Goodnight

As Jason tunes up his guitar, he looks up quickly, hearing Katie's voice through the mic. His eyes sweep the room to find her, and he just looks at her for a moment. He would have thanked her... he would have said something back. But all he can do is look at her. He didn't know what to say anymore. Even if he tried, it would probably be the wrong thing. So he simply gives her a nod of acknowledgment.

All too soon, people start filing in, and it's time for the band to get in gear. The guys hang backstage for a moment of prayer before going out and Jen takes over the soundboard. Axel wasn't present tonight to help - no one had heard from him.

The lights dim and the music starts. The crowd loves JetStream as always. Jason's voice rings out clear, never hinting of the turmoil beneath the surface. Without Kyle, Phil is the one to make the most humor, along with Jason. The evening is full of music, laughter and clapping. Communication between Jason and Katie is minimal, if at all, other than him catching her eye every once in a while. The concert passes without any dangers.

By the time the band is cleaning and packing things up though, Jason is strung quite tightly. His nerves are high, his tolerance level and sugar are low. It finally becomes apparent to the rest of the band that something is bothering him, but when asked, he gruffly brushes them off. It wasn't worth a discussion. He just needed to get home and get some sleep or something.

Packing up, Jason is the first out the door. He would wait for Katie, then see if she wanted to go to Mom and Pops with the rest of them or not.

Fidgeting with his keys, he sits back in the truck seat, closing his eyes. Despite the evening being long and filled with many things, it was Katie's words that still rang in his mind. "You're hurting me, now let go!" His emotions churn and he puts a lid on some of them so they don't bother Katie too much yet. Just sitting in the quiet, he waits. It was strange to be at odds with Katie. They hadn't been like this since they'd first met. Were they just not going to get along anymore?


Trent's head snaps up, a look of something close to terror crossing his face before Thirteen finishes her goodnights.

Ryder looks at him and puts his hands up. He didn't know why she'd said that either.

Trent relaxes a little again. Apparently she didn't know.

Ryder stares at him a moment. "Go to her," he urges quietly.

"No." Trent shakes his head stubbornly. "I... I can't. I mean... no. She deserves better than me."

"There's not an ounce of judgment in her body," Ryder counters. "All she wants is a father's love."

"She needs to move on." Trent stands up from the table and finishes his coffee. "I should go."

Ryder sighs and nods. "Alright. Thanks for coming."

Trent heads for the front door, but stops, glancing into the living room where he sees a blanketed bundle curled up. As if being pulled, he moves in that direction instead, coming up alongside the couch. Reaching down, he places a hand on Thirteen's head for just a moment. "Goodnight," he whispers. Then he is gone.

Ryder watches Trent leave and shakes his head before locking up for the night. Going to Thirteen, he eases down to sit next to her, wanting to tell her goodnight. But he knew she'd been starting to get upset earlier. He takes her hand in his.

"You need anything before I go upstairs?"