***Trigger Warning.***

I run my hands through Brexton's soft black curls, the taste of his orange cream circle lips temporarily clouding my judgment. He moans into my lips and presses my back further against the mirror behind the sink. The kiss feels so good it seems illegal. I am more than grateful I took the risk on this spectacular man.

I'm not sure who or how but one of us accidentally knocks the glass soap dispenser off the sink. It makes a loud noise as it shatters into a million pieces. Brexton laughs against my lips. "Whoops."

"Okay, we should stop." I pull back using all my restraint. "We can't risk those kids dressed up as security guards outside the door waking up and causing a scene. "

His eyes are on my lips. "Yeah, they may already be up." He looks me up and down. "But then again it's them so..." He kisses the crevice between my neck and my shoulder, making me squirm and giggle. I cover my mouth, embarrassed that I am so out of control of myself. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm stopping now, I promise. The last thing I want to do is get you in trouble." He takes a deep breath and lifts me gently off the sink.

I grin up at him. "I can't wait until you get out of here and we don't have to hide."

His expression turns serious. "Lyra when I get out of here, I could go to prison."

My head and heart fight against each other as I try to think of my next words. He was right. No matter if he was responsible for the murders or not, he could go to jail for the rest of his life. I lean on the sink for support, the realization too heavy for me at the moment.

I shake my head defiantly. "No, I just got you! I don't know what this is" I motion between us. "but I don't want to loose it. We'll figure it out, okay? We have to."

He takes my hands in his, something I was growing more and more accustomed to. "I don't think there's much that could stop us from doing anything we want to when we're together. We seem to make our own rules. I will never stop fighting for us." His usually bright green eyes darken. "However, I need you to promise me you won't get yourself anymore involved in this than you already are. You could get really hurt and I refuse to let you risk yourself for me."

I was not about to make that promise. I'm not sure what kind of trouble he got himself mixed up, in but I can't let him continue to handle this alone. I know he wasn't going to like that response, so I change the subject. "Did you have an orange creamsicle for lunch today?"

He tilts his head. "No, why?"

I smile. "That's what you tasted like. You and every girl you've ever kissed are very lucky if that's just natural for you. "

His eyes soften a little. "You're distracting me. That's not fair." He complains then a smirk slowly makes its way on his face. "You taste like strawberries and whipped cream if you're wondering."

I was not expecting that. I have never had this conversation with anyone before. "Really? We both taste fruity, huh? That's a great combination."

He laughs. "You still didn't promise me Lyra."

"I can't." I keep my voice low. "I don't know what you've done or why, but I know for a fact that you don't deserve to deal with this alone."

He looks at me in disbelief. "How do you know I'm not evil? How can you be so sure of that?"

I take a step in his direction. "I've met enough evil people to know that you're not evil. This" I tap his chest where his heart is. "shows way to often for me to believe that you're not a good person. I could just as easily ask you how you know I'm not evil."

He opens his mouth to speak multiple times but stops himself. Instead he pulls me in by my waist and kisses me so delicately I feel like I'm floating on air. I think it was his way of telling me I didn't need to fear him, that he wasn't going to hurt me.

"Thank you for believing in me." The dimple on his cheek makes an appearance, making me want to kiss him again. "It looks like I'm just going to have to promise myself to keep you out of danger then."

All I get to do is smile before a loud knock comes from the other side of the door. Brexton and I look at each other with panic-filled eyes. We got too caught up in our talk that we forgot to pay attention to the time. "Open the door boy!" The elderly security guard who I refuse to learn's name yells.

I think on my feet. "I'm bringing him out now. He got a little light headed in here and since nobody else came in when he rang his call bell, I've been in here with him."

He scuffs. "He didn't tell us anything about being dizzy. We didn't even here you come in."

Ugh, why couldn't he just let it go? "Yeah, you guys sure can sleep though anything, huh? He literally broke a soap dish and none of you guys even flinched." I say, a unspoken threat behind my words. He now knows that if he tells on me, I am going to tell on him and his posse.

I put Brexton's arm around my shoulder when the guard finally backs down. It looks ridiculous because of the height difference but I have to make it believable. Brexton reaches around and tickles me making me bite my lip to stop from laughing. "Stop it." I scold him.

When I get him situated on his bed, I notice it's time for shift change. I hurry out the door to give report. I'm thrilled when I see Lucy is the one I'm giving report to. When I tell her I was reassigned to a new patient midway through my shift she starts talking loudly about how she's going to 'teach Jessica a lesson', she's 'not afraid to get fired anymore'.

"Where is that ugly leech anyway?" She asks me, scanning the nurses station.

"Probably off having sex with my ex boyfriend in the break room." I say without even realizing it. I sincerely didn't plan on telling anyone. I'm so comfortable around Lucy it just sort of slipped out.

Lucy's round brown eyes display her shock. "Wait, what? Tell me that didn't actually happen."

I stammer my next words. "I may have walked in on them. Can you please keep this between us though? I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

Disapproval is written all over her face. "Why wouldn't you tell anyone? When has that witch ever done anything for you?"

I shift in my chair, uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was going. "I can't mess with someone's job. She's not very likable, do you really think anywhere else is going to hire her?"

Lucy chuckles. "I don't even know how she got a job here."

"Me either. One of these days I'm going to have to speak with the person who hired her and see where their head was at."

Right on cue, Jessica walks by, giving us a tight-lipped smile as she passes. Neither of us return the smile.

Lucy looks her up and down. "Think she's pregnant? She looks she's put on a few, don't you think?"

I stifle my laugh. "Let's not even joke about a Jessica and Jeremiah baby. That poor kid wouldn't stand a chance."

"The kid would be dumber than a box of rocks, that's for sure." She adds with a straight face. "So, tell me about these patients you ended up with."

I give her the run down on the patients I'm passing down to her and bid her farewell. I am hyperaware of my surroundings as I make my way to my car. I don't trust Jeremiah to not try to pull something else. I hate living my life in fear, so the idea of getting him behind bars is sounding more and more appealing every second.

I get into my car and immediately lock the doors. I do a quick scan of the backseat before pulling out. It feels strange driving to Inara's house instead of the house that I've lived in for so long, but it's a good kind of strange. It feels freeing, like a fresh start.

I speed home for my hot date with sleep. The back and forth of this shift has left me even more exhausted than usual. I put the car in park and rush inside. When I open the door, I hear loud screaming coming from the direction of Inara's room. I drop everything I'm holding and run to her.