Ara was crying into her pillow, muffling the sounds coming out of her mouth. It was dark outside. It was seven thirty, she would have to leave in a few minutes if she wanted to see Jack. The argument with Emma was stuck in her mind like glue. She couldn't keep her mind off it. Her girlfriend was furious when she come home last night, her red hair damp, clothes covered in snow. Emma practically threw a fit. Ara had explained, leaving out the part where she had met with Jack, that she had tried to get the Hologram back. Lying to Emma was hard but it was for her protection, for both of theirs. Besides she didn't her to get involved with the illegal deeds she had done.
She had been screamed at for about ten minutes, until Emma had had enough and demanded for Ara to sleep on the couch for the night. That had been tolerable. However in the evening the next day she and Emma had gotten into another argument, about the cook in the cafeteria. For hours they had been shouting about the subject, Ara desperately trying to make Emma understand. But she would not be moved.
The alarm went off; it showed the time; 8:00pm. Wiping the remains of her tears away, Ara got up from the bed and walked to the mirror on the wall. She looked a right mess, she couldn't go out like this. Quickly she changed into new clothes and pulled her hair into a ponytail. Her face was still red and blotchy so she went into the bathroom to splash some water onto her face. Finally satisfied with her appearance she rushed outside to get to the cottage, hoping that she will get there on time.

Jack was sneaking around the guards, trying not to be seen. He was dressed in warm black clothes and was keeping to the shadows. Also we was careful not to step on the snow so that he wouldn't leave footprints behind for the men to track him. God forbid catch him. He waited for the guards to turn away so he could make his move. He looked at his watch, it read; 8:05. He had twenty five minutes to be on time. He looked around for a stone of some kind, just a small one.. There! He picked it up and threw it over the guards' heads, hitting the wall behind them. In confusion they turned around to inspect the area. He had to move now! As quietly as he could, Jack ran across, until he got behind the other wall. He lay flat against it, not wanting to cause any moment of suspicion. After he heard that nothing had moved, Jack came off the wall and started to walk towards the border. Here security was tight and he had to be twice as careful.
"Ok," he whispered to himself, "let's get going."

Ara sat herself on the molding sofa opposite to the crumbling fireplace. The damp smell was comforting and familiar, reminded her of past holidays with her family. She guessed the time would be around eight thirty five. She had arrived to the cottage at around eight twenty and then started cleaning the place, making it nicer, less foreboding. She had dusted the corners, swept the floors, cleaned the windows, wanting to give a good impression. But why? She shouldn't care what he thought. After all it was just a place to meet up and talk, to discuss and plan. What was it about him that appealed to her? There was nothing significant about him, nothing particularly special. He was someone she had known since school... That was it. There had been no real connection or any influence he had lay on her. But then she remembered the feeling of his hand against her cheek from the other day, and how she had wanted to stay like that forever. Oh dear mother of god..
"Ara?" slowly she turned to look at the open doorway. In the doorway stood Jack, the man she had known all her life. The man she had fallen in love with.