Summary: Six years after the main series, Ivy asks Carmen for a favor.

Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction author. All hail the rightful owners.

Alone, in the dark of her apartment, a woman on the forward edge of adulthood finished a bowl of pasta and sat in an empty room. Ordinarily, she would have put on a movie after a long day, but tonight Ivy wasn't interested. She wasn't keen on entertainment when she was about to do something reckless. In fact, rash decisions weren't her thing in the first place. Not when she was calm anyhow.

No matter how long Ivy stared at the cheap hollow pine of her desk, it wasn't going to give her the information she needed. So she stood up and walked over to the small machine, on the kitchen counter with the dish drainer and peanut butter. She flipped a switch and had the bizarre sensation that she usually associated with chronoskimmer travel.

"Ham radio…" She muttered dryly. "This is so Zack's shtick." But her brother was in college for computer science now, and this was not the time.

There was a sudden metallic hum. Ivy took a deep breath and turned the dial a little more, searching for the right setting. Into the silence, she recited. "Nathan Hale, White Hat Hacker, Rahab."

For a long time, the former detective only heard static. After too long, she shook her head and walked away, getting ready to brush her teeth. Whatever she was hoping for, it wouldn't happen. This possibility had died a long time ago, with her blessing. There was no point calling in a half-decade stale favor.

Suddenly, the static crested and the past spoke. "Who's there?"

Her mouth filled with drying air. "Ivy."

"How are you?"

Ivy's mouth felt a little dry. She swallowed. "Smalltalk?"

"It's been six years with no word." The elegant voice noted. "I thought I might start generally."

"I'm fine." Four letters seemed inadequate to describe it, but nothing else was accurate.

The communication stalled while Ivy waited for Carmen to say that this was good, or that she was glad, but instead a flat tone inquired. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You used the code." The voice seemed a little hoarse, but that was probably just the static. "What do you need, detective?"

There was something strange in saying, "I'm not a detective."

"Ivy."

Sullenly trying to put off answering, she added. "And I hate that code." It felt petty this long after it mattered, but she did.

Carmen blandly acknowledged. "As intended. Now what do you need."

Her lungs slowly filled. "I need you to make me disappear."

The ensuing pause lasted long enough that Ivy actually touched a few dials to try and see if she had lost the connection. Finally, she heard something. "Clarify."

"Missing presumed dead, staged crime scene, the whole nine yards." Ivy expounded.

The static interjected loudly, as Carmen replied, "I think this may be best in person. Is there somewhere you would like to meet?"

"Um well…" Ivy said. "I don't really get out into the city a lot."

"I take it you're not in San Francisco anymore."

Ivy sighed. "Or Kansas." She countered, and felt cold and vindicated when she heard the cheap chuckle. "I'm in New Orleans at the moment."

Nonchalantly, Carmen declared. "I would have guessed D.C."

Ivy bit her lip and said tersely. "I travel a lot."

Carmen's voice switched into annoying laughter. "Oh really?"

"Part of the job." This was a bad idea.

"Well then." Carmen always had known how to back off a subject the instant just before Ivy got genuinely angry. "I know just the place."

This was quite possibly the most awkward meeting Ivy had ever endured. Furthermore, it was unfair of Carmen to wear sunglasses. When it came to reading the other woman's mind, only one of them getting to see the other's eyes was just a ridiculous advantage, thank you very much. Sure, the sunlight was blinding but that wasn't the point.

However, Ivy had to admit to herself that if Carmen hadn't covered at least part of her face, she probably wouldn't have recognized her. The little hint of a disguise was what made it feel right when the dark-haired stranger walked up to her.

"Hi." Ivy said noncommittally.

"Detective."

The entire conversation was immeasurably delicate. "I'm not a detective." And repetitive. The whole thing was silly. Ivy had never had to give Carmen information more than once before, and she didn't think the thief was capable of forgetting something so simple.

"My apologies." Carmen answered, and Ivy could tell that she was being carefully leading. "What are you?"

That question was too precise. "I work for a different agency." Ivy said between her teeth.

Smugly, her erstwhile adversary declared. "I know."

"It's national, one of the ones with acronyms."

"So specific?"

Ivy said a little too quickly. "And also none of your business."

Immediately and coldly, Carmen answered. "Well don't give me any information that will incite you to murder. However, I will require some additional instructions for this… favor of yours."

"It's not too complicated. I need to lay low for a while, and…" This was actually really complicated. "I got to thinking about how… way back when… you said if I ever needed a job…"

Carmen exhaled through her teeth. "It was not an offer intended to be taken."

"Yeah…" There was no right thing she could say. "But I kind of need to take you up on it. Just for a few weeks."

That glare could etch silicon. "Why?"

Ivy sighed. "Nothing so melodramatic. There's not much I can tell you, but the gist is I just need to do the whole dead and then resurrected trope. You know, Huck Finn attends his own funeral type stuff." Usually far more articulate than this, the young woman stumbled over her words.

Carmen readjusted her sunglasses.

"Like what you did with that whole mountain plane crash thing."

Ivy instantly regretted adding the clarification. Her erstwhile adversary looked far from pleased at the reminiscence, studying her as if she were trying to chronicle every minute change that had taken place since that time.

"Look I really can't tell you… but you've got to know I wouldn't ask this if I thought I had another way to do it."

"That's true…" Carmen said, under her breath with the slightest hint of acidity. Otherwise, the thief said nothing, turning her chin slightly to the side and observing one of the nearby buildings, with intense disinterest, for several minutes.

"Well…" Ivy wanted to throw her arms in the air and give up. "That's all I have." This time, she told herself, she would not respond unless her adversary did. She wasn't going to beg, so she just crossed her arms.

"So Ivy," Carmen finally said dryly, taking of her sunglasses and putting them in her coat pocket. "How do you want to die?"