***Chapter 54***

**Aria's POV**

It was Thursday morning. Which meant that there was still an entire day before the movie marathon that Jason had recommended. But the fact that I hadn't heard anything from him in a couple days worried me. Tuesday night when I had stayed over at Spencer's he had said that he would be out of contact. But the fact that he never answered the last message about his return date didn't settle well.

Nor did the message I had gotten from Ali this morning.

Ali: Have you heard anything from Jason?

That had cut past the reassurances which had been playing on a loop in my brain. Jason was okay. He had to be. His message had said that he would be gone for a few days, and it was still within that time frame. It was just unsettling because of the messages from Charles that had happened in the previous days. This was probably just a Jason thing, nothing to do with Charles at all. After all, it didn't seem like him to go off hunting Charles on his own. Especially not considering the bruises that covered his back. And maybe that was part of why the thought of Jason on his own unsettled me so much, that he was still injured, from protecting me no less. His ability to get out of whatever trouble Charles was sure to stir up wasn't looking so great right now.

Schoolwork was forgotten as I sat curled up in my dad's office, the leather of the couch warmed by my extended presence. It didn't seem as important. I rubbed at my eyes, before tossing my mathbook at the other end of the couch. Jason was okay. I repeated the thought like a mantra as I got up to stretch. My back was sore from sitting still for so long and there was a nervous buzzing under my skin. Like I needed to do something. A strange contrast to the exhaustion that was weighing me down. I checked my messages from Jason again, just to make sure that nothing had come in, but there was nothing.

I had texted Ali back earlier, that Jason had only told me that he would be out of contact for a few days. But he must have told her the same thing before leaving. It nagged at the back of my mind. That Ali was worried about him. I stretched up towards the ceiling, earning a pop from my lower back. I eyed the schoolwork again. I hadn't been able to focus on the problems for the last ten minutes at least. Grabbing my phone again, I called Ali. Maybe knowing why she was worried would help me focus.

"Hey, Aria. What's up?" Ali's voice was higher pitched and sharper than normal, her usual sign of concern.

"Just wanted to check in. Didn't Jason tell you he was going to be gone for a bit?" I asked casually, wanting to get her talking about what had her so worried.

There was a long breath out from Ali's side of the line. And I could feel my muscles tightening at the moment of hesitation from her. The fear that had been growing in the pit of my stomach over the last 30 plus hours increasing. Had that not been Jason texting me? My pulse picked up, starting towards panic.

"Not to me, but I'm not surprised about that." she was cagey in her response, like she was balancing between honesty and lying to me.

"Ali, what happened?" I could feel the way my voice dropped lower and slower.

"We got into a fight and he walked out." Ali explained, tone even and not conveying the worry from the moments before. "Honestly, I'm just glad he texted you."

I moved back to sitting on the couch, curling up to preserve my body heat as a chill went through me. "What did you fight about?"

"Just about Charles." Ali said after a long moment.

It didn't feel like the whole story, but I could easily see them fighting about Charles. Ali seemed too intent on learning more about him, and over the past few weeks I had seen Jason pull back. He had been curious, wanting to know his brother. But after the arcade, I had seen a hard determination in his face and the tense set of his shoulders. It had been a similar look as when he had spoken about the messages he'd gotten before.

"But you're worried about him, more than just he's not home." I prompted.

"I'm sure it's for nothing. But I'm worried that he's gonna slip." Ali explained, confirming my thoughts.

It wasn't just that Charles was out there, having already aimed a ballshooter at Jason with no heed to the fact that it would hurt him. But something in their fight must have been really bad if she thought he was going to go back to using. It gnawed at me. The same fear was bundled in my own thoughts, around the physical danger that Charles posed. I thought about the look on his face when he had talked about the texts from Charles almost breaking him. That Ali had been so mad at him for even thinking of reaching for a bottle.

"He probably just needed to get some space." I tried to reassure, not letting the fear that was building in me show in my voice. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

It was a lie. But one that Ali would probably let me get away with. I had no idea if he was going to be back tomorrow. Just a lot of hope. The fact that he had completely shut her out and only messaged me was worrying. That she had been there for him before, but now he didn't want her help.

"You're probably right." Ali agreed, though I could hear her hesitation. "I've gotta go, talk to you later?"

With a yeah, I hung up the phone. It hadn't managed to soothe the concerns that I had before, in fact it had done the opposite. The worst part was that there was nothing that I could do. Jason's phone had been going straight to voicemail when I had tried calling last night. I didn't want to overstep, and respect the fact that he had said he would be out of contact. But the worry had been growing to the point that I needed to call to just see if he would answer. A shiver of cold raced down my back, and I pulled my sweater closer around me.

I tried to soothe myself, as I paced in the office. If Charles had done something to Jason, surely he would have bragged about it by now. He had never been shy about sending threatening texts about hurting us or our loved ones. And it didn't sound like Ali had gotten anything. Which made me think that this just had to be something that Jason does, maybe tied to whatever fight he had with Ali. I couldn't think what they could have fought about that was bad enough for him to take off and completely shut everyone out. Or cause his phone to go straight to voicemail.

"Aria, good you're still here." my dad's voice interrupted..

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the intrusion, but it was enough to pull me from my downward spiral, as my train of thought was already too far down the track to stop myself. He had opened the door to his office and only just taken a step in.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing my distress.

I nodded my head, taking a few steadying breaths before responding. " Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. What's up? I thought you had a class for a few more hours."

"Normally, yes." he agreed with a small smile. "But I just finished my morning lecture. And my TA can cover the exams for the rest of my classes today."

"Wow, so free day. Does that mean you're up for lunch?" I asked, heading over to the couch to grab my phone from it's place and get my bag repacked.

"I was thinking something a little more than just lunch. Grab your bag. We've gotta pick up Mike at the house." He moved over to his desk, starting to arrange his briefcase.

"What? Not gonna tell me what we're doing?" I glanced over my shoulder at him, even as I packed my schoolwork away. I was excited to find out what he had planned and could use a break from the worrying that was taking over my ability to focus on math.

"It's a surprise." he assured. "Ready to go?"

I hauled my purse over my shoulder, feeling the weight of the books settle against my back. My jacket provided at least a little padding against the weight. I turned back towards him, motioning towards the door.

"How's your schoolwork coming along?" he made small talk as we headed towards his car. Mine was parked further out, in a non-faculty reserved space.

"Making some progress. Will hopefully be done with math soon. Then just have to do my test."

It was true at least. Despite all the running around playing detective we'd been doing. I was at least making progress through my work. History had a project that I needed to put together still. And I had a couple of essays to work through remaining. The massive stack that had been piled high on my desk was slowly but surely shrinking.

"Glad to hear it. I'm impressed with how hard you've been working through it all." he complimented, getting behind the wheel. "It seemed like a lot of work and I thought it would take longer."

"Well, graduation is coming up pretty soon. I'd rather not have to miss it just cause I didn't finish my work." I returned.

It was true that I had been working through a lot of it probably faster than anticipated, not taking time off on the weekends, and yesterday once I had gotten home from Spencer's I had kept my nose in the books for easily 12 hours. But I didn't know how long we would have a lull in investigating Charles or getting messages. So I needed to take advantage of the time that I did have.

"I hope you're okay taking a day away." He smiled, pleased with whatever surprise he had planned.

"I think I'll live."

My mom was getting out of her car when we pulled up to the house, it was a school day and while my dad had mentioned we were getting Mike, I didn't think my mom would be taking time away from work for whatever todays surprise was.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be at work?" I asked, getting out of the car to hug my mom.

"Not happy to see me?" she asked, hugging me tightly for a moment. "I'm taking a personal day."

"I didn't know you actually got those." I teased back, knowing that since she had become a teacher full time that she hadn't missed a day of work that wasn't for a severe sickness.

"Very funny. Do you want to drop off your books? You won't need them for the rest of the day."

With a nod, I went inside to drop my books off. I wasn't sure what all was on the table for the day, so just moved my wallet, phone, and keys to a smaller purse and grabbed a hoodie in case I got cold. Mike was already in the back seat of my dad's car when I got back outside, my dad was waiting outside for me still.

"Got everything you need?" he asked, earning him a stare.

"I don't know where we're going, so don't really know what I need." I said with a smile, not actually irritated.

I got into the car, buckling in and we started to head down the road. "How's work going?" Mike asked my mom.

"It's pretty good. Just getting the last of my tests written for the end of the year. Have you seen the theme for prom this year?"

"Yeah, I found the perfect dress." I was really glad to have found the vintage blue and yellow dress that just screamed Snow White. "What about you, Mike? You asked Mona yet?"

"I did, we're gonna see how it goes. Still working on coordinating our outfits." he reached out and squeezed my hand where it was resting on the seat.

I glanced over to look at him, he seemed happier now than he had been recently. The conversation with Mona they had a few days ago must have gone pretty good if they were going to prom together. And while I didn't totally trust Mona, I could see how happy she made him. And as far as I was aware, other than faking her death, she hadn't done anything that hurt him. He was carefully kept out of the sometimes war that waged between Mona and the girls.

"I don't know if I thanked you for taking me over to her place the other day." he told me quietly before turning back to our parents. "You're not chaperoning this one again, are you?"

"What? Is there something you don't want me to see?" Mom scoffed, turning over her shoulder to look between us. "What are you up to?"

I laughed along. It was nice having the day to spend with them. I didn't remember the last time that we had spent a day together that wasn't about me and the police. Probably before they separated for good. My parents didn't really do fun together anymore, instead focusing on trading off spending time with us. The atmosphere of the car was easy and relaxed, while Mike talked about things at school. It was only after about half an hour of driving that I realized where we were headed.

"Are we going to Woodie World?" I asked, interjecting over my dad trying to talk up the merits of a new tv show he had started watching about antique picking.

"Took you long enough." Mike laughed.

It was a two plus hour drive away, and not somewhere that we went to all the time. But given that we were driving away from Philadelphia towards Pittsburgh, it seemed the most likely option.

"That alright with you?" my dad asked from the front, glancing back at me.

"Oh yeah, I was just wondering how we got permission to leave from the cops."

It was strange that they hadn't said anything when we left. I had assumed it was because my parents talked to them while I was inside. But all the way to the amusement park several hours away seemed ridiculous considering the cops hated when I just went to Philly.

"We spoke with Detective Tanner yesterday, and there will be some police presence there, just to keep an eye on things. But she agreed that it should be safe enough." my mom explained.

It seemed surreal, knowing that we could spend a chunk of time away from reality like this. Partway through, my mom passed back a bag of chips and drinks for Mike and me. And we settled in to the short road trip. I watched the landscape pass by as we drove further and further away from real life. My hand drifted back to where the bandage was still on the back of my neck, covering the stitches. Maybe we could have a day without Charles following. It made me thankful that we had found the tracking chips and removed them before my parents had the idea of a family day. Finally, we pulled into the parking lot of Woodie World, the coasters stretching high into the skyline above the fences of the park.

It was a sprawling park, one that we had been to many times in the past. My mom had insisted that wooden roller coasters were better than the more modern ones, a tradition apparently passed down from her parents taking her to amusement parks throughout her childhood. And it was pretty cool to see all the older rides that they kept up here. Mike and I headed out of the car towards the midway.

"Rides first or games first?" Mike asked, throwing his arm over my shoulders as we walked down looking at the different game options.

"Rides first, in case we win anything good." I eyed a large teddy bear higher up on the prize board, knowing we'd likely get the very small stuffed animals if anything.

"Alright, guys. I've got wristbands for everyone." my dad said, catching up with the strips of paper in hand.

I was amazed that my dad had gotten a wristband as well, normally he didn't like to go on the rides. At least none of the more extreme ones, I thought eyeing the large ship ride that swung back and forth. Once we'd all gotten the wristbands on, Mike led the way towards his favorite of the wooden roller coasters. The park wasn't too busy, given it was a Thursday during the school year. If it wasn't for the fact that it was closer to summer, the park likely wouldn't have even been open today. But the sun was out, and while there were only a few other patrons, it meant that we didn't have to wait in line too long. We loaded into the two different cars, the ride operator letting us split up into the two sides, so we could race against our was exhilirating to feel the wind blowing in my face, even if it was a little cold and I was glad to have brought my hoodie.

Mike led the way around the park, taking charge and leading us through a circle of the rides that our parents were usually willing to ride. Trading off sitting next to me, or our parents. I shared a cart with my mom while going through the haunted house ride, heart picking up as we passed out of the sunlight and into the dark.

"You okay, Aria?" she asked, having noticed how tense I had grown.

The moment of darkness encasing us, before my vision adjusted, felt so much like being back in the dollhouse. The air cool and dusty. And the moment in the darkness before she grabbed my hand. My eyes adjusted as the first of the 'frights' made its appearance, and I let out a shaky breath.

"Yeah, I'm doing alright."

It was a fun ride, I'd gotten more comfortable as the ride continued and there wasn't any sign of Charles or an A message. It might seem ridiculous, but he had done stranger things before and it really felt like the moment where something appeared was just about to happen. But by the time that we were back in the sunlight, the smile was back on my face. And a brief sighting of a uniformed officer hanging out nearby helped to soothe some of my stress.

"How about we get some food?" my dad asked, after the haunted house ride. "Then we can do midway games?"

"Let's do one of the big ones before eating." Mike countered, pointing over at one of the more modern rides at the park.

I took a deep breath looking at the one that twisted every which way, including upside down It wasn't my favorite, but I knew that Mike loved that particular ride. So I gave a nod.

"We're gonna watch. Do you want us to order the food now, while you go on there?" my dad offered, not going anywhere near the ride with all the warning signs, unlike most of the other rides we had been on.

"Yeah, I'd love a pretzel." I requested, knowing that they didn't have a ton of vegetarian options at the snack bar. "One ride, Mike."

He was already heading over towards the entrance and so I followed after. Leaving my purse with my mom. Since this was one of the rides that you couldn't take it on. There were a few people ahead of Mike, and he wasn't all the way up instead waiting halfway down the maze of railing.

"You ready for this?" he asked, looking over at me with a broad smile.

I didn't really want to go on the ride, but he was so happy. I could ignore the pit that always formed in my stomach when I went on the wilder rides. It used to be fun, but after some of the stunts that A had pulled over the years, adrenaline tended to hit differently.

"Oh yeah. And then we'll eat." I reassured, giving him a smile back as we moved towards the operator.

As we waited for the ride to finish, I glanced over the warning signs. I'd read them for years, ever since I had been tall enough to ride these. Well more so when Mike had gotten tall enough, which wasn't long after I had. The familiar image at the bottom sent my heart plummeting into my stomach. There among the no food, no drink, no riders with back injuries, was no pregnancy. I froze up where I stood. Nausea rising to my mouth.

Today had been so good. A few hiccups, sure. But overall, this was an amazing day. It knocked me back to reality. So much had happened in the last few days, that I hadn't actually come to terms with what I had learned at the hospital. Instead, just focusing on school work and the conversation that I had to have with the girls. It had been easier to ignore everything by focusing on the other things that were happening. But it all slapped me in the face again.

"Aria, you sure you wanna go on this? You don't look so good." Mike's voice broke through the sudden roaring in my ears as my heart raced with panic.

It was the perfect out, I didn't have to do this. I could go over to where my parents were getting food, watch as Mike had a great time on the ride and then come join us. But I didn't want to lose this moment. It was probably meant for people further along than I was anyway. And Charles had already taken so much from me. The moments of freedom and happiness with my brother? He wasn't taking those as well. I shook my head. Steadying myself for the ride as the pendulum with seats slowed down and the moment came closer.

"I'm sure, do I seem like a chicken to you?" I teased, forcing some levity into my tone as I readied for the ride.

Mike didn't look sure at my response, but the previous rounds passengers were getting off the ride. And the operator was starting to let the people at the front through. He gave a nod and followed after the people ahead in line. My breathing was a little shaky, nerves that this was probably a terrible idea and the threat of nausea was rising, despite the meds that I had taken this morning. It was a short ride. It would be fine.

I flashed my wristband to the operator and climbed into one of the harness seats next to Mike. There was a little space between the seats, but not so much that I couldn't reach out to him if needed. He knocked his leg into mine as we got our harnesses down, locking them into place. The harness pressed solidly into my shoulders, and the sides of the seat were tight on my hips. Overall, I felt pretty secure in the seat. The ride operator moved around the ring of seats on the pendulum. Checking every harness, pressing down on the plastic before tugging it up, ensuring that it was locked.

For a moment, I was terrified that somehow Charles had gotten to the ride and sabotaged it somehow. It wasn't realistic. He didn't want to hurt me…probably. Glancing over at Mike, he looked excited for the ride, offering me a broad grin. It was reassuring and familiar. I returned the smile. And then the ride started up. It swayed back and forth, slowly gaining height as it began turning. The first big swing seemed to leave my stomach behind, jaw clenching and hands tightening on the harness. I heard some of the other people on the ride screaming and cheering. It would undoubtedly help, so I opened my mouth and let out a long whoop as we went nearly upside down. My shoulders were digging into the harness as my weight rested more and more on it, before we reoriented on the downswing. I felt Mike's hand reach out as we swung over the bottom of the ride, grasping onto my hand. I squeezed back, grateful for the reassurance.

Then we were back on the upswing, and Mike's hand fell away. I gripped painfully onto the harness as we went completely upside down. Time stopping as we stalled in the air, my whole body pressing harshly into the harness. Fear consumed me as my stomach lurched. I kept screaming, terrified that if I didn't I would throw up. I wanted to shut my eyes, but knew it would only make the nausea worse. The moment dragged on, before finally we continued in the full arc, coming down on the other side. The wind tore through my hair, and my eyes watered, as I continued screaming. I gritted my teeth as we passed back over the bottom of the ride. Knowing we were at least at the half way point of the ride. I needed to get off this thing as soon as possible, the anti-nausea meds not up to this level of turning about.

Finally, after a few more loops around, I could feel the ride slowing down. I finally let my eyes close, letting the slowing wind distract me from the swinging and turning sensations. My head was still spinning, when Mike reached out to me. He tugged at the harness, releasing it from me as the ride had come to a stop. I opened my eyes to see him staring at me in concern. My jaw was clenched tight. Trying to halt the sensation of needing to throw up.

"You okay?" he asked, getting out of his seat to help me down.

I nodded my head, afraid to open my mouth. I needed to get away from the ride. As my feet touched the ground, I felt my weight settle heavily and my head rushed. The teenage operator was coming over, seeing Mike helping me. I gave a thumbs up to the teenager, then started moving towards the exit. I saw him hesitate before backing off. Mike stuck to my side as I rushed off the platform and down the exit ramp. My hand flew to my mouth, even as I tried to find the nearest restroom. I couldn't see anything.

I barely made it to a trash can before emptying the entire contents of my stomach. I closed my eyes, trying to push down the continuous waves of dizziness threatening to overwhelm me. I could feel Mike rubbing at my upper back, trying to soothe me. Suddenly, there was a bottle of water near my face. I leaned up from where I was bent over, taking the water and rinsing my mouth. My mom was there next to me. I stood up after a moment, taking another sip of water and swallowing it down to help wash the last of the taste from my mom.

"You okay, honey?" she asked, fear visible on her face.

I nodded, taking another drink. It was out of my system hopefully. Though my legs still felt a little weak, I pushed away from the trashcan. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the ride operator watching me before getting on a radio. At least I didn't throw up on the ride.

"I'm fine, the ride was just a little much." I tried to downplay it, not wanting to address the worry that I could see growing on her face. "Let's just have some lunch."

**End Chapter**

Hey folks, sorry about the delay in getting this one up. I struggled to find the right place to cut this off. The park that they are going to is inspired by Kennywood in Pennsylvania, which has a bunch of old rollercoasters, along with some more modern ones.

Let me know what ya think.