AuthorNote:I do not own rights to Kingsman characters or the story line.

With everything I have going on the next few weeks I hope y'all can be patient with me. I wont be home all day tomorrow and I have a sick kiddo (luckily it's not the flu), so please enjoy the extended chapter because I have no idea when I'll be able to sit down and work on the next one lol. Please, let me know what you think by leaving a review!


Harry spoke first, "Claire, have a seat please." He motioned to the vacant seat at the opposite end of the table. She slowly walked over to it, eyeing the people positioned around the six-seater table; Eggsy took his place to the right of Harry.

It was at that moment she looked to a tablet place in front of Harry, a video of Claire playing across the screen. She was able to get a clean line of sight and realized the images were of her only moments ago as Eggsy questioned her about Mason Jordan. She glared at him, realizing then that his glasses had been hanging from the collar of his T-shirt. Eggsy refused to make eye contact with her, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he stared at the wood grains of the table.

Claire looked to Champ who gave her a solemn look, Whiskey attempted a reassuring smile before turning her head to face Harry and Champ. It was odd, seeing them as these green holographic images. She knew both Statesman and Kingsman communicated this way on several occasions, but never without the use of their special tech glasses. Whiskey turned back to Claire, leaning onto the table and clasping her hands together as she spoke.

"Claire, I'm sorry we have to do this to you. I truly am."

Claire looked between the two people, "Please, tell me you believe me. I had no idea."

Champ spoke before she could continue. "If I had a dollar for every time someone has tried to hack into Statesman…," he threw back a shot of whiskey, "boy I'd be the richest man in town." Champ looked to her, "Don't worry about your job, darlin'. I ain't lettin' you leave us that easy."

Harry stood, bringing the tablet that had been in front of him and placed it within Claire's reach. She looked at the reports displayed on the screen, diligently reading through them.

Nicholas Andrew Moore, aged 48 years-old.

Date of Birth: June 4, 1964

Date of Death: August 17, 2012

Manner of Death: Hanging from second level of his office building. Apparent suicide.

Claire looked to Harry, then Whiskey. "I don't understand."

"Keep reading." Whiskey urged her. Claire swiped to the next screen, finding the same photo of Petty Officer Moore hanging in his office building. She swiped again finding a medical examiner's written report.

Victim has been identified as Senior Chief Petty Officer Nicholas Moore. Manner of death had been originally ruled suicide by hanging, but upon further investigation I have changed the manner of death to homicide.

Nicholas Moore endure chest trauma prior to his death, including three broken ribs and bruising to the lungs. Upon investigation there was damage found to the victim's larynx and a fracture to the hyoid bone; both injuries confirmed to be prior to death as well.

It is believed that the victim, Nicholas Moore, was strangled, causing the damaged larynx and fractured hyoid bone, before CPR was performed and resulted in chest trauma. Victim was confirmed to be deceased before the hanging occurred.

James McDonald, Medical Examiner

Department Of The Navy

Sensing there was more than the same medical examiner's report she had been able to pull, Claire swiped again. She found Moore's birth certificate along with a child's birth certificate. Her eyes widen as she read the name of the child: Claire Marie Henry. Her mother, Carol Marie Henry, was listed as well as Nicholas Andrew Moore as her father.

"You mean…"

Harry took the tablet from her hands but remained standing near the corner of the table. Claire looked to the members sitting around her, everyone was staring to gauge her reaction, even Eggsy. The only issue was that she had no idea how to react. Her mother had never told her about who her father was, only saying that he'd left the family to pursue his career, which apparently had been true. Nicholas Moore would have only been in the Navy for a few years by the time Claire was born, maybe he had chosen career over family. Carol had been the type of woman who had put family first and foremost, especially Claire. She only assumed that was the driving force of the two parting ways.

"Claire, are you okay" Whiskey questioned.

Claire nodded honestly. She'd only known Nicholas Moore as a victim in the case she happened to be working, not her father, so there were no emotional hinderance. She felt slightly guilty. Should she be emotional? Maybe, but she could not force the connection to this man who had been dead for nearly five years now.

Claire looked to the other woman, "I'm fine." Her eyes met Champ's. "Honestly."

Harry moved to reclaim his seat as he spoke. "You had no knowledge of your connection to Petty Officer Moore?" Claire shook her head in response. Harry turned his eyes to Champ who stared at him. "And you believe her?"

Champ turned to look at the girl who stared at him, her entire body stiff as she waited for his answer. "I do." Champ looked to Harry again, "Nicholas Moore may have been her father by blood, but not by heart." Claire smiled at him.

"Well then," Harry looked to Claire as he spoke, "shall we continue? Agent Whiskey, I think you can take over from here."

Claire looked to the woman next to her as she rattled off the remaining details of Petty Officer Moor's death and his connection to Mason Jordan while they had been enlisted in the Navy together. Claire tried her best to listen but held little interest in hearing details of her estranged father. She instead chanced a look in Eggsy's direction who was still boring holes into the wood table as he studied the individual grains. He must have sensed her eyes upon him because he looked up to her with a blank face, but she quickly looked away.

"Jordan and Murdock interviewed with Statesman not long before the position open for my seat as an agent. They were removed from the running after background screenings revealed their connections with Nicholas Moore's death." Claire's reports displayed through a holographic image in the center of the table. "Although, we had never investigated any further until recently."

"And the computer hack?" Claire questioned.

"Mark Tillery. Sound familiar?" Whiskey asked.

Claire nodded, "He was one of the tech support guys who did some work in my office."

"He's apparently tech support for Jordan as well. His computer was synced to your laptop, pulling data and search history from your hard drive. I'm assuming that's how Jordan has been able to track our agents, find contact information and stay updated with our findings. Mark has been feeding him everything he needs."

Claire shook her head in astonishment. "I had no idea."

"None of us did. Yours wasn't the only computer affected." Claire looked to her, "The entire database was hacked. Much like Kingsman's was." Whiskey elevated her hand to Harry and Eggsy.

Harry interceded. "Which means they have every point of contact, history and location of every Statesman agent and personnel."

"But I thought you ordered agent and personnel addresses to be deleted from the database?" Claire's eyes darted to Champ in question.

"It wasn't soon enough I'm afraid. Tillery was able to pull what he needed before it was deleted." Champ answered.

"Do we know which other agents or personnel are being directly targeted?" Claire asked the group.

"Just you." She looked to Eggsy who had spoken for the first time since entering. Claire's gaze met his before she turned to the others around her, everyone stared back at her in silent confirmation.

Claire's heart began to race, but she did her best to keep a strong outward appearance. She didn't want to Harry, and Champ find her unfit to protect herself and remain a part of this mission. If there was one thing Claire Henry was not it was a damsel in distress; she fought her own battles head on. If Mason Jordan was coming for her she was going to give him a fight.

"So, what now?" She asked.

Champ righted himself in his seat, taking a sip from his glass of whiskey before answering. "We have Jordan's buckaroo downstairs. From what he says the men sent to your house were meant to take you to him. We're thinkin' he'll send new men to London, seein' as Mr. Tillery has already tipped him off."

Seeing her expression falter Harry tried his best to reassure her. "Don't worry, Claire. You'll be in good hands. Our own technical support specialist, Ector, has already taken measure to ensure your safety. As soon as we land you'll be taken to our safe dwelling."

"I understand the reasoning behind pulling me from this case, but can I make one request?" The room remained silent. "All I ask is that I be included in all debriefings. I want to stay up to date with all of Statesman and Kingsman's findings."

Harry and Champ exchanged a look before Harry spoke. "I believe that's a reasonable request that can be granted."

Claire nodded, feeling slightly more reassured. Harry excused her and Eggsy so that he and Champ could finalize their meeting. Claire looked to Whiskey who smiled before her hologram disappeared. Eggsy approached her, pulling her chair away from the table for her and allowing her to stand before pushing it back in. He glanced at his mentor who gave him a slight nod and a wink as they left the room.

Claire immediately made her way back to her seat at the front of the plane, pulling her legs to her chest and silently staring out the window. Eggsy took the aisle seat opposite her, not daring to say a word to the brooding woman. He didn't have to sit in silence for too long before Claire spoke.

"We're still partners." She said as she stared out the window.

Eggsy looked to her, watching her facial features and realizing her eyes were still puffy from crying and the lack of sleep from the past week. Not caring what her reaction would be he stood to grab a blanket from one of the storage compartments above him. He turned back to her, taking her hands into his and assisting her in standing before taking her seat, raising the arm rest to her left.

"We have at least four more hours before we land." She must have understood what he meant because she made no arguments as she took the seat next to him and laid her head against his shoulder, tucking her feet under her body. He helped pull the blanket around her body as she repositioned her head.

"I'm still mad at you." She said quietly as her eyes drifted close. Eggsy smiled at her before turning to look at the clouds around them.

"Tell me about it later."

"Claire. Claire, wake up." She could hear the sound of Eggsy's voice calling to her, but the lack of sleep and exhaustion had caught up to her. Waking from the first bits of rest in a week seemed like torture. "Are you awake?"

She mumbled as she pulled the blanket to her chin. "I wish I wasn't." She heard Eggsy chuckle. "Are we landing?" She asked as she sat up, still clutching to the blanket.

"About 45 minutes." He answered as he stood. "I'll be right back." Claire nodded while watching the clouds outside slither past and the sun disappear beyond the horizon.

She stood to stretch her arms above her head then folded the blanket to deposit back into the storage compartment. She looked around, finding the bottle of champagne still in the chiller, the ice now nearly melted. She plucked a few grapes from the vine as she looked around the cabin of the plane. She desperately wanted a drink other than water or alcohol. She spotted a mini fridge below the bar and tried her luck there; she successfully found a few cans of Diet Coke behind the bottled water. She popped the tab and took a sip as she shuffled around to look at everything.

The sound of a door opening startled her until she realized it was Eggsy leaving the lavatory. He sat on the arm of one of the aisle seats against the cabin wall. They remained silent until Claire turned to look at him. He glanced at her briefly before standing and making his way to the bar to make himself a martini. She watched him as he worked and racked her brain around the tension between them. He was insufferable at times, but she found him more charismatic than anything. He was a gentleman, undoubtedly, but there was a certain roughness to him that she found intriguing. He'd been completely honest with her from the very start, a quality she had not forgotten. He pushed limits, but for the sake of results. She remembered the way he spoke to her at her home a few hours ago and again on the plane, he'd made sure that she understood that no matter what he had her back. She'd gained his trust and as a result he'd given his. They were partners, but not in the same sense as when they started together.

"What's happening here?" She asked, Eggsy turned to look at her. She tried not to notice the confused look he'd given to her as she motioned between the two of them. "This isn't what I assumed being partners would be like."

Eggsy grinned as he took a sip of his martini. "What, did you think it would be like the movies?"

"No." She sat in the same aisle seat from before while he chose to lean against one of the seats across from her. "But I didn't think partners had attractions to one another either."

"Who's attracted?" Eggsy tried his best to not act in anyway that would make her think she had gotten under his skin, but the truth was she had. She was smart, witty, resourceful, and carried her own. She didn't allow herself to be vulnerable, instead she found ways to make herself stronger. He liked her in a way that was not sexual, it wasn't a simple attraction; he wanted to know more about this feisty, curly haired enigma before him.

"Don't play dumb, Eggsy."

His mouth formed a thin line as he stared into his martini glass, not willing to answer her yet. Though he couldn't deny his attraction to her, he had to remain cautious. Claire was still being targeted and he needed to keep not only his mind clear, but hers as well in order to keep her safe. Any kind of distraction between the two could mean a slip up. He wanted desperately to give into her assumptions, but he'd hold steadfast. If his and Claire's 'attraction' remained after everything then he'd cross that bridge when it arrived.

"As Harry has always told me, 'Kingsman do not have relationships'. We work together on this mission, so try not to take anything too personal."

The words stung. She never would have thought Eggsy would say something so sarcastically, it had caught her off her guard. Surely, he didn't mean it. Either way she was not going to allow him the satisfaction of seeing her disappointment. "Thank God for Harry then."

"Yes, thank God." Both Eggsy and Claire jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. He looked between the two before pointing to Eggsy's glass, "Eggsy, how about you make another one of those martini's and join me before we land?" He turned to Claire, "Would you like one, Claire?" She shook her head no.

Harry slipped into the back room of the plane as Eggsy made quick work of mixing another martini. He looked over his shoulder, spotting Claire absent mindedly running her fingers along the rim of her soda can and watching the sun set outside. His reserves were going to break if she continued to unconsciously make him feel like the biggest prick in the world. He wanted to speak with her again and had even made up his mind to do it now, but Harry interrupted by opening the door to check on him. Claire's head had turned at the sound of the door opening, locking eyes with Eggsy as he closed it. She'd caught sight of him mouthing the words 'we'll talk' before he closed the door.

Harry took the martini Eggsy offered to him, slapping him in the back of the head as he walked past.

"What the fuck was that for?" Eggsy demanded as he rubbed the spot.

"Sense, Eggsy. At times something you lack very deeply." Harry motioned to the door with his martini glass. "Did you not listen to a word I said in Kentucky?"

"What are you on about, Harry? You're sounding delusional."

"Your pathetic attempts of saving this poor girl's feelings are going to be what pushes her over the edge. I have not taught you to be a man, I have taught you to be a gentleman, Eggsy." Eggsy looked to his mentor dumbfounded. "Repeat what I told you in Kentucky."

"What?" Eggsy's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed deeply at the ridiculous request.

"You heard me, Eggsy. Repeat it." Harry took a sip of his martini as he waited.

Eggsy paused for several moments before reciting the words said to him at Claire's grandmother's funeral. "'Having something to lose is what makes life worth living.'"

Harry nodded. "'I see two people that refuse to acknowledge the fact that there might be more in front of them than what they're willing to admit'. Isn't that what I told you?" Eggsy nodded slowly. "Don't lose an opportunity, Eggsy. Especially one with a woman like her." Harry again pointed to the door.

Eggsy remained silent as he realized what Harry was saying. He wasn't putting his attraction to Claire aside for her sake or the well being of the mission, he was doing it to protect himself. He was refusing to acknowledge the fact that there could potentially be more between them because of his own fears. His fear of having someone special and losing them or worse he be killed, and that someone end up like his mother, alone. It was funny to think that Harry could bring all of this to light with such little effort.

Eggsy looked to the man he respected more than any other person, aside from his mother. "What do I do?"

Harry took another sip of his martini as he walked to the table to gather his things. "Nothing is ever set in stone, Eggsy." He looked to his watch, "Be quick about it, we land in 20 minutes."

Eggsy smiled as he turned on his heel, making his way to the door before stopping to look at the other man. "Thank you, Harry."

"Don't mention it. Hurry it up." Harry continued to gather his things as Eggsy left the room.

Claire had moved back to the window seat, he also noticed the martini he had left was now empty and a bottle of Jack Daniels was left out on the bar; she'd had a can of Coke when he'd left. This was conversation was going to go one of two ways, really well or very bad. Eggsy took a deep breathe before he approached her, taking the seat across from her. Claire turned to look at him with a blank expression as she took the final drink of her Jack and Coke.

"I'm sorry." Eggsy looked to see her reaction, but her face remained emotionless as he continued. "You were right, there is some sort of attraction between us. I don't want to ignore whatever this is," he motioned between the two of them, "but my job, as a Kingsman, is to keep you safe."

Claire's brows rose at the statement, "As a Kingsman.."

Realizing what he had just said, the context Claire had taken it, he tried to explain. "That's not what I meant."

"But it is." Claire interrupted. The martini and Jack Daniels were certainly not helping the situation.

"Please, listen to me? Just hear me out, yeah?" Claire sat back into her seat. "I want to keep you safe, not just as a Kingsman, but because I care enough about you that I don't want anything to happen to you. You're smart and resourceful, but we have no idea what is coming our way. I can't let my feelings get in the way of that."

"And what about my feelings, Eggsy? What happens when one of us can't help feeling some type of way about the other?"

"Claire, everything that I'm saying right now is because of you. I promise."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I can't afford to let my guard down and risk losing you or someone else." He scooted to the edge of his seat to look at her more directly before continuing. "Give this time. Let's figure out what Mason has planned then go from there. Okay?"

"What if there isn't anything by that point?"

Eggsy smiled, looked out the window at the dark skies and spotted the lights of London before turning back to her. "There will be."

The plane began its descent and the two fastened their seat belts, watching the lights of the runway approach, Claire looked out the window in amazement. She could see the lights of London all around them and it seemed just as beautiful as she had imaged it to be. The plane didn't even pull into a hangar, instead she spotted an old-fashioned taxi approach them. The driver exited the vehicle to start unloading the bags from the cargo hold.

Harry emerged from the back room of the plane as the door began to open. Eggsy stood and offered her a hand, she accepted and stood to walk to the door. She realized then that a cold draft had filled the cabin and she shivered slightly; she'd never changed out of her capris and tank top. Eggsy must have notice because the next thing she knew she was being covered by the weight of his hoodie. She turned to him whispering a thank you as she slipped her arms into the sleeves and followed Harry down the staircase. He offered a hand as she approached the last step, she graciously took it.

The driver finished loading the last of the bags into the back of the taxi and rushed to open the door for the trio. Eggsy caught up to her, snaking an arm around her waist as the walked side by side.

Claire smirked, "You're making sure to keep to your word, aren't you?" He answered her question with a click of his tongue and a wink.

The three climbed into the back of the taxi and Harry order the driver to take them home. Claire watched in amazement as everything from city streets, glowing street lamps and tourist passed in a blur. Everything was so beautiful and new, and she almost looked forward to her time here.