Title: Distraction
Category: Books » Pendergast series
Author: juliannarayvenne
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Published: 12-27-13, Updated: 12-27-13
Chapters: 1, Words: 5,519

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

This is an alternate universe one shot fic in which Vincent D'Agosta has a younger sister, Isabella, whom has a thing for SA Pendergast. This takes place right around the end of Fever Dreams. A Plot bunny that would not leave me until I wrote it all down. So I thought instead of keeping it on a hard drive, I would post it and see if anyone out there would appreciate it the way I did :o) I own nothing but the OC, Bella. Thanks to Masters Preston and Child for their wonderful creation of all of these characters, but especially A.X.L. Pendergast

Enjoy!

Distractions

Bella heaved her bag onto the large bed in the even larger room. What was it with places like this? She thought briefly. There was never just a regular room. Of course she should have known better, this was one of Pendergast's places after all. Everything had to be huge! Go big or go home.

Gazing around the large room she went to the French doors leading to the balcony and tossed them open. It must have been 80 degrees outside, but there was a wonderful breeze moving the willow trees back and forth. She needed some of that fresh air. It had been one hell of a week.

The breeze came through the open doors, pushing her long dark hair back away from her face. She tried not to think of her older brother, lying in a hospital bed over an hour away. She hadn't left his side since she had arrived earlier in the week, after finding out he had been shot by a bullet meant for someone else. Her mind defied her; going there now when that was the last place she wanted or needed it to go.

"Shower," she said aloud and good God, she needed one. The last time she had attempted to shower while in the hospital, someone had made yet another attempt on her brother's life. Since that day she would not even leave for food. The nurses were nice to her; they brought her meals and coffee, understanding her reluctance to leave his side.

Then Laura had returned from where ever she had been with Pendergast. She involuntarily shuddered at the thought of him, shook her head and turned away from the balcony and the peace of the expansive grounds and returned to the room.

Maurice had led her to this suite, opening the door and asking that she make herself at home. He would have food brought up for her. He also asked that she put her soiled clothing out into the hall so he could tend to them. Remembering the poorly concealed wrinkling of his nose, she guessed that she really must be in need of a shower.

Opening her bag, she pulled out all of the clothes. There was nothing left really clean except maybe one pair of underwear which she tossed absentmindedly on the bed before gathering up the rest and putting them in a pile on the floor. She peeled off the nasty feeling clothes she was wearing and tossed them into the pile as well. Scooping them into her arms, she went to the door, opening it quickly she looked up and down the empty hall way before dropping the clothes outside and quickly shutting the door again.

Now to find the bathroom that the old guy had said was connected to this bedroom… she opened a door and was met with several black jackets and starched white shirts on hangers… no bathroom there. She closed that door and opened another. Jackpot! The bathroom was huge. Half of my upstate apartment could fit in this baby, she thought, walking to the shower, opening the door and turning on the water. For such an old house that looked like it had been neglected on the outside, some modern adjustments had been made for comfort on the inside it seemed.

She put her hand under the streaming water and reveled in the feeling of the water over her hand and arm. This shower was not going to be a quick one. She needed to relax so she planned on just standing in the hot water for a very long time. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the large full length mirror that stood in the corner of the bathroom closest to the shower. God, she looked awful. Her hair was dull looking and a mess, the bags under her eyes were bigger than the one she just cleaned out, and it looked like she had lost at least ten pounds in the last week. Awesome, she thought, twisting herself around in the mirror to get a glimpse at her backside. No one can possibly look more like crap than I do at this moment. She shook her head at her reflection and stepped into the hot steaming shower.

An hour later she returned to the bedroom, towel wrapped around her and using another to make an attempt to dry her hair. She had left the French doors open wide, but they faced nothing but trees, so it really didn't concern her. There must be a storm moving in, she thought as she looked at the ever darkening set of clouds that seemed to come out of nowhere. The wind had picked up some as well and now the curtains around the gigantic bed were rustling almost constantly.

Bella tried her best to comb the mass of tangles out of her hair and pulled it back into a tie. She pulled the lotion out of the handbag and covered herself in the soft scent of the beach and lotus blossoms before once again looking around the large room.

Now what? She thought. She didn't even leave herself anything to wear except for the one pair of black lace panties that she now grabbed from the bed and put on. She remembered the closet and went to explore. Maybe there was something in there she could use for a night shirt.

The closet door opened without even a creak and Bella looked through the clothes that she hadn't really paid that much attention to before. She stopped suddenly, her hand shaking a little as she touched the soft black cloth of the suit jacket, realization had set in. The clothing in this closet belonged to him… as in Pendergast's clothes. She looked around the giant room again and once again, realization slammed home. This was his room. But why would the old man put me in here if this was his room? There must be some mistake.

There was a soft knock at the door and Bella jumped, startled at the sound that brought her out of her thoughts. She grabbed one of the crisp white shirts from the closet and threw it around her, quickly buttoning the buttons and running to the door, cracking it open carefully as if she were expecting the man of whom she had just been thinking of.

Maurice was standing outside the door with a covered silver tray. "Your dinner Miss." He said holding the tray out to her.

Did he just give me a slight bow? Bella thought taking the proffered tray. "Maurice, I think there must be some mistake. Isn't this… uh, Agent… you know, Pendergast's room?" She said trying to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks thinking of him in this room.

"Yes, miss." He replied. "There are no other rooms in the house that are ready for guests at this time. He asked that you be placed in this room should you chose to stay here."

"Oh," she said, feeling another rush of warmth to her face thinking about Pendergast again. She had to stop this stupidity. "Thank you for dinner, and for taking care of my laundry."

"Of course miss. Will you be requiring anything else tonight?"

"No thank you. This will be fine."

She shut the door after thanking him again and wishing him a good night and went to the setae at the end of the massive bed. Bella rolled up the long sleeves so she could eat without making a mess of the fine fabric of the shirt. God, she could still smell just a hint of him on the cloth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She should have just gone to a hotel. Being this close to his most intimate place made her weak with all the thoughts of things that would never be.

_/_

Bella started awake. The lights were out, the wind was stronger now than it had been before she drifted off and there was a strange electricity in the air. There was a scream caught in her throat. A nightmare. THE nightmare that had plagued her since Vinnie had been shot. God if anything had happened to him not only would she lose the one and only family member she had left, but she would lose her connection to Pendergast. She would lose her world.

She coughed and shivered at the thought. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she slid down until her feet were toughing the floor. She had left the doors to the balcony open, the sound of the wind in the trees was calming to her. Now that the storm was closer, she could hear the distant rolls of thunder too. Maybe that was what had woken her. She knew without a doubt it wasn't just the nightmare. She could see the lightening in the distance as well. There was a definitely a storm approaching and fast by the sound of the thunder.

She had slept in his shirt, not wanting to take it off, although she had undone all but one button right in the center of the garment. She couldn't stand having anything around her neck when she slept. She undid that one button now and walked out onto the balcony, letting the wind rush over her almost naked body and blowing the loose shirt out behind her. There was a very fine mist of rain in the air, but the balcony was covered so not much of the water actually touched her. The feeling was divine; like nothing she had ever felt. Even if the rest of the place was sort of creepy, this room and this balcony were amazing, and not just because they belonged to Pendergast. She knew she acted like a school girl with a crush when it came to Pendergast, and while she hated herself for it at times, at others it was the only thing that kept her going.

She pulled the hair tie from her hair and let the wind blow her the dark mass all around her as well. God this felt so good. There is only one way this would feel better than it did right now she thought with a sly grin. But she shook her head trying to get the thoughts of him out of her mind. She was here for Vinnie, not to day dream about Pendergast and all of those things that she could never be to him.

"That is a very expensive night shirt you have there." She heard the buttery southern drawl behind her and let out a small scream, trying to pull the shirt back around her naked body.

"Good lord!" She yelped, turning to face him once her body was covered. "Why do you do that to people?" He was leaning against the door frame, his immaculate black suit open in the front showing a white shirt almost identical to the one Bella wore. He was smiling at the fact he had startled her.

"You are in my room Isabella."

"Well, you were the one who told the old guy to let me sleep in this room if I stayed here. I decided to stay here because it was cheaper than a hotel room." She realized she was babbling but couldn't help it. She was painfully aware that she was wearing nothing but his shirt and it made her feel incredibly vulnerable. Especially because of the thoughts she was having right before he had made his presence known. "How long have you been home?" She finally asked, trying to remember if she had done anything or said anything out loud to herself since waking up.

"For some time now. You must have turned in early this evening," He replied not moving, the smile still playing about his lips and eyes.

"Oh, well, I guess I can sleep somewhere else," Bella sighed. "It's not like I have much to move, the old guy took it all to be washed." She was babbling again, not meeting his eyes as she spoke.

"The 'old guy' has a name." Pendergast was enjoying making her feel uncomfortable; she could see it in his eyes." There are really no other rooms that are fit for guests at this time. I have let the house go I am afraid. Vincent stayed in one of the rooms down the hall but it is hardly fit for a lady. You may stay here." He inclined his head as he finished speaking, such an old fashioned gesture, but it was one of the things she truly liked about Pendergast

Bella folded her arms closer to her chest, trying to keep her body and thoughts under control as she stood almost naked in front of a man she had desperately wanted for the past five years. "Thanks," she said quietly. "You never did answer my question."

"Which question would that be?" He said still not moving.

"Why are you here? I was under the impression that you wouldn't be returning until later in the week. Still following up on some leads or something. At least I think that is what Laura told me." Bella said, wondering why she even cared. It was his house after all, he belonged here, she obviously did not. She suddenly knew it was because she didn't want him to leave the room, no matter how uncomfortable he made her feel with his intense stare.

He remained silent for almost a full minute, it seemed to Bella as if he was deciding on something. He finally took a deep breath." I began making my way home as soon as I learned you would be staying the night here."

"Why?" Bella asked. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to know but the question was out of her mouth before she was able to stop herself from asking.

"I've decided that we should have a talk you and I." He finally moved away from the door jam and moved closer to her. The wind blowing his perfect hair around his forehead as he moved. "You are the only person, it would seem, that does not blame me for the injury that your brother suffered while working with me." He stopped just a few feet from where Bella stood and she again attempted to pull the thin shirt tighter around her body. The wind had picked up again and the thunder was now closer than before, causing her to strain to hear his words.

Bella laughed a little, shaking her head. "You forget Pendergast, I know my brother all too well. He would put himself in front of a freight train going Mach 80 if he thought a friend may be in danger. I know that bullet was meant for you, but being a nurse, I also know that Vinnie took that bullet in the back… putting himself in front of you. He did that for you Pendergast… how could I be angry with you for his actions?"

He looked away from her then. It was the first time since she had turned to face him that he had broken eye contact. "That would be one way to see it I suppose."

"How else can I see it Pendergast? Like I said, I know Vinnie. I know how he thinks." Bella was surprised by him. He had never been one to want to talk about anything personal especially something like this. With Pendergast less was usually more… even if to others, it was not.

"When you arrived at the hospital while he was in surgery, I figured you would react much the same way Captain Hayward had when she arrived. I was prepared for it in fact. I was not prepared for what did happen however, and very few people are able to surprise me." Bella watched his pale silver eyes in what was left of the sporadic moon light.

"Really?" Bella said almost sarcastically. "Most of them shock the hell out of me. Laura is Laura," she continued, seeing the look on his face as he returned his gaze to her. "Her only thoughts are of Vinnie. I on the other hand…" She stopped speaking completely; not believing what was almost came from her mouth.

"You on the other hand? Please do continue Isabella." Pendergast prompted her, inclining his head slightly again.

"Well," she stammered trying to think quickly. "I can see the bigger picture, like I said before. I could also see the guilt on your face when I came into that waiting room, along with a nice red mark on your face which I assumed was from Laura. So I gave you a hug. Kinda silly to you maybe, but most people take it as a symbol of comfort and friendship." She was babbling again. He could turn her to jelly with just a look, she was almost unable of coherent thought when it came to Pendergast.

He gave her a knowing look. He obviously knew that was not what she was going to say. He moved slowly past her and stood at the balcony railing, his back to her. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk in your sleep?"

Where the hell had this come from? Bella thought to herself, turning to face his back. Good lord, what did I say? She struggled to remember the nightmare that had woken her from her slumber, was he even in that dream she thought.

"I am willing to bet a good sum of money that no one has told you that in at least five years." Pendergast continued, not waiting for or apparently expecting an answer to his question.

"Excuse me?" Bella was finally able to break her paralysis. "How … why would you be willing to bet on something like that? Has Vinnie been telling you about my lonely existence?"

"You are the only living relative of my closest, dearest, only true friend. I keep an eye on you. I know that you have not been with anyone in over five years, about as long as I have known you as a matter of fact." He continued looking out over the yard, the tone of his voice unchanged.

Bella was glad his back was still to her. She blushed furiously. "It's a personal choice. I don't have time for a lot of…"

"I do not believe you," He said matter of factly, still not facing her. "Trust me, Isabella, when I tell you I know exactly how much time you have in your day for things other than work, which you do seem to do a lot of." He turned around finally looking at her. "I came back here tonight to tell you that I am no good for you. I cannot be what you need, what you deserve."

Her eyes grew wide. "Oh god, what did I say in my sleep?" She stammered now remembering the dream right before it melded into the nightmare of Vinnie's death and the loss of her whole world. She had been dreaming about him… intimately. She had forgotten about it until this moment, when the shock of his words jarred the memory of the dream from her subconscious.

"You spoke my name, just my first name. Very softly, very… intimately." The tone of his voice dropped slightly as he spoke. He was watching her intently, gauging her reaction to his revelation.

OH DEAR LORD, she thought, wanting to run and hide, anywhere where he could not see her face, where she would not have to look at his. "I… uhhh… I…" then she stiffened, her resolve solidifying. What the hell, the cat is out of the bag, she thought; I might as well have my say. "You say you are not good for me? That you can't give me what I need? What is it that you need? I get that you can't get over the death of your wife, I completely understand especially with the mystery surrounding her death. I care for you deeply, I may even be in love with you, but I understand that you can't love me. I know that you at least care about me. Otherwise why would you bother to come here tonight? Why would you care that I was not angry with you after my brother was shot and almost killed… twice? I get it Pendergast, and I don't care that you can't love me. You care about me and that's enough. I'm offering a distraction, so neither one of us has to be alone if we don't want to be."

He moved so quickly she thought he was going to strike out at her when he lifted his hand and came closer to her, but instead he cupped her cheek in his hand letting his thumb trace small circles on her chin. "You would be willing to sacrifice your own happiness, knowing I could never be what you truly wanted me to be?"

"All I want is for you to be you, and maybe be happy once in a while. If I can help with that in any small way, I will do it. If it means you never want to see me again, then I can go away knowing that I did what you needed me to do." God his touch felt like fire against her skin. He was so close and she was so very naked under the thin shirt, her eyes drifted almost closed at the thought.

"Your brother would hate me," He said simply. His hand remained on her face still slowly tracing the line of her bottom lip. His gaze never wavered from the fullness of her lips.

Bella almost laughed, despite the way he was making her feel. "Of all the men in the world Pendergast, I think you may be the only one he would approve of when it comes to me. Even if it isn't love, he would know I was safe and with a true gentleman."

He moved closer to her, bending his head and for a moment she thought he may kiss her. Instead he brushed his nose lightly across her cheek to her ear. She could feel his breath against her skin and it made her shiver. "You are an amazing woman," he whispered, letting his lips brush against her ear.

Forgetting about the shirt not being buttoned she reached out for him touching him for the first time since she had hugged him in the hospital. She knew that touch had not been wanted, or had it? Pendergast always shrank away from any physical contact, but now that she really thought about it, in the hospital, he had let her hold him, even wrapped one arm awkwardly around her waist before pushing her away.

He stiffened now for a moment at her touch and then relaxed into her, allowing her hands to travel over his chest and sides, learning him. He trailed soft gentle kisses from the side of her neck to her collarbone, dropping his hand from her cheek and letting it drift lower, coming to rest on her waist. The skin to skin contact made him stiffen again and he stood up taking a step back from her.

Bella pulled the shirt around her again. "Sorry," she stammered, already missing his touch. She was embarrassed at her belief that he would want her the same way she wanted him.

He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. It looked to Bella as if he was desperately trying to convince himself this was a bad idea. She was about to speak when his eyes opened, the silver grey shining in the pale light. He moved closer to her again, picking her up in his arms in one swift graceful movement. She barely had time to throw her arms around his neck.

"I was going to try to argue with you, tell you that this was not a good idea and then I was going to leave," he told her while he moved her into the bedroom and deposited her on the bed.

She looked at him devastated; she could feel the hot tears springing to her eyes threatening to spill at any moment.

He began taking his suit jacket off, sliding his arms gracefully out of the sleeves. "I have decided instead that I will no longer deprive myself of your company." His statement was so mater-of-fact that it sounded like he was making a sworn statement in front of a judge.

Bella got to her knees on the bed moving closer to him and taking his face in her hands. She was overwhelmed with the relief that he wasn't going to leave her, not this night at least and she would take what she could get. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he pulled back." Slowly my dear," he whispered, taking her hands from his face and planting several kisses along the knuckles. "We have all the time we desire."

Bella watched as he began to remove his clothes, sitting on the bed beside her to remove his shoes and socks. Before removing his shirt, he looked at her. "This is not a very pleasant sight." His statement seemed to make no sense, but then she realized what he was referring to. "I am quite extensively scarred."

Moving her hands from her lap she placed them gently on the collar of the shirt and helped him to ease it off, lightly tracing the raised silver scars along his back as she went. "You are still the most beautiful man I have ever seen this close." Her words were soft but they were true, giving them a conviction that came from her soul.

He turned to face her after tossing his shirt to the floor, slipping one hand into her hair and pulling her face closer to his. He kissed her softly and she didn't attempt to deepen the kiss or rush anything even though she desperately wanted to do just that. Her skin felt like it was on fire from wanting him and finally having him this close.

He pushed her back further onto the bed, never breaking the soft contact of his lips to hers. When her head was against the pillows, he lay down next her, finally breaking the intimate contact of their kiss. "I have a confession to make," he whispered, opening the shirt that she had so carefully wrapped around her naked body." I was watching you sleep. I was listening to you breathe, slowly and deeply, listening to you murmur my name." While he spoke, he moved his hand down to her bare abdomen, moving the tiny gem that rested in her belly button. "I tried to imagine what I could have been doing to you in your dreams to make you say my name that way."

He looked away from the emerald of her belly ring to her eyes." Will you tell me?" He asked, softly, placing another kiss against her ear. "What was I doing to you in your dreams Isabella?"

Her eyes drifted closed for a moment, remembering the dream, then she took the hand that rested on her abdomen and moved it lower, to the top of her thigh. "I'll show you instead," she whispered in response.

He understood what she was doing and moved his hand in small circles along the top of her thigh before moving closer to her center. He leaned over her and kissed her again, this time a little deeper, touching the tip of his tongue to her lips.

Her lips parted for him and she raised her hips off the bed slightly forcing his exploring fingers into contact with her sensitive flesh. She moaned softly breaking their kiss. It was sensory overload for her after wanting this for so long and now having him here with her was all too much.

Encouraged by her noises he went further, sliding a long finger into her. She arched her back and said his name as he did. He could feel her entire body tremble and he knew she had climaxed with just one simple touch.

Bella was horrified at her lack of control. She had waited so long for this moment and when it finally arrived, she blew it with the first touch. "I'm so sorry," she panted as soon as she could speak. She didn't want to open her eyes, but had to see the look on his face.

He was smiling down at her, head propped on one hand, the other still massaging her center. "Isabella, open your eyes and look at me and tell me what you are sorry for?" He asked, the smiling reaching his eyes. "Do you mean to tell me you are sorry for enjoying my touch?"

Seeing him really smile for the first time in what seemed like an eternity made her smile back. "I'm not exactly in control of myself the way you are." She could already feel the pressure in her stomach beginning to build again as he gently stroked her. "I have waited a long time for… this…" she stopped to take a shuddering breath.

"No need to explain my dear." He kissed her lips again. This time there was no holding back. He probed his tongue into her mouth and she let him, his tongue and fingers working her were matching paces. He moved swiftly and gracefully on top of her and used one knee to part her legs further. She moved for him, bending her legs slightly at the knee.

"I'm going to go slowly," he panted between kisses. "I have no wish to cause you pain. If at any time you want or need me to stop, please tell me. I want you to enjoy this as much as I do." She barely heard his explanation, wanting to feel him inside her more than she needed air at that moment.

Bella could feel his erection pushing against her and she wished he would just enter her. This anticipation was driving her mad with need. Finally he pushed into her. Just as she had done before she climaxed again before he was fully enveloped in her. He leaned his head down and licked at her exposed nipple a few times before setting down onto her. "You need to be still," he whispered. "Please, Isabella, be still fort just a moment."

She looked up at him, finally daring to open her eyes. She had begun to wonder if this were another dream. "I'm sorry," she said finally.

"No need to be sorry, my dear Isabella. You forget it has been a long time since I have been with anyone as well. I do not wish this to end any time soon, but if you are not still until I say, it will be over before it has even begun."

Bella stilled her hips which she realized she had been moving rhythmically since he'd entered her.

After a long agonizing moment, he began to move again, kissing her mouth, neck and ears as he set up a gentle rocking motion which Bella matched. They stayed like this for a long time. Letting the tension build in both of them until neither one could stand it any longer. He picked up the pace, knowing now that he was in no danger of causing her pain. He increased the pace even more, allowing time for Bella to match his pace yet again. He could feel her getting close, her orgasm building with each thrust of his hips. Her pants and moans were encouraging him on. He pulled her mouth to his, kissing her deeply as he reached his own climax.

Their lovemaking had lasted more than an hour and yet Bella felt as if just a few seconds had gone by. Pendergast rolled over, taking her with him.

Bella lay her head against his chest listening to his heart rate return to normal. She must have dozed off listening to the strong steady beat. A little while later she woke to find him watching her, she still had her head against his chest and she gazed up at him smiling. He was running his hand through her hair, the worried look back on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked sitting up a little to get a better look at him. "Didn't you enjoy it?"

"Of course I enjoyed making love to you, Bella." He stopped looking at her for a brief second." I am afraid I took the liberty of assuming you would be on some sort of birth control. A large assumption at best because you have not been with anyone in a long time."

"Yeah," she breathed laying her head back on his chest. His biggest fear would be getting her pregnant. "No worries. I know my body well enough to know I havn't ovulated yet. We're safe." She sighed, slightly hurt by his fear.

"Good," he smiled pulling her up so she was face to face with him, and opening her legs so she was straddling his hips, hovering over his waiting erection. "I don't think I'm quite ready to be done for the night." He smiled at her before he kissed her deeply. In her mind all she could see was that smile.

_/_

Sometime the next morning Bella woke and stretched languidly on the rumpled bed. She felt around realizing without surprise that Pendergast was not there. She smiled remembering the events of the previous night. I can be his distraction, she thought to herself, for now…