CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Something big was coming, and it wasn't just what the Erica Vitti Society had planned. Chad could feel an energy in the air that night. He slipped out of his house and tried to figure out what he was sensing. It was raining hard, and something ominous seemed to travel on the winds.

The last thing he expected was to see the boy who was walking toward him. Chad knew who Tyson Wilcox was, of course. Everyone did. He was a very popular football player, and he was also pretty attractive, so Chad had taken notice of him. Tyson's smooth brown skin, curly black hair, light brown eyes, extremely muscular physique, and especially his thick lips were impossible to ignore.

Tyson appeared oblivious to whatever Chad had sensed in the air. He was about to walk right by him when lightning struck.

Chad sensed it coming a split second before it hit. Before he could stop to think, he knocked Tyson to the ground.

Why did I do that? He wondered. I'm evil. I'm not supposed to save the mortals, and I'm definitely not supposed to get this outfit all dirty.

"Dude, what the-?" Tyson began before he saw lightning strike right where he'd been standing. His eyes widened in surprise, causing Chad to notice how gorgeous they really were. "You just... You saved..."

"Your life?" Chad supplied. "I did. You're welcome."

Tyson finally seemed to process that information. "How did you know?" He asked.

"I guess my reflexes are sharper than yours," Chad teased him as he stood up and offered him his hand.

"Fat chance," Tyson replied with a cocky smirk as he allowed Chad to help him to his feet. They ducked under the awning of a hotel to hide from the rain.

Gods, he's adorable, Chad thought. Can I keep him?

"Anyway, thanks for the save. How can I repay the favor?" Tyson asked.

Chad suddenly had a deliciously mischievous idea. He pulled Tyson into his arms and kissed him. Tyson tensed for a moment in shock, and Chad enjoyed the feeling of their lips connecting while he could. Tyson's lips were as much fun to kiss as he'd imagined they would be. They were also surprisingly soft, and he liked the way that they felt.

Chad was more than a little surprised when Tyson shyly kissed him back. Still, he didn't waste the opportunity. If Tyson actually wanted to kiss him, he was more than okay with that.

Eventually, Tyson broke the kiss. Chad licked his lips and said, "Well, that went better than I expected."

"I... Um..." Tyson began.

"What's the matter, Ty? Cat got your tongue?" Chad teased him.

"I've never, um..."

"Kissed a boy?" Chad supplied.

"Kissed anyone," Tyson corrected him a little bit awkwardly.

Chad smiled then. It excited him to know that his lips were the only ones that had ever touched Tyson's.

"Really? A gorgeous thing like you?" He asked.

"I figured out that I liked guys a couple of years ago, but I haven't told anyone yet," Tyson admitted.

"You must have been so lonely in that closet." Chad hesitated before adding, "Are you ever planning on coming out?"

"I don't know. My parents have this idea of who I am, and I feel like if I don't live up to that, it'll hurt them."

"My dad has an idea of who I'm supposed to be, too," Chad replied, surprised that it was a mortal boy, of all people, who had said something he related to so well. "If I don't live up to it, he'll hurt me."

Tyson looked so genuinely concerned that it touched Chad in a way he hadn't expected. "Is he abusing you? That's not okay, Chad." He said.

He knows my name, Chad thought with a smile. It sounds so hot on his lips...

"Chad, seriously... Is everything alright at home?" Tyson asked.

"I can take care of myself, Handsome," Chad promised.

"Does your mom know that your dad hurts you?"

"He doesn't hurt me, Tyson. I stay in my lane. As for my mother, she's been dead since I was nine."

"I'm sorry, man... I didn't know."

"It's not something that I talk about," Chad replied, trying not to think about his mother. Thinking about the past was dangerous.

To Chad's surprise, Tyson took his hand and squeezed it gently. "That must have been really rough for you," he said sympathetically.

"It was," Chad admitted softly. "I was really close to my mom." He never spoke of his mother. It was too painful. It made him feel things that could cause him to become weak. He couldn't allow that.

"I know it's not the same thing, but I was a wreck when my grandma died. She accepted me for exactly who I am, you know? If I would have come out to anyone, it would have probably been her."

"It still counts," Chad replied. "Grief is grief." He paused. "Let's talk about something less depressing. Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Are you asking me out, Chad?" Tyson asked.

"You bet your beautiful ass I am," Chad replied with a charming smile.

Tyson hesitated. "We can't get caught," he said. "It's not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with you or anything, but... It's just..." He sighed. "My parents wouldn't understand."

"So we'll order food to go. There's a spot in Gallows Hill Park where it's unlikely we'll be seen," Chad replied. "We can eat there."

"It's storming," Tyson pointed out.

"Don't worry. I have a feeling that it's going to stop any second." Chad focused.

Blow out to sea, he thought. I've got a date.

He sensed that the storm had been caused by residual magick left over from a powerful spell. The energy reeked of his father and Gabriel. Chad knew he could redirect the energy. Sure enough, the rain and winds headed toward the water as he took control of the storm. The lightning and thunder stopped.

"Dude, are you psychic or something?" Tyson teased him. His tone told Chad that he thought the idea was ridiculous. Chad was happy to let him believe it.

If you only knew what I was, Tyson, he thought.

Aloud, he laughed. "Maybe I'm just a good guesser," he replied. "Come on, Ty. I'll pay."

They headed to the best local restaurant and ordered their food to go. Tyson insisted on carrying it as they headed to Gallows Hill Park.

Deep off the main path, Chad found two boulders for them to sit on. They ate their food in peace, making small talk and getting to know each other as they did.

He's genuinely into me, Chad realized. I didn't even have to use a love spell on him. Tyson actually wants to get to know me.

As they talked about school and life, they didn't even touch on the supernatural. Tyson was delightfully mortal, and for the first time in his life, Chad felt normal. It surprised him to realize how much he liked it.

They sat beneath the stars, hidden in their secret corner of the Universe, and Chad couldn't stop smiling. Tyson made him laugh, but he also made him feel something deeper than pure lust. Chad was startled to realize that several hours had passed as they enjoyed each other's company, and the sun was slowly starting to rise.

He's so perfect, Chad thought. He's mortal, and beautiful, and funny, and he's mine. Please let me keep him. Please let this beautiful boy be the one thing that gets to be completely mine, without warlocks dictating what happens.

Chad had never wanted anything more in his life. He didn't realize he spoke aloud as he mumbled, "Mine..."

"Okay," Tyson said softly.

"What?" Chad asked.

"Okay, I'm yours."

"Do you mean that?" Chad asked in surprise.

"Yeah... I mean, it's crazy, but it feels right... Now that we've talked, I really like you. You're not what I thought you were. I want to see where this goes, Chad."

"Say it again," Chad said.

"I'm yours," Tyson replied.

"Again."

Tyson smiled and looked deep into his eyes. "I'm yours, Chad," he promised.

Chad kissed him. It was a different sort of magick than what he was used to, the mortal kind, but Chad was definitely under Tyson's spell.

~*~

Jesse wasn't sleeping well anymore. As a result, he fell asleep in his second class of the day. The nightmares that followed were worse than the vision quest had been.

He relived several of his childhood traumas at once. His father beat him with his fists, then his belt, then whatever weapon was the closest. Matteo had been both creative and sadistic in his choice of punishment whenever Jesse tried to get between him and his mother.

He was trapped in the memory of his tenth birthday. It had started off well. He'd gone to school, where Aideen, Arnie, Dylan, and Randy had each given him a cool present. Aideen's was the best, of course. She'd given Jesse a collectable knife with his initials etched onto the hilt. The blade featured a drawing of a wolf howling at the moon.

When he got home, Matteo was already attacking Louisa. Jesse tossed his presents down and jumped between them, shouting, "Dad, stop!" He pulled his father off of his mother. The two struggled for a minute before Matteo tried to go for Louisa again. For the first time in his life, Jesse punched his father right in the face.

Matteo immediately rounded on Jesse. "I guess you wanna die on your birthday, huh?" He demanded as he slammed Jesse's head against the wall.

"No, Matteo, don't!" Louisa begged. "He's just a baby! Don't hurt him!"

"Shut up!" Matteo shouted. "He turns ten and thinks he's a big man now? I'll teach him!"

Jesse didn't remember much after that. When he came around, his mother was sitting beside him on the floor, holding him as she sang softly, "Cumpleaños feliz... Cumpleaños feliz... Te deseamos todos... Cumpleaños feliz..."

"Mama," Jesse groaned softly.

"I'm so sorry, Mijo... He's gone now, my brave boy... He's gone," Louisa said as she sobbed softly.

"Don't cry, Mami," Jesse replied. "I'm okay. Don't be sad... It's my birthday, Mom. Please don't be sad, okay?"

They sat together for a bit longer before she cleaned him up and brought out the cake she'd baked for him. They tried to celebrate, each one faking a smile for the sake of the other.

Time moved forward a few hours, and Jesse was out slaying. Aideen spotted him and immediately looked concerned.

"What happened to you?" She demanded.

"Vampires," Jesse lied quickly. "They jumped me, but I got away."

Aideen looked skeptical. "Those injuries look pretty serious, Jess... Next time, use the knife I gave you."

Jesse knew Aideen suspected the truth and was actually telling him to stab his father. He seriously considered taking her advice, but he was ten. He couldn't just murder his dad, even if he absolutely hated the man.

The dream shifted to the night his mother died. Jesse didn't want to relive it again, but he couldn't wake himself up. After that, he found himself in his foster family's house. Reliving that was too much for him. He started growling in his sleep. His body was seconds away from changing into a wolf.

"Easy, Jess," Aideen said soothingly. He felt her kneeling beside his desk as she stroked his hair. He opened his eyes, no longer stuck in the past but still on the verge of losing control of his wolf. "Easy... You're okay," Aideen said gently, trying to ground him.

"Miss Phillips-" the teacher began.

"He's having a medical emergency," Aideen said sharply. "I'm going to take him to the nurse."

"You will do nothing without my permission-"

"Do you really want to play that game?" Aideen demanded. "Jesse's clearly having a medical issue. He needs help, and I'm going to get it for him. If you try to stop me and anything happens to him you'll be legally responsible."

As Jesse tensed and snarled, the teacher caved. "Just hurry back," he snapped.

"Come on, Jess," Aideen said, helping him stand up. "I've got you." She put both of their backpacks on her back and guided him out of the classroom.

When she found an empty room to hide in, Aideen sat Jesse down at a desk. "Talk to me, Jesse," she said gently. "What just happened?"

Initially, all Jesse could do was let his wolf whimper, but as Aideen resumed stroking his head, he slowly remembered how to speak. "Flashbacks," he said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Aideen asked.

"When I went on the vision quest, I saw the night my mom died... It replayed before my eyes like I was watching a horrible movie. It brought everything back up for me... I keep reliving it."

"I'm sorry, Jess," Aideen replied.

He couldn't stop himself from crying. He was unable to shake off the memories of the night he'd mauled his foster family. Jesse was reduced to whimpering again as the tears streamed down his cheeks.

Aideen wrapped her entire body around his protectively. "I've got you, Jess," she promised him. "Let this out."

"I can't," he said. "With everything that's going on, you guys need me to hold myself together. I don't want to worry Alex, and I need to protect Tommi, and you all need my powers, and-"

Aideen put a hand over his mouth, which made him stop speaking. "Jesse! Breathe," she said, slowly uncovering his mouth. He realized that his heart was racing. He was having a panic attack.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Aideen went back to hugging him. "It's okay," she reassured him. "It's just us, Jess. You don't have to hold yourself together right now. I won't tell anyone that you broke down."

He nodded, not saying anything because he didn't have the strength to fight anymore in that moment. He cried in Aideen's arms as he thought about his mother, about his foster family, and about his time in the psychiatric hospital.

It's okay to cry, mijo, his mother's voice said softly in his mind. You're still my brave boy. Lo siento, mijo... Te quiero.

Te quiero, Mama, Jesse replied. I love you.

He finally felt calmer. He took a deep breath. "Thanks, Deenie," he said softly. "For being here."

"I'll always be here, Jess," Aideen promised.

"I don't deserve that... Not after what I did to you."

"You're a bad boyfriend, Jess, but you've always been a great friend, and you know I'll do anything for my friends."

"I miss her, Deenie."

"I know you do. Your mom was a really good person."

"She's alive in Mirror."

Aideen paused. "Have you seen her?" She asked.

"Only in my mirror... It's hard knowing she's there. I could cross over and hug her, and tell her I'm sorry, and talk to her in the flesh, but it's not my mom. She's dead... And my Mirror Mom is evil. She's a warlock, and not just because she has to be, but because she chooses to be. I'm one, too."

"Don't feel too bad about that," Aideen replied. "So am I."

"Is it weird that I'm tempted to go to her anyway? I just... I need to hug my mom, Deenie... Even if it's not really my mom."

"It's not that weird, Jesse. If I could hug my dad again, even if it was just the evil flip side of him, I would have done it. My dad's dead in Mirror, too, and that's why I'm this super evil witch hunter there."

"And Beth's more terrifying than the antichrist," Jesse said with a smirk.

"Yeah, that's kind of hilarious," Aideen replied with a laugh. "Except when she killed Alex. That was really hard to watch... And knowing that she killed Spencer..." She shook her head.

"And yet, Jade's still her best friend?"

"She's afraid of her, but she's still her soul's guardian. Jade has no choice but to hang out with Beth. I think she feels responsible. She told me that she was meant to stop Beth from turning evil, but she failed."

"I'm just grateful that you guys stopped Mirror Beth from killing our Alex. I genuinely don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him."

"You won't find out. I'm not letting anyone hurt Alex," Aideen replied firmly.

"Deenie, do you think Arnie would mind making our teacher forget what happened earlier?"

"You know that Arnie's always willing to mess with teachers' memories. Don't worry. He'll take care of it."

"I think I'm going to cut out for the day. I need to sleep, but I don't want to risk any more nightmares... I think I'll go run instead."

"Not alone, Jess," Aideen said firmly.

"I'm a lone wolf," he pointed out.

"I know, but right now, you need a pack. You're in crisis. Go see Kwame. He'll run with you until you're calmer, and he can probably help you sleep afterward. What else are Alphas for?"

Jesse sighed. "Alright," he reluctantly agreed.

"Good boy. Do you want me to stay with you until you find him?"

"No, I'll be okay, Deenie. I just have a lot of things I need to work through right now."

"I know." She hugged him again. "Go run off your stress. I'll see you later."

"Later," Jesse agreed. He left the school and headed straight to Kwame's house. He rang the doorbell and waited for the local wolf Alpha to answer the door.

Kwame Washington took one look at Jesse and asked, "Bad day?" He didn't ask anything else before he shifted into a wolf. Jesse followed his lead, relieved to finally release his beast.

They took off, heading straight for the woods. Kwame was the only wolf in Salem who was as fast as Jesse, although his Beta, Gill, came close. The two wolves ran at top speed, taking the toughest path to push themselves to their limit until Jesse's mind began to clear and he finally started to relax.

When they stopped running, Jesse's wolf curled up in the grass. Kwame's wolf wrapped himself around him, and Jesse felt himself drifting off to sleep. As he was finally able to sleep peacefully, Kwame's wolf carefully moved so he could stand over Jesse's wolf protectively, keeping him safe from any potential threats.

~*~

Arthur walked into the building he'd become very familiar with and headed straight to the receptionist's desk. "Hey, Harriet," he greeted the receptionist on duty. "The doctor called and said that she wanted to see me."

"I'm afraid she's not in good shape this afternoon," Harriet replied. "Maybe you can bring her out of it. She always cheers up when you come visit her."

Arthur nodded. "I'll try," he said. This wasn't the first time she'd been catatonic when he'd come to visit her. He headed toward her room after clipping a visitor pass to his t-shirt. When he entered the room, he found her sitting on her bed and staring off into space, her face partially hidden behind her long blonde curls.

"Hey, Lydia," he said gently. He approached her bed cautiously, not wanting to scare her.

Arthur wasn't entirely sure why he felt the need to visit Lydia Blaire in the psychiatric hospital. Maybe it was because he knew that no one else except for her uncle ever went to see her, or maybe it was because he understood the trauma that had broken her mind, but he felt like he owed it to her.

She didn't respond to him. Arthur sat beside her bed and kept his tone gentle as he said, "I heard you asked to see me today."

Lydia turned her head to look at him, but her eyes were void of life. She didn't seem to be aware of what she was doing.

"Did you want to tell me something?" Arthur asked, hoping she would hear his voice and regain some awareness.

Slowly, Lydia seemed to register that she was no longer alone. She looked at him with fear in her eyes before she pulled something out from beneath her pillow. With trembling hands, she gave it to Arthur.

He studied the stick figure drawing in confusion. There were several people standing in the center of a crowd. Arthur wouldn't have paid much attention to the artwork, but he noticed that two of the figures had matching mohawks.

"Ronnie and Donnie," he mumbled.

Lydia nodded, suddenly very alert. She motioned toward the drawing, seemingly begging Arthur to study it further.

Arthur shrugged and looked at the other details. One of the stick figures was covered in gold glitter. "Is this Chad?" He asked Lydia. She nodded again eagerly.

"It's very nice, Lydia," he said to be polite, still not sure why she was sharing the drawing with him.

She shook her head before pointing at him. "Me?" Arthur asked. "I'm in it, too?"

Lydia nodded. "You're the one," she said suddenly.

Arthur was thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"You're the one," she repeated.

"Which one?" Arthur asked.

"In chaos and carnage, a leader shall rise. All is not lost if he opens their eyes," Lydia said in a creepy sing-song tone. She sounded like a little girl.

"Lydia... Was that a prophecy?" Arthur asked in surprise. "Are you still having visions? I thought the meds they put you on would prevent that."

Lydia giggled before pulling out a pack of crayons. She took her artwork back from Arthur and began using the red crayon. She rapidly added splotches of red all over the drawing that he realized could only represent blood. She modified the drawing until every single stick figure met a horrific end.

"Lydia, what does this mean?" Arthur asked nervously.

Lydia turned to face him then. Her eyes were wide with terror as she said, "Save them."

"I don't understand, Lydia," Arthur replied. "Can you explain this to me?"

Lydia handed him the drawing again before curling up in a fetal position beneath her blanket. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she said nothing else.

With a sigh, Arthur gently stroked her hair, knowing she would likely remain unresponsive for a while. "It's okay, Lydia," he said soothingly. "Everything's going to be fine."

He didn't believe his words, but he figured there was no point in further upsetting her. Arthur couldn't imagine what it was like to lose one's sanity and still be stuck having visions of the future. Lydia had been a powerful Seer before, but he was starting to understand just how powerful she was if even medication couldn't block her gift.

~*~

Joey was exhausted. He'd been running back and forth between the worlds to try and keep order almost constantly. His soul understood that this was his purpose, but his body was still young and needed to rest. As he returned to Valley from yet another visit to the In-Between, Joey accidentally opened a door into the Howard Street Cemetery instead of his house.

Normally, Joey didn't mind cemeteries, but he'd never visited one without his mother before. He looked around nervously as he heard a group of people speaking in hushed tones.

He knew that he should open a door and go home, but he was too exhausted to focus. I should call Mama, he thought. He was about to try when someone came toward him.

"Well, who do we have here?" The woman asked with an evil laugh.

"Isn't that the Collins boy?" A man asked.

"Just imagine what Gabriel will do if we deliver the kid to him!" The woman replied with glee.

"Sowwy, I go bye now," Joey said. He tried to open a door, but nothing happened. His eyes widened in surprise. His powers had never failed him before, but he'd also never been so exhausted in his young life.

"I think the little one's a bit sleepy," the woman taunted him.

Mama! Help! Joey shouted telepathically. His mom was a body splitter. She could get to him in seconds.

The man tried to grab him. Joey ran between his legs and tried to escape from the cemetery, but a third warlock appeared in front of him.

"There's nowhere to run, little boy," the new warlock taunted him. He tried to grab Joey, but was suddenly flung into a headstone.

"It's not nice to pick on little kids," a voice said sharply.

Joey stared at the slayer who had rescued him, trying to calm himself down. He was trembling with fear and wasn't sure what to do next. "I'm a friend of your mom's," the slayer said gently, crouching down to Joey's level to make himself less intimidating. "Sort of, anyway... My name is Corey. Do you remember me, Joey?"

"Co-wee!" Joey cried in relief as he recognized the slayer. "You fwend. You safe."

"That's right, buddy. I'm a friend. Can you open a door and go to your mom?" Corey asked.

"I can't! Too sleepy!" Joey replied.

Corey stood up and moved so that Joey was behind him. "Alright, new plan, buddy... Stay right next to this headstone and close your eyes. Can you do that for me?" He asked.

"Yup!" Joey replied. He squeezed his eyes shut. He felt a simple protection spell surrounding him. Joey knew he was safe.

He heard grunting and the sound of Corey fighting the warlocks, but he kept his eyes closed as requested. More people arrived, making a lot of noise as they began to attack.

"Co-wee, you okay?" Joey asked nervously.

"Yep! It's all good, buddy. Keep those eyes closed," Corey replied cheerfully.

Joey listened as Corey continued to fight. He heard warlock after warlock fall in battle. A woman screamed and ran away. Another flung a powerful dark spell at Corey. Joey heard him groan in pain as he landed next to him.

"Co-wee!" Joey cried, finally opening his eyes. Corey was bleeding from his head, but he was still conscious. He pulled Joey into his arms, gently pressing Joey's head against his chest to keep him from seeing the carnage in the cemetery.

"I'm okay, buddy," Corey insisted. "Don't be scared, alright? I'm gonna get you out of here."

"You hurt," Joey said in concern.

"I am, but it's not serious. I just need a minute to regroup."

Suddenly, different magick filled the cemetery. Joey almost started to cry in relief. Several warlocks burst into flames. A few dropped dead from spells. The remaining warlocks screamed as their atoms split apart.

"Mama! Aunt Beth! Aunt Deenie!" Joey cried.

Jade ran toward him and immediately pulled him out of Corey's arms and into her own. "I'm here, Baby," she said soothingly. "There were wards around the cemetery. It took me and Aideen a little bit of time to shatter them... Are you hurt, Baby?"

"No, I okay," Joey replied. "Co-wee hurt. He pwotect me."

Jade finally took a good look at Corey. "That looks bad," she said with a frown.

"It's nothing," Corey replied. "I could use some aspirin, though."

Jade released Joey into Beth's arms as she and Aideen came closer. She extended her hand toward Corey's head.

"Are you about to slap me?" Corey asked lightly.

"Shut up," Jade replied. She closed her eyes and cast a quick spell. Corey's head injury healed immediately.

"Thanks," Corey said softly as Jade pulled her hand away.

"You got hurt protecting my son," she replied. "You've earned a healing spell." She paused before adding, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Corey said. "You've got a really brave kid here, Jade."

"Joey, what were you doing here?" Beth asked in concern.

"I go In-Between," Joey replied. "Door open here. I sleepy, and no more doors..."

"You've been doing too much, kiddo," Aideen said. "I'm actually surprised it took you this long to burn out.  Most grownups would have collapsed a while ago. You need to rest."

"Deenie's right, Baby," Jade agreed. "We need to take you home. You can sleep tonight, and I'll ask Shooter to give your energy a recharge tomorrow morning so you can protect yourself in an emergency, but you need to slow down. You're doing too much."

"I needed," Joey protested.

"Of course you're needed, Baby, but you can't do it all by yourself," Jade said soothingly as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You have to let me take care of you."

Joey snuggled deeper into Beth's arms. "I sleepy, Aunt Beth," he said.

"I know, honey," Beth replied. "We'll take you home now."

Aideen started gently stroking Joey's hair as Jade stepped aside. He drifted off to sleep in Beth's arms almost immediately.

"He should sleep straight through the night," Aideen said softly.

"Thanks, Aideen," Jade replied.

"Of course... No toddler should be under that much stress. I'm happy to help."

Jade was about to take him from Beth when Beth said, "I've got him." She sensed that Jade wanted to speak to Corey alone.

"Come on," Aideen said. "Let's walk ahead." She led Beth a few feet away, staying within sight but out of earshot.

"I owe you," Jade said to Corey softly.

"You healed me," Corey replied. "We're even."

"We're not even close to even. You saved my son's life tonight. Thank you."

"That's what slayers do," Corey replied. "I guess it's just lucky that I was already in the cemetery patrolling when they threw the wards up to keep you guys out."

Jade paused for a moment. "Maybe you're not so bad, Corey," she admitted softly.

"Wow! That was almost a compliment, Jade! Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He joked.

"Shut up, jerk," she replied.

"Ah, now, there's the Jade I'm used to!"

They both laughed. "Hurry up," she said. "Joey's not the only one who's exhausted tonight. Let's catch up with them and get the heck out of here."