A/N: Shit. shit. shit. shit. My bad. I was going fast and didn't pay attention, so this is the real Chapter 7, and I apologize for the mistake...
Aya feels like she had less than a night of sleep when she sits up. She marks the day on her calender, February twenty fifth. Aya groans, remembering what day it is and flops back on her bed. "Can I just stay here?" she yells at the person knocking on her door. "I'm tired and I need more freaking sleep."
"No, you cannot stay because you know that you won't sleep," Jack says on the other side of the door. "The guys are out and I'm supposed to keep you busy for the day on Bobby's orders." Aya throws her ball at the door. "I'm happy I didn't open the door, because that sounds like it wouldn't have been so very nice to me."
"Damn right," she answers quietly, shifting around and closing her eyes again. She almost wishes she hadn't thrown her ball when her door opens and Jack hits her with a pillow. She curls into a ball, black hair a tangled mass as it covers her face and eyes shut as tight as they can be shut.
"Get up."
"No."
"Now, Aya."
"No."
"I will go get the water next."
"I dare you. Remember what happened to Angel?"
"...Yes. But you love me, so it's fine." Jack takes her warning and pockets it away, remembering when she threw the ball at Angel and it hit him hard. He had a bruise for a while, and Bobby loved to make fun of it while it lasted. He goes to the bathroom and takes a cup full of ice cold water and goes back into her room. She's in her normal position once more, cuddling her pillow and stuffed lion.
Jack dips a finger in the water and sprinkled it over her face. Aya blinks rapidly before turning so her cheek is on her pillow. She does it again and she growls at him. Jack frowns and pours the whole thing on her. "Jesus, Jack!" Aya yells, and Jack can't say that he didn't feel bad. It ended shortly after the words of a thousand sins left her mouth.
"Awake now?" he asks. Aya growls at him before sitting up and pays no mind to him as she closes her closet door and changes into jeans and not wet white t-shirt. She growls at him again on the way out of her room and he follows behind, closing her bedroom door on the way out. He is actually surprised to see that she doesn't have her gun or crowbar with her and it makes him feel slightly better about it all.
"Good morning," she greets in a voice that says it is not. She brushes back her wet hair before realizing that she forgot to run a brush so her hair looks nappier than usual. "Damn. Angel, hand me my brush from over there. It isn't as good as the one in the bathroom but it gets the job done. Say, finally giving up your position of trying to make me get up earlier than I have to?"
"Nah, just taking a vacation," Angel answers with a laugh. "Catch." Aya takes the brush and runs it through her hair, grimacing at the snags. "Girl, come here. It will take you hours to get through that shit."
"It takes me a while every morning," she admits. "And the walk to school," Jack adds under his breath. Aya looks at him. "Really?" He shrugs. She growls, forcing a hand through her hair painfully. She hands the brush to Jack before sitting down in her spot on the couch. Jack hands it to Angel, and Angel sits behind her.
"So, you deal with this things every morning?" he asks, watching her shoulders as he pulled the brush through. She nods and he gives her hair a look. "That definitely sucks."
"I sleep weird, and add to that that my hair already does what it wants and you get... this." Her hand comes up to gesture to her black strands. "Of course, I am what I am and only God can judge me now."
"Sounds poetic," Angel chuckles. Aya turns to glare at him, but he begins brushing again. "So, what are you and Jack going to do today?"
"The usual places I go," Aya answers. Of course, Jack won't be a part of that. She sees him tense out the corner of her eye. "I suppose the arcade, the book store, Pete's, the diner."
"Alright," Angel says before handing her the brush. "I've done what I can, for all that's worth." She nods.
"Thank you," she mumbles, feeling slightly embarrassed. She gets her shoes on before going out the door with Jack in front of her. "See ya later." She flips her hair over her should and falls in step with Jack.
"Where do you want to do first?" she asks.
"Wherever you usually go," he answers.
"Fine, let's see. Diner's hours are ten am to two am... We could go to the book store then make a stop at the diner for lunch?" She looks to him for his approval. He just shrugs. "What is it, Jack?"
"Nothing," he replies. She raises a brow. "I want to go wherever you usually go."
Aya steps ahead and puts a hand out to his chest to stop him. She leans in. "Is that supposed to mean something, Jack? Because if it does, it isn't happening. Get the fuck over it."
"You keep saying that you've got everything under control. Put the mask on and show me that you've got everything under your direct control," he says and she turns on her heel before walking away. "Aya. Aya!"
"No," she says, deciding to walk by herself. He tries catching up. "No." She wants to take off running down the street, knowing that she can get damn well near the book store before she has to stop. He grabs her arm, and she wrenches it away from him. "No." She turns around to look at him.
"Aya," he says, blowing out a breath. "Don't do this to me."
"Do what?" she asks, and Jack notices how tired it sounds. Like she really hates doing this and having this conversation. "I'm not doing anything, Jack. I am sitting here-"
"You're not sitting, Aya. You're walking away from the conversation because you're scared to have it." Aya glares at him before sighing and letting out a breathy laugh.
"The last person who told me that is dead, Jack. I'd hate to see you dead," she whispers. "Let's go to the book store." She begins walking in that direction again and allows Jack to follow. "So, how was your week?"
"Went just fine until yesterday when that guy hit you like he did," Jack answers and Aya sighs again. "I'm not going to drop that subject. He just.. Hit you out of fucking nowhere, and it wasn't like he knew you."
"I don't think it matters. He was probably drunk," she answers. She looks around and blows a breath again. "And he does know me. He was my fourth foster parent. I left his place because I hit him back when he hit another girl. He, uhm, wasn't a good guy and that isn't anything for me to talk about because it's over and his shadow cannot keep ruining my life."
"Okay," Jack says, deciding to let it go. They walk in silence until they get to the store and she browses a bit. Jack follows, keeping an eye on the shadows and behind them. A pst alerts both her and him.
He motions them over, and crouches down. "You know homegirl, Jenna?"
"Jenna?" Jack asks. "The chick who works at Pete's?" He looks at Aya, who stays quiet. She nods, and Gunner hands her a slip of paper.
"Tell her that she can't trust Abby," he whispers. "I saw her last night at his place. She's close and personal, man." Aya nods, and feels a sensation similar to a punch in her gut. "She ask you for information on Blood?"
"Only once," Aya replies. "It was a cold trail. I bought from one of his dealers and sold it for double." He nods with laughter shaking his shoulders.
"Alright, girl. See ya," he says, and gets out of the store quickly. Aya stands up and puts the paper in her pocket. She smiles at Jack and they continue looking through the store. Jack, in the end, gave up entirely looking to her for answers and choosing to instead go for the answers hidden where even she didn't know. He looks at the slip of paper he grabbed from her pocket that she hasn't even read.
"'Jenna, don't bite the bait.' Not much for answers, but..." Jack sighs and pushes a hand through his hair. "Keep her busy, Mercer. It is her birthday after all."