Rose sighed. It's been few hours since she was out of her fever, her big nap had completely healed her (that, and her bed's anti-fever program, too). She tried to call Verte, but she might have been driving and didn't answer her call. Rose wanted to go buy pastries. Both loved them, but Verte had seldom time to go buy them, and she refused that Rose went alone. Well, screw that, Rose couldn't stay inside no more, even if the inside was spacious.

She got up and went through one of her room's door to get to the common dressing room. As she would be alone, she needed not to attract too much attention. A simple, short sleeved, black dress woulddo the trick. She put it on and turned around, watching with joy her reflection with the dress flaring up to her hips as she turned. Rose had always loved dresses that "turned" as she called them, and didn't like those too close to her legs, preventing her to walk and move as she wanted.

The girl tied a pink ribbon on her waist to mark it, then another one on her hair, tying it on a high ponytail. She almost look childish like that. That impression was accentuated by the black polished shoes she got on to complete her outfit. Her big blue eyes were sparkling as she prepared to disobey to her sister and get out by herself. Also, she had her own bank account since her birthday a week earlier, that was her eighteenth birthday gift from her sister.

She took her badges and got out of the appartment before locking it. The badges dissapeared from her hand and she whistled as she walked to the end of the corridor, completely covered by cream coloured carpet that she had hated for a long time. Until the day she saw a cat, all claws out, crawling on the wall to chase a big spider. Since that day, the carpet on the walls made her laugh.

Rose came to the gravityless tube, a big two meters round hole, common to all stairs of the building, and let herself fall in it. The air in the hole emitted a slight yellow light, and her fall slowed down enough for her to put genlty her foot on the ground. She gave a sign to the janitor, before going outside in the business district. She lifted her hand to her left ear and activated her music implant, gave by Verte on her sixteenth birthday. A lively rythm rang gently in her ear, and she turned left on the street.

After a fifteen minutes' walk, she got to the shop she was searching for : Sentry's Bakery ! She went in by a glass door ringing a little bell, and let the door close behind her, inhaling to full capacity. This smell mix of freshly cooked bread, sugar, chocolate, orange blossom and every other marvelous smells always made her happy. She got close to the counter, feasting her eyes on the products. Magic and cooking made a really good match, moreover with Sen's mysterious magic. The owner appeared behind the counter at last, and looked around and behind Rose, surprised.

- Hello Rose, is your sister late?

- Hi Sen. No, she's still working, I was sick in bed so she couldn't take me with, but I'm all right now!

Rose smiled, waving her hands nervously when she saw that Sen would make an objection at her being out of bet this early after being sick. Then her smile grew more natural as she got close to the counter, behind which the brown haired man tried to dust his everafter floury apron.

- I'll take a dozen strawberry filled madeleines please.

- And for you ?

- Erm... I don't know, what do you recommend?

- To choose quickly and go home. It's nearly 8pm, if your sis knew you were here, she would gouge out my eyes before exploding them. A mouse, maybe? I've done salted ones today.

- Salmon ?

- Yep. I always predict strange tastes that my clients may have, answered Sentry with a wink.

Rose was on the edge of drooling on the counter, not noticing the man who sat near the door and was concentrated on them with a suprised expression. She didn't took his warning, well, she knew the district was open to the public from 8pm, but she wasn't that far from home, so she wasn't worried. And Verte had insisted she trained like a maniac in martial arts without relying on her powers. Supposedly someone could have an anihilating power, preventing her to use hers, and that she couldn't predict their actions before getting hit anymore.

Sentry gave her a papercraft bag and she held her wrist on the sensor to pay. He was genuinely worried for her, he knew the sisters since a very long time... Rose had a comforting smile for him, then turned around and left the shop while she waved for him. Still listenning to her music, she went back home more slowly than before, singing quietly. Without looking where she went. Risking to collide with anybody on the sidewalk. Which inevitably happened.

- Hey, kiddo, look where y'a goin' will ya ? Look at that, mah vest's 'tally wasted !

Rose had fell on her butt without letting go of her precious pastry bag. She lifted her big surprised blue eyes on the man in front of her. He used the word "look" twice. Wearing dark jeans and a brown leather vest, dripping of coffee he stil had in her hand, he didn't really had bad thoughts. He only was disgusted with his wet, stained vest. Rose got up and apologized politely, bowing a few times. Then something like an alarm rang in her head. He looked at her more closely and had decided that he could bring her to his friends and play with her a little.

Terrified, even before he tried to move, she kicked him violently in the balls, then she turned and fleed in the opposide direction. She never ran that fast. Drowning in her own panic, she began to hear thoughts of every passerby she ran past. She didn't even noticed she ran past Sentry's shop. Or heard his thoughts, or his cry, when he ordered a blue haired young man on her trail.

- ROSE !!

She was still running when a hand held her shoulder gently, without slowing her down or making her fall. The person was running at the same speed as her. And was trying to calm her down directly whith the girl's power of hearing. When she at last was able to sort out his voice from the others', she understood he was Sen's friend. She slowed down then stopped, out of breath. Her adrenaline went down in a split second, and she avoided falling only thanks to his reflexes, keeping her standing by holding her arms.

She struggled to lift her eyes to him. He had his hair a bit long for the haircut, his blue bangs falling on his eyes and ears. His eyes were the same exact shade as his hair and she drowned herself in them. Rose felt vaguely a really soft cloth wiping her face, then a hand brushing her hair gently, with utmost care. As if he was afraid to frighten her. And he was scared. She felt safe, surrounded by his warmth.

Then she mentally shook herself and took a hesitating step back. His eyes followed her, arms ready to catch her if she showed the slightest sign of weakness. With a foot's space between them, she noticed that the young man had slightly slanted eyes, which made a strange effect with their colour. She opened her lips, surprised. Asians were rare in this part of the country, in the extreme occident of the continent. He made a timid smile, and, overwhelmed, Rose burst into tears. She who never cried.

Panic could be clearly seen on his face as he looked around him to look for a solution, then he timidly moved his arms forward. Rose threw herself at him, closing her arm around his neck without even knkowing his name, and he placed an arm behind her legs to hold her completely, the bakery bag still in her arm against her chest. She grew inconscient as he began to walk, which was clearly not her best idea, but she couldn't fight it.

Rose opened her eyes with some difficulty. They were swollen. She looked at the ceiling. Where stars' faces were scrolling. She was in her bedroom. Moving a hand to her eyes, she noticed she had Sentry's pastry bag in her arms, like a stuffed animal. She shot up in panic, remembering the last events. Sighing with relief when she confirmed she really was at home, she then checked the bag's contents. Everything was good, of course. Sen used magical protected bags, because his creations were often fragile.

Rose heard steps in the living room and thoughts from someone. A stranger. That she knew. She got out of bed and walked quietly to the living room, barefoot. The stranger was wondering if he should stay until she woke up, stay until her sister (glups) came home, or if he should get out quickly. Outside, night had fell on the city. Rose peeked through the door to look at him, the first stranger ever in their home. It was not much, a table with two chairs, a sofa with a holographic TV set and a small black cube that contained her sister's life. Her video games.

The blue haired man seemed to strangely fit in the room. He was pacing nervously next to the front door. His white coat was flying with each step he took, followed by the long thin blue scarf he wore despite the relatively cool June month they had. He still was asking the same thing again and again in his head. Rose smiled stupidly while thinking he could dig a trench if he went on. Then she sighed and opened the door. The man instantly looked at her, and pure relief painted his traits without needing Rose to peek in his thoughts.

- You're awake ! I was scared, Sen told me your sister would kill him for having lent her double to someone she didn't know, but she would do far worse if she learned what happened to you... I didn't know what to do... Are you alright ?

- You... are Sentry's friend ?

- Yes. You sister and I have the same age from what he told me. You didn't get you fever's back ?

- No. Is that why I ... ?

- I don't think so, I believed it was caused by stress. How are you feeling?

- I... good, I think. You know, my sister is... really protective... if she knows you're here...

- I understand, I'll be on my way, if you're feeling alright?

- No !

He looked at her, surprised. Why did she shout ? Why would she want him to stay? She didn't even know who he was...

- Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear, you will be able to thank me later if you want. I just don't want to cause you trouble... nor have some with your sister.

He finished his phrase with a shiver. Sentry had described Verte awfully well to him, if he could be afraid of her to this point. Rose calmed down, slowed her breathing. Then she smiled shyly to her savior.

- I don't even know who you are.

- Oh ! I'm sorry, I didn't introduced myself, and...

- And you know my name, my sister's, with dangerous details about her. I wish I could at least know you name, and have your calling ID. Please.

- Of course. My name is Kaito. Here.

He held his wrist and Rose took it softly to put it against the calling implant, just above her right ear. Kaito blushed, but she refused to "see" why. Her savior deserved at least a little bit of privacy. She released him and he smiled while moving his fingers through his blue hair, then bid her goobye with embarrasment, before leaving the appartment.

Rose felt weird. She tried to call her sister, and at the fifteenth try, she answered.

- Verte ! Where are you ?

- Ah, Rose... I'm stuck in the middle of the desert, we weren't fast enough and this fucking solar hover bike doesn't work at night.

- But... tomorrow's moonsoon in the East desert, you won't have sun either !

- Ah, crap, I forgot... well, we'll have to go back by foot then...

- We ?

- Yes, I am with Lucas, Eastcity's operative, he has to come with me to the office...

- Ah...

Long seconds went by without Rose speaking, knowing her sister was thinking. But, Verte found in company of a man, it was either a miracle or a curse. A new thing she didn't know how to react to. But, if her sister was talking about it so freely, maybe he simply was an agent sharing her work, nothing more.

- Rose ?

- Yes ?

- I'm going to ask you something unthinkable. I want you to go at opening time to the office explain the situation here to Boss. He will be able to call me and tell me what he can and cannot do, but I couldn't call until you succeeded in calling, the coverage is really risky in the desert, and if calling is impossible, receiving a call might be doable.

- Okay.

- You'll be REALLY careful while going out, you hear me Rose ? I don't want something to happen when I'm this far. I know Sen cannot come with you, he's open tomorrow. Please be extremely careful, alright ?

- Yes Verte, don't worry, if someone wants something with me I'll flee before he even thinks about touching me.

- Good. We'll still try to go by foot as far as we can in Centercity's direction. But the only way to pass the Breach is with a hover, so I need Boss' help. I'm counting on you.

The call got cut before she could answer, and she cursed the desert and solar hovers. Then she bit her cheek. She will have to go out again. Alone. To the office, which was nearly at the center of the enormous city, although she lived in the peripheric area. To calm down, she ate a mouse from Sentry's bakery bag. His creations always appeased her. She thought about Kaito, then wondered if Sen had a wife, or a girlfriend. She always saw him alone in his shop, happy in the middle of his creations, but alone. It was also thanks to him that she didn't had any problems this evening.

While she nibbed an ear of her salmon mouse, she went in the kitchen looking for leftovers her sister always left when she had to leave her alone at home, even for few hours while she had a professionnal evaluation when Rose still had preceptors. She smiled whils seeing a full pasta bowl, asked the kitchen robot to reheat them and to pour salmon flakes on them.

The next day, when her alarm rang, Rose felt horribly alone while letting it ring by habit. Verte always shout to this sound as she didn't like the music. The girl sighed and turned it off. Then, she took the same dress as the day before, as she only wore it a few hours, and went under the shower.

In a dozen of minutes, she was getting out of the water and put on her dress while her hair was still wet at the end. She tried to dry them with a towel, tied them up in a ponytail and got out of the bathroom. Getting on a pair of white and pink boots took her a second and she left the appartment in a hurry, slamming the door closed in automatic locking.

She pushed the door to Sentry's shop a few minutes after that, and two unusal details hit her. A woman was bent over the counter, her hand on Sen's without him minding it a bit. And Kaito sat at one of the tables near the street window. A big smile crept on her face, but she went politely to Sentry first. He noticed her at the last second, when she was next to the blonde woman who smiled to her, trying to hide her red cheeks.

- Hello there! Hi Sen! Sorry for yesterday, I didn't listen to you and it almost went bad, thank you for sending your friend after me.

- The important is that you're okay. And that you don't pull that ever again.

He frowned really seriously when answering. The old "parents" didn't exist in the educative, original sense, but Sentry was the closest to it for Verte and Rose, from what they knew with their History and Human Psychology. He watched over them since their arrival in the disctrict, fourteen years before, when Verte got a dispense for her sister's custody despite her young age. From the first day they had discovered the shop which, at this time, wasn't famous yet as it just opened. They came back really often, with their guardians, then alones when Verte got sixteen.

Rose smiled to Sentry, then turned to the window presenting the day's creation, different from the day before.

- I have Maki with black chocolate jelly filled with cookie dough if you want, sold by six.

- With pleasure ! I'll eat with your friend over there !

Rose paid when he held a bag smaller than the previous one, then went to Kaito. He smiled to her and, curious, she noted that he was surprised and happy to see her again that fast.

- Hello! My sister is stucked in the desert with a solar hover bike. I have to go to the office to warn the Boss so he can send help.

- May I go with you? I don't like the idea of you going that far alone with what happened yesterday...

- Well... you can but... you know, I am...

- Yes, I know, Sen told me you were an Order operative. Quite impressive by the way, that you're both in this branch. It's quite hard to get in.

- Yeah...

Rose bit her lip, uneasy. If she went to the office with him, her coworkers would see him. And would tell Verte. Mostly changing the truth while they're at it. But he was kind of right, going to the heart of the city alone, with what happened the day before, was stupidly bold. She didn't really have a choice this morning. If she had to choose between her sister's rage if something happened, or angering her if she walked with Sentry's friend she didn't know, the choice was quickly made.

- Your hair is still wet. You're just out of a fever, this isn't really a good idea to go out like this, you know?

- Pfft, in the end I'm sure that, past the fit she'll throw, my sister will love you, moreover if you keep on replacing her that well.

Rose laughed joyfully seeing the surprised air on Kaito's face, then saw a shadow in his eyes. He liked her, but didn't want to become a brother to her, he'd rather be a friend with open possibilites. She smiled and shrugged, keeping her reactions in checked while she was blushing on the inside.

- They'll be dry before I get to work, and it's hot outside these days, it will be okay.

Rose ate her breasfast quickly, then smiled to Kaito while getting up, motioning to him to follow her. He was genuinely happy to go with her, and filled the silent walk with hundreds of office stories that made Rose laugh, some to the point of crying. She felt safe with him. That was a first, and she had trouble accepting it, but most of the time while they walked, she just felt it was natural. He even laughed to her jokes, whereas Verte only rolled her eyes at her with a desperate sight most of the time.