Chapter 14: The HQ Star

Just by hearing direct teasing questions from Gwen, Slavica was in her silence that brought a heaviness to the car along their ride. Everyone was on the edge and nobody tried to break it until Gwen sighed and moved away from leaning on Slavica's arms. She just looked blank and looked directly at the road since she was in the middle of Yui and Slavica.

"I got the message…" Gwen sighed and slouched on her spot before letting her head rest over Yui's shoulder.

With that gesture, Yui jolted and looked over at Gwen before glancing at Slavica and then back to her. Yui sighed and soothed Gwen's head because she could feel the drying warmness around Gwen. It was turning cold.

"Gwen, are you okay?" Yui asked in her whispering tone but Gwen didn't speak. Yui suddenly felt something going over her shoulder she already could tell that she was crying in silence.

"Rest. I'll wake you up when we got there." Yui smiled assuringly when Gwen privately sent a response to her mind.

'Thank you.'

Yui was shocked by it but quickly recovered and let Gwen rest over her shoulder before looking worried at Slavica. Slavica was still quiet yet she was eyeing Gwen as if she was studying Gwen's energy swings. From bright warmness suddenly dimming into coldness.

"Seems like she was hurt, boss." Irina commented to break the silence in the car. Everyone could feel the coldness coming from Gwen.

"I know…I just don't know what to say over her directness." Slavica honestly informed them what made her shut up all of the sudden.

"Hm, but you could at least say something than being a dick." Irina was a little bit blunt but at the same time, she was pissed at how their boss acted toward a simple yet direct question from Gwen.

"What did you say, Irina?" Slavica sensed the irritation in Irina's tone.

"You heard me, Slavica. Don't be surprised when she acted something that she usually does in her daily life." Slavica knew that whenever Irina speak directly and firmly without using her usual seduction voice, it meant only one thing, Irina was mad.

"Meaning?" Tacker asked in his curious tone while glancing over the rear mirror to check everyone at the backseat.

"She's a model. She knew how to mask her emotions in front of the camera. I could bet that you won't be able to read her mind or even her energy flow if that happens since she's awakening to be like us. I could tell she'll grow faster with or without our guidance but the question remains if she'll turn good or bad one." Irina answered as she briefly explained what she could sense around Gwen each time she was around her. Gwen was indeed growing in a short period of time and it was very rare for a human to easily adopt supernatural changes in them. She seems to be born to be one of them, night creatures.

As the daylight driving went on smoothly without being chased or anything disturbing, silence kept wrapping around the car until Yui sneezed. She went on touching Gwen's forehead and it was totally cold which made her hand partially turn to ice. She looked worried at the sleeping Gwen over her shoulder.

"Tacker, pull over." Yui immediately told her mate to stop the car. She was feeling something that she was the only one who could feel.

"But…" Tacker was about to reason but Yui went into her serious mode which was very rare for her to do - she's the child and baby in their team but it's different at the moment.

"Just pull over, please, babe." She still pressed with desperation and Tacker didn't like that tone.

"Alright, just a second." Tacker sighed and went to the nearest layby to park their car safely.

When they pulled over to the side of getting bumpy road, Yui immediately opened the door and carefully pull away from the sleeping Gwen. She went on releasing her water magic which surprisingly turned ice. She gasped in surprise because she never manipulates ice before. The more she released them it was finally turned back to her usual water magic. She sighed in relief before she turned to the sleeping Gwen.

"What's happening to her, boss? She just turned cold and having contact with her, her coldness affected my water already." Yui asked in a worried tone because it never happened before.

"I…I am not sure…I couldn't read her…" Slavica sighed because she really couldn't read Gwen all of the sudden.

"Gwen, wake up." Irina decided to wake Gwen who started groaning before yawning.

"Where are we?" Gwen asked sleepily and let herself rest over her spot in the backseat.

"We took a stop for a moment…" Tacker answered.

"Okay." She just nodded before yawning again.

"Gwen, what are you feeling?" Irina curiously asked and it caught Gwen's attention already.

"The usual? Why, Iri?" Gwen asked by calling a nickname that had never been called Irina because she doesn't want to but Gwen was exceptional.

"Iri? Nice, I like that. Anyway, I'm just wondering because Yui suddenly had the urge to release her magic, and surprisingly it turned to ice instead of water. She just let you rest over her shoulder and that happened. So, I'm asking if there's anything different you're feeling at the moment. You can be honest with me." Irina explained first before she asked Gwen. She just wanted Gwen to understand first going to her question.

"Oh, sorry about that. I'm just dreaming of playing in the snow and eating something cold." Gwen apologized to Yui and chuckled a little when she recalled her dream.

"Okay, that answers it. Let's head back on the road. It's getting dark." Irina and the rest smiled as well before they all agreed to head back on the road.

As they started to race on the setting sun, Tacker decided to take the bumpy route. It was worse than the road that they took since it was rougher and surrounded by so many pine and oak trees. In short, Tacker decided to take them to the off-grid road of the town where they just came from.

"Tacker, remind me again why take this route when there's a clear one?" Irina breaks the silence revolving around the car ride as soon as they hit the road again.

"Where's the fun in the bumpy one?" Tacker chuckled as he kept driving to the familiar roadless route that he took toward their headquarters.

"It feels like you're just going to kill me in the middle of nowhere." Gwen yawned as she commented since the sudden change of the road woke her up. It was indeed a bumpy and rough road to take and a nap or sleep in that kind of drive was not applicable at all.

"Trust me when I said that our boss here won't let anything harm you." Tacker reassured Gwen who turned to look over the silent Slavica. She was not looking at anyone but at the woods, they were in and she was totally in her alert mode – protective to be exact.

"I see…can I know why that is?" Gwen wondered since she was eager to know the answer. She was indeed a curious cat whenever her curiosity went on kicking in.

"Don't ask if you already felt it." Slavica only answered her as soon as the car stopped in front of a small cabin.

Gwen was about to say something to Slavica's comment when she just opened the door. She watched Slavica go off the car first and when she was about to speak again, Yui suddenly speak before she even could.

"Finally! We're here." Yui cut her off as she began stretching her arms upward before opening the car door next to her and going off.

Gwen released a defeated sigh and followed them out of the car. Irina took the liberty to open the cabin and it wasn't locked at all. Gwen looked at everyone that she was with before smiling that she found some interesting people to be with even though they weren't ordinary human beings to begin with. She was used to them being like that – a little.

Anyway, the cabin was any ordinary cabin-styled home but it was having a pleasing vibe and strange energy was surrounding it. Gwen could feel them but she just let it be and went inside the cabin. Inside, it was indeed a typical cabin with an open floor plan but it was too tight for five people living on one roof.

"Welcome to our HQ Star." Yui excitedly welcomed Gwen who just smiled as she watched them not caring about feeling tight around the small space for five people. Like just what they were doing since Yui and Tacker slouched on the comfy big couch while Irina went to the kitchen to get something for everyone while Slavica suddenly got preoccupied on the other line.

"Why are we here?" Gwen asked as she headed to the small but functional peninsula kitchen where Irina was brewing something.

"Well, drink this first. It's chamomile tea." Irina handed Gwen the first brew of tea that she made before pouring the other cups that she prepared as soon as they all came inside the cabin.

"Thanks." Gwen only said and took her first sip which calmed her down even for a little bit.

"For the starter, this cabin was just our rest cabin and we talk here as well regarding our cases which we're about to discuss downstairs at the basement. That's why we came here." She explained to her why they were in the cabin and not at their headquarters.

"Should I be present there, I mean, it's your case that needs to handle and I am just an outsider?" Gwen was very cautious when she politely asked Irina about her being invited to a sensitive case that they were handling.

"Gwen, you just help us with something which I am going to tell everyone. Come and listen to how we deal with this case." She finished all the cups with teas before answering Gwen with her genuine smile.

"Alright, I have nothing to do anyway besides sleeping." Gwen sighs in understanding before she took a sip of the tea again.

"Well, you still need it. Finish your tea; I'll give some to the others." Irina chuckled and ushered her to finish her cup before heading to where the others taking some rest.

Gwen wanted to check out every corner of the cabin but she doesn't bother to do it instead she wondered where Slavica went to. Slavica just took a phone call but Gwen could not see her around the cabin. She indeed finishes her tea before releasing a heavy sigh and exactly something suddenly began echoing through her ears. She suddenly heard a playing piano somewhere which made her look around her within her eyes' radius. But there was none it was just echoing around her background.

If there were no words

No way to speak

I would still hear you

If there were no tears

No way to feel inside

I'd still feel for you

Gwen tried to ignore the melody until a familiar lyric began whispering to her hearing which made her could not ignore that song anymore. The song was called Valentine by Jim Brickman and Martina McBride and her mind was telling to her to sing it. She was not sure why she suddenly felt that kind of urge and went on trying it.

"And even if the sun refused to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart

Until the end of time

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine…" Gwen just sings the song that was suddenly playing around her ears since she knew the lyrics well. She just goes with it. She's feeling the song actually which was clear enough for the others to hear it.

"She's not once a famous model but she could sing as well." Yui was totally amazed that Gwen was the most multitalented type of person that she ever met before. The three of them began on listening to Gwen's singing voice as they stayed in the living area that was not so far from the kitchen since it was indeed a small cabin house.

"All of my life

I have been waiting for

All you give to me

You've opened my eyes

And shown me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before

But in my dreams, I couldn't love you more

I will give you my heart

Until the end of time

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine…" Gwen kept singing while she was playing with the tip of the cup before her as some memories began to flash. It was like a serene or heartfelt movie on a screen based on what she was seeing through memory lane.

"And even if the sun refused to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart

Until the end of time…" Gwen halted as she suddenly took such a strong grip on the cup that led to breaking it.

Gwen didn't realize what she was doing since she was witnessing something in memory lane that she was suddenly being taken. Everyone who was still with Gwen inside the cabin looked worried at her and as if on cue, Slavica suddenly came back inside. She was about to say something when she saw her team's worried reaction. She was a bit confused but since they could not move on their spot just yet, Slavica started to feel Gwen. She shivered and worry started to show on her aura.

"What happened?" Slavica asked everyone while staring at Gwen's frozen state but no one could give her an answer.

"'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine." Gwen finished the song and at the same time, a couple of tears began to fall down from her eyes. It stung Slavica's chest and she didn't like it one bit.