"So I take it, you set the kid straight?" Shou's voice carried over the span of the greenhouse's storage area. Jexanna groaned. What was with everyone wanting to see her right now? She had just gotten away from Vaughn, barely escaped Risa who seemed to be on a snipe hunt for her, and now Shou was here, interrupting her very important packing.

"No Shou, I gave him his heart's desire, and we decided to get hot and heavy in a broom closet." She flippantly replied at Shou, not even bothering to look over. She didn't need to be distracted from this particular task. She needed to take as much of the orchid in its various forms as possible. The amount in storage was technically enough to cover the orphanage for five years, even with the large amount that Jexanna was taking, but it never hurt to double-check.

"Then I take it you're no longer pure?" Shou remarked, getting closer to Jexanna's spot in the room surrounded by bottles, jars, syringes, and dried-up orchid leaves. "That's a shame."

"Please, Shou." Jexanna snorted. "You and I both know, I'm not exactly innocent." Shou had found her several times with a couple of his team members while training.

"Hey, to me, a little fun in a sack isn't bad. Hell, it's healthy to have that sort of release, to say the least. But when feelings get involved, that's when your innocence goes away, because you're the most vulnerable when your heart is on the line."

"Yeah, yeah." Jexanna looked over at Shou who kept quiet for a moment. His eyes studied her, gazing over every inch of her being. Jexanna's eyes narrowed at him.

"Just say it, Shou." She growled, taking the medicine bag and hanging it open over the edge. Her hand shoved rows upon rows of orchids into the bag's bottomless pit. "I know you talked to Aerin."

"I thought that we were over this by now." Shou shrugged his shoulders at her. "Jexanna, it was a long time ago, you've not had a single incident in years. So what brought it up this time? Is it the fact you'll be human again?" 

"Maybe, but Shou, I'll be fine." She narrowed her eyes at the man pointedly. "Even if I fail, the orphanage will be safe." 

"Just don't." Shou reminded her of his division's creed, "Even in death, you better not fail. Because I'll find your ass in hell." 

Jexanna laughed at his grim tone, playing off her fears. She did not doubt that he would, but she wouldn't fail this time. There was too much at stake. The last remaining items clattered as she shoved them inside her bag. Her eyes wandered around the greenhouse, plants filled every inch of the area, making the room smell like musk. The faint sounds of children playing in the distance. This was her home. She couldn't fail. 

"So I take it that you're ready?" Shou asked after a moment of silence. 

"Of course." She shrugged, looking up at the dhampir.  A sigh passed through her lips and she closed the bag. "Did you give Risa the vial?" 

"Yeah. But she was pissed about it. Do you still want to leave without saying goodbye?" Shou grumbled as he looked over at her. His brow went up curiously, fully expecting her to say otherwise. And a pang pierced her heart, she couldn't face the kids and say goodbye without a good explanation and they wouldn't understand. It was useless to get them upset at this point for something that may never touch them. 

"The kids are used to me coming and going."  She nodded, grabbing her bag. "It's no different from now." 

"And Risa?" His brow went even further up, and she wanted to cut it out of his face. He was prodding. She hated it when he prodded. The damn dhampir needed to keep his thoughts to himself. But as he stared at her, with that damn smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth, she just wanted to smack him. 

"I've left her a note. Now let's go, before Aerin finally finds me." Jexanna grumbled as she set out the door of the greenhouse. 

"Yes, yes. I've left the dear Commander with what I thought about his little tryst." Shou grinned devilishly as he followed behind.  

"Gods and Goddess you're terrifying," Jexanna muttered under her breath, only imagining the horror that Aerin faced by Shou.