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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

Turning herself in might've seemed like a means of protection from the first thought. It would take any sort of attention off of her friends and family and redirect it on herself - it would corner herself so Al-Asheera could kill her in prison. Like hell they'd let her live after her betrayal. But if Thalia was gone... was that a guarantee that The Hidden would spare her loved ones? Ra's might've. But she didn't know this successor. So it was anyone's guess. And she did make a promise to keep a watchful eye over Karin and her family. The family that was just about to grow with a young one on the way. After going on about that... this was a terrible time to tell her about her thoughts of self-surrender. Maybe in the beginning, she would've thought of it as protection. But what kind of guardian would she be if she were behind bars? Or worse: dead? Not a chance. And maybe Karin had a point about her family, only being able to see her through a slate of glass on a telephone for the rest of her life. How would her mother see her? Charlie? Would either ever understand? That was something else she couldn't guarantee by admitting to guilt that didn't entirely exist. She listened to her friend's words as they entered the mansion, isolated themselves, and took a seat to discuss this more peacefully.

"I would be in prison for the rest of my life, Karin," she sighed. "Because The Hidden will have me killed in my cell within the first week. So if I go to prison for, as you said, 'the rest of my life'? I won't last. But that's assuming The Hidden has the same mentality as Ra's, who stops after the target is out of the picture, nothing more. But if this new guy had the audacity to set up bombs in the city? He's clearly not like Ra's. He might just...." She took a panicked, uneasy gulp. "He might just kill you and my family anyway. They're legion, and they'd come here in numbers... kill everyone without asking questions. I-I can't let that happen."

And she wouldn't. By now, the idea of self-surrender was clear out of her mind. Never. But Karin had plenty more to say about that. About Charlie and her mother. She bowed her head in shame once more, now further regretting the thought of this plan. No nobility... and maybe Charlie would never forgive her for a crime she never committed. But there was more to it... "I didn't plant a bomb, Karin. Sure... But I did do other terrible things, and you know that. I've robbed people, scared them, witnessed murders... even killed a few people out of rage..." Those people being the man she hacked to pieces in James' garage and the man holding Tony hostage at the port. "Do you seriously think if I went to jail, it'd be unjustified. I'm not a terrorist. But I am a member of Al-Asheera..." Her right hand lifted in a fist shape to cover her mouth as she shook her head. "That's always going to be a part of me. I'm thankful my mother sees more than that in me, but Charlie? Will he ever see me as anything more than a thief? That... I can't know. But I can't know unless I try, right?"

Then Karin delivered the hard-hitter: being there for the newborn coming in nine months. Thalia's eyes began to slightly water as she glared at Karin in shock, still in disbelief that her friend was pregnant. Her eyes flew from her eyes to her belly. There was a child inside her now... and she couldn't forsake her best friend now. "Never, Kar... never. I will be there... I-I mean... I want to be there when you have the baby. I don't know how helpful I'll be, but I'll try. I really well try..."

Thalia might deserve prison in the longrun for her crimes of the past. And how easy would it be for James to get her in the clear? It surely went beyond broadcasting a massive schlong on television during primetime news with a message beneath it to tell the media to fuck off. The bomb? Maybe. She might get out of that. But what about every other crime on her belt as a clanswoman? That was indisputable, and the evidence was inked on her body. But she was going to trust Karin and James. She reached over for her friend for a quick hug, trying her best to put on a smile. "I won't turn myself in.... okay?" She parted from the hug and continued talking to her face. "I'm... scared of prison. I know I'll die in the first week. And I don't know how Charlie would ever think of me in that case. But if you trust that James can make this right... that I don't go to jail? I'll try to trust that too."

But there was plenty more to worry about besides jail time. Something more immediate: the safety of everyone under that roof. Thalia saw Jon in the house not long ago, and once she and Karin were through, she signaled to her friend it was time to ask... what was going on?

"Jon..." she began, obvious concern in her voice. "James said something was up here... like, it wasn't safe? What's going on? Is it Al-Asheera? I-Is my... Charlie and my mom, are they okay?"

Soon, Thalia would learn that her mother was in a semi-trance in her room trying to forget about the sight of that old man's head in the box. A sight Thalia was very used to... but not a woman who'd never been exposed to more violence than a few 8th graders experimenting with graffiti art. This was a new level of cruelty.
 
"Even more reason not to turn yourself in - We haven't fought for this long just for you to get a knife in your back the day after you get locked up. I'm sorry, but even if I have to pin you to the ground to stop you from leaving, I'll do it." She said, simply. "There's no point you throwing your life away when for all we know there's still a chance of you getting it back, alright?" She sighed a little. She just hoped James could do something at this point. He could prove her innocence from the whole bomb threat scene, but that was about it for now. Unless there was reasonable evidence that they could prosecute her on, then maybe she could get away with it. It was hard to say.

It was either that, or they were all lying to themselves. Karin really didn't like to consider the possibilities.

Even so, eventually came the time to speak to Jon, who of course had some things to tell them. How did you tell two people that they and everyone they cared about were potentially in danger? It wasn't an easy task for anyone to carry out, but Jon had delivered enough bad news to people over the years to let them know that things weren't going well - but they didn't have to worry. Things would be figured out, and everyone would be okay. They had James and Jon protecting them, after all, so if things really did hit the fan then at least they'd have some backup, they'd have people who had basically dealt with dangerous people for a living - and were equally as dangerous themselves.

"Something is indeed up here, Thalia." Jon said, then looked between the two of them. "I'm just glad the kids weren't here. If any of them were here my words would be much different right now." He said. "I've had confirmation that Tony's father is dead."

"Oh, god." Karin covered her mouth.

"It gets worse - They delivered his head to the house."

Karin thought for a moment, and at first she didn't think that them delivering it here was out of the question - but then she had a shocking realization.

"Wait... How did they know we were here?" She asked, her face dropping.

"We don't know. My best guess is there's a rat under this roof - It's just hard to tell who. McAllister... I don't know. He'd have no reason to rat us out, and the detectives, well, they had a brush with death earlier on themselves, but the two of them have been running around giving the chopping block to every member of Al-Asheera that they can find. Ratting us out would be suicide for them - Plus, I've seen how Frank is with the little boy, Jordan. He's not going to jeopardize that anytime soon, I know that much." He sighed, then ran a hand through his hair. "I'm truly baffled. I don't know who it could be - Maybe we've been too reckless. For all we know, someone was followed to the house and that's how they know - but even so, Frank and Tony were both hit over the head and captured by them. Last I checked, they were getting cleaned up and fixed up - they had blood on their backs - Home sweet home, it said." He frowned.

"I did take their weapons - They may be unlikely suspects, but, right now it's hard to trust anyone. No offense to either of you." He said. "As for Charlie, he's safe. As is Joseph, and Jordan. They're all out with James, outside of LA. No one's going to find them there, don't worry. James plans even the simplest things carefully - he won't let anything happen to you. Last time I spoke to him, he was just getting ready to take the three to a go-karting place." He explained.

"I do have some bad news, though..."

"Wait." Karin said, "If they know where we live, what are we going to do? Stay here?"

"Believe me, us staying here and sticking together is potentially the safest thing we can do. From now on, though, no one leaves the house without me or James keeping a close eye on them, simple as that." He said. "Anyway, my bad news..." He looked at Thalia and sighed, "Thalia, I hate to tell you this, but, your mother was the one who opened the parcel with Tony's father's head in it. I had no idea it happened until I heard her scream. I was in a different room and wasn't expecting anyone to come to the house." He said. "I've spoken to her already, and obviously she's quite shaken up. She's okay. A little delirious at the moment, but okay." He said. "James is keeping a close eye on the kids, so don't worry about them, but until he gets back I'm going to be doing some security planning. You and Karin can both be involved, if you wish, but I imagine you'd want to speak to your mother first. Come and find me after." He sighed, then gently patted her shoulder.
 
Thalia and Karin had quite a bit of bad news to digest from the first moments of getting inside. It was already evident that something had gone amiss, but what exactly? Something as far as Tony's family continuing to be targeted by Al-Asheera, his father executed not long ago and his head sent in a box to their doorstep. The two girls were thinking the exact same thing: thoughts of shock and sorrow for Tony, seeing he'd lost his girlfriend and his father in a 24 hour span of time. Thalia didn't express as much shock as Karin. Sure, the events were quite appalling, but they were eerily similar to ones of her past. Had she grown desensitized to Al-Asheera's forms of violence over time? Perhaps a little bit. But there was still a more sickening portion of the news to come. For now it was just an immense amount of concern. What to do next? Do they leave? Become more defensive? Go on the offense? Many options, but James was the ringmaster. His rule was final. Thalia couldn't make any sort of calls for longrun decisions... but for now, she could protect.

A rat under the roof? By any chance, did anyone have any hunches that Thalia was the traitor? That she got into contact with her old organization and, after her abuser finally took a dirt nap, decided to take control in the state of a power vacuum and start over? Set up a series of terror attacks and stab everyone she knows and loves in the back? How could that be after how devastated she was at the death of her father? Or how she promised Karin protection till death? How emotional she'd become when reunited with her mom and brother? What motive did she have for leading a gang that destroyed her childhood bit by bit? None, none at all. While Jon gave reasons others may not betray the group... he didn't bring up anything about Thalia's innocence. Was it not necessarily given? That was enough to make her panic on the inside.

But then a more legitimate, immediate fear. Tony's father's head? It landed it's way in her mother's hands. She saw it first. Thalia's heart sank into freefall and her hands covered her dropped jaw. No way... by bringing her mother here, she's already being exposed to the horrors of her past life. This was not what she wanted, but fortunately, it didn't happen with any children around. But still... an innocent woman was now exposed to one of the many horrors of Thalia's past, and it was all her fault at its core. Had she never run away... had she chosen to stay with her mother and suck up the pressure and depression... this wouldn't have happened. None of this. Her breaths were evidently deeper and uneasy, looking over in the direction of her mother's bedroom in the hallway. She had to speak to her. At least say she was sorry. It even looked like the daughter was on the brink of tears. How could she ever do this, after so many years of ensuring that her family was never involved.

"I-I need to go talk to her. Excuse me..."

She was given a chance to, obviously. Now, Thalia's mind wasn't on safety precautions. At least not on a larger scale. Only on the woman who seemed to have been scarred the most after these events... Nicole.

All Nicole could really ask for after a sight like that was some peace and quiet. No interruptions, even though at the time, it was only Jon and McAllister, and the latter probably wouldn't disturb. Jon? He was great company and a shoulder to cry on, but at the moment, all this single mother of two could ask for is some alone time. Thinking back on all of the past events... the trauma they've endured, and the fact she'd lost her husband a few days ago. Now? She's receiving strangers' heads in mailboxes, and dangerous criminals might be able to get to her or her children in their sleep. What mother wouldn't be worried? Especially when she was certainly incapable of taking on armed thieves as is. And Jon could only do so much against a legion of brainwashed lunatics like the one that killed Jacob, or the one that abused Thalia. But through the entire ordeal, she didn't blame Thalia. Not one bit. She couldn't help it. Nicole had seen kids her age trying to fit into cliques all the time. Thalia just fell into one that she probably shouldn't have, but she recovered. She was out. And that's what mattered: lifelong improvement. One that she'd assist with in any way she could. She could see in her daughter's eyes that there was hope for her. Even if the media and law enforcement were still persistent at pursuing her as a crook.

And it couldn't get any more picture perfect for Nicole to be watching a report similar to the one Thalia heard on the radio on a tablet she kindly asked to borrow.... just as her poor daughter left a few knocks on the door and walked in to check on her. The two met eyes in shock at what was happening around them as Nicole took to her feet, rather than laying down on the bed as she was before. It didn't take a genius to know that things weren't right, for either of them.

"I heard about what happened..." Thalia whimpered, shaking her head and slowly advancing. "I never... ever, wanted this to happen."

Nicole only shook her head in disbelief, recalling the sight of the old man's head. "Thank heavens Charlie wasn't here."

"I had nothing to do with it, Maman... I promise." Alternatively, she might've said 'I swear', but she recalled that her mother didn't appreciate that particular wording.

"I know you didn't. But the news... it's saying you were... um..." She gulped.

"No... I didn't. I'd never do something like that. It's all lies... All lies..." Those words brought Thalia closer to a breakdown, now closer to her mother and throwing herself into her arms. With whatever strength she had, the mother held her daughter in an embrace, in trembling arms, but now, both were in a state of weakness... almost giving up. So perhaps some alone time to vent would help them both. The door was shut behind them, after all. So no one would even think of disturbing, especially after Jon told Frank and Tony not to disturb Nicole.

"It'll be okay, ma fille... One day."

...

Speaking of Tony... his judgment would come soon enough. The guilt of these past events was freaking him out. How long could he keep his secret? That he sold them all out before he knew there was still a chance? It came at the cost of his father's life, Nicole's sanity, and maybe even the livelihood of three innocent children. But Tony feared the backlash if ANYONE under that roof were to ever find out his dirty little secret. Frank seemed like the safest bet... but would he immediately snitch if so? He was so attached to Jordan. If he knew there was a threat on the boy's life, he'd report it. And if there was a way to prevent impending doom, he'd sure as hell do it. Worse.... what would Frank do to Tony as a result for such a degree of betrayal? James? Jon? Worse... Thalia. James had been a ton of bark, no bite. For a moment, Tony even doubted the man was even killer. He'd seen him torture Roland, sure, but kill? That was another story. But Thalia? She's killed. Brutally. And she came close to beating him to death with a crowbar when he exposed her identity. If she ever finds out that he was the reason a severed head landed in her mother's hands, she probably won't be so merciful. He'd be a dead man. Fast.

But he had to tell someone. Frank. At least someone who could defend him and stand by him, even temporarily. Someone who would stop Thalia from killing him. It was clear there was still some feeling between the two, and Thalia would never end a man's life with Frank nearby. After a quick shower and roughly patching the back of his neck, Tony returned to his partner's bedroom with a few hesitant knocks on the door. Teeth clenching, legs shaking, heart pounding... this was it. Judgment day.

"Frank.... we need to talk. Now. In private."
 
As soon as Thalia was gone, Karin turned to Jon again and frowned. "When will James be back?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." He said. "Leave him how he is - Right now we're at a deadlock, Karin, and even if we wanted to do something we don't know the first place to start. Now that Tony and Frank have been beaten and bloodied and dropped practically on our doorstep, everything else has gone cold."

"So you mean there's the chance that... This will never end?"

Jon stared at her for a moment, "I don't like to consider it - but yes. It depends on how quickly we can jump back into it once we've got things figured out."

"I don't want my brother to have to live that sort of life, Jon." She said, firmly. "He doesn't deserve it. He's ten years old. He's a kid who shouldn't have to be worrying about if someone he cares about is going to get killed by some... Group of terrorists." She shook her head.

"And I feel the same for Charlie. I understand your concerns, Karin, and you have my word I'm going to be doing everything in my power to help stop all of this, once and for all. I don't know what Al-Asheera have planned, but if they know for certain that Thalia betrayed them, there's no way they're going to leave LA without finishing the job." He said.

"So you think they'll come back for us?"

"Undoubtedly."

Karin remained quiet.

"And we're going to be ready for them, Karin, don't you worry about that."

"Ready how?"

"The last stand, the grand finale - they'll regret ever targeting those we care about." He said. "Anyway, I have some proposals for a little more home security. Has James showed you the basement?"

"No...?"

"Really? Hm." He frowned. "Before any of that, I'll show you some of the things I had in mind just to ensure we're extra safe for the next while - kids included." He said.

"Alright..." She sighed and hesitantly followed him, "Jon... You don't think it was me or Thalia that gave everyone up, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Then who do you suspect?"

"I don't know, Karin. It could be anyone, quite literally, but almost everyone I've been through has a reason to... Not sell us out. Even Tony did at one point."

"But not anymore."

"Hm." Jon murmured.

--

Judgment was indeed coming - but what would Frank be in this respect? The judge, the jury, or the executioner? Or would he be all three? Time would only tell - but one thing Tony could know for certain was that after today things would be forever different between the two, and no matter how hard he tried, he'd never be able to live down the fact that he was the man who tried to throw everyone else's lives in the river just so he could gain something for himself.

Frank had already made a series of accusations about Tony, too. He'd already accused him of being a man who sold them out, who told them everything there was to know about the house and the people in it - even Jordan. Would it mean anything if Tony told him that he asked for them to not harm the kids? Of course not. In the grand scheme of things, such a minor detail wouldn't mean squat. But it was time to wake up and smell the shit, it seemed.

Frank was simply lying on his side on his bed, the back of his head all padded up with gauze, and himself dosed up with strong painkillers. He looked a little pale, but that could obviously be expected. He knew he'd need sutures for his wound, but hopefully James could do something about that. It's not like they could go back to the doctor now, after they almost brought a gunfight to his doorstep.

But here Tony was. And he looked like a mess - Frank was sure that if he left it too long, he'd drop dead where he stood. But it was best to hear him out before making any conclusions.

"Close the door, come in." He whispered, "What is it?" He asked.

Meanwhile, James had taken the kids off to Subway for a very light snack before the second part of their lunch. At least someone was having a good time, with the go-karing being done and their own personal sheets for lap times and race positions being printed off for them. It was nothing special, but, it was a nice little bit of memorabilia.
 
What both Nicole and Thalia needed in that moment was a chance to cool down and relax in the midst of a trainwreck of thought. If there was ever a time to call their current situation a worst-case-scenario, it was now. A traumatized mother and a wanted daughter, a deceased father and young, innocent son, the Griffin family couldn't be more torn apart. And to think, had Thalia stayed home from the beginning, they'd be one big happy family. No trouble. It wouldn't have changed Al-Asheera's course from Philly to LA, and they... probably wouldn't be the targets of some personal attack because Thalia was involved in the slaying of their god-king. Now, her mother was a nervous wreck and with a new sense of paranoia and fear in her heart. She was mentally functional, fortunately, but that didn't take away from the fact she was broken. If Charlie were here, both Griffin women would've probably prioritized the boy to shield him from the sight of the head and all the other unfortunate consequences of these past events. At least with the two adults alone, they could talk freely. Thalia sat more towards the center of the bed in her mother's room, legs crossed beneath her and arms hugging over her stomach, her face rather deflated, but not on the brink of tears any longer. Nicole sat towards the edge of the bed, a single leg bent beneath her, and an arm around her daughter's shoulder, clearing her face of her straightened hair. They couldn't keep moping, but it's all that seemed to be on Thalia's mind. As well as apologies. Regrets.

"It might be far fetched to wish I'd never run away..." the daughter sighed, "...but if I'd never left Ra's? Just sucked it all up? - "

Nicole halted her, "No. Don't even speak like that, like staying with him was at all an option you'd rather take. You did the right thing by choosing to abandon that life. I don't want to imagine what that savage was doing to you, all for his own perverted desires."

Thalia shook her head. "You might've believed me... Karin might, too..." The story of Thalia's pregnancy had yet to come up in conversation with Nicole. It was just too awful to have to tell her that her grandson, or granddaughter, was basically cut out of her, and worse: maybe Thalia would never be able to have children in her life. A particularly sickening story she didn't feel comfortable sharing. "But nobody else will. The horrible things he did to me, and to others..."

"Maybe someone would... and you should try, darling. Try to find someone who will hear your story and tell the world the truth."

"Who's going to believe the girl being depicted as a terrorist and a killer? It used to be just a thief, you know? But now, it's just gotten out of hand. They're going to bring the city to rubble and blame me for it all. They're going to take away everyone I love, then leave me for dead so the system can eat me alive. And if I don't get the death penalty for it all, I'm telling you, they'll - "

"Thalia... stop," Nicole's hand stretched up to Thalia's face, now cupping her cheeks in them, and directing her gaze to her mother's eyes. "You will not receive the death penalty. And you can count on that James fellow to find a way to make sure you don't get any jailtime at all. You aren't a criminal, dear. You were lost, sure, but you're not like the rest of those animals." Clearly, Nicole had no clue about that Al-Asheera brute that Thalia had stabbed to death a few days ago. But she didn't need to. That death still haunted the mystery redhead... she actually did that. And it still made her sick to imagine. "You will start over, alright? All of us."

Thalia remained quiet, just nervously looking over to her mother, partially in fear of judgment simply for regretting the past.

"You will. For me, and Charlie. And Karin... you care about her dearly, right?"

The daughter nodded. What would come next would surprise Thalia.

"So... would you want her to raise her child without her best friend here for her?"

Thalia's eyes shot out. To her knowledge, Karin had only told her about it. And how much time did Nicole even spend with Karin to be able to deduce this? "M-Maman... what are you..."

"Dear... I'm a mother of two, and I've seen a few mothers who knew they were expecting within the first few days. You think I wouldn't notice the cramps? Her guarded attitude in tense situations? She's protecting the little one. I know she's with child. How long has she known?"

"I-I think she just..." Thalia had no choice but to accept. Her mother was quite a perceptive woman, after all. No need to question it. "...she just found out today. But that must've been a lucky guess. Those signs could've meant anything."

"Indeed. I was shooting in the dark. But you helped and admitted it, dear."

"J-Just don't tell anyone, please?"

"Of course... it'll stay between us. But I know you don't want to miss that child's birth because you landed yourself incarcerated or dead, right?"

Thalia shook her head. "I want to be there for the girl who saved me. I owe... all this? It's all because of her."

"I'm sure you want to be there with her when she has that child, then."

"Y-You know it."

"Then please, darling... don't give up?"

Unable to hold back from her mother's influence, Thalia sighed and loosened her arms from her own grip around herself and spread them around her mother, feeling at peace in that grasp. "I won't... I won't."

Even in a traumatized state of mind, Nicole could still be a rock for her family. As best as she could, she was blocking out the image of Patrick Walsh's head from her mind, and instead, replacing it with a group embrace with her two wonderful children. Happy thoughts to help cure the somber mood. Things would get better... someday.

--

Tony was allowed entry - so Frank was decent. But that decency wouldn't last very long, not with the bad news on the horizon. Tony was about to tell his partner that it was HIS fault for all of this. All because he wanted to extricate himself by sleeping with the enemy. He might just land himself killed given Frank's recent violent behavior. And it wouldn't be very pretty under this roof, seeing the children might be coming home soon. It could be a disaster in the making. But this needed to come out. At least with Frank, getting killed or tortured, or even thrown to the wolves, was a maybe. With James, Jon, or Thalia? It was a guarantee. The guilt was eating him alive, and in their broken, shaken-up states of mind, Tony was about to bring a grim reality to light...

Taking a seat at Frank's bed, he unleashed a heavy, uneasy sigh, and began, "Frank... this isn't going to be an easy pill to swallow, so I'm gonna give it to you straight. But what I say can't leave these walls. At all." His request was rather stern, but in place. Why on earth would Tony want his dirty laundry hung for all to see? Jon was in charge, and already furious that this incident had ever happened. Especially because Nicole Griffin was the one who saw his father's head. A woman Jon cared so much about. "It's really sensitive information, and if anyone out there hears this? They might not understand. They'll take it the wrong way, and it might be the..." he gulped. "The death of me..."

How do you tell your partner that you sold him out? Clearly not in such a blunt manner. So Tony did what he could to soften the blow. "When me, Thalia, and James went to pick up Roland from that doctor's manor, I had a one on one conversation with the bastard. Uninterrupted and unmonitored. I... there's no way to put this..." He shut his eyes tightly as the deadly words exited his lips. "I made a deal with him." That might've been enough to get himself pinned down and asked for more, but now that the hard part was over, all that was left was for him to spit everything else out. "I worked out a deal with Roland Simmons to get you and I out of this... and everyone we care about. That meant my father, Mel, Jordan. I couldn't argue for... James, or Thalia, or anything like that. But he at least promised us, and not to touch the children. Anyone under 18? He said Al-Asheera wouldn't get near them..."

Specifics of the deal had to come out. And they did: "The deal was for the location in which Thalia was staying, and what resistance Al-Asheera would encounter if they wanted to raid. So yes. I told them everything we have, everyone under this roof, every name and face. Even the children, who, again, I told them not to touch." His voice began to break up from the guilt taking over his body. His hands were even shaking in his lap. What was left for him? An execution from James himself? "In return, they'd have to hand over Mel safe and untouched, and let me and you walk without any further involvement. That's why Sam knew we were living together, that there was a six year old boy under the roof, among other details. When I saw Mel wasn't at the deal, I knew that Roland and Ra's had to die before they spread the info out to the rest of Al-Asheera... But unfortunately, Ra's didn't die to me running him over with a van. That's why I freaked out when I heard he was shot in the head on the radio. Because Ra's survived a head-on collision with a van, a plummet to the Pacific, and washed up on shore so a rat from Al-Asheera could take whatever info they could from their fallen god, then pass it on to Reeves, who's now planning to abuse that information by killing people we love and sending their heads to our doorstep. And that...." He paused to take a breath of relief now that he finally confessed for his sins, "...that's all she wrote, my friend."

Now for the next phase: begging. He stood up from his place, hands folded in a pleading manner, almost prepared to fall to his knees and kiss Frank's feet to get him not to tell. "Frank, you can't tell ANYONE about this. At all. You know what'll happen if that does get out. I'm on the last straw with James. He will kill me if he finds this out. Maybe you, too, because I included your name in the deal. Please, don't tell anyone. You saw how violent Thalia can be. She won't spare me for what just happened to her mom. You have to help cover for me. I-I fucked up. Badly, and I know this. I shouldn't have trusted Roland. But now it's too late. They know where we live, and we need to pass it off as something other than an inside man. Like... we were followed home at one point. Please, I'm begging you..."

Tony's head bowed in shame... perhaps an apology could soften the blow? "I never meant to endanger Jordan. Or anyone. I thought all they wanted was Thalia's head... and for a moment, I thought that was doable. But I'm sorry, Frank. I'm sorry that I tried to get us out of this... and blew it. But please, keep this last secret for me... don't let James have to take a life under this roof for one dumb mistake."
 
Frank was sat there not worrying too much about anything until the moment Tony said he needed to talk. Was there something to be worried about? He had that impression from the get-go, just from the look in Tony's face.

From the way it started Frank knew it wasn't going to be good news, either. The death of him? What mistakes had he made that could be so severe? Frank's mind figured it all out before Tony even had the chance to explain it further, but Frank obviously didn't cut in. He let him speak - in fact, Tony revealed more than Frank could have guessed. Tony had gone to a new level of betrayal - Frank would have rather died making sure Jordan made it out rather than having to endlessly run from ghosts with him. All of this was just... Almost too much to handle. The headache that had faded was quickly returning as he listened to his partner's words.

The person he trusted the most, most likely, had sold him out. He'd sold everyone out. No one under the age of eighteen? Just what the fuck good would that have done? If Al-Asheera rocked up and killed everyone but the children, all that was going to happen was the kids growing up wishing that they'd been killed with them. No family, no one left to look after them - What sort of life was that? It was the fact that all of this took place behind Frank's back - he was a suspect in who ratted everyone out without even being asked. He never wanted a part in this plan. He would have never accepted it no matter how sweet the deal was.

It all trailed back to Tony wanting to protect his own ass - as could be expected. Frank was silent throughout the whole thing. He didn't look angry, sad, happy, upset - he just looked hollow. Empty. The emptiness was evident in his eyes, but not so much in his face. Tony's little speech came to an end. Frank took a few minutes to think to himself - Everything that had ever mattered. Everyone under this roof could have been dead by now - everyone under this roof had even less chance of getting away from it all than they did before, and it was all at the hands of Tony. If Tony had just listened and done as he was told, if there wasn't all the drama between him and Thalia, then Mel could have been brought back alive.

If he'd listened to Frank and just given him a chance in saying Reeves was a suspect, then maybe his father would still be here, too.

But he wasn't. He wasn't, and that was all.

Frank slowly rose up to his feet - if the receiver of betrayal had a face, it would probably be his.

Tony may have been expecting a barrage of insults, the threats of him being exposed to everyone - He may have even been expecting Frank to turn around and hit him straight in the face for what he'd done. But he didn't.

He turned and said one word.

"Alright."

His voice was weak - not trembling, but weak, almost as if the word was at first trapped in his throat and unable to be spoken.

He slowly wandered from the room and went to sit in the back yard. He needed to be alone.
 
Alright....?

That's all that Tony would receive in return for his betrayal? No harsh words in his direction? No tirade about how he should've trusted Thalia from the very beginning? No physical altercation that probably would've attracted a good deal of undesired attention? Just... alright? And walking away? It definitely wouldn't be wise to follow him out to avoid any sort of unpleasant interaction out in the open. It would break his own word about keeping this secret in that room. Or would it? Would Frank blow the secret anyway? Much like Tony, use the information for his own personal gain and stab his partner in the back? One thing was for sure: no partnership existed beyond today. The two ex-detectives would never be on good terms after that betrayal, how Tony deliberately endangered the children. Nobody would be happy with the veteran once the word got out. And he'd certainly be a dead man.

Tony's days were numbered... so all he could do was throw his head back into Frank's bed and relax before a new storm came upon him. This wouldn't stay away from Jon and James forever. Nor Thalia. She came close to killing Tony once... and now? She wouldn't hold back.

Shit...

--

Frank wanted a moment of solitude, but in a mansion as crowded as this, even with absentees, he'd be found eventually, even outside. He was troubled, obviously, and had every right to be. Even Tony agreed with that he needed space to process what he'd just heard. His partner sold every single one of them under that roof out. Even the innocent ones who had nothing to do with this mess. For all he knew, the detectives could've returned home to a bloodbath of their old friends, throats slit, and probably a heinous note left behind by the organization written in their friends' bloods, just to engrave the message in their minds forever. And that sort of outcome wasn't completely off the table, not unless the crew gets out of Encino as soon as possible. Or they slay Reeves. Whichever happens first. But with The Hidden in the wind and nothing concrete to prove his guilt, all the more capable men under that roof could do is count their blessings and stand their ground. Especially for their loved ones.

The troubled detective would be greeted by the last person he'd ever expect to speak to again, especially after their bumpy road in the past: Thalia. Sure, they had their disagreement over their future with young Jordan in the picture, mainly due to the redhead's lack of experience in dealing with children. But recently... she made a promise to a friend. A promise to help take care of her child even if she had no idea how to offer it or give it efficiently. She'd try, and her word was good to that promise, even if she were now a wanted woman. Things would clear up eventually on James' back, who hopefully wouldn't tear her ass to shreds when he comes home. She didn't appreciate being put down by him, as previous events showed. But now, she was cooling down, relaxing. A few motivating words from her mother sure did help; never before did she feel her birth-giver as this great of an influence in her life decisions. Which was great, in all honesty; she hadn't felt such a connection in forever. And what other connection had she not felt in a while...?

Her bond with Frank. Even after meeting someone else that she sort of fell for off of the first glance, a part of her heart still cared dearly for Frank. And just seeing him out in the backyard as she filled herself a glass of water from the tap caught her eye and redirected her path. Something wasn't right. She promised she'd be a bit more social with him, and she was about to do exactly that. She looked behind her back to ensure nobody would watch them - odds are, Frank didn't want a crowd to surround him - and then made her way outside, making her way in Frank's sights ever so slowly and trying not to make any sudden movements.

"Frank...?" she called softly. Once she'd caught his attention, she took a seat on another fold-out chair by his side, the glass by her side, and her legs pulled up beneath her in the chair. "H-Hi..." Admittedly, Thalia was nervous. Frank was on edge. So why not soften the mood? "So I hear that Charlie and Jordan are having fun. Go karts, laser tag... every kid's dream, right? I think they're on their way home now... AND I still have to give Joe French lessons, that is, if Charlie hasn't beat me to the job..." she let out a soft chuckle, trying to get a smile out of him. She followed it up with a sigh. "You're back home early, though... I know me and Kar came back so soon because of... a bomb threat? What's going on, Frank? Did you find The Banker, Sam Walsh? Did he give you some info about a bomb threat? And... what about The Hidden? And Tony's father... shit..." She gulped, bowing her head in a bit of shame for bringing such a touchy topic up. "Damn... first his girlfriend, then his father. Tony doesn't deserve that. But I guess they're putting him through the same trials as me, right?" Scarily, it was true: much like Tony, Thalia lost a girlfriend and a father to Al-Asheera. Not in the course of a day, but lost all the same. It wasn't until now that she saw that connection. But that sort of relation wouldn't last. "But it doesn't seem like that's the only thing bothering you, Frank. Al-Asheera knows where we live. How the hell do they know that? Did The Banker tell you?"

Would Frank question HER if she ratted them out? She hoped not. After their little night of fun, how could he ever see evil in her?
 
Frank wasn't expecting company - and he didn't want it either, not even from Thalia. But things were different between them, really. They'd had a few bumps here and there. Would this moment in time be the one thing that at least left them on stable ground? It certainly wasn't at the top of Frank's priority list, but having that happen would certainly be a nice morale booster. Holding grudges was something Frank would have to abandon if he wanted to be a good role model to Jordan. On the upside, he may not have been doing everything perfectly, but... At least he was thinking for the future, for what was best.

Then Thalia started off with a more joyful topic - the kids.

"I hope they're all having a good time." Frank said, looking down at the floor. He had his hands linked in front of him and he was leaned over, staring down at the paving. "It's nice to see Jordan taking the chance to go out with them. I hear he's been talking to the two of them, which is a good start." He nodded. "The fact he managed to go somewhere and enjoy himself without me is nice - I don't think they're going to be home for a while, though. Knowing James he'll be sure to treat them." He forced out a little laugh.

Then things got onto the more serious side of the conversation - the bomb threat, the fact that people knew where they lived.

"Yes, we knew about the bomb threat." He said. "We found The Banker, one of the first discovered terrorists. We jumped him on his way into work and at the same time we killed two birds with one stone - Him and one of the people responsible for the murder of Jordan's family." He said. "Sam told us everything - Sam himself had a bomb he was gonna' drop off in his workplace. He told us there was, what, nine other bombs all over the place?" He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "LAPD, the mall, god knows where else it might be. I don't know, but I made the call to a Captain in the LAPD."

"I told him I'd turn myself in if I was wrong - but they've started to find bombs, and he also wants proof Jordan's alive and well. I don't know what's going to happen overall, but, at least I don't have to turn myself over. I'm a wanted man, Thalia." He said. "I suppose saving thousands of lives came at the cost of me coming out as the man who was holding the only surviving child of the Redgrave family." He frowned.

"As for how they know where we live..." He paused for a minute and rubbed his face, then eventually shook his head. "I don't know. When you think about it, we could have easily been followed." He said. "Me, Tony, Karin, James, even you." He said. "Or Jon and your family - Anyone could have followed us here and we wouldn't have known any better." He explained. "I don't know, Thalia, I don't."

"The bottom line is I'm going to be on my own." His expression slowly fell to a frown. "In all of this. As soon as the funny business with Al-Asheera's put to bed, Bradan is going to be my gig - and if Jordan's ever going to be safe, if me and him ever want to have a normal life..." He shook his head. "I need to stop them, or they're just going to keep coming for us. No matter where we go or where we try to hide, they'll find us, and it won't be long before they end up sending me Jordan's head to the doorstep, too." He took a deep breath.
 
Finally, a conversation with Frank that wasn't about a future that Thalia wouldn't be happy with. Would this be the last time? Or the gateway to many more? Not like it entirely mattered. Thalia saw a friend in a distressed state of mind, not in the mood for hearing anyone, which is what probably pushed for her to get up after hearing him out. Each going their separate ways, like they'd agreed upon before. It's not like Thalia stood a chance as a lover with Jordan in the picture. Keeping him would be selfish. Besides, her mind was still taken the mere sight of Damien. A part of her told her that there would be something more to him. Not just as a lover, but personally. But Frank didn't need to hear about a new chance Thalia had for a lover. She wasn't going to stoop down to jealousy again. Not after what happened with Jenny.

"I'm just glad the kids weren't home to see the head," Thalia sighed, swiping her hands over her face. "It was a good day to take the day off, really. For all of us, but you and Tony... It's just scary that this happened. So fast, too. Al-Asheera don't... work that fast. Not under Ra's. The Hidden must be a completely different ballgame. But at least.... well, I can only assume you've killed whoever you were hunting... right?" Her voice cracked. She wanted to believe that Tony was the one that ended Sam and Murphy's lives. Unfortunately, she'd be in for an unwelcome surprise. Frank was a changed man. She bowed her head, trying to keep her mind set on the bigger picture.

"Bombs... also not really the Al-Asheera I grew up around. Pretty extreme. But damn... where did they get bombs from? Who exactly is The Hidden to get his hands on heavy machinery like that. Did Sam tell you who The Hidden is? I'm sorry I can't confirm it for you. He's the only member I don't know, at all. I just wish you and Tony realized that sooner with the list I handed you back before James really hopped onboard our little fight."

Frank also spoke of turning himself in, and giving proof of life to the child he was looking after. Going to prison? It was a good thing she separated herself from him while she could. She already had a bumpy path to tread before she even met Karin. Adding a convict for a boyfriend now spending at least a good portion of his life in prison? Probably much more with everything James had on them? Torture and murder? He wasn't coming out. But Thalia was aware of the last part... Frank was separating himself from this mess once and for all. James had already filled her in, and she didn't plan on stopping him. He had a mission. Would she help? As much as part of her, the fighting instinct within her, wanted to join that fight, she would have to pass. She'd come so far in order to obtain a peaceful life, and now? The people closest to her were very close to being safe. Why throw herself into more danger than needed? Bradan had no reason to go after the mystery redhead, the final member of the Al-Asheera higher-ups who's now a wanted woman. Probably too dangerous of a hit. The Clover Boys had no reason to go after her... so why provoke the beast?

"I..." Thalia sighed and turned her head to her ex-boyfriend. "I wish you all the best with that, Frank. But if I can say anything, it's to be careful. I don't know much about these Clover Boys, apart from the fact they exist. All Ra's really wanted to do was piss them off, maybe get into a shootout or two to scare them off. But you want to take them down, simple as that. And as much as I'd like to be a part of it, I just got myself out of Al-Asheera for good, and like you.... just..." She sniffled. "Just watch the news. I'm all over it. I'm sure I'll end up in a high security prison if I'm ever caught. I'm a wanted woman. But..." She sighed. "I'll have to find my way somehow. Someway. I might run and hide, or I might fight for my innocence. But I'll see. You just need to be careful as well, Frank. Watch your back. And... just get out of the mess with James on good terms. I'm still afraid of pissing him off at the final stretch, and I don't want that."

Thalia then reached for her glass from beneath her chair and slowly made her way to her feet, giving Frank one more solid look into his eyes, almost craving that stare for a little longer. But no. Not now. She clenched the glass in both hands, let out a sigh of nervousness, and returned to her retreating mindset like before, getting out of there before she could get hurt again. "You take care, okay?" she murmured, almost inaudible, then turned her back and returned inside. She still had to speak with Jon about future plans, and right now? Frank didn't seem to be in the mood for a talk or a friendly hug. She couldn't upset him further or make him uncomfortable with their agreement. Each of them had a path to follow. So why make their situation worse? Things were about to get very messy under that roof.
 
"They're dead, and that's all that matters." Frank quickly came back with that one. "They're dead and they won't ever hurt anyone ever again. If they could have gone to prison, then yeah, that would have been great. I would have chosen for them to be locked up for the rest of their lives, but realistically, gangs like this?" He shook his head. "They don't just go to prison and give in. They're hard gangsters, and if they don't get killed in the joint then they come straight back out and finish the job, or call on someone else to finish it for them." He said. "And they got the bombs because they had an inside guy who was able to pull rank in the LAPD to get what he wanted."

He seemed to have been made a little more miserable by that fact. "Jordan Reeves, a Sergeant in the LAPD - He got through to the bomb squad's evidence room. Every single bomb planted around the city was because of him, because no one thought to look over their shoulder at the very people they thought they could trust. Because at the end of the day, when you look at things, there's not many people worth trusting, is there?" He asked, then gently wiped at his eyes. He tried his best to hold back the emotion. "Your friends, your family, your colleagues - They do something at some point to let you down in one way or another, and then they either add insult to injury or they try and act like it never happened." He waved a hand. "And that's what Reeves did - He bent us all over and he fucked us." He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.

"And now here I am - I'm a fucking hero but I've never felt more terrible." He said. "I've saved thousands by taking that chance - by taking that gamble. Men, women, children - You name it, I've saved a lot of people having the bad news that so many of us have already had. How many thousands were in that mall you were in, Thalia? How many thousands more are there across wherever these bombs are? Hospitals, parks, beaches, museums, shopping districts?" He let out a laugh of pure bitterness and disbelief. "Yet here I am, sat here trapped - Trapped and doing everything I thought I'd never end up doing." He said. "No job, no real place to live, a kid under my arm, and my life is owned by a man who could quite literally undo all of my life so far if I piss him off too much."

"Funny, really." He leaned back in his seat. "A man who couldn't even for a second understand what my life entails is here acting as my judge, jury, and executioner. Money will never be a problem for him - Unlike me, he can tap away on his keyboard and magic up some money if he wants to. He's got all of these contacts, all of it. He's practically untouchable - Don't get me wrong, James is a fantastic guy, but..." He sighed. "Meeting him under these circumstances will be the death of me." He said.

She had some good advice, but... Frank didn't buy it.

"Thalia, there is no getting out for me." He whispered, looking off to the side. "Maybe you, yeah, maybe you and your family. You, Karin, James - You name it." He said. "But me?" He bowed his head again. "I'm dealing with a gang who'll slit a child's throat just to prove a point to ther parents. I'm talking about a gang that has connections right up the coast of California and all over Ireland, too. I'm talking about the most ruthless man in LA gang history." He said. "And no matter how I look at it - I'm alone in that fight. When it comes down to it, it'll be me and him and all his men. I'll be done for." He said, glumly. "I appreciate your concern, Thalia, but you may as well say your goodbyes. I'm not going to be here for much longer." He said, his head slowly falling down between his knees and his hands running over the back of his skull.
 
Just by his wording, Frank seemed to be influenced by a mix of heroism and hopelessness. Borderline suicidal to a degree... all because of a family's brutal slaying? Some bond he had with a child clinging to him for dear life? It's a bond she couldn't relate to or share. But the selfishness in her heart certainly faded with the realization of Frank's newfound motives. He wanted to be away from all of this. Just... disconnect from everything all for the sake of himself and Jordan. No going back. Thalia could argue that THOSE motives were selfish, because indeed, someone else cared for him all along, but she refrained from starting another argument. James would return soon and tear the ass out of everyone for this exposure, and Thalia, the closest link to Al-Asheera, might be the number one suspect in it all. No need for more rivalries. Time would soon tell... she would become very hostile with these detectives in time. It might just be her ending one of them.

But for now, she remained peaceful with Frank... bidding him the best of luck. He'd done well. She could tell that, even though he was dodging the reality of the question, that Frank had a hand in the murders of the two gangsters. She didn't ask further about the extent of their injuries, but she could tell through his wording and detail that he'd ended their lives. Just unaware of the level of brutality used. At least The Hidden's identity was finally uncovered: Jordan Reeves. Yet another Jordan in the spotlight - way to confuse things. But it shouldn't be difficult to differentiate things. A sergeant with the LAPD... he'd be hard to pick out of work, so this needed to be done carefully. Not rushed, no drive-by type attacks here. Keep it simple, get him pulled aside, and be done with him. Once Reeves is gone, so is Al-Asheera. At least that was something to be hopeful for.

Frank, on the other had, was running out of hope, and would soon be gone. Tracing the back of her tatted hand holding her glass, Thalia sighed and left him with a few final words, "Good luck, Frank."

With that, she turned her back and decided to take a walk in the direction of the wide field where the children usually play soccer. Thalia could use the fresh air, and the moment of peace before she could expect James to storm in and scream in her face for potentially screwing up. Who really did make the grave mistake, however? That was the question, and Thalia still had no answer.

--

Al-Asheera HQ | Burbank, CA

Although the gunshot to his abdomen looked rather serious and, from the looks of it, the sergeant was phasing in and out of consciousness, it was all really part of the new clan leader's plan. The gunman he'd ordered to shoot him, who he killed shortly after, was instructed exactly where to take the shot, and hit the desired location spot-on to give minimal damage to any of Reeves' internal organs, but looked like it could've been something serious. He'd surely be well enough to walk again by sundown and continue his plans to make Thalia Griffin suffer. But being bedridden for a few hours to be patched up by a last-minute doctor that they'd bribed wasn't going to stop the newly crowned god-king from giving orders and continuing the suffering...

As he lay in the bed that was once his lord and savior's, shirtless with several layers of gauze over his wound, a servant stood by his side, similar in nature to the one that would accompany Ra's before he slaughtered the fellow in his quarters. It was time for giving orders. And since Sam had not reported back, that meant he had to get the news to someone else.

"No word about The Banker?" the sergeant/kingpin asked the flimsy servant

"N-No, Your Highness...." Reeves had already gotten the crew used to using the English equivalents, and not the Arabic ones Ra's had adopted. Things were changing in The Clan, and fast. "But we have seen on your police scanner, the explosive you dropped off at your office? It was spotted and is being diffused."

Reeves' eyes shot open, but he kept his head back to relax. His mind immediately assumed the worst: Sam was captured. But he wouldn't stress too much about it. He was the last of Ra's' handpicked inner circle. And Sam was doubtful of his own independent cause. Now? He could start fresh. But only after Tony and The Beautiful One pay for their crimes. Tony was just about finished with nobody left to harm. All that remained was Thalia. And he had just the idea. "Fair enough... I've heard our bombs in other locations are being detected as well."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And The Beautiful One is being depicted as part of our attack on the shopping mall?"

"Also correct."

He released a satisfied grin. "Excellent. Not part of our plan, but it could work very well in our favor."

"Shall we send some of our best fighters to Encino?"

"No..." Reeves halted, extending his right hand forward in a stopping motion. "I have a better idea...." He cleared his throat for a moment and stared the servant in the eyes. "Leave an anonymous tip via a 911 call stating that he saw the so-called 'mystery redhead' entering the address we have in Encino. She is already considered armed and dangerous. Perhaps SWAT will invade."

"B-But Your Highness... would our lord and savior in heaven approve?"

Reeves nodded. "Don't worry about what he thinks..." His eyes rolled upward to the ceiling, thinking back at his predecessor. Ra's would've never used local PD on his side... but this leader was different. "This plan is genius."

The servant sighed. "Very well... I shall make the call. Now?"

"No. Later this evening. Around sundown."

"Yes, Your Highness."
 
James already had a plan on what they were doing to do. The bottom line was this: They couldn't stay there, at least not in Encino - They'd have to find somewhere other than where they were to hang about in, somewhere no one would find them, somewhere safe. James didn't want to interrupt the kids' lives, either - they had their things to do. Charlie and Joseph had the Jiu Jitsu, Joseph had his soccer - tearing them away from a normal life again would be beyond unfair. Their safety was paramount, of course, so where they went was really a matter of convenience. Somewhere close to 'home' would be nice. But not too close, obviously. James had a new set of rules for people to follow - a new way to tackle their issues. He didn't blame any people in particular - No, no, it was much more simple than that - Everyone had a piece of the blame, even himself.

The kids had seen a fun day, though - The laser tag, go-karting, followed by a big lunch - A Subway followed by a stop by a waffle house - a place where they could get waffles on the set menu or create their own. White chocolate sauce, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Smarties, Skittles, crushed Oreos, fresh fruit - you name it, and it was there. Alongside that, there was all the specialty milkshakes. In that moment, too, Joseph obviously had to inject some insulin to account for all the sugar and whatnot. That was probably a new sight for Charlie and Jordan, as until now Joseph had sort of gone out of his way to take care of all of that in private. He didn't seem to mind them seeing this time, though.

All in all, a fun day. James and the kids' day had been more enjoyable by tenfold compared to everyone else. Everyone else had seen some sort of brush of disaster. The only thing that James considered a 'bump' was Charlie's little moment, which he'd tell Jon about when he got the chance. If it was all to do with the previous events of the past few days, as said before, he was sure Jon would have some sort of way to combat it. There's always a way, even if it does take time.

Regardless, James arrived back not long after Thalia went out. He parked the car up in the garage and let the kids out, too.

"Well, boys." He looked over the three of them. "I hope you all had fun." He smiled, "I need to have a word with everyone, so, you can go off and do your own thing - Keep your heads down for a while, alright? You can go say hi to everyone if you like, but obviously, we've got some adult stuff to talk about." He said, appearing as friendly as he could manage. He didn't want to sound too serious, otherwise, he'd end up worrying them. Joseph quickly hugged him, though.

"Thanks, James. Today was awesome. I haven't done something that fun in ages." He grinned.

"Anytime, guys. We'll do this more often, don't worry." He smiled, and as they made their way out, he gave them all a ruffle of the hair. Jordan didn't actually flinch this time - He quite liked James, but, getting him to talk to any other adult than Frank was going to be a task. He was comfortable around James, but the ability to actually speak to him wasn't quite there yet. Even so, Jordan ran off straight away to go and find Frank, while Joseph went to see Karin - he walked with Charlie, though. Their carers must have been within close proximity of each other anyway, right? Even so, they went to do their own thing, and James wasn't that far behind them, either.

...

Jordan, however, was off looking for Frank in the one room he expected to find him: Frank's room. Frank had gone back inside recently. He'd made his mind up on what would happen - Tony had been through a lot, and even though what he did was despicable, Frank figured that it was a decision he more or less deserved to live with. Until this was over, the two of them would be stuck in close proximity - the trust may have been killed now, but on the upside, they'd at least have chances to prove themselves otherwise. Could Frank shine through as someone who was more than a cold-blooded killer? Could Tony make up for what he'd done? Only time would tell, but at this point in time, everyone was in danger - it was one thing they all had in common, friends or not.

So while Frank was off in Tony's room talking to him, Jordan was wandering from room to room and listening by the doors. If he didn't hear Frank's voice, or heard no noise at all, he knocked and went inside to have a look and see what was going on. He came face-to-face with McAllister, who kindly pointed him in the direction of where he'd last seen Frank go. So Jordan made his way there.

In the room, though, Frank had some sudden but serious words for Tony.

"I'm not going to tell anyone." He said, quietly, staring off at him. "Regardless of what you've done, you've still helped me achieve what wouldn't have been possible if I was doing it on my own. You still helped me get Murphy." He looked around, "And overall you've been the lead man in the Al-Asheera case. I doubt most of what I have now would be here if it wasn't for you - In some ways I'm thanking you, in others, not so much." He said. "I may be angry. I might feel betrayed by what you did - but I don't wish you dead." He quickly shook his head. "Death is not something I want you to see - which is exactly why between me and you, your little secret is going to remain exactly that - a secret." He said, crossing his arms.

"No James, no Jon, no Thalia." He said. "I won't say a word to any of them - I've already told Thalia one of us was probably followed back here. Enough people have left the house for that to be believable. So we're going to keep it simple and leave it at that." He nodded once. "Don't screw this up - You won't get another chance if you tell any of them, and you know that. You're going to have to live with the decision you made and hope it doesn't backfire on us - the main focus now is making sure no one else dies, alright? Forget trying to make amends - no one here wants amendments, that much I've realized. All they want is this shit to be over, and that's it. If they find out you got in the way of that, and potentially crippled it all, they'll kill you - and I can only do so much to stop them." He explained.

Then the door flew open, and Frank's heart stopped for a minute - but he turned and saw a smiling boy stood there.

"Frank!" Jordan chirped, and immediately he sprinted up to him and jumped at him - by then, Frank was crouched and ready, so promptly took him into his arms and held him there. He was still weak from his injuries, but he was alive.

"Hey, buddy!" He quickly changed his demeanor and sounded all cheery. "Now, I've had someone tell me that you and your new friends had a lot of fun today." He smiled.

"Yeah, we did." He said. "We went and did laser tag, then we went go-karting, too. After that, James got lunch." He said.

"Yeah? Who won today?"

"James won all of 'em." He laughed a little, "But we all did good, I think."

"Good." Frank ruffled his hair, "What did you have to eat?"

"Subway and waffles." He said.

"Wow, I'm jealous." Frank smirked, "Me and Tony didn't eat all that much today."

"It was really cool at the waffle place. I got to make my own, it had..." He thought for a moment, leaning his head against Frank's chest, "Strawberries, crushed oreos, M&M's, and chocolate sauce."

"Wow, that sounds pretty awesome." Frank said, then peered off at Tony for a second, then back to Jordan. "So, everything was pretty good?"

"Yeah, but, my tummy was a little upset at the laser tag place, but I know why."

"Oh?" Frank tilted his head.

"Pizza does it, it happens every time I have pizza."

"No more pizza for you then." Frank smirked. Jordan knew he was only joking, so, he grinned right back at him.

"My mommy took me to the doctor about it once, the doctor said it was fine." He thought for a moment, "The salt, I think."

"Alright." Frank sighed softly and ruffled the young boy's hair.

Then the bedroom door opened up again, and James stepped inside. Just when Frank was starting to feel a little more relaxed, the man responsible for all his anxiety was right there in front of them. James put on a good facade in front of Jordan, though - He just smiled and looked between Frank and Tony, and Jordan was none the wiser to the fact that there was a rather serious issue on the horizon. He was happy as ever, more than comfortable in Frank's arms. He'd been on overdrive all day, really, running around and experiencing all sorts of excitement. Now he was having a sugar crash and wanted nothing more than to slip into a food-induced coma.

"Frank, Tony, I need you guys in the pool house. Need to discuss a few things with everyone, alright?" He continued to smile, a real enough smile for a six-year-old to be fooled, but to the detectives? The smile was faker than vegetarian chicken.

He disappeared out of the room, and left the three to their own company.

Frank looked back to Jordan, "Why don't you go see if Charlie wants to watch some TV with you?" He asked, "Then later on after we've all had some dinner, I'll watch a movie with you once you're all tucked into bed. Sound good?"

Jordan looked down for a moment, but then looked back up with a smile and nodded enthusiastically.

"Good man. Off you go, then." Frank gently nudged him, and Jordan took off out the room, quick as ever. It seemed today had been a nice morale booster for the kid - Frank was glad. He rose to his feet and looked at Tony, however. "Looks like it's time to meet our maker." He said.

James was going around and getting everyone - Jon, Karin, McAllister, Thalia if she was home yet, Frank, Tony - but not anyone who didn't need to hear it. That meant the kids and Nicole were being left out of this little discussion. James respected her as much as anyone else, but he didn't want her there - the things they were discussing could only be handled by those who were used to it. Everyone under the roof but her, basically, and James felt that Nicole and the kids all needed to rest their heads for a while.
 
The one quality to describe Charlie after the long day out was hyper. Sure, there was his little downer towards the beginning, a quick scare about a fear lying within him that even he couldn't anticipate to be triggered, but beyond that? He'd returned to his old, energetic, enthusiastic self. The remainder of the laser tag was great, collaborating with Joseph, and the go-karting even more fun, considering how that didn't bring back any unfortunate memories. And the food was literally the icing on the cake. If his mother were with him, she might've had a mini-heart attack at the strange concoction her son had made out of his waffles, but seeing this was making the boy happy, Nicole wouldn't mind one bit that Charlie was having fun in the midst of a darker time in the family. Moreover, Charlie had a set of new friends, and had become more comfortable around the mysterious James. Just the thought of someone so connected and ambiguous did scare the boy initially. The fact he'd never met the man sort of added tot he fear of the worst. Turns out there was nothing to fear after all. Well, not until they get home, but again, the children would be as far as humanly possible from the troubles ahead.

Joseph threw himself forward to the criminal mastermind for a hug. Charlie, even if it would be considered strange or unnatural, joined his friend for the embrace. How else was he going to thank James beyond words for such a great day? Though Charlie wasn't all that tall, he wrapped his arms around the man as best as he could to make it count, and to not make it seem too creepy. How would James react with a strange child who just got here yesterday hugging him? Not too bad if he's so friendly around youngsters.

Following up on Joseph's words of thanks, Charlie added on, "Yeah, today was awesome. Sooo cool! Thank you so much!" Charlie was raised with good manners, after all, coming from a mom with ethical standards as high as Nicole's. So the utmost politeness was definitely as expected, which could only boost his image to the leader even more.

Now was a time to relax back home, for the three to go do as they please while James takes care of something around the house with the others. For a moment, Charlie was a tad worried. Did this have anything to do with his father's death? Or the reason he and his mother had to leave Philadelphia so suddenly? It did make his heart sink ever so slightly, but, if James was going to take care of it alone, it was clearly not something for an eight year old boy to worry about. Oftentimes in the past, he'd fall into the trap of overthinking. Now might've been one of those times, but it was one he'd let sink to the bottom of his thought process. He was still hyper, and he was beyond excited to tell his mother how his day was going. How could he not? With all that's been changing around him, she's been the only constant. Well, sort of, now with her recent damages.

The first place the boy could expect his mother was her own bedroom. A second option would've been the kitchen, where she'd spend most of her time back in their home in Philly, but fortunately, such a contingency wasn't needed. She was in her own room, scrolling through pages on a tablet for job interviews, fishing for any luck, if anyone would hire someone as old as her. She may not be young, but her years of life experience had her confident. But nothing gave her as much hope as seeing her son enter her room with a wide smile from ear to ear charging into his mother's hands for a big hug.

"Mommy! Mommy!" He cheered along with his advance, Joseph not far behind, as he chose to follow his friend.

A bit surprised at first, Nicole, as always in times of troubles, painted a smile on her face for her son to see, holding him close. She was so thankful that he was here, safe in her arms, rather than outside in a place she was still unfamiliar with. Hell, with a head showing up at their doorstep not long ago, Nicole began to question whether or not the pack was safe here, either. Perhaps that would be a job for the more experienced ones in the house. What was clear? Thalia was wrong: they were far from done with Al-Asheera. "Ohh, Charlie. My, you seem excited," her voice gave an optimistic glow as well, kneeling to the ground to be at her son's height. "I hope you were nice to your friends and James today, hm?"

Charlie nodded. "I was. But today? It was sooooo cool! We were playing laser tag, and go karting, and all sorts of cool stuff! James won everything, though, but still! We need to go again sometime!"

Laughing to the sound of her excited boy's words, the mother nodded, cupping his small cheeks in her palms, and reassured him with a light chuckle, "Oh, I'm sure you'll be able to go again sometime soon. It seems like there are lots of fun plans under this roof. I can hardly keep up with them."

He nodded. "So many. Then James took us out for food..."

"Oh? Where did you two go?"

"Subway... and this cool waffle place, where we could put ANYTHING on the waffles. We HAVE to go there sometime, Mommy! I know it's junk food, but you have to try it, like, seriously..."

Just the sounds of her son's hyperactive mood put a smile on her face. It was a good change of mood. "Yes, yes, Charlie, we will go sometime. I promise you. When James says it's okay for us all to go? We will all go. You, me, Jon... maybe even Thalia if you feel comfortable around her."

"Yessss!"

As Charlie separated from his mother to cheer and jump up a single time in joy, Nicole could only think about the near future, how good things would be in the near future. Maybe a happy ending was nigh? She could only hope this new character cutting off heads and sending them to their doorstep could be stopped soon. As James was doing, planning a way to put it all to an end.

--

Tony hadn't moved much from Frank's bed, almost frozen in time in that laying-down position to ponder over the future. Frank now knew his secret. His fate was in his partner's hands, whether he chose to spray the secret for all to hear or cover his ass. For all he knew, Frank could very well be doing the former right now with Thalia, explaining every filthy detail of his sins, putting her family in danger. Part of Tony even expected the next person to enter that door to be the mystery redhead, toting a sharp object, and lodging it into his body multiple times. Would that've been a fair punishment for almost killing her family - triggering a reaction from a girl trying her hardest to be normal and suffering in the process, just to make her act up and kill another man because of her own damaged past...?

No. Frank disagreed. Death wasn't fair to Tony, and the younger ex-detective had already lied to Thalia about the nature of how Al-Asheera got so close, and that got her thinking on her own. For now, Tony was safe? He was relieved. He sat up from the bed, swiping over his sweaty, panicked, face, and recovering with a sigh of relief and a relaxed facial expression. What could he do now with this second chance?

"T-Thank you, Frank," he nodded, trying to give a smile of appreciation. Frank was saving his life here. How could he ever repay him?

The confrontation was cut short, and no other serious conversation could continue. Not with Jordan in the room. Tony simply grew quiet, with nothing to say to the child. Either way, it wasn't like Jordan would say anything to him anyway. Seeing the almost father/son bond between the two made Tony rethink his decision to sell out the crew. True, he did ask Roland to spare the children... but what were the odds he'd live up to his end of the deal? Ra's surely didn't, bringing Melissa to the port, dead from hours ago. This was a dirty deal built on lies, one that would've gotten all three children killed, if they were lucky. Maybe the gang would've make them warriors to fight some false cause, or worse: sex slaves. When all this time, he only wanted Thalia and James to pay for ever mistreating him.... No. This had to stay under wraps. Reeves would have to face judgment soon. Al-Asheera would have to perish from existence, only so he could move on with his life without his grave mistake ever reaching the light of day.

James followed shortly into their conversation. And though he was faking a smile for Jordan, it was clear that the pissed off screams on the phone were a direct reflection of his mood. The detectives had done him wrong. So what was next? A meeting for all of the adults under that roof. Tony gulped, and had no choice but to comply. What awaited him at the poolhouse? Who was James' first suspect in all of this?

He could only hope that suspect was Thalia, who was still out of the house on a walk. She'd be back soon, sure, but the meeting would go on without her. That was for sure.
 
James had no problem giving the younger boy a hug, of course not. It was more than welcomed, actually. Obviously Jordan didn't hug James, for obvious reasons, but that was no big deal. It wasn't like James was just going to get offended by it. Nah, he was chill with whatever - the gratitude from the eldest two was welcomed, though. At that moment in time, though, he patted Charlie's head and told him he was more than welcome - Plus, Joseph would get in contact if they ever did anything else. Joseph was still owed a birthday present, after all, and James had some ideas in mind for that. Something they could all get involved in, no doubt. All in good time, though, because now it was more a matter of making sure everyone was safe. To the kids, it would be like... A road trip - that was if they actually left, of course. There were always other plans - even if they left and laid low for a few days, and then came back, at least that would give them a place to rest their heads without worrying about whether or not an axe would come down on their heads.

Meanwhile in the poolhouse, though, before anyone else came out, James took the chance to have a word with Jon.

"Jon, today when we went out, Charlie had a bit of a breakdown." He said, and immediately he watched Jon from relaxed to alarmed. His body tensed up and everything.

"Oh?" He quickly asked. "Was he alright?"

"Fine, yeah. Joseph had a word with him while I was on the phone and all was well after that, but, it was in the laser tag. You know where I'm going with this - guns, random people shooting, so on and so forth. I didn't hear much of what was being said, but, when he was talking to Joseph, I'm pretty sure he brought up the guy you bumped into in San Francisco."

"Fuck, I see." He ran a hand through his hair and thought for a moment, "Okay, I know what I'll do. It'll be quite literally a matter of him facing his fears - it'll be a day out for me and him only. Just so we can tackle it."

"No mom? Thalia?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "If there's more people for him to just turn to whenever he gets upset, he's not going to get the chance to face things properly. If he's with me, I can balance it out just right."

"I trust you, don't get me wrong." James said. "What did you have in mind?"

"He's going to get reintroduced to a gun - In a safe environment, where I can talk him through it and show him that the only way it's going to hurt someone is if he wants it to - Bottom line, it'll be more of a lesson than an outing, but, overcoming fears at a young age is important, otherwise they just stick with you your whole life."

"Mhm." He said, but before the conversation could continue, in walked Tony and Frank - then McAllister, and shortly after him, Karin. He nodded to them all and waited for them to have a seat, then hopped backwards up onto the bar, sitting there with his hands linked in front of him

"Okay, so, here's the 4-1-1, guys." He said, "It's quite ironic Thalia isn't home, considering a big part of this talk revolves around exactly that - but not to worry. She can join us in her own time, whenever suits her." He said, but obviously sarcastically. He'd have thought the last thing she'd do after her mother unboxed a head was disappear out of the house, but, that was a topic to deal with later. It didn't change the fact that he was pissed off, but, all of that could be tackled in due time. "Bottom line is we fucked up. Big time." He said. "Our location - and safety - is fully compromised, and with the now-confirmed Hidden, Jordan Reeves, having direct access to the police force, he could easily run up and tell the whole of the LAPD to kick down my door because we're all terrorists, or something." He waved a hand. "Regardless, the simple fact is the most unknown and likely volatile member of Al-Asheera has slipped through our fingers - his power over things is a lot more significant, too." He said. "And overall, I've got a feeling that unless we move across country, or even to a different country entirely, he's not going to leave us alone until we're all dead, or enslaved. Which I'm sure you can agree isn't something we want for the children."

There was a synchronous shake of heads.

"But ultimately, I believe someone followed one of us back here."

Thank god, Frank thought.

"And who's to blame?" James asked, slowly looking around. "Each and every one of you. Including me. And Karin, Jon, including you, too. Thalia, as well. No one is innocent in this whole situation, realistically. Jenny probably hasn't fucking helped one bit, but forget about her." He said. "We've played our cards wrong, thought we could get away with living life as normal and then fighting these guys on the side. Clearly it didn't work like that - They've got us figured out, and now Thalia's off on one of her little cooldown walks, or whatever the hell it may be. So we can only hope she doesn't get jumped by some goons who have been watching the house this whole time without us knowing."

"Want me to go and look for her, James?" Jon asked.

"No, no, not yet. I need the muscle here, just in case." He said. He thought for a moment more - was it really a good idea to stay here? Maybe they should leave, even if it was for a few days - Once again, James knew some guys that owed him a favor, so getting a hideout wasn't going to be that difficult. But at the same time, they had the basement that no one knew about, they had the bunker in the back yard. Staying here was a possibility - people just needed to know what to do in the event of an emergency. That could easily be talked into everyone, though. "I want you all to make sure you pack a bag, just in case we need to leave last-minute." He said. "I'll tell the same to Joseph - Jon, Frank, you can tell Nicole and Charlie, and Jordan, of course. Respectively for the two of you. And when Thalia gets back I'll run her by everything she needs to know."

"James..." Frank gulped, "I... I don't want a part in this. I'm sorry."

"I'm afraid you have no choice."

Frank bit his lip and nodded a couple of times.

"Sorry, but, you're only in danger if I let you walk away now. I'm not going to let you and Jordan spend your last moments together getting brutually tortured or god knows what."

"I understand." He sighed, softly.

"Okay, on that note, does anyone have any other questions? If not, I suggest you go pack that bag I told you about, just in case."
 
Fortunately for James, Thalia wasn't too far away from the mansion, and would come right on time for the final questions. After having seen her mother in such a traumatic state, the only thing that could run through her mind... how? Frank claims they'd gotten careless, but she knew it wasn't on her end. Not because she was cocky, but because she was more familiar with how Al-Asheera trails people. She knew the warning signs off the back of her hand, always watching her back, and even if she suspected she were caught, she'd immediately make a detour and run through the bushes, immediately losing them. Yes, she's brought trouble home from her cooldown walks before, but now wasn't one of them. This time? It was going through the list of suspects. Who ratted them out? No way it was any of the children, and certainly not her mother. James? Why bring trouble to his own slice of heaven on earth? And Karin didn't have the motive nor expertise to do it either. That left Jon, the detectives, and McAllister. All of them were worthy candidates for the one who screwed up, too. No matter how professional this crew was, Al-Asheera were still unpredictable. Unpredictable to everyone but Thalia. For a moment, she didn't believe that they'd been followed. Her mind was still considering the chance that someone had betrayed them and gave away the location of the mansion. But who? Tony might've been the first person she'd gunned after, had the two not settled on a truce just last night. Half of her even considered the possibility that it was Jenny attempting another stunt to spite her family. Maybe she was captured again, tortured for the information, and quickly killed. Only one way to find out. Before she returned to the entrance to the mansion, she reached for her phone and dialed a number added not long ago. One of a friend she wasn't all that fond of anymore, but was still there.

"T?"

"What the hell did you do this morning?"

"What? I told you, nothing!"

"Bull-fucking-shit. It was something." Thalia's voice came off rather aggressive, no longer believing a word this supposed lover told her. "Did you get on James' bad side?"

"Maybe, I don't know. He just came in, slapped me, handed me some money, and told me to leave..." Though clearly a lie, Thalia didn't call her bluff. Just went along with it. "But I went to a really nice hotel in downtown LA. He said the threat on my life is over. That means... well, we can relax. So, if you really don't wanna feel lonely tonight..."

"No." A firm answer declining the request. Thalia had had enough of this abusive friend of hers. No more kind words or tender kisses would make things better between the two. Their friendship might no longer be reparable, but did Thalia really think Jenny had the capacity or means to sell her out? She still liked her old middle school frenemy anyway. "No, Jenny. I'm not coming anywhere with you."

"Oh, boo you. What happened, Karin finally decided to fuck you?"

Triggered by the comment on her new best friend, Thalia dropped the mobile from her ear and dropped the car. She wasn't going to tolerate insults or references to her best friend like that. Still... if Jenny wanted to have a night of fun at a hotel, why risk her life? Jenny was vengeful, but not that much. Not to the point that she'd put children's lives on the line. It couldn't be her. No, it had to be someone under their roof. A mole among the pack. Time to enter and find out who.

--

Tony, meanwhile, sat amongst the pack gathered in the poolhouse as James unleashed hell before everyone. That pissed off attitude that he had concealed around the children was now in full view of everyone, and he had every right to be, especially if he knows the truth behind HOW Al-Asheera found them. Most of what he said was right: Reeves was unpredictable, and could easily have a SWAT team over here and ready to engage. Maybe the team did get careless... but this wasn't everyone's fault. That's the one thing Tony knew the truth about. So did Frank. But neither of them were going to tell a soul. Not when James is this livid. Then again, him finding out later could make for an even worse reaction. Tony's goal for that was that James never finds out, and he remains under the impression that somebody got careless. In that case, it didn't matter who it was, but that the crew prepares for a worst case scenario: be it an arrest warrant for all of them, or Al-Asheera gangsters breaking in and slitting all of their throats on sight and taking the children as sex slaves.

To Tony's relief, that's what James would continue to believe: that it was a slip-up, without being completely aware. And they were going to proceed based on that assumption. No one will be punished... unless James' words about Thalia's absence meant anything. Was it time for the two to really butt heads? No making up or 'I'm sorry' later? Maybe justice would finally be served. But for now, the next orders? Pack an emergency bag for when and if they have to escape. Tony nodded along after being so silent the whole time. They couldn't let the children be harmed any further. If they had to leave, unlike Frank, Tony had no issues going.

And as James asked if anyone had any objections, the mystery redhead herself, who brought Al-Asheera to his doorstep, gently knocked on the door and allowed herself entry to the poolhouse. Much like everyone else in the room, she expressed concern. If only she were home from the beginning, but she needed a breather after the news that Al-Asheera had found where she is, more or less. It was also an opportunity to isolate suspects as to who fucked up or sold them out, why they did, and when it happened. And for sure, Tony's instance of alone time with Roland was on the list, just not a priority, since the information would've died alongside Roland and Ra's last night. To her knowledge, at least.

"Your butler said I should meet you here?" Thalia mentioned, telling how she knows about the meeting place. It was a good thing she came sooner than later. But when Tony saw her? All of those hateful feelings from before that he rid himself of suddenly returned. He had to sell the act that someone had sold them out. And like before, Tony knew how to stray from the truth to make for a convincing act. With his brows crossed and fists clenched, he stomped closer to the younger girl as he would in their hostile times, leaving Thalia confused... Why? Weren't they over the past?

"You..." Tony snarled, now up in her face. "You brought this hell upon us."

Scoffing, Thalia barked back, "Excuse me?"

"Don't give me the 'lost girl who's trying to be normal' act, bitch," he continued, the tension growing in his voice. "I knew I should've arrested you that day in Karin's house and squeezed the information out of you."

Thalia tilted her head and stepped closer to Tony, now returning to their former relationship. "Well tough luck, because had you done that? The only words you would've gotten me are 'fuck yourself'. Because I wasn't talking and giving you all this info for YOU. Or the LAPD..." Her eyes drifted passed Tony and tried their best to meet Karin's. "I did it for Karin. Because she talked me out of that life. So don't think you're some hero for all I've done for you. Because without me? You wouldn't even know that we refer to our leader as 'Ra's'. You wouldn't know about The Ten. Or the LAPD insiders, OR the fact your cousin was working for us." She returned to face Tony, giving him a wicked death glare straight in his eyes. "All you and your partner would be doing is chasing after the illusion of the nameless, faceless 'mystery redhead' and getting nowhere in the process. Admit it, Tony. You'd be NOTHING without my help."

Undermining his authority triggered Tony to give Thalia a firm push up against the door of the poolhouse and get even closer, now having her cornered. "You do realize that, had James never showed up, I would've never brought you up for immunity? And I'm glad it won't happen. Because nobody will give immunity to a girl being called a terrorist. And very soon, law enforcement is going to break this door down and arrest you right in front of your mommy and little brother. Unless it's not Al-Asheera first, who will just behead them for you."

"Keep in mind that they've been targeting YOU too!" she yelled, poking his chest with her index finger. "They've killed your girlfriend and your father in just a day's time. So if they come here and slit my throat? Odds are, they're coming after you, too. So, for god-knows-how-many times, we're on the same side here."

"So tell us, Thalia..." Tony growled, reaching forward at the straps of her tank top, "Did you sell us out be acting stupid when you left the house? Or did you tell Reeves yourself? Or was it that cute little girlfriend of yours that got you out of focus?"

Without hesitating a second longer, Thalia followed up with a loud grunt and a solid knee lift right into Tony's groin, causing him to yelp in pain and flinch back, covering his crotch and falling to his knees, subsequently dropping Thalia from his grip. The redhead only looked down at him, fire in her eyes, looking as if she wanted to take another hit. It was so tempting after all of the times he'd disrespected her and called her out for these mistakes. But instead.... she resisted. Not in front of all these people. Her fists released from their prior tension and she stepped away from Tony, kneeling on the ground, and approached James, trying her best to relax and get on topic.

"What's the plan, James?" she asked, "Because I can't have Al-Asheera coming her and hurting my family."
 
For a while James was convinced that things could go somewhat their way, but as soon as Thalia walked in, shit seemed to hit the fan. Since he'd been talking he took the chance to pour himself a drink - something stiff, something that could at least settle the drama. Everyone was at least expecting somewhat of a shit storm from James at this point, so hopefully Thalia was, too. Walking in late wasn't something that was going to land her high up in the good books, really. But it seemed Tony beat him to the count - why the hostility again? Why was he starting this off? Frank couldn't believe it. Frank had essentially handed him a get-out-of-jail-free card and he was in the process of throwing it all away. Frank was going to continue the whole 'we were followed' charade until the day he had a bullet in his head if he had to, but not if Tony was going to try and give it away while they still had a chance.

Plus, if Tony found himself at the barrel of a gun, it's not like Frank would just let them kill him. If the crisis was averted and no one got hurt, there'd be no need for anyone to die, not at all. But still, Frank stayed quiet, and he let the chaos unfold. He didn't have to step in when it was obvious that James would do that himself.

Speaking of which, James walked up, and he gave one push to Thalia to get her back away from Tony, then put one foot down and kicked Tony over, too - He didn't kick him in the face or anything, just in the body to make him roll back over onto his back, or something. Even so, if he didn't look angry before, he certainly did now.

"The two of you are like a lung and cancer - You just can't fucking work together, and any peace between the two of you lasts no more than 12 hours. I'm sick of your bullshit. Completely sick." He said, then lifted the glass and slammed down what was left. He looked at Tony, then at Frank. "You two shitstains are in no place to throw any accusations around - You've known Reeves longer than any of us and he was doing this shit right under your nose, and he happened to dump you both outside our door not too long ago - If anyone's getting blamed for being rats, right now, it's more likely to be one of you. So shut the fuck up." He snapped, quickly, then turned back to Thalia.

But not before turning and hurling his glass off against the wall - It was going to be one of those 'James' moments, it seemed. Hopefully Thalia could remember that he didn't necessarily mean to get carried away in what he said - it had happened before, and a lot of what he said he wasn't serious about.

"Before you decided to show up late, Thalia, I was saying how each and every one of us has a blame in this. You. Karin. Jon. Frank. Tony. Me. Everyone." He said. "We've been acting like it's all so easy - Frank and Tony have gone about their normal lives, you brought Jenny back here who turned out to be nothing more than a pathetic narcissistic liability, I've been trying to bring some normality to the lives of the kids, to all of us, you and Karin have gone shopping - You've gone off on your little 'cooldown' walks, or whatever the hell you want to call them. You really think we got away with all of that?" He asked. "Bullshit, bullshit, all of it." He shook his head.

"So, the bottom line - The danger and misfortune us and those we care about are facing is our fault. The fact that innocent people have died by Al-Asheera's hand already is our fault, and the fact that we now have to give up everything, buy a big tub of grease, and take it from these pigs for god knows how long, is our fault - It's time we all accepted that. Because this has been handled in the least professional standard I have ever seen. But don't get me wrong, as much as I'm an asshole, I'm taking an equal amount of blame for all of this." He said. "I've seen it happen before - You think you can get away with everything, and innocent people die. And that's what we've done. We've pushed our luck. We've had Al-Asheera targeting people from across the country, basically. And for some reason we all thought we could just... Go about our business, now that their ranks are depleted." He sighed, looking a little more defeated than angry.

He walked over to the bar and with a shaking hand got another glass, then poured himself another drink. He peered off at Tony and Frank, then darted a finger at both of them. "You and you, get out." He said.

Frank quickly stood up and helped Tony to his feet if he needed it.

"Go pack some bags like I said and wait inside - But until then, just fuck off." He walked over to the door and shoved it open. "Out. Go."

Frank wasn't refusing, he made a run for it and practically dragged Tony along with him. The door was slammed behind them.

James walked back to the bar and leaned against it.

"Pack a bag, Thalia." He whispered. "We're getting ready for the worst-case. If it comes to it, we'll need to FEAR. Fuck Everything And Run." He sipped his drink. "I don't like running, but, I'm not having one of you get killed. None of you deserve that." He said. He looked off at Jon, "Jon, please, go inside the house and make sure nothing bad occurs - Take Charlie and Nicole to one side and tell them that they have to get a bag packed - don't tell them we're leaving, though, just make sure they have stuff ready if it comes to it."

He sighed, "You got it." He said, and he wandered out.

And then there were three. James and the girls.

"I don't know what to do, ladies." He said. "I do need to show you the basement. Ideally, I don't want to leave here - But if it's Reeves, we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve." He frowned, "And Thalia, I know Tony started that, but next time, let me deal with it. Next time it happens and results in you two at each other's throats, you're both getting more than a slap on the wrist for it. Because I just can't take it anymore, alright?" He huffed, leaning over the bar and setting his head down on the surface. "I don't know. For the first time I'm saying it - I don't know. If we don't get Reeves, within six months this happens all over again, and your name will never be cleared. Not cleared like I want it to be - Now you're on the fucking... Top 20 Most Wanted list, for god's sake. Letting you guys go out today was a mistake."

"James..." Karin got up and slowly went to him, rubbing his back. "It's not your fault."

"Maybe not, but the lord knows we could have been a damn sight smarter." He said. "Charlie, Joseph, Jordan, Nicole - They'll be safe. Safer than all of us." He said. "You can be sure that Jon will keep Charlie and Nicole safe - I'll put my effort into keeping all the kids safe in general." He sighed, "The basement is the best place for you guys, should it be needed. I'll show you shortly. Just... I need you both to stay here from now. No more risks. No more walks. Just until this is all over, please stay here." He said.

He sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head down on the counter.

"James, I need to tell you something." Karin said, softly.

"We'll talk later, Karin." He said softly. Karin nodded, then looked at Thalia. It was a matter of urgency, really, but... She could wait, she guessed.

--

On the way into the house, before Jon obviously came out after them, Frank was quick to call Tony out on the shit that occurred.

"Tony, if you want this secret to stick you can't start trying to shift the blame onto someone else." He said. "If you do that, it's going to bite you on the ass - James thinks that someone was followed back here, so don't start trying to turn this into something it doesn't need to be. If you start fights again, people are going to start asking questions. For the love of god, just keep things quiet and keep your head down so we don't have to deal with all of this if it backfires - because if this comes back on you, you're going to find yourself in a lot of trouble that you might not be able to get yourself out of. Starting that fight was a dumb move." He whispered. He looked over his shoulder as Jon came out of the pool house, though, and he patted Tony on the shoulder.

"We'll talk more later on." He said. Did he need to go find Jordan? Nope. He could go and relax. Jordan was off watching TV, as far as he could remember. He needed a nap of some sort so he could rest his head a bit. A concussion wasn't out of the question, realistically, so resting up would be a safe bet. At least that way he'd stay out of trouble, too. He made sure to poke his head in the living room when he was on his way through at the three kids, but...

Jordan had fallen asleep. Sugar crash. He'd crashed and drifted off, his head slumped down against Charlie's shoulder. In some ways, Charlie and Joseph were quite brotherly to him. He was fond of the pair, obviously, as they were some of the only people he felt most comfortable around.

Not long after Frank went through, Jon came through as well. He wanted to talk to Charlie about the bag thing, but... He was watching TV. So, simply, he smiled and said 'Hey, guys', and continued on out of there. He went and found Nicole, though, wherever she may have been, and he had to basically reiterate what James had said to him.

"Nicole?" He called out. "James wants us to pack some bags, just in case we all need to leave here at some point. Seeing as what happened today, we need to be ready to shift if needed, okay? You focus on getting some of your stuff together - I was gonna' ask Charlie to come and get his stuff packed with me, but, he's watching TV. He's had a good day and I don't wanna' panic him." He said. "So, I'll get some of his stuff together. If you want me to explain anything, fire away. All of this is very sudden." He shrugged.
 
Just by the word of a gathering, Thalia had entered expecting nothing more than a few stern words from James. Tony's reaction was a surprise, but one she easily evaded. The head honcho himself, however was displeased, aggressive, and simply pissed off. And adding on drinking to the equation was no help. Once she was more aware of her surroundings after the late arrival, Thalia put distance between herself and Tony, even if the detective was groaning in pain covering his groin on the floor, then taking a few hits from the infuriated James for starting another altercation. Seeing THAT made Thalia back off further, closing in on a couch where she sat on the edge of. She picked a piss-poor opportunity to walk in on, and an even worse time to be late to an intervention. Now? All that was left was to sit back and watch the lecturing and ass-tearing.

Once again, James was returning to the mindset of taking shots everywhere he saw the chance, calling out every mistake ever so minor, even those that weren't eve mistakes, just to highlight vulnerabilities, starting with her own disagreement with Tony, which wasn't even Thalia's fault. Tony simply had it out for her from day one. His obsession to put someone in handcuffs for what happened to his partner, and maybe even a slight feeling of lust for his prey, is what fueled his pursuit. They'd probably never get alone at this rate, and if they did, it wouldn't last longer than the peace that they'd enjoyed since Tony saved her life. It made Thalia think... what if she and Karin had never struck a deal with the detectives? They'd both be arrested, and at least Thalia would be killed before sunrise the next day, giving Ra's what he wanted all along, and Karin would lose her brother. It was a relief that the latter didn't happen, but maybe, after all this time, Thalia would be incarcerated after all. Worse, maybe in front of her family. Would it have been better off if she'd just given up from the start? Nobody would've been in this sort of trouble. Her father might still be alive. Same with Tony's girlfriend and father. James was right: everyone had a share of the blame, but why did Thalia find herself the bigger portion?

She sure as hell wouldn't bite the hand that feeds. She didn't sell anyone out. And for Tony to think so was insane.

The second James threw his glass, Thalia flinched, her heart sinking. What had she done? She knew he was angry and was probably going to say several things he didn't entirely mean, but it didn't affect her any less. Hurt? Maybe. Defensive? Also possible, as her fists clenched, preparing for any sort of case in which he laid a hand on her. True, she wouldn't try anything on him... so long as he didn't start it. He may not believe she could do any real damage, but then again, she'd yet to see James kill someone, so, like Tony, she doubted he'd do anything grievous. He spoke about every chance for error that'd happened over the past day, including the incident with Jenny, her family coming in here, and her own cooldown walk, among other things that didn't concern her. Her eyebrows crossed and head leaned forward, ever so tempted to step forward and drive a slap over his face or grip his neck as a warning shot. But then, he equally took the blame for all of this. Perhaps, however Al-Asheera found them, it could've been anyone, even if Thalia was so confident that she'd never been followed. Like her word would mean anything. But she remained silent. Not a word out of her mouth. This time, she wouldn't isolate herself from the situation, but rather wait for the right time to confront James and defend herself. Once he was through with his tirade.

Frank and Tony were told to get out rather forcefully, as if more of the anger was directed to them. Tony accepted the assistance to get back on his feet, winced at the attitude, and walked with his partner out of the poolhouse. Pack a bag. That was the next part of the deal. A blow to the balls, alongside James' hits, topped off with the pain in the back of his head? At least Thalia hadn't given him another beating. That roughing up he'd received two days ago was the most brutal he'd ever had. Now was definitely coming close. Like being shot in the ass all over again.

Jon wasn't kept around for much longer either, and was told to go help Nicole and Charlie get their belongings in order. When would they have to go? Was it definite? Or only in a worst case scenario, in which case, what qualifies as such? What a mess the team had gotten themselves into... James fired more warning shots, trying to convince Thalia not to fight back again in case Tony steps up and gets in her face. She didn't want to get violent, but if he provoked it? She might not be able to help it. She'd try, and to give him an answer, she nodded subtly as a sign of approval. There was talk of a basement. Was this a safe place for them to hide in case they're caught in a bad situation? Or another weapons locker? Hell did she know. James was running the show, after all.

Finally, a chance to speak. And alone, too.

"Let's get one thing straight," Thalia began, getting up from her place at the end of the couch and taking a few steps closer to James. Her arms curled up to fold over her chest as she began, "Yes. We are all at fault for Reeves knowing where we are, but I think you and I, and even Karin..." her eyes wandered over to her friend for a short time before returning to James, "...know who the real culprit is. Isn't it obvious?" Her head tilted slightly, followed by a scoff. "What, didn't Tony's little dance earlier give it away? Not to mention, even if you want to consider the other possibilities. McAllister has nothing to do with Reeves, Ra's, or Al-Asheera. So why would they find him or follow him? Jon? Your professional that you trusted my family with? I'm sure if you two know each other THAT well and as professional as you claim to be, you would know better than to let yourselves be followed. And me? I know specifically how to evade those bastards. I know how they follow and to what extend. So don't think for one second my habit of going for a walk compromised anything. Keeping in mind Karin hasn't left the house until today, and Jenny never came back to lead them anywhere, we're down to two suspects, and you know it was them: Frank and Tony."

Was that enough to convince him? She went on, though, giving arguments and counter arguments to validate her assumption, "I mean... think. Reeves is there buddy, right? You said it yourself: he pulled this off right under their noses and, from what I hear, risked life and limb for the guy. They let it slide. Coincidence? Fine, how about the reason why Tony just stepped up in my face after we finally got along? Why would he do that? Alright, maybe he's paranoid, like we all are. In that case, tell my why Al-Asheera only attacked us TODAY. Maybe to avenge the death of Ra's? But for that, they'd need to know Tony was the killer. We don't target people randomly. Ra's warned Tony to back off and even killed his girlfriend to make a statement. Tony didn't listen and killed Ra's instead. The next day? His father's head shows up at our doorstep. I assume there's a disc in there too? 'Thanks for the memories', it should read.... Don't play it. It's a video of the man's execution. So view at your own risk if you want proof of what I'm saying. This was a revenge scheme directed towards Tony. HE is the single point of failure, and if there's any chance that Reeves, Ra's, or whoever is heading them up followed us home or forced the info out of him, it's him and Frank. I'm telling you."

There was also the chance that Tony was under Reeves' custody when he ALMOST ratted everyone out before. That would come to James' mind at some point, but unfortunately, Thalia wasn't aware of that part of Tony's near betrayal. Another fact also came to light... the way James wanted to acquit Thalia. It wasn't just to get the bomb threat off her back. It seemed like he wanted her fully in the clear. A free woman. That much for a girl he barely knows? More than she could ever dream of. Freedom might be more plausible than she originally thought.

Thalia sighed and relaxed her arms by her sides. "Look. Maybe we could've been more careful. But I won't let them get close to the people I love..." Her eyes redirected towards Karin for a moment. She tried to start a conversation with James about the baby, but it was saved for later. Thalia still needed to talk to him about Miracle as well, which would also have to wait. "Guess packing is a must. But where would we go? And what do we do if we can't get out in time? What if the police show up to arrest me? Or if Al-Asheera decides to jump us in the comfort of our home?"

--

Walking slowly became easier for Tony, and eventually, he didn't need to use Frank as a crutch of any sort. But there was a discussion for the two about his little episode blowing up on Thalia again. Frank wasn't pleased, for obvious reasons. That might've blown their cover and resulted in a new world of pain for him.

"A dumb move, but necessary," he sighed, "We can't let James get any ideas, and maybe the fight was doing exactly that. But trust me, Frank. Thalia is untouchable to James because she's the one-way-ticket to Al-Asheera. If she fucks up, he might forgive her. If we do? He'll have us killed. So why not put a few crimes on her back for once? Make a convincing case to get the blame off everyone and more focused. It's pretty easy to do with her wandering off like she did today, right? You saw how pissed he got when she came in late? This could work, and you and I could never have to speak of my little... incident, again."

The two weren't alone for long, as Jon came out of that room soon after. Tony shut up and just watched the mechanic walk by. With that near scare of someone almost hearing them, he and his partner parted ways, and the first place he went? His room. He still hadn't seen his father's head, and honestly didn't want to just yet. He needed time to come to terms with the fact he was gone. But now, a nap seemed in order. Just to rest off his injuries.

--

Unaware of this little meeting going down, Nicole finally found the courage to leave her bedroom and settle for some of the leftover cake from yesterday. Normally, she wasn't the type to just dig in to dessert that quickly in the middle of the day, but it wouldn't kill her. She just needed something, anything, to take her mind off the recent events. And a quick piece of cake might do just the trick for now. She was at peace knowing that the children were back home, that mostly everyone was back home. The children were watching TV together, the others, she was unaware of their whereabouts, but they were home. So why not take a break herself? The kitchen was clean, anyway.

Jon's return did surprise her and make her heart skip a beat, but when she realized it was him, she felt a feeling of comfort return, the one very one she felt when she hugged him after seeing the head. She gave him a faint smile when he called her name as she cut into the quarter of a cake that was left over from yesterday. "Jon... please come in. Would you like some cake?"

But cake wasn't quite on the agenda. Packing, just in case of an emergency and they have to leave. The smile quickly faded as she stood upright and dropped her eating utensils, standing upright and properly for Jon. He told her to get a bag sorted out for herself, and even offered to do Charlie's. "Jon... that's... rather sudden, but alright. I will get to that, not to worry. And you don't have to worry too much for Charlie's bag. I can take care of that as well. But, when are we leaving? To where? Will it be safe? And how will we explain to Charlie that we have to rip him away from a second home so quickly?"

So many questions from an ever so troubled woman. But could Jon blame her?
 
"I don't care who's responsible." He said. "Nor who you think is to blame. Frank's got too much at stake to deliberately put the rest of us in danger - and Tony? He's suffered enough. I wouldn't be surprised if he walked away from this operation and shot himself in face. He hasn't got anything left, which is more than what we can say. At least we still have people we care for." He said. "Tony hasn't got anyone left, and he's lost friends faster than I can even express. He'll be walking out of the back end of this with everyone he loves dead and no friends who'll trust him enough to have his back - That's one of the reasons I don't care - until one of them completely fucks something up - who is responsible for whatever may happen." He explained. "We're moving on and focusing on the bigger picture, and I hate to be that guy, but we're looking at the bigger picture whether any of you like it or not." He said. "The past events are in the past and we no longer need to care about them, at least not yet. We need our heads in the game and out of our asses."

He took a sip of his drink, "Tony and Frank seem like the kind of guys that keep on stepping on their own dicks." He said. "If they fuck up, let me worry about it. I'm running this show - If they do something wrong, you tell me and I'll deal with it appropriately. Your name will be hard enough to clear without having the blood of two ex-detectives on your hands, you understand?" He said. A stern instruction, but one he felt was for her own good. If he could deal with things when it was needed, then that would keep Thalia well out of trouble, and would potentially avoid any little outbursts. He just hoped things could go smoothly now that they were so close to the end. He did need to show them the basement, though. A safe place to hide, should things go to complete shit. He hoped that wouldn't be the case, though. All in good time.

"Packing is necessary in case we need to make any sudden moves. As usual, I know a guy who owes me a favor. I helped him find someone who 'mispaced' some of his bearer bonds, and let's just say this guy's a very rich man who works in the construction and real estate industry." He said. "If we need something, he still has to return the favor in one way or another. That's truly worst-case scenario, though." He explained. "For now, if anything happens, the least suspect people in the house will remain outside the safe zones - Me, Jon, my butler, anyone who's not known to be directly connected to anything that's happened..." He thought. "In that case, maybe just Jon and Marco." He rubbed his head. "The rest of us will have two places to hole up - The basement, and the back yard, whichever's closest. Obviously, I want the kids in the basement, seeing as none of them really need to see a huge weapons locker, do they?" He said, sipping at his whiskey once more.

"I'll be listening to the police scanner continuously to make sure we know if the police are on their way, so you don't need to worry about that." He said. "If Al-Asheera try and storm the fort, they're going to be met with one hell of a lot of firepower, which is something me and Jon will organize shortly." He said. "We'd have the upper hand in any gunfight, as we'd have the house as cover. Them storming us would be a stupid plan on their behalf. Plus, they don't know the experience level of myself and Jon, at least not as much as they'd like to think they do. Us combined with McAllister, the detectives? It'd be a small army, practically. If it does result in a gunfight, you'll be one of the people ensuring everyone else is safe. You'll be armed, but you won't be on the front line, it's too risky. They'll target you as soon as you rear your head." He said.

"Now, you two..." He finished his drink and made off for the door.

Karin got up and glanced at Thalia, but she still followed.

They were taken through to the bar room inside the house, the one with the pool table in it. She didn't know what they were doing here, but it soon became clear. He approached the cabinet that held all the glasses and such, and quite simply, he took hold of the little light on the wall beside it. Karin thought things like this only existed in movies, but, clearly not. When he pulled the light, the right side of the cabinet pushed away from the wall with a rush of air. They found themselves looking down a narrow stairwell.

"After you." He said, stepping aside. He followed them in and closed the cabinet behind him. They went down the stairs, and they were met with yet another code-protected door. Steel. Heavy.

"The code for this door is 7751." He said. He punched that in. "You'd best remember it, just in case you're the first ones down here whenever shit hits the fan." He explained, and when he opened the door, they were met with a place that lookedl like... Well, a bunker. A security room.

image045.jpg

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"You have a bathroom with a working toilet, sink, and shower over to the left, and in there, there's also a medicine cabinet. You'll find some EpiPens in there, should they be needed, along with the basic stuff like flu medicine, pain killers, and so on. There's also a first aid kit in there." He explained. "Full access to the home's CCTV, both inside and out, controlled by the laptop on the table there." He nodded down to it. He closed the metal door as they entered, though. "If you enter the code again on the inside keypad, you'll engage the lock mechanism on the door. The door and the room itself is impenetrable, almost. It's top of the range, meaning it's explosive-proof, saw-proof, and also sound-proofed to make sure anyone upstairs can't hear a single thing." He explained. "This isn't the main basement - the other basement is just a decoy, accessible from under the stairs. The only way you'll get through the door or the walls is through the use of thermite, which isn't something your average police force will have immediate access to." He explained, then pointed over by the bookcase. "Bookcase contains books of all sorts. Educational, religious, fictional, survival. You name it. You can see just beside the bookshelf there's two cupboards and a microwave. The cupboards are filled with plates, bowls, cutlery, and dried and canned food. Microwave allows for hot meals to be made, as in some circumstances you'll be down here for a while." He said. "There's a month's supply of food in there, a month for four people, at least. For the numbers we have, the food should last a little over a week or two - but you won't be down here that long." He said.

"Obviously, ventilation runs from outside, so oxygen supply doesn't get hindered should the building above collapse for whatever reason. The laptop has software which can send an SOS message if needed, but for the love of god don't actually use that when you're down here, otherwise, it'll basically be a beacon for the police to come and find you." He said. He finally turned to look at them.

"Any questions?"

--

He expected Nicole to be worried. Anyone would be in such a situation, but, he didn't want her to panic, either, so he simply went to her and sat down, then put a hand on her shoulder and made her sit back down, too. "Let me explain." He said, simply. "I'll help you pack the bags, it's not a problem. And us leaving isn't a guaranteed thing, it's simply worst-case scenario. I'll have a word with Charlie a little later and run him by some things. Safety things, basically. We only fear we may have to leave if things become a little too dire - seeing as we are somewhat exposed at this point in time. But don't worry, James has got plenty of security measures in place in this house, one of which I do know of." He said. "He has a panic room in a hidden location, so if anything happens, we'll all head down there. It's not worth panicking about just yet." He said.

"If we do end up leaving, you can be sure James will choose a place with the best security possible, so please try not to worry about it too much." He said. "Like I said, I'll explain everything to Charlie in a little while. I'll sugar-coat things a little just so he doesn't get upset. He's had a good day, so, there's no need to trash it now. I'll talk him through everything and just let him know that we may need to act quickly if anything out of the ordinary happens. Simple." He said. "He was watching TV with Jordan and Joseph the last time I checked, so, we'll leave him to that for now, alright?"

"Overall, to put things into a summary, us packing bags is only a precaution. For all we know we won't have to go anywhere." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "Alright?"
 
Every concern that Thalia had to address was countered, a quick solution around it thanks to James' resourcefulness. She felt a bit undermined after showing her own doubts of a traitor under the roof. James didn't care about whose fault it was, making it out to be a slip up from someone under that roof, and her argument didn't mean anything to him. It got her pissed to watch him go on and defend Frank and Tony like that. Sure, he has a point NOW. But what about before Jordan came into the picture? What about before Melissa was found dead, or Tony's father was executed? Did James fail to think back at the events before? All the opportunities Tony had to sell them out? That's all she could think of on her walk. An entire list of possibilities in her mind for some error to have caused this.... all to be ignored by James that there's a possibility for a traitor. But who was she to question it? He was livid, drinking, and probably easy to provoke. So why get on his bad side when he so easily could rub his own achievements for her own good in her face? Show how much more of a professional he is? Best not to question it, but stand back and let him speak. Not like she was getting a choice any of this.

"I know the drill if we have to go into combat. Loud and clear. My priority is my family, though. I want my mom and brother safe and away from the guns. From what I've heard, the two have had enough scares for one lifetime. But let's just hope Al-Asheera doesn't have a deathwish and try to start a raid for my head as a last hurrah. I bet you anything they'd try that. Or send a cop here to arrest me, then end me in prison. I can handle myself, front lines or not. Just give me a weapon and I'll manage."

Besides that, Thalia remained silent up until the time came for the three to explore this mysterious basement that nobody's seen, except for Jon, possibly. It was quite a surprise Karin hadn't seen this place yet. And for good reason. It looked like an emergency bunker, something Thalia might've expected from a fictional nuclear explosion story, in which the survivors only lived so long because they stayed in some hidden-away safehouse like this one. It almost looked perfectly inhabitable, and also couldn't be entered if you don't know where to look. Also very secure, as James had specified. If all of the group had to survive there, they wouldn't last long. In which case, Thalia would give her rations to her mother or brother. She'd gone starving before, after all. She was just hoping the day this bunker had to go to use would never come. Still... looked cozy enough. Confined, but for everyone's safety.

"No questions..." Thalia shook her head... but her gaze turning over to Karin, almost begging her to tell her tale to her love. "But I think Karin has something she needs to get out."

Of course, Thalia had a few words to say, too. But later.
 
"You let me and Jon worry about doing the protecting. You being armed will be a last-resort measure. I didn't come this far for you to be shot." He said. "No matter how you look at it, if they storm this house, chances are they'll send their best men to do the job, some of which may be better than you in combat. I'm not saying this is the surefire case, but, it's quite likely that's the kind of trick they're going to pull. One final push, the last stand. If they want you dead they're going to send professionals, and if they get in the house they're not going to just stop at killing you, they're going to make you and everyone else under this roof suffer - so I need you to understand that protecting you is my priority over most, because if they get you?" He slowly shook his head. "They'll get everyone." He said. "You, your mom, your brother, Frank, Tony, Jordan, Joseph, Karin, Jon, McAllister, me - They'll go through each and every one and rip them to pieces right in front of you." He said, then let out a sigh as he set himself down on the couch.

No questions, nothing more. But Karin had something.

When it was brought up, Karin looked at Thalia for a moment, kind of like a deer in the headlights? Right now? She didn't know whether to be thankful that Thalia was giving her the window to do it, or... She wasn't sure. Did she really want to break the news in a bunker? Not the most ideal situation where it could be all chocolates and roses once the good news got out, but it seemed like it was now or never. She took in a quick breath, and then turned back to James.

"Go on." James said, gently waving a hand to prompt her to speak.

"James..." She sighed, then sat down beside him. She placed a hand down on his. "I got some news today. And it's... It's big."

"Is that right?" He asked. "What is it?"

She glanced off at Thalia, then looked back to James.

"I'm pregnant." She said, quietly.

James just stared at her for a long while, not saying a word. He was almost frozen in time. Eventually Karin noticed a tiny bit of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, but, there was also an element of sadness in his eyes.

"Really...?" He asked, his voice low.

"Yes." She said, letting out the tiniest of laughs. "I don't know how it happened, but... It happened. I double-tested, and... Y'know." She said.

"Well that's... Good news." He said, then slowly reached out and pulled her into a hug. He set his head down on her shoulder and looked down at the floor. "Very good news."

"Yeah." Karin replied, staying there in silence for a few minutes. She eventually spoke out again, though. "Would you like some time alone?" She offered.

"That... Would be best." He slowly withdrew himself from the hug, exchanged a brief kiss with Karin, then nodded to her. She arched her eyebrows and smiled for a second at Thalia, and she promptly made her way out of the panic room and back upstairs, leaving Thalia and James on their own.
 
Days ago, it was Thalia in a very similar romantic position where she was 'busted' in one way or another in the face of others when she was caught by Karin and James in not much more than Frank's shirt and raiding James' freezer. A position where she had to come clean, no lie to work around it. Thalia's case spoke for itself, as opposed to Karin's, where it wasn't evident that she was pregnant after only a few days. It took a confession, and to the former clanswoman, this couldn't wait. If anything was going to incentivise James to keep his head in the game and keep people safe, it was the fact that he now had a child on the line to worry about. That needed to be known, because so far, all Thalia could see in his actions was a control freak trying to assert himself in a desperate situation. Maybe with that in mind, he'd start to think about how safe his beloved truly was alongside the detectives. It was a topic the two would discuss alone, and away from Karin. A discussion about how much Thalia had learned about the man calling the shots. How she understood his pain. Maybe they were more similar than meets the eye.

Coming cleaning about the baby did work out alright. James even appeared to be happy at hearing this, even if it wasn't something he was expecting or going for. Even Thalia joined in with a grin from ear to ear. Karin had no reason to worry after all. Sure, now was not the time to worry about child preparations, but very soon, this would all come to an end once the new leader of Al-Asheera takes a dirt nap. If an ambush was coming their way, maybe The Head himself would come to perform the execution himself. It would work, but they'd have to strike, fast. Or else Reeves will build up an inner circle much like the previous one, one that Thalia doesn't have access to. The reason they'd gotten the drop on the previous Ten is because she could name them and confirm identities and connections. Not anymore. This would be uncharted waters. So it was now or never.

Thalia responded to Karin's leaving facial expression with a quick wink as she watched her friend exit the bunker. Alone time was needed now. She turned over to face James for what SHE had to say about this.

"I'm happy for her..." she began. "But I'm also scared to death. If this Reeves person, The Hidden, is anything like Ra's, he'll cut that baby out of her right in front of you and I just to make a statement..." Spoken heavily from experience with Ra's himself, but she told that to Karin in confidence, after all. "...And I'm sure you don't want that any more than I do. My mom and brother are up high in my priorities, and you can add Karin up there too. She got me out of Al-Asheera, convinced me to turn over a new leaf, and helped me in to a lasting friendship, so I owe her the world. She's both of our priorities, James. That's why I'm so worried we might have a traitor under the roof. We have too much at stake to just trust Frank and Tony after all of this. Something's just.... fishy about them as of late. And not because Frank's my ex. It's just their behaviors have changed so much."

Associating Frank with being a killer might've contributed to the negative image she now had of him. Tony's was always a rather dark character. But that's not what she was here for. There was a more serious edge to the conversation. Gripping the new cuff around her left wrist in her right hand, she stepped forward, almost intimately, mainly because she was about to cut deep into James' past. "Ever thought you needed a miracle to get by your day?" The word 'miracle' might've been striking enough to James, but Thalia put no emphasis on it in the sentence. But she went on to talk about it. "You might've heard the name Vanessa before, probably associated to me. She was a member of Al-Asheera from a few years ago. One I spent a lot of time around, being the only other girl my age there... and let's just say, we became close friends. Very close..." It didn't take a genius for James to assume they were romantically involved, but Thalia just didn't want to openly say it. She fell to the seat by James' side in the bunker, legs crossed beneath her, and continued, "Much like I was Ra's'.... property, as disgusting as it was, Vanessa was Roland's. And when Ra's found out about us being... involved together, he ordered her to be executed." She sighed, bowing her head slightly at the grim memory in her mind. "He planted ideas in her head to start hating me, only to have her beheaded, the sick fuck...." She'd already told the story with an unpleasant reaction around Karin, so now, it had become easier. Never before did she have anyone to vent to, so this was a work-in-progress. "It gets worse to know that he forced me to keep her severed head in my room for a week, just to remember my 'sin'. Ra's took away one of the few good things I had in my life. Not the first time he'd done it, but still... You may already know this, but Roland's desire for me after he no longer had Vanessa is the reason I stabbed him in the dick. Word gets around, you know?"

Beyond the history lesson, there was a connection, one she was about to draw. She toyed with her fingers at waist level and continued, "Vanessa's clan name translates to The Miracle, mainly because we found her in critical condition, starving an alley back in Philly. It was a miracle she survived. That was why the name was given to her. But she was more than just a hopeless case coming back. She was my miracle, James. Someone who gave me hope in the darkest of times with Al-Asheera. After having been shunned from my class as the 'dirty lesbian', all thanks to Jenny, she actually understood me and was there for me longer than anyone else. She wasn't just a miracle. She was mine. And Ra's took her from me. The one thing that made me happy back there. He took my miracle." She lifted her head slightly to face James, resting her palms on her lap. "But I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows the pain, James. You don't get the way you are without having something good in your life, almost by the odds of a miracle, then losing it. Not to mention the coincidence of your codename to Ra's back in Pasadena... Miracle. It caught my ear for a second, but I didn't think much of it. But then... I asked Jon." She took a deep breath as the brutal part of her knowledge came out.

"You did lose a miracle. In such a painful way. And I'm so sorry you had to go through that. And you must be worried sick, your thoughts racing... afraid, that history will repeat itself with Karin, everything down to your unborn child. You have my word that I won't let that happen. You might've barked up a dangerous try, but I just want you to know, be in a fight or in experience... you're not alone. Because I lost a miracle, too."

--

Napping would've done Tony some justice as he fell back into bed ever so carefully. He was in pain, physically and emotionally. What was he going to do after this with no friends or family to return to? Even Frank had the right to not let him into his life after having sold everyone out. Now more than ever did he regret even considering selling out to Roland, a man he truly couldn't trust, especially when The Hidden was right under their noses. It made Tony think back... thank God he didn't spill all of the beans to Reeves himself when he was arrested. That would've been the worst form of selling out. He'd have delivered Thalia's head on a silver platter with little room for fault. But that was behind him. This betrayal could be covered up. Hopefully.

But then came a ring from Tony's burner phone. Strange... a call? From who? The number didn't show up, but while curled up in bed and resisting the urge to shed tears for his father or fiance, he picked up the phone and answered, partially worried as to who this was.

"What?"

"Liked the surprise, Tone?"

Tony's expression went from woeful to furious, clenching the phone in his hand and crossing his eyebrows. "You..."

"Now, now, Tony. Don't blame me for the fact you're not on the winning side of any of this. I am calling to help you."

"I don't want to hear it." His voice made him sound like he was ready to break something. If Reeves were here, it would be his face.

"It's a ticket to the path of righteousness... putting down the mystery redhead once and for all."

"I want no part in this. I swear, when I have proof that this is YOUR doing..."

"Hush now. We can both get our way if you just trust me."

"After you tricked me, got your goons to strike me in the head and write out shit in blood on my back? After your organization killed my girlfriend AND my father?!"

"Aha... You clearly haven't seen the footage I left you."

"What footage?"

"Sam killed Mel against Al-Ra's' orders. So you have no reason to worry about that being Al-Asheera's doing. But your father? Oh no. That wasn't me. Tell me Tony, did you see a DVD titled 'Thanks For The Memories' in the package you received?"

"Fuck you."

"I think you'll find something very interesting regarding what Thalia Griffin has been up to today on that disc. But of course, you'd have to see your father's head fall from his shoulders, but you'd also see a very damning truth about the ruthlessness of the mystery redhead."

"I said, fuck. You."

"Watch that video, Tony. Then talk to me."

"You slimy son of a..."

And with that, Reeves dropped the line, leaving Tony at a loss for words. Thalia, involved in his father's execution? A DVD left behind with his father's head? To this time, Tony didn't even to see the head. But what further detail was there on that DVD that Reeves had mentioned? Sure, a fake cop, obviously not Thalia, beheaded Patrick Walsh... but once he was finished, a redheaded girl resembling the body shape of Thalia enters from in front of the camera and boxes the head for him to see. The girl.... it looks strikingly like Thalia by silhouette alone, though not really her, but it couldn't be confirmed or denied by the video alone. Karin would serve as an alibi... but would a vengeful Tony believe it when he sees the video? Where was the head even being kept?
 
He let out a rather bitter laugh as soon as it was revealed that Jon had leaked the story. "As could be expected. You have to stop trusting everyone eventually - It's only a matter of time before someone pulls the skeletons from your closet." He said. It seemed there was quite a few grounds that James and Thalia connected on - simply put, it was nice as well as it was odd. A pity party here and there would be nice, but, at the same time, wasn't being so familiar really all that much of a good thing? James wasn't sure, as it wasn't often he came across someone so alike but at the same time so different to himself. Thalia had her own similarities - especially from the time of her going into a life of crime - to James in that respect. A lot of things were different - but Miracle and the unborn child? James went into full-scale hiding for a reason. If he wanted to talk about it, he would have told someone the full story by now - most likely a therapist of some kind, but, for people like him, even therapy can be dangerous.

In terms of how he felt about it all, having someone who understood the pain was nice, but knowing that another close friend had revealed it all was what put the sting in the wound. It wasn't necessarily a trade secret, but, he'd have thought that Jon would have at least sent Thalia his way to explain things. He didn't know how much of the story Jon got right, but then again, how could he forget? He had the closest and most direct involvement other than James himself. Even more so, when James thought about everything Jon did post-incident, he felt the slightest bit bad for having a heightened anger over what Jon had said to Thalia. Jon had, ultimately, saved his life after he was sure it was already over. But even in an event like this, wasn't there always a line to be crossed?

"I'm sorry about what happened to Vanessa." He said, after a few moments. "Truly, I am, and it's oddly bittersweet to know someone who knows a similar pain to mine." He said, then glanced down at his wrist and started to gently fiddle with his watch. "But from now on, we don't talk about Miracle." He said, albeit calmly. "Nothing I say or do now will ever be able to bring her back. Or the child I lost that night. There's no collection of words that'll numb the pain, no series of actions that'll ever make me forget. Miracle and the baby were a mistake of mine - a desire. I wanted more when I had it all, when really I could have been comfortable." He explained. "But I wanted more. Just one last job. And it all backfired, all of it, and before I knew it, she was hanging from a meat hook in the basement of an empty house." He glanced away again, shaking his head.

"I'm not afraid." He quickly said towards the end. "A man like me doesn't feel fear anymore, Thalia. Only regret. Concern." He said. "But fear? It doesn't exist. Being scared doesn't get you anywhere. It makes you more anxious and less likely to accomplish what you want. People use 'being afraid' as a way of running away from their problems instead of facing them. I worry for my issues, for the people I care for, but I don't fear them getting hurt. Why? Because if I spend all my days fearing they may one day be harmed, it's only more likely to happen." He said. "Karin will be safe - If Reeves wants to try and get close, then let him. I'll rip the guy to pieces with my bare hands if I have to." He said.

There was also the conflict - Did Thalia really sympathize, or did she want to break him down and trick him into dealing with Frank and Tony early?

Once again, he didn't know.

"I'm sorry if you were expecting something more from me about what happened in my past - but this is the one thing I try to avoid reliving, and the recent events have without a doubt sparked that within me." He said. "Jon was in no place to reveal that to you. He should have sent you to me and let me tell you the story - I owe Miracle at least that, so people have the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth." He shrugged. "But oh well." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Also, I'll keep an eye on Tony and Frank." He added on at the end, "If they have betrayed us in any way, then the judge, jury, and executioner will make their calls depending on if damage is done, how severe it is, and how they decided to go about it. I'd be surprised if either of them have the balls to do anything stupid, but, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. We'll worry less about them, and more about keeping everyone else safe." He said. "I've barked up worse trees than this, and I've paid the price for some, but we're a force to be reckoned with, I assure you. Let's not lose sight of the bigger picture - just note down the code for this room, so when it comes to it, if needed, you can help move everyone down here." He explained.

He looked to the door, "We should probably go upstairs."
 
Did Thalia expect James to melt in her hands and vent every detail about his pain to her? Never. He was far too hardened by his past to open up to anyone, especially about an event like Miracle. If he didn't even speak of it to Karin, that showed how much he wanted to open up about that tragedy. Jon only seemed to know because he witnessed James' transformation personally. And judging by James' words, he didn't want to discuss the issue. Not with girlfriend, nor best friend, nor a therapist... so why discuss it with a criminal like Thalia? What was she to him besides a pawn to this operation? Maybe a little bit more if he was so concerned about her fresh start and to save her family from certain doom. There was a heart in James, but why, of all people, would it be Thalia who'd break through? Was it not enough for him to know that he wasn't alone out there? It seems not, because his mind was still focused and trying not to get emotionally involved, even so much as to never mention Miracle again. Denying the fear. Well, Thalia wasn't going to deny it.

"Call it whatever you want. You may not be afraid of someone getting hurt, but I am," she added. "My mom, brother, Karin, I'm afraid of it all. Anything from Al-Asheera torturing them, or even a simple slip in the bathroom. And that's because I care to death about them. It's a fear because I don't know what I'd do without them in my life. But I'm facing the storm just to keep them safe. No hiding. But I've just... learned there's no shame in fear. At least not to me. No shame as long as you can face it."

Slowly but surely, the conversation was coming to a close. Part of Thalia DID expect a rather emotional response, but the other half, not so much. She only shook her head. "No. I wasn't expecting you to go on about your grief or hug it out. I just wanted to share that with you. And also tell this to Karin at some point. Doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow. Just, eventually. She deserves to know the weight you carry on your shoulders. You can't change what happened to her, or your son, but if someone else is there helping you carry that weight, it might just be easier on you. I learned that about Vanessa's story. The first time I even spoke of it, you can ask Karin. I ran to the bathroom and threw up just thinking back at it. Now? I can think back at it more clearly and comfortably tell people about my past. Not just that story... but others. You may not be one for words, unless it's insulting someone, but maybe you can remember that you have people that care about you and are open to hear you out. Even me, if you ever want."

But now, bigger picture. Head in the game. And going back upstairs. She sighed and nodded. No point in sticking around in private if no sort of conversation would go on. James was terminating it himself. "Sure. I have the code memorized. I still need to talk to Joseph about French lessons. I've kinda... forgotten about that this past week. Now I guess I can finally make good on that promise."

Thalia did the honors of beating him out of the bunker. It wasn't just Joseph that she'd have to talk to... there was still Damien's phone number in her pocket. And she intended to contact him. He'd be waiting... right outside.

--

The curiosity was killing Tony. He was practically shitting himself from the fear of seeing his father's head in a box, but he knew he had to see what was on that disc, what Reeves wanted him to see so badly. The package and its contents were still in James' office, waiting for him to take a look at, and, fortunately, out of the view of the innocent people under that roof. But Tony wasn't innocent. And he wasn't a stranger to the victim. It would pain him and nearly break him down to watch his father's execution with Al-Asheera sent him to view personally, but he'd have to suck it up. Reeves told him Thalia was involved in this, but how? She was shopping all day, right? All day, meaning, enough time for her to be blamed for the bomb threat. Or was she...? Where was she? Was Karin with her? Was there some detail he wasn't being told? Reeves clearly had it in store. But what reason did he have to believe the corrupted sergeant? He didn't have to. He could, instead, believe actual video footage. He avoided eye contact with the head when he came across the box and quickly swiped the disc, a laptop in hand that he found in his room for personal use, opened the optical disc drive, and let the monstrous video play.

First came the rather sickening part when that fake cop turned over to face the camera, engulfed his father in his arms, and decapitated him with a butcher's knife. Tony forced himself to keep his eyes open, and his stomach churned in its place. As if every last bit of its contents were about to be expelled in disgust. He'd seen nasty sights on the force, but never a beheading. Nothing like this, nothing from a man dressed as a cop. It was so brutal, hearing his unsuspecting, poor father screaming at the top of his lungs until there was no connection between his lungs and head any longer. It made the detective think: had he not ratted the crew to Roland, would this have happened? Probably. It would be Al-Asheera's way of getting revenge for killing Ra's. But it would've never been sent to James' house. Nicole Griffin wouldn't have had to see it. That would've served as a consolation. Sort of.

He couldn't dwell over that for long, because next came the important part. With Patrick Walsh's severed head sitting on the table next to his breakfast, a redheaded girl appeared from in front of the camera. Her face never showed throughout the recording, but her right hand did show the dragon tattoo Al-Asheera usually sports. It could've been anyone, right? Then, she conveniently flipped her hair to expose the left side of her neck as she reached out to take his father's head.... That cross. The tattoo Thalia claims is unique to her and her alone. Al-Asheera, breaking their own code to frame Thalia? Tony didn't know anymore... until he heard a voice on recording. One sounding remarkably like Thalia.

"Clean up. I'll make the delivery."

Tony's eyes shot out. Could that possibly be her? Was there any other way? He bit his tongue, looking back and forth in the room he'd intruded upon. James would come back soon enough, and he felt rather immobile after what he'd seen, his limbs twitching and seizing in their places. He could only turn to the direction of the door and wait for James to return. And when he did, Tony only told him,

"Watch that video.... t-tell me that's not Thalia that you see there with my father's head."

--

Not long after calling Tony, Reeves had another phone call to make while he laid in his new bed for rest. With his injury, moving around would be difficult. But he was going to make himself useful in any way, shape, or form. That included pursuing his agenda to make Tony and Thalia pay for killing Ra's. With a cell phone in hand, he asked his servant:

"So the voice morphing add-on is ready?"

The servant from earlier nodded. "Just press 'talk', then the '#' symbol."

Reeves nodded, then proceeded to dial three digits: 9-1-1, then talk, then #. The voice would morph from his older, masculine one to a female voice, probably in her 20's. Soon enough, a female operator picked up.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"I.... um," Reeves spoke normally into the phone, hiding his weakness in voice, only for the operator to hear a woman's voice. "I think I just saw that mystery redhead on the news? Thalia Griffin, right?"

"Ma'am, please tell me where you are so we can send a team over there. The mystery redhead is considered armed and dangerous, a wanted terrorist."

"She's.... she's..."

Reeves proceeded to give the address, and before the operator could go on, he hung up. That should be enough for the police force to send a man to Encino, if not an entire SWAT team or the FBI. A good scare should shake them up with very little time to escape.
 
From there on out James simply went to mind his own business - he did what any man in his position would do with access to a certain set of equipment. He went upstairs to listen to the police scanner, check home CCTV, and all that. Not right away, though - he went and spoke to Karin for a few minutes. Not about anything in particular, but, he was quite strongly hinting at family life and things like that, which was rather nice for her to hear. At least James was thinking to the future rather than dwelling on the past she knew nothing about. Speaking of which, James was indeed going to talk to her about it, much like Thalia had said, but not yet. Soon.

After he was done talking to Karin he climbed the stairs and went to the office to carry out his original plan - watch CCTV, listen to police scanners, see if any important information popped up. But he ran into Tony there, and Tony was watching a particular video. There was certainly an interesting smell in here, too - the room may have been air conditioned, but it was the late stage of summer, one of the hottest times of the year. There's no smell that can even compare to a body cooking in a room like this.

"Jesus." James sniffled once, then shook his head and looked at Tony - who, quite simply, looked... A mixture of terrified and worried, but why?

He soon found out, because he saw the video and the redheaded woman. At least the back of her. Was it Thalia? The thought did cross his mind but it was hard to tell exactly. That could have been anyone - but the tattoo, the hair, the body shape? It was uncanny from the angle he was seeing it. His brow furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out at first. He just sort of stood there, really, pondering.

What would he feel if it really was Thalia? He was sure he'd feel more hurt and lied to than angry - but at the same time, if it did turn out to be her? She wouldn't be seeing the sun tomorrow morning, that was for sure.

"I don't know." James finally said, "I see it... Looks very much like her, but we can't say for sure. We don't know what tricks Reeves is pulling out the hat." He said. "They know she's betrayed them - for all we know, this could be nothing more than a way of causing war among ourselves. A distraction." He said. "But..." He looked back to the figure and sighed.

"Stay out of it, Tony. I'll do a side-by-side comparison of the time this video was sent, an hour or so before that, and the CCTV at the mall. Thalia can't be in two places at once. If this is her, we'll soon know for sure, but, until then, you just don't get involved. I don't need you two fighting - and if for some reason she has betrayed us? Confronting her about it might spark a violent reaction. My only question is, if she's going behind her back and they know she's doing it, if she's working with them, why in the hell would they send a video that exposes her? It doesn't make any sense." He scratched his chin.

"Sit tight, pal. I'll get to the bottom of it. Until then, I mean no disrespect, but, your... Your father." He frowned, "If you want to bury him somewhere in the yard, or even put him in the giant freezer in the bar room, you can. He's just cooking in here." He said.

--

Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken aside for the French lessons at long last, and yes, he was very excited for it. He'd been waiting as patiently as he could manage for these, and now it was finally happening. Thalia was going to find that Joseph was an exceptional student in many ways. He was always happy to attempt/guess things, he always gave suggestions, always asked questions if he wasn't sure on something, and all in all, he always had his eyes on the ball and his head in the game. A quick and efficient learner - what more could anyone ask for?

Jordan was also taken so he could laid down on his bed for a while. He'd fallen asleep against Charlie, remember, so after some time Frank came in and took him from the couch and put him on his bed so he was more comfy. An hour nap wouldn't hurt him, would it? Even so, that left Charlie alone in the living room - from 2 friends present to 0, real quick. It probably sucked in the slightest, but his solitude wasn't something that would last, because eventually Jon wandered through and found him.

"Ah, you're still here." He smiled, then walked over and gave his hair a ruffle. "Come with me a sec, buddy. I've gotta' talk to you about a few things." He said, and taking Charlie by the shoulder, he guided him from the living room and instead to his bedroom. Jon had helped Nicole pack the bags - at least Charlie's, but also hers if she wanted any help. He didn't want her doing it all herself because of how much stress she'd already been under today. Helping her out wasn't going to be any skin off his back, after all.

So, in Charlie's room, Jon walked him over and sat him on the bed, then sat beside him - Charlie may have noticed that his bag was packed yet again, too, but Jon was quick to expand.

"Right, so, a few things to run by you." He set a hand on his shoulder. "See your packed bag there? It's only packed in case something urgent occurs, alright?" He said. "If James comes and says that we need to go, then we're all going to grab our bags and head out, but don't worry - we'll all be sticking together, we won't be split up, and wherever we go, we'll only be going there for a few days. Plus, we don't actually know if we're going to be leaving yet. Secondly, if we don't need to leave but an emergency pops up, James has got a pretty secret room downstairs in the basement - if he says we need to go down there, then that's what we'll do." He smiled. He was trying not to make it sound too serious, obviously, so he was accompanying his words with a lot of smiles and whatnot.

"I just wanted you to know what might be happening - so if it does happen, you'll know exactly what's going on and you don't have to panic. In that sort of situation, me and James will take care of everything, mainly, so you don't have to worry." He said. "One more thing, James told me that at the laser tag place you had a bit of a moment, right? You had to step outside and calm down...?" He gently squeezed his shoulder.

He sighed, "I think I know what caused it - but at the same time, I can't be sure. I might know something we can do together - just me and you, that might help you, but I need to know what caused it more than anything." He said. "You wanna' talk about that while we have the chance? And do you have any questions about what I spoke about before?" He asked.
 
The evidence was pretty damning, but Tony wanted to remain objective. Yes, that looked a LOT like Thalia, every detail down to the tattoo that was unique for her alone. The voice was almost a perfect match. When it came to forgery, Reeves was doing a great job. Perhaps too great, because a strong part of Tony's gut told him that something wasn't right with Thalia. Did she really participate in his father's execution? Box his head and send it to their doorstep? Worse: if Thalia WAS in on this, does that mean his betrayal was meaningless? It could be a way out, but if he made too much noise trying to prove it, it would serve as a red flag and get him pinned to a wall. His scene back at the bar was enough to make people start asking questions. Even Thalia, who thought the two were okay now, was wondering where that outburst had come from. Why? Unless the detective had some secret to hide. A secret about why her mother found a severed head in a box earlier that day. Al-Asheera had warned about that several times... now they had heads showing up at their doorstep, packed like stored goods, and with videos of the executions. And people under that roof had a fear that this wouldn't be the last head Al-Asheera had planned to deliver.

The stench of his father's head was picking up, Tony wasn't oblivious to that for sure. But he could hardly look at it for more than a few seconds without recalling grim memories, or that picture of proof of his 'life'. That picture was taken, all right... right before they executed him. And to know the man's killer, or an accomplice, was potentially here, under their roof? It made him want to kill her more than ever.

But he resisted. James told him to stand down until he confirmed otherwise. The CCTV at the mall should confirm whether this is another hoax or way of framing Thalia. So he waited on that, only giving James a nod. "All right. I'm just worried for the kids. And Nicole. Why would Thalia want to send a... uhm... a severed head, for her mother and brother to see over here? Kinda off, right?" Part of him had a feeling Thalia was just plain heartless and didn't care about her family. But another part of him thought that she'd never do that...

There was still the head to worry about. Hesitantly, Tony returned his gaze over to the box. The head wasn't removed or tampered with out of respect. It was his father, after all. It was his choice what to do with it. Judging by what he knew about Vanessa from Thalia, the rest of the body would be cremated, leaving the head as the lone body part for a burial. He took a deep breath and held it in to avoid smelling much further. He took it the cardboard box in both hands and took for the door, only saying on more thing to James...

"Just make sure the kids or Frank's dog don't end up digging it back up. I'd hate for them to see it..."

Also a tad to avoid his father's memory forever ruined for having a temporary grave in someone's backyard... but it would have to do. It just didn't feel right to put it in a freezer on hold. He needed his private good-byes with a man who he visited so frequently but didn't recognize him back.

--

Charlie did feel alone, and rather left out. Jordan was tired, and understandably sleepy, so he didn't say much about it. But Thalia, his big sister that he'd never seen before last night, was spending more time with Joseph than him? He understood that she'd promised him French lessons for a while... but it didn't help him knowing everyone was so busy and he felt left in the dust. Even his mother seemed caught up when he asked her to play with him. It was unfortunate... but then his hero returned. Jon. It made him smile upon first glance... but this confrontation would not be a happy one. Rather, a scary one. He was immediately guided in the direction of his room, and once he entered? He had a bag packed once again. Were they leaving again? He'd already felt dragged from place to place across the country, and it felt very uncomfortable for him. He at least felt under the roof of the mansion and in LA, things would be safer. Was that not the case? A packed emergency bag wasn't a great sign as his smile faded before Jon could even start talking.

"Are... are we not safe yet?" Charlie asked after hearing Jon's words. It was the only conclusion he could come to. Thalia kept promising safety, but was that not the case? "Mommy was busy with bags earlier. Why do I think we're not safe, Jon?" He had every right to be scared, but it seemed like he was being exposed to more horrors than he'd expected. Already, he was panicking, just trying not to show it. Being a hero on the outside. "I know you said it's only if we have to, but why do I feel like we will have to? Because bad people keep coming to hurt us..." It was as if the morbid mood of a head showing up at the doorstep was spreading to everyone. A sort of lifeless atmosphere hinting at a terrible incident and the loss of an innocent life. And even the children could feel it. He was no longer happy or alone... but fearful.

And then Jon added on to it by revisiting his incident at the laser tag place. His heart sank and his face went pale as he took a step back. For the first time in ages, he began to feel uncomfortable around Jon filling his mind with such a sensory overload bringing him to a near panic attack. His breathing became heavier and he even took a few steps back into the wall. James told him about the incident, so there was no point in hiding it. "I... um..." he hesitated. Odds are, Jon already knew. So he mumbled it very nervously, his voice shaking at each word, "I saw a gun there.... and I almost thought I saw the mean man that was going to hurt Mommy. I got scared and the game stopped and.... it was scary. Guns... they hurt people." Charlie was coming close to tears as well, only looking to the ground to hide his facial expression. Never with Jon had he felt this uncomfortable.
 
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monkeydoll555
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