Hey everyone! Hope you're doing alright and that your week has been going good, because it's time for the latest chapter. Today we find out what the door opened to reveal…
Psych! It's a flashback chapter. Don't hate me?
Flashback
How It Should've Been
Chapter 10: Uncovering the Past
"Alex?" Jake asked shocked at seeing her as he entered her apartment. "What are you still doing here?"
"Where else would I be?" Alex looked up from the notebook curious.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe with your nephew?" Jake suggested sarcastically.
Sighing, Alex closed the notebook and stared at him. "Look, here is where I'm needed right now. A girl is missing, and we have absolutely no idea where to look. And aside from that? I'm a Chaser now. So, it's best I don't get wrapped up in my nephew's life. All it will lead to is… hurt. Okay?"
"No, it's not okay! Yes, you are a Chaser now. And no maybe that isn't ideal to do that and be around him, but Alex. You can't let that control your life." Jake argued arms crossed.
"I made a deal-" She started.
"Okay yes! You made a deal. You made a deal with Hades and she's alive because of it, and you're a Chaser for the next fifteen years. But Alex! That doesn't automatically mean you can't be there for your nephew." Jake cut her off.
"Yes, it does! I don't want him to know what I do Jake!" Alex burst out loudly.
"He doesn't have to. Just be there for him when you can be. Yes, sometimes you will have to leave and go be a Chaser. But the times you aren't? You should be there. Not here." He reasoned.
"Jake this is my home. I think I'm allowed to be here."
"Not the point." He remarked dryly. "The point is, well you may not want him to know, and maybe he never will. But the day she remembers and walks back into his life, he's going to ask questions and expect answers, answers that she can't give."
"Exactly! I'll have to give them!" Alex exclaimed.
"And if you really cared about the fact that, that day would come. You never would've made that deal." Jake retorted.
"I made the deal because no one should have to grow up like that." Alex bit out.
"He already will. You made the deal for you. Not him." Jake argued.
"Fine! Maybe I did. Maybe it was my fault she died! Did you think of that? Huh?" Alex exclaimed, hands facedown leaning on the desk.
"Alex-" He started, face full of surprise.
"I was supposed to be there that night. Originally. But I wasn't because I was caught up in my own world. So yeah. Maybe I did do it for me. Because if I had been there… none of it would've happened." She sighed.
"You don't know that." Jake reasoned.
"Yes, I do! If I was there, he would be dead and they would be alive!" Alex exploded slamming her hands down on the desk, looking at Jake eyes flashing with power. It was a look he had seen before but never had to actually face. He knew Alex was more powerful than she ever let on around the gods. He knew there was reason for that. Jake also knew that Masters of Elements were not people to be handled lightly, and just as rarely as their creation was their passing. Most Masters vanished off the face of the Earth rather than ever die.
"You said you were caught up in your own world. What does that mean?" Jake questioned, bringing the conversation back. Alex looked down for a second before looking back up at him, directly in the eye.
"We were on outs. We fought and I don't even know why. I was trying to make it right. But I got caught up doing a favor for Hestia." Alex admitted.
"How would you not know why?" Jake ask quizzically.
"You know I can be an ass." She paused when he nodded and sent him a look. "But this was different, I didn't do anything. At least not that I know of and… okay so one day about three weeks ago, I was there and we were talking. Nothing spectacular was happening but out of nowhere she stood and started yelling at me. It was out of nowhere, I didn't remember doing anything to trigger it and what she was apparently so angry about, were things she couldn't even have known." She explained.
"What?" Jake questioned shaking his head.
"She-she called me cold-blooded. That with everything I did… that I never trusted anyone or paid attention to how everything affected anyone around me." She answered as she lowed into the desk chair. Jake was standing still, not moving in shock.
"Okay I'll admit, some of your choices are questionable. And you are one of the people that prefer to take care of problems on their own. That's just who you are being a Master. It's how you've always been. But I do believe that everything, everything you've done is no more than questionable and in line with the circumstances." He paused as he moved to grab a spare chair and sit across from Alex. "That's why you made the deal isn't it?" He wondered.
Resting her hand beside her mouth with her elbow on the desk, she answered. "It is, and I've been trying to make it seem like it isn't. I go through all the reasons in my head. How it can be just as justified doing it for him. But, in all honestly, I know I did it for me. I lie, and I hide things from people I say I'm trying to protect. But really, I just don't want to have to answer to anyone else or be questioned. Me taking that deal, was me trying for once in my life to not be selfish. But guess I was anyway." She chuckled humorlessly.
Sighing Jake shook his head. "Yes, Alex you are those things, but I will be the first to admit I am as well. Alex, yes, your reasons may have been selfish, but what you did wasn't. You choose to become a Chaser to save her. And she may not remember anything now, but in fifteen years she will and she will be able to see her son. You're giving her that chance to begin with, it just may take a little while. But you, are giving them the chance to know each other. No matter what reasons you initially did it for. You offered to be a Chaser for fifteen years for her to live." Jake reasoned. Alex shook her head.
"No, Hades has been trying to get me to be a Chaser for the past year or so. I just finally accepted on the condition that he send her straight to rebirth, let her keep the same appearance and in fifteen years' time, remember who she truly is."
"How did you get him to accept that?" Jake questioned amazed.
"I was finally accepting his offer. Which, is something he would do anything for. But he insisted on the fifteen years' time thing. Said it had to be that way." Alex answered, eyes drifting to the book sitting on the right top corner of the desk.
"Who else knows about the deal?" Jake wondered, drawing Alex attention back.
"Well you, Hades, me, and that's it. He thought it be best that the rest of the Olympians didn't know." She remarked.
"I can see why." He commented causing Alex to look at him questionably with a cocked eyebrow. "Oh c'mon! You're Hades' Chaser! I doubt they'd ever admit it, but I think the thought of you ever choosing a side that doesn't favor all of them, strikes a bit of fear into some hearts. That is… if they actually have one." He smirked at the last sentence.
"Okay good-" She grinned, shook her head and chuckled. "Good point."
"So, you are going to go back." He stated, not really asking.
"Jake-" She was cut off.
"You are going to go back. You may not be able to always be there but be there when you can be." Jake interrupted firmly not hearing any of it.
Nodding she answered, "Alright, fine you win."
"Well then I see my work here is done." He laughed as he stood and turned to the door. When he was about to leave the room, he turned back.
"Didn't they have a painting made?" He asked curiously, there was something he just couldn't shake.
"Yeah, why?" Alex asked confused.
"You talk to it?" Jake continued.
"Yeah. Jake what?"
"Did you try to talk about the argument or whatever then?" He pushed. Alex's eye brows furrowed.
"I did. She wouldn't hear it, didn't even know what I was talking about. Trust me it was weird." Alex continued, answering what would've been his next question. Jake frowned slightly.
"Strange. Right well, um I'll see you." He bid her goodbye, leaving the room and apartment, also leaving a slightly confused Alex behind staring after him.
Shaking her head, Alex stood grabbed her leather jacket from the back of the chair and disappeared in small arcs of electricity.
Reappearing in the foyer to the Potter Home in New Zealand, Alex called out. "Sirius? Sirius, you here?" She called out. Sirius came into the foyer from an angle out of her eye sight.
"You came back?" He asked amazed from the left and diagonal behind her, drawing her attention causing her to turn to face him.
"Uh, yeah. I know you said not to bu-"
"Thank you." He cut her off. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise before closing it and nodding.
They may not have trusted one another yet, nor did they know much about the other, but what they did know was if they wanted to manage to make it through this they would have to work together. Even if that meant accepting things they didn't like, because in that moment, that exchange, they formed a silent agreement.
Granted, that didn't mean that it was one that was never broken, because it definitely was at least once.
It's a bit shorter than usual I know, just as the last flashback chapter. Sorry! These just always manage to come out like that. I also just realized this chapter is legit like almost all dialogue. Wow. Well, thank you for all of the support. I hope you enjoyed and see ya next chapter! -DS
