"...take her and go to the small airship. You can use that to have a safer landing." There was urgency in her voice as the larger aircraft plummeted out of control towards Earth.
Still, her wife remained unmoiving, her greeneyes filled with worry and scepticism as she cradling their infant daughter in hand. She tucked her curly black hair away with a finger before voicing her thoughts. "You know I can't leave you. I can't leave you, Oriane. T-the mate bond... We won't survive that kind of separation and what about you and her?" She looks down at their daughter with tears in her eyes.
Oriane glanced at her daughter too, her chest suddenly compressing in an unfamiliar way. Regardless, she forced a small smile for her wife and reached out to kiss her forehead, and then her nose before finally pressing a kiss against her lips. "I will disconnect from Irelee for now and that will make our separation easier to bear. Protect our daughter, Graciela. Stop at nothing to keep our baby safe until I find you again. Burn this whole planet down if you have to."
Graciela nodded, her green eyes still glossy. "What if you never find us?"
"I will," Oriane assured and she meant it. "No matter how long it takes me, I will—"
"Emma? Emma! Em—"
Emma groaned as she walked across the living room towards the front door with the sound of Harvey's voice echoing in her ear. She was barely listening to him as he ranted on about something he'd told her a million times already. "Sir, I heard you."
"You zoned out... Again. Did you see something else? Was it a memory?"
"Just abother random daydream, I guess."
Harvey thought in silence and Emma enjoyed it. But the silence didn't last for very long before he spoke again. "What's your fascination with the spaceship?"
"I have no fascination with the spaceship," she responded truthfully. "I just— it feels like it's a part of me, you know? Feels important."
"You've never been in a spaceship—"
"I know, sir. You told me." She sighed in exasperation. This was why she didn't like talking about her memories, or lack thereof. Nobody ever wanted to talk about them other than telling her that most of the flashbacks and dreams she had was her daydreaming about events that never happened. Sometimes, she too agreed with them especially after flashbacks where she would teleport herself from one place to another, or hear things clearly from miles away.
Just the thought alone made her ear ring and the sounds around her all suddenly became a little too much to handle. "Can we talk about this later?" She inquired. "Maybe after this mission is over? I would just like to focus on one thing at a time."
"That's wise," Harvey praised. "I'm going to get out of your ear. Em—"
"Do not sleep with your daughter," she finished for him. She hurried to dismiss him, her cool expression unfaltering despite her slight annoyance.
"I'm going to meet her now," she announced quickly. "I'm signing out."
"No! Emma, I'm ser—"
The line went dead, and she sighed. She shoved the phone into the back pocket of her jeans as she exited her own apartment. The hallway was long and narrow, stretching in both directions. However, her destination lay ahead.
Directly across the hall was a door identical to hers, the number 321 hung in gold. Behind that door lived the most important thing to her until Harvey told her otherwise. With a deep breath, she pushed forward, giving herself a pep talk as she went up to the door.
"Ok, Em," she breathed. "It's time. Put on your acting face and whatever you do, do not sleep with Sierra."
She did not know why she would want to sleep with Sierra. Emma had never met the woman in her life. And while she was reckless, amongst other things, she was not one for casual sex or one-night stands. She was especially not one to entangle business with pleasure. Still, Harvey drilled it in her head for a purpose. A purpose she may not understand now, but it had to count for something.
She breathed slowly and told herself another time, just to make sure it sunk into her brain. "Do not—"
"Heh hm!"
She barely got two words out before she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She twisted, her face turning expressionless at the sight of Sierra, but her eyes remained scrutinising, studying the stranger that her life would now revolve around.
Fuck, was the only thing she could think, seeing the reasoning behind Harvey's statement now that a pair of turquoise eyes locked in on her. She could feel her mind going blank as she lost herself in them and felt her palms starting to sweat as anticipation mounted within her.
Sierra smiled at her, as if her eyes weren't already enough to have people bowing at her feet and kissing the ground. A smile that lit the hallway brighter, yet did little to hide her confusion. "You moved in last night, right?" she pried.
Emma nodded, her voice suddenly unreachable. Her throat was suddenly parched too and her heart—she was sure it typically didn't beat this fast. What the fuck was happening?
Was she shy?
Pushing away the feeling, she wiped her palms dry against the rough of her jeans, and then offered her hand to Sierra. Her eyes never broke from the blonde's — couldn't break from the blonde's as strange connection that she has no choice but to label as unsettling.
She searched for her voice within the desolation of her dried throat. "Emma."
Sierra shook Emma's hand with a cautious gaze. Only a second passed, but she read Emma like an open book already. Well enough that she knew the brunette was doing the same. Though, Sierra could tell she was a bit too slow, not at all typical for her.
Emma herself was displeased that she'd gotten distracted. But in her defence, she wasn't...feeling well.
Adamant to regain her focus, she pushed everything else to the back of her mind. Now Sierra was the focal point of her attention again. Behind Sierra's smile, there was a nervousness she was trying desperately to hide. Emma wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement that boosted it, but judging from the situation, it seemed to be both. She knew because the feelings were mutual.
Sierra shifted on her feet, trying to shake away the shock that had paralyzed her when she saw Emma standing before her door. For a second, her heartbeat was out of sync as excitement consumed her, but just as quickly, the harsh slap of reality replaced it. She recovered quickly, getting a grip on her emotions before the brunette noticed her.
She never thought she'd see Emma's face again. That long glossy brown hair that fell effortlessly into place like dominoes, those auburn eyes that held the same glory as a blood moon. Only slightly more orange. She'd never seen eyes that shade before she met Emilie and she never seen eyes that shade after...
Her emotions were kaleidoscopic as each memory came back to greet her. They were almost strangling, heavy enough on her chest that she was struggling to breathe, that her heart was struggling to beat. Here Emma was in front of her, and Sierra just wanted to hug her. Nothing more, just a hug, but she wasn't a fool. She knew that wasn't Emilie as much as she knew Emilie was dead, and that alone broke her heart all over again.
Emma's eyes narrowed, studying Sierra's features. Reluctance was the dominating emotion, and Emma could tell it wasn't coming from a place of scepticism, though she couldn't tell exactly what triggered it. Before she could read into it more, the blonde masked her expression behind indifference and took Emma's hand in a firm handshake. "Sierra."
Emma's hand was soft to Sierra's touch, and though her palms didn't stay moist like Emilie's often did, the interaction was the same. Sierra tore her hand away and glanced at the apartment across the hall before saying. "You know this is my apartment, right?"
"Yes. I-I just..." What the fuck? Stuttering?
The embarrassment was fleeting as Emma, with one quick mocking gesture, attempted to wipe the last few seconds of their awkward encounter away. The blush was gone when her hand was back at her side and after a deep breath to regain whatever little dignity she had left, she faced Sierra again. "My power is off and my battery died so, I was wondering if I could get some charge." Her eyes flickered over Sierra again, noting her formal look and leather purse tucked under her arm. She didn't wear much jewellery except for small nobs in her ears and two rings that Emma assumed to be wedding rings on her right ring finger. Emma frowned, "But it looks like you're on your way out."
Sierra chuckled, recognising the lie she was being fed. She had years of experience in reading people, starting with her father. It was a skill she picked up naturally from being raised by an FBI agent. With no mother around, it left her with her dad and you know what they say, children live what they learn. She played along with the story she was told, though, hoping soon enough she'd learn why they sent Emma to her. There had to be a reason. Emma was an invaluable asset to the FBI. If Sierra was absolutely sure of anything, it was knowing her dad wouldn't let something as valuable as Emma into the world if it wasn't extremely important.
"I'm actually on my way to work," Sierra answered, turning to the door that read 321. "But I forgot my phone, so you caught me just in time."
Emma stepped back and watched as Sierra unlocked her door. "Perfect!" she answered, following the blonde into the small apartment. It had an open layout with a huge couch in the middle of the room and the kitchen falling to the far back. The beige walls were naked, but the bookshelves mounted on either side of the gas-burning fireplace told the entirety of Sierra's life story. From tiny frame photographs to the university degree hidden on the back of one shelf. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in every nook and cranny even as she spoke.
"Could I just borrow your phone to call the maintenance guy? I'll be quick" She met Sierra's eyes again once she finished her scan.
"If I find it." She turned away from the brunette and scrutinised the couch. Her phone always slipped between the cracks. One time she missed it and bought a whole new phone just to discover her old one when she was cleaning the upholster. She chuckled at her own false judgement and focused on finding the device. "Ah, there it is."
Peeking out from the cracks in the couch just like she thought. She snatched it out and checked it briefly before turning and handing it to Emma.
"Thanks."
She took the phone and turned around, setting up a GPS tracker that she could follow. Emma's fingers worked furiously as she edged towards the opened door and she'd only now put the phone against her ear not to be suspicious. She tested the mic as she did it, making a recording of what she would've said to a maintenance guy in such a situation. Everything with the installation of the tracker went smoothly, and she had no problem connecting it to the surveillance systems in her office. It took a minute for the surveillance to pick up the tracker's location, but after that, it was smooth sailing ahead.
She walked back to Sierra and handed her the phone, a gracious smile twisting her lips. "Thank you."
Sierra flashed her a quick smile, her wide blue eyes sparkling like the early morning star. Emma's hand fumbled, making the tracker she burrowed into the woman's skin hurt more than it should have.
Sierra pulled her hand back with an "Ow!" Her brows twisted in confusion. Fuck!
Emma thought quickly. "Sorry, I need to get out and touch grass or something. My doctor says that could be the reason I shock people. Uhm, thank you for..." she trailed off and pointed to the woman's phone.
Sierra nodded, but her eyes were still suspicious. "You're welcome? I have to go now." She gestured towards the door and led Emma out of her apartment before locking it. "It was nice meeting you, Emma."
"It was my pleasure."
Emma watched her model the narrow hallway, heading towards the elevator. Her eyes swept over her once more, this time studying her for reasons other than profiling. Her eyes mostly stayed on the woman's legs, travelling the length of it up to her thighs but rarely ever going higher than that. She facepalmed herself softly, muffling her groan. "I'm trying Harvey,"
She watched the lift arrive and Sierra got in. She gave Emma a lingering glance as the elevator doors closed. Emma watched her until the last of her legs disappeared behind the metal doors. She blinked, snapping out of her trance, and turned towards her apartment again.
She made sure Sierra left the building before connecting with Harvey. With her comms in-ear, she gathered the surveillance cameras and microphones as she headed back across the hall with Harvey in her ears.
"Dammit, Emma," he croaked out.
"Just doing my job, Sir."
Harvey sighed, the extent of his worry hanging on the sound. "How is she doing?"
Emma crouched before Sierra's door with a Bobby pin, working intricately to get the door open. "She's fine," she told him, not losing focus. "Very trusting, though. She let me into her apartment and let me borrow her phone."
"Do not let her fool you, Emma. She is a trained FBI agent. Just as you are."
"Hmm." The lock cranked, and the door creaked open. She stood and walked inside, kicking it shut behind her. "I also learned that she's forgetful, so I put a tracker on her."
"Emma!"
She looked around the room again, this time trying to determine the best places for her surveillance equipment. She needed places Sierra would not notice, yet were open enough for her to have a clear view of the apartment.
An expensive-looking crystal chandelier screamed from the living area. Immediately, Emma's mind could think of a thousand places on the chaotic structure to put a microphone. She spotted a desk with a flower perched neatly on top. After removing the withered carnations, she dragged the desk beneath the chandelier and stood on it. She installed the microphone, just in the crevices of the chandelier.
She hopped down and returned the desk, the flowers too, before she looked around again for where to install the cameras.
"Sir, calm down. It was entirely painless, and she didn't even feel a thing," she told Harvey, answering his earlier grunt.
"Don't you ever place a tracker on my daughter again!" he warned.
She shrugged him off, still, she replied. "Copy that, Sir. May I ask you a question?"
"You're going to ask even if I say no, so go right ahead."
"Why did you tell me not to sleep with her?"
Harvey was silent on the line, a lack of a response tying his words to his tongue. He was most stunned by the question since Emma had never taken any of his warnings seriously. But now, she was curious and that curiosity could only mean one thing. "Do not sleep with my daughter, LaRue."
Emma frowned, but she didn't lose focus, "Why?"
"I'm going to put a bullet in your head if you do,"
"You should've led with that, captain," she grinned.
The first set of cameras she installed was in the living room. One in the top corner of the wall just below the ceiling and the other in the same place on the opposite corner. She did the same in the kitchen, making sure it was a wide-angle to see intruders when and if they came. Next, she moved to Sierra's bathroom and placed one in the corner opposite the door. From this angle, she could see if anyone came through the door or the window while not being able to see Sierra while she was taking a bath or on the toilet. She moved to Sierra's bedroom and looked around. It was full of windows, which was a problem. Emma sighed heavily as she installed the last of the cameras.
Harvey spoke when he heard her sigh. "There's a problem?"
"Hmmm. A dozen windows in your daughter's bedroom. I'm going to have to put trigger alarms on them all, which is going to take a while."
"So?"
"So, if I'm here all day installing shit and she's out there all by herself, they can snatch her anytime."
"Remember what I said about her being a trained FBI agent? Plus, I trust they won't make a move on her that fast."
"No offence, sir, but if she's a trained agent, what am I needed for?"
"She's been out of the Bureau a few years. Clearly, she's rusty and unarmed."
"She could've bought a gun. Twelve-year-olds are doing it nowadays. Why not an ex-agent?"
"I forbid her to,"
"And which twenty six year old is going to listen to their dad when they say no to fun stuff?"
"My twenty six year old because she wants to keep her ass out of prison!"
"I have a feeling she has a gun. More than one too,"
Harvey sighed, his frustration coming through. "Just work as quickly as you can, Emma, and keep my little girl safe, please."
His voice was full of worry like it had been the day he gave Emma the assignment. The silence dragged on between them as she finished up her installation.
"Any information yet on who's threatening your family, Sir?" she asked, disturbing the stillness.
"No. We're still trying our best to find out who sent that email. It's a dead-end so far. We think they'll try reaching out again. Hopefully, we can close in soon."
Emma nodded, and after realising he couldn't see her, she replied with a short. "Yeah."
An hour later, she was back in her apartment, making sure everything was working the way she needed them to. When everything checked out, she staggered to the shower, washing off the sweat caused by the Texan heat. Her hair was still damp when she came out and dragged on a black bulletproof bodysuit. She grabbed her pistol and an extra mag and attached them to her utility belt before locking it around her waist. She dragged on her boots, grabbed her keys and phone, and stuffed them into her pockets. Then she grabbed her shades and headed out the door to find Sierra.
~~~~~
The sun was blistering, and the air was still. The heat rose off the ground in continuous translucent waves, roasting the half-eaten apple on the sidewalk to a crisp. Emma parked across the street from the elementary school for the stakeout. With the windows rolled up and her A/C on full blast, she hacked into the school's security system. Sierra stood at the front of her fourth-grade classroom lecturing the bored-looking spawns of the devil about our solar system.
While Emma found the lecture particularly interesting and wanted nothing more than to listen to Sierra's theories about how humans could survive on another planet if we could alter our DNA, Sierra's safety was her utmost priority. Quickly, she scanned the other cameras around the school, studying every face and making sure they match the faces in her files.
Once she assured Sierra's safety, Emma went back to watching her, but she was no longer talking about Science. She wrote numbers on the board with a lazy hand, her posture dispassionate.
It wasn't fun at all for her, and neither was it for Emma. It was the most boring thing she'd had to go through in her whole life. She yawned and rubbed her face, settling back in her seat as she watched Sierra. Her eyes took in more than just the classroom as they studied the blonde again. She watched her move about the class, her eyes gravitating to the woman's legs, which were incredibly fascinating.
No Emma, stop. Sierra's legs are not fascinating, her eyes are not pretty, her smile is a normal smile. She is just a regular girl. Not fascinating at all, so focus. You can't sleep with her.
She attempted to pull her eyes away, but they went straight back to admiring. She groaned loudly and threw her head back, resorting to closing her eyes. "Damn you, Harvey, for putting that thought in my head!"
Sleep wasn't her intention, yet somehow she woke from it by the sound of a car's horn. It took a moment for her consciousness to come back, but once it did; she shot up in her seat and scanned the cameras. There was no sign of Sierra, no sign of anybody in the classrooms.
"Fuck!"
Guilt consumed her as she kicked the car into gear and another second later, she pulled out her phone to track the woman. She discovered her at the Duncan Doughnuts around the block.
Wasting no time, she steered the car away from the school and drove to the café. The parking lots were empty, so she parked close to the exit. She didn't want anyone obstructing her if they needed to leave in a hurry. From her backseat, she grabbed a pink jacket and threw it on, hiding her gun and taser and giving her a less suspicious look, before she marched into the shop.
The muffled sounds became clearer, and the country tune on the radio was distasteful. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the servers and the owner who shouted orders at them and the cashier who eyed Sierra ever too frequently with familiar eyes that were as bejewelling as Emeralds. Finally, her gaze settled on Sierra. She sat by one of the window booths, staring blankly at the streets. Her hair which was in a sleek bun that morning was becoming undone, with strands of baby hair curling around her face. Her jacket was missing, leaving her shoulders bare, and her purse occupied the empty spot beside her.
She played absentmindedly with the two rings on her finger, spinning them clockwise and counterclockwise on repeat.
Emma resisted the urge to go up to the blonde and beg her to go home. Sierra still didn't know what was happening and until they had more information, she needed to only intervene when it was absolutely necessary. With a sigh, she walked up to the counter and ordered an Americano. She'd never drunk coffee before, so she didn't know why she made an order for it without so much as a glance at the menu. It rolled off her tongue like an automatic response, like she'd been drinking it every day all her life. She paid it no mind and marched to Sierra before she could stop herself.
If Sierra noticed Emma's approach or Emma settling into the booth before her, she didn't show it. Her eyes remained glued to the window, a clueless expression painted on her face.
"Coming back down to Earth soon?" Emma asked with a sip of her coffee. The taste delighted her palette.
Sierra dragged her gaze to Emma, her expression turning blank. She flashed Emma a smile that was very far-fetched.
"You kind of spaced out a moment there," Emma continued.
"Oh," Sierra looked away again, focusing on that one dirty handprint on the window while her thoughts focused on her fiancée.
The chill of the A/C brushed against Emilie's cheek as she sat around her station, goggles on her face, clad in a lab coat and eyes intricately trained on the microscope before her. Sierra washed her hands in the sink across the room and was drying them with a towel.
"Baby? C'mere please!"
Sierra looked up and saw her fiancée's hand stretched towards her, waiting for her to come. She went and the brunette's arms snaked around her waist, easing Sierra between her legs.
"What happened?" Sierra asked, noting the excitement in Emilie's voice.
"Look. I know Harvey said not to mess with it, but I've been tinkering with the spirit orbs, trying to see what they do. This piece of tissue was dead last night and now it's showing signs of rejuvenation. The cells are repairing themselves at a rapid rate. It's crazy!" Her hand slipped under Sierra's shirt to caress her stomach, a habit that neither one of them minded. "This could change the game for the cosmetic industry. Anti-ageing without side effects." Sierra met the brunette's auburn eyes, a feeling of pride settling in her blue ones. "We are going to be rich. Well, richer."
Sierra chuckled, reaching for the microscope. She pressed her face to it and studied her fiancée's hard work. A pleased smile pulled at her lips at the wonder she was witnessing, and she pulled away with glossy eyes. But despite the pride, there was worry too.
"We may have the cure to Cancer here," Sierra realised. "We may have the cure to every disease on earth."
"Not might have. We do but this stays between us, Sierra. Because I think...I think we might've just made ourselves a target to everyone."
Sierra spun to face Emilie, her back pressing against the edge of the desk. "You are a fucking genius, but we can not just keep the cure to cancer to ourselves. This could save millions of liv-"
Her voice trailed off, and she lifted her hand from the tabletop to see it covered in ink smears. Welp, there goes her clean hands. She sighed and Emilie laughed. "I'm soooo sorry about your hand. That's my bad. My pen broke and drained all over the table. I intended to cle-"
Sierra's hand found the edges of Emilie's lab coat while the woman spoke and pulled it open to gain access to the black tank top she wore underneath. Emilie's words were cut off by the movement and even more so as Sierra pushed the strap of her black tank top off her shoulder to firmly press her inked palm above Emilie's left breast.
Emilie met Sierra's blue eyes, her heart galloping in her chest. Her mouth hung open to say something, but she was too stunned to get her words out. She looked back at Sierra's handprint. "What the fuck! D-did you just own me?"
Sierra only smirked and met Emilie's lips with a kiss, shocking her even further. She tugged on Emilie's bottom lip as she pulled away. "Yes, ma'am, and I'll be happy to leave my mark in other ways as well."
Sierra cleared her throat, but it was her mind she really wanted to clear. "Yeah... I... That's been happening lately," she lied. It's only been happening since that morning. Since she saw Emilie again- Emma. Since she saw Emma.
Emma nodded, her eyes flickering to the pair of wedding rings decorating the blonde's fingers. "Bad breakup?"
Sierra scowled, "Bad doesn't even describe it." And that was true. It's been horrible.
"Who is it?" Emma inquired with a sip of her coffee. "We could go gas his house together.
Real smooth, Emma.
Sierra chuckled, feeling disgusted by that thought, but it wasn't like she could expect Emma to know that she was a lesbian. Emma wasn't Emilie. No matter how much she looked like her or smelled and acted like her, Emilie wasn't here. Sierra needed to remember that. She smiled softly. "I don't date men."
"I see."
Translation: Thank God, I have a shot!
Emma sipped from her coffee and watched Sierra drift away again. Her sandwich sat untouched on the table, a lack of appetite repelling her hunger. It worried Emma. Concern grew within Emma, and so did her need to keep Sierra safe. From everything that could hurt her, whether physically or not. The pain she glimpsed in those turquoise eyes should never be there, and no other pain should add to it. Emma wasn't the brightest, but she knew the most painful wounds lie beneath the skin and she wanted Sierra's skin with as little scars as possible.
That bad break-up had already left a pretty deep wound that Sierra was still healing from. Emma could tell it sucked the life out of Sierra and somehow, she wanted to restore that life in any way she can. She would listen to the story if Sierra needed someone to tell it to. She'd offer her shoulders for Sierra to cry on, then make her hot chocolate after, if that's what she wanted. But that wasn't Emma's job. She couldn't afford to get too involved in Sierra's personal life, too attached. She didn't need any distractions right now. She needed to be focused on this mission. Keeping Sierra alive, sadly, meant her emotional needs had to wait.
She cleared her throat, pulling Sierra's attention. "Could I give you a ride home?"
Sierra nodded and gave Emma that same smile. The one that never reached her eyes. "Thank you."
Emma tried to hide her frown with a forced smile. "Well, come on then."
~~~~~
The streets were busy from the rush of the evening. Impatient drivers honked endlessly as they waited for the green light or attempted to dodge eager pedestrians.
In the car, the silence was loud. Sierra looked out the window, her elbow perched on the door and her pinkie fingernail between her teeth. Her expression revealed nothing she felt, but Emma guessed it to be sadness.
"So, where did you move here from?"
Emma glanced at Sierra, surprised by her sudden question. Sierra continued to look out the window, forcing Emma to glance back at the road. "Washington."
"Washington or capital city?"
"Seattle,"
Sierra looked at Emma then, a frown creasing her brows. She hoped Emma would tell her the truth; it was a long shot if Harvey trained her, but it was Sierra's only shot to find out what was going on and why they didn't fill her in on it.
Emma noticed Sierra's reaction, and her lip twitched in response. "Were you expecting a different answer?"
"I was," Sierra admitted, then turned back to the window.
They remained silent the rest of the way.
Emma walked Sierra to her apartment, checking the cameras on the way up to make sure no one broke in when they were gone. After seeing that everything was fine, she allowed Sierra to go inside and bid her good evening.