AN: Set after season two, episode ten. I like BOTH Nathan and Duke but this is something a little different. It's a bit of an experiment but the idea has fascinated me for a while now. This will be very short, only five chapters at the most. Let's see how this risk pays off.

Audrey gave Nathan a flat look. He didn't look surprised. He had known she wouldn't like the plan. He was leaning against the wall in her apartment above the Grey Gull, watching her closely. Audrey was sitting on her couch, her fingers wrapped around a mug of tea that had long since gone cold.

"Don't think of it as running-" Nathan started to say.

"Because it feels like running," Audrey said, cutting over him.

"-Think of it as well deserved holiday."

"The troubles aren't taking a holiday, I shouldn't either," Audrey's expression was wry. But it didn't matter how much logic was on her side, Nathan was still going to win this argument by sheer perseverance.

The whole time they had been talking, her partner's face hadn't shifted from its patient expression. She may not be impressed with his plan but she was certainly glad to have Nathan on her side. He was solid and calm; the perfect person to weather a storm with.

But there was concern lurking in the back of his eyes. Audrey knew he was waiting for her to break. Audrey hadn't wanted to kill the Rev, hadn't wanted it to get to that point, but she would do it again if she had to. Audrey had never shared the Rev's view of the troubled people but the extent of his hate became apparent when he threatened to kill a teenage girl.

It was a teenage girl in an impossible circumstance but still an innocent. That's what the troubles did. They made normal people do things that they would never have dreamt possible. The Rev thought killing them had been the answer in the more extreme cases.

Unfortunately there were people in Haven who shared his opinion and those people weren't impressed that Audrey had killed their leader.

"They're not going to hurt me," Audrey said boldly, though part of her wasn't certain.

Nathan didn't dignify her statement with an actual response. He quirked one eyebrow and that said everything.

Audrey sighed and tried not to sound too melodramatic. "So you're going to ship me off to a cabin in the woods, alone?"

Nathan grimaced and then automatically tried to cover it. Audrey's suspicions were raised. She wasn't sure if it was natural institution or the cop instincts she'd borrowed from the real Audrey Parker.

"What are you not telling me, Nathan?" Her eyes had shifted to a steely blue that proved her patience was coming to an end.

His eyes flicked to the ground and back up, meeting her gaze steadily. That was something Audrey appreciated in Nathan, his ability to deliver news unflinchingly. He never tried to coddle her.

"You won't be alone exactly."

The door chose that time to bang open and Audrey was ashamed to admit that she jumped. Nathan moved forward so he was steady on his feet. Both cops reached for their guns.

Duke walked into the room. His dark eyes were flashing with their standard amusement but they took in the room quickly. Duke got through life indulging in its pleasures and making flippant jokes but he was observant and far cannier than people gave him credit for.

He raised his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Don't shoot," he requested lightly.

"Don't you knock?" Audrey demanded, more harshly than intended. Duke wasn't offended. Duke was hard to offend.

"I was invited," he answered casually, striding in the room.

"I didn't invite you," Audrey pointed out. Duke didn't answer.

He merely took a seat next to Audrey, one hand extending along the top of the couch. He rested his feet on the coffee table and looked expectantly at the other two.

Audrey looked at the two men in her home and could see they were co-conspirators in this. She trusted both of them but the differences between the two were striking, especially right now. Nathan was still pressed against the wall, unassuming and polite. Duke, on the other hand, moved in every space like he owned it.

Audrey was starting to put the pieces together. "Wait a minute! Are you my baby sitter?"

The men exchanged a look.

"Not me," Duke answered and Audrey detected the slightest hint of petulance to his tone. It was apparent that it wasn't Duke's decision.

"We're the obvious choice. We're easy to follow," Nathan said and Audrey got the sense he had made that same argument to Duke before.

"Well, then who?" Audrey was trying to think of the people Nathan would trust enough to leave in a cabin alone with her. Dwight was too important to take away from the town. Vince and Dave had too many secrets

Audrey was definitely stumped and both the men were keeping their silence on the matter. She eyed them both suspiciously. Nathan had a habit of being stoic and Duke could talk for hours without actually revealing anything he didn't want known. But she did trust them both to have her best interests at heart. Their silence was bothering her though. If they didn't want her to know before she got there then it was likely it was somebody she wouldn't like.

"Fine," she groaned. "Take me to this cabin in the woods."

Audrey felt for sure that she had jinxed herself saying those words out loud. She'd seen enough horror movies to know that the cabin in the woods was often where things went wrong. At least agent Audrey Parker had seen them.

Nathan nodded once and both Audrey and Duke pushed themselves off the couch, Duke making more of a production of it then needed.

Audrey noticed that the car Nathan walked towards belonged to neither man. They were obviously trying to throw the Rev's followers off her scent. Audrey thought maybe it was unnecessary. She didn't doubt they wished her ill but this was Haven and the Rev's followers were fanatical but they weren't James Bond.

Duke didn't get in the car. "I have a business to run," he said by way of explanation.

Audrey felt a pang watching him walk back into the restaurant. She would have liked Duke's company if she had to be stuck in the middle of nowhere for a few days. She noticed his body was tense, his typical relaxed gait gone.

Nathan didn't say a lot on the drive, which wasn't unusual but Audrey found it annoying at the moment. She didn't like being left in the dark. Too much of her life was a mystery, she wanted to be in control of as much as she could.

The houses of Haven gave way to forest and Audrey was forced to admit that it was a pretty place to hide out. Real Audrey Parker preferred the cities and Audrey thought she did too but after coming to Haven, she was starting to wonder if her own, authentic preference was coming to the foreground. Or maybe the forest just resembled a scene out of one of her paranormal romances too closely. Audrey tried to clear her mind. She would just tie herself in knots trying to sort out what was hers and what was an implanted memory.

The drive took a while. Nathan wasn't taking any chances. He regularly checked the mirror to see if they were being followed but there wasn't another car on the road. The sun was beginning to sink and people were at home with their families.

Audrey's first glimpse of the cabin was unexpected. The road was so bendy and the foliage so dense that it just appeared in front of her like magic. Who knew, maybe it was magic. Audrey's mouth dropped open at the sight of it. Calling it a cabin was a bit like calling a palace, a home. An understatement.

"No one comes up here. It's too far, even for hunters," Nathan said as he got her bags out of the trunk. Audrey could have carried them herself but Nathan was a gentleman and he had them in his hands before Audrey could even get out of the car.

As Audrey got closer she could see that the cabin was an appropriate place to hide. Despite its isolation it had a sturdy front door and what looked like strong windows. A difficult house to break in to. Anyone attempting it would make so much noise that Audrey would have plenty of time to get her gun.

Nathan tested the doorknob and looked perplexed when it opened easily. Audrey suspected it was supposed to be locked.

Audrey walked in and noted the interior was stylish and comfortable. There was a couch in the middle of the room and Audrey could see dark brown hair and expensive shoes propped up on the coffee table. It wasn't a lot of clues to figure out the identity of her mystery guardian.

"You're late," an accented voice drawled. The words were accusing but the tone was blasé, as if the speaker couldn't really care if they showed or not.

Audrey narrowed her eyes. She recognised that voice.

"The door was supposed to be locked," Nathan chided. He already looked distinctly displeased with the man in the room.

The man rose to his feet and turned. Audrey's hand instantly went to her gun.

"You!"

"Me," Cornell Stamoran's copy said. His wide smile would have been charming if it wasn't edged with something dangerous.

Audrey lifted her chin, refusing to appear thrown or cowed. It didn't matter if the Copy was looking at her like she was prey to be eaten. In another man she would of accused of him wanting to have sex but there was always a sense of latent violence to the Copy.

"You were supposed to leave town." Audrey wanted to turn and glare at Nathan but she wouldn't take her eyes off the other man. This was his idea of safe? This man had told her that he would kill her once.

Nathan had the grace to sound apologetic. "No one will connect him to you. And he's capable of protecting you."

"I can protect myself," Audrey interjected.

"He also let us borrow this cabin," Nathan added.

Audrey took in the lush cabin and realised who ever owned it must have a fair bit of money. "This is your place?"

The Copy shrugged. "In a sense."

"It belonged to Cornell," Audrey concluded. "What do you call yourself these days?"

"I've found it useful to go by Cornell," the man said. "He has quite a few properties and he was stealing all that money."

Audrey resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This Cornell hadn't killed anyone but that didn't mean she trusted him at all.

"I ran into him and he offered his services," Nathan said. It was obvious he didn't like Cornell much more than she did.

"You told him?" Audrey asked incredulously.

"I hear things," Cornell offered with another careless shrug.

"It's not like he's a murderer," Nathan said, as if that would make the situation any better.

"Not from lack of trying," Audrey grumbled.

Another person might have been offended but Cornell's smile just widened.

"I've got to get back," Nathan said. "I don't want my absence to be noted." Audrey was gratified that Nathan sounded genuinely unhappy about leaving her. It didn't improve the situation much though.

Audrey walked to the door with Nathan. She knew Cornell could still hear what they were saying but at least there was some illusion of privacy.

Nathan pre-empted what she was going to say. "He's the perfect body guard. He's not bound by the same set of morals that a normal person is."

"That's my problem," Audrey muttered. Cornell had created this copy to protect him. He had become the ultimate version of himself, designed for survival and hunting. Audrey knew better than most that it wasn't so simple. The copy wasn't just a replica but a person with his own thought process.

"Just trust me on this on, Audrey. You know he has a soft spot for you." Nathan tried to smile reassuringly but then he was gone.

Cornell had made himself comfortable again. He looked out of place in his suit but Audrey guessed he hadn't been there much longer than she had. She was tense but there was no evidence that he was feeling the awkwardness in the room. Nathan wasn't far off the mark when he said Cornell had a fondness for Audrey, though she would have called it an affinity. They were both copies in a sense. Filled with another person's thoughts and memories. It had given them a unique moment of bonding. But while Audrey was everything that Audrey Parker was, Cornell was essentially all the worst bits of Stamoran. Though in all honesty, that guy hadn't been that great in the first place.

Audrey crossed her arms and leant against the unlit fireplace. She refused to relax. "So you're in private security now?"

"You think I've been working?" Cornell arched an eyebrow. "I've been enjoying my life."

He emphasised the fact that it was his life now and all the memories that he had made were his alone. When they had originally talked, he had seemed unaffected and unquestioning of the fact that he was someone else but Audrey had wondered how much had changed. For a second, Audrey had a very clear visual of Cornell exploring his options, working out what he liked and didn't like.

For some reason, Audrey was certain it was more glamorous than her own experiments. She pictured a lot of alcohol and women. That accent would probably go a long way in luring them in.

"Where did your mind go just then, Audrey?" Cornell asked with a hint of amusement. Almost like he could read her mind but she knew that was impossible. She was thankful she didn't blush easy. She didn't like the knowledge in his eyes.

Audrey shot him a withering look that seemed to confirm rather than deny what he had been thinking. She wished he would stop grinning. That flash of white against the tan of his skin was going to get very distracting.

"So what are we going to do to pass the time?" Audrey asked, just to break the heavy silence.

"I thought we could have some fun."

This time Audrey did blush much to Cornell's obvious delight.

"I wasn't thinking of such wicked things but if that's what you'd prefer?" His dark eyes seemed to burn into her. He'd always been so confident and now that she wasn't trying to kill him, it seemed he was quite content to tease her.

"You wish," Audrey scoffed, reclaiming the upper hand. She wasn't a slave to her hormones and it didn't matter how attractive Cornell was, he was not a good guy. Not the mischievously moral grey that Duke seemed to inhabit but well into criminal.

Mercifully Cornell didn't push it. "Since you and I are similarly afflicted, I thought we could spend some time discovering what it the preferences of our forbearers and what is ours?"

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Or we could sit in silence for the rest of the week. It's up to you."

"I vote silence," Audrey said and sat down in a chair far away from Cornell.

"As you wish," Cornell said, producing a book from nowhere. It was a collection of Shakespeare. The unexpectedness of his choice made Audrey want to ask but she suspected that's what he wanted.

Audrey leaned back in the comfortable chair and tried to relax. The woods were peaceful and the lighting was soft and pleasant. The only sound was the turning of pages. To Cornell's credit he seemed to be sincerely absorbed in the work.

Audrey quickly realised she would get bored this way. She didn't want to give in but she absolutely couldn't spend her week without talking. Especially when all her cop instincts were telling her to unravel the mystery that was Cornell, version 2.0.

Audrey leaned forward, expecting her movement to claim Cornell's attention. He didn't even lift his eyes from the page. Audrey scrutinised the man. She didn't know if he was just that engaged or if it was mastery of expression.

Audrey wanted to roll her eyes but refrained. She wasn't a teenage girl. She was a cop. Sort of.

"Why Shakespeare?"

"It's a classic." He still didn't look up from his reading.

"I know that but surely you've read it."

Cornell cut his eyes to Audrey now. "One form of me has."

Audrey winced. There was no levity to his tone. He was in the exact same boat as him. Trying to find himself. He may be cavalier but for the first time Audrey thought maybe it was less his natural state and more a defence.

"Which play?" Audrey kept her voice neutral.

"Romeo and Juliet." Cornell's dark eyes were on Audrey now and she fought not to shift under his inscrutable eyes. She didn't know why Cornell made her so uncomfortable. For god's sake, she'd been on the receiving end of Nathan's penetrating stare and hadn't budged. Maybe it was that Cornell, unlike Nathan, could understand a lot of what Audrey struggled with.

"The lover's play," Cornell added and the gleam was back in gaze. Audrey should have known that his seriousness couldn't last.

"Are you always like that?"

"Like what?" his expression was innocent.

"A flirt."

"I don't think I'm flirting. Just having a conversation. It's so much easier now that we are not trying to kill each other."

"You said you would kill me in the end," Audrey said.

"I still might," he answered levelly.

Audrey's heart sped up and she wondered if Nathan had made a fatal mistake. Just because she couldn't see a gun, didn't mean there wasn't one nearby.

"But not this week. I gave my word."

There was a pause and Audrey tried to take a discrete deep breath. Him saying he had given his word shouldn't be reassuring but it was.

"Have you read it?" Cornell asked mildly, like their conversation hadn't just been about him killing her.

"One form of me has," Audrey answered without thinking. She smiled ruefully as she heard his words come from her mouth.

"Would you care to join me? I hear Shakespeare can only truly be appreciated when read out loud."

Audrey regarded him sceptically. "You want me to read Shakespeare with you?"

"Yes. Did you have something better to be doing?"

Audrey tentatively joined him on the couch. She didn't have anything better to do but she wanted to make a point that she was indulging him.

She sat close enough to see the words but not so close that she actually had to touch him. But she could smell his cologne, it was bold and spicy and Audrey stupidly thought it suited him. Nathan didn't wear cologne but he smelled earthy and comfortable. Duke always had the faint tang of the ocean and freedom. Cornell smelt of something far more primitive. Like sex, maybe.

Cornell read the lines with the ease of someone familiar with the script. Audrey was more hesitant, betraying the fact she had probably only read it once, maybe in high school.

Cornell didn't take any liberties with their proximity but the reading felt strangely intimate. Strangely comfortable. This did nothing to relax Audrey. If anything she now felt more on edge. It made sense that she could relate to this man whose origins were so similar to hers but Audrey just found it unsettling.

AN: Normally it's just one AN per chapter but I usually like to over explain. This was just the intro chapter. As you can see, I've kept Cornell's copy alive. I just found the idea that these two had so much in common enthralling and he was such a difficult character that I could see their interactions being fun (for us, not Audrey). So I'm doing this, let me know what you think.