FicWad

Hello all! I must apologize for the horribly long delay and thank you all for being so patient with me. In my defense, I kind of moved to Japan, got laid off from the English school I was working for, and now am frantically trying to find a new place of employment before I run out of money and have to move back home! sigh

But here it is! The long-awaited final chapter. Please enjoy, and thank you again.

As always, I don’t own Class of the Titans.

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As the mammoth sun began to blaze into view across the morning sky, Jay was awoken by a noise which left his heart pounding in surprise.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

It was exactly 6:00 a.m.

Jay knew this because at the other side of the room on her desk sat Theresa’s small, black alarm clock, now frantically announcing that it was time to get up. The noise was overwhelming, and yet completely strategic. By keeping the clock far away and blasting the sound at its highest volume, Theresa had no choice but to get out of bed to turn it off. And as an added bonus, the loud alarm guaranteed that the others would grow annoyed if she left it buzzing for too long.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The sound continued to screech through the air as Jay – now wide awake – fumbled to get up, anxious to turn off the alarm before it awoke Theresa. But in his haste as he rounded the bed, he caught a foot underneath its frame. Moving too quickly to catch himself, Jay fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Stunned for a few moments, the teen scrambled back to his feet as he shook off the pain. He made it to the desk another heartbeat later.

“Off!” he growled at the small electronic, pushing the appropriate button.

His task complete, Jay exhaled in relief. For a moment he stood there with his back to Theresa, cursing his own clumsiness and unconsciously rubbing a now banged-up knee and arm as he savoured the ensuing silence. He was almost too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice a new sound coming from behind him.

“Jay...?”

He froze in surprise.

Instantly forgetting about the pain, Jay spun around to find two bright green eyes looking back at him. His heart leapt as he uncontrollably exclaimed; “You’re awake!”

Dashing over, he quickly brought himself to a kneeling position on the floor next to her. “How’re you feeling?” he rushed.

Theresa gave a tired smile of amusement as she looked up through heavy eyelids at her obviously startled yet elated friend. His expression reminded her of the proverbial deer caught in headlights, and it was very rare to see Jay looking so outside his element. She found it priceless.

But seeing him now, in her room, brought the events of last night slowly into focus. Although the aftermath of her battle with Hecate was a little hazy, she distinctly remembered Jay holding her before everything went dark. And now that she could think clearly again, Theresa hoped he didn’t notice the slight flush in her cheeks at the memory.

“Not bad,” she replied honestly. “But I was having a great dream until someone fell onto my floor.”

Staring back at her mischievous eyes, Jay felt a string of different emotions run through him. Feeling the embarrassment of being caught in a clumsy moment, he also felt guilty for unintentionally waking her from much needed rest. She had slept less than four hours.

“I’m sorry,” he fumbled, suddenly unable to make eye contact.

Watching him squirm both amused and endeared Theresa further still. As much as she respected the serious and focused Jay, seeing him so flustered was unimaginably cute. And it was this delicate and fleeting balance which seemed to draw her to him. Not that she had consciously admitted it.

After listening in content bemusement to his prattling on about “the clock...and I went to turn it off...but then...my foot...” Theresa mercifully cut in with a quick; “Jay.”

Coming to an abrupt halt in mid sentence, Jay looked down at Theresa anxiously. “Yeah?” he asked.

“I think it’s time for some breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” Jay repeated in confusion. Theresa had already begun to sit up and pull the bed sheet off herself before his brain made the connection.

“Breakfast?” he said again, more urgently this time. His head began spinning as he made the unexpected switch in topic, while simultaneously trying to comprehend how Theresa could feel hungry so suddenly. “No, no, no, don’t get up,” he continued in a rush as he got himself to his feet. “Stay in bed and rest. I’ll get you breakfast.”

Sitting upright, Theresa now had to crane her neck to look up at Jay as he towered over her seated form. He suddenly looked terrified, like she might break if any attempt to move was made. For a moment, Theresa did nothing but return his gaze. On the one hand, she was engrossed in the fact that Jay was showing incredible concern and care towards her. On the other hand, she felt slightly annoyed at being treated like a child. Admittedly she was still horribly tired, but her stubborn nature won out.

“Don’t be silly,” she scoffed while raising herself up. “I’m fine. I’m going – ”

She didn’t finish her sentence. The moment her body had straightened up into a stand, it had instantly fallen slack. Theresa would have collapsed back onto her bed had it not been for Jay’s quick reflexes.

Immediately grabbing her around the waist as she became faint, Jay pulled Theresa for the second time within the last few hours into his arms. His heart was pounding furiously as like a crashing wave, memories from the previous night once more flooded his mind.

“You see?” he muttered in despair. “You see? You’re not fine. You’re not.”

Guiding her head into the crook of his neck, Jay could do nothing but fiercely hold onto her, terrified of what might happen if he dared to let go. And while it took Theresa only a moment to fully recover from the daze, she felt no desire to pull herself away. In fact, her feelings were the complete opposite.

Theresa could fully admit she found Jay attractive. She had come to that conclusion in the instant they had met, and often she wondered if he felt the same. Indeed, there had been several occurrences over the last few months that had stood out particularly in her mind as evidence of a mutual attraction. She remembered their very first embrace so many months ago, when startled by the Oracle’s glowing blue eyes she had backed up in fear straight into Jay’s willing arms. The time they had held each other, staring in the other’s eyes just after he had saved her from the Minotaur. And the afternoon they’d instinctively reached for each other’s hand when facing the holographic monster in Ms. Hera’s security room.

And then there was the way she naturally gravitated towards him, worried about his safety more than the others’, thought about him when he wasn’t around and felt happier when he was in the room.

Like pieces to the puzzle of her heart, Theresa found herself assembling these memories only to discover that something in her had changed. Something so gradual and constant, she hadn’t even realized until that moment what had occurred. But now, as Jay clung to her like a drowning man, she could almost hear the click as everything felt into place.

'I’m in love with him.'

Her heart swelled for an instant before a second, terrifying thought replaced her joy.

'But does he love me? Does he even like me?'

Theresa desperately wanted to believe it. Those times with the Oracle, the minotaur…weren’t they evidence? Wasn’t the fact that he was standing here now, and holding her close indicative of something?

Yet, this was Jay. And Theresa knew as well as the other members of the team how focused their leader was. Did he even have room in his heart for love when it was currently so consumed with hatred for Cronus?

Theresa pushed these thoughts from her mind, and decided instead to just focus on the moment. There would be enough time for contemplation later. Right now, she just wanted to be in his arms and pretend that it meant something more.

Silently, Theresa mustered strength into her dangling arms in order to place her hands on the small of Jay’s back. The moment her fingertips made contact, however, she felt him tense for an instant in surprise. He hadn’t, apparently, expected her to hug him in return. Tentatively moving her hands upwards, up either side of his spine and towards his shoulders, she crossed her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him closer with her remaining strength. In response, Jay held her tighter still.

They stayed like this for several long minutes until Jay most unwillingly broke the silence.

'I’m going to tell her,' he’d decided.

“Theresa?” the teen murmured.

Reluctantly lifting her head from his neck, she loosened her hold on him in order to gaze up with expectant eyes. Their faces were millimetres apart. “Yes, Jay?” she asked softly, feeling the beginnings of a blush when she realized how close they were.

Jay took a moment to compose his thoughts. It was going to be difficult, and risky, but he had to admit to his feelings before the insane pounding and longing in his heart drove him mad.

“When I saw you go through the portal,” he began slowly, “something inside of me snapped. I felt like I was going to lose you and it would be all my fault because I wasn’t there to keep you safe. And then when I finally managed to get to the crossroads, all I ended up doing was getting captured.”

He paused there to let his first few sentences sink in. Theresa looked speechless. Her mind was buzzing, trying to comprehend his words and dare hope what they might be leading to.

“Do you remember when we were in the Solarium right after Archie had gotten hurt and we decided that I’d stay behind? I said something to you. That if anything came up…I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

Jay paused again, this time waiting for Theresa to show some sign of remembrance. She gave a brief nod, still not daring to make a sound. Her heart was thumping painfully in her chest, not unlike Jay’s.

'Is he going to say what I think he’s going to say?'

Theresa could scarcely breathe.

“Those words,” Jay muttered in complete seriousness, “were a promise that I made...to you. I promised myself that I’d protect you no matter what...because...”

He stopped, all his bravery and control suddenly gone and replaced with embarrassment and nervousness. No, more than that. He was terrified. Terrified because when he had looked into Theresa’s green, warm eyes the image of Cronus has filled his mind.

'What am I doing?' he realized.

Closing his eyes, Jay tried to calm himself while every fiber in his being screamed to finish the sentence regardless of the consequences. But another, more realistic part of Jay reminded him of the decision he had come to last night.

'I can’t...'

Tilting his head down to press his forehead against hers, Jay struggled to continue.

Theresa remained motionless, despite the feelings of nearly hysteric anticipation. She felt his bangs brushing against her temples, tickling her, and the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead against her skin. Her heart raced on in anticipation of his words.

'Because...?' She wondered frantically. 'BECAUSE...?'

“Because...I...” Jay whispered, his voice thick with emotion as his arms involuntarily pulled Theresa closer to him.

“I...I...” Jay tried to continue, but the words caught in his throat.

'I can’t...'

He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t bring himself to speak the words he truly needed to admit, because his mind was clouded with images. Images of Cronus. In a flash Jay envisioned the evil God discovering his feelings; smiling wickedly over the new weakness he could exploit. Jay envisioned Theresa held captive by Cronus, taunting Jay to come and save her – threatening to kill her if he refused. The God of Time would undoubtedly use his knowledge of Jay’s feelings for Theresa to his own twisted advantage. Putting her life in danger; always making her the target. Simply because hurting her would hurt Jay even more. And her life was already in danger just by being a part of the team. Jay knew he cared about Theresa too much to put her at any more risk than their unbelievable lives already endured.

So in an instant he knew what must be done. He would have to ignore his newly discovered feelings. They would compromise his ability as a leader. They were a weakness. He would keep his emotions hidden and never let Theresa, or anyone else for that matter, know. And always, always treat her as a team mate. Nothing more. Anything else would compromise her safety if Cronus should find out. And it would be all too easy for Cronus to realize it, as well. If Jay was to treat Theresa differently in battle, to show any sort of preference for her over the others or for the others to hint at his feelings in any tiny way, it would be all over. Jay had realized as much during the night, but now his opinion had been resolved.

He couldn’t tell her.

Jay’s thoughts were interrupted by a nearly crazed Theresa, who was still waiting to hear the end of his sentence. Trying to sound as calm as humanly possible, she broke the silence with a quiet; “Because what, Jay?”

Wide-eyed, Jay realized only now the predicament he was in. She was expecting some sort of answer! As to what specifically, he could only guess. But the way his speech had been going, it had certainly been indicative of something very non-team related. Thinking quickly, the teen realized that he’d have to seriously change his tone.

There was only one thing he could do.

Becoming rigid, Jay put on his Leader Face. That was the group’s name for it, because it was a look of complete seriousness and total control. Cold and calculating. It was the expression he wore when in battle, and one he hoped Theresa would instantly understand.

He released her then, and placed his hands on her shoulders, backing as far away from her as his arms would allow. He tried not to notice how every part of his body that Theresa had touched suddenly felt icy cold, and how her arms had slipped away from around his neck and to fall limply to her sides.

Jay had kept his eyes on the floor during the few seconds of separation, but now lifted his gaze to meet Theresa’s eyes. She stared back at him, and he could tell the moment her brain registered his expression. He could tell, because her own look changed from one of mild longing at the physical separation to one of utter confusion and bewilderment.

“Jay...?” she murmured feebly.

The change in her expression nearly crumbled his façade. She looked so vulnerable that for a second Jay nearly lost his nerve. But he quickly remembered the reason for what he was about to say, and steeled himself.

Focusing all his energy on keeping his voice as even and emotionless as possible, he said; “I promised myself I’d protect you because I’m not going to let anyone on my team die.”

The words hit Theresa like a physical punch. They had been the last thing she had expected and the pain was surprisingly incredible. For a few moments she stood completely wide-eyed and speechless as his words reverberated in her head.

Let anyone on my team die.

Anyone on the team.

The team.

She realized after a few heart-wrenching seconds that any hope she’d had about Jay liking her had clearly been wrong. The team truly was all he cared about. All he had ever cared about. Certainly he had been showing a great deal of concern for her but she knew now with painful certainty that his worry was prompted by his duty as the leader. It would take seven heroes to defeat Cronus. Nothing more and nothing less. Of course he wanted to make sure she was alright.

But that was all.

And that knowledge hurt her more than she would have thought possible. She felt the full and agonizing force of her love, which would now and forever remain unrequited.

Angry and embarrassed for thinking that Jay could have seen her as anything more than a team mate, Theresa painfully reminded herself of the thought she had had only a few minutes ago. That this was Jay. She had always known deep down that his obsession and his drive blocked out all other things. He only cared about defeating Cronus, and she was an idiot for thinking differently.

Wanting nothing more than to be alone with her pain, Theresa struggled to remain composed. She couldn’t let Jay know how much his words hurt her. It would only make things awkward between them. But a feeble “Right,” was all she could manage in reply. Breaking eye contact and staring at his chest, she struggled to find something to say.

Jay, who was too busy trying to find an excuse to leave before the force in his heart crushed him, failed to notice Theresa’s expression.

“I’ll let you rest,” he quickly said with his eyes on the door. “I hope you’re able to make it to combat practice tonight.”

“I’ll try,” Theresa responded, not even attempting to add her usual upbeat.

He released her then, a bit too slowly, feeling torn between wanting to stay and needing to leave. Then, he took a step so that they were standing side-by-side, facing opposite directions.

“Try to stay in bed,” Jay mumbled. “If there’s anything you need, just let me...or one of us...know.”

“Okay...” Theresa whispered.

She felt more than heard him begin to walk towards the door, but before he took more than two steps, Theresa spontaneously wheeled around. Perhaps it was one last-ditch effort to get him to stay. Perhaps she simply wanted to say thank you for the care he’d given her. But that was irrelevant.

All that mattered was that the moment she called his name and placed her hand on his shoulder, her body went ridged as her mind plunged into a vision.

Jay realized immediately what had occurred and he waited out the few moments as he always did; in tense anticipation. It was hard to judge how Theresa would come out of her trance. Sometimes she was clear-headed and full of information instantly. Other times, she was unsure and looked a bit dazed.

But this time when she was revived from her mental images, the expression on her face was like nothing he had ever seen.

“What?!” Jay gasped, clasping her thin shoulders. “What is it? What did you see?”

Theresa was speechless, and could only stare up at Jay with a frighteningly unreadable expression. When she continued to say nothing, Jay grew all the more fearful.

“Tell me!” he commanded, giving her shoulders the smallest shake.

“...I...you...” she murmured after a few more moments, clearly still at a loss for words.

“What is it?” Jay whispered in urgency, feeling the swelling in his heart. Trying to piece together this tiny bit of information, Jay began to guess at what she had seen. Was something going to happen to them? Were they both in danger? He felt a wave of panic. Not for himself, but for her. She was still weak from the battle. Could he protect her this time from the new danger?

Feeling a surge of determination, Jay took Theresa’s now ice-cold hands in his and stared into her eyes, ignoring the promise he had just made to keep things casual between them. “What’s going to happen to us?” he whispered. “You can tell me.”

Then, the oddest thing happened. Theresa began to blush.

“I saw us kissing,” she whispered back.

Jay’s heart stopped. And for several long seconds he was frozen in place. Then, his head twitched slightly.

“You...saw us...?” He couldn’t finish the sentence. His heart had restarted in a fury, going double, triple, the speed. He felt lightheaded. He couldn’t think straight. With all his innate knowledge and skill, his engrained ability to think and act quickly...and all his determination to not get close to Theresa...he had no idea what to do.

'We’re going to KISS?!' Jay’s mind reeled. When? Where? What about Cronus?! Nothing was making sense.

But before he could finish sorting out the questions in his mind, Theresa began to speak.

“Jay...did you mean what you said before? About you promising to protect me because you didn’t want anyone to die?” Her voice was hesitant, fragile, and full of wariness. And as she stressed the word ‘anyone’ like he had, Jay felt a stab of pain.

He was once again faced with a decision. He could continue the lie for her protection, or just give in to the urge to make her vision a reality. But what to do? The pros and cons weighed heavily on his mind. “Uh...” he hesitated, trying to buy himself some time.

“Just tell me the truth, Jay,” Theresa suddenly blurted out, her voice suddenly filled with frustration and desperation. She squeezed his hands and Jay realized with a start that they were still clasping hers. “How do you really feel?”

He looked into her eyes and was shocked to see the agony they held. Wretched, he still felt at a loss for words, unsure now about everything he had decided.

'She wants to know the truth,' he thought. 'But why would she want to know…why would she even be asking...unless...?'

“How do you feel?” he countered, shocked that the words had escaped his lips.

Theresa looked up at him in surprise at his answer that wasn’t really an answer at all. And although she hesitated a moment, Theresa knew she had to take the risk. Her eyes were steady and determined as a small, gentle smile touched her lips. “I love you,” she whispered, sure her heart would break. “So tell me you lied to me.”

The next moment was a blur as Jay pulled Theresa into his arms and began roaming his hands feverishly over her; rubbing her back, her hair, her shoulders; all the while speaking so rapidly she could barely keep up.

“Theresa I lied...I lied...it was all a lie...I wanted to keep you safe...I didn’t want Cronus to know…he can’t know...I won’t let him hurt you....I’m sorry...I’m so sorry I lied. But I love you.”

He stopped there, realizing in his babble what he finally put into words. Taking Theresa’s face in his hands, he looked at her with an aura of peace, clarity, and genuineness “I lied to protect you. Because I love you, too.”

“Oh, Jay,” Theresa whispered, her expression full of joy.

Throwing her arms around his neck, they embraced as the sun continued creeping up the sky. The start of a new day.

“And you don’t have to worry about Cronus knowing about us. I think I can take care of myself. I have a black belt, after all,” Theresa murmured from the crook in Jay’s neck.

“Yeah, and magical powers,” he chuckled, allowing himself for the first time to truly believe that everything would be all right.

“Now,” Theresa asked, raising her head, “how about that kiss?”

Jay’s heart leapt. “Sure,” he murmured as he bent his head and brought their lips together.

Over an hour later, there came a quiet knock at Theresa’s door. When there was no answer, Atlanta tentatively opened it and peered into the room. There, she saw Jay and Theresa asleep on her bed, their bodies entwined.

Quietly shutting the door she turning smugly to Archie, who stood in shock beside her, and placed her hands on her hips triumphantly.

“Looks like I owe you a pizza,” the purple-haired teen said with a smirk.

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THE END!

Thank you all for reading!!!!