Waiter

Bret laughs. “How come I always owe you anyway hmm?” He takes another sip of his beer, but is suddenly distracted by bright headlights that shine through his window.

Getting up, he goes to the front window to draw the curtains back. The hair on the back of his neck stands up, and he has no idea what Charlotte may have just said to him. “Uh, I got somebody here, babe. I gotta go. I’ll catch you later…”

Still looking out the window, he shuts his phone and sets it on the table, going to the door. His hand is on the deadbolt, but he stops. He couldn’t just lock them out. He needed to send them away.


Kyle smirks at Misty’s comment, but squeezes her hand back. “Alright, mother.” He gives her a kiss on the forehead for good measure. Despite his exhaustion, the humor was still in his eyes.


Jason packs away a few more things, pausing only to decipher a new batch of feelings. He grins and picks up a cord someone had dropped. As if I'd mind. We might have a few other passengers though, if Cryptic ahedlglkruwkrk.... Jason jumps to a hand on his shoulder and whirls around to see Axel.

Axel throws up his hands. "Whoa, sorry. Jen just asked for that cord so I thought I'd take it to her."

Jason rolls his eyes at himself for being so jumpy. "Now I know how Rocky feels." He hands him the cord.

Axel grins. "He thinks I'm half Indian."

"Keep it up and I'm bound to think it too."

Axel studies Jason for a moment giving him a strange once over then getting a good look at his eyes. He finally just quirks another wry grin before going back to Jen.

Jason wanders to where Phil is gathering the guitars. Interesting... Jason brings a bit of confused intrigue to the surface. Anyway, of course you can ride with me.


After everything is loaded back up into the pickups, the stage completely cleaned off, and a check around the room completed, t he group is outside in the darkening evening.

"Alright, how we all getting there?" Mike asks. "We got several cars and pickups here."

"We can tie Axel to the top," Rocky suggests. His teasing gets him put into a side headlock.

Axel keeps a firm grip on him, not letting go. "How about you ride up there with me, eh? I might get lonely, not to mention cold."

Rocky stifles his laughter and squirms out from under Axel's arm. "Dibs on the car that Axel's not riding in!"

As the chatter flies back and forth about who's riding with who, Con steps to the side with his phone and dials Jamie. "Hey you...I know it's kinda late, but the show's over and a bunch of us are heading for some pizza. I'm gonna tag along...thought maybe you'd like to meet us there."

After more chatter and banter, finally everyone is settled into their vehicles. Cryptic has split up with several others, and the small caravan heads downtown. Axel winds up riding with Jason and Katie, and for a couple minutes, the truck is fairly quiet.

Jason glances in the rearview mirror. He bundles together a few feelings close to curiosity, questioning and apathy. Axel must be the quietest out of that bunch. "So, you been with Cryptic just a short while then?"

Axel nods, catching Jason's eye in the mirror. "Yep."

"How'd you join up with them?"

"Heard 'em at a concert...got together with them through a friend of a friend...happenstance...and here I am."

"What did you do before that?"

The question was an innocent one, but it takes Axel a moment to answer. "Not much, I guess. Nothing worth talking about." He looks between Katie and Jason. "So...you two together?"

Jason quirks an eyebrow and looks quickly to the mirror again. "No. We work together. Scott - the guy who was around earlier - he's the lucky one." No emotions surface.

"Ah." Axel's own eyebrows rise a little, as if he almost doesn't believe Jason, but he says no more. "The band speaks highly of the area around here. Guess I'll be getting to know it."

"Where are you from?"

"Wisconsin."

Jason's mouth is open to say more, but his vibrating phone interrupts him. Going for his belt, he pulls off the phone and sees it's Wyatt. "Sorry, gotta take this." He flips it open. "Wyatt...how'd it go? Mmhmm..." They got both the guys to the station and into interrogation. "Good. Have they talked yet?" One was stubborn, but the sniper ran off at the mouth about how they were just hired to take down Jen to get to Kyle. "Yeah, that's what we figured. Glad to know we were right. Anything else?" Jason nods as he drives and listens. Nothing much else except... "Oh, really? No, no, not surprised just...." A bit of guilt surfaces. "I suppose. Yeah, okay. Thanks, Wyatt. More later." Jason flips his phone shut and glances to Katie. "Things are fine. He's got to work late."

"That have to do with that little takedown?" Axel questions.

For some reason I don't trust this guy. "Yeah. We're in the clear."

It isn't long before the cars are parked at Mom and Pop's, and everyone is filing inside. As it's later in the evening, it isn't very busy, so they spread out in the front room.

Rocky heads straight to the counter, a big grin on his face. "Mama Mabel! You're still here!"

"Rocky..." Joel gives him a shove, speaking loud enough for Mabel to hear. "Don't bring back all those memories. She might want to kick us out!"

Some of the guys grab several tables and start putting them together so everyone can sit with each other, and for a few minutes, everything is noisy chaos, but no one complains as the chatter and laughter starts up.

Kyle grabs a seat for himself and one for Misty somewhere in the middle, Jen and Mike on the end, and everyone in between grabs whatever place is closest. Jason winds up flopping down next to Katie, involved in an argument of music with Phil and Logan, amused banter going back and forth.


Carson looks up from the dishes he's putting away, as he hears the noisy bunch come in. He looks out from the kitchen and sees that it's JetStream with a bunch of others too. TJY people...Con...a bunch he didn't recognize...Misty... He sighs a little. Aerith was cleaning in the back. He could make everyone wait for her, but then not only would they be waiting, he'd be dumping this one on her too. He'd been ready to clock out, but he'd stay. Going the extra mile lately was the only way he felt he was at least partially repaying Herb and Mabel for all their help.

He glances to Herb as he takes off his apron. "I got it." He wasn't comfortable with waiting on this group...but avoiding it would just make him out to be even more of an idiot.

Grabbing a pad and pen, he heads out of the kitchen.

"Hi, Carson." Jen was the first to spot him, and gives him a warm smile.

Carson can't help but give a little smile back...Jen and Mike were the only two he really felt okay around...Jen was always so nice as if the past was completely forgotten. Carson never had known her very well, but he knew that surely she knew everything about him through the band, through Jason. Yet she never cast judgment on him. "Hi, Jen. Big crowd tonight."

"That it is." Jen giggles. "We'll try to behave ourselves."

Carson chuckles. "Thank you." He moves to a more centered place by the table, looking for whoever might be leading this bunch, and finally Phil speaks up, ordering several pitchers of soda pop.

"Alright..." Carson jots it down. "You all know what you want to eat already, or..."

"Pizza!" Logan exclaims. "Lots and lots of pizza!"

Taylor gives his arm a slap. "Calm down."

Phil grins at Carson. "Yeah, pizza. But give us a minute to figure out what we're doing."

"You got it." Carson turns to go get their drinks, letting a glance travel down the table until it rests on Misty. She seemed happy...she looked good...she was sitting between Kyle and Con...Kyle...had his arm around her chair?

"Hey, Carson..."

He looks down to where Jason was waving him over. He tenses a little, but approaches with caution. "Yeah?"

Jason purses his lips and sighs, keeping his tone quiet to not distract or include the others. "We, um...got the guys that attacked Kyle. They...talked after they got to the station and...you're in the clear."

Carson lifts an eyebrow. "I didn't think I had reason to worry that I wasn't."

Jason almost rolls his eyes. "Technically you didn't...I'm trying to apologize for my personal accusation."

Carson isn't quite sure how to take it, but he accepts the apology with a nod. Hearing that from Jason had to count for something. "Alright." He starts to walk away, but then turns once. "You, um...been working hard all night...would you prefer orange juice to pop?"

Not only did the gesture surprise Jason, but the memory too, and for a moment, he just stares. "Um...yeah, sure...thanks." He watches Carson walk away, then glances to Katie. He still doesn't look so great, but at least he's being nice.


Kyle tenses a little as Carson moves around the tables, but he doesn't say anything. His fingers give Misty's arm a little pat, hoping that she wasn't too uncomfortable. He wanted her to be able to be comfortable again...he wished he could help her be comfortable enough with the others...with him...that she wouldn't worry about Carson any more.

"Kyle, you look like you're ready to drop off."

He looks up to Taylor and gives her a silly grin and nods. "Just about."