Jaya arrived at Serenity mid-morning. She hadn't planned it that way, but that's how things had ended up. She'd needed a place out of the way; a place where she could be alone. Where no one could find her and where she could get some much needed relaxation.
As she paid for the shuttle space, she went into the nearby town. She needed to find someone that handled realty. She wanted to buy a place. It was more convenient than renting... and fewer questions asked.
Her green eyes scanned the main thoroughfare and settled on a small storefront. It said Jensen's Realty. In no time, Mr. Joshua Jenson was taking her around to see several recently built homes he thought suited her.
The first three seemed a bit too small, but as they reached the fourth, Jaya smiled.
"This actually was designed with a family in mind... Three bedrooms, large front room... Backyard as pretty as can be. But I have to ask... will you be working here on Serenity?" Joshua Jenson asked.
Jaya turned her head toward him. "No, sir," she replied. "I plan to spend my time here relaxing. Sometimes I just need a place to get away from it all."
"A holiday home?" he asked.
"Something like that," she replied. "How much?"
It didn't take them long to settle on a price. She paid in latinum, filled out the necessary official documents and then began her search through town for things to fill her new home. By the end of the day, it was furnished with most of what she needed and wanted. Some items were a bit odd... Training mats... but nothing anyone would see as too terribly surprising. She arranged to have the luggage aboard her shuttle transported to her new home and then decided it was time to take a break. She replicated some iced tea and wandered into her new backyard. She took a seat on the porch swing hanging there and rocked herself back and forth.
So much was on her mind, but for the moment, she was going to try to push them away. She needed to relax. To find time not to be Jaya Bourne... She had to have time to just be.
As darkness came, she watched the stars come out. She finished her tea and listened to the sound of insects in the air and the occasional call of a bird. She rested her head on the swing and allowed herself to relax. As her eyes closed, she fell asleep. For the first time in a long time, it was a deep sleep.
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