She had never doubted her love before. If there was anything about Will Traveler she could define with truth, it was her devotion to him. Incomprehensible, credulous, tantalizing: but bona fide and powerful. Maya had known she loved the man on sight, an assurity until that moment twenty months before she would have considered surreal; or if pure, than an untouchable dream that only school girls would dare fantasize about. Yet her first glimpse into the spy's scale-green eyes and it was an unmistakable jolt of verity that rebooted her heart into hyper-drive, and raised the lightest pink to her cheeks as excuse for the passing second in which she had not returned his polite hello.

To play the scene of their first meeting in her mind was a regular occurrence for the young bookkeeper, as though it were her favorite movie locked to memory for quick access. Daniel Taft had stepped off the train at Deer Harbor station as the only rider staying in the small nowhere-town in Maine. And since he was the only arriving passenger, he had instantly spotted an awaiting Maya Carter and identified her as his new contact. During his split-second evaluation, Maya hadn't been able to read what he thought of her. In fact, she hadn't been able to read his expression at all. It had confused her, as she finally reached out to shake his hand, that she felt immediately withdrawn from him, as though she could sense an invisible bubble shielding him from… the world? Demons? Herself? It was anyone's guess. Yet the presence was undeniable for the first few weeks of his stay. Oh Daniel was polite to be sure, complimenting her on her cooking and her home décor, like any kind guest would; but the aura of resistance around him did not hurriedly fade despite their lapsing time together.

So how did it go away?

Maya could not answer that question with certainty, although she had surely attempted to. No matter her cautionary fear during the beginning of his stay, or the recurring dread of occupational secrets he refused to discuss, when the time had come where their attraction was evident, it was solely him who determined their status. Because only Daniel Taft- who had by this time adopted his Will Traveler alias- knew the risks and consequences of two agents becoming involved. And even after explaining to Maya the dangers of romance (and in turn vulnerability) in his agency, he still remained the only one who understood the gravity of their situation. While Maya had grasped that having an affair could jeopardize not only his mission but her life, this did not weaken her human desire to fall in love with someone who mystified and fascinated her. Even more truthfully, she had found no harm in letting her emotions control her thoughts: because Will had made it clear that they could not have a relationship. So as long as one of them was strong, nothing would result, right?

What the twenty-three year old had subconsciously assumed was that part of the motive behind Will's objection was he did not return her feelings. Throughout many months, in which Will had returned to Deer Harbor almost every other week to conduct business with Hometown, Maya had yet to see him relay any hints of attraction other than a few stolen glances. She hadn't noticed him shift whenever she got within a five inch proximity, or how his eyes would twinkle whenever she'd smile. She hadn't known every second weekend as she'd hug him goodbye that he would relish in the coconut-smell of her velvet curls. And never had she pictured, realistically, that he would be the one to break the rules.

Their first kiss initiated a bond that became crucially important for both Will and her. It was a sweet love, like that of any young couple, but buried within their secret picnics and sailing trips were a pair of lovers desperately afraid of losing sanity. Will's dreams had begun acting up more and more as time passed, to the point where he would seek refuge in Maya's bed during his nightly stays. (Although they never crossed the line of intimacy: it was unquestionable, which Will had intimated after they sealed their relationship. Sex was a step they could not afford to take, because making love would surely bring their shield of caution down.) And Maya sought solace from Will every moment of their days together. Try as she might, she was not strong like he was. Hometown frightened her, as did Will's mission of betrayal. She hated being involved, and she hated being caught in the midst of it all: so she found refuge in Will's arms, using him as a shield against all the horror that threatened to overtake her.

Their fear was what kept them together, and unlike most couples, there was never worry of rejection, straying or discomfort. Maya knew Will was going against all he worked for by being with her, so any chance of him seeing someone else was absolutely unrealistic. However, his persona- the Will Traveler Yale student- did not have a girlfriend, or any obligation to Maya. And as such, in order to avoid suspicion from his roommates, Will had been obligated to "date" during his time at college. Though he would never say outright when Tyler Fog would hold one of his hoar-parties, Maya could tell. Because at his next visit, Will would smother her with extra love to make up for whatever he may have done, making it evident that whatever had happened meant nothing to him compared to spending time with Maya.

This was one of the thousands of complications in their relationship: Will Traveler was not completely hers.

Maya turned from her reflection in the kitchen window, slowly collecting herself from the aging memories she had once again become lost in. She could hear Will shuffling around in the basement, having brought back a new collection of damning evidence against his "roommates", preparing for the approaching time in which all hell would break lose for Tyler Fog and Jay Burchell and a nightmare too unrealistic to fathom would destroy their lives forever.

And I'm going to sit back and let it happen.

Darkness had only begun its hypnotic spell of night, so early that the sky was still resisting sleep and boldly protested by awakening a falling sun from a formation of clouds. Maya stared after the descending sun, watching as it took all of her hope down under the earth's horizon. Tonight felt horrible, pessimistically so, and Maya had no idea why. She should be downstairs helping Will, for he was only there a short three days. But for the first time ever, Maya did not want to see Will. She had not wanted to pick him up at the train station, to have him sweetly kiss her lips once they were out of the public's eye, nor did she want to fall asleep against him that night. The prospect of it all had brought her to that window, with young tears to grow in her eyes, and the vibe of a lonely violin to trample her heart with indescribable sorrow.

What is wrong with you? Will is here. You love him. You haven't seen him for over a month. You've missed him, and that is why you feel so badly. Let him hold you. You'll feel so much better.

This should have relieved the bookkeeper, because it was such a reasonable excuse. But as she heard her lover's ascending footsteps, she immediately tensed and closed her eyes. Maya telepathically whispered to him, praying he could magically hear her. Please go away. Please Will. I'm not feeling well right now.

As though her wish was granted, she heard his footsteps come to a halt, and did not feel Will touch her shoulders or wrap his arms around her waist. Maya could hear him though, for his breath was low and husk.

"Maya?"

She didn't turn. The blonde bit her quivering lip, but the shaking was contagious, and it rose to her shoulders as her unmanageable crying began once more. Usually she sobbed when Will was gone, in a rage of frustration and hurt after he would leave for Yale. Now, however, it was just the opposite: she didn't want him here, and she couldn't understand why.

"Maya," Will spoke more sternly, taking her shoulders to turn her to face him. The second she caught site of his face Maya wanted to pull from his grasp. She attempted to control herself, shutting her eyes once more as though he would disappear if she couldn't see him. "Maya! What's wrong?" He sounded bewildered, even frightened, but Maya couldn't find herself to form words between her tears.

He shook her, enough to make Maya's eyes shoot open, and within his expression she saw what scared her. His dark pupils, burning with a deep sapphire hue, were cutting through her like deep knives. "Your eyes…" she spoke what came to her mind. Something about his eyes was suddenly very distinct- very dark- as though she had seen something within them that had always been there but was undetectable before. Maya's head spun as she felt herself weakening; whether she had lost her mind or not, she had to get away from Will. Because everything about his expression made her terrified, as though the man holding her was not her love for the past year, but a complete stranger.

"Maya, talk to me!" His voice was louder, painfully so. He continued to stare her down, desperately searching her for an answer as to her hysterics. She couldn't take it.

"Don't look at me like that! Please, Will, stop looking at me like that!" Maya reluctantly assessed that she'd gone crazy, pulling away from her boyfriend's grasp and clambering out the back door.

In the open grass, she fell to her knees as her legs became liquid beneath her. She covered her eyes in humiliation, although there was no one (that she was aware of) around to see her. Maya did not worry about Will coming out into the yard, trying to learn what made her lash out so suddenly. Will would want to comfort her, to hold her and kiss her like he always did, but out in the open, that was not an option. She was safe from him, even as she felt his eyes locked on her.

Dear God, what is wrong with me…

You have finally fallen apart. You knew you would, and now you are going to drive away the most perfect man you could ever meet.

Maya crawled over to the small pond in the corner of her background, positioning herself on the sea of rocks bordering the water. Her father had built this pool, knowing his wife's love for anything involving the sea. This also reflected in Maya, her parents would find out when she was four: if it was pouring rain outside the pleasant Maine home, the young girl would put on a raincoat- without any undergarments- and start running around the street splashing in filthy puddles of runny mud and bacteria. Donald and Sarah had taken their daughter's picture on one of these days, and it still sat on the mantel in their old bedroom. Will had noticed the photo during his first tour of the house, and never missed an opportunity to tease her about it. Maya would find out this was his way of making her blush. He loved it when she did that.

The pretty blonde dipped her index finger in the translucent water, stirring ripples in the surface as her thoughts wandered. How could she suddenly fall out of love for Will, if that was what had happened? He was perfect- to her at least. The spy would have said just the opposite, that he was a corrupt man with many mistakes in his past he would not dare resurrect. But Maya didn't care; never cared; hadn't cared. He was magic, life, meaning… she had known that the second his lips met hers for the first time…

The next week would mark his sixth month anniversary as Will Traveler, Maya reflected as she picked up a large box of books and dropped it onto the dolly. Six months since she had fallen head-over-heals in love for an esoteric government spy with thousands of skeletons in his closet. Watching him enter the store with his usual sultry sway and deep eyes that lightened upon seeing her, it was all Maya could do to not run up and take him into her arms. She refrained, as usual, and instead greeted him with a heartwarming grin that she was sure relayed everything she felt for him.

"How'd the meeting go?" It was a simple question, one which she knew would never receive a completely truthful answer.

"Good. Joseph liked the footage we picked out yesterday, although I'm going to need a new spite on President Sheers from Tyler… shouldn't be hard considering his immigrant speech this morning. I imagine Tyler's gonna go up in flames on that one."

Maya returned his smile, although broke eye contact. The cool way Will could talk about framing two innocent men always unsettled her, no matter that she knew he wouldn't do something so treacherous if it didn't serve a greater, better purpose. He must have noticed her uneasiness, because immediately he changed the subject. "Do you need some help with those," he gestured toward the books she was stacking.

"Sure. These are the new copies I ordered last week; we can just replace them and I'll close up."

They worked quickly, scanning the story collections in search for the specific book within their hand. Will did most of the talking, going on about what they would need to work on the next few days. Twice they had picked up a book by the same author, so twice they stood shoulder-to-shoulder, where Maya would fumble stupidly as their fingers would brush. She'd mumble an apology, and then immediately wish to slap herself at how childish she must have sounded. Besides, she wasn't sorry… at all.

The atmosphere had become charged with attraction, which made Maya mentally clumsy. She prayed silently that Will didn't see her trip every other step or her hands shake whenever she thought he may accidentally touch her again. Try as she might, Will had that effect on her: and it hurt that nothing could result from it.

He had been able to keep his emotions in check, having made it clear a month previous they had no future together, and seemed to have dropped the subject entirely. Though whatever attraction may have lived weeks before, strong and stable Will had apparently gotten over it.

Maya approached the tallest bookshelf, preparing to replace 'Murder on the Orient Express' with a fresh copy. Unfortunately for her, this shelf was slightly too tall, and in order to reach "C" she had to stand on her tip-toes.

"Would you like to stop by Maxine's after this?" She referred to the quaint diner Will had immediately fallen for when he first came to Deer Harbor.

Will had finished replacing his last book, turning to Maya to see her struggling to reach the top shelf. A grin crept up his face as he approached to assist her. "Sure. You know I can't turn down their chicken-pot-pie." Without hesitation, Will lightly pressed himself against Maya's back, taking the book from her outstretched hand. Although he was only an inch taller than her, he managed to retrieve the old novel. The bookkeeper stood still against him, feeling her heart increase at the warmth of his skin.

'Maya Carter, you stop that! He has already told you this won't happen.' The truth was a bitch.

"Well then we better hurry. Max usually doesn't have many leftover by six on Fridays. Besides," the bookkeeper bravely turned, and was surprised that Will remained so close to her, "if there is only one left, I'm not sharing with you again."

Will raised his eyebrows in amusement, as one of their typical mockery fights began, leaning one hand on the shelf behind her. His whisper was rasp, sending a chill up her spine. "Is that so? And who says I'll let you have it in the first place?"

Maya loved playing these games with him. It had become their routine of shutting out the world, for a few brief moments acting as flirtatious friends. "Why?... Because I'm faster."

Before Will could comprehend what she had said, Maya ducked under his arm and bolted towards her desk. She scooped up her car keys from the counter and made way for the door, lost in a fit of giggles at their immaturity.

"Where do you think-" the bookkeeper shrieked as the felt herself being caught by the hips, "you're going?"

Maya was suddenly very dizzy, in a good way, as she relished in the hold he had on her. She made a false attempt to wriggle from her love's grasp, stuttering through laughter that the chicken-pot-pie would be hers.

"Like hell it will. The Chicken-Pot-Pie King takes no prisoners! Be my queen, or suffer my wrath…"

Both options sounded good to Maya. "I will never join you!"

"Then you will pay the price!" Before she could protest, Will grasped her waist and suspended her in the air. She squealed as he wrapped a firm arm around her stomach, attacking tickly-fingers to her abdomen. The bookkeeper hooted, unable to contain her laughter as his hand pranced across her front.

How had he known she was ticklish?- The question could barely cross her mind as her face turned red: in both embarrassment and lack of oxygen. She had now kicked her way down to the floor, where she lay still in the aftershock of looming giggles.

Will was laughing- actually laughing- where his face glowed, his eyes danced, and he bore a beautiful grin made Maya's heart stop. His hair was ruffled, bangs askew across his forehead, the rest in messy clumps around his ears and down his neck. 'Oh, how handsome you are', she could not help remembering.

The object of her affection stood over her, his smile now crooked with amusement. "It looks like the King is victor-"

CLOMP! Will sailed to the ground as a fighting Maya did not prepare to lose so easily- although it more had to do with not breaking their moment. She had grabbed his ankle and swiped it high in the opposite direction, sending Will falling. He lost his guard for half a second as he hit the floor, which was all the time Maya needed. She clambered on top of him, pinning him down, sitting on his stomach with one leg on either side of his hip. Success!

"Ha! Who's King now?" Maya flaunted as he attempted to buck her off. She leaned forward on her hands, each positioned on one shoulder, not allowing him to push her off. "Face it; there is a new Chicken-Pot-Pie ruler!"

The spy fell back, admitting defeat. Although he didn't make an attempt to verbally announce her glory.

When he said nothing, Maya sung harmoniously, "Say it. Who's the Queen?"

He pouted in response. She squeezed him tighter, not preparing to let him off the hook. "Say it!"

"Fine..." (He is so adorable) "You are the Queen."

"And," she antagonized.

"You get chicken-pot-pie."

"And?"

He paused for only half a second. "You look beautiful."

The bookkeeper's face was flushed of boastful glee. Her smile faded, and as she composed what he said, she felt slightly ill. Why would he say that? Hadn't he made it clear their relationship couldn't occur, even if he did care about her? Or had Will said it simply because he thought she wanted to hear it?

Finally having grasped what was happening, Maya realized that she and Will were in a questionable position: she sat on top of him, leaned over far enough that a few inches further and their faces would be touching. His hands lay on her thighs, originally having been trying to push her off, but now relaxed. Her blonde locks fell over her cheek, swinging lightly through the air. Both of them were panting.

Maya immediately blushed, realizing how it would have looked to a customer suddenly walking in.

She felt something warm on her cheek. Will's hand. She gazed softly down at him, keeping her eyes trained as his palm curled fallen strands behind her ear. For the first time since their discussion about being forbidden to love one another, Maya saw the spark within his eyes graduate to more than that of casual flirting: desire.

No, she was mistaken. She must have been. Mumbling an apology for the third time that night, Maya reached for one of the book stands to hoist herself up. Unfortunately, fate had other intentions. The shelf weakened under her weight, and the pressure brought dozens of books raining onto the couple. Maya shrieked in surprise, ducking down into Will's chest as heavy covers hit her back. Instantly, she felt herself being overturned, as the spy formed a wall of protection against the rest of the falling hardbacks.

While the shower may have only lasted a few seconds, it felt like an eternity. Maya grasped Will's black tee-shirt, lying with her head turned against the wooden floor, his hot breath radiating against her ear. To make matters worse, when the final book had hit the ground beside them, she turned to face Will, having underestimated how close his mouth was to her.

When she moved, his lips brushed her cheek ever so lightly.

Maya froze. She couldn't breathe as her heart started pounding against her chest, so loud she was sure Will heard it. Her insides burned with the awareness of his propinquity, while her mind stung with the pain of rejection she knew she would soon face. He would remind her again, she could tell when he turned to face her, that they could not act upon selfish impulse. He was not the man to become involved with, she could hear him saying. It was dangerous, and would only lead to heartbreak.

"I am so graceless," Maya spurt bluntly, wanting to make it seem as though there wasn't really any sexual tension between them. "Good thing I know a spy who can act as my bomb shelter. Are you okay?"

Her attempt to lighten the mood had failed. Will remained crouched over her, his eyes reflecting the grave premonitions he was foreseeing. Not wanting him to assume she had done this intentionally, Maya spoke before she had any words planned. "I'm sorry, Will. I really didn't mean to… I mean, I understand that we can't…"

Maya sighed before beginning again, "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, Will. I understand that we can't be together, and honestly I'm not trying to force you to do anything that would compromise your position with Hometown. You are performing an assignment, and I'm just your contact. I promise this won't-"

He silenced her with his lips.

His powerful, yet soft and chillingly tender lips.

Will closed his mouth over hers for barely a second, savoring the feel of her, embracing the honey taste of their kiss, before breaking their connection. He withdrew slowly, locking her eyes in his gaze, though stopped short, wanting only her and nothing else in the room to hear his whisper. "You are not, nor have you ever been, just my contact."

Maya was breathless, mostly in shock, the memory of his kiss hovering on her mouth, which now felt cold at the emptiness of not relishing in it more. It took all of her control to not raise her head to claim that feeling again. Instead she gazed patiently back at Will, watching him search her eyes- or rather, looking to her for a mirror back to him, so he could see within himself what was to happen next.

Cautiously, Maya wrapped her arms around Will's neck. Quietly, as though she would scare him away if she spoke too loudly, the bookkeeper revealed to him her intentions. "And I don't want to be just your asset. I know we have limitations, Will, but I don't feel they should take away from your happiness. I want to be your support when you're worried or stressed. I know you need it Will- everyone does. I just want to be there for you." And she did. With all her power, she wanted to make him laugh again. She wanted him to smile and to forget all his sins. More than that, she wanted to be the one who took that all away from him.

This was clearly not the rebuttal he was expecting. Within a blink, Maya saw Will's face change from negativity to a mixture of fear and thoughtfulness. She could read his expression- could it truly be that simple? The human desire to need comfort and love? Yes, her mind screamed as hope arose in her heart. Jumping upon his vulnerability, as they were now no longer with secrets, Maya pulled him slightly closer. Their noses met in an Eskimo kiss.

"You know this," she referred to Hometown not by name, "better than I do: the risks and consequences. But what I know is that I can be there when you need someone." Before he could relinquish his sins again, Maya interrupted quickly: "I know you have horrible experiences you are trying to forget. I know that, and I don't care. Nothing you tell me could change how I feel about you. You need someone to trust, and I want to be that person. I'll always be on your side Will…" the bookkeeper paused, tempted to stop there, but finished with what her heart screamed: "if you'll let me."

She hadn't realized she was crying until she'd finished speaking. It was all so clear to her, and Maya desperately wanted him to see that. She loved him, she wanted to be with him, and nothing else mattered.

Her heart fell to pieces as he sat up. That was it. She had failed, and now things would be horribly distant between them.

But to her surprise, Maya felt herself being lifted with him. Will sat her up, then while keeping one hand on her back, positioned his other palm under her leg. In a swift motion, he had her cradled in his lap. She locked her eyes with his, feeling as though she were in a dream as he reached up to cup her face. He leaned over and pressed his lips to the wet streak, the only remaining sign of her sorrow. His mouth trailed down until he caught the water on her chin, suckling the tear until it left no evidence of existing.

"If this is going to happen, it has to go both ways." Maya felt lighter than air as she rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling and memorizing his virile scent. "You need someone to take care of you too Maya." He stroked her hair, which he would learn was an incredible weakness of hers, carefully forming his next words.

"This will be dangerous. More for you than me. And I just don't know if I could risk losing you, Maya. The people I work for don't care about feelings- they care about improvement and success. The only way we can be together is if we give them absolutely no reason to worry about us. And that includes keeping our relationship a secret." Despite seemingly trying to convince her that loving him would be a mistake, Will paused to nuzzle her hair affectionately.

"I would have to continue with the Drexler assignment, as planned, to give them no reason to question my integrity. For right now Maya, this is the life we would have to lead. There are things about me you will never know, occurrences that would scare you more than this mission, and you would have to live with knowing that the terrible things I do, while for benefit of the country, will continue to destroy people's lives." He drew away so he could look into her eyes. "Could you accept that? Because that is what would have to happen if we became involved."

The beautiful girl paused for a fraction of a second before she nodded, no doubt in her words as she spoke. "Will, these things are going to happen whether I'm involved with you or not. I can't stop them, and I won't try. I trust you, you have to understand. You are not a bad man, and I can see that." His furrowed expression suggested he didn't believe her. "Your indiscretions are part of the past, and whoever you were back then doesn't matter to me now. The Will Traveler I want to be with is right here. He's the one I know, and he's the one I… " love was the first word that came to her; "care about" was what she chose to say.

His hand combed her hair, his breath growing more anxious and deep. Their silence was interrupted by the sudden chorus of cricket chirps outside the shop. Darkness had arrived, and became a haunting reminder of passing time. But within the bookstore, curled up on the floor surrounded by a moat of stories, Will and Maya found love in one another. To bind that eternal promise of faith, Will pulled his girlfriend closer. She moved willingly, rotating her head to the right to capture his lips fully. His eyes wavered shut as he embraced a power he never thought himself capable of receiving, a surge of devotion that was unattainable through any person but the one in his arms.

The kiss was barely a whisper at first, as their new freedom took a few seconds to awaken the pair. But the immediate need for contact, and the long-awaited desire for comfort sparked an ardor fire. He pressed her forcefully into him, claiming her mouth in a battle he didn't need to fight. She assured him of this, sliding her hands down his neck in a lulling manner. Will's hands fell to her hips, where he caressed her sides with such tenderness he felt Maya's skin warming under his touch. He traveled the outside of her mouth slowly, enjoying the taste of peaches on her lips, delighting in softness more addicting than his heart had imagined.

He was so strong, so alive, that his movements overwhelmed Maya but made her want more. His tongue found the part in her lips, but moved no further until she allowed him entrance, the rich taste of yearning emitting a gasp from her, which in turn brought him to smile against her mouth. Her heart raced as she instinctually leaned into him, whereupon he collected her into his arms, pulling her so tightly to him that he feared he was hurting her. But she was too lost in the feel of him to have any pain. Pain was non-existent, as were their troubles and fears. Because they were together.

They were safe when they were together.

She honestly believed that, and always would.

Staring down into her wavering reflection, Maya saw that a smile had formed at the memory of her and Will's first kiss. The warmth that had controlled her heart that night still remained as strong as ever. She had been mistaken after all; she had not fallen out of love for Will.

Then why am I scared of him?

Months before, it she had been asked to describe Will Traveler, her heart would have fluttered as the million wonderful qualities she adored about him would pour from her mouth as though he were a memorized poem. But now, while the aspects of him she loved still reigned, there was a new distance within him that had suddenly become apparent. Remembering their vow, Maya all at once came to see her problem did not lie within her feelings towards Will. No, it was evident to anyone she was absolutely in love with him.

It was Will's feelings towards her that were causing her pain.

A light push of air awoke Maya from her dreamy spell, a steady reminder of the storm to come that night. Wrapping her arms around herself, she felt Will's absence suddenly take its toll. She wanted solace from him, but more than that she wanted to know if he truly still needed her as much as he had that evening in the bookstore. He had never given her the impression of a life together after this mission, when she would no longer be his contact. What was to happen to them? Did he have anything planned, or had her outburst ruined any chances of being with Will?

She needed to talk to him. And Maya could only pray he would be truthful.