. Before they knew it, they were travelling smoothly through the sky, and just as soon as it was safe to do so, Jon made sure the window wasn't covered anymore. A nice view over Indianpolis, basically. City lights. Quite a view.

"There we go." He leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath as he moved his hand back to Charlie's shoulder. "Wasn't so bad, right?" He said. "Take a look at the food menu, son... Have a think on what you want. Go wild." He said. "But not too wild. Don't overeat." He laughed. "As for me and your mother..." He looked at Nicole. "A glass of their best wine for her, and a solid bit of whiskey for myself." He smirked her way a little. All was going well, it seemed. To think that when this plane landed, they'd basically be a city away from meeting with Thalia.
 
What did Tony really want all along? Was it Al-Asheera? Or just the only prominent suspect in the motel shooting? Because obviously an attractive woman in a mob of savages stood up and made for an easy target. Not only that... she made for brilliant eye candy that this thirsty detective couldn't say no to. Indeed, he would be jealous if she and Frank were in between the sheets. But at this point, his only chance to win Frank's trust back was gone, thanks to James.

"My goals? You question my endgame, of all things..." he scoffed. "Al-Asheera took my partner off duty indefinitely. Whether the bullet that put him down was from Thalia or some other thug, that doesn't matter. As you said, we can't know who it was. But after seeing her little display in the garage the other night, I think she indeed DOES have the capacity to kill. But does that even matter anymore? I've lost my LAPD pull, as you've said, and it's no guarantee what Reeves will do. He might talk to the director, he might take it up to the captain... who knows? But he's seen your face as well. So if something goes wrong, I bet my ass he'll go to sketch artist and get your face plastered everywhere. It's what I was about to do, anyway. But hey, not like much matters anymore. You have me in your little finger now. I can't rat out more than I have, but I've ratted enough. Once an LAPD officer shows up to your doorstep and realizes I am being held against my will - which at this point, I am - you'll be blown. You're cocky, 'James' or 'Thomas' or whatever the fuck you are. But you maybe assume what Reeves will do. But nobody's the judge of that but him."

Perhaps another defense was in order. One that he knew James couldn't remedy. "By now, there's radio chatter about Thalia being found. It's gonna spread. I assume you know the publicity she got from her disappearance, right?" He raised an eyebrow with a maniacal smile on his face. "By now, I bet her mother's getting a phone call saying her daughter is a criminal, broken down to tears that her precious little girl is a slimy fraud. I bet it's on the news on the radio right now. Thalia Griffin... finally found and sucking Al-Asheera's dick. And guess what? She may blame me for ratting her out, but deep down, she'll blame you too for not fixing this. That's just how people think. She'll want to find someone to blame even if it's irrelevant. Wanna bet that she'll be screaming at you, asking why you left her to get busted? Why her life is ruined? Oh, because of the mighty James can't muzzle the press. You've been nailed in a way you can't fix. Brag how you can delete things all you want, but it's the age of the internet with a pop-culture case from eight years ago. Once that story spreads, there's no stopping it. And it's too late now. Her life is ruined, and she might as well turn herself in. Maybe try to strike an immunity deal? But after Al-Asheera shot up a church, I don't think the LAPD will want to negotiate with terrorists. She's going to jail. What happens to me probably doesn't matter anymore so long as she suffers. This all rooted from her when she tried to strong-arm me into bending over to her will. Now she's doomed to fall. And she'll never live the life she always wanted. I can't wait to see how you tell her that it's over for her, right? Y'know... like you said, odds are, she will kill me the second she finds out. So I won't be alive to fix this. But will you, either? Don't forget what she's capable of when she's angry."

In that case, would she stab James to death when she hears the news? Would she stoop that low? In front of two best friends?

Blame was still being tossed back and forth, about how this all began. "Oh, James... you know Thalia is at fault in many ways. You keep blaming me for caving into her will and beating her up, but did you think for one second that she deserves it? Just think back at everything, and think if you want that sort of liability walking around aware of your secrets and knowing how you look. Besties with your girlfriend, too. Girls talk; I hope you know that. How do you know Karin didn't spill every deep dark secret of yours to Thalia? Everything from your dick size to what you were before you met us. Don't believe me? Go ask them."

Tacking a weak spot on James? Only fair, because he kept going after his own: Melissa.

"You keep fucking saying that you're going to keep her safe... you keep good to your word like you still trust me even though I've blown it all up in your face. Guess what? I don't want your services. I want to trade Roland for her by myself and keep her safe on my own terms. Not yours..." He sighed. "Ra's gave me two days to resign from the LAPD or he'd start torturing her. It's been two days since. So it's now or never. Let me organize a damn trade on my own when we get back, and you'll never see me again. But don't think you won't see justice, or the effect of what I've done in there. Don't you dare let her name slip out of your mouth again. You don't get to talk about our relationship. You don't see me talking about you and your breeder for a girlfriend. Tell me, is it all fun and games in the bedroom? Or all change diapers?"

'Breeder' wasn't exactly the right word, seeing Joseph is Karin's brother, not son, but the meaning was still there. Hell, it wasn't like Tony and Melissa were any better. Very little communication and intimacy in the picture and an on-edge vibe the entire time in the house together. How would things be when she comes out? Would the brainwashing be too late? Would she be missing body parts as promised?

"Get out of my face... I don't want to speak to you..."

Those were Tony's last words to James, turning away at long last, contemplating what would happen next. Would Reeves really play dead and let the 'FBI' handle everything? He could only hope not. He was hinging on his influence to still have some meaning... or would it? Was it too late? He hardly knows what James told Reeves earlier. He could've totally discredited Tony for all he knows. And even after the bold attempts to back out of this, he didn't even care about being pinned for a series of crimes. It was the last of his concerns now. Because his only recourse now was to self-destruct.

--

Having only been on a plane twice in his life, to and from Paris earlier in the summer, Charlie had already endured his miniature panic from the words of precaution from stewardesses. He couldn't forget all of the frantic whispers to his mother and father about the risk of something happening to the plane mid-flight and being in need of the oxygen masks, or a potential crash. He was a wreck, but this time, given his overall boost in confidence, he was handling the words a lot better than before. It was rather natural to him, which was good to know for his mother and male guardian. Nicole wasn't all too worried for him this time. Perhaps the worries and upset stomach the first time were just a first time things that would eventually come naturally. Not to mention how excited he'd been for the duration of the trip. She wouldn't be surprised if he opted to take a nap on the flight once enough time passed. He could use a nap, after all, and she wouldn't knock him for it in the slightest. And maybe once he does, it would leave some room for her and Jon to speak on a more personal level.

After the initial routine announcements and warnings from the pilot and stewardesses, it left room for conversation, which Charlie listened to: Jon speaking about San Francisco. To the boy's knowledge, they were going to Los Angeles to meet Thalia, but, in the spirit of being spies, it would only make sense if they landed elsewhere first, then made the distance on land. Still, there seemed to be a lot to be explored in San Francisco. Apart from Philly and Paris, Charlie hadn't exactly been around, so moving into a very different part of the country would be a great social experience for him. He'd miss Philadelphia and his friends back there, sure, but he'd get over it with time. Meeting his sister seemed like one of the more crowning moments of his life. After hearing so much about her, he wanted to put a face to the name at long last.

Only if the spreading news of Thalia being the mystery redhead doesn't reach him. It already got to Nicole... but Charlie didn't need to hear that.

"Wow..." his eye bulged out at trying to envision the shape of such a massive donut. He kept looking back between the tray and James, trying to picture it in front of him. His mother would never let him eat something like that, but it was definitely shocking. "It's that big? How do people it it? It's probably bigger than my head. We have to go see that place. Maybe we can all share the donut, right, Mommy?"

Laughing along with Charlie's surprised attitude, she smiled to him and answered, "Of course, Charlie. We're going to do a lot of exploring when we meet up with your sister, Taylor."

What are the odds? Well, 'Taylor' was a very close analogue to 'Thalia', and a more generic name that could refer to anyone. Quite a coincidence that Nicole thought much like Karin to use that substitute for a name. But it did establish the norm: Thalia was Taylor to them from this point forward. Charlie picked up on it instantly, and Jon probably did, too.

"Awesome!" he cheered. "I've seen pictures of San Francisco, but I can't wait to actually go, Daddy."

Then came the announcement for take-off. How could Charlie sleep with the overwhelming exuberant thoughts in mind? Then, much like Jon, he had a bit of an adrenaline rush pre-flight as well, just feeling the airplane picking up speed and eventually achieving lift-off, which didn't churn his stomach as much as it did the other times, fortunately. This was only the third time he'd felt a sensation like that, so obviously, he was going to be wide awake and staring out the window so attentively to watch the ground slowly disappear from his line of sight once the window was opened. Jon might've assumed he'd be scared, but on the contrary, his face was glowing in happiness with a smile engraved on his face, his head tilting back and forth between the window and his 'parents', just to show them that he was comfortable. He knew Jon was watching his back and his mother was extremely overprotective, so that little moment of reassurance was all she needed to keep her nerves at ease and know that her son would be okay. Everything from the past few days was scary, indeed, especially for a family that had rarely faced danger, but it was all getting easier each step of the way.

Nicole wasn't a stranger to flying. Back when Thalia was still around with the family, she'd literally take her on trips every year during the summer vacation, mostly to France, but there was another trip to London for a friend's wedding, in which Thalia was the flower girl, hence her coming along. But after her daughter ran away, she just.... stopped. This year was the first time she'd taken Charlie out of his city of birth to visit another country. Was it still her instinct of wondering where she went wrong with Thalia? But what child didn't enjoy traveling? She figured Charlie didn't when he felt sick onboard, but that was a thing of the past. Perhaps she shouldn't question herself as much. And Jon's reassuring grip did ease her nerves.

Everything was going swell. Now for food.

"Boy, Daddy, I'm still stuffed after dinner, so I don't think I'll overeat, don't worry," he told him, just looking down at the menu at the options. It was a five hour flight after all, so he'd need to eat something.

In response to the call for drinks, Nicole nodded. "I think that'd be lovely, dear. I'll have whatever you are having." She didn't drink much with her husband, in all honesty. So this was.... different. Interesting, trying something different. Her entire life, Nicole had been a rule-abiding citizen who would rarely even get near alcohol, excluding the wine in communion at mass. It must be where Thalia gets her lack of alcohol tolerance from. It was more than just looks and heritage that she had inherited from her mother. A part of Thalia would always link back to Nicole, whether the former chose to accept it or not.

So in the meantime, while they waited, the mother glanced up at the TV screens attached to the seats in front of them and figured she'd distract herself while Charlie was digging through the menu for something to eat, and wait for her permission. And though she didn't place the designated headphones in her ears to hear exactly what was being discussed, the first thing to appear was a news channel addressing a topic she knew concerned them.

'THALIA GRIFFIN FOUND : AL-ASHEERA CLANSWOMAN?!'

Accompanied by pictures of Thalia before her disappearance, and a sketch of the masked mystery redhead, the one Tony had on his board in the office.

No...

Instantly, Nicole reached forward and frantically turned the screen off before Charlie could lift his head and catch a glimpse of the image. But no doubt Jon did. Her heart was racing and her eyes looked like she'd just seen a ghost. She turned to her right to Jon, who probably knew what was going on. She whispered in such a way that nobody would hear, using real names and not able to think about her cover story from seeing her daughter on the news being portrayed as a criminal...

"Jon.... what's going on? Who told the press about Thalia? Before they could even contact me. Something's not right..."
 
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Tony could argue and insult all he wanted, but it was to no avail. James wasn't worried about Thalia suddenly turning around and blaming him for it. He'd kept to his word, and it wasn't him that ratted Thalia out. Tony had been the one that told them everything - as far as Reeves knew, regardless of what the 'FBI' had access to, Tony had already revealed who she was, and the story checked out. James didn't like to imagine how things were going to turn out for her from now on. But the person he was most scared for?

Tony.

Did Tony not realize the one thing they had left? Al-Asheera and Thalia's connection. Now, James could only imagine that as soon as Ra's saw the news, he'd be sending out hit squads all over town to look for her. Partially what they wanted, really - The Ten driven out of their holes and put in a place where they were liable to getting killed in one way or another, be it by them or someone else.

There was a whole world of shit that was bound to rain down on them from this point on - and James had a feeling it'd be Tony in particular. Not only would it have to face Thalia, but, if this news reached Thalia's family while Jon was around?

Well, that was one meeting between Jon and Tony that he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stomach. So much was going to be going on now, but James had to wonder if Tony knew that his fate was lying somewhere in his betrayal. Was he okay with that? Was he really willing to give his life just over the chance that things might fall because of him? It was a big ballsy risk to take, one that James would have respected if it wasn't against the people Tony was meant to be working with.

At least Reeves had only seen so much of his face - He wore his sunglasses the whole time he was in there, and they could have easily been taken for prescription lenses. What did he have to go on? A six foot tall man in a suit with dark hair, stubble, and a chiseled jawline? Just another three or four million people in Los Angeles alone, probably. James wasn't too worried about his own immunity here, and Tony knew damn well he'd be dead before he had the chance to give the police a full sketch of what he looked like. It was Thalia he was worried about now, and Thalia was the one who was going to have to live with Tony's selfish actions.

All in good time, James was sure. For now, he was driving, on the slow road back to Encino. He needed to scout the area first and make sure no one was hanging around his street, which he doubted. He was hoping he'd shit on what Tony had said to Reeves by telling him the mansion in Encino was indeed an asset to the FBI more than anything else. Plus, how the hell did Tony expect Reeves to be able to suddenly talk to the FBI Director? A man could only be so lucky.

--

Joseph was getting hungry, but, he was insistent he wanted to wait for James to get back, so, he settled on just having a snack for now. Jordan, however, got out of the bath and into his PJ's (the cute ones with the rockstar T-Rex on the front) and told Frank that he was more or less starving. It wasn't like the two of them had to wait for James to return. Making something to eat wasn't too much of a challenge either, so Frank took Jordan through to the kitchen and had him sit down at the kitchen island. He didn't just sit him there and force him to wait in silence. He did let him help out, but, only with basic things where he couldn't hurt himself. Frank figured a meatball recipe he knew would be a good bet for tonight.

So, that was flying - Frank's sadness was still evident, but not evident enough for Jordan to pick up on it. Karin, however, only needed to take one look at him to know something was up. She wasn't going to question him while he was with the boy he was caring for, though. She needed to speak to one person who probably knew what was up, and was probably very upset herself:

Thalia.

She had a feeling it was something to do with what she'd spoken to her about earlier in the day. She was planning to make the cut tonight, wasn't she? She could only imagine that that was the reason behind all the sadness. Sure, Frank had a lot to be happy about now - he had a boy who relied on him, mainly, one that he was turning out to be very close to, but... No one can avoid the pain of a breakup. Karin could only hope that whatever went down was something good. Not everything goes perfectly, though - for example, Thalia pulling out of the hug and quickly retreating. All things like that have to be taken into account - even the littlest things can make a big difference when it comes to how well a breakup is played off.

So, Karin went and found her. She didn't know where the best place to look would be, so, she checked the cinema room first. It was often quiet in there and tucked away, but she wasn't in there, either. She checked Thalia's room - nope.

Finally, the poolhouse, and that was where she found her. Quite the state of emotion, too. She slowly cracked the door open and stepped inside - She had no idea if Thalia wanted to be left alone, so, she didn't want to try and wake the sleeping bear too much. She'd step in, ask if everything was alright - if she got a strict answer, she'd leave. If she was welcomed, she'd step in and leave the door closed behind her, simple as that.

There was only one thing that left her mouth, though. Not the strongest of words, but at least something that hopefully would get a talk going.

"Thalia... Are you alright...?" She called out, quietly.

--

"Sharing, eh?" Jon nudged the boy. "You're the only eight-year-old I know that'd ever even think to share something like that. Good on you." He grinned. "Depends on how much mom thinks you deserve to be treated in San Fran. If she's down for it, you can have one of those to yourself and see how much you can get through." He chuckled. "I know there are winners of that challenge. I think they give you an hour or something to actually eat it. Massive donut, glazed, and whacked down in front of you. It practically takes up half the table, but, they've managed it, that's for sure." He shrugged. "I'm sure we'll see plenty of places in San Francisco and on the way to LA, too. There's a lot of stuff to do in California." He said.

While Charlie was occupied browsing the menu, there was a slight bit of a mishap that none of them were really expecting. Thank god Charlie had his head elsewhere, though, because if he'd seen that, Jon was sure it'd spark a whole world of questions. As soon as the TV was off, and Nicole's eyes met Jon's, it would have become obvious to her that Jon had absolutely no idea why that was happening. It probably wasn't the most reassuring thing, but, making sure Charlie couldn't hear the conversation, he leaned over a little closer to Nicole and started to talk to her. They were now on a flight where a hundred other people could easily be watching the news, so she was going to have to play it safe, especially if her face came up. Luckily she had her dyed hair and a pair of sunglasses Jon picked up in Ohio. It was enough to protect her identity.

Immediately, one of Jon's hands went to Nicole's, interesting enough. He gripped it firmly and looked her in the eye.

"Nicole..." He whispered, "If I knew what was going on, you know I'd tell you. How the press know, I don't have a clue. It wouldn't be James that did this, I know him well enough to know he wouldn't double-cross someone like that." He said, "I don't know. Something's not right, I agree with you in saying that much. For all we know, it might be Al-Asheera themselves trying to bring the world down on Thalia's head. Try not to think too much on it, alright? As soon as we get off this flight, once our needs are attended to and what not, I'll give James a text and try and find out what's going on. He probably already knows about this, and he's going to do his best to deal with it, I'm sure."

He took a deep breath - this wasn't looking good. Even so, he went through the flight bag and eventually found the sunglasses they all had. He handed Nicole's pair to her.

"In the meantime, put them on. If anyone questions them, tell them you've recently had surgery and you're overly-sensitive to light, or something. No one will be able to identify you if you leave those on, trust me." He nodded, and his grip on her hand tightened just a little more, just to hopefully add a little more reassurance. "We'll be fine. Don't worry." He offered her a tiny smile, and it was all in good time, too, because before they knew it the food cart was right there with them.

"Good evening. Food or drinks?" The stewardess asked.

"Uh, hi." Jon nodded, "Make it a double whiskey with ice for me and my wife. We've had a long couple of days." He chuckled.

"As for the little man here..." He put a hand on Charlie's head. "He's had a look at the menu, so, we'll get what he's having, too." He smiled.

Before too long, plastic cups were in front of them on their trays, and along with that were their drinks. Obviously, whatever Charlie wanted was there, along with whatever food he fancied, and Nicole and Jon? Well, they had their cups with ice in them, and along with that, two tiny bottles of Jack Daniels each. Equating to two shots, of course. Jon figured a stiff drink for the two of them would calm their nerves, at least until they got a chance to talk about things in more detail. They couldn't do that while Charlie was awake, so, part of Jon was hoping the excitement would wear off within a couple of hours and the tiredness would set in, instead.
 
Only one word could really describe Thalia properly after what just happened: heartbroken. As she imagined before, a world of feelings from earlier that once felt like a love that would last forever all came crashing down on her, and it felt devastating for her on the inside. Perhaps a bit over-exaggerated in her own imagination like any other teenage girl might do upon their first breakup, even if Thalia is no longer a teen, but at heart, she'd always felt younger than in reality. Why was it that every time she feels like she's found love, it ends up falling apart so quickly and so drastically? All starting with Jenny in middle school; that ended in her falling into the depths of depression for years and even suicidal thoughts. Ra's hardly counted as a lover in the end, but in the beginning, all she could describe their romance as was a sham; a ploy for him to get down the pants of a significantly younger girl. Not even love from the start. Then there was Vanessa, who eventually grew to hate her by force and was killed thinking it was her fault. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, that girl's death was her fault. And now Frank, the realest feeling she had of the four... gone in two days because he wanted to assume the duties of being a father to a boy in need. Noble? Indeed. But it certainly didn't put her aching heart at ease entirely.

So short a life, and four heartbreaks that scratched and gnawed at her heart every time she even thought of them. It explained why she needed her solitude for the time being. The bulk of it was spent with her head in a pillow, simply crying for the sake of crying. She didn't care who might hear her ever so slightly outside. She would simply order them not to come in, but seemingly there wasn't much of a chance that anyone would. She had her alone time, and surely even Frank would respect that the separation is what she needed to get over the heartbreak. Eventually, once she felt tired of just sitting on the couch with her face buried away, she finally stood up and paced about, just thinking about what she could do with herself to feel better. She could take off and go for a walk, but that would attract too much attention. A swim? Tony might just stare at her if he comes home, and she didn't need that. She felt uncomfortable about her body around most people anyway, despite how she was attractive. She'd only shown Frank in that little teasing game in Pasadena out of trust, and a spur-of-the-moment feeling of passion. Instead, she just looked around the pool house, just wondering what she could do to entertain herself. It seemed rather... simple. There was a TV to watch something if her heart so desired, but she felt too sick to her stomach to turn it on and land on a sappy romance that would make her wish it were her and Frank in their places. But what else was there under that roof? Booze. Lots of it. And the second she made it to the cabinets, she saw the multitude of names and labels that she'd only seen from a distance, but never had any fair distinction between one another - what mixes well, what doesn't. She didn't need to go mixing things like she and Karin did yesterday. That was too dangerous to attempt two days in a row; god knows her body can barely take a single shot of alcohol...

Then why was it ever so tempting to try and stomach an entire bottle of something before someone comes and gets worried about her? Just to drink away her sorrows? She reached inside, pulling a fancy, crystal bottle of whiskey. As dangerous as it was, she just wanted to feel something other than heartbroken. And if it meant getting utterly and hazardously drunk, then she would take that.

It was too late for her to even sneak one sip, because she heard the cracking of the door opening ever so slightly, causing her to turn around ever so slightly... Karin. Her already broken heart felt as it it'd been kicked in the rear now with this unexpected appearance from, by far, her closest friend under this roof. Worse, catching her with the bottle in her hand. Thalia knew all too well the fate of Karin's parents, so finding her friend now with the bottle in her hand? It must hit her home in a way that might hurt too much for words. But it's not like Karin would openly say anything about that. But for sure, she didn't want Thalia falling down the path of a drunk. Who would want to see someone they love do that. She hadn't even sipped yet, just a few contemplating stares at the bottle in her hands... just wondering what could be if she even tried to tank it down on the floor of the pool house.

"Karin?" she whimpered. She wasn't crying as much as before, but the dried remains of tears on her face did tell the whole story. She was sad and trying to find a way to cope. And this appearance didn't help her case. A glance downward at the bottle, then another one upward as she tried to compose herself proceeded her words, "I... um..." she sniffled, wiping her eyes with her right arm swiping over her face. "Uh..."

Was she alright? It was so tempting to lie and tell her that everything was fine and that she was just exploring the pool house. But Karin wasn't an idiot.

"No..." she admitted with a shake and bow of her head. "No, I'm not alright." A single hand kept hold of the neck of the bottle as both of her arms dangled to her sides. She was too afraid to even get close to Karin for a hug or some sign of comfort. She felt too weak to even consider something like that. Too miserable to even think she wanted to feel something nice ever again. "I broke it off with Frank," she whimpered. "And.... I couldn't take it." She would've mentioned that she'd been crying the whole time, but was there even a need to say that? It was clear as day.

Did she have the right to be doing this? Maybe... maybe not. The last thing she needed was someone that would judge her for this. Thalia only let Karin stay in the room because she knew she'd never judge her, which caused her to lift the bottle slightly and ask, "Does it get any easier?"

It wasn't clear whether she meant heartbreak alone or with drinking, even to Thalia herself, but the temptation to get herself wasted was still there and only getting stronger.

--

Understandably, now with knowledge of the news that had just shown up in her face, Nicole was worried, frantically wondering what would become of her and her daughter when they arrive to California. Her precious child's name had been driven through the mud, the exact opposite of what she wanted the day she put her face out in front of a camera and promoted her case to the ends of the earth in a desperate hope to get her daughter back. Now it was all going to do something much worse: create a sense of infamy and put Thalia behind bars if the LAPD find her. Was this HER fault? All of it, from the beginning when she was raising a daughter to the point where she felt the urge to run away from home? Was that all truly Nicole's fault that an innocent girl would soon go to prison, innocent or guilty, because of her own desire to break free of the nest? Those weren't the words that this frantic mother needed to believe now. Easily, she was more tense than Charlie now. The least she could do now is shield her son of this. After hearing what he thinks of Thalia, the last thing he needed was to see her on the news plastered as a crook.

Time passed, and Charlie had drifted to sleep at long last. His hyperactive rush on the plane had died down at long last and he'd begun to get his fair share of rest. But Nicole? Not a chance knowing her daughter was in trouble. She remained there in her seat, occasional sips from her drink to help soothe her nerves, to no avail, the sunglasses on her eyes to protect her own identity, and her mind simply drifting. She was in dire need of somebody to vent to. And even thought she didn't find him the most ideal of candidates, considering he was more of a man of action, Jon would have to do for the time being. He surely didn't know much about raising a child properly, but she wanted someone else's opinion about parenting, because now, she didn't even know if she'd even raised Charlie properly. Was it too late? Would Charlie fall into the same trap as Thalia - feel too detached from the family to find the desire to run away and never return? Where had she gone wrong?

"Jon..." she sighed softly so his name would've be audibly picked up by any nearby passengers, turning in his direction in her seat. She removed the sunglasses temporarily. She wanted to look this gentleman in the eye, unrestricted and unbounded, when she spoke to him. Simply the barricade of the glasses felt like a hindrance. She wanted him to see every shred of emotion when she spoke of her children. It was a meaningful topic to her and one that she wanted him to take just as seriously. And with Charlie asleep, leaning against Jon's shoulder in the most adorable of ways with the headphones in his ears listening to a cartoon from the TV screen in front of him. Now was the moment to say what was on her mind before the boy catches on.

"I don't need to tell you how much my children mean to me... both of them," she began, still keeping her voice down. "And when my firstborn left home at 13.... It was a low point of my life. I was so upset by the loss... I stopped teaching mid-year to try to cope with the loss... then Jacob told me to try to get people talking, spread the word about her in an attempt to boost my own spirits in a hope to find her. And that's why I did what I did with the media attention. But now it might've just ruined her life..." She sniffled, but she knew better than to let her emotions get the better of her in front of a teacher. Only once did she not abide by that philosophy, and that was upon a rumor that she'd received during a school day that Thalia had died in a fire, which turned out to be a hoax, but still traumatizing. "I knew that Thalia was coping with depression, and things weren't going okay for her socially at the start of her freshman year of high school. A good friend of hers... Jennifer, was her name? She was Thalia's best friend for so many years until Jennifer started making fun of her to her face and with friends. All the students... they all just turned on my little girl. I never understood why, and nobody wanted to say why she was hiding in the bathroom crying for hours at a time..."

Obviously. Why would two girls raised in strictly Christian families come forward saying that their dispute came from a taste of a vice?

"... Thalia had no friends beyond that, and she was even starting to harm herself for a short period of time. She stopped, thank the heavens, and things were... okay for a bit, then got worse again, but it still gets to me. It can't possibly be purely the fault of this friend that caused her a hard time to the point she'd run away. I did so much for Thalia, got her into so many activities from the very beginning to set her straight, keep her off such a path that would ruin her life, I was only giving her the best in every way possible... but did I just push her away by doing so? Was I really the opposite of a good mother? I mean, you see Charlie... I didn't make the same mistake twice, did I?"

Perhaps this was one big overreaction, so she felt the urge to justify herself. "I just can't help but feel like all of this is my fault. Had I done better by Thalia, she would never be wanted like this. It's horrible to imagine that I, as a mother, did this to my little girl... It's not pleasant to live with. Just tell me honestly, Jon. Charlie. Tell me I'm doing right by him, at the very least. I might not be able to help Thalia... but can I still preserve my son?"

At her age, she'd imagined she'd acquired the wisdom of right and wrong, especially as a school teacher. But how could she know anymore? After seeing her daughter's name associated with Al-Asheera on the news, she wasn't sure of anything from this point on.
 
Karin sighed. It was official, and the breakup was seemingly done, but she couldn't just leave Thalia to deal with it. Karin herself had been through enough breakups from proper relationships over the years to know a lot of tips and tricks about dealing with the pain of it all - she understood how it was probably a lot different for Thalia and Frank, though, given the chemistry they had and everything they'd connected over. They'd been caught in a trap in this whole situation, and the trap resulted in them falling in love. It was a shame it couldn't last, and a small part of Karin knew that there was bound to be that jealousy or maybe even extinguished self-worth now that Frank had made up his mind, but, that was something everyone was going to have to deal with from now on, Thalia included.

Seeing her with the bottle of whiskey or whatever it may have been in hand wasn't something that made the situation any easier, either. That was the first thing Karin did after a soft sigh - she went and took the bottle from her and placed it down on the table.

"Well, for one... Alcohol's a depressant. You won't feel any better if you sip on some of that stuff, believe me." She said, quietly, then sat down beside her. "Secondly, I'm... Really sorry about you breaking it off with Frank, Thalia. I know things like that don't come easy, but, it's happened now. And now that it's happened you can focus on moving on a little. It'll take time, don't get me wrong. Frank looked just as sad as you do, so, it's clear neither of you are entirely happy about this, and neither of you are rushing to move on from it. It'll take time to come to terms with it, believe me, but, as for your question, believe me when I say it does get easier." She said.

Karin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Saying goodbye is often the hardest part of all of it, really. It's the big moment of truth where both of you realize that things aren't going to unfold how you planned, but, there's nothing wrong with realizing that. The sooner you understand the reasons behind why it had to end, the sooner you recover and move on. It takes a lot of people quite a long time to get over a breakup, but I've got a feeling you guys will be okay. From what I can see and what I heard... It was quite a... Peaceful breakup with no shouting and screaming, right?" She asked. "It sounds awful when I make it sound that black and white, but, I'm guessing things went to plan. Frank didn't look angry or pissed off - You both just seem quite upset." She sighed.

"So, tell me about it." She shrugged, "How did things actually unfold? I can give a lot better advice if I know how things went down, but, only if you want to tell me all that, of course." She said. It was hard to give advice on something she didn't really know that much about - She needed to know more about how everything unfolded before she could even think about giving advice. She didn't want to push it on what she said, just in case she got it all wrong. The least she could do was support her friend, though.

--

On the plane, things seemed to have settled for a while. Jon was more than happy to act as Charlie's pillow for the time he was asleep, and honestly, he kinda' liked having Charlie's head against his shoulder. It was not only a sign of affection, but a sign of trust, too. Adorable, without a doubt. He knew that things for Nicole couldn't have been going so well, though, especially after the news that came on her TV. Things could have been going worse, of course, but that was an unexpected bump that none of them really wanted to deal with. In fact, it was an unexpected bump that none of them knew how to deal with. It had definitely thrown a wrench into things, but, Jon was determined to make this journey right, to make this whole mission of his a success.

After all, the mission was professional-turned-personal. Now, he was attached to the two people he was also protecting, and that counted for a lot more than some people realized. Did James even know the severity of the situation now that Jon had bonded so well with the family? It wasn't something he'd given much thought, but it'd be one he'd be forced to attend to when it came down to it. He couldn't let shit hit the fan and expect Jon to curl up and accept that things were going rough all of a sudden, and he couldn't lie, either, because one way or another, Jon would find out the truth behind what actually happened.

Eventually, though, Jon heard his name get called by none other than Nicole, and naturally, with everything that had occurred over the last couple of days, the doubtfulness in the ability of her parenting was on the table. There was the talk about Thalia leaving. Nicole thought that there was the chance she was the one that pushed her away so much, and to Jon's surprse, she was wondering if she was doing the same thing with Charlie.

Jon was no master of pep-talks or anything like that, but he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to tell her.

"Well." He sighed, "With Thalia, or with kids in general, I suppose sometimes there's not much we can do. I think I mentioned this earlier - sometimes no matter what you do, it just isn't enough. I wouldn't say you're to blame for what happened with her, though. I understand you got her involved in all her activities and everything, and with things like that, I suppose it's all dependent on something - Did she want to be doing a lot of them? I suppose that's a penny-drop of a question, because if you're made to do something you have no interest in, it becomes a chore, sometimes something a lot darker than that, too. As your firstborn, though, I suppose it's natural to want them to have the world at their hands." He shrugged. "From my understanding, kids are scared of rejection, too - We all are. If her best friend turned on her along with everyone else... That couldn't have done much good for her." He said.

"I don't think her leaving was necessarily anyone's fault. Especially you and your husband - If she didn't like the activities you had her doing, then at some point in her teenage years she was going to revolt and say 'I'm stopping this. Now.' - And that would have been it. Just like every other human on this earth, kids need room to breathe, room to grow into their own people, develop their own lives in a way they want to do it. Obviously, I don't know much about what Thalia's younger life was like, but, she clearly had two parents that treasured her more than... Well, anything." He gave a small smile. "I think if anything, it was a lot of combined elements that made her leave. Not just one or the other - maybe her friends turning on her was just the tipping point. Being made to do ballet or whatever have you doesn't even compare to being made a social outcast among everyone you know. It's why things like this are so hard to depict." He looked down at Charlie for a moment, then back up to Nicole.

"The thing with it is... It's human nature to question what's right and wrong. You say you put her into a lot of acitivites to keep her on the straight and narrow, correct? You're not to blame if she started trying to rebel against that. She may have been following what was right, but, maybe by the time she reached her teenage years, lost her friends, and had hormones kick in... She just felt like she needed something more than that. The chance to explore a different venture. I'm not saying crime was the first thing on her mind, of course not, but, something else from what she already knew." He said. "Alongside the friendship issue she had, if I recall correctly she skipped a grade in school, correct? Now, I'm no professional, and this is a very touchy topic, but, I don't think schools should allow kids to do that." He shook his head.

"Not because it's unfair on other kids, but, just because they're thrown into basically a brand new world of things. A world they may not like, but may not have a choice other than to try and settle into it. Imagine if Charlie skipped Third Grade, say. He'd move straight into fourth grade, barely eight years old, and he'd be surrounded by kids that are nine, almost ten. Almost two years older than him - I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but I think things like that do change us, force us to change socially to try and adapt and fit in. And as you get into high school and you're a year or two younger than everyone else, good lord... I don't need to remind you what high school kids get up to on the weekends, Nicole. And kids that are younger either get dragged into it wrongfully or pushed away from it. At least that's how I see it - so, for all you know, that may have influenced something with Thalia and her friends. She was one of the younger ones, the youngest, in fact. That in itself could have caused some problems." He explained. "Once again, I don't think any of that's your fault. There's no way of knowing ultimately what sort of path our kids will go down - you did your best to guide her, and you can't ask for much more than that. Whether she felt trapped or pressured, well, if she never said anything about it, how on earth would you know?" He asked, placing a hand down on her arm. "Quite simply, you wouldn't. That's nothing to beat yourself up about." He said.

"The documentaries and publicity - Once more, you had no way of knowing that eight years down the line, it might go against her. That's not something you could have ever anticipated. You wanted your daughter back, Nicole. No one can knock you for that. All you wanted was to have your daughter back where you knew she was safe and loved." He sighed, "And Charlie? Look at him." He nodded down at the sleeping boy against his shoulder. "When you look at him, do you really think you've done that bad of a job?" He asked. "You've done fine with him. Any mistakes that may or may not have been made with Thalia definitely aren't present with him, are they? Believe me, in my time of doing the things I do, I've met some kids that are messed up or very against their parents. They put on a fake smile and as soon as the mom or dad's back's turned, they frown, they look angry, annoyed, you name it. Not Charlie." He shook his head quickly. "He's a wonderful kid. A truly amazing boy that's clearly been well looked-after by his parents. He had his sport, his friends, his freedom more than anything else. And now you've got a boy who's very fond of you, clearly." He said.

"Remember in the motel last night?" He asked. "He said he'd protect you. He'd look after you. Keep you safe. If you'd done even a slightly bad job at raising him, believe me, he wouldn't be saying things like that. All you need to do with him is what you're doing now - let him live his life. Kids forget things when you tell them, but they remember things when you show them - So far you've shown you trust him, you love him, you want the best for him, you care for him. He won't forget that. Ever. And believe me, it's a scary thought, but as he grows up he's going to learn right and wrong on his own - that's the best way to do it. He might get in a little trouble at school when he steps over the line, but that'll show him not to do it again. You learn not to touch hot things just as soon as you touch something and it burns you. You learn not to act violently with people until you do it and see you've hurt them more than you intended. You learn not to blindly cross the road just as soon as a car honks at you. It's things like that." He shrugged, then looked down at the young boy again.

"You don't need to 'preserve' anything, Nicole. You're doing a perfect job." He said, giving a half smile as his eyes wandered over Charlie. "He'll grow up. He'll learn things as he experiences them. A part of being a parent, from my experience, is being able to accept that your kids won't be innocent little boys and girls forever. Just like all of us, they grow up, and all we can really do? Support them. Help guide them. Give them good advice and encourage them when they do good things. If you spend too long telling them not to do what's bad, I think they lose sight of the bigger picture. They lose sight of things that are good, too, in the fear that they'll be crossing a line." He said.

"What happened to Thalia? Not on you. You did what any new parent would do - worry for the future. But with everything that happened to her in school? Depression? Self-harm? That's not something you can take blame for. It's things like that that drive people away - and if you had no way of knowing how bad things were, then you can't let yourself lose sleep over it for the rest of your life. Sometimes it's best to tell yourself that you did your absolute best. And it didn't work out, but not because of you, but because of life." He sighed, even a little shakily. It was quite the deep discussion, one that sparked the slightest bit of emotion. "And when I look at Charlie... You've done your absolute best. And it's paying off. You don't need to worry about him, because he's going to grow up to be just fine. Plus, you know I'll help to keep his head high." He said, then gently squeezed Nicole's arm.

"If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas." He smiled a little, winking at her. "We can't change the past. As for what was on the TV, just like I said, you were only doing what any mom would do to get her daughter back, or at least to get closure. We'll work this out, alright? Things will be okay. I promise." He nodded to her.
 
Karin's helping hand was probably what Thalia needed more than ever. More than a bottle of booze, in all honesty, so feeling it yanked from her hand was no surprise. But she couldn't help but feel her friend was a tad disappointed in her for taking the breakup so negatively. It was probably her most serious relationship to date, so leaving it in the dust like this? It killed her on the inside and she could feel her heart falling to pieces, shard by shard. So, in her mind, what better way to get over her sorrows than just feed the depression until it gets boring. Maybe it would get easier if she couldn't feel the pain from how out of it she'd become. But clearly that wasn't happening on her friend's watch as she swiped it from her grip and placed it aside, seating her to actually talk about the breakup in a more mature manner. She gave her words of sympathy, as well as tried to encourage her to move past it. She even included that Frank was equally devastated by their choice to go their separate ways. Was that supposed to make her feel bad? Why didn't it? Was it because, subconsciously, though she didn't want this to be a case of 'it's me or the boy', without knowing, it was exactly that all along. She felt betrayed, swindled by fate rather than the man himself, for receiving something great then have it taken away so quickly and unexpectedly. It was horrible to even think of now, but she knew she needed to vent to someone. She took a seat on the couch, legs cross under her, and tried to compose herself to actually talk about what happened.

"I understand why we broke up," she gulped. "But why does that not make anything easier? He wants a life raising a child from now. And that's something I know I'm not up for right now. That still doesn't help make anything easier, Karin. I know he's sad, too. But he knows why I can't do what it is he wants." She scrunched her hands together and wiped away the dried tears from her face, then continued. "I bet he really wanted me to act like Jordan's mother, and he knows I can't do that. Yeah, you're going to argue and say that... I want to be there for Charlie; why can't I do it for Jordan?" A good question that she expected, but it's already a dilemma she's made sense of. "Charlie's my brother and he's not freaking out at the sight of someone getting close to him right now. Jordan's different, sad as it is to admit. And being a sister and being a mom are very, very different things. I can't do the latter. How can I if I only just started cooking for myself today? And Frank wanted me to be that kind of person for some kid I barely just met?"

Sure, Thalia didn't have the bond that Frank did to Commander Redgrave. She didn't understand the connection, and therefore, felt very little for Jordan apart from their mutual connection to Frank, but even that, with her brief conversation with him, wasn't enough to really get her into the spirit to be a mother for him. And odds are, Karin would do very little to change that feeling. It was less of demotivation lack of self-confidence, and more like a reality.

What happened? "I... um..." she began, sniffling a bit at first, "I found Jordan by the pool, all by himself, so I guess I tried to talk to him? Relating to him and all, you know? I mean, he listened and all, but I don't think it really affected him much. He did pat my shoulder before he left to shower and all, but still. I have a hunch he did it out of politeness to 'Frank's girlfriend'... who knows?" She shrugged. "Then me and Frank talked alone. I asked him if there was any real chance if Jordan was going to be something permanent, and he told me.... well, yeah. He is. He's got no family and he's not going to throw him to the foster system, because he's afraid that he won't recover... I mean, I tried arguing against it without really telling him not to, but he's insistent. He wants something I don't - something life-changing that I can't be a part of yet in my life. So..." She took a breath to calm herself down. She could feel herself breaking down once again, bowing her head to face the ground, "So I told him I couldn't do it. Then he tried to hug me... and I cracked. I panicked and ran away because it only hurt to feel that after what'd just happened between us. I was scared and I ran. I needed to be alone, and well, here I am. That's what happened. Pathetic, right?"

Perhaps to some. That tough girl act that Karin met Thalia with? Where was that tough girl now? Because all that was left of the mystery redhead was a broken individual with an even more broken life and a secret exposed to the public. Not looking good on her part. She avoided leaning towards Karin or crying into her shoulder, simply to avoid any sort of discomfort from her end, or any sort of feeling from her own end. She felt too detached from any sort of good feeling to crave it from anyone in any way. Even to her closest of friends. It was fear as well as a defense mechanism as her face plummeted into her palms in tears, not exactly wailing anymore, but just clearing out her nose from a sniffle or two and blocking the tears from escaping her eyes. A way to cope....

"If you have something better to do, you can go," she told Karin, "I'm fine in here. I promise I won't drink anything. I just need time."

--

Rarely had Nicole gone to anyone for advice before, aside from her husband, and those issues were usually marital and involved a family decision. This conversation was a question of conscience. Was the way she raised Thalia right or wrong? But who was Jon to judge? He hasn't met Thalia nor seen her as a child. All he's heard from her is the facts from James about her present day and the stories about her from Nicole from her past. It was enough for him to give his own assessment, regardless.

"I've dealt with children of many backgrounds, Jon," she replied. "Rich kids spoiled to their every whim, less fortunate ones who are some of the most envious, the ones with loving parents, the ones who reflect the abuse of their parents.... it's that sort of perspective that I took into consideration when I was raising a daughter 21 years ago. But it seems like from childhood, they're more unpredictable than we'd expect..." She sighed, thinking over her own past experiences with children. "I've only taught up till the 8th grade in my entire career. So beyond that milestone, I assume all bets are off. And Thalia crossed that line and just.... fell from my grip. I just wish I could understand why. Where we went wrong so I can say that I'm sorry. I guess I'll find out soon enough, right?"

Jon didn't blame Nicole for her decision to try to meld Thalia into an ideal child by engaging her in several activities. She could still remember her daughter's frequent complaints about ballet class; that was by far the activity that she hated the most but the one that the mother adored above all else. A close second was her French literature club - though Thalia enjoyed using her second language at times, she didn't enjoy it being enforced around. Even speaking to her mom in French in public was awkward to her. Plenty of memories of the past had been resurrected due to the pep-talk. "You're right about some activities. There were quite a number of them where Thalia quite frankly wanted to quit for so long... I simply insisted that she'd enjoy it later down the road and didn't let her leave... It's reasons like that, if I'd picked activities she'd like rather than the ones I assumed would be best for her, maybe she would've been happier? Happier in regards to her position. Losing her friends in middle school, skipping the third grade and landing herself the drama that came from that...." When Jon expressed his opinion about skipping grades, Nicole could only smile at him. "I was the one who strongly urged that Thalia skips a grade because she was capable of it. So I guess that's partially on me, right? Huhhh... But she was picked on by a few people for being that 'smart girl', you know? The overachiever, top of her class, and even valedictorian of the 8th grade... but what happened at THAT ceremony is a bit of a disaster, and I know she doesn't like remembering it."

An 8th grade graduation speech ruined by a rather mean joke by her ex-best friend. One that left her hiding behind the stage in tears until her mother arrived to calm her down. Things weren't easy for Thalia in middle school, unfortunately.

"There's just so many unknowns to all of this, that I can't even tell if any of this is my fault anymore," she admitted. "I could never know what Thalia's fate would be if things played out differently. If I treated her to different ventures as a child, or if I never stood in front of a camera and begged her to come home eight years ago. But I guess all of our actions have a rather unpredictable butterfly effect, right? All I've been trying to do is ensure that Charlie doesn't fall down a darker path, lose his friends, become depressed. To see that sort of thing happen to two children in a row? I know you aren't close with your children, but if you were to see one of them in the bathroom... with a cut over her forearm and a razor blade in her other hand crying over the sink and trying to stop the bleeding..... how would you feel?" A rather vivid image, only because it still felt like yesterday that she saw that with her own eyes - the first time Thalia cut herself in the bathroom, she got caught. She didn't do it much after that, but the bandage over her arm was noticeable and did attract the attention of other students.

That darker part of her past was still one that she hadn't opened up to Karin about. Would she, eventually?

"There are events from Thalia's childhood that I don't want to repeat with Charlie. He's picked all of his activities to date and loves them all. As a child, everyone says he's one of the happiest kids they know, not to mention how much he cares about me and his father. It's like you said: he wanted to protect me, even in the smallest of ways. That's just how he is. He thinks big and wants to be something on a larger scale than he is now, and I have high hopes that he will someday. He will change with time, but I have a good feeling that the core of his morals won't change much with the future... then again, I thought the same of Thalia. And look at her. She spent the last eight years robbing people...."

Depressing thoughts came to mind of what she'd see when she met Thalia, what sort of physical differences... but that wasn't a topic for now. "Maybe what happened to my daughter wasn't me. Maybe it was just life taking a bad turn for her. I really don't know anymore. But I do want to make it up to her... and I thought of a way on the ride over to the airport." She adjusted the position in which she was sitting and leaned a bit closer to Jon. "Your friend... James. You claim he's very resourceful. If that's the case, if I were to ask him to acquire... well, this goes against every one of my morals and my husband's, but.... if I ask him to fabricate a high school diploma - a real looking one, of course, putting her name in the system and all - for Thalia from the high school she was attending before she ran away, set for the year she was supposed to graduate, 2011... do you think he could pull that off?" Forgery? That wasn't something anyone would expect from the morally intact Nicole Griffin, wife of a revered pastor and a strict grade school teacher. "Yes, it seems hypocritical that I, a teacher with distinguished morals and a reputation int he public eye, want to give it a girl who didn't work for it, my daughter of all people. But I can bet you right now that Thalia isn't going to get anywhere in this cruel world without a solid backbone, starting with the base of a high school diploma, one I know she deserves and I know she has the capacity to work for, but I don't want her to waste another second of her life. I won't even force her to go further, but if she has at least that, she can definitely move forward with something in her life. And odds are, she didn't exactly get a diploma with Al-Asheera...." She sighed. "It's the least I can do as her mother, secure a better future for my daughter. Do you think your friend James can do it? And keep it a secret until I arrive there so I can hand it to her myself? I think... it would mean a lot to Thalia to know that I wanted this for her."

Would Jon agree with her? More critically: could James do it? Would he? The gesture would be one that Thalia would greatly appreciate anyway.
 
"He knows, I'm sure. Like I said, I didn't hear any screaming, so I imagine you've both respected what each of you want." She said, softly. "He wants something very different to you, and I think a part of him might have known that from the moment Jordan fell into his arms. I wouldn't doubt it. It doesn't take the brain of an Archbishop to figure out that having a kid suddenly come into the equation can drive a wedge between two parties in any relationship. Even someone who is well-established and independent is likely to retreat from all that." She said. "I wouldn't think too much on the fact that you walked away from that. It's a big responsibility to even think about taking on." She said. "Even more so... Frank and Jordan aren't related. There's no genes from either side of the relationship that link him to either of you. The sad truth - I'm sure that's bound to cause some bitterness on either side, but..." She reached out and placed a hand on Thalia's knee, then glanced around for a moment.

"No one's going to make the comparison of Charlie and Jordan. Ignoring me from the equation, being a mom is a lot different to being a sister. As an older sister, all you really have to do is keep an eye out for your younger siblings, be good to them, things like that. As much as people will try and say it to you, it's not a full-time thing. It's not something you need to do every waking minute, unlike when you're looking after a kid and treating him or her as your own. I... In some ways wish I could relate a little more to you on this front, I wish I could give better advice, but, given my past, I hope you understand that my advice may not be as... Orthodox as you might be hoping for. I can't really turn myself on the idea of looking after a child seeing as I did it for my own brother, but, for someone in your shoes? I can't blame you." She said.

"Jordan may not have said much to you, but, at least you tried." She said, "That probably means more to him than anything else any of us have done, and if he actually touched you? That's a sign things are going well between you and him. God, me and James can't even go near him without him leaning as far away as he can manage, tensing up... You've seen it. If he actually reached out and patted you on the shoulder, it's something. Something I'm sure Frank would have appreciated, too." She shrugged.

There was only one thing she wasn't so sure about - Disagreeing with Frank, arguing, but, the arguing was bound to happen eventually.

"Well... I mean, arguing against what's going on isn't something that should have really happened. I doubt Frank's too happy about how things are unfolding, either, but, in the heat of the moment, I can't blame you. Maybe talking to him and properly clearing the air once things have settled down would be a better idea. I'm sure you both have a lot to think about for now." She said. "If you cracked, that's nothing to be ashamed of. The best thing you could do now is take some time to come to terms with it all yourself, then just make sure Frank knows that things aren't sour between the two of you. Otherwise there's going to be the feelings of guilt between the two of you and that'll make the whole recovery process of all this a lot harder on both of you."

With another sigh, she patted Thalia's knee.

"I don't mind staying out here with you if you need to keep talking. I haven't got anything important to do." She said.

The bad news was only going to come flooding in tonight, though.

--

"Maybe." He said, shrugging. "Maybe she would have been happier, maybe it wouldn't have changed anything. It's hard to say. Maybe is a funny word, after all, and it's not an easy word to keep going back to. But it's something we do - human nature. Maybe things could have been different, and in times of trauma and loss... It's all we do. We ask ourselves about the alternatives, and... Well, with you, I think this has spent a long time eating away at you, and now you're not happy. Still not happy about losing your daughter all those years ago, and for the past almost-decade you've been asking yourself - What if?" He shook his head and sighed, "As much as it lets us dream of a better life, asking ourselves 'what if' doesn't help, it doesn't help us." He said.

"That's another thing that may have influenced everything in a negative way. You're a teacher, you deal with kids all the time and you've seen them from every end of the spectrum. Maybe the issue was you were too scared of Thalia falling into one of the bad categories. Doing everything you could to prevent it, though, is not a bad thing." He shrugged. "I know for a fact a lot of teachers tend to avoid having kids. They spend every day around kids that they eventually get attached to, and eventually they start to see all the deeper and darker secrets some of these kids may hide. They're surrounded by bullying and kids that suffer quite a lot, and it scares them away from bringing kids of their own into the world." He said. "You were brave to take it on, I'll give you that." He smiled at her.

"You don't need to worry about Charlie falling down a path of depression. He's a happy kid, one that has a bright future. Best way to make sure he's happy is making sure he knows that he doesn't have to achieve to impress, you know what I mean? Praise his efforts, but make sure he knows that failure's okay. It's trial and error, and in my... Legal industry things do go wrong a lot. You have parts of engines put in the wrong places or put together incorrectly, you have rebuilt engines go up in flames, and you have windscreens dropped and car body parts scratched to living hell. But sitting there and crying over that isn't something we do - Forget it and move on, a lesson learned." He shrugged. "As long as he gets it down in his head that his effort is the most important thing rather than the result, I think he'll be happy." He said.

There was the talk of the self-harm and everything, and when he heard it, he closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "I can't imagine seeing any child like that, Nicole, let alone one of my own." He said. "I understand your fears, and the odd chance that Charlie may go down that route. But remember what I said - let him breathe. And as long as he knows he has people to turn to - which he will - he'll never be able to fall that far into a dark hole without someone reaching in and pulling him out." He said. "Mental illness and things like that is often something you can detect developing in early ages, and in spite of everything that's happened over the last couple of days, Charlie still seems joyful about more or less everything. He's looking to the future and rarely looking to the past. That's a good thing. If he's living in the moment more than anything else, he'll do just fine. He won't struggle to find his place in the world, and as I'm going to be more or less training him up?" He chuckled. "You know he'll always have somewhere to keep his head above the water and to keep him away from a dishonest life." He explained.

"As for James, don't worry about morals. He's the most backwards-assed man I've ever met in terms of morals - He'll gladly break a bank's security but he wouldn't dare do anything that would harm, say, an elementary school, or interrupt the Little League's baseball game." He laughed. "In terms of forgery and obtaining things that are... Well, not easy to attain, let's say... He's very good at that. There's not much he can't do in that department. He has his contacts all over, and all of his contacts probably link to the board of education in one way or another. When I get the chance, I'll make sure I ask him about that, see what he can do - Then again, it's also down to what Thalia wants in that department, right? Maybe after eight years of rolling with a bad crowd, she might want to get something in an honest manner - if that's the case, there's nothing to stop you from helping her." He winked.

"Regardless, if there's anything you or Charlie ever need, don't be afraid to ask." He smiled. "And once I meet Thalia? Well, even though she's covered by James for now, you can consider her part of that offer, too. I'm sure me and her will get on just fine. After hearing so much about her, it'd most certainly be nice to meet her." He chuckled.
 
In the case of the difference between a mother and an older sister, Karin should've been the last person to give her perspective. Her case was vastly different from Thalia's, more based off of an emergency situation with a child and a barely-adult that called for a split decision. It may have been seen as a weakness that Thalia couldn't make the same sacrifice, but that simply who she was and wasn't going to try and fake it and hide the fact she was miserable from Frank. That simply wouldn't be fair to either of them, or the child. Could things have gone smoother for a breakup? Probably, but this was by far the smoothest she's endured in her life, one not ending in someone dead, disowned, or a slave to a shadier individual. Except this time it really felt like her heart had been torn out. So what could fill the void?

"I know it's different, and that's why I chose not to be a part of it," she sighed, feeling slightly calmer from her friend's words. It helped soothe the pain but not completely alleviate it. "I'm not.... bitter with him. I'm just upset that it had to be this way.... Did you know that the night after I slept with Frank, I actually slept well? Had good dreams? Do you know how much that means to me after some of the nightmares I've had in my life? I was dreaming of me and him, maybe not in the most innocent of ways, but I was dreaming of him. And now, I'm expected to just... stop? After all of that? It's childish, I know, but it's been a long time since I ever felt like that with someone. I bet you've endured heartbreak before, probably when you were younger. I really haven't had... a healthy way to cope. That's why my first instinct was the bottle. I didn't know what else to do, where else to turn. But I have you... right? That's not weird, is it?"

Maybe it wasn't. It sure was better to pour her heart out to Karin than it was a drink into a cup. Healthier, too, as she said. It's a shoulder to cry on that she lacked for so long, and that's exactly what she did then: leaned her head on Karin's shoulder trying to seek any sort of comfort: something other than misery. She trusted her, so she'd give this sort of escape a try. A chance to relax and stop crying. Just her touch alone was enough to make her insides tingle in a sense that was different from feeling heartache. Once more, anything helped, anything that wasn't sadness.

"Don't go, please?" she whimpered. Did that sound too desperate? Too needy? Surely, Karin had better things to do with her time, even if she verbally denied it. She had her brother to tend to. It was dinner time after all. Not to mention Tony's constant pokes of fun that Thalia and Karin might have a thing. Would that eventually take a toll on this friend and push her away if she kept leaning towards her like this? It was moments like those that confirmed her suspicions of herself being a child at heart, moreso than she should be. But if her words were sincere, and she was prepared to stay with her for as long as it took to calm down, then she would greatly appreciate it. Thalia locked her fingers in between Karin's gripping her hand, and began to vent:

"You know why this hurts? Because nothing's ever lasted. Every person I loved either died, hated me, abused me.... or this, with Frank. Things happened and I couldn't be with them. Jenny? She made me the school laughing stock when she knew I liked her. I mean, things are different now, but do I think I could love her now after all of that? We're friends, sure, but still...." It was an option, one that even Jenny herself was open to: starting over and trying things out for real this time. And she openly expressed her desire for something new. Thalia was the one backing down in fear. Fear of getting hurt again, especially before she and Frank ended things officially. Could Karin spot the physical signs that Jenny had been crushing on Thalia? Or was that something too discreet for an outsider? The touching earlier that morning, the kiss at the bus stop and in the bedroom alone... it all spoke to her, but was it enough to sway her into trying to mend her wounds? Or was it too soon? "Then there's Vanessa, who got killed because of what I had for her. And I'm sure as hell not counting what I thought I liked about Ra's when I was 13 or 14. That was just disgusting. I mean, as you can see, I just... want to feel something for someone, and I thought I had a shot with Frank, no matter how fast we were moving. It hurts. A lot..."

As she listed her past loves, she intentionally left out her crush on Karin from the very beginning when they met. It wasn't an idea she wanted to resurrect or even imagine as something deeper. This sort of partition between herself and Frank, she'd never live with herself if it was between her and Karin. Those thoughts were off-limits no matter how close she felt to her, and no matter what her instinctive mind felt nearly four days ago. A fun thought to entertain briefly, but nothing more.

"It's not bad if I take some time just... staying away from him, right? Because every time I look at him, even think of him, I just fall back to what we could've been. I know, avoiding him might make it worse, but so will being around him. It'll just keep reminding me of what I can't be for him right now. He wasn't expecting me to just drop what I was doing and become a full-time mom, right? Even if Jordan connected with me; I don't think I could do that every day until he's grown up. My life will have gone right before my eyes. I had plans for myself, too, ones with Frank, and now he just thought I could put them aside for a kid I don't even know? One that barely talks? Ugh..." she groaned, just looking to the ceiling to try to get over her tears. "It's selfish. You don't have to tell me that, but it's what I think I need."

A single hand-hold turned into an elbow lock with Karin's arm with one arm, the other hand over her shoulder for her head to rest on. If Karin flinched, she'd know to retreat immediately, but for now? She'd enjoy that comforting feeling. "I'll talk to him, eventually. I just don't think I have the heart to now." she sighed. "If there was any day I wished we could just go out and try to get some fresh air, it's today. But I'm not sure what James would think if we just up and left while he wasn't home."

--

"'Maybe' is a dangerous word, from my experience," Nicole added. "There's simply too many things I couldn't have predicted while having a child. All of which were scary deep down in my heart. And I had those exact same fears when I was pregnant with Charlie. I was in my third month when Thalia ran away, and I was just wondering, with my second-born, would he end up doing the same thing? It was a horrible feeling to have while pregnant, especially in my late 30's, but I couldn't help it. I was worried about my children, born or not. Worried about my daughter out in the world and what could be happening to her, an innocent 13 year old girl in a city like Philadelphia. But I know there isn't much I can change anymore. Thalia left home, and now she faced a rather horrible fate. One I wish she didn't have to encounter. But wishing won't change much. I just hate knowing that she's being painted on television as a criminal, when, from what you've told me, she's helping stop the men she was working for. I don't know about you, but that's not fair to her, not in the slightest. She should be shown as a hero by those reports, not the villain."

The press were wild animals, tackling whatever juicy story they could find. And what better two tales from Philly than Al-Asheera and the disappearance of Thalia Griffin solved combined into one package? They ate the story alive and would milk it for all its worth with conspiracy theories and interpretations of the time span of her life incognito. It was out of her power to silence the press, even for James.

"Well, as a teacher, I know the point of view you're talking about, of not having kids of your own in my position?" she smiled as a response to his remark about giving her credit for raising two children. "I appreciate your praise, but as you can see, I'm only human. I can't raise perfect children, no matter how much I've seen from my students. In reality? They all feel like my children. And that's one thing that helped me live with myself. After I came back to teacher in the year of '08-'09, I began to see my job in another light: I'd always imagine my students as something precious to me? But then I saw them in a more personal light: in every troubled student, I'd.... I'd see my daughter. And deep down, I knew that I couldn't let them be the next Thalia and slip away from what they were. It was a way to help me get over the sorrows, sure, but it was also a philosophy that the students loved and appreciated. It's even what made me care so much for Charlie and try my best to right my wrongs with him: and that's why his happiness meant so much to me, and how it's so obvious to a stranger like yourself that he's a happy child? One that would probably never fall into a darker place like that? That just shows that I've done my job right in that department. The experience of losing a child, it made me stronger, and I used that strength to keep looking for my daughter."

Jon mentioned mental illness for a moment. It was an odd choice of words, considering that they'd only spoken of self-harm till now. She knew for a fact that Thalia hadn't been diagnosed with any mental disorder as a child, something she was sure of. But even bring it up? She was depressed, sure, but she got over the self-harm phase of her life. Or was there something deeper she wasn't aware of? Another chance for her aging heart to break more than it had already? She remained quiet though and tried not to show that shred of fear in her heart.

Back on the topic of Thalia: her diploma. "I know my daughter is a smart girl, Jon. I'm sure if she had the willpower, she could get her diploma in half the time she would normally have to take. Truth be told, I can't know whether that's what she wants or not, but it's worth a shot to try. And if she is working for it? I know she has only so much time to live her life. And if it really was me that she blames for running away, the least I can do is try to give her some years of her life back, right? I will happily do that for her. She has plenty of chances to work for herself, and if she ever needs help, you can be sure I'll be there by her side. If James has any doubts about doing this... small favor, just tell him to talk to me. Whatever he wants as payment, I will find a way to supply. You tell him that."

It meant even more to know that Jon was going to protect Thalia just as much as herself and Charlie. She was a part of the family after all, and even though he doesn't know her daughter, he felt attached enough to want to consider her a part of his circle of people he was concerned about. This man had a bigger heart than she'd anticipated, and she couldn't hide the smile across her face anymore. Her heart glowed to the idea of Jon becoming a more permanent part of her life. Charlie would be happy, Thalia would be protected, and she would have the company of a stronger supporting figure in her life. She didn't think she'd feel this... attached to someone so soon, but that's how she felt. A hand reached forward over to Jon, taking his own and and gripping tightly. Then came a few short but meaningful words from her mouth:

"Thank you, Jon."

Simple, but they told a lifetime of gratefulness from a woman who'd almost lost it all. Now more than ever did Nicole not want him to leave.
 
"Staying away from him won't hurt, just... Make sure he knows you're not angry at him. This whole situation? This is no one's fault. Not yours, not his, and not Jordan's." She said, "Don't let him start to think that all this is his fault - even if you notice there could be a slight sign that that's on his head, make sure he knows it's not. Given his past, without trying to worry you too much, I wouldn't like to know what would happen if he took blame for all of this, too. I don't know if Frank's someone who's likely to blame himself over everything, but, you never know. We don't know the guy on that deep of a level just yet, I just..." She sighed and shook her head.

Her heart ached for all of them. Frank, Thalia, Jordan.

The one thing she hoped was that Thalia wouldn't soon look back on it and it regret it deeply - Who knew if a bond between her and Jordan was going to strengthen at the most crazy of times? She could only pray that Thalia wouldn't start regretting it and start trying to change things when it was far too late to turn back time. She knew that out of everything that had happened so far, being trapped in that sort of position would be by far the most painful, the one most likely to cause the most suffering. That wasn't something she wanted Thalia going through. Most couples start off wanting to get back together regardless of how they broke up. She could only hope that Frank and Thalia's moment in that purgatory was brief.

"I know all these breakups and lost chances hurt, but, they always will." She said. "At least until you find the perfect match. I'm not going to lie and say there's definitely someone out there with your name etched on their heart, but, for you, I'd say there's a pretty good chance." She smiled.

She couldn't help but itch, though - what if that person was Frank? Was that the chance gone? No, surely not. Thalia had plenty of potential. All Karin could hope now was that she could find someone while she was still young and getting established. As you get older, relationship-hunting becomes less and less about how pretty you are and more and more about how much expenditure you can bring home. She wanted Thalia to find someone and work her way up with them at their side, or at least take it as a learning curve from the get-go. Karin was going to have faith, though. She'd always have a positive level of faith for her friend.

"I wish we could go out, too, but... Sadly, after everything that happened today, I don't think it's a good idea. And given the fact that James wouldn't know where we are? Not a good plan. And no offense to Jenny, or Frank, or... Anyone for that matter, but, I don't really want to just leave him alone with Jenny, Frank, and Marcus. It's not that I don't trust them, it's just that... Frank's busy with Jordan, and he's never even properly met Marcus nor Jenny. Another time, maybe." She shrugged. "We can chill here, though. Joseph won't have to look far if he needs anything." She smiled.

--

The Garage, James' Mansion

James arrived home, but he figured it would only be fair to leave Tony lying down in the back of the car for now. He'd come and grab him in a bit, and, he couldn't exactly drag him through the house with cuffs over his wrists. That might startle the kids if they witnessed it, and James was worried that there was still the slight chance Frank would back Tony up if he saw him in a tight spot. Frank was overly-loyal like that. He'd just leave him to his thoughts for now - there were more important matters to attend to. He had no idea that Karin and Joseph hadn't eaten yet. It was only going to be another minor inconvenience that he'd have to face and feel a little guilty for, too.

He knew about that almost as soon as he walked through the door, because Joseph came running right up to him, and he gave a clearly-forced smile as he pulled James into a big hug and held him there. Now what was wrong?

"Hey." James said, patting his back. "You alright, pal?"

"I... James?" He pulled away and looked up at him, "I was watching TV, and I was going through the channels to get to one I wanted, and when I went on the news... Uhm... Thalia's name was up." He said.

James' eyebrows shot up, "Sorry, what? Thalia's name?"

"Yeah." He gulped, "She's... Well, they know she was Al-Asheera, and they know she's... Thalia." He said. "James, I think the police are looking for her now. Or at least they know about her." He said. "I'm not gonna' lie... I'm really scared."

"Hey..." He sighed, softly, and pulled Joseph close again. "You don't need to be scared. You'll be fine. I'll make sure Thalia stays out of trouble, okay?"

"What about her family? Aren't they coming here?"

"You let me worry about that, kid. Her family are in good hands, and if it's not a good idea for them to be here straight away, all it'll take me is one phone call." He said. "Look, you just focus on looking after yourself, okay? Focus on enjoying the summer."

"I'll try." He sighed, "James, are we gonna' make food like last night? I'm getting really hungry."

"Why don't you call up a take-out place, maybe Indian? Go around and take some orders from people, and once that gets here, I'll pay." He smiled, ruffling his hair. "I need to talk to Thalia, obviously."

"Sure thing. That sounds good. Should I just ask... Everyone?"

"Yeah, go ahead. If anyone's eaten already then maybe don't bother, but anyone who's hungry, write their stuff down on some paper."

"Okay."

"Good man, now go on, beat it." He winked, giving him a gentle poke in the chest as he stepped past him. The first place he had to go was to wherever Thalia was, though, and as soon as he found t hem, he sadly had to interrupt the tearful talk the friends were having. Karin almost turned and asked him if they could have some time alone, but, there was that sincere look in James' eye. There was a lot of everything - disappointment, regret, sadness, anger. There were a lot of things she could see in his eyes. Even fear, in some ways. He wasn't fearful for himself, but, more for how Thalia was going to react to the news that her life was basically going to be this never-ending goose chase.

At least for now.

Still not the best news to get, though.

"Thalia." He whispered, then let out a sigh. "Thalia, I need to talk to you. Privately." He mumbled, "Mind stepping outside for me? It's... It's serious. Don't worry, it's not to do with your family. They're fine, on a plane. It's something else." He said.

Something else. Both reassuring and ominous, Karin thought. Even so, Karin looked at Thalia and gave her hand a squeeze, then nodded at her. It was probably best she went.

--

"The last thing James would ever do is ask you for payment." He said, smiling. "You know me, and you know Thalia, and because he knows that us three..." He looked between Nicole and Charlie, "Are getting on so well... There's not a chance in hell he'd ever even think about billing you." He laughed. "The most he'd expect is a thank you, I'm sure. I don't think he'd ask for much else. James... He has a lot of money. More than most men I know. Even if you did want to pay him, I don't think there's much you could give him that he doesn't already have. I mean, he cares enough about you and the little fella' to make sure you get to California safely, so, I'm sure a little document or whatever isn't going to be too taxing on him. He's forged far more high-end documents than that, believe me." He laughed.

He lifted his arm slowly so that Charlie's head gently fell and rested against the side of his chest instead, and following that, he dropped his arm around him. He thought that would be much comfier for him. At least that way he could gradually reposition himself while he was asleep and curl up a little more if he wanted to. Plus, way up in the air, it could get a little chilly. Jon figured having an arm around him would help keep him a comfortable temperature, at least somewhat.

When Nicole took his hand and squeezed it, he obviously squeezed it back.

A thank you?

"It'd be my pleasure entirely." He whispered to her with a smile on his face. "You and Charlie so far have shown me there's a lot more to life than what I first thought. It's taken me my whole life since I was Charlie's age to realize that, but, the fact is that I know what it is now. I know what sort of life I belong in, what sort of life I can enjoy, the sort of life I can look back and hang my hat on. Before I met you guys... As cheesy as it sounds, I hadn't had that feeling. Fast cars and money can only do so much for you after all the years you spend around them. In life, it's... the little things that matter the most, I think." He shrugged. "At least that's what I think now."

He sipped at the tiny remainder of his drink, finishing it off. "So, really, I guess it's me that owes you a thank you, rather than the other way around. You could have easily just kept me at an arm's length after how cold I was initially, how distant I was. You could have snatched away every single chance I had to even mutter a word to Charlie, but... For some reason you didn't. Maybe some things are just meant to happen, right?" He smiled and took a deep breath, then glanced around the plane. Quiet. Half-empty. Lots of sleeping people. There weren't many people wanting to fly out to San Francisco at this time of night. A five hour flight? You may as well leave in the morning and be there in the afternoon, rather than leave late at night and not get to a hotel until 2 or 3 in the morning like Jon and his party were going to be doing.

Even after this flight, regardless of their napping, they were going to be exhausted. You don't notice how tired you really are until you get off a plane, and sleeping on a plane is very minimal. There's so much going on and so much noise that napping simply doesn't gain you all that much. Ah, well.

"I know that you're probably quite worried about how things are for Thalia right now, but take my word that if she's with James, she'll be just fine. If you need to grab some extra sleep, then by all means. I don't mind keeping watch - as long as you have your sunglasses on." He laughed. "Or... Maybe I could interest you in another drink? Sorry, I just don't really like drinking alone." He smirked.
 
One of Karin's words stuck in Thalia's head more than anything else that might've helped make this easier to a degree: 'We don't know the guy on that deep a level just yet'. In all honesty, as much as you can get to know someone in between the sheets, it's definitely not equivalent to learning about a person from the inside out, on an emotional level, not like knowing what makes Frank tick and what he really wanted from life. Unfortunately, those true color showed with time, and it made Thalia come to the realization that she'd quite literally fallen in love with him over a hunch that he'd be a perfect fit. Who knows; maybe he would be with time, but in that moment? After one day of several teases and attempts to get down his pants, it simply wasn't ideal for them to rush into things the way they did. And that in itself hurt Thalia, a major disappointment in her eyes, but also one she'd have to adapt to sooner or later. No one was going to stop her from feeling miserable in the arms of her best friend, right?

Wrong.

But that was to come in a few moments. Karin was still doing her best to calm her friend down and try to give her some hope. Did Thalia want Frank back? Yes, but not like this. She wanted that vision of her and him living their lives freely without the pressure of a child in the picture, at least not now. It was that phase of her life to simply live without such concerns. And she knew better than to throw it away right now for a kid she barely knows, or knows his father. But Karin was right: she can't give Frank the impression it's his fault. Because deep down, she knew it was her own. She was the one that didn't want to grow up in the end. And when given a chance to show she had the capacity to act like a mature adult and make the right call, she turned it down for her own satisfaction and preservation of youth. If that's not selfish, then what is? At least she had a friend by her side in case this got ugly and her depression took her off the deep end further than she already felt.

Her regrets and sorrows would have to be put aside when James made his return at long last. Quite frankly, he was the last person Thalia wanted to talk to: one of the most heartless and brutally honest of the bunch, sure, but it wasn't that what she needed, and neither was the news he brought with him. But clearly, the mere fact he wanted to speak to her alone was worrisome. The last time he called for that, it was to deliver the news that her father was killed. So those same lines brought terrible thoughts into Thalia's mind, even if she'd already been reassured her mom and brother were safe and sound. There was still plenty to go wrong. Perhaps she wasn't thinking of what had ACTUALLY happened, but she knew it had to be bad news. And knowing Ra's' habits, it really could be some form of retaliation after killing The Medic. So might possibilities, but none really fit as being surefire. But couldn't James recognize that she was in no shape to hear bad news? But then again, he told her that her father passed away soon after she was done spitting chunks in the toilet. He didn't care that her heart was shattered to pieces, in all honesty. It was a character they needed in the picture, but not one that a heartbroken woman needed in her face at the moment.

Still, Thalia was no ordinary heart-broken woman. Not only was this not her first breakup, but she also understood the sense of urgency. Still, it was clear she didn't want to let go of Karin just yet, seeing she was practically clinging to her arm for dear life. Letting her go felt uneasy to her heart. She was enjoying the moment, and feeling comfort sure as hell felt better than misery. What was she thinking of trying to drown the emotion away in whiskey? No doubt James probably saw the misplaced bottle, but he'd probably also assume she sided against it due to her friend's healing hand. With Karin's approval, she reluctantly let go and stood up from her place, exiting the pool house slowly and steadily. A horrible feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach: anxiety. Fear of what was to come. She already didn't like having to leave her place of solace and place against Karin's shoulder, so this felt very forced. And if James was so dissociated from emotion not to recognize that Thalia was sad, then he might just throw the bad news at her without holding back. But she did the honors for him.

"I told Frank it's over," she admitted once they were alone. "I told him I'm not ready to be a full-time mother... and I think I took it harder than him in the end." She sniffled and wiped her face of the excess tears. "Ha ha, laugh all you want at how pathetic I am, but I'm not in a good mood. So get it over with, okay?"

Her upset tone told the whole story that she was not in the mood for the bad news and not in the mood for having to interrogate any Al-Asheera hostages he might've gathered during his day. She didn't even look directly at him, trying to distract herself with the reflection of the sunset in the pool. It was soothing to the senses, and helped her relax ever so slightly, so she took it over anything else in the scenery. But what was about to come, her life being ruined.... that would crush her further. Maybe even set her off.
 
Great. What a time to be delivering bad news, right?

"I'm sorry to hear that." He nodded, "I'm not going to laugh at you. I can imagine that this is none too easy on you at all - I'm not going to judge you for that, don't worry." He said, simply. "Thalia, I wish I could save this for another time, but you deserve to know now. Just be warned that this will be a hard pill to swallow - and I assure you I'm going to do everything I can to try and make things right again. It might just take a little longer than we first thought." He explained, the gave off a tiny sigh and had a glance around - he looked through the window into the kitchen at Frank and Jordan, who were sat together and happily eating whatever it was that Frank had prepared. Well, I say 'happily', but Frank looked quite miserable still.

"Earlier today, you may or may not know that the man that was killed was shot with Frank's weapon. I've retrieved the evidence and removed Frank from all the systems that could link him to it. Initially, he was in the clear from things, but there's been a slight change of situation. For all of us." He said.

Now that was probably the most unnerving part of everything James had said so far.

"Tony was initially sent in to get back the casing he recklessly left behind - and I told him, if things went wrong, I'd bail him out in one way or another. Sure as shit, it went wrong, and I was there within forty-five minutes to get him back out of there. I posed as FBI and no one questioned it until it was too late. The good news is, I have all of the evidence and files associated with Al-Asheera and The Clover Boys. The bad news..." He sighed. "Tony got caught out and he was arrested - hence why I had to bail him out, obviously." He explianed.

"I thought things were going to be fine and I thought he was simply going to stall them, knowing I'd be coming to help him out. I was wrong. Tony betrayed more or less all of us, except Frank." He said. "He told them the 'Mystery Redhead' was at a mansion in Encino, he told them he could give them the infamous 'Fritzy'... Told them he could get a list of Al-Asheera and so on. But that's not all, Thalia... He did something a lot worse than that. In the process of trying to basically throw us all to the wolves, he..." He looked down at the floor for a moment, then looked back up so his eyes met Thalia's.

"He told them your name, Thalia. Your full name. They've made a connection to The Mystery Redhead and the girl that went missing eight years ago." He said, quietly. "I'm really sorry. I didn't expect Tony to ever think it'd be a wise move to cross any of us after the shit he'd pulled, but, he tried to strike an immunity deal for himself and Frank in return for me and you. He sold us both out - they'd come here, and they'd expose and arrest everyone under this roof aside from the kids. I've given Tony a small beating already, and..."

Did he really want to say the next part?

Yes. Yes he did.

"He's cuffed in the back of my car. He can't do anything of any harm - If you'd like a 'word' with him, you're more than welcome to do so. We still have time. The police are stalled, and if we work quickly and together, I can possibly salvage everything we had running before. But not until the chicken in the henhouse has been dealt with accordingly, because honestly? At this point I'm tempted just to shoot him to save us all the trouble." He whispered.

He had no idea how she'd take the news, but, he hoped she'd understand that Tony sold him out, too. They were both on the same ship, sadly.
 
Was honesty really the best policy for a girl in a mindset like Thalia's? A state of mind so volatile and fragile that even the slightest of upsets would cause an unpredictable reaction, especially after slaughtering a man the previous day. She wouldn't blame James for having a slight element of fear as to what her coming reaction would be to the bad news. For sure it wouldn't be pleasant. A mix of a heartbroken AND betrayed girl with violent tendencies - a girl who had the capacity and stomach to end someone's life as seen yesterday - would only spell a bad night for Tony. Would James hold her down in the event that she assaults Tony? ...It seemed not, considering how he upfront gave her his location and told her she could have a 'word' with him. And for a girl whose future was now destroyed by the detective's hand, it most certainly wouldn't be a peaceful civil conversation. No words or actions could ever forgive what Tony did to Thalia, and now she was aware of the event that would soon start a slippery slope. Her mother would find out as well, or worse, Charlie. Even under a fake ID, someone might recognize her and nail her. It was terrible just to imagine what events were to come even when the clan wars were over... what would she do? Where would she go? Would Jenny or Karin stick around with her knowing they'd be targets in all of this, too? Would her own family sell her out? Thalia's overwhelmed mind had only been clouded even further from the bad news, and though the tears had settled in her eyes, they were now consumed with fire. A burning desire for revenge.

In the garage. In the back of his car. James had quite a few of them, but she'd find the one with a handcuffed victim in it easily.

There was nothing Thalia had to tell James in words. Her sad-turned-angry facial expression spoke a number on its own of her feelings of betrayal. And she didn't hesitate another second, her gaze focused in front of her, and her shoulder brushing right by the barer of bad news, and even crossing the kitchen without even a glance at Frank or Jordan, a trip to the garage so Tony could take a one-way ticket to hell. Or at least, that was what she planned. Being in this mansion for so long made her grow accustomed to the directions from room to room, including the garage. James might've had quite a few exotic cars, but the one in black and tinted windows surely stood out among them. The most probable choice to pose as a federal agent. Her fiery eyes darted from the vehicle to other corners of the garage. Nothing immediate to smash the window with, and she didn't want to waste time finding the keys to open the car calmly. She was too angry for that, and James would forgive her later for smashing a window, one he could easily replace. And now? All that was left was to get inside. Without even bothering to check if Tony was on the other side of the glass, she lunged her elbow back and drove it straight into the center of the window, shattering it with ease from the sheer strength. The car instantly emitted a blaring alarm that could be heard across the house, even by the children. A horrible idea? Sure, but Thalia didn't care anymore. She wanted to see Tony dead more than anything even at the cost of her image.

And to her luck? Tony was on the other side of the glass falling from the frame, immediately cringing at the sight of the woman whose life he'd shattered with his own hands. He didn't expect James to snitch so quickly, but Tony also wasn't aware that the word about Thalia's identity was already all over the news, and even reached the ears of a ten year old boy. But he didn't imagine she'd take the news lightly. He also didn't imagine James would successfully spring him. So that was the flaw in his plan: he'd underestimated a criminal mastermind far more powerful and intelligent than Bradan and Ra's combined: Fritzy.

Upon seeing the vicious woman reaching from the outside in to unlock the door, Tony flinched, backing himself away from her arm, a line of sweat falling down from his forehead and his thick hair falling over his forehead in a rather messy fashion. Sweating in a holding cell wasn't pleasant, and took a toll on his slicked back hair. Likewise, anger took a toll on Thalia's appearance, her otherwise neatly flowing hair with a few strands over her right eye and her facial complexions focused to express her rage. A woman he once found attractive was now one that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with. He'd pushed too far, and now he wouldn't put it passed her to murder him right here, right now. And odds are, James would allow it. He kept his distance, cringing to the corner of the vehicle as much as possible until he met a dead end with the door. And being locked and his hands behind his back, Tony didn't bother running. He had to face this obstacle head on. Once the redhead unlocked the single door and allowed herself entry, Tony immediately caved in.

"Thalia... I can explain..."

But Thalia wasn't going to listen. She reached forward for the collar of Tony's suit, yanking him towards her and launching him and herself from the vehicle and on their feet outside the car. She noticed Tony was handcuffed from behind and significantly weaker than usual. This fight would not be fair, but a few days ago, Tony proved he doesn't play the rules either, kneeing her in the gut harder than any other man had before. Now, it was time for revenge for everything wrong he'd done to her. Untamed and uninterrupted, so she would assume. Maybe Tony's screams would be drown out by the loud car alarm not far away from them. Before Tony could take an opportunity to speak or retaliate with his legs, Thalia reached for the collar of his shirt, curl her opposite fist, and drive it straight down the center of his face, subsequently knocking him back and screaming from the pain at the fact she might've just smashed his nosebridge. Thalia was no pushover and clearly had some sort of strength in her. Whether it was just from the adrenaline rush or otherwise was beyond Tony's scope of knowledge, but he did now that he was a dead man soon enough.

"Thalia, listen to me!"

Her hands instantly lifted to grip Tony's throat, both on the brink of strangling and choking him right then and there. But she needed him to hear her coming words: "I meant what I said when I said I hated you!" she yelled in his face, powered by emotional, but not in tears. In rage. "How could you?! I told you I was never going back, that I was never going to go back to Al-Asheera! You told the police who I was!"

"To get your boyfriend out of prison, you bitch! I was cleaning up after YOUR screw-up, running out to save your friend!" He argued back. The fact that Thalia was dominating him like this was shocking. She was significantly shorter than him, but had his throat in a grip as if she were the one toppling him.

"You didn't have to tell them my name! Who's to say my mom or brother didn't hear that?!"

"Well, you fucking deserve it! Once a crook, always a crook!"

Was that true? "Well if that's the case.... I've already killed one man..." she gulped, clenching her teeth, "Killing another won't make a difference."

From that moment on, Thalia had nothing further to say to Tony. Was she really going to do this? Was the darker part of her prepared to get the better of her and murder another man out of pure vengeance? What else could she do now? Did it even matter who walks in? Not anymore. Tony? He was consumed with fear of a slow, brutal death from this woman. She looked dead serious, as if she truly would end his life here and now. How would Melissa hear the news, given she lives at the end of this either? He'd never know... because now, Thalia took that grip and slammed the man up against a nearby wall in the garage, tightening her grip around his neck and watching him choke in front of her. As she gagged him, she slammed the back of his head time and time again against the wall behind him, in hopes of cracking his skull from behind, cause some brain damage in his final moments, anything she could. And this whole time of feeling his head slamming against a concrete wall, he just watched as a pretty girl proved herself to be the one to bring him to his maker. While he thought that this would be the end as he felt the pain in the back of his head getting more and more severe while he struggled to breathe, she eventually stopped and gripped the back of his neck with a single hand, walking him back to the black vehicle he was found in, in which the alarm was still blasting, but the two had grown accustomed to it. With the momentum of walking him to the vehicle, she released him from her grip and let him be thrown head first into the back of the vehicle, leaving a dent where he collided and bringing him to the floor, now extremely dizzy, bleeding from the back of his head, and now a cut on his forehead. He was incapacitated on the floor and no energy to fight back. And Thalia wasn't finished, instantly lifting her foot and kicking him in the face, right over his eye.

"We could've been friends... but then you went out of your way to be my enemy! Why?!"

No answer from Tony, only prompting her to step on him again, this time over his chest, a direct kick to her sternum. She could've sworn she heard a crack, too, but only Tony himself felt the pain of a broken bone.

"Is this revenge for your partner? He's not the only loved one Al-Asheera took from this world! They took my girlfriend from me a year ago! My father yesterday! And who knows if they'll take YOUR GIRLFRIEND from you tomorrow?! Not like it'll matter, since I'm going to kill you first.... but so you know... I'm going to ORDER Ra's to kill her when you're gone! Just so you can feel the pain I feel! And I hope he sends her head in a box to her parents with a note saying YOU did this!"

Again, would she really do that? She didn't know anymore. But she was angry. That was for sure. And that anger would continue to be unleashed in the most gruesome of manners, another stomp landing over his crotch, causing him to scream in pain, scrunching his legs together to shield himself. His head leaned in almost instinctively; a perfect opportunity for Thalia to land another kick into his jaw and launch his head back into the bumper of the car. It was so sadistic, cruel, inhuman... what had come over Thalia? This wasn't the same girl that told Karin she wanted to change. Slowly but surely, taking out her anger on Tony was making her worse than she was before. Now that he wasn't getting up anytime soon, she began to examine the room further. There was a crowbar on the other side of the room, Once she noticed it, Thalia turned her back on her victim and marched to retrieve it to further torture Tony.

But Tony noticed something through his slightly blurry vision. A few drops of blood following Thalia on her path. Closer examination showed a sizable shard of glass lodged just next to her elbow. She didn't notice? Odds are it was the rush of the situation preventing her from noticing the pain. But Tony didn't draw her attention to it. Maybe she'd feel it eventually. At last, she returned with a crowbar in her right hand, tapping it against her other palm, as if to show that she was becoming cocky. And with a single swing with one hand, she drove the crowbar straight over his cheekbone and brought him to the floor, face first, spitting out a few drops of blood as well down his lips. And the swings didn't stop, only continued over his arms, side, and back as Tony squirmed on the floor in a futile attempt to escape as Thalia only continued to bring the weapon down on him multiple times. He was immobilized now. Why was she going this far? Was it at all necessary? No. It was brutal. Extreme. Unpleasant.

How had nobody noticed this and stopped her yet?

"Just remember, Tony," She sobbed before swinging at him again, "YOU did this! You brought this upon yourself! You ruined my life, so I'm taking yours from you! You deserve to die!" Even if she had a sense of pride to her actions, she did have a tear or two leaking down her eyes as she lunged her arm back to swing again. She wasn't going to stop herself. Not a chance.
 
Things got nasty pretty quickly, and that was something James was expecting. He wasn't even expecting any form of response or acknowledgement from Thalia when he broke the news to her. He didn't really get that, either. She just took off and made her way straight for the garage where Tony was being held. James knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but a part of him wanted Tony to know just how close he was to death - he wanted him to fear it, he wanted him to be able to taste death on the tip of his tongue before he gets snatched away from it.

Did he want Thalia to kill him? When he first saw that look in Thalia's eyes, yes, he did. He figured it'd be a lot better for her just to kill Tony and be done with it. It'd be less problems in the long-run. Or would it? Could Tony be brought back from this selfish void and finally realize that all the team wants is to come together for once? Just like they did when they first got Ra's on camera? Was that so much to ask for, and would Tony come to his senses?

Providing he wasn't brain-dead after the beating he got, James certainly hoped so.

He did take one hell of a beating, too - James knew he could have done as much if not more damage to him himself, but, he figured Thalia would want the satisfaction. Not only that, but, he figured Tony already knew to fear him by now, or at the very least expect the unexpected from him. Thalia? He needed to know Thalia would kill him if given the chance, needed to know that if James was never there, she would have caved his skull in with a crowbar without hesitation.

Tony was probably going to need some sort of medical care. Even if it was just basic stuff. He looked rough after the treatment he'd gotten, and James was easily going to say he had a concussion by now. His head had taken one too many blows, and the fact that he was still conscious was close to being a miracle.

He knew Thalia was going to go in for the kill - and this was the chance to show Tony that he still had a chance to redeem himself, even though he and Thalia would never be friends after this night.

As the crowbar came up, James quickly grabbed the top of it. He didn't care about the broken window or the dent in the car. The dent, he could fix himself, and once Jon got here? Well, he knew how to replace a window, for god's sake. It wouldn't take much effort for a man like him, and it wasn't like James didn't a spare car.

To be honest, the temptation to buy a new car altogether was there. If there was anything that made him feel good, the thought that he could afford to go and buy a new car and not care was one of those things.

But still, he didn't let Thalia take another swing.

"Stop." He said, firmly, his grip on the crowbar tightening. "He's learned his lesson. He's not worth it, Thalia." He said, quietly. He looked down at Tony for a moment and shook his head, then looked back to Thalia. "Don't do something you can't take back. The choice you make now is going to stay with you for the rest of your life - remember that."

--

Joseph

Car alarm going off. Lovely.

Keep taking the orders, Joe. Turn a blind eye.

He was no idiot. He knew dirty business was going down, but, he was very fond of more or less everyone in the house. Or at least James, Thalia, and Karin. He wasn't going to complain, no matter how worried he was about it all. Even so, it was time to introduce himself to Jenny and ask her if she wanted anything to eat. He'd gotten over the fright of seeing her all bloodied up earlier in the morning, so, talking to her now wouldn't be too much of a problem.

Once again, though, another attractive woman to talk to - He was naturally going to be that little biy shyer than usual, but oh well. He was getting good social practice, so, when he went to Thalia's room, he gave a few knocks on the door and slowly stepped inside as soon as he knew it was all clear. If she was asleep, chances were the car alarm would have woken her up. God knows it had taken McAllister by surprise, and the work he was doing was quickly stopped, and he was on alert.

"Hey." Joseph said as he stepped inside, "Uhm... I hope I'm not bothering you, I just... Well, we're ordering food tonight and James wanted me to ask others if they wanted anything. Indian food." He said, holding up a menu he found by the house phone. Cinnamon, the place was called. He even Googled it - it had good reviews. "So, do you... Want anything?" He asked with a small smile, waving the menu about a little.

"Oh, and... The car alarm, I... You should probably get used to weird stuff happening around here. Things are kinda' messed up right now, so." He shrugged. Yes, it bothered him. But he braved through it for the hope of a better life, and deep down, the hope of a real father figure.
 
Living a rather quiet life, something like a car alarm suddenly sounding off not far away - even the same building - would never sound extremely mischievous to Jenny. Normally if that were to happen, all she'd have is a peek out the window to see if there was anything serious, and most of the time, it never was. Usually an accidental sound-off or someone fixing their car, which she had no experience in, as she never owned one of her own. So when the blaring sounds of the car siren echoed the property, Jenny didn't give it any of her attention. She'd just gotten dressed, back into the outfit she'd had on earlier, which fortunately wasn't stained in blood. She didn't want to raid Thalia's wardrobe until she actually accepted it. They were a similar size, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference as for a perfect fit. Her hair was finally dry enough to consider presentable, and for now, she was just sitting at Thalia's bed, just reading over the news reports. The damning ones about her friend...

She got caught?.... What happened to her?

Horrible things were going through Thalia's mind, if anything, so Jenny's gut wasn't entirely wrong. But now it brought to light the possible danger around the car alarm. That it might be more than just a simple malfunction or accidental flick of a switch. Something might be wrong. But she tried to mask that worry when the little boy she'd frightened earlier entered the room. His intentions were innocent enough, and it didn't seem like he was so scared of her like before. Now that she was freshened up and not worried for her life anymore, despite a rather deviant appearance, Jenny was a friendly personality. One that Joseph might just grow to like. After all, she had experience with babysitting, so she knew how to treat a kid of Joseph's age and stature. He seemed polite enough from his entrance, which gave her hope they'd get along nicely.

"Oh, don't worry too much about me eating... Joseph, I think your sister told me your name is?" she asked rather rhetorically. She did remember his name, but she just realized they hadn't been introduced formally. "My name's Jenny, by the way. I'm... a friend of your sister's friend; good to meet you." She carried on the conversation with him with a welcoming smile on her face, keeping him entertained by her cleaner looks, even if a bandage on her forehead might've been a bit scary, knowing she'd been injured, but surely it couldn't have been that significant a turn off. "If anything, I'll share with Thalia, or I'll make for myself. I won't bother you all with my presence. I can make food for myself."

It slipped Jenny's mind that James was swimming in more money than he knows what to do with, and wouldn't mind paying for one extra head. That's what independence does to a person; you hate leaning on someone for anything, food or otherwise.

But then... talk of the car alarm. Joseph said such things were normal around here. Things were messed up? Were her suspicions of it all being harmless dead wrong? Her smile faded as she stood up from the bed and stepped a bit closer to Joseph, now concerned. "I... beg your pardon?" She was still trying to be polite around the child, but she couldn't help but find the urge to follow the sounds of the noise. Something wasn't right, and now she was sure of it. Placing a gentle grab on Joseph's shoulders, she told you, "Y-You stay here, Joseph, okay? I'm going to go check on what's going on with the car...."

She was in for a surprise down there. One she may be end up putting her ass on the line for.

...

From the second she heard her life was over, Thalia knew that whatever decision she made now wouldn't have made much of a difference. She'd live with it the rest of her life? What life? Thalia Griffin was dead to the world: a public trademark of a missing Christian girl who went missing eight years ago... a criminal of the lowest brand. She might as well have surrendered herself to either Ra's or the police and let herself be killed. Or she could always end her own life. Both were possibilities. But if she were going to die, she wasn't going to go to hell without dragging Tony with her. To her knowledge, someone else - maybe herself - would spill her blood. But Tony ripped her soul from its place and sent it to kingdom come. He took her already broken heart and gave it no reason to be put back together. Her dream of starting over, shattered.... But for Thalia to say that no one would miss her was greatly wrong. She just didn't want to imagine the people in tears she'd be abandoning.

When James took a grab at the crowbar, it brought the girl with nothing left to live for back to the previous day when he stopped her from continuing to stab the hostage in that exact same garage. Deja vu... but this time, she didn't want to stop. She stopped with Cervantes because she knew she could still recover from that. But surely, she couldn't recover from this. Killing a distinguished detective in cold blood like that. The battery alone would be enough to put her away. Combine that with her charges as a member of Al-Asheera? She might as well tie the noose around her neck from now. So James stopping her was futile.

"Get off me!" she scowled, taking control of the grasp of the metal object and forcing James' grip off of it. "I know what I'm doing... I've got nothing left to live for. I'm better off dead anyway..."

But then... a voice that might just save her life. "Is that so?"

No..... Thalia thought. To Tony, the sound of a young female entering and interfering was a relief. He'd grown weak, feeling the cuts and bruises across his body and his head spinning from how many times she'd delivered blows to the head, and his nose bleeding from the initial punch. Was he close to death? He felt as if so when Thalia repelled James from her final swing. But it might not be after all. Because Thalia instantly turned over to the entrance of the garage as if in fear...

Jenny.

"Go away...." Thalia whimpered. "You don't want to see this."

"No," she shook her head, fearfully getting close to Thalia. Did she fear that she'd swing at her? Just a little. She noticed Tony's demise and grew worried of what Thalia was capable of. Did Al-Asheera make her a monster? She hated to believe that. But if there's anything Jenny felt she could do after years of doing wrong to this old friend, it's set her straight: prevent her from making another mistake. "If you're going to kill him, you're going to do it with me in the room. Like it or not, if you want to make that call, I'm going to make it with you."

Jenny's voice was shaky at the thought of witnessing a death, and her eyes showed that sort of fear. Thalia recognized this and continued to try to talk her out of it, her own fear also evident. "Jen, this isn't something you can get over. I've seen people die before... so killing him will be normal to me. I don't know how you'll take it, especially after how afraid you were after almost dying. I can't do that to you. Scar you for life by seeing this pathetic shit die like this."

"Yeah, well, as much of a pathetic shit as he, he will get what's coming for him. Death is too easy for him."

Thalia shook her head, but a bit of the shaking was due to her own hesitation. "He took away my freedom. He sold me out to the police, told them who I was.... he ruined my life, Jenny! I can't just let him live because of that! He has to feel what I feel!"

"He won't if you kill him, T! You'll just give him what he wants! Don't you see? He WANTS you to be that horrible person he painted you as to the police! I saw the reports, and it isn't all doom and gloom yet! You can still help yourself!"

She shook her head... but then after hearing it from someone rational, she glanced back down at a bloodied and beaten Tony, who looked like he could go unconscious at any second. Her jaw dropped at one thing: Jenny was right. "How..... if I turn myself in, Al-Asheera will kill me...."

Jenny knelt down to Thalia's level and reached over for the hand bearing the crowbar. "You won't turn yourself in. Because you've got people who care about you that will protect you and vouch for you if need be. Even me, even if it's hard to believe. Trust me; you won't move past this if you kill him."

"There's nothing to go back to..." she whimpered, her shaky hand barely keeping a clean grasp on the crowbar. "No one else that will love me or want me back. My mom will never look at me when she sees the news... my brother will be too scared to come close..."

Thalia looked traumatized, upset, on the brink of a breakdown, and her teary face showed that loud and clear to Jenny. But fortunately, she knew how to appeal to her in a way beyond her family. A fact she'd picked up after such a short time around Thalia again. "What about Karin?"

Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes just froze on Jenny for the moment. "W-What?"

"You heard me," she nodded. "What would Karin say if she came in here and saw you'd killed this dirtbag?"

It was tempting to think Karin would be relieved.... but would she? She wasn't that vengeful. "She'd.... um...." her eyes wandered to the floor, then back to Tony, who was glancing around the room, making sense of what was going on. Jenny was saving his life, but probably not for him. It still mattered in his mind.

"I'll tell you what she'd think," Jenny cut her off. "She'd be so afraid of what you've become because of Al-Asheera, because of Tony, that he pushed you off the edge so far that you couldn't be saved..."

"So what? She'll be pissed? Enough people are pissed at me under this roof."

"No. She'll be devastated."

Silence.... that sounded more like the Karin she grew to love. And she began to tremble at the thought of this friend's reaction if she knew to what degree Thalia had fallen off the deep end.

"I bet you she'll forever regret coming in here and ripping that crowbar out of your hands and begging you not to do this. I know for a fact she doesn't want you to go that far. That you have hope of being a better person than this. I know she wants the best for her...." Her next words came off more as whispers than before, her head leaning closer to Thalia's. "And I know you care deeply about her than to put her through the thoughts of you crawling into a dark place... or worse. If I was crushed when you ran away when we hated each other as kids.... how do you think she'd feel if you'd become so distant from who you are that you don't even recognize yourself in the mirror? She won't look at you the same way... and you'll probably lose her forever. Because I know you haven't had someone like her in your life, and you're terrified of losing her."

The words felt more belittling than anything. But also scary and truthful. Spot on. Jenny sure knew how to draw a logical conclusion from being around the two for so long. Thalia just shook her head, her voice succumbing to her own sorrows and pain from within, the pain of her heartbreak... mixed the pain of losing her closest friend in a long time if she'd actually killed Tony. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Slowly but surely, Jenny acquired full control of the crowbar and slipped it out of Thalia's hands, then tossed it away from the two. "Because I don't want to see you make this mistake and ruin your life. Because even though you think so, it's not. You can move past this. But if you kill Tony? I can't guarantee you will...."

As she felt the crowbar slip out of her fingertips, her hand dropped down to her side, still trembling from fear of the worst, especially the fears related to Karin that Jenny had planted into her mind. With a sniffle, she whispered back, as if she'd surrendered to the pleas of her friend to spare Tony, "She's so important to me.... I can't do that to her..."

Jenny nodded. "I know," As she reached over to hold Thalia's hands, she noticed something amiss: the blood dripping from her right elbow, the shard of glass stuck in her skin, lodged rather deep too from a first observation her. Her eyes shot out at the sight and gasped. "Oh my God, T, you're hurt," her voice came out louder than before so James could hear as well.

Thalia hardly even noticed a piece of the tinted glass was stuck in her this entire time. She didn't feel it or give any attention to her own well being through the entire assault. She could only assume it was the adrenaline kicking in. But now that it was dying down, she could feel the awkward sensation of some foreign object stuck inside her. She twisted her arm around to see the piece of glass, and clearly wasn't as frightened as Jenny. Almost fearlessly, she reached over to try to pull it out with her opposite hand, only to be stopped by her friend.

"Are you crazy?" she barked, moving her hand away before she could make it worse. "We're not in the forest, Thalia. You don't just yank it out like that. Here, take my hand..." Jenny reached forward with both hands to help Thalia to her feet and get her to stand properly. Clearly, she wasn't in pain. A relief, but that's the least to expect from a clanswoman, after all. Jenny kept an arm wrapped around Thalia's shoulder and faced James. "She needs to see a professional about her injury. Anyone here with experience?"

So that was it... Thalia wasn't going to butcher Tony after all. Quite a relief to the detective. So he wouldn't meet his maker after all. But he did confirm one thing: Thalia didn't kill him FOR KARIN. Was his suspicion of at least a one-sided romance between the two right? He could roughly hear Thalia's words in the whole mix. 'She's so important to me'. It sounded too serious to be innocent. But he kept his concerns quiet. Instead, he spoke out, "So you're not a killer after all, Thalia. I was wrong about you." Concentrating was becoming difficult for him, but he could at least formulate a coherent sentence.

Jenny glared at him from above, clearly unhappy. "Shut up. You did this to her. So you better thank whatever god you believe in that she didn't follow through."

Tony simply ignored her and focused more on James. He seemed more impartial about this whole thing. Jenny and Thalia are childhood friends, making bias clear as day. James wasn't. If he wanted him dead, he'd be dead. But he even stopped Thalia from ending him. "Why did you stop her?" he groaned, squinting his eyes just to maintain focus. "You could've easily let her end me.... and Jenny would be too late... why?"

Would anyone even answer Tony anymore? Like hell. Thalia wanted nothing to do with him anymore. To her, he was dead whether she took that final swing to split his skull or not. Jenny was equally not fond of him. James? It was clear how pissed he was. Tony truly had no more allies. So who would give him an answer?
 
"It's good to meet you, too." He said. "But alright, whatever Thalia's getting, I'll make it a large so you guys can share, or something." He shrugged.

Nonetheless, Jenny was naturally worried by what Joseph said. Things weren't normal around here, and that was the cold hard truth. He did listen to what Jenny said, though, and decided the best thing to do was just wait there while she went to investigate. He sat down on the bed - if things quietened down, he'd take off and do what it was he was meant to do initially. Take orders. He'd already been to see Karin in the time that Thalia was inside, and he asked Frank and Jordan if they wanted anything, but they were having meatballs that Frank made. He spoke to McAllister (who was actually really nice, to Joseph's surprise. He was good with kids) and got an order from him (the guy hadn't eaten all day), and then it came down to Jenny. Now, all that was left was Thalia, James, and Tony, wherever he was.

But, for now, he sat there in silence. Waiting.

This was unbelievably stressful on him, too, to the point where he felt his stomach rolling over. It was awful knowing there was bad things going on and not being able to do a single thing about it. He felt useless and hopeless, but, he was doing his best.

--

James wasn't able to convince her, and if she was really going to take another swing, he was going to have to take physical action to stop her. He was just about ready to step forward and subdue her in one way or another, but, he didn't need to. Jenny came in. Joseph may have felt useless, but, that was just one thing that was on his back - Chances were, if he never went in to talk to her, she never would have thought anything of the car alarm, and Thalia would have been left to senselessly kill Tony. Joseph had helped in ways he couldn't imagine, but hey, that's life. He didn't know about those things just yet.

When Jenny came in and basically saved Tony's ass, James just stepped back and let the two girls have their moment, listening in on whatever parts he could. Whatever they spoke of was enough to make Thalia lower the crowbar. That was Tony saved by the skin of his teeth yet again - Would James finally have the chance to talk some sense into him? They may say that violence isn't the answer, but for some reason, it felt like this time it was. Could things finally straighten out if Tony knew the severity of everything again? If he got his head out of the clouds and saw the situation for what it really was? James still had his end of the deal to hold up, and now, Frank and Tony had another chance to hold up theirs. Sort of, at least.

There was talk of Thalia being injured, too, and James shook his head. "Swinging her arm around probably didn't help much. Go get the wound cleaned, leave the glass where it is, try and stop the flow of blood as much as you can. Make sure she keeps her arm elevated." He said. "I'll take a look as soon as I'm done in here. You know where the first aid kits are. God knows I've got enough of them." He said. "If it's really serious and not anything I can treat without causing severe damage, there's a doctor I can take her to. If that's the case, we may be able to kill two birds with one stone. We'll see how it goes." He sighed, "We still have one of Al-Asheera being cared for at that same place, and we're running too short on time with him. We need him dealt with before he becomes obsolete." He explained.

James may not have been a true ally of Tony's anymore, but, he was at least going to answer his question. He crouched down in front of him and shook his head.

"Tony, if you'd spent less time trying to find a way to prove me and everything else wrong, you wouldn't be in this position. And Melissa would be halfway across the world by now." He said. "Let's put it into a different context - Karin goes into work, she learns a secret about a colleague, she tells everyone else. That colleague falls out with her. She continues to spread that secret until it eventually impacts the colleague negatively. Karin gets seen to after work and gets a punch or two." He said. "Joseph goes into school and his friend tells him something personal. Joseph goes around and spreads that personal thing among people - eventually, his friend and his friend's friends start to give him shit and maybe even rough him up." He said. "Frank goes into work and does his best to throw another detective under the bus, thus risking the detective's career. Frank gets dragged down an alley when he clocks off and gets seven colors of shit kicked out of him." He said. "See where I'm going with this? This situation you're in is not unique. It's not because none of us agree with you or want you help - it's because you've approached things wrongly." He said.

"I didn't let her kill you because I still believe that somewhere in that nearly-fractured skull of yours is a brain. A brain strong enough to realize how things are now - Now? Now we're all crossing the same bridge, and we're going against traffic. The police are looking for Thalia, and eventually they're going to figure out that you and Frank aren't in custody. Even if they don't, if cops see you on the street, you're both fucked. If Frank gets caught, Jordan gets found, and chances are all of us will at least get a sentence for kidnapping. Being accessories to crimes, and so on." He said. "And you're lucky I bailed you out earlier - Imagine what would happen if Al-Asheea caught wind that you were back to helping them find their men? Melissa would be dead before you could even walk out the station - Just stop and think about this for a minute, will you?" He asked.

"I still believe you have potential. I always believed that - It's not me trying to destroy your reputation. You're breaking it down yourself with all your actions - It's time to realize and accept that I, Thalia, McAllister... Know our opponents better than you ever will. You know Al-Asheera and what they do, but everything you've done before has been behind a badge. You've been limited. Us three? We haven't." He said. "And this whole damn time I've been trying to use that to make this run smoothly. Now, we have all the evidence and files on both the gangs. We're at a strong point. Aside from the bad shit that went down today." He shook his head.

"I can't afford to give anymore chances, Tony, but we can't keep playing games like this. It's going to get us all killed, or put in prison." He said. "Do you understand what I'm saying to you? You still have a chance to make things right. But not the way you're doing it now."

At that moment, the door opened up again. This time, it was Frank that showed his face - Probably the last person Thalia needed to see in a situation like this, especially as it was obvious it was her that did this to Tony, given her own injuries and emotional state.

"Holy shit." Frank said, looking around, then glancing over Tony. "What the hell happened? I came here to check things out because the alarm startled Jordan, but..." As much as it hurt to do so, he glanced at Thalia for a moment, then Jenny, then James, then Frank. "Jesus." He whispered.

"Frank, get the fuck out." James said, sternly. "Things are fine here."

"Right..." Frank nodded slowly - there was still that element of concern in his eyes for Tony, though. "Are you sure you--"

"Frank." James snapped. "Make like a tree, and fuck off. Please?"

Best not to push it. It was clearly a bit of a fucked situation.

Frank glanced over everyone briefly again before slowly backing out of the room and wandering back to the kitchen. He'd just tell Jordan everything was fine.
 
Thankfully, what could've been a gruesome murder and a point of no return resolved into a peaceful realization that death and violence wasn't the answer. That the associated parties of this whole ordeal had too much at stake to let this end in death. Sure, this doesn't mean that Thalia and Tony are now best buddies or anything like that. That would probably never happened; it was more like a personal revelation for both, something that concerned each of them individually.

To Tony? It was that his hostile and by-the-law approach to everything wasn't going to fly anymore. He couldn't keep lashing out and making assumptions. Sure, everyone assumes, but he was very open about every assumption he made about Thalia, and wouldn't be quiet about it under any circumstance. This fight wasn't the first that broke out or could've erupted anyway. The only difference? Thalia won. She brought him down to his knees and unarmed, on the brink of unconsciousness, and almost ended his life. But she stopped, which partially proved his killer assumption wrong. She did kill that clansman the other night, sure, but whatever messed up fragment of her head didn't prevail this time. Maybe because of external influences, but it still counted. She opted not to kill him, but would she make good to her world to tell Ra's to kill Melissa? They were at peace, but every man craves vengeance. And this wasn't vengeance. Tony was let off with a slap of the wrist. A rough one, but still a slap.

To Thalia? Her revelation was that of her priorities. Friends meant the world to her, even if they were oftentimes quick to depart. When Jenny grew bitter with her in middle school, it crushed her due to their long-term attachment, one that went beyond a childish romantic fantasy from a sleepover game. She lost her first friend, which took a toll on her psyche and forever damaged her. It was that sort of separation that lead her to separate from the rest of the pack and run away from home. Many other past friends in Al-Asheera were also quick to go, mostly to death, be it by local law enforcement or by The Head himself. And that is why she felt so protective over Jenny and Karin now: because she couldn't possibly watch them see a cruel death. Even more than that: she couldn't lose their friendships, either. Things seemed fine with Jenny, who helped her out of a tough situation and a decision she'd regret. But then there was Karin, and how it got into her head the way it did. Her words were genuine, the way she described Karin's importance in her mind. An innocent girl who didn't deserve to get caught up in this... all because she returned to the scene of the crime and faced her. Then contacted her and went back to her at a bar. It was exciting, sure, and they've had their ups and downs... but it felt deeper. Again, it wasn't love, but it was far more than just a friendship. It was some purgatory-esque state between the two phases. But she could never tell Karin how she felt. But was it clear enough as is? Would Jenny tell? Thalia was afraid of the result if so, but she held her tongue for now.

But what would make everything worse? Frank coming in and seeing what Thalia did firsthand. The girl he'd just broken up with, a piece of glass stuck in her arm, elevated by Jenny as they made their way to the exit, just in time for the younger detective to see. In shock, Thalia was at a loss for words. What to do? What to say? How could she justify almost killing his partner? Was there any way to lessen that sort of blow? She had no clue, and simply continued out the door, yanking her friend along, a shocked expression on her tear-infested face. If things weren't over between her and Frank before, they were now. All hope might just be gone now that he's seen the result of her violent tendencies firsthand.

On the other hand, Tony, upon noticing Frank come in, figured it was a partial victory in his mind. He'd seen the risks posed by Thalia now, and deep down, no matter the things he'd said to his partner, Frank probably still cared for him. And seeing him handcuffed to the floor, battered and bruised as is, it probably got to his heart where it hurts. Thank god the children didn't enter the garage. That wouldn't be something for young eyes to see. But instead, Tony simply focused on James' words as best as he could, feeling himself drift out of consciousness.

"I just...." His head rested on the cold concrete floor beneath simply due to the dizziness and heavy-headedness that had taken over. His eyelids slowly draped over the orbs of his eyes as he began to lose himself. "Thalia wasn't who I..... thought she'd be.... she isn't a good person...."

And that was it for him. Death hadn't showed up at Tony's doorstep just yet, but his wounds brought him into a state of shocked that caused him to shut down, blood oozing from behind his head and down his nose, along with a few cuts and bruises on his back and left arm. His sternum might be broken as well, but that was for a professional to determine. At least he could finally rest after a day of yelling, accusations, and most importantly... no Melissa to put him at ease. Would she ever come home?

Meanwhile, Jenny walked Thalia back over to the bedroom that they were sharing at the time. Well, momentarily. Thalia still had plans to take the couch so that Jenny didn't have to, but a bed would've suited them both for now. Fortunately, any blood dripping from Thalia's wound was picked up by Jenny's palm, so no trail was left behind for someone to see and panic over. Her wound wasn't grievous, but it did need to be checked out before it reached that degree, according to her friend's firsthand analysis. Jenny was no doctor, but she at least knew first aid from her babysitting years. She never had to put her skills to use, thank god, but it was always good to know how to treat something like this. James' words were simply a reminder. She knew how to care for minor incidents, but a shard of glass stuck in her arm? She'd leave that to a professional.

But she remembered right before the two entered the room... Joseph. In that case, Jenny stopped Thalia when they were almost in front of the door. "Damn it, Joseph's waiting for me in there. I don't think it's a good idea he sees you like this."

Sighing, Thalia nodded. "Fine, we'll go to the pool house or something.... maybe Karin can help?"

"I can treat your wound, T, but if you insist..."

Almost instinctively, keeping her arm at-level, she uttered softly, "I just want her around... she just..."

Thalia stopped, but Jenny could anticipate what she was going to say, turning to her confidently, "Makes you comfortable?"

No answer from Thalia as they kept walking. The redhead even refused to make eye contact after that, keep her gaze tilted to her left and to the floor. Jenny could tell she was avoiding the subject.

"Thalia... do you love Karin?"

Again, no answer. They were getting close, and surely, she wasn't going to ask it again in front of Karin herself. But she could take her silence as a determining factor. It might just be true, even if Thalia refused to tell her the full story of her complicated idea of Karin.

The two entered the slice of paradise by the pool and immediately took a seat at the couch. Upon seeing Karin, Jenny immediately explained, "Thalia faced Tony.... they had a bit of a stand off.... she's fine for the most part, except for this. Piece of glass is stuck in her arm... keep it held up, T. And don't move it around much. That's the last thing you need."

Thalia nodded and breathed deeply, getting over her tears, then looking over to Karin, almost worried for her reaction if she knew the nature of the fight. Tony unarmed, her simply going to town with him. That wasn't an image she needed to have of her friend, and she was thankful that Jenny sugarcoated the story so Karin wouldn't get any bad ideas about what just happened. If only she could openly say thank you now. "I swear," she muttered, "I'm fine. I can take the glass out, just fine."

"You sure as hell are not hurting yourself more than you already are," Jenny shook her head, then turned to Karin, "There any first aid kits in this place? I just need something to stop the bleeding? I've already got enough of it on my hands as is."

That was quite true; had Joseph seen her blood-covered hands, he'd know something was fishy about that car alarm and go see for himself, where he'd be greeted to an unconscious Tony on the ground and a long trail of Thalia's blood across the floor. Not pleasant. But at least it was slowing down a bit. A relief to them both.

"You're a lucky bitch, T. And I hope you heal fast."

Thalia nodded, a faint smile on her face. "Yeah. Yeah I do. That's what being a thief does... right?"

The comic relief was pleasant, and even Jenny smiled along. "You're not a thief.... you're something more than that... Karin, if she says she's a thief one more time, you slap her over the head, okay?"

"Psssh. Shut up..." Thalia snuck a laugh in the mix. A very minor one, but it kept her distracted. Once more, the three of them were alone together in the pool house. How entertaining this would be. Maybe Jenny would throw another opportunity at Thalia to show more of how she feels about Karin? Or not. She didn't even have an answer. She just wanted to see more for herself. Or at least get more evidence to support her theory. But she wouldn't antagonize Thalia over it. But rather get her to stop doubting herself. For now the good company was enough for the three.
 
So, Tony was out cold. James knew he needed to make sure he didn't die during the night. If he was passing out, his body needed it, but he couldn't leave him untreated. Just as soon as he managed to get the cuffs off him, he dragged him through the house and to the room he'd been staying in. Now, he needed to work to ensure he was okay. He knew he had Thalia to tend to, but, her injuries seemed far less worse than Tony's. As angry as James was, he wasn't going to shove Tony in a room and hope he woke up the next morning. The least he could do was stop the bleeding and whack some ice on the back of his head for a while, just to bring the swelling down.

It was a lot of effort to get Tony moved, but, he managed it in the end, and managed to get him up onto the bed as well. He laid him down and made sure he was on his side, too. While he was there he ran off and got a first aid kit from the kitchen. There were quite a few lying around, after all, and also grabbed a handful of ice cubes from the freezer and wrapped them up in a dish towel. He went back to Tony's room, and the first thing he did was clean the cuts on the back of his head, as well as apply enough pressure to get the blood flow to stop. He couldn't bandage him, but, he could get an adhesive patch over the top of it with no problem. Almost like a bigger, badder version of a bandaid, really.

At least that was that dealt with. In terms of other injuries, he just dealt with any other cuts on the front of his face and sealed them up with some steri-strips. Nothing A-class, but, it would have to do. Tony wasn't exactly going to be complaining when he came around and found someone had been nice enough to move him to bed and patch him up a little, as opposed to leaving him on the garage floor like he probably expected. Had Tony really began to see Thalia and the people around him in a new light? James was determined to move on quickly, because if he didn't, they'd never have enough time to prove their innocence. Even though Thalia wasn't necessarily innocent, there was still the chance to get her name cleared, same for McAllister. All in good time, right?

He did his best for Tony's nose, too, and put something there to stop the blood. He put strips over the bridge and everything, but, the thing about a broken nose is you can't really do anything about it. You just have to let it heal. At least it was treated and supported now - there was very little chance of infection, and if he did have a concussion, with a bit of luck that would wear off overnight. James didn't expect to see Tony for the rest of the evening - if he wasn't in so rough of a state, he'd have offered him a strong drink and a pat on the back. It was evident he needed something a little more in-depth than that, though.

As for outside, Karin was straight to her feet as soon as she saw Thalia and her arm up in the air with a chunk of glass sticking out of it - before she could say anything, though, Jenny had her covered, and quickly explained what was going on with her. A fight with Tony, one where they got into a bit of a mess, and in the process Thalia managed to cut her arm. A piece of tinted glass, too. Was that from James' car? God, it must have been chaotic. She could only pray Joseph wasn't a witness to any of that.

That was another thing - Would Jenny bring up the fact that her brother was more aware of what was going on than he should be, or would she just cushion Karin and hope that it was a one-off?

"Don't worry. There's plenty of things I'm willing to slap her for." Karin said, then winked at Thalia. She was quick to take a look at her arm, though. "God, T... How in the hell did you manage that? That looks... Nasty. I mean... I don't know how deep it is. It's an elbow, for god's sake, so unless it's gone between the arm and the elbow, someone should be able to pull that out with a pair of tweezers, or something. If it's gone right in deep... You're going to need to see someone about it. If you lose any glass in there, you're done for. It might have broken off inside, too. Aside from the actual discomfort of having the glass in there, can you feel anything else, like, within the wound?" She asked. "No stabbing pains anywhere deeper in your arm? God, I'm no professional. I don't know. I'm just asking simple questions here." She laughed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Uhm, first aid, yeah. It's behind the bar." She hopped up and ran over to the bar, quickly digging in the compartments behind it until she found a green case with a white cross on it. She quicklt ran back to Thalia and whacked it open. "Okay, so..." She pulled out some antiseptic fluid and dabbed that on some cotton. "You're meant to clean cuts and all that first, from what I remember." She said. "Gimme' your arm, you fool." She grinned, and even though she got up on her knees on the couch so she could get up closer without Thalia having to move her arm too much, she still got hold of it and brought it a little closer to her. "I don't know how we're going to get this glass out, but, one thing at a time. It doesn't look like thick glass, either, so it's only more risky, really." She said, and at that moment, she pressed the cotton onto the open wound - obviously avoiding the glass - and began to wipe the blood away. That stuff stung like a bitch, but hey. It was necessary. "Jenny... You want to grab some and help me do this?" She asked.

"Can I take a guess and say that this glass is from James' Range Rover?" She asked, a smile creeping onto her face again.
 
The last thing Karin needed to hear was, not only that Thalia became violent, but that her little brother was more aware of his surroundings and the troubles around him than meets the eye. And even though Jenny had picked up on such an ordeal, she would never tell Karin to her face, especially not now when their primary concern was their mutual friend with a worrisome injury in her arm. And both girls recognized the urgency of the situation, the need to take care of their friend. Though Thalia didn't show any obvious signs of harm or uneasiness, it was still worth making sure there wasn't anything too serious. Her arm was cut into. The glass was literally sticking out. And after her swift movements of swinging a crowbar around, she had to have made the injury slightly worse than it was. Jenny's tainted hands were a testament to the significant bleeding involved. And though her friends were frantically coming to her rescue, she was.... oddly at ease. Not only did she hardly feel the pain of a foreign object in her arm and feel bold enough to want to just rip it out, but she also felt a little bit more comfortable with her two closest female friends around. The jokes... the fun being poked around... the slapping threats... but most importantly, she trusted them both to the point she could relax. She was on the brink of a nervous breakdown inside, but now with the lighthearted environment out here?She felt at ease and prepared to smile a bit more...

All starting from Karin's instinct to say there was plenty to be slapped for. She was a wild one, after all, and it was all in good humor after all. Giggling a bit in response, she had to refute, "Oh come on. I haven't gotten you into THAT much trouble. You haven't seen me truly being a little devil."

"Oh trust me, I have," Jenny pitched in, just examining the glass in her arm, smiling and laughing along all the same. "Give this girl the freedom to do as she pleases? She'll go nuts. Come back all bandaged and bruised. I just wanna know what you were like in Al-Asheera."

Scoffing, Thalia bit back, still smiling. "If I weren't injured, I'd slap YOU instead. How's that?"

"Oh you bite me." She avoided an actual slap as to not cover her friend in blood. At least not as badly as she was now. Her arm was enough of a horror story to tell of as is. And again, a sudden movement might just worsen her injury. Swinging a crowbar around certainly didn't help her case, and now if anything was a time for her to cool down and relax. She certainly needed that, physically and emotionally. At least for the latter, she was having some fun with the verbal advancements while her friends investigated her wound.

She was asked if she felt her wound. If it stung at all. How deep it could be.

"I swear, I don't feel a thing, Karin," she responded rather calmly. "I've been stabbed by things before, gotten glass on my arms before... I've just pulled them out. Nothing ever happened. I know it's not safe, but.... when you're under the rule of someone like Ra's? You have no choice."

"You better promise you won't attempt anything of the sort now," Jenny gave her, as if to order her in a light-hearted manner. "You're not with Al-Asheera anymore, so no more risky shit like this."

Thalia sighed, a bit relieved. Maybe the days of ripping glass shards from her body were over? She could finally relax? Would she be able to now with her future in jeopardy? James did mention something about trying his best to make this right... but could he? No man can silence the press. This story would circulate and stay with the masses forever. Was it over for Thalia Griffin? "Fine, fine... but I swear, I don't feel anything. No pain, no stinging, no stabbing sensation... nothing. Is that weird?"

"Um, yes?" Jenny laughed as Karin began to apply the antiseptic fluid on her wound. Best the wound not get infected and add another complication to an already messy situation. It still entertained Jenny and she and Karin were having their fair share of fun calling Thalia names and making this more positive for her. And surely enough, she was enjoying it too. The names were against her favor, but she liked it. All to distract her from a pain she didn't even feel at all.

And ironically, only when she felt the disinfectant make contact with the open wound did Thalia grunt in a bit of pain, rolling her fingers into a clenched fist and shutting her eyes to suppress any verbal reaction. "Aaaaack..." she growled. "Fuck, why does that hurt more than the actual wound? Shouldn't I feel better?" It was a slight consolation of the personal touch from Karin in some deeper, darker, creepier part of her, but only because Jenny was putting the ideas in her mind. Ideas she didn't want in there, but were nice regardless.

Giggling, Jenny reached over for Thalia's arm and held it upright for her, a contribution on her own that didn't involve her having to go wash her hands and waste her time away from her new friends when they needed her for help. "Oh, shut it, you. You might've kicked ass, but you also got yourself into this mess. Broke the damn window of the Range Rover with your elbow? That's on you."

"Oh, come the fuck on..." she laughed, though aware of her mistake, but enjoyed the fun being poked back and forth. She was having too much fun with this. Entertaining. Painful, but a good sort of pain, enough for her to smile.

Satisfied with Thalia's happiness and contribution, Jenny then directed her next words to Karin. "I'd say we leave it to James to actually remove the glass. For now, we can disinfect the wound and stop the bleeding. But other than that, there's only so much they teach you when you're not a doctor, you know? I wish I knew exactly how to deal with this. That James guy, he should know how to take care of her, right? I don't think he's a doctor, but he seems like he knows enough. Very... resourceful. He's got a lot of fancy cars, too, I must say. And a fancy place on top of it all. Boy, he must have women here like, every week or something... am I right?"

Thalia, at first, didn't want to burst Jenny's bubble and mention the truth about James' relationship status, but it might just get her mind off of her curiosity for her personal feelings for Karin. "You're looking at his girlfriend... you know that, right?"

Honestly, Jenny was surprised. A glance upward to Karin, then she let out a light chuckle. "No kidding, girl? You? He's all yours?" It was a surprise that she was taken. She wouldn't expect a girl toting a child around to be in an active relationship, being truthful, but she didn't spit that out out loud. "Damn, girl, if we weren't holding this idiot's arm up and I wasn't covered in her blood, I'd high-five you. You are so lucky to have this place as your own, no kidding."

At the 'idiot' remark, Thalia rolled her eyes and glared at Jenny, replying sarcastically, "Hey, who are you calling an idiot?" Odd. The last time she was called an idiot, it was from Ra's. But he meant it when he said it. When it came from Jenny, it felt more friendly. All jokes. And that's how she liked it. "Hey, maybe when this is over, maybe Karin can host some crazy house parties... right?" She gave Karin a wink, thinking back at their drunkened moment yesterday when they went overboard mixing spirits and ending up wasted in the home cinema. Good times... maybe Jenny could join them next time.
 
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