i am always angry.

Though Sage had asked, she was surprised he had agreed, “Great,” Her breath hitched in her throat when he asked how old their daughter was, “Six!” The little girl said holding up her fingers before Sage could stop her from saying anything. She sighed and looked at Jay, trying to read his expression and hoping he didn’t put two and two together though he was too smart for that.

When she said six, Jay’s breath hitched only slightly, he looked up at Sage, and then back to Jasmine. He decided he shouldn’t bring it up, at least not in front of the little girl, but he was thinking about it. “Wow, six is a big age!” he responded. “I bet you’re very smart.”

It was actually Jasmine who suggested that the young man join them. She tugged on her mother’s sleeve and asked. It made her heart melt. Jas had always been a kind-hearted young girl and she didn’t like people being alone. She looked from the little girl to her ex-husband with a smile, “Sure. If Jay wants to join us, he can,” She nodded, hoping the look on his face didn’t mean anything, “Uh huh, this is Jasmine.”

Jay meant to say no, but something about Jasmine’s look on her face, the words that came out of his mouth was, “Oh, uh sure, I’ll join.” Jay smiled at Jasmine. “Hi, Jasmine, how old are you?”

“Of course– you didn’t let me rehearse,” she teased back. “Uh yeah, Tanner and I’s parents had us playing guitar, piano, violin– anything and everything alongside many other talents they expected us to have.”

“The closest thing to music I’ve ever played besides off a stereo is drumming my fingers on a table. So you’re far more talented than me anyday.”

“Thinking about what?” he asked. “I just came over to you. I wasn’t sitting alone.”

Jay shrugged. “Just uh, something with Sage and I. It’s just, I met her daughter recently.”

Sage laughed a little, “Jay, I’m a teacher. It’s surprisingly easy for me to take time off at this time of the year,” She joked, moving to lift up his daughter. She did notice the expression on his face but tried to play it off. It was nothing right? She smiled, “But yeah, I always like this event. It’s fun and I want to try and create traditions for her while she’s young,” She paused, “Are you here with anyone?”

Jay shook his head. “Not really. Well, I came with Marcus, but he ditched me a while ago.” Jay tried to shake the girl’s eyes out of his mind. “Is this your daughter?”

🔥- our muses hang out by the fire

“Hey bud,” Marcus smiled as he came to sit next to the other. “What are you doing sitting here on your own, huh?”

@jayruzek​

“I’ve just been uh, thinking,” Jay replied. “I could be asking you the same thing.”

🎸- our muses play muse/sing campfire songs

Tanner and Max had run off somewhere during the party, leaving their guitar with her. Sitting by the fire she mindlessly began strumming it until someone came over. “Oh– no no, I wasn’t going to play anything for real.”

@jayruzek​

“What? Scared or something?” he said, only teasingly. “I didn’t know you played.”

“Jas, baby, can you just sit there for two minutes while mommy gets the picnic set up and then we’ll” But she had already run off. Sage sighed and followed her daughter quickly, basket of food in her arms. Jasmine stopped in front of someone but she was so focused on her daughter, she didn’t realise who it was until she was right in front of him, “Jasmine, come on, let’s not disturb the nice m-” She looked up at him and her eyes widened, “Jay! Sorry, she’s very excitable when it’s my day off. We always have a picnic. We’ll uh leave you to it. Come on sweetie,” She grabbed their daughter’s hand, hoping that Jay wasn’t suspicious but knowing how much she saw of him in her, he would likely notice too.

@jayruzek​

Jay was surprised when the young child ran up to him. He looked down at her and smiled. “Hi! Where’s your mommy or daddy?” he asked, but he got caught over the girls’ eyes. They were just like his. The color was too familiar. He then looked up when Sage approached. “No, no, it’s okay really. It’s nice you got off for the bonfire.”

“And have you asked any of them already?”

“Yep, they all had it apparently.”

“That’s certainly where you should start looking,” Aiden said, “I know it’s probably all confidential but if you need help looking, I’m not busy.”

“If you could? It’s not confidential, even if it was, we’d be screwed anyway.”

“So you won’t even consider it?”

Jay scrunched his nose. “Nope, not really.”

“That definitely sounds like something you should be worried about then.”

Jay let out a groan. “Fuck me,” he complained.

“Given where we work, probably?” Cassia said, “Unless there’s an explanation for the missing page. Or could it have been dropped?”

Jay shrugged. “It went through three people before the case was given to me.”

“Don’t or won’t? Or is it can’t?” She asked, raising a brow, “You’re looking all sad and mopey in a nightclub. Why don’t you let loose and have some fun? You know, like dancing.”

“I would say all three,” Jay replied. “Dancing’s not really my sort of fun.”

“Generally that sounds like something that’s bad but I don’t know where you work or what you do or how common that is.”

“I work at HQ, and it’s never happened to me before.”

“I’m not familiar with the rules and regulations of HQ but that does sound like something to be concerned about.”

“Maybe it’s somewhere in HQ. Hopefully.”

Penny didn’t often take a night off like this. Normally, after work, she just went home and had some food, probably did some more work that she brought home and then went to bed. However, tonight she was taking the town or at least this nightclub and she was going to enjoy herself. She smiled as she danced, spotting someone watching, “Come on, dance with me. You can’t not dance to this song. It would be a crime.”

Jay was drinking, watching everyone at the bar. When Penny approached. “Oh no, no, I don’t dance,” he responded.