I apologize for not updating last month. If you read my latest one-shot I explained why I did no do so. I've had a free day today so I decided to update the story today instead on the 30th. Once again I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorite, followed or just clicked and/are reading this story. I love you guys so much!

Like promised I brought action! The events that happen in this chapter WILL come up later on in the story so watch out for that. As always a HUGE thank you to my wonderful beta Tatiana Belikova, love ya'!

Disclaimer: Disclaimed.


Dark, gloomy clouds rolled across town, surrounding the vast area within minutes. Thunder boomed and less than a second later, heavy rain drops fell on unlucky citizens.

Blinding flashes traveled across the sky, unsuspecting trees taking the brunt of their lashing. They cracked open and fell to the ground, chunks of wood decorating the lavish green carpet.

Fingers curling around the pole supporting her umbrella, Rose hurriedly walked home. The bottom of her dark colored jeans was coated with droplets desperately seeking a nice firm landing.

Today was definitely a bad day to wear sandals, she concluded as her foot kept on slipping off to the side. Every time she stepped on a small puddle of water, it engulfed the top layer and made the cheap rubber material squeaky and slippery.

Maybe Dimitri was right, she thought as she walk home. I shouldn't of left the apartment and for once trusted the weather app on my phone.

Cars passed by as she neared her building, a hot shower and hot chocolate present in her mind.

She looked around her, the local park a few yards away. In the morning, it was a breathtaking sight, especially with the lake centered right in the middle of the twenty acres of land.

Woods took possession of the park on the far right, a trail for walkers, runners and hikers leading through and out of the forest. Jungle gyms took some space on the far left while a picnic area settled nicely at the back.

What she would give to have a-

Gunshots rang beside her.

In a moment, the once peaceful neighbor transformed into a circus. People screamed and ran for cover while others hid behind close doors or shops. Window shades pulled down, doors locked and bolted, and signs turned off.

As people rushed by her she saw a couple walking hand-in-hand wearing coats, their pace almost at a jog. Curious at their lack of umbrella, which at some point is understandable seeing as how Texas was the most bipolar state she knew, she kept her sight on them, the color of the man's hair something one could not miss.

Maroon colored hair, most possibly a wig, reached a good inch above his shoulders, sunglasses obscuring his eyes. The woman herself looked normal, brown waves swinging back and forth down her back, an unruly shade of amber eyes- more like yellow- stared at her for a scant second before looking away and picking up her pace.

A shout emerged from behind them, the man reaching inside his coat, taking out a gun before firing upon the uniformed officer. The woman ran for the closet vehicle, Rose's body frozen with shock as she saw everything happening in a blink of an eye.

Three pops were heard in the back of her mind, her eyes traveling to the cop who a second ago was standing and was now laying face down on the ground. The man ran to the middle of the street, a black mustang stopping in front of him. He opened the passenger side, sliding in before the car pulled out and drove away.

Without thinking it through she ran to the injured man, his navy blue shirt plastered to his skin thanks to the pouring rain. She tried to cover his already drenched form with her umbrella, sticking it to the ground while she turned him around, his right side saturated with blood.

Lifting his shirt up she saw the bullet hole, blood seeping from the wound. Shaking out from her trench coat she ripped the bottom half of her blouse in five even strips, pressing them against the wound. By all means she wasn't a doctor but she'd seen enough shows to know how to control a bullet wound and prevent the man from dying from blood loss.

She put her coat back on, reaching inside the pocket for her phone so she can call 9-1-1. Sirens from police cars and an ambulance reached her ears before she pressed the call button, silently thanking God.

She felt her hand getting sticky by the man's blood but didn't complain. If it meant saving his life then she'd do it again in a heartbeat.

She assessed him, eyes widening slightly as the words FBI written in the back of his shirt glared brightly at her. If the man was an agent and this was a case, then that meant Dimitri would be involved as well.

No wonder he'd been secretive the last couple of days.

Her head whipped to the side as footsteps pounded on the floor. The ambulance screeched to a halt, paramedics rushing out with a gurney following close behind. They moved her out of their way as they strapped the oxygen mask on his mouth, smiling in gratitude for keeping him alive while they got there.

Before she knew it she was being surrounded by federal agents, one man standing out from the rest of them.

"Dimitri!" He turned his head, his rain soaked hair tied behind in a ponytail, eyes widening as he approached her.

"What are you doing here? Are you hurt?"

She waved him off, her body suddenly feeling heavy and sluggish. Tiredness took over as he led her through the mass of people, bringing her umbrella with them, not that it was much use now that they were wet. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he steered her away from the crime scene.

Bystanders stayed behind the yellow police tape, cell phones in hand as they tried to get pictures of the accident. Dimitri felt an oncoming déjà vu, the pedestrians doing the same thing as they had done a month ago with Sinclair's death.

The ringing of a device broke their stride home. Grunting Rose pulled out her phone, her floors' secretary's name, Anne, flashing on her screen.

"Hello?"

"Rose! I'm so glad you answered, a man just came by not that long ago asking for you. He said he had some interesting news regarding Miss. Sinclair's death. He left his card for you to call back whenever you can."

Shocked, she asked Anne to repeat herself again, hanging up while Dimitri looked at her, concern flashing behind brown eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Silently she nodded, walking as if in a trance to their apartment building.

"Hey! Rose! Who was that on the phone?"

Turning around she looked him in the eye, excitement and worry etched on her face.

"Anne, my floors' secretary, just called. She said that a man came asking for me and left their card."

"Okay, so what the big deal?"

She pondered if she should tell him or not. Worried if he'd turn into Rambo once he knew what it was about. She was positive he will go all He-Man on her if he thought she was in danger.

Running her fingers through her hair she started biting the corner of her lip, looking off to the right were people started leaving the scene as time went by.

"Well? Spit it out alrea-"

"He has information on Mary Sinclair's death."

As if on cue he started rambling questions and wanting answers, a protective and possessive gleam in his eyes. However, his demands on staying away and not making contact with that man fell on deaf ears.


"Lissa speaking, who's this?"

Grinning, Rose announced herself, the woman on the other line laughing with joy. Pleasantries traveled back and forth, both smiling as they chatted away.

Her job this week had been hectic, papers thrown everywhere as the workers typed their latest reports. She, on the other hand, couldn't wait to get her hands on a story.

She's been bored for the past week, nothing and no one to keep her company. There was a moment of excitement when she had to give her statement to Dimitri and C.O. about the shooting since she was a witness, but other than that zilch – nada. Dimitri was out of the question, the house feeling empty with the tall Russian out all night. Not that she'd ever admit that.

The latest buzz, underpaid sailors assaulted by their bosses for 'keeping shipments to themselves' was handed down to her cubicle neighbor, Camille. She fought with her boss on this unfair matter, knowing full well that that story was supposed to be covered by her.

However, because of a certain someone who shall not be named, they had turned her down and given it to Camille the Collie. Ugh, what a pathetic nickname. Although, she is a bitch, so the Collie part fits her well.

Not that it deterred her. She still had Sinclair's story, one that she knew will get her recognized and hopefully give her enough confidence to transcend into a full fledged author.

Dimitri had often said she had talent and would become one, but he just said that because she was his best friend. Best friends can make white lies once in a while, right?

Setting up a place to meet Lissa at, Rose finished putting the last touches on a report she'd gotten a couple of weeks ago and powered off her computer. Grabbing her keys and cellphone, she walked to the elevator and down to the parking lot.

Starting the car, she drove to the coffee shop she was meeting Lissa in, anxious to get there and finally talk with someone.

Fifteen minutes later Rose found herself in front of the blond, Lissa's beauty making her feel like a walking zombie with her hair secured high up in a messy bun. Her personal choice of wardrobe, she quickly noted on - sweat pants hugging her legs and white long sleeve shirt caressing her arms - caused her to look like a warning hazard.

They talked about everything and anything and by the end of the hour they'd become the best of friends. They didn't share many things in common but their love for literature and history bonded them together tighter than glue.

Now she could finally say she had two great friends, two who she knew she could count on.

"So, do you want to go to the club tomorrow? It's Friday, the best night one can get drunk without thinking of the following day." She asked, grinning ear to ear.

"Sure. I don't have anything planned, and I'm positive Dimitri is going to be out all night once again."

They set up the time and place, giggling like high school girls at the thought of going wild and meeting hot guys.


"Loosen up, man. We're at a club forGod's sake! It's mandatory to get wasted and laid!"

Strobe lights flashed before and above them, people grinding against each other to Debbie Deb's: When I Hear Music screaming out from the speakers.

Lifting his drink, Dimitri scanned the crowd, an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt a gaze on him as if penetrating through him. Turning his head back to the front he saw the bartender gazing at him.

She smiled, gray eyes shining with lust as she traveled her gaze up and down his shirt covered chest. Slowly she dragged her middle finger down the front of her button down white, stopping at the dent of her breasts. He smiled back. Maybe getting laid is just what I need.

A guy walked over and sat down on the other side of the bar, rapping his knuckles against the wood to get her attention. She strolled her way to him, flirting with the guy who looked to be in his fifties. Her eyes staring straight at the Rolex attached to his left wrist while she practically rubbed her breasts on him.

Or not.

Interest lost he resumed his search, drumming his fingers against the music. His eyes widened, scrubbing them with the palms of his hands as he did a double take at a brunette in the back that strangely resembled Rose.

"I swear I just saw Rose," he told Ivan, one of his friends from the agency.

"Nah, man. It's just your mind playin' tricks on ya. Too much time with the chick if you ask me. Might as well go out with her and make your relationship officially boyfriend-girlfriend."

"What relationship? She and I are just friends. Friends. Period."

"Sure," his friend grinned, "just friends. You know I used to say the same thing about my wife and look at us now! Married five years and counting."

"Whatever. I do feel bad though that I lied to Rose about tonight. I know she's been worried about me- oh, wipe that grin off your face, its not like that- and here I am making matters worse."

"Well, what did you tell her?"

"That I had an undercover case and couldn't explain more of the matter since it was highly classified."

They shared a laugh as they finished off their drink, the effects from the Tequila finally making way through their body. Relaxed, they cracked some jokes, Dimitri going as far as recalling tales about Rose.

"Right as I was getting off from my chair she rammed into me, she fell and ripped the side of her pants upon the impact of the fall and the room burst into-" he stopped when he saw his friend stiffen, his gaze looking over his shoulder.

Confused Dimitri was about to turn around when a voice he didn't expect tonight stopped him dead.

"So I see you're very busy tonight. Undercover case? That's a new one, and I can see you're enjoying yourself especially since you're talking about something we both agree will not come up. Ever."

Closing his eyes he plastered on a smile before turning to Rose, the brunette apparently not alone.

"H-Hey Rose, what brings you here on a lovely nig-"

"Oh, save it for someone who gives a damn!" With that she turned and walked away with the blond on her side.

Silence enclosed upon the pair, the blaring of the music floating in the background. They stared at one and the other, Ivan scratching an itch at the back of his neck while Dimitri recalled what had happened a minute ago.

The silence between them so defining, so-

"Oh, shit..." Ivan grinned, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You're screwed."

Friends are such bitches when they're right.


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