A few days later Jun and Nia were walking back to the hideout from their regular trip to the homeless encampment nearby. They often went there to see what help they could give, and drop off food. Nia leans her head against Jun's arm as they walk.

"You want to do something fun tonight?" she asks with a knowing smile.

"It's getting a bit cold to sleep on the roof you know," Jun replies with a chuckle, gently pushing her head off his arm as they get near the hideout. Nia stops and Jun turns to look at her.

"What?" he asks, looking confused.

"Jun 일을 숨기는 데 지쳤다," she says softly and sadly. (I'm tired of hiding things, Jun.)

"그러나 그렇지 않으면," he says, trailing off. (But we must.) "당신은 우리가 헤어져야한다고 말하고 있지 않습니까?" he asks hurriedly, his eyes growing wide. (You aren't saying we should break up are you?)

"No!" she cries quickly in English. "아니, 그건 내 뜻이 아니야 더 좋은 방법이 있었으면 좋겠다." (No, that's not what I mean, I just wish there was another way.)

Jun nods, looking down. "나도." (Me too.)

They go inside, both very quiet. Nia goes to her room and pulls one of her books from her backpack. It was a book she borrowed from the library, one on African cultures. She ended up not finding much out about Wakanda from Callida. She had only lived there for the first five years of her life until she was in an accident that took the use of her legs. She came to America with her mother to get better medical treatment. But her mother ended up having to go back, leaving Callida alone in the states. What Nia found from the books she checked out at the library and from the internet was all the same stuff Callida told her. It was a poor, third world country, textiles, known for the metal vibranium that famously makes up Captain America's shield. Sadly all their vibranium had been stolen and they were still a very poor nation. Nia never could understand why her mother would have wanted her to go there. Even the U.S. foster systems seemed better than rural Africa. Nia was startled from her thoughts and reading about an hour later by a knock on the door. She quickly pushed the book under her blankets and opened the door. It was Jun. Nia smiles a bit.

"It's time to get some food," he says softly.

Nia nods and follows him out, everyone was gathering in the room designated to be the kitchen. John had brought a few pizzas, enough for everyone to have a slice or two. Jun phased through the others and grabbed four slices, coming back and handing two to Nia. She smiles her thanks then goes over to talk to Callida. Charlie came over also.

"I'm sorry for how Matt acted when you saved us the other day," Charlie says.

Nia and Callida both look up in surprise. Charlie almost never talked, and she never had apologized before, especially not for something Matt had done.

"It's okay," Nia says, trying to brush it off, knowing that if Charlie was being nice, either she or Matt wanted something.

Charlie smiled, a bit too sweetly. "You realize it's your time, right?"

Nia gulps. Callida frowns.

"She is too young," Callida insists.

Charlie smirks a bit. "She's sixteen, she's plenty old enough." Matt comes up behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Is s-something wrong, C?" he asks, smirking at Nia.

Charlie shakes her head. "Not unless Nia resists."

"She is still a child!" Callida says, frowning.

Nia slowly backs away, her second piece of pizza dropping to the floor. As soon as no one is looking she flees the room. She doesn't even bother to grab her things and she goes. She races out of the building and to the only safe place she knows, the library. She finds a safe corner and sits there, sobbing. She pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs, her forehead resting on her knees. Soon a comforting hand rests on her back.

"니아, 괜찮아?" Jun asks, concerned, having seen the girl run off. (Nia, are you alright?)

"No... no, I'm not," she sobs, leaning into him.

Jun wraps his arms around her, holding her to his chest. "What happened? Did Matt hurt you again?"

Nia shakes her head. "Charlie.... said..." she starts to cry harder, unable to get the words out.

Jun looks concerned. "Shh, it's okay, calm down."

"She... said it was my time. Because we saved them," she says finally, looking up at him with teary eyes.

Jun frowns. "They can't force you to do anything Nia. You are practically an official member anyway...."

"I don't want... to kill anyone," Nia says, a sob catching in her throat. Yes, she shot people, but never to kill. She couldn't bring herself to do that. Possibly leave another child to live as she had.

Jun sighs. "It really isn't that bad, you... you just can't think about it."

Nia shakes her head. "You may be fine with it, but you've been doing it for years. It is nothing to you, but it is everything to me."

Jun looks down, nodding. He killed for revenge, Nia couldn't kill because she was far from revenge. His family had died from a hate crime. Her mom died from cancer. "We... should go back. From the way Callida was yelling, I'm sure they convinced them not to force you into it," he says a bit jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Nia smiles slightly and nods, wiping her eyes. "The library will be closing soon anyway."

Jun stands and helps her up, continuing to hold her hand as they go out. Once they get back, everything has calmed down. Callida is waiting for them.

"There you are, I was getting worried," she says.

"I found her," Jun says with a smile.

Callida chuckles. "I had no doubt you would."

Nia smiles a bit.

"You should head to bed," Callida says to Nia.

Nia nods and starts upstairs.

Jun starts up after her, waving a bit to Callida. He follows Nia to her room and pauses in the doorway. "Are you going to be okay?"

Nia sits on her bed and nods. "Yeah. I think so."

"You want me to stay in here tonight?" he asks quietly.

Nia hesitates and nods.

"Okay, let me go get changed." He goes out and comes back a bit later in a plain white t-shirt and pajama pants. Nia had changed into some soft shorts and a t-shirt. Jun shuts the door and comes and sits next to her. "You sure you're okay?"

Nia leans her head against him and sighs. "Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" he asks, brushing her hair from her face.

"My mom, and where she came from.... What we talked about earlier."

Jun nods, gently kissing her forehead. "Let's not think about it right now, okay?"

Nia lays back on the bed and sighs. "Who.... who was the first person you, you know...... killed?" she asks cautiously.

Jun looks at her with surprise in his eyes. "Uh, a communist soldier on the border when I tried to go back once."

"You didn't kill people when you were with the X-Men?"

"That's not how we did it," He chuckles a bit and lays next to her. "Although there were others who would prefer otherwise at times."

Nia snuggles against him and smiles slightly before getting serious again. "But how did it not eat you alive?"

"You can't think about it too much, otherwise it will eat you alive," he says, fiddling with the collar of her shirt.

Nia nods, the motion meaning two things. Jun kisses her, slipping off her shirt. Nia reaches to slip his off, but he draws back a bit.

"When will you let me see?" She asks him softly.

Jun shakes his head. "Not yet."

Nia sighs and nods. A bit later a knock on the door makes both freeze. Nia quickly pulls the sheets over them as the door opens. Callida looks in and her eyes wide, she quickly goes out again. Jun comes out a few moments later.

"You can't tell," he hisses, his eyes wide with fear.

Callida looks confused. "Why would I?"

Jun shrugs. "It would get you a lot of credit with Loki and Matt."

Callida shakes her head. "I wouldn't do that. First of all, because you are my friends, and second, you both need it. I was worried for both of you when Loki forced you apart, but then when you guys recovered from the hurt so quickly, I figured you were back together."

Jun's eyes go wide again. "Is it obvious?"

Callida shakes her head. "I'm just extra observant."

Nia comes out cautiously, smiling a bit at Callida.

Callida smiles back. "Your secret is safe with me," she promises.

The couple nods, glancing at each other briefly before looking back at Callida.

"You two should sleep.... But you may want to make it a habit of locking your doors," she chuckles.

"Thank you," Nia says quietly.

"Of course," Callida says as she turns and goes back to her room.

Nia goes back into the room and sits on the bed. Jun locks the door and sits next to her. "Well, you said you didn't want to hide it anymore," he says with a bit of a chuckle.

"Not exactly how or when I expected," she says, starting to laugh also, letting the tension release that had been building up.

Jun chuckles and lays back on the bed, pulling Nia down with him, covering them with the covers. "I love you," he says as he kisses her forehead.

"I love you too," she replies with a smile and wraps her arms around him, falling asleep snuggled against his chest.

Hey y'all! I'm back!  Please enjoy!