A/N: Welcome back! I am on time, right? I want to thank: CharlieCats, dionne dance, TinkerbellxO, Why Fireflies Flash, nuckythompson, simbasockz, LabyFan23, Leyshla Gisel, xoangelwingxo, ForeverACharmedOne and XantheXV. Thank you all so much for your support.

Disclaimer: I do not own Public Enemies.

Chapter 2

'Man is not what he thinks he is,

He is what he hides.'

~Andre Malraux

Miranda blinks the sleep away and reaches blindly for her cup of steaming coffee. The book sways precariously upon her lap as she does so and her hand shots out to balance it. She takes a sip and feels the warmth spreading through her body, relaxing and comforting in a way that it never has before. Being, finally, alone was so much better than having to live under the same roof with a person who has made your life a living hell for the last fifteen years. Her small apartment is still a mess but she is taking her time with it because it is hers and she can do whatever she wants with it.

Her thoughts are a scrambled mess however and the book gradually lost its interest. She sighs and looks away from the page. Her eye catches the glimmering sunlight and she abandons the book with a groan. As she turns to put it away her phone starts ringing and she yelps, not used to the sound of it. She rarely has phone calls. Placing her hand over her chest she stands up from the bed and grabs it from the table. She brings it to her bed and sits down again with it. She answers in a hesitant voice with a simple hello. There's a moment of silence and then a soft chuckle.

"Morning. I didn't wake you, did I?" the male voice is light and teasing and she frowns, momentarily not recognizing it.

"Um…" she falters and at the second chuckle her eyes widen in realization, "You called." She murmurs.

"Sure, I did. You hoped I wouldn't?" the response is smooth and she frowns for a moment, trying to come up with something clever but nothing comes up.

"Left you speechless, did I, baby doll? That's me." He laughs and her anger flares.

"It takes more than a phone call to leave me speechless, Mr. D-…"

"It's John." He warns in a firmer tone and she pauses before she realizes that he fears phone calls in case of being recognized and tracked down.

"John." She obliges and she doesn't know why but her hands start to shake. He called too early. She still doesn't know if she wants to help him.

"Are you there?" he asks her and the frown is obvious in his tone.

Miranda blinks and clears her throat, "Yeah. You're early." Is her quiet reply.

"Well, I like to plan ahead…recently." He murmurs, "Have you thought it over? Or do I need to enhance my offer?" he asks her with a suave drawl and she bites her lip hard before she answers.

"I am not sure. What more is there to offer?" she asks him and he pauses before he replies.

"Dinner with me. Tonight. Fancy restaurant, whiskey…even a bit of dancing if you're up to it." There's something in his voice and as she starts to realize what it is she feels irritation.

"I am no charity case, John. Who do you think you are-…"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. It was just a suggestion." He cuts her right off and she falters. She really needs to stop being so defensive and curt towards others but she can't help it.

"I cannot tonight." She replies back and there's a moment of silence.

"Session?" he quips and she frowns.

"Just how much do you know?" she asks him sharply, her fingers tightening around the receiver.

"Can't talk about this over the phone, doll. So, how about tomorrow? I am free." He presses and when she doesn't reply he continues, "We'll talk some more. Somewhere quiet. What do you say?"

Miranda swallows hard before she takes a deep breath, "Fine. Where?"

"Oh, I'll find you. Don't worry." He replies casually and she frowns, "Oh and wear comfortable shoes tomorrow morning." He adds before the line goes off.

Miranda gapes at the receiver and pulls it away from her ear with wide eyes. Feeling utterly bewildered, she puts the phone away and nervously tugs her robe closer around her body.

What in hell did that mean? She was sure she'd find out sooner or later…

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

She's in the process of hooking her right earring in place when there is a knock on her door. Miranda freezes up. No one knows her new home apart from Helen. She comes out into the hall and peers nervously at the door. She swallows hard and almost jumps in fright when there's another knock.

Straightening her spine and gritting her teeth, she starts walking towards the door. She slowly unlocks it and carefully looks outside.

"Miranda, may I come in?" the voice brings shivers up and down her spine and she can already feel her chest closing in, pressing into her lungs with force.

Her father eyes her with patience and there is a calm expression upon his face as he waits. She hates that expression. It's the calm before the storm. Her eyes are wide as she looks at him and she can feel the doorknob pressing hard against her palm but she knows that it's her own fingers that are tightly wrapped around it.

"Why are you here?" she breathes out and she is glad that she didn't remove the latch from the door.

"I need to speak to you. Immediately." His voice is firm and he eyes her with coldness.

"I have nothing to say to you. We had a deal. You said you'd leave me alone. So keep your part of the bargain while I keep mine."

"My situation is a bit more serious than your promise of secrecy." He said and she grits her teeth hard together.

"You can call me instead-…"

"Miranda, open the door before I am forced to break it down." He snaps and she tenses up.

"Five minutes or I'll be late for work." She says at last before she opens the door and steps to the side to let him pass. Even his air is making every hair on her body stand up on end. What does he want?

She shuts the door and leans against it as he walks in and lets his eyes peruse her small apartment.

"You left our house for this?"

"I left your house because I couldn't live under the same roof with you. Because you're not good for me. Because I cannot bear another black eye, daddy." She spits out and he cocks an eyebrow.

"I see the sessions are helping."

"And I see that yours are not." She fires back with irk.

"Do not raise your voice at me-…"

"And you shouldn't have been raising your hand at me but you did it. You shouldn't have hurt mother-…" she stops herself and she watches as he stiffens up but she continues after a moment, "Now talk. I have to leave for work-…"

"The work I gave you?" he drawls as his green eyes fall on her small couch.

"You didn't give me anything. I had the qualifications. What do you want from me?"

Henry Crowley sighs and rubs his eyes before he looks up at his daughter.

"Your file is missing from the psychologist's office. Someone broke in and stole it." He says and Miranda's eyes widen.

Dillinger. It's the first thought that comes into her mind. After all he said that he had seen it.

"Oh? Who took it?" she asks quietly but she knows that her father is on edge. Domestic abuse is not a good spot on an agent's file.

"I'm on it but I do not know yet." His eyes fall on her face and he's inspecting it for any signs of knowledge, "You don't know anything?" he asks and she shrugs.

"Why should I know when you don't? You know everything." She replies as she crosses her arms over her chest. As she does so, her arms brush up against her red silk shirt and it makes her shiver despite the warmth of the house.

"Unfortunately, I don't know everything." He takes a step closer and she tries hard to hold her ground, not to cower away from him.

He looks momentarily surprised but remains quiet, "Miranda-…"

"Is there anything else?" she cuts him off and his expression turns sour.

"I hope you were not foolish enough to speak about it to anyone besides Dr. Roberts." He says in a low voice, "This can destroy both of us. My new position-…"

"This leak of information can only hurt you. I've been hurt already." She takes a step closer and looks him in the eye, her blue eyes frozen with hate and desperation, "So, don't you dare blame me for this. You're on your own now. I am not covering you up anymore. If it comes out I won't come to your defense. I will tell the truth and I'll be glad to see you knocked off your precious and gilded throne." A tear slips from her eye and she quickly reaches up to wipe it away.

He doesn't explode like she thinks he would. Perhaps the sessions are working after all.

He simply stares at her with hard eyes before he lowers his head and heads over to the door. He hesitates and she tenses up as she stands with her back to him.

"Miranda, I am sorry for…what happened to you." He says after a moment and her eyes widen in incredulity. His words instead of comforting her are angering her. He has turned her into an unforgiving person…Or perhaps only when it comes to him she's unforgiving.

Slowly, she turns to face him and shakes her head, "Don't apologize to me. Only cowards apologize for something they could just stop doing." She murmurs as she takes a step closer, "And let's say I accept the apology; would mom, our housekeeper or your assistant forgive you?" she asks and he grits his teeth, "What if they hadn't kept their silence? Would your money be of any good then?"

He doesn't reply. Instead he opens the door and walks out of her apartment, shutting it firmly behind him.

The sound echoes in the silence around her but unlike other times she doesn't contemplate on her words. She simply walks towards the bathroom to get ready.

When she is ready, she walks out of the apartment with her mouth set in determination.

oOoOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The day at the bank is really slow. Miranda spends half the day walking in and out of Mr. Hodgins' office, the director of the bank. All she does is bring in paperwork and coffee for the man while he doesn't look up from his stack of papers. Helen is very busy reading her morning paper and even as Miranda places a cup of coffee on her desk, she still doesn't look up from her reading.

She shakes her head when she at last takes a seat behind the counter and leans against her chair with her steaming cup of dark coffee in hand. She feels good; lighter. For the first time in her life she made her feelings known and it felt fantastic. Taking a deep breath, she takes a sip from her hot coffee and when two customers walk in with long faces, she smiles at them. They seem surprised and one of them, an old lady, does smile back as Miranda hands her back her passbook and money.

"Have a nice day." She says quietly and as the old lady turns to leave three men in long coats and hats walk in. Miranda looks at them with a frown. Two of them head towards the director's desk and the other one-…

"You?" she murmurs as John comes towards her and smirks at her.

"Me." He hands her his passbook and she frowns as she takes it.

"What are you doing here?" she asks quietly as he leans against the counter.

"I want to make a complete withdrawal." He drawls and Miranda pauses.

"Is that all?" she asks as she looks up at him.

"Yeah." He eyes her with interest as she sets all her efforts on giving him his money.

"Well, it's not that much anyway." She mutters and he chuckles.

She looks at him startled before she stands and heads towards Mr. Hodgins to get the approval.

It takes her some time and when she's back at her seat the two men are still hovering about and John…John has an odd look upon his face as she hands him the money.

Miranda starts to get suspicious, "Why are you really here-…Ow!"

In a flash he has a gun pointed at her and she jumps in shock, "What are you doing-…"

"Stand up. Keep your hands up where I can see them." He says with a crooked grin and at Helen's loud screech he rolls his eyes and pulls out a second gun and points it at her. Miranda stares at him with wide eyes. What in hell is he doing?

"Not a peep, doll. You." He points at Miranda as the other men grab the director by the collar and start dragging him towards the safe, "Get out of there." When Miranda hesitates he narrows his eyes, "Now." He pulls the safety back from the gun and Miranda swallows hard before she complies.

She walks around to him and he places the tip of her gun against her back as he leads her towards the safe and the director.

"Nelson, cover the doors." John commands as he steps with Miranda next to the other robber who has his gun pointed at the director.

"But you said-…"

"Now!" John barks, cutting off the shorter man .

Nelson presses his lips tightly together before he complies. Miranda has heard about him…Baby Face Nelson. He is infamous for his robberies but unlike John Dillinger he is also a murderer. Miranda shivers as the man hops on top of the counter and looks around with glee. In his free hand he is holding a large barrel-…

"Red, get the money." John's voice intrudes on her musings and she turns to look at him. The gun is still pressing against her, this time against her side, and as she looks at the director she can see the man shaking.

John eyes her up and down and then nudges her with the gun, "Told you to wear comfy shoes, doll." He drawls and she frowns before she looks down at her high heels.

"What-…"

"I said don't move, lady!" Nelson's voice is loud and Miranda looks at him just as he fires his gun towards the wall that is right above Helen's head.

The other woman jumps and yelps and Miranda can see her shaking in fear.

Miranda turns and glares at John who stands calmly there while his partner in crime grabs whatever money is at the safe.

When she doesn't take her eyes off of him, he turns and shakes his head at her, "Don't look at me, doll. I may call the shots but I ain't a fucking cop." He drawls and she sputters as he grabs her arm and starts leading her towards the doors with the man he called Red trailing behind them with Mr. Hodgins.

"Nelson!" John calls and winks at the man, "Remember what I said? Do the job and no victims. Got it?" his voice is business like and Nelson grins with glee before he nods at him.

"Good." John murmurs before he pushes Miranda out of the bank.

"Mira!" Helen cries but Nelson is already shouting at her and another clerk to get out.

"Helen-…You're hurting me!" Miranda exclaims as John puts his guns away and throws her unceremoniously towards a car that is parked at the right side of the road.

"Apologies later." He tells her as he opens the door to the car and pushes her in. She lands on her hands and knees on top of seat and winces as her ankle gets twisted a bit.

"Red, get in the front. Let him go." He motions to Mr. Hodgins who looks like he's just woken up from a nightmare before he gets into the seat next to Miranda.

She sits back as Red throws the bags of money into the seat next to him and then gets into the car.

Miranda reaches down to rub her foot and eyes John with shock, "What are you doing?" she asks but he ignores her.

"Drive off." He pats Red on the shoulder but then there is a sudden explosion and she cries out. She turns to look behind them as John's friend starts the car and as she does so she can see that the bank is on fire. Nelson stands there laughing for a few moments before he hops into another car and takes off towards the other direction.

Miranda turns to look at John but he's looking at her twisted ankle, "Are you mad? What did you do?" she yells at him as she tries to look back at the enflamed building.

"Calm down, lady-…"

"Hey, I am not a lady!" she snaps at Red and both men chuckle at her expense. John reaches down to grab her hurt ankle but she tenses up and severely slaps his hands away. He cocks an eyebrow and raises his hands up in surrender.

"I'm only trying to help, doll." He says with a smirk. He looks so damn satisfied with himself and Miranda wonders if that were his way of taking part of his revenge on the Bureau.

"You knew my father is shareholder in this bank." She murmurs and John shrugs, "You had planned this." She blinks in realization and John grins crookedly.

"Told you to wear comfortable shoes, doll. Can't say I didn't warn you." He shrugs again and Miranda wants to shout at him.

"I lost my job." She whispers in a lethal voice but John only smiles and looks ahead.

"That you did." He nods and for the first time Miranda realizes that he has shaved his moustache off. He looks years younger.

"How are you so sure I won't get out of this car right now?" she asks him in a challenging voice.

John shares a look with Red before he turns to look at her, "Because you've already decided to help me."

"I have?"

John chuckles and reaches down to grasp her foot. She lets him and he pulls it on his lap before he removes her heel and starts rubbing the sore bone.

"Doll, I knew you'd agree since the day I met you. Oh and by the way," he reaches towards the front seat and grabs something from under it.

Miranda's eyes widen as he waves a file at her, "You want this?" he asks her inquisitively and she gulps.

"You stole the file."

"Not me per say…" he says and as she reaches out to take it he pulls it back from her grip, "I'll keep it safe as long as you help me outsmart the cops, darlin'. Fair deal, yes?" he folds the file and then pushes it into his inner coat pocket while she stares at him.

Miranda swallows hard and then looks at him in the eye, "Fine. I'll help you. But you won't ever mention what is in that file. My past is none of your damn business, is that clear?" she asks in a hoarse voice and John looks at her for a long time before he nods.

"Fair enough."

"And once you've gotten what you want, you'll give it back." She clarifies and he nods, a smirk playing upon his lips.

"Deal, sweet pie."

"So," she starts as she pulls her foot from his lap and sits back against the car door, "What do you want from me?" she asks in a strong voice.

John perks up and turns to face her, "How close to your father can you bear to be?" he asks her seriously and Miranda knows that she's in trouble. Big trouble.

End of chapter 2

Author's note: Thank you for reading! Please review before you go.

Until next time!

Xxx Lina :o)