Sorry for the late chapter. Moving hasn't left me with much time, but we should be back to our normal update schedule. Enjoy.
"Did she really do that?" Jason questioned as he stretched out in the passenger's seat of his sister's car. Thalia was driving and rocking out to her favorite music. Jason's voice was raised just enough to speak over the booming soundtrack, and after a dramatic sigh, Thalia turned down the volume.
"Yes, Jason. She really did that," Thalia confirmed. "I only wish I had seen it."
"She said that I was one of the nicest guys that she knew?" Jason asked, looking for confirmation. Thalia took her eyes off the road long enough to hit him hard in the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"
"I literally just told you this story, and you're asking me to repeat every part of it," Thalia answered. Jason rolled his eyes. "But yes. She said that you were one of the nicest guys that she had ever met. Obviously, she hasn't met a lot of guys."
Jason raised his hand to playfully hit her. Thalia barked back, "Hey! I'm driving. You can't do that to the driver."
"You did it to the passenger."
"Yeah. The passenger. Not the driver."
"You're just using that as an excuse because you're still sore from Clarisse beating you up."
"Wow, Jason! Wow! If you hit me, it will mess up my driving, and I might hit someone."
"You can't drive any worse than you do now."
"I'm going to make you walk."
Jason laughed. A small smile settled on Thalia, "I can't believe they suspected you, Jason."
"Hey, it only took a day to clear my name," Jason dismissed with a shrug. He would admit that he was rather uncomfortable with being taken to the police station the day before. After everyone at the bar was interrogated, they wanted to bring Jason back for further "questioning".
Thalia had protested the entire time, and she even called up a lawyer that the hunters had on retainer. It all ended up being for naught as there was no evidence to pin the crime on Jason. Zoë had told him and Thalia this was probably retaliation by the police captain for something Thalia had said or done to him.
Considering Thalia kept referring to the man as Captain Fat Fuck, Jason could see why the two would clash. After being let go from the police station, Jason went to check on Tyson. He was doing better now that a doctor had taken care of his wounds, and he was staying with Percy and his family at Piper's place.
Jason wasn't sure what to make of Tyson's story. He believed everything that the cyclops said, but it did not make sense that the werewolf would spare him. Not if the werewolf was Lycaon. Jason brought the theory up to Thalia, and she was just as stumped as him.
The werewolf wanted Tyson to lie to the cops. Was it Lycaon, who had a random, rare moment of mercy and decided not to kill Tyson? Did he not have enough time? Or, was it a completely different werewolf who didn't know Tyson? But, they told Tyson to go back to Percy.
None of it made sense to Jason, but he could read the room well enough. Tyson did not tell the police about the werewolf freeing him. He just told them that he managed to escape after the werewolf killed Sump and Torque. Thalia had a look on her face like she didn't like Tyson lying, but maybe, it was better that way.
Jason really hoped it was Lycaon. He wanted that bastard to rot behind bars. Thalia's phone suddenly rang, and Jason jumped, "Can you answer that?"
"Yeah," Jason replied. He grabbed Thalia's phone and answered it. "Hey, Zoë. It's Jason. Thalia is driving right now."
"Tell her to go to Ma Gasket's bar. We have a bit of an emergency," Zoë ordered.
"Alright. Hey, do-"
Jason frowned as Zoë hung up on him. He put the phone back down and looked at Thalia, "She hung up."
"That means she is in a bad mood," Thalia said. A frown mired her face. "What did she say?"
"Go to Ma Gasket's bar. There is a bit of an emergency," Jason repeated. Thalia nodded and seemed to tense up as she drove. "What do you think happened?"
"I don't know," Thalia answered. She rubbed her face. There were a few bags under her eyes, and Jason knew she had been at the office almost all night. When there was a murder like this one, hunters were called in to work side by side with the police, and as much as Thalia liked to joke around, she took her job deadly serious.
As they got closer to the bar, Jason could see police cars lined outside, along with a large black van, and two ambulances parked next to it. Thalia pulled her car up to the side of the street, "Don't get out of the car, Jason."
"I won't," Jason promised. He watched Thalia step out and approach the scene. Thalia walked towards a cop and flashed her badge. Zoë appeared at her side a moment later and talked to her. Jason watched the two and then took in the display in front of him.
There was a SWAT team here for some reason. Along with the ambulances, it told him that something bad had happened. What did it have to do with Ma Gasket, though? Did whoever attacked her sons go to her bar to finish the job?
Jason watched Thalia. She had her arms crossed as she conversed with Zoë and another police officer. After a minute or two, Thalia nodded and turned back towards the car. Zoë glanced back at Jason and gave him a small wave. Jason returned it.
Thalia said something to Zoë and then began walking back towards the car. A smile came to her face, but it quickly disappeared as she opened the door and sat inside.
"I can wait if you're needed here," Jason offered.
"No," Thalia shot down as she looked behind her and carefully backed out. As they left the bar behind them, a huge grin came to Thalia's face. "There's not much I can really do, but Zoë wanted me to stop by anyway."
"What happened?" Jason questioned.
"I guess Lycaon and his boys decided to have a drink at Ma Gasket's bar. I don't know why. What I do know is that Ma Gasket blames Lycaon for the death of her sons. As soon as she saw him, she threw herself into him, and a huge brawl started," Thalia explained.
"A whole fucking bar brawl," Thalia continued with a laugh. "Ma Gaskets' crew got into it with Lycaon's as the two fought each other. It took a whole damn SWAT team to pull everyone apart. Lycaon and Ma Gasket got arrested, and I think we finally fucking have them."
"Seriously?" Jason asked. Thalia nodded her confirmation, a grin still splitting her lips. "That's great!"
"It is," Thalia agreed. "Even if none of the other charges I've been trying to throw on them stick, this will. If Captain Fat Fuck hates one thing more than anything else, it's paperwork. He'll keep them in jail just for that."
"And, I really think the two will go at it again if they are let out of jail. I don't really give a shit if they do or not," Thalia admitted. She sighed and laid her head back against her seat.
"Do you think they'll leave the bar alone then? If they get out?" Jason asked. He knew it was his fault that Lycaon had turned his attention to the bar. Lycaon wanted Jason to join his gang and wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Hopefully," Thalia exhaled. She glanced at Jason. "Are you okay?"
"Relieved," Jason admitted. He looked at Thalia. "I was just worried that Lycaon would continue to stalk the bar. Not to mention the problems with Ma Gasket. I was also worried about Percy and his family. And Chiron."
"Is it bad that I'm happy Ma Gasket's sons were killed?" Jason asked quietly. He looked down at his pants. "I know that it's not a good thing to be grateful for, but they were causing us so many issues. I don't know if there was an end in sight."
"I'm in the same boat, Jason. I'm grateful it happened, and maybe, it is terrible that we think that. But, Chiron doesn't deserve to get threatened and harassed by those two. Percy doesn't deserve Ma Gasket doing the same to his family," Thalia explained softly. She placed her hand on Jason's knee. "You don't deserve to have that asshole hound you."
"Thanks," Jason said softly. He squeezed Thalia's hand before she retracted it and focused back on the road. It was quiet for a few minutes as the two relaxed. Jason's eyes flickered up to the sky. It wasn't dark yet, but the moon would be out soon.
With the full moon looming over him, Jason could feel his irritation growing. Without Piper to help him, he wasn't quite sure what to do. He was trying to find a solution, but nothing came to mind. Being with Thalia helped him calm down.
Jason glanced at his sister. He needed a distraction. Jason cleared his throat."Hey, Thalia?"
"Yeah?"
"So, Reyna said I was nice?"
"Oh my god, Jason. Get over it!"
Jason laughed as Thalia hit him again, but this time it was in his thigh. She gave him a glare and then focused back on the road. Jason looked out the window and spoke to himself, "I think Reyna is nice too."