Cayde led a Hunter raiding party back into the pass in the dead of night. They moved silently through the trees, taking out the guards and overtaking the camp in less than a half an hour. Moonlight filtered through the trees but it was quickly negated by fires that spread from Fallen tents and banners, most of which were started by the torch in Cayde's hand.

He stared coldly into the flames as he touched the torch to the tattered hem of a Fallen banner and stared there even as the flames licked at his arm. It wasn't until a small explosion caught his attention that he finally stepped away from the fire. He tossed the still lit torch into a nearby tent and a Dreg hastily evacuated, skittering away from Cayde only to be caught by a Hunter nearby.

The Hunters collected all the weapons they could find and began corralling the Fallen toward the center of the encampment. It was still chaos, with Hunters boxing in Fallen before they could completely arm themselves.

Cayde watched it all, feeling the heat of the flames as he strode toward the center of camp, Ace clutched tight in his fist. He stared down a Dreg that tried to claw the earth to escape a Hunter who tried to drag him back. The Dreg grabbed at Cayde's ankle and without a word he drew the Ace and fired, killing the Dreg and startling the Hunter.

"What the fuck!" she snapped, falling to her butt in the dirt. When he glared down at her, she shut her mouth and stared back with confusion and concern. He stood a little taller, almost daring her to speak again but she didn't.

He wanted them dead. All of them. Every time he closed his eyes he saw what he had to do to Wren and these Fallen… he blamed them. Hated them. Poured every ounce of guilt into punishing them, even as the Hunters questioned him. He executed them. Every. Single. One.

When he was finished, with the flames at his back and smoke in his eyes, he saw them… the carnage he'd brought to this place and the way the Hunters had grown silent. They skirted around him, avoiding him while they scavenged what they could. He saw it. Felt the way they looked at him.

As the hours passed and the fires had burned down to smoldering ash, he realized he was still standing where he had been when he put down the last Fallen in the scavenging crew. How long had he been zoned out staring at that corpse? Long enough to not notice the Hunters were getting ready to leave. Long enough for the sun to be peeking over the ridge. Long enough to be numb to what he'd done…

Shame compounded on the guilt and he was sickened with the way they looked at him. All the Fallen he'd tossed away in the Prison, he could have taken these in too. Should have. The pain he felt at his own actions hadn't faded at all, only grown. How could he have done that to her? He told himself he had no choice but…

A Vandal came out of nowhere and jumped on his back, sending him stumbling forward. The guilt turned into a boiling rage in the fraction of a heartbeat and he hit a knee, rolling the Vandal over his shoulder. He took the Fallen's throat in his hand and squeezed, ignoring the four hands that clawed at his wrist and arm as he stood and lifted it off the ground.

He sneered at the Vandal as he jammed the Ace into its mouth and pulled the trigger, a flash of Wren's blood spattering tainting his memory and making him close his eyes as he dropped the headless Vandal. Blood drops dripped down his face as a Hunter touched his elbow then withdrew her hand as if she had been burned. He whipped around to her.

"Cayde? I um… I've never seen you act like this and we're… well, we're worried about you."

He blinked and his expression softened considerably. He dropped his shoulders and shifted his weight to one hip with a little chuckle.

"Worried? Eh, I just got a little carried away is all," he smiled, knowing the humor didn't touch his eyes as he spun the Ace before holstering it. "You know how it gets."

She forced a tightlipped grin. "Sure."

"Let's get outta here."

Wren stood atop the North Gate and watched as a storm brewed to the west. They'd hardly returned when Cayde gathered some Hunters and left again, returning to the Fallen outpost in the mountains. She'd never seen him walk with such purpose or seen the look in his eye when he closed the door to Zavala's office before Cerulean could enter. He'd practically slammed it in Rorick's face.

They'd all been quiet since the rockslide. All of them. She didn't remember what happened except that the Hunter who had led them to the outpost had been killed. Weapons that could kill Guardians… she could understand why Cayde was acting cagey. Even when they passed out of the Darkness Zone and Kiran was able to bring her back, she knew that what happened affected her fireteam.

They were still racing away from the valley when Wren opened her eyes, pressed close to Cayde's chest as he pushed his Sparrow to its limits. He no longer allowed Rorick to lead the team but took charge at the head of the formation with a set jaw and determined gaze. When he realized she was alive again he only held on tighter and refused to stop or slow so she could get her own Sparrow.

Jorga's death caused a shift and Wren could feel it. Rorick and Sisre had given her hugs when they departed and even after getting a door in his face, Rorick wasn't angry. It was as if he understood. Maybe they all did. And Franz? She didn't miss the sideways, uncomfortable glances he'd given her before retreating to his apartment.

Wind whipped up the Wall and tousled Wren's hair. She ran her fingers through the disheveled curls and held them tight to the back of her head as she scanned the horizon for any sign of Cayde's party. They would be back any time and she was anxious to see him.

"Uh, Wren?"

She tilted her head to Kiran to signal him to speak.

"Zavala is requesting you at the overlook."

"For what? A mission?"

"That's the weird part. He wants you to debrief on your latest assignment?"

"I haven't had one though?"

"We should figure it out."

"Right."

Her gaze lingered a moment more on the horizon but when there was no change, she turned on her heel and made her way back along the top of the Wall toward the overlook were Zavala stood daily. He'd taken up the spot after retaking the City and Wren couldn't help but wonder if he was overcompensating for what happened during the Red War. If perhaps he watched the City obsessively to make up for guilt at their losses. If only she could tell him he had done his best without making it seem like she was offering an opinion she didn't have any stake in.

His back was to her when she approached.

"Commander?" she spoke and he motioned her to stand beside him. "Kiran said you wanted to see me?"

"I wasn't aware you were back in the City," he said. "I was expecting you to debrief with me on your mission in Cayde's absence."

"I'm not sure what mission you're referring to? I haven't left the City since the initial scouting mission to the mountain pass."

He raised an eyebrow at her and set his jaw. "I see," he replied dryly. "I don't know how to say this, but are you aware of the Vanguard's efforts to establish a death toll and accounts for missing persons from the City?"

"Yes."

"Then I should inform you that Flak is in the list of missing. Several prisoners escaped during the chaos and transport and he was among those that vanished during the attack. We plan on tracking these individuals down in the future, but as it stands we lack the manpower to do so. We have bounties out that several Hunter dens have taken to working through but nothing has come to light about his location."

Wren's chest felt tight. It'd been a long time since she'd thought about Flak but hearing his name put her back to that alley, scrambling to get away from him. Her palms began to sweat and she rubbed them on her pants.

"Thanks for letting me know. Am I dismissed?"

Zavala gave a small nod and Wren took her leave, rushing away so fast she shouldered a Titan who she muttered an apology to before taking the steps down to the hanger two at a time. In the hall she ducked off into a side area, behind where a sweeper bot toiled away without so much as a sideways glance to her. She leaned her head back on the wall and planted her palms into the cool stone, trying to use it to ground herself.

"Wren?" Kiran nuzzled into her neck and she leaned into his shell. "Shhh, it's okay. Take a deep breath."

"I didn't think—" her breath caught in her throat.

"It's okay, I know. Don't cry."

"This shouldn't still make me feel this way," she said, wiping a tear away with a shaky hand.

"Sugarbird?"

Wren heard Cayde in the hall and saw his silhouette in the light as Sundance floated toward Kiran. She quickly wiped her tears away though the trembling couldn't be helped and she knew her puffy eyes would give her away.

"Hey," she replied, trying to keep her voice upbeat. "I was looking for you. I'm hungry. We should get some food and –"

"Woah," he said, catching her arm as she tried to pass him. "What's goin' on?"

"It's nothing, really I just—"

"We're not going to go backward here."

Wren stared at her feet. "Flak is missing."

Cayde's grip on her arm tightened ever so slightly and he pulled her close. "I'm not gonna let him touch you," he said, his voice darker than Wren was expecting. "He's not stupid enough to come back here, trust me."

She let him pull her back into his chest and craned her neck to look up at him. "I was worried about you." Her palm rested on his cheek.

"Worried about me?" he scoffed, pushing a lighthearted air. "Gonna take more than a few hyped up Fallen to take me out."

Something felt different about him. He had a hard time holding her gaze and there was a tension about him she wasn't used to and the smell of smoke hung heavy on him. She turned to get a better look at him and noticed the blood that speckled his armor and the spots on his face where he had tried to wipe them away but was unsuccessful.

"What happened?"

"Nothin' I couldn't handle," he shrugged. "Look, why don't we go home and rest. You look like you need it. I'll make ya some food while you get a bath and you'll feel better in no time."

Wren took his hand and they went home in silence. She hoped he was right but the feel of dried blood on his gloves was a cause for concern on its own. She stole glances at his face as they walked and remembered that though he could be kind and loving, there was more to him than he let on.

Danger. Skill. He was more than capable of… anything.

"I know what this is about," Cayde said as he leaned against the doorframe to Zavala's office. The doors had been propped open as a crew painted the walls and the new office was split between cool purple shadows and the bright dawn glow.

Wren was likely still asleep but he couldn't stay there beside her. Not knowing what he knew. He'd been up doing paperwork and sorting through bounty lists for hours when Zavala finally called him to this meeting, it he could even call it that. It was likely going to be another lecture.

With a wave of his hand Zavala dismissed the painters who left the room to the Vanguard pair. Even alone, it took Zavala time to address Cayde, choosing instead to keep his back to the Hunter.

Cayde gritted his jaw and fought the urge to tell Zavala to spit it out. They both knew why they were there and he expected Zavala to explode on him like last time but the longer he remained in silence, the more the volcano boiled under Cayde's plating. Why wasn't he speaking dammit?!

"Cayde," Zavala said at last, his tone tired and defeated. "I was hoping the situation wouldn't progress to this point, and I did warn you, but until you can prove that you can be subjective with Wren, I will be taking over her missions."

"I don't think—"

"I know what you've been doing." Zavala turned to meet his gaze. "I asked her to debrief with me about a mission and she had no idea what I was talking about. You've been giving other Hunters her missions and frankly, I don't appreciate you going behind my back like that. We are supposed to be a team above all else and if we can't do that, the Vanguard will fail."

Cayde bit back to urge to tell Zavala to take the damn Vanguard and shove it. He hated this stupid job anyway. Hated being trapped in the Tower. Hated attending Hunter funerals or staying behind while Wren was out there risking it all for people who didn't appreciate it. It should be him out there instead.

"I know that what you had to do was difficult," Zavala said, choosing his words carefully, "but it does not excuse what happened yesterday when you took your team back to the Fallen encampment. You were supposed to bring back prisoners so we could dig deeper into how they came across weapons capable of killing Guardians and now, because of your actions, we no longer have access to that information."

Difficult? The word rolled around in Cayde's mind as if he was observing it from every angle. He wondered if Zavala had ever had to lull a lover into a state of calm only to… he turned his head away.

"I wanted to be angry with you," Zavala admitted. "I don't know if I could have done what you did or know how it would affect me, but I am disappointed that you ignored my warnings. I told you this wouldn't end well and you—"

"Nothing has ended," Cayde snapped. "She's here and safe and if you want to take over being her Vanguard, then fine. Maybe then I won't get lectured for doing what I think is right."

"You're not fooling anyone. Even yourself."

He hated when Big Blue was right. Not a damn soul in the Tower would believe that he thought keeping her caged was the right thing to do. Hell, he'd fought with Koro over it and he was doing the same thing out of nothing more than pure fear of something happening to her. But what of the future? She might be busy and distracted now, but he didn't miss the way she lingered in the hanger as she stared out into the wilds. He didn't miss those sidelong glances she stole at the mountains before they descended into the City for food or drink.

The little wren, wishing to spread its wings. To do what it was made to do.

She'd resent him. Resent leads to hate. Hate leads to loss. And what was worse than her actual death? Seeing her every day and knowing what he'd done had broken them.

Fuck.

He shifted away from Zavala.

"Go get some rest," Zavala said, dismissing Cayde in a way he surely considered subtle.

"Right," Cayde muttered, turning on his heel to leave. Damn Zavala. And damn the truth.

"Oh and Cayde? Send Wren to me as soon as possible. Ikora has requested her specifically."

Cayde strode across the new courtyard and toward his and Wren's apartment. How was he supposed to tell her why Zavala was taking over her missions without telling her all the shady things he'd been up to since the war?

"You've really gotten yourself in it now," Sundance sighed.

"Hate to say I told ya so, huh?" he said, raising a brow plate at her.

"I just know you is all. You have a chance to make things right, you know."

"I killed her," he said, realizing the words were more bitter on his tongue than he expected. "How can I do that and turn around and lay next to her like nothing happened?"

"You think she won't notice when she wakes up and you're gone? Cuz you know that's not just today. You're going to do it more and more until something breaks. Drowning yourself in work isn't going to help, it's only going to push her away."

"I love how everyone's got an opinion on my personal life these days."

"You make it easy, what can I say?"

He entered the apartment, still mostly bare of personal effects, and went to the bedroom where Wren was soundly sleeping with his pillow clutched tight to her chest. The lights that danced under her skin entranced him and he followed one up the curve of her exposed thigh to disappear under her shorts, reemerging over her hip and sliding silently over her ribs to the gentle curve of her breast before disappearing. She deserved so much more than him. So much more than this empty apartment.

She stirred when he sat at the edge of the bed and though he felt like he wanted to reach out and touch her, he refrained, clasping his hands together as he leaned onto his knees.

"Cayde?" she said, sleepily. She rolled to her back and rubbed her eyes. "You're already dressed?"

"Yeah, got an early start," he replied, chiming in a bit too enthusiastically.

"I thought you hated mornings."

"I do I just… got a lot to take care of. These Hunters'll take a mile if ya give em' an inch ya know?"

Wren shuffled in closer to him and tugged at his elbow until he unlaced his fingers and hesitantly touched her shoulder. She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her cheek.

"Zavala wants to see you," he said.

"Oh…" she looked up at him. "I was wanting to ask you about something."

Great. Here it comes.

"Before you got back yesterday, Zavala asked me about a mission he said I was supposed to have run but I had no clue what he was talking about. Do you know anything about that?"

He blinked and looked away. "Ya see, kid, that's what he wanted to talk to you about. He's… well, Zavala is gonna be your Vanguard. Just for a little bit."

"What? Why?" she sat up.

Sundance nudged him. Wren would find out either through him or Zavala and frankly, the later option would cause more trouble.

"I was just tryin' to protect you."

She mulled it over a moment. "You've been keeping me from missions. It was never about Zavala at all, was it?"

He shook his head.

Her fist tightened in the sheets and she swung her legs over the other side of the bed, leaving him alone. He waited for her to speak, to say anything at all, but she only got herself dressed, yanking on each piece of armor with intent.

"Sugarbird, I wasn't gonna keep you her forever. I just needed to know you were safe."

"Then how long was this going to last?" she asked, gesturing in a wide arc. "You were going to keep me locked away in the City and what? Get a handle on your insecurities? Because I have to assume that's what this is. You don't think I can handle myself. Still! I've done all of this and you still don't think I can be a good Hunter. What will it take for me to prove that I can do this?"

"Hey, that's not it," he said, moving toward her. "It's not like that."

"I can't do this right now," she said, holding up a hand to stop him. "We'll talk about it later when I have time to think. This is just… really unfair of you, Cayde. I thought you finally had some faith in me."

"Sugarbird, please—"

She waved him off and left him standing alone in the bedroom.

"I fucked up," he said, running his hand over the top of his head, making his hood fall back onto his shoulders.

"But you can still fix things," Sundance assured. "Don't run from this."

"I dunno if I know how at this point."

"Well, you better figure it out. And fast."

The conversation about Cayde's actions was more clinical that Wren was expecting. Though she was certain no one else knew what was going on, she still felt like everyone in the Tower was aware and that they could see what had happened.

Zavala was understanding and didn't place any blame on her, but she still felt two inches tall through the entire conversation. If she could have seeped through the cracks she would have done so willingly. Cayde didn't even show up and frankly, she wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.

A new mission had been assigned to her and although she wanted to leave the City immediately, she couldn't help the nagging feeling in her gut that leaving angry might be a mistake. There had been too many instances of late that she was separated from him and would never see him again. Leaving on a sour note now didn't sit right with her and as if she knew, Ikora stopped Wren on the way to her ship.

"Could you spare a minute?" Ikora asked.

"Of course."

Ikora pulled her aside to walk along the edge of the Tower, away from the crowd, where netting had been set up around the ledge for safety. Wind whipped through Wren's cloak and Ikora's robes and the Warlock turned her face to the breeze, closing her eyes in a moment of peace.

"I told myself I wouldn't get involved," she smirked. "I guess sometimes intervention is needed."

"Is this about Cayde?"

"It is. Wren, I'll be honest and say that the Vanguard has concerns about Cayde's behavior toward you. He's doing things that are unacceptable and though I understand where he's coming from on an emotional level, I also understand that his actions can be damaging to his position and the reputation he has with the other Hunters. That being said, as a friend to him I know how much he struggles to regulate his reactions sometimes. He might hide it with bad jokes and smiles, but inside he's… complicated."

"He doesn't trust me to do my job."

"Oh, Wren. That's not why he did what he did. When the attack on the City forced us to evacuate, he thought you were dead. But rumors said you had been sent after Ghaul and he had a sliver of hope again only to have to dashed when Holliday said she saw you fall from Ghaul's ship. I wasn't around for any of that, but I was told that he took is very hard and though he hasn't mentioned it to me specifically, I suspect he went to Nessus to find a way to kill Ghaul himself."

Wren let her gaze drop.

"He was going despite knowing he would not make it back," Ikora said. "Cayde is an incredibly skilled Hunter but you and I both know those odds for a Guardian without their Light. I've told him from the start that he needed to decide what to do about you. Whether to progress the relationship or keep it strictly business but now that he has decided? I'm… concerned about him. About what he's willing to do to protect you. I've seen it and it scares me. For his sake. I can't keep you from missions, nor would I suggest it. But I do hope that you can take his fears into account when he does these things. Even when they don't make a lot of sense. What he does, he does out of love, I'm sure."

Love.

Wren chewed her lip. She'd tried to tell him before. Maybe she should try again. The anger at him faded. She had been unfair and she knew it but that didn't help that he fully knew what he was doing and tried to hide the truth from her anyway. They still had a lot to sort out.

"I'll try to keep it in mind."

"Good," Ikora smiled. "Now, I need you on Mercury as soon as you can manage it. And please, ease his fears a bit before you go. For the sake of my sanity?" She cut her eyes over to a shadow lurking in the stairwell of the hanger.

Wren took a deep breath and walked over to him.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Where ya headed?"

"Mercury."

He nodded. "You be careful out there."

"I will. Promise." She held out a hand, pinkie extended.

Cayde's eyes flickered and he hooked his pinkie in hers. "We'll talk when you get home."

"Yeah. You have a lot of explaining to do."

He stared at her hand, thumbing her knuckles before letting her hand go. "I'll make sure to write the script before ya get back." And with that he left her standing on the stairs, watching him retreat into the shadows.