Something's Missing

by Becky Sky

“Please, Jay, don’t forget that life is too precious to waste worrying about one thing. There are other things worth caring and worrying about too.”

Something's Missing

A/n: Song is by Brian Mello.

Rain pattered against the windows, streaming down in an intricate pattern on the glass. Gusts of wind pounded against the sides of the brownstone, causing the china cabinet in the kitchen to rattle precariously. Outside, trees bent to the storm's demands, reminding Jay of the giants bowing to Cronus' every whim.

Yes, even then Jay couldn't get his mind off the god of time who had changed his life forever: The god with the salt and pepper hair, cruel amber eyes, and sly smile. He always had a trick up his sleeve, and Jay wanted to have the ability to counter his every move.

But it was a difficult thing to do alone. Jay grimaced from where he lay sprawled out on his bed, miniature models of ships floating above his chestnut head. A notebook was open in front of him, and he was chewing the end of his pencil furiously. Instead of focussing on the unfinished biology homework at his bedside table, he was trying to figure out a plan of attack against Cronus. He looked over his diagram, and was surprised to see that he hadn't drawn a plan of attack at all. Large green eyes sparkled at him from the page. Long fiery locks curled around slender, wiry shoulders, and a small, full mouth gave him a big grin.

He quickly turned the page, determined not to be distracted, and continued pondering without a second thought. But the first one he wanted to protect kept niggling at him, trying, even when she wasn't there, to get him to relax and think of something else for awhile.

Jay wasn't to be trifled with, though. It made him angry. He didn't glance back at the other page once, although he knew he was itching to, just to see her portrait. But she wasn't here to really grin at him, to get him to see another side to life that he kept trying to forget. She was at her home, spending time with her father.

Who's a lot like you. Her parting words with him echoed in his mind, bugging him for her in her bodily absence. Ignoring them as best he could, he tried going over a battle plan he had thought up weeks ago during another rainy day.

"Herry would rush him with Odie's weapons, trying to distract him. I'd help, and make sure everything went to plan. Then Atlanta and Archie would take a rope, and, using their speed, bind it around him. Theresa would use her powers to make sure he couldn't escape it, and Neil would use his luck to get close enough to Cronus to help her hold him. Odie's portal would then transfer him to Tartarus. It's perfect!"

"Jay, you have got to relax!" said a voice from behind him, and he jumped, startled. Whirling around so quickly he fell off his bed, he landed with a crash on the floor and looked up into a very determined-looking Atlanta's hazel eyes. Behind her, just as resolute, stood Herry, Odie, Neil, and Archie. They stared menacingly down at him.

"If you won't relax, you're going to get worry lines before you're eighty!" Neil cried, rushing to help Jay stand. "That's not good," he advised.

Atlanta and Archie rolled their eyes at each other in harmony. "What Neil means, Jay," Atlanta explained helpfully, "Is that if you keep acting as though Cronus were the only thing important in life, you're going to forget everything that makes you yourself."

He stared at her blankly. Groaning in exasperation, she turned to Odie. "Your turn."

Odie grinned. "What Atlanta meant, my friend, is that you're going to forget how to be a kid."

Jay blinked in shock. "But, but… we're heroes," he stuttered. "We have to grow up fast."

"No we don't," Herry argued. "We can still have fun. We can still have lives."

"While the world burns," Jay countered bitterly.

Archie began, "The world won't burn because we decide to live and fight, you know…"

His obstinate friend glared at him. "But it will while we're busy mooning over girls, going on dates, getting distracted." Archie cheeks turned pink, and he swept a hand over his violet hair, nervously shooting a glance at his red-haired friend beside him. But she was oblivious to his predicament. She was too busy turning on her heel in disgust and taking out her PMR.

"We're going to need help in this fight," she said. Then she grinned wickedly, and for a scary moment she reminded the guys of the evil god of time himself. She held up her PMR, waving it around in emphasis. "Time to call in reinforcements, men."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A musical number rang out at a girl's night table, and in the upholstered bed beside it, legs and arms tangled as she scrambled to reach the tiny device. She tumbled out of bed, flipping open her PMR and gasping for breath. "What's up?" Theresa asked breathlessly. "Is it Cronus?"

"Nope, it's Jay," Atlanta's voice responded from over the other line. "He's obsessing."

"As usual," Theresa sighed. Folding her blanket neatly, she said into the PMR, "I'll be home, I mean, at school, tomorrow."

"The visit was that bad, eh?"

"What?"

"You called the brownstone home."

"Yeah, I guess." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger sadly. "Dad was… really busy, that's all. It's nothing new. I'm used to it by now."

"No you aren't. Or else you wouldn't be trying to help Jay," Atlanta pointed out. "You have a big heart, Theresa." Then she hung up.

Theresa sat staring at the gadget in her hand. Maybe she's right. Maybe I'm not used to Dad being so preoccupied. Then another thought occurred to her. Have I actually tried to change that? As she continued to think, an idea formed in her mind worthy of the great Odysseus himself.

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The next morning, Jay tossed and turned in bed as a door slammed downstairs. Shrieks of joy drifted up from the living room, and he moaned and covered his face with his pillow. For once, he wanted to sleep in, but only because he knew that once he got up, the others would ambush him about being fanatical about his job as hero.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Theresa opened it and walked in without waiting for his answer. A gentle breeze from his skylight wafted through the room, tugging at her hair playfully. The sun shone through and he was forced to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey, Jay," she said cheerfully, hurrying to his window and throwing the curtains aside to let the sun pour through, illuminating her high cheekbones and creamy skin. "How are you doing?" Of course, the question was rhetorical, because she already knew. "Listen, Jay," she continued. "I want you to come home with me to meet my dad. It might do you both some good. Hera said that you could take three days off. And no arguing," she added before jay could protest. She grabbed his yellow and purple polo shirt and threw it him. "Get packing."

She giggled then. "Oh, and nice boxers." Turning, she hurried out of the room, still giggling to herself. Jay's ears were red as he glanced down at his yellow happy face boxer shorts. They laughed and smiled up at him from white cotton.

He sighed and subjected himself to the tedious job of packing enough clothes to last him three days. Three pairs of underwear, a pair of boxer shorts for his pyjamas, three pairs of his baggy jeans, and three different shirts, two t-shirts and one long-sleeved shirt. Adding a coat into his suitcase, he slammed it shut and was about to leave when something caught his eye. It was a photograph on his bedside of his mom and him when he was ten. They were at a convention for Greek mythology nerds, and he was dressed up as Jason, and his mother as Hera, Jason's patron goddess. It seemed like so long ago.

Mom would have loved Theresa, he thought. They're both so alike, telling me to get my head into life and out of my own self-misery.

Clutching the photo to his heart, he decided to add one more thing to his suitcase.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Bye, guys," Theresa was saying as Jay strode down the stairs. She was hugging Atlanta and Archie, whispering something in their ears. She turned to Neil, Herry, and Odie and gave them each a hug. "We'll see you soon."

They turned to Jay and wished him well, hugs exchanged in the process. Then the two teens walked out to Theresa's car, Herry coming behind them with all of Theresa's packages. "Sorry, Herry," she said sheepishly, and suddenly the boxes flew out of his hands and into her trunk, which slammed shut with a bang. He stared at her, eyes wide in awe. Shrugging uncomfortably, she asked, "What?"

"You, you, did that," he stuttered. Jay bit back a laugh. Herry snapped out of his shock and gave them a grin, although his eyes were still wide with wonder. "See you later, guys."

"Bye!" An engine rumbled as she started the little red convertible, and they zoomed out of the parking garage. Her hair whipped into his face and he swiped it away. "Umm, Theresa could you maybe think about tying your hair back?"

"At the next stoplight," she replied. As soon as they reached it she quickly rummaged in her purse and came up with a ponytail, which she used to quickly tie back her fiery red locks. "You know," she said as they continued to drive, "I've been thinking about cutting it… really short. It's too annoying when I'm doing yoga. It always gets in my face."

"Don't!" Jay said quickly. "It's really…" His voice trailed off as he realized she had him in a trap. She smiled at him innocently.

"What is it?"

"Pretty," he replied weakly, blushing. She smiled.

"That's nice. I'll consider not cutting it."

They didn't say anything else for a while, driving past spruce trees and marshland in complete silence. As farms turned back to city, the horizon sported the large buildings of an airport. Motors revved above their heads as incoming planes prepared to land, and the car turned into the large parking lot. They gathered their things and headed to get their tickets.

After going through customs and being cleared, they headed to the sitting area where they would wait to be loaded into the plane. Sitting down next to each other, they sat quietly. Beside them an elderly lady was knitting socks, and she glanced up to smile at them. "Such youth," she murmured. "It's wonderful to see two such young people together. You make such a cute couple."

"Oh, uh, we're not…" Theresa began hesitatingly, sneaking a look at Jay, who shook his head emphatically.

"We're just friends," he said quickly, giving Theresa a little smile. She returned it, although something in her sagged with disappointment.

The lady just smiled and shook her head, as though she knew better than they did. As they stared at each other awkwardly, she bowed her head over their work. Wanting to be friendly, Theresa turned to make small talk, only to find that the lady had vanished. She grabbed Jay's arm and squeezed it hard.

"She's gone," she said lowly, and he frowned.

"I wonder who she was."

"Or what she was." Theresa shuddered, images of the different monsters they'd faced together through the years parading through her mind.

"Do you think she worked for Cronus?" Jay whispered, and she immediately whirled around and slapped him across the face.

"Ouch! What the heck was that for?" he hissed.

"She was just an old lady, for gods' sake," Theresa snapped. "She could have been one of the gods disguised. Like Aphrodite."

"Aphrodite, knitting?" Jay wanted to laugh at the thought. But Theresa was riled up now.

"Yes. Not everything mysterious we see has to do with Cronus," she explained as though she were talking to a little kid who didn't know anything.

Loud speakers announced the arrival of their flight, and she quickly got up and stalked away towards the loading docks. Jay hurried after her, still smarting from her slap. It tingled, but inside he knew he deserved it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It had been a few hours since they were on the plane, and Theresa was busy braiding her hair while she stared out the window. Jay tried to concentrate in his book about the Trojan War, but his eyes kept straying to stare worriedly at his friend. She was looking out the window mournfully, as though she dreaded seeing her dad again. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, or so he thought.

Setting his book aside, he poked her lightly in the arm. "Theresa, are you okay?" She blinked and turned to him.

"Oh, I'm just fine." But her tone of voice betrayed her. She was still miffed at him for mentioning Cronus.

"No, you're not," he insisted. She sighed and nodded.

"How did you know?" she asked sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. "What's up?"

"You already know parts of it."

"Listen, sorry for caring about the world."

"It's not that," she snapped. "It's forgetting about everything else important in life."

"Like?"

"Your family, your friends, yourself?" Her tone was bitter. "Me?"

He didn't answer. What was he supposed to say? Of course she was important to him, but…

"Uh…"

"Save it. You don't get it yet." She turned back to the window and didn't say another word for the rest of the ride.

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As soon as they reached land, Theresa rented a tiny two-seater with a big trunk for their things. She raced through the English countryside, passing sheep farms, moors, and hillside. Gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white, she drove with tight lips. Anger prickled in the air like lightning. He didn't dare say a word.

Suddenly a large, white sided house with yellow shutters came into view. A large yard sprawled in front, split in half by a curved drive. Flowers bloomed below the large windows in front. Trees towered above them, casting shade on the house.

"Home sweet home," she muttered to herself, but acid burned in her words.

They climbed out of the car and headed to the front door, where Theresa rang the bell. An elderly housekeeper opened the door, her face lighting up like a light bulb when she saw Theresa. "Theresa!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms round the girl and giving her a huge hug.

"Nana!" she said, embracing the motherly-looking woman. "I've missed you since yesterday!"

The woman smiled, crow's feet crinkling around her eyes. Her hair was black with grey streaking it. She looked to be about fifty-five years old, with a face only slightly lined by age. She was short, and she laughed heartily. "I've missed you too, dear."

"Is Dad here?" Theresa inquired. Nana's face darkened.

"Working in his study, as usual, darling. This way." Then she noticed Jay, and she grinned. "Who's your friend, Theresa?"

"This is Jay from school," she said briefly. "He's here to help Dad."

Nana's brows cocked inquisitively. "How?"

"By showing him a mirror of himself," she replied, and stepped through the door. Jay followed, carrying their things. Theresa snapped her fingers and they flew from his arms, following her as she walked down the dimly lit hall. Jay shot a glance at Nana, but the woman didn't make any comment.

"HEY DAD!" Theresa screeched, marching into her father's study. He was sitting at his desk, holding a mobile phone to his ear. Placing it down, he stared up at her in annoyance. "What is it, Theresa?"

"This is Jay. He's doing a project about entrepreneurs, and I thought of you. Could he help you with work and stuff?"

"Fine. But go ahead up to bed. He can take the guest bedroom."

Theresa and Jay headed upstairs into a bright hallway with seven doors lining it. Ancient people stared down at him from portraits, and Theresa stopped at a large oak door. "This is your room. I'll be next door if you need anything." She kept going down the hall and disappeared into her room, leaving him to pack.

Entering the room, Jay gasped. A large room opened up into a balcony. The walls were a light blue that reminded him of the ocean. Maps of the ancient Aegean Sea and Greece lined the walls, and when he looked up, he swore he could see stars twinkling overhead. He noted Orion, the Big and Little Dipper, and Andromeda.

"This is beautiful," he murmured. Everything felt as though it were specifically made for him.

"It is, isn't it?" said a voice. He swivelled to face Nana, who was looking around the room wistfully. "This used to be her father and mother's room. They were so in love; so full of life. Then she died, and he retreated into his job. He hasn't given Theresa much thought since."

Jay felt slightly bad for his friend. What does that have to do with me? He wondered.

She turned to face him, her big blue eyes pleading. "Please, Jay, don't forget that life is too precious to waste worrying about one thing. There are other things worth caring and worrying about too."

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Jay slept fitfully that night, thinking about the things that Nana had said. What other things were worth worrying about? Then Theresa's words came back to haunt him: friends, family, and… her. Theresa, with her large sparkling green eyes, full lips, and fiery red hair. His heart pounded faster inside his chest, and he felt a feeling that he had never felt before. He wanted her, needed her, but Cronus was in the way.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Jay, wake up, dear," Nana said, shaking him awake the next morning. "If you're going to help Theresa's father, you have to be up early."

Jay groaned and sat up in bed. "I'm not a morning person," he grumbled, waiting for Nana to disappear into his washroom to tidy it up before getting out of bed to dress.

"Well, that'll have to change by tomorrow," Nana replied optimistically from the bathroom. As Jay pulled a red t-shirt over his head, he thought of her words from the night before.

"Nana, when you were talking about other things worth worrying about, you were talking about Theresa, weren't you?"

Nana poked her head around the door, sighing. Her eyes were sad. "The little miss has had a hard life the past few years, ever since the Missus died. The poor girl started getting obsessed with death. She wore black, died her hair black, became moody. She changed."

Nana's voice broke, and Jay thought she'd start crying. "Her father ignored her for along time after her mother died, and he retreated into his job. He was always work-oriented, but he became worse. When Theresa most needed someone to love her, he wasn't there. I finally sent her off to learn karate. She found herself in that and gradually changed back to her old self. She had found a purpose. But something's still missing…" She peered at Jay, her eyes penetrating. "Maybe it's something she's trying to find in you."

Jay sat back on his bed, startled. "What… why?" he asked in a small voice.

"Theresa was always a… different… child. She saw things others did not. She could understand people better. Maybe there's something in you she sees that you don't see in yourself."

Jay was still trying to get over the fact of his preppy, cheerful Theresa as mournful and alone. "Maybe." Or maybe not.

"Well, I'd better be off, young Jay. The Master is waiting." With a sweeping curtsy, she skipped out of the room. Jay followed to find Theresa waiting for him in the hallway.

"Nana's quite a character," he managed. She nodded, smiling. But the smile didn't meet her eyes.

"She's a wonderful person. She was always there. And always will be." Abruptly, Theresa stopped and turned to Jay. "Remember whatever she told you. She's really wise." Then she led him downstairs to where her father was waiting.

"Dad, he's ready to go."

"That's good. Today we're going to visit one of the ranches I invested in. Bye Theresa." He waved at her and turned to climb into his truck. Jay idled beside her, watching uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot. Theresa gave him a little push. "Go already," she whispered in his ear.

Looking back, he saw her give him a small smile and head back into the house, dragging her feet dejectedly.

As the two started to drive down the country road, Jay was suddenly full of questions he needed answers for. "Umm, sir, I have a few questions. Why don't you and Theresa spend a lot of time together?" he blurted.

The man's brows knit together as he drove. His eyes were as green as Theresa's, and his hair was red as well, although his was streaked with grey. "I'm just… too busy," he admitted. "Ever feel as though you have too much responsibility, Jay? That the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and there's no time for anything else?"

Do I ever, Jay thought.

"Well, you probably wouldn't, but one day you might. Take my advice; I've learned from experience. Don't ever let that thing keep you from those who mean the most, or from just taking a break. I don't think I'll ever be able to have my daughter back. I've lost myself in my job, and that's dangerous. I lost my only child because of it."

Jay couldn't answer. His words sunk in too deeply, and he understood every word. It was as though he were talking to an older version of himself. I've been throwing everything important to the side because of one thing, when they all need my attention.

"Wait!" he cried suddenly. "Turn back!"

"What? Listen, Jay, I need to keep this appointment…"

"You can reschedule it. You can have Theresa back, I know it!"

He watched her dad carefully, and was shocked to see tears in the older man's green eyes. "My baby," he whispered. "What I wouldn't give to have her back."

Rubber screeched against the pavement as he did a quick U-turn and raced back down the road, past farms and meadows and forests. The mansion came into view, and they roared into the driveway. Bursting through the front door, Jay shouted, "Nana!"

The elderly lady appeared from the kitchen, in which she had been drying dishes. A dish rag was still in her hands, and she queried, "What's the matter?"

"Where's Theresa?"

"In her room, but…"

Jay dashed through the living room and up the large spiralling staircase. Footsteps pounded behind him from her father, and together they flew down the hall and into Theresa's room, where she was doing homework. Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened with surprise. "Jay? DADDY?" Jumping up, she ran towards him, arms outstretched. He caught her up in his arms and twirled her around. Shrieking with laughter, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"To apologize, Theresa. For ignoring you." Her father bit his lip. Grinning up at him, she said brightly, "So are we actually going to be a family?"

Staring down at her, he whispered softly, "You bet. I've been thinking of having someone younger take over the business, and just take a part-time job with them."

"You'd do that?"

"The thought's been with me for a long time, but this young man made me realize that it needs to happen. You deserve a better family than just yourself."

Jay smiled as the two embraced, and he shuffled out of the room to give them some time to talk alone. He shut the door quietly behind him.

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A little but later, she found him swinging back and forth on the tire swing outside. Her eyes sparkled with delight, and she leaned against the maple, watching him. "Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"No problem." They went back to a comfortable silence, but there was something else he needed to say.

"Theresa?"

"Hmm."

"This visit really helped me realize something too."

"What's that?"

"I need to make time for other important things. Like myself, my friends, family, and… you." She blushed and ducked her head down.

"And?"

He knew that he needed to say something else, but the words were stuck in his throat like honey. Butterflies fluttered around in his stomach, and he swallowed nervously.

"I really need you…"

"And?"

"I want there to be an 'us'…"

"And?"

"I love you!" he exclaimed finally. His face was probably as red as a ripe tomato, but he couldn't care. Finally, everything that needed to be said was said.

Theresa's face appeared in front of him, and she whispered, "I would say I love you too, but… you need to catch me first!" Pushing him off the tire swing, she darted away, laughing hysterically at his surprised look. Scrambling to his feet, he began to chase her.

"I'm going to get you!" Cutting her off as she raced around the tree, he caught her in his arms and said, "Say it."

"What?" she asked innocently, eyes twinkling.

"You know."

"I love you."

Kissing her forehead, he released her and took her hand. Walking towards the house, he felt that everything was finally perfect. Well, nearly. Cronus was still out there, but unpredictably, that wasn't what was bothering him.

"Theresa, what do you see in me?"

He expected something like bothersome, but lovable, or something corny like that. Instead, she said simply, "An admirable sense of good."

He didn't say anything to that. He was too incredibly happy. Planting a kiss on her lips, they decided to walk along under the stars for a while before heading back inside. He pointed out Orion, Andromeda, and Cygnus. While the stars twinkled merrily overhead, Jay got the gut feeling that everything was going to fine.

Slow down make it last
I'm having the time of my life
And take a photograph
I don't wanna leave this behind
What seemed so out of reach
We're holding it right in our hands
Let's give up everything

Let's jump in and never look back

Let's jump in and never look back

This is all I ever wanted
But life got in my way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't see how it could change
That something was missing until today

The city comes alive
As soon as you walk through the door
Another sleepless night
But I don't wanna sleep anymore
I don't wanna sleep anymore

This is all I ever wanted
But life got in my way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't see how it could change
That something was missing until today

Climbing so high
Just don't look down
We can see everything from here
For once in my life
Feet off the ground
I don't wanna come back down

So take a photograph
We're having the time of our life

This is all I ever wanted
But life got in my way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't see how it could change
This is all I ever wanted
Nothing will get in the way
You're all I ever wanted
I knew that somehow it could change
I didn't know what I was missing until… today