Foyer.

She walked from the kitchen down a long hall to the foyer. He stood in the center, one phone at his ear while he texted on another. He glanced at her then back, hanging up the phone.

She cringed as he approached, sensing his anger. His blue eyes were sharp, his jaw clenched. He stopped too close for her comfort, and she looked up at him, breathless at how handsome he was.

"I'm so sorry about your car," she said quickly.

"I don't give a shit about the car." He stared down at her, and she wondered what else she might have done to piss him off. "Bianca, I'm sorry. I left you completely exposed. It's the worst thing I've done in many lifetimes.

"No worries, Dusty. Everything's okay," she assured him.

"Everything's not okay. It was an amateur mistake."

She sensed nothing she could say would placate him. Instead, she hugged him. He hesitated then wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her head. She loved his scent, the feel of his hard, warm body against hers. He stroked her hair.

"It won't happen again," he said with conviction.

"You get the couch from now on," she teased.

"Screw the couch," he responded.

The front door opened, and Jenn peered in.

"I've gotta get going," he said, withdrawing.

"Boss, we're ready," Jenn called. "Bianca, we'll be out back in the command center for a bit."

Dusty kissed Bianca's forehead and strode away. She couldn't help wondering about the two of them and why she felt suddenly jealous, even though Jenn could give Dusty something she wasn't willing to. They made a sexy pair.

Conflicted, she returned to the kitchen to find Jonny seated on a stool near a counter. He was glaring at Darian, who sat across the kitchen on another stool.

"Tell him whose cookies you'll make first, sis," Jonny said testily.

"God, boys," she said. "I can make more than one kind at once."

"Peanut butter," Darian demanded.

"Chocolate chip," Jonny said in the same tone.

"What about peanut butter chocolate chip?"

There was a pause as the two eyed each other.

"I can live with that," Jonny said slowly.

"So can I," Darian agreed.

She rolled her eyes and started her cookie prep.

Jonny looked towards the door to the kitchen suddenly, and his gaze darkened. He rose and left. Startled, Bianca turned to face the doorway, recognizing the petite blonde woman who saved her from Dusty's bullet in Talon's garage.

"Hi, Sofi," Darian said in a quiet voice.

"Sofi," Bianca repeated, brightening. "I've heard so much about you."

The woman had Dusty's cold beauty, with feminine, chiseled features, long blonde hair and large blue eyes lined with silver.

"Nice to meet you finally, Bianca," the Oracle said. "Sorry for scaring off Jonny."

"A lot of people run from her," Darian added.

Bianca smiled, puzzled why anyone would run from the small, beautiful woman. Sofi glanced at Darian. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll fix it," he said. "I'm just taking a break."

"Don't make me call Dusty," Sofi replied.

"You're not the boss of me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. With a noisy sigh, he slinked out the back door of the kitchen towards the barracks. Bianca waited until he was gone to release her chuckle.

"Teens," she said.

"I know," Sofi agreed. "I was never like that."

"So you were ... human?" Bianca asked.

"Until recently." The Oracle said no more and took Darian's place at the breakfast bar.

"It's a, uh, very different world," Bianca said.

Sofia gave a faint smile and held out her hand, palm up. Bianca looked at her curiously.

"It's the typical greeting for an Oracle," Sofi explained. "It took me awhile to adjust to it, too. Just place your hand on top of mine."

Bianca crossed to her and did. Sofi's cool power whipped through her thoughts, but it was the darkness within the small woman that drew her attention. Bianca concentrated on the strange pain. It felt ... foreign to the Oracle's body, yet was intense. The Oracle had pinned it to a corner of her mind, but it was slipping free.

Bianca focused on it and channeled her healing energy towards the dark pain. The Oracle resisted at first then gave, and Bianca swept it away.

"That will be a very useful skill," Sofi whispered and withdrew. "Damian can do that, too, but Darian's too weak yet to tap into his power."

"Where is your husband?" Bianca asked. Healing left her weakened, and she leaned against the counter.

"In Europe, fighting the Black God's men."

"I've always wanted to go to Europe."

"Me, too. Won't happen any time soon. We're something of a rarity. They tend to be watchful of us," Sofi said in disapproval. "Don't let Dusty make all the rules. He needs you to bring him around from robot-mode."

"I can't even tell if he likes me half the time." Bianca flushed and cleared her throat.

"He does. He's dealing with some things. You'll find the Guardian men noble but resistant to what's good for them sometimes."

"Aren't you grounded?" Toni asked Sofi, striding in from the outside.

"It was recommended, never approved," she replied with a cold glare. Toni shook his head and trotted into the house. "Most of them know better than to mess with an Oracle."

Bianca stifled a laugh, genuinely liking the subtle yet feisty Oracle.

"Babe, there are other ways to get rid of that energy," Jenn purred.

Chest heaving, Dusty lowered the two-handed sword he'd been using to hack apart one of the practice dummies in the back of the command center. He was coated with sweat and exhausted, but he wouldn't stop until he beat the fury out of him.

Jenn was dressed in a revealing top and tight jeans, her arms crossed and her features amused.

"Not now, Jenn," he replied and returned to his target.

"I meant, you may need it to fight Talon's goons soon. Toni's plans looked real good."

"I know what you meant," he said and returned to hacking at the dummy.

"Or that," she said with a husky laugh.

"I screwed up."

She stepped into his view, and he dropped his arms, throwing back his head to suck in deep breaths.

"How many times have you picked me up after I fucked up?" she challenged. "And everyone around you. So you fucked up once in your entire life. She's smart enough to figure out what to do."

"That's not the point," he snapped.

"Does it matter?"

He glared at her, unable to shake the sense that if Bianca hadn't thought smarter than him, she'd be dead. With all the Guardians in the western hemisphere and god-powers granted him by Damian, he'd been the weak link. It was his job to protect humans, and he hadn't been able to protect one woman in his own home! He'd never been afraid of anything in his life until that moment when all his power and control meant nothing. Just like when his sister died. The pain threatened to cripple him again.

Her gaze raked over him, but she kept her distance.

"Give yourself a break. You've been run ragged for too long. You don't eat, you don't sleep. I should start charging you for taking the edge off as often as I do. Not that I don't appreciate the favor," she said.

"Someone's gotta save the world!" he snapped.

"And you will. This isn't gonna help you, though."

"I could do something more useful, like help Toni plan operations," he allowed.

She rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of you going in there and claiming her. But, whatever."

"Don't have time, don't want the drama," he replied and swiped his T-shirt from the ground. He placed the sword in a rack with others and exited into the night.

Besides, I'm going to die this weekend. The cool rain felt good against his hot skin, and he stood in the dark walkway between the gym and the house, soothed by the storm.

He missed Damian and Jule. He didn't realize how much until he actually needed their brutal take on reality to ground him. As the baby of the three, he'd always been the rock star among them. He'd never been alone. He wasn't used to failure, and he didn't know how to take it.

He wiped his face and walked into the kitchen, starving. Several of the Guardians were gathered in the informal dining area at the far end of the kitchen, laughing and talking as they played cards. His gaze found Bianca's curls. She sat between Darian and Jonny across from Toni and two others. There was a plate of cookies on the counter and the scent of dinner lingering around the oven.

He knew without asking she'd left him dinner again. He recalled how soothing her hug had been earlier and itched to feel her soft, warm body in his arms again.

Even more frustrated, he pulled the food out of the oven and retreated to his office, not caring that he was drenched.

She trailed him up the stairs.

"You okay?" Her soft voice drifted off as she took him in.

He glanced at her. She looked well-rested, her cheeks glowing and her eyes dancing.

"There's more if you want," she said, glancing at his plate. She pulled up a chair, her movement giving him a peek of the swells of her breasts as she bent. She sat next to him and propped her chin on one hand, gazing at him.

"I'm better now," he said. He touched her face, and she took his hand in both of hers.

"You're cold," she murmured.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked. He leaned his forehead against hers, listening to her breathe.

"No one-night stands," she said, though her tone was considering.

"We don't have to do anything," he said with a husky chuckle. "I promise to behave."

She hesitated then reached for him, her cool touch soothing the fury in his blood. She leaned back to kiss him, the feel of her soft lips against his both infuriating and placating. He kissed her gently, unwilling to drop his restraint.

"Kiri, you don't want to kiss me like that," he told her, pulling away.

She settled again into his hug. He sensed he'd upset her, but she didn't leave, just squeezed him tighter. He took them to the condo, and she tensed.

"Is it safe?"

"It is," he said, more self-anger stirring at her fear. "Lay down. I've gotta clean up."

She withdrew, and he felt the loss of her presence like the sun going behind a cloud. He took a long shower, exhausted, before retrieving his now lukewarm dinner from the house. He ate alone in the condo's kitchen, not surprised to see Bianca asleep when he finally returned to bed. He gathered her warm body in his arms and smoothed away the curls that clung to his face, breathing her deep scent before he dropped into the first peaceful slumber in ages.

It wasn't quite morning when he returned her to the extra bed in Jonny's room. After a few solid hours of sleep, his sense of center was back, his mind clear. He paused as he passed the library. The lights were on.

"Sofi?" he called. The library was her refuge, though he had to wonder why she was up so early again.

"Hey Dusty," she said in a tight voice.

He approached her favorite chair. She was curled up in it, her head resting on one of the arms. Her swirling silver eyes were red with tears. He sat on the ottoman in front of her, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"I miss Damian," she whispered. "It's really hard to deal with all the bad stuff sometimes."