He didn't know what to do with himself. Two of the world's highly trained agents were sent to kill a thirty- two year old scientist and returned empty handed. Eric had spent the night burning all the Outcome files to black ash that now smeared the dismal hallways. According to the government, it didn't exist any more.

It seemed as though his yelling was growing useless. His voice was so tainted it was like everyone began to avoid him. Life was simply becoming more and more distraught.

Byer walked down the halls alone, a firm scowl etched upon his stormy blue eyes.

His entourage had long since abandoned his side, as they were reassigned to other areas along the trading posts. Even Terry, annoying as he was, left the building with an eerie feel to it.

The door opened before he could knock, giving him access to a tight, dimly lit room with smoke looming right above his head.

The three others in the room merely turned their heads at his presence. Eric sat down and poured himself a drink, averting his eyes to the ground like everyone else.

"Outcome is gone." He said bluntly, just for confirmation.

"We have all the medical work on file," The woman added.

There was a quick silence as Byer tried and think of the words he needed to say.

"I've been thinking about how to change how we treat our agents." This of course got the attention of everyone in the room. They remained silent, their eyes edging him to continue.

"We can't afford for them to have free thoughts like Cross did. That's why I propose we make a pill that fully eliminates that possibility."

The man intervened in a rough voice, "you so realize what this means, right?"

Eric sighed and rubbed his eyes with his forefingers. "It's our only possibility. If something like Aaron Cross ever happens again... Well that's the last straw I guess,"

There was still silence across the small wooden table, but no one protested.

"Now if you excuse me," he said in a hasty voice, "I have more papers to move."

Byer then got up from the table, leaving his drink, and slipped through the door without a sound.

Everyone else stared into a sleepless silence, until they too got up and left the room. The man was about to leave when he saw something resting on the chair Eric had just left from. The man walked over and snatched the paper, realizing it was a photo. His brow furrowed, only seeing a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes instead of any tip secret information. Still, he felt obliged to do the right thing.

Leaving the room in a hurry, the man jogged down the hallway and down the flight of stairs until he caught up with Eric.

"You dropped this," the man said, breathing hard. Eric spun around and gave him a slightly confused look until he caught sight of the picture fastened in his hand. He jerked it out from his fingers and slid it back into his wallet before the man could even read the text marked in pen on the back.

"Thanks," Byers muttered, turning back around and towards his car.

She was used to getting up at five A.M. Even though the nights were usually short and restless, Marta couldn't help but waking up before the sunlight did. It was always the perfect time to analyze data and write reports; the cool air helped her mind think.

But as Marta sat up in her bed, she realized she had no reason to be up. There was nothing to do. Suddenly, she missed her lab, and everything and everyone in it. She missed Laura's stupid jokes she'd laugh through anyways, the sound of Joseph's coffee maker running, and even Daniel's annoying habit of tapping pencils.

She ran a brush through her hair and walked down the dark hall, figuring it was best to give the high wired agent some extra sleep. Before she knew where she was headed to Marta ended up in the kitchen. She flipped on the light and searched though the cabinets, suddenly glad they had stopped by the grocery store on their way home from home improvement shopping.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sweet, intoxicating aroma of grease popping off strips of bacon and frying eggs. It wasn't soon before Aaron stumbled down the hallway like a bee to its honey.

"I thought you'd wake up soon enough." Marta said matter of factly, raising a conspicuous eyebrow.

"It's too early," he groaned, a brown bathrobe tied loose around his waist.

She simply rolled her eyes and grabbed a silver plate from the cupboard, dishing him up some food.

"I thought today we could go down the neighborhood and introduce ourselves. You know, what normal people do when they move in." She told him as he sat down at the wooden table. Aaron made a face.

"Why? I thought the idea was to not put ourselves out there."

"People aren't going to know us as the loner couple who stay inside all day, that's why." She said annoyingly, taking a seat in the chair next to him.

"What, no bacon for the scientist?" Aaron joked, seeing her plate was only filled with eggs and accompanied by a full mug of jet black coffee.

"Bacon isn't good for you, that's why."

Aaron let out a chuckle, and playfully poked her stomach with his index finger. "There's barely anything to ya!"

She blushed, reaching over and snatching a piece of his bacon and sticking it into her mouth.

"Guess this whole identity change thing could have its benefits."

The pleasant afternoon air was cool against Marta's skin as the two of them walked out the front door and down the windy sidewalk. She spent about twenty minutes debating on what to wear, which was weird because never in her life had she looked at herself in the mirror for that long. The end result was a starched knee length purple skirt and a thin, long sleeved shirt with a gray wool jacket. It was hard for her to believe it was really October; it had just seemed like yesterday the sun was beating down like they were all inside an oven. But then again, a couple days prior she was almost frozen to a Popsicle.

"See Aaron, taking a walk outside is good for you." She smiled as they turned the corner to the adjacent house. "Now- follow my lead." She muttered, stepping up on the pealing white stairs. Aaron rang the doorbell and took a step backwards. A few seconds ticked by before the door opened, revealing a small child, no older than ten years old.

"Hi," Marta smiled, "are your parents home?"

Before the girl could reply, a big man with rectangular glasses perched on top of his nose came into view.

"Hi, we're the new neighbors." Aaron said this time, extending an arm outwards.

The man shook it heartily as a woman, presumably his wife, met him at the front door. "Did you guys move into the house next door?"

The two of them smiled back in return.

"That house was only up for sale for a month. Where did you two move from?"

"Illinois," Marta replied, her anxiety fading away quickly.

The wife's face this lit up. "It's just a coincidence you two showed up now. There's a party down at the Richardson's place tonight, five houses from here. You two should come!"

Aaron exchanged a surprised glance over at Marta that read, 'parties really aren't my thing, I'd rather drown in my own blood', though he kept his cool.

"We'd love to. I'm Claire, and this is my husband Jack."

"You'll love it here. And you two make an adorable couple."

Aaron then laid a tense arm around her shoulders. Marta was afraid he was going to squeeze her to death.

"Thank you; there's no one else of rather be with than Jack." She said in a sweet, girly tone, though she knew he would be getting onto her about it when they got home.

"Do you have any kids?" The woman asked, with eyes that almost glittered every time they moved.

"Nope, no kids." Aaron replied in a not so subtle tone of voice.

"We sure are trying, though, right Jack." She said charismatically, shifting her eyes over to meet his. Aaron responded by tightening his grip around her shoulders, making her clench her teeth together in pain.

"Well we really should be going," Aaron finally said, before things got really awkward.

"Okay, I guess we'll be seeing you two tonight." Replied the woman.

"We'll be there." Marta smiled, marveling in how the husband had been so quiet the whole time. "Oh, I didn't catch your name,"

"Grace, and this is Mark."

Before Marta could reply, Aaron was directing her by the shoulders back down the cement pathway. Once they heard the door shut, the two of them immediately separated.

"What was that all about?" Aaron growled, jamming his hands into his jean pockets.

"Sorry, just having some fun," Marta grinned, savoring being on the upper hand for once.

"Well I'm not going to that party."

She rolled her eyes. "You sound like a deprived eight year old boy. We're going to that party. You're gonna dress up nice, and pretend like it's the best night of your life."

He scowled back at her before opening the door to their house. "Next time, I'm doing the talking."

Aaron was not having a good day. He knew Marta was just pulling his chain, but he wasn't a people person. The last party he attended resulted in a Tuareg ambush and a shot to the leg. He had spent the rest of the day setting up the TV and flipping through the channels. Marta eventually gave up on getting his ass off the couch, and was soon buried in room decorations. She realized they would have to make fake wedding photos, fake family members, and fake friends to fill their empty shelves. Home, she thought, was supposed to be a place that held many treasurable memories and was filled with love, not a vacant, expressionless hideaway from the outside world. The pictures Marta had bought were simple designs that looked nice, but only added to the dullness. Suddenly, she didn't want to live in such a strange house with her so called husband. She began to long for her old bedroom she had shared with two of her sisters before she moved out- before things got bad. It had been extremely cramped and may have been worn down by many spilled nailpolish bottles, various hair products and littered with clothes, but it was home. Living with Peter wasn't home- far from it, actually. And now she was here, pretending to be someone she wasn't and continuing the lying legacy, every tear that dropped from her rosy cheeks something she missed from her old life.

Marta hadn't realized how much time went by once she fell onto her bed and cried. She really hoped Aaron couldn't hear her. Sitting up quickly, she glanced at the clock and hurriedly dove into her closet, filing through her clothes until she reached the only dress she had bought from her one shopping trip. It was red, her favorite color, and was made up of a soft, silky material. She then showered, slipped on the dress, and jammed her flat iron plug into the bathroom outlet.

When Marta finished, she grabbed her heels and ran downstairs, ten minutes until it started, to find Aaron still sitting shiftless on the couch.

"We have to leave soon, get up!" She shouted towards him, walking over to switch off the TV.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"Get upstairs and change!"

He scowled at her. "Have fun going by yourself. Nice dress by the way."

She sighed irritably, throwing her shoes at him and heading back upstairs. He heard the loud sound of drawers being yanked open. A moment later, she returned with a blue dress shirt clutched in her hands.

"Put this on." She ordered, eyes narrowed towards him.

He continued to glare at her, unmoving.

"Seriously? I never thought one guy could be this immature," she growled, mainly to herself, reaching down and hauling Aaron to his feet.

"You're going even if I have to shove you out the door."

She then worked on pulling his shirt off, despite his protests, and tugging on the blue button up shirt.

"Your hands are freezing!"

"Good." She said, resisting the urge to slap him. Once she finished buttoning him up, she took his hand and grabbed her shoes with the other.

"There, like dressing a baby."

They were soon out the door, becoming Jack and Claire Davis yet again. Marta noticed, though it was getting dark, how Aaron changed that scowl on his face into a well mannered, upbeat look. She let out a relieved sigh; she was done playing mommy for a day.

The journey down the street was uneventful and quiet; the air was chilly, the only warmth coming from holding Aaron's hand. She could just start to see the house Grace was talking about when Aaron spoke.

"Things would be a whole lot easier if you didn't have to stick your damn nose into everyone's damn business." He said in a deep and terrifying voice.

Marta's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know what to do. She felt like he had hit her hard in the stomach, her head was spinning out of control like a crashing airplane. It really wasn't the words he said, it was the fact that they were still holding hands, he expression was still pleasurable, and he didn't feel tense at all. His eyes were set forward as if his world was going just the way he wanted it to, while she continued to struggle for breath. But no tears came.

It was then that Marta stumbled on a raise in the sidewalk, almost sending her to the ground. She caught herself on her own though, just a few more steps until the front door of the house.

This is the real test; her mind yelled at her, Claire Davis is a happy married woman about to attend a party...

Aaron rang the doorbell, and soon the door was opened, letting out the loud voices of laughing adults and bright colors.

"Are you two the new neighbors Grace told me about?" Asked an older woman, obviously very wealthy from her appearance.

"We sure are," Marta smiled, soon following Aaron inside.

The party wasn't all that bad. Aaron thought it would be a bunch of snobs eating food and talking about housework, but it wasn't anything like that at all. The men were welcoming, and while some of them did talk about their wives or their kids, others were into hunting and running- man stuff. Aaron fit in nicely; soon he had to catch himself from talking too much about weapons. He was glad there was alcohol to drink. Marta was going to make him do completely insane. But still... She didn't deserve him snapping at her like that- and he knew that inside, though he had trouble getting his emotions out. The wounded look she wore for the little time he got the courage to look back at her reminded him sourly of every man and woman he had killed before. Right before the final blow.

Once and a while though, he would sneak a glance over towards her, and the group of woman she had been conversing with for the past thirty minutes. She smiled a lot, even laughed once or twice at something he couldn't quite catch. Though for the first time, that sparkle in her eyes just wasn't there.

A few minutes later, he saw her drift away and walk towards the table filled with orderves and picked up a martini, sitting down by herself at the bar.

He gathered the nerve to walk over towards her, hoping the alcohol in his system would help him out with the forgiveness plan.

"Having fun?" He said as genuinely as he possibly could, taking a seat next to her. Marta jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah. The people here are really nice." She said rather quietly, clinking the ice cubes against the glass cup.

"Look at me," he gestured, smiling when her eyes met his. "I am- so sorry about what I said earlier."

She remained quiet for a long moment; she stared down at her drink and brushed a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

"I think we should go now," was her only reply. She downed her drink and and got up, Aaron following her out the door.

The frozen air felt like a slash of ice water to the face. He didn't even bother to try holding her hand. But with the few glances he passed towards her, he noticed something wasn't quite right about the way she was acting.

"Marta, how many drinks did you have?"

She remained silent, but her brow furrowed in thought. "Don't know."

He sighed, and put a hand up against her forehead. Her skin was radiating heat.

"You're drunk," he muttered, though there was no surprise there.

"No I'm not," she muttered, stumbling a little as she walked. Aaron put a protective arm around her.

"You don't want to see me.. When I'm drunk."

Aaron let out a laugh. He was suddenly curious to see where it would go.

Payback, he thought joyously, is a glorious thing.

"Let's go inside..." He said, having to use more strength to keep her on her feet.

He opened the door and she stumbled in.

"I hate you," she said, keeping her dilated eyes on him.

"Oh, well thanks, that makes me feel great." He laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady.

"But I don't get it.. You're also really nice... And really cute..."

Aaron still continued to laugh, though he was seriously surprised.

"See, that's the kind of thanks I deserve."

Then, she preceded to put her hands on her chest, making him feel suddenly uncomfortable.

"Kiss me," she whispered, though to Aaron it sounded like a shouting demand.

"Umm... Marta you're not thinking straight."

"Kiss me!" She said, more desperately this time.

Before he could respond, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

Aaron's eyes widened; he didn't know what to do exactly. Although a kiss from Marta Shearing had been the only thing on his mind for every checkup, he didn't want it to be like this. Yes, technically giving her mouth to mouth was indeed kissing, but he didn't have a choice there.

He pushed her away from his body, and she looked back at him with surprise.

"You- don't- l-love me?"

If his eyes could get any bigger, they probably did.

"No, no no no, I never said that!"

There were thin, hot years that appeared out of nowhere brimming her eyes. "You hate me?"

"Didn't say that either. Look, you need to go to bed now." He calmly said.

"Then kiss me!" She wept, her whole body trembling.

Aaron looked at her, desperate, seriously considering taking off out the doorway.
Her face was turning red with fiery emotion.

For a moment, just one moment, Aaron let his thoughts fly out the window- he stepped foreword and held her face in his hands, kissing with all the feelings and emotions he had kept in silence all those years.

It defiantly shut her up.

He pushed his tongue past her mouth, suddenly craving her.

He didn't know how long the two of them stood by the doorway, but suddenly, his thoughts returned, and he snapped his eyes open.

What the hell are you doing?

Letting go of her, he quickly picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, throwing her body down on her bed and turning around to leave. To his surprise Marta didn't resist or complain at all.

"Wait Aaron, don't leave." He heard her ask weakly behind him. Aaron stopped, but didn't turn around. He simply squeezed his eyes closed before continuing through the doors shutting it softly.

A/N: I know, things are starting to get complicated bewteen them... Could this be the start of something? ;)