any love of any kind

(taglist):

Several minutes later, she realized she had already checked out of the conversation.

"Remind me, where are you going?"

"South Korea. Some place I hadn't heard of before. Anyway, as I was saying—"

Lauren's hands froze, mid-cut. A voice, albeit incomprehensible, started whispering in the depths of her mind as she felt herself zoning out. She had heard about unrest in the region, but something made the hairs on her body stand up straight.

The last time she had this feeling, was in the hospital, right before they found out about Shepherd's end. The woman took a look at her phone, where her companion continued on raving about "pop stars and neon lights".

"Jamie."

"—Think a 41-year-old man is still eligible for a K-Pop licence?"

"Jamie."

He recognized that tone. Lauren doesn't interrupt people, unless there's a thought she needs to voice, and she needs to do it right now. Feeling the gravity of the moment settle in, Jamie falls silent, watching the screen. Waiting for the follow-up.

"I'm assuming you've seen the news," after hearing his confirmation, the woman continues, "so do not go out there and be a cowboy. Be careful. And take care of those kids, not just Dunn and West."

For a good moment, the pair stared at each other in a hard silence. Ever since Price went missing, things have gotten complicated. The team has become hardened, more distant. Though Ghost was nothing short of an exceptional leader, his outlook and mannerisms had started to bleed into everyone. Lauren included.

But a man who does not heed the words of a woman's intuition, is a man doomed to failure. Or worse, in his case.

"I'll be careful. No heroics, no playing Vaquero."

"Promise me."