Room service was not as appealing as they'd hoped, so Boden and Thorne found a quiet diner with good lighting where they could enjoy cheeseburgers and beers while they talked.

"So, Dublin," Thorne started. "That explains the occasional brogue I hear from you."

"Aye," Boden answered with a wink and her thickest accent. "I was born here in the States to Irish parents. I was not even walking when they moved us back. After the explosion though, my brother and I were sent back here, and the accent wore off some. If I'm drunk, tired, or upset, it comes through more."

"Did you have family here?"

"For a while. My grandparents passed away when I was in high school, and my brother kept me after that." She flagged the waitress for another beer. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm the American dream," Thorne scoffed. "Combat vet, got in a little hacking incident after I got out of the service. Landed me eighteen months. I was just keeping busy and out of trouble until Barney showed up."

"Bet you were the bitch of the place," Boden teased.

"Hey, I'm tougher than I look."

"You must be," Boden replied, swallowing a bunch of fries. "I've never seen Vic cower to anyone in my life."

"I was waiting for you to punch him out," Thorne admitted.

Boden shook her head. "Vic wouldn't hesitate to hit me back, and I'm a little bitch when it comes to pain."

Thorne took a swig of his beer. "I would've really done him in then."

His tone caused Boden to blush. She was put-together and calm on missions, but the way he was immediately protective of her put Boden under a sort of fire she wasn't used to encountering.

xXx

Documents came for Boden the next day that she shared with Thorne, giving him a more detailed background on Dimitri Biermann.

"I can use this," he assured her, pulling up his program for background checks – the same one that would dig deep and personal, like he had done on Boden.

There wasn't much to know that she hadn't shared with him – her parents' death, her brother's death, it was all right there. She was apparently fluent in four languages, graduated both high school and college with honors, and had been offered the position with the agency before she could even think about making post-college plans. There was one more folder that he hadn't had the chance to look at yet; he saved it and closed out of her profile before pulling up the information on Dimitri Biermann.

"All right. Dimitri hasn't appeared in public in months. Word on the street is that he either is sick or knows that you're back on your game."

Boden snorted. "That worried I'll find him, huh?"

"I mean your agency. His son, Ivan Biermann, has been handling all his affairs."

"Are you sure he's alive, Thorne?" Boden tipped her head. "I can't imagine a man as powerful as Dimitri handing over the reins unless he's dead."

"Or running the show from behind the scenes," Thorne suggested.

"That's a good possibility," Boden agreed. "So, does Junior have any upcoming public appearances?"

Thorne laughed at her reference. "Let me take a look here … Yes. Two days from now, Ivan's going to be hosting a dinner gala in Washington, D.C. Black tie, fancy foods, the works."

"Do you have a picture of him?"

"I can get one." He shuffled through a couple of tabs and finally came up on a picture of Ivan Biermann.

Boden's raised her brow. "Wow. Okay. I'm going to have to go shopping."

Thorne shut his laptop. "Shopping?"

"Come on, Thorne," Boden snorted. "I'm hot, I get that. But the little black number in my suitcase is not going to impress a man of that caliber."

"A man of that caliber?"

"You know. Gorgeous, high-power, money. He's got to see the same thing reflected in a woman to take notice of her."

"I think he'll take notice of you no matter what you're wearing, Boden."

The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying. He could feel his cheeks pink as he opened his laptop again and busied himself looking up information on Ivan Biermann.

Boden watched him carefully from where she was curled up with her own laptop in the recliner in the room. She set the computer to the side and strolled over to the table. She sat across from him and grinned.

"Are you saying you think I'm pretty?"

Thorne cleared his throat and didn't say anything. He wouldn't even make eye contact with her.

Boden rolled the chair around the table until she was right next to him. She couldn't help but giggle as she teased him about thinking she was pretty. Thorne tapped away at his computer as she continued until finally he grabbed her face and kissed her.

For a spur of the moment kiss, it was surprisingly pleasant. Thorne's lips didn't crush hers, and Boden didn't freeze with her eyes open. She was impressed with his control as he applied just the right amount of pressure, and just a little tongue before pulling back. He caressed her cheek and looked her in the eye.

"You're the most beautiful mess I've ever seen."

Boden's eyes searched his face for a few moments before she scooted her chair away. "Right. Well, I should probably get cleaned up and get shopping. I have a possible villain to impress."

She disappeared quickly into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Thorne heard the shower start; he smiled to himself. Not only had he managed to throw Boden off in a matter of a couple of days, but kissing her was something he wasn't bound to stop thinking about for a while.

xXx

She was standing at the sink, applying a little make-up when Thorne walked in. She had already dressed in a maxi skirt, V-neck t-shirt, and sandals, and her wet hair fell down her back. Boden tried not to look unnerved when he leaned against the sink.

"Look, I'm sorry about the … the kiss," Thorne said quickly. "It was the only way I could think to shut you up."

Boden chuckled. "It's all right. To be honest though, teasing you was the first time I've laughed since Keith was killed. I probably wouldn't have shut up if you hadn't … you know … shut me up."

"Thanks, I think," Thorne mumbled. "Listen, what I said though, was truth. I do think you're beautiful. The mess part, that wasn't called for."

"It's all right," she shrugged. "I am a mess. I mean, you had to carry me crying out of a cold shower."

"That's how I know you're a beautiful mess," Thorne teased.

Boden punched him playfully. "I'll probably have to get a few beauty procedures done while I'm out, so it'll be a while. My phone will be on, so will my GPS."

"You think you're going without me?"

"Thorne, this isn't me being pissed off and leaving you behind. This is me starting an undercover case. I've already gotten in touch with the agency. Vic is going to bring by papers for me later to get me into Ivan's circle, and I can't be seen in public with you. It's too suspicious."

He couldn't argue with her there. "Fine. I'll make the flight arrangements."

"You have connections?"

"Yeah. Barney."

"Good. Make sure it fits the profile, would you? Oh, Thorne?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure Barney's ready to answer some questions."

Thorne wasn't so sure how Barney would feel about Boden asking questions, but there were some answers he would like to have, too. Better she took the heat than him.

xXx

Boden was gone when Vic arrived. Thorne opened the door and held his hands out for the papers.

"Not even going to let me in?"

"Why should I? I've got nothing to say to you. Give me the papers."

Vic rolled his eyes. "I'd rather hand them over to Boden, if you don't mind."

"She's not here."

"Then you'll have to let me in to wait for her."

Vic pushed his way in; Thorne wasn't happy about it but figured there wasn't much harm in letting one of Boden's co-workers in the room.

"Forgive me for not offering you a beverage," Thorne told him sarcastically as he dialed Boden's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, your buddy's here. Doesn't want to leave your mail with me."

Boden groaned. "I'm sorry. I'm just a couple blocks from the hotel, I'll be up as soon as I can."

"Fine." He set the phone on the table and went back to work on making arrangements for them to stay in Washington, D.C.

"Any good leads?" Vic asked.

Thorne stiffened. "How about when you trust me with information, I'll trust you with information."

"Fair enough." Vic looked over to one wall, where Boden's bag was setting, clothes inside and outside of the bag. "Not the neatest freak in the world, is she?"

"I've only shared a room with her for a couple of days. I don't have any complaints."

Vic snorted. "Yeah, I'll bet you don't."

It took most of the self-control Thorne had not to punch the guy and-or kick him out. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, nothing. I'm sorry. I'll tell you though, Boden can be a hard filly to break. Give it to her a little rough every now and then, she'll fall in line."

That was it. Thorne grabbed Vic by the lapel and slammed him against the wall. "I knew it. You hit her, didn't you?"

"That's jumping to conclusions, don't you think?"

"She told me she wouldn't hit you because you'd hit her back. Didn't sound like it would be the first time you put hands on her."

"Like I said," Vic scoffed. "Sometimes she needs a little tough love."

"Thorne!" Boden took hold of his arm and pulled him away from Vic. The latter man straightened out his shirt. "Looks like I came back just in time to keep you from getting your ass kicked, Vic."

"Sure, you talk big when your hero's around."

Boden couldn't stop Thorne from slugging Vic this time. Vic took it right across the mouth; blood was dripping from his lip when he picked himself up off the floor. Boden rolled her eyes and pushed Thorne back into his chair.

"Would you relax? My mouthing off gets me into trouble sometimes. It's my own fault." She pulled Vic into the bathroom with her to clean up his mouth.

"You caught his attention awful quick," Vic mumbled while she held a warm washcloth against his mouth. "That'll get the blood but it's not going to stop the swelling."

"Forgive me for wanting people to know you got clocked," Boden replied. "I suffered through a few shiners and fat lips from you, you know."

Vic had the decency to look remorseful. "I always was a mean drunk. Have you forgiven me?"

Boden pursed her lips as she rinsed the washcloth in the sink. "You got help. That's good. But no, Vic. I haven't forgiven you."

"Tolerate me enough to let me in on what you have?" He handed over an envelope from his back pocket.

Boden leaned against the sink and told Vic everything she and Thorne had uncovered so far. She told him about the undercover gig she was going to start to get close to Ivan Biermann.

"We leave for D.C. tomorrow, so we can be there for the gala."

Vic nodded. "Be careful out there, Bo. I'm not so worried about you if you're with that guy, though."

"Yeah, I think he'll be all right after all. Wasn't too keen on him at the beginning."

"I really am sorry, Boden. For everything." Vic leaned over and kissed her forehead before leaving the bathroom, and the hotel room after that.

Boden handed the envelope to Thorne. "Here's all the papers. Maybe you could work me into the system?"

"Sure thing."

"Also, thanks for that. Vic. Punching him out, I mean." Boden shrugged. "He got help after we split up. Didn't mean I'd forgive him or take him back, but it made it where I felt like I could work with him again. It was something that Keith told me. Don't let him ruin my personal life again, but don't let him keep me from my work, either."

"I'm glad you listened to Keith," Thorne smiled at her.

Boden smiled back. "Yeah. Me too."

xXx

They were able to rest for the remainder of the day. Barney had arranged an early flight into D.C. for them, so they'd be up hours before the sun. Boden took half of a pain pill and settled on the bed. With a small bit of luck, she was asleep before her emotions kicked in.

Thorne sat next to her on the bed. There were actually two beds, but they had covered the other with documents, piecing things together like it was a puzzle. Boden told him that if he hadn't tried anything weird by now, she trusted him to just sleep in the same bed with her. They could put the papers in some sort of stacked order in the morning before they left for the airport.

He took the opportunity while she slept to open the folder he had saved from her background check. It was all medical records, from the time she was born. He skipped over the written part after noting her blood type and allergies, and went for the attached photos. The first set was accompanied by a domestic violence report; Victor had roughed her up good, although her injuries had only required a visit to the emergency room. The second set must have been from after her fall from the window. She looked so broken, her outside injuries only hinting at the brokenness inside. She had lost so much in her life, and Thorne knew it had scarred her.

Looking over at the sleeping woman beside him, he once again gave in to the temptation to brush her bangs back from her face. Silently, he promised that he would die before letting anyone or anything hurt her again.