Hi everyone! After a long time, I finally decided to join here and post my TUFF fanfics! This one features my lady possum OC Ivonne. I've written another longer story featuring her and Ollie. When I have time I'll post it and my other TUFF fic. Hope you enjoy this one. Let me know what you think.

It was around midnight in the city of Petropolis. Many of its citizens were in the middle of a good night's sleep, exhausted after the busy day that life in the city usually brings. A chill had crept in unpredictably, but no one noticed, as most were snug and cozy in their warm beds in the shelter of their homes. Only those who, for mysterious reasons, were out venturing on the streets and in dark alleyways were aware of the biting cold that the night had brought. It was especially felt in areas where there were hardly any street lights (Or too many broken ones) such as the warehouse district. During the day, the place was crawling with workers and delivery men but once the sun set no one dared set foot in it. Only a few security guards and some of the lowlife of the Petropolis underworld could be found weaving in and out of the shadowed alleyways of the district. A few had gone through that night, completely unaware that they were being watched by a mysterious figure.

On the top of an abandoned warehouse, standing motionlessly was the silhouette of a possum… female to be exact. She had sienna brown fur and wavy blond hair which came down a little past her shoulders. Her eyes of light green were confident and serious, yet had a hint of softness to them. Her outfit was that of a black spy suit complete with matching gloves and boots and a grey belt around her waist. With this attire, she seemed to completely fade into the shadows. Although her demeanor was that of calm, collected individual, her movements betrayed the frustration and anxiety that lied beneath. A few times she would pace back and forth, only stepping out of the safety of the shadows to quickly scan the rooftops and streets. She was on the lookout...waiting…for someone. She glanced at her watch. Every second that ticked by only caused her to be more worried and angry.

Where is he?

She thought to herself, I told him to meet me here at the appointed time. It's been half an hour already!

She wrapped her arms around her to block out the cold. It seemed to engulf her. While her suit was perfect for espionage, it wasn't enough to keep out the freezing chill. She would have worn something with it to keep her warm but, as said before, the change in weather had come unsuspectingly. The cold only made her more aggravated.

He is so gonna hear it from me when he gets here, she thought.

As her thoughts turned to the one in question, a hint of a smile crossed her face. Strange, she seemed to smile a lot lately whenever she thought of him. But then again, maybe it wasn't so strange. Things hadn't quite been the same for her since he came into her life.

The "he" she was on the lookout for was her temporary partner in spying and crime: a tall, well dressed, male British possum named Ollie. For one committed to crime, his personality was surprisingly that of a decent sort. He was polite, supportive… a very likable fellow. He was also an agent of D.O.O.M.: the Diabolical Order of Mayhem, a well known criminal organization led by the insane rat Verminious Snaptrap. It was one of the main sources of villainous activity in Petropolis…and sometimes one of the most laughable, as Snaptrap was considered a lousy and stupid villain at times (Though he had his moments). She was part of a criminal organization too, only they were a little more secretive about their business than D.O.O.M. was. Her name was Ivonne, a tough, reserved criminal agent, one of her boss' best. The identity of her boss was kept hidden from those not closely associated with his organization. Only his agents and those close to him knew who he was. He directed things from behind the scenes, like a master chess player moving his pieces across a board. Many in Petropolis, both decent citizens and those of the criminal underworld were unknowingly, unwittingly pawns in his schemes. There were rumors of who he was, but that's all that they were…rumors. In a way, he caused an aura of fear throughout some districts of Petropolis.

So how did she, a serious criminal agent of probably the most underhanded crime lord of Petropolis end up as partner to an agent of D.O.O.M.? It was definitely not by choice. It was actually her boss' idea to form an alliance with D.O.O.M., because they both shared one thing in common: a hatred of T.U.F.F.: the Turbo Undercover Fighting Force, the main criminal fighting force of Petropolis. Her boss had suggested that each of his agents team up with one of Snaptrap's agents to carry out the jobs necessary to initiate the plan to destroy T.U.F.F. once and for all. With it out of the way, they could control Petropolis.

At least, that was the idea Ivonne's boss planted in Snaptrap's head. What he had told Ivonne and the other agents that worked for him was slightly different than what he had proposed to Snaptrap. In reality, Snaptrap was nothing more than a mere pawn in her boss' scheme, just like other suckers he had used. Ivonne hadn't been thrilled to have been assigned to work with Ollie. Normally, she wouldn't have given someone like him the time of day. Every bad guy in Petropolis knew that Snaptrap wasn't really that much of a villain. He was really more of a nuisance at times. He was a fool; therefore, anyone working for him had to be a fool as well. She hated having to work with Ollie and loathed the fact that she would have to put up with him for a long while.

At least, that's how she first felt. Then things started to get…complicated…in a way that she never would have predicted in a million years.

Ivonne stared out across the rooftops at the full moon which cast a soft glow. It stared back in an almost sad way…which made her feel sad. Watching it beneath the dark sky gave her a lonely feeling. It was like she was the only person left in the whole world. All she had to keep her company were the solitary thoughts that glided here and there across the recesses of her mind. Lately, she had come to hate these thoughts, because they had been causing her nothing but torment. Slowly, her mind started to take her back, back to when the whole mess started…

The boss' real plan was simple: Convince D.O.O.M. that he wanted to work with them in order to destroy T.U.F.F. completely. His agents would work with the D.O.O.M. agents, while he remained hidden while watching, assisting, and directing from behind the scenes. This way, T.U.F.F. would never suspect that there were two evil villains they were dealing with, or at least keep them guessing. Also, it would give that fool Snaptrap the illusion that he was running things. Unbeknownst to the rat though, he would merely be helping to steal the items Ivonne's boss needed to carry out his plan. That, and Ivonne and the other agents would secretly be gathering information about D.O.O.M. and any schemes they might have planned. Even though D.O.O.M wasn't considered a real threat, Ivonne's boss didn't want to take any chances. He knew the slightest thing left ignored could ruin his whole plan. Once the agents stole the things he needed and everything was in place, he would pull the double-cross and destroy both T.U.F.F. and D.O.O.M. once and for all. Petropolis would then be his and his alone to control. Simple.

It started out flawlessly. Snaptrap fell for the lie so easily it was almost sad. Of course, Ollie was suspicious at first which was really no surprise. He was the only one with any real common sense amongst the team. But once he found out he was to be partnered with Ivonne, any remaining doubt completely left his mind. Ivonne smiled as she recalled how Ollie's blue eyes lit up when he heard they were to work together. He had been smitten with her ever since she and her team ran into him and the other D.O.O.M agents on one of their assignments. Little did Ollie know that Ivonne's boss had heard of the British possum's crush and found a way that he could use it to his advantage. That's how he formed the plan, by taking advantage of Ollie's crush on Ivonne.

"Love makes one do foolish things," her boss had said, "He may very well unwittingly spill some information about D.O.O.M. or other knowledge that may be of use to us."

Ivonne agreed to it, but she didn't like it. She had no interest whatsoever in the "tall English guy" ...at least, not at first.

Their partnership started out rocky but it worked. She had to admit Ollie proved to be a capable espionage agent and managed to surprise her at times. He handled a blaster well and proved to be formidable when it came to good ol' fist fighting. Of course, there were times he tried to win her heart, but they always failed, for Ivonne's emotions remained cold and reserved through it. Any politeness or an attempt to win at least a hint of affection from her was shunned, sometimes mocked. Working with someone as cruel and unpredictable as her boss, had caused Ivonne to develop a stoic demeanor as a type of emotional defense. It was really, the only way to survive. Besides, some of her boss' male agents often tried to win her affections as well, but most of them were shallow and insincere. She was sure Ollie was no different. That's not to say she didn't have any friends. She got along well with her boss' female agents and some of the male ones as well. She just knew that if she wanted to stay on her boss' good side, she had to prove to be a tough capable woman, who didn't let anyone push her around (Except her boss).

She wasn't sure how it happened. Maybe it was her finding out that Ollie wasn't the shallow male jerk she thought him to be. Maybe it was because he was actually quite clever and not at all dimwitted like some of the other D.O.O.M. agents. Maybe it was the sweet, thoughtful gestures he did for her, even though he knew that she would most likely throw them back at his face. Or maybe it was the pleasant conversations they would start to have on the job, something which was rare for her at her boss' headquarters. Or maybe… just maybe… it was because she discovered she didn't have to be so tough when she was with him. He didn't push her around like the other agents at her job. And he didn't so much as issue out orders as merely offer helpful advice. With him, she didn't have to put on an act. For the first time in many years, she could actually be herself. Whatever the reason, Ivonne had found her personality starting to soften towards the British possum. When they were both assigned a job or stakeout, she actually started to look forward to it, as it meant seeing him again. She would start to blush ever so slightly when he complimented her. Little by little, the hard façade she had kept up for so long started to slowly come down when she was around him, revealing a rather sweet woman underneath. She even had moments where she would genuinely smile and laugh.

It had happened. No matter how much she tried to deny it. She had fallen in love with Ollie.

All this made her afraid…afraid that if she let her guard down she'd be hurt, made a fool. She was a strong, reserved woman…no way was she going to end up as some love struck girly girl, which was why she would suddenly snap at him for no reason at times. She was surprised at how bad she would feel when she did this. Ollie would look confused, a bit hurt at times but he said nothing.

This wasn't supposed to have happened. The plan was to use Ollie's crush on her to get info on D.O.O.M.'s secrets and any other inside info he may know. She wasn't suppose to fall in love with him. But she did. And it made her fearful. Fearful of what her boss would do if he ever found out. He would see her feelings for Ollie as a threat to the plan, a sign that she might turn traitor. And that wouldn't do. Ivonne knew her boss wasn't going to take any chances with his plan. The slightest possible threat, no matter how seemingly insignificant, must be eliminated. That meant eliminating Ollie…and possibly her. To make matters worse for her, Ollie was undoubtedly the real voice of reason to Snaptrap. The one who most often gave Snaptrap the idea for his evil plans, the one who made the others think before they acted. True, Snaptrap often ignored his right hand man, but that would make little difference to Ivonne's boss. If he knew this bit of information, Ollie would be killed for sure. She knew she could never convince her boss to let Ollie join them, and Ollie was too loyal to his chums at D.O.O.M. to turn against them and destroy them. So Ivonne never revealed any of this to her boss. She even started to lie to him lately about discovering no new information. She did this to protect Ollie, his friends, and her. She feared her boss, but she loved Ollie. It was a constant tug-of-war on her mind and conscience.

It was this conflict that caused her to often try to push away from Ollie. Whenever they seemed to get close, she'd suddenly draw back. She couldn't take a chance that one of her boss' agents might see her. She'd even sometimes yell at Ollie hoping it would drive him away from her. She hated to do it, especially after seeing the confused and sometimes hurt look on his face. If only she could tell him the truth. That she did it to protect him. That the last thing she wanted was to drive away the only man that had treated her gently…like a lady. She didn't care about the plan anymore; she just wanted him and his friends safe. Yes, she had even come to like most of Ollie's friends, especially Larry and Francisco. They really were like a big dysfunctional family that committed crimes, but also took breaks from it to have some fun. She had to admit it was touching, in a strange way.

But she couldn't tell Ollie the truth. How could she? How could she tell him that her intention was to use him? To destroy him and his friends? He'd never believe that she had feelings for him after admitting to all of that. Even worse…he could end up hating her. She didn't want to lose him…but she didn't want him hurt either…or dead.

A hint of a tear glistened in Ivonne's eye. She felt so confused. Why? Why did she have to fall for him? Why did any of this have to happen?

"What am I going to do?" she asked herself.

"About what?" A voice asked behind her.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Ivonne turned around while drawing her blaster. She aimed it at the shadowy figure that stood a few feet away from her.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot, it's me!" The figure cried, holding its arms up.

Ivonne recognized the voice. It was Ollie. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned her blaster to its holster.

"Don't…ever…do that," she hissed.

Ollie stepped out of the shadows cautiously.

"Sorry," he apologized with a sheepish shrug.

Ivonne's relief quickly turned to anger.

"You're late!" She exclaimed, "Where the heck were you?! I've been freezing my tail off waiting for you!"

An apologetic expression formed on Ollie's face.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," he sighed, "I didn't intend to be late. You see, I was done staking out my side of the area early and, well, it is a little nippy tonight, and I had time to spare, so I stopped to get some tea on the way back. Unfortunately, the wait took a bit longer than I had anticipated."

Ivonne stared in disbelief as Ollie took a sip from a to-go cup. He gave a satisfied sigh.

"Nothing like a good hot cup of tea to warm the bones," he said with a smile. It quickly faded as he noticed Ivonne glaring at him. All the frustration of waiting and standing in the cold combined with the agony of her thoughts had reached its limit.

"Are…you…kidding me?!" She exclaimed, outraged. "Tea?! That's why you're late?! That's why I'm freezing to death standing on a roof?! Because you had to get yourself a stupid cup of tea?! What is it with English people and tea anyways?! Did it ever even cross your mind that I was out here, waiting for you, in the freezing cold?! I can't believe you!"

Ollie stared down at his foot paws, knowing he had messed up big time.

"Well, actually I…"

Ivonne held up her hand, cutting him off.

"No, don't say anything," Her voice sounded a bit more subdued. "I've been having a really rough night. I don't want to hear any excuses. Just enjoy your crummy tea."

She turned her back to him and stared out across the city. Different emotions filled her heart: anger, frustration, sadness, fear…they had been plaguing her the whole day and she couldn't take it anymore. Let him have his tea while she froze. See if she cared. He proved what he thought of her. She heard footsteps as Ollie came up beside her. She continued to stare straight ahead, ignoring him. Ollie then held something in front of her. It was another to-go cup.

"I got you some too," he said softly.

Ivonne turned to look at Ollie.

"You…you did?" She asked. Ollie nodded.

"I figured you would be cold as well," he explained, "So I bought some for both of us."

Ivonne just stared at him, astonishment written all over her face. He stared back with a quiet, apologetic smile. She slowly took the cup from his hand and took a small sip, being careful that it was hot. The steaming liquid glided down her throat in a warm refreshing way. She could already feel the warmth flowing through her body.

"It's good," she said, gratefully.

Ollie's smile grew a bit wider, then, remembering something, he reached into his suit pocket.

"Oh, here," he said, pulling out a small bundle, "I got this for you too."

Ivonne watched as he unwrapped it, revealing a small crimson colored pastry.

"It's a strawberry tart," Ollie explained, holding it out to her, "I remember how you once said you loved strawberries. I thought it'd go well with your tea."

Completely dumbfounded, Ivonne took the tart from his hand. There he went again, doing a nice little thing for her. Just when it seemed like he didn't care, he pulled something like this. She took a bite of the treat and looked up at Ollie as she chewed. She could see the moon reflected in his soft blue eyes…how gentle they seemed, how friendly. She could tell he was sincere about being sorry. And with the moon's glow softly reflecting off his fur, he actually looked… handsome. Suddenly all the anger and anxiety she had felt started to melt away. She was sorry she had snapped at him. Now, she was just happy that he was here with her. She swallowed nervously.

"T-Thank you," she said gently.

"My pleasure," Ollie replied with one of his sweet, gentle smiles. Flustered, Ivonne shyly brushed back a stray lock of her hair.

"I'm sorry I got angry," she apologized.

"You had every right to be," Ollie said consolingly.

Ivonne quickly turned to look at the moon so he wouldn't see her blushing. Curse that polite attitude of his, she thought.

Ollie followed her gaze to the pale orb in the sky.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" He spoke softly, "There's something very awe inspiring about a full moon, especially on a quiet night such as this. I love it. It gives one time to think."

You have no idea, Ivonne thought.

"You know," he continued, "On nights like this, I often go out onto the roof at D.O.O.M. to gaze at the night sky and enjoy the peace and quiet. It's a welcome relief from all the madness I usually have to endure there."

He paused as if remembering something, then said quietly:

"I use to do the same thing back in England."

This last sentence he said fondly…almost sadly. Ivonne looked at Ollie who just stared at the moon, a look of longing in his eyes. She felt sorry for him, being so far away from his homeland. It must be tough for him at times.

"Do you ever miss England?" She asked.

"Sometimes," he answered.

"Why did you leave?"

At this question Ollie stared directly ahead, as if recalling some distant memory. His face was expressionless.

"It's a long story," he finally answered.

Something told Ivonne that she best not speak about it anymore. There was an awkward silence, then Ollie spoke.

"Ivonne," he said, concerned, "I…I don't mean to sound intrusive, but…is everything all right?"

An alarm started to go off in Ivonne's head.

"Wh-what do you mean?" She asked.

Ollie scratched his head uncertainly.

"Well, it's just that… you've been acting a bit strange lately. You seem distracted. I sometimes see you off by yourself in deep thought with a very sad expression on your face, as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders. And just now you were asking yourself what you were going to do."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"Are you in some sort of trouble?" He asked seriously.

The alarm in Ivonne's head grew even louder. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him everything: her feelings for him, the plan and how she couldn't bear to go through with it anymore…how afraid she was for him and herself. But instead, all she said was:

"I'm fine. Ollie wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically, "If you're in any trouble I'd like to help in any way I can. You can tell me." Ivonne smiled softly at his concern for her.

"I'm fine, Ollie, really," she said, hoping to sound convincing. She reached out and squeezed his hand.

"But it's sweet of you to care," she said.

Ollie looked at their hands clasping and back at Ivonne. Her light green eyes looked so lovely in the moonlight. Now he started to blush. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Er, yes, um…just trying to be helpful," he stuttered.

They both smiled at each other shyly when Ollie spoke.

"We should head back to D.O.O.M. now," he suggested, "It is getting rather cold." Ivonne thought it over.

"No, not yet," she said, "I'd like to stay here and just look at the moon for a while longer…if you don't mind."

Ollie smiled. It was the same sweet, gentle one he gave her before.

"Not at all," he replied.

Both figures stood side by side in content silence, admiring the natural beauty of the full moon. Ivonne cast a side glance at Ollie. He had a contented smile on his face, glad that she was no longer angry with him. Seeing her happy made him happy. And seeing him happy…well, it made her happy as well. Ivonne turned her attention back to the moon. Now it seemed to glow in a friendly way at them, as if it were smiling at the tender scene. A wave of contentment flowed through Ivonne. Suddenly, all the thoughts that had been troubling her a while ago vanished from her mind. Ollie was with her and she was with him. They were together.

For now, that's all that mattered.