Jess felt the car come to a sudden stop as they approached a tall building. Hurriedly, she was pulled out by a man at the door and thrusted at the entrance.

"What the fuck!" she muttered to the man as she got her footing on the steps. Following Mr. Thomas inside, they were stopped by another man sitting in the lobby. They made eye contact and the handover was complete.

"Follow me!" demanded the second man.

"Excuse me!? NO fuck you. I don't know anything about you," snapped Jess, crossing her arms defiantly. The two men in front of her stopped, observing the determined woman before them.

"You will come… upstairs," spoke the second man in a low voice. "Now!"

Jess rolled her eyes and looking at Mr. Thomas who smiled. "Please, follow. Kings'ley knows 'our friends, we 'ope…"

"My friends? You mean Stu and Phil?" asked Jess, finally moving in the direction of the stairs.

Following after Mr. Thomas nodded, Jess found herself staring at the steps as she walked up. Upon arrival to a far table in the corner opposite the stairs, she let out a loud sigh. A balding man sat there eating quickly a bowl of Pho. He stopped to observe Jess suddenly throwing down his silverware.

"Where the fuck are the others?" he yelled out eyeing the two agents closely.

"We 'ave one. She was alone," answered Mr. Thomas to the man at the table.

"This is Kingsley? What the fuck," said Jess throwing her hands down. "You have got to be kidding me… No, where is Stu? And Phil?" Jess began to walk away as the balding man's high-pitched voice screamed out again. The man demanded she sit down, but this only angered her more. As Jess stopped a few feet away, she turned sharply on her heel narrowing her eyes at the bald man who dared speak to her that way. He was lucky she was holding for tongue… for now...

"What did you say?" she spoke flabbergasted, her fists clenched behind her leg. Complete disbelief in this man as he smirked at her. His sly grin, thinking he won, was one she would smack off….

"I said sit the fuck down!" he repeated with more force the second time. Jess walked promptly over and raised her fist to knock the arrogant man out. Right as she got level with him, her wrist was caught and stopped by Mr. Thomas.

"I vould not do zat," he said looking at Jess resolutely.

"This motherfucker better watch his fucking mouth then," she lashed out, ripping her hand from the Frenchmen. Jess stared down the balding man, who she swore a moment later, gulped. "I've not done a damn thing to cause this bullshit! I brought you a little girl and get scolded at every fucking turn." For good measure Jess slammed her hands upon the table, causing him to jump a moment, his bowl landing with a thud back on to the table. She stared in the bald man's beady little eyes which showed the smallest bit of fear. The man, though not wanting to show, was intimidated by the young woman before him. Jess knew it as he gulped once more and shifted in his seat nervously.

"SO NO! Fuck you!" she screamed at him before slamming her hands onto the table causing the silverware to bounce. Behind her steady footsteps came to a stop and a large hand landed on her shoulder.

"Jess!" whispered Phil as his eyes settled on her shaking form. Stu and Alan looked at each other with relief too. She nodded at him as she pointed at the balding man. He told them to seat down harshly which caused Jess to jump at him once more. Taking a seat from another table, the balding man began to fumble hastily with his Pho. Phil, looking at each of his friends and Jess, nervously cleared his throat.

"Ok, listen. We have no clue what's going on here—" he began.

"You know, they sell a Plum whiskey here. It's fuckin unreal. Seriously, it will absolutely fuck you up! Oh, I'm sorry. You guys already got fucked up, didn't ya…" laughed Kingsley nervously eyeing Jess across his table. She crossed her arms and was scowling at him as Phil sat up fully.

"Uh, listen, I'm a little confused. How did you—"

"You know what? I am a little fuckin confused! Where's Chow?" he screamed beginning to slam his own hands on the table. "With the fuckin account code and the fuckin password!" Those around them, stopped to observe the group as the balding man finished with a stare at each of them.

"We don't know anything about any codes. We're just trying to find our friend," said Stu anxiously hoping the man would stop yelling.

"Teddy?" the balding man dared toward the guys. Jess rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Yes! Teddy! Have you seen?" said Stu chocking up in worry. His eyes got big as he stared at the man firmly.

"Hmm, let's see..." began the balding man as he reached down for an envelope beside his arm. The guys sat up quickly as they observed the photos. With happiness, Stu sighed when he saw Teddy in the photos.

"There's Teddy!" smiled Phil as he looked through the photos with Stu. He noticed a few were of Jess and him, but nothing too scandalous.

"Holy shit! It's from last night!" Stu said loudly pointing at one.

"Who are you?" asked Phil at the balding man as he sat down the photos, eyeing the man firmly with confusion. Clearly, they had been tracked….

"I'm a businessman. And I've invested a large chunk of capital in your friend Chow. And in return, he was supposed to transfer my profits electronically—" said the man tugging on his watch. "About five fuckin minutes ago."

Wait, thought Jess. She was brought by Interpol to see this man... Why would they do that, she wondered briefly as confusion masked the guys. Jess looked from Phil and the balding man before the latter spoke up again.

"So last night, we took Teddy as insurance," he stated firmly eyeing each person closely and finally settling on Jess's less intimating. She stared him down without a care in the world but he kept his eyes from her as best he could.

"Oh my god! Is he okay?" said Stu with quick concern.

"Oh my god, I wasn't done talking!" he snapped at Stu. "You tell Chow, that we are having breakfast on the roof of this hotel... tomorrow morning at eight am and if he makes the transfer, you will get Teddy. If not well then hey, you know... it's Bangkok."

Phil and Stu eyed each other fearfully as Alan shifted in his seat nervously as the balding man had been talking. Jess only stood up and began to walking away to the stairs.

"That's your cue to get the fuck out of here like fucking princess. Need to keep that bitch in check before she murders someone." Phil let out a scoff as he watched Jess's retreating figure descend down the stairs. Turning he faced the balding man, before let out another laugh.

"Let me guess? You pissed her off?" he asked the balding man, watching as his cheek twitched nervously. His eyes darted back to the stairs. "Yah, she gets that way when someone pisses her off. Ask Alan!"

Phil turned away while grabbing Stu's arm to leave. A confused look passed over his face as he pulled on the other's shirt seeing that Alan hadn't followed. Alan was staring at his hat and wanting to pick it up but the balding man was eyeing it too.

"Hey, you know what? Leave the hat," the balding man demanded to Alan.

"Alan, leave the hat," asked Phil kindly for them to leave.

"Atta boy," said the balding man smartly continuing to eat his Pho.

*dot*

Jason was fuming. After the phone call from his father, he thought he was being chastised but it ended with him accusing him of drawing too much attention to their business activities. He really fucked up now, according to his father, and that wasn't half of the problem. It was a harsh reminder of the live he lived that meant keeping a low profile, but this time, he really fucked up badly. Granted green eyes stared back at him as he washed his face again. He saw a disgusting man filled with greed and hopelessness. The man staring was half a man and wanted one thing and it was simply enough. The desire to walk away presently would mean he could live like a normal person and not have to worry about persons in authority attempting to arrest him for the various things he had illegally done.

"God damn it!" he shouted slammed the door behind him and walked down to the pool. He didn't belong in that fantasy though, he also always felt different to others when he mingled with locals. His mid-western accent hid the true nature of his stay, but time was running out for him to hide the true reasons that Betty was moving too. Like his father had said, they were to regain their lost footing from his grandfather, but something like that could take years and it was not something he wanted to do. Deep down he wanted to believe that he could leave to maybe start anew.

"Hello?" he answered to the ringing phone in his pocket. It was Seth, his friend who had done the research before, and the sighed expression was a sign of hope.

"Morning," offered Seth sounding more disheveled than usual. "Been quite a second time through."

"Morning? Aren't you back home?" smirked Jason taking in the sounds of Seth's background. "Where are you?"

"In London on Mr. Martinez's behalf. It would seem he wanted some information and I am able to get it with ease. Granted it's like five in the fucking morning," he laughed with a short cough.

"Where were you a few hours ago?" he asked rubbing his head. "London?"

"Yeah, London. I was in a private lounge at JFK for that. I barely got on the plane. If I had missed it, things would have been bad."

"I see, well, are you able to tell what he wanted or secret shit like mine?" replied Jason sitting down on the beach chairs observing the beautiful view of the ocean. There were other people around so he tried to keep his voice low. "Nothing too illegal?"

"Just some accounts and whatnots. Anyway, you will be interested to know something, though not directly related." This caused Jason to sit up fully and ask what he meant.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" the worried tone of his friends meant something big. A passing couple smiled at him, as he leaned forward.

"Apparent Jess was seen in Bangkok over the last 24 hours, which makes sense since all of you are in Thailand. For your protection, do not, and this from your father and Mr. Martinez, do not go back tonight as they asked before. You will draw attention to yourself, and we can't afford that!"

"I already know I can't go back. I had called my dad to tell him what I could get but there was really nothing to see or find. But Leslie Chow is involved. My dad just wants his money back."

"And you were sent in on a suicide mission to do so. Man, I'm telling you, it was a setup, and you were nearly caught up in something bigger than you realize. Be glad you aren't there now."

"What are you talking about? I was out for five hours. Doubt anyone saw me. I hid my blond hair!"

"Mr. Martinez told me personally to stay in London a day more because there is activity in Bangkok right now. Said we needed to stay low a bit."

"Why would there be activity in Bangkok?" asked Jason with a frown. There was nothing he knew of since he spent the night there. "There is nothing going on that I was aware of last night."

"Jay, you need to stay unaware then. Because it's bad. Interpol shit," he muttered quickly.

"Oh. Them shit," mumbled Jason under his breath. Rubbing his temple, he thought back on the conversation with his father. Had he been sent on a suicide mission? Or did they not have the intel they thought they had when he was tasked with this request.

"Yeah. Them," agreed Seth. "However, in better news, you asked me to look into Jess's past once more with the older man. I found nothing. It was like they were so careful to not draw attention while keeping the charade as student-teacher. Everyone knew since she did have emotional disturbances stemming from her past, everyone just accepted their affection as something genuine."

"Except him and Jess were really a couple," interrupted Jason.

"Exactly. They showed the world, Phil was a caring advisor to Jess who helped her through some major difficult shit. Which is understandable. We had that; you had that with Betty—"

"I fucking did not!" snapped Jason hearing the laugh from his friend.

"Really?" laughed Seth. "Because I remember after your mother passed away and you leaned on her in more than one way."

Seth laughed a moment more as Jason silently tried to get out of this conversation about Betty and avoid any more insults. He did have a point though. Betty was there for him in his darkest time and it was there their own desires began. It had been innocent, like he remembered, but they grew into the adults they were now faced with a child neither really knew how to handle. She was the grandchild of two well known "business" owners. It put a massive amount of pressure onto the girl.

"Anyway, like I said, there is really nothing more I can add. They kept pretty clean state side of things. In Europe, however they were a bit easier going with their relationship. Like the Greece photo I found, which means they were pretty close then too."

Jason listened and tried to see the Greece photo once more in his mind but the only thing was the older man's hold on Jess's body.

"Jess goes back further with him than anyone on record. Excluding her brother naturally," offered Seth. "She seemed to move a lot when she was a child but he was always a part of her life." A loud pause came as Jason summoned the courage to exhale the breath he was holding.

"Phil might just be one person you can't win against," offered Seth trying to finish the conversation he started. "It hurts, I know, but please understand as long as she loves you, then there isn't any reason to fret over it."

Last night was only gathering intel and after the message he got was the icing. He couldn't do and do anything now because it would indeed draw Interpol on his ass, and that something he was always told to not do. It meant that his position was compromised, and he had to remain at the resort and not take another look into the arms deal.

Jason hung up and threw his phone down against the sand causing it to land with a thud. He had tried so hard to keep this man out and now even Seth was saying he could never win… Letting out a short yell, Jason clenched his fist together trying to make sense of his situation. Nothing he could do would win. Should he just quit and run like before? Should he—

*dot*

Behind her, Jess heard the mumbling of the guys as she stopped by the front door. Internally, she was angry at all that had happened to them. She was more so pissed at the fact, here again with the Wolf Pact after of another night of debauchery, it led to more questions than answers. If she hadn't gotten so emotionally charge last night with Jason, they could have maybe expressed their opinions calmly. She might have remained at the hotel and been worried sick about the guys throughout the entire day. Deep down, Jess knew how much the man meant to her and now the questions were becoming too important to set aside anymore.

"We're fucked! Chow's dead. What do we do now?" shouted Stu as they approached the riverbanks. Somewhere between the tower and the river, he and Phil began discussing their only options.

"The guy doesn't give a shit about Chow, Stu," answered Phil.

"This whole things about a fucking bank account?" moaned Jess pulling on his sleeve. "Phil, what are you talking about? What's Chow got to do with all this?"

"Oh, shit that's right!" moaned Phil rubbing his head. "You were on the roof…"

"Yes, and it was hot as hell—"

"When we woke up," said Stu motioning to the group, "we found Chow very… very… naked and he was about to tell us what happened. But he took a big hit and died!"

"Cocaine? Chow was doing a cocaine line?" Jess felt her mouth drop and after a moment she laughed trying to imagine the scene. "Look whatever, I just want to get back to our hotel. Fuck anything else!"

"Let's just go back to the hotel," demanded Phil, pulling on her arm. "We'll search Chow's body. Hopefully the password's in his wallet or something."

"And what if it isn't?" Jess questioned seeing the fear in Phil's eyes and for once she knew this darkness too. Phil was scared because he had no control. He could do nothing but pray that everything would work out.

"He's gonna kill Teddy," Stu snapped out suddenly making Jess stop in her tracks. But those men weren't just businessmen…. They were international agents… That's who Mr. Thomas was? And what happened to Mali? Jess turned away from the group and felt her heart begin to race once more.

"Just relax," offered Phil as they approached the riverbanks. "We have until 8am tomorrow to figure it

out."

"First the monkey and now my hat. How much worse can this day get?" complained Alan.

Jess, having walked away from the others a bit, sat down on the cold stony half-wall overlooking the river. She stared down into the murky water seeing nothing but splashing waves hitting the retaining wall. Behind her, were Stu and Alan attempting to secure a boat for travel back to the hotel they awoke in. A light shake on her shoulder drew her attention upward and she smiled seeing Phil standing there.

"Hey," he said with a smile, taking the empty spot beside her. Facing her, she felt him push into her shoulder once more with his own shoulder before she looked up fully to face him. "Long day?"

"Very," she mumbled under her breath. "It has been a long day."

"Well hopefully, shit will get sorted out soon," he said. They sat quietly a moment before awkwardly looking at one another then averting their gaze. Reaching over, Phil patted her arm without saying any words, but a smile was present on his face. Jess was stuck in deep thought and only wanted a moment's pause for silence. After a minute, she looked up into the man's eyes seeing those despondent blues trying to find words she could only guess. Confused by them, Jess cleared her throat and turned fully toward Phil reaching for his hands.

"Jess?" he asked quietly. "What are you doing?"

"Phil, what's the matter with us?" she asked suddenly staring in to his eyes and trying so hard to refrain from spilling her own questions at him. Her bottom lip was so pouted that when he wrapped his hand around her cheek, her voice broken out in a low softened cry. "Phil? What's the matter with us?"

He clenched his fists and tried to harden his expressions before finally letting his mouth go. "I can't Jess. Not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Us. You said so yourself. I can't do this and you spoke it so clear," he said in broken whispers. He looked up seeing the shock in her face. Brown hair was tucked behind her ear as Jess sat embarrassed about her own words. "And those words hurt Jess. They wouldn't hold value if I had never cared, but I have. We had a plan. Our plan was perfect and then Vegas…"

"Yeah, Vegas happened…" agreed Jess remembering their plan all those years ago.

It had been so perfect. They agreed to take their relationship further after she finished school but that never came to fruition. Inside Jess wanted to believe that she and Phil still had a chance. Deep down, she had assumed there always was a chance but now…. The resolutions she had to make were so grayed if she didn't know her answer.

"You can stop lying to yourself," offered Phil reading her mind. "I know the truth and I can't say I agree but they are your choices to make."

"I don't understand though," began Jess. "We made a beautiful plan and everything was in place but then…" She shifted in place and grabbed for his hands trying to give any amounts of reassertions of her own confused feelings.

"Our plan was flawed. I shouldn't have thought you would ever turn away." Phil cupped her face seeing the sadness in the woman beside him. He knew the pain he was putting them both through. It hurt but these words needed to be said.

"Phil," sniffed Jess staring at the murky water. "Please tell me in your words what was supposed to happen…"

Sighing heavily, Phil followed her glaze and spoke out firmly trying to keep his voice level, knowing he had thought the next fifty years with her would be a thing to look back on with pride.

"Our plan was for us to reveal we were a couple, a real couple to our friends and family after you finished college. That way it was less evident than if right after finishing high school. We agreed that we would focus on our careers while setting up a future for us. You were barely seventeen and already thinking of your future. I never realized until then what our love was and what it had grown into. You complete me in every way, but I had to remain professional for the sake of my job."

Jess listened and remembered it all too well, but hearing it from Phil for the first time in her life made it seem like daggers to the heart.

"When did everything start for you?" asked Jess holding his hands trying to keep her sobs quiet as she listened. Seventeen? That was so long ago though, she thought. In response, he reached behind him and withdraw his wallet. Inside it, Jess knew he kept his personal items but also a few photos. Being handed one and its image riddled her a moment.

"This is … is Greece? We were visiting the Pantheon?"

"Yes, we were," smiled Phil remembering the day well. "It was there I realized my desire to have you as my own and keeping you as mine was the only thought. It was when I also learned patience would be my greatly enemy. I only had to wait… eight to ten years to be able to say you were mine openly, but I understood and waiting was my own torment."

"You had everything planned out then," she said realizing how committed Phil had been and seeing how much her hands were shaking slightly. He held onto the dream now four years hopeful that nothing would fuck it up.

"We were supposed to be married and…. I don't know… hopefully children that we could call our own…. Fuck, our first child would have Michael or Madison! You picked those out from my grandparents, but your child wasn't mine… he wasn't mine…" shook Phil beginning to shake uncontrollably under Jess's fingers.

"We were supposed to be a family," he said looking at the ground. "Jack isn't mine…."

Silently, Jess listened more as the man, she had always thought to be hers too, pouring his heart out. A moment later he stood up and reached for her hands, holding them like a porcelain.

"I know I have caused problems for you and that boy," he said wiping a tear away from his face. "But it's killing me seeing how he makes you happy when I always did. I hate him for that—"

"And he hates you because of our past," mumbled Jess swinging their arms.

"Yea, I get the concern too if things were reversed," he smiled wiping the woman's tears from her face. Wrapping his arms around her figure, he knew this was it. His chance was over and it was time to accept this, no matter how much it hurt. Jess's arms shook against his chest before she spoke up.

"I know that I will have to make a decision soon," muttered Jess into his chest. "But it hurts, I love you both!" Jess wrapped her arms around his chest and let out the heavy cry she held onto though all this.

Phil fully embraced her and let her cry out a bit before giving her a kiss on top her head trying to reassure her of their conversation. It was painful and they both knew it. Truly, it felt like they were saying goodbye. Brushing her hair aside and seeing her red face, Phil admired her beauty for all it had become. She had grown without much effort on his part, but he had watched her grow into a strong woman throughout all her childhood pains and trauma of her childhood.

Jess was beautiful and this was a slow poison that finally settled inside him. They looked at one another once more, before they stepped forward seizing each other's arms in a forceful way. Locked lips and let every emotion and pain run through their shared kiss, knowing full well it would never ever happen again.

And when it was done, they stared at each other knowing the pain would never dull. The pain would always linger but for now, they had said goodbye.

"Either way, both of us get hurt," he said holding her close a moment letting the sun rays lighten her face. "I will always love you Jess."

"Me too Phil," she said brushing their tears away.

*dot*

Well we're livin here in Alan town. And he's drivin our lives into the ground.
When we woke up we were wasted and drunk.
Phil got shot. We got beaten by a monk.
I was happy, and my life was good.
Getting married like a dentist should.
Roasting marshmallows on a stick.
I got fucked in the ass... by a girl with a dick.

"I remember that," laughed Alan, beside Jess.

And we're livin in Alan town.