Welcome to Gaia! ::

She continued to sing until he was lulled to sleep. Carefully, she stood and carried him toward the director's office. She had to face the music sooner or later and it would be easier to say goodbye without him crying. She hugged the child tighter and continued on her way. She paused in front of the office. She took a couple of deep breaths. She knew what she had to do, but she wanted to avoid it.

She knocked on the door and entered. The director looked up and let out an exasperated sigh.
"You did again Asho!" He all but shouted. "You know how dangerous it is to run off on your own like that."
"What did you expect me to do? Leave him?" She snapped. "I wasn't about to let him get killed."
"I never said you had to, but you could at least follow protocol. You're going to get yourself killed! Every time something happens to your family, you leap head first into trouble and come back beat up. Don't you ever learn? You're the best of the best! You think you would learn a thing or two by now."
"Well, excuse me for caring about my family. Or did you forget? I lost one to them already. I wasn't about to lose another. I can't put my family through that."
"You're reckless! If you don't start taking this seriously, you're...."
"I am taking this seriously!" She shouted back at him. "Don't you dare accuse me of not taking my job seriously! Don't forget, I gave up everything to be here. I left my family, my life, my innocence, everything to work here! I watched my own brother be killed before my very eyes! And you're telling me I'm not taking this seriously?!"
She didn't care if half the agency heard her. She was furious. The director should have known better than to accuse her of such an insult. The only thing she was regretting was feeling the boy slightly stir in her arms.

"If you were taking this seriously, you wouldn't run off on your own." The director shot back. "Look at all the trouble you got yourself in while you were here! You're always going off without a second thought. It's reck-less" He said emphasizing the last word into two distinct syllables as if speaking to a child.
"If I had to sit here and come to you every single time something happened, how many people would have lost their life?"
The director fell silent.
"Exactly. I act on what needs to be done. I take my job very seriously and I will not stand here to be accused, lectured, and treated like a child. I've completed every mission you've given me beyond what you expected. The only one I failed was....." She took a breath. "I just came here to get the ride secured before I said good-bye. My family will be worried. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't want to drag them in like when I was fourteen, right?"
Again he was silent.
"That's what I thought."
She huffed, slowly regaining control of her temper once more.
"I'll have the ride ready in five minutes." The director said quietly. "Have him ready by then."
She nodded before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. She let out a long sigh and briefly leaned against the door, hugging the child as if her life depended on it.

"Hard? Please. This isn't as hard as it gets. And showed him? If I wanted to show him I would've walked again. If I wanted to show him, i wouldn't have left my family." She said simply.
"Sissy?" The boy mumbled sleepily.
"Sh. It's okay. Did I wake you?"
"Are you coming home?"
she paused and sighed.
"Sweetheart you know I can't."
"But I want you to! I miss you, Ren!" He cried clinging to her.
"I know. I miss you too. I'll come home as soon as I can....I promise."
He sniffled slightly.
"Will you sing me another song?"
She smiled at him.
"Come stop your crying it will be alright. Just take my hand hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don't you cry. For one so small you seem so strong. My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken I will be here don't you cry." She sang softly. "Cause you'll be in my heart, yes you'll be in my heart, From this day on now and forever more. You'll be in my heart,
No matter what they say, You'll be here in my heart, Always."

Once he was lulled back to sleep, Rena handed her little brother off and watched him be taken back home...away from her. Her chest tightened and her heart throbbed, but she pushed it back.
She turned and walked in the opposite direction. It seemed that job always brought about good-byes. It was funny, in a sad way, how even after all the goodbyes the job brought, she was still bad at it. She took a deep breath, but didn't look back. She wouldn't let herself. If she did, she very well might keep the boy with her. In doing so, she would risk his life. No. After she lost Alex, she vowed not to put her family or anyone else in danger and she was bent on keeping that vow.

Finally, she burst into a run. She didn't stop until she reached the training room. She slide against the farthest wall and buried her head in her arms as she sat with her knees to her chest. She needed to pull herself together....she wanted to be alone, but at the same time, it terrified her. She was afraid of where her thoughts would take her. She knew for that's where they always took her. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to block it all out.

She gripped her arms tightly. She was fighting tears. She didn't even know why she wanted to cry, she just wanted to cry. She dug her nails into her arms. She wasn't going to break down. She kept repeating that to herself praying that it would by some miracle chance make it reality.