Don't own TMW :_:

Warnings: Possibly Swearing

ENJOY!

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She woke feeling strangely refreshed, pushing back the covers and after a good long stretch padded to the kitchen in search of her boy's. FDR was sprawled out on the couch with an arm draped across his eyes. She felt suddenly giggly and elated, her partners had stayed, and they knew of her past. Yet instead of tossing her aside like Blake had always said people would, her boy's stayed. She glanced higher to see Tuck fast asleep and…Oh god… shirtless! She bit her lip as her heart sped up at the site. It was a site she'd seen, but that was before she'd fallen for the handsome rogue and now, now it made her cheeks pink and her breath stall.

Doing full body shiver to exercise the feeling, she decided not to wake them. Last night had been rough and not just on her. Instead she went back to her room for her IPod and headphones. She wanted to cook them breakfast! There was nothing like waking to the smell of pancakes. She liked to have music while she cooked, but that didn't mean she had to wake them.

FDR began to stir, but it was Tuck who woke first. She didn't see him as he made his way to the kitchen. She had almost her whole upper body in the refrigerator, trying to grab an ingredient she needed from the back. He chuckled, noting her foot tap and the shake of her hips. He waited as she finally got what she was going for, but she turned away from him so he continued to go seemingly unnoticed. She was humming along to the music as she stirred the batter in the mixing bowl before moving to check the ones that were already cooking. She flipped them, and then deciding they were done slid them onto a plate.

She placed the stack in front of him, syrup and butter had already been set out in preparation having been what she was going for in the fridge earlier. Her fingers artfully pulled the headphones from her ears, before putting them and her IPod aside, "Tea, Tuck Tuck?" Chloe inquired without even looking.

"You knew I was here?" the brit replied with an unseen raise of an eyebrow. Her head nodded as she poured the last of the batter onto the griddle. She had started the kettle before he answered the question and he knew the sound would probably wake up FDR, but after his comment last night the fact didn't really bother him all that much.

She took a calming pull of air, "The sodding wanker had horrible timing when it came to checking on me." Chloe answered, turning towards him. "I learned to be very aware of my surroundings", she finished. What she didn't say, however was that she was almost always hyper aware and on edge when the brit was around. Her body attuned perfectly to his presence.

FDR had woken at the sound of their conversation and moved towards them with a lazy stride as he rubbed his eyes. Neither man had a shirt on and it made Chloe feel amazing that they had such an easy and strong relationship. She couldn't help the girlish blush that crept up her cheeks as she turned to check the pancakes.

"What's all this then?" FDR inquired taking a seat next to his partner at the bar. Tuck placed a spare plate in front of him as Chloe turned with the last stack of pancakes to fill it with.

The tea kettle chimed and she quietly moved to take it from the stove before answering. "Just a thanks for last night…" she whispered as she poured the steaming water into two mugs and pouring coffee into a 3rd for FDR, she'd set out earlier. Turning, mugs in hand she placed them before her partners along with a box of bags for steeping. "It was a hard story to tell and I'm sure it was painful to hear…. So… so thanks", Chloe finished worrying her bottom lip and turning from them to grasp the counter top for support.

The two men eyed each other wearily and before she could say another word they were at her side. FDR pulled her into a hug as Tuck rubbed her shoulders, "Chlo darling, please think nothing of it", the brit intoned and she relaxed a little in their hold.

"He's right beautiful, were all family we'll always be here for you", FDR concurred and he felt her smile against him.

She couldn't help her wish for this moment to never end. Even when you two are at each other's throats for a gorgeous blond? She questioned inside her head. Drawing in a lungful of air, she looked up at FDR and smiled, giving him a chaste peck on the cheek. She turned to Tuck and did the same, "Eat, Eat it's getting cold", Chloe scolded, shooing them back to their food. She noted their looks and offers for her to join. Shaking her head before picking up her mug, taking a sip and then saying, "I already ate, it's all yours." She brought the mug to her lips as they ate and batting her eye lashes she purred, "I must say though I do feel a bit over dressed!"

FDR nearly choked on what he was chewing and Tuck spit out the mouthful of tea he was currently drinking. She calmly set her now empty mug in the sink, walked around the counter and lifted her shirt over her body as she stepped toward the spare room. She tossed the shirt in Tuck's flabbergasted face and told them to, "Eat your hearts out boys", Chloe drawled with a seductive tone, before striding into said spare room wearing, nothing but hot pants and a sports bra!

FDR, finally able to speak twirled his fork against his plate before taking a sip of the coffee she had made; just for him knowing he liked it better. "I think Lilith just crashed the party!" he laughed as he set his own mug down.

Tuck nodded weekly looking down at the heap of fabric in his lap. Her scent clung to every fold and the beast in his chest was having a heyday rolling around in it. This wasn't good, what did that knowledge mean? Should he give up this fight with FDR then? No, no he liked Lauren, Chloe was a friend, besides that, did she even think of HIM as anyone more than a good friend and trusted partner?

After the confusing exchange the two men had finished eating and had managed to clean up as Chloe walked back out, dressed in jean shorts and a flowing dark blue top. Tuck had left for the upstairs bathroom and FDR was waiting for her in the kitchen. She was upset, when her brother type told her Tuck had his date with Lauren and she was to go with him tonight, but hid the fact well.

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The next few days passed in a blur even as tensions raised between her partners. At first she flip-flopped between FDR's and Tuck's place because of their rule about not telling Lauren about knowing each other and she refused to be part of their game. She finally just offered to stay at Nana's. Her cat was already there and her room was unoccupied, she wouldn't be in their way then. Neither seemed to like the idea, not wanting her where Blake could get her without them being around. She seemed to get angry at that. Well aware of their need to be big bad protectors, she still insisted that she could handle herself just fine. There had been something freeing in her recant of her past to them and she felt stronger despite what they witnessed the night of her gig. Reluctantly they agreed when things began to heat up with their pursuit and Lauren might be going to their respective houses at the end of their dates.

"This is completely unethical you know that right…" Chloe entreated as she walked into ops to see FDR watching Tuck's date. As of yet she didn't know how far they'd both gone, thinking they only tracked each other and the places they took this woman to. The blonde was smiling and cheering as she drove a shiny red Camaro around a race track. Tuck seemed to be just as thrilled with her happiness and the simple ease in his features made her heart hurt.

FDR didn't answer her as he maneuvered an unmanned surveillance plane into position. "Did he just give our bird, the bird!?" FDR exclaimed and indeed the brit had, she noted with a small smirk as her eyes flicked to the screen.

Chloe couldn't help the burble of laughter as she watched Tuck take aim and shoot said bird out of the sky. "Well there goes a priceless piece of CIA technology, have fun explaining that one to Collins", she remarked with another laugh and a ruffle of her brother types hair before she walked out. He grumbled something after her that she didn't quite hear being that her feet were on automatic as she made it back to their office.

As the days passed she really wanted to sit them down and have a yell. She'd caught another date, well two more since they'd each had one. The force they were putting into this was laughable and sad, she felt sorry for Lauren. Part of her wondered just how much her partner's would hate her if she told on them just to end this thing. The way Tuck openly mooned over the blonde seemed like a cover, for what she wasn't sure and she never asked. FDR fought back just as hard, even bought a dog to earn this woman's favor. When she walked by the ops room the next couple of times and saw that they had done much more than follow each other's dates, she went on a full tilt rage bender!

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"This is fracking ridiculous!" she groused as FDR drove her to Nana's. Chloe was mad as hell, having found out the lengths they were going to, to win Lauren's heart. FDR winced at the vehemence in her tone. "I'm not sorry Franklin!"

He blanched; she never used his real name, never. Unless she was really mad and I do mean REALLY. "I thought you'd be on my side, you know, considering…" FDR warbled plaintively.

She flashed daggers at him, "You two have ops running ragged and Collins at my throat, Mine FDR! I have to write the reports for this you know", Chloe retorted, rubbing her temples.

He nodded in understanding and finally, "I'm sorry Chloe", FDR stated, breaking the silence. "Tuck said you pretty much took his head off! And... And that you're leaving?" FDR let the response hang in the air as she looked away and he knew she was trying to hide tears.

"Just going back to the old office, as for Tuck… I slapped him!" Chloe remarked blankly. She remembered the argument like it had been yesterday… The fact it had been a day earlier than that made the memory no less clear.

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"TUCK! What the hell?" Chloe barked, shoving a stack of papers into his hands.

"Darling what's wrong?"

"Don't darling me! I don't even expect this of Franklin, but YOU!" she cried, exasperated, pacing back and forth as he turned the pages. He seemed at a loss for words as a dawning of realization crept over his features. "You bug her home, her HOME Tuck, where can she be safe? Herself? Tell me!?"

"Is this about us recon-ing Lauren or Blake recon-ing you?" Tuck retorted, regretting the words the second they left his lips. Her eyes flashed in shock and hurt and anger at his audacity. His expression was pained and sorry as her palm connected with his cheek with a resounding smack.

"You two Morons almost got me fired! Collins…We agreed it was best for me to go back to the old office and I…I should go…"Chloe hissed then tapered off into a whisper as she turned from him.

He tried to call back that he was sorry, but she paid no attention as she walked from the room, tears tracking her cheeks.

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The memory faded as she doubled over covering her eyes with her hands. "I shouldn't have to take this FDR…. I won't watch the best thing I have crumble before my eyes and how dare you two even ask me to", she ground out and having unbuckled her seat belt dashed out of the car before he'd fully stopped.

Nana was waiting for them and wrapped her in a tight hug as Chloe ran into her arms. Letting her go when the hug ended, the older woman flashed a weary look at FDR who simply pulled the passenger door shut and drove away.

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Collins had given her a day or two; to work from home after Chloe had fallen apart in their boss's office. The fact left Tuck and FDR at a loss for words when she finally strode into their own office. "I need your signatures, for your last mission, to obtain and question Ivan Sokolov", Chloe told them in a no nonsense, all business tone. She looked tired, but perfectly put together in a soft grey pantsuit with a baby blue blouse and platinum accessories.

She dropped the paperwork on their desks and waited as they both reached for pens to sign with. "Hey Chloe it's your birthday tomorrow right?" FDR asked tentatively as the two agents handed over their respective packets of paper. "We should celebrate, right Tuck?" He offered with a shy smile, trying to gauge her mood. Her eyes passed between them as if waiting for Tuck's answer.

"Course we should mate. Where and when Chlo? You are the birthday girl!" the brit stated cautiously albeit brightly. He felt soo terrible as he knew FDR did and was eager to try and mend the tatters of their broken friendship.

She steeled herself and though she felt slow warmth in her heart at the thought they had remembered and had agreed to celebrate together she found the feeling strangely hollow as well. "I can't, I have a date!" Chloe replied simply, walking out of the room without a backwards glance. She made it back to her office and shut the door before bursting into tears as she fell to the floor. Information was sensitive in her line of work and for that she was thankful. It meant her office was sound proof and no one could hear her sob.

The two partners were left gawking as she had walked away. "We are going on that date!" FDR rumbled his voice dangerously low.

"No mate, she'd kill us!" Tuck sighed. The beast in his chest souring at the news, it felt frustrated, he knew, though he still tried to deny it.

"She won't know we're there, we can just stake out the building." FDR offered and Tuck seemed to mull this over, when his partner added, "Look we didn't even like the idea of leaving her alone at Nana's I'm sure as hell not letting her go on a date alone!" he grumbled, "Not while Blake is still out there."

The brit nodded in begrudged agreement. Things had been even worse between them since Lauren, as it turns out was pulling out all stops as well and they were both in what FDR called, full scale prevention mode. Keeping Chloe safe however, was just as important as their game turned war and he was willing to set it aside for the next two days. The beast perked up at this and nodded its agreement. It wanted Chloe safe again and if Tuck was honest he'd come clean with the revelation as to why.

"I'll go clear it with Collins and get the paperwork. You're right about one thing; she'll flay us alive if she finds out!" FDR stated before leaving the room.

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