The following morning, Jaz had woken up when the sun shone brightly through her eyelids from her window. She got up grumpily and whipped the curtains closed, grumbling "It's meant to be winter, for fuck's sake." Upon turning around to face her bed, she noticed the photo frame that was still laying on the floor from last night. She picked it up and stared at it. There were four people in the picture. Wesley, Jack, Jaz and Xander - a tall boy with brilliant blue eyes and light blonde hair. All of them were smiling; all of them were happy. She sighed. I miss you, Xander.
She put the photo back in it's place and walked out of her room slowly and quietly, deciding she wanted breakfast. She'd showered, got dressed and brushed her pitch black hair into a pony tail, leaving her full fringe to hang loosely over her forehead. Wesley was just coming down the hall towards her with a deep frown on his face and staring so hard at the book he was reading, he could've been looking straight through it. He wore his usual plain button down shirt with black trousers and well polished shoes.
"Uh.. Wes?"
He looked straight up from the book at her still frowning. Typical Wesley, she thought, too easily distracted.
She spoke in a concerned tone. "Are you.. uh.. okay?"
"More than! This book is fascinating, did you kno-"
"That Varen are distant relatives of Sirens? Yeah, I know." She said with a smile.
"Right... sorry... I forgot you've read this. Did you sleep well?"
"I did, thanks. I'm guessing they've already left?"
"Yeah."
She nodded at him and continued on her way to the kitchen.
"Jahzara?"
She stopped and looked back. Wesley was really the only person she didn't mind calling her Jahzara. "Yeah?"
Wesley hesitated. "I.. don't be mad at them. We're all worried about you."
They stared at each other for a moment, not saying anything. He turned and walked away round the corner of the hall and out of sight.
Jaz stood where she was, suddenly struck with an aching feeling in her chest. The last person who said they cared about me died in my arms mere hours later. She changed her mind about breakfast. Instead she ran downstairs, grabbed her coat from beside the door and ventured out into the cold of winter. Today is going to be a really shit day.
~
"Let me look at that." Cayden grabbed Danny's arm, inspecting the relatively large cut that was now bleeding profusely down the top of it.
"Ouch! Fucking watch it, would you?" He snapped, pulling his arm away.
"Fucking hell, she really caught you there, didn't she?"
"It's just a scratch, idiot."
"That is about a centremeter deep. It'll scar unless you let me heal it."
"Don't over-exaggerate. I don't need it healed. It'll be fine."
Cayden put his hands up in mock surrender. "Stubborn-ass humans. Watch when it gets infected or some shit."
"Whatever, mate. At least I can live with a scratch or two and actually fight without the need of supernatural powers."
"I could totally kick your as-" Cayden suddenly stopped.
Danny looked over at him and grinned. "What's up with you? Did I finally make you realize how weak you actually are?"
"Shut up, Ego." He stopped talking, his eyes frantically scanning the area.
"Ego? That's rich, coming from you."
Cayden ignored him. "Something's not right, I can sense-"
BANG.
