Author's note: I do not own Parasite Eve or Parasite Eve 2, nor do I own any of the characters from either of the two games!

One of the things Aya hated most about Manhattan was its seemingly endless lines of traffic and the random traffic lights that deterred you at unsuspecting intersections. By the time she actually made it to the precinct she was over two hours late.

She walked into the back office and hurried over to her desk, hoping Daniel had already put the case files on it. She hadn't even crossed half the room when,

"Brea!" She stopped and turned to see Captain Baker, his head stuck outside his door with an annoyed expression on it. "I need you in my office now."

"Yes Sir." Aya said, resigning herself to a verbal beating for being so late.

Once in the office she closed the door and turned to see Baker sitting at his desk, puffing on a newly lit cigar. She looked around and was surprised to see Daniel standing by the window on the other side of the room.

"That's the third time this week, Brea." Aya started at Baker's voice and tore her gaze from Daniel to face the captain.

"Sorry Sir, what?" She asked, but knew what was coming.

"I said that's the third time this week you've been late Brea, not to mention the seventh time you've been late this month." He was giving her a piercing look. "Is there anything wrong that you can't make it in to work on time?" He asked.

"No, I've… I've just…" She started but was interrupted by Daniel.

"Aya you need a vacation." Daniel said firmly.

"No, I don't." She said bewildered. "Why do I need a vacation?"

"You're taking a month's vacation Brea. No questions asked." Said Baker.

"Sir," Aya said, her cheeks going a little red. "I can't afford a month's vacation."

"Don't worry about that, you'll be receiving full pay for the month."

"What is this all about?" She asked, but she thought she knew what was coming.

"Aya, for the past two months you've been, well, withdrawn. You didn't take any time off after… you know. You need a break."

"No, Daniel, I don't need a break. I'm fine. I … just need to sort some things out is all." As she said this she couldn't help but think about what Wayne had said the night before, how everyone was worried about her.

"Aya, consider yourself on paid leave for the rest of this month and through March. You're not goin' to argue about it. You understand?" Baker said firmly.

Aya nodded glumly and stared at the floor. She knew they were just worried about her, but to be honest, coming to work everyday had been the best way of keeping her mind off of what had happened. She turned to leave.

"Here Brea, take this." Baker held out a piece of paper. Aya took it. It was a pay check for her time off.

"Thanks." She said, and walked out of the office.

Aya was halfway down the hall when Daniel caught up with her.

"Aya," He said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"You wanna talk?" He asked looking her in the eye.

"No. Not really."

"Look Aya, pretending nothing happened isn't goin' to make things better." He said.

"I'm not pretending." Aya said. "What's wrong with me just trying to get on with my life? Why does everyone keep acting like I'm going to have some emotional break down or something? I'm fine!" She was starting to get upset.

"Stubborn." Daniel muttered.

"You're one to talk." Aya said with a small smile. Daniel chuckled softly.

"Do you need a ride home?" He asked.

"No, I drove today."

"Right well, I'll see you later Aya. You go home and get some rest." He squeezed her shoulder then turned and made his way back down the hall.

Aya watched him until he disappeared around a corner. She went out to her car and sat in it for a few minutes, letting the engine warm up. She leaned her head back against the seat and stared at the ceiling. Well, what are you going to do now Aya Brea? She thought to herself. She was now facing an entire month with absolutely nothing to do, not that she was complaining, it'd been quite awhile since she'd had time like this on her hands.

"Whatever." She muttered, putting her car into drive and pulling out into the heavy traffic she had been in only thirty minutes earlier.

It took her just as long to get to her apartment as it had that morning for her to reach the precinct. Aya heaved a heavy sigh as she entered her apartment building and went to over to check her mail. She fumbled with the key for a second before managing to open the mailbox. She retrieved its contents and turned to go upstairs, rifling through her bundle of mail.

She stopped suddenly, having found a small yellow card, wedged between the electric bill and a credit card bill. It was a kind of business card.

Special Agent Rupert Broderick

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Aya stared at the card for a second then flipped it over.

Central Café 7:30 pm

"Central Café? I'll have to look that one up." She muttered to herself, continuing up the stairs to her apartment.

Upon reaching her door, Aya took out her keys and unlocked it. She stepped inside where she then proceeded to drop her mail. The bills and various envelopes fluttered to the floor in a great mess, but that was nothing compared to the rest of her apartment. Someone had been in her apartment, not only that, but they had managed to completely… The only word that could come to Aya's mind at that moment was destroy.

Her couch looked as if it had been in a fight with a lawn mower. Cushions and their stuffing were strew across the floor, mixed with glass from broken picture frames that had sat on the table next to the closet. That particular closet was hanging wide open its contents, a few boxes and some coats, were thrown and torn haphazardly on the floor. The cabinets in her kitchen were all flung wide open and there were broken plates and glasses all over the linoleum floor.

She stepped cautiously over the broken glass and ceramic fragments and crept down the hall, stopping to see what shape the bathroom was in. Her mirror was cracked, her cabinets and their contents thrown to the floor in an unceremonious manner, the shower curtain had been pulled half off.

Aya grimaced and proceeded to her bedroom, she had to put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from getting sick. If she thought the rest of her apartment was bad, it was nothing compared to her bedroom. Her mattress had been gutted and ripped apart, her bedside table was now on the other side of the room, upside down and missing a leg. The window was shattered and there was glass everywhere. The contents of her dresser were all over the place, many of the clothing items having been ripped to shreds. Her closet was open and looked as if someone had set off a small bomb inside.

She didn't stare long though, Aya hurried back into the living and searched for her phone. She picked it up off the glass strewn floor and plugged it back into the phone jack, hoping it would still work. She put the receiver to her hear holding her breath for a dial tone and almost grinned at the sound.

She dialed Daniel's desk number, hoping he was there.

"Hello?" Came Daniel's gruff voice.

"Daniel, its Aya. Som…"

"Baker put it pretty plainly Aya, you're on vacation." He said tersely.

"No Daniel its not that! Someone has broken into my apartment and practically destroyed it. All my stuff has been thrown around and broken." She said it all quickly in case he tried to interrupt her again.

"What? Someone was in your apartment?"

"Yes! I think they might have been looking for something." She said starting to feel a little prickle of fear. Why would someone search her apartment, and in such an obvious and thorough manner.

"Stay there Aya, I'll be there in a few. Did you see or hear anyone?"

"No."

"Alright, don't go anywhere." He then hung up. Aya stared at the receiver as if expecting more then set it back down on the cradle.

Fifteen minutes later Daniel arrived and swore loudly at his first sight of Aya's demolished apartment.

"Who?" He asked, mouth still hanging open and eyes wide.

"No idea." Aya replied bitterly.

"Aya, what's this?" Daniel asked, he had bent over to grab something off the floor. It was Broderick's yellow card. "FBI?" Daniel frowned and flipped the card over. "You supposed to meet this guy somewhere?"

"That's … nothing. Here." She held out her hand for the card but Daniel only raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing?" He asked skeptically, flipping the card over again to look at the name.

"Yeah, its nothing. Just left over from their investigation two weeks ago. Guess I forgot to throw it away." She didn't know why she wasn't telling Daniel that she'd been offered a job for the FBI. She knew she could tell him, but it didn't seem right.

Daniel finally gave in and handed her the card which she then stuck in her back pocket where, she just realized, was the envelope she had received the night before. Daniel was still watching her closely as she turned to survey apartment again.

"I'm gonna have to file this aren't I?" She asked.

"Yeah, we can get a couple of the guys to investigate too. You'll have to file this under a breaking and entering charge though." Daniel said with a grimace.

Aya nodded and started towards the door, as she did though she felt some glass crunch under her shoe. Looking down, Aya saw that she had stepped on a picture of her and Maya when they were little. It was at that point she decided she was going to take the job Broderick had offered her. She had to get out of Manhattan.