Misconceptions & Hitchhikers

Hêl'ia …

Jericho strode into the main hall looking for his sister as he passed the other rooms of their home. Finally arriving at the circular room their Mother had almost always gravitated to he found Valkyrie kneeling by the pools edge. The white skirt of her dress pooled about her legs and on the silver tray before her smoked the shiny rune.

"What are you doing?" Jericho asked stopping a few feet away.

"Making the first rune." Valkyrie replied without looking up from her work. The silver wire bent and looped looking like some liquid snake. "I can trace her path, Jericho. Brief moments but its possible." Her breaths came slow, voice softer than usual. "It's difficult and this is the first time I've found a trace since she's been gone."

"What do you mean?" Jericho frowned at the rune tilting his head as it began to resemble something… "Are you-?"

"The Sea Horse." Valkyrie revealed. There was a tiny burst of light and then the shimmering rune rested on the platter. Thin tendrils of smoke wafting from its perfect surface reflecting the late sun. "We need to remind her, Jericho."

"Water…" of course, it would make sense. Their mother was a water Fury, the sea horse was on the metal cuff Valkyrie had made for her birthday and it was a water animal. They'd both encountered many on their daily swims as children. While then, the twins had been able to ride on their backs; at 20 they were too old and too big to ride the frolicsome creatures of their world.

"We need to be careful." He warned unnecessarily.

"It's ready to go." Valkyrie looked up at him expectantly and Jericho dropped to his knees in front of her. They took a deep breath, excitement and anxiety coursing through each. Extending their hands over the rune, the warm glow lit their skin. They began to murmur the words, Valkyrie guiding them in their mother's general direction and Jericho focusing on the memories.

The tray shuddered, clattering against the marble floor then a bright flash lit the circular room. Both twins jerked their hands away from the tray wincing and casting a glare at the other.

"What was that?" Valkyrie demanded as she gripped her scalded palm.

"How am I supposed to know?" Jericho grouched passing a faintly blue glowing hand over his own palm.

"You think they know?" Valkyrie wondered holding her hand out to be healed even though it was a minor burn. "Maybe intended it to be like a slap on the hand?"

Jericho snorted passing his blue hand over the palm of his sisters. He didn't know if the Od VaiLumen had sensed their interference but if they were all knowing then the Gods had let them get this far.

Would the Gods let them go further?

"I don't know but you better get rid of everything. We don't want to get caught."

"Right," Valkyrie nodded already picking up the tray and the assortment of metals she'd gathered on it. "Because that would be bad."

Jericho rolled his eyes at his sister's sarcastic tone. Their Mother always said she got it form their father, the sarcasm but Jericho wondered if it were just a little of their Mom as well.

'I wonder who I'm more like?' he thought but having very little knowledge of his father Jericho couldn't say for sure.

"Jericho," Valkyrie called. "Kast came by. He said you've been going out of Hêl'ia a lot lately. He asked me where to."

"You didn't tell him." But knowing his sister she might have done that just to make his sweat a bit.

"Not this time but you need to be careful, more than usual when you go visit Grandfather and Bastián." She made a face. He couldn't blame her for being upset with their brother after the things he'd said to them but they hadn't exactly arrived at the best time.

"No worries and I think I've made some progress with our brother." Jericho said standing up.

"You what?" Valkyrie sidled up to him.

"I talked to him today and I told him what we're doing." Jericho grinned well pleased with himself. "He wants to help."

"Help?" Valkyrie repeated wondering what exactly Sebastián could do that they couldn't do already. He was just a boy, a regular human boy because he'd been born well before their Mother ever found the Rune's. "Whatever you're planning don't." she ordered glaring at her brother.

"Did you just…?" but there was no doubt. Valkyrie was getting up on her bossy horse and he was just going to have to knock her down from there.

"As if he weren't angry enough with us already." Valkyrie threw her hands up and started to pace. "You telling him he can help us find Mom is only going to make it worse when-."

"Like your search for the Slayer." Jericho tossed at her and watched her start to nod in acquiescence before his words registered in her brain. "Before you start denying how much trouble that's going to get us both in," Jericho strode towards the window and leaned on the wall looking out at the ocean. "Because that's the way it usually works, you should know there's something different about big brother." He turned away from the view to look at his sister. A faint breeze blew in ruffling the medium length black strands which he shook out of his eyes. The smile was satisfied and Valkyrie hated that her brother knew more than she did. "Mom left him protected."

"Mom left everyone protected." Valkyrie glowered. "The Hyperion is secured by a three element Fury. The Lord of Fire himself found tearing apart Mom's shields 'troublesome' as he put it."

As usual Jericho found himself having to get his sisters attention and slow her down.

"Big brother is marked."

Valkyrie stopped mid sentence and stared, head tilted and obviously paying attention.

"He asked Mom and she gave him the 'Protection' rune."

"When? How? Why?" the questions spilled out of his sister so fast he almost laughed but then there would be arguing because Valkyrie would think he was laughing at her which… yeah he would be laughing at her.

"Before he went to live with Dad when LA was under perpetual night." Jericho answered ignoring the unimportant questions.

"That's why he felt a little different from Grandfather." Valkyrie mused; a slight smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "He can help."

W

Riverdale, North Carolina

Driving alongside the Croatan National Forest lent a little bit of peace to her troubled mind. Even a state away with no way of knowing if she was being followed the worry wasn't all that easy to just put aside. So watching the trees flash past as she sped up did a bit to help her ignore that worry. At least until the blond waif darted across the road in front of her car.

"Hijo de puta!" Jaden slammed on her brakes cursing as she swerved to avoid the crazy woman. She could hear Roque's half bark, half whine in the back seat but was too busy downshifting and keeping control of the Mustang to offer any comfort.

Jaden managed to stop, the car straddling both lanes of the deserted highway and smudges of tire treads marked the path of her efforts.

"Son of a bitch. She's crazy!" Jaden ground out and then the crazy girl was running towards the Mustang. There was no mistaking the long bowie knife in her hand or the wet clothes but even a dunking in water hadn't gotten rid of the blood.

'Get out or take off?'

Those were her two choices and time was not her friend. Roque bounded into the passenger seat obscuring her view of the blond but she wasn't going to leave. Jaden reached under her seat and pulled out the Browning Baby she kept strapped under her ass for occasions when getting to the trunk was just not smart. Slapping the clip in Jaden opened her door and jumped out.

"Whoa there!" Jaden warned aiming over the top of the Mustang. The blond skidded to a halt. She stared at the gun for a second before looking back at the woods over her shoulder. "Who's blood's on you?"

"It's not mine." The straggly blond stammered.

"I figured." Jaden snapped with an exasperated roll of her eyes. "Who's is it?"

How dense were people anyway?

"The-." She seemed to catch herself and looking at Jaden considered her words carefully. "I- an- animal. It was some animal- I didn't get to see it that well."

'Right and I'm a fish.' The thought startled her. Where had that come from? Then she couldn't get rid of the movie theme playing in her head. 'The Little Mermaid'. Jaden pushed that out of her mind and glared at the shivering blond.

"What were you doing in the woods? I mean it's practically in the middle of nowhere-."

"Look, I- I could use a ride into Riverdale." She cut in annoying Jaden more than she'd already been. "Its not far, just twenty miles down the road."

Jaden laughed.

'This chic runs out of the woods and into the road, almost gets run over and she's got a death grip on that bloody knife asking for a ride into town?'

Jaden shook her head, un-amused by the crazy girl.

'She really thinks I'm some fucking moron.'

The thought rankled her because she didn't like being taken for a fool.

"What makes you think I'm letting some crazy white girl get in my car? Especially one hanging onto a bloody knife." There was more attitude in that sentence than was needed but Jaden was having a bad week and she hadn't asked for this pit stop.

"Crazy whi-." The blond bit her lip and took a calming breath. It was obvious who needed who more. "My name's Jo. Jo Harvelle and…" she didn't know what else to say, at least what wouldn't sound crazy but the brunette was holding a gun on her. "And I'm soaked, its freezing out here-." But there was no moving the brunette.

Jo glanced at the gray shape in the passenger window and realized there was a dog sitting there. "You got a dog- a pit."

Jaden noticed the lack of barking from Roque and frowned. He shoulda been barking like mad but sparing a glance inside the Mustang she found him sitting in the passenger seat with his tongue hanging out.

"Que fregados te pasa?" she asked him but he barely huffed in her direction. He did raise a paw to the window, his nails clicking against the glass.

"I'm no threat." Jo said between chattering teeth.

"So they all say and then it's…" Jaden clamped her mouth shut foregoing the mention of holy water and exorcisms and appraised the blond. She wasn't that much older than herself with long blond hair, like wheat. If there was any one who could fall into the 'pixie' description it would be the little blond standing in the middle of the road.

"Christo." Jaden said but there was no flinch, no sign of demon possession and there was no doubt of the word not being heard.

The brown eyes were light in shade, like a glass of whisky lit by the sun and they narrowed. Her brow was furrowed but Jaden attributed it to the shivering of wet clothes. The girl was pretty and though her lips were turning a light shade of blue there was no doubt in Jaden's mind that 'Jo' could get a guys attention with that little pout.

"Put the bowie in the back seat- ah!" Jaden stepped around the open door and shook her head. "Slow and easy, kiddo."

Jo took offense at being referred to as 'kiddo' but seeing as she was left car-less and most likely followed by the Nix, kept her mouth shut and moved slowly.

"Roque." Jaden snapped and the gray shape immediately returned to the back seat. She watched Jo open the door and toss the bloody knife on the floor, not without a few grimaces of protest but the blond said nothing.

Why Jaden was taking the girl into town was beyond her but she wasn't a demon, 'least not one of the regular ones and then Roque wasn't putting up a fight either? Jaden let out a frustrated breath and waved the blond into the Mustang. "Take a seat."

Jo watched the brunette round the front of the car, her movements precise but somehow natural and a flash of envy passed through Jo for the warm fuzzy boat-neck sweater the brunette wore. The gun was cradled in a slim hand, finger kept away from the trigger for safety. Jo doubted it would take long for the brunette to get off a shot if she had to. Over her shoulder the dog huffed a couple soft barks then stuck his head between the seats as she got in.

"Atento, Roque." She said then pushed his snout back. "Earn your dinner, baby."

Jo said nothing as the brunette cranked the heater, thankful for the warmth. The loud purr of the engine as it turned over reminded her of the Impala but thoughts of its owner were forcibly shut away. There was no point in 'what if' or 'maybe'. The fact was, he never called and Jo wasn't about to throw herself at any man.

"What's your name?" Jo asked glancing at the woman driving in order to shut thoughts of the past away. She could feel them speed up as her back pressed into the leather seat. The woman was silent, the red lips pulling slightly as she decided whether to answer or not. Jo took a good look, admiring the healthy glow to the woman's skin. It was like sunshine; her hair was inky black and fell in waves down her back and over her shoulders. The woman had high cheekbones, a smattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose and the dark eyes were framed by long lashes. There was little make-up Jo could see. The red lip-stick, some light shimmer on her eyes and black kohl but it was enough to accentuate the shape of her eyes. Almond shaped but slightly angled-.

"Jaden."

Jo raised her brow, surprised the woman had answered the question. The gun still rested in her lap, within easy reach of her hand which she kept on her thigh.

"Thanks." Jo said softly. "For the ride."

"Sure." Jaden replied still not looking at the blond.

Questions started floating about Jo's brain. First regarding the Nix and her disastrous encounter with it. She could've died and all because she'd thought to be prepared.

'Obviously I wasn't well prepared for this.'

The truth was, Jo hadn't known what to expect from the fairytale creatures. Even the idea that it could possibly be a Nix had seemed ridiculous to her because according to the stories they chose to drown men. Very rarely did a Nix take the form of a male but that's exactly what happened when she'd trudged out to the woods and parking alongside the river? Well, that had been the worst idea she'd ever had!

The junker of a car, the rust bucket that had gotten her from California and that- what exactly did you call a city living in perpetual night and over run by vampires?

'Cut to Riverdale, North Carolina and it's sucked into the river.'

There was no getting it back now and the worst part was she'd have to stick around the town for a couple of weeks to get some cash together. Jo was thankful she'd left most of her things in the hotel room, that included a duffel full of weapons because no one was ever going to see that car again or anything in it.

"Christo." Jo repeated then turned to Jaden with a little frown on her face.

"Kazuntait." Jaden replied after an uncomfortable moment. She chanced a look at Jo from the corner of her eyes and found the blond staring at her.

"I didn't sneeze." Jo said but Jaden could see the girl's brain working to figure things out.

"Well, guess I'm hearing things in my old age then." Jaden gave a perfunctory smile and faced the road again. The sign on the side of the road listed Riverdale with ten miles and relief was the dominant emotion.

"You said 'Christo'." Jo corrected facing Jaden.

"Huh, didn't notice." Jaden shrugged still paying no attention to Jo and wishing the girl would stop talking or at the very least stop asking questions without asking them.

"Is there a reason…?"

"For what?" Jaden played dumb, her hand on the steering wheel guiding the Mustang around the curve.

"A reason you said it." Jo frowned.

"Said what?" Jaden asked barely glancing at the wet blond in her passenger seat.

"Christo!" Jo huffed beyond exasperated with the simple question Jaden wouldn't answer but that only made Jo more curious as to why.

"No, not really." Jaden said. "I could've easily said 'Jesus' or 'Christ' cus that's the literal translation." She turned to the blond with another smile. "You did happen to notice I'm a beaner, didn't ya?"

Jo's mouth opened and closed at that last comment/question not sure if the brunette was having fun at her expense.

Jaden laughed, more like a soft chuckle seeing the incredulous look on the little blond. She kept her eyes on the road watching as the town of Riverdale came into view. It was like any other town she'd been in so far, small town anyway. All the houses were either one or two story square abodes. Wrap around porches on some, huge trees in the yard and a couple picket fences.

"You don't look older than twenty-one or two." Jo said once they were into town but there was something about Jaden that gave the impression of her being older than that.

"You look like a baby." Jaden replied with an amused smile. "It's probably all that blond hair and the little pout. Bet guys just love hitting on you." She didn't say she'd left 'twenty-one or two' behind at least three years before but for Jaden it felt as if she'd left the innocence of youth far behind a long, long time before that.

"Baby?" Jo repeated not sure if she should be offended by that. "Yeah, guys hit on me." her eyes roamed over Jaden again. "You should know all about that."

Jaden shrugged as if it didn't matter one way or another. That gesture more than anything the woman could've said spoke volumes.

"I've had my share of drunken proposals." Though she refrained from mentioning the latest bed buddy she couldn't seem to shake. "Though I'd think you were too young to be allowed in a bar."

"I'm twenty three, that's old enough." Jo replied looking out the windshield.

"Just a baby, like I said." Jaden repeated softly. The look she threw at Jo told her the words weren't meant as an insult but it still bothered Jo. "Where do I drop you?"

"Riverdale Inn." Jo answered deciding it was better to take the comment and not ask more questions.

Jaden said nothing but the fact the girl was staying in a hotel definitely added to the curiosity Jo was turning out to be.

One, Jo burst out of the woods twenty miles out of town hanging onto a bloody bowie knife.

Two, She had a weird need to know why Jaden had said Christo.

Three, And she hadn't asked about Jaden's gun or why she still had it within reach.

Pulling up to the Riverdale Inn Jaden noticed the old styled home, three stories with red tiled shingles on the roof. There were French styled windows facing towards them and a long veranda all along the front of the Inn. Flower baskets hung at each post but nothing was in bloom. Jaden didn't expect any pretty flowers not when it was so close to Christmas and practically freezing. She was amazed Jo hadn't succumbed to hypothermia what with her wet clothes still being wet.

"Guess you're not a local." Jaden stated pulling up to the front doors.

"Passing through." Jo revealed then stepped out of the Mustang. "Thanks again." She closed the door and skipped up the front steps hurrying inside to the warmth of her room. A shower, that's what she wanted and after that…

Jaden watched the little blond hurry inside a bit curious but she pulled into the street. She was heading out of town, away from- from what?

They couldn't be following her. They had no idea where she was going or where she'd pop up next. Hell, she didn't know where she was going just that she had to keep going, had to keep moving.

A soft whine brought her attention back and glancing in the rearview mirror saw Roque's head bobbing.

"What?" she asked. "You ready to tell me why you weren't barking at the crazy white girl we almost ran over?" for answer he barked earning an eye roll from Jaden. "Now he barks."

Riverdale Inn…

Jo reluctantly stepped out of her hot shower and wrapped herself in the hotel towel. She wrapped another around her head and walked into the room to grab her clothes. A shiver went through her body and then she sneezed, three in a row as she stood beside the bed.

"Shit." Jo muttered hoping she wasn't heading for a cold or worse. Grabbing the blue long sleeved cotton shirt and dry jeans she started to dress.

"Shit." Her hand stopped as she reached to her head where the towel was already slipping off. "My knife."

How had she completely forgotten it was in the back seat?

Jo's first instinct was to rush out of her room and go after the woman but it had been over an hour already. There was no way Jo would find the brunette or her knife.

"Damn, I liked that one." Jo grumbled some more, especially since her store of weapons was greatly diminished thanks to the Nix. Heading into the bathroom she dried her hair relishing the heat from the blow dryer. Thirty minutes later Jo headed downstairs to the lobby, a warm flannel shirt over the t-shirt and her jean jacket to keep her warm. It was time to get a bus ticket and get back to her regular paying job.

"Jo."

Jo turned around, startled to hear her name. A frown lined her face as she saw who'd called her.

Jaden sat on the uncomfortable settee, a bright peach and gold patterned upholstery that was giving her a headache with its garish design. She wondered if the rooms were as bad because the lobby was full of the pretentious antiques.

"Forgot something." She told the blond easily sliding to her feet, the long black coat shifted and from under the seat Roque slipped out to sit at her side. Jaden withdrew a black cloth bag from the deep pocket and held it out to Jo. "I was already out of town when I realized I still had this."

Jo took the bag, parted the top and saw the hilt of her knife. She smiled.

"Figured it was lost." Jo said.

"It has good balance, nice weight, sharp… perfect for strolling in the woods full of big bad… animals." Jaden could see a little color pool in Jo's cheeks.

"Thank you. For bringing this back to me." Jo said half turning away but not able to walk off. It was somehow rude but Jo didn't usually care about being rude to people, especially not one's she'd never see again.

"You looked flushed." Jaden said suddenly, her demeanor completely different. "You should get some Vick's, rub it in your chest, neck and soles of your feet. Drink something warm as well and hole up in your bed for the day." She turned and headed for the doors, the dog at her heels. "Stop that cold from completely knocking you out."

Jo watched her leave, brow furrowed and then she sneezed. Again. Stuffing the cloth bag in her pocket Jo headed out of the Inn. She needed to get going, get back and start on buying another car, replenishing her stock of weapons… There would be another hunt and taking a bus wasn't going to work.

Los Angeles, California

Jericho sat opposite his Dad. The conversation wasn't your typical Father / Son talk but nothing in his family was typical, at least not by Earth human standards.

"I know you don't understand Mom's reaction." Jericho said. The look in his Father's eyes was unmistakable. Guilt, remorse, anger- a torrent of emotions with no outlet. At least not the one he needed because hunting only helped so much…

"She didn't let me explain. Phade wouldn't even speak to me-." Ryan just couldn't understand the lack of emotion from his wife. Anger he could deal with. Phade yelling- accusing him, that he could understand but she did nothing-.

'No, that's not true.'

Because Phade had him served with the divorce papers and threatened him with an annulment when he refused to sign.

"Mom was pissed when she found out." Jericho revealed. He remembered her barely restrained anger, Tane's steady presence and Iliana along with Rae who helped Phade work past it, her husband's betrayal. Both women knew better than most what it was like to be torn away from their normal lives and thrust into the war between the Powers. Jericho had always felt there was more to why the two Fury's sought out his Mother.

"She-." Ryan didn't know how Phade had learned of his mistake. He could wish she'd never known, that he hadn't- or could hide-.

It didn't matter; all he wanted was to make things right with her. He realized it must've been Phade… the figure in his room when Jessy- the burst of flames and the fiery exit.

"It wasn't Mom." Jericho said drawing Ryan out of the memory. "That time." Jericho fidgeted suddenly uncomfortable. "You'll find Valkyrie to be rather impulsive-."

"Your sister?" Ryan gaped. "That was your sister when-." Ryan closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he had two children let alone that they were adults but knowing that his daughter caught him-. He shook his head because something like that could scar a child for life!

"She thought it would make a difference. That Mom…" Jericho trailed off, nothing was going to change their Mother's mind. Betrayal wasn't something she was known to forgive. Not with the life she'd had so far. He wondered if she would consider her Guardian's lack of assistance a betrayal.

"I never would've-. Jericho…" Ryan wanted his kids to know he wasn't the type of man that could do something like that, throw away his family. Ryan couldn't be that heartless. "I'd never hurt your Mother. Not purposely- I couldn't…"

But that's exactly what he'd done. He could see that in his son's eyes. There was no denying it and what was Ryan's excuse? It seemed a paltry thing, blaming it on the Slayer's and their lie.

Phade was dead.

They told him she was dead and though he refused to believe it the pain of her absence couldn't be ignored.

"It doesn't matter now." Jericho said quietly watching his Father. "Finding Mom-."

Ryan's head rose, the look in the dark hazel eyes full of indignation, anger and guilt. "It matters to me!" his voice was harsh, raw emotions threaded into the words. His son didn't believe him, didn't believe Ryan was being truthful. "I thought your Mother was gone- dead."

"You were mourning. I know." Jericho replied sitting calmly across from his Father. "Mother knows as well. Once the anger abated, when time passed she could see-."

"Then why?" Ryan asked, almost demanding the answer from his son.

"Because she can't forget what she saw." Jericho replied frustrated with his father's need to figure out something that was done. "Because it was still a betrayal and you know Mom."

Ryan nodded, he knew Phade all too well, how she'd pushed away from him, kept herself guarded… yes, he knew her.

"That's the one thing she can't forgive." Jericho said.

"I still love her." Ryan answered. There was silence between them and seeing his Father slumped in the chair, obviously repentant and longing…

"For you it's only a year since this…" Jericho sighed. "Mom's had a couple centuries to get over this, to deal with what she saw."

Ryan blinked. Centuries? He shook his head, unwilling to believe or able to grasp how so much time had passed for her but there was his son. By all rights he should've been a newborn not an adult able to talk and walk-.

"Valkyrie thinks you can change Mom's mind. With her help, of course." Jericho shrugged. He'd told her it was a waste of time but his sister was adamant, she wanted their parents together. Valkyrie thought they deserved to have some 'happily ever after' because their lives held so much uncertainty.

All Jericho let himself think of was finding her, finding their Mother was his main concern after that was done… then, then he could wish for something else, as long as his Mother was happy…

"What do you think?" Ryan questioned. He kept his gaze on his son trying to gauge his true feelings but Jericho's face was inscrutable.

"I think we need to find Mom." Jericho answered.

W