Aurora looked at Sarah for a long moment and nodded. “We’ll make it happen.” Without any of her previous hesitation, she scooped Sarah up again, wrapping her in the comforting embrace of her aura. The golden light shimmered faintly around the girl, its warmth pressing gently against her exhausted frame. “Thanks for your support, Detective. We did something good today.”

  Kirby gave a small, weary smile, but the gravity of what they had uncovered lingered in his expression. “Yeah, we did. There’s a lot left to do but that’s for me to handle. Get going.”

  Aurora winked before turning toward the sky. With Sarah secured in her arms, she spread her wings and lifted off, carefully adjusting her speed to avoid making the girl sick. She could feel the way Sarah instinctively curled against her, seeking warmth, seeking safety. Aurora hoped that her aura felt as warm as a bnket wrapped around her, but she didn’t know if that was truly the case. Gently, she stroked Sarah’s hair as she flew, navigating the familiar route back to San Isidro. She had made this journey before, but this time it felt so much further, heavier, like she was carrying something far more fragile than just a malnourished and abused girl—she was carrying the weight of everything Sarah had endured.

  The girl remained silent, tucked close against her chest, but even despite her slow and careful flight, it took less than fifteen minutes to reach home.

  When they arrived, Aurora nded softly in front of the condo, setting Sarah down gently on her feet. The girl wobbled slightly but remained upright. Leona studied her carefully, her heart aching at the sight. Sarah had been through hell, and the st thing she wanted was to add to her confusion by revealing too much too soon. She wasn’t sure if Sarah was ready to hear the truth yet.

  Going over to the spare from under the rock, Aurora quickly returned and unlocked the front door. “Leona told me about the spare in case I ever needed to get in during another such emergency. I promised her that I would do my best to look after her family, as everyone else. But I have to say that I don’t think she thought I’d use it to invite you on. I’m sure that she’ll be delighted. Anyway, let’s go on inside,” Aurora said, holding the door open for her. She didn’t even consider transforming back to normal at the doorstep—it wasn’t worth the risk. She guided Sarah inside carefully.

  “Quinn, are you here?” she called out, leading Sarah deeper into the home.

  “Yeah, what’s up?” Quinn’s voice carried from down the hall, a little grouchy as she poked her head out of her room.

  Sarah inhaled sharply, her wide eyes darting between Quinn and Aurora. The recognition hit instantly.

  “Quinn…?” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Aurora gnced at Quinn, silently gauging her reaction. Quinn met her eyes and immediately understood. She shrugged, as if leaving the decision up to her.

  “Sarah is back from the camp,” Aurora expined gently. “It turned out they were abusing the kids in horrific ways. The pce is officially being shut down as of today.” She held Sarah comfortingly from behind, letting her lean into her. Then, she looked at Quinn again, silently asking the question—should she tell her?

  Quinn hesitated only for a moment before responding. “Hey, Leona’s not here right now,” she said casually, stepping forward with a reassuring smile. “You wanna come up and hang out until she makes her grand entrance?”

  Sarah turned to look up at Aurora, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. “I’ll be okay, I think,” she murmured. Then, more firmly, she added, “Thank you so much for bringing me here. Will I ever see you again?”

  Quinn chuckled softly, stepping forward to gently take Sarah’s hand. “I think it’s safe to say she’ll be around.”

  Aurora smiled, giving Sarah one st comforting squeeze before stepping back. “I’m kind of San Isidro’s guardian angel now,” she said warmly. “Although I can’t be everywhere, I’ll do what I can.”

  She hesitated, then added, “May I take a picture or two of you, Sarah? I need to make sure your parents see exactly what kind of condition you’re in. They need to understand what happened to you.”

  Sarah nodded hesitantly, exhaustion evident in her features. She still clung to Quinn for bance. Aurora retrieved her communicator, carefully framing the shots. She made sure to capture everything—the tangled mess of Sarah’s hair, the gauntness in her face, the way she looked so small, so fragile in the oversized clothes she had changed into. This was evidence. The truth, pin and unfiltered.

  “Thank you, Sarah,” Aurora said, tucking her communicator away. “Now, get some rest. I think you should take a hot shower first—you’ll feel so much better after. Drink and eat, but don’t overdo it, okay?”

  Sarah nodded quietly, taking Quinn’s hand again for support. Aurora took that as her cue to leave. With a final nod to Quinn, she forced a wink at Sarah and turned away. She stepped out of the condo and took to the sky, but this time she didn’t return to the copse behind the building.

  Instead, she found a small park nearby, one she had pyed in as a child. She nded, shaking off her exhaustion, and let the transformation slip away. Her wings faded with her beautiful white and gold toga studded with blue gems dissolved into her regur clothes and she shrunk. Once again, she was Leona.

  From there, she broke into a run, cutting through the park and dashing across fences, using her parkour skills to navigate the terrain quickly. By the time she reached her home, she was panting, but it was worth it. She needed the dey, needed to create the illusion that she had been somewhere else this whole time.

  She waited another ten minutes, catching her breath, and then, at st, stepped inside.

  “I’m home! You still here, big sis?” she called out.

  Before she could even process what was happening, Sarah’s voice rang out.

  “Leona!”

  Leona barely had a second to react before Sarah came bounding down the stairs, moving faster than she thought possible given her state. In an instant, she was tackled, Sarah’s arms locking around her as they both tumbled to the floor.

  Leona cried out in surprise, then broke into ughter, holding onto Sarah as the girl clung even tighter. “Oh, God! Leona! Leona… I love you!” Sarah’s voice cracked, raw with emotion. “I’m sure… I love you.”

  Leona gaped at her, completely caught off guard. Her mind reeled, but her arms instinctively tightened around Sarah in return.

  “Sarah…” she whispered. She held her close, taking a shaky breath as the weight of everything crashed down on her.

  Quinn, who had come halfway down the stairs following Sarah, didn’t speak but sent a hand sign asking if Leona had things under control. Leona simply closed her eyes, squeezed Sarah close and gave a slight nod.

  She had rescued her.

  She had saved her.

  But Sarah had saved something in Leona, too.

  Seeing that she wasn’t needed, Quinn silently turned around and headed back upstairs, making herself scarce.

  “Are you really sure of that? You might just be sad and traumatized by what they did. You have no reservations? You know that I’m going to have surgery some day, probably.”

  “I do want you to be a girl. I love girls,” Sarah confessed without hesitation. “But I love you for who you are, even more.” Her voice wavered slightly, but the conviction in her words remained strong. “Please just hold me. I was so, so dumb. Thank you for sending Aurora to check on me. She really rescued me. Can I stay here with you for a while? At least until tomorrow?” she asked, her fingers clutching at Leona like she was afraid to be alone.

  Leona stroked her hair gently, fingers tangling in the sweat-matted strands. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Sarah. We’ll need to call your parents, as much as I hate the idea.” She sighed, hating the reality of the situation. “If I had to guess, Aurora took responsibility for getting you home but she brought you here first. The police are counting on her to make sure you’re safe. She’s done a lot for us. If your parents take offense or get angry that we held onto you after all this, Aurora is the one who’ll take the fall. And us too.” Leona looked into Sarah’s dark eyes, searching for understanding. “I don’t know how big of a deal it would be, but I don’t think either of us wants to give her trouble, right?”

  Sarah blinked back fresh tears but managed a small, sad smile. “I understand. She did say she’d be back for me ter. Ha, I thought she was Quinn. She said the present I got you was from her…”

  Leona forced a chuckle, though her heart was still heavy. “That was what drew her to us.” She had to lie, just a little. “That was her down. Now that she recimed it, she pokes her nose in once in a while. Although she might be friends with Quinn now, she’s definitely not her.” She giggled, hoping to lighten the mood. “We’ll spend the evening together, and I think Mom will want to stuff you full of healthy food, given how you look.” Leona winked at Sarah, squeezing her hand.

  “And… you should take a shower too…” Leona said more seriously, concern seeping into her tone. “I bet you feel horrible. I know all about how it feels to be stuffed in a box.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened. “You do? When? How?”

  Leona hesitated, then chewed her lip before answering. “My father did the same thing to me when I was really young… but I was alone and not naked. It was bad enough as it was being locked up in there for a week or two on end. But I admit that I have no idea what it’s like to be stuffed in with a boy.”

  “Oh, GOD!” Sarah excimed, her whole body tensing. “It’s horrible… that’s when I realized I like girls.” Her fists clenched at her sides, knuckles going white. “Though he wasn’t horrible… he just cried with me. But with him like that and me naked, I started getting all self-conscious, and I got angrier and more and more upset. I wondered, maybe I should test to see if I really liked boys back then in the box, but instead, I just cried most of the time.” Her voice wavered, thick with emotion. “I-I think they wanted us to have sex. They thought that would start something or change us.” Sarah sniffled, rubbing her sleeve against her nose.

  Leona felt rage boil in her stomach, but she forced herself to push it aside, at least for now. Instead, she hugged Sarah again, holding her tight. “Let’s get you into the shower. You’ll feel better after.” She stroked Sarah’s back soothingly. “We’ll py some games like always and stuff ourselves silly to celebrate. As much as you can comfortably eat, that is.”

  Sarah bit her lip and nodded softly.

  Leona pulled back when Sarah let her go, taking her hand and leading her upstairs. When they reached the bathroom, she rummaged around, grabbing the biggest, fluffiest towel in the condo and a fresh loofah. She handed them to Sarah with a small smile. “Feel free to use my bath oils or anything else in there you want to use. Enjoy yourself, and let me know when you’re done. I’ll be waiting.”

  She turned to leave, giving Sarah her privacy, but before she could take a step, Sarah suddenly seized her wrist.

  “Please don’t go.” Her grip was firm but not forceful, more pleading than demanding. “Will you shower with me? I don’t want to be alone.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I want to finally know if I truly like girls, even though I know you won’t test that… and I don’t love anyone else, so I won’t be with anyone else.” Sarah sniffled, her eyes wide and searching.

  Leona froze. She wasn’t sure if this was the exhaustion or trauma speaking, or if this was something else. Had Sarah changed this much, or was this just her needing comfort in the worst way possible?

  “Ah… I don’t think it would be for the best.” Leona reached for the doorknob, trying to gently pull herself away, but Sarah tugged back, ughing softly.

  “Stay.”

  “But I just… I’ll be waiting for you… on the other side of the door.” Leona filed slightly, suddenly unsure of how to handle this.

  “No.” Sarah smiled, shaking her head. “Please.”

  Leona’s fingers curled against the doorknob. “Why?”

  Sarah looked directly into Leona’s eyes, the pain in them cutting deep. “They locked me in a box with a gay boy. You know.” She took a shaky breath. “I thought it’d be nice to be alone, but it’d be better with you. If you won’t get in with me, just stay here on the toilet for me, please.”

  Leona swallowed hard but finally nodded. “Okay… I’ll stay.”

  Sarah smiled, relieved, and without another word, she started stripping off the filthy camp clothes. There was no hesitation, no shame in the way she undressed, only a quiet acceptance of the moment. Leona turned away instantly, her face burning. Before, in the camp, she’d only thought about how awful it was that Sarah had been put through that—being locked away like an animal, stripped of her dignity. But now, seeing her like this, the reality hit different.

  This was Sarah. The girl she had loved for so long. And now that same girl was standing behind her, completely bare, completely vulnerable.

  Leona clenched her fists in her p and forced herself to focus on the sound of the shower turning on.

  “Take your time,” she murmured, keeping her eyes firmly on the wall. “I’ll be right here.”

  Sarah looked at Leona and smiled softly before stepping into the bathtub and starting the shower. Leona let out a quiet breath of relief, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease—only to immediately start sweating again. Her face burned as she pressed her hands against her cheeks, trying to collect herself. This was too much.

  Then, a knock at the door saved her.

  Leona practically lunged for it, cracking it open just enough to peek out. Quinn stood there, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. “Hey, everything okay?”

  “Oh God…” Leona whispered under her breath. “She’s gone full-blown in reverse.” She felt sweat trickle down her back. “She loves me… she wants me, I think… even though…” Her mind raced, conflicting emotions knotting up inside her. But then, Mistral—Mistral was her true love. Even though that pleading look on Sarah’s face had moved her heart. She covered her face with her hands, groaning softly.

  Quinn nudged the door open wider and pulled Leona into a firm hug, guiding her out of the bathroom before shutting the door gently behind them. “Okay, serious talk time. C’mon. Hey Sarah, I need Leona for a second, have her back to you in a jiffy.” She steered Leona a few steps down the hall, far enough that Sarah wouldn’t overhear them through the running water.

  “So, let’s look at the situation objectively,” Quinn began, voice steady but serious. “Didn’t you tell me that Mistral loves Aurora and not Leona? Or rather, that she can’t be with the younger you? Well, think about it. Sarah loves you—the real you, not just some fantasy—she was totally in love with you before and she was coming around to the idea for a while now, right?”

  Leona swallowed, nodding slightly. She had felt Sarah coming back to her, even before Sarah had realized it herself.

  “And now she has chosen,” Quinn confirmed, watching her carefully. “So why not just let her be in love with Leona, and let Mistral be in love with Aurora? I know it’s complex, but we both know you were never really cut out for a traditional romance. You have too much room in your heart, Leona, you’ve been in love with more than one woman at once for some time, loving each in their own way. And that’s totally okay. Anyone who says otherwise can pound sand. Besides, the fact is, it could actually help you to have a love as Leona. Someone who loves you for who you are, not for who you can be when you go super. Just about anyone could have the hots for Aurora, y’know?” She leaned in conspiratorially, hiding her mouth with a wink. “Not to mention, it’d be good cover for your retionship with Mistral, don’t you think? You can very accurately say that you’re taken. That way, people don’t poke into your love life, and Mistral doesn’t have to worry about public scrutiny.”

  Leona bit her lip, processing everything. Quinn made sense—too much sense. Although any normal sister would have waved her off, Quinn knew her better than anyone and knew what would help her baby sister out best.

  “But if this isn’t what you want,” Quinn continued, “then you know what to do. Tell Sarah she had her chance. Tell her you need time to just be good friends. She spent all that time hiding your retionship from the world, denying it—denying you. Who and what you are.”

  Quinn sighed, rubbing her temples. “Look, if you don’t feel comfortable with both of them, I’d say go for the superhero between the two. Let Sarah just stay in the friend zone—she worked hard to keep you there herself and turnabout is fair py.”

  Leona nodded slowly, chewing her lip. “That’s the problem. I do still have feelings for Sarah.” Her voice dropped lower. “But the thing she was staying at the steakhouse… It broke my heart. It was a repetition of our café convo before our st breakup.” Leona clutched at her head and sighed. “It was like some kind of a yuri manga or anime, but this is real life. She always twists around and gets so set against me, and yet… despite hurting me like that, she still protected Aurora from being arrested. She supported me in every way she could, even when she didn’t know it was me. She showed amazing courage and strength.” Leona was extremely conflicted.

  “That turmoil with her made it easier to be with Mistral,” she admitted. “I needed someone who wanted to shower me with affection. And Mistral does exactly that. She is just… wonderful. Oh sure she scared me to death when she popped through my window that evening after my shower, but she softened really quickly towards me, and that was before I showed her my superhero form.”

  Quinn nodded. “I can see why it’s hard to choose.” She shook her head. “I can’t make this choice for you. It’s gotta come from here.” She poked at Leona’s chest. After that she waited as they shared a moment of silence and consideration.

  Leona finally let out a breath. “You’re right. You’re right that Mistral is interested in Aurora and her only. Even though I think she’d cuddle me no matter how I looked, there’s an age difference issue there, and I wouldn’t want anything to harm her career. I mean, given a few more years, there won't be a problem anymore, but right now…” She ran her fingers through her hair. “But if I did that… I really wonder if Mistral would be jealous about Sarah…”

  She fished around in her pocket for her communicator, thinking. “I wonder if I should send her a text and ask her what she thinks and feels. There are things that are normally off the table… but I need to know.”

  Quinn grinned mischievously. “Ask her if she’ll go for a foursome when you do.”

  Leona choked on air, her face turning crimson. “Quinn!”

  Quinn just cackled. “I’ll be in my room if you need any more advice.” She ruffled Leona’s hair before sauntering off, ughing to herself.

  Leona rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. BAKA cousin.

  Shaking her head, she turned back to her communicator, typing out a message to Mistral.

  SilverWind14: Leona has a friend who has been going through

  some awful stuff. She has feelings for that girl, but she also has

  feelings for Mistral, particurly as Aurora. Would Mistral be upset

  if Leona comforted her friend she cares about? Would Mistral

  think Leona was being bad?

  She hesitated before hitting send, but it was the right thing to do to ask. Even doing so risked ending her retionship with Mistral. Was it worth that? Maybe Leona had already decided it was. If she was going to be honest with herself, she needed to be clean with Mistral too.

  Thankfully, a response came quickly.

  NocturneWarden: Leona is an underaged girl, someone a completely

  different person from Aurora, though they share the same mind. I love

  you either way, but I am attracted to Aurora physically. If Leona has a

  friend who is close to her, I wouldn’t be angry. Leona needs love too,

  and I can’t give her that. That isn’t something we can share for now in

  the public eye because of the age difference.

  Leona read the new message from Mistral twice, her chest tightening.

  SilverWind14: Can Aurora still love Mistral? If so, then what your civilian

  ID does is your business. I love you enough to let you live the both of

  your lives, but don’t worry about my side.

  Love you, xoxo

  Leona’s eyes stung. Mistral really is amazing. She held her communicator to her chest for a moment before quickly typing back.

  NocturneWarden: Deeply. Aurora loves Mistral forever. Will share details

  about my friend ter. Time is sensitive right now. Love you so much.

  Hugs and kisses!

  She pocketed the communicator, squared her shoulders, and stepped back into the bathroom.

  The sound of running water filled the space, steam curling around the mirror.

  Sarah peeked out from behind the shower curtain, blinking at her. “I’m gd you came back.”

  Leona smiled softly. “I’m sorry I had to step out. Quinn wanted to have a little talk and I got a call too.”

  Sarah studied her for a moment, then nodded. “If you’d sit and talk with me now while I finish the shower, I’d be really happy.”

  Leona hesitated, then nodded. “Can I scrub your back for you with the loofah?” she asked gently.

  Sarah nodded and beamed at her. She grabbed the loofah she’d set aside and thered it up again. Sliding the shower curtain aside, she turned, baring her back to Leona, droplets of water glistening down her skin.

  Leona swallowed a little and smiled, taking the loofah as Sarah passed it back to her. She gently ran it over Sarah’s shoulders, her touch slow and deliberate, massaging in small, careful circles. Sarah let out a soft sigh, her body visibly rexing under Leona’s hands.

  “You’re really good at this…” Sarah murmured, peeking over her shoulder with a sleepy smile.

  Leona chuckled, her fingers momentarily stilling. “I guess it’s easy when you care about someone.”

  Sarah purred, leaning slightly into the touch. “Mmm… lower.”

  Leona’s face turned crimson. “I-I can’t… I mean…” She stammered, barely able to keep her thoughts straight.

  Sarah turned around in one swift, fluid motion, the impish grin never leaving her face. Before Leona could react, she felt Sarah’s arms wrap around her, her soaked body pressing against her own. The damp warmth spread through her clothes, clinging to her skin.

  “I think… it would be smart if you took a shower too,” Sarah teased, her voice low and pyful. “You’re getting pretty wet.”

  Leona’s mind scrambled for a response, but before she could find the words, Sarah kissed her.

  Her breath caught in her throat. The kiss was soft, but not hesitant. It wasn’t like the ones they had stolen under the bleachers at school, quick and daring, filled with the fear of being caught. This was different. Sarah wasn’t holding back anymore.

  Leona melted into it, her hands finding their way to Sarah’s waist, pulling her just a little closer before her rational thoughts caught up.

  When they parted, Sarah’s gaze searched hers, both of them breathless. “I love you,” Sarah whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I know I was stupid before, I know I was scared, but I’m not anymore. I want this.”

  Leona swallowed hard, her heart hammering. “I love you too, Sarah… I always have.” Her fingers brushed Sarah’s cheek, lingering. “But… are you sure? You’ve been through so much. I don’t want you to—”

  Sarah silenced her with another kiss, this time deeper, her body pressing more firmly against Leona’s. She was warm, needy, desperate for the comfort she had been denied for so long.

  Leona knew this wasn’t just about attraction. It was about healing. About reciming something that had been taken from Sarah.

  Her hands settled on Sarah’s waist, not pushing, not taking, simply holding her steady.

  “Leona…” Sarah’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Will you stay?”

  Leona exhaled slowly, the weight of the moment settling over her. She rested her forehead against Sarah’s, closing her eyes.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.