I've been waiting to post this chapter for a while and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It's pretty long and full of surprises!


By morning, Serena groans at the beam of light shining over her eyelids, wrenching her from her uneasy slumber. Everything feels bleak as she goes through the motions of her morning routine. Talking with Clair certainly helped her get some actual rest, but a cloud of anger still hovers over her. With her things placed neatly on her bed, she searches the city map on the coffee table for the flower shop.

"Good morning!" Lance barges in, his sing-song attitude only making her angrier.

She narrows her eyes at him over her shoulder. "Morning."

"I brought some food," he wiggles his brows.

Two plates in hand, he slides one on the coffee table for her and one across from her along with some napkins and silverware. He plops down in the opposing spot and peels back the coverings on both plates of food to reveal steaming hot omelettes, breakfast potatoes, fruits and berries, and some meats. Serena's stomach growls at the aroma of well cooked food and she grumbles a thanks before swiping a sample of all the food on her plate.

"What's got you in the dumps this morning?" he tilts his head.

"What's got you so cheery this morning?" she mimics his tone and head tilt.

He snorts. "You know why I am. She was great, too." He takes a few bites of his food, scanning his section of map before snapping his fingers. "Oh! Is that why you're crabby? Tired of doing it yourself? I can find someone to help you."

Serena shoots him an incredulous look. "No, thank you."

"Oh come on, it'll loosen you up," he rolls his shoulders at her.

"Honestly, I'm good."

"We'll see."

She lets his bait go as her eyes finally find the little shop. "Over here!" She jabs her finger onto the table top. "By some... condos..."

"What's wrong?" he leans forward with a marker to circle the spot.

"I used to live around here," she murmurs, staring at the condos her parents used to rent out.

Further down the map lies the school she went to and nearly destroyed. A shiver runs up her spine. It's been years since the incident, but Mrs. Hara's disgusted face remains fresh in her mind reminding her she is still a monster.

Lance gauges her mood, running his eyes over her face, tracing the stress lines and seeing the clouds coming in her eyes. His brain says no, he doesn't know the details of what happened here, just that it was severe enough to make her family retreat to Blackthorn. He's seen just hints of what her past has done to her, and it's still so unknown and fresh. Serena carries it all with her to this day, will this help? Or hinder?

It's enough to nearly make him forget about the flower shop and tell their parents.

Nearly.

"What do you want to do?" he ventures forth with a gentle tone.

"I-I'm not sure," she stumbles. "I just haven't been back si-since..."

"Right," he interrupts her attempts to explain. He clasps his hands together and places them on the table in a business manner. "How about we go check out the area and see what you can handle? If it's too much, how about I go-"

"No, if it's too much for me we're calling my dad and your dad."

Lance's lip purse as if coming up with an argument, however, he knows how headstrong she is. So no matter how badly she wants to do something right (call their fathers) it doesn't override the fact that she wants to do good (stop the gambling). She won't turn down the challenge of being in her old home city. As long as he plays his part right, there will be little to no risk of her having a meltdown in the city.

Those are odds I can bet on.

"Deal."

OoOoOoO

Celadon sprawls before them, a bustling city filled with skyscrapers and heavy traffic.

Car, bus, and bike traffic is prevalent, especially on such a nice day. Lance and Serena stick close to prevent separation in the sea of people around them all with intent in their steps. Serena's head hangs back as she scales each skyscraper with her eyes to the unseeable top above them. The buildings are so large, she's surprised she can even see the blue of the sky!

Feeling suddenly small, her attention directs towards the front where Lance has taken the lead in exploring the city. He said the best cover for them is to be dumb teenagers. He'll go into the flower shop himself since he knows what they're looking for. Apparently, Wesley took some time to train Lance in the basics of investigation when they were home.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Serena calls to him and then trips on the sidewalk. She collides with him as he stops at the end of the street.

"Oof," he grunts, catching her by lifting his arm and leaning back. "You alright? Yeah, we're going the right way."

She holds his arm for just a moment to get rid of the chill running down her back with so many people about. "Yeah, okay."

He lifts his arm to hold hers in his grip so they don't get separated or leave her sprawled out on the sidewalk somewhere. When the light changes, he holds up the folded map to show her the route they're taking. She zeroes in on the flower shop, noticing they're also a few blocks away from the casino, and other attractions, in the heart of the city.

No wonder there are so many people here.

They make it a few more streets before they turn left and see the little shop half way down the flat and less busy road. Serena inhales deeply once, letting go of Lance, and glancing to their left to see the bookshop he is supposed to meet her in once he's done. She surveys the area, wondering if she's ever going to get a foreboding feeling of a memory.

So far, nothing has triggered a memory lapse or a state of panic while walking around.

It makes sense, though.

She was just a child when they lived here, her memories of the place outside of the night she was taken, brought back and her day back at school, are faded. With her father aware of where she is and constantly emailing her for updates, she feels a sense of safety.

"Perfect," Lance states staring at the sign before glancing down at her. "Okay. I'm going to scope out the outside before going in, see what kind of exits we're dealing with. Then I'll go in and pretend I'm buying for a pretty girl-"

"Not much to pretend," she throws her braid back over her shoulder with a giggle.

He rolls his eyes. "It's a lot of hard work actually. Ow!" He flinches at her punch in the shoulder. "Anyways! I'll confirm it's the place, scope out the exits and see if there's anything fishy about it."

"Sounds good," she nods with a thumbs up. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck, I have skills," he grins again before swaggering off into the crowd.

With an annoyed sigh, Serena delves into the bookstore, ready to let her thoughts go as she wanders through its dusty shelves. Through the door, it's like entering a new world of calming ambience, the shuffle of books being handled, the soft voices of conversations and the gentle singing of a bookshop playlist. It's nice and cozy inside with the smell of a bakery somewhere in there too.

Her next sigh is of content as she disappears into the shelves, her worry for Lance moving towards the back of her mind.

OoOoO

Lance feels bad leaving Serena out of this, but he doesn't want to push her too hard. She seems to have completely forgotten about her parents' condo around this area and that's a good sign for him.

A car honking in the street forces him to focus on the task at hand.

His stomach rolls with nerves as he walks up to the flower shop, it's bright and pastel sign suspicious as it gleams in the sunlight. He walks by it first, glancing into the window to find it full of beautiful looking flowers that nearly pull him to a full stop. The building may be small, but nearly every corner is packed to the ceiling with flowers, rows of flowers of different kinds line the walls of the shop and take up most of the space in the middle. Whether or not this is the place, there's no way it would be on anybody's radar as an illegal gambling ring.

He pulls away from the window, careful to look like an innocent teen, and keeps walking past it. He manages to continue on to the alleyway between this shop and an apartment building.

The ground is wet and sticky, no doubt from dripping garbage bags and who knows what else. He grimaces at the thought and turns his attention up and around him. It's a narrow alleyway, he and Serena would be cozy standing next to each other with the width, and smelly with two dumpsters towards the back and some garbage bags piled there too.

If you look like you know what you're doing, a lot of people aren't going to think twice, Wesley's words ring loud and clear in his mind as he scopes out the side of the flower shop. There's just a simple door with a light above it and some trash cans of dead flowers next to it. Nothing suspicious, he curses and heads further towards the back to a fence.

There's another stretch of dirt that seems to lead in either direction with entrances to some less flashy apartments and businesses. Nothing could come in from this side without someone knowing.

Dead end there. Now to go inside.

He walks back out to the mouth of the alley and takes a deep breath to gather his courage. Hands sweaty with nerves, he focuses on the goal. Check out the place, and see if there are any hidden entrances or cameras. It shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to gather what he needs and distract the owner. He turns right and feigns curiosity as he studies the front sign, again, written in blocky, green letters 'Lila's Garden'. There's two hanging baskets on either side of the front door, which is light blue.

As he walks in, a bell dings overhead and a Vileplume wanders out from between some shelves bursting with flowers. She greets him with a slight bow before calling towards the counter.

He smiles at the pokemon before turning to watch an old man hobbling towards him.

Run by a harmless old geezer, but don't let him fool you, the sailors words pass through Lance's mind as he eyes the old man's cane.

Just as stated, he looks harmless. A small hunch in his back, graying hair on his head and wrinkles under his eyes and sagging cheeks. He's wearing a yellow short sleeved shirt with gray slacks under an emerald green apron. When he meets Lance's eyes, the young man can sense the danger in them right away. They're a steely gray, not the kind of gray that are mixed with Serena's eyes. No. This is a man that's seeing through Lance right to the point. Paranoid, Lance forces himself to think of something else in case the old man is reading his mind.

"Name's Dean! Welcome to my humble shop!" Dean waves his arms to showcase the store. Lance notices the muscles in his arms peeking out as if to challenge him. "What can I do for you?"

He nearly forgets what he's doing and stumbles. "I-I, uh, I was walking by! And noticed how bright your flowers are an-and wanted to buy some?"

Dean eyes him as if scanning for lies. Lance gulps and tries to speak again when the old man finally breaks into a grin. "Ah, looking to shop for someone special. How old are you, boy?"

"It's Lance, sir," he says and curses himself for not picking a fake name. "I'm 17."

"What a ripe age," Dean winks back. "Had a lot of girls, boys, and in between for myself at that age. Back when I was stronger and young!" He laughs before beckoning for Vileplume to run off and gesturing for Lance to follow. "Tell me about her."

He never thought to come up with anything for a fake girlfriend, so he just says what comes to mind.

"Well, we've been together for a while but I want to show her I'm serious," he sniffs at flowers here and there while his eyes roam the ceiling to look for cameras. "She's got an ocean for eyes, including their own stars that I swear twinkle at night. She's the calm before my storm and not afraid to let me deal with my own aftermath. There's a little space between us because she carries some heavy things with her, and I just want to help her."

"Ah, she sounds like a strong woman," Dean muses while stopping in front of a cluster of different kinds and colors of flowers. He stares at them as if discussing with them which he should take. "Some lilies at the sound of it. Blue hyacinth too. She sounds wonderful."

"She is," Lance says it in an exhale of an emotion he's surprised has come out.

"Ooh, I hear a hint of orange roses."

The man turns with flowers in hand and plops them in a bucket on Vileplume's head, the pokemon coos at the choices and trails after her trainer. Lance frowns, and follows the two of them. The roses he walks up to are creamy orange with hints of a reddish tint on the outer part of the petals. It makes the light blue of the hyacinth look like the sky at sunset.

Into the bucket they go as Dean glances around.

"How long have you two known each other?"

"Forever."

Again. Lance is put off by his answers, but forces himself to focus on the plan. He spots no cameras, but two different ways to the back. One is separated by a long cloth that barely hides a back workspace for arrangements and such. The other is a white door with an eyehole and a lock on the front.

That has to be it, Lance grins at finally finding something.

"Sunflowers!" Dean exclaims, nearly startling Lance into a shelf behind him.

The old man laughs and escorts Lance to the back where he moves behind the counter with the pokemon and allows Lance to watch from said counter as he works in the back room. Leaning on the counter, Lance glances around the back but finds nothing unusual or something that screams 'There's a gambling ring here!'. Dean commands his attention while adding some more greenery to the bouquet and wrapping it in red silk and brown paper. The old man sings to himself as he works, further surprising Lance.

No one would be able to know this old man runs something so sinister in his basement. No wonder he's been here for-well- who knows how long!

"There you are, Lance," Dean comes back towards the front holding a beautiful bouquet that immediately reminds him of Serena. He can't help the smile that erupts on his face. "It's perfect, I can tell by that smile."

He tries to hide his smile and pays for his bouquet with an earnest 'thank you' before scurrying out the door. Once in the outside air, Lance takes a deep breath of city smells and comes down to earth. His stomach settles, and he feels like he can think freely without Dean interfering with his thoughts. His feet carry him away from the store in a near jog, as though the old man is still watching him and will bust his plan at any moment.

Once at the bookshop, he checks the flowers for a tracker or camera. He finds nothing and heads in without another worry.

A blast of warmth meets him as the door opens, offering a stark contrast to the cold steel of the city. Light music plays over head as customers roam amongst rows and rows of shelves chock full of books. The aroma of a bakery fills Lance's nose and further settles his nerves as he glances around looking for his best friend.

If I were Serena, where would I go? He thinks to himself, wandering by some shelves towards the back to get a feel for the layout of the shop.

Some people cast him confused glances, their looks turn into admiration and even envy when they see the flowers in his hand. He pays them no mind as he goes to the upper level and looks for a corner spot with a window. This floor is quieter with only a few other people browsing as he makes his way towards the tall windows at the front of the store. He turns left to see a tall chair in the corner with Serena in it, nose deep in a book on the history of Kanto.

Nerd, he chuckles to himself. Leave it to Serena to find a nice quiet corner and delve into historical text.

"Hey," he whispers as he approaches. "Let's go."

He's not sure if he suddenly walks into a dream, but he feels strange as he watches Serena glance up, her eyes falling on the flowers in his hand. Her blue eyes grow large, a dark ocean waiting to swallow him up, with stars twinkling in the golden light from the lamp next to her. Her light brown skin looks flawless in the lighting with her chestnut waves framing her face. She must have let her hair out of its loose braid since no one can sit behind her. Her nude lips widening in a breathtaking smile to show her pearly whites. He's breathless at this moment, heart catching in his chest at the sudden radiance of his best friend, and then it's gone when she gets up and moves to put the book back where she found it.

It's like the rest of the world filters in and he's going at normal speed, with the normal feel of his body in the world around him.

"How did it go?" she pops up next to him with her hands behind her back.

He leads the way out, ignoring the continuing glances of everyone in the shop as they emerge onto the street. He relays the details of Dean, his personality and his shop, he shares that he was scared the moment he saw Dean's eyes and she looks nervous. But he continues on to explain the layout of the shop and the outside area around it. The beginnings of a plan formulates in his mind now that he's able to explain the layout.

"I didn't think you were actually going to buy flowers," she states as they wander around aimlessly. "What are we going to do now?"

"We have time to kill before tonight..." Lance says as if the thought just occurred. He glances at the flowers clutched in his right hand before sticking them out to Serena.

She stares at him, her eyes wide and innocent. She hesitates, reaching up with her hands as if waiting for him to take it back. Lance is painfully aware of the crowd around them casting them giddy and curious glances. An older woman giggles behind her hand, nudging her husband and outright pointing at them with soft smiles on their own faces. He nudges the flowers towards her hands and smiles when she accepts them and hugs them to her chest.

The look of pure joy on her face makes his chest warm, she breathes in deeply, her voice coming out as sweet as honey. "Thank you."

He mutters 'welcome' under his breath and continues to lead them deeper into the city, trying not to think of the way she looked in the shop or how she seems to glow with the flowers in her hands. The crowd seems to die down as it begins to approach early afternoon. Lance explains the city's gym to Serena on the way to the department store. The younger girl drinks in all the information, already forming a plan with Espeon and Ty at the forefront. She's sure Espeon will still be in her care by then and ignores the 'what if' that floats through her mind when she goes over her plan. Those two will be unstoppable with Wynn coming in just in case something goes wrong.

She steps up to the department store and tilts her head back to see it reach towards the sky with massive windows across the front and sides of the building. Swarms of people enter and exit the store, shopping bags in tow, many laughing and talking animatedly with each other. Serena clutches her flowers close as they enter the store and spies loads of basic cleaning items and such for home-life on the first floor.

Lance leads her to the escalator to the second floor. All around her, words echo, all too loud or too far for her to grab onto anything and make sense of it. She feels a sense of invisibility in a store like this, like her life is much smaller compared to all the lives in the building.

Clothes, travel accessories and first aid products come into sight and she can't help but beam. Some of her clothes have been getting ragged, and dirty, it'll be great to have a nicer set on the road.

"I'll stock us both up on first aid stuff. I made a list in the pokemon center," Lance pulls out a white piece of paper. "Meet at the bench over there in an hour?"

"For sure," she grins and takes a step towards the racks when he gestures to the flowers.

"I'll hold those, I saw you look at the clothes," he winks and accepts them from her grip.

She laughs at his watchful eye before disappearing into the clothing section.

Serena delves into pants first, thinking two pairs will be enough since the ones she's wearing are fine and she can trade out the new ones for old ones. She's shocked at the sizes she needs, which is bigger, having filled out her body at her hips and other flattering places. Feeling good about herself in some more comfy fitting jeans, she moves on to tank tops and shirts. She gets a mix of darker colors like navy and olive with some brighter colors like some orange-pinks and light blues.

At the shoe department she doesn't find anything eye-catching. Her hiking boots and running shoes are still good, so she decides to hold out a little longer. For an outer layer she grabs a rain jacket good for wind and snow. She has yet to encounter snow, but at least she'll be prepared just in case. She finishes off with some new socks and heads to the checkout counter.

By the time she's finished, it's just in time to meet with Lance. She turns to find him at the bench he pointed to earlier to the right of the escalator, sitting casually with his arms splayed over the backrest of the bench. The flowers and some bags sit next to him, his eyes light up as she approaches, not at all surprised by her haul.

"I figured some shopping would do you good!" he clears the seat next to him, allowing her to fill the space.

"Oh yeah?" she challenges with a raised eyebrow.

He nods and leans back again, staring at the ceiling above them. "You've been strangely silent about your old home."

It's Serena's turn to look away, she glances at her shoes on the pristine white tiles and frowns. "To be honest, I've been forcing myself to be quiet about it."

"Why? Are you scared?" he doesn't move from his spot. His voice is as soft as he can be in a busy mall and have her still hear.

"Terrified. What happened here was not good, Lance, and I don't know if I'm ready to face that yet."

"Not even to try?"

She sits up straight and looks at him. "No. This isn't something to mess with. I was kidnapped, I lost a whole month. I don't remember anything, and I just have scars to mark that it actually happened!"

Lance curls one arm around her shoulder, placing the other on her forearm. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push. I never really realized just how bad it was, it's been a long time since I heard the story."

She takes a few deep breaths, her chest pounding at the thought of heading home, and closes her eyes. "I get it, I didn't mean to yell. It's just... not now."

"That's fair," he rubs her forearm gently. "Want to get some food and head back?"

Her nod is meek, her stomach heavy at the thought of ruining their outing. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he chuckles and pulls her into a hug. "You're my best friend, I'm supposed to be an ass and the best at the same time."

"You do it well."

"Hey!"

Their eyes meet for a quick moment, golden brown meeting the starry night sky, and they share a laugh before gathering their things and heading to the food court. Going up just one floor, the two take their food and sit in a secluded booth next to a window facing the entirety of Celadon in the western section of the city.

As the sun begins to set, Serena can see city lights coming alive as well as the lights from cars going to and fro. It's a nice view to have at an early dinner and just relax.

The calm before the storm, she thinks to herself picturing the flower shop in her mind. Hopefully, we're doing the right thing.

OoOoOoO

The walk home in the cool night air relaxes the two of them. Lance took Serena's bags so she could hold the flowers. The main street is sprinkled with people trying to find some nightlife to enjoy, men and women dressed to the 9's in the latest trends. Serena catches Lance staring at a few as they pass a club with the bass so strong it nearly rattles her teeth from her mouth.

It isn't until they get to one of the busier squares in the city that they find a bunch of protestors chanting. Lance grabs hold of Serena, the bags knocking into her side as his arm wraps around her, trying to divert them towards the center of the crowd to understand what's going on. When they get closer, he moves the bags to one hand and wraps the other around her wrist.

She feels his warmth as well as his protection as they continue on. He takes the lead, gently moving people aside, all of them shouting unintelligible words, stomping or clapping. Some have picket signs and others have cardboard signs in their hands. There's so much shouting Serena can't think straight and leans into Lance more.

"-we deserve a system that keeps us in the loop!" a man with a megaphone shouts and points to a sign behind him. The lights turn on, Serena and Lance gasp at the writing on it; across the top it says 'Get the G-men out in the open!' with a picture of their fathers and several other agents higher in the chain of command. "For too long they have been sneaking under our noses, striking long after blood has been spilled! We deserve to know what's going on in our backyard!"

This causes a collective 'Yeah!' across the crowd that's gathering.

The two glance at each other with wide eyes. Lance walks up to a woman holding a sign that says, 'Govern in the open'. "Excuse me, ma'am? What's he talking about?"

She turns to them, her eyes harsh until she spies two teens looking a little frightened and out of place. Without a second thought, she ushers them towards the outer circle where there's less noise and they can hear each other speak. Lance's grip never falters on Serena, eventually and without thought, sliding down her wrist and engulfing her hand.

She accepts it with a nervous gulp. Their parents being rioted against? For what?

"Much too crowded for you to be here," the lady comments before moving onto the answer. "The G-men have been performing heists to 'weed out' some shady criminals in several places in the city and in neighboring cities and towns. They strike and leave behind a mess for the community to clean up with no explanation whatsoever. Even the police departments are frustrated."

"They don't work with local law enforcement?" Serena frowns.

"Not at all. Which would allow them to be prepared to clean up or even divulge information to the public," she shakes her head, her lips pursed in anger. "So many communities have struggled to pick up the pieces after them and they offer no apologies!"

"They're doing their jobs though," Lance retorts.

She narrows her eyes. "You're also much too young to understand!" She turns on her heel then and flits away muttering under her breath about 'kids these days'.

"Lance," Serena pulls on his arm. At his angered look she rolls her eyes. "We could have gotten more information from her."

"What does it matter?" he shrugs, still holding her hand. "Our dads are making the world safer. These people are just angry they couldn't snoop."

Some glares turn their way and Serena tugs him along with a guilty look. "Let's talk more at the center."

It takes a while, but eventually, their hands separate with neither knowing when the other let go.

Once they're back at the center with bags and flowers in tow, Serena settles the flowers on the windowsill laying them down and wondering where she can get a vase for them. She sorts through her old clothes and trades them out of her pack into the bag while grinning. New clothes are always fun for the first wear.

Done with that, she plops onto her bed while Lance flips on the TV to see the coverage of the riot. He looks angry just like earlier and Serena rolls her eyes again. He's always been led by his emotions at the first sight of conflict, often speaking without truly thinking through his words. She wishes he would learn to be the neutral party, his leadership skills are good and he could command a room if he tried...

Serena pushes the thought away, sitting up and pulling her knees into her chest. "I just think that it's strange they don't work with local PD."

"They don't have to, G-men have jurisdiction over everything. They don't have to do anything," he responds, though his voice isn't as sharp as before.

"It just seems wrong to have all that power," she mutters.

He glances back at her. "Our parents are doing good for the world, Rena. Remember?"

She has so many things to say and think about. They're acting like their own power, coming in with whatever evidence they may or may not have. There's no control, no regulation! She may not know about things politically, but this just doesn't seem correct.

There has to be a balance.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighs after a moment.

He nods before turning down the TV and disappearing into the bathroom to shower.

She flops onto her back once more and stares at the ceiling. Her thoughts whirl so fast, her brain must be spinning in her skull. So much has happened today and there is still more to happen tonight. They're doing something dangerous, no better than the G-men themselves, with how they're about to bust into an illegal poker ring. If bust is even the right word for it. One sixteen year old and one seventeen year old 'bust' a ring?

More like get killed for getting caught there.

Then there's the oddity of her scars.

They're quiet. She expects to feel them surge with power at any second but they feel fine. For a moment, she imagines they're magically gone. There's no longer a reminder of what happened in that month. How free she would feel if they were completely gone...

With a sigh, she rolls off the bed to pick out something to wear for tonight.

"I feel like a spy," she whispers to herself while picking out black jogging pants, a black shirt, and black shoes.

She puts her hair up in a ponytail while thinking of her favorite spy movies. She laughs at the thought while shooting ridiculous poses around the room.

The door to the bathroom opens, catching her mid-pose, Lance stares at her with a smirk. Their eyes meet just as he busts out his own pose and the two strike more around the room. Eventually, it turns into a fake shootout with Lance diving behind the couch and Serena holding up pillows as shields while running to the bathroom. She leans out and makes 'pew-pew' noises hitting him in the chest. He pretends to be hit, his body convulsing on the ground before he 'dies'.

"That was intense," Serena laughs while fixing the pillows she grabbed from the bed.

"Good practice," he chuckles.

She glances over at him sliding some pokeballs on his belt and bites her lip. "Do you think there will be a shootout?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugs, not really concerned. "Let's just go and be quick. If we see what he looks like, we can ask our parents to find him. In and out, boom! Done."

Serena gulps. Easier said than done. If it goes anything like the harbor there's going to be lots of trouble, and it could be even more dangerous.

"Hey, don't worry," Lance puts a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We've got Ryu. We will be fine."

She doesn't say anything, only nods and follows him out the door.

The streets are much quieter by the flower shop this time around, no riots, not even any pokemon scrambling about looking for a meal. Her steps echo in her ears sounding much louder than they are. It takes a lot of convincing to relax and keep moving.

Heart in her throat and her palms a bit sweaty, Serena sticks close to Lance as they come up on the street of the shop. Lance takes the lead, walking by the entrance and dipping down the alleyway with Serena close behind. He checks the back end for any guards standing nearby and gives her a thumbs up it's clear.

At the door on the side of the building, he presses his ear to it trying to find signs of life on the inside. Serena moves to do the same when her pokeball falls from her belt and out pops Espeon. The noise it makes throws the girl's heart into a frenzy and she scrambles to pick up the ball and put it back. Lance glares at the psychic type, one finger to his lips to ensure she stays quiet.

Espeon ignores him and sniffs at the foot of the door. She shakes her head, empty.

Serena relays the message and then watches in shock as Lance picks the lock as if he's done it a million times already.

"I've picked up some new skills," he shrugs. "I've done nothing illegal, just impressed a few girls is all."

"Liar," she mutters as they huddle close to the wall and make their way to the counter.

The smell of dirt, fertilizer, and flowers permeates the air. With one hand towards the ground, Serena can feel bits of dirt on her fingers as they make their way to the back. She eyes all the flowers in the shop and wonders just how good the business end must be to order so many plants to fill the shop this much.

She has no doubt it's a lot based on the bouquet. The flowers were gorgeous.

Lance pushes open the half door at the counter and ushers the other two through. On this side, Serena can see past a sheet to a room where the arranging happens as well as a tall stack of boxes in the same area. Next to that opening is a white door with an eye hole and a spot for a lock that is empty.

"They must be down there, there was a lock earlier," Lance gestures. He turns to Serena and Espeon. "Is there someone on the other side of the door?"

Espeon sniffs again at the foot of the door, then stares at it as though she has x-ray vision. She turns to Serena. There's one guard at the top of the stairs and another at the bottom.

Once that is passed to Lance, he comes up with a plan for a distraction using Serena and Espeon's abilities. Serena's heart races as they take refuge in a dark nook by some aprons and gardening equipment. She's never used her powers for something like this, only for things out of reach, and that was a rare occasion.

Would they even work now?

With a deep breath, she decides to try since they are going to need it now, and focuses on the door they came in through. With it wide open, she imagines it slamming shut in her mind's eye, the way it would feel to push the door closed and projecting it across the room. She lifts a hand to help focus and jumps a bit when the resulting slam is harder than anticipated. Espeon tosses the register to the ground as well for added effect.

Immediately, two sets of footsteps rush up the stairs. Two men burst through the door, hunched and ready to attack.

"Looks like we have thieves here," one of them snarls.

They spy the swinging door and move to search through the main shop. Lance clutches Serena to him as she forces her face into his shoulder to keep quiet. Espeon uses confusion to knock over the trash can right across from the door to lure them away.

"We can't let them get away!" one of the guys yells. They burst through the door and head down the alleyway.

Lance doesn't miss a beat. He grabs Serena's hand and heads down the steps as quietly and quickly as possible. At the bottom of the steps they find a dark tunnel. Espeon takes the lead as it takes them to a curtained door. On the other side they hear talking and laughing as though nothing happened upstairs.

Peeking around the curtain Lance spies boxes all over the place, offering adequate hiding space, as well as a covered path to some boxes to their left. He goes first, keeping low to the ground and moving slow and steady. Serena holds her breath, one ear towards the group in front of them, the other behind them to hear the guards coming back. She waits until he signals, a quick flick of his wrist and does a sloppy job of moving over. Her feet nearly catch on themselves and she almost falls on her face but Lance catches her.

Espeon joins them, and the players are oblivious to it all.

The two peek between the boxes to see five players and the dealer hunched over a round table with a lone light over it. There's a bar against the back wall, many bottles of liquor shining in the harsh light, with two more guards on either side of the bar and two more to the left and right of the table. The guards hold glasses filled with a brown liquid, some stumble as they try to make rounds while the others are clearly having trouble just standing still.

No wonder we got in easily, Serena thinks to herself as she sees the two guards from earlier come racing back down.

"We found nothing, Boss. No money from the register was taken either," one of them tells an older man Lance recognizes as Dean.

"Probably some shits trying to steal some cash, got spooked by their own noise," he shrugs while dealing out some more cards. "Go back to your post and don't worry about it. No one is suspicious of my shop."

The two stop at the bar for drinks before heading back to their spots. The two teens share a knowing look at each other, no backing out now, and decide to sit and watch. Espeon huffs, but does the same.

"What'll it be, Gents?" Dean glances around the table, even at this distance Lance can feel his stare piercing into his soul.

"I've got a Porygon," one guy places a pokeball on the table.

"That's nothin'!" another sneers. "Stole this purebred Lapras off a lady the other day. Didn't know what hit her!"

The next guy puts forward an Eevee, the fourth guy says he's got a shiny Pidgey in his pokeball, and the fifth guy offers an insane amount of money.

The sixth pauses before placing a wad of cash forward. "I'm just trying to cover my losses."

The table is full of snickers and the first guy speaks up. "Still mad about losing your prized Epseon, eh?"

He's here. Serena jerks her head towards Espeon to find the pokemon trying to get a better view and flicking her tail angrily.

Don't do anything yet, Serena warns the pokemon. We need to get a better view.

The pokemon grunts quietly, but her tail and ears stay perked towards the table. Serena glances at Lance and nods, everything is okay, before they sneak around to a better vantage point. The conversation gets louder as Espeon's trainer continues to rant about that day.

"Asshole walks in like he owns the place, and bets millions of bucks on the game! How am I supposed to turn that down? And from fresh meat, no less!" the guy grumbles while Dean shakes his head and the others snort. "How was I supposed to know he'd win? Then he left, like he knew I was going to be here and I was going to bet that damn Espeon. My lucky prize, I was saving her for somethin' real good!"

Espeon growls, it's quiet enough they can't hear it but just enough to make Serena shoot her a worried look.

"You're never going to let it go, huh?" one of the other players shakes his head while picking up his cards.

"No! That douche knew somethin'!" the guy roars. "I've been on a losing streak since. What I'd do for that Espeon back. She was from some spoiled brat in Vermillion on vacation years and years ago. Bet they don't even remember her, but I will. Brought me some good luck, she did. And pokemon."

Enough! I am not an object!

Before anyone can stop her, Espeon leaps forward, over the boxes and right by the table. Serena and Lance stare at each other while the table erupts in swears and suddenly the men are standing to look at her in shock. They stay back to see what they'll do, Lance has Ryu's ball in hand while Serena fumbles for Ty's.

Dean is the first to break the tense silence. "All that bitchin' was good in the end, I guess. This the Espeon you're looking for, Finn?"

Her old trainer, Finn, leans over the table and squints his eyes at Espeon as if she changed drastically. His mouth pops open, and his sleazy grin gives Serena the shivers as he rounds the table to approach his -no- her pokemon as though she were a fancy car. He claps his hands and bends at the waist to study her.

"I can't believe it, she looks better than when I had her," Finn mutters before glancing in the direction that she came. "But how did she get in?"

"The boys heard a door slam, maybe she gave them the slip," Dean shrugs, he's oddly calm about this situation. "Or, she had help."

Serena's heart plummets to her stomach as Dean's eyes roam over to their spot. It feels as though he's looking through the tiny crack right at her. Lance puts his hand on her back to keep her steady, his breath quiet as they try to keep calm.

"Come out," the command leaves the old man's mouth in an icy tone.

Lance swears under his breath and pops up with Serena next to him. Their hands up in surrender, pokeballs and all, before moving out into the open. All except Finn stand up and move their hands to their belts in a fight ready stance. Serena's knees tremble when she sees they're not reaching for pokeballs, but guns.

"Ah, Lance, is it?" Dean rounds the table, holding up his hand to put his allies at ease. "I did not expect to see you here. Is this her?"

Serena frowns but doesn't dare glance over at Lance, instead, her eyes are on her pokemon as Finn murmurs something to her. "Leave her alone!"

"Quiet, bitch!" Finn snarls back.

Espeon doesn't like that. The pokemon's tail flicks once, then her eyes glow blue, and Finn starts to glow blue. Everyone watches with jaws dropped as she flings him back into a pile of boxes. This effectively knocks him out from the impact and sends some dust into the air.

"Hold it!" Dean shouts as the men move to attack the pokemon. He turns back to the kids, his stare cold as ever. Lance moves to block Serena's view of it and keep her far from harm. "Are you just here for revenge for Espeon?"

"Ye-Yes!" Serena blurts out, moving one hand to gesture for the pokemon to come back. "We won't say anything to anyone."

"That's a lie, my dear," Dean grins at her, watching the psychic type saddle up to her. "You strike an unusually strong resemblance to the man that came in here to win her. I'm assuming he's your father," he notes her sound of disgust and mends his statement, "or relative. He came here to win her for you and not just anyone can own a psychic type. Finn, despite being a complete idiot, had some gifts that were welcomed here."

"What do you want?" Lance demands, ever the most patient boy.

Dean ignores him. "I wonder what lengths he'd go through to get you back."

Serena glares at him. "You're not keeping me."

"My dear," the old man chuckles, waving at his guards to move in. The men draw their weapons, pointing them at the teens while moving in step by step. "I'd like to see you fight us off."

Clutching Lance, Serena tries to focus enough to move them away but there's too much fear pumping through her veins and too much panic in her head. Espeon snaps at a few of the men as they approach, but they strike out at her, urging her back towards the two. Lance lashes out with a fist, only to be caught and yanked away from Serena. She cries out for him as he's pushed to the ground with a pained grunt. One guard goes for her, she screams, trying to fight her way out of his grip.

She falls into another guards grip, his arms like a vice around her shoulders and waist. Another man grips Espeon by the scruff of her neck, the pokemon whimpers as Serena cries out for her. Her voice turns hoarse with all her screaming.

There's a sudden thunk and the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs makes everyone pause. Dean holds up his hand to keep the men silent as the footsteps head towards the door, Serena tries to scream again but someone smacks her face. She blinks away tears and dots in her vision as the door at the top of the stairs bursts open and footsteps rush down the steps.

The man lets go of her, letting her fall to the ground as a small canister rolls in and explodes, filling the stuffy room with smoke. It's the catalyst to chaos as men begin shouting everywhere.

Serena rolls out of the way of stomping feet, looking for Lance in the smoke and legs rushing around. Amidst it all, she calls for Espeon and Lance, her eyes still unable to focus well with the mix of pain and smoke. On her hands and knees, she crawls through the muggy space and screams when someone clamps their hand around her ankle and yanks her back. She turns and tries to kick out, ignoring the sting of the floor on her sides as she's dragged a couple of feet.

The person leans down and she comes face to face with Dean. There's more shouting, most of it from her as she calls for help. In a flash of red hair, Dean is on the ground and Lance gets up from tackling him and rushes to Serena. He huddles over her, hushing her as the chaos begins to slowly die down.

Serena calls for Espeon and the pokemon is suddenly at her side, burrowing into her for comfort. It feels like they're on the ground for hours, but it's only minutes as the smoke flushes from the building thanks to the beating wings of a flying type somewhere above them. Lance pulls away when a voice stops him from moving.

"Lance? Serena?" Aaron breaks through the wall of agents at the entrance of the room.

The two look up to find their fathers staring down at them with increasing fury.

Serena averts her gaze to see the players getting arrested by the other agents with their parents and wonders how they knew they were here. She feels a sense of relief but also fear. They're safe, but at what cost? Two furious parents, they're going to get the speeches of a lifetime.

"Ryan, watch these three," Wesley calls another agent over. "Get them outside and make sure they're okay."

The two don't meet the harsh gazes of their fathers as Ryan beckons them over and leads them outside where some armored cars and an ambulance sits. There's a crowd beginning to form and Serena wonders if another riot is going to break out here. Ryan urges Serena to get checked out, eyeing the slight swelling in her cheek from being hit.

With Lance at her side, Serena sits on the edge of the ambulance and does as told by the medic. She's given ice for her face while they check, clean the scratches on her sides and then given the okay to go. Lance gets the okay as well, his hit wasn't too bad, and he takes a seat on the ground next to Serena. Espeon sits in front of them, facing away from them, studying the street as the players are escorted out. A murmur runs through the crowd as the men are shoved into cars.

The pokemon stirs when her trainer comes out last, she runs over growling and snapping at him. He tries to kick out at her, but the agent holding him jerks him away and towards the car with the rest of them. Espeon's ears fall back and she lets out a mournful cry.

It tears at Serena's heart, she finds herself running over to Espeon and kneeling beside the psychic type. "Hey, it's okay. He's a jerk that doesn't deserve you."

Where am I going to go? Espeon glances at her. There are no tears falling, only glassy purple eyes staring at her looking lost. I belong nowhere, then?

"You belong anywhere you want to be. If you want to stay with me, I would love to have you. If not, I'll help you find a home," she promises her pokemon with a gentle pat on her head. "Don't give up."

The psychic type leans into her hand, nodding before asking to be back in her pokeball. Serena returns her with no comment and places the ball back on her hip. She turns to Lance to find him staring past her. She tenses up and turns to find their parents stalking their way, she grimaces and shuffles to her feet along with him.

"What were you guys doing? What were you thinking?" Aaron starts with barely contained anger.

"This could have gone bad fast, you two are extremely lucky," Wesley adds in.

Mouths open, ready to shout some more when the crowd begins to grow loud in their boos and angry calls. The men glance at each other and then at their agents. Lance and Serena get put on hold as they shout some orders for the agents to move quickly. The men and women on their team scurry around to clean up a little bit of their mess before disappearing into their cars. The crowd grows more rapant, shouting insults and throwing whatever they can get their hands on at the passing vehicles.

Aaron gathers the kids in his grasp and pulls them in the opposite way of the crowd, down the street and away from the flower shop. Serena and Lance stumble after Aaron, both worried for Wesley as he does crowd control. Once they get a few blocks away, they focus on their goal and remain silent. At the center, everyone is silent as the trainers drop off their pokemon with Joy up front and get escorted to their room. They take turns changing and sit on the same bed, waiting for something to happen while Aaron waits in the lobby.

The events careen around Serena's mind, creating a high pitch sound as she tries to process everything. She leans her head on Lance's shoulder, thinking about Espeon's cry and how they're going to move on from here. Brokenhearted and unsure of her place, Espeon is more like Serena now than ever. He leans his head over hers and releases a deep sigh.

"It's my fault we were there," he speaks into the silence.

Serena stiffens. "Don't be the hero now. I could have said no, but I wanted to know what was going on just as badly. We are both at fault."

"We could have gotten hurt, you almost got taken away again," Lance tightens his hands into fists in his lap. Serena places her hand on his, turning her head to look at him. His eyes meet hers and the usual light in them is dim, as though he's in pain. "What would I have done then?"

Without thinking, Serena gathers him up in a hug by throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing tight. He wraps his arms around her middle and holds her just as fiercely, burying his head in the crook of her shoulder and breathing in her scent. They hold each other close, chest to chest, their breathing in sync.

"We were lucky our parents were there," Serena concedes. She releases him, moving her head to his shoulder and slipping her left arm to loop with his right. "I'm just glad no one got hurt or worse."

He nods, taking a deep breath and pulling away to hold her shoulders in a gentle grip. Serena notices how close they are, nothing that hasn't happened before, but this time feels different. The air around them is electric and her body feels like it's alive and tingling. Their eyes meet and it's like he's an all new person with a jawline that's starting to show, a strong brow, and kissable lips. His eyes swallow her up in their golden hue, leaving her stomach spinning with Butterfree.

His hands slide down her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake, coming to a stop at her wrists where he cradles her hands in his lap. "I don't want to be the reason something bad happens to you. I don't know what I'd do with myself. Clair would definitely kick my ass, though."

"She would," Serena finds herself chuckling. She takes his hands and squeezes them. "You would never do anything to hurt me."

He shrugs and pulls her in. "Never say never, I made some stupid choices tonight."

"We both did."

It's silent as they sit there for a moment more, hands intertwined and minds reeling. Serena feels whole, warm, and excited to be in his grasp so openly and for this long. Lance doesn't understand why he can't let her go. Maybe he's afraid her parents will forbid her to continue and take her home; leaving him alone to finish the rest of his journey on his own. He never wanted her hurt, but when Dean threatened to kidnap her he felt useless. He never wants to feel that way ever again, not with someone he cares for.

Maybe that's why he doesn't want to let go. This is his best friend, he does love her as a best friend, and that's normal. But why is his stomach fluttering? Why does touching her feel so good?

Knock. Knock.

The two pull away slowly as Lance gets up to open the door. His mind clearing of any thoughts as he braces for the lecture he's going to be getting from his father. The door opens revealing the duo now dressed in civilian clothing, and still looking as furious as they were earlier. The teens keep their eyes down, feeling like children back when they got into trouble for dragging mud in the house or pulling pranks on neighbors. The difference is the actual trouble Serena feels she's in and worries about her punishment.

Wesley asks Lance to leave the room for a talk in a different spot while Aaron takes a seat in Serena's bed across from his daughter. Lance glances back at Serena, the two share tiny smiles of encouragement, before he's gone out the door. Aaron lets out a stressed sigh as if releasing all the pressure built up over the course of the day. Guilt consumes her for stressing her father out further than his job already does.

His dark brown eyes are sharp as he stares at her, taking note of her swollen cheek, and feels relief she's okay. "Explain to me what you were thinking." Serena begins to tell him the story of the port in Vermillion when he holds up his hand. "I'll listen to that later, I want to know your thought process. Why would you not call and tell me?"

"We didn't have proof," She replies in an even tone.

"I could have gotten you proof. It's my job to investigate suspicious activity," he crosses his arms. "What happened?"

Serena delves into the story of Vermillion Port and everything else up until now. She leaves out the shopping trip, but explains about the riot she and Lance ran into on the way back to the pokemon center. Aaron looks less pleased with each passing minute and Serena worries about what he's thinking or what's going to happen to her.

Once she's finished, it's silent for a few breaths between them as Aaron processes the story still with crossed arms.

"I'm disappointed," he finally speaks, and Serena deflates. "You know better than this. You may be out on your journey, but this city is dangerous. I shouldn't have to say it out loud to you. I know Lance loves a good adrenaline rush, but you usually talk him out of something like this."

Tears well up in Serena's eyes. It's true, she's usually the voice of reason, and she really messed up this time.

Aaron moves to sit next to her, pulling her in. "Sweetie, I'm just disappointed that you chose something so dangerous to go along with. I get you're out here on your own and you want to take risks because your parents aren't there to stop you, but this crossed the line," he kisses her forehead as the tears pour over. "I'm furious you would barge into an illegal poker ring without any form of protection. Or even a plan at the looks of it, but you're not just going through the motions of your journey and I guess I have to realize that you'll make mistakes."

Serena sniffles. "So, I'm not in trouble?"

"Oh you are in so much trouble," Aaron barks a laugh. "I will be discussing this with your mother tonight, but for now, I'm just so happy you're okay." He pulls her into a hug then, squeezing her tight. "You're lucky the G-men were investigating this ring and were planning a bust tonight. Don't keep testing your luck."

"After tonight, I think I'm done testing it," she sighs pulling back to wipe her face of tears.

"Good," he helps her and places another kiss on her forehead. "Do you need to talk about anything? There were a few guns pointed at you, are you okay?"

Serena considers it a moment. The flashes of guns pointed at her sends shivers down her spine. They could have been shot. But Dean's threat flashes in her head and she realizes he would have taken her alive and maybe it's Lance that should be talked with. There would have been no reason to keep him alive, except for maybe his pokemon and that would have been taken care of fast.

"I think I'm okay," she finally states. "I'll let you know if that changes, though. Just trying to get my head to relax after all that."

"That's fair," Aaron pats her back. "Wesley and I will be staying at the end of the hall, if anything happens or you want to talk, come to us."

"I promise," she kisses his cheek. "Thanks for not yelling."

"You would never respond to that, just like your mother," he laughs, kissing her head again. This time he holds her head to his lips and takes a deep breath. He really thought she would have been hurt tonight. She opts not to tell him about the threat of kidnapping from the head of the ring and leans on him. "I love you, Serena. No matter what."

"I love you too, Dad."

He lets her go and heads out the door with a soft goodnight.

She lets out a sigh of her own, rocking herself off the bed and moving to gather some blankets and sit on the couch. She flips on the TV and finds the news channel. Immediately, she's met with the scene from tonight's raid and turns up the volume. The reporter talks about the history of the flower shop and the background of its owner, Dean. A chill runs down her spine at the sight of Dean's picture, a happy old man instead of the cold, calculated man they saw tonight. The man that grabbed her and tried desperately to drag her away and keep her hidden to flush out her uncle.

Behind her, the door opens and closes a bit harsher than her father's exit. Footsteps march all the way to her and Lance collapses on the couch. She hands him a pillow and some of her blanket, allowing him to get comfortable, before turning down the news to ask, "How much trouble are you in?"

"Got the biggest lecture of my life, and told that mom will be giving me another one tomorrow, and they will be discussing a punishment for me," he sighs and wraps himself up in the blanket next to her. "You?"

"Not really a lecture, but also a delay in punishment until Mom is consulted," she shrugs.

"You cried?" he mutters, suddenly his hand comes up to cup her cheek and touches the red streaks there.

Her face warms at his touch, and she almost leans into his hand. "Just a little, he said he was disappointed, and I teared up a bit."

"That's harsh," he says in a sympathetic tone. His hand drops to his lap, and he turns towards the TV. "It looks like a mess."

"Ye-yeah," Serena stammers at the loss of contact and turns towards the screen too. "Looks like they weren't aware the G-men were in the area and were going to bust them. There's a daycare near there, and the parents would like to have known something dangerous was happening just blocks away. Also the local police would like to have been there to help considering they were also looking into the situation."

Lance scoffs at the summary but doesn't say anything else.

The two continue to watch the news at a lower volume. Serena makes some popcorn and turns on the lamps to turn off the overhead lights. With the excitement from the bust, neither of them feel as though they are going to be heading to bed anytime soon. They watch the news repeat itself, as if waiting for something more to happen, the crowd long gone and the live feed replaced with the recording.

"I don't know why they're so mad, the trouble is gone," Lance wonders as an interview with a man from the crowd replays. He rotates his arms, his hands moving to massage his back, he hisses while pressing at an especially sore spot.

"That's not the point," Serena shakes her head, tossing popcorn into the air and catching it with expertise. "What's wrong with your shoulder?"

"It feels sore, probably from throwing myself over you," he flexes his arm, showing off the muscle there before wincing at his shoulder's movement.

"Do you want a massage?"

He considers it, and then nods. "Yes, anything to make the ache go away."

She gestures for him to turn around on the couch while she sets the bowl aside, her hands come up to rest over his shoulders partially covered by his tank top. His skin feels warm and soft under her cool fingertips, he shivers at her touch, closing his eyes and leaning back as she begins kneading the stiff muscles in his left shoulder. A current pulses between their bodies, raising the temperature in their little blanket fort and making the air thick.

The soft glow from the lamps and the TV pulls Lance into a dreamy lull. He focuses on Serena's breathing behind him and the movement of her fingers over his back. She hits the right spots, forcing small gasps and little moans from him, making her giggle and press harder. He leans into that laugh, trying to get more out of her by over-exaggerating certain sounds. He leans back all the way, his shoulders feeling like jelly, and his mind abuzz with the feel of her hands on him and the sounds of her happiness ringing in his ears.

Her body is soft, yet strong, under his own as he leans his head back in her lap and gazes at her with a lazy smile. "That was amazing, thank you."

Laughing, Serena pats his shoulders. "My turn."

He sits up immediately, gesturing for her to turn around while stretching his fingers and rubbing his hands together. Having seen her scars before, but only having touched them once, he's surprised Serena wants a back rub. Honestly, she's surprised she's letting him do it. Only her mother gives her back rubs, and that was during meditation.

Her scars are quiet, though, and she wouldn't mind a little massage to get rid of the tension in her shoulders.

"Just be gentle," she murmurs as he runs his hands over her t-shirt and across her shoulders to see where she's tense.

"I promise," he whispers back, his voice closer than she expected.

His warm fingers slide up over her shoulder near the base of her neck and gently press in. His thumbs fall into a circular rhythm with a gentle squeeze with every upward stroke. Serena closes her eyes and sits up, her body alight at the feel of him working her muscles and sitting so close to her. As he moves along the sides of her scars, Serena lets out a moan of euphoria and, just as quickly, covers her mouth.

Face flushed and eyes wide, she turns back a bit to apologize to Lance. "That was so bad, I'm so sorry."

His expression is like hers, but for different reasons, he manages a laugh and waves it off. "I made some of those noises too, you're fine. I'm not done yet."

She turns back and tries to focus on control as he begins to work again. Under his skilled fingers, she squirms and struggles to keep quiet. He moves further down her back. Upon reaching the middle he presses on the stiff muscles there and she arches her back. A blush forms on his face, and he adjusts himself in his pants, deriding himself for getting turned on by her movements.

He manages to finish her massage without further incident and is about to get up when she leans back. His hands splay across her shoulders, trying to catch her before she lands in his lap and realizes what's happening, when her eyes meet his. Her pupils are huge in the soft lighting of the room and everything disappears around them. The sound of the TV, the flicker of the scenes from the raid, and even the couch holding them up all fall away.

It's like tunnel vision with only each other at the ends.

She can feel it, I know she can, he panics in his head as she relaxes in his touch.

When she speaks, her voice is gentle if a bit shaky. "Is it my fault?"

His adam's apple bobs in his throat, his eyes unable to gaze away, and cheeks flaring. "Ye-yes."

"I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "Don't be, it's not like that. It's not your fault, per se, it's my reac-reaction to you-your noises."

"Oh."

The word hangs there, between them, and he's unsure how to process it. It sounds disappointed, did she want to turn him on? Or did she want to be the reason he's turned on? Or... does she feel the same?

"Do you want me to leave?" she whispers.

Lance swallows again, his eyes following her lips as they press together and then part in the slightest for her to breathe. His eyes meet hers and he shakes his head just enough for her to understand he wants her to stay. She moves in a fluid motion to sit and turn towards him. Her eyes never leave his as the distance between their bodies stays the same. Now the air is electric, coming alive with tension as they tiptoe around the situation.

"You want me to stay?" she speaks again in a slight whisper.

"If you want to," he nods. He moves to place his leg on the couch, the other hanging off, and opens his lap up. "I-I..." She watches him, wondering what to do, her blue eyes swallowing him whole and making him harder in the process. Another swallow. He reaches out to her arm, trailing down to her hand and gives it a squeeze. "Do you... do you feel it too?"

Serena tilts her head, can she feel the warmth emanating from him? The sparks from his touch? Yes. But there's something else there, something she's less familiar with when it comes from someone else. Her stomach flutters, her core is hot and more than likely wet, and she's never felt like baring herself to someone else like how she wants to with Lance in this moment.

"Yes."

He leans forward, pulling her towards him, his eyes tracing every bit of her face. Memorizing the roundness of her cheeks, the slope of her jawline to her soft chin. The beauty mark just under her left eye, and a few freckles dusting her nose and the plump of her lips. He watches as she breathes in, closes her eyes and meets him all the way.

His eyes fall shut as their lips meet and the world spins. Her hands come up to cup his face, leaving his to fall to her hips. He squeezes her, pulling her closer onto his lap. She gasps at the feel of his length against her inner thigh. Their lips dance, their hips grind and hands explore each other. Blood on fire, they start to become desperate in their movements, tongues meet, and moans grow louder.

Serena's eyes roll back as he pulls away and moves towards her neck. Her mind buzzes with all the touches and pleasure she's getting from him. Their bodies move a bit awkwardly, still new to the situation and unable to process that it's real and it's happening. When Lance nearly falls off the couch, he decides to move them to the bed.

To break the tension, he hoists her up, legs around his waist, and laughs when she squeals. His husky laugh draws her eyes to his, their gazes stay as he stumbles to his bed. At the edge, he leans down and places her on her stomach and presses kisses to the back of her neck.

"How are your scars?" Lance whispers as his lips brush her sensitive skin.

Serena shivers as he continues down her back, his fingers ghosting her skin to lift her shirt up. His lips press against each line of her scars and leaves a trail of heat. "Not hurting me."

"Good," he whispers coming back up to twist her onto her back and press her into the bed.

It's an explosion of pleasure as Serena learns all the places Lance wants to explore, places he wants to kiss to make her feel so good. He's gentle with her, always waiting for permission and seeing if she's okay with what he's doing and she's so willing it drives him crazy. In the bedside table, there is a drawer with some condoms in it and Serena is grateful when it comes time to use it and Lance knows what he's doing.

Their bodies bare, truths laid out to each other, the two meet their ends together and relax into a euphoric embrace. Mind humming with energy, the two whisper about their thoughts of the day and just how scared they were for each other and how badly they wanted to get out of there. Lance holds her close, his hand brushing up and down her thigh as her arms circle his midsection. The covers are off and tangled with their mess of legs at the end of the bed.

Still in a sexual haze, the conversation slowly dies as lips meet again with fervor and hunger. Hands start roaming, setting them both off and into a night filled with pleasure and no plan for the morning.