Concert

Carson lets himself be drawn into Misty's kiss, indulging in the moment by returning it and allowing it to linger. As Misty pulls back, he gives her a sly grin. "I think you're going to be just fine."

"I should say so." Rick throws his hands in the air, turning back toward the counter. "Misty, if you've got the energy to give a guy a kiss like that, then you certainly have the energy to heal. I don't want to hear one complaint out of you from here on out."

Carson chuckles and rises out of his chair. "You two don't have too much fun now. I'll be back."

Arriving home a while later, Carson drags his feet getting into his apartment. Pausing at Jason's door, he bangs on it. "Yo, Jase! You alive?!"

Receiving an irritated mumble, he nods. "Yeah, alright." Carson keeps going down the hall to take a shower and throws on clean clothes. Finished up though, he just feels too tired to go back yet.

Carson flops down on his bed, opting for just a short nap. His body was tired. His mind was tired. He was still fighting for all he was worth, and it was wearing on him. He had to stay on top of this...he was fine...it would all be fine. In a few days' time, he'd be so over it, he'd look back and know he'd been stupid to even be feeling this way...

But that perspective didn't help for the here and now. Misty's condition and Ashlyn's death had dug up too much of the past to ignore and it was putting more pressure on him than he'd ever want to admit.


Jason finally wanders into TJY, still tired, but functioning. As usual, he heads straight for his office. But on his way down the hall, he suddenly becomes aware of that strange pulling again...that feeling that had woken him earlier that day. Once again, it was taking a bit of effort to remain closed off. What was... Reaching his office, he pauses, thinking.

Katie.

It was Katie's presence that always drove him to this point. She was here, somewhere nearby. As he well knew, she didn't even have to try to draw out his emotions - just having her in the same room created that battle. But...why this morning? She couldn't have been close...she hadn't been close...had she?

Shaking his head, Jason enters his office and shuts the door. He was too confused and too worn out to try and sort through it.


Scott takes it easy again during the day, per Rick's orders, though his reopened wound wasn't as bad as it could have been. Though needing to stay one more night, he made plans to go home the next day and attempt to get back into a normal routine.

Mick makes himself useful around TJY and calls Rosetta again to check on things, and to let her know that he'd be staying for he hearing. He says nothing of Ty, still contemplating if he should take any action or not.

Carson returns late that afternoon, having slept longer than planned, but sees Misty again for a while. He does his best not to let on that anything was wrong, and works late into the evening before returning to her until she falls asleep for the night. She knew nothing about Ashlynn yet, and he just as soon not talk about it, so it was fine with him. Besides, Misty didn't need one more thing to think about.


Over the next few days, things move slowly. Jason hibernates at home or in his office most of the time, not showing up down town, and managing to withdraw from those around him. He gets out a few more times to practice with JetStream, though finds it hard to gain enthusiasm, even if he does a good job of fooling the others into thinking he was fine.

Wyatt frequents Mom and Pop's as much as he can, still not committing to a date with Aerith, though he does ask her to the JetStream concert and feels good when she accepts.

Carson is in and out of work, drifting between his cubicle, the infirmary and his apartment. Hours at work start to dwindle though as the pressure inside him builds. He has still spoken to no one about what happened, and the stress begins to eat him up inside. Temptations arise and he fights them, the urge to run increases and he fights back but with weakening strength. Dealing with Jason at home becomes an added stress to everything else, and though he knows it shouldn't be this way, it begins to feel as though his world is getting smaller and smaller, trying to suffocate him. He refuses to face the memories that have risen since the showdown with the Agency, but every day they grow stronger, bringing with them pain.


"Kyle! Toss me that cable!"

"Hey, Jen, where's that extension cord?"

"Has anybody seen the duct tape? Can we ever keep track of the duct tape?"

"Here, catch!"

"No, not that one, the red one!"

"Phil, don't trip over that....box."

"Would someone kindly help me out over here?"

"Hey, I found my lost pair of socks!"

Jen rolls her eyes as she wheels herself around to the sound booth, helping set up all the equipment for this evening's performance. She can't help but laugh at the guys. Their antics never changed. The excitement never waned. Glancing at her watch, she shouts to her brother. "Phil, have we heard from Jason?"

"'Nope." He looks out from around a speaker. "He'll show up."

"I certainly hope so." Kyle plugs in the keyboard. "I told him if he didn't that we'd never forgive him."

"You did not." Jen smirks. "Give the guy a break. He's only been back a short while."

"So?" Kyle teases. "We need him."

Jen shakes her head. "Well if he doesn't come in half an hour, I'm going to call him just in case. Besides, it sounds like things have been rough over at TJY and he might get called away anyway."

"Well I think Katie's planning on coming," Mike adds.

"We couldn't go on without her!" Kyle exclaims. "Not without our biggest fan and without our bodyguard! Not to mention she's been helping us set up the last few times." He glances around. "I thought she'd be here by now."

Phil quirks a warning eyebrow at him. "You might want to cool it just a bit when Jason shows."

"Oh yeah..." Kyle grimaces. "I forgot. Okay, well, nonetheless, if she hasn't shown up in a while, I'm calling her too, cuz we're gonna rock tonight and I know she wouldn't want to miss it."


Jason sighs deeply and steps out of the apartment, trudging down the hall, taking to the stairs and out to the parking lot. Throwing on his helmet and starting the engine, he pulls out, heading downtown. There was a part of him that didn't want to go tonight. But he'd made a commitment...and he would go...and he would be on good behavior, and he would perform like he knew he could. It was that simple.


Wyatt pulls up to the curb in front of Aerith's house and sits waiting, again not honking the horn. He was dressed casually, but nice, glad for an evening out, and can finally relax away from TJY.


Scott trips over Domino as he walks through his living room, and catches himself on the back of the couch. "Domino!"

She slinks back and looks up at him apologetically.

He sighs and shakes his head. "You've been underfoot since we've been home. I promise we're not going to have to live at TJY again." He reaches down and scratches her behind her ears. "But I do have to leave now because I'm meeting Katie across town at the concert. You watch the place while I'm gone, alright?"

Domino licks his hand and starts to wiggle.

"Okay, good." Scott straightens back up and goes for his keys. He was looking forward to hearing JetStream for the first time.