The story so far:

---- Aija is a Volunteer at the Pristine School at Innermost. She works along with Zuri and Ze, who are her friends. Aija witnesses a strange event one night – light emanating from Rez's body. The kidnapper is after her soul, next, but he leaves her alive and goes away. Another man finds her, he wants to take her somewhere else - Aija though wary of him agrees. Aija learns of the existence of the aliens – the Ytai. Also, about the R'ies and H'eon, Harvesting and Àvo from Etrie. Etrie tells her that the man, who Harvested Rez (Thieron), will now go after her. He tells her that the spy/kidnapper's name is Luka. Etrie asks her to work along with him. Aija agrees to work along with Etrie on Harvest Stopping Missions.

---- Thieron is in the Open. Alton asks to visit him – something he had been avoiding for a long time since he punched Dhor-Wo, and broke his nose and jaw. Alton is not angry with Thieron for hurting Dhor-Wo; he tells Thieron that he will send him to retrieve the Àvo. Thieron finds a photo of his family in the forbidden section of the Mansion. He hears the voices of two women in the forbidden section and wonders who lives there and what secret Alton is hiding.

---- Thieron and Nala check out a new target, and realize that Etrie's team was trailing the same target.

---- Aija's parents tell her that she has received the notice for engagement from The Leadership. She hates the idea of it, but there is no escape.

---- Her mother asks her to get ready to meet Quinn and his family.

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****13.2 - Aija****

Aija looked at herself in the mirror, not sure if she looked good. 

She wasn't sure, if she even wanted to look good. Vaya had tied her long black hair into a braid of interwoven hair strands and the heaviness of it – she felt at the nape of her neck. She wore a gold organza dress with silver detailing. The hem of the dress rested just above her knees.

"You look beautiful," Avi said walking into her room.

She turned to him, "Thanks, Avi. Although, I'm not sure I was rooting for beautiful."

Avi grinned, understanding what she implied. "But, it can't be helped, you make everything look good."

Aija smiled at the compliment. Avi was Avi – a sweet kid.

"If you don't like Quinn, just run home. I'll help you run away."

Aija raised her eyebrows; it reminded her of Rei.

"Really, just run," Avi said looking at her surprise.

She smiled, "I'll let you know."

***

Aija was nervous as she climbed into the car. Her father had requested – demanded – for one. He always did on important occasions and the Leadership never denied. They couldn't, obviously, say no to the man who owned the entire transportation system in all the seven cities across the world and had ensured clean air and temperature maintenance everywhere. They had even appointed them a designated driver.

Aija wondered if her father knew that the air purifying system was only well maintained at Innermost and few other towns. That several smaller towns, especially the ones far from Innermost were practically ignored; that the people there suffered. She wondered how much of everything he knew, or was he a part of it all? She would hate it if he were a part of this blatant injustice.

It was a forty-five-minute drive to the Ersco's place. She looked at the AIVIO Scroll on her left wrist. It was eleven, and they were close to the Ersco household. They lived close to the Animal Preservation Centre, which was close to the Research Institute on the border of Innermost.

They reached the huge seven bedroom Mansion which rivaled her own eight-bedroom Mansion and Aija was again struck by guilt as she remembered Taylor's small dilapidated house. The gate opened for them and the driver dropped them off at the huge entrance, where the Ersco family was already waiting for them.

Amir Ersco and his wife Clara welcomed them into their home. Aija knew them from before and yet she still felt nervous as they greeted each other. She hung back behind her parents, desperately wishing Vaya or Rei was there with her. 

Clara Ersco hugged her and said, "Oh my, you've grown so well. I last saw you when you were about ten."

Aija smiled politely at her future mother in law the Leadership had chosen for her.

As they settled in the main room, Quinn arrived and greeted them; his attention pivoted towards Aija.

"Hi," she told her and extended his arm.

He was handsome and better looking than she remembered. His blonde hair reached his chin and tan skin had a rosy glow to it, which she instantly envied.

"Hi," she replied, not taking his hand.

Quinn smiled as he ran his hand through his hair, a little embarrassed from her denial to shake his hand. The adults sat on the sofa just as Quinn's older siblings came and greeted her and her parents before they all settled into a relaxed chitchat.

Quinn asked her to follow him and he led her out to the backyard. A beautiful garden lay at the center of the yard and Quinn walked towards it. Aija followed him into the garden looking around and he slowed his pace and he fell in step with her.

"How have you been?" he asked as they walked along the pebbled path. "It's been years since I saw you last."

"I've been good." her voice was soft. She still felt awkward.

Quinn smiled and she noticed how good looking he had become; not that he had ever looked bad. It's just that she had never paid attention to his looks before, as kids and it surprised her now.

"How's Terra?"

"She's doing well, I suppose, in doggie heaven," Aija answered, "if heaven even exists."

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"It's alright." she cut in, "How's your family?"

Quinn was the youngest of four boys and she met them all before when she was younger. She had met his oldest brother on several occasions when he had dropped and picked Quinn up from her house. He was like a second father to Quinn and he adored him the most. And Aija might have had a small crush on him, although she hadn't paid much attention to it back then. She remembered she was always more excited to see Thomas than having Quinn as a company to play with.

"They're all well," Quinn told her. "My oldest brother Thomas works with my father at the Institute. My second older brother, Nadim, is working at the Hospital and doing his Specialization studies. My third brother, Atif, is studying Animal Sciences. He works part-time at the APC."

"And you?"

"Same as Atif."

"I always thought you'd follow Thomas."

Quinn laughed, "So had everyone. But, Thomas was proud that I chose to do what I wanted."

They strolled across the garden and Aija was getting more comfortable. Of course, all four brothers were studying sciences or medicine or administration. All kids of financially well off families did the same. No one ever got into teaching or even the Army. They studied well and held prestigious jobs at the Research Institute, or Hospitals or even the top few got into the Leadership.

Now that she actually thought about it, she realised that most jobs such as teaching, caretaking, owners of food shops were people of not so financially well off families; a few of them even coming from outer towns to Innermost. The Army comprised of people from smaller towns who probably did so to escape the bad living conditions they had.

No wonder her parents had thrown a fit when she had announced that she wanted to volunteer at the school. They had relented to her finally, but not before putting in all their efforts to convince her to get into sciences or medicine or administration. She had refused all their suggestions and only Rei had supported her from the very beginning; for which, he too was scolded saying that the two of them were setting poor examples to Avi and Asahi.

"What about you?" asked Quinn drawing her concentration away from her thoughts.

"I volunteer at the school," she said and looked at him. How would he react? Would he not like it, just like all wealthy families didn't?

"Really?" he asked. He didn't show disgust or shock or anything else Aija was expecting from him. He looked excited. "How is it like to work with children? I'm sure you have fun every day. It must be delightful."

She stared at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked stopping in front of a row of rose bushes.

"You don't find it strange that I volunteer at the school?"

"Why would I? Is it not what you want to do?"

She nodded, "But..."

"I don't care," he interrupted. "As long as it makes you happy, you can do whatever you want to. I don't care for prestigious jobs. I'm into Animal Sciences because I like it. If teaching kids makes you happy, then that's what you need to do. Stop listening to others."

Aija looked at him, a small part of her respecting him already. She hadn't expected this reaction from him and she was already feeling better about the Leadership having partnered her with him. When had that skinny kid who came to her place only to play with her dog grown so much?

"Aija," his voice was candid; eyes cradling veracity. "To be honest, I was so relieved when I saw that the person in the photo was you. I'm not really sure what I would have done if it was anyone else," he told her as he took her hands in his. His touch was soft and gentle; his hands warm as he held hers, in his. "I was so scared I wouldn't like the person the Leadership chose for me, let alone fall in love with them. What if I ended up hating the person I had to marry? It could happen, you know.

     "But, seeing your face and your name, I was so thankful. I knew I would like you – I always had a crush on you when we were kids. To know that I would marry a friend brought me so much joy. I know we can make this marriage work because I know you don't dislike me." His voice was soft, cradling a multitude of emotions. "I know I can fall in love with you one day, Aija. I know."

The silence that followed was palpable. Aija stared at Quinn unsure if she was shocked by his confession of his crush on her or his declaration that he could fall in love with her.

Her fear was diminishing, knowing he had been just as scared as her. She had been so terrified if Quinn would like her. But, she felt relaxed now. They could make it work; like he said they didn't hate each other.

"Aija? Are you okay?"

'I know I can fall in love with you one day, Aija. I know.'

She smiled as she nodded, "I'm glad too, that it's you."

The smile Quinn gave her in response brightened his eyes, and Aija couldn't help smiling back widely at him.

By the time they finished their walk through the garden and headed back in for lunch, the two of them were holding hands and their parents looked ecstatic.

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