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Title:1+23

Author:Rodlox.

Pairing:Marco/Diana.

Summary:The right answer, its the right answer, it is! If only it'd feel like it.

Disclaimer:I own none of the characters

Author's Note:I may've confused Greek Orthodoxy with Russian Orthodoxy; my apologies.

Author's Note:I wrote this before seeing Lockdown.

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Marco's knocking on the door; my spine's against the door; I can recognize his signature rapping of fingers against... I shake my head. "Go away," I say, weakly maybe, but I still say it.

"Diana," he says, his voice offering help. It'd be easy to open the door, to dive into his open arms, let him comfort me as long as it takes. But I'm a Skouris, and if there's one thing we can all agree on, its that we never give in to temptation. And ooooh I'm tempted to let him soothe me, or at least let him try to soothe me.

I was born free of sin, I learned that much theology growing up. But I've picked up bits and pieces here and there over the course of my life. And a great heaping dollop today in one fell swoop. To save the city, to save the world, to save humanity; great. The equation remains unchanged by the moral high ground.

I shot him. Tom's dead. One and two equals three. Basic facts about the situation, the enviroment, the immediate circumstances -- I knew all of them. One and one and one, everything added up nice and neat in my mind. Nothing was out of place, everything was as planned-for as could possibly be hoped for. I shot the first person who tried to escape through the passage I was assigned to. I didn't hesitate.

Dead by my hand. 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people' and other slogans go through my head. Though its a sight better than feeling like I did thanks to Tess, and far and away superior to the rage bomb, I still squeeze my eyes shut, though I know that won't banish the recall. This here and now is one of those times I curse my ability to recall anything I've seen, read, or heard.

I stood there, gun ready - one. We couldn't let the rage spread, couldn't let others fall to it.

Tom was charging through the door - two. I didn't know it was him, didn't know who it was at all.

One plus two equals three. The right answer, its the right answer, it is! If only it'd feel like it. All I can feel is my gorge rising.

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the end.