Chapter Twenty

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Chapter Twenty

Staring at the black jacket with silver accents and pants that match, I can't help but to be in awe. My feet shift around in the flexible sole shoes that have just enough tread on them, so I don't slip when running. I pull the mask off of the table and adhere it to my face. It covers the bottom half of my face and nose completely. I don't want my vision obstructed by anything, so we went with this mask instead. Lena wears one like this but no one can see her face so I guess it will be a first for the public.

"How does it fit, Miss Arlington?"

"It fits beautifully," I say as I stretch out to make sure everything can stretch with me.

The outfit is incredibly flexible and malleable so that I won't be physically restricted in any way. The jacket is made of a thicker material so that it can withstand more force. I stretch my toes out in the shoes and marvel at how comfortable they are. I look in the mirror and I barely recognize the woman in front of me. I slide my glasses off my face and focus on the material on my skin.

"It's perfect," I say.   

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," I say before she disappears.

I do some very basic tumbling while testing out the material but pause when the energy shifts in the room. Standing up from the handstand I am doing, I fumble for my glasses. I slide them back onto my face and see Lena standing there.

"How does it look?" I ask walking over to the mirror. I love the style of the jacket; it is cut similarly to leather jacket but without a lot more flexible material.

"You look good, it fits you well," Lena says.

"Thanks,"

We stand there in silence for a few moments and I can feel the tension building. I try best to ignore it, but I can feel my pulse rising slightly and knots forming in my stomach. I didn't do anything wrong, but Lena is still upset. I guess I should have stopped longer to talk to her, but I wanted to work out! I didn't need to talk it out.

"Well, this is awkward..." Lena mumbles sitting down. I let out a long sigh.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I say, and she looks at me.

"That's not an apology," she says.

"Because it wasn't mean to be one. I wanted to work out and I didn't want to talk about it at the time."

"It's not healthy to keep everything pent up Avi. I was just trying to help you," she says sharply.

"I didn't need your help; I have my coping mechanisms. Why is it even so important that I talk it out? Why do you care?" I ask baiting her. Her breath hitches and she meets my eyes.

"Because I'm in love with you," she says bluntly.

Staring at her in shock, my body freezes and my mind blanks out for a few moments. Did she just say that, and so bluntly? I've known that she has a thing for me, but I certainly didn't expect her to go and drop the 'I love you' bomb! The world blurs slightly as I try to process, stepping backward slightly I sit down on the sofa hard. Looking over at Lena, I see an unreadable expression on her face.

"Well you nearly falling over isn't the reaction I was hoping for," she says in a flat tone.

"Pardon me, but I wasn't expecting you to drop the 'l' word in that sentence," I say, and I can hear my voice sounding shaky.

How could she fall in love with me? What is so special about me that it could catch her attention like that? Is she playing games with me? Why wouldn't she have said something sooner if she felt that strongly? Or was she that scared to mention it to me? What do I say back? I know I don't love her, but I've had a crush on her for months and want to date her!

"You look like your panicking," Lena says quietly.

"Slightly," I say trying to stop the anxiety attack I am having.

Strong emotions can create physical effects for anyone, but for me, it is a given. The energy that is starting to buzz through me in unbearable and I need it to stop so that I can focus on the conversation at hand. Standing up to leave, I shake my head and sit back down. I need to talk to her; I can't just get up and leave.

"What was that?" Lena asks

"I was going to leave to work out, but we need to talk about this first," I say.

"You were going to leave?"

"I don't think you understand that the way I cope with my emotions and stimulus is by working out. It's why my dad signed me up for gymnastics and karate when I was so young. If you loved me then you would know this and understand this already," I say frustrated. Lena pauses for a moment before dropping her head slightly.

"I'm sorry," she says in a tone I have never heard from her before. It almost sounds like she is broken.

One of my favorite things about Lena has always been how strong and articulate she is about everything. Whenever she walks into my lab, there is just this soft confidence to her and reminds me of how powerful of a woman she is. Whenever she runs a meeting, all eyes are on her and it has always amazed me at how well she can command a room. If there is one thing I am certain of right now, it is I never want her to sound that weak again. Walking over I sit down next to her on the couch and her head picks up slightly.

"Don't ever drop your head like that," I say in a serious voice and her eyes cloud with confusion.

"You are an incredible woman Lena, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met," I say. She gives me a small smile.

"You are right though; I should know that is how you cope with the excess energy you feel in yourself and in your environment. But in my head, I guess I just wanted you to talk things out with me like my family does," she says.

"That's respectable, but each of us learns to cope in different ways. If I ever want to talk something out, I promise I'll come to you," I say, and she smiles.

"I didn't mean to blurt that out like that... I wanted to ask you out first and then later down the road tell you... I think my brain had a fit and my heart did the talking," Lena says with a weak chuckle.

"Seems like a perfectly logical explanation to me," I say trying to calm myself back down.

"So, what now..." Lena trails off in an uneasy tone.

"I'm not going to lie to you Lena, I don't love you back. It would be wrong of me to pretend that I did. But I'm not opposed to looking at you in a romantic light rather than just being friends..." I say trying to choose my words carefully.

"Really?" She asks, and I see a little flutter of excitement in her eyes.

"I mean..." My mind starts racing. Not only do we work together at Voyager, but she's also my boss! On top of that, we are going to start working together through M5. I'm also over five years younger than her and not nearly as successful!

"You look like your panicking again," Lena says, putting a hand tentatively on my own.

"I'm so much younger than you. Doesn't that bother you?" I blurt out.

"At first it did concern me because I didn't want you to perceive me as creepy but the more I thought about it, I was reminded that you are more mature then people that are twice my age. But I can see now that it does indeed bother you..." She says the excitement within her dying.

"Oh, I don't care, it's only five years, not twenty-five," I say trying to get a hold of my panicking mind.

The energy is buzzing insistently within me and I could barely seem to focus on the words coming out of my mouth before I say them. My body has a faint tremor to it as I try to keep myself from fidgeting like a child. Lena takes notice of my behavior and shakes her head.

"Go work out, I will be in my apartment for the rest of the day. If you want to continue this conversation once you clear your head. If you don't show up... I will take that as in the fact that you aren't interested..." she says before squeezing my hand one final time before leaving.

I don't waste a moment once I return home. Folding my new uniform carefully, I leave it on my bed. I throw on my workout clothes and head to the gym. I completely lose track of time in the gym and by the time I dismount from the beam it almost nine o'clock! I hurry back to my apartment and shower as quickly as I can before hailing a cab to Lena's apartment. It would have been quicker to take myself there, but I don't know her building well enough to try and take myself there. I also only have the address, not the apartment number.

When the cab pulls up, I pay the driver and hurry into the building. A woman at the front desk smiles at me and greets me. I tell her I am here to see Cathleen Winters and she checks some paperwork and gives me a sorry look.

"I'm afraid that Miss Winters didn't approve for us to let anyone up tonight," she says.

"She didn't?" I ask confused. The woman shakes her head keeping her polite demeanor well intact. I pull my phone out and dial the all too familiar phone number.

"Lena answer your phone," I grumble, and the phone goes to voicemail. I dial Xander next.

"Hey, Avi!" His chipper voice answers.

"Is Lena home?" I ask frustrated.

"She should be, why?" He asks.

"They won't let me up to see her because she didn't authorize it and she didn't answer her phone," I say trying to hide my annoyance.

"Try calling her again, she probably just missed the call," he says.

I hang up and dial the number again, still no answer. The woman at the front desk gives me an apologetic look. I dial Lena again and it goes to voicemail, yet again,

"Miss I am afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premise if you can't get a hold of Miss Winters. We don't allow people to loiter here," she says, and I sigh.

"Of course," I say defeated.

I slowly leave the lobby and start walking back down the street. I kick a can mindlessly. Why didn't she answer her phone? I didn't mean to take that long at the gym but it's not like it's uncommon for me to go for hours at a time... Is she upset with me? I let out a long sigh and resist the urge to scream.

Why did things have to get so complicated? I care a lot about Lena, but this is frustrating! I picture her playful smirk as she says something sarcastic and then rolls her beautiful eyes. I can practically smell her conditioner as she tosses her long silky black hair. My skin buzzes where she touched my hand earlier and a sad smile slips across my lips. I had been crushing on her for quite a while, but I never thought she would say that she loved me.

I am waiting for the subway when my phone starts buzzing. My heart rate picks up and I check the caller ID. I am disappointed to see that it is only Xander.

"Hey," I say quietly.

"Did you get a hold of her?" He asks.

"No," I say.

"Why were you at her apartment complex anyway?" He asks sounding completely oblivious.

"I'll tell you later..."

"Is everything okay Avi? Have you two talked over what happened the other day?" Xander asks

I casually end the call not wanting to talk anymore. I text him telling the call dropped before hopping on the subway. My brain goes onto autopilot and next thing I know I am in front of Voyager. I scan into the building and make sure the doors lock behind me. Making my way into my lab I glance at the clock. It is slightly past ten and here I am swiping into work this late on a Saturday. I can be such a nerd sometimes.

I get to work making and thinking through my next project. I spend hours working before my eyes start to close on their own accord. I rest my head on the table trying to gather the strength to get myself home. I find myself not moving but rather sinking further into my tired stupor. I am on the cusp of being unconscious when two soft, yet strong arms guide me off of my stool. I nearly crumble to the floor when they catch me.

"Oh Aviva, what are you doing here this late?" A silky voice asks but I can't seem to find the strength to open my mouth. The world falls from beneath my feet and everything goes black.

The next morning sunlight penetrates my eyelids and I try to roll over and nearly fall off whatever I am laying on. Opening my eyes, I look around confused, this isn't my apartment. I take in the soft, black, blanket draped over my form and I try to figure out where I am. Sitting up on the leather couch I look around at the penthouse style apartment. Everything is made of dark wood or glass and the windows were floor to ceiling.

I look at the wall and I see photos of Lena with her family, with me and Xander, and with M4 staring back at me. How did I get to Lena's apartment? I hope I didn't accidentally bring myself here! I strain my memories to try and remember what happened after I practically passed out at Voyager.

"Sleeping beauty has awakened from her slumber," a voice muses, from behind me.

Turning my head, I see Lena standing with a cup of coffee in her hand. She is wearing a white tank top with spandex shorts on. Her hair is pulled up into a bun and I can see that her hair is wet. She sips her coffee casually and raises her perfectly manicured eyebrow at me.

"Did you forget how to speak or are you not awake yet?" She asks casually.

"How did I get here?" I ask confused.

"I brought you here after I found you passed out on your lab table," she says.

"Oops," I say rubbing the crick in my neck.

"You can head out whenever you want," she says with a dismissive wave and a colder tone.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" I question standing up and pulling my hair back.

"What are you talking about?" She replies confused and I become frustrated.

The woman barely gets off of her phone some days, and she has the gall to pretend she didn't get my calls? I get that I tried contacting her a bit later than she probably would have liked but I lost track of time! Frustration mounts inside of me until I am teaming with energy again.

"Forget it," I spit out before grabbing my things and disappearing.

I throw my shoes across the room frustrated and walk into my bathroom. I brush my teeth and change before disappearing. I land in the hallway of my old home. I knock on the front door and I hear some movement.

"Dad, it's Aviva," I call out.

"Coming," a female voice calls out.

Genève opens the door and she is in one of my dad's t-shirts and her own shorts. She smiles at me trying to play off the fact that she is wearing my dad's clothes. I chuckle to myself as she lets me in.

"Your dad is in the shower sweetie," she says.

"Did you guys eat breakfast?" I ask and her face perks up.

"No, we haven't eaten yet! Would you like to go out to breakfast?" She asks excitedly.

"I mean that was my intention," I say with a small smile.

"Is everything alright Av?" She asks me, cocking her head to the side.

"Yes," I say lying.

"Let me go change," she says with a laugh.

I sit on the couch and read through the newspaper absentmindedly. Reaching for my phone, I find my pockets empty. I can still picture my phone sitting on my bed where I threw it annoyed. Deciding to leave it alone, I am surprised my dad walks out in the living room wearing a button-down and jeans.

"I'm so glad you're here Aviva," he says coming over and pecking me on the top of my head and stealing the newspaper from me.

"Ready to go?" I ask, and he glances into the bedroom.

"I think Gen is almost ready," he says amused with a loving look on his face.

"You care about her, don't you?" I ask curiously. He looks surprised before clearing his throat.

"Of course," he says.

"I'm happy for you dad," I say sincerely, and he smiles at me.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he says and Genève walks into the living room wearing a button-down and skirt.

"Wow I feel underdressed," I joke staring down at my old blouse and faded jeans.

"Nonsense you look adorable," she says, and we leave the apartment.

Breakfast is wonderful and honestly even though I am still upset with my dad, it is obvious how much he cares about me and Genève. They are quite cute together and I am happy that my dad has moved on from my mom, he deserves to be happy. I am also growing quite fond of the quirky businesswomen, she is so easy to talk to.

We start walking back to the apartment when my watch starts vibrating. I stare down at the smartwatch and see that I have twenty notifications from Lena and three news updates. I continue clicking through and see that Metallica and G had handled whatever popped up this morning. That was irresponsible of me not to notice what was going on, but I was completely absorbed in enjoying breakfast.

"Aviva!" My dad's voice screams as I see a car inches from us.

Putting my hands up, a wall of energy forms within my hands and the car smashes into it and my hands start to phase through the hood of the car. Yanking them out, I feel myself stumble back. I go to brush my face but find the mask there and the jacket on. I'm getting better at creating those on a whim.

I walk over to the driver's side of the car and find them unconscious. Sending out a 911 notification, I am relieved when I hear a siren whining in the distance. Looking around, I see that no one else is on the little side street we are walking down. I wait until the ambulance arrives and takes the unconscious driver away. I avoid making eye contact with Genève for as long as possible. I certainly don't want to explain this to her after the morning I have had.

Once the scene has cleared the mask and jacket dissolve from my body and I finally turn to face my dad. He pulls me into his arms, and I hug him back. I can feel his heart still racing at a slightly elevated rate. Genève is next to hug me, and I can feel how hard she is panicking.

"I can explain," I say, and she gives a slightly hysterical laugh.

"I always knew you were special Aviva, but this just takes the cake. I think I understand why you and your father were in a spat for so long now. Your mother was particulate, wasn't she?" She asks me, and I pull back shocked.

"I would recognize that ability anywhere. Your mother saved my life once," she says, and she wipes the tears from her eyes.

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