Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

[DrTrollinski]

"House parties. I can only wish." Karin laughed, "I'm sure I can host something, but yes, you're looking at James' girlfriend. I mean, I'm pretty sure we're official now. Enough's happened for me to safely say he's interested in something a little more long-term, and not only that, he's close to Joseph. If he wasn't planning on keeping me around, he wouldn't be spending all this time with him and buying him all this cool shit. Day we got here, he bought me and Joseph a new laptop. His is one of those fancy gaming ones, though. I've never seen Joseph so happy in years." She laughed. "Either way... I'm grateful that I've got a place like this to hang around in. I've said to Thalia already, it's just like... It's one of those places you can only dream of if you're not a movie star or whatever. I never thought I'd get to stay in a place like this for more than one hour, but, I turned out to be wrong." She smiled.

"James should be able to deal with the injury just fine. He'll get the glass out." She nodded, a sense of certainty in her eyes. "He knows what he's doing. I'm sure he's been medically trained with all his experience. Once again, like I also said to Thalia... A normal man doesn't end up with a place like this before he's 30. I have no idea if he had a lot of women dropping by before I was on the scene, but, to tell you the truth, I heard he was pretty lonely before all of us came along. I guess he's a bit of an introvert, unbelievably. I prefer the term 'forced introvert', because my god, he's one of the most confident guys I've ever come across in my time. You know how things are. If he's involved in everything that's going on here, then it doesn't take much to figure out why he's not really out and about with people all the time." She said. She didn't want to give away too much, even though she did trust Jenny.

She didn't feel it was her place to share James' secrets with everyone, though. Maybe Jenny would know, with time.

Either way, things did move on, and once everything was all cleaned up and James had dealt with the injury, Joseph finally got a chance to make an order. James even let him call up the restaurant himself. That was another big confidence booster and yet another chance he got to feel a little more grown up. He ordered food for everyone that wanted something, including Thalia and Karin. James told him to order something on the side for Tony, too, just in case he woke up later and needed something to eat. Either way, the meal was... Surprisingly nice, once all the dramas were out of the way. Jordan and Frank obviously didn't sit with everyone, and part of Frank was glad for that.

He didn't want to sit for a social with his now-ex-girlfriend, and Jordan didn't want to be swamped by everyone, either, so the two of them vouched for just watching TV together in the living room, with Jordan all snuggled up to Frank's side and generally quite happy. His mind had been clear of the tragic events from a couple of days ago, which was a big surprise, but, it wasn't going to last forever.

--

A Little While Later...

"Right, there we go." Frank smiled as he pulled the blanket up to the boy's shoulders. He was all tucked in now, and although he was weary, he still managed a smile. "You know where my bedroom is if you need anything, right?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded.

"Good man. Now, I know we don't have any books here, but..." He lifted an iPad he had on the floor down by his knees. "I figured we could borrow James' iPad again and get a story up on there. Would you like that?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." He chuckled, "Let's have a look... There's a good question for you. You ever heard of Goodnight Mister Tom?"

"Um... Nope."

"It's about a boy who gets sent away from his mom during the war, stays with an old man in the English countryside. Real good. Want me to read you some of that one tonight?"

"Sure." Jordan rolled over on his side to face him and gave him a smile again. At least his spirits were high, although Frank was convinced Jordan was doing everything in his power to block out the bad memories.

"Alright. Here we go then." He loaded up the file and went to page one, but...

"Frank?" Jordan called out.

"Yep?" He peered at him over the iPad.

There was a brief moment where Jordan looked over him, but, eventually, his eyes met his again. "You're my best friend."

Aww... Frank definitely felt a kick in his heart at that point - He couldn't shed a tear now, though. Jesus, today had been an emotional day. He had to respond, though. "Aw, thanks, buddy. I'm glad. You're my best friend, too." He winked.

Even if it was only a small sign of their bond to Frank, it meant the world to Jordan.

Regardless, Frank started reading as soon as he got the chance - once Jordan was asleep, he was going to go for a few stiff drinks.

--

August 7th

San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California

1:46AM (Local Time)

The flight was over and getting through customs and such was no big deal. They had their bags scanned and everything, and it's not as if there were going to be any abnormalities in any of them. They were just a happy family on their flight to San Francisco, after all, and now they'd finally arrived. But the fact was it was late. Charlie may have had that little nap on the plane, but Jon wasn't forgetting he was only eight years old. He needed to get into a proper bed and settle down for a good night of sleep. Jon was going to check them all into a nice hotel, anyway, one that was a little better than the motel they were in, one that required their passports. If they could go in as fake guests (or at least on the back of Jon's passport), then they'd be fine, and wouldn't come up on the system as Griffins. Even if they were half a state away, practically, from LA, Jon didn't want Charlie and Nicole showing up on any sort of systems.

But now, here they were, and for an international airport, it really wasn't that busy at all. Then again, it was nearly 2am. Not many people were going to be around, but there were just enough coming and passing through to prevent the place from being an absolute ghost town All Jon could say was thank god they were off the plane - a couple more drinks with Nicole was nice, of course, but, the flight got a bit draining after some time. The event of the last two days quickly caught up to him, and now he was pretty exhausted, too.

After getting off the plane and everything, he made sure they got a trolley they could put their bags on. There was no need for them to be dragging their luggage around at this hour of the day. They could just wheel it out to the cab, basically.

On the flight itself, the turbulence they went through was minor. It lasted around 30 minutes, and even though it caused enough of a ruckus to wake everyone up, it was nothing too terrifying. Jon was certain the turbulence that Charlie and Nicole went through going oversea was a lot worse than that, and this time, they had the acupresure wristband and the mint candies, too, so even if there was a chance of sickness, hopefully those were enough to remedy it.

All in all, a good evening, one that Jon thought was going to continue going smoothly.

He hoped Nicole didn't mind pushing the trolley and all that, because Jon himself vouched for carrying Charlie on his back, instead. He felt like that'd be much nicer for him rather than having to drag him through the entire airport after an incredibly long two-day journey. Finally, victory smelt so near.

"Let's just hang in there, buddy." He said to Charlie, but, his eyes were all over the place. He'd insisted that Nicole continued wearing her glasses and used the 'I had surgery and I'm sensitive to light' excuse, just to be safe. Even though there weren't thousands of people here, he really didn't want to risk it. Even so, that wasn't any reason to not be careful. He couldn't let things slip now - he'd been ready to spring into action for the past two days, and he wasn't about to stop with that. "Think... Give it another half an hour or so, and you'll be tucked into a comfy bed." He let out a small but tired laugh. "Welcome to San Francisco, though. Welcome to California in general. On the way to the hotel, we'll buy some water. It'll take a week or so for you to adjust to the air temperature here, so, best to keep a big bottle of water by your bed. Drink a lot of water generally, really." He said.

Still. He continued walking. He had to text James at some point soon - he could only pray the guy was still awake. It sort of depended on what was going on, he guessed, but he needed to know what the situation in LA was. If things were still hot, then he wouldn't risk taking Charlie and Nicole there right away. He knew how to fight, but, he wouldn't be able to fight off the whole of Al-Asheera if they suddenly came down on them as soon as they got into the LA perimeter. And Jon was unarmed, but, looking around... There were plenty of weapons. Chairs, magazines in magazine stands, metal-framed sunglasses. All of them could form a nasty weapon if he ever needed it, but, a rolled up 8th Edition car magazine wasn't going to be a weapon he'd be able to use indefinitely. It loses its touch after a while, as you can imagine.

"Either of you need anything on the way through? I'm gonna' have to stop by a restroom, I know that much. Some coffee would be great until we can get to the hotel, too." He said. "Maybe a sandwich, or something. You and I haven't eaten since we left Indiana, Nicole, so if you wanna' grab something on the way out, I'm game." He smiled at her.

San Francisco. It's been a long time, Jon thought to himself.

 

[KasperXIII]

Flying for long hours at a time was practically childsplay for Nicole. Again, she used to travel every year when her firstborn was still around. To and back from Philly to Paris, which she eventually grew to enjoy. So a trip from Indianapolis to San Francisco was no issue for her. Enjoyable, nostalgic, and well-accompanied. Part of it was spent over a quick drink just to ease her nerves, just general anxiety rather than fear, the other part napping, of course, with her eyes concealed by the sunglasses. Someone recognizing her would be a nightmare, especially somewhere like an airplane going to San Francisco, while her daughter was confirmed to be in LA. But that wasn't all: her conversation with Jon about the future stuck with her. About sticking around and how, as a parent, she hadn't necessarily failed her children; it helped her develop a sort of resilience towards the ordeal before her. With Charlie being forced from one location to another and Thalia slowly becoming a media-swarmed pariah, it would take the most maternal strength she'd ever have to display, to show that she would stand by her children no matter the situation. Even if Thalia was arrested and locked up for her crimes, Nicole was prepared to visit whatever prison she would be held at just so she wouldn't feel that absence of company any longer. She could only imagine how painful life with Al-Asheera must've been. Was she taken by force? Some cruel form of duress that kept her with brutes like them? To prevent her from ever coming home? It was good to think positively, but considering the conversation they had on the phone, it was almost certain that Thalia wanted to come home now. That her life as a criminal wasn't worth it. And Nicole would most likely take to the stand in a court room and testify to her daughter's goodwill. It may be inadmissible and deemed biased, considering she's the mother of the defendant, but she had to try. Whatever happens to Thalia, she was prepared to stand by her. And Charlie, too, with whatever was to come for the child.

As for the boy himself? The flight was more relaxed than he'd anticipated. Sure, he was a bit afraid of something going wrong, both for their little 'operation' and the chances of motion sickness like the last time he'd flown, but his worries were sunk away in his sleep. Definitely not the most comfortable way to fall asleep and rest off such a day where it was primarily spent on the road, especially for an eight year old, but he was going to take it, because he knew that he needed to be rested up for tomorrow. It was late anyway, so odds are, he wouldn't be able to meet up with his sister tonight. That would wait for the next day, a new mission, as he described it in his imaginative mind. Yet the illusion of being a spy wasn't the only sham that Charlie had been a bit too consumed in. The idea of them being a family.... sure, Nicole really was his mother, so there wasn't much to fake there. But Jon was really acting like a father figure and selling the act almost too realistically. It only made him feel better about the idea that Jon would be sticking around beyond the trip to LA. His company was almost too well-timed and completing for Charlie; he couldn't imagine him just up and leaving when this was over. It was a relief to both of the Griffins that he'd be around in the future to support them and hang around when the time came. When things settle down, at least.

But to think that there wouldn't be a complication...

The very hitman that assassinated Jacob Griffin in Philadelphia had taken a plane to San Francisco as well, and was there at the airport as the Griffins and Jon exited their flight, reading over a newspaper in an attempt to be subtle as he awaited a ride sent by The Head himself. Logan Edwards, called Al-Aasifa, The Storm, in Al-Asheera, a weapons expert among the thieves that would gather their arms and tend to them. A shame that he preferred older, less complicated wares, but he also fancied the newer tech on a personal level. The issue was that Ra's didn't, so he stuck with simpler choices. SMG's and silenced pistols were trademark among Al-Asheera, and he knew the ins and outs of them all. That's why he was so skilled, quick, and tactful at wiping out a good majority of Reverend Jacob's flock at St. Agatha's. He sported an arrogant biker's motif, complete with leather jackets, chains dangling from his pants, and a mullet to top it all off. His neck tattoo, appropriately, was one of the logo for the Harley Davidson brand, as his father was also a bike enthusiast. Ra's wasn't kidding about never forgetting where you came from. In some cases, the clansmen were closer to home than imaginable. Even Thalia in some ways...

While he awaited his ride, he noticed a trio of folks that, at first, didn't really mean much to him at first. The man was unfamiliar. The woman? Vaguely. Had she been a redhead, he would've immediately recognized her as Nicole Griffin... but it wasn't the woman herself that gave it away. It was the boy being carried in the man's arms. Charlie had no disguise on, no change of appearance. He was the same boy that had left Philadelphia... No doubt, it's Charlie Griffin. His stakeout was a failure the previous night because they were being smuggled out of the state, presumably by this third party that he didn't know. Maybe a hired contractor to escort the Griffins to California. It had to be. But here was his chance to prove his worth to Ra's. He kept an eye on them walking as a group through the terminal and reached in his black leather jacket for a phone. Without even thinking, he dialed a contact whose name was entered in Arabic: Ra's.

"Takellom." [Speak.]

"Mawlaye, I have found the targets. They are in San Francisco, the same airport I arrived at."

"Excellent... you know what you must do."

"Am I to exterminate the rats? Or is that a job of Al-Jameela?"

"No. Leave them alive and unharmed. Deliver them to me so I may execute them myself in full view of my Bride."

"With pleasure, Mawlaye."

"Al-Aasifa.... I am a man of my word. By delivering Nicole and Charles Griffin, you will be revered as a king when I have Los Angeles on its knees. That promise remains on the table... and with the absence of Al-Yed, I need a man who I can trust. One who has been around for so long and has expressed his loyalty in unimaginable ways..."

"You know I would never betray you, Mawlaye, and that your offer is tremendous in my eyes."

"Mmm... torjaa bi salemeh." [Return safely.]

"Ala amrak, Mawlaye," [As you wish, Your Highness.]

And that ended the person-to-person call with his master. A lot was promised to Logan, even as the replacement for Roland. After all, Ra's could only assume that his right hand man was dead. In fact, death was a better fate for Roland at this rate considering how beaten he'd become. His paragon of physical condition manifested in his own body was now destroyed indefinitely thanks to James, Tony, and Thalia, and now rendered nearly useless to Al-Asheera. No doubt he's been pondering suicide in his solitude. But never had a chance. But now, Logan was first in line to succeed, and he was indeed, power hungry to be Ra's' favorite, as well as incredibly envious of the true favorite. Even if he had to kill Roland himself to obtain such a position, he wanted that sort of honor. It's why the promises of high power appealed to Logan so significantly. It was his motivation after all. It's why he would deliver the Griffins in one piece rather than sexually abuse them and have a field day with them in the most sadistic of manners.

For now, he returned the phone to his pocket, placed the newspaper down on the bench, and reached the floor for a paper cup of coffee. The same trick that Roland used on Tony in Pasadena, Logan was going to use on Nicole to get her in a corner. Spilled coffee... almost foolproof.

Meanwhile, Jon had promised that they were almost there, almost at the end of the tunnel. Not only was Thalia so close, but so was a place to rest: a comfortable hotel to hang out at for the night and rest easily. A great evening this would be, and even Charlie, who was exhausted, could even smile to it. "Will we get to see Tha--I mean, Taylor, tomorrow?" He asked as enthusiastically as he could in his sleepy state. He almost slipped up, but recovered his fumble. But hopefully, it wouldn't matter.

Nicole, while pushing the trolley with their luggage, nodded with a please hum. She wasn't nearly as tired, being used to restless nights as these. She only napped for a sort period on the flight, and it was all she needed. All-nighters grading sixth grader's reports was something that got her used to staying up. "Of course, son. Taylor is waiting for us in LA, and we're going to see her tomorrow morning, I promise you. But for now, we need to get used to the time difference between here and the east, and a good night's rest in a comfy bed should do the trick, right?"

"Time difference? Like the one between Philadelphia and Paris?"

She nodded. "Except it's in the other direction. While it's later in Paris, it's earlier here in California." She smiled at the potentially confused Charlie. "It's a long story. Maybe we'll talk about it when you're more awake, hm?"

Charlie nodded, leaning against Jon again. "Alright... I'll try to understand it tomorrow."

But before the group could continue their walk and go get a bite really quickly before they head off, Nicole found herself chest first with the cup of hot coffee spilling all over herself and bleeding through to slightly burn her skin. A rude interruption, and one that felt brutally intentional, too. Reaching forward over a woman pushing a trolley just to spill his coffee on her. A rebellious looking man as well. Caught off guard, Nicole's first instinct was to scold him.

"Excuse me?!" she barked at him.

Apologetically, the man before her, Logan, backed away, even dropping his cup of coffee to the ground in a fake sense of shock. "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry, ma'am. I am such a mess right now... My wife is flying in from Seattle, and the flight was delayed and I'm FREAKING out right now." He even went the extra mile in an attempt to reach for help. "C-Can I escort you to the bathroom, get yourself cleaned off? You don't know how sorry I am. I swear, I'll even pay for damages if--"

"No, get your hands off me!" Nicole swatted him away, backing away from the mess of coffee on the floor below her feet and abandoning the trolley. Clearly, Charlie was worried for his mother, and one second of eye contact between the two showed that. "What man reaches forward like that over a trolley and claims it was an accident?"

Shit... Logan might've been trying to copy Roland, but there was one fatal flaw: Roland picked the all-too perfect opportunity to strike with Tony to make it seem natural. Logan went out of his way to do that, and Nicole was no idiot to notice something wasn't right. Though she hadn't given a look at his hand yet for the dragon tattoo, no doubt that Jon did. "Ma'am.... I'm sorry, but I'm just not thinking straight..." He tried to cover up, but ended up failing in doing so. Nicole didn't buy it.

"No matter how rushed or panicked you are... nobody just 'does' that," Nicole deduced. Scoffing, she took a step closer to Logan. "Did you do that INTENTIONALLY?"

She was suspicious, understandably so. In Logan's mind, as much as Ra's would not appreciate it, discreetness was out the window. He wouldn't get a chance to corner Nicole, so his only option now was to take her now. And that's exactly what he did when the fake brunette got close enough. He reached forward with quick reflexes, locking Nicole's throat around his right arm and held her against his body, her head facing away from him, and his left hand wielding a silenced pistol. Guns in an airport like that? Al-Asheera had a stash of them hidden away in the men's room behind the automatic hand drier. And that's how he got his hands on it. Now it was up against Nicole's jaw, right in front of an eight year old boy, who immediately screamed at the sight of his mother assaulted and a gun up against her throat.

A boy shrieking and a hostage situation, plus bystanders, though few, who saw the gun and immediately focused on the poor older woman being held at gunpoint. That was enough to get security on the scene. But who's to say one won't miss and shoot Nicole? Or that Logan won't shoot her regardless?

"Everyone on the ground, now!" Logan ordered, focused on Jon and a frantic Charlie. "You too, Grandpa! Drop the kid and get down, now!"

 

[DrTrollinski]

Jon was convinced things were going to go okay for the rest of the journey - What he didn't expect was the hitman from Philly to have flown to the same fucking city as them. As if it couldn't get any more convenient, right? It was a painful moment alone when a guy approached Nicole and dropped coffee over her, seemingly deliberately, and Jon was just about to put Charlie down and stop this guy from doing anything further when he whipped out a gun, but that was it. That was it against Nicole's jaw and ready to fire, and of course, Charlie was in pieces immediately. A sight that would take a long while to forget.

It made Jon so unbelievably angry. Hadn't the poor kid been through enough as it was? It turned into a happy family vacation to an absolute nightmare almost instantly, and that was a hard pill to swallow. Jon couldn't act immediately with no weapons, but, the airport security would never let this man leave the airport with two hostages. They'd swarm him from all angles before he could even get more than fifty feet from his current position. By now this guy was all over cameras and being talked about on every security team member's radio. The only real risk was if he'd shoot Nicole. He wasn't going to let Charlie lose both his parents in the space of two days.

He knew already that Nicole cared too much just to let her second-born child be snatched away and/or harmed by some brute. Jon had faith that she'd pull through just as soon as she was given a window of opportunity, even if it was just distracting him long enough for Jon to get in and make a move. It all depended on how much this guy was willing to gamble with fate, really. Either way, if he tried to kill anyone, he'd be drilled down before he could even blink. It was a reckless and particularly suicidal move to approach the group in that way, and order everyone around him to get on the ground. How many people were there? Enough to overthrow him as soon as his back was turned, that was for sure. Did this guy even think about what he was doing before he walked up and threw coffee over Nicole?

One thing Jon knew, though, was that this man had no way of knowing that he himself was a profession. Someone trained. Someone able to deal with this if he was the one being held at gunpoint and not Nicole. Even if he could get the man alone, even if it was for just fifteen seconds, this whole thing would be over. He had to think of some sort of way to get them out of all of this. He had to think of something believable.

Slowly, he lowered Charlie down off his back and kept him behind him, and he inched forward ever so slightly until he was near the trolley. There was one thing that could end this all now, but that was all dependent on Nicole acting at the perfect moment to catch the man off-guard, as soon as he was distracted. Then again, that was too risky, and how would Nicole know when the right time was to make a struggle? If he could kick the trolley into the guy and take him to the ground, that would be it. But was it really worth the associated risk?

Even so, he kept Charlie hidden behind him.

"Look..." Jon held up one hand. "Just hang on a minute... We..." He glanced around. Airport security were lurking more or less all over the place now - snakes waiting to move in for the kill, was a good metaphor. "We can come along quietly. We don't want anyone getting hurt here." He said. "But... Let me take the kid to the restroom first. At least have some regard for that, buddy. Unless you want another mess to clean up sometime soon, just let me do that, then we can do whatever you want, okay?" He said. "You don't need to hurt anyone. You hurt someone in here and you and I know damn well you wouldn't even make it to the front door." He said.

Fear? Yes. But he was taking a gamble - was this man really going to risk letting Charlie and Nicole slip through his fingers by getting himself killed? Especially if he worked for Al-Asheera?

He also knew there was the chance that Charlie needing to use the restroom may not have been an urgent thing, but, despite Charlie's frantic state, he hoped he was attentive enough to figure out this could be one way of getting out of the situation. Was the guy really going to believe it if a nearly-fifty-year-old man told him he was going to piss his pants soon? Of course not. An eight-year-old boy, combined with a long flight and all this fear? Much more believable.

Jon didn't know if other people were around, either. It was risky business. Even if he did deal with this guy, he'd have to find a way to make Nicole and Charlie safe while he had a good look around, otherwise, things could get even worse before they got better.

--

James' Mansion, Encino

Frank had gone to bed after a couple of stiff drinks. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but, once Jordan had drifted off, the emotion of the day caught up to him. He'd lost Thalia, his partner, and his career all over the space of 20 hours, and that wasn't easy to cope with. Was this his life coming to a close now? Had he served his time? Was it all going to end soon? So many questions to ask himself. He was questioning his own existence now, and how his parents would feel if they found out their only living child was thrown in prison for the one thing that ruined their lives all those years ago - Kidnapping. Abduction.

That was a scary thought, because he knew he'd never be able to talk his parents down. He knew they'd never believe him, and they'd disown him. Chances were they'd push for him to be put in prison rather than be let off the hook. It wasn't something Frank knew how to deal with emotionally, so after a few big drinks, he went to bed and decided to have a bit of a cry and a sob to himself. Just the quiet kind. It was enough to let some of the emotion out before he eventually drifted off to sleep, too. He hoped the night would be calm, but, at the same time, he knew he had to be ready for anything, especially with Jordan, and especially with how things had unfolded earlier today. It had been extremely dramatic.

At nearly 2am, he regretted drinking as soon as he heard screaming. Screaming of a young boy - It didn't take much to wake him up, either, because this screaming was loud - it was certainly enough to wake the whole house. He heard his name being wailed among the screams, too. He was out of bed so quick that his head was ahead of his feet, and after splatting down onto the bedroom floor with a groan, he sprung back up and took off out of the room as fast as humanly possible.

The poor kid was screaming like he was being killed in there. Frank was worried that would end up being the case, though. What if someone had found him and was putting him through a world of suffering?

It turned out to be quite the contrary - even after Frank got into the room and turned the light on, Jordan was sat up dead-straight and still screaming, tears running down his face, still wailing senselessly for his protector come to the rescue. Frank ran to the bed - the sheets were all wet, too. A night terror combined with bed-wetting. Not very pleasant, but, nothing Jordan could help now. Frank immediately placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to try and comfort him, but he quickly moved away.

"Get off! Get off!" He sobbed. "Frank!" He screamed out again. His eyes were tightly shut the whole time.

"Jordan, it's me!" Frank said, strongly, and put his hand on his shoulder again. Jordan didn't need to look to know that that voice belonged to the only man he trusted now. He fell forward into his arms and carried on sobbing and spluttering; he was crying so much he was becoming breathless and coughing, and in the process of that, the gag reflex activated, and before Frank knew it he had a mouthful of vomit down his shirt.

Great.

He couldn't sit and cringe over that, though, because it was obvious whatever was coming up wasn't done making a second appearance. Frank rushed Jordan to the bathroom connected to his room, the whole time having to deal with him throwing up a little more along the way. The room was going to be a mess, but, at least now he'd reached the toilet so he could throw up to his heart's content, and that way it was easily cleaned up, too. He was in too much of a state to function normally, so while he was on his knees losing his dinner, Frank braved through it and slowly rubbed his back, once again just trying to comfort the boy and ease his tears. A nightmare, and a bad one at that.

Frank knew another thing, too - He was going to be working hard tonight to get that room cleaned. They couldn't afford to have a room permanently out of action when more people were going to be arriving.

 

[KasperXIII]

A nightmare come true, this was indeed. Nicole was taken hostage, and Charlie was in some paralyzed state of shock, completely locked up while he was on Jon's back, just staring at the sight of his mother with the nozzle of a gun directed beneath her chin by a scary man with tattoos and dark clothing on and horrible intentions and ideas in mind. Indeed, upon the first sight of the gun, he shrieked, but then it simply turned into a hyperventilating state much like he was when he woke up from his bad dream the other night. Now, all he could envision from the man in a mullet before him is that same wolf he created in his dream devouring his mother. All he had to cling to for dear life was Jon, and that's exactly what he did. Without the physical contact, he kept himself hidden behind Jon and the trolley, but in such a way that he could still see his mother. He wanted to be a hero now more than ever, the spy of his dreams, but at this point, he was too scared to even get close to the armed gunman holding an innocent woman captive.

It was more believable that Charlie might have to go to the bathroom as a result of the shock and a long plane ride, but it's not like Logan was going to let one of his targets literally slip from his fingers. He'd already taken a huge risk drawing a weapon in the middle of the terminal while a mob of security officers were probably on their way and his face caught on security footage. He was blown, at least for now. Ra's might forgive him for the blunder if he succeeds and delivers the Griffins in one piece. And one was already in his hands. Persuading the boy to come along would be simple. As for this older gentleman? He must be more than just a chaperone, and definitely not a family member. He's an escort, a bodyguard. It was all too tempting for Logan to drop him right now. But Al-Asheera doesn't kill unless it's necessary, and he wasn't going to shoot Jon unless it came down to it. It might just make Charlie freeze up and become completely immobile, which would do him no good.

For now? Logan was going to show them all who's in charge. "No can do, Grandpa. My object if Charlie and Nicole Griffin. And since Momma is already in my arms.... all you have to do is surrender the boy, and I will be on my way." Like hell he'd be on his way. He had an escape plan, sure, but useless if he was followed. "I promise him a potty break when we reach our destination. But he's coming with me." His head peeked from over Nicole's locked head and down to the boy hiding away behind his guardian and the trolley. Their eyes met for a moment, which caused Charlie to retreat instantly and hide away. The boy was ashamed of his cowardice, but knew he couldn't face Logan head on. But his mother and Jon would want him to hide away and leave this for a professional, so he remained hidden back.

Jon was right to assume that Nicole would happily let herself get kidnapped before this man even lays a finger on Charlie. Fortunately, he grabbed her and not him first. Was she afraid? Most definitely. But if Jon could at least preserve Charlie if her life was over, she would at least die knowing that her son was okay. No doubt he'd vow to keep Thalia safe as well. His loyalty to the Griffins was unmatched to this point, and if something where to ever happen to Nicole, she could trust her children would be watched over by someone she could trust. Strange how the unusual man at her doorstep was the one she'd trust her kids with now. Things certainly have changed, and she now has a personal connection with Jon. "T-Take me... not the boy," she grumbled from beneath Logan's grasp. "He's just an eight year old boy. He has no use to you. If you want a hostage, just take me."

Logan shook his head and tisked in a rather cocky manner. "Oh, no, Ms Griffin. My employer wants you, and your son. Just keep in mind your precious daughter, Thalia, is the one who dragged you into this mess."

This was the second time Nicole had heard that Thalia's name was mentioned in any of this. That was it: she knew immediately that Al-Asheera had caught up with her. They took Jacob back in Philly, and now they wanted the rest of Thalia's family to be executed. Now more than every did Nicole's older heart race in fear of the worst, that Charlie and Thalia would be orphaned and left to take care of themselves without her guidance. They'd have lost both of their parents in the span of two days. It sounded all too familiar, right? But they didn't need that sort of struggle in their lives. But the least Nicole could do was make sure that Charlie survives. "He's just a little boy.... he's done nothing wrong."

"Shut up, or I won't wait for your proper execution."

But being left without resistance didn't last, as two men in typical TSA uniforms showed up behind Logan, weapons drawn. Someone had to show up at some point. "Freeze! Drop the weapon!" one of them called.

Oh, Logan froze alright. Only briefly before he turned around and got off two shots from his silenced pistol into the brains of the two security guards, instantly dropping them right in front of Nicole: a sight she didn't have to see and was forever engraved in her mind. And if it did that to a woman in her mid-40's, there's no telling what it did to an eight year old boy, who let out another scream at the two dead bodies on the ground....

"Jon, stop him! Please!" Charlie panicked, not bothering with code names, covering his face with his hands and about to cry from the sight. And he was right. Logan's back was turned. If there was any shot he had to get Nicole out of his grasp, it was now.

--

While Tony was far too deep into his sleep to be awoken by the poor boy's screams of terror, Thalia and Jenny weren't. As promised, Thalia sacrificed her room in favor of her old friend taking the bed instead. Her new bed would be the couch in the pool house, which she could tolerate. She's slept on worse surfaces before. But even if it was nearly 2 AM, after a day that ended in her heart falling to pieces and her hopes of a better future equally shattered, it was understandable that Thalia wasn't going to be resting all that well. No, instead, she took it upon herself to pace around the mansion and process the events of the day. She lost her cool again with Tony and came close to killing him. The only thing that stopped her? The thought of Karin. Why? Was her opinion of Thalia that important to the girl herself? Why did it even matter? Were they that close? Well, yeah, but enough for her to stop killing a man for her? Jenny hit her where it hurt when she mentioned that. And it was certainly effective, too. It bothered Thalia that it was as impacting as it was. And she could never tell Karin about it. She could only hope that Jenny wouldn't, either, but knowing her friend wanting the best for her, she probably would tell her. She's already asking all the right questions, so she should put two and two together soon enough. And that left her worried of the future: of her friendship potentially destroyed.

But as she paced, she tried to put happier thoughts in her head: that her family would be with her soon. That tomorrow, things might be better. That she didn't have a shard of glass in her arm anymore, the area now wrapped in a gauze and more comfortable to move around. Strange how she didn't feel any pain from it. She was a tough girl with a great pain tolerance. Quite a gift, one she unfortunately had Ra's to thank for that.

Speaking of Ra's, she just remembered: the compensation. Four days were gone. She only had three days to hand over the money, or Ra's would call off the wedding and have her killed. An issue that needed to be addressed tomorrow. What they were going to do about that.... surely, James has a plan. Not to mention Roland and trading him out. That was supposed to happen today, but thanks to Tony, it was delayed. Would Melissa still be alive, especially with Ra's probably tempted to just rape and kill her at this point. He didn't have a good sense of patience or self control, so god knows what he's doing now.

A relaxed night of pacing about was cut off at the sound of the scream, though. Instantly, Thalia's fighter instincts kicked in and assumed someone was in trouble. Either Joseph or Jordan, after all, it was a child's scream. Soon enough, she would add Charlie to that list, but she could only hope he'd never see danger to his face...

Little did she know he already had in San Francisco...

But in Encino, it was a scream of terror that came from nothing more than a night terror from Jordan, which she noticed after she took a peek into the boy's room where she saw Frank carry him over to the bathroom. She could tell from just the sight of him that the boy had vomited and most probably wet the bed, too. This boy was definitely a handful on his own. She would never be able to assume such a responsibility. If it were her that Jordan had puked on, she'd probably panic, drop the boy, and literally wipe the chunks off with her hand onto him, only to make the mess worse. She was literally that incompetent with a child, and she was worried she'd make a fool of herself the second she even tries. She couldn't even attempt to embarrass herself like that, and the second Frank faded from her sights to the bathroom, she retreated and continued to march the halls outside, fondling her fingers with each other, just finding a way to distract herself from the disaster in the next room. It's not like anyone was naturally up at 2 AM anyway. Someone would wake up, and maybe give Thalia someone to socialize with. She'd let them go see Frank and Jordan though, then make her presence noticed. Lurking around might be creepy, but she really didn't want to face Frank and be constantly reminded she wasn't mother material.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"That's just not gonna' cut it, friend." Jon's face was taken over by a look of anger and strive to protect as his hand went behind his back and gently rested atop Charlie's head. "The boy's not going to go anywhere. The only way he leaves this building is with me and his mother, simple as that. If you're not going to comply, you're going to have to try and figure out how you'll get out of here without the whole of the SFPD waiting outside for you." He said. Charlie was scared. Nicole was scared and a hostage in this situation. Jon was... Scared at first, but now he wasn't so sure if there was so much to be scared of. If this man wanted Nicole and Charlie dead, he would have ambushed them without approaching them and shot all three of them on the spot. There were ulterior motives here, and given the reputation of Al-Asheera and how many of them had hailed to be pedophiles at the very least...

He'd sooner die then let Charlie go with a man like this, to people like that.

Worst of all, he said one key thing: Thalia dragged them into this. Jon knew in that moment that if Charlie heard it, he would have been so confused, and potentially very hurt, too. He'd spent this whole time thinking his sister was one of the good guys - had this bastard just made him doubt all of that with just a few words? Jon could only hope not, but he knew he'd have to have a word with him once the situation was clear. He couldn't let him sit there thinking that all his hard work and all his excitement had been for nothing. Charlie deserved far better than that. And in this moment, it seemed Charlie was willing to drop the cover names. It's not like it mattered anymore.

It only got worse, though, because the man turned and shot two of the airport security team as soon as they showed up, and Charlie's further screams pushed him to do even more.

There was the moment, so he quickly pulled away from Charlie's grip.

"Close your eyes." He said, quickly, and with that he sent one firm kick into the luggage trolley, thus sending it hurling towards Logan. Eventually it connected with Logan's legs, which would have been enough to either knock him clean off his feet or at least knock him to the side, but in that moment it was already far too late for him to react, because Jon was running right behind it until he came up on Logan - it didn't take much, chop with his hand to his throat, just to knock the wind out of him and send his body into panic at the lack of the ability to breathe at a normal rate, followed by that, one clean swipe of the gun with Logan's arm held out straight and locked.

All of it happened so fast; three strikes from the stock of the gun went to the back of Logan's head, and immediately after, Jon got him into an arm lock; without hesitation he forced Logan's wrist up from his back and straight towards his head. Just like the now-crippled Roland Simmons had, Logan was dealing with a spiral fracture in his favorite shooting arm. But Jon wasn't done. The anger of the situation Logan had so ruthlessly dragged Charlie and Nicole into was still trying to simmer down, but this man needed to feel pain. He needed to feel pain, and eventually, he needed to die. After two of the security went down, they were going to be calling in more elite forces. SFPD's SWAT, most likely. It gave Jon a small window to deal with him at the very least.

Now, with the gun in hand, one bullet went into the back of Logan's lower right leg. Jon wanted him down on his knees and completely immobilized. As soon as that was the case, he let go of his broken arm and instead wrapped his arm around Logan's throat, much like he'd done to Nicole. Now, it was Logan with a gun against his head, being held by someone who was probably much more skilled than him, too. It wasn't hard to figure out that Logan probably wasn't expecting that from a middle-aged chaperone, but hey.

"What do Al-Asheera want with them?" He barked into his ear. One thing he knew for sure, though, was that he couldn't just leave Nicole and Charlie stood there - Charlie didn't need to see all the dead bodies and such. He just hoped he still had his eyes closed. "Nicole... Take Charlie and go over to that disabled restroom just there." He nodded off a little down the way. It wasn't far. "Lock yourselves in there, and don't open the door unless it's me, okay?" He said. "Charlie, pal, you be brave for me. You're doing great. Everything's gonna' be okay. I'll be right there, alright?" He said.

Either way, he went back to Logan. "If you value your life, even in the slightest, you'll tell me why Al-Asheera want Thalia's family. Because, son, I shit you not I will shoot you right now."

Charlie wanted Jon to stop him. So Jon did.

--

With all the chaos, a few people had woken up - Joseph, James, Karin, and McAllister. For Joseph it was... Somewhat convenient because he needed the bathroom anyway, but the screaming terrified him. He did go and make sure everything was okay, though... He went to the source of all the crying - the room where Jordan was staying - and knocked on the half-open bathroom door before peeking inside. There Jordan was knelt down in front of the toilet, sobbing and taking shaky deep breaths. There was a whole trail of drops of vomit across the bedroom floor, too. Nice.

"Is everything okay...?" He asked Frank.

"Yeah, buddy." Frank said - he'd taken his shirt off now, for obvious reasons, and that was balled up in the bathtub so he could at least wash it off before he put it in the laundry pile. "Jordan just had a bit of a bad dream, that's all. We're all good here. Sorry to wake you."

"It's okay." He looked around, "Do you want me to get him some water?"

"Please do. That's really kind, Joe. Thank you."

Joseph nodded and quickly went off to the kitchen, where he got a big glass and filled that with cold water. James had one of those fridges that are connected to the water lines, too, so, he could get ice cold water from the press of a button on the fridge. A water and ice dispenser, offering either cubed ice or grinded ice. It was amazing. For now, though, just a simple glass of cold water would be fine. On his way out of the kitchen he bumped into James who had also checked on Jordan - I mean, Joseph and James were happy enough to see each other, of course. Even so, Joseph delivered the glass of water to Frank, and figured he could get a glass of water himself and head back to bed as soon as everything settled.

McAllister, however, had a different idea. He went in and checked on them both, and... He actually insisted that Frank and Jordan just get cleaned up and go into a different room. He said he didn't mind cleaning up the mess - Frank was insistent that it wasn't necessary, but, McAllister had a good argument - Not only had Frank been one of the people to give him a second chance at life, but McAllister had three kids of his own. Mopping up vomit and scrubbing a mattress was basically second-nature to him.

Frank couldn't argue with that - after a hefty thank you, he spent a little bit of time getting Jordan washed off just as soon as he'd flushed the toilet and had a drink of water and everything. Once he was clean and dry, a new pair of PJ pants went on, and they were straight out of there and to Frank's room, instead. Comfy, warm, clean. A better setting for the two of them to talk and hopefully resolve any big issues on Jordan's mind.

 

[KasperXIII]

The action was about to kick in. Shooting those two security guards was the last straw, and the fact that Logan had turned around was a perfect time for Jon to strike. And once Charlie shouted out in his cry for action, his chaperone didn't hesitate to take it. A shove of the luggage trolley that came rolling into Logan's legs is what caught him by surprise before he could point his firearm at Jon, and the blow subsequently brought him to his knees and letting go of Nicole, who fell separate from Logan's grip, at long last. It felt so relieving to not have the grip of a brute constricting her, a gun to her temple, and her son just staring at her in horror at the fact he might just see his mother die in front of his eyes. But now, it was a fear no longer on her mind when she looked over her shoulder and saw Jon storm at Logan to attack him. With whatever energy she could muster, she crawled away from the chaos, avoiding contact with the two dead bodies not far away, and took to her feet to embrace her son in fear. Charlie responded to his mother's grasp by clinging back, and instantly, though he'd grown big, lifted him up off his feet, his face buried in her shoulder and neck. Jon told them to run and hide in the handicap bathroom. She instantly nodded and turned away, shielding herself from the future torture between him and the hostile. She didn't need to see that. Neither did Charlie, who was now in tears as they entered the spacious bathroom and the mother secured the door shut. Once they were alone, she placed her son on the ground on his feet, noticing him tremble in his place after having seen two police officers killed right in front of him.

"Mommy..." he shivered. "I'm... I'm scared. What's going to happen to Jon?"

He didn't close his eyes for one second when Jon instructed him to. It was part of him trying to be brave, but all just to be scarred for life by seeing his mother attacked, two people dying, and Jon torturing a man right before his eyes. And Nicole didn't want that either, but she knew that Jon did those things in order to keep her and her son safe. And she wasn't going to knock him for it. Instead, she was going to do everything in her power to calm the boy down. Sure, Nicole was scared, too, her fragile heart cracking under the stress, but staying strong like she'd been for eight years of waiting for word about her daughter. She couldn't break now. Not when her second-born needed her more than ever. "Oh, lord, Charlie..." she brought the boy closer to her, embracing him in an attempt to comfort him, and telling him softly to his ear, "You're going to be okay. Jon's not going to let that man hurt either of us. He's a strong man and a great agent..." she used the spy illusion to further soothe his nerves and allow him to calm down. "...And he knows what he's doing. He's going to stop that man from doing anything to us. You trust Jon, right?"

Charlie nodded with a mild whimper.

"Then you can be sure that he's going to sort this out and get us somewhere safe... with Thalia, all three of us, you know that right?"

While Charlie did nod again confirming he understood, he still couldn't get over what he'd seen: his mother facing near death, the two cops who were dropped... the fact this was all Thalia's responsibility? What was his sister involved in after all of these years? Was this boy now exposed to the dangerous path that his big sister had embarked upon so long ago? Something that she never even wanted from the start? What was for certain: Ra's was coming for her family.... and this was just the beginning. Nicole and Charlie weren't safe, and wouldn't be until Ra's' reign ends.

Outside, however, was a different story. Jon wasn't hesitating one bit in incapacitating Logan and probably ending his career as an assassin for hire and arms dealer. The knock from the trolley, then to the neck, the head, the broken arm, the bullet to the knee, and the headlock, all of which he didn't expect from a man as old as Jon. He was down for the count, screaming at every injury as it happened and probably now in no position to run or attempt any sort of sneak attack. And then the questions about Al-Asheera, and why they wanted the Griffins, the innocent members at least. He knew the protocol: 'fuck yourself', and no other words besides those. But Logan was cockier than that, and had the audacity to share things with Jon... but why? Because he knew that another part of protocol is suicide if captured. That was it: his mission was now to self-destruct.

"Then shoot me, Grandpa," he snickered with a grunt to endure the pain. "Al-Asheera wants Thalia Griffin to become a clone of her groom-to-be. And that involves the death of her family. I did the honors of killing her father... but Al-Jameela has to kill her mother and brother on her own terms. Or Al-Ra's will do it himself.... So FUCK YOURSELF! KILL ME!"

He told enough as is, and once again, was now awaiting for Jon to end his life. That's what he wanted so desperately. And maybe in his martyrhood, Ra's would still live up to his promise of the infamy that would follow. It's all that really mattered to him. And seeing he didn't have a weapon in all of this, and swiping his pistol back would be a pain, he was now basically begging Jon to do it.

"DO IT! PUT THE DAMN GUN IN MY MOUTH AND PULL THE TRIGGER, YOU FUCKFACE!"

--

As she paced the hallways, Thalia eventually ran into a person she had even the slightest of hope talking to: James. The two were on good terms, after all, even if he might be disappointed that she had almost killed Tony. But after the criminal mastermind had had his words with Frank and found out what happened in that room with all the screaming, the clanswoman found this an opportunity to have a bit of a social sit-down with someone. Not necessarily sitting, but she wanted someone to talk to, to vent to. James may be an introvert, and too blunt for her liking - certainly, Karin or Jenny would be a better pick for her if she wanted comfort - but Thalia would settle for him.

"Hey...." she greeted softly with a gentle wave of her hand to say hello. "I.... um, I didn't exactly wake up to the scream, but I can't really sleep." She sighed. "I don't know, I just can't really get to the point where I can close my eyes and put myself at ease tonight. I mean, after everything that's happened? How the hell can I? I mean... I broke up with my boyfriend because I didn't want to be around fucking things up while he cleans a kid's puke and pee like that.... Okay, that came out a bit mean... I'm sorry." She leaned up against a nearby wall and lowered her position down to a sitting one, her head leaned back as far as it could go to make contact with the wall. "Not to mention what I did to Tony earlier. I hope he's not too banged up. I just... couldn't control myself back there. For a guy who ruined all my chances at making up for my wrongdoings, what else was I supposed to do?"

Guilt was all Thalia could feel, unfortunately. And she was letting it all out to James. But the good thing about picking him to talk to is that he could answer a burning question for her: "Is it too late for me to change my ways? To start over, to be a better person without having the media to worry about after they went around defaming me and painting me like some sort of freak?" She panted a bit, but kept her cool and not breaking down. "The things they're saying about me on the news... Some of them are even attacking my parents for what I did, when they did nothing wrong... This was all me and I'm aware of that. But now all of this is crashing down on me. On all of us. I'll be hunted for forever. No member of Al-Asheera's inner circle has ever had their name confirmed to the public and broadcasted the same way mine was. I'm the first. And no doubt Ra's has seen the news by now. He's going to be pissed and might just kill me if he sees me again... He hasn't contacted me, but he will soon enough when he realizes what's going on. I'm fucked, James. And I'm afraid there's no going back, either..."

She then buried her face in her hands, rubbing the edge of her palms against her eyes to relieve the stressful sting within them. "Can it be helped? Can I escape this hell when Al-Asheera's gone? Will my mom even let me near Charlie when she gets here? God.... will I ever just be normal for once?"

Those last questions went from rather objective ones to more emotionally powered ones, but she needed to release this to someone in some way. Venting, nothing more. And she was worried about being near Karin with the thought that Jenny had already spoken to her...

--

Fortunately, Jenny hadn't told Karin about the details of the incident in the garage. They were rather brutal from the start, and going into the details of Tony's demise and suffering wasn't something she wanted to describe. Just seeing what Thalia was capable of was unbelievable, but she didn't fear her friend. She was angry, but not a killer. And fortunately, she stopped her before the fatal blow was landed. The problem was, how she stopped her. And that thought of Thalia having a crush on Karin haunted Jenny. It wasn't exactly jealousy. It would take Thalia a while to get over their past and the bumps on the road from middle school, but nothing stopped them from being friends all over again. But the way she caught them on the floor of the bedroom, even enough for Thalia to sneak a kiss to Karin's cheek, even for a split-second. That might've been deemed friendly, but then came when she was about to kill Tony. Jenny wasn't even sure if that nerve would appeal to a vengeful Thalia, but it did, and she simply played on it. But that didn't cure the curiosity. Karin has a boyfriend and is not into girls, and Thalia knows this for certain. So... why did she react so strongly about that?

No better way to know than to ask. Much like the rest of the house, Jordan's scream got Jenny's attention and sprung her right out of bed to find the source of the noise. She didn't run into Thalia or James, but instead, into Karin. Perfect time to socialize and ask questions about her relationship with Thalia - not to spoil anyone's chances or make anyone's lives miserable. No, this was only because she cares, and she'd approach things softly.

"Karin..." she began, just peeking at the door. By now, half the people staying in the house had probably taken a look inside, and adding one more pair of eyes felt awkward, and she didn't want to frighten them or startle them any more. The two probably felt like they were at center stage right now. And all of this was drawing attention they didn't want. Jordan was extremely guarded, and all those eyes looking at him probably made him uncomfortable. So Jenny opted against going inside. Instead, she asked Karin: "What happened in there? Is it your brother, or Jordan? What's going on?"

 

[DrTrollinski]

Thank god they were clear from the scene. Jon's full intentions went to the point where he put a bullet in this man and called it a day. He didn't want Charlie to witness him killing someone, and the fact that he'd witnessed so much already did worry him. He'd be sure to stay in with Charlie tonight until he could get off to sleep, or at least give him something else to think about. Something to put his mind at ease. Jon figured he owed him at least that at the end of all this. The thought of his terrified face and his cries for some sort of big save were enough to make Jon's clutch on the gun get that bit tighter. It was a miracle that this man wasn't dead already.

And he revealed everything. He revealed he was the one that killed Jacob, and he revealed that Thalia was the one expected to kill her mother and brother to become like Ra's himself. Jon just shook his head and laughed, "Oh, buddy, you've just made my night. Not only have you served up Reverend Jacob's killer on a plate - yourself - but you've showed me just how much of a fucking joke this organization of yours is. Kill her own mother and brother? You guys ain't right in the head, but, thank you for sharing. It makes what I plan to do a little easier, and I can assure you, whenever I find this man.. Al-Ra's... You can be sure he'll suffer much more than you have. We'll see how much his shit stinks when he's getting his nose rubbed in it, because to me? The guy sounds like the cheese has slid off his cracker, to be honest." He said.

"I would let you tell him yourself that things didn't quite go to plan, but... Don't worry, I'll be doing that myself. There's no need for you to think about anything anymore. You better hope to god you don't have a wife or someone you care for out there, buddy, because I will find them, and I will make their lives hell - You may not suffer from the grave, but they're certainly going to know how much you've fucked their lives up." He snapped.

"Thanks again, though." He pressed the barrel of the gun against the man's temple. "You didn't think I was actually going to let you walk if you told me the truth, were you?" He asked, then shook his head.

In that moment, with one quick pull of the trigger, a brain passed through Logan’s skull and went straight out the other side, carrying with it chunks of skull and shredded brain and flesh. In that moment, he gently nudged Logan forward and let his lifeless body hit the floor; before he went anywhere, though, he cleaned off the weapon using his shirt (getting rid of the fingerprints), and placed it back in Logan’s hand, his index finger over the trigger. It was going to look as far away from suicide as possible, given the broken arm and the bullet in the back of the leg, but, if it wasn’t on camera, there was less for Jon to worry about. Even if it was caught on camera, they’d quickly see that this mystery man had saved potentially a dozen more lives.

Before he left, he quickly dug through his pockets, pulling out his wallet and his phone. He didn’t want money or anything like that, but anything of use in the wallet, including any ID, was all he was looking for. As for the phone, before he went to find Charlie and Nicole, he had one more thing to do – See if he could get a line to this Al-Ra’s. He knew it was probably a reckless move, but, maybe he was doing Thalia a favour. If Ra’s knew they had a professional guarding the family, would he worry less about where she was and more about the fact that one of his best assassins and arms dealers was now dead by the hands of someone more skilled in combat? He couldn’t know himself. He’d have to chance it – even way, another trusted man was dead and gone with ease.

He walked off from the body after tucking the wallet back into Logan’s pocket once he’d found the ID – now, all he needed to do was a find a quiet place where he could sit, make a call, and piss off whoever had sent this gun-for-hire to try and get Nicole and Charlie. Even more so, the assassin that killed Reverend Jacob Griffin. Would they be able to make a connection once the police found his body? Would they eventually realize he was the man responsible for the shooting? There were plenty of witnesses in earshot, too, so they’d heard the confessions of the man before he was gunned down – sure, Jon scared them, but he wasn’t the bad guy in this situation. It was almost guaranteed that all he witnesses would be happy enough to big him up and tell the cops he was just a bystander who killed the guy out of self-defence to protect what seemed to be his family.

Either way, he walked to the men’s restroom and turned the bolt on the door to a locked position once he was inside, and immediately he went to the phone and began to dig through the contacts. Nothing of much interest – all Arabic. He’d need a translator, but hopefully this would be something to help out James’ and Thalia’s big fight.

He went to recent calls – Outgoing.

Literally minutes before he attacked them, he had a call outgoing to one contact. Jon figured this was the best place to bet. If the contact said ‘Al-Ra’s’, too, then that would just be confirmation. Even so, Jon was ready to make a royal mockery of this man, even more so now that Nicole and Charlie were safe.

He hit dial, and he waited. He waited for the phone to be picked up – whoever was on the other end of this line was expecting the voice of his loyal assassin, but, instead, he was met with something completely different, something that Jon even had to suppress a grin when saying. It wasn’t like him to fuck around, but, he wanted to get under the mystery man’s skin and take more focus away from the family and put more on him. At least he was skilled enough to deal with it.

In the most high-pitched and feminine voice he could manage (it was still very obvious it was a man, and a different one to Logan at that), he said one thing.

“Hey, boss. I really want you to come and lick my asshole for me.”

As it was said – making a royal fucking joke out of whatever shit they thought they could pull on Nicole and Charlie. Ah, Jon was enjoying this too much, but, this was all part of his cunning plan to find out more if he could.

--

"The media is a cancer that the world would be better off without." James said quickly with a shake of his head. "Look back on Fritzy's past. He's attacked media, news outlets, because all they do is spread lies to make people believe the things they want them to believe. I told you when I first met you, Thalia - outlets track your internet activity, your digital footprint, so they can suggest pages and articles and products to you that might influence you more, might make you act differently. How do you think America convince its people that the wars in Iraq and all that were justified? How do you think they told us all it was all because of anti-terrorism and not just the oil trade?" He asked, simply.

"The news are going to be fucking horrific to you. I won't lie there. They're going to try and pull apart every aspect of their life so they can get more people tuning in for the five o'clock news, but, the thing about that is there's ways to stop them. If they get scared, they stop. If the story they're trying to tell gets shit on, you think it's worth anything to them? You get your name out there as the girl who isn't a gangbanger but instead someone who brought down a gang and won a court case to prove her innocence? Shit, Thalia, the media will stop paying attention because you ain't worth shit to them anymore. For now, you're wanted, but in the future? Pff." He waved a hand at her. "I've been wanted for half a decade, and I've had the FBI, NSA, and CIA trying to track me down. The thing is, once you go quiet, they give less and less of a fuck. I could crash the grid in Tampa Bay and I'd be all over the front page of USA Today by tomorrow morning, but if I went quiet again? That's it. They'd forget about me. Most the time before now I was nothing more than a distant memory." He smiled.

"If a man like me who's caused tens of millions of dollars' worth of damage can stay off the grid and blend into society just fine, then you can, too. Sure, they have a picture of you, but in a world where looks don't mean shit unless you're actually someone? That doesn't mean anything either. People can't hold something against you when they don't even know what it is." He explained. "As for your rough day, I appreciate the things you did. I know it's not easy. Well, I don't know much, because..." He sighed. "I can't say I've ever been in a spot like Frank's. Joseph is a different case. Great kid, though. I'm sure Frank will be just fine, though - find comfort in that. He managed just fine just now, didn't he?" He said. "Once things settle there's nothing to stop you from making the kid a sandwich for lunch just to take the load of Frank's back. Little things matter the most." He said.

"Tony's fine, by the way. A little roughed up but I was checking in on him now and again before I went to bed. He's all patched up. Aside from a little blood and a concussion he should be fine. Don't worry about him. Hopefully now he's got the message that not everyone's against him, and not everyone's trying to prove him wrong. The sooner people realize that the most skilled people to deal with this is me, you, and McAllister... The sooner this thing really takes off. I know that Frank will still want vengeance for what happened to Jordan's family, so having McAllister here will be a big help in keeping everyone happy. I can confirm that by now your family would have touched down in San Francisco by now, so, that's them covered for. Jon's still with them. Very trustworthy guy, he'll get them here safe. You can meet him when it comes to you. I imagine you two will get on. You already have a fair bit in common." He smiled a little.

"I think you can escape this shit once we get Ra's out of the way." He said. "Now that you've been revealed, though, I don't recommend you even attempt to come face-to-face with him to get on his good side. If you've been exposed, I think he's just going to see you as a liability. On the upside, though, if he does want you dead for this, given how close you were and how much you know about the rest of Al-Asheera... There's no way he'd pack up and leave LA without having your head on a platter. That's a good thing, because like I said before, he'll send everyone he has out to find you, and we pick them off one by one, stomp on them like a pack of ants. Once Jon gets here, doing such a thing will become much easier." He said. "You can still get a normal life after this." He said. "Even if it involves me interrupting every nation broadcast with 'LEAVE THALIA GRIFFIN ALONE' in the center of the screen, with a big fucking dick and balls as the background, I'll do it." He said. "You think they'd want to hemmorage money into it when they're getting the tech-side of their asses handed to them? Not a chance." He shook his head.

"Don't give up hope, Thalia. There is always a chance."

--

Karin, however, was happy enough to have Jenny there talking to her. It was a shock to hear a kid screaming, and for a second she was worried it was Joseph. It was far too high-pitched for it to be her ten-year-old brother, though, so she did settle ever so slightly. She was still worried, though, and she'd seen basically everyone go in and check on Frank and Jordan. Much like Jenny, she didn't want to go in and make Jordan any more uncomfortable, so she meandered around on the sidelines waiting for everything to settle down, and that was when she came face to face with Jenny.

Karin didn't think there was any big circle of love she was caught in with Thalia - she didn't necessarily have romantic feelings for her, but, was it the same in reverse? Karin was clueless, even though Thalia had admitted the brief crush she had at the diner. That was understandable, though. To Karin, there were no obvious signs it was going beyond that. All in good time, though.

"Not Joseph, no." She replied. "It's Jordan... I don't think I told you the whole story, I don't know if anyone has. I'm too tired to remember if I mentioned it, but, a couple of days ago Jordan lost his whole family. You know The Clover Boys, or whatever the fuck they're called?" She asked. "Yeah, well, Jordan's dad was a Commander for SWAT and I guess he pissed them off somehow. A hitsquad was sent to his house - they killed everyone and did the unspeakable to the whole family. Frank got a call tipping him off from McAllister, but, it was too late for them to do anything. They got there and things were a mess. Both parents had been executed, the eldest daughter was... God, I don't even know. Dead, I know that much." She sighed. "Jordan was nowhere in sight. Until Frank checked under the bed."

She shook her head, "He rescued him from that house. Now they're attached to each other. Had it been under different circumstances, I'd find it the most adorable thing in the world, but... This is just one of those things. Frank won't just give the kid up, as you can imagine, not after all that. A big responsibility, but... Shit, Jenny, you know my view on this is going to be a bit biased seeing as Joseph was basically the same age when we lost our parents. I raised him, too - Don't get me wrong, I understand her splitting with Frank, but I can't stand there and shit all over Frank, either, because then that makes me a hypocrite. It's a big sacrifice he's making, and..." She took a deep breath. "I don't know. I just hope it goes well. I'm going to assume that Jordan had a bad nightmare. I think anyone would in his shoes, right?" She asked.

"Sorry things are so fucking chaotic around here, though. The problems are basically lining up at the front door. All I can hope is the neighbors didn't hear the screaming." She said. If the neighbors called the police... That was them fucked and Frank having to sneak out the back yard. She doubted that would happen, though. The screaming wasn't that loud.

 

[KasperXIII]

Al-Asheera HQ | Burbank, CA

A voice that The Head was expecting to be Logan reporting his victory was instead a taunting voice with a sarcastic remark directed at him. This could only mean one thing: failure. His arms dealer was apprehended and either eliminated or put away. Whichever it was, Logan was dead to Ra's. Why is it that everything was crashing down on him out of nowhere? His inner circle was quite literally falling apart. The Hand was missing. The Beautiful One was on thin ice. The Medic, The Transporter, The Bullet, and now The Storm were all confirmed dead. Those elements of bad news never really seemed to get easier. The Medic was killed in the street by one Detective Frank Hale's weapon, so a paid-off source says. Frank Hale is Tony Walsh's newly-registered partner, the same Tony Walsh who is not only the cousin of a man in his inner circle, but also the one whose girlfriend is currently sitting in a cell built for a monkey in this very duplex under a threat that she'd die if he didn't obey. And so far, his resignation was nowhere to be seen... but he was indeed arrested and being held by the FBI. That was a start, no doubt. Little did he know it was all a sham...

But then came the biggest problem: Thalia's name got loose. The first member of The Ten whose name made prime-time news and became such a big deal so fast. Not to mention the notoriety behind her stage name as the Mystery Redhead, now confirmed to be the missing Christian girl from Philadelphia, it only doubled the publicity, which is exactly what Ra's DIDN'T want. Things were going wrong. But what could he do now?

Simple: he called a companion into his chambers.... one who bared a great resemblance to Tony in regards to physical features, except much younger in appearances in comparison to Tony's, whose age was overexaggerated in the wrinkles and grey hair. No, this man's hair was still a solid black, as thick as Tony's and slicked back, and his face rather youthful for someone in his 30's. He also wore a rather expensive suit to accompany it all. He approached his master, who sat in his bed only staring in front of him in his expensive cloaks and jewelry cascading down his fingers and neck.

When Tony first saw Thalia's list of The Ten, there was a member of the Walsh family. Samuel Walsh. Tony's cousin. He was The Banker in Al-Asheera: Al-Masrafi. He was responsible for all of the organization's liquid assets and finances. Anything that involved the complications of the money within Al-Asheera was a job for Sam. And now he'd received a rather special task from his master.

"You called for me, Mawlaye?"

Ra's nodded. "Your cousin has been arrested, at long last."

A cocky smile appeared on his face to hear this news. "Excellent. So may our plans proceed as we sketched them?"

This time, the kingpin shook his head. "Six out of Al-Ashra have gone missing, Al-Masrafi. It is only you and three more. You are all to remain here in our quarters in Burbank until I instruct you otherwise."

The smile faded from Sam's face. "But Mawlaye, I simply can't disappear from my job. It's an urgent matter..."

"It matters not. You must do this in order to prevent the loss of more of my most trusted. Al-Aasifa is dead. I have just received confirmation, and we cannot take the chance of losing more of Al-Ashra. You know this."

Reluctantly, The Banker nodded with a bow of his head. "Indeed, Mawlaye. But... if Tony has been arrested, he will be eliminated in a matter of days. What do we do with his whore?"

"Hm...." Ra's had strangely enough spared Melissa... but what to do with her now that Tony was out of the equation, allegedly? A perfect idea came to mind. "She is your property now, Al-Masrafi. You may do with her as you please."

Sam had always envied Tony for his long-term girlfriend... and now, did he finally have a chance to get in on that action? A satisfied grin stretched his face. Melissa was his now. "I am honored, Mawlaye...." The suited man took a few steps closer over to his master, his hand extending forward to take that of The Head. He lifted the bulkier hand of his master up to head level and planted a kiss of respect over the back of his hand. Ra's sure enjoyed being treated like some sort of royalty. Even dressed as such. Thalia nailed the description of a Sultan spot on. And Ra's enjoyed the sign of respect, a peek of his pupils and a nod went to Sam.

"Go enjoy your prize, my son," he instructed Sam. So Melissa would live... but not happily ever after.

--

The day's been rough for Thalia, and James words were also harsh. But maybe they'd be exactly what she needed. He initially spoke about how the media would eat her alive and about the specifics of the internet. Details she wasn't entirely familiar with but could understand how they worked, roughly enough. The news was going to tear her a new one by the next morning - hell, they'd already started on the prime-time news - but that didn't mean that it couldn't be countered. Maybe with the help of Fritzy, who was willing to offer up his services for Thalia. Why? Why for some little rebel who's only made his life more difficult than it should be? But then he brought something up: turn the stories around. Be proven innocent and an important factor in bringing Al-Asheera down. She'd be crowned some sort of star and eventually become forgotten. That is, if she goes quiet, which she planned on. A quiet life... that's what she aspired for.

"I hope that can be me someday," she confessed. "I've been involved in so much trouble for almost a whole decade that now? All I really want is to be normal. Settle down in a quiet town in the outskirts of LA, live in peace and serenity... maybe fall in love? Who fucking knows, but I'd say love isn't my strong department. You've seen that, right?" They'd mentioned Frank as well, and his newly formed bond with Jordan. Even a bit of hope that she and Frank might have a glint of hope for the future? Was there? She sighed and went on:

"Maybe me and Frank will work out, but I just.... don't see it happening now," she admitted rather depressed in tone. "I mean, with a kid on his back most of the time? Spending the nights like this? I don't think I'd be able to enjoy that sort of 'honeymoon' phase, if that's what it's called." She shrugged. "I know it's selfish and childish that it's that that I want, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Don't tell me you don't want those sort of days where you want to just explore LA with Karin, take her out for a walk on the beach, crash a store just for the hell of it, come home and have a blast in bed, then sleep and repeat.... I mean, you'd be an idiot if that hadn't crossed your mind. I'm willing to bet you've done it with girls other than Karin, too, but it's that kind of life that I just want to taste before I get placed into a parenting life. And Frank doesn't want that. And I don't know if he ever will. Will I end up helping him with Jordan....? If we're still in each others' lives? I don't know what he'll do now when this is all over. And it's that kind of feeling of the unknown that's turned me off so badly... I hope you get that."

Good to know that Tony was going to make it. It gave her hope that she wasn't a killer after all. She spared Tony, and she was glad. Plus, her mother and Charlie were getting close. They touched down in California and would soon be in Encino. It did make her smile, and more excited for what was to come. Not to mention how James seemed very hopeful for what Thalia had to come, even as far as to hack into news outlets and force the public to back off. That was a huge favor he'd do for her, and one she felt was too much for someone like her; as if she didn't deserve it. But he'd give this to her anyway. "You don't know how grateful I am, James. For it all. I don't.... I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for you. You really are the best, and what you're doing for me? You can't even begin to imagine how much that means to me. You know how badly I want to be out of this, and you're helping me make it possible. And I'm so happy for that... That you're helping me stay hopeful." She took to her feet from her seated position on the wall, looking up slightly to James and passing a smile down in his direction. And directly and plainly, she gave him what he'd probably been waiting on for so long:

"Thank you, James... or whatever your real name is.... Thank you."

She already knew it, or at least the real name Karin had. But she wanted him to know that someone was beyond grateful.

--

Jordan's story only left Jenny's jaw dropped in shock. Another organized crime group - not even Thalia's - that attacked a family and orphaned a six year old boy like that? Unbelievable. Some of the children she used to babysit, some of them had passed the year of six while she was around, so she easily saw life in that boy's eyes, how tough that must've been to not be all that far away as his family was taken from him with no hope of return. A look back over to the door for one moment, and now she could understand the boy's pain just a bit better, and why he was such an emotional wreck.

"Christ," she uttered in shock. "And I thought Frank was a family member. God, poor thing in there... I wouldn't even want to imagine how he's feeling, or understand it..." Jenny was coping well with the gory sight she'd endured earlier that day at the apartment. She figured she could elaborate about that around Karin. "Um, before Thalia came to my rescue... that clan guy? The one who attacked me? He..." She gulped. "He killed my neighbors. I saw their bodies just laid out in front of me when I made a run for the door. It was.... God, that wasn't nice to see. I can still see their faces, each with a bullet in their foreheads. You do NOT want to envision what that looks like, Karin. Trust me. It's awful, and I can get why Jordan is shutting down to everyone but the guy who saved his life. I just hope he gets over this. I mean... I feel like I can because I'm resilient like that, but it still... bothers some part of my brain? But I can suppress it, thank god. It might just be because I've been practicing performing arts like acting and stage music, but.... eh." She shrugged, then crossed her arms over her chest.

Change of discussion. One she wanted to face Karin with.

"I hope Jordan's okay, Karin. But I think you and I need to talk about something else... a bit more personal and closer to home," she spoke quietly as to not attract any unwanted attention and getting a bit closer to Karin. Jenny was afraid Thalia would be lurking around somewhere. Odds are, someone like her wouldn't be asleep right now. So it was proceed with caution. "You know Thalia and Tony got into a fight, right? ... Well," she sighed. "What you don't know is that Thalia came one swing away from planting a crowbar in Tony's skull. I know, that's not what you want to hear, but I managed to stop her. But in doing so.... I discovered something about her that I sort of suspected, but only confirmed now. I brought up how she'd be missed and people would be devastated if she's gone, and...."

Toying with her hands at stomach level, Jenny picked her words as carefully as possible. "Thalia cares a lot about you. More than I would've thought. She told me... you mean the world to her, and it doesn't take a genius to knwo that her thoughts of you were one of the main reasons she didn't follow through with killing Tony." That alone was probably a hint on its own. But now she might've come off as a bad guy for just mentioning this, so she clarified, holding her hands out, palms outward, in a halting manner before Karin freaks out, "Look, I'm not trying to make you two fight, but I'm just warning you. I know Thalia. I know what she's like when she cares about someone. She really hasn't changed much since the old days. And I just figured you should know how she thinks of you...." She gulped at the upcoming bombshell. "Karin, I think she's in love with you."

Boy, did she sound a hell of a lot like Tony by saying that.

"Don't take it the wrong way, I swear. I'm only telling you because I don't want her to get hurt from the disappointment. But I think... you deserve to know, because I know she's a good person and means no harm, but she's really giving it her all to suppress what she feels, and it's clear. When I asked her directly, she openly dodged the question. It's clear you two are close, but beyond that? I don't know. But this is all speculation. I could damn well be wrong, but... keep an eye on T, will you? From my experience, she isn't very good at handling heartbreak, and seeing she broke up with that guy, Frank? She might just be leaning on you for some feeling of intimacy to compensate in the closest for she can. Or at least... I speculate that. Just a guess. But just.... don't hurt her. Please?"

Jenny didn't do this to snitch. She did this because she cares about Thalia, and learned from her mistake in middle school. She didn't deserve to be shattered like that again.

 

[DrTrollinski]

So, no real response there, but enough to get the message across to Ra's that his man was dead. That was all that was needed - Before he did anything further, though, he sent a text to the man he'd just mocked over the phone.

'You may not have meant to make this personal, but it was personal to me. Enjoy the time you have left, fruitcake.'

Whether or not that was an empty threat would be revealed later on, he was sure, but it still gave him something to think about other than Charlie and Nicole. By now, Charlie and Nicole should have been the least of Ra's' worries. At least Jon hoped so.

Jon switched off the phone and put it in his pocket. Any contacts in there could be tracked by James, with a bit of luck. Hopefully it'd be another lead, just like he'd hoped when he first saw all the Arabic names and such. Once Thalia translated, he was sure that would get them somewhere. Maybe even some potential rats if they could worm out some new recruits that hadn't been well and truly brainwashed just yet. Maybe there was still someone out there willing to help take this down to get out of the loop themselves. Seeing as everything around Al-Asheera was beginning to fall to shit, there must have been a few members questioning their loyalties, right?

That was a thought for another time. Now, he had to get Nicole and Charlie out of there and somewhere they could rest up - He had no idea how exposed to violence Nicole was in the past, but as a teacher, he couldn't imagine it was much. She just had a gun in her face and watched two men die - at least Charlie would grow up and have those memories from his younger life fade with time, and with the right support hopefully it wouldn't be too taxing. But for an adult who hadn't experienced any violence like that before? Even more so one that was held hostage? That sort of shit can do damage. He just hoped Nicole was going to be able to sleep tonight. They had a long day ahead tomorrow.

Aside from a chat to make sure Charlie's mind was at ease, Jon figured he also owed him one of those thirty dollar donuts he told him about on the plane. Something to lift his spirits, even if it was only slightly. Sure, he'd never manage a whole one himself (not without making himself sick), but after everything they'd been through, he thought Charlie deserved to be spoilt, even if it was only just a tiny bit. Anything to make him happy, basically.

He got the luggage trolley that was just beyond Roland's body (of which was now being swarmed and covered over by airport police) without too much hassle, and he pushed that over to the disabled restroom as discreetly as he could. On his way there, he ran into an older man - a man who was part of the security team, clearly. He stopped his trolley while the guy walked past, and they met eyes. This guy had a different badge to the rest of them. Head of security, possibly?

Either way, the man nodded once at him. Jon didn't have anything to say, but he did appreciate it - it was clear this guy had seen the camera footage, and maybe, just maybe, this man was grateful for Jon stopping Logan from killing any more of the airport police and innocent bystanders. Did he bail him out? He'd never know. He didn't plan on hanging around the airport to find out, that was for sure. Even so, he went to the door, and after knocking and being let in (after identifying it was him), he immediately entered and locked the door behind him. He needed a moment with the two of them, even if it was only brief.

For all they knew, he'd been dead this whole time - but he wasn't. He was very much alive and well, not a scratch on him.

"Hey, guys." He whispered, and instantly he went to them, first pulling Charlie into a hug, and then holding out an arm and putting it around Nicole, as well. He cared for the two of them dearly, and he needed both of them in an embrace - be it for their comfort, or for his own relief that they were all alive. It almost didn't feel real. But here they were together yet again. "God... It's over." He said. "We're safe. You hear that, pal?" He brought Charlie a little closer as he talked, "That man isn't gonna' do anything to any of us ever again, I promise." He said. He looked at Nicole, too, and he whispered to her.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." He said. "I'm just glad you're alright. Both of you." He nodded to her and offered her a sad smile, and after pulling away from the group hug, he lowered himself down and got in front of Charlie, his hands on his shoulders. "Hey, buddy..." He whispered. "I'm really proud of you. You were really brave out there." He gently rubbed both his shoulders - Did Charlie feel brave after cowering behind Jon that whole time? It was either something he could bring up now, or when he was tucked into bed in the safety of a nice hotel. "I'm gonna' get you and mom out of here, alright? We'll go to a hotel and get some rest. Don't worry, though, I'll make sure you're safe." He said. Out of his now common nature, he pulled the boy closer into a proper hug. Comfort. Relief.

--

James had something to tell Thalia, too, because the talk of Frank just made him sigh.

"Look, I do appreciate why you shut things off with him. I can't blame you. But like I said earlier on, things may not... Unfold in a way that the puzzle falls back together, if that makes sense." He shrugged. "I'm not saying Frank wouldn't want that, but my point is, after everything that's happened and how stressed Jordan is around here... Because let's not lie, he hates being surrounded by so many people, that much is obvious, and if he still won't talk to any of us it shows that his recovery isn't going to go so great while he's here with all of us. He needs to have his own safe space to roam around in and live in without bumping into a different person in every room." He explained.

"Frank spoke to me after the big drama with Tony and everything, and... He wants my help with something. And he wants it as soon as possible, believe me. I don't know if he'd do it now, or anything like that, but I know he wants it as soon as he gets the opportunity. Everything that's happened has, obviously, taken its toll on the guy. It's been too much for him to handle, too, and after losing a friend who also trained him and taught him everything he knew about being a cop... The guilt, the burden, the sadness, the depression. He needs that safe space I spoke about, too. He's asked me to set him up with some sort of ID so he can go out and get a place for a rent. A place so he can get Jordan into a more peaceful environment. I can understand why." He nodded.

"I don't know if he plans to rent in LA or Arkansas, but, regardless, that's what he's asked for. I don't want to hide all this from you and keep you thinking that Frank might... Still be up for the wild life and everything, because now that this is going on for him? He's toned down. Even in his everyday personality, he's more reserved, a little more distant with pretty much everyone. I'm sure you've noticed that, too. All I'm saying is he's not exactly planning on... Chilling in a big house with all of us for too long. At least that's not what he wants. You both have your dreams in life, and maybe that's just... One of his." He shrugged.

"And the difference between me and you is that... I can go for walks on the beach with Karin if I want to. I can go out and stay out late if I wanted to - During the day, Joseph's going to be at school, as will Jordan, but, in general? Joseph will be fine with a sitter, a friend's house, or his soccer club while me and Karin are having lunch together, or whatever. Jordan, though, he wouldn't be. Not yet. He wouldn't be okay with being left with a random person, or being left at some big sports club to handle himself. My situation and your situation is vastly different, so, don't think I'm going to judge you for your choices. I want it to be clear that I'm not doing that." He said.

--

"I'm sorry you had to see all of that, with your neighbors. That's horrific." She sighed, shaking her head. "I hope Jordan will recover, too. I don't doubt that Frank can help give him a good life, but he won't have a good life if he stays in this shocked state for the rest of his childhood. I just hope he gradually begins to trust people more. He's always on edge when we walk into a room with him. Me, James, McAllister... But Thalia seems to get on a little better with him. She approached him and he had phyiscal contact with her, but, he didn't say a word to her, obviously. My point is, he just isn't adapting. His body's constantly in fight or flight mode. High anxiety, I suppose, and now that he's woken up screaming and vomiting? The kid's just suffering, as much as I hate to say it. He's bottling it up until things like this happen." She explained. "At least that's how I interpret this."

The topic changed, though, and it changed to Thalia. Was Karin surprised to hear that she was about to cave in Tony's skull? In all honesty, not really. She didn't think that that was going to be the case, but, the fact that Tony had been pushing his luck still took away the surprising element of the news, so she just nodded to it when she was told that, but after that was when it started to get interesting. She didn't kill Tony because she had Karin in her mind? Was she really one of the main deciding factors? That was what came as a shock - after everything Tony had done, Karin didn't think she'd mean anything towards that situation, but it turned out she was wrong.

Was Karin really the one who indirectly saved Tony's life, too? Jesus fucking Christ.

But there were a few words...

I think she's in love with you.

Jesus fucking tapdancing Christ.

It was a lot to take in - Why hadn't Karin noticed it before? Was it because Thalia showed her affection and love in a different kind of way to other people Karin had crossed with in her time? After all, everyone else, even James, had been very direct with whether or not they liked her. Thalia... With Thalia it felt like nothing beyond good friends, but, it was clear Karin was wrong.

"Look..." She sihged and closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't know what the case is, but I'll take your word for it, alright?" She said. "I'm not... I love Thalia to pieces, I really do. I adore her. She's the best friend I've ever had, and I truly mean that." She said. "And I'd never hurt her by pushing her away or anything like that, I wouldn't even dare. I have no reason to do that. She makes any time I spend with her just fuckin' brilliant, to be truthful, and she is someone I feel like I could make a lifelong friend out of." She said. "But I just hope you understand, even though she knows my relationship and my preferences and everything... I hope you get that if she decided to... Try and get intimate with me, like, moving in for kisses and everything like that... I can't force myself to go along with that sort of thing. You get that, right?" She asked with a gulp.

"Like I said, I'd never go out of my way to hurt her, and if it ever did come to the point where I had to set the record straight, I wouldn't let all of this come between me and her, no chance." She explained, "Thanks for the heads up though, Jen. I had no idea, I won't lie. If that is the case and she is... In love with me... She's very good at keeping it secret. At least in my eyes." She said.

 

[KasperXIII]

The knocks on the bathroom door were a bit frightening at first for Charlie, so he stayed in his place, on his knees on the floor sobbing, while his mother braved it out and approached the locked door to check who it was. Jon, thank the heavens. She immediately unlocked it and allowed him entry. Almost the second he saw his protective guardian, Charlie stood up and charged into Jon's arms for a hug. His mother's loving embrace did give him a reason to calm down, but seeing Jon come back alive and in one piece finally put him at ease. Nicole even joined in, a hand around Jon's waist to keep him nearby as well, and the other over her child's back. She'd come so close to death. Had Jon not taken the opportunity to strike, she could've been killed right in front of her son. Or the two of them would be kidnapped and taken to whatever hideaway that Ra's had in store for them. Even scarier of a thought. Thank god they didn't hear Logan admit that they would be stored away to be killed by Thalia. It's not like the clanswoman would accept to execute her family, but the thought alone would've been devastating to hear. But Jon isolated them from that for the time being, thank god.

"Jon...." Charlie sniffled in the man's chest, clinging to him for dear life. "I... I thought he was going to kill Mommy."

"Shhh..." A saddened Nicole attempted to soothe her child with a gentle ruffle of his hair, practically in tears herself. Both of them would have this memory etched into their minds for the years to come. With age, they say people get stronger, but it only felt like Nicole was becoming more fragile. Losing her daughter might've built some strength, but now? It felt like it was torn apart all from a gunman attempting to abduct her and Charlie. She could safely assume that the hunter was neutralized, but didn't want to imagine that he could be dead. If he were, she sure as hell wasn't going to let Charlie walk outside the bathroom to go see the body. He'd already seen two people die in front of his eyes, and he didn't need a third one now. "That man isn't going to hurt you, or me, or Jon... it'll be okay. I promise you."

Thought Jon was doing everything he could to make Charlie more comfortable with the idea of what just happened, as far as calling him brave, Charlie didn't agree. He felt he was a brilliant spy up until now, when he saw his mother in the clutches of an assailant and literally only hid behind Jon and screamed. At least the screaming did get the attention of airport security and gave Jon the cue to strike, but still.... that was nothing in comparison to actually being the one to save his mother. He felt useless, but all he wanted to do now was be in the safety of a trusted one's arms, his mother's or Jon's. "Thank you, Jon..." he whimpered between tears.

Safety was ensured at long last, but getting out of the airport? That was another story. Jon promised them a hotel, but when?

Nicole brought that concern up directly: "When do you think we're going to be able to leave?" She'd calmed down significantly now that she was reassured of her son's and Jon's safety. It was a relief, and now their concern was getting Charlie somewhere he could rest without fear.

--

So Frank was negotiating leaving, so soon? He'd talked it out with James to get a new ID and probably another place to stay? Did his breakup with Thalia push him that far away? Or was this primarily for Jordan? Did a child create such a radical change in the man? Was Frank even the same man that she'd fallen in love with so deeply and so quickly? Not anymore. Whenever she looked into his eyes, it almost felt like he wasn't the same Frank anymore. This experience changed him, and it was a change that she felt forced to accept. That Frank in between the sheets with her two nights ago? He's gone. And this new one remained, and she was working to make it a part of her life. She could never start a life with him, but that didn't mean she had to become hostile. Either way, if he were gone, there would be a very slim chance of staying friends with the distance. He'd fade away, an afterthought, just a fun memory. And though it killed Thalia to admit this, no matter where he went, she remained strong and uttered one word to James:

"Good."

What are you thinking... just letting him go? I thought you loved him. What ever happened to that? He was gone, or at least would be gone in time. And she was willing to let Frank go.

"I mean..." she continued, crossing her arms over her chest, looking to the ground briefly. "It's like you said. Frank doesn't want this lifestyle. Not the one that I want. And having him around? It's going to hurt me. Every time I see him, I'm reminded of what we could've been." She sighed to compose herself quickly. "It's painful. I wish it didn't have to be that way. But I think that wherever he goes, locally or out of state? He'll forget about me, and I'll forget about him. And it might be for the best..."

Her back pressed against the wall, her palms dropping flat against it as well, and her head looking to the ceiling. "You know I am really happy for Karin? That she has someone like you with his life together and knows what he wants? It feels so... perfect. You guys literally have it all. And the other night with Frank, I almost thought we did, too. So much so that... I even feel a bit jealous sometimes." She gulped. Was that something worth venting about? A part of her sort of wanted to be lectured about envy, just so she could get over it. "The way you two are around each other. The passion you two have, the way you two just click. Frank? I had one moment with him, then we had to hide it from Tony. Then the next time I see him? He's got a kid and his life changes forever. Now he's taking it upon himself to change that boy's life, and I can't be a part of it." She paused for a moment, then lowered her head to make eye contact with James. "I don't wish ill will upon you and Karin, on the contrary. But I just wish I could have what you two have with someone. Is that too selfish?"

--

Understandably, Karin was shocked, but Jenny wasn't even close to being through. She couldn't risk ruining Thalia's friendship, but she didn't want her to get hurt by the rejection either. Warning Karin felt appropriate, but was it really? How could she really be sure that nothing would change? Already, Thalia was very discreet in expressing her feelings, and was too shy to openly say that she loves someone, or even show it. Even with Frank, that was the case. A fragile love life like her own, and after what Jenny put her through, topped off with her life in Al-Asheera? It's understandable. But what if she tries to kiss Karin one day? Would she develop that sort of audacity with time? Hopefully it wouldn't start a falling out of sorts.

"I've seen you two together," Jenny mentioned. "She really, really cares about you, and I don't blame her for that. After what you told me? You got her out of the mess she was in, convinced her to turn her life around. Maybe she feels that sort of attachment? Maybe it's a temporary thing?" Jenny was unaware that Thalia admitted to having a brief crush on Karin in the beginning, but it would piece itself together with time. "Thalia is really a great person when you get to know her beyond her little shell she tends to crawl into. And even you saw that, considering how it all began for you two. You gave her chance, after all; a chance to prove she was more than just a criminal. And now she's taking it. This isn't me promoting you two to be an item, not at all. But I'm just saying... If something happens, I don't want to see her when she realizes she's been rejected again. This soon, too, after what happened with Frank. I understand, you are already in a relationship. But please, just if the time comes, and she musters the courage to show some sort of sign, give it to her lightly, and show her you still care about her. Just not in the way she thinks."

As much as she'd love to see Thalia happily in love, she knew that getting the news from Karin in a rough way would be a disaster. She had to try and protect her own. Sure, she had her own attraction to Thalia due to their history, but she kept that aside for now.

"I wouldn't expect her to try and make a move, or even attempt to kiss you; again, she's very secretive about that sort of thing, like you said," she continued, scratching at the side of her other arm as she analyzed her friend's behavior and habits. "She's too afraid of that. Afraid of rejection, especially after today. Again, I could very well be wrong. But don't show her anything's changed. Thalia is an amazing friend to have, coming from someone who knew her since childhood. And you don't have to love her... like that, you know? Maybe it's a dumb thing that'll die down, maybe it's nothing at all. But the fact she was afraid of how YOU would think of her if she killed someone? You mean a lot to her. While it's adorable and all, and I know you two are great friends, I'd hate to see it all come crashing down. But... maybe I'm wrong and I'm reading it all too deeply." she shrugged. "She could just be overly nice with you, or just not want to lose your friendship. Who knows? Just... keep an eye on her, alright?"

 

[DrTrollinski]

It was a relief to have them back where he knew they were both safe, and having the group hug between them meant a lot. The most important thing to do now, though, was making sure Charlie was calm before they set off. If he was panicked and crying the whole time they were trying to get out of there, not only would it slow them down, but Charlie would drain what little energy he had left even quicker. He needed to have the tears eased and the worries neutralized before it could get out of hand. Even after things go well, you can get yourself into a sheer state of panic if you're not careful. Panic through relief. An odd sensation - the worry that even though things are okay, they might just go wrong again.

"Charlie," He rubbed his back, "Charlie, listen to me." He said - all of Charlie's words were quite heartbreaking. He thought his mother was going to die there and then, right in front of him. What a horrible thing for a boy his age to go through, especially after already losing his father, too. "You know I'd never let something like that happen to your mommy if I had anything to say about it. Never." He said. "What you just saw, what you went through... It's not something anyone should have to go through, especially not someone your age. But well done for doing your best out there, okay?" He said, then pulled away a little more so he could get a good look at him.

"All we need to worry about now is getting out of here, alright? That man's not gonna' come back. And more importantly, no one else is ever gonna' get the chance to do something like that again, as long as I'm around. You got that?" He gently ran a hand over the top of Charlie's head. "I know this has been a stressful night for you, pal. I understand why you'd be so upset with it, so distraught. It's a terrifying situation to be stuck in. But, I'm proud of how you acted out there - You looked at the situation, and you knew that if you stepped out there you'd be in danger, because that man, he wanted to take you and mommy away from me, away from here. I don't know where, but, he can't do that now. He can't do that mainly because you never gave him the chance." He squeezed both his shoulders.

"Realizing you were in danger and hiding behind me was the best thing you could have done. You forced the guy to wait, and because he had to wait to try and get his hands on you, he got distracted." He nodded - he wasn't going to bring up the two men that got shot right in front of him, though. "And because he got distracted, it let me move in and stop him from hurting anyone else. You did me a solid one there, buddy." He cracked a faint smile. "Now, though, I need you to take a deep breath, I need you to realize that the bad man's gone. I need your head in the game until we can get out of here, okay, and once we're off somewhere safe - in a nice hotel - me and you can settle down and have a little talk, alright? I think there's a few things we need to chat about now." He said.

"Until then, though..." He pulled Charlie back into a hug and lifted him off the ground, keeping him held close. "I need you to do something else for me. I need you just to put your head against my shoulder, and I need you to keep your eyes closed tight until I say otherwise, alright?" He said to him. "Nicole, our luggage trolley's right outside the bathroom. What we're going to do is go out one of the maintenance doors back the way we came, okay?" He instructed. "Less risk associated. We can just sneak out the side and make our way down the street a little bit. Gives me a chance to scope the area out and make sure we're all in the clear. Plus, if there's police swarming the front over our... 'friend', then chances are we'll be stopped for questioning. I don't want to keep either of you up for too much longer. It's been a long night." He said.

"Also, Nicole, I imagine the thought of going back the way we came prompts fear for... The horror scene we were just on. Don't worry, we'll walk the sidelines." He said to her, quietly. "You're doing great, too. Keep it together." He winked at her.

He was so glad these two hadn't tried to make this journey alone. He was certain they'd be dead by now if that was the case. No need to dwell on that fact, though. Now it was time to move on and get things done. The sooner they got somewhere quiet, the better.

So, after he was certain everyone was ready, and certain that Charlie had his eyes closed, he unlocked the bathroom door and snuck out of there, staying close to Nicole this time, keeping his eyes on everyone around them. Police were everywhere. They had to sneak around back of the whole crowd, past the little coffee shop, and eventually out one of the side doors. It had obviously been left unlocked as the police had been flooding in from all angles, and many people had made a break for it and ran that way already, too. It was their safest bet at avoiding anymore catastrophies. They only needed to walk a short way onward before they met with a road fairly away from the airport entrance itself.

Jon immediately hailed a cab, and their destination was simple - It was a big cab, too, so they could all sit together in the back, thankfully. Jon didn't need the cab driver asking too many questions, so, he tried his best to comfort Charlie as much as he could; in the car he sat him between himself and Nicole, held his hand with one of his, and his free arm went around his shoulders, too. He didn't know what else he could do to make him feel at ease, but he hoped this was enough. He was in the arms and holding the hand of a someone strong, capable, and trustworthy - the fact that they were very fond of each other was just a bonus, really.

Their destination: Intercontinental San Francisco, a fairly expensive hotel right by Golden Gate bridge. A safe distance from the airport, and so many rooms that trying to track them down would practically be a suicide mission. As they'd be under fake names, too, finding them would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

It didn't take long to check in, either. They got a nice family room way up on one of the higher floors that looked out over the city and the Golden Gate bridge itself. Jon didn't want to drag Charlie around anymore or put any more stress on him, so, he was fine with carrying him until they got to the room and everything.

"So, here we are, a nice family suite for us." He said, then had a glance around. "Let's see which room's yours, pal." He patted Charlie's back and walked to the right, and the first door he checked happened to the one suited to Charlie.

​

"Wow. Much better than the motel, isn't it?" He laughed. "Should be okay for you, don't you think?" He said, placing him down on the ground and resting a hand on his head. "Got a nice city view, too. Before anything else, though..." He went back into the wallway and poked his head into another room. Bathroom.

​

"Okay, brilliant..." He looked down at Charlie again, "Alright, buddy. Why don't you go dig out your PJ's, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, do whatever it is you need to do... Then meet me in your room so we can have a chat, yeah?" He ruffled his hair. "I just wanna' talk to mommy for a minute. Don't think you need to wait around for me, once you're ready, just go ahead and hop into bed and you can be sure I'll be there shortly." He said.

The other bedroom, obviously the one with the double bed, was the same style as the one Charlie had - it just had a double bed.

With the doors all locked and everything, he hoped he could leave Charlie to do his own thing for five minutes while he went to speak to Nicole. He took her into the room with the double bed and quietly closed the door over.

"Hey." He whispered, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that at the airport. I truly am. I haven't had the proper chance to apologize yet. If I'd known his intentions, I would have acted a lot sooner. I'm going to take a guess and say we ran into him by pure coincidence. There's no way he could have known we were touching down in San Francisco." He said. "I know you've had a long night, Nicole, but I need to tell you something that may come across as a bit distressing. After you took Charlie to hide in that bathroom, this guy confessed something to me - He was going to be delivering you and Charlie to whoever, and they were going to get Thalia to try and..." He sighed and shook his head. "They were going to make Thalia be the one to kill the two of you. If you ask me, that sounds like complete fucking insanity. I can see why she's risking her ass to help James take these guys down, that's for sure." He said, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just know, you have my loyalty. My protection. Now that I know just how serious all of this is beginning to get, you can be sure you and Charlie won't be let out of my sight, and if it comes down to it... I know how much Charlie means to it, and if I have to make a big choice, I give you my word I won't let anything happen to him. And if, and I mean if things do turn sour... I won't leave him to be drifted away into the system. He'll be taken care of." He offered a sad smile. "That is obviously the worst-case scenario, though. I know this is probably becoming quite the weight on his shoulders, so, I'll do my best to put his mind at ease when I talk to him." He paused for a moment.

"I just wanted to make sure you're alright. If you need to get anything off your chest, I'm all ears. I didn't want to say it straight-up in front of Charlie, but, it's easy to figure out why that fella'... Logan, I think his ID said - why he won't be bothering us anymore, right?" He gulped. He would have thought that Nicole figured out Logan was dead and gone. It was all for the better of things, though. "I just hope it's an indication of what I'm willing to do to keep you safe. And Thalia, when it comes to it. I'll sooner die than let any of these bastards do anything to the three of you, I mean that." He said. "And... Even though I don't take you for a woman of revenge, back at that airport... Justice was done for your late husband. The man who attacked us was the gunman from Philly."

A lot of revelations, but, things she deserved to know.

--

"I don't think he'll just forget about you." He was quick to disagree. "And I highly doubt he'll move out of California. Out of LA? Maybe. It sort of depends. LA's a fucking horrible place, no matter what they say. The people there are dogshit." He said. "Encino is nice, Burbank is nice. LA? Nah, try and steer clear. You need to be tough to rent out a place in the heart of the city. The outskirts are nice enough, and it's great for a day out, but that's about it." He said. "But I doubt Frank will forget who you are. You should do your best to stay friends. Being on good grounds with him will help you both get over things a lot quicker. The more you try and forget about him, the more it'll hurt - It's like trying to get to sleep at night. If you sit there trying to get yourself to fall asleep, then you'll be rolling around 'til four o'clock in the morning. If you lie back and let the world drift away, you'll be asleep within minutes." He said.

"I can understand your jealousy, Thalia. Don't get me wrong." He shrugged. "But... Jealousy is something that makes people self-destruct. Wanting something is different to wanting something that someone else has. If you're not careful, your appearance will be a mirror image of someone else, and your dreams will be a quote from someone else's book." He said. "By no means am I saying you don't deserve something nice like that, of course not. You deserve it just as much as anyone under this roof." He said. "To get a life like this, though?" He glanced around and motioned his hand around the kitchen. "A big house, a pool, all the bedrooms and thirteen bathrooms? That takes time and effort, Thalia, that's all I can say." He shrugged. "And as much as things are perfect now, for me and Karin, neither of us had it perfect before. I had money, sure, but what the fuck did that get me?" He laughed.

"I'll tell you what it got me - a big empty house filled to the brim with loneliness. Karin slaved her ass off for five years to support her brother - by now she could be on a six-figure salary if she'd been to Law school. Little things like that... I guess they're all taken into account. Believe me, though... My life isn't worth shit to be jealous of. I've had too much of a rough life - much like you have. We can hardly be envious of each other, can we? After all, you're staring at a dead man." He chuckled.

"You had a lot of pressure on your relationship. Tony for one, and now Jordan. I don't blame Jordan for that. No one is to blame for that happening." He said. "I don't know how things will unfold, but either way, you need to keep pushing on." He winked. "I can understand, though, you want something nice with someone. It'll happen, Thalia. Wait for the flower to blossom."

--

"I care a lot about her, too, don't get me wrong. I love her to bits, like I said." She said, simply. "Maybe it's a temporary thing, yeah, or maybe it's because I did help her begin to turn her life around. I've got a lot of promises to live up to, and I plan on keeping to them." She said. "You can be sure that I won't make things too harsh if things look like they're going to kick off. I promise, you can be sure I'm going to avoid hurting her in any way I can. If I need to back away from whatever may happen, I'll make sure it's done softly, Jen. Don't worry."

She reached out and patted her on the shoulder, "I'm glad there's someone else that cares so much about Thalia. She needs people like that now." She nodded at her. "It'll be fine, okay? You should go and get some more sleep. Don't let all this keep you up." She winked.

 

[KasperXIII]

No eight year old boy ever needed to see what just happened before Charlie, and no mother like Nicole needed that sort of a scare for her life and her child's. It was all so... horrific and sudden. Their lives were basically flashing before their eyes in the midst of an extreme circumstance that nearly either orphaned the boy or took the mother's second child away from her - which her heart probably wouldn't be able to handle after losing her daughter and her husband before. If Jon hadn't been around for them from the very beginning... who knows? Maybe Al-Asheera would've gotten to them sooner and had them kidnapped, held in crates on a plane ride to LA for Ra's' dirty intentions, or to torture Thalia with the mere thought. If they didn't have this protective figured? They'd be long gone. But he saved them, and it only made both Charlie and Nicole more and more attached to him. He was right about everything he promised about protecting them and keeping them safe at all costs. They surely were his new priorities. A man who lived and breathed crime... now developing a soft spot for a widow and her little boy? The world worked in strange ways. But Nicole could feel deep down in her heart that the group hug meant so much more than meets the eye. Like a family of sorts. Was that even a thought to contemplate? She couldn't help but feel that sort of closeness to Jon after he saved her and Charlie's lives, quite literally this time. But it was trust well placed. She'd put her feelings into consideration later. For now, they needed to get out of the airport before they end up detained as suspects in this mess.

At long last, once they evaded the swarms of police in the area, they made their way to the outside on the late night streets of San Francisco. The cab ride was a sweet relief in the heart of a now-chaotic scene back at the airport. Charlie did actually keep his eyes shut this time when he was instructed to. After everything he'd seen today, he obviously didn't want to see a dead body being surrounded by the local police in what looked nothing short of murder in the middle of an airport. Strange... how did a weapon like that even get by TSA, they'd wonder... Al-Asheera. That's why. They'd discover the tattoos and make the connection, but that would be a problem for another day. One that would eventually reach Thalia's ears. Six of The Ten down for the count. Four left, one of them being Tony's cousin, which he hadn't been very vocal about for a while. He mentioned it to Frank when they first received the list, but beyond that, nothing. More pressing matters came to light. But the next day? That was another clansman they could easily apprehend. But Tony wouldn't let James or Thalia kill Sam. Over his dead body. The two cousins were very close in childhood, but when they took very different career paths, their roads diverged. Sam pursued a higher education in finance in Philly - as well as a life of crime with Al-Asheera - while Tony went into law enforcement and remained local in LA. Vastly different domains, but if he could arrange a little reunion, he could slowly get people's trusts back. In time...

Nicole kept her eyes off the crime scene before her, only keeping them on her little boy, fearfully tucking his head into Jon's shoulder. She'd hold Charlie herself, but she figured that Jon was a much stronger, larger figure, so he'd be able to do it much more easily. And after everything, she trusted him enough to be that close to her child. He even tucked himself into the man who was once a total stranger on the cab ride. No surprise, seeing how the two were bonding, and how close they'd become, almost a father/son dynamic beyond the cover story. The poor child, now scarred for life. Did Nicole blame her firstborn for bringing this hell upon them? How could she know anything about Thalia without actually confronting her about her life? These past eight years could've been equally terrible for her, and she was merely yet another victim. She could never know until she faces her child directly. And boy, was there a lot to discuss between the mother and daughter, and it wasn't all gloomy, disappointed topics. All Nicole wanted was her little girl back, no matter what she'd become. She knew deep down in her heart that she did right by Thalia while raising her. All she wanted was a conversation with her to see life through her eyes for once. It's the least she deserved.

A family suite, one fit for kings and queens in Nicole's eyes. She was never one for fame and glamour. Marrying a man of God did that to her; it made her more humble and content with her life as is, and she never asked for anything more than the best for her little ones. So having an entire hotel room as fancy and spacious as this one was quite strange to her. For Charlie, it was something he always dreamed of. He was in love with the place when he finally lifted his sleepy head from Jon's shoulder. It was quite a change of scenery, and he was even in for a bigger surprise when they reached James' mansion. But everything from the large place to the view of the Golden Gate Bridge? Spectacular. Charlie was still out of breath from the sights, while Nicole showed her impressed attitude in a faint smile on her face.

Time to wash up and get ready for bed. Charlie had been dying for a good night's sleep for a while now, and once he was let down onto the floor to stand on his own, he nodded to Jon. "Alright. I'll wash up." And that's what he did, after one last quick hug to Jon from his much shorter height, he approached the suitcase loaded with his clothing to grab his toothbrush and PJ's and let himself into the bathroom. He was a big boy and didn't need Nicole to watch over him while he got ready for bed. She trusted him to that degree. But now? Alone time for the two adults in the room. And time for some ugly truths to be unveiled.

Thalia... ordered to kill her family? Nicole gulped, her eyes shining in fear of the mere thought of her daughter killing her. "T-Tell me that she isn't planning on doing it, Jon. Why on earth would she even consider that? She'd been so far away from us for so long... just to return and kill us? It's...." It ached her heart even further to know the truth about what that hitman was there for. She placed her hand over Jon's on her shoulder and sighed to calm herself down. She didn't want to show signs of distress when Charlie finishes inside. "It is insane. But I mean.... I can only assume if she's working against them, she wasn't planning on doing this, right? Was she ever even considering it?"

Jon assumed she was starting to doubt his seriousness to the cause? No way. She didn't agree. He saved them, after all. "No... Jon, you have done so much for me and Charlie. Don't you think for one second that I doubted how serious you are about protecting us. If we were still in Philadelphia, we might've been taken more easily and without protection. Without you... I might've lost my son. And that, I can't be more thankful for, the fact you've been giving your all to keep us safe. I deeply appreciate that, and don't even know where to begin to thank you or repay you." Jon mentioned not letting Charlie fall into the system... in a worst case scenario. That had to be if something were to happen to Nicole. Charlie would have no legal guardian: his parents dead, his sister a convict, and his relatives of his father's side unfit to raise an eight year old... but he did have his grandparents in France he could easily be transferred to. But that didn't mean she doesn't trust Jon with him. "Jon.... It's so greatly appreciated, your loyalty to a family you so much as just met. All that happened was your employer told you to watch us, and you already seem like a part of the family. I trust you with my son than anyone else outside the family, and I have all the faith I can have that you'll keep us all safe. And.... as much as I denied it before..." she slowly made her way to one of the double beds and took a seat, leading Jon to sit by her side. Standing had really taken a toll on her, even for so short. She needed to rest. "I would love for you to stick around with the family. With me, and Thalia, and Charlie. They need a strong father figure around for them, no matter their ages... 21, 8, it doesn't matter. They've lost their father, and as a single mother, there's only so much I can do... So if you are planning to stay for the longrun? Just know I'd very much like that."

Quite a confession, one of how close Nicole had grown to Jon. It was almost unbelievable that the attachment had grown so much in just two days... but then came the truth about Jacob's killer: it was the very man that he'd killed. Nicole did her best not to look at the scene and keep Charlie from looking back, but she could only guess that Logan had been murdered to stop him. She lived with the fact and tried to forget without the gruesome image of his body. But he was gone and would never come back for them. And that put Nicole's mind at ease, at long last. "Well..." she sighed, swiping a hand over her eyes slowly. "I can't say he deserved death. No man does. But I can say that I'm thankful that he won't be coming back to hurt Charlie... It's such a horrible feeling, I know, to be thankful for a man's death. But he was a direct threat to me and my children... So I'll have to live with that."

Revelations... ones that were painful, but all too necessary.

 

[DrTrollinski]

Charlie was off getting ready for bed, and the conversation between Jon and Nicole continued. It was a good chance to say everything on their mind without Charlie overhearing - he was busy doing whatever it was he had to do before bed. Use the toilet, brush his teeth, wash his face, get changed - You name it. Jon had no way of knowing, but everything listed where just the things he was guessing. Jon never got the chance to stop by a bathroom at the airport like he'd planned (only to make a phone call to Ra's), so, he still needed to go pretty desperately, but, the young boy had priority here. He needed to get ready and maybe even take a minute to himself to adjust to the surroundings. Going from one place to another - even more so across the country - could be quite the thing to come to terms with. Not emotionally, but, it could just be a weird feeling more than anything else.

Plus, San Francisco was much different to Philadelphia. At least the bad memories of Philly would be slightly weaker here. New place, new opportunities to make things the way they wanted them, and what did Jon want? Honestly, he wanted to stay around with Nicole and Charlie. He felt that after all his years of wandering, he'd finally found a place where he belonged. Had he been fifteen minutes late, everything could have been thrown to shit. It was a longshot that that was the case, but, Jon was never one to question fate. Heck, Jon hardly even believed in fate, but, oddly enough, he did believe that some things just happen for a reason. He didn't like the idea of him not having control over his life, though.

At the same time, if someone was up there controlling this for him... At this point, they hadn't done such a bad job. He'd been matched with two people he'd already grown very fond of. And vice versa, it seemed. But first, the most important question - the one that spiralled from Jon's delivery of a hard pill to swallow. The fact that Thalia would be ordered to kill her mother and brother. Nicole obviously had a lot of fears and worries, so, Jon just took hold of both her hands as he began to reply.

"No, no, no. She'd never do something like that." He said. "From what I hear, she hates the men that are doing this. Understandably. Believe me, Nicole... If James thought you were in any danger with Thalia, we would still be hiding out in Ohio. Or we'd be having an extended vacation here in San Fran. Believe me, James isn't someone to rush into things - at least not when it comes to his profession. He's a very well-trained man with a brain too big for his damn head, that's for sure." He laughed. "The guy is... I wouldn't say genius in terms of knowledge, but genius in his own ways. Good driver, good actor, good shooter when it comes down to it, but most of all, he's a master of getting things done without them linking back to him. Just like I am." He said. "We've not left anything of a paper trail since Philly, and now that we're checked in here, the trail for us has gone dead." He explained.

"The only piece of evidence they're going to have against what's been going on is Logan's body. I've got his ID, his phone, so any contacts on there? If they hold any danger to us, you can be sure James will help track them down. As for the contacts... All in Arabic. I've not learnt much of foreign languages over the years - Spent a while in Paris and picked up a small amount of French, my time in Italy... Meh. I think I know how to say please, thank you, and 'my name is', but that's about it now. Even so, if Thalia's been rocking around with these guys? She can translate all the names and tell us everything about them. In addition to that, on the phone was the phone number of who I assume to be the boss of the little shitshow they dragged us into. If the boss is on his phone, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say he's a trusted man, one of the upper people in their insane asylum of a gang." He said.

"Either way, I'm rambling - Thalia won't hurt you. If she had that in her intentions, she never would have went to James for help in the first place. Right now, she's in a house with two other kids. Kids that are only a year or two apart from Charlie's age. One younger, and one a little older, from what I remember. They're settling in just fine with her. We're going to get there, and as horrific as today was, Charlie's going to have a couple of little friends to keep him company and help take his mind away from things. Give him the chance to be a kid again while we all get on with the business of making sure the source of all this hurt gets shut down for good." He explained.

Then came Nicole's bigger confession.

Wow. That was all Jon could think, and the words he wanted to say were trapped on his tongue as he tried to muster up the strength to reply - but the words broke him (in a good way, of course), and the tough shield he hadcame crashing down faster than he'd expected. He was sat on the bed with her, but at her words he had to look away and glance around the room. "My god." He whispered, simply. "Oh, wow. Just... Wow." He said, then closed his eyes for a second. Eventually, though, he brought himself to look back to her. "I know what it's like to live without a dad." He whispered. "As you know, I was only a little older than Charlie when I lost my father, and as much as people deny it?" He let out a sad laugh, "This is simply dependent on how you look at it, but, a lot of people say that mothers alone shouldn't be left to raise boys alone. A strong opinion, but, to some degree it's true, just like how fathers shouldn't be left to raise daughters on their own. There's always going to be that conflict in comparisons and all that - I mean, by no means does that mean that a mother or father would do a bad job in said situations, but there's certain things girls need a woman to talk to about, and certain things boys need a guy to talk to about, you know?" He laughed, yet again, the sadness reflecting in his voice. "It wasn't easy. It never was. And Charlie? God. he's such an amazing kid, Nicole. Reminds me a fair bit of my own boy when he was his age - lively, happy, full of energy, interesting, passionate. It's... It's great. He's truly a shining light on my life right now, as are you - I mean that for the two of you, I just..."

He folded over a little and covered his eyes with one hand, "Oh, god." He chuckled, shakily. "It's been a long time since anything's made me emotional." He whispered, and no matter how much he wiped his eyes, the gentle line of tears just kept on getting replenished. "I can't lie and say the tiredness has broken me down, your words... They... Mean more to me than you might realize." He used his free hand to reach out and take hold of one of hers. "I'm planning on staying for the longrun, Nicole. Forget Philly. Forget my friends and contacts back there - I'm staying, and nothing can change my mind. I'm here for good. To the moon and back." He whispered to her. "I'm no Saint, but, you have my word... I'll do everything I can for both Charlie and Thalia. They won't be short of someone to turn to, I promise." He said, wiping at his eyes again.

He could never throw them to the wolves and let them fend for themselves. As much as Nicole had said she didn't want financial help or help finding somewhere to live... If Jon was going to be part of the picture, he wouldn't sit down and let things unfold in a stressful manner. He had enough money to make their lives easier, enough to hopefully put a smile on their faces.

He'd found himself brought even closer to Nicole, too. Her words packed a punch - a bittersweet punch that made him feel so great, oddly enough. He felt wanted. And after all the trauma they'd experienced, Jon naturally felt that little closer with Nicole overall now. Once he'd managed to stop the tears from flowing, even if it was only slightly, he turned and looked her in the eyes, but, once more, he was lost for words. The words just escaped him, and he didn't know what it was, but there was something about Nicole in that very heartfelt and emotional moment that just fired up and lit the spark in his bonfire heart.

His emotions towards her would have to be left to asked about another day when things settled a little bit.

"I, um..." He started with a whisper. "Providing there's nothing else on your mind... I did promise Charlie a chat, and... I doubt he wants to be on his own tonight. I won't freak you out by saying we're sharing this bed, or anything." He joked, then let out a faint laugh. "I'll make sure he gets tucked in and everything, don't worry - In fact, I imagine you want to say goodnight to him, too." He grinned. "So, you could tag with me for a minute if that's the case. Other than that... I think we all deserve a good rest, don't you?" He smiled.

 

[KasperXIII]

A few words alone with Jon while Charlie wasn't around were all Nicole really needed, enough time to get things off of her chest that she can't openly discuss in front of a child. He'd already been exposed to enough violent in the span of an hour, not to mention the death of his father a day ago. He was terrified of what happened at the airport, but fortunately, he was staying strong and wasn't entirely weak for the duration of the trip. A lift up the hotel room, but now that they were settled in and reassured of their safety, Charlie was more comfortable with his surroundings and figured that it was high time he gets ready to get some rest. Tomorrow marked a big day for not just him, but all of the Griffins. A family reunion. The longlost child finally found and wants her family back together. If only the man of the house were alive to witness this moment. He was the one who got the good news first; he deserved to know that his death was not in vain.

On their more serious discussion, even though they were out of the woods and the threat on their lives was lifted, many concerns still plagued the widow. Example: why on earth would Thalia want to kill her mother and brother like that? Why would she order a hit on her father? Both times, she'd received word it was Thalia's fault, but what exactly did she do? What exactly was going on for her to want her family dead? At least Jon was there for her to clean up the areas of concern: that most of her worries were really for nothing. That judging by her daughter's actions, she'd never do such a thing. Perhaps this little girl was still very similar to her childhood counterpart... so innocent. What ever dragged her into a life of crime?

"It's still incredible, the types of people that Thalia has associated with throughout the years. Criminals, more or less..." She sighed. "But this James you keep talking about? He's keeping her safe now. And to a mother for a daughter who got taken into a very dark place in life, he should know how much that means. Or, maybe he does, if he's had children... but that's beyond me. I still owe him my gratitude for his concern for Thalia. From what I understand, she's not out being forced to do things for Al-Asheera... because of him, correct?" Maybe Thalia wasn't mingling with the wrong people all along. Or at least more recently, she began to meet the better sorts of people in her life and forming stronger friendships than ever. "This James is truly sent by God, whether he believes it or not. Just the fact he crossed roads with my child to help... I don't think it was just a coincidence."

Call it God's work or just plain fate, whatever brought this crew together must've been some sort of powerful other-worldly force that knew that things were meant to be. That Thalia was meant to come back to the scene of her crime, and that Karin was meant to meet her on the outside. That Tony and Frank were meant to lead the case, and that the girls were meant to click that suspicious link to find James, who was meant to trust them and reveal himself to them... but did that make Nicole's husband's death a part of this cruel destiny? She didn't want to think that the god she believed in was that punishing. Jacob had only done what he felt was good in life, and that coincided with a greater good in the end.

While most of the analytic talk of the potential nature of Logan didn't really appeal much to Nicole, being a less tactful figure in terms of combat, what did appeal to her was the emotional-packed specifics about her daughter. How she was safe with James and with other children who were getting along well with her. Two other kids close to Charlie's age? That was perfect. He would be able to socialize with people his age and try to be the kid he was before, much like how Jon specified. Sure, Jordan might not get on well with Charlie's more bubbly, open personality, but Joseph just might. Charlie had a clique of friends in school, but nobody ever particularly close. Not like Thalia and Jenny were at that age. It wasn't too big a deal for the parents, but it was just strange how a boy who was so socially involved didn't have that close of a companion. But extreme circumstances brought him closer to an adult that he's ever been with, besides his parents of course. Jon was so close to Charlie and Nicole didn't regret telling him how much she wanted him around in the longrun...

Jon... becoming emotional by those words alone? She couldn't even believe it at first, but his face told the whole story, even to the point he might've shed a tear. A sort of sadness was also lingering in his voice, but that wasn't the point to Nicole's words. She had this newly-established sense of comfort around him. Did she expect this when the older gentleman showed up at her doorstep? Not at all; on the contrary, she expected to have to keep Jon in line around Charlie constantly and warn him about what to do and what not to do. He didn't give the vibe of being a child lover from the get-go, but when she noticed that he'd lost his father at nearly the same age as Charlie, they instantly grew to have an attachment. And sooner than she'd ever expect? She developed a similar attachment. So did he from the looks of it, enough to get emotional about it. Deep down, Nicole's desperate look in her eyes told a similar story of wanting some stronger figure in her life to help support her and her children. When Jon had offered to stick around, now all she could do is accept with open arms.

Promises to stick around for her children and for the family as a whole... a topic about how daughters need their mothers, and sons need their fathers. While Charlie had lost his father, Jon was certainly the perfect substitute. They already had an amazing relationship with one another, after all. How could it ever be broken by circumstance or by people moving on? By Jon going back to Pennsylvania when this was all over? But he didn't want to. He wanted to stay in California now. And with the moment between the two, Nicole was at a complete loss for words. Speechless. No idea how to progress the conversation any further in any useful way; she'd exhausted quite a bit of emotion into the confession and even felt a slight bit of water building up in her eyes. Tears, now? When Charlie could come out of the bathroom at any minute? Definitely not. Even if it was tempting to be a bit more open around Jon...

Another day, indeed... as well as possibly a talk about Jon's time in Paris. Maybe something to discuss over drinks.

It was sadly cut short when the bathroom door swung open. Charlie, now in his plain navy PJ's from his bag, came out holding his old outfit and toothbrush. He looked much more relaxed, less tense and definitely not traumatized like before. A much stronger stance, and more confident, too. The boy was most definitely happy with the new place to stay, the safety of the family now, and most importantly, Jon's presence. But what he didn't expect: his mother and Jon seated side by side in what looked like a rather emotional moment, one that he would've guessed would become romantic, in which he'd instantly give them their privacy. But the second he emerged from the bathroom, Nicole turned her head and diverted the subject.

"Charlie... how did you like that bathroom, hm?" A lame change of topic, but Charlie easily gets excited, so it could work, just so he doesn't think anything too extreme just yet.

Charlie nodded with a small smile on his face, hugging his belongings close to his chest. "I loved it, Mommy. You should go check it out, too. I left your toothbrush back there in case you wanted to use it as well. I think I'm going to try and sleep though."

Nicole smiled to him, getting up from her seat and getting closer to her son. "That's a good idea. You should be well rested tomorrow. We'll both get to see your sister for the first time in years. And I bet we both want that. So you should hop into bed... but first, I think Jon wants a word with you, from what he told me."

"Oh?" Charlie was confused at first, but he figured it had to be something good.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing you've done wrong," she winked to her son, then leaned in to kiss him just over his forehead. "I'll leave you two gentlemen alone while I freshen up. Good night, Charlie."

"Good night, Mommy," he nodded back. From there, he simply watched as his mother turned her back on the two with just one last look over to Jon - as if it were his cue - and entered the bathroom. Sure, she had to freshen up, but it was also too tempting to eavesdrop on what the two would be up to. The father/son dynamic was too tempting to just watch over. She loved seeing them bond, and couldn't get enough of it. So why not just get a peek?

Now alone, Charlie placed the belongings he held to his chest on the bed for a moment and took a seat by his new guardian. "Mommy said you wanted to talk to me?" he asked so innocently. What was the issue? He could never know. But he figured it was high time to find out.

 

[DrTrollinski]

What an emotional night it had been panning out to be, but before anything else could progress, Charlie was there and ready to talk. Part of Jon was thankful he showed up when he did - it helped break the ice on things a little more. They couldn't let themselves get sidetracked by any of this. They had to get to the home base and then they were free to do whatever they wanted to do. Jon didn't know all the details of the people in the house other than James and Thalia. He knew there were kids there, one who had basically just turned ten, and one that had just turned six, too. At least that was the guess. They didn't exactly know Jordan's birthday just yet - everyone had been so caught up in everything else they'd sort of forgotten to ask. Not really much of a surprise, is it? Either way, Jon figured it'd be a safe bet to let Charle in on some of the details, and, just make sure all was clear about what happened over the course of the evening.

As Nicole left, he nodded to her when she looked back at him. Indeed, that was his cue - if Nicole was watching the two of them talk and bond, Jon wasn't going to complain. He didn't mind. In fact, he sort of felt it was a good thing for her to do in some ways. He knew she trusted him, but... He had the feeling that by watching him, she'd know he was willing to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. He was going all the way with it. It was going to be a change of lifestyle, that was for sure. An aged, rich playboy mechanic flashing his fancy toys around turned into a legal man, and a family one, too. He could still do what he loved, though. Refurbish cars, sell exotic ones, run his business. He was sure Charlie would get a hand in that without hesitation, too. He'd seen already how excitable the boy could be.

When Charlie sat down, Jon shuffled over a little and dropped his arm around his shoulders. "Just a quick word, yeah, nothing too major." He smiled down at him. "You, for one, look exhausted, so I'll try not to keep you up for too long. I just had a few things I wanted to say, that's all." He said, simply. "Firstly, I thought it'd be a good idea to fill you in on our journey details a little bit more." He said. "Tomorrow, seeing as it'll be hot... Believe me. Much hotter than Philly." He chuckled. ".. What we'll do is leave for LA a little later in the day so that we get there in the evening, maybe in time for dinner, or something? If not a little earlier?" He shrugged. "Just don't want all of us being stuck in a hot car for the whole journey tomorrow. We can at least leave when it's starting to cool down a little." He smiled.

"Next up... The place we're going to. James' house. Plenty of room for all three of us, so don't worry about that. Not only that, but there's a couple of other kids there, meaning you'll have the chance to make some new friends." He said. "One's a little younger than you, and the other... I think he's only a year older, just about. I think James said he was ten, but, only just turned ten? Something like that. So you guys will be pretty similar in age." He ruffled Charlie's hair a little. "Just thought it'd be cool to let you know what things are gonna' be looking like there. You won't be completely swarmed by adults, I promise." He laughed.

"Another thing... Thank you for being so good, and most of all, so strong, over the last couple of days. I'm really proud of you." He winked. "I know you've probably got a lot of what happened tonight on your mind, and I won't go into too many details right now. No need to keep you up all night, but, the most important thing to remember in a situation like this? There's still good people out there. And a hell of a lot of them, too." He grinned. "Like... Like me, for example." He said. It was tough to say that, but, he knew one thing: If he was going to be working as a role model for Charlie, he needed to start being able to view himself as one of the good guys. It was no good if he didn't do that. What sort of message would that send to Charlie?

"Either way, kiddo... I think that's about it. Just wanted to keep you patched in. That's what agents do, after all, they keep each other updated. That's why if there's ever a problem with something, you let me know, okay?" He gave him a gentle nudge. "Ah, before I forget... That bike of my dad's that I told you about? Whenever it comes to us taking a ride on that together, I was thinking we should definitely make a little bit of a trip out of it. Maybe this summer if we get the chance before you go back to school. We could hit the road and maybe spend a few days up here in San Francisco. We'll never get the chance to see everything it offers in one day, so, a little road trip would pretty awesome, wouldn't it?" He said.

"Right, that's all for now. Gimme' a hug before bed." He chuckled, and with that, made sure to give Charlie one big hug to seal him off for the night. "I'm being the good guy and letting mommy take the big bed, so, if you wake up during the night, I won't be far away. There's two beds in your room, after all, so, just go ahead and wake me up if you need anything." He quickly pointed out. It was just to be safe - just in case Charlie had another nightmare. At least if that happened Jon would be in close proximity and able to console him if things fired up, but, he was hopeful enough. "Your next mission, agent - should you choose to accept it... Go to bed." He laughed again and gave the boy a gentle ruffle of his hair. "I'm gonna' wait for mom to finish in the bathroom and go in there myself, then I'll be through. No need to wait up for me, though. Go ahead and crash out if you feel like it." He winked.

That was another day under the belt. Tomorrow, hopefully things would go smoothly.

Do things ever really go completely smoothly, though? Only time will tell.

 

[KasperXIII]

August 8th, 2016 | James' Mansion, Encino | 10:01 AM

Sleep in the mind of Thalia was off to a great start from the day she'd slept in Karin's old bedroom. Now it only felt like a nightmare in the making every time her eyelids lay shut. And it was all thanks to the previous day. Her breakup with Frank. Her childhood friend ambushed. Her secret exposed for the public to know... at this rate, a normal life seemed impossible no matter what James does for her. He could stop the mainstream media from constantly bringing her name up, but that won't stop her name from appearing in alternative ways. And the LAPD would surely not spare her. She wouldn't be surprised if there was a shoot to kill order out on her now. It wouldn't even surprise her of Tony had lured a squad over to the mansion to wake her up and put her in cuffs the second her family arrives, just so her mother could see her be held under arrest. He was heartless enough to go this far, anyway. She didn't underestimate him anymore. Every sort of abusive action she inflicted upon him? She didn't regret. It's as if taking this sort of violent vengeance felt good, awakening that beast waiting to come out inside her. And had Jenny not stopped her, she might've split Tony's skull open then and there. She wasn't going to lie to herself: he deserved it. But the same guilty regret haunted her head... one she was ashamed that got the better of her like that. And now Jenny was making assumptions...

"Thalia... do you love Karin?"

That question Jenny had asked her when they were getting her help for her glass wound... those words scared Thalia more than any nightmare could've. Love was now a concept she feared more than craved, simply because it always ended in disaster? Did she still want to be that sort of protective best friend to Karin? Or did something deep down wish it could've been something more, but she knew it wasn't a possibility? Whatever it was, she knew she couldn't lose the girl that saved her life. While she and Frank were a spur-of-the-moment fling, she and Karin weren't, and she wasn't ready to put that at risk because she felt extremely close to her. Because the feeling of separation from Frank wasn't pleasant, and she wanted to rid herself of it. Why would she ever want to trigger it with such a meaningful person in her life, one she claimed was so important? Was this love a sense of commitment after the diner incident, or something beyond? Some all-powerful force attracting her to her new friend in a way that felt like something more?

So did Thalia love Karin? Yes. But she loved her enough to keep her mouth shut about having deeper feelings so she wouldn't lose it all.

But it was nightmares of losing Karin that were driving Thalia insane. She'd lost her boyfriend, her potential for freedom, maybe a bit of her sanity as well... god knows if she'd act up like that again. First Roland. Then Nicholas. Now Tony. James is probably going to keep her on a leash from now on, especially because of Tony's now-precarious condition. Some trust he might've had in her was now drifting away. She probably wasn't fit to make such decisions after all, if her first instinct was to kill Tony. What would happen if he tells her mom and brother that she'd almost killed a cop, sliced a man's dick off, and almost eviscerated a man in this very garage? He lacked a heart enough to do that, and that wasn't something a mother needed to hear.

Her fears got the better of her, resulting in her tossing, turning, and occasionally groaning in bed, her arms occasionally jolting from beneath the thin sheet she had. Dreams were something she wasn't fond of, and just when she was lightening up to them, they come back to become something tragic. Would someone just... get her out of the hell in her head?

Thalia.... Thalia? T, wake up!

A familiar female voice caused her to scream and throw her whole body forward to a sitting, part of her bursting out of the sheets, her hands gripping that very cloth in stress, almost in a battle ready position, maybe even to swing at someone if she'd felt that threatened. She'd changed from the outfit she was in before into a white tank top and black shorts, a more comfortable outfit to literally swing at someone. Her neck bandage had been replaced with a smaller one over the cigarette burns, and her arm was still wrapped from her terrible wound the previous day. So sudden movements would not help that. But seeing the person in front of her, quite literally sitting in front of her in a kneeling position. Thalia wasn't incredibly tall, so her legs didn't reach the other end of the couch anyway. But that face... a relief.

"Jenny...." she panted. "You scared the hell out of me."

This childhood friend looked concerned after seeing the display Thalia had put on in bed. It was worrisome. What was going on in her mind that nobody seemed to know about? "Me? You were the one scaring me for a moment. What's wrong?"

She gulped and responded, relaxing her clenched fists from the blanket and letting them wrap around her chest. "B-Bad dream... that's all."

"Huh... nothing's changed, right?"

"Um..."

"From when we were kids," she shrugged, a faint smile on her face. Some dry humor would probably get a smile on her face. Jenny hated seeing Thalia miserable, panicked like this. She'd been through enough for one lifetime. "Sleep talking. Night terrors...."

So true... Jenny remembers this? It brought Thalia's head to a downward gaze, sighing. "Maybe...." The old memories, the good ones, at least, came back to her and did bring a lookalike smile on her face, reaching behind her to swing a pillow at her. "Hey, you told me I didn't sleep talk."

Laughing, Jenny leaned into the back of the couch. This was the Thalia she wanted to see. "I lied? We were kids, and I wanted to make you feel better."

"If that's the case, what do I say when I'm asleep?"

"Hard to tell.. it sounds very muffled. I could never make out what you were trying to tell me. Or... whoever you were talking to. I've always what goes on in that head of yours."

Thalia sighed, the smile slowly going away. "Very, very dark things, Jenny. They call them night terrors for a reason."

"Was it about what happened yesterday?"

"Kinda... but I have no remorse for Tony. He... he ruined my life. And though it's unhealthy to feel that sort of negativity or hatred, I just... do."

"I don't blame you..." Then came the hard-hitter than Jenny wanted to know about. "You were dreaming of Karin, weren't you?"

She shook her head almost instantly. "N-No. Not... entirely.... I don't love her, Jenny. Not like that..." It sounded like a lie, which was strange since Thalia is usually a good liar, but she kept her story going to the best of her abilities. "I dreamed of her being..." she sighed. "Well, mad at me. Never able to look me in the eye if she'd known what I did to Tony. But not just Karin. The world. The police won't spare me for manslaughter. And I'll just become another internet superstar of the criminal world. And that's not what I want from myself."

The cracking nature of Thalia's voice as if she were to break down made Jenny pull her closer and hug her ever so gently. She didn't want to make her injury any worse than it was. At least she was talking, though. Talking was something Thalia did so little of in childhood, which made connecting difficult. Jenny was one of the few people who could let her open up. Karin clearly could as well. "Even if the media paints you as some villain, I'd never hate you. Because I understand why you do what you do. Believe me; I get it. Killing people isn't the answer, sure, but Tony is literally going out of his way to make you seem like a little devil. So if you reacted like you did? I get it. I just couldn't let you kill him so people don't have to judge you like that." The two parted from their hug, Jenny's hands around Thalia's neck, smiling to her. "I may not be... worthy of being any close friend today, but I'm trying to show you that middle school's behind us."

Thalia nodded. "You've always had a place in my heart, Jen. Before and after all that. You were my first love, anyway."

"I was also your worst."

"That's up for debate. Being the Bride of the Head isn't exactly pleasant."

Jenny scoffed. "I was the worst within reason. Not like I was physically abusing you... and I'm not a 40-something year old pedophile trying to get down your pants. The look doesn't suit me."

That mental image made Thalia bow her head in laughter. "Why did you just poison my head with that image?"

She shrugged. "I need to make you laugh."

Catching her breath, she continued. "Well, you did that, alright. You always did back in the day."

"We were best friends... neighbors... could've been lovers if I weren't such a bitch."

"Like that would work out with our parents?"

"It would've been worth the risk."

Thalia nodded. "If only. I forgive you, you know that right?"

A gentle scratch came from Jenny's thumb over Thalia's cheek. "You know I do."

The moment between the middle school friends... it wasn't something Thalia had ever anticipated would ever happen, but now that it did, it felt all too perfect and she didn't want the two to ever fall out again. It was a sort of attachment to her friends that she felt. It was what she felt for Karin that she also shared for Jenny. She couldn't let her simply go like that, and now that she was marked, she needed protection as well. But after everything... the touching, the looks from this older girl... the kiss. Jenny wanted to start over with Thalia. Rekindle what they had when they were preteens. Could she do that to attempt to get over her broken, confused heart? Again: love was just a disaster waiting to happen, so unless it was an absolutely primal urge, she wouldn't even dare embrace Jenny and start making out on the couch.

"I'm kinda hungry, Jenny. Any idea what's cooking?"

She shrugged. "Not a clue. I say we go take a look. I mean, Karin told me you didn't set the house on fire yesterday. That's a start for you, right?"

Thalia reached over for a slap to Jenny's arm, a rather gentle one to not agitate her wound. "Shut up, you!"

The horrified feelings of the nightmare were slowly fading at last. And now Thalia felt like she could move on. Little did she know that Jenny already told Karin about her potential feelings for her. Would that change anything between the two?

 

[DrTrollinski]

What a night it had been for everyone - for some of them it was worse than it was for others. Some of them had injuries, others of them just had straight-up complications. Frank woke up to the sound of Jordan screaming and found him in cold sweats, a urine-soaked mattress, and to top it all off, things didn't start settling until after Jordan had thrown up all over shirt. Frank couldn't be angry, though. Why on earth would he be? Jordan couldn't help the night terrors at all - it seemed a couple of people had night terrors that night. Jordan and Thalia. Everyone else was fine after they went back to bed, though. The night ended for Jordan and Frank when they were instead lying on Frank's bed with the TV in the room on low volume.

Quite simply, Jordan snuggled up as close as he could to the one man he trusted now, and that was it. He crashed out. Screaming and crying can take more energy out of you than some people can understand. He had his cry and his panic, and then he was good to sleep again. At least it was going to be a quiet night from there on out. Frank figured the best course of action from now on would be staying with Jordan until he settled a little more until he was able to sleep on his own without getting night terrors and god knows what else. Either way, trial and error is something everyone has to follow at some point, and Frank was determined to figure out what the best way to help Jordan recover was. Only time would tell.

The following morning, things were running pretty smoothly, aside from Thalia's bad dream. Frank and Jordan were up not too long ago, and today was the start of a new day for the two of them. Frank was no longer on the whiskey and feeling emotional, and Jordan wasn't completely terrified and crying his eyes out, so, that was a good start. The two were just sat at the breakfast table now (which was just across from the kitchen island and was right by the windows that looked into the back yard) and eating together, as they had been for the past couple of days during the mornings. Today, Frank had made the classic that Jordan had seemed to be enjoying, this time with a little bit of a twist to it. Scrambled eggs for one, sourdough toast, a couple of strips of bacon, and some fried cherry tomatoes. A good breakfast.

When Thalia and Jenny walked into the kitchen, though, Frank did his best not to look too... Alert, in some ways. He knew Thalia was there, and he did take a brief moment to glance at her, but... What was there he could really say after the shambles of a breakup they had the night before? Living under this roof wasn't as pleasant as Frank first thought, but, at least Jordan liked it here, aside from all the people. If it was a place he could keep him safe, then he was going to brave with it until he got an opening to pack his bags and move back into a place that was suited for him and Jordan. Not a house full of, what, six, people? Not including them, and a number that would soon grow before too long. By the end of the night, the number of people Frank and Jordan would be living with would be upped to eight.

On the upside, at least it was an up in Frank's mind, one of the new guests was going to be another little boy. Thalia's brother, too. Quite the interesting one. He still remembered the promise to himself - he'd do what he could to be there for that kid now that he'd lost his dad. He couldn't remember if he'd voiced that to Thalia, though. Even so... He was going to realize very soon that even if he and Thalia were still together, he wasn't going to be needed in that department. There was someone much richer, stronger, nicer, and capable in the position of keeping an eye out for Charlie and making sure he was alright, and that man's name was Jon Parker.

Maybe this was the best thing to happen - When Charlie got here, Frank simply wasn't going to have time to try and be the hero for everyone, especially now that Jordan was on the scene. He couldn't promise himself to try and better another kid's life when there was already one relying on him for everything. That wouldn't have been fair. Even so, Frank didn't make an effort (not in an obviously spiteful way, or anything) to spark up any conversation, so he just went back to talking to Jordan quietly, who was happy enough to get the attention, of course - he was busy stuffing his face with his breakfast, too, but that's not the point.

Karin was also in the kitchen - a change to someone who did want to try and talk. She was cooking something up, too, but it was nothing big or spectacular. There was only enough for one person there, meaning it was safe to assume that that person was Joseph, who was currently nowhere to be seen. She knew Joseph could have sorted his own breakfast by grabbing some cereal or something when he woke up, but, with Karin, old habits seemed to die hard.

"Hey, guys." Karin smiled at the two of them. "You both sleep okay? If I'd known you two would be here, I would have put something extra on for the both of you." She said. "Just making something to wake Joseph up with. It's a nice day out and I don't want him lying in bed all day - believe me, he'd do it if I let him." She chuckled. Joseph wasn't a lazy kid by any means, but, in all reality, would anyone really get out of bed if they had the chance just to lie there and relax and stay all warm and comfy? "I don't have any big plans for today, but, who knows what will happen, right?" She said. "Everything I made breakfast with is still all out if you want to make something. I'll join you for something to eat once I've made Joseph's." She nodded to them both.

She wished they could make plans to go out somewhere, but for Jenny and Thalia? It was far too dangerous.

"Good morning, ladies." James said to them both, just as he was walking out with a plate of food in hand. A bowl of yogurt mixed with some fruit, and a plate of bacon and a fried egg. Something light. Something easy. It was obvious it wasn't for him, though, because he had it on a tray and everything. Alongside the food was a glass of cold orange juice.

James went off to Tony's room, and after knocking he entered and walked to the bedside, placing the tray down on the nightstand.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." He said, simply, "I thought the least I could do for you is make you some breakfast. You need to keep your strength up and avoid anything that might cause headaches. That means avoiding caffeine, too, so no morning coffee for you yet." He smiled. "How's your head? The main thing is it's still on your shoulders, but..." He shrugged. "Nothing major to report?" He asked.

 

[KasperXIII]

James' mansion might be big, but it felt like a rather small world for the inhabitants. No matter where Thalia would turn, she'd find Frank and Jordan right in her face once again, a constant reminder of what she can't be. A reminder of her still-aching heart from breaking up a relationship she felt so passionate about. A heart broken because of a child. Deep down, Thalia knew she couldn't blame Jordan. He didn't choose to let his family die while he was hidden away under his bed. No, he's fortunate to be alive, and she wish no ill will towards the child. She didn't wish any harm to ANY child, frankly. No, it wasn't so much of his past trauma that bothered her... but what the experience did to her boyfriend. Sure, the two agreed that they'd keep themselves distant for the time being because of Tony's growing paranoia, but was that still the primary reason after he came back from work with a child at hand? While Tony's assumptions were groundless, they were nonetheless accurate, and was permanently convinced of Frank having feelings for Thalia, and no one seemed to be able to change that. But after the tragedy at the Redgrave residence, it seemed as though Frank's priorities shifted significantly. And many of the things the two discussed in bed and otherwise, the promises and plans discussed between each other, felt... void. At least in Thalia's heart. Were they to her once-boyfriend? She hated to admit it, but with a child, that would involve her forsaking her youth, which she wasn't prepared to do. Not to mention how she had to constantly run into him on a regular basis whether she liked it or not. She couldn't pass by the pool, the kitchen, or even the garage without seeing that child with him, and it made her stomach churn. The thing that ruined her picture-perfect relationship and left her crying herself to sleep last night, even after what she discussed with James. So yes, Thalia blamed Jordan for things not going as she planned, but of course, she'd never admit to it. He's just a six year old boy, after all.

As much as it pained her to be around this internal drama, Thalia braved the storm in favor of going to the kitchen, for three reasons. Firstly because she was simply starving and wanted something other than booze from the pool house. Secondly because Jenny was so forceful in yanking her out of bed in favor of cheering her up. Thirdly? Because odds are, she'd run into Karin as well, who always seemed to make these problems easier for her. A more experienced friend who could honestly tell her right from wrong without judging her. Jenny wouldn't judge her either, true, but coming from the girl who saved her life? It just meant something special to her. Maybe that's all her little 'crush' was? She didn't know anymore, that's for certain.

Her guess was more than accurate when she and Jenny landed themselves face to face with the eldest of the three girls making breakfast for her brother. While Jenny happily put on a smile and a greeting for the whole crew, even the little boy, Thalia remained... distant. Hardly even a word to the crowd - not even Karin - as a single hand scratched over her opposing elbow and her eyes trying to distract themselves in whatever way possible with her surroundings. Even if it was just a few rays of sun leaking through the window to create a fancy reflection, it was better than having to look back at Frank and the child he'd taken responsibility over. And at this rate, she might just step out of the room. Just so that she wouldn't have to put up with the unpleasant thoughts of what could've been with Frank. Even if Karin were here, it wasn't worth it.

"Good morning to you too, Kar," Jenny greeted, immediately after ruffling Jordan's hair playfully, making her way to the refrigerator to check what this house had to snack on in the morning, some quick drink at least. "My morning was great. This house? Quite a place to sleep in, I must say."

Then again, Jenny took Thalia's bed that night and slept like a baby. Thalia's night of sleep was a mixture of an uncomfortable couch in the pool house and a series of nightmares, making her experience much less enjoyable. All she did was approach the counter, plant her palms on the surface, and lifting herself up to sit up there, legs crossed together, and head tilting anywhere but eye contact with anyone. Occasionally, she'd give Karin a glance, but when she looked back, Thalia would quickly look away, only some honest looks to Jenny, who seemed to know what her morning troubles were about. But not a single look in the direction of Frank or Jordan. Why would she? HOW could she? She knew she'd break down into tears if she even started a conversation with him. She didn't even feel like talking, but knew she'd be forced to now with Karin's question. She nodded ever so slightly, saying, "Y-Yeah... I slept okay." A lie. She didn't get a good night's sleep at all. Would Karin see through it? Jenny sure did, giving her an uncertain glare about her hiding her emotions. Thalia noticed it and instantly bowed her head down in shame, just toying with a strand of hair in her hands to stay busy and not think of any 'what ifs'.

But a look from Jenny to Karin told another story: that Thalia was lying to defend herself and didn't want to send any sort of hinting messages Frank's way. She was making her entire presence reluctant, for God's sake. No eye contact and a clearly fake response. So once Jenny retrieved a glass bottle of orange juice from the fridge and a glass from the drying rack to pour into, she gave a certain look to Karin, as if to ask What do we do?

--

After being roughed up the way he was last night, it was a surprise that Tony was able to even wake up the next morning in the condition he was in. He felt battered and bruised, almost immobile in a sense with a splitting headache. That's to be expected after having his skull bashed into a wall so many times. Then the crowbar wounds. Those HAD to hurt. He almost took one of those blows to the head, ending him instantly. Thalia proved to be aggressive, an enraged half of her that could've truly killed him if Jenny hadn't entered and stopped her. It was that same evil girl that he saw butcher someone in this very garage. Was he theory about her being violent right all along? Now that he had some time with James, he figured he could ask away. Even if James' priority was the food, he had to get to more serious business: his injuries. Thalia. Melissa. Al-Asheera. And the likes.

With a groan, he sat himself up in the bed, still covered in his sheets. "No coffee? What cruel world are we living in?" He scoffed. "What ever..." He glanced down at his fingertips in his lap. It didn't seem like he had any major breaks, thank god. His body just ached like crazy. But now that the two were open to conversation, they could talk. Because talking to James in a more peaceful manner is all Tony had on his mind through his unconsciousness, apart from darkness. He was headstrong on spilling about Thalia, at least before death.

"I'm already for now," he growled, keeping himself upright, "But... I don't think Thalia is. Look..." A sigh cut him off, his wandering eyes traveling around as he picked his words cautiously, "I understand why you did that. Why you let her attack me. Teach me a lesson or something, blah blah blah. But she could've killed me. You saw that, right? Were you just going to let her? Did you see the look in her eyes when she confronted me? She's insane. Completely unstable and untamed. If she could do that to me and murder one of her own clansmen and leave THAT much blood behind? James, she's psycho. We can't just let her do that to one of us, right? And she's not always going to have Jenny to come over and whisper a few meaningful words in her ear to get her to calm down...."

Tony had a card in his hands: Karin. The most concrete evidence he had of Karin possibly cheating on James for a more corrupt individual. A card he'd save for a rainy day.

"You don't believe me?" Tony couldn't be bothered to eat with the conversation. Just making his point in his weak cracking voice. "Just look at my body... and you'll know why Thalia is dangerous."

 

[DrTrollinski]

Jenny seemed to be in high spirits, at the very least. It was always pleasant to be met with a smile at the beginning of the day - she was bound to get a grin from Joseph. Just thinking about his tired smile as he sat up in bed to tuck into his breakfast was enough to make her feel that little warmer. The whole week may have had its ups and downs, but sometimes even the simplest of things can brighten someone's day. And Thalia was someone who needed her day brightening, by the looks of it. That would come with time, though. First Karin needed to send the breakfast through to Joseph, or at least call him out here. Ah, fuck it. It was a summer morning - she could let him have breakfast in his room. It's not like it'd hurt anyone if he kept to himself and did what he wanted to do. No one could really complain about that, and James was busy, anyway.

When Jenny ruffled Jordan's hair, as could be expected, he was startled by that in itself. He didn't really see it coming, that was all - He'd sort of bowed his head a little as soon as the kitchen started to fill up. The idea of being around people, even though their faces were familiar, was still somewhat frightening. The only person he wasn't so scared of was Joseph, as he was another kid. He didn't mind Thalia too much after playing the game with her, so he was used to her being around. But he still didn't do as little as whisper to anyone else other than Frank. Even so, when he was startled by the initial touch, he flinched, and there was the clanging of cutlery as it shook on the table. Jordan was leaning against it, after all, so it shook things a little.

Frank quickly reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

"It's alright. She doesn't mean any harm." He whispered to him and winked. "You okay?" He asked.

Jordan smiled weakly and nodded, then went back to slowly eating.

Frank knew the road to recovery was still going to be a long one. He had to do his best, though. He wanted to do his best. As much as it hurt to say goodbye to the good things, it was one of those debates where he had to pick a side - What was more important? A child's life? Or an adult's? It was a debatable topic, really, but, it was one where his mind was set in stone. A kid matter much more than anyone else - he'd seen enough horrors on the force to have his opinion swayed in that direction. He was one of those that believed children were quite literally the future. He couldn't let one of them get lost in the dark just to fuck his life up later on down the line. He didn't deserve to have his life end before he even had a chance to start one.

Frank could only pray it wasn't too late for that - but there was a part of him, when he looked into Jordan's innocent yet damaged dark brown eyes, he saw something. Hope.

That was what he was sure would push him to carry on, just for the joy of seeing that same glimmer even more.

Meanwhile, Karin smiled at Jenny - she settled into the house well, it seemed. "I know, this place is amazing. Believe me, the amazing feeling you get staying in one of the beds here? It really doesn't change." She laughed, "All the mattresses are padded with memory foam, or something, so you can't do much better, really. I love it just as much as you do, don't worry." She said. "Don't get used to it, though. As soon as this business is over, this place is mine." She joked, then gave Jenny a wink.

Honestly, though, for the first time so far, Karin didn't know what to do about Thalia. She'd said everything she could have said - all she could do now was be supportive, but that got harder and harder to do in a place like this. If Joseph wasn't on the scene, nor James, Karin would have gladly offered Jenny and Thalia the chance to move in together somewhere and just be roommates. She felt like that sort od dynamic could work, but, life can't always give us the ideal things. She had things - and people - to care about that put other things in the dark zone in terms of possibility. It seemed everyone was hitting that sort of realization nowadays.

"Hold on." She said, and the breakfast she'd plated up for Joseph, she instead went and put it on the table nearby Frank and Jordan. "Hey, guys." She smiled. "I think you guys could use some company. You wait right here." She said, and off she went to Joseph's room. She woke him up and told him one thing, quite simply - go and give Frank and Jordan (mainly Jordan) some company while you're eating breakfast. She'd noticed Jordan's usual fear, and she figured having a buddy nearby might help to ease it off a little. Joseph had no complaints, so once he'd been to the bathroom, he went and got a glass of orange juice from the kitchen and sat to eat breakfast with the two at the table.

He said hi to Jenny and Thalia, too, with the usual smile on his face, too. Immediately, though, he was chatting away to Jordan and Frank, even though Jordan wasn't really... Well, talking.

Meanwhile, Karin went back to the two ladies, and she figured getting them all out of there and somewhere else instead, so they could at least talk openly, was the best plan. She was worried they were going to upset Frank by doing so, because... It was going to be kind of obvious why they were leaving, but, she was going to have to chance it. Not the wisest nor the kindest thing she'd ever done, but, it was Thalia. Anything for a good friend - she could only hope they wouldn't do some damage they couldn't undo. She knew personally what it was like to be driven over the edge by the smallest of things.

"Y'know... It's pretty hot outside. How about we just make some smoothies and head outside?" She asked them both. At least that would be a place to talk. "You know how much I love the pool, after all." She smiled. Play it casual. Don't continuously look at Frank - things would be fine.

--

James looked at Tony - at least he was alive. Not many of them seemed to be having pleasant mornings, but, over in San Francisco? That was a different story. After giving them all plenty of time to sleep in for a little while, Jon got them all up and ready to go, basically, but they weren't leaving San Francisco just yet. At the minute, they were most likely say in the hotel's connected restaurant and having a big expensive breakfast. Sausage, eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, beans, omelettes - you name it. And it wasn't going to end there. Even though last night was a shitty night, they'd be having a decent enough time - at lunch time, Jon was planning on taking Charlie and Nicole to that donut place he'd spoke about before take-off from Indiana.

He was a man of his word, after all. Plus, it'd be good for Charlie to see a bigger city at a younger age. It'd reduce the risk of 'cityphobia' as he aged. And it'd give him a wider view of what there was out there in the world. That was the one thing Jon wanted for him - the chance to go anywhere just because he thought it looked like a place he'd like. San Francisco was a prime example. Easily the most chill city in California.

A couple of days on the job, and already thinking like a caring father figure. Not bad, right?

"I understand your concern, Tony. I'm concerned, too." He said. "I wasn't going to let her kill you. I'm not sure if you heard what I said before you passed out, but, I've believed you've always had potential." He said. "You just needed to stop having a clouded outlook on things, needed to start thinking like someone who wants to survive this. Because face it, if we don't figure this out, you and Frank are going on the LAPD's most wanted, your careers are over, and everyone is at risk. Now, it's not a slap on the wrist and a possible suspension. Now? It's quite literally life or death." He explained.

"Don't worry about Thalia. I'm keeping a close eye on her after her outburst - remember, though, what you did was inexcusable." He said. "And she made the choice not to kill you for whatever reason. Either way, she made that call, and here you are. Just don't expect to be chummy with her. Like, ever." He said, quickly. "Whatever connection the two of you had is now dead and gone, but, that's something you'll have to accept and work with. For now, though, let me worry about Thalia and her family. In the nicest way possible, I mean it when I say they're none of your concern. If I feel someone is a weak link, then something will happen. If I feel something volatile is brewing, then I'll do something. Don't overthink things. Priorities." He said.

"Speaking of which... Melissa." He said. "We need to try and get her back. Today. The issue is, you're too laid up to even get out of bed. We don't know the full extent of your injuries, so, you need to rest. Plus, if word's got about, chances are one of them will know about the little FBI stunt. If they believe you've been arrested but you rock up to the trade-off... Things are going to go to shit real quick. I don't know who the fuck will do the exchange, though." He said. "Because I've made it clear to everyone - I'm not showing my face to Ra's. End of story." He sighed. "Frank can't do it. You can't do it. I won't let Karin do it, and I won't do it, either. Too risky." He said. "That only leaves a few people, sadly." He sighed.

 

[KasperXIII]

It wasn't like Jenny was expecting any sort of positive reaction from a friendly hello and a ruffle of hair to Jordan. It was only a bit of a playful nudge to give him a fair greeting and possibly a good impression. She didn't see much of Jordan yesterday, mainly because she had her own issues to deal with: getting over being the victim of a personal assault and witnessing some of her friends and neighbors. Just seeing the revealed list of the deceased on the prime time news broke her heart. But Jenny was always a tough one, getting over whatever problems she'd ever encountered. Arguably, one of the ways she'd done that was by ridding herself of Thalia as her friend, but that was water under the bridge now. She was a young woman now, not a preteen, so if such a thing were to happen again, she'd handle it more maturely. Not that she planned on falling out with anyone under this roof, but it was rather a just-in-case-it-happens measure. She never wanted to fall out with her childhood friend again, and she and Karin were off to a great start, too. Everyone else in the house? Well, Tony certainly didn't have a spectacular reputation among anyone. Everyone else simply felt neutral. No bitterness, no fighting. If she realized anything about this team, it's that there was a lot of history between them. But even if she wasn't involved in the fight, she simply didn't want to see Thalia get hurt as a result, but it might've been too late for that. The way she looked just seemed... aching. Isolated. Distant. Was it to get over this alleged feeling she had for Karin? It might've been... but she didn't even look at Frank and Jordan. Hardly a peek. This wasn't about some new burning feeling. It's about an older, extinguished one still bothering her. Being around her ex wasn't helping her.

There was still conversation to be held with Karin, which she responded to with a friendly giggle and a sigh. She took a sip of her drink before leaning against the counter nearby Thalia and replying, "You are a selfish girl, you know that?" Of course, it was meant with the utmost sarcasm, and she was half tempted to substitute the world 'girl' with 'bitch', but knowing there was a six year old not far prompted her to use the less-vulgar words. Unlike Thalia, she knew how to control her potty mouth. "Well, it better not be the last time we come over and spend a night. This guy's got... what? Like a dozen bedrooms here? Don't tell me he's sleeping on a different bed every day. Trust me, you'll have me and T over more than you think you will now. No doubt."

Karin had already earned a place on Jenny's good side, playing back and forth with words and teasing one another. A great start, even if they'd known each other for barely a day. It might've been the fact that they were close in age and thinking, or because of having a mutual friend that just made them immediately click. But it was a great friendship to have. The two would have a lot to talk about later on a personal level, sharing stories and tales of their experiences with children and growing up with precious little after they turned 18. Once again, plenty to share.

It wasn't quite appropriate for Thalia to sport such a melancholy, distanced expression in public, especially in front of the very two people she felt so uncomfortable around. It's not like she could exactly predict he'd be there, but at the same time, where else would they be? It felt like every time she turned her head, she'd see Jordan again, a constant reminder of her failure to keep a boyfriend she felt so attached to. That lack of intimacy kept bothering her, as well as the fact every time she'd become intimate with someone, it was rather quick to backfire. And it only took a day or two to bite Thalia back where it hurts. And it did hurt: a lot, so much to the point that her entire presence felt... less than desirable. She wanted to go back to her sheets in the pool house, curl up in a ball, and just cut herself off of the world for a day...

Little did she know that she might be needed in the exchange.

Even Joseph showing up didn't prompt any reaction from Thalia, unlike Jenny who gave him a smile and a quick wave. After their little talk the other day, things were cleared up between the two, and it seemed like the ten year old didn't fear the girl who was, like him, a victim in all of this. It also brought Jenny to realize the ugly truth that Joseph was aware of the horrors that happened under this roof, and might even be becoming desensitized to it. She'd keep it quiet for now, but for how long could such a thing stay under the table? It was partially the fault of Jenny herself for showing up at their doorstep covered in blood and frightened. But there was definitely plenty more that triggered this sort of feeling from the boy. So much more.

The desire for Karin to take the conversation outside didn't even appeal to Thalia, who, when hearing the idea, felt the discomfort getting the better of her as she dismounted from the counter and turned to both of her friends, answering nervously, "I don't feel hungry. Or thirsty. I'll eat later." And with that, she walked away from them both without even looking back in the direction of her room, now Jenny's, particularly to the bathroom attached, where she locked the door behind her simply to be alone.

Um... what?

That was a first for Jenny: for Thalia to just walk away like that. She even gave Karin a similarly confused look. This was worrisome. Surel, Thalia was extremely insecure about her feelings and didn't really know how to manage them, but to this degree? As a friend, Jenny simply couldn't ignore it. Placing her glass on the counter unfinished, she tapped Karin's arm and whispered, "I think we need to talk about... that, in private. She's not okay. She wasn't even that bummed when I rejected her in middle school. Don't tell me she was this depressed with you earlier, right?" She peeked over her shoulder to check on Frank, who was too occupied with the kids, clearly. She took Karin by the arm and quickly escorted the two out of the room to a nearby hallway to discuss this more openly.

"It's the breakup with Frank, not about you," she sighed. "Thalia wouldn't let a distant crush change her like that. No, it has to be him, and she's in pain because of it and doesn't know to deal with..." Bu Jenny didn't pull Karin aside without a plan in mind. "I might have an idea how to help her. As much as you may not want to, but I think she needs a night away from... well, this mansion, as beautiful as it is, and maybe spend the night with someone else. She needs someone new in the picture, or she's going to mope about this for weeks, and I'm guessing you can't let that happen. Just one night, a one night stand with whatever guy she wants, and I can guarantee that she'll come back fresh, good as new. I know how she thinks. We've talked a lot about each other on that bus ride the other night. She NEEDS someone else to give her what Frank gave her to get over this depression. What do you think?"

--

Once again, Tony's concerns seemed to be blindsided by James and his supposed trust in Thalia. She quite literally almost killed him the previous night, and she HAS killed a man before right in front of his eyes. Yet he continues to defend her and keep her around doing whatever she wants claiming he would keep an eye on her. He sure kept a sharp eye on her when she stabbed The Transporter to death, and when she came close to killing him, how she shook James away so forcefully. She was too volatile to be kept off a leash. Had James never come into the picture, Thalia would've never had this much wiggle room. It was his own disapproval in the criminal's actions that prompted Tony to report them all to the sergeant. Unfortunately, he was outsmarted. Yet after all of this, James still spared HIM. Maybe he wasn't actually a killer, and instead only wanted to give the impression that he could end a life and not blink twice. He could torture, sure. He saw that perfectly clearly with Roland in the desert. But never had any of the original crew - him, Frank, Karin, or Thalia - seen him take someone's life. He's got all of these weapons, but has he actually ever had to fire them? Or was it all just a show to assert himself? Well, he didn't want to test him. That's for sure.

On the bright side, Frank seemed to have made his choice: a traumatized child of an old friend over a psychotic thief who's proven to be violent. Tony approved.

Melissa. Finally, his almost-fiance was now a priority again. And that sprung Tony into action as he sat upright in his place and listened in... that he wasn't in any condition to attend the exchange. Not good, and it made his heart sink in place and jaw drop. Who else would he trust to go after her and make the trade. He said no to himself, to Frank, and to Karin...

Which only left one person.

"No," Tony immediately answered, knowing what was to come. "We are NOT entrusting Thalia, of all people, to face Ra's and negotiate getting Melissa back. Not only does that blow her cover, but I do NOT trust her that close to Mel. Absolutely not. Anyone but Thalia. What if she has a psychotic break and stabs Melissa? How do we know how loyal she is to Ra's? What if he asks her to behead her, and she does it? How can you trust that she won't do that, even if it's to keep him happy? James, if you want to keep Thalia on a tight leash, we do NOT send her on the trade and let her lead it up. Find someone else."

Tony wanted to explain the case of his cousin Sam working for Al-Asheera... but later, in front of the whole team. But it was important that they know. Little did Tony know who Melissa's soon-to-be rapist would be.... Sam.

 

[DrTrollinski]

Watching Thalia walk off wasn't necessarily easy, but it was something Karin was simply going to have to accept. She knew this breakup wasn't going to be easy, and her curling over to the outside forces and the temptation wasn't going to help her, at least not in the long run, which is exactly why Jenny's suggestion almost made Karin hit the roof. Letting her go out and seduce some guy of her choice? Karin was certain she hadn't heard a more terrible idea in all her life, but obviously she wasn't going to voice it like that. She had to voice her opinion towards it in a better and more sensible way.

When she was lead out she had to do just make sure her voice was heard - Jenny may have been an old friend of Thalia, but she wasn't a friend of her in the moment that shit was beginning to hit the fan. Not recently, anyway. Karin knew the full extent of the drama, and if Jenny had walked in all bloodied up and everything, what would be waiting for Thalia if she went off and slept with some random guy? Would that even do her any good in the long run? Karin hadn't known her for that long, but, she had a feeling Thalia would look back on it and regret it. That wasn't something she wanted her to go through.

"Look." She said, firmly, "I understand your concern for Thalia. I'm worried, too, and I don't want her walking around for a month being miserable, either, bur with everything she's been through? I mean no disrespect to your friendship with her at all, but, compared to how she was back when you were kids, the idea you're proposing just isn't suitable right now." She shook her head, "I know, maybe going out and saying 'fuck it' and sleeping with whoever she can seduce might seem a good idea in the moment, what about all her history? With Ra's, and everything? She's going to look back on something like that and think poorly of herself - sleeping with someone just to get over pain. She's going to produce such a low image of herself if she does that, Jenny, and I'm not going to let that happen." She said.

"I'm sorry... But it's too dangerous for her to go out there. No matter what you say, you know it's not safe out there. She may be careful, but I don't want that to happen to her. I don't want her to come back here and start to think she's a slut or anything like that, because she'll think that eventually. If you've ever been through a breakup like I have, you'd know you need time. Not sleeping with someone else. I've been there enough to know it makes you feel trashy when you look back on it, and she doesn't deserve that. I hate to disagree with what usually may be a good idea, but I don't want her to leave the mansion for that reason. I don't want her to throw away all the life lessons she needs to learn." She sighed.

"Then there's Frank, too. All we're going to be doing is stirring up shit if we support this - Thalia leaves, Frank figures out why. He looked sour enough when we left the kitchen - he's smart enough to figure all this out, and then that'll be him getting hurt, as well. My interest is for everyone, honestly, and I don't want some sort of big drama kicking off between everyone. As sad as it is, we can't just let her... Y'know, cave in on everything." She shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea. I'm sorry. It's just going to cause more drama here, and it'll put her at too much risk - she's got her family arriving here today, and we need everyone available here to protect people who can't protect themselves. She can't run into danger just to try and get over this - Trying to deal with it that way is only going to be a temporary fix, believe me. Doing that will only hurt her in the long run, and with how things are? We can't afford to risk letting her out in the open just like that. It's more about weighing out the importance of two things - her safety or how she's feeling. Personally... I want to keep her safe." She closed her eyes and shook her head.

--

"We're at a bit of a crossroads in that case, Tony. You don't want Thalia... That leaves Jenny, and I doubt she'll be willing to send herself into the danger zone. Thalia won't be willing to do it yet, or will she?" He asked. "If you were willing to trust her - as hard as that may be - she may be willing to make the exhange. Though, like you said, she'd blow her cover if that was the case. I don't know what you want to do, Tony, because I've made it clear myself and Karin won't do it. Who do you suggest? Frank? Because the LAPD thinks he's in custody, too." He sighed, "I don't mean to imply any disrespect or selfishness, but, I'm sure you can understand why I'm not willing to do anything like that - even more so now. Joseph is in a very bad place, as you've seen. No money, relatively weak healthcare... I can't risk putting that on the line. I'm sorry." He said.

"If you won't trust Thalia, what's your next choice? Is there anyone you know that may be trustworthy under this roof? Or someone that can be coerced into doing this job while also promising that they won't spill the beans? I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this is a very critical situation, and decisions need to be made. People need to make this exchange. The only other way I can think of is if we do this in a discreet manner. Have a sniper to take off as many Al-Asheera as possible, while also shooting at any allied forces, around their feet and such. Make it look rogue. Making things inconspicuous is going to be a hard task to achieve, though, that's the only problem." He explained.

"You should eat. You need it to recover quicker." He said, quickly.

 

[KasperXIII]

The only reason that Jenny even considered that idea was because she was taking into consideration Thalia's way of thinking. Deep down, she still thought like a teenager desperate to feel something beyond simple attraction. That intimacy she felt with Frank a few days ago? She wanted that again, and the fact she couldn't have it was killing her on the inside; eating her alive. Was it healthy for her? No, as Karin even mentioned: she will come to regret it and hate herself even more when things cool down. But at the same time, a quick fix only to be devastated later, or staying miserable and unable to go on? They were quite literally torn between death and doom, all because their friend was in no condition or mindset to really, well, grow up. And they couldn't brutally tell that to her face. At the same time, she was crucial to making this operation work and eradicate her former employer. And there's no way she could do it while crying her eyes out in the bathroom over a sudden heartbreak.

Sighing, Jenny replied, "I get you, Karin, but what other choice do you think we have? I know, she needs time to get over this, but... I haven't been here long, but I can tell you don't have time to let this settle. That jackass, Tony? I know his girlfriend is with Ra's. And I've also heard you've got some guy named Roland to trade for her." It's amazing how much Jenny had picked up by simple small talk around her in a house of schemes and plots, what exactly was conspiring around her and the immediate threats faced. A kingpin named Ra's, a hostage named Melissa on their end, one named Roland on their own. She knew horrible things were happening behind closed doors, but the only one she was concerned for that she knew she had a hand in was for Thalia. "I don't think we have time to wait for her to get over this alone, Karin. She needs help, and I don't know how to get it for her in a way that won't just hurt later. Not something immediate, at least."

Such problems weren't ones that Jenny was entirely accustomed to from their childhood days. She and Thalia used to crush on guys from a distance in their last few years as friends, and when they realized that anything between them and their crushes wasn't likely to happen, they got over it together through typical preteen activities - sleepovers, staying up late and watching movies... more than ten years later, would that help? Whatever they wanted done wasn't something that could wait for a takeout dinner and a good night's sleep. Melissa's time was running short, now in the hands of Tony's polar-opposite cousin. And god only knows if Ra's had another plan unraveling in his mind. Something more sinister for the innocent woman. And more and more innocent people were continuously being tied into this mess. Things were getting crowded. The least Jenny could do is be somewhat productive. And that meant getting their main link to Al-Asheera back in her right mind.

"L-Let me talk to Thalia," she asked, leaning her shoulder against the adjacent wall. Her voice was kept down so that Frank wouldn't overhear anything. He didn't need to know what she was planning. "Again, I know how to connect with her, appeal to her needs. I know what to tell her and how to get her so she can get whatever you need done. She won't leave the house, I promise you that much.... we might order pizza or something, but that's it. Just leave it to me when she lets herself out of the bathroom. Please. No pain, no self-loathing, no guilt. Most importantly, she'll be safe and good as new once this is over."

--

So at this rate, it couldn't be any of the original five members of their crew, each for their own reasons. Karin would never be able to defend herself, not to mention how James would never let her do this. Tony and Frank were loose ends and couldn't be placed out in the open. James was covering himself up in an attempt to not get involved with Al-Asheera, and that meant never showing his face. And Thalia was in no mental state to focus or face her master, not to mention how she'd already mentioned it'd be best she stays away from the trade, PLUS Tony's refusal to trust her out there. That left the others, the innocent parties and the children, none of which were fit enough to handle a situation like this. The most likely candidate they had was Marcus, but the risk of a prominent member of The Clover Boys trading with Al-Asheera was a risk in itself as well.

Or would it?

"What about McAllister?" Tony raised an eyebrow, sitting upright so he can begin to eat. A light meal, but he only now started to get his appetite back. "He's not affiliated with us. And if Al-Asheera are as low-tech as Thalia claims, they probably won't connect him to the Clovers. They're not exactly.... show-offs. Al-Asheera tattoo themselves to make it clear as day who they are. I think we have a shot if we use our only criminal link who could handle a few bullets straying near his feet. I still prefer that I negotiate Melissa's return, but for now... I think you need to get Roland back. As well as the million. We can negotiate terms of the trade later. You just need to worry that Thalia won't act up like she did yesterday and fuck everything up. Tell me... if she actually offed me, what would you have done to her? A slap on the wrist? Or would you have had her killed?"

Tony's doubts of whether or not James was truly a killer still lingered. They still haven't seen him do anything but defend and torture. Roland was probably the most hostile display he'd seen from this master criminal. At this point, the veteran detective wanted to know that if Thalia were to ever cross the line again, would she be spared? How far was James' patience really going to go?

--

Locking herself in the bathroom brought up rather unpleasant memories in Thalia's mind: ones that her mother shared with her chaperone on the plane ride: her history of self-hatred. As a potentially unstable preteen going into the 7th grade with no friends and constantly being made fun of with her mother having to be the white-knight, it left the girl a wreck and wishing to simply die to escape the nightmare she called her life. Crying had only gotten her nowhere in her sleepless nights, and even her grades were taking a toll all the same. She was miserable in every way she could imagine, and she grew from being in love with Jenny to simply despising her to the core. But more than that: she hated herself for what she'd become. What was she doing with her life? Why? Was the figure that her parents shaped her into the reason that Jenny didn't feel the same way? It's what she thought at first, though far from the truth. It was days like those that Thalia would lock herself in her bathroom making herself vomit whatever she'd eaten in the day and staring at her teary reflection in the mirror just to remember what sort of terrible girl she really was. Self-hate at its worst. It had become so bad that, one day, after another day of school of being sidelined and mocked to her face, rather than enter her own bathroom for her usual routine to simply wallow in her misery in a peaceful, non-harmful manner, she took a detour: her parents' bathroom. She took his shaver and detached the razor. She'd spent quite a bit of time just staring at the blade.... until she'd actually done it and slid it across her forearm in a vertical manner. She could still remember the pain she'd felt. It actually hurt more than her emotional pain, which she didn't expect, and in that moment, she was torn between regretting her decision or finishing the job. Wailing at the top of her lungs harder than she'd ever done so in previous occasions, Nicole felt something wasn't right and picked her way passed the locked bathroom door to see the mess of spilled blood and Thalia desperately soaking her lacerated arm in the sink, only making the pain worse, but as an 11 year old, she really didn't know any better and was only trying to stop the bleeding. A horror show of a display for any mother, who almost instantly broke down with her daughter and took her in her arms, weeping as well and trying to convince her little one that this wasn't how things would be forever. Thalia could still remember those words to this day, even after a decade:

"Don't cry, darling.... It's okay... You're going to be okay..."

No, Maman. I'm not. And I don't think I'll ever be okay.

Her thoughts from that day were the turning point that turned her self-hate into a drastic tension between her and her parents. Life went on. Thalia got over Jenny, and the two made as little contact as possible up until today when they made amends. But one thing kept the young redhead going: that she'd break free of her parents at some point and make them pay. She blamed THEM for who she is. It was such angst-powered, desperate thoughts that made the offer from Ra's on the streets more appealing to her.

Love brought Thalia to a very dark place as a child, which made her scared to ever love again. And when she finally opened up to Frank, it brought her back to her old self. That depressed girl in the bathroom getting over her misery. The difference was this time, she had two friends by her side to get her through this. She didn't take things too far, only curled up into a ball leaning against the bathroom door and sniffling away her tears, hoping that Karin and Jenny respect her wishes to be alone for now.

But James wouldn't if he needed her. And how embarrassing that would be if he saw her like this.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"We don't have many other choices, but regardless of what we have, we're not letting her leave this house." She shook her head, "It's too dangerous out there, and I'm not having a dead friend on my hands no matter what anyone says. I never thought I'd be at the risk of having a friend of mine get gunned down in the street, but, these bastards seem to be all over the place. James sent someone to get the rest of her family because of the worry that they're in danger, and that's at the other side of the country, for god's sake." She said with a gentle sigh. "All of this is too much, honestly, and she can't take the time away to go and find some sort of fake intimacy with some street-slicking douchebag. A bit blunt of me, but, that's what it is, isn't it?" She asked. "One night stands? Intimacy? Please. I could have a more intimate moment with one of my boots."

Well, that's one way to put it.

"It'd be bad news, so keeping her here and doing whatever it is we can... That's the best bet. Frank's not going to be an easy pill to swallow, no, but sometimes that's what we just have to deal with. You break up with your boyfriend in high school, but you still see him every weekday in your biology class. It would be easier if we could just... Pull away and avoid it and do something to take our mind off of it permanently, but at the end of the day, you're always going to be thinking about him. These things take time before you can go back to normal. For some it's longer and harder than it is for others, and I respect that. The bottom line is, though, there isn't a way where this won't hurt later. She just came out of a relationship. She can't brush that under the rug and act like it didn't happen - believe me, I've been there."

"It'll take time, but there's ways to cushion the blow a little bit, of course."

But, let Jenny deal with it.

Karin wasn't so sure if she wanted to just back down and let the whole thing slip from her hands and into someone else's. She wanted no rivalry, especially not with Jenny nor Thalia. But why was there that reluctance towards the whole thing? Towards letting Jenny take the reigns? She couldn't voice that but she was going to have to find a way to occupy herself before she got too worked up. She didn't want to get worked up about anything, but, there was so much going on. There was everything with Thalia, then everything in her own life, then the constant worry that her brother, and now-boyfriend, were constantly in danger. It wasn't easy.

But even so, she raised a hand ever so slightly and nodded. "Ball's in your court. I trust you." She said, "Just... Eh, I don't know. Maybe talking to her sooner rather than later's the best plan here. I'll leave you to it all the same, just... Let me know how it goes, yeah?" She said, simply, and with that she took off. Not too bluntly, of course. She gave Jenny a pat on the shoulder and a smile before doing so, but, she wanted to relax somewhere, even if it meant crashing out for a while. She wasn't going to allow herself to feel any sort of doubtfulness or jealousy, though. She couldn't have her hand in everything. She couldn't take care of everyone.

It'd take some self-convincing to tell herself all of that on a permanent basis, but, she was sure she'd manage it in one way or another. For now, though, she decided the living room would be a good place to be, even more so if she was curled up on the couch and watching TV. It was no big grand moment, having no one but her own company whilst watching Jerry Springer, but, it was better than standing around and doing nothing. Not only that but the TV helped take her mind away from all the concerns she had. It was getting all too dramatic. All too dangerous. And before too long the house was going to be completely filled to the brim.

With pleasant people, no doubt, but it would be crowded all the same. She could manage it, but, would all the kids be okay with it when they were swarmed by half a dozen people with basically no element of secrecy in their lives? Karin knew that every kid needed their private space and their little taste of having a secret thing of some sort. In a place like this, a quiet and private area just wasn't going to be possible, at least not to the level of breathing room kids usually need. Ah, well, it was something they'd have to deal with later.

--

"I'm not sending him in without disguise and without backup. Textbook hostage negotiation, Tony, never send in one man on his own. You've gotta' be fuckin' crazy if you think that could ever work against these guys." He said. "They'd just shoot him, take Roland, and that would be it. As for the million dollars, if they want that as part of the deal they can have it, but I'd rather not give them that just yet unless completely necessary. Still, I'm not letting McAllister go in alone on that." He said. "That means I also need to ensure no one identifies him, and I need to make sure his family's well-protected, just in case." He said.

"It's a lot more hassle than I really enjoy dealing with, as you can imagine. It's also a lot of risks." He said. "The only way I can think of doing it where no one has to show up anywhere is organizing drop-offs for each person. First we ask for proof she's alive - they get proof Roland's alive, too. We drop maybe half the money, and when they drop off Melissa we drop the rest of it with Roland alongside it. There's a lot of ways it can be done." He shrugged. "It's just a matter of figuring it out, Tony. I'm not sending anyone in alone, so, we're running out of options here. If you really won't trust anyone else, you best hope you can get out of bed and find something to disguise yourself well enough." He explained.

"Either that, or you get someone else to help out with the exchange. From what I can tell there's not many people under this roof that you want doing it, and we don't even know if McAllister will want to. From what I've heard, that wasn't part of the deal you gave him. Try and cut him in on something that he's not involved in, then things might backfire. We're on dangerous grounds here." He explained.

 

[KasperXIII]

Seated against the bathroom door was a fair dosage of deja vu for Thalia, perhaps more than she really needed from a horrible childhood memory. The temptation to dig into the cabinet of this one bathroom and see if there was anything sharp she could cut skin with was overwhelming. That painful sensation she'd endured so long ago was one she dangerously craved again, and with the door locked and a request to be alone, nobody would interrupt her with enough time to leave just a scratch over her skin. Nothing too deep or noticeable. She couldn't risk a stunt like she pulled when she was a preteen with a gaping wound over her forearm that only prompted more bullying from her friends at school. Even if the only bully under this roof was Tony, it was still not a pleasant sight for anyone. Her mother would be disappointed, her brother scarred, her two friends worried sick, an operation in jeopardy... and what about Frank? Odds are he'd blame her downfall on himself, and it would fall back upon picking between a child and a pretty girl, the position Thalia didn't want him in from the start. So she took herself out of the equation. The problem was that she couldn't handle the consequences of her own decision. Frank seemed to be coping just fine. And what was worse was that she'd have to see her ex and the reason for her breakup at nearly every turn she'd make. She could only wish that weren't the case, but unfortunately, that was a reality she'd have to accept.

So as she traced over the thin scar remaining of her accident... why not try again, just lick the wounds and taste the red; test how strong she really was about this whole thing?

Are you really doing this again? What would Karin think? Or Jenny? Would they ever forgive you?

At this point, neither mattered to her. She was alone in some other isolated alternate reality in the bathroom, just staring at her teary face in the mirror, then glancing back at the cabinet. Yes. She was actually contemplating a relapse. As messy and difficult as it'd be to hide, it was actually what she wanted. A risky move to help her forget about her ex. Deja vu was about to become her next big mistake as she reached to take a look inside. But then...

"Thalia?" a voice said after a few knocks on the bathroom door.

The redhead froze in place, eyes darting out and peeking back at the door. Instinctively, she replied shakily, "Go away, Jenny. Please."

"Can you at least let me in?"

"I want to be alone." At that point, Thalia stepped away from the counter and the cabinet, a bit closer to the door. Would she consider letting Jenny in? "Is... is that too much to ask?"

"Being alone is not good for you, T."

She scoffed. "You say that like you don't trust me."

"After what happened in school... I'm worried about you. You're not okay, and me and Karin are both concerned. Could you just let me in so we can talk?"

The first part of it all got to Thalia, her heart skipping a beat. Was it that obvious to a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds that she was cutting? With the bandage of the deep cut over her forearm that her mother passed off as a biking accident, it was pretty obvious something wasn't right. And with time, no doubt that Jenny would pick up on the truth eventually. Thalia was dangerously depressed. And she was about to relapse by her own will. What if Jenny had come a few seconds too late and forced herself passed the lock to see her friend, blade a hand, or worse, already cut through the skin and flesh? No, that would've made her want to slit her throat then and there. Did running away really take her this far down a dark path? She already had the blood of a man on her hands, and almost Tony's as well. She lost someone she loved and knew she couldn't take it... so ending her life didn't seem like such a bad idea.

But some almost-outer-body urge pushed Thalia to allow her friend entry.

"What do you want, Jen?"

--

In Tony's book, if you want something done right, you do it yourself. And at this rate, with James putting all sorts of protocol into the equation to ensure that everyone survives, all of which Tony knew was necessary, it felt as if it was all leading right back to one of two people leading the operation: him or Thalia. And he was still unaware of the mental state of the latter being a complete emotional wreck. He just knew her as a dangerous individual, and for that reason, denied her the opportunity to be close to his fiance, let alone be her knight in shining armor. Tony wanted that honor for himself. Maybe a last chance for Melissa's heart.

"You give me till sundown," he added. "I will be ready and on my feet by then. Ready to make the exchange, and ready to get the hell out of there with Mel when the time is right. Whatever tactics you have in mind, go ahead. But one thing's for sure: I'm not wearing a disguise." As dangerous as Tony knew it was, he refused to put on a mask for this. "I want Ra's to know the man who's been hunting him down... the man who he took a partner from. If he's going to go down, he needs to know one of the men whose life he put through hell. I don't care what he thinks, if my secret is blown. He has to know who I am. He won't trade Melissa out for anyone else. And most importantly? You don't get Thalia anywhere near this exchange. Not just for her cover: but because she might compromise it. Or jump into Ra's' arms and let him abuse her out in broad daylight. You know that damn well possible. So do the right thing by her, James. Keep her away from this."

Perhaps the two had spoken enough. Tony didn't want to debate about this. He knew what he wanted. He was getting out of bed today and making the exchange even if it were in a wheelchair. And James wasn't going to talk him out of any of his decision. With a stubborn growl and a glance down at his breakfast, Tony ordered, "Leave me alone, James. I want to eat in peace. I'll talk to you when I'm done and walking."

Were Tony's injuries making him crankier and quicker to react? Possibly, but that could be caused by literally anything. Would James try to combat it?

 

[DrTrollinski]

So, while they were off having their moment, and while Karin was resting in the living room and giving herself a time-out, some more situations rose up for people to deal with. Even though McAllister was well aware of how things were unfolding, he wasn't about to let Tony and Frank give up on their end of their deal, even if they weren't officially detectives anymore. He still wanted them to take down The Clover Boys so he could also be cleared of his crimes. He wasn't going back to prison. He wasn't going to miss any more of his kids' birthdays, and even if he had no choice in the matter, he still wanted to bring down the man who trashed his life. He still couldn't believe he'd been so blind when he looked back on it all - he could only pray that revenge was as sweet as it sounded. At the end of the day, it was Bradan's fault that McAllister wasn't still running free. There was nothing that went unplanned when McAllister organized things. He never set up any of his own men. But now? All bets were off.

He was going to talk to Tony first, and then Frank, but when he got to Tony's bedroom door he heard voices inside so he decided not to interrupt. Instead, he went and found Frank in the kitchen, who was sat happily enough at the table with the two kids. McAllister would get his breakfast just as soon as he'd spoken to the ex-detective about things. He had some advancements that he'd made on everything, things that would make Frank's, James', and Tony's (if Tony still wanted part) jobs a whole lot easier. With James at their disposal, finding people would be no problem. Finding them and knowing them are two very different things, though.

"Hey, Frank." McAllister said, his voice as soft as possible - he didn't want to startle Jordan. He'd noticed he'd been jumpy lately. He hadn't responded well to people touching him, either, but, he needed to know that not everyone was out to get him. Once Jordan had noticed him, he lowered himself a little and gave him a smile; he only lowered himself down so he didn't appear as tall and threatening as before. "Hey there, little fella'." He grinned, gently ruffling his hair. Jordan did close his eyes for a second and look at the floor, but, he slowly looked back up to him - he didn't keep eye contact, though. "You feeling better after last night?" He asked.

Jordan nodded sheepishly.

"Good." Marcus winked and rose back up, then patted Joseph on the head, too. "Hey, lad." He greeted him, too. He wasn't going to use unusual terms such as 'lad' and 'mate' and all the rest of it with Jordan. He was a young kid - he didn't want to confuse him. At least Joseph had been on the internet enough to know what all of this meant. "Anyway, Frank, I've got somethin' to show you once you're done here." He waved a stack of paper about at his side for a few moments.

"Oh, sure." He nodded, "We're pretty much finished, anyway. You guys happy to give me and Marcus a minute?"

"Sure." Joseph nodded.

Jordan quickly took a hold of Frank's hand, "Frank, can I go play with Joseph?" He asked.

"Yeah, as long as Joseph's okay with that."

Jordan looked at Joseph, who just smiled, "Sure. I'm just gonna' play a game on my laptop, but, you can play, too. It's World of Tanks, which is... Well, a game about tanks." He laughed. "I can show you how to play if you like?"

Definitely appealing. A bigger smile fell onto Jordan's face and he nodded a few times before hopping up from his seat and following Joseph out of the room; still no words to him, but, Joseph was cool with that. Jordan was surprisingly fun to spend time with, despite being mute most the time.

Either way, Marcus took Jordan's seat and sat down. "I've got some files on the people that ordered the hit. I made most of them last night. Thought they might be of some help. I'll be setting off later today to see Bradan, and I'll try and see who else I can meet. There was a lot of new faces around there that I didn't know."

"Sounds good. Just be careful." He said.

"Always." Marcus chortled. "Anyway, take a look." He slapped the four pieces of paper down in front of him. Frank picked them up and began to look through them.

Spoiler: Gerald Douglas

Spoiler: Timothy Allen

Spoiler: Seamus Watson

Spoiler: Sean Murphy

"Very nice..." Frank nodded, putting down the pages. It had everything from general information to their background in The Clover Boys. Frank only scanned over it all, mainly because he wanted to hear it from Marcus himself. He wanted to see if all of this added up when Marcus put it into words; chances are he'd understand it a lot more if he had it explained to him, anyway. "What can you tell me about these guys? Their photos make them seem very..." He paused. "Able."

"That's because they are, and they're all lead by one man." He said, then tapped down on the page that had Timothy Allen on it. "You remember the shooting on University grounds? Where the peace rally against the LAPD was fired into?"

Frank looked between the page and Marcus. "You're shitting me."

"I wish I was. Timothy Allen is the mastermind behind that one." He said. "He didn't like the LAPD being pressured to deal with us, basically, and neither did Bradan. As soon as he had the greenlight, that was it. They were done for."

"Fuck me. We never found who shot those people up, either. It was too well-planned. The shooter was there and gone in twenty seconds."

"Exactly. Timothy Allen is Bradan's best and most trusted hitman. This guy right here is responsible for more than 60 murders over the time that Bradan's been operation. We don't know if it went on before that, but, let's just say the guy signed up with experience, that goes without saying." He said. "The guy is a fucking psycho. You can be sure that any gruesome shit that goes on is down to him - he doesn't have limits, which is why Bradan's got his dick out for the guy - metaphorically speaking. This guy will kill anyone and anything. Men, women, children, infants, cats, dogs - fucking geese, you name it."

"So, the bottom line is, don't go against this guy alone?"

"Definitely not. You'll be on the ground with a bullet in you before you could even get close." He said. "You can almost say for certain that this guy is the one who killed Redgrave and his wife, Frank, and I ain't just saying that. The guy's specialty is making people suffer."

"Alright..." He sighed, heavily, and moved the paper aside. Gerald Douglas. Tell me about him."

"Out of the four people in The Clover Boys history to know Krav Maga, this guy's the only one left standing. His Irishman father worked in the Iranian Police Force for eight years before returning to Dublin and meeting Douglas' mother. As Krav Maga ain't legal in most parts of Europe, what did this guy do? Taught his son the combat skills personally. First time this guy was arrested, he was fifteen, put another kid in hospital during a fight at school. Served time in Juvy for a while, and after he got out of there, his parents both packed up and moved over here. Due to his nationality and skills? Douglas got into The Clover Boys, no problem. A lot of people think his dad had connections to Bradan before The Clover Boys even started up."

"No shit?"

"No shit. Bradan was born in Dublin himself, after all. Wouldn't surprise me if the two had crossed paths, even more so if Douglas' father was law."

"Jesus, this is a goldmine." Frank gave a half smile. "What's so special about the last two?"

"Seamus is the second-in-command of the arms dealing side of The Clovers. I haven't met the main man." He said. "Either way, like a few others including myself, Seamus has military experience and a family history that links to the IRA. He's just as crazy as you'd expect a gun nut to be. He knows his way around weapons, and with his time in the miilitary as a trained sniper? You can only imagine why you wouldn't want to be in a gunfight with him."

"Mhm. And Murphy?"

"Sean Murphy. Oddball. Just a general psycho. Would you believe me if I said the guy used to be a successful baker in San Francisco?"

"Get the fuck outta' here." Frank waved a hand.

"I wish I was kidding." Marcus laughed, "Won awards for his pastries and all that bullshit. Then he lost his fiancée to cancer a few years back. He snapped, charged out of San Francisco and left his business to get ransacked, and somehow found his way into Bradan's ranks. That's all I know about him. If you look him up online there's all the articles about him vanishing, but, nothing that necessarily connects him to Bradan. Last I heard, he opened up a business in Old Chinatown on, you guessed it, Baker Street."

"Jesus. What a cliché."

"Mhm... Lives a double life, but, that's a point of interest. I heard the place get mentioned a few times, too, so I imagine business comes in and out of there. It's not hard to disguise cocaine as flour."

"Good to know."

"That's all I've got for now, Frank. I'll be eating and setting off soon, though, so I'll keep you updated."

"You got it. Thanks, Marcus. This is... Beyond incredible." He said.

"Any time." He winked, then patted Frank on the shoulder as he rose to his feet and wandered over to the fridge.

At least Frank had a better idea of what he was up against, and who he'd need to take down to avenge Redgrave. By the looks of it, though, Bradan had sent the best of the best - it wasn't going to be easy.

--

"Watch your tone, Sparky. Remember, I did save your life last night. She may have went in for another swing, but if I'd never stopped her the first time around, Jenny would have never got there in time to stop her." He said. "Not only that, I dragged your ass through here and patched you up, so a goddamned thank you would be nice, but, I won't push you for that." James shrugged.

"Tony, you can do things however you want to. I will wait for you to be ready, but remember, I can only do so much in the heat of the moment. If I can't bail you out, then that's no on my conscience. This is a risk you're clearly willing to take, but, whatever you do, when it comes to running away from 'rogue sniper fire', try not to run towards me, alright? I can't curve bullets around you if you step in the way. I can easily take Al-Asheera by surprise, and the spontaneity of it all will look too erratic for them to suspect you got the LAPD involved. Police protocol and all." He shrugged.

"I'll see you when you're ready, Tony. We'll get Roland, and we'll finish this off. Just remember, we get one shot at this, so if it fucks up, we don't get to hit the reset button. Things are either going to go very badly, or very well. In any case, if you get Melissa out of there, you can be sure she'll be safe." He said.

After a moment more of silence...

"Enjoy your breakfast." He said, stepping out and closing the door firmly behind him.