Hey readers,

Wow. I was just watching Class of the Titans (taped every episode) and felt the sudden urge to make a continuing story from Phantom Rising.

So, uh, this is that story.

Basically, it's set a few months after the last episode. You'll pick it up.

Disclaimers: I don't own Class of the Titans.

Waiting for You

Hard, unyielding lips were kissing her relentlessly.

Theresa moaned softly. She'd been missing out on this kind of action for too long – how could she have been so stupid? Eagerly, she kissed him back, knotting her fingers in his hair. It was a really bad dye job, and she could feel the brittleness of his hair. She didn't mind. Most guys didn't give a toss about their hair; they just wanted to feel hers.

His hands were sliding down her back, and she moaned again. It was so good. How did Jay get so good at this-

No.

Jay?

She sat up, nearly knocking the guy off her. This wasn't Jay. She wasn't kissing Jay. She had, but she never ever would again.

"Something wrong, princess?" The guy asked huskily. He was in his early twenties, she has assumed, when she met him at the bar. Good body, great face. They'd started talking after a bit, and probably drunk a bit more than they should.

She closed her eyes in concentration. "No. I mean… I have to go." Her heart was pounding so hard that it could have beaten out of her chest.

She stood up, jumping off his bed gracefully. Locating her handbag on the floor, she went to walk out. But there was something in between her and the door.

"Come on," he said, slurring his words. Yep, drunk. "We were just getting started."

"I have to go," she repeated, keeping her voice low. She was starting to get a bit annoyed at this guy.

"Stay," he crooned. It was then she realised how drunk he must be.

She sighed. Boys seemed to fall backwards at her these days. She was beautiful, and she knew it, but she didn't use it to her advantage, like all the other girls did at New Olympia High. But the guys seemed to like this even more.

No that she didn't mind it at all – it was nice to get the attention. Especially from older guys.

But, tonight anyway, she was kind of over the attention.

He didn't see her fist fly towards his temple in a perfect right hook, but he felt it. He grunted and fell to the floor, out for the count.

She stepped over him emotionlessly. She hadn't knocked someone out in a while, but it usually made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, glow with pride. This guy just made her feel empty.

It was a quick jaunt through his house to the street. She cursed herself. He lived in the eastern end of town, nowhere near the Brownstone. Worse, it was late – really late – and there wasn't a taxi in sight. The streets were deserted.

She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, dialling a well used number.

"Hey, it's me."

"Theresa?" The voice was sleepy – oops. It was pretty late.

"Uh, could you pick me up, if that's okay?"

The voice sighed. "Where are you?"

Herry's truck loomed into view. It was hard to miss, even in daylight and with traffic. Red monster truck-like vehicles rarely went unnoticed. Theresa thought that, secretly, Herry liked it.

He sharply braked in front of her, and the passenger door swung open.

"Hop in," he said.

She smiled gratefully, pulling the door closed behind her.

Herry wasn't one for idle talking, and she was relieved. It was one of the reasons she had called him in the first place. The others, the rest of the team, they didn't know about the things she was getting up to. Herry would have some sort of an idea now, but he wouldn't judge her.

The ride back, however, wasn't going to be completely silent.

"You alright?" He asked after a while. "You seem a bit… distracted."

She kept her gaze out the window, avoiding having to look at him. "I don't want to talk." If she kept her voice calm enough, he might just believe her. But it was a long shot, and she knew it.

Herry made a coughing sound. "Whatever. You might be able to fool everyone else, but you're not convincing me. Something's wrong, and you know it."

She turned to look at him. Herry never talked like this – he was laidback. Easy-going. Straightforward.

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

Herry laughed, without emotion. "Oh, so you just go into the bedroom with complete strangers these days?"

"That's none of your business!" She exclaimed, but he was right. She couldn't even remember the guy's name.

"I think it is." His voice was cautious, but soothing. He wanted to help, she could feel it.

She looked away again. "You can't help me," she said softly. "This is something I need to deal with. I'm sorry."

He placed a hand on her shoulder tentatively. "If this is about Jay-"

"It has nothing to do with Jay!"

Her eyes glowed purple as she snapped the words, and he stopped the truck immediately, sharply parking on the side of the road. There was a quiet cracking sound as he did so. They were near the park, five minutes away from the brownstone. He could call for reinforcements, just in case…

But, just as quickly as her anger had come on, it disappeared.

Mentally, she kicked herself. She hadn't lost control in almost a month. Emotional outbursts forced her unstable aura to appear – the deadly force of magic contained within her. Nearly six months ago, it had overtaken her, consuming the power of the Olypmus gods with her. Jay had stopped it.

After that, she'd had a brief, short-lived relationship with Jay, when they were under the impression that Cronus was gone. But, like he always did, he reappeared, and their lives returned to protecting the world from a psychotic god. And Jay had called it quits with her.

Mental instability was one of the downsides of her newly found powers. Her magic was stronger than ever, and so was her aura. It was dangerous for her to lose control, too dangerous.

Herry braced himself against the side of the truck, PMR at the ready. Not that it would do much good. Not even the gods could stop Theresa anymore.

"I'm okay," she muttered, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her head there.

Herry watched her carefully for a few minutes. He was fairly confident that she wouldn't have an outburst, but who knows what she could do?

"I'll meet you back at the Brownstone," she murmured into her knees. "I just need sometime to myself."

She hopped out of the truck, wincing as she noticed the crack in the passenger-side window. Had she done that?

She took off into the park, already consumed by the darkness as Herry watched her go. He felt useless; he couldn't help her. She'd become so distant these days; it was hard to see the old Theresa beneath those emerald eyes.

But there was someone that could.

He flipped open his PMR, pressing the speed dial button. A heartbeat later, it was answered.

"Herry, what's wrong?"

"Well, a lot, and I think you need to get down here."

Theresa was curled up in a park bench by the river when he found her.

He approached cautiously. Out of everyone, including the gods, he knew Theresa better. 'Friends' wasn't the best word, not for two people that would throw themselves in front of a bullet for each other. Their relationship ran deeper than skin, and was stronger than steel.

And they'd lost it.

No – he'd thrown it away.

"Theresa?" he said, moving quietly as he sat next to her. She was cold, freezing as ice. An aftershock of her aura, he knew. So was the emotional whirlwind.

She didn't look up, or try to acknowledge his presence.

He kept the space between them exactly that – space. She flinched whenever he was near her these days, afraid of how much he could hurt her. The new Theresa was an empty shell compared to who she used to be, save her wicked combat skills. They remained intact.

Finally, she looked up. Jay was staring off into the water, flowing calmly past them. He had that look in his eye, wistfully wishing he was out on the water, sailing or whatever.

"Jay." She said his name simply, but in her mind, she screamed it at him. The leader of the heroes, the fearless warrior, she never thought she could love someone so much. Or be hurt so much.

He turned back to her, his chocolate eyes cold and calculating. They were usually warm and friendly, and it frightened her to see them so cold.

"Yes?"

"I'm leaving."

The words were a shock to her even, but she knew that this was inevitable. She was a liability to the team, a disadvantage more than anything. She would never master her powers, not before they drove her crazy, in the literal sense of the word. Better to cut her losses and give it up now, with what little sanity she had left.

Jay nodded, emotionless. Leader mode.

What had she been expecting? Theresa scolded herself. This wasn't a fairytale. He wouldn't confess his feelings – if he had any – and beg her not to go. He wouldn't say that he regretted breaking up with her. He wouldn't. He didn't want her like that.

"When?" The words came out gruffly. Facts and figures were all he cared about. Numbers and words. No emotion.

"Tonight."

She was whispering now. It scared her, a lot, realising just how much she shouldn't have stuck around for so long. She wasn't herself anymore, not with so much magic. She needed help, and lots of it.

Jay shrugged, detached.

She stood up. "Right now. I'm going home."

He stood, too. "It's been good having you in the team. We'll miss you." He said the last sentence like he was reading someone else's words, like they meant nothing for him.

She focused all of her non-magical energy on not crying. How could Jay be so impassive? Had he been hoping that she would leave all along? Was she that much of a wreck?

"Well… bye."

He nodded curtly.

She sighed. She might as well say something – she'd probably never see him again.

"Jay," she begun, hesitating. "You've always been a great leader. And I'm sure you'll go on to do great things."

He stared at her blankly.

She continued, launching herself into the supposed-to-be-short goodbye. "And I know that you don't want to hear this right now, but I love you. Too much. And I'm sorry. I'm going now, and you know where to find me. I've always been waiting for you, Jay, but I'm not going to wait forever."

A single tear rolled down her face, and she wiped it away quickly. No emotion. Time to go.

It was harder than anything else she had ever done, to talk three steps and turn around. Harder still to keep walking. Even harder to hail a taxi and watch the city go by, slowly turning into countryside.

But, she did it.

She had always been waiting for him to change his mind, or just to do something. Always waiting. Never acting.

This time, she did. She acted.

She wasn't waiting anymore.

Please please please don't think bad of Jay.

Please?

Let's put it this way – everyone makes mistakes. His was just pretty big and stupid. And I feel really bad for leaving it here, and for such a sad ending, but that's the mood I'm in right now. No happy ending, no fairytales.

Sorry =)

Anyway, don't forget to check out my other COTT stories, and my Twilight stories. I've recently written a COTT story about Neil, and I'm in the middle of writing a very long Twilight story.

Yeah, I'll stop with the advertising.

Thanks for reading, and please review. Just one word is enough!

Little Miss Illusional