Nothing Less than Extraordinary

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Monday morning we were all back to being nervous wrecks. Most of us waited in the den, hopeful for news about Cheshire and Warren. It was noon and it felt like we had been waiting until midnight because no one said a word and our patience was running thin. Our hopes getting caught up when we saw agents passing our windows on their rounds outside wasn't exactly helping.

Sumer suddenly bolted down the stairs and lingered by the banister and it was all we needed to see before knowing our friends were making their return. I felt my heart start pounding and it even caused Wib to look over at me in concern. When the front door opened, a female agent led the pack before Jane was right behind her. Warren was sure to come in with haste in order to walk right over to Cariba and take her in a tight hug. I was still leaning on the threshold to the front door's foyer with the rest of the welcoming committee and it took a few more seconds before Zaine and Cheshire entered. They were clearly in a previous conversation, but it concluded and for some reason, my body had taken over to run and jump into a hug with Cheshire. He was tense and passive as his facial expression, but eventually his arms coiled around my waist and his head ducked into the crook of my neck. I opened my eyes that I didn't know I closed and pulled away once he set me back down on my feet. I didn't know what his eyes were trying to tell me, but at least they weren't swirling with lavender. He didn't need to convince me with how tense things were; I already knew that much on my own.

Guilt immediately filled me and I looked over to Zaine who was now receiving individual hugs from Wib, Indica, and Skye. The embraces were distraction enough so his chocolate eyes wouldn't destroy my soul with their sadness over what I just did. I was quickly shoved out of the way to make room for two restless redheads hugging their newly released best friends.

Warren and Cariba tried sneaking out of the room to commence in more public displays of affection past their hugging, but Jane was sure to stop them.

"Look. I know you're young Jane, but when two people want to have some time for themselves—" Cariba interrupted Warren's presumptuous little speech by hitting his chest.

"You can have time for yourselves later," Jane assured before walking past us all in order to lead us into the giant office space. She instantly grabbed the remote and flipped the channels. "They said there was supposed to be an updated broadcast right about now."

"'They' who?" Skye asked. Jane didn't answer as she tried to find the correct channel.

"Who do you think?" Cheshire huffed as he leaned on the doorway opposite of me. He glanced at me up and down before I was completely intimidated and decided to sit on one of the couches off to the side, but still in view of the television screen. "The FBI, CIA, SAS, Department of Homeland Security. Pretty much any government authority—"

"No way," Andres doubted.

"Yeah, even SHIELD and Justice League are in on it," Cheshire finished with a cheeky grin that quickly fell...especially when Zaine entered the room and knowingly brushed shoulders with Cheshire to knock off his balance on the threshold. What was that about?

"Dude—" Andres began to scoff and laugh at his friend's sarcasm.

"Shh!" Jane shushed and began turning up the volume to a news station that aired the portrait of the U.S. press secretary. I finally tore my eyes away from the glaring Cheshire and Zaine war in order to pay attention to the very real potential war on TV. I noticed that even though the beautiful press secretary stood behind her podium, there were suits of various intelligence agencies standing behind her. I was sure to notice the young, handsome Agent who pulled the strings for us to visit our friends in the hospital. Again, he was shocking me with how much power he must've had in his youth.