Refracted

- - 56 - -

"Wake up! Verity! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Ahh what?"

Helios' bright light burned my eyes as Harleen yanked back the blinds. It looked like the middle of the day but surely I hadn't slept that long?

"Come on! We are going out on a date! Everyone celebrating the freedom of Jiona and I wanted to celebrate with you! Then you can finally make a decision as to who you want to be with and we can all move on from our lives. Now get up!"

I forced my heavy eyelids open again and practically crawled into the bathroom away from Harleen. Yet, as always, her hope and excitement were contagious and I found myself getting ready faster than I would on any other day. Despite the warm massage of the shower, I got out just as quickly as I had got in and I made my clothes wet in the process. I didn't overly care.

Just a few moments later, I left the bathroom and immediately Harleen grabbed me and led me out of the room. The amazing sweet smell of waffles wafted up my nose but Harleen pushes me right out past the communal dining room.

"Nope! I'm not letting you get sucked into that! We're going out!"

"But-" I tried to protest but she rather aggressively shushed me into submission. Reluctantly, I followed her outside into the heat where everyone else was celebrating.

I watched as we strolled past more food but we still didn't stop to eat any of it until we reached neared the edge of Jiona. For a moment, I thought we were going back into the Plains but we turned right and kept on walking. This area of Jiona was empty with most people celebrating their freedom in Jiona. The atmosphere felt magical but also intriguing as we neared our secret destination.

"Do I have to cover your eyes? Or can I trust you to keep them shut?"

"You can trust me," I sighed.

"Okay then."

Still giggling, Harleen guided me and I kept my eyes shut as we walked. I gave up trying to make conversation after more incessant shushing and instead listened for clues or any indication that could tell me where we were.

Eventually and I meant eventually, we stopped. The ground felt spongier beneath my feet and upon opening my eyes, I realised it was grass. Overhead, a large willow tree decorated with lanterns whooshed in the wind with another picnic blanket laid underneath. It was perfect.

Harleen look ecstatic as I sat down and I couldn't help myself but laugh and smile at her. Plus there was the fact that she looked astonishingly gorgeous in the light that cascaded down through the willow tree.

"I love it," I said simply. And she smiled even more.

We sat down and curled up together under the tree as we talked endlessly about what our future's would look like. And we talked about everything. I adored getting to know her more and all the things I discovered only make me admire her further.

"Kids?" I asked.

"Definitely, I want three. Two boys and a girl."

"Sounds perfect."

"Okay my turn," she insisted. "House?"

"Ummm yes, but a small one. I want our kids to value what they have and material items have never been of any interest to me."

"Even better," she replied.

She truly was such an inspirational and amazing person that I found myself feeling incredibly stupid that it had taken me this long to realise it.

I chose her. I chose Harleen.

"I choose you," I said.

She looked at me and grinned.

"I knew you would."

I laughed again but my DigiWatch interrupted us with the ringing for an incoming call. Whilst trying to sit up, it brushed against Harleen's arm and the call was accepted.

"Verity! We have located the other three bombs!"

Before I even processed what Rachel had said, I had ended the call with the intent of focusing on Harleen. But then I came to understand what Alessa had just said and the implications of it. Was it good or bad? Could we get to them? Did we have the bombs already?

"Wait, what did they say?!" She exclaimed. "They found three other bombs? The ones missing from the warehouse?"

"I guess so, but wasn't there supposed to be four bombs not three?"

I cast my mind back to the warehouse with the intimatidating weapon in the centre of the room. They were definitely four spaces for four other bombs. One for each corner.

We look at each other with understanding. There was no hard feelings but this date was definitely over; we needed to get back to HQ.

"It'll take us ages to get back!" Harleen recognised. "Oh Terra, why did I have to pick something so far away? I'm sorry, Verity."

"Hey, hey, hey." I grabbed Harleen and held her close to me. "It's okay. This date was perfect but we still have a rebellion to fight. Regardless, whatever is going on, we'll get through it together."

"You promise?" She asked, her voice suddenly small.

"I promise. I love you Harleen."

"I love you too, Verity. More than anyone can ever imagine."

"Then let's do this."

She nodded and we started jogging back over to HQ. We would get through this together and despite the chaos that was going on, things were falling into place. I wasn't looking forward to telling Rachel but I had accepted that it was something I just had to do. Then, I would fight and I would fight for Harleen, for the right to have a family with her that didn't have to grow up in this tyrannical nature. I would fight for everything and with everything that I had. I would fight. And she would too.

We barely spoke as we walked but there was this connection that joined us. We didn't have to talk and yet we still knew how important this was. Silently, we conveyed to each other our fears and worries while comforting each other simultaneously and it only confirmed that I really was in love. And I had something to fight for. My wavering doubts dissipated and I was only focused on one thing.

Night was starting to fall when we arrived at HQ and I could tell that things had changed. People were tense and mostly looked at the floor instead of each other. Yet I didn't see any VISORs and as far as I was concerned, we were still free.

"I'm going to go and find Hannah," Harleen said.

"Okay, be careful," I returned and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

Then I went off to find Rachel. I passed Alessa on the way but she barely acknowledged my presence. Just a look. One look and not of disappointment or anger or fear just regret. And that's when I knew that something really terrible had happened. Something really, really bad.

Farrian and Dox were accounted for and as far as I was aware we hadn't sent sciuts to anywhere else. Atlantis. My mention of it in the broadcast. Was this my fault? But what did that have to do with the bombs?

Rachel was in the communal dining room but all the food had been cleared to be replaced with maps. Anyone there was gathered round the table, talking intently with hushed voices. I couldn't tell what they were saying.

"Rachel?" I called out.

"Verity, you're back! Good."

"You said you found the bombs?"

"Not exactly, Lucas removed four of them from the warehouse and placed one in each of four selected cities. One of them was Atlantis."

"What do you mean? Can we not get it? Is Elyse okay? Is she alive? When can we go to Atlantis?"

"We can't, Verity. It doesn't exist."