"You look like h-." I flopped down on my chair beside Will. Marx wasn't here today. "Thanks." I mumbled. I started biting my nails again as I watched the clock tick.
"Cher you need to stop, there's nothing left to chew on." Will took my hand and pulled it away from my mouth. He was right, if I kept chewing my fingers were going to start bleeding.
"I'm sorry, it's just, my dad he's not doing so good. I was up all night at the hospital." I felt bad for lying to him so easily. I felt even worse when I saw the sympathetic look cross his face.
"I'm sorry. Do you mind if I asked what happened?" "Stroke. The doctors said it was pretty bad." "If you need anything just let me know and I'll do whatever I can to help." I smiled a little. "Thanks." My iPhone started vibrating in my pocket. I knew it was just the alarm on my phone but he didn't. I hit the snooze button and put my phone to my ear. "Hello?" Pause. "Yes it is." Another pause. "S- okay I'll be there as soon as I can." I made a small scene of hurrying to get my stuff together. "What's going on?" "The hospital just called and said my dad had a heart attack. I gotta go. I'm sorry." I hurried out before he could question me anymore.
I threw my stuff into my car and drove to where the Queen and King told me to meet them with the guns in the back and already dressed in black thanks to years of experience of changing disguises. I opened the trunk and armed the two and myself. "Good work kid." The Queen tossed me the Jack's mask and we stormed inside the bank. The Queen sprayed bullets into the crowd of people and I demanded the money.
"Touch the silent alarm and I will blow you brains out do you understand me! No dye packs! No tracking devices! Straight up money! Lets go!" The distraught teller nodded furiously and started throwing cash into a bag. "50 seconds!" The King was keeping the time so we wouldn't stay in the bank too long and risk getting caught. "We got it lets go!" We bailed out the back and I threw the bag of cash into their van. The Queen set her gun and a tablet down by the bah to make sure there was no dye packets. My heart was racing as I slowly inched forward and slid the tablet towards me while she had her head buried into the bag. I quickly slid it into the waist band of my pants and pulled my shirt over it so it would be covered.
"Alright let's go!" They screeched away in their car and I hurried to do the same before she noticed her tablet was missing. I still had until tonight before I was out of the woods. We would meet back up at the bar and loathe about our heist. For a second I contemplated turning around and trying to help the injured back at the bank but it was too risky. Times like this I had to shut my emotions off and do what would keep my identity safe. I changed back into my normal clothes and discarded my black ones in my trunk, making sure to hide the tablet was hidden under all the clothes. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head to make my bun look a mess and my eyes puffy. The whole department was empty when I came in except of Marx, who gave me a small nod. It was almost dark out when everyone returned with their heads hung. When I saw Will walking back towards me I knew he would probably tell me how many innocent life's were taken. He sat down beside me and sighed.
"What'd they say about your daddy?" "He'll live. What happened to you?" He rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. "The Queen has struck again. She killed 15 this time. It's a new record for her and the worst part is they got a new Jack. The last guy they hired was an undercover."
"Oh." We both became silent for awhile before my stomach decided to make some awful noise reminding me that I hadn't ate since last night. As soon as my stomach started Will's started up. Making us both laugh a little. "How about dinner?" I nodded. "Sure." We sat down and ate at a small diner. As we talked the events of the day seemed to wash away from both of us and soon we started laughing again. It was about 9 when we finally left the diner and Will walked me to my car.
"Thank you for dinner Will. It was nice." He smiled and had this shy look cross his face. "Well, it certainly wasn't one of the nicer places around. I'd like to show them to you sometime if you don't mind." My stomach did this weird flopping thing when I realized what he was asking.
"Are you asking me out on a date Detective?" He scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. "Yes ma'am I am." I bit my bottom lip and smiled. "Okay." This relieved look crossed his face.
"Really? Okay. How about Friday night? I'll come pick you up around 6?" "Okay." "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight Eve." "Goodnight Will."
I climbed into my car and smiled like a fool as I drove to the bar. My phone started vibrating in my pocket and it came up as an unknown number. "Hello?" "Eve there's been a change of plans we'll be meeting at my place." She gave me her address and I told her I'd be there as soon as I could. I drove back home and dropped off the tablet in case she noticed it was missing and wanted to check my car for it. Since I would be going to her place I put in a head band with a big black flower on it with a camera hidden in the center of the flower. It would stream everything back to my laptop and it would pick up audio as well. Then I slid on a thick shiny black bracelet that was actually a wireless scanner. I would unclasp it and it would lay straight and all I would have to do it hold down the clasp and slid the bracket down a document and it would scan it and send it back to my laptop. Pretty sick right? I headed out to The Queen's house which was about an hour away. My GPS lead me to an apartment complex downtown. She lived up on the top floor in the penthouse. I knocked on the door and a few moments of waiting later she opened the door and let me in. It was the first time I really had a chance to see her. She had medium length black hair that was straightened and bright green eyes.
"Dave's in the living room sorting the money. Oh, and I'm Lizzie by the way. You did good today for a rookie." I followed her into the living room where piles of cash were laying on a coffee table. Lizzie started flying around the room looking for something.
"Dave have you seen my tablet?" He shook his head. "I thought it was in your car." She grabbed her car keys and ran out. "Go look in your car!" He sighed loudly. "Finish sorting this kid." He ran out and slammed the door behind him. Go time. I ran through the apartment opening doors until I found a office. I ran inside and the first thing I did was hack into her laptop. It wasn't that hard, she didn't have very high tech spyware. I was able to transfer everything on her hard drive to my computer and I was able to set up an unidentifiable program that would let me see any further activity. I closed her laptop and looked through the desk drawers. I didn't see anything that really screamed out, read me, so I made sure everything was how I had found it and ran back into the living room and started sorting cash. I had just started my third bundle when they walked back in.
"Did you find it?" They both shook their heads. "We'll look guys, I just came to pick up my money and know when the next hit is gonna be. I gotta get back home before my dog tears up everything." Lizzie tossed me ten bundles of cash and a garbage bag. I threw the cash inside the bag and tied it closed. "I'll call you when we figure out our next hit." "Okay. You need me to get anything?" They shook their heads. "Alright well I'll see you guys around then."
I took my garbage bag and raced back home to see what was on her laptop and tablet. Of course that meant I would spend all night going through the contents but boy was it all good stuff. Every single thing was detailed in her laptop and every single murder was saved onto her tablet. However there's was a huge problem. There was one more unsub. She talked about The King, in fact she specified him, but then she talked about 'the boss man'. I was so close to going home and sealing this case and my feeling for Will off. Now I was going to have to stick around longer until I could meet the boss. Great. I called my officer and forwarded him the files along with the video and audio I had gotten from the last few days. Then I called Penelope Garcia, the bubbly and bodacious tech analyst at the BAU and one of my best friends. I needed advice from her and I know she would know what to say about my predicament with Will. I explained the situation I was in and waited to see what she would say, hoping that she would talk me out of it.
"Go for it." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Penelope! I can't go for it! Your supposed to be the one talking me out of it!" She laughed on the other end of the phone. "Love you were given permission to let loose and have some fun. Quit thinking so much because you are dealing with a fine piece of meat." I couldn't help but laugh knowing good and well that she had already pulled up everything about him that she could get her hands on.
"Whatever Garcia but once this case is over so are me and Will." "You keep trying to convince yourself of that sweet stuff. Garcia out." I took a cold shower in an attempt to wake myself up but it didn't work at all. I was still about to pass out standing up. I slid I a pair of black bootcut jeans and a yellow button up shirt that I found towards the bottom of my drawers and I jumped into a pair of tan boots. I let my hair do as it pleased and drove to the department. It was practically empty since everyone was still out at the bank so I was able to get more paper work done than I had almost all week. Since I didn't have anyone to wast time with I was able to go home early and pass out on the couch.
Friday was nerve wracking. I don't think I've ever been so nervous before in my entire life. Sure I had gone out on dates before but I guess I was just afraid that Will would turn out to be like the rest of them. Just wanting me for a good time. I had to go out and buy a dress since I really didn't plan on anything like this. I found a a red strapless dress that went down to my knees and had a black ribbon around my mid torso. I wore a pair of black heels that I had brought along with me. I curled my hair and pinned a few strands back just as the doorbell rang. When I pulled the door open I found Will standing there holding a bushel of pink roses. Of course I wasn't paying that much attention to the flowers. Will was wearing a navy blue button up shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and he donned a pair of dark jeans and faded leather boots.
"I brought you these. I wasn't sure what flowers you liked. I-I just thought everyone likes roses but I wasn't sure-." I took the roses from him and smiled. "Will I love them. Thank you." He smiled and a look of relief came over his face.
"I was afraid you wouldn't like them." He followed me inside and looked around. "Nice little place you got here." "Thanks. That only thing I don't like though is the seclusion." I could hear him chuckle a little as I filled a cup up with water.
"Yeah, I supposed a beautiful woman like you has a lot to worry about around these parts. They aren't particularly the safest." I turned around and smiled. "We'll then I guess it's a good thing that I'm protected by a strong detective." I walked past him to grab my purse and felt his gaze boring into me the whole time. He took me to a fancy restaurant and we talked some about the case. He kept apologizing for it but I could tell it was really bothering him. Besides I was interested in knowing how much they really knew which wasn't very much. As the night went on we stayed away from the case and started talking about or personal lives and I found it quite disturbing how easily how I could make up this fake life and make it seem so real.
"Why haven't you married yet?" "Hm. I don't know. I guess I just haven't found Mr. Right yet." "We'll when will you know when you've found him." I shrugged my shoulder. "I don't know. I guess it'll just feel right."
When he drove me home and walked me to my door my nerves got going so bad I started shaking. I guess I was shaking so badly Will noticed it. "Are you cold Cher?" I rubbed my arms to make it seem believable. "Yeah just a little."
When we got to my door my knees were bumping into each other. "I had fun tonight Eve. We should do this again sometime." I nodded my head and smiled. "Yeah we should I had fun too." "How about sometime next week?" "Okay." He held out his arms and I hugged him tightly. As we pulled away he gently kissed my forehead and mumbled goodnight. It was an action that left me standing there speechless. "Thank you Will." I finally managed. He turned around and started walking towards me.
"What for?" "For being you. Truth is I'm shaking because I was terrified that you were going to take me to dinner, use me and then never talk to me again like everyone else. Thank you for being different."
He walked up to me and cupped my cheek in his calloused had with a sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry you've been through that but I promise you that I will never, ever do that to you. Do you hear me? I will never hurt you like that. Okay?" "Okay." I whispered.
He kissed my forehead and hugged me once more before he left me standing on my doorstep with a horrible knot in my stomach. Not because I didn't believe him but because I was afraid I had just found Mr. Right.