Author's Note: Takes place directly between Episodes 19 and 20. Beware of spoilers!
Protection
Don Wei's office in the Earth Team module was really just a few pieces of furniture in an empty stone room. A narrow shaft of light beamed through the window and formed a white stripe across the bare floor. Jordan and Molly stood stiffly together on one side of the line feeling as if they had been called to the principal's office to face judgment for some infraction they were not yet aware of. Don Wei sat on the other side of the line behind his desk nursing a cup of coffee and seemingly oblivious to the two teens that had just entered.
Molly was the one who spoke first. "What is this about, sir? Are we in some kind of trouble?"
The manager shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that. What I want to discuss is your relationship with each other. Recent events have me concerned about the direction you two are going and I think it's time you moved to separate rooms."
Stunned silence. "What?!" both teens said at once.
"Think about it." Don continued. "A teenage boy and girl who are not related sharing a room with each other. Sooner or later something is bound to happen that both of you will regret."
Molly's face turned red at what he was suggesting. "What are you talking about?! It's not like that! We're just friends!"
"Yeah, that's all it is! Really!" Jordan added, blushing even harder then his partner. "We'd never do anything like that! Especially since there's no doors in--" Molly jabbed her elbow sharply into his ribs before he could finish.
"Even so," Don Wei replied. "I believe it would be for the best if you moved into another room, Jordan. If Stan and Koji don't have enough space for you, then you can use the control room."
Jordan was still rubbing his sore ribs as he sputtered weakly. "But there's no bathroom there."
"This whole thing is ridiculous!" Molly exclaimed. "No one has to sleep in the control room! There's no reason for Jordan to leave! You didn't care before, why does it matter so much now?!"
Don's voice stayed level and firm. "I've made my decision, young lady. You are both dismissed now." Fuming, she stormed off with Jordan following close behind her saying he didn't mind sleeping in the control room, and this way she didn't have to get changed behind a curtain anymore.
Alone again, Don Wei exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples. Molly was right, the situation was ridiculous, but not in the way she meant it. For starters he now knew that she was really his own estranged daughter Eva. It explained a lot of her strange behavior, like her brutal race against Spirit on Alwas. How many times had she almost died in a race? And how long had she been alone with Jordan, doing who-knows-what behind his back? The thought of his daughter sleeping next to a hormonally active teenage boy with amorous intentions made his stomach do violent flip-flops.
It was time he started acting like a responsible parent. He might not be able to protect her on the racetrack but he could protect her from worse things. Soon he would confront her about the past but not yet. That was something all the coffee in the galaxy could not prepare him for.