Here's another chapter. I think it's a bit of a nothing chapter really. But I have a bit of time to kill. Anyway. Off we go.

The Past

Lucile and Matt walked slowly along the corridor away from the meeting room.

"Why do you hate wizards so much?" Matt asked.

"I just do." Was the short reply. It was evident Lucile did not want to talk about it.

"But why? You're always really sceptical about them. Have you even met a wizard before?" Matt continued.

"I've met enough." Lucile snapped. "Now please, lets not talk about it anymore."

Matt grinned and put his hands up in mock defeat.

"Ok, Ok, I give in. So what are we doing now? Pub?" He asked.

They had arrived at the lift back up to the road. Lucile pressed the button, eager to get out of the gloom of underground corridors.

"Did you know." She said. "In the Ministry of Magic, it's all underground, but they have windows that are bewitched to look like sky and outside."

"How do you know that?" Matt asked curiously.

"I read it in a book." Lucile answered, watching the number at the top of the lift counting down to their floor.

"We could go to the pub I suppose." She mused. "But I need to wash my hair before we leave tomorrow."

"You and your bloody hair!" Matt exclaimed. "How did you ever get through training?"

"With difficulty." Lucile grimaced. "It gets really greasy if I don't wash it every day. It's always been like that."

Matt shook his head silently, his male mind unable to fathom the ritual woman's hair cleanliness. The lift arrived with a 'ping' on their floor. Stepping in, Lucile pressed the ground floor button. As soon as the doors closed Matt dropped his bag and slid an arm round Lucile pulling her close to him.

"Matt!" She hissed. "There are probably cameras in here."

"So? I'm tired of hiding." Matt murmured.

Lucile pushed him away.

"You know that if they ever knew about us being together we would get taken off the team." She reasoned.

Matt sighed.

"I know. But we haven't seen each other in ages. With you away in Ireland and me in Cornwall."

"I know." Lucile said softly. "But just think, we get to spend this whole assignment together, in the same apartment." Her grey eyes had a wicked glint of mischief in them.

Matt laughed.

"You are a wicked woman."

"No I'm not." Lucile pouted.

"Don't pout, it doesn't suit you." Matt teased.

The lift doors slid open and they strode out in to the sunlit lobby.

"Much better." Lucile breathed.

Outside they hailed a taxi and directed it to their favourite bar, Circus. It was still only mid-afternoon, so the bar was quiet. Music that usually made walls shake because of the heavy guitar riffs was playing quite gently in the background. Lucile smiled as she took in the familiar surroundings. The long metallic bar, the mirrors and the dark but stylish art work on the walls. A staircase barred by two strong gates led down to the nightclub open from eight o'clock.

"This is my favourite song ever." Matt remarked.

"I thought that song you were on about last month was your favourite song." Lucile teased.

"Oh that. No. This is much better. It's my new favourite song."

"I'll have a Vodka and Coke." Lucile ordered from the waiting bar man. "Please."

"My round." Matt interrupted. "JD and Coke, and what ever she ordered."

Matt paid for the drinks and they went to sit by the open windows on a plush maroon couch. Lucile laced her fingers in Matt's and sighed.

"What?" Matt asked gently.

"I missed you." She whispered.

Matt kissed her hand.

"What do you think Birmingham's like?" He asked.

"Don't know. I've never been there." Lucile answered, taking a sip of her drink.

"Hmm, oh well. We'll find our way around." Matt said. "Whose driving tomorrow?"

"I will." Lucile said immediately.

"What? Don't you trust me in the driving seat? I am male you know, I can drive."

Lucile rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and I'm female. And I can drive better than you." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"How old are you? Six?" Matt laughed.

"Actually, I'm twenty two. So there." She said, sticking her nose in the air.

Then she lost all posture because she started to laugh. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the bar, drinking and laughing. When Lucile was with Matt, she lost the cold aloofness she carried with her and relaxed. She turned in to a happy young woman.

"C'mon, it's time go home." Matt slurred at seven o'clock.

Lucile looked at him dazedly.

"Yes." She said.

Matt snaked his arm round Lucile's waist as they left the bar. She didn't protest this time. Partly because she was fairly drunk and partly because she knew it was unlikely anyone from Mi:5 would see them. They made their way, weaving, to the underground station near them.

"Come and stay at mine." Matt whispered in Lucile's ear.

Lucile giggled and nodded and they swayed over to the platform to wait for the train. The platform was empty except for one man standing to the far end. When the couple walked on the platform he did not move or glance in their direction. After a minute or so he walked slowly towards Lucile and Matt, to all appearances they had not noticed and we're busy with each other. Although the couple were drunk, their reflexes and perception were still excellent. As the man drew level with them and a knife appeared in his hand, Lucile spun round and stepped in to grab his knife arm, swinging him round over her hip and to the floor. With a deft twist of her wrist, the knife fell with a clatter to the floor. There was a look of shock on the man's face as he lay on the floor. He began to writhe and twist on the floor, trying to free himself. Lucile tightened her grip on his wrist and he stopped struggling.

"Let him go." Matt said.

The train pulled up to the platform. Lucile kicked away the knife and with a last cold glare at their attacker, she let go. Turning her back, she took Matt's offered hand and walked on to the train, leaving the man lying on the platform.

"What a nice end to the evening." Matt muttered.

Lucile shrugged.

"At least we didn't get stabbed."

Sobriety had hit them with the attack, and they were both sombre as they walked to Matt's apartment. They stopped to look out over the river that flowed next to the apartment block. The sun was setting and it gave to water an orange glow.

"Do you ever want to do something else?" Matt asked, looking out over the water.

"Yes." Lucile stated. "I'd like to help people in a way that didn't involve killing someone."

"Maybe one day we'll be able to do what we like." Matt said hopefully.

"I don't think we'll ever be free of the service now. But remember, we did volunteer. It's not like we were forced." Lucile said.

"But it's not like we can get out of it now." Matt replied.

"No." Lucile said heavily. "We just have to wait it out."

"And hope we don't get ourselves killed." Matt remarked.

Lucile smiled.

"Let's hope we don't."

She stepped in to his embrace and lifted her mouth to his. Lucile was tall, but Matt was just that bit taller, he lower his head to hers and they kissed as the sun sank below the horizon.

Lucile collected up her clothes, strewn about the lounge. They hadn't been patient enough to wait till the bedroom to undress one another. Gazing out of the window in to the bleak darkness Lucile remembered how they had first met.

Uncomfortable in her dress of midnight blue Lucile hovered at the edge of the hall, watching everyone else mingle and laugh. The tightly fitted corset with silver embroidery and flowing skirts was not was Lucile was used to and she was finding it hard to adjust to the two inch heels she was wearing. Her hair had been twisted in to gentle curls flowing a few inches past her shoulders, the curls framed her face, making her haughty posture more gentle than usual. I thought the military was about parading in uniform and running about in the mud with guns and dangerous weapons. She thought bitterly. Tonight was their graduation night, they had completed their extended training to go on to progress in to different areas of the army or intelligence. After ten months of gruelling training in all weathers, they were ready. Lucile saw the bar in the far corner of the room and began to edge her way towards it. As she made her way round the hall she was hailed by a group of young men.

"Scott? No way! I had ten quid down you wouldn't wear a dress."

"Sorry to let you down, Nickols" Lucile said icily.

"So you are a woman after all. I had begun to doubt that after the amount of times you beat the hell out of me in hand to hand." A brawny blond man joked.

"Are you sure you're just not turning in to a woman?" Lucile joked back.

"Would you like me to show you.." He began, and evil glint in his eye.

"No, no!" Lucile cried in mock horror. "I need a drink before you start exposing yourself."

Grinning and feeling slightly more confident, Lucile wandered away to the bar.

"Vodka and Coke," She ordered. "A double."

"Allow me." A slimly built man cut in. "JD and Coke, and whatever this lady orders."

Lucile turned to look at the man who interrupted. He was wearing a black uniform with officers braids across the breast pocket. With a jolt she remembered that she had just qualified as an officer as well. It was a nice feeling.

"Thank you." She murmured.

"I don't think I know you." The man prompted.

Lucile noticed he had deep brown eyes, and she lost herself for a second in his gaze before catching herself and quickly looking away, blushing.

"Scott, Lucile Scott. From the 3rd company at Cambridge,"

"I'm Matt Holden. I didn't realise you were in the forces, I thought you were one the men's girlfriends." The man replied easily, holding out his hand.

Lucile took it and instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and gently kissed it.

"What are you doing?" Lucile hissed.

"I'm being a gentleman." Matt exclaimed in a mock upper class accent. "You look like a noble lady, so I must act like a gentleman."

Lucile took a large swig of her drink. This man was evidently mad. Musicians were tuning their instruments on a raised platform at the end of the hall. Lucile looked at them and scowled.

"Don't you dance?" Matt questioned teasingly.

"Of course I do, I'm a noble lady, remember." Lucile said, with her right eyebrow raised in sarcasm. "I just don't like to."

"Anyway." She snapped. "Why don't I look like I could be in the army?"

"Well… umm." Matt began. "It's the dress. And the curls."

Looking for the brawny blond man who had exclaimed about Lucile really being a woman, she pointed him out to Matt.

"You see that guy there?"

Matt nodded.

"I floor him every hand to hand practice."

"Oh," Matt said. "Would you like to dance?"

Lucile sighed.

"Ok then." She said, resigned to her fate.

She finished her drink and Matt led her to the dance floor. The band struck up a lively song as they got there. Matt whirled her around the dance floor. Lucile had not been lying, she could dance, and very well, despite the heels. Matt stared in to her eyes the whole time, she could not hold his gaze and had to keep looking away, which meant she got dizzy. When the song finished she had to stand still for a moment before her balance came back.

"Dizzy Miss Scott?" Matt joked.

Lucile glared at him.

Grinning, Lucile looked away from the window.

"I'm going to have a shower." She called to Matt.

What do you think? Reviews, reviews!