Disclaimer: Not mine, I make NO money from this at all. I do like Lula, but I have a hard time picturing Tank and Lula together long term, so I bring you…

A/N: Hopefully leaves my punctuation alone for this repost. Thanks to everyone who pointed out to me that it was missing

A Time For Tank

Someone once said " Though no one can go back and make a brand new start; anyone can start from now and make a brand new beginning"

I heard that quote somewhere, and now it won't leave me alone. I guess it is perfectly appropriate to my life's situation.

It is amazing how much can change in half a year. Six months ago I was a completely different person. I had a different name, I had an identity. My name today is Angela, it was not my name six months ago, and it probably won't be my name six months from now, but it will do. Now I find myself sitting between two USMarshals in the back of an airplane on my way to somewhere. In my old life, I grew up in the Midwest. After I turned 18, I moved around a lot, finally settling inTexas. I had dreams of what I was going to do with my life, but I have long since given up on them. I looked at the men sitting next to me, once upon a time I even thought I would be one of the people sitting on the outside of this situation. Life got in the way though.

This trip has been complete hell. Some genius routed us through Chicago's O'Hare airport. Anyone who has ever flown for any reason knows you avoid that place like the plague. No matter what flight you are on, or how you book it You will arrive at gate AAA, and your connecting flight will be departing in 15 minutes from gate ZZZZZZZZZ, which by the way is on the other side of Illinois. To get there you must descend approximately a thousand miles underground, run across a river of molten rock, climb a staircase the height of Mt. Everest, and swim 5 miles across a lake of starving piranha. Lucky for me, I had the Marshals with me, and we managed this trip in slightly under 12 minutes. Apparently traveling this path is part of the final exam to work for WitSec.

Mostly I wanted this trip to be over because Marshal one and Marshal two never spoke, at all. They gave looks, and occasionally they would open their mouths and something approximating speech came out, but it wasn't exactly English. I rubbed my forehead trying to get rid of the headache that had been building since we got on our first plane at six this morning. I was silently praying that this would be our last flight of the day. I jerked to attention as the captain came on to announce that we would be landing in Newark NJ in 15 minutes. I checked to make sure my seat was all the way up, and that my seatbelt was buckled tightly.

When we landed in Newark, we waited until every other person was off the plane before the Marshals would let me up. We hurried off the plane, and one of the Marshals grabbed my arm, and the other took my carry-on bag as he moved towards the baggage claim area. I tried to stop and ask to go to the bathroom, but I was hurried along and hustled out the glass doors that lead to the parking structure. There was an unmarked vehicle sitting at the curb waiting for us to get into. I climbed in the back and waited until we had pulled away from the curb.

"You guys know this unmarked sedan just screams federal vehicle right? I mean you should really try something like NOT a Ford, or Chevy. I hear Toyota's are nice." I don't know what if any response I expected, but all I got was a dirty look through the rearview mirror. I stared out the window, just watching the landscape wishing I could be anywhere but here. We drove around for hours, about the third time we passed the same stand of trees my eyes started to feel heavy. I must have dozed off because I started having the same old nightmare I had every night for the last six months.

I was standing in front of Mr. Dominic begging him to believe me, that I hadn't seen anything. I didn't know what was going on. I fell slowly to my knees, my eyes never leaving the gun. I could feel the chill come over my body and I knew in that moment that I was about to die. For some reason I felt calm, as if I were just accepting my fate. I could hear the click of the hammer being pulled back echo through the entire room. I heard the explosion BAM! I jerk awake suddenly and look around me realizing that the loud noise I heard was not a gunshot, it was the sound of a gate closing behind the car. We drove up a long serpentine driveway. I concentrated on hearing the gravel crunch under the tires as I tried to calm my racing heart. I could finally see the house, and it was beautiful. When I was younger, I used to picture my dream house looking like this.

When the car came to a stop I was hustled past what looked like an army of men dressed in black BDU's and other Marshals into the house. There was a second team of Marshals in the house waiting for us. They started that gibberish code talk with the guys who had been with me all day. I tried to be patient and let them catch up, but I really had to go NOW.

"Uh…where's the bathroom?"

One of the men peeled away from the group and gestured for me to follow him up the stairs. I didn't wait for a second invitation. The Marshal entered the bathroom and checked to make sure no psycho killers made it in before I did I guess. When he walked out I hurried past him and slammed the door in his face. I was willing to put up with a lot, but having company while I peed was beyond even my limits. After washing my hands, I opened the door and the Marshal was waiting to escort me back down stairs.

We walked back downstairs and I was ushered into the kitchen. After I took a seat at the table, the Marshals took the opportunity to remind me of all the rules and regulations I had agreed to follow when I joined the program. I nodded in the right places, and signed yet another form, promising to be a good girl. No sooner had I completed the form than the first Marshal spoke up.

"We have contracted part of your protection out to a local security firm. The team that will be in the house with you will be arriving shortly. Please remember that all of the rules we just discussed are in force with your new security team."

I nodded my understanding and resumed staring off into space. All I wanted was a shower and to go to bed and stay there until this whole nightmare was over.

I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to keep myself awake. I knew I needed to meet the new team, but try as I might; I couldn't get excited about it. I stood up from the table and started to pace around the kitchen just trying to keep from falling asleep. There was a quiet knock on the door that lead from the kitchen to the garage. Two of the Marshalls went to the door as the other two stood back with their hands on their weapons. A hushed conversation took place at the door, and then it was opened and in walked four very large scary looking men wearing all black. The man in the lead broke away from the group and walked towards me. As I watched him move, I concluded that while he may be of a slightly smaller build than the others, he was no less lethal.

He stopped a few feet in front of me and looked me over from head to toe. Normally I am not overly concerned with my looks, but in that moment I was embarrassed of my slightly pudgy body and face full of freckles. After he finished with the inspection, he crossed his arms over his chest and began to speak. "Angie, I'm Carlos Manoso CEO of Rangeman Enterprises. We have been contracted to take care of your safety while you are here in New Jersey." He gestured behind him "This is Tank, Lester and Bobby. They will be the team on the inside here with you." As he said there names, the guys raised their hands in a small gesture so she could tell them apart. Almost immediately after the introductions Carlos walked off with the Marshals leaving me standing in the kitchen with three very large, very attractive men.

I was working up the courage to say something to them when Tank gave a hand signal and Bobby and Lester started to walk away, probably to go check out the house. I didn't know if I could handle the silent treatment for much longer. "Well if I'd known ya'll were going to be THIS boring I'd have asked the feds to bring me a vibrator… you know just to have SOMETHING to keep myself entertained with."

I turned my head at the sound of laughter to see Lester holding on to the wall as he doubled over laughing his ass off. Bobby looked pained, and Tank, well he looked like a Tank, all large and foreboding and not amused. At least Lester had a sense of humor, maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.