Is this destiny?

Sarah and Aiden entered the hotel suite and paused at the sight of Haru and Nala sleeping on the sofa. Nala was curled up in Haru's lap and they were holding each other while her head rested on his shoulder.

It was a sweet scene, but… why is Haru's top exposed?

Sarah glanced on the side and her brows furrowed when she saw the bloodied shirt.

She observed that the blood is on the left sleeve and that there is a bandage on Haru's arm.

Sarah's movements while she inspected the shirt, alerted Haru.

"I'm OK. It's just a scratch…", he said drowsily.

Nala stirred as well. Seeing that she is in Haru's lap and that Sarah and Aiden are present, her eyes sprang open and she swiftly scrambled away from Haru.

"How did the mission go?", Aiden asked.

"Before you start talking… Why are you naked?", Sarah asked Haru.

Haru awkwardly dashed into the bedroom to get a t-shirt.

Haru and Nala told them (almost) everything. They skipped the hot part of kissing and grinding in the club.

Sarah and Aiden showed concern about the gun incident. They assumed that Melodie's bodyguards will have guns, but there is a security at the entry into the nightclub where weapons need to be removed. And even if they can sneak a gun inside, they will not shoot randomly in a crowded place.

They didn't predict a random group to approach them.

Well, they can't scold Nala and Haru for it. The two of them did great. The only thing they can do is give few advices…

"Learn from this, and remember that even with the most detailed plan, something unexpected can happen.", Sarah said.

They agreed to freshen up and change before anything else.

Sarah and Nala went first.

Aiden had a different idea. He wanted to join Sarah, but Sarah told him to wait with Haru in the living area. She knows that if Aiden goes with her it will take much longer because they will do much more than a quick shower and a change of clothes. She thought that his pout is adorable.

…

Nala went to shower first.

Sarah used that time to check reports from Noah on the status for tonight. Noah is very reliable, and he already has seven helpers in the army and several 'civilians' who are helping with property management.

Sarah took a mental note to discuss with Aiden how are they going to handle further expansion of their forces. They need more trustworthy people, and she does not want to put additional work on existing generals. Seeing how Haru and Nala are not finding any time to go on a date is telling her that their schedules are packed.

Sarah remembered their newest addition of nineteen newcomers at the Cliffside villa, kids from Sierra Leone. They are great candidates to become part of the Chaos army, but she needs to decide what their roles will be. She thought that it would be great if she gets someone to take over the 'civilian' tasks from Noah, so that he can focus on the army.

Suddenly, the idea of having a personal assistant sounded good. 

…

Sarah got out of the shower in a bathrobe and found that Nala is sitting on the bed. She is dressed up, so shouldn't she go out and join the guys? Sarah guessed that something is on her mind.

"How are you doing?", Sarah asked when she took a seat next to Nala.

She smiled shyly. "Haru said that he loves me."

Sarah thought how Nala is super-cute. She was worried that Nala is hurt, or that she has some other problems, and here she is: dazed because Haru told her that he loves her.

"And… do you love him back?"

Nala nodded.

"What's with the troubled expression?", Sarah continued probing.

Nala was thinking about the evening and what Haru and she did in the nightclub (the steamy part). She was embarrassed to talk about it, but she has questions, and Sarah is the only one with whom she can talk…

"How do you know when you are ready?", Nala asked.

"Ready for what?" Sarah had a hunch where this is going, but she didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

"To…", Nala hesitated. "To go all the way.", she said in a weak voice.

Sarah pinched the roof of her nose while thinking how to answer this. She can't say 'go for it', Nala is only sixteen! But she can't say 'never' either, because they are in love and if they want to do it, they will find an opportunity. Sarah reminded herself that if she is too strict or harsh, it will only make Nala stop confiding in her.

"I don't know if that works for everyone…", Sarah said. "For me, it is the trust. I trust Aiden that he loves me, that he puts me first, that he cherishes me, that he will not hurt me and that he will do everything he can to keep me safe. Once I realized that, I was able to relax with him and enjoy every moment we spent together… from cooking together, to training, to spending our time in the bedroom."

"Did he ever break your trust?", Nala asked.

Sarah thought for a second before responding. "He made mistakes, and so did I. But that is what they are: mistakes. He didn't do it on purpose… Nala, we are all humans and the longer you are with a person, there are more chances for mistakes to happen. When the mistake happens, it's important to talk about it. As long as you are honest with yourself and with each other, you will be just fine."

Nala smiled. "Thanks."

Sarah saw that Nala's mood improved and she gave herself a silent thumbs up. It seems that she did good as a mother this time. But there is one thing on her mind…

"How far did you go if you are asking about going all the way?"

Nala's smile faded and her eyes darted nervously over the carpet.

"We kissed… with the tongue.", Nala said after a long silence.

Sarah exhaled in relief with knowledge that they are still in the kissing stage. She knows that Haru is the one setting the pace, and she is grateful that he is not going too fast.

Sarah decided to share some tips…"Eh? From a French kiss to all the way? Aren't you skipping a lot of things?"

As expected, Nala's curiosity was piqued. She looked at Sarah with her eyes wide open. "What things are in between?"

"Think of it… top to bottom.", Sarah said. "You start by looking at each other, then you get closer so you can use smell, touch… Lips. Lips are important. You can kiss, lick, suck literally everywhere, and some areas will be more sensitive than the others. Use hands to explore each other's bodies. Take your time to understand what you like and what you don't. Tell him what makes you feel great."

"What about what he likes?"

Sarah stifled a laugh. "He is a guy. They like everything… Well, not everything. Haru loves you and that is why he will love whatever you do. And that means that even if you tell him to stop and that you are not ready, he will respect it, and he will not love you less because of that."

Nala's dark eyes were focused on Sarah and she blinked few times.

Sarah sighed. She can see that Nala is curious about it.

Sarah remembered that at the beginning, with Aiden, she was getting swept away in that intense and unfamiliar feeling which took over her senses, and if he was not thinking about protection, no one would.

Time for more reminders: "We talked about this more than once. Don't allow a moment of passion to become a lifelong commitment. Pregnancy and family is something you need to plan for and make sure you are ready emotionally, physically and financially. When we get back you can talk to Anna about options…"

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