The hanger was bustling when Wren got back to the Tower but Cayde hadn't been able to catch her before she went to her room. It'd been hours since she got back and he decided that while she slept, he'd get his plan in motion and get her ready to go before he asked her to run the mission for him. Not like she'd say no.

He went to Holliday, knowing she'd be willing and able to help him with the next stages of his plan, but it wasn't until he found her that he realized they had a problem.

Holliday stood on the catwalk, staring up at Wren's ship with her arms crossed. A couple mechanics walked the wings, scrubbing graffiti off the hull. It was worse than last time. Emelie was still under house arrest but it seemed her den was still terrorizing Wren for their leader's sake.

"This is getting' outta hand," Holliday said. "I didn't wanna say anythin' but this is the second time Emelie's den's caused issues with Wren's ship. I was about to go talk to you about puttin' cameras in her bay."

"How are they doing it and not getting caught?"

Holliday shrugged and looked around. "I think they might be payin' off some of the mechanics. I'll get to the bottom of it though."

"Does Wren know?"

"Nah, I've been able to get it scrubbed before she comes around. Don't see any point in getting' he down about it. She's already got enough trouble with dens."

Cayde didn't reply. He watched as a mechanic took a brush and the same paint stripper they'd used on Wren's walls to wipe away all traces of the derogatory terms Emelie's den had written there. He'd have to have a talk with Emelie. If he could manage a conversation with her where he didn't wanna rip her head off. He clenched his fist when he thought of all Wren had been put through.

"So, what are you doin' around here? Don't you have Vanguard duties?"

"Yeah, I have a mission I want Wren to run for me. As soon as I finish up with you and… a few other things, I was going to send her out but will her ship be ready in an hour?"

"Not a chance. It'll take a lot longer than that."

"Damn."

"You can let her fly yours?" Holliday smirked, raising a brow.

"Ah… right so… no. Have you seen her? She couldn't reach the controls," he chuckled. "Well, I'll get the rest of this stuff handled. Let me know the minute her ship is done."

"Got cha," Holliday nodded and Cayde promptly left the hanger, headed straight for Emelie's room.

He didn't give himself time to think about what he was going to say, he knew it was going to be bad either way but if he didn't try to end this, guilt would eat at him.

At first she didn't answer the door but when she did she was surprised to see him, then annoyed. She almost slammed the door in his face but he put his hand out and caught it, pushing it open before taking a step inside. She didn't move and he was only a few inches from her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I want you to take it easy on Wren. Call your den off her."

She laughed bitterly. "Why would I do that?"

"C'mon Emelie, this has gone too far. I wanted your den gone and the whole lot of you tossed but Zavala talked me out of it. If you don't stop, I won't let Zavala talk me out a second time."

"Aww, protecting your little sl—"

"Enough," Cayde growled.

"You're such a fucking hypocrite," Emelie sneered. "I loved you. I did everything for you, even when I was getting the same treatment Wren is getting."

"Don't pull that, you were never drown in a tank by a Hunter who never moved on from the past."

"You told me it was inappropriate. For a Hunter and a Vanguard to be together and now you're all over her? Protecting her? You never protected me! I'm not calling my den off. If you want us out, I dare you to go against Zavala to get that done. And you know what? I can't wait until Wren cracks under the pressure of being your pet like I did." Emelie bit back tears but he knew the hate in her eyes was well deserved. He'd been blind to what she'd gone through back then and he'd let things go too far with her.

"She didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, I know," Emelie chuckled. "But you see, that's why it'll be so much fun to watch her crash and burn. Because this time you care." She jabbed his chest. "You're going to push her until she breaks for good and you'll have no choice but to watch from the sidelines while it happens."

Anger boiled in Cayde and he loomed over Emelie, finger in her face. "Lay off her or you'll never leave this room again. One more incident and I'll make sure you regret it."

A flash of fear sparked behind her eyes and she gritted her teeth. "Look at the happy go lucky Vanguard now… where's all the charm gone? A bit of a beast underneath, huh?"

Cayde stood up straight and stepped back a few paces to put some distance between them. He'd slipped. Let his anger get the best of him and Emelie had seen it all. He pushed those feelings down and stared down at her coldly.

"Goodbye, Cayde," Emelie said, closing the door on him.

He stood there for a moment, processing the conversation, when Sundance floated around his shoulder. She nudged his chin and he looked at her.

"You're not a beast," she said quietly. "You're doing the right thing."

But was he really? Even now he considered Wren, and only Wren, for a mission and she'd just gotten back from the last one. The past few weeks had been rough on her and he was only asking more.

"If she can't handle it, she'll let you know," Sundance said, but Cayde heard the way her tone faltered. She didn't believe that any more than he did. Wren was tough on herself. She'd run herself into the ground before she'd give in, that much was clear the moment she insisted on going with her team after her drowning. She was a fighter and she'd go down fighting.

Still, what choice did he have here? There weren't many Hunters he trusted with this mission and it was needed. He had no choice but to call on her or do it himself and Zavala was keeping him close to the Tower. There was no way in hell he'd be given flight clearance. It had to be Wren.

He walked away from Emelie's door hoping she wasn't right.

Nightmares plagued Wren's sleep until she gave up and rolled over, shoulders wrapped tight in Cayde's blanket. It had calmed her once she woke, but it didn't keep the dreams of drowning at bay. For a time she watched the sky lighten over the City until she was too restless to stay in bed.

Shaxx would be hosting an open training session in roughly an hour and Wren decided to go to blow off some steam. Sisre was supposed to be around later as well, but she'd likely still be asleep and Wren didn't want to wake her.

"I wonder what Lord Shaxx will be covering today," Kiran mused while Wren got up and dressed in something comfortable and suited for training.

"Who knows. I just need something to wear me out so I can sleep." She secured the halter around her neck and tucked it into harem pants before tying the waist band tight.

The Courtyard was nearly empty as she passed through with only a few Warlocks milling about, waiting for the bounties to be posted for the day. The early morning chill sent goosebumps over Wren's arms despite the hooded poncho she wore over her training outfit.

On the way to the Crucible training arena she saw a group of civilians but no other Guardians and suddenly felt foolish for showing up at all. She considered sneaking out when Koro waved to her from the group, calling her over. The others looked at Wren and whispered to each other as she approached but Koro greeted her with a hug, smiling ear to ear.

"This is Wren," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "She's a Guardian."

Of course, they already knew that. Wren gave an awkward wave, and the civilians gave quiet hellos, some of them cut off when Shaxx walked past them to open the arena.

His helmet turned to look down at her and tilted slightly, but he didn't ask why she was there. He opened the doors and the group went through to an area that was decent in size with mirrors on all sides and mats on the floor. There were spaces around the middle area for spectators to watch as Shaxx conducted the lessons.

"I didn't know you were taking lessons from Shaxx," Wren said to Koro as the other fanned out and began their stretches.

"I have been for a few months now. I'm pretty good."

"I'm surprised."

"Why's that?"

"Just because of how you feel about the City and never going outside the Wall."

Koro looked away, his face turning crimson. "I just thought… maybe if I knew how to fight, we'd have more in common."

"You'll want to wrap up," Shaxx said to Wren, tossing her a few bundles of rolled fabric from a box.

She hadn't realized she was underprepared but also didn't think it was necessary to cover her exposed skin. She rose an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled then clapped a hand on her shoulder, leaning in close enough for Koro to not hear him.

"Sometimes you have to be more like them to be accepted. Close the gap, Guardian."

Wren sat on the floor and began to wrap her feet and shins, then her arms, thinking about what Shaxx had said. Sometimes she forgot that Guardians were… set apart from civilians. She'd seen a lot in her year of life, but these people had been suffering long before she came around. She glanced to Koro who was checking over her wraps and considered the twenty plus years he'd been in this City, the people he'd lost and the Guardians he'd made friends with who never came back from beyond the Wall.

Guardians were different. As much as she might look like other Awoken that roamed the streets, she wasn't like them and even now, Koro was the only civilian who didn't look at her like she'd grown two heads. They stared at her from the edges of the room and whispered and she felt like an alien to them. Had it always been this way and she just hadn't noticed?

"Koro, why don't you step in first," Shaxx said and Koro shot Wren a huge smile before trotting into the center of the mats with Shaxx, who towered over him. He bowed to Shaxx, who called to another man, larger than Koro, and paired them up. "Now, today we'll be working on using an opponent's weight and size against them. It's important to remember that just because someone is bigger than you, doesn't mean they're more skilled or likely to win in a fight. It's also important to understand where your opponent's center of gravity is."

He walked up to Koro and put his fist to Koro's sternum. "Koro, for example, has a center of gravity about here. He's going to be thrown off differently than say, Wren, who is not only smaller but has a lower center of gravity. Fallen, Hive, Vex, all have different centers of gravity. Even Exos vary from humans and Awoken. We'll go over some charts later. For now, I want you to experiment through sparring. Grappling. I want you to be mindful of how you can use your opponent's size to your advantage and see how that compares to what you learn later."

Wren watched closely as Shaxx gave the signal for Koro and the larger man to begin and the pair of them stayed low, circling, taking in the other. Every once in awhile one would strike out with a hand, testing. Wren found she was bored. This wasn't like the face paced battles she was used to and she fidgeted.

Eventually Koro got the larger man on the ground by taunting him until he lunged at Koro, who was able to get him down by sweeping his legs. Koro pinned him and the man tapped out. The two of them rose from the mats and bowed to one another before the other man went back to a place on the outer edge to watch the next match.

Before Koro could walk away Shaxx stopped him.

"Wren, why don't you have a go?" Shaxx said and Wren stood, taking the place of the man before and bowing to Koro as she'd seen them do before the last match. But Koro didn't bow. He took a step back, face red as he glanced back and forth between Wren and Shaxx. "Is there something the matter?"

"I uh… well, Wren's a girl. I don't know if I—" he swallowed hard. "I don't want to hurt her."

Wren tilted her head at Koro, feeling anger toward him for the first time and her fists tightened at her sides. Before she had a chance to speak Shaxx stood taller and stared down at Koro through his faceplate.

"She is a god slayer," he said. "You better hope she doesn't hurt you."

Koro blanched but it was too late. Wren was ready to take him down, proper technique or not. He hesitantly bowed to her and she returned it, knowing he'd take a few steps back as he had done before to size her up.

Wren wasn't patient. He took his steps back and she charged him, using his surprise and backward motion to force him to his back. He yelped as she tried to pin him, then he came to and went to roll her onto her back. He was stronger than she thought he'd be, but fury pushed her and she knew her skin would be getting hot to the touch, Solar energy rising as her temper rose. She'd have to end it quickly. She spun and grabbed his wrist, then wrapped her legs around his arm when he tried to roll and hooked her ankles over his chest.

She arched her back and pulled, putting pressure on his elbow, forcing the joint back until he tapped out and she immediately let him go. He tucked the arm in close and shuffled away from her, sweat beading his forehead. The anger was gone, fizzling out as he rubbed his elbow.

This was a terrible idea. Coming here. Her injuries would be nothing. He could have broken her neck and Kiran could bring her back in a flash but if she broke his arm? It would take much longer to recover and to know she'd caused the injury would have been too much.

"I'm sorry, Koro," Wren said and he forced a grin.

"Nah, I deserved that. I shouldn't have underestimated you."

Wren stood, shaking, and bowed to him, aware of the others staring at her. Koro didn't bow, instead he wrapped her up in a big bear hug, lifting her off the floor. Some of the civilians gave nervous laughs as he swung her legs around, then dropped her.

The pair of them went to take their places around the mats when Cayde peeked in.

"Ah, Shaxx, someone told me they saw Wren come in here?"

"Cayde! Come in. She's here and she needs a more… evenly matched opponent."

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not here for sparring lessons. I need Wren for…" he faltered. "Things. And stuff. Official Guardian stuff."

"You can't have her until you fight her," Shaxx said, fists on his hips.

Cayde's gaze shifted between Wren and Shaxx before he slowly entered, waving here and there at observers on the outer edges of the mats. He didn't look as confident as he had in the Crucible. This smaller, more intimate atmosphere had a completely different vibe than the last time they fought and Wren flushed at the thought of what happened last time.

"Make me" still played in her head on occasion, another reason to lay awake and stare at the ceiling at night. It was embarrassing and yet she couldn't deny the way she'd felt with the Ace of Spades to her chin and she wondered if this fight would end similarly. Though this time, there would be no hiding in a dark corner, they were surrounded.

Wren bowed to Cayde who returned the gesture. He didn't back up like Koro had, but Wren was more cautious with him than with her human friend. She knew Cayde's strength and speed. She knew the way he toyed with his opponent and had fun with them before taking them down, like a fat cat toying with a mouse before the kill.

He'd wait for her to circle him, make a move, and the way he looked so calm about it made her feel like a fool staying low and checking him out. Every time she made a move toward him he knocked her away without trying and she was beginning to burn with irritation. She'd taken Koro down so easily, but Cayde would be a problem. Impossible probably. How embarrassing.

Still, she had to try and he looked down at her with such amusement it only fueled her irritation. Every swipe, kick, jab, was deflected with ease. She finally got him to strike out at her and went in low, using his momentum against him as Shaxx was yelling at her from the sidelines, to get him to flip to the floor. She maneuvered around to get him in a hold where she was on her knees between his legs and he immediately wrapped his legs around her hips and crossed his ankles. She leaned forward to figure out if she could get away when she felt it… something pressing hard against her belly and in an instant their eyes met and hers grew as wide as saucers.

He hesitated, then his eyes glowed bright and he knew that she knew and panic crossed them both. He grabbed her and pulled her close, using a move that caught Wren by surprise and slung her to the side where he ended up sitting on his knees over her waist. He kept his weight off her for the most part but his forearm pressed down on her chest. She breathed hard, trying to process what she was feeling when Shaxx called the match and immediately began to explain in depth what had happened and how it could have been avoided by both parties when Cayde popped up and almost ran out the door.

"Sorry I, uh, gotta get my hair cut. I forgot. Very important. Yes. Important schedule things. Bye."

"Wait, didn't you need Wren for something?" Shaxx said and Cayde barely popped his head back in the door to tell her he needed her in the hanger as soon as she could get her armor and get there.

Wren heard him but she just sat, dumbfounded, in the middle of the mat. She felt it… she knew she had it was… well, it was obvious and Sisre had been wrong about Exos. That aside, the heat she felt building in her own body was more concerning and she had to get out of there.

"Thank you for the lesson, Lord Shaxx," Wren bowed and ran out the door.

She wasn't expecting Sisre to be in her room, lounging on her bed and reading a magazine.

"Hey, I was wondering where you'd gotten off to," Sisre smiled, sitting up on the edge of the bed as Wren threw her poncho into the bottom of the closet. "Are you okay?"

Wren unwrapped her wrists and ankles so fast she tangled herself up in the bindings.

"Son of a bitch," she hissed and slung the wraps down.

"Woah, what's going on? Did something happen?"

"We… I… Exos have… things. I thought they didn't, you thought they didn't, they do!"

"What are you talking about?"

Wren pinched the bridge of her nose. "You said that Exos don't have anything," she pointed down. "Well I'm here to tell ya, yes they do!"

"How… I don't understand. I thought Beorn said they don't? And how did you figure that out?" she stood and her expression shifted from confusion to anger. "Is this about Cayde again? What did he do? I swear I'm gonna find him and I'm gonna—"

"No, it's not like that. Well, not really? I was sparring with Shaxx and his group and Cayde came in and we were paired because it was a thing about taking down a larger opponent or something and I got him into a hold and I felt it!" she realized she was rambling, talking too fast and pacing.

"Now hold on, are you sure? Because when you're sparring sometimes it goes fast and… and maybe you thought you did but you didn't?"

"He looked me in the eye and panicked."

"Oh… oh yeah…. You felt it alright.

"He knows I know and now I have a huge problem."

"Hey, it's okay, calm down. I know it's awkward but I bet he won't even make a thing out of it because he's embarrassed too. Right? I mean, he panicked?"

"Said he had to go get his hair cut."

"Good! Maybe he won't bring it up and after a while you two can just… pretend it didn't happen."

"You don't understand," Wren said, taking a deep breath but feeling her face flush. "I want him."

Sisre paused and stared at her, then blinked a few times and held up a hand. "What?"

"I know I shouldn't and things are already crazy but I… I want him. What do I do?"

Sisre plopped down on the bed and stared at the floor. "I have no idea."