Thanks once more to Keaira.

So…here's one more hint, and it's an intellectually stimulating one. Ok – so there's hints hidden throughout this entire fic of a couple major events that are about to happen in the next chapter (as well as later on), but it's almost like a puzzle. If you want to figure it out, not only are you going to need to find the blatant hints, you'll need to find the hidden hints, and even look past them. Once you find them, you need to figure out what they mean, and who or what they implicate.

Rated M, I guess, only if for a couple foul words, but hey, it's dialogue.

And don't worry if the title seems a bit cryptic, it may become clearer in 10B

Opening lyrics come from Linkin Park's Easier To Run; end lyrics belong to Coldplay's Till Kingdom Come

Chapter 10A: Of Guns, Jewelry, and Insects from Spain - Part One

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If I could change I would
Take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
If I could take all the shame to the grave I would
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Lucy's POV

I forced down a gulp, I was standing directly in the line of fire of a military-issued gun, that was equipped with a silencer. If I even tried anything funny, I'd be dead before I had a chance to turn the tide. I looked up at the aggressor, and realized that I didn't have a chance anyway. I'd be dead within the minute anyway, most likely.

"Diamond," she snarled.

I'd never forget the promise she made to me on the night she finally accepted the veracity of the love between Amy and myself, and if I knew anything about her, neither did she.

If you break her heart, I will hunt you down and kill you.

Seeing the circumstances Amy and I were in right now, I had no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Max would hold true to that promise.

"What did I tell you back in Barcelona, Diamond?" Max asked menacingly. Each time she said my name, she injected it with such venom that it was difficult to tell what was worse, her stone cold glare, or the pure hatred in her voice. "I didn't get you two that fucking pardon so that you could go and screw the next girl that comes around. I told you that if you broke her heart I would kill you. Did you think I was joking?" She glared at me, almost as if expecting an answer to the rhetorical question she had just asked. "Max Brewer does not joke about stuff like that. I don't care if you still love Amy, or whatever other bullshit might come out of your mouth. She doesn't want to see you anyway. Diamond, I've been looking forward to this day for a long time."

I just stared at her, and my face melted. I had no hatred for this girl, she was only helping a friend, and after what I had done to Amy…well, "Go ahead. Pull the trigger," I said.

"What?" Scud asked, shock registering on his face. "Lucy, you can't be serious!"

"I am, Scud," I said to him over my shoulder, "I deserve it."

"You are joking, though, right?" Max asked, with a strange look that could almost be described as hurt. Apparently, Max was not all too keen about killing if her prey wasn't scared of her.

"No, I'm not." I said, "Look, what I did to Amy…God, I can never forgive myself. I don't even know why I did it, or what crossed my mind. I pushed her away…I pushed away the only person who's ever meant more to me than myself." I began to admit, emotions just taking over.

"Lucy," Max said a little sympathetically letting out a sigh and putting down her gun, "come inside. Let's talk about this." She stepped away from the door and Scud and I walked into the D.E.B.S.' house. I sat down on the couch next to the video display that doubled as a framed picture, displaying only three D.E.B.S. Scud came in and sat on the chair directly next to me, and Max remained standing. I didn't see Janet, Dominique, or Amy; perhaps they weren't there.

"Max, I don't know what I can do. I've lost her, and I never meant to hurt her…"

"Well you did do a damn good job of that," Max quipped.

"I know, and believe me, it breaks my heart more. I don't even know how it happened. I mean, one second I was in the bar at a hotel, and the next thing I remember, I'm in bed with my ex." I paused for a few seconds. I knew it wouldn't really mean much to Max, but still I tried to get her to believe the truth. "If I could take everything back, turn back time, I would. I don't know if I could have avoided my obligation to Corleone, he can bend anyone's will, and the things he's capable of…I had to hold up my end of the bargain. But, as far as Chastity, I didn't want to do it. Max, you've got to believe me, there's no one in the world I love more than Amy. And if she really doesn't want to see me, like you said, well, I'd rather die than live without her."

"You don't have to do that," a familiar voice said from behind the wall. As the figure of my one true love appeared in the doorway, I turned to mush, and my crying became a sob begging for forgiveness.

"Amy…I…didn't want to…you know that…I love you," the words came out mumbled and incomprehensible between sobs.

Amy walked around the room and sat next to me on the couch, reaching for my hands and clasping them with her own as Dominique and Janet descended down the stairs. Scud waved to Janet, a smile on his face, and she promptly folded her arms and looked towards the wall. Soon all the DEBS were around. Amy and I really needed a private conversation, but there wasn't much of a chance for that with everyone in the room.

"Lucy," Amy began, looking me in the eye, "I love you too, and I know you know that." I nodded, words not forming. "But Lucy, you hurt me. You really hurt me. I don't know if I can get over that. I mean, it doesn't really matter that you didn't want to have sex with her…it matters that you did."

"I know," I said, hanging my head. "There's no excuse for it, but if I had been conscious, I would have stopped it. It never would've gotten to the point it did.

"Maybe, Lucy…but you were in another world that night. I'm sorry for reacting the way I did after finding out that you were in Pink Thunder, but I don't know if I can forgive what you did."

"Amy," Scud said, "what if Lucy was drunk, or really didn't know what she was doing, like she said?"

"Scud, thanks for everything, but I was wrong, even though I didn't know what was going on."

"But you two look so cute together!" Janet added. "You're like the perfect couple."

"Yeah…perfect," I said.

"Thanks, Janet, but not needed right now."

"You two really need to zettle zis. Mattares of ze 'eart need to be zolved," Dominique added her thoughts.

"No, what we need is some privacy," I said. "I appreciate you all giving suggestions, but we need to talk in private."

"Go out the doorway and make a left. Then Amy knows where the den is, lock the door and you should have privacy in there."

"Thanks a lot Max," Amy said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around Max. Max, for all her aggressiveness, wasn't all that bad. She was to Amy what Scud was to me, a sibling who wasn't actually related by blood. Maybe I could learn to like Max, I thought as Amy led me to the room where Max had suggested.

"Amy," Max called, "just don't make the same mistake twice." Unless I was taking that the wrong way, Max was pretty much telling her not to make up with me.

Maybe I was wrong; maybe I wouldn't ever learn to like Max

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Scud's POV

Lucy and Amy moved their conversation into the other room to get some privacy, and then I saw my chance to make things right with Janet. Unfortunately, I would have rather done that in private without two other D.E.B.S. butting into our business. I cleared my throat.

"Ahem…girls, we've got another relationship problem here," I pointed at Janet and then quickly turned my finger back to me, then back at Janet. I repeated this motion a couple times. "Any chance we could get any privacy?"

"No." Max said bluntly. If I had learned one thing since taking up residence with the D.E.B.S. it was this – you never mess with Max. Well, not unless your name was Lucy Diamond, she had balls…well, actually she didn't, I did, but…you know. Anyway if you weren't able to recklessly gamble, you just had to swallow and suck it up.

"Fine," I grumbled. "Janet, for the sake of not repeating the heartfelt apology we just heard from the other D.E.B. 'slash' villain couple, let's just say that I second everything about not wanting to hurt you. Believe me, if I didn't have to do it, I wouldn't have. But Lucy…well, she's been like a sister to me for around five years now. You know that, and you also know that I love you. You're higher in priority than her, but she's right up there too.

"Still," I continued my planned monologue, "if there's one person in this world who I would jump off a bridge for. If there was one person who I would sacrifice anything for, it's you." I bent down on my knee, and, knowing what was coming, Janet's face lit up. "And Janet, I know this may not truly make it up to you, but would you make me the happiest man in history?" I reached in the pocket of my leather jacket, only to find that the ring and its box weren't there. Saying that I was embarrassed would have been an understatement. I was petrified – petrified that I had lost the ring, and worse yet, petrified that I had lost thousands of Lucy's money. The ring had been in my pocket in the car, and the only person I had stood next to was…Janet.

"Looking for something?" Janet grinned foolishly at me, tossing a black felt-covered box up in the air. "I've still got it," she said, handing me back the box.

"Yes you do…just don't do that again," I responded, standing up and taking the box back from her. Janet never ceased to amaze me. I guess it was fitting – if she was going to accept my apology for dabbling in my old life, I couldn't be angry at her for reverting to her old ways either. "Anyway, now that I can do this properly," I got back down on my knee, "Janet, will you marry me?" I asked, opening the box and showing her the diamond ring I (or Lucy) had bought.

"Oh…my…God…" Janet gasped with the same reaction to the ring that I had experienced. "Did you pick that out Scud?"

"Yes," I lied.

"Scud…I don't know…" she said deliberately, seemingly making up her mind.

"I got you a sweater," I blurted, "it's cashmere, just like you like. It's out in the car."

"YES! I'll marry you Scud!" Janet exclaimed joyfully, as she let me slide the ring onto her finger. It seemed to fit, although I had just a little trouble putting it on her. I made a mental note to thank Lucy – I should've been the one to think of buying the sweater – it had been a sure-fire shortcut.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," said Max. "That's it? No argument? Janet, he lied to you."

"Yeah, so? I love cashmere," I looked at her with my lower lip protruding and my eyebrow furrowed, as if to ask Is that the only thing you love? "and Scud."

"Janet, he's still a criminal! He fooled us for a while, but then he and Lucy got right back on the horse. You think they'll ever change?! You're deluding yourself."

"You know what Max?" Janet started, turning to Max and putting both hands on her hips…oh boy, I loved Janet in a mood. "At the airport, I thought things had changed…I thought you were going to be a little bit nicer and more considerate to everyone. I guess I was wrong. You're still a snob. You know, you want every relationship around here to fail because you've never had a meaningful relationship. Every boy you go out with is a one-day deal. They're never good enough for you, and you know why? It's because you're still not over your relationship issues with your father. Maybe you can never let yourself be open to love, but you can let other people. Can't you?"

"But…" Max began, but quickly became silent again, acknowledging defeat. "Yeah, well don't come crying back to me when he does this again," she added after a few seconds.

"I promise, from now on, I'm playing it straight," I said, standing once again, placing an arm around Janet and holding her close to me.

"Yeah, right. Once a criminal, always a criminal," Max muttered.

"Just leave it," Janet said to me.

About a half hour later, Lucy finally entered the room again, sans Amy.

"So…how'd it go?" Janet asked.

"Don't want to talk about it," Lucy replied hastily, all the while shooting me a look that told me something that no one else caught onto. Something had gone right. She stopped and stood in the room.

"So, you leaving for Spain again?" I asked.

"Yeah, would you and Janet care to join me?" Lucy asked. "Oh, and Janet, congrats, by the way. Scud's a great guy," she said, noticing the engagement ring on her finger.

"Yes he is," Janet said lovingly, looking up at me. I squeezed her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Geez, you two are going to make me sick," Lucy said. "So, how about Barcelona?"

"Lucy, let us get settled back together first. I promise, we'll visit very soon," I said.

"Great. Can't wait, it'll be lonely there all by myself," she said. "Anyway, Scud, want to grab your stuff out of the car? I'm going to go return it and get a ticket for the next flight from hell."

"Sure," I laughed, following her out to the car.

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Lucy's POV

When my section was called, I boarded the plane's first class section and found my seat. Without Scud, this probably would be worse of a flight than the first one, if that were possible. At times like this, I really wished that I still had Amy around with me. After a few minutes, a large, balding, middle-aged man bearing a Caesar-like crown of hair sat next to me, his shirt marked with multiple food and condiment stains, and he still had pieces of food in his beard.

Maybe I should fly coach next time, I thought as I picked up the phone located on the headrest directly in front of me. I reached into my wallet, picked out my credit card and swiped it through the slot in the machine. I dialed a number that I knew by heart. One ring…two rings…three rings…I was starting to be afraid that she wouldn't pick up. Finally in the middle of the fourth ring, she answered.

I smiled as I heard her voice. "Hi yourself." I returned her greeting. "Have I ever told you how great it is to hear your voice? Anyway, when are you coming back to Barcelona?" I asked, listening to her answer, as I quickly and regretfully took at a look at the grotesque man sitting next to me picking his teeth. You have got to be kidding me.

"Good, I'll be waiting for you." I turned my full attention back to the phone call. "I know I've already apologized a lot, but I'm sorry again." I chuckled slightly at the playful chastising I was getting for once again apologizing.

"Fine, I'm sorry for saying I'm sorry too many times," I laughed. "Hurry back, we have some checking up to do, and some ass to kick." Satisfied with her response and with the fact that she was coming back, I could end the call with a smile.

"Bye Amy."

My smile soon faded as the sloppy man next to me turned his double-chinned head to look at me

"So, who's Amy?"

Not again!

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Scud's POV

Later that night, I was in the bathroom next to Janet's room in the house, when I heard her call to me.

"Scud! Scud!"

"What's wrong?" I called back.

"The ring, it's stuck; I can't get it off. How did you pick a size?"

I kept silent...

"You didn't grab someone of the street did you?"

Again, I kept silent - in this case, that was the only reasonable course of action.

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For you I've waited all these years
For you I'd wait till kingdom come
Until my day, my day is done
And say you'll come and set me free
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me
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So, you may wonder why I'm straying from my norm and putting 10A as the chapter number…well, let's just say that 10B will be the same scene from another perspective. Look for it tomorrow or Friday.