Chuckling as she stepped out of her car, Ashley crossed her arms, rolling her eyes playfully as she approached Gabriela, who was standing near the entrance of the arcade zone. She shook her head and clicked her tongue in mock disapproval.

"Thought we were going to have real fun?" Ashley teased, tilting her head as she gave Gabriela a pointed look.

Gabriela laughed, gesturing toward the entrance. "This is fun. Come on!"

Ashley sighed but smirked in surrender. "Yeah, sure. Whatever," she muttered, letting Gabriela pull her inside. Might as well enjoy my day off from babysitting the little superstar, she thought. But... how is she doing? The fleeting worry tugged at her, unbidden.

"Ash!" Gabriela waved her hand in front of Ashley's face, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? What was that?" Ashley asked, clearing her throat as she shook herself back to the present.

Gabriela tilted her head, chuckling. "You're zoning out. What's on your mind?" she asked, linking her arm with Ashley's.

"Nothing. Just... nothing," Ashley replied, laughing softly but evading the question. Her mind, however, wandered back to Mia, who she'd left earlier, still feverish but recovering. She'd promised Gabriela a "fun" day, but guilt lingered. Trying to shake it off, she asked, "So, where do you want to start?"

Gabriela's face lit up. "The last time we were here, you crushed me in Resident Evil. Rematch time! Loser has to be the bottom," she added with a playful wink.

Ashley burst out laughing, shaking her head. "Fine. Let's see if you can actually beat me this time." She smirked. "Bring it on, lab queen."

The two strode toward the Resident Evil game machines. As Gabriela lined up to top off their arcade card, Ashley's thoughts drifted again.

I haven't been on the losing end since Nyx and I stopped messing around after she married Vera, Ashley mused, chuckling softly. Marriage really changes things... even for Nyx. Her smirk faded slightly as her thoughts turned introspective. Maybe I should give relationships another try. But with Gabi? She's amazing, but something always feels... off. What was missing?

"Hey!" Gabriela's voice cut through her thoughts as she pinched Ashley's cheek. "You're spacing out again," she teased, squinting suspiciously. "Are you thinking about someone else while you're here with me?"

Ashley clicked her tongue and reached over to ruffle Gabriela's hair. "What if I am? You jealous?" she teased back.

Gabriela grinned mischievously, leaning in close. "What if I am? Got a problem with that?" she countered, laughing.

"Then be jealous all you want," Ashley quipped, laughing as well. "It's not like we've got labels or anything." She grabbed her card from Gabriela's hand and took her spot at one of the game machines.

Gabriela followed, setting up at the machine next to her. "Should we put a label on it, then?" she asked casually, though a playful glint sparkled in her eyes.

Ashley glanced at her, chuckling. "A label? What would we even call this? Besides, I don't think we're compatible enough to start a relationship." She shrugged, brushing off the idea with ease.

"There's no harm in trying," Gabriela replied, swiping her card and gripping the game controller.

"There's plenty of harm in trying," Ashley said firmly, mirroring Gabriela's actions as the game began. Her voice softened as she added, "Losing a friend because the relationship doesn't work out? That's a risk I'm not willing to take."

"Fair point," Gabriela conceded, focusing on the game as she began firing at the zombies on screen. "But what if it works out?"

Ashley snorted softly, aiming for headshots with precision. "I don't gamble on 'what ifs,' Gabi," she said, her tone steady and unwavering. "Been there, done that. And trust me—it never ends well."

Gabriela glanced at her briefly, her expression thoughtful. But she let it drop, focusing instead on trying to outscore Ashley.

Ashley smirked to herself as she lined up another perfect headshot. Still undefeated, she thought. But Gabriela's words lingered. What if it could work out?



Sneezing, Mia tugged her coat closer and adjusted her mask. She glanced to her left, where Sienna stood watching her, then to her right, where Zoey and Vera were casually chatting. She chuckled softly, rubbing her temple.

"Why are all three of you here? I only called Sienna," Mia asked, her voice slightly nasal from her cold.

Zoey raised the paper bag she was holding. "I just happened to see you two. Besides, I needed to grab a few things."

Vera tilted her head, offering a small laugh. "I was bored. Ran into these two and thought I'd join the party."

"You guys are impossible," Mia said, shaking her head. Sienna laughed and gave her a playful pat on the head.

"If you weren't sick, you wouldn't have called me, would you?" Sienna teased, squinting at her.

Mia offered a sheepish smile. "Guilty as charged. I've been so busy with taping and mall shows. I finally get a day off, and of course, I catch a cold." She sighed.

Sienna wrapped an arm around Mia's shoulder. "Are you still staying at the unit? You haven't moved back to the house yet?"

Mia nodded. "Yeah, I'm still there. I prefer it for now. I even asked one of the housekeepers to stay over, just in case something like this happened," she explained, fidgeting slightly as she remembered that Sienna and the others were still not aware of what had happened in her house awhile back.

"So..." Vera leaned closer, a teasing glint in her eye. "Ashley's been taking care of you?"

Mia froze, her eyes darting between the three women now staring at her expectantly. "Well... technically, yes," she admitted, her cheeks flushing. "But it's not what you think! She just... helped out. That's all."

Vera smirked. "I didn't say anything else, sweetheart."

Sienna and Zoey burst into laughter as Mia groaned, rolling her eyes. "It's the way you're all looking at me. I can feel the judgment," Mia mumbled.

Before anyone could respond, a commotion nearby caught their attention. The group turned to see a man recklessly speeding through the area on a motorcycle.

"What's going on?" Sienna asked, craning her neck to see the source of the chaos.

"Is he a thief?" Zoey wondered aloud.

The sound of running footsteps answered her question. A familiar voice rang out. "Excuse us!" A figure sprinted past them, holding a gel blaster toy gun.

Mia blinked. "Ashley?"

"Hey! I told you, Gabi, I won!" Ashley called out, clearly oblivious to the audience. She aimed the gel blaster toward the fleeing man.

"No way! It doesn't count since we didn't finish the game!" the woman beside her retorted, aiming her own gel blaster.

"You lost—just admit it!" Ashley shot back, before muttering, "Ugh, these kinds of cases always ruin the fun."

The woman laughed. "Fine. Let's make this fun, then. Whoever hits this idiot with the most gel shots wins the dare."

Ashley grinned, taking position. "Game on! Target is approaching—distance approximately ten meters. Let's start firing at five meters."

Mia, Sienna, Zoey, and Vera exchanged confused glances before turning their attention back to the absurd scene.

"Distance is six meters approaching to five!" Ashley shouted. "Preparing to take aim! Five, four, three, two, one—fire!"

The pair unleashed a flurry of gel shots, pelting the man square in the forehead. Startled, he lost control and skidded to a halt, colliding with a nearby stand.

Mia stifled a laugh, her eyes narrowing in curiosity as she focused on the woman standing beside Ashley. Who is she?

"Why do I sense a little jealousy over there?" Vera teased, winking at Mia.

Mia's eyes widened, and she looked away as Sienna and Zoey burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, Ashley hurried over to the fallen man, her expression hardening. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, snatching things in broad daylight?" she scolded, yanking a pair of handcuffs from her belt.

She cuffed the man with practiced ease. "Detective Amosa," Ashley announced coolly, "and you're under arrest."