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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

It was quite a request that Jon got from her - A job with him? It was more than doable, and she didn't necessarily have to work in the garage, but it would be good for her to do some time there now and again to build up that life skill of handiwork and being able to fix up a broken-down car - Who knows when she might need something like that, right? Jon thought for a moment, but he quickly turned to her and gave her a smile and a nod.

"Sure." He said. "I know the mechanic line of work seems very masculine and probably a little threatening, but I assure you I only hire the best men I can find. Ones that are respectable, too. My business doesn't just fix cars - we have our own offices, and back in Philly we even had our own showroom." He said. "Hopefully we can achieve the same thing here. Either way, you don't necessarily have to work in the garage. You can work in some different area of the company if you felt like it - You'll be paid fair, but I do recommend you try and spend time in the garage, work with me to fix cars up. You'll learn more than a thing or two, and knowing how to do it is a good life skill."

On another note, it seemed they'd all lost someone in this house. Quite the depressing factor, as it happened. But they all had something in common, oddly enough. "I was told about Jordan before I got here. Life isn't fair." He shook his head. "What little boy deserves that to happen to him, eh? It's fucking disgusting." He said. "Pardon the language there, but it seems things get worse and worse with every passing year. We all have something bad in common, but I'm sure we all have something good in common, too. Now that we have more of a chance, it's just a matter of finding what those things are, I guess." He said, this time managing a smile. No point dwelling on all the negative things. "Regardless, we may not know each other all that well just yet, but I'm sure that'll change, especially if we end up working together." He nodded, "I'll have a think and see what positions I can fit you in. God knows there's going to be gaps in the company. I don't think anyone will be willing to relocate from Philly, so that means putting in the termination notices and all that... Good lord." He shook his head. "Such fun." He laughed, a hint of sarcasm to his voice.

When Nicole came out and joined them, Jon just sat back and watched the mother and daughter interact. It seemed that no matter how old Thalia got, Nicole was always going to be protective, always going to see her more as her little girl than anything else. Jon sort of understood. The parent life was new to him, and he and Thalia weren't at a close enough level for him to say he loved her or anything like that, but he did care for her. He cared for all the Griffin family, and Thalia was no exception. She seemed nice, anyway, and it seemed as though the two of them were on good grounds with each other, as well. Jon couldn't complain.

It seemed as though they'd be working together at some point soon, possibly. It sounded like a good idea until she could let the fame of everything die down. Soon, the 'Mystery Redhead' would be a distant memory.

When Thalia left, Jon gave her a nod and smile as goodbye and turned to talk to Nicole as soon as he got the chance, "Oh, yeah, she's brilliant." He nodded in agreement. "Trouble? From her? Nah." He laughed, "Me and her got on well, don't worry. We just got to know each other." He winked. Obviously he wasn't going to mention what Thalia had told him about Nicole - that would be a bit embarrassing, but at least he now knew how Nicole felt deep down. "We had a bit of a talk about her job prospects once all of this is put to bed - I said she can come and work for me for a while. There's a lot of positions in the company that need filling, and I'm happy to pay her to get her back on her feet." He smiled. "Same to you, if you need some work. I have plenty of office roles that need people, so if you ever need the cash... You know it's there. I'd be willing to give it to you without you working for me, but, just in case that'd make you feel guilty, know there's a place in the business for you if you want to earn something." He grinned.

"Either way, let's just hope that things are... Going to be okay from now on. James said this whole thing is almost done with, so, we're more or less in the clear. I'm just glad we've made it this far, right?" He said.

--

As Thalia came back into the house, well, there was someone else who wanted to talk to her - Frank was one of them, but right now he was sat in Jordan's room holding onto a six-year-old who had only just managed to sob himself to sleep. He didn't want to put him down just yet, just in case it woke him up and sparked the tears again. The boy was sleeping, so, if he found comfort sleeping in Frank's arms, Frank figured it wouldn't hurt to give him just a little while longer to sleep there before he was tucked into bed. A different kind of goodnight wish, Frank supposed. He could only pray that Jordan slept through the night tonight, though, because if he woke up screaming again... That'd be most upsetting. They'd gone a couple of nights without that happening, though, so hopefully it would continue that way.

He'd have to talk to Thalia in a bit. Well, he was the one waiting on her, if he was honest. Even though it may not have been the most mature option, after what he'd seen, he'd decided he wasn't going to be the one to initiate conversation.

The other person who wanted to talk to Thalia was Karin - Did she know much about the whole shopping plan? Not entirely.

Karin bumped into her as she was putting her cup in the sink, so she snuck up to her and quickly applied her hands to her back from behind - only gently, though, just enough to give her a fright.

"Haha! Finally got you." She grinned. "How's it going? I've been waiting for my chance to talk to you." She said. "You've had a busy night. Hope it was everything you wanted it to be." She smiled and looked out the window at Nicole and Jon. "How was the talk with Jon? You guys haven't killed each other yet, so I'm guessing you're getting on okay?" She grinned.
 
At long last, Jon and Nicole finally got another moment alone. And in perfect time, too. Nicole had Charlie tucked into bed, kissed Thalia good-night just after she had a face-to-face conversation with Jon... While everything was going brilliantly for day one, there was still plenty to discuss on a more serious note. Not just romantically. There's no way Nicole would openly express feelings like that. Not of that nature. Would she openly admit that she enjoyed Jon's presence around her son? Definitely, and she already has. But to say she'd developed a more personal attachment to the mechanic? Not in this lifetime. Unless Jon truly knew how to breech that self-made barrier she'd placed over herself. A daunting task, especially to do that to a woman as poised and respectable as Nicole Griffin.

But things didn't end so badly between Thalia and Jon. That was a relief. "Well, that's good to hear. It's not like I expected her to attack you or anything, but after spending eight years with monsters like she described... I didn't want you to take it personally if she misbehaves or says something she doesn't mean. She may be a grown woman, but... she'll always be my little girl, and I'll always be there to protect her or catch her when she falls. Never again will she slip away. I don't think she will let herself slip away, honestly. Not after everything we discussed at dinner...." She let her eyes wander through the yard, back to the pool, to the poolhouse... This truly was a beautiful place to live. though Nicole was well aware they couldn't stay, the break from the usual rush of things was a change. August was usually filled with school preparations for a teacher like herself. By now, the principal at her workplace was probably frantically calling her home, offering her some time off from teaching after the tragic fate of her husband. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be going back to her home away from home. Seemed like Nicole needed to establish a new home: California. Maybe Encino, if it's as nice a place as James advertised. But as Jon even said, she would never accept his charity. Work for him? Possibly. But what was even more of a surprise: Thalia was already looking for work, and even came to Jon asking.

"I'd love it if she gets a job with you, Jon," she admitted, nodding along to his words. "She could use the practical experience, and with someone who will be patient with her. If your character around Charlie is anything to go by, I'm sure you'd happily take it easy with Thalia, teach her a thing or two about your business, get her used to the environment without the pressure of having an employer who won't understand her past. You? You know her, what she's been through. No better way to give a girl like that a fresh start than to have her around someone who did exactly the same thing. As for me?" She laid a single hand over her chest in a bit of shock that even she was being considered for a job in a garage. "You don't need to worry too much about me finding a job. If the time comes to it, perhaps a simple desk job would suit me well. But if there's anything I know I'm passionate about, it's teaching. And I think I will pursue that above all else. There's... no greater feeling than educating the future. And I've really grown as an educator, especially after losing a child. I appreciate the offer, but I don't think I'm giving up my dream without a fight."

Then there was the issue of money. "You've done more than enough for this family, Jon. So far, whatever you've done for Charlie is worth more than any amount of money you could ever give me. Perhaps your assistance would be needed in the beginning, but I can assure you, I will be able to hold myself up in no time." Maybe that was true. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe a part of Nicole wanted Jon's help beyond his presence. A single mother raising two children was daunting to imagine. Especially after losing a husband. This would be uncharted waters for her. Would that no change to a yes in time?

--

The push from behind the second she left the mug behind in the sink did catch Thalia by surprise. But she knew immediately who it was before she spun around to check. She'd been dying for a playful moment with Karin for ages, but being buried in work and drama didn't help in that regard. Her grin spread from ear to ear when she faced her best friend, and giggled alongside it. Perfect, a moment to kick back with someone her age.

"God damn it, I suppose I was asking for that, after all those times I scared you from behind," Thalia raised her hands in a surrender like manner, admitting a sort of defeat for being caught off-guard. Strange, if this were to have happened before she'd started to slow down, she might've turned around and broken Karin's arm without warning or mercy. Things were changing. Thalia was becoming less and less violent, which was a great improvement over what she'd been up to these past few days, stabbing people to death, and coming close to murdering Tony. Instead, she resorted to more friendly gestures, reaching over to grab Karin's hands right after to pull her in for a hug. What was so amusing about that? She simply liked her company? Must've been that. Then again, she could've gotten a hug and a little more from Jenny. But then again, as Nicole pried out of her, it didn't seem like that 'love' was a mutual thing. "Get in here, you bitch..."

Karin's habits were rubbing off Thalia with the 'bitch' remark, and it seemed the other way was true as well with the surprise shoving. But they were as close as friends could be. But one person didn't fancy that closeness all that well: Jenny, who happened to pass through the hallway as Thalia pulled Karin in for a hug. The redhead wasn't kidding when she said her childhood friend was the definition of the jealous type. Instantly seeing her 'girlfriend' getting playful with another girl made her want to pounce on Karin and get the two separated. But no... she avoided the confrontation and went back to her room. No need to start anything now.

But eventually, the two parted ways, in that moment, Thalia kept holding Karin's hand and guided her back to the family room. Now was the time to talk: collapsing together on the couch, Thalia's legs curled up beneath her, her elbow against the back of the couch, her hand holding the side of her head, and her face still giving off a bright enthusiastic smile.

"Busy day, sure... but maybe one of the best in ages, Kar. Dinner with my mom? It's everything I've been dreaming of for years. Charlie? He was... a bit afraid at first, sadly..." She slowly slide her right hand in view of her friend. "But when you have a tattoo in a good Christian family, it's kinda... freaky. Charlie almost didn't believe I was his sister. But when he did? It was SOOO perfect. I can't even tell you how perfect it was...." She paused for a moment, glancing down at where her pendant used to be. She only had it for a few days, but she could feel the lack of the cold sensation on her chest. Karin might've also caught how it was missing now, too. At least when she passed it down to Charlie, it felt better than any other feeling she'd ever felt. "I gave my pendant to Charlie. That one Ra's gave me in Pasadena? He.... wanted a reason to remember our dad. So... he really enjoyed it. I already have my keepsake of him. Maybe a more... permanent one, but still." She shook her head slightly to expose the neck tattoo buried in her locks of red hair. It was a worthwhile gift. Not one she expected to be re-gifted, but it was a perfect choice.

"No, no, no one's killing each other yet," she laughed. "But seriously, Jon seems pretty chill, interesting guy. A tad creepy? Give him my tattoos, and he'd pass as an Al-Asheera brute any day of the week. But he's actually... kinda sweet. Experienced... not the way you're thinking." Almost instinctively, Thalia's dirty mind drifted to the sexual part of it all, which brought more light hearted humor to the conversation. "He's not a pedophile or anything, thank god. But he's DEFINITELY got a crush on my mom, but there's no way she'll take it well if he comes clean. My mom's.... strict. I dunno if she's given that vibe yet. I mean, she saw me outside in a tank top and shorts? I'm pretty sure she freaked out on the inside... but eh." She shrugged. "That's her nature. Over protective. Now, enough about me... now let's talk about an 'us' thing."

An 'us' thing... something collective for the girls to be doing together tomorrow. A shopping day they'd planned and fantasized over, but never considered it feasible in any foreseeable future. Not anymore. It would probably happen tomorrow. Thalia reached forward to poke Karin's shoulder and began talking, "Now that things are gonna calm down, my mom wants me to go out, see the world, maybe a bit of shopping..." She kept her grin as it was before, excited to bring this up to her friend. "And she gave me enough money for you and I BOTH to go and indulge. Have fun, kick back. I'm sure we can leave our brothers here for the day. I don't wanna scare Charlie too much by being too clingy. But.... what'd you say?" She winked. "I promise, no drinking this time. We'll go and come sober. Well, you at least. Who else is gonna drive us there and back, huh?"
 
"Well, if she says something harsh or inappropriate now, now would be the time to start calling her out on it." He said. "If she wants to better her life, it's the little not-so-pleasant lessons that matter, too. Sure, calling people out on anything they do wrong is awkward and sometimes even upsetting - but necessary." He shrugged, "Working with me, yeah, I'll go easy on her work-wise, but she'll learn the sort of behaviour you need in a professional workplace, too. All part of moving on. Hopefully what she'll learn with me - even if it's only interpersonal skills more than anything - will help her in the long run, really help her get her future settled down." He explained.

Time and time again, Nicole seemed to reject the idea of working for Jon, getting money from him, having him help out in a financial manner - Not for long. Jon was determined to make her accept that - hopefully once she realized how happy he was to do it, her song would change. Plus, when she was living quite a luxury lifestyle, would she really want to complain about a man who was willingly doing it to better hers and her kids' lives? Only time would tell, but still... "Honestly, Nicole... Don't put pressure on yourself to find a job elsewhere. I'm doing Thalia a big favor and I'd happily do you one, too. Even if it is a desk job you're looking for, the place we're in now is very competitive for jobs, as you can imagine. Unemployment is quite high in LA and the surrounding areas, from what I know." He shrugged. "So, even if it is a receptionist job you want, there's a place at the office for you. No catch. No funny business. Just honest work." He said.

"You don't have to accept it or deny it right here and right now, just... know the offer's there, okay? Just in case you ever need it." He said. He wouldn't talk too much about trying to provide for the family just yet. If that wasn't something that would be welcomed immediately, then in time he'd make a move in that department. Every department he and the Griffin family had needed work to some extent, but, he'd figure it out. They couldn't live on small savings forever, and Nicole surely would get lonely in due time. A lot of people don't realize straight away that when they lose their loved one, they never come back. As soon as that realization sets in, that's when things go off the rails.

Jon didn't know if that was the case for Nicole, but, either way, he was there as an anchor of some sort.

"I'll let you do your own thing, though." He said. "Just know... I'm not helping because I was told to, or because it was my job, or because I'm getting paid or anything like that. I'm helping because I want to, okay?" He smiled and winked, "Don't ever think my intentions are anything less than that."

--

"Too right you'd been asking for that. I've been waiting for my chance to scare you for a while now." She laughed, but when she was pulled into the hug, she wholeheartedly accepted it and hugged her back, staying there for as long as she was needed, basically.

When the two separated, Karin found herself being taken through to the family room - once she was sat on the couch, she simply lied back and looked up at her friend and waited for whatever it was she had to say. Was something interesting going on in life? Aside from the obvious, of course. Was there drama? Was there something happy to talk about? What was there that was going on? Karin couldn't help but ask herself a million questions a minute every time she and Thalia talked now. She was so used to things being dangerous or dramatic, that she wasn't sure if she could expect anything normal from this talk in itself. But it did start off on a positive note.

Things seemed to go okay with the family - she enjoyed dinner, she started things off well with Charlie. No complaining there. Giving him the pendant that Ra's gave her? Karin wasn't sure. That was the one thing she ran over in her head a few times, and she was sure Thalia had her reasoning for doing so. It was more the person it derived from more than the person it was given to. The fact it was initially from Ra's tinted Karin's view on the whole gesture, especially after what she'd witnessed in the hotel. She wasn't going to piss on anyone's parade, though, especially if Charlie was keeping it as a keepsake to remember his dad by. It'd be too cruel to say anything negative about it, really.

"I'm glad it went well - but Jon, creepy?" She laughed and shook her head, "That's just plain mean." She grinned. "As for your mom... Let her and Jon do their own thing. It's obvious the two are close - we don't know if either of them are going to admit it, but I'm sure they've had enough heartfelt moments over the past few days to know that there's definitely something there. Once things settle... Once your mom's had some private time to grieve, too, which may just be tonight as she's got a room to herself at long last, she might start to think of things differently. As morbid as it sounds, dying alone is a fear a lot of people have from a very young age. The biggest fear, actually." He shrugged, "Things'll work out, I'm sure." She nodded.

She wasn't 100% positive, obviously, but she reckoned the two had a good chance.

Either way, an 'us' thing?

"No way..." She said, her mouth slowly forming a grin as Thalia spoke. "Oh. My god." She shook her head, "Now that sounds like fun - We should definitely do that. Charlie and Joseph will be fine here. They'll play together and entertain themselves - they've got a swimming pool, a movie theater, and video games. Time will fly, they won't even notice we're gone." She laughed. "You can drink if you want, but... Let's get the shopping out the way first. You, girl, are getting one serious makeover. We're creating your summer wardrobe tomorrow." She grinned. "This is gonna' be awesome."
 
Al-Asheera HQ | Burbank, CA

Unlike what he was instructed to do from Tony, Jordan Reeves had another organization to run, a large pair of shoes to fill, now that his 'lord and savior' was officially slain. He was now crowned the official successor, a fear that Thalia had from the beginning: that a high-rise member of The Ten would take the throne if Ra's were to die. And now, he was settling into their duplex in Burbank, into the quarters of his predecessor, for whatever time remained of Al-Asheera's staying in California. Reeves was given orders to settle everything in LA, punish and execute Thalia, and relocate to Portland while they still had their influence and weren't completely compromised. Though his title implied he was hidden, he wasn't a stranger to Al-Asheera affairs. He knew Tony and Frank were hot on their case, and definitely now knew that Thalia assisted them. It didn't even matter that Tony was a member of the force or blood with Sam; it was still punishable by death before he says something he shouldn't to the wrong source. Fortunately, so far, HE was the 'right' source that was still in that circle of trust. But though he and Thalia had never met, and the latter had never met The Hidden or heard his voice, it wouldn't take long for her to narrow it down, or lead the team to the duplex when they realize Reeves would come up empty on the raids. He'd need to prepare a way to cover that up in case Tony starts asking questions, which he would, no doubt. Reeves knew this detective all too well. He's experienced, resourceful, and won't leave a case alone until it's solved. Especially now that he's emotionally invested. He wants revenge on Al-Asheera for what Ra's did to Richie, to Mel, and to many more, and he won't rest until he gets it.

First thing's first: how much as Thalia compromised? That was the first thing this organization took care of when they had someone leaking secrets in Philly, figuring out what was no longer a secret. And a good way to figure that out would be to investigate her personal quarters, see what she possibly had hidden away. Though she never returned to them for nearly a week, it was still possible she had some clue as to how bad the leak was. Once that was taken care of, then came preplanning. Ra's gave him the address to a mansion in Encino, occupied by nearly a dozen individuals, some of them being children. As Thalia kept reciting, Al-Asheera doesn't kill....

Well, Al-Asheera doesn't kill under the rule of Rami Younes as Al-Ra's. But with Jordan Reeves, it would be a different story, as well as some changes in other clan norms.

"Sam...."

The accountant was heading up a search team of minor-league clansmen tossing every inch of material in Thalia's quarters trying to find anything of significance. Now hearing his name, he turned over to the door to see the police sergeant awaiting an update. But it was... strange. Somethings were already changing in the organization.

"Yes... Mawlaye?" The last part sounded like it came out with hesitation. Calling Reeves by this title was unusual, seeing how it was only for one man for so many years. Passing the crown would be an unusual process.

But Reeves didn't seem to like hearing that title. With a shake of his head, he spoke, "You don't address me as that, or any sort of Arabic name any longer."

Even stranger now, Sam noticed that things were already very different in the absence of their former leader. "B-But I'm sure our lord and savior would have wished it this way. That you are the new exalted one."

"Exalted... but we are no longer associating ourselves with his older ways. Our lord and savior was a great leader, one that ruled well for so many years, but it's time for a change. A changed needed for our survival. And that means things must change from what they were before. We are not a terrorist organization. We are thieves. Merciless thieves who will not dwell in older ways."

"But his majesty in the heavens..."

"...Is gone, Sam. And only I remain. From this day forth, you do not address me as Al-Ra's, nor Al-Mokhfi, nor Mawlaye. Just Reeves. That's all you will call me. We are dissociating ourselves from our middle eastern roots. Am I clear?"

Reeves came forth with a stern order, one that Sam didn't like in the slightest. "This is blasphemous! Al-Ra's the Almighty would be ashamed of his choice of a successor!"

"And he would be even more ashamed of YOU, coward! Are you considering leaving us with that attitude?"

It seemed like Reeves knew exactly what to say and when to say it to get to Sam. The underling had no idea that this new Head of Al-Asheera has known Ra's and Roland for thirty years. That was the only reason he succeeded the master. Nothing more. There were no other candidates besides the two of them with the leader and eight of the ten inner circle members dead or turned. And the stress was getting to Sam, shaking his head in fear. "Never, Reeves. I would never betray Al-Asheera."

The sergeant nodded with a maniacal grin across his face. "Good... now, what have we found in Griffin's room?"

"Nothing much..." Sam slowly tried to calm himself down from a nervous breakdown. The thought of Ra's being disappointed in him had him at a loss for words. And thoughts. But he continued on, business as usual. "Just a diary that she seems to be writing in.. Last entry was last Tuesday. But the problem... we don't know what she was logging, because it's all written in French. Doesn't look like it's about trading secrets, but we have someone translating as we speak. Apart from that... she was clean. Nothing that says she was betraying us in her room."

"Mmm..." Reeves rubbed the bottom of his chin, thinking over the situation. Last Tuesday... he remembered something of significance to it. "I have a theory... that she was never betraying us until recently. But it's a longshot. The last entry she put, Tuesday the 3rd? My gut tells me it's the day she turned. After she wrote in her diary."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because that day is the same day your cousin took up the Al-Asheera case on his own. Well, not entirely on his own. He picked a new partner, and they both went lone wolf on it. I can figure out more tomorrow when I confront him. Don't worry."

The more Tony was involved in the case, the more Sam was worried. Tony was still family, after all. What was still to come in this strange turn of events? Moreover.... how true to Al-Asheera's origins would Reeves be in the longrun? Would he preserve its original ways at all? If he were to bring up any of these concerns now, he'd be scolded further, so he refrained. "Understood, Reeves. I'll leave you to your peace."

--

"Thalia could use the interpersonal interaction," she replied, crossing her legs in her seat and folding her hands over her knee. "Sure, she needs to make mistakes to learn from them, but I just have a hunch she'll be.... embarrassed of her faults. It might make her crawl into a hole and be too ashamed to try again. If she can learn from someone she trusts, I think she'd be a bit more comfortable to open up, not be so reserved. Prepare herself for the cruel world outside. As much as she's my baby... she's still a young woman with big plans for her future. I can't wait until she fulfills her dreams, even if it starts as just an apprentice."

Though Nicole was insistent on being independent financially, she had nothing against her daughter working for Jon. It was simply the idea of being a burden or a rather forced addition to his team. What could a school teacher do to help a car repair business, after all? Then again, what could a girl without even a high school education do to aid the business? Perhaps it was age. Thalia was young, still very versatile and experimenting with what she'd be comfortable with. Odds are, she may never be a mechanic, but it's still the professional experience that matters. After all, Nicole might've just forced her into a job had she stayed home for her high school years. Fortunately, though they weren't pleasant conditions, living among thieves, killers, and pedophiles taught her a thing about growing up. About going straight for once, a better path. And she knew it was a possibility. Tomorrow, she gave her daughter an outlet to have fun for the day. Maybe after that, James would have her diploma sorted out, and she could start job hunting. Or, once Jon's business is on its feet, she could join them. Only time would tell at this rate. But tomorrow was a break, no doubt. She could only hope that she'd told Karin already of her plans.

Lonely? Of course Nicole was lonely. Even with her children with her, she still lost her husband two days ago, and the void from something like that would definitely make someone sting. But her lifestyle always called for her to mask her personal opinions and feelings. But this wasn't a class of 5th or 6th graders (though there were children around); the majority of the people under this roof were mature enough for her to pour her heart out to. But not for one second would she hint to Thalia or Charlie that she was miserable, even if it was their father, and they suffered from the loss, too. And certainly not to Jon. She had a level of professionalism around him, and her own feelings aside, she wanted to keep that.

"Again, Jon... I would never burden you with anything like that. If the day comes that I need a job and I can't find here in California, I'll talk to you about it. You've done so much for my family, enough as is. You saved me and Charlie from being kidnapped. Your friend had my daughter here to keep her safe, for the most part... and now, you and Charlie are so close. What more can I ask from you, really?"

Jon WANTED to do this? It certainly made her heart skip a beat, and only simple look to him in a sort of awe. There was definitely more to Jon that meets the eye, more than the man that showed up at her doorstep a few days ago. And she came to appreciate it, a smile growing from ear to ear and a hand from her lap extending forward to take his own larger hand in her smaller, more delicate one. Deep down, she wanted the comfort of a stronger, independent individual... but there's no way she'd beg. This was an indirect way of showing that appreciation.

"Thank you, Jon. For everything." That also worked. But such signs of affection... had Thalia seen this, her jaw would fall to the floor. Never did she feel this attached to anyone besides her family. Intimacy? Well, she was married to a pastor, so sex life beyond Charlie's conception was virtually non-existent. Either way... Nicole was 45, so it's not like she'd have any more children. Still... it felt good to feel something.

--

"Okay, MAYBE calling Jon creepy was a tad too far," Thalia admitted with a slight giggle to her voice and a scrunching finger motion. "But hey. I was wrong about him. I guess being raised around pedophiles just makes you... paranoid. Still... these past two days, it's been good to actually be romantic with people closer to my age." By that, she meant Frank and Jenny, but did Karin know about the latter? She could probably take a guess, but still. It was worth talking about, which she wanted to get to later. "I'll leave my mom and Jon be, don't worry. If they wanna be apart like that, or giving each other space, so be it. I won't go Parent Trap on their asses or anything like that." Before Karin could even say it, Thalia cut her off. "Yes, I've seen that movie. I might've been cut off from pop culture for eight years, but I AT LEAST know a few things. Charlie's gonna be watching spy movies this next while, so I'm definitely tagging along."

Tomorrow? It excited Thalia to know Karin shared that sort of desire for fun. They'd mentioned it so many times, but the day it actually happens? It felt like a distant dream, honestly. Now it was practically a reality. The money was with her, and Karin could certainly drive them to the mall. It was that distant dream come true. Makeovers? Certainly something new to her, but something she wanted to try. "Hey, I've always wanted to girl out for a bit. Not something I could do around Ra's without him getting a boner, so finally... It's so weird being free, you know?" She sweeped a hand over her face and hair quickly with a grin on her face. "Without having any strings attached. Tomorrow is really going to be the start of something new for me. We better make it worth it."

Worth it... most definitely. When that thought came to her mind, she instantly had the thought of a hook-up. Why, though? Maybe a break from the clouded drama under this roof in the romance department? It was like what Jenny thought: she wanted to feel a bit of intimacy to compensate for the heartbreak. And it didn't help that her self-proclaimed girlfriend was becoming hostile and starting fights in the house. If she didn't come in time when she was getting in Karin's face, who knows what might've happened.

"I'd like to apologize for... Jenny's behavior, again," she sighed, fiddling with her fingers in front of her. "Like I said, she's the major jealous type. She sees you and anyone around her as a threat to our 'relationship'." Her fingers made a quoting motion with that. "As far as to try to convince you that I'm still crushing on you... or to get up in Frank's face and throw things at him. She wants me for herself, and I'm... not having that." Her head bowed slightly, as if in a sort of shame. "But yes. We had sex. Twice, actually. And when she kissed me at the door? I liked it and kept going. But... I'm just a sucker to feel something good for once. I bet you can understand that after what I've been through, right? I wasn't following up with her to hurt my mom or anything. I know she doesn't like Jenny. And I don't even know what I'm going to do with her... because the truth is..."

She was on the brink of a bombshell as she gulped. "I... I still love Frank. I miss him so badly. I missed our one great night when we first came to the mansion, and I miss calling him my own." Her head remained bowed and expression became a bit more upset. Regretful. "And I feel worse because he caught me and Jenny making out earlier this afternoon. God only knows what he was thinking, and I know he's not going to want to talk to me after that. And I know we can't put Jordan aside until I'm ready to handle a kid. My life has become this cluster-fuck of drama, all because I broke up with Frank for being an immature kid. And it's only going to get worse. What matters? Whatever Jenny has for me? I don't feel the same. Not after what she did to you in the hall not long ago. I'm just.... again, a confused kid who wants to feel something but doesn't know how to." she shrugged, keeping her eyes dropped to her lap. Facing Karin would've been more proper for something like this, but she was extremely nervous and ashamed of herself. "Maybe I'll have hope with Frank in another time? Or maybe I'll run into another great mistake when we're at the mall tomorrow. Who knows, right?"

--

Jordan's Bedroom

Losing Melissa obviously still hurt Tony, but as a grown man, he knew he had to get over his sorrows and continue to push forward. Tomorrow was a big day: taking down the last two Al-Asheera higher-ups. Odds are, they may not get The Hidden tomorrow, but Sam? Definitely. Tony knows where his cousin works - an office job in a Bank of America in downtown LA - so catching him tomorrow, bright and early in the parking lot? A perfect opportunity. But though emotionally driven by this case on two fronts - from Richie and from Mel - the detective wouldn't get entirely careless. Running after an Al-Asheera clansman in a bank parking lot would be the most reckless decision of his life. He'd get arrested, right back into Reeves' arms, which, unbeknownst to him, would be disastrous. So that meant one thing: call for backup in case things go amiss, and lately, the seem to tend to, especially after this evening when Tony almost had Al-Asheera tatts plastered on his hand and neck. But backup...

Frank.

His partner would always be his first decision for something as serious as this. Plus, they both wanted to be a part of these gang takedowns from the beginning. Frank is just as invested in this as Tony. Plus, whatever feelings he might've once had for Thalia? He surely still has them. And he'd want to get revenge on what Ra's created after what that animal did to her in Pasadena a few days ago. So they both had an investment. All Tony needed was the approval of his partner, gently knocking on the door of the Redgrave boy's bedroom, just in case the two were asleep. Well, Jordan was. Frank wasn't, which made for a perfect opportunity to put that request out there. Would Frank accept now that he had this new responsibility on his shoulders? Surely, Jordan would be okay for one day, but if Frank wasn't comfortable with it, Tony wasn't going to force him. He could still ask James. Thalia, being injured, was out of the question. McAllister? Maybe. Worst case, Jon. There were plenty of options. But obviously, Frank was first in line.

With a finally less-than-forced grin on his face, Tony slowly approached the duo and spoke, "Remember when you asked me if I'm good with kids, Frank? Back at the Coral Cafe hit. I still remember that was one of your first questions to me. Well... I guess I can see why you asked. Because you seem brilliant with them." He took a seat on the edge of the bed, just looking over at the two. He still couldn't forget the sight of the SWAT commander, his wife, and his daughter, and Jordan was a constant reminder that he was fortunate to survive. Not everyone, though, is that lucky.

But now to business. "Frank... I understand if your answer is going to be no, but if I'm going to come to someone for this first? It's sure as hell going to be you. Tomorrow, the chase for the remaining two Al-Asheera clansmen continues. And it all starts with the one we can find in a heartbeat: Sam." He sighed, taking another look at the boy in Frank's arms. "I can't force you to come along as my backup in case it goes to shit. But I can offer it up to you before I ask someone else. You're my partner, Frank. I owe that to you. You want to take down these gangs just as badly as I do. But I understand if you want to prioritize Jordan here, keep him company. But tomorrow is do or die. If we don't work fast, The Hidden will rebuild what we worked so hard to destroy, and we'll be a hundred steps behind where we once were. So... partner. You in?"
 
"I understand your concerns about Thalia, don't worry. The best way to deal with mistakes is to accept them and learn from them, then move on. Being able to do that is a self-taught skill more than anything else, but if you ask me? She seems to have it just about right already. You don't need to worry. I'm not going to be tryin' to humiliate her or anything like that." He laughed. "She'll be just fine." He said.

Nicole still seemed thankful that Jon had done everything that he had - but why did she make it sound like it was any trouble for him? She couldn't ask anything more of him, apparently, but Jon begged to differ. He wasn't going to make it a back and forth ballgame, though. When it came to getting Charlie and Nicole settled somewhere, he'd leave it as a surprise. He had a feeling that deep down Nicole would be relieved. Charlie would be ecstatic, no doubt, and Thalia? He wasn't sure what Thalia would think, but hopefully it would give her even more of a better view on what sort of man Jon was.

Still, Nicole took his hand into hers, and in response, he simply squeezed it. She thanked him again, once more for everything he'd done. To him, everything he'd done for the family didn't feel like much. He liked to think that any good man would have done the same, especially when there was just a young boy in the equation. He knew that not all men would go to the trouble to help them, though, or at least some of them wouldn't do it without having some sort of ulterior motives. Jon didn't want to imagine the possibilities - he didn't even want to imagine what would happen if James sent someone else. James knew some bad people, after all.

Jon could only imagine that if they were sent someone else, Nicole would be uncomfortable, Charlie would be hugely depressed, and they'd be god-knows-where right now. At least they'd found someone who did genuinely care.

"You can ask absolutely whatever you want from me. I've spent a long time keeping all my money and... God, even my general kindness to myself. After my son moved away with his mother, I didn't even have a reason to leave the office, basically. It was rather tragic, but, at least something changed." He smiled. "Once again, you and Charlie have given me something that money can't buy or replace. And that's the truth." He nodded to her. "I'm... Happier than I have been in a long time. Sure, the situation we all got caught in was pretty terrible, but the bottom line is you guys turned my life around more than you might realize." He shrugged, then took a deep breath. "Whatever happens, I'm happy to help - and Nicole, I mean this, if you ever find yourself in a hard spot and things are getting difficult, or if there's something that happens with Charlie and just need an extra hand..."

"Please don't try and brave through it. Don't hide it from me. You've been through enough, and struggling to live in LA isn't something either of you deserves, alright?" He offered her a soft smile, and with his free hand, he gently touched the top of the one he was holding.

--

"It's weird being free, but believe me, being weird is great fun." She said, simply, and then she took a deep breath and laughed. "I wasn't allowed to go shopping with my friends until I was fifteen. It's the best feeling when you finally get to do it independently. Another thing we can do is buy some stuff while we're out so we can experiment with cooking - for you, I mean. I'll show you how to cook the most common meats, and that'll be you on your way. Simple things, you know?" She smiled. "But primarily, we're going to have a proper day of shopping, and you're finally going to see how amazing it feels when you try on a dress or a blouse or whatever and just immediately fall in love with it." She grinned.

At the talk of Jenny, her smile faltered some. "Yeeeeeaah.... Look..." She rubbed the back of her head. "After what she did to you and how she's treated myself and Frank, I don't have any interest in being friends with her." She said, quietly. "I think she's manipulative, abusive, and rather self-centered. That's not the sort of person you need to be around, because that's going to hurt you if you hang around someone like that for too long - You just escaped someone with those very traits, for god's sake." She said. "I understand that me saying I don't want to be friends with her might be a bit of a tough thing to hear, but... Me and her are very different. Yes, I can be a bitch at points, but I don't hurt people I care about. She's not the person I thought she was."

The topic quickly drifted to Frank - she was still in love with him.

"Suspicion confirmed." She sighed. "Look, I understand. But here's the thing with Jenny and Frank - this might be a new experience for you, but you need to take my word for this." She said. "If you're still in love with Frank, you need to talk to him. Tonight." She said. "If we're going out tomorrow and you're really going to consider trying to find someone else, potentially, then you need to clear the air with Frank before you even think about doing that." He said. "And with Jenny, if you're not in love with her, you need to tell her that and stop her from chasing her own tail, okay? This is the most unpleasant part of coming out of relationships, but it's by far the most beneficial. It doesn't matter how many pleasant mistakes you meet - if you don't clear things up with Frank and Jenny beforehand, you're going to have guilt eating away at you the whole time you're with someone else."

"Please, Thalia... Promise me you'll speak to Frank tonight? While you have the chance to just clear things up?"

--

As Tony walked in, Frank held up a finger to his own lips to signal him to be quiet. Jordan was fast asleep in his arms, and it was clear by his puffy eyes and everything that he'd been crying quite a lot. Frank didn't want him to wake up again. He left Tony there for just a second before he turned and gently laid Jordan down in bed, then covered him over and made sure to tuck him in. Only gently, though. He didn't want to disturb him. Once Jordan was all snuggled up, with his arms instinctively going around the teddy bear he had, he fell completely still, and there was nothing but the rise and fall of his chest. Asleep. Hopefully it would stay that way. It had been an emotional night.

Even so, once he was asleep, he hushed Tony once more and gently grabbed his shoulder; he left a lamp on by the bed, but took Tony out of the room and flicked off the main light as he left. After closing the door over as quietly as he could manage, he looked to Tony and gave a soft smile.

"Heh, I never thought I was all that good. Guess I was wrong. From Jordan, I suppose I'm quite the natural." He said. "Then again, me and Jordan have a lot in common. We've both been through a lot, both lost people we care for." He shrugged, simply, then glanced back at the bedroom door. "Just like I told you, the sooner I can get him out of here and give him a normal life, the better. He seemed a lot more emotional tonight. Survivor's guilt, to be precise, which is some weird form of PTSD mixed with some sort of variant of depression and trauma. I don't know how long it'll be before being in this place cracks him. I know he has Joseph and Charlie, but, they're not part of the problem. It's the fact that there's so many people here which is still stressing him." He explained.

Anyway, enough of his ramble - when Tony proposed his offer, Frank had to think for a minute, but he nodded and shrugged. "Count me in. It's time to send Al-Asheera to the grave, once and for all." He said. "But I need you to help me with what I spoke to you about earlier, too." He said, then paused.

"Sean Murphy. I need to get him tomorrow. He needs to pay for what he did to Redgrave, right after he confesses." He said. "I know it sounds extreme, but all people involved in the massacre need to be put in the ground. Bradan can go to prison, maybe, but letting these guys walk free is too risky. They might come back for Jordan when they get out of prison, and I won't have that." He said. "I'll help you with Sam, but, I need you to help me with Murphy, too. Can you do that?" He asked.
 
In time, Jon became a primary source of comfort for Nicole in the midst of tragedy and triumph. In losing her husband and finally finding her daughter, there was one man standing in the middle of it all making it happen, and he was right there with her gripping her hand back in response. As a woman who hadn't felt much for intimacy in almost 9 years, even something as mild as holding hands meant a great deal for her. Deep in the mother was a gleeful heart much like her daughter's, just expressed much differently. When Thalia was in the early phases of her crush on Frank, she'd ramble in her head about how much she'd enjoyed even the slightest moments of contact between the two. Nicole would've probably done the same had she been that age. They were both raised in a Christian environment centered around the whole 'no-sex-before-marriage' concept and rather strict morals. Though those morals were broken and thrown out the window for Thalia at a very young age, they were still there, and the reason for her hype. Like mother like daughter, as Jon's response did make her heart skip a beat.... But no. She had to act mature about this. She was a widow after all; what kind of wife would she be to hop on to someone else just two days after her husband was murdered? At least his killer was brought to justice.

"My guess is you've found.... a family," she uttered. Rather risky to say as well. It felt as if she were welcoming him to her family's inner circle. Well, he was already within it, after all, with how attached he'd grown to Charlie. Was he close to Thalia? Well, they had plenty to bond about in the future, and Jon did seem like a man of enough class for Nicole to associate with and open up with. "Your family, or whatever you could call family, was separated by time and circumstance. The reason you feel so special now is because you were welcomed into another family. Maybe... a more permanent one?" She gave him a very faint smile and a squeeze back into his hands, equal in strength to his own. "You're always a welcome member of my family. I bet Charlie would be soaring if he heard me say that, but that's the honest truth. You've been rooted from so many family members and... I'd hate to pull the rug out from under you with Charlie, too. Either way, I'd be hurting him, too. I'm sure he'd miss you too much if you were away."

So Charlie and Thalia had a fatherly figure in the picture now. It was no Reverend Jacob, but it was a great man all the same. And perhaps she could enjoy his company all the same as well: a man of the house? Again, she'd never accept. Not now at least. Maybe if the going gets tough and she can't find a job or home, it could change. But she only feared coming off as desperate or overly-demanding. That, she would feel awful for doing. No matter how many times he'd say it wasn't a problem and that she could ask anything of him, it still felt horrible to leech with absolutely nothing in return. But maybe there wasn't exactly 'nothing'... she'd welcoming Jon into her family in a way. THAT was something.

"I promise... if I get into a rough spot, Jon, I'll come to you first. Be it financially or my children, you've earned my trust. That you can help a great deal. And that I appreciate... but for now..." She retreated her hand in that moment, as painful as it was and as comfortable his touch felt, she had a yawn incoming, and she covered her mouth appropriately. "I say I should get some rest as well. The children are in bed..." It felt odd calling Thalia a 'child' for some. She was 21, but still, she'd always be Nicole's child through thick and through thin. "All I need to do is get some rest for tomorrow. I say you do the same. How does that sound?"

--

The two touchy subjects of the entire time in this mansion... well, the ones that weren't life-or-death: Jenny and Frank. Romance is a point of no return, and now that she's slept with both of them, things going back to the way they were before, as just friends? Was that possible?She could tell from now that it wouldn't happen with Jenny. She would become far too jealous of whoever she moves on to next. But Frank... he didn't seem like the jealous type from what little she knew of him. But seeing his ex in bed with another woman less than a day after the breakup does strike a man's psyche. Is he jealous? Or just mad? Whichever it was, Thalia wanted to settle it, much like Karin was asking for, before she tries to move on properly.

Going out and getting some fresh air with someone else was Jenny's idea after all. But this past day, it couldn't happen. Not with an imminent threat outside. But Ra's is dead. So now the coast was theoretically clear. She had her mother's backing, Karin's company... what could possibly go wrong with this? She could use a day outside the confinements of the mansion rather than cry into a pillow or into her mother's shoulder.

"Some things never change," she sighed upon hearing the adjectives used to describe Jenny. All so perfect, unfortunately so. And Karin was right in another matter: she'd just escaped someone with similar traits. Was it a force of habit, or was the ugly truth that Thalia got off to such a personality? Her gaze elevated to face Karin once again as she continued, "I think me and her will go our separate ways very soon, honestly. As much as I cared about her to pull her out of a dangerous situation, I don't think she's the kind of partner I want if all she's going to do is keep me to herself. I'll be as much a slave to her as I was to Ra's. She'll go her way, and I'll go mine. And you won't have to worry about her starting anything anymore." It came out more as a cry of defeat. Whatever intimacy she felt with this girl was, no doubt, great, but at the same time, she knew it couldn't last. It couldn't keep going if it came at the price of constant drama. Maybe she'd find someone better. Someday.

"Tonight. Yes, tonight, I'll speak with Frank. I just hope he didn't go to sleep." How would he with a child on his belt? Or at least with all of the noise of a Griffin family reunion in the making. Catching him alone though? Maybe a bit harder, especially adding the fact that, whenever Thalia is at home, Frank is tending to Jordan. She might be able to muster the courage to talk to the man himself, but to the child? It went back to her not wanting to confront the reason she ended things. It just gave her a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach. At least tomorrow would be a day far, far away from the usual grind. And soon enough, she could leave the mansion and start over, that is unless Frank leaves first, which would be more convenient for her. Less face time with her mistake. The one thing she'd NEED face time with? Explaining what Frank saw in the afternoon. "I mean... not like I'll hitch up with someone tomorrow. I'm not THAT desperate..." Perhaps a stretch of the truth. She was a sucker for something intimate, as her actions with Jenny before her mother showed. But she wasn't going to open up about that just yet. Especially not if her mother could pass by and easily hear that.

But... what if things could change between her and Frank? A re-run of that first night? She'd do anything for that. Well, almost anything. The one thing she couldn't do? Be a shell of a mother that she knew she wasn't competent enough to live up to.

For now, she threw her head back into the back of the couch, her hands crossed over her chest, just thinking over what she was going to say when she faces Frank. If it did happen, she might just go speechless and retreat like she did this morning. It was some sort of fight-or-flight instinct within her. And though she could fight off cops and brutes, when it came to love? She could only run. Did Frank know how uncomfortable she was being around Jordan? Would he respect that if the two were together?

Thalia gulped, unsure of what to say now, but clearly, she looked guilty. She was contemplating her mistake eight years ago. Running away. It made her ill-equipped for situations like this. It made her think back: sure, she got lucky, but what if she fell pregnant with Ra's' child? Sure, the bastard would worship it as a god in the making, but what kind of mother would she be to him or her? She'd barely be able to feed him or change his diapers. In response, Ra's would further abuse her for being a sad excuse for a mother, and it would keep her right where she was: incompetent. But was that the permanent norm? She was making simple stuff for herself now, sure, but how far would that get her? Such a scary road awaited her now. Taking down Al-Asheera? Easy. But being normal? Why did that seem like the true uphill battle?

At least the day ended well. Started horribly with a terrible night's sleep. And ended in the most relieving moment of her life.

"Tomorrow will be normal though. I kinda need to get out more if anything. Have a day of fun before I start getting my life in order."

--

The second he was hushed and signaled to remain quiet, Tony did exactly that. Though not a parent and hasn't really had any youngster to look after on a long-term basis, he could still admire a sight like Frank cuddling Jordan to sleep until he was comfortable enough to be left alone. He didn't hear or see the traumatic 'survivor's guilt' episode, but judging by Frank's description later, it was definitely something Tony had seen enough of as a detective for a decade. One thing that he could agree on once they left the bedroom to discuss their situation was the crowd. The mansion got so full so fast. In a week's time? How was James that open to having a crowd like this just invade his home like that? It must've been eating at him alive, especially when he snapped at him and Thalia for going behind his back. Frank did want to leave, though, so that would make for two less heads to account for. Karin and Joseph seemed like a permanent thing around there. The Griffins? Tony had no clue what they'd do from this point onward. They needed to get a place to live, first of all, and he had no clue how long that'd take. And once Bradan isn't an issue McAllister would be able to return to his family. Jenny would go home as well.

And Tony? He'd probably leg it from his place in Santa Monica and go back to San Francisco to spend some time with his father. That was the short-term. The long-term plan was still unsure of. Maybe that would depend on where Frank ends up.

Tomorrow certainly would be a game-changer, and also a return to the norm. Though not officially detectives anymore, it wasn't going to stop Frank or Tony from finishing what they started. Al-Asheera was practically on their knees, and they had members of the Clover Boys exposed. And tomorrow marked a time to strike them both while they still could. And time was of the essence.

"Guess we're back to basics, right?" Tony winked. "Back to what we were before any of this mess even began. I have no clue what time you plan to go after Murphy, but Sam starts work at 8. I plan to snatch him in the parking lot of his work place before he punches in at work. We take him isolate him, bring him back here. Probably with Murphy as well when we grab him. And we go with the flow from there. Because obviously, we can't just march back up to the front steps of the station right now." Partly because of James' cover story that the two were in FBI custody, but also partly because of Reeves' true intentions.

Hearing Frank's intentions to put people like Murphy in the grave? That was a change of attitude. Before, it was Frank that was restraining Tony from going as far as murder, both with Pigman, Roland, and even Thalia on occasions. With those kind of deeds on his belt, who was the more seasoned detective to stop his partner from getting vengeance? Tony had the same feeling deep in his heart, especially now that he knows it was Sam's cause that took his fiance from this earth. "Keep in mind, Frank... what we do, badge or no badge?" Tony sighed. "It's things like that that will live with us forever. What I did to Pigman in the bathroom back at the station? Or all the abuse I threw at Thalia. Nothing will erase those from my plate. So just... keep that in mind. A piece of advice from someone who's been in your place. You want revenge. So do I. But make sure before you take his life... first, that you don't need him alive. And second, that you really want that on your hands."
 
"I suppose that's a good way of putting it, yeah." John smiled at her. Had he found a family? Was that what it was? He could get on board with that, no problem. To a reasonable extent it was very true - sure, there was some work to be done with Thalia and Nicole still, but he was close to the woman of the house, and he was close to Charlie. Exceptionally close. Whatever he saw in them before had shifted to something much more family-centered, and his hopes were high for the future. He had a feeling that things would end up turning out well for them all if they kept at it - and as for Nicole getting a job? Trying to raise a kid in a nice area of California was expensive. A single-parent income, and that's in? Jon didn't want to bring it up, but unless she landed something solid, that wasn't going to be happening. He wasn't about to make her doubt herself before she even tried, though.

He also had the worrying suspicion that Nicole would really try and drag it out if she did find herself in any trouble before mentioning it to anyone - if that was the case, Jon knew how he was going to find out. He'd find out through Charlie, primarily. To Charlie it may not have meant much, given his age, but he'd pick up on the little things that could hint at a bigger problem - unless amounts of paperwork, doing cheaper grocery shopping, constantly being on the phone, staying up late, rushing around and seeming worried. All those little things. The moment Jon caught wind of a problem, he'd be rushing in - with or without an invite.

"I thank you, Nicole. Your words mean a lot." He said to her. It was most definitely true - the words carried a lot of weight. Weight he wouldn't ever want to lose.

When they disconnected, Jon wanted to take her hand again and just bask in the feeling of the affection for a few more moments, but, he obviously didn't go ahead with that and simply smiled at her, "Yeah, you go get some sleep. I need to crash on the couch at some point soon - looks like me and McAllister are sharing a room, but, that's no big deal. He seems pretty cool." He said, simply. "I'm gonna' take five more minutes and wait and see if I get a chance to talk to James before I head to sleep myself. Him and I have got some catching up to do, as you can imagine." He shrugged.

--

"The sooner you talk to him and get things settled, the better. You don't want you or him to leave here and then end up leaving everything you had behind in the dark - open-ended, too. I'm not saying the talk's going to end with you two flying to the Bahamas and getting married and all of that, but..." She sighed. "It'll give you peace of mind knowing you did the right thing with the whole situation, you know what I mean? There's no need for you two to stay so distant, even if it just comes to you guys being friends again. It'd be better than the two of you regretting everything you did around the time you broke up, y'know?" She explained.

Karin wasn't thinking about the possibility of Frank and Thalia being a thing again. Yeah, sure, it was nice idea, and one that she could get on board with if it could happen - but it's sometimes not that simple, and she just didn't know how it would work out with how the two were built up in terms of mentality. Thalia needed the time to grow and develop still, whereas Frank was developed as he was going to get. So developed that he took in a kid to care for as his own. Frank didn't have all the time left in the world to go hunting for life and love; until a couple of days ago he had an established career, had a lot of savings, and has the world at his fingertips.

Thalia... All of that was just getting started for her now. Karin would be happy if the two of them could only do as much as say their goodbyes and thank yous and agreeing to keep contact. At least then they wouldn't be sat there wondering if things could have been different for god knows how many years. Only time would tell, though, and talking to Frank was something that Karin was going to leave to Thalia. It wasn't any of her business, after all. At least not directly.

"Tomorrow will be your first normal day in... Years. Scary, but, satisfying." She said. "Let's start it off on a good note tonight by having you sort things out with Frank, see where you both stand. At least then you won't be thinking about it all day tomorrow." She reached out and gently touched the top of her hand with her own, and offered her a small smile. "I heard Jordan crying, but that's since gone quiet, so I imagine he's asleep. I'm sure Frank's still awake, though, so now's a better time than any." She explained.

--

"Back to basics, indeed. We can nab him on the way to work - let's just be careful. With everything that's happened, especially the death of Ra's, security on the one man they have that can liquify their bank is going to be well-protected, I bet. I'll provide any support you need, but you can take point on whatever we do, alright?" He said, then patted his shoulder. "As for Murphy, I know it sounds extreme. Shooting a man without a badge on my chest is going to be different, but that's just the thing, isn't it?" He said. "We wore our badges and thought we were invincible. We shot people, we reduced people to tears in questioning, we made people feel like they had nowhere to turn - and we acted like that just... Fizzled away." He shrugged. "It doesn't. Now that I haven't got a badge, I know why I need to do it. It's not in the eyes of the law. It's not the law that's telling me to shoot this man."

He sighed, "I know it sounds crazy. I know it may sound like I'm not thinking straight - but believe me, I am. McAllister told me about everything these guys have done. Murphy's the easiest target. We need to find out as much as we can - I want him to talk before he dies." He said. "Because believe me, the moment I show my face in his place tomorrow, a bounty goes on my head, too." He looked back at the bedroom door, then lowered his voice.

"Redgrave's funeral. Him and his family. It'll be held off for at least a few weeks while they investigate and try to find Jordan." He said. "I want Jordan to be there. But that can't happen as long as Bradan is still out there with his grasp over half the damn city. I want them to have a peaceful burial - Bradan's men know no standards. They'll gatecrash a funeral and shoot me and Jordan on-sight, and anyone who gets in the way, too." He said. "I want Jordan to be able to go to his dad's funeral. He deserves at least that much, for god's sake. It might be the only chance he has to say a real goodbye - I'm willing to do anything to help him get that." He explained.

"If his hitman is still out there... That very man is responsible for over 80 murders since working for Bradan. We need to stop the main hitsquad before we take out Bradan. The hitsquad I think is in place to protect the king, to destroy any threat once it gets even a step too close. If we take out the king's guards, we soon get the king."
 
A huff escaped Thalia's lips, along with a sweep of her hair on her shoulder. At least compared to Jenny, Karin wasn't going to sugarcoat things for her, but instead, gave an honest assessment of what could happen. But it all really depended on how peaceful Frank was taking it all. A conversation could go either as smooth as a friendly good-bye hug, or as hostile as to end with an infuriated slap to her face. Either way, it was something to brace for, and something to bite her tongue with either way. If it did come down to a less-than-pleasant scenario, it would at least mark the end then and there. No chance for friendship, but it would be closure all the same. Or would it go the other way? A pleasant ending? Not a happily ever after, but a satisfactory one. She could never know unless she tried.

It brought her back to the beginning with her and Frank. The hug in Karin's kitchen? The kiss in James' weapons bunker? Then the sex... the crowning moment of that night. Then she told him she was in love with him. She missed it. So badly. Would tomorrow make up for it? A new partner that wouldn't abuse her? Who would grow with her rather than a different wavelength? That is what hurt her relationship with Frank more than anything. He reached the level of maturity he was content with. And he was prepared to settle down with a child on a spur-of-the-moment decision. It wouldn't have worked out in that case. If it weren't for Jordan, something else would bring this point to light. Hopefully someday, she'd find someone who would share the same passion she had for Frank while at the same time would treat her and her friends respectfully and grow at her own pace. One day...

Karin's touch did get a smile out of Thalia, and it gave her a sign to look up to her friend as well. Finally, some reassurance, and someone to help her grow like this. Funny, it seemed like Karin had done so much more than Frank to help this lost girl find her way. Frank made his promises, sure... but a day after those promises, a child became his priority. So unfortunate. "I guess I'm gonna try to find him. Hope Jordan's asleep, like you said. I really don't want to have this conversation in front of him. I already feel... uneasy around him as is. Then I'll get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day, and my mom will probably kill me if she sees me up after she told me to rest up." She giggled softly and brought herself to her feet, hand still in Karin's until the moment she was standing up straight. She gave her friend a final look into her eyes, still showing her smile of confidence and comfort... it's no wonder she had a mild crush on her in the beginning. And her trusts were well-placed. "Thanks, Kar. You take care of yourself. Tomorrow? We actually do what we always dreamed of."

Indeed... they would. But would Thalia rest easy tonight or cry herself to sleep once again?

...

Going back to basics, but the only difference was without their badges. Tony and Frank were nothing more than civilians now. Civilians backed by a criminal mastermind and could be armed to the teeth. Invincible? Not quite, but the truth was.... "No one's invincible, Frank," Tony admitted. "Not with a badge, not without. Remember how hard Ra's preached that he was immortal and couldn't be killed? See where that got him? I don't know if James or Thalia told you how he died, did they?" He paused for a moment, building a dramatic effect. "I was driving head on at him. And he didn't even jump out of the way. He just raised his gun and shot at me like a moron, missing every shot. Not even a move out of the way, damn it. He thought he could take on and survive a hit from a speeding van at maybe... 70 miles an hour? He thought he was immortal. We proved him wrong. And the truth is, we aren't invincible either, which is why.... you can chase whatever path you want, Frank. But know when you have to stop. Know that... now, Jordan is depending on you. Would you want him to lose another caretaker?"

It wasn't meant to guilt Frank in a crude way like he did before. More like a warning to proceed with caution. It was more for Frank's better knowledge. "We're both going to be targets. No way am I letting my partner become a wanted man without someone to watch his back, even if it means I'll get a bad name along with him. And the only way to clear us all is to... like you said, take out the king's guards. Just like we did to Ra's. We brought down his inner circle, and he was instantly vulnerable. Just a bunch of pathetic recruits who've probably never held a gun before. We may not have cleared ALL of The Ten, but they've been reduced to two now. Soon to be one. At least with Bradan, we're worrying about four men, not ten of them. A bit easier, huh?" He smirked. "Less work for us. You and I have an early retirement to look forward to."

Even talking about the SWAT commander's funeral was still hard to hear from Tony. He was in a partial state of denial that he was dead. But the sight of the man with bullet holes in his body was still there in his mind. His wife's throat slit before him, his daughter raped and hung in her bedroom... No. Frank was right. These men have no standards, and would crash the funeral. Thank god for police protocol holding off the burial until the investigation settles down.

Then came the light footsteps of a redheaded girl not far away, one in Tony's sights from behind. The way he viewed her was now vastly different. She was no longer a hostile... but a friend. They saved each other's lives and finally had a friendship on their hands. Finally... it took long enough. But the way she was glaring at Frank from behind, hands folded before her.... she was here for his partner. What for? It wasn't his business, but he would leave Frank to it. With a pat to Frank's shoulder he nodded and smiled, "Hey, we'll talk in the morning. Bright and early, we're heading to downtown for Sam, then we go after Murphy right after. A double take. I'll see you then, Frankie."

With the lighthearted farewell, Tony then turned his back on his partner and wandered off into the halls, slowly walking past Thalia, nodding to her in a friendly manner. "You're not asleep?"

Thalia shook her head. "How the hell can I after tonight?"

Tony looked back down at Thalia's foot... unbraced and in normal shoes now. "You're sure you can walk on that?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine, Tony. It's just a sprain. I hardly feel it anymore." It was an honest truth this time, not an attempt to seem like a tough girl. After all the perils this team had been through, all sort of masks of being tough were off.

"As you wish... good night. You should get some rest. You deserve it after tonight."

Tony almost immediately walked passed Thalia and gave her a hearty pat on the shoulder, which she smiled in response to, "I can only hope...." this conversation would make or break her rest tonight. And once Tony was gone.... it was just Frank and Thalia, the girl facing her once-lover eye to eye and leaning against the wall... her facial expression showed she was scared to face him, just like this morning, which Frank surely had to have noticed, especially after she stormed off and hid in the bathroom. But now was a time to face her fears. She was always afraid to resist or fight her master... but this past while told her there was nothing to be afraid of. If she could face one fear, she could face the risk of Frank blowing up on her. Maybe he was still angry about what he saw in her bedroom? The position of Jenny crawling over her in a sexual manner did seem suggestive and told the story rather clearly.

"H-Hi..." she stuttered, standing properly on her feet and getting closer, her hands folded in front of her and her steps inching closer and closer. Jordan was in his room, not a sound coming from him. They were alone. "Ra's is dead... We won, you know that?" she tried to open a conversation of sorts as she got closer, stopping once she was just a meter away from him. "Maybe Tony already told you. We didn't take out the entirety of The Ten, but Tony said he'll take care of it. And that means.... That means I'm free and I can be normal."

It was just random rambling about the past while, the ambush at the port. Updating him if anything. Was he even still concerned about Al-Asheera? Or was his focus shifted now that Jordan was a priority? That vengeance for his father was all he could think of.... Her right hand scratched the back of her left arm and her eyes lowered to her feet, kicking the ground beneath her. Indeed, she was nervous and her heart felt like it was sinking into a bottomless pit. Almost made her want to throw up. But her eyes did rise once again to Frank's. She needed to speak her mind before he draws any unnecessary conclusions about her behavior.

"I'm sorry I've been so distant," she admitted, a bit of a shine in her eyes from wetness. "After I ran away from you when I broke it off, I ran away and just cried for the longest time... then I got news that Tony ratted me out to the police? That my name was all over the news? I had the worst night ever and couldn't sleep well. The nightmares... god..." She sighed, clenching her arm a bit more tightly in fear. What she would say next would sound somewhat more disturbing. "I.... um.... was suicidal as a kid. And I came close to relapsing this morning when I saw you and Jordan getting on so well. Like, you moved on. You found your place. And I was miserable and wishing I could hold someone and call them my own... and when I knew I couldn't..." A sniffle cut her speech off. "I almost... ALMOST smashed the mirror and cut... deep. Just..." She reached forward for Frank's hand, by the wrist in particular. She guided his hand over the forearm that she'd cut so long ago to feel the remaining crease from years ago, just like she did to James. She wanted him to feel what she did to herself... but touching him also felt good.

"You feel that?" she stared down his eyes as she let him feel her arm. "I was brought to a dark place as a kid. And I was almost in that same place when I broke things off. But you have to understand... I'm not ready for what you were ready for. I'm just.... not. I'm not ready to have children. I can barely take care of myself. I don't want you to hate me for doing something wrong for a traumatized kid. And seeing you two together like this morning? Do you know how much that kills? Stabs me in the heart? When you told me you were taking up the role of Jordan's full time carer, I felt like... like...."

Her next words were about to come off as extremely selfish. "....like you picked him over me. And it hurt." Daaaaamn. You probably just fucked it up by telling him that. Or did she? Would he understand. "I didn't want you to see me and Jenny, though. I needed someone to get over my pain. She... made me feel special again. Even if it was in a submissive manner, I just wanted to enjoy something. Feel something. I wasn't trying to make you jealous at all. I'm sorry that you saw us. But you have to understand...." She released Frank's arm and sent it back to his side to cross her arms over her chest, her head bowing in shame. "I'm hurt. I ended it, sure, but I'm hurt that our dreams are over.... And that's all she wrote, Frank.... that's it."
 
"Jordan's not losing anyone else." He said, quickly. "I know where you're coming from and I appreciate your concern - but I've got this all planned out. I don't think I can do it without you, though." He smiled at him. "We'll work it out and we'll both walk away alive, and Bradan and his people are either gonna' be in the ground or in prison. The king's men will be dead and gone, sure, but that'll be the end of it. Providing things are okay once that's out the way, Jordan can go to the funeral. We all can." He said. "Let's just hope we can act quickly. I wouldn't forgive myself if Jordan missed that - It might not mean much to him now, but in the future, he'd look back on that and..." He sighed. "I don't know. I just need to focus on making sure he has a happy upbringing. At least as happy as I can make it for him. It won't be an easy task, but, I'm going to stay dedicated. Once I take an early retirement, I can put a proper focus into him, get him a good psychiatrist and all that." He said.

Soon enough, though, Thalia came over and started to talk - Tony also left, and Frank simply nodded to him as a goodnight wish and everything. For now, though, he wanted to hear out Thalia. He'd wanted to talk to her for a while now. The first set of words impressed him, even though Tony had already told him the good news.

"He already mentioned, yeah." He nodded. "I'm glad, Thalia. Getting a normal life is the least you deserved." He said.

The next set of words... Sadly, his smile slowly began to fade, along with the general 'remaining positive' attitude he had equipped at that point. Maybe he heard it all wrong - or maybe Thalia could have worded it better; but the way he was taking things was that himself and Jordan were being blamed for all the bad that had come of this. But still, he didn't talk, he simply let her finish - he felt her arm, much to his discomfort, but he let her keep it there. It was around the point she spoke of him choosing 'Jordan over her' that he slowly moved his hand away and held it back at his side - for a moment he looked at the floor. He wasn't expecting the conversation between them to be particularly joyful... But he was expecting it to be a little more pleasant than how it was currently going.

"Well, Thalia, I don't know what to say." He said, his voice a little weak. He was silent for a while then looked up, his eyebrows raising as he shrugged. "Really, I don't. I don't even know where to start."

He took another deep breath, "I'm sorry for how you were as a child." He said. "I know what it's like as I was in a similar spot myself. I get that it doesn't just go away. I get that it creeps up on you sometimes and makes you think that you'd be better off just giving it up and throwing yourself off a bridge. I've been there. More than once. In Maryland and here." He said. "But I don't know if I'm getting the wrong impression here - If I am, you can go ahead and stop me, but all of this?" He shook his head a little. "I'm going to be honest and say that it feels like I'm the one getting blamed for it, okay?" He gulped. "I might be wrong. But I'm just saying that's how it's coming across to me right now."

"I never hated you in the first place, not even in the moment you turned and walked away, not when you locked yourself in the bathroom and left me with my own emotions. I didn't hate you, and I still don't - But I didn't choose Jordan over you, so don't you dare even think that." He said - maybe there was a tinge of annoyance in his voice, but he didn't flip out at her for it. "Thalia, I understand your pain. I do. But no one's listened to me this past few days - the only person that really has is Tony. Everyone else has either given me the cold shoulder or judged me and called me pathetic - Guess who - but that's not the main focus right now."

"I told you I didn't mind if you weren't ready. I told everyone I understand that, but no one seems to appreciate that." He said. "This isn't about you, or me, or anyone else. This is about us - I know you and I aren't exactly a thing anymore, but, there's too much up in the air for us to just try and forget, alright? But you've been honest with me, so I can only return the favor and be honest with you." He sighed. "I... never wanted to leave you." He said. "I know you made that choice, and that's fine, but don't think that I jumped to the choice of taking Jordan instead of you. I know it may look like that, but it's not. Jordan is six years old. He's not like you and me - the only thing we have in common with him is that we've both lost someone we care about." He said.

"My point is... I can't just abandon him. Even you should be able to understand that." He took a deep breath and looked down at the floor, "I guess it was stupid of me. Selfish, even, to envision this little 'perfect life' without knowing what you were ready for. It wasn't a sacrifice I was willing to make at first, Thalia, but that's because I didn't think there was going to be any sacrifice at all. By the time I'd been through with things, it was too late to say 'I want what I had before' - You leaving hurt me, too. But once again, there's very few people that realize that. They think that I'm doing this to you to hurt you deliberately, when I'm not."

He was beginning to look ever so slightly upset, and he quickly looked off to the side.

"I understand why you're sad, but me getting on well with Jordan isn't anything against you. I'm not doing it to attack you personally. I'm doing it for him. And just because you can't see yourself in that sort of life, that's nothing to be ashamed of. I don't blame you. Don't try and ask something of yourself that you can't handle." He said. "My heart's broken, too, but now for some reason I'm left feeling guilty for you breaking up with me." He said. "I don't know if I've misunderstood what you've said, or if making me feel bad was what you had planned, I don't know, but my point is, I get why you went with Jenny that afternoon. But after I saw that, you have to understand something else: At that point in time, things did change for me." He said. "But I'm not ready to go to war with you. It hurts me that I can't be there and can't give you everything you wanted from me - but I'm still willing to help you. Even after all this, I want to help you like I said I would, even if it's just a matter of me helping you make a resumé, or something, I'll help you."

He pinched his eyeline between his fingers and thumbs, wiping the slightly-formed tears that were building up.
 
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The mood went from celebratory for a victory to somber over an ended romance. And though Karin kept pushing her to do it, Thalia only felt that this was pouring salt on an open wound. Just hearing Frank justify himself for all of this... and then assuming she thought it was his fault. But in that case, anyone would paint a story to be in their favor more than anything else. Which got her thinking: whose fault is this? Is it Frank's for being the better man and putting the life of a six-year-old over his own temporary bliss? Or was it Thalia's for being so selfish and putting him in an 'it's me or him' situation. It sure came off that way when she asked if Jordan was a permanent thing, then, immediately after receiving confirmation, broke it off. All she could think of was, what was Frank thinking? He mentioned a 'perfect life'. What perfect life? The three of them living happily ever after under one roof... well, supposedly happy. Sure, starting a family is on any girl's mind. But on the mind of a girl who had no chance to live her life? Not now... she at least needed time. Time she wouldn't get for a single man.

There was no escape from making this sound like Frank was the blame; her words were clear-cut. But now with her doubts? What could she think of herself? Part of her just wanted to lean against the wall and return to how she was in the bathroom on her own: crying her eyes out and regretting everything she's done, every incompetent decision she'd taken in her life. "What do you want me to say?" she muttered, sniffling as well between her words. "That it's my fault that I'm not good enough? That I can't be that motherly figure you wanted me to be? Because I already know that, and I hate that about me. Did you expect me to.... what, try? Try and probably do something wrong? Have you yell at me for it later? I don't want that. That's not what I want from my life...." After just two days in a 'relationship', the two hadn't really talked much about one thing: what they wanted. Sure, they had their dreams, but what beyond that? What about a reality? Perhaps Thalia's vision of that was too much like a fantasy, but she wanted to speak that part of her mind.

"Frank, I want something that you probably already have satisfaction from. I want to go out, live my life, travel the world, experience what I couldn't as a kid because of my strict childhood and criminal teenage years. I want to teepee the old neighbor's house and make a run for it right after. I want to get shitfaced at some bar and have a friend drag me home because I can't walk straight. I want to go to the beach and crash some spring break party by a bunch of college douchebags. I want to trespass on some private property that I know I shouldn't be on but have fun with it because the thrill is too tempting... I want those days where I can just sprawl out in bed with... someone I love, and just be lazy all day, not do a thing...." Some of those were exaggerations, but her point was still there. "Don't you see? When you told me you were going to be a full-time caretaker for Jordan, I knew you'd never agree to any of those things, or anything like it. You would be a parent, basically. You've probably already lived that wild life I want. Maybe it's just the idea that I'm not mature enough for you. That I need to satisfy that wild half of me before I can settle down. But you? You seemed ready to do that the second you came home with Jordan. I'm... I'm not. I'm sorry."

It brought back the idea of someone a bit more like-minded: Karin. If she could do it, why couldn't Thalia? She feared Frank would pop that question, but seeing he wasn't hostile just yet, she figured it wasn't something floating around in his mind. He didn't seem to appreciate being the reason to blame, or feeling like he picked one over the other.

"No one's hearing you out because you changed," she replied, her arms shivering slightly as she leaned her back against the hallway wall. More honest thoughts, but an observation everyone seemed to agree with. Her eyes began to leak tears as she spoke, avoiding eye contact with Frank. "When you came back from that massacre with the SWAT commander... I can tell the difference between the look you had, and the look Tony had. Tony looked like he lost a friend, sure. You? You looked like there was more to it. Like you had immediately put some miserable kid as your responsibility without asking anyone. Not even me. You see why I feel so betrayed? You see why my words seem like it's your fault as well as mine? You didn't even ASK me if I wanted this life. It wasn't until I asked you upfront that it came up. Or did you assume I'd... follow you to the ends of the earth, even with a bump like this? You wanted me to fulfill your 'perfect life'? Something you know I can't do?"

Now THAT sounded selfish, and it broke Thalia down further to know that. She was clearly crying, and unsure of what to do with herself, how to defend herself now that she felt more at fault than him. But at this point, her thoughts were too clouded to deal with him maturely anymore. Purely in an emotional outburst, she stood up properly from her leaning position and stepped up to Frank's face, close proximity. By the fiery look in her eyes... Was this what Tony feared all along? Thalia become violent on one of them?

"Did you think I could take that?" she snarled. "Did you forget I have feelings, too?!" She was practically ignoring all logic and most of what he told her before as words of sympathy, her voice growing louder and might just wake up the boy in the next room if she keeps this up. And worse... that fear of violence broke out with a strong slap across his face. Still unaware of her actions, she barked in his face further, "Did you feel that, Frank? Huh? Do you feel what I feel on the inside?" She gave him yet another slap to the face, still clearly not driven by any sort of logic. That same violent person that almost killed Tony was now unleashed on Frank. "No, you'll NEVER feel what I feel! You don't know what it's like...." A clenched fist lifted up to her face level and pounded more mildly against his shoulder. "...to feel like you had everything, then just..." Another pound. "...Lose it. Then have your own heart broken because you can't handle it..." She let out a softer punch a bit lower down to his chest, slowly growing weaker, "...Because I'm just that pathetic and weak... and..." In that moment, she began to think of what she was doing, freezing in her place. Would she continue this to actually do bodily harm upon Frank from how mad she was? This what she feared all along: acting up in front of him in the case of confrontation. This is why she avoided it for so long.

"...and I can't handle my stupid emotions on my own," she whimpered, her rolled fist shivering in its place, unable to punch him again this time. It then dissolved from the violence to excuses to try to repair her damaged state. "Y-You could've just... taken care of him now until the threat was over... then send him to foster care.... or just not been so serious about him, nothing permanent... not pull the rug out from under me..." There she was, blaming him again. "I mean... fuck... No, it's my fault that I even threw myself at you when I should've known you were meant for something better than sleeping with some...."

'Whore' would've been the word she was looking for. But no. She wasn't going to go back to it. It held a deeper, unpleasant meaning for her. A distant memory of a dead man.

She was too broken to hold on anymore, throwing herself into the very shoulder she was punching and clinging to him so desperately. A hug, which she needed so badly now in her broken state. She could never hurt Frank further than she already has. Between her sobs, she spoke, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have blamed you. You shouldn't feel bad for doing the right thing. I should feel bad for being so pathetic and bitchy about it..." Her face lifted slightly from his shoulder, now just her forehead against his shoulder. She heard him offering up to help her. But Thalia was more than just a physical clone of her mother, but also an emotional clone, too. "N-No... You have your own priorities to worry about now. Not me. I have my family here. They can help me with things like job hunting or growing up."

Same song as her mother with Jon. Literally the same.

"...But thanks," she sniffled. "I need to move on by myself. With Ra's dead, I'll probably be gone, too... out of your life. And you won't have to worry about me anymore."
 
After all of it, before things settled down to a hug, it was only going to get more heated - Frank changed, yes, but he wasn't going to sit back and take low-blows, not even from Thalia. He was fully willing to get completely defensive and stand his ground.

"I had to make a spur of the moment choice, Thalia." He said. "You put yourself in my shoes, just for one minute - You walk into a house and you find a woman with her throat slit, a man with a bullet between her eyes, and a teenage girl dead and had god-knows-what done to her upstairs. All the while, a six-year-old boy is hiding under his bed while listening to his whole family getting slaughtered." He paused right there, but then let out a little laugh. It was more a laugh of anger combined with sadness, though. "I'm sorry, but in that moment in time when I had him clinging to me as if he was about to die, do you really think I thought 'Hm, I wonder if everyone else will be okay with this'? - Of course I didn't." He shook his head quickly.

"Thalia, I'm about to give you a life lesson. An adult one." He said. "This is not going to be easy to hear, but if I don't tell you, you're going to find it out the hard way on your own, and I don't want that." He said. "Out here in the world - Me, you, Karin, Joseph, James, Tony, Jenny, your mom, Jon - Everyone under this roof. Aside from each other, no one in this world gives a fuck about us." He said. "I learned that a long time ago - Aside from the people you have here, there is not a single person out there that gives a shit, you get that? I may give a shit, James and Karin may give a shit - but when you get out there in the world you need to see that friends and people that really care for you can be hard to come by."

He sighed, "I didn't expect you to try anything, alright?" He said. "I knew there was the possibility you wouldn't be happy with the idea. You need to get out of the mindset that you're constantly letting people down, Thalia, because it's not healthy for you. And most of all, you're not letting people down. You really think you let me down when you turned around and said you weren't ready? Of course not." He said.

Then things started getting heated.

"Go on then. Hit me." He said, "Hit me as hard as you can. Do it." He said - Was it a good idea to challenge it? Maybe not, but even in times of emotions, Frank was doing his best to help figure her in some way. They'd made promises to make changes to each other for the better; they didn't have to be in love to help each other do that. "You can hit me as much as you want, but just remember you can't take it back." He snarled back at her. "And I do know what it's like." He grabbed her by the shoulders, but not aggressively. "I've been there. I've had the world on my plate and I've had it all ripped away from me - Thalia, goddammit, it happens." He said. "You'll meet people some days and think that your future is going to be undoubtedly bright, but the harsh truth is the real world is a cold place. Sometimes those people are like grains of sand, and they'll fall between your fingers. But sometimes you find rocks, and it's not as easy to drop them."

As things started to settle, he slowly pulled her into a hug and just held her there, sighing to himself as he placed his head down on her shoulder. "Look... What happened is no one's fault. Not mine, yours, or Jordan's. Let's stop looking for people to blame and instead look for ways to help each other through this." He said. "In the time we started off, I felt infinite. I mean that. You weren't just... Some 'body' to lie in bed with, okay?" He explained. "You meant a lot more than that to me. You still mean more than that to me, even now. We were so focused on our dreams that we didn't look at the situation we were in. We didn't think that something could easily go wrong - things felt magical, almost, and that's something we can be grateful for." He said.

"I just want it to be clear, I don't... want you out of my life." He said. "Sure, things went sour, but that doesn't mean I don't still care about you. I'd like to think we could at the very least keep contact, maybe see each other for a coffee now and again. Maybe that's unrealistic, and maybe you'll want nothing more to do with me after we part ways tonight, but..." He sighed, "I care about you. I worry for you. You're smarter than you think and stronger than you imagine, alright? And I... We made a lot of promises. Even if we can't follow them all like we planned, I still want to help. Even if it's just something as simple as... Quitting smoking, like we spoke about, right?" He said, rubbing her back still.

"We may not have a future together, but that's okay. You've not done anything wrong. Neither of us have. We can do what we want with life and be happy doing it - even more so if we encourage it in each other." He explained, but then just fell quiet. He felt as though there was nothing more to say - It started off sad, then it got heated, then it settled - he just hoped it could end on a positive note from now on.
 
In the moment, the last thing that Thalia wanted this to turn into was a lecture about adulthood, or something further to prove Frank was right and she was wrong, even though, she was thoroughly convinced of the fact now. Honestly, what COULD Frank have done in that position? And now, this was a point of no return. It's not like he could put the boy aside and call it quits. But no matter how hard he tried to convince her that she wasn't letting anyone down, that, as well, was a thought she wasn't going to go back on so easily. Stubborn? Very, but that was the obvious flaw in personality of a girl who hardly had a voice for a near decade. Who rarely got to enjoy herself, and when she finally found something close to love, it fell apart in the span of two days. Ending it out in a hug and stopping the yelling was a better way to go about it, and his embrace held a small amount of comfort in her heart. What hurt was that it wouldn't last, and that they'd still crossed the point of no return.

"So... you do know how I felt," she whispered as Frank went on to say how much she meant to him. "You know why ending things hurt me so badly. I didn't get a chance to fall in love that way before, and to have and lose it all in such a short time..." She gulped, but stomached whatever sick feeling she had in her stomach as she slowly pulled away from Frank, her hands against his shoulders to put distance between the two. "It's hard to be grateful for something that hurts to remember now, but... whatever." Again, maybe it was just her own insecurity and inability to express her emotions properly. Now, that very detachment from emotion was pushing her away from Frank and trying to stay as far as possible again. All she wanted, now, after hearing whatever stern words he had to say, was to cry herself to sleep again and hope tomorrow things will be different.

Frank still wanted to help her and guide her. Be her friend. Keep whatever promises he could. He was trying to keep the peace. But why couldn't Thalia accept that? No, she had other ideas in her mind for coping and getting passed this...

"I-I need space," she admitted, hiding her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry. I keep seeing you, and keep remembering what we had before, and it makes me very uncomfortable. Then I see you and Jordan all happy together? It's just.... n-no." She lowered her head in a bit of shame, just shutting him out again. "No, it hurts too much to see that. I need some time away just to help myself. I'm so sorry." Even telling Frank how she honestly felt made her feel worse. He was opening up to her and wanting her to stick around. But after thought? She didn't want to anymore. They say time heals? Maybe that's what she needed.

"You don't want me out of your life, and to tell the truth? I don't want to leave," she sniffled, reaching over to clear her wet cheeks from the tears. "But as unhealthy as it is to envy you or doubt myself, it's just as bad for me to try to hide the fact I'm in pain and paint a smile on my face when you're here. Yes, it means a lot that you care and all, but what good does that do after what we've said to each other? You have a life to chase after, and I have a very different one. I don't like to think of it, but separation is better off for us both... believe me. Maybe another time we can fulfill that dream, sitting back and enjoying a coffee or something. But I just ask you respect that I'm not ready for that yet."

What was she ready for? Maybe she should elaborate further. "My mom's back in my life. And I've finally met my little brother. There's so much about my life that I didn't even know existed. I could've been a very different person if I never jumped out of my bedroom window eight years ago. Now that the fighting is over, I want to.... find my way back home and be something I can live with. My mom won't stay here forever; that's for sure. Maybe we'll go back to Philly... or even back to Paris if she thinks it's best for me and Charlie. She was telling me that she'd want me to go back and see her family someday. Maybe we'll do that once I can walk through an airport without getting flagged. But I've got a life to live, to adapt to, to become something better than... this." She gestured her hands down at herself now, though she didn't look bad at all, she couldn't help but see herself covered in a sort of guilt. Pitiful. Pathetic.

And all this time, she didn't even say that she was still in love with him. She couldn't tell him that, even if it was obvious. It would be more obvious now.

"I need space to forget about us," she sighed. If that wasn't a hint enough, then what would be? "Forget whatever happened this past while. I might come back into your life when I feel more ready, but not now. I really can't now. I appreciate the encouragement, but I think I need to find that on my own, alright?" One last look into his eyes reminded her of what they once were. What would happen tomorrow? Well, she wouldn't be home for most of the day to know, but she was still going to keep her distance until her mother finds a way to a new home.

But that wasn't how Thalia wanted to end this. Before she could turn around and hide like she did last time, she walked closer to him one more time and threw her arms around his neck. Just one more hug before she walks away. This time, lasted a while without an abrupt interruption of her retreating. Crying? Sure, she was. But at least this time, it felt more... complete. Her muffled voice could be heard from his shoulder telling him one last thing,

"Thank you, Frank. You're going to be a great father figure for Jordan... Maybe one day I'll make a great mother, too."

Now, things felt like they ended more peacefully. She could let go of him, a quick graze over his cheek, and she turned her back, hands crossed over her chest, and wandered about the house. Sleep was an illusion at this point; she felt anything but tired now. Maybe a quick walk through the yard would fix that. No way would she go back to her room to end up in bed with Jenny again. No, she wanted her privacy now, something she got very little of since she got back from the port. At least she achieved her closure with Frank, though. But why did the pain not change at all?

You still love him. But you didn't tell him... are you afraid he'd force you into a life you didn't want if you said you did?

Would he? Or was that fear simply irrational?

Thalia was stressed, upset, now alone - she made her way to the yard, hoping nobody would follow her or try to talk to her now at this late hour. Out in the yard, staring at the distant moon, trying to calm down. It reminded her of her days as a clanswoman coping with her emotions when she lost her previous lover. The difference was, that time was to death. This time it was because she couldn't handle being around him anymore. At least now, Frank knew this, and there were no secrets between the two anymore. Bitterness? Maybe, but at least they could move on without any sort mystery any longer. Her emotions were still eating her alive and the horrible feeling in her stomach making her want to throw up. A fix? ... In her back pocket were a couple of cigarettes and a lighter that she grabbed from the resort a few days ago, which she kept as a last-ditch resort for stress, even if she'd promised Frank to stop. Quit smoking together, he said. Why did even that feel... meaningless? So meaningless that she pulled out the two objects, staring at them with a sense of pain in her heart. Would breaking their promise do any good for her or her health? Would her family approve?

....Did it matter? It would just be one step closer to death. Would that be better? She lifted the stick into her mouth, clicked the switch of the lighter to induce the flame, and lit it up. She needed a release after that. At least she fulfilled her promise to clear the air with Frank. She said all she needed. Seemed as though he did too. So what was next? Tomorrow... starting over. Pretending none of this ever happened.
 
Maybe he was expecting nothing less, but, at least he'd said what he'd needed to. He wasn't expecting all hugs and kisses and acting as if nothing had ever happened - but at least they'd clarified that there was no point trying to blame each other or anyone else involved in the situation. It wasn't good for either of them, trying to guilt-trip each other into feeling like they were at fault. At the end of the day, it was just shitty fate - even though truthfully, Frank felt fate hadn't been all that cruel to him. To Jordan and Thalia, maybe, but to him? Things weren't as bad as he thought they were going to be. Was it wrong of him to feel that way? He didn't know, but he knew that maybe it was time to accept that he and Thalia didn't belong together. It was a sad truth, but not one they necessarily had to be upset about for the rest of their lives. All they could do was move on.

After the last hug, and Thalia's words about being a good father figure (which did redeem her for some of the things she'd previously said), Frank simply nodded to her - of all things, though, he managed a small smile. Tomorrow, he knew life was going to change. She may not have told him that she was still in love, but, he hadn't told her that what he was planning on doing next might just end up getting him killed. It was only a matter of time before the truth behind it reared its head. They'd have to wait and see how things went from here on out. Part of Frank was scared - the rest of him was determined to get things brushed up so Jordan could live in peace. Hopefully, they could live in peace together, but there were other concerns they had to deal with before that was a possibility.

With all of that in mind, he said the first thing that came to mind as she walked away.

"Bye, Thalia." He said. He didn't really put much thought into it - Was it goodbye from the relationship, or goodbye forever? He could only pray it'd end up being the former.

What a night.

--

Tuesday, August 9th - 7:13AM

First off, Frank was the one to get up first and make sure he was all ready and everything. He got ready extra early in case Jordan woke up before he left, but he knew that was unlikely. He wasn't going to leave without telling him he was going, though. Once he was all ready in a comfortable shirt, some black slim-fit jeans, and some sunglasses hanging from his shirt, he walked up to Jordan's side of the bed and crouched down, smiling as he looked at the face of the boy who was all bundled up in the bed. He didn't want to wake him up, but, it would save him panic later on. He reached out and gently shook his shoulder, causing his eyes to open a little bit.

"Frank...?" He croaked, quietly.

"Hey, buddy... I'm just going out for a little while with Tony, okay?" He ran a hand over the top of his head.

"You're gonna' come back...?"

"Of course." He chuckled quietly. "You go back to sleep. Chances are I'll be home by the time you wake up - If not, go see Charlie and Joseph, they'll probably have some breakfast with you."

"Okay." He whispered back, then set his head back down. He was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Good man. I'll be back soon." He said - he rose to his feet and gently ruffled Jordan's hair, followed by covering him over once again and leaving the room. He closed the door over quietly and instead went to Tony's room. He knocked and entered, assuming that Tony would have long since been awake. They had a big day ahead of them, and as long as things went okay, everything would turn out just fine for the whole group. If Frank and Tony weren't back by the time they said they'd be, then James would raise the alarm and the whole house would be on lockdown before anyone could count to ten. Simple as that.

Either way, in he went, and he simply stood at the doorway to wait. He'd said goodbye to Jordan, James knew they were leaving to hopefully brush this whole thing off. They were locked and loaded and ready to go, but they had to be careful here. Even if it meant pulling off a snatch-and-grab, driving along with the door open and dragging Sam into the car.

"You good to go?" He asked. "I can drive."

--

Karin

Karin was doing something similar to Frank in terms of saying goodbye. She went into Joseph's room and went to his bedside, gently shaking one of his arms to wake him up. It was early and the kids were up fairly late last night, too, so they all deserved to sleep in a bit. Still, she just wanted to talk to him and let him know they were leaving. She didn't really want to wake him, but, oh well. There were other reasons, too. Mainly medical. It was best to make sure his blood sugars weren't too low or anything.

"Joseph." She whispered, smiling.

He awoke fairly quickly and rolled over to look at her. "Yeah...?"

"Me and Thalia are going shopping soon, okay? James is gonna' give us a ride to our house so I can get my car, then he'll come back and make breakfast, but you've got Marcus and Jon here still. And Nicole." She said - Yeah, she deliberately left Jenny out of that equation. She didn't really want her interacting with Joseph all that much after what she'd said and done on the previous night, but even so.

"Okay." He whispered back. "Can you ask her about those French lessons...? She's been promising for a few days now..."

"Sure, of course." She reached out and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, she won't break her promise. Maybe when we get back, yeah? I'll have a talk." She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "You get some more sleep. I'll see you later."

"Yep. Love you." He rolled over and shut his eyes again with a yawn.

"Love you too, sweetheart." She whispered back, and with that she wandered out of the room. At least the kids would have themselves to keep them entertained. It was looking to be a nice day, too, so it was the perfect day to play in the pool - play volleyball with the soccer ball, or something. She'd leave them to it, though. She had no idea if Thalia was awake or not, but, all Karin really had left to do was put on some makeup and have a quick bite to eat. She'd showered and gotten dressed already, but she didn't know if she could say the same for Thalia.

She walked to Thalia's bedroom door and knocked a few times before poking her head in through the door, "Hey. You getting ready?" She asked - Obviously, if Thalia had called out and told her not to come in for whatever reason, she would have just stayed outside the door and spoke through it.
 
Tony/Reeves

Fortunately for Tony, unlike the other night where he had moped about losing Melissa, he managed to pull himself together and actually get himself a good night's rest. Back when he thought he could still get her back, things were obviously different. He'd made the mistake of becoming overly aggressive with Pigman, and Roland was not very cooperative from the get-go. Then again, Thalia made him worse by mashing his kneecap beyond repair and gouging his eye. And hearing Ra's promise to start cutting fingers off, right there for him to hear? That broke him deep down. Left him drinking himself to sleep, which he hardly got any of that night. But now? He knew for sure Melissa was dead. And that meant only one thing was left on the agenda: vengeance. And that started with one person, his cousin. He knew for sure that Sam had raped her before she met her maker. That was enough for him to drag his cousin out of the parking lot, drag him home to James' bunker, and give him a taste of his own medicine? Partially that, but also partially for Tony to get the answer to a burning question: ....why? What went wrong for Sam to turn like that? What pushed him to go off the deep end and result to abuse? Robbing people.... rape? A monster. But why? How? That's all Tony could wonder from a man that was the closest thing he'd ever had to a brother.

Now would be a day of revelations. And it all started with a snatch and grab outside of the bank. Now that he was no longer a detective on official record, he no longer had to wander around in a suit in the scorching California heat. In this case, a plain white polo and cargo pants did Tony well. A pair of cool sunglasses over his head through his longer slicked hair? An added bonus. The less the two looked like cops, the better. Well, they weren't cops any longer, and wouldn't be any more. But one thing that would remain that makes Tony a cop? His connections. Being a detective for 10 years certainly made him the talk of the town, especially with the amount of takedowns Tony was behind. Al-Asheera would've been his magnum opus. At least at this rate? Once it came to light, his new magnum opus would be the takedown of Sergeant Reeves...

But how long would it take for the corrupt sergeant to be discovered? Would it be too late if he disappears to Portland soon?

Just before Frank entered the room, Tony received a call on his cell phone from the sergeant. Kinda early? Oh well; the two had known each other for years. Strange how Tony was never suspicious of any sort of illegal activity from Reeves, an Al-Asheera higher-up. Moreover, whatever Tony was reporting back? It might not have ever reached the captain. Or did it, but slightly distorted...?

Oh well. Questions for another time when the truth is unveiled.

"Yeah, Sarg? Pretty early huh?"

"Indeed, Tone. But I wanted to give you a heads-up about those locations you sent me last night. Those ones you were SOOO sure were Al-Asheera hideouts?"

Reeves' attitude seemed... unusual. The way he emphasized Tony's prior confidence. It would've put a smile on his face otherwise. But he wouldn't like what was to come. "Yeah?"

"I just spoke with the acting SWAT commander. All duds. Absolutely nothing. We invaded on normal families having dinner or supper with their families, which we have to reimburse for damage. Which makes me beg the question: What was your source on these locations?"

Quite a demanding ask right off the bat, for a source. Pacing through the room, he had to ask for details. All duds? What happened? Could Al-Asheera have SERIOUSLY legged it this fast? A question for Thalia, the only person who could know. Did they get out of Philly in a few hours? Or was the death of Ra's a different story? "All duds? Are you sure? Did you check all of them? The Burbank duplex... the resort in Pasadena... the same motel we had the shootout at, where Richie got shot down..."

"I said all duds, Tony. So I want an explanation for why we broke down innocent people's doors. Who. Was. Your source."

Tony sighed, wiping his free hand over his face. Failure just bit him in the face in a place where it should've never done so. Was there a leak? No way it was Thalia. She's been relieved all night with Ra's dead. Not to mention how she reacted when she heard he was gone. The hug at the port... things were different between Thalia and Tony now. "You know I'm working with the mystery redhead, right?"

"Which you have to surrender, ASAP. You know that, right? She's already a media frenzy as is. So hand her over."

"It's not that simple. I promise you, I'll do it when the time is right and she WON'T get shot down on sight." A lie. Now, Tony had no intention of arresting Thalia. And if she was arrested, he'd testify on her behalf. "But she gave me those locations. How the hell are they duds?"

"She must've tipped them off."

"Impossible. She's been under FBI surveillance the whole time. How the hell could she tip them off?"

"I dunno, Tone. Something's not right. But I'll look into any possible leaks. You too. I'll talk to you this afternoon, alright?"

Nodding, Tony removed his hand from his and sighed. "Fine. I'll get back to you, Sarg." He then dropped the call and pocketed the cell phone. Not a great start to the day. At least he wasn't awake with a hangover this time. He terminated the call right on time for Frank to come into the room. Right on time. They obviously clicked that way as partners. A match made in heaven.

"I'm ready when you are.... only if we can get coffee and donuts on the way," Tony grinned confidently, accompanied by a wink. "I don't know how many stake-outs you've done, Frank, but if it's this bright and early, there's two things we gotta bring: breakfast, and a bottle to pee in. So best, if you have to do your business, you let it out here, right?" He chuckled a bit at the light humor in the moment. "Can't tell you how many times I made the mistake of holding it in my first year. Not pretty, I'll tell ya."

It was clear Tony was in a good mood this morning, for the most part. He wasn't going to let the bad news from Reeves get to him, but he sure as hell was going to tell Frank about it. "Sergeant Reeves just called me, for your info. I told him to raid the duplex in Burbank, as well as all the other confirmed locations I got from Thalia.... but he claims they're all empty," he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "How? How the hell did they even evacuate that quickly? I just hope we're not too late for Sam. No way he can just leg it with his job at Bank of America... god damn...."

--

Thalia/Jenny

Karin might've forgotten in that moment... Thalia sacrificed her room for Jenny. Now that they were romantically involved, it turned from a sacrifice to sharing the room together. After all, who would complain? Well... many would. Jenny was making enemies under that roof left and right. Even with Karin herself, who knocked on the door bright and early at a time when the more rebellious girl was at her crabbiest. She hated early risers, but Thalia had already done the honors and took to the bathroom since 6 AM to get herself ready, taking with her a bunch of make-up tools, a hair straightener, and a tablet into the bathroom. Whatever the hell she was doing, wherever the hell she got that stuff, Jenny didn't bother ask. All she wanted was more sleep. And it didn't help that she could hear video tutorials from the master bathroom, keeping her up... then Karin poking her nose in their business. What a morning...

Even better: Thalia hadn't spoken to Jenny about ending thins yet. Could Karin take a hint if they were sleeping together? Thalia just didn't want to sleep alone that night. She needed the comforting arms of another around her to just get her through the night. Could anyone blame her? She was in tears, broken down, after her confessions and tears with Frank. The least she could do was something to help herself. And smoking and walking in the yard alone only does so much to help her mental state. But indeed, having a partner in bed helped her get through the night smoothly, despite the nightmares. At least she didn't wake up too abruptly from a dream. Rather to an alarm to get herself ready. Thalia had never girled out before, never done makeup, nor fixed her hair, hence the makeup and the hair straightener. The tablet was to watch whatever tutorial videos she could so she wouldn't look too disastrous on her first day out. The noise bothered Jenny, and Karin knocking just as early? Fuck off, she muttered in her heard.

But instead, she stood up and marched over to the door, the crack that Karin had left for herself. The two were clearly on bad terms, and with Jenny in a horrible morning mood, she had to worsen the wound between the two by getting up in her face again. "Would you go back to bed?" she groaned. "Thalia is faaaaast asleep in bed with me, probably not in the mood for wherever you're going today. Not to mention the looooovely seeing-to I gave her last night. And she loved every minute of it, just so you know every graphic, sexy detail of the whole thing. Boy, you don't know what you're missing..."

So if there was any path Jenny wanted to take with Karin, it was the hostile one, attacking every aspect of her knowledge of Karin as well as showing blatant signs of disrespect, as far as lying about it, too, just to keep Thalia to herself. but fortunate, the redhead herself cut the two off before it could get even slightly ugly. Her night yesterday was horrible and depressing. She didn't want the morning to continue on that note.

"Jenny."

Jenny immediately stopped and turned around to see Thalia, in the same outfit she wore last night before bed, still no ankle brace, but her hair nicely straightened, falling down her shoulders so gracefully and a few strands of her hair falling over her left eye. She clearly was no fashionista, but she knew what people saw in her... pretty? Maybe. Just maybe. For once, she was trying. Makeup was a complete failure, unfortunately, washing out her face multiple times in the bathroom from how indecisive she was. But either way... part of her felt she didn't need it. Her face was naturally beautiful, according to many outsiders looking in. Maybe she'd take makeup lessons from Karin later. Maybe her mother, too. She trusted them enough. Though Jenny's darker motif for makeup was attractive in her eyes, Thalia just didn't see it working well for her. From what she saw with Karin, she clearly knew what she was doing. Then again, Karin was an idol in Thalia's eyes, some sort of model for perfection that she aspired to be like in every way. Maybe someday... they've been with each other for so long, and already, some things were rubbing off on her. The cooking was a start, able to make herself a hot chocolate on her own at the very least. She also hoped to get herself something simple for breakfast, too, unless her mother wanted to go big or go home with that. That was one promise made at dinner the other night, but then again, Thalia wouldn't mind that at all. She missed her mother's love.

When greeted with Karin, she could only smile. Today was the day, the first day of actually being normal. She'd left the hair straightener, makeup, and tablet in the bathroom, but she'd soon explain that. "Well, you look amazing," she began, most probably referring to Karin in that case, even a slight redness in her face.

Not a direct jab at Jenny, but of course, she interpreted it as such, not to mention the feelings of jealous coursing her body. Instantly, Jenny backed off of Karin and leaned her face closer in to her 'girlfriend' and left a kiss on her cheek, then a hushing noise, obviously trying to seduce her. "C'mon, no one can beat how pretty you are.... I'm so glad you're mine."

For once, Thalia was responding negatively to the intimacy, gently pushing the girl away. Finally, time to lay down the law. "N-Not now, Jen. Please?"

Probably not the stern 'no' Karin would expect, but it was rejection, and Jenny didn't like. She was jealous simply of Thalia complimenting her friend's looks. That spoke a lot about how insecure she was about her romances. Pouting to cover it up, she sighed. "You sure you can't stay? We could just... chill in bed? Hang out? Have a little... playtime? You could invite whoever you want, you know..." A sneaky eye roll met Karin in that case, obviously implying if Thalia would want Karin to join this 'fun'. It was even met with a gentle, teasing flick of Thalia's locks on her shoulder.

This time, the lust wasn't clouding her judgment. Things had significantly changed since yesterday, even if they'd had sex again that previous night. Shaking her head, Thalia sighed. "I'm sorry. I kinda want to go out today, but... maybe tonight?" It's not like Thalia would drag Karin into a threesome anyway. They'd already been through that since day one in random small talk.

More disappointment. And jealousy. So Jenny then gave up and turned back over to the bed, murmuring, "Have fun.... oh," she quickly turned back over to the two at the door. "Bring something crazy to play with in bed. I left all my toys back at home, soooo... yeah."

God damn it, is sex ALL you want? Thalia thought to herself. It just goes to show what kind of relationship that was going to be if it were to continue. But on the outside, she just smiled and nodded. "I will if I have the money... okay? I'll... catch you later."

And that was all that she needed to say. Taking Karin's hand and sneaking out the door, now the two could talk in private and on a more serious note. Now, Thalia could grin from ear to ear in full confidence, ready to start off the new day. She was excited, no doubt, obvious by her hyper attitude so early. "Sooooo... I spent like, and hour and a half watching videos and trying to understand how one.... does makeup?" She giggled a bit in embarrassment. "I fucked up sooo badly. Washed my face like ten times from screwing up until I just gave up and settled for the natural look. I managed to straighten my hair without destroying it though, or burning down the house. So.... I guess that's a win-win?" She grinned with a shrug, trying to show some sign of success, even flicking a bit of her own hair, trying to show off. Nervous? Sort of. She didn't want to come off too lame in front of Karin. Either way, she didn't seem too judgmental. "I did sneak the makeup and hair straightener from my mom's suitcase, though. So if anyone asks.... yeaaaah. Hope she doesn't mind."

Between mother and daughter? Why on earth would that be a problem, even from the overly-strict Nicole Griffin?

What was going to be a problem, though? Jenny's attitude. That was proving to be a major problem. The attitude that early in the morning? Unacceptable. And Thalia knew she had to address that too. "I'm sorry about Jenny.... Again. I had no clue she'd be that rude while I was in the bathroom and unable to back you up. I swear, I'd be done sooner if I weren't such a failure at makeup, you know?" She laughed a bit once more, finding any excuse to laugh. They say laughter cures a lot? It sure was helping cure Thalia's mild depression and craving for Frank. Today was supposed to be happy, a girl's day out. A dream come true. All they could hope for is nothing goes amiss...

But knowing their pattern of events? Something was bound to. It was only a matter of time.
 
"Don't worry, we'll have all the bottles we need." Frank said. "I've been there, done that, with some very mean cops who get grouchy when they're hungry - this will be a breeze compared to some of those times, don't you think?" He chuckled a little bit, then had a look around. "We'll stop for coffee and donuts on the way there, though, don't you worry about it. We may not be cops anymore officially, but in demeanor? Of course we are. Coffee and donuts all the way." He grinned.

Then came the harder part of their talk - apparently all the locations were empty, not a trace of Al-Asheera in them. Time to walk and talk. "Let's move." He said, simply, a frown on his face. He walked Tony straight through the house and eventually out the front door, too. He glanced around - nothing, no one, not a soul in sight for now. It was probably best that way. He didn't want to discuss the Al-Asheera business too much with all the kids in the house. Out in the car was the better bet, so, as soon as he'd gotten out of there and hopped in the driver's seat of the vehicle they'd be using for this operation, he leaned back in his seat and shook his head.

"Something's wrong." He said, quietly. "You're telling me that Al-Asheera managed to poof into the air in a matter of... Well, hours?" He asked. "It's not possible. It's not possible they raided all of the places that quickly and didn't find even a trace of them there. I don't buy it, Tony. It smells bad." He said. "And with the LAPD having the highest statistics of corruption in the country, it wouldn't surprise me if there's a chicken in the henhouse, y'know what I mean? There might be more inside guys in the LAPD other than Pigman. Either that, or someone's threatening Reeves." He said, thinking over all the possibilities - Did he think Reeves could be a rat? Possibly. Al-Asheera had shown they could break pretty much anyone.

"We need to be careful, because I think someone's working against us, and whoever it is is trying to send us in the right direction. Thalia hasn't lied to us - she was honest about the 7-11. Why would she sell out one side of the group and then change her mind? Not only that, but, there was no doubt that the guys in the 7-11 caught wind that police had found out. They had all day to pack up - but they didn't. Even a small group of people would take ages to move and get rid of all traces of evidence." He explained. He sat there scratching his chin for a moment as he started up the car's engine and released the handbrake. The car rolled forward, slowly, and eventually they were on the road.

After some time of thinking, he said something else.

"We can't trust anyone else, Tony." He shook his head. "We can trust each other, James, Thalia - all of those guys. But that's it." He said. "We're not cops anymore, and given the fact that it's bullshit all of those places were empty... We can't trust Reeves, either. We don't know if he's a victim or a suspect, but we can't trust him. I know he's your friend, but, you need to see this from where I'm standing. At this point, the less he knows, the better. We'll stomp out Al-Asheera ourselves, because there's someone in the LAPD trying to stop that from happening, I think." He said.

He hoped Tony didn't mind the idea of cutting Reeves out - if he was being blackmailed or being paid to find out information, then there was no chance they could take a risk. Throw a Sergeant half a million and chances are he'll do anything.

--

Having Jenny answer the door was as much of a bitter surprise as the next, really, and at this point in time, Karin was just going to go and ask James to throw her out. She was a bitch, a bitch that just tried to make everyone miserable so she could get her own way. She couldn't do anything if James told her to get off her ass and hit the road - and most of them knew, getting into a physical fight with James probably wouldn't end well with you. God knows no one else had tried it thus far. Still, though, Karin made the effort to smile when she opened the door - She was the only one who could laugh about it, really, because she was chosen for the shopping trip, not Jenny.

"I'm sure as wonderful as your 'playtime' would be, and as much as I'd love to join, I really wouldn't want to show you up - I'd just humiliate you by showing that I'd make a far better time as a lesbian." She said, rather calmly, too. Maybe it was wrong to fuel the fire, but, if Thalia wasn't going to be stern, then she was. "You have fun, though. I'll think of you when we're drinking some expensive wine and all that. I'll buy you a bath bomb, or something, just as a memoir to the trip you weren't invited on." She winked. Before the door got closed over, though, she turned to Thalia. "Oh... Remind me when we get there. I need to buy some Bitch Repellent."

And that was pretty much that. Jenny could bite if she wanted to, but, she had to learn that Karin was just going to bite right back. She could push and manipulate Thalia all she wanted, but the same little mind games weren't going to work on Karin - and as Karin was going to be spending a lot of time with Thalia, the fact that Jenny's evil magic didn't get to her was probably the most concerning thing. Because like hell was she going to let Thalia go crawling back to her. She deserved better than that - hopefully today she'd get that opportunity, even if it was as much as making a new friend outside the house. Not necessary a romantically involved one, just a regular friend. That would be a step in the right direction.

Still, on a more positive note...

"You look great, don't worry." She said as she looked over Thalia's makeup and hair work. "We'll get you some makeup of your own today. Alongside a couple of outfits - You've got it right, don't worry. Give it a week or two, and the makeup will only take you half as long. You look good." She smiled at her. "I just need to do my own makeup real quick, maybe have a little snack before we leave, then James is gonna' run us to my place so I can get my car." She smiled.

"As for Bitchtits, don't worry about her." She said quietly. "Just make sure you keep your distance. Being around her isn't healthy for you in the slightest - So what you're going to do, is take that 'toy money' she wants you to spend, and you're going to buy something for you. A big fuck-off cake, or something. Just anything to show you don't need her bullshit in your life - passive-aggressive messages work surprisingly well, believe me." She grinned. "Still, we have all day to discuss shit like that. We'll start off with a fancy breakfast somewhere." She nodded.

Well, she had a new nickname for Jenny, it seemed. Bad blood? It seemed so, but luckily there was enough people in the house to ensure it didn't end in violence - at least not too much, anyway.
 
Fortunately, Tony wasn't a part of that crowd of 'mean grumpy cops' that would appear off their rocker when deprived of food, though appearance-wise, he might look that way. He took stake-outs quite seriously, and would walk Frank through anything he wasn't sure about, but it didn't seem like it'd be necessary. Frank was seasoned enough, though so young. The force would certainly miss this dynamic duo working for them. In almost a week's time, Frank and Tony drove the Al-Asheera investigation further than Philly PD did in 20 years. So far as to kill their leader, a man that they couldn't even identify after all this time. Now, the organization hardly had a leg to stand on. Only two left, quite literally: Sam and Reeves. And they were about to shoot one of their knees, leaving one man to run a gang now in a state of crisis after the death of their 'god', a power vacuum, and a potential leader that might not be agreeable with the masses. Would the hundreds of brainwashed recruits now wake up and attempt to thwart Reeves if he tries to enforce his rule over the one that Ra's used to command? After all, he was a cop. That wasn't the most respectable profession for the leader of a gang of thieves, even if it was clear where his loyalties were. In general, Al-Asheera's future wasn't looking very bright anymore.

It was only becoming shadier now to know that the raids came up empty. Unbelievable, another rat besides Pigman? The older mindset of Tony would've immediately barged into Thalia's room, held a gun to her head and forced her to start talking. But what more did she know? She couldn't identify The Hidden, but that would be Sam's job in the end. Still, how were the locations EMPTY? Like Reeves said: innocent families were there. Frank was right: someone didn't want them finding out the truth and is leading them to a trap. Best not to discuss this in full view of innocent people, though. But James might want to hear about this later. Probably when they bring Sam and Murphy back. Where else would they take the two crooks, anyway?

"I'm with you there, Frank," Tony nodded as the two entered their vehicle. "No way they just vanished like that, but I'm sure it wasn't Thalia that ratted us out, either. Why would she? She just got what she wanted: her abuser dead and gone, never coming back, so why risk it all now? I really hate to say it, but I think Al-Asheera either had a backup guy in case Pigman ended up blowing his own brains out, or they paid someone off to take his place. I wouldn't blame them after what... five days of losing their informant that they grab someone else? It was through the local PD that they had Philly under siege anyway. Without the LAPD, they can't get away with half of what they do. So a replacement informant isn't as much of a stretch as you'd think..." Someone pulling Reeves' strings? Tony found it very unlikely, and even showed a shocked expression when Frank merely brought up the possibility. To Tony's knowledge, Reeves was the most solid cop he knew, and, with Redgrave dead, the only one he could trust now. Or could he?

"I have to disagree," he continued as Frank began to drive. "Sure, people are breakable, but not Reeves. When we talk cops? Reeves is the most solid man I know. There's no way that he could've been broken, and if he were, he'd probably tell me. That's not me white-knighting the man blindly. I've worked with him for nearly a decade. And I think I know him well enough to know that he would never stoop that low..." Still, another thought of previous events came to mind. "Remember that goon we found at Redgrave's house, snooping around back when we found little Jordan?" 'Little Jordan' was a way for Tony to differentiate between the young blond boy who just lost his family and the sergeant he knew for years. "Apparently, he wanted to try and bribe Redgrave into being the new LAPD informant. No better way to go than to go big, right? SWAT commander. Not some small guy in comms with no authority like Pigman, but nothing too risky that could nail their asses to the wall instantly like the captain. I'd hate to imagine that Reeves sits in that same threshold. I'm just glad they haven't come after one of us yet. Particularly me with my reputation. With the way I get things done, as unorthodox as I am?" He scoffed. "Before you came along, I was accused of being dirty like 8 times already. Just goes to show how far people would go..."

Except now, in one way or another, Tony was dirty. Pursing a police case while he wasn't supposed to be using a weapon or his badge. But along the road they had to tread. Into downtown.

As much as it pained Tony to cut Reeves out of the loop, the rational part of him knew that it was necessary until they got the facts straight. It would be a lifesaver at this rate, little did they know. "In that case, I think you've got a point there. Sam should have answers for that. Point us in the direction of the new informant. Speaking of which, we're sure as hell not torturing him in the parking lot of a bank. We have to get him somewhere more... private..." He took a brief pause, looking around at the passing buildings of the city. It'd been a while since he had any sort of old fashioned cop-style takedown. And especially not in informal attire. A new feeling... one he'd get used to. No more flashy suits as a detective. Sweet, sweet retirement. "My turn for questions: we know where we're gonna grab Sam: we wait for him to show up at work, corner him before he gets into the view of the bank cameras, and get him the hell out of here quietly and inconspicuously. Best way, unfortunately, is to knock him out, which I can hopefully do. After that... where are we gonna get Murphy? Where should we expect him? And after that, where do we take our two rats? We're sure as hell not torturing them in the living room of James' mansion either. Not when there's three kids in the house, for Christ's sake. Got any ideas?"

--

That same feisty attitude that Thalia loved when she and Karin first butted heads a week ago resurfaced now in front of Jenny, but this time, less aggressive and more sarcastic. At the diner, it was more like guilt tripping and a truly hostile tone. Now, despite how unruly and harsh Jenny was to Karin's face, the latter girl refused to give in, but also didn't fuel the fire in a way that made Jenny want to attack her. Then again, if she DID, then the first thing James would do in response is personally send her out the door. It was relatively safe now, anyway, so there was nothing to fear for her safety any longer. It did hurt Thalia to know how abusive and manipulative her old friend still was. Just like when they were kids. At first, she thought the three of them would get along very well. No. It was all a ploy so Jenny could get down her pants again. She should've known the second she kissed her at the bus stop. Again, romance and intimacy clouded her judgment more than anything. Perhaps that was a part of her post-trauma mindset. She craved what she never had. There were other ways to satisfy that, as she'd soon see on this day off.

Daaaaaaaaamn, Kar. THAT was sick. Thalia's gleeful thought process absolutely loved Karin's clever comebacks to everything Jenny was going on about. She even went as far as to cover her jaw-dropped mouth from the shock. Fortunately, as entertaining as Karin's responses were, they didn't continue, and the two helped themselves out. Now was the more fun part: private time with her new best friend.

As she heard the sound of probably a shoe hitting the bedroom door as it slid shut, Thalia could only wonder... is this what she wanted to crawl back into bed with?

"So you know," her grin remained on her face as she elaborated, "I think any straight girl would make a 'better lesbian' than Jenny. So it wouldn't be all that hard for you to show her up. She might come off as the whole 'dominant lesbian' motif, but it's all an act... in bed, in the real world? I think she's my worst. Kinda underwhelming as my first crush, y'know? But seriously, I've been more satisfied by my pinky finger alone than by her. Not to be too graphic, but... hey, don't tell me YOU haven't tried." She gave Karin a light punch to the shoulder jokingly. They'd spoken about sex lives before, slightly, or mainly about a potential threesome with Frank or James, but never really about self-pleasure or exes. Karin did know Thalia's past lovers well enough by now: Ra's, Vanessa, almost Roland, Frank, and now Jenny. That wasn't counting the many people she'd bent over and slept with to rob in her thief days, but that was another story. Even Thalia didn't know half of their names.

Still a bit red-faced from the compliment of looking good, she nodded, "Thanks... but you still look better," she winked. "I swear, after all those videos I saw? I'm glad I didn't leave the bathroom in THAT big of a mess. Maybe you could give me a tip or two sometime? You seem to be such a pro at all sorts of stuff. And I really learn a lot from you." Unlike with Jenny, Thalia had plenty of nice things to go on about with Karin. It seemed like most of what she did was so seamless. Then again, that's what trauma does to you, a time when you had to learn to be independent. Now was sort of the same phase for Thalia, and no better person to learn from. Especially with a day into town to have fun. It was about time they fulfill this sort of fantasy they'd been talking about for so long.

What could possibly go wrong?

"Jesus, Karin, you're still going at her, aren't you?" Indeed, Karin was taking jabs at every opportunity she could with the 'bitchtits' remark. "I mean... I really didn't have anything against her until she started acting like a bitch in front of everyone but me. But you know... I couldn't just leave her out on the street and all. Not with Al-Asheera chasing her." She sighed, looping arms with Karin as they walked on through the house. "I thought hooking up with her would be a dream come true, everything I've always wanted from childhood. Only for me to realize... she didn't change at all. I mean... "get me a new toy". Come the fuck on..." she groaned, rolling her eyes in a sarcastic way. "All she wants is sex... nothing else. I tried to just talk to her about me and Frank, but she shut me out and, well.... you can use your imagination for the rest. Guess what I wanted for so long wasn't worth it in the end, right? Maybe you can relate?"
 
"You call Reeves what you want, but no matter what you say, I'm not involving him until we know for sure that he's not tied in with all of this. We don't know everything about him - we don't know if he has any family that we've never heard of, if he's got close friends or a potential lover that Al-Asheera have gotten to - we don't know if Al-Asheera sent him two million in unmarked bills in exchange for a little help now and again. You simply don't know. There's a lot to take into account - officers go corrupt for a reason, and not even to work for gangs. I mean going corrupt in the sense of beating suspects, accepting bribes, extorting shopkeeps to pay you for protection. Everyone has a reason behind why they do something like that - A guy I knew a few years back got dishonorably discharged about four months after he got out of the academy. He was in the same batch as me." He sat back in his seat and sighed.

"Guy went corrupt almost immediately after he became a full officer. Turned out he was extorting people and accepting bribes so he could pay for his wife's medical bills. She had... MS, or something?" He shook his head. "We all have our reasons for dropping the ball and turning our backs on what we believe in. Parents abandon their kids sometimes, either for the hope of a better life or simply because they wanted freedom. People end relationships for happiness, a slightly bigger bank account at the end of the month, to get away from the stresses of being with their partner." He explained. "Reeves may seem like the kinda' guy that can be broken, Tony, but believe me... There's no such thing as an unbreakable human being." He said.

A good point that was made... They were going to coerce Redgrave into being a new informant, but that only added to Frank's argument. "Exactly. They wanted Redgrave simply because he had the power to get things done, things they needed. They're going to pick a First Class Officer off the street and try and get him to do it, because he has no influence. People below Sergeants are basically nothing more than guppies that do the dirty work. They wanted someone who could influence things, make changes - Redgrave was dead, so what was the next step? Find someone less high-profile, because they're not going to want someone who's at risk of being killed by every other gang in the city, either." He said.

"I'm not saying Reeves sold out willingly, but if he did? He's one of the most likely people they'd go for. A hardened sergeant who everyone believes can't be cracked and is loyal to the department to his dying day. Some sergeants don't give a fuck - but Reeves does. You'd be surprised how much the rule of 'it's always the ones you least expect' is true. Anyway, moving onto the more important things - Sam and Murphy." He said. "We can take them to the docks, maybe, go into one of the old storage warehouses. Abandoned one, of course. By the time someone decided to look in there, the bodies would be long gone and the blood stains could easily be assumed to be that of a drug addict." He explained. "I don't know if Murphy will be entirely necessary to take elsewhere, though. We can find him at his bakery on Baker St, Chinatown." He said.

"I don't plan on Murphy talking for long, in fact..." He thought for a moment. "Wow, that could actually work. The fridge room of Murphy's bakery." He said. "They store eggs and milk and god knows what in there. It's the perfect place to talk to him, at the very least. All I want from Murphy is a confession - information is an optional thing here. I know everything I need to know thanks to McAllister. At this point, I'm focusing on not letting Redgrave's death be in vain." He explained. "We can snatch Sam on his way to work, preferably not too close to the building. Jump him in the parking lot so we're shielded nicely from CCTV, keep him down near the ground and drag him back to the car. We'll be in and out before anyone even notices we're there." He said.

--

"Hah. That's gold. The girl that's sleeping with her even admits I'd be a better lesbian. RIP Jenny." She said, simply, and with a chuckle she lead Thalia through to the kitchen where she'd already gotten out some stuff to make for breakfast. She didn't need much in the way of food, but, she wanted a light snack. A bit of yogurt with some sliced fruit and honey. Healthy and light, leaving plenty of room for their first proper breakfast once they hit the city. The city, the shopping mall, and two now-rich girls who were just as cunning as they were eager. Sure, shit may hit the fan in one way or another, as it always does, but would that really keep them down? Of course not. Just like Frank and Tony, Karin and Thalia were almost a deadly force. A flipside of the detective lifestyle, but still a collective body that could get what they wanted done if they put their mind to it.

"Don't get me wrong..." She said, slicing two halves of a banana with a small knife. "I had nothing against Jennt at first, either. I thought she was a nice girl when I first met her." She said. "But then she revealed her true colors and went out of her way to hurt your mom when she got here, even though she knew how much that moment meant to you." She explained. "To be honest, it was more when she flipped at Frank that my opinion started to change. Sure, Frank had been a little snappy with me that morning, but that was business between me and him and he wanted to be left alone - I don't need Jenny to come in and start a fight for me. I'm more than capable of handling my own, and if I wanted a fight with Frank, I would have started one." She said. "What she did to you was just the icing on the cake, really."

"Kicking her out at first wasn't an option, no, but Al-Asheera's dead and done." She said. "Plus, once you cut things off with her and tell her the truth - which I know you will - she'll probably say her goodbyes and save anyone else the trouble of having to ask her to leave. The fact she's gotten away with everything she has is insane." She said. "Smashing bottles, causing fights, having arguments, being just generally bitchy... I'm surprised James has the nerve to put up with it, y'know?" She said, simply. "Everything she said in the last five minutes made me cringe more than anything else. Buy the toys, come and 'play', 'chill in bed' - All of it makes me wonder why I just didn't save myself and claim to be the Virgin Mary, because if that's how women my age are acting now, I've lost all hope." She laughed.

"Either way..." Once she'd mixed the fruit into the yogurt and squeezed some honey over the top, she brought a bowl over to Thalia and placed it in front of her, followed by sitting beside her with her own. "Just something light to keep us going." She smiled. "As soon as you've eaten this, I'll quickly do my makeup, then we'll set off. I'd rather wait a little while for McAllister to get up, anyway, just so he can watch over things. He usually gets up round about now." She said. She had a look around, too. The silence was oddly nice- James was wandering around doing his usual morning routine of cleaning up small messes just before anyone woke up, as well as going about and just making sure the house was the way he left it.

Windows locked, doors locked, and so on. Even when he lived alone he checked to see if all of that was still in order.

Was he in a better mood today? 50/50. He was smiling a lot more, but, he was just a little quieter than usual. Karin hoped he'd spend some time with the kids today. Joseph had his soccer stuff tomorrow, and Jiu Jitsu on Friday. Today was a good day for the two of them to connect a little more. They'd hardly spoken since they went out for lunch the other day.
 
With disconnection from the LAPD came sacrifices, and friends being left out of the loop for the time being. As much of a friend Reeves was for years on end, he's also a stickler to the rules, as Tony knew. One wrong word to the wrong mouth, and it's instant exposure. That's not including the possibility he's being extorted and is too afraid to say it. Then again... there was also his skepticism the other night when he was first given the locations. So many risks, that it would be impossible to asses every potential outcome now. The department can't be involved for the time being. Period. Going dirty? Well... Tony didn't need a bribe to brutalize Pigman. It was an emotional outburst in that moment. Perhaps that was his breaking point: his girlfriend. But seeing Frank was taking into consideration Reeves' loved ones... "He's got a wife and a daughter, the girl's a high school senior. Sure, loved ones ARE a weak point, but I mean...." He sighed and threw his head back in the seat. "It's hard to imagine someone you know and care about doing something like this. Remember how I reacted when I first saw Sam's name on that list? I didn't believe it until I heard it for myself. Things are changing, Frank. I mean... anyone ever thought me and Thalia would ever be on good terms?"

Even Tony himself didn't think it was a possibility. But she saved his life. In return, he saved hers. If there was any bad blood between them, one would've left the other to die.

The talk about Redgrave being the potential informant made Tony wonder: he was no sergeant or higher-up. But why force him to resign? They could've kept him under their wing, especially with Sam feeding them information about every detail in Tony's life. It could've been a sort of 'we'll keep your whore alive if you do exactly as we say' deal. But they didn't... They pressured him to simply quit. If that's not strange on its own, then what is? Let the little fish go to catch a big fish later? Maybe their big fish was supposed to be Redgrave. Is Reeves the next step? The way Al-Asheera recruited was, indeed, strange. The way they extort people? Inhuman. But at least the bastard that lead them for so many years was now taking a dirt nap. Hopefully the death of their god demotivates them enough to disband on its own. Or would Thalia be right about The Hidden becoming the next leader? Keeping it running? Or would they just retreat?

No matter now. Just food for thought. Now was the decision of where to take their crooks once they were apprehended. Honestly, Tony didn't mind. So long as the location was secluded and nobody would interrupt them, he'd happily drag Sam into a shady alley in downtown and kick him to a bloody pulp there. Though an abandoned storage warehouse would've been a very safe bet... then came the truth about what Frank wanted in particular from Murphy. Which surprised the older, more seasoned detective. Sure, they already had an abundance of information from McAllister that they could use, but beyond that? He kept in mind that the same thing applied with Thalia, and even her knowledge was extremely limited. Even if Al-Asheera members would lean towards the 'fuck yourself' treatment, they'd still give the interrogation process a run for its money. What if Murphy actually KNOWS something useful? Something they may not be able to anticipate otherwise?

"So this is more about vengeance," Tony came to the conclusion out loud. "Understandably. Half of me just wants to shoot Sam out in broad daylight after what he did to Mel, but I know he knows something about The Hidden... no doubt the last two members of The Ten haven't at least spoken with each other after the death of their 'god'..." Then came the more painful part. 'information is optional'. "And yes, we know a lot thanks to Marcus. But we literally just threw the fish back into the pond... what, three days ago or something? I highly doubt he's straight back in the upper echelons right after jailtime. He's been a valuable asset, but I do think we can try to beat something out of Murphy. Think this over Frank..." He cleared his throat before going on... "You said it yourself when we began this investigation: us, as cops? We're not getting anywhere near Bradan's base of operations without preparation. You and I alone? A raid ain't happening like that. Even if we got McAllister or James, or even Thalia and that guy named Jon that brought her family in here, to join in on it, it's still a recipe for disaster. Six, tops, against an army?" He scoffed. "This is why Thalia wouldn't let us raid the duplex in Burbank until Ra's was gone. Once we cut off the head, or at least lowered their guard, they'd be vulnerable. We need to find that same vulnerability with Bradan. And something tells me it goes beyond slaying the king's men. Just... reconsider your stance on 'information is optional' here. Take it from someone who considers you a friend, not just a more seasoned detective. He might be useful, much like how we saw use in Roland."

--

Blushing at the subject brought up, Thalia went on, "Well, I did learn everything I know from a professional, so I guess that's why I find Jenny such an amateur." It left a grin on her face. For once, she could show off a sort of sexual proficiency shamelessly to someone who wouldn't judge. Judgment from Karin was a distant far in the beginning, but after they discussed it, and even after admitting that she even crushed on Karin slightly, things turned out alright. No hard feelings. "I mean, you could expect that in Al-Asheera, there weren't many girls, considering how Ra's sees us as sex puppets. Apart from me and Vanessa, I only remember two others. N-Not that I slept with them. They were waaaaay older than me. But on point: I could literally MAKE you a better lesbian than Jenny in like... ten minutes. Consider that a part of my 'special skills.'"

Apart from stealth and robbing people. Maybe torture, too. Not like those - or being good in bed - would ever be something worth mentioning on her CV. But as great of friends as the two were, Thalia would soon pick up on more useful life skills besides the rather primitive, unruly perks she had to her from her time as a thief. With James backing her and her family and a best friend on top of it all? She was practically set for life. And if James could pull through on her mother's request for a forged high school diploma, as much as that goes against everything Nicole believes in, it would only set the young woman's destiny in stone. For now, the simple things would do, like watching Karin make a light breakfast. Once more, Thalia's good memory came in hand as she kept in mind every movement her friend made to do this - and potentially screw up - on her own later.

"I don't appreciate how she has to sort of hold my hand half the time," she continued, "Yeah, sure, I kind of depended on you quite a bit in the beginning, because I was really nervous back at that place we met at last week. But not to the point that you'd confront my ex, call him names, and throw things around the house. You'd think a near decade would change a girl, right?" She shrugged, then gave a finger-pointing indication at herself to realize she was referring to her own case. "You know, besides the obvious. Guess that didn't apply to Jenny, huh? Still that always-fighting, always-manipulative, and.... well, always-horny girl I knew in middle school." She cracked up slightly at the last part. "Not even kidding, I'm sure she boned half the eight grade class in a single semester from what I remember. Then made a scene at the goddamn winter dance. Kinda glad now that I wasn't on her list back then, even if it was a sorta dream of mine to be something with her."

Dreams are never perfect, after all. A moment with Frank that she thought would last forever didn't even need a day to get turned upside down. Then came the rather vulgar remarks about 'fun' and 'toys'. In that moment, Thalia couldn't help but explode in laughter, though keeping it controlled as to not wake anyone up. It was barely 7:30 AM after all.

"God, remember when I said 'always horny'? Still a thing now it seems. Even I got kinda sick of the constant sex and teasing. It's all she wanted to go on about. And you didn't hear the half of it with her sexual fantasies. If you felt sick after hearing her want a 'toy' for tonight? You do NOT want to spend a night naked in bed with her, sister." All while laughing. It felt rather liberating turning the tables on Jenny, who spent all of middle school talking negatively about Thalia. Sure, it wasn't mature under any circumstance, and it made her seem pathetic for getting revenge... but still. Maybe Jenny could use a taste of her own medicine.

Taking the bowl from her friend and hearing the plans for the day, all Thalia could do is look up, a grin across her face, and say, "Here's to a new and better life. One I think we both deserve at this point."

James also came along that morning. A routine check of the area. Something similar to what Thalia was used to before. It felt strange without that everlasting feeling of paranoia haunting her, but it was also great to know. She finally felt safe for once in her life. A quick wave went out to him, even though she wanted a rather private, personal conversation with him. What Jon told her, about Miracle? The fact they both had their own miracles to deal with, neither of which are still here to tell the tale... it was quite sad. Did James even know much about Vanessa apart from her name, her involvement with Al-Asheera, and her romance with Thalia, which got her killed? Did he care? It was worth a conversation either way.

But James wasn't the only good face to see this morning. From behind Thalia as she snacked on her breakfast came a familiar older woman's voice.

"My oh my, cover your shoulders, for heaven's sake, young lady."

Only one person would ever tell her something like that: her mother. Spinning around her in her chair with a half smile on her face to talk to her mother, she defended herself, "Maman, this is California. In the middle of August. Not Philly at the winter dance. I'm not gonna get cold out here." It wasn't meant in any sort of teenage rebellion manner, though it did sound that way. But it wasn't like Nicole was being entirely serious either. She understood her daughter's argument. And once she turned around, the mother could certainly notice that her child fixed her hair on her own.

"I know, dear. It's just a force of habit," she calmly responded. "I just wanted a chance to tell you lovely ladies good morning before you headed out, and asked if you needed anything before you go."

Smiling at her mother's constant sense of caring and reaching for a helping hand, Thalia shook her head, "I think we're good. We're just getting something in real quick..." she lifted the bowl rather slightly to show that they were eating, "...Then we're going to Karin's place to get her car, then we'll be on our way."

"Mmm... great. You get yourself some nice things for yourself, darling. And don't you worry about your preparations for studying, because I already have that taken care of."

Taken care of? "O....kay?" Thalia was confused. She was going to put some money aside for a textbook or two, but if her mother said she's cover it...

"Again, you don't have to worry, alright? Now, I don't want to keep you two held up for longer than I should..." Nicole then reached forward to leave a quick kiss over Thalia's forehead as a parting wish, "You have fun, alright."

Thalia nodded, still rather happy with the sign of affection her mother had shown her. It'd been so long since she'd felt something like that, a mother's love. "I will. No need to worry about me. I survived eight years alone, right?"

"Doesn't mean I wan't to lose you for eight more minutes, right?" she refuted, then taking her steps away from the counter. A quick look and smile then reached over to Karin, that friend of Thalia's that she trusted after last night. "You have fun too, alright, Karin? You enjoy yourselves today."

With that, Nicole then parted her ways from the room, seemed to be in a sort of rush.... Strange? Well, Thalia found one thing stranger. She spun back around in her chair, now facing Karin once again, and had to bring it up, "My mom has smiled more under this roof in a day than she has in the first 13 years of my life, Kar. What the hell happened in one day?" Of course, it was a joyful question, but one Thalia found strange. Her mother wasn't exactly one to share a smile this much. Did she and Jon hit it off? Or was it just the thought that she was sleeping under the same roof as her daughter for once?
 
"I guess life's full of surprises." He said, simply. Yes, it was nearly a miracle that his friendship with Thalia had boiled down to this. To an actual friendship - the only issue now was that their friendship wouldn't save them if shit hit the fan today. Sure, her friendship helped them accomplish things and helped them have a step in the right direction, but at the end of the day, they were two men going against the remainder of an army. At least if something went wrong, James would have a way of knowing if they didn't get back on time, or didn't contact him. He knew where they were going to be, so, monitoring CCTV and getting playback of the time they were meant to be there wouldn't be difficult. He'd rather things didn't go wrong at all, though.

Tony did have good reasoning for keeping Murphy alive to at least squeeze some information out of him. It was the best bet they had overall - if they couldn't get information, they'd be in the deepest level of shit possible. Or at least there was that chance. If they fucked up now and made the wrong assumptions because of stale information, it could land literally everyone they know dead. As much as Frank just wanted to see the four hitmen drop to the floor with a bullet in them, maybe pressing them to find out more was right. The only person he had his doubts about was the eldest man - the assassin, the most trusted one with over 80 murders under his belt. Pressing him for anything at all would be difficult - providing they could actually catch him in the first place.

"You're right." He let out a soft sigh and shook his head, "I'm trying not to let my judgment get too clouded, but... Y'know." He said. "We can press Murphy for information. From what McAllister told me, he's a bit unstable - I don't think breaking him will be difficult." He said. "The guy lost his girlfriend to cancer, used to live in San Francisco with her and won awards for all his bakery shit. As soon as she died, he went off the rails and came here, and, as a runaway baker does, hooked up with one of the most violent gangs in the country." He said. "So, in spite of all that, getting to him won't be a difficult task, y'know what I mean? He'll crack."

He took a moment, "There's a line you can cross when you get someone to talk. We crossed a line with McAllister when we bailed him out of prison, but, that was the first line. He talked willingly. He told us everything he knew and didn't go all violent or emotional on us - You cross the second line? That's when they break down and cry and yell and swear and tell you everything they have. Usually they break down because they're scared of what they're putting at risk. I've got a feeling that crossing line number two with Murphy is going to be one of the easiest things we'll encounter on our career. He's not combat trained, no violent background, came from a nice family - He's got nothing going for him in terms of 'street gang'." He shrugged.

"We'll break him." He said again, and that was that. The driving continued.

Stop one was at a donut place to get some food and some coffee while they were sat there and waiting for Sam to show up - Stop two was in the employee parking lot near the bank, but, they had to play it safe. He didn't go into the parking lot immediately, no. He parked across the street. They could easily follow Sam in and park their car nearby, and when he walked past? Just grab him and shove him in the trunk, or whatever it may have been. That was providing he showed up for work at all - as Al-Asheera were basically shutting down, was Sam going to hand in his notice and then just up and leave?

Only time would tell. For now, they sat and waited. Frank knew this was more Tony's gig than anyone's, so he was going to let him take lead.

--

"She sounds like she was just as lovely as she is now back when she was a young teenager." Karin said, sarcastically. "Forget about her, T, you don't need someone like that in your life. As far as I see it, now that Al-Asheera's basically dead and gone, the sooner Jenny's out of here, the better." She said. It seemed her mind was completely set - she didn't want the girl who had caused so much trouble under the same roof as her, and seeing as it looked like Karin and Joseph were pretty much going to be living here from now on, her word would have mattered to James probably more than anyone's. A lot of weight to have on someone's shoulders, indeed, but that's the way things were. Karin had always known how to get what she wanted if necessary - she wasn't using James by any means, but, she certainly had some power when she was around him.

When Nicole came in, Karin simply smiled and let the mother and daughter have their morning interaction - she knew it was only going to be natural of Nicole to overly-worry about Thalia for a while. It had been eight years, after all. Things would settle, she was sure, but she was also guilty of the same thing - Sure, Joseph wasn't her son but he may as well have been, and she constantly did her best to protect him and baby him in several ways. Now that James was more on the scene, it seemed Joseph had been given more of a confidence boost, and had also grown some independence - A thing she wasn't sure if she fully liked just yet. She was happy, of course, but old habits die hard. Having to sit back and watch someone do something you've always helped them with is hard for a while.

"We'll have a lot of fun, don't you worry about that." She said, smiling. She looked back to Thalia once she'd left, and she just shrugged. Nicole was happier than usual, happier than Thalia could ever remember. "A lot of things. Not only is she here with you, but given how things are going between her and Jon, I think a lot of areas in life are looking good for her." She smiled. "It's nice to know she's happy, though. Sure, things were pretty bad over the past few days, but a lot of things have been pretty good for her, too." She took a deep breath and smiled. "I guess we can't really question it - if she's happy, I'm not gonna' argue."

Anyway, as time moved on, Karin went off to do her makeup and everything, and just as soon as she was sure she had everything they needed, she went and told James that she and Thalia were ready to leave. After checking in on those who either were or weren't awake (Jon included, who had gotten up after a while), he left it to the adults in the house to keep an eye on the kids while he was gone. He trusted Jon to be the one to keep things tactical, should anything happen while he was out. Jon would know what to do in the event of an emergency, and as McAllister was a military vet, chances were he'd have a pretty good idea of what to do, as well.

Even so, the drive back to Karin's place was rather short. He went and knocked for Graham, though, who gave him the parcel that they no longer had a use for. James brought it into Karin's house and stopped them before they left, grinning as he opened the box up and folded the flaps out.

FedEx. Filled with cash to the brim - each bundle of cash had a bit of plastic tape around it that had '$5,000' printed on it. What a sight that was. In front of them was a million dollars of crisp and clean bank notes. James thought for a moment, then started to count the hundreds from one of the bundles - he pulled out two sets of ten one hundred dollar bills, and handed one of them to Thalia, and one to Karin.

"You take that and enjoy yourselves on me. Treat yourself to a fancy cocktail somewhere. There's a place in the city that does these cocktails for about $25 bucks a pop, just don't get too wasted." He said, folding the box shut again and lifting it up off the ground. "I'll take this back with me and put it somewhere for safe-keeping. I've got a little work to do myself, but, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call." He said. Karin smiled and walked forward, then leaned forward and gently pecked him on the lips.

"We will. Thank you." She said. "Make sure you make some breakfast for Joseph when he wakes up."

"Well, I ain't gonna' leave him to starve, am I?" He grinned at her. "He'll be fine. Might take him out in a bit, see what there is to see. I'll invite Charlie and Jordan, if they're up for it. I'll probably take them to grab some lunch, maybe find something fun for them to do today. We'll see." He shrugged.

"Sounds good." She nodded.

They walked back out of the house, and James went and loaded the money into the trunk of his car. He didn't spend too much longer there, and simply waved them off as he got back into his own vehicle. Meanwhile, Karin pressed a button on her keys and unlocked her car instead, then made off in the direction of it, gently dragging Thalia along. She was getting excited, and now they had more money than they predicted. There was still $998,000 dollars left unspent, though. What on earth would they do with money like that?

"You ready to go?" She grinned, opening up the driver side door. "I vote a fancy breakfast place first, then we go do some shopping, then stop for cocktails and lunch. Something like that." She laughed to herself. A joyful day it was turning out to be, so far.
 
Frank, much like how Tony was in his pursuit of Thalia, was fueled by revenge. The Redgrave family massacre was consuming him with rage and a desire to make the men who did that to a man and his family pay. If his partner weren't around, perhaps this time it would be Tony yanking Frank away from a nasty encounter. The tables quite literally turned, except this time? Tony was ASSUMING Thalia shot Richard. Frank KNEW these men killed Redgrave. Did these men deserve death? Ultimately, yes. It seemed more like vigilante justice than honest police work, but it wasn't like either would be taking up badges anytime soon. Just arms, and personal feelings, Frank's directly surrounding Jordan. Ever since they'd recovered that boy, it wasn't just Thalia that noticed that this once-detective pulled a 180. He began acting differently. More reserved, less involved in the Al-Asheera hunt. Without James, surely, Tony and Thalia would've torn each other to pieces with the lack of an intermediate party. Frank's focus became centered on Bradan, but now more invested than just knowing a lot about his works. Now, it was payback. Tony would help.... but how far was Frank planning to go after this? What if something goes wrong? If they get caught?

Your job now is to keep that son of a bitch safe... he's not in his right mind. Just like you weren't before. It was now that Tony's overall experience and maturity would kick in, when he wasn't as emotionally invested any longer.

So now was a simple waiting game for the banker to show up at his day job. What would he be doing today, if Al-Asheera were in a state of emergency and probably want to evacuate... would his next move be resign? Leg it and try to settle elsewhere? That would be the prudent by an organization that did a great job at staying strong and off the radar for two decades. Not anymore. They've been busted and their god was put down. So now what? Two men have to carry the torch and basically survive more than take over. Not to mention the resulting power vacuum from a gang perspective. Al-Asheera had a good chunk of LA taken from their bold first impression, and certainly stepped on the toes of many. With them gone? That opens the path for all of their rivals to collect on their losses. Sooner or later...

Morning coffee was great though, refreshing. Tony did manage to sleep well last night, true, but it did feel good to have that morning rush of caffeine. He could definitely use that now, especially with a long day ahead of them. Only about to get longer as the two waited in the car, enjoying breakfast, and playing the morning news on the radio... then...

"...In other news, not very far away from the gang-related shooting at the Port of LA last night, an unidentified body was spotted washed up on the shore of Long Beach. Reports from the LAPD claim that the body has been there ever since the time of the port shooting, only to be discovered now. The man had no ID on him and seemed to be dressed in ancient cloaks resembling that of an Arabian king. The man is only revealed to be in his mid-40's and of Middle Eastern decent, bearing Al-Asheera tattoos, and the cause of death was a gunshot to the head. While the details have yet to be confirmed apart from this definitely being an execution, we will deliver this details as they reach us..."

Tony froze then and there. A gunshot to the head? His eye shot out: he never shot Ra's. Execution? Or was this his suicide? They would've said. Something's not right.

"Frank... we've got a problem," he gulped. "Ra's died to a gunshot to the head according to these reports. But I never shot him. There's... no way he could've survived me hitting him with the van like that. How could he have survived the blow itself? Let alone swam to shore, just to be executed? I hope to god James covered things up well enough. But I don't think he'd throw us to the wolves just yet."

Worse... someone executed Ra's. Was this 'someone', probably The Hidden, fed all of the information that Tony gave to Roland, who subsequently told Ra's that other night?

"Damn... like hell would I ever believe that nonsense Thalia was afraid of, that he'd survive all of that, come back from the dead. But what if his god complex kicked in or something? That he DID survive all of that, and someone found him and had him killed? The hell do we know? We definitely can't keep quiet about this. We might just have a bigger problem than a successor we don't even know about..." Then a question came more related to Frank's area of expertise. "Did the Clover Boys have any territory near the port or Long Beach? Think they found him washed up on the shore and had him shot and killed there? Think it's their style to do exactly that? Or you think it might've been someone else? Because if the news isn't feeding us lies, it doesn't seem like he offed himself."

Tony was panicking, no doubt from his tone of voice. But there was no time to dwell on the developing story; it'd have to wait for later. James would probably hear the story, too. Thalia? Well, Tony didn't want to involve her further. She was far too involved as is and needed a chance to be free... enjoy her youth. A complication like this? He figured he'd only tell her if James wanted to at this rate. But that was talk for another time, as a silver Camaro pulled up into the parking lot, driving over the speed bump inside completely relaxed and unfazed, not a care in the world. Unaware that two vengeful cops were right on that car's tail. A fancy vehicle that Tony could pick out of many. And the back of the head? No doubt that was Sam. With a quick slap to his partner's shoulder at the wheel, he took a quick last sip of his morning beverage before slipping it into the cup holder.

"That's him. I have a plan. We get up a bit closer. Maybe you can pose as a confused tourist as he gets out of the vehicle? Distract him for a bit, but make it seem natural. I'll come from behind and grab him. Simple enough, but it's a good way to do this cleanly. If Sam sees me of all people coming for him, he won't act too pleasantly. But he doesn't know how Frank Hale looks. So you're our best bet for interference for now. How does that sound?"

Seems as though the younger Walsh family member was already dismounting from his sportscar in his fancy suit fit for any classy banker, collecting his briefcase from the passenger's seat, and preparing to exit the lot. Now or never....

--

The trip back to Burbank felt quite literally like going back to basics for Thalia. Back to that trip to Karin's house in her modest vehicle rather than in James' many fancier ones. Not to mention the simple house that brought her back to her childhood in one way or another. Maybe that simple life would treat her well elsewhere. Whether it was Hollywood's next big thing or just a quieter life in Colorado... or even a trip back home to Philly to meet with her past once again and make peace with her father.... it still burdened her that her mistake eight years ago ultimately costed her father his life. Charlie would grow up without his father, an honest, faithfully strong, and an all-around good man loved by all. It reminded her of her own memories with the man... how she didn't appreciate what he did entirely. How he prioritized her in many endeavors including the yearly Christmas pageant at St. Agatha's and made redheaded Mary a thing, a joke she still gets a kick out of... how she got into a great middle school, skipped a grade, even... she had a close childhood friend who now, she couldn't stand being around for even a few minutes. Surely, Jenny didn't appreciate being left out, and Thalia wouldn't be surprised if she tries to follow them. But that wasn't what her mind was focused on. Her mother and brother managed to meet her at long last. But those last words she spoke with her father on the phone... she lured him to LA, got his hopes up to the point he dedicated his homily that day to her and that he'd be away for a few weeks to find her. He didn't care that she'd run away so long ago. He just wanted his precious little girl back. And she wanted her father back.

Maybe you are watching over me, Daddy... I'm getting better. I promise you that much.

And the improvements were only going to boost further. Sure, Nicole gave her daughter a good amount for shopping... but then James offered up his own donation. The one million Thalia had to pay to earn her freedom a week ago? So Ra's wouldn't cut her head off? Nearly a week later, it was Ra's that lost his head, and now the one million was theirs to keep. Who would keep it? It didn't matter to Thalia. James could keep it all for all she cared. But just watching the folds of bills in that package... amazing. James wasn't kidding when he said he could get the job done. He certainly did.

"I can't say it's the first time I've seen that much cash..." she admitted, "But I can say it's never felt this... satisfying. I mean. We won't need it anymore, but I guess we can consider it... a reward for a job well done?"

What DID come as a reward for a job well done was the shopping money from James himself. An extra grand to spend as the girls pleased. The possibilities were endless. It didn't go without a thank you from Thalia, though. "Y-You don't know how much I appreciated everything, James. Especially because you didn't have to. And I've made you wanna walk out so many times. You could've taken the money and left us all. But you didn't. You stuck around till the end and beyond. You have my gratitude. And... I know I wanna ditch the dangerous lifestyle, but...." she let out a nervous chuckle, "If you ever need the muscle? It's not like I'll ever forget what I learned in Al-Asheera. So yeah... maybe if you ever need it."

Would he, though? It beats her. Karin was hasty though, dragging her friend along to get to the car. Time was of the essence, and Karin had her plans now with her bonus. Thalia quickly threw herself into the passenger's seat, a grin from ear to ear, fixed the seat belt across her chest, and spoke out,

"Fancy breakfast? Ooooh, count me in, girlfriend. Never really had much for a fancy breakfast, coming from a modest family, but hey. I guess we're rich beyond our wildest dreams? Like.... I was in Al-Asheera, but it was never really... my riches. Only Ra's'. Now? It's ours. Soooo...." she winked with a quick shoulder nudge to her friend, "Let's hit the road, shall we? Where to?"
 
There was the news that Ra's may have survived the initial hit and actually washed up on the shore, only to have one of his people execute him. Was that really possible for a man that got hit at over 70 miles per hour by a van? It's hard to say, but it's a situation not many people would be able to survive. If he survived it Frank had to agree, as much as he didn't want to, that it was more or less a miracle. A godly act to pull off - but he was dead all the same, so, a part of him couldn't understand all of Tony's panic. Sure, it was a worry, but the fact is he was found dead and confirmed dead with a bullet between the eyes. Why was he panicking so suddenly about something that was no longer a problem to them?

"Regardless of what we tell the others, Ra's is dead, so don't panic. He's dead and gone - they may have had a grip on LA, but not a big enough grip to pay off every news company to make it seem like his death was fake. Ra's would no way survive it, even if he did get out of the water. The broken bones would get infection form between them and ultimately kill him through blood poisoning - that's if the hypothermia didn't kill him first, of course. Don't worry, Tony, whatever happens, the guy's dead and gone and we don't need to think any more about him." He said.

"As for your question on Bradan, Bradan operates some areas around there, but not the port itself. Way back when the port was something he ran, but that was the early days. He had no use for the port once he expanded further up the state. He has people deliver by plane, helicopter - that's what makes him so successful and powerful. He doesn't use traditional methods. He uses methods that make him harder to catch." He said. "It's unlikely any of Bradan's men killed him, especially when many of them probably didn't even know what he looked like. Plus, they'd want him for information about Al-Asheera. Killing the enemy's boss sends a message but doesn't gain you anything - capturing him, nursing him, and squeezing him endlessly for information lets you get the upper hand." He explained.

There was no time to discuss it further, though. Because Sam was finally here.

"Sure, the tourist plan works. I'll do it." He nodded. "Just make sure you're ready to switch - I'll hop out in a second, keep the car rolling, you just shuffle over into the next seat and act as if things are normal. You get up close and snatch him as soon as you get the window - I'm gonna' pose as the French tourist lost and looking for a Starbucks, okay?" He smirked a little. "I'll stall him as long as I can. I highly doubt he'll recognize me in the slightest, but just keep in mind, I'm armed if things go sour." He explained.

After a moment, Frank nodded to Tony and opened the door, hopping out the car. It was rolling extremely slowly, so when he got out it was still moving. There was plenty of time for Tony to hop into the next seat, though. Meanwhile, Frank approached Sam as he walked away from his car, and once he got close, he cleared his throat a little, and he popped off a pretty decent French accent. It wasn't hard to do, and it wasn't hard to act like he didn't know much English, either.

Heck, he was one of the non-uniformed detectives for a reason.

"Eh, excuse me?" He held up a hand to him. "I look for, uh... Starbucks? Starbucks, here?" He said. "I want... Drink coffee, yes? Starbucks..." He glanced around quickly. "Which?" He pointed off at the several streets in the area. Sunglasses, shorts, t-shirt... He looked tourist enough, he liked to think, and given his hair color and build, he liked to think he fit the 'French guy' stereotype pretty good.

--

"Me, needing muscle? Get the fuck outta' here." James grinned and winked at her, giving her a little nudge before he left. "Have fun." Were some of the last words he spoke to them as he walked away, but, it ended on a positive note there and then, so they could hardly complain, could they?

Now, it was time for her and Karin to hit the road, and Karin knew where they were going. "I think we should spend some of the money your mom gave us and go to this nice little French place I know. It's really popular in LA, and the breakfasts they do are amazing. They've got everything from French to American, of course. All the classics, all the favorite breakfasts of this nation and your mom's home nation, too. I think it seems rather fitting, you know what I mean? The place is called République." she said.

With that, she hit the road and they were off towards the city of LA - there was plenty of room for food, drinks, and shopping, so they were going to be doing one thing at a time and enjoying it. Breakfast, shop, lunch, shop, cocktails, shop, dinner, shop, and finally - go home. It was going to be a long but exciting day. Karin didn't often have a lot of money in hand - not $1,000, that's for sure. She hadn't had money like that for years, so, now that she had it? God, it felt good, and she was going to challenge herself to buy everything she could with that money.

Ah, one other thing she remembered...

"Also, Thalia, I don't want to hussle you about this, but... Joseph's been coming at me about those French lessons you promised me." She said. "I know things have been stressful lately, but... He's getting harder and harder to actually convince, you know? I don't know how he feels about it, but, he's starting to believe it's not going to happen. I know you wouldn't just 'not do it', though, so... Y'know, just thought I should let you know." She said. "It's not something we need to worry about right now, obviously, but it's food for thought for later on." She explained.
 
Not a chance in hell would Tony open up about the truth behind his concerns. That he attempted to get a message out to Ra's himself about the reality behind the whereabouts of his bride-to-be, as well as her intentions. It was, by far, the slimiest and most despicable thing he'd done in his life, next to almost giving this very same information to Reeves, who was also a member of Al-Asheera all along. But after the life-saving experience sparking a change of heart between Tony and Thalia, he knew that Ra's, now possessing Roland's knowledge, could never live to see another day. His endgame was nigh, and he did his duty as an officer of the law and ended the man before he could use his newly-gained information. And to his best knowledge, the information was gone with no leakage. Because there was no way a man could survived a 70 mile an hour collision into water and be expected to swim to shore... right? ... Wrong. Ra's pulled a curveball then and there and surprised everyone by living the trip back to shore. Then came his successor, where, then and there, Ra's ended his 20 year reign and passed the torch down to the remaining original member of Al-Asheera. Because leading a gang with an iron fist as he did before with a degree of paralysis like his own was a tough ask. He asked for his own execution. But not without passing down something else: Tony's betrayal. While Ra's died that night one way or another, the consequences of the detective's actions didn't.

But wondering about WHO put that bullet between his eyes would do no good. Even the task force assigned to it wasn't sure. Hell, they can't possibly know that they have the Head of Al-Asheera's body in their custody. Not until they positively ID him as Rami Younes, which Reeves would match with Tony's information. Stories would connect ever since that 15 year old boy murdered his foster parents and ran away, alongside the story of how Roland Simmons landed himself on the streets as well, once his body his found at the port. The upper echelons of Al-Asheera, almost all wiped out. And now there was one more pulling up into this parking lot. Right here. That would leave The Hidden. A fight for another day.

Frank dismounted, and Tony undid his seat belt to crawl over to the driver's seat and wait for the right moment. He kept his distance, as he mentioned before, all to sit back and observe as his partner makes contact with the target. Sam. Dressed for work in the most expensive of suits, as always, cruising around in an expensive sports car with his fancy briefcase of god-knows-what. Tony would always assume it was work related, but now knowing he was a thief, or at least a companion to thieves, it literally could be a roll of gardening tools to torture some innocent soul. He couldn't tell anymore with Sam, and the betrayal made his blood boil like crazy. That boy he was such good friends with from before... a sleazy thief, even a pedophile? What WAS confirmed is that he sexually abused Melissa, and had a hand in her suffering. That was reason enough to doubt his intentions.

It was all a game of selling the act for now, Frank approaching Sam like some sort of tourist and even faking broken English. Tony made his advance, ever so slowly as to not scare Sam off while keeping his head down for good measure, casually entering the parking lot as if he were going to park his car as Sam watched in confusion at this tourist who was looking for a Starbucks. Did the criminal recognize him? Not at all. He knew there was a man named Frank Hale, but never put a face to the man. This was just a random stranger in his eyes. Most importantly, his attention wasn't on a car passing by with his cousin at the wheel. His eyebrow arched, and he let out a huff of annoyance. Sam had plans for the day, and he had no time to deal with some guy looking for his morning coffee.

Moreover, Frank really did fit the Frenchman look. It might've been part of the reason Thalia fell for him, too, just without her consciously knowing.

"Here... just..." he snarled, taking Frank by the shoulder with his free hand and walking him out of the parking lot. Quite a window he was opening up. Then again, Sam wasn't expecting resistance from a clueless man on vacation. Though Sam was a heartless brute, he knew better than to become violent literally walking distance from his workplace. Or did he? Was this quite... peculiar to him? Maybe this tourist wouldn't attack him. But what if someone else did? His hand with a briefcase let the carry-on drop to his feet, leaning against his leg rather than collapse to the asphalt, as he pointed in the direction away from the bank. "Take a look over there... you see that street corner over there?"

But Sam's other hand had a sinister plan in mind. It slipped behind his back, beneath the suit jacket.... a silenced pistol hidden away. When he directed Frank's gaze away, Sam was doing a quick recon. No CCTV cameras, or at least none that will put him in an incriminating position later. As the weapon emerged from his belt loop, he spoke words of diversion before he could strike.

"You just have to keep walking there, then make a right right after that...." His voice came out so naturally... so calm... a natural born liar, or at least a molded one, much like everyone else in Al-Asheera. It was unfortunate that in this moment, Sam was the one being deceived. His arm made an extension, arching behind his head in a position ready to swing. "And when you wake up, tell Tony Walsh to fuck himself..."

Shit... he knew. It was all too particular at this point. Particularly a car entering that lot this early. He saw through that single point of failure, something Tony didn't take into account. Getting close was an option, but it would be a fatal one for Frank had the plan continued to Sam's liking.

The mere sight of Sam withdrawing a weapon and preparing to swing the butt of the weapon at the back of Frank's skull unnerved Tony and told him, enough is enough. He had to stop this before Frank takes the blow. With that came a tackle from the aging detective over his cousin, toppling the banker to the floor and forcing him to drop his suppressed weapon. Tony had the upper hand here, his cousin pinned down to the ground and unarmed. At this point, Tony was half afraid that he'd pull a stunt like Pigman and off himself. He wasn't going to let hit happen. But at the same time, he wasn't going to let Melissa's death go unavenged. This monster raped her and made her final days hell. Tony would be sure to do the same. But not without information. It would all begin now: with a grunt each time, Tony took a page from Thalia's book, pinning the man down and throwing alternating punches across Sam's face trying to force him into an unconscious state. But Tony was a strong individual and could easily put Sam down in just three solid blows. But he kept at it. One after the other, exerting himself further each time, releasing every ounce of anger in his core into Sam, even if he was unconscious, out in the middle of the sidewalk for any bystander or passerby to observe and possibly call 911. It was dangerous to go on like this, and much like Frank, Tony was losing himself to a desire for revenge. As if every childhood memory about Sam meant nothing anymore. Now with two solid black eyes and a cut over his left cheekbone, Tony clenched his cousin by the shoulders of his suit, hoisting him slightly, and screaming in his face:

"That was for Melissa, you son of a bitch!"

--

"Mmm.... Fancy French breakfast place? You sure as hell can count me in." As much as she'd deny it, Thalia was still French American, so it was only natural for her to embrace both halves of her heritage. Part of her wished her mother could be there, too. France was a part of her life more than anyone else's in the Griffin family, seeing how she left for America to get married in her early-mid 20's. Quite a life change, but one Nicole was more than open to fulfill. Part of her always missed home, sure, and part of Thalia also found home in her mother's place of birth, so why not take a bite out of history this morning?

Money was something Thalia never really 'lacked' in a traditional sense. Al-Asheera just lead a simple lifestyle for the most part. They had money, but a good bulk of it went unspent under Ra's' rule. Much of it was spent on necessities. Or for gold chalices and jewelry for Ra's to drip himself in like some sort of royalty. He did consider himself a 'god' after all. So only the best for a 'god', but to everyone else? The leftovers. The rubbish that Ra's wanted nothing to do with, he'd pass down to the other members of The Ten, most of the girly additions going to Thalia, who'd just throw them away. It was a disgusting way to try to win her love, one she didn't accept or want anything to do with. Getting gifts from him made her throw up in her mouth almost all the time. His riches meant nothing to her. Sure, she had more money than she knew how to do with now, and actually for her to spend on what she wants, but still... she was modest at heart. Just like her mother.

Then came a good point... Joseph. Shit...... It made Thalia drop her head in a bit of shame. Was Karin disappointed that she'd forgotten about her brother? Could she even be blamed for something like that?

"I'm sorry, Karin," she sighed. "I still want to teach him, don't get me wrong, but with these past events, it wasn't exactly an idea time to do it. Between the time I promised Joe to teach him French and now? So much happened. My father passing away... the drama with Jordan... me breaking up with Frank... Jenny coming up in the picture... Tony exposing me to the LAPD and media... my mom coming back... meeting Charlie... and the most important bit of it all, Ra's finally taking a dirt nap. In the middle of all of that, I really wasn't thinking much about those lessons. But now that it's over, I think I can finally sit down and teach him a few things. You know, enough to impress the kids at his school... no doubt maybe he'll learn a thing or two from Charlie too. Him and my mom and such. It'll be good for him."

As her eyes wandered, Thalia also tried to give a good deal of her focus on paying attention to Karin's driving, trying to learn a thing or two so she could teach herself. It was a huge deal for her to be more independent, and that meant getting a driver's license, too. The less she needed to be driven around, the better. Jon might fit that role well as a professional. Not like she'd be drag racing or anything like that - her mother would kill her, then Jon, if that happened. But enough to get from point A to point B.

"I wasn't trying to ignore your brother... you know that, right?" Thalia was now a tad afraid she'd lose Karin's trust and friendship from the slight neglect she'd shown to her brother, the boy that meant the world to her. Then again, it wasn't entirely Thalia's fault. But her worrisome apologetic attitude did show then and there. "I promise, today? We chill as a girl's day out. Tomorrow? I'll teach Joseph some French. Him and Charlie...." Part of her wanted to add Jordan, but was that a good idea? The reminder that still bothered her? That reason she broke it off with Frank?

You said you wouldn't think of that today. So don't. Maybe you'll find someone else. Not Frank, not Jenny. Someone new.

And that's what she wanted to do. Flipping through the bills James had given her between her nimble fingers, she spoke a bit more cheerfully. "I've robbed a ton of malls, but never legitimately cleaned off the shelves. Maybe this'll be a first. You just make sure you don't recommend anything that'll look awful on me, alright?" she winked, nudging Karin's shoulder gently and pocketing her money. Today was going to be fun. She was sure of it. Or at least it would be fun for the start.
 
Just when Frank was convinced that they were going to have the clueless banker by the balls, he heard the words that made the act drop immediately. He'd gotten suspicious when Sam just dropped the briefcase he had to the ground - Would a banker really do that? And why was he getting physical and leading him away? Part of him wanted to break away right there, but, he figured he'd go with it, even though he was more alert from that point in time. Sam could have easily just pointed away from where he was originally standing. Something didn't feel quite right from the get-go, almost, and that was all confirmed when he mentioned Tony's name. Great. Was Frank about to take the fall for this? He hoped not. He'd promised Jordan he'd get home safe, after all. He spun around as soon as he heard the words, but only in time for Tony to tackle the now-aggressive Sam to the floor.

Frank scrambled for the gun immediately once it was on the floor and tucked it away, and yes, people were nearby, and many of them yelled, whereas some of them even started to approach. Frank and Tony looked like criminals at this point, after all, but Frank was grateful for one thing: The other day in the middle of the big argument, he snatched his badge back from Tony. He had it with him now, too, and he straight away whipped it from his pocket and held it towards the approaching members of the public.

"LAPD Detective Bureau, this is a Sting Op, people! Back up!" He yelled to them all - he had sunglasses on, they didn't know his face, they didn't know he was a wanted man. The men who seemed as if they wanted to help Sam out of a sticky situation quickly backed down as soon as the badge was waved. It's funny how much power one of those can hold - in the wrong hands, such power has been proven as fatal. In this circumstance, in some regards, fatal was exactly what it was. "This man is a wanted criminal and is being arrested for ties to the street gang of Al-Asheera. Please, everyone, keep your distance." He waved them off and slowly tucked the badge back into his pocket, then leaned down to Tony and whispered to him.

"Get him in the car. The act ain't gonna' sell for long." He rushed him a little, of course. He was worried that they were going to go down for this - someone had more than likely already called the police. Especially if they'd seen it from a distance and hadn't heard Frank's shouting. Plus, Tony punching the guy in the face certainly wasn't going to help their case at all. That wasn't important now, though. What was important was making sure they got him somewhere they could have a nice chat with him so they could find out exactly what was going on. With one remaining member of The Ten out there somewhere, The Hidden, Frank had a feeling that there was little chance they could lose now.

The upper circle of the gang was basically destroyed - was that enough to kill their faith in a bogus god? Would the underdogs blame the death of their prophet and his disciples on the newly appointed leader, and pack up and leave? One could only hope that'd be the case, as that'd make their job a whole lot easier.

Still, the car. If needed, Frank helped move Sam into the trunk. The trunk was the best place for him at this point, right? In any case, they needed to get out of there as quick as possible before any 'additional backup' (from either side of the ordeal) showed up. Chances were now someone had already seen the CCTV footage. Or had they? Had Sam moved Frank to a place where CCTV didn't have an eye? If so, Sam may have just played himself in a way that benefited the detectives. But they couldn't get too ahead of themselves. Just as soon as Sam was all tied up or whatever may have been necessary to stop him from escaping or attacking, it was time to go.

Before that, though, Frank grabbed Sam's briefcase. You never know, there could be something useful to their cause in there.

Frank got back behind the wheel and immediately hit the gas. Time to get out of here.

"Open his briefcase, see what's in it." He said. "Shit, we need to get out of here. Where to? The warehouse?" He asked. "I would say get Murphy, too, but having two of them is too risky. We'll deal with Sam first and then figure out what to do with him." He said. "You okay?" He asked.

--

Looking at Karin's driving, she could easily pick up a few things - obviously there's a lot of theory that the naked eye can't see, but, the general things: First gear when you're coming to a stop or wanting to start moving again, or at a very low speed. Second gear once you get going, and third gear once you're travelling a little quicker. So on and so forth. The gears were easy enough to click with, but... It's more everything else that people found difficult when it came to driving. Most people learn little things by watching their mom or dad do it and having it explained - obviously that wasn't a situation that could take place right now, but, Karin was happy to answer any questions.

"I know you're not ignoring him, don't worry..." She laughed a little. "God, don't think that. I'm just giving you fair warning - I wouldn't want him to start thinking poorly of you. He likes you quite a lot, so, it'd suck to see him withdraw from any little friendship you guys might have going on. You know how kids can be." She waved one hand and shook her head. "Honestly, the lessons in themselves don't mean a lot to me, but, because they mean a lot to Joseph, I suppose they sort of have to mean a lot to me as well, okay? But in a more personal sense, I won't hold it against you. I just don't want Joseph to be upset with you, or me, or anyone else that's told him 'yeah, it'll happen' - you know what I mean?" She explained.

"Tomorrow sounds like a good plan, but tell that to him when we get back so he knows. I suppose that's another little life lesson - if you're gonna' do something for someone, tell them yourself so they know you're serious. If other people deliver all the news for you, it doesn't seem as genuine, y'know? Another one of those subconscious things people pick up on - and kids these days are way too smart. Joseph's a really nice kid, but, don't fall under an illusion that he's an angel in human form, or anything. It's not always smiles and rainbows, that's all. He just rarely gets pissed off." She laughed. "I think for today, we shop, and we forget about your past. God, don't walk into a store thinking of how you've robbed places like it. It'll ruin the moment." She grinned. "Act like you're a high school girl going out with her bestie for a shopping trip with her parents' money. That's the way you want to shop - no limits, no worries." She smiled.

In a short time, they reached the French-American place. It was busy, but, not too excessive. It was the perfect place for two girls to blend in and not worry about the world - and enjoy French food, of course.

"Right then, let's go inside and eat, and as soon as we're done here we'll get a move on and get some shopping done." She said. "There's a mall not far from here. We'll take the car to it, though." She smiled.
 
Smart move from Frank, Tony had to admit: still with a badge at hand, creating an on-the-spot decision to call this as an LAPD sting operation. It would certainly put the civilians at ease and ensure nobody calls 911 (hopefully at least) as well as give Tony and Frank a window to get Sam the hell out of there. Fast. The more time they spend lingering around in that parking lot, now pretty much a crime scene, the worse it would be for the two of the rogue detectives. Not to mention that there was the possibility Tony had tackled his cousin all to be recorded on CCTV footage. It was a huge gamble to take, whether they'd settled in a blind spot or not. But at this rate, their actions couldn't exactly be undone any longer. Especially with witnesses. They could only continue the act that Frank had begun, no matter if the tales of this takedown would be recorded by sketchy witness testimonies or a camera that would catch the whole thing on tape.

Sam was out for the count, that was for sure. More importantly, one of the two remaining higher-ups of Al-Asheera was in their hands. All that remained was The Hidden, which they'd have to break from Sam, if possible. This did bring up the question: where would Al-Asheera go from here? Their inner circle was ripped to shreds. That very attempt that nearly destroyed the gang in Philly had replicated itself in LA, except this time, done right. The problem to come, that inside that got arrested and signed a confession was eventually punished by death. This time, the traitor was Thalia. And The Hidden had one last goal in mind before he evacuates LA: make the traitor's life hell, then kill her. In due time, but what about the lower ranks of Al-Asheera? Their god was killed, and now this new guy is calling the shots with no prior warning and never seen before. Would the recruits take it lightly and believe it was their god's will? Or would it provoke some sort of exodus and eventually dissolution of the gang entirely? The latter was a result Tony could only dream of and hope said dreams come true.

Lugging a body into the trunk of a vehicle? Surely suspicious with a swarm of bystanders around, too. Why is the LAPD knocking a man out and storing him in the trunk? Is this some black op? Any conspiracy theorist might think, but in broad daylight? Still pretty shady. But they weren't just going to risk Sam waking up with him buckled into the back seat. At least in the trunk, they could keep a hold of him and gun him down like Tony and James did to Roland a few nights ago. They'd have the upper hand at least. With Frank's assistance, the two dumped Sam's unconscious body into the trunk of their getaway and prepared to get the hell out of there. Not without snagging the briefcase, though. Who knows what ugly mysteries lied in there. Or hints. It could be anything. It was passed on to Tony once they got into the car, and the older detective let his partner get them the hell out of there. Sweet, sweet relief. They got away with this. No blood behind, or at least nothing distinguishable that didn't only get on Tony's fist and Sam's face. Or so he hoped. He was also praying that there was nothing significant caught on CCTV footage.

Now, the briefcase.

"Here goes nothing," Tony let out a sigh to soothe himself as he flipped the latches of the bag, shut his eyes, held his breath, and flipped the cover open. What could be inside? His resignation? Evidence against Tony for something? Something for Al-Asheera?

When he opened his eyes to behold what was before him, his heart sank. Unbelievable. Holy fuckballs... All Tony could do, with that same shocked expression, eyes shot out of their sockets and jaw dropped indefinitely, was tilt the baggage in Frank's direction so he could see for himself. It didn't need words. Sam wasn't bringing anything routine to work...

He was packing a decent-sized bomb in that briefcase. An intricate setup with a timer in the center, frozen at 15 minutes. Thank god, it wasn't armed. But what if it eventually was? What was this?

"Holy fuck.... This isn't just any bomb, Frank," Tony shakily uttered, "I can bet my ass that this is stolen from the bomb squad. Taken from the department themselves. God only knows how. But I've seen this kinda bomb before. It's not armed, so we're in the clear. But it looks like Sam was going to blow up his old work place." He huffed in anxiety, panicked over what would happen next. He knew Al-Asheera weren't terrorists. But was this a desperate time calling for desperate measures? Would these bastards leave LA in a smoking mess before they retreat? "To think tendering his resignation wasn't easy enough. I'm worried both HOW they got their hands on this, and WHY are they doing this. It doesn't fit the profile at all. Then again, it doesn't fit the profile of an old-fashioned schmuck like Ra's. Maybe their new leader might approve of this. Who knows? But we need to ask Sam about this. If there are more of these missing from the LAPD, we might have a mass bomb threat on our hands in the city."

Bad had gone to worse already for the detectives, now Tony seated in a car with a goddamn bomb in his lap. He gulped and held his breath, biting his lower lip in hopes that there would be some explanation for this, and that they weren't looking at a new string of serial bombings in LA because of these cruel human beings. Or what was left of them.

"I'm alright myself... but I say we don't leave it at just Sam," Tony went on, trying to calm himself down from that initial panic. "We go to the bakery, corner Murphy, and store them both in the freezer. Two birds, one stone. Instead of making the round trips and such. We do whatever we have to do to them there, and deal with the mess later. To the bakery at this rate. No detours. We'll have to call this in to James about the bomb, though. This could be a problem if there's more of these out there."

--

At least the drive went smoothly. And Thalia did learn a few things: firstly, about Karin's driving. It wasn't getting behind the wheel and taking it for a spin. No, she wasn't ready for that. That would be a deal for later with a professional, but at least she was getting a feeling for how it's supposed to seem. After all, whenever she'd roll with Al-Asheera, she'd be intentionally seated in the back seat and not to look in front of her. Just go with the flow. It went back to Ra's' old fashioned Arab mentality in which he believed it was shameful for women to drive. All Thalia was to him was a sexual object after all, and that sickened her. At least now, she was officially free of him and she could be the woman she's always wanted to be. All in the clear, now. So she thought. Little did she know that Ra's' successor had a bomb ready to detonate in a bank that very morning. Would the trouble creep her way in time?

The other thing she learned was about Karin not being mad at her for her neglect about the French lessons. Well, it wasn't entirely neglect. It was a matter of priorities. Thalia was the leading force behind the end of Ra's' reign, getting the group closer and closer to cutting of the head and to this moment. So obviously, she wasn't constantly preparing her lesson for Joseph while she was getting raped, dodging bullets, almost breaking a bone and taking one between the eyes in the process... but the ten year old boy didn't need to know about these sorts of disasters. He probably saw Thalia in that brace for the short time she agreed to keep it on, but that was it. She refused to keep it on, braving through the pain she felt and trying to look and walk as naturally as possible. No looking weak for her. And also no rivalries anymore. Except Jenny. But that was another problem for another day.

...especially because just entering that restaurant for breakfast would make Thalia completely forget about her 'girlfriend'.

Two girls just blending in with the rest of LA? Not quite for Thalia with a noticeable, and in some books, hideous, tattoo stretching her right hand. She could live with the neck ink, but the hand? No, she wanted either get rid of it, or make it blend in with a full right-arm sleeve. Whichever looked more appealing, and if a removal surgery would be doable. Pain wasn't a problem; she had a decent enough pain tolerance. But who would find beauty in the worst of people? A person with as much guilt on her conscience as Thalia?

Well, as the two entered the place, before they could be escorted to a table, Thalia took the opportunity to simply look around and admire the beauty of the place. Magnificent really. She hadn't been anywhere this fancy without a mask over her face in a very long time. This was different. Peaceful...

She then turned back to her friend and nodded. "My mom would feel right at home here. Quite a place you picked out. We should invite her sometime, right? I bet she'd enjoy it," she winked, taking a stand by her friend. Her usual social anxiety did kick in, as usual, but the place wasn't ridiculously crowded this morning, so it did help a great deal not force her into a panic attack right off the bat. The bar last week was frightening to her, being around so many people that might recognize her or make her out as a member of Al-Asheera. Now was much calmer and more manageable. So this could work.

Breakfast... Thalia didn't each much usually. But today? She might just pig out.
 
"Stolen from the bomb squad? For fuck's sake." He shook his head. The fact that there was a bomb in his briefcase was bad enough - Al-Asheera was literally planning to go out with a bang, it seemed. What a fucking mess. Frank stepped on the speed a little more - but he did like Tony's idea. Take him to Murphy's, kill two birds with one stone and beat them both into submission. They definitely needed to find out if there was still bombs anywhere else in the city. If there was, then they definitely had something to be concerned about. Frank had a feeling that Sam would be easier to break, though, especially if they offered him some sort of false immunity deal. And if Tony was there doing the interrogating? He knew what would make him tick. He'd know how to crack him.

Murphy was going to be a different story, no doubt, but to the bakery was their next stop. Frank was oddly looking forward to showing Murphy what sort of damage revenge could do to someone on the receiving end. Did Frank really need to get revenge? Not entirely. The best revenge would be making Jordan into a person they tried to stop him from being, turning him into a respectable young man as he grew older and helping him ensure his success. Not this. But this wasn't just for Jordan - this was for Redgrave, too, the man who hosted Frank's academy and showed him what it meant to be a cop. It was more than just a badge - it was a gift, a gift that shouldn't be misused.

Now, the man that had done so much for the city, shut down various drugs and weapons trades, made the city a safer place for those that lived in it... And now he was dead. Murdered in his own home by the people that couldn't stand the work he was doing. He was doing his job - doing what he was obliged to do. And they just killed him like a dog. Frank wasn't going to stand for that - even if the revenge was purely for Redgrave himself, then that would be what happened.

Even so... The bomb.

"They've got an insider in the LAPD. No one would be able to get their hands on that without anyone noticing - Someone gave him that fucking thing." He said. "Bomb squad. The only people that have access to all of that shit are the higher ranking officers, and members of SWAT. That's it." He said. "So we've got an informant that's above non-commissioned level, or is part of the SWAT Unit. That narrows it down quite a lot." He sighed. "Maybe if we tell James, he can check the CCTV? Break into the station's security system and check all their cameras? At least then we'd be able to find out where it's from." He said.

"You can contact him, I'll get to the bakery. Just make sure that thing doesn't arm or whatever - If it does, we'll have fifteen minutes to throw that shit in the ocean." He said.

In the meantime, he drove all the way to Murphy's bakery on Baker St, Chinatown. It was called The Lucky Patisserie - on the front window there was all stickers and little posters that displayed all the awards the guy had won. He was good, it seemed, and the main rush of the business today seemed to have ended for now, as all his customers were mainly at work and such.

Frank pulled up across the street. Murphy was seen inside doing his usual shit - Putting pastries out for display, cleaning the place, doing his whole one-man-army bidding.

"Alright. There he is, the fucker." Frank gazed in through the window and gritted his teeth a little. "You pull the car around back of the shop, I'll get Murphy in the freezer and cuff him to whatever I can find, then I'll let you in with Sam. Sound good?" He asked.
 
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