After running every test, she could think of and then challenging the systems team to develop even more tests. Finally, Nessa was confident that the system restores that Alice had provided them not only worked but were even more defensible than the previous version.


    Even the system team members that didn’t particrly like Nessa found it impossible to refute her work. Everything came back clean.


    They checked and double even triple-checked to ensure no data transmissions were leaving or being pocketed away anywhere.


    Nessa ced new security programs that sought out eitherrge or repeated data transfers and immediately sent a request for approval to the systems administrator and a notification to Caleb and Galen.


    She also attempted multiple attacks on the system, none of which seeded. First, she tried inserting a foreign USB and was immediately quarantined with requests and notifications sent. She then used one of the Summer USB devices. This time she was allowed ess. Still, once her bug tried to crawl into the system, it was immediately captured and quarantined. When it chewed through the walls of the quarantine, it was destroyed.


    These were only a few of the actual attacks and tests she ran. But they all produced the exact same result.


    “The system is repaired and working better than before,” she sighed.


    “They just want to be sure,” ra said.


    “rebear, I have run so many scans… I have run every test imaginable… Heck, I made up a few! It works!” Nessa groaned.


    When ra didn’t respond, Nessa turned in her chair to look back at her girlfriend.


    There were three stacks of files and folders, each divided into categories.


    The first was the unread pile, which was still frighteninglyrge.


    The second was the unrted pile, which contained most of the read files._.


    And the final pile was the potentially rted pile. Which currently held only three files.


    Behind these man stacks sat ra cross-legged in her sweatpants and a t-shirt she had stolen from Nessa. She imed it was the band she was interested in, but Nessa caught her sniffing the shirt more than once.


    ra sat staring at Nessa with wide eyes and a goofy grin, a slight blush on her cheeks.


    “ra?” Nessa called to her. “Are you ok?”


    ra nodded and then bit her lower lips as she smiled.


    “Did you just call me rebear?” she asked with a bright smile and a shining delight in her eyes.


    Nessaughed.


    “Maybe?” Nessa replied shyly. “Did you like it?”


    ra nodded with her happy grin.


    “I do, yes.”


    Nessa smiled and wrinkled her nose with a hidden giggle.


    “Good,” she said quietly.


    ra felt a burst of joy in her at Nessa’s reaction. Their rtionship was different than anything ra had ever experienced. But each step toward each other was new and invigorating.


    They were still using the suppressants, and she guessed they would be for a long time toe, but she was ok with it. Each night they had dinner together, and they would talk. Share their histories, their beliefs, opinions, and memes.


    They had even started listening to a podcast together.


    Nessa had been distant to start, unsure how to pursue a rtionship. But she had followed ra’s lead and gottenfortable with her.


    They had even held hands a few times.


    Something that Nessa never thought she would be able to do with another person without feeling ufortable.


    It was only for a few moments, but each time, it was a few seconds longer, and sitting a little closer.


    Nessa could see ra’s effort into their rtionship, into knowing and epting Nessa for who she was. And for her, there was nothing more attractive than that in this world.


    “Hey, so… tonight….” ra said, getting up on her knees to hold better eye contact with Nessa.


    Nessa sighed.


    “Yea… what about tonight?” Nessa replied in a tone that made it clear that she knew where ra was going and didn’t like it.


    The rtionship between these two women had grown and was flourishing. They each cared a great deal for the other and wanted to make each other happy.


    There was only one thing they disagreed on.


    Ashleigh.


    “Tonight is the party for Ashleigh and Caleb’s wedding sh, weing Ashleigh as our Luna,” ra said. “I was thinking it might be fun to go together….”


    Nessa took a deep breath.


    “I don’t know either of them that well, so I doubt I would have been invited to their wedding, and she’s not my Luna.”


    “To be fair,” ra countered. “We have not talked about sh decided what we are nning to do in the future, as far as Broken Crag versus Summer, so… she very well could be your Luna….”


    Nessa tilted her head and crossed her arms, giving ra a look of sarcastic irritation.


    “ra,” Nessa began. “You are wee to attend the party, but I would rather spend my evening with Shae tonight.”


    Nessa turned back and began typing at theputer.


    ra furrowed her brow and stood up, walking toward Nessa with her arms crossed over her chest.


    “I’m sorry, but who is Shae?” ra asked. “I’ve never heard that name before, and I kind of feel like maybe I should know anyone you would rather spend your evenings with than me.”


    ra let out a small huff, and Nessa turned back with a slight grin on her face.


    “Are you jealous?” she asked.


    “What?” ra said. “No… yes… maybe… who is she??”


    Nessaughed.


    Turning back to herputer, she typed in a fewmands, and the screen changed. First, it turned ck with green letters and numbers spreading over the screen. Then, the letters and numbers began to pull into the center. They rolled in and out and then took on a shape like a small cat with wings.


    “This is Shae,” Nessa smiled. “I named her after a tressym that I became obsessed with. No matter where the campaign went, I just kept trying to bring her back into the story somehow. Eventually, the DM got so annoyed with me that he killed her off.”


    ra looked at Nessa with utter confusion.


    “What?”


    Nessaughed.


    “Sorry, um, Dungeons and Dragons? I yed a halfling druid with a couple of people from other packs. We would meet up every couple of weeks and y all night. A tressym is a magical beast. It looks like this, a cat with wings.


    “Anyway, our DM, dungeon master, introduced one as vor text, really, but I would not let it go. I was obsessed with making it my pet or friend or whatever.”


    ra stared at Nessa with a raised eyebrow and a slight grin.


    “What?” Nessa asked with embarrassment and wondered if she had said too much.


    “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” ra said. “But the look of excitement on your face… is just so freaking cute. I just want to kiss you so bad.”


    Nessa felt the blush creeping over her face. She licked her lips nervously and looked toward the ground.


    “Uhm… I uh…” she stammered.


    “Oh, no, don’t worry,” ra quickly said. “I’m not going to.”


    Nessa looked up at ra.


    ra smiled brightly.


    “I want to,” she repeated. “But I’m never going to push you beyond your limits. I can wait.”


    Nessa chewed on her bottom lip as her mind processed ra’s words.


    She took a deep breath and quickly stood up.


    “Whoa…” ra said as she was almost knocked back by the sudden movement.


    “Maybe…” Nessa began to say softly. “If it’s just… one….”


    “What?” ra asked.


    Nessa closed her eyes and took another deep breath.


    “I’m saying… if it’s just one kiss… I might be ok….”