[b][u]MIKA[/b][/u]

Being back was so confusing to Mika. Yet she also found it difficult to remember much of what happened after she died in the warehouse. She was confused as to how she got back home and looking at her chosen family. She didn't understand anything whatsoever and now she was witnessing Dean looking almost scared of her whilst Duke just ran over to her and engulfed her in his arms, taking her off guard for a split second before she clung to him tightly back, bursting into tears at the same time like a child. “Duke…!” She sobbed, taking in his scent and touch before he pulled back just enough to get eye contact with her, which she obliged him with. Her dark eyes staring into his bright eyes gladly. ‘you came back to me’...words that made no sense to her because she didn't know HOW she came back to him. Her mind was foggy as she was trying to still compute she was even back and in one piece.

“I…I don't know how” she replied to him as Dean made his way over to her finally, dropping to his own knees and embracing her as Duke let go. Oh how she felt so relieved and lucky to be holding him again and getting a sense of how this must have been how Dean felt when he held her again after he came back from the dead. She listened to him struggle to find the words of how she got back and walk out of fire like it was simply rain or a waterfall. She wished she had answers to his question that Duke stopped Dean from asking, which gave Mika the sense that how she came back wasn't normal…even for a hunter. She had cheated death twice now…and it was making her feel unsettled. She felt Duke's flannel get wrapped around her, causing her to let go of Dean long enough to tightly hold the shirt around herself. It felt so warm and comforting, just like it did years ago when Duke would pull her back from the edge on cold winter nights. “Thank you Duke..” she said to him for the shirt, not wanting to leave either of her boys embrace but also not wanting to be on the gravel much longer. Yet looking at the state of both the men, some things that were serious went down whilst she was gone and something told her neither would be strong enough to carry her. Her legs still felt like jello and she had a feeling if she tried standing up right now, she'd simply fall straight back down again.

She let Dean keep her face in his hands, the very touch being more comforting than even Duke holding her, her head leaning into his hands slightly, not wanting to leave his side. Then came Cason and ordered both boys to let him carry her inside. She saw how Duke was beginning to shiver and part of her wanted to give him back his shirt but she was beginning to realise how little she had left on her clothing wise and how cold she was starting to become. “It's okay…you can just follow me inside” she reassured Dean, even now, when she was scared, confused and cold, she was still wanting to comfort her soul mate. After Dean agreed to let Cason help, she gripped onto him and let him carry her, her head naturally drooping to the crook of his neck. His words made her begin to smile weakly, but sincerely.

“It's good to be back, even if I'm confused as to how” she told Cason honestly.

[b][u]NATALIA[/b][/u]

Watching Mika just lift and walk out of the fire not looking like herself made her gasp and feel creeped out. Her first thought was a demon had found them and possessed her body, stopping her from being burned but then remembered, like the rest of them, Mika was warded against possession. At least, she hoped she was still was and the fire didn't burn her warding off of her skin. Then she watched Mika smile softly at Duke before heading to Dean and speak to him as a completely different being, yet this being knew who Dean was. Didn't see him as a threat like every monster they knew of did, she saw him as an ally, as someone they trusted to keep Mika safe. Just who was this being and why are they inside of Mika's body? She also was questioning what they meant by ‘had been keeping her safe for this moment’, it didn't make a heap of sense to her in the slightest, but she continued to watch everything unfold.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as Duke just ran and skidded to the floor over to Mika when it was very clearly her again. Her appearance and voice was most certainly her, albeit a very scared one. She cried watching Duke holding Mika, telling her he had her and it was okay, Nat’s hand covering her mouth and wiping the tears that refused to stop flowing. “I can't believe it…” she whispered, unable to bring her voice any louder due to the shock of what they just witnessed.

A large part of her wanted to rush over and hug Mika as well, but this was the boys moment and she didn't want to intrude on that. She would hopefully have plenty of time to cling onto Mika and tell her how thankful she was to have her back in her life. So instead she let Cason step up, telling Bobby to not attempt to pick up Mika due to how drunk he was. Nat stayed with Bobby, looping arms with him to give him comfort as she watched Cason walk over to the three on the ground and demand they let him carry her inside. “He'll be careful with her, I promise Bobby” she told him through the happy tears.

She then let go of him as she spoke again, “go follow them inside, she'll want her uncle too” she advised, then walked over to Dean and Duke, “come on..let's get you two inside too, we can find answers later. Right now your girl needs us all” she suggested and advised.

SAM

When Mika came out of the fire, he realised very quickly that the bird he could have sworn he saw within the fire wasn't a hallucination after all. It had to have been real, which meant everything he knew of the stories of phoenix’s weren't just stories. There was now a chance that they were indeed real and for some unknown reason to them all, one was attached to Mika. Or at least that was what his mind was trying to convince him of. Then there was another part of his brain that kept trying to discredit what they all just witnessed. He felt like he was dreaming and he was yet to wake up to find Mika still very much deceased but he wasn't asleep, and Mika was very much alive.

He watched on as Duke led the way to getting to Mika when she shakily called out their names, noticing how Dean was frozen in his spot, after stepping back a couple of steps away from her possessed body. He kept a close hold on Anna for support as he took everything in. He watched as eventually Dean made his way over to examine if it was truly Mika that was back and this wasn't some cruel game being played on them. Then Cason came in after telling Bobby to stay back, an order he could understand. Bobby was in no shape to be trying to carry his niece inside into the warm. He felt like he couldn't do anything but watch, seeing Cason forcing Dean to let him carry Mika for him, Duke needing to add to the convincing before Mika got swept up into Cason’s arms, where she naturally just leaned into him for support.

“I can't believe she's back” he told Anna as his eyes followed Cason and Mika toward the house, forcing his feet to follow suit whilst he noticed Natalia telling Bobby to also go inside before she went over to her Dean and Duke.

Esme watched Duke go to Mika without hesitation. Once he had Mika wrapped in his arms, Esme’s legs grew weak, and she sank to the gravel and onto her knees. Sarah quickly moved her body around Esme to keep her from falling forward or back into the gravel. “Thanks, Sarah.” she whispered as she lowered herself onto the gravel and leaned into Sarah. She brought her hand to her aching chest, her eyes never leaving the moment between Mika and Duke. Her eyes slowly shifted to Dean when he moved and joined them. A tired smile came to her lips at the moment between the three. When Duke leaned back and let Dean hug Mika, her smile grew a little more. Esme closed her eyes and leaned more into Sarah, feeling the calm that came with being wrapped with her body. However, she could still feel Duke’s emotions strongly. The question of why she still felt them wasn't even running through her mind; she already knew why. She sighed heavily as she sat with Sarah. The feeling of confusion and relief to have Mika back was more welcoming than the sadness, loss, and grief that had been bearing down on her before.

Esme opened her eyes when she heard Cason step away from Natalia. She watched as she made his way over to the men and Mika, taking it upon himself to get Mika into the house since both men and Bobby were in no shape to do so. Out of everyone, Esme felt that Cason was the best one to get Mika inside out of the cold. When Cason scooped up Mika, she stared past everyone, not noticing when they all headed inside. Her thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened before and after Mika’s fiery resurrection. It all still confused the hell out of her. However, the more the funeral played in her mind, the more the idea of Mika having a Phoenix attached to her made sense. She wished this were the case with her, having some sort of mythical creature attached to her, but she was sure she didn't. It was just something she felt deep down within her. Plus, was it even possible for her to be an Empath and something else? Yes, she knew she wasn't human, but what did that mean she was? She knew she was human before getting kidnapped by the demons from the asylum. What did they do that changed that?

The longer Esme sat there alone with Sarah, the more her thoughts got the best of her. They went between things about Mika, things about herself, and things she had heard from the demons she fought and killed. How much of what she heard from those demons was true, she had no idea, but she was determined to find out if it was the last thing she did. Sarah, sensing something was off, nuzzled Esme’s face, but when she didn’t respond, Sarah nudged Esme’s side, then a little rougher when she didn’t respond. Esme came out of her thoughts with a flinch and a sharp breath in. Gathering herself, she noticed she and Sarah were now outside alone, causing her to sigh heavily. Sarah nuzzled her head into Esme’s stomach with a soft whine, and Esme placed her hand on Sarah’s head. “I’ll be okay.” she breathed. “I should get inside, too. I’m starting to get pretty cold out here.” With Sarah’s help, Esme got to her feet and headed inside, then found a place along a wall that gave Sarah enough room to stay by her side. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned silently against the wall, watching as Duke and Dean hovered around Mika.

Cason pulled a hand away from Mika’s legs, reaching forward to open the back door into the kitchen, before stepping inside with her. He took a deep breath and then decided to respond to her comment touching on her own confusion.

“Trust me when I say, everyone here is confused. No one here made any deals. I watched them to make sure. There’s no…explanation.” He explained quietly as he walked her over to the living room. He sat Mika down on the cushion on the opposite side to Dean’s pillows, quickly covering her up with the blankets that were still there.

Dean wasn’t far behind Cason, not stopping to check on anyone else. He shoved his way past Duke to enter the kitchen, and almost jogged into the living room. He wedged himself between Cason and Mika, quickly reaching out to touch her face in the less harsh light of the living room.

Duke stood back for a few moments, until Nat approached, and he nodded. He wrapped Nat’s arm with his own as Bobby passed them, staggering up the steps behind the others.

“How are you feeling? Are you thirsty? Go get her some water…” He ordered Cason over his shoulder, causing Cason to frown in confusion. Dean was bossing him around? Cason rolled his eyes, after glancing down at Mika, and stood up to go fetch water from the kitchen.

“How about we give her some space to just…process things?” Duke chimed in, crossing his arms to prevent himself from smothering Mika more. He shivered slightly, now warming up from the chill outside. But stayed close to Natalia. At least that way, while Cason was busy, she wasn’t left on her own.

“She’s fine.” Dean responded simply, brushing his fingers over every place that he could remember there being a cut or a bruise. Duke growled in frustration, rolling his eyes and began to step forward when Cason brought back the bottle of water he went to the kitchen for. Cason reached between Dean and Mika, causing Dean to lean back a bit. Dean then reached under the blanket to pick up Mika’s free hand. “Are you warm enough? I can um…I can warm you up if you want.”



Duke rolled his eyes again as Dean navigated how to take care of Mika, as if she wasn’t still the same person. Dean almost seemed afraid of her, or afraid he would break her. His annoyance tempted him to step forward and pull Dean away, just to give Mika some space to process even being alive. It wasn’t going to help her process anything for Dean to act as if she was glass. If she wanted connection, she needed to be held…tightly.

“Oh shit…” Duke whispered, realizing he had just left Esme outside in all the chaos. Knowing how she internalized everyone’s emotions, she was probably drained and barely standing, if she was standing at all. As Duke turned around to head outside, prepared to apologize profusely for leaving her alone, she stepped into the room and perched against a wall.

“Hey! I was afraid you were still out there freezin’ to death.” Duke reached out, pulling Esme’s arms away from her body to hold both her hands. He could see, by the look in Esme’s eyes and by Sarah’s weight against his own legs between them, that she was spent. She was absolutely wiped out and as he watched her face, he could also tell that she was thinking about something heavy, “You alright? I know this is…it’s shocking. I mean, I’m not even sure any of this is real. But you don’t look so hot.”

He brought his good hand up, brushing it through the side of Esme’s hair, before cradling her cheek, his thumb brushing a soft line over her cheek, “It ain’t like I’m needed over there right now. I’ll have to kidnap her to get a word in…”



As soon as Sam had returned to Anna from lighting the fire, she quickly buried her face in his side, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. As she sobbed into his side, she could feel him tense, as if something was going wrong and she hoped with every fiber of her being that something wasn’t coming to destroy this moment. It could be the angels or the demons, but she couldn’t will herself away from Sam, until she heard Duke.

Reluctantly, Anna pulled her face away from Sam’s jacket, back toward the fire, where her eyes widened teary and afraid at the sight. She looked around at the others. Even Duke seemed terrified by what he was seeing, and Dean couldn’t move. But then Duke ran to Mika, and it was clear to Anna that Mika was alive. She didn’t offer to hurt Duke. In fact, she seemed more than relieved to be in Duke’s arms.

Looking up at Sam’s face, Anna took a deep breath, trying to calm down the hurricane of emotions she was still feeling in her chest. She was still heartbroken and confused but at the same time she was feeling an overwhelming relief that was washing through her brain like a tidal wave.

“I don’t understand…” She whispered, holding onto Sam’s arm as he began following the others. She unstuck her feet from the gravel, and followed him, shuddering at the uneasy feeling she had about the whole situation. But as soon as they entered, and Duke and Dean began bickering, Anna’s shoulders relaxed a bit. She stayed with Sam, watching Duke suddenly realize that Esme had stayed outside. Anna tore her eyes away from Mika and Dean, watching as Duke walked over to Esme, his entire demeanor now calm, relieved and maybe a little tired.

Cason’s heartbeat in Anna’s brain caused her to clench her teeth, her jaw popping a bit, but she pushed it aside and turned her eyes back to Mika and Dean, “Who was it?”, she asked innocently, looking up at Sam. Her gaze was almost accusatory, but she didn’t believe that Sam would have had even a moment to make some sort of deal, “Surely someone made a deal, right? Duke maybe?”

MIKA

Mika kept a hold of Cason as he carried her inside the house, and listened to what his response, whilst being fully aware that Dean was extremely close by, not wanting to let her out of his sight. To hear that none of them made any deals surprised her immensely as she could have only imagined that being the scenario of how she was back and breathing. If none of the group made a deal then how did she come back? There was a part of her mind that could remember, but it was so shut off for the moment, she wasn't aware of it. "I'm surprised..." she replied to Cason as he carried her to the couch and placed her down before quickly draping blankets over her to get her warm and covered up. "thank you" she commented, feeling grateful for the blankets.

As Dean came barging passed both Cason and Duke, she wasn't sure if she was glad for him making a point of coming closer to her or slightly freaked out by the clingy behaviour. She let him touch her face and check her over for what she assumed was injuries she endured when she died, as much as she wanted to bat his hands away she knew she wouldn't win that fight so she just let him fuss over her and try and still accept she was alive again. As he ordered Cason to get her a bottle of water for her, Mika gave Cason another look of thanks, then glanced at Duke as he defensively told Dean to give her space. "Duke its okay..." she told him, hoping it would calm him but something told her it wouldn't be enough as Duke knew her far better than a lot of the group realised.

As Cason made it back to the couch, she took the water from him, taking a large drink, finishing a good half of the bottle in one hit before turning to Dean once more. "I...I'll be warm enough soon.." she replied to him, still feeling a tad cold but not to a shivering point. Mika held Dean's hand under the blanket feeling glad that she could feel his touch once more. She was aware of Duke suddenly going across to Esme, but she didn't turn and watch him, instead focusing on Dean to the best of her ability. "I'm just so thankful for being back with you..." she spoke, sniffling as she tried to not to cry all over again. She hated being emotional in front of so many people, but this was an extraordinary situation.

She listened to everyone chat about her resurrection like she wasn't in the room, and feeling all the eyes upon her made her feel nervous around them all for the first time in her life. "I'm sorry I scared you all..." she sniffled.

SAM

Sam kept Anna close to him as he could feel how much this whole situation had hit Anna emotionally. Once inside the house, he stayed back, not wanting to crowd Mika even though there was a part of him that wanted to hug Mika but it was clear to him that she was feeling overwhelmed and drained. Just as Anna previously said she didn't understand, neither did Sam. It was one thing for himself and Dean to come back from the dead at times, but the reality of seeing Mika come back from the dead was a lot to try and comprehend.

Then the question came from Anna whilst the others all either fussed over Mika or saw to their other half and stayed back. He looked down at her as he rested a hand over the top of hers that was holding onto his arm. "I didn't" he replied to her honestly, but that wasn't to say he was thinking about making a deal at one point when they were all grieving. He also tried to wrack his brain to see if Dean ever left the basement long enough to have done a deal himself, but he didn't think he ever saw Dean disappear from the house to do so. The only other person he could think would do it, was Duke but with the way he was and how much of a close eye Esme had on him the last few days, he couldn't imagine when Duke could have found the moment to do so.

"I'm not sure any of us made a deal" he then added after thinking it all through for a moment, his eyes moving from Anna back to Mika and Dean. There was no way Dean was going to be out of arms reach of her from now on for a long while, that much was clear to him.

NATALIA

As concerned about Mika Natalia was, she was still worried about Duke and she could feel how worked up he was getting over the fact that Dean was being super clingy and not really giving Mika room to breathe, so holding onto his arm felt like the only right thing to do in an attempt to try and keep him calm. She hated that even now, Duke and Dean were bickering about how to react around Mika and whether crowding her was the right thing to do or not. A large part of her agreed with Duke more than Dean as it was clear that Mika was still trying to comprehend it all herself.

As Cason got ordered to get Mika a water, she felt sorry for Cason being ordered about and gave him a sympathetic look as he walked passed them all to the kitchen. She would have to get Cason alone soon to see how he was or if he could sense anything from Mika without making him feel like she was asking him to go hunting for answers. As she turned her head back toward Mika again, she watched closely how Dean was fussing to a point that Duke remembered he wasn't beside Esme and let him go to his girlfriend.

Whilst Duke went to Esme and checked her over, she remained firmly in place watching her family get reacquainted again and there was a look in Mika's eyes that she recognised all too well- there was a part of her mind that wanted so desperately to remember what happened to her and if she could remember anything during her death. That look of knowing there was something in her head she just couldn't unlock yet, a look that Natalia had for so long until Cason came back into her life. "Don't strain your mind Meeko, I know how much you want to, I recognise that look" she said softly, causing Mika to briefly look at her and give her a nod of understanding before looking back at Dean again.

Nat's head quickly turned to Anna however when she asked who made a deal to bring Mika back and she instantly shrugged. "Wasn't me" she replied, stepping closer to Cason and wrapped her arms through his. Seeing Mika come back made her all the more thankful and feel lucky she still had Cason in her life. Continuing her watching over the family, she hoped that Bobby was being okay having his niece back, a part of her also wanting to go check on him the moment she thought it was appropriate to do so.

While Esme continued to look over at Duke, Dean, and Mika, and she zoned out. At first, her mind was blank, and she looked as if she was staring out into space, but then everything that had hit her outside flooded her mind. Before the thoughts could overtake her too much, Duke had come over and pulled her arms from her body, and held her hands as he spoke to her. His voice sounded distant, and she didn’t know he was next to her until she felt his touch. Esme was pulled back with a slight sharp intake of breath. Feeling Duke’s eyes on her, she turned her eyes up to his face just as he spoke again. She sighed softly, knowing she must be extremely pale and look as if she would collapse at any moment. Before she could form words to reply to him, his hand came up and brushed through her hair, her eyes closed briefly at the action. When Duke cradled her cheek, she leaned into his touch and sighed softly as his thumb brushed over her cheek. Esme almost laughed at his remark about having to kidnap Mika to talk to her. It seemed very true at that moment.

“I wish I could tell you I was alright.” she said softly, finally finding her words. “But I feel like I could sleep for a month of Sundays. Sarah is the only thing keeping me standing upright right now. And you’re right, it’s quite shocking. I’m still trying to process that it really did happen.” Bringing her hand up, she placed it on the back of his, turning her head slightly and closing her eyes, she softly kissed his palm. “I know I must be as pale as a ghost right now. That comes with the territory of being overwhelmed with every emotion, every person here felt.” Opening her eyes, she looked up into Duke’s face. “I can’t fight against so many emotions bearing down on me at once on top of my own.” she confessed. “It’s just too hard.”

Duke frowned when Esme stated that she definitely wasn't okay. He had a feeling that was the case. She looked completely washed out and miserable. He kept his eyes on her, watching every facial expression and movement as if he could will her to feel better. Watching the simple show of affection, as she turned her head to kiss his palm, he smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "I wouldn't say that. You still have a little color in those cheeks."

He cut himself off from teasing more and just watched her face as she explained why she felt so terrible, not that he didn't already know.

"Alright. Here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna stay real close..." Duke spoke softly, bringing his other hand up to pinch her chin, but he didn't move his good hand from her cheek. He watched her face, once again wishing that he could just will her brain into silence, "And you're gonna take a really deep breath with me. Close your eyes and pretend...it's just you and me."

Esme managed a tired smile at Duke’s teasing. Even if he hadn’t been teasing, she doubted she had any color in her face at all with how horrible she felt. In fact, she felt a little sick at that moment. She looked into Duke’s eyes, trying to concentrate on him and not the sick feeling deep in her stomach. On his face, she could see how strongly he wanted her to feel better. It was as if, if he wanted it hard enough, he could will it to happen. Oh, how she wished it would or could work that way.

As Duke spoke again, Esme’s eyes moved between his as she took his words and actions. Her tired smile grew slightly when he pinched her chin. She wasn’t quite sure why, but it always brought a smile to her lips. Giving a small nod, she brought her free hand up and placed it on his chest to feel him breathe with her as he said he wanted her to breathe with him, then closed her eyes as he asked. The moment the words ‘it’s just you and me’ left his lips, everything she felt vanished. Esme almost gasped at how sudden it was, and she didn’t quite believe it happened. “Say it again.” she said softly, her eyes still closed.

Duke frowned with a bit of confusion at Esme asking him to repeat himself, brushing his thumb over her cheek before leaning a little closer to touch his forehead to hers. He took a deep breath, following her breathing, and with a small smile, he repeated himself.

“It’s just me and you, darlin’.”

Esme knew that asking him to repeat himself would confuse him, it wasn't like she couldn't hear him with how close they were. But she had to be sure what she thought happened, actually happened just by Duke saying those five simple words. The moment she felt his thumb brush over her cheek, and his forehead rested against hers, she almost held her breath waiting to hear the words again. As soon as they left his lips, she felt as if she had been thrown into a void. Esme felt at ease and like she could finally breathe. She felt nothing from the others in the room and was only aware of herself, Duke, and Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out, relaxing into Duke’s touch. It had been so long since she had felt practically nothing but her own emotions. A warm, tired smile rested on her lips, even though her body felt as if it had become lead. “It worked.” she breathed, slowly opening her eyes. “It’s almost strange how nice this feels. It’s like someone hit the mute button on everything around me.” She sighed heavily once again, truly feeling a peace. “You need to remember this little trick.” she added with a light laugh. Esme then moved her hands from his hand and chest, and put them around him. As she pulled him closer to her, Sarah slowly moved out from between them.

Duke could see Esme physically relax as soon as the words left his lips. His smile widened a bit, and he simply watched her take a big and deep breath. All was currently right in the world, but honestly, he wasn't sure why things were suddenly good with Esme. He had questions, but also didn't want to jinx the strange run of good that had happened.

Then she opened her eyes with 'it worked' and Duke tilted his head, ready to ask her what she meant. Then she cleared it up even more, and he tilted his head even further, echoing her laugh with a confused one of his own.

"You mean it actually got quiet in that noggin of yours? And all I had to do was say...concentrate? Well..." Duke chuckled, dropping his arms to wrap them around Esme's waist, "I will definitely have to remember that. And, as soon as I'm sure that all this is permanent...we can get somewhere where I don't have to sweet talk your brain into quietin' down."

Esme pulled back a bit from Duke, just enough so that she could see his face and stay in his arms. The smile still hadn't left her lips, as she was still enjoying the peace of not feeling everyone's emotions. As nice as it was, she was still getting used to it being so peaceful; it felt quite odd, especially with how many years she had struggled to learn how to control her empathic abilities. The silence was almost deafening in a way. With Sarah, everything slowly faded away, and a few things made it through her barrier, but just Duke saying five simple words brought instant silence. Why or how, she didn’t know at the moment, and she was too tired mentally and physically to even try to find the answer in her mind. “Yes, it actually got everything to go quiet. And you know damn well, it wasn’t you saying concentrate.” she said, hitting him lightly on the back. “I’d also like to know if all of this is permanent. It’s so strange, even with everything we deal with. But once we figure it out, I’d love to run off somewhere with you so we can relax for a while.”

Dean settled in on the couch as Mika continued to process even being alive. He could tell that there were a lot of emotions bubbling under the surface that were threatening to explode. That was something Mika would normally never let out in front of the rest of the group, and was, in itself, worrying. Dean pulled the blanket back, not asking permission, and pulled it over himself. He wrapped his arms around Mika’s legs, and pulled them into his lap, while shaking his head.

“No. No apologizing. There’s a lot. It’s a lot.” Dean explained, taking a deep breath, before pulling Mika’s body into his, rubbing her arm to warm her up, “But it’s not your fault. I want accept an apology because you’re here. You’re alright.”

As he looked around the room, he noticed that everyone was hovering, either with their eyes, ears or just in general. No one really knew what was appropriate in this situation. They had a million questions, but didn’t know if they could ask them. They were worried about Mika, but were relieved she was alive. They didn’t want to leave her alone, but didn’t want to crowd her…even though they were.

“Hey Cason?” Dean called out to Cason, who was standing with Natalia. Cason had just reached an arm around Nat, rubbing his hand up and down her back, but he raised his eyebrows to acknowledge Dean, “Why don’t we try to give her some space. Maybe get the bathroom ready for a shower?”

“Alright. We can go run some bathwater, and grab some towels.” Cason shrugged, pulling Nat with him, as Dean turned his attention back to Mika, but then to Sam and Anna.

“Let’s just make sure we aren’t gossiping too much, yeah?” He met Sam’s eyes, tilting his head to tell Sam that if anyone else was going to have conversations about deals or Mika’s resurrection, they needed to take them outside. He turned his eyes back to Mika and took a deep breath, “Now. We have some room, and I want to make sure you’re good. Do you feel anything? Remember anything?”



Anna scanned Sam’s face when he said that he didn’t make a deal. She didn’t honestly think he had, but seeing the honesty in his eyes as he spoke was a relief. They weren’t looking down the barrel of the ‘going to hell’ shotgun all over again. It seemed, at least for the moment, that everyone was safe. The group was back together, fully, and okay.

“I believe you.” Anna whispered, clearing her throat before following his eyes back to Mika and Dean. Dean’s scolding them caused Anna to take a deep breath, but she nodded. They shouldn’t be putting more thoughts in Mika’s head than were already there. If anything, they should all give her some space. Anna turned her eyes back up to Sam’s face and she pulled her arm from him, crossing her arms, “M-maybe we should go gather Mika some clothes or something? Something useful other than just sitting here staring at her like she’s a zoo animal…”

Without saying much else, Anna tapped her foot a few times and then nodded her head toward the stairs, “C’mon.”

She walked up the stairs with Sam behind her, reaching for the doorknob of the bedroom, once she was at the top. As soon as she opened the door, and stepped through the threshold, suddenly they were no longer in Bobby’s house. They were standing in a bustling office. Anna glanced down at her body, feeling as if something had changed, but as she ran her hands down her crisp white button up shirt, she turned to look up at Sam with a bright smile.

“Follow any closer, Ranger Smith and we’re gonna stick together like glue!” She giggled with a southern drawl she didn’t previously have. Sam was now dressed in modern western gear, a gun belt strapped around his waist and a large white cowboy hat sat on top of his head.



Cason turned with Nat and walked toward Bobby’s room. Maybe getting Mika into a warm bath would settle her down enough for the group to have a conversation about what had happened. It was all moving so fast that Cason worried Mika would be the one to bolt as soon as she could get her legs under her.

“Maybe a bath will give her time to…quietly process things. I can tell she’s more than overwhelmed. More overwhelmed than any of us…apart from Dean.” Cason grumbled, as he pulled his sleeve over his hand and opened the bedroom door. The second he stepped through, camera flashes nearly blinded him, and for a moment he was confused. But he quickly snapped into character, another, taller man barking orders next to him. The orders were jumbled at first, becoming more clear as Cason looked over at him.

“Cason! I said we need to hunker down for a bit. C’mon.” The man barked at him, dragging Nat with him as he opened a door in the cement corridor they were walking through. As soon as they were behind the door and it closed behind them, the southern guy shouted and took a deep and aggressive breath, “That was crazy, right?! I mean, we need to wait for security at the venue to clear them out or they would have eaten her alive…Jesus. It’s gettin’ harder to do this as a two person team.”

“You could say that again…” Cason grumbled with a frown, his mind buzzing with the feeling that something wasn’t right. But when he turned to Nat, he noticed her hair was a bit messed up from the chaos in the hall, and he quickly stepped over to her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You alright? They didn’t touch you, right?”



Duke could tell that Esme was practically basking in the quiet in her brain, and he felt proud of himself for being the one to put it there. He just let her bask in it for a bit, before she finally answered him. Part of her answer caused him to chuckle softly, as he shrugged. The other part of her answer caused him to frown and his stomach to dip. He didn’t want to think about the fact that this may be some temporary fix to just mess with the group. They could be bringing Mika back to life, only to kill her the second someone stepped the wrong way or didn’t follow orders. He refused to entertain the thought very long when he was just getting his mind back.

“How about…since it seems like Dean doesn’t want to give anyone any room to ask any questions, I steal Mika away here in a little bit and I ask her all those burning questions myself. And we go get some air? Just me and you? Might be nice and quiet.” Duke smirked at the end of his recommendation, turning to glance at Mika and Dean. He looked around the rest of the room, noticing that he, Esme and Bobby were the only ones left other than Dean and Mika. “Besides, it looks like everyone is trying to give them some space.”

Carefully, Duke pulled Esme’s arms from around his body, sliding his hands down to her hands, as he walked backward, guiding Esme’s footsteps. Sarah followed close behind her. He kept eye contact with her the entire time, until he pushed himself through the back door and suddenly a phone rang. Duke jolted, as if he had been electrocuted. Esme was gone, and he was sitting on the edge of a desk in what looked like an office.

“Jace, did you hear me?” Anna’s voice called out.

“Hmm?” Duke raised his eyebrows and glanced down at her, now seeing his best friend on the planet sitting in front of a computer, his cowboy hat next to her.

“I said do you want to get some lunch or do you want to wait until we head home?”

“Hell, I don’t know. Sam, what do you got goin’ on this evenin’? Wanna come over for some BBQ?” He teased, calling out to Sam while waggling his eyebrows at Anna. Anna’s eyes went wide and she slapped him in the chest for the offer. She had been crushing on Captain Smith for over a year. Inviting him over…was war.

“I will kill you. The house is a mess, Jason…” Anna hid behind her computer screen, trying to hide the red in her cheeks.

MIKA

The way Dean pulled the blanket back before grabbing her legs and pulling her closer to him told Mika that he just knew she was struggling with being back more than she was trying to let on. It reminded her of how well Dean knew her and all her quirks and body language signs in a way that no one else did- Duke possibly being the only other one capable of such a skill. Not even Bobby knew everything and he knew her inside out. She leaned into him as he began to rub her back comfortingly, an action that always worked on her as he told her not to apologise for being alive. Yet that very fact scared her to her core because she didn't even know if she was human anymore, or if she was, why was her revival so different to Dean's or even Sam's? He may be telling her she's alright but she didn't feel alright at this moment. She was too overwhelmed and her head was a cluster of noise that she couldn't decipher any of it. So all she could do was nod before resting against him, the comfort of familiarity of his touch and his smell being of small comfort, but comfort nonetheless.

She remained silent as Dean called out to Cason after looking around at everyone trying their hardest to keep an eye on her whilst trying to give her space. Something she wasn't sure if it was better or worse than crowding around her. She didn't even have the energy to fight the suggestion of a bath run for her, just accepted others deciding things for her, a couple of people at a time. The only suggestion she was accepting of was Anna's of grabbing her some fresh clothes as she didn't want to hijack Duke's shirt for longer than necessary, even though it was incredibly comfortable and reminded her of the older days when she'd call him away from Dean and Esme to come after her and he'd wrap either his jacket or shirt around her when she needed it. She was aware of Cason dragging Nat away and to the downstairs bathroom to help before listening to Dean tell Sam not to gossip about deals and the like in front of her.

She hated that they felt they couldn't discuss those things around her, but she was also glad they weren't going to continue talking about it. She looked up at Dean when he turned his attention back to her asking her more questions, “I feel a lot of things...fear, confusion, relief, guilt… I feel like I don't know who I am anymore… I feel and hear so much static in my head, but nothing is clear…”she began to explain, her frustration of the situation making her voice crack and shake, desperately wanting her to just explode emotionally. “I remember the warehouse, Alastair breaking out of his chains, I remember… I remember getting into a fight with him and being pinned…” she began to try and filter her memories, her head hurting and causing her to wince from the pain, reaching up with one hand to press against her temple. “I remember hearing others coming into the room before…before looking down at you on the ground…then it went black…” she began to let the tears fall as she looked up at him, wishing she could remember more.

“Just so much darkness…in my head where memories should be” she commented, rubbing her head forcefully, desperately attempting to not just punch memories back into view in her head, her fist shaking from her holding it back. She wanted to lash out at herself or make a run for it despite her legs just not having the strength to do so but she couldn't. She couldn't bear pulling away from Dean when it was becoming clear to her that he was more worried about her than he was outwardly showing. “I'm sorry Dean…I wish I could remember more right now, I hate this” she apologised yet again.

As everyone continued to filter out of the room for one excuse or another, Mika found herself falling asleep on Dean when those broken memories began to focus, causing her to flinch and shift in her sleep then wake up startled and panting but as she looked around, she wasn't in Bobby's house anymore. The main room was bright, airy, clean and large. The couch she was on alone, a light grey fabric, plush and new feeling. Something was wrong, but her mind refused to let her see why it was wrong. Glancing down at her phone on the coffee table in front of the couch, she saw the time. “Shit! I'm gonna be late for work!” She cursed, punching up and running into her bathroom to quickly shower before stepping out, get dressed in her grey and white two piece skirt suit and rush out the door, grabbing car keys and her travel mug on the way out.

The sun was bright, causing her to shield her eyes as she got in her car and drove to her work place. “Please don't let me be too late and get fired” she wished out loud.

NATALIA

Nat agreed that running a bath for Mika was a good idea and would relax Mika a great deal if she lets it. She knew it helped her when things got hard for her and they were on the road. “We'll be right back” she told Dean and Mika as Cason pulled her with him towards Bobby's room and grumbling about how he thinks a bath would be good for her. “I agree, looking at her I can tell she has broken memories in that head of hers and she's struggling to accept that. It's like looking in a mirror of when I was like that. She's gonna need us all, whether she likes it or not” she replied as he pulled his sleeve down to be able to open the door and lead the way in.

As she stepped through the door right behind Cason, she too got blinded by all the flashing lights and voices screaming her name, begging her to look at their cameras. She put her head down as she felt a hand dragging her through the crowd and into another room in the building, the door closing behind them all where they could all catch their breath. As Cason came over and swept her hair behind her ear she nodded. “Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I don't think so” she replied, looking down at herself, clad in a faux leather crop top and tight skinny jeans and heels, as if to check she was good, whilst also trying not to blush at Cason's touch.

“They shouldn't have even gotten into the building, the security here is crap!” She complained to the two men when her phone buzzed and she figured it would be just her manager, so she pulled it out of her pocket and saw it wasn't her manager but the same unknown number that had been texting and calling her for a few days now. ’you look so beautiful today’ the text read and it creeped her out, causing her to instinctively look over her shoulder toward the door that was holding back the press.

Looking back towards Cason and her other bodyguard, she quickly stashed her phone back in her pocket, deciding to try and ignore the creepy text. She wanted to tell them both she was being stalked but she knew at least one of them would overreact and she didn't want to let down her fans. She also didn't want to risk losing what little freedom she still had left. So if she could just pretend everything was fine just long enough for this show of hers, she could admit her concerns afterwards.

SAM

Sam was glad that Anna believed that he was telling the truth. He kept his eyes on Dean and Mika as Dean scolded them for talking about deals and Mika's resurrection almost as if Mika wasn't in the room and it made him instantly feel guilty for it. He hated thinking he was upsetting Mika more than she already was. "You're right..." he mumbled back to Dean just before Anna suggested that the two of them go find Mika some fresh clothes which made him nod in agreement. Now that he could most definitely do with ease as it wasn't like they turfed out any of her stuff in the three days she was officially classed as deceased.

Anna was right after all, they were all practically gawking at Mika as she was a zoo animal behind a cage and he knew Mika hated that more than anything under a normal circumstance, let alone in this situation. He followed Anna out the main room, letting her pull him toward the stairs and up to Mika's room where she opened the door and stepped through with him and something felt like it shot through him when the room felt brighter and wider than Mika's room. Glancing around it was clear they were in a station and not Bobby's house, he felt a ranger's hat on his head and as he looked down at himself, sporting full modern western gear. Glancing down at Anna and hearing her little joke, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Sorry" he smiled, patting her shoulder as she stepped away and went to his desk where he sat down and decided to log into his work computer to check his emails before moving onto any files or checking what calls came in that need priority.

As he worked, he suddenly heard his colleague and right hand man call over about a BBQ. "Huh? your infamous BBQ? Hell, I'm in!" he smiled as he called back, noticing that Anna was suddenly hiding behind her computer screen at her desk, as she blushed, thinking she was being discreet but really was. He knew she had a massive crush on him and he had a thing for her himself, but he never wanted to embarrass her so he didn't ever play on it as of so far. But maybe tonight at Jason and Anna's house, he might. If he could gather the confidence to do so.

Esme saw Duke frown at her two-part answer. She knew that he was worried about the same thing she was, that Mika being back wouldn’t last. It kind of felt like a temporary fix just to mess with them, or if they didn’t do as they were told, she’d be gone again. This wasn’t something she wanted to think about, but it was there nonetheless. She shoved it to the back of her mind, not wanting to give the thoughts the light of day and wanting her thoughts to remain positive. Esme couldn’t bring herself to think about Mika dying again and how it would affect Duke, Dean, and the others. When Duke spoke, it pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked into his eyes, nodding to his words. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” she responded with a light smile. She followed his gaze as he looked at Dean and Mika, then the rest of the room, noticing the others had left the room. Leaving herself, Duke, and Bobby in the room with Dean and Mika. “Yeah, I think it’s best if we do the same.” Esme returned her gaze to his eyes as he pulled her arms from around his body and slid his hands into hers. As he walked backwards, she followed.

She smiled warmly as he kept eye contact with her and guided her steps to the back door. She followed him through the back door and was blinded by a bright light. When her vision cleared, Duke was no longer with her. Esme found herself standing in a large bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She had a full face of makeup, her hair done nicely, and was in a towel. Something felt off, but before she could determine why, there was a whine behind her. She turned and looked at the large dog behind her, a black Northern Inuit Dog with amber eyes. “I’m alright.” she spoke softly, as she reached out and petted its head. Esme then crossed the bathroom and walked out, looking over at the bed when she heard snoring. “He’s still asleep.” she grumbled. Walking over to the bed, she slapped it. “Dean! Get your ass up, we're going to be late for work!” she yelled. She then headed to the closet to get dressed. As she searched for her outfit, she spoke to her dog, who followed her into the huge closet. “Sarah, go make sure he’s getting up.” Sarah barked and trotted out of the closet and over to Dean’s side of the bed.

Sarah barked once before jumping up and planting her paws in Dean’s back and shoving him to get him up and out of bed. Meanwhile, in the closet, Esme had found her outfit, a smoky gray pant suit with a white button-up blouse, and was putting it on. Once dressed, she sat on the chair in the corner and put on her black heels. Picking up her towel, she walked out and straight to the bathroom to hang up her towel to dry. On her way out, she took another look in the mirror, made a few adjustments to her hair and outfit, then walked out. Esme crossed the bedroom and then walked out the door, headed downstairs, and to the kitchen to get coffee. Once in the kitchen, she made quick work of grabbing a cup of coffee that had just finished brewing, then grabbed a bagel and tossed it in the toaster. While it toasted, she grabbed the cream cheese from the fridge and set it on the counter, then took a sip of her coffee while she waited for her bagel to toast.


Rosie sat in the backseat of the car, poring over her notes in an open folder on her lap. She grew increasingly irritated as her driver fought his way through traffic. She should have been with Natalia at the concert thirty minutes ago, but the traffic was so heavy they were almost sitting still. Rosie was half tempted to flag down one of the passing bikes or motorcycles that went by. Before she could completely convince herself that it was her best option, the traffic began to move at a somewhat decent pace. Her driver weaved through the cars at opportune moments, then detoured after coming across a traffic officer who opened a barricade for them. They made their way through a parking lot, around more traffic, and then around to the back of the concert building. As the car came to a stop, Rosie gathered her papers, shut the folder, and shoved it into her bag. By the time she had done that, her door opened and she stepped out of the car. “Would you like an escort in, Miss Rosie? It looks like it could be pretty hectic in there.” her driver asked. Rosie softly shook her head with a small, warm smile. “Thank you, Braden, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll be fine.”

Braden chuckled and nodded his head. “I know, but I still wanted to offer. I know you’ll push your way through, and if anyone steps out of line, you’ll give them a “what for.” Rosie nodded, laughing herself. “You’re damn right I will.” she replied. “But if you want to park the car real quick and come with me for backup, be my guest.” “Oh, no. I’m leaving that all up to you. I don’t want to get mistaken for someone who upset you.” They both laughed for a moment, then Rosie put her bag over her shoulder and walked to the door. After showing her credentials, she was let in, and she made her way to where she was supposed to meet Natalia almost an hour ago. She was making her way down the corridor when a woman came up to her and told her that Natalia and her bodyguards were held up in a room waiting for security to control the press. “What? Where the hell is the security we asked for?! They should have been here hours ago!” Rosie said angrily. “I’m sorry, I know they should never have gotten into the building, but security is on the way.”

“They better be! Now take me to where Nat is!” Rosie demanded. “Yes, Ma’am, but it’s going to be difficult getting into the room.” the woman said, a little stress showing in her tone. “You leave that part to me. I have ways of getting through a crowd.” Rosie followed closely behind the woman down the corridors and to where the crowd had gathered to catch a glimpse of Natalia. She sighed heavily in irritation as she looked at the crowd. The chatter coming from the crowd was almost deafening. “Alright, people, move it or lose it!” she yelled over their voices. She then began to push her way through, as she continued to tell people to move. When it got to where no one would move, she pulled out her air horn, held it over her head, and pressed the button. That did the trick; they all cowered and covered their ears from the loud noise. Releasing the button, she pushed on through the crowd, that was until she was stopped by a tall man, who tried to try his luck in sweet-talking her to let him talk to Natalia. When he failed to get the answer he wanted, he tried flirting and getting a bit handsy.

He failed miserably again and ended up getting a knee to his groin and a fist in the face. With the man on his knees, Rosie closed the distance between herself and the door. She knocked on the door a couple of times with her fist. “It’s Rosie! Let me in!” she called through the door, putting the air horn back in her bag. Once the door was opened for her, she walked in and sighed heavily. Rosie straightened and smoothed out her outfit and her hair before looking at the three in the room. “The people here are seriously slacking on the job. I was told security is on the way, but I’m not sure how much I believe that.” she said, mostly talking to the two men. Her eyes then fell on Natalia. “You alright, Nat?” her tone held a mixture of concern and irritation. As Rosie stood there, she brought her right hand up and lightly massaged it and her fingers with her left hand.

Dean couldn’t help the thoughts that were tumbling over and over in his mind as Mika explained what she remembered and what she was currently feeling about being alive. He knew those feelings all too well. When he had dug himself out of that grave, the first worry on his mind was ‘who had to die in order for me to live’? And it was a crushing guilt. It was unfounded, but crushing.

He pulled her a little loser as she struggled with the pain in her head from digging through the memories. But he never broke eye contact when she needed it. This was what she needed, the last time they had separated. She just needed him to be still, and to listen. So, he did, until she dared to apologize.

“Hey. Don’t say you’re sorry. This is a lot. And I mean…A LOT. We’re gonna process this together, this time, alright? C’mere.” Dean pulled Mika closer, forcing her to break eye contact and to stop apologizing. He kissed the side of her head, and at some point, they had both drifted off, Dean finally able to rest for the first time since Mika had been gone.

Dean heard Esme’s voice as he stirred from his sleep and he groaned, waving his hand from under his pillow. He buried his face further into the high end pillowcase, and tried to go back to sleep, despite his wife’s insistence to starting the day. It was his company. If he wanted to oversleep from a night of…whatever the hell he had done the night before, he would. But then Sarah was sent to wake him up and her giant paws and body weight began drilling his back, knocking the wind out of him.

“Alright! Sarah get down!” Dean growled into his pillow, eventually rolling over and scratching the sides of Sarah’s face to get her to stop jumping on him. He sat up, ruffling his hair as Sarah hopped down and ran into the kitchen with Esme. Dean stood from the bed and dragged his feet to the closet, grabbing his clothes and shoes. He quickly got dressed, barely doing anything with his hair, and with his tie in his hand, he walked downstairs with a huff.

“You know, having your giant dog break my spine is not the most effective way to wake me up in the morning.” Dean complained, grabbing a travel mug from the cabinet, and pouring himself some coffee. He glanced over at Esme and sighed, “So, would you at all be interested in attempting to have dinner tonight or do you have another appointment with the Rangers? How is all that going, by the way? Any new leads on the creeper out in Liberty Hill?"



Duke smiled brightly at Sam’s acceptance of his invitation. He turned his attention back to Anna, pushing a foot out to kick her rolling chair, just to get her attention, “See?! Golden opportunity. You can hit on the Captain. You can put in a good word for me to get that promotion. We can hang out and just be…normal! You can even do something with your hair!”

Anna frowned and glanced up at him, confusion written all over her face, “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Nothing! You just…don’t wear it down very often. Maybe we can change that tonight. I bet Sam’s into that sort of thing. I see the way he looks at you. Or maybe you can wear my hat! He might be freaky like that.” Duke teased, as he picked up his hat from the desk and plopped it on Anna’s head. It was way too big, but she couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face. Duke was her best friend for a reason.

“And maybe you can finally bring Esme over? Maybe talk to her about her marriage…situation.” Anna teased back, and Duke covered his heart, as if she had shot him.

Duke slid off the corner of the desk and he walked over to Sam’s, slapping the edge of his cubicle wall, “So, what’s the plan for today? Anything exciting?”



“She has a point.” Cason grumbled, stepping back from Natalia as his boss Beau paced in the room, as if he was waiting on someone. Beau shook his head, ruffling his messy hair a bit and then loosened his necktie, throwing his hands up.

“Well, we can deal with that when we’re out of here. We are gonna have to call in the other security team to secure that exit. That way we can get out of here. Otherwise, get comfy, because we’re stuck.” Beau sighed, walking up to the door. He opened it, just enough to glance out, only to be met by screams and more camera shutters.

After a few moments of silence, Beau turned to the door as Rosie banged on it, asking to be let in. He tilted his head to the side. She was alone? Of course she was alone. There was a reason he was so sweet on her. Opening the door, he took a step back, allowing Rosie to enter the room with them. As he closed the door behind her, he opened his mouth to speak, but Rosie wasn’t going to let him get a word in. Instead, he simply nodded.

“I will call again and make sure they’re coming, ma’am. Give me five minutes.” He confirmed to her, but then he frowned, picking her hand out of the air and bringing it in front of his eyes. He looked over her knuckles and smirked, “Looks like you did a little security fixin’ of your own. My god. When are you goin’ to marry me?”

“I’ll call security.” Cason grumbled, rolling his eyes at Beau’s attempts to flirt with Rosie. He pulled his phone up to his ear, sticking close to Natalia, while dressing down the head of security of the venue, and demanding at least tend more guards.

MIKA

Having reached her work place, Mika walked in, swiped her ID card to get through the barrier at the entrance and headed toward the elevator so she could head up to her required floor. She greeted fellow staff as she passed them with a smile and reached the elevator, pressing the button to call for it when her phone pinged with a few emails coming in. Scoffing, she decided to wait until she got to her computer. With the elevator arriving, she stepped inside, once again greeting colleagues that were already inside. "you look flustered this morning" her female colleague and friend commented with a smirk. "I woke up late this morning, thought I was gonna be late Kate" Mika replied. "Well you're lucky, neither of them have made it into work yet, so you live another day!" Kate teased, causing Mika to nudge her work friend in the shoulder with a soft light chuckle.

Kate then leaned in and whispered in Mika's ear, "speaking of which...what's the game plan in the flirting today?" which made Mika smirk, "I don't know what you're talking about Kate" she whispered back, "Oh come on...this is me you're talking to, it's obvious you and boss man have eyes for each other" Kate spoke once more, before exiting the elevator with her when they reached their floor. "keep your voice down!" Mika replied in a hushed manner, but slightly louder than a whisper. "yeah yeah!" Kate brushed her off and went over to her own area on the floor, whilst Mika headed to her desk outside of Dean's office.

Putting her bag down, she sat down and turned the computer on to get a head start on the emails that had begun to come through. She was honestly surprised still that she made it into work before her bosses, but at the same time she was thankful for it as it meant they didn't need to know she was close to being late in.

SAM

As he pulled a file off the pile that was on his desk, he looked up at hearing Duke coming over and slapping his little wall. "At this moment, unless we get a call in, it's a whole load of paperwork and maybe one case? I'll forward you the email" Sam replied, turning to his computer and finding the email in question about a stalker that seems to be targeting several people. "It's a weird one but let me know what you think about it" he explained, before turning back to the file he was about to look at before Duke came over.

As he glanced it over, he saw it was a completed case and he wondered why it was left on his desk, only to find he had signed it off. So he did so and then put it to one side. "you heard from your sister at the security corporation lately? If there's anything to the case in the email or we get more reports, it might be worth getting in touch with her work place again to figure something out" he commented, remembering that Duke had contacts in places that would be beneficial to them all.

He glanced behind them both at Anna briefly before looking back forward again, trying to be discreet but he wasn't as discreet as he probably thought he was being.

NATALIA

Beau's pacing just made Natalia more nervous abut the crowd that was outside their room. For someone who was so professional and usually such a stickler for the rules, his pacing felt ever so slightly out of character for him, but yet, not out of character at the same time. "Beau, can you stop pacing?" she requested, but it seemed to go on deaf ears as Beau just went on a rambling tirade about needing to call in the other security team to help get them out of this situation. She didn't like the idea of having to sit around and wait this out, and now she had the new text running through her mind on top of it all. She hoped Rosie would show up soon, even if she was a hard ass for an manager.

As they waited, she decided to pull on her oversized hoodie that she was holding in her hands, pulling the sleeves right over her hands for comfort. Then the door started getting banged on and she instantly tensed up, thinking someone from the crowd was trying to get inside, until they all heard Rosie's voice shout through that it was just her. This made Natalia sigh with relief whilst Beau let the woman inside, quickly closing the door and Cason started to call security to see what was taking so long and demanding they had a lot of them arrive. As Rosie asked if she was alright, she nodded, "yeah, yeah..I'm fine, just not enjoying being locked in this damn room when I could be doing sound check or something" she half lied, not wanting to get into the text situation just yet still.

Her receiving creepy messages was the last thing Beau, Cason and Rosie needed to be dealing with at this moment when they had this current situation to sort out. She also was aware of how much Beau had previously flirted with Rosie and that was creepy enough for her to witness, and not something she wanted to witness when she had a job to do. She glanced over at Cason who was seemingly still on the phone and she couldn't help but smile softly and briefly before giving him a questioning look of 'getting anywhere with security?'.

As Esme waited for her bagel to toast, she cradled her cup and sipped her coffee, sighing softly. Her mind began to drift as she stood there leaning against the counter. Some things were work-related, while others weren’t so work-related. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of things the day would bring, and if it would be a fairly decent day. Things at work had been a bit hectic lately, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take this week if it continued to go as it had been. Most of her problems at work revolved around one person in particular. One person she couldn't even stand to look at and tried to avoid if she could. Esme racked her brain to find a reason the person was even hired in the first place. Yes, she did the jobs and paperwork she was given, but Esme felt they were a distraction in the office and felt they were out to get her. She was pulled from her thoughts when Sarah entered the kitchen, and her toast popped up in the toaster. Sarah came over and sat next to Esme, leaning her head against Esme's leg and nuzzling it gently.

“Good girl, Sarah.” Esme said, patting Sarah's large head. She then grabbed a napkin and laid it out on the counter, pulled her toast from the toaster, and placed it on the napkin. After putting butter on her toast, she walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed some strawberry jelly. Before she could shut the door, Dean came in grumbling about how Sarah had woken him up. “Well, if you'd get up when I told you to, I wouldn't have to send her in to wake you.” she told him as she shut the refrigerator door. “I also know what you're going to say. You own the company, so you can sleep in and go in when you want. That may be true, but you must still set an example for your employees. One of those is showing up early or on time for work.” Esme walked back over to her toast while Dean made his coffee, and doctored her toast while he spoke with a sigh. Esme turned to face him, a soft expression resting on her face. “I haven't made any plans tonight with the Rangers, so dinner sounds like a lovely idea.” she told him in a softer tone. “I think we both need it.”

“It's going well, a bit slow. A few more leads have emerged, but they are not yet concrete. It's like this guy is sending us on wild goose chases. Just when we think we have him, he does something that throws everything we worked on off and we're sent back to square one.” she said, suppressed frustration showing in her tone. “Something feels off about all of it, too, but I can't quite put my finger on it. There's definitely something strange about the guy.” Esme sighed heavily before picking up her toast, folding it in half, and taking a bite. “The way this guy works is unnerving and downright terrible…. Making these poor girls feel like they have to look over their shoulders every minute of the day.” She sighed heavily again, this time through her nose, then took a sip of her coffee. “When this guy is caught, I hope they put his ass through the wringer.” With a small growl, she took a small bite of her toast. She was having to force herself to eat, and talking and thinking about the stalker was affecting her appetite. As she stood there with Dean eating, her phone rang.


Rosie took a deep breath as she waited for Natalia to answer her question. When Natalia answered her, Rosie gave a slight smile in return. She could tell that something was bothering her, but she didn't pry; they had other things to deal with at the moment. She made a mental note to ask her about it later. She then turned to Beau when he addressed her in his usual manner, shaking her head lightly when he picked up her hand and examined it. Rosie's eyes darted to Cason briefly as he spoke up about calling security before returning to Beau “You're damn right I did my own security detail.” she told him. “Especially when someone decides they want to fail miserably at flirting and then get handsy. You better believe they are going to get a fist to the face.” Her eyes then went to her hand that Beau was still holding, his words about marrying him echoed in her head, causing a smirk to find its way to her lips. Rosie then pulled her hand from his. “Marry you? In your dreams, Cowboy….. As I've said before, neither of us needs that distraction. Especially when something like today happens.”

Her eyes went to the door and the commotion going on behind it, then back to him. “With the lack of security, we don't need our minds wandering to each other's safety, and straying from Nat's safety,” she told him. Rosie looked around Beau and at Cason, who was still on the phone. “Any luck on getting through to anyone? If not, I can try my hand at it, and see where I can get.” she called over to Cason. As soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered whose number she had in her phone, one of the higher-ups. In all the chaos, she had momentarily forgotten. Stepping back from Beau, she pulled her phone from the pocket of her blazer, quickly dialed the number, and placed the phone on speaker for the whole room to hear. After a few rings, someone picked up. “Hey, Ro…..” A quick pause followed the greeting and the light clearing of the throat. “Hello, Ms. Rainbolt. I hope your day is going well. How can I help you?” asked the voice of Mrs. Smith. If this weren't such a serious moment, Rosie would have laughed hard at the slip-up. “Not great, I'm afraid, Mrs. Smith.” she replied, the irritation was strong in her tone.

“The security we asked for for today's concert hasn't arrived. My client and her bodyguards were nearly overtaken by the press and fans that managed to get through the light security here. We’ve locked ourselves in a room until help arrives. If we can't get anyone to show soon, the press and fans are going to break down the door.” “What! They should have been there hours ago! I put in the request myself weeks ago….. Is everyone alright?” the woman asked. “We're all irritated and disappointed with the security of the venue, but everyone is fine.” Rosie replied. “You have every right to be. And that venue isn't equipped to handle such a large crowd on its own. Give me about twenty minutes and I'll see what's going on. I'm truly sorry you've been put in this situation. Please apologize to the others as well. I'll call you back once I get everything figured out.” she told Rosie. “Thank you, Mrs. Smith. We'll be awaiting your call.” Rosie then ended the call and slipped her phone back into the pocket of her blazer with a light sigh through her nose. She knew Esme was good for her word, and that she would do everything she could to remedy the problem. Moving back to a wall, she dropped her bag on the floor, leaned her back against the wall, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Looks like we’ll be stuck in here a little longer.”

Dean tilted his head side to side, mocking Esme’s tone a bit as she explained to him that his bad habits could rub off on his employees, as if he didn’t already know that. But at least she accepted his offer for dinner. If they were going to even attempt to save their marriage, they had to start somewhere. Dinner was probably a good place. He couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten a full meal, in chairs, face to face…

His expression turned a bit more to concern, hearing that the situation with the stalker wasn’t going as well as he had hoped. It shouldn’t have been that hard to figure out. It was one guy. One creep. He had a pretty distinct method and type. Surely the rangers, with the intel from the security teams could wrap it all up quickly.

“They will bury him. I can promise you that. I’ll talk to whatever judge gets ahold of him.” Dean said firmly, stepping closer to Esme. He could tell that she was struggling with the whole thing, and he wasn’t exactly present. He hadn’t exactly been the most supportive husband, through all this, “I’m also gonna call over to the rangers. Maybe the talkative one…what’s his name? Singer? Maybe they can put him on it. He seems to need something to do.”

Dean stepped over closer to Esme, and he reached a hand out, putting the tension between them aside to wipe a few crumbs from the corner of her mouth. He pinched her chin affectionately, and then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her temple as her phone rang, “Get that. I gotta go get dressed. I’ll call the rangers and see if we can get a meeting.”

He carefully listened on his way out of the room, until he pulled his phone and dialed up the rangers station.



Duke snarled his nose at the idea of just sitting around doing paperwork all day. He would be bouncing off the walls by noon. But Sam offering Duke a case made his brain perk up, and he nodded quickly. Of course he wanted that email. He wanted something to do. It was way too quiet around, almost eerily so. It was rare that they weren’t swimming in loads of information and desperate families, asking for their help.

“Um. Yeah, they’re still dealing with that thing. She’s not been able to get a lot of information, but the last time I talked to her, it was basically spinning wheels. They don’t know anything more than they did a month or so ago, there’s just new victims. One…that’s pretty high profile from what I gathered.” Duke explained, mentally reminding himself to call Mika, later in the day. If anything, going to see her for lunch would give him an excuse to see…

“Duke.” Anna called, jarring him from his thoughts. She hadn’t missed that little glance from Sam, tipping Duke’s hat at him with a smirk, but then she held the phone out to him, on hold, “Dispatch just sent it over. He asked for you.”

“For me?”

“Yeah, by name. It sounds important. He sounds important.” Anna explained as Duke sauntered back over and took the phone from her hand. Anna took the chance to stand from the desk, tilting Duke’s hat back on her head, and stepped around to lean over Sam’s cubicle, “And you. What do you like to drink? I don’t think I’ve ever asked you before. It always seemed really inappropriate, but since you’ve been invited to my…house, by my idiot room mate, I have to ask. What does Cap prefer with his BBQ?”

A moment later, Duke dropped the phone on the base and chuckled, shaking his head. There was a lot behind that little laugh and Anna turned to raise her eyebrows at him.

“So that was Mr. Smith. You know…security company Mr. Smith?” Duke chuckled, and Anna’s eyes widened as they shared a silent conversation between them about Duke’s ‘extracurricular’ activities with the man’s wife. Duke tilted his head and clenched his jaw, before plastering his smile back on his face, “He wants the rangers all in on the stalker thing. We’re supposed to head down to the headquarters as soon as possible.”

“We? Like you and Cap?”

“Yep. I’m sure we can find an excuse for you to come along, though. Dispatch can handle things for a couple of hours, right Sam? We can get coffee on the way there.” Duke offered with a bright smile.

“Sure, because there’s no other reason you would want to go. None at all.” Anna rolled her eyes, and removed his hat from her head, before placing it back on his with a pat to the crown. She then turned to Sam and shrugged, “Field trip, then!”

———

When they arrived at the headquarters, Duke wasted no time, walking in front of both Sam and Anna, approaching Mika’s desk almost in a jog, before dropping himself on the corner and picking up her name plate that sat on the front, “Don’t you just look like a dream for just about any passerby that’s lonely!”



Cason growled and closed his eyes tightly as the man on the other side of the phone hung up on him abruptly, barely even listening to what he was saying. He turned and gritted his teeth, sighing. His eyes softened as Nat’s eyes met his. He shook his head, “No. The bastard hung up on me. I think it’s time for the big guns, on this.”

He glanced around to Rosie and nodded his head, encouraging her to pull her own strings, since he was going to get absolutely nowhere. He then turned his eyes back to Nat and he reached a hand up, pinching her chin with a small smile, “We’ll get it taken care of. Why don’t you just relax. Let me…”

He glanced around, until he found a bucket of paint. Carefully taking his jacket off and draping it over the large bucket, he gestured for Nat to sit, picking up her hand. He tugged and took a deep breath, “Just sit down and relax. I’ll stay close, alright? They can handle this. If anything, Beau is distract enough to be somewhat still.”



Beau frowned at the idea of someone being handsy with Rosie. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself. She absolutely could, and obviously did. But he was still tempted to go back out in the hall and put the guy in the hospital, just on principle. But as she pulled her hand from him, he didn’t tighten up. He just let her fingers slip from his and he sighed, plastering that charming smile over his lips to hide his disappointment in yet another rejection, “Well, I think you’ll crack eventually. We’re better together than you wanna admit…”

Beau went back to his pacing after a moment, glancing up every now and then at Rosie as she spoke to someone far more powerful than him, and seemed to at least get somewhere. He was tempted to reach out and chase that pesky flyaway piece of hair away from her face as she spoke. It had to be tickling her cheek. But he kept his hands to himself, shoving them in his pockets as he glanced over at Nat with a frown, “You alright? I know sittin’ on paint buckets ain’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but we’ll be out of here soon, and this won’t happen again. It better not…”

Rosie’s voice caught Beau’s ear and he turned back to sigh, stepping over to her as she finished her phone call. Beau shrugged out of his jacket, and tugged his tie free as he settled into being stuck in the room while they waited out security. He folded his jacket and reached down to the floor, scooping up Rosie’s bag. He placed his jacket on a nearby shelf and sat her bag on top of it before stepping back over to her briefly.

“So, we settle in. We get comfy.” He reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt and leaned against the wall next to Rosie, “And after this, we can get drinks. Cason looks like he could handle private security for the night?”

Cason rolled his eyes at Beau as he squatted on the floor in front of Nat, and Beau just chuckled.

“I mean, I could take it, but I’m a lot more fun to drink with than I am to have watchin’ a front door.”

MIKA

As she waited for her bosses to make it into work, Mika continued to shift through all the emails, jotting down anything that would be classed as important and would need Dean Smith’s attention. Judging by what she had to work through, it was going to be a busy day for the company, which usually meant it would be a working lunch if she was unlucky. She hoped that wouldn't be the case as they weren't her favourite kind of days, but it was something she was unfortunately used to.

As she worked, she barely took note of the voices getting closer and louder until Duke practically jumped onto her desk and picked up her name plate. She smirked and scoffed at his greeting, taking her name plate out of his hands and putting it back where she liked it on her desk. Everything in it's place, and a place for everything. A motto she liked to adhere to. “Wondered how long it would be before my annoying little brother would show up” she teased, glancing up at him from her computer. “If you're here to see Mr.Smith, he's not here yet. But I don't doubt it won't be long before he arrives if you don't mind waiting?” She explained to him, and to his captain and Anna. It was surprising to see Anna with them when she was usually the receptionist at the station, and that got her wondering what was happening that meant the three of them had to come to her work place. She purposely didn't mention Esme, which was pretty usual of her to do as she didn't like the woman, even though Duke most certainly did. It was no secret between the siblings that Duke and Esme were having a fling behind Dean's back, they shared everything with each other- just like he knew how much she liked Dean. She just hoped that Esme wouldn't break her brother's heart.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned her head back to her screen when yet another email pinged through, distracting her attention. Opening it up, her eyebrow rose in curiosity as she began to read the contents; ‘Breaking News: Singer Natalia becomes latest victim to the recent stalker epidemic. Will this finally make the rangers do something?! Read below for our thoughts!” “oh…this isn't good…” she commented, as she continued to scroll through the email disguised as a news article. It was then she saw photos attached and she wasn't sure if she wanted to click on them. “Uhh, I think you two might want to see this before Mr. Smith gets here” she spoke up to Sam and Duke, swirling her computer screen round as far as it would go for them to look at it.

NATALIA

Just from the smile alone, Natalia knew Rosie wasn't fully believing her when she said she was okay. Rosie knew her like the back of her hand, she wasn't just her manager, she was the best damn manager a girl could ask for, even if she was a pain in Nat’s ass a lot of the time as well. Yet it didn't matter how much Nat wished Rosie would get off her back sometimes and actually allow her breaks, she didn't trust anyone else to be her manager. She trusted Rosie and her two bodyguards with her life, especially in moments such as these. All she wanted was to get to the green room to dump her things, go through her briefing for the sound check and then head to the venue stage and do what she loved.sing and perform. Yet outside this stupid room stood press and fans who should not have gotten inside craving a piece of her like she was simply a piece of meat or the latest fashion must have item. As much as she loved the fame and her fans, she hated feeling like an object and not a person. Now there was the extra fear that she had gained a stalker who wouldn't stop contacting her via a withheld number and she had no idea who they were, but it seemed they were in that crowd on the other side of that door that was keeping them safe.

She looked around for something to sit on when Cason created a seat out of an old bucket and his jacket, after he explained about not getting through to anyone to solve this issue. She let him tug her slightly to make her sit down, watching his every move as he smiled softly at her and reassured her this little problem would get sorted. It was times like these when she wished he wasn't her bodyguard as she knew there were rules and regulations that could not be crossed between guard and those who they were guarding, but every time he treated her like this, she remembered how much she was falling for him as a person. Nodding at his words, she gave a small smile, “I know… I always see him as my bulldog who doesn't let go when he's got his teeth into something” she said quietly, so hopefully Beau wouldn't hear. Even if the mental image was quite amusing to her during this stressful moment. As Rosie continued to speak on the phone, she tried to discreetly reach out for Cason's hand, when her phone buzzed with a message, but this time from one of her backing dancers.

‘hey girl, it's chaos out here! Hope you're safe. We've just managed to get in and to the green room. Hollah if ya need anything! Oh! There's also a random note here for you’.

Reading the note, a lump got stuck in her throat as the worst thoughts rushed through her mind of who the note may be from, before Beau’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Yeah…yeah I'm fine. The girls made it to the green room.” She replied, just as Rosie got off the phone, and explained what the current plan was. She watched as Beau stayed close to Rosie and it was clear he had a soft spot for her, even more so after he suggested just he and Rosie go out for drinks in the evening, making Cason roll his eyes. Did Beau know she had a crush on Cason? No…he couldn't…could he? “After today, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to, Rosie. I'll be fine with Cason tonight” she added, wanting Rosie to be happy and have fun.

SAM

Sam gave a nod as he listened to what Duke had to say about what his sister had heard or knew about the recent stalker cases. What did perk his interest was the little tidbit of information Duke mentioned about a possible high profile victim. “Okay, we'll have to get in touch with the firm to discuss some kind of gameplay and find out who this high profile victim is.” He suggested, when Anna broke their concentration to let Duke know he had a phone call. Waving his colleague off to answer the call, he decided to try and shift through some of the files he had intended to work on before Duke walked over. This stalker case was honestly really getting under his skin, the longer it went on. He wished he knew how to catch the culprit and every attempt up until now worked, but every time they thought they came close to solving it, the culprit disappeared into the aether. It was a massive headache for him and he hated not being able to bring good news to the victims once and for all.

Anna's voice broke him out of his thoughts, making him take his hat off, placing it on the table beside him and give a light smile to her question and comment about Duke. “I guess I'm pretty much like any other guy at a BBQ. Ice cold beer with the food and whisky for after if I feel up to it.” He replied. “I'm a simple man deep down, even if it doesn't seem like it in the workplace” he smiled at her. She really was adorable in Duke's hat, mostly because it seemed far too big for her. He forced the unprofessional thoughts to the back of his head when the sound of the phone handset clicking down made him glance towards Duke's direction. “Mr. Smith asking for you directly? Now that's something. Considering you're not the captain here” he smirked, but then went quiet as Anna and Duke spoke amongst themselves. Picking up his hat, he stood up and away from his desk. He didn't like the idea of Anna tagging along, mostly for her safety, but at the same time, maybe she could get information out of Duke's sister that not even Duke could get. Another female being around could be useful. “Okay…let's get moving.” He agreed.

—--------

At the firm, he introduced himself, showed his badge and asked to head up to Mr.Smith’s office. With that agreed upon, he lead the way to the elevator and then down the hall towards the office. “Remember, best behaviour both of you. We need as much information as we can get out of this firm, so stay professional Singer”. He ordered Duke, knowing what he could be like around Mika.

Just as he predicted, his words went on deaf ears as Duke went over to his sister in a typical manner that only Duke could do, making Sam roll his eyes and sigh. “He never listens” he mumbled under his breath. He stood back as Duke did what Duke did before stepping up to Mika, “thank you” he said after Mika explained that her boss was not in the office yet. He guided Anna over to the couch opposite for them to wait at, and hoped Duke would follow but it seemed the siblings were too focused on being just that…siblings. Then Mika's demeanor seemed to change which interested Sam, making him stand up again as she told her and Duke that they might want to look at something she just got through. Walking over, he leaned over the desk, looking at the screen and reading what she got. “May I?” He asked, signalling at the mouse, to which Mika obliged, pushing it over to him. Using it, he scrolled down and clicked on the attachment, seeing photos of Natalia walking down various streets, coming in and out of seemed like her home and zoomed in photos of her holding hands with the shorter bodyguard of hers. “This fits the MO of the previous stalkers…” he remarked.

After Esme got off the phone with Rosie, she sighed heavily and leaned against the counter. Tossing her toast on the napkin, she brought her hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. Dean's words and actions replayed in her mind, along with the reason why her security order hadn't gone through. It was downright maddening that they didn't show up, and Rosie, Nataila, and her bodyguards had to fend off the fans and press on their own, and were taking shelter in a room somewhere at the venue. Esme took a drink of her coffee, then set the cup on the counter with a heavy sigh. As she stood there, she racked her brain for a reason why the security detail never showed. Rosie was a good friend of hers, so she personally put in the request for security for Natalila's show. She had submitted the request three weeks in advance to ensure she would have it. Were they really that incompetent down there? The more she thought about it, the more her anger grew. This did nothing to improve her already rocky emotional state. Esme tried to think about something more positive, but no matter how hard she tried, the pressing moment at hand kept relentlessly resurfacing in her mind.

Sarah, sensing Esme's trouble, jumped up on her, whined, and pawed at her arms. Esme, taking the hint, lowered herself to the kitchen floor and leaned back against the counter while Sarah settled down on her legs and rested her head on Esme's stomach. Esme placed a hand on Sarah's head, took a deep breath, and slowly released it. “Good girl.” she said softly. Sarah inched her way up to where she could rest her head on Esme's chest. Esme wrapped her arms around Sarah and rested her head on her as she closed her eyes. Esme breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She knew the situation wasn't on her, and she shouldn't let it get to her like this, but it was hard not to be affected by it. It was her job to send out security for others, and when something like this happens, which wasn't too often, it tended to get to her. However, this time it hit a little harder since a good friend was involved, and she sent in the request herself instead of leaving it to someone else to do. Hugging Sarah tighter, Sarah nuzzled her affectionately, and Esme soon began to regain herself.

Sighing heavily into Sarah's thick fur, Esme hugged her one more time before giving her a pat to let her know she could get off of her. Once Sarah had gotten off her, Esme pushed herself to her feet, straightened her clothes, and grabbed her coffee cup off the counter. Cradling the cup in her hands, she took a long drink. These were moments she always tried to hide from Dean. Even with their problems, she never wanted him to see her like this, but there were times he could tell she had gone through an episode just by looking at her. Esme hated admitting it, but it was one thing that was just too hard to hide from him. Dean could just about read her like a book when it came to her being upset or angry; a lot of those times, he stood clear of her. Whether it was out of fear, he didn't know how to help her, or he just didn't want to deal with her unstable emotions, she wasn't sure. She just knew that if she didn't have Sarah, she would be struggling a lot more than she was. With how badly this situation was affecting her, she was sure that without a doubt, Dean would notice the signs.

Taking another drink from her cup, she placed it on the counter, grabbed a travel mug from the cupboard, and filled it. “Why do I let these things get to me so badly?” she questioned herself with a heavy sigh as she filled her cup. Sarah came up to her and nuzzled her leg gently, which caused Esme to smile softly down at her. “I know what you'd say if I could understand you. It's because I take so much pride in what I do, and it's because I know others are counting on me to get my job done.” Sarah whined as if she were answering her, and Esme laughed softly. Once her cup was full, she placed the pot back in place and put the lid on her cup. Having lost her appetite from her breakdown, she gave the rest of her toast to Sarah. She then went and sat at the kitchen table, with Sarah at her feet, to wait for Dean to announce that he was ready to go. By the time she finished her mug of coffee and rinsed it out in the sink, Dean had returned to the kitchen and let her know he was ready.

On the way to the office, Esme filled Dean in on her phone call with Rosie, almost getting worked up all over again as she explained everything to him. Sarah, who was in the back seat, stretched her head over the back of the seat and rested it on Esme's shoulder. Esme brought up her hand and placed it on Sarah's head, and scratched it. This kept her from going over the edge again. She knew that once she was at the office, she could set about fixing all of this. Once the car was parked in the office parking lot, Esme wasted no time getting herself and Sarah out of the car before heading inside, where she saw the Rangers. “Good morning, Rangers. Please excuse me, there's something that requires my immediate attention. Mr. Smith should be in shortly.” she said quickly yet as politely as she could. She gave them all an apologetic look, then rushed into her office with Sarah hot on her heels. She hastily closed the door and went to her desk, failing to realize her door didn't close completely. Once in her chair, she went through the phone numbers on her desk, locating the one she desired in no time.

Picking up the receiver, she aggressively punched in the number as she brought it to her ear. The call was picked up after two rings. “Yes, this is Esme Smith. I'm calling about the ETA for security for Nataila's show today.”Esme did her best to remain calm, but the words she heard didn't sit well with her. “What! What do you mean you didn't get a request for security for her?! I personally sent the request three weeks ago!” she replied, her voice rising steadily. “Yes, I think you should! It sounds like someone was asleep on the job that week!..... Yeah, they should have been down there hours ago! What are you going to do to remedy this mistake?!...... Yes! That sounds about right, and I don't want her to have to worry about anything else. If I hear otherwise, you'll be receiving another call from me!” With that said, Esme slammed the receiver back on its base with a huff. “Incompetent fools!” she growled as she slapped something off her desk. Sarah flinched as the object flew off the desk. After it hit the floor, she made her way over to Esme and then gently placed her head in her lap.

Esme softly placed a hand on Sarah's head before pulling her cell phone from her jacket pocket and quickly dialing Rosie Rainbolt's number, then held the phone to her ear, listening for the ringing to stop. Esme was glad she could get it taken care of so quickly, but she still couldn't understand how they missed her request in the first place.


As Rosie leaned against the wall, she watched Beau shrug out of his jacket, fold it, pick up her bag from the floor, and then place both on a nearby shelf. As he made his way back to her side, she dipped her head and closed her eyes as she suppressed a smirk that threatened to show itself. He always showed her bag more care than she seemed to. Whenever she dropped it somewhere other than a table or shelf, he would take it upon himself to place it in a cleaner and more convenient place. In fact, even if she hastily draped her jacket over a chair, he’d come behind her and fix it so it wouldn’t wrinkle. Since they first met, he had just about gone out of his way to weasel his way into her heart. Rosie had no idea what she had said or done to even start it, other than actually being polite, telling him her name, and carrying on a true conversation with him. As time passed, he flirted with her more and then began asking her to marry him. In times like this, she would brush off his flirting or throw in some light flirting of her own to throw him off, but in the end would always turn him down.

Maybe it was her agreeing to go out and have drinks with him. Whatever it was, she had definitely caught his attention, and nothing she did or said would deter him from continuing to try to weasel his way into her heart. If she didn’t have so many walls up and so focused on her job, Beau could possibly succeed. Rosie wasn’t one of those who trusted others easily, and even when she did get to know someone, there were still layers you had to get through for her to trust you fully. When Beau settled in next to her on the wall, she opened her eyes, but didn’t lift her head as he spoke. She could almost feel Cason’s eye roll at Beau’s words, which caused her to smirk as Beau replied to him. She had to agree with what he said to Cason, even if part of it was knowing that Cason and Natalia were sweet on each other. Yes, there were rules about relationships between bodyguards and those they guarded, but the heart didn’t always listen to those rules. Rosie had seen it with others she knew, and they would request a replacement so they could delve further into their relationships. Did it always work? No, but it didn’t stop them from trying.

When Natalia spoke to Rosie, she lifted her head and looked over at her with a small smile. She knew where Natalia’s heart was, and she also knew that she’d be safe with Cason if she agreed to join Beau later. “I have no doubt you’ll be in good hands with Cason. I see how he watches your every move and those around you.” she replied to her. Rosie went quiet for a moment, letting things roll around in her mind. “You know what? I just might take you up on that, Beau. But first, let’s get through this before we make any definite plans.” A little time passed before her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she took no time at all to pull it from her pocket. She looked at her phone briefly before answering it. “Hello, Mrs. Smith, please tell me you have some good news for us.” she answered in a calm tone. “What?! You told me you sent that weeks ago. I was told security was already on their way…… Ah, I see. What incompetent fools. At least things have been taken care of, but I can’t help but feel something’s strange about it. How could a company like that completely miss a request for security detail?”

Rosie sighed heavily as she pinched the bridge of her nose, then took a deep, calming breath. She spoke a little longer on the phone, made some plans for later, then hung up. “Alright, looks like things have been fixed. Security should be here soon.” she said as she placed her phone back into her pocket. “It seems the request for Nat’s security detail was somehow overlooked, but as I said, it’s been taken care of. Mrs. Smith took care of it all and made it so that Nat won’t have to worry about a thing, since it was their fault. With the way she put it, it sounds like she put the fear of god in them.” she told them with a light laugh. “So, it won’t be long until we are all out of here, and Nat can get to the green room and prepare for the show.”