Three Years Later…

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Faith found Merc, once again, typing furiously at his monitors and swearing to himself.

"Merc, if you don't relax your gonna break the keyboard…" she laughed seeing his pissed expression.

"Dammit Faith! She's gone running off without her intercom again! How many times have I told her to stay in touch with us??" he growled. Faith walked over to the couch and plopped herself down, staring at her gloved hand.

"Hmmm… let's see, it's got to be around 76 times by now…" Merc's only response was more cursing and a frustrated growl. "Why do you worry so much? You know you should really trust her more…" Merc took a deep breath.

"It's not that I don't trust her, it's those damn blues that I don't trust! I don't have to worry about you or the other runner's as much because you all remember your damn intercoms!" he leaned back in his chair and took another deep breath. "Damn why is she so much trouble…" he exasperated.

"Well I'm so glad you feel that way!" came a sarcastic voice from above them. Merc shot up just in time to see Amy jump through the vent in the ceiling and land softly next to Faith and him.

"Where the hell were you??" Merc asked.

"Geez you're pissed… I was just getting some fresh air…"

"Without your intercom again?" he hissed holding up her earpiece.

"Hey sorry, I don't like getting interrupted…" she sighed. Merc just looked at her. Her smile faded at his annoyed expression. "Fine…fine… sorry…" she said grabbing her earpiece and putting it in her pocket.

"Just try to remember I've told you 78 times!"

"76 times…" Faith cut in.

"Whatever!" Merc grumbled walking over to grab a cup of coffee. Amy sat down next to Faith who just looked at her and smiled.

"You're gonna kill me one of these days you know that?" Merc warned under his breath.

"Has he really warned me 76 times?" Amy asked in a whisper.

"Actually, 77 times, but he doesn't know that, does he…" Faith whispered back, a smile on her face. Amy just laughed.

While they had been whispering, Merc had walked back to his chair and had sat down.

"Faith, I've got a job for you." He began as he stared intently at his computer screen. "A man down in the lower part of the city wants us to deliver a message to this address…" Faith took the folded piece of paper with the address from Merc's outstretched hand and looked at it.

"Got it…" she answered as she picked up the yellow tube the message was stored in. She grabbed her yellow and black runner's message bag, grabbed her earpiece, and was off.

"She sure as hell remembers her intercom…" Merc teased. Amy groaned and fell back so that she lay outstretched across the couch. Merc chuckled at her childish behavior. She merely stuck her tongue out at him. She folded her arms behind her head and stared at the ceiling. Merc sighed.

"Amy… it's not like I enjoy yelling at you…"

"When am I gonna be able to go on an actual job?" she asked quietly, suddenly growing very serious. Merc paused, confused by her sudden change of attitude.

"You know why I can't do that right now… Amy…?"

When she didn't respond he got out of his chair and sat at the very end of the couch. "Amy…" he said. She sat up and walked over to the wall and stared out of the vents.

"Yeah… I know…" she whispered softly.

"I can't send you out alone when your father is still sending blues all over the place looking for you." Amy looked at Merc.

"He's not going to stop until he gets bored of the publicity or has a change of heart… both doubt will ever happen…"

"Maybe, but I doubt the city will let him keep up this search much longer… he may be in a high rank in the CPF but he ain't that powerful…" Merc frowned as she just stared outside, her eyes were clouded and unfocused as she revisited her past.

"I'm sorry Amy…" he said as he walked back to his chair. A moment later he turned around to see that Amy was gone. He groaned.

'I tell her it's dangerous and she runs off again!' he thought. In a way it reminded him of himself… and he couldn't help but smile.

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A/N: Sorry, I know this chapter doesn't have much action other than Merc yelling, (lol) but I just kind of needed this chapter to get the story going. I know Merc needs to take a chill pill, but believe me he won't be so bad (or at least this much) in later chapters. I'm just showing that he cares and is a bit over-protective of Amy. I also needed this chapter to show a bit of Amy's personality. She's stubborn at times, normally positive, although she can easily be upset, but hey she's had a rough past. Anyway, you'll learn more about the characters in the further chapters! Hope you guys like it so far and please leave your comments/reviews because I'm always overjoyed to see your thoughts on my work!

Thanks again everyone!

Chapter three will be up before you know it!! :D