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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

James shook his head, and this time, he lifted a foot and gently kicked Roland in the head to send his head against the bumper of the car. A tiny bit ruthless, maybe, but enough to put more emphasis into things. He got down in front of him and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up close to his face. "You're beginning to push me, and people have learned a lot harder lessons than a broken arm and a bullet in the knee. You know, there's a lot of things I've seen about bravery - The Navy Seals, for example. They're taught to withstand as much pain as having a femur shattered. Imagine all that training, all those hours of agony and suffering just so you won't slip anything confidential." He said, then shook his head. "Now, me? For all you know, I've had similar training. For all you know you could strap me to a chair and nothing would break me - but, that's not something for you to find out. Not yet." He said. 


"I'm not saying I was ever a Navy Seal - I could only dream. But I'll tell you now, every single fucking Navy Seal is nowhere near as scary as I can be, sunshine, and I'm willing to emphasize that. I can tell just by your behavior that Ra's has brainwashed you to make you think you're invincible - You're convinced you're going to get out of here, going to get back to Ra's. You're convinced we're going to have that shred of goodwill, just let you run free, make sure you get back safe - Is that really what your precious master's done to you? Made you think that people like me aren't who they say they are? That they're in fact people that'll bow down and respect you?"


He shook his head, then slowly looked around the surroundings. 


"I don't see us letting you free, and I don't see anyone in eyeshot coming to help you, either." He whispered. "Now, you may think Mister Walsh won't hurt a child. Or an innocent woman. He's a cop - why would he do such a thing?" He asked. "If you haven't figured out already, Mister Simmons... I am not a cop. I'm the sort of man people pay a lot of money to get things done. A lot of dirty work, a lot of things they don't want to deal with themselves." He explained. "And I want you to know that I'm more than serious." He said. "You might think I'm lying to you - but I'm not, your wife and child are currently housing a very dangerous man, a man who lacked a father and had a very abusive mother and older brother - You can only imagine how he must feel about the job I've given him, hm? All his childhood anger, built up over all these years, ready to unleash on these two people that coincidentally match the only two figures he ever had in his life." He sighed.


"On one word... One word from me, he's free to do whatever he wants. Or I can be more fucked up - I can make the same thing that's happening to you, happen to them." He said. "You're sporty, Roland, what about your boy? I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate a shattered leg, would he? There goes those sporting dreams with an injury like that." He took a deep breath, then let out a little laugh. "Want to call me a liar? Hold on." He said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his messages. "I anticipated you may not fully believe me, so I had my guy send me a bit of evidence that'll prove I'm serious." He said, and he turned his phone to him to show a picture.


As James was more than serious about his contact going to them, the picture clearly displayed Roland's wife and son. It was obviously taken from a phone - the orders were no harm to them, but Roland didn't know that. The two weren't going to be tied up or anything, but, chances were they knew the severity of the situation. For all they knew, they were at threat, too. 


"Is that them? Or do I somehow have the wrong family?" He asked.


--


So things were indeed getting hot - Clothes were coming off. Frank didn't know just how far this was going to go right here, but, if things did go far, then he at least had his protection in his wallet, I suppose. There wasn't much more he could say other than that - Did she want to go that far, though? Considering she'd taken his shirt off, he could only guess that she was interested in carrying this further, so, as his hands ran up and down her body, the kissing became a little more aggressive - pleasurable, of course, but a lot stronger than it was before. It wasn't PG anymore, that was for sure.


He opened his eyes and glanced at her for a moment, a smile on his face. Well, this was certainly getting interesting. How far did he think this was going to go? He wanted to play along, but he wasn't going to try and push her to do anything more than what they already had.


Between the kissing and everything, though, as much as he was enjoying himself, he had to ask. He had to ask how far she wanted to take all of this, if she wanted to take this any further. After what happened, he wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to steer away from the idea of doing anything serious for a while. Better to be safe than sorry - he knew could just as easily assert dominance over the whole situation, but, given what had happened, he didn't really want to do that.


"Do we keep going?" He asked, quickly, and went back to kissing her right after. That gave him a chance to get a gasp of air, too - Thalia was definitely someone special, that went without saying.
 
Just after having his head kicked into the car bumper, Roland spat out a clump of blood building up in the back of his throat in James' direction when he mentioned his invincibility complex. It was words against words, but the bald man maintained his straight face. "You're wrong. I know for a fact that once Ra's knows that I was in contact with a cop, he'll put a hit out on me. And I would happily put a gun in my mouth and blow myself to hell for that man, just so he doesn't have to. You don't understand my loyalty. You don't have to either. I never asked anyone to. I'm not brainwashed. I am just a man willing to die for another. Ra's has been a brother to me for longer than you can imagine. And if he told me to kill myself for his own benefit, I happily would..." His eyes redirected themselves to Tony, his stony unchanged facial figures almost unchanged. The most prominent change was him clenching his teeth together, evident in his tensed jawline. "Fuck yourself, Tony Walsh. Do whatever you want to me with your partner, whether he's a cop or not. Your bitch is dead if you don't resign by sunrise."


A raised eyebrow came from Tony, glancing down at the crippled man. "I thought I was given two days."


The right-hand man's face created a maniacal grin, shaking his head in disapproval. "Wrong. It's been shorted to one day after you went after Al-Rsas. Once I get word to Ra's that you took me and started torturing me, like I'm some animal? He will shorten the time even further. That is if he doesn't slit her throat right in front of your face." He smirked, spitting more of his own blood into the sand beneath. Clearly, his head was also bleeding from the back, fortunately nothing too serious. Yet. Tony kept a watchful eye on it, though. "You don't believe he will? Ask Al-Jameela what happened when she cheated on Ra's. You and her seem to be very close... Did she fuck you, too? Huh, for a while I thought she was more into women, especially after her last affair against the will of Ra's. Did she figure that sex with a cop was far more... profitable?"


Of all topics, Roland brought up an assumption that Thalia was in bed with Tony, of all people, quite literally. The veteran cop wasn't having that in the slightest, his lips creating a crooked bend for a facial expression, standing up properly, and planting his expensive shoe into Roland's face, between his eyes and on the bridge of his nose. Surely painful, knocking the bastard into the sand on his back. It was the mere fact that he was speaking of the mystery redhead in such a negative light that got on Tony's nerves. His own feelings for her, still developing to this minute, were getting in the way of his judgment, and he made it obvious in that moment. "For your information, yes, I have met face to face with Al-Jameela. But she hates my guts and wants nothing to do with me. So she ran off. Nothing further. So you can run back to Ra's and tell him that, if anything." At least some of that was true. Tony sighed, looking up to the skies. Night would soon fall on them. Time was running low, time they didn't have. "Any last words before I tell my partner here to unleash hell on your family?"


Roland's eyes shot out when he saw the picture. For once, a genuine emotion shined clear as day on his face: shock. Fear. Worry. Sure, he knew that Tony would never make such a call to torture another man's family. But this other character, the man showing off in the most cocky of ways, and responsible for a bulk of the abuse? Roland didn't doubt for a second that he'd send a hit squad after his family. His little boy... he was in their sights. He was just starting to love soccer, and now that he's getting into a sport like his father, they were going to ruin his dreams? He squinted his eyes for a minute, trying to think over the situation, maybe call their bluff. But how could he when he just saw hard evidence right in front of his eyes? Could the photo been doctored? Was this all something deeper? He couldn't even tell. A quick look down separated him from his next words, the predictable. "Fuck yourselves." Then his head lifted, licking his lips from whatever was around his face. A bit of blood, a bit of sand, his own spit. Whatever it was, he was licking it and ingesting it, all with a smile. "You hear me? Take your own baby dicks, and shove them up your pathetic assholes. Because you, Detective Walsh, know nothing about pure evil.... And you..." His eyes went back to James for once. "I don't fear you. Ra's trained me to spit in the faces of people like you. So do me a favor. Fuck. YOURSELF."


Was this where it had to come to? What was James going to do now? Roland is either questioning how serious they were, or he honestly didn't care about his family. Which could it be? He wouldn't put heartlessness past an Al-Asheera higher-up. After what Ra's did to Thalia, anything called respect was out the window. Especially from the right hand man. Groaning with a bit of a frown, Tony took a few steps closer to James, pulling his M9 from his jacket pocket and swinging it by his hips. "It's a shame little ol' Jeremy has to give up his dream of being like his daddy. Wouldn't that be a great story to tell him when you go home?"


"Fuck yourself."


"Mmm... I thought so... Make the call, bud." Tony could only wait now, see what James really had in store if it came to something like this Roland was no pushover after all, and he was willing to test them.


--


With time, Frank became more aggressive with his kiss to Thalia, who met his force against her, gripping his body a bit harder, but not enough to scratch or hurt him. After what happened to her with Ra's clawing her earlier that day, she knew that abuse was nothing close to a turn-on. Not for her. As simple as things were, this was nothing but pleasure for her, having the man she's been crushing on making out with her and shirtless in a bed in front of her. It was a change over what happened earlier in bed with Ra's. Then Frank asked if they should keep going. Is he... seriously asking that? Is HE not enjoying this.... wait... It then hit her. Thalia was a wreck a few hours ago after Ra's unleashed his wrath in the form of sexual abuse. She looked she'd been scarred for life, when it really wasn't that much of the case. Hurt? Definitely. But she'd endured this sort of treatment for the past seven or eight years now, with no way to decline. It was a treat to have a bit of fun with strangers, even more fun with Vanessa when they'd get a chance. But Frank? This felt different. More real, more permanent. Longer-lasting. But she understood why he halted things for a minute. Sort of, it was one of two things. She retracted her hands to herself, keeping a respectable distance now.


"Um... Frank, I appreciate the concern, especially after what happened," she sighed, scratching just over her left elbow with her right hand, trying to piece her words together correctly. "What Ra's did to me... I can understand why you'd imagine I would say no to this. In reality, though, he's been... sort of, doing this to me for the entire time. Since I was 13 or 14. I-It's horrible, yeah...." Her hands lifted slightly, falling into her lap eventually as she continued explaining herself. "...I don't want that anymore. I held my breath with Ra's back there because I knew that if I struck back at him, he'd get suspicious. But what he did back there? Burning and stuff? He's never done that before, which is what caught me so off-guard."


There was more to tell, though. "But one thing I've learned in Al-Asheera is that you can't get over your fears if you don't face them head-on. Intimacy with Ra's? Sure, it looked traumatizing, but you could say... I'm sort of desensitized to the whole thing. It hurts, yes. And I'm always afraid that someone will hurt me the same way. Maybe I'm just paranoid..." Her right hand reached forward to grip Frank's left one, fingers interlocked and gripping tightly. "But I trust you, Frank. I know you're not going to hurt me. And if I keep telling myself I'll never be intimate with anyone again in my life, I will stay in the same rut forever. I need to move on from Ra's, from Al-Asheera. I know it sounds childish, but it helps me cope. I'm not afraid of being close to you, or doing anything. Even if we.... go all the way, I wouldn't mind a bit..."


She gulped, trying to stop herself from blushing. What she couldn't stop is a smile, though. "...On the contrary. I would like that. I had a lot of fun, kissing and stuff, touching you... getting a feel and all. I... actually really loved it." A slight call for him to do it again, but then her other assumption of why Frank asked that question in the first place came up, her eyes widening slightly and her smile fading. "But, is it you that doesn't? I mean, we don't have to do that. I mean...." She looked over to her left at Frank's removed shirt, frantically taking her hand back and grabbing the piece of clothing. Her arms reached over and behind the man's body, as if to drape him with it over his shoulders. "Oh my god, did you not want to? I'm sorry... I kind of thought that's what you... insinuated. The way things have been between us, maybe you wanted something like that? If I got that wrong, I'm so sorry. I guess I'm just..." She halted herself in her tracks before she could call herself a whore again. That's the last thing she needed. "If you want to take it slow, Frank, I will. We've been kind of racing through things anyway. I don't really care what we do. So long as it's together, you know?"


Now keeping her hands and body to herself, Thalia scooted back slightly in the bed, reaching for her glass on the nightstand. This time, she took a much deeper, longer drink from the cup. It stung like hell, sure, strong shit right there, but it felt good for her. She enjoyed it. She crossed her legs on top of one another, keeping her distance, and bowing her head down like a guilty criminal convicted of a crime he knew he did. Guilty, that's exactly how she felt. I thought he wanted this... did I seriously get that wrong?  "It was fun, though... I had fun. And I would have fun in whatever we do."
 
"You think I care so much about your loyalty?" He asked. "If you think for a second that I even give a shit about how many times you've sucked Ra's' dick, you'd be wrong. Your loyalty to me doesn't mean squat, which is something you'll soon see." He said. "In fact, I think it's something you've already seen." He held the phone back up to him, showing him the picture of his wife and son yet again. "You think this is an indication of my high respect of loyalty? In fact, I wonder, as loyal as you are to your wife, does she know what you're part of? Does your boy know even half of what you're involved in? Could you imagine that..." He shook his head. "Your innocent son suddenly knowing everything about you, knowing you've killed people, robbed people, traumatized kids and children his age and below. I can't imagine he'd see you as much of a role model after that." He said, crouching in front of him again.


"I'm willing to bet that if he knew what you did, he'd go on to be successful, not because of you, but in spite of you." He shrugged. "I can't imagine that's nice, growing up knowing that your father was nothing more than a low-end rent-a-gun partial terrorist-for-hire, associated with an organization that did nothing but rob, kill, and ruin for decades. I'm sure he'd be devastated, and your wife? God, who knows how she'd react. Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the two of them already know everything - maybe they're trapped, and maybe your son's actually so terrified of you, but doesn't have what it takes to stand up and say it. It's been a long time for you, Roland, a long time where you've done nothing but damage to those around you. It's a shame, how you've thrown away all your opportunities. A successful personal trainer, awards and everything. You threw away a perfectly normal life for you and your family just as soon as you let Ra's put his dick in your mouth." He said.


"You can sit here and tell us to fuck ourselves all you want, but do not think I have limits. If you want to watch the people you love suffer, that's fine by me." He said. "You may be trained to spit in the faces of people like Tony - A medal-level cop, a good guy, the guys that are limited on the shit they can pull, but me?" He shook his head. "I could change everything about your life. I could have it so you and your wife are both marked as terrorists if you walk away from this. I could have arrangements made that make you two America's most wanted. I could change things so that your son gets locked up for the rest of his youth in Juvenile detention if I wanted to. I am a powerful opponent to be playing ball with, Mister Simmons, and you best believe it." He snarled.


He stood back up, bringing the phone back to him and selecting onto something else. His signal was weaker, but okay. Signal boosting has some benefits, of course. They were lucky to have signal out here, but, that's the way it was now.


"If you're not going to play nice, Roland, then I'm going to give you another chance." He said, simply, and hit the dial button on one contact. After a few rings, the phone was answered, and James smiled as he heard the voice on the other end of the phone. The man on the other end - visibly armed, sunglasses, long hair, long beard, at least forty-five years old and 6ft 3" in height. Not someone you want to run into in a dark alley. With him, he had a moderately threatening toolbox, too, but... Well, his wife and son hadn't seen the contents of that, at least not yet.


"You hear me?" James asked. He soon had confirmation. "Good. Now, Mister Simmons is refusing to play nice, so, I have one last polite request." He said, and after looking down at the bloodied man on the floor, he spoke to him. "Say even one word I don't like and I hang up. Don't push your luck - try anything smart and I break an ankle as well." He whispered, simply, then spoke into the phone once more. "Put the wife on the phone." He said.


He put the phone on speaker and held it out towards Roland, but his finger was hovering above the 'End Call' button. He was fully serious about what he said, and this was going to be the proof. He didn't want to take things any futher, but if he was going to have to get a few screams and such out of the wife and child, then he would, simple as that.


Now, the ball was in his and his family's park. For now, with limitations, of course.


--


Had he made a mistake? No, he didn't think so. Usually he would have continued, but he knew asking for clarification in a situation like this was much better than Thalia having to awkwardly stop all of his actions to tell him that she didn't want to go any further. He didn't mean anything by it, and in some ways, he was almost angered by the fact that she was making the assumption that he didn't want to continue, draping the shirt back over his shoulders and everything. The only hint that he wasn't happy with that choice was when he instantly struggled and shrugged the shirt back off, but, a smile soon returned to his face. There was no point being angry - the magic between them was still there, and if she knew that, then this was the time to really get to work.


"Forget what Ra's has done to you. That's not me. I just didn't want me making too many advancements than you're happy with - Makes me sound like a bit of a White Knight, I know, but... I don't want to get too ambitious and wreck things between us, y'know?" He said, but the smile grew bigger as he tossed his shirt back off the bed. "It's been a long time since I've found myself in a spot like this with someone so amazing, Thalia, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart." He explained, then reached down to his belt and slowly unbuckled it, followed by pulling that from his pants and also tossing it off the bed.


Regardless of the bump they hit, shit was about to get real.


When he saw her legs cross and face bow, the first thing he did was take a gentle hold of both her legs and uncross them for her. Secondly, he put a finger on her chin and slowly lifted her head back up so he could look at her, and she could look at him. He leaned forward and planted one more kiss on her lips, then reached up behind her back and fiddled around with the clip of her bra until it finally unclipped and fell. He tossed that aside.


"We haven't got all night, Thalia." He said, giving a devious grin. He was in some ways flirting, but... Obviously, quite directly. It wasn't casual flirting, as she could probably see.
 
What kind of monster would tell his family of the horrors he commits behind the scenes? As desensitized and cruel as Roland was, he would never tell his wife and son about his alternate identity. The tattoos were passed off as bad life decisions that didn't matter in his career. Little did they know that they were a sign of some higher loyalty. But was it a loyalty that went beyond that of a man to his family? While he was skeptic Tony would let any of this fly, he didn't underestimate James. This other figure was clearly resourceful and probably as devious as himself. But no, the greatest torture that could be inflicted upon him now was his son hearing about his past. That ever since he was 17, he's been following a savage psychopath around, pulling off heists, inflicting fear, even executing those who defy the rulings of the Head. No ten-year-old would be able to understand, surely, but it would most definitely create a divide in the family. As loyal as he was to Ra's, he was promised that his birth family would never be involved. That was a promise made to all Al-Asheera members. Total disconnection and no undue bloodshed. But James was challenging that, and not through something physical like a whip or a hot iron. This was different: it was going to hit where it hurts.


"Fuck yourself," he snarled, in a bit of disbelief, but his voice seemed slightly concerned. Concerned that this wasn't a bluff.


"No, Roland," Tony shook his head, smirking. It seemed like he and James held the cards in their hands now. "It is YOU who is getting fucked now."


There was no time for the bald man to utter anything else, because then and there, James dialed a number to his contact. Roland's heart began racing out of fear that this was all real. Unbelievable. How did he get access to his family? His face remained neutral, trying to keep his cool through the whole thing. It wasn't even that hard... up until now when his own family, by blood, was being thrown into this. Ra's would never stand for such tactics, no matter how low he could stoop. At least not to his right-hand man. He figured it was a norm though, seeing how the only other Al-Asheera higher-up with a family alive and well was Thalia, and her parents were left untouched, unaware that their precious daughter who's been missing for eight years became a criminal. "You're just as bad as Ra's, you know? Bringing my family into this."


But his words were stopped when he heard a mellow female voice on the line. "Roland? Is that you?"


Roland's heart sank then and there, an evident drop of his jaw in awe. James wasn't kidding. He had his wife in the clutches of some brute. And worse, he didn't question their motives. In a heartbeat, either all of his secrets could be exposed, or his wife would endure a world of pain much like his own. He could deal with injuries, prison, torture, even death. But not his wife. Not his kid. Just the sound of the feminine tone made Roland go completely silent. Tony noticed. Did they finally crack him? Was it the family that proved to be his weakness? Amazingly enough. This wasn't something he wanted to get used to, but Al-Asheera were an exception. After more moments of silence and a few peeks left and right, Roland finally spoke... "Jessie... hey... Is Jeremy around?"


"Yeah, he's right here. This nice man said he happened to know you. Apparently you trained him back in Philly? Small world, right? Even smaller when his engine died outside our place. He's a mechanic or something, he told us... Michael, he said his name was? .... Yeah, Michael. Then you so happen to call? What are the odds?"


"Small world indeed, honey.... listen, I need to call you back. I just wanted to ask Michael if he was still on for next week. I might be a bit... busy. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Nervousness was clear as day in his voice, panicked over what this could've become. He created a well-played lie to make this all work, but no doubt his wife would be suspicious.


"Um... okay. Love you, Roe."


A moment of silence, but Roland's death glare directed itself at James, his voice in a sweeter tone, "Love you, babe.... I'll talk to you later when I get done tonight."


Once the line was dropped, Tony knelt down to eye contact level with Roland. "Well... I hope that cunning excuse means that you're ready to talk."


"It means I have a deal," he corrected. "My life for your whore's life. Deliver me back to Ra's, and I will have him return her in whatever condition she is in now. All it takes is one phone call to Ra's, and it can be done."


In whatever condition she is in now? It made the detective slightly curious... what were they doing to her? What condition could he expect? "If she's more than slightly traumatized from being put in a cage made for a monkey, then I will go find this Jessie that you spoke of, and I will replicate every form of bodily harm on Melissa on her."


With that, the old treatment came back into light. "Fuck yourself. I'm not saying anything more until I get my phone call."


"And how do we know you're not going to make the call to rat us out? Order Mel dead?"


"You can't know that.... You just have to trust me, Walsh. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't." Roland shook his head, as if he were proud of his ambiguity.


Tony groaned. He's playing hard to get, but they had to monitor him this time. Better than Pigman. His voice growing colder and more emotionless, he created terms for the conversation. "The call happens in English. One word in Arabic that I don't understand or like, and the deal is off. You will set up a meet for the trade-off at the motel you brutes shot up. If Ra's doesn't bring Melissa, the deal is off. If you say anything about Al-Jameela betraying you on the phone call or otherwise, the deal is off. If ANYTHING funny happens that results in anything more than a trade-off between your sorry ass and my girlfriend, it's off... This is the love of my life we're talking about, Simmons. I may be a cop, but if you've read up even slightly about me, I have a way for getting what I want. And if what I want is you six feet under? I'll get it, one way or the other." The grey haired man's head slowly advanced closer to Roland's. Risky, but necessarily to intimidate him. "Do NOT question how serious I am. I will do what Ra's does, if not worse, to your precious if mine is even slightly harmed. And our little chat about Ra's' fiance stays quiet. If I find out that he knows that she's sleeping with the enemy, I will find you and make sure you suffer worse than you have now... Am I clear?"


"Mm...." Roland was sort of impressed at how dark Tony had become in such a short time. His own desperation and obsession for Al-Asheera took him quite a distance. And the demands, almost spot on. He knew what could possibly be coming. He nodded, snickering mildly. "You dial it. And I'll see what I say to Ra's. You don't give me orders. Only Mawlaye, Al-Ra's, himself, gives me orders. Fuck. Yourself."


Did that count for sealing the deal? As Tony stood up, he, once more, planted his shoe into Roland's face, then turned back to James as if nothing had happened. He wasn't getting off to torturing a man, but it was necessary with how he kept provoking them. In whispers, he asked, "Well... he wants a trade. It's a start. We'll have to lose him for now, but I have a plan. Got yourself any trackers? Something we can put inside of him without him knowing? So we can go back for him once we get Mel back. This man's a gold mine of information, and he just wants us to throw him back in the water. But it's going to save an innocent woman.... do we take it?"


Tony wanted to. Would James let him?


--


From the moment Frank shook the shirt back off of his shoulders, it gave a hint to Thalia that her assumption might've been wrong about his intentions. He DID want this, much like she did. He might've been a bit disappointed or upset with her for just pulling away like that, but clearly this wasn't a time for them to be mad at each other. All Thalia wanted was to be with him, and their anything-but-PG actions were nothing more than a dream come true for both of them, seemingly. As he smiled to her, she smiled back, lifting her head as he discarded of the shirt from off of the bed. He admitted that he felt something special for her like he hadn't in a while. The redness in her face was almost permanently there, a bit of goosebumps forming over her smooth arms and legs, which he'd probably feel when he touches her, a bit contrary to the warmness in the pit of her stomach. What could she say now? He was really taking the lead on things. "Frank... you make me feel happy whenever I'm around you. You make want to forget the person I was before and be someone better. And you mean so much to me for that. Even if we've been moving fast, I feel so attached to you and don't want to lose you..." That's what she feared the most: that her own hesitation would push him away. That might've just happened after retracting and making her own assumptions, but clearly, this man was willing to look past that. "And if we could continue what we were doing... I'd love that."


Indeed, she did. As Frank removed his belt from around his waist, she couldn't help but watch, so intrigued by his actions, even moreso to see him undressed. She got a glimpse of it earlier, but not like this. This was different: no holds barred. She almost wanted to reach forward and assist him, but her left hand was too distracted covering her dropped jaw, the other hovering over her lower body. It went from watching and observing to actually acting upon her feelings when Frank uncrossed her legs and pulled the two closer together, kissing her again. All she could do was follow his lead, her palms falling over his hips, rising up the sides of his body till his arms, then falling down over his chest, down his abs, and in the direction of his pants, slowly undoing the button and the zipper, until she felt the clip of her bra undone. Her heart almost skipped a beat for a moment, spreading her arms slightly to let it fall off of her body. Her head fell for a moment to look down at herself, now topless, then back up to Frank. The warmth inside her never went away as his actions progressed, the smile still on her face, blushing more than before, and her arms reaching forward around his body from beneath his own. His grin told one thing: he wanted this. And so did she.


"In that case... what are we waiting for?" she replied in an equally seducing manner, only blocked out by another hiccup from her, followed by a giggle. "Oh god... I might do something stupid..." She cut off her words with another kiss to Frank's lips. "But I'll enjoy every bit of it. Because I love every second I have with you, and I don't want to waste them anymore." Thalia wasn't very poetic, but she was just venting what her heart wanted to say so badly. With nothing more to say, she threw herself into Frank's embrace, gripping him more tightly, their bodies against one another, and simply kissed him, not pulling back or letting go. Just letting herself act as she would without even thinking. Hell, she wasn't. Every action from there on out was purely instinctive. Maybe even primitive, but that was the beauty of it all. It even caused her kiss to become a bit more forceful, even desperate to a degree. Desperate for Frank, specifically. Her hands ran in circles over his shoulderblades, her legs looped around his body much like before, each of her limbs pushing the detective closer against her. His own warmth was so comforting to her. It all felt so perfect. With such an intimate advance, it all brought up a new thrill: that of getting caught. James' place was big, and there weren't many people home. What if someone saw them? How would they react? Hell, Thalia probably wouldn't even give them her attention, just continue her lustful advance. No more pulling back for either of them. She didn't want any more hesitation. Earlier, the couldn't do this. Now, nobody was going to stop her.


Eventually, her kisses fell from his lips down to his neck, her hands lowering in position over his sides again. A gentle bite snuck here and there with the advance on his neck, slowly lowering with each kiss down the center of his collarbone and down the middle of his pecs. At the same time, her hands made their way across Frank's waistline back to his pants, tucking her fingers beneath them and pulling downward slightly. She wanted them off, but getting them off entirely in their position would be a bit of a pain. Her forehead pressed against his chest slightly, then her palms threw themselves at his shoulders, pushing him back onto his back this time. Laughing softly, she crawled on top of him and told him, "My turn to be on top." A quick kiss landed over his lips, then took to a kneeling position next to him. Her grip turned from his shoulders to her shorts, quickly pulling them down her legs and off of her body. She kicked them off of the bed, now down to nothing more than her underwear, and reached over for his own pants. Now in a more convenient position, she grabbed the waistline and pulled his pants down to his ankles, and eventually off completely. As she undressed herself--and him--she had a sense of seduction to it, a cute expression on her face and look in her eyes that screamed 'I know you want this, but I'm going to tease you first'. It couldn't be more satisfying. She could then crawl back on top of him, face to face, kissing him again, her hand around his neck, lifting his head slightly to her own as her body lay on top of his. "How do you like that for a first date?" she whispered before continue.


Limits? Non existent for Thalia in a position like this. Especially when she was drinking, and this deeply captivated by Frank. She could only hope that he was enjoying this just as much as her.
 
James was hoping the little chat Roland got to have on the phone made him realize how serious things were, They still had more up their sleeve, though, and seeing as Roland now knew they had a man with his family, it was time to see where his loyalties were. Was he willing to let his own child suffer just so he could get away from this and expose things to Ra's? James certainly hoped not. He already felt somewhat guilty, but thankfully, nothing extreme had yet happened at the family home where they were. He didn't want anything extreme to happen, either. If Roland was dead at the end of all of this, then James was willing to do a few things - Pay for any counseling the boy may have needed, secretly financially support the wife and child if they found themselves in a tight spot. He wasn't going to take the man of the family away and leave them in the dark, especially as they didn't know what Roland had been into all these years.


Roland had an apparent deal for them, though - Return him to Ra's, and he'd have Melissa returned. Bullshit, was the first thing that James thought of the whole idea. What sort of deal was that? He didn't buy into it for one moment, and honestly, he had a feeling that this was all going to blow up in their faces if they decided to go ahead with it. They couldn't let Roland run things like this - they needed an alternate deal, so as soon as Roland had been kicked in the face yet again, James went aside with Tony, and he immediately shook his head. He didn't trust Roland even one bit, not at all.


"Are you actually considering this?" He asked, quietly. "You think he'll go back to Ra's, a bullet in his knee and his arm broken in two places, his face all fucked up... And you think Ra's will just hand Melissa over?" He asked. "Jesus, even if he does, he'll probably match what we've done to Roland on her. An eye for an eye. He'll probably do worse, in fact." He sighed, "I don't trust Roland. They've lose their rat in the LAPD, and it's clear Roland was following you, and wasn't with Ra's earlier today. If this guy's been following you, he can pull off a bluff for us, and we can avoid any risks. He can tell Ra's he's been tailing you, and you have indeed resigned from the LAPD. He saw you hand your badge over and everything - What more could he want?" He asked.


At the end of the day, this was mainly Tony's choice. The only issue was, Roland knew Tony - first and last name, details, family, all of that. James? Not so much. He'd had sunglasses on this whole time. He didn't know much else other than his voice and the color of his hair.


"If you want to go ahead with this, Tony, you can do it, but I'm going to have my phone ready on dial, and a gun pressed literally against this guy's balls. If he sells us out, I make some threats, and I shoot his sexual organ right off from between his legs. I still insist we just press him for information - We either find where Melissa is and we get her ourselves, or we get him to tell Ra's that you're no longer a problem, get him to bail you out. Force him to, rather. His family's 'on the line' here, after all, and we want this guy to give over as soon as possible." He whispered.


"What's your call?" He asked.


--


"You won't lose me. The attachment we have now - I don't plan on breaking it, Thalia, and I mean that. I'm glad I help you want to be someone more - or make you want to be, rather - the bottom line is, though, I want to do more than that." He said. "I want to help you be that better person. I'm willing to take you by the hand and guide you all the way. I don't want to leave you to do it all alone. Whatever happens, we're in this together, alright?" He smiled. "This time as a little more than detective and colleague." He said, his smile turning into yet another grin. It was true, after today, they wouldn't be 'detective' and 'clan member' anymore. They'd be something much more secretly official than that - or would it really stay that much of a secret for long? Karin had no idea any of it was happening, but, she was bound to know soon enough. As for Tony and James... Well, James would be cool about it, but... 


Tony...


Yeah.


"You might do something stupid?" He asked, "Well, clearly you haven't seen how stupid I can be yet." He chuckled, and with every passing minute, things just seemed to get better and better, the pants and shorts came off, and eventually he was flipped over onto his back and had Thalia taking position, instead. This was certainly going to be an interesting night. "Now, I'm not stupid enough to forget to tell you that there's... Appropriate protection in my wallet. Jacket pocket." He winked. But he let things happen, and he also thought about the possibility of someone walking in. Frank felt five years younger again, and he was having a throwback to his reckless teenage and young adult days. It was brilliant. Was it just something he was able to experience with Thalia?


He also worried, he had this gut feeling that at some point soon, something was going to happen. Not in the house, not to Thalia, not to him - but soon, something would happen. He knew days like this were limited in everyone's life. He just had a horrible feeling that soon enough, these days were going to end with one big bang. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, after all. He wasn't thinking about that too much, though, because he was in a bed with a very beautiful girl, and even more so, they were going all the way at such an early stage. Something he could definitely dig, that was for sure. He looked into her eyes as she spoke to him, and with her question, he let out another grin and even a tiny laugh.


"I think we're a little past the 'first date' stage of things, don't you think?" He asked, simply. "We're already onto the magic carpet ride." He laughed, as quietly as he could manage. Whiskey and... Activities like this. A lethally fun combination, in Frank's eyes. Whiskey also made him slightly more... Cocky, in some ways. "Come on then, Thalia, let's see what you got." He winked.
 
Trusting Roland blindly like this would be the mistake of Tony's life, even costing him Melissa if he had that sort of ill intent in mind. He didn't even doubt it, not for one second. Letting the man make the call now would be foolish. Who was he to stop Roland from warning Ra's about everything in some sort of code--not even Arabic. Odds are, they have a duress signal in both languages, just in case of a situation like this. It was certainly troublesome. A dilemma he needed to get an answer to. Unfortunately, Tony and James didn't know that. And with a cell signal a rarity in this particular situation, there was only one more opportunity Tony could pull. After James whispered his words of warning, Tony returned his gaze to Roland, the two men staring each other down the eye, though the detective from a higher ground.


"So... do I get my phone call, Detective Walsh?"


It was all to tempting to reciprocate every derogatory comment about him, Melissa, and everyone around him towards Roland. But Tony had more class, uttering, "Fuck yourself" before stomping the man's face at full force. His head launched backwards into the bumper of the car with just as much force, thus knocking him out. Tony could only hope that didn't kill the bastard. Once he was down for the count, he redirected his words to James.


"We can't possibly make this call alone. He could trick us easily. We need someone who KNOWS every trick in the book." Who would've thought that Tony would ever say the next few words. Sighing in a bit of disbelief, he growled, "We need Thalia. She knows Al-Asheera protocol. If anyone can know if he's fucking with us, it's her. If anyone can read him, it's her. If there's anyone he might just fear, it's her. We just have to wait for her to recover. I bet she's awake right now. For now, I think we should pack it up. Get back to our little base of operations. Put his body in the trunk. I'll deal with him when we're home."


Encino, CA | James' Mansion | 10:00 PM 


It'd been a while since Thalia truly enjoyed herself in bed with a partner. After years of it being with Ra's or strangers, it felt like an outer-body experience to finally engage in something like that with someone she could say she... loved. She indeed was falling in love with Frank, despite how their relationship had been relatively physical as of late. She couldn't deny that she was pleased by it. Though she had no expectation for the detective's capabilities or expertise in bed, she had enough of that to enjoy herself no matter who it was. But this went further than that. Normally whenever she'd get in bed with a stranger, Thalia would feel next to nothing. No warmness or fuzzy thoughts of the person. Very little, really. It was mainly because she knew that things were temporary. Never did she ever get an opportunity to be with someone in a longer-lasting relationship. It was usually one night, then gone forever. Not with Frank. She felt her heart oftentimes skipping a beat, then racing even faster. She felt a desire to simply be next to him out of the trust she held for him. A bit of nervousness and shyness was expressed in her direction, but that was all a part of falling in love for her. The kind where she trembled from how the feeling had taken over her. It might've been naive to think that Frank's word alone would guarantee that he'd stick around for her, but in her time as a criminal, Thalia grew to recognize a liar when she sees or hears one. Frank didn't appear to have any motive or reason to deceive her like this. If anything, he wanted the same endgame. Though anyone might've thought that their little fun moments ago WAS her endgame, things had changed. Sure, she had a blast with this man throughout as long as they lasted. But this can't be the end. Thalia wanted much, much more. For once in her life, she was considering the future on a much larger scale. A distant future, even to the degree of daydreaming about the two of them having a family together. Where did THAT come from? Since when did you ever wanna have kids? Sure, they did use protection now to avoid something like that, but Thalia couldn't help but imagine that possibility. Hell, there were many possibilities of things she could do with Frank. Travel the world, walk romantically on the beach.... sex, lots of sex. Of course, after what they did, the idea was still in her head and still lingered around for a bit. It was pleasant, more pleasant than what she'd endured with Ra's for so long. How could she not want to do it again? Obviously, Frank would also want the same thing, but that was a topic for another day. They'd both exhausted themselves for the time being.


Now? With the adrenaline and drunkened attitude dying down, Thalia, laying down on Frank's right side in bed, extended her right arm over Frank's chest, her head nuzzled into his shoulder, and just enjoyed the comfort of his body so close to her own. Half of her didn't want the moment to end. If only the two could stay there, just talk about whatever they wanted, speak their minds. It sure as hell was what Thalia was up to, randomly discussing some of her past heists with Al-Asheera. Had the two been anything less than lovers, Frank might've just arrested her for everything she'd said. But she doubted he'd ever do that. When he said he'd defend her, he was serious. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about Frank that just seemed so believable. An honest man who opened up to her. And she opened up to him just as much. She was only keeping up the cycle of telling stories of her life. Maybe one day, she'd talk about her life before Al-Asheera in Philly. She never really elaborated about her running away with anyone. But talking, Thalia had done a lot of that with Frank. She felt comfortable around him, physically and emotionally. Equally, she'd listen to him as well when the time comes. It was all a part of what she wanted from her life. Leaving her past life really made her a changed woman. For the far greater good.


For the sake of changing the topic of discussion from her criminal record to something more enjoyable, Thalia propped herself up on her left elbow, her body slightly above Frank's now, and left him a kiss on his lips, a few seconds long. Relatively brief compared to their past records. She had plans. "I'm going to browse James' kitchen... see if I can find us anything to eat. Sound good?" Her fingertips ran through Frank's thick hair one more time, then through his beard and over his lips. "You stay up. My turn to get food. You move, and I'll lay you back down. Got it?"


Of course, she meant it in the most playful--and teasing--of meanings. It wasn't a ploy to get on top of him again. Just a way to enjoy themselves. With that, she retreated her hand, much to her own dislike, but she had to. She crawled her way out of bed, fully aware that Frank would be watching her from behind her back. She didn't mind; if anything, it made her smile at the fact he'd be staring. Getting up was easy now. It seemed like her fun in bed with Frank got her over her past pains. Certainly helped significantly. Before she could just walk out the door, she quickly pulled her underwear back up her legs from the floor to her right, then reached over to take Frank's shirt. She couldn't resist--the cute girlfriend taking the boyfriend's shirt and wearing it to cover up temporarily. Perhaps she was too stereotypical for her own good, but it was all part the fun. As she did so, she spun around in Frank's direction, hoping to catch him in the act of ogling over her. Her nimble fingers were slowly but surely securing a few of the buttons in the front to cover her chest. The shirt was also big enough to droop down to the upper part of her thighs, covering up enough to just walk outside. A giggle went in Frank's direction, only to quickly turn into an intimately naughty and threatening glare in his direction, licking her lips seductively.


"I mean it, Frankie. Stay in bed. I won't be long," she told him in a cute tone of voice. Before she left, she quickly slipped her ankle-high socks back on as well. She figured it would be quieter to walk around the house with them on than her bare feet. Just her preference, too. Once she was ready, she winked back in her partner's direction and left her temporary bedroom.


The house? Quiet. Way too quiet. Did Karin seriously not hear a sound from their little bedtime fun? Strange, indeed. Thalia could've guessed that the two were moderately loud in bed. Not exactly the kind of actions they'd want Joseph to walk in on, either. Were they asleep? Part of her silently lurking the halls down to the kitchen was also a lookout for her best friend. Where the hell was she? And James and Tony weren't back either. Boy, was Tony the last person to want to see her in Frank's shirt and no pants on. It was clear as day what that meant. It was a physical manifestation of their own naughty intentions that would make him blow his cap. Thank god he wasn't around. Her eyes were peeled, her ears wide open, as she entered the kitchen and approached the freezer. Something about frozen food just... appealed to her, strangely. It took a bit of a tug, but she got it open. Alas, vanilla ice cream. Something quick and fun. Frank wouldn't mind this after dark, right? She didn't even care what time it was. There was no bad time for ice cream. She pulled the extra large tub from the freezer, shut it behind her, and placed it on the counter. She dug through the drawers, one by one, until she found two spoons.


What a perfect after-sex treat, she imagined. He's gotta love this.
 
When Tony made the call to deliver a swift kick to the face, James smiled at him and nodded. Seeing Roland hit the floor again was certainly nice, and as long as they kept an eye on him, death was a long way off for him. The next issue came with making sure he didn't die from something basic - like dehydration. If he refused to eat and drink, then that would become a problem extremely quickly within as little as 12 hours. He was just hoping things were going to go smoothly, and he most definitely agreed with the decision to get Thalia involved in this. She was the only one who knew what Al-Asheera members were like, and she could probably read this guy like a shitty book before he could pull any tricks. As was said previously, things were going to get sour for the family if Roland didn't cooperate. His man could leave after they did, but, that was that. He could easily be sent back, this time more aggressively, gun at the ready. Yeah, he could shit them up a bit if James wanted them to. In fact, James could just send someone else over there.


"Thalia's our best bet at figuring this guy out." He said. "So, we've got nothing so far. We've driven out here for four hours to have this guy tell us to fuck ourselves, basically, and if anything, we've inched him closer to death with a bullet in the knee and a broken arm. If he gets any infection between the bones, then septicemia's quickly going to set in. That won't take long to kill him, so we need to make sure we get what we need from this son of a bitch before it's too late." He said, then looked down at Roland and took a sigh. "Alright, let's go." He said.


He got Roland in the trunk, and this time bound his mouth with some duct tape, too. He didn't need him screaming while they were going through the city. 


He got a drink of water for himself and Tony before they set off, and this time, James volunteered to drive as Tony had been the one who drove out here. James did make sure the blood got washed off the back bumper, though, and the shell that was left after Roland got a bullet in the knee was also picked up, just to be safe. It was unlikely anyone would be out here, but, you never know. May as well remove all traces of evidence, of course.


Now, back to paradise.


Speaking of paradise, that was the only definition Frank had of the time he'd spend with Thalia. That's exactly what it was - Paradise, and much like Thalia, he was picturing the future. He was picturing them skiing down the slopes of an expensive resort in Colorado, he was picturing the future they had together, picturing the dark-red-haired kids the two of them could possibly have. It was certainly an exciting thing to think about. He was already planning the future out in his head, as far as the honeymoon after some big fancy wedding on the beach in California. It was a lot to be thinking about this early, but with Thalia, he felt this magic that he'd never felt with anyone else before. She made him feel infinite, and that was a strong selection of words to say about someone, that's for sure.


The time they had... It was interesting, to say the least, and after the fun was over, Frank was more than tempted to roll over and go to sleep. But, he didn't, because there was always more time to do other things - like raid James' kitchen. Had Karin heard the noise they made? Yep. Of course she'd heard it. Thankfully, she and Joseph were sat on the couch, and Joseph passed out yet again. He needed the rest - he only heard the occasional thing, but, he didn't think anything of it. He was still young and naive about that sort of thing, but, he had a rough idea. Luckily he didn't hear (and thankfully didn't see) enough to make any wild guesses. He was just sleeping, curled up under a blanket on the couch again. He got too hot in the bedroom, so, this was the better place, Karin thought.


"I'm not going anywhere, don't you worry about me." He grinned, and yes, he watched her get up and walk. He watched her put the shirt of his own over her shoulders, and he watched her leave the room. Everything about her... It all just seemed to move so perfectly, and everything about her was the perfect blend to create the perfect partner - Not a partner in crime, law, or planning, but more a partner in love, affection. All of that sappy stuff, basically. When she was gone, Frank closed his eyes and spread himself out in the bed, smiling to himself. That was worth every minute, but now, he really needed to take a shower. It's still hot in California at night, so that combined with the shared body heat of someone else during vigorous... sexercise, certainly built up a sweat. He'd be fine for a little while longer, though.


While she was happily getting ice cream, guess who arrived home - Tony and James. They were going to need to act quick on all of this, though, the business with Roland. He looked at Tony from his seat and he nodded to him. He'd only parked out on the driveway, of course.


"Make sure Roland doesn't scream too much. We don't want to leave him unattended. I'll go and speak to Thalia." He said, simply. He knew Tony would be more than capable of handling someone with a shattered knee and a fractured arm. The guy must have been incapable of fighting by now.


James walked inside - and because Karin heard rummaging in the kitchen, she went through, too.


Not James.


Not Karin.


But both of them.


They both walked in and found Thalia like a deer in the headlights, in Frank's shirt and everything.


"Holy shit." They both said, perfectly in-sync. Karin and James looked at each other for a moment, but then it was all eyes on Thalia. James scanned her up and down, then cleared his throat. "Looks like you and Frank have... Definitely cracked a few mysteries while I've been gone." He said, doing his best to suppress a grin. "As much as I'd love to find out all the details..." He looked at the ice cream in Thalia's hand, and he walked over and slowly took that from her with a small smile and a wink. "And as much as I'd love for you to eat my 8-dollar-a-tub ice cream... I'm afraid we've had some... Complications, Thalia." He said. "Some with our friend Mister Simmons. Some we think only you can answer." He said. "And... Given the fact that Tony's outside, and Frank's probably rolling around with your clothes in the bed, and more importantly, you've got his shirt on... I'd make a move before Tony gets in here." He said. "And don't worry, I won't say a word." He winked.


At least James was on board with the blossoming romance.


Karin looked at Thalia, and a grin hit her face. She covered her mouth with one hand and shook her head a little. "We need to talk. ASAP." She said, but there was a lot of happiness to her voice. What a night this was turning out to be.
 
Now back home after the entire ordeal in the desert, Tony almost felt like he returned to civilization after a decade of being stranded. Despite how California was his home for his entire life, he's never really been deep into the Mojave. This was certainly a first for him. Torturing a man? Even more of a first. But he tried not to think about that. The best part of it all was that Roland's family didn't have to get hurt. That poor woman, Jessie. And her son, Jeremy. Clearly, they don't know that the man of the house is a dangerous criminal. That would destroy their family, the feeling of betrayal alone would probably break that woman beyond repair. Leave her to take care of her son alone, with that boy knowing his father was a fraud. Exposing someone was one thing. Shattering a family is something else, and family was a line Tony didn't even want to test. Ra's was a different story. He crossed that line the second he abducted Melissa. God, what kind of condition would she be returned in? The call after Pigman's demise told of horrible things. Hearing Roland say 'whatever condition she's in now' made things even worse. It was scary to picture, that beautiful girl he fell in love with--the girl that risked her integrity, career, and freedom for him... No. Tony would stand by her no matter the condition she returns in. He would brave this storm till the last breath. He loved Melissa, and planned to propose at the appropriate time.


Paradise, at long last.


The car was parked outside, and James went inside to fetch Thalia. She was, as hard as it was to believe, their best bet to crack Roland. All Tony could do was watched the taped up pig in the bag, keep an eye on him as he squirmed in the back, his muffled screams coming from the duct tape. A bit annoyed and testing the beast, Tony revealed his weapon, keeping it held to Roland's chest, and tore the duct tape from his lips.


"Scream, and I'll blow your brains."


Fortunately, he didn't. He spoke moderately. "Fuck yourself."


Tony kept an eye on the wounds inflicted upon Roland. His arms certainly looked disfigured after the fractures. His knee was bleeding, and if he doesn't get help soon, he might just lose that leg. There were cuts across his face as well from all of the kicks and punches. His nose also bled moderately earlier, the blood covering his lips and down his chin. It wasn't a pretty sight, but surely Thalia could stomach that. He smirked, speaking up, "You're right. I am working with Al-Jameela. But I didn't come to her. She came to me." Surely, provoking him might not scare him much. But Thalia was a dangerously high-ranking member of Al-Asheera. Just like him. "How does it feel, hm? Ra's' fiance in bed with the LAPD."


"Fuck yourself."


"Hm... As much of a physical specimen as you are, you are extremely unoriginal...." Tony was getting cocky. And it would only get worse. "You know, Roland... I think you've been jealous of Ra's. Getting all the teen pussy, unlike yourself. You get left with all the used meat. I get a feeling you have the hots for Al-Jameela, despite the orders of your boss."


"Fuck yourself."


His tone seemed unchanged every time he uttered those words. "I thought so... Don't admit it. Say it to her face. She's on her way."


"Sharmoota.... Kha'ina.... wa beshe'a. Laisa jameela abadan..." [Whore... Traitor... and ugly. Not beautiful at all...]


Only the first word was familiar to Tony, only because Thalia had warned them about it. He slapped his hands on his thighs and shrugged. "Guess you'll have to tell her that yourself, pal." With that, Tony strapped the duct tape back over Roland's lips and slammed the trunk on him once more. Even if he starts banging and mumbling under there, by now, no one in the area will particularly notice. For now, Tony wanted to figure out what was taking so long inside. He easily grew bored of Roland's unoriginal insults. Maybe Thalia could spark something new. He turned his back on the car to head inside.


--


Shit.... you're fucking busted. The first thought that went through Thalia's head the second she heard the simultaneous voices from James and Karin. There was no logical excuse for this anyway. Sneaking into the kitchen, no pants on, and wearing another man's shirt. The very man that she specifically told Karin she had a crush on. Things certainly escalated quickly, and the entire concept of her in bed with Frank would've come as a shock to James. He didn't strike her as the type that would mix business with pleasure unless it was part of a job. Thalia sleeping with Frank? Not part of the job. Not anymore at least; it might've slipped by if Tony had never revealed their little secret about the detectives hounding the girls. But who was James to get in the way of love? Seeing the ways he looks at Karin, he certainly has the same thoughts, and maybe is considering starting something fresh with her. Maybe something beautiful. As fast as Thalia and Frank? Probably not. Hell, things went VERY fast between the two lovebirds in the bedroom. Way faster than either could anticipate. Would she do it again? Hell yeah. Any day of the week. But now, she probably had some explaining to do. Smirking, she spun around to face her two friends, her fingers behind her back clinging to the counter, trying to seem innocent. But there was nothing innocent about what she'd just been up to.


"Psshh," Thalia jokingly shook her head, a slight smile on her face. They knew, and there was no point in hiding it. "Mysteries? We're just getting started." Quite a way to describe the relationship between the two. Something wild. It was even more satisfying in her mind to know this was just the beginning. The redhead could only imagine what would happen in a week's time between the two. But James didn't come just to spy on her sex life or ask for directions. There was business, which caused her sneaky smile to fade away quickly. Fun's over. He and Tony brought Roland home to see if she could break him. Could she? Possibly. A deep sigh came from her mouth, the joy in her heart slowly depleting. "Damn it. No time for fun right?" Seeing James take the ice cream away made her pout further. "Awww, c'mon! I was gonna eat that!" It came out like a child getting her toys taken away, but in a more adult teasing manner. A deal came to mind, though. "Look. I wasn't gonna use your ice cream for anything that nasty. I was gonna share it with Frank straight out of the bowl, okay? If I break Simmons, will you give it back? I promise, I'll share."


Like James cared about the sharing aspect. Why the hell would the five of them, maybe including Joseph, making it six, sit down and eat ice cream together? A dumb dreamy thought from the thief. Lame, too. It was just going to be her and Frank, until she was caught in the act. With a push from the counter side, she propelled herself away from the ledge and marched further as if to leave. She rotated her head behind her and spoke. "No way am I facing Ra's' Hand with no pants on. And there's no way I'm facing Tony like this either. The second he thought me and Frank had a thing, he blew his cap. Best he doesn't find out about this. I can trust everyone here keeps their mouth shut, right?"


It's settled. James and Karin know now. Well, Karin knew from ages ago that Thalia was in love with Frank. But now it was set in stone. As she passed by her white-haired friend, she stopped briefly, shoulder to shoulder, her tattooed hand lifting to place a finger over Karin's lips. "Shhh. Whatever happens in the bedroom... stays in the bedroom," she whispered, as if she were overjoyed and dying to gossip with her friend. She leaned closer to her ear, and in an even softer voice, let her know, "We have SO much to talk about later. Girl to girl stuff. You won't fucking believe it." With that, she stepped away from Karin, a bit of a laugh escaping her lips as she power walked her way back to her room. Seeing Frank again, though... that was a pleasure. Without food, though? A disappointment.


But then came Tony, the second she was gone. All he came in time for was Karin and James just standing there. A bit confused, he peeked back and forth, then asked James, "Don't worry about Roland. He's quiet... but where's Thalia? Is she still asleep?" More trouble in the mix. Lovely.


--


Returning to Frank inside was a bit of a shame. Thalia so desperately wanted to spend more quality time with Frank. But sadly, duty calls. She gently knocked on the door to the room and let herself inside. Shutting it behind her, she turned around to her new boyfriend, swinging her arms carelessly to her sides, throwing her head back to face the ceiling in annoyance. "God... James is back. They couldn't break Simmons, so I have to do their dirty work. Make sense..." She crawled onto the bed briefly, knees first, and moved a bit closer to Frank. "So I guess our midnight snack has to wait a little, hm? And before I forget..." She reached forward for Frank, pulling him into a sitting position with her sitting in his lap, her hands over his shoulders. She didn't seem too disappointed to deliver bad news, since it wasn't entirely bad. "Karin and James know about us... I mean. I'm walking around the house in your shirt and no pants on. It's kinda obvious." It brought a laugh to her lips once more. She loved laughing with Frank. It was the best part of when they were done. Just talking. "Not that I wanted to get caught. They just happened to walk in at the worst of times."


Then came the more unpleasant news. "So I guess our plans are a bit... postponed..." Her index finger twirled a bit in circles down Frank's chest, still smiling to his face. After a bit of that tease, she brought her hands to the center of his shirt again, slowly undoing the buttons one at a time, speaking as she did so. "But... seeing I have to take this off to give back to you before Tony walks in... which, I'm sure we don't need..." Once she reached the end of the shirt, she parted the two ends of the opening from one another and slid it off her shoulders, just staring into Frank's eyes the entire time, while his eyes were probably focused elsewhere, at the topless girl sitting on his lap. "You get a chance to peek again. Lucky little boy..." She tilted her head, gripping the ends of the sleeves, and teasingly covered her chest with both hands, rubbing slightly to give a sense of teasing. "Get a good look at me while you still can. Looks like it's gonna be a long night." Once she'd given the detective enough of a peek at her body, she looped the shirt from behind her back to around Frank's neck, pulling him closer, giving her a chance to kiss him again. It was all too tempting to tease in that way. He didn't seem to mind after all. She kept it brief, though, parting her lips shortly after and releasing the sleeves of the top. "I wish I could go longer... but if we take too long, Tony might barge in... And it's just all too fun teasing you like that." Licking his lips, then poking his chin, Thalia figured she'd gotten enough of flirting in such a short time and crawled off of his lap. She sat down at the edge of the bed and reached to the floor for her bra, quickly slipping that back over her shoulders.


Perhaps she should've taken a shower before going to face anyone who wouldn't take this lightly. Tony, or Roland. But time was of the essence according to James. An emergency. If she smelled sweaty, or a bit too much like Frank, it'd have to do for now. She also grabbed her green tank top from the ground and pulled that over her head as well. As she got dressed, she spoke to Frank, looking behind her as she reached over for one of the remaining duffel bags in the room, the one with her skinny jeans from earlier. She figured she'd wear those instead of the shorts in front of Roland. "You should get dressed, too. Tony probably wants you front and center when this goes down. But get this... Our date's not over yet. Once this is done, we're watching some lame ass movie over popcorn or ice cream or something. I'll give you that much. And maaaaaybe some kissing. How do you like that?"
 
"You get your ice cream back as soon as we're done with all of this." James grinned at her, then nodded off towards the exit of the kitchen. It was time for her to go and get ready, before Tony came in and figured everything out. Roland didn't need shutting up forever. James knew it was an urgent situation. If he caught even half a glance of Thalia, he'd see enough to know that she and Frank had had something going on, and that would cause a whole array of problems between the whole group. It was the last thing they needed. James just hoped that they could get this out of the way so the detectives could go back to their jobs for at least a day without things looking suspicious, and the rest of them could have a much-deserved break. They all needed it, he figured, especially Thalia. Karin probably wanted one, too, and honestly... James wanted a day or two to spend time with Karin and Joseph. Yes, he'd taken a liking to the two of them.


"Girl to girl stuff, you got it." Karin laughed. She was happy for Thalia - Thalia finally had what she wanted. She finally had Frank, by the looks of it. Karin found Frank to be a genuine guy, one who'd keep to his word and wouldn't fuck around too much. She had a feeling he was a good guy for Thalia to be with. He had a kind heart, or at least a long string of calmness and peacefulness in him. In Karin's mind, there was no better fit for Thalia right there. She needed someone calm, someone understanding, someone who was just as gentle as he was tough. For Karin, Frank had been the one detective that hadn't been an asshole to them at the start, and first impressions mean one hell of a lot. She just hoped certain people - mainly Tony - didn't try and forcefully drive a wedge between the two of them.


Karin looked at James and smiled. "Well." She said.


"Indeed." He leaned over against the counter. "You look a little left out."


"What?" She laughed.


He winked at her, "You know what I mean." He said. "And I'm willing to bet you'd look good in my t-shirt." 


She looked at him, and a laugh left her mouth - more one of surprise. They'd had one tiny kiss, and that was all. Did James really have something for her? She knew with every minute that went by, she was getting something for him. She wanted to make some sort of move right there and then, and for just a while, they shared a moment. They were left there looking into each other's eyes - but it was cut off as Tony walked in, and broke the not awkward but questionable silence between the two of them. Many different assumptions could be made, really, but still, James turned to Tony when he asked after Thalia and smiled.


"She's been sleeping for most the time we've been gone, chilling." He said. "She's just freshening up a little bit. Best leave her to it. Last thing any of us want to do is walk in on her getting changed, or something." He said, simply.


Meanwhile in the bedroom...


"Well, considering it's not midnight yet, I don't mind if the midnight snack has to wait." He grinned at her. "Karin and James can know everything if they want to, it's Tony I'm worried about. You know he'd go to all ends to stop anything between us if he found out - I've got a feeling he'd just completely hate my guts. He was telling me to look elsewhere before the two of us even kicked anything off. The idea of the two of us having something terrifies him for whatever reason. I don't know why, but, let's hope we don't have to find out the hard way, right?" He asked, simply. 


He did get a good look of her while he had the chance, though, believe me when I say that. It was the last piece he was going to see before they got back to proper business, and it'd be a while before the two of them got to be alone again. "We'll do this again soon, I hope." He said. "A lame ass movie and popcorn sounds like my kind of treat. My idea of a good night." He laughed.


He did need to get dressed, though, so as soon as Thalia was gone, he grabbed all his shit and ran into the ensuite bathroom. He figured he'd just hide out in there for a few minutes and make himself look fresh, putting on everything but the tie. He found some cologne and deodorant, too, so he slapped some of that on him just to get the smell of bedsheets, sweat, and sex off of him. Yeah. He knew that would be a dead giveaway if someone caught a whiff of any of those three. At least that was one drama out of the way, for now, and that was all he needed to be concerned about. As soon as he was sure he didn't look too breathless, nor too loved up, he made his hair was flat and quietly left the room, making sure he took a few seconds before he paced himself down the hallway and to the kitchen.


"Right, what's the situation?" He asked. Jump right into the seriousness of things - he hoped that would sell the 'still a sophisticated detective' act. He didn't have his tie on, but why would he? He'd been here all day and all night. Ties aren't something that should stay on forever.
 
Thalia and Frank had to keep their own feelings on the side more than ever. It just went from the occasional stare behind the other's back to something far more serious, though indisputably enjoyable. Well, for them, Karin and James. Tony wouldn't be too fond of it. It made Thalia feel bad to have to leave the fifth man in the dark, but he was the most volatile of the bunch, and the most hostile towards Thalia in particular. If he found out that his partner is sleeping with her, and that they actually went all the way, there's no doubt he'd start another altercation. Whether it's him beating the defenseless girl or threatening to blow the operation, he would act rashly and unreasonably, might even compromise the operation or break the team up due to his behavior. It was too risky, and the four others would have to swear to secrecy. Not like it would come up in detective small talk with Frank. Thalia wasn't vocal enough with Tony to tell him. Karin or James? Why would they? But what if it accidentally comes up? It was all a matter of trust for now. Risky, indeed. For now, their relationship had to stay away from their work against Al-Asheera. It might come back to hurt them, and not the way they think. What was for sure? They'd be way more protective of each other.


But Thalia looked presentable enough. Back in her tank top and jeans, and the shoes she came to the mansion with. Her hair was a complete mess after having sex, obviously, but she sorted it out well enough to fall down her back, a few locks down the sides of her face. Cute in its own way, but still an overly curly mess that needed a desperate wash. Though not a complete wreck anymore thankfully. She was never one for making herself look excessively pretty with loads of makeup and hair care, but only enough to be reasonable. She didn't need much additives to look beautiful anyway. And other people seemed to agree. In order to avoid suspicion, she beat Frank out of the room, tapping the sides of her hair to ensure nothing was sticking out awkwardly. The last vibe she wanted to give to a hostage--or Tony--was that she was just having sex.


Sure, she took care of the looks... but her smell. It would still stick out. It was a mixture of her sweat and a bit of Frank's cologne. A detail she overlooked and marched out of the room and regrouped with Tony, Karin, and James. Crossing her arms over her chest, she tried to play things cool, Frank following from behind her shortly. The two needed to know what the story was. To the two of them, the interruption was untimely, but clearly necessary.


Tony did the honors of explaining the situation. "We took Roland Simmons to the desert, only for him to echo for us to fuck ourselves. Time and time again."


Groaning, Thalia rolled her eyes and gave an answer, "Haven't you learned that it's Al-Asheera protocol? They don't talk. When they're cornered, they're trained to only answer in two words: 'Fuck yourself'. Didn't you see that with the police insider?"


"Well, yeah. But you certainly didn't tell us to fuck our... wait." Then it hit Tony that Thalia did tell him to fuck himself. Just not English. "Never mind... We got to a point where we could get him to make a deal. But he wants to trade himself to be returned to Ra's. In exchange for Mel. Do you buy it?"


A scoff came from Thalia, shaking her head to Tony at how naive he was at the moment. Maybe worse than her. "Did you honestly believe he was serious, Tony? I don't care how close this guy is to Ra's. If he was in contact with a cop, he will either kill himself, or he will surrender his head to Ra's so he can be executed."


In that, the ambiguity of everything came to light. The immense risk. Tony leaned his back against the fridge that Thalia was raiding earlier, and asked the redhead more questions, "If that's the case, why does he want to give himself up? Why would he..." The horrible part of the truth surfaced. Melissa. "Then why would he surrender Melissa? It's not like he gives a damn for her... Thalia, what is he going for?"


"It's a setup," she answered simply, pacing to Karin's side, indirectly keeping her distance from Frank. Being near her best friend was more natural anyway for a girl with attachment issues like Thalia. "Like hell he's going to give you Melissa. You'll be lucky to even see her before he burns her alive. It might just be a chance to send us all to hell. You can't trust any deal made by Ra's or his right hand man. They're worse than each other... especially Roland. Not only is he a dick, but he's also equally a savage. A vulgar one too... I'd know. He and I have a sort of history of hatred."


Fuck... burns her alive?! What else does this brute do? A troublesome thought for Tony's head, just by her wording. Even better: Thalia hates Roland. It might work in their advantage. "Is there any way we can get him to change his mind? Alter the deal? Maybe make him start spilling information?"


She sighed, slamming the palm of her right hand over her forehead, then running up her hair, thinking. Counter attacking Ra's was more thought consuming than she thought. The problem? Her thoughts had just been all over Frank, completely off-task. And they were still like that. This isn't the mindset she should be approaching this from. And the more Thalia went without giving a proper answer, the more concerned Tony became, getting up from against the wall, fists clenched, and walking up to her. He wasn't going to attack, but Thalia could only assume so. Tony still felt remorse for her after her unpleasant bedroom experience earlier. No girl deserved something like that, but the detective was angry and wanted answers. This was his long-term girlfriend--the girl that gave him his career--whose life was on the line. Right before Tony could get close, Thalia frightfully took a step back, panicking. Genuinely afraid of more physical abuse from this man, she gulped and spit something out. "Wait.... please don't hurt me, Tony. I think I can talk to him... see what I can make him do. Sounds good? I'll make him spit whatever he knows out, and make him put a more reasonable deal on the table. I know Al-Yed like Ra's. I can apply pressure where it hurts, just..." Her backwards steps were halted when her back collided with a wall, her heart sinking out of sheer fear of being cornered by Tony again. Last time it happened, she was out of breath in a world of pain on Karin's living room floor. "Tony... don't hurt me. Please."


The fear exhibited by Thalia was almost identical to the very fear she had with Ra's. All the girl wanted was to not be abused anymore. And it was made clear to everyone by her reverse steps into a wall and her widened eyes, begging the veteran to spare him. When in reality, he wasn't even going to touch her. He just wanted to get closer. Did it really come to this level of distrust? Would anyone in the room believe him if he said he simply wanted to incentivize things verbally? Probably not. That trust was washed away long ago. Glancing around the room at the reactions of the others, his eyes returned to the redhead and nodded in approval. "Do whatever you can, Thalia." Tony reached into his jacket pocket, removing a pair of car keys, the ones for the Optima. He tossed them into the girl's hands from a fair distance, explaining, "He's in the trunk. Do whatever you have to do. He's got a bullet to the knee and two broken arms. Just... be careful. But I think you know that."


Catching the keys in mid-air, Thalia could only look slightly confused. She's never held the keys to a car in her hand before. It brought her back to Ra's' old-fashioned thinking. The fact she was a woman, so she should be oppressed and simply a sex toy. Hell, maybe she was. She was just in bed with Frank not long ago. Pocketing the keys, she nodded and walked past Tony, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. She was nervous of screwing up or coming back empty handed. Tony would have her head if so...


But something caught Tony's attention when her shoulder brushed passed his own. She smelled... strange. Was she sweaty from sleeping for so long? Was it simply the sweat from a girl not acclimated to the heat of LA just yet? Or was the sweat from another source? That could've been confirmed by the scent of male cologne emitting from her body. An odor he could've sworn he smelled before. A look in his partner's direction brought the memories back. Was Thalia wearing Frank's cologne? Or did she pick it up another way. Wait... did Frank agree to stay here to... No. No, Tony. Stop assuming the worst in people. Maybe she was asleep and accidentally used a cologne just like Frank's? But how likely was that. It was clear as day there was some sort of magic, a spark, between the two. Now, for Thalia to smell like a mixture of Frank's cologne AND sweat? Mixed in with the smell of someone who.... No.... did she? He'll have to ask later. Now wasn't the time to ask anything too direct. But he could ask something a bit less direct.


"Is it me, or does that girl smell.... bad?" he asked. It wasn't exactly a lie. The smell of someone who recently had sex wasn't exactly one to go to the supermarket with. Not like she'd be in public, but Tony couldn't help but be open about it. His eyebrow arched upward in a bit of confusion, but one suspicious look in the eyes went to Frank. But it didn't last long enough to seen too notable. He'll ask his partner later if things were taking off between him and Thalia. Cop and criminal? Not something he'd accept... the only problem was that he was developing similar feelings. It was a mix of a code of honor as a detective with his own jealousy. That is what triggered him most. "I mean, it goes beyond a bit of sweat. Does Ra's not shower her or something?"


Thalia wasn't there to hear the questioning though. It was made out to be something behind her back anyway. She tried to avoid contact with anyone for the moment, preparing herself to face Roland. She'd seen him plenty of times, and had several stand-offs as well, due to all of the creepy glares he'd given her, the jealous flirtatious advances that she found inappropriate for her entire eight years, even an attempt to grab her ass on one occasion. Very unappreciated, which made her dislike him further. Tony was spot on that Roland was jealous of Ra's. What are the odds? Thalia is caught in a love X. Tony jealous that Frank loves her. And Roland jealous that Ra's loves her. Who would've guessed. Seeing the Hand crippled in a car's trunk would be a joy. Once she arrived outside in front of the trunk, she slipped the keys in the lock, turned, and pried it open. Inside lay the squirming, broken, and bent Roland Simmons, waiting to see the moonlight. He squinted a bit at first, his taped mouth preventing him from uttering anything. But the clanswoman had plenty to say. Just seeing him disfigured, tied up, and bleeding from the knee and cuts on his face brought a cruel smile to her face. Never had she been this happy, this satisfied, to see a man suffering. But she hated Roland with a passion. Hell, his eyes even shot out when he saw her, as if he feared her. This didn't even happen around Tony or James when they were torturing him. Was she the ticket to the pot of gold? With a tone of voice giving off a sort of glee, she crossed her arms, smiling, and saying:


"Karma's a bitch. But so am I... Never thought I'd see you again."


All Thalia could hope is that she doesn't get interrupted. She wanted to be alone with Roland. They had a lot of talking to do.
 
Frank thought everything was fine, but it was bound to be the smell of her that gave it away. His expensive cologne was a distinct smell, one that his partner was most definitely going to be able to identify. At the same time, though, Frank knew he could play the fact that his cologne was strong to his advantage. He knew he could play it dumb, maybe give a suggestion for something - after all, he thought that he himself looked and smelt perfectly fine and non-suspicious, even if Karin and James both knew the truth. Frank also felt bad for leaving Tony in the dark, but for now, it was necessary. It wasn't like either of them were betraying him, either, because... Well, how could it even be remotely classified as betrayal? There was no need for that, no need for anyone to scream murder over anything going on between the two of them. What was wrong with enjoying themselves, right? Right now, Tony and Frank could hardly consider themselves cops - Heck, Tony had done more illegal things today than Frank, after all.


And seeing as things were looking suspicious after Pigman's suicide, they needed to treat lightly. 


"Hm." He shrugged, "She's been asleep a long time, and she was in a room with me watching over her most the night. Sweating from the heat, and some of the smell from my cologne probably stuck to her a little bit. Wouldn't surprise me." He shrugged. "Can't say I noticed, though, I was mainly dozed off while I was in there. It's safe to say that our friend James has a very good taste in whiskey." He laughed, then looked at James, who just smiled back and nodded. He didn't seem to mind that Frank had helped himself - he did offer, after all.


James knew that the whole thing was a setup with Roland from the beginning, though. There was no way he'd hand her over, no way Ra's would forgive and forget. There was no point even trusting Roland - James had dealt with enough snakes in his time to know what the risk was, but Al-Asheera were a whole new ballgame. It was too risky to believe even a word Roland said, and James still had a standby for the guy's family, too. He hoped Thalia could get what they wanted out of him, though. He wouldn't put it past her - if she'd received the same training, then chances were that she knew how to break the tactics she knew so well, too. It'd take time, maybe a little while, but the best thing to do now was leave them to it and see how things went. There was a lot of business to attend to over the next couple of days, though, mainly on the detectives' side of things.


All of them were worried for the state Melissa was going to be in, though. There was a lot of talk about what she may be going through - It was hard to tell whatever condition she was going to be in. None of them really deemed Tony as heartless, though - If she came back, beaten and abused and damaged, Tony wouldn't just... Leave her.


Right?


Karin couldn't help but doubt it in some ways. She didn't know Tony well enough to know what he'd do and how he'd act, but, time would tell - If they got Melissa back in one piece, that was. Karin wanted to help out still, but, she didn't want to put her brother at risk. He meant the most to her, and she'd drop any of the people under this roof if she had to just to protect him. She had faith that James would pull her out before things got too deep, though, so for now, she was on cruise control and seeing how things panned out.


"James." Karin said, looking at him. "Can I talk to you?"


"Sure?"


"In private." She said, quietly, and looked over Tony and Frank for a moment. "Outside, maybe?"


"Yeah, of course. Let's step out back." He nodded to her, lying a hand down on her shoulder. "Guys... Feel free to grab yourselves a drink." He said to the two, then smiled at Karin and guided her through and out the back door, and walked over to the poolside with her. What was it she needed to talk about? It seemed everyone wanted to talk to him tonight?


Frank watched them leave for a moment, and squinted when they were a fair distance away. He had his suspicions.


"So." He said, "I know they said they were boyfriend and girlfriend as some sort of cover-up for Joseph, but..." He shook his head, "I can't help but get the impression that it's a little more real than that, you know?" He shrugged. "Maybe it's just me. I don't know." He said. "Did you get anything out of Roland while you were out there?" He asked. "Sounds like you roughed him up plenty, though."
 
Between the Bride and the Hand of Al-Ra's lied a long, convoluted history of their past troubles and confrontations. A burning hatred and bitterness started by a long string of events since Thalia joined Al-Asheera eight years ago. Events that were about to unfold now that Roland was defenselessly crippled in the back of someone's trunk. Tony and James were nowhere in sight at the moment, which proved to be in Thalia's advantage. Whatever she was about to say to this monster, she preferred to keep it away from them. She'd probably tell Karin, maybe even Frank, at some point. James felt like too much of a business partner to be personally connected to. But Tony? He wouldn't give a damn, and therefore she wouldn't feel comfortable with him around while she opens up on her relationship with the second darkest character in her adult life. Just the look in each other's eyes showed that there was something deeper to all of this. Thalia looked like she was ready to rip Roland's head from his body, whereas Roland, for the first time in all of this, looked like he could shit himself. Well, the interrogation was now underway, the second the redhead tore the duct tape from his mouth. She made the first words, though, poised, but beating around the bush.


"Gotta say, Al-Yed, you looked way better with a ponytail. Why'd you shave? Did Ra's promise you that you could give him a blowjob if you went skinhead?"


"Fuck yourself." The first words to come from Roland, obviously, but this time a bit more... worrisome than usual. Thalia saw it coming, but that wasn't all. "Is this how you return the good faith of Al-Ra's? He makes you the woman you are now, and you get in bed with a fucking cop to put him in the ground? Or did he promise YOU that you could give him a blowjob if you betrayed your master. The man to be your husband?"


Thalia shook her head, expecting such a response after she mentioned blowjobs, but also keeping her cool rather than lashing out. Roland was injured. His arms looked disfigured and the wound in his knee looked like it was on the brink of infection. But she left him there. For now. "Good faith? All you and Ra's ever did was abuse me with promises for a brighter future. I don't see a brighter future. Not in sight. So I'm taking it upon myself to be the girl I've always wanted... it's why I joined Al-Asheera."


"Kizabi..." he snarled back. A liar, he called her. "You joined because if you didn't, Ra's would kill you like the pathetic filth you were on the streets of Philly." Roland was trying hard to bite harder than Thalia. His words were all he had with his paragon of a body rendered useless.


"Me? A liar?" she scoffed, "You're the one who's been lying to yourself. Roland..." Thalia had a home run in the bag at this rate. A card she had up her sleeve for Roland in particular. She leaned a bit closer to the immobilized hostage, maybe enough for him to get a good look at her cleavage from the tank top. Seduction mixed with threats. Something the mystery redhead did well. Hell, if things played out differently without a kid around, she might've tried something along those lines to Karin at the diner the previous day. "You see... I know how you look at me. I know that you think about me when you stroke that stub remaining of your dick... I mean, after what I did do it with Ra's' dagger, I can see why you'd have trouble getting it up..."


Yikes. A nasty confession from Thalia, one she seemed to talk so proudly about in private. A heinous secret that so few people know: that back in her time with Al-Asheera, she personally castrated Roland, chopping basically everything down south off of the man. Accidentally, in self defense when Roland felt it appropriate to carve at her back like a scratching post... also very recently, shortly after Vanessa's execution when Thalia was still filled with rage and sadness, but it was that event and the state she was in that gave him this sense of fear of her. She was vicious, a monster in the closet waiting to be unleashed. And the redhead used that fear to her advantage in this scenario.


Neither speak of the event. But it clearly is sensitive to Roland, and something she couldn't tell anyone. Not Karin. Not James. Definitely not Frank. Certainly not Tony.


"Fuck yourself! Aahira!" A word to call her a whore, but far worse than the one she'd been accustomed to around Ra's. "ANTI AAHIRA! AATARFI BIHA!" [You're a whore! Admit it!]


A giggle slipped from Thalia's lips, dragging her fingertips across Roland's face aimlessly. Flirtatious, but with limits, evident in her voice, though speaking in Arabic in return. "La', ayouha mohtal..." [Wrong, you sneaky bastard...] Surely now, Thalia had some translating to do in case anyone was eavesdropping. Knowing this pack, it's exactly what they were up to. Nothing too major. Her Arabic wasn't as fluent as Roland's, but she could understand everything well enough. She already could speak English and French equally well. She didn't need a third language so urgently. Ra's just rubbed off on her. The  fingers of her inked hand fell from Roland's face and formed a grip on the man's collar, hoisting him from the car with the utmost of ease, and tossing him out, face first into the asphalt below. The landing was enough to make the man scream uncontrollably from the triggered pain within him. "Anta waty, Al-Yed... Awta min Al-Ra's, hatta. Oureed annak tahroq fi johannam ila al'abad...." [You are a lowlife, Al-Yed. Even lower than Ra's. I want you to burn in hell for eternity...] She spoke over his screams, placing her comfortable thin shoe over the bloodied bullet wound on Roland's knee, inflicting even more pain. "Anta hasses bil wajaa?" [Can you feel the pain?]


Admidst the screams, Roland continued to curse the girl. "AAAAAAH! AL-AAHIRA, ANTI! AL-AAHIRA!"


Thalia gave a smile of satisfaction, removing her foot from his soon to be infected wound and placed it over his face, which also suffered a few wounds. Surely, the gang inside heard his screams of agony, and if there were any neighbors, them too. But she didn't care. Watching Roland suffer was far more satisfying. "Roland..." she shook her head, glancing down at him. "Aarif annak maghroum fiye. Mithl Al-Ra's. Anta gheeran minho?" [I know you're in love with me. Just like Ra's is. Are you simply jealous of him?]


"Ana? Maghroum feeki?" [Me? In love with you?] He couldn't help but laugh at that remark, spitting a bit of blood onto the pavement. "Akid la'. Anti maatouha. Tiftikri ann al kol bihobboki ka'anno sahr. Gholtani." [Of course not. You're delusional. You think that everyone likes you, like some magic. You're wrong.]


"Mmm," She hummed, removing her foot from Roland's skull, kneeling down in front of him, looking him in the eye and lifting his head to stare at her. She returned to speaking in English for her own sake of getting this out properly. "I know the way you look at me, Roland. The way you would speak to me back in the day. The unnecessary touching. All red flags to any girl who has people gushing over her. Like it or not, you've been jealous of Ra's, not just because of the fact you lost your junk, but long before that; because he'd always get the pretty girls and you only got his leftovers."


"Leftovers? How so, sharmoota?"


It then came to a hard hitter for Thalia. Gulping she uttered the name of the girl who meant the world to her so long ago, "Vanessa."


"You mean Al-Moajiza."


A slap came from Thalia's hand, flying across Roland's cheek, dropping him to the floor. "That wasn't her name."


"You only say that because you were fucking her."


"She meant more to me than Ra's ever did... and since Ra's didn't like her, he handed her off to you, which you didn't appreciate. You didn't care about some recovering miracle child. You just wanted some pretty teenager that you could easily exploit... me, when I was 13. Pedophiles. That's what you and Ra's are. I helped Vanessa every day she was recovering. I cared about her so much.... all for you sick fucks to take her away..."


"Fuck yourself."


Slapping her thighs, she shook her head, continuing, "Vanessa told me everything you did to her. You treated her like shit. Beating, cutting, demotivating... she told me every little detail of your actions down to the dotted I's and crossed T's. I was the only person she trusted, and vice versa. Only because you used to abuse me too. All the whipping? All the lashes? You and Ra's had a field day with the two of us, because we were pretty teenage girls? Sick, sick perverts..." The emotional power in Thalia's voice began to grown from here on out. "...and ever since she died, I've wanted to avenge her legacy. Make sure she didn't die in vain."


"Your whore died hating you."


It hurt to know that the girl she had become so fond of eventually grew to despise her. Ra's' actions, his brainwashing... it was despicable. If she could have one last chance to tell Vanessa she was sorry... she wasn't even buried. Her head was dismembered and left in her bedroom for a week by the nightstand. And now it was in a smelly closet with hundreds of other heads while her body was burned. That was her final resting place. And Thalia felt that guilt and had that cross to bear every day. Had she never become serious about Vanessa, she might still be alive. "Yes. She died hating me.... but I still loved her. And something inside her probably still loved me. And you and Ra's took her from me. You took away my first love, took away a good person from this planet. Vanessa didn't deserve to be in Al-Asheera. She was just...." Thalia sighed, trying not to tear up as a result. Thinking of her late girlfriend never got easier. Especially knowing that she and Vanessa were so similar. "...caught up with the wrong people under bad circumstance." Exactly what she was. They truly were similar. "You abused her, before and after she was imprisoned, and you watched with glee when Ra's beheaded her. I will NEVER forgive you for doing that to her!" Only then did Thalia's emotions begin to become more dominant, grabbing Roland by the shoulders, clearly inflicting more pain on his body, and dragged him away, back now against the wall of the building, her eyes watering slightly, but the fire building up from her own anger evident. "You took her from me! She had a mother and a father looking for her, and you two took their little girl away! All because Ra's got his feelings hurt!"


Thalia's rage made Roland smile. He was getting into her head without even trying. A maniacal laugh came from him, saying, "Fuck yourself, Al-Jameela. She died because she betrayed Ra's. She died because she was a little whore, just like you. I'm just surprised he preserved you.... Now, do you think you can really beat me like you did the other time, when..."


Enough was enough. Roland may have suffered enough physical trauma, but Thalia didn't agree with conventions. Her left hand released from his shoulders and made its way behind her back to her jeans pocket... the gardening blade she was toying with in the weapons bunker. It was there. Gripping the hilt, she swung it around in front of Roland's face and, without a second of hesitation, drove the blade across his right eye, starting from his cheekbone, over the eyeball, and up his bald head. Gouging his eye, and creating a nasty cut over his skull. Some of the blood splattered in Thalia's face, and the injury itself caused Roland to scream in more pain that he has all night. It wasn't just from his eye being slashed wide open, but because his arms tried to instinctively cover up, thus triggering the pain of the fractures. That was more pain onto it all. To top it off, Thalia released her grip to make Roland stand on his own two feet, which failed miserably due to the bullet wound. It didn't take him long to collapse to the ground wailing at the top of his lungs, laying there like any other crippled man. Thalia just looked down to the ground, almost proud of what she'd done, an evil grin appearing from ear to ear. Even licking her lips in satisfaction, picking up a bit of Roland's blood on her tongue, gripping the knife harder, ready to keep this up. "You're pathetic, Al-Yed. Just Ra's' lapdog.... You know that? And I'm going to have a fucking blast cutting you up into tiny, tiny pieces..." Her voice sounded so sinister. A hint of evil taking over her, ready to continue to abuse Roland the same way he's abused her.


But there was something deep inside her that stopped her from doing anything further. 


If Frank saw that... would he ever want to start a family with you?


It made Thalia freeze in place, her eyes widening, and the sickened satisfied look on her face faded as the knife fell from her loosened, uneasy grip to the ground. Guilt hit her like a brick wall, taking a few heavy, uneasy breaths to calm down. Did she make a mistake doing that? He was provoking her with Vanessa and she reacted. Her right arm flew over her face, wiping the man's blood away from her face, frantically wondering how she could make this better... but she couldn't. Covering it up? Impossible. Alleviating the situation as a whole wasn't happening. She could only bite at her nails and fingertips, wondering what to do next. Fortunately, Roland was far too distracted by the agonizing pain in his whole body to know that Thalia was showing a sign of weakness. In fact, she leaned up against the garage door, unable to stand up stably anymore, slowly descending to a sitting position, her reddened hands running through her curly red hair, panicked. Maybe even a bit traumatized. She'd never done something like that for anyone. She might've even been shaking slightly. If someone walks out here, they'll know what had happened. Her unharmed, Roland incapacitated, and a bloody knife just laying there. No chickenshitting around this.


What was worse is whats she did to him long ago. The reason Roland fears Thalia. That couldn't get leaked. Not to anyone. Hopefully Roland wouldn't spill it later.


And Roland's screams wouldn't stop. Every movement he could attempt hurt like hell, and the massive scar of a gouged eye on his face was not only hideous, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie, and the howls of pain added on to it. In between the senseless cries, there were a few curse words, "FUCK YOU, AL-JAMEELA! AL-AAHIRA! AL-SHARMOOTA! FIRST YOU CUT MY DICK OFF, THEN YOU DO THIS?!"


Compose yourself, T. You need info about Melissa. Sighing, Thalia glared at Roland, clenching her teeth, the fire in her eyes still burning strong from her distaste for the man. Her fingers were clenching her hair as if for dear life, a form of stress relief, but fortunately not enough to be pulling too hard at her locks. "If you even remotely value your life or your family's, you will do exactly as I say. We have demands. You're going to tell us Ra's' plans for LA, and for the next stops on the west coast: Portland and Seattle. You will reveal where he's keeping his hostage, Melissa. Tony's girlfriend. You're going to find Vanessa's head in the closet and get it for me, in a bag, and prepare a place back in Philly for her to be buried. Her full name is Vanessa Scott. Born in 1994, and died in 2015... And when you're done with all of this, you're going to turn yourself in to LAPD, specifically to Detectives Tony Walsh and Frank Hale." All of which were plausible outcomes once the man calms down. But Thalia had to make a threat in the mix as well to show how serious she was. "... You have a wife. Jessie, is it? And you still lust after little girls old enough to be your daughter, just like Ra's, all so you can abuse them.... You better know that the same way your master cut Vanessa's head off in front of my eyes... I will do the same to the woman you love if you dare screw with me. Am I clear?"


Perhaps now wasn't a good time to ask, but... Something about Thalia's devious intentions spoke to Roland. He feared her deep down. Why, though? He did though, especially after this. He didn't fear James, oddly enough. No, Thalia knew, or did, something before that started this sense of fear. "AAAAAAAH, AL-AAAHIRA! AL-AAHIRA! GET ME HELP AND I'LL DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT! YOU PSYCHO BITCH! YOU FUCKING PSYCHO!"


For once, Thalia was intimidating to someone beyond just a crowd controller. She felt.... sickened by the fact she could do that. It wouldn't help her case with Tony that she wasn't a killer. Slight tears streaked down her face, out of the injured man's view, eventually covered by her palms, trying not to make it clear she was crying in shock. Truly, seeing the unthinkable and doing it are two different things. Unfortunately, such a savage move resulted in success. She came up so confident that she could maintain her cool. After all, she was capable of subduing Roland, despite his own physical merits, and she knew that. She'd embarrassed him time and time again in cage matches for Ra's' amusement. That's why he feared her. Now, he had more reason to be afraid. She acted upon it all, and she had a reason to hurt him. But she broke Roland, and for once, the thief was going to get some... inner peace, if this works out. If she couldn't find the entire remains for Vanessa--even if she had to get an empty grave--she knew her friend deserved the proper burial. Roland was the root of the girls' suffering in Al-Asheera. Much of the torture was either done by him, or he was the snitch who got Ra's to do it. One of many reasons Thalia hated him. Revenge... it didn't feel as good as people make it out to be.


--


Frank seemed to come up with an excuse rather quickly for Tony's accusation. The cologne rubbing off. Typical. The two were in close proximity for a while, probably both drifted off. "Mmm..." He mumbled, a bit displeased at the quick answer that wasn't what he expected. "I guess." He'd buy it for now. But he couldn't help but think that Frank and Thalia had more for each other than meets the eye. Did their little alone time result in some bedroom fun behind everyone's backs? Were they playing everyone? Talk about mistrust. Then again, it was Tony who nobody could trust. Some team they have, nobody having faith in anyone. Things would fall apart: fast.


And just when office romance was at an all-time high, James and Karin excused themselves from the pack. It piqued Tony's interest mainly because he saw James kiss Karin right in front of his eyes. Perhaps it was a part of the act for Joseph? But the boy was asleep? Why the hell was everyone sleeping with everyone now? Unbelievable. And with everyone's romances blossoming, Tony could only worry about Melissa in the clutches of Al-Asheera. How she would come back? Would she ever come back? It was in Thalia's hands now, if she could break Roland. For now, it was the two cop partners together once again. Time for a status report.


Tony nodded. "I swear, when James and I were going to get clothing for the operation in Pasadena, before we left, the two of them kissed... I'm getting a feeling this is beyond some stupid cover story for a ten year old. I mean, fake romance often spreads into something more... am I right?" An indirect poke at Frank and Thalia's act. At how many times Thalia had hugged and kissed him in order to make their relationship seem believable. "I mean... with you and Thalia, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't start fantasizing about her giving you a strip dance or something. I mean, I wouldn't blame you. She is attractive..." Poor choice of words from Tony. Also, very little did he know how many times Thalia had teased Frank to that moment. All the veteran detective could wish for is that he got a bit of a tease, even just quick flash. The obsession, the passion.. it was still getting to his head. But off of that: Roland.


"No, Roland stayed fucking quiet. Just kept telling us to fuck ourselves. I figured that we should come back home, see if Thalia could help us more. She knows how Al-Asheera think.... So she should be able to give us a hand. Think she'll have any luck?"


Little did he know that Thalia would get him to cooperate... just not in a very orthodox way.
 
"So, what did you want to talk about?" James asked.


"I just wanted to talk about... Everything." She sighed, "James, I need to know something. I need to know a few things." 


"By all means, ask away."


She sighed, "Are you serious about everything between us? You've been flirtatious. I have been, too, and now... Now you mean a lot to Joseph. Joseph has taken a real strong liking - and I think I have, too - But I need to know if you're being serious or if this is all some sort of big elaborate ruse." She gulped, staring down at the glimmering water of the pool. James looked straight ahead, taking in and releasing a deep breath through his nose. He chose his next words carefully, of course, but the words he said weren't anything sappy.


"Why don't you stay here tonight and find out?" He asked. There was a hint of fire to his voice - one that excited Karin in a small little way, one that made a faint smile tug at her lips. She reached over and rubbed the side of her arm - She had everything she needed on that front.


"Right." She whispered. "Secondly, I need you to know something. You need to know that Joseph is my world, and if any of this endangers him, you have to know that I'm willing to leave everyone here behind if it means keeping him safe."


"I respect that."


"A long time ago, you know, when he was little. A couple of years ago, when he was seven." She gulped, "I... He came to me one day after school, and he broke down. He just started crying, and he told me something that I still think about every night. He told me he was worried."


"Worried?"


"Worried that... That he'd be different to other kids, because he didn't have a dad." She said, her voice finally giving out. She covered her eyes with one hand. "That one thing still eats away at me, James." She choked. "Everything I ever told him as comfort, and that was the only thing I could never truly solve."


James slowly put an arm around her shoulders and drew her in close, taking another sigh. He kept on looking straight ahead. "Maybe things will change." He said, quietly. 


"What if they don't?" She asked, weakly.


"Change, said the sun to the moon, you cannot stay."


Karin looked up at him with teary eyes - What had he suddenly gone to?


"Change, says the moon to the waters, all is flowing. Change, says the field to the grass, seed-time and harvest, chaff and grain... You must change, said the worm to the bud, but not to the rose. Petals fade, that wings may rise, borne on the wind... You are changing, said death to the maiden, your wan face. To memory, to beauty... Are you ready to change? Says the thought to the heart, to let her pass. All your life long. For the unknown, for unborn, the alchemy of the world's dream? You will change, says the stars to the sun. Says the night to the stars." 


Karin didn't really need to say much, but, what James had said had convinced her that maybe things would change. She didn't know the poetry he'd spoken of, but, she liked it. She found it soothing. 


"Joseph doesn't need to worry, Karin, and neither do you." He said, quietly, and slowly his arm fell from her shoulders, and he gripped one of her hands. 


"Is your name really James?" She turned to him, taking hold of his other hand and squeezing both firmly. He turned and looked at her, sighing once. He shook his head for a split-second.


"No."


"Tell me what it is." She stepped closer. "Please."


He looked at her for a moment more and leaned down to her ear - he whispered one word into her ear, and immediately after, he came back around and pressed his lips against hers, and off they went. That was their romance blooming, from bud to rose.


--


"If the two of them kissed, then yes, chances are something has sparked between the two of them." He said, simply, and continued to watch the two from the window. At the time, arms were around the shoulders and everything - how long was it going to be before the two of them finally hit it off? Would they make a good couple? Well, Frank wouldn't deny - he thought the two of them were very attractive people. Even though that wasn't a giant factor in a relationship, when he looked at the two of them, visually, the two looked good together. They just had that thing about them. He could only imagine that Joseph would be thrilled to have them both officially together, too. He found the personalities of the two of them were quite similar. James had a fiery streak, and it seemed that Karin did, too. It was something that would either make or break the relationship. A part of him hoped something could work between them, though.


"I guess fake romance is bound to lead to a real one in some ways. Look at school performances, like Romeo and Juliet, where the pair of them kiss and all of that. It happens." He said. "I was in a school play when I was fourteen, and I was one of the side-acts, and role-play wise, I was married to this one girl who was in my English class." He laughed. "One of my first brushes with romance, because the fake one spiraled into a real one. Pretty strange, really, but, I guess crazier things have happened. In one part of that play, we obviously had to have a tiny kiss. Just for the scenic purpose, of course, and that's what happened." He shrugged. "Who knows, Tony, but... Karin and James? I think I could see them working. James is real good with Joseph, too, which is nice. Kid deserves someone to be good to him, deserves to have someone who could potentially fill a fatherly role." He shrugged.


He laughed at the strip-tease comment, though.


"Christ, Tony. Any man looks at any attractive woman and pictures a strip-tease. It's just natural, really." He grinned. Well, he didn't deny it, but what he'd said hadn't necessarily given anything away. Most men would have some crazy thoughts about any beautiful women they ran into. 


"I think Thalia will have luck, yeah, without a doubt - I don't think that--"


And speaking of the devil, there was immediately one shit load of screaming from the garage. Holy fucking shit.


"Oh, fuck." He said, and immediately, he made a jog off towards the garage. Too much screaming like that would only result in Joseph waking up - if that boy didn't already suspect something, Frank would be quite simply amazed. Either way, not the main priority right now. He made his way to the garage and ran inside, and straight over to Thalia. When he saw all the blood and the mess that she'd made of Roland, though, his mouth fell open a little bit. "Holy shit." He whispered, simply. "Thalia..." He put a hand on her shoulder.


"What happened?" He asked.
 
A peek outside at Karin and James surely gave hints to Tony that whatever they had going undercover for the little boy was certainly blossoming into something more real. Yet, Tony wasn't going to get in their way. Joseph needed some sort of fatherly figure in his life. Much like how Karin acted as a substitute mother, the way James acted around him seemed like a father, or at the very least, a big brother. Even if it was to sell the act, the two got along very well for total strangers. Moreover, Karin and James their fair share of similarities after all. James was a criminal, and in some ways, so was Karin. Stealing watches, now caught up in this mess. On that note, wouldn't that make him and Frank criminals too? Thus voiding his logic of why Frank and Thalia shouldn't hook up? He could only smile at the proximity between the two lovers outside. Thinking back... he felt old compared to everyone around him. James is 27; Frank 26; Thalia 21; Karin 23. There was no better time for them all to fall in love. Hell, it was about Thalia and Karin's ages that he hit it off with Melissa. It might not be in the most ideal circumstances, but they couldn't exactly help their own desires to be loved. Frank even went into detail about his past romances with Tony earlier. Was Thalia a decent fit for him, though? Not in his eyes. They were two different people. Then again, by that same logic, Tony shouldn't get in on that action, either. He was still hoping the lustful desire for the mystery redhead would die down with time. It didn't help to have to see her so much during the day. At least tomorrow might be a break. Breaking Ra's' operations and nailing his most trusted the day after he proposes to his betrothed would make for a major red flag and endanger Thalia more than she already is. She's been through enough for one lifetime. All this girl wants is to be free now.


Before Tony could pick up the joke about strip teases and commenting on Thalia's physical charm, the blood-curdling screams of Roland outside cut their conversation short. The older detective followed his partner to the front to see a sight straight out of a horror film. Thalia curled into a ball against the wall, a blood-stained garden knife on the ground, and a crippled Roland trying his best to squirm, only to feel the pain of one of his ailments, making him shriek even louder. Thalia backed him into a corner when it came to pain. But there was a new injury on the bald man: his eye. The knife gave it all away: Thalia gouged his eye to get him to feel this sort of pain as he was begging for mercy and cursing the redhead in Arabic.


"AIYATOHA SHARMOOTA! AAHIRA! KHA'INA! MASEERAKI MOT! TOSMAAINI?!" [You bitch! You whore! Traitor! You're going to die, you hear me?!]


In too much of a state of shock to answer or translate, Thalia kept her eyes focused on the bleeding man on the ground. His suffering made her happy. Why did it give her such pleasure? An eye for an eye, quite literally? None of this was going to bring Vanessa back from the dead. It wouldn't do her anything but make her seem more heartless. She couldn't show any sort of weakness despite how she wanted to break down. Then came the detectives. His screams couldn't possibly go unnoticed. Frank and Tony were the first respondents. And Tony, upon seeing this display, was horrified. Thalia did this? She certainly was a part of Al-Asheera if she could pull off something this brutal, gouging a man's eye. Even Tony felt himself throw up in his mouth, but he kept his stern standpoint, kneeling down to Thalia's head height, like Frank.


"What did you do to him, Thalia? We asked you to dig up info, not kill him!" Tony snapped at her.


"He's going to cooperate," Thalia answered, seemingly emotionless, but deep down, there was an element of guilt. "I'm sorry... that wasn't supposed to happen, but this goes deeper than me. This man has done horrible things to people I care about. And in return, I did things to him that make him fear me."


"What 'things'?" The vagueness in her wording pissed Tony off. A few moments of silence provoked the detective to grip her by her shoulders and shake her a bit, forcing her to look him in the eye. "TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!"


Before Thalia could confess herself, Roland did the honors himself, amidst his agonizing screams, finally speaking in English. "The bitch sliced my dick off a year ago! All because I killed her whore!"


Hearing him call Vanessa a whore only made Thalia more angry. She pushed Tony away from her, reached for the knife she'd brought along, twirled it in her fingers, and, before anyone could stop her, she drove it straight down Roland's unscathed knee with enough force to penetrate the bone and cause him even more pain. Once again, his instinct to grip the point of pain caused him to attempt movement, only to hurt himself further. Thalia refused to show him mercy, murmuring to him, "You're an asset, not a key. If you call her a whore one more time, I'll slit your throat, am I clear?"


No answer. Just a fearful gaze at Thalia. Genuine fear, something James couldn't inflict.


His silence further infuriated the mystery redhead, twisting the knife 90 degrees clockwise in his knee, making him scream even more, at the top of his lungs. "AM I FUCKING CLEAR, YOU DICKLESS SCUM?!"


"YES, JUST STOP HER, SOMEONE, PLEASE!!!" Compliance. Once more, something that Tony and James failed to pry out of Roland. With that, Thalia removed the knife from his knee and stood up properly, staring down at Roland like a dying animal. Her methods were brutal, and god only knows if he'll survive this in the end. Hell, he won't. He may not be able to suicide, but he'll probably ask Ra's to execute him. Thalia wanted him to stay alive, to feel the pain that her beloved endured so long ago. This was an eye for an eye of brutal proportions. Al-Asheera taught Thalia to never stand down and to be ruthless when need be... maybe that's all she'll ever be. A member of Al-Asheera. This kind of reaction was almost out of her control. It might be too late to change her ways if this is how she reacts to being insulted. Even if chopping his sexual organs was a misunderstand. The action itself still had its consequences: Roland's very fear of Thalia.


The redhead turned around to Tony and Frank, breathing deeply and exhaling, her fingers on the hand not holding the knife shaking, and her eyes watering up again. Sniffling, she told the two, "He's going to obey everything you say now. If he acts funny, tell him Al-Jameela will happily shove that knife up his ass, see how he likes that...." She sighed, looking down. There was no denying she wanted to go throw herself into a bed and let her anger and sorrows out into a pillow. She shook her head and cracked a few more words. "I'm sorry, guys. This shouldn't have happened..." With that, she stormed away from the two, running passed them both and in the direction of her bedroom. Passing by the kitchen and the hallway, not even getting a second to glance at Karin and James having their moment, she charged into her room, slammed the door behind her, dropped the knife to the floor, and fell into her bed, face first into her pillow, sobbing as if the world was about to end, which it certainly felt like to the girl. This wasn't what she wanted. And Frank saw that, too. He saw the kind of monster she had the capacity to become when fueled by the desire for vengeance. She didn't like it. If only there was a way to get rid of it. At least they have Roland's obedience now, which might've come at the price of her relationship with Frank. How would he see her now, staring at her covered in another man's blood, a knife at hand, stabbing him and making him suffer? Not exactly girlfriend material. He might just hate her now for that. Or become like Tony, believing she could only be what Ra's turned her into. In reality, she began to believe that notion, too. Thank god Karin didn't see what she'd done. She might eventually, though. Was it over for her startover?


Outside, though, Tony only looked back down at Roland wallowing in his misery, blood oozing from the fresh wound on his knee, screaming in pain from every limb, spread out in a starfish position, disfigured, bleeding, and immobilized. He shook his head in dismay. They were relying on a girl who would do this to anyone who wasn't loyal to her will. Could this be either of the detectives?


"Still believe that Thalia is an innocent little girl?" Tony asked his partner sarcastically. It was clear she wasn't. Not in the slightest.


But, Roland came as a sort of saving grace, to clear up what had happened. "So you know... Al-Jameela did this because.... ack... this hurts..." Talking through the pain ached so badly for Roland, but he knew he had to be honest. One lie, and Thalia would make his life hell. For once, he believed threats from someone after it costed him his manhood. Even by accident. "She castrated me a year ago... because I was the one who ordered the death of some woman she was in love with. Vanessa Scott, as she called her. Any clue who that is?" A smirk came from the Hand before answering his own question. "She was part of Al-Asheera, our hacker. My betrothed, since Ra's already had Al-Jameela. But no. Those two girls preferred to fuck each other. And when me and Ra's discovered their dirty little secret... we made choices. Ra's refused to execute Al-Jameela. But me? I had no mercy on my whore. Ra's and I agreed to torture and kill her, all for Al-Jameela to see.... and that's why she hates me...."


Detailed enough. A bit shocked at this whole story, Tony's jaw dropped, processing the whole thing. Thalia hooked up with a girl in Al-Asheera? Damn, she's pretty AND bi? I could hit that. Maybe convince her and Karin to do a little something.... FUCK. Dirty thoughts. Get that image out of your head. Thalia's sexual orientation wasn't the focal point, though she didn't want Tony to know. What was important was that Ra's and Roland took someone she cared about from her. And what she did to Roland, now and one year ago, was revenge. And that's why the Hand fears the Bride of the Head. But Tony wasn't entirely convinced just yet. "She might've done what we want... but we can't ignore what we just saw, Frank. We need to tell James. She's unstable. What if she does that to one of us next?"
 
Whoa, hold up. He didn't want Tony getting physical with her again.


"Hey." He grabbed his wrists, firmly, but not too aggressively, and slowly lifted his hands from Thalia's shoulders. "Let's not start this again." He said - Ultimately, he was defending Thalia, but he didn't want to make it obvious. For now, things were fine how they were, and they were working at it. Yes, Roland was in a bad shape, but was it necessary? This guy was scum, scum that would just kill Melissa and shoot himself if he was given the chance. Seeing him suffer like this was indeed... Unpleasant, but, Frank felt that in some ways it was necessary. It was a grizzly scene, yes, but it seemed Thalia had gotten more out of this guy than Tony and James had done in quite a few hours, which was something he was going to bitterly express at some point very soon. Sure, Thalia was a little over the line, but how much had she gained them?


Was she a monster, or someone willing to do whatever it takes to get things done?


He didn't think she was a monster, though - Sure, it was shocking, but this was out of character for Thalia. From what he'd seen so far, this wasn't her, this wasn't how she acted. It seemed Roland and her had some deep history - he almost had to stop himself from smiling when he heard that she'd chopped the guy's dick off a while back. That was certainly an interesting twist in things. 


"Innocent and fragile, maybe not." He said. "But from what I can see, she certainly got a lot more out of the guy than you and James managed to in the eight hours you were gone." He said. I guess that sort of drew the line between the two - Thalia fetched results, Tony and James didn't. "You and James are no better. He comes back here with a bullet in his knee, a fucked up face, and two broken arms. None of us are winners or losers, good guys or bad guys - Right now, I'm pretty sure we're more or less on equal ground with each other, and if we don't start realizing that, the river's gonna' sweep us all away. But sure, let's tell James how much of a bad person she is, I mean, it's not like you two did anything bad to this guy, right?" He asked, that time returning the sarcasm to him.


In Frank's mind, he had a fair point - James and Tony and brutalized this guy, driven him halfway to death. Thalia had simply matched it in what they'd done, but, the difference was she got something out of him, more than the words of 'fuck yourself' - It took her five minutes, and it took Tony and James all day and night just for him to scream, shout, and swear at them. It was a bit of a shocking difference, but now, that wasn't important. 


"Let me worry about how we deal with what happened - In the meantime, Thalia just put on that display to benefit you. She did that for you. To get Melissa back." He said. "Time's running out - this guy has what we need, and Thalia was the key to the unlockable chest." He said, then crouched down in front of Roland and took a deep breath.


"Quite frankly, Roland, I don't give a tuppenny fuck about the history you and Thalia have, or the history you, her, and this... Vanessa had. I think it's fantastic that you were down for torturing and killing your own bride. Nice to know you're being faithful to your dear wife, as well." He shrugged, "Either way, that's not what's important here, I'm sure you understand. Walking in on the mess you are now, I realize one thing. Thalia is quite serious in what she said, and I've got a feeling that if you don't answer questions, she's going to come back in here and drive that knife so far up your ass that it slices your tongue clean off, too. I'm not here to insult you, but, I can't imagine the pain you're in is too pleasant. If you want help, then you'll get it, but only if you do as Thalia asked." He said.


He was sure James knew someone who'd be able to patch Roland up a little, right?


It was a longshot, but, worth a try.


"Melissa. Her first." He said. "Where is she, and how exactly can we get her back? What condition is she in right now? Tell me the truth." He ordered - not too sharply, but quietly and sternly.
 
In all honesty, Tony had no intentions of brutalizing Thalia. He only wanted to snap some sense in her. Clearly not thinking straight, and prepared to pull off the unthinkable if pushed to the limit. Clearly, Roland knows that limit and breached it. The mystery lied in this Vanessa character that he knew so little about. Only that she was betrothed to marry Roland--an already married man--but was in love with Thalia, who was betrothed to Ra's. So creepy, the way Al-Asheera deals with love and marriage. Maybe he'll never understand it. He didn't have to. Al-Asheera will have burned to the ground by then. Tony glared at his partner, who'd backed him off of Thalia senselessly, unaware that he wasn't going to attack her. But he understood why. He kept his distance up until the girl ran inside, the look on her face as if she were about to burst into tears from what she'd done.


Was this girl really a psycho? Probably not. She wouldn't cry about what she did if she were. She felt guilty, but it still proved a point that she was dangerous. Maybe even dangerous enough to kill. That thrill alone... it even sickened Tony how that turned him on even slightly. Quite a fun time it would be in the bedroom if that were the case. Frank might've already seen that if he actually did sleep with her. But who was he to know that? Not like Frank or Thalia would come clean that they banged just moments ago. It was just a fantasy for now. A more real one than he wanted to believe. She was still a dangerous human being. Perhaps the kind of girl that Tony wanted to have sex with, but most definitely not the girl he wanted heading this operation. Not like they had a choice. Fortunately, James had more of an authoritative standpoint on the whole ballgame. So no, they weren't placing their livelihood in the hands of a psychopathic girl who just stabbed someone in the knee, chopped a man's dick off a year ago, and threatened to stab him straight up the ass in the future. Threatening for sure. Evil. Most importantly, as Frank said, it gave results. He was ready to cooperate and help out. And Frank made the first demand while Tony was pouting about what just conspired.


"The only way Ra's will hand her over is if Tony Walsh resigns," Roland snarled, now aware that his foe was no longer around.


Scoffing, Tony slapping his hands to his thighs and answered, "So now that Thalia's gone, we're back to your hardass chit-chat...." Frank made a point. Thalia might've been broken by Roland, but by breaking, she also broke HIM. The look in his eyes, the tone of his voice. He was genuinely afraid of her. And after she cut his genitalia off, he had every reason to be. "I think you've seen what she did to you. And we can get her back as quick as we can snap our fingers. And she will probably rid you of that other eye of yours. You said she chopped your dick off? How would you feel if she gives your anus the royal treatment next? Your wife would love that, right?"


Roland groaned. He knew that Thalia wasn't far, and that he had to comply, in one way or another. The first demand: Melissa. His eye lifted  "We had an agreement, Walsh. Me for Melissa."


"That won't cut it. I believe Thalia threw much more at you."


"Allah yellaan Al-Jameela..." [God damn Al-Jameela] He groaned. "She did. But one step at a time. Melissa will be returned without a scratch on her ass. So calm your tits, boys."


Tony smirked, shaking his head at the crippled man below. "Maybe you should calm your dismembered dick down, pal. I'm making this call to Ra's and demanding the trade-off..... Frankie, I suggest you go calm Thalia down. She looked like she was in horrible shape back there.... I mean..." Tony was half tempted to call them out for having a romance at this point, but he left it out for something more innocent. The less Roland hears, the better. "You and her seem very.... calm with each other." Even though it was tempting to say they had a lot of fun in bed the past few hours. That smell coming from Thalia... he'd never forget it. The smell of sex, most definitely. "I will stay here with our bitch. Make sure he behaves. Not like he's going to move or anything, anyway."


--


Now with a bit of privacy, all Thalia really wanted to do was lay in the comfort of this bed and stare at the ceiling, trying to piece together what she'd just done. She could've killed Roland. Right in front of Frank. Odds are, he doesn't want a romance with a girl prepared to send someone to hell if they piss her off. It was so bothersome knowing he might just think so differently about her after one fatal mistake. Deep down, Thalia despised Roland after everything he'd done to her, and to Vanessa. She's dead partly because of Roland, after all. And her rage was just unleashed because of it. She couldn't even imagine herself doing that to someone she cares about, like Frank or Karin. But she could imagine doing that to Ra's, unfortunately. She wanted to see the two of them dead, and then some. Those brutes that made her life and others hell. And they stood for an organization she once was a part of. Now? She could hardly call herself Al-Asheera. Not after her personal rebellion. Who would've thought Karin would give her the motivation to turn her life around quite literally overnight? Thalia wanted to start over. Everything. Even go back to where it all started in her parents' humble abode back in Philly, just for the trip down memory lane. Tell her parents that their daughter is indeed alive. How could she face them, especially in this new form... when Thalia saw herself in a mirror on the way to the room, she could only see herself as a brute no better than Ra's. And she could imagine the uncomfortable faces from everyone the second they have a meeting again to discuss their next line of planning. Everyone would be disgusted of her. Just another killer. The first one would be Tony, who might swing at her and call her names again. She'd lose her trust with Karin and Frank, and James would put her on the sidelines. It was awful, thinking of the possibilities.


Thalia just lay there in her new bed, sitting up with her knees bent up to her head level, her arms looped around them, and her head bowed in shame, thinking about what she'd done like a naughty child at school, still crying, but not as aggressively as before. It was hard to calm down after something like that. That girl who stabbed Roland? It wasn't her. She didn't WANT it to be her. How could she get rid of her?
 
"At least after all this is over, we can forget it all happened, we won't have to live in... Some sort of facade." He said, sighing, as he rested a hand down on Karin's knee. They'd gone from making out to sitting out by the poolside drinking expensive wine. "It's not a nice life to live, not one bit. A fake one?" He shook his head, "Nah. I can't." He said. "Not anymore. Fake isn't the way I want to do things."


"You've been in hiding all this time?"


"Longer than I can remember." He whispered, "It gets to you eventually, you know. You walk down the street and you see things you could only wish to have. Friends, family, a normal job - I don't need the job, but, friends and family would be nice. I'm sure you want the same thing. From what I understand, you've lived quite the busy life since more or less day one." He said, "What was it like, having to raise your brother as basically your own?"


She thought for a moment, but then smiled, "Strange. Fulfilling. Informative." She shrugged. "I mean, look at him, I've not done the perfect job, but he's a good person. A good kid. I like to think so." She shrugged, "There's gaps here and there, but, there's gaps with everyone, really." She said, sipping at her wine. "Once all this is over... What will we do?" She asked. "Just forget it and move on? Or are there other plans?"


"We'll see." He grinned, "Any plans that come up aren't going to be anything like this. They'll be... Beneficial. I always wanted to go into the real estate business." He said. "The thing is, Karin, you can't run forever. You can't hide from the mistakes you've made - someone or something involved with them catches you eventually. Be it a bullet or a member of the LAPD." He shrugged, "Look at the danger you and Thalia were in. It was ballsy of you to carry all this out, especially with those two detectives. They could have both given you at least a five-year stretch, and... God." He shook his head. "Not something you deserve."


"Hm." She mumbled, then looked down into the pool. "James, I... Can I ask something of you? Something serious?"


"By all means."


"I know we've got this under control right now, but..." She closed her eyes. "You know how to disappear. You're hardly even tied to all of this."


"Right."


"If, in the slight chance I get caught in all of this, and I either get killed or locked up behind bars... Promise me you'll take care of Joseph."


He was quick with his response, "I promise." 


A hand went to James' own and squeezed it, and she looked at him with a sad smile. Joseph needed security in his life - chances were James could offer the most of that. He didn't work a full-time job, he had all the money he could need, and Karin trusted that if he ever found himself in the position of main carer for Joseph, he'd give up doing anything dangerous. It was nice to know that the promise was there, though. As much as she liked Thalia, she wouldn't want her having to take care of him. She had her own life to live, her own things to achieve. And, sadly, there was more risk around Thalia, given the direct ties to Al-Asheera.


"I might take Joseph out for lunch tomorrow if he's feeling better. Think he'd like that? Might give you a chance to have a break, too." 


"He'd love that." She grinned, "Make sure it's in one of your nice cars."


"Of course." He smiled. He looked into the pool, too, then shook his head. "Do you think we're bad people?" He asked, eventually.


"I... Wouldn't say so?"


He shrugged, "Good. I just wonder it about myself sometimes. I've done a lot of bad things."


"Well, you don't need to worry about those anymore." She said, gripping his hand once again. Her heart was beating - was she really falling this badly for him?


--


So, they were going to organize something to get Melissa back. Interesting enough. Frank still didn't trust Roland, not at all, but he guessed he had no choice. Thalia knew what she was doing with Roland, after all, and hopefully Melissa would be back to them before too long. He just hoped she came back unharmed. It was going to take some time, probably, but at least the chance was still there. To Frank it all seemed like too much of a longshot, but, it was something they had to go ahead with now. They were in too deep with the whole thing to even try and run away, to even try and make a different plan. Maybe James could help them out, maybe there was something else he could do that would make things run smoother - Could he help cover a successful trade-off? Maybe even take a few of the Al-Asheera clan down?


Frank was just scared that at any deal they made, they were just going to shoot her right in front of them. That was one thing Tony would never recover from, no matter how many drugs or therapy sessions he had. Frank was thinking too darkly, though. He needed to move on from that idea, and he needed to make sure that Thalia was okay. Thalia looked broken when she left, but Roland didn't need to know that.


"You know what's best. Good luck." Frank said to him - that was the trade-off, soon to be organized. They had more of The Ten to take down. All of them, really, but that could wait. The first thing was getting Melissa home safe, and then out of the country and across the world to where she'd be safe. Sure, the time difference was going to be a son of a bitch, in terms of Tony contacting her and such, but, she was going to be safe and enjoying her time in the sun whilst sipping Pina Coladas and god-knows what else. All for free, too. What more could her and Tony ask for?


Either way, Frank went off and found Thalia in the room they were in previously, and she was upset, clearly. Frank expected nothing less. He didn't know how he could prove that things were fine - what was 'fine' anymore? Was there such a thing out there in the world they lived in now? It was a matter of live or die nowadays, kill or be killed. 


He walked up to her and sat down beside her, sighing for a moment. What do?


He pulled her into a hug, slowly, and held her close. It was a gentle hug, an affectionate one, and he set his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. 


"Hey." He whispered, "You okay?" He asked. "Just so you know... I know Tony was pretty angry, but... I'm not holding any grudges. I don't blame you for what you did, not at all. I believe it was for all the right reasons - It might look like it was a bit extreme, but..." He shrugged. "Sometimes we just do things like that. It's what makes us human, really." He said, rubbing her back a few times. "Tony's going to call for the trade-off. You really did him a solid here. God knows where we'd be if you never talked to Roland." He explained, "How do you... How do you think a trade-off will go? Forget that, actually - How are you doing?" He asked.


Priorities, and all.
 
Had the person walking in been anyone but Frank, Thalia might've ordered them to get out and leave her alone. But instead, it was the man who, not long ago, she was sharing some of her life stories with. Her tales of Al-Asheera, the heists she'd pulled off, the adventures she endured, even a bit about her deceased girlfriend.... but she never mentioned to him what she did to Roland, cutting his dick off out of spite. It obviously had a lot of questions around it, not just from Frank, but from Tony too. It would also explain why she gouged his eye and acted so aggressively around the man. She truly and completely changed around him. Her eyes peeked upward slightly to see who it was at the door, and once she recognized who it was, she quickly lowered them back to the ground. She wasn't exactly making it obvious audibly she was in tears, with no obvious noises or wails. Just a sniffle or two. The only way you could tell is if you saw her yourself, much like her now-boyfriend did. Boyfriend... would he still want to be that with her after all of this? Would he want to call a savage girl like herself--a monster more or less--his girlfriend? It made Thalia question what attracted Frank to her, besides her physical appearance. She loved him. But why did he love her?


Then Frank took a seat by her side and embraced her. A familiar warmness returned to her heart and coursed her entire body. A fuzzy feeling of being in love that she experienced when she was crawling all over him. But it wasn't the sexual kind of thrill. Simply a feeling of comfort and affection around this man. She felt the same thing around Karin whenever she'd hold her hand or hug her, just not romantically, but friendly. The two people she felt the closest to after all of this. It didn't exactly make her smile or cheer her up, but on the inside, her heart did feel the comfort of a trusted friend reaching out to help her. An unstable girl, indeed she was. No control over her motions and easy to set off, only to break later behind closed doors. All she wanted to do was break in Frank's arms, letting her head fall from the detective's shoulder and into his lap, her legs curling back under her rear end, and her arms crossed over her chest in the most insecure position position she could be in. That's all she was: insecure, and she wanted to let her sorrows out into someone, a human punching bag to be her miserable self with.


"Like I care what Tony thinks of me?" she mumbled. "He can shove his fucking feelings about me up his ass..... Frank, you have to believe me when I say that I never meant to be that brutal. It's not me... that's..." She sniffled and tried to clear the tears from her cheeks. Her voice was clearing up, thankfully. "That's not the girl I am, nor is it the girl I want to be. I wasn't trying to cut Roland's dick off a year ago. I was aiming for his leg, but I.... missed? His man goodies couldn't be saved or preserved, and from that moment on, he fears that I'll do something just as bad... But after everything he did to Vanessa, he fucking deserved it, every second of agony. HE'S a contributor to her death, as well as a member of Al-Asheera that made her suffer in her last year on this earth. She didn't deserve to die. And Roland.... he made the choice to kill her. I loved her, Frank. And that monster took her from me." She took a breath, rolling her head upward to look Frank in the eye from below. "Butchering Roland won't bring Vanessa back. I know that. But if we let Roland walk, he and Ra's will continue to hurt people just like me and her. And that's why my terms were that he gives up everything, and turns him in to you and Tony. So he can face justice. And seeing how afraid he is of me, he will have no choice."


Little did Frank know... that surrender wasn't going to be Tony's primary option. Minutes passed of the redhead letting her tears fall onto Frank's legs as her thoughts raced about the unthinkable. "I'm not a horrible person, Frank. I'm not evil. I'm not that girl who gouged Roland's eye. You have to believe it... right?"


Would he? It might take time, but eventually, Frank could learn to forgive her. She could give a shit less about how Tony feels about the whole thing. Karin might be horrified of her, never look at her the same way again. Probably won't help her with all the little things they talked about for hours on end back at her placed. She wouldn't even be able to talk to Joseph again. James? Probably wouldn't care, seeing he's probably done worse. Once enough time passed to get over the tears, Thalia rose to her knees, facing Frank and throwing her arms behind his back, burying her face in his shoulder. Her muffled voice uttered, "Can we stay here for a little? Please? I don't feel ready to go back outside yet... I need to get over the tears and sadness and misery and horrible feelings inside me. I feel like such a horrible person, Frank... I just wanna let it out on someone... kinda sorry it's you."


Once she finished hugging him, she pulled her arms back, but maintained her closeness to Frank. She had to try to cheer herself up, even if it was through a forced, modest laugh when he asked how she was doing. "Well... before James and Tony came back, it was going swell. Heh... I bet you can agree, right?" A bit of a smile escaped her face at the memories of their bedroom fun not long ago, adjusting the collar of Frank's shirt to look a bit tidier. "Um... do you think we could... go out, just you and I sometime? Get away from all of this for a day? I don't know, whenever you can take a day off from being a detective?"


A day of just her and Frank. A wet dream come true for Thalia. And one she wanted to fulfill. It would need a lot of preparation on her part, but she'd go the distance and become more of, well, a girl.


--


Now in his lonesome, Tony finally had some one-on-one facetime with the unfortunate soul Roland, crippled and practically dying on the floor. The agonizing screams finally died down, but he was immobile with all of his limbs disabled. All he needed to do was grab Roland's phone and initiate the call. The terms were clear and the Hand was complacent on top of it all. But Tony still needed to express his concerns to James. What Thalia pulled off wasn't going to fly. And he didn't want to drag James all the way out here, after all. With Frank gone, Tony was free to do as he pleases. He looked back down at Roland and asked away,


"Do you hate Al-Jameela?"


"Fuck yourself."


"Huh... It's an honest question. Because I think I know how you feel."


"Fuck. Yourself. Jaban." [Coward]


"I don't know what that means, but I don't need to. I have a feeling you really love Al-Jameela. But she was Ra's' property. Not yours."


"Fuck yourself."


"Pffft, nah. You'd rather Thalia fucks you." With that, Tony knelt down to Roland's head level, staring the bitter bald and beaten man in his remaining good eye. "You wanted her for yourself, and you still do crave her, even after she's cut your dick off. You're obsessed.... but you don't have to fear. Because we have that in common."


"Fuck yourself. We have nothing in common."


"Mmm..." Tony wagged his index finger in Roland's face teasingly. He took a look around to ensure that nobody would hear his next words. Not Frank. Not James. Not Karin. And especially not Thalia. "That's where you're wrong. Because you may have a romantic, sexual obsession, my obsession is to see the bitch in a cell. An obsession to see the one known as the 'mystery redhead' serve a life sentence... But eventually, much like your obsession, mine became.... sexual as well. I crave Thalia every second I see her now, and I don't know what to do about it."


Then... words other than 'fuck yourself' came from Roland. "In that case, why haven't you eliminated the problem?"


Eliminate the problem obviously meant killing her. "Where's the fun in that? If I want her, why should I deprive myself of her?"


"If you can't have her, why should anyone else?"


An appealing thought to Tony.... if he couldn't have Thalia, why would he serve her up to Frank on a silver platter. And he knew of a way to cut the mystery redhead from the team permanently. Get James to intervene. "You might just make a point there, Roland.... Go with the flow." 


With those words, Tony's arms extended forward and around Roland's flimsy body, grabbing his hips and lobbing him over his shoulder. The pain of his limbs flapping around made Roland scream again. Tony gave him a hushing noise from his lips and ignored the screams as he hauled Roland back inside, through the house, and in the direction of the pool. The veteran detective had a master plan that would smolder Thalia's credibility. He left her in charge, and she did this. That was a valid enough argument for her to get the boot from the master of this entire operation. Thankfully, little Joseph didn't have to see the screaming bloodied man on Tony's shoulder. He eventually found James poolside with Karin, who he didn't mind seeing such a gory sight. Without even taking into consideration their conversation or romantic situation, nor Roland's well-being, he released the brute from over his shoulder to collapse to the tiles below, leaving him to scream even louder with the thud and shock in his body. If he wasn't in pain after being left alone, he sure as hell was now.


"FUCK YOURSELF! IBN AL-SHARMOOTA!" [Son of a bitch!]


But Tony had other plans for the man. And seeing he was screaming 'fuck yourself' again, and James was oblivious to Thalia's ability to break him, he figured he'd play it out as if Thalia tortured him for the sheer sake of bloodlust. "Take a look at what our precious Thalia did to Mister Simmons... You think he's still useful after he talks? If he talks? Cuz she hasn't broken this guy yet. You still think we can trust her? Because I think we have a problem if she could do THIS to a fuckface like him... what if she does that to one of us?" The gouged eye. The opened cuts. The shattered bone by a knife alone. The fear in his eyes. All the aftermath of Thalia's torture treatment upon Roland. And he still hasn't officially talked yet. And since James wasn't around for the details, it would make him question Thalia's motives. And even scar Karin from the mere sight of his ailments. "You see what your best friend did, Karin? Is that what you want from a best friend?"
 
Frank gently sighed to himself. He knew that whatever Tony thought of Thalia wasn't something that would concern her - why did she have to give a shit what he thought? What Tony didn't know was that he and Thalia were official now - well, unofficially official, at the very least. That was something that was yet to be exposed - Did Tony suspect them? Frank had a feeling that him getting all defensive about Thalia and continuously arguing for her innocence was something that'd be a dead giveaway. He hoped things could stay happy between them, though. He had a big thing for Thalia - a big bundle of warm feelings and emotions that he couldn't quite shake, and every time he saw her, he pictured the two of them doing something - it was a different thing each time. Lying on the beach, sharing a pair of earphones and listening to music. Sitting in the back corner of a movie theater and making out like a couple of high school kids - eating expensive food and alcohol in a nice restaurant. Having a pillowfight and laughing and joking, even.


They were all little things, but they were things he couldn't shake from his mind. All of those things made him happy, content. She was quickly becoming more than just his lover - a best friend, a soulmate. It was a strange thing. But it was strange in such good way. A way he wanted it to stay. With that, he just held her close, and he listened to all she had to say. He didn't fully understand why some things hadn't put him off - when he was younger, he always thought he was going to be dating the intelligent and successful type of woman. Not to say that Thalia wasn't intelligent, but, Frank had always thought it'd be some sort of big and mighty college graduate that he fell truly in love with, but he was wrong. He wouldn't change how Thalia was for the world. He loved her for what she was, not what she wasn't.


He wanted to help her succeed, wanted to be part of her success. A teacher, a psychologist of some kind - who knows. It'd be nice to see her in a place like that. Maybe even a language tutor, self-employed and all the rest of it. That'd be nice, too, but, he wasn't going to force anything. He was going to let things roll however they were meant to.


"I believe you, don't worry." Frank said, softly. "I'm sure that what you did to that guy was warranted, I already said that. I don't doubt you at all, Thalia. Your terms to Roland benefit all of us, and I'm sure Tony will be on-board with it all." He said, simply, and that was that. He didn't know what Tony was planning, though, what Tony was going to do. Master plan? It didn't seem like Tony had thought it through all that much, it seemed. "We can stay here as long as you want." He smiled, and just to put more emphasis on things, he planted a small kiss on her cheek. At least that put a band-aid over some of the things that'd been damaged, I suppose.


"We can spend a day together, just you and me." He said. "I'll take a day off soon, I imagine." He said - or was a day off going to be forced by something else? "And we can do something nice. Go into LA, get a nice lunch somewhere - Acually, not LA. We don't want anyone in Al-Asheera to see us. Unlikely, but, we better go on a bit of a drive before we get up to anything." He smiled at her, and of course, he dropped an arm around her shoulders and kept her close.


But there was screaming again, inside the house, at least he thought so. Was that Roland?


"What was that?" He asked, a thick layer of concern in his voice.


--


James' and Karin's night was going quite well until Tony came out and dropped the screaming man down in front of them. Fucking hell, he was a mess. 


James arched an eyebrow and looked down at Roland, then looked up at Tony and shook his head.


"You fucking idiot." He snarled. Yep, it wasn't Thalia he was angry at right now. He got up and took hold of Roland's shoulders, and he dragged him over to the pool and shoved his head right under the water, holding him by his legs to keep him under. He could pull him out at any time, but his whole head and shoulders were submerged. He looked over his shoulder and sent a shaky, angered sigh in Tony's direction. "You bring him out here, you give him some sort of indication of what sort of building to look for should he ever get out of our grasp, and, you've also mentioned how Thalia has a best friend named Karin." He said, then shook his head.


"Good fucking work, Detective. Real swell job." He looked down at Roland, who must have been kicking and panicking quite a bit now. "You've fucked it. You've put everything at risk." He sighed, then forcefully pulled Roland out of the pool and set a foot down on the side of his head, pinning his face and his good eye down against the ground. "You took a risky move, bringing him through the house, possibly having witnesses who have no part in any of this. I thought you were smarter than this, Tony, much smarter." He said. "Now, whatever happens to Melissa, believe it or not, is on you." He snapped, and at that moment, he whipped out his gun and aimed it down at his foot, pointing it directly at the upper half of Roland's head.


"Now, you've turned this man into nothing more than a liability, a loose end. Is that what you're trying to achieve here?" He asked, flicking the safety off. "You could have spoken to me. Personally. If you were concerned about something, but this? This is sloppy. Reckless. Stupid. Wouldn't you agree, Mister Simmons?" He stepped a little harder on his face. "I thought you'd buried the hatchet with Thalia, I suppose I was wrong. Why did I even think that that was the case, even for a moment? Not too long ago you were nothing but sympathy and sour feelings, now? Now you're back to trying to put a bullet in her ass. And now? Now you've essentially thrown away the one link we have." He said.


He looked down at Roland and shook his head. 


"What a shame." He whispered.


Was he really going to shoot him?


Thalia, Frank, Karin - Hello? The fact that Roland had been dragged out back was enough to make them ask questions, but the whole scene alone was going to lead to a few questions, surely. James was furious - He didn't expect anything like this to happen. They never should have brought Roland to the house.
 
The night seemed to work like a roller coaster; it had its highs and lows. And it was definitely back on a high at the moment. It was at quite a low moments ago when Thalia felt guilty about her actions, almost killing Roland for his cooperation, manifested in her sobs in private. Now, those seemed to ease over with Frank by her side. She hated that he had to see her cry, and it motivated her to cheer up. Bad memories are not the ones she wanted to stick with her whenever she thinks of Frank. She wants the good ones to rise to the top, especially once they start going out and having genuine fun together. They've already set one good memory in stone... And oddly enough, whenever she thought of it, she could only imagine herself crawling over Frank, pleasuring him in every way she knew. It was hot, steamy even, but nonetheless a great memory. Not like Frank minded it either. But Thalia wanted more, not just sex. Okay, she wanted sex, but not nothing but it. A walk on the beach, a car ride through town, whatever it may be. She didn't quite know how to date. Did Frank, though? She'd soon find out. He mentioned that he believed her, and would let her stay here for as long as she needed, even kissing her cheek. Finally, a genuine smile came across her teary face, now becoming red again as her head lifted to look Frank in the eyes, a hand grazing over the place he'd kissed just to maintain the warmth it gave her inside. Then, a thought came to mind. Words she should've told him a long time ago. They came out soft enough to not leave the room, but loud enough for him to hear.


"I love you, Frank..."


Whoa, Thalia. Bit too soon? Or was it long overdue? It was honest though. It was all too tempting to keep herself in his arms for longer, but not with the tension outside and the risk of someone barging in. All she did was smile to him, her eyes slowly clearing up and becoming more gleeful than regretful, despite the streams of water down her face. A hand reached over for Frank's, gripping it tightly to show the authenticity of her words. She truly loved him with all her heart and wanted to be so much more with him. Her dreams of finding a lucky guy, or girl for that matter, and falling in love were coming together sooner than she could expect.


Frank even happily accepted to take a day off for her. A day just for the two of them to get to know each other. Something to lighten her mood and spirits. She could already imagine everything they could do together, all the possibilities. It was tempting to ask Karin to lend her something nice to wear to impress him, maybe even try to get something make-up related together. She had no taste in fashion nor expertise with make-up, but she was willing to go the distance and try her best for Frank. A smile on his face to show she was making progress in rebuilding herself would mean the world to her. 


In that moment, it was almost too tempting to kiss him back, something short and sweet, a change from her teasing attitude. As her eyes shut slightly, her hands reaching for his neck, she was halted the second Roland's shrieks reached her ears. Her eyes shot back open at the familiar noise, looking back to the door, about ready to kick back into action.


"That's Roland. I know that scream from a hundred others.... god damn it, what did Tony do to him?"


Back to a low point of the roller coaster. Instinctively, Thalia uncurled her legs from beneath her and stood to her feet. As much as she didn't want to get out of the bedroom, stay just to calm down, she had no choice now. Tony was probably compromising the entire operation, everything she felt so guilty of doing just to gain Roland's cooperation. Groaning, she took to her feet, wiping her eyes and signalling for Frank to follow her.


"Frank..." she asked, one more time, "If you think I'm going to cross the line with Roland.... stop me. Please?"


--


What came as a surprise was that the first person James pointed the finger at was Tony, and not Thalia, despite his opening argument about how she couldn't be trusted. No, his actions were interpreted as a fatal mistake, as explained by James. Tony's heart sank. Did he just squander the remainder of his own usefulness for the team? He sure did for Roland, who was screaming in agony with every action he was forced into. And then, he was forced back into a drowning state in the pool, the blood gushing from his eye mixing with the chlorine-infested pool. The water itself created a burning sensation for Roland as he was really drowned this time, different from being waterboarded. His arms flapped back and forth from the addition pain in his limbs from being dragged around, only to hurt more because, well, his arms were also broken. And opening his mouth wide open from the screaming made him swallow and inhale a good amount of pool water. The suffering certainly wasn't going to end for Ra's' right hand man. Once he was pulled out of his drowning state, he gasped for air, as if for dear life, still screaming and begging for mercy from all of his bends and bruises. He also spat out and snorted a good amount of the water that had penetrated his system. Ra's never prepared him for something like this. Now he was facing death in the eye. Oh, how that would've been a relief.


"Do it, please..." Roland begged, glaring at James as best he could with a single eye. "I'm begging you."


Now it was Tony's turn to defend himself. "I'm NOT trying to nail her on purpose. I'm trying to make you guys see what's plain in front of you. Thalia did THAT to someone. Karin, how would you feel of you woke up and she did that to your brother? I DID bury the hatchet, but after she gashed his eye and fucking STABBED him like that? All with an evil look in her eye? James, that could be YOU next. When she didn't defend herself against Ra's, it was a play. She wanted to seem fragile and innocent, just so she could pull something out of character like this. She fooled us all. How can we even trust her? How can we trust she even broke Roland? He's a loose end no matter what."


"FUCK YOURSELVES, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! I'M NOT SAYING A FUCKING WORD!"


Groaning, Tony knew there was only one course of options left. Taking a step back from the two, he gulped, "Kill him. But we need to consider axing Thalia, too. Or at least a leash, because it seems like I'm not the only one with anger issues. She's just as much of a loose end as this fuckface."


"Fuck yourself, Walsh," Roland snarled through the pain.


Before James could off Roland, as if to save the man, Thalia made her way outside, her face just as furious as before, a bit of that evil lingering around to present in front of Roland. "James, don't! We need him!" she called out, extending her index finger in his direction and getting up in his face. Once she was close enough, in a bit more of a kinder manner, she gently placed her palm over the center of his chest and pushed him off of Roland. Well James is pretty fit. Karin hit the fucking jackpot. But not wasn't the time to judge each other's boyfriends. For now, Thalia knelt down to the bald man's head level, gripping the back of his neck, and lifting his head up, looking into his good eye. Her voice came off as devious as it did before, her grip air-tight and the fire evident in her eyes. "No. You fuck yourself. You and I have an agreement. You give us everything you know about Portland and Seattle once you finish LA. You give Vanessa a proper burial. You order for Melissa to be released. And you turn yourself in to Detectives Walsh and Hale. Isn't that right?"


A frightened nod from Roland was enough to disprove Tony's theory that she didn't break him. But it did show one thing: Thalia could be a very dark and sinister person when she chose to be. "Finding the head of your bitch will be next to impossible, but I will prepare at least a tombstone in her memory, okay? It's just unreasonable to find one decaying head in a mess of thousands." The thought of a closet full of heads of the executed might be sickening to a few in the room. It was to Tony and Thalia. Karin was already told about it from her friend before. Still unsightly. "All I need to do is order Walsh's whore to be sent to a location of my choosing. Then you can go collect her."


"And how do I know that you won't bullshit us into a trap?"


Roland gulped. "Because.... because...."


Thalia scoffed at his hesitation. She knew why. "Just say it, boy."


"Because I'm afraid of you..." he grumbled in a soft voice.


Almost to tease him, she grinned briefly, "What's that, so everyone can hear?"


"BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF YOU, OKAY, SHARMOOTA?! FUCK YOURSELF!"


Realizing the man was raising his voice, Thalia lifted her right pinky finger and jammed it into Roland's damaged eye, making him scream once again. Just the sight of Thalia doing something like that made Tony want to throw up in his mouth. But she wasn't going too far, just amplifying the damage done. Once she pulled out, she patted the top of his bald head. "Good boy... Once we have Mel and the funeral is in place, you will be taken into custody by these two strapping young men in suits, and you will confess to everything you know about Al-Asheera to the LAPD. And one more thing, Roland.... If you even mention either name of mine--Thalia Griffin or Al-Jameela, or even the names of anyone right here--I will find whatever cell you get locked up in, and I will make good on my word about your ass. Am I clear?"


He nodded. Wow, instead of 'fuck yourself', he nodded. He's complying. With that, Thalia stood up from her place, dropping Roland to the ground, who was still in fear of what sort of devious eyes he'd just stared into. But it gave Thalia a chance to calm down. The bloodied finger, she'd wash off later, but she shook off that anger and fury within her when she looked to James. "I'm sorry. I had to do that.... everything to him? I had to do it, or he wouldn't bend over like you saw him.... I'm not a monster...." She peeked behind her at the wallowing mess known as Roland. "He is. He took someone from me. Someone very important. And now, I want to make him pay for it. Not in death. That's too easy for him. He's practically begging for it.... but I think you know there's other ways a man can suffer much longer than death."


Shaking his head in discontent, Tony cut her off. "Are we seriously going to follow her lead? These two are both Al-Asheera! How do we know this isn't fucking code for them to call reinforcements and have them kill us all?!"


Thalia now wanted to give Tony the same treatment that James had given Roland: dunking him into the pool and drown him. She sure as hell could. But that would only make her case worse. How could any of them trust her?
 
He wasn't expecting to hear a certain set of words from Thalia for quite some time now, but unbelievably, he did, and he had to run them by himself a few more times just to make sure he'd heard them properly. When he knew he'd definitely heard those three words, he smiled, and instead of saying anything at first, he just hugged her tight and held her there. It had been a long time since anyone had said those words to him - At least a long time since they meant anything, anyway. This time, it felt real, it felt like they carried some sort of deep meaning, and that was something that made him happy. He couldn't help but grin, like an excited child on Christmas Day. Things really started to be panning out for him - everything was going more or less how he wanted it to. Sure, the situation they were in was going to be one that was drama-filled, but at least they'd have each other at the end of the day, right? Frank didn't see Thalia as the only thing in his life worth living for - but she was definitely way up high on the list of things worth living for, that was for sure. She was at the top, most likely, and that's what mattered.


"I love you, too." He whispered back.


Thalia hadn't said it too soon. For Frank, the timing was absolutely perfect. He was in love, quite clearly. It was obvious they both were, and now they had a gentle but meaningful way of expressing it. Those three words, had he said too much, but not enough at the same time? He thought of other things he could say to her, but there was nothing that would match the power of 'I love you'.


But everything seemed to interrupt the perfect moment - when it was confirmed it was indeed Roland's scream, Frank was right up and on the move, but he did have one last thing to promise. "Yeah, don't worry. I'll hold you back if things get too out of control." He smiled at her, softly, and with that, lead her out the door and onward to the back yard again. How was Joseph still asleep through all of this? Or maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was lying there listening to everything happen. At the same time, he was sick, so if he was in a deep sleep, Frank wouldn't be surprised. Fall asleep in a busy area and there's not all that much that can wake you up. It takes a lot. He was asleep in the middle of the household that had had people coming and going more or less all day and night. Hopefully, his body was just shutting all that out right now.


Outside, things were still heating up. Karin was furious at Tony for the reason that he was trying to use her brother against her.


"I know Thalia well enough to know she'd never do something like that." She said, quietly, but in a serious tone. She just wanted to get the message across to him - she wasn't going to buy into his bullshit, even if he didn't trust Thalia for valid reasons. Now, they were all in this together.


"It won't be me next." James shook his head, "You know that that will never be me. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if anyone found themselves in Roland's spot, it'd be you." He said. He only wanted to tell the truth. "If things like this keep happening, Tony, you know you're going to piss someone off eventually. Look at how much you've put at risk just by bringing him out here. My question is, do you really  know how to make reasonable and suitable decisions, or are you just going on a whim here? It makes me wonder how safe all of us are from stunts like this." He gently tapped Roland in the ribs with his foot, but not enough to hurt him. "By killing him we lose a lot, possibly Melissa, but..." He tilted his head from side to side, a curious look on his face. "If you insist." He said, tightening his grip on the gun.


Roland was begging for it, anyway. They'd broken him, turned him into a man that was nothing more than a shell of a tough-guy.


But Thalia came back at just the right moment, and she stopped Roland from getting a bullet to the brain.


And she became the star of the show, turning Roland into nothing but a whimpering and fearful mess. Yes, Thalia was a scary girl, but James didn't have the same level of fear that Roland had. He feared what her capabilities were, and that was about it. He wasn't constantly worrying what she'd do, though. With Roland it seemed to be a different story, seemed to be that he believed she'd fall from the sky and fuck him up if he didn't do as she asked - In some cases, that was true, but... They couldn't just leave Roland like this. They had his submission, his confession, his promise to get everything done. In James' eyes, it only felt fair that they returned the favor in a small way. Even if things didn't quite work out the best for Roland, they could at least take him somewhere to get his pain dealt with. The guy needed some morphine, treatment, and a bit of a rest. He was no good like this - Ra's would be able to hear the pain in his voice, and that would give away more or less everything. They couldn't take that chance.


"I believe you, Thalia, don't even doubt it." James said, "I believe this man is--"


But they were cut off by Tony, and James just shook his head.


"Yes, we are going to follow her lead. I have enough trust in Thalia to know that she wouldn't go through all of this, fatally damage Roland, and straight-up lie to the bossman's face just to run back to him and expect all to be forgiven. We're not going to axe anyone. We're going to play this right. We keep our cards close to our chest, and we play them to our advantage, capiche?" He asked. "Now, I suggest you drop the attitude, before someone else gets hurt."


"Now, now, there's no need for any of this..." Frank held up a hand to the both of them. "Let's just... Deal with things one step at a time. No more fighting among ourselves. If things don't work out, fine, back to the drawing board - but if they do work out, think - Tony, we get Melissa back, and we get a swimming pool of information on Al-Asheera, their plans, their members, so on and so forth." He said. "If you ask me that's a very high-end deal, no matter how suspicious you might think it is." He said. "Look at Roland. That fear isn't fake. That's as real as you and me." He mumbled. "But we can't-"


"- Leave him like this." James cut in, then looked down at Roland. "I know someone who can fix him up a little. Someone who deals with all the backdoor sorta' stuff. You know the kinds - the doctors who lost their medical licenses for stealing supplies and shit." He shrugged, "The ones that deal with criminals, like Roland, when they can't go to a real hospital." He said. "Roland needs a day or so to rest up before we even consider moving things forward with him. You can't think straight when you're in absolute agony." He said. "Frank, Tony, Thalia... How would you feel about delivering our cargo to the man I know? Tell him James is getting the bill, hm?" He asked. "Trust me, I've been to this guy for things more times than I can count. He's the real deal. He'll charge a lot for the level of injuries Roland has, but I guarantee this guy can help him out. Help us out." He said.


Frank looked between Tony and Thalia.


"Uhm..." He cleared his throat. "Sure, I guess...?" He said, looking to the other two for confirmation.
 
From admitting her own love for Frank to having to threaten one of her past colleagues, Thalia's situation radically changed when she charged out to the poolside and threatened the Hand to do as she ordered. As unfortunate as it was, a state of agony was the only way that Roland would roll over. She quickly wiped the fresh blood from her finger onto her pants to quickly shake it off, then listened to what James had to say about her innocence. That word, such a distant term to describe Thalia. And she was aware she wasn't innocent. She had a significant criminal record built up over the past eight years, but there was precious little she could do about it now. What's done is done, and so long as the name Thalia Griffin doesn't become associated to Al-Jameela, she had the potential to resurface. She'd remove the dragon tattoo on her hand once this all blew over and Ra's was either six feet under or in a six by six cell. The cross? She'd keep it, honestly. Cute, as she told James before, but also the one thing that Al-Asheera taught her that she could believe: you can't escape your past; remember who you are. As much as she wasn't the most devout Christian like her father, Thalia believed in the existence of some omnipotent being that had control of their actions. Did this same entity bring her and Karin together and start this fiasco? Potentially. It wasn't exactly religion. Fate, rather. That was it: she came to believe it fate and its strange ways of working. It brought her to a man she was falling in love with, and also gave her a best friend to confide in above all else. Not to mention it was giving her the potential to put her wretched past behind her. 


But Tony's doubts only continued. He saw a wicked witch with a pointed hat, broom, brewing some sort of poison, the whole nine yards, every time he looked at Thalia. He couldn't help but open his big mouth every time he had a suspicion or a hunch. It was his way to cooperating and contributing to the team. But what baffled him further, despite how he saw her as some sort of sadist, he couldn't help but find her alluring at the same time. Physically attractive? Most definitely. Sassy? Hell yeah. But evil. Ever so evil. Though he didn't want her on their little undercover task force, he wanted her giving him a little show in his bed. Sort of like what she did for Frank earlier, unbeknownst to him. Lust more than love, probably, but he craved it. And the only way he could show it is by downplaying her. In that case, Tony didn't seem very different from Roland. He was married, and had a kid. And he was still banging underaged girls within Al-Asheera. This girl, Vanessa, was to Roland as Thalia is to Ra's, to the point that he even ordered her torture and death. Tony? He didn't wish that sort of maltreatment upon Thalia, but he had a long-term girlfriend, one who knew his career-ending secret. But would Melissa incriminate herself to get back at Tony? He couldn't tell, but one thing was for certain: he wanted Thalia off the team, but he did... want her. Period. End of discussion. Was it becoming obvious in his actions? But he was receiving threats, meaning he had to calm down, tone it all down a notch. Maybe at some point, he'd catch Thalia in a corner and get a piece of her action.


Roland sighed a deep sigh of relief now that he heard the torture was going to end and that he'd receive treatment. But... Thalia was going to come along. Meaning he knew he had to behave. He could only try to beg to be dropped off at death's doorstep one last time. "Please.... one of you. One bullet, to use on myself. I beg you."


Thalia rolled her eyes with a quick stare at Roland, her mischievous green eyes staring down his single one. Finally, he'd get a taste of his own medicine, something she'd been trained to do with the utmost sass and confidence: "Fuck yourself." She found it satisfying, telling an Al-Asheera higher-up that very sentence. Roland instantly looked away and shut up. She knew she was the key to Roland's complacency. Therefore, Tony couldn't pledge to cut her from the team. Without her, the older detective wouldn't have half the info he does about Al-Asheera. The redhead felt he should be more grateful for her services rather than poke at her continuously. Why, though? Why was he so moody?


Maybe Tony should clear something up: "So you know, I'm addressing a valid concern, Thalia. How do we know we're not going to wake up and find someone's guts in the kitchen while you snack on the heart?"


Quite a stretch, one to make Thalia's eyebrows cross and jaw drop. "How did we get from extortion to cannibalism?" Though she was dying to get in Tony's face again, she didn't want to risk it. Who would've thought she'd have to be the grown up in this debacle. She approached Tony slightly and shut her eyes, thinking over things briefly. "You know? Never mind. Believe whatever you want. But I bet if we take a vote of whether to axe me or not, you'd be outnumbered. Now, we have business: get Roland to James' medic. I assume we're laying low tomorrow. A day off: a day for Roland to recover, and for you and Frank to act natural."


"And a day for you to sit on your ass and do absolutely dick."


"I'm going to be planning how to bust the rest of The Ten, Tony," she squinted her eyes in his direction, crossing her arms. She didn't even have to try to look cute and sassy at the same time. Hell, she could only hope Frank finds it attractive. "Besides, I've been running away from schmucks like you for eight years. I need a break, too. So you go do your day job, and I'll do mine. Got it?"


Growling slightly, Tony ignored the desire for an answer and walked passed Thalia, brushing shoulders with him. The brief moments of physical contact felt like a thrill to Tony, but he kept it quiet as he hoisted Roland over his shoulders, this time, more carefully. He did still groan from the pain in his limbs, but he could suck it up. Instead, he began yelling out random chants worshiping his leader, "Ha'el Al-Ra's; Allah yelaan Al-Jameela!" [Hail Al Ra's; god damn Al-Jameela!]


Scoffing and rolling her eyes once more, she barked back at Roland, "Shut the fuck up, or you'll never see your precious king ever again."


With that, Roland obeyed like a boy listening to his mother. It felt so satisfying to the mystery redhead to have such control over a human being. Not that she'd ever do it to anyone else. But Roland deserved it for everything he's done to her. She looked over to Frank, nodding in approval.


"I'll come with in case he's a bad boy, alright? But... um... I can't drive... Like, I don't know how to, so it's gotta be either you or Tony at the wheel. So, I'll meet you there? James, send one of us the address to your guy on the burners, alright?"


But before Thalia could head over to the vehicle.... Karin. She had something to say, an observation she made the second she made it outside. She took a few steps closer to Karin, then whispered into her ear, covering her lips as if to be keeping a secret. "Poolside? Wine? The two of you alone before Tony drags Dickless Wonder out here?" These were playful questions, all with a smile on her face. "Did you fuck him? Wait, don't answer that. Leave it a surprise. Looks like we both have a lot to talk about, hm?" Thalia was genuinely happy that things might be kicking off for Karin and James. Karin was the friend that got her back on the straight and narrow, gave her the motivation to push forward. To call her her best friend might be quick, but the way they were together sure felt like it. A chuckle or two in the white-haired girl's ear followed before a gentle nudge on the shoulder. "You better tell me all the juicy details. Cuz I've got a lot to tell too... when I get back."


Indeed. It'd been ages since the girls had their alone time. If they got back too late, it'd wait till tomorrow, but Thalia didn't want to keep anything bottled up. She had to tell someone how she felt about Frank and how excited she was for their future. Was Karin as excited? Maybe. She could be masking it after all. Thalia was just bad at controlling her own emotions. She turned away from her friend playfully, still with a giddy smile on her face for Karin. Love was the name of the game for those two. Certainly exciting.


One more feat before Tony, Frank, and Thalia could call it a day: delivering Roland. The veteran sealed Roland's hands together in duct tape like before and stored him in the trunk, also knocking him out so he could sleep through the journey without screaming at every speed bump with constant, vulgar insults. Hopefully he wouldn't die on the way there. As usual, Tony took the driver's seat, Frank in shotgun, Thalia in the back. Boy, were things about to get interesting. And once Frank boarded, Tony would take off.


"You better behave yourself, Thalia. One action I don't like, and I'll stop this car and dump you wherever we are."


In response, Thalia lifted her right foot and kicked the back of Tony's seat, keeping her feet raised there, the bottom of her feet against the chair. It was almost a force of habit for the jumpy thief to not sit in a very orthodox way. Crossing her legs like a child on the counter, lifted over some businessman's desk, or up against the driver's seat while her knees were bent slightly, like now, she had to sit in a strange way. Perhaps a quality that her team had picked up from how many times she'd done it. "Wouldn't dream of it, 'Detective Walsh' ..... you know, you and Frank can talk about your detective shit. Cases about who killed who and stuff like that. I bet you were looking into other things besides me, right?"


Groaning, Tony shook his head. "That's none of your business."


"Oh come on, I won't snitch or tell anyone. I promise. Just so, you know, all three of us have something to talk about..... I mean, we could bond, right?"


Well, Thalia and Frank had many other ways of bonding. Not exactly something they could discuss with Tony. But he already beat them to it. "Alright, then let's ask each other questions to know a bit more about each other. We've all just got together anyway. I'll go first. Are you two fucking?" He said it so quickly and so dryly, absolutely desperate to know if the two were sleeping together.


"No?!" Thalia barked back, her face displaying a shock she tried her hardest to look genuine. Thank god she knew how to lie to save her ass.


"Unfortunately, thief, I don't believe you.... Frank? Your turn to answer. Then you ask a question." Tony did that on purpose clearly, and Thalia wasn't having that. This was going to be a long ride.
 
"I'll text you all the details, don't worry. Shake a leg, ladies and gentlemen. No need to hurry back, but, try not to take too long. Make sure you have a good look around the place he lives at before you go inside - just in case. The guy's very backdoor, but, he makes one hell of a lot of money, too. Expect security, expect people that maybe want to break in - expect the unexpected, basically. Just remember, tell them that James is getting the bill for it all. In whatever he wants, too. He might not want money, but, anything he wants I'll take care of, and you can assure him of that. Him and I have done business in the past, so he knows I'm a man of my word." He explained, then looked at Karin for a moment. He soon looked back to the other three, though, and Roland.


"Be careful with him. Guy won't be able to take much more." He said, "And more importantly, I don't want a call from one of you saying the car's been crashed because someone tried to get their hands around someone else's throat." He said, and that was a clear order. "Other than that, though, you're free to do whatever you want." He said. "Just get there, take him inside, and get back. We need to lay low for a while, so, that means, just like Thalia said, cops go back to their day-job, and we do whatever it is we need to do. It may be nothing. It may be organizing things for future operations. Whatever it is, for the duration of tomorrow and possibly the day after, we don't know each other. Not even the church mice get to hear about the time we've spend together, alright?"


"Alright." Frank nodded. Seemed crystal-clear to him. He knew he and Tony were already in the hot-zone, anyway, after Pigman's suicide. Giving them any more dirt to work with was a dangerous idea, so, they had to go back to business as usual, maybe make it a bit more obvious that they were working on something official. Like Bradan's case. But they had to be careful with that - they had to make it vague. If they let any informant Bradan had in the LAPD know that they were pulling a guy from prison to work for them, then they'd be in deep, deep shit. So would McAllister. They didn't need to screw the guy over, that was for sure.


Marcus McAllister. A face Frank had wanted to properly meet for a while now.


They set off, though, but Thalia had something to say to Karin first. Frank knew he was in no place to intrude on that, so he didn't try and butt in. 


Karin could only laugh at what she asked, though. "No, no, I'm going to answer that purely for the reason that there was no way there was enough time alone out here for that scenario to be even somewhat satisfying. Maybe I'm saving that trick for later, right?" He said, but then cracked up. "It was romantic, though, to say the least. I'll tell you more about it later. Go on, you've got some business to take care of, from what I can see." She smirked, then gave her a little pat on the shoulder and sent her on her way. The group left, thus leaving Karin, Thalia, Joseph, and the butler in the house. The butler had been long since asleep, though, so there was nothing to worry about there. 


Karin had to remember to ask Thalia about those French lessons for Joseph, or at least some lessons to help him get started.


--


Not long after they were gone, speak of the devil, while Karin and James were outside on their third glass of wine, Joseph stumbled out onto the patio. James had made sure he'd sprayed the blood from the patio with the garden hose. If that dried, it wouldn't be pleasant. Probably a good thing, too, because Joseph did indeed come outside after waking up, not looking so hot at all. Drenched in sweat, pale - He didn't look so great at all, but, James quickly shifted his attention from the expensive wine to the boy that was slowly approaching them both.


"Hey, buddy." He said, simply, and rose to his feet from his chair. "You okay?"


He just shook his head, and as soon as he got close, he went forward and put his arms around James, his face pressed against his side. Weak at the knees, not entirely with it. James couldn't say he'd dealt with sick kids much in his time, but, he knew what illness looked like, and he could generally tell when someone didn't look like they'd be able to stand for long without throwing up. The first thing he noticed, though, was when he put his hand down on Joseph's head. He was hot, sweaty - Hopefully this would all clear soon, but he knew that he needed some air more than anything right now. It was humid outside, so, the poolside house would be a better bet.


"Right." James said, "Karin..." He leaned over and placed his glass down on the table by the chairs. "I think it's time for some more medicine, and his... Blood-testing kit, too, just to be safe."


"Yep." She rose up and put her glass down, too, gently running a hand over Joseph's shoulder as she wandered by him. James, however, walked him over to the pool house and took him inside. 


ISme9rh9ywlt4h0000000000.jpg


 
​


The pool house was nice enough. It had a bar in there, some couches, and a small bathroom. It was more a place to chill during the summer than anything else, but, it served enough of a purpose here. It was cooler out here than in the main house, anyway. He took him in and sat him down.


"I feel sick." He said, immediately.


"Alright." James sighed, and once more, he stood him up and walked him to the bathroom. Joseph went inside, and that was that. James stood outside waiting for him. If he was going to throw up, then he'd give him the time he needed to get that out the way, then he'd fetch him some water, or something. It wasn't exactly how James envisioned his night, but, he cared for Joseph. He was concerned for him - so before any romanticizing could go on between himself and Karin, he was going to make sure Joseph was okay.


--


In the car, it seemed things already started to kick off as a long journey. Almost from the get-go they were having discussions that Frank really didn't want to have, and things set off that made the whole conversation a little bit deeper, and darker. Frank didn't know how this journey on the road was going to unfold. Why did he send Thalia with them? No, why did he send both detectives? It could have just been himself and Thalia that took Roland there. Was James trying to force them to bond together as friends again, or something? He didn't know. He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to know what James was trying to do, but, he was doing his best to accept that things were just going to shift and hopefully adapt. For better or for worse. Frank wanted to go back to his day-job more than ever at this point. All of this was becoming a little too much, in all honesty. If they weren't off trying to hunt people down, then they were getting into arguments with each other.


The grand slamdown of a question came from Tony, though, but Frank laughed.


Were they fucking?


Yes, Tony, yes we are. We're fucking and it's great - Is that good enough for you?


The temptation to say those exact words was there, but, he held back and didn't bother. More drama wasn't what they needed, and he was sure that Tony would eventually find out, anyway. Maybe one day he'd stumble in on them - not while they were in the middle of it, but, after, maybe, or maybe when they're asleep with their arms around each other. It wouldn't surprise him if that happened one day, especially if they ever stayed in James' house and Tony came in one morning, caught them offguard. He tried not to think about that possibility, though, because that wasn't something he needed to be threatened by.


If Tony found out, he'd stand his ground, of course.


He was asked to answer the same question, though, but he had a question for Tony, too - After all, Tony said he was allowed to ask a question, as well.


"Of course we're not." He frowned. "I don't get what it is with you, man, but you've been pretty obsessed about even mine and Thalia's friendship. You're constantly freaking out that it's going to spiral into something else - I mean, if I'm allowed to ask a question, let me ask you something similar. Since day one, you've been telling me to look elsewhere for a romantic partner, telling me not to get too close, all that... And you were doing that with the full knowledge that there wasn't anything going on between us. You kept bringing it up, though, multiple times in one day. So, I need to ask, Tony... You ask so much about if me and Thalia have a thing going, why is it you wouldn't want that? Why would that mean so much to you?" He asked, simply. 


He thought for a moment, and something else came to his mind. Surely it wasn't a possibility...


"Are you in love with Thalia?" He asked, suddenly. The tables turned on that question, clearly. He thought about everything Tony had said and how he'd been acting - It was a theory that didn't seem so crazy anymore.
 
When that question, of any others, was thrown at Tony, he knew for sure that his actions were too suspicious for his own good. Was he making it that obvious that Thalia was off-limits for more reasons than just 'she's a criminal and you're a cop'? But at the same time, he didn't show that he exactly liked her either. Wasn't the beat down she received at Karin's place proof enough of his distaste? Whether it was or not, he got hit with a question he knew was the truth. He did have a major crush on Thalia that he would never dare speak of. Frank did give justification for his question, though, and which made Tony laugh similarly to how Frank did when asked the question about his relationship with the redhead in the back. Poor Thalia, though. Her life has been nothing but love triangles. One of the many reasons she doesn't like to consider herself 'beautiful' is because of this exactly. If Frank's question had any merit to it and Tony does have feelings for her, then it would be the Ra's/Roland conflict all over again. Two detectives--partners, even--fighting over some pretty girl who had literally nothing to live for? Nowhere to go? Not even a roof to live under? Which brought up the question: where would she go tonight? Where would she sleep? If she stays at Frank's place, that raises a HUGE red flag that Tony had a point. James had a big enough house to harbor her for the time being. She's proven her loyalty significantly over the past day. She might've put it on shaky grounds earlier, but after getting on Ra's' good side and successfully breaking Roland for information, she'd be damned if James doesn't trust her. For now, though, Thalia listened attentively to the detectives. It really looked like they might break out into a fist fight at some point: a full-on brawl over who gets to win the girl's heart over who can express their manhood more than the other.


"You seriously think I have a thing for the girl who had a hand in Richard's demise?" Tony scoffed. "A member of an organization I despise with all my heart? Especially when I am in a relationship with a woman FAR prettier and smarter than Miss Griffin in the back."


The downplaying didn't bother Thalia. He was clearly trying to show off, but when it came to that, she knew how to do it better. Fuck off, Tony. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could steal your girlfriend from you with ease. And if she's 'prettier than me', I'll happily do it. Because why not? She's had enough experience with women to seduce straight girls like childsplay. Not something to put on her resume, but certainly fun small talk that Frank might get a kick out of. Maybe even enjoy being a part of, but now wasn't the time to envision her wet dreams.


"That's a good one, Frankie. Really funny... But no. I'm happily in love with Melissa, and I'm going to propose to her once this is over and I meet her in Greece. I would never stoop as low as Thalia. That's a degree I'd never go to..." So Thalia was now a level of low in someone's books. It made her want to smack Tony, just as any other insulted girl might. For once, she felt... angry, that Tony was questioning her and Frank like this. Temper, temper. "I'm trying to protect you, Frank. You deserve way better than Thalia. That's why I keep telling to stay away. But all you seem to do is throw yourself back at her. It seems like every time she cries, which she seems to do a lot of, you seem to be her knight in shining armor.  More than just an innocent friend, really. Care to explain that?"


With the questions becoming more and more pressing, Thalia had to butt in and end this before Tony stops the car and yanks someone out of the car to hit them. "Okay, boys, can we NOT ask a question about who wants in my pants and who gets a hard-on when I pass by? Let's get a few things straight: I'm not pretty. I'm no one's cumslut. And after what Ra's did to me today, I really don't want to think about sex with anyone right now. Especially not with two cops."


Admittedly, that last one was a lie. Sex with Frank was still on her mind. Much like Frank was thinking, Thalia found it amazing, fun, exciting. But that sort of arousal isn't what should be on her mind. Just an afterthought that she enjoyed entertaining.


Sighing, Tony gripped the wheel in a more firm manner and continued driving, eyes on the road and trying to shake off what Frank said. Because the fact his partner was suspicious wasn't good for his case at all. "Fine. Your turn, mystery redhead."


Folding her arms over her chest, Thalia just stared at the passing trees and buildings to her left. It was nice... watching the world passing by her like that. It made her look back at herself in her position. A lowlife thief trying to turn her life around. It wouldn't be an easy road, but one of these days, she wants to settle down. Live in some small house and be able to hold her own. It was already a start to know that Frank was interested in starting something long-lasting with her. Maybe when this was all over and she gets a job, she can move in with him. It didn't matter what slum the young man was living in. Thalia's lived in worse.... Living in worse. It brought up an idea for her question. It would also give her a chance to get to know these detectives further. Maybe that was the point of James making all three go. To bond. Though honestly, she and Frank had enough of 'bonding', as he now knows.


"In Al-Asheera, they train you to hate cops with a passion. Explains why I tried to shank loverboy in front of me when he got too close."


"Huh..." Tony recalled that moment when he outsmarted her in combat. So satisfying. "How did you know we were cops? Not like we had our weapons or badges out in the open."


She chuckled in confidence, her eyes still focused on the structures passing her by outside. James sure lived in an expensive area, seeing all these mansions and structural masterpieces. This wasn't a lifestyle Thalia wanted, but it was one she was sort of forced into for now. "I can make out a cop from a mile away. I knew you two were cops the second I saw you. Half of me wanted to bolt... but I figured I'd try to stab you first. But that's not my question. As cops, you piss off many people in your lifetime. Putting the wrong guy behind bars, then getting a little taste of revenge from some disgruntled buddy of his. Family or otherwise."


"I don't need a fucking lecture, thief. Ask a question."


A sigh separated her words. "If it weren't cops, what would you do with your lives? It's... what I've been thinking of for a while. If I weren't a thief, what would I do with myself? I came from a high-class family with high standards to live up to. So it really would've gone in many directions.... Come on. You two are both good-looking. Add better-paying jobs, and you'd be drowning in pussy like you both probably were in high school... or drowning in dick. Whatever you guys prefer." She snickered at the indirect referral to James' accusation earlier of Tony having a crush on Frank from earlier. She couldn't help but poke fun at that. Not that she wanted to picture that scene. Frank and Tony didn't suit each other as a couple in her eyes. Especially because she was with Frank, so it made that mental image ten times more awkward. "You two could've been doctors or lawyers or something. Why cops? You did shit on the SAT's or something? Dropped out of high school? I know I.... well, I only finished middle school. That should say something about my 'higher education'."


"Yeah. Your higher education was being Ra's' lapdog."


Thalia slammed her feet into the chair again, bothering the driver. "Fuck yourself. I asked you an honest question. I just want to know, where your lives would've gone if you didn't enter the academy, or whatever you call it. We all ask 'what if's', right? I know I do. And I'll share mine if you share yours."


Now that... was actually an honest question. Calming himself down from the kick to the back again, Tony formulated his answer first. "I was going to be a forensic scientist. I did well in school, unlike you, Miss Griffin..."


"Whoa, whoa, who said I did bad in school?" Thalia cut him off, arching an eyebrow at Tony, visible to him through the rear view mirror. "Au contraire, " [On the contrary] Maybe the mere fact she spoke three languages should've given away that she wasn't some braindead idiot. Her Arabic might've been rusty, but her French? Flawless. Not a trace of her American accent was there, nor vice versa. "Maybe I should've mentioned when we met that I was top of my class, within the top 99 percentile of Philly grade schoolers, AND I skipped the third grade."


"Then why the fuck did you run away from home?"


"That's a story for my answer. You were saying? Why didn't you be a forensic scientist?"


Tony went on, "Well... I've always been fascinated with forensics. Watching how it solves mysteries. How it's evolved with time. And it helps people. That's all I ever wanted to do. But...." What to do now? Frank knows his colorblindness secret, but Thalia doesn't, and he preferred to keep it that way. "But my dad couldn't afford to get me to any sort of decent college. So I did the next best thing to help people that didn't need college....."


"...Become a cop..." Thalia jumped to the conclusion. Interested enough for her, nodding as they reached the end. "Things would've been so much different if you had the money... right?"


He nodded, even if it was a lie. He had the money. "Yeah... what if. You're right about that." Agreeing with Thalia? Ugh. Disgusting.


"Did you have any other dreams?"


"Not really. Other than that I wanted to breakdance when I was ten, but that's it," Tony smirked a bit at his lame childhood dream, but didn't show much other physical interest in the question. "All I really wanted to do was help people and put bad people away. Nothing else really.... appealed to me."


Nodding, Thalia couldn't help but give Tony a bit of a smile. A sign of good will. Then, her eyes locked onto Frank's. "Your turn, Frank... What were your dreams?"


This, she genuinely wanted to know, seeing she and him were an item. What did Frank want to be? What did he want to do with his life? She would soon tell of her own aspirations, too.
 
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He knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey, Joe...?" He called out. No response, though. He'd heard a toilet flush a moment ago, so things couldn't have been that bad. When he didn't get a response, he did panic a little. He was sure he was fine - but, it was worth checking. He gently shifted the door open and peeked inside, only to see Joseph curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor, face against the tiles. He was burning up - the tiles were cool, helping him lower his temperature a little, but James couldn't just leave him lying there. Borderline unconscious, basically, but, he had to deal with that while Karin was gone. He didn't want her to panic. He stepped inside and leaned over, slowly lifting Joseph off the ground and holding him in his arms. Joseph put his head down on his shoulder and let out a tiny whimper. James gave his back a rub.


"You're okay." He whispered, wandering over to the couch and sitting down. He placed Joseph down beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. "Karin's gone to get you some medicine, okay?" He said, and Joseph just nodded against his shoulders, but weakly kept his arms around James. He was shaky, upset, ill, but he was hopefully going to start recovering as soon as he got some medicine in him. Karin came out not too long after, and straight away, she gave Joseph more of the medicine that not only helped settle his stomach, but also one to bring down the fever. Immediately after that, she did a blood test for him with his handset that James had already sort of seen. She pricked his arm and got a blood sample from there, and... Well, the panic that lit her eyes when the result came back sort of said it wasn't good.


"What is it?" James asked.


"43." 


"Uhm... I'm guessing that's bad?"


"That's far too low. He's basically on the verge of losing consciousness. Need something with sugar, James."


"There's orange juice in the fridge behind the bar. Get him that." He said, and Karin went across the room quicker than she'd moved in a while, and she dug through the fridge until she found the carton of juice. She poured a big glass of it and brought it right back over. Joseph made the effort to drink it himself, but, obviously needed a hand in doing so. That was that, though, and as soon as he'd shaved that off, it was now just a matter of keeping an eye on him. "Karin, if you want to go make him some food. Something with carbs, I mean... You can go ahead. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him, don't worry."


"Are you sure?"


"Yes, yes, of course. He'll be fine with me, won't you?" He looked down at Joseph and squeezed his shoulder, and Joseph weakly nodded again, keeping his eyes closed. His head was spinning. Karin went off, though, and she planned on making him something to keep him going, keep his energy up - Cheese on toast, maybe? No, just plain toast, maybe some jam on there. Avoiding dairy would be a safer bet for now. James sat there hugging Joseph with one arm, though, just making sure he wasn't about to pass out or anything.


"I heard screaming..." Joseph murmured, quietly.


Fuck.


"I... Don't think you did, buddy." He said, "You probably got too hot, had an auditory hallucination, or something. You were burning up when you came out here - When you overheat, the body can do funny things to you, the brain? Even more so. No one was screaming, pal, I assure you." He said. "You feeling any better?"


"A little." He whispered.


"Alright." He sighed, leaning back on the couch and taking Joseph along with him. "Just take a few minutes to rest until your sister gets back with some food. Tell me if you need anything."


He nodded again.


At least things had quietened down by the time he'd woken up, right?


--


So, Tony got pretty defensive over the question Frank asked - And one of the telltale signs of a liar, which was something they were taught in the police, was that liars did several things, even more so when you asked questions. If they were guilty of something, then they'd speak in past tense. Me and my wife HAD a happy relationship. That's one example. Secondly, they extend the story, or make things too convenient. I didn't see what happened to her, but I did see a strange looking man in a trench coat across the street from her - In Tony's case, that was sort of what he'd done. I don't need Thalia because I've got a girlfriend who's smarter and prettier, and we're happy, and we're this and that - He had to justify his answer - if he was confident in what he was saying, well...


"A yes or a no would have been fine, Tony, but fair enough." He said, simply. Did Frank still suspect something? Judging by his tone and his choice of words, it was likely that he still had the feeling Tony wasn't being completely honest, but it was hard to tell, really. It was only a matter of time. "And once again, you went back to it - Trying to protect me, I deserve better - so on, so forth. If anything, you're sort of proving my point here by saying all of that. I worked the beat for four years, packed up and moved to LA when I was nineteen, all on my own. Most people still live at home or are at college at that age - I can handle myself just fine. Watching my back, sure, but I don't need protecting. I know what's right and wrong, and I know what's best for me." He said.


At the same time, Frank wondered, was he now being too defensive? He didn't want to get into a dick-swinging contest with Tony, but, Tony was pushing the limit a little bit on all of this. Frank and Thalia were happy enough with everything that was going on. Why couldn't he be happy, too? It's like rocking up at a wedding and telling everyone how much you hate the bridge and groom. Like, Jesus Christ, Tony. Lighten up - How much Frank wanted to say that, words can't express. He just wanted to let Tony know that he was being too direct, too blunt, too nasty.


There was an honest question from Thalia, but, sent back to her was another insult, this time about Ra's.


"Oh, come on, Tony, now you're just going out of your way to be an asshole." He said, simply, shaking his head. "Cut the shit, alright? There's no need for this." He said. Once again, he stepped in to defend Thalia. He knew he shouldn't have, but he simply couldn't resist doing so.


The question soon came to him.


"Me?" He thought for a moment, "Shit, there were a few things I wanted to do. At first, or at least when I was a teenager, I gave it all the talk of going to some big Ivy League college. I mean, we couldn't really afford that, but, I could have gotten in based off scholarships, no doubt." He shrugged. "At first, law was never really an interest for me. I guess the dream of being a cop was something that sparked when I was six, after the unspeakable occurred, and that developed later on after I scratched my college dreams." He shrugged, "I mean, between then there was a lot of things I wanted to do. I wanted to be a singer, guitarist - I could play guitar, still can, but... Haven't played in a while." He said. "There were a few other dreams. Actor, writer. I suppose Performing Arts wasn't out of the equation until I saw the job prospects. I couldn't be dealing with that sort of risk. Might go into that industry later on - plenty of time left in life, and the writer dream might come true sooner than I imagine." He said. "When I was really little, though, or at least before the age of ten, when I was seeing a school counselor about what happened to my sister and everything..." He shrugged, "I guess that started off a dream of mine. Saw a counselor by the name of Scott Thorn. A real nice guy, gave me some hopes and dreams, and during the sessions we had, a little bit of a place to escape from everything. For a while I thought like that - I wanted to help kids, but, that dream died, too. I went through a denial phase as a teen, obviously linked to my sister, where I just started to really dislike being around young children. Not the same anymore - I love kids, but..." He shrugged again. "Yeah, that's sorta' life now. The cop dream was running for a long time, and here I am. Detective was the place I wanted to be."


He paused for a moment and looked in the rear-view at Thalia. "How about you?" He asked.


And no, he wasn't going to expose Tony's secret - he didn't dislike the guy enough to do that. He knew the real reason behind the crushed forensic dream, but, hey. He felt bad for him on that level, but, there was nothing either of them could do about it.
 
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