A/N: I have to say, I actually like the way this fic is turning out.
Thank you for all the reviews guys, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
In a world that can be so insane
I don't think it's very strange
For me to be in love with you
I wanna know more than your brain
SHOW ME YOUR SOUL
Chapter 2
A few days passed. Libby kept nosing around the lab and FBI headquarters from time to time pretending to be helping solve new cases. But in reality she just wanted two things. First, to be as close to them as it was possible. And second, she need answers. The answers she couldn't find just yet. She couldn't get too involved, but information was crucial.
Things with Lincoln went too fast for her liking. Maybe it was because she knew exactly what to say or to do, or maybe he just really liked her, but he kept emailing her from Hartford telling her how he wished they weren't miles apart because he wanted to ask her out for real.
He promised to visit her that weekend. And although she knew she had to get out of this one fast, she couldn't help but tell him she thought it was a great idea. She didn't know if it was, really. She wanted to meet him again, but her cause, the reason why she was here were the priority at the moment.
"I'm really glad I could make it", Lincoln told her after warm greetings. "I was so busy I thought I had to cancel."
They ordered some coffee. The conversation was absolutely normal. Work, weather, friends, family... although she had this feeling he was even more secretive about his family than she was about her own.
"I hope we can do this more often", he said an hour later looking down at her hands that she put on the table, her arms framing the coffee cup as if protecting it.
Libby could see he was hesitating. It took him a couple of seconds to finally move and take her hands in his. He looked up at her, his smile warm and gentle. She felt her stomach drop.
"Well, I don't want to give you false hope", she said noticing the change in his expression. "I don't think I'm gonna stay around here for long enough."
He shook his head not letting go of her hands.
"I don't understand. Are you going somewhere? I thought you lived here."
She took a deep breath trying to find the right words. No explanation she tried to come up with seemed relevant.
"I can't explain it", she said. "I just can't promise you anything."
"Liz, you can tell me", he looked concerned. "Is there some kind of a problem?"
The way he was holding her hands, she wanted to tell him that it was a problem. They were never supposed to be this way.
Suddenly his face fell as if he had just realized something awful.
"You have a boyfriend, don't you?" he said in a low voice almost letting go of her hands, but after she shook her head in a very convincing way he rearranged his grip on her hands, their fingers intertwining. "Then what is it?"
"I wish I could tell you", she really did, "but all I can say is that we are not supposed to have... well... this."
She looked down at their hands and wanted to tell him how much she actually wanted this and more, but it wasn't the right time.
It was clear he was starting to get annoyed with her answers. Or lack of those, to be exact. He finally let go of her hands and shrugged in frustration.
"Ok, can we just spend some time together right now?" he said raising his eyebrows. "Not that I accept what you're telling me... or trying to tell... whatever..." he paused. "I just want to talk to you, you know. Get to know you. Have fun together. You do have fun with me, don't you?"
She chuckled quietly and let that little awkward smile appear on her face. That could work.
"Okay", she said.
His face lit up.
"Right", he bit his lip. "Just tonight. Just this moment. You and me, ok?"
Libby nodded and took her cup to take a sip of coffee.
"Good", a contented smile appeared on his face. "Who knows, maybe I might even change your mind about whatever you have on it."
Libby just smiled sadly behind her cup.
It was spring already. Libby went to buy some groceries that Sunday and while picking food and drinks she was thinking of Lincoln the whole time.
They were going to meet later today. He told her he wanted to come over to see her apartment in New York. Nothing special, just some time together, maybe some TV, a couple of beers, that's it.
Libby was almost at her building's door when she suddenly froze and almost dropped her bags. A man in a hat and a suit was standing in front of her, holding a briefcase.
"What are you doing here?" she asked not wanting to sound like she wanted to rip his head off, but that was exactly how it turned out.
"You are interfering with the natural course of events", he replied. "I am here to warn you."
She just rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.
"The universe has its own means of course-correction", he simply said. "The more you interfere the worse it is going to be for you."
At that point she decided to ignore him before she did anything stupid and simply proceeded to enter the building.
An hour later, when she was about to wonder where the hell Lincoln was, there was a soft knock. Libby went to the door and looked through the peephole. The very first thing her eyes landed on was a bunch of flowers. Then she saw the man who was holding it.
She opened the door. Lincoln was smiling from ear to ear.
"Hey, I just thought you were gonna like these", he said handing her the flowers. She took them and felt like crying suddenly. White tulips. Her favorite, ever since she was a kid.
"Hey", she said, forcing a smile. "I love them."
The look on his face clearly said "mission complete" and after letting him in she went to put the flowers in a vase.
Lincoln was already trying to make himself comfortable, looking around her apartment, like a kitten brought to a new home where it had to explore every single corner. She was still in the kitchen when he slowly walked up to her. She got used to seeing him in his casual jeans and t-shirt by now and she had to admit he looked nice today. She didn't want to look at him, because she knew she was going to break his heart when she told him she couldn't see him anymore.
"We need to talk."
Lincoln's happiness was suddenly gone and he looked alarmed. He gulped nervously.
"What is it?" he said.
Libby didn't know how to start this conversation she wished they weren't about to have. But Lincoln seemed to understand what she wanted to tell him when she looked into his eyes and saw them getting darker. She knew that was exactly what he was afraid of and his fears were coming true.
"We still have tonight", she simply said.
"So..." he tightened his lips, his nostrils flaring. "This is a goodbye, then, isn't it?"
Libby couldn't stand how sad he looked. She wanted to make it easier somehow, to make him feel better, because she fully understood what he was going through. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest.
"I'm sorry. I wish things were different", she whispered and took a deep breath to sigh, but the scent of his perfume suddenly made her stop and feel dizzy. She closed her eyes involuntarily, breathing out slowly, and heard him whimper quietly as she tightened her grip on him and pulled him closer.
She felt his uneven breath on the top of her head and opened her eyes looking up at him. Their faces were millimeters apart. She saw desperation in his eyes and found it so unbearable that she had to look down at his lips, but before she could think of something to say she found herself responding to a very gentle kiss...
Libby couldn't sleep that night. Her head was filled with thoughts of her mission. She was wondering if she was really interfering with something. What were the consequences? She haven't even found anything yet. How was she supposed to do what she wanted if she was changing things so early already?
Lincoln turned in his sleep and put his arm around her pressing his nose against the back of her neck. He felt warm against her, it was the most amazing feeling in the world, but inside she felt horrible. She knew it was wrong and before she was able to get a grip on herself tears began falling into her pillow and she cried herself to sleep, hoping he couldn't hear her.