November Monthly Bonus Content #1 (Nat Version)

"Do you think it's been veiled?" I ask, not daring—but also not wanting—to take my eyes off of the scene ahead. We stand hidden behind a dense bush, trying our best to stay as quiet and unmoving as possible. But it's difficult when there's such a stunning scene ahead.

Nat peers over my shoulder and stares into the lagoon-type clearing beyond. "It's possible. It certainly has a very magical air to it."

Blue light dances from the pool of water which takes up most of the clearing. It seems almost as though the stars have dropped into the crystal liquid with how dazzling and bright it is.

"Yeah," I reply. "You can almost feel it against your skin." My breath catches as the energy shimmering in the air suddenly isn't the only thing against my skin. Nat's fingers brush the collar of my jacket away from my neck and her fingertips draw a fluid line against the small wisps of hair at the base of my neck.

I'm not sure if it's the obvious magic that swirls about this place, but something seems to make the sensation a hundred times stronger than normal.

I let out a gasp at her continued touch.

"I shouldn't distract you," she whispers. Her words are as delicate as the thin, blossom-laden vines which dance about around us.

Now I do look at her fully. "No, please continue to do so."

She smiles—not the gentle, reserved smile she uses in public—but the one she uses just for me when we're alone.

It's all I can do to stay standing underneath the sight of it.

December Monthly Bonus Content #1 (Ava Version)

"Oh bells!" Farah yells.

Ava stares at her with a frown from across the living room. "Excuse me?"

"I forgot the bells for the tree!" she exclaims, gesturing with both hands to the massive christmas tree that she'd made Nat go out and chop down to drag inside. There were only about a hundred bugs to get rid of after it was set up.

Ava sighs. "Must we really add ornaments that make noise too?"

"Jeez, get some holiday spirit," Farah says, turning back to examine her work on the tree.

I hand her a glimmering bauble which glitters even further in the twinkling christmas lights that Morgan has been ordered to drape about the room. Her christmas spirit had to be cajooled to appear as much as Ava's had under Nat's gentle persuasion.

"Would you mind getting the bells?" Farah asks me, offering a pleading look that makes my shoulders sag instantly in defeat.

"Sure," I reply and get up from my place sorting ornaments on the floor.

"Thanks!" She slides her amber gaze to Ava. "Hey, you're not doing anything but ruining our mood. Why don't you go help?"

Ava rolls her eyes so hard I think she might tip backwards. Yet she actually agrees. So the two of us begin to stride across the living room to head out.

We both take one step through the doorway and Farah lets out a shriek which freezes us in our tracks.

"What now?" Ava barks.

Farah races closer to us, her hands clutched to her face and her eyes shining like pure gold. "Look!" She points up.

My heart is already in my throat before I even spot the mistletoe dangling like a weight over us. "Oh."

My eyes drop to meet Ava's, who turns away and swallows hard.

"I'm not—"

"You're not getting away without kissing our Detective. It's tradition!" Farah says then pulls a face. "You want me to tell Nat you weren't getting into the spirit of things?"

Ava grits her teeth. "Fine..."

"And you?" Farah asks in a way that is more a demand than a question.

I take a steadying breath. "I guess it is tradition."

"Great!" she bursts out. Her face twists into a grin. "Now kiss."

Ava and I turn to face each other, her broad shoulders and muscled stature almost filling the doorway and making it a little difficult to move. Instead we end almost pressed up against each other.

Her hand slides onto mine hanging at my side, and I flinch from the unexpectedly intimate gesture.

She quickly snaps it away again. "I apologise."

"It's all right. It's fine, I mean." The words fall from my mouth in a blabber.

She stares over my expression to see if I'm telling the truth and then replaces her hand on my own. The touch has my heart thudding a tune that I want on repeat for the rest of my life.

Our gazes lock, and for a long moment neither of us dare to move.

"Come on..." Farah groans.

Even Morgan has stopped what she's doing and is staring over at us with a long smirk. "Come on you two," she says in a taunting voice.

Ava growls low at them.

"We don't have to," I say.

"I want to."

We both stare wide-eyed at each other at her reply.

"I mean," she backtracks. "It'll keep Farah off my back."

I tense a little at the cold response. "Right."

But the coldness melts into a sparking heat when her hand slides further up my arm and draws me so close our chests press together.

Her gaze falls to my lips.

And I forget everything but the anticipation which suddenly sparks as brightly as christmas lights inside my chest.

December Monthly Bonus Content #2 (Farah Version)

"There you are," Farah calls, skidding to a stop at the doorway and stepping inside the kitchen when she sees me.

I smile at her. "I've hardly been hiding."

"Yes, very funny," she replies in an unusually serious tone. She continues to draw near without a smile in sight. A very rare occurance. If she's not grinning outright, then she nearly always at least has a smirk or a hint of a smile on those full, tempting lips of hers.

I pause from reading over my file as I sit at the table, papers and pens strewn over the large surface of it. "What's wrong?"

"Well, Nat just told me something interesting," she continues and takes the chair next to me. Her knees brush against mine, and I swallow down the ripple of excitement that makes my whole body tense at the touch.

"Oh?" I ask, the word half-catching in my throat.

She purses her lips. "It's Christmas time, right?"

"For those that celebrate it, yeah."

She leans back in the chair and throws her hands into the air. "And there's all these traditions that go with it?"

I chuckle. "Yeah."

"Like…" She looks up at the ceiling in thought for a moment then back down to me. "Yule log?"

I nod.

"Christmas tree?"

"A staple at this time of year."

She leans forward. "Christmas jumpers?"

I break into a smile. "Maybe we should get one for Ava."

Farah almost smiles at this, but I can see her struggle to hold back the amused expression in favour of seriousness yet again. "And what about…mistletoe?"

I arch a brow.

"Nat wouldn't go into detail and told me to ask you about it."

I take a long breath. "Oh, did she?"

"She seemed quite keen on making sure it was you who explained it to me."

I run a hand over the back of my neck and stand up, pacing a little by the table. "Well, it's…uh…"

"Yeah?"

I swing around to find Farah stood right behind me.

"It's a plant that's hung in doorways at Christmas time," I manage to get out eventually. Thanks so much, Nat, for making me go through this…

"Why?" Farah presses.

"Because traditionally when two people are stood underneath it they have to…" I clear my throat. "They have to kiss."

Now Farah grins wide. "Oh, I think I'm gonna like that tradition. Maybe you could give me a demonstration?"

"We don't have any mistle—"

Before I can even finish my sentence, Farah whips out a sprig of incredibly fake and gaudy mistletoe from her pocket, a stream of crushed gold ribbon spilling from the stems.

I sigh and stare at her. "You were just waiting to do that, weren't you?"

"Since the second I walked in here," she replies, eyes glimmering with mischief. "So…about this demonstration…"

My heart gives a heavy thud in my chest as Farah moves to close the gap between us. I glance up as she raises the bundle of mistletoe above us and then drop my eyes back to hers.

Anticipation seems to draw us even closer.

Suddenly, I'm as enthusiastic about the tradition as Farah had been as the fingers of her free hand settle on my cheek and I press my eyes closed.

Then a faint scent of spice hits my nose as I feel Farah's warm breath on my face and every sense I have is instantly lost to her.

December Monthly Bonus Content #3 (Nat Version)

The Square is incredibly quiet. Though that shouldn't be a surprise on a winter's day like this. Frost sits as thick as snow on the cobblestones and grass in a blanket of white that sparkles in the low mid-afternoon sun.

Nat and I stand in the doorway of a shop waiting for the others to meet up with us. The cover of the doorway provides little protection from the cold, and I shift on the spot to keep the feeling in my toes as they begin to freeze into ice blocks inside my boots.

"Well, aren't you particularly festive," Nat says with a gentle smile.

I stare at her with a frown, though I'm not sure she can see the expression behind the thick scarf and turned-up coat collar I have bunched up around my neck and lower half of my face. "Do I?" The words are muffled beneath the layers around my mouth.

She chuckles and then bops her finger against the tip of my nose. I barely feel it with how numb it's become.

"You're looking like a Christmas present all bundled up like that."

I purse my lips. "Thanks."

She laughs a little louder. "I don't even need to see your mouth to know you're pouting."

"You can't possibly know that," I shoot back.

Her fingers wrap around my scarf and push it down far enough to see my lips…which are indeed pouted.

A smirk grows on her own lips that suddenly fends off the chill of the winter's day. "It's very…endearing."

I smile back. "I feel like endearing isn't what you were going to say."

"It wasn't." Her hand moves from my scarf to settle on my cheek. Her skin is ice cold against my already numbed cheek, but a heat spurs beneath her touch that makes my breath catch.

"Oh! Look at you two," a sudden voice exclaims. We both look to the side to see an older couple staring at us with big smiles. The man raises his walking cane to gesture above us. "You're under the mistletoe."

The old woman leans into the man and gives a grin. "Didn't look like they needed mistletoe to get closer."

Nat gives a nervous choke of laughter and runs a hand over her hair.

"Well, go on then," the old man prompts. "You've got to kiss now."

Nat looks back at me with another smile growing like the flicker of flames. "I guess if they insist, we have no choice."

Her arm slides around me to tug me closer, and I take a shuddered breath to keep myself standing as she leans her head towards mine. Her long eyelashes flutter against her cheeks as her eyes close in anticipation.

The cold of the day is quickly and completely gone.

December Monthly Bonus Content #4 (Morgan Version)

The crackling flames of the fire in the brick fireplace warms the tips of my toes and I waggle them to enjoy the heat of it. A small sprig of mistletoe hangs above it, decorated with an elegant touch of red ribbon. Nat's doing, I expect.

I shuffle to make a comfy seat on the floor—not difficult with the thickness of the carpet—and use the foot of the leather sofa as a backrest. It's certainly a lot cosier than doing paperwork back the station. Chewing in thought on the end of my pen, I stare over the documents and try to read as best I can with the warmth of the fire lulling me into a state of sleepiness.

Outside, I can hear the snow storm battering against the window.

Inside, I can hear footsteps from the doorway.

Glancing up, I meet eyes with Morgan, who has come to stand beside me with a brow arched.

"Nat's gonna kill you when she sees the mess you've made in here," she says.

I glance around at the strewn files and paper, pens rolling about over the carpet. Is that an ink stain? Shit. Morgan's right.

I shake the thought away and smile back up at her. "She'll be fine."

She now raises both eyebrows in a sign of disagreement. She takes a seat on the sofa behind me, her legs spread around my body in a rather intimate manner.

The gesture is unexpected, and the heat of the flames isn't the only thing now making my skin feel like it's molten.

"You look tense," she says, or more accurately, purrs to me from behind. "Want some help untensing?"

I almost choke on a reply. "How?"

"I could give you a massage," she suggests. Her breath whispers across my cheek as she leans in close to me. "I have very skilled fingers."

"Sure," I squeak.

Morgan slowly—very slowly—slides her fingers onto my shoulders. It takes all my focus to continue breathing at the tempting way she manages to touch every bare piece of skin around my neck as she does.

Then she begins pressing her fingertips into the muscles of my back.

She wasn't lying. She is skilled.

I practically melt beneath the expert touch as she kneads out the tension I hadn't even realised had been there. Without thinking, I let out a loud moan of delight.

Morgan chuckles deep. "I like the sound of that." The tension instantly returns as she leans close once more. "How about we make it a little louder?"

A longing curls inside my stomach and I turn around to face her. Her grey eyes seem to be flecked with gold as they flicker in the firelight.

She smirks, and I suddenly find it difficult to breathe as the longing explodes around my whole body.

February Content Bonus #1—Valentine's Special: Poll Winner Ava Version

Laycott's Bar and Grill has made some kind of effort for Valentine's: a couple of salmon pink streamers, red napkins on the beer-stained tables, and even some wrinkled, heart-shaped balloons hanging sadly from the dark wood beams.

Overall, it's a pretty sorry attempt, but I'm sure the dining couples don't even notice as they stare with loving gazes and eyes only for each other.

"Another?" Chen asks, swinging a bottle in front of me in questioning.

I sigh. "Yeah, thanks."

The only thing I have to stare at are my work reports—and I really don't love those.

"Well…heeeey there…" A slurred voice sounds from beside me. "How's it someone like you," they jab a finger towards me, "is all alone on a special day like today?" Their eyelids sink closed one at a time in what I can only assume is a drunken wink attempt.

I wave my hand in front of me to dispel some of the alcohol breath, then open my mouth to speak.

When someone else gets there first.

"The Detective is not alone."

Both the stranger and I swing around to see Ava shadowing over us.

The drunk stranger eyes all of Ava's solid, large frame and gulps. "Sorry, mate. I didn't…you know…"

"Leave," Ava orders.

The stranger trips over their own feet to follow the command with haste.

I shake my head with a smile. "You always know the best way to make new friends."

Ava grunts. "I need no new friends."

"That's lucky then, considering your people skills," I mutter. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought we weren't meeting until later tonight."

A flicker of unease cracks through her stoic mask for a moment. "The others insisted we have the meeting now."

I glance about the bar. "Where are they?"

"They insisted we do it," she shifts, "alone."

"Just the two of us?" I ask, almost toppling off my stool at the prospect.

Ava thins her lips. "So it would seem."

"Um, okay…" I say in slow words. "Guess we should get going then. Haley is going to let us use her café so as we have somewhere private."

She nods.

After grabbing my coat and files, and paying my tab, we head through the awkward obstacle course of loving couples before making it out into the cool night air.

It's not far to Haley's over at The Square, but it feels like miles as we walk in silence. Every time a giggling, Valentine's-hyped couple passes us, Ava and I glance at each other on instinct…before quickly snapping our gazes in opposite directions.

Haley's Bakery is dark and locked up by the time we get there—no surprise considering it's only a couple of hours off midnight. Sliding the key she lent me into the lock, the door clicks and swings inside to let us enter.

Ava flicks on the lights.

And the two of us are greeted with an explosion of Valentine's. It looks like Cupid threw up in here.

"The owner certainly gets into the spirit of these…events." Ava inspects the room with a half-grimace.

"She sure does," I reply. "Let's, uh, just get on with work."

Ava nods in eager agreement, and navigates her way through the Valentine's décor with care, as though touching it might infect her.

And so, under the twinkle of fairy lights and the aura of heart-shaped bunting, we settle down to sort out the patrol reports for the month.

It's a boring task, but we've done this enough times now that I know Ava's focus doesn't usually stray as much as it does tonight. Especially not when it focuses so much on me.

"Is everything all right?" I ask.

"Of course," she replies, then quickly flicks her gaze back down to her neat stack of papers.

"You sure? You seem a bit unfocused."

She stares at me for a moment. "It's…it's all of this." She gestures about the room's décor. "It's distracting."

I chuckle. "Ah, I see. Still, you don't usually get perturbed, even by this stuff."

She doesn't respond, so I try to ignore the pang of disappointment at her silence and focus back on my reports.

After an hour of relative quiet, I almost jump out of my skin when Ava starts talking.

"Do you enjoy this kind of thing?" she asks.

I raise a brow and realise she's talking about Valentine's. "Sure. Who doesn't enjoy some romance now and then?" I give a smile.

Her focus drops to my lips and then back up to my eyes. "You deserve that."

"Deserve what?"

"Someone to love you," she says barely above a whisper. "To be able to give you everything."

My heart seems to seize in my chest, her green eyes locked on mine and dazzling in the gleam of the twinkling lights.

"I don't need everything," I reply, or I think I do. All I can hear is the blood rushing around inside my head as our hands brush together.

Ava smiles. An actual smile that stays on her lips.

It's stunning.

"You deserve it all the same."

"Ava…" My body works on reaction rather than thought. I stretch my fingers out to cover hers. She doesn't pull away. "Don't you want the same?"

"What I want…" She stops herself, but her other hand moves to draw her fingertips over my cheek. I lean into the touch.

Whatever has come over her, it has my whole body tingling in anticipation.

"Yes? What do you want?" The words come out on a breath.

Her thumb whispers over my bottom lip, tugging on it slightly. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it does," I say, grabbing her hand as she moves to take it away. "It matters to me."

"Don't you understand?" Ava snaps, though the emotion in her words is not anger. She leans so close towards me that our noses almost brush together. "How can I admit what I want when I want y—"

A sudden screech of giggles sounds from outside and breaks through the private atmosphere of the café. We both look to see a couple pass by the window, kissing and hugging as they go.

Ava withdraws her hands from mine and grips her pen tightly.

She doesn't say anything more.

And her focus no longer strays from the papers.

March Monthly Bonus Content #2 — Farah Version

"Whoa…" Farah mutters, almost tripping over the stack of open books I've piled near the doorway…and near the table…and near the sofa…and pretty much anywhere there was an open space.

I glance up from my place cross-legged on the living room floor. "Sorry."

"It's a maze of pages in here," she says, tip-toeing through the books to make her way towards me.

"I can't think of another way of finding out who this bad guy is," I reply, the words followed by a heavy sigh and my shoulders sagging. "We don't even know who his target is."

Farah manages to find her way through the mountains of leather-backed books to fall into a sitting position beside me.

Her hand moves to cup my cheek.

My eyes wearily lift from the sepia pages to meet her much more enticing gaze.

"You'll find it," she says, then gives a bright smile. "We'll find it."

I groan. "No, this is my mess. I let him loose."

"Your mess is my mess," Farah replies with a grin. "You know that." Her hand slides from my cheek to my neck, her fingers tracing the contours of it until her hand rests on my arm.

I let out a soft breath, half from exhaustion and half from enjoying the lingering touch.

"You look like you're about to drop off right here," she says.

I chuckle. "I am."

She scoots closer, tucking me beneath her arm as much as possible. I instantly flop my head onto her chest.

The gentle rhythm of her heart beats against my ear, soothing me the instant I hear it.

"I promise I won't tell the bad guy you took a nap," she jokes, running her hand over my hair.

"Thanks…" I mumble, but the safety of her arms lulls me into a deep sleep before I get the chance to say more. I don't even get a chance to see the way Farah gazes at me, a soft frown on her brow, capturing this moment to her memory as though afraid to lose it.

Monthly Bonus Content #1—Spring Scenario Special (Nat Version)

Red stains the cloth, turning its once yellow-checked cotton into a massacre of crimson.

"Agh," Nat groans, wiping at the wine stain but only pushing it further into the material. "I hope it comes out."

I chuckle. "It's only a picnic blanket, Nat. It's hardly a haute couture gown."

A smile blossoms on her lips and sends my heart skittering as fast as the bird song chirping around us. "Maybe a fashion show would have been a more successful place for our date."

"No," I reply, leaning my elbows back to lay against the blanket. Long blades of grass, juicy with new Spring growth, tickles at my skin. "This is perfect."

"I agree," she replies. The blanket tugs taut as she moves to sidle up and lay beside me. "Though I think anywhere with you would suit me just fine."

A warm breeze cascades down from the blue sky and wraps us in a cocoon of our own world. Nat's eyes dance over my happy expression.

"You truly amaze me," she says, the words barely more than a whisper on a sighed breath.

The ground feels like it sways beneath me. "I could say the same about you."

Wetness seeps over my bottom lip, and I'm disappointed to find its not from Nat's lips on mine.

Another blob of rain splashes against my hand.

"The picnic!" Nat calls, throwing herself over the basket as though protecting it from a blast.

"Leave it," I call, grabbing her hand and tugging. "Let's get under the tree."

We both scramble onto our feet before sprinting towards the large oak tree with its umbrella of new growth.

Drops of rain only manage to pellet us for a bit before we are completely sheltered, huddled up together by the trunk.

I can't help but let out a soft laugh. "That was unexpected."

Nat's whole face is crest-fallen as she stares with wide eyes at the ruined picnic. The rain bashes at the crust of the pie she made, and also washing away the remnants of wine.

"I'm sorry," I say, slipping my hand into hers. "It was delicious, though."

She sighs and presses a smile onto her lips. "I'm glad you enjoyed it while it lasted."

"Who says we can't still enjoy it now?" I ask, wiping away a dribble of rain that draws a line down her cheek. My touch lingers on her skin, and I can feel her shiver beneath my fingers.

"And just what did you have in mind?" she asks, pressing forward until my back is against the tree trunk.

"Well, we have to do something to warm ourselves up from this sudden shower."

Her eyes deepen with intent. "I can certainly help with that."

I almost lose my breath completely when her hands slide onto my hips.

The rain, the picnic, the date…suddenly it's all very much forgotten.

Monthly Content Bonus #2 —Spring Scenario Special (Farah Version)

There's something about the way nature smells after a rainfall.

It's impossible to ignore.

Coming to a standstill in the middle of the forest trail, I inhale a deep breath of the moist air and enjoy the fresh scent that swaddles me. It fills my lungs and draws a smile on my lips.

"What you doing?"

I snap my eyes open at the question to look at Farah, who is staring at me with a confused brow raised.

"Enjoying the air," I reply.

She glances around. "Yeah, it's pretty nice."

I chuckle. "So glad you approve."

"I'm just saying if you want to enjoy real wilderness, you'd be better off in the Echo world." She shrugs, as though the comment is nothing more than flippant.

"You…" I hesitate before pushing forward with the next question. "You don't talk about your home much."

"Because it's not my home," she replies, then shuffles a step closer to slide an arm around me. "My home is wherever you are."

I want to roll my eyes at the cheesy comment, but my heart skips a beat at the sweetness of the sentiment instead.

"You know we're supposed to be patrolling right?" I say as we step off together, side by side, through the dense trees. Rain drops dribble from newly leafed bushes and splash into the puddles beneath them as we go.

She tugs me a little closer. "Oh yeah, because I'm getting really worried about those butterflies." She gives a mock frown. "Suspicious little buggers."

I let out a laugh and the butterflies flutter away in a dance of wings and colour.

She turns to stand in my path, both arms now moving to slide around me in a loose hug. "Let's enjoy this while we can."

"We've spent all morning together," I say, though my resolve is cracking under her focused gaze. "A little work won't kill us."

"Oh, to be free from the bonds of work," she cries with no small amount of melodrama. "Fine, fine. But at least give me something to bolster my resolve before I go." She slides her tongue over her top lip, and my attention snaps to it.

A longing of my own flames inside of me.

"I suppose that might help us both," I reply, meeting her gaze and offering a smile.

She nods, giving a grin, before leaning in until the scent of dew-soaked nature around me is overpowered by Farah's bright, tangy one. And I realise I much prefer hers.

Monthly Bonus Content #3— Spring Scenario Special (Morgan Version)

Sun seeps through the lush evergreen foliage of the forest. The warmth of it prompts the birds hidden within the branches to begin a chattering of song that makes my lips curve into a contented smile.

"What's made you so happy?" Morgan demands.

My smile fades a little at his brash tone. "Just knowing Spring is on the way."

Morgan glances about the forest, most it hidden in deep shadow, but a smattering of golden sunshine dappling through the canopy to light our way.

The tangy freshness of dew on the leaves fills my lungs.

"Well, it could do with bloody hurrying up," she moans as she hunches her shoulders, and punches her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "It's been cold long enough."

"And yet when it's hot you complain about that too," I remind her.

She smirks. "I only like certain types of heat."

I ignore the not-even-slightly-veiled innuendo and continue on through the trees. "So, what do you usually do on these patrols?"

"Not much," she says with a shrug. "Stroll around, keep an eye out for bad guys, take down bad guys if they pop up."

"Oh," I reply with a smile over at her. "Simple then."

"Things don't have to be complicated to be fun," she says. She shifts closer until our steps match each other's.

I smile a little wider. "Depends on what those things are."

"I was thinking us. Together." She angles closer. "Up against one of these trees."

I sigh. "For just a moment, you were doing pretty good at subtle subtext."

"I'm never subtle over things I want, sweetheart/handsome," she replies with a long smile.

"Well, would you look at that," I say, and draw to a stop as the trees thin out at the edge of the forest. "Something that might help cool you off." I flick a hand to gesture at the lake spread out before us. Its surface glimmers in the early morning sun, betraying the depth of the chill the waters actually hold at this time of year.

She scoffs. "No way I'm getting in there."

"Not even if seeing you all wet would help me feel more agreeable to your propositions?" I ask with a chuckle.

She cocks her head at me then steps closer. I back up a little before my back hits the thick trunk of a tree. My fingers grip at the gnarled bark just to help keep some of my composure.

With my retreat cut off, she places a hand either side of my head. Her gaze gauges my response the entire time—and it's a very good response.

Her body arches towards mine in a waft of smoky scent. I suddenly forget all about what I'd even asked as her head leans close, her fingers joining it as she brushes the tips of them oh so slowly over the curve of my shoulder.

Her breath leaves a trail of excited goosebumps up my neck.

She stops near my ear. "I'd dive all the way to the very depths if it meant getting a taste of you."

My breath stutters in my throat.

She leans back, staring over me to smile in appreciation of my reaction.

She picks a cigarette from her pocket, then turns to leave. "Just say the word, sweetheart/handsome."

I don't say the word. In fact, I don't think I'm going to be saying much at all for a good long while, my focus instead going on trying to get my legs to move instead of turning to jelly.

Monthly Bonus Content #4 — Spring Scenario Special (Ava Version)

"I mean, is it even Spring?" I ask, giving a heavy huff of breath as I stare out of the living room window of the warehouse to the snow-carpeted forest beyond.

It's a blanket of white as far as the eye can see. Even vampire ones.

"Ah yes," Ava replies from the sofa where she's indulging in a glass of wine. "I find complaining about the weather often changes it."

I roll my eyes. Once I would have found any joke from her a miracle, but her sense of humour has certainly come into its own since getting together.

With another sigh that makes my shoulders sag, I plod towards the sofa, and take the seat beside her.

She doesn't look at me, only stares into the fire which crackles with energy in the brick fireplace.

"It's better than TV this," I say, gesturing to the flames.

She chuckles, the sound of it vibrating through the sofa, and whispering over my skin so as I shiver.

"Then on a day such as today, what would you recommend to pass the time?" she asks, shifting a little closer so as her arm drapes over my legs curled beside her. She places the glass down on the table, the red of the wine glimmering like ruby in the light of the fire, and the tangy scent of it lingering in the air.

I shrug. "Something together?"

"Oh?" she quirks a brow, her fingers rubbing over my thigh as she throws me a smoulder burning with so much intensity it would have all the snow over Wayhaven melting beneath it.

It certainly has me in a puddle.

She leans over to crawl a little over me, her smile growing ever longer until she is completely balanced on top of me. I lick my lips at the way her shirt tightens over every muscle and curve of her torso.

"Warmer?"

I smile at her. "Much."

She laughs deeply then presses herself down towards me in a slow motion.

My eyes shut in anticipation, my whole body overcome with the sense of her, and lost to the moment in a second.

Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Twenty-One (Morgan Version)

So, I just want to explain a little about the 'Unseen Scenes' series. It's what I'll be doing for the Extra Monthly Bonus Content for reaching $2800 (which is a HUGE amount, and I am so incredibly grateful for your guys' support and love! 3).

Unseen Scenes is, well, exactly as it sounds :D It's scenes that either I wanted to fit into the books but couldn't, or scene ideas I had but didn't fit anywhere, or even scenes actually in the book but done from another (usually the LI's) POV!

This month's Unseen Scene was a scene I wanted to fit into Book One near the end. An inbetween scene from the LI's POV when the MC was still unconscious and hadn't woken yet after the Murphy fight.

So yeah, this isn't just a fun side scenario. It's actual canon content!

It was too short to really fit in anywhere though, so I ended up cutting it. It's so great to be able to share it with you now! If we stay at over $2800 next month, then I'll do a poll to see which POV of this scene you guys would like next!

Hope you enjoy it :)

(I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB)

At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

The event with Murphy was days ago, but a fight hadn't had lingering effects like this in a long time for Morgan.

Sleep is impossible, and she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling which is obscured by the cigarette smoke pouring out between her lips. The smoke wafts up and curls around the broken smoke detector above her, frayed and splayed wires protruding from the plastic case of it.

A groan escapes her.

She gives a huff of breath, stubs the cigarette out in the ash tray on the side table, and punches open the door to head out into the corridor.

It's quieter in the facility at this time of night though still not silent enough for Morgan's preference. She passes by a couple of agents who let their gazes linger over her lithe form…something that would normally attract her attention immediately.

But tonight she doesn't even notice.

Her footsteps stomp down the wide, circular tunnels of the bunker-like facility. She doesn't even know where's she's headed as long as it's somewhere away from everyone else.

But on turning the corner of the next corridor, she frowns to find herself in a recognisable location, with a recognisable figure stood in it.

"Agent [Surname]?" she calls with a frown. For a second, she thought it might be her imagination, but creativity isn't exactly something she's known for.

The woman swings her head around to face her. And once again she thinks she's imagining things. Her face is unusually pale, dark circles heavy beneath her usually stern gaze, and her hands are folded in obvious worry—nothing like the formidable agent she's used to.

"Morgan," she replies, just as surprised to see her.

Morgan moves closer and everything becomes clear as she realises just where she's walked to.

It's the medical wing. The glass window to one side frames the Detective led on the bed within.

They haven't moved since being brought to the facility days ago. Not even woken up yet.

Not that Morgan has been keeping up with the news on them or anything.

She shifts on the spot.

"It's late," Morgan says, as though the simple words are the start of a conversation.

"I'm aware," Rebecca replies, her focus snapped back to her child.

Morgan glances over her crumpled suit with her top lip curled up. "Have you even left?"

She shakes her head. "Not until [Name] has woken."

With a contained sigh, Morgan stares through the window…and almost regrets it. A strange pang leaves a hollow sensation in her stomach.

A weird feeling she has no idea of the source of.

She shrugs it off. "They'll be fine." Her fingers move to Rebecca's shoulder but instead she draws them back awkwardly. She never was good at this comforting thing. Maybe she should go wake Nate.

"Yes," Rebecca replies. The single word chokes in her throat. "They have to be."

Morgan's lips open and snap shut a few times. A swell of want to comfort the woman overcomes her for just a moment…but it fades at the realisation she has no idea how.

She drops her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry."

She then shuffles away, her attention drawn to the Detective through the window once more.

The hollow ache returns before vanishing a second later.

Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Twenty-one (Nat Version)

Here's Nat's version of the Unseen Scene from last time as the extra monthly bonus for staying over $2800!

Hope you enjoy it :)

(I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB)

At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

The confines of her room had been too contained, too restricting, for Nat tonight. She'd meant to stay there—wandering around the cold, bland corridors of the facility isn't a much more attractive prospect than staying in her room—but she'd needed space.

With her head buried in the pages of her go-to book for comfort, Nat winds around the tunnels of the facility without needing to look. It's been a long time since she'd mapped the entire base in her mind.

It's quiet at this hour, which is surprising. Many supernaturals either don't need to sleep or are nocturnal, so at least the usual activity brings some comfort even if Nat's not actively participating in it. She draws ease from being surrounded by others.

But everyone seems to be elsewhere tonight.

Until Nat stumbles on a lone figure down the corridor of the medical wing.

She contains the sigh that almost escapes her upon seeing Rebecca. It doesn't seem that she's slept or even moved since the Detective was brought in days ago.

"Rebecca," she calls, not wanting to startle her as she approaches.

She turns to face Nat, her face drawn with heavy shadows bagging beneath her usually focused eyes. Her nails have been chewed down, as well as the distinctive scent of unchanged clothing.

Nat ignores it all to stand close beside her. "You look exhausted."

"I am," she replies, her voice hoarse. "But I'm not leaving."

"I never thought to suggest it." Nat smiles down at her, gaining a ghost of a smile in return from the fatigued woman. "But you'll need rest for when the Detective wakes up."

"I don't care what I look like when I see them." She brings her hand to her tightened lips.

Nat frowns in concern. "They're going to be all right." They have to be. The thought invades Nat's mind with such strength it makes her frown deepen.

"I don't know what I'll do if they're not…" Rebecca admits in possibly the first uncertain way Nat has ever heard her talk.

Without hesitating, Nat wraps and arm around the woman's shoulder to tug her into a hug. She doesn't return it, but her body shakes with sobbing that she is trying her hardest to contain.

Nat knows neither will say anything to the others about this moment. It would break Rebecca for anyone to know she's had an emotional moment such as this.

But it doesn't matter. For this moment, Nat can do something, offer something, rather than just standing around with a fear clasping in her chest that she may not know what to do if the Detective isn't all right either.

Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Chapter Twenty-One (Farah Version)

Here's Farah's version of the Unseen Scene from last time as the extra monthly bonus for staying at the goal! 3

Hope you enjoy it :)

(I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB)

At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

Farah lets out a long sigh as she scuffs her heels against the bare concrete floor of the hallway. She's surprised she hasn't worn a path into it from the way she's been pacing the length of it for hours now.

Agents pass by without taking much note of her. Not something that unusual, but it is rare for Farah not to at least not attempt a smile or wave any way. But with the Detective laid out in a hospital bed only a few hallways down…it's difficult to conjure even a small amount of enthusiasm.

With another huff of breath, Farah turns on the spot, and begins marching away towards the medical wing.

At this time of night, she figures she'll be the only one there and she doesn't have to mention she went to see [Name].

But someone is there.

Swinging around the corner, Farah draws to a quick stop before almost barrelling into Rebecca.

She barely seems to notice.

Her hands wring together in front of her, her brown eyes dulled but focused through the window that creates a screen into the medical room, her whole body is sagging as though it may collapse to the floor at any moment.

Farah frowns. "Jeez, what happened to you?"

Rebecca flinches at the sudden outburst. "Oh, Farah. Nothing's happened." She looks back through the window.

Farah almost does the same, when a tug in her chest stops her. Memories of how battered the Detective had been has her hesitant to look at them now.

"You been here long?"

"Since they brought them in," Rebecca replies.

She purses her lips. "That was ages ago."

"I'm aware."

"Maybe you should, I dunno, get some rest? You're not gonna be much use to the Agency in this state."

"I don't care to be of use to them when my child is in this condition," she snaps.

Farah arches a brow at the statement. She never thought she'd ever hear her say something like that. As far as she was aware, the Agency was her life.

But now, as she's realising with herself, there are other concerns outside Agency life that are becoming far, far more important.

Now she looks to the Detective.

Monthly Bonus Content #1 — Appreciation of Form (Nat Version)

My head is a buzz with information. Overloading on sensory input.

And yet I can't stop smiling!

The musuem in the Big City isn't as fancy as some of the major city musuems, but it certainly packs a lot into the space its got.

Set in an old, restored castle on the very fringes of the town, it has a wing for historical art, a wing for technology of the olden days, a space for displaying currency over the years, and even a whole hall dedicated to paleontology.

I push myself past the enticing sight of a few benches, forcing my sore feet onwards to keep seeing it all, wanting to take in every sight in.

Thankfully, my date is someone who appreciates these treasure just as much as I do.

"What do you think?" I ask Nat as a draw to a stop beside her. She's halted to examine a statue to two lovers cast in beautiful sleek marble, their fluid motions working with the flow of the liquid-looking material so well.

The two figures are staring into each other's eyes, one placing a hand on the other's cheek in soft but hesitant embrace. Their bodies are partly nude but draped in a sheet that's been so masterfully carved that it seems as though it may blow away if we breathe too close to it.

Of course that's made impossible by the red velvet rope barrier fencing it in.

"It's stunning," Nat says on an awe-struck breath. "Haunting, almost."

"Isn't it?" I ask, just as magnetised by the sight as she is. "The way their expressions are so detailed. I keep expecting them to blink."

"If they do, then we're all in trouble," she comments with a chuckle.

My skin gets goosebumps at the sound of her voice so close to my ear.

"And their forms," I continue, raising my hands to follow the curves and contours of their figures. "So real and alive. You can see the wanting, the movement, in every inch of them."

As I extol the virtues of the statue further, I notice Nat has gone very quiet.

I glance over at her, my hands still hovering in the air mid-explanation, and my brow furrowed. "You all right?"

Her brown eyes—usually warm and bright with honey tones—have deepened in colour.

"You…don't seem to be looking at their forms," I say.

She steps closer, leaning close towards me as her fingers trace up my side and then spread out to grasp at my hip. "The only form I care to appreciate is yours." The words are purred.

I moisten my lips as desire flames inside of me so hot I worry the statue beside us may crack.

Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Twenty-one (Ava Version)

And now Ava's version of this series of Unseen Scenes!

Hope you enjoy it :)

(I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB)

At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

Time. Ava barely takes note of time anymore. But how long it can seem!

Minutes drag into hours; hour drag into days; and days, well, they've seemed like centuries for the amount she's had to suffer through.

The Detective had been brought in days ago, with no sign or hope of waking yet.

Not surprising considering what they'd been through.

Ava hunches forward on the end of her bed, thrusting her fingers through her loose hair while letting out a heavy breath.

There are still things to do. Paperwork to file. People to organise.

And yet here she is, stuck in her room, to afraid to go and see them.

With a growl, Ava shoves herself off her bed and storms from the room into the hallway.

She'd managed to avoid most other people as she traversed the hallways. Sensing their movements or heartbeats, and dodging out of view or into another corridor as they neared.

But one steady, familiar rhythm beats in her ears as she nears the medical wing.

Rounding the corner, Ava is already prepared for the sight of Rebecca, even if not prepared for seeing her in the state she's in.

Dark circles drag at her usually focused eyes, her nails are bitten short as she taps them against her paled lips, and her stiff, formal posture has slumped so much she's surprised she hasn't collapsed onto the floor.

"Agent [Surname]—" she begins, then shakes her head. "Rebecca."

She glances over at her with a frown. "Ava."

It's strange for them to use such informalities, but it seems appropriate considering the situation.

Ava moves to stand beside her. Her green eyes purposefully avoid looking through the glass partition where the Detective is visible.

"You should rest," Ava suggests.

Rebecca brushes back a dull curl of hair from her face. "As I've been told repeatedly by everyone who passes."

"Then maybe it's time you finally take that advice." She folds her arms. "I will take watch."

Her brows pinch together as her focus whips back to the form of her unconscious child. "I couldn't take if it something happened to them…"

"I know. I won't let that happen." There is no doubt to Ava's tone.

Rebecca sags further, only just making it to the chairs behind them before she flops down onto one and leans her head back. "Thank you."

Ava nods, but Rebecca's eyes have already closed, her chest rising in steady, deep breaths as sleep takes her.

Ava swallows. In order to keep a watch over the Detective, she needs to actually look at them.

She does.

And she grits her teeth against the pain in her chest which makes it feel as though her ribs have caved in.

Monthly Bonus Content #1 — Ava Version

"Ah no," Felix calls with a wave of his hand in front of his wrinkled nose. "That's a total myth."

I heave out a sigh. "Seriously? Is there anything true about vampires?"

"Sure. We're sexy and pack a mean bite." He grins to show off the pointed tips of his sharp fangs.

I roll my eyes but give a chuckle.

Footsteps at the door have us both glancing towards it. Ava makes to pass by without looking before something seems to catch her interest. She peers into the room and the soft-eyed gaze she lays on me has my heart making a heavy thud in my chest.

My lips part, whether to call to her or just to try and catch my breath I'm not sure.

Ava frowns.

Then marches away.

A hand rests softly on my arm making me flinch out of my thoughts.

"Must be lonely for you two to keep pining away for each other like that," Felix comments with a sympathetic smile.

"What?" I shake my head. "I don't know what you're on about. I'm not…" My words wither beneath his stare, both of us knowing each word I speak is an utter lie.

His fingers wrap around mine and squeeze them. "Give it time. What Ava feels for you isn't something she can bury forever. Trust me."

I sag under the statement, not daring to hope to think they might be true.

Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Twenty One (Ava and Nat Version Love Triangle)

The final version in this series of Unseen Scenes!

Hope you enjoy it :)

(I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB)

At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

The image of Nat's eyes, wide with fear and shining with tears, makes Ava's heart strangle in her chest.

She shoves herself off of her bed and paces the room hard enough it's a surprise it doesn't leave dents in the floor.

With a groan, she runs a hand through her hair as though trying to push the memory of Nat and the bloodied Detective in the warehouse out of her mind.

It doesn't work.

Instead, her ribs seem to dig into her lungs like daggers as she stomps back and forth in the confined space of her room, her toes starting to go numb from the force of each step.

A growl escapes her as she almost rips the door from the hinges and heads out into the hallway.

Ava has no idea where she's going, just as long as it's not the cage of her room. She needs space. Space enough to give her thoughts room to disappear and stop haunting her.

It's true she had been worried for the Detective when they'd been so weak after the fight with Murphy. They'd saved them all. And Ava couldn't even thank them.

But just how worried she'd been is what scares her the most.

Another rumble of annoyance escapes her, scaring a couple of agents into giving her a wide berth as they pass by.

Her march comes to a quick halt as she swings around the corner of a hallway and comes across a couple of familiar figures she would rather not meet in that moment.

Rebecca sags against the glass partition looking into the medical room, and Nat stands close by with a reassuring hand on the woman's frail shoulder.

"They'll be all right, Rebecca," Nat says in a voice so soothing that it almost helps ease the tension which knots Ava's own body. "They're your child. They have your strength."

"At the moment, I have none," Rebecca admits through a ragged breath.

Nat tugs Rebecca closer. "Then you're welcome to mine until you get yours back."

But even as Nat says those words, Ava can see the strain of worry that pinches Nat's brows together. Nat fears for the Detective's life.

In the same way and for the same reason Ava does.

And the realisation once again sends a strike of guilt-ridden pain to cut across Ava's chest.

She eases away from the medical room with a sigh, not noticing Nat turn to watch her go with a confused frown.

A Trick of Memory… (Farah Autumn Special)

A scream shatters the quiet of The Square…before the gaggle of kids shout, "Trick or treat!" Their toothy grins spread wide on their faces as they stare up with hope at Farah.

She grins in return. "Treat, obviously." She then grabs two handfuls of sweets to chuck into each waiting pumpkin-shaped bucket.

The kids look ecstatic. Nate does not.

"Those treats are for our cover mission, Felix," Nate reprimands, though there's not strength behind it, and Farah gets the feeling he would have done the exact same thing. "Give them here and I'll take them."

"Then what am I going to do?" Farah asks, rocking back on her heels with a pout.

"Go find the Detective. They should be in position in the woods by now." And Nate wanders off, smiling at the groups of costumed-children and their weary parents who trail behind.

Darkness infects the woods, the air musty and thick with damp—a symptom of the autumn night air. Farah glances wistfully for a final time at the bright happiness of the Halloween-decorated town before plunging herself into the dense trees.

The Detective isn't far, Farah can smell them long before she sees them. It's a comforting smell. It tempts her through the trees with a smile, the youngest vampire barely noticing the woods anymore.

That is until another echo of screams pierces through the shadowed thickness.

Farah's heart tugs in her chest.

A bright light flashes in front of her. A flash of a memory. A memory she has tried to bury with as many smiles and laughs as she can force out of herself.

'Don't look back…'

Another scream.

Farah flinches out the memory as a hand rests on her arm.

"Farah?"

She's never been so glad to hear her own name before. Especially from the one who spoke it.

The Detective stares into her amber eyes with worry on every crinkled feature. "Are you all right?"

Farah smiles. "Yes. I'm more than all right."

The lie helps to force the memory away, but the Detective's comforting touch has it fleeing back to the depths of her mind.

She rests her fingers on the Detective's, the smile widening into a grin that now doesn't need to be forced at all. "I am now you're here."

Falling into Sentimentality… (Morgan Autumn Special)

Autumn.

It's such a vibrant, rich time of year considering everything is dying.

Morgan blows out a ring of smoke, tasting the lingering bitterness of it on her tongue. The puff curls into the air, framing a crippled leaf hanging painfully from an outstretched branch, like a finger clinging to it.

The leaf falls.

"What are you doing out here?"

Morgan turns to look over her shoulder before settling back down on the fallen tree branch she's using as a bench. "Watching."

The Detective shuffles forward, their feet crunching over the carpet of other discarded leaves, and comes to settle on the seat beside her.

Her gaze shifts in their direction without meaning too. The warm scent of them is comforting for a moment, until a strong sweetness invades her senses.

She grimaces. "Hot chocolate? Really?"

"Hey," the Detective says in defense, raising the offending mug of milky chocolate. "It's autumn. It's traditional."

"Tradition. Ugh…" Morgan groans.

"Is there anything that makes you happy?" they ask with a sigh.

Morgan watches as the Detective wraps their chill fingers around the mug and enjoys the warmth seeping out of it. Then she very much begins to wish they'd wrap their hands around something of hers instead…

The thought leads her to her answer.

She gives a long smirk—

"Nope." They hold up a straight finger in protest. "You're not allowed to say anything that Nate would reprimand you for."

Morgan arches a brow. "That's pretty much everything that comes out of my mouth."

"Then you'll just have to think harder," the Detective replies with a smile.

She stares out over the sepia-toned clearing. Sucking in a long breath, the earthy scent of autumn fills her lungs, and the chill but fresh taste clears the bitter smoke from her lips.

"Being here," she says finally. Her grey eyes shift once more to find the Detective's. "Being here with you."

Their smile beams brighter before they hide it behind their mug. "Jeez, you are sentimental."

A deep chuckle escapes her. "You bring out the worst in me."

They place a hand on hers, the touch soft and unexpected but certainly not unwelcome. "I never said it was a bad thing."

And Morgan's smirk softens into a smile as the Detective sips on their hot chocolate, and she continues to enjoy the intense joy a quiet place and a welcome presence can bring.

Haunting Reflections… (Ava Autumn Special)

Ava is old, and she knows it.

Whilst the town is in the throes of Halloween and the candy-fuelled activities that comes with it, Ava can remember a time before this was the custom.

A time when other beliefs, although already burnt out by the ideas of stronger story-tellers, were still around.

A time when it was believed the barriers between worlds were the thinnest on this night. A time that some still put stock in.

A time for the dead.

'Ava, my girl, you will have us all forget our sorrows with such mirth…"

'Ava, lift me up! You know I'm smallest…"

'Ava, do not forget who you are…"

The voices echo on the wind like the circling of footsteps. Scars of the dead are dotted across her memories like freckles over skin.

"Ava…"

Suddenly there's a voice not made of painful memory.

Ava spins on the spot, a haze of tears she hadn't realise had been building making her vision blurry. She quickly blinks them away as the Detective approaches.

The Detective comes to stand at her side, clasping their coat tighter about themself, and biting at their lower lip to stop it shivering. "What are you doing out here?"

"It's quieter than there," Ava says, nodding back towards the festive town which is hidden behind the barrier of towering evergreen trees.

"The midges will eat you alive if you stay here." They smile. "Though I suppose you have a bigger bite than them."

Ava wishes she doesn't, but she smiles too. She can't help it. She can't help a lot of things when around the Detective, it would appear.

"Are you all right?" they ask after a silent moment of them both staring out over the waters. Moonlight washes the lake in a glow of silver, a gentle ripple cast across its surface like the reflection of a mirror.

The weight of memories drags Ava's head lower. "No."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No…"

With a heavy breath, the Detective tugs their hand out of the warmth of their pocket and wraps it around Ava.

And she doesn't even tense at the touch.

Melody of Storms… (Nat Autumn Special)

Nat slams her fingers onto the keys, but the haunting melody is still not loud enough to drown out the battering of the rainstorm outside. The living room windows almost seem to buckle beneath the howling winds, the panes shaking with fear as lightning streaks across the sky, as though the gods themselves are angered.

But the tune plays on. Nat scowls down at the white and black keys as they're almost hidden in the night's darkness. She's so focused that she doesn't hear the door creak open or notice the Detective step inside and watch her with a worried frown.

Only hiding the sound of the storm matters.

But it's still not working.

"Nat…"

The music stops. And the sound of her name whispered by a familiar voice has the hammering of her heart calming to a pace that once again allows her to breathe.

She glances up to the Detective as they come to stand beside her on the piano stool. They don't say anything, already knowing why her skin is shining with a film of perspiration and her hands are balled in her lap.

They brush their hand over her forehead, and Nat almost melts into the soothing touch.

"It's all right, Nat," they mutter, and Nat focuses on their voice, letting it block out the crash of thunder which threatens to have the fear consume her.

Nat leans forward with a long breath, resting her head against the Detective's chest. Exhaustion bites at every limb, her blood pumping with ferocity through every nerve, that she almost falls asleep the moment she hears the calming beat of the Detective's heart.

They smooth a hand over her hair, humming a tune to drown out the raging storm, and Nat's eyes flutter closed.

And for the first time, the nightmares ebb away.

A Drift Apart… (Ava Christmas/Winter Special)

"Mmm…" Rolling onto my back, I stretch myself out along the length of the comfortable sofa. I got a better night's sleep on the couch than even in my own bed. Murky, cold dawn light tries to invade the living room, but the warmth of the Warehouse's living room keeps it at bay as I wake up slowly.

After another long night working on the mission, I'd been persuaded—not a difficult task—to stay the night at the Warehouse instead of driving home so late.

One of the best decisions I've ever made.

Snuggling under the plush duvet Nate had set me up with, I consider just going back to sleep. But the horribly early work morning is calling me…I shudder.

Reluctantly shoving the duvet off, I yawn and gradually bring myself to a stand.

After folding up the bedding and leaving it in a neat pile at the end of the sofa, I gather up my things and begin to make my way out of the Warehouse as quietly as possible.

Swinging open the metal doors, my body tenses with a sudden clash of emotions at what I see before me.

A perfect carpet of glistening white snow blankets every inch before me. It glitters in the dawn light, winking at me and tempting out a few steps further.

Excitement and the beauty of the scene almost has me smiling, but the realisation I'm going to have to dig my poor car out of it stems the enthusiasm.

Suddenly, the makeshift bed is very appealing once again.

After huffing out a breath, I brace myself and wrap my coat further around me so as I can trudge out into the snow. It piles over the tops of my boots and instantly has me shivering.

But I push on.

And on.

Until I pause as a shadow forms in front of me. "…Ava?"

Her pale green eyes widen in genuine surprise, and I think it's one of the rare times she hasn't heard my approach.

"[Name]—uh, I mean, Detective." She clears her throat and tugs her coat tidily down. "What are you doing out here at this hour?"

"I said I'd meet Rebecca, remember?"

She blinks and then nods. "Ah, of course. Yes."

I glance over the area, her footprints having left a heavy trail through the snow behind her. But there had been none leaving the Warehouse.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask.

"I, well…" Her gaze flashes about the area. "I was getting wood for the fire. A much-needed thing on a day such as today, don't you think?"

I glance down at her arms bare of any wood. "Uh huh."

A moment of silence begins to simmer between us. A heat stoked through our glance that I think might begin to melt the snow.

"Well, I will leave you." She gives a stiff farewell nod and strides past me with quick paces, as though the mounds of snow hold no barrier at all.

I glance over my shoulder at her as she storms away. "Okay, bye…"

The strangeness of the moment holds me in position for a moment longer before the bitter wind has me shuddering, so I once again begin my trail towards my car and the task ahead.

A few paces further, and the task doesn't seem so much of a chore.

Or more accurately, no chore at all.

The snow has been entirely cleared away, leaving my car free and uncovered, a trail leading away from the Warehouse into the less blanketed forest also cleared.

I smile.

Gratitude warms me so thoroughly that I almost forget the snow now turned to icy water that soaks my toes.

Turning back to the Warehouse, I whisper a quiet "Thank you".

But Ava is too far away for me to see the way she pauses as she hears my words…or the smile which lifts her lips.

Snow Wings… (Farah Christmas/Winter Special)

"So…" Farah starts, staring down at the perfectly crisp blanket of glittering snow that spreads out in a white wave all around us. "What do we do?"

"You sure you want to do this?" I ask, stamping my boots on the doorway to get rid of some of the snow before heading outside of the Warehouse to stand beside her. "It's going to get cold."

"Pfft," she splutters, waving a dismissive hand before tucking it straight back into the warmth of her coat pocket. "I can deal with cold."

I stare over her as her body shivers. "Uh huh."

She rolls her eyes, takes a step closer towards me and tucks her hand into the crook of my elbow to drag me further outside. The chill air wallops my chest, and I shudder a breath as I try to adjust.

"I've met angels, you know," she says, staring at the blanket of white again with a brow raised before looking back at me. "How are we going to make one out of this?"

My brow arches. "You've met an angel? An actual angel?"

"Sure. A few, actually." She shrugs. "And let me tell you, they don't really seem the type to go frolicking about in the snow. Not that they're not fun, just…in their own way."

I chuckle, warmed by Farah's remaining touch on my arm. "You'll have to introduce me some time."

"Fine, fine." She steps forward, her hand slipping out of my arm to gesture at the carpeted ground. "So, where do we start?"

"Well," I say, tugging my coat further about me, "you start by falling into the snow—"

SPLAT!

"…Generally not face first, but that works too." I stare down at her as she's spread-eagled into the snow.

She rolls onto her back with a grin making her eyes glimmer and the dusting of snow on her long lashes making them sparkle. "Oh man, I love snow." Her teeth begin to chatter. "Now what?"

I fall backwards down beside her, thankful the fresh snowfall is like a pillow against my impact. "Just wave your arms and legs about like this." I begin to spread my arms and legs out and then in, pushing the snow to the side.

She observes me for a few seconds before beginning the motions herself.

When the cold is seeping up my spine and threatening to bite through my clothing, I stand up. "Now let's have a look."

Farah bounces up to stand beside me, and we both stare down at our handiwork.

"Pretty impressive," she remarks with another smile. "I get the angel thing now."

I give a laugh. "Doubt it compares to the real thing."

"Not even close, but I prefer these anyway," she replies with a chuckle. "And now back inside." Her hand slips into mine and tugs.

I pull against it in confusion. "Already?"

"Yeah." Her head cocks to one side, mischief making her amber eyes gleam. "If I don't get to kiss every snowflake off your gorgeous face and body, then what was the point in all of this?" She then throws me a wink that burns away any remnants of cold

In A Winter Fashion… (Nat Christmas/Winter Special)

"They're chock-a-block with snow," Nadia comments, leaning out of the store doorway to stare up at the sky.

White clouds so billowing and fluffy they look like they were drawn by a five-year old create a thick canopy above us.

I fear she may be right.

"Then I'm getting home before it starts. See you later," I say stepping out to brave the bitter chill as Nadia nods. She shivers, shuts the door, and heads back into her cosy store.

I turn my collar up around my neck as I continue on.

Only to almost collide with a familiar figure.

Nat smiles at me, eyes glimmering with a warmth that seems impossible considering the weather. "Good evening, Detective."

"Well, this is a nice surprise," I say with a smile. "How did you find me?"

"Tina was most helpful when I popped into the station," she replies before a thoughtful frown creases her brow. "Considering your position within this town, I thought she might have been more concerned about handing out your location details, but she instead seemed quite keen on me finding you."

I only just about bite back the comment, 'I bet'.

"But now I have found you, may I join you?" she asks.

I nod. "Of course."

And so, we head off across The Square, wandering down the cobblestone streets and watching as the stores begin to shut up and cosy up for the cold night ahead.

"Seems the snow Farah has been anxious for will finally hit," Nat says, flexing her un-gloved fingers and blowing out a breath.

"I was hoping to get home before it did."

She looks over at me with a tilt of her head. "You don't like the snow?"

"It's pretty enough, but not exactly great when you have to walk through it all the way home," I reply with a light laugh. "What about you?"

"I love most kinds of weather," she admits.

Her reply stirs a smile on my lips. "Is there anything you're not so positive about?"

"Probably more things than I would care to admit. But the weather is something we can do nothing about, so it's better to find the positive in it than moan about how it simply is," she says.

My gaze falls to her hands, her fingers red from the chill. "You probably could have done something to help in this situation."

She holds up her hands, and then a smile forms on her expression. "There is still something we could do about that, if you are willing?"

She holds a hand out towards me, and a pulse of cheer warms me at the gesture.

With barely a moment's hesitation, I take her hand and even the chill of her fingers can't ruin the moment.

As we walk hand-in-hand, a snowflake sparkles against the darkening night sky, but both of us are too preoccupied with each other to even notice.

It's Okay. Snow-body Knows… (Morgan Christmas/Winter Special)

"This is taking too long," Morgan groans, huffing out a breath which turns to a puff of white cloud as soon as it leaves her lips. She has her shoulders bunched around her ears and her jacket collar turned up stiffly around her neck.

Apparently she's too cool to dress weather appropriate.

Though to be fair, I'm more than dressed for the freezing temperatures and my fingers still feel like they could sink the Titanic.

"How long do you think they'll be?" I ask, trying to stare through the bleak winter darkness and the trees ahead.

She shrugs. "No idea. Not long, if we're lucky."

"And if we're not lucky?"

Her gaze slides slowly over towards me and a smirk plays at the corner of her lips. "You're with me, sweetheart/handsome. You're always welcome to get lucky."

I roll my eyes, but a chuckle still manages to escape me.

The moon overhead is a sharp silver tonight, the slivers of its metallic rays slicing through the bubbling clouds that look heavy with snow.

I decide not to mention that fact to Morgan, instead shifting on the spot and staring through the shadowed wilderness beside her.

But before I can find a spot to observe, a delicate star of frosty snow dances down between the stark, bare treetops above and manages to find a spot on Morgan's freckled cheek.

She shivers violently and lets out a sharp breath.

Our eyes turn skyward, where a sheet of fluffy white is hailing down from the sky.

"Shit…" Morgan mumbles, crossing her arms and trying to swallow through her discomfort.

A sigh finds its way through my lips, and I shrug off my scarf and gloves. "Here."

She stares over at me before flicking her eyes to offered garments. She frowns. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine. You need them more than I do." I push the scarf closer to her.

Hesitation freezes her to the spot for a moment until eventually she reaches out to take them. Her fingers brush over mine slowly and the touch sends a plume of heat searing through every nerve.

Within a second, she's wrapped the scarf around her neck and nearly halfway up her face. She's shivering so badly she struggles with the gloves, so I reach out to hold them for her.

She doesn't say anything, only slips her hands inside of them without looking at me.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I yank it out and breathe warm breath on my hand to warm it up enough to make my fingers work before heading a few paces away.

With my back to Morgan, I don't see the way her gaze softens and follows me as I move away, or the way her body settles as my scent on the scarf helps calm the painful shivers that wracked her body.