For a long time after Jethro woke up, the house remained silent. Normally, the chatters of Mother T and Rose would have been heard from the kitchen as they prepared breakfast. But that was not happening and Jethro felt sad he was the cause of it. What happened yesterday had brought a division between the mother and daughter, and Jethro hoped it would not last long.

He crawled down from his bed and stared out through his window pane. The morning air drifted in absolute silence and he took a fresh breath as he watched the blue sky. The clouds were now light as the sky looked remorseful of the downpour it had sent down yesterday.

Jethro hissed and looked away from it, not ready to take its apology. His ears perked up when he finally heard the clank of plates from the kitchen. But the sound was soft and short before being replaced by shuffling legs.

That was all Jethro heard and the lull came back. He was forced to step out and he realized Mother T and Rose had left. He moved to the kitchen and as he had half expected, no breakfast was prepared. He grunted, shook his head, and walked back to his room. Kitty scrambled after him but he kicked her away before shutting the door.

He pulled out a shirt and pants from his wardrobe. He ran his bath and reminded himself not to take long at Ava's house. He would just go visit her and be back in time before Mother T returned home. He would not want to have another squabble with Mother T on Ava's issue. He was getting sick of that.

He slammed the house's door closed and sauntered down the road, his hands buried in his pockets. He took a cab going to Sinclair Street and soon he was at Ava's house. He greeted James at the door and the man notified him Ava was at the back of the house. He ambled along the rough path and saw Ava sitting on the usual bench while Buddy chased a squirrel through the bush.

"Ava." He called gently and the girl looked back. She gave a crooked smile when he sat beside her, "How's your night?" He asked.

"Fine." She nodded sadly and Jethro chuckled at her expression.

"But I doubt you slept well." He said, gazing into her bleary eyes, "You look like someone awake throughout the night."

Ava sighed on hearing him and she pressed her lips together in admission, "Those scenes from last night kept on replaying in my head. I couldn't sleep."

"But I told you to forget about them," Jethro said in a voice between frustrated and amused.

"How will I?" Ava exhaled in a despairing tone, "The blood. Jessy. I don't know what had happened to Jessy now, is she dead or.." She trailed off and stared into Jethro's eyes hoping he would assure her that Jessy was alive.

"We'll have to wait a little bit to know about that." Jethro breathed and when Ava's eyes fell downcast, he took her palm into his and whispered, "See, I don't wish Jessy to die but whatever happens to her, just know it isn't your fault. She betrayed you. Always remember that."

Ava looked steadily into his face after his encouraging words and bobbed her head perfunctorily.

"Finn visited me yesterday." Jethro decided to say when Ava looked away and began studying as Buddy wiggled through the bush, in search of prey.

"Really?" She said in a drab voice, not taking her eyes off the dog.

"Yeah," Jethro mouthed, noticing the lack of interest in her voice, "We reconciled." He said what would excite her and she turned her neck sharply to look at him.

"You did?" She asked delightfully.

Jethro nodded in response and she gave a bright smile, "We talked about all that happened that night and.." He paused, allowing Ava's eyes to double with his before continuing, "Very soon we'll figure out who the Bear is."

Ava trembled as she heard him say the Bear. She took in a deep breath and on her face was written a big fear, "Don't you think you've done enough for me?" She asked in a deterring tone.

"No," Jethro shook his head, "Not until I fulfilled the promise I made to you."

Ava's forehead creased as she tried to remember the promise he was talking about, "What promise?"

Jethro gave a quiet laugh and rested back on the bench. He looked up to the top of the almond and then shut his eyes as he recounted, "What is everyone saying about me now? What have they all believed? The lies? How am I ever going to tell them the truth? Will they even believe me when they hear it?"

Ava had started chuckling as he crooned those words playfully, "You still remember all that?" She asked in her amusement.

"It was the first time we ever talked. I have each of the words you said that day registered in my head." He laughed.

Ava did not know what to say afterward. She just continued smiling.

"Remember you said answers to those questions are what would fill you?" Jethro reminded, opening an eye to squint at her, "Until I provide those answers, I haven't done enough." He gulped.

Ava's face broke into a bigger smile before she glanced away from him and she went goggle-eyed when she saw Buddy approaching with a squirrel stuck in his mouth.

*. *. *.

Jethro felt like he was hit by a bullet when he returned home and saw the fence open. He had stayed longer at Ava's place than he had planned and he mouthed a prayer that it should be Rose who was at home, and not Mother T.

He stepped into the house and it was all quiet like an abandoned castle. He paced hopefully to Rose's room and knocked lightly on the brown door. A faint, rustling sound was the response he got before it all fell silent again. He was forced to push the door slightly open and poked his head in.

Rose was lying on her bed, reading a novel while Kitty stooped over a bowl of milk.

"You went to see her again," Rose said, not looking up from her book.

"Mum isn't back, is she?" Jethro asked instead as he closed the door gently behind him.

Rose raised her brows and shook her head, "She isn't."

Jethro breathed a sigh of relief and sat beside the girl on the bed.

"You haven't answered my question, you went to see her again?" Rose repeated, her eyes still fixed on her novel.

"I shouldn't lie to you now, should I?" Jethro shrugged and Rose slammed the book shut in a show of annoyance.

"But what's it with this Ava girl." She said with disgust and scoffed when Jethro gave a shocked expression, "Don't you ever get carried away by what I did last night. I only made her the crisps because I wanted to be nice. She's making you do crazy things and you don't realize it."

"She isn't the one making me do crazy things, I..." Jethro still wanted to say something but he was cut off by his furious sister.

"Oh," Rose sounded with scorn, "So, who made you get suspended from school? Who made you return home late last night? You've been having quarrels with Mum ever since this girl came in." She ranted.

Jethro raked his hair with his fingers and ground his teeth, "See, Rose, I know you're mad at what Mum said to you yesterday but I already said I'm sorry." He said in a voice laced with exhaustion.

"Your assumption is wrong, bro." Rose snorted and sat up to look intently into his eyes, "Right now, I'm not mad because of whatever Mum said. I'm mad at you because you could have lost your life yesterday because of a girl. There was the news in the school that a Riverdale student was attacked last night in the rain." Rose fired out her words in a heavy breath.

Jethro's pupils dilated when he heard that the news about Jessy had spread in the school. He wondered why that got him surprised. He should have expected it. He scratched his pert nose and swallowed a lungful of air while Rose looked suspiciously at him.

"Jeth," She called lightly and he locked eyes with her, "You aren't the one who did that, are you?" She asked indistinctly.

Jethro's lashes fused in confusion, "That did what?"

"The attack," Rose sounded with agitation, "You aren't the one who attacked that girl, are you?"

"Hey," Jethro squealed, "What are you thinking? How will I stab someone?"

Rose was taken aback when she heard him say stab. Her eyes narrowed at him with conviction, "Stab? How did you know she was stabbed? Jeth!" She yelled in dread.

"Hey, you hush!" Jethro said frantically, clamping a palm over her mouth.

She shoved his hand away and stared unbelievably at him, "You did that! You..."

"I didn't." Jethro screamed his interruption, "Will you just keep quiet and let me explain what happened exactly."

Rose steadied her breathing before she could phrase the word, "Okay." She puffed, "Now the explanation, I'm all ears."

Jethro shook his head and croaked, "The girl stabbed herself. I confronted her on something but I would never attempt to hurt someone that much. She stabbed herself." He narrated vehemently.

Rose stared at him like he had grown two heads after what she could only term an absurd explanation. Was Jethro trying to make her believe that he attacked a girl and she ended up stabbing herself? Why would Jethro even lurk and attack someone at night? What was her brother turning to? A criminal? Hey! She felt her heart jumping out of its cavity.

"Swears Rose, believe me. She stabbed herself. I would never do that." Jethro restated when he saw the skepticism on her face.

"Why would you even attack someone in the first place." She huffed, "What are you turning into Jeth? Think. Think. You already fought with two boys at school and now you're stabbing..."

"Jeez! I did not!" Jethro shrieked, making his voice loud enough to cover hers.

"But you attacked her. Why would you do that? And I won't doubt that it was because of that Ava girl. You're getting into too many troubles these days because of her!" Another hot stream of words flew out of Rose in her irritation.

Jethro shook his head again and stood from the bed, "I shouldn't be having this conversation with you. You wouldn't believe me." He grunted.

"Why should I?" Rose sneered, "You attacked a girl and she stabbed herself. How do the two blend?"

Jethro bit his lower lip in frustration, "I'll just leave till your head cools." He huffed and stalked to the door. He yanked it open and just before he could step out, Rose's voice echoed behind him.

"Just thank your stars the girl survived. I couldn't imagine what big trouble you would have put yourself into if she had not." She barked with indignation.

Jethro felt like cold water was being poured into a fire burning inside of him. His anxiety was calmed as he learned that Jessy had survived. He inhaled deeply and with no word, he moved out of the room, slamming the door behind him.