Akane: "This is all my fault . . ."

Akane panicked, pacing restlessly.

Akane: "She jumped! I-I must have been too hard on her! I . . . I should have reproached her, explained to her! How could I have been so foolish?!"

Angela walked into the house, seeing Akane walking back and forth in the kitchen. A few of the other guards were around, but Jasmine was absent.

Angela: "Akane . . . What's going on?"

She asked, setting her things down and walking forward.

Akane: "Jasmine jumped from the ROOF and her body is GONE!"

It was comical to see the former Soundwave showing this emotion, but still concerning to hear the news.

Angela smiled, raising an eyebrow, shaking her head gently.

Angela: "Sugar, can I talk to you for a moment? In private?"

Akane: "Okay! What is so important?!"

Angela sighed, closing the door to the offset room.

Angela: "You know Jazz is different, Hon. Okay?"

Akane: "Of course I know! And so am I, of course."

He allowed his glowing tentacles to slither out, and then back. Angela nodded, leaning against the wall.

Angela: "Hon. There's no body. She didn't commit suicide. She vanished into thin air because she's different and that allows her to . . . Well, in basic terms, teleport. But I didn't realize she'd accessed that so easily. She's fine."

She gave a shrug, trying not to take humor in his obvious discomfort.

Akane: ". . . . What."

He said very, very darkly. His fists clenched, the stress of a sleepless night getting to him..

Akane: "YOU MEAN I PANICKED OVER NOTHING?!"

Angela squeezed her eyes shut, trying harder and harder not to laugh.

Angela: "Sugar, I'm sure she didn't mean to give you a heart attack . . . But, well, I guess she didn't know how else to get some freedom. You know she cares for you, and she doesn't like to upset you, but things happen."

He growled in frustration.

Akane: "When she comes home . . .!"

He turned and stormed away. A short while later, his phone rang, and he answered, trying to control himself from snapping under the stress.

Akane: "Hello? Akane speaking."

Becky: "Akane? Oh whew! Thank goodness!!"

Becky sighed in relief, her voice rattling through the other end.

Becky: "Listen, is Jasmine there? Ah tried call'n 'er cellphone. Listen, ah need 't talk 't 'er 'an Orion. Ah ovah'eard someth'n 'bout a date-."

AKane: "A DATE?! When did this happen?! Why doesn't she have protection?! This man could be dangerous! I swear she's just asking for a lecture!"

He growled, eyes narrowing, tension returning.

Becky: "Uh . . . didn'tchya kno-."

The phone beeped.

Becky: "Hold onna second, got a 'nother call 'a come'n in!"

She presed a button.

Becky: "H'lo?"

~~~

    Jasmine smiled, sliding off the bed and heading to the bathroom, having dressed after last night’s . . . intimacy . . . She paused  in the doorway.

Jasmine: “I hate to ask . . . But will you . . . You know . . . ?”

    She glanced down, blushing. He smiled gently.

Orion: “I’ll be along in a moment, Jasmine. I’ll call Jason to bring you some clothes so you don’t have to walk around in a man’s shirt and shorts all day . . .”

    She smiled softly at him.

Jasmine: “Thanks . . . And don’t get any ideas!”

    She closed the door, and he chuckled, picking up his phone, calling Jason, and after a bit of reassurance, insistence and avoidance, Jason agreed. Orion sighed, leaving his phone on the bed and walking into the bathroom, walking in behind her under the stream of water, arms wrapping around her cautiously.

Orion: “So . . . No ideas, huh . . . ?”

    She smiled, closing her eyes, leaning back against him, nodding, their bare bodies pressed together inch for inch.

Jasmine: “No ideas . . . I think just this is fine on it’s own . . .”

    He kissed her cheek, holding her close, feeling her against him, and loving it for the closeness it allowed them, not the sensuality of the situation. It was actually quite . . . calm . . . His smile grew, nuzzling against her.

Orion: “I can live with that . . .”

    A few moments later, Orion left her to finish on her own, grabbing a towel as he walked out to the bedroom, seeing that he’d missed a call. Puzzled, he picked up the device, checking the history and promptly returning the call.

Becky: "H'lo?"

Orion: "Becky! You called? I'm sorry I didn't pick up, I was showering."

Jasmine laughed in the background, only hearing the part about ‘showering’, a towel hitched around her body as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Jasmine: "Crazy man! Who are you calling now?"

Orion: "Becky!"

He called back, lowering the phone from his mouth slightly and sliding it back up.

Orion: "Sorry about that. What's going on?"

Becky: ". . . Did ah call at a bad tahme?"

She could only assume. Orion shook his head, even if she couldn’t see him, it was instinct.

Orion: "No, no . . . It's fine . . . Just wasn't expecting a call today . . ."

    At least, not from her . . . If anyone, Jason should be the one calling back . . .

Jasmine: "Hi, Becky . . ."

Jasmine came closer, crawling onto the bed next to Orion, a small laugh escaping her as she draped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. Orion promptly switched to speaker phone.

Jasmine: "Sorry if we make you feel unwanted. It's always a pleasure to talk to you, Darling."

Becky: "Ah'd say 'th same, but ah got veray bad news!"

She took in a deep breath, rubbing one of her tired eyes on the other end of the line.

Becky: "Sunnay's miss'n. Correction, 'as bin miss'n since yesterday morn'n!"

There was a pause. Jasmine blinked slowly, staring at nothing in particular, the news stabbing at her spark. Orion frowned, the information distressing him just as much, watching her sadly. She slid back on the bed, laying down.

Jasmine: "That little sweet darling . . . Who would do such a thing . . . ? Why would anyone want to . . . I mean, she's adorable and loveable but wanting her does not constitute taking her . . . I think I'm gonna be sick . . ."

Orion sighed into the speaker gently, sliding over to her, kissing her softly.

Orion: "Calm down, Beautiful . . . They'll find her . . ."

    He murmured gently, pulling her close again and she didn’t fight it. The pain was just so familiar in it’s nature . . .

Jasmine: "But what kind of state will she be in . . . ? I hope that sweetheart is recovered well . . ."

Orion: "Calm down, Love . . . We'll have to wait and see . . . I'm sure she'll be okay . . . She has to be . . ."

Jasmine: "O-okay . . . I hope you're right . . ."

Becky: "Ah thought y'all might wanna come 'an 'elp 'th search once yer . . . Finished."

She explained, and the pair immediately felt a tinge of shame.

Becky: "There are search partays look'n all ovah 'th place, but we could always use a few more eyes 'an ears. Oh, 'an uh . . . Ya didn't so 'appen 't sneak out on Akane did ya? Nearlay blew mah ear off!"

She let out a half-hearted chuckle. What little joy she had left, she used, trying to make herself stay positive. Jasmine gave a barely-there sheepish laugh, trying to smile through the pain.

Jasmine: "I um . . . Have no idea what you're talking about . . . And yeah . . . We'll head over when we can . . . Shouldn't be too long, but I'll need new clothes . . ."

She paused before realizing how that could be misinterpreted, blushing.

Jasmine: "Not because of anything with last night! But . . . There was an awful rainstorm . . . And they got soaked . . . They're still in bad shape."

Becky: "Ah see. Ah'll covah fer ya. Mum's 'th word!"

Her grin could almost be heard over the phone.

Becky: "Now, ah gotta git back 't Akane b'fore 'e beeps mah ear off!"

She accidentally hit a button as she said it.  Jasmine let out a small breath.

Jasmine: "Thanks . . ."

A small pause passed.

Orion: "Thank you very much.”

Becky: "No problem y'all. Akane won't know a thang!"

Jasmine: "We'll be down as soon as we can, Darling . . ."

Orion: "We'll see you soon, Becky."

Becky: "See ya!"

She hit another button.

Becky: "Now Akane, sorray 'bout tha', uh . . . Cousins 'an stuff. Ya were say'n?"

Akane: "What won't I know?"

He demanded, just barely keeping his voice below a shout.

Becky: ". . . Whoops."

She held the phone away from her ear.

Becky: "Fer gosh-darn sakes!!! Tha' stupid app! Link'n mah calls-."

She put it back to her ear with a groan.

Becky: "Whaddya mean, 'won't know whut'?!"

She played dumb. At least, she tried.

Akane: "I heard you talking about 'Akane wont know a thing'! What is going on, Becky??

Becky: " "Uh... Nuth'n? Look, ah called 't ask fer-."

Akane: "Becky what am I not supposed to know?! Who called you?"

Becky: "No one! As ah was say'n-."

Akane: "Do you know something? Don't lie to me, Becky. Who. Was. It?"

Becky: "WOULD YA LET MEH FINISH?!"

She finally snapped.

Becky: "AH SWEAR 'T GOD ABOVE YA CAN'T GIT THA' GAL OFFA YER MIND! SHE'S FINE 'AN WITH ORION, 'TH MOST GENTLEMANLAY MAN AH KNOW! NOW LET MEH FINISH! IT'S SUNNAY THA' AIN'T FINE, SHE'S GONE 'AN WE CAN'T FIND 'ER 'AN AH NEED 'ELP! SO THERE!"

Akane paused, taking all the information in. The woman’s voice . . . Jasmine . . . With Orion . . . And a missing little girl . . .

Akane: "Sunny's missing . . . ? And Jasmine . . . Spent the night . . . With a man I barely know . . ."

Angela sighed in the background. Well, he was going to find out eventually . . .

Becky: "Akane, ya listen 't meh 'an listen 't meh good. She's in GOOD 'ands. She's grown up'! What're ya, 'er fathah?!!"

Becky's stress and anger had hit the roof. He sighed slowly.

Akane: "I am supposed to protect her. How can I do that if I'm not around . . . I've lost enough . . . I've failed . . . I don't want to fail her, too."

Becky: "Wha-."

There was a long 'booooooooop' on the other end.

Becky: "H'lo?! Akane?!!!"

Her eyes narrowed.

Becky: "F-FINE! BE THA' WAY YA SNOB!"

She slammed her cellphone on the table and marched up the stairs, passing Granma Roseabelle.

Granma: "Did ya git help, honey-child?"

Becky: "Yes."

She growled.

Becky: "It's the MAN tha' ain't help'n MEH!"

Granma: "Wha-."

Her door slammed before she could finish.

Granma: ". . . Oh."