Putting The Gun Down

Chapter 6: Truth

After spending three hours at the grocery store, two hours at the gym, and one hour researching Prince Eric of Georgia, Elizabeth found herself planted in front of Ryan's apartment at exactly six pm. She pushed her false glasses up the arch of her nose and put on a fake smile after taking in a slow, deep sigh and tapping her knuckles softly against the door. It swung open only seconds later revealing Ryan in his dress shirt, untucked from his pants with the sleeves rolled up and the first two buttons undone. "Hello Ryan," her voice was giddy and her smile was bright. Ryan was frightened by it. "It's a beautiful day outside. I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk."

"Uh," he looked around. Clearly, the man was a little paranoid. "Sure, let me just get my jacket."

They walked in silence out of the building. Elizabeth had always loved being outside. She didn't get much fresh air given that living in Division was like living in a dungeon. She loved sunshine and trees, but her favorite thing was flowers. There weren't too many in the city to look at, but when she did see them, she always took a minute to take in there beauty. Her favorite flower was a Gardenia.

When they found themselves at the nearby park Elizabeth sat down at a bench with Ryan beside her, both taking in their surroundings. Across from them was a small playground that looked to have been there for thirty or forty years. Children were playing with each other and their parents. To the right of the playground was a batch of picnic tables and to the left was a small group of trees with the leaves bright red and orange.

They both looked forward watching the people pass by and the families having fun on the playground. Without turning to look at him, Elizabeth asked, "You talk to Nikita yet?"

"You said that if I had any news to text you to meet at the-"

"I know what I said," Elizabeth responded blatantly. "I'm sorry; I'm just feeling a little impatient. And don't worry there's no one watching us. That's my job remember?"

"It's been less then a day," he tried to defend himself. "Do you realize how difficult it is to get in contact with her?"

"Really?" she said turning to look at him. Her eyes locked with his and her stomach tightened."Because, I happen to know exactly where she's going to be this Friday night. I need you to get me a meeting with her before then, otherwise I'll do this on my own."

Ryan looked her in the eye, with his frustration hitting a breaking point. "I don't understand you. You have an obsession with talking to Nikita, and yet from where I stand, you seem pretty damn loyal to the people that she's trying to bring down."

"The world isn't black and white Ryan," Elizabeth turned her head back to the people in the park. There was a small girl playing on the monkey bars. She was maybe six or seven. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. It moved up and down as the girl jumped into as if she thought she could fly. Elizabeth smiled at the young girl laughing and having fun. The girl ran over to her mother and she embraced her tightly. Elizabeth felt a small pang in her heart as she looked down at her feet. "Nikita was the first person who ever believed me."

"About what?"

There was a long pause. Elizabeth hadn't talked about it in so long.

"Everyone thinks I killed her." Ryan didn't need Elizabeth to tell him who "her" was. He knew by the way she looked at the mother and daughter playing just twenty feet away from them. "When I first got to Division, I tried to tell anyone who would listen that I was innocent, that I didn't belong there. No one cared. They all thought I was crazy or in denial. The more I whined about it, the more sessions I was forced to sit through with Amanda. She kept trying to get me to admit to it, but I couldn't. Eventually I just sort of learned to keep my mouth shut."

"Unbelievable," Ryan shook his head with disbelief and shock. "They turned an innocent thirteen year old girl into a trained killer."

"I had just turned eighteen when they sent me on my first kill job," she continued. "I remember hyperventilating when I found out I would be graduating soon. I almost passed out. Nikita had only been in Division for a few months. I barely knew her, but for some reason she was the only person that was able to calm me down. The day before I went out for the mission, I let it slip to her that I had never murdered anyone before. That someone else killed my mother. She believed me when no one else did."

"So," Ryan was still doing his best to piece everything together. "You're just trying to catch up with an old friend?" He knew that wasn't the right answer, but it was his best guess and he was hoping he could coax a real answer out of her.

"The first rule you learn in Division is don't try to contact anyone from your old life, and don't try to uncover anything from your past. While I may think Nikita is a dead woman for leaving Division, she may be the only person who can help clear my name."

Ryan slouched back into the bench."I'll do my best to get in contact with her tomorrow," he said.

"Thank you," she replied looking up at him again. "You know it's kinda nice having someone to talk to outside of Division. I'm glad you trust me. You do trust me, don't you?"

He raised an eyebrow and smirked, leaning in closer to her. "Don't give me a reason not to." Elizabeth felt her face heat up. She was absolutely mesmerized by his eyes and the way he stared at her. Her stomach felt like it was going to explode, and her heart was beating a million times per second.

She wasn't sure if she liked having those feelings for Ryan, not when she had only had that feeling for one other person, and they ended up breaking her heart.

"I won't," she breathed out. She leaned in and did what she thought was the most despicable thing she could possibly do.

She kissed him.

And just as fast as she leaned in, she let go. The kiss didn't last for more then a second. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" her heart only beat faster. "I have this problem where I let my emotions take over and I-"

"Elizabeth," he said putting a hand on her shoulder and rubbing it with his thumb. "It's fine." She shook her head frantically out of embarrassment. "Really, it's fine. You're in a vulnerable state right now. I get it."

And that was the difference between Ryan and Birkhoff. Ryan really did "get it".

As Elizabeth felt her heart rate go down she nudged Ryan in the stomach with a gentle smile on her face and said, "I told you to call me Crow."

"Why is that you're nickname anyway?"

"That's a question you can save for my interview Mr. Fletcher."

"I thought you said you would consider the interview after you talked to Nikita?"

"I did," Elizabeth replied. "But I'm aloud to change my mind. As long as you don't treat me like a Rubik's Cube, like Amanda does."

"Never," he said. Elizabeth couldn't help but find his smile endearing.

"Look," she said getting back to more important matters and trying to avoid the enormous butterfly moving around in her stomach. "If Nikita has any doubts, tell her I know about Alex."

And suddenly he had a reason not to trust her. Ryan's eyes widened. He looked around the area; his paranoia was getting to him again. Leaning in for the second time, he whispered, "You know about Alex?!"

"It's a long story, but it's one that'll get her attention."

"Does Division-?"

"No," Elizabeth replied quickly. "I haven't told them."

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

Ryan could see by the way she looked away from him that that wasn't true. "Yes you do. You have your doubts about Division. I can tell. You want to join Nikita's side."

"No," her voice was abrupt. Ryan noticed a complete change in attitude. "Nikita is a fool. She thinks she can take that place down? I've been there longer than anyone, and I've watched others try to destroy it too. Do you know what happens to them? They all end up in a meat grinder somewhere."

"So then why risk it?" he asked her. "Why disobey orders?" She didn't have an answer. "I know it has to be more then just wanting to clear your name." Ryan watched as Elizabeth stared down at her hands, playing with her fingers. "You don't need to join Nikita's side. You're already on it."

Elizabeth stood. She was infuriated by the accusation. Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she said, "Just get me that meeting. I'll see you tomorrow. No need to text me to meet you at the coffee shop. I'll already be there." Elizabeth left Ryan sitting on the bench alone. She walked briskly back to her apartment and for the second day in a row she found herself flopping onto her bed in frustration and grabbing her laptop to send her report to Percy.

Percy,

Still no news from Fletcher about Nikita. He's starting to warm up to me though.

The following day was just as eventful as the one previous. Elizabeth spent a few hours at the gym, a few hours shopping for the exhibition that she would be attending, and once again she found herself walking into the coffee shop to meet Ryan at exactly six o'clock. He was sitting in the back corner. His leg was shaking and his eyes were shifting around with anxiety. When he spotted her, he stood up straight.

She took her seat across from him and crossed one leg over the other underneath the table. "Good news I hope?"

"I got a hold of Nikita," he replied. "I called her this morning."

"And…"

"She didn't say anything," Ryan watched as she pushed her short brown hair out of her face in annoyance. "I told her about Alex, I told her about why you said you wanted to get in contact with her; I even told her that you knew where she was going to be on Friday night. She just hung up on me."

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair with a slight look of defeat in her eyes. "Then I need you to get me two invitations to the opening of the Georgian Crowned Jewel Exhibit on Friday night. And don't tell me you can't do it. You may be a low level analyst, but I know you've got friends in higher places."

"I can't just-"he watched her eyebrows raise and her lips fall into a smirk. "Fine. Who's the second one for?"

"You."

"What?"

"I may be the only one tracking you," she explained. "But I have a whole squadron of nerds and Percy tracking me. If I go as your date, I'll have an excuse to be there."

"You've really thought this through," he said impressed.

"Yes, I have," she uncrossed her legs and leaned in towards the table. "I've already picked out my dress and everything. All we need is a snazzy suit for you and we'll be ready to go."

Ryan and Elizabeth chose to walk home together, not because they only lived two doors downs from one another, but because as twisted and confusing as their relationship (or whatever one might call it) was, they still enjoyed each other's company. They found each other interesting. Elizabeth liked how seemingly normal Ryan was, and it completely perplexed her as to why he would have even decided to get involved with Nikita in the first place. Ryan found her just as perplexing as she did him. He had promised not to "solve her like a Rubik's Cube", as she so put it, but that was difficult for him. Despite how honest and open she seemed, he could tell there was just so much more to be learned. And he wanted to know it all.

Sitting on the welcome mat in front of Elizabeth's door was a brown package labeled "FRAGILE". Elizabeth looked up at Ryan curiously. He simply grinned back at her. He may not have known what was in the box, but he did know who it was from. "So, I'll see you on Friday?"

"What?" she said distracted by the mysterious piece of mail. "Oh, yeah. I'll see you Friday. Just text me what time you want to meet."

"Sure," he said. "Till then, Elizabeth." She chuckled slightly as she watched him walk away. Her cheeks had lit up like a Christmas tree once again.