Jake was accustomed to not being in the front during the quieter and more mundane parts of their day. Marc and Steven had come to an understanding of who would have control of the body at different times, and Jake would usually stand on the sidelines, only taking the front when Khonshu needed something from him.

But Jake's attention was suddenly drawn to their surroundings when he heard Steven's voice.

"Blimey, Marc! Astha wants to go on a date with you!" Steven exclaimed, looking at the notification that flashed on the screen. Marc, who was currently in control of the body, unlocked the phone to read the text himself.

"Hey Marc, I hope you're doing well," the text read. "This might sound weird, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you and was wondering if we could meet up for coffee after you're done with work?"

Marc looked over towards Gus's fish tank, where he could see Steven's reflection.

"Coffee sounds delightful, doesn't it?" Steven said with a grin, his eyes lighting up.

Jake smiled, knowing that Steven was just as, if not more, excited than him about the idea. There was something about Astha that brought him comfort. The way she trusted him so openly made him want to shield her from anyone who would try to take advantage of her.

He realized that his opinion of the former nurse would have been very different if one of the others had met her first. It would have been easy to be critical of someone he had never met. But the night she helped him out of the dumpster, he saw something in her eyes that he had seen before but never directed towards him - care.

And why would someone care about him? Marc and Steven were far more deserving of it than anyone else, far more deserving than he could ever be.

"You gonna sit and stare at the screen all day, or are you going to give her a reply?" Steven asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to rush into anything. And after Layla, I'm not sure if I'm ready," Marc sighed as he placed his phone back on the table, its screen facing down as if to avoid facing the text.

"It doesn't have to be a date. At least she didn't mention if it was. If nothing else, we will have a new friend in this city," Steven reassured.

Jake was thankful that Steven was trying to talk some sense into Marc. Even he knew that they needed more people around them, and he had a good feeling about Astha.

"Okay, let's do it. I'll text her back and say yes."

A wide grin spread across Jake's face as Marc typed out a reply to Astha's text, accepting her invitation for coffee.

As Steven was helping Donna finish up for the day, Jake noticed that Steven kept checking the phone, making sure that they were not running late.

The reason Astha asked to meet after work was that she was planning to visit the museum with her friends and their twins, so it would be convenient for everyone to meet outside the gift shop.

Jake had been on edge the entire day. Though he knew that the others were capable of handling almost anything, the idea of getting close to someone new came with a lot of intense emotions. So Jake was prepared to step in the second things got too intense for either Marc or Steven.

What Jake was not anticipating was for Khonshu to show up before Astha did.

"Donna, something came up I'll have to leave," Jake called out for Steven's superior as he placed Steven's messenger bag over his shoulder. 

"What are you doing here? They could have seen you" 

"If you think I care about the worms seeing me you are mistaken. They are your problem, not mine. I need to know if you have figured out where those people are keeping Harrow." The god explained. 

Jake looked at Khonshu with a mix of resignation and determination. He knew that he had no choice but to comply with the god's request. It was always a difficult balance, keeping Khonshu appeased and making sure that the others don't suspect anything. As far as they were concerned, Khonshu was gone for good.

"I don't have all the answers yet," Jake replied, trying to maintain a calm exterior despite the turmoil inside. He kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure Astha was not there. "But I've been gathering information, and I'm getting closer. I just need more time."

Khonshu's expression was stern as he looked at Jake with an intensity that made him feel small and insignificant. As the god of the moon, Khonshu was known for his strict and unwavering nature, and dealing with him was never easy.

"You've had enough time," Khonshu said, his voice booming. "I cannot wait any longer. Find out where he is, and bring him to me."

Jake felt a surge of frustration. He had been doing his best to locate Harrow, but it was not an easy task. The people who had taken him were skilled at covering their tracks, and Jake had been chasing dead ends for weeks.

"I'm doing everything I can," Jake said, trying to convey his earnestness to Khonshu. "But I can't just rush into things. We need to be careful, or we could make things worse."

Khonshu's expression softened slightly, and he seemed to consider Jake's words. "Very well," he said finally. "But remember, time is running out. Don't disappoint me."

With that, Khonshu disappeared, leaving Jake feeling drained.

As Jake made his way to the gif shop to meet Astha, he couldn't shake off the anxiety that had settled in his chest. He was not supposed to be in control of the body. But no one was around to take over and if he were to leave now, he had no idea how long they would be unconscious before either Marc or Steven were back.

When he finally spotted Astha outside the gift shop, he felt a surge of relief. She greeted him with a warm smile, and he couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in his chest.

"Hey, Marc," Astha said, her eyes lighting up. "You look great."

Jake looked down at the clothes he was wearing a collared shirt with a geometric pattern, and Steven's grey jacket. Nothing that he would have expected a compliment one. But Astha's smile was so sincere that he could not have dared to question it.

"You too," Jake replied, returning her smile. "I'm sorry if I'm a bit distracted. Are your friends still here?"

"No, the twins were being fussy so they left a while ago. I was just waiting for you to be done." Astha explained as they started walking towards the cafe nearby. 

"Oh, it's just that you mentioned the twins and Ste...I mean we just got this in the shop and thought they might like it." Jake pulled out the two Taweret plushes Steven had bought earlier. 

Steven and Marc got into an argument or whether or not it would be appropriate but then decided to go along with whatever would feel right at the moment. Jake thought it was a good idea because what kid would not enjoy getting a new toy?