Chapter One; Coffee and Observers

Disclaimer; I own nothing, Alcatraz and all characters belong to FOX and in my case Channel Nine and J.J Abrams.

Authors Note; This is my first Alcatraz fanfiction and my first multi-chapter fan fiction (hopefully). Please read and review. I hope you enjoy it.

Coffee was something that he took for granted before Alcatraz, how a good cup of Joe could make you more alert, warm your insides and be the basis for a good long conversation. Now in 2012, there were all these ridiculous coffees; flat white, latte, mocha and piccolo, what the hell is a piccolo? No, he was perfectly happy with a long black, a coffee choice that was similar to the stuff he drank before all hell broke loose. He was seated at the counter of a small diner, his hands wrapped around his mug, as if he was afraid letting go. He heard the tingle of the bell and swung around to see the new patron, always on alert always ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger. She was a young woman, about his age, well the age he looked like, maybe a little younger with brown hair, dressed in jeans and a simple long sleeved top, he noticed how her eyes swept around the room, paying special attention to the exits, before landing on him. It was a quick glance, their eyes meeting before she looked away continuing her survey of the small non-descript diner, marking him as unimportant. She walked to the counter her head held, an air of self confidence and assurance around her, something that he also noticed a large majority of women these days were missing.

"Can I have a caramel latte to go, please?"She said, flashing a polite smile to the teenager behind the counter, who nodded her head and wrote down the order. Tommy scoffed, shaking his head in astonishment, the woman looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "You have a problem with my coffee choices?" she asked her voice hinting towards both amusement and annoyance. He smirked at her, adjusting his position on the uncomfortable stool so he was able to see her clearly.

"What's the point in getting a coffee if you can even taste it?"

"Who says I like the taste of coffee?"

"Then why do you drink if you don't like the taste of it?" He asked, out of pure curiosity, it not like they didn't have those foul and disgusting energy drinks, that gave you a stronger caffeine hit than coffee.

"I never said I didn't." she smirked at him, taking the offered coffee from the barista, offered a thankful smile in his direction before looking back to him. "Have a good day" she told him before turning on her heels and exiting out the door she came through. Tommy followed her with his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips, before he let out soft chuckle and shook his head in amusement in for the second time today, before finishing his coffee and throwing a couple of bills on the counter and making his own exit out the back door.


The next time he saw her she was there before him sitting at one of the tables towards the back of the diner closest to the back exit but still in clear view of the front door, he wondered if it was from coincidence or she sat there for the exact same reasons he would. She was alone with books spread out across the table and papers scattered on and under them, she looked frazzled her, hair falling out of her messy bun, tapping her pen on the table as she skimmed through one of the larger books on the table, her frustration evident as she slammed the book closed and picked another scanning it with the same impatience. He hesitated for a moment, before walking over and sitting across from her silently.

"You never answered my question." He said, watching as she jumped and gripped her pen as if she was going to stab him with it. Confusion crossed her face as she searched his, he waited patiently as recognition dawned, and she let out soft chuckle.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," she reprimanded, " and for your information I happen to like my coffee, just the way it is whether or not I can taste the coffee or not, which I can though." pointing her pen at him to enforce her point.

"Sure you can." He smirked; she returned the smirk looking back down at her piece of paper briefly before looking back at him expectantly. "Can I buy you cup of sugar and milk?" He asked his smirk widening as she laughed, and nodded.

"Sure why not, I'm getting over this anyway." Tiding her papers and books she pushed them aside as he got up to go to the counter to order their coffees. Tommy suddenly felt nervous, he wasn't sure why he asked her if he could by her coffee, but pushed it aside telling himself that he just wanted some form of human interaction, something he had been missing. After placing the order, he turned back to the table to see her texting someone on her phone as she waited patiently for him to return. He couldn't understand how those things worked; he had seen them but had never used one and had no intention to, if he wanted to speak to someone he would call them, not that he really had anyone to speak to. The waitress handed back his change telling him that their coffees will be over shortly and after he gave her a small nod of thanks he returned to the table where the woman had just put her phone away."

"Thanks for that, what do I owe you?" She asked as he sat down reaching for her wallet.

"Don't worry about it, it's on me."

"No, it..."

"Really, I insist." He cut her off, a small smile on his lips, the changes in customs, in attitudes especially towards women continually amused him, yet he wasn't sure if this new found equality was a good thing yet.

"Oh, ok... I guess chivalry really isn't dead." She quipped, a thankful smile across she placed her wallet on her table. He laughed, the irony of the statement didn't elude him, he should be dead or close to it. "So, do you have a name? I mean you've criticized my coffee choices, stalked me and given me a reprieve from bashing my head against a brick wall over this assignment, and I don't even know your name." She asked a smile on her face as played with a necklace hanging around her neck, he couldn't see the one she had in her hand, but he could tell it was gold, and he could see another necklace, larger than the one she was playing with, it was an old chain, he thought it might of been a ball chain but couldn't be sure. The pendent fell under her shirt and he didn't feel comfortable looking to see if it was visible under her shirt. Yes, chivalry was very much alive.

"Tommy, my name is Tommy, and I'm not stalking you, just observing." He answered with a smile, meeting her brown eyes as she laughed.

"Well, Tommy, if I get any dead flowers sent in the mail I'll be sure to ask you who sent them." She said eyes bright with playfulness. She turned to the waitress who placed their coffees table asking if they needed anything else, after the waitress learnt that they didn't she quickly scurried off, but not before flashing Tommy a bright smile and a wink, which he promptly ignored.

"So, you know my name, isn't fair that I should I know yours?" he queried, watching in both amusement and disgust as she began scooping the foam of her sugary drink and began eating it. Realising she had been caught eating a drink she blushed before chuckling along with him.

"Well, I'm not sure if it's the smartest thing to tell my observer my name, but you seem pretty harmless enough. My name is Chloe." She said her bare nails taping against her latte glass lightly. Tommy nearly choked on his drink, harmless, yeah right, harmless men don't get sent to Alcatraz for killing their wives in front of their son. Suddenly wave guilt passed over him and he realised uncomfortably that for these few short minutes, he didn't feel guilt, he didn't feel and perhaps this was the most unsettling thing of all. Chloe must have noticed the change and she lightly touched his wrist with her fingertips, "Hey, are you ok?" Wasn't that a loaded question, was he ok? He wanted to tell her; no, he wasn't ok; mentally or physically, that he wished that he could go back to when everything wasn't screwed up. But he didn't.

"Yeah sorry, Chloe I'm fine." He smiled reassuringly, though he knew it was false and somehow he thought she knew it too. She removed her hand and suddenly he wished he could take it back and never let go, it had been so long since he had experience human touch and he missed it. She smiled too, though hers seemed more believable than his.