Abby didn't know where she was headed once she stepped out of the center and she had a half mad thought of running to her car and driving home. From the moment Marcus walked over to her at breakfast, a smile on his face and no sign he was upset at her following him, Abby felt like she was in a parallel universe. He smiled, he laughed, he did all things she thought he was incapable of doing and it threw her off balance. She needed space but she needed closure and all of her jumbled emotions left her spinning in the wind.

"Hey, slow down."

She turned to see Marcus walking towards her quickly and Abby slowed down so he could catch up. She didn't know what could be happening in the next few minutes but something told her that her relationship with this strange man was in the process of changing forever. She couldn't think he was just an asshole who gave good face anymore and her nerves were almost shot with the idea of being attracted to him on more than the physical level. Deciding that she needed to drive home and reevaluate all her past judgments, Abby turned to let him know she had to go home.

"Did you want to grab a coffee and talk?" Marcus asked with a hopeful look on his face and her carefully constructed "no" fell apart like cotton candy on her tongue.

Pulling her keys out of her pocket, Abby nodded, "yeah, care to drive us somewhere?"

Pushing the keys away, Marcus said, "I know just the place and we can walk there."

A few minutes later found them seated at a small shop not far from Vera's with a wide array of pastries and dark strong coffee. Marcus ordered his usual black with sugar and bought Abby her usual white chocolate skinny latte'. Her amazement at his knowledge would have been funny if it weren't so sad that she didn't think he'd been paying attention.

"You only ever get one coffee drink Abby," he said with a sad smile, "eventually even a loutish judge from New York can figure it out."

His words made her flush and bury her head in her arms.

"I'm sorry," he said, "that was supposed to be funny."

"I know," she said and the words were muffled by her sleeve but she felt brave enough to talk like this, "it's just that I've been so idiotic and stubborn and of course you would know what my favorite coffee order is cause you pay attention to everything and I knew that but I didn't think you'd be paying attention to the nagging bitch who keeps ruining your plans."

Marcus took his seat and stared down into his coffee. She kept her face hidden so she didn't see the small smile grace his lips or the way he pulled a hand through his hair to steady himself.

"You are not a woman I could have ever ignored Abby. You don't allow it. That's what I admire about you."

Her head rose from the table to see him talking to his coffee cup. She didn't know what to think of the smile or his hair sticking out in all directions but she kept quiet and listened to him.

"I'm sorry I let my prejudice against reporters get in the way of really knowing you," he continued, "it wasn't fair and often I pushed at you just because I could. Every time you stood your ground with me, not giving in or backing down. I didn't know what a force of nature looked like as a person until I met you."

"I feel like a tornado that just ripped through your life," she commented and he shook his head to stop her from continuing on that line of thinking.

"Please don't do that," he said softly, "I get that we both could have handled things better up until this point. I guess I am asking if you want to try again."

"Try again?" she asked with confusion.

Holding out his hand, Marcus looked her in the eye and said, "Hello, I'm Marcus Kane."

She stared at his hand for a few seconds before grasping it firmly, "I'm Abby Griffin, nice to meet you."

His eyes shimmered with delight, "nice to meet you as well."

Abby cracked and started laughing at the absurdity of it all but her heart felt lighter than it had since she realized Marcus' secret. When his laugh joined hers, Abby felt the familiar pang in her chest at the sound and knew she had already lost the battle for her heart.

"I have a daughter and an ex-husband that I don't see anymore," Abby told him once the laughter died down.

At his frown she explained, "I stalked you and learned something you would have rather kept hidden from me. I thought it appropriate to offer up one of my own secrets."

Marcus nodded and sipped his coffee as she told him about Jake and Clarke and the struggles of knowing her daughter when the girl lived so far away. Holding her hand as she talked felt so natural, Marcus didn't realize that his thumb moved over her skin as she spoke or that any time she looked down at the table in grief, he tightened his grip. He knew her strength when it came to battling with politicians but he sat in awe at her strength as a mother and a person who couldn't give up on anyone. His heart ached or her and he wanted to gather her in his arms and protect her from everyone. Being who she was, he gathered she wouldn't appreciate the desire but Marcus couldn't stop from wanting to punch her ex-husband in the throat or giving Clarke a reality check.

A click from outside the shop distracted Marcus and he looked up to see Finn Collins waving at him as his camera flashed.

Abby jerked her hand back across the table but her stomach dropped as she realized what Collins would do with the pictures he took.

"What the hell?" Marcus yelled as the smaller man grinned and ran off to his van.

Abby cursed under her breath, "Do you think he just got here?"

"I hope so," Marcus said, "but this means I can't go back to moms and get my things."

If Finn followed them back to the Center, it would be all over for his mother's secret mission and Marcus wouldn't risk that for anything. Cursing under his breath, Marcus stood and led Abby out of the coffee shop, hoping Finn was long gone with his pictures.

"That man needs a swift kick to the head to put us all out of our misery," He muttered with venom in his voice.

Abby wholeheartedly agreed, "Call your mom and explain things. We can walk back to the car since its position shouldn't direct anyone to the center."

Leaving the coffee shop, Marcus growled, "This is why I hate reporters."

"This is why I hate Collins," Abby told him with a shove, "my best friend is a reporter for the Washington Post and she is lovely."

Turning around and seeing her scowl, Marcus let his anger dissipate, "yes, this is why I hate reporters like Collins."

Seeing Abby smile at him, Marcus decided that anger wasn't worth holding on to when he could make her smile wanted to keep her smiling but they needed to get home and do damage control before Collins destroyed all they worked so hard to fix.

Nodding her understanding, Abby pointed at Raven's car sitting next to the cafe and grinned, "That's mine. We can be on the road before Collins can find us again."

He hated leaving his mother's so suddenly but he knew she would understand so with Abby driving; the pair left New York behind and headed back for DC.