A Ship in Harbor is Safe

"Wow," Jordan scratches his head, staring at the large box that he had accepted from the UPS delivery man. "I think she sent me a dead body."

The huge box just sits on the living room floor, next to the coffee table. It almost taunts Jordan as he stands across the room, staring at it.

Shaking his head, he walks into the kitchen and picks his cell phone up off of the counter. He leans back against the granite surface, taking weight off his healing toe, and scrolls through his phone's contact book.

Just get it over with, he shrugs, staring at the name across his phone's screen.



"Hello?" Athena sits down on the edge of the large bed, a towel wrapped around her body.

Jordan's voice is quiet, "am I interrupting something?"

Her throat closes up quickly as she begins shaking her head, "um, I was literally just getting out of the shower as you called. What's up?"

"I'm just... home, by myself."

Athena frowns, "yeah, you've got some explaining to do, Jordan."

He laughs, "come on over and I'll explain everything."

"Right now?"

"Well, you should probably get dressed first. But, yeah."

Ignoring the blush crawling up her neck, Athena nods, "that's a good idea."



Athena slowly exits her vehicle, closing the door and standing in the driveway of the house with the same address that Jordan had given her. Shaking her head, she walks up the driveway and down a small walkway, stopping in front of a large front door.

When Jordan answers the door, the doorbell is still ringing. "How'd you get here?"

"I drove," Athena smiles.

Jordan watches her enter after he opens the door wider and takes a peak outside, "where’d you get the car?"

She shrugs, "Sidney got it for me. Now, explain yourself."

He closes and locks the door. Limping away, he doesn't speak.

"You weren't limping in Vegas," Athena crosses her arms as she follows Jordan.

He smirks, taking a spot on the living room couch, "I was, actually. It wasn't this bad, though, because I hadn't gotten surgery yet... and you obviously didn't notice."

Her lips purse, "what's in the box?"

"Mom sent me something. I have no idea what it is, though."

"Well, are you gonna open it?" Athena smirks, inching closer to it.

Jordan shrugs, "you can. I don't feel like it."

Athena barely catches the pocket knife that Jordan tosses to her. She slowly opens it after lowering herself to her knees, running the blade across the box's tape.

Jordan watches as she carefully closes the knife, setting it on the coffee table.

"You want me to open it?"

He nods.

Athena pulls the cardboard flaps open, pulling out the envelope resting on the package's contents. "You got a letter."

Jordan catches it when Athena throws it, tearing the envelope open and pulling out the paper. He reads it aloud quickly, "Jordan, Amelia sent these to Walt and he gave them to me, since Athena isn't home anymore. A lot of these appear to be only copies, so take care of them. Love you, Mom."

Athena raises an eyebrow, not waiting for Jordan's permission to dig into the box. She laughs, "oh my goodness."

"What?" Jordan sits up, trying to get a look at what Athena's holding.

She laughs, turning the picture frame around.

Jordan's face lights up, "why does that picture exist?"

Athena turns it back to herself, looking down at the picture of she and Jordan, circa grade five. They are both on skates, Jordan much steadier on the frozen pond than Athena. He was holding her up for the photo.

Jordan had taken a handful of loose photos, leaning back onto the couch.

Athena climbs onto the couch next to Jordan, looking at the first photo with him. "That was my thirteenth birthday," she smiles. "I remember that day."

Jordan smirks, staring down at the picture of himself, Jared and Athena, "me too."

"How many pictures did she send?"

"Too many," Jordan says, partially joking.

Athena leans off the couch, pulling the box closer to the couch. She scoops out a few picture frames, "Jordan, look."

He looks up to see the picture frame she's holding up. Wincing he shakes his head, "no."

"You looked nice," Athena smirks.

"No, junior prom was terrible, stop."

Athena smirks, "I don't even remember that night."

"I do, and I'd rather not relive it."

The blonde woman stares at the picture, only looking up when Jordan begins to speak.

"You left me to go dance with Kevin."

"You act like you were stuck by yourself."

Jordan shakes his head, "doesn't mean I wanted to hang out with anyone else."

They continue to quietly look through pictures.

"What a loser," Jordan hands a photo to Athena.

"Ha!" She smiles, looking at the photo of a five-year-old version of herself putting a three-year-old Jared in a headlock. "I have to keep this one and show it to him."

The pattern continues, as does the silence.

Athena is looking at a picture of her and Jordan at Eric's wedding -- both absolutely plastered, but ridiculously happy to be posing for a photo. There are quite a few photos of them, just from Eric's wedding like that.

"I miss you."

Athena looks up and over at Jordan, who is staring at her already. A small smile pulls onto her face. "I'm right here."

"Yeah, we're in the same town and this is the first time we've hung out in over two months. I haven’t talked to you before today in over two weeks. How fucked up is that?"

She nods, "I know."

"Sid must be keeping you pretty busy."

Just the way Jordan says it makes Athena's throat close up slightly -- the tension, the aggressiveness... everything about his tone makes her want to sink back into the couch and disappear in between the fluffy cushions. Her voice cracks, "s-something like that."

Jordan nods. "He's gone all the time now, isn't he?"

"Well, he does have obligations to practice."

"And he goes above and beyond -- practicing and training all day."

Athena shrugs, "he doesn't like losing, Jordan."

The tall blonde turns his body, staring down into Athena's eyes. "You can't defend him and really mean what you're saying."

Athena glares at Jordan.

"You can't lie to me. I know you too well."

She attempts to focus on the pictures in her hands again, but fails.

"So, do you just keep the apartment up and wait for him to come home?"

Athena shakes her head, turning to glare at Jordan. "You're being an asshole right now, Jordan."

He puts his hands up, "I'm obviously hitting some sensitive points."

"No, you're just being an ass."

Jordan is unfazed. "So, he's started distancing himself. How's his attitude been?"

"You're not my therapist, Jordan."

"I'm your friend. I wanna help. That's not enough?"

Athena shakes her head, "no, if you were really my friend and wanted to help, you'd just be happy for me."

"I'll be happy when you're with someone who'll put you first."

Athena shrugs, "okay."

"I just want you to have the best."

She nods, "I just want you to understand that Sidney is probably the best I'm gonna get."

"Well, I guess that's what happens when you don't explore all your options, huh?"

Athena shakes her head, "Sid will be better when the team wins again."

"They can't win forever, Athena."

Her eyes narrow and her voice becomes venomously quietly, "don't act like you don't get like that when you guys go on a losing streak and you're actually out there playing."

"I wouldn't take it out on you."