Okay, so here is the real second last chapter! Okay, actually this is the last chapter of the story, but then there is the Epilogue that should not be forgotten. The story is nearing to an end, and it's almost over. Gosh, I can't help but feel a little sad to finish up this story. It was fun and rewarding to write this, and I'd never tried anything like this before, so it's my first time writing a proper story-fic. It'll be so weird not to rush to the computer and try to churn out another chapter, won't it? Anyway, I promise I won't end here, I'll always write more J/T stories, be rest assured. I'll always remember this fic and smile with fondness.(:

Chapter 10

Jay bit his lip solemnly as he stood outside her door, raising his hand to knock. Deciding that he had better not in case she was sleeping, he called out softly, "Theresa? Theresa, you awake?"

He wanted to check to see if she was okay - their battle with Cronus had been tiring and proved dangerous for his girlfriend. Also, he had something important to tell her. He needed to tell her something quickly before he backed out of it...

Hearing no answer, he hesitated and was about to retreat back to his room when the door suddenly swung open and a sleepy-looking Theresa in her normal light pink nightgown rubbed her eyes ruefully. Her sudden appearance almost made him jump in shock; thankfully he didn't or he might have woken up everyone on his floor.

"Hey, Jay, what's up?" Theresa murmured sluggishly, yawning a little.

"Uh, sorry, did I wake you?" Jay whispered back, a little fearful to wake someone else up.

Theresa yawned loudly again, covering her mouth, and she replied, "Well, no, I'm pretty tired but I can't sleep, unfortunately. Insomia, I guess. What is it?"

"Well, I need to talk to you about something," Jay said seriously, biting his lip again. "Can we go up to the roof and talk?"

Theresa nodded wordlessly as the two walked carefully up the roof, hoping that they hadn't woken anyone up yet.

--

No one was on the roof. It was a quiet, dark night, and the pitch black sky was set amidst twinkling, beautiful stars. A warm night breeze caressed their faces, and it was peaceful and tranquil, just like any other romantic occasion.

Theresa wandered over to the pot of flowers for the second time in that week. Squatting down, she looked rather amazed at the rose that they had planted. A few days ago, she had seen it wilting and about to die, but now it was slowly gaining back its life and its energy, as though it was regenerating. It was well on its way to becoming a healthy, beautiful rose again, just like the time when it had once been a ruby red rose which beauty possibly rivalled no other flower.

"Look," she breathed, pointing at the flower, "the rose that we planted - its not dying anymore!"

Jay looked on with a smile on his face, but the slight, worried frown was still stuck on his face. He sat down on the two-seater swing, patting the seat beside him, indicating for her to join him.

Theresa blinked at him, then slid into the seat beside him. "Isn't it a beautiful night?"

Jay nodded, his face almost expressionless save for his eyes that reflected his stony seriousness in them. "Look, Theresa, I need to tell you something -"

He cut himself on as he felt Theresa's warm body sidle up next to him and at the next moment, her soft head rested peacefully on his shoulder as she snuggled up to him comfortably, her orange curls spreading over his chest. He felt so comfortable and as though he really belonged with her, and he almost got distracted from what he wanted to say.

"Theresa..."

Theresa raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

Knowing she was probably expecting an "I love you" from him, he sighed and gave her what she wanted. "I love you."

He saw her face break into a gentle smile and she said softly, "I love you too, Jay."

Knowing he had to do this, he reluctantly broke away from her. He saw the hurt and confusion in her eyes and she sat, staring stupidly at him. "Theresa, we need to break up," Jay said. Seeing her eyes fall and a sad expression take over her face, he felt guilty and heartbroken too. It was just as hard for him to say something like this, no doubt.

"Whyy...? Why Jay?" Her quiet whisper could barely contain the hurt that was evident in her tone.

"Because... It's for your good. It's for our good. It's for our team's good. Did you see that today? Cronus knew we were dating and that's why he chose to attack you first. He wants to get at me through you, and now because of our relationship you're in danger. He knows you're important to me, and he aims to use that against me. And I can't let us do that. I can't let him use this to his advantage and put the whole team in danger, Theresa. We have to break up." Jay pursed his lips, trying not to meet her eyes, which he knew were full of tears.

"No... No, how can you say that? Jay, I can very well look after myself! So what if Cronus knows that? It doesn't matter, does it? Our love is stronger than what he's trying to do, isn't it? I know you think Cronus is your number one priority, but could you at least put me somewhere near your top ten? I was thinking maybe I could take your second or third place, but I'm so wrong there - Cronus takes number one, number two, number three, and all the way till the bottom! Isn't there any room for anyone other than your unrelenting obsession over Cronus!" As she talked, her voice grew louder and higher-pitched, as well as more upset.

"Theresa, please, don't be like that!" Jay answered desperately, cringing as he saw a tear fall off her cheeks. "It's not that I don't love you. It's for your own sake. He knows you're dear to me, and -"

"And?" Theresa's eyes flamed with anger and hurt. "And so I'm your weakness, and you don't want to have any? Everyone has their weaknesses, Jay, including you. Even Cronus has weaknesses. Can't you just accept your flaws and move on? Or am I just an extra baggage to you that you don't want to carry?"

Her words hit him like a tractor running over him. He didn't know what to say; he was left speechless and sitting there as he listened to Theresa continue.

"Jay, I don't know how you feel about yourself, but you're honestly a good leader. Everyone has their own flaws, but they also have their own strengths, including you. You just have to accept them as part of you and stop blaming yourself all the time. You're carrying the world on your shoulders, and it's time for you to put it down for a while, don't you think? I know it's a heavy duty to bear, and I'm not asking you to completely drop the ideals of defeating Cronus, but then it's time you made time for yourself! The world isn't defenseless, you have us, and we're not helpless little children, are we?" Theresa yelled at him, nearly, and she suddenly stood up, jabbing a finger at a surprised Jay's chest.

"Jay, I really love you. I'd rather... I'd rather I put my life on the line to date you than break up with you! Please don't kill the seed that we've just sown..."

Theresa brushed away her tears with the back of her hand. Seeing Jay's awkward expression and watching him stand up to argue, she cried, turned away from him and rushed away from him.

For nothing she had dreamt of would ever come true, just like her mother had died and left her, her father was too preoccupied in his work to care about her. And now Jay had been seized with the same curse. Crying, she escaped from what she didn't want to hear.

Jay...