<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The Hunter seemed to be in a somber mood, his eyes distant as he stared out of the window and body language subdued. She couldn’t blame him; the sobering encounter deflating much of the energy and enthusiasm from them both despite their win. They came out unscathed by the skin of their teeth, with a wealth of information that could prove fruitful with the right research and investigation. But, their success wasn’t a clean one. It was messy, bloody with loose ends in the form of a vicious Vampire. Still, Wes attempted one of those good-natured smiles. Weak as it was, it managed to make her heart flutter. The strange sensation softened her expression, turning a lovely visage that was once just as grave to an almost coy smile. She hid the bloom of color that warmed her cheeks, returning her eyes to the road as she continued to bring them away from the infested club. The feeling didn’t linger long, not when he was back to talking reckless again. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she sighed instead. Ava held her tongue while he spoke quietly, his sentiment well-intentioned but infuriating. In the silence that enveloped the car, she realized what he was implying.<br/>
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There was enough information on the phone for them to go their separate ways, follow their own leads and pursue them without the need for silly favors. She should have been relieved to have control again, to be able to do things on her terms with her own careful methods. Instead there was an uneasiness within her, the idea of Wes running headlong into danger an unsettling possibility that she couldn’t seem to come to terms with. Ava shouldn’t have cared. It was his life to live or lose, and yet she was immensely uncomfortable with the imagery that went along with the latter. The mere thought of the light in his eyes being extinguished troubled her, a dull ache in her chest tightening a little harder with each mile that passed. It was ridiculous to think that in the very short time that they had known one another that she had actually come to care about him. Ava felt as though she had done everything in her power not to grow attached to the lone Hunter. She tried to keep things professional, separate the personal from the complicated nature of their goal.<i> If only they hadn’t kissed</i>. It was downright maddening that she allowed herself to cross that boundary.<br/>
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His remark about her alter-ego would have gone over much better with her had she not been mentally scolding herself. Ava’s expression was impassive in response, traces of discontent appearing once in a while as she drove. Soon they arrived at their destination, and she pulled the vehicle into an empty lot, ignoring the ‘No Trespassing' sign planted in the ground a few feet in front of the bumper. Beyond it was a wooded area, well-maintained grounds with well-traveled trails. She parked and picked up the phone that Wes had haphazardly dropped into the cupholder, flicking through the various applications. She was performing the same activity, sending herself the information that looked promising; contacts, photos, frequent locations, emails, and text messages. All the while she was fuming, doing her best to concentrate rather than address the mounting frustration building within her. “Alright, I’ve got what I need.” She announced, pushing the door open to start on one of the trails. Ava didn’t get very far. <br/>
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“You know what,” she started, turning on her toes to face him. If she didn’t say something she was going to implode, collapse in upon herself from holding in all the exasperation she felt toward him. “You never should have kissed me. <i>We</i> never should have kissed. I have no idea what I was thinking, but it was stupid. I told you that we should have kept things professional, that we should treat this as business. But, you.” She jabbed a finger in his direction as she moved toward him. <i>You</i> do things and think about the consequences later. Well, consequence: I kind of care whether you live or die now. I dislike the idea of you running blindly into danger, all for the slightest chance that you might get a clean shot at a being that is likely heavily guarded and heavily armed. So forgive me if I can’t exactly wash my hands of you and walk away . . . Let me help you, Wes.” The tone of her voice turned as sincere as the look in her green eyes. <br/>
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“We don’t have to do this as some sort of exchange where you do something for me and I do something for you. No strings attached, as a . . . <i>friend</i> let me help you,” she struggled with the word ‘friend.’ Mainly because it didn’t seem fitting, not because she wasn’t fond of him but because friends didn’t typically kiss. But, they had been through enough together to qualify for the status. Truth be told, she was in too deep. Ava was invested in Dresden's downfall, regardless of whether he was involved in her sister's disappearance. </span>