Oh hi! It's me again! Not dead! I know it's been forever since I updated everything, and it's super lame that I haven't. There's a bunch of excuses, but I'm sure you don't want to hear them. Buttttt I finished this chapter! Yay! I really like this one BECAUSE IT'S DOYLE AND PRENTISS AND THEY'RE TOGETHER AND YES.

If there's anything you'd like to see in the next chapter(s), please let me know! :)

Enjoy!

PS, I'd really love it if you took a second to let me know what you think, it means a lot!

Sidenote: I don't speak French. I don't trust online translators, either, so I bolded and italicized the 'French' parts, although they're in English

As soon as she was in Fayhe's car, Emily realized what a complete and utter fool she was. She'd been so rattled by the fact that he had met her at the apartment complex that she had let her guard down.

"I see that anxiety, Lauren," Jack spoke, glancing over as he pulled away from the curb.

"Do you?" she questioned, looking out the window, then back at him. "I'm not anxious,"

"Sure you're not," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not. If you were a danger to me, I could take you out without blinking an eye,"

"Hey hey, none of that. Don't go there. I'm not a danger to you, I didn't even threaten you," Jack shook his head, looking over at Emily. There was a genuine fear in his eyes.

"Then we don't have any problems, do we?" Emily asked, once again looking out the window. "Tell me about your contact,"

"What's there to know? He's IRA. Provisional. He's tough, but I hear he's got a... a sweet spot for ladies like you,"

"Ladies like me? And what kind of lady am I, Fayhe?"

"Obviously a badass. You're not gonna take anything from anyone, but that may not be seen from your appearance. There's more to you than meets the eye, that's for sure, but there's no telling what secrets you're hiding," Jack shrugged. "Also, you're quite the looker,"

Emily snorted. "Yeah? Well, just in case you were wondering, you don't stand a chance,"

"Never said I did, Lauren," Fayhe replied, obviously disappointed.

"How long until we arrive?"

"We're there," Jack said, pointing to a bar in front of them. The Black Shamrock.

Emily nodded and stepped out of the car, carefully looking around her to determine any possible threats before she walked across the street, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it as she walked.

"Woah. Lauren wait for me!" Fayhe called, scurrying after her.

She glanced to the side, and continued to walk, finally entering the bar. The darkness of the main room surprised her, and she blinked as her eyes adjusted. She knew, of course, that bars were generally dimly lit, but there was something about how focused she had been that had caught her off guard. Her eyes scanned the busy room. An empty table in the back caught her eye.

"I'll be over there. When this 'contact' arrives, just bring him over," Emily spoke, looking over her shoulder at Fayhe, her face daring him to follow her as she crossed the room to the bar, not really paying much attention as she ordered a drink and walked to the table she'd laid eyes on earlier.

It seemed that silence took over the room as Emily's thoughts took over. She knew that people were still talking, but the anxiety that had gripped her since she'd sat down was incredibly distracting. She'd been undercover before, but something about this time felt different. There hadn't been a situation like this one, where she'd been forced to form such an... intimate relationship with a terrorist simply for information on him. What if she screwed it up?

After a while of similar thoughts, she was pulled from her contemplation as she spotted Jack crossing the room with a tall, well built man with striking blue eyes. She extinguished her cigarette and stood up to greet them.

"Lauren Reynolds, this is the guy I told you about," Jack said, looking from her to the other man.

"Told me everything but a name," Emily replied, extending a hand.

"Ian Doyle," he nodded, shaking her hand. "Pleasure,"

"I love bein' the man," Fayhe smiled. "Bringing people together. Have fun, kids," he said, patting Ian on the back before walking away.

"Jack told me you were provisional IRA," Emily began, her eyes shifting from the spot where Jack had been standing to Ian as he sat.

"Used to be," Ian smiled, "then the Peace Accord happened. Now I've got to look for work like everybody else,"

"Except... Ian. That's a protestant name, isn't it?" Emily replied, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Not a lot of protestants in the IRA." she pointed out, watching him smile at her observations. "Or is that how you proved you were a good fighter?" she said, grinning, "defending your mother, for giving you that name,"

"And what is it you do, Lauren?" he asked, something that sounded almost like awe thick in his voice.

"Right now I'm trying to get into business with a former IRA captain, he's gone freelance, you might've heard of him," she said, pausing for a split second. "Valhalla,"

Ian smiled and took a drink. "Yeah, I might know him,"

Emily nodded and looked around. "Well, since this is sensitive... it might be better to discuss this privately,"

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Ian replied, smirking.

"You have no idea," Emily shook her head.

"If you'd like to talk in private, it might be better to simply go somewhere we can't be overheard," Ian pointed out, switching back to English.

"And where might we find a place like that?" Emily asked.

"I have a small property outside of the city. Perhaps we could stop somewhere and get something to eat, and go there to talk? I assure you, it's completely secure,"

Emily laughed under her breath. She hadn't expected it to be that simple to get things started with Ian. She'd only met him a moment ago. "Are you asking me on a date, Mister Doyle?" she asked, a sly grin on her face.

Her reply obviously took him off guard, but a moment later he smiled, too. "I suppose I am,"

"I thought so," Emily nodded. "Well, in that case, I accept,"

"Wonderful. Any preferences for our dinner, Lauren?"

"None at all," she shook her head, beginning to stand up.

"Hold on, don't stand up yet," Ian said, quickly standing up himself, and walking over to her. Panic clenched at her heart, and it seemingly stopped momentarily. Had she done something wrong? Said something wrong? As he grabbed her chair and pulled it out, she breathed a sigh of relief. He was just being a gentleman.

"Thank you," Emily smiled, not letting her moment of doubt shine through as she stood up, brushing a loose curl out of her face.

"After you, Lauren," he said, gesturing for her to walk in front of him.

Emily laughed and began walking toward the exit. She tried to relax, sensing Ian walking behind you.

"Where are you two going? Ditching out already?" Jack asked, grinning as they neared the door.

"It's none of your business, Fayhe," Ian replied, not even looking over his shoulder as he walked past Emily to push the door open. She smirked at Fayhe, before walking out of the bar and looking at Ian.

"I took a taxi," she lied. "So, we'll have to take your car,"

"Of course," Ian nodded, walking in front of her as he headed to a black SUV with tinted windows. He unlocked the doors, and opened the passenger side door, gesturing to Emily to get in. She nodded, and did so, smiling to herself as he shut the door and walked to get in the driver's seat.

"What are you smiling at?" Ian asked, looking at her.

"You," she admitted. "I'm starting to think you might be too good to be true,"

A small laugh escaped through his lips as he started the car.

"What?" Emily asked.

"I was just thinking the same thing about you," Ian said, backing the car up.

"I guess we'll both have to reach the conclusion that we're either both faking it, or we're just really good for each other," Emily shrugged.

"I'd prefer to go with the latter option. In which case, I feel even more convinced that this sudden 'date' is a good idea," Ian replied, smiling at her.

"I agree." she nodded, incredibly relieved that he hadn't seen through her.

The short ride to the outskirts of the city and a short distance beyond didn't take too long, as it turned out Ian was wonderful at keeping a conversation going.

"Here we are," Ian said as the car came to a stop outside a large, modern looking home.

"Small property, huh?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, it's smaller than the others," he shrugged, smiling.

"The others?"

"Yeah, I might have to show you sometime. This is one of the only ones in the United States. But I think the food is getting cold, so that's a conversation for another time," Ian replied, grabbing the pizza boxes off the floor by Emily's feet. She slipped out of the car, and followed him as he walked to the front door and opened it.

"Nice place," she commented, looking around. "Did you decorate yourself?"

"Thank you. But no, I didn't. I had someone do it for me," Ian said, flipping the light on and setting the pizza on the coffee table in the middle of the spacious living room.

"So, shall we eat first, talk later. Or should we talk first, and eat later?" Emily asked, taking a seat on the black leather sofa.

"Well, as our last conversation ended because of the fact that the pizza is getting cold, I suppose the... logical thing to do would be to eat first, wouldn't it?" Ian pointed out, smiling.

"Of course," she nodded, laughing as she opened the top pizza box and ripped a large slice apart from the rest.

"Would you like a plate, Lauren?" Ian laughed, folding his arms as he watched her.

"Oh. Um. Yeah, that would probably be nice," she nodded, feeling heat rising in her cheeks.

"I thought you might," he said, exiting the room, and coming back a moment later with two plates.

"Thanks. It really didn't even cross my mind to ask," Emily said, taking one of the plates as he sat next to her and took a piece of his own.

"I assumed that," Ian shrugged, the warm smile that she'd often seen during the short time she'd known him returning to his face.

"Yeah, it probably wouldn't have made the best impression if I'd spilled pizza all over your clean house," Emily laughed.

"I have house keepers. And I'm rarely here anyway." Ian said, laughing with her.

Emily nodded, once again relieved. But this time it wasn't about the possibility of her cover being blown, it was the reaffirmed feeling that Ian was a complete gentleman.

"So, about Valhalla," she prompted as soon as they'd finished eating.

"Of course. What would you like to know, Lauren?" Ian asked.

"You said you might know him," Emily said. "What can you tell me?"

"I can tell you he'd definitely be able to use someone like you,"

"Yeah? Well, that works out perfectly doesn't it?" Emily smiled.

"Yeah. It does. Although it would involve you going to Ireland. His... business is based there," Ian replied.

"Of course," she nodded. "That wouldn't be a problem."

"Excellent. I've got to head back soon myself," Ian said. "Would you care to travel with me?"

"It's a little soon for that, don't you think?"

"Perhaps it is. But it seems to me that the two of us are already past those kinds of doubts. After all, you did come with me after knowing me for less that five minutes," he pointed out.

"That's true." Emily said, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. I'll travel with you,"

"Wonderful. I don't leave for a week, but I'd love to spend more time with you before we leave,"

"Me too." she grinned. "Well, I mean... spend more time with you, not with myself. Obviously."

"Obviously." Ian laughed. "You know what, Lauren Reynolds?"

"What?" Emily asked.

"I like you. I really, really like you,"

"I like you, too. Ian Doyle,"