det. abreu.

She'd convinced herself that she would only be here for a minute. No, she wasn't running away from Jeff's nonsense or an empty house – she was here because she wanted to be. A quick change of scenery for the boring, lonely, messed-up housewife with enough secrets to... crash a plane. Fuck, to this day, she can't really escape it, can she?

It'd been a while since she stared at her own hands fidget, avoiding lifting her glance to her immediate front. She feared she'd see someone there... But then slides another into view, pronouncing her name. Her head lifts and she feels a chill run down her spine.

Confusion is what comes first. That's a... strangely familiar face, but she couldn't quite pinpoint who she was with just that. It's the last name that solves the mystery for her... The name of a fellow Yellowjacket. Ex-Yellowjacket, she tries reminding herself, just to make everything feel a little lighter.

But can she make anything about this encounter light and subtle when the other coupled her last name with detective? Of all things, she had to be an investigator. This does not bode well. Shauna wants to curse so bad.

send one to have our muses meet for the first time.

“Sorry, were you just talking to me?”

“I think you dropped this.”

“You look lost. Need some help?”

“I don’t usually talk to strangers, but…”

“You’re sitting in my spot.”

“Whoa! Careful!”

“We’ve never met, right? You seem familiar.”

“Is that seat taken?”

“Sorry, I think I just spilled something on you.”

“You’re blocking the doorway.”

“Were you just staring at me?”

“Excuse me, do you know the time?”

“Wait — are you the person I’m supposed to meet?”

“I’ve been sent to find you.”

“Please don’t be alarmed, but I think we have the same bag.”

“Do you work here?”

“I’m fairly certain that’s mine.”

“You’ve got something on your face.”

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Do you know the way to ___?”

“You’re hurt. Do you need help?”

“That’s a fine ___ (cloak/hat/book/etc.). Where did you get it?”

“This might sound strange, but can I hide behind you for a moment?”

“You look like you could use a friend.”

“I think your dog just stole my lunch.”

“Hey, you dropped your coin purse.”

“I think we’re stuck in here together.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear, but…”

“Are you the new neighbor?”

“First time in town?”

“I’m not sure if this belongs to you, but…”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’ve been hearing a lot about you.”

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“I think you’re in the wrong place.”

“You seem… out of place.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you following me?”

“That was a close call.”

“Not to alarm you, but someone’s watching you.”

“Mind if I walk with you?”

“You look like you’re in trouble.”

“Was that your doing back there?”

“You don’t look like you’re from around here.”

“That was impressive. How’d you manage it?”

“I’m guessing you’re not here by accident.”

“Do I want to know what just happened?”

“You might want to keep your voice down.”

“Is it always this strange around here?”

“I have a feeling we’re about to become acquainted whether we like it or not.”

i thought i told you to stay back.

i love you too much to let you get hurt like this.

this affects me, too, you know.

every time you leave, i sit up all night waiting, praying you'll come back alive.

you keep pulling stunts like this and something bad will happen.

do you have a death wish or something?

this isn't fair to me.

i deserve better than this.

i didn't get any sleep last night because i was so worried about you.

you promised me you'd stop going out at night.

i don't like hearing this.

you've been risking your life, and for what? so you can feel like a goddamn hero?

i said i would handle it.

what the fuck are you doing here?

you told me you'd stay put.

so much for laying low.

you remember how bad it was last time.

seems like you haven't learned anything.

i believe you promised me you'd lay low.

i can't keep doing this.

don't give me that look.

we'll discuss this later.

this stops now.

i'm tired of picking up the pieces once you've left.

you keep throwing yourself into danger.

you don't give a shit about yourself, do you?

i'm sitting here, worried out of my mind, while you're out doing god knows what.

that was really stupid of you, and you know it.

i thought you knew better than this.

what's your excuse this time?

you do realize what this does to me, right? seeing you get hurt like this? you know it hurts me, too?

you really don't give a shit how this affects me, huh.

that was the dumbest possible thing you could have done.

i need you to stop throwing yourself into harm's way.

that was completely unnecessary.

they had it handled.

you didn't need to step in like that.

why do you think you're invincible?

the last time you pulled a stunt like this, it nearly got you killed.

i can't just sit here and watch you get hurt.

what are you trying to prove?

you just like fucking with my heart, don't you.

this shit hurts me, too, you know.

you're not the only one affected by this shit.

you've got a lot of people counting on you to come home every night.

what happens if you don't come back?

you think we can just carry on without you?

you think i can handle things if you end up dead?

i'm not sticking around to watch you get hurt.

you're not even slick.

you think you're invincible, don't you.

quit pretending you've got everything under control.

let someone else do it for a change.

you can't keep putting yourself through shit like this and expect me to just sit back and watch.

i'm done with this.

next time you do this, i'm not coming back.

promise me this is the end.

look me in the eyes and tell me you'll stop doing this.

let the authorities deal with it.

you're making a big mistake.

is it worth dying for?

i don't have time for games, [name].

you can't stop me.

these people are counting on me to save them.

every second i wait, every moment i take for myself, is another life lost.

i'm not willing to put anyone else's life on the line.

i have to be tougher than this.

you taught me to be strong.

i'm not giving up.

there's no time to waste.

you stay behind. i'm leaving.

that's not a risk i'm willing to take.

there's no time to sit and chat. i have to keep going.

i'm not tired.

i was just resting my eyes.

you're imagining things.

i'm perfectly fine continuing on.

we have to pick up the pace.

they're counting on me to fix this.

there are so many lives at stake.

we can't slow down.

don't ask me to take a break.

i wasn't crying.

i can't let them see me falter.

there's no time for breaks.

i don't need sleep. i need answers.

i'm not wasting another second on this.

we have to figure out a way around it.

get up. we're going.

we're finding another way through.

if i have to break the door down, i will.

so many people are counting on me.

i can't afford to fail.

i can't let them see me quit.

there's no room for failure.

too many lives are at stake for me to just sit here and do nothing.

they need a hero.

i'm not sitting around and waiting for someone to save me.

i don't have time for this.

i can do this on my own.

get out of my way. let me try.

move out of my way.

you're not going to stop me.

do you realize how many people are relying on me?

sometimes i think of the faces of those who died because i wasn't fast enough.

i'm not sticking around to find out.

let go of me. i'm leaving.

there has to be some way to stop them.

i haven't quit yet.

"giving up" isn't in my vocabulary.

i don't need you to look at it. i'll be fine.

it's just a flesh wound. it'll heal.

you can't make me stay here.

they put me in charge.

i can't afford to let anyone down.

"Of  all  people...  it  had  to  be  you."

“I  like  you  the  way  you  are”

"We  were  never  supposed  to  end  up  here."

"This  shouldn’t  make  sense  but  it  does."

“I  fear  to  admit  that  I  have  thought  of  you  often.” 

"I  was  supposed  to  hate  you."

"You’re  everything  I  swore  I’d  never  want."

“This  was  never  part  of  the  plan.”

"You're  the  wrong  choice,  but  I  keep  choosing  you."

"How  did  you  end  up  under  my  skin?"

“You  were  supposed  to  be  the  enemy.”

"You  could  ruin  everything...  but  I  still  want  you."

"I  don’t  trust  you.  That’s  the  problem."

"We  shouldn’t  even  be  talking."

"You  and  me?  This  is  a  bad  idea."

“If  anyone  found  out...”

“This  is  reckless.  Say  we’re  not  doing  this.”

"You’re  supposed  to  be  off-limits."

"We  can’t  undo  what  just  happened."

"I  don’t  want  to  feel  this  with  you."

"Why  do  you  look  at  me  like  that?"

"You're  the  one  person  I  can’t  afford  to  want."

"I  tried  not  to  like  you,  you  know."

"Don’t  act  like  this  is  easy  for  me."

“I  shouldn't  be  here,  not  with  you.”

"We're  not  meant  to  last,  are  we?"

"Tell  me  you  regret  it.  Lie  to  me."

"What  happens  when  this  falls  apart?"

"I’m  not  supposed  to  feel  safe  with  you."

"You  crossed  every  line  I  drew...  and  I  let  you."

“We  couldn’t  be  more  different.”

“I  never  thought  I’d  crave  someone  like  you.”

"I  keep  finding  reasons  to  stay  away.  None  of  them  work."

“You  don’t  fit  in  my  world.”

“Everyone  warned  me  about  you.”

"I  don’t  know  how  to  do  this  with  you."

"You’re  the  risk  I  swore  I  wouldn’t  take  again."

"This  wasn’t  supposed  to  mean  anything."

i thought i told you to stay back.

i love you too much to let you get hurt like this.

this affects me, too, you know.

every time you leave, i sit up all night waiting, praying you'll come back alive.

you keep pulling stunts like this and something bad will happen.

do you have a death wish or something?

this isn't fair to me.

i deserve better than this.

i didn't get any sleep last night because i was so worried about you.

you promised me you'd stop going out at night.

i don't like hearing this.

you've been risking your life, and for what? so you can feel like a goddamn hero?

i said i would handle it.

what the fuck are you doing here?

you told me you'd stay put.

so much for laying low.

you remember how bad it was last time.

seems like you haven't learned anything.

i believe you promised me you'd lay low.

i can't keep doing this.

don't give me that look.

we'll discuss this later.

this stops now.

i'm tired of picking up the pieces once you've left.

you keep throwing yourself into danger.

you don't give a shit about yourself, do you?

i'm sitting here, worried out of my mind, while you're out doing god knows what.

that was really stupid of you, and you know it.

i thought you knew better than this.

what's your excuse this time?

you do realize what this does to me, right? seeing you get hurt like this? you know it hurts me, too?

you really don't give a shit how this affects me, huh.

that was the dumbest possible thing you could have done.

i need you to stop throwing yourself into harm's way.

that was completely unnecessary.

they had it handled.

you didn't need to step in like that.

why do you think you're invincible?

the last time you pulled a stunt like this, it nearly got you killed.

i can't just sit here and watch you get hurt.

what are you trying to prove?

you just like fucking with my heart, don't you.

this shit hurts me, too, you know.

you're not the only one affected by this shit.

you've got a lot of people counting on you to come home every night.

what happens if you don't come back?

you think we can just carry on without you?

you think i can handle things if you end up dead?

i'm not sticking around to watch you get hurt.

you're not even slick.

you think you're invincible, don't you.

quit pretending you've got everything under control.

let someone else do it for a change.

you can't keep putting yourself through shit like this and expect me to just sit back and watch.

i'm done with this.

next time you do this, i'm not coming back.

promise me this is the end.

look me in the eyes and tell me you'll stop doing this.

let the authorities deal with it.

you're making a big mistake.

is it worth dying for?

Taissa nudged her glass across the coaster, centering it with a slow, careful movement of her finger. Mel’s offer of help hung in the thick Florida air, a warm gesture that felt strangely out of place in Taissa's world of meticulous plans and high-security locks.

To her, asking for help usually meant she’d missed a detail, and she wasn't the type to miss details. Not if she could help it. She finally looked up, a rare ghost of a smile touching her lips as she leaned back in her chair.

❛❛ good, ❜❜ mel breathed, lowering the bottle with a soft clink. ❛❛ because i'm gonna hold you to that. ❜❜ she playfully warned, with a raised brow.

i thought i told you to stay back.

i love you too much to let you get hurt like this.

this affects me, too, you know.

every time you leave, i sit up all night waiting, praying you'll come back alive.

you keep pulling stunts like this and something bad will happen.

do you have a death wish or something?

this isn't fair to me.

i deserve better than this.

i didn't get any sleep last night because i was so worried about you.

you promised me you'd stop going out at night.

i don't like hearing this.

you've been risking your life, and for what? so you can feel like a goddamn hero?

i said i would handle it.

what the fuck are you doing here?

you told me you'd stay put.

so much for laying low.

you remember how bad it was last time.

seems like you haven't learned anything.

i believe you promised me you'd lay low.

i can't keep doing this.

don't give me that look.

we'll discuss this later.

this stops now.

i'm tired of picking up the pieces once you've left.

you keep throwing yourself into danger.

you don't give a shit about yourself, do you?

i'm sitting here, worried out of my mind, while you're out doing god knows what.

that was really stupid of you, and you know it.

i thought you knew better than this.

what's your excuse this time?

you do realize what this does to me, right? seeing you get hurt like this? you know it hurts me, too?

you really don't give a shit how this affects me, huh.

that was the dumbest possible thing you could have done.

i need you to stop throwing yourself into harm's way.

that was completely unnecessary.

they had it handled.

you didn't need to step in like that.

why do you think you're invincible?

the last time you pulled a stunt like this, it nearly got you killed.

i can't just sit here and watch you get hurt.

what are you trying to prove?

you just like fucking with my heart, don't you.

this shit hurts me, too, you know.

you're not the only one affected by this shit.

you've got a lot of people counting on you to come home every night.

what happens if you don't come back?

you think we can just carry on without you?

you think i can handle things if you end up dead?

i'm not sticking around to watch you get hurt.

you're not even slick.

you think you're invincible, don't you.

quit pretending you've got everything under control.

let someone else do it for a change.

you can't keep putting yourself through shit like this and expect me to just sit back and watch.

i'm done with this.

next time you do this, i'm not coming back.

promise me this is the end.

look me in the eyes and tell me you'll stop doing this.

let the authorities deal with it.

you're making a big mistake.

is it worth dying for?