Past revealed

"Yeah... it was hard." Kyle doesn't open his eyes at first, but continues to think in the quiet. Finally though, he takes a deep breath and looks over to Alice, quirking a smile. "One down, one to go, then it's freedom time."

He gives a nod, almost as if more to assure himself than her. "And then the adventure begins." Mustering up any gumption he's got left, he pushes off the wall and slings an arm around Alice's shoulders to take her back in the other room with him. "You realize that since you're here, I'm going to put you back to work helping us load up."


The rest of the evening goes smoothly. No one really talks about Kyle leaving, letting the atmosphere stay light. Heading out for pizza, laughter comes easily, and the small group enjoys themselves. Saying goodnight, everyone is tired so heading home is easy. Tomorrow was another day... tomorrow for Kyle meant one more event. Tomorrow for the others meant the first day without the same JetStream...


Kyle groans and hits his alarm clock again. It was eleven in the morning. He ached, he was tired... but if he didn't get up and going, he'd never be able to meet Cryptic at three o'clock. Rolling himself out of bed, it's the same routine. Nothing was different. The apartment was quiet. Phil was gone for the day. Just as well... otherwise he'd be bugging Kyle about the oddity of his exhaustion.


Rocky wanders into the auto shop, tapping his knuckles on the door to get someone's attention. Leo pops up from a car engine and comes over, wiping his hands on a rag. "Hi, can I help you?"

Rocky nods, looking around. "Yeah, I'm looking for Axel. He working today?"

Leo purses his lips. "Uh.... no... no, he's not."

Rocky furrows his brow. "Oh. I thought he was. Is he just out on lunch?"

"I don't know. He, um... he's not working here right now."

Now Rocky was getting confused. "What do you mean?"

Leo bites his tongue. He shouldn't have heard the conversations he'd heard the day before. He shoudn't have stood and listened. He shouldn't have known about everything, but... he hadn't been able to help it. "Um... I... I shouldn't say anything, ya know?"

Rocky's eyes narrow. He'd only seen Leo a couple times, and didn't know him personally. But now was not the time to be skirting around this issue. Rocky needed to find Axel to talk to him about tonight, and he wasn't answering his cell phone. "I'm Axel's friend. Now... tell me what's going on."

"No, man... I mean... I don't know everything."

"Did he get fired or what?"

"Not... not exactly."

Rocky sighs and sets his hands on his hips. "Look, I haven't got all day."

Leo glances around the shop, seeing that no one else was around. "Well... I heard Darrel talking to him..."


Axel leans back in the booth, giving Jess a quirky grin after something funny had been said. "So... tonight we got a gig. Don't know what we'll be doing after that though, on account of Logan and Kyle."

He pauses, taking a sip of his water. The little diner was quiet today, and he was enjoying the peaceful lunch with Jess. Though there was a lot on his mind, and a lot that was weighing heavily on him, he liked just forgetting about it for a while. No watch, no cell phone... just letting time go by for once. He hadn't said anything to anybody about his job, but wasn't planning to until he knew what Darrel was going to do with him.


"Taylor?" Rocky knocks on her apartment door. He tries the doorknob, finding it open, and he rolls his eyes. He'd told her a million times to keep her door locked. Getting inside, he takes a quick look around. "Taylor?" No answer. Hopefully, that was a good thing. But the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach was still there. After what Leo had told him, he'd checked Axel's apartment to find it empty. But then putting two and two together about how Taylor had been acting around Axel lately, Rocky had gone to her apartment next just to check on things.

Sighing, he looks around. Thankfully, nothing seemed amiss. He's just about ready to leave, when he sees her answering machine blinking. On a whim, he hits the play button. But he hadn't expected to hear the apology from Axel. If Rocky hadn't believed Leo before, he did now. This proved Axel's character, making Rocky feel all the more sick. His own phone rings.

"Yeah, hello?"

"Hey, Rock. It's Max. I just drove past the little diner on fifth, on my way to work. Saw Axel's car. Knew you were looking for him. I think he's there with Jess."

Rocky immediately bristles. "Thanks. He must not have his phone on him today. I'll go see if I can catch him. He hangs up without even saying goodbye, and is quickly out the door and down the steps, sprinting for his car. Jess. Why did Axel have to be with Jess? He wasn't about to waste any time. Not with this.


Axel is just about to say something more to Jess, when his eye catches the door to the diner opening. Looking up, he's surprised to see Rocky. A smile would have appeared, but the look on Rocky's face warned him that this was not a social call.

Rocky's stride is long and deliberate, his eyes narrowing into a glare. Though not wishing to make a scene in front of Jess, it would have to be ignored. "Axel?"

Axel looks up from his chair, becoming leery. He couldn't remember a time he'd seen Rocky this upset. He hadn't even greeted them. "Yeah, Rocky. What is it? What's wrong?" Now he regretted not carrying his phone with him.

"Did you really think you could get away with it?" Rocky hisses. "Did you really think we wouldn't find out?"

Axel searches his face, desperate to know what his friend was talking about. "Find out what? What are you talking about?"

Rocky's anger reaches a high. As if Axel wouldn't know. And seeing him here with Jess just made it worse. "I don't know why they let you out." His tone is full of the anger and betrayal he felt as his fist balls up at his side. "Someone like you deserves..." His words trail off as his temper gets the best of him.

Before Axel can even react, Rocky's knuckles meet his mouth in a hard right. He's hit with such force that he's knocked out of his chair and sprawls on the floor, dazed. Blinking, he puts a hand to his bleeding lip and looks up to Rocky with the look of a hurt and confused child who might have just been slapped for no reason. Tears would have come, had it not been for the confusion, and he looks wildly to Jess, then back to Rocky. He was too confused to try getting up just yet, afraid another punch would be thrown in his direction.

Rocky rubs his knuckles, knowing that he shouldn't have hit anybody, but he was so upset, and with someone he'd thought he knew.

Moving to the side, he keeps himself between Axel and Jess in a protective stance. "The truth is out, Axel. You've spent time behind bars and thought you could keep it a secret."

Axel's face pales, fear flashing through his eyes. They knew. No... how could they? This couldn't be happening. "Rocky, please." His tone is one of begging. Not here... not in front of Jess. "Please don't do this."

But Rocky wasn't about to let this one go. Not something as big as this. He looks to Jess grimly, though his expression is partially one of apology. He didn't want this information to hurt her, but greater yet, he didn't want Axel to hurt her. His eyes fall back to Axel. "I'm sorry. But I won't ignore anyone convicted of rape."

Axel felt as though he would be sick. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Jess, and his eyes finally fall from Rocky's. Picking himself up off the floor, he wipes his lip again, smearing blood on his hand. What he felt was pure devastation. He couldn't even begin to imagine the consequences of this scene.

His head down, he shoulders past Rocky, heading for the door, but a strong arm stops him.

Rocky's glare shows his own hurt and confusion mixed with the anger. "Touch Taylor or Jess again, and you'll pay."

Axel swallows hard. He had no fight. He had no way to argue or defend himself. He couldn't fight the truth. Hanging his head again, he goes for the door. Within seconds, his car is driving away.

Rocky watches to make sure he's gone before looking back at Jess. "I'm sorry," he apologizes quietly. His eyes show genuine care and concern. "Are you okay?"