As Love entered the lab, she felt the warm feeling of being at home after a long time. Love had messed things up for the whole tribe all together and she knew it. Keeping her head low, she quietly moved passed the hallway to not be noticed by anyone. Entering Zee's laboratory, Love saw the old man's back towards the door she'd entered from. With pin drop silence Love tried sitting on the chair, to think of a way to handle his anger. 

"Love, how are you?" Zee asked without turning.

"Zee...you scared me," she said laughing.

"We were worried..." he said but before he could finish his sentence, Love interrupted, "I'm good...agency doesn't know anything about me or us in fact," she said.

"For now, at least," he said.

Love nodded.

The old man walked towards his cabinet and took out a few cookies. Handling them over to her, he poured her a freshly brewed cup of coffee. 

"Have a cookie, it's chocolate," he said smiling at the little bud. 

"Thanks Zee," Love said remembering the old days. Zee's cookies were always special, and were only given to special people on special occasions. He baked and cooked only when he wanted, and only for who he wanted. And Love has always been the one person, privileged enough to taste the ravishing crisp chewy chocolate cookies. While the others girls had to accept the fact, Zee tried to make them all feel equally important, but that is what it is. Zee had been rough, and dry towards Love as well, only to get the best out of her. And even though the old man tried to sound tough and like nothing had happened, he had not slept the entire night thinking about the child who was in trouble. Love had been like a daughter to him. The little ways in which the two cared for each other weren't even noticeable, but those little, tiny things were always there, intact, just the way they should be.

Love finished the cup of coffee, and after complementing Zee's extraordinary skills, she moved towards her room. The rooms in the laboratory weren't anything special in terms of furniture, just the regulars, Hi-tech lightings and wardrobes. But what was special were the tiny things she'd collected along her life. The little diary in the top shelf of her old forgotten cabinet, or the snow globe Hope bought for her as a Christmas present, or the little miniatures of monuments she collected, as a hope to see the world one day, one day when all of it is finally over. Until now none of this seemed important, or essential. But a few hours of uncertainty in her previous case made her evaluate her priorities. She had evaluated her priorities before once, but things didn't turn out to be the way she'd expected them to. But this time, facing her biggest fear, made her cherish the little moments of happiness, and satire she had. Those couple of hours made Love ravish her relationship with every person in her life. A smile crept on her lips thinking about her sisters, the seven sisters. It wasn't only her, who had given up so much in life, just to do what had to be done, and just to be who she was supposed to be. All seven of them had given up on dreams, and aspirations, and the slightest possibility of being in love, having a family to call our own. And even when they had each other, did they really have each other. 

None of the sisters really know what was going on in the little walnut. None of them had the time to think. All they did was react, save, kill, repeat. And that was what life offered them. Whether they liked it or not. 

Standing under the streaming hot shower, with every drop that touched her skin, tension was lifted. As the body wash and shampoo was flowing downwards in the direction of the water, it took away all the stress in her muscles. The back wasn't stiff anymore, and she didn't smell like a skink anymore. Wrapping a towel around her after soaking the skin dry, she blow dried her hair. After a long time, she was living the present. Enjoying the hot air from the front of the hair drier. Inhaling the lavender fragrance as she rubbed the body lotion on the skin of her arms, back and legs. Wearing a satin night dress, she tied a knee length kimono around her waist. She looked at herself once in the mirror, admiring her face, hair, and physique. 

The lab only had two souls tonight, Zee and Love. And while Zee cooked, Love looked outside the window as she sat on top of the shelf. Au Gratin was served with garlic bread, and wine, not just any wine, but one of the best ones from Zee's cellar. On the huge table, which was meant to serve eight people the hungry souls didn't wait a second before digging into their plates. The meal tasted better for Love today. Every bite seemed to be a blessing. The saute vegetables baked in white sauce and cheese were relished like never before. Love couldn't believe she hadn't appreciate the gift of taste ever before, though she remembered doing it long ago, when she was a child. The wine was aesthetic. She looked at the father like figure who celebrated her coming back from the case without saying a word. Love saw the worry in his eyes earlier today. The pain he felt while she was away, in danger, in his mind the terror he had of never seeing her again, all of it was read by Love, in his thoughts. The feeling of coming from a tired day at work, with stubborn back and cramped legs to a warm home, where the hot freshly cooked meals are served to you on your chair, where you know someone waited for you all the time while you were gone is eternal. And that is what gives our life meaning.

"Would you like some dessert?" Zee asked pulling Love out of the spin wheel of her thoughts. 

"Huh?" she asked.

"Where are you lost, young lady?" he asked with authority in his voice.

"Nothing....I just..."

"I was asking if you want some dessert?" he said.

"You made dessert?" she asked surprised.

"I made the dessert," he said.

"Wow, I would love that Zee," she said.

"Okay, get them out from the fridge." he ordered.

"Oh...okay," she said. Back to square one, she thought.

Removing the dishes off the table, while she moved to the kitchen to get the dessert, Love noticed the marsh mellows on the rear end of the kitchen. She moved past the sink and took out the chocolate moose glasses from the fridge. 

"You made all this today?" Love asked.

"No...yes...I mean kind of, why'd you ask?" The old man answered in confusion.

"Alright then, cheers," she said rising the chocolate moose glass in the air. 

After a few seconds of silence Zee gave in to her demand, and rose his glass up.

The dishes were washed by Love, while Zee talked about his newest experiment, of installing an iron melting laser inside a lipstick, and how he wasn't able to install a tracking device in the same. The two of them bid their goodnights and moved towards their rooms after shutting the systems and place down. The lab was fully automated, making the complex even safer, considering the work they did, they need some some. 

Removing the kimono off, Love felt the satin on her lotion rubbed skin, and as she moved under the linen sheets she loved the homely feel. Hotels might bring in fresh sheets but home is where the sheets smell of you. Closing her eyes, she felt a weird comfort, of being safe, and protected after a very long period of time. The last couple of days had drained any security and confidence in Love. Ans while she tried to keep her head high while she walked, she couldn't ignore the emptiness she felt inside. But the moment seemed perfect. She was safe and secure and she knew it.

Thinking about the agent that helped her, Love couldn't guess why he did it. He did feel the empathy and respect he had for Love, and Love hadn't heard words appreciating her for what she did ever before. The man called her a hero, and it was huge. It felt like she'd been crowned, and for a change her job didn't seem like a curse, rather a blessing. Blessing to her as well as those who benefitted from it. The mafia who happened to be the first sinner Hope had killed proved to be helpful in someway at least, now that Love knew a man from FBI itself. But the irony was, the FBI knew about her. What could be their next move? And how long will she have to stay of the ground.

----------------------------------------------

Love woke up to the grumbling in her stomach. Still avoiding to open her eyes she tried staying under the sheets. 

"I would say rise and shine, but it's already to late to shine so you better rise," she heard Zee say as he entered her room.

"Zee..." Love said in a rather heavy sleepy voice.

"Get the hell up, I've made some hot chocolate," he said.

With one swift move Love was out of the sheets, with another she wore the kimono, and voila she sat right up on the bed, waiting for the hot chocolate just like a kid would do. Zee handled her the glass before turning around and leaving.

"It has marsh mellows," Love said in excitement.

"Also, I need you help, so downstairs in thirty minutes," he said before shutting the door behind him.

-------------------------------------------------

Brushed the teeth, used the toilet paper, had the shower, applied the perfume, wore the usual black outfit. Love was standing in Zee's lab one minute before her thirty minutes ended.

"Alright so you need to do the research on  few cases, the files are on the table, use the computer, and finish by lunch," he said as he walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Breakfast," he said.

"I'm hungry." Love said.

"Help your self." Zee replied.

"And the Zee I know is back," she commented walking out of the door behind him. 

Applying peanut butter on the toasted bread, Love rushed to the lab with the plate in her hand, as a lot had to be done. 

The files were read, print outs were attached, emails were sent. A nap was taken right on top of one of the file. Only when Zee tapped on her desk loud enough, did she get off her sweet dream.

After lunch, which happened to be a short break, giving her enough time to scoff the plate off the spaghetti, Love was asked to monitor the tracking device on all the sisters, just to see if anyone was in trouble. She was also required to handle the phone calls from the Walmart store managers, incase any key phrase was used in need. Decoding it, as given in the blue file to her right, she had to ask the manager to make the arrangements. And all this while Zee experimented the lipstick case he'd been working on. 

"I could use some help here," Love shouted while she shuffled  her eyes between the files, and the computer, and Zee who laid his legs on the desk, and napped quietly in the evening sun rays that entered through the glass window. 

"I've had a tiring day," he said as he went back to sleeping.

"Sure," Love said sarcastically.

The hot dinner was served after a long day of research and tracking devices. Love felt a feeling of gratitude for the warm meal after the exhaustingly long day. She used to think field work was all where the action was, but turns out the backend is where the real action takes place. 

"How do you handle all of it by yourself?" Love asked before filling her mouth with mashed potatoes as they sat on opposite ends of the huge table.

"Not a big deal," he said still looking in his plate.

"It is a big deal," she said.

"Well, you're in it for long then I guess," he said laughing at her.

"Sure Zee I'd love to help," she said faking enthusiasm as she rose the wine glass in mid air, before taking a huge sip.

"How long will I have to...you now stay away...from...field?" she hesitated.

"A few months at least, until they forget you exist," he said biting the baked bean.

--------------------------------------------------

Love was woken up before time, so that staying in doesn't make her less fit. So the day started of with a two hour gym session, just to stay flexible, and to insure her strength stays intact. And then after breakfast the deadline of the research was set. Love was asked to being in the supplies from the basement to the second floor, and fill the chemicals back up in the lab. She was under strict orders to not mix up the compound, as it might cause problems. Lunch was followed by Changing the tires of all the emergency cars in the basements, and oiling the machinery in the basement, like generators, and the few motors. Zee had made Love run around the little, not so little errands for him, an now the tasks of the month were complete. Love prepared a meal for two, while Zee arranged the emergency exit for Leah and Abby while he monitored their cases. 

The same routine was followed the next day, and the day that followed the next day, and then the day that followed the following day, until Hope came back to the lab after working on five consecutive cases. 

"And she's back," Love said as Hope entered the lab. The two engulfed each other in a tight sister hug. 

"Hi Zee," Hope said as she moved past Love to meet Zee next.

"Love, do me a favor, will you?" Zee said rather in an authoritative voice.

"Say?" 

"Clean Hope's car will you? and also check the air pressure in her tires, along with filling up the steering oil, brake oil and coolant," he said.

Love looked at the two of them with wide eyes, " Really?" 

"Shoo, come on now...get it done while Hope prepares us a meal," he said.

"I just came back from an exhausting ride," she said.

"Hope, Love...now," Zee ordered in a tone no one could refuse to, and without further ado the two of them rushed out of the lab to perform the duties assigned.

The dinner was served, and wine was poured. The two of them sat their listen to Hope's little adventure, and how she'd kick a few asses. The room echoed with the voices of high pitched laughter, and Love thought, life isn't that unfair after all, we all have our shares of hurt and pain, but at then end of the day, this is what we live for, little moments of warmth, and comfort and home.

-----------------------------------------

Hope waited for Love while she prepared coffee for themselves. She knew Love was hurt and not being on the field might be irritating, so taking a deep breath she started the conversation.

"So, how is it here...boring?" Hope asked.

"Boring...please it's harder than what I usually do," Love giggled.

"Love are you okay?" Hope whispered rather too low, making it sound too intense.

"I'm...good," Love said as she smiled at Hope.

"No...I mean like mentally, how are you?" she asked.

"They say I'm unstable," Love joked.

"Love," Hope sighed.

"It's fine Hope, it's good..." she said smiling one last time at her as she poured the coffee into the two cups.

That was the first night Love couldn't sleep. She realized that the comfort and warmth of staying in isn't forever. She had to get back to her work, where she belonged, with all the uncertainties and insecurities again. With the chances of being held up and tortured by a gang of mafia, to dying at the hands of a werewolf. Her life came crashing back to her, which until now she'd forgotten about. The nightmare she'd faced on the airplane before, with  dead people around her, she didn't really wish to go back to it, not because she was scared for herself, but because she was scared of people dying right in front of her eyes. On the plane she could have saved everyone if and only if she'd reacted earlier. If she didn't go to the washroom, those people would have been alive. And even though Hayden called her a hero, was she really one? Because real heroes don't let people die just because they need a minute to calm themselves down in a plane. 

So who was she? A vulnerable little bitch, or as Hayden said the one who saves lives, punishes sinners?