Bloodhearts

Chapter three: What If.

I frown. "What's up with you?" I ask him.

He tries to act as normal as possible, but his baffled expression gives him away.

"It's fine, it's just something Elena said," he mumbles.

Jason and his girlfriend sometimes have heated discussions. They both have a something of a temper. At times, she'll yell at him in Spanish and then he'll yell at her, frustrated that he doesn't understand what she's saying or what he has done wrong.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask, but Jason shakes his head.

"Nah. I just want to forget about it right now," he replies, and I humor him.

A guard contacts me over the walkie and asks me for clearance to do a minor check-up at the fence. It seems to have a small crack. I give him my permission instantly, sending more men to make sure the job is carried out safely and ask them to report back at the earliest opportunity. Jason and I drive there to observe, but the job is carried out without any issues. It takes around half an hour and after that, we do a last sweep of the area before we return to headquarters, parking the car just outside. Jason and I talk some and I tell him to go home and talk to Elena. It's probably the best thing to do if they're having issues. He agrees and we walk a bit of the way together before Jason leaves to find Elena.

Just as I turn around to go home myself, I bump right into someone in the street. We both fall over, and it takes a few seconds until I get a good look at them. It turns out to be a guy the same height as me. He rubs his shoulder and gets to his feet quickly. He doesn't look happy, but when he gets a good look at me, he smiles. And it's quite a handsome smile. I begin to apologize, but he shakes his head and sticks out a hand to help me back on my feet.

"No harm done," he says, grinning. His movements are a little stiff, but his grip is surprisingly strong. He's one of the returned. You wouldn't know it until you get a good look at him. I guess I have a trained eye.

"I'm really sorry," I repeat. "I was little preoccupied."

He nods, gesturing to my walkie. "No problem. It looks like you're a commander, right?" he states and looks me over. I'm also wearing my uniform, so it's hard to deny.

"I am," I confirm and can't help but smile back. "I'm Cory. And you are...?"

"Marc," he answers, shaking my hand. We both chuckle.

I withdraw my hand. "Well, it's was great to meet you, Marc, but I have to get back. Duty calls, I'm afraid."

Marc nods. "Of course. I was just heading to the bar for a drink."

It's not a sentence you hear often anymore and I frown. I wish Marc a good night and leave a little faster than I have to. Instead of just going home, I decide to head back to headquarters to see if Jay is still there. I need to know what the General has asked of him.

JAY'S POV:

After a long meeting, I'm let out of my dad's situation room and find Cory waiting for me outside. I tell him about my new mission but not in too much detail. I also tell him that Jason and I have promised to show Peter and Michael around camp the following day. Cory rolls his eyes, but agrees nevertheless. I think he has a hard time with Peter being here because Peter used to be meaner to him than I was. I even think Peter broke Cory's arm once. But even a high school bully isn't enough to scare Cory away. I don't think anything could these days.

The following day, Cory and I wait for the others by the house, enjoying a little time outside in the sun. Cory is a lot tanner than I am - and for a good reason since he's been outside a lot more than I have. It's easy to forget how good sunshine feels on the skin. At the same time, it's a scary reminder of how pale I still am. Still, a tan makes my boyfriend look good. It's the small things, right?